Chapter 206: Oh no, I've become a traitor!
As the match concluded, Yugi and Hayato left Duke Devlin's fervent fan group and walked towards Joey, intending to comfort him after his loss.
But unexpectedly, midway, Hayato and Yugi were stopped. The person was none other than Duke Devlin, who had just won the match against Joey. Behind him, an annoyed Joey and Tristan followed.
"Oh my, isn't this the renowned King of Games—Yugi, and Hayato? Are you two also interested in Dungeon Dice Monsters?" Duke Devlin said, sweeping his bangs back and revealing a smile that looked remarkably familiar to Hayato and Yugi.
That smile, they remembered it all too well; wasn't it exactly like Pegasus's?
"Yugi, Hayato. I..." Joey opened his mouth to speak, but Duke Devlin, standing beside him, suddenly moved, delivering an elbow strike to Joey's abdomen, forcing him to swallow his words.
Yugi's expression turned angry: "You scoundrel!"
"Are you angry to see your companion injured, Yugi?" Duke Devlin wagged his finger. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, you now have no reason to demand that I change the way I treat my 'lapdog'."
"Lapdog!?" Yugi looked at Joey in confusion, only to find him with his head lowered, offering no explanation.
Tristan then told Yugi and Hayato about what happened behind the scenes of the previous Dungeon Dice Monsters match—after Tristan took him to the third floor and he first experienced Dungeon Dice Monsters, Joey's confidence swelled, declaring that the game of "Dungeon Dice Monsters" was too easy and boring.
It was at this moment that Duke Devlin appeared, saying he wanted to help Joey understand the true beauty of Dungeon Dice Monsters. However, as he spoke, he constantly conveyed disdain for Joey's Duelist Kingdom Top 4 ranking.
This alone only made Joey slightly displeased. Building on that, Duke Devlin claimed that both Hayato and Yugi were despicable scoundrels. These words completely enraged Joey. He demanded that Duke Devlin retract his insulting remarks about his friends.
Seizing the opportunity, Duke Devlin added a wager to their match—if Joey won, he would take responsibility for his words and apologize to Hayato and Yugi; conversely, if Duke Devlin won, then for the next month, Joey would have to serve as Duke Devlin's "lapdog" to be commanded.
"That's right, a lapdog, quite a fitting title for him, wouldn't you say?" Duke Devlin said, beckoning with his hand. Several store employees came over, carrying a set of rather ridiculous-looking dog onesie pajamas. "Now then, Joey Wheeler, put on these clothes and fulfill our wager, 'defeated dog' Joey."
What humiliating words! Rage nearly erupted from Yugi's eyes, and the Millennium Puzzle on his chest flashed, and he switched to Yami Yugi. However, the two Yugis were connected in spirit; although it seemed like a different person had taken over, Yami Yugi merely suppressed the anger in his heart, gritting his teeth as he looked at Duke Devlin: "You scoundrel! I challenge you to a Duel!"
"However, I refuse." To Yugi and Hayato's surprise, Duke Devlin glanced at Yugi with disdain, instead turning his gaze towards Hayato next to him. "Although you're also one of my targets, Hayato has a higher priority."
Hearing Duke Devlin's words, Yami Yugi's face showed a knowing expression: "As expected, you had some objective from the very beginning when you approached Joey."
"Wh—!" Joey looked at Duke Devlin in surprise, but before he could speak, Duke Devlin struck him in the stomach with another elbow.
"Dogs don't speak, Joey—no, Dog-Joey." Grabbing Joey's hair, Duke Devlin cast a provocative glance at Hayato, then shoved the dog pajamas into Joey's hands. "Be a good boy and listen to your master's commands. For the next month, I want you to wear these clothes, not speak to anyone, and only bark like a dog, Dog-Joey!"
Releasing Joey's hair, Duke Devlin arrogantly looked at Hayato: "How does it feel to have your companion tormented like this?"
"Just simmering with rage," Hayato replied, his expression unchanged, as if unfazed. However, from a perspective Duke Devlin couldn't see, several Duel Monster Spirits appeared behind him, glaring angrily at Duke Devlin alongside their master.
Although he couldn't see the Duel Monster Spirits, Duke Devlin inexplicably felt uneasy. To dispel that feeling, he continued to try and provoke Hayato: "Heh, is that all the anger you've got? I can't see anything on your faces, even though your friend challenged me to defend your honor."
"Speaking of which, he really is an easy mark. Not just in the match, but so simple-minded that a couple of casual taunts are enough to make him obediently follow a predetermined path. He's just too easy to deal with, Dog-Joey." As he spoke, he slapped Joey, who had just finished changing into the pajamas, twice. "Crawl on the ground, you disobedient mad dog!"
Hayato watched Duke Devlin's continuous provocations and said, "Are you trying to anger me, to disrupt my composure? Then congratulations, you've succeeded in making me angry. I accept your challenge!"
"However, if I win, you must immediately release Joey and apologize to everyone!"
Hearing Hayato finally accept the challenge, Duke Devlin couldn't help but laugh triumphantly: "Then, conversely, if I win, from this day forward, you can no longer have any contact with Duel Monsters!"
"What a vicious wager, but I accept it," Hayato said, taking his Deck from his waist. "As the challenged, I have the right to declare that we will use Duel Monsters as the method of dueling!"
Duke Devlin also took a Deck from his person, then pulled on the leash around Joey's neck, as if he truly owned a dog. "Heh heh, just as I wished. After all, I intended to 'crush you in the domain you excel at most'."
"Let's go, my loyal dog!"
With that, he pulled Joey towards one side of the Duel Arena, while Hayato, Yugi, and Tristan walked towards the other side.
As they stepped onto the Duel Arena, Tristan warned, "Hayato, you must be careful of that guy's verbal traps. He seems very good at misleading people."
"Mhm, I understand." Yugi glanced at the two. Though he didn't speak, what they wanted to say was written all over their faces. "Don't worry, Joey's fate will be changed by me."
The Duel Arena slowly rose, but Hayato noticed that several cameras had appeared around its edges.
Duke Devlin explained, "After all, you are the King of Games, Hayato. A match with the King of Games must be witnessed by the public. That way, you won't be able to use any underhanded tactics, will you?"
"Hmph, I do have a question," Hayato said, looking at Duke Devlin on the opposite Duel Arena. "Why do you seem to despise me more than Yugi?"
Hayato remembered that Duke Devlin had come looking for trouble because Yugi had defeated Pegasus. What he didn't quite understand was why Duke Devlin seemed to be even more hostile towards him.
Could it be that his act of casually swiping a few cards from Pegasus had been exposed? There was no reason; he had avoided the cameras, and it wasn't broadcast either, was it?
Duke Devlin's face showed an expression of disdain: "Why don't you ask yourself that? You were lucky enough to enter the Duelist Kingdom at Maximillion Pegasus's invitation, and you should have owed him a favor. Yet, you collaborated with Yugi, and both of you used despicable methods to defeat Maximillion Pegasus, even causing him to disappear without a trace!"
"Compared to a cunning scoundrel like Yugi, a traitor like you is even more detestable!"
(end of chapter)