Chapter 295: The Third Match, Hayato and Ishizu
Following Kaiba, Joey became the second Duelist to advance to the Battle City Top 4. When he returned to the Audience Seating, Joey received sincere blessings from Hayato and Yugi: "Congratulations, Joey."
"Nice job, Joey," Hayato said, glancing at Mai Valentine, who was sitting nearby and deliberately avoiding Joey's gaze. He added, "But, as your friend, I have to give you a piece of advice. Instead of just celebrating, now's the perfect time to press your advantage~"
Before Joey's head, which only had room for his sister and Dueling, could understand Hayato's meaning, his full attention was drawn by Kaiba's usual cold tone from nearby.
"You only won one Duel, and you're already this excited? A Mediocre Duelist is a Mediocre Duelist. Even if you're temporarily a victor, you're still just a slightly stronger Normal Monster."
"Huh? What are you saying, Kaiba? You wanna fight?" Joey might be slow to understand other things, but he instantly understood Kaiba's easy-to-grasp mockery. He immediately cast Hayato's kind reminder aside and rolled up his sleeves, adopting a fighting stance.
However, upon realizing that the others were just watching with expectant expressions, and no one was coming to hold him back, Joey sheepishly put his sleeves down. Just then, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon Lottery Machine GO! GO!, with only four spheres left in its connected container, started running again, giving Joey a reason to back down.
Among the current Top 8 Duelists, Ryo Bakura and Mai Valentine had lost, and Kaiba and Joey had already advanced. The Duelists who hadn't Dueled yet were Hayato, Ishizu, Marik, and Yugi. With two "clunk" sounds, two yellow orbs were dispensed, revealing numbers "2" and "4" respectively.
"Alright, the Battle City Top 8 to Top 4 Qualifier, the third Match, the Duelists are—"
Croquet announced, "Hayato, and Ishizu Ishtar!"
"This result is pretty bad in a way," Hayato sighed, covering his forehead upon hearing that he and Ishizu were up next. "I'd rather face Yugi or Marik, but of all people..."
Ishizu said, a little strangely, "Hayato, do you really not want to Duel me?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Hayato was forthright, speaking his mind. "Honestly, how many people would want to face your Graveyard Control Strategy Deck? If I'm not mistaken, when Marik Dueled with you and Odion as a kid, he probably often wore a Mask of anguish, didn't he?"
Ishizu had an expression of recalling the past. "Uh, I don't really understand 'Mask of anguish' or anything like that. However, whenever he lost a Duel, Marik would often become enraged and try to fight or cheat, but Odion would always restrain him immediately."
During their casual chat, the two walked onto the Duel Field, each inserting their Deck into the slot and deploying their Duel Disk. Compared to the first Duel, when Ryo Bakura secretly injected Darkness Power into the Duel Monster Spirit, causing the Duel to evolve somewhat towards a Shadow Game and thus inflicting substantial damage to the Duel Field, the previous Duel between Joey and Mai Valentine was much more peaceful, and the Field could be used normally.
However, considering that the next Duel would be between Yugi and Marik...
Hayato glanced at the people on the Spectator Stands. Joey had forgotten Mai Valentine was there due to Kaiba's provocation and was attempting to provoke Kaiba with words, but Kaiba remained perfectly calm; Yugi had, at some point, switched to Yami Yugi. Without Hayato and Ishizu acting as a buffer, he was directly face-to-face with Marik, and his expression was serious due to Marik's undisguised malice.
Hopefully, in the next Duel, those two will hold back a little, and not blow up the Airship.
Hayato thought to himself.
Meanwhile, on the Judge's Stand, the diligent and unsentimental worker Croquet, after confirming that both Duelists were ready, raised both arms straight above his head and declared loudly, drawing the attention of the few people in the Audience Seating back to the Duel Field:
"I announce the third Match of the Battle City Top 8 to Top 4 Qualifier,"
"Now, begin!"
"Duel!"
Instinctively shouting out, Hayato awkwardly realized Ishizu didn't have the habit of shouting "Duel!" before a Duel. He didn't even have this strange habit himself before. When did it start? He understood; it must have been that loudmouth Joey who influenced him!
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 5]
[Ishizu: 4000 LP, Hand 5]
"I'll take the First Turn! Draw!" Hayato claimed the right to the First Turn, and after Drawing a Card from his Deck, said with a smile, "Against you, Ishizu, going Second Turn would be disastrous. I have to go First Turn."
"Activate the Spell Card *Graceful Charity*! I Draw three Cards from my Deck, then Discard two Cards from my Hand." To counter Ishizu's extremely dangerous Graveyard Control Strategy, Hayato immediately began Milling from the start. "Then, I Activate the Effect of *Ojama Magic*, which was Sent to the Graveyard by *Graceful Charity*, to Add to Hand three Ojamas from my Deck."
Before Hayato could Draw the three Cards that popped out of his Duel Disk, the Duel Monster Spirits of the extremely excited Ojama three brothers, feeling they hadn't appeared in a long time, had already jumped out of their Cards:
"Ojama~ here we come!"
"Now it's Show Time!"
"Next up is our stage, nya~"
The trio of *Ojama Yellow*, *Ojama Green*, and *Ojama Black*, who had somehow acquired a full set of props, bounced and stood in front of Hayato, each striking a pose. If they were slightly more normal Monsters, their well-crafted props might have made them look quite cool, but unfortunately, they were Ojama Monsters.
Amidst Ishizu's light chuckle, Hayato, with a black line on his head, played another Card from his Hand: "You three idiots, it really is better if I find a quiet place for you to stay."
"Activate the Spell Card *Polymerization*! I use *Ojama Yellow*, *Ojama Green*, and *Ojama Black* from my Hand as Fusion Material, come forth, *Ojama King*!"
The Fusion Vortex appeared on Hayato's Field. The Ojama Monsters unwillingly flew towards Hayato, trying to cling to his leg.
"No, Big Bro!" "We haven't been out in so long!" "Give us a chance, boss, nya~"
"You're too loud! Get in there quietly!" Hayato responded to the Ojama three brothers' snot and tears with a kick of his foot.
The three Ojama Monsters were swallowed by the Fusion Vortex. The white, chubby homebody—*Ojama King*—who also hadn't appeared in a long time, landed quite gracefully on Hayato's Field.
[*Ojama King*: DEF 3000]
(Extra update today, trying to boost daily subscriptions. They've been a *tiny* bit low these past two days.)
(end of chapter)