"I—I actually lost…?"
Dr. Eisenstein stared dazedly at his hands and at his cards, unable to believe it.
"The Doctor lost," Misawa repeated, voice flat.
No, perhaps: as expected.
Hardly surprising. Genius or not, the Doctor is still merely a talented duel researcher—a human genius.
How can a human beat a dog?
That said, Misawa knew the lab had recently taken on a new project. He was an old hand there; the lab had grown larger with more projects, but as an elder he still had status.
He'd heard they formed a special team to study the Duel King Yugi Muto's Deck. He'd also heard it wasn't like the usual "study the champ's Deck" projects—but didn't know how.
His strongest impressions of the legendary Yugi were the Egyptian Gods, Dark Magician, Buster Blader, Black Luster Soldier—famous powerhouses.
What Kira showcased today—Catapult Turtle with Block Dragon—could be called a Duel King combo, sure…
But are you sure Mr. Yugi's duels looked like this?
Misawa and Alexis wore awkward looks, wanting to retort but not knowing where to begin.
Then again… forget it. If even Blue-Eyes, the emblem of dueling might, can be turned into a nether abomination by Kira, nothing else is surprising.
If they said that aloud, Kira would sneer.
What? You say Yugi's duels weren't like this?
Frogs in a well.
Clearly you don't know how the Pharaoh got sent back to the afterlife…
They think Kira bent Yugi's cards to his own style—he'd swear on his pitch-black conscience that's not true.
The Duel King' duels were always like this. He's like this; the previous Duel King was like this. Perhaps the elder sealed his cards for years and disliked the limelight, and his early fame was mostly the Pharaoh's proxy work, so people lack the concept.
If you get a chance to see how Mr. Yugi duels now, you'll understand…
He only thought it—didn't say it.
"Doctor, are you okay?"
Misawa approached with concern.
He truly worried about his idol's well-being. In his experience, few leave a duel with Kira "just fine."
"What? Huh?"
The Doctor snapped out of it, his empty eyes glancing at Misawa, like a half-senile elder.
"Oh, haha, I'm fine. Just got turned into a sieve by Catapult Turtle and Block Dragon. What could happen to an old man like me? Great. Fantastic."
Misawa: "…"
He did not look fine.
"Please don't take it to heart, Doctor. Kira… is like this. You can't take duels with him too seriously. Your grand quantum theory of dueling is still brilliant. I'm waiting to read your new monograph."
"Quantum theory? Ah… right, I had such a theory." Dr. Eisenstein muttered.
"Huh?"
Misawa was dumbfounded.
Isn't that your life's work?
It's over. Kira broke him.
"Just now, I think I had an epiphany," the Doctor said earnestly. "I joined the Society of Light believing I'd found the right path.
I thought my life's theory, the truth of dueling, the truth of the universe, must lie in that path of light. But just now it felt like a blow to the head woke me up.
Why must truth be in the light and not in the darkness?"
"Uh?" Misawa grew more confused.
"There is light in the universe, yes, but far more darkness. The stars can't pierce the abyss; darkness is the universe's main theme and ought to align with dueling's truth."
He slapped his forehead.
"I was blinded by those cultists' nonsense. How strange…"
Misawa: "…"
He didn't know what to say—should he pull the Doctor back from a rabbit hole or just go with it?
The Society of Light—Misawa knew them; he'd fought some of them in the "Underworld Project."
So the Doctor was perhaps brainwashed and dispatched as the next enforcer. But through Kira's duel, the cult brainwashing seems forcibly overwritten…
Whether it's "removed" is debatable.
To Misawa, it felt like new brainwashing overwrote the old—with side effects—and it's stronger than the Light's.
The Society of Light at least flattered his theory, making him believe the universe's light aligned with his grand unification of dueling.
Kira not only overwrote it but also toppled the Doctor's life's work, with the Doctor now seemingly eager to join their "underworld cult"…
"Good duel. Your cards are interesting," Kira even said kindly.
"If you don't mind, Doctor, would you like to join our lab?"
"Hmm?"
Dr. Eisenstein froze.
Join them?
Thinking on it—not a bad idea, especially now that he doubted his own theory. If you can't beat them…
Misawa hesitated.
His idol joining their side—should he be happy?
Why did it feel… complicated?
Alexis was silent too.
She wondered how the Society of Light would feel sending Dr. Eisenstein to snipe Kira…
Society of Light member: I'll never forget that day. The Doctor said, "Capture the king first—cut off the enemy's Duel King from behind."
The Doctor then never returned. Next time we saw him, he was on the other side…
...
PS: 2 Bonus Chapter at 500 PS