Chapter 260: Today's Late Update
Time began to flow backward, returning to an hour ago.
Third Bomb: Bites the Dust!
Domino City is a port city. Starting from Domino Pier, a wide river leading inland divides the city in two. The relatively prosperous area on the side where KaibaCorp headquarters is located is called "New Domino," while the part mainly consisting of residential areas and schools is called "Old Domino."
A Great Bridge connects the two areas, and Yugi Mutou was standing by the bridge at this very moment.
Watching KaibaCorp's airship fly away, and noticing that many Duelists around had already chosen their opponents and couldn't wait to Duel, Yugi Mutou looked at the Millennium Puzzle on his chest with fighting spirit and said to the Dark Yugi within:
"Another me, Duel City has begun. Let's work hard together."
"Aibou, I also believe that our combined strength can defeat anything."
Putting on his Duel Disk, Yugi Mutou switched control of his body to the more outgoing Dark Yugi. His gaze was like a hawk's, scrutinizing everyone before him, trying to pick out powerful opponents worth Dueling.
Just then, a sinister voice came from behind him: "Mutou, Yugi... I found you!"
Turning his head to look at the speaker, Yugi Mutou recognized him at a glance. After all, he only knew one person who was roughly the same height as him and whose voice was inexplicably annoying: "Haga?!"
The person who appeared here and called out to Yugi Mutou was none other than Haga, the former champion of the Japanese National Duel Monsters Selection Tournament, the "Insect" user, who had torn up Yugi Mutou's Exodia the Forbidden One and lost his qualification to use Duel Monsters after being defeated in a Stake Duel against Hayato!
Yugi Mutou's eyes were initially just surprised that Haga would appear in Duel City where he had no qualification at all. But when he lowered his gaze and noticed Haga's current attire, his eyes suddenly became dangerous.
The reason was none other than the fact that Haga was wearing a pitch-black cloak. The Symbol of the Millennium Eye on the cloak was exactly the same as the decoration on the cloaks of the Ghouls!
"Hmph, you saw through it? Hehehehe, that's right, I've joined the Ghouls." Haga said with a smug look, extending his hand from the cloak and revealing a Duel Disk. "Looking at you, you seem surprised?"
Yugi Mutou frowned tightly: "As a former national champion, Haga, have you completely abandoned your dignity as a Duelist and actually chosen to join the Ghouls?"
The sinister smile on Haga's face instantly froze. His expression became terrifyingly gloomy, like the bottom of a wok that had been used to cook vegetables for over a decade without ever being cleaned. Clenching his fists, Haga's emotions erupted, and he pointed a finger at Yugi Mutou:
"In the end, it's all because of you guys!"
"If it weren't for you, if it weren't for that Hayato, how could I have fallen to this state! Do you think I wanted to join an organization like the Ghouls?!"
Haga's eyes were full of malice: "Ever since Duelist Kingdom, after being stripped of my qualification to touch Duel Monsters, I became like a rat crossing the street. Even a bunch of trash Duelists who aren't even fourth-rate dared to mock me!"
"The Ghouls are an International Criminal Organization, I know that very well, but so what!" Haga said, taking out a Deck. "Falling or whatever doesn't matter at all. The Ghouls can let me regain power, become a superior person again, and give me the opportunity to get revenge on you!"
"First, it's you, Mutou Yugi, then that guy Hayato, and after that, Katsuya Jonouchi. And that woman named Téa and Hiroto Honda, I will take you down one by one!"
"Using this Deck I got from the Ghouls!"
Saying that, Haga inserted the Deck in his Hand into the card slot of his Duel Disk. Yugi Mutou felt a rather heavy presence rushing towards him.
'This guy Haga feels completely different from before!' Dark Yugi expressionlessly put his Deck into his Duel Disk and likewise activated it.
Two virtual projection devices were launched, set up on both sides of the Field, and began to operate, constructing a grid Field.
'Be careful, another me. Although Haga's feeling has changed, I have a premonition that he will still use some despicable means like before.'
Original Yugi, the heavy trap player, expressed his premonition to Dark Yugi. Dark Yugi nodded inwardly, indicating that he understood.
"The rules of Duel City are to stake Puzzle Cards and rare cards from your Deck." Haga proudly showed off his Puzzle Card, as well as a card facing away from Yugi Mutou, then put that card into his Deck and shuffled it. "I will use this card to stake your most cherished card—that Dark Magician!"
And Yugi Mutou could feel that the vast majority of the presence coming from Haga was emanating from that card of unknown identity. That feeling made Yugi Mutou involuntarily recall a certain existence he had felt from the direction of Domino Pier last night.
However, although the magnitude was similar, Yugi Mutou compared them and felt that the presence of the certain existence that appeared last night was of higher quality.
He did not know about Hayato and Marik's Duel at Domino Pier.
"Hmph, you want to take away my cherished card as revenge?" Yugi Mutou snorted coldly. "That kind of fantasy, I will crush it!"
"Duel!" x2
[Yugi Mutou: 4000 LP, Hand 5]
[Haga: 4000 LP, Hand 5]
"The first turn is mine, draw!" Haga seized the right to the first turn and drew a card from his Deck.
Seeing the card he drew, a sinister smile appeared on Haga's face: "First, I will Normal Summon Dragonfly in face-up Defense Position."
With the buzzing sound of wings vibrating, a humanoid Insect appeared on Haga's Field. However, despite its ATK being much higher than its DEF, Haga Summoned it in Defense Position.
[Dragonfly] [1500/900]
"Then, I Activate the Spell Card Time Capsule! This card allows me to choose one card from my Deck and store it. In the Standby Phase of my second turn after activation, that card will be added to my Hand."
A Time Capsule appeared on Haga's Field. As a Duel Monsters card, the effect of Time Capsule was the same as its real-world function: storing objects from the past to be delivered to the future. However, the Time Capsule in Duel Monsters was designed by Maximillion Pegasus to look like the coffin of an Egyptian Pharaoh Mummy.
After the coffin opened, Haga spread out his Deck, and with a glance, he had already chosen the card he wanted to put into the Time Capsule. Watching the coffin gradually close and enclose the card within, slowly sinking underground, Yugi Mutou felt that the card just placed inside was the one Haga had said he would stake before the Duel.
"After that, I Set three cards from my Hand. My turn ends."
[Haga: 4000 LP, Hand 1]
[Dragonfly] [DEF 900]
[Time Capsule] [Set Card] x3
"Using a defense strategy, does he want to stall until two turns later to get that card he relies on for a counterattack?" Yugi Mutou thought, drawing a card. "My turn, draw!"
"Activate the Spell Card Fusion! From my Hand, I will use Baphomet and Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts as Fusion Material! Come forth, Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast!"
A vortex representing the Fusion Card appeared on Yugi Mutou's Field. Two cards from Yugi Mutou's Hand were sucked into it, and a two-headed, four-legged magical beast with wings on its back appeared on Yugi Mutou's Field.
[Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] [6☆/Wind]
[Beast / Fusion / Effect]
[2100/1800]
The rules of Duel City had some differences from the Duelist Kingdom era, but regarding Fusion, the rules of "using monsters from the Hand or Field" and "Fusion Summoned monsters can attack in the same turn" were maintained.
"I haven't performed a Normal Summon this turn yet." Yugi Mutou said, drawing two cards from his Hand. "I Normal Summon Queen's Knight in Attack Position! Then, I equip the Equip Spell Card Spiral Spear Strike to Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast!"
The elegant Queen's Knight hand-held a sword and appeared, and behind Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast, an Equip Spell Card also appeared on the Field.
"The effect of Spiral Spear Strike is that when the equipped monster attacks a Defense Position monster, it can inflict piercing damage, dealing damage equal to the amount by which its ATK exceeds its DEF to you." Saying that, Yugi Mutou waved his hand forward. "Enter my Battle Phase!"
"Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast, attack the Defense Position Dragonfly!"
"Hehehe, you don't think just one Equip Spell Card can break my defense, do you, Mutou Yugi?" Haga said with a sinister smile, activating his Set card in the backrow.
"Open Trap Card Element Absorber! Activate!"
On Haga's Field, four transparent prisms suddenly rose and aggregated together. At the same time, Haga flipped over the card in his Hand and showed it to Yugi Mutou.
"That card is, Great Moth?!" Yugi Mutou recognized the card in Haga's Hand. It was Great Moth, which was arguably the second strongest ace card in Haga's Deck during the Duelist Kingdom era.
Although the fact that it required several turns of setup time was quite foolish, its combat power was indeed good. Not only did its ATK matches Gaia The Fierce Knight, but it also had the ability to continuously decrease the ATK of all monsters on the opponent's Field.
However, what was Haga doing showing this card now? Yugi Mutou remembered that Great Moth had a revival restriction; it could only be Special Summoned by cards like Monster Reborn after being successfully Special Summoned by Petit Moth's effect.