Chapter 266: Hesiod
After a simple exchange of information, and Hayato and Kaiba showing off the Obelisk the Tormentor and The Winged Dragon of Ra cards they had obtained, the three parted ways again amidst Kaiba's harsh words, "The most delicious main course should be saved for last. I will defeat you in the final duel."
Looking at the two Puzzle Cards in his hand, Hayato sighed helplessly, "I hope there are fewer duplicate cards next."
As he walked, he opened the Shop in the system to see if he should buy a pack of cards to test his luck.
Just then, he noticed a crowd gathered not far from him, seemingly watching something.
In the center of the crowd, two monsters that Hayato was quite familiar with were raising their heads and letting out a roar: "Meow~"
"Shut up, you two rascals!"
"Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast?" Hayato walked towards the crowd curiously. Although this card wasn't as rare as Blue-Eyes White Dragon, its rarity was still quite high. After all, it was a Level 8 large monster with 2800 Attack Points, and its effect was quite practical.
Coincidentally, Hayato also happened to know someone who used Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast, had a Duel Disk, and was qualified to participate in the Duel City tournament.
As expected, Hayato, who had squeezed into the crowd, saw Manjoume Shouji, looking smug, wearing a Duel Disk and dueling someone. Because he had summoned two Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast on his field, he was proudly boasting to the guy opposite him.
Standing opposite Manjoume Shouji was a short guy. However, he wasn't short because he was young, like Haga or Ryuzaki. Looking at the full beard on his chin, which could serve as a towel, he couldn't be young unless he was naturally very hairy.
With a hunched back, the short, long-bearded guy looked at the two Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast on Manjoume Shouji's field, showing a surprised expression. He even clapped his hands, "Using the monster tributed last turn as a tribute again to summon a second Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast, as expected of Manjoume Shouji, truly powerful."
"It's good you know how amazing this great one is! Also, it's Mr. Manjoume!" Manjoume Shouji listened to the flattery, his eyes narrowing smugly. He ordered condescendingly, "That Warrior-Type on your field is far too weak compared to Kobayashi Hayato's. Just be crushed!"
"Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast #1, attack Warrior Lady of the Wasteland!"
Before the colossal beast, the Warrior-Type monster on the short guy's field, dressed like a wasteland wanderer, was destroyed and sent to the graveyard. Just then, the bearded man revealed a smug smile: "When Warrior Lady of the Wasteland is destroyed by battle, its effect can be activated. I can special summon one EARTH Attribute Warrior-Type monster with 1500 or less Attack Points from my deck in Attack Position."
"At the same time, I activate the set card in my backrow, Michizure. Because Warrior Lady of the Wasteland was destroyed, Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast, go to the graveyard with her!"
The Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast on Manjoume's field that hadn't attacked yet was suddenly grabbed by the feet by several hands reaching out from underground. The hands looked rotten but had terrifying strength, actually dragging the massive Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast into the graveyard.
"My Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast!"
Manjoume shouted anxiously. Seeing its master so worried, Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast couldn't help but turn its head and look at Manjoume Shouji piteously:
"Meow~"
"You can rest in peace."
"Meow?!"
After Michizure sent Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast to the graveyard, on the short guy's field, where Warrior Lady of the Wasteland had disappeared, a purple-haired lady sat elegantly on a chair.
"Hmph, just a monster with 1350 Attack Points, what kind of powerful effect could it possibly have? Not to mention my Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast has a whopping 2800 Attack Points." Manjoume Shouji, having already attacked with all his monsters on the field, ended his turn unhappily. "My turn ends."
[Manjoume Shouji: 2000 LP, Hand 0]
[Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] [ATK 2800]
[Cost of Blood]
Hayato quickly analyzed the situation on the field. Manjoume's strategy at the moment seemed to be using Cost of Blood for selling Life Points to normal summon multiple times, then quickly tribute summoning Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast, and then using the revived monsters to constantly accumulate advantage and snowball.
As for the short guy's field...
[Short Guy: 500 LP, Hand 0]
[Invader of the Throne] [ATK 1350]
[Set Card]
Hayato felt he couldn't see any tricks for now, as he had only been watching this duel for a few minutes. However, if Hayato were to analyze it, he wouldn't think that Manjoume Shouji, with monsters having higher Attack Points on the field, had an overwhelming win rate. On the contrary, Hayato felt the win rate for both duelists was about fifty-fifty.
The main reason was that the short guy still had a set card in his backrow whose identity was unknown, and Hayato clearly remembered the effect of that Invader of the Throne.
"Oh dear, you've set up such terrifying defenses on the field. With just the monsters on my field, I can't possibly defeat Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast."
Hearing the short guy's words of "giving in," Manjoume Shouji couldn't help but say somewhat smugly, "Hmph, of course! I spent a large amount of savings on these two cards. I originally thought one would be enough for my revenge, but who knew that Kobayashi Hayato guy was so *cough cough cough*. Anyway, hurry up and start your turn!"
"Next turn, the monsters I tributed to summon Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast will revive, and then the combined attack of three monsters will easily take you down!"
"Oh my, how scary. But what's that saying again? 'A true duelist never gives up'." The short guy glanced at the top card of his deck, raised his right hand, and drew it. "Although the Invader of the Throne on my field has quite low Attack Points, couldn't I just strengthen the monster with an Equip Spell Card?"
"My turn, draw!"
"Then I activate the Equip Spell Card, Axe of Despair! This card can increase the equipped monster's Attack Points by 1000!"
Manjoume Shouji couldn't help but frown, "But even so, Invader of the Throne's Attack Points would only be 2350."
"No, no, no, Manjoume Shouji. The monster that Axe of Despair will be equipped to is not my Invader of the Throne." The smile on the short guy's face abruptly vanished. With a deadpan expression, he said word by word, "The monster whose Attack Points will be increased is the Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast on your field!"
[Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] [ATK 2800 → 3800]
Watching his Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast on the field, a lion, somehow grab the Axe of Despair flying from the short guy's field like a dog, Manjoume's brow furrowed. "You chose to strengthen my monster? What strange plan do you have?"
"Manjoume Shouji, duelist level is LV5. He barely obtained the qualification to purchase a Duel Disk. The deck he uses was built with a large amount of money, the most valuable cards in it being two Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast."
"The boring game ends here. Next, my offensive will accelerate." As if reciting scripture, the short guy expressionlessly stated Manjoume Shouji's information. At the same time, pointing a hand at the Invader of the Throne on his field, he activated the set card in his backrow. "Quick-Play Spell Card, Book of Moon, changes my face-up Attack Position Invader of the Throne on the field to Face-Down Defense Position."
"Wait, that monster is!" Hayato heard a small boy not far behind Manjoume Shouji show a thoughtful expression in the crowd, then quickly look enlightened. He immediately said anxiously to Shouji, "Older Brother, I remember! That Invader of the Throne is a Flip Monster!"
"Its effect is--"
"Then, I Flip Summon Invader of the Throne, triggering its Flip Effect." Without waiting for Manjoume Jun to remind Shouji, the short guy had already finished his play. "Select 1 monster on the opponent's field. Exchange control of that monster and this card."
"What?!"
Invader of the Throne sat gracefully on her chair, calmly disappearing as the card beneath her flipped. When the card flipped back face-up, the Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast that should have been on Manjoume Shouji's field was coiled on the throne!
[Manjoume Shouji: 2000 LP]
[Invader of the Throne] [ATK 1350]
[Short Guy: 500 LP]
[Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] (Axe of Despair) [ATK 3800]
"How regrettable. You were just a little bit away from defeating me, but ultimately, you were one move short."
"It's over. Accept the destiny of defeat, Manjoume Shouji!"
"Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast, attack Invader of the Throne!"
The Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast that had betrayed Manjoume, holding the Axe of Despair in its mouth, slashed towards Invader of the Throne. Manjoume Shouji's Life Points also dropped to zero.
[Manjoume Shouji: 2000 LP → 0]
"The outcome is clear. Then, I'll take the Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast card." The short guy glanced at Manjoume Shouji, who had been knocked to the ground by the final attack. He bent down and picked up the Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast that had fallen from his Duel Disk, then pulled out his entire deck. However, he showed no interest in Manjoume Shouji's Puzzle Cards that had fallen nearby.
"Older Brother!" Manjoume Jun ran to Shouji's side and helped him up, his face full of worry. "Are you okay, Older Brother?"
"Hmm, Manjoume Jun? Heh heh, I unexpectedly found an interesting guy." With the duel victory, the expressionless short guy reverted to the unreliable appearance Hayato had seen earlier. "Manjoume Jun, duelist level is LV3, but that's because he lost to a stronger opponent in a match. His actual strength is around LV5."
"The deck he uses imitates one of the Kings of Games, Kobayashi Hayato, mainly consisting of Warrior-Type and Machine Type normal monsters. His known deck ace monster is Tyrant Dragon, quite an excellent prey."
Saying this, the short guy raised the Duel Disk on his left arm, which he hadn't put away, and said with interest, "Come on, little Mr. Manjoume. Pick up your Older Brother's Duel Disk, wager the cards in your deck, and duel me—Lord Hesiod!"
Manjoume Jun was somewhat startled by the expression on the short guy's—Hesiod's—face and couldn't help but take a step back. However, he subconsciously retorted, "It's Mr. Manjoume!"
"A-and, who, who would duel someone like you!"
"That's not up to you." Hesiod sneered, shaking the deck he had just pulled from Manjoume Shouji's Duel Disk in his right hand. "You wouldn't want to see your Older Brother's precious deck torn up by me, would you?"
But just as he raised it and before he could shake it a few times, Hesiod's right wrist was suddenly struck by a flying card. His hand felt empty, and in just an instant, the deck that had been in his hand was gone?!
"Threatening others with their belongings is a bit too low, isn't it?"
Manjoume Jun heard a familiar voice from behind him. Just as he was about to look up, he saw a hand holding a deck, offering it to him.
"Here, take it, little Mr. Manjoume. Take your Older Brother and step back a bit." Hayato didn't look at Manjoume Jun, who was taking the deck with a shocked expression. His gaze was fixed on Hesiod. "I say, are the Ghouls' recruitment standards really that low? Can just anyone join?"
"Mr. Hayato?!"
Following Manjoume Jun's voice, Shouji, who had fallen, also opened his eyes and looked at Hayato, whose face was obscured as he blocked the sunlight. "Kobayashi... Hayato? Why is it you..."
"Yo, Shouji-san, you look a bit dishevelled."
"It's Mr. Manjoume *cough cough*. And besides, who asked you for help..." For some reason, even though he had only lost the duel, Manjoume Shouji felt his body was quite weak, and just speaking loudly almost made him choke.
"Save that stubborn talk for Tristan . Speaking of which, you'd better hurry up. He's found a new target recently and is hotly pursuing them."
"So move aside! You're so weak, don't get in my way."
"You guy..." The words weren't very pleasant, but Shouji could sense that Hayato was concerned about him. Under the worried gaze of his younger brother—Manjoume Jun—he took his deck and was helped away from the "battlefield" where a duel was about to begin.
With his back to Manjoume Shouji, Hayato's tone was light, but his gaze towards Hesiod was quite cold.
"Hooya, the King of Games' gaze is quite scary." Hesiod looked at Hayato and said flippantly, "Is it necessary to be like this towards a passing ordinary duelist? I don't know anything about the Ghouls~"
"Heh heh, if you're serious, I'll take you seriously." Hayato said, looking at the invisible magic power shrouding Hesiod's back, which was invisible to ordinary people.
Just at the moment Manjoume Shouji lost his duel, Hayato clearly saw several wisps of something invisible being absorbed from Shouji by something behind Hesiod.
"Then how about another reason I heard from someone else? 'When gazes meet, it's a signal for battle'."
"I like that reason." Hesiod's eyes narrowed as he smiled. "Then I'll wager my rare cards. Oh right, and Puzzle Cards too, right?"
"Likewise, I'll wager the rare cards in my deck, and my Puzzle Cards."
Hayato and Hesiod stood facing each other. The moment the virtual projection device deployed the duel arena, they said in unison:
"Duel!"