"Master Kaiba, the data compilation is complete. Out of ten duels against Yugi Muto using the God Cards, you achieved eight victories. Against Chiyuki Hoshino using the Evil God Cards, you won nine out of ten matches."
The staff member, reading the report in his hands, gave his honest assessment. Although it hadn't reached the expected 100% win rate, an overall victory rate exceeding 80% was still within acceptable deviation limits.
He continued, "To be safe, we conducted a detailed analysis of the three losses. The two defeats against Yugi Muto were due to 'Dark Paladin' and 'Mirage Knight.' As for the single loss against Chiyuki Hoshino, it was due to 'Lion King – Artoria.' With a few targeted adjustments to the deck, we can prevent such scenarios from happening again."
Kaiba smirked in satisfaction. "Hmph, I don't need you to tell me how to refine my deck. I know best what adjustments to make. Now, all that's left is to defeat both of them for real—and show the world who the true Duel King is."
Understanding Kaiba's intentions, his subordinates sprang into action. "Understood, Master Kaiba! We'll contact the media immediately. Today, the world will witness your victory!"
"Excellent. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
(***)
"Pwaaah! Master, this card is poisonous!" Illya coughed up a mouthful of blood, her face filled with both shock and confusion as she looked at Hoshino.
Putting away her duel disk, Hoshino's gaze carried a hint of pity. "It was bound to happen, Illya. You'll get used to it eventually."
Even though the card's effect no longer mentioned her sickness, she still couldn't escape her fate. It was a curse ingrained into her very being.
"Damn it! I lost the first duel!" Jonouchi stomped his foot in frustration. Then, noticing that Hoshino had already put away her duel disk, he hurriedly protested, "Wait, don't stop yet! It's not over! Best two out of three—come on, let's keep going!"
"Why would I do that…?" Hoshino's mouth twitched slightly at Jonouchi's sheer unwillingness to accept defeat.
"But, well… you did help me test my deck. Thanks to you, I've realized some areas that need improvement. I guess I don't mind playing a few more rounds as a reward."
Mokuba interjected, "Honestly, Jonouchi, if you can't even beat Hoshino's test deck, you should really think twice before asking for a rematch."
Actually, the situation wasn't as one-sided as Mokuba made it seem. Even though this was Hoshino's first time using the Magical Girl deck—and despite the fact that the deck still needed adjustments—she had already realized just how powerful it was.
Even with its Heroic Spirit limitations, the deck held immense strength. At its core, Illya functioned like a nuclear-powered perpetual motion machine, continuously returning to the field. It was a deck that could generate endless resources from a single card. As expected of Da Vinci's chosen "final defense system of Chaldea."
Yet, despite the deck's potential, Jonouchi had managed to push Hoshino to just 300 Life Points, bringing the duel to a razor-thin margin. That in itself was proof that his dueling skills had improved drastically compared to before.
Ding~~~
A phone rang—surprisingly normal in tone. Compared to Kaiba's usual "Blue-Eyes White Dragon roar" ringtone, it was almost disappointingly plain.
"It's from my brother!" Mokuba exclaimed with excitement, answering immediately.
Earlier, Mokuba had worried that Kaiba might be caught up in some trouble at Industrial Illusions. But since Kaiba had taken the initiative to call, that fear was probably unfounded.
However, as Mokuba listened, his expression shifted—from excitement to uncertainty, and finally, to hesitation. When he ended the call, his face was conflicted.
Hoshino asked, "What did he say?"
From what Ruby had hinted at before, "The Pyramid of Light and Seto Kaiba" seemed to be connected. Seeing Mokuba's troubled expression, it wasn't hard to guess that something was going on.
Mokuba hesitated before responding, "My brother said… he wants you and Yugi to bring the God Cards and meet him at Kaiba Land for a duel."
Yugi raised an eyebrow. "Kaiba Land? What's that?"
Mokuba explained, "Kaiba Land is a secret project that my brother personally oversaw. It's meant to atone for the war and suffering caused by Gozaburo Kaiba. As compensation, he wanted to create a place that could bring joy to children."
"Wait, that arrogant Kaiba actually has a soft side?!" Jonouchi was astonished.
Mokuba continued, "The park was actually completed a while ago, but due to the fallout from the Doma Incident, the official opening was postponed until next week. But from what my brother said on the phone, it sounds like he wants to reveal it to the public today."
Bakura's eyes lit up. "Oh, I get it! This must be a publicity stunt! He's using a duel against you two as a headline to generate buzz for Kaiba Land's grand opening!"
Hoshino frowned. "I don't think Kaiba would stoop to that… No, wait—actually, he totally would."
Thinking back, Kaiba had already used her name to make a fortune multiple times. The last time, he had pulled a similar stunt with the duel disk launch.
Mokuba, however, still looked troubled. "But my brother specifically emphasized that you must bring the God Cards. Why? And to be honest, his tone over the phone… it was a little strange."
If even Mokuba—Kaiba's own brother—found something off, then there was definitely more to this than met the eye.
Hoshino pulled out six cards from her deck box, handing Yugi the Three Egyptian God Cards while keeping the Three Evil Gods for herself.
"We can sit here overthinking it all day, but it won't get us anywhere. If Kaiba's itching for a duel, then Yugi, let's go over there and put him in his place!"
This time, Yugi didn't hesitate. With a serious expression, he took the Three Egyptian God Cards from Hoshino.
"Hoshino, I have a feeling something is off about this duel. And since you'll be using a brand-new deck, could you let me duel Kaiba first? Just in case."
Hoshino shrugged. "I don't mind. Mokuba, lead the way—take us to this so-called 'Kaiba Land.'"
Dark energy swirled in the air. A small figure emerged from one of the Evil God embodiment cards, floating beside Hoshino and resting lazily on her shoulder.
"Hey, girl. Make sure you watch this duel carefully. I can sense something… unpleasant in the air."
Glancing at the now-manifested Evil God, Hoshino gave a subtle nod. "Got it. Whatever the connection between Kaiba and the Pyramid of Light is, we'll find out soon enough."
"Oh, and one more thing..." The small, demonic girl on Hoshino's shoulder smirked mischievously. She leaned in, her tiny tongue flicking out to lightly lick the side of Hoshino's tan neck.
"Girl… why does your soul taste like it's only half as strong as before?"
A sudden, strange pain at her neck made Hoshino furrow her brows, nearly crying out before she forcibly held it in. Fortunately, since she was walking at the back of the group, no one noticed her embarrassing reaction.
Hoshino whispered a complaint, "What are you doing all of a sudden, Evil God-san?"
Smacking her lips as if savoring the taste, the Evil God wore an expression of lingering enjoyment. "Even though it's slightly milder, it's still delicious. One more bite should be fine~"
Grabbing the black ahoge on the Evil God loli's head, Hoshino halted the mouth that was about to bite her again. "Wait a minute. Evil God-san, what do you mean by saying my soul has weakened? I don't feel anything unusual at all."
The Evil God scowled in displeasure at being held by her ahoge. "Girl, your skin is a whole shade darker, and you still don't think anything's wrong? Do you believe skin tone is determined by soul density?"
"No way… I mean, I don't feel physically unwell."
Like she needed someone else to tell her she had changed color? But the fact that her soul had weakened was something she was hearing for the first time.
Recalling the dark duel where she gambled her soul against Yako Tenma, Hoshino asked, "Logically, if a soul is taken, shouldn't it result in weakness at best or unconsciousness at worst?"
Licking her lips, the Evil God smirked mischievously. "Let me take one more taste, and I'll tell you. Just a little bite~"
"Sigh… fine, just a small one."
Hoshino sighed in resignation. Since she couldn't summon Heroic Spirits right now, she had to rely more on this mischievous entity's power. More importantly, the slightly inappropriate nature of this scene made it too embarrassing to call out Illya for help.
To her surprise, Hoshino's unexpected generosity made the Evil God widen her eyes in shock. Then, an unrestrained, greedy grin spread across her face as she bit down without hesitation.
"Ow! That's not a 'small bite' at all!"
A sudden rush of blood surged to her neck, making Hoshino dizzy, though the sensation only lasted a moment before she recovered.
Now satisfied, the Evil God wiped her lips, looking noticeably more energized.
"Do you have any idea how much energy I lost fighting Orichalcos last night? If I didn't replenish my energy soon, I might have had to say farewell to this beautiful world. Besides, you promised me yesterday."
(Hoshino: "As long as you can stop Orichalcos, I don't care—after the battle, you can eat my soul as much as you want!")
Hoshino muttered, "Oh… I guess that did happen."
From the moment the Evil God joined her, Hoshino had done nothing but freeload off her power without giving anything in return. Worse still, every battle involving the Evil God was especially grueling. The only reason she lasted this long was probably thanks to her high divinity.
"We Evil Gods are different from the Egyptian Gods," the Evil God continued. "Egyptian Gods can absorb energy from natural elements like the sun, lightning, and wind. But we Evil Gods can only replenish energy from humans."
The slight grievance in her voice made Hoshino feel guilty, like some cruel landlord exploiting a peasant.
"Alright then, Evil God-san. Since you've had your meal, time to answer my question."
"The answer is already clear, girl. Normally, a human losing even a small part of their soul would be completely paralyzed. Yet you recovered in an instant… To be honest, the strength of your soul is beyond normal."
"So, you're saying… losing a bit of my soul doesn't really matter?"
"Technically, yes. But aren't you curious where your missing half went?"
The Evil God's mismatched eyes gleamed with mystery as she continued, "Your soul's abnormal strength is most likely tied to your Atlantean heritage. And you've seen the end of history with your own eyes—Atlantis was a nation cursed by darkness."
Hoshino shivered as she recalled the vision Dartz had transmitted to them through their duel: the fall of Atlantis, the transformation of its people into grotesque monsters as their hearts succumbed to darkness.
She recoiled in horror. "You mean I might turn into something like that? No way! I'd rather die than become a monster!"
Floating slightly upward, the Evil God patted Hoshino's head.
"Don't be afraid, girl. That monstrous transformation was the result of Orichalcos' influence. But you destroyed Orichalcos with your own hands, so you won't suffer that fate. And even if something dangerous happens, I'll do everything I can to protect you!"
Being comforted by a tiny Evil God made Hoshino feel both embarrassed and unexpectedly reassured.
"—After all, there's no way I'd let go of such a delicious meal ticket like you~"
Damn it! Give me back my heartfelt emotions!
Still, if this so-called "evolution" only meant her skin darkening, Hoshino figured she could live with that. Maybe she'd just embrace the "cool tan girl" aesthetic—who knows, she might even be more popular that way.
. .. ...
After about half an hour of walking, the group finally arrived at the location of Kaiba Land.
The place felt oddly familiar—they had been here before. Situated in a prime location near the city center, it was close to the toy store Duke Devlin had opened for his Dungeon Dice Monsters game.
However, compared to the grand, luxurious structure of Kaiba Land, Devlin's store was nothing. If Devlin's store was a Level 3 property in Monopoly, then Kaiba Land was an extravagant Level 10—one of those spaces where landing on it could bankrupt any other player.
Even more shocking was the enormous crowd that had already gathered outside Kaiba Land, including reporters carrying all sorts of camera equipment.
After all, both the grand opening of Kaiba Land and Seto Kaiba's duel challenge to Hoshino and Yugi were explosive news.
"It's Duel King Hoshino Chiyuki! And Yugi Muto, the duelist who defeated Seto Kaiba!"
Someone sharp-eyed in the crowd shouted, and in an instant, a tidal wave of people surged toward them. A mass of microphones of various shapes and sizes was practically shoved into Hoshino and Yugi's faces.
(*****)
If you'd like to read 25 chapters ahead, please consider joining my Patreon: patreon.com/ANeet. Your support means a lot. Thank you!