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Chapter 462: Successfully Prevented Rebecca's Duel
The camera's perspective temporarily shifted angles, focusing on the Backstage of the Kaiba Dome Venue.
Walking down the Stairs, Tristan , who was in the middle of the group supporting Téa , turned his head to look behind him. "Can you still keep up, everyone?"
"Ah, no big problem."
Following behind Tristan were Rebecca and Mai Valentine, as well as Otogi, who was carrying Keipei like a sack of rice.
At the very front of the group was Marik, who was in a state of considerable excitement. It was under his leadership that the group had wound their way through the Backstage Passage of the Venue and entered this descending Passage.
"But where exactly is Marik taking us?" Mai Valentine looked at Marik, who was leading the way and seemed more familiar with the route than his own backyard, and asked Tristan .
Due to the change in the Worldline, Marik had not faced Mai Valentine during the Battle City tournament, so she had not suffered the torment of a dark game. Therefore, she didn't hold much ill will towards Marik.
Her impression of Marik was merely that of a "former Rare Hunters Boss who seemed to have had a conflict with Hayato due to the ambiguous relationship between Hayato and Ishizu."
"I'm not too sure either, but it's better than staying in the Spectator Area, right?" Tristan shook his head and looked at Téa , whom he was supporting. "Those men in black suits unaccountably targeted those of us who could still move. We don't know what they're trying to do."
"But one thing is certain, we absolutely cannot be caught by those people."
Recalling the man in suit from before and his Blowback Dragon, Tristan couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. If Mai Valentine hadn't miraculously Summoned her Harpie Lady Sisters at that moment, they would likely have already been harmed.
It was also for this reason that Téa and Keipei were brought along by the group. Although the guys in suits seemed to have no interest in the vast majority of ordinary people who had lost their ability to move, like Téa and Keipei, no one could guarantee that they wouldn't be attacked if left in the Spectator Area, and it was impossible to feel at ease leaving them behind.
"Right now? Of course, we're going to find the 'trigger point' that caused this anomaly, like the initial source of infection of a plague. I can feel that the starting point of the anomaly is in the underground of the Venue," Marik said, walking at the front of the group. He seemed to have heard Tristan and Mai Valentine talking and spoke without turning his head. "And, I can feel that we're getting closer."
As he spoke, Marik stroked the Millennium Rod, which had returned to his hand.
The familiar weight and feel, along with the dark magic power that had returned to his side, caused Marik's thoughts to drift back to Battle City more than half a year ago.
At that time, he was the leader of the Rare Hunters, obsessed with getting revenge on the Pharaoh. Under the resentment, he had even been blinded to family affection, ignoring Ishizu's concern for him, and even Rishid had been utilized by him for a time.
Although less than a year had passed, Marik felt as if a long time had gone by. It wasn't that he was nostalgic for that past; Marik was merely exclaiming about the unpredictable nature of the World.
Comparing that kind of life to the present, Marik would choose the present without hesitation.
However...
Frowning, Marik glanced at the Millennium Rod in his hand. Along with the dark magic power on the Millennium Rod, a feeling of genuine weak constitution had returned to him, and because he had walked a long distance, his breathing was also a little heavy.
According to Marik's own conjecture, the specific method of the anomaly seemed to be extracting the life force of everyone within the covered range. However, due to efficiency issues, in the short term, it would only manifest as a continuous extraction of people's stamina, leaving most people weak and powerless.
As for Duelists, it seemed that because of strange things like "fighting spirit" or "duelist spirit," they were somewhat adapted and could still move for the time being. However, there were a few exceptions, such as Tristan , who wasn't a Duelist but was acting normally, and Marik, who was a Duelist but was weak and powerless.
Marik wasn't sure what was going on with Tristan , but he knew what was happening with himself.
As a former personality disorder patient, Marik had even done things that many fellow patients couldn't do—as the main personality, he was driven out of his body by his derivative personality, and then he killed the derivative personality that occupied his body and came back. It was comparable to Fang Tangjing repeatedly jumping in and out of the court.
However, the experience of narrowly escaping life and death was not without any byproducts. As the stakes for the death of the derivative personality, Dark Marik, Marik's soul had suffered permanent damage.
Unlike physical injury, damage to the soul, even if only a tear, is a permanent existence that cannot heal. What's more, Marik had permanently lost a part of his soul. Not to mention that only a little over half a year had passed; even if fifty or sixty years passed, the loss of soul would always accompany Marik.
It was also because of this that, although he had been fitness recently and his stats were quite solid, Marik could attract the attention of the opposite sex and even the same sex when riding his motorcycle on the street. However, in reality, Marik's weak constitution was extreme, and even Duel Monsters was somewhat difficult for him, which was why he gave the Millennium Rod to Hayato.
But now, he was also the only one among them who had experienced a dark game. Although it was difficult, Marik still stepped forward, picked up the Millennium Rod again, and with the reinforcement of his body by dark magic power, he could barely move normally.
It was precisely because of this action that Marik unexpectedly discovered something—what this anomaly was absorbing was not just life force; even dark magic power was within the scope of absorption, showing a rather indiscriminate attitude.
And unlike life force, Marik could clearly feel that his mystical power was being taken in that direction, just like dropping a large amount of blood into calm water to indicate the direction of the undercurrent.
Before my mystical power can no longer support me moving forward, I must at least find the specific location for these guys, and then I'm going on strike.
Glancing at the people behind him, Marik took a deep breath and continued to lead the way.
After entering the Backstage of the Kaiba Dome Venue, they had actually been moving for a long time. Along the way, they saw many KaibaCorp staff who were lying weakly on the ground because their stamina had been drained. However, instead of taking care of each one they saw, everyone knew that resolving the anomaly as quickly as possible was the best way to help others.
And the descending Stairs finally reached their end at this moment. A classical style wooden door that didn't fit Kaiba's aesthetic at all, lacking any sense of technology and instead looking like something dug out of a forgotten corner, stood at the bottom level.
However, appearing before the group along with the Stairs was a strangely dressed youth sitting cross-legged on the ground, facing the wooden door and "spacing out" with his back to them.
"Valon?"
Although the other party didn't turn around, Mai Valentine recognized who he was at a glance.
It wasn't for any other reason; it was simply because Valon's attire was too strange. The elbow pads, gauntlets, shoulder pads, etc., were rarer than the protective gear worn by stunt motorcycle riders. He looked like he could take a greatsword and go to the adjacent Dimension to fight Sephiroth.
More like a warrior who had transmigrated from some war-torn Western Fantasy World than a modern human.
As a strong opponent whom Mai Valentine had faced in the KC Cup Main Tournament and the one who eliminated her, Mai Valentine didn't hold any resentment or dissatisfaction towards Valon. After all, she was simply not as skilled.
However, there was another reason why Mai Valentine had a deep impression of Valon.
"Miss Mai!?" Hearing someone call his name, Valon suddenly turned his head, looking at Mai Valentine, who had just come down the Stairs, with a look of surprise. He clearly hadn't expected to see her in this place. "Why are you here?!"
"Shouldn't we be the ones asking you that question!"
Rebecca said, sounding a little excited.
Duel Monsters was very interesting, but Kaiba had gone overboard when building the Kaiba Dome. The virtual projection system was not of a regular level but of the specification of the Battle City Semifinals, which was the Duel Tower on Duelist Island. The virtual projection of Duel Monsters solid vision was taken to the ultimate.
In a normal duel, the largest size a Duel Monster could be enlarged to was the height of the Duelists standing on the High Platform. However, the maximum volume of Duel Monsters in the Kaiba Dome was the size of the Venue, and this was fully demonstrated in the first match of the opening day, Joey Wheeler VS Rex.
Coupled with the panoramic effect of the top-tier sound system installed in the Venue, the audience's presence was quite exaggerated.
It was because of all these reasons that although Grandpa Solomon and Professor Arthur came to watch the match on the first day, considering their age and the fact that Grandpa Solomon had once been scared unconscious by Kaiba, they hadn't come to watch any subsequent matches until now.
It was also because of this that the two old men were quite fortunate not to be affected by today's anomaly.
Although her Grandpa and Yugi's Grandpa were not affected by the anomaly, Rebecca was still extremely angry.
"Could this anomaly be your doing, you weirdo? Do you know how many people are in danger because of you!?"
"Hey, hey, I know you can't appreciate my aesthetic, but calling me a weirdo is going too far. This is a man's winning look, it's very cool." Valon complained dissatisfiedly, but also stood up from the ground and looked at the group. "Besides, why would you think I'm the mastermind?"
As he spoke, Valon scratched the back of his head in a troubled manner, seemingly confused as to why his style, which was designed according to the Protagonist in Shonen Manga, was being treated as an antagonist by others.
"Huh? It's not you?"
Mai Valentine was a little surprised.
After that duel, Valon had invited her to join a Mysterious Organization he was in, but he said he would only reveal the organization's name and goal after she joined.
However, Mai Valentine refused. Although the power Valon mentioned, which could help her surpass Yugi Mutou and surpass Hayato Kobayashi, was indeed tempting, Mai Valentine felt that she didn't need to look that far; just being able to surpass Joey Wheeler was enough.
And the process of surpassing Joey Wheeler , rather than relying on external force, was more suitable for her to become stronger little by little through her own effort.
Upon receiving Mai Valentine's refusal, Valon was visibly disappointed at that time, seemingly regretting that Mai Valentine couldn't join the organization. However, he still said that Mai Valentine could change her mind at any time and reminded her to leave the KC Cup quickly.
When she saw that Valon would actually appear in this extremely remote place, Mai Valentine thought that the organization behind Valon had guided and formed this anomaly.
"Of course, it's not me. The thing inside seems to convert human life force into something that can strengthen Duel Monsters. But my personal style has always been to solve any difficulties myself; I would never think of relying on something like that."
Valon shrugged and patted the wooden door behind him. "However, I'm here because someone asked me to be the gatekeeper here and not let anyone pass."
"So, let's both take a step back. I can pretend you haven't been here. Leave with your friends, Miss Mai."
"That kind of thing, I refuse!"
The first person to speak was Rebecca.
Rebecca had a clear understanding of herself. She knew that she was never a gentle person who would think for others, care for others, or take care of others. If there was something she wanted, she would find a way to get it, even if it meant losing face.
But even someone like her knew that harming others was wrong. Even if most of the victims of this anomaly were minor characters who had nothing to do with her, and that annoying woman with the big chest who always tried to steal her Darling, Rebecca still believed that she had a responsibility to help dispel this anomaly.
After all, she was the North America Duel Monsters Champion. With great ability comes great responsibility, and Darling would definitely be happy if he knew.
Stepping forward, Rebecca raised the duel disk on her hand. "If you won't move aside, then I'll be the one to defeat you!"
But just as Rebecca was about to put the duel disk on her wrist, Mai Valentine blocked her path. "No, I'll be his opponent."
Staring at Valon, Mai Valentine took a deep breath. "If a little girl is fighting, then we adults are too unqualified. Besides, I still need to get revenge on this guy. I wasn't convinced at all when I lost to him before."
"What do you mean by that? I'm an adult too, okay!" But upon hearing Mai Valentine's words, Rebecca didn't appreciate it at all. "According to Japan's law, I've even reached the marriage age!"
"Get out of the way, you fat woman with two lumps of flab!"
"Who are you calling a fat woman! This is the charm of a mature woman!"
"Get out of the way, you fat meat marinated in perfume!"
"You Airport Freckles Shorty!"
Just moments ago, they had the aura of cooperating to subdue Valon with shared hatred, but because of a few wording issues, Rebecca and Mai Valentine suddenly started a quarrel, using the 'art of language' to attack each other.
"You really have aura, Miss Mai." Watching Mai Valentine standing with her hands on her waist and cursing, Valon wasn't in a hurry to interrupt them. He watched the show with his arms crossed over his chest, looking helpless. "But why is my opponent a woman again?"
"Little girl, get out of the way, I'm enough!" Mai Valentine used her long leg advantage to firmly block Rebecca, but her hand reaching for the Card Box at her waist was firmly held by Rebecca, preventing her from taking out her Deck.
Rebecca held onto Mai Valentine and wouldn't let go. "No way! It's rare for me to have a chance to shine, how could I give it up to—ouch, my duel disk!"
Just as the two women were arguing, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed the duel disk that Rebecca was holding but hadn't put on, and put it on and fastened it casually.
"The size is a little awkward, a child's version duel disk? As expected, you're just a child." Marik ignored Rebecca, who was stomping her feet behind him because her duel disk was snatched and she was called a child. He took out his Deck and put it into the duel disk. "Hehehe, if you don't want to duel a lady, then I'll be your opponent."
"I'm not interested in those ordinary games. Let's have a pleasant dark game!"
The green gem pendant on Valon's chest flashed with a light. He seemed to sense a mystical power that enveloped the surroundings, and his eyes lit up. "Oh, you were hiding such a big shot. That's truly an accident."
"What a coincidence, I'm actually not very interested in ordinary Duel Monsters games either. A duel where we go all out, that's truly something to look forward to!"
Without needing to discuss anything with the others, Marik and Valon had already decided to make each other their opponent.
Looking at Marik, Tristan , who was supporting Téa , showed a worried expression. "Marik, I remember Hayato mentioning to me..."
"Can't I duel? That kind of thing doesn't matter. Anyway, I've never cared about life and death, whether in the past or the present, whether it's someone else's or my own." Marik fastened the Millennium Rod at his waist and took a deep breath. "Besides, whether I have the Millennium Rod or not has a big influence on me."
"More than that, walk through that gate. Didn't you want to save your Companion?"
"Huh?" Tristan was taken aback when he heard this and looked at Valon, who was standing to the side. "But this guy hasn't been..."
"Heh heh, anyway, this guy is satisfied as long as he has a duel. He doesn't care about guarding the gate at all, right?"
Looking at the flash of golden light that swept across the Millennium Rod, Valon raised an eyebrow with interest. "Mind reading? No, it's not observing the current idea but analyzing the way of thinking? That's amazing."
"But being exposed by you like this, even I feel a little awkward. If my friends heard that I wasn't taking my work seriously at all, I don't know what they would think."
"Heh, you won't care anyway, right?"
"That's true."
Valon nodded and moved aside. "Hmm, because I had to fight a strong enemy who was intruding, I fought with full power without slacking off, but was caught in an opening and they intruded. Is that a good reason?"
"But since I'm cooperating like this, don't disappoint me, white hair otaku."
"I'm not an otaku, I just have deep love for anime/manga." Marik corrected him, smoothing out the wrinkles on his clothes.
Seeing this, Tristan said no more. He turned his head and signaled Rebecca and Mai Valentine to open the gate. Then Otogi, carrying Keipei, led the way, while he walked at the last.
Looking back at Marik, Tristan saw only full confidence and pleasure on his face. He decided to trust his strength and followed the others, supporting Téa .
Behind Tristan , the voices of Marik and Valon could be heard—
"Duel!" x2
The camera's perspective temporarily shifted angles, focusing on the Backstage of the Kaiba Dome Venue.
Walking down the Stairs, Tristan , who was in the middle of the group supporting Téa , turned his head to look behind him. "Can you still keep up, everyone?"
"Ah, no big problem."
Following behind Tristan were Rebecca and Mai Valentine, as well as Otogi, who was carrying Keipei like a sack of rice.
At the very front of the group was Marik, who was in a state of considerable excitement. It was under his leadership that the group had wound their way through the Backstage Passage of the Venue and entered this descending Passage.
"But where exactly is Marik taking us?" Mai Valentine looked at Marik, who was leading the way and seemed more familiar with the route than his own backyard, and asked Tristan .
Due to the change in the Worldline, Marik had not faced Mai Valentine during the Battle City tournament, so she had not suffered the torment of a dark game. Therefore, she didn't hold much ill will towards Marik.
Her impression of Marik was merely that of a "former Rare Hunters Boss who seemed to have had a conflict with Hayato due to the ambiguous relationship between Hayato and Ishizu."
"I'm not too sure either, but it's better than staying in the Spectator Area, right?" Tristan shook his head and looked at Téa , whom he was supporting. "Those men in black suits unaccountably targeted those of us who could still move. We don't know what they're trying to do."
"But one thing is certain, we absolutely cannot be caught by those people."
Recalling the man in suit from before and his Blowback Dragon, Tristan couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. If Mai Valentine hadn't miraculously Summoned her Harpie Lady Sisters at that moment, they would likely have already been harmed.
It was also for this reason that Téa and Keipei were brought along by the group. Although the guys in suits seemed to have no interest in the vast majority of ordinary people who had lost their ability to move, like Téa and Keipei, no one could guarantee that they wouldn't be attacked if left in the Spectator Area, and it was impossible to feel at ease leaving them behind.
"Right now? Of course, we're going to find the 'trigger point' that caused this anomaly, like the initial source of infection of a plague. I can feel that the starting point of the anomaly is in the underground of the Venue," Marik said, walking at the front of the group. He seemed to have heard Tristan and Mai Valentine talking and spoke without turning his head. "And, I can feel that we're getting closer."
As he spoke, Marik stroked the Millennium Rod, which had returned to his hand.
The familiar weight and feel, along with the dark magic power that had returned to his side, caused Marik's thoughts to drift back to Battle City more than half a year ago.
At that time, he was the leader of the Rare Hunters, obsessed with getting revenge on the Pharaoh. Under the resentment, he had even been blinded to family affection, ignoring Ishizu's concern for him, and even Rishid had been utilized by him for a time.
Although less than a year had passed, Marik felt as if a long time had gone by. It wasn't that he was nostalgic for that past; Marik was merely exclaiming about the unpredictable nature of the World.
Comparing that kind of life to the present, Marik would choose the present without hesitation.
However...
Frowning, Marik glanced at the Millennium Rod in his hand. Along with the dark magic power on the Millennium Rod, a feeling of genuine weak constitution had returned to him, and because he had walked a long distance, his breathing was also a little heavy.
According to Marik's own conjecture, the specific method of the anomaly seemed to be extracting the life force of everyone within the covered range. However, due to efficiency issues, in the short term, it would only manifest as a continuous extraction of people's stamina, leaving most people weak and powerless.
As for Duelists, it seemed that because of strange things like "fighting spirit" or "duelist spirit," they were somewhat adapted and could still move for the time being. However, there were a few exceptions, such as Tristan , who wasn't a Duelist but was acting normally, and Marik, who was a Duelist but was weak and powerless.
Marik wasn't sure what was going on with Tristan , but he knew what was happening with himself.
As a former personality disorder patient, Marik had even done things that many fellow patients couldn't do—as the main personality, he was driven out of his body by his derivative personality, and then he killed the derivative personality that occupied his body and came back. It was comparable to Fang Tangjing repeatedly jumping in and out of the court.
However, the experience of narrowly escaping life and death was not without any byproducts. As the stakes for the death of the derivative personality, Dark Marik, Marik's soul had suffered permanent damage.
Unlike physical injury, damage to the soul, even if only a tear, is a permanent existence that cannot heal. What's more, Marik had permanently lost a part of his soul. Not to mention that only a little over half a year had passed; even if fifty or sixty years passed, the loss of soul would always accompany Marik.
It was also because of this that, although he had been fitness recently and his stats were quite solid, Marik could attract the attention of the opposite sex and even the same sex when riding his motorcycle on the street. However, in reality, Marik's weak constitution was extreme, and even Duel Monsters was somewhat difficult for him, which was why he gave the Millennium Rod to Hayato.
But now, he was also the only one among them who had experienced a dark game. Although it was difficult, Marik still stepped forward, picked up the Millennium Rod again, and with the reinforcement of his body by dark magic power, he could barely move normally.
It was precisely because of this action that Marik unexpectedly discovered something—what this anomaly was absorbing was not just life force; even dark magic power was within the scope of absorption, showing a rather indiscriminate attitude.
And unlike life force, Marik could clearly feel that his mystical power was being taken in that direction, just like dropping a large amount of blood into calm water to indicate the direction of the undercurrent.
Before my mystical power can no longer support me moving forward, I must at least find the specific location for these guys, and then I'm going on strike.
Glancing at the people behind him, Marik took a deep breath and continued to lead the way.
After entering the Backstage of the Kaiba Dome Venue, they had actually been moving for a long time. Along the way, they saw many KaibaCorp staff who were lying weakly on the ground because their stamina had been drained. However, instead of taking care of each one they saw, everyone knew that resolving the anomaly as quickly as possible was the best way to help others.
And the descending Stairs finally reached their end at this moment. A classical style wooden door that didn't fit Kaiba's aesthetic at all, lacking any sense of technology and instead looking like something dug out of a forgotten corner, stood at the bottom level.
However, appearing before the group along with the Stairs was a strangely dressed youth sitting cross-legged on the ground, facing the wooden door and "spacing out" with his back to them.
"Valon?"
Although the other party didn't turn around, Mai Valentine recognized who he was at a glance.
It wasn't for any other reason; it was simply because Valon's attire was too strange. The elbow pads, gauntlets, shoulder pads, etc., were rarer than the protective gear worn by stunt motorcycle riders. He looked like he could take a greatsword and go to the adjacent Dimension to fight Sephiroth.
More like a warrior who had transmigrated from some war-torn Western Fantasy World than a modern human.
As a strong opponent whom Mai Valentine had faced in the KC Cup Main Tournament and the one who eliminated her, Mai Valentine didn't hold any resentment or dissatisfaction towards Valon. After all, she was simply not as skilled.
However, there was another reason why Mai Valentine had a deep impression of Valon.
"Miss Mai!?" Hearing someone call his name, Valon suddenly turned his head, looking at Mai Valentine, who had just come down the Stairs, with a look of surprise. He clearly hadn't expected to see her in this place. "Why are you here?!"
"Shouldn't we be the ones asking you that question!"
Rebecca said, sounding a little excited.
Duel Monsters was very interesting, but Kaiba had gone overboard when building the Kaiba Dome. The virtual projection system was not of a regular level but of the specification of the Battle City Semifinals, which was the Duel Tower on Duelist Island. The virtual projection of Duel Monsters solid vision was taken to the ultimate.
In a normal duel, the largest size a Duel Monster could be enlarged to was the height of the Duelists standing on the High Platform. However, the maximum volume of Duel Monsters in the Kaiba Dome was the size of the Venue, and this was fully demonstrated in the first match of the opening day, Joey Wheeler VS Rex.
Coupled with the panoramic effect of the top-tier sound system installed in the Venue, the audience's presence was quite exaggerated.
It was because of all these reasons that although Grandpa Solomon and Professor Arthur came to watch the match on the first day, considering their age and the fact that Grandpa Solomon had once been scared unconscious by Kaiba, they hadn't come to watch any subsequent matches until now.
It was also because of this that the two old men were quite fortunate not to be affected by today's anomaly.
Although her Grandpa and Yugi's Grandpa were not affected by the anomaly, Rebecca was still extremely angry.
"Could this anomaly be your doing, you weirdo? Do you know how many people are in danger because of you!?"
"Hey, hey, I know you can't appreciate my aesthetic, but calling me a weirdo is going too far. This is a man's winning look, it's very cool." Valon complained dissatisfiedly, but also stood up from the ground and looked at the group. "Besides, why would you think I'm the mastermind?"
As he spoke, Valon scratched the back of his head in a troubled manner, seemingly confused as to why his style, which was designed according to the Protagonist in Shonen Manga, was being treated as an antagonist by others.
"Huh? It's not you?"
Mai Valentine was a little surprised.
After that duel, Valon had invited her to join a Mysterious Organization he was in, but he said he would only reveal the organization's name and goal after she joined.
However, Mai Valentine refused. Although the power Valon mentioned, which could help her surpass Yugi Mutou and surpass Hayato Kobayashi, was indeed tempting, Mai Valentine felt that she didn't need to look that far; just being able to surpass Joey Wheeler was enough.
And the process of surpassing Joey Wheeler , rather than relying on external force, was more suitable for her to become stronger little by little through her own effort.
Upon receiving Mai Valentine's refusal, Valon was visibly disappointed at that time, seemingly regretting that Mai Valentine couldn't join the organization. However, he still said that Mai Valentine could change her mind at any time and reminded her to leave the KC Cup quickly.
When she saw that Valon would actually appear in this extremely remote place, Mai Valentine thought that the organization behind Valon had guided and formed this anomaly.
"Of course, it's not me. The thing inside seems to convert human life force into something that can strengthen Duel Monsters. But my personal style has always been to solve any difficulties myself; I would never think of relying on something like that."
Valon shrugged and patted the wooden door behind him. "However, I'm here because someone asked me to be the gatekeeper here and not let anyone pass."
"So, let's both take a step back. I can pretend you haven't been here. Leave with your friends, Miss Mai."
"That kind of thing, I refuse!"
The first person to speak was Rebecca.
Rebecca had a clear understanding of herself. She knew that she was never a gentle person who would think for others, care for others, or take care of others. If there was something she wanted, she would find a way to get it, even if it meant losing face.
But even someone like her knew that harming others was wrong. Even if most of the victims of this anomaly were minor characters who had nothing to do with her, and that annoying woman with the big chest who always tried to steal her Darling, Rebecca still believed that she had a responsibility to help dispel this anomaly.
After all, she was the North America Duel Monsters Champion. With great ability comes great responsibility, and Darling would definitely be happy if he knew.
Stepping forward, Rebecca raised the duel disk on her hand. "If you won't move aside, then I'll be the one to defeat you!"
But just as Rebecca was about to put the duel disk on her wrist, Mai Valentine blocked her path. "No, I'll be his opponent."
Staring at Valon, Mai Valentine took a deep breath. "If a little girl is fighting, then we adults are too unqualified. Besides, I still need to get revenge on this guy. I wasn't convinced at all when I lost to him before."
"What do you mean by that? I'm an adult too, okay!" But upon hearing Mai Valentine's words, Rebecca didn't appreciate it at all. "According to Japan's law, I've even reached the marriage age!"
"Get out of the way, you fat woman with two lumps of flab!"
"Who are you calling a fat woman! This is the charm of a mature woman!"
"Get out of the way, you fat meat marinated in perfume!"
"You Airport Freckles Shorty!"
Just moments ago, they had the aura of cooperating to subdue Valon with shared hatred, but because of a few wording issues, Rebecca and Mai Valentine suddenly started a quarrel, using the 'art of language' to attack each other.
"You really have aura, Miss Mai." Watching Mai Valentine standing with her hands on her waist and cursing, Valon wasn't in a hurry to interrupt them. He watched the show with his arms crossed over his chest, looking helpless. "But why is my opponent a woman again?"
"Little girl, get out of the way, I'm enough!" Mai Valentine used her long leg advantage to firmly block Rebecca, but her hand reaching for the Card Box at her waist was firmly held by Rebecca, preventing her from taking out her Deck.
Rebecca held onto Mai Valentine and wouldn't let go. "No way! It's rare for me to have a chance to shine, how could I give it up to—ouch, my duel disk!"
Just as the two women were arguing, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed the duel disk that Rebecca was holding but hadn't put on, and put it on and fastened it casually.
"The size is a little awkward, a child's version duel disk? As expected, you're just a child." Marik ignored Rebecca, who was stomping her feet behind him because her duel disk was snatched and she was called a child. He took out his Deck and put it into the duel disk. "Hehehe, if you don't want to duel a lady, then I'll be your opponent."
"I'm not interested in those ordinary games. Let's have a pleasant dark game!"
The green gem pendant on Valon's chest flashed with a light. He seemed to sense a mystical power that enveloped the surroundings, and his eyes lit up. "Oh, you were hiding such a big shot. That's truly an accident."
"What a coincidence, I'm actually not very interested in ordinary Duel Monsters games either. A duel where we go all out, that's truly something to look forward to!"
Without needing to discuss anything with the others, Marik and Valon had already decided to make each other their opponent.
Looking at Marik, Tristan , who was supporting Téa , showed a worried expression. "Marik, I remember Hayato mentioning to me..."
"Can't I duel? That kind of thing doesn't matter. Anyway, I've never cared about life and death, whether in the past or the present, whether it's someone else's or my own." Marik fastened the Millennium Rod at his waist and took a deep breath. "Besides, whether I have the Millennium Rod or not has a big influence on me."
"More than that, walk through that gate. Didn't you want to save your Companion?"
"Huh?" Tristan was taken aback when he heard this and looked at Valon, who was standing to the side. "But this guy hasn't been..."
"Heh heh, anyway, this guy is satisfied as long as he has a duel. He doesn't care about guarding the gate at all, right?"
Looking at the flash of golden light that swept across the Millennium Rod, Valon raised an eyebrow with interest. "Mind reading? No, it's not observing the current idea but analyzing the way of thinking? That's amazing."
"But being exposed by you like this, even I feel a little awkward. If my friends heard that I wasn't taking my work seriously at all, I don't know what they would think."
"Heh, you won't care anyway, right?"
"That's true."
Valon nodded and moved aside. "Hmm, because I had to fight a strong enemy who was intruding, I fought with full power without slacking off, but was caught in an opening and they intruded. Is that a good reason?"
"But since I'm cooperating like this, don't disappoint me, white hair otaku."
"I'm not an otaku, I just have deep love for anime/manga." Marik corrected him, smoothing out the wrinkles on his clothes.
Seeing this, Tristan said no more. He turned his head and signaled Rebecca and Mai Valentine to open the gate. Then Otogi, carrying Keipei, led the way, while he walked at the last.
Looking back at Marik, Tristan saw only full confidence and pleasure on his face. He decided to trust his strength and followed the others, supporting Téa .
Behind Tristan , the voices of Marik and Valon could be heard—
"Duel!" x2
