"Grandpa… that Phoenix Gearblade was something you gave Joey, right?" Yugi asked.
"Heh-heh-heh! That's right," Grandpa Mutou chuckled, stroking his beard. "I believed Joey had the skill to use it. But that Kisaragi girl is something else—she actually survived Joey's offensive. For a moment, even I thought Joey might seize victory in one burst."
In the VIP seats, Kaiba had started reassessing Joey's growth.
"I didn't expect that third-rate to improve even a little," he said coolly. "But compared to Kisaragi, he's still worlds apart. This duel ends next turn."
Pegasus tilted his glass.
"Kaiba-boy, Joey-boy has four monsters on the field. You still believe Miss Kisaragi wins on her next turn?"
Kaiba didn't even blink.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Kisaragi's Turn
"My turn—draw!"
As Kisaragi drew, Joey's palm was slick with sweat around his hand of cards.
Calm down, Joey Wheeler. I have four monsters. She can't just win easily—
But the harder he tried to convince himself, the more uneasy he became—like something was about to collapse.
Kisaragi glanced at the card she'd drawn… and sighed.
Joey's eyes narrowed. A dead draw? Did she finally brick?
Then she looked up—calm, decisive.
"Joey… your skill is respectable. But this is as far as you go."
"What?! No way!" Joey blurted. "I've got four monsters, and my Life Points haven't even dropped! You can't just blow me out!"
He'd expected to lose eventually—he'd made peace with that. But losing this fast was something his pride couldn't accept.
Kisaragi raised a card.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Special Hurricane. By discarding one card, I destroy all Special Summoned monsters on the field."
"What?!" Joey's face went pale.
Yugi's voice cut in from the TV audience, immediate and precise:
"All four of Joey's monsters were Special Summoned."
Téa's breath caught. "Then that means—"
"Yeah," Yugi finished. "Joey's field gets wiped."
A tornado laced with lightning tore across the arena. One by one, Joey's four monsters were swallowed up and shattered.
"How can this be…?!" Joey staggered.
Hyperion Returns
Kisaragi didn't pause.
"Next—I send The Agent of Life – Neptune from my hand to the Graveyard. With its effect, I Special Summon Master Hyperion from my Graveyard!"
Master Hyperion (2700 ATK / 2100 DEF)
"And I activate Hyperion's effect—by banishing Neptune from my Graveyard, I destroy your set card."
Joey's face-down card flipped up—then shattered under Hyperion's light.
"Fairy's Dice," Kisaragi said flatly. "But with your monsters gone, it's useless."
Kaiba's mouth curled.
"Hmph. It's over."
"Then I Normal Summon Shining Angel in Attack Position!"
Shining Angel (1400 ATK / 800 DEF)
Final Blow
Kisaragi's eyes sharpened.
"Battle. Master Hyperion and Shining Angel—direct attack!"
Joey didn't flinch. He just smiled faintly and faced the impact head-on.
"Kisaragi… you really are strong."
The twin strikes hit like a verdict.
Joey Wheeler: 4000 → 0 LP
Kisaragi Aoi — WIN!
"Duel over! The winner—Kisaragi Aoi!" the referee announced.
For a moment, the venue was silent.
One breath… two…
Then the crowd detonated into roaring applause.
"Did you see that?! Joey had FOUR monsters and she won in one turn!"
"This is insane—she's not even playing the same game as us!"
"I can't wait for the finals!"
Tristan exhaled. "Joey lost, after all."
"But it wasn't because he's weak," Yugi said seriously. "Most duelists would've folded instantly to that Phoenix Gearblade sequence. Joey lost because Kisaragi's level is simply far beyond his."
Kaiba allowed himself a small, satisfied smile.
Kaiba Moves the Finals
"Will the finals be held here as well?" Kaiba asked the tournament representative.
"Yes, sir!"
"Change it," Kaiba ordered. "Hold it at the largest Duel Stadium in Domino City."
The representative hesitated. "But… we've applied for that venue for a long time and couldn't get approval."
Kaiba's reply was effortless.
"It's fine. I've already handled it. The finals will be there tomorrow."
The representative practically bowed as he rushed to make calls.
Pegasus laughed softly.
"Kaiba-boy, you really are generous. But I agree—someone that interesting deserves a stage worthy of her. Even if you didn't do it, Industrial Illusions would."
Kaiba didn't bother answering. He simply stood and left the VIP seats.
After the Duel
Down below, Kisaragi and Joey shook hands.
"I lost today," Joey said firmly, "but next time I won't lose like this!"
"Good," Kisaragi replied with a small smile. "I'll be waiting for your challenge."
In a corner of the arena, a small boy in green clothes with thick yellow-framed glasses watched Kisaragi in silence. His lenses caught the light, hiding his eyes—like he was calculating something.
The Final Opponent
The second semifinal was as dull as the quarterfinals; the crowd barely reacted. Later, Kisaragi watched the broadcast in her lounge when Kaiba entered.
"Congratulations," he said. Then his gaze shifted to the screen, where the winner—Weevil Underwood—stood smugly.
"What do you think of his dueling?"
"He's… decent," Kisaragi said. "But he gives off a bad vibe—sharp-tongued, mean-spirited. And his style is pretty nasty."
She disliked Weevil outright. Dinosaur Ryuzaki is kind of an airhead. But Weevil? He's genuinely rotten. No wonder the original story had that infamous scene where the Pharaoh "overkills" him.
Kaiba checked the time.
"It's late. The car's outside. I'll take you back."
"Alright."
As they left the venue together, many fans tried to approach for autographs—only to be driven back by Kaiba's sheer presence.
A group of female spectators started whispering excitedly.
"Don't you think Kisaragi Aoi and Kaiba are weirdly perfect together?"
"Right? Same eye color, same aura—and both ridiculously good-looking."
A male spectator immediately tried to deny reality for his own sanity.
"No way. I heard she's a representative of KaibaCorp. Them walking together isn't weird."
At Kaiba's Mansion
The moment they entered, they found Mokuba pouting on the sofa, cheeks puffed out.
"Mokuba, what is it?" Kaiba asked.
"Big brother! Why didn't you tell me Kisaragi-oneechan was competing in the national tournament? I wanted to go cheer for her!"
Kaiba answered with absolute simplicity:
"I forgot."
A bolt of outrage hit Mokuba's brain.
"Big brother! That's so unfair!"
Kisaragi sighed and gently patted Mokuba's head.
"Kaiba, that really hurts Mokuba's feelings. Tomorrow is the finals—Mokuba, you have to come cheer for me, okay?"
His mood flipped instantly.
"Okay!!"
Kaiba, clearly resigned, pulled out his phone and instructed the organizers to add one more VIP seat.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 90)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 95)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 80)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter70)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter70)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter50)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter60)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 20
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 20
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