Chapter 174

The golden light drained all of Gekko's Life Points, bringing the duel to an end.

"It's over, huh." Hoshino wiped her forehead out of habit and let out a long sigh of relief.

"What a spectacular duel, Hoshino~"

"Yeah, Gekko..."

However, the empty hallway had no trace of Gekko, who had been blocking their way. Only the door at the far end of the hallway remained in sight.

Tilting her head in confusion, Akasha asked, "Did Mister disappear?"

Equally perplexed, Mokuba chimed in, "Did he... go to the afterlife or something?"

"Would a duel really make a ghost go to the afterlife? That seems a bit of an exaggeration." Hoshino twitched her lips, then showed a thoughtful expression.

"Tenma Gekko, what reason made you stand in our way?"

("I see, Duel King Hoshino Chiyuki… If it's you, I know you can save Yako in my place…")

"You want me to save your brother? At least explain what the hell is going on with him!"

Hoshino was growing increasingly aware of the seriousness of the situation. Based on Gekko's final words, it was possible that the event wasn't driven by Tenma Yako's original intentions. Perhaps it was a twisted will, deviating from its original path.

Realizing this, Hoshino suddenly recalled the information Keith had shared with her.

(Keith: "Tenma Yako is the younger brother of Tenma Gekko. Both of them were adopted by Pegasus. Yako was utterly obsessed with Pegasus. To avenge the person who 'killed' Pegasus—namely, you—he used his soul to complete Pegasus's unfinished three Evil God cards.")

"Used his own soul to complete the three Evil God cards."

Hoshino's eyes darted as she opened the card box at her waist and took out the remaining two cards.

[The Wicked Dreadroot]

[The Wicked Eraser]

"Hoshino, those are the Evil God cards, right? Why are you bringing them out now?" Mokuba curiously leaned closer.

"Ah?! So this is the Evil God card that Marik-nii ordered Akasha to steal from Hoshino-nee. So this is what it looks like!" Akasha examined it closely from side to side, then beamed with an innocent smile. "Gimme one~"

"Heh, sorry, Akasha, but I'm afraid that's impossible." Patting Akasha's golden hair, Hoshino slid the two Evil God cards into her duel disk's deck.

"Because I have a feeling that we'll need these two cards in the next duel."

"Huh? Why?"

"Just a hunch!"

Never one to doubt her own intuition, Hoshino wasn't making an exception this time.

Moreover, when she looked at The Wicked Dreadroot, she was reminded of the abnormal Shadow Game she had with Duke Devlin, further deepening her suspicions...

"Who exactly is waiting for us on the 200th floor? Is it the real Tenma Yako, or an Evil God that's possessed his soul?"

Swallowing hard, Hoshino felt like she was gradually peeling away the fog obscuring the truth. However, the closer she got, the more her instincts warned her of the increasing danger.

"Heh, this is getting interesting! Whether you're a human or a god, show me what you've got!"

Rather than being intimidated by the terror lurking behind the fog of truth, Hoshino's fighting spirit was stoked even further.

"Anyway, Da Vinci-chan said these things can't be avoided. Instead of sitting and waiting, why not take the initiative? Let's see what kind of mask you're wearing, Tenma Yako!"

"Hoshino, why are you suddenly so fired up?" Mokuba shrank back a little, unable to hear Hoshino's inner thoughts and thus unable to understand her sudden surge of emotion.

"Hoshino-nee is even cooler now!" In contrast to Mokuba's retreat, Akasha clung tightly to Hoshino.

"Akasha's absorbing the overflowing energy—can't let it go to waste!"

"Enough messing around, it's time to move!"

Stowing away the duel disk on her arm, Hoshino didn't bother taking out her deck, knowing full well she'd be using it again soon.

"Oh, target: the 200th floor!" x2

(***)

"Lord Yako, the targets are on the move again!"

"What happened that made them stay so long on the 190th floor?"

Tenma Yako, who had been watching the monitors intently, was puzzled as he noticed Hoshino and the others had stopped moving after entering the 190th-floor hallway.

According to the map, the hallway on the 190th floor was just an empty corridor, with no reason for the three to stay there for so long.

"Could it be that my ambush plan has been discovered?" Yako glared, pondering why Hoshino and her group had stopped.

"But even if the plan has been exposed, there's no way back now since the only remaining path leads to the 200th floor."

"So, they've only delayed a bit, nothing major. Are the duelists I arranged already in position?"

"Yes, Lord Yako. Everything has been set up. The strongest duelists from Industrial Illusions are ready!" The black-clad man reported respectfully.

"Heh, Duel King Hoshino Chiyuki, let me see your strength..."

(***)

Growl~~~

"I can't take it anymore; I'm starving!" With her stomach loudly protesting, Hoshino slumped.

"It's already mealtime, so of course, you're hungry." Mokuba, who checked the time on his phone—no, his terminal—sighed.

"Why didn't I bring food? I'm an idiot."

Regretting her youthful mistake and imagining all the food she buy with her first salary in game shop, Hoshino began to drool uncontrollably.

However, her muttering left Mokuba thoroughly confused. "What are you talking about, Hoshino?"

"Akasha's not hungry at all. Hoshino-nee, you two are quite spoiled, huh?" Akasha, who appeared no different from before, continued hopping around on the stairs.

"When the Rare Hunters go on missions, we often can't find food for a whole day, sometimes even two."

"And people actually work for Marik under these conditions?!"

Both were shady organizations, but at least those in the underground could enjoy good food and drink. The Rare Hunters, besides having rare cards, seemed to lack any perks.

"Are the Rare Hunters made up of crazed card collectors who treat rare cards like food?"

"Nope! The Rare Hunters are destined to conquer the world one day. Everyone's just being patient for now."

Akasha's casual mention of world domination would sound like childish talk to most.

"Conquer the world with rare cards, huh? That's actually quite in line with the style of this world..." Hoshino, too exhausted to argue, even found it a little logical.

"Hoshino!" The scout, Mokuba, who was walking in front, reported back with the latest intel. "The road ahead is blocked!"

"Analyze the situation, Private Mokuba!"

"Yes, ma'am! Report: I don't know!"

"You're useless…" Hoshino shook her head, her expression full of doubt.

"Are you really the genius of Kaiba Corp? You don't even know your own company's layout."

"Fake Mokuba, imposter rich kid!" Akasha, the troublemaker, chimed in.

"That's not it!" Mokuba, feeling ridiculed, retorted irritably.

"The stairs from the 190th to the 200th floor should be unobstructed, but look…" Mokuba turned to Hoshino and pointed behind him with his thumb, "Why is there a completely out-of-place door here in Kaiba Corp?"

"A door that looks out of place?" Feeling a strange sense of familiarity, Hoshino lifted her head and looked in the direction Mokuba was pointing.

"!!!"

"What's wrong, Hoshino?" Seeing Hoshino suddenly freeze like a statue, Mokuba curiously asked, "Do you recognize this thing?"

"Snap out of it, Hoshino-nee—!"

[Akasha used a Stone Dissolving Potion, and it's super effective.]

"Familiar is an understatement!" Hoshino covered her mouth, feeling nauseous despite having eaten nothing.

The thing in front of her was none other than the 'Maze' and 'Palace' doors from the Duelist Kingdom dungeon!

"Mokuba, what floor are we on exactly, and what is this area used for?"

Since the opposing party blocked their only path with the 'Maze' door, it was clear their intention was to force Hoshino and her group to enter this floor.

"Well, if I counted correctly, this should be the 199th floor. I remember this is where my brother would duel a supercomputer to test card decks and duel disk functionality."

"Kaiba has a special testing area for deck performance, huh? Can a computer really test a deck?"

Tilting her head, Hoshino imagined Kaiba smugly beating the machine in a duel, "Hmph, only losers would use a computer to secure a first win~"

"But for them to dare block my way right before I reach my goal, they must have some nerve!"Rolling up her sleeves, Hoshino's duel disk clicked into place, the mechanical sound crisp and clear, signaling her readiness for battle.

"Them?" Mokuba asked, catching on to Hoshino's sudden shift in energy.

"You'll see once we're inside. If I'm not mistaken, their entrance should be pretty dramatic."

Hoshino, fully aware of her opponents' true identities, walked with a confidence completely different from when she entered the 190th-floor hallway. The loud thudding of her footsteps echoed, as if she wanted to make sure the enemy knew she was coming.

"Hwah—!"

"Yah—!"

"Just as I thought..." Hoshino muttered, hearing those familiar sharp cries. She smirked knowingly, her suspicions confirmed.

Not having Hoshino's foresight, Mokuba, startled by the sudden noises, demanded, "Huh? Who's hiding in there?!"

"So, you finally asked that question, huh…" Hoshino said, rubbing her forehead in exasperation.

"Hahaha, good question!"

In response to Mokuba, two figures emerged from the shadows of the room, their movements fluid and theatrical.

"We are…" The two bald men struck a series of exaggerated martial arts poses, punctuating their movements with sharp cries.

"The strongest duelists of Industrial Illusions!"

"The Labyrinth Brothers!"

"Whoa, more kung fu!" Akasha, who had been watching the Labyrinth Brothers' entrance without blinking, burst into laughter. "So lame!"

"Let us see what prey has fallen into our trap today," one of the brothers declared confidently, crossing his arms as they both stood tall.

After finishing their overly dramatic introductions, the Labyrinth Brothers, now back to their usual demeanor, turned their gaze toward Hoshino and her group.

"It's Hoshino Chiyuki, you idiots!" Hoshino pointed at herself with her thumb, her tone dripping with annoyance.

On the other side, the Labyrinth Brothers turned their backs to Hoshino, whispering in hushed voices to each other.

"Hey, hey, hey, I wasn't told we'd be facing The Duel King."

"Isn't that Hoshino, the one who defeated us and then went on to beat Pegasus, winning the Duelist Kingdom Tournament?"

"Didn't Lord Yako say this opponent would be easy to handle? How is this easy?!"

Though they had their backs turned, the cold sweat dripping from their smooth heads practically spelled out the word "fear" on the floor.

"Mutter mutter…"

"You two! What are you whispering about?! If it's a duel you want, let's get on with it! Don't waste my time!" Hoshino snapped, her voice sharp with impatience.

Shouting at the Labyrinth Brothers, Hoshino felt a rush of satisfaction, as if she'd just avenged some deep grievance, even though the duel hadn't even started yet. Her mind flashed back to how they had tricked her during the final exit choice in Duelist Kingdom.

"Ahem!" The Labyrinth Brothers awkwardly cleared their throats as they turned back around.

"I knew you looked familiar. So, it's Hoshino Chiyuki, the one we dueled before. I guess this is fate."

"Although we couldn't show our full strength back then due to certain circumstances, this time will be different," they continued with an air of determination.

"You know the rules of dueling with us Labyrinth Brothers—you must have a tag-team duel! If you don't have two duelists, we won't accept the challenge!"

"And of course, you remember the old rule: you can't open the final door unless you win the duel."

Yes, after whispering amongst themselves, the two bald brothers had pinpointed one fact: this time, Hoshino was alone. There was no sign of Yugi Muto or her previous allies.

"Hmph, no matter how strong you are, you won't be able to win when you're dragging two brats along with you." The brothers silently celebrated what they believed was their insight into the situation.

"Today will be the day we, the Labyrinth Brothers, wash away our humiliation! Hahaha!" they laughed, imagining their victory.

"Ah~ So it's a tag-team duel…" Hoshino's expression turned dangerous, her eyes narrowing into sharp slits. She glanced sideways at Akasha.

"No problem, Hoshino-nee!" Instantly understanding Hoshino's signal, Akasha skillfully unfolded the duel disk on her small arm with surprising precision.

"Leave it to me, Uncle Akasha! ヽ(≧□≦)ノ"

This kid… she's been watching too many kung fu movies…

(*****)

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