Chapter 42

"Hey, Seto Kaiba! Where the hell did you put me?" Jonouchi suddenly got upset as he watched Kaiba challenge Hoshino to a duel.

"Jonouchi, although you won't be of much help, I'll generously let you both duel me together," Kaiba said, flicking his coat and exuding a haughty aura.

"A tag team duel?" Yugi asked Kaiba, puzzled. "You mean a three-way duel, with you against both Hoshino and Jonouchi?" 

"Exactly!" Kaiba announced loudly with his distinctive voice. "The new Duel Disk system eliminates the inconvenience of the old Duel Arenas and the rigid player limits. Now, any number of people can duel anytime, anywhere. It's truly a revolutionary product!" 

"The rules for a three-way duel are simple. The turns will rotate as follows: 'Me→Hoshino→Me→Jonouchi→Me.' All other rules remain the same as usual." Kaiba explained as he retrieved the spinning Duel Disk from the ground. 

"This is the first time I've heard of such a duel..." Anzu looked puzzled after hearing Kaiba's explanation. 

"If we follow these rules, Seto Kaiba, your number of turns doesn't decrease at all," Mai Valentine questioned. According to Kaiba's rules, he would act twice for every turn Hoshino and Jonouchi each took. "You said it's a two-on-one duel, but aside from the initial hand advantage, you suffer no real disadvantage. In fact, if Hoshino and Jonouchi don't coordinate well, it will be even harder for them to win." 

"Shut up, woman! Do you think I'm the type to exploit loopholes?" Kaiba shouted at Mai, raising his Duel Disk high. "Since it's still in the development stage, every time a monster is summoned, the Duel Disk must be thrown out, and it can only be retrieved after the monster is sent to the graveyard. Thus, each player can only have one monster on the field at a time." 

"Only one monster can be summoned?!" Even Jonouchi understood the disadvantage Kaiba faced. Hoshino and Jonouchi, with two Duel Disks, could summon two monsters, while Kaiba, limited to one monster on the field, couldn't summon high-level monsters like Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which requires two tributes. 

"So this Duel Disk can't fully replicate the Duel Arena's features," Hoshino bluntly pointed out the obvious shortcomings of the device, leaving Kaiba looking slightly embarrassed. "All your bragging, and this Duel Disk is just a stripped-down version." 

"Ugh..." Kaiba froze for a moment, his expression slightly awkward. "That's right! This Duel Disk sacrificed a lot for portability, but it's only a prototype version. More features will be added in the future!" 

Although Kaiba agreed to the duel, Jonouchi still felt somewhat slighted by the two-on-one arrangement. "In the end, you still looking down on us, using rules that disadvantage yourself..." 

"I accept the rules!" Hoshino interrupted Jonouchi's complaint, smiling at him. "Let's do our best together, Jonouchi-kun~" 

"Ah... okay..." Facing Hoshino's innocent smile, Jonouchi, who had just been glaring angrily at Kaiba, suddenly scratched his head shyly. 

Hoshino knew very well that defeating a world-class duelist like Seto Kaiba was unlikely with her current deck. After all, there was a qualitative difference between Kaiba and the fake Kaiba she defeated earlier. But according to Kaiba's rules, teaming up with Jonouchi could significantly increase their chances of winning. 

"Enough talk, let's start the duel!" Kaiba drew his cards without waiting. 

"Bring it on, I'm not afraid of you!" Jonouchi didn't back down either. 

"Wait, hold on, I haven't even put this thing on yet." Hoshino fumbled to attach the Duel Disk to her right arm.

 The duel began! 

Seto Kaiba LP : 4000 

Hoshino Chiyuki & Jonouchi LP : 4000 

"I'll go first!" Jonouchi drew his card. "I summon the monster card [Armored Lizard] in attack position!" 

Placing the monster card on the Duel Disk, Jonouchi mimicked Kaiba's earlier move, throwing the Duel Disk to the ground. The spinning Duel Disk projected the holographic image of [Armored Lizard]. 

[Armored Lizard ★★★★ Earth] [Reptile] [ATK:1500 DEF:1200] 

"Turn end." 

"Hahaha, Jonouchi, you're really just an amateur." Kaiba couldn't help but mock Jonouchi for ending his turn so quickly. "Summoning such a weak monster in attack position on the first turn, don't you know anything about playing it safe? My turn, draw!" 

"I summon [Axe Raider] in attack position!" Kaiba threw out his Duel Disk, and the menacing monster with a giant axe appeared on the field. 

[Axe Raider ★★★★ Dark] [Beast-Warrior] [ATK:1900 DEF:1200] 

"Wow, it has 1900 attack points without needing a tribute." Yugi exclaimed. An attack power of 1900 was among the highest for a 4-star monster, indicating the card's rarity. 

For Kaiba, who came from a wealthy family, even the rarest cards could fill his deck. "Attack [Armored Lizard] with [Axe Raider], go, Axe Slash!"

The enormous blade cut through the lizard and its armor in one swift strike. 

After [Armored Lizard] was destroyed, the spinning Duel Disk bounced back to Jonouchi's hand. 

Hoshino Chiyuki & Jonouchi LP → 3600 

"At this rate, even in a three-way duel, you'll only drag Hoshino Chiyuki down," Kaiba laughed, not sparing any ridicule. 

"Damn you, Seto Kaiba." Jonouchi wanted to retort but couldn't find any reason to, and his fear of actually dragging Hoshino down left him feeling less confident. 

"I set one card face-down and end my turn." Kaiba inserted a card into his Duel Disk, indicating a face-down card. 

"My turn, draw!" Seeing Jonouchi's low spirits, Hoshino smiled and reassured him, "It's okay, Jonouchi, leave it to me." 

"How is Hoshino going to deal with the 1900 attack points of [Axe Raider] with only one monster allowed?" Yugi wondered. The high attack power of Kaiba's first summoned monster was truly oppressive. 

"I summon the monster card [Heroic Spirit - Kiyohime] in attack position!" Placing the card on the Duel Disk, Hoshino used all his strength, "Here we go~" 

Like throwing a discus, Hoshino launched the Duel Disk with both hands. 

"This design is too strenuous for girls," Kaiba thought to himself, stroking his chin as he watched Hoshino's effort. 

[Heroic Spirit - Kiyohime ★★★ Fire] [Dragon/Effect] [ATK:800DEF:200] 

"Master, you've finally summoned me!" A girl in white stockings with a yandere expression appeared on the spinning Duel Disk. "You had me all this time and only summon me now, are you shy?" 

Instinctively stepping back two steps, Hoshino knew why she hadn't summoned her earlier. "I need you to lend me your strength, Kiyohime." Steeling her resolve, Hoshino commanded Kiyohime with a magnetic fake voice. 

"Master, you're so dashing. Please, command me more," Kiyohime blushed even more, looking expectantly at Hoshino. 

"Activate the effect of [Heroic Spirit - Kiyohime]!" 

[① When this card is summoned, special summoned, or flip summoned, toss a coin. Heads: the attack points of an opponent's monster decrease by the same amount as this card's attack points; Tails: the opponent cannot conduct battles until the end of their next turn.] 

"Sealing my attack with such a trick, interesting," Kaiba said, intrigued by Hoshino's monster's effect. "But you must pay the price if you lose the gamble." 

"You'll never know unless you try. Toss the coin!" Hoshino was confident, especially with the lucky Jonouchi by her side. 

Result of the toss: Heads, the opponent's monster loses attack points equal to this card's attack points. 

[Axe Raider ATK → 1100] 

"Hahaha, too bad, Hoshino Chiyuki, it seems luck isn't on your side," Kaiba laughed as the result came out. "My Axe Raider still has higher attack power!" 

"Damn, we lost the gamble! The plan to seal his attack failed," Jonouchi shouted, frustrated. 

"No, Jonouchi, we won the gamble!" Hoshino gave Jonouchi a thumbs up. With Jonouchi around, luck was on her side. "I never said I was aiming to seal his attack."

"Simply sealing his attack won't resolve the current situation. Breaking his monster is the most effective way. Kiyohime, attack Axe Raider!" 

"Three-Fold Flames of Transformation!" Kiyohime raised her fan, and a fiery dragon engulfed Axe Raider. "My flames won't let you escape~" 

[② When this card attacks, its attack points double until the end of the turn.] 

[Heroic Spirit - Kiyohime ATK: 800 → 1600] 

"All right, Axe Raider is defeated!" Jonouchi excitedly clenched his fist. 

Seto Kaiba LP → 3500 

"I set two more cards face-down and end my turn," Hoshino said, mimicking Kaiba as she inserted the cards into the Duel Disk's slots. 

"That was quite a gamble, Hoshino." Kaiba chuckled, closing his eyes as he retrieved his Duel Disk after Axe Raider was destroyed. 

"My turn, draw!" Kaiba drew a card with a dramatic flourish and placed another monster on the Duel Disk. "But luck alone isn't enough to defeat me!" 

"From my hand, I special summon Bloodthirsty Beast King!" 

[Bloodthirsty Beast King ★★★★★ Dark] [Beast-Warrior/Effect] [ATK:1900 DEF:1200] 

[①: If there are no monsters on your field, you can special summon this card from your hand. ②: When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, its attack increases by 500. ③: If this card is destroyed by battle, the attack of the monster that destroyed it decreases by 500.] 

"Another monster with 1900 attack points," Jonouchi said, feeling nervous. "And it's a five-star monster, even stronger than the last one. Seto Kaiba is truly terrifying." 

"Bloodthirsty Beast King, attack Hoshino Chiyuki's monster! King's Mountain-Crushing Strike!" The beast king roared and raised a massive sword, slashing down with enough force to split a mountain. 

"Master, this looks bad!" Kiyohime cried, her face pale as she saw the massive sword approaching. 

"Don't be afraid, Kiyohime. Just leave it to—" 

"Master wants me to trust you, right? I knew you'd protect me. I love you, Master," Kiyohime interrupted, gazing at Hoshino with adoration. 

"Leave it to Jonouchi!" Hoshino declared, revealing a set card. 

"Huh? Me?" Jonouchi was bewildered as Hoshino suddenly handed him the responsibility. 

"Activate trap card [Nagging Shopkeeper]!" 

[Nagging Shopkeeper Trap Card Effect: When a monster with [Heroic Spirit] in its name is targeted for an attack, you can activate this card to special summon a level 4 or lower monster from your deck in defense position, and its defense increases by 500 points.] 

"Jonouchi, I don't have any monster slots left, so I'm counting on you," Hoshino said, looking at Jonouchi with trust. 

Understanding Hoshino's strategy, Jonouchi grabbed his Duel Disk. "Leave it to me!" 

"From my deck, I special summon Iron Knight – Gearfried in defense position!" 

[Iron Knight – Gearfried ★★★★ Earth] [Warrior/Effect] [ATK:1800 DEF:1600→2100] 

The reinforced black armor of the Iron Knight blocked the Bloodthirsty Beast King's powerful strike. 

Seto Kaiba LP → 3300 

"Jonouchi, you have such a strong four-star monster?" Anzu said in surprise as she looked at Jonouchi's special summoned Iron Knight. 

"Iron Knight may have excellent stats for a four-star monster, but it has a downside," Mai explained seriously. "It can't be equipped with any equip cards, which is a significant disadvantage for a Warrior-type monster." 

[Iron Knight Effect: If this card is equipped with an equip card, the equip card is destroyed.] 

"But it doesn't change the fact that it has excellent stats and helped Hoshino block that attack," Yugi added. 

"Oh? I underestimated you, didn't I, you amateur?" Kaiba raised an eyebrow as his attack was blocked. 

"Of course! My skills are just getting started!" Jonouchi raised his arm in a show of strength. 

"He's only boasting because of Hoshino's set card," Anzu muttered, looking at Jonouchi, who thought he looked cool. 

"It's my turn now! My turn, draw!" Jonouchi said, looking at the card he drew with excitement. "Seto Kaiba, I'm just getting started! Watch this!" 

"I use [Iron Knight] and [Kiyohime] as sacrifices to summon my monster card, [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]!" 

"What? I have to part with Master so soon?" Kiyohime looked at Hoshino with a pout. 

"Don't worry, Kiyohime, you've done great," Hoshino said, smiling warmly at her as she was enveloped in white light. 

"Master, you must win!" Kiyohime cheered before disappearing into the light. 

[Red-Eyes Black Dragon ★★★★★★★ (7-star) Dark] [Dragon][ATK: 2400 DEF: 2000] 

A massive black dragon appeared on the spinning Duel Disk with a roar that shook the battlefield. 

"Hmph, the legendary Red-Eyes Black Dragon, said to rival the Blue-Eyes White Dragon," Kaiba sneered. "I'm surprised an amateur like you has such a rare card." 

"Can Red-Eyes Black Dragon really rival Blue-Eyes White Dragon?" Anzu asked Yugi, puzzled. "Its attack points are much lower." 

"Legends say the White Dragon brings victory, while the Black Dragon brings out the potential of a deck," Yugi thought, looking at the roaring dragon. "Perhaps the Red-Eyes Black Dragon has some unknown potential." 

"How about that, Kaiba? My ace card!" Jonouchi boasted. "Take this, Red-Eyes Black Dragon's Black Flame Bullet!" 

Responding to Jonouchi's command, the massive black dragon opened its jaws and fired a black flame bullet at the Bloodthirsty Beast King. 

"I'd love to compliment you, but you're still too naive. Activate the face-down card!" Kaiba revealed the card he set in the first turn. "Counter Trap Card, Negate Attack!" 

The familiar Negate Attack absorbed the black flame bullet into a vortex, nullifying it. 

"Damn, blocked," Jonouchi gritted his teeth in frustration. "I'll set a card and end my turn." 

"Kaiba didn't use his trap card to block Kiyohime's attack earlier?" Mai asked, astonished. 

"That's Kaiba's brilliance," Yugi explained. "Since he only had one monster slot, there was no need to waste trap card protecting weaker monsters. But by using it this turn, it means..." 

"My turn, draw!" Kaiba's loud voice interrupted Yugi and Mai's conversation. "Activate Spell Card, Cost Down!" 

"Just as I thought!" Yugi's suspicions were confirmed. 

[Cost Down Spell Card Effect: Discard 1 card to activate this card. This turn, the level of all monsters in your hand decreases by 2.] 

"By using Negate Attack to protect his monster, Kaiba set up for a tribute summon of a high-level monster!" Mai finally understood Kaiba's strategy. 

"Exactly! I sacrifice Bloodthirsty Beast King to summon!" Kaiba's aura alone seemed to lift his coat. "The embodiment of destruction, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" 

[Blue-Eyes White Dragon ★★★★★★★★ (8-star) Light] [Dragon] [ATK: 3000 DEF: 2500] 

With a powerful flap of its wings, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon appeared, its roar shaking the battlefield as it faced the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you'd like to read 20 chapters ahead, please consider joining my Patreon: patreon.com/ANeet. Your support means a lot and helps me continue creating more content for you. Thank you!