Chapter 20: Seizing the Championship

"Lost... I lost?"

Ryuzaki knelt on the ground in a posture reminiscent of a suspect whose scheme had just been exposed in a detective anime, his hands braced against the floor, his face dazed.

It felt as though none of this could be real.

After years of training, months of secluded practice, and finally working up the resolve to make a grand comeback as a king... he had been defeated in the tutorial stage?

He couldn't accept it.

The applause from around the arena, delayed by several seconds, shattered his delusions and dragged him back to the cruel reality. It began as a sparse, scattered patter, as if the audience were only just recovering from the shock of the duel. Then, led by someone in the crowd, it erupted into a deafening roar of cheers, accompanied by the chanting of a name.

Well, clearly, they weren't cheering for Ryuzaki, but for the rookie who had just rubbed his face in the dirt.

The legendary duelist Ryuzaki—his comeback had failed, and instead, he had become a stepping stone for a rising star.

"Congratulations to Fujiki Yugen for successfully defeating Dinosaur Ryuzaki and claiming the championship of this year's Moon Flower Cup!" the commentator, Wataru, shouted with excitement.

"What an incredible duel this was! A newcomer making their debut, winning against Ryuzaki—who had just returned from seclusion—on their first try, and maintaining the upper hand throughout the entire duel... And not only that, but until the very end, his Life Points remained untouched at four thousand! This was, quite literally, a flawless victory!"

Ryuzaki thought: *Enough, stop rubbing it in.*

"Indeed. And based on my years of experience as a commentator, I dare say this might not even be the limit of this player's potential," added the other commentator, Sasaki. "'Card Trooper' has another effect. When it is destroyed, the duelist who controls it can draw one card from their deck. Since the Machine-type monster that received the 'Limiter Removal' effect would self-destruct, Yugen still gets to draw an additional card from the Card Trooper's destruction.

"Looking at Ryuzaki's side, both his front and back rows are empty. Because he activated 'Reckless Greed' in the previous turn, he must skip his next two draw phases. So..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but the implication was clear. Even if Ryuzaki could draw one more card and somehow fend off the final assault of the Card Trooper, his chances of winning were microscopic.

Not to mention that Yugen still had two copies of Machine Fortress in his graveyard; as long as he had Machine-type resources in his hand, he could bring them back from the dead at any moment.

The gap between the two had become far too wide.

Ryuzaki: "..."

"The younger generation is truly formidable," Wataru said, his admiration for the rookie growing. "Regardless, let us once again congratulate Yugen on his victory..."

He had a premonition. This wouldn't be the last time he saw this player on the arena floor. Or perhaps, for Yugen, this was only the beginning.

...

"He actually won..."

Sato Koji, a fellow student from the dojo who had been sitting in the audience, blinked in confusion as he watched the scene unfold. He pinched himself hard.

*Hiss.* It hurt. It wasn't a dream.

His junior apprentice had actually defeated the legendary duelist. Suddenly, the frustration and depression he had felt after being crushed by his junior during training vanished, replaced by an unexpected sense of pride. *Such an incredible junior, and I’ve actually been beaten by him!*

He couldn't help but straighten his back.

Back at the Duel Dojo, the news of Yugen’s victory triggered a massive celebration. Thinking about how this would undoubtedly make the headlines of the "Duelist Times" tomorrow, the apprentices felt a surge of pride; they would feel much more prestigious mentioning their dojo's name when they went out in the future.

As for who was most excited, it was undoubtedly the master.

The moment the champion was announced, Master Takeuchi’s eyes rolled back, he leaned backward, and nearly fainted. But when his students rushed to support him, he waved them off, indicating he was fine—just a bit too excited.

Later, when none of the jubilant students were paying attention, Master Takeuchi stood up and walked into the deepest part of the dojo. He extended his hand and pressed his palm against a seemingly ordinary wall.

The movement looked casual, but his fingertips followed a specific pattern. A moment later, the wall seemed to come alive, vibrating slightly before slowly cracking open from the center to reveal a hidden door. No one else in the dojo knew of its existence.

He walked into the tunnel, and the hidden door closed automatically behind him. At the end of the tunnel, the only light was focused on a single point.

A transparent display case, in which a single card was stored.

The master murmured to himself:

"The one who can inherit it... is he finally here?"

...

"You really are the champion! You even took down a big boss like Ryuzaki; you’re too awesome, junior!"

When they left the arena, Sato Koji acted like a completely different person, enthusiastically rushing to carry Yugen’s luggage. "Hey, why are you carrying it yourself? Let your senior handle it..."

Yugen tried to decline, but he couldn't overcome the senior's overwhelming enthusiasm.

"By the way, I heard people say that in learning, there is no order of seniority. Maybe starting today, you should be the senior apprentice and I’ll be the junior..."

Yugen: "..."

"Honestly, your composure is truly impressive. How come you don't have any reaction after winning the championship?" Sato Koji remarked. "If it were me, I’d be floating on air right now..."

In truth, Yugen wasn't unhappy, but since he had already foreseen this result, it wasn't a huge surprise. He was more concerned about when the prize money would hit his account.

The more he learned about this world, the more he realized that while money wasn't everything in the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!, you certainly couldn't do anything without it. He didn't even need to mention the "money-power" warriors like Kaiba or Manjoume; the first generation's protagonist, Yugi, came from a family of card shop owners, and the second generation's Jaden Yuki seemed to be a rich kid as well.

The third generation's Yusei was born in the slums, but he was a heavyweight who could build perpetual motion machines out of trash. Not only did he scavenge a top-tier deck, but he also had the "Crimson Dragon" printing press—he could practically print his own cards. Even the anime protagonists, as the plot progressed, constantly modified their decks and added new cards.

Therefore, playing cards was a bottomless pit. Aside from those geniuses with the talent to "print" cards, ordinary people had to pay to win. It once again highlighted that the Duel Academy, heavily sponsored by Kaiba, was truly a great place.

...

The two left the venue one after the other.

In the shadows, a black-robed figure stood in a corner, watching Yugen’s retreating figure from afar. The corners of their mouth curled beneath the black hood, forming a dangerous arc.

Following that, a green glow flashed beneath the hood, and the eyes in the darkness seemed to flicker with a trace of green light, burning like ghost fire within the pupils.