["It's decided!"]
["The winner is Fujiki Kira!"]
["It's been eight years since the last Duel King was crowned. At this historic mont, we finally welco the second-generation Duel King—"]
"..."
The room was silent, wrapped tightly in the thick darkness of night, as though even the air had solidified into a shadowy mass. The only light in this darkness ca from the television, where the news endlessly looped the sa story.
Principal MacKenzie sat on the sofa, tapping his fingers on the armrest.
"Duel King, Fujiki Kira…"
He imdiately recalled the two tis he had indirectly crossed paths with this new Duel King.
Once was a riding duel in that small town. His invincible King Tiger Summon Lock ironically enabled the opponent's infinite burn damage LOOP.
The second ti, he possessed his top general, Reggie Mackenzie, himself, using an aggressive Angel deck and even the planetary series' Venus. Yet not only did he fail to secure victory, Venus was even used by the opponent to backfire against him, locking him out with his own Venus, making him so mad he rage-quit the network.
And now, such a duelist had beco the king of this era.
Principal MacKenzie fell silent.
It wasn't that he was afraid of this person. Tragoedia feared nothing—he once stord the royal palace and challenged the Pharaoh and the Seven Priests head-on. He considered himself invincible and did not think he was afraid of any opponent.
He wasn't afraid, but just thinking about having to face this Duel King again in the future, rembering that endless stream of bizarre tactics, gave him a headache...
At this mont, his trusted aide, David Rabb, a student from the Arican Duel Academy like Reggie, entered the room.
"Well?" Without turning his head, Mackenzie asked indifferently.
"We've got her. Player Reina, ranked fifteenth in the pro scene, specializing in an Ice deck," David stood respectfully behind him. "She's strong—even I had to work hard to take her down."
"But she's under control now?" Mackenzie asked flatly.
"Of course, Professor. Just as you ordered."
David's lips curled into an increasingly twisted grin.
"That woman really put up a fight, struggling until the very end. Heh, but she's destined to be ours—like prey caught in a spider's web, the more she struggles, the tighter she's bound. That despair, though, is intoxicating..."
He only realized he was off-topic when he noticed the professor's displeased glare, quickly correcting himself.
"But she's completely under control now, a mber of the 'Planet Users'," David said quickly. "You were insightful, Professor. She's got great synergy with the 'rcury' of the planetary series."
Principal MacKenzie grunted heavily.
"Naturally," he said. "If I hadn't seen her potential, I wouldn't have sent you for her. Now that she's accepted rcury and my power, as a Planet User, she might even beco stronger than you, David."
"You should feel a sense of urgency, David."
A swirl of black mist rose from Principal MacKenzie's body, his eyes flashing darkly.
"Anyone—anyone—even you, who can't prove their worth will be eliminated."
David shivered inside, bowing repeatedly, but a flash of malice flickered in his hidden gaze.
Eliminated...?
But Mackenzie didn't bother with his reaction, turning back to the TV.
"Fujiki Kira, the new Duel King," Mackenzie said coolly. "To be honest, he's a bit beyond what I anticipated."
"A tough opponent?"
David quickly regained his composure and asked.
"Not just that."
Mackenzie muttered, frowning deeply but not elaborating.
He'd been uneasy about that dark artifact Kira possessed—a Millennium Item lookalike, emanating the presence of the Pharaoh and Priests he hated most in his life.
And in the finals, that presence reached its peak, even summoning the supposedly extinct Egyptian God Cards.
Mackenzie stared hard at Kira's image on the screen.
"Just who is this guy?"
David suddenly asked, "Speaking of which, that troubleso duelist who's been chasing us hasn't made a move lately. Did you take care of him, Professor?"
Mackenzie imdiately understood whom he ant.
That annoying guy who showed up at the Arican Champion's Night, almost ruining his capture of Koyo Hibiki. For quite a while after, that person relentlessly dogged his tracks, and they'd even clashed indirectly twice—very vexing.
"Sort of," Mackenzie replied vaguely.
"As expected of you, Professor—no opponent is a match for your direct action, even legendary duelists," David flattered.
But Mackenzie remained silent.
No match, huh... Only he knew how inaccurate that was. He'd remotely controlled a puppet to duel that person twice, with less-than-ideal results.
Now, the mory of those duels resurfaced in his mind.
Mackenzie: "My monster attacks!"
Opponent: "I activate the Continuous Trap 'Fairy Box'! When your monster declares an attack, you have to call a coin toss. Guess wrong, and your monster's ATK becos 0."
Opponent: "...Haha, you guessed wrong. Your monster's ATK is now 0!"
Mackenzie: "..."
"..."
Mackenzie: "You have no cards in hand, and your Life Points are hanging by a thread. Soon your soul will be mine!"
Opponent: "You never know what can happen until the duel is over. I activate the Trap 'Ms. Judge'! If my opponent has six or more cards in hand and I have two or fewer, I can toss a coin. If I call it right, I draw until I have five cards; if wrong, I skip my next turn!"
Opponent: "...Haha, I called it! I draw five cards!"
Mackenzie: "..."
"..."
Mackenzie: "I activate 'Dark Grepher's' effect. Once per turn: discard a DARK monster from my hand to send another DARK monster from my deck to the grave."
Opponent: "Then I activate 'Lady Luck' on my field! When your card's effect activates, I toss two coins. If both are Heads, your effect is negated!"
Opponent: "...Hahaha, double Heads! Your Grepher's effect is negated!"
Mackenzie, rolling up his sleeves: "I swear I'm going to break every one of your damned coins—"
"..."
All unpleasant mories.
Tragoedia looked to the sky, lost in thought.
Three thousand years later, he thought, with no Pharaoh or Priests, he should be able to do as he pleased. But it turns out this era's duelists are all masters in their own right—not easy opponents at all.
Still...
He snorted coldly.
"Just so lucky punk who fights on dumb luck. I've already dealt with him," Mackenzie declared. "He's no longer a threat."
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