Chapter 133: Top 4 Decided
Descending from the Duel Arena, Sheppard exhaled, adjusting his mindset and relaxing after the intense Duel. The large screen displayed the avatars of Sheppard and Camula, but Camula's avatar had already dimmed, leaving only Sheppard's avatar still lit.
Croquet glanced at Camula, who was leaving the Duel Field with a strange smile, but paid her no mind. Instead, he began to announce, "The fourth match of the Duelist Kingdom Top 8 Qualifier has concluded. The winner is Sheppard! With this, all participants who have qualified for the Top 4 have been decided!"
The image on the screen changed, displaying the avatars of the four individuals one by one: Joey Wheeler, Yugi, Hayato, and Sheppard. A line connected the avatars of two Duelists placed side-by-side.
"What exactly has Hayato been doing? He's been gone this whole time and still hasn't returned." Seeing Hayato's avatar appear on the screen, Joey looked around, but still couldn't see Hayato.
From the moment Yugi stepped onto the Duel Stage to begin his Duel, to Yugi defeating Mai Valentine, and then Sheppard stepped onto the Duel Stage for his Duel, and even now Sheppard has defeated that person named Camula, yet Hayato still hadn't returned to the Audience Seating.
A worried expression was on Bakura's face: "Hayato hasn't had anything happen to him, has he? He hasn't come back; it's quite worrying."
"Bakura, relax, Hayato is a really capable guy; he can at least hold his own for half as long as I can." Joey bragged. "But, it is worrying that he hasn't shown up. Wait, could he have eaten Pegasus's food and been poisoned?!"
Mai Valentine looked speechlessly at Joey, retorting, "While I know you really dislike that guy Pegasus, don't forget, we ate the food too, didn't we? Instead of thinking about that, you should worry about yourself. Tomorrow, you're going to Duel Yugi, you idiot, Joey."
Yugi smiled as he shared his thoughts, "Although Duels are important, I think friends are just as important. Today's match has already concluded, and even if we're preparing for tomorrow's Duel, there's still plenty of time. I think it would be better to go look for Hayato."
Hearing Yugi's words, Mai Valentine imperceptibly pursed her lips, saying nothing more. Although she got along quite well with Yugi and his friends now, Mai Valentine was keenly aware that her worldview didn't quite align with theirs, whether it was Joey, Yugi, or Hayato.
For Duel Monsters, Mai Valentine saw it as a tool to improve her life; Yugi and his friends regarded it as a game that held their Heart (of the Cards). Mai Valentine pursued tangible material wealth and the victory of results, while Yugi and his friends enjoyed the process of the Duel, favoring intangible concepts like Friendship and familial affection.
Even after Dueling Hayato, Joey, and Yugi consecutively, and witnessing their Decks respond to their Heart (of the Cards), the fog shrouding Mai Valentine's Heart (of the Cards) still hadn't dispersed. The cloud named "confusion" still covered her Heart (of the Cards).
The two questions Hayato had once posed to her—"What are Duel Monsters?" and "What do we Duel for?"—remained unanswered to this day. However...
Glancing at Joey roughhousing with Tristan and Bakura, Mai Valentine couldn't quite articulate her thoughts about Joey. He was clearly just a mediocre Duelist, a guy who had nothing but good luck. What was it that had truly supported Joey Wheeler to Duel until now?
"Who's looking for me?"
A familiar voice reached Yugi and his friends' ears. They looked in the direction of the voice, to see Hayato steadying himself with one hand on the staircase railing, walking calmly back to the Audience Seating, an embarrassed expression on his face: "Oh dear, I'm really sorry. This castle is just too big; I couldn't find my way back for a while and almost got lost."
"What's up with that, Hayato? You're so lame! Not only Yugi's and Miss Mai's Duels, but even Sheppard's Duel has already finished!"
With an apologetic look, Hayato walked towards them, glancing at the large screen not far away. "Oh my, has the arrangement for tomorrow's Duel opponents already been decided?"
"If Yugi is up against Joey, then my opponent..." Turning his head, Hayato looked at Sheppard's serious face. "...that would be you, Sheppard? What a shame. I was planning to watch your Duel and modify my Deck, but I completely missed it."
"Hmm, in that regard, I do hold a certain advantage," Sheppard said, scratching the back of his head with an embarrassed look, acknowledging Hayato's statement. "But Hayato, I've witnessed your Duels twice, and I recognize you as a powerful Duelist. So, even if it feels a bit awkward, I won't go easy on you in tomorrow's Duel."
Hayato responded with a smile, "Wouldn't that be expected, Sheppard?"
"Only a Duel where one fully commits body and soul can be considered showing respect to other Duelists."
Watching Hayato, the others didn't notice anything amiss, but Yugi frowned with some concern.
"Aibo, did you also notice the aura around Hayato?"
Inside Yugi's Mind, Yami Yugi spoke. Yugi nodded: "Yes, although Hayato acts as if nothing's wrong, that Dark Power on him is really obvious. I sensed it just as he walked past me."
"Yami Yugi, do you think Hayato might be..."
Yami Yugi shook his head: "Hayato's willpower is among the best I've ever seen. Even those ominous-looking Millennium Items shouldn't be able to control him that easily."
"Rather than being influenced by the power of the Millennium Items, I think Hayato might have just come into contact with some item imbued with Dark Power."
Yami Yugi's intuition truly wasn't wrong. The faint, almost imperceptible dark aura on Hayato, undetectable by ordinary people, indeed originated from an item rich in Dark Power. Furthermore, this Dark Item was currently lying within Hayato's System's [Inventory].
That was an entirely golden ring, roughly sized to fit around a person's neck and be used as a collar. On the front of the ring was an Eye of Udjat pattern, identical to those found on Millennium Items. If this collar were placed in Hayato's previous life, many who had watched the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime would probably recognize it at a glance:
"Isn't this thing the Dark Item worn by that vampire from the Shadow Riders?"
(end of chapter)