"I see."
Kira calmly surveyed his surroundings and stepped forward.
"So this was all a setup, huh?"
"Eh?"
Jaden looked at him, still confused.
"That girl was told from the start—if anyone like us appeared, she was to lure us here. Everything we saw was just bait to trap us."
Kira thought for a moment.
"No, actually, it's more likely the girl herself was a plant, and everything was staged for our benefit. The story about the mountain god was made up, too."
He looked Ha Des in the eye.
"Right?"
Ha Des chuckled.
"You catch on a lot faster than your dumb friend," he admitted. "Let's be clear: I didn't lie about the mountain god. I am the mountain god here. All the locals pay tribute to me. It's only right that we protect them."
"I think the word you want is exploit," Kira noted.
No need for anyone to explain—the dead, dilapidated town made it obvious enough.
Ha Des burst out laughing.
"These lands are always fighting—there are always fools who resist the Supreme King's army, and some low-level thugs gather mobs to rob the weak. Our Supreme King's army provides protection from war and bandits. Isn't it only fair we charge a little extra for that?"
"Supreme King's army."
Kira calmly glanced around at the spirits surrounding them.
"You're under the Supreme King?"
"Oh? A traveler from another world who's heard of our lord?" Ha Des laughed. "Looks like his fame has spread across dimensions! Those who resist will be crushed, it's only a matter of time..."
He stepped onto the field, his arm morphing into a Duel Disk, a deck materializing within.
"For some reason, people like you have been showing up more often lately."
Kira walked up to face him. "People like us?"
"Travelers, from different dimensions," Ha Des said. "And I was ordered to station here just for your kind."
"To hunt and capture travelers and spirits from other worlds. The Supreme King is interested in you—and in the dimensions you represent."
"One day, the Supreme King's army will conquer even beyond the Twelve Dimensions."
"One day, every world we see will bow before our great Supreme King!"
"Ambitious, aren't you?"
Kira couldn't help but clap in approval.
"Not bad, not bad, that's some vision."
Conquering the multiverse by dueling, huh? But if you counted all the dueling parallel worlds, there were plenty of top duelists in each one. The Supreme King might not be able to handle them all.
"Wait..."
Finally catching up, Jaden blurted out, "So that girl tricked us?"
Everyone turned to look at him.
"She's under my command," Ha Des sneered. "Travelers from other worlds are always this gullible—same tricks work every time."
Jaden finally realized he'd been duped.
"So... there was never a girl being sacrificed by her family?"
Ha Des laughed. "Of course not. You were being toyed with from the start."
But he only got halfway through laughing before Jaden burst out laughing even louder, leaving Ha Des dumbfounded, staring at Jaden with wide eyes.
"What are you laughing about?"
"Haha, that's great. So, nobody was actually getting hurt?"
Jaden laughed with relief.
"I was so worried, but I was just tricked. That's a relief!"
Ha Des stared at the boy for a while. His happiness seemed so genuine, it was weird.
Don't you realize your own situation?
You're the victim! How can you say nobody was hurt?
"Sorry, my friend's just like that. Don't mind him."
Kira smiled calmly.
"And, to be honest, your trap was a bit crude. I couldn't be sure, but I'd already guessed most of it on the way here."
"Tch, if you saw through it, why walk into the trap?"
Ha Des scoffed. "This is the Supreme King Army's formation, a special barrier. Unless you win a duel, you can't leave!"
"I figured as much. But you seem to have misunderstood something."
Kira activated his Duel Disk.
"I didn't walk in because I was trapped by you—"
He paused, then gave a sunny smile so unnerving even the Demon Lord shivered,
"—but because you're now trapped here with me."
Ha Des: "!"
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't.
Why is this guy so confident?
The Supreme King Army's formation was similar to the "Seal of Orichalcos"—inside, neither duelist could leave until a winner was decided, and as the initiator, he gained the full power of the formation.
Ha Des had never lost here. Every time he drew a card inside the barrier, he felt overwhelming power, almost omnipotent.
With such a home-field advantage, how could he lose?
"Then, as you wish—a duel!"
Kira locked his deck and drew five cards.
Ha Des steeled himself too.
"Duel!" x2
[Kira, LP 4000]
[Ha Des, LP 4000]
"I'll go first. Draw!"
Kira said.
"Set one monster face-down, and three cards in my back row. Turn end."
Four cards set in an instant—Kira ended his first turn in a flash.
Jaden behind him opened his mouth: "Kira..."
But before he could say more, Kira waved a reassuring hand and smiled.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
So Jaden swallowed his words.
But he wasn't worried about Kira's skills.
He just wanted to ask...
Why are you so naturally skilled at getting into these duels?
I wanted to duel too!