The duelist surrounded by the audience at the center of the venue, dressed in a red suit, donning a zebra-patterned mask, a magician's top hat, standing tall and straight, with a mischievous and sly air when he smiles.
Isn't this Pandora, the one who once handed Youyu a newbie gift package!
Thinking back, that was the first windfall Youyu earned after reincarnating in the Linked World. Times have changed, and now everything is different; Youyu has ascended from an unknown into today's Duel King, while Pandora has transformed from a former key player of the Ghouls Group...
...into an entertainment duelist peddling "magic dueling" on the streets.
Seeing this guy even made Youyu nostalgic about the past.
Except, wasn't this guy already finished?
Recall when Marik remotely controlled Pandora's body to duel with him in a Dark Duel; after losing, Pandora should have become food for the darkness?
"Amazing!!!"
Pandora knocked down yet another duelist stepping up to challenge, simultaneously removing his hat and bowing to the audience, as if performing magic.
Pandora was at least once recognized as a duelist by Yugi in the original, so thrashing passersby was no big deal. This magician seemed at ease, elegantly and effortlessly putting his hat back on, smiling and saying, "Who else wants to challenge?"
While speaking, he took out a card, astonishingly the Rare Card "Black Magician".
"Even this guy is craving a real duel."
"Oh? If someone wins, would you be willing to give up that Rare Card?"
"Quite bold, of course." Pandora confidently turned back, "But the prerequisite is that you have the strength to beat the...
...Ahhhhh!!!!!"
The magician suddenly screamed as if he'd seen a ghost, terrifying the crowd so much that they almost jumped up.
The crowd followed his gaze to the person who had just asked the question, and some began to exclaim.
"Duel King... Youyu!?"
Youyu covered his ears: "Don't be so startled, as if you've seen a ghost..."
Pandora's confident aura instantly crumbled, his legs in the suit shaking like a sieve.
That moment, former card hunter Pandora recalled the fear once dominated by the Duel Disc Hunter.
"You... Youyu Sir?"
"Why the grim look? Don't you like seeing me?"
"No... no, I'm very pleased."
Pandora tried to squeeze out a smile, but it ended up uglier than crying.
"You were punished by the Darkness Game..."
"Oh, after Duel City, Master Marik did his best to release those once consumed by the power of the Millennium Rod," Pandora explained, "Some souls were lost in the darkness and couldn't return, but some — like me — were lucky enough to be released."
"I see," Youyu nodded.
Indeed, he remembered that after Duel City and Marik's redemption in the anime, quite a few who had been defeated in the Darkness Game were found.
Like Sister Kujaku Mai.
"Then what are you doing here?" Youyu asked, "With your skills, wouldn't joining the professional league be more promising than this?"
Pandora pulled a face: "I used to be a duelist of the Ghouls, now I'm blacklisted by the Kaiba Company, forbidden to join any recognized tournaments..."
"What about underground tournaments?"
The Underworld also has many duel events, without any requirements for the duelists' background.
"I'm afraid it'll cause casualties..." Pandora shrunk his neck.
Youyu: "..."
Thinking back to how he was once a general of the Ghouls, living a life licking blood off the knife's edge, now he appears so cowardly...
Youyu gestured to the "Black Magician" card in his hand.
"Still playing with fake cards?"
Pandora quickly shook his head, plastering a smile across his face, "Where would I dare? It's different now, President Haima is watching things closely, playing with fake cards could directly get you a sentence..."
Goodness, playing with fake cards directly gets you a sentence?
Youyu acknowledges he hadn't heard of this, is the President really cracking down this hard on piracy now?
"Well then... how about we have another round?" Youyu smiled, "Duelists make friends with cards. We're old acquaintances, haven't met for years, wouldn't this be a perfect chance to reminisce?"
Upon hearing this, Pandora instantly shook violently, repeatedly waving his hand.
"No, no." He smiled awkwardly, "You know how little substance I have, no need for it..."
"Don't be so modest," Youyu said, "last time we met you said it yourself, only because you were careless and unprepared did I catch you off guard?
Afterwards I pondered, feeling you might have a point. Maybe you're truly a better Master of the 'Black Magician'?"
Pandora was frightened.
Damn, how does this Duel King remember dialogue from six years ago so clearly?
Could he really hold grudges?
Pandora grimaced: "Please don't joke with me, back then I was young and reckless..."
"Not at all," Youyu laughed, "How about this, if you win, I'll sponsor you a Black Magician... no, an entire Black Magic Deck, how does that sound?
And if you beat me, with that record, go to President Haima, he will definitely have your blemishes removed from your career, letting you start afresh."
Pandora blinked, seeming somewhat tempted. But sneaking a peek at Youyu, he couldn't help but grimace again.
Only if I can win...
Pandora now wishes he could find a time machine, travel back in time to slap himself.
Why did you, damn it, idly go provoke the future Duel King?
Plus, it wasn't like provoking someone like Muto Yugi, gentle and easy-going, but rather, someone who loves drawing Duel Discs and holds grudges...
"How about this." Youyu proposed, "I assure, this duel I won't summon any monster above Level One, would that suffice?"
Pandora hesitated for two seconds, doubting his hearing.
"You said you won't summon..."
"Monsters above Level One, you heard right." Youyu smiled, "I assure you, I'll only summon Level One monsters to duel, is that fine?"
Pandora's thoughts quickly became active.
Level One monsters? Wouldn't those just be miscellaneous trash?
No matter how good he is as Duel King, can he really finish me off with a bunch of trash?
But on the other hand, if he can win against Youyu...
Pandora's boldness momentarily surged.
Winning this duel would earn him a large batch of rare cards dedicated for Black Magic, greatly enhancing his strength, allowing him to return to the Duel World, instead of struggling to survive daily as he was now.
Take a risk, turn a bike into a motorbike!
"Alright." Pandora squinted, "Since Youyu insists so much, I will duly oblige!"