After the first round of the quarterfinals ended, Yugen smoothly became the first player to advance in this round.
The others had no particular thoughts on the result, though the process was somewhat unexpected, especially for those unfamiliar with Yugen.
The Planet Series cards are each uniquely rare worldwide, so seeing the "Gorgeous Venus" today was a first for them.
Thus, it was also the first time they realized that Venus's resistance, "none of my Magic Traps can be negated," was used in such a way...
Indeed, as long as Venus is present, all AOE Magic Trap seals turn one-directional. Once this formation is set, the opponent can almost leave their Duel Disc entirely.
And in this duel, the Gorgeous Venus indeed displayed the powerful dominance characteristic of the Planet Series, directly suppressing the opponent to death with her abilities at the core.
The strange part, however, was that the Gorgeous Venus should have been the opponent's ace, yet Yugen crafted it as the core of this ultimately closed strategy...
We've seen lock tactics before, and though closed tactics are an unconventional niche in the current environment, they're not unheard of.
But using the opponent's ace as the core of a closed strategy is truly unheard of...
After the duel, the opponent was already unconscious, so Yugen put away the Duel Disc, silently took the "Gorgeous Venus" placed on his Duel Disc during the match, and placed it in his pocket.
Not to mention others, even the Judge, an embodiment of God of Orichalcos, self-admittedly hadn't seen such oddities in all his years.
Most present couldn't tell, but those with experience in supernatural events within DM, including Kaiba and a few others, discerned that players had swapped during the duel.
Though it's not unusual; Back Spirits substituting players is no rarity, and those in the know even understand that Muto Yuugi also relied on a substitute to become King.
While Back Spirit substitution isn't rare, being infuriated midway and pulling the plug is quite unheard of...
The duel's final progression seemed like Venus being taken, the seal formed, and Little Lobster quickly losing it, silently disconnecting and pretending to be dead.
"Is that guy called... Tragodia?"
Loren of the Doma Three Musketeers couldn't help but ask.
"I recall this guy shouldn't be just any regular monster?"
"Yeah." The Judge replied casually.
Loren said no more.
Tragodia, a higher-level boss monster, at minimum is on par with the Doma Three Musketeers within the organization... possibly even beyond.
Despite being a substitute, such an entity getting infuriated enough to leave is...
"Keep an eye on this kid."
The Judge suddenly spoke, glancing at Yugen as he walked offstage, speaking indifferently.
"Ah… alright."
Loren nodded, with a peculiar look at Yugen.
Initially, upon hearing the "Sealing Artifact" fell into the hands of such a person—a student of Duel Academy—he merely assumed luck.
But now, such thoughts barely linger.
It seemed the Divine Artifact reaching this person might not be mere coincidence. Though outwardly he appears harmless, his true nature is uncertain.
If one were to duel with this guy, utmost vigilance is required.
Marufuji Ryo witnessed the entire duel and was momentarily speechless.
Reflecting on their previous duel in the preliminaries, when any attack felt as futile as stones sinking into the sea, when his proud Cyber Dragon's fierce offensive seemed unprecedentedly powerless.
Since then, Marufuji Ryo had actually fallen into some sort of confusion.
Perhaps for the first time, he began to doubt his path, pondering more possibilities. Naturally, Yugen, who left a deep impression through the duel, came to mind.
Yugen's dueling was fundamentally opposed to his previous way. Taking this duel for instance, no trace of respect for the opponent could be felt.
But wasn't victory achieved?
Moreover, seeing Yugen jumping off stage and high-fiving Judai, his duel seemed joyous.
Marufuji Ryo delved into thought.
Indeed, perhaps winning is more important than the process in a duel?
The Kaiba Group had already arranged for accompanying doctors to take the stage, with a professional medical team surrounding the unconscious Mizuki.
Such a tournament certainly comes equipped with top-level medical teams, the specifications far exceeding regular sports.
After all, isn't it common knowledge that card games are the world's most dangerous competitive sport?
Look, the first match just ended with someone losing consciousness due to card play.
The doctors swiftly placed Mizuki on a stretcher, carrying her to the infirmary.
"Um... it seems the duel has encountered a minor accident, please return and wait briefly, the organizers will soon notify you of the continuation of the subsequent rounds."
Izuno briefly announced, then followed the medical team.
The leading doctor quietly inquired, "Is the tournament still going to continue?"
"Of course." Izuno mentioned calmly.
"Ah, but such an incident has occurred..."
The doctor seemed somewhat bewildered.
"Perhaps you haven't realized the severity. But this girl might never rise from bed for the rest of her life... no, there's even the possibility she won't wake again."
"Yes, I'm aware." Izuno nodded calmly.
Doctor: "?"
How can you accept such a dreadful occurrence so calmly?
"Don't worry, players signed agreements before participating." Izuno said.
Doctor: "No, this isn't about agreements..."
"You should really see how the first tournament was like."
Izuno patted his shoulder, speaking like a seasoned veteran.
Izuno was likewise a referee during the inaugural tournament.
Compared to that event, this is small-scale.
In the first round, Muto Yuugi over there used Osiris's Sky Dragon's Superconductive Wave, sending Bakura to the ICU, followed by Tomb Guardian Race's Lixid trying to summon Winged Divine Dragon with fake cards, ending up vegetative via Divine Punishment.
Then there's Malik somehow dueling into an explosion, his originally normal face suddenly plunging into the Underworld, continuously sending Peacock Dance and Joey to the infirmary...
And back then, irregularities and divine punishments descended frequently, the scene was far more exaggerated than now. Almost every duel saw someone drop, and yet the cards kept being played.
But the doctor seemed a newcomer, finding this incomprehensible.
Then he approached President Kaiba.
"President, should the tournament continue?"
Kaiba raised an eyebrow: "Why not?"
"Um... but the player seems unconscious..."
"Is there something wrong?"
Doctor: "?"