Chapter 233: The Confused Pioneer

While the heroes were busy finding suitable opponents for Serena and preparing the dueling arena,

the world continued to run as usual.

"Fate" is elusive, yet all paths lead to the same destination.

"Sigh... It is a pity. The rising star we held such high hopes for, Maruto Ryo, has fallen on the road to the Top 32."

In the broadcast, the commentator's voice still echoed, but Maruto Ryo sat on the company bench, head bowed, as if he had lost his soul.

He had lost again.

Ever since losing to Edo Phoenix, while he hadn't been completely crushed, his win rate had been steadily declining.

At first, it could only be called an "upset," but now, no matter how much he tried to deceive himself, he had to admit that he had indeed "become weaker."

Although the company president had told him many times not to feel too much pressure—that his overall image was still excellent and his advertising value to the company was high, so he shouldn't be too obsessed with the duel lost to Edo Phoenix, but rather should regain his spirit and duel properly—

he wanted to ask the president for leave, hoping to calm down again.

He could tell himself that he was being targeted by those professional duelists, defeated by decks specifically designed to counter the Machine-Type and Cyber Dragon, but he couldn't bring himself to say such excuses.

Even if he was hit by "Fusion Prohibition Area," Hikari could still summon Fusion Monsters through various means. Could it be that he was unable to win just because he was countered a little?

"Ryo."

"President!"

Maruto Ryo noticed a middle-aged businessman walking over and hurriedly stood up.

"I have already heard. You want to go back to the academy to take a look?"

"... Yes. I think I still have many shortcomings."

"However, our company cannot accept a graduate professional duelist whose first thought after a defeat is to go find their teacher."

"No, what I want to find is..."

"The public will not believe what you say!"

Maruto Ryo fell silent.

"Sigh—" The middle-aged businessman let out a sigh.

He was not the kind-hearted sort.

It was just that Maruto Ryo still clearly had value for extracting advertising revenue, so he just sighed, then reached into his pocket and took out a card: "Take this."

"This is?"

"A pass to Neo Domino City." The businessman put his hands behind his back and said, "My company is also entering dimensional exploration recently. Maruto, you have ample experience in dimensional travel, and next, my company will also be developing related businesses... Maruto, I believe you will have an even more excellent performance in this regard—and if there is anyone you want to see, you can also meet them in Neo Domino City. That way, you won't be caught by boring paparazzi."

A smile finally appeared on Maruto Ryo's face. He excitedly took the card, bowed to the businessman, and said loudly: "Thank you, President!"

"Hahaha, this is also for the robust growth of my company. Keep it up, student Maruto. I think highly of you." He patted Maruto Ryo on the shoulder. "Just adjust your mood well there, and then come back."

"Thank you!!" Maruto Ryo had completely regained his vitality.

After a round of screening and testing, Maruto Ryo successfully passed the selection of the Kaiba Corporation branch and, through dimensional transmission, arrived in "Neo Domino City."

Arriving in this dimension once again, Maruto Ryo's dull heart couldn't help but slowly begin to stir.

Ever since losing to Edo Phoenix, his self-doubt had grown heavier and heavier.

He often questioned himself: why did he duel, and why did he become a professional duelist?

Adult society and academy society were completely different. Here, there was no support from Professor Professor Dadesi, no understanding from Tiancheng Guang, and no laughter from Jūdai. And he still had to worry about his younger brother. He felt miserable every day, and every night, he would toss and turn for a long time before he could fall asleep.

Every day, he would ask himself incessantly.

Is this really what I want?

Is this really the duel I love?

He could not answer his own questions.

And now...

"Heh... Hu..." Neo Domino City is an artificial dimension located among countless shattered dimensions, and it is also the bridge between the X Dimension and their own dimension. When Maruto Ryo came here last year, it was still quite empty. Now, the number of people had increased quite a bit.

Even here, there seemed to be some peculiar technology that could only be seen in the X Dimension.

He tilted his head, looking at the simulated moonlight emitted by the artificial sun. In the sky, a winged figure flashed by, like an angel.

He shielded his eyes with one hand, looked at the sky for a while, then lowered his head and shook his somewhat tired hand.

People of the X Dimension have their own unique aspects as well.

Before coming, he had called Tiancheng Guang, but he didn't pick up. Later, he called Wan Wan Zhangmu to ask, only to find out that Tiancheng Guang had accompanied Serena to the Skyscraper. However, he still had a long time for his "vacation" here, so it didn't matter at all.

Tiancheng Guang had advised him before not to do things he didn't want to do in a duel, but he had never understood why Tiancheng Guang said that. Until this period of time, he still hadn't understood.

He found a card shop run by an X Dimensioner.

Although he had advised Tiancheng Guang last year not to buy card packs from other-dimensional people in Neo Domino City, because these packs were mostly leftovers from other dimensions and it was hard to get any rare cards,

when he was alone, for the sake of relaxation and sightseeing, he still couldn't help but buy some packs when passing by card shops.

He bought a few random packs, cut them open one by one, and then casually put the cards away. Just as he was studying the cards, he heard a "Boom" sound, and the card shop's door was smashed open by a huge explosion.

What's going on!?

He turned his head to look at the card shop door.

A muscular, burly man wearing rivet-studded clothes crashed through the card shop's door.

He had a strange round octopus hat on his head, held a thick stick in his right hand, and carried a sack in his left. As soon as he entered, he smashed the glass display cabinet in the shop with a bang, then shouted angrily: "Put all the cards in for me! Hurry up!"

"Wah!!" The shop owner was so scared that he crawled under the table, trembling.

Maruto Ryo was a bit confused about the situation.

A robber?

Huh—

A robber??

It looks like he's an X Dimensioner?

Is the X Dimension in such dire straits?

Just as he was thinking, a strange red mark appeared on this strange person's head. Immediately after, he hammered the surrounding things even harder, cursing: "Hurry up, put all the cards in for me!"

"Although I don't know what's going on, you are also wearing a Duel Disk, right?" Maruto Ryo strode to the front of the counter, stood in front of the shop owner, extended his left hand, activated his Duel Disk, and at the same time, casually stuffed his deck and the cards in his hand into the Duel Disk.

A silver-white mechanical dragon phantom appeared behind him, the huge mechanical dragon circling in the card shop, eyeing the robber covetously.

"Bastard, bastard, bastard! How dare you obstruct me! I'll kill you and take all your cards!" As he spoke, he smashed another glass cabinet, causing countless cards and glass shards to fly everywhere.

The robber's train of thought left Maruto Ryo a bit stunned.

But in any case—

"Duel!!"

Wild Robber, LP: 4000.

Maruto Ryo, LP: 4000.

And with the duel between the two, a strange whistle sounded. Subsequently, the shop owner, who had been trembling, suddenly stopped trembling. The cards and glass shards that had been blown away by the stick in the room were strangely suspended in mid-air!

A figure landed outside the card shop. After he landed, the mechanical wings on his body also fell off, transformed, and then turned into a small robot.

"Master Kuai Dou! We've been beaten to the punch!"

"I can see that!" The person who landed on the ground looked at the situation inside the shop, glanced at the nostalgic school uniform, and let out a low cold snort.

It's an other-dimensional person.

Did it actually involve an unlucky other-dimensional person?

Thinking about the relationship between the two parallel universes, he let out another low cold snort.

Forget it, after he loses, I'll revive him.

Chapter 2, Chapter 2

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(End of chapter)