"I am the Dark Duelist, Hoshino Chiyuki. Under Lord Pegasus's orders, I challenge you to a duel." The giant in front of her raised his large hand and pointed straight at Hoshino.
"It's really just a duel, right? You're not planning to do anything else, are you?" Hoshino, feeling skeptical, questioned him again.
The giant laughed heartily, clutching his waist. "Hahaha, didn't expect that, did you? As long as you're on Duelist Kingdom, even at night, duelists won't find peace. If you let your guard down, the darkness will strike without mercy. Beasts like me, who dwell in the shadows, will pounce on unsuspecting duelists at any moment."
"Even though it feels like we're having different conversations, it seems he's really just here for a duel," Hoshino patted her chest, slightly relieved, though her heart was still racing from the earlier scare.
"Hoshino-chan, is that your voice?" A familiar voice called from behind the duel platform.
"This voice?!" Hoshino's excitement surged. "Mai!"
Mai Valentine slowly emerged from behind the platform, her head down and her expression gloomy.
"Did he attack you too, Mai? With your skills, there's no way you'd—" Hoshino's words trailed off. She considered Mai the strongest duelist she had faced so far, someone who shouldn't lose to a despicable character lurking in the shadows.
But reality was harsh. Mai's glove was devoid of any star chips, indicating she had lost the right to stay on Duelist Kingdom.
"This can't be happening..." Hoshino's eyes widened in disbelief. "Mai, did he use some dirty trick?"
Mai shook her head sadly. "Hoshino-chan, I lost. This man is the Dark Duelist I warned you about. Even after winning six star chips after our duel, I still lost to him."
"I used to be a dealer on a luxury cruise ship, facing the ugly faces of the rich daily. I grew tired of those self-proclaimed high society scumbags and their vile behaviors. Greed, flattery, schemes, human nature—all those wealthy people thought they could do anything because they had money. They never treated people like us as human beings, seeing us as nothing more than moving toys." Mai's sudden confession left Hoshino silent, simply listening.
"So, I vowed to become rich. Only by winning the enormous prize money on Duelist Kingdom could I start my life anew. I wouldn't be manipulated by those so-called high society scumbags anymore. I would live freely, on my terms!" Mai's eyes filled with fierce determination and tears. "But I was naive. My journey on Duelist Kingdom ends here."
"But Hoshino-chan, your journey isn't over. You can defeat this man." Mai gripped Hoshino's arm tightly, almost pleading. "Please, Hoshino, defeat him. I'm so unwilling to accept this!"
Feeling Mai's trembling hands, Hoshino nodded firmly. "Leave it to me, Mai. I'll get your star chips back. Your journey isn't over yet."
"Get them back? You mean..." Mai looked at Hoshino in surprise, gratitude shining in her eyes.
"Don't worry, Mai. I'll reclaim what's yours," Hoshino assured, patting Mai's shoulder as she stepped onto the platform. "By the way, did this guy do anything weird to you?"
First Mai, now Hoshino—this scarred giant seemed to target attractive women. It couldn't be a coincidence.
Understanding Hoshino's implication, Mai smiled and shook her head.
Reassured by Mai's guarantee, Hoshino focused on the duel, placing her deck on the table. She smiled at the giant, "You might still be a decent person, old man."
"We Dark Duelist have a rule: the duel must be for all of the opponent's star chips!" Ignoring Hoshino's compliment, the giant slammed his glove on the table. Hoshino noticed that his specially made glove was different from other duelists'.
Most duelists' gloves could hold ten star chips, but the giant's glove already had nearly thirty star chips. Clearly, he had defeated many duelists.
"That's exactly what I want!" Determined to win back Mai's star chips, Hoshino placed all her star chips on the table. "I wager all six of my star chips! Let's start!"
"The duel begins: Hoshino Chiyuki versus the Dark Duelist!"
"The Dark Duelist will go first!"
"Hidden in the darkness, can you defeat me, Hoshino Chiyuki?" The giant's sly smile and trembling scar sent shivers down Hoshino's spine.
"My turn, draw! I activate the field spell, Dark Floating Castle." Placing the card in the field spell zone, the giant looked at Hoshino expectantly. "This card creates a dark world. What will you do?"
Hoshino's expression darkened as a giant castle floated in the air, and the giant's side of the field was engulfed in darkness. It was her first time seeing such a thing.
"Hahaha, one of my favorite parts is seeing the puzzled expressions of you self-righteous duelists when you witness this scene." The giant summoned a monster card, laughing triumphantly. "I summon a monster and end my turn."
He didn't reveal which monster he summoned. The monster's 3D image flickered and vanished into the darkness.
[?????][??? ATK: ??? DEF: ???]
"So that's your strategy." In one turn, Hoshino understood what the giant meant by "unrelenting darkness." "No wonder you could defeat Mai. Despite looking big and dumb, you use psychological tactics when dueling."
"My turn, draw!" Hoshino glanced at her hand. Attacking recklessly without knowing the opponent's monster's identity or stats was too risky.
"I summon a monster in face-down defense position and set one card. I end my turn." In such a situation, a conservative approach was the safest choice.