Yugioh [823-825] (Patreon)

Chapter 823: I'm Just a Cat

Domino City, Dark Web underground market.

The Dark Web has branches in most cities around the world. They're supposed to be one of the top organizations in today's underworld, their influence spanning the globe, their power commanding the fear of dark duelists everywhere.

In many places, they are the rules. No one dares defy them; no one dares say a single no to their decisions. If any club is dissatisfied with their ruling, the Dark Web will make sure they understand the price of disobedience.

However, those rules don't work here.

As for why… members of the organization generally don't like to bring it up, and even less dare to mention that taboo name.

A young man in green walked down the dark staircase. After several turns, there was finally light at the end of the corridor.

Two black-suited security guards stood by the door. The youth flashed his Dark Web membership card. After confirming, the guards stepped respectfully aside and bowed.

The youth entered, crossed the trading floor, and sat in a waiting room. He had barely rested when a well-dressed middle-aged man pushed in and sat beside him.

"The legendary Weevil Underwood, a national champion."

The middle-aged man smiled and offered his hand.

"What wind brings such a legend here?"

Weevil didn't shake. He crossed his legs, gave a confident little snort, and nodded. "Looks like you're the manager here?"

The manager didn't mind. He signaled for the door to be closed and sat beside Weevil.

"Honestly, when I heard someone like Mr. Weevil had stepped into our darker world, I was surprised."

Weevil shrugged. "Power is everything. I realized that a long time ago."

"Hahaha, well said. In that case, you're a very important guest of the Dark Web," the manager smiled. "We can seek opportunities to cooperate in the future."

"Perhaps. But that's not why I'm here today."

Weevil sat up, his tone turning cold.

"Two days ago, my partner came to this city to retrieve… something very important. Now he's missing. I want to know where he went and what exactly happened."

"Your… partner?" the manager asked.

"Rex Raptor. You can't possibly not have heard of him," Weevil said.

"Oh, the legendary Mr. Raptor." The manager put on a respectful look, but then shook his head regretfully. "This matter has nothing to do with the Dark Web."

"I know. But the Dark Web branch in any city knows every ripple in its local underworld. I know—this is an unwritten rule."

Weevil straightened a little.

"You should know everything—including what happened to my partner, and where the thing he was chasing ended up.

Any intel can be bought, for the right price. That's the rule, isn't it?"

"Uh—"

The manager looked troubled and scratched his head, embarrassed.

"That is the rule in other places, yes, but here things are… a bit complicated."

Weevil frowned.

"You've got to be joking. So the rumors are true?" he said lowly. "You, the mighty Dark Web, are actually afraid of that guy? That upstart who only debuted recently—the one they call Revolver?"

The moment he said it, the manager's face changed. He even shot to his feet as if he couldn't control his body.

Weevil was startled by such an extreme reaction and instinctively drew back a little.

He was certain he had seen fear in the manager's eyes.

But the manager quickly adjusted, sat back down, and lowered his voice. "We generally don't say his name."

Weevil: "…"

When he first heard that the vast, unfathomable global organization known as the Dark Web was terrified of a fledgling group called the Knights of Hanoi, his instinct was to assume it was a rumor.

But now it seemed not only was it no rumor, the stories might even have been conservative…

 So what kind of existence was this Revolver to make a Dark Web manager wilt just at the mention of his name?

"We don't casually pry into the affairs of Leader Revolver."

The manager poured tea slowly, speaking in a hush.

"If you or the forces you represent are going to have any conflict with Leader Revolver, the Dark Web knows nothing and won't get involved."

"Fine."

Weevil shook his head, didn't touch the tea, and stood up.

"I thought you were a big deal. Seems I overestimated you…"

"With respect, Mr. Weevil. You don't understand what you're up against," the manager said mildly.

"Your partner, Rex Raptor, is your warning.

Take my advice: whatever important thing you lost—if you lost it in this city, you'd better treat it as if it no longer exists."

"I'm not like that useless Rex."

Weevil said coldly, and walked to the door.

But just before leaving, he paused, then turned back to the manager.

"So, the Dark Web will remain absolutely neutral, right?"

"Of course," the manager nodded. "We know nothing and will absolutely not participate in any disputes that may follow."

"Great. Looks like I'll have to meet those Knights of Hanoi myself to get some answers."

He pushed the door open and left.

After Weevil was gone, the manager dropped his smile, got up, and returned to his office.

"Manager?" The secretary rose to meet him, reading the urgency in his face.

"Get me the Knights of Hanoi."

The manager's voice was cold.

"Tell them Weevil Underwood is coming for them."

…

"What? Weevil Underwood?"

When the Hanoi underlings relayed the message, Kira was on his way out of a final exam.

Of course, he didn't actually need to take the exam. He only went to benchmark his scores in certain subjects.

"Yes, from the Dark Web, Leader Revolver," the Hanoi liaison reported.

Kira pondered.

That really was a nostalgic name—he didn't expect to still hear about Weevil in the scene after all this time.

"Got it. But I'm a bit busy lately, not much time…"

He cocked his head, thinking.

"Alright, connect me to Lyman."

"Yes, sir."

He waited a moment. On the other end there was a burst of Nyaa~ing, and a noise like something getting knocked over.

Then Lyman's voice came on.

"Making a cat answer your calls is a bit much, isn't it, boss?" Lyman complained.

Kira chuckled. "Really? I was just about to assign you a mission."

Lyman: "Nyaa?"

"There's a troublemaker looking to cause trouble for us—probably searching for the nameless spirit I ran into last time. He might know something about that spirit.

Go take him down for me. Clean and quick. But capture him alive."

Silence on the line for a while.

Then Lyman sighed helplessly. "You do realize I'm a cat now, right?"

"I know you've got this," Kira laughed. "It's settled, then. I'm counting on you, professor. Don't let me down."

Lyman: "Nyaa~."

Chapter 824: Kitty Strikes

Like Rex, Weevil Underwood never felt there was anyone in this world he truly needed to fear.

He was a duelist with a legendary name, and he believed he absolutely matched his reputation—no, more than that, he often thought the recognition he received was far less than he deserved.

He was Weevil Underwood, once the national tournament champion. And he nearly defeated the acknowledged apex of the dueling world—the original Duel King, Yugi Muto—twice.

Just a little more—the apex, the crown of the Duel King—was once within his grasp, just a fingertip away. Just a little more.

What? You say it wasn't just a little?

 But both times he forced Yugi to the brink, with Life Points flickering like a dying candle—twice!

 And then, somehow, he got turned around on and lost.

The last time was even more infuriating. He had joined Doma and gained the power of Orichalcos, while the Duel King had just lost the soul of his other self, sunk in guilt and self-doubt—at his absolute worst.

Weevil was sure he'd win. He truly believed it. He suppressed Yugi from start to finish, maintained absolute advantage the whole duel. He thought victory was in the bag.

But the damned Dark Yugi had no sense of card etiquette; he somehow top-decked "Berserker Soul," chopped Weevil down with a lethal seven-hit combo, and even kept swinging after Weevil was already done, carving a lifelong trauma into him…

 Weevil refused to accept it—he never did. Otherwise he wouldn't have challenged Yugi again and again.

And now some dark duelist from who-knows-where, leading some newly formed underground force, wanted to scare him off with just a name?

 No way.

Though he'd partnered with Rex many times, Weevil never thought much of this loser who had fallen to him. He believed he was far superior to that failure—he just hadn't had the chance to prove it.

Now he would set the record straight.

A day earlier, after leaving the Dark Web, Weevil visited numerous dark duelists active in Domino's underworld. Most were just like the Dark Web—at the mere mention of Revolver and the Knights of Hanoi, their faces changed, and no one wanted to cross that organization.

But persistence paid off. After an all-night canvass, Weevil finally found someone willing to talk.

He was the president of a dark duelist club. His original business had been badly impacted by Hanoi's interference, but he'd kept his mouth shut out of fear of their power.

Weevil made a heavy promise: once he found what he was looking for, the Advent Church would reward him handsomely. Only then did the club president relent.

Now, Weevil followed this president through a dim underground conduit system.

"This kind of place…"

Weevil pinched his nose.

"Are you sure it's really here?"

"Of course. I only got this intel after a lot of secret digging," the president said, pounding his chest. "The Knights of Hanoi's most important vault in the city is hidden beneath this spot.

It holds their most prized card collection and various dangerous supernatural objects.

You said the card you're after is extremely valuable but can't be used in a duel, right?"

Weevil nodded. "Yes."

He didn't know exactly what that spirit was, but he knew it had lost its memory and its card data. So even if someone obtained it, they shouldn't be able to use it.

"Then that fits. A card like that would very likely be sealed in this vault."

The president thumped his chest again.

But then he added, "However, when we get there, you'll have to go in yourself. I don't dare go deeper. Those Hanoi guys aren't to be trifled with…"

"I see."

Weevil nodded.

"If I find what I'm looking for, you'll be well rewarded."

The president thanked him profusely.

But as they went deeper, Weevil frowned slightly.

There was no light at all, and the darkness around them felt like it had thickened without him noticing. Something was off.

"Hey, you're sure this is the right—!?"

Weevil's pupils shrank.

At that moment, he realized the president had vanished without a trace.

A trap?

He realized it instantly.

But after his initial shock, he didn't panic. He looked around, then spoke coldly.

"Since this is an ambush, I'm here now." He gestured at his duel disk. "Show yourself."

He figured that if they knew he was coming, they'd have a powerful duelist lying in wait—someone with a name in the underground, maybe even Revolver himself.

But what appeared was… a cat?

A chubby orange tabby padded out of the pipe, lazily yawning.

Then it planted a duel disk in front of itself—a disk that looked bigger than the cat—and deployed it.

Weevil stared, and took a long moment to accept the reality—

—the cat wanted to duel him.

Weevil almost laughed in anger.

So the Knights of Hanoi knew it was him—the famous Weevil Underwood—coming to pick a fight, and this is what they sent?

 A cat!?

 "Seriously, even as a cat I still get bossed around. Let's finish this quick so I can go back," the orange tabby grumbled, pudgy paw drawing five cards from the deck.

"Let's go! Nyaa~"

Weevil's eyes went wider.

The cat talked.

Well, the world is full of wonders. Ever since he'd stepped into dark dueling, he'd learned that.

"Fine, I'll teach you a lesson, you mangy cat," Weevil said through his teeth. "Maybe then Revolver will show up in person."

"Duel!" x2

 [Weevil, LP 4000]

[Lyman, LP 4000]

"My turn first. Draw!"

Weevil drew, scanned his hand, and quickly picked his plays.

"I activate the Spell Card, Graceful Charity. Draw three, then discard two."

"Then I Normal Summon Ultimate Insect LV3!"

The ground split and a hideous bug with a long body squirmed out of a pit, crouching on Weevil's field, baring its vicious mandibles at the cat.

That mouth could swallow the chubby tabby whole, but the cat only yawned lazily.

"Nyaa~"

Weevil ground his teeth. "Damn it, even a stupid cat is looking down on me—you'll regret it soon enough!"

He slapped down a set card.

"I set one in the back row and end my turn!"

"Oh? All done? Then it's my turn, Nyaa~."

Lyman's ghost hovered beside the Pharaoh-cat, chin in hand, squinting at the cards in those paws for a bit.

He was a spirit now; he couldn't actually touch the cards himself.

"Well then, let's start with this."

The tabby "Nyaa~ed," picked a card up in its mouth, and shoved its head into the duel disk to place it.

"Continuous Spell: Chaos Distill!"

Chapter 825: Disruptive Alchemy

Chaos Distill, activate!

 Flames flared on Lyman's field, forming a burning ring. A heavy alchemical cauldron rose with a rumble from the fire and set down on his field.

"As long as Chaos Distill is on the field, any of my cards sent to the Graveyard are banished instead," Lyman smiled.

Weevil frowned slightly.

Banishing your own cards… Is this a banish-focused deck?

 Sensing his doubt, Lyman chuckled.

"You can't judge alchemy by common sense," he said, then indicated another card.

The tabby casually picked up that card in its mouth and slid it into the disk.

"Spell Card: Steel Lamp!

 This card can only be activated if Chaos Distill is on your field. Special Summon one 'Alchemy Beast - Salamandra the Steel' from your hand or Deck."

A huge lamp manifested. Iron-like lamp oil dripped from the Deck, sizzling on the ground and releasing white steam. Blazing fire surged up and took the shape of a dragon.

[Alchemy Beast - Salamandra the Steel, ATK 500]

"Effect of Alchemy Beast - Salamandra the Steel," Lyman smiled. "Alchemical Beasts can attack the opponent directly, ignoring monsters!"

Weevil's face changed. "Nani?"

"Salamandra the Steel, direct attack!"

The dragon shot straight across the field, ignoring Ultimate Insect, and blasted Weevil in the face.

[Weevil, LP 4000 → 3500]

"Tch. Cheap tricks," Weevil scoffed, then pushed up his glasses and sneered. "But to deal just a bit of damage, you're leaving such a weak monster on the field? I'll crush it in no time—"

"Oh?"

Lyman's ghost also pushed up imaginary frames and smiled.

"Even in death, I've learned a few tricks from my students. Let's see if you're ready for this…

 I set two cards and end my turn."

"At the end of your turn, my set card activates!"

As his back row flipped, a torrent of golden light burst up from the ground, engulfing Weevil's Ultimate Insect.

"Trap Card: Level Change!" Weevil shouted. "This card can only be activated during your opponent's End Phase!

Send one face-up 'LV' monster you control to the Graveyard; Special Summon, ignoring Summoning conditions and revival restrictions, one monster listed on that card from your Graveyard!" (anime card)

 Weevil pointed to LV3.

"Send Ultimate Insect LV3 to the Graveyard to rank it up—come forth—

—Ultimate Insect LV5!"

Bathed in gold, the insect grew and evolved at visible speed, its body swelling drastically. Blades sprouted for legs, and armored plates seemed to encase its form.

[Ultimate Insect LV5, ATK 2300]

"Ranking up to LV5 in a single turn," Lyman chuckled. "LV monsters can rank up again in your Standby Phase.

So next turn you're aiming for LV7?"

"Exactly!"

Weevil's eyes gleamed.

"I don't have time to waste on a cat. I'll end this quickly.

My turn—draw!

 Standby Phase, Ultimate Insect LV5's effect! Send LV5 to the Graveyard to evolve again! Appear—

—Ultimate Insect LV7!"

Weevil laughed madly, as if reaching the pinnacle of his life. It was the aura unique to a duelist summoning his ace. His Ultimate Insect was once more wrapped in radiant evolution, growing and transforming; a terrifying creature was about to emerge from that golden storm—

But at that instant—

"I'll chain to the effect of the Ultimate Insect LV5 you just sent to the Graveyard."

Lyman spoke, and the Pharaoh-cat's paw smacked the activation button on a set card.

"Chain two set cards.

First, the Trap Card 'Ojama Trio'—Special Summon three 'Ojama Tokens' to your opponent's field!"

Green, yellow, and black tokens leapt out gleefully and piled onto Weevil's field.

Weevil: "?"

Huh? What the hell?

[Ojama Token, DEF 1000] x3

 "Then the other set card: Continuous Trap 'Rivalry of Warlords'!" Lyman grinned. "While this card's on the field, both players send monsters to the Graveyard until they control only one Type… which means, for as long as it remains, each of us can only control monsters of one Type!"

Weevil: "…"

Dude, seriously?

 What the hell is this?

"The legendary duelist catches on fast. In other words," Lyman adjusted his glasses, "all three tokens are Beast-type, so you can't control monsters of any other Type.

Also, you already sent Ultimate Insect LV5 to the Graveyard as the cost of its own effect. But before that effect can resolve, Rivalry of Warlords is in effect, and you're unable to Summon a non-Beast monster—in other words, your Insect can't come out.

So Ultimate Insect LV7 cannot be Special Summoned."

Weevil stared wide-eyed at the cat.

As if to say:

Believe it or not, I'll strangle you, you damn cat!

 Who taught you to duel like this?

"Well then, it's still your turn," Lyman said leisurely. "Of course, you can now only Summon Beast monsters.

What else you got?"

Weevil was silent for a few seconds.

Then, with a slightly trembling hand, he drew out a card.

"I set one. Turn end."

Indeed, there wasn't much else he could do.

Annoying as those three tokens were, at least they were three disposable walls.

He glanced at the set card he'd just placed.

Next turn, he had a way to break through.

"My turn. Draw."

The tabby cat drew.

"I activate the Spell Card 'Bronze Scale'," Lyman said. "If I control Chaos Distill, Special Summon 'Alchemy Beast - Ouroboros the Bronze' from my Deck!"

This time it was the bronze-element Alchemical Beast—different Type, but the same face value and ability as the Salamandra.

[Alchemy Beast - Ouroboros the Bronze, ATK 500]

"Then the Spell Card 'Lead Compass'! Special Summon 'Alchemy Beast - Leon the Lead' from my Deck!"

[Alchemy Beast - Leon the Lead, ATK 500]

"Salamandra the Steel, Ouroboros the Bronze, Leon the Lead—all can attack directly.

Direct attacks, all three!"

At Lyman's command, the trio of Alchemical Beasts shot forward, each landing a blow on Weevil's face.

Weevil: "Gwah!"

[Weevil, LP 3500 → 2000]

Weevil dropped to one knee and adjusted his askew glasses.

"Damn… You plan to win with this kind of tactic?!"