"I won, that was truly an interesting Duel." Looking at his own portrait enlarged on the Big Screen and Keith's portrait dimmed, confirming his victory, Hayato smiled happily.
As the former All-American Champion, Bandit Keith's Strength was quite formidable. Although he liked to use various small tricks, fortunately, Hayato was ultimately more skilled and secured a Spot in the Top 4. What made Hayato even happier was that, although it was his first time using the **Armed Dragon** Card in a Duel, judging by the **Armed Dragon's** response to him earlier, it was probably not far from Awakening its Card Spirit.
Just as Hayato was collecting his Cards and preparing to return to the Spectator Area, a furious roar suddenly came from the Duel Platform opposite him: "I can't accept this!"
Keith had lost the Match. Looking at Hayato's position, his eyes were filled with anger: "You're just an Amateur Duelist, how could you possibly defeat me? I'm the All-American Champion! You must have cheated!"
Hayato sneered, just about to say something back to Keith, who couldn't accept the facts, when a male voice came: "Your protest is invalid, Mr. Keith. Hayato boy is a true Duelist, and he did not cheat in this Duel. Me can guarantee it with my honor."
Hayato could tell who was speaking even without looking up at the owner of this voice. As expected, Bandit Keith's Mind was completely drawn to the silver-haired man who had appeared in the Spectator Area. He gritted his teeth and said, "Damn you, Pegasus!"
At some point, Pegasus, who should have been waiting behind the scenes for the Top 8 Duelists to determine the Duel King, had appeared in the Spectator Area, looking down at Hayato and Keith on either side of the Duel Platform below. Looking at the defeated Keith, Pegasus had a bored Expression: "Me thought Mr. Keith could test Hayato boy's limits for me, which is why I came here personally. After all, me is very interested in Hayato boy."
"As it turns out, me didn't even see half of Hayato boy's Strength. It's quite troublesome," Pegasus said, opening his mouth and yawning, "Yawn, I can't stop."
In his words, there was full disappointment in this Duel, which made the anger in Keith's Inner Thoughts, already in a Bad mood, burn fiercely again: "Pegasus, you of all people, I will absolutely not let you off!"
With that, Keith actually reached into his embrace, pulled out a Handgun from his inner jacket pocket. Seemingly considering the possibility of Pegasus escaping and creating distance, Keith stepped onto the Railing of the Duel Platform and leaped high. Grabbing the Railing at the edge of the Spectator Area with one hand, he smoothly executed a beautiful flip, landing on the fence, the Handgun pointed directly at the nearby Pegasus!
"That guy Keith, he actually brought a Handgun?!" Joey Wheeler , not far away, was a bit panicked. He had never seen a Handgun in his life. Kujaku Mai and Samejima next to him seemed relatively calm, especially Kujaku Mai. Probably because she had been in the land of freedom before, let alone Handguns, she had seen many shootings and wasn't surprised by Keith's actions at all.
"Pegasus, let's see where else you can run!" The Handgun was almost pressed against Pegasus's forehead, and Keith was incredibly smug at this moment, "All these years, I've constantly yearned for Revenge against you, to return all the humiliation I suffered!
"Now, I've finally waited for this opportunity. Hand over all the Prize Money, or I'll shoot and kill you!"
Keith's facial Expression management was completely out of control, looking savagely at Pegasus in front of him.
Ever since his defeat in the previous Duel against Pegasus, especially losing to a child, the financial groups that had supported Keith in Duel tournaments withdrew their investments one after another. At the same time, he became heavily burdened with Debt overnight due to various contracts he had signed and Underground Duels he had participated in. As flamboyant as he once was, he was just as down-and-out after that Duel.
For this, he even had to participate in Underground Duels. To stimulate the audience's senses, Underground Duelists wore dangerous devices that released powerful electric currents as their Life Points decreased. Keith had finally managed to pay off his Debt through dangerous Underground Duels, but he had also suffered a lot of torment because of it.
All of this, Keith attributed to Pegasus. He swore to inflict everything he had experienced upon Pegasus as his Revenge, and now, he was just one step away from achieving his Goal.
"You are truly quite annoying, Mr. Keith." With a Handgun that could easily take a human life pointed at his head, Pegasus remained as composed as ever. Looking at Keith in front of him, Pegasus's smiling face disappeared, revealing a stern countenance, "Unable to accept the fact of your defeat and choosing to use force, Keith Howard, you are not a Duelist."
"Hmph, Duel Monsters is just a game for kids. If it can bring me Gains, of course I'll play a couple of rounds properly. But if there are greater Gains, who would follow the Rules?" Keith was called "not a Duelist" by Pegasus with contempt, but he didn't feel ashamed of it; instead, he took pride in it, "Whoever wants to be a Duelist can go ahead and be one. Now, I'll repeat myself, hand over the Prize Money!"
"Otherwise, I'll shoot you right now and take your life!"
Hayato didn't doubt that Keith, being an American, would shoot. But the moment Keith finished speaking, he sensed a well-controlled Dark Power surge from Pegasus's Millennium Eye in his left eye, following Pegasus's gaze and hitting the nearby Keith.
Keith, who had been holding the Gun with a straight arm, threatening Pegasus, suddenly began to tremble. His facial Expression showed extreme fear, as if he had seen something incredibly difficult to accept. His hand holding the Gun trembled and bent, the muzzle that had been pointing at Pegasus shifted, moving little by little towards his own head!
Hayato frowned. He had thought that Pegasus might, like in the Anime Plot, activate some Mechanism hidden somewhere and banish Keith to the sea outside the Island. But this current situation clearly showed that he was using the Power of the Millennium Eye to confuse Keith's Mind, intending to make Keith shoot himself in the head, just like in the Manga Plot.
The Millennium Ring on his chest glowed faintly, preventing himself from being influenced by the Mystical Power of the Millennium Eye. Hayato also copied Keith, leaping high from the Duel Platform and climbing onto the adjacent Spectator Area. Rushing over before Keith could pull the trigger and commit suicide, he sent him flying with a kick, knocking him to the ground. The Gun in his hand fell to the side and was picked up by the Staff accompanying Pegasus.
Keith, who had almost become Polpo, had fallen unconscious. Hayato turned his head to look at Pegasus, a feigned smile on his face: "Oh my, that was dangerous, Mr. Pegasus. Uncle Keith almost shot and killed you. I saved your life, so don't forget to thank me properly~"
"You've had quite the Gains on the Island, Hayato boy." Pegasus glanced at the Millennium Ring on Hayato's chest. The last time they met on the Island, Pegasus hadn't paid much attention, but this close encounter with his True Body allowed him to discover the extraordinary nature of the Millennium Ring.