Want to play cards? I'll use my King's Deck!

"It was a close call, but nothing serious happened."

Now that things have come to this, Izayoi Yuki, who has boarded Hoshinobu's pirate ship, has long been used to the strange looks from those around her.

She was also pleased with Yu Xi's victory, but at the same time, she could also sense how dangerous the duel had been.

If it weren't for the "Chaos Warrior - Messenger of Creation" which happens to have a double attack ability, Yuki would have had a hard time getting past this hurdle.

But in other words, it was precisely because it was Yuki that he was able to win this duel.

Neither Hoshinobu nor Izayoi Yuki managed to do that.

"Is this the level of Xingfeng's starting lineup...?"

Moreover, it's still unknown whether it was the other party's full strength.

Izayoi Yuki pursed her lips, once again feeling a real and immense pressure.

……

"As expected of Mr. You Xi, I am completely convinced of my defeat."

The 3D image disappeared, and the entrance to the coffee shop returned to calm.

There were quite a few people around who were drawn by the duel and the duelists, but neither the master and servant nor Yuki paid much attention to it.

The maid patted off non-existent dust from her skirt and said, "Now we can confirm that Mr. Yuki is indeed that stranger, Yuki."

"Hey—! What does that mean?!"

Upon hearing Saki's words, before Yuki could say anything, Kaiba Mashiro exclaimed, "Could it be! Saki, you think Yuki is someone else impersonating him!?"

"It's just in case. Of course, the chances of that happening are very small."

Saki casually brushed off Kaiba Mashiro, but Yuuki felt that the maid had ulterior motives.

Before he could think any further, Saki continued, "Well then, the duel is over, and I'm satisfied. Now... I'll leave Miss in your care, Mr. Yuuki. She might be a little willful at times, but please bear with her."

"Eh? Is Saki-san leaving already?"

"Yes."

Saki nodded to Yuuki: "After all, this is a date between you and Miss, and I can't keep being a third wheel. I can't linger when it's time to leave. With Mr. Yuuki protecting me, I don't need to worry too much about Miss's safety."

"What?! You make it sound like I'm in danger all the time. I don't need anyone to protect me!"

Mashiro Kaiba protested the maid's statement, saying that when it came to dueling skills, she didn't think she could lose to anyone except her brother.

Even Yuki, who had tormented her countless times online, was only temporarily ahead. Once she pulled out her secret weapon, she would be able to turn the tables and become the master!

But after hearing what Kaiba Mashiro said, Saki said without changing her expression, "Perhaps that's true, but I'm worried that you might cause trouble for others, Miss. Anyway, I'll leave this matter to you, Mr. Yuuki. I'll come to pick you up later."

"okay."

Aside from nodding in agreement, You Xi couldn't possibly say anything else here.

Seeing that You Xi agreed, the maid bowed to him one last time before driving away in the luxury car she had come in and disappearing into the crowd.

The boy and the girl were left staring at each other, wide-eyed.

Without Saki as a buffer, the atmosphere between the two suddenly became somewhat awkward. However, this atmosphere was quickly broken by the bunny-eared loli, who was roughly a social terrorist.

"Hmph, not bad, Yuki!"

Like a little adult, Mashiro Kaiba crossed her arms over her chest, but with her size and delicate, still-childlike face, she only gave off an adorable impression.

The bunny ear scarf on her head swayed as the black-haired loli continued, "Although Saki suppressed you for a while, you still managed a beautiful comeback in the end. As expected, that's what makes you worthy of being my nemesis!"

"So I never said I wanted to be your nemesis."

Seeing that Kaiba Mashiro kept repeating "arch-rival arch-rival" over and over again, Yuki gave up trying to correct him.

To be honest, if all his previous speculations were correct, then according to seniority, he should be considered Kaiba Mashiro's great-grandfather.

Well, that being said, the age difference between Yuuki and Mashiro Kaiba is only a few years. From other people's perspective, they would probably just think of them as siblings on a trip.

"Speaking of which, Yuki!"

Compared to Yuuki's real name, Kaiba Mashiro seems to prefer Yuuki's nickname in DL. And as for Yuuki's words just now, Kaiba Mashiro is clearly ignoring them as usual.

But there were things she was even more curious about.

"Where did that monster you just saw—'Chaos Warrior - Messenger of the Beginning'—come from? You actually have cards like that?"

The "opening up" that almost single-handedly reversed the outcome left a deep impression on Mashiro Kaiba. More importantly, the monster's name was very peculiar.

So far, she has only seen the formatted name on another card.

Moreover, there seems to be some connection and opposition between the two names, which aroused Mashiro's strong curiosity.

"Oh, that one. That's the same card as the 'Chaos Emperor Dragon - Messenger of the End' used by your ancestors, the Seahorses, except one is 'Opening Up' and the other is 'Ending'."

It was also the banned card that stayed in the blacklist for the longest time in OCG history.

When Yu Xi used "Opening Up", he anticipated that he might be asked this question, which was one of his purposes.

"Mashiro, is it okay if I call you that?"

After gaining the rabbit-eared loli's approval, Yuki continued, "Mashiro, there's actually something I wanted to ask you this time. As you've seen, I possess the 'Chaos Warrior,' which is the counterpart to the 'Chaos Emperor Dragon,' so I'm quite interested in your seahorse ancestor."

"Can you tell me something about your ancestors?"

……

"Yes, I have already dueled with that Mr. Yu Xi."

After driving away from the plaza and disappearing from Yuki and Mashiro's sight, the head maid put on her earpiece and began talking to the person on the other end.

However, calling it a report would be more appropriate than a conversation.

"With the 'Dark Magician' series of cards, plus 'Chaos Soldier - The Creator -', I'm 90% certain he's the person you're looking for, President."

"Thank you for your hard work, Saki."

The voice that reached the maid's ears was young, but calm and steady, filled with a sense of reliability.

Upon hearing this voice, Saki unconsciously stood up and said earnestly, "It's my duty. Since it's your order, Lord Aoto, I will naturally do my best. I will send you the relevant battle reports later after I have compiled them. If needed, I can also come to the scene now to report."

"Then no need."

The man on the other end of the phone—Kaiba Aoto—said, “I still have some things to do. I’ll listen to your explanation after I’m done. I hope you can tell me what kind of person Izumi Yuuki is from your first-hand perspective.”

"learn."

The maid agreed without hesitation, then pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, but couldn't suppress her curiosity and asked, "But President, is that Mr. Yuki really that valuable enough to warrant your attention? Although his dueling skills are strong, he shouldn't be stronger than Mr. Naruto or you, right?"

This is a slightly sensitive question. Generally, people of her level only need to follow orders and do not need to ask about the purpose of the orders.

However, Kaiba Aoto didn't seem to care much about this, and Saki's status was not comparable to that of an ordinary maid.

He casually replied, "This isn't a matter of strength or weakness."

"At first, I paid attention to him mainly because I didn't want people with ulterior motives to get close to Mashiro. But as the investigation deepened, I quickly discovered that Izumi Yuuki was different—he looked a lot like someone from the ancestral prophecy?"

"Ancestor? The Seahorse Man?"

Saki never expected that the matter would involve the founder of the Kaima Group, nor did she expect that Izumi Yuki's background might be so powerful.

I thought it was just an ordinary task, but it seems that its nature is extraordinary.

"Should we invite him to meet with you, the president, and have a chat?"

"Not urgent."

Kaiba Soujin said calmly, "If he really is the person in the prophecy, under the pull of fate, he will meet me sooner or later, even if he doesn't want to. For now, let Mashiro interact with him. I can observe him for a while longer before deciding how to treat him."

"I understand. I will continue to monitor the progress of the relationship between Mr. Yuuki and Miss Mashiro. As for those two teammates of Mr. Yuuki who are secretly spying on him..."

"Just leave them be, they won't cause any harm. Okay, you can handle the rest, Saki. I need to get busy here too, see you later."

With a "beep," Kaiba Aoto hung up the phone call with Saki and casually pressed a button on his desk. The office door immediately unlocked and opened automatically.

A middle-aged man, dressed casually and seemingly out of place in the room, walked in from outside.

As soon as he entered, he glanced around and couldn't help but whistle.

"Wow! No wonder it's the office of the president of Kaiba Corporation, it's really impressive."

"To entertain distinguished guests, the decor must be up to standard. Otherwise, we'll be looked down upon by our partners, especially since I'm still a young man who hasn't even grown up yet."

Kaiba Sojin spoke in a self-deprecating tone, but his expression remained completely unchanged.

He stood up from his office chair and extended his hand to the man.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Officer Logan. I've heard so much about you. May I ask what brings you to our company this time?"

Chapter 160: You can't judge a book by its cover.

This was Logan's first meeting with the Seahorse.

As shown on television, Seahorse Sojin has a handsome face and a conventional, unassuming hairstyle.

With a well-proportioned figure, it's easy to see that he has received professional fitness training, and the well-fitting suit further highlights his unique temperament.

It is unforgettable at first glance and leaves an incredibly deep impression from the very beginning.

There's a saying, "A dragon among men," and that couldn't be more fitting for Haima Cangren.

Logan casually and quickly sized up Kaiba Aoto, then released his grip and laughed, "Likewise, I should be the one telling you how much I've heard of you. Wow, I never expected to meet the president of Kaiba Corporation so easily. I was thinking it would take a lot of effort."

Big shots like Kaiba Soujin aren't people you can meet easily. They handle tens or hundreds of millions of dollars worth of business every minute, so their time is extremely precious. Otherwise, Youxi wouldn't have initially thought of using winning the Star Cup to make contact with Kaiba Soujin.

"Hippocampus Corporation has always maintained a good cooperative relationship with the D Alliance, and I personally admire the dueling guards who work day and night to ensure the smooth operation of social order. The ace duelist of the Public Security Bureau wants to see me, so I must not be bored. I naturally have the obligation and responsibility to fully cooperate."

Seahorse Soto's answer was impeccable, and his tone and demeanor immediately reminded Logan of some old foxes he had dealt with in the past. Seahorse Soto gave him that same feeling.

However, if one cannot even achieve this level, then one would be unable to manage such a large company effectively.

"Well said, then I won't stand on ceremony with you. Let's get straight to the point, which is exactly what I prefer to do."

Skipping over the tedious small talk and pleasantries, Logan decided to get straight to the point.

He said, "You still remember [truth], right?"

"Yun...really? That wanted criminal who goes around stealing cards?"

"Correct."