Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

This means that Asuka really needs to build a deck that conforms to the rules of the International Fantasy Club and find a way to win the tournament through tactics...?

The thought of this gave him a splitting headache, and he felt like something was about to grow out.

Seeing Asuka's pained expression, Shinobu covered her mouth and chuckled, "Haha, there are things you can't solve either."

"...Stop laughing at me, Shinobu." Asuka sat back on the sofa, rubbing her head in annoyance: "Those densely packed words, I started to get sleepy after reading the second line."

"If we actually went to a competition, wouldn't we just get used as punching bags?"

Shinobu Kocho gently patted Asuka's hand, patiently comforting him: "In times like these, don't try to tough it out by yourself, Asuka."

Asuka paused for a moment, then turned to look at Shinobu Kocho.

“Fighting and protecting everyone are your strengths.” She looked directly into Asuka’s eyes and said confidently, “But in situations that require strategic planning and meticulous calculation, why not boldly trust the others?”

"Shinobu, you mean...?"

“I mean, leave it to me.” Shinobu Kocho chuckled. “Although I only have a superficial understanding of these things, in pharmacology, we often need to calculate the dosage, reaction time, and chain effects of various drugs.”

"I believe that learning card games shouldn't be too difficult for me."

Shinobu Kocho playfully stuck out her tongue and gave a sly smile: "So, rest assured, I will participate in the competition for you—and win the championship."

Asuka looked at Shinobu's confident smile, and the irritation in her heart did indeed subside a little.

Indeed, when it comes to using one's brain, ten of them couldn't match her.

It's one thing to not be able to entrust others with your affairs, but it's quite another to distrust even your own wife.

"...Then I'll leave it to you." Asuka said solemnly, "If you're reluctant, just tell me. If not, I'll smash it with a hammer and run away."

Upon hearing Shinobu Kocho volunteer, Sugoroku's eyes lit up.

Grandpa Sugoroku is a veteran card game enthusiast and the owner of this Kame no Ya game store. He loves seeing promising young people get involved in the world of Duel Monsters.

"Oh ho ho ho! In that case, let this old man lend a hand."

Grandpa Sugoroku greeted Jonouchi and Honda, then ran to the inside of the room with a smile and carried out several large cardboard boxes covered in dust.

As the box was opened, thousands of cards were neatly stacked inside, categorized by attribute, race, and type of magic trap.

"Miss Butterfly, what kind of tactics do you like? My collection here, if not the best in the world, is at least one of the best in Domino City, with all kinds!"

Shinobu Kocho walked up to the cardboard box and used her fingers to unpack the contents.

Finally, their gaze settled on an area labeled "Insect Clan".

She smiled and drew a card: "Thank you very much, Grandpa Shuangliu. However, I am still quite unfamiliar with the effects and combinations of these cards. I would appreciate any suggestions."

Grandpa Shuangliu came over, glanced at the card, and stroked his beard: "Oh? You have a unique eye."

"This is a very difficult card that tests a duelist's control over the board. Most duelists will find it hard to use... However, if paired with some good effect cards, it can still be quite threatening."

Chapter 866 Departure, America

Two days later, at Tongshino Airport, the sky was clear and blue.

At the end of the runway, a white private jet was parked there, with the Haima Group logo—a white dragon with outstretched wings—printed on the side of the fuselage.

Inside the city, a burly figure with a bulging shoulder carried him. He was biting into a half-eaten bento hot dog, looking at the plane and clicking his tongue: "Tch...always making such a fuss. It's just a private jet, what's so cool about it..."

“This is also a token of our appreciation from Seahorse.” Yu-xi walked beside him, smiling and smoothing things over: “Seahorse has already been very considerate by arranging for us to go to New York together.”

"By the way, I heard this competition is unprecedented in scale. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the venue will be like."

Asuka followed the two at a leisurely pace, her hands in her pockets.

Since the event was taking place in the real world, he changed into a clean and neat black casual hoodie and wore headphones around his neck, looking no different from an ordinary college student.

Beside him, Shinobu Kocho and Nemuru Kurotsuchi had also changed into their own modern women's clothing, which made them look quite charming.

“But speaking of which, Asuka-nii, Shinobu-nee,” Jonouchi turned to Shinobu Kocho, “you two should both speak English, right? Some of the contestants announce their performances in English, and sometimes it’s really hard to understand them…”

Upon hearing this, Asuka and Shinobu looked at Nemuru behind them.

The other person took out a small earphone from his pocket and showed it to Jonouchi: "Mr. Jonouchi, please rest assured, I have analyzed the language model of your time and space over the past two days and implanted the corresponding translation program into it."

"Once we get to the United States, I will provide everyone with one, and I believe this situation will not occur."

"Wow, that's really convenient!" Jōnouchi exclaimed. "Noneme-nee is amazing!"

As they spoke, the sound of blood and gore wafted from below the gangway of the private jet.

At the top of the gangway, a tall and straight figure stood there.

Kaiba Seto still had that arrogant and cocky attitude, wearing a white turtleneck trench coat and standing there with his arms crossed.

He glanced at the game and the city in front of him, then looked at the three Asuka behind him.

Haima was still a stranger to this man.

After leaving the gamer, he sent someone to investigate the background of this rude man...

The result was that no such person could be found?

This made him unsure of the man's background, and he couldn't help but feel a little more wary.

"Games".

Seahorse cut to the chase, asking, "Is this person also a duelist? Why is he traveling with you?"

In the eyes of the seahorse, this man who doesn't wear a duel disk and just wants to steal cards is no different from a savage.

The fact that the other party could hang out with such an outstanding duelist as Game and even board his private jet together made me want to ask him some questions.

Jōnochi was instantly annoyed and yelled, "Hey! Kaiba! What kind of attitude is that! Do you know that Asuka-nii is...?"

"Jōninouchi, wait a minute." Yugi quickly pulled Jōninouchi back from his impulsiveness.

It was an agreement made before departure not to publicize the identity of the bird, in order to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Asuka looked down at the arrogant seahorse, but her mood was actually not affected.

In his view, the seahorse was just a mortal and there was no need to be angry with it.

The butterfly, suppressing a laugh, tilted her head back and met the seahorse's gaze: "Mr. Seahorse, we are indeed duelists—"

As she spoke, she showed her dueling board to the other person and firmly replied, "And I'm going to be the one who wins the championship in this tournament."

Upon hearing this, the Seamaster watch was taken aback.

"Championship? Hahahaha—!!"

He threw his head back and burst into laughter, as if he really thought Shinobu Kocho was dreaming: "What arrogant and ignorant talk... Talking about the championship in front of me, Kaibaseto? What an interesting woman!"

"Fine! Whether it's wishful thinking or arrogance, since you're a duelist, then let's go!"

He tossed his coat aside and walked into the cabin, declaring, "But let me make this clear first! Whether it's a woman or a child, I won't show mercy to any duelist!"

Seeing his expression, Xing Shuoji shook his head helplessly.

Finally, under the guidance of the bodyguards, the suspect was taken to a luxurious plane that was comparable to a mansion in the sky.

Upon entering the cabin, Cheng Zhi Nei was astonished by the luxurious facilities, his mouth agape. He touched and looked around, repeatedly expressing his ignorance, quickly putting aside the unpleasantness with Hai Ma.

Yugi sat on the sofa, took out his card box, and intently re-examined and adjusted his deck.

Asuka and Shinobu chose a side seat by the window, with Nemuru sitting behind them.

A tremendous roar resounded.

The plane accelerated rapidly on the runway, breaking through the clouds and heading towards the United States across the ocean.

The thirteen-hour flight passed in the blink of an eye.

New York, JFK International Airport.

New York City was already in a frenzy because of this world-class fighting tournament.

Emerging from the airport terminal, one is greeted by holographic projections of a giant Blue-Eyes White Dragon and a Dark Mage, which are suspended everywhere. Duelists and media reporters from all over the world have crowded the exit.

With dozens of bodyguards in black from the Haima Group escorting them, they bypassed the VIP access lane and entered a series of extended Cadillac vans.

Because of the presence of the famous Haima, the convoy even had the NYPD leading the way, driving in a grand procession towards the heart of Manhattan.

This is Asuka's second time going abroad.

Unlike the gloomy, rainy old streets of London, New York's streetscapes are truly breathtaking.

Skyscrapers stand shoulder to shoulder, and huge airships fly in the sky, as if we've entered a steel forest.

Every LED screen on the building was playing promotional videos for the competition, and beams of colorful lights crisscrossed in the sky.

The cafes on the street and the main streets are filled with young people wearing dueling disks, their passion clashing everywhere.

It was only now that Asuka and Shinobu truly realized why everything in this world revolved around duels...

The convoy sped along and finally stopped in front of the Madison Square Garden.

This place was originally a temple for the world's top sports events and concerts, but thanks to the efforts of Pegasus and Seahorse, it has now been completely transformed into a giant dueling arena that can shock the world.

The exterior walls were completely demolished and replaced with a massive, towering, holographic screen that surrounds the entire building, currently displaying in ultra-high-definition 8K resolution footage of legendary duelists from around the world.

The roar of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, the magic beam of the Dark Magician, the furious roar of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

Coupled with the deafening surround sound system, the atmosphere of the entire city was brought to its climax!

The original grandstands were redesigned and repositioned.

Beneath the enormous dome, there are twelve aerial dueling platforms constructed using magnetic levitation and holographic projection technology.

Watching Xing's performance, one could clearly see the swallowing of Qiao Song dumplings!

Tens of thousands of spectators from all over the world waved their light sticks and cards, their cheers and shouts echoing like thunder throughout the venue!

Jō no Nei was trembling with excitement, his eyes gleaming: "This is...this is outrageous! A dueling ring suspended in mid-air?! Just how much money did that bastard Kaiba spend?! Dueling here would be absolutely awesome!"

Even the game couldn't help but exclaim, "As expected of the Kaiba Group... This scale of dueling arena is truly unprecedented..."

But Asuka's gaze completely ignored the noisy spectators in the fighting arena, or the duelists from all over the world.

From the moment he entered the venue, he noticed the central area, the most heavily fortified spot.

Prize display area.

It was a suspended display platform located directly above the main stage, supported by four huge alloy steel pillars.

In the very center of the display stand was a tightly sealed frame made of multiple layers of bulletproof glass and a laser mesh.

There, a card was floating.

"Found you...."

Chapter 867 The Grand Tournament Begins

Even from such a great distance, the bird's intuition can clearly sense it.

The card was swirling with a strange, undeniable energy, quite different from what he had sensed in the abyss of time and space in Hueco Mundo.

If I had to put it into words... it's something ancient and chaotic...

It carried a hint of scarlet.

Shinobu Kocho noticed Asuka's gaze and looked at the card as well: "Hmm... I do sense something unsettling. But Asuka, don't make any rash moves. Just wait for the match to end."

"Hmm." Asuka withdrew her gaze. "I understand."

As they were talking, the lights in the venue suddenly went out.

The once noisy venue quieted down, and everyone's attention was focused on the main stage.

Snapped!

A golden spotlight shone down vertically onto the center of the stage.

Dudududu—

A burst of extravagant and high-pitched symphonic music began, and a large number of dazzling ribbons and petals fell from mid-air.

Then, Pegasus, dressed in a red suit and with long silver-white hair, slowly rose from the ground on a rising stage.

He stretched out his hands, like a theatrical actor, and pointed at the golden microphone beside him, shouting loudly: "From the world's best duelists! And the most enthusiastic boys and girls here~~!!"

“Welcome to New York~!!”

Pegasus's voice not only echoed within the venue, but was also transmitted to all parts of the world through loudspeakers and live television broadcasts.

"It's an honor to see everyone so happy," Pegasus said, pacing gracefully across the stage. "I'm sure you're all eager to showcase your brilliant dueling skills! So, before the competition officially begins, let me briefly introduce the rules of this tournament!"