Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

As soon as he finished speaking, a holographic projection suddenly appeared in the sky above the square.

A huge map of Manhattan, New York, and two clearly defined flowcharts appeared on the screen.

"The rules of this competition are very simple and clear, and it is divided into two stages - the points competition and the knockout stage!"

"First up is the first stage of the points competition—the competition area covers the entire heart of Manhattan!" Pegasus explained loudly.

“Every player who successfully registers will receive a dueling terminal newly developed by the International Illusion Society and two initial point badges.”

He pointed to the holographic badge model floating in mid-air.

"Over the next three days, all contestants are free to move around the designated city area and challenge any contestant they encounter to a duel."

"After agreeing on the number of points to bet, the duel will begin. The winner will receive the loser's points badge! When you accumulate ten badges, your terminal will automatically activate your access to the main venue!"

Upon hearing this, the duelists below the stage began to murmur among themselves.

Some people showed eager expressions, while others were already sizing up potential opponents around them.

Pegasus smiled and continued, "As for the second stage, that's the elimination rounds held in the central main venue! Only the strongest players who collect all ten badges and successfully advance can enter the single-elimination stage!"

"Here, you will fight your way through the ranks in a one-on-one showdown to compete for the final championship title and huge prize money!"

The rules are simple and straightforward, without too many complicated additional clauses.

It's simply a matter of defeating enough enemies in the city, accumulating points, and then advancing to the finals.

However, after listening to this explanation, Asuka frowned as she looked at the huge and complex city map above: "At this rate, just finding people to accumulate points in this ridiculously large city area won't be over in less than ten days or half a month, right?"

"Wouldn't this kind of long-running points tournament be too drawn out?" He looked at Shinobu Kocho: "No, I think I'll..."

“That’s how the competition is, Mr. Asuka,” Yugi Muto comforted him. “Besides, the competition venue is huge this time, and there are just too many duelists participating in the tournament.”

“If we were to hold one-on-one elimination matches right from the start at the main venue, we wouldn’t be able to allocate the space and time properly. Utilizing the entire city’s space for preliminary screening is also to give more duelists with different styles the opportunity to showcase their skills.”

At this point, Jonouchi jumped out with a grin and said, "There's no need to think about things so boringly."

He shouted while brandishing his fists, "This is a rare event! Exploring the city and defeating all sorts of opponents—just thinking about it gets my blood pumping! I can't wait to have a go!"

Shinobu's smile was as gentle as ever as she said softly, "Yes, Asuka, we can take this opportunity to explore New York, try the local delicacies, and enjoy the scenery. Consider it a trip for all of us!"

"Travel...?" Asuka looked at the bustling crowd around her and shook her head helplessly: "...That's all we can do for now."

At this moment, Pegasus's voice once again resounded throughout the venue, interrupting everyone's conversation.

"Alright, the rules have been explained!"

Pegasus raised the golden microphone high, his eyes blazing with fervent anticipation: "Now, everyone, please show your best fighting spirit!"

"I hereby declare the Ultimate Mirage Cup World Championship officially open! Show time!"

Boom!

As Pegasus finished speaking, dazzling colored fireworks simultaneously shot out from all around the platform, and countless holographic monsters roared and circled in the sky above New York.

The roar of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, the magical effects of the Dark Magician, and the furious howl of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon intertwined, igniting the passion of the entire city.

The duelists brandished their decks and swarmed out to various areas.

"Alright! The tournament has finally begun!" Jonouchi shouted with high spirits. "Let's hurry up and register to get our points badges!"

As a special guest of the competition, Yugi Muto did not need to register separately, but Shinobu Kocho and Jonouchi still had to follow the procedures.

The group began to follow the signs toward the official registration area located in the side building of the central hall.

Although most of the athletes had already dispersed in the square, the registration hall was still packed with people.

The registration process was displayed on a huge electronic screen, and long queues formed in front of dozens of manual and self-service windows.

All sorts of duelists gathered here, including professional fighters in high-tech dueling suits and mysterious guests in outlandish costumes, making the hall noisy and crowded.

"Wow, there are still so many people here..." Jonouchi said, craning his neck to look around as he squeezed through the crowd. "How long will we have to wait in line?"

Shinobu walked behind him with light steps, gracefully avoiding the crowds even in the throng.

As they walked slowly behind the group, a familiar female voice, tinged with a hint of teasing, suddenly came from the rest area on the side:

"Oh dear, isn't this the inner city? What's going on? The most troublesome duelist from the Duelist Kingdom is actually queuing up obediently in a place like this?"

Upon hearing this sound, Cheng Zhi Nei's body trembled, and he turned his head sharply.

Just a short distance away, there was a bench for resting.

A tall, sexy woman with long, wavy blonde hair and dressed in extremely avant-garde fashion leaned against a pillar with her arms crossed, looking at them with a mocking smile.

"Peacock Dance?!"

"What are you doing here?!" Castle cried out, his expression instantly shifting between surprise and embarrassment.

Peacock Dance walked over with graceful steps, her golden curly hair swaying slightly with her movements.

She glanced at the castle and chuckled softly, "Why can't I be here? This is a world-class top-level competition. No duelist who aspires to the pinnacle would miss this stage."

As a veteran duelist who once fought alongside them in the Duelist Kingdom, her appearance is actually quite reasonable.

As she spoke, her gaze swept over the game, and she nodded slightly to him in greeting: "Long time no see, game. You look to be in good shape."

"Long time no see, Wu," the game replied gently. "I didn't expect you to be participating in the New York tournament as well."

"Of course, I wouldn't let such a great opportunity slip away."

Mai raised an eyebrow, her gaze naturally falling on Asuka and Shinobu beside them.

Especially Shinobu Kocho.

Chapter 868 is full of acquaintances.

Her beautiful face, ethereal temperament, and indescribable sense of mystery instantly attracted Peacock Dance's attention.

"Are these two... your new friends?" Mai looked at Shinobu and Asuka with some curiosity.

Castle immediately announced loudly, "Ah! Let me introduce you! This is Asuka, and this is Shinobu! They are... very reliable companions!"

Shinobu smiled and gave Mai a slight bow, politely introducing herself: "Hello, Ms. Mai, I am Shinobu Kocho. I look forward to your guidance in the upcoming match."

Looking at Shinobu Kocho's gentle and polite demeanor, Mai smiled and replied, "Hello, Kocho, you can just call me Mai."

"I never expected that in a team of rough guys like yours, there would be such a beautiful and elegant player."

However, Peacock Dance's expression quickly became more serious.

Looking around at the noisy registration hall, he lowered his voice and reminded Shinobu Kocho and Jonouchi, "Since we're all acquaintances, I'll give you some advice."

"I heard that this New York competition is not so well-regulated... The preliminary rounds are open to the entire city, and the participants are a mixed bag."

"Although the rules prohibit unfair means...in the blind spots where the referees can't see, quite a few guys like to resort to underhanded tactics!"

Peacock Dance snorted coldly: "For example, picking on some seemingly weak or newly registered newbies to verbally provoke them, forcing them to accept a duel in an unfavorable environment, or even colluding with despicable people to cheat for points badges."

Upon hearing Mai's warning, Jonouchi frowned and clenched his fists in anger: "Damn it, are there really guys like this? If I ever run into them, I'll definitely teach them a lesson with my deck!"

"You're still so impulsive." Mai Kongque rolled her eyes at Jonouchi helplessly. "I'm telling you to be more vigilant and not fall into other people's traps so easily! Especially the impatient type like you, you're the easiest target for those professional scammers."

"What did you say?! Do you think I'm that easy to fool?!" Jonouchi retorted defiantly.

Shinobu Kocho listened quietly to the suggestion, her eyes flickering slightly. She then smiled and nodded to Mai, saying, "Thank you very much for the reminder, Miss Mai. We will be careful."

"Of course, if I encounter someone who doesn't follow the rules on the street... I also know how to handle it 'gently'."

Seeing the flawless yet slightly chilling smile on Shinobu's face...

For some reason, Kong Que Wu felt a chill run down her spine, and thought to herself, "This seemingly delicate girl doesn't seem like someone to mess with..."

Just as Cheng Zhini was about to argue with the peacock dance, a strange, highly rhythmic cadence suddenly rang out from not far behind them:

"A labyrinth of yin and yang, an unfathomable maze!"

"Within this small space, the universe is set in motion!"

Upon hearing the rhyming and mystical shouts, Yugi and Jōno's expressions immediately turned somewhat strange.

“This line…could it be…” Jonouchi turned away, his lips twitching.

A path automatically formed from the crowd.

Two men dressed in classical clothing, with shaved heads and strikingly similar appearances, walked over, gesturing wildly.

One of them had the character '迷' (mi, meaning confused/lost) printed on his forehead, while the other had the character '宮' (gong, meaning palace) printed on his forehead.

The Labyrinth Brothers are the very duo that caused Yugi and the castle a great deal of trouble in the underground labyrinth of the Duelist Kingdom!

"I'm obsessed!" The older brother, whose forehead had the word "obsessed" printed on it, struck an exaggerated martial arts pose.

"I'm a palace!" The younger brother, whose forehead had the character "palace" printed on it, immediately followed up with his signature pose.

The two landed at the same time, and all four eyes immediately fixed on the game and the city.

With his arms crossed, Miguel shouted, "Hahaha! I never expected to run into you guys here, Yugi Muto! And Katsuya Jonouchi!"

"It was truly a divine arrangement! Last time, in the duel in the kingdom's underground labyrinth, we lost to you due to a moment of carelessness!"

The fanboy chimed in, his voice brimming with competitiveness: "For this year's New York competition, our Maze Brothers have undergone inhuman training, and we're returning to the arena with brand-new combined combat tactics!"

Cheng Zhi pointed at the two of them and shouted, half-jokingly, "So it's you two bald brothers! What, you were defeated by the Labyrinth Demon in the underground labyrinth last time, and now you've come to New York looking for a beating?"

"Hmph! Such a quick tongue!" Mi Ge scoffed. "Within the city, don't think you always have such good luck..."

"The rules of this competition are open scoring. If we bump into you on the street, do you dare to challenge us to another two-on-two team duel?!"

"What's there to be afraid of?!" The temper within the castle flared instantly, and he shouted with his head held high, "I'm ready anytime! I'll show you your new tactics and shatter them to pieces!"

Asuka, watching this sudden farce, whispered to Shinobu, "These guys... how come their entrances are all so dramatic? It's just a card game, why are they acting like they're going on stage to perform?"

"Haha, they're all very energetic little guys." Shinobu Kocho covered her mouth and chuckled.

After the Labyrinth Brothers and Jonouchi issued their challenges to each other, the call to battle finally came over the lobby loudspeaker, and it was Jonouchi and Shinobu's turn at their respective windows.

"Alright, everyone in the city, hurry up and register. Don't waste time here with them," Kong Quewu urged, waving her hand.

"Know it!"

The Castle Brothers snorted at each other, then walked to the registration window with Shinobu Kocho.

The staff behind the window were very efficient; after registering their decks, they quickly completed the registration process for the two participants.

"Please keep this safe. These are your competition-specific electronic terminals and your initial two points badges."

The staff handed out two exquisite metal boxes.

Shinobu Kocho opened the box, inside which lay a black terminal the size of a handheld computer, and two round badges with a cool-toned metallic sheen, engraved with the eye logo of the International Illusion Society.

She held the badge in her hand and examined it for a moment before casually fastening it to the buckle on her waist. Meanwhile, Jonouchi couldn't wait to fasten the terminal to her wrist and insert the two badges into the slots of the duel disk with a click.

"Finally done!" Jonouchi cracked his knuckles, his fighting spirit high. "Initial points in hand! Now it's time to head out and hunt down some prey!"

The registration hall, which had been filled with the sounds of birdsong, was now back to its former state, bathed in sunlight on the outdoor plaza.

At this point, downtown New York had completely transformed into a massive battleground.

As far as the eye could see, many quick-moving duelists had already found opponents and were engaging in duels on the streets, in parks, and even under overpasses.

Holographic projections of monster lights flickered throughout the city, filling the air with a tense and exciting competitive atmosphere.

"Then, I'll go find my target first."

Peacock Dance waved to everyone: "The game, the city, and the beautiful Miss Butterfly... don't get eliminated in the preliminary rounds! See you at the main venue!"

With that, the peacock danced gracefully and left, quickly disappearing into the cheering crowd.

After uttering a few harsh words, the Maze Brothers, arm in arm, headed to another area to find a new battleground.

Looking at the bustling hall, Shinobu turned to Kocho with some excitement: "Shinobu-nee, what are you planning to do? Are you going to come with us, or do you want to familiarize yourself with the surroundings first?"

Shinobu Kocho smiled slightly and pointed to an open-air corridor not far away.

There, several duelists were gathered together, seemingly loudly beckoning challengers; the atmosphere was very lively.

"Since it's a points-collecting competition, it's a good thing to start getting used to the pace of this place early on."

Shinobu's voice was as gentle as ever, but her eyes were sharp: "I want to go there and see, and try my first points tournament."