This Hextech Duel Master is a pro at getting targets.

That morning, the two went to a restaurant for lunch.

Upon meeting, Nosaka Miho handed You Shuo a commemorative card as a gift, and she was very happy to see that You Shuo liked it.

However, she also had some doubts: "You Shuo, shouldn't it be the city-level competition right now? Is it really okay for you to be here?"

You Shuo laughed and said, "It's okay. My way of participating in the competition is a bit special. In short, I don't need to participate in the competition these few days."

Nosaka Miho looked at Yu Shuo expectantly with her bright, big eyes: "Special? How special is it? Is it... as special as it?"

As they were talking, Nosaka Miho, who was sitting next to You Shuo, leaned closer and reached out her hand towards a certain place.

You Shuo said with a smile, "You're getting more and more proactive these days~"

Miho Nosaka gave a light snort: "What? You don't like it?"

After spending some time together, Nosaka Miho has shed her previous shyness and tentativeness and is now completely in love.

Looking at the cute and pretty girl in front of him, and feeling her restless little hands, You Shuo couldn't help but smile.

He knew that he couldn't just eat today.

Chapter Twenty-One: The National Duelist Tournament

Over the next few days, Nosaka Miho took Yu Shuo on a nice trip around the area.

Although Nosaka Miho knew that Yu Shuo liked Duel Monsters, she didn't expect him to win any prizes, so she didn't mind that Yu Shuo wasn't participating in the competition. It would be a good opportunity for the two of them to go on a trip together.

Just when Nosaka Miho thought that participating in the competition was just an excuse and that You Shuo would never participate, he suddenly proposed to go to the finals venue...

It was a sunny morning.

Nosaka Miho opened her eyes, rubbing them groggily. She instinctively reached out to hug the person next to her, only to find that You Shuo wasn't in bed at all.

She paused for a moment, then sat up in bed. The white blanket slipped off, revealing her rounded shoulders and defined collarbones.

Nosaka Miho, with her hair disheveled, heard the noise from the bathroom, so she got out of bed and went over.

Pushing open the steamy glass door, Nosaka Miho yawned, tidied her slightly messy hair, and asked sweetly, "Up so early?"

While drying his hair, You Shuo smiled and nodded: "Yeah, I'm going to the finals today."

“Okay… Huh?” Nosaka Miho was taken aback. “I thought you weren’t planning on going.”

The hairdryer was running, and You Shuo laughed, "Of course I'm going. I'm here this time aiming for the championship."

"Champion? But, but you didn't participate in the previous competitions, are you even eligible to participate?" Nosaka Miho asked, puzzled.

You Shuo said confidently, "It's not about being a champion, it's about the honor of being a champion."

After he finished speaking, his hair was styled.

Although Nosaka Miho didn't understand, she wanted to accompany Yu Shuo no matter what he was going to do: "Okay, okay~ then I'll pack up and we'll set off together."

As she was saying this, Nosaka Miho was about to go back to bed to put on her underwear, but Yu Shuo gently pulled her back.

"What? Don't you want me to come with you?" Nosaka Miho smiled at You Shuo, her bright, watery eyes particularly captivating.

"No rush, there's still time..."

As he spoke, You Shuo cupped her face and kissed her.

"Ten million Duel Monsters fans across the country!"

"The moment to decide the winner of the selection competition has finally arrived!"

"Who is the one who stood out from the two hundred selected in the national regional competition?!"

"Alright, contestants, please enter the arena!!"

At the Second National Duelist Tournament, amidst the host's enthusiastic introduction, the two finalists vying for the championship title took to the stage one after another!

One of them was a short, center-parted moth wearing round-framed glasses, and the other was a short dinosaur named Ryuzaki wearing a green jacket and a red hat.

As soon as the two appeared, the audience erupted in enthusiastic cheers and shouts.

Sitting in the audience, Nosaka Miho looked around in surprise: "Duel Monsters is much more popular than I expected... Yu Shuo, I didn't expect you to have bought the tickets so early."

You Shuo said with a smile, "Of course, as I said, I must win the championship in this competition."

Nosaka Miho chuckled and gently pinched him: "Stop pretending! The finals have already started and you're still making these nonsensical jokes~"

You Shuo smiled but remained silent.

The final battle began, with the insect Feather Moth and the dinosaur Ryuzaki engaging in a "fierce" battle.

The dueling equipment used in this competition is a dueling platform developed by the KC Group, the same special machine that could materialize monster images that Yu Shuo and Kawatoyo Sousuke used in their last duel.

A cool 3D projection appeared in the venue, and Nosaka Miho, who was seeing this technology for the first time, became excited.

"Wow!!"

"So cool!!"

"Duel Monsters can be played like this?!"

Nosaka Miho excitedly grasped Yu Shuo's hand.

"Dinosaurs versus insects..."

"It looks like the dinosaurs will definitely win!"

At this point, from the perspective of the situation, Ryuzaki the Dinosaur has gained the upper hand.

Upon hearing Nosaka Miho's words, You Shuo shook his head and said with a faint smile, "In Duel Monsters, such things are not necessarily true."

Just as Nosaka Miho was about to laugh at him for talking nonsense again, the situation immediately reversed with the attack of the dinosaur Ryuzaki!

Ryuzaki, the dinosaur, orders his ace, the two-headed dinosaur king, to launch an attack. It should have been a sure thing, but suddenly the insect moth flips over the card...

"Trap Card - Savior's Ant Hell!" Insect Moth adjusted his glasses and grinned wickedly.

Dinosaur Ryuzaki's expression changed: "What?! A trap card?!"

The insect-moth chuckled smugly, "Hmph~ That's right, this card can only be used when the opponent launches an attack."

"The Savior Ant Hell will nullify the opponent's attack, and the attacking monster will lose all its characteristics and the ability to act!"

"besides……"

"A monster that falls into this trap will be at a disadvantage in any battle, regardless of what other monster it fights!"

Miho Nosaka was so surprised she couldn't speak.

You Shuo, who was standing to the side, memorized the effects of the Savior's Ant Hell.

Many cards from this period have very vague descriptions, and many of their effects differ significantly from those of other eras.

This is one of them, the Savior Ant Hell.

"Splash splash ...

Just as the two-headed dinosaur king was about to launch an attack, a huge vortex of quicksand appeared beneath its feet. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the white things were not sand, but swarms of densely packed termites!

They frantically devoured the body of the two-headed dinosaur king, making this once-dominant ruler of the battlefield suddenly extremely vulnerable!

Unable to take any further action, Ryuzaki, the dinosaur, had to end his turn, his face deathly pale.

"That means I win!" the insect moth laughed. "My turn, draw a card!"

"Equip the Insectoids with Firearms---Mech Armor Lv5!"

"This card can provide the Insectoid with an attack power boost and the 'ranged strike' trait!"

"When fighting monsters that can only engage in close combat, the Insectoid will gain a significant advantage, receiving a 30% attack power boost in battle."

"Of course, with the existence of the Savior Ant Hell, whether or not there's any restraint makes no difference."

"Go! Insect Man!!"

"attack!!!"

"Boom------------"

The mechanical cannon that appeared out of nowhere on the insect-man's back suddenly shuddered, and a golden-red cannonball was fired, shattering the tall two-headed dinosaur king into pieces!

This extremely powerful attack completely depleted the health points of the dinosaur Ryuzaki.

Miho Nosaka asked blankly, "Kun, insects really defeated dinosaurs?"

The scene erupted in cheers and applause, all dedicated to the victor of this duel – the insect moth.

You Shuo stood up and said with a smile, "Alright, Mei Sui, I need to leave for a bit."

Miho Nosaka was taken aback: "Huh? Aren't you going to watch the awards ceremony? Wasn't it said that the game designer of Duel Monsters would be presenting the award?"

You Shuo patted her head: "I'm not watching anymore, it's my turn to appear next."

Chapter Twenty-Two: Risking the Honor of the Champion

Next...

Is it my turn to make an appearance?

Nosaka Miho didn't understand what Yu Shuo meant, and stared blankly as he got up and walked past her.

"That's so strange..."

What exactly is You Shuo planning?

"Forget it, forget it!"

Nosaka Miho didn't want to think about it anymore. Her mother had told her that boys her age often did strange things and said strange things.

Although I don't understand You Shuo, as long as he's happy, that's all that matters~

At this moment, cheers even louder than when the insect-moth had won rang out, and a white-haired man in a burgundy suit walked into the arena with a smile.

He had fair skin and was tall and elegant, but for some reason, the left side of his face was completely covered by long white hair, as if it was a hairstyle specially designed for a fashion show.

Miho Nosaka excitedly pulled out her phone: "This must be Pegasus, the father of Duel Monsters! Yu Shuo didn't see it in person, so I took a picture of him!"

Pegasus walked up to the stage and congratulated the winning insect, the feather moth, with an incredibly strange accent, especially at the end of each sentence.

"Moth Boy~"

Congratulations on winning the game!

"Besides the bonus and card~"

You will also receive another reward~

That is --

"An invitation to the upcoming Duel Kingdom Tournament~"

"As the champion, you can not only participate in the competition, but also enjoy the exclusive privileges of a champion!"

The insect moth was overjoyed. He immediately expressed his gratitude to Pegasus and then accepted the cheers of the others with an air of arrogance.

On the side, Ryuzaki, the dinosaur who became the runner-up, was very annoyed.

"hateful……"

"If I hadn't fallen into that trap, I would have been the champion..."

Despite knowing that as the runner-up, he could also participate in the Duel Kingdom Tournament and receive the same special treatment, Ryuzaki the Dinosaur was still extremely unhappy.

Just then, the dinosaur Ryuzaki paused for a moment.

Because he saw a stranger walk past him.

That guy was neither a contestant nor a staff member; he was just incredibly handsome.

"Is this... a celebrity here for a commercial event?" Dinosaur Ryuzaki asked, somewhat puzzled.

Below the stage, Nosaka Miho's eyes widened: "Yu Shuo?! He, he actually went up there?!"

Seeing that You Shuo had secretly slipped into the venue, several security guards quickly chased after him.

Pegasus raised a hand to stop the security guards, and smiled at You Shuo, who was walking confidently onto the podium, asking, "This fan~"

"Coming up like this is very against the rules."

"However, I can sense immense potential within you."