Chapter 819
: Neither High Nor Low
Chapter 819: Neither High Nor Low (4K)
"Why?"
Marufuji Sho struggled to his feet. He saw Dennis's illuminated duel disk, its orange-yellow light reflecting in his eyes, appearing exceptionally dazzling.
He took a heavy blow and will likely be unable to exert his full strength for a short period of time.
“…I told you, I’m a spy, Xiang.”
"Are you... a spy?"
"I have always been a soldier of the Fusion Army."
Dennis rubbed his seaweed-like hair, then let out a long sigh. "From the very beginning, from the earliest time," said Okimaru Fujisho.
"I initially came here as a spy to observe Hikaru Amagi."
"...It really is like that..."
This time, it was Dennis who was somewhat surprised. He remained silent for a long time before speaking again: "You knew all along?"
Marufuji Sho gave a wry smile. His small glasses were shattered by the violent backstab, making his vision somewhat blurry. This caused him to not only be unable to see Dennis's location and appearance clearly, but also to see a slight double image.
“I… received a warning from Amagi a long time ago.”
he went on.
"Although he put it very subtly, and although he only had a simple suspicion."
"...If it's him, then it's not surprising."
Dennis looked at Marufuji Sho and said, "Then you should regret not listening to him."
"...I really didn't listen to him."
Marufuji Sho recalled the signal that Amagi Hikaru had "inadvertently" revealed during their conversation.
"However, Amagi is hostile to all members of the Union Department and all members of the Fusion Army, so I didn't pay much attention or worry too much."
"Besides... Dennis, aren't we friends?"
What Marufuji Sho really cared about was not whether Dennis was a spy or not.
"Haven't we been through a lot?! In the past—"
He seemed quite anxious at this moment.
"During the GX tournament, we rescued classmates and elves together; during the Darkness incident, we investigated the academy together and even fought the Men in Black together; and we were also involved in the WRGP tournament..."
I thought you wouldn't be dwelling on the Fusion Army anymore!
Marufuji Sho clenched his fists: "Anyway, King Akaba Zero is already dead, and the Fusion Army has been reorganized. You can completely abandon the past and study, live, and graduate normally with us. Isn't that better and happier!"
"Weren't every day we spent together at school happy?!"
I followed in the footsteps of my older brother and cousin, while you pursued entertainment and protection—"
Thinking of Dennis's smiles, he struggled to say, "Could it be that all of that was just pretense?!"
No, that's impossible. I can feel it; you're being sincere!
After listening to Marufuji Sho's words, Dennis looked up into the distance. The Fusion Army's airships slowly passed by on the horizon, and more purple figures flew down from them.
"From the bottom of my heart..."
The wind blew over his body as he gazed at the sky, at this dimension that was not blue, and something else seemed to be reflected in his heart.
"Is it really allowed?"
Is it really permissible?
“From the very beginning, I have been a spy for the Fusion Army. For the benefit of the Fusion Army, I have stolen a great deal of important information and cards. I have even secretly disposed of many people who opposed the Fusion Army without your knowledge.”
"..." Marufuji Sho opened his mouth.
"And...you really are my friend."
Marufuji Sho was instantly delighted.
"But Yuri is also my friend."
!!!
Dennis and Yuri have a very good relationship.
In the original work, Dennis, as a secret spy, was almost unknown to the Fusion Army soldiers. His identity could only be proven when he showed his identification.
After proving his identity, he was even able to command the Fusion Army soldiers and even the "Obelisk Force" troops at will, making him a genuine elite of the Fusion Army.
In addition to this.
Dennis also had a "great achievement" that no one else in the entire Fusion Army could accomplish.
He is one of the very few people who can chat with Youli face-to-face, even give Youli advice, and act with Youli!
Moreover, when Yuli saw him, she was never surprised or taken aback, and she knew very well who Dennis was!
"...Yu, Yuri? The new commander of the Fusion Army?"
Marufuji Sho was stunned.
Dennis nodded.
He's actually a friend of the new commander of the Fusion Army?
Can……
"Xiang, you are my friend, and I admire you for getting to where you are today."
Sometimes, I envy you... no, I'd say I'm jealous of you.
"for……"
"Because, think about it, Xiang, you can openly and honestly express your ideas under the sun, while I can't even reveal my identity."
“You have your own older brother, you have your own elder brother, and you also have many companions and classmates.”
"Admittedly, there are some second-year students who don't get along with you, but overall, you're doing very well."
Dennis looked at his hands.
"But what about me?"
"I am a spy for the Fusion Army. I have deep sins. I hide within the Duel Academy, contacting one person after another, assessing their strength while secretly devising ways to target them."
"Even the Taylor sisters stopped caring about the Fusion Army after the GX tournament."
"I... am all alone."
"You still have me, and you still have everyone!"
"No. I'm all alone!"
Dennis knew it very well.
Whether it's the Fusion Army or the Duel Academy, no matter where he is, he is now undoubtedly a "lone wolf."
At Duel Academy, if his identity as a spy were exposed, it would be absolutely impossible for him to leave or attend classes unscathed.
Neither Principal Chronos nor Hikaru Amagi would allow such a thing to happen.
They do support the idea of "laying down the butcher's knife" and "repenting and starting anew".
But the prerequisite is "paying back the price for sins".
Given his past experiences, it was impossible for him to attend the Duel Academy unscathed; he had to, and could only, go to atone for his sins.
And what about the Fusion Army?
He was too "rational." He had a friend named Marufuji Sho, and even knew many members of the Fusion Department. He had been away from the current Fusion Army for too long and had no idea what the current Fusion Army was like.
What can he do?
How should he choose? When he advanced to the KC Cup in Citongye City, when he was preparing to participate in the competition, when he received Yuri's signal again, when he learned of Yuri's plan, he fell into deep self-doubt.
who am I?
What should I do?
On one side are new friends I've known for two years, friends I've been through thick and thin with.
On one side, there was his childhood friend, with whom he had grown up together under the clutches of the demon "Red Horse Zero King".
Let him make the decision?
He was not a good person, but merely a thin, muddy ditch mixed in between two converging rivers.
Alternatively, one could pray that Yuri loses to the other duelists, and out of consideration for their friendship, never mention his affairs again, and erase all of the Fusion Army's last records, then live the rest of their life in fear of "whether the secret will be exposed."
Or...
Then, at this final moment, the fish in the water bared its fangs at its prey!
At first glance, he still has a choice.
In reality, the world never gave him a choice. He could only be chosen.
“Then you… could have told me everything last year, or even during Darkness. I could have stayed with you, and I could have waited, just like I could have waited for the students in the Combination Club.” Marufuji Sho wiped his left eye.
Because his glasses were shattered by the wall, and he felt a cold liquid flowing down his back, he was in a very bad state.
"Besides, isn't that game about turning everyone into cards?! If you do it this way, won't you end up..."
"If that's the case, it might actually be easier."
Dennis watched the massive fusion warship depart, his eyes slightly unfocused: "No need to think, no need to hesitate, no need to choose."
Marufuji Sho paused, speechless.
He was very familiar with this feeling.
Back then, when his older brother made his first mistake and was almost expelled from the academy, his older brother invited him to a "dormitory duel" to decide his fate.
At that time, he had tried to run away, but the duel between his elder brother and his younger brother rekindled his fighting spirit.
At that time, he had the idea of "going with the flow and just letting things be".
Even after that duel, he still often thought that way.
After all, my older brother, my eldest brother, and my classmate Tiancheng are all too amazing.
Even the Fusion Department, which wasn't called the Fusion Department back then, couldn't do anything about them.
Amagi even formed a "New Integration Department" to fiercely confront Akama Rei-oh.
At that time, he really wanted to join the Fusion Club, but he was afraid of his older brother. It was only after listening to what Amagi-kun said that he chose to join the Fusion Club.
Anyway, he just saw that everyone else had joined the activities department, so he decided to join one too.
Anyway, he just followed his older brother around every day, going wherever his older brother went.
It's the same everywhere.
but.
Living in the fusion group, interacting and communicating with those ordinary fusion group students, he gradually learned that they also had their own favorite cards and tactics. He gradually and truly integrated into the fusion group of the most "bottom" members. He gradually and truly became friends with them, and even truly became the "representative" of the fusion group on his own.
At this moment, isn't Dennis just like he was back then?
However, his experiences and life were more complicated than mine, and he also had a more serious situation.
Then he remembered his duel with his brother.
He's...grown up!
He shoved aside the rubble, sending the rocks crashing to the ground with a loud thud. He was covered in dust, and a piece of his glasses was broken, but he showed no fear as he looked at Dennis.
"Then let's duel!"
“…Okay!” Dennis did not refuse.
"I am... the Minister of the Union, the representative of the Union, the last person of the Union, the guardian of the Union..." Marufuji Sho said through gritted teeth, "I have the power to decide the future of the Union, and I also have the responsibility to bring the [lost] people of the Union back on track!"
“You can’t beat me,” Dennis sighed.
"No, I will definitely win!" Marufuji Sho's eyes seemed to burn with raging fire. "Everyone in the Joint Club, you must be watching me right now!"
Don't worry, I'll bring the [Vice Minister] back right now!
In Marufuji Sho's live stream, the previously silent audience slowly began to post comments, and some pure cheers appeared on the screen.
Then, some other content appeared on the screen.
"It's XX, isn't it! With that way of speaking, you must be here!"
"XX, stop hiding! Marufuji-kun is going to fight to the death!"
"Go for it, President Marufuji! You have to win!"
Dennis didn't waste any words. He pressed the Duel Disk twice, and then the light illuminated him and Marufuji Sho: "In that case, so be it."
I've already set up the automatic punishment function.
Dennis explained, "From now until the end of the duel, whoever loses the duel will become a card!"
"……it is good!"
“I will… kill you, Xiang, I will kill you, then I will have no more reason to hesitate.”
"Then I'll kill you too! Even if I kill you, I won't let you continue down this wrong path!"
Marufuji Sho wiped his blurry eyes again and agreed.
Turning it into a card is not a problem.
Even if you turn into a card, there's a way to "come back to life," but if you give up on the future, then there's no future at all!
"Duel!" X2.
Sho Marufuji, LP: 4000.
Dennis, LP: 4000.
Marufuji Sho, panting heavily, took the first turn. He glanced at his hand and his expression stiffened slightly.
Although the sneak attack by Dennis wasn't fatal, it did affect his performance.
His hand was absolutely terrible!
Seeing this, he gritted his teeth and activated one of his cards: "Activate Quick-Play Spell Card, Load!"
"Return all cards from your hand to your deck. Then draw the same number of cards as those returned to your deck!"
He quickly put the four cards back into the deck, then listened to the swishing sound of the deck being shuffled and cut, and took another deep breath.
He felt his vision becoming even blurrier, and he could barely make out where Dennis was.
No.
We must act swiftly and decisively.
After shuffling the deck, he drew four cards and glanced at them.
"Spell Card, Pot of Greed: Draw two cards from your deck!"
He picked up two cards from the deck, one in each hand, and then glanced at them.
Damn it!!!
He cursed inwardly.
The duels between duelists are not simply a "game"; everything in the duel is related to the duelists.
At this moment, Marufuji Sho was filled with incomprehension and shock at Dennis's betrayal. His body was also cut by the Duel Disk, and after hitting the wall, his vision was impaired due to his broken glasses, which intensified his tension.
Furthermore, his eagerness for a quick victory made him even more flustered, and his dueling ability was reduced to only three or four tenths of its former strength.
We must not be afraid.
He reminded himself.
If there is no way to win quickly.
Then let's settle down—
"Summon Jetman in Defense Position, set one card face down, and end your turn!"
4K4K
(End of this chapter)