The black figure blocked Hikaru's path. Hikaru loosened his hands, watching the man warily.
Mr. T. Darkness's subordinate. Full designation: "Mr. True" or "True Man." The "Man of Truth."
Unlike the spirits dispatched to attack students, or humans who sought Darkness's power, Mr. T was a genuine agent of Darkness, possessing abilities beyond normal comprehension.
First, memory modification. Mr. T could alter a duelist's memories mid-duel, making the target instinctively believe the false memories were real.
Second, appearance alteration. He could assume any human form, copying speech and memories. The power the attacking spirits used was likely derived from Mr. T's abilities.
Finally, the most extreme trait: "infinity."
In the original story, Jaden defeated multiple Mr. T's. But no matter how many were beaten or killed, they couldn't be eliminated. As long as Darkness existed, Mr. T would never disappear. Incredibly persistent, incredibly grinding.
Moreover, his individual abilities weren't like Darkness's broad-area interference that spirit-wielding people could resist. In the original, even Jaden in poor condition was affected, perceiving everyone as "Mr. T." Extremely dangerous.
Of course, among all related plotlines, what Hikaru remembered most vividly was the "five-for-one."
For a long time, Hikaru hadn't bothered remembering their names, calling them "Mr. Five-for-One" instead. Every time he saw them, he'd recall Jaden's first duel against them: Fusion, De-Fusion, then Tribute Summon Neos.
Unforgettable. A landmark moment in Yu-Gi-Oh! history.
"Hikaru, it seems you truly possess some extraordinary abilities beyond ordinary humans." Mr. T smiled broadly. After studying each other for a while, he spoke.
"Once so-called special abilities become widespread, they're no longer special." Hikaru calmly countered. "There's nothing special about me. Someday, my abilities will be passed on to others."
"Ha, humans... ha." Mr. T sighed twice.
Humans lived and died. So they passed their experience, knowledge, and abilities to the next generation. Through accumulated generations, humanity had reached its current state.
But for beings like Mr. T, who were immortal, undying, and shared memories, all human abilities were laughably primitive.
However, his immortality, invincibility, and shared memory all depended on Darkness's existence. If Darkness vanished, these beings would cease to exist.
"I'm not here to chat... I'm looking for Atticus. Tell me, is he here?"
"Hmph. Do you think I'd tell you?"
Hikaru pressed his left Duel Disk. It deployed automatically, glowing purple, illuminating the path.
Mr. T's lips curled. He raised his left hand. It instantly fragmented. Countless black-wreathed cards replaced his left hand. That was his true form.
Yes.
These beings that resembled humans, looking like they'd wandered off a Matrix set, weren't human or spirit. They were special lifeforms composed of cards. They themselves were "cards."
Or rather...
Card backs?
The cards on his left arm twisted under dense black miasma, transforming into an enormous black Duel Disk.
"Duel."
Mr. T, LP: 4000.
Hikaru, LP: 4000.
"My turn." Mr. T drew a card, then studied Hikaru with a smile.
"You're looking for Atticus Rhodes? But hasn't he been right in front of you this whole time?"
As he spoke, his body began morphing, twisting, then after a wave of black distortion, transformed into someone new.
Atticus Rhodes.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
"That's disgusting." Tierra had materialized nearby for the duel. Seeing Mr. T alter his form and voice, her brow twitched violently.
Not because the act itself looked repulsive.
But because Mr. T was doing something similar to what she could do, changing one's external life form, through a twisted, evil method.
Although the mechanics differed, Mr. T had almost perfectly become "Atticus Rhodes." It was genuinely nauseating to her.
Just as when she argued with Sophia, she absolutely refused to let anyone else interfere with a life's expression or cycle of rebirth.
"Stop wearing that face and talking. It's revolting. And do you really think I'd fall for someone else's appearance?"
"Heh heh heh." Mr. T sneered with Atticus's face. "Isn't this the person you wanted to see? You find who you're looking for, yet respond with hostility. Humans truly are irrational creatures.
But no matter."
His figure twisted and reverted to his original form.
Not because Hikaru had convinced him, nor because using another's appearance consumed energy. For him, becoming any "human" was as natural as breathing.
He reverted because he realized he hadn't affected Hikaru's memory.
Apparently, it wasn't simply "possessing special abilities." Hikaru might not even be a pure human.
No wonder he could resist memory influence and find this place.
Mr. T smiled outwardly while exchanging information with his counterparts internally.
Target individual: Hikaru.
Species: Suspected spirit characteristics. Not purely human.
Abilities: Can resist mental intrusion. Can resist memory modification.
Threat level: Primary target.
He calmly recorded the information, then played his card. "Continuous Spell: Future Fusion."
Future Fusion?
The Continuous version?
Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
"I send Fusion Materials from the Deck to the Graveyard. During my second Standby Phase afterward, I Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster." Mr. T took five cards from his Deck and placed them in the Graveyard.
Hikaru's eyebrow rose.
"Five cards means..."
"Correct. What I'm going to Fusion Summon is the monster with the highest ATK... Five-Headed Dragon!"
Mr. T clenched his right fist and declared loudly.
Anyone else might have been nervous.
After all, while Five-Headed Dragon wasn't rare in this world, it was genuinely the "highest-ATK monster." Few ever encountered anything with higher ATK.
But Hikaru had seen plenty. A Five-Headed Dragon didn't faze him.
"Of course, the Continuous Future Fusion isn't as powerful as the one you have. But there's no need to wait. And even the Equip version has a weakness.
Whether Continuous or Equip, if Future Fusion is destroyed, the summoned monster loses everything.
So here's a more convenient method.
Spell Card: Dragon's Mirror."
"As a Fusion specialist, you should know exactly what these cards do."
Banish monsters from the Graveyard to Fusion Summon a Dragon.
He had dumped five, then used Dragon's Mirror to banish those five as Fusion Materials.
Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Dark. Five colored heads appeared behind him.
"Behold the strongest monster in history!"
Five-Headed Dragon. Level 12, DARK Attribute, Dragon-Type. ATK 5000.
Although in most cases this card was essentially a vanilla, it was undeniably the "strongest monster in history," at least in base ATK.
"You don't seem to fear Five-Headed Dragon's power."
Hikaru was still pondering when Mr. T smiled, abandoning his earlier arrogance for genuine contemplation.
"My master has been watching you, Hikaru."
"Since your duel against that human, where you defeated my master, he changed his thinking."
Hikaru frowned.
This must refer to the "Seven Stars" incident, when he dueled Darkness-possessed Atticus Rhodes.
"Humans are indeed short-lived, foolish, greedy, and ignorant beings. But it's true that humanity's survival to this point required exceptional inheritors. These humans possess courage and character far exceeding ordinary people. It's precisely because of these humans that humanity hasn't fallen into eternal ruin, drowning in decadence.
Hikaru, your duel with my master made him realize that even if he could effortlessly copy or create cards humans don't possess, as a duelist, he was far too ordinary compared to humans.
Under the rules of the universe and time, relying on time alone could never achieve humanity's complete destruction.
You reminded my master that before the inevitable end arrives, although he possesses the ultimate sword, he lacks a suitable swordsman..."
He patted himself lightly. "So, under these circumstances, we were born!"
Hikaru's brow furrowed deeply.
"Across infinite time, we duel each other using countless cards, accumulating experience and calculating your dueling, humanity's dueling.
So don't think I'd be naive enough to believe a single 5000 ATK monster could win."
He sneered, raising his right hand. A card wreathed in terrifying black miasma. "Spell Card: Dimension Fusion!"
Hikaru's pupils contracted sharply.
"I pay 2000 LP. Both players Special Summon as many banished monsters as possible. Unfortunately, Hikaru, you have no banished monsters."
Hearing this, Hikaru fixed Mr. T with an even colder stare.
In the sky, dark clouds gathered. Then endless dark power formed a massive vortex. Not just this world's power; familiar things from other dimensions seemed to be distorting here too.
Mr. T, LP: 4000 → 2000.
"I Special Summon: Level 8 Tri-Horned Dragon, Level 8 Rabidragon, Level 4 Alexandrite Dragon, and Level 2 Galaxy Serpent."
With only four usable Monster Zones, Mr. T summoned four monsters.
But seeing these four, Hikaru felt a bad premonition.
Although Mr. T had enormous presence in late GX, even appearing invincible, his actual record wasn't great. He wasn't skilled at dueling. Most victories came from memory modification or mental attacks...
But now, this "T" was demonstrating something unexpected.
Sure enough, just as Hikaru anticipated, with these four monsters on field, Mr. T began his plays.
"I tune the Level 4 Alexandrite Dragon with the Level 2 Tuner Galaxy Serpent!"
!!!
Hikaru's jaw dropped slightly.
"All things are nurtured in darkness. Descend in glorious darkness and become the light!
Synchro Summon!
Level 6: Golden Cloud Beast - Malong!"
Neigh!
Beside the volcano, a mass of black sludge fell from the sky, then twisted into a green ring of light. Within it, black cards began spinning, then a horse's cry rang out.
Soon, a four-hoofed winged dragon shimmering with light spread its wings, neighing proudly as it appeared.
Golden Cloud Beast - Malong. Level 6, LIGHT Attribute, Dragon-Type. DEF 1000.
"A Synchro Monster?" Tierra was startled.
"I'm not done!" Before Tierra could finish being surprised, Mr. T spread both hands. "I overlay my two Level 8 Dragons!"
"It can Xyz Summon too?" Tierra was even more shocked.
How had this disgusting thing mastered two types of summoning that shouldn't belong to this world?
They were all native beings of this world, weren't they?
"All things are nurtured in darkness. Descend in glorious darkness and unleash your vengeance!"
A mass of black sludge rapidly spread into an enormous vortex. Then countless faceless cards flew in from every direction, becoming two pitch-black points of light.
"Xyz Summon!"
"Rank 8: Number 23: Lancelot, Dark Knight of the Underworld!"
Two purple scarves billowed from the darkness. A slender knight flicked its rapier, slowly materializing.
Number 23: Lancelot, Dark Knight of the Underworld. Rank 8, DARK Attribute, Zombie-Type. DEF 1500. Xyz Materials: 2.
"Number..." After seeing both summoned monsters, Hikaru genuinely felt the pressure.
It seemed... these Mr. T's were indeed leagues stronger than in the original!
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