The dark figure blocked Tenjo Hikari's path. Tenjo Hikari gently moved his hands, watching the man cautiously.
Mr. T, a subordinate of Darkness, fully named "MR.True" or "True Man," meaning "Mr. Real" or "Real Person."
Unlike those spirits sent to attack the students and those pursuing Darkness's power, Mr. T is an authentic follower of Darkness, with many abilities beyond ordinary understanding.
First is memory manipulation; Mr. T can alter a duelist's memory during a duel, even making it difficult for the opponent to perceive, instinctively believing their memory is the real one.
Secondly, appearance modification; Mr. T can change his appearance into any human, even directly replicate language and memory. The power used by those spirits attacking the students likely stems from Mr. T's ability.
Lastly, and most astonishingly, there's "infinity."
In the original work, Yuki Judai defeated several Mr. T's, but no matter the victory or killing, these beings couldn't be eradicated. As long as Darkness exists, Mr. T will never vanish, making him quite persistent and troublesome.
Moreover, his individual ability isn't like the broad interference of Darkness, which can be resisted by those with a spirit. In the original work, when Yuki Judai's physical state wasn't good, their power also affected him, seeing everyone as "Mr. T," marking him as quite a dangerous figure.
Of course, among these related plots, the clearest and most memorable memory for Tenjo Hikari still remains "Five for One."
For a long time, Tenjo Hikari didn't remember their names but called them "Five for One Mr.'s." Upon seeing them, he would recall Judai's first duel with them, using Polymerization and then De-Fusion before Tribute Summoning Neos.
Memorable indeed, it's considered a monumental scene in Yu Gi Oh history.
"Tenjo Hikari, it seems you indeed possess some abilities beyond the ordinary," Mr. T said with a smile after scrutinizing each other for a while.
"Once so-called special abilities become widespread, they're no longer special," Tenjo Hikari calmly countered. "There's nothing unique about me; someday my abilities will be passed on to future generations."
"Ha, humans, huh—" Mr. T sighed twice.
Humans experience birth, aging, sickness, and death, so they pass their experience, knowledge, and abilities to the next generation. Through generations of accumulation, humanity reaches the current level.
But for life forms like Mr. T, possessing eternal life, immortality, and memory sharing, human abilities are all laughable and foolishly backward.
However—his eternal life, immortality, and memory sharing all depend on the existence of Darkness. Should Darkness vanish, these life forms would fade into nothingness.
"I'm not idly chatting with you here... I'm looking for Senior Fubuki; tell me, is he here?"
"Hmph—do you think I'd tell you?"
Tenjo Hikari pressed the Duel Disk on his left hand; it automatically expanded, then glowed purple, illuminating the path.
Mr. T's lips curved upward, raising his left hand. His left hand instantly split, countless black cards replaced it—that was his true form.
Indeed.
These figures resembling humans seem like they came from the set of The Matrix, but in fact, they're neither human nor spirit, but a life form composed of cards. They themselves are "cards."
Or perhaps...
Card backs?
His left arm's cards, under thick black mist, gradually twisted, transforming into a massive black Duel Disk.
"Duel."
MR. T, LP: 4000.
Tenjo Hikari, LP: 4000.
"My turn." Mr. T drew a card from the deck, then examined Tenjo Hikari, smiling.
"Are you looking for Tenjouin Fubuki? But hasn't he always been right in front of you?"
As he spoke, his body began to transform, slowly twisting, and after a burst of dark distortion, turned into a completely new person.
Tenjouin Fubuki.
Tenjo Hikari raised an eyebrow.
"Disgusting, this guy." Nearby, Tierra appeared as Tenjo Hikari prepared for the duel, witnessing Mr. T morph his appearance and voice; Tierra's brow furrowed fiercely.
It's not that the behavior itself looks disgusting.
But Mr. T uses what appears to be a twisted, evil act to achieve similar results to her—changing the external form of life.
Though the processes they undergo differ, Mr. T almost completely became "Tenjouin Fubuki," a human, truly making her feel utterly repulsed.
Just like the argument she had with Sofia before, the expression of life and the reincarnation process, she absolutely refuses others' interference.
"Stop using Senior's form to speak here. It makes me sick—and do you think I'll fall for your trick just by using someone else's image?"
"Hehehe—" Mr. T sneered with Tenjouin Fubuki's face, saying, "Isn't this the person you wanted to see? Seeing who you wanted at this time, only to be met with harsh words. Humans are truly irrational beings.
But, it's okay."
His figure twisted again, reverting to his previous form.
It's not that Tenjo Hikari's words truly persuaded him, nor does using someone else's form require any energy expenditure. For him, becoming any "human" is like breathing for humans, a natural operation needing no effort.