"Revolver!"
Ed Phoenix shouted angrily.
In fact, he didn't have any personal grudge against this Revolver, but the series of torment he had just endured had pushed his patience to the brink. Now seeing the main figure finally appear, it felt like his pent-up anger had found an outlet, and he naturally roared with fury.
But the Revolver stood high atop the labyrinth, looking down at him with an air of superiority. Although most of his face was covered by a dark mask, Ed somehow sensed there was a playful smile hidden beneath.
"Tenacious People!"
Ed shouted, and Tenacious People leaped forth. Destiny Hero launched a punch. Revolver stood high without flinching or dodging. The explosive punch billowed the hem of his coat, but he remained utterly unmoved.
However, as the punch hit, the figure appeared transparent and vanished as if the one standing there had only ever been a mirage.
Ed was startled, realizing his thoughts had been disturbed by the previous illusion, leaving him somewhat restless. The attack had been rather reckless.
He quickly turned around and saw that a door had somehow appeared on the endlessly looping labyrinth wall behind him.
After a moment's hesitation, he couldn't help but reach out and push the door. The door creaked open, and Ed walked out, finding himself in a suddenly wide-open space.
A changing scene again, he was back outdoors. Just like at the cemetery before, it was pouring rain, and lightning twisted like angry dragons through the forest.
He had transformed back into a child from years ago, holding a large umbrella with both hands. The rain poured down like a torrent, the storm so intense it seemed it would blow him and the umbrella away.
Running, he shouted Saio's name, not knowing how far he'd gone until he finally found Saio on a grassy field.
Takuma Saiou was kneeling with his back to him, head bowed, engaged in something unknown. His hair and clothes were thoroughly soaked by the rain.
"Saio!"
Young Ed hurriedly ran forward, wanting to hold the umbrella for his partner as promised.
But Saio suddenly turned around, and at that moment Ed almost screamed.
There was no Saio anymore. That face was as hideous as a demon, clawing at him with a twisted expression that seemed to roar, yet was also laughing maniacally, mouth wide open as if to swallow him whole.
Ed was so frightened he dropped the umbrella.
He stumbled and fell to the ground, his back hitting a solid wall. Coming to his senses, the pouring rain, cemetery, and twisted demon were gone.
He was still inside the labyrinth, surrounded by endless loops and eerie darkness, with only the white-clad Revolver standing before him.
Ed got up, face stern: "What are you trying to say? I don't know how you learned so much about us, but you clearly don't understand the bond between Saio and me.
If you truly understood, you'd know you can't drive a wedge between us with just some shocking images..."
"Is that so?" Yugen smiled, "Then if your bond is really as strong as you say, how come you're unaware of the changes in your companion?"
"What do you mean?" Ed frowned.
"You've noticed it yourself, haven't you?" Yugen said calmly, "The changes in Takuma Saiou lately. Think about it, is he still the Saio you once knew?"
Ed pondered.
Indeed, there was no denying it. He knew what kind of person Saio was; since his father died, Saio had given him considerable help. Over the past two years, he had felt that Saio seemed a bit different, more gloomy, and more mysterious than before.
"Hasn't Takuma Saiou already predicted for you that he would inevitably face a destiny of destruction?" Yugen said, "So when his personality started becoming strange, did you never consider that perhaps the destruction he once foretold had already quietly arrived?"
Ed still didn't speak, but he seemed a bit moved. His eyes flickered as memories of Saio's oddities, previously ignored, began to surface in his mind.
But suddenly, a faint white light flashed in his eyes, his body seemingly igniting with an invisible white flame.
"Uh... aah..."
Ed clutched his head, the white light in his eyes quickly turned fierce.
He looked up, glaring viciously at Yugen.
"No... our bond won't be swayed by your fancy words. More importantly, I have questions to ask. The Ultimate D card!"
He shouted.
"Is that card related to you?"
"The influence of the Light of Destruction, huh."
Yugen noticed the source of Ed's anomaly and shrugged.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but the card you're looking for isn't with me."
"Just saying it won't convince me."
Ed activated his Duel Disc and shouted.
"Duel! Let me solve a problem for Saio."
Yugen smiled. Since he was here, he had also prepared to duel.
Defeating the influence of the Light of Destruction over Ed through a duel should help calm him down a bit.
"Alright."
"Duel!" x2
[Yugen, LP 4000]
[Ed, LP 4000]
"I go first, draw!"
Ed seemed lucky today, with the indicator on his Duel Disc lighting up first, allowing him the first turn. Ed didn't hesitate to claim the first move.
"Activate the Magic Card 'Destiny Draw'!" Ed said, "By discarding a Destiny Hero from my hand, I can draw two cards from my deck!"
He briefly displayed a Monster Card in his hand before discarding it to the graveyard.
"I discard 'Destiny Hero: Demon' to the graveyard and draw two cards!"
Demon, one of the notable big brothers among the Destiny Heroes. By banishing this card from the graveyard, you can Special Summon a card with the same name from the deck. Its convenience once led to it being limited, and as an old card from an ancient era, it remains a staple in Hero Card Decks to this day, indicating its substantial value.
"Then activate the Magic Card 'Angel's Charity', draw three cards from the deck, and discard two cards from my hand."
Ed drew cards, added them to his hand, then picked two cards to send to the graveyard.
Then, looking serious, he said.
"I heard you're quite formidable, Revolver. Very well, today, let me show you my unique heroes hidden in the darkness!
I summon this guy from my hand.
Come On, Destiny Hero: Diamond Man!"
A summoning tornado swirled up, and the hero, cloaked, rose as if from the earth. With a sweep of his arm, he unfurled his cloak, revealing his body, radiant as crystalline diamond.
[Destiny Hero: Diamond Man, Attack Power 1400]