World to enslave Spirit and turn their power into weapons, while also plotting against your world. Both worlds are under its threat."
Yugen frowned slightly. Could it be a dark Duelist from his own world?
Even so, causing trouble over there would not be easy. There were far too many powerful figures above.
He exchanged a glance with Silent Magician, and she nodded lightly. Through the bond between Duelist and Spirit, words were not always needed, and she was telling him that the seal here carried power similar to the stone slab they entered through, enough to send him back.
Just as he stepped forward and reached out to touch the tablet, a dull explosion suddenly rang out beside him. The sound was like a shell being fired, and before he could react, Silent Magician rushed ahead and swept her staff.
The incoming projectile was blown aside by her surging magic, redirected to explode elsewhere, leaving a smoking crater on the plain. Yugen turned his head and saw a man standing on the hillside.
His hands were in his pockets, blond hair visible beneath a headscarf patterned like the Stars and Stripes, and dark sunglasses covered his eyes. He wore a casual, mocking smile.
"Sorry," the man said. "But I am afraid I cannot let you leave so easily."
Yugen narrowed his eyes and studied the newcomer. He tilted his head slightly, measuring the man's posture and the faint pressure rolling off him. A familiar outline surfaced in his memory, though he was not fully certain yet.
"Bandit Keith?" he asked, his tone unsure.
"Oh? Someone still recognizes me these days?" The man removed his sunglasses and stretched his mouth into an unsettling grin.
It really was him. Bandit Keith, a minor boss from the early days of Yu-Gi-Oh!DM during the Duelist Kingdom Arc. He had once been a Bounty Hunter in the United States known for Card Mastery, at his peak undefeated across the United States and hailed as the American Champion, a Duel star with both power and promise.
That all ended the day he challenged Maximillion Pegasus. Maximillion Pegasus did not even take the field himself, instead letting a child Duel in his place while he chatted and laughed in the audience with Seto Kaiba. No one expected that child to defeat Keith using nothing but strategies written on a small note, crushing his pride and sending him down a path of bitterness and decay.
That was ancient history from the early DM era, and by all rights this man should have vanished long ago. Though his clothes were similar, his face had changed enough over the years that Yugen only confirmed his identity after hearing it from his own mouth. Even so, it did not explain why Bandit Keith had appeared in the Spirit World.
"I can feel the power on you, an evil, devouring force," the Holy Spirit said, watching Keith with open caution. "You are an agent of the Dark God."
"Tch. Power is just power. What does evil have to do with it?" Bandit Keith replied.
He put a cigarette to his lips, flicked open a lighter, and sparked it with a sharp click. After blowing out a ring of smoke, he spoke lazily toward Yugen.
"Thanks to Yugi Muto and Katsuya Jonouchi, I once sank into pure despair. But with the power of a god, I was reborn through fire. Bandit Keith is already dead. All that remains now is the God-Chosen Swordsman."
He paused, took another drag, and pointed behind Yugen toward the engraved image. "That is why I am here. Legendary Warrior. We are taking that Spirit's power, no matter what. So sorry, kid, I cannot let you walk out of here alive, though you will not die right away."
Smoke curled from the corner of his grin as he studied Yugen. "Anyone who reaches this place has something special. Your soul should make fine nourishment."
Bandit Keith dropped the cigarette, crushed it under his boot, and snapped open his Duel Disk. "Come on. No matter what, only one of us leaves this place today."
"Thanks for the invitation, but I will pass," Yugen said.
He stepped back two paces, stopped firmly, and unfolded his own Duel Disk. "You can keep the honor of becoming monster feed for yourself."
"Duel!" x2
Yugen, LP 4000. Bandit Keith, LP 4000.
"I will take the first turn. Card Draw," Bandit Keith said. "First, I activate 'Pot of Greed' from my hand and draw two cards from my Deck. I then set one monster in face-down defense and set one card. My turn ends."
"My Turn!, Card Draw," Yugen replied.
On the first turn, Keith only set a monster and a card, revealing nothing about his plan. Back in the Duelist Kingdom Arc, the game had been simple, a time when even Blue-Eyes White Dragon could sweep the field. Nearly ten years had passed since then, and those old matches were no longer reliable references.
More importantly, Keith clearly served a different power now, and there was no telling what kind of Deck he was using. For now, focusing on his own Duel mattered more.
"I summon Summoner Monk in defense position."
Summoner Monk appeared face-up in defense, its DEF at 1600. While face-up defense summons were an anime rule, this made no difference for Summoner Monk, whose effect forced it into defense upon being summoned.
"Summoner Monk's effect activates," Yugen said. "Once per turn, I discard one Spell Card from my hand to special summon a Level 4 monster from my Deck."
He placed a card onto the Duel Disk, and it slid into the graveyard. "I special summon Witch of the Black Forest from my Deck."
Her ATK was 1100 as she appeared on the field. Yugen continued, "Next, I activate the Equip Spell 'Wonder Wand' from my hand, equipping it to Summoner Monk. This card can only equip to a Spellcaster Type monster, and the equipped monster gains 500 ATK."
Summoner Monk's ATK rose from 800 to 1300. Bandit Keith spoke flatly, "Summoner Monk must switch to defense when summoned. What is the point of raising its ATK?"
"The second effect of 'Wonder Wand' activates," Yugen said, sweeping his hand. "By sending the equipped monster and this card to the graveyard, I draw two cards from my Deck."
Summoner Monk and the wand dissolved into light, streaming back into Yugen's Deck as he drew two cards. He did not pause.
"Next is the Spell I discarded earlier, 'Silent Burning.' I banish it from my graveyard to add one 'Silent Magician' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add 'True Silent Magician' to my hand."
The Duel Disk completed its search, and the card popped out smoothly before the Deck shuffled itself. Yugen raised the card.
"'True Silent Magician' cannot be Normal Summoned, but it can be Special Summoned by tributing a Spellcaster Type monster on the field. I tribute Witch of the Black Forest."
The black-robed witch dissolved into golden light, energy pooling into a white magic circle on the ground. Transparent mana rose and spun like a small storm.
"Wings of silence that bear hope, Magician of light, appear now. True Silent Magician, summon."
White robes swayed within the shining storm, long pale legs briefly visible beneath the hem. The silent girl opened her eyes, spun her staff twice with practiced ease, and held it steady.
True Silent Magician stood with 1000 ATK. Yugen lifted his hand again.
"At this moment, Witch of the Black Forest's effect activates. When she is sent to the graveyard, I add one monster with 1500 or less DEF from my Deck to my hand."