Shell LP 500 to 0.
Shell, LP 0.
Life Points Zero, End of the Duel Ritual. Seal of Orichalcos Activated began to spin and contract, slowly closing in around Shell.
At the same time, a powerful force burst out from his Deck. The flames shaped by Phoenix Flame rose into the sky and briefly formed the phantom of a Phoenix. The fire swept across the field, and the bright light swallowed all three people in the Duel.
After a flash so strong it forced their eyes shut, a scene appeared before them. It looked like a distant ancient battlefield where the world echoed with cries. The sky seemed torn apart by a Rift, revealing a horrifying crack.
Within that Rift, something dreadful seemed to dwell. A pair of cold, deep eyes stared down as if ready to devour every living thing.
An army of monsters surged across the battlefield like a tide. Some had horns and wore armor, some spread wings in the air, and some were blood colored Fiend roaring toward the sky. The ground burned as the war raged without restraint.
A blazing Phoenix fell from the sky, its feathers shining even as they burned. Its cry echoed across the battlefield for a long time before fading.
"Is this... a scene from the past?" Judai Yuki murmured.
Even if it was only a guess, they both understood. The forces of the Dark God had invaded Spirit World, starting a brutal war in a hidden Dimension unknown to humanity. The fallen Phoenix was likely Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys.
The image felt like a message from Phoenix God. It was as if it was saying that it had not refused to help, but had simply been defeated long ago.
As the fallen Phoenix faded, the flames it released were absorbed into a stone tablet. It seemed that after that battle, the Spirit of Phoenix God had entered a sealed state. The reason it could send this vision now was only because of the small trace of Phoenix Force they had drawn from the statue in the ruins earlier.
The scene shifted again, moving from Spirit World to the real world. A village lay nestled among mountains under clear sunlight.
The sky was suddenly covered by dark clouds. Monsters poured in from every direction, their shapes flickering through the forest as they crushed the village into ruins.
Behind the horde, beneath the cloud covered sky, a massive black shadow watched with a twisted smile. Reflected on its forehead was the Hexagram Emblem of Orichalcos.
"How... how could this be?" Shell muttered, his face pale.
In that instant, he understood. Or rather, he realized he should have understood long ago that there had been many strange details about the invasion of his village. Until now, his mind had been under the influence of Orichalcos, deliberately guided away from the truth.
Now that he had lost the Duel and his soul was about to fade, his connection to Orichalcos was finally severed. Only then could Phoenix God find a gap to pass him the Truth.
From the very beginning, the fiends that attacked his homeland had been summoned by The God of Orichalcos. They had staged the invasion themselves, then appeared as saviors at the height of despair, offering Shell power. That was how he had willingly sold his soul and worked for Shin Doma.
Yugen was not surprised at all. He had already guessed as much.
This was the oldest trick used by the former Doma. The Three Swords of the old Doma had all been recruited in similar ways. Dartz had foreseen the potential of Valon, Rafael, and Amelda, and decided they were destined to become the Three Swords of Doma.
So Dartz personally created the tragedies of their childhoods, planting darkness in their hearts. Step by step, he guided them to join Doma in pursuit of power, turning them into his strongest Three Swords.
Another flash of light ended the vision. The phantom form of Phoenix God gradually faded, its last trace of power seemingly burned away.
At the same time, The Seal of Orichalcos had shrunk until it was almost pressed against Shell.
"Was I wrong..." He closed his eyes and let out a long breath.
"Shell!" Judai Yuki reached out toward him.
Shell looked at Judai Yuki one last time and gave a faint smile.
"You have good partners," he said. "I hope your future... will be different from mine."
When he finished speaking, his soul left his body. It rose with the green beam of light and shot into the sky, disappearing beyond sight.
It was probably the first time Judai Yuki had seen someone lose their soul after being defeated in a Duel. The sight left a clear mark on him.
His expression grew complicated. Yugen, however, remained calm as always. He walked forward, bent down, and picked up the Deck.
"There was nothing else we could do," Yugen said solemnly as he placed the Deck into an empty card case inside his jacket. "All we can do is inherit his will and keep moving forward."
Including inheriting his Deck.
Judai Yuki fell into Silence for a moment.
".Yeah."
"It should be dawn at Duel Academy by now. Let's head back."
They had only spent a single night in Spirit World, but the gains were not small. A bone themed Deck, an insect Deck, and the cards of Phoenix God and King of the End.
Strictly speaking, the latter two could hardly be called full Deck. There were only a few cards in total. Even Shell's own Deck had been a messy pile, mixing unrelated strategies together and stuffing in random spells and traps to support them.
It was a style only a strong Duelist could make work.
With the support of his Spirit and his training at Duel Academy, Yugen was no longer a complete outsider to lucky draws. He could afford to be a little bold in building his Deck, but even his boldness only meant adding a few unusual cards to raise the ceiling.
Seeing such a free form construction still impressed him.
The remaining power in the card of Phoenix God had just been exhausted. It could still be used, but it had become an ordinary card again. After witnessing the vision it showed, holding it now gave him the strange feeling of picking up a hidden quest item in an RPG starring Yugi Muto.
As for King of the End and Demise, King of the End, it was harder to judge. In his hands, "King of the End · Demise, King of the End" looked normal and showed no sign of a residing Spirit. Yet during the Duel, it had clearly been unusual.
To be safe, Yugen decided not to use a card with such an unclear background for now. He would study and test it after returning.
Some cards in the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! were dangerous. Certain evil cards required a price to control and could even harm the Duelist. "King of the End · Demise, King of the End" looked like that kind.
Yugen used Summon to call out Envoy of the Beginning, who slashed open space with a single stroke.
Just before stepping into the Rift, Judai Yuki suddenly paused.
Yugen glanced at him. "What is it?"
"Oh, nothing. Just..."
Judai Yuki thought for a few seconds, then looked up and returned to his usual bright smile.
"I still don't understand everything that guy said. But I suddenly feel that coming to Duel Academy and meeting someone like you, Yugen, was really a great thing."
Yugen smiled faintly.
"Yeah. I think so too."
He turned around. "Let's go. We shouldn't keep them waiting."
"Okay!"