Chapter 114: The Scales of Fusion, Severing Destiny
In the Dark Game, Amano Rei's soul was forcibly separated from Sakuya's body. The duel suddenly transformed into 1v3 mode, perfectly matching the Malefic deck's traditional virtue of fighting three opponents at once.
"Hah? Son-in-law?" Onikiri made an expression like she was looking at an idiot. "What kind of son-in-law possesses your own granddaughter's body? I think you're the one going senile, Muramasa!"
You two old geezers really are the pot calling the kettle black.
By seniority, Nanki'in Onikiri should be Sakuya's great-aunt, yet here she was trying to possess her great-niece's descendant.
At least on Amano Rei's side...
"I volunteered!" Worried her grandfather might blame Amano for this, Sakuya—the moment she regained control of her body—immediately stepped forward to clarify.
Muramasa startled briefly, then burst into hearty laughter: "Hahaha! As expected of my granddaughter! When it comes to honor and loyalty, she's beyond reproach!"
Onikiri's expression gradually twisted and contorted: "Grandfather and granddaughter—cut from exactly the same cloth of stupidity!"
That wasn't wrong at all.
One couldn't solve a single exam problem.
The other couldn't win at shogi even after taking back thirty moves.
These two truly had nothing to do with intelligence.
Yet somehow, both had become the Nanki'in family's legitimate heirs.
Muramasa was. Sakuya was too.
"The Nanki'in family—just hurry up and collapse already!"
The energy that burst from the shattered Millennium Key moments ago made Onikiri recall sealed memories of the past—the promise with Nanki'in Munechihi.
Compared to Munechihi and Onikiri, Muramasa—whether in natural talent or ambitious desire—was the least suitable to become the Nanki'in heir.
(Munechihi: "I'm wagering on inheritance. Wagering that someday, Muramasa's descendants, the Nanki'in family's descendants, will surpass your eternal life!")
"Don't be ridiculous! How could I possibly—how could I possibly lose to you two!"
That Dark Game years ago—Onikiri had lost to Munechihi and made that wager.
In this current Dark Game, if she lost again to Muramasa—
Then what meaning was there in the genius girl who'd once had the best aptitude among the three siblings abandoning her dignity to cling to life?
Onikiri vented her rage with a roar: "The duel continues! Even if all three of you come at me together, I will not lose!!"
Because this was a 1v3 duel, Life Points also changed. Both sides held twelve thousand Life Points.
Nanki'in Onikiri LP: 1800 → 5800
Sakuya & Muramasa & Amano Rei LP: 800 → 4800 → 2800
But because Amano Rei joined midway, he was judged as an Intrusion Duelist. The system penalized him 2000 points.
Sakuya & Muramasa & Amano Rei: "Waaaaaahhh!!"
All three in the Dark Game convulsed wildly from the punishment current the system dropped on them.
"Cough, cough, cough!" The two young people were fine, but Muramasa was advanced in years and ill besides. How long he'd endured this Dark Game—the burden on the old man's body was unimaginable.
"Grandfather, are you alright?"
"No need to worry about me, granddaughter!"
Nanki'in Muramasa wiped the fresh blood he'd coughed from the corner of his mouth.
"Right now, this old man is happier than he's ever been. Because the soul that regretted fleeing from darkness for fifty years finally learned the truth at life's end, and can fight alongside descendants. My life no longer holds any regrets!"
To see the conclusion of that Dark Game at life's end. To see eldest brother Munechihi's expectations for himself and the Nanki'in family's descendants.
As the Nanki'in family's inheritor, facing the Nanki'in family's eternal one. To personally end this wager's destiny after fifty years of time—what regrets could there be?
Well, if he had to name regrets, they definitely existed.
He probably wouldn't live to see Sakuya's child, the next Nanki'in heir, be born.
But life disappoints eight or nine times out of ten. Perhaps the existence of small regrets made Nanki'in Muramasa's "finite" life as a human being feel more real and precious.
The duel continued. It was still Sakuya's turn.
After Shiranui Spectralsword's direct attack, Sakuya ended the Battle Phase and surveyed her hand.
"I Set two cards. Turn end!"
Alternating to Onikiri's turn—because it had become a 1v3 duel, Onikiri at the start of her turn could even draw three cards at once.
"Draw! Draw! Draw!"
Three cards entered her hand. Onikiri first replaced the Field Spell Zone destroyed last turn with another Field Spell.
"Field Spell Malefic World activates! Then I Normal Summon Malefic Parallel Gear!"
[Malefic Parallel Gear] [Level 1★ DARK]
[Machine/Tuner/Effect]
[ATK: 0] [DEF: 0]
The art style was completely different from the high-ATK Malefic monsters Onikiri had summoned before. This Level 1 small fry with 0 ATK/DEF looked incredibly familiar to Amano Rei.
But this card was no ordinary monster.
"Malefic Parallel Gear's effect activates! When I control a Field Spell, I Tribute this card to Special Summon Malefic Parallel Gear from my Deck, then add Malefic Stardust Dragon to my hand!"
[Malefic Parallel Gear released]
[Malefic Parallel Gear] [Level 2★ DARK]
[Machine/Tuner/Effect]
[ATK: 0] [DEF: 0]
The gear went from Level 1 to Level 2, and came with the Tuner property.
But what Amano Rei cared about more was the Malefic Stardust Dragon Onikiri added to her hand.
She shouldn't be able to summon it, right? After all, Malefic monsters' Special Summon conditions all required banishing the original from the Deck or Extra Deck.
In the anime, villain Paradox had stolen Yusei Fudo's Stardust Dragon.
But just before tonight's Dark Game started, Amano Rei had seen Rin Seiya post photo updates. Stardust Dragon shouldn't have been stolen.
Sure enough, Onikiri didn't summon the Malefic Stardust Dragon she'd added to hand. Instead, with only one monster on field, she lit up the black starlight of Synchro Summon.
"A Synchro Summon!" Muramasa knew that back in the day, Onikiri had been the strongest at Synchro Academy. Using Synchro Summon was only natural.
But a Synchro with only one monster on field—truly unheard of.
"Malefic Parallel Gear's effect: this card can Synchro Summon with a Malefic monster in my hand. I tune it with Malefic Stardust Dragon!"
Synchro directly with a monster in hand—this flexibility was almost catching up to Fusion.
No wonder they say Fusion is the noblest summoning method.
Level 2 + Level 8 = Level 10!
"Darkness born from dimensional rifts! In the destined karma spanning fifty years, raise the curtain of destruction! Synchro Summon! Malefic Paradox Dragon!!"
[Malefic Paradox Dragon] [Level 10★ DARK]
[Dragon/Synchro/Effect]
[ATK: 4000] [DEF: 4000]
[Materials: "Malefic Parallel Gear" + 1 non-Tuner "Malefic" monster]
Roaring from the spacetime rift created by Synchro, the massive pitch-black Paradox Dragon spread its wings and hovered above Onikiri's field.
"When Malefic Paradox Dragon is Synchro Summoned, I can target 1 Synchro Monster in either player's Graveyard and Special Summon it! I choose from Nanki'in Muramasa's Graveyard—War God - Shiranui!"
Paradoxical light ignited demon blade flames. From the once-again shattered spacetime rift, Onikiri forcibly dragged the currently highest-ATK Synchro Monster from Muramasa's Graveyard to her own field.
[War God - Shiranui] [ATK: 3000]
"Malefic Paradox Dragon's effect: all monsters on my opponent's field lose ATK equal to the total ATK of Synchro Monsters on my field, excluding Malefic Paradox Dragon!"
Onikiri's Synchro Summon this time actually reproduced the original Malefic Paradox Dragon's effect from the movie.
Since War God - Shiranui had 3000 ATK, the permanent ATK-reduction debuff aura transformed into paradoxical pressure bearing down on Sakuya's field.
[Shiranui Spectralsword] [ATK: 2400 → 0]
With ATK reduced to 0, even with the 2000 LP boost from Amano's Intrusion Duel, they couldn't survive an attack from any monster on Onikiri's field.
"Hmph! Don't think that's the end!"
Onikiri only had one card left in hand, yet her smile grew even more arrogant.
"Great power often comes with a price! I'm activating a card with massive drawbacks! Spell Card Card of Demise!"
[Card of Demise] [Spell Card: Draw cards until you have 5 cards in your hand. During your 5th Standby Phase after this card's activation, send your entire hand to the Graveyard.]
"I can draw until I have 5 cards in hand, but as the price, after 5 turns I must discard my entire hand!"
Amano Rei: "..."
With such massive drawbacks, this card must be dirt cheap. So cheap it probably didn't even appear in Academy City's point shop.
The anime's original godlike draw spell—the Eva system even reproduced something like this.
Since there's Card of Demise, Card of Sanctity must also exist.
Except right now, Amano Rei had absolutely no idea where to obtain these top-tier godlike draw spells.
Though she should say—as expected of an old monster who'd obtained eternal life power, she even had access to cards like this.
Onikiri drew five cards in succession.
Probably because she didn't draw any Malefic monsters she could continue Special Summoning, or because she judged her field monsters' ATK completely sufficient, Onikiri directly declared entry into this turn's Battle Phase.
"Malefic Paradox Dragon attacks! With this strike, vanish from Eden forever, Nanki'in!"
Dark light gathering in Paradox Dragon's mouth locked onto and aimed at Nanki'in Sakuya's field and the 0-ATK Shiranui Spectralsword.
"—Paradox Spiral Cannon!!"
Facing 4000 ATK, Sakuya surprisingly didn't show the same panic as before.
"Amano already saved me once. I can't hold him back again! I'm also a Nanki'in heir!"
"Continuous Trap Card activate—Shiranui Style Samsara!"
As the Set card flipped up, behind Sakuya, a samsara formation burning with purple flames manifested in the Dark Game.
[Shiranui Style Samsara] [Continuous Trap Card: Banish 1 face-up Zombie monster you control to activate this card. This turn, all damage you take becomes 0.]
"Please, Shiranui Spectralsword! Counter paradox with samsara!"
On Sakuya's field, the sword-wielding Synchro girl's eyes showed firm resolve as she resolutely rushed into the purple samsara formation.
"I banish Shiranui Spectralsword from my field! This turn, all damage I take becomes 0!"
The spiral beam penetrating the battlefield slammed directly into Nanki'in Sakuya, yet only ruffled the cool-faced cute girl's black hair without causing even the slightest actual damage.
"As expected of my granddaughter!" Already heavily filtered in Sakuya's favor, Muramasa grew even more emotional watching Sakuya bravely face Paradox Dragon.
As an elder, he had to create a future for these young people.
"I end this turn's Battle Phase!"
Having successfully activated Shiranui Style Samsara, Sakuya had already gained immunity to damage this turn, forcing Onikiri to end the battle.
"Spell Card Goblin's Secret Remedy activates! I discard 2 cards from my hand to target 1 Trap Card in my Graveyard and Set it on my field!"
Discarding 2 cards from hand—paying such an enormous cost could only mean the Trap Card Onikiri was recovering had this much value.
"I discard Malefic Parallel Gear and Malefic Parallel Gear, then Set Skill Drain from my Graveyard back on my field. Finally, I Set one more card from my hand. Turn end!"
Turn alternating, next came—Amano's turn.
As the Intrusion Duelist, according to the rules, he did indeed need to take the alternating turn.
But Amano Rei felt unprecedented dread.
On Onikiri's field: 4000-ATK Malefic Paradox Dragon, 3000-ATK War God - Shiranui, one unknown Set card and the known Set Skill Drain.
To break through such a field—what did Amano's hand look like?
As the intruder, the five cards he drew when intruding into the duel—
[Priestess Who Receives the Star Chalice], [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], [Dark Magician Girl], [Yuyu], [Yuyu].
Could his hand be any worse?
A spirit gathering, huh? All the spirits in his deck came to his hand.
Eve: "Don't complain, Amano. You know your situation is really dangerous right now!"
Mana: "Amano, your soul was forcibly separated by the Millennium Key, but your body was isolated outside the Dark Game. If Eve and I hadn't gathered our spirit power in your hand, you might have already disappeared!"
Eve: "As in your soul scattering—this isn't a joke!"
It's that dangerous?
True, just existing as a soul without a body to play cards was already extremely unreasonable.
He'd nearly had his soul scatter without even realizing it. Millennium Items truly were extremely dangerous existences.
Unknowingly saved by the spirits in his deck, Amano had no right to complain about them clogging his hand.
But he only got one chance to draw.
Relying on this one draw to turn the tables... wouldn't that be too difficult?
"Amano!" Sakuya suddenly spoke. "I will always support you!"
"Sakuya?"
"The promise from earlier—I'll keep my word. I, Nanki'in Sakuya, will forever remember your kindness, and wagering the Nanki'in family's path of honor and loyalty, will never betray you in this lifetime! So from this moment forward, you can use everything I have!"
Use everything?
Just as Amano Rei was processing the meaning in Nanki'in Sakuya's words—
The system notification suddenly sounded.
[Nanki'in Sakuya] [Affection +15] [Affection: 85]
[80-Point Affection, Romance Skill Unlocked—"Inheritor of Shiranui Style"]
[In the Extra Deck, all "Zombie" Synchro Monster cards are unlocked. At the start of a duel, you may choose to add any number of "Demon Blade - Shiranui" to the Main Deck (maximum 3 copies).]
Though the 70-point affection skill for Nanki'in was about her personal archetype—the Sky Striker Ace she couldn't use yet.
But the 80-point affection skill was genuinely about Shiranui Style, about an extension skill tied to Nanki'in family heir identity.
From the skill order, Nanki'in Sakuya valued family more than herself.
Catching the moment Onikiri ended her turn, Sakuya flipped up the card at her feet—support Muramasa had Set in advance.
"At the End Phase, Set card activates! Quick-Play Spell Card D.D.R. - Different Dimension Reincarnation!"
[D.D.R. - Different Dimension Reincarnation] [Quick-Play Spell: Target up to 3 banished monsters (yours and/or your opponent's); return those targets to the Graveyard.]
"I target Demon Blade - Shiranui, Shiranui Spiritualist, and Shiranui Spectralsword in the banished zone—return to the Graveyard!"
By recovering Demon Blade - Shiranui to the Graveyard one turn early, next turn it could activate Shiranui's Graveyard Synchro.
This was the inheritance Nanki'in Sakuya handed to Amano Rei.
Onikiri sneered mockingly: "Don't delude yourselves! How could anyone outside the Nanki'in family possibly perform Shiranui Synchro!"
"The person this old man has chosen isn't for you to question, Onikiri!"
Nanki'in Muramasa's excessively burly frame—his upper body's explosive muscles seemed to instantly strain his kimono. With one arm, he raised his Eva Terminal high, radiating golden brilliance.
"Amano Rei! Since you saved my granddaughter's life, this old man won't be stingy! Consider this Sakuya's dowry! This is the result of fifty years exploring darkness—my trump card against the Millennium Key!"
Golden light blooming from Nanki'in Muramasa's wrist seemed to stir the vast sea of data within Eden Tower's world.
This visible vast data ultimately gathered in the Dark Game behind Amano Rei, coalescing into the projection of a massive golden scale.
"That's—the Millennium Scale? So huge!!"
Far larger than the Millennium Scale projected on the shogi board tonight—it was even several times larger than Amano Rei himself.
A profound and weighty mysterious aura overflowed from the swaying golden scale, erupting in this form to disperse darkness with six thousand years of accumulated time.
Nanki'in Muramasa, having summoned the Millennium Scale, struck an imposing stance like a guardian deity with his burly frame.
"The Millennium Scale represents the power of Fusion! Young friend Amano, you are a duelist capable of using Fusion Summon! At this very moment, let that soul cursed by the Millennium Key witness Shiranui Style Fusion!"
"Shiranui Style Fusion..." Hearing this term again after fifty years, Onikiri visibly panicked.
At the same time, sensing the Millennium Item's profound energy, the topmost card of Amano Rei's deck responded with flashing golden light.
He could actually print cards directly in the Main Deck?
That made sense. After all, this was a Millennium Item—the supreme mystery in the Yu-Gi-Oh! world view.
Legendary Duelist Yuma Tsukumo once said—true duelists can even create their own draws!
With the massive Millennium Scale as his backdrop, Amano Rei struck his drawing pose, fingertips pressing on the topmost golden card.
"Swaying scales, with the power of Fusion, balance the duelist's soul!"
Amano Rei's fighting spirit weighed on the scale's left side. Amano Rei's determination weighed on the scale's right side.
When the swaying scales reached balance—
"My turn—draw!!"
Golden light shattered the Dark Game's barrier. Outside the barrier, all the anxiously waiting Nanki'in family members could see the isolated Dark Game with unprecedented clarity at this instant.
The card shining at Amano Rei's fingertips was a brand-new Fusion card.
"Spell Card Dragon's Mirror activates!"
***
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