Kaiba stepped down from the dueling platform.
"Good work," Aoi said quietly. "It's a good thing you didn't declare an attack with Obelisk the Tormentor—otherwise you would've lost."
"What?!"Not just Kaiba—the entire group exclaimed at once. Even Isis looked shocked, eyes widening.
Aoi turned to Isis.
"Isis… your final set card was Blast Held by a Tribute, wasn't it?"
"Blast Held by a Tribute?" Jounouchi blinked. "What kind of card is that?"
Aoi explained without hesitation.
"It can only be activated when an opponent's Tribute Summoned monster declares an attack. It destroys all face-up Attack Position monsters on the opponent's field and inflicts 1000 damage."
"Then that means—" Jounouchi started.
"Exactly." Aoi nodded. "If Kaiba had attacked with Obelisk, Obelisk would've been destroyed, his Battle Phase would end, and even if he regained Blue-Eyes White Dragon, his Deck was already nearly exhausted. Isis would simply keep milling him down until he lost."
Kaiba felt a cold sweat crawl down his back.
While Kaiba and Aoi spoke, Isis stepped forward.
"…So you saw everything." Isis's voice was steady, but her gaze held real weight. "Yes. The moment Kaiba declared an attack with Obelisk… he would have had no path to victory."
She then looked directly at Aoi.
"Aoi, I can't reasonably demand you withdraw at this point—Kaiba has already acknowledged your strength. But I will still warn you: your duel with Marik will be dangerous. Please be careful."
"I know." Aoi's smile was calm, sharp at the edges. "And I'm looking forward to it. I brought a 'gift' of my own for Marik."
She shifted her eyes to Marik—standing off to the side, smiling like a knife.
At that moment, the announcement came over the ship.
"All duelists, please take a thirty-minute break. After thirty minutes, we will begin the fourth match: Aoi Aoki vs. Marik Ishtar."
Aoi spoke up before anyone could move.
"No need."
Everyone paused.
Aoi stepped onto the dueling platform.
"We don't need a break. There's no more drawing lots. Let's ride the momentum from Kaiba and Isis's match and go straight into the fourth match." She glanced back. "Right, Kaiba?"
Kaiba understood immediately.
"Do it." His tone was absolute. "No preparation time. Start the fourth match now."
"Yes, sir!" the referee answered at once. "Marik Ishtar, please proceed to the dueling platform."
Aoi's eyes narrowed, voice turning icy.
"Marik. If you need time, I can wait. Thirty minutes. If you don't show, that's a forfeit."
"Heh heh heh…" Dark Marik grinned wider, delighted by her arrogance. "What a proud woman. If you're that eager to become an offering to the darkness—then I'll grant your wish."
He stepped onto the platform.
The moment his foot touched down, the Millennium Rod in his hand flared.
Blackness spilled outward like ink.
"A Shadow Game…" Yami Yugi muttered, expression hardening.
"A Shadow Game?" Jounouchi swallowed. "Like what Pegasus did?"
"Similar," Yami Yugi said, not looking away. "But each Shadow Game has different 'punishment rules.' We won't know what this one is until it starts."
Isis's face tightened.
"He activated it again…"
Kaiba clenched his jaw, hatred in his eyes.
"If Aoi gets hurt—Marik, I'll destroy you."
The referee's voice cut through the darkness.
"Now commencing the fourth match of the finals: Aoi Aoki vs. Marik Ishtar! Begin!"
Aoi side-eyed the referee. "He's weirdly calm for someone standing inside a cursed death arena."
"Duel!" ×2
Marik Ishtar LP 4000Aoi Aoki LP 4000
"Woman," Dark Marik said, savoring every syllable, "I'll take the first turn."
"My turn. Draw!"
Aoi spoke first, tone almost bored.
"Before you start—do me a favor. Summon your God Card as fast as you can."
"What?!" a chorus erupted from below.
"Otherwise this duel's going to be extremely dull," Aoi added.
Dark Marik's grin twitched.
"That depends on whether you can make me use it."
He slapped down a card.
"I Normal Summon Swift Striker Leech in Attack Position!"
A disgusting grub-like insect appeared, and a thin red thread—like a vein—stretched from it to Marik.
Swift Striker Leech (ATK 500 / DEF 1200)
"Heh heh heh… Here are the rules of this Shadow Game." Marik's voice turned sweet and poisonous."When a monster is destroyed, the pain is also inflicted on its controller.And pain from a direct attack… is doubled."
Mokuba's face went pale.
"So if Aoi's monster is destroyed… she gets hurt even if there's no damage?"
Kaiba's fist trembled. "Marik…!"
Dark Marik didn't care.
"Battle! Swift Striker Leech attacks directly!"
"First turn attacks?!" Yami Yugi snapped, surprised.
The leech lashed its tendrils—striking at Aoi like whipping cords.
Aoi LP 4000 → 3500
"Do you feel it?" Marik laughed. "The pain, Aoi Aoki?"
Aoi's body was wrapped in soft white light.
She didn't flinch. Not even a breath.
"This is your Shadow Game?" she said flatly. "There's nothing to it."
Marik's smile faltered—just slightly.
"…So that light again. You're not feeling it."
His eyes sharpened.
"Fine. If you lose, you'll still face the punishment you can't dodge."
He tapped the monster.
"Swift Striker Leech has a second effect. I discard one card… and switch it to Defense Position."
He toyed with the cards in his hand—then, with a malicious little chuckle, slid one into the Graveyard.
A golden gleam flashed as it disappeared.
He didn't even hesitate.
Aoi's pupils narrowed.
Isis, watching below, went rigid.
No… he didn't…
The leech curled into a defensive coil.
"Now," Marik whispered, eyes glittering, "I just have to draw that card."
He set two cards.
"Set two. End my turn."
"My turn. Draw."
Aoi's gaze dropped for a heartbeat—toward Marik's Graveyard.
So you really threw it away…The Winged Dragon of Ra.
Aoi lifted her eyes and spoke, calm as a surgeon.
"Marik."
His grin returned, confident again.
"Do you know the story of the Elixir of Immortality from the Golden Land?"
Marik didn't answer.
Below, Jounouchi blinked. "Elixir of immortality? What's she talking about?"
Aoi's voice carried across the darkened arena like a blade sliding free of its sheath.
"It's a story about a 'medicine' that promises eternal life… and the price paid to obtain it."
She raised her Duel Disk slightly.
"And the funniest part?"
Aoi smiled—cold, precise.
"In most stories, the first person to die… is the one who thinks they've finally become immortal."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 150)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter190)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter105)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter225)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 195
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 170
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 225
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 210
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 115
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 130
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 90
My Harem Is Indescribable 85
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 90
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 100
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 75
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 60
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 71
Checking In in Demon Slayer 75
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 80
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 66
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 58
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 65
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 63
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 59
Why did they assign me to Uma 55
MYGO Beauties 56
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 45
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 49
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 36
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 35
The Uma Musume Who Became 15
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