The first thing Darius did after losing was stare at his Duel Disk as if it had personally betrayed him.
The second was blame Satsuki.
"You cheated."
Satsuki, who was busy returning Red-Eyes Black Dragon to his Deck, paused.
He slowly looked up.
"I'm sorry. Did you just accuse me of cheating?"
"You knew what you were doing with that Spell!"
"Yes. That's generally how I play cards."
"You resurrected my monsters just to weaken Infernal Incinerator!"
"And you activated a Trap against a monster that was unaffected by Trap effects."
Darius's jaw tightened.
Satsuki tilted his head.
"Would you prefer I apologize for reading my own cards?"
One of Darius's companions stepped forward.
"Watch your mouth."
Marcus immediately moved between them.
"Or what?"
The question hung in the air.
The companion glanced at Marcus's Duel Disk, then at Lazar standing a short distance behind him.
Apparently, word of what had happened to Jimmothy Junior the III had spread farther than Marcus had expected. The boy hesitated, and that hesitation told Lazar more than any threat could have.
Darius noticed it too.
"Enough."
"Darius—"
"I said enough."
The two companions backed away.
Darius looked toward Satsuki.
"This doesn't end here."
"Most conversations don't," Satsuki replied. "Although I'm hoping this one does."
Darius ignored him.
"You've made enemies of The Kings. All of you."
Lazar folded his arms.
"Funny. People keep telling us that as if we're supposed to be impressed."
Darius's eyes shifted toward him.
"You're Lazar."
It wasn't a question.
Lazar sighed.
"I'm starting to hate being recognizable."
"First Jimmothy. Then Marcus. Now you."
"Sounds like your organization has a serious problem with losing."
Marcus snorted.
Darius's expression darkened, but he eventually turned toward the exit.
"Come on. We're leaving."
His companions followed him out of the arcade.
Just before disappearing around the corner, Darius looked back.
"Enjoy your victory while you can."
Satsuki waved.
"That's the plan."
The three figures disappeared into the ruined street.
For a few seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Marcus exhaled.
"You really can't help yourself, can you?"
Satsuki slipped his Duel Disk off his arm.
"Help myself with what?"
"Annoying people who could make our lives miserable."
"Would you prefer I let them make our lives miserable without annoying them first?"
Marcus considered that.
"Fair point."
Lazar shook his head.
"I'm surrounded by idiots."
"You're welcome to leave," Satsuki said.
"And miss this charming conversation?"
"Tragic, I know."
Despite himself, Lazar smiled.
It had been a while since he'd been able to stand around with other people and argue about something that wasn't food, shelter, or whether someone was going to die.
For a brief moment, the world felt almost normal.
Then he looked at the supplies stacked behind Satsuki's counter.
The moment passed.
"So," Lazar said, "what happens now?"
Satsuki followed his gaze.
"Now I put everything back where it belongs before somebody decides that winning a duel means they can knock over my shelves."
He pointed at Marcus.
"That's your job."
Marcus blinked.
"Why me?"
"Because you look strong."
"That's your reasoning?"
"Would you prefer I compliment your intelligence?"
Marcus stared at him.
Lazar laughed.
For the first time since they'd arrived, Satsuki laughed too.
It didn't last long, but it was enough.
Then Satsuki's expression became serious.
"Actually, there is something you should know."
Lazar stopped smiling.
"Of course there is."
Satsuki leaned against the counter.
"Darius wasn't collecting those supplies for himself."
Marcus's expression changed.
"We figured as much."
"Then you should also know that the demands have been increasing. Three days ago, they collected their share from this trading post. Today, they wanted more."
"How much more?" Lazar asked.
"Almost everything I had."
Lazar looked at the supplies again.
Canned food. Bottled water. Batteries. Bandages.
Not luxuries.
Things people needed to survive.
"And if you refused?"
Satsuki shrugged.
"Then they'd have taken it anyway, just with more people."
Marcus clenched his jaw.
"So they're expanding their demands."
"Or someone above Darius is getting impatient."
Lazar considered that possibility.
The Kings had already demanded three hundred Duel Points from Marcus's shelter. Jimmothy had treated the debt like an ordinary business transaction, as though the people who owed it were customers who'd missed a payment.
Darius had taken a more direct approach.
Different personalities. Same organization.
And both seemed increasingly confident that nobody could stop them.
"Do you know why they're doing this?" Lazar asked.
Satsuki shook his head.
"No. But I've heard rumors about other settlements. Some have paid everything they were asked for and still ended up abandoning their shelters."
"Abandoning them voluntarily?"
Satsuki gave him a look.
"Would you voluntarily abandon your home if you had nowhere else to go?"
"No."
"Neither would I."
Marcus pulled a folded piece of paper from his jacket.
It was the map he'd shown Lazar back at the shelter. Several locations had been marked in pencil, with small notes written beside them.
"Then we need to figure out what's going on."
Satsuki studied the map.
"Where did you get this?"
"Information from other survivors. Trading posts, shelters, places where people have disappeared."
Satsuki's gaze moved across the markings.
Then he stopped.
"Wait."
He leaned closer and pointed to a location near the edge of the map.
"What's this?"
"An old freight depot," Marcus answered. "We heard there might be supplies there."
Satsuki's expression tightened.
"Who told you?"
"Someone who'd heard it from someone else. Why?"
Satsuki didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he reached beneath his counter and produced a small notebook. Its cover was battered, and several pages had been reinforced with strips of tape.
He flipped through it until he found the page he wanted.
"Because I've heard the same thing."
Lazar leaned over his shoulder.
The page contained a list of locations, dates, and brief notes. Some had been crossed out. Others had question marks beside them.
Beside the freight depot was a short entry.
Distribution point. Unusual movement. Possible connection to the Collectors.
Ren, who had been standing quietly near the entrance, suddenly stiffened.
"The freight depot?"
Everyone turned toward him.
Ren's eyes remained fixed on the notebook.
"Where did you hear about that place?"
Satsuki looked at him carefully.
"From people who trade here. Why?"
Ren swallowed.
"Because that's one of the routes they used."
Silence fell over the trading post.
Lazar remembered Ren's confession. The Collectors had used him to carry messages, track people who owed Duel Points, and identify vulnerable shelters.
He'd escaped after discovering what happened to those who couldn't pay.
And now he was telling them that one of the places where supplies were supposedly being distributed had connections to the same organization.
Marcus folded the map.
"Then we investigate."
Ren immediately shook his head.
"No."
Marcus looked at him.
"No?"
"You don't understand. The Collectors don't just leave things lying around. If they're using that location, there's a reason."
"Which is why we should find out what they're doing."
"Or it's a trap."
"Then we find that out too."
Ren looked frustrated.
"You can't solve every problem by walking straight into it."
Lazar raised a hand.
"Technically, sometimes we walk into the problem and then duel our way out."
"That isn't helping."
"I wasn't trying to."
Marcus sighed.
"Look, Ren. We're not going to rush in blindly. But if the Collectors are taking children from shelters, we can't pretend we didn't hear about it."
Ren looked away.
For a moment, Lazar thought he might refuse to say anything else.
Then Ren spoke.
"There's another reason you shouldn't go."
They waited.
"The Collectors keep records. Names. Ages. Where people live. How much they owe. What kind of Deck they use."
Lazar's expression hardened.
"Why would they need to know someone's Deck?"
"Because a good duelist is useful. Because a weak duelist is easy to exploit. Because someone who owes enough Duel Points might agree to things they'd never consider otherwise."
Ren's hands tightened.
"They don't just look for supplies. They look for people."
Nobody interrupted him.
"And if they've marked a shelter as vulnerable, they'll keep watching it. They'll wait until the people inside are desperate enough to accept an offer they can't afford to refuse."
Lazar thought of Marcus's group.
The younger children sleeping in the supermarket.
The dwindling supplies.
The three hundred Duel Points they still owed The Kings.
He understood why Ren was afraid.
It wasn't cowardice.
It was experience.
"We won't go in without a plan," Lazar said.
Ren looked at him.
"You can't promise that."
"No. I can't."
Lazar met his eyes.
"But I can promise that we're not going to hand anyone over just because some organization says they own a debt."
Ren didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Marcus tucked the map away.
"We'll discuss the details back at the shelter."
Satsuki nodded.
"Take the notebook's information with you. Just don't lose it."
Lazar glanced at him.
"You're letting us borrow your records?"
"I'm letting you borrow a few notes. If you lose my notebook, I'll make you pay for it."
"With Duel Points?"
"With interest."
Marcus groaned.
"Wonderful. Another Jimmothy."
"Please," Satsuki said. "I'm much better dressed."
Lazar shook his head.
He was beginning to suspect that sarcasm was a requirement for surviving the apocalypse.
They were halfway back to the supermarket when someone called out to them.
"Excuse me."
The voice came from a narrow passage between two abandoned buildings.
A boy stepped into view.
He looked around sixteen, with short silver hair, a dark green jacket, and a Duel Disk strapped to his left arm. His clothes were dusty, but his appearance was otherwise neat. More striking than either was his expression: calm, almost detached, as though he'd been expecting them.
Marcus immediately shifted his stance.
"Who are you?"
The boy glanced at him.
"Someone who has information you might want."
"That's convenient," Lazar replied. "We were just discussing how much we enjoy strangers appearing in alleyways."
The newcomer didn't seem offended.
"Then I'll get straight to the point."
His gaze settled on Ren.
"I know what happened to some of the children the Collectors took."
Ren went completely still.
Lazar's expression changed.
"What did you say?"
"The children who disappeared after their shelters failed to meet certain agreements. I know where some of them were taken."
Ren took a step forward.
"Are they alive?"
The boy hesitated.
"Some of them were when I last saw them."
Ren's face tightened.
"When was that?"
"Two days ago."
For a moment, hope and fear seemed to fight for control of Ren's expression.
Marcus stepped forward.
"Who are you, and how do you know this?"
The boy reached into his jacket and produced a small piece of paper.
He held it out.
Lazar took it.
There were three names written on the page, followed by a location.
The freight depot.
Lazar looked up.
"You were there?"
"I've been there several times."
"Working for the Collectors?"
"No."
"Then why were you there?"
"Because I trade information."
The boy slipped his hands into his pockets.
"Sometimes I sell locations. Sometimes I sell warnings. Sometimes I tell people things they need to know before they make a mistake."
"And what do you want from us?" Marcus asked.
"A duel."
Lazar stared at him.
"Of course."
The boy finally smiled.
"If I win, you leave this matter alone. You don't investigate the freight depot, and you don't ask me for anything else."
Ren immediately protested.
"You can't be serious!"
"If Lazar wins, I'll give him everything I know about the children who were taken there. Names, locations, and whatever else I've learned."
Lazar studied him.
"You're asking us to gamble information about missing children on a card game."
"A card game?" The boy tilted his head. "You don't seem to think much of the game you keep using to survive."
"That's not what I meant."
"Then perhaps you should choose your words more carefully."
Marcus frowned.
"This sounds like a setup."
"It might be."
The boy didn't even try to deny it.
"But if I wanted to ambush you, I wouldn't have walked out here alone and announced that I knew something valuable."
"That doesn't prove anything," Lazar replied.
"No. It doesn't."
The boy's smile widened slightly.
"That's why we duel."
Lazar looked at Ren.
Ren was watching the newcomer with a mixture of desperation and suspicion. He wanted to believe the information was real, but he'd been deceived before.
Marcus looked equally unconvinced.
And Lazar?
Lazar was tired.
Tired of people using food as leverage. Tired of organizations treating children like resources. Tired of hearing that someone had disappeared and being told there was nothing he could do.
He looked back at the stranger.
"What's your name?"
"Call me the Broker."
"That's not a name."
"It's the one you're getting."
Lazar sighed.
"Fine. One more question."
"Go ahead."
"If I win, you give me everything you know about the children. Not just the information that makes you look good. Everything."
The Broker considered him for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"Agreed."
Lazar raised his Duel Disk.
"Then let's duel."
The Broker activated his own Duel Disk.
"Gladly."
The familiar holographic field began forming between them.
Ren watched anxiously.
Marcus folded his arms, his eyes fixed on the stranger.
Lazar inserted his Deck and looked across the field.
He had no idea whether the Broker was telling the truth.
He had no idea what kind of Deck the boy used.
But he knew one thing.
If even one of those missing children was still alive, he wasn't going to walk away without trying to find them.
The Duel Disks locked into place.
"DUEL!"
TURN 1 — THE INFORMATION BROKER
The Duel Disks finished initializing.
Lazar LP: 4000
Information Broker LP: 4000
Lazar drew his opening hand and studied his cards briefly before looking across the field.
The Information Broker, however, seemed entirely unconcerned with his opponent. He examined his own hand with the same calm attention someone might give a list of prices at a marketplace.
Then he selected a card.
"I'll start."
He placed it onto his Duel Disk.
"I Normal Summon a monster in face-down Defense Position."
A card appeared on the Broker's field, its identity concealed behind a holographic image of a face-down monster.
Lazar narrowed his eyes.
A defensive opening. Nothing unusual about that, although it gave him very little information about what his opponent was planning.
The Broker placed another card into his Spell and Trap Zone.
"I'll set two cards face-down."
Two holographic cards appeared behind his monster.
Three unknown cards on the field, and not a single one revealing what he was planning.
Lazar studied the arrangement.
"You always this cautious?"
The Information Broker glanced at him.
"I prefer to know what I'm risking before I risk it."
"Sounds exhausting."
"It's kept me alive."
That answer was delivered so casually that Lazar couldn't tell whether it was a joke.
The Broker returned his attention to the field.
"My turn is over."
He stepped back, leaving his face-down monster and two concealed cards between himself and Lazar.
Lazar looked at his opening hand again.
Whatever the Information Broker was hiding, he'd made one thing clear.
He wasn't going to give Lazar information for free.
TURN 2 — LAZAR
Lazar drew his card.
He glanced at the Information Broker's field. One face-down monster and two set cards. A simple setup, but the Broker had made no effort to explain what he was planning.
"Guess I'll have to find out the hard way."
Lazar selected a monster from his hand.
"I Normal Summon Valkyries Knight!"
A warrior clad in ornate armor appeared on Lazar's side of the field, raising his sword as blue energy rippled across the blade.
Valkyries Knight — 1900 ATK
The Information Broker watched without comment.
Lazar pointed toward the concealed monster.
"Valkyries Knight, attack his face-down monster!"
The warrior charged forward and brought his sword down.
The face-down card flipped over, revealing a small creature with an enormous eye.
Big Eye — 1000 DEF
Valkyries Knight's attack overwhelmed the monster instantly. Big Eye shattered into fragments of light and disappeared into the Information Broker's Graveyard.
However, the Broker didn't appear particularly bothered.
Instead, he reached toward his Deck.
"Big Eye's effect activates when it's flipped face-up."
Lazar's expression shifted.
"An effect after it gets destroyed?"
"Destruction doesn't undo an effect that's already activated."
The Information Broker drew the top five cards of his Deck and examined them carefully, one after another. He studied their artwork and text before arranging them in a new order.
Lazar watched closely, trying to glean something from the Broker's expression.
Nothing.
The Information Broker returned the five cards to the top of his Deck in the order he'd chosen.
"That's useful," Lazar muttered.
"Information usually is."
"I'm beginning to understand why they call you that."
The Broker gave him a faint smile.
Lazar glanced at his remaining cards, then placed one into his Spell and Trap Zone.
"I'll set one card face-down."
The holographic card appeared behind Valkyries Knight.
Lazar crossed his arms.
"Your turn."
The Information Broker nodded, apparently satisfied with the exchange.
TURN 3 — THE INFORMATION BROKER
The Information Broker drew his card.
His gaze moved across Lazar's field, pausing briefly on Valkyries Knight and the lone face-down card behind it.
Then he smiled.
"Let's see how you handle a little uncertainty."
He reached toward his Spell and Trap Zone.
"I activate my face-down Trap Card: Dark Scheme!"
The card flipped face-up, and a dark holographic veil spread across the field.
Lazar frowned as the Trap's effect appeared on his Duel Disk.
The Information Broker explained the choice with almost conversational ease.
"You have two options. You can discard one card from your hand, or we can both discard two cards and then draw two new ones."
Lazar examined his hand.
The first option would let him preserve his remaining resources, but he would lose a card without gaining anything in return. The second would force both duelists to exchange part of their hands, potentially giving the Broker new options while doing the same for Lazar.
And the Broker had already rearranged the top five cards of his Deck.
So that's why he wanted to control his next draws.
Lazar looked up.
"You set that up before you even knew what I'd summon, didn't you?"
The Information Broker shrugged.
"I don't need to know what you'll do. I just need to prepare for the possibilities."
"That's an irritating way to duel."
"It's kept me alive."
"Yeah, you mentioned that."
Lazar considered his options for another moment.
Then he made his decision.
"I'll take the second effect. We both discard two cards and draw two!"
Dark energy swept across both fields.
Lazar selected two cards from his hand and sent them to the Graveyard. The Information Broker did the same, discarding two cards of his own.
Then both duelists drew two replacements.
Lazar studied his new hand, looking for something that could help him recover from the exchange.
Across the field, the Information Broker examined his new cards with quiet satisfaction.
Of course he's pleased. He arranged the top of his Deck before forcing us to draw.
The Broker placed a monster onto his Duel Disk.
"Now I Normal Summon Dark Jeroid!"
A sinister fiend appeared on the field, its twisted limbs and dark body giving off an unsettling aura.
Dark Jeroid — 1200 ATK
Lazar looked at the creature.
"Not exactly intimidating."
"You haven't seen its effect yet."
Dark Jeroid raised one arm toward Valkyries Knight. A pulse of dark energy shot across the field and wrapped itself around the warrior.
"Dark Jeroid's effect activates! Your Valkyries Knight loses 800 ATK!"
The energy tightened around the warrior's armor.
Valkyries Knight: 1900 → 1100 ATK
Lazar grimaced.
"Okay. That's annoying."
"Most useful things are."
The Information Broker reached for another card.
"I activate Bait Doll!"
A strange mechanical doll materialized on the field.
The Broker pointed toward Lazar's face-down Spell/Trap.
"I choose your set card. Its activation and effects are forced!"
Lazar's eyes widened.
"Wait—"
His face-down card flipped over.
Sakuretsu Armor!
The Trap's activation was forced, but Bait Doll's effect continued to resolve. Since Sakuretsu Armor's effect could not be applied under Bait Doll's conditions, the Trap was immediately destroyed.
The card shattered into light before it could destroy anything.
Sakuretsu Armor — DESTROYED!
Lazar stared at the empty Spell/Trap Zone.
"You've got to be kidding me."
The Information Broker returned Bait Doll to his Deck, where it was shuffled back in.
"Nothing personal."
"You keep saying things like that as if it makes them less irritating."
"It isn't supposed to."
The Broker pointed toward Valkyries Knight.
"Dark Jeroid, attack Valkyries Knight!"
The fiend lunged forward.
Valkyries Knight raised his sword, but the dark energy still clinging to his armor weakened his movements. Dark Jeroid struck first, smashing into the warrior and sending him crashing to the ground.
Dark Jeroid — 1200 ATK
Valkyries Knight — 1100 ATK
Valkyries Knight shattered into fragments of light.
Lazar felt the impact through his Duel Disk as the difference in their ATK became real.
Lazar LP: 4000 → 3900
The Information Broker watched the warrior disappear.
"One monster weakened. One Trap removed. And now your field is empty."
Lazar glanced at his Graveyard, then back at his opponent.
"Congratulations. You've successfully made my afternoon worse."
The Broker gave a small nod.
"Then my turn has been productive."
He lowered his hand.
"I end my turn."
Lazar looked at the cards remaining in his hand.
The Information Broker hadn't attacked with overwhelming force. He'd dismantled Lazar's defenses one piece at a time, using a forced discard, a stat reduction, and a Spell that had turned Lazar's own Trap against him.
It was a frustrating strategy.
Which meant Lazar was already thinking about how to break this strategy.
TURN 4 — LAZAR
Lazar drew his card.
He glanced across the field at the Information Broker. Dark Jeroid stood at 1200 ATK, while a single face-down card remained in the Broker's Spell and Trap Zone.
Lazar examined his hand.
Then he smiled.
"Alright. Let's stop playing around."
He selected a Spell Card and placed it onto his Duel Disk.
"I activate Polymerization!"
The Spell Card flashed with brilliant light.
Two monsters appeared above Lazar's field: Maryokutai, a strange aquatic creature, and Zombyra the Dark, a formidable warrior whose presence seemed to drain the light around him.
Both monsters were drawn into a swirling vortex of fusion energy.
The vortex grew brighter, then collapsed in a burst of light.
A towering armored warrior emerged from the smoke, its imposing silhouette casting a shadow across the battlefield.
The Last Warrior from Another Planet — 2350 ATK
The Information Broker's expression shifted slightly.
"A Fusion Monster?"
Lazar grinned.
"Not just any Fusion Monster."
The Last Warrior raised its weapon, and a wave of oppressive energy spread across the field.
Lazar pointed toward Dark Jeroid.
"Last Warrior from Another Planet, attack Dark Jeroid!"
The Fusion Monster charged forward.
Dark Jeroid attempted to brace itself, but the warrior's attack overwhelmed it. A single devastating strike sent the fiend crashing into the ground, where it shattered into fragments of light.
Dark Jeroid — DESTROYED!
The force of the attack continued across the field, striking the Information Broker.
He staggered as his Duel Disk registered the damage.
Battle Damage: 2350 − 1200 = 1150
Information Broker LP: 4000 → 2850
Lazar watched him carefully.
"Something wrong?"
The Broker steadied himself and glanced at his Life Point display.
"No. Just confirming the numbers."
"Wouldn't want you to lose track."
The Information Broker looked back at The Last Warrior from Another Planet.
"It's an interesting card," he admitted.
Lazar raised an eyebrow.
"That's it? No complaints?"
"Would complaining change anything?"
"Probably not."
"Then I'll save my breath."
Lazar laughed quietly.
Then he gestured toward his Fusion Monster.
"There's something else you should know about my warrior."
The Information Broker looked up.
"While The Last Warrior from Another Planet is face-up on the field, neither player can Summon any new monsters."
The Broker's expression became more thoughtful.
"So I can't replace Dark Jeroid with another monster while that thing remains on the field."
"Exactly."
He studied the Fusion Monster's armor and weapon, apparently reconsidering the entire situation.
"That's a rather restrictive effect."
"That's the point."
The Information Broker gave a small nod.
"Very well. Let's see how long you can keep it on the field."
Lazar crossed his arms.
"Your turn."
The Broker looked down at his Duel Disk and reached for his next card.
For the first time since the duel began, Lazar felt that he'd forced his opponent to reconsider his strategy.
The Information Broker had dismantled Lazar's earlier field with calculated precision. Now, with The Last Warrior from Another Planet standing between them, the Broker would have to find a different way forward.
And Lazar intended to make that as difficult as possible.
TURN 5 — INFORMATION BROKER
The Information Broker drew his card.
He studied his hand for a moment, then glanced at The Last Warrior from Another Planet.
"So long as that monster remains on the field, neither of us can Summon anything new."
Lazar nodded.
"Looks like you understand the situation."
"I understand the restriction. That doesn't necessarily mean I intend to challenge it immediately."
The Broker selected a card from his hand and placed it face-down in his Spell and Trap Zone.
"I set one card and end my turn."
Lazar looked at the newly placed card.
"That's it?"
"For now."
The Broker folded his arms, his expression unreadable.
Lazar couldn't tell whether his opponent was waiting for an opportunity or deliberately encouraging him to make the next move.
Either way, the Information Broker wasn't giving anything away.
TURN 6 — LAZAR
Lazar drew his card.
He glanced at the Information Broker's field. Two face-down cards remained in the Spell and Trap Zone, and his opponent had only 2850 Life Points left.
Meanwhile, The Last Warrior from Another Planet stood ready at 2350 ATK.
Lazar smirked.
"Let's wrap this up."
He pointed toward his opponent.
"The Last Warrior from Another Planet, attack His life points directly!"
The Fusion Monster raised its weapon and charged forward.
But the Broker's expression remained calm.
"Not so fast."
He flipped one of his face-down cards.
"I activate my Trap Card: Extinction Fist!"
Lazar's eyes widened slightly.
The Broker explained its effect as the Trap activated.
"This card can only be activated when a Fusion or Ritual Monster declares a direct attack. I destroy that monster and return its Fusion Materials—or Ritual materials—to your field!"
The Trap erupted with dark energy.
The Last Warrior from Another Planet was engulfed in a violent explosion. Its armor cracked, and its imposing form dissolved into particles of light before its attack could reach the Broker.
The Last Warrior from Another Planet — DESTROYED!
The Fusion Monster's destruction sent a shockwave across Lazar's Duel Disk.
Then the energy surrounding the shattered warrior began to gather again.
Two familiar figures materialized on Lazar's field.
Zombyra the Dark — 2100 ATK
Maryokutai — 900 ATK
Both monsters appeared in Attack Position, returned to the field by Extinction Fist's effect.
Lazar stared at them.
"So you were waiting for me to attack directly."
The Information Broker lowered his hand.
"I was waiting for you to believe the duel was almost over."
Lazar glanced at his two monsters before looking back at his opponent.
"Cute trick."
"Effective, though."
"Don't get too proud of yourself."
Lazar selected a card from his hand and placed it face-down in his Spell and Trap Zone.
"I set one card and end my turn."
The Information Broker's gaze briefly shifted to the newly set card.
Neither duelist said anything for a moment.
Lazar had lost his powerful Fusion Monster, but his original materials had returned to his field. The Broker had successfully prevented the direct attack—and revealed that his face-down cards were more dangerous than they first appeared.
The duel was far from over.
TURN 7 — INFORMATION BROKER
The Information Broker drew his card.
His gaze moved between Lazar's two monsters.
Zombyra the Dark stood at 2100 ATK, while Maryokutai remained beside it at 900 ATK.
The Broker selected a monster from his hand.
"I Normal Summon Archfiend Interceptor!"
A demonic warrior materialized on his field, gripping its weapon as it faced Lazar's monsters.
Archfiend Interceptor — 1400 ATK
Lazar watched carefully.
The Broker pointed toward Maryokutai.
"Archfiend Interceptor, attack Maryokutai!"
The Archfiend rushed forward, bringing its weapon down upon the aquatic creature.
Maryokutai was struck and shattered into light.
Maryokutai — DESTROYED!
Lazar's expression remained composed, though his field had been reduced to a single monster.
The Information Broker lowered his arm.
"That's enough for this turn."
He ended his turn without making another move.
Lazar glanced at Zombyra the Dark, then at the opposing Archfiend Interceptor.
His Fusion Monster was gone, and Maryokutai had fallen. But Zombyra still stood at 2100 ATK, stronger than the Broker's newly summoned monster.
For now, the duel remained evenly poised.
TURN 8 — LAZAR
Lazar drew his card.
He glanced at the two monsters on his field, then at the Information Broker's Archfiend Interceptor.
"Let's see what you've got left."
He placed a monster onto his Duel Disk.
"I Normal Summon Strike Ninja!"
A dark-clad ninja appeared on Lazar's field, crouching low as he gripped his blades.
Strike Ninja — 1700 ATK
Lazar immediately pointed toward the opposing monster.
"Zombyra the Dark, attack Archfiend Interceptor!"
Zombyra charged forward, bringing its weapon down against the Archfiend.
Zombyra the Dark — 2100 ATK
Archfiend Interceptor — 1400 ATK
But just before the attack connected, the Archfiend's effect activated.
A burst of energy struck Lazar.
Effect Damage: 500
Lazar LP: 3900 → 3400
Lazar winced as the damage registered, but Zombyra's attack continued.
The Archfiend Interceptor was overwhelmed and destroyed.
Archfiend Interceptor — DESTROYED!
2850 → 2150 LP
Zombyra remained standing, but its own power had diminished after the battle.
Zombyra the Dark: 2100 → 1900 ATK
Lazar glanced at his monster.
"Still standing. Good enough."
He turned toward his second monster.
"Strike Ninja, attack the Information Broker directly!"
Strike Ninja vanished into the shadows before reappearing in front of the Broker, ready to strike.
But the Broker had already reached for his face-down card.
"I activate my Trap Card: Back to the Front!"
The Trap flashed, and a monster rose from the Information Broker's Graveyard.
Big Eye — Special Summoned in Defense Position!
The familiar creature materialized just as Strike Ninja's attack arrived.
The ninja's blade struck Big Eye, shattering the monster's defenses.
Big Eye — DESTROYED!
Strike Ninja's direct attack had been stopped before it could reach the Information Broker.
The Broker lowered his hand, watching the remnants of Big Eye disappear.
"An aggressive turn," he remarked. "But aggression can be predictable."
Lazar clicked his tongue.
"Does every sentence you say have to sound like advice from a fortune cookie?"
"Only when it's appropriate."
Lazar shook his head.
"I'm going to enjoy beating you."
The Information Broker gave him a faint smile.
"I look forward to seeing you try."
TURN 9 — INFORMATION BROKER
The Information Broker drew his card.
For a moment, he simply studied it.
Then he smirked.
Lazar immediately recognized the expression.
"Oh, come on. What now?"
The Broker placed his card onto his Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card: Question!"
Lazar's eyes narrowed.
The Broker folded his arms.
"Let's play a little game, shall we?"
The Spell Card illuminated the field.
"What is the first monster in my Graveyard?"
Lazar stared at him.
The Broker explained the effect.
"If you guess correctly, that monster is banished from my Graveyard. If you guess incorrectly, I Special Summon it to my field."
Lazar considered the situation.
He remembered the monsters he'd destroyed throughout the duel. The Broker had used Big Eye to manipulate the top of his Deck, and Lazar had destroyed it after the Information Broker revived it with Back to the Front.
That was the most obvious answer.
"Big Eye."
The Broker's smirk widened.
"An excellent guess."
He raised a finger.
"Unfortunately, you forgot something."
Lazar's expression tightened.
"Back to the Front."
"Precisely."
The Information Broker gestured toward his Graveyard.
"Had I activated Question on my previous turn, Big Eye would indeed have been the first monster there. You would have guessed correctly."
He paused, allowing the realization to sink in.
"But after I revived Big Eye with Back to the Front, you destroyed it again. That placed it back on top of my Graveyard."
Lazar's eyes widened slightly.
The Broker continued.
"And then there's Dark Scheme."
Lazar remembered the Trap Card from earlier in the duel.
Both players had discarded two cards and drawn two replacements.
"You used it to make us discard," Lazar said.
"Exactly. And among the cards I discarded was a monster I had every intention of using later."
The Broker reached toward his Graveyard.
"Because your answer was incorrect, I Special Summon Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror!"
A massive demonic emperor emerged from a vortex of dark energy. Its imposing armor gleamed beneath the holographic lights, and its enormous weapon radiated destructive power.
Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror — 3000 ATK
Lazar stared at the monster.
"Three thousand?"
The Broker smiled.
"And that's not all."
He pointed toward Archfiend Emperor.
"By banishing an Archfiend monster from my hand or Graveyard, I can destroy a card on the field."
He selected a card from his Graveyard.
"I banish Archfiend Interceptor!"
The demonic emperor raised its weapon.
"Destroy Zombyra the Dark!"
A blast of dark energy tore across Lazar's field.
Zombyra attempted to defend itself, but the attack swallowed the warrior whole.
Zombyra the Dark — DESTROYED!
Lazar clenched his jaw.
His remaining monster was Strike Ninja.
The Information Broker wasn't finished.
He activated another Spell Card from his hand.
"I activate Fissure!"
The ground beneath Lazar's remaining monster split apart.
Strike Ninja attempted to escape, but the fissure widened beneath its feet, swallowing the ninja in a burst of light.
Strike Ninja — DESTROYED!
Lazar's field was empty.
Across from him, Archfiend Emperor stood at 3000 ATK, its enormous weapon pointed toward the opposing side.
The Information Broker looked at Lazar.
"Now, then."
He extended his arm.
"Archfiend Emperor, attack Lazar directly!"
The emperor charged forward.
Its weapon struck Lazar with tremendous force, sending him stumbling backward as his Duel Disk registered the damage.
Battle Damage: 3000
Lazar LP: 3400 → 400
Lazar struggled to regain his footing.
The Information Broker watched him carefully.
"Four hundred Life Points."
He tilted his head.
"You've spent this entire duel trying to uncover what I know about the Collectors. Yet you still haven't figured out the most important thing about information."
Lazar slowly straightened.
"And what's that?"
The Broker's smile sharpened.
"Knowing a fact isn't the same as understanding it. You remembered Big Eye. You remembered Dark Scheme. But you didn't consider how the order of events changed the answer."
He lowered his arm.
"I end my turn."
Lazar stared at Archfiend Emperor.
He had gone from controlling the duel with The Last Warrior from Another Planet to standing with an empty field and only 400 Life Points remaining.
The Information Broker had dismantled his monsters one by one, turning Lazar's own memories of the duel against him.
But Lazar wasn't finished.
Not yet.
TURN 10 — LAZAR
Lazar drew his card.
He glanced at his empty field, then at the Information Broker's Archfiend Emperor.
Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror — 3000 ATK
Lazar had only 400 Life Points remaining.
One attack would end the duel.
The Information Broker watched him calmly.
"Your move, Lazar."
Lazar looked at his newly drawn card.
Then he smiled.
"Yeah. I think I've got one more trick."
He raised the card.
"I activate Pot of Greed!"
The Spell Card flashed green.
"Pot of Greed allows me to draw two cards!"
Lazar drew two cards from his Deck.
He examined them, and his expression changed.
The Information Broker noticed.
"Found something interesting?"
Lazar looked up.
"Something like that."
He reached toward the face-down card in his Spell and Trap Zone.
"First, let's deal with your big monster."
"I activate my face-down Spell Card: Exiled of the Wicked!"
The card flipped face-up, releasing a wave of destructive energy across the field.
Its effect was simple and devastating.
Destroy every Fiend monster on the field!
Archfiend Emperor turned toward the approaching energy.
For the first time in the duel, the Information Broker's composure cracked.
"Wait—!"
The destructive wave engulfed the emperor.
Its armor fractured. Its enormous weapon shattered, and its towering body dissolved into darkness.
Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror — DESTROYED!
The Information Broker stared at his now-empty field.
Lazar lowered his hand.
"Your monster's a Fiend, right?"
The Broker said nothing.
"Thought so."
Lazar selected another card from his hand.
"Now I Normal Summon Absolute Crusader!"
A heavily armored warrior materialized on the field, gripping his weapon as he faced the Information Broker.
Absolute Crusader — 1800 ATK
The Broker glanced at the monster, then at his Life Point display.
Information Broker LP: 2150
His expression tightened.
Lazar pointed forward.
"Absolute Crusader, attack the Information Broker directly!"
The warrior charged across the field, weapon raised.
The Broker's eyes widened as the attack approached.
But Lazar wasn't finished.
"I activate my Quick-Play Spell Card: Rush Recklessly!"
The Spell erupted with light around Absolute Crusader.
"Rush Recklessly increases my monster's ATK by 700!"
Absolute Crusader: 1800 → 2500 ATK
The warrior's attack intensified.
The Information Broker barely had time to react before Absolute Crusader struck him with its full force.
The impact sent him staggering backward as his Duel Disk registered the final damage.
Battle Damage: 2500
Information Broker LP: 2150 → 0
The battlefield fell silent.
Then Lazar's Duel Disk announced the result.
DUEL OVER.
WINNER: LAZAR
Lazar stood breathing heavily, his Life Points still at 400.
For a moment, he simply stared at the display.
Then he looked toward the Information Broker.
"Guess you gave me too much credit for remembering things."
The Broker slowly straightened.
"No," he replied, studying Lazar with renewed interest. "I gave you too little credit for knowing when to stop playing my game."
Lazar shrugged.
"Occupational hazard."
The Broker let out a quiet laugh.
"Exiled of the Wicked. A card designed to punish a field full of Fiends. You waited until I committed my strongest monster before using it."
"Pretty much."
"And then Absolute Crusader, followed by Rush Recklessly."
Lazar grinned.
"You make it sound complicated."
"It was."
The Broker looked at his Duel Disk one last time before deactivating it.
"You've earned your answers, Lazar."
Lazar's smile faded into a more serious expression.
"Good. Then let's talk about the children the Collectors took."