Chapter 546: Millennium Hostage
Real World.
"Hayato!" Yugi suddenly woke up, sitting up from bed covered in sweat, only to find that he had just been dreaming. However, the dream was of a real event he had personally experienced a few days prior.
"Aibo," Dark Yugi's voice came from within the Millennium Puzzle. As an existence as a soul, he didn't need sleep like Yugi, so the moment Yugi woke up, he floated out from the Millennium Puzzle, looking at him, still shaken. "Are you okay?"
"Yugi." Also awakened by Yugi's startled cry was the lightly sleeping Solomon Muto. He gently knocked a few times on the door outside Yugi's Room, asking, "Did you have a nightmare?"
".Mm, I'm fine," Yugi said, raising his pajama-clad arm to wipe the sweat from his forehead, while answering The Other Self and his Grandpa outside the door who was concerned about him. But his state clearly showed he was far from fine.
When Anubis, following the knowledge he obtained from the Millennium Spellbook, activated the hidden Power of the Sacred Beasts called the Gate of Phantasms, everything in the World instantly entered a state of stillness. Only Hayato and Anubis still retained the ability to speak.
But in reality, Yugi at that time actually also retained clear consciousness; it was just that he didn't even have the ability to move his eyeballs. He could only watch with extreme clarity as Hayato left behind "Last Words" that couldn't be conveyed.
After the Card named Super Polymerization was activated, Hayato took Anubis down with him, directly disappearing from this World without leaving even a trace, except for the three "Three Egyptian Gods" Cards left behind.
At first, Joey Wheeler and the others, who hadn't witnessed Hayato's final actions like Yugi had, felt briefly excited because of Anubis's disappearance, thinking they had successfully defeated it. Even Kaiba, Marik, and Ishizu were just slightly strange about how Hayato had also disappeared in an instant; they didn't think in the direction of "Hayato sacrificed himself" at all.
But Yugi's silence, which was out of place with the cheerful crowd, was so abrupt. Facing the news of Hayato's "death" spoken by Yugi, the atmosphere at the scene instantly grew cold, as if a basin of cold water had been poured over them.
Even now, Yugi can still recall the unpleasant expressions on everyone's faces at that time.
Solomon Muto outside the door was silent for a moment, then said, "If you're fine, then rest early. If that child Hayato were here, he wouldn't want his friend to harm his body."
"Mm, I know, Grandpa."
Grandpa Solomon has gone through so many years of trials and tribulations; he has seen and experienced a lot. He could fully understand Yugi's mood at this moment, after all, he had also experienced that kind of pain from losing a friend.
But what else could he say? It was precisely because he had experienced it that he understood that this kind of thing couldn't be soothed with just a few words of comfort; only time could dilute the sadness. Moreover, talking to someone who shares the same sadness can also have a certain effect.
Someone as shrewd as Solomon Muto, how could he not notice that his grandson sometimes turned into another person?
However, that child Hayato, to lose his life at such a young age... what a pity.
Lamenting the fragility of life in his heart, Solomon Muto turned off the light in the hallway and returned to his Room.
However, in Yugi's Room, Yugi, awakened in the middle of the night, couldn't immediately fall back asleep so quickly. Instead, he got out of bed, walked in his slippers to the desk in his Room, pulled out a chair and sat down, and took out a golden cabinet he used to store Cards.
This golden cabinet was once used to store the fragments of the Millennium Puzzle, but later, because the size was just right and there was ample space, Yugi used it to store his Deck and Spare Cards. After opening the golden cabinet, Yugi's Deck, face down, was revealed. He reached out and drew the red-bordered Card placed on top.
'Slifer the Sky Dragon.' Behind Yugi, Dark Yugi quietly watched Yugi's actions, silently reciting the name of the Card in his hand in his heart. In that still World, he also witnessed Hayato doing what he had always said: "sacrificing oneself for the greater good."
After knowing the news of Hayato's "death," everyone first denied it, almost completely unable to accept that Hayato, who had been fine just before, had suddenly died like this. They felt it was impossible for Hayato, who always had a confident aura, to have died so uneventfully; it must be that he was playing some kind of prank again, after all, Hayato had such a dark sense of humor.
But, it was indeed the truth.
And so, Joey Wheeler, Tristan, Marik, and even Kaiba, all fell into a state of angry emotion. They were angry that that bastard Anubis had just taken the life of someone important to them, but also discovered with immense frustration that they didn't even have a place to vent their anger.
The anger transformed into an incredibly oppressive atmosphere. In the end, everyone reluctantly accepted the fact that "Hayato was already dead."
And as the last of the objects left behind by Hayato, the Card of Slifer the Sky Dragon, one of the Three Egyptian Gods, remained in Yugi's hand. But Yugi completely lacked the feeling of excitement he had back during Battle City, when he first got Slifer the Sky Dragon from Dark Marik's hand. Instead, he merely looked at the object and thought of Hayato, recalling the bits and pieces of Hayato "before his death."
'What a cunning guy, after defeating me, he actually just escaped without permission.'
The words Kaiba said a few days ago when he took Obelisk the Tormentor seemed to still be in Yugi's ears.
The last of the Three Egyptian Gods, and the one that best represented Hayato, The Winged Dragon of Ra, it was taken by Miss Ishizu, who had always been gentle and kind in the past. Yugi found it hard to describe with words what her expression was at that time.
Although Miss Ishizu's statement, "Ra is the most powerful existence among the Three Egyptian Gods and must be properly kept," didn't sound very reasonable, but at that time, even Kaiba, who had a fanatical pursuit for the Power of powerful Cards, didn't stop Ishizu.
"CRASH!"
"Uwaaaaah—!!!"
A sound of breaking glass suddenly rang out from outside the door, interrupting their memories, immediately followed by a scream!
"That sound is, Ji-chan!" Yugi immediately recognized the source of the sound: his Grandpa Solomon Muto, who had just left. He didn't even have time to put the golden cabinet and Deck in his hand back properly, grabbed the folded Duel Disk and Cards nearby, grabbed the jacket from the back of the chair, and pushed open the door and ran outside.
And in the hallway, following the bright moonlight shining into the house from outside the broken window, Yugi saw a strange guy wearing a hood making a hand chop motion, and his Grandpa Solomon Muto was falling into the hooded man's arms, seized by him!
"Ji-chan!" Almost instantly, accompanied by a flash of radiance from the Millennium Puzzle, Dark Yugi appeared, replacing Yugi Mutou, and sharply demanded, "Who exactly are you!"
While asking, Yugi's actions weren't slow at all. He threw out the Card of Mystical Elf with a flick of his hand. Under the effect of Dark Power, the card spirit of Mystical Elf directly materialized, and accompanied by the spinning flight of the Card, its sharp sword slashed towards the hooded man!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 547: Mystical Elf Died Again, So Inhumane
Unlike the gentle and kind Yugi Mutou, Dark Yugi has never been considered a gentle or good person. It's only under the influence of his Aibo that his style of doing things appears somewhat appropriate.
At this moment, because Solomon Muto was attacked, Dark Yugi didn't consider whether using dark power to materialize a spirit would kill the guy in front of him who seemed to be a burglar. Instead, he unleashed his full power without restraint.
But what he didn't expect was, facing the slash unleashed by the suddenly materialized Mystical Elf, the Hooded Man not only showed no intention of dodging, but the corner of his mouth, illuminated by the moonlight, instead curled into a sneer. Instead, he directly swung his left arm, which was wearing a circular device, to meet the Mystical Elf's attack!
Under Yugi's astonished gaze, the Mystical Elf's attack failed to achieve any effect; instead, it was struck back. Under the Hooded Man's green-glowing punch attack, the Mystical Elf was instantly destroyed on the spot!
The Mystical Elf died again! So inhumane!
"Mutou Yuugi-dono, or rather, calling you 'Nameless Pharaoh' would be more fitting, wouldn't it?" Holding the unconscious Solomon Muto hostage, the Hooded Man loosened his clenched fist. A chain ornament inlaid with a green gem dropped from his palm. That strange green light just now likely came from within it.
Yugi had an impression of that style of chain ornament. When participating in the KC Cup in America, in order to obtain Uria, Lord of Searing Flames used for ritual summon, Yugi had faced off against a person who called himself "Rafael". At that time, Yugi had seen the same chain ornament on Rafael's neck.
"Calling me 'Nameless Pharaoh' the first time we meet, just who are you—"
Yugi wasn't discouraged by the Mystical Elf's defeat, and drew another card with a backhand motion. Dark Magician was about to manifest from the card and attack again.
But faster than Yugi's movements was the Hooded Man's palm suddenly placed on Solomon Muto's neck, whom he was holding hostage: "Hey, hey, hey, pay a little attention over here, Nameless Pharaoh. Are you trying to test whether you summoning a monster to attack me is faster, or if me breaking this old man's neck like snapping a twig from a roadside bush is faster?"
"What?!" Yugi gritted his teeth in anger at the Hooded Man's despicable act of taking Solomon Muto as a hostage. He wished he could summon Dark Magician Girl along with Dark Magician at the same time for a super boost.
However, he genuinely worried about Solomon Muto's safety. His hand holding the Dark Magician card stiffly hovered over the Duel Disk, hesitating and not dropping it, while also fearing that any reaction from him would provoke the Hooded Man.
But this hesitation was exactly what the Hooded Man wanted. Seeing that Yugi didn't act decisively, he sneered, "Indeed, just as Rafael said, Nameless Pharaoh, you are merely a 'reactor'. Although you have the resolve to sacrifice yourself when facing a crisis, you completely lack the decisiveness to make a decisive sacrifice to achieve your goal."
"Since you won't make a move, I'll be taking this old man with me!"
As he spoke, the Hooded Man hoisted the still unconscious Solomon Muto onto his shoulder, and actually leaped directly out of the broken window!
"Boom!"
Although Yugi immediately summoned Dark Magician and activated an attack the instant the Hooded Man moved his hand away from Grandpa Solomon's neck, the attack was ultimately a step too slow and hit empty space, watching helplessly as the Hooded Man escaped with Solomon Muto.
Yugi rushed to the window, mimicking the Hooded Man by stepping onto the window frame and leaping out, pursuing him. Protected by Dark Magician, he landed smoothly from the third-floor height. But just as he was about to pursue the Hooded Man who had also jumped out the window, he found that the guy had actually gotten onto a motorcycle that was parked downstairs beforehand.
"If you want this old man back, come to the rooftop of that unfinished building across the street, Nameless Pharaoh. Remember to bring the Three Egyptian Gods cards!"
Leaving behind this sentence, the tires of the motorcycle beneath the Hooded Man rapidly screeched against the ground. The roaring mechanical beast carried the Hooded Man and Solomon Muto away together, leaving only the red line traced by the crimson taillights in the night street.
Beside Yugi, Dark Magician raised his emerald green wand, constantly aiming at that motorcycle, but ultimately couldn't fire a second attack in time. Yugi ultimately couldn't risk attacking and potentially involving Grandpa Solomon, and could only let the Hooded Man take him away.
The radiance of the Millennium Puzzle dimmed, Dark Yugi exchanged places with Yugi Mutou. Yugi's voice came from the quiet street:
"Grandpa—!!!"
"Master Solomon was kidnapped again?!"
Behind the construction site in front of an unfinished building not far from Kame Game Store, Joey Wheeler, who had rushed here after being notified by Yugi to meet him, after hearing what Yugi said, said excitedly, "To actually use the despicable method of kidnapping others, it's unforgivable!"
"Although it's the same routine of Grandpa Solomon being kidnapped and then Yugi being threatened, it feels quite awkward," Tristan, who arrived shortly after, also had a serious expression. "We have to rescue him, we can't just leave him."
"But, is the opponent after the Three Egyptian Gods cards?" Téa asked Yugi.
Yugi nodded: "Ah, the opponent specifically requested that I bring the Three Egyptian Gods cards. They must be coveting the power of the Three Egyptian Gods left by Hayato, which is why they kidnapped Ji-chan to threaten me."
"Speaking of which, if I remember correctly, aren't the Three Egyptian Gods cards only usable by people related to the Millennium Items? Like Marik, Hayato, and you, Yugi, although that guy Kaiba can also do it inexplicably." Joey Wheeler frowned, recalling, "If that person is after the God Cards, maybe if you hand over the cards to him, he'll be punished by the God."
Hearing this, Yugi recalled the chain ornament he had seen before, shook his head and said, "No, my intuition as a duelist tells me that person isn't simple. And what he's targeted doesn't seem like just the God Cards. He must be plotting something else."
"Next, I will go up and find him, and defeat him through a duel. But I'm not at ease about whether that person will do something despicable after losing the duel."
Joey Wheeler nodded understandingly: "After all, he's someone who committed the act of kidnapping others to threaten you, Yugi. It's indeed possible that he might use Master Solomon as a threat again when he realizes he's about to lose."
"I see, I understand what you mean, Yugi." Tristan put his hand on Joey Wheeler's shoulder. "That guy can't possibly keep Grandpa Solomon with him during the duel. While you distract him with the duel, we'll rescue Grandpa Solomon!"
"I'm counting on you, Joey Wheeler, Tristan."
Although the building was not yet completed, it wasn't lacking too much. Elevators and such were already installed.
Taking the elevator to the top floor of the building, Yugi and Téa were in one group, while Joey Wheeler and Tristan acted separately from the two to avoid exposing their existence prematurely. After passing through a set of scaffolding marked "Safety First", Yugi and Téa arrived at the open space in the center of the building's top floor.
Apart from a construction crane parked there, Yugi and Téa looked around, but could only find construction materials piled up like walls. They couldn't find any figure.
"Welcome to your grave, Nameless Pharaoh!"
Just as Yugi and Téa were looking around, a voice suddenly sounded from above them. Then the guy wearing the hood that Yugi had seen before actually leaped down from the sky, landing not far in front of them.
Glancing upwards, Yugi noticed a large stack of wooden boards fixed to the crane's hoisting rope at a certain height above the ground. He figured the guy wearing the hood just now had been standing there waiting for Yugi's arrival.
However, Yugi couldn't find Solomon Muto's figure near where he appeared. It seemed like he was hidden.
"Hmm? You didn't come alone, but brought your friend?" The Hooded Man glanced at Téa beside Yugi, not caring about the opponent. "It doesn't matter, it's just as well you came, I can collect your corpse. So, Nameless Pharaoh, did you bring the God Cards?"
Hearing this, Yugi reached for the topmost card in his deck on the Duel Disk, drew it and showed it to the Hooded Man opposite him: "As you can see, I have brought the card of Slifer the Sky Dragon, one of the Three Egyptian Gods. Now, where have you hidden Ji-chan!"
Yugi's aura was extremely oppressive.
Although the guy in front of him seemed completely defenseless, it seemed like he could be taken down just by summoning a monster and attacking, Yugi himself had no plan to make a move for now. After all, he had no idea where Solomon Muto was. If the opponent had set up some kind of device like a "bomb connected to his pulse", making a move would instead put his Grandpa in danger.
The first thing to do was to find out the information about where the opponent had hidden Grandpa. As for the subsequent rescue, Yugi had confidence in Joey Wheeler and Tristan.
The Hooded Man didn't care about Yugi's aggressive aura. He had indeed seen Slifer the Sky Dragon, one of the "Three Egyptian Gods" he knew of, appear in Yugi's hand. He said with composure: "Hmm, it is indeed a God Card."
"My name is Grimo, I belong to the Doma organization, and I am the servant of Rafael, one of the Three Swordsmen in the organization." As he spoke, the Hooded Man named Grimo took off his hood, revealing his forehead that appeared quite shiny even in the night sky, and a programmer's hairstyle that looked like he couldn't duel at all, "If you want to win back your Grandpa, accept my duel with a God Card as the bet!"
Raising his wrist, the side of the circular device Grimo was wearing on his hand unfolded. Six segments extended from it, surprisingly forming a Duel Disk. Its design was completely different from the one released by KaibaCorp, looking quite Western European in style, yet appearing quite fierce due to its many sharp angles.
Yugi, whose mind wasn't entirely focused on what the opponent said, and who hadn't noticed the name "Rafael", frowned. He thought inwardly that things were bad. Although he didn't know if Grimo, who was standing high up just now, knew about the existence of Joey Wheeler and Tristan, the opponent didn't pay attention to his words, and still didn't say where Grandpa was hidden.
"I can agree to duel you, but before that, tell me where Ji-chan is!"
"So impatient. Can't you feel at ease unless you see your Grandpa?" Grimo frowned. His empty right hand pressed the side of the Duel Disk wearing on his left hand. It seemed like he activated some device. "Then I'll let you see."
"Buzz—"
Accompanied by the sound of the mechanical device operating, the crane beside Grimo actually started moving, its angle slightly adjusted. Only then did Yugi notice that Solomon Muto just now was actually in his blind spot, fixed by ropes to the back of that large wooden board, suspended in the air by the hoisting rope!
"Ji-chan!"
"Clank!"
The mechanical device stopped operating, and the crane also stopped moving. Solomon Muto and the wooden board fixing him swayed left and right in the air due to inertia, making one worry if the rope were to break like that, he would be directly flung out.
Because Solomon Muto finally appeared, Yugi glimpsed the corner of Joey Wheeler and Tristan's blue school uniforms near a pile of construction materials not far behind Grimo. He knew that the two had started their operation because they had found Grandpa Solomon's existence.
To prevent their existence from being noticed by Grimo, Yugi immediately spoke up: "Betting Ji-chan, I accept your duel!"
"Duel!"
[Yugi: 4000 LP]
[Grimo: 4000 LP]
While Yugi started the duel with Grimo to rescue his Grandpa, he didn't know that whether it was Yugi and Grimo dueling, Téa watching the field behind Yugi worriedly, or Joey Wheeler and Tristan in the corner, they were all being clearly watched at this moment by a surveillance camera installed on the edge of the rooftop.
Tracing back through the camera's data network, in front of a computer screen, a tall, muscular blonde man was watching Yugi on the screen. If Yugi were there, he would recognize him at a glance. This person was none other than Rafael, whom he had faced during the KC Cup!
"Nameless Pharaoh, let me see your power."
Rafael was not alone. After hearing his muttering, someone walked up behind Rafael, casually rested his hand on the back of Rafael's chair, and looked at the screen: "Oh~, your servant is already facing Mutou Yuugi? That was fast."
Valon raised his hand to adjust the goggles on his forehead: "How nice. Mutou Yuugi is probably the easiest opponent among the three currently holding the Three Egyptian Gods Cards to take the Cards from, after all, his weakness is simply too obvious."
"Compared to Hayato Kobayashi, who held the Three Egyptian Gods Cards before, Mutou Yuugi is indeed much easier to take the Cards from. But that's also on the premise of holding his family hostage." Alister heard this and couldn't help but turn his head and say, "Rafael, your subordinate's style is completely different from yours. However, since it's ultimately for Lord Dartz's great goal, I can't criticize anything."
"Well, whatever, as long as the goal is achieved." Compared to Alister, who was slightly bothered by the idea of harming family, Valon wasn't repulsed at all by Grimo's plan to hold Solomon Muto hostage. "Speaking of which, Alister, what about you? How do you plan to take the God Card that Kaiba Seto is holding? I remember he seems like he also has a younger brother, right?"
Hearing Valon mention the name "Kaiba Seto", Alister's originally relatively calm expression suddenly twisted slightly. Just hearing the name seemed like it made him angry beyond belief, but he still held back and said, "Hmph, I'm not like Kaiba Seto, that guy who's dirtier than rat droppings in a Restroom. If I want to, I can take the God Card from KaibaCorp anytime."
"What about you, Valon? I remember the last God Card is at the Egyptian Antiquities Traveling Exhibition Hall, right?"
"Ah, yes. The person holding that card is called..." Valon straightened up and glanced at a computer screen he was operating before on the other side. On it was clearly Ishizu's data. "The family head of the Tomb Keepers, Ishizu Ishtar. She stopped at the top 8 during Battle City. Apart from that, there are no public duel data records. Both Mutou Yuugi and Kaiba Seto are much stronger than her."
"You could say she's the worst goal. There's no challenge at all."
"Although I said 'Mutou Yuugi is the easiest opponent to take cards from', this woman named Ishizu doesn't even have the qualification to be my opponent. And she looks quite ordinary. I heard that before Hayato Kobayashi disappeared, he seemed like he had some connection with this woman, because someone provided information that her younger brother called Hayato Kobayashi 'Brother-in-law'."
Valon was giving his evaluation, but in his heart, he couldn't help but think about what kind of woman he considered beautiful according to his own aesthetic, and immediately a blonde figure appeared in his mind.
Rafael, who had been silently looking at the screen, heard Valon mention "Hayato Kobayashi" and spoke up, which was rare: "Although the information collected from various sources and the video recovered from KaibaCorp's internal surveillance network all indicate that Hayato Kobayashi disappeared during a struggle with the existence named 'Anubis'."
"But I've always had a feeling that Hayato Kobayashi, the strongest duelist in the World, wouldn't die so easily. Even Lord Dartz thinks so."
"No way. Although I'm not doubting Lord Dartz, that guy's body is completely gone." Valon didn't agree with Rafael's idea. "Besides, Rafael, it's not like you don't know, Lord Dartz has always had a strange recognition for that guy Hayato Kobayashi. He always says he has high hopes for him."
"Exactly. I don't know what qualification Hayato Kobayashi, who always hangs out with Kaiba Seto, who's more vulgar than frog's urine, has to be so highly anticipated by Lord Dartz." Alister also thought Rafael's feeling was wrong. "And it's precisely because Hayato Kobayashi disappeared that we received Lord Dartz's instruction to take the Three Egyptian Gods. You must have misunderstood Lord Dartz's meaning, Rafael."
"Is that so? Perhaps." Rafael nodded as if convinced, but it seemed more like he was just being perfunctory. He returned to silence and looked at the screen in front of him.
While the few of them were in communication, Yugi and Grimo's duel developed rapidly.
The details of the duel are not important, so I will use King Crimson to delete this time!
Updated 5K today. Originally wanted to update 6K but really didn't have time to write, so 5K will have to do.
(End of Chapter)
## Chapter 548: You Call This a Symbol of Friendship, Isn't It a Bit Shady?
"My Turn."
Yugi placed his finger on his Deck, glancing at the Field situation.
To be honest, when Grimo kidnapped Solomon Muto and threatened Yugi into a Duel where Slifer the Sky Dragon was on the line, Yugi had actually treated the Duel seriously, viewing his opponent as a Duelist with great strength.
After all, this wasn't the first or second time Yugi had participated in Duel Monsters Tournaments open to the entire World. Even if he hadn't meticulously studied his own Duel replays, he should at least know his own strength. Since Grimo had the courage to challenge Yugi, it meant he was very confident in his own strength.
However, what Yugi never expected was that he had completely overestimated Grimo's strength. His opponent was simply too pathetic. Although in the first turn he performed a Special Summon of Command Knight using Command Knight to achieve an Attack Seal on the Field, his most impressive play was just that.
(Command Knight Effect: ① When this card is Summoned successfully, you can activate this effect. Special Summon one 4☆ or lower monster from your Hand. ② While this card is in the Monster Zone, your opponent cannot select other Warrior-Type monsters as attack targets.)
There was no need to even use Slifer the Sky Dragon, which was in his Deck. Yugi achieved perfect suppression just by Summoning the master-apprentice duo of Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl. However, Yugi didn't go all out to expand his advantage and seize victory, but instead pretended to be using his full power to stall as much as possible.
Grimo's Duel Disk seemed to have a device to control the tower crane. If there was one, there would be a second. No one could guarantee that Grimo didn't have ways to control other devices. If he were defeated by Yugi and became enraged, dragging Solomon Muto down with him would be disastrous.
So, in Yugi's deliberate stall, he displayed a scene where he was struggling to achieve an even match with Grimo. Although he held a Dark Burning Magic in his Hand that could easily field clear, he stubbornly refused to activate it.
And Grimo truly seemed to be deceived, thinking he had suppressed the legendary Duelist Mutou Yuugi. His attention was completely focused on the Duel with Yugi, believing that with a little more effort, he could successfully achieve victory.
Afterward, under Yugi's cover, Joey Wheeler and Tristan successfully rescued Solomon Muto, who was suspended in the air.
If it were an ordinary Duel, Yugi might, out of respect for his Duel opponent and his Duelist's pride, continue the Duel with Grimo even after rescuing Solomon Muto. But in Yugi's eyes, Grimo, who used the kidnapping of Solomon Muto as a means to Duel him, had no Duelist's glory whatsoever.
Respect is mutual. Since his opponent had defiled the sacredness of the Duel, there was no need for him to continue Dueling with his opponent.
However, at that moment, Grimo suddenly began to laugh.
"Are you trying to escape, Nameless Pharaoh!?"
"Hmph hmph, hehe, hahahahaha, do you think I didn't know that your goal from the beginning was that old man? I knew your plan the moment you arrived on the rooftop. Don't think that you were the only one not using your full power just now, Nameless Pharaoh! Now, I will show you my true power!"
As he spoke, Grimo activated an ominous Field Spell Card. "This is our Sanctuary born from Pitch Black Darkness! Its mysterious ultimate magic power will now become my power! With a sacred seal, surround me and my enemy!!"
"Seal of Orichalcos, activate!!!"
Yugi, who had just turned around, intending to imitate the "Nigero da yo" technique he had learned from Hayato a long time ago to escape, hadn't even managed to put distance between himself and Grimo when suddenly an emerald green ring descended from the sky, enveloping both Yugi and Grimo.
The chain ornament embedded with a green gem that Grimo wore on his chest emitted the same emerald green radiance. The ancient, long-lost Ancient Atlantis text within the ring also lit up. The ring, which should have been merely a projection, instantly became a tangible existence, forming a circular domain that sealed off Yugi and Grimo within it. Joey Wheeler and Tristan, who wanted to approach from outside the domain, were simultaneously repelled!
Yugi's first thought was, of course, to use the Millennium Puzzle to unleash a "Dark Game" that surpassed ordinary Duels, to counteract Grimo's restriction method.
However, just as the Eye of Wjat/Udjat on Yugi's forehead began to glow, the Millennium Puzzle was swallowed of all its radiance by the ring domain in a brief instant, completely unable to use any power, as if it were just an ordinary large gold block.
Lines extended and connected within the ring. Three lines connected to form a "Z" shape, and two "Z" shapes then combined to form an unusual hexagram. The same pattern, along with a scaled-down ring, even appeared on Grimo's smooth forehead, as if his hair loss was meant to make space for this pattern.
"Until the victor is decided, the sacred Seal of Orichalcos will isolate all obstructions! Only the Duel's winner can walk out of here, and the loser's soul will forever remain within the Seal of Orichalcos card!"
Afterward, Grimo also demonstrated other effects of the Seal of Orichalcos. As long as the Seal of Orichalcos exists, Grimo can use the Spell & Trap Zone as a Monster Zone. Additionally, monsters in the Spell & Trap Zone cannot be selected as attack targets until all monsters in the Monster Zone are destroyed. Furthermore, the Seal of Orichalcos also has the ability to darken monsters, increasing their ATK by 500 points.
Even more outrageous, the Seal of Orichalcos even has an effect that prevents it from leaving the Field. Once activated, it is bound to remain. Whether it's return to hand, destroy, banish, or even set over with another Field Spell Card, none of it works against the Seal of Orichalcos. It is simply like it won't leave until it collects a defeated person's soul.
Looking at the dense effects on the Seal of Orichalcos, Yugi couldn't help but rant that this was definitely a fake card. Even a despicable card printer like Pegasus wouldn't dare to print a card with such disgusting effects.
But before Yugi could rant, Grimo did something that surprised and angered Yugi—he activated a Spell Card, The Voice of Obedience. He declared the card name of Slifer the Sky Dragon, which he knew was in Yugi's Deck before the Duel, and used the effect to add it to his Hand. Then, he used three monsters on his Field as tribute to Summon it.
He even kept a Graceful Charity to maximize the power of Slifer the Sky Dragon!
And under the influence of the Seal of Orichalcos, Slifer the Sky Dragon, which would originally unleash divine punishment, was actually darkened!
Even Yugi completely didn't expect such a situation to actually occur. Although he was unprepared, he managed to use Attack Negation in time to protect his Life Points, but the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl on his Field were completely destroyed by the concentrated attack of Grimo's darkened monsters.
[Grimo: 2000 LP, Hand 6]
[Slifer the Sky Dragon] [ATK 6500]
(Spell/Trap Zone) [Command Knight] [ATK 1700]
(Spell/Trap Zone) [Demon Tamer] [ATK 1300]
(Field) [Seal of Orichalcos]
Although Yugi's Hand also benefited from the effect of Graceful Charity, he currently had six cards in Hand, and with the one he was about to draw this turn, he would have seven cards. But because of the existence of Slifer the Sky Dragon, Yugi truly had no good ideas to defeat Grimo for the time being.
Although Slifer the Sky Dragon, when it was an ally, always acted like a traitor, causing trouble in various ways, Slifer the Sky Dragon appearing as an enemy was simply too difficult to deal with. The Thunder Force that automatically activated regardless of battle position is simply a small fry crusher. Even if he wanted to use some ordinary monsters to stall, he couldn't.
—Speaking of which, this time, Slifer the Sky Dragon could also be considered a traitor, right? It was clearly in his Deck before, but now it ran to the opponent's Field.
As expected, it's the "Traitor Dragon." Yugi increasingly felt that what Hayato said back then had too much foresight.
What was more troublesome was that Grimo had also used the Seal of Orichalcos to place his Command Knight and Demon Tamer, which were like weaknesses on his Field, in the rear. Without defeating Slifer the Sky Dragon, he couldn't attack the target at all.
For now, he could only place his hope on the next draw.
"Draw!"
Yugi drew a card from the top of his Deck, his expression freezing for a moment, as if he recalled something.
Looking at the card in his Hand, Yugi's gaze became resolute. He Set it face-down on his Field, along with another card: "Summon one monster in face-down Defense Position, then Set one card. My turn ends."
[Yugi: 3000 LP, Hand 5]
[Set Monster]
[Set Card] [Set Card] [Set Card]
"Hoho, it seems your strength is only at that level, Mutou Yuugi. Facing the darkened Slifer the Sky Dragon, all you can do is turtle up and defend."
Grimo said with a sneer, "But your struggle is Muda da! I will make you watch with your own eyes as your monsters are crushed, and then your Slifer the Sky Dragon will grant you defeat. Finally, I will offer the prize, Slifer the Sky Dragon, and the Seal of Orichalcos, which seals your soul, to my Master!"
"My turn, draw, and then Slifer the Sky Dragon power up!"
Because Grimo drew a card, his number of cards in Hand increased to seven. Slifer the Sky Dragon's ATK reached 7000 points due to its own effect, and after the Seal of Orichalcos boost, its ATK was a full 7500 points!
[Slifer the Sky Dragon] [ATK 6500 → 7500]
He glanced at Yugi's Set cards in the Spell/Trap Zone. Although he displayed an arrogant demeanor, Grimo was actually a deeply cunning person. This could be seen from how he seized the opportunity when Yugi was holding back power to stall earlier, pretended to use his full power, but then suddenly burst forth to achieve suppression over Yugi.
If he were truly an idiot, how could he have worked his way up to his current position in the fiercely competitive Organization Doma, becoming a subordinate of lord Rafael, one of the Three Swordsmen trusted by that personage?
He recalled the information about Mutou Yuugi recorded in the files. Not caring that Slifer the Sky Dragon's ATK would decrease because of this, he decisively played a card from his Hand: "I let you succeed once before. This time, I've learned my lesson. I must first deal with those troublesome Set cards in your Spell/Trap Zone."
"Activate the Spell Card Heavy Storm! Destroy all Spell/Trap Cards on the Field!" Grimo said proudly, "Although there's the danger of destroying my own cards along with yours, the only Spell/Trap Card on my Field is the Field Spell Card Seal of Orichalcos, which cannot leave the Field. Therefore, the only cards that will be destroyed are yours, Nameless Pharaoh!"
[Slifer the Sky Dragon] [ATK 7500 → 6500]
"Hmph, Sore wa dou kana?"
"Nani?!"
Grimo had a surprised expression, and Yugi, facing Heavy Storm, also activated one of his Set cards in the Spell/Trap Zone: "Chain Heavy Storm, I activate the Trap Card Magic Jammer!"
"When a Spell Card is activated, I discard one card from my Hand to negate and destroy Heavy Storm's effect!"
The storm had just begun to rise but was immediately suppressed. This made Grimo, who had just boasted, annoyed: "Tsk, as expected of Mutou Yuugi, you certainly have some skill. But so what? I don't believe you can activate a second life-saving Trap Card in your Spell/Trap Zone to escape disaster."
"Enter Battle Phase! I will use Command Knight to attack that face-down monster on your Field!"
Having lost its former righteous aura due to darkening, Command Knight furiously brandished the pair of long swords in its hands and attacked the card Set on Yugi's Field. The sharp long sword easily pierced through the monster's body hidden beneath the card.
Grimo also saw the ATK and DEF value of the monster that was revealed because of the flip.
[450/600]
"Heh, such weak ATK and DEF. Even added together, they're less than 1500 points. Isn't that just a weak monster?"
Hearing Grimo's words, Yugi sneered, "In that case, taste the power of the 'weak monster' you spoke of."
"This monster is a card that Hayato once gifted to me. Without a doubt, it is the symbol of friendship between him and me. Even though Hayato has left this World, his power is still with me!" Yugi waved his hand forward, "Counterattack begins, Mimiclay!"
Command Knight's long sword that pierced out was subsequently firmly gripped by a pair of strong pincers!
Chapter 549: There are always crawling insects on the ground who dare to face the divine lightning
"[Mimicking Man-Eater Bug]!"
Following Yugi's shout, the Insect monster, which had been cleaved in half by [Command Knight]'s sword, did not die. Instead, it extended a pair of pincers. One pincer clamped onto [Command Knight]'s long sword, while the other attacked its throat before it could react!
"Ugh!" [Command Knight]'s other sword blocked the attack, but it was barely holding on, constantly in danger of being completely suppressed and destroyed.
"How is that possible?!" Grimo looked again at the ATK and DEF displayed by [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug]. "That monster clearly only has a mere 600 DEF, why wasn't it destroyed by Battle, and even suppressed my monster instead!?"
"Heh heh, [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug] has an Effect that prevents it from being destroyed by Battle. Also, when this card is Flip Summoned, you can definitely Activate its Effect by targeting one monster on the Field."
Yugi said calmly, "The one I chose is naturally your [Command Knight]. Destroying [Command Knight], then [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug]'s ATK increases by the value of [Command Knight]'s Original ATK. And finally, [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug]'s Type becomes the same as [Command Knight]'s Original Type!"
Seeing his monster about to be destroyed, Grimo gritted his teeth and said, "Tsk, don't think only your monsters can Activate Effects, Nameless Pharaoh. Don't forget I have [Slifer the Sky Dragon] on my Field, which I got from you!"
"Forced Activation when the opponent's monster is Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, decreasing the corresponding Battle Position's value by 2000 points!" As Grimo pointed his finger towards [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug] on Yugi's Field, which was suppressing [Command Knight] while its body healed, [Slifer the Sky Dragon] behind him opened one of its two mouths, gathering lightning!
"[Mimicking Man-Eater Bug]'s DEF is only a mere 600 points. After being reduced by 2000 DEF by [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s 'Thunder Force' to zero, [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug], which cannot be destroyed by Battle, surely can't be immune to Effect Destruction as well, right?"
"Anyway, what you destroyed was just the [Command Knight] that had already attacked. Without [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug], your destiny of having your Life Points cleared by [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s Direct Attack remains unchanged!"
As Grimo finished speaking, [Slifer the Sky Dragon], which also had the mark of the [Seal of Orichalcos] on its forehead, spat out "Thunder Force", striking down towards [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug]. But Yugi smiled proudly at this moment: "Soitsu wa dou kana?" (How about that?)
"Chaining to the Effect of [Slifer the Sky Dragon] that you Chained to the Effect of my [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug], I Activate this Trap Card! This is the third Chain that even a God must stop at!"
Hearing Yugi's words, Grimo was first stunned, then laughed out loud: "Hahahaha, Nameless Pharaoh, have you gone insane from the pressure of the Duel? You who held a 'God' before should remember, even if a 'God' can be affected by Spell Cards and High-Level monster Effects used in the current Turn, Trap Cards have absolutely no Effect on a 'God'!"
The Set card Yugi flipped open released a seven-colored light that swept across all monsters on the Field. [Slifer the Sky Dragon] was completely unharmed. "Thunder Force" was successfully spat out, crashing onto [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug] which was locked in a stalemate with [Command Knight], causing its DEF to plummet wildly due to the power of the lightning until it reached zero!
However, it was precisely by using this pain of having its power stripped away that [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug] exerted force, snapping [Command Knight]'s two sharp swords and destroying it and sending it to the Graveyard, destroying each other.
[Mimicking Man-Eater Bug] [450/600 → 1650/0]
With a loud "boom", under Grimo's gaze, [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug]'s figure was enveloped in smoke along with [Command Knight]. He assumed they had both been destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, causing his mouth to curl up in a proud smile: "Heh heh, even the power left behind by Duel King Hayato Kobayashi will ultimately appear incredibly fragile before stronger power."
"Before [Slifer the Sky Dragon] attacks, perhaps I can use "Demon Tamer"... Hmm!?"
Thinking about how to inflict more torment on Yugi that would make him happy, Grimo looked at the "Demon Tamer" in his Spell/Trap Zone, but couldn't help but widen his eyes. He clearly remembered that his "Demon Tamer" should be a blue-haired human female wearing sexy leather armor and holding a whip. But why was there a jackal-headed monster in his Spell/Trap Zone now?
His gaze moved to the "Demon Tamer" card, noticing the changing data.
[Demon Tamer] [Level 3/EARTH]
[Divine-Beast Type/Effect]
[1300/700]
"Divine-Beast Type? "Demon Tamer"'s Type changed from Warrior Type?"
"Masaka!" (Impossible!)
Grimo suddenly looked up at the gradually dissipating smoke on Yugi's Field opposite him. "Was it that card Activated just now!?"
"Ah, that's right. I never said from the beginning that the Trap Card I was going to Activate would Target a 'God', Grimo?" Yugi's confident voice came, and at the same time, Grimo also saw clearly the Trap Card Yugi Activated. It was none other than the Continuous Trap, [DNA Surgery]!
"Declare a Type and Activate [DNA Surgery]. As long as [DNA Surgery] remains on the Field, all Face-Up monsters on both players' Fields become the declared Type. And what I declared is the Divine-Beast Type!"
On Yugi's Field, [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug] revealed its figure from the smoke. Although a large portion of its power was stripped away by [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s "Thunder Force", it was practically completely unharmed!?
[Mimicking Man-Eater Bug] [Level 4/EARTH]
[Divine-Beast Type/Flip/Effect]
[1650/0]
"Besides not being destroyed by Battle, [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug] also cannot be destroyed by the Effects of monsters of the same Type. After [DNA Surgery] changed its Type, even [Slifer the Sky Dragon] cannot destroy it now," Yugi's mouth curved up. "This is the Proof of Hayato and my Friendship. Even a God shouldn't think of Crushing it!"
Grimo looked at the tenacious [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug] and felt quite troublesome.
Not only can it not be destroyed by Battle, but it also has resistance to monster Effect Destruction. With the assistance of [DNA Surgery], this [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug] is simply too annoying, practically having infinite resistance!
Although he has the powerful [Slifer the Sky Dragon] on his Field, no matter how strong its ATK is, it's meaningless if it can't hit anything. He has absolutely no way to deal with that bug.
"Tsk, you got lucky and saved your life, Nameless Pharaoh. Just linger for a few more Turns then." Not wanting to lose face even when losing, Grimo put on an air of having the upper hand despite being helpless. "I Set one card. End Turn."
[Grimo: 2000 LP, Hand 5]
[Slifer the Sky Dragon] [ATK 6500 → 5500]
(Spell/Trap Zone) "Demon Tamer" [ATK 1300]
[Set Card]
(Field) [Seal of Orichalcos]
"Is that so? My Turn, Draw a card." Yugi drew a card with a confident smile on his face. "Grimo, this Duel is already over. I will defeat you this Turn!"
"Activate the Effect of [Magician of Chaos] from my hand. Reveal this card, Search from my Deck for one [Dark Magician] or a monster with [Dark Magician]'s card name written in its text, other than a Ritual Monster, and Add it to Hand. Then, return one card from my hand to the top of the Deck."
After revealing a card from his hand, Yugi Searched for [Dark Magician] from his Deck and Added it to Hand, then chose a card to return to the top of the Deck. Next, he played a Spell Card.
"Next, I Activate the Spell Card [Polymerization]! Using [Dark Magician] from my hand and the Spellcaster Type monster [Magician of Chaos] as Fusion Material," As [Polymerization] Activated in Yugi's Spell/Trap Zone, the figures of [Dark Magician] and [Magician of Chaos] appeared behind him. "The power of double Dark Magic stacks here, Mystical Power synchronizes and becomes one, manifesting a power that surpasses miracles!"
"Fusion Summon! [Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice]!"
Although the Material requirement is [Dark Magician] or [Dark Magician Girl] plus any Spellcaster Type monster, the [Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice] that is Fusion Summoned will only be the image of this Master and Disciple standing together.
[Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice] [ATK 2800]
Seeing Yugi Summon such a large monster at the start of his Turn, Grimo raised an eyebrow, still dismissive: "Muda Muda Muda. Under the power of [Slifer the Sky Dragon], even an ATK level like [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] will become less than a small fry monster. Now, I shall bring divine punishment down upon your [Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice]!"
"Thunder Force!"
Lightning fell and struck [Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice]. [Dark Magician] and [Dark Magician Girl] tried their best to hold up a Mystical Power barrier to resist the weakening, and although they managed to preserve their lives, they almost exhausted their Mystical Power as a result.
[Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice] [ATK 2800 → 800]
Despite the power of his newly Summoned monster being weakened, Yugi was not flustered at all. Instead, he played a second card. "Next is this card, [Mystical Space Typhoon]! I choose to Destroy that Set card in your Spell/Trap Zone, Grimo!"
The Quick-Play Spell Card [Mystical Space Typhoon] took effect, revealing Grimo's Set card in the Spell/Trap Zone, [Sakuretsu Armor], and crushing it. Grimo was unconcerned.
Due to the existence of the [Seal of Orichalcos], as long as Grimo's [Slifer the Sky Dragon] in the Front Row is not destroyed, the "Demon Tamer" in the Spell/Trap Zone is in an absolutely safe state and will never become an attack target. And [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s ATK is currently as high as 5500 points, so on the surface, there was no need to Set [Sakuretsu Armor] at all.
But Grimo had often studied the Duel Replays of famous Duelists to reach his current position. He found that although they included [Sakuretsu Armor] in their Decks, they never successfully Activated it, and it would often just be destroyed by cards like [Mystical Space Typhoon]. Today, it was indeed the case.
He had included that card from the beginning specifically to bait out a [Mystical Space Typhoon] with [Sakuretsu Armor]. This was Grimo's top-tier understanding of Dueling!
Watching [Mystical Space Typhoon] Destroy [Sakuretsu Armor], Grimo felt no regret. But what he didn't expect was that Yugi's smile was even more radiant than his?
"The puzzle of victory has been assembled, Grimo." With a curve of his mouth, Yugi confidently played another card. "I Activate the Spell Card, [Hand Destruction]!"
"Both players Discard their entire hand, then Draw cards equal to the number discarded from their Deck. I only have one card in my hand, so I Discard one card from my hand."
"Discard my hand?" Grimo frowned, unable to understand why Yugi Activating this [Hand Destruction] was the "puzzle of victory". He glanced at his Deck.
Although the battle was so intense, the consumption of both players' Decks was not much. Grimo still had at least twenty-something cards in his Deck at this moment. If Yugi was trying to use a Deck Destruction Strategy, he was still far from it.
Grimo sent all the cards in his hand to the Graveyard in confusion. Yugi on the opposite side also sent one card from his hand to the Graveyard but did not Draw a card directly. Instead, he pressed the button to Activate a Set card.
"I still have one last Set card on my Field, Grimo. Although this card is a Trap Card, it will become the key move for me to defeat [Osiris] at this moment!" Yugi said, looking at the flipped Set card. "Trap Card [Reckless Greed]!"
"This card can only be Activated when a Draw Effect is Activated. After the cards drawn by that Effect are confirmed by both players, they are all Send to Graveyard!"
Grimo's eyes widened: "Na, Nani?!" (Wh- What?!)
"In other words---!"
"In other words, the cards drawn by [Hand Destruction] must all be discarded, Grimo!"
"[Slifer the Sky Dragon] gains infinite power by increasing the hand, but instead of dealing with the 'God', I can directly target the Duelist's hand!"
"Your hand will be completely Cleared, and [Slifer the Sky Dragon] will therefore only have 500 ATK left!"
Yugi then pointed his finger at his [Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice] on the Field again. "Furthermore, once per Turn, due to the Activation of a Spell/Trap Card, I can Chain Activate the Effect of [Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice] and Draw a card before [Reckless Greed] takes effect."
"The card I Drew is the Trap Card [Blazing Draw] that I placed on top of the Deck earlier with the Effect of [Magician of Chaos]. Since it's a Trap Card, I can Set it on the Field!"
Chain Resolution. After Yugi Drew [Blazing Draw] from the top of the Deck, he Set it directly in his Spell/Trap Zone without even looking, and then the Effect of [Reckless Greed] began to process.
Grimo and Yugi both Drew cards simultaneously, and then all were discarded and Send to Graveyard due to the Effect of [Reckless Greed]. And the power on [Slifer the Sky Dragon] on Grimo's Field suddenly disappeared!
[Slifer the Sky Dragon] [ATK 5500 → 500]
"Change [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug] to Attack Position! Then it's my Battle Phase, Grimo!" Yugi's hand gestured towards [Slifer the Sky Dragon], which had lost Grimo's Hand support and only had the last power provided by the [Seal of Orichalcos]. "Here, I shall Subdue the Deity!"
[Mimicking Man-Eater Bug] [DEF 0 → ATK 1650]
Under Grimo's disbelieving gaze, [Mimicking Man-Eater Bug] swung its pincers, instantly crushing the extremely weakened [Slifer the Sky Dragon]!
[Grimo: 2000 → 850 LP]
"Ugh!" The Battle Damage from [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s destruction was inflicted upon himself, causing Grimo to cry out in pain, but he still stubbornly raised his head. "Madamada, the 'Thunder Force' Effect released by [Slifer the Sky Dragon] will not disappear because of its destruction!"
"Your [Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice]'s ATK is still only a mere 800 points. With the boost from the [Seal of Orichalcos], my "Demon Tamer" on the Field has higher ATK than yours!"
Hearing this, Yugi sneered and said, "[Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice]'s ATK is only 800 points after being decreased, which is equal to "Demon Tamer"'s Original ATK. With the addition of the [Seal of Orichalcos], your monster's ATK is indeed higher."
"However, let me refresh your knowledge of cards slightly. I Activate the Trap Card [Blazing Draw]!"
"Activating a Trap Card in the same Turn it was Set!?"
Facing Grimo's confusion, Yugi began to explain: "When a card Set by the Effect of [Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice] is a Quick-Play Spell Card or a Trap Card, it can be Activated in the Turn it was Set. And the Effect of [Blazing Draw] is that after Activation, it becomes an Equip Card and Equips to one monster on my Field."
"When a monster with higher ATK than its Original ATK exists on the Opponent's Field, the ATK of the monster Equipped with [Blazing Draw] becomes double its Original ATK only during the Damage Step!"
"I Equip [Blazing Draw] to [Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice]!" Yugi's hand waved forward. "Then, [Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice] Attacks your "Demon Tamer" in the Spell/Trap Zone!"
"Dark Burning Magic!"
"A monster with higher ATK than its Original ATK..." Grimo murmured the Effect Yugi mentioned, then glanced at the monster card in his Spell/Trap Zone, his pupils shrinking. "Masaka! Did you calculate this from the very beginning!"
"I can't accept this!!"
Despite Grimo's unwillingness, [Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice]'s Attack was successfully launched. The mystical power of the Master and Disciple, [Dark Magician] and [Dark Magician Girl], resonated and gathered into a giant mystical power cannonball, blasting onto the "Demon Tamer" on Grimo's Field!
[Super Magician - Dark Magician Apprentice] [ATK 800 → 5600]
"Demon Tamer" [ATK 1300]
"Ugh ah ah ah!!!"
Amidst Grimo's screams, his Life Points were completely reduced to zero!
[Grimo: 850 LP → 0]
# Chapter 550: The First God Card
Due to the effect of [Burning Fighting Spirit], [Super Polymerization - Dark Magician]'s ATK was reset from its lowered value, allowing it to decisively defeat Grimo and end the Duel.
Yugi, slightly relaxed after another Duel victory, no longer suppressed the damage and fatigue that had accumulated throughout the Duel. His legs gave out, and he half-knelt on the ground, gasping for breath.
But just then, the [The Seal of Orichalcos] spread across the ground suddenly began to shrink!
"This is!"
Yugi was startled at first, then remembered what Grimo had said earlier: "Only the winner can leave the [The Seal of Orichalcos]; the loser's soul will be sealed." With the end of the Duel, was the Seal underfoot starting to seal Grimo's soul?
Yugi wasn't sure, but he saw Grimo struggling to stand up, tightly clutching a card in his hand.
"Damn, damn it, I actually lost just like that!" Looking at the [The Seal of Orichalcos] shrinking back towards him, Grimo was well aware of his impending end, but he was extremely unwilling for his actions to end in defeat like this. "At- at least I'll contribute a portion of my power to Rafael-sama!"
As he spoke, Grimo laboriously raised the card in his hand, causing Yugi's pupils to contract: "Is that, [Slifer the Sky Dragon]?!"
"You bastard, what are you going to do to [Slifer the Sky Dragon]!"
Although Yugi voiced the question, the [The Seal of Orichalcos] had already shrunk to less than an inch away from Grimo. Green light/flames emerged from the Seal, engulfing Grimo completely!
"Nameless Pharaoh, your strength is too great. For our great ambition, I will take your 'God', even if my life ends here!" Grimo, engulfed by the flames, let out a cry of pain. Although the [The Seal of Orichalcos] caused no damage to his body, he could feel his soul being stripped from his body. "Rafael-sama, this is my final power!"
"Ugh ahhh!!!"
Accompanied by Grimo's painful wail, his soul and the green light/flames shot up into the sky together. His body went limp and collapsed onto the ground.
Honda and Joey Wheeler helped Téa support Solomon Muto, while Tristan helped the fatigued and weak Yugi up. Joey Wheeler, meanwhile, went forward to check on Grimo's condition.
However, no matter how Joey Wheeler searched through Grimo's Duel Disk, the [Slifer the Sky Dragon] card had vanished without a trace. And within the [The Seal of Orichalcos] that Grimo had used earlier, his sealed soul had appeared.
"[Orichalcos]!" Watching the green light disperse into the sky, Yugi gritted his teeth and muttered.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Rafael and Valon stood around a small circular altar, watching a card appear out of thin air as the green firelight in the altar gradually dispersed.
Rafael reached out and picked up the red-bordered card, which was indeed [Slifer the Sky Dragon].
Within the card, [Slifer the Sky Dragon], having been taken from Yugi in a way that violated the Duel ritual, let out an angry roar. Its divine power attempted to spread out from the card, but was instead suppressed by the seal set up in the room, leaving it only capable of impotent rage.
"Grimo," Rafael closed his eyes, softly mourning the name of his subordinate. He etched the other's sacrifice into his heart and solemnly put away the [Slifer the Sky Dragon] card.
"Although he lost the Duel where he gambled his life, he risked his life to send the 'God Card' out using the power of [Orichalcos]. That's truly an admirable resolve," Valon also praised Grimo. "With this, Rafael, your task is complete. We've finally gotten the first of the 'Three Egyptian Gods' cards."
"What about Alister?" Rafael opened his eyes and spoke without joy or sorrow, seemingly having put Grimo's matter behind him and no longer caring. "Has he already gone to KaibaCorp?"
"Yeah, after all, that guy has a deep obsession with KaibaCorp. Huh? Wait a minute, doesn't that mean I'm the last one?"
Valon realized this and quickly turned around, walking towards the room's exit. "No way, even if I don't aim for first, I shouldn't be the last. I need to hurry and leave too!"
Seeing Valon leave in a hurry, Rafael looked at his back and said, "That Ishizu Ishtar and Mutou Yuugi are also owners of [Millennium Item]s. Don't underestimate them."
"Oh, got it. But I won't lose to some nobody. See you later, Rafael!"
Valon said without looking back as he left the secret room. Rafael, meanwhile, turned his head and looked at a screen.
On the image displayed on the screen, Alister, in disguise, was currently sneaking through the quiet and deserted KaibaCorp building at night.
Although Rafael's subordinate Grimo was the first to take action to seize the "Three Egyptian Gods", it didn't mean that Alister and Valon hadn't made any preparations before that. Alister had spent several days investigating Kaiba's movement pattern, who owned [Obelisk the Tormentor], and where he would place the "God Card".
The reward for his investigation was that he now knew clearly that Kaiba Seto would leave the [Obelisk the Tormentor] card in the KaibaCorp building's Data Center every night, using the nighttime hours to collect and analyze data, trying to uncover the card's potential power and usage method as much as possible. Kaiba himself wouldn't return until the next day.
As for KaibaCorp's security at night, although the patrol and rotation were arranged extremely tightly, Alister still managed to find a fifteen-minute gap within them. As long as he quickly took the [Obelisk the Tormentor] within this opening, Alister could easily complete his task, without even needing to duel Kaiba Seto.
Although he was fully confident that he wouldn't lose to Kaiba, Alister chose to avoid Kaiba mainly because he wanted Kaiba to experience the pain of loss more deeply.
If possible, Alister also planned to use the power of the "Doma" organization, which had developed for so many years, to cause KaibaCorp to collapse, making Kaiba lose everything he could lose. Then, he would appear before him and grant him complete defeat, crush his dignity as a duelist, and then strip him of his life and soul.
Just thinking about it made Alister feel incredibly excited.
In no time, he had already sneaked to the entrance of the Data Center. Hiding in the ventilation duct and waiting for this round of security personnel to leave, he jumped out of the duct. Without spending much time searching, he immediately spotted the [Obelisk the Tormentor] card that Kaiba had placed in the most conspicuous spot.
Alister also noticed a very hidden light emitter in the corner.
"Hmph, a crude method." Putting on infrared glasses, Alister saw the infrared sensor lines, invisible to the naked eye, placed around the [Obelisk the Tormentor] card. If he had recklessly made a move just upon seeing the [Obelisk the Tormentor] card, it would have only triggered the alarm.
But Alister had investigated this beforehand. For this, in addition to the infrared glasses, he had also prepared a complete set of professional tools.
Carefully approaching the central computer where the card was placed, along the gaps in the infrared lines, the closer he got to [Obelisk the Tormentor], the more excited the smile under Alister's mask became. In just a few moments, he was only one step away from the "God Card", within reach.
"Click~"
Easily taking the [Obelisk the Tormentor] card, Alister turned around proudly, ready to leave. But suddenly, a voice entered his ears:
"Hmph, caught you, the mouse that's been lurking around KaibaCorp for so many days."
"Nani!?"
The previously dim Data Center suddenly lit up. To Alister's surprised expression, Kaiba, whom he had determined would absolutely not be here, actually appeared, standing on a high place and looking down at Alister!
"Kaiba, Seto!"
"Why are you here—!"
"Why am I here, you ask? Do you think your hacking technology is so brilliant?" Kaiba's mouth curved into a disdainful smile. "There were a few vulnerabilities in KaibaCorp's firewall that were detected but deliberately left unrepaired by me. The moment you hacked in through those vulnerabilities, I knew."
"After having the experience of being hacked once, how could I not take any precautions?"
"Hmph, then are you ready to accept punishment, you despicable thief!"
Hearing Kaiba's words, Alister gritted his teeth in anger. He ignored everything and turned around to leave directly. Although he really wanted to take down Kaiba here, it was too early, and he also needed to take the [Obelisk the Tormentor] with him.
Kaiba naturally wouldn't just watch this masked thief of unknown identity escape. He immediately followed: "You bastard, are you trying to escape!"
Alister and Kaiba began a fierce chase. Although their identities were different, what surprised both of them was that they were running neck and neck, neither faster than the other.
Kaiba was surprised that the thief before him had the ability to keep pace with him, someone who trained regularly. Alister was also surprised that the pampered Kaiba had enough stamina to keep up with him.
Neither of them could outrun the other, but for Alister, this was bad news, because Kaiba had a significant geographical advantage in this building. While he wouldn't necessarily set up mechanisms within the building, he could at least use the security team to obstruct Alister.
Although the security personnel were useless and couldn't keep up with the two of them at all, Kaiba used the security team as roadblocks to block Alister's escape route. After several detours, the two chased each other all the way to the Rooftop on the fiftieth floor. Alister was cornered by Kaiba at the edge of the Rooftop, with no retreat.
The security team downstairs had blocked all escape routes. One more step back and Alister would fall from the Rooftop. The floors above required identity verification to access. With no way up or down, Kaiba's capture of Alister was like catching a turtle in a jar!
"With this, you have no way to escape, you despicable rat," Kaiba said calmly and arrogantly, crossing his arms over his chest. "To sneak into KaibaCorp and lay your hands on the [Obelisk the Tormentor] card, you're truly audacious."
"Tsk, no retreat left, huh," Alister muttered to himself, annoyed. He looked at Kaiba. "Don't you have any regrets about losing [Obelisk the Tormentor], Kaiba Seto? Aren't you afraid I'll tear up the card even if it costs me my life?"
Saying this, Alister took out the card he had taken.
Hearing this, Kaiba sneered coldly: "If you can do it, go ahead and try. Anyway, I have plenty of that card in your hand."
"Huh?" Hearing Kaiba say this, Alister was also stunned. He looked down at the [Obelisk the Tormentor] card in his hand, but suddenly found that there seemed to be a sticker on the surface of this card. After peeling off the sticker, Kaiba's signature was revealed?!
"This isn't the 'God Card'!"
Discovering that he had been tricked, Alister angrily tore up the card in his hand directly. The shredded paper was thrown behind him, falling towards the ground from a height of a hundred meters.
"You tore it up just like that, huh? Do you need more of my signatures?" Kaiba said mockingly. "You knew I suspected your actions, but you didn't expect me to prepare a 'substitute/decoy'. Your intelligence, using only such low-down methods, is only fourth-rate."
Being mocked by Kaiba like this, Alister was expressionless at first, but then began to grin ferociously: "Kaiba Seto, I originally planned to make you taste the pain of loss more. Since you're pushing me step by step, don't blame me."
"I'll just return my resentment to you right here, and then I'll take both your soul and [Obelisk the Tormentor]!" Alister raised his left hand, and his Duel Disk automatically performed a field setup. "I'll use my 'War' Deck!"
"A Duel Disk model I haven't seen before," Kaiba frowned, looking at Alister's Duel Disk, but didn't take his words to heart. "Talking nonsense about 'soul' and such like a madman, you really are an idiot. However, when it comes to Duel Monsters, I won't lose to anyone!"
"I'll use my evolved strongest [Blue-Eyes] to bring complete defeat upon you."
"Duel!" X2
[Alister: 4000 LP]
[Kaiba: 4000 LP]
"The first turn is mine, draw!" Alister impatiently snatched the first turn and drew a card. "I activate the effect of [Machina Fortress] from my hand! By sending [Machina Megaform], a Level 8 monster, from my hand to the Graveyard, making the Levels total 8☆ or more, I Special Summon [Machina Fortress] from my hand in Attack Position!"
Amidst the roaring sound of metal mechanisms operating, a tank-like giant mech manifested on Alister's Field!
[Machina Fortress] [Level 7 / EARTH]
[Machine Type / Effect]
[2500 ATK / 1600 DEF]
(End of Chapter)