A harsh screech of grinding metal rang out.
Milo's D-Wheel came to a halt after rounding a bend in the track. The panels on its frame opened, venting streams of high-pressure gas—it wouldn't be starting up again.
A breakdown on the D-Wheel meant one thing: Milo's Life Points had hit zero, and he was out of the match.
He slammed his fist on the surface of his Duel Disk. Despite his bold words earlier, his low remaining Life Points had been a fatal flaw. His Volcanic Deck relied heavily on effects that burned through his own Life Points. With his LP so low, he couldn't play to his full potential—he couldn't even defend himself. A single damage effect from his opponent would finish him.
But what truly infuriated him wasn't that. It was Akiyama telling him that Hannah had lost her past memories upon becoming a Shadow Duelist and no longer remembered who she was.
Milo had suspected as much, but still didn't want to believe it. How could she forget those warm memories so easily? She had to be corrupted by the darkness—given enough time, she would recover.
What pushed him to the brink was Akiyama claiming that Hannah was now part of his harem. Milo had almost rammed his D-Wheel straight into him to end the duel quickly, but restrained himself. He knew Hannah well—memory loss or not, her personality wouldn't have changed. She despised shallow, frivolous men.
He steadied his breathing and dismounted his D-Wheel, only to see Akiyama slow down as he passed, smirking.
"People change," Akiyama said with a sly grin before accelerating away.
Milo froze for a moment, then lost his temper completely, cursing at the top of his lungs.
After venting his frustration, he calmed down and assessed the situation.
He'd eliminated Hannah, but Akiyama had then instantly taken him out. The score was still tied.
And that was the problem—Akiyama might be foolish, but his strength was the real deal. Judging from how he'd crushed the Saint King Club, his skill was immeasurable. Three-on-one would've been fine, but now it was two-on-two—already a disadvantage.
The original plan had been for Milo to quickly defeat Hannah and then exhaust Akiyama's resources. Now…
He pushed his D-Wheel back to the pit, where Haisen Club's two remaining aces awaited him.
"You alright, Captain?"
A square-jawed man, Everett—user of a Rock Deck and one of the mainstays—took the D-Wheel and passed it to the mechanics.
"I'm fine. But Everett, be careful—if you realize you can't beat Akiyama, switch to a strategy focused on draining his resources."
Everett nodded heavily. In the club, he always obeyed Milo's orders; admiration for him was the reason he'd joined.
Milo turned to the last ace.
"Caleb—it's on you. Use your most efficient finisher to take him down."
"No problem," Caleb replied, his calm face betraying neither emotion nor hesitation.
Even with a clear strategy, Milo couldn't shake his concern. Akiyama's Timelord Deck was too bizarre—normal tactics might not work.
He eyed the strange, pendulum-like monster with only a face that followed Akiyama, his expression dark.
…
At the Shadow Duelists' pit, Zelo sat like a guardian at the door, his towering presence keeping all staff at a distance.
Hannah lounged with her legs crossed, hair cascading over her shoulder, eyes fixed on the Haisen Club's pit as if weighing something.
After a long moment, she stood and started toward it—only for Zelo to speak without turning.
"Going to them without permission… you're not afraid of making the boss angry?"
She froze, then dropped back into her seat in a huff.
Zelo turned to face her. "I know you want your memories back. But wait until the boss's plan is complete… once he's a Shadow Duelist, it'll be easier to talk to him."
Hannah propped her chin in her hand, eyes conflicted. "I want to ask him before he changes completely. Once you're fully a Shadow Duelist, you forget a lot. Zelo, do you remember your past?"
He shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'm not interested."
"But I am. If I don't know, I'll always feel… empty."
She pouted and glanced at him. She'd expected sympathy—but he simply pointed at Akiyama.
"If you want to fill that emptiness, you could be like Akiyama and start a harem."
She stared at him. "…Are you joking?"
"Yes."
She sighed. Even if he bantered all day, he wouldn't let her go.
Fine. She turned her gaze to the field. The match would end soon anyway. Much as she hated to admit it, Akiyama was better than her, and his Deck was strange.
Still… what was that about a harem to fill the emptiness? Did that frivolous man have a tragic past?
Curiosity piqued, she stared at Zelo until he relented.
"Once, Akiyama poured everything into chasing someone—only to be dumped, broke, and alone. In a fit of anger, he shaved his head to become a monk. Just then, he met the boss… Don't tell him I said this."
"…"
"Pffft!"
…
Outside the stadium, Morgan had finished her circuit, taking down all remaining Shadow Duelists.
She looked up at the sun and wiped imaginary sweat from her brow like a farmer after a good harvest.
"Another bountiful day."
She'd racked up over twenty thousand Duel Points—still short of the cost for Spirit Sight, but enough for a top-tier meta Deck.
Once, she'd opposed the Shadow Duelists' expansion. Now, she welcomed it. The more there were, the better—so long as she was notified in time to reap the rewards.
She considered whether to spend the points on a Deck or save for Spirit Sight. Survival came first—better to get a strong Deck now.
Not letting the system choose for her this time, she debated: Floowandereeze? Inzektors? Or maybe Grass Witchcrafter, since they called her a witch anyway…
Her musings were cut short by a sharp sting on her forearm as her Dragon Mark lit up red.
More Shadow Duelists? She should've cleared them all.
Focusing, she sensed the remaining presence inside the stadium.
'An intruder?'
Good. She grinned—more Duel Points meant more Decks. She'd take them all.
…
The stadium was silent, stunned.
In the following duels, Akiyama had completely dominated Haisen Club's remaining aces—Everett and Caleb's defeats could only be called crushing. They had no answer to the Timelords.
Milo's face was pale, but he clenched his fists. He knew the gap between them, but it didn't matter. He'd found Hannah—he'd keep getting stronger until he could bring her back.
One question lingered: why were the Shadow Duelists in the tournament at all? Whatever the reason, it couldn't be good.
The crowd gradually recovered from the shock. The host's voice rang out:
"Amazing! Unbelievable! I guarantee you, this is the fastest finals finish in years—maybe ever!
And it was a clean sweep by Akiyama!"
"My head's still spinning—I haven't seen dominance like this in ages. Let's welcome the new kings to the podium!"
As the announcer shouted, Morgan returned to her seat.
Seeing her back, Viviana scolded, "Where were you? You missed the best part. What? Did the Shadow Duelists kidnap you?"
Morgan didn't answer—her eyes were fixed on the three figures on the podium.
"What are they doing?"
"Getting their award, obviously," Viviana said, rolling her eyes. "They're the champions—the new kings!"
'New kings?'
Morgan's Dragon Mark told her plainly: all three were Shadow Duelists.
The post-match interview began. The beautiful woman host approached, microphone in hand.
Zelo and Hannah showed no interest in speaking—Akiyama took it naturally.
The host, clearly charmed by him, smiled. "As an unknown team, you must have gone through a lot to get here and take the championship. What does this title mean to you?"
Akiyama threw her a wink and, in a calm, unbothered tone, said:
"It means that we, the Shadow Duelists, are about to…"
"…declare war on all of you."
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going!
[Patreon.com/RedZTL]