Some time lataaaaa...after the Labyrinth and spirits...
The air outside the Labyrinth was fresh and liberating, a stark contrast to the dim, twisting halls within. Atem walked at an even pace, his cloak trailing behind him like a shadow of authority. The five children—Kenya, Ryota, Gale, Alice, and Chloe—followed with light steps, their moods lifted after successfully summoning elemental spirits.
The oppressive weight that had once hung over them, the shadow of certain death, was gone. Their futures were no longer chains but possibilities.
Atem exhaled softly, the faintest smile tugging at his lips.
(Good. I managed to guide them to safety… at least, for now.)
Yet beneath that relief, something clawed at his senses. A faint ripple in the air, sharp and precise, like the glint of a hidden blade. It wasn't openly hostile yet—but it was watching, waiting.
Without moving his lips, Atem's voice slipped into the spiritual bond. "Ranga. Take the children. Get them somewhere safe."
The shadows beside him stirred. A great wolf emerged, his golden eyes gleaming with loyalty. "As you command, my master."
The children looked at Atem in confusion. "Sensei?" Kenya asked, his tone tight with worry.
Atem gave them a calm, reassuring nod. "Do not fear. There's something I must deal with alone. Ranga will take you back."
Before protests could spill from their lips, Ranga swept the children onto his back and bolted through the trees, his speed blinding. In moments, they vanished beyond the treeline.
The silence that followed was heavy—unnatural.
Then, the air shifted. The forest seemed to bow under a new presence. From between the trees, a woman stepped into view. Her every movement carried precision and command, her silver armor gleaming as though blessed by the sun itself. Her piercing blue eyes locked onto Atem, cold and merciless.
He knew her before she spoke her name. Hinata Sakaguchi—the Holy Knight Commander of the Western Holy Church. The strongest among the Ten Great Saints.
"…So it's you," Atem said, his voice steady, though his gaze sharpened.
Hinata stopped a mere few paces away, one hand resting lightly on the hilt of her blade. Her voice was calm, but sharp enough to cut the air.
"Slime. No… Atem of Eterna. You killed Shizue Izawa, didn't you?"
The words struck with the force of a verdict.
Atem's brows furrowed, caught off guard. "What?"
Hinata's eyes narrowed, no warmth within them. "Her power lingers within you. I can feel it. You killed her. Shizu was my teacher… my master. For that, I cannot forgive you."
Atem's mind clicked into place. (So… Shizu-san was her master. That explains it. Her anger, her conviction. But… she's wrong about what happened.)
He lifted a hand, not in aggression, but to halt the spiral. "You misunderstand. Shizu was suffering—her body, her spirit, they were at their limit. She asked me herself, Hinata. She wished for release, and I granted it. I carry her will, not her chains."
But Hinata's expression did not soften. Her conviction was iron. Her silence was not hesitation but judgment already passed.
"Save your excuses." She drew her blade in a single motion, the steel glowing with radiant holy energy. "My sword will reveal the truth."
At that moment, the air itself shuddered. Her aura descended like a crushing tide—holy, unyielding, absolute. Birds scattered from the trees. The ground seemed to hum beneath her presence.
Atem's cloak rippled in the surge. His eyes narrowed, his voice dropping into steel.
(This is no ordinary opponent. She carries resolve sharper than her blade. She's dangerous.)
<
"I know," Atem murmured under his breath, his hand lifting slowly, fingers brushing the air as though parting the unseen currents of fate. His tone carried no fear—only unshakable calm. "If it's truth you seek, Hinata… then come and test it against me."
Hinata's blade gleamed with holy light, its radiance sharp enough to sear the air itself. Her aura was beautiful, commanding—yet it carried death in every flicker.
Atem's crimson eyes narrowed. His cloak fluttered as the tension tightened.
(She's no ordinary opponent… her conviction itself is a weapon.)
The forest grew silent, waiting for the first clash.
Without a sound, Hinata moved. One blink, and she was already upon him—her silver blade cutting straight for Atem's heart.
"—!"
Atem raised his hand, weaving an arcane ward. The barrier shattered instantly with a sound like glass cracking under lightning.
His eyes flicked in surprise.
(She cleaved it as if it were nothing… This technique—!)
Her sword flashed seven times in a single instant. Fireflies of light traced the air.
"Dead End Rainbow."
The technique born to slay monsters. To her, Atem was no exception.
Atem stepped back, his voice low, resolute.
"You've already passed judgment… very well. Then I shall answer you in my own way."
He raised his arm—arcane energy spiraled, forming a deck of glowing spirit cards hovering in the air before him.
Hinata's eyes widened. "What sorcery is this…?"
Atem's voice thundered with authority, echoing through the forest like a declaration of fate:
"I summon forth my companions—the guardians of my soul!"
He drew one card from the glowing deck, thrusting it into the air.
"Come forth! Dark Magician!"
A vortex of violet energy erupted beside him, and from it stepped a tall figure in purple robes, staff glowing with arcane fire. The Dark Magician twirled his staff and took stance before Atem like a shield.
Hinata wasted no time. Her blade gleamed, cutting straight for Atem again.
But the Dark Magician spun his staff, releasing a torrent of arcane bolts. The holy knight slashed each one in midair, sparks of violet and silver exploding around her.
"Magic will not touch me," she declared, aura blazing. She lunged, cutting straight through the barrage—
—but the Dark Magician's staff intercepted her blade, the clash ringing like thunder.
Hinata's eyes flicked, impressed for the first time. "So this… is your style of battle."
Atem's hand hovered over the deck, eyes glowing faintly.
"Magic alone isn't enough. Then… let us show her the bonds of spirit!"
He drew again, voice ringing:
"Come forth, Celtic Guardian!"
The forest shook as a green-clad warrior elf appeared, blades gleaming with forest light. He dashed toward Hinata, striking with twin slashes.
Hinata countered instantly, her sword parrying both strikes. Sparks flew as the elf's agility matched her step for step.
"Another summon?!" she muttered, eyes narrowing. "This isn't mere magic… they fight like true warriors."
But Atem wasn't finished. His deck spun, three cards glowing at once.
"Now—answer the call! Summon Skull! Beta the Magnet Warrior! King's Knight!"
A roar split the heavens as the demon Summon Skull appeared, lightning crackling from its claws. Beside it, the armored King's Knight took stance, shield raised, and the Magnet Warrior grounded himself with an unshakable stance.
The battlefield lit up with Atem's full spirit legion standing at his side.
Hinata dashed into their midst, blade flashing. Dead End Rainbow carved through Summon Skull's lightning, dissipating it like mist. She spun, parrying Celtic Guardian and King's Knight in the same breath.
Her technique was flawless—each cut absolute, each movement efficient.
But for every slash she deflected, another strike came from a different angle. Summon Skull's lightning forced her to backstep. Celtic Guardian's blade grazed her armor. Dark Magician unleashed a binding circle, slowing her movements.
Hinata's eyes sharpened. "This… isn't a fight. It's a war."
Atem's voice boomed, carrying the weight of a Pharaoh's command:
"Spirits, surround her! Do not relent!"
His monsters obeyed with perfect synchronicity—King's Knight shield-bashed, forcing Hinata into Celtic Guardian's blade. Summon Skull roared lightning overhead, Dark Magician's circle sealing off her escape route.
Hinata slashed furiously, sparks flying, the air alight with holy and arcane power clashing in rapid succession.
She parried another blow—but Atem's hand flicked, drawing again.
"And now—Dark Magician Girl!"
A swirl of radiant magic appeared, the apprentice magician taking her place beside the Dark Magician. Her smile was bright, but her eyes burned with fighting spirit. She unleashed a barrage of energy blasts, hammering Hinata from above.
Hinata fell back, panting slightly, her armor cracked. Her eyes darted around at the legion arrayed before her. For the first time, her aura wavered.
"This… this power… you're not even fighting me directly."
Atem's gaze was cold, regal.
"You came to pass judgment upon me with your blade. But I am no mere monster to be slain—I am Atem, Pharaoh of Eterna. You cannot measure me with steel alone."
He gestured. Instantly, the monsters circled Hinata, forming a glowing sigil beneath her feet.
Her eyes widened. "A trap formation—!"
The ground erupted in golden chains of magic, binding her movements as the legion aimed their weapons at once.
Dark Magician's staff burned with violet fire. Summon Skull's claws sparked. King's Knight and Celtic Guardian raised blades, while Dark Magician Girl's sphere of light swelled like a miniature sun.
The Oracle's voice whispered in Atem's mind:
<
Atem's gaze softened slightly. "No. She fights for conviction, not malice."
He raised his hand. The spirits froze, halting their attacks at the edge of release.
Hinata, chest heaving, stared at Atem in disbelief.
"You… you overwhelmed me without even raising your own hand. This power… this bond between you and these beings…"
Atem dismissed the monsters with a sweep of his arm. They dissolved into streams of light, returning to the deck that hovered, then faded into nothingness.
His cloak settled around him, eyes unwavering.
"I told you. I did not kill Shizu. You seek truth—yet you saw it today. I could have ended you, but I did not. Understand that."
Hinata lowered her blade slowly, trembling with conflict. Her voice was quieter now, edged with shock.
"…Atem of Eterna. Just what… are you?"
The Pharaoh turned, his voice carrying the weight of eternity.
"I am one who walks with both the living and the spirits. Remember that before you cross blades with me again."
With that, he vanished into the forest's shadows, leaving Hinata stunned and humbled.
Her hand clenched the hilt of her blade, her conviction shaken but not broken.
"…Next time… I'll be ready."
And so their first clash ended—not with death, but with revelation.