"Mmm... my head feels so heavy... what an incredible dream that was..."
Joey rubbed his aching temples, baring his teeth as he slowly sat up. The warm glow of the campfire chased away the lingering icy darkness of his memories, leaving him a little dazed.
Moments later, Tristan and Téa also awoke one after another.
"Me too."
Téa hugged her arms tightly, her voice trembling slightly.
"I dreamed of a... terrifying Dark Bakura..."
"Same here..."
Tristan shook his head as if to shake off the unpleasant sensation.
Yuto was the last to slowly regain consciousness.
He struggled to lift his heavy eyelids, his vision blurry for a moment before it focused—and what filled his sight was Bakura's concerned face, leaning over him.
"Bakura?"
Yuto snapped almost completely awake, instinctively sitting up, his eyes narrowing sharply at the other.
"Right now... you're not being controlled by the Millennium Ring, are you? You're still you, right?"
"Don't worry!"
Answering him was Yugi's gentle, reassuring voice. Yugi lightly patted Bakura's shoulder, explaining in his stead.
"The 'other Bakura'... that dark personality, has been completely erased by the backlash of losing the Shadow Game. The one here now is the Bakura we know."
Yugi's eyes were filled with trust.
"Wait, wait, wait!"
Joey's loud voice exploded like a firecracker. He sprang up as if on springs, eyes wide as he looked between Yugi, Yuto, and Bakura.
"Hey, hey, hey! What are you guys talking about?! Don't tell me just now... that whole thing... wasn't a dream?! Those monsters, that dark space... it was all real?!"
"Of course it was real."
Yuto rubbed his arm, numb from lying on it too long, his tone firm.
"The Shadow Game truly exists. That bone-deep pain and the terror of having your soul pulled apart—a dream can't replicate that."
While Joey was still digesting this explosive revelation, Yugi's gaze returned to Bakura, carrying a hint of inquiry.
"Bakura, about the Millennium Ring... can you tell us how you got it?"
Bakura's expression grew distant and complex.
He carefully held the Millennium Ring that hung around his neck in his palms, his fingers unconsciously tracing the cold, ancient golden patterns as he spoke in a low voice.
"My father... he was an archaeologist, devoting his life to chasing the dust of history, his footsteps covering almost the entire world. This Millennium Ring..."
He paused, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.
"He brought it back many years ago, from that mysterious land of Egypt."
"I see..."
Yugi nodded thoughtfully, as if he wanted to ask more about the secrets behind this artifact.
He opened his mouth, new questions forming in his throat—
"Ah—!!!"
A shrill, piercing scream of a woman, like a cold blade slicing the night sky, suddenly ripped through the darkness beyond the camp and stabbed into their ears!
It was Mai Valentine's voice!
Joey was the first to react.
"Not good! Something's wrong!"
He bolted toward the direction of the scream!
The other five followed close behind, hearts pounding.
Pushing aside thick foliage, the scene before them made their hearts clench—
Mai was stumbling down from a Duel Arena, her face full of unwillingness and defeat.
A towering brute, over two meters tall and packed with corded muscle like an iron tower, wore a victor's arrogant grin. He seized Mai's slender wrist and, without a shred of courtesy, roughly pried the Star Chips from her Duel Glove one by one!
"Hey! You bastard, what do you think you're doing!"
Joey burned with rage and was about to rush forward, but Tristan grabbed him tightly.
"Calm down, Joey! Don't be an idiot—she clearly lost the duel!"
Tristan shouted urgently.
Mai looked up, shaking her head at them with a weary, helpless expression, her eyes dim.
Seeing Yuto and the others arrive, the brute grinned wickedly.
"Heh heh heh! Saves me the trouble of hunting for prey! The fat sheep have delivered themselves!"
"Be careful!"
Mai forced her voice, urgent.
"He's the island's 'Duelist Hunter'! He specializes in ambushing other contestants to steal their Star Chips!"
"Duelist Hunter...?"
Yuto narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze locking onto the iron-tower-like opponent, sensing a powerful aura of danger.
"Yuto!"
The giant jabbed a thick finger at Yuto, his voice booming.
"I'll make you lose your qualification just like this woman! Get over here and duel me!"
Yuto raised his right arm without a flicker of emotion, the ten Star Chips on his Duel Glove gleaming in the night.
"I have no reason to accept your challenge. I've already collected all ten Star Chips. The castle gates are open to me at any time."
He shifted his gaze toward Mai, whose expression was complicated.
"However... I can duel you for the eight Star Chips you took from her."
He paused, adding,
"Don't misunderstand, Miss Mai—this is simply to repay you for that delicious dinner."
"Yuto Tenshou..."
Mai stared at him, a flicker of something indescribable in her eyes.
"Hmph, interesting!"
Without a second thought, the giant slammed the eight Star Chips he had taken from Mai onto the counter at the edge of the arena.
"Then I'll wager these eight Star Chips! Duel!"
The two stepped onto the cold arena at the same time, an invisible murderous aura spreading.
"Heh heh heh..."
The Duelist Hunter let out a low, menacing laugh.
"You know, I'm not the only 'hunter' on this island! We're hunting in the west. Only the toughest duelists have the right to set foot alive in Pegasus's castle!"
His massive finger jabbed at Yuto again, brimming with arrogance.
"And you, Yuto Tenshou! Defeating you is my top priority! I was searching the jungle for your trail, and I can't believe you delivered yourself to me!"
Yuto picked at his ear, cutting off the monologue with open impatience.
"Hey, big guy. You really think you can win? That Pegasus fellow sure sends plenty of small fry like you to fill out the numbers..."
"You brat!!"
That last contemptuous remark ignited the brute's fury.
"Arrogant punk! I'll make you scream for mercy in this darkness!!! Duel start! My turn, draw!!"
Without even glancing at the card he drew, he immediately slapped a Monster Card onto the field.
"I summon [Castle of Dark Illusions] in Defense Position! Because it is the dark of night, [Castle of Dark Illusions] gains the blessing of darkness!"
A miniature castle with an ominous design and sinister aura slowly rose from the arena floor, its stone walls writhing like living shadows in the night. As it appeared, its Defense stat flickered wildly on the Duel Disk before settling on an eerie number—2509.
That value was oddly specific...
Even more terrifying changes followed.
Whoosh—!
Thick darkness, almost tangible, suddenly gushed from every window and tower of the castle! This darkness was no mere absence of light but a viscous, icy substance that seemed to swallow all sound and light, instantly engulfing half of the arena where the Duelist Hunter stood!
Yuto could barely see his own field and hand; the opponent's side was swallowed in a roiling black abyss, with only the card info of [Castle of Dark Illusions] flickering like ghostly fire at the edge of the dark.
"Darkness... has descended!"
The hunter's voice seemed to echo from the depths of the underworld, dripping with mockery.
"Yuto Tenshou! Let's see how you struggle in this pitch-black despair! Show me how much of your proud strategy you can unleash in this darkness!"
"Turn end! Yuto, it's your move! Draw in terror! Hahaha!"
"My turn, draw!"
Yuto ignored the mad laughter and drew a card.
When he saw what he had drawn, his pupils tightened slightly—
[Unlock Psycommu System]
'Huh? This card... did it get mixed into my deck by accident when I organized it earlier?'
Yuto's heart sank.
'This is bad... without [GQuuuuuuX Gundam] in my hand, this system activation card... is completely useless!'
...
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