"You summoned it? Did it work!?"
On the terminal's screen, the man on the other side was so excited he practically pressed his whole face against the camera. Kira instinctively tilted his head to avoid the giant head filling the view.
That was Franz, the Industrial Illusions's top card designer, and the specialist in charge of researching and developing the Winged Dragon of Ra among the three God Cards.
The "The Winged Dragon of Ra – Sphere Mode" that Kira used was co-developed with him.
There had been summons before, but only in the lab as test summons. Testing was done with dedicated safety measures—mandatory for a high-risk subject like God Card R&D.
As everyone knows, the God Cards are among the most dangerous cards in the world. Back then, even the earliest designers to take on the project at the Industrial Illusions either died or went mad. It took Pegasus himself, with the power of the Millennium Eye, to complete the development. Cards like these carry the risk of divine punishment whether in design or in use.
Ten years on, the Industrial Illusions has long perfected safety protocols for this kind of high-risk research. Even divine punishment can be averted in the lab, provided the safeguards are fully in place.
Previously, they could only rely on technological protection and pre-arranged defenses in specific locations, allowing testers to attempt God Card-related use only for brief windows—and only during those windows.
The first person to successfully devise a way to bypass divine punishment in real combat—circumventing the usage restrictions of God Cards—was this genius designer, Franz. His Field Spell "Mound of the Bound Creator" can do just that, though because it works by crudely shackling a God Card, it was ultimately deemed a dangerously unorthodox method and never officially adopted by the company.
"How do you feel right now? Any discomfort?"
Franz was thrilled.
He'd been excited the first time he heard Kira had summoned Ra, and when Kira proposed the "bird egg" idea, he was so worked up he couldn't sleep at night.
Devouring the opponent's monsters to gift them a divine-grade egg—this was a path even he, a ten-year veteran expert, had never envisioned. He truly hadn't expected the mightiest God Card, Ra, to hide such an opening.
Just imagining the opponent's reaction as the egg eats their entire field was enough to exhilarate him as a designer.
Kira: "No, I feel great."
"What about the other side? Any adverse reactions?"
Franz kept pressing, excited.
"Did they rush up and beat you?"
"Did they have an immediate cerebral hemorrhage?"
Kira: "…"
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but Franz didn't used to be like this.
At some point, the man's philosophy of card design seemed to have quietly shifted.
But Kira could understand.
Take this Ra's egg, for instance—watching your own creation devour the opponent's field, seeing them break down hysterically, even look like they want to kill you—that joy is something others won't get.
It seemed Franz had finally found the fun in card design.
"How about coming over? I'll run some tests," Franz said. "Oh, and I've got a few new cards in development inspired by you. They're going to be a blast! When you get here we can talk properly."
"Next time." Kira cut him off quickly. "I've got urgent business right now. I only called to report on the Sphere Mode trial I just ran.
I've sent over the duel data I just collected. Take a look first. Once I'm done here, we can discuss it in person."
Before Franz could reply, he hung up.
He sorted his deck, grabbed a quick bite, then geared up.
Today was the day to settle things with Jaden.
Supreme King City.
"Lord Supreme King?"
The Supreme King upon the throne slowly opened his eyes.
Crouched before him was one of his most trusted subordinates, the head of the "Five," Guardian Baou.
Guardian Baou. Level 4, Fiend, ATK 800. Can only be summoned while you control "Wicked-Breaking Flamberge - Baou." When it destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the GY, this card gains 1000 ATK. Monsters destroyed by this card by battle have their effects negated.
This card belongs to the "Guardian" archetype, used by Rafael, one of the Doma trio in Yu-Gi-Oh! DM—the duelist said to have once defeated Pharaoh Atem head-on.
Baou was one of those Guardians. By the time of GX, he'd joined the re-employment army, serving in the Spirit World under the Supreme King's banner, and was one of the Supreme King's most frequently seen confidants in the anime.
"Lord Supreme King has returned."
Baou immediately began to flatter.
"I'm sure those fools brazen enough to challenge your authority have been ground to dust, cast into an abyss of endless regret and darkness. Hahaha—"
He stopped mid-laugh. Meeting the Supreme King's murderously cold glare, the laughter died in his throat.
Baou dropped to his knees, head bowed, not daring to speak, unsure which part of his flattery had backfired. The killing intent made him feel like the Supreme King might lop off his head at any moment.
Of course, the Supreme King wouldn't tell his subordinate that he himself had nearly fallen into darkness just now.
He'd been careless. He hadn't expected an otherworld to harbor such shameless duelists—or that such a shameless god as a "bird egg" could exist.
That Kuriboh's finishing slap still made his face throb faintly.
An insult like this cannot go unavenged. If he swallowed this, what kind of Supreme King would he be?
"Alert the entire army," the Supreme King rose from the throne. "Prepare for battle."
He didn't know how many had invaded his domain. But he knew one of them had to be the duelist he'd just encountered. The man's strength needed no elaboration, and his treachery demanded utmost caution.
That one alone was a rare, lifelong nemesis requiring his full power.
Let alone the other presence—someone he could sense was inextricably connected to him, a personality opposite to his own—who should already be on the way.
The Supreme King had fought countless battles, but the one to come would be the most perilous of his life.
"Battle?"
Guardian Baou looked bewildered, daring to peek up and ask carefully.
"What battle? Are we attacking somewhere?"
"Right here."
The Supreme King's voice was icy.
"They're coming."
...
2 Bonus chapters at 1000 PS