"Uh… did he hit his head on something?" Celina murmured, her brows furrowing in concern.
"Amazing! AIBO is acting just like Seto Kaiba! Should I act like Yugi Muto and challenge him to a duel?" Jaden was the first to catch the reference, practically bouncing with excitement.
"That's what you're worried about!?" Alexis exploded, throwing her arms up. "Did you not see that he actually rode that dragon!?"
The two Slifer Reds blinked at her, apparently unbothered by the impossible sight.
Alexis could hardly believe it. Even ignoring the whole riding a living dragon part, Yumi had just dropped from a height that should've shattered both his legs. And yet, he stood there calm, collected, as if gravity itself had no claim on him.
Darkness, however, didn't look the least bit amused by Yumi's joke.
"A pathetic human like you dares to use my name, huh?" he asked in a cold, hollow voice, his eyes burning through the mask as they locked on Yumi.
"Then why don't you show me why you're more deserving of this name than I am," Yumi replied, activating his Duel Disk.
"Very well, let this Shadow Game begin, as the loser will have their soul sealed away in a card." Darkness mirrored the motion, his own Duel Disk springing to life.
"DUEL!" x2
[Yumi, LP 4000]
[Darkness, LP 4000]
"Wait a minute… aren't those Shadow Riders supposed to be targeting us? The key holders?" Jaden suddenly blurted.
The words stopped everyone cold, including Darkness himself.
His gaze shifted toward the others, each of them having a key meant to seal or unseal the Sacred Beasts hanging on their neck. The one standing before him, however… had nothing.
Darkness's jaw tightened, rage bubbling in his chest as realization dawned. He had been tricked.
Even if this wasn't his true form, Darkness still wielded the body of a powerful duelist, bending it to his will and shaping events in the real world as he waited for his resurrection. He had fought and defeated countless opponents, yet never once had someone managed to make him lose his composure, until now.
Damn it! I was actually baited!
"You bastard…" Darkness growled through clenched teeth. He knew there was nothing to gain from dueling Yumi, but as one of Yu-Gi-Oh's final bosses, there was no way he could back out. To walk away now would be a disgrace, not just to himself, but to every entity in this world.
He could already imagine it: enemies and allies alike pointing fingers and sneering.
Isn't that Darkness, the guy who rage-quit against an NPC?
"Fine," Darkness sneered, forcing composure back into his voice. "You can make the first move."
He glanced down at his opening hand and smirked. If his draw played out right, he could crush this fool by the second turn.
"Every well, Faker. Draw!"
Yumi begins drawing the first card, and the other three all look at this Darkness, dumbfounded. People usually take the first turn when Dueling Yumi in case he draws into a good hand and performs an FTK.
"Spell card, Angel Baton! Draw two cards and discard one."
Yumi drew two cards before sending one to his grave. He then drew one card from his hand and placed it on his Duel Disk.
"I Normal Summon, Lilith, Lady of Lament!"
A grayskin, demoness with crimson hair, black horns, wings, and tail rose from the shadow hovering just above the platform.
[Lilith, Lady of Lament, 2000 -> 1000 ATK]
"If Lilith is Normal Summon, her original ATK returns to 1000." Yumi said, then pulled out another card in his hand. "Spell card, Tag Request. Target a monster I control, and Special Summon another monster from my hand with the same ATK."
Originally, this card only worked for Elemental HERO, but after Yumi realized just how useful the effect could be for other cards, he calmly edited out the Elemental HERO part in the card.
"I Special Summon, Elemental HERO Shadow Mist!"
Dark mist gathered slowly, forming into the shape of a shadowy heroine, her long, blue-haired wave in the hot wind.
[Elemental HERO Shadow Mist, 1000 ATK]
"Shadow Mist's effect, when she is Special Summoned, I can add a Change Quickplay spell from my deck to my hand." Yumi pulls out his deck and reveals his chosen card. "I add the Quickplay spell Mask Change."
"I set four cards face down, turn end."
Four face-down cards materialized behind the two DARK girls.
"My turn, draw!" The moment Darkness drew his first card, Yumi snapped his fingers, flipping one of his face-downs.
"Quickplay spell, Mask Change. I send Shadow Mist to my Graveyard to Special Summon a Masked HERO with the same Attribute from my Extra Deck!"
Shadow Mist's body cracked like glass, golden light bursting through the fractures before it shattered. From the fragments spilled a rolling miasma of darkness, twisting and reshaping until it solidified into an armored warrior. His golden lupine eyes cut through the haze, glaring at Darkness with a predatory sharpness.
"Henshin! Masked HERO Dark Law!"
[Masked HERO Dark Law, 2400 ATK]
Darkness narrowed his eyes. The hero radiated a dark, oppressive aura that pressed against him, but he scoffed. Intimidating or not, it was still just a monster.
"And Shadow Mist's effect," Yumi continued. "When she's sent to the Graveyard, I can add a HERO monster from my Deck to my hand." He slid his deck forward and revealed his choice. "I add Sky Striker HERO - Yumi to my hand."
"Spell card, Pot of Greed! I draw two cards!" Darkness snapped, immediately replenishing his hand.
But Yumi's hand cut through the air like a blade. "I activate Dark Law's effect. Once per turn, whenever you add a card from your Deck to your hand outside your Draw Phase, I can banish one random card in your hand."
But he wasn't done. "I chain it with my Trap, Talisman of Reversal! Whenever you add a card from your Deck to your hand outside your Draw Phase, I draw cards until I have the same number as your."
Not giving Darkness time to react, Yumi snapped his fingers again. "And I chain it with another Trap, Metaverse. Take 1 Field Spell from my deck, either activate it directly or add it to my hand."
He plucked a card free and slid it into his Duel Disk.
"I activate the Field Spell, Lair of Darkness!"
The arena shuddered. The molten volcano magma was swallowed by a sweeping tide of shadows. Black mist seeped into every crevice, the air turning cold, suffocating, and heavy with malice. Bolts of lightning flickered into nothing, devoured by the field's oppressive gloom.
Darkness stiffened. This wasn't a familiar power, but the feeling was too familiar to his own. Not even he had heard of a field spell carved in his name. For the first time, unease scratched at the edge of his composure.
Even the key holders shifted uncomfortably, their faces paling as they felt the oppressive aura surrounding them.
Meanwhile, Yumi calmly drew six more cards, replenishing his hand to full before spreading his arms wide, his voice echoing through the mist.
"Welcome to my lair, Faker!"
Darkness's jaw twitched. Once again, this insolent fool was trying to mock him.
He looked down at his cards, preparing to counter, when Yumi's voice rang out from the shadows.
"And don't forget about Dark Law's effect." He reminded.
The mist swirled violently as Yumi's golden eyes glowed from within the darkness, unnerving. He pointed forward, though the haze made it impossible to see which card he was targeting.
"I banish the card… on the far right."
Darkness snarled, sending his Red-Eyes Fusion to the banished pile. Losing that card stung, but he straightened, masking his frustration. He still had the power to crush this human.
"I Normal Summon, The Black Stone of Legend!"
Darkness slammed the card onto his Duel Disk. Flames erupted at his side of the field, swirling together until they hardened into a black stone that pulsed with an ominous crimson glow.
[The Black Stone of Legend, 0 ATK]
"Now I tribute my Black Stone to Special Summon, my Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" The stone blazed brighter, cracks racing across its surface.
The stone shattered, unleashing a blinding light. From within emerged a dragon clad in black scales, its crimson eyes glowing with hunger. Its wings unfurled wide before it roared thunderously at Yumi.
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon, 2400 ATK]
"I activate the Spell Card, Inferno Fire Blast, target one Red-Eyes Black Dragon I control, inflict damage to you equal to its ATK."
The Red-Eyes opened its jaws, unleashing a blazing crimson fireball straight at Yumi. The impact shook the field, and Yumi winced as he felt the flames scorch against his skin, the Shadow Game making every burn real.
[Yumi, LP 4000 -> 1600]
"Next, I tribute my Red-Eyes Black Dragon to Special Summon my Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon!"
The Red-Eyes roared one last time before dissolving into flames.
"At this moment, I chain Ghost Sister & Spooky Dogwood!" Yumi revealed the card before discarding it to his Graveyard. "By discarding this card, during this turn, every time you Special Summon an effect monster, I would gain Life Points equal to that monster's ATK."
From the inferno rose a far more menacing form, its body larger, its scales jagged, glowing with crimson lines that pulsed like veins of molten fire.
[Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, 2400 ATK]
[Yumi, LP 1600 -> 4000]
Darkness clicked his tongue, irritation flashing across his face. The massive damage he'd dealt had already been erased.
Who would've thought this human could be so bothersome?
Still, he smirked. "Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon gains 300 ATK for each Dragon in my Graveyard!"
He spread his arms dramatically, expecting his beast to surge with power, but nothing happened. The dragon's strength remained the same.
"What the!? What is going on!?" Darkness snarled, glaring down at his field.
"Oh, right. Dark Law's continuous effect." Yumi suddenly remembered that this was the first time someone in this world had gotten to experience the true power of the famous Unfriend HERO, who shattered friendships and carried the HERO archetype for years. "When Dark Law is on the field, any card sent to your Graveyard is banished instead."
Darkness: "..."
Everyone: "..."
Everyone was speechless because of this, as Duel Monsters is a game where even the graveyard is counted as a strategic resource to be used.
"This… overwhelming level of darkness…" Darkness muttered, his voice tight with fury.
As one of the final bosses, he instantly grasped how devastating this was. If it were his true self, this effect wouldn't matter much. But his current host was bound to a Red-Eyes deck, a deck whose entire strategy revolved around pilling its Graveyard with dragon monsters.
His trump card, Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, was supposed to ascend beyond even the Blue-Eyes White Dragon by feeding on his fallen kin. But now… there was nothing to feed on.
His Graveyard was gone.
Darkness raised his gaze to the Masked HERO standing across from him. Its ATK was unimpressive, only 2400. Yet now, with its golden eyes glaring coldly, the hero looked like a nightmare, so hideous and terrifying!
With just its presence, this "unremarkable" HERO had dismantled the very core of his deck.
Still, Darkness clenched his fist. He wasn't finished. Dark Law was strong, yes, but it wasn't untouchable. Its ATK wasn't even a match for Dark Magician.
And that was his way out.
"Battle! Go, Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon attack that despicable Masked HERO!" Darkness roared, thrusting his hand forward. His dragon inhaled deeply, charging a massive crimson fireball in its maw.
The masked hero didn't hesitate. Dark Law dashed forward, then leapt high, his body glowing as he came crashing down with a devastating Rider Kick.
"Quickplay spell, Flying Dragon Whirl!" Darkness snapped, slamming a card onto his Duel Disk. "I target my Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, and send the three copies of my Troop Dragon and a Vanguard of the Dragon from my deck to my grave, and for each one I sent, my Red-Eyes gains 300 ATK!"
[Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, 2400 -> 3600 ATK]
The dragon's body flared, crimson energy coursing through its wings and claws as its fireball swelled even larger.
Even if it meant banishing his own resources, Darkness's goal was clear: destroy Dark Law at all costs and strike back hard. These first turns were supposed to be cautious, testing strength, probing weaknesses. But already, he knew.
That pink-haired duelist who was passing through was far too dangerous.
Especially that accursed Dark Law.
The fireball roared forward, about to engulf the hero.
"Trap card, Eradicator Epidemic Virus!"
Yumi's final face-down snapped open with a crack of dark energy.
"Tribute 1 DARK monster with 2500 or more ATK, and declare either a Spell or Trap card. Look at your hand along with the one you control, and destroy the one with the same type."
Hearing his explanation, everyone was confused.
A DARK monster with 2500 or more ATK? But Yumi's strongest monster, Dark Law, was only 2400! What could he possibly tribute?
A guttural roar shook the field. The Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon suddenly convulsed, its body breaking apart into black fragments that dissolved into Darkness's deck. Dark Law slipped through untouched, his Rider Kick landing clean as the dragon was erased.
"Don't tell me…" Darkness's voice cracked, eyes widening.
"That's right." Yumi spread his arms with calm finality. "Thanks to my field spell, I can tribute 1 DARK monster from either side of the field to activate a card effect. And my Lair of Darkness makes all monsters on the field into a DARK attribute."
Yumi explains the effect of his field spell, which caused Darkness to raise his trembling hand and clutched his chest, feeling an overwhelming chest pain.
Darkness has realized that this was another setup. Dark Law was the distraction drawing his anger and attention and making him forget about the ominous set card and field spell.
First, Yumi baited him into Dueling him. Where he would gain nothing useful if he won but would lose everything if he lost.
Then, Dark Law baited him further, keeping his rage and focus locked while that face-down card and Field Spell loomed in plain sight.
Twice in a row.
Damn it! I was baited twice in just minutes!?
Who's supposed to be the villain here? Me, or you!?
As a being of the shadows, even he found Yumi's tactics shameless. Shouldn't the "heroes" be summoning flashy monsters with impossible conditions, battling evil with righteousness and courage? Instead, this human used cunning, traps, and darkness deeper than his own.
"I declare Trap Card." Yumi's calm voice cut his thoughts short.
Darkness's jaw tightened. Slowly, he revealed the two cards in his hand: Red-Eyes Spirit and Draining Shield, both traps. Forced by the Virus's effect, he sent them away, condemned not to the Graveyard but to the void of banishment.
He gritted his teeth. That casual, passing duelist standing before him, his soul felt darker than his own.
"Turn… end," Darkness spat reluctantly.
"Then, during the end phase of whoever's turn it is, special summon as many Torment Tokens as possible in Defense Position on that player's field, up to the number of monsters tributed this turn while this card was face-up."
Yumi gestured smoothly, and three shadowy forms oozed into existence on Darkness's field, their hollow eyes glowing faintly.
[Torment Token, 1000 DEF] x3