Rafael and Yugi rushed to the rooftop in quick succession. Without saying a word, they opened their Duel Discs, ready to battle.
President Haima followed closely behind, quickly pushing the door open to the rooftop terrace. Youyu, trailing behind President Haima, opened the iron door of the stairwell only to be blinded by a blinding green light.
He stepped into the void, his body swayed involuntarily. The strong green light dazzled him, giving him an overwhelming sense of vertigo and weightlessness.
When he came to his senses, Youyu discovered that the surroundings had turned pitch black.
The Paradius Corporation building, Rafael, Yugi, and the president in front of him had all disappeared.
The eerie green light illuminated the dark space. Green lines formed a massive six-pointed star array, spreading out in midair like a suspended platform in the darkness.
And Youyu was standing on this transparent platform.
Youyu had a vague realization of what was happening.
"Master," the Dark Magician Girl emerged, her little face full of vigilance, "someone is here... a very powerful presence."
Youyu was silent for a moment, then spoke: "Since you're already here, why not show yourself, leader of Doma, the last king of the Lost City of Atlantis... Dartz?"
A brief silence, then a figure gradually emerged from the darkness.
Dartz, in a white robe with hands behind his back, walked out slowly, standing on the Orichalcos array with a clear six-pointed star mark carved on his forehead.
Dartz, the executor of the God of Orichalcos in the mortal world, the mastermind behind Doma.
"Oh? You actually know about me?" Dartz squinted his eyes, "Atlantis was a matter of ten thousand years ago, I never thought anyone in this era would still mention that name."
"Ah, I know quite a bit about you." Youyu shrugged, "The last king of Atlantis, and also the worst. You ended your country's glory with your own hands, destroyed human civilization, claimed to be the executor of God, but you were no more than another madman who would stop at nothing."
Dartz's gaze became sharp.
For a thousand-year-old immortal, he was accustomed to being in control during negotiations. He had all the information and knowledge about any force or person, allowing him to always hold the initiative.
He hadn't encountered such a situation in years—his opponent seemed to know everything about him, yet he knew nothing in return.
Dartz's eyes began to reveal undisguised killing intent.
"Duel King Youyu, I must admit you are an unexpected existence beyond my predictions. Honestly, it's been many years since something like this happened." Dartz said calmly, "However, I am not particularly fond of surprises and the unforeseen."
"So, you plan to resolve me here?" Youyu glanced around at the pitch-dark environment, "You've really gone to great lengths for this."
"Considering I am facing the Duel King of the present world, a stage befitting such a duel is naturally necessary." Dartz smiled and snapped his fingers.
The darkness surrounding them receded like the tide, revealing tangible objects outside the barrier.
Youyu realized he was no longer in the Paradius Corporation building. This was a sealed stone chamber with a dome over twenty meters high, extremely spacious.
The surrounding walls, floor, and even the ceiling were covered with dense murals.
This architectural style, these stone tablets and murals, made Youyu instantly realize he might have been directly transported to Doma's true headquarters.
Paradius Corporation was merely the command center for Doma's operations in the present world, not the true core.
Their true headquarters was hidden on an unknown island at sea, where the temple and altar for the resurrection of the Evil God lay, the true heart of Doma.
Judging by appearances, Dartz must have used some space-related ritual or magic to move him here.
It's not surprising.
After all, in the animation, Doma could effortlessly make all passengers on a speeding train disappear or cause the entire crew of a flying plane, including the pilot, to vanish mysteriously, so having some such supernatural means is to be expected.
Youyu initially thought this might be the place where Yugi and the president had their final showdown with Dartz in the animation, the room that contained all the souls sealed by the power of Orichalcos.
But he soon realized it wasn't.
Because he discovered that the carvings on the ceiling, floor, and walls were not of souls sealed by Orichalcos.
The murals depicted warriors wielding swords, roaring dragons taking flight, mages holding staffs, and warlocks with divine talismans...
This room was filled with the spirits of Duel Monsters!
"Magnificent, isn't it?" Dartz said with his hands behind his back, smiling calmly.
Youyu quickly understood what was going on.
This was Dartz showing off the powerful opponents they had defeated and their spoils.
In other words, he was flexing his muscles.
Youyu withdrew his gaze from the walls: "Ten thousand years ago, the God of Orichalcos and the Duel Monster Spirit Realm's ancient battle... is that it?"
Dartz once again showed a hint of surprise but quickly regained his composure.
"Come to think of it, you seem to be a duelist with a special connection to the Duel Monster spirits." He said, "So, is it your spirit that told you these things?"
Youyu indicated it was not the case. My spirit is just a little ditzy, how could she know so much...
To be honest, Dartz might not believe it, but all this information was actually revealed by him... just in the animation.
In the animation, Dartz himself explained the ins and outs of the war that took place ten thousand years ago.
"Orichalcos" was initially a meteorite that fell from the sky. The mysterious substance it contained could be applied to nearly everything, instantly advancing Atlantis's civilization to unprecedented heights, bringing human civilization to a peak of prosperity.
...It sounds a bit like the Vibranium Ore from the neighboring movie set with the black superheroes.
But the good times didn't last long. Soon, as the monarch, Dartz realized that Orichalcos was not merely a gift but a test from Earth to humans.
While this substance brought great convenience and propelled civilization's evolution, it also led to the growth of darkness in people's hearts. More and more, people applied Orichalcos to satisfy their desires, plunging the once-glorious Atlantis civilization into the abyss of corruption and greed.
Ultimately, when the darkness within humans reached its peak, more and more people's outward appearance began to change, losing sanity and becoming pure beasts. Even Dartz's wife, Reios, was not spared.
Then Dartz received a divine revelation and suddenly understood the significance of Orichalcos's arrival in the world. He realized this was a trial for the human race, but at the same time, he recognized that the human heart could never defeat the darkness within, and the trial would undoubtedly end in failure.
This was why he decided to call upon the God of Orichalcos to destroy everything.
However, his decision was unanimously opposed by his father and daughter, eventually leading to a complete fallout and turning against each other.
To resist Dartz's army and the power of the God of Orichalcos, his father, Ainhart, opened the gateway to the Spirit Realm, releasing a large number of Duel Spirits, including the three Legendary Dragons, to counter Dartz's forces.
That was the truth of the ancient war ten thousand years ago.
"Ten thousand years ago, my pathetic father and the Duel Monster spirits thwarted my plan." Dartz said lightly, "But this time they won't.
With ten thousand years of preparation, no one can stop my plan this time. Humanity cannot be saved. Only a complete cleansing can restore this filthy world. All obstacles will be swept away."
He paused, raising his arm to activate his Duel Disc.
"Duel King Youyu, it starts with you."