Yugioh [909-911] (Patreon)

Chapter 909: The Unknown God

A perfect finish.

Kira put away his Duel Disk and looked at the Queen—already "broken" after being taken turns on by the hulking Dark World monsters—and nodded in satisfaction.

Yes. This is exactly how it should feel.

"You really are a guy with an awful personality," Eye said beside him, narrowing its gaze.

"I just realized—every time you're up against a lady, you try even harder than usual to come up with disgusting deck, don't you?"

It was that kind of twisted mindset—"She's so cute; if I punch her once she'll cry for ages."

Kira shot it a look. "Then next time I run into an enemy like this, I'll go easy on them. How about I just hand you over as a gift?"

Eye startled, then hurriedly laughed it off. "A-ahaha, I was joking! Honored Master has shielded me from so much trouble. I've always been grateful—no matter how many times I were to be shattered, I could never repay your kindness…"

As it spoke, the big eye rubbed itself hard against Kira. It only had an eyeball right now—if it had a tongue, it probably would've been licking him already.

But it wasn't just this Eye. Even the Dark World troops—the main force of this battle—were secretly shaken.

—So this is how we can play?

Yes. Kira's "Dark World family pack" had been snatched directly from the Supreme King's own extradimensional spirits, so basically the entire deck had corresponding spirits. If he took this full deck to another world, it would literally be a battle-hardened Dark World army.

He hadn't brought the original bodies of those spirits over, so most Dark World spirits existed more like projections. But this army, in practice, already belonged to Kira.

The previous ruler, the Supreme King, nominally commanded the entire Dark World host—but when he dueled, he only liked using his Evil HEROes. He'd never consolidated his Dark World subordinates into a unified whole.

So even though these Dark World members were "in the same archetype," the same in-theme family, they'd spent years fighting separately—never once gathering under a single duelist's leadership.

In the anime, these Dark World spirits dueled plenty—Jaden alone took out several. But even when they appeared, they often didn't use a Dark World deck in duels. They didn't even do the classic "I summon myself" bit that often, preferring to duel with unrelated decks.

Because Dark World as a concept—if you can't build a full archetype and only have one or two cards—many of them are like Kira used earlier: effects that feel like traitors with no clear purpose, with practical value hovering below zero.

Only now—after the Supreme King's fall—once Kira had marched east and west across dimensions and unified them into a single whole, the Dark World spirits finally realized, stunned—

—Holy shit. We're actually this strong?

Like what Kira had just demonstrated: wiping the field and stripping the hand in a single turn. Many of the spirits present were commanders who led troops, and they themselves dueled often. Each one, imagining the queen's perspective, couldn't help but feel a chill.

Especially after having the hand completely shredded, and then crashing headfirst into a Sealing of the Marked at the end—under the Dark World's rule that duels determine life and death, it was hard to imagine the despair, the fear, the sheer mental torture of the doomed person's final turn: no cards to play, nothing to do but stare helplessly.

This master… is so strong. So twisted.

So… so lovable.

Well, of course. They were called Dark World, after all. Their race was Fiend. They looked vicious and feral. They'd never been part of the "good guy" camp among spirits.

The more ruthless and dark the master's methods—and the stronger he was—the more wholeheartedly they would submit, convinced they hadn't chosen the wrong leader this time.

"But I really didn't expect that cult chasing you had a spirit among them," Kira said.

He crouched beside the Queen. The spirit now looked like a toy that had been played with until it broke: knees bent, sitting collapsed on the ground, eyes hollow and staring up at the sky—like a delicate porcelain doll.

Eye sighed. "I didn't know either."

"Yeah, I know you didn't." Kira nodded. "You can't even figure out who you are."

He'd already stopped expecting to get any information out of this spirit. He'd only stepped forward to take her deck—the enhanced Allure Queen deck was honestly pretty interesting.

But then, Kira's brows knit slightly.

He saw something—something that looked like it was about to come out.

From inside this Allure Queen.

In the next instant, the porcelain-doll face suddenly changed. Black energy surfaced across the pale features. Her mouth seemed forced open against her will, and a terrifying presence erupted from her mouth and nose—and from her eyes as well.

Kira had seen a similar scene before. Like Tragoedia back then: splitting off fragments of itself, possessing a host, and then peeling out of the host's body—this was what it looked like.

A mass like black fog exploded into the air, roiling and twisting without fixed form. Quickly, the darkness gathered—as if condensing from gas into substance—forming an enormous face.

Its features were indistinct, but it had a pair of eyes that seemed to gather the malice and resentment of the entire world. Coldly, they fixed on Kira.

"So… that's how it is."

The shadow spoke in a deep, resonant voice.

"So this is the King of the present age?"

Kira met its gaze for a moment.

"Let me guess. You're that so-called 'Evil God'?"

"Correct," the shadow admitted without hesitation.

"You make your followers call you an evil god?" Kira chuckled. "That's rare. Not many villains are so unmasked and unapologetic."

"There is nothing worth hiding," the Evil God said. "The essence of this world is already destined to stand on my side."

Kira: "How so?"

"It was decided at the birth of all things. This world's future will inevitably move toward darkness. That is fate. No matter the process, no matter the cause, the result will be the same.

All things are born in darkness, and all things will return to darkness—just as every life that is born is destined to face death."

"That's an interesting claim." Kira nodded, smiling. "But I have a question.

How about you come down in person, and we exchange ideas through a duel? Let's see if your argument really holds up."

The Evil God made a strange sound—almost like laughter.

"Not so fast, Duel King. Not today. Not now."

"But it's close. Soon, I will come for you. Because you are… someone worthy to be chosen. Until then, watch that spirit well. Wait for us to come and take it ourselves…"

The voice grew fainter and fainter.

Until the black fog returned to a gaseous state, broke apart, and dispersed into nothing.

Eye blinked twice, looking at where the darkness vanished, then at Kira.

"Chosen? You? What does that mean?"

Kira frowned slightly, and said nothing.

…

Chapter 910: Revival Log

Duel Academy Island, late night.

The night was deep and silent—well past the time most students had counted sheep and gone to bed. Teams of men in black moved through the woods in neat formation, wearing standardized combat suits and helmets, holding specialized detection devices.

On the backs of their suits was the same emblem: KC, the Kaiba Corporation mark.

They were Kaiba Corp's reconnaissance team.

Several days had passed since they landed on the island. Their target was a dangerous spirit. Based on their investigations around the island, the spirit should still be here.

The strange thing was: after days of carpet-searching the perimeter, they still hadn't found the slightest trace. Every instrument designed to detect fluctuations of spirit energy showed no reaction at all.

Only higher-level spirits had methods to evade detectors—and it wasn't easy. To avoid leaving any signal the equipment could capture, the spirit couldn't freely use its extraordinary power. Once the energy fluctuation exceeded a certain threshold, nearby recon units would detect it immediately.

But in reality, after days of searching, not only had they failed to catch even a shadow of the spirit—the instruments hadn't recorded a single abnormal data point.

As the squad advanced, a strange rustling suddenly came from a nearby thicket. Two members immediately turned, alert, staring into the bushes.

They approached cautiously and parted the foliage.

There was nothing.

Well… not nothing. There was a pile of… rabbit droppings.

"Fine. Probably just a rabbit," one member muttered.

"Most likely. None of the equipment is showing any reaction," the other said.

The recon leader said, "Finish sweeping this area, then we'll pull out for the night."

Someone grumbled, "What the hell. Where is it hiding? Don't tell me it's not on the island anymore."

"There's a barrier deployed around the island to capture spirit reactions. If anything left, there should've been a response."

"But we've checked all suspicious zones. Nothing. Not a blip."

"This is insane. It can't just evaporate into thin air…"

"…"

Still talking, the team moved away.

Only after they'd been gone for a moment did a pair of eyes light up in the shadows.

A small white figure slowly crawled out.

It was a tiny white rabbit with long ears—yet its eyes were eerily heterochromatic.

[Yubel Revival Log]

[Another unlucky day. Those wretched humans are still wandering around. It doesn't look like they'll leave anytime soon. They seem capable of sensing spirit power—if I use even a little strength, I might draw their attention.]

[Of course, I am not afraid of them. These humans are worms before me. Even in this half-crippled state, crushing them would take no effort.]

[But I cannot do that. I know they are merely bait sent to probe—insignificant pawns. Yet killing even one would attract the attention of the truly dangerous one behind them.]

[Fujiki Kira.]

[I did not expect this world to already have such a dangerous Demon King. I do not fear him, but even I must admit: in my current condition, I am not suited for battle.]

[I must endure. I need time. And I need more nourishment to recover.]

[These days have been difficult. On the first day, I brushed past someone searching for me. A one-eyed man, carrying a revolver. He looked like a spirit—likely a claw of the Demon King.]

[I could easily have taken him. But I did not act recklessly. That would have brought needless attention.]

[I must hide in the dark. I must become part of it. I crossed the galaxy and suffered pain no ordinary being could imagine to return here. Two more days mean nothing. All of this is for you, my Jaden.]

[On the second day, there was a storm. I curse this broken body—I cannot move it properly. The rain was cold, but not as cold as the heart that has called your name through countless days and nights with no answer.]

[The environment is harsh, but it is nothing compared to the ten-year journey I endured.]

[What matters is this: I am back. And I will return to your side, and answer the love you gave me. Soon. Wait for me a little longer, my beloved.]

[On the third day, I managed to attach myself to a rabbit. It carries a disgusting stench. I hate it, but I have no choice.]

[I concealed my presence. The foolish searchers never noticed as I brushed past them.]

[Ten years beneath the stars taught me many things—among them, how to hide within a host and avoid unnecessary eyes.]

[Duel Academy is now within reach. If I can find a student at random, I can blend in. Soon I will be back at your side.]

[But at the same time, I am drawing closer to the Demon King, which makes my situation more dangerous.]

[Perhaps I will fail. Perhaps I will never see you again. But no matter the outcome, I want you to know this: I will always love you, Jaden.]

[And that is why I must erase everyone who stole your love away.]

"…"

…

At dawn, a first-year student from Ra Yellow—Marcel Bonaparte—yawned as he arrived by the lighthouse outside the academy.

At this hour, the lighthouse area was still empty. Marcel stood by the shore and gazed out across the blue sea, stretching long and hard.

He was a somewhat withdrawn kid. Because of his parents' divorce, he'd grown up timid and introverted—so much so that speaking to classmates required tremendous courage. He'd had almost no friends his entire life.

That didn't change after arriving at Duel Academy. People drifted away from him naturally; wherever he stood, an inexplicable vacuum of several meters always formed around him.

There was only one exception.

Blair Flannigan, the girl who entered the same year.

A dazzling, celebrated newcomer—the strongest freshman of the year—yet she took special care of him, almost the only person at the academy who would speak to him at all.

By age, the genius who skipped grades, Blair Flannigan, was younger than him—yet in practice she treated him like an older sister would.

But even Blair didn't know Marcel's greatest secret.

His father—the man who divorced his mother, the man Marcel believed abandoned them—was one of the academy's highest authorities: Jean-Louis Bonaparte.

That resentment was the deepest grudge in Marcel Bonaparte's heart, the greatest darkness within him.

If he were just an ordinary person, perhaps that darkness would never be uncovered. It would remain buried for life, never even spoken aloud.

But the timeline converges. Even though events had deviated drastically from the original story, on this dawn—just like in the original line—Marcel Bonaparte still encountered the demon that would change his entire life.

On the shore of Duel Academy.

Beneath the lighthouse.

He saw the small white rabbit with the rare heterochromatic eyes—so eerie it made his skin crawl.

…

Chapter 911: Banish as the Opener

Rain poured down in sheets, drowning every corner of the campus, shrouding familiar scenery in haze and chaos. The sky was thick with dark clouds, the heavy ceiling hanging so low it felt almost touchable—like the whole world had been compressed into a suffocating gloom.

Marcel Bonaparte stood silently at the center of the field, letting fat raindrops hammer him without mercy, as if the storm—and the world itself—had nothing to do with him. The roar of rain all around, tangled with howling wind, became a fierce, discordant symphony. His soaked Ra Yellow uniform clung tight, outlining a thin, lonely figure. Water slid from his hair and ran down his face like tears.

And not far in front of him, also in the downpour, also in a Ra Yellow uniform, Kira stood soundlessly.

They faced each other, letting the storm fall, with no expressions and no words—as if their eyes alone were enough.

After a moment of silent confrontation, Marcel slowly raised his hand.

Kira could clearly see: the boy's right hand had already been replaced by the arm of some monster—like a demon's claw. With a sharp snap, it snapped its fingers through the curtain of rain.

In an instant, the rain was cut off, along with the storm's thunderous roar. Outside the barrier was the orchestra of wind and rain; inside was quiet.

"Yubel, right?" Kira pinched the bridge of his nose. "Didn't expect that even like this you'd still end up on Marcel. What an unlucky kid.

Let me guess—even if I politely ask you to get off this child right now, you won't do it, will you?"

Marcel—or rather, Yubel—gave a low, amused snort. "This boy may look ordinary, but the darkness in his heart is quite delicious.

You'll probably have to blast me out of him."

She paused, lips curling upward, and pointed at her own body with the demon claw.

"But only if you're not worried the boy can't take it."

"All right. Figured as much," Kira said.

Within ten minutes of Yubel taking the risk and infiltrating the academy, Kira had already blocked her path.

He hadn't expected to resolve this with words alone anyway. It was going to come down to cards.

"Before we begin, I have a question for you," Yubel said.

"Oh?"

"You and my Jaden," Yubel's eyes were full of hostility. "What exactly is your relationship?"

"Me and Jaden?"

Kira froze. His first instinct was to say they were just classmates he knew fairly well—but then he glanced at Yubel's jealous expression, couldn't help but laugh, and smoothly changed his answer.

"Oh, that would be best friends—people who understand each other deeply, who've supported each other and grown together all this time," Kira smiled. "Sorry you came all the way back from the far side of the universe.

But as you can see, Jaden has grown just fine without you. He's even awakened and mastered the Supreme King's power—because he already has me."

He narrowed his eyes and added with deliberate mockery:

"Looks like he doesn't need you anymore."

Yubel exploded in rage, screaming incoherently. She didn't even want to duel anymore—she raised the demon claw and fired an energy blast.

Of course, it crashed into a transparent magic barrier etched with intricate patterns, forcibly stopped several meters from Kira. Silent Magician stood before him, staff in hand, guarding him, while Kira himself didn't move an inch.

"Bastard—bastard, bastard! Best friends? I don't remember ever giving you permission to be Jaden's friend!"

Yubel shrieked.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

As she spoke, the demonic hand began to morph. A Duel Disk structure extended along the arm; the Deck was mounted and ready.

Kira activated his Duel Disk.

So far, this wasn't bad. Yubel's revival was incomplete—she shouldn't be able to perform at full power. Even so, she'd evolved and mutated after ten years drifting in space, steeped in the evil power of the Light of Destruction. She couldn't be underestimated.

Rattling her emotions before the duel would disrupt a duelist's momentum and on-the-spot judgment, widening the advantage.

Yubel had floated around the cosmos too long without talking to anyone—maybe she'd forgotten the power of trash talk. Kira kindly helped her review it, so that once she reunited with Jaden, she could more quickly assume the role of a top-tier possessive guardian spirit.

"Duel!" ×2

[Kira, LP 4000]

[Yubel, LP 4000]

"I'll go first. Draw!"

With six cards in hand, Yubel scanned her opening hand one by one. During that time, her emotions calmed a little.

She was in poor condition, and her opponent was no ordinary enemy. This wasn't a foe she could handle while overheated.

"I summon 'Samsara Lotus.'"

Leaves appeared on her field, spreading outward. Between them, a vivid lotus bloomed.

[Samsara Lotus, ATK 0]

Samsara Lotus—a card Kira used often as well. In the anime, it first appeared in Yubel's hands. In the end phase, it could revive itself endlessly from the Graveyard. The real card requires you to have no Spells/Traps on your field after the end phase to activate; in the anime there was no such restriction—if it existed in the Graveyard, it would jump back unconditionally.

Yubel herself had an effect where, at each end phase, if she didn't offer a monster as tribute, she would self-destruct. So Samsara Lotus formed the perfect synergy with Yubel's true body: each end phase the lotus revived, was fed to Yubel as tribute, and kept her on the field.

…Assuming the lotus was in the Graveyard.

Kira's lips curved slightly.

"I set one card. End my turn," Yubel said.

"My turn. Draw."

Kira drew, added the card to his hand, then calmly pulled out another.

"First, I activate this card.

Continuous Spell—'Dimensional Fissure'!"

The Spell card slid into his Duel Disk. Black lightning immediately split the sky. Countless arcs of electricity seemed to tear space open, revealing a massive rift. On the other side was pitch-black chaos—an unknown dimension.

"As long as Dimensional Fissure remains in the Spell & Trap Zone," Kira said, "any monster sent to the Graveyard by either player does not go to the Graveyard—it's banished from play instead."

A "Macro Cosmos" in Spell form!

Yubel's expression changed sharply.

Not sent to the Graveyard—banished directly…

Damn it.

On turn one, she'd summoned Samsara Lotus precisely to send it to the Graveyard and prepare for her true body's arrival. But with Dimensional Fissure active, once the lotus leaves the field it must be banished. Her setup hadn't even begun, and a key card had already been effectively deleted.

Yubel's mouth twitched.

What kind of bastard opens with something like this?

Don't you need your own Graveyard too!?