"I lost..."
Alister stared up at the sky, his expression dazed for a moment.
He waited for about two seconds, and only after realizing he hadn't kicked the bucket and that his soul was still firmly rooted in his body did he finally snap out of it.
"Oh... so it wasn't a Shadow Duel."
Back then, Alister, like the other two members of the Doma Three Musketeers, had gained dark powers through The Seal of Orichalcos. However, after Dartz fell and the three of them were redeemed, they no longer possessed the power of that barrier.
Nonetheless, his experiences in Doma had unlocked Alister's talent for Shadow Games. Even without relying on the Seal, he had learned how to use them. Over the years, he had established a league of Shadow Duelists, utilizing that dark power to promote good and punish evila way to compensate for the transgressions he committed during his days as a Doma swordsman.
As a result, he had played more than his fair share of life-and-death matches over the years, and his skills had never dulled.
Because he was so accustomed to high-stakes gambling, he hadn't reacted immediately today. The moment his LP hit zero, his instinct told him he was about to croak.
Then it clickedno Shadow Game had been initiated today. The reason it felt so "dark" was simply because the person across from him played a duel style that was a bit... sinister.
They say a duel reflects the duelist's soul. As Alister's mind filled with the image of that Lava Golem's goofy, grinning facehaving "eaten" it three times in a single matchhe couldn't help but wonder if this guy's soul was just a tad tainted as well.
"That was amazing, You Xuan! Not even Alister is your match." Mokuba stepped forward and slapped him on the back with a grin. "At this rate, you might actually be able to go toe-to-toe with Big Brother."
More than half the semester had passed, and the six-month agreement with the President was drawing near. By the end of this term, the new Battle City Tournament would likely commence, serving as You Xuan's primary project during the winter break.
A duel with the President...
You Xuan glanced at Kaiba and found the man looking back at him. The moment their eyes met, the corner of the President's mouth curled into an upward arc, revealing an expression of genuine interest.
Miraculously, a specific voice echoed in You Xuan's mind triggered by that single look.
You↑ Xuan↓! The moment has finally arrived. For☆ward at full☆speed☆da! Duel!
"..."
"You Xuan is a top-tier duelist, right?" Mokuba said to Alister, laughing.
In truth, Mokuba actually had a better relationship with Alister than Kaiba did. Years ago, Alister had seen the shadow of his deceased younger brother in Mokuba and had even gifted him his brother's most precious keepsake. Since then, it was primarily Mokuba who had maintained contact with the man.
"Mmh, I suppose so. He's very strong. He played... quite well."
Alister said the words, but the look he gave You Xuan was strange. There was a sense of hesitance, as if he were holding something back.
He couldn't say You Xuan wasn't strong; after all, he was the one who had lost. But to say he played "beautifully"? As the victim of the match, Alister found those words stuck in his throat.
"By the way," Alister recalled something, "I remember you mentioned you're a student of the Ra Yellow dorm at Duel Academy, right?"
"That's right," You Xuan admitted.
"Heh, for a student as exceptional as You Xuan to be stuck in the Yellow dorm... Duel Academy really is blind," Alister chuckled dryly.
Whatever happened to the "elite" all being in Obelisk Blue? I suspect that with a freakish student like this, your teachers and the Headmaster couldn't take him down even if they teamed up.
"Not at all, Ra Yellow is quite nice," You Xuan smiled. "Personally, I've grown quite fond of it."
Alister hummed thoughtfully.
Speaking of Ra Yellow...
Naturally, his mind drifted to a certain "Crispy Chicken" among the Three Egyptian Gods, which then led to the memory of the one who wielded that bird in the original Battle City.
And that reminded him of the Lava Golem that had jumped back and forth across the field in this duel, devouring who knew how many of his boss monsters.
"Forgive the intrusion, You Xuan," Alister asked, "but do you happen to know Marik Ishtar?"
"Uh, I've only heard that he was a legendary duelist who commanded a God, but I've never had the chance to meet him," You Xuan replied.
"I see..."
Alister gave a hollow laugh.
"Though I haven't met the man himself either, I think if it were Mr. Ishtar, the two of you would have a lot to talk about. You'd probably get along famously... ahaha, ahahaha..."
You Xuan narrowed his eyes.
What's that supposed to mean? Are you hinting that my deck is toxic?
"..."
Well, facing a victim who had just been forced to swallow three Lava Golems and was finally crushed to death by the giant's fist, it was indeed hard to argue.
But back in the day, Mr. Ishtar held The Winged Dragon of Ra, the most "underworld" of the Egyptian Gods.
If he could get his hands on an anime-effect Egyptian God, his title as the "Lord in Yellow" would finally be complete.
Thinking of this, You Xuan shook his head.
Forget it. That was too far off; no point dwelling on it.
It was common knowledge that in the anime, the Three Egyptian Gods were not merely cards, but actual "gods" that chose their own masters.
In the original series, it was explained that even Pegasus barely managed to complete the design of the God cards by borrowing the power of the Millennium Eye. Every other card designer who tried to take over the project suffered divine punishmentthey either died or went mad.
The specific reason was never stated. Perhaps those three guys just thought the artwork the designers drew for them was ugly...
Now, the three original God cards produced by Pegasus had vanished, following the Pharaoh to The Underworld along with the Millennium Items. Only someone like Kaiba, who possessed both black technology and a "usage permit," could briefly access a "God Trial Card" through his legendary "Ground Draw" technique.
Speaking of which, You Xuan vaguely recalled that someone in the second year of GX had successfully replicated Ra.
Industrial Illusions had never given up on replicating the Three Egyptian Gods after the Pharaoh's departure. After all, they were the strongest cards at the apex of Duel Monsters; there was no way the company would just walk away.
However, the act of trying to copy the cards was dangerous in itself, and summoning them in a duel was even more perilous. If the God deemed the holder unworthy, it would call down divine lightning as punishment. One mistake could turn a person into a vegetable, just like Marik's servant, Odion.
But in the anime, a genius designer at Industrial Illusions had developed a Field Spell called Mound of the Bound Creator, which helped him bypass divine punishment and forcibly command the God. Of course, that was essentially playing with fire; it wouldn't be surprising if it blew up in his face at any moment.
Still, it proved that Industrial Illusions had never stopped trying to remake the Gods, and they were even developing more supporting support cards.
To be honest, You Xuan felt that as a mere mortal, his chances of being recognized by a true God were slim. But if he had to choose from the support cards, his favorite was the one released after the card game went physical: The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode.
It looked exactly like the smooth, golden sphere Mai Valentine summoned in Battle City after "stealing" Marik's Rafamously known as the "Bird Egg."
It had 0 ATK and 0 DEF, but the card could be Normal Summoned to the opponent's field by Tributing three of their monsters. Furthermore, after one turn, it would switch back to the original owner's side, perfectly recreating the anime scene and paying homage to the classic.
One had to admit, a God was a God; the prestige was on another level. The "Goofy Giant" (Lava Golem) only ate two monsters at a time, but the Egg devoured three in one go. Moreover, when Lava Golem went to the opponent's field, it at least had the stats of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, making it a viable combatant.
The Bird Egg, with its 0/0 stats, served no purpose on the opponent's field other than to infuriate them. And once the frustration peaked, it would return to the owner next turn and could even transform into Ra's other forms.
It was clearly a card designed for maximum "happiness."
You Xuan figured that when he had some free time, he should head over to Industrial Illusions and check in with the Tenma Brothers. If he couldn't get a genuine Egyptian God, finding a way to secure a "Bird Egg" seemed like a pretty good alternative...
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