Chapter 541: Your next line is, 'Short, weak, and another update'
"My Turn, Draw!"
Seeing the card he drew, Hayato revealed a smile: "Now, I hold the future in my Hand."
"Activate the Magic Card [Card of Demise]! I will replenish my Hand to five cards, and because of the huge cost of the powerful card, I will discard my entire Hand during the fifth Standby Phase after activation!"
While speaking, Hayato drew five cards into his Hand, receiving a rant from Aleister: "After five turns, people will be dead, what kind of ridiculous cost is that?"
Hayato glanced at the cards he drew, and drew one of them: "Aleister Crowley, since you summoned your strongest Invoked Monster, then in return, I will also summon the strongest Fusion Monster in my Deck this turn."
"Activate the Magic Card [Spiral Fusion]! Using [Dark Knight - Gaia] and [Curse of Dragon, the Cursed Dragon] from my Hand as Fusion Material, send them to the Graveyard!"
"Chaos wandering the dark path! The gale that surpasses the sky opens the path! Manifest! Level 7!"
"Fusion Summon! [Dragon Knight Gaia]!"
[Dragon Knight Gaia] [Level 7/Wind]
[Dragon Type/Fusion/Effect]
[2600/2100]
Powerful magic power was released from [Gaia]'s body, breaking the curse power on [Curse of Dragon]'s body, causing the two to merge into one, becoming the legendary dragon cavalry, and descending onto Hayato's Field.
"[Dragon Knight Gaia]'s first effect: While this card exists in the Monster Zone, its card name is treated as [Gaia the Dragon Champion]. And if the Fusion Monster Summoned by [Spiral Fusion] is [Gaia the Dragon Champion], its ATK is increased by 2600, and [Dragon Knight Gaia] is granted the ability to attack monsters up to 2 times during one Battle Phase!"
[Dragon Knight Gaia] [ATK 2600→5200]
"5200 ATK, and it can attack twice!?"
Aleister couldn't help but be greatly surprised. If Hayato were to attack with [Dragon Knight Gaia], it would be bad. "In that case, I will chain to the Special Summon of [Dragon Knight Gaia]! Activate the effect of [Invoked Purgatrio] on my Field!"
"Once per turn, if a monster is Special Summoned to the Opponent's Field, I can activate by targeting one monster on the Opponent's Field. Destroy that monster, thus severing your last hope! I choose to destroy that [Dragon Knight Gaia]!"
The knight riding the flying dragon soared into the sky, but was intercepted by the giant god also existing high in the sky. The "bandages" on the giant humanoid [Invoked Purgatrio]'s body twisted into sharp lances, and were projected towards [Dragon Knight Gaia], who dared to provoke divine majesty!
Hayato calmly played a card: "Muda Muda Muda! Chaining to [Invoked Purgatrio]'s effect, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card [Forbidden Dress]! Decrease [Dragon Knight Gaia]'s ATK by 600, and grant it the ability to not be targeted by effects and not be destroyed by effects until the end of the turn!"
"Your next line is, 'What, it's destruction resistance!'"
"What, it's destruction resistance! Nani!?" Looking at the white holy robe that appeared on [Dragon Knight Gaia]'s body blocking all the magical metal lances projected by his [Invoked Purgatrio], Aleister couldn't help but complain, and belatedly realized that he had actually said the exact line Hayato had just predicted.
"Your next line is, 'You can even guess what I'm going to say?'"
"You can even guess what I'm going to... You bastard!"
[Dragon Knight Gaia], who manifested in the sky due to the power of [Spiral Fusion], although its ATK decreased slightly, successfully landed on Hayato's Field, and Aleister's momentum was completely suppressed by Hayato.
[Dragon Knight Gaia] [ATK 5200→4800]
"Heh heh, it seems it's just as you said, this duel will end before your [Precognition Savings Account] activates its effect, Aleister. However, the slight difference is, the winner is me, Hayato Kobayashi, that point hasn't changed in the slightest."
"Enter Battle Phase! [Dragon Knight Gaia] attacks your [Magical Merchant]!"
During the previous turn, Aleister, in order to reduce Hayato's resources in the Graveyard as much as possible, chose at that time to banish [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] from Hayato's Graveyard instead of [Magical Merchant] on his own field to perform the [Invocation] Fusion, which allowed Hayato to successfully use it afterwards to avoid being directly attacked by [Invoked Magellanica].
And now, although its ATK decreased by 600, it is still as high as 4800. [Dragon Knight Gaia], which is 300 higher than [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], thrust its lance at [Magical Merchant], which Aleister had summoned from the very beginning of the duel.
Perhaps dueling with the strongest monster against the strongest monster might not be considered glorious by some, but Hayato never cared about such things. Dominate and then win; this is his dueling style.
[Magical Merchant], with only 200 ATK, was directly shattered by the 4800 ATK attack, and Aleister's remaining 1750 Life Points were also instantly cleared.
[Aleister: 1750 LP→0]
"Ugh!!" Aleister himself, because his Life Points were reduced to zero, he consequently fell back onto the ground.
The tall [Invoked Magellanica], as well as [Invoked Purgatrio], gradually dispersed because the duel ended. Hayato, who had seized victory, came before Aleister as the winner.
"Yare yare, that was truly a merciless, forceful attack. It seems my training in the Duel Ritual is still a bit immature, I should have removed my vulnerability earlier. Just like how even the most genius human can easily perish due to the body's fragility, I was completely defeated by the initial [Magical Merchant]."
As the loser of the duel, at this moment, Aleister's body glowed with golden light, as if about to disperse, and he looked at Hayato before him with a helpless expression. Clearly, the Dark Game was following the initial rules, collecting the reward Hayato deserved.
However, listening to Aleister's self-reflection, Hayato didn't agree: "Do you think that by removing such a vulnerability, you can elevate yourself to a perfect state?"
"Isn't that the case?" Aleister said with some regret, "Even if your [Dragon Knight Gaia] can attack twice, besides [Magical Merchant] on my field, [Invoked Magellanica]'s ATK is 3000, [Invoked Purgatrio]'s ATK is 4500, and I can also increase [Invoked Magellanica]'s ATK by 1000 by discarding myself from my hand. Even if your [Dragon Knight Gaia] can attack twice, it would only deal 1100 damage to me."
"And when it's my next turn, I can use [Invocation] again to summon powerful monsters to battle. Plus the card from [Precognition Savings Account] and a basic draw, victory or defeat isn't necessarily certain."
"No, that's not what I was talking about." Hayato shook his head, looking down at Aleister, who was still somewhat unconvinced, "I'm asking you, do you truly think that the fragility of humans is a flaw?"
"My idea is different from yours. Although human life is short and the body is fragile, it is precisely because of this foundation that humans can understand the preciousness of time, and bloom with brilliant light in their short lives."
"Compared to the long and dim lives of the ageless and immortal race, isn't a short yet eternal flash like fireworks more beautiful?" Hayato said, taking out the [Dragon Knight Gaia] card he had just used, "Furthermore, [Dragon Knight Gaia] has the effect of increasing its ATK by 2600 after destroying a monster."
Perhaps persuaded by Hayato, or perhaps dumbfounded by Hayato's "killing the body and punishing the heart" approach, where despite already being the winner, he insisted on making him understand his defeat thoroughly, a wry smile appeared on Aleister's face: "I truly lost to you. Perhaps you'll be an interesting fellow. Thinking about it this way, perhaps following you will be a good outcome."
"Then, please take care of me, Master."
Aleister extended his hand, and after gripping Hayato's equally extended palm, his entire existence completely dispersed, leaving behind a Monster Card in Hayato's hand, which was [Aleister the Invoker].
Although he had turned into a card, Aleister was actually just forced to enter the card to rest because he had suffered too great an impact in Hayato's Dark Game.
After all, he was a Card Spirit, not a normal human who would die if they lost a Dark Game. Becoming a card was just gaining a vessel, and even in his current state, having just been defeated, Aleister could still communicate with Hayato through the card.
Hayato couldn't help but rant that it was just like Pokémon; even if they were beaten to near death, putting them back in the ball could extend their life.
Although Aleister had wanted to attack Hayato when they first met, after becoming a card, he became unusually obedient. He told Hayato all the information he knew, answering every question, which allowed Hayato to finally understand where he was.
His initial conjecture was indeed correct. This World was the World where Card Spirits resided, the "Spirit World." It was a World closely connected to the Real World, the "Human World," where he had been before. This could be seen from the fact that most Card Spirits residing in Duel Monsters cards in the Real World came from the Spirit World.
Of course, not all Card Spirits existed in the Spirit World. For example, Yugi's Dark Magician and Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon were Card Spirits born locally in the "Human World," and the Crystal Beast that had not yet been born was also like this.
However, these matters didn't have much to do with Hayato. If Hayato had no hope of leaving the Spirit World and returning to the Real World, he would need to understand the World he was about to stay in. But Aleister told Hayato that he knew of a place that might possibly lead to the Real World.
According to him, about a few days ago, he detected a very strong power fluctuation entering the Spirit World from the Real World, which should not have been connected.
Although he wasn't very interested in going to the Real World, Aleister felt that the fluctuation might be related to "Space," and his own Invocation was also "Space"-related. Furthermore, that fluctuation seemed to have awakened something that he thought might be used as a Tribute for Invocation, so he was actually on his way there.
Comparing the time, Hayato guessed that the fluctuation might have come from the Ener-D in an active state, brought from the future to the past by the Red Dragon Archfiend Ultimaya Tzolkin. For a Red Dragon capable of time travel, transmitting Ener-D from one World to another adjacent World didn't seem like an exaggeration.
According to Aleister's theory, although the probability wasn't 100%, the transmission of the Ener-D fluctuation required the existence of a Passage. Based on the strength of the fluctuation he felt before, the Passage wouldn't be too small and would last for a certain period. If Hayato was lucky, he might be able to use that Passage to return to the Real World.
However, just now, due to Anubis, Hayato was transferred to the Spirit World, and the spatial fluctuation he caused dispersed the Invocation Aleister had randomly cast using a Tribute. This not only interrupted Aleister's journey but also successfully confused his perception of the previous fluctuation, causing him to lose his direction.
Aleister himself didn't have a great need for the Ener-D fluctuation; it was even dispensable. He was just looking for a way to improve his Invocation. So, since he couldn't sense the Ener-D fluctuation, he simply gave up on the distant goal and sought the nearby one, finding Hayato.
Of course, he had absolutely no idea at first that he would be turned into a card.
However, during their information exchange, ever since that scumbag learned that Hayato actually possessed the Sage's Stone, Anubis's Crimson Jewel (the finished product of the Sage's Stone), and Super Polymerization, a miracle that surpassed the Sage's Stone, he shamelessly insisted on staying by Hayato's side, claiming he could definitely find the ultimate Invocation he craved from Hayato.
Regarding the situation in the Spirit World that Hayato needed to understand, Aleister told him everything he knew. However, when Hayato asked why his Invocation had progressed to the level of the ultimate Fusion Summoned Monster, Invoked Purgatrio, yet he could still remain conscious, Aleister evaded the question and couldn't give Hayato an answer.
Hayato didn't force him and skipped the question without dwelling on it.
Due to the impact of Hayato's transfer, Aleister was temporarily unable to continue tracking the Ener-D fluctuation. However, he said that if certain beings who were startled by the Ener-D particles before were still around, they might have the ability to find that fluctuation.
However, whether that being was truly awakened, and whether they were willing and able to help Hayato, was hard to say. But this was the only path Hayato could currently choose.
Before setting off, however, Hayato checked his system. Since being transferred to the Spirit World after defeating Anubis, Hayato had actually seen new system message prompts. However, at the time, he needed to prioritize dealing with Aleister, who was approaching him, so he only had the leisure to open and check the messages now.
As soon as he opened the system, Hayato saw no less than four dialogue boxes pop up in front of him in one go.
[Respected Duelist, you have new achievement rewards to claim.]
[Achievement: [Passing Duelist] Completed]
[Condition: Open Dimensional Gate (1/1)]
[Reward: 1000 DP, Random Fiend-Type Preconstructed Deck]
[Achievement: [Fusion is Not So Inconvenient] Completed]
[Condition: Abnormal Fusion 1/1 time]
[Reward: 1000 DP, Limited UR Exchange Ticket]
[Achievement: [Thanks Brothers, It's Already 1000%] Completed]
[Condition: Collect Card Quantity 1000/1000]
[Reward: 1000 DP, Most Held Card Type (Trap) UR Card Pack]
The completion of the three achievements came with a guaranteed 3000 DP points income, which helped Hayato recover some of the loss after having just paid 500 DP for the Dark Game against Aleister but only recycled 300 DP during the settlement. Then he began to check the other three extra incomes.
First to be opened was the Trap UR Card Pack. It was only after the system's statistics that Hayato realized that since coming to the World of Duel Monsters, although he had collected various cards, the majority were not Spell Cards or Monster Cards, but Trap Cards. This was despite feeling that his duels were usually quite bright and cheerful.
He felt somewhat unworthy of the original name of Duel Monsters, "Monsters and Magic," but Hayato wasn't someone who cared about such things. He casually opened the card pack.
The so-called UR Card Pack didn't mean it would yield a pile of UR Cards. Like a normal Card Pack, a UR Card Pack contained five cards, but one of them was guaranteed to be UR. Also, because it was Trap Limited, all the cards drawn were Trap Cards.
Hayato, who opened the card pack, helplessly threw the first three filler Sakuretsu Armor cards into the System Shop for immediate recycle. The fourth card, Torrential Tribute, made him quite satisfied. But when he saw the fifth card, Hayato couldn't help but curse, "Holy crap, Evenly Matched!"
"...Wait, is that how you pronounce it?"
Okay, actually the card Hayato got was called Evenly Matched. It was a Normal Trap Card. The card art story belonged to the famous Warrior Type Deck, Six Samurai. It told the story of Great Shogun Shien clashing and fighting with his brothers, Shadow of the Six Samurai - Shien. The ending of the story was that Great Shogun Shien was replaced by the Shadow Warrior, with only his lingering spirit remaining on his armor.
However, the card art story wasn't very important. Evenly Matched was most famous in Hayato's previous life not for its powerful field clearing effect that targeted the Player instead of Monsters, but for its name, which tested a person's literacy level.
Many people who drew this card would deliberately omit the two rare characters "these characters" and just say "Activate [Victory or Defeat]" when using it in a duel to avoid exposing their insufficient literacy. But this would only make others feel even more that they were illiterate, winning the duel but gaining the identity of "illiterate."
Therefore, the card Evenly Matched acquired the nickname "Illiterate Match."
After putting away Evenly Matched, Hayato's second use was the UR Exchange Ticket. This wasn't the first time Hayato had used a series of Exchange Ticket Rewards. After using the illusory item, a dazzling array of cards appeared before Hayato.
However, the value of the so-called "Limited UR" was actually much higher than the Exchange Tickets Hayato had used before. This was because Ordinary UR Exchange Tickets could only exchange for "Card Pool Cards" that could be obtained through Draw a Card. A large portion of cards could only be obtained by spending DP points in the Shop. In short, it was very much like a cunning merchant.
But "Limited UR" removed this restriction. Hayato immediately spotted cards like Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon and Phoenix Enforcer, and even Super Polymerization. These cards were very expensive in the Shop and couldn't be obtained through Normal Draw a Card.
Given the rare opportunity of a limited removal, Hayato wouldn't possibly use this precious chance to exchange for Ordinary URs that could be drawn normally. His gaze quickly locked onto a Field Spell Card with an extremely powerful effect.
Finally, he opened the Random Fiend-Type Deck. To be honest, among the cards Hayato held so far, he had collected quite a few cards of Dragon Type, Beast-Type, Warrior Type, Spellcaster Type, and Machine Type. However, Fiend-Type was very few, although his most commonly used Rainbow Kuriboh was Fiend-Type.
With the mindset that it was free and it didn't matter what he got, Hayato opened the Preconstructed Deck Card Pack, and then was startled by several fiercely intimidating names that jumped out at him.
He wasn't about to release some world-destroying big boss, was he?
Even with Aleister leading the way, Hayato traveled for a full day, but this sense of palpitation still lingered in his heart. It wasn't until Aleister's reminder that he saw his destination in the distance that his attention was slightly diverted.
Hayato dismounted from Gaia the Fierce Knight's War Horse, letting Gaia return to the card to rest for a bit. He walked a few steps forward, stopping at the edge of a cliff, casting his gaze into the distance.
Although covered by dense vines and quite a distance away, Hayato could immediately notice a bulging "large lump" in the Jungle in the distance, like a pimple on the face of a green-skinned giant.
Moreover, without Aleister's guidance, as Hayato approached that "large lump," he could also feel an imposing aura constantly enveloping the surrounding Forest, completely impossible to ignore.
It wasn't the sense of crisis where the Forest was filled with the aura of death, but rather the feeling of being overlooked and observed by some lofty existence.
Enduring that aura, Hayato walked through the Jungle while conversing with Aleister, who had recovered much of his vitality and was floating beside him in the form of a phantom.
"What an incredible aura. I can feel that the true existence is absolutely not fully awakened yet. This current feeling is merely the unconscious breathing of a slumbering giant in a semi-awake state. It's hard to imagine what kind of existence that truly is."
"Calling it a deity wouldn't be an exaggeration, right?"
Hayato didn't deny Aleister's opinion: "Although I had the experience of commanding spirits with the title of 'God' before coming to this time, and I have faced divine power more than once, I have to admit you are right. This kind of aura has truly reached the level of a deity."
In the Card Box at Hayato's waist, The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode placed there, and The Winged Dragon of Ra - Immortal Phoenix, which had specifically split off to be able to speak, heard Hayato's words and let out two slightly weak calls to express their dissatisfaction.
"However, the closer we get, the more I realize it's indeed just slightly awakened by the previous Ener-D fluctuation, not fully awakened. Do you really think I can find help here, Aleister?"
"It's Aleister, not Aleister, or you can call me Crowley, Master." Aleister first seriously corrected Hayato, then said casually, "It's better to try than to talk about it. If you don't come here and try your luck, how will you know if there's a chance?"
"That's true, but we still need to find it quickly before the Passage opened by the Ener-D particles disappears." As Hayato spoke, his pace through the Jungle slowed down slightly. After taking a step and crossing the last clump of weeds, he arrived at an Open Space in the woods not far from the "large lump."
And at the same time Hayato stopped, but saw several figures emerge from various directions ahead, using the bushes behind Hayato as a wall to directly surround Hayato in a semicircle.
An upright, green-skinned lizard warrior wearing metal armor on its arms;
A female warrior whose armor was tattered, looking more like a wanderer than a Soldier;
A barefoot warrior with wings on its back and wearing a helmet;
And the apparent leader of the four who blocked the way, a guy who completely covered his body with a cloak.
"Looks like we can't simply arrive at our destination."
"It seems we can't just simply arrive at our destination," Hayato said, raising the Duel Disk on his wrist and speaking cautiously as he looked at the Four Person Group blocking his path.
Although they had changed from the flat card art on cards into three-dimensional existences in reality, Hayato easily recognized the forms of three of the Four Person Group blocking his way.
The green lizard wearing metal armor was Gagagigo the Risen, the advanced form of Gagagigo who was transformed by a Mediocre Ghost in pursuit of power;
The warrior dressed like a wanderer was a subordinate of Command Knight, who served under Freed the Matchless General: Warrior Lady of the Wasteland;
The warrior with wings on his back and wearing a green helmet, judging by the lance-like weapon in his hand, was one of the alternate forms of Zera the Warrior, who had numerous alternate forms among the Duel Monsters but never a good ending: Zeradias, Herald of Heaven;
As for the last guy, whose face and figure were hidden by a black robe, Hayato couldn't guess his identity, as he didn't have X-ray vision or anything.
The three "people" Hayato recognized were Reptile Type, Warrior Type, and Fairy Type respectively, but they shared a common characteristic: they had all experienced Time-Space related events to varying degrees.
Gagagigo once traveled to a Different Dimension due to Dimensional Prison, and after being remodeled, returned to his original World in a berserk form, only to awaken with the help of his companions, but was then dragged into another Dimension (Dimensional Barrier);
Warrior Lady of the Wasteland was similarly accidentally brought to a Different Dimension and became D.D. Warrior Lady. Afterwards, she returned to her original World with her companions from the Different Dimension and even awakened the ability to actively open Dimensional Wall during her battle with Warrior Dai Grepher, the "stalker" who had always pestered her;
As for Zera the Warrior, he successively became the Fiend-Type Ritual Monster Zera, the high-level monster Archfiend Commander, and even after becoming Archlord Zerato, he couldn't escape the fate of falling and becoming Darklord Zerato. He even had the ending of entering Zombie World and becoming the Zombie Gogiga Gagagigo. And these weren't parallel worlds; they were the several cycles of reincarnation he experienced.
And it was this group of guys who were now blocking his path.
Hayato, raising his vigilance, didn't say anything. Instead, the black-robed person among the Four Person Group spoke first: "You carry an aura that doesn't belong to this World, stranger existence."
"To return to our original World, you cannot pass here," Warrior Lady of the Wasteland said, drawing a long sword and pointing it at Hayato.
"Giga, Gagagigo," the tall Gagagigo the Risen said in a difficult-to-understand language.
And Zeradias, Herald of Heaven, also held up a lance, blocking Hayato's path: "Gagagigo the Risen is right."
"Although I don't sense any malice from you towards the existence ahead, just as Gagagigo the Risen said, we must ensure 'they' awaken safely. For this, we must block all suspicious existences at all costs, regardless of your goal."
"Leave here, stranger, or Gagagigo the Risen's claws will not spare you."
Hearing this, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland and the guy in the black robe turned to look at Gagagigo the Risen, seemingly surprised that it, which looked mentally unclear and usually only made strange noises without speaking, could express so much meaning in just a few words.
But Gagagigo the Risen also had a strange expression, wondering if it had really said that much just now.
Hayato didn't care, only saying calmly, "My name is Hayato Kobayashi, I'm 18 years old, I live in the Villa Area of Domino City, I'm a third-year student at Domino City High School, and every day I go to the Kame Game Store to bring smiles to my friends and challengers through dueling. I duel at least ten times a day, struggling from full Life Points until midnight before I'm willing to sleep. Kaiba always says, 'How are you not dead yet after struggling for so long?'"
"I'm telling you about my daily life here. Although it sounds boring and unoriginal, for me, a peaceful daily life is a series of continuous miracles. Although I willingly let go before, if it's to return to this daily life, I will defeat whatever existence blocks my path!"
Saying this, Hayato raised his Duel Disk and sharply drew a card.
But just as Hayato was about to materialize the card monster he drew with the power of the Millennium Ring, a wave suddenly emanated from the "large package" not far away, disrupting the Millennium Ring's power. At the same time, the Four Person Group blocking the way, who were about to counter because of Hayato's actions, suddenly felt their legs go weak and nearly fell to the ground.
Along with them, Rainbow Kuriboh on Hayato's shoulder, Aleister the Invoker floating beside Hayato, and Dark Magician of Chaos hidden in the bushes behind Hayato as a hidden backup to surprise any sneak attackers, were all bounced back into cards.
Simultaneously, a faint but hard-to-ignore dragon roar came:
"Woooooosh~~~!!!"
"That sound, is it that adult?" Warrior Lady of the Wasteland adjusted her cowboy hat, which had almost slipped off her head, and glanced back at the building still covered by vines and impossible to see clearly. Her gaze became firm. "You say you'll defeat everything blocking your way to return to the past? Do you think you're the only one like that? I also have a place I want to return to and a hateful guy I want to take down!"
Recalling that stalker-like man, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland stepped forward, and a Duel Disk similar to Hayato's appeared on her wrist: "I'll be your opponent!"
"Heh heh, impressive resolve, truly excellent determination," the guy shrouded in the black robe also extended his arm from his robe. "Then I'll help you too."
"Gigago!" "Gagagigo the Risen is right!"
The Four Person Group blocking the way exchanged deep glances, then simultaneously turned their gaze towards Hayato's position. Under the mystical power currently enveloping the surroundings, Duel Disks appeared on their wrists at the same time, and they looked at Hayato with unified aura.
"For justice!"
"Gagi!"
"For our companions!"
"We are invincible!"
"Come on!" X4
[Four Person Group: 4000LP]
Wait, what's going on?
Hayato looked speechlessly at the four "people" in front of him.
I remember I'm the Protagonist, so why are you guys acting like you're about to bravely sacrifice yourselves in front of an evil antagonist?
Damn, I've become the antagonist.
Hayato didn't make a move, but the opponent had already taken the first turn and started their turn.
"I'll go first, draw a card!" Warrior Lady of the Wasteland eagerly drew a card, then played the card in her hand with almost no thought. "We four share Life Points. First, I summon myself in Attack Position, then activate the spell card Sword of Dragon's Soul and equip it to myself!"
As she spoke, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland stepped forward, drew the long sword she had previously stuck in the ground, and swung it. The original blade became wider and thicker.
[Warrior Lady of the Wasteland (Sword of Dragon's Soul) ATK 1100 → 1800]
"Sword of Dragon's Soul increases my ATK by 700 points, and after battling a Dragon-Type monster in the Battle Phase, it can destroy that monster. It's a card specifically for Dragon Types," Warrior Lady of the Wasteland said with a proud expression, then set a card in her Spell/Trap Zone. "Next, I set one card. My turn ends."
Taking over from Warrior Lady of the Wasteland was Zeradias, Herald of Heaven. He extended his hand and sent a card from his hand to the Graveyard: "Next is me. I activate my own effect from my hand. By discarding this card from my hand, I search for one field spell card The Sanctuary in the Sky from my Deck and add it to my hand."
"Then, I activate the field spell card The Sanctuary in the Sky!"
The dense forest was replaced by white clouds piled high in the sky as the field spell card was used. A phantom, distant Heavenly Castle appeared in the distance. Zeradias, Herald of Heaven, introduced, "This is where I was before coming to this World, the sacred domain The Sanctuary in the Sky. Only those who gain the qualification can become angels here."
"Under the protection of The Sanctuary in the Sky, battle damage from our Fairy Type monsters becomes 0. And I activate the spell card Monster Reborn to special summon myself from the Graveyard, then attack position summon Shining Barrier Statue. As long as Shining Barrier Statue exists in the Monster Zone, neither player can special summon monsters other than LIGHT Attribute monsters."
[Zeradias, Herald of Heaven ATK 2100]
[Shining Barrier Statue ATK 1000]
"Gogi?" "A monster with 2100 ATK?"
Hearing his companion's voice, Zeradias, Herald of Heaven patted his chest proudly: "I am Zeradias, Herald of Heaven, a super strong warrior who is rarely recognized by The Sanctuary in the Sky. If I hadn't come to this World, I might even be an Archlord by now."
"However, as a restriction on my great power, The Sanctuary in the Sky must be present."
"I set one card. My turn ends."
"Giga!" Although Gagagigo the Risen seemed to be in a state of low sanity, surprisingly, its sharp claws could draw cards without tearing them.
"Gaga, Gagigo!" Gagagigo the Risen said, placing a card on the Duel Disk.
Although no one understood what it said, by watching Gagagigo the Risen point its hand towards Shining Barrier Statue next to Zeradias, Herald of Heaven, and then point to itself, they could understand its meaning.
Gagagigo the Risen appeared on the Field in Attack Position. As the tribute for the tribute summon of Level 5☆ Gagagigo the Risen, Shining Barrier Statue was tributed.
Looking at Gagagigo the Risen appearing beside her, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland couldn't help but cover her face and sigh helplessly. Shining Barrier Statue had the ability to restrict the opponent's special summons by attribute, but the big lizard simply got rid of it itself. Could that idiot have chosen it as tribute because its ATK was the lowest?
After Gagagigo the Risen appeared, it used its claws to hold two cards and insert them into the Duel Disk. It grabbed the two balls of light that appeared on its body and slapped them into itself. Magnetic Ring and Evo-Force, two equip spell cards, appeared behind it.
[Gagagigo the Risen ATK 2450 → ATK 1950]
"Oh, although its ATK decreased by 500 points due to Magnetic Ring's effect, it also gained the effect to force the opponent to attack it. Evo-Force also has the ability to not be battle destroyed once per turn, and its ATK increases by 300 points when it takes effect."
"Well done!"
Amidst Zeradias, Herald of Heaven's praise, Gagagigo the Risen also ended its turn.
Now it was the turn of the person in the black robe, whom Hayato still couldn't identify. Although the black-robed person's voice sounded muffled, as if their head was inside a mask, making it difficult to distinguish their gender or age, Hayato guessed they were probably some kind of warrior based on the armor on the wrist wearing the Duel Disk.
"My turn, draw a card, and then I'll summon myself too!"
The sudden reveal came so abruptly. Because he was about to enter the Field, the black-robed person suddenly unveiled his true appearance. Grabbing the black robe and tossing it upwards, he leaped onto the Front Row while shouting loudly—
"A black battle suit dyed by shadow, wrapping my tough body!"
"Acute touch and excellent sight allow me to detect crises in time!"
"Invincible flight ability brings fear to my enemies!"
"Wherever there are giant monsters, there is the invincible G Squad!"
"Shining~~~ Black!"
Under the Chuunibyou-filled self-introduction, the black-robed person finally revealed his identity—
Gokipon
However, just after Gokipon finished his "declaration," Zera's voice came from the side: "Stop trying to look cool over there, hurry up and put your cloak back on! Warrior Lady of the Wasteland has fainted again!"
"Huh? Sorry, sorry!" Gokipon, who was still posing, quickly picked up the cloak he had just thrown away and put it back on. The effect was quite good; at the same time his antennae on his head disappeared, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland also regained consciousness.
"You scared me to death, I just had a nightmare about a super big cockroach," Warrior Lady of the Wasteland said, patting her chest. She didn't realize she had just been scared unconscious.
Hayato, who was still wondering why Gokipon wore a black robe, finally understood. So Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, who seemed like a rough tomboy, was actually so afraid of cockroaches.
"Ahem, in short, my turn is over. It's your turn, stranger," Gokipon summoned himself to stand alongside the other three "people." Since the Spell/Trap Zone was already filled with cards, he simply ended his turn.
[Four Person Group: 4000LP, Hand 5]
[Warrior Lady of the Wasteland (Sword of Dragon's Soul) ATK 1800]
[Zeradias, Herald of Heaven ATK 2100]
[Gagagigo the Risen (Magnetic Ring) (Evo-Force) ATK 1950]
[Gokipon ATK 2000]
[Set Card] X2
"Heh heh, although our individual power isn't strong, don't underestimate our will, you guy named Hayato Kobayashi," Gokipon said, putting his hands on his hips. "Our combination of four is very amazing, you definitely won't be our opponent."
Because the four of them shamelessly chose a team-up method where four people act consecutively four times, there were currently four monsters with decent ATK gathered on their Field. Furthermore, Gagagigo the Risen among them had a "taunt" ability due to Magnetic Ring, forcing attacks on it, yet it could escape destruction once with Evo-Force.
There were also two unknown set cards in the Spell/Trap Zone. For a normal Duelist, this situation might seem a bit tricky.
But for Hayato, whose standards had always been set very high, this Field was extremely easy to deal with.
Although it was somewhat cruel to destroy someone else's effort like this, Hayato was a cruel person.
"My turn, draw a card." Drawing a card, Hayato slapped it onto his Duel Disk without even looking. "I pay 800 Life Points to activate the spell card Magical Mallet!"
"I reveal the top 4 cards of my Deck and special summon any Normal Monsters with Level 3 or lower among them to my Field, then shuffle the other cards back into the Deck."
"In that case, I activate the effect of Maxx \"C\" from my hand," Gokipon interrupted. "This effect can be activated when your opponent activates a spell card that includes a monster special summon effect. I special summon this card from my hand."
"Then, as long as Maxx \"C\" special summoned by this effect exists in the Monster Zone, cards sent to the Graveyard are banished instead!"
[Maxx \"C\"]
A black shadow covered by a black cloth appeared beside Gokipon. Two cross-shaped lights shone in the shadow, as if something was observing Hayato from within. Although another insect appeared, perhaps due to the black cloth's concealment, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland didn't faint this time.
"It's Maxx \"C\", the same troublesome effect as Friend Hero," Hayato exclaimed casually, shrugging indifferently. "It's a good thing I'm not using a milling deck this time. Now, Magical Mallet's effect continues to resolve."
[Hayato: 4000 → 3200LP]
As he spoke, Hayato drew the top four cards of his Deck and revealed them directly: "Even without looking, I can easily smell the unique weakling aura of trash from these three guys. You three are hiding among them, Ojama Black, Ojama Green, and Ojama Yellow!"
"He guessed right!" "But calling us trash?" "How mean~"
Among the cards Hayato revealed, the Ojama Three Brothers were prominently displayed, and the fourth card was the spell card Ojama Magic.
Putting Ojama Magic back into his Deck and letting the Duel Disk automatically shuffle, Hayato placed the Ojama Three Brothers' cards on his Duel Disk: "Ojama Yellow, Ojama Black, and Ojama Green are all Level 2 LIGHT Attribute monsters. I special summon them to my Field in Attack Position!"
As Hayato placed the cards on his Duel Disk, the figures of Ojama Yellow and the others manifested.
[Ojama Yellow ATK 0]
[Ojama Green ATK 0]
[Ojama Black ATK 0]
"Hmm?" "Monsters with 0 ATK?" "Gagi?" "Weak monsters."
"Are you using 0 ATK weak monsters in Attack Position to show contempt for us? This is too much humiliation," Gokipon seemed very agitated. "Onore Hayato Kobayashi!"
"Huh?" Hayato was completely surprised that Gokipon thought so much. "They're not weak monsters—"
"Aniki~"
The Ojama Three Brothers looked at Hayato with unexpected gaze, their eyes full of anticipation.
But Hayato finished the sentence: "—they're junk monsters."
"That's basically the same thing!" X3
The Ojama Three Brothers ranted.
"No, it's not. Compared to small fry, you guys, Ojama Yellow, clearly have value for recycling, and I special summoned you by paying a full 800 Life Points."
Due to Maxx \"C\"'s effect, Hayato banished Magical Mallet from his pocket and drew a card from his hand: "I activate the spell card Harpie's Feather Duster! Destroy all Spell/Trap Cards on the Opponent's Field!"
"Hmph! I won't let you succeed!" The voice came from Zeradias, Herald of Heaven. He took out the card he had set in his Spell/Trap Zone. "Open set card, counter trap Divine Wrath! This card can be activated when a monster effect, spell, or trap card is activated while The Sanctuary in the Sky is on the Field. Negate and destroy that activation!"
The hurricane stirred up by Harpie's Feather Duster hadn't even fully formed when, as Zera's set card was opened, the Castle in the distance of The Sanctuary in the Sky suddenly released a bolt of lightning filled with destructive aura, rushing into the sky and turning into a falling thunderbolt that enveloped Harpie's Feather Duster, destroying it instantly.
Counter traps are high Spell Speed 3, so Hayato couldn't activate any cards to counter. He watched Harpie's Feather Duster and Divine Wrath get banished due to Maxx \"C\"'s effect, while the opponent still had one set card in their Spell/Trap Zone.
Warrior Lady of the Wasteland hesitated for a moment, then also opened her card: "And my set card, the continuous trap card Summon Limit! Monsters special summoned successfully are changed to Attack Position, and if they can attack, they must attack."
"Your Ojama monsters are all monsters with 0 ATK. They must attack and can only attack Gagagigo the Risen, who is equipped with Magnetic Ring. Its ATK is 1950 points. You're going to lose this turn!"
"Heh heh, is that so?" Hayato smiled and drew a card. "I told you, junk monsters have value for recycling. Let me show you the sublime power of Ojama!"
"Spell card Ojama Delta Hurricane! When Ojama Yellow, Ojama Black, and Ojama Green are all face-up position on my Field, destroy all cards on the Opponent's Field!"
After baiting out the opponent's trap with Harpie's Feather Duster, Hayato unleashed his true finishing move. The three-colored hurricane formed as Gokipon and the other "people" wore ugly expressions.
And this time, they had no set cards in their Spell/Trap Zone to use. The hurricane instantly destroyed all cards on their Field, and even they themselves were sent flying from the Front Row.
"Ugh!" "Cough!" "Gagi!" "Hmm!"
Chapter 544: How Could Fusion Be Such an Inconvenient Thing?
Under the effect of Ojama Delta Hurricane!!, the monsters that had Summoned themselves to the Front Row, such as Warrior Lady of the Wasteland and G-Squad - Shining Black, were Destroyed. Their messy pile of Equip Spell Cards in the Spell/Trap Zone was also Destroyed, and even the Field Spell Card The Sanctuary in the Sky was Destroyed.
The surrounding environment returned to the Jungle where they were originally. Hayato remained standing in his original position, just as he was when he left, but the four people on the opposite side had all fallen to the ground, still reeling from the Impact of Ojama Delta Hurricane!!.
"Heh heh, now you know how amazing we are!"
"Even without Fusion, our Power and Precision surpass yours!"
"Close combat is our advantage!"
Because they used Ojama Delta Hurricane!! to hit the guys who had looked down on them hard, Ojama Yellow and the others seemed quite Proud at this moment, even started boasting excessively.
Given this, to prevent himself from being jinxed to death by these few idiots, Hayato felt it would be better to squeeze out their Usefulness now.
After Shining Black and the others were blasted back to where Duelists should stand, Zera's Will became depressed because The Sanctuary in the Sky was Destroyed. Chameleon - Magileon was trying to save Warrior Lady of the Wasteland who had fainted after seeing Shining Black's True Form again. Only Shining Black stood up stubbornly, relying on his own Will and Undying Life Force.
"I really didn't expect that the Ojama, which looks like it's not even as good as small fry, could display such powerful strength. It's truly fear-inducing."
"But even if you Destroyed all the Defense we Arranged, the Ojama Monsters on your Field are just useless things with 0 ATK."
"Furthermore, because Ojama Delta Hurricane!! has already Destroyed all our Cards on this side, they now have no Usefulness whatsoever."
G-Squad - Shining Black said with certainty, "There is no possibility of them becoming a threat to us, so what can you do next?"
"Are you going to launch a pointless Attack against us with these Monsters whose Attacks aren't even worth a touch, or will you just end your Turn and leave these few targets?"
But under Shining Black's gaze, Hayato smiled at him. "In that case, there's only one answer."
"I must immediately Fusion Summon!"
Hearing Hayato's words, Ojama Yellow and the others seemed quite excited. "Oh oh oh, it's not a card like Raigeki Break or something, but Polymerization?"
"So touching! Aniki clearly wants us to End the Duel!"
"We've already won completely!"
Shining Black, however, frowned. "Polymerization? Even if you Fusion Summon with these monsters, you can only Summon monsters with 0 ATK, which are also like small fry."
"Ah, we were seen through." "Completely unable to refute." "The King indeed also has 0 ATK."
But under Shining Black's gaze, Hayato didn't play the Polymerization Card at all. Instead, he waved his hand directly and said, "Do you mean you must Activate the Polymerization Spell Card to perform a Fusion? How could Fusion be such an inconvenient thing?"
"Ultimate demonic dragon that freezes the past, present, and future, submit to my will and descend here! Pierce through destiny with your trident!"
Hayato raised his empty palm above his head. Along with his movements, a large amount of frost gathered out of thin air towards his palm, forming a large piece of pure ice, while Ojama Yellow and the others on his Field trembled uncontrollably due to the sudden drop in temperature.
"Ba-Banish us?" "Why does the summoning chant not sound like Summoning the King?" "And Aniki didn't Activate Polymerization?"
Subconsciously, the Ojama Three Brothers exchanged glances.
"Ma-Masaka?"
"We've been abandoned again?!"
"Iyada!"
"For Victory, I am willing to give up my old friends Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black! I Banish three Monsters with different Card Names from my Field!"
"Triple Contact Fusion Summon! Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!!!"
The frost on Hayato's palm exploded, revealing a purple-bordered card held between Hayato's fingers, which he slapped onto his Duel Disk. At the same time, the Ojama brothers on Hayato's Field became transparent while wailing—
"What a horrible feeling~~" X3
"Roar!" X3
Thick dragon claws stepped onto the spot where Ojama Yellow and the others disappeared. The three-headed demonic dragon, covered in a frost armor, looked down at Shining Black and the others, letting out a Roar. Its aura was simply like a demon god about to destroy the World!
Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier [Level 9☆/Water (Attribute)]
[Dragon Type/Fusion/Effect]
[2700/2000]
"A Level 9☆, Powerful Monster with 2700 ATK!?" Shining Black was very shocked. Even Warrior Lady of the Wasteland and Zera recovered consciousness, looking up at the three-headed dragon as tall as a demon god. "And, it's even using those three Ojama Monsters, which have absolutely no connection in appearance, as Fusion Material?"
"Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier isn't an ordinary Fusion Monster. Its requirement for Fusion Material is simply three Monsters with different Card Names."
"However, as a Restriction, it can only use Monsters from my Hand and Field as Fusion Material."
"But, I can also perform a Fusion Summon without using the Polymerization Spell Card, by Banishing the Fusion Material Monsters on my Field."
Hayato said proudly, putting his hands on his hips, subconsciously wanting to laugh a few "hehehe"s, but then realized belatedly that if he did that, wouldn't he completely become an Antagonist? He was a good guy, after all.
"Although because I used Ojama Monsters instead of Dragon-Type Monsters, which are most compatible with its Power, Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier couldn't use its strongest Power," Hayato said, drew two cards, "However, this level is completely sufficient for now. I Activate the Equip Spell Card, Megamorph, and Equip it to Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier."
"Megamorph?!"
Under Shining Black's terrified gaze, Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, which was already taller than the tallest trees in the forest, after being Equipped with Megamorph, truly exhibited the phenomenon of "Megamorph". Its original height of nearly 20 meters directly Doubled to a full 40 meters, simply like a regular-sized MS upgrading to a Mobile Armor!
Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier (Megamorph) [ATK 2700→5400]
"When my Life Points are higher than my Opponent's Life Points, the ATK of the Monster Equipped with Megamorph will Decrease to half its Original Attack."
"But when my Life Points are lower than my Opponent's Life Points, the ATK of the Monster Equipped with Megamorph will Increase to Double its Original Attack."
"Your Life Points? It was the Magical Dressing Room from just now!"
Shining Black's expression was quite surprised. "You mean you were calculating from the very first card you played?"
"Whether it was Harpie's Feather Duster to probe our Set Cards, Ojama Delta Hurricane!! to Destroy all the cards blocking the way, and finally even the Effect of Magical Dressing Room to Pay Life Points was Utilized. Was this also part of your calculations?!"
"Hehehe, isn't that obvious?" Hayato ordered, "Enter my Battle Phase! Then, Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier will perform a Direct Attack with no obstacles or interference!"
"Ice Sculpting - Secret Technique: One Stance Wild Dance!!"
Casually giving Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier an attack name that sounds like an exhibitionist's technique, as Hayato's hand rose, the freezing aura around Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier was Controlled, transforming into countless Weapons of various styles, falling like a torrential rain from the sky, covering all four people: G-Squad - Shining Black, Chameleon - Magileon, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, and Zera the Mant.
"Uwaah!!!" X4
[Four Person Group: 4000→0 LP]
He achieved a One-Turn Kill (OTK) almost effortlessly. Hayato watched as Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier's Figure gradually disappeared. And at the location covered by Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier's Finishing Blow, Shining Black looked at the countless ice blades that had pierced through parts of their clothes and armor, pinning them to the ground, incredibly close but not harming them in the slightest, his heart pounding with fear.
In that instant just now, he thought he was truly going to die. After All, even if his true form was a "Cockroach" with strong Life Force, he wasn't completely unkillable. If he were defeated in a Ceremony of the Duel like the one just now, where all Monsters were Materializationd, he would truly die.
If Hayato wanted to, killing the four of them would be very easy. And the current situation clearly showed that Hayato held back at the last moment and let them off. After All, Hayato just wanted to go to the Building in the distance. Although he had the determination to Defeat everyone who blocked his path, he wouldn't kill every single person he met. He wasn't like the protagonist of those "killing god" novels from over a decade ago.
Hayato didn't care what the others thought. Anyway, Hayato believed that if his Life were a Manga, it would definitely be a Hot-blooded Youth Shonen Manga. After All, his Duels were so bright and could bring smiles to people, full of positive energy.
Bypassing the area filled with ice blades and ice spears, Hayato had no idea of finishing them off and was about to leave here and continue towards the Building not far away. And just then, he heard Shining Black's voice:
"You, who exactly are you?"
"Me? Just a Passing Duelist. You don't need to remember." Hayato's footsteps didn't stop at all, casually answering Shining Black's Question before walking away.
Struggling to move his head to avoid the sharp ice blades, Shining Black looked at Hayato's receding figure and gave a bitter smile. "Saying it's so ordinary, but who would believe that?"
From Shining Black's perspective, although Hayato did indeed Look Like just an ordinary person when viewed alone, behind him stood all sorts of Card Spirits of Duel Monsters. No matter how you looked at it, he wasn't a simple character.
And Hayato didn't pay attention to Shining Black and their thoughts. Before long, he had arrived before the "large mound" that bulged from the ground, covered in vines, moss, and weeds.
"Al, are you sure this is the place we're looking for?" Hayato, who had walked around the entire mound without finding any suspected entrance, took out the Aleister the Invoker Card and inquired, "Forget about doors or holes or anything, there isn't even a window, is there?"
"Are you sure you can get in here? Also, what exactly is inside?"
From the Card, Aleister's helpless voice came, "Even if you ask me that, I'm not some omnipotent wish-granting machine that can answer all the questions in the World. I can only confirm that the wave I sensed at the very beginning came from here. I cannot answer what kind of existence is inside, Master."
"After All, I'm not a native of this World either. I just arrived a few years earlier than Master."
"The same goes for the ones you just now defeated. I sensed the same aura on them that doesn't belong to this World."
"Also, regarding the existence inside, I only know that It might be the god of this World."
"God?" Hayato was a bit strange. "The god of the Spirit World?"
"If the definition of 'god' in the World Master was in before doesn't deviate too much from my definition, both referring to an existence with irresistible powerful strength, then I think, yes."
"Alright then, so how do we get inside now and wake up that 'god'?"
Hayato expected Aleister to give a useful answer, for example, he could use a Magical Formula to open a door, or just dismantle it with violence or something. But what Hayato didn't expect was that the Phantom of Aleister the Invoker floating beside Hayato actually spread his hands.
"My suggestion is, just lie flat where we are, wait for that 'god' to wake up, and then let It come find us on Its own."
"Hmm?"
Seeing Hayato's surprised expression, Aleister explained unhurriedly: "I don't know what kind of situation the 'god' of this World is in."
"Perhaps It was directly sealed away after creation, like a rabbit killed after the hunt, perhaps It has been in a state of not yet being born from the beginning, or perhaps It fought with some existence and is therefore sleeping."
"Anyway, under any circumstances, we cannot surpass the Power of the 'god'."
"Since that's the case, why not just lie flat?"
"Anyway, whether we make effort or not, we cannot actively go inside here."
"We might as well relax and enjoy ourselves a bit first."
"However, if Master is lucky, maybe you'll just have to wait a dozen years or so for that 'god' to wake up and then---"
Aleister hadn't finished his sentence when the dragon roar that had sounded once before came from within the "large mound" again. Hayato, who had just now been standing in front of Al with a foul expression because of Al's "lie flat" suggestion, instantly disappeared in a flash of white light.
Leaving behind only Aleister the Invoker, who had been released outside by Hayato, and Rainbow Kuriboh, who was originally perched on Hayato's head but fell onto the grass, rubbing its painful backside because Hayato disappeared, staring wide-eyed.
"Ku, Kuriboh?"
"---At a time like this, shouldn't I say 'I haven't gotten on the bus yet'?"
Chapter 545: Although It Has a Name, It's Still Called the Nameless Dragon
While the Rainbow Kuriboh and Aleister the Invoker who remained on the spot were staring intently at each other, Hayato, who had suddenly vanished, opened his eyes after the radiance slightly dispersed. He found himself unexpectedly high up in the sky.
Based on visual estimation, the distance from the ground was at least several hundred meters. Fortunately, Hayato didn't have acrophobia, otherwise, he would have fainted on the spot.
Even so, with nothing around to anchor himself, Hayato felt a slight panic. The transfer itself had been sudden, and appearing abruptly at such a high altitude was even more jarring.
However, after a brief moment of panic, Hayato quickly recovered. He realized he wasn't falling towards the ground under the effect of gravity. Instead, he was floating unnaturally in the sky, as if freed from the shackles of gravity. It felt as though the density of the air had increased, providing Hayato with sufficient buoyancy.
But air was still just air. Hayato tried kicking his legs and paddling, but he still remained in the same spot, not moving at all. Or perhaps he was moving, but the movement was so slight that Hayato himself couldn't detect it.
Only then did he have the presence of mind to look around. The sky above was a clear blue, and because it was covered by some thin clouds, the sun was gentle and not dazzling. Other than that, there was nothing in the air that could attract Hayato's attention.
However, below Hayato's feet, he saw several floating mountains that could only appear in a fantasy World, suspended above the earth without any support. And built upon the largest of these mountains was a magnificent, golden and splendid palace like a Castle.
Although he wasn't an ancient noble, Hayato possessed basic appreciation skills. The most luxurious and classical place he had been to so far in his life was Pegasus's Castle. But even that ancestral Castle of Pegasus paled significantly in comparison to the palace before his eyes.
Looking down at the Castle below, Hayato moved, floating downwards towards it. At this point, Hayato wasn't surprised at all.
He had somewhat guessed that his appearance here was likely due to the "god" Aleister had mentioned. He couldn't move no matter how he tried before, but was now automatically moving forward; this must mean that "god" wanted to see him.
Speculation without any clues was no different from fantasy. He might as well save himself the trouble and see what that "god" was actually trying to do.
Furthermore, Hayato felt that the palace looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had seen it before. Perhaps it was because Buildings of this style were all similar? Hayato thought so.
However, as Hayato was guided by an invisible power through the entrance of the palace, passing through a long corridor and entering the interior, the first thing he saw was a huge empty space in the exact center of the palace floor, and a giant pillar extending from the ground. And on the pillar, three giant dragon statues stood in different poses!
"This is!" Even though Hayato's memory was somewhat blurred due to the passage of time, upon seeing the crystal statues of the three giant dragons and the three sharp swords respectively inserted into different positions on the statues, how could Hayato not remember what these three dragons before him were!
They were clearly the three Nameless Dragon that appeared in the original Yu-Gi-Oh! anime's most polarizing original arc — the "Doma Arc"!
Because the series composition and Duel composition for the "Doma Arc" were not handled by the original author, Kazuki Takahashi, but by Shin Yoshida and Masahiro Hikokubo. Compared to Takahashi's distinct, morally clear character designs and focus on psychological depth, the latter two were accustomed to character designs that were almost entirely dark or light, and placed more emphasis on exploring game mechanics. This made the style of the "Doma Arc" completely different from before.
Although many characters displayed rich charm in this arc, it was also because these characters were completely different from their previous character settings — in other words, their character settings collapsed. Coupled with the fact that while the "Doma Arc" had many excellent Duels, the component of Card Printing was simply too excessive, making the "Doma Arc" the most controversial arc.
However, as an emotionless Duelist, Hayato's deepest impression was not the Doma Three Swordsmen, who were like mirrors to the protagonist trio in this arc, nor was it the classic gag material of Pharaoh using Berserker Soul to beat up Weevil, that guy who had been irrelevant for who knows how long. Instead, it was the famous Fake Card, Orichalcos.
The Orichalcos series of Cards was a series of Cards that only appeared in the anime. Even Kaiku Corporation, which was responsible for issuing Cards, only released a few Cards like Orichalcum Barrier later when they were capitalizing on nostalgia, which had no similarity to the anime Cards in terms of effect or name, except for the Card Face. But this didn't prevent domestic Bootleg Card merchants from printing Cards themselves at that time.
In that age group without much ability to distinguish, who hadn't Dueled against someone's The Seal of Orichalcos in elementary school? Not to mention the original series "Hexagram" printed by domestic manufacturers who got a taste of success and doubled down, or even the famous Fake Card, Orichalcos Shunoros.
However, the Nameless Dragon Cards, which also appeared in the anime, had much better treatment than Orichalcos. Although many years passed after the anime aired, they were eventually released as real cards after retaining their original names and weakening their effects. And Kaiku Corporation, having mastered the Wealth Code, even learned to build suspense, not releasing them all at once but slowly releasing Cards every now and then.
After all, releasing them all at once could indeed boost the sales of a single Card Pack, but the money from nostalgia fans is so easy to earn, it would be too wasted not to split them up and put them into individual Card Packs to boost sales together. (Specifically referring to the toothpaste-squeezing style restoration of Kaiba VS Ishizu in DP27)
They were respectively: The Eye of Timaeus, jointly awakened by Yugi Mutou and Dark Yugi, which fuses with a monster to become a brand new monster, and was pierced in the eye by the "Sword of Justice";
The Fang of Critias, awakened by Kaiba, which fuses with a Trap into a Monster, and was pierced in the tooth by the "Sword of Wisdom" (though for Kaiba, it might be the "Sword of Science");
And The Claw of Hermos, which logically should have fused with a Magic Card into a Monster, but unexpectedly turned the other way, fusing with a Monster into an Equip Spell Card. It was pulled out by Joey Wheeler from the "Sword of Freedom" inserted into its claw.
The crystal statues of the three giant dragons appearing before Hayato at this moment, weren't they these three Nameless Dragon!
As for why they are still called Nameless Dragon even though they clearly have names? Don't ask, if you ask, it's the Nameless Dragon!
While grumbling internally about the Nameless Dragon, Hayato heard a trembling voice coming from behind him: "Finally, your arrival has been awaited, saving the World—"
"You! How could it be you!"
Looking at Dark Magician Girl, who had been Taken Control from Yugi's hand more than once by Hayato, and then Tributed herself using Magical Wand, she seemed very panicked.