[Yumi, LP 1650]
[Koyo, LP 1200]
Seeing Terra Firma charging straight toward him, Yumi calmly raised a card from his hand without the slightest hint of panic.
"I activate Kuriboh's effect! By sending it from my hand to the Graveyard, I take no battle damage from this battle!"
Without hesitation, he slid the small brown monster into his Graveyard.
The next instant, countless fluffy brown Kuribohs appeared out of thin air, multiplying into a massive wall that stood between Yumi and the charging HERO.
Terra Firma's enormous fist slammed into the living barrier.
The ground shook violently, and a powerful shockwave swept across the white desert, kicking up sand and shattered ice in every direction. The Kuribohs squeaked as they bounced away one after another, completely absorbing the impact before vanishing into golden particles.
When the dust settled, Yumi was still standing exactly where he had been. Not even a single step had been pushed back.
Terra Firma slowly lowered its fist before retreating to Koyo's side of the field.
"Tch." Koyo clicked his tongue in frustration.
He had been so close.
If that attack had gone through, the duel would have ended right there.
Still... As he looked at Yumi standing across from him, a strange feeling began to creep into his mind.
Something...
Something wasn't quite right.
The Yumi Uzushi standing before him didn't feel as overwhelming as before.
The pressure he usually gave off was still there, but compared to everything Tragoedia had observed throughout the day, it seemed noticeably weaker.
"I see." A smile slowly spread across Koyo's face. "So that's it."
He had finally figured it out.
Yumi had spent hours fighting an endless swarm of Duel Spirits almost entirely by himself. After that, he had even summoned all three Egyptian Gods in succession. Although Ra had reluctantly cooperated, Obelisk had outright refused to acknowledge him.
There was no way someone could go through all of that without paying a price.
Koyo let out a low chuckle. "So even the so-called strongest has limits."
Yumi: "?"
From Tragoedia's point of view, everything finally made sense.
Yumi wasn't holding back. He was simply exhausted. His Spirit Energy had to be nearly depleted by now, leaving him unable to display the overwhelming strength he normally possessed.
This...
This was the perfect opportunity.
If he could defeat Yumi before he recovered, then obtaining The Tyrant Neptune would only be a matter of time.
Unfortunately for Tragoedia... Its conclusion couldn't have been further from the truth.
Yumi really was tired after fighting countless Duel Spirits for hours.
But this duel itself?
He still wasn't taking it seriously.
If Tragoedia ever found out that Yumi had been casually playing a weakened Elemental HERO mirror match for fun instead of using a deck that directly prevents the other from playing, the ancient evil spirit might actually cough up blood from sheer frustration.
Koyo smiled confidently before sliding two cards onto his Duel Disk.
"I set two cards."
The two face-down cards materialized behind Terra Firma, completing his field.
"Turn end."
Yumi casually brushed the white sand from his shoulder before reaching toward the top of his deck.
"My turn. Draw!"
His golden eyes scanned the newly drawn card for only a moment before lifting back toward Koyo.
"I banish Blade Graveyard from my Graveyard to add a card from the Graveyard back to my hand."
The Spell Card appeared behind him as a translucent hologram before dissolving into countless golden particles. A single card rose from his Graveyard, and Yumi caught it without even looking before immediately sliding another card into his Duel Disk.
"Spell Card, Instant Fusion! By paying 1000 Life Points, I can Special Summon a Level 5 or lower Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck, and this Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon!"
[Yumi, LP 1650 -> 650]
"Show yourself, Elemental HERO Voltic Wingman!"
Lightning exploded across his field.
Bolts of golden electricity raced over the white sand before converging into the figure of a warrior clad in silver armor trimmed with gold. Brilliant thunderbolt-shaped wings unfolded behind his back, crackling with endless arcs of electricity.
[Elemental HERO Voltic Wingman, 2000 ATK]
"I activate Voltic Wingman's effect!" Yumi continued smoothly. "Once per turn, I can Fusion Summon a Warrior monster by shuffling the Fusion Materials from my Graveyard back into my Deck."
Two cards floated out of his Graveyard.
"I return Masked HERO Dust Crow and Masked HERO Koga."
The two masked warriors materialized side by side before nodding toward one another and leaping into a swirling Fusion vortex overhead.
"Fusion Summon!"
The vortex erupted with black-and-white light.
Powerful winds swept across the battlefield as a lone warrior stepped out from within the light. His armor was split between pure white and deep black, while two long scarves fluttered behind him like opposing currents.
"Contrast HERO Chaos!"
[Contrast HERO Chaos, 3000 ATK]
Without giving Koyo a chance to breathe, Yumi drew out another Spell.
"Spell Card, Gift of the Martyr."
Voltic Wingman looked toward Chaos before his body dissolved into streams of golden light that surged directly into the black-and-white warrior.
"I send Voltic Wingman to the Graveyard, and Chaos gains his original ATK until the end of this turn."
The aura surrounding Chaos immediately intensified.
[Contrast HERO Chaos, 3000 -> 5000 ATK]
Yumi thrust his hand forward.
"Battle! Chaos, attack Terra Firma!"
"Chaos Xtreme!"
Chaos disappeared from the ground with a single step before reappearing high above Terra Firma, twisting through the air as he delivered a devastating Rider Kick straight toward the earth hero.
Koyo's eyes widened.
"Trap Card, open! Hero Barrier! While I control an Elemental HERO, I can negate one attack!"
His face-down Trap flipped open.
A massive spinning barrier resembling a rotating turbine materialized in front of Terra Firma, creating a wall between the two HEROes.
"Chaos's effect!" Yumi answered immediately. "I target your Trap Card and negate its effect!"
Chaos extended one hand.
A beam of intertwined black-and-white energy burst forward, striking Hero Barrier directly. The spinning shield violently shook before cracks rapidly spread across its surface.
Chaos's descending kick never slowed.
Clenching his teeth, Koyo immediately flipped his remaining face-down.
"Then I'll activate my last Trap! High and Low!"
The final Trap rose behind Terra Firma.
"When one of my face-up monsters becomes the target of an attack, I send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard. If it's a monster, my monster gains ATK equal to that monster's original ATK. I can repeat this effect up to three times! However, if its ATK exceeds the attacking monster's, it's immediately destroyed!"
"Heh?" Yumi looked slightly surprised.
To put it simply...
High and Low was basically the definition of a protagonist's plot armor card.
It wasn't overpowered enough to guarantee victory, but it created the perfect high-stakes gamble where everything depended on the next draw.
If fate smiled upon you, you survived.
If not... You lost everything.
Honestly, it was a terrible card.
Still, considering Koyo Hibiki had once become the second Duel King after Yugi retired, wielded an Elemental HERO deck that symbolized justice and hope, and even inspired the manga version of Jaden to pursue the title of King of Games...
...he really did have protagonist energy.
"Interesting..." Yumi muttered with an amused grin.
Then his expression suddenly froze. "Wait..."
Shouldn't he be the good guy here?
So why was Koyo the one pulling off the dramatic destiny draws and final-turn miracle gambles?
Something about this felt completely backwards.
"My first draw!"
Koyo dramatically swept a card from the top of his Deck before flipping it over.
"Elemental HERO Heat! 1600 ATK!"
A burst of flame surrounded Terra Firma.
[Elemental HERO Terra Firma, 2500 -> 4100 ATK]
"My second draw!"
Another card flew into the air.
"Elemental HERO Knospe! 600 ATK!"
Green energy wrapped around Terra Firma.
[Elemental HERO Terra Firma, 4100 -> 4700 ATK]
Koyo slowly closed his eyes.
Everything around him seemed to disappear.
The blowing wind. The white desert. Even the battle itself.
He quietly rested his fingers atop his Deck.
"Heart of the Cards..." His voice became almost a whisper. "Guide me."
For a brief moment, silence stretched out as he drew. His gaze shifted to the card before he smiled with complete confidence, then proudly turned it around.
"Thank you, Aibo."
"Winged Kuriboh! 300 ATK!"
Yumi: "..."
He genuinely had no words.
The man was possessed by an ancient evil spirit...
...yet he still somehow managed to pull off a proper protagonist moment.
And he still kept a Winged Kuriboh in his Deck. Sure, it was just an ordinary card without an actual Duel Spirit inside, but still!
At this point, Yumi couldn't help asking himself one question.
Who exactly is the villain here?
"I send Winged Kuriboh to the Graveyard!"
A warm golden light surged into Terra Firma.
[Elemental HERO Terra Firma, 4700 -> 5000 ATK]
At that exact moment, Chaos shattered Hero Barrier completely.
The black-and-white warrior descended like a meteor while Terra Firma planted one foot forward and drove his massive fist upward.
The Rider Kick and the giant punch collided head-on.
A deafening explosion engulfed the battlefield.
The shockwave swept across the white desert, kicking up an enormous wall of sand that hid both HEROes from sight.
For several long seconds, nothing moved. Then the dust slowly settled.
Chaos and Terra Firma stood face to face on an empty battlefield.
Cracks spread across both warriors simultaneously.
The next instant, they shattered into countless particles of light together.
Yumi gave an appreciative smile.
"Impressive. You actually pulled it off."
Even he had to admit it.
Koyo really did possess the aura, and the luck, of a true protagonist, even while under Tragoedia's control.
"But..." Yumi calmly revealed the final card in his hand. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell..."
"Battle of Sleeping Spirits!"
The Spell Card materialized between the two duelists.
"Each player Special Summons one monster that was destroyed by battle this turn in Attack Position!"
His Graveyard immediately glowed.
"Return to my side, Chaos!"
The black-and-white warrior stepped onto the field once again, his scarves dancing in the desert wind.
[Contrast HERO Chaos, 3000 ATK]
Koyo's face visibly twitched.
"Come back! Terra Firma!"
The massive earth HERO also returned to his side.
[Elemental HERO Terra Firma, 2500]
Yumi smiled. "And because my Life Points are lower than yours, Chaos's ATK is doubled until the end of this turn."
The air itself trembled.
Dark and holy energy erupted from Chaos's body as his aura exploded outward.
[Contrast HERO Chaos, 3000 -> 6000 ATK]
Koyo's face instantly turned pale.
Deep inside his heart right now, he just wanted to scream.
Judge! Judge! Stop the duel! I'm having a heart attack! Cancel the duel!!
Unfortunately for him, there was no referee, and no one could hear what he was saying inside his heart besides himself.
"Chaos." Yumi pointed straight ahead. "Attack Terra Firma."
Chaos lowered his stance before exploding forward.
He leaped high into the air, performed the signature rider spinning kick, and descended like a falling star.
"Chaos Xtreme!"
The Rider Kick crashed directly into Terra Firma's chest.
The earth HERO didn't even have time to react before the overwhelming force blasted straight through him.
The attack didn't stop there. Chaos's momentum carried forward, driving through Terra Firma and slamming directly into Koyo himself.
The possessed duelist was dragged backward across the white sand before a tremendous explosion swallowed both him and Terra Firma.
[Koyo, LP 1200 -> 0]
Silence returned to the desert. Chaos landed gracefully before looking back at his Master. Seeing Yumi give a small nod, the HERO quietly faded into particles of light.
Yumi slowly walked across the battlefield until he reached Koyo's unconscious body. Dark fragments seeped out from Koyo like black smoke before scattering into the air.
They barely had time to scream before dissolving completely.
Unlike in the human world, a duel fought inside the Spirit World carried real consequences.
Losing here meant losing your soul; even a fragment of an ancient evil spirit could be destroyed.
The fragment of Tragoedia that had possessed Koyo Hibiki had been completely erased by Yumi Uzushi.
Suddenly, the ground shook violently as golden arcs of electricity erupted around the seven Spirit Gates.
Yumi's expression immediately turned serious. His golden eyes narrowed as he noticed something attached to Koyo's wrist.
"That wristband..."
His gaze lingered on it for only a second before he felt an overwhelming wave of malice spreading through the area.
"You've got to be kidding me..." Yumi muttered under his breath.
He immediately looked toward the center of the seal.
The seven Spirit Gates trembled as ancient seals cracked apart one after another. A blinding pillar of light shot into the sky before three cards burst free from the center, flying through the air.
Just as Yumi was about to move, a familiar figure suddenly appeared and snatched all three cards out of the air.
Black demonic wings spread wide. A body that was both male and female. Blue-and-white hair split perfectly down the middle. Three eyes of different colors stared directly at him.
"Yubel!?" Yumi instantly recognized her.
Yubel slowly lowered herself onto the ground while tightly gripping the three Sacred Beast cards.
"Hello... cheater."
Her voice was calm, but every word dripped with resentment as she glared at Yumi as though he had personally NTR'd her.
Well... It was more accurate to say she had confused herself, believed Yumi was her beloved Jaden, triggered a Celina x Yumi in bed scenario, then cried about getting NTR even though she was the one that started it, and then blamed him for the whole thing.
Yumi simply let out a tired sigh.
This whole situation where she kept mistaking him for Jaden had honestly stopped being funny a long time ago.
At first it had been convenient. But being mistaken for the love interest of the strongest yandere in Yu-Gi-Oh history was becoming more exhausting than amusing.
Yubel slowly raised one hand toward him.
"I'll return every bit of pain you've inflicted upon me."
Dark energy gathered around her arm as flesh twisted and reshaped itself into a Duel Disk connected directly to her body.
Without any hesitation, she slammed all three cards onto it.
Darkness exploded outward. A pillar of roaring fire erupted into the sky. Golden lightning split the heavens.
A violent storm of dark energy engulfed the battlefield.
Yumi didn't waste a second.
"Raye!"
Blue light gathered beside him as Sky Striker Ace - Raye instantly appeared beside him, quickly picking him up and leaping back.
At the same time, he summoned out his newly obtained Harpie Lady; she immediately swooped down, grabbing the unconscious Koyo before carrying him away from the center of the battlefield.
Three enormous figures slowly emerged from the storm.
The blazing serpent... Uria, Lord of Searing Flames.
The colossal skeletal dragon formed from crackling thunder... Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder.
And finally... The towering blue demon with massive wings... Raviel, Lord of Phantasasms.
The three Sacred Beasts had returned.
Hovering behind them, Yubel pointed directly at Yumi.
"Now..." Her voice rose into a furious scream. "Perish, Jaden No.2!!"
The three Sacred Beasts roared simultaneously as overwhelming energy began gathering inside their bodies.
Before they could unleash their attack, dozens of Kuriboh suddenly popped into existence around Yumi. The fluffy creatures hurriedly gathered around him, forming a defensive wall.
Yumi calmly pulled a blue card from his hand.
"I sacrifice three Kuribohs."
Three of the tiny monsters happily jumped into the air before spinning together.
The next instant, blinding white lightning descended from the heavens.
The battlefield shook violently. An enormous bolt struck directly behind Yumi, casting his shadow forward as the brilliant light concealed half of his face, his expression serious.
Yumi slowly raised the card high above his head.
"Come forth, God of Destruction. Obelisk!"
The heavens answered. Another deafening bolt of divine lightning crashed down from the sky. A gigantic blue figure suddenly emerged from within the light.
Its crimson eyes opened. Its massive body towered over the three beasts themselves.
The sheer pressure emanating from the god caused the white desert itself to tremble as Obelisk the Tormentor descended once again.
"Obelisk..." Yubel unconsciously took a step backward.
Even the three Sacred Beasts instinctively retreated several paces, their instincts warning them of the overwhelming existence standing before them.
For a brief moment, hope returned to Yubel's face. She still remembered what she had seen earlier.
Obelisk had tried to crush Yumi with killing intent.
"Even you can't control that god!" Yubel shouted, a grin slowly appearing across her face. "Soon you'll-"
"I sacrifice two Kuribohs to activate Obelisk's effect." Yumi cut her off before she could finish.
Two more Kuriboh cheerfully leaped into the air and vanished into streams of light.
At the same time, Yumi stepped forward and struck a pose identical to the one the Nameless Pharaoh had once used when introducing Obelisk's fist to a certain defenseless man with multiple personality disorder.
"God Hand Crusher."
A brilliant flash illuminated the battlefield. Yumi's golden eyes turned crimson. Obelisk's eyes glowed the very same color.
The giant slowly pulled back one enormous fist as endless divine energy gathered around it. Blue lightning exploded across its arm.
The surrounding air warped beneath the sheer weight of the attack. Obelisk swung; the gigantic fist crashed forward with enough force to tear through the sky itself.
The three Sacred Beasts immediately gathered together, desperately trying to block the incoming attack.
It wasn't enough.
"YOU LYING, CHEATING BASTARD!!" Yubel screamed in fury as Obelisk's divine fist swallowed everything before her.
Only now did she finally realize the truth.
Obelisk had never rebelled against Yumi.
The killing intent.
The roar.
The fist aimed at Yumi.
It had all been an act!!
A carefully staged performance meant to fool anyone watching into believing Yumi couldn't control the God of Destruction.
From the very beginning... Obelisk had always obeyed its master.
Just as the divine blast was about to completely consume Yubel and the three Sacred Beasts, an ominous black mist suddenly burst out from Yubel's mouth.
It exploded outward like a living tide before instantly engulfing her body.
The darkness rapidly expanded, swallowing the three Sacred Beasts along with her before tearing open a crack in space itself.
The black mist disappeared into another dimension only a split second before Obelisk's attack completely annihilated everything in its path.
The divine shockwave continued racing across the white desert, carving a massive trench through the landscape before gradually fading away.
Yumi clicked his tongue in annoyance.
With a wave of his hand, Obelisk dissolved into streams of blue light and returned to its card form, leaving only the scarred battlefield behind.