"Since you sent 'Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon' to the Graveyard, the ATK of 'Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman' increases by another thousand points!"
[Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman]
[ATK: 6800 → 7800]
7800 attack points?
Darkness's pupils constricted. In a Shadow Game, the damage dealt to an opponent was determined by a monster's attack power. The higher the ATK, the more devastating the impact on the duelist's soul. 7800 points... even the most powerful duelist would be left in a state of ruin!
"It's my turn."
Seeing that Darkness had lost the will to resist, Jaden Yuki proceeded to his turn without hesitation.
"Battle!"
"Ugh!" Darkness took a step back.
"Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman, attack Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!"
"Destruction Sword Flash!"
Jaden clenched his fist. Following his command, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman swung his massive blade, slicing cleanly through the massive form of Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon.
A piercing shriek echoed through the night as the dragon was carved apart by the blade. The resulting shockwave was so powerful that it tore a deep fissure through Darkness's mask.
"Aaaaggghhh!"
[Darkness]
[LP: 4000 → 0]
A total annihilation!
The light erupting from that final strike instantly dispelled the surrounding darkness. The glow was so intense it lit up the entire Obelisk Blue dormitory area, shooting straight into the clouds.
At that moment, Zane Truesdale, Chazz Princeton, and Bastion Misawa all felt a surge of powerful energy.
"That feeling..."
"Don't tell me the duel has already started?"
The three of them rushed out of their respective dorm rooms, eyes fixed on the spot where the brilliant light had exploded.
Nearby, the shadows clinging to Darkness's body rapidly dissipated. He collapsed onto the ground like a deflated balloon. His mask fell away, transforming back into a sealed, blank card that clattered onto the pavement.
"Jaden!"
Alexis Rhodes came running over. She rushed to Jaden's side, looking him over with deep concern. "Jaden, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Jaden nodded, retracting his Duel Disk. "But things aren't looking so good for your brother."
"My brother?" Alexis blinked, then instinctively looked toward where Darkness had fallen. "No... it can't be."
Seeing the unconscious man lying on the ground, Alexis gasped, covering her mouth in shock.
"What happened? Jaden! Were you the one dueling?"
Zane, Chazz, and Bastion arrived at the Obelisk Blue dormitory area just then. Taking in the sight of the man in black, Jaden, and Alexis, the situation became clear.
"Is he one of the Shadow Riders?" Chazz asked, his brow furrowed as he stared at the fallen figure.
"Wait, that person..." Zane's eyes widened in disbelief.
"It's... it's my brother! It's Atticus!" Alexis cried out, tears welling in her eyes as she threw herself onto her brother's body.
"What?"
"Atticus Rhodes? Alexis's brother who went missing a year ago?"
Bastion and Chazz traded looks of pure shock. Why would Alexis's brother be here, appearing as one of the Shadow Riders? Nothing about this made sense.
"So, Darkness has failed."
In the dead of night, just off the coast of the island, a bat with blood-red eyes hovered over the sea, silently observing the scene.
"Hehehe... to be dealt with so easily by Jaden Yuki and his Buster Blader deck. How pathetic."
"Then again, this is what happens when you don't understand your opponent. Darkness was far too overconfident, picking the strongest person to duel right from the start."
A wooden ship pushed through the thick sea mist, slowly drifting toward the shores of Duel Academy. On the deck, a coffin slowly creaked open. A woman with long green hair stepped out, a cold sneer playing on her red lips, revealing sharp fangs.
"To capture high-level prey, one must first know their enemy."
"Go, my lovely children."
"Find the prey I desire..."
Countless vampire bats scattered from the woman's side, disappearing into the vast, grey sea mist.
The next day, in the clinic.
Alexis sat by the bed, watching her still-unconscious brother, Atticus. Although his condition remained uncertain, a heavy weight had finally been lifted from her heart.
"Even though he's still unconscious, as long as he's alive, there's hope he'll wake up," Alexis whispered, a flicker of tenderness in her eyes.
It was all thanks to Jaden. He had defeated the Darkness inhabiting Atticus's body. But why? Why had her brother been possessed and forced into a Shadow Game? What had really happened a year ago?
"And Jaden... he seems to know something about all this."
Alexis wondered if she had misremembered. Last night, after the duel ended, Jaden had seemed entirely unsurprised by Darkness's true identity. Did he really have a deeper understanding of these secrets?
"Alexis, how is Atticus doing?"
Fonda Fontaine walked into the room, coming to a stop beside Alexis.
"Nurse Fontaine. He's doing a bit better than yesterday," Alexis said, standing up and offering a small smile.
"I see. Alexis, you had some injuries when you came in yesterday, didn't you? How are you feeling now?" Fonda asked, scanning the girl. She was surprised to see that the scratches and bruises Alexis had yesterday were completely gone.
"I'm fine, Nurse Fontaine," Alexis said with a slight bow.
"That's good then. I honestly have no idea what you children are getting into to end up in this state," Fonda sighed, though she didn't push for answers. She knew enough about the academy's business to know when to stay quiet.
"Nurse Fontaine, could I trouble you to watch over my brother for a moment? There's something I need to take care of."
Alexis stood after a moment of silence.
"Of course. Go ahead, I'll take care of things here," Fonda nodded kindly.
Alexis bowed in gratitude and hurried out of the clinic, heading straight for the place Jaden usually spent his time alone. She had to ask him. She had to know what he was hiding...
However, when she arrived at his usual spot, the area was empty.
"Jaden... isn't here?"
Deep within the Duel Academy forest.
A dark aura swirled through the trees, creating a makeshift arena. Within this shrouded clearing, Jaden Yuki stood with his Duel Disk equipped, his eyes flashing with a dark gold radiance.
Standing opposite him was one of his Duel Spirits.
Yubel.
"Then I won't hold back, Jaden," Yubel said, extending their left arm. A Duel Disk with a giant, staring eye manifested on Yubel's arm.
"Yeah. Come at me," Jaden replied, snapping his Duel Disk open with a smile. "Let's test if we can stabilize this 'Link' system during a Shadow Game."
[Shadow Game initiated by Host.]
[Link Network deployed.]
[Extra Monster Zone deployed.]
[Current Link Network stability: 96%.]
"Good. Not bad so far," Jaden murmured, satisfied with the system's feedback.
[DUEL!]
[Jaden Yuki LP: 4000]
[Yubel LP: 4000]
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