Complete darkness. Nothing tangible could be seen anywhere, not even a sense of direction. Jaden Yuki walked through the darkness, glancing around.
"Kira?"
"President Kaiba?"
"Anyone there?"
No response at all.
Jaden kept walking, starting to feel uneasy.
He'd never been good at finding his way. He'd heard that in a desert, if you can't find any landmarks, you'll likely walk in circles, dying of exhaustion.
That was how so many desert travelers lost their way.
"This is trouble," Jaden scratched his head.
But after walking a few more steps, he saw a vague human shape in the darkness ahead. He didn't care whether it was friend or foe—he rushed forward, catching up, and found it was a teammate.
"Kira?"
Jaden instantly felt relieved. With Kira here, nothing could go wrong. From experience, the only problem with teaming up with Kira was that you might not get a chance to shine.
But when he called out, Kira just turned his head, glanced at Jaden with a blank face.
Jaden froze: "Kira?"
He started to feel something was off.
But Kira didn't reply. He slowly turned his head back, muttering to himself.
"You're always like this, Jaden. No matter what happens, you always think of me first."
"I tried. I really tried. I know you're gifted, I know you have potential. I wanted you to grow up quickly, to stand on your own, but you always disappoint me."
Kira shook his head, looking away.
"Of course, I never expected you to surpass me. I know that's impossible. It's just... forget it."
He waved his hand, looking exhausted, as if he couldn't be bothered to say more.
"Maybe I just expected too much from you."
Before Jaden could respond, Kira had already turned and walked away.
Jaden tried to catch up, "Wait, I didn't—"
But after a few steps, he reached out to grab him, only to grasp empty air. The figure vanished into the darkness, leaving no trace.
Jaden was startled, taking two steps back. But as he retreated, he suddenly bumped into someone behind him.
He turned quickly and saw—it was Chazz.
"Chazz?"
Jaden was surprised. But he quickly realized it wasn't just Chazz; next to him were Syrus, Alexis, and others.
"This can't be real."
Jaden reacted at once.
His classmates had no reason to be here.
"Is that so?"
Chazz said, voice chilling.
"Or maybe, we finally died because of one of your reckless impulses."
Jaden frowned, "I didn't—"
Syrus said, "Big bro's always like this. How many times have we been dragged into danger by you?"
Alexis added, "That's who you are, Jaden. You only care about yourself. Just like how you duel for your own fun, you never care about the risk you bring to those around you."
Jaden said, "I never wanted anyone to get hurt because of me—"
But no one listened. Or rather, before he could explain, all the figures dissolved into nothingness.
"No, this isn't real."
Jaden gritted his teeth, running through the darkness, trying to shake off the images and the negativity clinging to his mind.
These weren't his real friends, weren't their true selves, and not a word was their own.
It was just the enemy trying to mess with his mind.
Sure enough, a gloomy, playful voice echoed in his head.
"Interesting. I didn't notice it last time, but you, a mere human, have such darkness inside you... Heh, since you're in my domain, I'll have to give you a proper welcome."
Jaden quickly realized—it was the Wicked God he'd met earlier.
The Wicked Eraser.
But the enemy didn't show himself. Instead, Koyo Hibiki appeared ahead.
"When I first met you, I thought you were a rough gem."
Koyo pushed his glasses up. Both his eyes were hidden behind the glare, making his expression even colder.
"But it seems I was wrong."
Jaden: "Mr. Koyo..."
Koyo said flatly, "You've always disappointed me. Disappointed everyone."
"A hero is supposed to save others and bring hope. But you?"
"All you do is hurt people. Hurt those around you, those who trust you, those who love you, and put everyone in danger."
"You're my shame, Jaden. I regret ever putting my faith in you. You'll never be a real duelist."
Jaden covered his ears, shaking his head. "Mr. Koyo would never say that. You're just trying to mess with me."
The Wicked God's voice laughed, "Mess with you?
No, I don't know these people, and I didn't make them say this. These are your own thoughts—your own voice."
He paused, then sneered.
"You think this way because you know what kind of person you are."
Jaden: "..."
"But we're not done yet. You really are full of surprises, kid. You have even more, deeper darkness inside. Let me see it all..."
The darkness swirled again, swallowing Koyo's shape. Jaden gritted his teeth and stood up.
What now?
But when the darkness reformed, taking shape before him, Jaden froze.
He saw... those golden eyes.
Heavy, jet-black armor. A cold face. Tall and proud, cape billowing behind.
"Stand up."
A cold command from the Supreme King.
Jaden hesitated: "Supreme King? I thought you—I thought—"
But he realized at once.
This wasn't the real Supreme King. Like the previous shadows, this was a manifestation from his own mind.
Realizing this, Jaden sighed helplessly, shrugging. "Alright, let me guess. You're going to say you're ashamed of me, that you shouldn't have died for me, right?
Guess what? You're not wrong."
Jaden looked down at his hands, whispering.
"Maybe that's really how I feel. Maybe everything they said is true. I used to duel just for fun, rarely thinking about what I brought to others, or what my actions meant to them.
Maybe I really am a failure. You're the true reincarnation of the Supreme King—I'm just an ordinary person. Maybe... if I was the price for Super Polymerization and you had lived instead, it really would've been better."
There was silence.
To his surprise, the Supreme King asked, "So, are you giving up?"
Jaden froze. He hesitated a moment, then shook his head. "Of course not. No matter what, I'll keep moving forward—even if only not to let you down."
"That's enough."
Strangely, a smile appeared on the Supreme King's icy face.
Jaden was sure he'd never seen even a hint of a smile on this face while the real Supreme King was alive.
"Reincarnation or not, it doesn't matter. You are Jaden Yuki, and that's enough."
...