Having fun...
Judai was momentarily speechless.
Honestly, Judai is also a happy duelist, and his duels are quite enjoyable. But he knows that when Yugen says "happy," it often means something different.
When Judai is happy, if the opponent is lucky, they might also enjoy themselves.
But when Yugen is happy, the opponent often suffers.
So, that Overlord from the Otherworld... I wonder if he's okay...
Strange to say. They've been raiding the Otherworld for so long, traversing dimension after dimension, where everyone fears the Overlord like a deity, daring not to oppose him, as if by default he is the strongest being in the world.
But even after hearing all the tales of the Overlord across so many dimensions, when Judai heard about Yugen taking on the Overlord, he instinctively felt that the Overlord would definitely be in for a bad time.
He had never actually seen the Overlord in person, only heard all sorts of myths from the Other Dimension that made him out to be legendary. But even so, he instinctively felt that no matter how strong the Overlord was, he'd still end up on the ground when facing Yugen...
"So, has he been taken down already?"
Judai suddenly felt a bit disinterested.
Rarely does it seem like another strong contender has appeared, only for him to sense that Yugen would soon snatch another victory...
"Not this time." Yugen shook his head, "This time it wasn't his true form. His body remains in the dimension of Overlord City, merely using you as a medium to come here.
I can temporarily push him back, but I can't completely eliminate him."
"You're saying things that make me afraid to sleep now."
Judai was frustrated. At this point, his exhaustion was all but gone, and even someone as carefree as Judai couldn't remain calm at the thought of being vulnerable to the Great Demon King while sleeping.
"Exactly. So, I think we should take a day off tomorrow and head to Overlord City to solve this problem once and for all."
Yugen paused, staring at Judai for a while.
"What?"
"Nothing..." He hesitated for a moment, "But this time... it might depend on you."
"Me?" Judai was taken aback.
"Yes." Yugen replied, "As I mentioned before, the essence of the Overlord is the darkness within you. I think even if I manage to defeat the Overlord's true form in Overlord City, as long as you're alive, the Overlord still has the potential to resurrect."
He said this because he recalled the plot from the original story.
In Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, MVP candidate O'Brien once martyred himself to subdue the Overlord, claiming the Overlord was vanquished, leaving only Judai's personality. But later, Judai confirmed the Overlord wasn't truly defeated, only suppressed within his heart.
The Overlord is the darkness within him, and darkness within one's heart cannot be truly eradicated. It can awaken anytime under the right circumstances.
But throughout GX, Judai never confronted the Overlord himself.
That's what Yugen is considering now. In the history of Yu-Gi-Oh!, powerful duelists must learn to face the darkness within themselves. Running away or relying on others isn't a true solution; only by confronting one's deepest darkness, defeating or even transforming it into their own power, can they achieve a breakthrough.
Yugen hesitated because he was pondering whether Judai had that capability.
It's akin to a tribulation, a chance for Judai to break through and achieve transformation, but it's also fraught with great risks.
If Judai fails, his personality might be devoured by his own inner darkness. The Overlord could reach his full strength again.
However, even if that happens, it's not beyond saving. The original storyline proved that as long as the duel against the Overlord is won, there is hope. But it might be tricky, with many uncertainties, and success isn't guaranteed.
Yet now Judai has faced the Judge, met Hibiki Momiji, and gained Ultraman's power. Yugen thought Judai's growth should be about ready. He must eventually face the Overlord himself.
"So now we..." Judai asked.
"Let's go back and rest a bit, then set out later." Yugen said, "It's time to end all of this..."
He stopped at this, turning to look towards the forest.
"Seems like someone is coming."
A moment later, the bushes parted, and a handsome blonde head peered out from behind them.
"Huh? Is it you?"
Joey Wheeler was surprised.
He glanced around, taking in the pitted ground and the chaos, then looked suspiciously at the two of them.
"The Overlord just came through, it's a long story." Yugen said, "In short, our plans have moved up. Get ready, and we'll head to Overlord City shortly."
"So sudden?"
Joey hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"Also, was there a... Phantom God here just now?"
Yugen was a bit surprised.
The duel with the Overlord had been in a domain akin to a barrier, primarily because the darkness released by the Overlord had enveloped the entire area. So most of the activity wouldn't be sensed from the outside.
Though the Divine power of the Winged Divine Dragon is strong, it's just an egg, not its actual appearance. Maybe from afar, you might see a flash of gold in the sky, but that's about it, so it should be invisible.
"You saw it?" Yugen asked.
"I didn't, just had a strange feeling." Joey scratched his head, "How to say... it felt familiar."
Yugen was silent.
He remembered that City Blade had some unresolved ties with the Winged Divine Dragon. Years ago, Malik had played dirty, using the Winged Divine Dragon with zero attack points to directly attack City Blade, defeating the duelist with mental damage.
Joey, having endured that blast, should deeply understand the Divine power of the Winged Divine Dragon.
"Yes and no." Yugen coughed, "To say it's the Winged Divine Dragon is somewhat accurate... this is another long story, maybe I'll explain it next time."
Joey didn't ask more, he just couldn't help but take another look at Yugen.
He really didn't expect, after all these years since Duel City, that someone would actually be able to harness the Winged Divine Dragon.
Thinking back to those glorious days, his former enemies and friends had all gone their separate ways now, even thoughts of Mr. Malik elicited some nostalgia.
Wondering where Mr. Malik is now, what he's up to...
Yugen had actually had the egg for quite some time, but today was the first time he used it in actual combat. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to use it before, it had just been in testing, constantly undergoing various trials in cooperation with experts at the International Fantasy Association's lab.
After all, it's about harnessing a Phantom God. Although merely a derivative card of the Phantom God, not the Phantom God itself, it was still related. So naturally, a lot of testing was needed to ensure safety before deployment.
But today's practical results showed that the development went smoothly.
The Lord Overlord had the honor of being the first duelist since the world's creation to taste the egg, a truly celebratory occasion.