Complete darkness, no tangible objects could be seen in any direction, and even directions were indistinguishable. Yuki Judai walked in this darkness, glancing around.
"Yugen?"
"President Kaiba?"
"Is anyone here?"
There wasn't even a trace of an echo.
Judai continued forward, his heart beginning to waver.
Finding paths and directions was never his strong suit. He remembered hearing someone say before that in the desert, if you can't find landmarks to distinguish directions for a long time, you're likely just walking in circles thinking you're moving forward.
Countless travelers in the desert have been lost, exhausted to death while walking in circles.
"This is troublesome." Judai scratched his head.
But after taking a few more steps, he glimpsed a humanoid silhouette in the darkness ahead. Regardless of whether it was friend or foe, Judai hurried forward, catching up to the figure and finding it was indeed a teammate.
"Yugen?"
Judai immediately felt reassured. With Yugen around, there was nothing to be afraid of. The biggest issue with teaming up with Yugen, based on past experiences, was simply not being able to snag the top score...
But as he greeted, Yugen simply turned his head and gave him a blank look.
Judai was stunned: "Yugen?"
He began to sense that something seemed off about Yugen before him.
But Yugen didn't respond, only slowly turned his head back and spoke as if talking to himself.
"You're always like this, Judai. When faced with anything, you always only think of me."
"I've tried, really tried. I know you have extraordinary talent, I know you have potential. I want you to grow and stand on your own as soon as possible, but... you just continue to disappoint me."
Yugen shook his head, turning his gaze aside, not looking directly at him.
"Of course, I never expected you to surpass me, I know that's impossible. It's just... never mind."
He waved his hand, appearing somewhat weary, too tired to say more.
"Maybe I indeed expected too much of you."
Before Judai could react, he'd turned and walked forward.
Judai hurriedly tried to catch up: "Wait, I didn't..."
But as he reached out, he grasped at nothing. The figure seemed to merge into the surrounding darkness, vanishing without a trace.
Judai was shocked, taking two steps back. But as he retreated, he suddenly felt like he'd bumped into someone.
He swiftly turned around, realizing it was Chazz behind him.
"Chazz?"
Judai was surprised. But he quickly noticed it wasn't just Chazz; around them were also Marufuji Shou, Asuka, and others.
"This can't be real."
Judai immediately realized.
His classmates had no reason to be here.
"Is that so?"
Chazz's voice was sinister as he spoke.
"Or maybe, we've finally been killed by one of your irresponsible outbursts."
Judai frowned: "I didn't..."
Marufuji Shou said: "Big bro is always like this. How many times have we been dragged into danger by you?"
Asuka also said: "Judai is like that, only caring about himself. Just like your duels are only for your own joy, you never care about the risk you impose on those around you for your joy."
Judai said: "I never wanted to put anyone in danger..."
But no one was listening to him. Or rather, before he could explain, all the figures already dissolved into the void and disappeared.
"No, none of this is real."
Judai gritted his teeth, sprinting through the darkness, trying to rid himself of these images and the negative emotions clinging to his heart.
These weren't the friends he knew, not their true selves, and not a single word was said with their true intention.
It was just the enemy trying to mess with his mind.
Sure enough, a deep voice echoed in his mind, carrying a trace of amusement.
"Interesting. Didn't notice during our last encounter, you as a mere human hold such vast darkness within you... Heh, since you've come to my realm, it would be rude of me not to give you a proper welcome."
Judai quickly realized it was indeed that Evil God he had encountered not long ago.
The Evil God Eraser.
But the enemy didn't show itself. Instead, it was Hibiki Momiji who appeared ahead.
"When I first met you, I thought I'd encountered a gem in the rough."
Hibiki Momiji adjusted his glasses on his nose. His eyes were hidden behind the reflection on his lenses, making his expression appear more severe and cold.
"But it seems I was wrong."
Judai: "Mr. Momiji..."
Hibiki Momiji said blandly: "All along, you have only disappointed me, disappointed everyone."
"A so-called hero should be someone who saves others and brings hope. And you?"
"All you do is cause harm. Harm those around you, harm those who trust you, cause those who love you pain, and place people in danger."
"You are my disgrace, Judai. I regret misjudging you; you will never become a proper Duelist."
Judai covered his ears, shaking his head to rid himself of these voices: "Mr. Momiji would never say such things. You're just pretending."
The voice of the Evil God echoed again, chuckling: "Pretending?
No, I do not know these people, nor did I make them say these things. These are the voices in your own heart, your own thoughts."
The Evil God paused, then sneered.
"The reason you think this way is because you know what kind of person you truly are."
Judai: "..."
"But it's not over. You truly are a surprise; even deeper and larger darkness exists within your heart," the Evil God laughed, "Let me take a closer look..."
Once again the surrounding darkness swirled, and Hibiki Momiji's figure disappeared within. Judai gritted his teeth, standing tall.
What's next?
But when the darkness condensed once more, forming into a figure before him, Judai was stunned.
He saw... those golden eyes.
A thick, black armor, a cold visage, a commanding stance, and a cape billowing behind him.
"Stand up."
The Overlord spoke coldly, his voice like a command.
Judai paused: "Overlord? I thought you... I thought..."
But he quickly realized.
This wasn't the real Overlord. Like those phantoms just now, this was a figment of his imagination.
Realizing this, Judai sighed helplessly, shrugging: "Okay. Let me guess, you're also here to say you're ashamed of me, that you shouldn't have died for me, right?
Guess what? I think you're right."
Judai looked down at his hands, speaking softly.
"Maybe deep down, I do feel that way, maybe what they said earlier is true. Before I dueled for my own pleasure, I... rarely considered what I was giving others, or what my actions could mean for others.
Maybe I am indeed a failure. You are the reincarnation of an Overlord, and I am just an ordinary person. Perhaps... if I were the one to vanish as the price of the Super Fusion, and you remained, maybe it would be for the better."
The darkness grew silent for a moment.
Unexpectedly, the Overlord suddenly asked: "So, are you going to give up?"
Judai was stunned. He hesitated for two seconds, then shook his head: "Of course not. I will move forward regardless, even if it's just to not let you down."
"That's enough."
Unexpectedly, the Overlord's iceberg-like face broke into a smile.
Judai was certain that in the time he was alive, he had never seen even a hint of a smile on this face that was so similar to his own.
"Whether reincarnation or not, it doesn't matter. You are Yuki Judai, just Yuki Judai, and that's enough."