Yusei: "My turn, draw card!"
Yusei drew his card forcefully, then laid down one from his hand.
"Activate the Magic Card 'Burial Spell Treasure Scroll'! Remove three Magic Cards from play from the graveyard, draw three cards from the card deck!"
Jack shouted: "Yusei, use my cards!"
Yusei nodded vigorously, and then said: "From the graveyard, remove Jack's three Magic Cards from play, draw three cards!"
At this moment, Jack's entire card deck had been sent to the graveyard, so there was plenty of Magic to use as COST. Yusei randomly selected three, each transforming into shimmering gold light and disappearing.
Yusei said earnestly: "Mr. Yugen, in this way, it's probably the first time we've truly met, right?"
Yugen replied calmly: "Perhaps."
Although he was already familiar with Yusei and the others, and they had interacted for quite a while, if one were to say "truly meet," this might indeed be the first. After all, prior to this, Yusei and the others had never seen his true appearance.
"I don't really know much about you, but I know you're helping us, sparing no effort to guide us on the right path."
Yusei declared resolutely.
"Whether it's for not letting down the trust of my friends or not letting down your intentions, I will give it my all!"
As he spoke, the light converged, and the Dragon Seal on Yusei's hand began to emit a red glow. All the Dragon Sealers' Dragon Seals started to shine, just like Jack's did earlier.
However, what unfolded next was different from Jack's seal activation earlier.
Beside Yugen, the little culture dish floating on its arm, the Dragon Seal disappeared into thin air.
"It really has begun."
Yugen smiled.
Indeed, everything had unfolded smoothly thus far. Just like in the animated original, the battle between Yusei and Godwin reached its climax when the Dragon Head Seal originally belonging to Godwin transferred to Yusei, while Yusei's original Dragon Tail Seal transferred to Clero, who was not originally a Dragon Sealer.
This seal transfer marked the protagonists' final upgrade in the Dark Markers chapter.
Great, with this, the mission of playing the villain had been mostly fulfilled. Even if his cover was blown, it no longer mattered. The win or loss of the upcoming duel was irrelevant...
Hmm?
In the next second, Yugen blinked a few times, staring at the sudden emergence of the Dragon Seal on his arm in a daze.
Huh?
This is... what?
In the same frozen moment, almost everyone exclaimed.
Because they all saw it.
At this moment, the Dragon Head Seal originally on the severed hand transferred to Yugen's arm!
Yugen: "???"
Wait, this wasn't part of the plan.
What's the meaning of this? The Dragon Head Seal given to me?
The script wasn't like this, right?
Meanwhile, Yusei, seemingly robbed of his Dragon Head Seal belonging to him in this timeline, showed joy instead: "See that Yugen, even the Red Dragon acknowledges you as one of us!"
Qiu also showed a joyful expression, involuntarily pressing the glowing Dragon Seal on his arm.
This mark linked them all tightly, inseparably, even across vast distances, as testimony to the closest bonds of friendship.
This man named Yugen, indeed...
Yugen felt helpless.
Suddenly, he wondered if the Red Dragon saw peculiar potential in him and tried to rope him into working for it?
It seemed quite possible...
Simultaneously, the top card of Yusei's card deck began to emit a golden glow!
"Accept the effect of 'Burial Spell Treasure Scroll', draw two cards!"
Yusei drew his card forcefully.
Yugen raised an eyebrow: "Glowing again..."
Could it be another seal activation?
Yusei: "Summon 'World-Saving Dragon'!"
[World-Saving Dragon, Attack Power 0]
Another seal activation indeed...
Yugen felt like commenting, Red Dragon, where's your dignity? Sealing twice in one duel...
"And when there's an adjusted monster on my field, this card can be Special Summoned directly from my hand," Yusei said, "Special Summoning 'Pushing Warrior'!"
[Pushing Warrior, Attack Power 300]
"Level One, Adjusted Monster 'World-Saving Dragon'!
Level One, 'Pushing Warrior'!
Level Eight, 'Stardust Dragon'!
Star-Tuning!"
[1+1+8=10]
"Gathered starlight will illuminate a new miracle. Transform into a radiant path, Synchro Summon, descend from light, World-Saving Star Dragon!!!"
The dreamy red World-Saving Dragon's body swelled several times, enveloping Stardust Dragon, its body seemingly melting within.
In the next moment, the sky split open. Not merely the fragmentation of torn clouds, but like the dimension being ripped apart by starlight. Under the star ring, blue-white plasma-like light constructed the dragon's shell within the ring, its starlight trajectory through the sky mirroring a galaxy's miniature.
[World-Saving Star Dragon, Attack Power 3800]
"This time, it's the Red Dragon giving Yusei power through its incarnation," said Yugen, "But World-Saving Star Dragon's attack power is only 3800, it can't defeat Phantom Demon Emperor.
Moreover, since you consecutively summoned 'World-Saving Dragon', 'Pushing Warrior', and 'World-Saving Star Dragon', Phantom Demon Emperor Rabil's effect Special Summons three 'Phantom Demon Derivatives' on my field."
[Phantom Demon Derivative, Defense Power 1000]
At this moment Clero laughed: "That might not be the case. The bonds between us are far beyond this extent!"
"Exactly so!" Yusei said, "Activate the Magic Card 'Soul Liberation', from both graveyards remove up to a total of five cards from play.
From your graveyard Yugen, I'll remove 'Phantom Demon Summoning God', 'Chaos Illusion', and 'Phantom Demon Emperor Rabil - Celestial Tyranny Fist', as well as individually from Clero and Jack's graveyards I'll remove 'Black Feather - Armored Wings' and 'Red Lotus Demon Dragon' from play!"
The shadow of Soul Liberation flickered behind Yusei, two Synchro Monsters transformed into illusions and dissipated.
Yugen: "Removing the cards from my graveyard greatly reduces the threat of reviving Phantom Demon power, while sealing the 'Phantom Demon Emperor Rabil - Celestial Tyranny Fist' that could be infinitely recycled?"
This part was easy to understand; these three were threatening cards even lying dormant in the graveyard for Yusei and the others.
"But they still removed their teammates' ace cards?" Yugen commented.
Of course, even without thinking, there was surely a strategy.
Yugen's three monsters were swallowed by the dimensional vortex, while Armored Wings and Red Lotus Demon Dragon from the opposing side also vanished into the dimension beyond.
Clero then chuckled: "Thanks, Yusei! Now this combination can come to completion!
Activate Cover Card, Trap Card 'Dimensional Navigation'!
As many Synchro Monsters removed from play as possible, Special Summon them on your field!" (Original Card)