"You win… go on up. Senior Brother Thunders is waiting for you up there!"
After saying that, Miki looked like all the air had been let out of him. His tensed shoulders loosened at once, and he turned and strode off the Duel Platform.
The instant he stepped away, the platform's edge extended outward, unfolding into a staggered set of ascending stairs. The soft scrape of metal components sliding against each other sounded unusually sharp in the otherwise silent arena.
Yusaku's gaze narrowed slightly. He stepped onto the stairs at an even pace.
When he fully reached the center of the platform, the ceiling above, as if manipulated by an invisible hand, slowly parted to either side, opening a diamond-shaped exit. Gentle white light poured down from it.
The next second, the Duel Platform trembled faintly—and then, together with the surrounding spectator stands, began to rise with a low, heavy mechanical rumble.
Yusaku glanced down at the lower floor receding beneath his feet. He raised an eyebrow, a faintly amused curve tugging at his lips.
"Interesting. So that's how you get to the tenth floor? Oh, right…"
As if remembering something, he swept his eyes across the stands.
"About that guy who bet a Deck with me last duel—aren't you supposed to pay up?"
At those words, a tall figure in the audience narrowed his eyes, unwilling yet helpless. After a moment of hesitation, he pulled out a Deck from inside his coat and tossed it onto the platform.
Yusaku caught it cleanly. His fingers brushed along the edges, he lightly tapped it against his palm, then smiled.
"Thanks."
A moment later, the lift-platform finally arrived at the tenth floor.
Above the arena, a massive gear-shaped artificial machine rotated at a steady, unchanging pace, casting a cold, even white light. It illuminated both battlefield and audience with brutal clarity—so much so that even the dust motes floating in the air were plainly visible.
Tap—
Heavy footsteps echoed across the open space.
Yusaku lifted his eyes. From the entrance opposite him, a slender figure was walking in at an unhurried pace.
The man wore a pristine white long coat. Its hem swayed lightly with each step. His hands were tucked casually into his pockets, and his whole presence radiated a laziness and distance utterly out of place on this floor.
He stopped at the center of the platform, then slowly raised his head to look at Yusaku.
"From the first time I saw you down on the lower levels, I knew you weren't ordinary. I didn't expect you'd really make it all the way here."
"Come. Tell me your dream."
Yusaku's brows lifted. His tone carried a hint of confusion—and mockery.
"Dream?"
"If you simply want a resident qualification for the Top City, you only need to challenge through the sixth floor," Thunders said calmly. "The rumor about needing to clear all ten floors exists only because no one has ever truly reached the sixth."
He continued, voice even.
"Above the top of this Duel Tower, there's also a hidden place. They say it's stockpiled with an enormous amount of rare cards and gold. I'm the final gatekeeper recognized by the tower itself. So tell me—what do you want? Beat me, and you'll get everything you desire."
"Gold? Rare cards?" Yusaku shook his head. "I don't need any of that."
That answer made Thunders frown.
"Then what exactly do you want?"
"I want the barrier between the Top City and the Satellite Zone completely severed. The Top City belongs to all Duelists—not the private property of a select few!"
A flicker of surprise passed through Thunders' eyes. He instinctively looked up at the machinery overhead, fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
"No problem. The core of the barrier between the Top City and the Satellite Zone is this Duel Tower. If you win… the tower will become a bridge connecting the two zones, and you will have signed—"
He paused.
"The promotion channel from the Satellite Zone to the Top City will be permanently closed. From then on, the Satellite Zone will be completely subordinate to the Top City. Are you sure you alone can make that choice for every person in the Satellite Zone?"
Yusaku fell silent.
His own success or failure didn't matter much. But what he was carrying now was the future of the entire Satellite Zone.
Thunders didn't interrupt. He crossed his arms and simply waited.
Seconds crawled by. And just as the final minute was about to run out, a booming voice suddenly rose from below.
"We'll agree for him!"
Both Thunders and Yusaku turned toward the elevator entrance under the platform.
A group of middle-aged men in varied clothes were striding in quickly.
Yusaku's eyes sharpened as he recognized familiar faces.
Gym Masters from the major Dojo Routes on Floor 27—and even the Master of the Flame Wolf Dojo from Floor 23 was among them!
"Yusaku, we believe in you! Go all-out!"
"That's right! Losing isn't the end of the world. So what if we can't enter the Top City? That trash place isn't worth it anyway!"
"The Satellite Zone's already fallen apart. Being subordinate to the Top City isn't really different in essence! Don't hold back—fight!"
"Do you remember what we said before we came up?" Takeuchi stepped forward and pointed at Yusaku, voice surging with emotion. "You are the Satellite Zone's savior!"
As the Gym Masters spoke, the Duelists in the stands erupted in support.
"Yeah! Senior Brother Yusaku—you're our savior!"
"Senior Brother Yusaku, you've got this! We'll always support you!"
…
As the chants rose and fell, Yusaku's eyes swept slowly across the rows of faces filled with expectation. The hesitation in his heart finally dissolved.
Thunders lifted a hand and waved lightly.
Behind him, a massive screen lit up at once. Split into multiple panels, it displayed live feeds from duel plazas all across the Satellite Zone.
On the screen, countless people clenched their fists and shouted upward. The audio wasn't clear—but from their lips alone, it was easy to tell what they were saying.
Thunders glanced back, the corner of his mouth lifting into a rare smile.
"Interesting. You actually made this many people believe in you. Carrying so many expectations… that's a lot of pressure, isn't it?"
Yusaku smiled faintly, a firm light in his eyes.
"To say I feel none would be lying to myself. Fine—tell me the tenth-floor rules."
Thunders shook his head.
"There are no rules on the tenth floor. Win, and that's all. Do you know why the Duel Tower recognizes me as the final gatekeeper?"
Yusaku raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Because I'm a descendant of the Tomb Keeper lineage."
Thunders reached into his coat and produced a fragment that glowed with faint golden light. He tossed it toward Yusaku.
"This is the final piece of the Millennium Puzzle—the Eye of Horus. I know the Millennium Puzzle is on you. Now… bury it into place."
Yusaku caught the fragment and looked at Thunders, puzzled.
"You're just giving it to me that easily?"
"If you want to truly open the passage between the Satellite Zone and the Top City, the Duel Tower alone is nowhere near enough. You need the power of the gods."
Thunders' tone remained steady.
"The Millennium Puzzle is the key that communicates with divine power. Only after collecting every fragment can we awaken the gods that have been sleeping."
Yusaku's lips curved slightly.
"And you aren't afraid that once I get that power, I'll end this duel outright?"
Thunders crossed his arms and smiled faintly.
"The power of the gods is not something anyone can control."
Yusaku glanced at the fragment, then drew the Millennium Puzzle from inside his clothes. He fitted the final piece into the missing gap with precision.
The moment it touched, it locked in seamlessly—perfectly.
The next instant, the Millennium Puzzle wrenched free from Yusaku's hand, flew into the air above the arena, and erupted with blinding golden light that swallowed the entire platform.
In that moment, the tenth floor's space transformed violently.
Golden tiles spread across the ground like a tide. Ancient pillars and palatial structures rose from the earth amid thunderous vibration, and a solemn golden temple of priests rapidly took over the entire arena.
The light in the space gradually dimmed. Flickering torches appeared out of nowhere in the wall niches on both sides, their weak flames illuminating dense lines of ancient runes—mysterious, solemn, and sacred.
At the feet of the two Duelists, enormous carvings emerged: Slifer the Sky Dragon, Obelisk the Tormentor, and The Winged Dragon of Ra—three massive stone tablets laid out in a tripod formation.
"Holy—did we just get warped into a Pharaoh's tomb?!"
"Look at the carvings under Yusaku's feet! Are those the legendary Egyptian Gods?!"
"My god… it's really the three gods! Are we actually about to see a divine war?!"
…
The audience's gasps rose in waves.
Yusaku lowered his gaze to the carvings and lifted a brow.
"So you gave me the fragment just to bring the gods back into the world?"
"Exactly." Thunders' eyes burned as he stared at the Millennium Puzzle floating in midair. "The gods have slept too long. It's time for them to descend again and reclaim their glory. As the Tomb Keeper lineage, this is my inherited mission!"
He raised a hand and spoke toward the Puzzle.
"Come back—the key our bloodline has protected for generations!"
At his command, the Puzzle's golden radiance abruptly condensed, then slowly began to descend.
But it did not fall toward Thunders.
It drifted toward Yusaku.
Yusaku watched the Millennium Puzzle hover before him, then turned to Thunders with mild amusement.
"Looks like it doesn't really want to go to you."
Thunders snorted, unwillingness flashing in his voice.
"Not coming to me doesn't mean it recognizes you."
"Oh?" Yusaku chuckled, then slowly placed a hand on the Puzzle.
In an instant, it flared again—brilliant gold engulfing his body.
He smiled, and as the light subsided, he hung the Millennium Puzzle around his neck.
"Seems it likes me more than it likes you."
Thunders fell silent, staring at the Puzzle on Yusaku's chest, confusion and wariness mixing in his eyes.
His lineage had served the Pharaoh for generations, guarding the tomb for ages—so why would the Millennium Puzzle choose an outsider?
After a brief silence, Thunders coldly huffed and stopped dwelling on it. His Duel Disk snapped open with a sharp mechanical whine.
"Even if you wear it, it won't matter. In your hands it's, at best, a decoration. Once I beat you, it will recognize me naturally."
"Enough talk. Let's begin."
Yusaku opened his own Duel Disk without another word.
"Duel!" "Duel!"
Both voices rang out at once. Blue light screens unfolded from their Duel Disks, data streams racing as their Life Points displayed clearly.
[Yusaku, LP 8000]
[Thunders, LP 8000]
The turn order was revealed immediately.
[First turn: Thunders]
Thunders glanced at the prompt on his Duel Disk, slid his fingers across the card slot, and drew his opening five with a crisp rasp of cardboard.
"Then it's my turn. Draw Phase ends. Main Phase!"
"First, I activate the Spell Card—Joker's Straight!"
He flipped the card up and explained rapidly.
"This card's effect: discard 1 card; Special Summon 1 Queen's Knight from my Deck, then add either King's Knight or Jack's Knight from my Deck to my hand. After that, I gain an additional Normal Summon."
As he spoke, he flicked a card from his hand.
"I send Ra's Disciple from my hand to the GY. I Special Summon Queen's Knight from my Deck, and I add King's Knight from my Deck to my hand!"
A flash of red light—then a blonde female knight in crimson armor appeared, sword in hand, heroic and sharp.
[Queen's Knight]
[Level 4 / Warrior / Normal]
[ATK 1500]
"Next, by Joker's Straight, I can Normal Summon one additional time."
Thunders revealed the card he had just added.
"I Normal Summon King's Knight!"
A golden glow burst forth. A regal knight in gleaming golden armor descended, even his beard shimmering like gold, scepter in hand.
[King's Knight]
[Level 4 / Warrior / Effect]
[ATK 1600]
"I activate King's Knight's effect!" Thunders' voice rose. "If Queen's Knight is on my field, then when this card is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 Jack's Knight from my Deck!"
"I activate that effect and Special Summon Jack's Knight!"
A streak of white light—then a silver-armored knight appeared, sword gripped tight, taking position so the three formed a pincer-like formation.
[Jack's Knight]
[Level 5 / Warrior / Normal]
[ATK 1900]
With the three monsters assembled, Thunders lifted his eyes to Yusaku. A feverish gleam flashed across his face.
"Now, the sacrifices for a god are complete. It's time for you to witness true divine power!"
He slammed a hand against the floor.
The carving of Slifer the Sky Dragon beneath him ignited in a dazzling red glow.
In the next moment, a card wreathed in red light rose from the carving—and Thunders snatched it from the air.
The audience exploded.
"What the hell?! He's drawing from the floor!"
On the field, Thunders stared at Yusaku and sneered.
"Our lineage has guarded the Pharaoh's tomb for thousands of years. At last, the gods have recognized us—granting us a brief share of their power. Now open your eyes and witness divinity!"
He slammed the card onto his Duel Disk and raised his arm high.
"I Tribute Jack's Knight, King's Knight, and Queen's Knight to Tribute Summon the monster in my hand!"
"Descend now—Slifer the Sky Dragon!!!"
His shout shook the sacred hall.
Dark clouds surged across the ceiling like a flood. Azure lightning tore through the cloudbank and crashed down with annihilating force.
In the blinding storm behind Thunders, a colossal figure emerged.
A massive red dragon—so huge it blotted out the arena—coiled through the sky, scales flashing with metallic luster under the lightning.
[Slifer the Sky Dragon]
[Divine-Beast / Effect]
[ATK 0]
"Not finished!" Thunders' eyes burned brighter. He rapidly drew another card from his Deck and held it high.
"I activate the Spell Card—Monster Reborn! I Special Summon Ra's Disciple from my GY—the one I sent earlier with Joker's Straight!"
Golden light flared.
A Fairy-type monster clad in golden armor, wearing a Horus-like mask, appeared on the field.
[Ra's Disciple]
[Level 4 / Fairy / Effect]
[ATK 1100]
"I activate Ra's Disciple's effect!" Thunders shouted again. "When this card is Normal, Flip, or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon up to 2 more Ra's Disciple from my hand or Deck!"
"I Special Summon the other two copies from my Deck!"
Two successive bursts of gold.
Two identical Ra's Disciples appeared alongside the first.
[Ra's Disciple]x2
[ATK 1100]
"Next, I activate the Spell Card—Double Summon! I gain an additional Normal Summon!"
Thunders' voice trembled with excitement.
"Now—let me show you the terror of the God of Destruction!"
He slammed his palm to the floor again.
This time, the carving of Obelisk the Tormentor erupted in dazzling blue light. A card wreathed in blue rose from the carving, and Thunders seized it.
Without hesitation, he slapped it onto his Duel Disk.
"I Tribute my three Ra's Disciples to Tribute Summon the monster in my hand!"
(End of Chapter)
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