Yugen showed no change in expression as he followed the sound down a narrow alley, hiding in the shadows to observe first. Several small Spirit were fleeing in panic, and he recognized one of them at a glance. The small body carrying an oversized key was distinctive, a creature known in Duel Monsters cards as Key Mouse, a one star normal monster with ATK 400.
Chasing after them were Black Goblin similar to the ones he had just encountered earlier. The goblins shrieked as they charged, drawing their bows and firing arrows nonstop.
Those arrows seemed to carry some kind of magic. Any Spirit struck let out a cry and collapsed, then instantly turned into a heavy stone tablet that slammed onto the ground with a loud crash.
Yugen was shocked. Being hit by those arrows actually turned them directly into cards?
He did not know whether that effect only worked on Spirit. Remembering what had happened in the forest earlier, he felt a chill run through him. Luckily, he had acted fast back then and played Solemn Judgment in time.
From this, it seemed that the Spirit who originally lived in the town had been attacked by outsiders. Most of them were likely turned into stone tablets, which explained why the town now looked completely deserted.
Silent suddenly became alert and moved in a flash to guard his back. Yugen turned around and saw another group of black goblins blocking the alley behind them.
"Boss, it is him!" one goblin shrieked. "A Duelist! A Duelist has invaded our territory!"
The goblins split to either side, opening a path. A masked monster Spirit with an eerie presence slowly stepped forward.
Yugen felt he had seen this monster before. It was Masked Sorcerer, known as Cursed Throat.
It was a monster card once used by the Masked brothers under Marik Ishtar in DM, a four star normal monster with ATK 1500. Right now, though, its combat strength was not what mattered most.
What caught his eye immediately was that this Spirit was different from the others. On its arm was equipment similar to a Duel Disk.
"So there is an outsider Duelist as well," the sorcerer sneered. "Since you dared to enter the domain of our god, you must already be prepared to become a sacrifice."
He waved his hand to dismiss his underlings and unfolded the Duel Disk. Although it resembled a Duel Disk, it did not look like modern technology at all, instead appearing organic, as if made of flesh and grown directly from his arm.
"Victory between Duelist can only be decided through the ritual of battle. All of you, step back. This one is mine."
"Tch, so it really comes down to cards again."
Yugen knew that Duel in the Spirit World were similar to Shadow Duel, rituals that decided life and death. This duel was unavoidable, but only this one Spirit seemed capable of dueling. If he could take care of it, the rest would be insignificant.
"Duel!" both sides declared.
[Yugen, LP 4000]
[Masked Sorcerer, LP 4000]
"I will go first, Card Draw."
The sorcerer took the opening turn. "I set one monster on the field, then set one card face down. Turn ends."
It was a fairly standard opening. Behind him, the goblin underlings had already started beating drums and shouting.
"The sorcerer master is unmatched in power!"
"You dare challenge our sorcerer lord, you are finished!"
Yugen ignored the noise. "My Turn!, Card Draw."
He sent one card from his hand to the graveyard and revealed another. "The effect of Trick Magician in my hand. Although this is a level five monster, it can be special summoned by discarding one card."
"Therefore, I discard one card to special summon Trick Magician."
[Trick Magician, ATK 2000]
"The card I just discarded to the graveyard was the Quick-Play Spell Silent Magic Burst."
The card that had just entered the graveyard shone with golden light and automatically rose out from the graveyard zone of the Duel Disk. "By banishing this card from the graveyard, I can add one Silent Magician monster from my Deck to my hand."
"So I banish Silent Magic Burst and add True Silent Magician from my Deck to my hand."
Yugen searched his Deck and then played another card. "Normal summon Breaker the Magical Warrior."
[Breaker the Magical Warrior, ATK 1600]
"When Breaker the Magical Warrior is successfully summoned, it gains one spell counter, increasing its ATK by 300. However, I will activate his other effect."
"By removing that spell counter, I destroy your face-down card."
Breaker swung his sword, and a wave of magical energy flew toward the sorcerer's back row. The sorcerer raised a hand in response.
"Then I activate my set card, the Quick-Play Spell Scapegoat. I special summon four Sheep Tokens on my field."
Four lazily bouncing sheep of different colors appeared on the sorcerer's field.
[Sheep Token, DEF 0] x4
"In the turn Scapegoat is activated, I cannot summon other monsters, and these sheep cannot be used as tributes." He paused and gave a light laugh. "Of course, this is not my My Turn!, and I could not summon anyway."
Yugen found that reasonable. In this era, things were still simple, and you could not summon on the opponent's turn. In modern Yu-Gi-Oh!, people could talk and chain effects for minutes during the other player's turn.
"Then I tribute Breaker the Magical Warrior, whose spell counter has already been used."
Breaker's body turned into golden light and sank into a magic circle on the ground. A soft white glow burst forth, and from the center stepped a slender figure in flowing white robes, silver hair gleaming faintly in the light.
"Silent Magician, summon."
[True Silent Magician, ATK 1000]
"Silent Magician cannot be normal summoned, but can be special summoned by tributing any Spellcaster Type monster on my field," Yugen said. "Also, Silent Magician's ATK increases by 500 for each card in my hand."
"I currently have three cards in hand, so her ATK increases by 1500."
[Silent Magician, ATK 1000 to ATK 2500]
The goblins watching from behind immediately burst into chatter. "Two monsters with over 2000 ATK summoned on the first turn!"
The sorcerer remained calm and only said coldly, "Silence." The underlings instantly fell quiet.
"Entering the battle phase," Yugen ordered. "Silent Magician and Trick Magician, attack two Sheep Tokens."
The half-asleep sheep could not withstand the combined assault of the two spellcasters, and two of the tokens shattered one after another. Afterward, Yugen set one card face down.
"Turn ends."
[Silent Magician, ATK 2500 to ATK 2000]
"So that is how it is. You have some skill after all."
The gaze of the Masked Sorcerer swept left and right across the two magicians standing like guardians on Yugen's field, and he gave a cold snort. His posture carried confidence, as if the outcome had already been decided.
"But after receiving the evolution power bestowed by my god, I am now invincible.
My Turn!, Card Draw!"
After drawing a new card, the sorcerer immediately revealed it in his hand. His voice rose with excitement as the magic gathered.
"First, the Quick-Play Spell 'Mystical Space Typhoon'! Destroy your set card in the back row!"
Black Whirlwind surged up, lightning wrapped inside the whirlwind as it rushed toward the face-down card. The attack was fast and direct, aimed to clear the field.
"Silent Magician's effect," Yugen interrupted calmly. "Once per turn, the activation of a Spell Card is negated."