The Lady in Wight, DEF 2200.
"Do I truly need to step in again?" The Lady in Wight asked coolly.
"With you here, I am invincible," Bone King declared. "While The Lady in Wight is on the field, all Zombie-Type monsters of Level 3 or lower, except The Lady in Wight, cannot be destroyed by battle and are unaffected by Spell and Trap effects."
A faint current of undead magic flowed between the two skeletons.
"Because Wightmare was discarded to the Graveyard, the number of Skull Servants increases, and my own ATK rises again."
Bone King, ATK 10000 to 11000.
"This attack will end it. My incarnation of Bone King attacks Dark Magician of Chaos."
"Open trap. Continuous Trap, Soul Barrier," Yugen said as his set card flipped. "As long as I control a monster, any battle damage I take becomes 0."
Dark Magician of Chaos was struck and shattered, but the released energy formed a barrier in front of Yugen. The undead magic spread across the shield without harming him.
"You survive another turn behind traps," Bone King sneered. "Then my My Turn! ends."
"At your end phase, I activate the trap. I pay 2000 Life Points to special Summon a monster from my Graveyard in face down defense position."
Yugen, LP 3200 to 1200.
He revealed a card.
"I set Dark Spirit of Malice face down."
A face down monster appeared on his field.
"More defense?" Bone King laughed. "With my queen at my side, I have no weakness."
"My Turn!. I flip summon Dark Spirit of Malice. Its effect activates. I gain control of one Dark attribute monster on your field."
Yugen pointed calmly.
"I take control of The Lady in Wight."
Bone King rolled up its sleeves in fury. "I will tear you apart."
Bone King stared with the hollow eyes in his skull, the dark hole left by Dark Hole seeming even deeper. He had thought that being taken by the opponent during a Duel was already the greatest humiliation possible. He had never imagined there could be something worse.
The greatest distance in the world was not life and death, but standing on this side while his wife stood on the other. She was in the hands of that hateful swordsman, her face full of grievance, yet bound by absolute rules and forced to obey every command. And he could only watch.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
Both Bone King and the incarnation he had Summoned on the field were furious.
"My queen, wait for me. I will defeat this brat and bring you back. Just endure a little longer."
Before he could finish, Yugen revealed another card.
"I activate the effect of Parasite Paracide from my hand. I discard it to the Graveyard and take control of one Zombie-Type monster on your field. I take control of your Bone King."
Bone King fell silent.
The power of Brain Control-like control in a Duel was absolute. A second later, Bone King could only watch as his incarnation also walked over to the other side.
Then his incarnation actually reached out and held The Lady in Wight's slender skeletal hand. "My queen, you have suffered. Do not be afraid. I am here."
The Lady in Wight looked moved. "My king."
The incarnation nodded firmly. "It is all right now. We are together again."
Bone King felt as if a heavy blow had struck his chest. His vision went dark and the world spun.
"You… you bastard…"
He clutched his chest, too angry to speak clearly. If he had not been a skeleton, he probably would have coughed up blood.
"From the Graveyard, I banish the Light attribute Dark Magician of Chaos and the Dark attribute Breaker the Magical Warrior."
Yugen raised a card.
"The souls of Light and Dark are offered to the field of chaos. Descend, legendary warrior who opened heaven and earth. Level 8, Black Luster Soldier-Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, Summon."
The souls of Light and Dark shot into the sky and merged within a swirling vortex. Magic surged, light burst outward, and blades of light and darkness split the curtain of brilliance as Black Luster Soldier stepped out from the storm of power.
Black Luster Soldier-Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, ATK 3000.
A chaotic wind swept across the field as the warrior appeared, bringing heavy pressure with it. The skeleton soldiers around the altar trembled, their bones rattling under the invisible force.
Only Bone King, who should have felt the pressure most, paid no attention to Black Luster Soldier. His gaze remained fixed on the skeletal couple on the opposite side.
His incarnation was holding his queen's hand.
"This is better."
"Now we can be together forever."
"My king."
Bone King said nothing.
"Black Luster Soldier, direct attack. Twin Slash of Genesis."
Blades of light and darkness cut through the air, carrying a vortex of chaos that seemed to tear through space itself.
Until the last moment before he was swallowed by the light, Bone King kept staring at the loving pair of skeletons across from him. As destruction closed in, he could not help wondering whether he had committed too many sins in life, only for fate to send this cruel punishment upon him.
At least it was finally ending.
Just destroy everything.
Being bones was not worth it.
Bone King, LP 1600 to 0.
The green magic circle shrank, and Bone King's soul shot upward, drawn into the vortex in the sky and vanishing without a trace.
His incarnation followed immediately, pulled away with the main body. Not just the incarnation, but also The Lady in Wight, Prince of the Wights, and Wightprincess were taken by the same rising green light.
The entire skeletal family disappeared one after another. It seemed that in this altar ritual, when one side lost the Duel, not only the Duelist but even the souls within the losing side's Deck could not escape.
On the bright side, at least they were together forever.
A family should be complete.
Yugen stepped forward and pulled the Deck from the fallen Bone King. Although the original had been sacrificed in the ritual and the remaining Card no longer housed a Spirit, it should still be usable.
"Do not worry. Go in peace," Yugen said seriously. "Your Card, your queen, and your children's cards will all be put to good use. I will not waste them."
Or at least sell them later.
That could be decided afterward.
He continued searching the remains, but a skeleton had little to offer. Even the Duel Disk seemed to be formed from the body itself and could not be removed.
However, he did find a small green crystal.
"What is this?"
"A fragment of Orichalcos," said Black Luster Soldier.
Envoy of the Beginning had fought the forces of Orichalcos in his own Dimension before, so he had some knowledge.
"Is it dangerous?"
Black Luster Soldier shook his head. "It is only a symbol of status. It represents authority granted by Dark God to certain followers in occupied areas. It shows that this one was an agent of Dark God in this region."
Yugen understood.
"So if someone had this, could they infiltrate their ranks?"
"I do not know," Black Luster Soldier replied. "Only regional leaders have these. They are not common among ordinary followers."
"A regional leader."
Yugen glanced at the vanished Bone King.
So he had been a minor boss.
After collecting the spoils, Yugen turned to face the skeleton soldiers below the altar. With Envoy of the Beginning present, they did not dare move, especially after witnessing their king's end.