"My turn—draw!"
Kisaragi glanced at her hand and was about to play, when Rishid cut in immediately.
"I activate the Trap Card Shadow Serpent Apophis! After activation, it becomes a Normal Monster and is Special Summoned to my Monster Zone!"
He slammed the card down.
"I Special Summon Shadow Serpent Apophis in Defense Position!"
Black mist boiled up from the temple floor. A serpent-headed humanoid rose out of the smoke, coiling with a vicious hiss.
Shadow Serpent Apophis(1600 ATK / 1800 DEF)
"After that," Rishid continued, voice steady, "I can Set another Apophis Trap from my Deck—and activate it immediately."
He slid a second card into place.
"I Set Embodiment of Apophis from my Deck—and activate it!"
The trap flared.
"This card also becomes a Normal Monster when activated and is Special Summoned!"
Another surge of black fog erupted, forming a human-headed serpent that slithered into position beside the first.
Embodiment of Apophis(1600 ATK / 1800 DEF)
Kisaragi narrowed her eyes.
"Now can my turn start?"
Rishid gave a curt nod.
"It can."
"Good."
Kisaragi snapped a card onto her duel disk.
"I activate the Spell Card Banishment of the Darklords! I add one 'Darklord' card from my Deck to my hand."
She didn't hesitate.
"I add The Sanctified Darklord."
Rishid's gaze sharpened.
Kisaragi followed up instantly.
"Next—Darklord Ixchel's effect from my hand. I discard this card and one other 'Darklord' card, then draw two."
She pitched both cards into the Graveyard without a flicker of regret.
"I discard Darklord Ixchel, and The Sanctified Darklord—draw two!"
The two cards she drew made her smile—slow, amused, almost predatory.
Then she played again.
"From my hand, I activate Darklord Contact! I Special Summon a 'Darklord' monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position!"
A column of dark light split the air.
"Come back—Darklord Ixchel!"
A breathtaking six-winged fallen angel appeared—feminine, elegant, impossibly beautiful—then tilted her head and threw Rishid a teasing wink, as though the entire Shadow Game was nothing more than a private joke.
Darklord Ixchel(2500 ATK / 2900 DEF)
Rishid's eyes tightened, but Kisaragi was already moving.
"Now I use Darklord Ixchel's effect."
Her voice turned crisp and formal, like a judge reading out a sentence.
"I pay 1000 Life Points, target one 'Darklord' Spell/Trap in my Graveyard, apply that card's effect, then shuffle it back into the Deck."
"And yes," she added lightly, "I can do this on your turn too."
"Copying Spell and Trap effects from the Graveyard…?" Rishid murmured.
"Exactly."
Kisaragi's LP dropped.
Kisaragi Aoi LP: 4000 → 3000
"By Ixchel's effect, I copy Banishment of the Darklords from my Graveyard. I add Darklord Lucifer from my Deck to my hand—then Banishment is shuffled back."
Rishid's expression didn't change, but the air around him seemed to grow heavier.
Kisaragi wasn't finished.
"Next, I activate Trade-In! I discard one Level 8 monster from my hand to draw two."
She flicked a card away.
"I discard Darklord Superbia—draw two!"
Then she calmly Set two cards.
"I Set two cards. Turn end." (Cards in hand: 4)
Rishid drew for his turn—
—and froze.
His pupils tightened, as if he'd seen something he never expected to touch his hands.
"This card is…" he whispered.
A voice slid into his mind like cold metal.
Marik.
"So you drew it, Rishid."
Rishid's jaw clenched.
"Marik… why is that card in my Deck?"
"Because you need to play the role of 'Marik' perfectly," the voice answered, smooth and cruel. "And don't worry—it's only a replica."
His tone sharpened.
"If you truly see yourself as one of the Tomb Keepers… then even a replica of a god can be wielded."
Rishid's brows knitted together in silence.
Across from him, Kisaragi's voice cut in—casual, almost taunting.
"Looks like you drew a good card. Aren't you going to use it?"
Rishid exhaled slowly, then acted.
"I banish The Winged Dragon of Ra from my hand… and Special Summon Mystical Beast of Serket!"
A grotesque, alien scorpion-like monster surged up from the temple floor, chittering with a sound like grinding blades.
Mystical Beast of Serket(2500 ATK / 2000 DEF)
Kisaragi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You banished a God card just to bring that out?"
Rishid didn't flinch.
"As long as 'Temple of the Kings' is on the field, I can Special Summon Serket by banishing one Level 10 or higher monster from my hand or Deck."
He tapped the Field Spell behind him.
"And my Field Spell, Royal Treasure of the Kings, can be treated as Temple of the Kings by name."
Kisaragi clicked her tongue softly—more intrigued than upset.
Rishid continued, voice steady and precise.
"I activate Serket's effect. Once per turn, I can add one 'Temple of the Kings' card—or a Spell that lists it—from my Deck to my hand."
He revealed the card.
"I add Temple of the Kings to my hand."
Kisaragi tilted her head, gaze cool.
"Even so, Serket's attack is 2500. It can't destroy Darklord Ixchel by battle."
Rishid's eyes remained flat.
"Serket doesn't need to."
He raised a hand, palm down—like pressing a verdict into stone.
"At the start of the Damage Step, if this card battles an opponent's monster: I can destroy that opponent's monster, and this card gains ATK equal to half the destroyed monster's original ATK."
Kisaragi's expression didn't change.
"I see."
Rishid's two Apophis monsters shifted—then rose.
"I change Shadow Serpent Apophis and Embodiment of Apophis to Attack Position."
The temple air grew tense.
"Battle. Mystical Beast of Serket attacks Darklord Ixchel—and I activate Serket's effect! Destroy Ixchel!"
Kisaragi didn't even blink.
"Then I won't hold back either."
Her duel disk flashed.
"I activate Darklord Ixchel's effect—paying 1000 Life Points—and apply the effect of The Sanctified Darklord in my Graveyard."
Her Life Points dropped again.
Kisaragi Aoi LP: 3000 → 2000
She spoke clearly, each word like a chain locking into place.
"The Sanctified Darklord: by sending one 'Darklord' monster from my hand or my face-up field to the Graveyard, I target one Effect Monster on the field—its effects are negated until the end of the turn, and I gain Life Points equal to that monster's ATK."
Rishid's eyes widened a fraction.
Kisaragi's lips curved.
"And since a 'Darklord' monster is the one copying the effect, I don't pay the copied effect's cost again."
A wash of pale, ruthless holy light burst through the shadowed temple and poured over Serket. The scorpion's aura visibly collapsed—as if its power was being peeled away layer by layer.
"I negate Mystical Beast of Serket's effect."
Kisaragi's Life Points surged.
Kisaragi Aoi LP: 2000 → 4500
"So Ixchel won't be destroyed," she finished calmly. "And you'll take the battle damage."
Serket slammed into Ixchel's defense—only to recoil like it had hit an immovable wall.
Rishid's Life Points ticked down.
Rishid LP: 4000 → 3600
Rishid narrowed his eyes.
"So that's why you sent that card to the Graveyard… you planned to use it like this."
Kisaragi's tone was light, almost conversational.
"Now you're getting it."
She added, with icy certainty:
"And the copied Sanctified Darklord goes back into the Deck."
Rishid's gaze didn't waver.
"But my turn isn't over."
He lifted both arms, and the two Apophis monsters surged forward like obedient sacrifices.
"I Tribute Shadow Serpent Apophis and Embodiment of Apophis—to Special Summon from my Deck…"
The temple shook.
"…Holy Serpent Apophis!"
A massive serpent erupted from the shadows, radiating a darker, heavier presence than the two smaller monsters combined.
Holy Serpent Apophis(2800 ATK / 2600 DEF)
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 139)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter171)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter100)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter184)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 168
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 156
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 105
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 185
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 160
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 150
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 76
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 97
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 116
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 75
Uma Musume: I Want All 93
I Can Copy Unique Skills 79
Summoning an Evil God, but the 55
Supernatural Multiverse 75
My Harem Is Indescribable 68
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 70
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 66
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 69
Still playing traditional Honk 49
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 53
What Should I Do After Switchi 42
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 50
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 38
Transmigrated as Sukuna 35
Checking In in Demon Slayer 40
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 55
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