118 Virtual World, Virtual Game—Duel Links

“Eight-Star Powerful Monster—Lava Demon, Descend!”

With the swift raptor first summoned by Yuugi, alongside Gan Saburou’s ace monster, the Exodia’s Spirit, both beasts shimmered with the light of sacrifice. A scorching heat radiated throughout the battlefield, and rising mist blurred the view.

This fiery monster, composed entirely of molten lava and of the flame attribute, was summoned by offering Exodia’s Spirit and the swift raptor as tributes. The card was placed on Yuugi’s field, but the monster itself appeared on Gan Saburou’s side.

“My Exodia’s Spirit!!”

Gan Saburou’s eyes widened in disbelief as he watched his Exodia’s Spirit gradually vanish before him.

Only when he saw the brand-new monster standing on his field did Gan Saburou turn to Yuugi and, trembling, accuse, “Wh-what did you do? Why… why has my Spirit entered the graveyard?”

The swift raptor, used as a tribute, returned to its original owner Yuugi’s graveyard, while the Spirit, originally Gan Saburou’s, went to his graveyard.

“The Eight-Star Powerful Monster ‘Lava Demon’ cannot be normally summoned; it requires a special method for a special summon. To summon it, you must release two monsters on your opponent’s field as tributes, then special summon the Lava Demon.”

“Of course, because the tributes are your opponent’s monsters, the Lava Demon’s control belongs to you.”

“Also, even if the card’s effect negates the Lava Demon’s special summon, the tributes are still released and cannot be saved!”

To have received an eight-star high-level monster boasting 3000 attack points—on par with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon—without cost should have brought joy enough to laugh out loud. Yet Gan Saburou wore the face of mourning.

Yes, he had “freely” obtained a powerful monster, but the problem was that this monster’s arrival came at the cost of sacrificing his deck’s sole hope of defeating Yuugi: the Exodia’s Spirit!

He only had one contract card for Exodia, and only one Exodia’s Spirit. His deck contained no cards capable of retrieving these two from the graveyard.

Why?

Because from the very start of the duel, he never once imagined that his ace monster, the Exodia’s Spirit, would leave the field—and certainly never in such a humiliating way, ending up in the graveyard!

Having lost the only chance of survival—the Exodia’s Spirit—Gan Saburou considered reverting to his current form, “Network Phantom,” and simply fleeing.

But just as this thought arose and before he could act, a massive iron cage descended from above, shattering his last shred of hope.

Ignoring Gan Saburou’s desperate pleas and hoarse curses as he was trapped by the Lava Demon’s great iron cage, Yuugi remained unmoved and continued calmly with his turn.

“Spell Card ‘Dark World Deal’: both players draw one card from their decks, then discard one card from their hands.”

“Next, I activate Spell Card ‘Monster Reborn’ to revive ‘The Winged Dragon of Ra’ from the graveyard, which was sent there by Dark World Deal.”

“Then, targeting Ra, I activate Trap Card ‘Power of the Ultimate Team Allies!’ to revive the second Egyptian God, ‘Obelisk the Tormentor,’ from the graveyard—same race but different name.”

Like a lifeless automaton, Yuugi recited his moves in a detached tone.

“After setting one card face-down, I activate ‘Life-Threatening Treasure Scroll’ to draw up my hand to five cards… then discard two cards to activate the set Spell Card ‘Thunder Trap String,’ recovering ‘Power of the Ultimate Team Allies!’ from the graveyard and setting it back onto my field.”

“Trap Cards set by ‘Thunder Trap String’ can be activated this turn, so I once again target Ra to revive the final Egyptian God—‘Slifer the Sky Dragon’—from the graveyard.”

At last, Yuugi’s trio of Egyptian Gods—the little trio—were finally on the battlefield!

“Slifer’s effect: its attack and defense points equal 1000 times the number of cards in my hand.”

“Next, Ra’s effect: revived from the graveyard, it receives a Life Point boost, reduced to 100, and all that life energy is transmitted into it.”

“Finally, Obelisk’s effect: I release two ‘Fluff Derivatives’ on my field, and until the end of the turn, Obelisk’s power grows infinitely, destroying all monsters on my opponent’s side. Oh, those two ‘Fluff Derivatives’ came from the effect monster ‘Dandelion Lion,’ which was sent to the graveyard.”

Throughout this entire procedure, Yuugi did not pause once, as if he had performed it countless times before.

Only after finishing did Yuugi turn back to Gan Saburou, his eyes cold and indifferent.

“Producing military weapons, exploiting the virtual technology of Duel Monsters to profit from war, even deluding yourself into ruling the world.”

“Forcibly dragging us into your world, attempting to seize control of our real bodies through dueling.”

“Abandoning your own flesh and blood son the moment you lose a duel.”

“...Sinei!”

Without any flourish, the three little monsters followed the command. Two emitted bolts of lightning and golden pillars of flame, while the other swung a mountain-like iron fist.

“Y-ya me go! Yamete! Expansion!!… No—”

The voice of resistance faded into a burst of white light.

“...”

Watching the dueling field gradually vanish, Yuugi’s heart harbored but one thought:

The Noa arc is a real mood killer!

...

“Yugi! Kaiba! How’s it going on your side?”

With Gan Saburou having taken Yuugi aside alone, the others from Jounouchi’s group sought out Yugi and Kaiba.

Shortly after entering the city, they found the three in a wide-open space—Yugi and Kaiba teamed up against Noa Kaiba.

As expected, the duo’s teamwork was unstoppable. Even though Noa’s entire deck was self-printed, it was no match for the combined strength of the two!

“Big Brother Yugi!” Keihei rushed over first.

After greeting Yugi and Kaiba, Keihei recounted their entire encounter with Noa, culminating in Noa being persuaded by the pure-hearted Keihei to betray his father and join their side.

“After all, he’s just a child forever stuck at ten years old!”

Yuugi’s feelings toward Noa were complicated. Whether in this world or in the original anime’s storyline, he found the boy somewhat detestable.

But knowing that Noa was a child who died in a car accident at ten, subjected in life to nothing but his father Kaiba Gan Saburou’s ideology, and after death trapped within this virtual world created by Gan Saburou…

In life or death, Noa had never once escaped his father’s control.

It was, in a way, rather pitiful.

“So, what do you plan to do now?”

Yuugi looked to Kaiba.

Kaiba snorted haughtily and turned his head, but it was Keihei who spoke for him.

“Noa is now a ‘Network Phantom,’ right? Then we just need to transfer all data and memories related to him out of this world.”

“Data transfer, huh…”

Gazing at this virtual space and at Noa, whose power was second only to Gan Saburou’s, Yuugi’s mind began to formulate a brand-new game plan.

“Virtual world… virtual data… Duel Monsters… past-life anime… Duel Links…”

Oh, this is going to be interesting!