A silver-haired woman identical to Magician of Silence appeared on the field, but unlike Magician of Silence, she had 3500 ATK.
Just a White Board. Julie sneered inwardly, then continued, "I enter Main Phase 2 and activate the Spell Card—Polymerization!"
"I send Mezuki and Gravekeeper's Shaman from my hand to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon—Dragon's Demise!"
Although Julie looked completely confident, she still quietly Special Summoned Dragon's Demise in Defense Position. After all, she only had 2000 LP left; summoning it in Attack Position would make it too easy to take damage.
"I end my turn."
"My turn, draw." Gloomy Woman said as she drew a card from her deck.
"I enter the Main Phase and Normal Summon Magician of Silence LV4."
"I chain Jack-o-Bolan's effect, Special Summoning your Magician of Silence from the Graveyard to my field in Defense Position!"
"You escaped again. What a nuisance." Gloomy Woman said with some irritation. "I enter the Battle Phase and use Kairiku to attack the Magician of Silence on your field."
"Then, I use Magician of Silence LV8 to attack your Dragon's Demise!"
"I activate Dragon's Demise's effect!" Julie calmly activated its effect. "When the Damage Step of this card battling a monster ends, activate this effect. That monster's ATK becomes 0, then Special Summon 1 'Dark Soul Token' (Zombie/DARK/ATK ?/DEF 0) with the same Level and ATK as that monster's original Level and ATK to your field."
"The ATK of your Magician of Silence LV8 becomes 0! Then I Special Summon a 'Dark Soul Token' with 3500 ATK to my field!"
That was right—the equation for victory was complete! Julie wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. Her opponent only had 3200 LP left, and Magician of Silence LV8, having already attacked, could not switch to Defense Position. Next turn, she could attack Magician of Silence LV8 with her Token and win the duel!
"I see. It seems I was careless." Gloomy Woman paused slightly, then inserted a card into her Duel Disk. "I activate the Spell Card—Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying your Zombie World."
As Zombie World went to the Graveyard, the skulls around the duel field vanished as well.
"Next, I activate the Spell Card—Forbidden Grimoire. I add Grimoire of Ice and Fire to my hand, then activate Grimoire of Ice and Fire's effect, sending Magician of Silence LV8 on the field to the Graveyard and drawing two cards from my deck."
"Did she resolve the crisis just like that?" Julie's heart, which had just relaxed, rose into her throat again.
"It's not over yet. I activate Level Up! I send Magician of Silence LV4 on the field to the Graveyard and Special Summon—Magician of Silence LV8!"
"I Set one card and end my turn."
"I activate Jack-o-Bolan's effect. Jack-o-Bolan returns to my field once again." Julie placed Jack-o-Bolan back onto her Duel Disk. "Then it's my turn, draw!"
Then she saw the card in her hand—Varon Gaus.
"Gulp."
Julie could not help swallowing. She could win. With this card, she could win!
Whether she banished the opponent's Magician of Silence LV8 or Kairiku the Spirit Extinguisher, she could win!
"No, at a time like this, I should play it safer." Julie shook her head.
"So there's only one answer." Julie calmed down and sent Jack-o-Bolan on her field to the Graveyard. "I enter the Main Phase. I Tribute Jack-o-Bolan on my field to Tribute Summon—Varon Gaus!"
"I chain!" Gloomy Woman flipped over her Set Card. "When you Tribute Summon, I activate the Trap Card Torrential Tribute, destroying all monsters on the field!"
"?!"
A massive torrent swept every monster on the field into a whirlpool, clearing the duel field completely.
"So she had that up her sleeve? It's fine. I still have resources in my Graveyard." Julie looked toward her Graveyard. Unfortunately, Zombie World had been destroyed; otherwise, she could have used Mezuki to summon her ace, Dragon's Demise.
"I banish Mezuki from my Graveyard to Special Summon Jack-o-Bolan. Then I enter the Battle Phase—Jack-o-Bolan attacks directly!"
Gloomy Woman's LP: 3200 → 1700.
"I end my turn."
"My turn, draw." Gloomy Woman drew a card from her deck. "Hehehe... it seems the Goddess of Duels is on my side."
As she spoke, Gloomy Woman inserted the card in her hand into her Duel Disk. "I activate the Spell Card—Monster Reborn!"
The only monster in her opponent's Graveyard that posed a threat was Magician of Silence LV8, while the Zombies in her own Graveyard could be revived with Jack-o-Bolan's Quick Effect to avoid danger... Wait! Her target was...
Gloomy Woman revealed a sly smile and pointed at Julie. "I choose Dragon's Demise in your Graveyard and Special Summon it to my field!"
The dragon of the underworld roared from Gloomy Woman's field. Seeing her former ace appear on her opponent's field, Julie felt an inexplicable rage rise within her. But for now, she could only endure it. "I chain Jack-o-Bolan's effect, Special Summoning Gravekeeper's Shaman from my Graveyard in Defense Position."
"Hmph. Keep desperately clinging to life, then." Gloomy Woman waved her hand. "Enter the Battle Phase! Dragon's Demise attacks Gravekeeper's Shaman!"
"Because of Dragon's Demise's effect, Gravekeeper's Shaman will not be destroyed by battle, and you'll Special Summon a Dark Soul Token to your field." Julie gritted her teeth.
"Hmph, I don't need you to tell me that." Gloomy Woman Special Summoned the Dark Soul Token in Defense Position. "I end my turn."
Julie placed her hand over her deck and realized that it was trembling slightly.
Is this... fear?
Yes. Julie knew very well that there were no monsters in her deck capable of destroying Dragon's Demise.
Varon Gaus, the only card that could contend with Dragon's Demise, had already been used. What should she do... Wait, there was still hope. As long as she drew that card, there was still hope!
If Bonds truly existed between a deck and its duelist, between Duel Spirits and duelists, then answer me now!
"My turn!"
Julie suddenly raised her head and shouted, "Draw!"
Chapter 73: Which One Should I Choose?
"Whoosh!"
Julie sharply drew a card and slowly turned its face toward herself.
From the start of the duel until now, she had already used ten cards. There was only one monster that could turn this situation around. Did that mean her chance of hope was one in thirty?
No, absolutely not!
A deck was a deck because its cards could draw each other out and exchange resources. Otherwise, it was nothing more than a pile of cards!
"Two Gorgonic Guardians left, three Zombie Necromancies, one Foolish Burial, and if I barely count the two Growing Flowers plus the monster itself..." Julie muttered. "It's a three-in-ten chance!"
Julie abruptly flipped the card over, and then she saw it—that familiar card, Gorgonic Guardian.
It's here!
"I enter the Main Phase!" As if she had performed the same sequence countless times, Julie slapped Gorgonic Guardian from her hand onto the Duel Disk without hesitation. "I Normal Summon Gorgonic Guardian, then activate its effect, sending one Zombie monster to the Graveyard!"
"Hmph, a dying struggle." Gloomy Woman said disdainfully. The logic was simple: if Julie's deck contained a powerful monster comparable to Dragon's Demise, then she would not have used Gorgonic Guardian to send Majester to the Graveyard on her first turn.
Even so, Gloomy Woman stared fixedly at Julie. After all, her remaining LP was not particularly abundant.
"I send Nine-Tailed Fox from my deck to the Graveyard!" Ignoring her opponent's mockery, Julie took the Nine-Tailed Fox she had just sent from the Graveyard and continued, "Then I activate Nine-Tailed Fox's effect, Tributing Gorgonic Guardian and Gravekeeper's Shaman on the field to Special Summon it from the Graveyard!"
Nine-Tailed Fox (Level 6) FIRE
Zombie/Effect ATK: 2200 DEF: 2000
"Just 2200 ATK. It can't compare to Dragon's Demise's 3000 ATK at all." Gloomy Woman breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Julie's imposing manner, she had thought Julie would summon some powerful monster. It seemed she had worried for nothing.
"Of course. Dragon's Demise is my ace, after all. But... what about the Dark Soul Token on your field?" Julie said evenly.
"That thing? Destroy it if you want." Gloomy Woman glanced at the Dark Soul Token on her field. A monster with only 400 ATK was completely useless aside from blocking an attack in Defense Position.
"Since you say so, I won't hold back." Julie commanded the Nine-Tailed Fox she had successfully summoned for the first time. "Enter the Battle Phase! Nine-Tailed Fox attacks the Dark Soul Token!"
"A meaningless move." Just as Gloomy Woman finished speaking, a sudden pang of dread arose in her heart. She stared blankly at the duel field. After the wicked Nine-Tailed Fox pierced the Dark Soul Token with its claws, its golden eyes flashed as it charged at her!
"Wait! What is this?!" Gloomy Woman tried to dodge in panic, but it was too late. Nine-Tailed Fox viciously sent her flying to the ground with a swipe of its claws.
"I forgot to tell you. When this card is Special Summoned from the Graveyard and attacks a Defense Position monster, Nine-Tailed Fox's effect inflicts battle damage equal to the amount its ATK exceeds that monster's DEF." Julie walked up to Gloomy Woman and looked down at her. "2200 minus 200. You have 1700 LP left. You lost this duel."
"I lost?!" Gloomy Woman said in astonishment. As her LP fell to 0, the black mist around them curled toward her like fish drawn by the scent of blood.
Then Gloomy Woman smiled.
She raised both hands as if to embrace the approaching mist. Her bloodshot eyes looked as though they would pop out of their sockets as she laughed crazily. "Wrong! I have returned to God's embrace!"
Grinning, she whispered to Julie like a demon:
"Hehehe... I look forward to our next meeting!"
"When that time comes... I'll drag you into the true abyss!"
With that, her head lolled to one side, and she moved no more.
"Still throwing out threats before dying. Bad luck." Julie kicked her twice in annoyance, then retrieved Dragon's Demise from Gloomy Woman's Duel Disk. Only after wiping it twice with her hand did she return it to her deck.
...Back to the present...
"Too bad we can't enter the mist to watch. Are we supposed to just wait outside?" Hara Shichi looked at the black mist before him.
Just now, he had actually reached out, trying to enter the Dark Duel, but the mist had directly bounced him back.
"At times like this, all we can do is trust them and wait with hope." Julie leaned against a tree, expressionless.
It was not that she was cold-hearted. If they wanted to continue down the path of duelists, Dark Duels were unavoidable, as were partings of life and death.
"I can, though." At that moment, Ai, floating in midair, suddenly spoke.
"What?" Hara Shichi did not react at first.
"I said I can let you enter the Dark Duel." Ai folded her arms over her chest.
"You can do that?" Hara Shichi asked in slight surprise.
"I'm a god, you know. Isn't something this minor effortless for me?" Ai blinked.
"Then can you end the Dark Duel directly?" Hara Shichi looked at Ai expectantly.
"That is its domain. Unless I'm at my peak, no one can end a Dark Duel." Ai shook her head, seemingly unwilling to continue the topic. "Even so, I don't recommend going inside to watch."
"What do you mean?" Hara Shichi asked, confused.
"A duel is a duelist's own affair. Even if you enter the Dark Duel, all you can do is watch from the side. Not only can you offer no help, you might even make your companion nervous and put pressure on them." Ai said calmly. "In that case, what difference is there between being inside and outside?"
"Of course there is." Hara Shichi answered without hesitation.
"Just as you said, duels are personal matters, but... if someone is there to cheer you on, if someone is there to support you, then loneliness and fear can be driven away, right?" Hara Shichi said seriously.
Ai froze slightly, seeming somewhat surprised. "I never expected you to say something like that."
"Because you've always been by my side, Ai." Hara Shichi said as if it were only natural. "If you hadn't been there with me, I probably wouldn't have made it this far. On my first day in this world, I would have collapsed from loneliness and fear."
"I see." Ai lowered her head, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
"Of course."
Ai then came before Hara Shichi. Her long white dress swayed gently in the breeze, and her sapphire-like eyes reflected his figure. "Then, which side will you go to?"
"Hm?"
"So, Yukikaze or Sera—which one will you choose?" Ai asked, tilting her head.
"I can only go to one side?" Hara Shichi asked strangely.
"Of course you can only choose one of the two duels." Ai tapped Hara Shichi's forehead. "What, can you split yourself in two?"
"I'll go to Yukikaze's side." Hara Shichi said after hesitating briefly.
"Yukikaze has experience with Dark Duels, while that little Sera is facing her first Dark Duel, right?" Ai said unhappily. "Shouldn't you be looking after the 'newbie' at a time like this?"
"Then... Senior Sera?" Hara Shichi said hesitantly.
"You heartless bastard. Yukikaze is always so good to you, but at a critical moment you want to keep another woman company?" Ai punched Hara Shichi.
"??"
Chapter 73: All Flashy Tricks, Got It!
"So this is what it's like inside a Dark Duel."
Although Sera had heard about Dark Duels long ago, this was her first time truly encountering one. She curiously looked at the boundless black mist around her, sensing something amiss. "It feels like space itself has been distorted. The area here doesn't seem as large as the riverside."
Sera asked the man across from her, "Did this distort the original space, or create an entirely separate space?"
How would I know something like that?!
The man frowned. What was going on with this little girl? Normally, during a first Dark Duel, even if someone was not scared stiff, they should at least be trembling with nerves. Why did she look even more relaxed than he was? Or was she an innocent-looking little brat on the surface, but actually a Dark Duelist at a higher level than him?!
No, no, no. How could that be? She wasn't even older than his daughter.
The man shook his head, tossing aside the absurd thoughts in his mind. "I remember you have the first turn. If you don't make a move soon, I'll consider it a time violation."
Before you continue