The reception room fell quiet.
Traffic passed outside the window, while a distant advertising screen played a promotional video for new cards, casting colored light across the glass.
Yūki looked at the two people in the photograph without speaking immediately.
After a moment, he asked, "Who were the attackers?"
Kamiya Ryūichi looked at him.
"Do you want to avenge them?"
"I should at least know who they were."
"Does it make a difference?"
"It does."
Yūki picked up his teacup. "I need to know who they are before I can decide whether to consider them opponents."
Kamiya Ryūichi watched him for a few seconds, then sighed softly.
"Those Shadow Game duelists belonged to an organization called the Dark Erosion Cult."
"The Dark Erosion Cult?"
"A loosely organized group of Shadow Game duelists. They target ruins, Spirit Cards, and forbidden cards, and they've also had dealings with many underground dueling arenas."
"The International Fantasy Society has investigated them repeatedly. We've captured members and destroyed bases, but they always resurface somewhere else."
A touch more weariness entered Kamiya Ryūichi's voice.
"On the surface, Domino City is peaceful. Where the sunlight reaches, dueling is a competition, a career, entertainment."
"But in certain corners, what Duel Disks connect to is far more dangerous than winning or losing."
"Shadow Games kill people."
Yūki nodded.
Of course he knew that.
Lose an ordinary duel, and at worst, you might lose a wagered card.
In a Shadow Game, the price could be your life, your soul, or something even more troublesome.
Though he had Silent Magician and was considerably stronger than most people his age, he would still have to be extra careful if he actually encountered someone who could play Shadow Games.
Seeing that he hadn't acted impulsively, Kamiya Ryūichi's expression softened slightly.
"The International Fantasy