Yugioh [456-461] (Patreon)

Chapter 456: Hitting You Directly Is Faster

"So you're the Revolver, the leader of the Knights of Hanoi."

Kira was surrounded by the new followers he'd gathered over the past few days. Before him stood a blond man in a long coat, clad in black, his face obscured by a mask shaped like a black dragon's head, the eyes glowing with a dark, crimson light.

So he's finally here.

Kira instantly recognized him as the vanguard of the Shadow Riders, the very first dark duelist to appear in the new arc.

He called himself "Nightshroud," sharing a name with the final antagonist of the entire GX series. Later investigations confirmed his power was indeed connected to that villain, though he only wielded a portion of Nightshroud's strength.

His true identity, however, was actually Atticus Rhodes, the missing student from Duel Academy, rival to Zane, and brother to Alexis.

Of course, at this moment, he had no memory of his true self. He was only partially possessed—still moving of his own will, but having forgotten who he truly was, acting solely on Nightshroud's intent.

The anime had explained why the other Shadow Riders members were recruited by Chairman Kagemaru—each with their own reasons for fighting. But why Atticus joined was never made clear.

As expected, he offered the olive branch representing the Shadow Riders. The organization had vast resources—rare cards, dark relics, a network of contacts, and more.

"Sounds good," Kira said. "But may I ask—can your boss reveal their identity? Surely, if we're to form an alliance, we need to at least know who our teammates are."

Dark Atticus only shook his head.

"Our master's name cannot be revealed," he said. "But rest assured, this will not interfere with our upcoming operations. I am authorized to handle all communications."

"So I suppose, direct contact with your master is off the table?" Kira asked.

Dark Atticus replied, "Anything you want to pass on, you can tell me."

"Fine then."

Kira shrugged.

The next moment, Dark Atticus sensed something wrong.

Infused with Nightshroud's power, he was no low-level dark duelist and was sensitive to shifts in dark energy. He quickly picked up on the anomaly.

Darkness gathered around them, even the lights in the venue seemed to dim. The darkness thickened tangibly, swirling into a mist that encircled them and shut out the outside world. No one else could see or hear what transpired within the black fog.

Only Kira and Dark Atticus remained.

Dark Atticus's expression shifted; he glared at Kira. "You? What do you think you're doing?"

"I thought joining you might get me a direct meeting with your sly old master, but this is way too much trouble. Luckily, I've thought of a better idea."

Kira lifted his duel disk, speaking calmly.

"If I beat you in a duel, you'll obediently take me to see the old man. Much simpler, don't you think?"

"So that was your plan all along."

A smirk curled at the corner of Dark Atticus's lips beneath his half-mask, his contempt undisguised.

"But do you really think I, Nightshroud, am so easily dealt with?" He too raised his duel disk, his confidence unwavering. "If you think I'm the weak link in the Shadow Riders, then come and try. What awaits you is a darkness deeper than you can imagine!"

"Duel!" x2

[Kira, LP: 4000]

[Dark Atticus, LP: 4000]

Kira hadn't explained his plan to his new followers. From outside the arena, they watched as words quickly escalated into combat, all of them shocked.

Recently, the Shadow Riders had made a name for themselves, with rumors in the underground world about their strength and mysterious backgrounds. Their new leader was strong, but could he really win against a Shadow Riders member?

"I'll go first. Draw."

Kira said.

"I activate the Spell Card 'Cost Down.' By discarding one card, I can reduce the level of all monsters in my hand by two for this turn."

He discarded a card to the graveyard.

Dark Atticus remarked, "That means you can summon Level 5 or 6 monsters directly. Going for a Tribute Summon?"

"I set a monster in face-down defense position."

Kira waved, and a face-down card appeared horizontally in front of him.

"And I set one card in my back row. Turn end."

"My turn, draw!"

Dark Atticus drew. His eyes scanned Kira's one set monster and one set backrow.

He suspected the covered monster was a high-level one, given the use of Cost Down. Attacking with a weak monster would likely backfire.

In that case, he'd go all out.

"I summon 'Black Dragon's Chick'!"

A small red dragon egg appeared on his field. The shell wriggled, a crack formed, and a tiny black dragon's head poked out, letting out a babyish cry.

[Black Dragon's Chick, ATK 500]

"Black Dragon's Chick's effect: send this face-up card to the Graveyard to Special Summon 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon' from my hand! I tribute the Chick—appear, legendary dragon of possibility—Level 7, Red-Eyes Black Dragon! Summon!"

The little egg vanished. From beneath the earth surged an uncontrollable force. With a deafening roar, a pillar of lava erupted, transforming into a jet-black, armored dragon.

Its crimson eyes blazed like molten lava, two flames that would never die. It landed with a blast of scorching wind.

"Red-Eyes Black Dragon," Kira commented.

"That's right! The legendary Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Dark Atticus declared. "The dragon that crushes all resistance! Go, Red-Eyes, destroy that wall! Inferno Fire Blast!!"

A black fireball gathered in Red-Eyes' mouth, launching as a scorching dragon's breath. The set card flipped, revealing a massive golden Sphinx's face blocking the Red-Eyes.

[Red-Eyes Black Dragon, ATK 2400]

[Guardian Sphinx, DEF 2400]

The blast exploded against the Sphinx, but when the smoke cleared, there wasn't a scratch.

"Too bad, Guardian Sphinx's DEF is also 2400," Kira smiled. "Your Red-Eyes can't break through."

"Tch."

Dark Atticus snorted.

"Then I set a card and end my turn."

Chapter 457: Red-Eyes

"My turn, draw."

Kira glanced at his new card, then smiled at Dark Atticus.

"So, you call yourself Nightshroud, right?"

Dark Atticus crossed his arms and glared, but said nothing.

"Red-Eyes Black Dragon is indeed powerful—and an ultra-rare card," Kira said. "It was famous in the hands of the legendary duelist Joey Wheeler during Battle City."

"Heh, scared of my Red-Eyes?" Dark Atticus sneered. "You can still beg for mercy."

"No. I'm asking—are you worthy of wielding Red-Eyes?"

Kira smiled, pointing at Red-Eyes.

"Red-Eyes is a treasure of the dueling world, but not everyone can handle it. For a chosen duelist, it opens up paths to victory. For a mediocre one, it's just a 2400 ATK beater—nothing to fear."

Kira always thought Atticus and Alexis were interesting. Their designs looked like Joey's kids, and even their ace monster was Red-Eyes. If there weren't only ten years between DM and GX, you'd suspect they were Joey and Mai's long-lost children.

Dark Atticus understood the mockery, but didn't get angry. "Interesting. The first to say I can't control Red-Eyes."

"Cosplaying with half a mask doesn't make you Red-Eyes' master."

Kira said blandly, raising his hand.

"I activate Guardian Sphinx's effect, triggered when it's flipped by Red-Eyes' attack. Once per turn, it can switch to face-down defense position. So I set Guardian Sphinx face-down again."

The Sphinx hid, becoming a set card.

Kira waved again.

"And I flip summon Guardian Sphinx!"

The Sphinx immediately flipped face-up again, radiating a wave of energy at Dark Atticus's Red-Eyes.

"Guardian Sphinx's effect: when flip summoned, all your monsters return to your hand. Bounce Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Dark Atticus's expression sharpened.

"A board bounce—but not so fast! I activate the Counter Trap 'Champion's Vigilance'! If I control a Level 7 or higher Normal Monster, I can negate and destroy a Spell, Trap, summon, flip summon, or special summon!"

He pointed at Kira's field.

"Guardian Sphinx's flip summon is negated and destroyed!"

Red-Eyes roared, radiating dominance. The Sphinx was shattered.

"Ha! Your Sphinx's bounce tactic is clever, but the king has seen through it!" Dark Atticus declared. "Can you still say I can't control Red-Eyes?"

"I activate the Spell Card 'Card of Adversity.' If my opponent controls a Special Summoned monster and I control none, I draw two cards." (Anime card)

Kira drew two, then quickly set another card.

"I set a monster in face-down defense position."

Dark Atticus sneered, "More defense? Is that all you can do before a true king?"

Kira ignored him, as a card left his graveyard.

"I activate the effect of 'A/D Changer' in my Graveyard. By banishing it, I can change the battle position of a monster on the field."

He pointed at his own field.

"I flip my set monster."

The card flipped to reveal a bald, burly man in black robes with a fierce face: Gravekeeper's Guard.

[Gravekeeper's Guard, ATK 1000]

"Gravekeeper's Guard's flip effect: return one opponent's monster to the hand. Bounce Red-Eyes Black Dragon."

Red-Eyes, having dodged the Sphinx, couldn't escape the Guard. With a roar, it was forced back to the hand.

Dark Atticus's smile vanished.

"Then, Gravekeeper's Guard, direct attack! Thousand-Slash Fury!"

Kira commanded, and the guard leapt forward, slashing down with his polearm. Dark Atticus grunted, clutching his chest and stepping back.

[Dark Atticus, LP: 4000 → 3000]

He gritted his teeth, glaring at the guard. "Gravekeepers..."

Behind the dragon mask, his brow furrowed—perhaps recalling something.

Atticus Rhodes had previously visited the Gravekeepers' ruins, dueling and defeating their chief. That was probably his first dark duel.

Kira had obtained half of a pendant from the Gravekeeper chief; the other half was with Atticus. Only by combining both pieces could their true power be unleashed.

"I set three cards and end my turn."

Kira set even more cards, his backrow now a veritable fortress, radiating ominous energy.

He chuckled. "Looks like your control over Red-Eyes isn't all that impressive."

Dark Atticus gritted his teeth, then straightened up.

"My turn, draw!" Dark Atticus said. "I activate the Spell Card 'Cards of the Red Stone.' I send a Level 7 'Red-Eyes' monster from my hand to the Graveyard to draw two cards, then send another Level 7 'Red-Eyes' from my deck to the Graveyard."

He revealed the Red-Eyes just bounced to his hand.

"I discard the Red-Eyes Black Dragon you just bounced, draw two, then send another Red-Eyes from the deck to the grave!"

He had not just one, but at least two Red-Eyes. Kira wasn't surprised—just as Zane had two Cyber End Dragons, Atticus was shown to use a second Red-Eyes in the anime.

After drawing, Atticus paused, frowning as if in doubt.

But after a moment, he made up his mind.

He drew three cards from his hand.

"I set three cards. Then, I Normal Summon 'Armageddon Knight'!"

Chapter 458: Darkness in Crisis

"Armageddon Knight, Summon!"

A red-masked swordsman in armor appeared on his field, twirling his sword skillfully as he landed.

[Armageddon Knight, ATK 1400]

"Armageddon Knight's effect: when summoned, I can send any DARK monster from my deck to the Graveyard!"

Dark Atticus reached for his deck.

It's a direct, powerful effect—an enduring staple in DARK decks. And the Red-Eyes family is all DARK, a perfect fit.

But—

"Hold it."

Kira interrupted Dark Atticus's search, calmly flipping a set card and pointing at his backrow.

"I activate the Continuous Trap 'Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror.' As long as it's face-up, all effects of DARK monsters activated on the field or in the Graveyard are negated."

Dark Atticus froze, then looked up at Kira's trap.

A huge magic mirror appeared, reflecting the knight's image. Dark energy was sucked from the knight into the mirror, sapping his strength. Armageddon Knight dropped to one knee, powerless.

Dark Atticus: "..."

—Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror is basically the DARK version of 'Light-Imprisoning Mirror.' Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Red-Eyes Black Dragon are the light and dark dragon icons. If Light-Imprisoning Mirror means "White Dragon must die," then this one is "Black Dragon must die."

His search action stalled. He looked at his now-useless knight, then at his all-DARK deck.

His mouth twitched.

He felt like this duel was unwinnable.

"What's wrong?" Kira squinted. "Surely the mighty Mr. Nightshroud can handle a single trap card?"

Surely your whole deck isn't dead to just one card, is it?

Dark Atticus gritted his teeth. "Battle. 'Armageddon Knight' attacks 'Gravekeeper's Guard'!"

Though its effect was negated, the knight's stats remained. The guard tried to block, but the knight nimbly pierced his throat.

[Kira, LP: 4000 → 3600]

"End turn," Dark Atticus said gruffly.

"My turn, draw."

Kira swept his hand.

"I activate both set 'Good Goblin Housekeeping' Traps. Each lets me draw cards from my deck equal to the number of 'Good Goblin Housekeeping' in my grave plus one, then return a card from my hand to the bottom of the deck."

"You've got no Good Goblin Housekeeping in your grave," Atticus said.

"True, so I activate Quick-Play Spell 'Emergency Provisions' from my hand," Kira replied. "I send both face-up Good Goblin Housekeeping to the grave, gaining 2000 LP."

Now, with both traps in the grave, he could draw six cards in total, and return two to the bottom of his deck.

[Kira, LP: 3600 → 5600]

With his LP replenished, Kira drew cards and returned two.

"Next, I activate the Continuous Trap 'Call of the Haunted'!" Kira said. "Revive a monster from my grave in attack position. I revive 'Guardian Sphinx'!"

[Guardian Sphinx, ATK 1700]

"Sphinx attacks 'Armageddon Knight'!"

The knight was destroyed, Dark Atticus's black coat billowing in the wind.

[Dark Atticus, LP: 3000 → 2700]

"In Main Phase 2, I use Guardian Sphinx's effect to set it face-down."

The Sphinx hid again.

"And I set another monster. Turn end."

Dark Atticus bit his lip.

The confidence he'd had at the start was gone; now he faced an unprecedentedly tough situation.

The annoying Sphinx could reset itself every turn, and on flip, could bounce all his monsters. Even if he tried to break through, the opponent's backrow still included that cursed mirror...

He was running out of options.

"Not drawing, Mr. Nightshroud?" Kira smiled. "Or, if you want to surrender now, it's not too late. I hate to see people suffer, I'm really quite reasonable."

Dark Atticus realized Kira was now using his own earlier taunts against him.

"Don't get cocky."

Dark Atticus clenched his teeth.

Are you kidding?

He was Nightshroud, destined to engulf the world in darkness—when had he ever suffered such humiliation?

"My turn, draw!" Dark Atticus declared. "I activate the Spell 'Spell Books from the Pot': both players draw three cards!" (Manga card)

He quickly drew, then paused on a certain card.

There were still ways to bypass the effect of the mirror and attack.

"First, I activate my set Trap 'Sixth Sense'!" Dark Atticus announced. "I call 5 and 6, then my opponent rolls a die. If it lands on either, I draw that many cards. If not, I send that many cards from the top of my deck to the grave."

"Rolling dice, huh?" Kira said.

But it seemed Atticus inherited Joey's ace monster and looks, but not his luck—the die landed on 3.

Unfazed, Atticus sent three cards to the grave.

Then he flipped another set card.

"I activate the Trap 'Red-Eyes Spirit'! I Special Summon a 'Red-Eyes' monster from my grave. Revive, my soul, my flesh—Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Lava formed into a soaring fire dragon, which landed in a blaze of transparent flames, taking the form of the black dragon king.

Red-Eyes Black Dragon, revived!

[Red-Eyes Black Dragon, ATK 2400]

"Then I activate the Spell Card 'Inferno Fire Blast'!" Dark Atticus shouted. "If I control 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon,' I inflict damage to you equal to its original ATK!"

Chapter 459: The King

Inferno Fire Blast—activate!

This Spell Card shares its name with Red-Eyes' attack skill, similar to Kaiba's "Burst Stream of Destruction." But while Blue-Eyes destroys all on the field, Red-Eyes' spell directly deals damage to the player.

Red-Eyes' mouth swirled with dark flames, launching a ball of pitch-black fire straight at Kira. He raised his arm to shield himself, feeling the black flames surge, the searing heat exploding around him. His chest tightened, a burning pain radiating from his core as the blast detonated.

[Kira, LP 5600 → LP 3200]

"Of course, if Red-Eyes Black Dragon uses this skill, it can't attack this turn." Dark Atticus said, "But now, it's time for Red-Eyes to evolve again! I tribute 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon' on the field! The strongest dark dragon—incinerate all with the crimson flames in your eyes! Descend—!"

He held the card high. The ground beneath Red-Eyes cracked open, spiraling magma engulfing it in a pillar of fire. Dust and lava intertwined in an apocalyptic scene, chaos and destruction in symphony.

The heart of boiling magma took form, dazzling red light cutting through thick darkness and heat. An ancient dragon's blood awakened; magma was torn asunder by invisible hands as a massive dragon, clad in dark red scales and burning eyes, slowly rose as if reborn from the abyss.

Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, Summon!

[Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, ATK 2400]

"Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon can only be Special Summoned by tributing a Red-Eyes Black Dragon on the field." Dark Atticus declared, "And its attack increases by 300 for each Dragon in my Graveyard!

Right now I have Black Dragon's Chick, two Red-Eyes, and the three Dragons sent to the Graveyard by 'Sixth Sense.'

So the total ATK increase is 1800!"

[Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, ATK 2400 → ATK 4200]

"The ATK boost of Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon is a continuous effect, so 'Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror' has no effect on it."

Dark Atticus stepped forward, shouting fiercely.

"Your underhanded tricks are useless before the ultimate power of Red-Eyes! Go, Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, attack the set 'Guardian Sphinx'!"

If Sphinx flipped next turn, even his 4200 ATK Darkness Dragon would be bounced, so he had to deal with it now.

"And at this moment, I activate the Continuous Trap 'Dragon's Rage'!" Dark Atticus said, "As long as this card is on the field, my Dragons inflict piercing damage when attacking Defense Position monsters!"

[Guardian Sphinx, DEF 2400]

The Sphinx flipped face-up, but it couldn't withstand the massively powered-up Red-Eyes. Dark blasts tore through its body with a roar.

[Kira, LP 3200 → LP 1400]

"I set a card and end my turn."

With such a beautiful comeback, Dark Atticus couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh.

"How about that? This is power beyond Red-Eyes itself, Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon!" he shouted. "Even Joey Wheeler in Battle City never mastered this hidden secret of Red-Eyes!

Do you still dare say I can't control the power of the Black Dragon!?"

Kira narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself, "Comparing yourself to Joey from ten years ago, that's a bit much. Who knows how much Joey's Red-Eyes has evolved after ten years..."

"My turn. Draw."

Kira drew a card and calmly waved his hand.

"I flip summon my set monster—Dragon Manipulator."

[Dragon Manipulator, ATK 700]

"When Dragon Manipulator is flipped, I gain control of one opponent's face-up Dragon."

He pointed at Atticus's Darkness Dragon.

"Let me borrow your Red-Eyes final secret for a bit."

Dark Atticus's smile froze.

Dueling is like life—a series of ups and downs.

As the little rider swaggered forward, about to leap onto Darkness Dragon's back, Atticus shouted angrily:

"No way! I activate the Trap 'Spellbinding Illusion'! Target one opponent monster; its effect is negated and its ATK drops by 500!" (Manga card)

A magical binding circle trapped the Dragon Manipulator, rendering it immobile and unable to mount Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon.

"Did you think anyone could control Red-Eyes' power? Not so easy!" Atticus declared. "Only I am recognized by Red-Eyes...!"

Kira: "I activate the Spell Card 'Monster Reborn.' From your Graveyard, I revive your soul and body: 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon' to my field."

Atticus: "Kisama (You bastard)!!!"

But Monster Reborn was already activated; Atticus could only watch as his soul—Red-Eyes—was summoned to the opponent's field.

[Red-Eyes Black Dragon, ATK 2400]

Red-Eyes roared upon arrival, but there was a deep helplessness in its cry rather than kingly pride.

It was as if to say, "Boss, I didn't mean it. Even though I'm on the other side, my heart's still with you..."

Atticus gritted his teeth: "Even if you revived Red-Eyes, it's no match for my Darkness Dragon..."

"I activate the Spell Card 'Emblem of Dragon Destroyer'—I add a 'Buster Blader' from my Deck or Grave to my hand."

Atticus's eyes twitched.

Buster Blader?

Could it be...?

"I activate the Spell Card 'Polymerization'," Kira said calmly.

"I fuse 'Buster Blader' from my hand with 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon' on the field.

Fusion Materials: Buster Blader + any Dragon monster. Fusion Summon!"

Kira raised his hand.

"The dragon-slaying swordsman, powered by the might of the divine dragon, takes on his ultimate form—Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman! Summon!"

[Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman, ATK 2800]

Atticus's mouth hung open in shock, unable to speak.

Buster Blader—that card had only recently debuted in the latest Battle City tournament. Previously unreleased, it was the newest form of Buster Blader, and in just a few days after its appearance, had caused a worldwide sensation.

And the duelist wielding this ultra-rare Buster Blader...

"Battle," Kira said. "Buster Blader, attack 'Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon.' Also, when Buster Blader attacks a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing damage—so that's 7800 points of piercing damage."

The swordsman raised his dragon-slaying sword, an endless wave of sword energy sweeping the field. Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon looked up and gave a pitiful cry.

Facing that unmatched sword energy, Atticus's eyes widened, staring at the mysterious white-clad Revolver until the very end.

"You... you're..."

"...the King."

But he never finished the sentence.

The sword flashed.

A beam of sword light split Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon in two, the energy blasting through its body.

He stared wide-eyed until the very end.

Had he known who he was facing, he wouldn't have been so arrogant. He probably would have run away to avoid the fight altogether.

Unfortunately, he realized too late.

And it seemed he'd never get to tell anyone about this shocking discovery.

[Dark Atticus, LP 2700 → LP 0]

Chapter 460: A Honored Guest

At the last moment, Dark Atticus finally realized who he was facing.

Only now did he understand the overwhelming sense of helplessness he'd felt throughout the duel. Every summon was bounced, every effect locked down. Every move he made, he found his path blocked, every play countered, as if his opponent had woven a net and was smiling as he struggled.

He remembered now. He'd just seen this style recently—at the world-famous tournament, in the hands of the new superstar everyone was talking about.

The Duel King, Fujiki Kira.

The new apex of the dueling world, hailed by experts as "the harbinger of a new era."

Such praise wasn't just for his unfathomable strength, but also because his approach and style were so different from the mainstream. In a dueling world led by Seto Kaiba, obsessed with absolute power, this king preferred to win by denying his opponents the chance to act at all. By the time his opponents realized what was happening, they'd find themselves trapped, unable to move.

Naturally, this style reminded people of the first Duel King, Yugi Muto. While the two kings had their own personal differences, their overall strategic approach was remarkably similar—a fact sure to cause a stir in today's dueling world.

Dark Atticus—or rather, the Nightshroud-possessed consciousness—was cursing up a storm inside.

Damn it.

What kind of dogshit luck is it to randomly pick a city, a random opponent, and end up facing the new Duel King?

Dark duelists like him were confident, and even knowing their opponent was the Duel King, they might still fight. But challenging him is one thing—getting beaten to a pulp and only then realizing you were up against the final boss is something else.

You're already the king, the BOSS of all bosses—why are you running around in disguise, ambushing people in the shadows? Can't you act your natural habitat?

Of course, it was too late now. Throughout the duel, he'd felt a constant frustration, but never really considered the possibility—until the final strike from Buster Blader, when he suddenly realized he'd been outplayed.

"You @#%&!"

His final outburst was almost affectionate. Dark Atticus spread his arms, screamed in pain, and the black dragon mask fell from his face with a clatter.

He collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Kira stepped forward and checked on him.

The mask had fallen aside, and Atticus seemed to have returned to normal. Kira knew that Atticus's darkness was tied to the mask; in the anime, every time he wore it, he was controlled by Nightshroud, and every time someone defeated his dark side in a shadow duel, the mask would fall off and his true self would regain control.

But Kira found it odd. He'd intentionally held back in the duel, hoping to keep Atticus alive and use him to infiltrate the Shadow Riders and get directly to Chairman Kagemaru.

But even though he'd held back, the dark persona seemed to have self-destructed anyway.

Kira examined the mask and realized what had happened.

It had self-destructed.

This mask, connected to the GX final boss, housed a fragment of Nightshroud's evil consciousness. Upon defeat, that persona chose to destroy itself rather than be captured.

But this was probably only temporary. Kira could sense the mask was still a dangerous dark artifact. When he probed it, he even heard faint, tempting whispers in the darkness, urging him to put it on.

For ordinary people, resisting this power would be tough. Atticus had been consumed by the mask's darkness and became its slave until someone broke the dark persona through a shadow duel.

If Kira had gotten this mask six months ago, it might have been dangerous for him too.

But now, its remaining power posed no threat.

He decided to keep the artifact. He knew it was still connected to Nightshroud's world. In the third year—during the anime's final season, when Nightshroud revived—the mask would be a key clue and plot device.

Unfortunately, his plan to infiltrate the Shadow Riders had failed.

The one who joined the Shadow Riders was the dark persona; now that it was gone, only Atticus Rhodes remained. Ever since he was consumed by the mask's power, Atticus had been lost in a daze for two years. Even if he woke up now, he probably couldn't help.

And though Nightshroud was now expelled, Atticus's body had been controlled for two years, and recovery would take time. In the anime, he spent most of a semester in a coma, only awakening thanks to his sister's call.

Kira waved his hand. The duel barrier around them faded away, the darkness dissipating. Those outside could finally see what had happened.

"Boss!"

"Leader!"

His followers rushed forward.

Inside the barrier, only one was down and one still standing. The outcome was obvious. Seeing their leader defeat a Shadow Riders agent so easily, their respect only deepened.

Kira just waved them off.

"All right, clean this up for me."

His followers responded immediately. Some stepped up to help Atticus up.

Then Kurozaki leaned in and whispered, "Boss, should we dump the body in the sea, or cement it up? Your call!"

"Hah?"

Kira gave him a disgusted look.

"He's an honored guest. Get a car and take him to the hospital."

Kurozaki choked.

An honored guest?

If that's how you treat honored guests, what do you do to your enemies—wipe out their entire clan?

He felt like he understood their leader less and less.

But he only thought this; he didn't dare say it aloud. Kurozaki quickly nodded.

"Yes, yes, I'll get the guys on it right away…"

Chapter 461: Launching a New Project

Alexis came to the hospital room. When she saw the pale, frail man hooked up to all sorts of medical equipment, she froze in shock.

She slowly approached, as if barely believing it, reaching out to touch his face.

Almost as if afraid this was just a dream.

But it wasn't a dream. The man she'd searched for with all her strength—her top priority since joining Duel Academy—was lying right in front of her.

He was weak, as if he could pass at any moment, but at least he was alive—better than her worst fears.

"Onii-chan…"

The girl knelt beside the bed, gripping her brother's hand tightly, as if she'd never let go again.

"Thank goodness… Thank goodness… Thank goodness…"

She sobbed for a long time before finally regaining control, wiping away her tears and standing up again.

Only then did she look at Kira, who had stood silently nearby, aura farming. Thinking of how she'd lost control of herself before, she blushed in embarrassment.

But she was naturally open; she always saw herself as a duelist, not just a girl. Ever since her brother went missing, she'd become even more resilient.

She quickly composed herself and bowed deeply to Kira.

"Thank you… Thank you, Kira, for helping me find my brother. This was my greatest wish. If I hadn't found him, I don't know…"

She trailed off, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

"I don't even know how to thank you…"

"It's nothing, really."

Kira waved it off with a casual smile.

As for her brother having been a dark duelist and getting beaten up by him just now—there was no need to mention that.

Atticus's mind was controlled by the Nightshroud mask; the only way to wake him was through a shadow duel. Later in the anime, he'd voluntarily put on the mask twice more, and both times only a timely duel saved him from being controlled again.

Alexis asked about her brother's condition, but Kira said he didn't know the details; they'd have to ask Atticus himself when he woke up.

Of course, that wouldn't be anytime soon. Kira knew Atticus would likely be in a coma for months. The doctors said things didn't look good—recovery would depend on fate.

Alexis was saddened, but said nothing. She thanked Kira several more times.

Now, looking at Kira, she felt more complicated than before. She'd known he was stronger than the other students, had seen him defeat legends, but never thought much of it, just saw him as a top student like Zane.

But now it was different.

Duel King.

That title had always seemed so far away. Even the legendary duelists they'd all admired, those famous before they'd even started dueling, seemed dim compared to that title.

Duel King—the absolute proof of supremacy. She never imagined someone like that would be at her side, at Duel Academy. Sharing the same campus, but already on a completely different path, one all others could only look up to.

She found herself growing nervous, even in conversation.

"Well, if you insist on thanking me… let me think…"

Kira tilted his head, as if really considering what to ask for.

Alexis held her breath, a little nervous.

Whatever he said, she'd have to agree—the favor owed was enormous. But now he was the Duel King; anything he wanted was probably already his.

"Right, here."

Kira suddenly took out a deck and handed it to her. Alexis accepted it, confused.

"Red-Eyes Black Dragon?"

She looked up in surprise.

"This is Onii-chan's…"

"Yeah, Atticus's deck. The legendary Red-Eyes is really powerful. But I think it has even more potential."

Kira smiled.

"Until Atticus wakes up, you'll naturally be the one to keep his deck safe. And as thanks, I'm giving you a new job."

Kira became serious, like a boss assigning a task.

"At the start of the new semester, a new project team will be formed. I already have several ideas for developing Red-Eyes. Until Atticus wakes up, you'll be in charge. When he recovers, try to get him on board so you can hand off the work."

He smiled again.

"You'll be working overtime this year."

Alexis stared at the deck in her hands, stunned for a moment.

Then she couldn't help but laugh.

She stood tall and nodded firmly.

"Okay."

…

…

Somewhere in the darkness.

In a space where all light was devoured, only a few wisps of shadow twisted. Heavy air, dangerous presences watching each other.

At the center, a gloomy voice spoke.

"Nightshroud isn't coming back."

"Oh? That cute guy?"

A woman's voice. Only a black outline was visible, but her voluptuous figure was clear as she lounged lazily, showing off her long legs.

"That's a shame. He looked pretty handsome. I thought maybe we could make some excellent babies together…"

No one responded.

"One of the Shadow Riders has fallen."

Another voice said coldly.

"Does the plan have to be delayed?"

"No, it can't be delayed."

The person at the center replied, his tone soft but commanding.

"Time is short. We must act now—no more delays."

He looked up, eyes filled with unyielding determination.

"I must have the Sacred Beasts' cards. No matter what, within three months, they must be in our hands."

"But the situation has changed."

The prior speaker said.

"You must know—the Academy just produced a King. Chancellor Sheppard won't hesitate to seek the King's protection for the school…"

"No matter. Isn't one of you still inside the Academy?"

The central figure looked coldly at the shadowy speaker.

"You're already inside, and have gotten close to the new Duel King, haven't you?"

The shadow was silent.

"I've always trusted your abilities. You'll handle everything inside. I'm sure of it. Enough talk—I've made my decision."

He spoke with authority.

"Get ready, everyone. The Shadow Riders… must prepare to act."