Yugioh [468-473] (Patreon)

Chapter 468: Virus

"I set one card facedown and end my turn."

Harboring some suspicion, Ha Des still chose to end his turn first, his gaze shifting between Dark Scorpion - Meanae the Thorn who had just appeared on Kira's field and Kira himself.

Of course, by this point, even if he saw through it, it would be too late to make a difference.

"My turn, draw.

I activate the Spell Card 'Graceful Charity' to draw three cards from my deck, then discard two cards from my hand."

Kira discarded two cards, but immediately followed up with a smooth draw combo.

"One of the cards I discarded is the Spell Card 'Card of Compensation', which lets me draw two more cards from my deck."

So Kira drew two more cards.

"I activate my set card, Trap Card—

—Crush Card Virus!"

Immediately, a mass of dark red virus rose from the ground, enveloping Meanae on Kira's field. Meanae seemed to dissolve in the virus, and using her as a medium, the virus quickly spread like a plague to Ha Des' field.

Ha Des' two main monsters on the field—himself and Summoned Skull—were quickly wrapped up by the virus, and after a weak moan, their bodies dissolved and vanished from the field.

"NANI!?"

Ha Des was shocked.

"My strongest demon, and myself—how could this be..."

"Crush Card Virus: By tributing a DARK monster with 1000 or less ATK on your field, you destroy all monsters your opponent controls, in their hand, and that they draw for the next three turns, with 1500 or more ATK." (Old effect)

The simple otherworldly spirit had never seen such a vicious virus before, his eyes were now wide open.

The field was wiped clean, not even sparing cards in hand or those that haven't been drawn yet?

Ha Des' eyes were turning red.

It was as if he was being accused of being despicable for using biochemical weapons.

"Next, I banish the DARK 'Black Scorpion – Thorn Meanae' from my Graveyard and the LIGHT 'Skelengel' discarded by 'Damage Condenser' last turn from the game.

Now, wizard who commands the power of light and darkness, appear before me—"

Kira slapped a monster card onto the Duel Disk.

"Chaos Sorcerer, Summon!"

A vortex of light and dark energy appeared, and the pitch-black sorcerer descended as if riding the wind.

[Chaos Sorcerer, ATK 2300]

"Next, I activate the Spell Card 'Monster Reborn'!

 I can Special Summon a monster from either my or my opponent's Graveyard."

Kira pointed to Ha Des' Graveyard.

"I Special Summon your 'Summoned Skull'!"

Thunder gathered and struck down, transforming into a surging lightning! Summoned Skull appeared, still looking as domineering as ever, but now fighting for the other side.

[Summoned Skull, ATK 2500]

Ha Des glared at the Summoned Skull.

"You dare betray me!"

Summoned Skull: "..."

Kira had already issued his command: "Chaos Sorcerer, direct attack!"

The sorcerer shot out both palms, light and dark energy gathering in his hands, magic surging like a tidal wave.

Both Chaos Sorcerer and Summoned Skull attacked in succession, directly sealing Ha Des' defeat!

"Counter Trap 'Negate Attack'!" Ha Des shouted, "Negates the attack of an opponent's monster and ends the Battle Phase!"

A transparent cyclone spun in front of him, sucking up all the magical energy and dispersing it.

"With the Battle Phase forcibly ended, we move to Main Phase 2. But my turn isn't over yet."

Kira smiled mysteriously.

Then, unhurriedly, he pressed the last set card on his Duel Disk.

"I activate my set card: Trap Card—Deck Devastation Virus!"

Ha Des' heart skipped a beat.

Another virus?

This time—

 "Deck Devastation Virus: Tribute a DARK monster with 2000 or more ATK on your field," Kira explained calmly, "Then destroy all your opponent's monsters on the field, in their hand, and all monsters they draw for the next three turns with 1500 or less ATK.

I tribute 'Chaos Sorcerer' to activate the virus!"

Chaos Sorcerer became the medium for the virus. This time, an inky black wave swept out. Ha Des' field was already empty, but in his hand, with a snap, another card was blown up—clearly a low-level monster sent to the Graveyard.

Ha Des' expression froze.

Then in seconds, it turned to bewilderment, then shock, then rage, grievance, and terror.

First it was monsters with over 1500 ATK, now even the weaklings aren't spared!?

Does this mean he's lost the right to summon monsters at all?

"You, you, you—"

The Dark Ruler's face went from green to white with rage.

"I set two cards. Turn end."

Kira smiled.

Ha Des was already starting to feel a chill down his spine.

No matter what monster he draws, it'll get blown up. His field is empty, he can't even do basic summons.

And his opponent's back row is a neat row of terrifying set cards...

No.

He's a proud general under the Supreme King. He can't fall so easily, especially not here, in the Supreme King's army and home turf.

Lord Supreme King, lend me your strength...

Ha Des's pupils shrank, the barrier around them seemed to burst with darkness. He roared, and for an instant, it was like a true king stood in his eyes, watching coldly over all.

"I activate the Spell Card 'Card of Sanctity'! Both players draw until they have six cards in hand!"

Kira rested his chin on his hand: "Hmm, so this is the power of the Supreme King..."

"Oh, beautiful draw! The energy's back!" 

Even Jaden couldn't help but cheer. But then he added, "But even with Card of Sanctity, the cards drawn will still be affected by 'Crush Card Virus.'"

Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, the virus crept into Ha Des' hand. With two snaps, two more cards in Ha Des' hand were destroyed.

"Crush Card Virus and Deck Devastation Virus are both in effect. Any monsters you draw must be destroyed," Kira said.

Even after refilling his hand, he still couldn't escape the virus threat. It seemed like a desperate situation, but Ha Des suddenly laughed instead of getting angry, head thrown back in wild laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

The onlookers were all suspicious.

Did the general get driven mad? How can he laugh at a time like this?

"Hahaha, I said, with the power the Supreme King gave me, there's no situation I can't overcome!"

Ha Des shouted.

"One of the cards you destroyed is the monster 'Necro Fleur'!

 When Necro Fleur is destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a 'Sorciere de Fleur' from my deck!"

Chapter 469: I Did My Best

Sorciere de Fleur, Summon!

[Sorciere de Fleur, ATK 2900]

"Huh, summoning a high-level monster by destroying cards in hand?" Even Jaden was impressed. "Oh, that's kinda cool."

"I told you, with the Supreme King's power, there's no situation I can't overcome!" Ha Des declared. "Sorciere de Fleur's effect!

 When this card is summoned, I can Special Summon a monster from your Graveyard to my field!"

He laughed maniacally, pointing to Kira's Duel Disk.

"I'll borrow your Chaos Sorcerer!"

Sorciere de Fleur's magic activated, targeting the Chaos Sorcerer in Kira's Graveyard, ready to turn him against his former master.

That would leave Kira with Ha Des' Summoned Skull and Ha Des with Kira's Chaos Sorcerer—a somewhat ironic scene.

Kira rested his chin in his hand, smiling at the witch.

A witch who can pull monsters from the opponent's Graveyard—what a card.

"You can taste what it's like to be betrayed by your own servant!" Ha Des laughed.

"Then, Continuous Trap—Fiendish Chain." Kira snapped his fingers.

Green demonic chains shot out, binding the witch tightly. She struggled at first, but the more she resisted, the tighter the chains, until she had to give up.

Ha Des was shocked: "What did you do to my witch!?"

"Nothing, just letting her take a breather. Monsters bound by the chain can't attack and their effects are negated," Kira said lightly. "She might even enjoy it."

Ha Des' face turned from green to red with rage: "You scoundrel—"

Such a perfect draw, using the virus to summon his ace, and still he was blocked...

Ha Des felt like the whole duel was covered in dark clouds. The chains didn't just bind the witch, but himself too, though he hadn't realized it yet.

He thought he still had agency in the duel. In reality, he'd already been chained, and any struggle only made the chains tighter.

But he hadn't given up.

"I set a card. End turn."

It wasn't over. His power, the Supreme King's expectations, couldn't end here.

He had to prove himself. The opponent was just a passing traveler from another world...

"My turn, draw."

Kira drew a card, speaking casually.

"Though she's bound, 2900 ATK is still tough to break through. So I set one monster in Defense Position, and set two more cards. End turn."

"My turn!"

Ha Des shouted, as if yelling would improve his draws.

The witch could hold the field for now, but this wasn't a long-term plan.

When he saw the card he drew, his eyes lit up as if seeing hope.

Monster Reborn!

A crucial card in this situation! All his monsters had been blown to the Graveyard by the virus—his Graveyard was a massive arsenal, and this card was the key to unlocking it.

Thinking of this, Ha Des laughed again, head thrown back.

He could feel it! That surging power in his veins, the Supreme King's power to create hope even in despair!

"You sure love to laugh, spirit... well, a smile is a good thing."

Kira smiled slightly.

"But don't rush. In your Standby Phase, I'll activate this set card.

Trap Card—Eradicator Epidemic Virus."

Ha Des laughed: "A virus? Just a virus—what can it do against the Supreme King's power..."

But halfway through, his remaining rationality pulled him back.

Wait, which virus is this time?

"Eradicator Epidemic Virus: Tribute a DARK monster with 2500 or more ATK, and declare either Spell or Trap. All cards of that type in your opponent's hand, on their field, and drawn for the next three turns are destroyed!" Kira explained.

Ha Des: "?"

His smile froze. His mind crashed for a moment.

Wait, let me process this.

For three turns, all declared cards are destroyed—so...

"I tribute the 2500+ ATK DARK 'Summoned Skull' and declare Spell Cards.

All Spell Cards in your hand, on your field, and drawn in the next three turns will be destroyed."

Ha Des stared in disbelief. The turned traitor Summoned Skull became the virus medium again, sweeping through his field and hand, destroying his precious Monster Reborn and the mighty Mausoleum of the Emperor.

My Monster Reborn... the Supreme King's gift...

Snap, snap.

Two more cards in Ha Des' hand exploded.

Ha Des was dumbstruck.

This is too much!

First monsters over 1500 ATK, then under 1500, now even Spells...

So now, the only thing left is Traps!?

Ha Des nearly laughed out of anger.

Win a duel using only Trap cards? Is that even possible?

But he had no choice: "Damn it, I set two cards and end my turn."

Just have to survive these three turns.

Just make it to the fourth turn...

"Then, in your End Phase, I activate a set card," Kira said, "Trap Card—Trap of Darkness."

Ha Des felt a chill in his heart.

Trap of Darkness?

"Trap of Darkness: When you have less than 3000 Life Points, pay 1000 Life Points to banish a Normal Trap Card from your Graveyard and gain its effect."

Kira smiled, pulling a card from his Graveyard.

"I pay 1000 Life Points, and banish 'Eradicator Epidemic Virus' to gain its effect."

[Kira, LP 1500→LP 500]

Eradicator Epidemic Virus...

Ha Des' face turned ashen, realizing something terrible.

"But—that virus needs a 2500+ ATK DARK monster as tribute. You don't have one..."

"No need," Kira explained, "Trap of Darkness only requires paying 1000 Life Points as its cost.

It copies the Trap's effect, but not its cost. In other words, I can copy the target Trap's effect without tributing a monster."

Ha Des was devastated.

"How can this be..."

"Therefore, by paying 1000 Life Points, this time I declare Trap Cards," Kira said, "All Trap Cards in your hand, on your field, and drawn in the next three turns are destroyed."

As he spoke, the virus swept through Ha Des' field, infecting all three set cards.

Bottomless Trap Hole: banishes and destroys an opponent's monster with 1500+ ATK when summoned.

Hallowed Life Barrier: discard a card to be immune to all damage for a turn—a stalling lifesaver.

And finally, Mirror Force: destroys all attacking monsters during a battle.

Originally an ironclad defense, a perfect formation...

The Dark Ruler watched his Traps being destroyed one by one, almost in tears.

Monsters above 1500 ATK, below 1500, Spells, and now Traps...

At this point, every card he holds will just be blown up.

Ha Des really wanted to cry.

Why not just blow me up too, while you're at it...

"My turn, draw."

Kira lazily raised his hand.

"Flip Summon the set monster—Gravekeeper's Guard."

[Gravekeeper's Guard, ATK 1000]

"When Gravekeeper's Guard is flipped, one opponent's monster returns to hand. 'Sorciere de Fleur' returns to your hand."

The Guard slammed his trident into the ground, a wave of energy surged, carrying the witch back to Ha Des' hand.

Ha Des: "..."

"Then, tribute the Spellcaster-type 'Gravekeeper's Guard'—

Silent wings of hope, Magician of Light, descend—

—Silent Magician, Summon!"

A holy white magic circle. Silent Magician, her silver hair fluttering, landed gracefully.

[Silent Magician, ATK 1000]

"Silent Magician's ATK increases by 500 for each card in my hand," Kira explained. "I have four cards left, so she gains 2000 ATK."

[Silent Magician, ATK 1000→ATK 3000]

"Silent Magician, direct attack!" Kira gave the final order. "Silent Magic Burst!"

The silver-haired magician stepped forward, her staff spinning, white light gathering at its tip into a swirling spiral, blasting out like a cannon!

Ha Des let out a long breath.

Lord Supreme King, I'm sorry.

But I really did my best...

[Ha Des, LP 3000→LP 0]

Chapter 470: The Gambler Duelist

Silent Magician's blast pierced the darkness. The Supreme King's army that Ha Des had cherished was shredded by the attack, the thick black mist dispersed, the barrier shattered.

The light in Ha Des' eyes dimmed, along with the shadow of the king reflected in his pupils.

But perhaps it was just an illusion.

For a moment, Jaden felt as if the terrifying Supreme King behind the spirit was looking at him through those eyes.

As if to say—

—I see you.

But it was just a fleeting illusion. Jaden shook himself out of it, as if everything just now was a hallucination.

The duel ended, but Silent Magician did not return to Kira's Deck. She still floated above the ground, staff in hand, standing upon a white magic circle, her robes and silver hair fluttering. Her cold eyes swept over the remaining subordinates.

Ha Des was clearly the core of this group, and with their leader defeated, the others were terrified, kneeling in trembling silence.

The blonde girl who had brought them here was pale as a sheet.

This wasn't her first time doing this: many from other dimensions, elves, warriors, and travelers ended up dead or captured—never once had anyone escaped.

But for someone to turn the tables so easily, defeating the terrifying Ha Des in short order—today they had clearly provoked someone they shouldn't have.

The girl had actually never left, hiding behind a rock at a distance, watching. Now that Ha Des had been taken care of, his subordinates likely doomed as well, she tried to slip away silently to report back.

Ha Des' group was a lost cause. Her priority was to get to the nearest camp and warn the Supreme King ASAP.

But before she could turn, she suddenly felt a chill, her whole body enveloped in darkness. A demonic voice whispered in her ear: "Where do you think you're going, little girl?"

Her heart tightened, and she instinctively looked back—to see that pitch-black demon lord had silently appeared behind her. His body was shrouded in evil black mist, and to look into his terrifying eyes was like gazing into hell itself.

The girl let out a piercing scream.

"."

Half a minute later, the Shadow Monarch Caius casually dragged the girl out as if picking up a chicken and tossed her down.

The minions had also all been subdued, helplessly looking at Kira.

"Don't be nervous, we just want to ask a few questions," Kira said gently, "We come from a peaceful world, not fond of violence, and won't hurt anyone unnecessarily."

The minions glanced at the limp Ha Des on the ground, who seemed to have no pulse.

"Oh," Kira said flatly, "He's just sleeping."

The minions: "..."

Like a baby's sleep, right?

Fine, if you say so, it is.

We wouldn't dare say otherwise.

"We have business with your Supreme King," Kira got to the point.

He noticed that mentioning the Supreme King made everyone flinch.

"We're just interested in chatting with the king who unified the twelve dimensions," Kira continued. "You can see, we're outsiders and don't know the way.

So please, just give us directions to the Supreme King's city."

The minions looked troubled.

It wasn't that they didn't want to say, or out of loyalty—they had already lost a simple Shadow Game to Kira, and were essentially bound by a duel contract.

So even if they wanted to resist, they couldn't.

"Only the Supreme King's trusted aides know where Supreme King City is. We really don't know the exact location. But!"

One quickly explained, afraid that hesitation would get them killed.

With Silent Magician and Shadow Monarch Caius standing by Kira, the subordinates knew they couldn't mess with these two.

"We know who does know!" that minion said. "Head north from here, there's a much bigger camp up there. Their commander will definitely know the way to Supreme King City.

To be honest, we're just conscripts under the Supreme King's banner, captured and forced to serve here.

It's only because there's been a hunt for the troublemaking Gambler Duelist at the dimensional border that they're short on men and let us join the ranks."

"Wait," Kira interrupted, "Who are you hunting?"

"Oh, you must be new around here," the minion replied. "Lately, there's been dimensional turmoil, with all sorts of travelers crossing into our territory.

Among them is a duelist who apparently got into a conflict with the garrison at the border. Since then, he's been a high-priority wanted criminal.

He's had clashes with the Supreme King's forces in multiple places, defeating several of our generals, including some top duelists.

They say he's strong and his duels are bizarre—he's a master of dice, always turning the tables with a single die when he's at a disadvantage, using unpredictable tricks.

Many of our top generals have fallen to him..."

Kira: "..."

This description... no way?

He thought for a moment and confirmed:

"Is this person blond by any chance?"

"Huh? You know him?"

The minion was surprised.

Kira pondered.

The legendary duelist Joey Wheeler went missing after Battle City. He was last rumored to have clashed with Tragoedia, and then vanished.

Tragoedia was never one for fair duels and preferred underhanded tactics.

If Tragoedia got tangled with Joey, and realized his dice skills were too hard to handle, he'd probably avoid a head-on fight.

Like, dig a pit and send him to the Spirit World, then block the exit or something...

Chapter 471: School Season Begins

Joey in the Spirit World?

Of course, that was just a thought—there was no evidence or confirmation. Kira tucked the idea away for now.

There wasn't much more of value from the aftermath. However, they did manage to get a fragmentary map of this dimension's limited region, and they marked their next exploration target on it—the location of the next Supreme King Army camp.

The two returned to the nearby small town. Near the edge of town, through the bushes, they heard voices by the river.

"Lord Mountain God wants seven live sacrifices this time," a man's voice said, sounding troubled. "That's even more than last time, and the gap between ceremonies seems shorter too."

Another man replied, "Since the Mountain God requested it, we have to do our best."

"But that's too many, no matter how you look at it—"

"Shut up."

The other man suddenly snapped, then lowered his voice.

"Careful with your words. What if someone hears—"

"Yeah, you're right. Still, even if no one says anything, I can tell the people in town aren't happy either," the first man sighed. "It's getting harder for us to manage.

But you're right, no matter what, we can't risk angering Lord Mountain God—"

Hearing this, Jaden immediately leapt out of the bushes.

"If you're talking about the Mountain God in those hills, you don't need to worry anymore."

Jaden stood with his hands on his hips, looking quite proud.

The two men were startled and turned around. Both looked human, wearing simple rough-spun clothes, rugged and tanned—like country folk.

Clearly locals of the Spirit World.

Their first reaction to seeing someone was to shrink back, like startled rabbits ready to bolt. Earlier, when Kira and Jaden entered town, it was empty—clearly the residents weren't hospitable and avoided strangers.

But after hearing what the red-clothed youth said, the two paused and exchanged glances. One asked, "Who are you?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Jaden grinned, "That so-called Mountain God isn't a god at all, but an evil spirit. We've already defeated that guy."

"From now on, you'll never have to worry about being forced to make sacrifices again."

Jaden had always admired heroes, fantasizing about one day being able to punish evil and promote good like in the comics. Now that opportunity had come, naturally he felt proud.

Well, the only regret was that he couldn't really take all the credit, since Kira had snatched the finishing blow.

But either way, he expected the townsfolk to be grateful—even if not in any material way, at least with words of thanks for their savior.

Things didn't go as expected.

One man frowned skeptically, "What nonsense is this, kid? Lord Mountain God's power is unfathomable, how could someone like you—"

But the other man blanched, voice trembling, "Wait, he might be telling the truth. Look at his hand—"

The first man followed his gaze to Jaden's right hand, and his face changed instantly.

That's... a Duel Disk!

He's a Duelist!

In this world, Duelists are wielders of powerful secret arts, able to command armies with their cards—like armies in one person.

"That's right, I'm from out of town, and I'm a Duelist," Jaden said proudly. "So don't worry, your Mountain God—"

"You—you killed him! You killed Lord Mountain God!"

The man cried out in despair.

"It's over. With Lord Mountain God dead, we have no more prophecies, no more teachings. How will we live without his guidance?"

"Eh?"

Jaden was dumbfounded.

This was not what he had expected.

The man hung his head. His companion sighed and patted him on the shoulder. "Let's go tell everyone."

"Yeah."

The two ignored Jaden and trudged away, heads down as if their souls had been sucked out.

Jaden watched their retreating backs, dazed and confused.

For perhaps the first time in his life, he felt that justice wasn't so clear-cut, and was left at a loss.

Kira patted him on the shoulder.

"This has nothing to do with us," he said.

"...Yeah."

Jaden nodded, but it was unclear if he really heard.

"Let's go. That's enough for today," Kira said. "It's late, we should get some rest. The school opening ceremony is tomorrow—if we're late, we won't be able to get up in time."

"..."

Jaden didn't say another word all night.

Kira recorded their current coordinates in this dimension—like saving game progress. Then the two logged out and left the dimension.

That night, both went to rest.

…..

The next morning, Duel Academy held its new term opening ceremony in the great hall.

Same familiar hall, same familiar feeling—and as usual, Jaden was late and missed the start of the ceremony, just like last term.

After being dragged out of bed by Syrus and rushing to the hall, Jaden dozed off in line as usual, drawing the first scolding of the semester from Professor Crowler.

Surprisingly, Chancellor Sheppard didn't show up at the opening. Last term, he hadn't attended in person either, but at least made a speech on the big screen. This time, even the speech was left to Professor Crowler.

The first day of the new term seemed to pass uneventfully.

But no one noticed that, that night, outside the Red, Yellow, and Blue dorms, several strange bats flew by.

They hung upside down outside, each with pairs of dark red eyes, watching the students inside through the windows with cold indifference.

Far away, across a foggy sea, an ancient castle had appeared.

Luxurious and old, the castle's bathroom was filled with the gentle scent of lavender and moonlight streaming through the misted window, draping everything in silver gauze. Amid the rising steam, a woman lay in the bath.

She lounged comfortably, her skin pale in the moonlight. Layers of delicate soap bubbles hid most of her body, only a deep cleavage exposed above the water.

"Duel Academy, huh?"

The woman smiled, her eyes lighting up with a red glow—just like the bats outside the dorms.

Chapter 472: Shadow of the Bat

Kira yawned, chin in hand, an elbow propped on his desk, gazing out the window as sunlight filtered through the trees, lost in thought.

This was unusual for him—he rarely daydreamed in class. But staying up late with Jaden last night and logging out at dawn had thrown off his usual routine, so today he felt a bit off.

Also, he was bored.

The professor had assigned some in-class exercises. Unlike the other students who groaned, Kira finished within three minutes and had nothing else to do.

At this point, he did all his work through self-discipline. Even if he wanted to ask questions, most teachers didn't feel confident teaching him.

Nine times out of ten, his answers were taken as the new standard. If they conflicted with the textbook, the books were changed to match him.

The professors had a simple explanation—

—The people who wrote the textbooks never won the Duel King title.

Exactly. Duel King. That changed everything.

He was no longer just an ordinary student.

Walking around campus, even swiping his ID at the cafeteria drew attention. Teachers and staff greeted him, students watched nervously, pretty senior girls seemed magnetically attracted to sit near him at the library—sometimes even the cafeteria aunties treated him with respect.

Every detail reminded him he could no longer be just a regular student.

He couldn't say he didn't enjoy it—but he still wanted a normal learning experience.

His first term at Duel Academy had been rewarding; holding the Duel King title didn't mean he couldn't improve. His studies and research were still intense, and he hoped teachers wouldn't hold back just because of his reputation.

Still, there were perks. All teachers assumed he didn't need to attend class, do homework, or complete coursework. Whether or not he showed up, as long as he took the final, he'd get a perfect score.

If he negotiated, he could probably skip the exam too.

But it didn't set a bad example. First, he had a reputation as a studious maniac, not like Jaden who never attended class but dueled like a genius.

And everyone else agreed—of course the Duel King was above the rules.

In fact, many were amazed he still attended class at all.

Now, Kira could freely pick any courses he liked, with more time for himself.

Notably, he still maintained perfect attendance in Alchemy class—long after everyone else had stopped going.

Having finished his work, Kira glanced out the window.

For just an instant, he caught a shadow out of the corner of his eye.

A bat?

But when he looked again, there was nothing.

Kira frowned slightly.

Camula the Vampire?

Among the Shadow Riders, Camula was known for using bats as her agents, her eyes and ears for intelligence gathering.

In the anime, she spied on all seven keyholders' decks with bats to prepare for her duels.

Honestly, Kira didn't mind such tactics. In his dueling experience, intelligence was always part of the game—a huge factor in victory.

Of course, there shouldn't be bats flying around in broad daylight—so it was likely a Shadow Rider.

According to the original story, Camula was the second to appear. But since Atticus had already been taken out by Kira, Camula replacing him as the first wasn't impossible.

Also, in the original, the Chancellor gave the seven keys sealing the Sacred Beasts to seven trusted people, and the Shadow Riders came to take them. But this time, the Chancellor hadn't done that yet.

So were they going straight for the Chancellor?

Maybe not. At the end of this arc, the real boss Kagemaru revealed that the keys were a ruse—the real purpose was to collect the energy from Shadow Duels, not the keys themselves.

Kira turned his head, pretending not to notice the bat, but was already thinking.

With a thought, he whispered, "Silent."

Silent Magician appeared at his side, staff in hand, waiting for orders.

Kira beckoned her close, and she bent down, her silvery hair falling through the desk as a spirit.

He leaned in and whispered a few instructions.

Most classmates were busy with their work; even if they looked over, they couldn't see the spirit—just Kira talking to himself.

Silent Magician listened intently, nodding seriously.

When he finished, she phased through the wall and left the classroom.

Kira propped his chin in his hand, mouth twitching in a slight smile.

Camula, the intelligence gatherer. But if you know your opponent's style in advance, you can use it against them.

And Kira already knew her—and all the Shadow Riders'—decks well enough.

He smiled.

A little preparation, then wait for the vampire to take the bait.

Chapter 473: Eyes of the Bat

Night fell. The daytime noise faded, the trees in the forest interlocked like walls, blocking the sky in patchwork fragments.

Shadows stretched and twisted on the ground like ghosts.

After a day of study, Zane was walking the path back to the student dorms.

This was his last semester at Duel Academy, but after three years as Kaiser, he was feeling a bit lost.

It wasn't regret about losing his title—especially since no one thought it shameful to lose to Kira, the Duel King.

But his duel with Kira had made him think deeply—about his future, how to change his dueling style, how to break his limit and move forward.

Of course, he had joined Kira's lab without hesitation. And Kira hadn't misled him—here, he saw new possibilities for his Cyber Dragons.

Possibilities he'd never noticed before.

His horizons had broadened; he saw more paths, but didn't yet know which to choose. But he was determined—this semester, he'd find his way and break through.

Without warning, a cold mist rose, like ghostly breath from the earth, shrouding the forest.

Halfway along, he realized something was wrong. The fog grew so thick he could barely see. There was an ominous feeling to it, not like natural mist.

After his experience in Battle City, Zane had become sensitive to the darkness—he'd seen gods and other dark forces with his own eyes.

"Who's there?"

He turned suddenly.

A few seconds of silence.

Then, from behind a tree, a graceful woman stepped out, giggling. She was tall, with green hair, strange eyes, red lips, and long, shapely legs under her dress.

"Not only cute, but pretty sharp too," she licked her lips, looking him over appreciatively. "Looking closely, you're quite handsome. The genes for our baby would be good too."

Zane was startled.

Jumping straight to making babies? What is this approach?

He took a half-step back, wary. "Miss, please mind yourself. Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Camula."

She smiled, bats fluttering behind her.

She raised her arm and activated her Duel Disk.

"No need for further explanation. Unless you defeat me in a duel, you'll never get out of this fog."

Zane didn't know her background or motives, but he could guess: "A Shadow Duel?"

"Oh? You're quite knowledgeable. That's right, a Shadow Duel," Camula smiled. "So, handsome, do you dare accept?"

Zane's mind flashed back to the terrifying Shadow Duels he'd witnessed in Battle City—and the misery of the losers.

Was it finally his turn?

Of course he was scared.

But...

"Let's do it!"

Zane activated his Duel Disk.

He couldn't back down now.

Camula laughed, delighted: "Good! I love brave, strong men. Let's begin!"

"Duel!" x2

 [Zane, LP 4000]

 [Camula, LP 4000]

"I'll go first. Draw!" Camula said. "I summon 'Zombie Werewolf' in Attack Position!"

Under the moonlight, a werewolf with shackled hands appeared, howling at the moon.

(Anime card.)

[Zombie Werewolf, ATK 1200]

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

"My turn, draw!"

This was Zane's first Shadow Duel. He didn't know his opponent's strength, but it was the most dangerous moment of his life. He focused all his energy.

But before he could do anything, Camula suddenly acted. She let out a sharp laugh and waved her hand.

"Before you can do anything, let me block your way!"

"What?" Zane was shocked.

"I activate my set card, Continuous Trap—Dragon Capture Jar!"

The most famous anti-Dragon tool from DM days, a giant jar with a twisted dragon face appeared on Camula's field.

"As long as this card is on the field, all Dragon-Type monsters are sealed!" Camula laughed. "If you're a Dragon user, you're in trouble..."

But seeing this, Zane closed his eyes and smiled with relief.

"Just as Kira said..."

He opened his eyes and began his move.

"I activate the Equip Spell 'Future Fusion'!" Zane declared. "I can send Fusion Materials from my deck to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon a monster!" (Anime effect)

He drew three Cyber Dragons from his deck.

"I send three 'Cyber Dragons' to the Graveyard and Fusion Summon!"

He raised his arm. Three Cyber Dragons appeared, merging into a whirlpool of energy.

Steel and electricity fused; a three-headed dragon like a fortress descended!

Cyber End Dragon, Summon!

[Cyber End Dragon, ATK 4000]

A 4000-ATK monster right at the start!

But that wasn't what shocked Camula most.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"It's not a Dragon-Type!?"

She was stunned.

"Why? Aren't you a Dragon user?"

Before Zane could answer, a voice came from the mist.

"As expected. Those bats are your spies, aren't they?"

Camula was startled.

"Using bats to scout your opponent's deck before battle is clever—I don't mind it. But once you're seen through, it can backfire."

"Who!?" Camula shouted.

Kira stepped out of the fog with a smile.

Camula's pupils shrank, her expression turning ugly.

"Duel King, Fujiki Kira!?"