Yugioh [480-485] (Patreon)

Chapter 480: The Seven Keys

"First like this, and then like this."

Professor Lyman sat at the lectern, cradling a cat in one arm while casually pouring colorful liquids from test tubes into a beaker with the other.

Even a layman with the slightest bit of sense could tell how amateurish that operation was.

Bang!

 Another explosion announced the failure of the experiment.

The students, however, were long used to it. Lyman emerged soot-stained and ashen-faced, like a charred pig's head, his glasses sliding crookedly down his nose. Yet he still smiled. "Ahh, ahh—how regrettable, another failure.

Alchemy and the like—seems the ancients claiming you could refine gold from stone were unreliable after all."

Kira watched Lyman's routine act of playing dumb without surprise. The man's in-class demonstrations had almost never succeeded; his failure rate hovered at 99%. But if you actually listened carefully, you'd find his lectures weren't devoid of substance.

Sometimes, whether by slip of the tongue or design, he'd even let drop words that strayed beyond the textbook into rather advanced fields of alchemy. It was just that so few students ever attended his class, and even fewer truly listened, so almost no one noticed.

The bell rang.

"Man, that nap hit the spot. Lunchtime, lunchtime," Jaden said, stretching as he stood.

As the academy's top class-cutter, Jaden normally wouldn't be caught dead in such an unpopular class. But Lyman was the dorm head of their Slifer dorm; cutting class while holed up in the dorm might have made life… difficult. So even though he had zero interest in alchemy, Jaden still came every period.

He just slept through it.

"Oh right, Jaden," Lyman said with his ever-present smile. "The Chancellor would like you to stop by his office after class."

Jaden froze mid-motion. "Eh?"

Before Lyman had even finished, Chazz shot to his feet in the back row and threw his head back in laughter.

"So our time together was short after all, Jaden!" Chazz crowed. "Looks like your days at Duel Academy are at an end—"

Then Lyman drawled, "Oh, Chazz, you too."

Chazz's smile froze.

"What!?"

"And Asuka Rhodes, Bastion Misawa, and Fujiki Kira… if anyone isn't here, please pass the message along," Lyman said as he unhurriedly stroked the cat.

"The Chancellor is waiting in his office."

The others looked at each other, uncertain and at a loss. Kira, however, already had a good idea.

Though the world line had shifted a bit from the original story, it seemed they were finally getting to this part.

…

A short while later, in the Chancellor's office.

"The… Three Sacred Beasts?"

Jaden repeated the term, puzzled.

To most of those present—especially the freshmen—it was wholly unfamiliar.

"Yes. Three cards handed down from ancient times," Chancellor Sheppard said, standing with his hands clasped behind his back.

"This school was originally built on the seal of those three cards. The Beasts sleep in the deepest part beneath this island.

Legend says that when the cards of the Three Sacred Beasts see the light of day again, the world will be shrouded in chaos and darkness.

The darkness that once eroded mankind will be unleashed, and the world will end, returning to nothingness."

Sheppard's face was grave, his voice low.

"Three cards said to harbor such power—deeply ominous ones."

Everyone's expressions shifted.

The end of the world? At first it sounded absurd, but in the bizarre world they lived in, it wasn't impossible. The finals of Duel City not long ago had showcased power capable of destroying the world; they had all seen it with their own eyes…

As they were thinking this, gazes began turning toward Kira.

Quite naturally, everyone thought of the supreme Egyptian God he had summoned in that final—The Winged Dragon of Ra.

In fact, given Kira's outstanding performance this term, he should have been promoted to Obelisk Blue. But he refused.

Kira figured he already enjoyed treatment at the Academy beyond that of Blue students anyway. Moving dorms was a hassle, and he'd grown quite comfortable in his current environment. More importantly, he was starting to feel that Ra Yellow suited him best, so he chose to stay of his own accord.

Rumor had it that when Ra Yellow's barely-noticed dorm head, Sartyr, heard his decision, he was moved to tears.

"Oooh, those sound like awesome cards!" Jaden alone was excited. "I'd love to see them someday!"

Sheppard said, "And now, challengers seeking to unseal them have appeared. They are called the 'Shadow Riders'—dark duelists, each one with formidable ability.

Beneath this island lie seven stone locks that maintain the seal on the Beasts. The seven stone locks must be opened by seven keys.

And those keys… are right here."

He set a small black box on the desk.

"I would like you to protect these keys."

They glanced at one another.

"Protect them?" Misawa asked. "But even if you say protect, how—"

"Through dueling, of course," Sheppard said. "To seize a key, it must be done by duel—that is the promise set in legend.

I hesitated at first, unsure whether to involve young people like you in this dangerous struggle. But last night, Zane told me the Shadow Riders have already arrived, and that even if I didn't hand the keys over to you, they would still attack the students…"

All eyes turned in surprise to Zane.

Zane nodded, impassive. "It's true. The opponent was very strong—I nearly slipped."

Even Zane said that…

 Their expressions grew more solemn.

"So I thought: perhaps even if I don't follow the covenant and give the keys to guardians, the Shadow Riders will launch indiscriminate attacks on anyone on this island. That leaves no room for delay.

You are the strongest duelists in this Academy. I hope you can protect these keys. Of course, this is not compulsory. If any of you would rather not be dragged into a fight like this, you may leave—there's no problem."

Misawa pondered, then asked, "But… if that's the case, wouldn't it be better to give all the keys to the single strongest person?"

He snuck a glance at Kira as he spoke.

After all, we have a Duel King among us.

Maybe just that aura alone would scare the enemy off…

"Well, that could work," Sheppard said. "But I think this: the seal can't be opened if even a single key is missing. So having the seven keys held separately is naturally safer." He rubbed his bald head. "Of course, if you have other opinions…"

"This sounds fun. Let's do it!" Jaden grinned, already choosing a key from the box.

He'd been pent up from tagging along with Kira and never getting to snatch any cards.

There are seven in the Shadow Riders, after all.

No matter how strong Kira is, can he snatch all seven?

Chapter 481: Dark Web

Almost everyone who left the Chancellor's office chose to keep their keys on their person. For example, Jaden went back and turned his into a pendant to hang on his chest.

Except for Kira.

He went back, tossed his key into his desk drawer, snapped on a lock, and left it there.

Because he knew there was no need.

The keys were a front. What really unsealed the Beasts was Shadow Dueling. By absorbing enough duel energy, the seal would naturally unravel.

In the anime, Don Zaloog and his gang bypassed dueling and stole all seven keys, but sticking them in the seal did nothing—completely useless.

And at the end of that arc, even though all the Shadow Riders had been defeated, the seven keys suddenly flew out as if guided by autopilot, slotted themselves into the stone locks, and unsealed the Three Sacred Beasts.

Collecting duel energy—that was the true purpose of the Shadow Riders. Kagemaru never cared whether his seven recruits won or lost. Whether they won and took the keys or got stomped and handed them over, he didn't care. The result was irrelevant; only the process of dueling mattered.

As long as the Shadow Duels produced enough energy, that was enough.

Knowing that in advance gave Kira another plan.

The simplest, most direct method was still as he'd thought before: find where that old codger Kagemaru was holed up and take him out. But the geezer's whereabouts were unknown; even his board hadn't heard from him in ages—he wasn't easy to find.

So there was another way.

No matter how well Kagemaru hid, he would have to show himself in the end to unseal the cards and take the Three Beasts.

Since they knew the goal and the method, if Kira collected enough duel energy ahead of Kagemaru and took those three cards first, wouldn't Kagemaru have no choice but to reveal himself and try to snatch them face-to-face?

Kira thought that move was good too, and the two plans didn't conflict. He'd be dueling anyway while searching for Kagemaru, so he could collect duel energy as he went. The two plans could progress in parallel, each as the other's fail-safe.

And lately, after classes at night, he and Jaden would sometimes party up and, via consciousness projection, continue exploring the Spirit World online.

The map of the Spirit World was enormous—just running the map was exhausting, but the exploratory content was rich. The two of them charted a bit each night, logged off before midnight to sleep, didn't affect the next day's studies, gradually searched for the location of the Supreme King's City, and also made time to progress the side quest to find Joey Wheeler.

So a busy week passed, and the first weekend of the new term arrived.

…

On Friday evening after class, Kira left the island and headed to the newly established headquarters of the Knights of Hanoi.

A new force, yes—but with a duelist's strength like a dimensionality-reduction strike, they had quickly unified the local outfits, and the Knights grew in short order. Kira also had people use their intel network to sniff out the Shadow Riders.

There now seemed to be a faint lead.

"This way, Leader."

Kurozaki led the way, nodding obsequiously to the white-clad leader behind him, whose face was hidden behind a dark-tinted visor.

As he followed, Kira said, "Tell me more about this place. You called it…"

"The Dark Web," Kurozaki explained with a grin plastered on his face.

"It's a force with reach all over the world. Its business includes underground Shadow Duels, rare cards, and all sorts of… items that can't see the light of day."

Kira nodded.

A black market tailored to dark duelists.

"Who runs it?" he asked.

"The founder? That I don't know—and no one does," Kurozaki said, shaking his head. "But everyone says the force behind the Dark Web is unfathomable, and its founder's Shadow Duels have reached a godlike realm.

Plenty of big names in the underworld have confidently challenged the Dark Web's authority before, but the result… well, most of the time, they end up as goods being traded on this very market."

"That impressive, huh."

Kira spoke casually, but his mind was already running through names from the source material who might have done such a thing.

A few names flashed by, then he quickly crossed them off. Mr. Marik, for instance, kind of fit the vibe—but he knew Mr. Marik had long since turned over a new leaf, and shouldn't still be in the world of dark duelists.

"The Dark Web is a great place—you can buy things here that money can't buy anywhere else.

Like rare cards—even discontinued ones. Of course, a lot of them were stripped off their previous owners' corpses…"

Kira said nothing.

Not surprising. Dark duelists were mostly desperados. Though they lived in modern cities, they had their own rules. Killing for cards wasn't rare.

The intel said the Shadow Riders had recently come to this Dark Web underground market and seemed to have taken a special interest in the alchemy materials section.

Kira immediately thought of Chairman Kagemaru and his obsession with alchemy. He may have turned to the power of the Three Sacred Beasts after deciding alchemy couldn't save him, but it was likely he never completely gave it up—still scouring for a slim chance at immortality through alchemy.

If they traced from the alchemical reagents he bought, maybe they could find his trail.

But it soon became clear that rare wares here weren't limited to cards.

From a distance, he noticed a stall with a few cards hanging on display and felt something off. He couldn't recall any cards like that.

Some obscure original cards he didn't remember?

Curious, he walked over and took a look—and froze.

They weren't normal cards for dueling at all.

Each card's name field held what looked like a person's name, from all over the world.

And the art on the cards was the image of a person.

Men and women, old and young. Some stared blankly, numb-faced in darkness; others, terrified, raised their hands as if pressing against an invisible pane of glass—imprisoned in a lightless cell, their fear and screams frozen on their faces.

Seeing someone approach, the stall owner immediately greeted him with enthusiasm.

"Oho, has this gentleman found a soul he fancies?"

Kira frowned.

"What are these?"

"Heh, first time here, eh? These are all premium souls sealed through a dark game," the man said with a smile. "Don't worry—they've all been processed through Shadow Games.

Release one, and each will obey any order you give without question—just like an obedient doll."

Kira's brow creased tighter, a trace of disgust rising within.

The man seemed to take it the wrong way—assuming the goods on display didn't suit the customer's tastes—and hurried to add, "If you're into a different type, I've got those too!

A missing Fortune 500 chairman, a politician's kid…

Or maybe this is more your thing? A fair, tender little girl—I guarantee she isn't even of age yet—"

He was hawking with spittle flying, but mid-sentence his voice trailed off on its own.

Because suddenly, from the white-clad man with the shaded visor before him—

He felt killing intent. The fatal kind.

Chapter 482: A King's Whim

The stall owner was a man of the underworld; he sensed instantly the terrifying killing intent from the white-clad stranger.

Realizing things were about to go bad, he quickly backed off and barked, "What do you think you're doing? This is the Dark Web—do you plan to rob and murder here?"

Kurozaki, seeing trouble brewing, rushed forward as well. "Leader, the Dark Web's cardinal rule is no dueling on-premises.

Break the rules and we'll not only offend the Dark Web's unknown backers, we'll probably be pariahs across the entire underworld…"

Hearing that, the stall owner's courage swelled a bit. "That's right. Trying to throw your weight around and steal, huh… A clueless newbie? I doubt you'll get past me."

Kira narrowed his eyes.

True. He had come only to gather intel. Whatever he saw here had nothing to do with him.

Using the Knights of Hanoi to infiltrate the underworld was just one part of his longer plan. The dark world had channels and resources the surface lacked, and managing those resources would surely help with many things to come.

And in that world, the Dark Web seemed to play a significant role. Not just for this Shadow Riders investigation—future intel and resources could likely be sourced here too.

First contact today. Best not to stir up trouble unrelated to him.

But…

He closed his eyes and smiled to himself.

Forget it.

He was the Duel King.

The stall owner, seeing Kira turn away, relaxed and kept muttering curses under his breath. He never saw what the other man did. Before he could react, he felt a massive force crash into him—he went flying backward, slammed into his own display, and tumbled to the ground amid the clatter.

Almost by reflex, he deployed his Duel Disk as he hit the floor, glaring in shock and fury. "What are you doing? You dare openly ignore the Dark Web's rules?"

Kira turned slowly, his Duel Disk also deployed, and simply smiled.

Rules?

What's the point of being king if you have to be bound hand and foot by every rule?

He walked to the toppled rack and picked up the cards scattered across the floor. Souls captured one by one—some perhaps dark duelists who licked the knife's edge and had it coming, others perhaps just unlucky ordinary people.

He caught sight of one in particular.

A little girl with twin tails. Helpless, bewildered. In the boundless darkness of the card's background, she looked at most ten years old.

He gathered the cards in silence and put them away.

He considered himself someone with flexible morals—not a good person. He'd seen enough unfairness to turn a blind eye more often than not.

But even someone like that occasionally saw things he couldn't stomach.

Kira held up the card that imprisoned the girl's soul.

Trafficking children, buying and selling people like slaves—among criminals, that was bottom of the barrel. And these people, this place, enabled scum to abuse the power of dueling and made it a hundred times worse than the old ways.

And as luck would have it, right now Kira was the king of the dueling world.

He used to be just an ordinary man good at nothing. As a kid, his grades were middling—never outstanding. After graduation, his job was middling—just enough to scrape by. His only real social life was playing cards at the shop on weekends.

But now, without realizing it, he seemed to have become someone standing at the peak of this world.

If the rules didn't suit him, he could correct them.

And if they couldn't be corrected, he'd flip the whole table.

The commotion drew attention. Some hurriedly backed away; others gathered to watch with interest.

It had been a long time since anyone made trouble inside the Dark Web system. This kind of spectacle wasn't common.

Black-cloaked enforcers stationed nearby quickly surrounded them, Duel Disks at the ready.

Kurozaki crouched with a grimace, hands over his head. He wanted to shout "Don't start a Shadow Game, I'm not with him," but there was no way to say it…

The blackrobes only formed a ring; they didn't rush in. Moments later, a man in a white suit walked out unhurriedly.

"Aren't you the Knights of Hanoi's rising star, Mr. Revolver? A distinguished guest indeed.

Allow me to introduce myself. I'm the manager here. Folks call me the Armorer."

He approached, flicked a glance at the stall owner.

"Let me guess—the deal hit a snag?"

The stall owner started to protest, but the white-suited "Armorer" cut him off with a wave and a faint smile.

"First-time visitors like Mr. Revolver may not be used to our rules. But in our underground world, no matter what conflict a buyer and seller might have—even if it's a blood feud—please give the Dark Web a little face and refrain from violence here.

If there's something you can't settle, take it elsewhere after. Order is why this place can last. You wouldn't want to be bothered by nasty incidents while you're shopping either, would you?"

The stall owner still glared at Kira, but didn't dare speak.

"I see," Kira said with a slight nod.

The Armorer smiled, satisfied. "Glad you understand. By rights, using dark power here violates the rules, and we would demand compensation.

But since you're a new guest, I'll cover it out of my own pocket—consider it making a friend—"

"Oh, I think you've misunderstood," Kira said. "In fact, this gentleman and I have no grievance. No conflict."

"Oh?"

The Armorer arched a brow, puzzled.

Then why did you hit him?

"I mean, my problem isn't with this gentleman. It's with your rules."

Kira smiled.

"And I have a bit of a quirk. When I see rules that don't suit me, I get itchy all over—won't sleep for days.

So I'll have to ask you all to indulge me: change the rules so I can sleep easy."

Even the onlookers were taken aback.

Who was this newbie, so brazen?

Obviously here to cause trouble and challenge the venue, right?

The Armorer's smile stiffened; his brow creased. He kept his tone cool.

"So, according to you, which of our rules has offended you?"

Kira didn't answer. He just looked at the man and smiled.

"You say you're the manager of this market, which I'm guessing makes you the strongest duelist stationed here, right?"

A hint of pride flickered across the Armorer's face. He smiled faintly. "Correct."

"Good."

Kira raised his Duel Disk, still smiling.

"Then let me get a taste of the Dark Web manager's strength."

Chapter 483: The Strongest Mech

Hearing his words, the Armorer burst out laughing.

"So Mr. Revolver came here specifically to make a name for himself."

He clearly didn't believe anyone would risk their neck "just because they couldn't stand it," for the sake of a bunch of unknown souls. He leaned toward the idea that this was some underworld newbie looking for a fast track to fame.

A rookie who might have some talent—but whose ego had outgrown his skills.

"Nice idea, but you picked the wrong place." The Armorer narrowed his eyes. "This isn't where you chase clout. Wrong place, wrong opponent. You may have just made the biggest—and last—mistake of your life."

Kira was unfazed. He simply smiled. "Then please… enlighten me."

"Good. Interesting."

The Armorer waved, signaling his men to step back and open a circle around them.

"Come then!"

He unfurled his Duel Disk, drew a Deck from the inside of his suit jacket, and slotted it in.

"Here, you'll witness… the cruelty of the world's dark side!"

"I look forward to it," Kira said.

"Duel!" x2

[Kira, LP 4000]

 [The Armorer, LP 4000]

"Normal Summon 'Machina Sniper' in Attack Position!"

A steel soldier materialized, shouldering a long sniper rifle. As it landed, its parts gave off a crisp metallic scrape.

[Machina Sniper, ATK 1800]

"Machina, huh." Interest flickered across Kira's face. "What a coincidence."

Machina wasn't exactly rare these days; Machine themes had a loyal following among modern duelists.

Given this man's moniker—"Armorer"—it was no surprise he ran Machines. And among Machines, Machina was popular; even non-Machina Machine players often splashed the package.

The real-card "Machina Sniper," while it's on the field, prevents both players from attacking "Machina" monsters other than itself. In the manga, though, it was a vanilla with no effect.

The Armorer casually drew another card.

"I set one and end my turn."

His every move oozed confidence.

"My turn. Draw."

Kira eyed the Machina on his opponent's field and smiled meaningfully.

"I'll start with this. 'Machina Fortress' in my hand can Special Summon itself from my hand or GY by sending Machine monsters from my hand whose total Levels are 8 or more to the GY!"

He flashed a card, then slid it swiftly into the GY.

"I send the Level 8 'Machina Cannon' from my hand to the GY to Special Summon Machina Fortress!"

"What!?" The Armorer was taken aback.

The same archetype as me?

"Machina Cannon" hit the GY—and it was as if a mobile steel citadel crashed down. Tank treads rolled, each link gleaming coldly, like a war-beast roaring. Unknown alloys formed an impregnable hull; arcs of electricity danced inside the long railgun, hissing faintly.

[Machina Fortress, ATK 2500]

"Machina Fortress—attack 'Machina Sniper'!"

The steel dragon awoke. The railgun unleashed a thick blue beam. Air shattered, and the mech soldier's iron body was pierced as if made of paper. Screeching metal tore from within; circuits and steel melted under the blast, erupting into a fireball and thick smoke.

[The Armorer, LP 4000 → 3300]

The Armorer's face didn't change. "What a surprise. Mr. Revolver—you're a Machina user like me?"

"I am. But my Machina might be a little different from yours."

Kira chuckled.

"Battle Phase over. I set one and end."

A little different?

The Armorer smirked.

The dueling world was vast. For most Decks, even with all he'd seen in the Dark Web, he wouldn't claim to have seen it all.

But Machina—the Deck he'd steeped in for years, as familiar as his own hands—he considered thoroughly understood. He knew every line and tactic.

Using Machina like me—what could you possibly do that I haven't seen?

Already confident, his guard dropped further when he saw the familiar archetype.

"My turn. Draw."

He glanced at the draw and smiled.

"I don't know what's special about your Machina—but first, let me show you mine. Machina's strongest firepower!"

He slapped down the freshly drawn card.

"Normal Summon 'Commander Covington'!"

A red-armored mech soldier appeared, standing ramrod straight and even throwing a salute—like a mechanical GI.

[Commander Covington, ATK 1000]

"Next, I activate the Spell 'Ties of the Brethren'!" the Armorer declared. "I pay 1000 Life Points, choose a Level 4 or lower monster on my field, and Special Summon two monsters from my Deck with the same Type and Level as the chosen monster. Those monsters can't attack or be Tributed!" (Original effect)

[The Armorer, LP 3300 → 2300]

Yugi and the professor who ran Machina both used this card in the source. It was later printed for the real game, but with big changes.

In the TCG/OCG, Ties of the Brethren costs 2000 LP (which fits the 8000-LP environment better), and its restrictions differ a lot.

The printed version restricts the Summons to monsters of the same Attribute (not just Type/Level), and they must be different names—restrictions the original didn't have.

And the printed card also locks you from Special Summoning for the rest of the turn—again, not in the original. Conversely, the original's "the Summoned monsters can't attack or be Tributed" clause isn't on the printed version.

"I choose 'Commander Covington.' From my Deck, I Special Summon two Level 4 Machines…"

He searched two cards…

"'Machina Soldier' and 'Machina Defender'—come out!"

[Machina Defender, ATK 1200]

 [Machina Soldier, ATK 1600]

"Then I flip my Set card: Continuous Trap 'Call of the Haunted'! I revive a monster from my GY in Attack Position!"

A pillar of golden light shot from his GY.

"Special Summon the fallen 'Machina Sniper'!"

[Machina Sniper, ATK 1800]

"Now—behold Machina's ultimate power!"

The Armorer raised his hand and shouted.

"I combine the Machina on my field—Soldier, Sniper, Defender—under Commander Covington's command! Transform and unite!

Appear, ultimate combined Machina—

—Machina Force! Fusion Assemble!!!"

Chapter 484: Machina Catapult Turtle

Combine—transform!

The four Machina shifted like Transformers, drawing together, parts locking and gears meshing into a massive frame. A sturdy shell, bristling armaments, a burly silhouette casting a shadow that nearly blanketed Kira's entire side.

Machina Force—Summoned!

[Machina Force, ATK 4600]

At first glance, it looked akin to the VWXYZ series—separate machine parts joining into a combined monster, a fairly common Machine theme trick.

Look closer, though, and it wasn't the same.

Because while it looked like a single combined monster, on the Armorer's Duel Disk the four Monster Zones were still each occupied by a card.

In other words, those four monsters only appeared combined; functionally, they were still four monsters.

5D's had a similar case: the Meklord Emperors. In the anime they were five cards—head, torso, limbs—forming one huge mech, but mechanically they were still five monsters occupying five Zones. The printed cards were changed to a single card for convenience and compatibility.

Machina worked similarly. In the manga, the "combination" was achieved by Covington's effect; negate "Commander Covington" with a trap, and the union dissolved automatically. There was no actual "Machina Force" card in the original.

The printed game, again for compatibility, made the combined form its own card, Summoned by sending the four components from the field to the GY.

"Once combined, 'Machina Force' functions as a single monster, and can perform one coordinated attack per turn. Its components can't attack on their own.

But in exchange—it has an ATK that surpasses even the gods!"

The Armorer laughed.

"Your little Machina Fortress is nothing before the pinnacle of Machina power! Attack 'Machina Fortress'!"

The combined mech locked on. Railguns, cannons, and missiles fired in unison. The field exploded into dazzling light—an assault of multicolored ordnance rained down on the Fortress.

Even the Fortress couldn't withstand such firepower; it burst apart in the barrage and crashed, aflame.

[Kira, LP 4000 → 1900]

"Then I activate my Set card," Kira said with a flick. "Trap Card 'Damage Condenser.' When I take battle damage, I discard a card to Special Summon a monster from my Deck with ATK less than or equal to the damage I took."

The Armorer chuckled. "A Machina with 2100 ATK or less? Heh. No match for 'Machina Force'—"

"I took 2100 damage, so I can Special Summon a monster with 2100 ATK or less."

A beam of gold shot from Kira's Duel Disk.

"Special Summon—'Catapult Turtle'!"

[Catapult Turtle, ATK 1000]

The Armorer: "???"

Catapult Turtle?

Of course he knew that monster. In fact, as a staple used by the original Duel King since Duelist Kingdom—boasting plenty of notable wins—few in the dueling world didn't know it.

But aren't you playing Machina!?

He was puzzled, but didn't dwell on it. With Machina Force out, his odds had shot up; he felt steady as a rock.

"I set two and end."

"My turn. Draw."

Kira drew, then immediately revealed the card.

"I send the Level 8 'Machina Megaform' from my hand to the GY to revive 'Machina Fortress' from the GY."

With a metallic roar, the Fortress he'd just lost returned to the field.

[Machina Fortress, ATK 2500]

"A Fortress you can keep reviving as long as you can total 8 Levels in hand—it's a strong Machina indeed. But it's still useless before my armed might," the Armorer scoffed.

He said that, but he knew his powerhouse had a glaring weakness.

It looked like one monster, but it was still four components. While it could swing as one with 4600 ATK, when being attacked, each component could be targeted separately.

The same weakness the Meklord Emperors had in the 5D's anime.

Break any one component, and the combination dissolves.

But it was fine.

He glanced at his backrow and smirked inwardly.

Negate Attack—a Counter Trap that negates an attack and ends the Battle Phase. Even if the opponent tried to swing in, the trap would stop him.

Next turn, he'd swing for game.

Come on—use your Fortress and try to hit me.

"Then I activate 'Catapult Turtle's' effect," Kira said casually. "Catapult Turtle can Tribute a monster on my field to inflict damage to you equal to half that monster's ATK.

I'll launch 'Machina Fortress' as the projectile."

The Armorer: "!"

He's not attacking with Fortress—he's firing it!?

The massive Fortress slid onto the Turtle's launch rail and fired, trailing a dazzling arc.

"Urgh!"

Staggering back, the Armorer took the Fortress shell to the face, his expression turning ashen.

[The Armorer, LP 2300 → 1050]

He immediately realized the severity.

Fortress's revival isn't once per turn, and that Catapult Turtle also has no once-per-turn restriction (old text)!

"I activate my Set Trap—'Numinous Healer'!" the Armorer shouted. "When I take battle or effect damage, I recover 1000 Life Points."

[The Armorer, LP 1050 → 2050]

His LP popped back to a safer range. Now, Catapult Turtle would need to fire monsters totaling 4100 ATK to finish him in one shot.

"Then I'll use 'Machina Fortress' in my GY again," Kira said. "I discard the Level 8 'Machina Air Raider' in my hand—Fortress revives."

[Machina Fortress, ATK 2500]

"Fortress has no once-per-turn. As long as I can pitch a total of 8 Levels, I can bring it back as many times as I like—"

The Armorer grit his teeth.

"Catapult Turtle's effect—again," Kira continued. "Load 'Machina Fortress' and fire."

The Fortress settled onto the Turtle's rail; the heavy steel citadel blasted forth, trailing leaping arcs!

"Gwah!"

[The Armorer, LP 2050 → 800]

He was chalk-white now, all color drained.

"And when 'Machina Fortress' on the field is sent to the GY, I can Special Summon 'Machina Megaform' from the GY by banishing that 'Machina Fortress' from my GY."

Kira took the Fortress that had just hit the GY—and banished it.

"I banish Fortress—Special Summon 'Machina Megaform.'"

[Machina Megaform, ATK 2600]

The Armorer's mouth twitched.

He lifted his head in despair—meeting the gaze of that Catapult Turtle across from him.

That lordly look seemed to say—

—This turtle… is truly invincible now.

He was numb.

He prided himself on knowing Machina inside out—every playstyle. But this? He'd never seen this.

Who taught you to play Machina like this!?

"Go on, Catapult Turtle," Kira said lazily, lifting a hand. "Load 'Machina Megaform'—fire."

The Armorer could only watch the heavy mech accelerate down the rail like a dump truck barreling straight at his face. For a second, he didn't even know what expression to wear to meet his end—

"Uwaaaa!!!"

[The Armorer, LP 800 → 0]

Chapter 485: Such a Good Thing?

The onlookers were slack-jawed.

What even was that sequence?

Especially here in the Dark Web—everyone knew the Armorer's strength as their station manager. His dueling skill was top-tier for this underground market, and universally respected.

Machina was his signature. Rumor had it that before joining the Dark Web, he'd made a name on the streets using "Machina Force." Later, by chance, he dueled one of the higher-ups and lost, then willingly bent the knee and became a general under the Dark Web's banner.

And that guy just got beaten by some newbie—using the very archetype the Armorer excelled at?

No—more accurately, was that even Machina on the other side? Hard to say.

At first glance, sure, the Deck was Machina. But once "Catapult Turtle" popped out, the tone swerved off the rails…

Is this how you play Machina?

The fake Machina boss needs four pieces to combine—boasts "ATK surpassing Blue-Eyes Ultimate"—but has no other utility, and can even be picked apart component by component when attacked.

The real Machina boss is Catapult Turtle. If one shot doesn't do it, fire another. Fortress, Megaform—just shells. Go wild enough, it'll even shove itself into the barrel and fire itself.

Jokes aside—he won, didn't he?

Kira strolled over and crouched leisurely in front of the fallen man. The surrounding guards hesitated, torn—intervene? Don't? Neither felt right.

"Had enough?" Kira smiled.

The Armorer: "…"

Do I look like I'm in any position to say no?

"Good." Kira smiled. "Then… let's chat about what we mentioned earlier—correcting your rules."

The Armorer sighed weakly. "That's… not up to me. The entire underworld operates this way. Where there's demand, there's supply. Even if you change this place, other markets will still exist—"

"Don't worry about that," Kira shrugged. "If I hadn't run into it, fine. But since I did…"

He gave a small chuckle.

"Consider yourselves unlucky."

The Armorer blinked, then grit his teeth. "Even if I agreed, the Dark Web won't let you go. They'll come for you. You've no idea how deep the organization's roots go. There are duelists far stronger than me—"

"Oh? Even better."

Kira smiled.

Besides, the name they'll be hunting is Revolver. What's that got to do with me?

The Armorer stared, incredulous. How could there be such a madman in this world—afraid of nothing and no one?

And with absurd dueling skill to boot…

"And there's something else. A few questions," Kira added. "It's actually the main reason I came to the Dark Web."

"Ask," the Armorer said helplessly.

"The Shadow Riders," Kira said. "The one behind them—word is he frequents your market too?"

"The master of the Shadow Riders?"

The Armorer blinked, then nodded.

"He does exist. He mostly buys alchemy reagents, apparatus, and the latest developments in alchemical research…"

"All alchemy?" Kira asked.

So Kagemaru hadn't slackened in his pursuit of alchemy in the slightest.

"Yes. Recently he bought a batch of… a batch of…"

Mid-sentence, he seemed to realize he'd said too much and quickly clammed up.

"A batch of what?" Kira asked.

His voice was casual and quiet, but behind the Revolver mask, a weight pressed down.

Fear flickered across the Armorer's face. He hesitated, eyes darting up to meet Kira's—then flinched as if shocked, looked away, and answered despite himself.

"A batch of… living alchemical materials."

He kept his head down, not daring to meet Kira's eyes.

Living materials.

Disgust flashed across Kira's face. The Armorer, even without looking, felt the contempt and icy killing intent.

"We never pry into client details—that's another Dark Web rule," the Armorer murmured. "Sellers sell, buyers buy. We just provide a platform. We didn't abduct anyone…

 But from what he purchased, he's likely researching the forbidden branch—'human transmutation.' The secret of immortality that has obsessed alchemists for generations."

"Then this 'master of the Shadow Riders'…" Kira's tone cooled. "How do I find him?"

"That, I don't know…"

Seeing the look on Kira's face, he hurried to add:

"That's a core Dark Web principle too—never dig into what clients don't want known. Many who trade here are big names in the underworld—there might even be old monsters from three thousand years ago. Poking around gets you killed.

It's why the Dark Web endures. But! If you insist on finding him, I do have a suggestion."

"Oh?"

"We don't know the 'master's' whereabouts, but if he's still researching human transmutation, he's likely tied to the 'Star of Alchemy.'"

"What's that?"

"The most renowned forbidden-alchemy research group today—the only one in the underworld still pursuing the immortal alchemy.

Anyone interested in that field wouldn't bypass them.

With your ability and… personal charisma, Leader Revolver, if you say hello to the Star of Alchemy, you might just get connected to the master of the Shadow Riders…"

The Star of Alchemy.

Kira pondered. Another thread leading to a new organization. If they were the authority on human transmutation—what was their relation to Lyman?

In the Shadow Riders arc, Lyman was the apparent boss—the top general under Kagemaru—but in truth, an ally.

He'd sound Lyman out after returning.

"That's all we know," the Armorer said, resigned. "Leader Revolver, so…"

Kira came back to himself. He glanced at the man's pitiful look, then at the enforcers behind him, faces pale with fear, too scared to speak.

He smiled slightly.

For some reason, though there was sunshine in the eyes behind the visor, the Armorer felt a chill.

Like being marked by a demon.

….

When they finally left the underground market and returned to the street, Kurozaki was trembling.

He'd once fancied himself a tough guy. But looking at his new boss now, he felt his own weight wasn't worth a speck of dust.

"L-Leader Revolver… you really did just… take out the whole market."

"Yup." Kira tilted his head. "Something wrong with that?"

"N-no, sir. It's just… he said it's the Dark Web." Kurozaki couldn't help blurting. "Isn't this basically… declaring war on them?"

"Yup."

"But… but then, some heavy hitters will come. Maybe even ones so deeply hidden they never leave their caves…"

"Oh?"

Kira smiled.

"Such a good thing?"