Who asked him to play Yu-Gi-Oh!

Chapter 1680 A Glimmer of Hope

"Zack and I perished together, each splitting into four reincarnations, and the world also became four."

"Zero said."

"Most people in the original world were reborn or reincarnated in the new world, and no one remembers what happened in the previous world. Except for one person, and that is my father."

Judai seemed to have guessed what was going to happen: "Your father can't accept the fact that he lost you, right?"

“Yes.” Zero sighed, “Although Father saved the world as he wished, he couldn’t accept my sacrifice. So he was determined to bring me back no matter what the cost.”

He established a military stronghold called the 'Academy' to attack the four split dimensions. He found my four incarnations from the four dimensions, and he wants to reunite the four dimensions I split, turning them back into one.

He felt that if he did that, the four reincarnated girls would merge again, and the original him would be resurrected.

The game player said, "And then he succeeded, right?"

"Yes. But I'm not sure if this can be considered a success," Zero said somberly. "The world, as Father wished, has truly become one again. The four girls have also merged back into me, becoming who I am now. But..."

She didn't continue. But looking at the gloomy sky and the desolate ruins all around, everyone already guessed what would happen next.

Jaden: "Zack, who originally split into four, has also been resurrected, right?"

“Yes,” Zero said wearily. “Zack has been resurrected, and he is even stronger and more arrogant than before. After the dimensional split, Zack’s four reincarnations experienced different lives in four different dimensions, and each of them grew and evolved in different ways.”

Subsequently, the split dimensions were reunited, and the four reincarnated beings, who had grown and evolved, merged back into Zach. This process, in turn, allowed Zach to be further upgraded, making him even stronger than before.

The resurrected Zach defeated all the rebels with almost no effort, once again destroying armies around the world and defeating all duelists who dared to challenge him.

The world's powerful beings have either been destroyed or submitted; now, in this new unified dimension, almost nothing remains that can resist Zack.

You Xuan asked, "So you went to challenge Zack?"

“Yes, this is my mission,” Zero said. “It was my father’s attempt to resurrect me that led to the resurrection of the already dead Zack, causing this world to go through all this. I must do it, and I am probably the only one who has the chance.”

"But Zack was too strong; even I almost couldn't escape."

Judging from her injuries, which make it difficult for her to even move the cards, it's clear that her challenge against Zach didn't go smoothly.

After giving the passersby a general overview of the situation, Zero seemed reluctant to continue discussing her own affairs and changed the subject to talk about the town.

“This town is already considered a relatively remote area in the unified dimension currently occupied by Zack,” Zero said. “But even so, it has not escaped the clutches of evil.”

Zack used force to seize the 'Academy' his father had established, putting its entire military power under his control. He even made the 'Academy' stronger than it had been under his father's command.

You Xuan now fully understood.

Yu Xuan's previous guess was wrong. He originally thought that the current dimension was a prequel to "Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V", a story set before the anime's story began, before the world split into four.

But he was wrong. They were actually in the aftermath of *Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V*, after the main anime storyline had ended, or rather, after the world line of the anime's ending had changed. In the anime's ending, the four dimensions merged back into one, and although Zack was resurrected as the final boss, he was ultimately defeated.

Now, the timeline has shifted. Yu Xuan and the others are now in a timeline that has diverged from the anime's storyline. Clearly, in this timeline, the four dimensions have merged, Zack has been resurrected, and instead of being defeated, he has reigned supreme over this world, bringing endless darkness.

“When the Academy Army first arrived, there were also resistance fighters in this town,” Zero said sadly. “He was a retired professional duelist who returned to his hometown and opened a card shop after retiring in his old age.”

Later, when the Academy army arrived, the old man donned his battle robes once more, stepped forward, and led the local duelists in a courageous resistance against the Academy's invasion.

Upon hearing this, the Duel Kings were filled with awe for the old man they had never met before. They quickly pictured a kind old man from a card shop who, when his hometown was threatened, transformed into a brave and respectable figure.

The game, in particular, immediately drew parallels between this description and his grandfather, Sugoroku Muto.

"And then?" Yuma asked hurriedly, "What happened to that grandfather?"

Ling Yi shook her head sadly, seemingly unwilling to mention that cruel ending. But her silence spoke volumes.

"How could this be?" Yuma was furious. "Those guys from the academy are despicable."

"The old man led the team to resist the attack of the academy's ordinary duelists until the academy sent an officer," Zero said. "Perhaps he already knew his fate, or perhaps he knew he couldn't win this battle. But even so, the old shopkeeper still went forward without hesitation."

This is what he said to his friends who advised him to back down.

Zero's expression was solemn. Through her expression and listening to her voice, it was as if the portrait of that old duelist could appear before everyone's eyes, transcending time and space.

The old man's eyes were bright and piercing, showing no fear of death, but rather filled with a light called hope.

“I may not win, I may die, but this battle is by no means meaningless,” the old man said firmly. “Because I may fall, but my spirit must never fall.”

"As long as this spirit remains, one day it will shine in the hands of others, dispel the gloom, and bring true hope."

A somber silence fell over everyone. For about half a minute, they simply moved forward silently, without saying a word.

"And then?" Judai broke the silence. "What happened to the resistance in this town after the old man?"

Lingyi said, "Of course, we haven't given up yet."

"Although the old shopkeeper is gone, his spirit sustains the duelists here, encouraging them to continue fighting and protecting the survivors. They've gone underground, evading the Academy Army's search while searching for an opportunity."

As Ling Yi spoke, she glanced meaningfully at the group of people, then remained silent.

The reason she said this, recounting the origins and development of this entire world from her past life, was because she had a strange premonition.

They sensed that this colorful group of seafood heads might be the opportunity the refugees had been waiting for.

(End of this chapter)