Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Laughing, Dartz made a perfect face that would leave Malik speechless and Vector in tears, and looked at Hayato, saying, "How pitiful, Hayato, look, the spirits have indeed left you one after another, haven't they?"

"You should know that I'm the only one who's your friend, and the only one who needs you!"

"Stop! Where did you come from, you cannon fodder?" Hayato, who had goosebumps, quickly interrupted Dartz, who was afraid that Dartz would say something like "I'm sorry, I love you" if he got too excited.

Seeing Hayato's resistant expression, Dartz didn't care and waved his hand, saying, "You still don't want to join me, Hayato? But it doesn't matter, because without a doubt, this duel is over. There is only one fate for humanity, which is to be destroyed after you are defeated by me, becoming fertile soil for the birth of a new world!"

"Now, I'll begin my combat phase. First up is the direct attack from [Thousand-Handed God]!"

"The Bronze Throne!"

Upon receiving Dartz's order, the "Man-Hand God," who had been slacking off since the start of the game, finally had a chance to show his skills. The countless hands behind him, which triggered trypophobia, clenched into fists and charged towards Hayato while shouting "Ora Ora!"

【God of Ten Thousand Hands】【ATK1400】

Hayato previously had a field full of monsters, including powerful ones like Chimera Overload Dragon, Earth Spirit Gransol, and Half-Dragon Maid/Dragon Butler. But now, even a lowly monster with less than 1500 attack power can attack him.

In the back row, the future that [Future Fusion] envisioned had not yet arrived, and the other face-down card with an unclear meaning had not been activated by Hayato. [Man-Hand God]'s fist struck Hayato's chest, deducting more than half of Hayato's few remaining Life Points.

[Hayato: 2000→600LP]

"Ugh!" Hayato clutched the spot on his chest where he had been struck, bending slightly in pain. Even in a normal duel, having one's Life Points reduced to 600 would put a strain on the body, not to mention that Hayato was currently engaged in a dark game with Dartz inside the body of "Orichalcos," the gathering place of "Planetary Darkness."

Seeing Hayato's pained expression after being attacked by the "Thousand-Handed God," Dartz sighed helplessly, "It shouldn't have come to this, Hayato. We shouldn't have ended up like this."

He also put away the [Forbidden Cloth] card that he had originally planned to play. This card was prepared to defend against [Explosive Armor] and [Divine Shield - Power of Reflection], but it seems that the card in Hayato's back row is not a trap applicable when declaring an attack? So, there is no need to use it.

"This is the final one! The direct attack of the [Sacrifice Demon] will defeat Kobayashi Hayato!"

Dartz pointed at Hayato, "Doomsday Impact Flame!"

"After this strike, your fragile life points will be wiped out, and I will be victorious!" Dartz's voice lowered as she looked at Hayato. "It's over, Hayato, my hero..."

As Dartz gave the attack command, several mechanical dragon heads from the Chimera Overload Dragon that it had absorbed were revealed on the fleshy wings of the [Narcissus]. Although it was a mechanical creation, Dartz could see "resentment" and "resistance" in the [Chimera Overload Dragon].

However, with the power of Dartz and the "Orichalcos," the [Narcissus], though not as powerful as Pegasus was when he used it, was still not something the [Chimera Overload Dragon] could resist. Six beams of laser energy filled with destructive power were spat out from the mechanical dragon's mouth and attacked Hayato.

Hayato's figure was swallowed up by the dust and smoke kicked up by the attack.

Dartz felt a little regretful, lowered his raised arm, and, feeling that the duel was over, went forward to retrieve Hayato, whom he had defeated.

Although it was a dark game, Dartz never intended to kill Hayato. Therefore, she considered Hayato's physical condition before delivering the final blow, instructing the [Narcissus Demon] to hold back its attack. Now, after being directly hit by the [Narcissus Demon]'s attack, which had a power level of 4000, Hayato, while not dead, should be unconscious.

The next step is to regain control of the "Orichalcos" whose connection was previously interrupted, and then go outside to deal with the nameless pharaoh, Set, and that Jonouchi K.

Dartz, thinking this, was about to deactivate the Duel Disk on his arm, constructed from the dark magic of Orichalcos. However, to his surprise, the Duel Disk did not deactivate as he wished.

This seems a bit off; it's almost as if the duel is still going on?

As the smoke and dust dissipated slightly, Dartz saw Hayato's figure still standing there, and his eyes widened in astonishment. He was horrified to discover that although the Chimera Overload Dragon had been forced to attack under the control of the [Sacrificial Demon], all six laser beams had struck the ground around Hayato, without hitting him in the slightest?!

"Looks like my battle isn't over yet, Dartz, and my Pokémon isn't willing to fight me either." Hayato forced a smile as he looked at Dartz's surprised expression. In Dartz's astonished gaze, he saw the dark power emanating from Orichalcos begin to converge around Hayato, leaving strange patterns beneath his feet.

"The Trap Card [Honor Tribute] can only be activated when my Life Points are below 3000 and when my opponent declares a direct attack. It negates that attack and then Special Summons two [Tribute Stone Tokens] to my field."

"Furthermore, I added a card with the name 'Earthbound God' from my deck to my hand."

Two stone statues slowly rose from the mural beneath his feet and stood before him. Hayato glanced at the card spirit behind him, which was absorbing dark power due to being starved for too long, drew a card from his deck, and looked at Dartz, saying, "If we're dealing with a villain who wants to destroy the world, this card would be better, wouldn't it?"

"I'm adding [Earthbound God - Viracocha Raska] to my hand!"

Chapter 665 One soul guides the light, one soul guides the darkness

“【Earthbound God】!” Darz watched as Hayato added 【Earthbound God - Veracocha Raska】 to his hand, and the phantom behind him returned to the card, its expression somewhat fierce.

When a person lives long enough, they will naturally know many things, such as the true name of the nameless pharaoh from three thousand years ago, or the evil god who crawled out of the underworld five thousand years ago. Because of his fear of certain things, Dartz could not reveal Yami Yugi's true name, but he had no such concerns about the familiar monster in front of him.

Five thousand years ago, in the Nazca Desert of South America, Darz witnessed a war between a red dragon leading five dragons and a giant evil god and his beast gods. The powerful elves dragged humans into the war and even chose their own messengers to leave their marks on them.

In the end, both sides almost perished, and neither side achieved victory. The spirits, who were not seriously injured, fell into a deep sleep and turned into traces of stone tablets and murals that remain in the world, while humans became the only victims.

Because of this, Dartz, who was already very dissatisfied with the elves, became even more disgusted with them. He also did not forget that the most active and strongest of the beast gods under the command of the evil god was the giant eagle that had just appeared behind Hayato.

Why are new cards popping up around Hayato again?!

No, calm down, calm down. Rafael had already reported on the existence of the [Earthbound God] back in Duel City, so there's no need to be surprised.

Dartz took a deep breath to calm herself and looked at Hayato, saying, "I recognize that monster, Hayato. It's an evil spirit that controlled humanity like a puppet five thousand years ago, manipulating war and souls. Are you going to use that monster to fight me?"

Hayato wasn't surprised that Dartz knew [Earthbound God - Veracocha Raska]. Looking at the card in his hand, he shrugged and smiled: "Perhaps this card was once on the side of opposing humanity, but it is not the card that determines the good or evil of power, but the user, me. Even the most vicious power in the world can be used for protection if it is used by a kind person."

"And as everyone knows, there is no duelist more benevolent than me."

“Tch, even if it’s Hayato who says that…” Dartz frowned as he drew all his cards and placed them into the Duel Disk. “Then, my Battle Phase ends. I’ll set two cards face down, and my turn ends here.”

[Dartz: 1200LP, 0 cards in hand]

【God of Ten Thousand Hands】【ATK1400】

[Sacrifice Demon] (Contract Fulfillment, Chimera Overload Dragon) [ATK4000]

【Signature Card】【Signature Card】

'Although I have two monsters on my field, [Man-Armed God] and [Requiem Demon], both in attack position, I'm running out of Life Points.'

'However, if I remember correctly, the effect of Hayato's [Gransol] card, recorded in the International Illusion Society's internal database, is that if a face-up [Gransol] leaves Hayato's field, Hayato's next battle phase will be forcibly skipped.'

In other words, the upcoming [Five Divine Dragons] are no threat at all. If we can't engage in battle, Hayato won't be able to harm me. And in my next turn, I only need to use [Sacrifice Demon] to attack the [Five Divine Dragons], and I can use its effect to transfer battle damage to Hayato and win.

"And of the two face-down cards on my back row, [Forbidden Cloth] can effectively grant [Sacrifice Demon] protection." Dartz tilted his Duel Disk, glancing at the names of the cards visible in the Spell & Trap Zone. "In dire circumstances, this card is also available."

"My turn," Hayato said as Dartz pondered, placing his finger on the Duel Disk and drawing a card. "Draw!"

"Then, due to the effect of [Future Fusion], this powerful monster will be fused and summoned during the preparation phase!"

"Five radiances merge into one, in the name of the gods I command you to step down! Descend, ultimate demonic dragon!"

"Fusion Summoning! [Five Divine Dragons]!"

A claw extended from the fusion vortex that had been activated long ago in preparation for the future that was finally arriving at this moment, stepping onto the ground, followed by five ferocious dragon heads of different shapes emerging one after another.

【Five Divine Dragons】【12☆/Dark】

[Dragon/Fusion/Effect]

[5000/5000]

As the enormous evil dragon appeared on Hayato's field, Dartz showed no fear whatsoever, confidently saying to Hayato, "Although the attack power of [Five Divine Dragons] is above that of [Narcissus], and it can wipe out my Life Points if it attacks [Man-Handed God], I don't think you can do that right now, Hayato?"

"Ah, because of the effect of [Earth Spirit God - Gransol], my battle phase was skipped this turn, so [Five Divine Dragons] can't attack you this turn." Hayato nodded in agreement with Dartz's statement, realizing the need for such a blatant lie.

Dartz smiled upon hearing this: "In that case, it seems like I've won, Hayato-kun. With just those two cards in your hand, you have absolutely no chance of winning."

"Are you going to rely on that [Earthbound God] which is just a weak card when there's no Field Spell Card?" Dartz asked with a disdainful expression when he mentioned Hayato's [Earthbound God]. "That's why I've advised you many times, Hayato, that there's no need to place your precious trust in these card spirits."

"Hmph, that's not necessarily true, Dartz. The duel won't end until the very last moment." Hayato drew a card from his hand and held it high above his head. "During my Main Phase, I will offer up my two [Tribute Stone Tokens] as tributes. May the power that has traversed five thousand years return to the earth!"

As Hayato played the card, the two Tribute Stone Tokens he had Special Summoned with Tribute of Honor turned into dust and drifted away into the air.

【Sacrifice Stone Derivatives】have no special power, and their attack and defense are 0. They also have the effect of not being used as tributes for the Tribute Summoning of monsters other than 【Earthbound Gods】, so it can be said that they were originally prepared for 【Earthbound Gods】.

Under Dartz and Hayato's watchful eyes, the dust rising into the air gradually coalesced into a giant stone heart. As it began to beat strangely, the two glimpsed that the circuits within the heart were already filled with purple energy!

"Darkness? Resentment? Souls? Take them all if you need them. Devour everything and bring me victory, the strongest [Earthbound God]!"

Hayato called out the monster's name to the heart in the sky, "[Veracocha Raska]!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the enormous heart burst into light, accompanied by a mournful eagle cry, and the stone heart transformed into a giant black-purple vulture, hovering high in the air!

[Earthbound God - Veracocha Raska] [10☆/Dark]

[Bird/Beast Race/Effect]

[1/1]

Unlike his previous appearances, the Earthbound God - Veracocha Raska did not have the tail feather-like lines that connected him to the earth and provided him with power. He was simply flying in the sky, but even so, his aura was already terrifying.

For a moment, the contrast between Hayato's [Five Divine Dragons] and [Earthbound God - Veracocha Raska] and Dartz's relatively small [Man-Handed God] and [Narcissus] made it difficult to tell which side was the villain.

"【Earthbound God - Veracocha Raska】If there is no face-up Field Spell Card on the field, its additional effects are negated and it is destroyed at the end of the turn. Therefore, I entrust all my fate to this last card, Dartz."

Hayato flipped the last card in his hand and showed it to Dartz. Dartz was taken aback when he saw the card in Hayato's hand: "Fate, huh?"

“Since you firmly believe that humanity's fate is hopeless, and only destruction can bring a new future, then let your fate clash with mine in a final showdown.” Hayato said, inserting a card into the Duel Disk. “The card I activate is, [Treasure Card of Destiny]!”

"Roll the dice once, draw the number of cards that match the number rolled, and then banish the top number of cards from the deck." As Hayato explained, a die appeared out of thin air in the air above the field under their gazes. "Whom fate stands on, and what the fate of humanity will ultimately be, is up to fate itself to choose."

“However, Grandma once said that if I want to, fate will always be on my side!” With that, Hayato waved his hand. “Roll the dice!”

The dice that would determine the outcome of the duel landed and began to roll. At that moment, both Hayato and Dartz looked intently at the dice, waiting for fate to decide the final number.

Will Hayato roll a high number of cards to defeat Dartz, or will Dartz's fate prevail, forcing Hayato to draw fewer cards?

The dice gradually stopped rolling, revealing the final answer—the number 3!

"Hmph, hehehehehe, although the points are still a bit high, three is still 'small', right?"

Seeing that the final score was only three points, Dartz couldn't help but smile with relief. "This means that fate is on my side, right, Hayato? The world is also looking forward to me destroying humanity and creating a new civilization and a new world."

"Three points, that number is really..." Hayato lowered his head, his fingers resting on the duel disk, a slow smile spreading across his lips. "It couldn't be better!"

"Draw!"

With a loud shout, Hayato suddenly drew the three cards from the top of his deck, the cards leaving a golden trail in the air.

"Humans are terrible, and I can't deny that, so from the beginning I didn't expect to roll a five or a six this time."

"But it's actually a little higher than the two points I expected. Humanity still has a lot of hope, Dartz!"

After drawing a card, Hayato banished three more cards from the top of his deck. Looking at the cards he had drawn, Hayato saw a glimmer of hope for victory. "I'll prove it to you with the cards I have!"

"Activate the Field Spell Card, [Chaos Field]!"

As the Field Spell Card was activated, the surrounding darkness receded, but the light did not arrive; instead, chaos engulfed everything.

The boundary between light and darkness becomes blurred. In this environment, Hayato draws a card from his deck: "Because of the activation of [Chaos Field], I am able to search my deck for a [Chaos Warrior] Ritual Monster or a [Dark Knight Gaia] card and add it to my hand."

"However, this is just an extra."

"Thanks to the Field Spell Card, the power of my [Earthbound God - Veracocha Raska] on the field has been unleashed." Hayato pointed to [Earthbound God - Veracocha Raska] in the sky and said, "Once per turn, by skipping my Battle Phase, I will reduce my opponent's Life Points to 1 in exchange for this huge price!"

Hayato reused the battle phase that had been skipped due to the effect of [Gransol, the Earth Spirit], pointing at Dartz and saying, "Give your life back to the heavens!"

"Polar Star Obey!"

As Hayato gave the order, [Earthbound God - Veracocha Raska] suddenly spread its giant wings, releasing its soul energy at full power, almost forcibly pulling Dartz's decaying soul out of his body!