Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"You're not wrong about that, the duel will end this round. However, the one who will end this duel is not you, but me, Mr. Manjoume!"

"After damage calculation for this card, which was Special Summoned by the effect of [Crystal Substitute], is destroyed by battle, its hidden second effect, and its strongest ability, will be activated. This is the key to my victory over you, Kagemaru!"

The shattered crystal didn't dissipate; instead, it defied gravity and flew away after Manjoume finished speaking, suddenly bypassing the [Dark Demon - Neosphia] who hadn't yet returned to the Kagemaru arena, and attacked Kagemaru!?

"When the [Crystal Substitute] is destroyed, its attack power is 3200 points. Therefore, it deals damage equal to the attack power of the opponent who destroyed it, which is 3200 points of effect damage!"

"What?!"

Seeing the rain of crystal blades hurtling towards him, Kagemaru's eyes widened in horror. The next moment, his figure was completely engulfed and covered by the crystal rain. The roaring crystal rain struck the spot where Kagemaru was, stirring up a cloud of dust.

"Did we win?" Manjoume murmured unconsciously as he watched Kagemaru disappear into the smoke and dust without moving, and breathed a sigh of relief that the duel was finally over.

After the appearance of [Dark Demon - Neosphia], Manjoume carefully considered the cards in his deck and confirmed that he could not destroy it by conventional means. After all, he did not have a large number of trap cards in his deck like Jaden. Rather, most of his cards were spell cards and monster cards.

Of these cards, very few can be used during Kagemaru's turn, meaning he is destined to face the battle against [Dark Demon - Neosphia].

However, Manjoume also clearly understood that Duel Monsters ultimately revolves around Life Points. Although there's always the saying, "As long as Life Points don't reach zero, they are infinite," that also means that once Life Points reach zero, it's all over. This was true for the five-hit combo of [Raging Death Dragon], and it was also true for [Crystal Substitute].

Compared to Kagemaru, he had no advantage in either his hand or the monsters on the field, but his only advantage lay in his Life Points. Kagemaru's Life Points far exceeded his own, and he seized this sole opportunity to counterattack, successfully winning the battle.

"How dare you attack me with a trap card!" From within the smoke and dust, Kagemaru's furious voice suddenly rang out, "Unforgivable, you brat!"

Suddenly, a black hole-like singularity appeared in the smoke and dust, releasing a terrifying suction force that swept away the smoke and dust, revealing the unharmed Kagemaru and the Crystal Blade being continuously sucked into the singularity. It seemed that the effect of the [Crystal Substitute] had not worked.

"Quick-Play Spell Card [Painful Soul Curse], the effect that inflicts damage on me can only be activated when the opponent activates it, and the damage to myself caused by that effect is taken by the opponent!" Kagemaru clutched his still violently pounding heart, glaring at Manjoume.

He was not only angry because Manjoume's unexpected counterattack had almost turned the tide and defeated him, but also because he felt humiliated and panicked like an ordinary person when facing Manjoume's counterattack. That humiliation was the biggest reason for his anger.

Having already willingly accepted the unknown power from "Darkness," and intending to reign and rule the world as a "god" with absolute power and a long lifespan, how could he become flustered like an ordinary person because of such a little brat?

That brat is unforgivable! Absolutely unforgivable!

Kagemaru wanted to see disappointment, frustration, and despair on Manjoume's face. After all, the last quick-play spell card in his hand just happened to be [Painful Soul Curse], which could only be used to counter effect damage. It was as if even fate was on his side. However, instead of seeing any despair on Manjoume's face, Kagemaru saw Manjoume with a calm smile.

"Tsk, in the end, I still failed. It's always the same. Will I always fall just a hair's breadth away from victory?" Shaking his head helplessly, Manjoume showed no frustration at his impending defeat, only regretful self-mockery. "Is this the bitter fruit of my usual laziness? I always settle for 'good enough,' and when it comes to giving my all, I always end up like this, 'one step behind.'"

"Perhaps it's time to let go of some of the pointless insistence, just like Mr. Hayato said."

Looking at Manjoume, Kagemaru said with a puzzled expression, "Aren't you scared? I'm about to return 3200 points of effect damage in the next moment, aren't you scared, brat?"

"Heh, I told you, I never need anything that's useless in a duel. Fear or calmness, neither helps in a duel, so it's better to accept the outcome calmly." Looking at Kagemaru, Manjoume showed a contemptuous expression, as if someone might think he was the victor. "Even if you defeated me, you've only defeated one of the 'Seven Seals' key guardians, and there are five others you haven't defeated besides me."

"Among them are people I'm not even confident of defeating yet, so your ambitions are destined to fail. As for me, I will use this failure as nourishment for growth... which will surely be useful next time!"

“You arrogant brat…” Kagemaru looked at Manjoume and waved his hand, saying, “Then you can watch carefully on your way to hell. Watch how I defeat your trusted teachers and classmates one by one, and then ascend to the strongest position with their support!”

"Painful Soul Curse, Counterattack!"

Having absorbed all the damage caused by the [Crystal Substitute], the singularity formed by the [Painful Soul Curse] crashed towards Manjoume, directly hitting his body where there was nothing to block it. Manjoume's remaining basic points rapidly decreased, eventually reaching zero, and he was defeated in the duel.

[Manjoume: 3200LP → 0]

The pain in his body made Manjoume frown, and he subconsciously wanted to back away, but he still forced himself to raise his hand and give Kagemaru a thumbs up, saying, "Heh, then let me enjoy the fun of hell for a bit."

Then, he flipped his palm over, thumb down. Holding this position, Manjoume closed his eyes and fell, supported by a pair of claws.

The Dragon of Light and Darkness appeared on its own after losing Manjoume's assistance, briefly materializing to support Manjoume's unconscious body and prevent him from falling to the ground. The black and white dragon used its wings to protect Manjoume's body, trying to stop Kagemaru from harming him further.

However, although the appearance of the [Dragon of Light and Darkness] saved Manjoume's life from dying in the Dark Games, the [Nyosphia, the Dark Demon on the field] immediately opened its many large eyes after the [Dragon of Light and Darkness] appeared. Purple light enveloped the [Dragon of Light and Darkness], tormenting it to unbearable pain. It was even shattered as if destroyed in the battle and sucked into the eyes of the [Nyosphia, the Dark Demon].

This scene was witnessed by several people who emerged from the dense forest. One of them, looking at Manjoume lying on the ground, shouted excitedly, "Manjoume!!!"

However, Manjoume, who had lost in the Dark Game, was no longer able to correct his old rival's way of addressing him. Judai did not get the unpleasant response of "It's Mr. Manjoume." Instead, Kagemaru and Daitokuji looked in his direction.

"Better late than never. I just received one key, and now a new one is delivered right to my door." In Kagemaru's hand, the key belonging to Manjoume turned into specks of light and dissipated, drifting into the ground beneath his feet and flying towards the "Seven Essence Seals" deep underground. Kagemaru then looked at the group of people in front of him. "Unfortunately, I'm in a bad mood right now, so I don't have the energy to waste on you brats. Hand over your keys!"

"You bastard, are you one of the Seven Stars too?! What did you do to Manjoume?!"

Because of his exceptional physique, even though he had fallen into a coma after his duel with Tenjōin Fubuki, who was actually Asuka's missing brother and went into a coma under the alias "Darkness," Judai regained consciousness early on. Although he hadn't fully recovered his strength, the shock of Manjōme's collapse gave him a surge of power from deep within him, and he shouted to Kagemaru, "And what about Daitokuji-sensei who was with Manjōme!"

"Daitokuji? That person is already dead, much earlier than your companion—Manjoume." Noticing that Kagemaru was looking at him, Daitokuji, wearing a mask, said in a deep voice. Because of the difference in his voice, even Jaden couldn't recognize him. Moreover, what Daitokuji said was not entirely untrue, since he himself had actually died many years ago, and the current version of himself was just another Daitokuji transferred into another body.

"What—!" Judai clenched his fists, his emotions surging. "Even Master Daitokuji—"

"Judai, calm down!" Asuka quickly supported Judai, saying, "You've only just woken up. In your current state, you can't engage in any intense duels, let alone Dark Games. Calm down!"

"Yeah, brother, and there are two of them on the other side. You have no chance of winning if you go alone!" Marufuji Sho, who was carrying Fubuki, also hurriedly advised, stopping Judai from rushing up to fight the two guys who seemed to be Seven Stars to the death in a fit of rage.

Because Marufuji Sho spoke up, Kagemaru glanced at him and suddenly said disdainfully, "I thought I was seeing things, but upon closer inspection, isn't that 'Darkness'? Although, it's just a pathetic worm that was devoured by 'Darkness' and turned into a puppet. I remember it's that brat named Tenjouin Fubuki, right?"

"They were defeated without even getting a single key for me. They're useless trash."

"You bastard, are you not one of the 'Seven Stars,' but the mastermind behind them?!" Asuka, who was holding onto Judai, couldn't hold back any longer after hearing Kagemaru's words. She glared at Kagemaru angrily and said, "Was my brother's disappearance caused by you?! Not only did you use him, but you also humiliated him like this. Unforgivable!"

"I am also the key guardian of the 'Seven Essence Seals,' so I will be your opponent!"

"Opponents? Who wants to duel with you brats again?" Kagemaru sneered upon hearing Asuka's words. His [Dark Demon - Neosphia] still existed even after the duel ended, and had even materialized after absorbing the spirit power of the [Light and Darkness Dragon] from Banjou-me. Its disgusting eyes glared at Judai and Asuka.

"No duel is needed. As long as I defeat you, I can still obtain the key to the 'Seven Essence Seal'!"

The next moment, [Dark Netherworld Demon - Neosphia] once again shot out purple rays of light, heading towards Judai and Asuka!

Chapter 1171 The Overlord Surrenders...

It turned out that Principal Samejima, who stayed at the main campus and kept the students from getting too close to Kagemaru's location because of their excessive energy and curiosity, was quite necessary.

Because the duel with Manjoume had wasted too much time, and he almost lost to a mere first-year student whom he didn't even consider a threat, Kagemaru, enraged and humiliated, decided to abandon the idea of ​​"obtaining the key through a duel" since he had regained his youth through the power of "Darkness".

【Neophia】Under Kagemaru's control, it unleashed terrifying purple rays, as if trying to prove that "killing enemies with eyes" is not a skill limited to "true heroes". Asuka tightly held Jaden's hand and ran to avoid the former's pursuit. Marufuji Sho also carried Tenjouin Fubuki on his back and followed behind the two of them as they fled together.

It's easy to imagine that if it weren't Judai and his group but ordinary students, they would have been killed by Kagemaru, who was furious and needed to vent his anger, and a few more names would have been added to the list of casualties after "Manjoume Jun's" name.

(Manjoume, who is in a coma: I'm not dead yet!)

Watching Judai and the others being chased by the Dark Demon Neosphia controlled by Kagemaru, Daitokuji's steps shifted slightly, but he ultimately remained still without taking any action. Although controlling the Dark Demon Neosphia to pursue Judai and the others, Kagemaru did not ignore Daitokuji beside him. Upon noticing his movement of stopping, he revealed a silent, cold smile.

Kagemaru wasn't entirely sure how much Daitokuji had changed since he was an alchemist during his years at the Duel Academy, but he had already stopped trusting Daitokuji before joining the academy because Daitokuji had refused to create the "Philosopher's Stone," a life-extending artifact, at the expense of others.

Loyalty that is not absolute is absolutely disloyal. Therefore, although Daitokuji was his "most trusted" Seven Star, Kagemaru was actually always on guard against him, as he never knew when the guy might turn against him.

Even now, with Kagemaru chasing after his important student Daitokuji, Daitokuji still hadn't made a move, so Kagemaru could pretend he hadn't seen the movement of Daitokuji's feet. Anyway—those brats had nowhere to run!

Although they were running away, Asuka and her friends weren't just running for their lives. From the very beginning, they had a clear goal. Although they kept moving in a "Z" shape to avoid the beams of light coming from behind, they were also constantly moving in that direction.

That was the jungle they had just emerged from. Once inside, they could use the dense forest to block the view of their pursuers and hinder the movements of the [Dark Netherworld Demon - Neosphia] with its pair of wings, thus creating as much distance as possible to avoid being caught.

"As long as we get to that place!" As the jungle drew closer, both Asuka and Sho Marufuji showed expressions of joy.

However, just as Asuka took her first step and was about to enter the jungle, she suddenly felt an increasing resistance coming from ahead. It wasn't like hitting an invisible wall, but more like hitting a ball. The more she tried to move forward, the less she could.

The force of their forward momentum was completely absorbed and neutralized by an invisible barrier, and Asuka was bounced back in a daze, as was Jaden.

On the contrary, Marufuji Sho, who was carrying Tenjouin Fubuki on his back, followed behind Judai and entered the forest without stopping. However, when he saw that Judai and Asuka were still in that dangerous clearing, he turned around with a puzzled look.

"What is this?" Reaching out, Judai touched an invisible force field that resembled gel. He realized that no matter how hard he tried, he and Asuka couldn't break through and were forcibly left in the forest.

Behind them, [Dark Netherworld Demon - Neosphia] took flight with distinctly different wings, gaining air superiority and looking down at the left-behind Jaden and Asuka. Kagemaru's voice rang out: "Now that you've come all this way, I have no interest in playing hide-and-seek with you brats. Did you really think you could leave here?"

"Besides sealing the 'Illusion Demon Card,' the Seven Essence Seals have many other wondrous functions, and their secret weapons can bring unexpected surprises!" Kagemaru said, extending his right hand in a gesture of grasping. "Those of you who possess the keys to the Seven Essence Seals, don't even think about leaving here unless you relinquish them!"

"Trying to force us to give up the key? Impossible!" Asuka said firmly, standing up. "We can't let someone like you get away with this, you bastard who uses others and then watches from the sidelines!"

"Judai, give me your key. I still have enough energy to deal with that man. You need to get out of here right now!"

Seeing Asuka extend her hand to him, Jaden stood up and firmly shook his head in refusal: "I can't do that. A hero can't desert his post, let alone leave Asuka here alone."

"But Judai, you've already used up too much energy. Now is not the time to push yourself!" Asuka said anxiously. "You've already done your best to save your brother, Judai. There's no need for you to stay any longer—"

"That's not true. Not only you, Asuka, but I'm also going to settle accounts with those two. The grudges against Manjoume and Master Daitokuji must be settled!" Judai said, looking at Asuka with a firm and unyielding gaze. "Let me face this with you!"

Looking at Judai, Asuka smiled helplessly: "I really can't do anything with you."

Judai turned around and looked at Marufuji Sho, who was standing there, hesitating whether to go back or leave, and said, "Take Tenjouin's brother with you, Sho. I'm entrusting him to you."

"But brother, you and Asuka-san—"

Driven by the biological instinct to survive and the resistance to abandoning his companions, Marufuji Sho was in a state of considerable inner conflict. He couldn't simply escape without any burden, nor did he have the courage to go back to the back. But upon hearing Judai's words, Marufuji Sho didn't turn away as Judai had given him a reason; instead, he mustered his courage.

Even someone as timid as him would occasionally act out of character because of his admiration for courageous others.

But before Marufuji Sho could finish speaking, a beam of light from [Dark Netherworld Demon - Neosphia] grazed his body and shot into the jungle. Even though it didn't hit him directly, it still sent Marufuji Sho and Fubuki, who was still unconscious, flying. The half of the stone plate that was originally hanging on Fubuki's chest was also broken and fell to the ground.

"Xiang!" "Brother!"

Kagemaru frowned and clicked his tongue in annoyance. It turned out that although he had regained his youth, a young body and skill were two different things. Judai and Asuka were able to dodge the attacks of [Dark Demon - Neosphia] one after another, not entirely because they were fast enough to escape. Kagemaru's "edge-aiming shooting technique" was also a very important part of the reason.

Even though Judai and Asuka had stopped and had nowhere to retreat, Kagemaru was certainly not the kind of third-rate villain who would give the protagonist in a desperate situation a chance to trigger a flashback, rekindle their bonds, and unleash their full power. Instead, he was seriously aiming with his own eyes and those of [Dark Demon - Neosphia], which together made up about five eyes.

Even so, he still missed, failing to hit Judai and Asuka, who were essentially stationary targets, but instead hitting Tenjouin Fubuki and Marufuji Sho, whose existence was irrelevant to him.

The shame of missing even a stationary target made Kagemaru blush. Luckily, he had regained his youth, otherwise his heart would have been damaged by the anger. Enraged, he looked at Judai and Asuka, and stopped letting [Dark Demon - Neosphia] attack to avoid further humiliation, and spoke again.

"Choose quickly! Will you obey me and hand over the key to the 'Seven Essence Seal,' or will you die here like your companions?"

Seeing Marufuji Sho lying unconscious not far away, and being trapped within an invisible barrier unable to check on him, Judai was filled with frustration at his own powerlessness. At that moment, he suddenly understood a truth: even heroes who uphold justice need power to put their power into action.

But now he is too weak, powerless to resist Kagemaru, powerless to protect his comrades, he can do nothing...

"You hurt Daitokuji-sensei, Manjoume, Asuka's brother, and Sho, and you still dare to say such things now!"

Turning back, Judai glared at Kagemaru and [Dark Demon - Neosphia]. The power that had been surging from somewhere earlier was now expanding even more violently, and a glimmer of gold gradually appeared in his brown pupils—

Unaware of the change in Judai's pupils, Kagemaru, seeing that Judai was clearly unwilling to submit to him, impatiently waved his hand and said, "Then die, brat!"

This time, the attack of [Dark Demon - Neosphia] was no longer a ray with a pitifully low hit rate. Kagemaru, who was willing to lower the requirements for attack power in order to improve the hit rate, simply made the attack of [Dark Demon - Neosphia] into a much thicker beam of light, which attacked Jaden and the others under the watchful eyes of Kagemaru, who was slightly smug.

Seeing this, Daitokuji tensed up again, but as if realizing something, he relaxed again and still did not make any move, watching helplessly as Kagemaru attacked Judai and the others.

Faced with such a wide-ranging attack, Asuka and Judai both realized that the two of them, being just humans, had no way to dodge it. However, neither Asuka nor Judai showed any fear in their eyes. In fact, Asuka even stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Judai and calmly met the attack.

But just when Kagemaru thought he was about to defeat the two brats and the gold in Jaden's eyes was about to completely stain his eyes, the half of the stone plate that Fubuki had dropped earlier suddenly defied gravity and flew up to Jaden's chest, fitting perfectly with the half of the stone plate hanging on his chest to form a complete stone ornament!

The next moment, a brown fur ball with wings on its back appeared out of thin air in front of Judai, completely blocking the attack of the oncoming [Dark Demon - Neosphia]!

"Curry Curry—Curry!"

No, it wasn't just about blocking the attack. The Winged Kuriboh, which had materialized in front of Jaden, completely withstood the 4000-point attack power of the Dark Demon - Neosphia, which was equivalent to a Colossus, despite its weak stats. It even emitted a dazzling light and gradually transformed into a more powerful form with broad wings and a dragon's head attached to its body!

The attack from [Dark Netherworld Demon - Neosphia] was completely blocked, but that wasn't the end of it. The evolved [Winged Kuriboh], or more accurately, [Winged Kuriboh LV10], flapped its wings and actually pushed the attack back to Kagemaru!

"Whoa!" Caught off guard, Kagemaru was almost hit by the rebounding attack. Fortunately, [Dark Demon - Neosphia] reacted quickly and protected Kagemaru in time, but Kagemaru was still terrified. "What was that?!"

"Aibo?" Seeing the materialized [Winged Kuriboh LV10] in front of him, Jaden looked down in surprise. When he saw the complete stone disc hanging on his chest, he couldn't help but recall the words of the [Gravekeeper Elder] who had given him half a stone disc as a reward for passing the trial in the small world of "Royal Tomb". "Indeed, it was a great help in the Dark Games."

Mistaking the power he had just sensed for coming from the intact stone disc, Jaden glanced at Asuka beside him, who, despite having the courage to face the desperate situation, was still nervously gripping his hand, and at Winged Kuriboh, which had regressed from its Winged Kuriboh LV10 state back to its initial state. Jaden suddenly realized that although he did not have enough power, he still had companions who trusted him and fought alongside him.