Duels should be played with a smile.

Dartz, disregarding all martial ethics, attacked without hesitation.

He raised one hand high, and the dark green gem in his hand emitted a deep light that enveloped the two of them. By the time Leyou came to his senses, he had already arrived in a temple.

Leyou could still sense his connection with the Snow Maiden, Ella, and Philvo. Ella, who was usually quite silent, immediately reported Leyou's current situation to him.

He appears to be on Dartz's turf, and now the whole world is watching his confrontation with Dartz.

The interior of the temple was somewhat dark, with only a few torches for lighting. The walls were covered with countless simple portraits, so simple they looked like children's scribbles.

"Welcome to Atlantis... the former Atlantis."

“My name is Daz, Lord of Atlantis, chosen by Orichalcos.”

Darz had changed into his usual clothes. His light blue hair matched his white robe well, and even in the dim environment, he appeared somewhat detached.

“You are an interesting being, so I intend to use you as the first sacrifice for the incarnation of the god Orichalcos!”

"Therefore, let all beings on this planet witness your death!"

"Your death will be remembered by the world!"

"As the beginning of a new world!"

He was like a devout fanatic.

"Do you see that? Those murals, each one is a vibrant soul!"

"For every person who falls under the blade of the Orichalcos, a vacancy here will be filled."

Darz's words were broadcast to the world, and as he spoke, several more grotesque and terrified figures appeared in the empty spaces on the wall.

Dartz's words were not false. Those who witnessed this scene could not help but feel more panic, especially when the Orichalcos appeared beside them, that panic would directly turn into utter despair.

"It's not that simple!"

Leyou interrupted Dazi's performance.

He believed that the poor should take care of themselves, but he did not have the idea of ​​helping others when he was successful. However, he also had the most basic bottom line, the most basic goodwill as an ordinary person.

He doesn't particularly care about complete strangers, but he also dislikes seeing tragedies happen before his eyes.

"You're just bluffing at best!"

"If you can really destroy the world so easily, then why did you bring me to your temple?"

Obviously, the next thing to do is to duel, but Leyou still tries to explore a question - if you don't play cards, or if you lose and don't admit defeat, will you be punished by this world?

Leyou's question was like a signal. The next second, many duelists and their card Pokémon stood up to protect everyone in their sight. Many Pokémon they had never seen or heard of before also suddenly appeared to protect the world with them.

Darz, who was in the temple, had been observing the changes around the world with the help of the power of Orichalcos. When he saw this sudden situation, he did not show any surprise on his face.

"Everything is under my control... The reason I brought you to this temple is, of course, to fill the void here with your powerful soul!"

"Let me use this most ancient ritual of dueling to steal your soul and make it a sacrifice for the coming of Orichalcos!"

Dartz flicked his wrist, and a uniquely designed duel disk appeared on his arm, already containing his card deck.

His actions seemed to indicate that without playing cards, there was really no way to successfully bring his god down to earth.

And, as is often the case with this world, once Dartz expressed his desire to play cards, the movements of the Orichalcos, which wreaked havoc all over the world, seemed to slow down a few beats, allowing many people to escape from their blades. Then, everyone in the world who had the means hid in a safe place, ready to witness this duel that seemed to determine whether the world would be destroyed.

"A duel is a ritual that stakes one's soul, not some game you play around with!"

Whether it's the stolen souls or the Orichalcos giants and card sprites locked in battle, everything seems to confirm Dartz's words.

Many duelists felt a sudden heaviness in their hearts—they were proud to stand up and protect the world in such a time, but when dueling was no longer just a game, the implications it represented made it impossible for them to enjoy it so easily.

"You're wrong, Dartz!"

Leyou unfolded his Jade Greatsword Duel Disk and solemnly placed a deck inside.

"Dueling is a game! It's about bringing joy, enjoyment, and entertainment that makes people smile!"

"Recreational activities do not need to, and should not, bear such heavy meaning!"

"Duel is meant to be played with laughter! Not used as a tool to destroy the world by some ignorant, ambitious person like you who appeared out of nowhere!"

Under the witness of the world's will, the duel disks of both sides were connected, and the duel arena appeared between the two.

Two different viewpoints were spread to duelists around the world, prompting many duelists to rethink the meaning of dueling during this very special period.

"Words are useless! Let's duel! Following the most ancient ritual, with this world as our witness, I will take your soul!"

With everything ready, Darz remained silent.

At Seahorse Park, the tournament had been abruptly halted due to the unexpected situation. The public sought refuge under the guidance of staff and some duelists, while the duelists who still had the strength were organized to resist the attack of the Orichalcos.

"Absolute Zero Hero! Absolute Zero!"

"Meteor Dragon! Stardust Illusion"

"Gaia! Spiral Shot!"

The trio repelled a wave of giant attacks and finally arrived at the place where they had parked their D-Wheel. Just as they were about to board the D-Wheel to help Dartz and Leyou in their duel, Philvo appeared next to the D-Wheel.

"Leave it to him."

Philwar's meaning was clear: she did not intend to let these three get involved.

Both Yugi and Jaden recognized Philvo, and although Yusei didn't know him, he instantly guessed quite a bit.

"Is this alright?"

The game had faced Dartz before, and he knew Dartz's dueling prowess—but Dartz's dueling ability wasn't the key issue at the moment.

"No problem... You can't help him this time. He needs help, but not your help."

The three exchanged glances, then each drew a card from their own deck and handed it to Philvo.

“No need.” Philvo shook his head again in refusal. “You are very powerful, but as I said, he doesn’t need you.”

True Name, Hyper Polymerization, and Heart Dragon are all cards that contain special powers, but none of them are applicable to the situation of Joyful Play.

As the only Whispering Elf who did not choose to leave, and as the only Whispering Elf who embodied the true meaning of the Thirteen Whispers, Philvo knew at least more than the three before him.

Yugi and Jaden nodded silently. Yusei wanted to say something more, but a strange sound came from afar, and a huge black shadow appeared along with the sound, which startled everyone.

It's hard to describe in words what that dark figure was like.

But whenever my eyes meet those eyes, I feel a sense of emptiness.

Gazing at the dark figure in the distance, Philvo was somewhat surprised: "She got here so quickly..."

"Yes... the whole world is filled with despair right now."

On the coastline, a huge black shadow floats in the air. It is covered in black on the outside, but inside it is an endless golden light.

Countless streams of black energy poured into it from the outside, mixing and intertwining with the gold, gradually merging and achieving a delicate balance.

Despair, hope, and all sorts of other positive and negative energies flowed within Ella, gradually merging into one, propelling her towards the unknown.

Inside the temple, Leyou sensed something changing within him, but he couldn't pinpoint its source.

He stared at Dazi, who exuded a chilling aura, took a deep breath, and relaxed his body.

He closed his eyes.

He opened his arms.

When he opened his eyes again, a contented smile was already on his lips.

Daz couldn't understand why Leyou, who was about to die, could still laugh so contentedly.

The audience, shrouded in the shadow of death, also did not understand.

It wasn't until Leyou spoke up and announced it to the world that...

"Ladies and gentlemen! Duelists all over the world who are watching this duel!"

"I assure you, in my title of King of Duels, that this duel will absolutely not disappoint you!"

"The purpose of a duel is never to fight, but to destroy, to annihilate!"

"Duel is just for the sake of bringing smiles to everyone's faces!"

"Duels shouldn't be this heavy!"

"Duel must be, and can only be, entertainment!"

"So, please join your card sprites and your friends in enjoying this entertaining duel that I've prepared for you!"

A smile is contagious, but only if it's genuine.

Unfortunately, Leyou is the kind of person with a good attitude who can laugh most of the time.

Face this heavy duel with a smile, and use the victory of the duel to bring back the smiles of those who have lost their smiles under the shadow of world destruction.

"Duel!"

"In a fun duel, I can't fall behind! I'll take the first strike!"

"My turn, draw a card!"

If we can't win, the world will end. Who would bother rolling for points with you then? Of course, everyone would just go for the first move!

Having gained the upper hand, Leyou did not immediately begin his actions. Instead, he waited a while until the duelists had processed his words before taking action.

As he said, a duel should not be a heavy thing. If the process of the duel is too difficult, then even if you win, you still lose in the end.

Because if that were the case, future duels would no longer be as pure as before.

That's not good; it prevents people from showing genuine smiles.

He doesn't like it.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Let my entertainment partners set the stage for this entertainment duel!"

"Normal summon: [Entertainment Partner Xiao Du]!"

"If you activate the effect of Little Unique, and successfully summon two Entertainment Partner Monsters, you can Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower Entertainment Partner Monster from your hand during the Main Phase!"

"Come out, [Entertainment Partner Koka]!"

Two adorable unicorn girls skipped and hopped into the gloomy temple, their lively appearance adding a touch of life to the temple.

"Cute little animals can soothe everyone's anxieties and summon the dragons that protect them!"

"Little Horn's effect changes her and Little Alone to Defense Position, and searches your Deck for 1 Odd-Eyes monster!"