"Game?"
Clark frowned slightly, at a loss for what this Goodwin was after.
"Yes, a simple game. Not even really a game—just something very easy."
Kira pulled out a die, placed it flat on the table.
"We'll use this die for a game of high or low. If I roll higher, you answer my question and reveal the secrets of the perpetual motion engine.
If your roll is higher, I swear not to pursue anything further. Whatever favors you need from the Sector Security—if it's within my ability, I, Goodwin, will refuse none.
How about it?"
At first, Clark thought it absurd, but his gaze lingered on the die in Kira's hand for a moment—and he started to feel slightly tempted.
He deliberated for a couple of seconds: "Just one roll? That simple?"
"That simple."
Clark narrowed his eyes.
He didn't know what madness had gripped Goodwin, but rolling a die was no trouble. His chances of winning were five out of six. If, as Goodwin promised, he won, then the Director's backing could be very useful in this city—far more useful than Iliaster, which treated them as tools rather than true protectees.
As for losing? He'd just keep up the act. Even if he promised to reveal everything, who could say which secrets were true? He could just feign ignorance or mix in a few lies—how would Goodwin know the difference?
"Alright, since you're in the mood, Director, I'll give it a try." Clark pushed up his glasses, smiling.
Got him.
Kira narrowed his eyes.
As expected, this man seems unfamiliar with the concept of a Shadow Game.
No surprise—by the 5D's era, Shadow Games had far less presence than in the previous series. Only the early Dark Signers seemed to play them—and only by dueling, not all the bizarre games from the original.
But in the original, true Shadow Game experts didn't need a duel to play a Shadow Game, nor did the stakes have to be life and death. Game type and wagers could vary.
Sometimes, all you needed was a simple die.
"Alright, then. I'll go first—oh, I mean, time to roll!"
Clark threw the die. It spun twice across the table and stopped.
A six.
"Heh, looks like luck's on my side, Director." Clark grinned, "It seems I win."
"Impressive. But as legendary duelists often say, you never know the duel's result until the very end—even if it's only a dice game…"
Kira flicked the die with his thumb; it arced through the air, spinning wildly.
Clark watched, eyes smiling.
He had a five-in-six chance. The only way Kira could tie was to roll another six. And even then, they'd just reroll.
"Nani?!"
The next moment, Clark's eyes went wide. The die…split open!
As if smashed, it broke in two mid-fall, splitting evenly down the center. The two halves rolled apart, coming to rest—one face up showing a one, the other a six.
"Seven!" Kira said with a laugh.
"Too bad. Looks like I made a little miracle."
Clark: "…"
Seriously?
But of course. Kira was paying homage to Yami Yugi from the early manga. Before Yu-Gi-Oh! was all about dueling, the original Yami Yugi used all sorts of strange Shadow Games to punish the wicked—including one where he split a die and rolled a seven.
"Well, it looks like I win." Kira clapped, smiling. "As agreed, tell me the secret of Moment Express."
Clark was stupefied by the die, but it was just a small game—he had planned to play dumb. But when he tried to refuse, the words came out of his mouth against his will:
"This place is an anchor point set up by Iliaster to alter history. Deep inside, there's a time-space machine capable of rewriting the past…"
He clapped his hands over his mouth, staring at Kira in horror.
Why?
He hadn't intended to reveal these secrets!
"Yes, I know now." Kira smiled gently.
"So, you have a way here to meet the Three Pure Nobles, yes? I want to talk to them."
Before the other could answer, he added,
"Don't try to trick me. You should have realized that's pointless. From the moment you lost this game, you lost all right to refuse or conceal the truth."
Clark's pupils shrank, as if recalling some ancient terror, his voice shaking in horror:
"A… Shadow Game!"
"Oh, so you've heard of it." Kira smiled. "No wonder you're a proper Iliaster lackey—you've seen some things."
Clark trembled.
Yes, he'd heard of Shadow Games. But in this era, they were all but legend—very few knew of them.
And weren't Shadow Games supposed to be viable only through duels? Moreover, he'd heard they could kill or even erase souls, but had always assumed that was just myth.
But now the myth had become real. This 'Goodwin' had those very abilities.
Isn't this exactly like the abilities claimed by legendary Shadow Game masters?
Even while thinking, his lips moved on their own: "From the central control room…you can contact the Three Pure Nobles. Those three masters hide in the rifts of subspace, and through the equipment here, you can enter—aaaah!"
Clark suddenly screamed in pain, blue arcs of electricity crackling from his body. Black smoke poured from him as he collapsed, convulsing, unable to stand.
Kira frowned and looked up toward the door.
Standing there was a figure: white hood, masked face, sword at the waist.
Clark, writhing on the floor, gazed up at the new arrival, eyes filled with terror and despair.
"A Iliaster Enforcer?!"
…