"You... are not going to seal us?"
The Evil God was surprised.
"Seal you, and then what?" Yugen shrugged, "In a few years, maybe ten, or perhaps a hundred, you'll return again?
Then wait for the next duelist to step forward and repeat today's cycle?"
The Evil God was silent.
What else?
Hasn't it always been like this?
They have long forgotten from what era they came or how they originated. But it has always been this way since they can remember.
They awaken, causing panic. Then a hero or a king of the era steps forward.
Sometimes they win, but even if they win, it's only temporary. Every time they defeat a hero, another comes forward, one after another, until they are sealed again.
They are Evil Gods; whenever they revive, they bring fear and disaster, only to be sealed again. It's an endless cycle they can't break free from, always like this.
But this person doesn't seem to plan to do so.
Who gave him such courage?
Is he not afraid of this evil power? Does he not fear being swallowed by darkness?
After a brief silence, the Eraser among the Evil Gods couldn't hold back and asked the question.
"If you don't seal us, aren't you afraid of being devoured by the darkness?"
They, the Evil Gods, are infamous. After breaking the seal and awakening, even if they do nothing, just being there is a conglomerate of darkness, automatically spreading fear and despair.
Not to mention the rumors of their proficiency in manipulating people, amplifying the dark sides in duelists' hearts. Even the tiniest evil thought can be detected by the Evil Gods, amplified infinitely, taking root, and becoming overwhelming darkness.
Because they are Evil Gods, that's what they do best.
"Doesn't matter," Yugen shrugged, "You want to manipulate me, feel free to try. But as long as you haven't succeeded..."
Yugen smirked.
"Until then, you'll have to work for me. Deal?"
The Three Evil Gods: "..."
Though it seemed Yugen was asking for their opinion, the Evil Gods clearly understood they had no choice in this situation.
A defeated army, on their own turf and stadium, had their domain destroyed. Even if they are revered as Evil Gods, at their core, they are fundamentally Duel Monsters. Defeated so disgracefully in a Dark Duel, they had no room to refuse.
With the journey over, Yugen put away the three Evil God cards and slowly walked out of the darkness. As he emerged from the darkness, the dense black sphere dissipated.
President Kaiba stood with arms crossed, gazing at Yugen for a moment, then said, "You took down the Evil God?"
Yugen replied, "Let's just say so."
Kaiba nodded in response and then chuckled, "Interesting. Master this new power as soon as possible, for we still have a duel between us, Yugen."
The President turned around, his coat flaring.
"I'll be waiting, don't disappoint me."
Yugen: "..."
Damn, it still looks like the President has his eyes on the Evil God.
Moreover, the critical issue is that it seems the President isn't just interested in the Evil God itself. After all, Yugen figured he might not be fully confident in controlling the Evil Gods completely. If he finds it hard to manage, he might as well ask the Tomb Guardian Race and Kaiba to find a way to seal them again. The President has never been unkind to him. If the President wants, letting him handle the Evil Gods wouldn't be bad.
Yet, the trouble lies in that it seems the President is not after the Evil Gods themselves, but rather Yugen, who possesses them...
That's a bit tricky.
But that's a problem for the future. For now, it's a grand victory, and today's issue is resolved.
All three logged out and returned to the real world.
President Kaiba, always busy, seemed to have many matters to address. After logging out, he disappeared without another word.
Judai, however, still had many questions to ask.
About the Three Evil Gods, about the Golden Cabinet Yugen suddenly produced, and about those elves seemingly tangled with his idol, Mr. Yugi...
Yugen only briefly answered a few questions and said he would explain everything in detail once back at the Academy.
After logging out of the system, Yugen naturally returned to the Tomb Guardian's place. Malik and his sister, having waited with anticipation, immediately approached to inquire upon his return.
Yugen took out three Evil God Cards, laying them flat on the table in front of them.
"The legendary Three Evil Gods."
Malik's expression changed slightly upon seeing the cards, then he looked up with admiration and said,
"As expected of the current Duel King. Mr. Yugen, you actually managed to get these three cards..."
Isis, meanwhile, asked with concern, "How are you feeling now?"
"Feeling?"
"Your mental state. Do you feel extremely fatigued, disoriented, hallucinating, etc.?" Isis asked, "Or feeling like someone is constantly whispering in your ear?"
Yugen understood she was worried about any signs of mental manipulation by the Evil Gods. He smiled and said, "Not at the moment."
Isis nodded, "It's best to be cautious.
The Evil Gods are cunning. Even Pegasus Nightwalker, a top-notch duelist cultivated by Beckas among all his potential successors,
couldn't resist the Evil Gods' erosion and had to abandon this power in the end."
Malik said, "But don't worry too much. From our observation, Mr. Yugen, your powers as both a duelist and a Dark Game player have long surpassed those of Pegasus Nightwalker in his prime.
Plus, according to our assessment, we think you may have a better compatibility with the Evil Gods than Nightwalker did..."
Yugen's expression was a bit peculiar.
This sounded like praise and affirmation, yet somehow it also seemed to imply that he and the Evil Gods were like two peas in a pod...
Isis said, "More importantly, you have something that Pegasus Nightwalker never had."
Yugen asked, "A condition?"
Isis nodded, "Besides compatibility, powerful dark energy, and the blessing of Elf Power, you also possess a Divine Artifact that can control gods to some extent.
And more importantly... you directly defeated the Evil God through a Dark Duel."
Yugen understood. Back then, although Nightwalker was nominally the master of the Evil Gods, he merely acquired the Evil God cards without encountering their true forms or winning them through a duel.
Having won them through dueling, naturally, he had more initiative.
Still, even so, caution was necessary. After all, they are Evil Gods, and they must be handled carefully.
As Yugen packed up the three cards, his peripheral vision swept toward the doorway, and he was suddenly startled.
"...Mr. Yugi?"