Chapter 109: Dark Magician Girl Mana
"So you and young friend Amano became acquainted through this matter. Hahaha, truly a case of no discord without concord. This old man's decision to arrange for you to find Master Vail was absolutely correct, Sakuya."
In the luxury car's back seat, Nanki'in Muramasa listened to Sakuya's account, satisfaction evident on his face. The mechanical prosthetic eye crafted by Vail flickered with unusual radiance in the darkness.
"What about you, Grandfather?" Nanki'in Sakuya confirmed with concern. "How has your health been lately? You didn't force yourself to attend the banquet just to satisfy my request, right?"
"No matter, no matter. Nothing serious. Rather, after hearing this good news, my physical discomfort has lessened considerably."
"That's good." As long as Grandfather could be happy, Sakuya felt even telling small lies was acceptable.
Besides, it might not even be a lie!
"Speaking of health, it's time for medication. Ryuuma, pass me the medicine from the box on your left."
"Yes, Patriarch."
Since he had to handle driving simultaneously, Ryuuma's single-handed operation of opening the sealed medicine box appeared somewhat difficult.
Feeling this made driving dangerous, Sakuya prepared to help. "Ryuuma, give me the medicine box--"
However, Sakuya's words were cut off halfway by Muramasa.
"Ryuuma, how has your condition been lately?" Muramasa slowly spoke.
"Thanks to Young Mistress's blessing, condition is excellent." Ryuuma answered.
Click -- accompanying Ryuuma's left hand's difficult operation, the medicine box latch finally opened.
Nanki'in Muramasa accepted the pill and swallowed it in one gulp.
"Ryuuma, but I remember you're left-handed?"
Since Ryuuma is left-handed, the medicine box was placed to the driver's left.
'Ryuuma' didn't respond.
The vehicle continued driving quietly through the night for a while.
Then Nanki'in Muramasa slowly spoke again. "It's been about fifty years since we met, Onikiri."
"When did you realize it, Muramasa?"
"After getting in the car." Nanki'in Muramasa's mechanical prosthetic eye flickered.
"Tch, Vail's masterpiece? Using such methods to guard against me is pretty much cheating, Muramasa."
Completely unable to grasp the situation, the only thing Nanki'in Sakuya could understand was that this person definitely wasn't Ryuuma.
Knowing she wasn't smart, Sakuya chose to remain silent.
However, Sakuya still remembered that one month ago, she'd specifically commissioned Eden's strongest mechanic Vail to create a prosthetic eye in the Nanki'in family's name.
At the time, Grandfather had made only one request.
This eye must possess the function to see through all mysteries.
The vehicle still drove through the night, yet the black mist 'Ryuuma' used for disguise gradually dispersed around his body.
The figure instantly slimmed by several degrees. A young woman in black clothing replaced 'Ryuuma' in the driver's seat.
"Fifty years have passed, yet you still maintain this appearance?"
Looking at the black-clad young woman ahead, forget fifty years -- just from physique and appearance, she differed little from Nanki'in Sakuya, at most seventeen or eighteen years old.
"Though appearance hasn't changed much, this body is already the third generation."
"Still doing things that defy heaven's way, Onikiri!"
"You've aged considerably, Muramasa. Made your peace with saying goodbye to this world?"
"Before thoroughly resolving you, I can't irresponsibly leave like that!"
Suddenly, the high-speed luxury car was forced to an emergency stop.
Family members who'd received Nanki'in Muramasa's signal surrounded Muramasa's car in layers, preventing her from continuing.
"Get out of the car, Onikiri."
"Yes yes yes~"
The black-clad young woman assumed a surrendering posture with both hands raised overhead, leaving the driver's seat.
The other Nanki'in family members all showed shocked expressions seeing the person emerging from the car wasn't Ryuuma.
After all, they'd personally watched 'Ryuuma' drive for the Patriarch.
If this person wasn't Ryuuma, then where was Ryuuma?
In the garbage bin behind Sky Cup Dragon Hotel's kitchen, Ryuuma gradually regained consciousness.
When had he been ambushed? Such lack of martial virtue!
However the next second, Onikiri who'd pretended to surrender wore a fang-toothed smile across her lips, drawing an extremely arrogant grin.
"I say, Muramasa. You don't actually think you have the qualifications to threaten me with these small fries, do you? I see you've truly grown senile with age!"
The raised Eva terminal activated. A golden key projection resembling a cross flickered at Onikiri's chest.
The sky tore open a cross-shaped rift. From the rift's interior, a Rainbow Dragon tainted by darkness materialized above everyone's heads.
Not a card spirit -- because everyone could see it.
Not a Duel Disk projection either -- because the duel hadn't started.
On Onikiri's wrist, the Eva terminal bearing Millennium Item data flickered with unusual radiance.
"Dark Game - Malefic Domain!!"
The massive Rainbow Dragon's slender body obscuring the starry sky isolated all Nanki'in family members, imprisoning only Muramasa and Sakuya within.
Muramasa roared. "Onikiri, I know your target is the Millennium Scale, but this has nothing to do with Sakuya!"
"Hahaha, whether it's related or not isn't for you to decide. Muramasa's granddaughter -- as long as I resolve you together, your Nanki'in family's final bloodline will also terminate here."
Dragging Sakuya into the Dark Game together, Onikiri's arm position deployed a black-and-white interlaced Duel Disk.
"In a Dark Game, every second represents life force draining away. I don't want to waste time. You two come at me together!"
"Dark Game..."
Dark Games -- Nanki'in Sakuya had only heard her grandfather and Amano mention them as very dangerous rituals.
("Amano, what does a Dark Game feel like?")
("Not a good feeling. I hope you never encounter one your entire life.")
However, Sakuya not only encountered one but was forcibly dragged into a Dark Game duel.
The katana hanging at Nanki'in Sakuya's waist seemed eroded by dark power, completely beyond willpower's control. It was forcibly pried open and deformed into a Duel Disk worn on her arm.
[FORCED DUEL INITIATED]
[DUEL MODE - DARK GAME]
[SPECIAL RULES: 1V2]
[DUELIST - NANKI'IN ONIKIRI]
[DUELISTS - NANKI'IN SAKUYA & NANKI'IN MURAMASA]
[DUEL!]
By the time Sakuya recognized reality, the signal for their side's first turn had already lit.
Simultaneously, existing within the Dark Game, Sakuya could clearly feel dual torment from both stamina and spirit.
Amano really hadn't lied to her. This feeling was genuinely terrible.
If she herself was in this condition, Grandfather's physical state was even worse -- undoubtedly more dangerous.
Absolutely couldn't drag this out!
Even though many circumstances still weren't clear, Nanki'in Sakuya had one advantage.
She knew she wasn't smart enough, so she never required herself to understand everything completely.
Just needed to know what she must do.
"My turn, draw!"
Nanki'in Sakuya scanned her hand cards, directly throwing a monster onto the Duel Disk.
"I Normal Summon Shiranui Swordmaster, then activate Swordmaster's effect to Special Summon 1 'Demon Blade - Shiranui' from my Deck!"
[SHIRANUI SWORDMASTER] [LV4 FIRE]
[Zombie/Effect] [ATK: 1500] [DEF: 0]
When Sakuya first dueled Amano, since her deck didn't contain the Demon Blade yet, she couldn't activate Shiranui Swordmaster's effect at all.
But this time was different.
"Go! Guide Shiranui's Synchro soul! Special Summon Demon Blade - Shiranui!"
[DEMON BLADE - SHIRANUI] [LV2 FIRE]
Demon Blade - Shiranui
[Zombie/Tuner/Effect] [ATK: 800] [DEF: 0]
Just one card's summon assembled two monsters for Synchro Summoning on the field.
According to classroom-learned Card Efficiency Theory, Shiranui Synchro's card efficiency was at least triple Amano's common Synchro efficiency.
Watching the Demon Blade's soul burning on Nanki'in Sakuya's field, young woman Onikiri's brow furrowed tightly.
"Muramasa, you actually gave away both Shiranui and the Demon Blade? Then you old thing are completely useless!"
"This is inheritance, Onikiri!" Muramasa countered defiantly. "Someone who only pursues immortality like you cannot understand its meaning!"
Simultaneously, on Nanki'in Sakuya's field, Shiranui's Synchro flames ignited in darkness, rolling up dual star rings.
"Level 2 Tuner Demon Blade - Shiranui, Level 4 Shiranui Swordmaster, tuning!"
"2 + 4 = 6!"
"Tempered in raging flames, become the blade god that severs undying karma!"
"Synchro Summon, Level 6! Blade God - Shiranui!"
[BLADE GOD - SHIRANUI] [LV6 FIRE]
[Zombie/Synchro/Effect]
[ATK: 2500] [DEF: 0]
Blade God - Shiranui
FIRE
[Zombie/Synchro/Effect]
[Zombie Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner Zombie monsters]
[You can only Special Summon "Blade God - Shiranui" once per turn. 1: Once per turn: You can target 1 of your banished Zombie monsters; return it to the Deck, then change all face-up monsters your opponent controls with ATK less than or equal to that monster's ATK to Defense Position. You can activate this effect during your opponent's turn. 2: If this card is banished: Target 1 monster your opponent controls; it loses 500 ATK.]
ATK/2500 DEF/0
The sword-wielding warrior manifested together with the Demon Blade's materialized soul behind him.
Consuming just one hand card's resources to summon a 2500 ATK monster.
At least in Duel Academy lower grades' Axe King environment, Shiranui's card efficiency was sufficiently excellent.
"I Set one card and end my turn!"
Turn shifted. In the 1V2 duel, it became Onikiri's turn to start.
And due to special rules, solo-side Onikiri could draw 2 cards per turn, with both sides' Life Points doubled to 8000.
"My turn, draw! Draw!"
After drawing two cards consecutively, those fangs like demon princess tusks displayed an even more arrogant smile.
"One card to summon 2500 ATK Synchro? Then next, let me show you my one-card summon!"
Before summoning, Onikiri opened the Duel Disk's hidden Field Zone.
"Field Spell Malefic World activates!"
Malefic World
[Spell Card]
[During your Draw Phase, instead of conducting your normal draw: You can reveal 3 "Malefic" cards from your Deck to your opponent, then your opponent randomly chooses 1 for you to add to your hand, and you shuffle the rest back into your Deck.]
An unknown-effect Field Spell. In the darkness-surrounded duel, a cyber-electronic world seemingly constructed from data wreckage rose up.
"Next is my summoning method! I banish Rainbow Dragon from my Deck from play to Special Summon Malefic Rainbow Dragon from my hand!"
The brilliant, dazzling Rainbow Dragon was tainted by malefic coloring. The pitch-black rainbow shot skyward like a venomous snake.
"Your name is paradox rainbow! Malefic Domain Drive! Display your corrupted rainbow form!"
[MALEFIC RAINBOW DRAGON] [LV10 DARK]
[Dragon/Effect] [ATK: 4000] [DEF: 0]
[Dragon/Special Summon/Effect]
[Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must first be Special Summoned by banishing 1 "Rainbow Dragon" from your hand, Deck, or Extra Deck. 1: There can only be 1 face-up "Malefic" monster on the field. 2: Other monsters you control cannot declare an attack. 3: If there is no face-up Field Spell on the field, destroy this card.]
The Special Summon condition was banishing 1 monster from the Deck. If not counting the Field Card activation, it truly was a Special Summon completed using only 1 hand card.
However, this Malefic Rainbow Dragon's 4000 ATK crushed Blade God - Shiranui.
"Malefic Rainbow Dragon attacks!"
"-- Corrupted Rainbow Light!!"
Though the time had reached late night, Amano could see a bizarrely-colored seven-color rainbow appearing under the night curtain.
The uneasy feeling intensified.
"Please don't let anything happen, Sakuya!"
Though Uncle Gong was already driving at maximum speed toward the target direction, after all they'd initially separated in opposite directions -- reaching there still required considerable distance.
Dark Magician Girl: "Amano, did you not hear what I just said clearly? You don't have a Millennium Item right now. You can't oppose that level of Dark Game!"
However, this Dark Game's opening let Amano know his Dark Magician Girl card was also a card spirit.
Actually this wasn't particularly surprising.
As a world-unique card, Dark Magician Girl in the anime was genuinely a card spirit.
Since Eden had replicated the card's uniqueness, the spirit appearing together was completely unsurprising.
And Dark Magician Girl's spirit not only had vastly larger chest than Eve, but also lacked Eve's amnesia situation.
She understood Millennium Items very well.
After all, according to Amano's anime memories, Dark Magician Girl's prototype was the ancient Egyptian priestess girl Mana from three thousand years ago -- no, should be six thousand years ago now.
Amano: "Mana, you said the Millennium Key possesses immortal power. Is that true?"
Mana: "Saying it's immortality isn't actually accurate. This matter depends on how you understand it. Amano, do you think immortality's importance lies in the body or in memories?"
Amano: "I think it's memories."
An immortal body without memories was merely a walking corpse.
Mana: "Exactly. Though the Millennium Key can't make your body imperishable, as long as you possess the Millennium Key, you can continuously transmit memories to your own descendants, achieving another form of eternal life."
In the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, Shadi as an ancient Egyptian priest relied on generation-after-generation memory transmission to wait three thousand years and guide the awakened Pharaoh.
But according to Amano's previous life understanding--
This matter was closer to seizing descendants' bodies. Actually operating it was far too dark.