Chapter 111: Background Spirit Pries Open the Darkness
Leaving afterimages racing at high speed through the night, Uncle Gong truly deserved his professional driver title -- using almost half the departure time, he caught up with the Nanki'in family convoy from the opposite direction.
Midway they even passed Sky Cup Dragon Hotel, picking up the ambush-knocked-out Ryuuma.
"Young Mistress! Patriarch!"
The instant the car stopped, Ryuuma practically rolled and crawled out, rushing toward the Nanki'in family's chaotic scene.
"Now! What exactly is the situation now!" Ryuuma grabbed someone and loudly questioned.
After all, the excessively bizarre scene before normal people was truly difficult to understand through vision.
The night sky tore open a massive rift. From the rift descended Malefic World's inverted towering data architecture, surrounding the Dark Game's duel field in layers, making it difficult for Nanki'in family bodyguards to enter.
They could only helplessly watch their Young Mistress and Patriarch dragged into a Dark Game while their side, like impotent husbands, could only watch from outside.
"So how's the situation!" Amano asked the key point.
"The-- the Patriarch just destroyed the opponent's monster!"
Through the Dark Game's barrier, they just saw Malefic Rainbow Dragon severed in two by War God, dispersing in the flame explosion.
[MALEFIC RAINBOW DRAGON] destroyed
Nanki'in Onikiri LP: 7000 → 5900
Afterward, seizing the opponent's empty field opportunity, Muramasa's field Mezuki added a direct attack.
Nanki'in Onikiri LP: 5900 → 4200
From current appearances, the Nanki'in side should have secured massive advantage.
But Amano still instantly noticed that card.
Continuous Trap Card Skill Drain.
This card's effect -- forget placing it in Eden, even in Amano's previous life, it was sufficient to give most decks headaches.
Once this card activated, everyone became vanilla after appearing on field, dragged to the same level as Amano's deck.
Moreover, from the Malefic World Field Spell, it wasn't difficult to discern the opponent duelist played a Malefic series deck.
In Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, history's bravest villain Paradox who fought three protagonists alone used the Malefic deck.
One person dueling Yugi Muto, Jaden Yuki, and Yusei Fudo -- three Duel Kings.
And this black-clothed young woman before them bearing some resemblance to Nanki'in Sakuya likewise followed the Malefic deck tradition of suitable 1-vs-many.
Skill Drain + Malefic deck -- this combination's style completely differed from decks Amano had encountered before.
The first turn, the reason Nanki'in Onikiri only summoned one Malefic monster on field was purely because the Field's effect hadn't had opportunity to activate yet.
"This old man Sets three cards and ends turn!"
Muramasa knew better than anyone how dangerous Onikiri was as a duelist.
So on the first turn, he'd used all resources he could, Set all cards he could Set. Only the final Spell Card Inherited Power remained in hand.
Undying power and inherited power -- as if fated by destiny itself. His body perhaps couldn't endure much longer. Nanki'in Muramasa had already treated this Dark Game as his life's final battle.
"My turn..."
Starting her turn, Onikiri didn't rush to draw. Instead, she activated the Field Zone -- Malefic World inverted and suspended in the sky.
"Field Spell Malefic World's effect! Instead of drawing, I can directly add Malefic cards to my hand! And since I can draw twice, I choose to add two Malefics!"
The Malefics Onikiri chose to add were Continuous Spells that could change Malefic monster rules.
"I activate Continuous Spell Malefic Territory! The restriction of only 1 Malefic monster on the field changes to only 1 of each type on the field!"
Malefic Territory
The reason Onikiri only summoned Malefic Rainbow Dragon on the first turn was due to Malefic Rainbow Dragon's own negative effect -- [There can only be 1 face-up "Malefic" monster on the field.]
Now, after the Continuous Spell activated, as long as they weren't same-name Malefic monsters, they could simultaneously exist on Onikiri's field.
Onikiri slammed four cards all at once onto the Duel Disk's Monster Zones. Three possessed 4000 ATK.
The desire to destroy everything with pure attack power was already written on young woman Onikiri's face.
"I banish Rainbow Dragon from my Deck to Special Summon Malefic Rainbow Dragon!"
"I banish Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my Deck to Special Summon Malefic Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
"I banish Cyber End Dragon from my Extra Deck to Special Summon Malefic Cyber End Dragon!"
"I banish Malefic Paradox Dragon from my Extra Deck to Special Summon Malefic Paradigm Dragon!"
The Rainbow Dragon coiled in bizarre darkness; Cyber End Dragon with spread black mechanical wings and three heads; the black dragon of possibility seemingly clad in skeletal armor; Paradigm Dragon like a virus invading the data world, tampering with causality mechanisms.
Four great Malefic Dragons simultaneously materialized on Onikiri's field, roaring and howling.
This instant, within Eden Tower, the sky churned, earth trembled. The dark tide from a thousand years ago seemed ready to devour this false heaven and earth.
Aside from Malefic Red-Eyes Black Dragon at 2400 ATK, the remaining three Malefic monsters all possessed 4000 ATK.
"Nanki'in Sakuya, use these four great Malefic Dragons to make your final farewell to your own body. I'll be taking your body!"
Simultaneously controlling four great Malefic Dragons, Onikiri stirred heaven and earth's energy, entering this turn's Battle Phase.
"Use Malefic Rainbow Dragon to destroy War God - Shiranui!"
[WAR GOD - SHIRANUI] destroyed
"-- Corrupted Rainbow Light!!"
Nanki'in Sakuya & Muramasa LP: 6500 → 5500
"Use Malefic Red-Eyes Black Dragon to destroy Mezuki!"
[MEZUKI] destroyed
"-- Malefic Prison Flame Bullet!!"
Sakuya & Muramasa LP: 5500 → 4800
"Use Malefic Cyber End Dragon for direct attack!"
"-- Darkness's Eternal Evolution Light!!"
Three mechanical dragon heads simultaneously sprayed bursting dark current, directly charging toward Nanki'in Sakuya. The storm-like high-speed offensive rhythm left Nanki'in Sakuya no time to react before being devoured by currents flowing throughout her body.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
Nanki'in Sakuya LP: 4800 → 800
Nanki'in Sakuya was just an ordinary person. Without Millennium Item blessings, without card spirit protection.
As the most ordinary duelist, just standing in this Dark Game was already incredibly difficult.
Yet Onikiri specifically targeted her. Every attack's direction aimed at Nanki'in Sakuya's body.
Darkness's erosion -- this instant like shackles binding Nanki'in Sakuya's limbs, dragging her toward the endless abyss deeper beneath her feet.
Can't move.
Felt like her body no longer belonged to herself.
Was this what that person meant by taking her body?
After experiencing it firsthand, even Nanki'in Sakuya's wisdom understood this phrase's meaning.
So it was literally taking the body.
"Sakuya!!" Grandfather's worried shout reached her ears, but was unprecedentedly vague.
Onikiri's final direct attack -- Malefic Paradigm Dragon's terrifying dragon maw already opened to the limit, gathering lethal energy.
Bad. If she didn't move soon, Grandfather would lose together with her.
Losing a Dark Game -- not only would Grandfather die, even her own body would become someone else's possession.
Then where would she go?
Another complex question!
But at this moment, Nanki'in Sakuya had no way to think further, otherwise she'd definitely figure out the answer.
If someone else obtained her body and did bad things, as class representative, classmates would hate her.
Would Amano hate her?
Didn't want that result!
Didn't want to be hated by him!
Didn't want, didn't want to disappear like this!
Didn't want to lose--!!
Nanki'in Sakuya, though only one finger could still move, still used all her strength to place her fingertip on the Duel Disk's Set card activation button.
The card Sakuya Set last turn slowly flipped.
The card's depicted girl closed both eyes gently, bathed in light praying.
Trap Card Shiranui Style Swallow's Slash.
[SHIRANUI STYLE SWALLOW'S SLASH] [Trap Card: Special Summon 1 Zombie monster from your hand. The monster Special Summoned by this effect is banished when it leaves the field.]
Shiranui Style Swallow's Slash
TRAP
[Trap Card]
[You can only use 1 "Shiranui Style Swallow's Slash" effect per turn, and only once that turn. 1: Special Summon 1 Zombie monster from your hand. The monster Special Summoned by this effect is banished when it leaves the field. 2: You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 Zombie monster you control; this turn, that Zombie monster is unaffected by the effects of cards, except its own.]
"I Special Summon Shiranui Swordmaster in Defense Position..."
Using her final strength, Nanki'in Sakuya placed her hand card horizontally on the Duel Disk, summoning a monster that could block the lethal strike.
Malefic Paradigm Dragon's gathered destructive energy ultimately struck Defense Position Swordmaster, causing no Life Point damage.
Having done this, Nanki'in Sakuya had no strength left to support her body, collapsing heavily to the ground.
"Young Mistress! Young Mistress! Ahhhhhhh!!"
Outside the dark barrier, Ryuuma's heart-wrenching cry.
As Sakuya's dedicated bodyguard, helplessly watching Young Mistress fall before him -- for Ryuuma who held loyalty as faith, this was worse than directly killing him.
Mana: "This is bad! That girl's body is almost completely invaded by the Millennium Key! Won't need to wait for the duel to end before becoming the next possession target!"
Amano: "The possession target is actually Sakuya?"
Having been unclear on the situation before, Amano thought this was a Dark Game to seize the Millennium Item.
Turned out the opponent was after Sakuya's body.
If the opponent snatched Nanki'in Sakuya's body mid-duel, this Dark Game could directly declare defeat.
Seizing bodies...
Speaking of seizing bodies, right now there should still be time.
While current Nanki'in Sakuya was still Nanki'in Sakuya!
"Finesse, to save Nanki'in, we can only use that move!"
"Amano, could it be you're planning to--"
"Yeah. If we do nothing, Nanki'in will disappear."
Watching Nanki'in Sakuya collapsed in darkness, Finesse had actually already realized.
Back then, she herself had collapsed like this in District 11's Dark Game.
Now the only method to change fate was that one.
But that was Finesse and Amano's agreement. An agreement that was their secret, an agreement only for her use.
That matter was also the key Finesse considered herself Amano's most special existence.
If using it now, her special status would cease to exist from this moment.
"Amano... Amano-aniki! Could it be you have a way to save Young Mistress?"
Hearing Amano and Finesse's conversation, Ryuuma who'd been crying a second ago suddenly turned and grabbed Amano, even kneeling to plead before Amano could react.
"Amano-aniki! Please, I beg you! This is Ryuuma's lifelong request! If you can save Young Mistress, from today onward, this life of Ryuuma's is yours!"
The loyalty sustained throughout this life -- Ryuuma was even willing to hand over his life.
Watching such a Ryuuma, Finesse suddenly felt her few seconds of hesitation was selfish to the extreme.
"Forget about agreements, Amano. Go do what you think is right!"
"Miss..."
"Making you be only my HERO was too selfish of me before. So from now on, the agreement is void. Now, go save Nanki'in Sakuya. Go become her HERO too! I'll be proud of you!"
"Actually..."
Actually Amano had already been doing it.
From earlier, Amano had been using the system skill trying to lock onto Nanki'in Sakuya.
But despite clearly reaching the 70 affection requirement, the Hacker Invasion skill kept failing to activate.
Like an impenetrable wall isolated between himself and Nanki'in Sakuya.
Previously with Finesse and the Puppeteer's Dark Game, he'd easily passed through.
Was this what Dark Magician Girl meant -- Dark Games activated by Millennium Items were completely different levels?
Mana: "Wait, Amano, what have you been doing since earlier?"
The Dark Magician Girl spirit Mana actually seemed more shocked than Amano.
"Why has your soul been continuously producing fluctuations familiar to me since earlier? This feeling is exactly like the Millennium Puzzle! Amano, does your terminal have the Millennium Puzzle?!"
Millennium Puzzle -- where would he have such a good thing?
However, though lacking the Millennium Puzzle, he genuinely possessed the skill to become a background spirit. Amano told Mana this.
Mana: "That's fundamentally the Millennium Puzzle's skill! You should've said this earlier! The reason you can't transmit inside is because the wall barrier is too thick. Just need to reduce the wall's thickness!"
Amano: "How can I reduce the wall's thickness?"
Mana: "Summon me, let me do it! Card spirit attacks can break Dark Game barriers to a certain degree!"
Hey, come to think of it, Amano seemed to have actually seen Rin Seiya do this.
Turned out previously, it was because his 0 ATK spirit was too useless that he was helpless against dark barriers.
Now with 2000 ATK Dark Magician Girl, could he also do what Rin Seiya did?
"Everyone stand back!" Amano deployed his arm Duel Disk, directly slapping Dark Magician Girl's card onto the Duel Disk.
Though unclear what Amano intended, the currently out-of-options Nanki'in family members all very obediently cleared a path for Amano to assault.
Accompanying the Duel Disk's activation projection, despite being outside the duel, Dark Magician Girl still successfully materialized, appearing before everyone.
Amano: "Use this strike to open the way!"
Burst Magic's ultra-high energy gathered at Dark Magician Girl's staff tip, toward the Dark Game's wall.
Mana: "-- Dark -- Burning -- Attack!!"
Dark Burning Attack
SPELL
[Spell Card]
[Activate only while you control "Dark Magician Girl". Destroy all face-up monsters your opponent controls.]
Under everyone's dumbfounded gaze, Dark Magician Girl blasted a massive opening in the Dark Game's barrier wall.
Though still unable to let humans enter, the soul isolation had genuinely disappeared.
Amano's Eva terminal finally flickered with the background spirit skill's successful activation golden radiance.
"Finesse, I'm entrusting my body to you temporarily for safekeeping!"
"Don't worry, Amano! I'll treasure it like protecting my own child!"
That degree isn't really necessary, Finesse-mama.
Mana: "Go, Amano! Use the same power as the Pharaoh to defeat the darkness!"
Amano raised his arm high, aiming the golden-glowing terminal at Nanki'in Sakuya's position in darkness.
The light of human hearts will ultimately pierce through darkness's imprisonment!
"Hacker Invasion!!"
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