[Saiou, LP 0]
He lost.
Uria, Lord of Searing Flames's attack, the Hyper Blaze wave, pierced straight through his final Arcana Force. Saiou's whole body was blown away like a white feather, lifted and spinning in the scorching storm, eyes wide, face full of disbelief.
In that moment, Saiou felt as if that unique power he was born with was slowly slipping away from his fingertips.
That was what he called "destiny," or rather, the power he used to sense and grasp the flow of fate. But now, with that one strike from Uria and the sweeping blaze, he actually felt that power being stripped out of his body.
As if there had always been an invisible rope linking him to so‑called destiny, and now that rope seemed on the verge of snapping.
"Could it be that fate is wavering!?" This terrifying possibility popped into Saiou's mind.
In the past, such a thought would only have struck him as absurd and laughable.
The reason destiny is terrifying is precisely because it cannot be shaken. Most prophets believe fate is heaven's will, a predetermined route laid out by an existence far greater than humanity. Everything in the world can only move along that trajectory; everyone is just a puppet on strings.
Even the prophets themselves can't casually alter fate; they're merely puppets who can clearly see the strings.
Take the original Saiou, for example. Many years ago he had already foreseen his own destiny, knew he would fall under a demon's control, knew that sooner or later he would be destroyed. Yet even so, there was nothing he could do, and he could only watch helplessly as his own prophecy came true.
Even when history veered off course—Youyu took out the Light of Destruction that had once dwelled in the Blood Demon D Card, causing the world line to shift—this fate Saiou had predicted still remained unshaken.
Originally, Saiou's talent was only enough to glimpse the outlines of fate; it was the descent of the Light of Destruction that granted him the ability to rewrite destiny, and at the same time gave birth to this current twisted personality.
But that should've been a power for Saiou alone!
Yet looking at how things were now, how come it seemed like...
...like destiny had defected to the Duel King's side!?
No way destiny, that old man, weighed the options, decided he couldn't beat Youyu in a duel, and just switched sides, right?
That'd be way too far‑fetched!
But one way or another, Saiou lost. He was utterly defeated, smashed head‑on in his own base, with absolutely no power to fight back.
The worst part was, he hadn't even had time to do anything bad yet!
Is this what they call "dying before you even set out for war"?
No, to be precise, he hadn't even had time to set out before he got pinned down and killed in his own living room!
Saiou was blasted away, his back crashing violently against the floor, the white tiles shattering to pieces on impact.
He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling of the great hall that had been blown through. Thick, choking dust particles filled the air, and even the white radiance suffusing the hall seemed to dim.
He was unwilling... he couldn't possibly be willing.
He clearly bore the mission of destroying everything, the ambition to devour this entire world. Yet as the supposed big final boss pulling strings behind the curtain, he actually got taken out before he could even do one proper bad thing...
As if that weren't enough, when he turned his head while lying on the ground, he saw that hateful Duel King strolling toward him at an unhurried pace, a relaxed, almost casual smile on his face, his gaze...
...his gaze landing openly and unapologetically on the Card Deck in Saiou's Duel Disc.
Saiou's whole body jolted.
Good grief, you wrecked my house, beat me up in my own home... and now you've got your eye on my Card Deck too!?
His rage seemed to condense into tangible energy, into a white light of destruction bursting from his body. Though drained from the duel, Saiou's fury surged up; he somehow squeezed out strength from nowhere, and the explosive energy shattered the surrounding floor!
Outrageous, simply outrageous!
If Saiou had gone out looking for trouble and got caught by Youyu, then got beaten down because he wasn't as skilled, he'd at least accept that.
The key point is he hadn't done anything yet, and for no reason at all he got pinned down and savagely beaten in his own home!
The "Arcana Force" was his most important Card Deck; Saiou even regarded this Deck as the concrete proof of his ability to command the power of destiny. Even if it cost him his life, he absolutely could not let this shameless Duel King walk off with it!
He, the Light of Destruction, had never suffered such humiliation!
"The World!"
Like a final struggle, the remaining strength of the Light of Destruction within him erupted without reservation! The blinding white light transformed into a colossal steel shadow—Arcana Force No.21 "The World" came crashing down with a roar!
The World's claws tore open space, stabbing straight at Youyu's face!
Clang!
A crisp metallic clash—The World's attack was braced by a pitch‑black arm guard, bright sparks bursting in the air.
Masked Hero Dark Claw!
"MUDA!!!"
Saiou roared, and The World's massive steel arm slammed down again!
Masked Hero Dark Claw didn't give an inch, parrying the blow with a backhand. The World's arm crashed to the side, blasting up a towering cloud of dust.
"The World has limitless power; a mere Masked Hero can't possibly withstand it!" Saiou's voice had already twisted and warped. "Tear that disgusting Masked Hero and the Duel King to pieces for me!"
The World sped up its assault, its flailing tendrils swinging faster and faster. But the Masked Hero's counterattacks were just as dense; both moved so fast they were like afterimages, arm guards and limbs colliding in rapid succession, throwing off showers of sparks.
Until Dark Claw seemed to deliberately sell an opening, and The World thrust its right arm forward without a second thought.
Dark Claw leapt back; The World's arm speared into empty air and, with a metallic clang, plunged into the wall. And right behind the spot Dark Claw had jumped back to—
—was none other than Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, its mouth agape, flames roiling within!
Hyper Blaze (Hyper Breath)!!!
Almost the instant the Masked Hero leapt away, Uria launched its attack from behind him! The moment Dark Claw's body cleared the line, the blaze surge followed up immediately; The World had no chance to react!
Even a monster hailed as the strongest among the "Arcana Force" can't really compare before a Phantasm. Uria's strike engulfed it entirely; The World's sturdy outer shell was riddled with cracks by the fiery torrent, piece by piece breaking apart and crumbling until it became molten steel, washed away along the pillar of light.
"Uaaaaaah!!!" Saiou's expression twisted as he was blasted away yet again.
The blazing impact slammed into him without losing momentum. Saiou's whole body felt like it had caught fire, wrapped in flames as he skidded across the tiles, rolling at high speed.
Seeing their leader screaming and rolling around on the floor, the members of the Society were all dumbfounded.
Uh...
Is this also the arrangement of destiny?
At that very moment, an unexpected change occurred.
Even Youyu hadn't anticipated what happened next; it all happened so fast he didn't even react in time.
A powerful energy blast from outside shattered the wall, golden lightning lancing through the great hall, huge chunks of stone crashing down and exploding into rubble on the floor.
From the sky descended a golden three‑headed dragon! Bringing lightning and gale winds, it violently blasted open a breach on the outer side of the great hall!
Thunder King, the Lightningstrike Kaiju!
It moved incredibly fast, and its target was clearly, unmistakably defined.
Almost the instant it appeared, ten thousand bolts of lightning came crashing toward where Youyu stood. Uria and the Masked Hero at Youyu's side both withdrew to block, only to realize that was just a feint.
Seizing the brief instant when Youyu's side was distracted defending, the middle head of the Thunder King suddenly lunged down...
...and in one gulp swallowed Saiou, who was still rolling on the ground!
This time, it was Youyu's turn to be stunned.