Ed and Manjome stood frozen, scarcely able to believe the reality before them.
The mentor-student duel, Duel King against the ultimate ruler of the Twelfth Dimension, its conclusion... is it truly Otherworld Dominator's victory?
Duel King Youyu... could he lose?
The mere thought of such a possibility was terrifying to them.
Not only for them, but for almost every duelist in the world, Youyu had become a symbol, an absolutely invincible ceiling.
No matter what kind of enemy, no matter what kind of crisis, he could always resolve it, forever reassuring as the strongest king.
And yet, this invincible existence might lose?
If even he lost...
...would there truly be anyone in the world who could defeat this being called the Supreme King?
Both stared wide-eyed, fixated on the rapidly fluctuating life points. Ed and Manjome felt as if their breaths were stifled, awaiting the moment when the value infinitely approaching zero would halt.
But the miracle did not occur.
[Youyu, LP 100 → LP 0]
The decline in value finally stopped, a large, despair-inducing "0."
The 0 signifying defeat.
"Roar!!!"
Osiris unleashed a thunderous roar. Its body was increasingly entangled in violent lightning, the realm of the Egyptian God crumbled like a collapsing castle. Countless currents leaped, piercing the air with a charred scent.
It fell.
The Evil Hero shattered the Egyptian God, claws slicing through the divine dragon's body. Osiris gradually dissipated from the field, the Dark Hero stood alone on the battlefield, its towering back causing despair.
Youyu's steps faltered, his head hung low, an expression seemingly covered by darkness.
All around, the darkness was already restless, an invisible barrier contracting.
A victory was decided, a soul must be harvested.
"It ends here."
The Supreme King said coldly.
"Your efforts are commendable, showcasing great strength. Indeed, in the Twelfth Dimension, there are few like you, but it's only so..."
"Well... not necessarily." Youyu interrupted him.
The Supreme King: "?"
Youyu slowly raised his head, revealing a smile.
"The duel isn't over yet," he said.
"But your life points have already dropped to zero..."
"I know," Youyu said calmly, "but the moment my life points hit zero, this card already activated—
—Trap Card 'Relay Soul'!"
The Supreme King's eyelid twitched slightly.
"This card can only be activated the moment life points hit zero," Youyu explained, "Summon any monster from the hand to the field, my loss condition changes to that monster leaving the field. As long as that monster remains, neither my life points dropping to zero nor my deck being empty will count as a loss." (Anime effect)
"And the monster I intend to special summon through 'Relay Soul' is this one."
Everyone almost held their breath, waiting to see the monster card he revealed.
After all, it's the monster entrusted with the weight of the entire duel's victory and loss.
Is it the next Egyptian God?
Or some other ace card worthy of securing victory?
"Watch closely, Judai," Youyu flipped open the card in his hand, "Your most loyal partner, eternal companion. Here, I special summon—
—Yubel!!!"
A chaotic vortex erupted, vines shot forth! A slender figure emerged, expanding devilish wings, slowly opened beautiful heterochromatic eyes, gazing complexly at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure before her.
[Yubel, Attack Power 0]
This time, the Supreme King's seemingly unchangeable poker face revealed a look of astonishment.
"Yu... Yubel?" The Supreme King's face quickly turned grim, "When did you..."
"Just shortly after you entered here," Youyu said indifferently, "It appears we've momentarily formed a united front—she doesn't want to see you revived so soon either."
The Supreme King furrowed his brow slightly, looking at Yubel: "Have you forgotten your mission?"
Yubel pondered for a long time.
Youyu didn't know what she was thinking.
Perhaps it was their first encounter, or their countless battles fought side by side, or the fragments of their shared life, or perhaps...
...perhaps it's their past and present lives.
She briefly closed her eyes, and upon reopening them, her heterochromatic pupils shone brightly, now filled with determination.
"I am well aware of my mission," she began, her tone devoid of confusion, "My mission... is to watch over that person as he grows, to be his sword and shield, until he can stand on his own and become the new king."
She met the Supreme King's heterochromatic gaze fearlessly.
"As for you, you're merely a phantom of a bygone era," she said, "You're destined to be a part of the new king."
The Supreme King's eyes narrowed: "Yubel..."
"Battle Phase continues," Youyu slowly raised an arm, "Go, Yubel. Attack 'Evil Hero Malicious Bane'!"
[Yubel, Attack Power 0]
[Evil Hero Malicious Bane, Attack Power 8725]
Yubel stepped forward without fear, entering the suffocating dark miasma of the Supreme King's realm, facing the formidable Evil Hero.
With an attack power gap nearing nine thousand, the disparity in strength was incredibly stark, seemingly a completely one-sided battle.
Well, in fact, it really was entirely without suspense.
Everyone knew how this duel would end.
This duel too.
The Supreme King glared intensely at Yubel, as if trying to burn her to ashes with searing golden flames.
"You will regret this choice," he said.
"Maybe,"
Yubel spoke while her eyes turned a mesmerizing rose-colored red.
"But I don't care anymore," she said.
The Evil Hero's eyes turned the same crimson red as hers, letting out an earth-shattering roar. The dark realm trembled, the surrounding miasma seemingly stirred by his movements.
Malicious Bane charged forward recklessly, his blades trailing dark tracks and slashing down fiercely!
Several black blade marks sliced sharply across Yubel, leaving true scars. She cried out in pain, staggering back, her slender body under the wings seemingly about to shatter.
Yet she stood firm, resisting the ensuing tide of darkness. The pitch-black current lashed her like endless whips, yet it couldn't make her yield.
She slowly raised her head, her heterochromatic eyes still shining.
"Yubel's effect," Youyu said calmly, "Yubel cannot be destroyed in battle. The battle damage from her combat with the opponent's monster—in this case, eighty-seven hundred and twenty-five points of damage—
—is all inflicted upon her opponent."
Yubel straightened up, the vast energy was reflected back, sweeping over the Supreme King with great momentum.
[Supreme King, LP 75 → LP 0]
The Supreme King endured the energy storm, gritting his teeth to force his eyes open.
In his golden pupils, he clearly saw Yubel's image.
She rode the storm, spreading her wide wings, opening her arms.
As if preparing for an embrace.