Insect Knight gave up struggling and put on a pained expression.
"Battle," Yugen ordered. "Abyss Soldier, direct attack."
As the grim soldier rushed forward with its blade raised, Insect Knight let out a long breath and closed his eyes.
After several turns of watching his monsters bounced, banished to Different Dimension, and locked down by Solemn Warning, this simple, direct strike brought him an unexpected feeling.
Relief.
Insect Knight, LP 1400 to 0.
Insect Knight, LP 0.
In the Spirit Dimension, a Duel was different from the outside world's Shadow Duel. Here, monsters and Card effects fully manifested, and any damage dealt during a Duel was real. However, if both sides were only sparring, they could hold back and stop before things went too far.
It was not like Shadow Duel, where only one person could walk out alive.
But there was no reason to show mercy to that beetle. Abyss Soldier struck down without restraint and split the insect's head open with a single slash.
The creature fell onto its back, blood spraying across the ground. Its body soon broke apart into particles of light and vanished. In its place, a Deck dropped onto the ground.
Yugen stepped forward and picked up the Deck. He looked around, then frowned.
Damn. No Duel Disk drop.
That was one annoying thing about the Spirit World. Many Spirits did not create their Duel Disks through technology or tools. It was more like the Duel Disk grew from their bodies and was part of them. When the person died, the Duel Disk disappeared as well.
What a pity. If he could bring back a Spirit World Duel Disk, even if he had no use for it, selling it to Seto Kaiba for research would surely bring in a large sum.
Forget it. Getting a Deck was not bad.
He had no plans to play Insects for now, and compared to the Deck he already owned, this one was not especially strong or versatile. Still, many of its cards could sell for a good price.
For example, he immediately thought of Duel Department senior Shuichi Watanabe. The other man would likely offer a fair price.
Judai Yuki had been watching for a while before he finally could not hold back. "Wait, where did that guy just go?"
Yugen froze for a moment, then realized what he meant.
Right. The current Judai Yuki was still an innocent and naive student. In the normal timeline, at this point Judai Yuki had even seriously debated Titan about whether Shadow Duel was real.
A firm believer in materialism raised under the education style of Seto Kaiba.
"He died," Yugen said honestly. "That is the rule of this world. In many places, a Duel is not just something Yugi Muto does. It is a form of combat. A Duel can decide life and death."
The young man's eyes widened.
His expression clearly said that he did not believe playing cards could kill someone.
Yugen waved it off and told him there was nothing surprising about it. Someone dying from a card game was nothing. In the future, card games could even destroy the world or reverse time.
Judai Yuki felt his worldview shake.
Everything he had been taught told him this was absurd. Yet deep down, a voice said it was true. After all, they had crossed over from the abandoned dorm to this strange land and met Spirits from Duel Monsters. Those were undeniable facts.
For the first time in his life, Judai Yuki had to face the possibility.
Playing cards could really get someone killed.
Then he suddenly thought of something and looked at Yugen's back with a complicated expression.
That meant Yugen had just risked his life in that Duel.
And he had known it from the start.
Even knowing that, he still stepped forward without hesitation and accepted the Duel.
Was it because he did not want his companion to face such a cruel battle?
At that moment, Yugen was already walking ahead, humming to himself. Judai Yuki followed silently, then after thinking for a bit, suddenly asked, "By the way, Yugen, did you take that Spirit's Deck?"
"Yeah," Yugen Do replied. "Why?"
"Oh, nothing. It just feels a little strange to take someone else's Deck." Judai Yuki scratched his head.
"Someone else's Deck? Whose?" Yugen asked.
Judai Yuki blinked. "Huh? The beetle Spirit's Deck, obviously."
Yugen said, "Where is that beetle Spirit now?"
Judai Yuki hesitated. "Didn't you say he died?"
"Exactly. He is gone, so how can it still be his?" Yugen said firmly. "It is ownerless now. I just picked it up."
Judai Yuki frowned and thought about it.
That seemed to make sense.
"Besides, if a Deck is left out here in the wilderness and I do not take it, would no one else? What if some evil Spirit picks it up and uses it as a weapon to harm good people? That would be terrible."
Judai Yuki nodded slowly. "That also makes sense."
"What do you mean also? Of course it makes sense." Yugen waved his hand. "And even if no one picked it up, these cards would be abandoned out here, exposed to wind and sun, maybe torn apart by wild beasts. Wouldn't that be pitiful?"
He patted Judai Yuki's shoulder and spoke earnestly.
"As upright Duelists, we only want to give these poor, ownerless cards a home. Isn't that the right thing to do?"
"Right, right."
Judai Yuki was gradually being talked into it.
"See?"
Yugen continued, "Judai Yuki, Duel is not always fun. Sometimes it can be very heavy. Sooner or later, you will face that too."
He went on in a serious tone. "In the hands of evil people, Cards become tools to harm others. As Duelists of justice, we cannot let the Duel Monsters we love be abused."
Those words struck a chord with Judai Yuki. His love for dueling and his sense of heroism flared up at once. "You're right!"
"So if you ever have to face that kind of situation, do not hold back. Duel Disks and Decks are tools for those villains. We cannot leave them the chance to use them again."
Yugen spoke with conviction, then softened his tone.
"Of course, from a Duelist's perspective, taking away a soul-like Deck can make you feel guilty. But heroes sometimes have to make sacrifices for justice."
He smiled.
"Still, if you think it is too heavy, I will bear it for you."
He only meant it as a joke. But if Judai Yuki ever shared an opponent's Deck with him after a life and death duel, he would reluctantly accept.
The waters of Shadow Duel ran deep. He was not sure Judai Yuki could handle it. It was safer if he did.
"By the way, I have never seen this Deck of yours before," Judai Yuki said.
"Oh, I only saw this Abyss Soldier in Duel Department a few days ago, so I built a new Deck around it."
"Wow, that is nice." Judai Yuki looked envious. "You and Daichi Misawa are both amazing. I envy people with good brains like you. You can easily come up with so many powerful combos and builds."
Genshin Yu thought to himself that he envied him instead.
If he had that kind of luck, why would he go through all the trouble of building so many Decks? He could just throw everything together and let it work on its own.
In the Spirit World, somewhere deep in the forest.
Night covered the woods, and dim moonlight filtered through the trees. A man in a black hood moved without sound, his figure blending into the shadows and brush. He stopped before a cave hidden by thick vines, where a faint dark glow seeped from within, then bent slightly and stepped inside.
A cold wind blew from the depths of the cave, carrying faint wails. At first it was dark and quiet, but as he went deeper, noise reached his ears, along with the sounds of fighting and shouting.
It was a swarm of insect creatures.