Judai Yuki revealed two more cards from his hand.
"Spell Card 'Double Attack'! I discard one monster from my hand to the Graveyard, then target a monster I control with a lower Level than the discarded one. That monster can attack twice this turn.
I discard the Level 5 'Destiny HERO - Doom Lord' from my hand and choose the Level 4 'Elemental HERO Bubbleman' on my field. This turn, Elemental HERO Bubbleman can attack twice. Then I enter the Battle Phase."
Judai Yuki swung his arm down and called the charge for his Heros.
"First, 'Elemental HERO Sparkman' attacks the set monster! When Elemental HERO Sparkman attacks a Defense Position monster and its ATK exceeds that monster's DEF, it inflicts piercing damage equal to the difference!"
"Then I activate my set card!" Shell responded from his Back Row. "Trap Card 'Draining Shield'! When an opponent's monster declares an attack, negate that attack, and I gain Life Points equal to that monster's ATK!"
A transparent barrier spread out, shining with rainbow light. The lightning from Elemental HERO Sparkman crashed into it and dissolved into pure energy, which flowed back into Shell.
Shell, LP 4800 to LP 7600.
"His LP are going up instead. Then 'Elemental HERO Bubbleman', attack the set monster. Bubble Shot!"
Elemental HERO Bubbleman crouched and fired a stream of bubbles. The blast washed away the set card and revealed a pot shaped monster with a single eye and a sly grin.
Morphing Jar.
Yugen frowned slightly. That card had been set without drawing attention, but it was a dangerous one.
Morphing Jar, DEF 600.
"When Morphing Jar is flipped, both players discard all cards in their hands," Shell said. "Then each player draws five cards from their Deck."
Both hands were replaced at once, and Morphing Jar was shattered by the bubbles.
"Because of 'Double Attack', Elemental HERO Bubbleman can attack twice this turn!" Judai Yuki declared. "Go, Elemental HERO Bubbleman! Direct attack. Bubble Shot!"
The bubble cannon fired again, and the exploding bubbles struck Shell head on. He staggered and took several steps back.
Shell, LP 7600 to LP 6000.
"This is still far from enough." Shell forced himself upright.
"I set two cards and end my turn." Judai Yuki then looked at Yugen with a trace of apology. "Sorry, his Life Points actually went up."
"It's fine. You broke his formation," Yugen Do said.
Judai Yuki gave him a thumbs up. "I knew it. When we team up, we are unbeatable."
Shell watched them in silence, his face twitching with displeasure.
"Companions. That is why people grow weak."
"What did you say?" Judai Yuki frowned.
"Heros are alone. They must be. That is the fate of those who hold a sword."
Judai Yuki paused before answering. "You keep saying you abandoned your companions and your Spirit. But I do not think you have truly let go."
"What?"
"The Phoenix God of Nephthys. You claim it betrayed you, yet you still carry it, and this Deck too." Judai Yuki said. "If your family protected that card for generations, and you treated it as a friend since childhood, it cannot be so easy to cast aside."
"Do not be ridiculous." Shell replied coldly. "I already said it. A Duel is only for victory. Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys or Demise, King of Armageddon, they are merely swords in a Duelist's hand. They only need to serve their role.
Any weapon that can be used must be used to the fullest."
"Then why come here, to this Dimension, searching this hidden ruin?" Judai Yuki pressed on. "This is not your first search, is it? You have been traveling everywhere, looking for the trace of Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys. You wanted to see its Spirit, did you not?"
"Nonsense. I sought only to capture the power of the Spirit and make it mine," Shell said. "Or perhaps I came to take revenge for its indifference back then."
"That is what I thought at first. But through Duel, you can understand each other." Judai Yuki shook his head. "A Duel is a clash of hearts. You are strong, maybe the strongest Duelist I have faced. You say monsters are just tools, but during that Duel, I felt that you trust your cards. You trust your monsters. You are a true Duelist."
"Absurd. Utter nonsense."
"You can deny it all you want," Judai Yuki continued. "But can you really convince yourself with those words?"
Shell fell silent.
Yugen said nothing, yet he could not help admiring Judai Yuki's inherited talk no jutsu from the protagonists of Yu-Gi-Oh!. After that speech, even he could feel Shell's presence weakening.
"Enough."
Shell shook his head, his voice turning cold.
"You know nothing. It was only a Duel. How could you understand my thoughts? My Turn! Draw!"
He drew from his Deck with force, the Card tracing a wide arc.
"The moment we enter the Standby Phase, the effect of 'Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys' in the Graveyard activates again!" Shell raised his voice. "Last turn it was Destroyed by the effect of 'Demise, King of Armageddon', so now, Effect Activation! During this turn's Standby Phase, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys will be reborn!"
A pillar of fire shot into the sky. Within the green barrier, a golden Phoenix spread its wings as flames gathered and reformed the divine bird.
"And then Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys's next Effect Activation! When it revives by its own effect, all Spells and Trap Cards on the field are Destroyed!" Shell laughed. "With the combination of Demise, King of Armageddon and Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, each turn Demise, King of Armageddon clears the field, and the next turn Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys rises again and sweeps away all Back Row! Against this, any set defense is meaningless. You have no path but destruction."
"I activate my set card!" Judai Yuki cut him off. "Trap Card 'Lost'! I banish one card from your Graveyard!"
Shell's eyes widened. Was he really digging into his Graveyard now?
"Therefore, I banish your 'Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys' from the Graveyard!" Judai Yuki declared. "When 'Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys' resolves, it is no longer in the Graveyard, so it cannot be Special Summoned. Instead, it is banished."
The flames in midair formed the shape of Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, but it turned transparent. At the same time, the mark of Orichalcos on its forehead cracked, and the faint figure burned quietly as it looked down at Shell.
Shell slowly lifted his head.
"Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys..."
For a brief moment, he seemed to hear a distant voice, weak and far away, as if crossing countless barriers.
"Sorry..."
The image of the Phoenix burned away completely and vanished.
Shell stood there without speaking for several seconds.
"You see? The bond between you and the Spirit was never broken," Judai Yuki said softly. "It was only covered by dark power. There must have been more to what happened back then."
"My Turn! continues. Main Phase." Shell interrupted coldly.
"Shell?" Judai Yuki frowned.
"No matter what you say, it changes nothing. I am no longer the successor of Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys. I am one of the Three Swords of Shin Doma. That is the only path left to me."
He raised his head, his eyes hard.
"I will defeat you here, and then I will move forward."
"Right now I am Shell of the Three Swords of Shin Doma. That is my only identity," Shell said coldly. "That alone is enough."
"From my hand, I activate the Spell Card Monster Reborn! Revive the monster sleeping in the Graveyard! Bring judgment of the end to this filthy world once more. Return, Demise, King of Armageddon!"
The ground burned as blue flames spread across the field again. Demise, King of Armageddon slowly rose, returning from the Underworld, and it felt as if the world had entered the final countdown once more. The power around it surged as its ATK climbed from 2400 to 2900.
"Now Demise, King of Armageddon activates its effect again!" Shell shouted. "I pay 2000 Life Points and Destroy all cards on the field! In the end, only absolute power matters. Doomsday!"