Judai Yuki held his breath. If Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning destroyed a monster by battle, it could attack again. With Shell at 2500 Life Points, one clean sweep would end it.
"Open my set card. Quick-Play Spell Command Silencer!" Shell declared.
"By its effect, you cannot declare an attack with Black Luster Soldier this turn. It cannot receive your command. Then I draw one card."
"Then I end the Battle Phase and enter Main Phase 2," Yugen Do said calmly. "Since no attack was declared, Black Luster Soldier did not attack. Once Per Turn, I banish one monster from my Deck."
His blade pointed at King of the End again.
"Banish Demise, King of Armageddon. Chaos Dimensional Slash."
The sword split space open, forming a crack like a broken mirror. Even the king of destruction could not resist and was pulled into the rift.
"Beautiful!" Judai Yuki exclaimed. "Banished means it's basically gone for good."
As the demon king vanished, the blue flames around Shell faded. He staggered, breathing hard.
"I set two cards and end my turn," Yugen said.
After a few seconds, Shell raised his arm again. "My Turn! Draw. I activate Spell Card Preparation of Rites. I add the Ritual Spell Card Doomsday and the Ritual Monster Ruin, Queen of Oblivion to my hand."
Judai Yuki tried again to reach him, but Shell cut him off. He spoke about betrayal, about being chosen to inherit Phoenix Force, about gaining power only to lose everyone. He claimed that a Hero was destined to walk alone, blade in hand, pushing others away.
"You're wrong," Yugen interrupted.
Shell narrowed his eyes. "Because of you?"
"You can guess."
Shell laughed harshly. "You won't even survive this turn."
He revealed three cards. "Ritual Magic Doomsday. I tribute the Level 8 Beast King Barbaros from my hand. Descend, Ruin, Queen of Oblivion!"
The goddess stepped out from a vortex of destructive energy.
Ruin, Queen of Oblivion, ATK 2300.
"She gains power from The Seal of Orichalcos!" Shell shouted.
Ruin, Queen of Oblivion, ATK 2300 to 2800.
"Equip Spell Psychic Sword. I pay 2000 Life Points to increase her ATK and DEF by that amount!"
Shell LP 2500 to 500. Ruin, Queen of Oblivion, ATK 2800 to 4800.
"When she destroys a monster by battle, she can attack again. Battle. Ruin attacks Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning!"
Destructive energy mixed with Orichalcos power gathered in her hands. Black Luster Soldier braced, but the difference in strength was clear.
"Then as you wish," Yugen said. "I activate my set Trap Card Dark Trap. When my Life Points are below 3000, I pay 1000 and banish another Trap Card in my Graveyard to copy its effect. I choose Magic Cylinder."
Yugen LP 2500 to 1500.
The Trap transformed into Magic Cylinder. The reflected blast shot back at Ruin and then at Shell.
"So that's your answer," he coughed, barely standing. "But not enough!"
"Open my set card. Trap Card Destroy Wheel! Destroy one monster, and all players take damage equal to its ATK. I destroy Ruin!"
Ruin, Queen of Oblivion, ATK 4800. Shell LP 500. Yugen LP 1500. Judai Yuki LP 1100.
"Trying to take us down with you?" Yugen asked.
"If you can't stop this, your resolve means nothing!"
"Not necessarily." Yugen flipped his last Back Row. "Quick-Play Spell Curse of Soul Pain. When the opponent activates an effect that would deal damage to us, that damage is inflicted to them instead."
Shell's pupils shrank.
"Destroy Wheel would deal 4800 damage to both sides. Under team rules, that is 4800 to us. That portion is reflected. So you take 9600."
The flames swept across the field, but the damage aimed at Yugen and Judai Yuki reversed direction and crashed back into Shell.
He opened his mouth as if to speak, then slowly closed his eyes.
Shell LP 500 to 0.
Shell, LP 0.
Life Points Zero, End of the Duel Ritual. Seal of Orichalcos Activated began to spin and contract, slowly closing in around Shell.
At the same time, a powerful force burst out from his Deck. The flames shaped by Phoenix Flame rose into the sky and briefly formed the phantom of a Phoenix. The fire swept across the field, and the bright light swallowed all three people in the Duel.
After a flash so strong it forced their eyes shut, a scene appeared before them. It looked like a distant ancient battlefield where the world echoed with cries. The sky seemed torn apart by a Rift, revealing a horrifying crack.
Within that Rift, something dreadful seemed to dwell. A pair of cold, deep eyes stared down as if ready to devour every living thing.
An army of monsters surged across the battlefield like a tide. Some had horns and wore armor, some spread wings in the air, and some were blood colored Fiend roaring toward the sky. The ground burned as the war raged without restraint.
A blazing Phoenix fell from the sky, its feathers shining even as they burned. Its cry echoed across the battlefield for a long time before fading.
"Is this... a scene from the past?" Judai Yuki murmured.
Even if it was only a guess, they both understood. The forces of the Dark God had invaded Spirit World, starting a brutal war in a hidden Dimension unknown to humanity. The fallen Phoenix was likely Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys.
The image felt like a message from Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys. It was as if it was saying that it had not refused to help, but had simply been defeated long ago.
As the fallen Phoenix faded, the flames it released were absorbed into a stone tablet. It seemed that after that battle, the Spirit of Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys had entered a sealed state. The reason it could send this vision now was only because of the small trace of Phoenix Force they had drawn from the statue in the ruins earlier.
The scene shifted again, moving from Spirit World to the real world. A village lay nestled among mountains under clear sunlight.
The sky was suddenly covered by dark clouds. Monsters poured in from every direction, their shapes flickering through the forest as they crushed the village into ruins.
Behind the horde, beneath the cloud covered sky, a massive black shadow watched with a twisted smile. Reflected on its forehead was the Hexagram Emblem of Orichalcos.
"How... how could this be?" Shell muttered, his face pale.
In that instant, he understood. Or rather, he realized he should have understood long ago that there had been many strange details about the invasion of his village. Until now, his mind had been under the influence of Orichalcos, deliberately guided away from the truth.
Now that he had lost the Duel and his soul was about to fade, his connection to Orichalcos was finally severed. Only then could Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys find a gap to pass him the Truth.
From the very beginning, the fiends that attacked his homeland had been summoned by The God of Orichalcos. They had staged the invasion themselves, then appeared as saviors at the height of despair, offering Shell power. That was how he had willingly sold his soul and worked for Shin Doma.
Yugen was not surprised at all. He had already guessed as much.
This was the oldest trick used by the former Doma. The Three Swords of the old Doma had all been recruited in similar ways. Dartz had foreseen the potential of Valon, Rafael, and Amelda, and decided they were destined to become the Three Swords of Doma.
So Dartz personally created the tragedies of their childhoods, planting darkness in their hearts. Step by step, he guided them to join Doma in pursuit of power, turning them into his strongest Three Swords.
Another flash of light ended the vision. The phantom form of Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys gradually faded, its last trace of power seemingly burned away.
At the same time, The Seal of Orichalcos had shrunk until it was almost pressed against Shell.
"Was I wrong..." He closed his eyes and let out a long breath.
"Shell!" Judai Yuki reached out toward him.