"It's physical?!" Alexis froze, suddenly realizing something was wrong. I can actually touch a Duel Monster?
Syrus and Chumley noticed it too. Not only was Jiang He's Sphere Kuriboh tangible, but the Winged Kuriboh that had flown out of Jaden's deck earlier had also seemed real. They had clearly seen both monsters physically pushing back the dark derivative spheres.
"What's going on...?" Jaden scratched his cheek in confusion, looking at the spot where Winged Kuriboh had vanished, then turned to Jiang He.
"The Shadow Game ritual has likely created a temporary dueling dimension, allowing some Duel Spirits to manifest in the physical world," Jiang He guessed, "rescuing" the struggling Sphere Kuriboh from Alexis's hands and placing the little creature on his shoulder.
"Then..." Alexis began to ask another question.
"AAAHHH!!"
A familiar scream erupted from across the chamber.
A massive swarm of dark spheres was pouring into Titan's open mouth, looking for all the world like he was being force-fed liquid cement. This included the spheres that had been driven away by the Kuribohs. They had found a new, singular target.
In a matter of seconds, the darkness completely vanished into the man's body. Titan stood still for a moment, appearing to have lost his soul, until the eyes of his black mask suddenly flashed a crimson red.
A thick, oppressive aura of darkness began to radiate from him.
"Duel me, boy... Jiang He," Titan said, his voice now layered with an eerie resonance. He raised his right arm, which was fitted with a strange, cylindrical Duel Disk. "As you said, the ritual has begun. A victor must be decided."
"The loser will be utterly consumed by the darkness!"
"Jiang He!" Alexis and Syrus cried out in unison, their faces pale with worry. They tried to move forward to stop him.
"Let me be your opponent!" Jaden declared, reaching into the backpack Chumley was carrying to pull out a Duel Disk. He wanted to take the burden of the duel upon himself.
Jiang He raised a hand to stop them all.
"He's already named me specifically. In this Shadow Game space, the ritual has identified us as the combatants. It can't be substituted," Jiang He said with a calm smile.
"Besides, it's perfect timing. I've been looking for a suitable sap to test out my new deck."
He took the Duel Disk from Jaden's hand and strapped it to his left arm. At the same time, he inserted the "Toxic" Stealth Bird deck he had exchanged from the system earlier that day.
"New deck..."
"Suitable sap to test it on..."
Hearing those words, Alexis, Syrus, and Jaden all froze. Their attempts to dissuade him died in their throats as they looked at the towering figure of Titan with a sudden, overwhelming sense of pity.
Whenever Jiang He spoke of a "new deck," it usually meant only one thing.
It was likely another "Toxic" strategya "blessing" for those with low blood pressure and a "one-way ticket to heaven" for those with high blood pressure.
This guy... he's planning to mentally break his opponent even in a legendary Shadow Game!
The realization made Alexis and the others feel a bit numb. Even their fear of the Shadow Game seemed to lessen, replaced by a strange sense of anticipation for Titan's upcoming suffering.
"Duel!"
"Duel!"
Jiang He and Titan shouted simultaneously as they stepped forward. Their Duel Disks deployed with a mechanical hiss, and both players drew their starting hands of five cards.
Beside each of them, a glowing counter appeared: [4000 LP].
"Hmph, I'll take the first turn. Draw!"
Titan grunted, pulling a card that had been automatically ejected from his cylindrical deck holder. He looked at his hand and immediately placed a card onto his Duel Disk.
"I summon Infernal Queen Archfiend in Attack Position!"
"ROAR!!"
Accompanied by a flash of dark light, a hideous, twisted monster appeared on his field. She wore tattered purple robes, and skeletal wings sprouted from her back as she let out a piercing shriek.
Unlike the holographic projections in a standard match, this monster felt solid. The vibrations from its scream were real, making everyone present feel the weight of its existence.
[Infernal Queen Archfiend]
[Level: 4]
[Attribute: FIRE]
[ATK: 900]
[DEF: 1500]
"Is Titan using a powerful Archfiend deck?" Chumley remarked, recognizing the archetype immediately. As an aspiring card designer, his theoretical knowledge was quite extensive.
"But Archfiend monsters have a catch," Alexis added, her worry fading slightly. "Because their effects and power are so great, they usually have a negative effect. The controller has to pay Life Points during each of their Standby Phases."
Jiang He's expression became rather subtle.
An Archfiend deck that drains the user's Life Points every turn... in front of my Burn deck?
This was the textbook definition of "drinking poison to quench a thirst." Titan was practically doing Jiang He's job for him.
"Hmph, you think I'm worried about the cost of Archfiends? As long as I have this card, such things are irrelevant!" Titan scoffed. He took a card from his hand and slotted it into the cylindrical disk.
"I activate the Field Spell: Pandemonium!"
Rumble!!
The entire stone chamber began to shake violently as dark energy surged through the air. In an instant, the scenery shifted. The gray stone walls were replaced by a dark red cathedral that looked as if it were constructed from the skeletal claws of demons.
This wasn't just a virtual image. Jiang He could feel the cold, hard reality of the demonic floor beneath his feet.
"Is this the true power of a Shadow Game...?" Jiang He murmured, a glint of genuine interest flashing in his eyes.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).