Aki Jun relaxed slightly, convincing himself that Ryo Nakamuta was merely using some convenient Cyber Dragon monsters.
After all, with 2100 ATK and lenient summoning conditions, Cyber Dragon was a versatile monster many duelists included in their decks.
Meanwhile, on the field, Ryo Nakamuta launched his final assault against the black-robed duelist.
"First strike! Cyber Twin Dragon destroys Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon, dealing 2600 LP damage!"
"Second strike! Cyber Twin Dragon destroys Blue-Eyes White Dragon, dealing 2600 LP damage!"
"Next, third strike! Chimeratech Rampage Dragon attacks directly, dealing 2100 LP damage!"
"And I'm not done!"
"Fourth strike! Chimeratech Rampage Dragon attacks directly again!"
Under the triple onslaught, the black-robed figure trembled as if struck by lightning, their fear peaking at its extreme.
"Wait! At this moment, I activate Kuriboh's effect from my hand, sending it to the graveyard!"
"This blocks your attack! I still have 700 LP!"
"Kid, you haven't won yet!"
The black-robed figure's mask cracked, revealing half a weathered, brown face. Their eyes burned with terror and resentment. They knew Kuriboh wouldn't save them, yet they played it anyway.
Blood trickling from their mouth confirmed that dark duel damage truly affected the body.
"Oh? Sore wa doko ka na?"
"Who said my Chimeratech Rampage Dragon can only attack twice?"
"Fifth strike! Chimeratech Rampage Dragon's final blow!"
"Pierce through his darkness!!!"
Five? Five strikes?!
What was this? What kind of monster was this Chimeratech Rampage Dragon?!
Before the black-robed figure could react, the final electronic storm surge tore through their body.
"I… you…"
"Lord Zorc… won't… spare you…"
The black-robed figure collapsed, dissolving into black smoke like Ryuten, vanishing into the air.
The dark duel was over.
But the shroud of darkness lingered.
The moment the black-robed figure fell, a thick fog enveloped the area for no apparent reason.
As Ryo Nakamuta turned to find Ikeda Hiromu and Kito Saku, a pair of skeletal hands wreathed in black mist appeared before him, holding something all too familiar.
Or rather, familiar beyond words.
One of the seven Millennium Items: the Millennium Puzzle!
"Come, accept the Millennium Puzzle."
"You'll become the Duel King you dream of."
"Come, take the Millennium Puzzle."
"You'll witness your future glory, dominating all!"
"…"
A hoarse, murky voice echoed from all directions. Ryo Nakamuta, however, gave a strange smile, eyeing the skeletal hands and the Millennium Puzzle.
"Do you think…"
"I need to be this world's Duel King?"
His words fell.
The skeletal hands began to tremble for some reason, and the Millennium Puzzle shattered instantly into dust.
"No, impossible!"
"Who are you?!"
"Why are you completely unmoved by this world's temptations?!"
"Could it be… everything you have already surpasses this world?!"
"This can't be…"
It's impossible...
It's impossible.....
The hoarse voice grew frantic, repeating "impossible" over and over.
Only when the voice faded did the black fog slowly dissipate, revealing an unfamiliar man and woman, alongside the now-awakened Ikeda Hiromu and Kito Saku.
"My gosh, Ryo-bro!"
"You're freaking awesome!"
"Not even a dark duelist can beat you!"
"You're ready for pro tournaments! No need to stay in school!"
While Ryo was trapped, Ikeda Hiromu and Kito Saku had already learned the dark duel's outcome from Aki Jun and So Seitan.
So, Ikeda wasted no time in heaping praise.
"Class prez, what happened just now?"
"You didn't respond no matter how much we called."
"You were like a statue—we thought something went wrong."
Kito Saku looked puzzled at the now-recovered Ryo Nakamuta. He'd shouted earlier with no response, almost fearing that even winning the dark duel had come at a cost.
"It's fine, just Zorc's temptation."
"By the way, who are these two?"
Ryo Nakamuta waved it off with a smile, shifting the topic to Aki Jun and So Seitan.
"Oh, almost forgot."
"I'm So Seitan, and this is Aki Jun."
"We're from the senior investigation team."
"Your senpai, basically!"
"By the way, have you seen anyone else on your way here?"
"Our friend Ryuten went missing, and Aki-bro and I still haven't found him."
So Seitan quickly shared their info, but her final question and details left Ryo Nakamuta and his group speechless, unsure how to respond.
Seeing their expressions, So Seitan and Aki Jun's hearts sank, realizing the truth.
"Ryuten… did he…?"
"Yeah, no point hiding it. Here's what happened."
Kito Saku didn't hold back, recounting the entire sequence of events to the two.
"I knew it would end like this."
"I just hope the Spirit Duel World really exists."
"May he… have a better life there."
Aki Jun turned heavily toward the crescent moon in the sky, his eyes glistening with tears, memories of the past flashing through his mind.
"Aki-bro, I…"
"I don't know how to explain this to the principal."
"Did Ryuten-bro really disappear?"
"No way, he was so strong."
"Are you sure you didn't mistake him? Was it really someone named Ryuten?"
So Seitan collapsed to the ground with a thud, her voice breaking as she spoke, growing more emotional. Despite knowing the answer, she pressed on, but Ryo's group stayed silent, standing quietly nearby.
They'd wanted to stop Ryuten's duel too, but this was a dark duel, not a normal one.
To stop it, someone had to pay the price.
They were powerless.
…
At dawn, the dark, silent forest shed its disguise, welcoming the light.
Ryo Nakamuta and his group supported the now-unconscious So Seitan and Aki Jun as they left the Back Mountain Forest.
After handing them over to the security department, the trio returned to their dorm in silence.
"When someone vanishes before your eyes, and you can't stop it…"
"That's a regret, isn't it?"
"What we need to do is find a way to prevent more regrets."
"Not let one regret convince us we're too weak to stop them!"
"Got it?"
Seeing his friends' dejected faces, Ryo Nakamuta broke the silence on the way back.
"Ryo-bro, we get it."
"Class prez, we'll work hard."
Ikeda Hiromu and Kito Saku exchanged a glance, suppressing their negativity. They understood that their task now was to boost their skills.
Forge deck bonds! Break dueling limits!
One day, they hoped to defeat dark duelists on their own and prevent new tragedies.