In just a few short minutes, the area outside the bunker had turned into a river of blood, the battle raging with apocalyptic intensity.
The army of monsters surged toward the bunker, clashing with the ranks of jailers in a chaotic melee. The lead fiend let out a low roar that made the very ground tremble as countless creatures poured in from every direction.
They were varied in form; some were as hideous as wild beasts, while others were as twisted as monsters. Screams and roars intertwined, composing a chilling symphony of terror.
The Fiend Warden personally took to the field. He frowned at the chaotic battlefield before shouting, "Lord!"
An icy wind swept across the field, followed by a string of cold, eerie laughter. A pitch-black whirlwind materialized into a human figure resembling a nobleman stepped straight out of an ancient painting.
With a pale face and skin like cold jade that had never touched sunlight, he glowed with a dull red light under the crimson moon. His pupils flickered with a strange light, and beneath his high-bridged nose, his thin lips were tightly shut, revealing only sharp fangs.
This was no nameless minion that no one could recognize. This was the Vampire Lord, a Level 5 monster in Duel Monsters with 2000 ATK, once a competitive staple in the early card game environment.
"Your Vampire clan isn't supposed to be active in this area," the Warden said coldly. "What business do you have at my bunker?"
"Hmph, does it really matter whether this is our territory or not?" The Vampire Lord narrowed his eyes and snorted. "The appetite of your Wicked God is growing larger by the day.
Everyone knows it is only a matter of time before your claws reach into our domain. We decided it would be better to strike first and unite with our allies among the fiends to form a common front... while there are still allies left to unite with."
"Foolish." The Warden stepped forward, a Duel Disk and a deck appearing on his arm as he spoke coldly. "You could have enjoyed your life a while longer. But now, since you are looking for death, you cannot blame me."
"Interesting. I have long wanted to test the mettle of the Wicked God's minions." The Lord sneered, a Duel Disk appearing on his arm as well.
"Duel!" x2
The Warden drew five cards into his hand and said frostily, "Then let me show you just how foolish it is to challenge me, the guardian of the Fiend Bunker."
The corner of the Vampire Lord's mouth twitched slightly. "Fool. As long as I keep you occupied in a duel, my mission is already complete."
"What?" The Warden frowned, realizing something was wrong.
Boom!
While the battle raged outside, a gap was suddenly blown open inside the bunker. A massive volume of water poured through the breach, and a slender figure stepped out from the flowing current.
A Level 3 Water-attribute Fiend: Darkbishop Archfiend.
"Heh, that was easier than I thought." The Darkbishop sneered quietly as he advanced. He held a staff in his right hand, its tip adorned with a macabre skull. The water that had breached the wall did not dissipate; instead, it swirled around him like a water dragon, acting as his guardian.
The prisoners held in the cells on both sides immediately grew excited. They began to jeer and shout, some even begging him to let them out.
But the Bishop ignored them for the time being, walking straight toward one specific cell.
"Count?"
The person inside the cell slowly raised his head.
Calling him a "person" wasn't quite accurate; he looked more like an exquisitely dressed zombie. His face appeared to be rotting, and he had a single, bulging, terrifying eyeball that gave him a sinister appearance.
The Earl of Demise, a Level 5 high-level Zombie. His description read: "A gentlemanly count of the underworld who is evil by nature. Not only humans, but even lower-level fiends are terrified of him."
He was the strongest prisoner held in this bunker, but he usually disdained the boring struggles of the lower-level trash. Naturally, the other fiends didn't dare provoke him.
"Your sentence is over, great Count." The Bishop sneered and hooked his finger. The water swirling around him acted like a nimble hand, picking up a small metal object.
It was a key he had snatched from a jailer on his way in. A sharp light flashed in the eyes of the Earl of Demise as he realized it was the key to his cage.
The cells in the bunker appeared ordinary, but they were actually reinforced with a barrier that restricted the power of spirits. Inside, spirits could neither summon a Duel Disk nor use the power of cards.
These prisoners were also bound by spells. Dueling was only permitted in designated areas or with the permission of the jailers.
Finally, he was about to be free.
"Welcome back, Count," the Darkbishop chuckled.
"Hmph, I only fell into the trap of those Wicked God minions because I was careless back then," the Earl of Demise said in a heavy voice. "But now, I, the Earl of Demise, even if I die in battle or have my soul absorbed and annihilated, will absolutely, certainly, under no circumstances ever return to this cell!"
"That goes without saying," the Darkbishop smiled. "However, we should leave early. The Vampire Lord is holding back the Warden, and that old fellow is quite troublesome. The retreat route I arranged is over there, and people will be waiting to meet us outside. If we don't move quickly, complications might arise."
"Hmph, fine. I wanted to meet that old thing again to settle some old scores... but I'll let him off today. We'll do it next time."
The Darkbishop was about to open the lock when he suddenly froze.
Turning his head, he realized that a person had appeared in front of him at some unknown point.
"Hmm?"
Both the Darkbishop and the Earl of Demise were stunned.
The person wasn't wearing the uniform of a jailer...
"Are you a prisoner too?" the Darkbishop asked in a low voice. "Move. I'm not taking you with us."
"Is that so? That's quite a coincidence, because I don't plan on leaving yet." Yugen smiled.
His full collection for this map wasn't finished yet, so why be in such a hurry to move to the next one? According to what that four-eyed demon had said before, this The Earl of Demise seemed to be the hidden boss of the prisoners.
In other words, he was one of the most valuable treasures on this map.
Yugen had zero tolerance for anyone who disturbed his completionist achievements. They could leave, but they had to drop their loot first.
"However, I'm afraid it won't be that easy for you two to walk away."
Yugen raised his arm. Pale blue ripples of data converged on his arm, materializing into a solid Duel Disk.
Both the fiend and the Count were shocked. "You intend to stop us?"
The prisoners in the surrounding cages were equally bewildered. What was going on? Wasn't he a captive just like them? Could he be an undercover agent planted among them by the jailers?
In truth, aside from wanting to loot their gear, Yugen actually had a bold idea and an interesting plan of action. But the prerequisite was that he had to beat the gold out of these two first.
"I don't know what kind of madness has gripped you, but we don't have time to waste on you."
The Darkbishop stepped forward and swept his staff. His water magic activated again, and the water swirled around his body before finally transforming into the shape of a Duel Disk on his arm.
It seemed that the Duel Disks of the spirits all had unique designs. The Darkbishop's Duel Disk was primarily the color of bleached bone, with a texture that looked as if it were carved from a skeleton.
"Please wait a moment, Lord Count." The Darkbishop narrowed his eyes. "I'll deal with this arrogant brat and then we can be on our way. It will be very quick."
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