Dark Magician Girl felt like she'd just escaped a nightmare.
In it, she had been captured, forced to duel against Darkness and that odd-eyed woman all by herself, without her master and the support of her friends.
The battle was so one-sided it wasn't even fun.
He'd summoned four monsters in a single turn… and three of those were during his Battle Phase. She could barely even breathe, much less defend herself.
Every move she tried was crushed under his relentless assault, and every card she played only reminded her of the rumors she'd heard whispered across the Spirit World:
"Darkness is a monster in human form."
"No Spirit survives crossing paths with him."
And now she understood why.
Not only did the duel show her the true meaning of the power gap, but it also made her see what true despair looks like; even the act of raising her arms up to try and shield herself failed.
Spirits really need to protect themselves when out in the world.
Otherwise, you might run into Darkness and the odd-eyed woman.
The nightmare, of course, ended in her defeat, and at the hands of that odd-eyed woman. When her LP hit zero, pain wracked her body, mostly on her head, and she felt herself sinking into the deep sea, with the dark current pulling her downward.
It was like being dragged into the abyss itself, the underworld swallowing her whole.
She tried to scream. Tried to reach up toward the fading surface.
But her hands felt weightless. Her body refused to move.
She struggled, but could do nothing; as her consciousness was swallowed by darkness…
Then she jolted awake.
"Phew… Thank goodness it was just a dream."
Dark Magician Girl exhaled shakily, pressing a trembling hand to her chest. Her heart was pounding like she'd just run a marathon.
So it was just a nightmare. That had to be it.
She let out a weak laugh, more out of relief than anything, and flopped back onto the bed, tugging the blanket over herself. It was soft, a bit rough at the edges, and definitely cheap, but it would do.
Maybe if she just closed her eyes again, she could forget all about that terrifying nightmare…
Wait...
Her eyes opened wide.
This wasn't her blanket.
This wasn't her bed.
Slowly, Dark Magician Girl turned around.
Her heart stopped.
Towering over her was a reptilian behemoth cloaked in dark mist, the Tyrant Neptune. Its glowing golden eyes locked on her, the massive scythe gripped tightly in its claws.
Being a Duel Spirit herself, she instantly recognized what it was, and how dangerous it could be. The sheer pressure rolling off it made her legs go weak.
Her fingers twitched, fumbling through the blanket, searching desperately for her wand. But found nothing.
Her gaze darted around the room.
There! Just behind the monster.
The Tyrant Neptune shifted aside, revealing the wand, but the movement alone was enough to make her shiver violently.
Because standing behind it were two figures.
Her eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat.
It's them...!
The two beings from her nightmare, Darkness and the odd-eyed woman.
"You're awake."
The voice came from Yumi, sitting casually by the desk, sorting through a pile of cards. He set a card aside and looked over his shoulder, smiling faintly.
Dark Magician Girl reacted like someone seeing a ghost. "Wh–What did you do to me!?"
"You make it sound so weird," Yumi said flatly, brow twitching. "People might think I did something indecent."
"Yeah," Raye added from beside him, spinning the missing wand in one hand, "just so you don't go spreading rumors about my Master. I'm the one who dragged your sorry butt back here."
It can't be helped, her master was too weak physically, even if she went on an extreme diet, and lost over half her weight, he still wouldn't be able to carry her more than four steps.
If she hadn't been the one to haul the unconscious Spirit, the poor girl would've been dragged with her face through the dirt.
Dark Magician Girl's lips trembled. The odd-eyed woman was even scarier up close; that cool expression and the casual way she twirled a weapon made it clear: this woman could and would kill her if she annoyed her.
Her body trembled all over.
So the nightmare had been real.
And what's scarier than a nightmare?
Waking up to find out it actually happened.
"S-So what are you going to do to me now?" she asked, voice shaking as she clutched the blanket tighter around herself like a flimsy shield. "A-Are you going to force me to do those terrible things to please you?"
The room fell silent.
Yumi: "..."
Raye: "..."
"Like jumping through fire hoops like a circus animal?" Yumi finally muttered, deciding it was best not to acknowledge whatever other meaning those words might've had.
Dark Magician Girl: "..."
Raye slowly exhaled, placed the wand down on the table, and unsheathed her blade.
"So you're one of those, huh!?" she snapped, her tone sharp with fury.
"W-Wait! What does that mean?!"
Her words turned into a high-pitched scream as Raye lunged.
The dorm filled with comical yells and thuds as Raye began whacking the panicking spirit on the head, chasing her around like an angry older sister disciplining a mischievous ghost.
Dark Magician Girl screamed as Raye began beating her up.
This wasn't the first time random stray Duel Spirits tried to come to Yumi to siphon his Spirit Energy, causing Raye and the other Duel Spirits under him to beat them up and push them away.
Their master's Spirit Energy is used to strengthen them; how could they ever let some random strays steal their food?
After a few minutes and several solid hits from Raye's blade, Dark Magician Girl finally knelt before Yumi, trembling, clutching her head. Her cheeks were red and puffy, her eyes wet, her pride long gone.
Raye stood beside her, arms crossed, sword resting lazily on her shoulder.
Yumi sat calmly at his desk, sorting through cards like nothing had happened.
"Now then," he said, tone even, eyes never leaving the cards. "Tell me everything you know about Darkness."
"I–I really don't know much…" she stammered.
"Really?" he asked mildly.
Raye's hand twitched. Her sword gleamed.
Dark Magician Girl shrieked, waving her arms wildly. "I'll tell, I'll tell! Just please don't hurt me again!"
"Talk."
She swallowed hard, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "D-Darkness… In your past life, you were a king. You were chosen to wield the power of Darkness to protect the Spirit World from the Light… but something changed."
Yumi looked up, trying to remember if this story matched with anyone in the Yu-Gi-Oh series.
She continued, voice trembling: "You… you turned that power against us. You and that odd-eyed woman. You brought chaos and destruction. You ruled with fear. Y-You..."
Her voice cracked. "You stopped being a kind ruler. You became a tyrant who didn't care how many Spirits had to die. As long as you achieved your goals..."
For a moment, no one spoke. The air grew heavy.
Raye glanced at Yumi. His face had gone completely still, eyes shadowed, expression unreadable.
"So that is who I am..." Yumi murmurs, finally piecing together who his 'Darkness' was...
The Supreme King…
From his memory. The Supreme King was once a very gentle and innocent boy who held the power of the Gentle Darkness. Meant to be used to fight against the Light of Destruction.
Back then, his closest friend and most loyal servant, Yubel, agreed to go through an experiment that turned her into a monstrous fiend with the body mix between male and female.
Seeing what his friend is willing to go through for him, the Supreme King promised her that they would be together forever.
A very touching story once you know the details... So they all thought he was the reincarnation of the Supreme King.
No wonder he is treated as the enemy of both good and evil. The Supreme King was supposed to use his power for good, but instead, he turned into a tyrant.
Even the Supreme King's power, The Gentle Darkness, which lets him control Spirits, empowered and, to some extent, created new Spirits.
Shown with the birth of the Evil HEROes series, when he returns.
This also directly matched with Yumi's ability to print cards that are loyal and follow his commands.
And judging by Dark Magician Girl calling Raye the odd-eyed woman, it was because she was mistaken for Yubel, who has three eyes all with different colors.
Normally, when she isn't using her power, Raye's eyes are green, but when she is actively using it, one of her eyes turns from green to red.
So the Darkness... that the Spirits were calling him by was The Gentle Darkness. Not the final boss of GX, Darkness.
But the main issue here is that he isn't the reincarnation of the Supreme King!
That's Jaden!
Could this be the reason why many people keep mistaking him for Jaden and the other way around? Although it only happened twice so far, it's still weird how it happened more than once.
Seeing Yumi's expression getting darker and darker, Dark Magician Girl began fearing for her own life. Although she isn't the only Dark Magician Girl in the Spirit World, she still doesn't want to die young.
Yumi reached over, picked up the dismantled deck on the desk, and tossed it at her feet.
"Leave," he said flatly. "You're of no use to me now."
She blinked, stunned.
Looking down, she saw the deck was hers, thinner than before, with several cards missing.
Her chest tightened when she realized some cards were taken. But as much as it hurt, she was just relieved she was still alive.
Without another word, she grabbed the cards, bowed deeply, and fled, vanishing into shimmering particles of light.
Raye watched her disappear, then turned toward Yumi. "You sure that's wise? You let her walk away."
"She's not a threat," he said quietly, closing his eyes. "And if she comes back for revenge… by then, I'll be stronger."
"You could've taken everything," she said.
"No point," Yumi replied. "Half her cards don't fit any of my decks. Taking them would just waste space."
He folded his arms behind his head, leaning back. "It's like Kaiba owning a Red-Eyes Black Dragon; doesn't matter how rare it is, it's useless and won't fit in his deck. Same for me."
Raye smirked faintly. "So I'm your White-Bride, huh?"
"You could say that," he said, opening one eye. "You are my ace after all."
She smiled softly at that.
Yumi closed his eyes again, his voice calm but distant. "I'm not wasting Spirit Energy on sub-archetypes or supports that don't fit any of my decks. If she wants to serve someone, she can go find her Master."
...
The Next Day... Inside Midori's Office
Midori didn't waste any time with pleasantries. The moment Yumi entered, she slid a photo across her desk.
It was a still image, a duel captured mid-battle.
"This is…" Yumi murmured, picking it up.
The picture reveals the familiar, bulky outline of Elemental HERO The Earth, or Terra Firma, seeing how it wasn't him who is controlling it. On the opposite side stood a tall, dark-skinned student, muscular.
"Axel Brodie," Midori confirmed, leaning back in her chair with a tired sigh. "A student from West Academy. He was the previous wielder of The Blazing Mars… until it was taken."
Yumi nodded, then dropped the photo back on the desk.
Midori folded her arms. "You were right about someone collecting the Planet Series. And this confirms it. Whoever's behind this isn't just after cards; they're after the Duel Spirits themselves."
She rubbed her temple. "I already requested the Chancellor for permission to send you off-island to investigate. But… the request was denied."
"Denied?" Yumi raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," she said. "Given the ongoing Shadow Rider incidents, the Board believes your 'skills' are more valuable here, as a safety measure in case things get out of hand."
Her tone carried a hint of dry irony, but Yumi could tell there was a thread of respect in her voice.
He smirked faintly. "Huh. That's new. I thought they'd be looking for an excuse to expel me again."
Midori's lips twitched into a tired smile. "That was before; now it's different."
He chuckled softly. "They won't have to wait long. The Shadow Rider issue is already being dealt with."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Already? What do you mean?"
Yumi didn't answer right away. His gaze drifted toward the window. Seeing Effect Veiler appear means the duel has already begun.
A few days earlier, he'd gone to the Alchemy Lab, Banner's old haunt. The room had smelled of old parchment, dust, and faint traces of chalk. He hadn't come here in months since he mastered how to use Alchemy. He'd left a note on the desk.
The note said that Yumi knew the truth about Lyman, and he is willing to send the "fusion genius" over to Duel him, and if he agrees, he just needs to make Pharaoh show up in front of him.
And earlier that morning, Yumi had seen the telltale sign: the Academy's fat orange cat sitting outside his window, staring. The moment Yumi's eyes met its gaze, before it darted off, with Celina chasing after it.
This meant that Lyman or Amnael now, had now accepted the deal, and Yumi told Jaden about the location, asking him to go check it out alone.
Being a direct request from his AIBO, Jaden, of course, agrees without hesitation and makes his way toward the direction of the lab to face the Slifer Red's dormitory male head, the teacher named Lyman Banner.
At the Alchemy Lab
Jaden pushed open the creaking door. Dust motes danced in the air.
He'd come expecting to see his cheerful, slightly weird teacher smiling behind a desk. But the man standing in the center of the room was nothing like that.
What Jaden was facing now was the last person of the Shadow Riders and the strongest Shadow Duelist in the organization, named Amnael.
"Who are you?" Jaden asked, "Where did you take Professor Lyman?"
Because Lyman was wearing a strange robe at the moment and his face was wrapped like a mummy, Jaden did not recognize him.
"The uppermost is from the lowermost and the lowermost is from the uppermost."
Jaden blinked. "Uh… what?"
After uttering two incomprehensible lines, Amnael took out a strange, thick book from under his loose robe, with golden eyes like the symbol of Millennium Items printed on the cover.
"This 'Millennium Spellbook' records the truth of the world and is the ultimate tool held by the strongest alchemist." He said, "Jaden Yuki, if you want to know the truth, defeat me under the gaze of this book and complete this alchemist's trial!"
To be honest, Jaden did not understand that series of speeches, and he did not comprehend anything about "Millenium" or "alchemy", that was his AIBO's job to understand.
But there was one thing he quite understood. There is a duel to be played!