Judai Yuki stepped forward to speak, but Yugen moved first.
"The Spirit of Jinzo, right?"
Jinzo floated among arcs of electricity, silent. The three missing students lay unconscious nearby.
Seeing no response, Yugen revealed a Card. It was his own Jinzo card.
This time Jinzo reacted, stepping closer with clear desire.
"That card can help your full revival, correct? You want it?"
After a pause, Jinzo spoke in a low voice. "I want that card. But I will not give up these three sacrifices. They agreed to offer their souls."
Then he added firmly, "I want the card as well."
An adult Spirit, indeed. He wanted everything.
"You are Duelist too," Jinzo said, pointing at the Duel Disk. "Settle it your way."
"As expected, a Duel." Yugen nodded.
"No problem. If you win, this card is yours and I will not interfere again. But if you lose?"
For Spirit, a Duel was sacred. The stakes had to be clear.
"If I lose, I will give up these three souls."
Yugen shook his head. "I do not know them."
Jinzo froze.
"So what do you want?" he asked.
"Every card is like life to a Duelist. I am wagering a partner equal to my soul. Should you not do the same?"
Jinzo hesitated. "You want my soul?"
"As expected of a high level Spirit. Quick to understand." Yugen smiled. "If I win, you will reside in this card. No more sacrifices needed."
Jinzo gave a low chuckle. "You wish to be my master? Then win my acknowledgment."
"Agreed."
Yugen activated his Duel Disk.
"Duel!"
Negotiations ended. The outcome would be decided by cards.
The others had no chance to interrupt. By the time they realized it, the two were already starting the Duel.
Judai Yuki suddenly blinked.
Wait.
Did that mean the card that came looking for him had just been taken by Yugen again?
"Duel!" x2
Yugen LP 4000 Jinzo LP 4000
"I'll go first. Card Draw." Yugen took the opening move. "I activate a Spell Card! 'Foolish Burial.' From my Deck, I send one monster to the Graveyard."
He pulled a card that the Deck automatically searched out. "I send 'Sinister Serpent' to the Graveyard."
Watching from the sidelines, the others quickly understood the strategy. "Sinister Serpent? So it's that tactic centered on Abyss Soldier," Hayato Maeda said, resting his chin on his hand. "I remember that deck being pretty strong."
"Yeah," Judai Yuki said with a grin. "I can't wait to see what kind of Duel Yugen puts on this time."
Sho Marufuji looked uneasy. "Am I the only one who thinks a Duel about finding sacrifices for a Spirit sounds kind of scary?"
"I set one monster in face down Defense Position, then set one card. End turn."
Jinzo spoke at once. "My Turn!, Card Draw."
The Jinzo Spirit did not use a Duel Disk. Instead, a massive Card projection appeared behind him, its back facing the outside world. With a wave of his arm, faint arcs of electricity flashed, and a new card dropped from the air.
"I I activate a Spell Card! 'Graceful Charity.' I draw three cards from my Deck, then discard two."
His voice was low and heavy. "One of the discarded cards is 'Jinzo-Psychic Returner.' When this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one 'Jinzo-Psychic Intimidator' from my Graveyard!"
Sho Marufuji and Hayato Maeda cried out together, "It's coming out already?"
"That's right."
A trace of excitement entered Jinzo's cold voice. "The other card I discarded was myself! By the effect of 'Jinzo-Psychic Returner,' I revive through this Duel!"
He shouted eagerly, and his ghostlike body vanished. A second later, Jinzo appeared in the Front Row monster Zone, his form solidifying as if returning from a blurred state.
"Finally. The feeling of revival!"
But before he could savor it, Yugen flipped his set card. "Continuous Trap-'Royal Oppression.' As long as this card is on the field, either player can pay 800 Life Points to negate a monster's Special Summon or an effect that includes Special Summoning, and Destroy that card!"
"Nani?!!?"
"Therefore I pay 800 Life Points to negate the effect of 'Jinzo-Psychic Returner.'"
Yugen LP 4000 to 3200
"Urgh!"
A bolt of force struck Jinzo like thunder. His newly formed body in the Front Row exploded into smoke, and half a second later his ghostly image flickered back to the Duelist position.
His revival attempt had failed. He steadied himself and growled, "Then I Summon 'Mad Dog of Darkness' in Attack Position."
Mad Dog of Darkness, ATK 1900
The yellow hound barked wildly the moment it appeared, baring its fangs. "Mad Dog of Darkness, attack!"
The beast lunged and tore into Yugen's set monster.
"You attacked 'Skelengel,'" Yugen said.
Skelengel, DEF 400
"Skelengel is a Flip Effect monster. When it's flipped, I draw one card."
Yugen drew.
"I set one card and end my turn," Jinzo said, forcing himself to stay calm.
"My Turn!, Card Draw." Yugen continued smoothly. "The effect of 'Sinister Serpent' in my Graveyard. During my Standby Phase, I can return it to my hand."
He retrieved Sinister Serpent and revealed another card. "Then I activate a Spell Card! 'Pot of Greed.' Draw two cards from the Deck. And I Normal Summon 'Abyss Soldier.'"
Abyss Soldier, ATK 1800
Jinzo examined the soldier rising from a swirl of water, trident in hand. Its attack was lower than his Mad Dog of Darkness, and with Royal Oppression still affecting both sides, Special Summons were risky for either player.
But Yugen spoke again. "'Abyss Soldier' effect. Once Per Turn. By discarding a WATER monster from my hand, I return one card on the field to its owner's hand."
Jinzo's eyes narrowed. A bounce effect.
If his Mad Dog were returned, he would take a direct hit and lose a large amount of Life Points. Still, he had a set Trap ready to counterattack next turn.
"By discarding the WATER 'Sinister Serpent,' I return my own Continuous Trap 'Royal Oppression' to my hand."
"You're bouncing your own card!?"
In an instant, Jinzo understood. When needed, Yugen could use Royal Oppression to suppress him. When it got in his own way, he simply removed it.
Which meant only one side would be locked out at a time.
Before he could react further, Yugen played another card.
"Spell Card 'Monster Reborn.' I can revive a monster from either player's Graveyard to my field."
From either Graveyard.
"Don't tell me…"
"I think you already know," Yugen said with a faint smile. "I Special Summon 'Jinzo-Psychic Intimidator' from your Graveyard."
"YOU BASTARD!"
Jinzo-Psychic Intimidator, Summon!
On Jinzo's side, his Spirit body was still half transparent. He could only watch as the full projected version of himself jumped to the opposite field through Monster Reborn and crossed its arms while looking at him. What angered him more was that the duplicate seemed to carry a trace of contempt.
Royal Oppression was one of the main gains Yugen brought back from Kaiba Corporation. As mentioned before, in the early Yu-Gi-Oh! environment its evaluation had been average. In slower formats many Deck were not afraid of its suppression, and when the opponent could use its effect, it easily became a liability.
But the Deck in Yugen's hands happened to work perfectly with it.