"Rafael," Aoi said evenly, "if you love your cards that much… why would you help Doma?"
Rafael's jaw tightened.
"There are fates in this world that humans cannot resist—no matter how hard they struggle. When I was at my breaking point, I heard Lord Dartz's call. His guidance led me back to my country."
His eyes darkened.
"But what waited for me there was another wave of despair. My family was still missing. The only things left were greedy relatives—people trying to steal my father's inheritance and profit from my name."
Aoi's voice stayed calm, almost cold.
"'Rafael—why were you the only one who survived? Do you want to know the answer?' That's what Dartz told you, right?"
Rafael flinched.
Aoi tilted her head. "And if that disaster wasn't an accident—if it was man-made?"
Rafael's pupils snapped wide.
"What… did you just say?!"
Aoi took one step forward, blade-sharp in her wording.
"You know what Dartz can do. If the undersea eruption was caused by your master, what would you do?"
Rafael's composure cracked.
"Lies. Slander. Dartz-sama would never—!"
His voice started strong… then weakened, as though a door in his mind had opened just a little.
Aoi watched him carefully.
"So the seed is already there," she said. "Even if you bury it, doubt still survives."
Far away, in a dark temple, Dartz knelt before a stone wall. Though he was nowhere near Death Valley, his eyes followed every exchange.
"Tch." His lips curled. "Her insight is dangerous."
His gaze sharpened with greedy certainty.
"The first priority is no longer the Nameless Pharaoh… it's Aoi Kisaragi. I must have her soul."
Rafael's eyes hardened again—forcing the crack shut.
"Aoi Kisaragi," he said, voice steady but too controlled, "no matter what you say, this duel will not stop. We continue!"
"My turn. Draw."
He set a card facedown.
"Then I activate 'Card of Sanctity.' We both draw until we have six cards in hand!"
Both duelists drew. The air felt heavier, like the world itself was leaning in.
Rafael's gaze flashed.
"Now… I Special Summon 'Guardian Eatos.'"
A radiant warrior descended—white wings spread wide, a hawk-themed helm crowning her head. The whole figure carried a solemn, sacred pressure.
Guardian Eatos (2500/2000)
"As long as I have no monsters in my Graveyard," Rafael declared, "I can Special Summon her from my hand!"
He didn't pause.
"I activate 'Raigeki!' Destroy all monsters you control!"
Lightning tore down from the sky. Aoi's Labrynth monsters were wiped from the field in one brutal sweep.
Then Rafael lifted another card.
"I equip 'Goddess Bow'—no, 'Goddess Sword – Eagle Claw' to Guardian Eatos! Her ATK rises by 500!"
Guardian Eatos (3000/2000)
Yami Yugi's eyes narrowed. "Aoi has no monsters. If that hits, she'll be in critical condition."
Rafael's voice turned merciless.
"I'm not finished."
He pointed—straight at Aoi's Graveyard.
"Guardian Eatos's effect: I send an Equip Spell I control to the Graveyard, then I can banish up to three monsters from your Graveyard. For each banished monster, Eatos gains 500 ATK until the end of the turn."
He sent the equip to the grave.
"I banish Arianna, Ariane, and Lady Labrynth from your Graveyard. Three monsters—Eatos gains 1500!"
Guardian Eatos (4000/2000)
Kaiba's expression shifted—hard, immediate. It was the first visible crack in his usual contemptuous calm.
But Rafael's chain didn't stop there.
"And because Goddess Sword – Eagle Claw was sent from the field to the Graveyard—its effect activates! When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, Guardian Eatos gains 500 ATK for each banished monster."
Rafael's hand sliced downward like a verdict.
"There are four banished monsters now. Eatos gains 2000 more!"
Guardian Eatos (6000/2000)
"Six thousand…!" Kaiba muttered, stunned despite himself.
Aoi finally moved—smooth, deliberate.
"I activate Labrynth Chandraglier from my hand," she said. "I send it from hand to the Graveyard, then discard one card—set one 'Labrynth' Spell/Trap from my Deck."
A card slid face-down onto her field.
"I set 'Welcome Labrynth.'"
Rafael's eyes narrowed.
"Another trap. Then I'll erase your backrow—and your hope."
He slammed down a spell.
"I activate 'Harpie's Feather Duster!' Destroy all Spells and Traps you control!"
A cyclone exploded across the field. Aoi's set card was ripped apart. Even the white walls of the Silver Castle trembled—then collapsed into dust, as if the Labyrinth itself was being torn out of reality.
The blast wave threw grit into the air—
And Rafael's Life Points ticked down.
Rafael LP 4000 → 3000
Rafael blinked. "What…?"
Aoi's voice was calm.
"One of the cards you destroyed was 'Embedded Explosive.' When it's destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by your card effect, you take 1000 damage."
But she didn't look relieved.
She looked… focused.
Dangerously so.
Rafael's mouth curled.
"So you can panic. That expression suits you, Duel King. Your defeat comes from arrogance. Luckily for you, I didn't activate Orichalcos—so even if you lose, your soul won't be taken."
Aoi didn't answer the provocation. She simply watched him.
Rafael lifted his arm.
"Battle! Guardian Eatos attacks you directly—Forbidden Gospel!"
Eatos's wings flared. A sacred-white torrent gathered in her hands and fired like judgment.
Kaiba's face twisted. He took a step forward, instinct screaming at him to stop it—
But the abyss between the platforms yawned wide and absolute.
Yami Yugi's fist clenched.
Then—
Aoi smiled.
Not fear. Not resignation.
A smile of someone who wanted this to happen.
"Rafael," she said softly, "you should be glad you didn't activate Orichalcos."
Rafael's eyes flicked—confused—then sharpened.
"What—?"
Aoi's gaze lifted behind him.
"Look at your Eatos."
A dark fissure split open behind Guardian Eatos—an ugly, hungry tear in space.
Before Rafael could speak, the rift swallowed her whole.
"EATOS!!" Rafael's voice cracked—raw, involuntary.
His confidence evaporated in an instant. He spun toward Aoi, rage and disbelief colliding.
"What did you do?! My Guardian Eatos vanished—your field should be empty! You shouldn't have any cards left!"
Aoi's smile didn't move.
"You're right," she said. "My field is empty."
She tapped her Duel Disk—then, slowly, pointed downward.
"But my Graveyard isn't."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 165)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter220)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter125)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (This matter is completely finished.)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 220
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 185
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 248
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 230
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 125
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 145
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 115
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 110
My Harem Is Indescribable 100
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 105
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 67
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 80
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 85
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 78
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 80
Checking In in Demon Slayer 85
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 100
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 85
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 80
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 90
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 75
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 85
Why did they assign me to Uma 75
MYGO Beauties 70
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 75
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 80
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 100
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 60
The Uma Musume Who Became 60
I'm Definitely Not the King of 80
After Maxing Out Every Class 80
Naruto: I'm Konoha's Local Men 44
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 57
I, the Elden Sword Saint 50
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 43
No One Knows Pokémon Better 50
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 45
From Trilobites to Titans 45
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 55
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 60
An Anime Heroine Darkened 55
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