I’m in Marvel, but I play Yu-Gi-Oh!?

Bonus Chapter.

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The Spirit World fell silent after Alexander's declaration.

The countless drifting currents of Spirit Energy surrounding the ruined landscape seemed to pause for a brief instant, as though the world itself had turned its attention toward the towering Duel Spirit before him.

Summoned Skull stared at him with glowing green eyes, then, slowly, the fiend grinned.

"Very well, creator candidate…" its deep voice echoed through the cracked wasteland. "Prove your worth."

At the same time, dark lightning burst across the sky, briefly illuminating the desolate surroundings.

Without touching the deck, Summoned Skull drew five cards. They floated before the fiend in a crescent formation, each one turning toward its master as if awaiting command.

Alexander's eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed that the Duel Spirit's cards simply obeyed its intent, making him realise that he isn't actually physically here and that he can do the same.

Summoned Skull's expression became more serious as it started to explain, "Since we stand within the Spirit World, this duel will follow laws similar to what is usually known as a Shadow Game in the Material World."

Hearing that, Alexander stiffened slightly at the familiar term while the legendary fiend continued, "Damage to your Life Points will directly harm your spirit. The pain you receive here is real."

As if reacting to its words, Alexander sensed that the Spirit Energy around the battlefield thickened.

"You should consider yourself fortunate," Summoned Skull added. "I have no intention of destroying or devouring your soul."

Alexander remained silent, listening carefully as Summoned Skull said, "If your Life Points reach zero, your spirit will merely suffer moderate damage. Enough to incapacitate your ability to create cards for approximately one month before recovery."

Its green eyes narrowed as it sternly warned, "Be careful in future. Other spirits may not show such restraint."

A faint chill ran down Alexander's spine as that sentence alone told him more about the Spirit World than anything he had experienced until now, 'This is dangerous. Truly dangerous... Luckily, I decided to create one of Yugi's cards first, as I hoped they would be "safer"... And it seems I was right.'

Suddenly, Alexander's thoughts started to wander in another direction, 'Well, I would've preferred Dark Magician Girl for... reasons... but unfortunately she isn't present in the current Card Database pool...'

Shortly after thinking that, Alexander took a slow breath to focus back on the present before nodding respectfully and saying, "Thank you for the warning."

For a brief moment, Summoned Skull looked mildly surprised by Alexander's reaction before snorting, "Draw your hand."

Alexander focused his mind and his new sense on the deck in his hand, and the moment his mind and Spiritual Sense touched them, he felt it immediately.

The connection he had with those cards, in this alien dimension, felt more alive than ever.

The next moment, Alexander's own deck rose into the air from his hand and started to hover beside him, and five cards slid out one after another before floating into position.

Suddenly, glowing numbers manifested beside both duelists.

[Alexander Jones - 4000 LP]

[Summoned Skull - 4000 LP]

The signal that the duel had truly begun.

Summoned Skull moved first as it declared, "My turn."

One of the floating cards immediately flew forward as it said, "I activate Pot of Greed and draw 2 cards."

The card turned around, revealing itself, and then it shone briefly as a green jar materialised behind the Duel Spirit before opening its mouth unnaturally wide.

Then two cards shot out from within and joined Summoned Skull's hand.

Alexander's eyes sharpened slightly while thinking, 'As expected... The legendary Pot of Greed is always present.'

Without pause, another card rose from Summoned Skull's hand as it announced, "Now, I activate Polymerization."

The card shone, and a swirling vortex of dark energy erupted across the battlefield as it continued, "I fuse Cave Dragon and Lesser Fiend in my hand to Fusion Summon..."

Two more cards shot up from its hand, which glowed for a moment before two monsters materialised instantly.

The first was a massive reptilian beast covered in jagged scales, while the second was a four-armed winged demon with a goat-like lower half.

Before Alexander could fully process their appearance, both creatures were dragged screaming into the spiralling vortex.

Dark lightning exploded before a huge four-armed dragon burst from the summoning vortex, purple wings beating violently against the air. Bone spikes lined its scaled body, and its fierce yellow eyes locked onto its target before it released a deafening roar.

The sheer pressure of its existence caused Alexander's coat to whip backwards while Summoned Skull announced, "...Fiend Skull Dragon!"

Fiend Skull Dragon descended onto the field with a thunderous impact.

[Fiend Skull Dragon - ATK 2000 / DEF 1200]

Alexander stared at the demonic dragon for a brief second.

Seeing these monsters in reality was completely different from imagining them through a screen.

They felt real, dangerously real.

Then Summoned Skull continued calmly, "I also summon Gil Garth in attack position."

Another card flew out from its hand before a heavily armoured fiend warrior appeared beside the dragon.

[Gil Garth - ATK 1800 / DEF 1200]

Then one final card flew out and enlarged itself before lying face-down on the field behind the monsters as Summoned Skull announced, "I set one card face down and end my turn."

Alexander looked at the opposing field carefully while thinking, 'A Fusion Monster with 2000 ATK, a Normal Monster with 1800 ATK, and a set backrow. In the modern Yu-Gi-Oh! game such an opening would feel pathetically weak or hide an incredibly nasty troll deck... But now, it feels incredibly threatening... And most importantly… the pressure I feel is unreal.'

The monsters staring at him felt overwhelmingly oppressive compared to all the Duel Spirits he had faced until now during the previous negotiation, well, mostly because all of them agreed to his terms without any issue or test, but it was very clear that Summoned Skull was on an entirely different level.

However, strangely enough, Alexander could feel excitement building inside him.

His heartbeat accelerated from exhilaration while he thought, 'This… This is what I had imagined when I dreamed about Duel Monsters becoming real! This is amazing!'

He grinned as he drew his card and said, "My turn."

Alexander immediately looked through his hand before grimacing slightly as he realised, 'Other than Neos in my deck, none of my available monsters can overpower the field in front of me. Still... That doesn't mean I have already lost.'

Reaching that conclusion, Alexander waved his hand, willing the card to activate while saying, "I start by activating Pot of Greed and drawing two more cards."

The familiar green jar appeared once more in the field, but this time behind Alexander, before granting him two additional draws.

Then, seeing the two new cards, Alexander smiled and immediately raised another card, "Then I activate Polymerization."

A second vortex emerged as Alexander declared, "I fuse Protector of the Throne and Mystical Sheep #1, which can substitute any Fusion material on the condition that the other must be the correct one!"

At the same time, two cards shot up from his hand, which glowed for a moment before two monsters materialised instantly.

The first was a charming and regal-looking woman with long purple hair and a blue dress, while the second was a black furred sheep with blue horns and a very long tail.

The regal-looking woman and black sheep dissolved into spiralling light before combining together while Alexander announces, "I Fusion Summon Gilta the D. Knight!"

A burst of dark energy exploded across the field as a gigantic armoured warrior emerged from the swirling vortex and landed in front of Alexander.

His dragon-crested armour gleamed under the lights produced by the sparse lightning thundering above, while his oversized blade crackled with purple electricity.

The knight swung his spear once, sending a shockwave ripping through the area before pointing the weapon directly at the monsters on Summoned Skull's side of the field.

[Gilta the D. Knight - ATK 1850 / DEF 1500]

Alexander couldn't help staring at it briefly while thinking, 'The level of detail is incredible. The armour reflects the dim crimson sky. Its breathing sounds real. Even its grip around the spear subtly shifted... This is a real duel!'

For a split second, Alexander almost forgot he was in a duel, but then he raised his hand and commanded, "Gilta the D. Knight attacks Gil Garth!"

The armoured warrior charged forward immediately. Steel clashed violently, and Gil Garth staggered backwards before exploding into fragments of Spirit Energy as the resulting shockwave passed over Summoned Skull, which looked completely impassive as its Life Points dipped down.

[Summoned Skull - 3950 LP]

The floating number flickered briefly as the Duel Spirit received only fifty points of damage, but Alexander still felt satisfied.

He had acted first. He had pushed forward. He took the first blood.

Without hesitation, he again waved his hand, making two cards fly out and enlarge themselves before lying face down on the field behind the monsters as he announced, "I set two cards face down and end my turn."

Summoned Skull stared at the field for a moment before grinning slightly and muttering, "Not bad…"

The Duel Spirit drew, then it immediately played another card, "I activate the Equip Spell card Falling Down and target your Gilta the D. Knight."

Chains of dark energy erupted from the ground before wrapping around Gilta the D. Knight.

Alexander's eyes widened slightly as his monster turned around and then stood beside Summoned Skull as it explained, "Falling Down allows me to take control of the equipped monster. This card is immediately destroyed unless there is an Archfiend card on the field, and Fiend Skull Dragon is always treated as an Archfiend card."

Alexander clicked his tongue internally, as a direct theft card is a very annoying tactic.

Then Summoned Skull declared, "Fiend Skull Dragon attacks directly."

The demonic dragon opened its jaws, and dark energy gathered within them.

At the same time, the Duel Spirit added, "And Gilta the D. Knight attacks as well."

Both attacks descended simultaneously, and Alexander's eyes narrowed before he smiled and said, "Too bad... I activate my set Trap Card... Mirror Force! This card can be activated when an attack is declared and destroys all your attack position monsters."

The set card flipped upward, and for a brief moment, the battlefield became completely white; then the attacks reversed direction.

A colossal wall of reflected Spirit Energy erupted outward like a tidal wave.

Fiend Skull Dragon roared as its own attack slammed into it, while Gilta the D. Knight was instantly swallowed by the explosion.

In the end, both monsters shattered into fragments of light to the point that even Summoned Skull seemed mildly surprised for a brief moment.

The Duel Spirit then slowly set another monster face-down before ending its turn.

Alexander started his turn and drew, but his expression stiffened slightly as he looked at the card, 'Damn... This isn't useful.'

Still, he calmly summoned another monster, "I summon M-Warrior #2 in defence position."

A small red and golden-armoured warrior appeared defensively before him.

[M-Warrior #2 - ATK 500 / DEF 1000]

Alexander didn't bother setting it face down.

Against an opponent like Summoned Skull, bluffing a weak vanilla monster with low defence values felt pointless.

"I end my turn."

Summoned Skull drew immediately before announcing, "I summon Archfiend Soldier in attack position."

A card flew out and materialised into a muscular fiend warrior with purple armour and a green coat, who emerged onto the battlefield.

[Archfiend Soldier - ATK 1900 / DEF 1500]

But before Summoned Skull could do anything else, Alexander exclaimed, "Wait! I activate my other set Trap Card, Trap Hole. When my opponent summons a monster with 1000 or more ATK, I can activate this card and destroy the monster."

At the end of his explanation, the ground beneath the fiend suddenly collapsed, making the monster fall into the hole and shatter into countless fragments of Spirit Energy.

Summoned Skull paused briefly before chuckling, "Hehe... It seems you prepared well, but will it be enough...?"

Then it ended its turn, making Alexander start his turn by drawing once more.

The moment he saw the card, he immediately activated it, "I activate Pot of Greed."

The grinning green jar once again made its appearance, and two more cards joined his hand, but then his expression became slightly awkward, 'Shit... Still nothing useful. The inconsistency of the early card pool is brutal.'

Suppressing a sigh, Alexander simply set one card face-down in the Spell and Trap Cards Zone before ending his turn.

Summoned Skull began its next turn and drew calmly, then one of its set cards activated while announcing, "I activate DNA Surgery and declare the Fiend Type. Now, as long as this card is on the field, all monsters become Fiend-Type." 

A strange pulse spread across the battlefield, and Alexander immediately felt something change before his eyes widened slightly as he had a bad premonition.

Then Summoned Skull flipped its face-down monster and said, "I flip Shadow Tamer."

A young woman with flowing cyan hair, dressed in revealing attire and armed with a whip, emerged from the now face-up card that quickly disappeared, leaving behind only the monster.

[Shadow Tamer - ATK 800 / DEF 700]

At this point, Summoned Skull said, "Since Shadow Tamer was flipped up, I can activate her effect. I can target 1 Fiend-Type monster you control and take control of that target until the End Phase. And since M-Warrior #2 is now a Fiend-Type, I can target it."

Hearing that, Alexander immediately understood the implication and exclaimed, "Shit...!"

The young woman raised her whip and snapped it toward M-Warrior #2, who let out a grunt that seemed a mix between pain and pleasure before it actually blushed and moved beside Shadow Tamer, who smiled seductively.

Seeing that scene, Alexander's expression grew dark while he thought, 'That's what the M stands for! That damned masochist traitor...!'

Before he could react further, Summoned Skull announced, "Now, I tribute your M-Warrior #2 to Tribute Summon..."

The air exploded as dark lightning descended from the sky.

A familiar gigantic demonic figure slowly emerged from the storm with massive wings spread wide.

The Spiritual Energy across the battlefield became unstable instantly.

Alexander felt pressure slam directly into his soul while Summoned Skull said, "... Myself in attack position."

Summoned Skull appeared on the field.

[Summoned Skull - ATK 2500 / DEF 1200]

Alexander instinctively froze for half a second as he realised, "Damn... This is going to hurt, isn't it?"

Compared to the monsters before, Summoned Skull radiated an overwhelming presence of pure domination.

The Duel Spirit pointed forward and declared, "Since your field is empty, I attack directly with all my monsters."

Shadow Tamer moved first as she once again snapped her whip, but this time it was directed at Alexander, who hissed in pain. Before he could recover, Summoned Skull attacked as well.

Dark lightning erupted from its claws before slamming into Alexander's body.

Pain exploded through his entire being, making him scream in pain as his Life Points drastically dipped.

[Alexander Jones — 700 LP]

Alexander was violently thrown backwards across the ruined battlefield.

His body slammed against shattered stone before rolling several meters.

For a moment, he couldn't breathe as it felt like someone had driven molten metal directly through his nervous system.

That wasn't mere physical pain but something deeper, something spiritual.

Alexander coughed violently before forcing himself back upward with trembling arms.

His vision blurred slightly, but despite the agony coursing through his body and soul, a grin slowly appeared on his face.

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