Bonus Chapter
Reality distorted.
The instant the final words left the young man's mouth, an overwhelming pressure exploded across the campus that wasn't merely an outburst of Spirit Energy, but it was as though reality itself had acknowledged a command.
Victor felt an invisible wave sweep over the isolated courtyard as every lingering sound, like the rustling wind, distant voices, and even the subtle hum of the State University itself, vanished in an instant.
The world blurred and the familiar scenery dissolved like ink submerged beneath water.
Darkness spread outward beneath Victor's feet, swallowing the stone pavement before countless streams of light gold Spirit Energy erupted from the earth itself. They flowed like luminous rivers, twisting and intertwining in intricate patterns around both duelists.
Each current moved with unmistakable purpose, and every strand occupied a precise position, weaving together into an impossibly complex formation that continued expanding until it enclosed the entire area, and a colossal circular barrier rose around them.
The outside world didn't disappear, as it could still be faintly seen from within the barrier, but it felt like they were in a completely separate world.
Victor watched the transformation without taking a single step backwards.
His brown eyes calmly traced the countless currents of Spirit Energy surrounding him, following the elaborate framework hidden beneath their radiant surface before he commented, "That's very remarkable."
At the same time, he analysed, 'Unlike conventional magic, the energy composing the barrier possessed a strangely ordered structure. It isn't chaotic, nor is it entirely arcane. Magic generally relied upon formulas, incantations, or symbols imposed upon natural laws through force of will. This... This feels fundamentally different. The Spirit Energy isn't being commanded, but it is like it is following rules that already existed... How curious.'
Victor's gaze narrowed almost imperceptibly as he commented; his voice barely disturbed the silence, "It resembles... a ritual."
Not a temporary spell or a simple barrier but an entire domain constructed around strict, immutable laws.
As if acknowledging his observation, the Spirit Energy intensified.
The streams converged toward the space between the two duelists before solidifying, making the ground tremble until two stone platforms slowly rose from the darkness, lifting each duelist onto an elevated position opposite the other. Between them, luminous lines spread across the ground, intersecting with geometric precision until they formed a complete Duel Field.
Panels of light ignited one after another, and it was a pattern that Victor quickly recognised
Monster Zones. Spell and Trap Zones. Graveyards. And Deck positions. Every space materialised exactly where it belonged, as though the battlefield had existed long before either participant stepped upon it.
Beside each duelist, translucent numbers condensed from shimmering Spirit Energy.
[Victor — 4000 LP]
[??? — 4000 LP]
Victor studied them for only a heartbeat before understanding dawned.
Life Points. The Duel Field. Cards.
His expression remained composed as he muttered, "So this..."
His eyes slowly swept across the completed arena, "...is the true battlefield connected to Duel Spirits."
Across from him, the possessed youth let out a quiet chuckle and said in a distorted voice, "You understand surprisingly quickly."
"I merely observe."
Victor reached toward his pocket and calmly withdrew his Deck.
The cards felt unchanged in his hand, yet the Spirit Energy flowing through them was unmistakably different now.
Each card pulsed faintly, as though responding to the ritual surrounding them.
"A ritualised conflict governed by predetermined rules," Victor continued evenly. "Every action acknowledged and enforced by the barrier itself."
His gaze drifted toward the intricate lattice of Spirit Energy overhead before he commented, "A fascinating application of Spirit Energy."
The young man's smile widened; the expression became unnaturally broad, almost tearing across his face as he said, "Keep analysing."
His laughter echoed strangely through the empty domain, "You'll have plenty of time while I kill you. Huhuhu!"
Without another word, he drew his opening hand and announced, "My turn."
The Spirit Energy stirred, and one card after another materialised above the Duel Field as he played with practised speed, "First... I activate Pot of Greed."
The familiar emerald pot emerged from swirling Spirit Energy before dissolving into countless particles of light.
Two additional cards instantly appeared in the young man's hand while Victor silently followed every fluctuation of energy, thinking, 'So Spell Cards aren't merely symbolic. The barrier recognises their effects and reshapes reality to accommodate them. The cards act as catalysts, nothing more. The ritual itself performs the true miracle.'
Meanwhile, the young man continued, "Then... I activate Graceful Charity."
Another surge of Spirit Energy swept across the field and three cards manifested before the duelist, floating briefly in the air.
Two dissolved almost immediately into streams of pale light before disappearing into the Graveyard.
Victor noted each movement, 'That's quite efficient. Rapid deck cycling. The entity possessing the youth clearly understands the fundamentals of resource management. His movements are practised but also very mechanical.'
At the same time, the young man continued, "I Normal Summon Mechanicalchaser in ATK Position."
Spirit Energy condensed into a single point before erupting outward.
A lean combat automaton emerged from the light.
Its green-grey armour worn smooth over an agile frame built for pursuit rather than siege. A crimson optical visor glowed beneath an angular helm, sweeping over its surroundings with cold precision. One arm ended in a long, sickle-like mechanical blade capable of carving through steel, while the other retained articulated claws for seizing fleeing prey.
Its reversed-jointed legs carried it with unnerving speed, every movement efficient, silent, and devoid of wasted effort. It looked less like a soldier and more like an executioner designed to hunt until its quarry had nowhere left to run.
[Mechanicalchaser - 1850 ATK / 800 DEF]
The machine lowered its massive weapons with a harsh metallic scrape, standing silently before its master.
Without hesitation, the possessed youth set two more cards as they slid into the back row face-down.
Then he laughed, a cold, grating sound that seemed entirely at odds with the face it came from, "Huhuhu... They'll be enough."
His eyes locked onto Victor and added, "Remember... This isn't a normal Duel, it's an execution."
He spread his arms as though inviting Victor to witness the inevitable as he announced, "My turn ends."
Victor didn't waste time and drew.
The crisp sound of a single card sliding from his Deck echoed throughout the barrier.
He didn't immediately move; instead, his gaze swept across the opposing field, 'Mechanicalchaser. One high-attack Normal Monster. Two unknown Spell or Trap Cards. Six cards remaining in my opponent's hand...'
His thoughts moved with practised efficiency, 'Destroying Mechanicalchaser immediately would clear the field of a known value, but more importantly, my current hand has no monster that can destroy it. On the other hand, the face-down cards represented the true uncertainty. Without reliable Spell or Trap removal, initiating an attack blindly introduced unnecessary variables. Information gathering holds greater value than immediate aggression.'
He selected a single card from his hand and said, "I Set a monster."
A face-down card quietly appeared upon his field.
Then Victor calmly crossed his arms and announced, "I end my turn."
For a moment, neither duelist spoke, then the possessed youth threw back his head and laughed, "Huhuhu! Already hiding?"
His mocking grin widened as he drew another card, "How disappointing."
He placed a monster face-down before immediately extending a finger toward Victor's field and ordered, "Mechanicalchaser, destroy that set card!"
The mechanical warrior's crimson optical visor flared, then with a metallic roar, it launched itself across the Duel Field, its enormous blade cleaving through the air as it descended toward Victor's lone defender.
The facedown card flipped, revealing what first appeared to be a wall of living shadow that emerged before Victor.
Its surface rippled as black silk caught in an unfelt breeze, refusing to settle into any solid shape. From the centre emerged a deathly pale face with enormous amber eyes that never blinked and a grin lined with needle-like fangs.
The creature seemed less like a barrier and more like a patient predator, content to wait for the unwary to approach before revealing that the "wall" was alive. Even standing near it produced the uncanny sensation that space itself had become uncertain, as though one careless step could send an intruder tumbling back the way they had come.
[Wall of Illusion - 1000 ATK / 1850 DEF]
The great sword crashed into the translucent barrier, and the impact sent ripples racing across its surface.
For a single, silent heartbeat, neither monster moved as the attack had failed to overcome its defence. Then the illusion shifted and countless ghostly faces spread across the wall, their twisted smiles stretching unnaturally as pale mist enveloped Mechanicalchaser.
The combat automaton staggered before its massive frame seemed to lose substance before dissolving into particles of light.
Instead of falling into the Graveyard, those particles flowed backwards, reforming as a card that flew directly into its owner's hand.
The possessed youth's smile disappeared as he clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Tch..."
Victor quietly observed the phenomenon before commenting, "So that's how Wall of Illusion's effect is represented in reality... Interesting."
His opponent clicked his tongue once more.
Having lost both his momentum and his strongest attacker, he simply ended his turn.
Victor drew, and the newly drawn card slid smoothly into his hand.
For only a brief instant, his eyes lingered on it before shifting back toward the opposing field, 'Mechanicalchaser had returned to its owner's hand. Two face-down Spell or Trap Cards remain. One newly Set monster. The information available has increased, but the unknowns still outweigh the known. A reckless offensive would accomplish little as the true danger remains hidden.'
His fingers selected another card and announced, "I activate Graceful Charity."
The Spell Card glowed softly as Spirit Energy gathered around it.
Three cards rose from the top of his Deck one after another, floating before him in translucent streams of light before joining his hand.
Victor's eyes calmly swept across the additions while thinking, 'Useful.'
Two others immediately separated from the group.
Without hesitation, he allowed them to dissolve into particles of Spirit Energy that drifted toward the Graveyard, but unlike his opponent's earlier haste, every movement was measured.
As the discarded cards disappeared, the shape of his strategy became considerably clearer.
His gaze returned to the field.
The facedown monster. The two unknown back-row cards. His opponent remained perfectly still, wearing that same unsettling smile. Waiting for him to make his move.
Victor selected a monster from his hand, "I Normal Summon Witch of the Black Forest in ATK Position."
A circle of Spirit Energy blossomed beneath him.
Dark mist gathered before gradually taking the form of a robed woman carrying an ornate staff.
The Witch of the Black Forest slowly opened her three green eyes.
Long purple hair drifted in an invisible wind as she silently took her place upon the field.
[Witch of the Black Forest - 1100 ATK / 1200 DEF]
Victor watched his opponent rather than the monster he had summoned and saw no reaction, not even the slightest tightening around the eyes.
'Good.' His thoughts immediately began organising possibilities, 'Trap Hole. If he activated the Witch, it would be destroyed immediately upon being summoned. That would have been acceptable as her effect would activate regardless, allowing me to replace her with another monster, thus cycling my resources. A favourable exchange. Bottomless Trap Hole is impossible as the Witch's Attack remains well below the threshold required for activation. Those two possibilities are already eliminated.'
Then his attention shifted toward the remaining possibilities, 'Battle traps. Cards like Mirror Force, Negate Attack, Waboku or perhaps something even less conventional. Again the result would be mostly acceptable but not optimal as the Witch possesses value precisely because her destruction is beneficial. So if my opponent wishes to expend a defensive card removing her, I would gladly accept the exchange. But that set monster is an unknown variable that I'm not sure I'm ready to test yet... In this case, this is more than enough... for now.'
Victor calmly extended one hand and announced, "I end my turn."
The possessed youth's grin slowly returned as he said, "My turn."
He drew immediately and without hesitation; another monster card struck the field, "I summon Makyura the Destructor in ATK Position."
Spirit Energy erupted from the ground.
A monstrous armoured warrior clawed its way into existence; its sharp armour, its featureless black helm with a single golden eye covering its whole face and its claw-like swords made it closer to a demonic figure than an actual warrior.
[Makyura the Destructor - 1600 ATK / 1200 DEF]
The demonic warrior let out a guttural roar while its master didn't waste a moment and ordered, "Makyura, destroy the Witch!"
Makyura launched itself across the battlefield while the Witch calmly raised her staff.
Dark magic surged to meet the charging warrior.
The collision lasted only an instant before the armoured figure tore straight through the spell.
A violent burst of Spirit Energy engulfed the Witch before she shattered into shimmering fragments.
Pain followed immediately as it struck Victor like a hammer. Not only against his body, but against something deeper. A sharp, burning sensation exploded through his chest, forcing him to stumble back half a step as his breathing caught.
His heart seemed to skip and his vision blurred for the briefest moment.
[Victor — 3500 LP]
[??? — 4000 LP]
Across the field, laughter echoed once again as the possessed youth gleefully asked, "You felt that, didn't you?"
Victor slowly straightened as his breathing stabilised after only a few seconds before he calmly replied, "Indeed..."
His eyes remained fixed on the Duel Field while thinking, 'Interesting. The damage hasn't merely manifested as physical pain. The sensation had bypassed flesh entirely, and my soul itself had absorbed part of the attack. It seems that the ritual binding the duel connects more than our bodies; it links our spiritual existence... The implications are clear. Life Points aren't symbolic nor are they abstract measurements of advantage. Within this ritual... They represent our very essence. Each loss translates directly into damage suffered by the participants themselves. This Shadow Game proved considerably more dangerous than I had first assumed. Which means that every decision carries far greater weight than in an ordinary duel.'
Witch of the Black Forest had not left the field empty-handed as her Spirit Energy faded; her spectral form briefly reappeared, she turned toward Victor, and a gentle smile crossed her face, then she vanished.
The Duel Field acknowledged her final effect as Victor calmly reached toward his Deck.
Several cards briefly glowed.
He considered each for only an instant before selecting one, and the chosen monster slid smoothly into his hand exactly as intended.
The possessed youth watched without concern; his smile never faltered as he announced, "My turn ends."
Victor nodded almost imperceptibly before drawing once more.
The instant the next card entered his hand, his eyes paused, then a faint smile appeared as he drew exactly what he needed.
Without delay, he revealed another monster and said, "I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp in ATK Position."
Spirit Energy swirled violently.
A towering green genie emerged in a burst of lightning, muscles rippling beneath ornate golden bracelets as it crossed its arms with quiet confidence.
[La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp - 1800 ATK / 1000 DEF]
Before the lingering currents of Spirit Energy had fully dispersed, Victor revealed another card and added, "I also activate Monster Reborn to Special Summon a monster from either Graveyard, and I choose Meteor Dragon in my Graveyard."
The Duel Field answered immediately as the Graveyard glowed.
A column of fire erupted skyward as massive bat-like wings unfolded from within it.
The great turtle-like dragon roared as it descended onto Victor's field once more, its purple scales magna-like marking running all over its body, gleaming beneath the pale light of the Shadow Game.
[Meteor Dragon - 1800 ATK / 2000 DEF]
The battlefield had shifted as Victor now commanded two capable attackers that were more than enough to launch an aggressive offensive, yet he remained motionless while thinking, 'I could still do a few more things, but unknown information still remains. My opponent's face-down cards have yet to fully reveal themselves. Overextending for temporary momentum would accomplish nothing if it exposed my own position to a very likely counterattack. Remember every action should extract more information. Every exchange should improve my understanding of this ritual. Only then should victory be pursued.'
His gaze then settled upon Makyura as he commanded, "La Jinn attack Makyura."
The genie stepped forward.
The massive spirit charged, fist crackling with magical energy, but across the field, the possessed youth's smile widened into something almost predatory as he exclaimed, "There it is."
He raised one of the face-down cards, "I activate my Trap."
The card flipped as he revealed, "Shift. This card allows me to forcibly change your target to another monster I control."
The Duel Field shimmered.
The flow of Spirit Energy twisted unexpectedly, causing Victor's eyes to narrow, but before he could fully analyse the alteration, another card flipped.
Making the possessed youth announce, "It's not over yet! I also chained my other Trap, Call of the Haunted, which allows me to Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard in ATK Position, and I choose Zoa!"
His second Trap burst open in a surge of pale light.
Rusted chains burst from beneath the Duel Field, writhing through the air like living serpents.
They shot toward the possessed youth's Graveyard before dragging out something massive from it.
The ground itself split apart as enormous torrents of Spirit Energy surged upward.
Something far heavier than the monsters summoned so far began climbing out from the darkness.
A hulking, blue-skinned demon hauled itself from the abyss, its clawed hands gouging deep furrows into the fractured stone as it forced its immense frame onto the field. Its muscular body was covered in rugged, scale-like hide, while jagged golden spines jutted from its shoulders, back, and the length of its serpentine tail. Fiery orange crests flared from its head and spine like blazing fins, lending the monster an almost draconic silhouette.
Two massive, gold-tipped horns crowned its angular head as it slowly raised its gaze. Orange eyes burned beneath dark markings, locking onto its opponents with predatory malice before its lips peeled back into a vicious grin, exposing rows of razor-sharp fangs. Massive talons flexed at the ends of its powerful arms, each movement accompanied by the scrape of claw against stone.
It settled into a crouched stance, its long tail coiling behind it as faint crimson light pulsed beneath the armour-like plates of its chest, as though something infernal beat within. The monster let out a guttural roar that shook the Duel Field, announcing the return of Zoa.
[Zoa - 2600 ATK / 1900 DEF]
Only after the fiend had completely materialised did Shift finally resolve, and La Jinn abruptly changed direction.
The genie's attack, once aimed at Makyura, veered sharply toward the newly summoned demon.
Victor understood instantly what was happening, "So the attack has been redirected to Zoa."
There was no irritation in his voice, only calm observation while La Jinn continued its charge.
The outcome, however, had already been decided as Zoa raised its colossal arm with effortless strength and with one swing.
The claws cleanly ripped the charging genie apart, making a violent explosion of Spirit Energy engulf the battlefield.
The explosion of Spirit Energy washed across Victor like the blast from a furnace.
The force drove him backwards, boots scraping across the stone platform as the shockwave rippled through the Duel Field.
Pain followed a heartbeat later as it spread through his body with startling clarity before sinking far deeper, clawing directly at his soul.
Victor dropped to one knee while holding back a pained grunt, "Hrk...!"
His hand briefly touched the cold stone beneath him to steady himself.
[Victor — 2800 LP]
[??? — 4000 LP]
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter