12 The Shadow Games Begin

'We are here, my Lord.' Yami put Joachim down on the rooftops atop a group of three Academia soldiers who were taking a small break after their continuous patrols around the area. It has only been a few minutes since he separated from Ren, but with the Spirit's speed, he was already a good distance away.

'I told you not to call—You know what. Forget it, just do what you want.' He was not in the mind to complain about it anymore.

'Are you sure you want to do this? Do not take it as a mere game to play around. Not even I will be able to spare you of the consequences of losing.' The God Card's stern warning came swiftly, making the transmigrator pause for a bit, albeit not for the reason the monster was expecting.

'There you go again asking those questions. Are you that worried about me? Weren't you the one excited to show others your might? I admit that at first, some part of me still didn't take the dangers of this world as real, but I assure you that isn't the case anymore. I am well aware of the consequences.' Somehow, he managed to say that with a tone that was both serious and joking at the same time.

'Do not flatter yourself. You know perfectly the meaning behind my words. Retribution is a real thing. Intentions matter, human. The same action guided by different intentions leads to a totally different outcome when it comes to Judgement.' Unlike Joachim, Ra didn't seem to be in the mood to mess around now... or ever.

'Ah. "Do not do it for revenge, otherwise your soul will be beyond salvation." is it...?' Joachim sighed internally before speaking once again, his voice filled with reminiscence but with a defeated edge. 'Did you know? I am a coward. I don't want to die, but that's a thing born of self-preservation every animal has. However, it is incomplete. Why? Because I don't consider myself human. If you were to tell me that I will, a hundred percent, die tomorrow; I am just going to say "Oh, okay. That's fine." Do you get it now? I don't care if I live or die as long as what was asked of me is fulfilled.'

'...' Ra did not respond to his rant. No, he was more focused on listening attentively. In his personal space, his face, which was difficult to get a read on since he did not possess a humanoid face, was even more unreadable now.

'You once told me that if I were a Monster Card, I would be a Machine type. You were not wrong, but not entirely right either. I am a puppet and always will be. All my life I have followed what others desired of me. Even now, I am still doing it. You are worried about my soul? My heart? That is unnecessary, companion of mine. Whatever happens to that hollow husk... is something that doesn't concern me.' He moved his hands around with theatric gestures, uncaring if the people below noticed him or not.

'We... are not dissimilar after all.' Despite hearing him say things that would sound tragic by human standards, Ra never — not even once — sensed the kid having feelings of self-deprecation. No, if he had to say it differently, then he would describe it as possessing those emotions, but only "because that is what a person should feel in these circumstances."

'That is so. As a Mechanical Dragon God, you know me better than anyone else, even if the time we have spent together is meager compared to the years I have been living.' What Joachim was implying was not lost to Ra, but he chose not to comment on it.

'Indeed. Even your emotions are all fake... or that is what you think, at least. If it is the truth... only the future will tell.' He decided to keep that thought to himself and not say it out loud. There was no point in maintaining the conversation going. After all, mere words were not going to change fundamental facts. Only his future experiences would reveal the truth; saying things now would only create rifts over nothing. Despite their constant jabs at each other, they needed to be on good terms to maximize their worth.

'Well, let's put all of this behind us. I am an awkward person in general, but I get more awkward when it comes to heavy topics. We have something more important to do anyway.' After mentally saying so to his partner, he jumped off the rooftops without hesitation.

Naturally, his fall wasn't threatening thanks to Yami's help. However, the sounds of his feet touching the ground still alerted the Academia soldiers who were taking a rest. They immediately got up from their sitting positions to assess the newcomer.

The three of them became alert once they noticed how the stranger was covering his features with a hood and a long cape. The style was similar to those of the Resistance, so they assumed the intruder was part of their forces.

"What do we have here? A lost puppy haha. Far from home, aren't you?" Joachim was greeted with that stereotypical and cliche line, but he paid it no heed. Instead, he placed his Duel Disk on his arm with a swift motion and activated it; signifying he was ready to battle.

They looked at each other with smirks on their face before doing the same as him. "It seems someone is ready to get turned into a card. What? Came to avenge those crybabies that begged for their life?"

More words without any kind of originality were said, yet they still managed to piss him off. 'Ra.'

'I know.' As soon as those words fell, darkness expanded with Joachim as the center, fastly covering the vision of the three soldiers, who could only look in confusion and slight terror at the strange turn of events.

"Wha...? This is...?" There was no way they would be able to comprehend what was happening. No, in the first place, this was something outside of human understanding.

"Hehehe. Is that fear I see in you? Don't worry. Your misery will soon end. Only for another to begin, that is." At this point, Joachim didn't know if his impersonation of Yami Marik was working or not but seeing their trembling bodies was helping his mood. Ra reassured him that another personality wouldn't be born, and that his 'normal' one would be unaffected; that the shift was just the cost of using the power of darkness or whatever. He just hoped it was true because he was not in the mood to deal with evil alter egos.

"Y-You!" One of the three suddenly pointed their finger, but he was interrupted when the Disks made a beeping noise, signifying the start of the Duel whether they liked it or not, making the one who had just spoken click his tongue.

"DUEL!"

"I am quite generous, so I will let you all have your turn first before I get mine. However, no one will be able to attack until everyone has had a turn. I am even willing to let you share a field so you can use your companion's monsters for your little fusions." His 'kindness' weirded them out, but they still were confident in winning this. Besides, with them sharing a field, their victory was a sure thing.

"I will go first! It's time to show you not to mess with Academia! Before turning you into a card we will make sure you tell us how to get out of here!" The only thing they could see from their mysterious ambusher was a condescending smirk since the shadows covered the rest of his features, which only worked to infuriate them more.

"Prepare yourself, runt. I use the Spell Card Polymerization to fuse the three Ancient Gear Hound Dogs (Earth/Machine/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000/Level: 3) in my hand! Mechanical hounds who carry on the ancient spirits, flock together and become one with a new power! Fusion Summon! Appear now! Level 7! Antique Gear Triple Bite Hound Dog (Earth/Machine/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1000/Level: 7)!" Three mechanical dogs appeared before a portal of blue and orange, immediately uniting in the center and giving birth to a new form not so dissimilar to their original one. What came out was a bigger version that possessed two additional heads.

"Since I cannot attack, I will just end my turn." Possibly due to overconfidence, or simply because he didn't feel threatened at all, the soldier didn't do anything else besides summoning his Fusion Monster.

Obelisk Green — LP: 4000 x1.

"Now it's my turn. Draw!" The one in the middle took the stage this time, his smirk only making him look more annoying than he already was. "Will you look at that? I also activate Polymerization to fuse my three Ancient Gear Hound Dogs together! Appear now, Ancient Gear Triple Bite Hound Dog!"

"Wow, I totally did not see that coming. Does that baldie pay you to be that original? Homelessness doesn't seem to be a faraway thing, am I right?." Joachim mockingly clapped, which only worked to infuriate them further.

"Let's see if you laugh after this." The Academia soldier grinned with malice before revealing one of the last two cards remaining in his hand. "From my hand, I activate Ancient Gear Scrap Fusion! This allows me to summon any Ancient Gear Monster from my Extra Deck by using monsters in my Graveyard as the materials. However, its effects will be negated. I will be using the three Ancient Gear Hound Dogs I just sent to summon another Ancient Gear Triple Bite Hound Dog!" The third Cerberus-like monster appeared on the field right next to the one that had just been summoned. It was clear that Joachim would be in trouble if he failed to defend against their assault.

"Ha. Ha. Ha."

"You don't have to laugh! It was rhetorical!" Obelisk Red couldn't help but do a tsukkomi. He was already getting fed up with the mysterious assailant. It didn't help that the darkness all around them gave a really bad vibe. Whatever tricks he was using, they were really useful to unsettle them. "With this, I end my turn."

Obelisk Red — LP: 4000 x1.

"My turn, draw!" Finally, it was time for the last soldier, the one possessing the yellow crystal-like thing on his forehead mask. "I Normal Summon Ancient Gear Hound Dog." The play caused Joachim to narrow his eyes slightly.

'What is he planning? I know some duelists liked to waste their only summon when they didn't have to since they could fusion from their hand, but something tells me this is not the case.' Whatever his motive was, he would find out soon.

"You will regret messing with us. I activate Hound Dog's effect! If I control another Ancient Gear Monster, I can Fusion Summon using it as a material. Since you so kindly made it so that our field is shared, I can use the Ancient Gear Triple Bite Hound Dog from my companion that has its effects negated." Another double-colored portal appeared in the sky. Both the one-headed and three-headed mechanical dogs jumped into it without hesitation, and Joachim was soon met with the results of his 'generosity'.

"Crush our opponents with your mechanical fangs. Show them the might of your ultimate form! Appear now, Level 9! Ancient Gear Ultimate Hound Dog (Earth/Machine/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 2800/DEF: 2000/Level: 9)!" The new creature definitely gave another meaning to the words "Final Form".

The dull green paint was changed to a bordeaux one. The neck, which was barely visible before, now was elongated, giving the feeling of being snakes instead of dogs. A similar thing happened with its tails, not to mention that the size difference was already a noticeable trait. He had expected it to grow a fourth head, but ironically it was not the case.

"You wanted something different? Here's something you will like. I activate Ultimate Hound Dog's effect! When this card is summoned, my opponent's Life Points are halved!" Joachim cursed inwardly at that. He braced himself as the three-headed dog released flames from its mouths that headed directly at him.

He was prepared for it, but when it really came down to it, he could finally say that it was the worst pain he had endured in his life. The transmigration didn't know if it was thanks to Ra's help or not, but he managed to hold the scream of pain down. It felt as if he wasn't even allowed to complain. 'Ugh... This is no joke. I feel as if my skin is melting...!'

It was painful, unbearably so. However, he had to withstand it. It was the first, but it wouldn't be the last time he went through something like this. He couldn't care less about his soul, but he needed to be alive to do what he was tasked with. 'Hah... I guess it's time to stop bitching.'

The flames, thankfully, didn't last long, yet they still did their intended job.

Unknown — LP: 2000 x5

From his feet all the way to his torso, ashy smoke began to erase his figure little by little. Fortunately, it was more of a 'visual' show than anything. He didn't have to go through the excruciating pain of literally losing his limbs.

Different from him, though, the Academia soldiers were literally staring with wide-open eyes and mouths at the transcurring events. If they were more weak-hearted, they would have already fainted on the spot.

"What... What in the world..." Obelisk Green for a moment thought that what he had eaten this morning was food gone bad, but when he looked at his two companions and noticed the same expression on their faces, he knew what he was seeing was something real. Their opponent's next words did nothing but confirm that as a fact.

"Ehehe. I forgot to mention it, didn't I? If you lose this Duel, forget about getting turned into a Card. You. Will. Die." Although he was saying it as if it were a joke, the three immediately understood. He was not bluffing.

"Ghh...! I set two cards and end my turn..." At this point, nothing that he could say was going to work, so he decided to just pass the baton to his foe. In any case, they were already ahead in terms of life points. Turning things around would be extremely hard.

Obelisk Yellow — LP: 4000 x3.

"I believe that now is my turn. Draw!" Looking at his cards, he could say with confidence that his options were many. Still... 'You really can't let things go, can you?'

Joachim inwardly sighed. These are the things he will have to go through on a daily basis. It was better to get used to it. "I activate the Spell Card Supremacy Berry. When I have fewer Life Points than my opponent, I gain 2000."

Unknown — LP: 4000.

After he regained Life Points, his missing body parts returned as if he had never lost them before. It was better that way. He was still not used to seeing half his body gone just like that.

In truth, his Ra deck was filled with disgusting life-gaining effects to make use of his Immortal Phoenix version. Since he was going with 4000 Life Points instead of 8000, he had to get his hands dirty and make use of cards that would bring despair to his opponents. Things would be easier for everyone if he had all effects in one card...

"Next... hehe..." A creepy laugh escaped his lips, enough to make him sigh in his mind. It felt surreal; for your brain to command one thing and your mouth to do another. The only positive outcome that could be taken from this was the look of nervousness his opponents had.

"Your monsters shall become sacrifices for God's advent!" Joachim revealed a Card to them, but the brilliance it was releasing didn't allow them to see the details, and when they tried to look at their Duel Disks, they only got 'Unknown - Error' numerous times. It was as if they were malfunctioning.

However, they didn't have to wait for their devices to "work again" as the Monster—no. The God in question made its appearance above them.

They couldn't describe it in any other way than a giant golden sphere. Yet, such a 'simple' thing was giving an aura of terror in their hearts, which thumped so loudly they could hear it even if they didn't focus on doing so.

Suddenly, the golden sphere started to irradiate even more light. Lightning-like sun rays impacted every Monster on the field, but instead of disappearing in a flash, they remained and were seemingly sucking the lifeforce of the hounds. Even if they were machines, they still had value as a sacrifice.

"That thing is... feeding on our Monsters?" Obelisk Green asked astonished, yet neither of the other two answered him, despite the same question being on their mind as well, with possibly the same answer too.

Eventually, the hounds lost their luster; their parts broke apart, and their mechanical bodies succumbed to their fate. The process was complete, which meant Joachim could finally proceed. 'Don't worry, I won't let you stay on their disgusting hands any longer.'

"I activate Owner's Seal! Now, all Monsters return to their original owners, which means my Card will return to me. He is thankful for your noble sacrifice, though." As if guided by an invisible hand, the giant sphere slowly but surely moved to stand on Joachim's side of the field.

"Tch. Don't underestimate us! Continuous Trap, open! Ancient Gear Reborn! Once per turn, while I control no Monsters, I can target an "Ancient Gear" Monster in my Graveyard that was sent there this turn, and Special Summon it! Furthermore, his original attack is increased by 200 points! Revive, Ancient Gear Ultimate Hound Dog!" Obelisk Yellow quickly activated one of his set cards once he noticed they might be in trouble. A single monster was able to make three turns useless with just a summon... it was inconceivable.

It was fortunate that he had made countermeasures just in case. It really came in handy now that his Monster was back on the field. At least he would be able to protect himself.

Ancient Gear Ultimate Hound Dog ATK: 2800 —> 3000.

The robbed figure shook. What at first was a chuckle soon became a laugh that wouldn't be strange coming from a deranged person. It was unnerving, they all thought that.

"Ah... how cute." Joachim wiped a figurative tear from his eyes. For once, his brain and mouth were on the same wavelength. "Now... let me show the true face of God."

Before their eyes, what was a simple sphere began to open in front of their eyes. That's when they realized it. It was never a sphere... it was an egg.

Since it was mechanical in nature, it obviously did not function like a normal one would, so it had its differences, but there was no mistaking it. After all, how else would they be able to describe the creature that was just 'born' from it?

They took an instinctive step back, even if their bodies demanded them to kneel.

'We are dead.'

'We can do nothing against that.'

'This is our end.'

'We cannot win.'

Multiple thoughts ran through their minds at the same time—thoughts that they couldn't vocalize; not when they were in the presence of a being that inspired such terror in their souls that seemed to have taken their capability to speak.

"Arise and burn my enemies to ashes, Winged Divine Dragon of Ra (Divine/Divine-Beast/Effect/ATK: 4000/DEF: 4000/Level: 10)!" The God carrying the Sun on its back roared, announcing its return. The sound penetrated the darkness and carried its weight to places unknown.

"Fo-four thousand...?" They didn't know who muttered it, but it clearly reflected the shock going through their minds.

Joachim naturally had used his Sphere Mode to call him, but he didn't voice it to give a more dramatic effect. After all, there were no rules here stating that you had to name your every play down to the smallest detail.

'How are you feeling? Any discomforts after so long?' He had to admit he was also a bit excited about Ra's revival. The guy had talked so much about it that his enthusiasm had rubbed off on him a little.

'None in particular. Though I wish I could fight someone stronger. Regardless, one always has to start by placing the first pebble before building something. So, in that sense, I have no complaints.' In fact, he was a bit glad he was summoned against the weirdly-dressed humans. If he had been called against that new friend of his companion, then said person would have asked him to hold back as he did with the dragon, something that he would not have appreciated. Now, though, he could strike without hesitation.

'Glad you think like that, since I am not confident in facing stronger guys yet. Hell, I don't think I can take multiple groups of these guys at the same time. Anyway, let's finish this.'

'Agreed.'

"Since you guys are too afraid to move, I will just continue where I left off. I activate the Quick-Play Spell Blaze Cannon. With this, Ra will be unaffected by my opponent's Card Effects until the rest of the turn~" His singsong voice sent more shivers down their spine than the ones they were already having. He could have mentioned the other effects of the Spell, but why bother?

"Ah. But I am not done yet. You had a pack of angry three-headed mutts. However, I have someone that is a tiny bit more dangerous than that, and he wants to have a go at you since he is in a bad mood. That's why..." He slowly, painfully so, took out a Card from the four remaining and showed it to the three soldiers. "I activate Rank-Up-Magic - The Seventh One."

"From my Extra Deck, I Special Summon a 'Numbers' between 101 and 107 with its effects negated, and then I use it as a Rank-Up material for a Chaos Xyz Monster that is one Rank higher!" Naturally, the one he chose was the one that had unfinished business after the stunt he pulled off during his Duel with Ren.

"Manifest yourself, Chaos Numbers 107! Now, surge through time and become the power that exceeds even light! Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon!"

Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon ATK: 4500/DEF: 3000.

Tachyon Dragon appeared on the field, but he didn't stay for long. His body shined with a yellow color similar to Ra's as he grew in size, gaining two additional heads and tails. When the brightness stopped, another being that could be classified as his opponents' doom emerged before their eyes.

'Now that I think about it, these two complement each other really well, though that has more to do with their color scheme than anything, so I better not let Ra hear that.' Such idle thoughts went through his mind before he refocused on his opponents.

"Where were we? Oh, right. Winged Divine Dragon of Ra's effect: By paying 1000 Life Points, I can target and destroy a Monster on the field. Bye-bye, mutt." Flames enveloped Ra's whole body before he fired them from his mouth at Ultimate Hound Dog with fury. The poor creature couldn't even adopt a defensive position before he was incinerated. Of course, since Joachim lost Life Points, the shadows did their thing with his left leg.

"H-Hah. Still, no matter what you do, you only have two Monsters with you and there are three of us. In the next turn, you will be the one to be in our situation!" Obelisk yellow remarked, managing to impress him a bit with his fake bravery despite the odds now being against them.

"Hoh? Shall we put that to the test, then? I equip my cute little dragon with the Equip Spell Tachyon Downfall Cannon. Thanks to it, he loses 500 attack points." A strange metallic, pincer-like structure materialized around the Numbers Monster with double the size of the creature in question. It looked menacing if anything.

Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon ATK: 4500 —> 4000.

"Why would you—"

"Now, now. Don't be impatient. You, the one on the left." Joachim pointed to the Obelisk with the green gem on his mask, which had gone first on the Duel. "Since you are the one who said the least bullshit, you can go without suffering." His voice, who happened to be quite friendly up until that point suddenly became cold. "Tachyon Dragon, do it."

The three-headed monster gladly acted upon his order. Both ends of the cannon charged and formed a line of yellow energy between themselves. The monster himself also joined in the action by gathering power in his three mouths. Eventually, both the power of the creature and the tool joined in the middle, which resulted in a beam that headed straight for the fearful soldier who could do nothing but see how his life, literally, ended without being able to offer any resistance.

Obelisk Green — LP: 0.

"Wha-?! Where is him...?" Obelisk Red forced the words to come out of his mouth since he didn't see his companion anywhere no matter where he looked, and as a prize, Joachim answered him.

"Didn't I tell you? If you lose, you die. Now, you asked me why I would lower my Dragon's attack by 500 points? Elementary, my not-at-all dear scum. With just that, Neo Tachyon can attack again by halving his attack and as long as he has 500 or more attack."

Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon ATK: 4000 —> 2000.

"Little Red Riding Hood, your turn now."

"Wait—!"

"Consider this an apology for the last duel and have fun. Attack him, Ultimate Tachyon Spyral!" He ignored Red's pleas without hesitation and commanded his monster to continue his assault.

Once again, Tachyon Dragon gladly obeyed, shooting another beam, but this time at another target.

"Ahhhhhh!!!" Different from his companion, he didn't receive 'swift release'. Instead, he was left alive to feel in the flesh the heightened pain that the Shadow Games brought. Not only that, aside from the physical injuries, he also had to deal with the psychological ones after seeing the shadows claim half of his body.

Obelisk Red — LP: 2000.

"Again."

Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon ATK: 2000 —> 1000.

Obelisk Red — LP: 1000.

The cries continued

"Again."

Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon ATK: 1000—> 500.

Obelisk Red — LP: 500.

The screams intensified.

"Again."

Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon ATK: 500—> 250.

Obelisk Red — LP: 250.

The yells became hoarse shouts.

What had been a complete body before now was only a single eye and some parts of his arms, enough to let him continue dueling.

"Oh... I think I did the math wrong. Now I can't finish you off." The robbed figure sounded trouble, but to Red, who had gone through hell, those words couldn't sound any sweeter. However, all his hopes were crushed as soon as they rose.

"Good thing I have this Card, Tachyon Refresh. I can banish a monster on my field and instantly return it back." Joachim slotted the Quick-Play Spell in a heartbeat, making Neo Galaxy-Eyes disappear into particles together with the cannon. Although different from the Equip Card, C107 returned immediately, and since he was no longer equipped with Tachyon Downfall Cannon...

Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon ATK: 4500.

"Send my regards to green." The only thing Red was able to do was shed a single tear as the attack engulfed him, leaving nothing behind.

Obelisk Red — LP: 0.

"As for you..." Joachim directed his gaze to yellow; his attitude now serious in a rare moment of synchrony with his Marik persona. The person in question took several steps back. "If you think you are not going to suffer just because it will be a single attack, then think again. Ra's flames are on another level. The pain you will go through is nothing in comparison to what Tachyon Dragon caused."

"P-please sp—"

"Spare you? Come on, who is the crybaby that is begging for their life now? I only have one thing to say to you: Enjoy your suffering in the afterlife." Ra took those words as his cue to attack. In an instant, God became a Phoenix, and he who committed evil deeds was soon incinerated and returned to the earth, while his soul began his eternal torment.

Obelisk Yellow — LP: 0.

Unknown Wins!

The shadows retracted since their time of action was already over. However, darkness still surrounded him, this time its origin coming from the skies themselves.

'...How are you feeling?' Ra asked while Joachim took off his hood to breathe some fresh air.

"Honestly? Empty. It will go away soon, like it always does, though. For now, let's just return back. I want to take advantage of the time we have now to rest since I doubt I will be having much of that in the following days." At the pace things were going, he would end up dying faster from overthinking and overworking than from actually losing a Duel.