Let's play cards! In a fantasy world of swords and magic

The golden accessory hanging from the mysterious black-robed man's chest was identical to Aisha's Millennium Puzzle.

The man's chest bore a golden ring with an eye in the center.

"The Millennium Ring? I remember that's not exactly a good thing."

Based on You Ling's vague memories of the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, the Millennium Ring, one of the seven Millennium Items, seemed to belong to a certain antagonist.

Just like the scene before him now.

Dressed in a black robe in the back mountain at night, and having defeated a Fusion Academy student in a duel, leaving them unconscious—this man was practically oozing villainous energy.

"Tonight's prey is unusually plentiful. I didn't expect the rich young masters and ladies of the academy to fall for the bait so easily."

Noticing Aisha, the black-robed man revealed only the lower half of his face beneath his hood, his lips curling into a sinister smile.

"Bait?" You Ling, controlling Aisha's body, frowned slightly.

With You Ling's sharp mind, even if he didn't fully understand the current situation, he could piece together most of it.

"So, the rumors about the Three Phantom Lords' cards were fake."

"Hahahahaha!"

The black-robed man burst into laughter.

"Little girl, you look a bit slow, but you're surprisingly clever."

Aisha: "What do you mean, 'look a bit slow'? I object!"

Perhaps because her soul was now safely tucked inside the Millennium Puzzle, Aisha was no longer as afraid of the environment and even mustered the courage to defend her appearance.

"Kahahahaha!"

The black-robed man's laughter grew even more twisted and arrogant.

"You rich young masters and ladies, with all your money and free time, just had to come running to the back mountain after hearing a little fake news about rare cards. Did you really think the Three Phantom Lords' cards would appear in a place like this? Use your brain!"

"Using the term 'cannon fodder' is quite apt," You Ling thought silently.

But what was the purpose of luring Fusion Academy students to such a remote place?

If it was for kidnapping, that didn't seem likely—both victims so far were men, unless the perpetrator had some peculiar tastes.

Robbery, however, was a strong possibility, especially since the man had just mentioned that the academy was full of wealthy young masters and ladies.

"But why insist on dueling?"

This was the part that puzzled You Ling the most.

Especially since the first victim, Ron, had suffered mental instability.

You Ling wondered if Ron had gone through the same experience as Mizuki Mu just now.

"Hehe, without a duel, how could I get my hands on the priceless cards you noble young masters and ladies possess?"

Approaching the unconscious Mizuki Mu, the black-robed man actually managed to extract the deck from his Spirit Eye.

Aisha: "Impossible! If an outsider touches the Spirit Eye, the duelist's deck should vanish into another dimension!"

This was the fundamental reason why card trading was impossible in the Elven Continent.

Unless it was through effects like Card Exchange during a duel, which temporarily transferred control of a card, the Spirit Eye would not allow anyone else to access the deck.

From the moment a card was crafted and bound to a duelist, even if someone like Kaiba scattered them into the air or used them as weapons, the cards would eventually return to their owner.

The only scenarios where 'tradable cards' could exist, as mentioned before, were two:

Either the cardholder had died.

Or, it was the forbidden practice known as the Dark Game.

Aisha: "(╯°Д°)╯ Does that mean Mizuki Mu is dead?"

—Next Episode Preview: The Death of Mizuki Mu

You Ling complained: "No, no, it shouldn't be that extreme. Dying from a card game is way too exaggerated."

Mizuki Mu's scream when he lost was indeed horrifying.

"So it's a Dark Game after all."

Combined with the black-robed man's Millennium Ring, You Ling reached his conclusion.

"You even guessed it was a Dark Game. Little girl, you look a bit slow, but you're surprisingly wise."

The black-robed man 'praised' generously while continuing to rummage through Mizuki Mu's deck, taking the rarest card—the only B-grade spell card, Monster Reborn.

After that, Mizuki Mu's entire deck vanished, preventing the black-robed man from stealing any more cards.

"If you lose in a Dark Game, you must surrender one card from your deck as a price. That's the so-called 'price of stepping into the darkness.'"

The value of a tradable card like Monster Reborn could fetch a luxurious mansion in a small town on the black market.

This was why so many 'rare card hunters' were willing to risk their lives in Dark Games, dancing on the edge of a blade.

Money has always been the most powerful force driving greed deep within human hearts.

"Not bad. The replica of the Millennium Item the cult leader gave me works surprisingly well. A genuine Dark Game, and with the mental strength of a student, it's almost impossible to lose."

After taking Monster Reborn from Mizuki Mu's deck, the black-robed man casually removed his hood, revealing messy black hair.

"Next up… I didn't expect a female student to show up tonight. Now that I look closely, she's quite cute."

His features were squished together in an ugly, lecherous expression that even made You Ling, a straight man, feel physically disgusted.

Aisha: "(°Д°) Is this guy planning to do something unspeakable to Mr. You Ling?!"

Calm down, you idiot! This is your own body!

"Get ready, Aisha."

No matter how curious You Ling was about the sensitivity of a girl's body, he didn't want to experience any 'forbidden fruits' under these circumstances.

"Quite eager, aren't you, little girl? But any resistance is futile. Where darkness reaches, there is no escape. This is the Dark Game!"

In just a few seconds, You Ling felt enveloped by a thick black mist. All he could see was an endless expanse of darkness.

"Now, let the delightful Dark Game begin! Duel——!"

Without giving You Ling a chance to refuse, the glow of the counterfeit Millennium Ring triggered the forced start of the Dark Duel.

Dark Duelist LP: 4000

VS

Aisha LP: 4000

The rules were different from the weekly practical tests at the academy. Instead, it followed the standard duel rules of the continent: 4000 life points and a minimum deck size of 40 cards.

The black-robed man's Spirit Eye lit up first, indicating he would take the first turn.

"I summon in attack position—[Senju of the Thousand Hands]!"

[Senju of the Thousand Hands ★★★★ Light]

[Fairy-Type/Effect ATK: 1400 DEF: 1000]

Materializing in the darkness was a grotesque, ugly monster composed of countless hands—hardly something that could be called an 'angel.' Its appearance alone was enough to make one's sanity plummet.