Years ago, a Black Dragon fell into the netherworld. Its Crimson Eye, symbolizing boundless potential, was said to hold unimaginable power—and its arrival sparked turmoil across realms.
In the end, the victor in that cosmic gamble was the Undying King—the Lich King.
No one knows where he came from; only that when he swept through the nether, he wielded that legendary Crimson Dragon's Eye.
And with that, balance shattered.
What was once a quiet underworld became an arena of slaughter.
Some rejoiced and joined his ranks. Others endured torture and dared to resist.
But their bravery barely stirred the Lich King's dominance.
Over countless years, the remaining survivors lost hope. Their one thread of salvation rested in a whispered legend:
> "One day, the Crimson Eye will reappear. It will restore the balance of light and dark, awaken a slumbering king, and usher peace back into the underworld."
...…
"GROWL!!"
Staring down the rampaging creature before him, You Ming drew a deep breath.
> "Jera, Dark Swordsman—attack directly!"
ROAR ROAR ROAR
The savage demon and the warrior of the Underworld lunged forward—one exhaling corrosive smoke, the other swinging twin swords with lethal speed.
[Creature 1 LP: 1800 → 0]
[Creature 2 LP: 2800 → 0]
[Congratulations: Host defeated the Duelists 'Slaughter Golem' and 'Demon Soldier.' Earned 30 points; first win of the day grants bonus 150 points.]
In a blink, the blocking demons collapsed without a scream, stripped of all form. Their bones crumbled into pale smoke, and two cards drifted to the ground:
"Slaughter Golem"
"Demon Soldier"
You Ming picked them up, expression shifting ever so slightly.
> "So it still feels strange after all… is this even Yu‑Gi‑Oh! anymore?"
He surveyed the unending pall of death and the everlasting moans in the air—and felt he must've brought the wrong toolbox here.
Maybe he should have wielded a sword and shield instead of a Duel Disk.
He floated through the stacked undead remains, mechanically flipping through his deck's equipment cards, lost in distracted thoughts.
But choices were limited.
> "We've rested twice on the road—it's been nearly two days."
Packing away his Duel Disk and cards, he watched his traveling companion.
> "When do we get to that so‑called rebel stronghold of yours?"
It was You Ming's final decision: he'd accompany Keith to the rebel base. At least it offered some shelter in this hostile place.
But they still trudged through skeletal hills and rivers of gore, fighting off the occasional shambling corpse.
Two days—48 hours—passed in tense silence.
He wasn't overwhelmed by fear; rather, it was growing irritation in his heart.
> "Honestly… I'm sick of this red sludge and scenery."
At last, they arrived.
Keith casually lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke without enthusiasm.
> "One of the entrances is right here."
You Ming looked around—just another mound of gore, rivers of blood or lava, and that familiar stench of decay.
> "Where… exactly is 'here'?"
> "Hold on. I gotta clear something up first."
Keith fiddled with the mechanical wrist‑mount that paired with his pistol to form a Duel Disk. Then he muttered something unexpected:
> "Seto Kaiba…"
> "What?"
> "You've got no connection to Seto Kaiba, right?"
> "Uh?"
> "Whatever. Doesn't matter. I only picked you up to test your dueling skills on the road. I don't care about anything else."
You Ming fell silent. The name felt significant.
A hush fell—broken by a mechanical voice:
> "Duelist ID confirmed: Keith Howard.
You have been offline for 121 hours. Welcome back."
RUMBLE RUMBLE
The corpse‑strewn ground trembled. Cracks appeared in the macabre landscape, neat and mechanical.
A section of earth lifted like an elevator—beneath the rock emerged metallic pillars.
You Ming recognized it immediately:
> "Okay... it's an elevator."
Keith closed his wrist gear and spoke calmly.
You Ming observed the metal panel etched with two letters: K C.
In this world, it could only mean one thing:
"Kaiba Corporation."
He laughed—incredulous.
> "Kaiba Corp—the legendary arms company—has an outpost in this shithole?"
The timeline didn't add up. Sure, Seto Kaiba had obsessions—but game dimensions? Scales stolen? This was too much.
> "Got startled myself, seeing it." Keith returned the grin.
> "Never thought that famous military‑arms corp would set up in a god‑forsaken hole like this."
You Ming finally asked:
> "So what's the reason?"
Keith paused.
> "Since we're here… I won't tell you more. Judge for yourself."
He stepped into the elevator.
> "Seeing is believing."
You Ming raised an eyebrow as he followed. The metal doors slid shut, sealing them away from the gore—bringing a rare sense of relief.
For once, he felt nostalgia for real-world tech.
But… still:
> "As the host, aren't you supposed to be more hospitable?"
Keith shifted, stepping back.
> "Nah—just here to get paid to do a job. Don't fuck up and blame me."
The tone was evasive, but fair: they were strangers who'd only met by chance.
You Ming thought further.
> "Underworld, Kaiba Corp, arms… the only people here would be dead guys tied to Kaiba."
He'd read something like it before:
> "Kaiba Gōzaburō."
He spoke the name—and caught Keith mid‑inhale of his cigarette.
> "Kaiba Gōzaburō—you might know him."
You Ming forced a calm nod.
> "…Yeah."
> "He's one of the rebel leaders. The rest you can figure out."
A battlefield of undead and heavenly politics… this world just keeps getting weirder.
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