Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh!

Past the illusionary mist, the path widened further, but the air was thick and heavy. Dim light barely filtered through cracks, casting patchy shadows.

A chill wind blew, making water droplets and vines on the walls rustle.

Even stranger, as he walked, Kira saw ghostly shadows flicker in the cave.

They looked like white, translucent spirits with blurry outlines, glowing faintly in the dark.

Most just floated nearby, watching silently as Kira passed. They didn't block his way.

Once in a while, one would rush up to him, but Kira didn't react at all. The spirits would suddenly stop, stare for a moment, then drift aside.

As he walked, the spirits behind him vanished into thin air.

Kira wondered: was it this easy for everyone, or just for him?

Or maybe the ghosts recognized something about him and let him through?

Or did his own spooky aura make the ghosts think he was one of them?

Either way, he faced almost no obstacles.

The ghosts eventually disappeared. At the cave's deepest, darkest point, it was silent as the end of time.

But there, in the deepest dark, a light appeared.

Like a spotlight on a stage, it shone on the heart of the sealed area: an ancient altar.

The altar was built from huge stones, covered in intricate totems and symbols, exuding an ancient, mysterious vibe. And at its center was a golden, inverted-triangle pendant, shining in the light. The Eye of Horus emblem looked alive as if watching all who approached.

Whoa—is this the Millennium Puzzle?

Kira went closer and, on closer inspection, realized it wasn't.

First, as a beginner dark duelist, he could sense powerful Shadow Charm—but this Millennium Puzzle lookalike didn't have that world-ending aura.

Second, it was too small.

It looked just like it, but smaller—a finely-made, miniature replica.

Kira stepped onto the altar and gently touched the Eye of Wdjat on the little puzzle.

In that instant, the eye flared with golden light.

It almost swallowed him whole, the light flooding everywhere. Images appeared, dragging his mind into them, like watching a movie firsthand.

He saw an apocalypse.

The sky shrouded in thick clouds, sunlight blocked, only a dim gray glow shining through. Winds howled through ruins, dust swirling. Lightning split the sky, lava shot up, tsunamis crashed onto land—the world was on the brink.

With a roar of thunder, the sky split apart. A huge shadow appeared among the clouds, slowly coming into focus.

It was a gigantic serpent god.

Its body coiled like a mountain, scales gleaming like metal, eyes glowing red. It descended from the sky, its twisting body shaking the earth.

Is this… the future?

Is it showing the coming apocalypse when the Orichalcos serpent god arrives?

But Kira soon realized—it wasn't the future, but the past.

This had already happened.

Because next, in the direction of the serpent's roar, a temple appeared. At its far end sat a king on a throne—his face vague, but his presence overwhelming. He slowly raised his hand.

His fingers spread, making a gesture.

As if saying, "Sit."

Instantly, the king's pendant exploded with golden light. The serpent god roared in defiance, but its body twisted, as if sucked into a washing machine.

After a long, unwilling scream, the sky-darkening serpent shrank to a speck, disappearing into a cup-like vessel.

The sky turned blue again, the earth calmed, and the sea stilled. Everything returned to normal.

Kira began to understand.

Eight years ago, the Orichalcos god was sealed by the Pharaoh. But at that time, Atem already knew its true nature, and that the serpent god would return.

Even if the old serpent god couldn't break free, as long as darkness existed in people's hearts, it could always be reborn in new forms. And if someone like Dartz, with ambition and power, manipulated things, the process would accelerate.

Atem, having returned to the afterlife, couldn't come back to stop it.

So he left a backup plan.

He used the key to the Millennium Puzzle—to seal the evil god.

He believed that even if he was gone, there would always be new duelists willing to stand up. With this mini Millennium Puzzle, they could borrow the Millennium Puzzle's power, and fight the serpent god.

At the end of the vision, the apocalyptic scene and the serpent god vanished. In the darkness, golden flames burned, and in the fire, a blurry figure appeared.

From memory, Kira recognized him—probably Atem, the Pharaoh who was gone.

He seemed to smile at Kira and nodded.

But soon, his form faded with the flame.

Kira: "…"

The Pharaoh's look said, "I leave everything to you, kid." It looked cool, but Kira could only think, "No, Pharaoh. Even if you give me a relic, I don't know if I can handle that serpent. Wouldn't it be better if you came back yourself?"

Just as he thought that, the ground shook, and the whole valley seemed ready to collapse.

He felt a pressure so strong it was hard to breathe as if a god-like force had descended on this dimension.

Something was coming.

Silent Magician and BLS both emerged, looking tense.

"What's happening?" Kira asked.

"The Sealing Device was activated—it's been sensed," BLS replied gravely. "IT is coming to this dimension, as we speak."

"IT?" Kira frowned.

BLS nodded seriously.

"…The enemy's source."

PS: Bonus Chapter at 100 PS