On the altar stood a priest in gray black robes, white bones visible beneath his hood. A device similar to a Duel Disk formed on his arm from swirling black mist.
Opposite him knelt a blond warrior in armor, wearing a similar device. He clutched his chest and coughed up blood.
"With this, it ends! The soul that loses in the ritual of battle shall become food for the god!"
The robed skeleton shouted.
A phantom separated from his body, forming a towering mass of bones. Dark magic surged forward like a vortex of the undead and swallowed the warrior.
The warrior screamed and fell backward. Green light burst from the altar, and his soul was pulled from his body, spiraling upward into the sky.
Only then did Yugen recognize the priest. It was the Bone King.
Bone King was a one star Zombie-Type monster belonging to a Skull Servant Deck.
Even a sacrifice ritual had to be done through a card game. That was very Yu-Gi-Oh!.
The method seemed risky. If the priest lost the Duel, would he be sacrificed instead?
"Another soul offered to the great god."
The mark of Orichalcos appeared on Bone King's forehead, and green light flickered in his hollow eyes.
"Take him away. Next!"
Another chained warrior was pushed onto the altar. Before each duel, the skeleton soldiers removed the prisoner's shackles. Once freed, golden light gathered on the arm and formed a device like a Duel Disk.
"Be grateful. The god only enjoys the souls of warriors who fall in battle. You are granted the chance to fight for your lives."
Bone King raised his Duel Disk and spoke coldly.
"Of course, the ending is already decided."
"Don't be so arrogant," the warrior growled, activating his Duel Disk.
After watching another duel, Yugen was certain. Bone King was indeed using his Skull Servant Deck.
His opponents were weak. The Deck itself was not powerful, and there was no strong sense of destiny power. They were probably around the level of average outside Duelist, even worse than students of Duel Academy.
If all opponents were like this, Bone King was unlikely to lose.
After only a short time, the second warrior fell as well. His soul rose into the air in a column of green light.
"Next!" Bone King called.
The two skeletons escorting Yugen turned to bring him forward, only to freeze. The sacrifice was gone.
They looked up and saw that after the previous offering, he had already climbed onto the altar on his own.
The skeletons were stunned. The other followers stared at the tall and short pair as if asking where they found such an enthusiastic sacrifice.
The taller skeleton opened his mouth before whispering to his companion, "He really is a believer of the true god."
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To devote himself so willingly for the ritual made the taller skeleton feel ashamed of his own faith. The figure of Yugen on the altar seemed taller in his eyes.
Even Bone King paused at the sight. Yugen activated his Duel Disk and waited. After a moment, seeing no reaction, he grew impatient.
"Hey, are we doing this or not? If not, I'm leaving."
Bone King fell silent.
Bone King thought that ever since it pledged itself to the great Dark God and was given this duty, it had overseen countless ritual sacrifices. Still, someone this eager to climb onto the altar was rare.
But now that the challenger stood on the altar, it had no choice but to continue the ritual. It only needed to end this quickly.
"Duel!" x2
Yugen, Life Points 4000 Bone King, Life Points 4000
"I'll go first. Card Draw." Bone King spoke in a flat tone.
"I set one monster, then set two cards. End of turn."
The skeleton soldiers let out a string of strange noises, as if they were part of the ceremony.
"Then My Turn!, Card Draw."
Before stepping up, Yugen had observed the previous two Duels. With the help of the Spirit, he understood that the altar beneath them carried a green six pointed star mark, giving off a fluctuation similar to The Seal of Orichalcos.
However, it did not boost ATK or merge monster and spell zones like a true barrier. It was simply a Duel field, but it carried an effect like The Seal of Orichalcos. The loser's soul would be taken.
"I Summon Breaker the Magical Warrior!"
Breaker the Magical Warrior, ATK 1600
"When Breaker is Summoned, place one Spell Counter on it to gain 300 ATK. By removing that counter, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field." (ANIME EFFECT)
Yugen pointed directly at the back row.
"Destroy the left set card."
Breaker's blade slashed down, sending a crescent wave forward. But the set card reacted at once.
"Useless. I chain the card you selected," Bone King's skeletal jaw moved. "Trap Card - Needlebug Nest! Send the top five cards of my Deck to the Graveyard."
Five cards flew from the top of its Deck, carried by black mist into the Graveyard. Breaker's attack struck nothing.
"Then Breaker attacks the set monster."
The sword cut cleanly through the card. A brittle skeleton appeared and was split apart.
Wightmare, DEF 200
"I set one card. End turn."
"Heh, a harmless attack. But you have already taken another step toward the abyss."
"My Turn!, Card Draw! I activate Pot of Greed and draw two cards."
Bone King drew again with its dry fingers.
"Continuous Spell Call of the Mummy. Once per turn, if I control no monsters, I can Special Summon a Zombie-Type monster from my hand. I Special Summon Prince of the Wights!"
Prince of the Wights, ATK 0
"At this moment, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Inferno Reckless Summon. When I Special Summon a monster with 1500 or less ATK while you control a face up monster, I can Special Summon as many copies of that monster as possible from my Deck. In exchange, you may choose a monster you control and Special Summon all copies of it from your Deck." (ANIME EFFECT)
Two more small skeletons appeared on Bone King's field.
"I Special Summon two more Prince of the Wights!"
Prince of the Wights, ATK 0 x2
"Then I Special Summon two more Breaker the Magical Warrior."
Breaker the Magical Warrior, ATK 1600 x2
"It does not matter. They will all be dragged into hell at once." Bone King activated its set card. "Trap Card - Torrential Tribute! When a monster is Summoned, destroy all monsters on the field!"
A violent blue surge swept across the field. The three small skeletons and all three Breakers were shattered in the flood.
"At this moment, Prince of the Wights's effect activates. When it is sent from the field to the Graveyard, send one Skull Servant and one Lady in Wight from my hand or Deck to the Graveyard. Since three Prince of the Wights were destroyed, I send three Skull Servants and three Lady in Wight. Six cards total!" (ANIME EFFECT)
Six more cards flew into the Graveyard. In moments, it was filled with bones.
Genshin Yu understood what would come next. The preparations were complete.
"Now it ends. From the abyss of hell, from the sea of sleeping bones, the king rises. I call forth my own descent. Bone King, Summon!"
A dark phantom separated from it and formed on the field. Bone towers rose around the altar as the Bone King stood tall.
Bone King, ATK ?
"Bone King gains ATK equal to the number of Skull Servants in my Graveyard times 1000! I have twelve treated as Skull Servant. Three Prince of the Wights, three Skull Servant, three Lady in Wight, the Wightmare you destroyed, another Wightmare sent by Needlebug Nest, and Skull Princess!" (ANIME EFFECT)
Bone King, ATK 12000
Bone towers surrounded the king. The skeleton soldiers cheered at the sight of 12000 ATK.
"Witness absolute power. I attack you directly!"
"Open my set card," Yugen said calmly. "Quick-Play Spell - Rebellion Play. During the Battle Phase, gain control of one of your opponent's monsters." (ANIME EFFECT)
"Nani?!?!"
The phantom of Bone King froze, then flew over to Yugen's side. It glared back at its original body, as if questioning why it had to obey.
The skeleton soldiers fell silent.
Bone King clenched its teeth. "The effect only lasts until the end of the Battle Phase. End turn. Return!"
