[TL/N: Read my new work - Detective Conan: I'm a Succubus?!]
----
High above, the colossal Winged Dragon of Ra suddenly opened its mouth.
Surging flames gathered at its core, condensing into a blinding sphere of golden energy—
Then, in an instant—
BOOM!
A scorching pillar of divine fire erupted downward, engulfing Shukaku in its searing radiance!
The sheer force of the attack ignited the air itself, swallowing the entire battlefield in an inferno. The heat was suffocating. Even the massive airship trembled under the intensity of Ra's assault.
"Ugh…!"
Mai staggered, clutching her chest as a wave of invisible force struck her. A pained groan escaped her lips.
For the first time in this duel, her Life Points finally took a hit.
[Mai Valentine, LP: 4000 → 3900]
A mere 100 points—hardly significant.
But that wasn't the real problem.
If Shukaku was destroyed—
She would be left with no monsters on the field.
And because of the effect of [Ninjutsu Art: False Sleep Technique], she wouldn't even be able to draw a new card.
She would be utterly defenseless.
Marik knew it, too.
His crazed laughter echoed through the flames.
"Hahahahaha! Once Shukaku falls, you'll have no way to turn this duel around!!!"
The battlefield burned before him, devoured by Ra's golden flames.
But then—
"Losing Shukaku would certainly be troublesome."
A calm, mature voice rang out from beyond the blaze.
The fire began to subside.
On Mai's side of the field, the once-glistening sand had been crystallized by the intense heat, forming a vast glass-like surface.
Then—
A voice, filled with rage, erupted from the smoldering sands.
"Damn it! That hurt!!!"
Marik's grin froze.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"No… Impossible!!!"
But before he could even process the situation—
CRACK.
The crystallized ground shattered into fine, shimmering dust. The golden sands churned, swirling back into motion, as they gathered—
And then, rising from the shifting dunes—
A newly formed Shukaku emerged, fully restored.
The tailed beast let out a deep, guttural growl, its massive body towering over the battlefield once more.
Mai smirked.
"Did you really think a measly 5100 attack points could take down my Shukaku?"
She flicked her wrist, her movements fluid and confident.
"Activate Shukaku's effect!"
"When Special Summoned by [Ninjutsu Art: False Sleep Technique], this card cannot be destroyed by battle—
—unless my opponent directly attacks me!"
She raised an arm, pointing at her massive beast.
"Now… keep fighting, Shukaku!!!"
"RAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
A piercing, childlike wail echoed through the air.
Shukaku clutched its body where Ra's flames had seared into it. Even though it had regenerated, the pain remained.
Then—
The ground erupted.
A colossal sandstorm surged upward, swallowing the battlefield in a sea of golden dunes.
"It hurts! It hurts!!!"
"IT HURTS—!!!"
As a sealed tailed beast, it could never leave the battlefield as long as it's Jinchūriki remained in 'slumber'.
But—
Every attack, every wound inflicted upon it, was etched into its very being.
And despite all the layers of power-reducing effects weakening Ra—
Its flames still carried the wrath of the Egyptian Sun God.
A divine force that no ordinary being could withstand.
But Shukaku…
Shukaku wasn't ordinary.
"You damn CHICKEN! You've completely pissed me off!!!"
The beast's furious roar shook the battlefield.
Its enormous, glowing pupils widened like searchlights, locking onto Ra with primal fury.
Then—
It lunged.
Shukaku's massive, clawed hand stretched toward Ra, as if ready to tear the divine dragon to shreds.
But—
The rules of this world wouldn't allow it.
No matter how powerful Shukaku became—
Without a special effect, it couldn't attack on the opponent's turn.
Marik trembled.
His fingers, still clutching his cards, shook.
Was it fear?
Or was it despair?
With an unsteady breath, he placed a card onto the field and muttered hoarsely—
"T-turn… over…"
But at this moment, perhaps because he was frightened by Shukaku's posture or because he was completely desperate, Marik directly placed a card on his own field and ended his turn.
The Winged Dragon that was flying in the sky and staring at Shukaku with a vigilant look on its face, turned into a ball of solar flame and returned to the graveyard because the effect of the magic card only lasts for one round.
The effect of [Premature Burial] had ended.
The battlefield fell silent.
Now, only one figure remained—
Marik.
His 100 Life Points flickered like a candle in the wind.
"Are you giving up?"
Mai smirked slightly. Since she had no cards to draw, she proceeded straight to her turn.
"Activate Shukaku's effect! Summon a [Troublesome Shukaku Clone] to my opponent's field!"
A swirl of yellow sand gathered, and in an instant, a small version of Shukaku materialized on Marik's side of the field, occupying another of his precious magic zones.
"Next, I activate the effect of [God Tree Seedling] to change Shukaku's race to a Ninja!"
"And since I now control a Ninja-type monster, I can draw a Ninjutsu card from my deck!"
Click!
Even without a standard draw phase, Mai ensured her resources never ran dry.
Facing Marik—who was clinging to his last 100 Life Points—she showed no intention of letting up.
"I activate the Spell Card—[Ninjutsu: Heart-Turning Technique]!"
"This card's effect: If my opponent has a monster on the field, I can take control of one of them for a turn!"
"And if there are no monsters?
Then I can activate this effect directly against the opponent's player—
allowing me to view their hand and face-down cards!"
"N-Nani!?"
Marik's eyes widened in disbelief.
But before he could even react—
Shukaku's claws twisted into a peculiar hand sign, forming a strange triangular shape. The air around them trembled—
And then—
A surge of soul energy burst from Marik's body!
The raw spiritual force was funneled into him at such an overwhelming pace that his mind nearly overflowed with it!
His pupils dilated, his limbs stiffened, and, against his will—
Marik's hands moved on their own, flipping over his cards for Mai to see.
[Extraction of Magic Stones], [Survival Explosion], [Hell Poet]…
Mai's gaze flickered with amusement.
"Hmm… I see. You planned to use [Extraction of Magic Stones] to recover [Monster Reborn] from the Graveyard, then revive a God Card?"
She chuckled.
"It's a solid strategy."
"Too bad it won't help you now!"
Her voice turned commanding.
"Reveal your face-down card!"
Under the forced influence of Shukaku's ability, Marik obeyed without resistance. His last remaining face-down card flipped open.
It was the Trap Card—[Mirror of Nightmare]!
A devastating effect—
If the opponent declared an attack, Marik could discard a card from his hand, negate the attack, and inflict 1000 damage to his attacker.
Mai frowned slightly.
"Tch. Annoying card."
Not only did it block an attack, but it also punished the opponent with damage.
A troublesome effect, indeed.
But—
It came too late.
Mai tossed her golden hair over her shoulder, her lips curling into a victorious smile.
"Alright, Shukaku. You can come back now."
With her command, the forced spirit of Shukaku withdrew from Marik's body and returned to its original host.
"Y-you… what did you just do!?"
Marik, now fully aware of the violation of his own body and will, let out a horrified scream.
But Mai Valentine merely smiled—calm, unfazed.
Her voice was soft yet firm as she whispered:
"It seems this duel… is over."
She drew another card from her hand.
"Activate the Spell—[Ninjutsu: Shadow Clone Jutsu]!"
"This technique mirrors the effect of [Earth Clone Jutsu], allowing me to create a Shadow Clone of a Ninja-type monster on my field!"
She lifted her arm dramatically.
"Are you ready for judgment, Marik!?"
Her voice rang out like a battle cry.
A sinister grin stretched across Shukaku's face.
His fingers formed another strange hand sign—
And then—
A colossal plume of smoke exploded onto the battlefield!
From within the thick haze, another monstrous civet beast emerged—
Its wicked smile mirroring that of the original.
[Shadow Clone—One Tail Shukaku, ATK: 5000]
Marik's breath hitched.
His eyes widened in pure horror.
"A… A second god!?"
The audience sat in stunned silence, their expressions mirroring Marik's disbelief.
With this shadow clone, the battle's outcome was no longer in question.
Victory was certain.
Mai extended her hand.
"Shadow Clone—attack the opponent directly!"
"Use—Tailed Beast Bomb!!!"
The cloned Shukaku roared as an immense, destructive force gathered in its mouth.
A swirling black orb of raw destruction formed—
And then—
BOOM!
A devastating beam of pure annihilation tore across the battlefield, streaking straight for Marik!
His eyes widened in sheer panic.
"O-OPEN THE FACE-DOWN!!"
In a frantic motion, he slammed his hand onto his last defensive card.
[Mirror of Nightmare] activated!
He discarded a card from his hand—
A shimmering barrier of energy materialized in front of him—
And just in time, it intercepted the Tailed Beast Bomb!
BOOM!
The explosion rebounded, dispersing the attack's immense force—
Yet, despite blocking the blow, the counter-force was so immense that even Mai herself felt the impact ripple through her body.
Her Life Points dropped slightly—
However...
Mai, having endured the searing pain, suddenly lifted her head. Her golden hair whipped behind her as she gave her next command—
"Shukaku, continue the attack!!!"
BOOM!
Another Tailed Beast Bomb, its energy shimmering in a spectrum of colors, blasted forward like a comet streaking through the void.
Marik barely had a chance to react.
The devastating force consumed him—
His body disintegrating bit by bit, turning to ash before everyone's eyes.
In mere fractions of a second—
he was gone.
CLANG.
A chilling metallic sound echoed through the arena.
Marik's Millennium Rod and Duel Disk tumbled to the ground, their impact reverberating in the stunned silence.
Scattered cards littered the dueling platform—
And the glowing words [YOU LOSE] flashed ominously across the duel disk screen.
"D-Dead...!? He's really... dead!?"
The spectators trembled as they gazed at the empty space where Marik once stood.
Even though they understood this was the result of his own actions, the sheer finality of his fate left them horrified.
It was just a card game...
And yet, he had gambled with his very existence.
For Jonouchi and the others, who had always seen dueling as a fun and thrilling game—this moment shattered their perception of reality.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The rhythmic sound of high heels echoed against the duel platform.
Mai, exuding an aura of absolute victory, walked gracefully toward the spot where Marik had vanished.
Without hesitation, she knelt down and swiftly gathered the fallen deck, duel disk, and Millennium Rod.
Then, with all three in her grasp, she turned and descended the platform.
As the duel stage lowered, she made her way to Nami.
Upon reaching her, Mai lowered her head respectfully.
"Captain, I have lived up to your expectations."
With unwavering loyalty, she presented the spoils of victory before her.
Only after battling the God Cards firsthand did she fully comprehend—the true power that Nami had bestowed upon her.
During the duel, she had fought boldly, exuding confidence and control.
But the instant she saw Marik's body crumble into nothingness beneath the might of the Tailed Beast Bomb—
A deep, visceral fear gripped her heart.
For the first time, she questioned whether she was even worthy of wielding the strength that Nami had granted her.
And yet, that fear—
Only deepened her admiration and devotion toward Nami.
Her loyalty burned brighter than ever.
Nami, pleased with her performance, gave a satisfied nod.
"Well done."
She waved a hand, and with a mere gesture, the Millennium Rod floated into her grasp.
She turned it over in her hands, examining it closely.
Before entering the second stage of the tournament, Nami had believed that the God Cards were the greatest treasures in existence.
But the moment she held the Millennium Rod—
She realized—
She had been wrong.
So very wrong!
The ancient relic pulsed with a power far greater than all three God Cards combined.
This...
This was the true prize.
But then—
"Huh?"
A sudden shift in energy snapped Nami's focus.
A mysterious force surged from within the Millennium Rod—
Aimed directly at her soul.
For an ordinary person, this attack would have been lethal.
A lesser soul would have been instantly overwhelmed, their body forcibly seized.
But—
Nami was no ordinary person.
A smirk tugged at her lips.
"So that's how it is..."
With a single thought, she traced the source of the attack—
And immediately discovered the truth.
It was him.
Dark Marik.
The one who had just lost his body—
Now attempting to possess hers.
But instead of fear—
Nami only laughed.
A cold, disdainful laugh.
"No wonder you were so willing to risk everything in a Shadow Game."
"You had already prepared an escape route."
If he had targeted anyone else—
They would have been helpless.
Their soul would have been crushed, and their body would have become his new vessel.
But Marik's luck—
Had run out.
Nami's eyes flashed with icy cold.
With a mere thought—
She seized his soul.
A formless, crushing force wrapped around Dark Marik—
Tearing into him.
Ripping him apart.
"No...!! NOOOOO—!!!"
A horrific, inhuman scream erupted from the Millennium Rod—
A shriek of pure agony.
Marik's very existence was reduced to nothing but scattered fragments.
A sudden, heavy silence followed.
The spectators stood frozen.
Even though they couldn't see what had happened—
They had heard.
And the sound of that scream—
Would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
But Nami remained unfazed.
She merely turned her gaze to the duel referee.
Even though this had been a Shadow Game—one that had long since transcended the need for a referee—
She still asked, her voice calm and composed:
"Now then… would you kindly announce the winner of this duel?"
"...Ah!?"
The black-clad official snapped out of his daze, his body visibly trembling.
He swallowed hard, forcing himself to speak.
"T-The winner of this duel is… Miss Mai Valentine..."
He hesitated, still shaken, before quickly adding:
"P-Please proceed to the waiting area for a 30-minute rest… then report to the drawing area to determine the next match-up."