Shadow Games.
Damage isn't just visual—it's real. It feeds back into your body, even your soul. At its most extreme, these games can result in permanent injury… or death.
That's where the phrase "playing with your life points" comes from.
But that rule, actually, can be looked at another way.
> "As long as my LP hasn't hit zero, I won't fall."
> "But what can you even do now?"
Keith's voice came lazily, tinged with cruel amusement.
> "You've already lost more than half your LP on the first turn. You can barely stand."
> [Keith Howard LP: 3000]
[You Ming LP: 1500]
Of course, this was just the "extra flair" that came with a Shadow Game.
The real threat was something else entirely:
> "Don't forget—my turn's not even over yet."
> "True enough."
As of now, even ignoring what was in his graveyard, Keith still had Cannon Soldier on the field and three cards in hand. Plenty of room to keep playing.
> "But… you don't have anything left to reduce my LP now, do you?"
This wasn't about strategy—it was just a simple fact.
> "If you did, I wouldn't still be standing here."
> "Tch. You talk big, kid."
Keith scowled. But after glancing down at the card in his hand, his expression suddenly softened.
> "Let's see how long that mouth of yours holds up. I set one card… and then activate this!"
Three glowing swords of light descended, stabbing into the air in front of You Ming.
> "Swords of Revealing Light—this card locks down your attacks for three turns. With that, I end my turn."
Keith crossed his arms with a sneer.
> "Not that you'll last that long. Next turn, your life flickers out like a candle in the wind."
> "Is that so."
You Ming stared back, unfazed. For once, there was no sarcasm in his voice—no biting comeback.
He took a long, deep breath and placed his hand atop his deck.
He could still smell the burnt flesh, but the stench was starting to fade.
Speaking had become easier too.
Good.
> "My turn—Draw."
> "Tch. Still with that expression…"
Keith gritted his teeth at You Ming's calm demeanor.
> "Then I'll activate my face-down card!"
With a command, ghostly energy spread across the battlefield. A gravestone emerged from the ground.
> "Trap Card—Call of the Haunted!"
From the grave it summoned, a rusted war machine slowly dragged itself up, its body coated in moss.
> "Thanks to this card, I revive Motor Minion in a state of decay!"
> Motor Minion
ATK: 2100
Even covered in rust, the machine's gun-like arms still glinted menacingly.
But its attack points weren't the issue here.
> "You know its special ability, right?"
Keith chuckled coldly. The glint behind his sunglasses felt like it could pierce flesh.
> "Even rusty junk leaves behind scrap parts. Which means—three more cannon shots!"
Wait—wasn't that effect supposed to trigger only when it was Tribute Summoned and then destroyed?
...Then again, the anime didn't bother with that many restrictions.
Fine.
> "Yeah. I'm aware."
That calm answer only pissed Keith off more.
> "Tch. Why do you still look so calm?"
He clenched his fists, face twisted with rage.
> "Do you even get your situation?! You've only got 1500 LP left—barely enough to survive another turn!"
He shouted, his voice echoing in the dim room.
> "Next turn, you're dead! Do you hear me, you little brat?!"
> "Then what are you so worked up about?"
That one simple question made Keith freeze like a broken machine.
> "Keith Howard… what is it that you're really after?"
You Ming glanced at the card he'd drawn and slowly added it to his hand.
> "You keep talking about your advantage, constantly belittling me. Are you trying to see despair on my face? My frustration? Does that make you feel better? Or…"
He looked straight at the man who now stood in stunned silence.
> "Are you just trying to prove something?"
> "What a joke."
Keith scoffed, snapping out of it.
> "I don't have anything to prove."
> "That you're still the U.S. champion?"
> "..."
As Keith hesitated, seemingly caught between words, You Ming simply shook his head.
> "Come to think of it… I owe you an apology."
> "What…?"
> "I admit, I looked down on you before. Keith Howard—you're arrogant, selfish, cold, and driven by greed. Most people believe your downfall began when Pegasus humiliated you. And honestly? I think you deserved it."
> "You little—!"
Keith's face twisted in fury again. But You Ming closed his eyes.
In the original story, the duel between Bandit Keith and Pegasus wasn't shown in detail. It only existed as a flashback, used by Kaiba to warn Yugi about how terrifying Pegasus truly was.
But if you dug deeper, something didn't add up.
Dark Yugi himself confirmed that the Millennium Eye couldn't see the future. It couldn't predict which cards were drawn from the deck.
And yet, in that public duel, Pegasus sat back and didn't even play himself—he handed a child a card list and had them beat Keith with it.
There's only one explanation:
> "You were cheating, weren't you?"
> "..."
> "Even so… you were still amazing."
As the former champion remained silent, You Ming kept speaking.
Of course, he wasn't trying to redeem Keith. He wasn't trying to justify anything.
Truthfully, that statement was more for himself.
Just like he had promised in the Heart Room:
> "I won't underestimate you again… Champion."
> "..."
Keith froze.
Maybe this wasn't going the way he'd expected.
The once-proud champion had no idea how to respond to such an honest sentiment.
He didn't spit curses. He just swallowed them.
> "It's too late to butter me up, kid."
> "I'm not buttering you up. I'll beat you—with full respect for your skill."
In other words…
> "I'm going to win."
> "Win?"
> "Yes."
> "You?"
> "That's right!"
This, he would never back down from.
Victory.
> "Then show me! Let's see how you're going to win from this position!"
Keith snapped his arm out.
You Ming's gaze returned to the battlefield called Duel.
Right now, Swords of Revealing Light blocked all forms of direct attack. His side of the field had two monsters.
But his back row was completely exposed. Only two already-used cards remained.
In other words—no traps left.
> "Prepare…
With a raspy voice, he closed his eyes.
Not just to declare his phase—but to mentally prepare himself.
Then—
> "Main Phase."
At this point in the era, "hand traps" weren't even a concept. There'd be no interruptions here.
Time to begin.
> "I set two cards face-down, then activate this spell!"
Zzzt—
A rip tore through the sealed room, revealing a distorted gateway to another dimension.
> "Spell Card—Rough Traveler's Preemption."
This card came from one of the cross-dimensional prebuilt packs. The pack itself wasn't a full archetype, but its card art clearly told a story of dimension-hopping warriors.
Not that any of that mattered now.
What mattered was that this card gave his vanilla-heavy deck a major boost.
> "I can only activate this if I control no monsters. It Special Summons one Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my deck. I choose—!"
Zzzzzzzzt—
From the unstable dimensional gate, a fierce warrior stepped forth.
> "Dark Blade of the Dark World!"
As the rift closed, the warrior remained—gripping twin blades and radiating a storm of killing intent from beneath his silver helm.
> Dark Blade of the Dark World (Lv 4)
DARK / Warrior
ATK: 1800 / DEF: 1500
Long ago, when You Ming was just a kid—before he even knew how to play—he loved this card.
Not because of effects or stats.
Just because it looked cool.
Unfortunately, after actually learning the game, the card never saw play again. It just didn't make the cut.
Only now, in this broken start-from-nothing situation, did it get to shine again.
> "..."
He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but for a moment, it felt like the warrior on the field turned around and looked at him.
Their eyes met.
And with that, You Ming swept aside all distracting thoughts.
> "I'm counting on you. I'll arm you properly."
It felt like the warrior nodded.
Then—
> "Equip Spell—Axe of Despair!"
A massive axe spun through the air. The warrior dropped his twin blades and grabbed it in both hands.
His eyes gleamed crimson with bloodlust.
> "This card gives the equipped monster +1000 ATK!"
> Dark Blade of the Dark World
ATK: 1800 → 2800
> "That's a big boost for one card. You've got some skill, kid."
In a slower-paced early meta, just putting a high-ATK beater on the field was enough to turn heads.
But he wasn't done yet.
> "Now, I activate this card!"
Boom!
A mystical array flared up, emerald light ripping open the air.
> "Ritual Spell—Advanced Ritual Art!"
> "A Ritual Summon?!"