NOVEL WEB Chapter 288: Chapter 288
"—Oh, our exalted god, with the power of the three divine beasts now offered, open the Forbidden Gate and descend into this world!!"
(***)
Inside the Temporal Tunnel
"Say, Evil God-san, even though you said you completely understand how this works…"
Hoshino, tightly hugging the slender waist of the goddess-like Evil God, asked nervously,
"Is this bike really capable of taking us back to our time?"
The Evil God, racing stylishly through the temporal tunnel, gave Hoshino a thumbs-up without even looking back. "Do you doubt me? My power and wisdom far surpass that of you mere humans. Don't worry—not only can I precisely target the time, but I can also lock in the exact location where we'll arrive!"
"Even the location? Wow, the technology of the future is really something," Hoshino replied, her earlier worries easing slightly.
Her mind lingered on how she had first traveled from Duel Academy to Domino City. This new leap felt just as unpredictable, and she couldn't help but wonder what kind of place they'd end up in this time. If it turned out to be an isolated island or some remote wilderness, survival could be a real challenge.
"This bike seems to set its destination based on the targeted Duel Monster Card. Paradox had set Toon World as the target, which clearly meant he intended to erase Pegasus."
It made sense—since Toon World was a card uniquely owned by Pegasus, it was a logical focal point for Paradox's scheme. Clearly, he had done his homework.
"Then that means Pegasus was just hiding all along, and nothing actually happened to him," Hoshino sighed in relief.
She recalled how Yako Tenma had once falsely accused her of driving Pegasus to despair and suicide. Though the situation had been resolved, being misunderstood like that still left a sour taste in her mouth.
"Pegasus is crafty—there's no way he'd go down so easily," the Evil God remarked with a chuckle. There was a faintly complicated emotion in her voice when speaking of Pegasus—the man who had created the Evil God Cards and, by extension, her.
"So, Evil God-san, does this mean we'll appear directly near Pegasus? That would be better than landing somewhere random, but it still sounds like it could get messy," Hoshino mused.
"Of course not. Do you even know who I am? I already changed the target card for our destination."
"Changed it?! To what Duel Monster Card?"
Grinning triumphantly, the Evil God declared, "To the only existing set of Egyptian God Cards! This way, we'll arrive directly in Domino City, near that human, Yugi."
The realization dawned on Hoshino, and her face lit up. "Of course! Using the Egyptian God Cards guarantees a perfect destination. You're a genius!"
"Mehahaha~~" x2
(***)
Elsewhere…
"Only a chosen Duelist can heal the wounds of the Nameless Dragon and awaken the power within—a power born of legend!"
The Dark Magician Girl gazed at the Pharaoh with her wide, innocent eyes, pleading earnestly.
"Master, I believe in you! Please, save the world of Duel Monsters and the human realm!"
Ten thousand years ago, three legendary dragons had led the Duel Monster army against the King—Dartz, the ruler of Atlantis, who wielded the power of the Orichalcos. Though they ultimately lost, Dartz's power had been greatly diminished. However, the three dragons were cursed and sealed within crystals in the Duel Monsters world, awaiting their destined master to awaken them for one final battle against the forces of darkness.
The Pharaoh and Yugi, whose souls had been summoned to the Duel Monsters world, stood before the three dragon statues, deep in thought.
"So the recent appearance of Duel Monsters in the real world, wreaking havoc, is a sign of the Orichalcos power reviving?"
Yugi added, "Partner, the Doma who attacked Grandpa and stole the Egyptian God Cards used The Seal of Orichalcos, didn't they?"
"Indeed, partner. The encroaching darkness is upon us. Against the overwhelming power of The Seal of Orichalcos, which seals the souls of the defeated, we must gain new strength—even without the Egyptian God Cards."
Dark Magician Girl cheered them on, "Master, draw the sword that seals the Nameless Dragon! Call upon its legendary name!"
"The Nameless Dragon, I know your name!!"
Together, the Pharaoh and Yugi grasped the sealing sword embedded in the crystal dragon's eye.
"—Timaeus!!"
.
..
...
Doma Member Alister vs. Seto Kaiba
"You're finished, Kaiba! Once I defeat you within The Seal of Orichalcos, I'll finally avenge my brother—the only family I had, destroyed by the wars fueled by Kaiba Corporation's greed!"
Hearing Kaiba being falsely accused, Mokuba immediately jumped to his defense.
"That's not true! Selling weapons was our stepfather's doing! My brother turned Kaiba Corp into something that brings happiness to children by creating games!"
"Enough, Mokuba," Kaiba interrupted coldly, dismissing his brother's plea. "The moment I took over Kaiba Corp, I also inherited all of Gozaburo's sins."
Trapped with no clear way out, Kaiba instinctively closed his eyes.
And then—
He saw them. The legendary dragons, sealed in the Duel Monsters world.
"Where am I? Why?!"
Kaiba, a staunch believer in science, was deeply shaken—not by the fantastical world before him, but by something far more unnerving…
"Why do I know the Nameless Dragon's name?!"
Drawn irresistibly, he reached out and pulled the sealing sword from the dragon's mouth.
"—Critias!!"
.
..
...
Mai vs. Jonouchi
"Why, Mai?! Why are you using The Seal of Orichalcos and bowing to the Doma?!" Jonouchi shouted as he struggled against Mai's relentless attacks.
"Isn't it obvious? To win!" Mai's face twisted with malice as she pointed to the seven Harpie Lady monsters dominating her field, exploiting The Seal of Orichalcos's ability to use Spell/Trap Zones as Monster Zones.
Jonouchi, defenseless, could only prepare to draw his next card.
"Chosen Duelist, awaken the ultimate power of the Nameless Dragon!"
Jonouchi's vision blurred, and in the next moment, he found himself in the Duel Monsters world.
He gritted his teeth, gripping the sword embedded in the crystal dragon's claw.
"I know your name, Nameless Dragon!!"
With all his strength, he drew the sword.
"—Hermos!!"
(***)
Inside the Temporal Tunnel
"It feels like we're almost there, Evil God-san~" Hoshino commented as a familiar glow—signaling their destination—appeared ahead. The surrounding scenery of the temporal tunnel began to shift rapidly.
The mischievous Evil God suddenly revved up her newly stolen bike. "Hold on tight, girl! Let's burst out and give those mortals a real surprise!"
The Duel Runner, powered by an unknown energy source, roared as it sped into the light, tearing through the rift that bridged the worlds.
.
..
...
"Oh, exalted deity, I beseech you to descend upon this moment… Whoa!!"
Dartz, who was in the midst of offering the power of the three Sacred Beasts as a sacrifice, chanting an incantation atop a ceremonial platform, was abruptly interrupted.
Out of nowhere, a mysterious object suddenly materialized—and ran him over mid-chant.
"Lord Dartz?!"
The three members of the Doma, kneeling on one knee in anticipation of Dartz's next command, froze in shock and disbelief at the sudden turn of events.
"Oh, exalted deity of our… ugh!!"
Dartz, crushed under the wheels of the speeding Duel Runner, struggled to complete his summoning incantation. But the sheer weight and velocity of the vehicle left him unconscious before he could finish.
"How dare you! What have you done to Lord Dartz?!" Alister, one of the Doma, demanded furiously, glaring at the two figures atop the Duel Runner.
"We're screwed, Evil God-san. We totally messed up!" Hoshino whispered anxiously, hiding behind the glamorous Evil God. "Weren't you supposed to lock onto the location of the Egyptian God Cards? Then where the hell are we?!"
Though equally flustered, the Evil God maintained her composure. As a deity, she couldn't afford to show the same panicked expression as Hoshino. In a low voice, she replied, "It's not my fault, girl. Look behind us…"
On the ceremonial platform, three massive stone serpents slowly opened their blood-red maws, their elongated bodies stretching up toward the enormous stone wall behind them.
Inside their mouths—glowing ominously—were the very objects the Duel Runner had locked onto.
The Egyptian God Cards…
"Seems like something troublesome happened while we were away," the Evil God mused.
Hoshino, noticing the cards behind her, turned back to the people before them. Their eccentric outfits and hairstyles, the eerie, enclosed surroundings, and the ominous chanting from the man now unconscious beneath their vehicle…
Could it be… we've landed straight in the enemy's base?!
Rafael, the most composed of the Doma, quickly checked Dartz's condition before calmly reassuring the others. "Lord Dartz is fine. He just lost consciousness."
Valon, the goggle-wearing Doma member, stared intently at the sultry Evil God atop the Duel Runner. "Could they be assassins? But wow… what a beautiful assassin. This is a first for me."
"Don't jump to conclusions, Valon. Alister!" Rafael reprimanded them, his mind racing. "Before he lost consciousness, didn't Lord Dartz refer to them as 'our exalted deity'? Could it be…"
"You mean they're… the legendary Orichalcos?" Alister and Valon, though initially skeptical, couldn't help but consider the possibility. Dartz had indeed been calling out to an "exalted deity," and their dramatic entrance—ripping through space to emerge within a sealed underwater ruin—was far beyond human capability.
Suddenly, Valon pointed at Hoshino, his eyes narrowing in recognition. "Wait a second! That one looks awfully familiar…"
"Bow your heads, mortals! Who gave you permission to gaze upon your exalted deity?!" the Evil God bellowed, startling Hoshino.
Striking a commanding pose, she rested one long leg on the platform steps, exuding an overwhelming queenly aura. Black flames materialized behind her, filling the room with an oppressive, suffocating divine power.
The sheer presence she emitted completely overpowered even the Egyptian God Cards.
The divine pressure surged toward the Doma members, solidifying their belief—this woman, despite her human appearance, was undoubtedly the Orichalcos deity summoned by Dartz. The sheer force of her power left no room for doubt.
"O mighty and exalted deity, please forgive our insolence!"
The trio, still kneeling, had long envisioned the return of the Orichalcos deity. To see their fabled Atlantean guardian—one from ten millennia ago—manifest before them as a modern, stylish figure left them completely awestruck.
"Considering that you've awakened me, I shall graciously forgive this one instance of your insolence…"
Hoshino couldn't help but admire the Evil God's performance. The regal tone, the divine flames—it was all so convincing that even she almost believed it herself.
"Exalted deity," Rafael asked directly, ever the pragmatic one. "Is the person behind you also a follower of Orichalcos? Has she pledged herself to our grand cause of erasing human history?"
Hoshino resisted the urge to groan.
What's with these villains and their obsession with erasing history? Whether it's human history or Duel Monsters history, what did history ever do to them?!
The Evil God, without missing a beat, declared, "Indeed. Using my divine power, I have brainwashed this duelist into serving as my loyal follower. She now obeys my every command."
Seeing no other option, Hoshino reluctantly played along. "Y-yes… my great and exalted… deity…" Her tone, however, was filled with reluctance and irritation.
The Evil God, dissatisfied with Hoshino's lackluster performance, shot her a sharp, disapproving look.
Noticing the Doma trio's skepticism growing, she discreetly extended one long leg—and pressed her foot down on Hoshino's.
"Eep! I mean—YES, my great and exalted deity!!" Hoshino yelped, her voice far more convincing this time.
So now I'm supposed to be a cultist?Great…
(*****)
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