Chapter 68: The Heroic God of the Earth Descends!

DARKNESS harbored a bold suspicion in his heart, but he quickly shook his head. The Egyptian God Cards were not something you could find on the street. Even if this human was the president of the so-called "International Illusions Corporation," the original source of Duel Monster cards, there was no way he could possess one of the three God Cards.

Just as DARKNESS thought this, Yugi finally called out the name of the monster he was about to tribute summon—

"I offer my three Elemental Hero monsters as tribute! Now! Descend! Absolute deity slumbering within the Hero Deck—God Hero of the Earth, Obelisk the Giant!"

DARKNESS: ?!!

No way—he really is about to tribute summon one of the God Cards?

As DARKNESS reeled in disbelief, a suffocating, majestic aura instantly filled the otherworldly space he had created.

High above the vault of the sky, a shadow loomed, descending toward the earth. As it drew nearer, the surrounding space began to crack like shattered glass, each fracture echoing with a sharp "crack! crack!"

"Symbol of light and darkness, blue giant that shakes the earth! Now is the time to descend to the world of mortals! Come forth—Obelisk the Tormentor!"

A shadow with clenched fists fell steadily to the ground.

DARKNESS: 'I can clearly feel it—the boundless power that belongs to a god!'

Blue-white stardust rained down, followed by a dazzling brilliance as bright as day.

Boom!

The pillar of light struck the ground, and the figure within straightened to its full height.

A low, thunderous roar, a body as massive as a mountain, explosive muscles bulging beneath heavy armor, and those blood-red eyes!

The God Hero of the Earth—Obelisk the Giant—had descended!

"…Human, you who do not belong to this world—why do you possess a God Card? And how can you wield a God and remain unaffected?!"

DARKNESS couldn't hold back his curiosity and finally voiced his doubts.

How could a human, whose soul and body didn't originate from this world, possess a God Card—a card that was essentially part of this world's "rules"? Moreover, even with such a card, how could this outsider summon a God and remain unharmed?

"Take a guess."

"…"

Those two simple words instantly made DARKNESS—who was not human—experience, for the first time, the emotion humans called "anger."

Yugi, unconcerned, ignored what he didn't understand. Having summoned the God of Destruction bestowed to him by Ishizu—no, the "God Hero of the Earth, Obelisk the Giant"—and with no cards left in his hand, he ended his turn.

[Yugi: 500 LP, Hand: 0, Monster Zone: Obelisk the Tormentor, Spell/Trap Zone: 2 Set]

"???"

Watching Yugi end his turn so abruptly, a string of question marks appeared on DARKNESS’s forehead.

"Wait… You just end your turn like that? Not attacking?"

Obelisk was the only God Card with a clearly defined ATK and DEF. With its 4000 attack points, and with DARKNESS having already set his backrow, if Obelisk attacked his 0-ATK "Eye of Despair" in Attack Position, DARKNESS would lose this Duel on just the second turn!

"The God standing upon the earth inspires awe even without attacking!"

Of course, the real reason was that Yugi wanted to use Obelisk’s effect—the instant-kill power that truly justified the title "God of Destruction"!

"…Foolish."

Emotionlessly, DARKNESS replied, then watched as the five set cards in his backrow were reshuffled and switched places rapidly and randomly.

"The effect of the Field Spell 'Dark World'—for cards set by its effect, I can't freely determine their positions, but I can specifically activate 'Void' and 'Infinity' from among them."

When Dark World activates, it sets five Continuous Trap Cards—"Void," "Infinity," "Darkness 1," "Darkness 2," and "Darkness 3"—in random order. But DARKNESS can still specifically activate "Void" and "Infinity." As for their follow-up effect, 'When either "Void" or "Infinity" is activated, all cards between this and "Infinity" or "Void" are also activated,' how many and which cards can be activated are beyond DARKNESS's control.

"Also, at the end of each turn, any activated Continuous Trap among the five is reset, and the five cards are reshuffled and set again in random order."

No sooner had DARKNESS finished explaining than the five newly shuffled set card projections appeared before Yugi’s eyes.

"My turn. Draw."

"Human, I don't know why you didn't have your God attack, but I am going to launch an assault."

Without even glancing at the card he drew, DARKNESS extended his skeletal finger and tapped his five set cards.

"Continuous Traps 'Void' and 'Infinity,' activate together."

As he spoke, two of the five set cards flipped over, revealing the images of "Void" and "Infinity."

"Just one… very well, activate it."

This time, DARKNESS’s luck wasn’t great. Only one card lay between the two that could be activated, but which one it was would only be revealed as the card itself stood upright.

The card slowly flipped open, and both sides soon realized which effect was about to trigger.

"Continuous Trap 'Darkness… 3' activate!"

That’s right! Once again, "Darkness 3" was activated—the one that directly cuts down Life Points!

"Only one, but one is enough to deduct 1000 Life Points. With only 500 left, human—you lose!"

With those words, deep blue lightning shot from the card!

No longer a thin bolt, but a mighty thunderclap!

In an instant, it raced straight at Yugi!

But—

DARKNESS: ???

He watched as the thunderbolt closed to within half a meter of Yugi, about to obliterate his pitiful 500 Life Points—only for the lightning to suddenly dissipate. DARKNESS could only respond with a string of question marks.

What the—?

Suddenly, six explosions roared out in succession!

The abrupt cacophony stunned DARKNESS, and it was only after the echoes faded that he realized his five Trap Cards and Field Spell had all been simultaneously destroyed!

DARKNESS: !?

Ah, this…

"The ultimate backrow-clearing Trap Card!"

Yugi’s voice rang out sharply. DARKNESS immediately looked across the field and saw that one of Yugi’s two set backrow cards had been flipped face-up at some point.

"Royal Flush! When your opponent's Spell and Trap Zones are all occupied, this card wipes the field clean! And then, according to your Field Spell 'Dark World’s' final effect, when any Spell or Trap Card leaves your field, all your Spell and Trap Cards are destroyed—thus breaking your Field Spell as well!"

DARKNESS: "…"

If he could, he really wanted to ask: why would you include something as absurd as "Royal Flush" in your deck?!

"Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell 'Scapegoat'! In my four remaining Monster Zones, I special summon four 'Sheep Tokens'!"

The famous Quick-Play Spell resolved, and four sheep in pink, blue, orange, and red appeared on Yugi’s field.

(Sheep Token, Level 1, DEF: 0)

Obelisk the Giant, standing behind Yugi, also took notice of the little sheep.

Without a word, Obelisk, as if already aware of what to do, reached out with two massive fists capable of engulfing an adult, gently seized two of the sheep, and silently absorbed the immense soul energy contained within their tiny bodies!

Small as they were, their spirits were strong!

Such were the "Sheep Tokens"!