[Yumi, LP 4000]
[Abidos III, LP 4000]
Abidos raised his duel disk high, his cape fluttering like ancient cloth caught in a desert wind. "I will go first! Draw!"
He glanced at the card he drew, a regal confidence flashing in his eyes before selecting one from his hand. "I Normal Summon, Pharaonic Protector in Defense Position!"
A dull chant echoed through the golden deck as a mummified servant emerged from the sands, wrapping itself in tattered linen, arms crossed solemnly before its master.
[Pharaonic Protector, 0 DEF]
The creature let out a hollow groan, the bandages fluttering weakly in the breeze.
"I set one card face-down and end my turn!" Abidos declared, placing his trap with finality.
Yumi simply smiles, not impressed. His opponent just summoned a 0 defense point normal Zombie monster to the field and set one card.
Facing him and using only these things was like begging to be beaten.
"Draw!" Yumi drew his card, sliding it smoothly into his hand.
"I activate the quickplay Spell, The Flute of Summoning Kuriboh!"
The spell card shimmered as Yumi pulled a card from his deck. "I Special Summon KuriDJ to my field."
From the light, a small neon-blue and magenta Kuriboh appeared, wearing oversized headphones and standing on a spinning disc.
[KuriDJ, 300 ATK]
Seeing the tiny creature, the undead Egyptian soldiers sneered in outrage, insulted that their Pharaoh was being challenged by a furball with a sound system.
Yumi simply ignored them; those weaklings are just setting up death flags for their Pharaoh anyway.
"Quickplay Spell, Multiply!" The field erupted in light as four identical KuriDJ appeared beside the original, bobbing in sync to a beat only they could hear.
[KuriDJ, 300 ATK] x5
"Kuri Kuri!" the five cried in unison, spinning their discs like turntables.
Yumi smirks, then pulls out another card. "Quickplay Spell, Kuriboh Exchange! Return any number of Kuriboh monsters I control, shuffle them back in my deck, and Special Summon the same number of Kuriboh monsters with different names."
The five KuriDJ spun back into orbs of light, vanishing into Yumi's deck. A second later, five colorful furballs replaced them.
[Kuriboh, 300 ATK]
[Kuribah, 300 ATK]
[Kuribee, 300 ATK]
[Kuribeh, 300 ATK]
[Kuriboo, 300 ATK]
The soldiers roared again, furious at the sight of even more Kuribohs.
Yumi ignored them, setting two cards from his hand. "I set two face-downs. Battle! Kuriboh attacks Pharaonic Protector!"
The brown fur ball let out a low Kuri Kuri before charging forward, crashing into the mummified undead, destroying it.
"Go, my Kuriboh brothers, player direct attack!"
The remaining four furballs zipped through the air, slamming into Abidos like fuzzy meteors.
[Abidos III, LP 4000 -> 2800]
"I activate Kuribah's effect!" Yumi raised his hand as the violet Kuriboh spun in midair. "By sending all five of my brothers to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Kuribabylon from my hand, Deck, or Graveyard!"
The five furballs glowed and merged into a single massive orb of golden light, before bursting open to reveal a larger Kuriboh with a sharp horn and menacing eyes.
[Kuribabylon, 1500 -> 3000 ATK]
"Three thousand attack points!?" Abidos shouted, stepping back. Even the undead soldiers froze in disbelief, seeing that their king was about to be defeated so quickly.
Yumi's smirk deepened. "Kuribabylon's effect, I split it back into my five Kuriboh brothers."
The light pulsed, and the great beast broke apart into the five Kuriboh brothers once again.
[Kuriboh, 300 ATK]
[Kuribah, 300 ATK]
[Kuribee, 300 ATK]
[Kuribeh, 300 ATK]
[Kuriboo, 300 ATK]
"Go, my Kuriboh brothers, player direct attack!"
The five colorful spheres dove at Abidos again, slamming him repeatedly.
[Abidos III, LP 2800-> 1300]
Abidos staggered back, clutching his chest. "What is the meaning of this!?" he roared, humiliated.
"This… this is an insult! How dare you toy with the Pharaoh!"
Yumi shrugged, smiling faintly. "You're just too weak."
His words cut through the air sharper than any attack.
Everyone watching could feel it, the mockery, the effortless dominance.
Yumi's impression of Abidos III wasn't high at all. He was set up to be this legendary Pharaoh who never lost a duel throughout his life. He got hyped up so much. Yet when he actually gets to duel, he is quite pathetic.
Compared to the Nameless Pharaoh that Yumi knew, this guy is a complete joke.
His casual words caused outrage on Abidos's side, seeing someone actually dare to openly mock their great Pharaoh.
"For some reason, I couldn't help but agree with him..." Celina said, realizing that Abidos' face-down hasn't even been used yet.
"Yeah, normally I would be worried about a Mirror Force or something that can wipe my entire field." Zane agrees.
"Perhaps, Slifer is just too strong." Chazz commented, recalling his duel with Yumi and the powerlessness he felt.
"AIBO!" Jaden grinned. "If he's that weak, switch with me! I wanna duel too!"
Abidos and the other undead face turn ashen, listening to what the other have to say about Abidos's dueling skill.
Suddenly, Abidos froze, wait... what was his name again?
Abidos's gaze locked onto Chazz, then pointed directly at him. "You! What did you just call him!?"
Caught off guard, Chazz flinched, seeing that all eyes were on him for some reason. "Uhh, Slifer."
Abidos's expression darkened as fury overtook him.
Although the Three Egyptian Gods became unusable when the previous Pharaoh sacrificed his life and the Millennium Puzzle shattered into pieces. The Egyptians never forget the name and legend of the Three Egyptian Gods.
To have some outsider named after one of their gods is simply insulting.
This immediately caused the undead Egyptians to burst into an uproar, furious that Yumi dared to use the name of one of their gods as his own.
"Huh, if you have an issue with me, step forward." Yumi said, as his Spirit Energy flared, causing them all to back down.
"Turn end," Yumi said finally, lowering his hand.
"Continuous Trap, The First Sarcophagus!" Abidos snapped, his face-down card flipping open at last.
An ancient golden coffin rose from the deck of the ship. The lid cracked slightly, darkness leaking from within.
"Once per turn, during my End Phase, I can place The Second Sarcophagus onto my field!"
A second coffin emerged beside it, lined with hieroglyphs glowing a sickly green.
"My turn! Draw!" Abidos snapped, drawing his card with a dramatic sweep. "I activate the Spell Card, Pot of Greed! This lets me draw two cards!"
Before he could even reach for his Deck, Yumi lazily raised a hand. "Continuous Trap, Mystical Refpanel."
A flash of violet light erupted beside Yumi as a spectral woman appeared, skin pale purple, hair flowing like liquid sapphire, holding a vast ornate mirror. The mirror caught the glow of Pot of Greed and swallowed it whole.
"Once per turn, when a Spell that targets a player is activated, apply it to the other player." Yumi said with a grin. "Don't worry, I'll draw those cards for you,"
The mirror shimmered. Abidos's face twisted in disbelief as Yumi casually drew two cards.
"Bastard…" Abidos hissed through clenched teeth. His hand trembled slightly before he slammed a card onto his Duel Disk. "I Normal Summon Pharaoh's Servant!"
A wrapped mummy stepped forth, clutching a short ceremonial spear.
[Pharaoh's Servant, 900 ATK]
"Battle! Pharaoh's Servant, strike down that Kuriboh!"
The undead soldier lunged forward, letting out an echoing war cry as its spear gleamed under the ship's golden light.
Yumi didn't flinch. "I activate Kuribee's effect, while I control five Kuriboh monsters with different names, I can negate your monster attack!"
Kuribee floated forward, glowing brightly as the other four Kuribohs formed a circle behind it. Together, they projected a radiant barrier that stopped the Pharaoh's Servant mid-strike. The spear bounced harmlessly against the light.
The mummy recoiled, letting out a hollow hiss as the energy dispersed.
"Tch!" Abidos spat, glaring across the field. "I set one card and end my turn!"
A single face-down card materialized behind his undead servant
"My turn, draw!" Yumi drew his card with a small, confident smile, sliding it neatly into his Duel Disk.
"I activate the Field Spell, Kuri Multiverse!"
The field shifted, turning into a floating island with multiple open rifts. Inside those rifts are the different versions of Kuribohs across different universes. "While this card is on the field, Kuriboh monster gains 500 ATK and DEF."
[Kuriboh, 300 -> 800 ATK]
[Kuribah, 300 -> 800 ATK]
[Kuribee, 300 -> 800 ATK]
[Kuribeh, 300 -> 800 ATK]
[Kuriboo, 300 -> 800 ATK]
"Battle, go Kuriboh attack Pharaoh's Servant!" Yumi ordered as the brown furball charged toward the undead soldier without hesitation, shocking everyone watching.
"Quickplay Spell, Ego Boost!" Yumi slid another card into his Duel Disk. "When a monster declares an attack, target a face-up monster on the field and it gains 1000 ATK until the end of the Battle Phase."
[Kuriboh, 800 -> 1800 ATK]
Abidos's eyes widened in disbelief. "I won't let that happen!" He threw his hand forward, and his set card flipped open.
"Trap Card open, Sakuretsu Armor! When your monster declares an attack, destroy it! So say goodbye to your annoying furball!"
Yumi was stunned, not expecting that this joke of a Pharaoh was holding another death flag.
"Kuri Multiverse's effect, when a Kuriboh monster on the field is about to be destroyed either by battle or card effect, that player can destroy another Kuriboh monster with a different name from their hand or deck instead." Yumi said before pulling out his deck and sending his Winged Kuriboh to the graveyard.
Before the effect of the Sakuretsu Armor could reach the brown furball, a rift in space opened up, and another brown furball, but with wings, stepped out, taking the hit instead.
His Kuriboh continues with its charge, headbutting the Pharaoh's Servant and destroying it.
[Abidos III, LP 1300 -> 400]
Abidos staggered back, clutching his chest, feeling both the crushing pressure of the Shadow Game and the burn of real pain coursing through him.
"LORD PHARAOH!!" his undead soldiers cried in panic. Watching their mighty ruler be brought to his knees by a furball was beyond humiliating; it was blasphemy.
But none of them dared move. The aura radiating from Yumi and the silent presences of the Duel Spirits behind him warned them not to interfere.
Yumi lowered his arm, a faint smirk on his lips. "Turn end."
Abidos's eyes widened, his entire body trembling. Then, slowly, his expression twisted into a glare of pure rage.
"At this moment," he shouted, his voice shaking with fury, "I activate the effect of The First Sarcophagus! I can directly activate The Third Sarcophagus from my Deck!"
A third golden coffin rose beside the others, the three of them glowing ominously in unison.
"My turn, draw!" Abidos nearly tore the card from his Deck, his fingers trembling with desperation.
"Now that all three Sarcophagi rest on my field, I send them to the Graveyard to Special Summon, Spirit of the Pharaoh!"
The three ancient coffins began to rumble violently before shattering apart in a blinding burst of sand and gold dust. From the ruins emerged a tall, regal figure wrapped in linen and adorned in cracked gold and turquoise. The undead king raised his scepter high as his hollow eyes burned with blue flame.
[Spirit of the Pharaoh, 2500 ATK]
"When Spirit of the Pharaoh is Special Summoned, I can bring back his loyal servants!"
Two coffins behind him burst open again, and the mummified guards from before rose once more to flank their master.
[Pharaonic Protector, 900 ATK]
[Pharaoh's Servant, 900 ATK]
"Now, battle!" Abidos roared. "Destroy those miserable furballs!"
The three undead soldiers charged forward, weapons raised, but...
"Kuribee's effect!" Yumi directly counters by blocking all three attacks easily.
Abidos froze, staring blankly at the field as disbelief twisted across his face. His hands began to shake.
"This isn't possible… This can't be happening!" he screamed, his voice breaking. "I was undefeated my entire life! How, how the hell are you beating me!? Why are those Kuribohs so powerful all of a sudden!? Who the hell are you!?"
His voice cracked mid-sentence, desperation bleeding through his arrogance. The mighty Pharaoh now sounded like a lost child.
To add salt and chili powder to the wound is that his opponent could have finished him off multiple times, but chose to let him summon his ace monster. Which have the same strength as the legendary Dark Magician. Only to find out that even his ace monsters were powerless against those furballs.
The undead soldiers and duelists watching couldn't help but exchange awkward looks. The sight of a thousand-year-old Pharaoh crying in front of his army was... uncomfortable, to say the least.
Even his soldiers began to shift uneasily, some lowering their weapons, others whispering among themselves in disbelief.
"Yumi!" Celina called out suddenly, snapping him from his thoughts.
He turned toward her, one brow raised.
Celina pouted, then dragged her finger from her eye down her cheek in an exaggerated motion before pointing at him and then at Abidos. (You make him cry, do something!)
Yumi blinked, sighed, and rolled his eyes. He lifted one hand and made a lazy chopping motion across his neck. (Why should I? Isn't he already dead?)
Celina's frown deepened. She jabbed a finger toward him, then clenched both fists, knocking them together, before pointing at the kneeling undead Pharaoh. (Still, you were the one who beat him up, do something about it!)
Zane raised an eyebrow. He pointed at Celina, then at Yumi, before making a gentle cradle motion with his hands and gesturing toward Abidos. (You really think he's the type to comfort anyone?)
Both Yumi and Celina stared at him, equally surprised. They pointed at their lips, then mimed a cramping motion with their hands. (You can understand this?)
Zane rolled his eyes, moving his thumbs toward his shoulders, making a flicking gesture that looked like he was flicking his jacket over as a cape. He then clenched one fist while the other hand pointed at himself. (I've been friends with Momoyo for years. You think I wouldn't pick up her weird sign language?)
Yumi and Celina exchanged glances, then nodded in sync and gave him a thumbs-up. (Fair point. Cool.)
Alexis blinked, looking between them. "What are you three doing?"
Chazz squinted. "Yeah, why are you suddenly pulling weird faces? You look like you're acting out some silent play!"
"Nothing," Yumi said flatly, turning back toward the sobbing Pharaoh. "Don't think about it."
Abidos still knelt in front of him, trembling. His once-commanding voice had turned into weak, broken sobs that echoed off the golden deck of the ship.
Yumi exhaled softly. "Since you're not going to do anything else," he said, drawing his next card, "I guess it's my turn, then."
He slid a card into his Duel Disk. "Spell Card, Raigeki! Destroy all monsters on your field."
A massive bolt of lightning descended from the storm above, splitting the sky and slamming into the Pharaoh's side of the field. The undead soldiers didn't even have time to scream before they were vaporized in a flash of golden-blue light.
Smoke and crackling sparks filled the ship. Through the haze, Yumi's silhouette stood tall, his red coat whipping in the wind, golden eyes glinting faintly.
For a heartbeat, the undead saw not a duelist, but a god.
Behind Yumi's figure, the faint image of Slifer the Sky Dragon shimmered into existence, its serpentine body coiling around him like a guardian.
The suffocating pressure caused by him was like the same oppressive pressure of the god. The undead soldiers began trembling, not from fear, but from reverence.
One by one, they dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground.
"All hail the God of the Sky... the return of Slifer..." they murmured in ancient Egyptian, their voices echoing like prayer.
Yumi: "???"
He had absolutely no idea what they were saying, and he didn't care enough to find out.
Dead people shouldn't wander the world of the living anyway.
He raised his hand. "Battle. Kuriboh, direct attack."
"Kuri Kuri!"
The little brown furball, practically vibrating with excitement at finally being allowed to shine, shot forward like a fuzzy missile and headbutted Abidos square in the chest.
[Abidos III, LP 400 -> 0]
...
With the duel concluded, Yumi and the others found themselves safely back on the grounds of Duel Academy.
The undead Egyptians, still trembling from fear and awe, knelt before Yumi one last time.
"Forgive us, oh Slifer, God of the Sky! We were foolish and blind to not recognizing you have reincarnated!" they cried, bowing so hard their foreheads hit the ground.
Then, using their golden ship, they retreated back to the realm of the dead. Eager not to risk angering their supposed deity any further.
A long silence followed.
Then Celina broke it with a teasing grin. "Well, I definitely didn't expect you to suddenly become the reincarnation of Slifer the Sky Dragon."
"Me neither," Yumi said flatly, his tone dry as dust.
Alexis crossed her arms with a sigh. "Still, I expected more from a so-called legendary duelist from history. That duel was… kind of underwhelming."
Yumi shoved his hands in his pockets, walking ahead with the others trailing behind.
"What do you expect? He was a Pharaoh. Back then, if you beat him in a duel, you'd probably get executed for treason the next morning. So of course no one wanted to win against him."
Alexis opened her mouth to argue, then paused, realizing he had a point. The others exchanged glances, their faces somewhere between amusement and agreement.