"So, which dimension are you from?" the Vampire asked nonchalantly as he led the way.
"Far from here," Youyu replied.
"Ha, so it must be a border dimension then?" the Vampire said. "That's the furthest dimension from here. Coming from there is no easy feat, and you have to pass through at least five dimensions' territories on the way."
"Maybe even further than that." Youyu shrugged. "We're from beyond the twelve dimensions you know."
The Vampire showed a surprised expression.
"You come from beyond the world's borders?" he mused. "No wonder, I really feel like I've never seen people like you in any dimension..."
He glanced at the odd crowd behind him, chattering, bouncing, posing for selfies as they walked.
"...such unconventional Warriors," he said.
He might have been polite with that remark; perhaps deep down he was thinking "Warriors who have escaped the lunatic asylum."
He shook his head and said, "You've really picked a terrible time to visit."
"Oh? Why do you say that?" Youyu asked.
"Dimension travel isn't the same as it used to be." the Vampire said, "In the past, the twelve dimensions were unified under a unique King, the Multiverse was one entity.
But that was long ago.
Since the King's disappearance, our world has fractured. The world fell apart, and the strong ones refused to obey anyone, each declaring themselves King.
The powerful dimensions became new kingdoms, while the weaker ones were annexed by nearby powers, becoming parts of various empires.
Wars between empires have been ongoing for years, with countless casualties among all races. Not only Warriors, but civilians suffer too."
He couldn't help but sigh deeply at this point.
"That era was called a 'meat grinder,'" he said, "Countless glorious Warriors died on the battlefield, life has never been this worthless.
No one knows when misfortune will strike. Maybe today you're alive, living a mundane life going from point A to point B. Tomorrow, an army descends from the sky, ravaging the city you live in, leaving you dead without knowing why...
...Or perhaps a worse scenario is everything you love is reduced to ashes, leaving you the sole survivor."
Beside him, Yusei, who had remained silent until now, couldn't help but speak up: "Is this... your personal experience?"
"..."
The light in the Vampire's crimson eyes noticeably dimmed, but he quickly regained composure.
"That was long ago."
He spoke, hastening his pace.
A sliver of sunlight pierced the horizon, casting an eerie glow on the dead medieval-style town. But the light seemed cold and dim, only adding to the sense of dread.
"You said it's because of the King's disappearance that dimensions were torn apart and wars began?" Youyu asked.
"Yes," the Vampire replied.
"So the situation should have changed now?" Youyu said, "He has returned, hasn't he?"
By now, they had left the town, reaching its outskirts.
Youyu noticed that despite being a Vampire, he didn't seem to fear sunlight like traditional vampires in fiction. The man stepped out of the town, stood in the sunlit area, his pale face almost translucent.
The crimson eyes suddenly seemed to burn, as if a lost soul had found firm belief.
"Yes," he raised his voice, "He has returned, just recently. So the news spreads everywhere—
—The war is about to end.
An entire era of chaos is nearing its end, no more war, no more death. People can sleep at home, without fear of an ironclad army breaking through the door any moment.
This world—no, all worlds will return to their rightful state."
"Sounds like quite the benevolent and perfect Demon King," Youyu said.
"He is precisely that," the Vampire turned around and looked at all of them firmly, "He is the King we need!
Outsiders, you wish to defeat him, wish to stop his return, don't you? I've seen it long ago, I can smell your malice, that putrid, repugnant scent."
Realizing they had triggered the plot again, the players paused their selfies and chatter, eagerly gathering to listen.
"But it ends here!" the Vampire shouted, "Your journey ends here, you won't find him, you'll never find the location of the Supreme King Castle!"
The group then realized there was more than just him among the living here.
Eyes after eyes lit up around them, like countless crimson ghost fires. Some were on rooftops, some in narrow alleys, others hidden behind bushes.
Vampires emerged one by one from all directions, surrounding the group.
There were quite a few of them, seemingly organized into a troop.
A trap.
Evidently, the Vampire had intended to lead them into this trap from the very start.
Many Vampires raised their arms and activated black Duel Discs on their arms. Their Duel Discs looked peculiar, the material resembling dried bark, likely from the occult side.
This detail clearly showed that the Vampires of this dimension were stronger than the Winged Beast-Type they just passed through. In the previous dimension, Duel Discs were rare, and not many knew how to duel in the entire city.
The Vampire might have thought leading them to this designated trap meant they couldn't fail.
Unfortunately for him, he was wrong.
Rather than the Vampires being hunters, the card players who seemed should be prey instead fell into an indescribable joy at the sight of these many Vampires, eager to dance.
So many Vampires!
And each has a Card Deck!
"Charge!!!"
The players quickly raced forward competitively, fearing they might fall behind and miss out.
The Vampires' leader refused to be outdone, shouting deeply: "Intercept!"
All Vampires activated their Duel Discs, facing their opponents for battle. Suddenly, chaos erupted with dust storms, flashing blades, Warriors' figures whipped through the veil, Dragon-Type Kings and Vampire elites clashed in the air, modern weapons with guns, lasers, and missiles flew about...
The entire scene was like a grand battle of the century.
...
Ten minutes later.
The last Vampire spewed a mouthful of fresh blood, collapsed face-up, watching in disbelief as the crowd of oddities surrounded him, tugging at his Duel Disc with many hands, dying without closing his eyes.
These eccentrics... what are they???!