The duel image disappeared, and both Duel Discs were retracted. Malik and his sister were silent for a moment.
Malik hung his head for a long time, as if deep in thought, replaying the duel process in his mind, yet appearing extremely defeated and disheartened, losing all faith.
Isis saw her brother like this and wanted to step forward to comfort him, but when she opened her mouth, she didn't know what to say.
In fact, she had already thought that Malik was unlikely to win this duel, and Malik himself ought to know this as well. Before the duel started, he partly wanted to probe the depths of Yugen, and partly was genuinely curious about the current strength of the Duel King.
However, Malik had been in seclusion for many years. Even if he occasionally dueled, it was only sparring within the clan. He hadn't ventured outside for a long time and hadn't played the cards much. About the external dueling environment, he only heard occasionally and didn't understand it deeply. His hands were also out of practice. So losing was expected.
It's just that to be burned to death by the Lava Demon God... and it was his own Lava Demon God, which was snatched back from the opponent's field through his own Mind Control Removal...
She found it a little hard to imagine the psychological shadow in her brother's mind at that moment.
"Mr. Malik?"
Yugen suddenly asked.
Malik raised his head, "Ah? Oh oh... I'm here. What?"
"Nothing, just noticed you've been in a daze after the duel," Yugen said, showing concern. "Are you okay?"
Malik gave him a meaningful look.
Then he let out a long sigh of relief and shook his head, "Nothing, nothing. It's just a friendly match, what's there to worry about? Ahaha, ahahahaha..."
At the same time, he kept reminding himself, it's only a spar, don't take it seriously, don't take it seriously...
Malik turned to look at Isis, "Sister, what do you think?"
Isis nodded, "Mr. Yugen truly lives up to his name as the current Duel King. His aura and strategy as a duelist are world-class, no wonder even Seto Kaiba is no match for him."
She spoke this way to affirm Yugen, but also to make Malik not dwell on the result. Since even Seto Kaiba was no match, losing was inevitable for them too.
Yugen actually felt that Malik's current strength had not only failed to progress since the DM era, but had probably regressed.
But it was not surprising; after all, the darkening was three times stronger, and whitening was one-third weaker. Back then, Malik was a villain, and most of the time, it was his inner persona doing the dueling. Now that his substitute had been permanently deactivated, Mr. Malik, unlike those big shots hiding behind the Heaven-Reaching Generation, showing weakness to catch the opponent off-guard, revealed his true form, his strength was naturally not what it used to be.
Furthermore, Malik's entire card deck at that time revolved around the Winged Divine Dragon. Instead of saying his card deck was strong, it's better to say the single-card strength of the Winged Divine Dragon was potent. Now that the Winged Divine Dragon is gone, the strength naturally diminished. Though he is still a legendary expert among ordinary duelists, to want to contend with those top immortals as before is likely impossible now.
Malik said, "I now start to think that if it's you, perhaps you really have the chance to subdue those Evil Gods."
He actually had half a sentence left unsaid. He was thinking this is what's called fighting poison with poison, using evil to control evil. If it weren't for you being such a sinister duelist, I'm afraid it would be hard to make those three submit...
"I'm just lucky," Yugen humbly said.
Malik suddenly dimmed, "If the Pharaoh were still here, he could surely..."
Isis interjected, "The Pharaoh has lingered for three thousand years to save this world. Now he has completed his part of the mission and attained the peace he deserves.
The remaining tasks are for those of us still in this world, we can't always rely on our predecessors."
Malik laughed, "Sister is right."
He walked to the now-collapsed ruins of the Battle Ceremony and introduced to Yugen, "This matter has never been publicly disclosed, so now few in the dueling realm know about it.
But back then, it was here that the King from three thousand years ago and the First Generation Duel King, Muto Yuugi, held a sacred duel.
Muto Yuugi faced the Pharaoh who summoned the Three Phantom Gods with a mortal body, defeated that king head-on, and became the rightful Duel King."
Malik looked up at the now-empty field, seemingly lost in past memories. Although a decade had passed, the image still remained so vivid in his mind as if the impressive Three Phantom Gods under the Pharaoh's command and that outwardly timid yet fearlessly challenging youth appeared before his eyes again.
Times have changed, and many years have passed, but the earth-shaking duel from back then has become clearer in his heart.
"Muto Yuugi's technique in defeating the Phantom Gods was indeed brilliant, and the tactical thinking as a duelist was also very important. But more importantly, was the tenacity of will, and the spirit of a king."
Yugen looked at the field, with an increased sense of respect for his predecessors.
"To the young Yuugi at that time, the King was already his most intimate companion, perhaps even more important than his own life. To have to defeat such a companion with all his strength and part ways with him, just the determination and perseverance alone already possessed the 'momentum' of a king."
Malik and Isis couldn't help but cast surprised glances at him.
The King's story had never been detailedly disclosed, and although the Academy students, including Judai from the GX animation, had all heard rumors of the Pharaoh and knew that the First Generation Duel King had another soul sleeping within, they didn't know much detail, much less the epic battle of the Duel Ceremony in DM's finale.
Yet, this young Duel King, who should have been a child just barely understanding the rules of dueling a decade ago, now spoke of the former Muto Yuugi in a manner as if they were long-time allies and close friends, which was truly rare.
If it weren't for Malik and his sister having quite some interactions with Yuugi back then and being familiar with the main character team's setup, they would almost think that Yugen was one of Yuugi's companions at the time.
Malik and Isis exchanged a look, each seeing the peculiar expression in the other's eyes.
Then Malik asked, "It sounds like Mr. Yugen is acquainted with Duel King Muto Yuugi?"
"Not really."
Yugen smiled and said.
"I too wish to make the acquaintance of that First Generation Duel King, but I imagine about ninety percent of today's duelists would think the same. After all, he is truly recognized as the pinnacle of this Duel World. Unfortunately, I have never had the opportunity.
However, many classmates and I in the Academy always regard him as an idol, often using Mr. Yugi's past achievements as a spur for ourselves, so I'm somewhat knowledgeable about him."
The Malik siblings thought that if he only knew Yuugi this well just from public stories, it would be impossible. This Yugen might have had some interaction with Muto Yuugi. But since he said so, he obviously didn't plan to elaborate, so they didn't press on with further questions.