[New Fanfic is Up!!]
[Naruto: The Strongest Ninja System]
[Diva, LP 5000 → 0]
At the instant Diva's Life Points finally hit zero, the system's cold prompt chimed in Yusaku's mind right on cue. He instinctively ignored it—rewards could be checked any time. Right now, his gaze was locked firmly on the Quantum Cube floating in midair.
Sato, who had been standing opposite him just moments ago, had vanished like dissipating smoke. Behind where he had stood, that sky-blotting Obelisk the Tormentor was slowly breaking down into streams of molten gold, sinking back into the depths of the earth in answer to some ancient summons.
Watching the towering shadow fade behind him, Yusaku slid a finger along his Duel Disk and drew out his Deck.
A quick inspection confirmed what he had already expected. Just like in the Yu-Gi-Oh! movie, the power of Obelisk was only a temporary loan. The card itself had never been added to his Deck.
Once the Duel ended, Obelisk's power would naturally disperse and return to the Pharaoh's slumbering tomb.
"ATK: ∞?"
Before he'd seen Obelisk with his own eyes, if anyone had said such a thing to him, they'd have been treated like a lunatic. How could there possibly be a monster that shattered the limits of the stat system itself?
Yet now, Obelisk's oppressive pressure still lingered in the air, smashing apart the beliefs they had clung to for years.
So it really existed.
There really was something with infinite Attack.
While everyone else was still frozen in shock and unable to come back to their senses, the judge's voice finally cut through the silence hanging over the plaza.
"The Duel is over! Player Yusaku is the winner. Please take a short rest. The award ceremony will begin in half an hour!"
"He won—!!"
Somewhere in the stands, a shout of pure elation exploded, instantly igniting all the pent-up emotion in the air. The students from Takeuchi Dojo jumped to their feet one after another, pounding each other's shoulders in excitement.
After all, Ushio had been knocked out in the very first round. Right now, Yusaku was the dojo's last remaining hope, while both Asahi Dojo and Lion King Dojo had practically advanced their entire rosters.
Who would have thought Yusaku not only wouldn't lose, but would even summon one of the legendary God Cards?
Yusaku had just stepped off the stage when a group of figures in dojo uniforms surged toward him, surrounding him with almost suffocating enthusiasm.
"Aniki, you're insane! You came back from 1200 LP!"
"Is the Duel Disk heavy? I'll carry it for you!"
"You've got dust on your hem. I've got a brand-new uniform—hurry up and change!"
Yusaku smiled and started to refuse, but his Duel Disk was forcibly taken from him, and a perfectly pressed uniform was stubbornly shoved into his arms.
He had originally planned to use the break to tweak his Deck. It looked like that idea would have to be put on hold for now.
153 had already informed him that he'd obtained one of the Millennium Items, and had rewarded him with 50 Forbidden-Card Shards and 5000 Crystals. Added to the quest rewards he had already earned, he could actually afford to make some real adjustments.
"Ahem! What are you all crowding around for?"
A stern voice cut in. Takeuchi walked over with his hands clasped behind his back, a smile still lingering at the corners of his mouth.
"Half an hour from now it's the semifinals. Aren't you going to let your senior catch his breath? And anyway, getting into the Top 4 is just the start. It's too early to be celebrating now. When he wins the championship, you can celebrate however you like—I won't say a word!"
Muttering immediately rose from within the group.
"When Yusaku-aniki won just now, I'm pretty sure Sensei was the one yelling the loudest…"
"Hmm?"
Takeuchi's eyes widened. He barked a half-angry, half-laughing curse.
"So you've got sharp ears now, huh? Enough, enough, clear out, all of you! You got nothing better to do? Are all the Deck-construction assignments I gave you finished already? Whoever doesn't have their second Deck built by tomorrow can go scrub the toilets for a week!"
At that, the students scattered like startled birds. In the blink of an eye, they were gone.
Once the area had quieted down again, Takeuchi patted Yusaku's shoulder, his gaze turning solemn.
"Your opponent in the semifinals won't be easy to deal with. I won't nag you. Just rest up and get your head straight. We're in the Top 4 already; win or lose, it's fine. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
With that, he turned and walked toward the distant dojo, the anticipation in his posture impossible to hide.
"Rest, huh?"
Yusaku offered the polite response at the right timing.
"You should still have enough time to build a new Deck."
With that thought, he turned and headed back toward his dorm.
Meanwhile, the buzz outside the game was spreading like wildfire.
Someone had clipped the footage from Cheese Crit's livestream and posted it online. From the moment it was uploaded to the moment it began to spread, barely ten minutes had passed before the video completely detonated the game forums.
The comment threads had already blasted past five thousand replies and were still climbing at a rate of dozens of posts per second.
The top two trends on the forum's hot search were firmly locked in:
#YusakuIsTheProtagonist
#ObeliskHasDescended
The short clip was being reposted over and over. In the video, Yusaku's raised arm came down hard as his fingertips drew a glowing blue Obelisk card straight out of the floor. The next second, the card slammed down onto his Duel Disk and the silhouette of the God erupted from the ground.
The final frozen frame was the scarlet display of Obelisk's Attack climbing to infinity, and that one world-ending punch that ended the Duel.
By this point, the comment section was already a full-blown battlefield.
DragonAbuse (Terminal Stage): "Another AI-generated fake for clout? I've played both closed betas, you know. Calling myself an old-timer isn't wrong. Summoning Obelisk down in the Lower City? Have you even read the official setting doc? Without a Millennium Item no one can control a God. There isn't even a hint of an Item in the clip. You think we're idiots?"
Kazetaro (Detail Freak): "If your eyes are busted, go get them treated. The more I watch this, the more familiar it looks. Blue-Eyes, slamming the floor to draw a card, the opponent's Cubic deck—this is obviously a shot-for-shot recreation of that classic scene from the movie 'Dark Side of Dimensions.'"
Inside a cramped cubicle in some office building, a "cursed-gacha" office worker had just finished his lunch break. He habitually scrolled the forums every day to scratch the itch, and the Obelisk video on his screen instantly snapped him fully awake.
After thinking for a moment, he started typing.
Old Zhou: "Just saw this while slacking off at work. As a 'cloud player' who didn't get into the beta, I've dug through every official easter egg, every beta leak, and all the viral clips going around lately. I've come to the conclusion that Yusaku is very likely the main character of this game. Let me explain why.
First off, the Deck is the loudest clue! Didn't any of you notice? Yusaku is using a Blue-Eyes White Dragon Deck. Anyone who's watched the anime knows exactly what that Deck represents.
In the anime, only the main character Seto Kaiba runs that Deck.
As for the Cubic Deck—no need to spell that out. It's one of the key villain Decks.
The fact that he can come back and win while being suppressed by a Cubic Deck just highlights how special his role is. Anyone who can counter a key plot Deck like that is obviously going to be tightly bound to the main storyline.
Second, everyone who's actually watched Yu-Gi-Oh! should get it…"
He went on to dissect it in ever more detail, building his case point by point.
"Finally, just look at Yusaku's Duel style in the video. That shot of him slamming the floor to summon a God, the whole sense of framing—it's identical to the 'mysterious duelist' in the game's opening CG! I'll put five yen on this: once the main story is updated at launch, Yusaku is definitely going to be a key driving force in the plot!"
Curious Onlooker A: "The analysis actually makes some sense! I thought it was just a deepfake at first, but now I'm not so sure."
Beta-Less Crybaby: "…It does kind of add up? I'll reserve judgment though. I'm waiting for an official confirmation."
…
At this moment, Yusaku still had no idea he'd gone fully viral. He was sitting quietly in his room, seriously thinking about which Deck he should switch to.
Not long ago, he'd completed a quest and gotten 500 Crystals and 5 Forbidden-Card Shards from the system. When he acquired the Quantum Cube, the system had granted an additional 50 Forbidden-Card Shards and 5000 Crystals.
In other words, he now had enough resources to reshape his build.
"'Can create a space,' huh?"
Yusaku rubbed his chin, mulling it over.
"So I'll be able to construct a private space in the future. Inside it I'd basically be a god, with the power to banish things wholesale."
In simpler terms, it was a space he could construct where he'd exist as a godlike being and gain access to massive banishment.
"Which means I'll eventually be able to build a domain and throw a party with all the spirits there… though it's a bit too early for that with so few of them right now."
Sayo and Reina were probably off somewhere pulling heists. The Underworld Goddess should still be in her palace. Those shut-in Mikanko girls were likely holed up in their shrine. He'd have to visit them once the tournament was over.
"Everyone else is searching for missing shipgirls, and here I am tracking down lost spirits instead."
Yusaku laughed helplessly, shook the thoughts from his mind for the time being, then called up the system shop and started seriously building his Deck.
Right now he had 5500 Crystals and 55 Forbidden-Card Shards. That was more than enough to trade for a Tier-1 Deck.
Sitting in front of him were three Tier-1 options: Kashtira, Ryzeal, and Yummy.
Each of these Decks had a clear price tag. With 100 Forbidden-Card Shards, he could directly redeem a full competitive core.
Of course, he could also redeem single cards at 50 Shards per card.
"Forget it. Redeeming singles is a ripoff. I'll wait until I've got 100 Shards and grab a full core in one go…"
After closing the system panel, Yusaku stood up and headed outside—the next Duel was about to begin.
"Long time no see."
As soon as Yusaku walked onto the stage, Sato, who had come from far away, opened his mouth.
"It hasn't been that long." Yusaku replied with a small smile. "It's only been, what, four days since we last Duelled?"
"Only four days, huh?"
Sato lifted his arm slightly and unfolded his Duel Disk in one fluid motion.
"There are some things I want to talk to you about—Millennium Items and Prana. But first, let's finish this Duel."
"That so?"
Yusaku's trench coat flared softly as he shifted his stance, his gaze turning sharper.
"Then come on!"
"Duel!"
As their voices overlapped, the system displays on both Duel Disks lit up at once. A mechanical voice echoed clearly through the whole arena.
"Then I'll take the first turn. Draw Phase, Main Phase!"
He drew a card, then raised another high from his hand.
"First, I activate the Field Spell—New Frontier!"
After placing the Field Spell, Yusaku didn't pause for even a moment. He pulled out another card from his hand.
"Next, I activate the Spell Card—Gold Sarcophagus!"
"The effect of this card: choose 1 card from your Deck and banish it. During your second Standby Phase after this card's activation, add the banished card to your hand."
He pulled a card out of his Deck and slid it into the banished zone of his Duel Disk.
"I choose to banish Tri-Brigade Mercourier from my Deck!"
"At this moment—!"
Yusaku suddenly raised his voice.
"The effect of the just-banished Tri-Brigade Mercourier activates! If this card is banished, I can add 1 Fallen of Albaz, or 1 monster that mentions it, other than this card, from my Deck to my hand!"
"I add Fallen of the White Dragon from my Deck to my hand!"
"I activate the effect of Fallen of the White Dragon in my hand!" Yusaku's voice rang out again, full of momentum.
"While this card is in my hand, I can send 1 monster from my Extra Deck that mentions Fallen of Albaz to the GY, and if I do, I Special Summon this card!"
"At that moment—!"
Sato whipped out a card from his hand and snapped it up.
"I chain to your effect and activate the effect of Mulcharmy Fuwalos in my hand!"
"The effect of this card: if I control no cards, during either player's turn, I can discard this card to activate it. From then on, each time you Special Summon a monster from your Deck or Extra Deck, I draw 1 card.
Also, during the End Phase, if the number of cards in my hand exceeds the number of cards on your field by 6 or more, I shuffle cards from my hand back into the Deck at random until the difference is only 6."
"Mulcharmy Fuwalos?"
Yusaku's brows knitted slightly, a hint of curiosity flashing through his eyes.
"You're not from the Satellite Zone, are you?"
At that, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Sato's mouth.
"Of course I'm not from the Satellite Zone. I'm from the Genius Academy in the Upper City. I came all the way here because of that God Card you summoned in your last Duel.
But the Prana people messed up my plan. Who knows how long it'll be before we can awaken a God's power again."
"Anyway, enough chatter." He shifted the topic back, looking at Yusaku again.
"How about we make a bet? If I lose, I'll tell you everything you want to know. If you lose, you join our Genius Academy."
"Genius Academy, huh?"
Yusaku raised an eyebrow. That faction hadn't shown up at all in either of the previous betas.
"Sure." There was genuine interest in his voice now.
"I am pretty curious about the Genius Academy. But joining is out of the question. I'm used to my freedom. I don't like being tied down."
With that, he raised Fallen of the White Dragon in his hand again.
"Then, in accordance with this card's effect, I send Granguignol the Dusk Dragon from my Extra Deck to the GY and Special Summon it!"
Summoning light flared across the arena.
A black-haired boy in a pristine white uniform, white hair streaming behind him, descended onto the field.
Fallen of the White Dragon
[Level 4 / Dragon / Effect]
ATK 1800
"The effect of Fallen of the White Dragon continues to activate!" Yusaku called, his voice brimming with fighting spirit.
"When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 'Ecclesia' monster from my hand, Deck, or GY!"
"By this effect, I Special Summon Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous from my Deck in Attack Position!"
A second burst of light bloomed.
A round-cheeked, golden-haired girl appeared on the field, gripping a dragon-headed staff. A gentle magical glow radiated from around her.
Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous
[Level 4 / Spellcaster / Tuner]
ATK 1500
"Next, I tune these two monsters together!"
"I Synchro Summon, Level 8—Ecclesia of the Black Dragon!"
The two monsters turned into twin streams of light, shooting into the sky. Starlight stitched itself together into a straight line of eight stars, and a brilliant pillar of light crashed straight down like a descending galaxy.
"Roar—!!"
A deafening roar tore through the air.
A massive dragon claw coated in dark scales thrust out of the vortex of light, its talons shining with a space-rending gleam.
The cocoon of radiance shattered.
A golden-haired girl clad in starlit armor rode astride a black dragon, dragon-crystal staff in hand, descending slowly from the beam of light at the center of the arena.
Ecclesia of the Black Dragon
[Level 8 / Spellcaster / Synchro / Effect]
ATK 2500
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 500 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]