On the eve of victory's dawn, endless darkness suddenly swallowed everything.

The white mist turned black. Enveloped, people seemed trapped in an eternal night.

All Duelists saw only spreading despair, until even their cards and Spirit Eyes were consumed.

"What… what is this? Didn't we win?"

Kevin's vision blurred. He felt life itself being drained into an abyss. Even the Red-Eyes Black Dragon in his hand faded.

"This darkness… how long will it last?"

Unable to resist, his life force and consciousness drained away. He collapsed, like all caught in the black fog.

"This capital… this country… what fate awaits us? It's unbearable!"

Deion gritted his teeth, royal pride keeping him upright until the last.

Yet, even he succumbed to exhaustion, falling unconscious.

No one was spared. Covered by the fog, all in the capital fainted as the Sacred Beasts drained their life.

"Brother! Brother!! What's wrong?!"

Only the young princess stayed awake. Nova Kaiser was mysteriously untouched, left to watch as everyone around her fell.

Even staying conscious, surrounded by darkness and fear, was worse than fainting.

"Big brother, wake up!"

The only other unaffected: Ren Austin. Far away, but felt the same fear, watching her own brother collapse.

"Why is this happening? We fought so hard… what did Livorden do to deserve this?"

The despair was sharper for the conscious two. To seize hope of victory, only to plunge into deeper darkness… the contrast made despair worse.

"Can't we do anything? Why won't this darkness end?!"

Silence answered. Only dead stillness greeted Ren's cries.

At the center of the vortex, loneliness and helplessness pressed to the point of collapse.

DOONG—!

The silence broke. A bell tolled, so loud it shook the air.

It was the dreadnought, Concord of Bells, forcing its way through the fog, ringing as it clashed.

Once the death knell of bombardment, now its clear chime sounded like reborn hope in the darkness.

"That's… the Empire's warship?" Ren stared skyward. "But Miles and Kaima captured it. If it's here, then—!"

"Locke Slint!! We're back!!"

Miles stood on the warship's prow. Commanding the steel beast through thunder and storm, he roared with heat.

"I've returned!!"

"There he is!"

From the sky, Miles and Kaima saw what was hidden from those on the ground: black mist spiraling, life-force flowing to one point. At its center stood a man. Muscles swollen, body changed—but the Millennium Eye was unmistakable.

"Let's ram him! Let him taste his Empire's own firepower!"

Crushing a Duelist physically was the simplest option. A warship's mass carried destructive power beyond compare.

Kaima steered the dreadnought, its nose aimed at Locke Slint.

Aisha yelled, "Charge! Eat my steamroller!!"

"Yeah!"

The warship dove. Once, the old Locke Slint might've worried.

However, now, brimming with stolen life, he felt invincible.

"Haahhh—!!"

With a roar, veins bulged. Locke's massive muscles flexed. One bare arm rose—and with it, he stopped the warship's full charge with a single hand.

"A monster…!" Miles cursed.

"Enough. Time to go."

Kaima snapped her fingers, summoning Blue-Eyes White Dragon. It seized Miles and Aisha, pulling them free as the dreadnought crashed.

The crew inside fainted from the impact. The dragon landed. The capital's last hope—Miles and Kaima—now faced Locke Slint, empowered with eternal life.

"Old man… you've grown sturdier fast."

Aisha said, "Miles, your definition of 'sturdy' is way off!"

Even before a man who could stop a warship barehanded, Miles joked… unflinching. They couldn't lose spirit before the duel even began.

Abruptly, Kaima staggered, leaning on him.

"Kaima?"

The fog had begun to affect her. Her consciousness blurred. Only by leaning on Miles did she stay up.

"No… I can't fall here!"

In her haze, instinct made her reach for the Millennium Puzzle hanging at Aisha's chest.

...

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