Chapter 257: Do you know Mr. Marik?

Lost.

Marik Ishtar looked up at the sky, his expression dazed for a moment.

After waiting for about two seconds, realizing that he hadn't kicked the bucket and his soul was still safely in his body, he finally reacted—

——Oh, so it wasn't a Shadow Duel.

Back in the day, Marik Ishtar, like the other two of the Xin Xin Duoma trio, had gained dark powers through the Seal of Orichalcos. But after Dartz fell and the three were redeemed, they no longer possessed the power of the Seal.

However, his experiences in Xin Xin Duoma had unlocked Marik Ishtar's talent for Shadow Games, and he had learned how to use them even without relying on the Seal. Over the years, he had started his own league of Shadow Duelists, using the power of Shadow Duels to punish evil and promote good, which in a way was also compensation for the mistakes he had made as a Xin Xin Duoma swordsman in his early years.

So, he had played many life-or-death duels over the years, and his skills had not been neglected.

He was so used to life-or-death duels that he hadn't reacted in time today, instinctively thinking he was going to die when his LP hit zero.

Only then did he realize, oh, there was no Shadow Game today. The reason it felt dark was simply because the dueling of the person in front of him was somewhat sinister.

It is said that playing cards reflects a duelist's heart, so Marik Ishtar, who had been hit by Lava Golem three times in one game, now had his mind filled with the silly smile of that lava giant, and he couldn't help but start to wonder if this person's heart was also a bit sinister...

"Impressive, Fujiki You Xuan, even Marik Ishtar is no match for you." Mokuba stepped forward and patted his back, laughing. "Looking at it this way, you might already be able to go head-to-head with my brother."

Now that more than half of this semester had passed, the half-year appointment with the President was also approaching. By the end of this semester, the new Duel City tournament would likely begin, which would probably be Fujiki You Xuan's main project during the winter break.

Dueling with the President, huh...

Fujiki You Xuan glanced at the President and found that the President was also looking at him. The moment their eyes met, the President's mouth curled up slightly, revealing an expression of great interest.

Miraculously, through this one look, Fujiki You Xuan actually heard a voice in his mind.

You↑Xuan↓, the moment has finally arrived. Full☆Speed☆Ahead, Duel!

"..."

"Fujiki You Xuan's dueling is also very impressive, right?" Mokuba laughed at Marik Ishtar.

In fact, compared to Kaiba, Mokuba actually had a better relationship with Marik Ishtar. Back then, Marik Ishtar had seen the shadow of his deceased brother in him and had even gifted him his brother's most important keepsake. Since then, it had basically been Mokuba who kept in touch with this person.

"Well, yeah. Very impressive, played... quite well."

Although Marik Ishtar said so, his expression when looking at Fujiki You Xuan was a bit strange.

It had a bit of an insincere, hesitant flavor to it.

Can't say it wasn't impressive, after all, he hadn't won himself.

But to say it was played beautifully, as the victim himself, he really couldn't bring himself to say it...

"By the way," Marik Ishtar remembered something. "I remember, student Fujiki You Xuan belongs to the Ra Yellow dormitory at Duel Academy, right?"

"Yes." Fujiki You Xuan admitted.

"Oh ho ho, a student as excellent as Fujiki You Xuan is only in the Yellow dormitory, Duel Academy really is blind." Marik Ishtar laughed dryly.

What happened to all the elites being in the Blue dormitory?

I'm thinking, with this kind of freak student, I'm afraid your teachers and principal couldn't beat him even if they teamed up, right?

"Not at all, the Yellow dormitory is quite good." Fujiki You Xuan smiled. "I personally quite like the Yellow dormitory."

Marik Ishtar pondered.

Right, speaking of Ra Yellow...

Naturally, he thought of a certain crispy chicken among the Three Phantom Gods, and then associated it with the wielder of that crispy chicken in Duel City back then.

And then he thought of Lava Golem, which had repeatedly jumped back and forth and eaten his big monsters who knows how many times in this duel...

"May I ask, student Fujiki You Xuan." Marik Ishtar asked. "Do you know Marik Ishtar?"

"Uh, I've only heard that he was the legendary duelist who wielded the Phantom Gods back then, but I've never had the chance to meet him." Fujiki You Xuan said.

"Is that so..."

Marik Ishtar laughed, a dry, hollow laugh.

"Although I have never met him in person, I think, if it were Mr. Marik, he and student Fujiki You Xuan would probably have a lot in common, and perhaps you would get along very well... aha, ahahaha."

Fujiki You Xuan narrowed his eyes.

What does that mean? Implying my card playing is sinister?

"..."

Well, but facing a victim who had just been hit by Lava Golem three times and finally hammered to death by Lava Golem, it really seems hard to refute.

But Mr. Marik back then had the Winged Dragon of Ra, known as the most sinister Phantom God.

If I could also get a Phantom God with anime effects, this Lord of the Yellow Clothes would be considered complete.

Thinking of this, Fujiki You Xuan shook his head.

Forget it, it's too far away, don't think about these things.

As everyone knows, the Three Phantom Gods in the anime are not just cards, but true "Gods" that choose their own users.

DM mentioned that even Pegasus only managed to complete the design of the Phantom God cards with the help of the Millennium Eye. All other card designers who tried to take over the Phantom God project suffered divine punishment, either dying or going crazy.

However, it didn't specify why; maybe those three guys just didn't like the art the designers drew for them...

Now, the original Phantom God cards produced by Pegasus have all gone extinct, following the Pharaoh to the Underworld just like the Millennium Items. Only people like Kaiba, who have both black technology and usage permits, can briefly obtain a Phantom God trial card through the skill of "floor drawing."

Speaking of which, Fujiki You Xuan vaguely remembers that someone in the second year of GX also successfully replicated the Winged Dragon of Ra.

Industrial Illusions never gave up on replicating the Three Phantom Gods after the Pharaoh left—after all, they are the strongest cards at the pinnacle of Duel Monsters, and it's impossible to just give up.

It's just that the act of trying to replicate the cards itself is very dangerous, and summoning them in a duel is even more dangerous. If the Phantom God thinks the holder is not qualified to use it, it might directly bring down divine thunder punishment, and one careless move could turn you into a vegetable, just like Marik's servant Odion in DM.

But in the anime, a genius designer at Industrial Illusions developed a Field Spell called "Mound of the Bound Creator," which could help him avoid divine punishment and forcibly control the Phantom God. It's just that this act is likely playing with fire, and it wouldn't be surprising if it backfired at any time.

However, it is enough to prove that Industrial Illusions never gave up on the reproduction of the Phantom Gods, and even kept trying to develop more supporting derivative cards.

Honestly, Fujiki You Xuan feels that the probability of him, a mortal, obtaining the recognition of a Phantom God is not high, but if he had to choose from derivative cards, his favorite is still "The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode" released after the physical card version.

It looks just like the smooth golden sphere summoned by Mai Valentine after she stole Marik's Winged Dragon of Ra in Duel City, commonly known as the bird egg.

ATK 0, DEF 0, but this card can be Normal Summoned to the opponent's field by using three monsters on the opponent's field as Offerings. And after one turn, it jumps back to the original owner's field, which is a tribute to the classic anime scene.

Can only say that a Phantom God is a Phantom God, the face is just different. The silly giant only eats two monsters at a time, while it eats three in one go. And when Lava Golem goes to the opponent's field, it at least has the stats of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, making it an effective combat force.

While the bird egg has 0 ATK and 0 DEF, and besides being annoying on the opponent's field, it doesn't seem to have any other use, and after being annoying, it will come back the next turn, and it can also transform into other forms of the Winged Dragon of Ra...

It looks like a very happy card.

Fujiki You Xuan is thinking that when he has time in the future, he will go to Industrial Illusions to find the Pegasus brothers and inquire. If he can't get a genuine Phantom God, finding a way to get a bird egg feels like a good idea too.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 258 =====