Chapter 46: Shadi

"Impossible! Why do you have a Millennium Item!"

Seeing You Tian pull out the Millennium Scale, Malik screamed in desperation.

The Game below the stage was also utterly astonished.

Millennium Scale? Could it be… Shadi?

You Tian merely smiled.

Time rewound thirty minutes earlier.

Just before You Tian was about to be discovered by Dark Mo Liang, Shadi emerged from the darkness and grabbed him by the arm.

"You're… Shadi??" You Tian stared in shock.

Shadi placed a finger to his lips, signaling You Tian to stay silent. Then, he led You Tian away, activating an invisibility barrier.

Dark Mo Liang, slowly approaching along the trail of Darkness, naturally missed them again.

"Tch, it's that Shadi again!"

Inside the Airship, in an unremarkable cabin.

Having escaped Mo Liang's detection range, You Tian stumbled out of Shadi's invisibility barrier, and Shadi likewise revealed himself.

Though You Tian had just been saved by Shadi, instinctively he stepped back two paces, putting distance between them.

"No need to be so wary of me, You Tian," Shadi spoke, seeing his reaction.

"You know me?!" You Tian was startled.

Shadi did not answer You Tian's question; instead, he gazed out the cabin window.

"You shouldn't have boarded this Airship."

You Tian frowned.

Does he know I'm a transmigrator?

"What do you mean by that?"

Shadi still didn't answer You Tian, but slowly pulled the Millennium Scale from behind his waist.

You Tian's gaze sharpened.

Shadi held it up with one hand, raising the Millennium Scale between them.

Midday sunlight streamed through the cabin window. One side of the scale basked in light, the other remained shrouded in shadow.

"Your arrival has flooded this Airship with excessive Darkness, completely disrupting its natural balance."

Salarala~

As Shadi spoke, the Millennium Scale seemed to weigh the light against the shadow—both pans began trembling incessantly.

Whoosh~

Suddenly, the pan hidden in shadow plummeted straight down.

You Tian frowned tightly at this.

"The Millennium Scale measures the strength of surrounding energy. As you see, the Darkness on this Airship is far too overwhelming."

Salarala~

Shadi lowered the Millennium Scale and looked at You Tian.

"Darkness has a property: when enough of it gathers, it grows stronger."

"Anyone on this ship who wields Darkness will have their power amplified."

Hearing this, You Tian blinked.

"Uh… doesn't this break the First Law of Thermodynamics?"

(PS: First Law of Thermodynamics: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another or transferred between objects, with total quantity conserved.)

Whether it was an illusion or not, Shadi's eternally expressionless face seemed to twitch slightly.

"Of course, Darkness doesn't grow indefinitely. Once it reaches a critical threshold, it begins to fight and annihilate itself."

You Tian clicked his tongue twice.

"Teacher, I don't understand."

This time, You Tian clearly saw Shadi's expression twitch.

"Around midnight, the Darkness on this Airship will peak. The one who possesses and controls it will vanish from the Airship due to this rule."

Shadi turned his head toward You Tian.

"You possess Duel Spirits—this includes you, You Tian!"

A question mark appeared above You Tian's head.

Wait, what's this got to do with me? I'm just an ordinary, handsome, awesome transmigrator!

"And…" Shadi spoke again.

"When you use the ThreePhantomGods in a Duel, their power will also be amplified by this property."

"Put simply: anyone attacked by the gods will die!"

"What!" You Tian was shaken to his core.

Shadi's gaze lingered on You Tian's deck, then shook his head.

"With only those two Spirits of yours, you cannot survive an attack from the ThreePhantomGods."

"Th-this…" You Tian hesitated, words catching in his throat.

This morning, Isis used the Millennium Pendant in her Duel with me and Summoned cards from the future. But in the Original Plot, all she could do was glimpse a fleeting future.

Could Shadi be telling the truth?

"Why tell me this?" You Tian asked.

Shadi stared at You Tian, silent for a long time.

You Tian frowned.

Hm? Director Xia, are you… stuck?

"Whether what you said is true or not, you just saved my life. Thank you!"

Saying this, You Tian clasped one fist to his chest and bowed to Shadi.

Shadi's gaze shifted slightly.

"Aren't you planning to leave the Airship?"

Hm? You Tian lifted his head in confusion, then offered a bitter smile.

Leave? I'd like to, but I didn't get the ThreePhantomGods, and I don't have a glider—what am I supposed to do ten thousand meters up?

Even if I left now, what then? Am I doomed to live forever in the DM world?

Someone might say, "The DM world lets you duel anytime—what's wrong with that?"

Hah.

In Yu-Gi-Oh! Parts 1 to 3, each one has a few bosses trying to destroy the world. In an environment like that, can you even sleep?

Besides, you can duel on Blue Star too.

Seeing You Tian's dilemma, Shadi seemed to understand his decision.

Salarala~

He slowly handed the Millennium Scale to You Tian.

"Since you still want to stay, take this."

"The Millennium Items strengthen the holder's spiritual power. With this, you won't be easily killed by the ThreePhantomGods."

Hm? The Millennium Scale? For me?

You Tian looked at the Millennium Scale, then at Shadi, his gaze shifting between the two.

At that moment, a flood of question marks floated above his head—he had a thousand questions to ask.

"Y-Why are you helping me?" In the end, You Tian only asked this.

Shadi smiled without speaking.

You Tian: Fine! Back into standby mode again!

Just then, the view outside the cabin window changed abruptly.

The burning Phoenix stained the sky red, followed by thunderous lightning.

Shadi, watching the Heavenly Judgment of Slifer the Sky Dragon outside, frowned slightly.

"That Gravekeeper's used a replica of Ra, summoning the god's wrath."

"Your arrival has gathered too much Darkness on this Airship."

"Even the power of Heavenly Judgment has been amplified."

"I fear Slifer the Sky Dragon's fury will directly kill your friend."

You Tian: No good! Jonouchi is dueling Rishid—if this continues, Jonouchi will die!

"What do we do! Jonouchi's about to be struck by lightning!"

Shadi sighed helplessly and handed You Tian a 【Lightning Rod】.

You Tian instinctively took it; when he looked up again, Shadi had vanished.

In his other hand, however, now rested a—Millennium Scale.

Back to the current Duel Boat stage.

You Tian watched Malik's frenzied expression and curled his lips into a sly smile.

"You asked where my Millennium Item came from?"

"Need I say it? Your sister Isis gave it to me."

"Didn't you see me coming out of her room this morning?"

Everyone:!!

Malik:??

"Your Tomb Wardens have collected three divine artifacts—you can't be unaware of that, right?"

"No way, really?"

Malik:??

You Tian shook his head.

"She said this item was meant for you. But when she saw how skilled I am at dueling, she gave it to me! And told me not to tell you."

"Ah, look at this mess—ah, why did I say that, ah!"

As he spoke, You Tian made a grotesque face and licked the Millennium Scale.

"Smooth~~"

Everyone: …

Malik:!!!

Upon hearing this, Malik's temples bulged with veins.

Malik would never believe such nonsense as "the Tomb Wardens own three divine artifacts" or "Isis gave the Millennium Scale to You Tian."

But seeing You Tian, right before his very eyes, make such a grotesque expression, Malik felt utterly unwell!

Only he had ever made others look ridiculous—now, some random Niu Tounren had turned the tables on him!

"Damn it! Die!"

"My turn isn't over yet!"

Fwaa! Malik slammed his last hand card into his Duel Disk—the force was so great the card's surface cracked.

"Magic Card 【Pot of Greed】, I return the five small fry in the Graveyard to the Deck, then draw two cards from the Deck!"

Flick! Flick!

Malik gritted his teeth and drew two cards.

"I Summon this card in Attack Position — come forth, 【Executioner Makyura】!"

【Attack Power: 1600】

You Tian: Oh~ another legendary beast card has arrived.

"Your monsters have all been burned away by Ra! Now, I'll use 【Executioner Makyura】 to launch a direct attack on you! Go!"

The moment the order was given, 【Executioner Makyura】 charged at You Tian with the force of a gale, blade raised.

"Die! Bastard!"