The key holders soon reached the shoreline, and froze.
Rising from the waves was a medieval castle, straight out of Dracula's nightmares. Its stone walls dripped with shadow, and stretching from the entrance was a long blood-red carpet that reached across the water like a bridge. The sight alone made Chumley cower behind the others.
"Well, at least it's the red carpet treatment," Crowler muttered, taking a nervous step back. Chumley and Syrus mirrored him instantly.
"Crimson red," Celina noted, her tone grim. "Fitting…for a vampire."
"Now, what do we do?" Bastion asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
"We face whoever this is," Jaden answered without hesitation.
"Right," Alexis nodded firmly.
"But…who will it be?" Chazz asked, glancing between them.
Before anyone could respond, Crowler, Syrus, and Chumley all shuffled backward at the same time, colliding in a clumsy heap. Their panicked screams echoed against the waves until, somehow, Crowler ended up shoved to the front.
"Oh? So you'll go first, Doctor Crowler?" Jaden grinned, slapping his teacher on the back. "Extremely brave, teach!"
Crowler chuckled weakly, eyes darting. "Y-Yes, but…how about a different way of choosing? Surely the strongest should go first, yes?" His gaze latched onto Zane with desperate hope.
"Sorry," Zane said, shaking his head. "I'd rather see how our opponents play first." His tone was apologetic, but his reason was practical, his all-rounder deck was still unfinished. Without Momoyo to test its latest modifications, he wasn't confident in fielding it yet.
"But I-" Crowler's excuse died in his throat.
A dark wind swept across the shore. The air grew heavy, chilling their bones. Slow, deliberate footsteps echoed on the crimson carpet. Every pair of eyes turned toward the source.
And there she was.
The Vampire Rider.
Camula glided across the blood-red path as if gravity itself bent to her will. Her crimson gaze swept over the group, committing each face to memory. She had heard of Nightshroud's defeat…and wanted to know who had shamed him.
Slifer, was it?
Her lips curled into a frown. He wasn't here. The one who intrigued her most was absent. Still, there was Kaiser, the handsome one, but her disappointment was obvious.
Instead, her eyes landed on Crowler, who stood in front of the group. His entire body shook like a leaf in the wind, sweat running down his temple.
"And who might you be?" Camula asked silkily.
"Y-Your challenger," Crowler stammered.
Camula's smile faded. "Not good enough." Her tone cut like ice. "You are not worthy. Where is that Slifer who defeated the first Shadow Rider? Even Kaiser would do."
The group stiffened at her words.
She wanted to duel Yumi?
Was she insane? Who in their right mind asked to duel him?
Zane didn't seem offended, though. If anything, he accepted her judgment. He knew the truth, those siblings weren't human. No ordinary person could wield decks so chaotic, toxic, yet so devastatingly powerful.
Before anyone else could speak, Crowler stepped forward.
"Oh no, you won't!" His voice rang louder than expected. "I may be selfish, I may despise slackers…but I will not allow my students to suffer in my place!"
The others blinked, surprised. Despite his bluster and cruelty, Crowler was…protective?
He strapped on his duel vest, glaring at her with unexpected conviction. "You'll have to go through me before you lay a hand on them! Got that?!"
Camula laughed, her voice dripping with mockery as her eyes glowed a bloody red. "Fine. If you're so desperate to lose your Key, then you'll face me, Camula, Vampire Mistress of the Shadow Riders."
Crowler sneered. "Yeah, right. Plastic teeth, cheap contacts, sloppy lipstick, rubber bats, your tricks don't scare me!"
Camula's smirk returned. She raised a blank-faced doll in her hand, its presence radiating menace. "Then let's make it interesting. If you win, I'll never set foot here again. But if I win, your soul will be sealed in this doll."
The group erupted in shock.
"What?!"
"A soul and a Key?!"
"How is that even fair?!"
Bastion, Jaden, and Chazz all shouted at once: "Forget it!"
But Crowler didn't flinch.
"You think you can beat me? Please! I'd have more trouble dueling the slacker of all slackers!" He slammed his deck into his duel vest with authority. "I'll show you what my Ph.D. in Dueling really means!"
On Camula's arm, a vampiric-styled Duel Disk materialized, pulsing with eerie light. Crowler activated his vest, and the two of them strode forward, the dueling field forming around them.
The others, key holders, Syrus, and Chumley, took their places at the edge to watch.
The Vampire Mistress and the Key Holder glared across the battlefield.
Both voices rang out in unison.
"DUEL!"
[Crowler, LP 4000]
[Camula, LP 4000]
Both duelists drew their opening hands, the air thick with anticipation. The Vampire Rider moved first, her crimson eyes narrowing with delight.
"I'll go, and show you true vampires!" Camula declared, her voice echoing across the field. She drew her first card, glanced at her hand, and grinned devilishly.
"I summon Goblin Zombie!"
From a swirl of shadow, a grotesque figure emerged, a skeletal goblin draped in rotting flesh, its blood-red eyes gleaming. Blue orbs hovered around its shoulders as it brandished a jagged sword, hissing at the field before it.
[Goblin Zombie, 1100 ATK]
"Next, I'll end my turn with two cards face down." Camula slid the cards into place, and with a sharp crack, two ominous holographic panels materialized behind her zombie.
"Ahh, I see what you're trying to do, you want me to spring both of your set cards with that little bait of yours," Crowler remarked. Camula raised an eyebrow, surprised he caught on. Maybe he wasn't as much of a pushover as he looked. "But still… I'll bite. Draw!"
Sliding the new card into his hand, Crowler's grin widened. "First, I summon my Ancient Gear Wyvern in attack mode!"
The duel disk flared as a metallic dragon screeched onto the field, its gears grinding and wings snapping into place.
[Ancient Gear Wyvern, 1700 ATK]
"And thanks to Wyvern's effect, I can add an Ancient Gear card from my deck straight to my-"
"Not quite!" Camula snapped. One of her face-downs flipped open. "I activate the Continuous Trap card, Skill Drain! By paying 1000 Life Points, I negate the effects of all face-up monsters on the field."
[Camula, LP 4000 -> 3000]
Wyvern roared in defiance, only for its glow to fade as its power was suppressed.
"Tch." Crowler scowled, knowing his monster was now little more than dead weight. "No matter. I activate Double Summon! Allowing me to Normal Summon again this turn!"
He raised another card but paused, lips curling into a smirk. "However, I'll save that for later. Instead, I play my Field Spell, Geartown!"
The battlefield warped, replaced by a sprawling city of massive interlocking gears, pistons, and machines whirring to life.
Unimpressed, Camula remained silent as Crowler slid another card onto his disk. "Thanks to Geartown, I can summon an Ancient Gear monster with one less tribute! So come forth, Ancient Gear Beast!"
From the iron streets of Geartown thundered a mechanical sabertooth, its rusted frame still radiating raw power. With a metallic snarl, it leapt onto Crowler's field, the ground trembling beneath its landing.
[Ancient Gear Beast, 2000 ATK]
Syrus brightened with sudden realization. "Oh, I get it! Since Beast is Level 6, Geartown let him summon it with no tributes!"
"Correct, Sy," Alexis nodded. "And with Double Summon, Crowler still got full value out of his Normal Summon. Though… doesn't this duel feel kind of slow?"
"Maybe because we've been watching so many of his duels," Celina added with a shrug. "Regular ones just can't compare."
"Now, Ancient Gear Beast! Pulverize that worthless excuse of a zombie!" Crowler roared.
The machine lunged, gears screaming.
"Trap card, Raigeki Break!" Camula cut in, flipping her second set card. "By discarding one card, I can target and destroy one card on the field. And I choose your Ancient Gear Beast!"
A jagged bolt of lightning split the field, tearing through the mechanical predator and shattering it into scrap.
"Grr… Then Ancient Gear Wyvern! Attack that zombie!" Crowler ordered.
With a metallic shriek, Wyvern dived down and slashed the skeletal goblin apart.
[Camula, LP 3000 -> 2400]
"When Goblin Zombie is sent to the graveyard," Camula countered smoothly, "I can add one Zombie monster with 1200 or less DEF from my deck to my hand." She revealed her selection with a sinister smile. "I'll take Vampire's Curse."
Crowler clicked his tongue but pressed on. "I activate the Spell Card, Ancient Gear Drill! By discarding one card from my hand, I can search my deck for a Spell and set it directly to the field."
The selected card snapped into place on his duel disk, materializing facedown behind his Wyvern.
"Unfortunately, I can't activate it this turn." He raised his chin proudly. "That will be all. Turn end."
Camula showed no emotion throughout the entire turn, not even when her Life Points dropped. Her tone was flat, almost mocking. "Of course you would make a move like that. I presume that Spell you set isn't even a Quick-Play, certainly nothing that can stop me or touch my side of the field."
Murmurs spread among the onlookers. Many wondered what she meant, but Crowler's eyes widened, because she was absolutely right.
"But unfortunately for you," Camula continued coolly, "you won't ever get to use it. Draw!"
She drew with a sharp flick of her wrist, immediately sliding another card into her Duel Disk. "I activate the Field Spell, Infernalvania!"
The ground trembled violently. The lively, clattering streets of Geartown crumbled to dust, swallowed by shadows. Above them stretched a blood-red sky, with only a jagged, twisting pathway leading toward a sinister ancient castle.
"This doesn't look good," Alexis muttered.
"This is so anti-licious!" Celina groaned.
"What Field Spell even is that?!" Jaden exclaimed.
"Jay, hold me!" Syrus yelped, nearly jumping into his arms.
Because of the game rules, only one Field Spell could exist at a time, meaning Geartown was destroyed.
Crowler clenched his teeth. "When Geartown is destroyed, I can Special Summon an Ancient Gear monster from my hand, deck, or graveyard!"
A card ejected from his deck. Crowler snatched it, holding it up triumphantly. "I Special Summon the one, the only, the legendary, Ancient Gear Golem!"
The ground split open, and a colossal metallic fist slammed down, followed by the towering frame of the machine that had once nearly defeated Jaden. Its red eyes glowed ominously as it roared onto the field.
[Ancient Gear Golem, 3000 ATK]
Camula sneered. "Is this the best you can muster? After I'm finished with you, I'll wait for either Slifer or the Kaiser to give me a real match." She raised another card. "I discard a Zombie monster from my hand to activate Infernalvania's effect."
She discarded Vampire's Curse. A blood-red gale howled across the field, swirling with the stench of decay.
Her smirk sharpened. "By discarding Vampire's Curse, I destroy all monsters on the field."
Crowler's eyes widened in horror. The students gasped. Only Zane and Celina remained unfazed; they had seen entire fields wiped out too many times than they could count.
The crimson wind howled, tearing through Crowler's monsters, shattering them into scrap and dust. The mighty Golem was reduced to nothing in an instant.
"Next, I activate Pot of Greed," Camula declared, drawing two more cards. A satisfied smirk spread across her lips. "Now, Spell Card, Book of Life! I target Vampire Lord in my Graveyard, and your Ancient Gear Golem. I Special Summon my Lord, and banish your Golem!"
The towering machine vanished from Crowler's graveyard as a swarm of screeching bats erupted, forming into the elegant figure of her lord.
[Vampire Lord, 2000 ATK]
"But I'm not done. I banish Vampire Lord to Special Summon, Vampire Genesis!"
Her lord dissolved into shadow, replaced by a hulking monstrosity of purple flesh and bone, more beast than man.
[Vampire Genesis, 3000 ATK]
"Then I activate the Spell, Zombie Reborn! I banish Vampire's Curse from my deck to Special Summon the one already in my graveyard!"
The crimson aura flared again, and from the darkness emerged the pale, cursed figure.
[Vampire's Curse, 2000 ATK]
Camula chuckled coldly. With a wave of her hand, she gave the command. "Go! Vampire's Curse, direct attack!"
The pale fiend lunged, claws gleaming, raking across Crowler with frightening force.
[Crowler, LP 4000 -> 2000]
Crowler collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest, gasping for breath.
Th-This pain… It's real! I actually felt that attack…!
His eyes flickered to Camula, dread tightening in his chest.
Can this be… a Shadow Game? It actually exists…?
Camula's gaze locked on him as he struggled. "Any final words, Professor Crowler?"
Crowler's trembling stopped. He raised his head, eyes hardening with resolve. "Yes. I do."
Turning to his students, he forced himself upright. "My students, observe closely. And promise me this. Even if one falls in a Shadow Game, the darkness cannot surpass the light. You must believe this, and never allow your spirits to be broken. Promise me!"
Camula laughed, cruel and dismissive. "Ahh, is your final lesson over yet, Professor? Very well, Vampire Genesis, attack directly!"
"HELL VICIOUS BLOOD!"
Vampire Genesis unleashed a devastating crimson gale, slamming into Crowler and engulfing him in its unholy power.
[Crowler, LP 2000 -> 0]
The duel ended. One Spirit Key, and one of its key holders, were gone.
Camula stepped forward with chilling calm, picking up the Spirit Key as it dissolved into her hand. But she wasn't finished. Producing a blank, featureless doll, she extended her hand, and ripped Crowler's soul away. The doll warped, taking on Crowler's likeness.
She sneered at it. "Dolls are pretty… but this one? This is garbage."
With a flick, she tossed it toward Chazz. He caught it reflexively, his face twisting in shock.
"That's it!" Celina shouted, snapping her Duel Disk into place. "Duel me right now!"
But Camula only smirked, unshaken. "Really? You want to duel me?" She began to walk back toward her looming castle, bats swirling around her in a chaotic storm. "Then come to me. Duel me in my castle. I have an acquaintance waiting."
With that, she vanished into the swarm of bats, her sinister laughter echoing as the darkness reclaimed her.
...
Meanwhile, back in the Slifer Red dorm.
The door slammed open with a loud BANG.
"My baby brother!" Momoyo strode in dramatically, kicking the door so hard the hinges rattled. Yumi, seated at his desk, calmly lowered the glass of water he had been sipping.
"I need you-" She froze mid-sentence, eyes narrowing as she finally took in his face.
"Why do you look exhausted?" she asked suspiciously.
Yumi glanced up, expression flat, before arching an eyebrow. "Why do you look so refreshed?"
The two siblings didn't need to say much more. Their gazes naturally drifted across the room, toward Mo Ye, slumped against the wall with her hair disheveled and eyes half-lidded, looking like she'd just run ten marathons, while Veiler sat nearby, humming cheerfully, practically glowing with energy.
There was a moment of silence. Then, in unison:
"Ah. I see."
No further explanation needed.
Momoyo quickly shook her head and waved the thought away, snapping back to her mission. "Anyway, I need your help with something."
Before Yumi could ask, she leaned down, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him close. Her voice dropped into a whisper, slow and deliberate, filling his ear with each secret word.
Yumi's half-lidded, uninterested gaze slowly shifted, first flickering with amusement, then curling into a sly, mischievous smile.