[Beetle Armored Knight, LP 0]
Duels in the Elf Dimension are different from Dark Duels outside. Here, both monster spirits and card effects are materialized, and the damage dealt during the duel is real, but if both parties are just sparring, they can intentionally hold back and stop at a point.
It's not like in Dark Duels where only one person walks away alive after a round.
However, of course, Yugen had no reason to hold back against this beetle. The Abyss Soldier swung its sword without reservation, directly splitting the beetle's head open.
The latter fell backward onto the ground, blood splattering five steps away, and after it perished, its form decomposed and dissipated into points of light.
And it dropped a Card Deck.
Yugen stepped forward, picked up the Card Deck, looked around, and couldn't help but frown.
Damn, it didn't drop a Duel Disc...
The Elf Realm has this flaw. Many elves' Duel Discs aren't products made with technology or tools; they're more like they're grown from the body, a part of it. So when a person perishes, the Duel Disc is gone too.
What a pity, otherwise Yugen thought if he could haul an Otherworld Duel Disc back, even if he didn't need it himself, selling it to President Kaiba for research would probably fetch a good price...
Oh well, getting a Card Deck is still something.
Although for now, he had no intention of playing with insects, and compared to the decks he already had, this one wasn't very strong with few versatile cards, but many of the cards could probably be sold for a good price.
For example, he immediately thought of Senior Watanabe Shuichi from the Dueling Department; the other would probably be happy to offer a fair price.
Judai stood by for a while, finally couldn't help but ask, "Wait, just now... where did he go?"
Yugen was stunned, only reacting a few seconds later.
Oh right, now Judai is still an innocent and naive student. According to the normal world line, at this point in time, Judai had even seriously debated the existence of Dark Duels with Titan.
A young man raised under Kaiba-style education, firmly believing in materialism.
"He's gone," Yugen told him honestly, "That's the rule of this world. In many places, a duel is not just a game but a form of combat. A duel can decide life and death for both parties."
Materialist youth Judai was shocked.
His expression seemed to say, I haven't read much, don't try to fool me, can you really die from playing cards?
However, Yugen then stated that there was nothing to be so surprised about. People dying from card games is nothing, in the future, card games could even destroy worlds and reverse time...
Judai's worldview was greatly shaken.
What he was taught from a young age told him this was ludicrous, but deep inside, there seemed to be a voice telling him it's true.
Besides, they had traveled from the abandoned dormitory to this unfamiliar continent, encountered Duel Monster spirits, all indisputable facts.
So for the first time in his life, Judai had to consider this possibility.
You could indeed die playing cards.
Then suddenly something occurred to him, he raised his head and looked at Yugen's back with a complex expression.
So, Yugen had just risked his life in a duel?
And it seemed he had known this all along.
So even knowing this, he still took on the duel without hesitation.
Was it because, as a partner, he didn't want to let himself face such a cruel duel?
Yugen was already humming a tune as he walked ahead. Judai silently followed, thought for a moment, and suddenly asked.
"By the way, Yugen, did you... take that spirit's Card Deck?"
"Yeah," Yugen replied, "Why?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Just suddenly felt a bit weird taking someone else's Card Deck..." Judai scratched his head.
"Someone else's Card Deck? Whose?" Yugen asked, puzzled.
Judai was confused: "Huh? Wasn't it the beetle spirit's Card Deck just now?"
Yugen: "And where's that beetle spirit now?"
Judai: "Didn't you say... he died?"
"Yeah, he's gone, so how could it still be his?" Yugen said matter-of-factly, "It's unowned property, I was just picking it up."
Judai frowned, pondering.
Huh? Now that it was mentioned, that made sense...
"Besides, if a Card Deck was left here in the wilderness, if I didn't pick it up, wouldn't someone else? What if an evil spirit picked it up and used it as a weapon to harm good people, wouldn't that be terrible?"
Judai thought: "That... that makes sense..."
"What do you mean by it makes sense? Of course it makes sense." Yugen waved his hand and continued, "Moreover, even if no one picks it up, with so many cards left abandoned in the wild, they could be ruined by wind and rain, or bitten by beasts, how pitiful would that be?
As just duelists, we only want to give these poor, ownerless cards a home, shouldn't we?"
"R-right..."
Judai gradually felt convinced.
"See?"
Yugen patted him on the shoulder, speaking earnestly.
"Judai, a duel isn't just something joyful, sometimes it can be a very heavy duel. In the future, you'll inevitably face such situations too, right?
Cards in the hands of evildoers become harmful weapons, and as sunny and just duelists, we absolutely cannot watch our beloved Duel Monsters being misused!"
These words hit the mark for Judai, instantly sparking his love for card games and his sense of justice as a hero: "Yes!"
"So, in the future, if you also have no choice but to face such a situation, remember to absolutely not hold back. Duel Discs and Card Decks are the tools of those evildoers, we can't leave them the chance to harm again!"
Yugen spoke righteously.
But after a pause, he continued in a softer tone.
"Of course, only from the duelist's perspective, depriving others of their soul-like Card Decks could lead to a sense of guilt, which is normal. But there's no choice, heroes sometimes have to make sacrifices to uphold justice.
But! If you, Judai, feel this is too heavy, then let me bear it."
Yugen said with a cheerful smile.
Of course, he was just joking. But if Judai indeed shared his opponent's Card Deck with him after playing Life Bet Cards in the future, he'd have no choice but to reluctantly accept it.
The depths of Dark Duels were too profound, he feared Judai couldn't handle it, so he was more at ease handling it himself.
"Come to think of it, Yugen, I haven't seen this Card Deck of yours before this time." Judai said.
"Oh, because I only saw this 'Abyss Soldier' in the Dueling Department a couple of days ago, so I built a new deck around it."
"Wow~ that's amazing." Judai showed an envious expression, "You and Mitsuzawa both, I'm envious of how sharp-minded you are. Easily coming up with such incredible combinations and powerful builds..."
Yugen thought, no, no, no, I'm envious of you instead.
If I had your talent, why would I go through so much trouble creating a bunch of decks? I'd just throw them all together and let them play freely...