Chapter 1021: Chapter 1021: The Master of the Wicked Gods

"You’re not going to seal us?"

The Wicked Gods were surprised.

"Seal you, and then what?" Kira shrugged. "In a few years, or ten, or a hundred, you’ll return? Then the next duelist steps up and repeats today’s cycle?"

The Wicked Gods fell silent.

Wasn’t it always this way?

They couldn’t remember when or how they were born. But as far back as they could recall, it was always the same.

They awoke, caused panic. Then a hero or king would step forward.

Sometimes they won, but even then it was temporary. For every fallen hero, another would arise, and another, and another, until they were sealed again.

They were Wicked Gods. Every time they revived, there was fear and disaster, then sealing. An endless cycle they could never escape.

But this person didn’t seem to want to follow the script.

Where did his courage come from?

Was he not afraid of being swallowed by this evil power? Was he not afraid of being consumed by darkness?

After a moment, The Wicked Eraser couldn’t help but ask,

"If you don’t seal us, aren’t you afraid of being consumed by the darkness?"

The Wicked Gods were infamous. When freed, even if they did nothing, just existing would spread fear and despair.

Not to mention, they were said to be skilled at tempting hearts, amplifying the darkness within duelists. Even the smallest trace of evil would be detected and magnified, sprouting into a tide of darkness.

Because they were the Wicked Gods. It was their specialty.

"It doesn’t matter," Kira shrugged. "If you want to manipulate me, be my guest. But as long as you haven’t succeeded—"

He smiled.

"Until then, you’ll have to work for me. Deal?"

The Wicked Gods: ...

Kira seemed to be asking for their opinion, but they knew full well—in this situation, they had no choice.

Defeated, in their own domain, their field shattered. Even as Wicked Gods, they were still Duel Monsters. Losing so badly in a Shadow Duel, how could they refuse?

Kira put away the three Wicked God cards and slowly walked out of the darkness. As he emerged, the dense black sphere also dissipated.

Kaiba, arms still crossed, stared at Kira for a moment. "The Wicked Gods—taken care of?"

Kira replied, "More or less."

Kaiba nodded, smirking. "Interesting. Then master this new power quickly. You and I are due for another duel soon, Ki↑Ra↓."

With that, he spun on his heel, coat billowing.

"I’ll be waiting. Don’t disappoint me."

Kira: ...

Not good—the Wicked Gods seemed to have caught Kaiba’s attention.

And, more importantly, it didn’t seem that Kaiba cared about the Wicked Gods themselves. Kira wasn’t sure if he could fully control them; if not, he’d ask the Tomb Keepers or Kaiba to help seal them again. Kaiba had always treated him well—if Kaiba wanted the Wicked Gods, Kira wouldn’t object.

But the real issue was, Kaiba didn’t seem to care about the Wicked Gods themselves, but rather about the person holding them.

That would be a bit troublesome.

But that was a problem for the future. For now, it was a total victory, today’s problems all resolved.

The three logged out and returned to the real world.

Kaiba, ever the busy President, had many matters to attend to. After logging out, he disappeared without a word.

Jaden, on the other hand, had many questions.

About the Wicked Gods, the Shining Sarcophagus Kira suddenly used, and those mysterious spirits seemingly connected to his idol, Yugi.

Kira gave a few brief answers, promising to explain in detail at the academy later.

After logging out, Kira returned to the Tomb Keepers’ home. Marik and Ishizu had been anxiously waiting and immediately asked about the situation.

Kira laid out the three Wicked God cards on the table for them to see. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"The legendary three Wicked Gods."

Marik’s expression changed slightly at the sight, then he looked up in admiration. "As expected of the current Duel king. You actually got all three."

Ishizu asked with concern, "How do you feel?"

"How do I feel?"

"Your mental state. Any extreme fatigue, confusion, hallucinations, that sort of thing?" Ishizu asked. "Or do you hear voices whispering in your ear?"

Kira understood—she was worried about signs of mental corruption from the Wicked Gods. He smiled. "No, nothing so far."

Ishizu nodded. "Still, be careful. The Wicked Gods are cunning. Even Pegasus’s top successor, Tenma Yako, couldn’t resist the Wicked Gods’ corruption and had to abandon their power."

Marik added, "But there’s no need to worry too much. By our observation, Kira, you’ve long surpassed Tenma Yako, both as a duelist and a shadow game player. And by our assessment, you might actually be more compatible with the Wicked Gods than Yako was..."

Kira’s expression was odd.

This sounded like praise, but somehow also like saying he was a "kindred spirit" with the Wicked Gods.

Ishizu said, "More importantly, you have one thing Yako didn’t."

Kira asked, "Which is?"

Ishizu nodded. "Besides compatibility, dark power, and the power of spirits, you also have artifacts that can help control gods. And, most crucially, you defeated the Wicked Gods in a Shadow Duel."

Kira understood. Yako had only ever directly obtained the Wicked God cards, never seen their true forms, and didn’t win them in a duel.

He, however, earned them through victory, giving him more initiative.

Still, caution was needed. These were, after all, the Wicked Gods.

Kira put away the three cards. As he glanced at the door, he paused.

"...Mr. Yugi?"

...