Yugen understood. Judai Yuki remembered hearing voices as a child, but he had completely forgotten his first Spirit.

  That first one should have been Yubel, the Spirit who had once sworn to protect him forever. But her protection had gone too far, leaving anyone who defeated Judai Yuki in a coma. She was labeled a cursed card and sent into space by Kaiba Corporation. Afterward, plagued by nightmares, Judai Yuki underwent memory removal surgery and forgot her entirely.

  "Your Spirit looks really strong!" Judai Yuki said eagerly. "Can you call her out?"

  "About that," Yugen hesitated. "She is shy."

  "?"

  At that moment, a scream echoed from another room. "Wah!"

  Judai Yuki stiffened. "That was Hayato Maeda and Sho Marufuji!"

  He rushed out and sprinted down the corridor.

  "What happened?"

  "Something just went past!" Sho Marufuji stammered. "There is definitely something wrong with this place!"

  Yugen stepped out more slowly and caught a glimpse of a small green shape darting down the hallway before vanishing through a door. It looked familiar.

  "I did not see anything," Judai Yuki said. "Maybe you imagined it?"

  "No way! We both saw it!" Sho Marufuji insisted.

  "Do not be afraid," Yugen said calmly. "It was just a ghost."

  Everyone stared at him.

  He was not joking. It was a Normal monster card he had seen while studying for the Duel Academy exams. Ghost, Level 2, ATK 600, DEF 800. Its description said it was formed from resentful spirits that could not pass on, a real ghost by definition.

  But this was the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!. Even ghosts became cards. At 600 ATK, it would fall instantly to almost anything.

  Still, why would a monster Spirit appear out of nowhere in this abandoned dorm?

  "Kuri!"

  Winged Kuriboh flew ahead, signaling them to follow.

  They hurried after it through the corridor into a dark, decaying room. A strange magic circle was carved into the floor, and the walls were covered with complex symbols and images, including designs of Millennium Items long lost.

  Judai Yuki brushed dust from a stone slab. "Millennium Items... Did someone study Yami Yugi here?"

  "Kuri."

  This time Winged Kuriboh sounded serious.

  Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning suddenly appeared beside Yugen and warned in a low voice, "Be careful. The space here is unstable."

  Before he finished speaking, the carved circle on the floor lit up.

  A burst of intense light engulfed Yugen and Judai Yuki. The ground vanished beneath their feet, and the world spun as if they were falling into another dimension.

  Yugen had experienced this once before.

  It felt exactly like the time he had fallen into Spirit World.

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  Because he had experienced it once before, Yugen was prepared this time. He half crouched and landed steadily on the ground.

  A sharp smell rushed into his nose, and the air felt damp and moldy. The surrounding walls were worn and stained by time, with dark patches of water spreading across them in strange patterns. It was completely different from the green forest where he had landed last time.

  "Is this Spirit World too?"

  Yugen looked around and turned to see Silent Magician standing guard beside him with her staff raised. He thought for a moment, then stepped forward and gently pinched her pale cheek.

  Yes, the same familiar feel.

  "So we're in Spirit World again," Yugen muttered.

  Silent Magician stared at him in disbelief. When did her face become a testing tool? She puffed out her cheeks and slipped back into the Deck.

  In Spirit World, Spirit could also return to their own Card, though they normally remained in physical form there. In the real world they could materialize too, but it required extra energy. Even a powerful Spirit like Ultraman in his later form as Elemental HERO Neos could only stay active in reality for a few minutes.

  Yugen turned to Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning. "Is this the same Spirit World as before?"

  Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning shook his head. "No. This is not the world I know. But I can sense the same evil spreading through this Dimension. It is another world corrupted by the forces of Dark God."

  "Orichalcos? Here too?"

  Orichalcos Leviathan clearly had a huge appetite, targeting not only the human world but also many Dimension of the Spirit.

  "The barrier between this Dimension and the one where you Duelist live has weakened because of Dark God's invasion," Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning said. "If necessary, I can break through it and return to reality at any time."

  Yugen felt relieved. If he could leave whenever he wanted, there was nothing to fear.

  After all, this was the legendary Envoy of the Beginning, who wielded the power of Dimensional Slash. With Envoy of the Beginning around, he would not have to worry about getting lost in Different Dimension again. He wondered whether Envoy of the Beginning's spatial power could one day match Yubel, who had once dragged the entire Duel Academy into Different Dimension even in an incomplete state.

  "Shall we go?" Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning asked.

  "Not yet." Yugen stood up.

  Since they were already here, there was no rush. From what he saw before the teleportation, Judai Yuki should have been pulled in with him, even if the two roommates were left outside the light. Perhaps it was because only he and Judai Yuki had been standing inside the drawn circle, or because both of them were Duelist with the power of Spirit.

  He decided to search for Judai Yuki first.

  After only a few steps, he turned his head and almost jumped in shock. He saw corpses.

  Armored warriors lay scattered across the ground, their bloodstained swords tossed aside. There were also mages reduced to dry bones inside their robes, broken staffs lying nearby. A large pile of bodies had been gathered together.

  Voices suddenly called out from behind him, shouting as they approached.

  "Huh? A stray one got away!"

  "A sacrifice for the ritual!" another voice yelled. "Don't let him run!"

  Two figures ran toward him. When Yugen focused his eyes, he saw they were walking skeletons clad in armor, holding swords and shields with helmets on their skulls.

  The two skeleton soldiers slowed as they drew near. They realized the so called sacrifice had no intention of running.

  "A sacrifice for the ritual? You mean me?" Yugen asked.

  "Of course. Who else?"

  Yugen thought for a moment. If the landing points were close, Judai Yuki might also be nearby.

  "Fine. Lead the way. Where's the venue?" he said.

  The skeleton soldiers looked at each other in confusion. Why was today's sacrifice so cooperative?

  Still, it saved them trouble. They escorted him between them, one in front and one behind, as if to prevent escape. Soon they realized the concern was unnecessary. Not only did he not try to flee, he even started chatting.

  "A ritual... let me guess. A sacrifice to the great god Orichalcos?" Yugen asked casually.

  Both skeletons trembled and turned to stare at him.

  "Why would you say that name?" one demanded. "How do you know the true god's title?"

  So they were servants of that snake again.

  The taller skeleton looked at his shorter companion in alarm. "Boss, could he also be a believer of our true god?"

  "Don't talk nonsense. Impossible." The shorter skeleton waved a hand, though he sounded uncertain. "No matter how he learned the true god's name, he carries none of the god's blessing."

  The taller one nodded but still eyed Yugen suspiciously.

  "Must be tough work around here. The place looks rough," Yugen continued. "By the way, have you seen another sacrifice? Same race as me, Jellyfish Hair, red uniform, likes to shout a lot."

  The skeletons said nothing.

  After passing through several doors, they entered a vast, dark, and damp hall that felt like the entrance to an underworld. Thick moss covered the walls, and at the center stood a massive circular altar filled with grim ritual items. Complex magic patterns were drawn on the floor around it, each position set with glowing gems that gave off a cold light.

  Several pillars supported the ceiling, carved with ancient runes. Skeleton soldiers like his escorts stood in formation around the hall. Yugen also noticed prisoners in chains, dirty and exhausted.