Chapter 979: The Cost of Power
Chapter 979: The Cost of Power
Yubel wasn't sure how long it had been.
For a long time, time held no meaning for her. She faced only darkness, an endless and despair-inducing void. Pain and hopelessness constantly threatened to consume her, a dual torment that could break even the most resolute guardian.
She didn't know how she managed it, but she endured. Despite her battered body, despite her mind twisting into a monster's form, despite having only one hand left, she survived.
Because she remembered her mission, the one thing more important than her own life, the person she would protect at all costs.
Her memories became muddled; she couldn't distinguish dreams from reality or the past from the future. But suddenly, in the darkness that seemed to have lasted for centuries, a light suddenly shone through.
And there were voices, conversing.
"Do you think this is the end? Do you believe you've won?"
"No. I remember you, young one. Soon, my day of revival is near. When my seal is broken and I return to this world, you will be the first I seek out.
At that time, you and your fairy will return to the darkness."
The voice was raspy and sinister, and it seemed to be getting more distant.
But then, a boy's voice rang out, filled with vitality, like a burning flame that could dispel even the deepest darkness.
"Good. I'll be waiting," the boy said, "No matter how many times you come back, it will be the same. Because, Yubel, she's my most important partner."
Yubel's heart fluttered. The voice resonated in her ears, and before her eyes, a scene from the past appeared, where a prince called out her name. The darkness and gloom in her heart seemed to dissipate, and her mind suddenly cleared.
"Jou, that's right, Jou!" Yubel exclaimed as she abruptly opened her eyes.
And there he was, the boy, sitting in front of her with a smile. Behind him was a clear blue sky, recently freed from dark clouds and rain, as pristine as a carefully polished gem. The sun, shyly piercing through the clouds, created a vibrant rainbow that seemed like a dream.
Yubel stared at him, frozen. This scene, which she had envisioned countless times in her dreams, was now hard to believe as reality.
"Hey," Jou greeted her with a smile, "Welcome back."
After a few more seconds of stillness, Yubel's heart trembled as she finally realized that this wasn't an illusion. Tears instantly welled up, and she could no longer contain her emotions, rushing into Jou's arms.
".
With this battle, Yubel finally freed herself from all negative influences, achieving a complete transformation.
The demonic deity Eraser's violent possession was, in fact, a common tactic that took advantage of Yubel's weakened state, a standard method of possession that could be easily dispelled through a duel, not particularly challenging.
The real difficulty lay in the Annihilation Light residing within her. It was a fluctuation Yubel encountered ten years ago when she was sent into space, and over the long years, it had taken deep root within her.
Yubel had always carried a hint of demonic energy. She was once the guardian of the Emperor, and together, they had endured countless battles, witnessing the deaths of countless friends, and her hands were stained with innumerable bloodshed. Although she had traveled through time with Jou to this world, after countless cycles of reincarnation, she now regarded the lives of mortals in this world as insignificant.
So, when Jou was a child, she defeated everyone who dueled against her, leaving them unconscious. Considering the crimes she committed, the ten years of cosmic exile that Jou imposed on her was not unjustified.
During this time, the darkness in her heart grew, and she was taken advantage of by Annihilation Light, which took the opportunity to embed itself within her. After years of development, the two had become almost inseparable. Even with You Xuan's current power, winning a duel would only result in the destruction of both her and Annihilation Light, making it extremely challenging to separate them.
However, with the help of the Emperor, and the ultimate power of "Ultra Fusion," Jou managed to do it.
What returned to his hands was the genuine and pure Yubel, without any impurities.
"Oh, thanks," Jou said to the other self within him.
"I couldn't have done it without you this time. Thank you."
But there was no response.
Jou furrowed his brows slightly.
Although it was typical of the Emperor's personality to be tsundere and silent, Jou felt something was different this time.
"Hey, are you there?"
"The other me?"
"Emperor?"
"..."
Jou closed his eyes.
He tried to recall the feeling from the recent duel, to connect with the other soul within him, and communicate with it.
In the pitch-black world of consciousness, that voice finally spoke.
"The newest, smallest, and most talkative one is at 69th place on the book list!
"Shut up!"
The cold voice was impatient, but it was also weak, as if it could disappear at any moment.
Sensing the other's condition, Jou was shocked.
"What's wrong with you? Why..."
"It's nothing, I'm just going to disappear."
The Emperor's tone remained cold.
"Don't make a big deal out of it."
Although the words were calm, they only made Jou more anxious. "Why? How could... You were just there a moment ago...?"
But as soon as he spoke, Jou seemed to realize something.
"Ultra Fusion? Is it because of that card?" Jou asked, "Because of that card, you..."
He should have realized it earlier.
When it was activated, he noticed that the card called "Ultra Fusion" possessed an extraordinary power, unlike any other card Jou had used before. Even among the fairies, he had never encountered one with such immense power in his lifetime.
The greater the power, the greater the cost.
And the cost of Ultra Fusion was likely...
"Hmm," the Emperor's voice was as calm as a still well, "Ultra Fusion requires a blood sacrifice of souls to be born, and it's only natural that power comes with a price."
In the original story, the creation of Ultra Fusion sacrificed countless lives in the alternate dimension, and it was during the time when Jou was consumed by the Emperor's personality that this ultimate card was crafted.
During this process, the companions from Duel Academy who accompanied Jou to the alternate dimension were also sacrificed, including Asuka and Manjoume. They were offered to the Dark World fairy holding the "Evil Heart Teachings," which greatly shocked Jou, causing the darkness within him to rapidly expand and providing significant energy for the birth of Ultra Fusion.
Ultra Fusion is a card that requires a massive sacrifice of inner darkness to be created. And when it was activated, the vastest darkness from the twelve dimensions became the offering for the birth of this ultimate card.
That darkness was the Emperor himself.
(End of Chapter)
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