The phantom returned. The dueling Bone King shot it a dark look.

  "My Turn!, Card Draw. I activate Graceful Charity. Draw three, then discard two."

  "Changing your hand is useless," Bone King sneered. "With 12000 ATK, nothing you draw can overcome my invincible"

  "Spell Card Brain Control. I pay 800 Life Points to take control of one of your monsters."

  "Nani?!!!!"

  Brain Control was also a Spell Card once used by Yugi Muto. By paying only 800 Life Points, it could take control of one of the opponent's monsters, and for a long time it was considered a forbidden card. It was only released after being weakened years later.

  Even without talking about the anime, in the real environment of the GX era, Brain Control had not yet been banned. It only entered the forbidden list much later, long after that time period.

  Yugen, LP 4000 to 3200.

  Without hesitation, Yugen chose the Bone King on the opponent's field. The Bone King affected by Brain Control swayed dizzily and stumbled over to Yugen's side of the field.

  The opposite Bone King looked like its eye sockets were about to split open. If there was anything worse than having your own Tamashii taken during a Duel, it was probably being taken yourself.

  But it was not over.

  "Of course, I don't have any Skull Servants in my Graveyard, so even if Bone King comes to my field, its ATK is 0. It is useless."

  Yugen spoke calmly.

  "So I will use Bone King as a tribute and advance Summon. Appear, Level 6 monster, Dark Magician of Chaos!"

  The mighty Bone King had only stood on his field for a moment before turning into golden light and scattering. The towering bones collapsed, and a vortex of magic surged upward as the staff cut through the storm and Dark Magician of Chaos made a grand entrance.

  Dark Magician of Chaos, ATK 2400.

  "Dark Magician of Chaos attacks directly!"

  A sphere of chaotic magic burst from the staff and exploded against Bone King. The skeleton staggered backward as black smoke rose from its robes.

  Bone King steadied itself with a grunt.

  Bone King, LP 4000 to 1600.

  "I set two cards and end my turn."

  "Do not celebrate too soon. I am Bone King. I am immortal."

  Bone King straightened its back.

  "My Turn!, Card Draw! I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed. Both sides draw three cards from their Deck."

  Bone King drew from the Deck.

  "Next, I activate the Spell Card Phoenix Wing Wind Blast. I discard one card to return a card from the Graveyard to the top of the Deck. I discard a card and return Bone King from the Graveyard to the top of the Deck.

  Then I activate the effect of Prince of the Wights in the Graveyard. By banishing Prince of the Wights and two other Skull Servants from the Yugi Muto, I can special Summon the returned Bone King from the Deck. I banish the Prince, a Skull Servant, and The Lady in Wight from the Yugi Muto."

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  Prince of the Wights, a Skull Servant, and The Lady in Wight dissolved into black mist, opening a dark vortex. Energy burst out as a tower of bones rose again and the king of skeletons descended once more.

  Bone King, ATK unknown.

  "With three fewer Skull Servants in my Graveyard, but with the card I just discarded being another Wightprincess, I now have ten Skull Servants in the Graveyard. Therefore, my incarnation's ATK becomes 10000."

  The skeleton soldiers beneath the altar cheered loudly. They praised their lord and mocked the sacrifice for having no chance.

  "It is not over." Bone King glared at Yugen.

  It had realized that this sacrifice was different. In only a few turns, its incarnation had been taken twice, which felt like an insult. It even had the strange feeling that this man seemed more interested in stealing it than simply winning the Duel.

  "You are different from the others," Bone King said coldly. "But the result will not change. I have defeated countless enemies and climbed over mountains of bones to reach this throne."

  It had not been born a king, only an ordinary skeleton among many. After endless battles and defeats, it rose again and again, until it became ruler of this land of the undead and took The Lady in Wight as its queen.

  "I will not allow such humiliation on my own ground. I activate the effect of Wightmare in my hand."

  Bone King discarded the card to the Graveyard.

  "By discarding this card, I can special Summon a banished The Lady in Wight. I call forth the queen of the skeletal world, my beloved, The Lady in Wight!"

  A skeleton in noble attire appeared beside it.

  The Lady in Wight, DEF 2200.

  "Do I truly need to step in again?" The Lady in Wight asked coolly.

  "With you here, I am invincible," Bone King declared. "While The Lady in Wight is on the field, all Zombie-Type monsters of Level 3 or lower, except The Lady in Wight, cannot be destroyed by battle and are unaffected by Spell and Trap effects." (ANIME EFFECT)

  A faint current of undead magic flowed between the two skeletons.

  "Because Wightmare was discarded to the Graveyard, the number of Skull Servants increases, and my own ATK rises again."

  Bone King, ATK 10000 to 11000.

  "This attack will end it. My incarnation of Bone King attacks Dark Magician of Chaos."

  "Open trap. Continuous Trap, Soul Barrier," Yugen said as his set card flipped. "As long as I control a monster, any battle damage I take becomes 0."

  Dark Magician of Chaos was struck and shattered, but the released energy formed a barrier in front of Yugen. The undead magic spread across the shield without harming him.

  "You survive another turn behind traps," Bone King sneered. "Then my My Turn! ends."

  "At your end phase, I activate the trap. I pay 2000 Life Points to special Summon a monster from my Graveyard in face down defense position."

  Yugen, LP 3200 to 1200.

  He revealed a card.

  "I set Dark Spirit of Malice face down."

  A face down monster appeared on his field.

  "More defense?" Bone King laughed? "With my queen at my side, I have no weakness."

  "My Turn!. I flip summon Dark Spirit of Malice. Its effect activates. I gain control of one Dark attribute monster on your field."

  Yugen pointed calmly.

  "I take control of The Lady in Wight."

  Bone King rolled up its sleeves in fury. "I will tear you apart."

  Bone King stared with the hollow eyes in his skull, the dark hole left by Dark Hole seeming even deeper. He had thought that being taken by the opponent during a Duel was already the greatest humiliation possible. He had never imagined there could be something worse.

  The greatest distance in the world was not life and death, but standing on this side while his wife stood on the other. She was in the hands of that hateful swordsman, her face full of grievance, yet bound by absolute rules and forced to obey every command. And he could only watch.

  The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

  Both Bone King and the incarnation he had Summoned on the field were furious.

  "My queen, wait for me. I will defeat this brat and bring you back. Just endure a little longer."

  Before he could finish, Yugen revealed another card.

  "I activate the effect of Parasite Paracide from my hand. I discard it to the Graveyard and take control of one Zombie-Type monster on your field. I take control of your Bone King."

  Bone King fell silent.

  The power of Brain Control-like control in a Duel was absolute. A second later, Bone King could only watch as his incarnation also walked over to the other side.

  Then his incarnation actually reached out and held The Lady in Wight's slender skeletal hand. "My queen, you have suffered. Do not be afraid. I am here."

  The Lady in Wight looked moved. "My king."

  The incarnation nodded firmly. "It is all right now. We are together again."

  Bone King felt as if a heavy blow had struck his chest. His vision went dark and the world spun.

  "You… you bastard…"