This is an ancient story.
A tale about the most evil darkness being summoned to this world, a cycle that surpasses three thousand years.
The origin of the matter lies in a dynasty about to collapse. During the reign of King Aknamkanon of Ancient Egypt, his kingdom faced an existential crisis. The brave Egyptian army suffered defeat after defeat, the enemy forces were at the gates, and the demise of the Kingdom of Egypt was imminent.
In this dire situation, Pharaoh Aknamkanon pinned his hopes on the ancient and evil alchemy. His younger brother, Priest Aknadin, was entrusted with the task of leading the army to a small village known as Kruelna, to conduct an evil alchemical ritual.
The events that transpired in that village were not recorded in any history books, as if the event was too evil to be remembered. In that village, everyone who lived—old people, children, men, women—they were all used as living sacrifices.
Even the entire squad of Egyptian soldiers who personally drove these innocent people into the pit of despair as sacrifices were sealed into the cave by Priest Aknadin after the event. Their flesh, bones, and even souls were offered as sacrifices, calling forth a divine artifact from the other side of the Netherworld that should not exist in this world—
—the Seven Great Millennium Items.
The seven artifacts helped Ancient Egypt overcome difficulties and achieved unprecedented prosperity, but also created the most terrifying demon.
During the massacre at Kruelna Village, Aknadin left behind one survivor, the Thief King Bakura from three thousand years ago, the host of the Great Evil God Sock.
As a byproduct of the birth of the Millennium Items, witnessing the extermination of the entire village, the unimaginable and deep-seated hatred of this survivor nurtured an extraordinary terrifying demon. That darkness chemically reacted with the "Millennium Ring" among the seven artifacts, making the Thief King the human world's chosen host and executor for the Great Evil God Sock.
Later, the Thief King was defeated, and the Great Evil God Sock was sealed by Pharaoh Atem, sacrificing his own name. In the cycle of three thousand years, Sock awakened again in the Memory World and was sealed by the combined souls of Duel King Youyu and Atem, finally ending the causality of Kruelna Village.
This is what players have learned so far, about the story of the birth of the Millennium Items.
But in fact, this story is not complete.
The truth is, from three thousand years ago in the village of Kruelna, Bakura was not the only survivor. In that village forgotten by history, where the ultimate darkness was summoned to the world, there was another survivor who, after the massacre, harbored a twisted heart that also nurtured an unprecedentedly powerful demon, containing a power unmatched even by the Guardian Priests with Millennium Items.
"Yes, that's me."
Tragodia, exhibiting the villain's common symptom of "explanation compulsion," detailed his origins and background, displaying tremendous arrogance.
"I possess the power to overturn the very laws of this world; no one can stand before me!"
Now, Youyu finally understood.
Oh, so it turns out it's just a big lobster!
Hmm, because Tragodia somewhat looks like a mutated big lobster, and back in the physical card environment, this card was quite strong and commonly used as a general trap card, so it was affectionately nicknamed Lobster by the card players...
The body remotely controlled by Tragodia curved its lips into a smile.
He raised the Duel Disc, which unfolded mechanically in his hand, and his entire body erupted with a horrific dark miasma.
"Hmph, the deck in this puppet's hand is just the right one to bury you." Tragodia sneered.
Youyu was not careless.
Even though Tragodia was defeated due to stupidity, making it somewhat comical, both from its origin story and its performance in the original work, it is a terribly formidable opponent. If left unchecked, it might indeed have the power to destroy the world.
In the original GX manga, the protagonist Yuki Judai's strength was comparable to Manjome Jun, and Manjome even defeated Judai in the second-round duel, earning the right to challenge the academy's "Caesar" Marufuji Ryo.
However, even such a powerful Manjome was wiped out by Marufuji Ryo within a single turn, the gap in strength was so vast that it was despairing.
In the manga, Marufuji Ryo, Tenjouin Fubuki, and Ed Phoenix are all old acquaintances, having known each other since their student days, and they were evenly matched, representing the highest level of duelist strength in the manga's worldview.
But even so, they were no match for Tragodia. It could be said that the small lobster in the GX manga was truly in a class of its own. Yuki Judai and Manjome had to rely on cheats to win the duel against him, otherwise, the small lobster might really have been able to crush the world.
"Duel!" x2
[Youyu, LP 4000]
[Tragodia, LP 4000]
"Looks like I'm the first to go, draw a card." Youyu was the first to act.
The opponent's deck was unknown, but Tragodia mentioned that it was the "perfect card to bury you." Moreover, the dark power that just erupted from that deck drew Youyu's attention; he guessed that at least one card within it contains extraordinary power.
"Effect of 'Vision Hero Faris' in hand, this card can be Special Summoned by discarding a 'Hero' monster from the hand!
I discard one card from my hand and summon Faris in Defense Position!"
[Vision Hero Faris, Defense Power 1800]
"Faris's effect, when summoned, allows placing another 'Vision Hero' in the Magic Trap Zone from the deck." A card popped out of Youyu's deck, "I place 'Vision Hero Minimum Ray' in the Magic Trap Zone."
A phantom of a new hero appeared in the trap zone at the rear, its form was ethereal and unsteady.
"Next is the effect of 'Elemental Hero Necroshade' I discarded to the graveyard." The shadow of the Necroshade Hero appeared behind Youyu, "While Necroshade is in the graveyard, I can once, summon a higher-level 'Elemental Hero' monster without a tribute.
"According to this effect, I will summon 'Elemental Hero Edgeman' in attack mode!"
The golden-bodied steel hero's back erupted with a golden engine, and the light blades on his wrists drew two golden arcs as he landed gently with transparent ripples beneath his feet.
[Elemental Hero Edgeman, Attack Power 2600]
"Turn ends," Youyu said.
"Then it's my turn."
Tragoedia manipulated the host to draw a card, then smiled darkly at Youyu.
"First, use the Magic Card 'Pot of Greed' to draw two cards from the deck.
Then the card I want to play... is this, 'Elemental Hero Blazeman' in attack mode!"
[Elemental Hero Blazeman, Attack Power 1200]
Youyu raised an eyebrow.
Goodness, even the little shrimp is playing Elemental Heroes?
According to the GX storyline development, the "Elemental Hero" series had long been widely released in the market. Although still highly valuable, it wasn't a rare card deck series anymore.
But the little shrimp actually plays Elemental Heroes against himself, the founding father of the Hero series?
This was direct provocation.
"Interesting." Youyu chuckled softly.
No wonder it's said to be the "card most suitable to bury you," the little shrimp actually wants to learn Gu Su Murong's style, playing "return one's courtesy with the same method."
"The effect of Blazeman... of course, I think you should be quite familiar with it," Tragoedia sneered. "When summoned, add a 'Fusion' Magic Card from the deck to the hand."
A card ejected from his deck and was added to his hand.
"Then activate the Magic Card 'Fusion!'" Tragoedia said, "Fusion summon the 'Elemental Hero Blazeman' on the field and the card in my hand..."
"Wait!" Youyu interrupted him, "At the moment you activate 'Fusion,' I want to chain the activation of 'Fusion' using the effect of 'Vision Hero Minimum Ray!
Minimum Ray can special summon himself by sacrificing a 'Hero' monster on the field to the Trap Zone. I will sacrifice 'Vision Hero Faris' to special summon 'Vision Hero Minimum Ray!'"
Faris crossed his arms and disappeared from the field, as the hero's vision in the Trap Zone solidified into reality.
[Vision Hero Minimum Ray, Defense 700]
"And when 'Vision Hero Minimum Ray' is successfully special summoned from the Trap Zone, destroy an opponent's monster on the field with level four or lower!"
Youyu snapped his fingers.
"Destroy 'Elemental Hero Blazeman!'"
Because the Magic Card 'Fusion' requires selecting fusion material during effect resolution process, Youyu could completely blow the Blazeman away before Tragoedia chose his fusion material.
In this way, if Tragoedia doesn't have other monsters in hand to serve as fusion material, this 'Fusion' becomes ineffective and invalid.
The Heroes' first-move abilities are relatively weak, as the Hero series' large monsters are types that focus more on attack capabilities than defense.
Summoning strong attack-type monsters isn't meaningful on the first move. The more important thing in the first attack turn is to set traps and create interruptions against the opponent's expansion.
Vision Hero Minimum Ray exactly possesses such effects.
It's important to know that until the Synchro era arrived, monsters capable of performing card destruction and interference during an opponent's turn were rare. Minimum Ray's capabilities were already quite decent in this current environment.
Blazeman dissipated as it was pierced by a beam from Minimum Ray of Vision Hero. Tragoedia lost his fusion material, showing a slight stiff facial expression but managed to snort, and then drew two more cards from his hand.
"Then I'll fuse the 'Elemental Hero Woodsman' and 'Elemental Hero Ocean' in my hand!"
"Oh?" Youyu's eyes flashed.
These two Elemental Heroes... could it be that the monster Tragoedia wants to summon is...
Tragoedia sneered insidiously, his body erupting with dark miasma, and his aura inflated tremendously!
"Embodiment of the third planet in the solar system, the strongest Elemental Hero, Planet Series—
—Elemental Hero Earth!!!"