The next day, Yuma was running around his school's grounds as per usual, looking for someone to duel.

'Come on, come on,' he kept saying, 'I want to test out my Skill Gainer!'

'Yuma,' called a voice, as Yuma was running around a small courtyard, 'I'll duel you.'

'Eh?!' replied Yuma. He turned to see the brown-haired figure of Taichi, smiling. 'You, Taichi?'

'Yeah, Yuma,' answered Taichi enthusiastically. 'I've been meaning to duel you for a while now, I gotta show you my new Deck!'

'Well alright then!' cried Yuma. 'Come on, Taichi, let's duel!'

Yuma leapt across to one side of the courtyard, Taichi walking calmly over to the other side.

'Where're your friends?' asked Taichi. 'They're usually orbiting all around you.'

'They're…' started Yuma, before pausing. 'Wait, what?'

'My turn, I draw!' declared Taichi, interrupting him. 'I activate the Field Spell, Shadow Setting!'

Around the pair of them, the field transformed into what seemed to be a giant's table, but the candles around them blazed with black light, and a distant tapping filled the area.

'Whilst Shadow Setting remains face-up,' continued Taichi, 'the attack power of all my Malicevorous monsters will be doubled! Now, I Summon Malicevorous Skewer! But because I cannot attack during my first turn… I end.'

ATK: 800→1600, LV: 2

'I've never seen this field before,' mused Astral. 'That's a problem.'

'Don't worry, Astral, I've got it!' replied Yuma. 'It's my turn! I draw and–' He paused, and examined his hand. 'Uh… I set a monster and a card and end.'

Taichi chuckled under his breath. 'That's a bit pathetic coming from you, Yuma.'

'Hey, Taichi!' replied Yuma, irritated. 'This isn't like you!'

'I'm not like me!' answered Taichi cryptically, smirking. 'And now it's my turn! I draw! During the Standby Phase, Skewer's effect sends a second copy of itself from my Deck to my Graveyard! Now, I attack your set monster with the Skewer!'

Skewer leapt at Yuma's set card, which flipped itself into a thick mechanical creature, blocking the attack.

'My set monster is Dododo Bot!' retaliated Yuma. 'So your monster isn't strong enough to destroy it!'

DEF: 1900, LV: 4; TAICHI: 4000→3700

'In that case,' declared Taichi, irritated, 'I set a monster and end my turn.'

'And that makes it my turn!' yelled Yuma. 'I Summon Gagaga Magician, and change Dododo Bot to Attack Position!'

ATK: 1500, LV: 4; ATK: 1800

Taichi chuckled. 'That's it, Yuma! Show me all that you've got!'

Astral's eyes widened, and he turned to Yuma. 'Yuma, wait!' he said. 'This feels like some kind of a lure!'

'Then I'll just be extra careful!' replied Yuma. 'It's not this is even an important duel, Astral, there are no Numbers on the line or anything!'

Astral narrowed his eyes, analysing Taichi. 'I would not be so sure of that.'

Yuma blinked. 'You think… Taichi might be possessed by a Number?'

'I don't know,' replied Astral. 'I sense something from him… but I can't tell what it is.'

'Then…' started Yuma, 'then I'll equip Gagaga Magician with One-Shot Wand, increasing its Attack Power by 800!'

ATK: 1500→2300

'Now, Gagaga Magician! Destroy Skewer!'

TAICHI: 3700→3000

Taichi merely smiled as his monster was slain and his Life Points fell. 'Is that the best you have, Yuma?' he asked.

'Not at all, Taichi!' replied Yuma. 'I activate One-Shot Wand's effect! By destroying it, I can draw a card! Now, I attack your set monster with Dododo Bot!'

Taichi laughed. 'Oh no,' he mocked. 'You killed my defenceless little Malicevorous Spoon! My field is clear! Whatever shall I do?'

Yuma looked at the cards in his hand, then shook his head. 'I'm gonna have to!' he declared. 'I Overlay Gagaga Magician and Dododo Bot, and build the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon! Rise, Number 39! Aspiring Emperor – Hope! Now, I end my turn!'

ATK: 2500, RK: 4

Taichi began to chuckle under his breath again, before suddenly laughing madly. 'Hello, Hope!' he called. 'It's nice to see you again, after such a long, long time!'

'What?' whispered Astral, and Taichi stared right at him.

'And you too, Astral,' he laughed. 'I've almost forgotten the sound of your voice when it's scared! During your End Phase, I activate the effect of Shadow Setting! During the End Phase of a turn that Malicevorous monsters were destroyed, I can Special Summon a copy of each monster from my Deck! Appear, Malicevorous Skewer, Malicevorous Spoon! Then, I activate Spoon's effect! When a Malicevorous monster is Summoned to my field, I can Special Summon another Malicevorous monster from my Graveyard! Appear, another Malicevorous Skewer!'

ATK: 800→1600, LV: 2; ATK: 100→200, LV: 2; ATK: 100→200, LV: 2

'Three Level 2 monsters…' whispered Astral.

'Three Level 2 monsters?' repeated Yuma. 'What do you mean?!'

'I'm not done!' interrupted Taichi. 'It's my turn now, and I draw! By discarding Malicevorous Whisk, I can Special Summon Malicevorous Fork from my hand! Then, Spoon's effect Special Summons Malicevorous Whisk from my Graveyard!'

ATK: 400→800, LV: 2; ATK: 300→600, LV: 2

'And, I activate Whisk's effect! Once per turn, I can increase its Level by 1 for each copy of another Malicevorous monster I control, then make the Levels of those copies equal to its own! I choose my two Malicevorous Skewers! Go, Shadow Duplication!'

LV: 2→4; LV: 2→4; LV: 2→4

'Now, with these three Level 4 Dark monsters, I build the Overlay Network!'

The three monsters disappeared into a growing galaxy-shaped portal, and Taichi laughed maniacally.

'Xyz Summon!' he declared. 'The embodiment of entropy, emerge from the depths of chaos and become my shadow! Appear forth, Number 98! Reality's Shadow!'

Behind Taichi, his shadow flickered, and three violet orbs emerged from the vanishing portal into it. On the shadow's head, the numbers "9" and "8" appeared in purple, a mockery of eyes.

ATK: 0, RK: 4

'There it is,' muttered Yuma, but Taichi snickered.

'You think that's it?!' he mocked. 'Astral's already figured it out, but I see that you're just not smart enough! Well then, it's time to enlighten you! I activate Malicevorous Drawer, Special Summoning my third Malicevorous Skewer from my Graveyard!'

ATK: 800→1600, LV: 2

'Now, using Malicevorous Fork, Spoon, and Skewer, I once more construct the Overlay Network!'

The three monsters vanished into another growing black portal, and Astral frowned.

'Now it's here,' he whispered.

'What's here?!' yelled Yuma, before pausing and slowly turning to observe what had emerged from the portal.

A gelatinous black object had appeared, its form slightly transparent and lit from within by dull flames. Around it spun three glittering violet spheres, and now Yuma recognised it.

'That's…' he whispered.

'Show yourself, my doppelganger!' interrupted Taichi – or the spirit possessing Taichi. 'Xyz Summon! Number 96, the messenger from within pitch-black darkness! Black Mist!'


Custom Cards

Shadow Setting
Field Spell Card
The original ATK of all "Malicevorous" monsters you control is doubled. During the End Phase of a turn where two or more "Malicevorous" monsters you control were destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard: Special Summon monsters with the same names from your Deck.

Malicevorous Skewer
Level 2
800/200
Dark/Fiend
Once per turn, during your Standby Phase: You can send 1 "Malicevorous Skewer" from your hand or Deck to the Graveyard.

Malicevorous Whisk
Level 2
600/600
Dark/Fiend
You can target 1 other "Malicevorous" monster you control; increase this card's Level by 1 for each monster on the field with the same name as that target (including that target), then you can make the Level of all monsters with that target's name equal to the current Level of this card. You can only activate the effect of "Malicevorous Whisk" once per turn.

Number 98: Reality's Shadow
Rank 4
0/0
Dark/Fiend
3 Level 4 DARK monsters
This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except with another "Number" monster. [REDACTED]

Malicevorous Drawer
Normal Spell Card
Target 1 "Malicevorous" monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it.