As if an ancient castle in the distant dark wilderness, it towers under the night's veil. The red moon hangs in the sky, an ominous blood hue enveloping the world. Massive, pitch-black stones form ancient walls, speckled with mottled marks everywhere.
This is the Vampire's castle.
Once, this was also the Vampire Empire, the place depicted in that card named Katu. But now, after years of war, even the once mighty empire has met its end, leaving only this pitch-black fortress.
The light of the red moon filters through the grilles, casting onto the carpet like spilled blood. A pale girl sits on a chair in the shadows. A nobly dressed Blood Race member bows respectfully on the red carpet before the chair.
"Has the Cursed Baron not returned yet?"
The girl in the darkness asks softly.
"No, Your Highness," said a Blood Race member in front, "it's been over two weeks. I'm afraid…"
He didn't continue, but his tone was far from optimistic.
The girl pondered for a moment.
"...The Cursed Baron is one of the most capable warriors." She spoke softly, "Perhaps..."
"Yes, Your Highness. Although, we still need to prepare for the worst."
The Blood Race member said.
"There are reports that the Overlord Army is dispatching forces here, and they could attack at any moment. I think we must now consider our defenses without the Baron."
The girl sighed lightly.
"Alright, let's leave it at that for now."
She waved her hand feebly.
"I'm exhausted and need to rest. If there's nothing urgent, go ahead and withdraw, and we'll discuss the rest later."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The Vampire stood up and exited the hall.
The girl sat quietly in the darkness for a moment before standing and also turning to leave the hall.
She was a girl in a Gothic Lolita-style black dress, the skirt layered like a dark rose swaying gently in the night. Her face was extraordinarily pale, like exquisite porcelain covered in fresh snow, exuding a purity unsullied by dust. Even without any blood color, her face's rare beauty and delicacy were evident.
She went to the castle's underground.
This was the place of death, the tomb at the bottom of the Imperial Castle. Once noble clansmen and brave warriors rest here, or perhaps just their Duel Discs — if there's nothing left of them to bury.
The girl came to an empty coffin, gently knelt down, and used her slender hands to pile stones.
It was a tombstone.
She was building a tombstone for an honorable Blood Race member who perhaps hadn't returned successfully.
The girl sighed lightly.
The Vampires revered her as their Princess, willing to fight for her at any cost. Many clansmen rely on her, hoping she can lead the Blood Race out of adversity and restore their glory.
But what can she actually do?
No one can face that Overlord. Many have tried, among them people far stronger than her, and yet they all failed.
The fall of this place to the Overlord Army is merely a matter of time. And she has no idea what should be done.
She continued to silently pile the tombstone until footsteps echoed from outside.
"P-Princess!"
A vampire rushed down in a panic.
The girl stood up expressionlessly: "What is it?"
"The O-Overlord Army!"
The vampire said breathlessly, in a fluster.
"The Overlord Army has arrived!"
The girl's heart sank.
Has the rumored reinforcements arrived?
She nodded, signaling she understood. Then stood, dusting off her black gown, and slowly walked out.
Outside the castle, cries of battle now rose to the sky.
Vampires and armor-clad Warrior Race members were fighting, engaged in fierce close-quarters combat. Birds and beasts, dragons were circling the skies, occasionally spewing flames and dragon breath, wreaking havoc on the battlefield.
The remaining Vampire leaders had all transformed their Duel Discs into weapons, each facing a Grand General of the Overlord Army to settle the battle through dueling.
Although dueling seemed less bloody and intense than the melee battles on the ground, it was just as perilous. Every card played was a life-and-death gamble, a slightest mistake brought a ruinous end, and dying meant disintegrating on the spot, leaving no remains.
The girl in the black dress stepped onto the castle, surveying from a high point, only to see rivers of blood and a sea of corpses below outside the walls, the battle being notably tragic.
Her face remained unchanged, but as she turned, a Duel Disc had already condensed onto her arm, as if she was ready to leap down and join the fray.
But before she could advance, she suddenly froze, having noticed something.
From the rear of the Overlord Army, there was a sudden commotion.
Initially, it was a shout from the soldiers, but it was drowned out in the chaos of the battlefield and not immediately noticed. Until a beam of white light burst in like a butterfly flitting through flowers, striking all the Elves out of formation, only then it attracted attention.
The girl blinked, straining to focus, barely seeing what appeared to be another Elf.
A certain Magician.
White-clad magician, looking out of place on this battlefield suffused with blood and darkness. The white-clad shadow flitted past, continuously launching energy bursts from the Magic Staff, each strike blasting the Overlord Army around him.
The girl couldn't help but widen her eyes.
Is that... an ally?
She had never recalled having such a powerful Mage Race ally on this side.
But that's not all. Suddenly, the sky and earth changed colors, as if the red moon was split open by Sword Qi. The Sword Qi tore through space, sweeping dominantly towards the Overlord Army.
The soldiers had never seen such a display, exclaiming and then panicking. The cracks sliced open by Sword Qi were like scars of space, extending into the army's formation, causing a large number of soldiers to fall immediately.
A warrior clad in armor, wielding sword and shield, descended with Chaos surrounding him like a god descending from heaven. His landing naturally formed a blank zone, all Elves around him retreated in terror, revering him like a deity.
The girl on the castle was both surprised and delighted by this scene.
Such a mighty Elf is extremely rare in this entire Dimension, where does such a powerful ally come from?
"Make way!"
Someone walked out from the Overlord Army, soldiers scurried to clear a path. It was a Demon Warrior clad in armor, wielding a Long Sword in one hand and wearing a Duel Disc, a grimacing face.
The white mage and warrior — naturally Silent Magician and Chaos Warrior, both slowly landed, one to the left, one to the right.
Yugen walked forward unhurriedly. Judai followed, looking around at the battlefield filled with the scent of blood, murmuring: "This is... the Elf's battle..."
The demon across from them shouted: "You are not Vampires, yet warriors of the duel. What path do you hail from, daring to obstruct Lord Overlord's Grand General Zor?"
Zor?
Yugen scrutinized him and suddenly felt an impression.
Knight of the Dark Realm - Zor, 4 stars with Attack Power 1800. He was an overseer of a garrison in the animation, guarding a prisoner concentration camp. Judai once faced difficulty dueling him until the local resistance leader Wandering Hero Fried sacrificed himself, offering himself as a card that disrupted the duel and aided Judai in turning the tide for victory.
Yugen squinted at the Dark Realm Demon.
This guy's got the chops, even making it as a general?