Fairy Tail: My Magic is a Yu-Gi-Oh! Deck — Chapter 27

Chapter 27: The Yakuma Appears, Crisis Arrives

Yakuma Ruins Island, far from the sunlit shores.

At the edge of a dense, cleared forest lay a massive basin choked with strange, weathered rocks. Viewed from the high ridges above, the jagged stones formed a complex and eerie pattern, perfectly mimicking the skeletal remains of an ancient giant lying flat against the earth.

Tourists flocked to the site by the hundreds. They clustered atop the massive boulders, snapping photos of the scenery with Magic Power cameras, wandering the perimeter with wide-eyed curiosity, or setting up wooden easels to paint the landscape in quiet awe. The air buzzed with cheerful chatter and the lively energy of a popular vacation spot.

Yet, far beneath this peaceful scene, a terrifying crisis quietly took root.

At the very bottom of the giant’s skeletal structure, deep within the subterranean depths of the basin, oil lamps flickered against damp stone walls. The dim light barely pierced the dark, winding passages. The occasional sound of dripping water echoed through the tunnels like the chilling whisper of a Yakuma, cold enough to freeze the soul.

The passage held no visible entrance, ending abruptly in a cramped, suffocating secret chamber. A group of figures cloaked in heavy black robes gathered in a circle around a stone platform. The rock face was heavily inscribed with complex, jagged magical patterns.

Standing at the head of the group was a man of small stature. The dim lamplight caught the hideous scar running across half of his face, twisting his features into something monstrous. This was the mastermind behind the recent pirate incident, revealing his true form at last. Marshall.

“Master Marshall, do you truly intend to awaken Master Sky Drum this early?” one of the robed subordinates asked, his voice trembling slightly.

“The plan has been exposed. If we do not start now, we will lose our window entirely.” Marshall kept his cold gaze locked on the ancient stone platform. This slab of rock was no mere altar. It was the sealed heart of one of the Yakuma Eighteen War Gods, Sky Drum.

“But with only the Magic Power of these captives, the resurrection won’t reach a perfect state, will it?” The subordinate raised a hesitant hand, pointing toward a dark dungeon carved into the corner of the chamber.

Dozens of Mages sat trapped within a shimmering, chaotic spatial barrier. The prisoners ranged from lone wolves to fully formed Guild teams. Many of them pressed their hands against the barrier, their faces pale and twisted in absolute terror, fully aware of the dark ritual unfolding before them.

“There is no time to chase perfection. We awaken him first. The missing pieces will naturally deliver themselves to our doorstep,” Marshall commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Three absolute conditions were required for the descent of Sky Drum. The blood of a Yakuma descendant, an immense reservoir of Magic Power, and living human sacrifices. The blood would awaken the soul and will of the ancient demon. The Magic Power would sustain its damaged, decaying body. The sacrifices would allow the Yakuma’s true form to fully manifest in the mortal realm.

The final step was the most crucial. It was exactly why Marshall had intentionally leaked the existence of the Yakuma Relic to the Fiore Kingdom. He needed to turn this island into a tourist attraction, drawing in a massive flock of oblivious sacrifices to build his new world of gods.

“We understand, Master Marshall.” The followers bowed their heads heavily, their absolute obedience overriding any lingering doubts.

“Bring the Mages forward. Prepare the extraction.” Marshall issued the order without a flicker of emotion. He drew a curved dagger from his belt and brought the sharp edge across his own palm.

Thick, dark blood welled from the cut and dripped onto the heart-shaped stone platform.

A violent hum vibrated through the chamber.

Like a torch thrown into a pit of dry wood, the magical patterns carved into the stone ignited. The complex lines flared to life, outlining the terrifying visage of a Yakuma. A blinding crimson light erupted from the altar, swallowing the shadows of the secret chamber. The red glow surged outward, racing along the walls of the subterranean passages at breakneck speed.

These were no ordinary tunnels. They were the petrified blood vessels of the ancient demon.

Hoarse, agonizing screams tore from the throats of the trapped Mages. A massive torrent of their Magic Power was violently ripped from their bodies, surging directly into the stone platform and merging with the blinding red light.

Thump…

Thump thump…

Thump thump thump!

The stone platform began to pulse. The rhythm started slow, then rapidly accelerated, building until the sheer force of the heartbeat produced a thunderous roar that shook the very foundations of the cavern. The ancient, slumbering existence clawed its way back to life, and a suffocating, bloodthirsty aura flooded the underground space.

Above ground, in the central basin of the island.

Within the massive, hollow eye sockets of the Yakuma’s skeletal head, a soul-piercing crimson light suddenly bloomed.

Before the tourists posing for pictures could even process the glow, the earth violently ruptured. The relic head, long thought to be nothing more than a natural rock formation, tore itself free from the ground. Massive boulders shifted and locked into place as a tidal wave of sand and shattered stone cascaded down its sides.

The entire island convulsed.

Seabirds shrieked as they took to the sky in massive flocks. Land beasts broke from the tree line, fleeing toward the water in blind panic.

“What is happening?”

Down on the sandy beach, Mira paused her conversation. She had been discussing future magazine features with the Sorcerer Weekly editor, but the violent tremor nearly threw them off their feet. She turned her head toward the center of the island, her eyes widening at the rising cloud of dust.

A stampede of tourists burst from the tree line, their faces contorted in pure dread. They scrambled over each other, sprinting desperately toward the safety of the shoreline.

Behind them, the dust settled just enough to reveal a towering nightmare. A colossal giant with glowing, hateful eyes slowly pushed itself up to its full height. Its massive, rocky body blotted out the setting sun, casting a long, chilling shadow over the entire beach.

“Mira, it’s Magic Power! I feel an unbelievably massive Magic Power!” Dark Magician Girl materialized beside her, her bright eyes narrowing as she stared at the revived Sky Drum. Her usual cheerful demeanor vanished, replaced by strict combat focus. “It feels completely different from anything I’ve ever encountered. It’s ancient… heavy. What exactly is that thing?”

The first wave of fleeing tourists crashed onto the beach, answering their questions with hysterical screams.

“Yakuma! The Yakuma Eighteen War Gods have come back to life!”

“Run! Get to the boats! I need to get off this cursed island!”

A man scrambled past them on his hands and knees, clawing his way through the sand toward the large Magic Power ship docked at the pier.

Mira’s expression hardened. She didn’t waste a single second asking for further details. She spun around and grabbed the shoulder of the Sorcerer Weekly editor, who stood frozen in shock. “The situation is critical! Contact the Magic Council immediately and request emergency support!”

“I… I understand!” The editor stammered, shaking himself out of his stupor. He took a step toward the communication lacrima, then paused. “Miss Mira, what about you?”

“I have to stop that monster. We absolutely cannot let it reach the Magic Power ship.” Mira pulled her trench coat tight over her shoulders, her blue eyes locked onto the colossal beast slowly marching toward the coast.

Even though she had lost her ability to use Magic, the fierce, protective spirit of a Fairy Tail Mage still burned brightly in her chest. When innocent lives were threatened, stepping back was never an option.

“Mira, I’m going with you!” Dark Magician Girl raised her hand. A flash of pink light enveloped her as she summoned her magical battle robe and gripped her staff tightly. She dropped into a low combat stance.

She knew exactly what Mira was risking. Setting aside her absolute loyalty to her Master Chase, Dark Magician Girl had come to view the gentle, white-haired barmaid as an older sister. She would never let Mira face this danger alone.

“Alright. Let’s go!” Mira gave her a firm nod.

The two of them sprinted against the chaotic flow of the crowd, pushing their way toward the foot of the giant monster. By the time they reached the edge of the ruins, the area was an absolute disaster zone.

Shattered walls and uprooted trees littered the ground. Dozens of tourists who hadn’t evacuated in time were trapped in the debris, running in circles like headless flies. Some were so paralyzed by fear that they simply collapsed in the dirt, staring up with tear-filled eyes as a massive, rocky foot descended from the sky directly above them.

Sky Drum brought its foot down with casual cruelty. The impact shattered the earth, sending a violent shockwave through the ground and kicking up a thick wall of choking dust.

Deep within the smoke, a streak of bright pink light flashed.

Dark Magician Girl sat sideways on her floating staff, soaring through the air at top speed. She held a terrified, sobbing tourist by the back of his collar. She zipped out of the monster’s stomping range just in time, dropping the man safely on the outer edge of the ruins before immediately banking hard and diving back into the danger zone.

Down on the ground, Mira sprinted through the falling debris. She grabbed lost tourists by the arms, physically pulling them out of their shock and pointing them toward the safest evacuation routes to the coast.

Working in perfect sync, the two of them rapidly cleared the trapped civilians out of the immediate blast zone.

“Hehe. No matter where you go in this world, there is never a shortage of fools eager to throw away their lives.”

High above, Marshall’s consciousness had fully merged with Sky Drum’s colossal form. Looking through the giant’s glowing red eyes, he quickly locked onto the annoying pink streak darting through the air.

He could not allow these pests to interfere with his harvest. Marshall flexed his mind, commanding the Yakuma’s massive black arm. The giant limb swept through the air with terrifying speed, compressing the atmosphere and generating a howling gale as it reached directly for Dark Magician Girl.

Sensing the shift in air pressure, Dark Magician Girl spun around. She immediately positioned herself in front of a little girl she had just pulled from the rubble, shielding the child with her own body.

She gripped her staff with both hands, channeling a massive surge of pink Magic Power into the glowing gem at its tip.

“Dark Burning Attack!”

A concentrated, dark pink beam of pure magical energy erupted from her staff. The blast tore through the air, slamming dead center into the descending giant black palm and exploding into a blinding shower of magical sparks.