The night sky stretched endlessly above the Battle City finals blimp. The arena lights burned with intensity, illuminating the dueling platform suspended in the center. Duelists, spectators, and finalists gathered for what promised to be another climactic showdown.
Seto Kaiba stood tall and composed, arms crossed with his usual air of arrogance. His white trench coat flared dramatically with every gust from the blimp's rotors. His gaze was fixed squarely on his next opponent—Matt.
Matt, around seventeen or eighteen, strode confidently to his dueling station. His brown hair was unruly, partially hidden beneath the cape that billowed behind him. He looked less like a professional duelist and more like a gambler heading into a high-stakes casino match. His eyes glimmered with reckless excitement as he toyed with a coin between his fingers.
The Roland's voice boomed:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the next duel in the Battle City Finals will be Seto Kaiba vs. Matt, the Gambler! Both duelists will begin with 4000 life points!"
Kaiba sneered. "Tch. Another clown who thinks luck can compete with skill. I've already wasted enough time on one mutt with dice rolls and coin flips. I don't need another Joey Wheeler wannabe slowing me down."
Matt smirked, spinning his coin before catching it. "Funny you should say that, Kaiba. Because I've beaten players far better than Joey Wheeler. Luck isn't just chance—it's destiny. And tonight, destiny's on my side."
From the stands, Joey leaned forward, eyes wide. "Hey, Kaiba! Don't knock him 'til you see him play! That guy's deck is crazy! He's got Time Wizard, just like me!"
Kaiba's eye twitched in irritation. "Perfect. Another mutt copying tricks. This will be over quickly."
Connor, another duelist seated among the finalists, blinked in surprise. "Wait… I've seen him before. Matt was in another tournament I played in. I didn't think he'd make it this far. His luck must have carried him through."
Life Points:
Kaiba – 4000 LP
Matt – 4000 LP
The stadium lights blazed down on the arena, illuminating the two duelists as the duel began. Seto Kaiba adjusted his coat, his sharp glare fixed on his opponent. Opposite him, Matt twirled a coin between his fingers, his grin casual, almost mocking.
Kaiba smirked and drew his opening hand with a flourish.
"Let's see if you can even last a few turns against me," he sneered.
He slapped a card onto his Duel Disk.
"I summon Alexandrite Dragon! (2000 ATK)."
A crystalline dragon appeared with a shimmering roar, its jeweled body gleaming under the light.
Kaiba continued, "I'll set one card face-down. Your move."
Turn 2 – Matt's
Matt twirled his coin in the air, his grin never fading.
"I summon Snipe Hunter (1500 ATK)!"
A shady fiend materialized, its cloak swirling like smoke, spectral cards orbiting its hands as though ready to be gambled away at any second. The crowd murmured; Snipe Hunter was notorious for turning duels into games of chance.
Matt raised a card from his hand and discarded it to the Graveyard.
"Now I activate Snipe Hunter's effect! By discarding one card, I roll a die. If the result is anything but a one or six, I can destroy one card on the field!"
Kaiba's eyes narrowed, his glare sharp as steel. "You dare target my Alexandrite Dragon with that pathetic gamble?"
Matt smirked, flicking the die high into the air. The crowd followed its bounce across the stone floor. It clicked, rolled, and finally landed—on a four.
"Perfect," Matt declared, pointing at Kaiba's dragon.
The fiend snapped its fingers, and a surge of spectral bullets pierced Alexandrite Dragon. The crystalline beast shattered into fragments of light, its roar cut short.
Kaiba's eyes widened. "Impossible…"
The fiend lunged forward, crushing Alexandrite Dragon into shards of light. Kaiba raised an arm against the blast.
Kaiba's LP: 4000 → 2500
From the stands, Joey leapt to his feet. "YEAH! What are the odds of that?!"
Kaiba snarled. "This is absurd. First turn luck means nothing."
Matt chuckled, setting a card. "Lady Luck smiles on me, Kaiba. You'd better watch your step."
Turn 3 – Kaiba
Kaiba's glare sharpened. "Don't think a lucky roll is enough to defeat me!"
"Now I activate Change of Heart to take control of your Snipe Hunter. I'll tribute him to summon Kaiser Glider"(2400 ATK)"
The colossus descended, shaking the arena with its mighty roar. The crowd erupted.
"Kaiser Glider, attack his Life Points directly!"
Matt's smirk faltered as the dragon's blast engulfed him.
Matt's LP: 4000 → 1600
Kaiba crossed his arms. "Luck won't save you now."
Turn 4 – Matt
Matt drew with confidence. "I play Time Wizard (500 ATK)!"
Joey's jaw dropped. "Time Wizard ?!"
Matt grinned. "And I'll activate its effect: Time Roulette of Destruction! I choose heads."
The giant roulette wheel spun behind Time Wizard. Click. Click. Click. It slowed… and landed on success.
"YES!" Matt shouted as magic surged from Time Wizard, aging Kaiba's Blue-Eyes into dust.
Kaiba growled, fists trembling. "My dragon… destroyed by that toy?!"
Matt wasn't finished. "I activate Double Summon to call out Twin-Barrel Dragon (1700 ATK)!"
The machine-dragon landed, cannons locking onto Kaiba's field. "Now, its effect activates—two coin tosses!" Both landed on heads.
Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "I chain Enemy Controller—your Twin-Barrel switches to defense mode!"
Matt smirked. "Fine then. Time Wizard attacks directly!"
Kaiba's LP: 2500 → 2000
Turn 5-Kaiba
Kaiba's voice thundered. "You think coin flips will win you this duel? You're as irritating as Wheeler!"
"HEY!" Joey barked from the stands.
Kaiba continued, "I activate Card of Demise to refill my hand! Then, I use Monster Reborn to bring back my Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
The dragon roared back to life. Kaiba then summoned Kaiser Sea Horse (1700 ATK).
"Blue-Eyes, attack Time Wizard!"
Matt flipped his trap. "I activate Fairy Box! If I guess the coin flip correctly, your dragon's attack becomes zero. I call heads!"
The coin spun… heads. The Blue-Eyes shattered once again.
Kaiba shielded himself from the blast. Kaiba's LP: 2000 → 1500
Matt chuckled as Kaiba reluctantly ended his turn.
Turn 6– Matt
Matt drew, paying the upkeep for Fairy Box. His LP dropped.
Matt's LP: 1600 → 1100
"I'll set one card. Then, I use Time Wizard's effect again—heads!" The wheel spun and, incredibly, landed on success again.
Kaiba slammed the Duel Disk. "You've got to be cheating! Let me see that coin!"
Matt tossed it over. Kaiba flipped it several times himself and scowled—it wasn't rigged.
Roland stepped forward, handing Matt an official Duelist Coin.
Matt shrugged. "Doesn't matter whose coin I use. Lady Luck's mine. Now, I summon another Twin-Barrel Dragon! (1700 ATK). Its effect—two coins, two heads! Say goodbye to your set card."
Kaiba's Guidance Armor was destroyed.
"Now, Twin-Barrel attacks directly!"
Kaiba's trap triggered. "I activate Mirror Force!"
The battlefield erupted as Matt's monsters were obliterated.
Turn 7-Kaiba
Kaiba clenched his fists. "This duel is a circus. But it ends now."
He drew—and his eyes lit with fury.
"I set one card. Then, I activate Card of Sanity! Both duelists refill their hands to six cards."
The crowd gasped.
Kaiba's voice boomed, "I summon Lord of D., and activate my facedown Flute of Summoning Dragon to call forth TWO Blue-Eyes White Dragons!"
Twin roars echoed as the dragons descended.
"Next, I play my second Double Summon. I tribute Lord of D. and both dragons…" Kaiba thrust his arm skyward.
"Arise—Obelisk the Tormentor! (4000 ATK)"
The Egyptian God towered over the arena, its colossal form blotting out the lights above. The air grew heavy as Obelisk the Tormentor roared, its 4000 attack points radiating raw, divine fury. The crowd gasped, shielding themselves from the sheer force of its presence.
Kaiba's voice boomed, his eyes gleaming with pride and power.
"Your tricks end here, Matt! Your luck, your coins, your dice—they mean nothing in the face of true might! Obelisk, CRUSH HIM! Your luck runs out NOW!"
But Matt only smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"Not so fast, Kaiba. I reveal my face-down card—The Path of Destiny!"
Kaiba's eyes widened. "What?!"
Matt's voice carried across the arena, dripping with satisfaction.
"With this card, both of us flip a coin. If it lands on heads, we gain 2000 Life Points. If it lands on tails, we lose 2000 Life Points. No monster, not even your so-called God, can prevent it!"
For the first time in the duel, a flicker of stress crossed Kaiba's face. His hands curled into fists at his sides. "Tch… even Obelisk can't shield me from this nonsense."
Matt tossed his coin into the air, catching it with a flourish. He revealed it to the crowd—heads. A green aura surrounded him as his Life Points rose.
Matt's LP: 1100 → 3100
Matt laughed, the sound sharp and mocking.
"Looks like Lady Luck's still with me. Now it's your turn, Kaiba. Let's see if your God can protect you from fate itself!"
The coin was flipped for Kaiba. Time seemed to slow as it clattered against the arena floor, bouncing once, twice, before spinning in place. Kaiba's eyes locked on it, his jaw tight, sweat forming at his temple.
Finally, it fell—tails.
Matt raised his arms, grinning ear to ear. "It's over! You lost, Kaiba! Your precious God card just fell to a couple of coin flips! So much for Obelisk the Tormentor—turns out even a god can't beat my luck!"
Kaiba's glare was pure fire. His entire body trembled as though he were about to rage-quit the duel entirely. He bit back his fury, his teeth grinding as Matt's words echoed through the stadium.
But then… Kaiba's eyes widened. His lips curled into a sharp smirk.
"You fool…"
Matt blinked. "Huh?"
Kaiba raised his Duel Disk, revealing a quick play spell card.
"You were so blinded by your luck that you forgot one thing. My—Ring of Defense! This card negates all damage I take from card effects. That means the 2000 Life Point penalty I was supposed to suffer… is reduced to zero!"
The arena shook as the red aura surrounding Kaiba dissipated instantly. His Life Points snapped back to their previous state.
Kaiba's LP: 1500
Matt's triumphant smirk shattered into disbelief.
"No way…"
Kaiba's laughter echoed across the arena, cold and merciless.
"Did you really think a god would bow to chance? Obelisk still stands, and you… are finished!"
Kaiba's cold laughter filled the arena, echoing like thunder.
"You thought luck would save you, Matt—but in the end, all you've done is delay the inevitable. Now… Obelisk the Tormentor will end this duel!"
He thrust his arm forward, his voice booming like a war cry.
"Obelisk the Tormentor—ATTACK! Fist of Fate!"
The colossal god raised its mighty arm, energy surging as the ground cracked beneath its feet. The shockwave shook the stands as Obelisk charged, ready to crush Matt in a single blow.
Matt's eyes gleamed with defiance. "Not so fast, Kaiba! You forgot about my trap—Fairy Box! When you attack, I flip a coin. If I call it right, your monster's attack is reduced to zero!"
He pointed dramatically. "I call heads!"
The coin spun high into the air. The crowd held its breath as it tumbled down, clattering onto the arena floor… and landed on heads.
Matt pumped his fist. "Ha! Looks like your God's about to get clipped by my Fairy Box!"
But Kaiba didn't even flinch. His eyes narrowed, his voice like a blade.
"You ignorant fool. Did you really think a carnival trick could stop a God? Obelisk the Tormentor is unaffected by non-divine effects. Your Fairy Box means nothing!"
Matt's smirk fell, his confidence cracking as the arena was drowned in Obelisk's roar. The divine titan's fist crashed down with unstoppable force, shattering the Fairy Box illusion as though it were nothing more than a child's toy.
The impact exploded across the field, engulfing Matt in a storm of divine power. He staggered back, his Duel Disk sparking as his Life Points dropped to zero.
Matt's LP: 3100 → 0
Matt slumped to his knees, his Duel Disk powering down as his coin slipped from his fingers and clattered across the floor. His shoulders sagged, a faint, rueful smile breaking through his exhaustion.
"Heh… guess my luck finally ran out."
"Luck was never enough," Kaiba declared, his voice as sharp as steel. "Only power and strategy determine the true King of Games."
The audience murmured, half in awe, half in discomfort. Joey, ever the loud one, cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted anyway.
"Man, that duel was awesome! Hey, Matt—you've got guts! You and me gotta team up for some tag duels someday!"
Matt chuckled weakly, lifting a trembling hand to give Joey a thumbs-up. "Sounds like a deal, Joey…"
Connor, standing nearby, shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe he made it this far. But Kaiba's right… in the end, skill won out."
Kaiba's sneer deepened at the sound of Joey's encouragement. His eyes narrowed, cold and contemptuous. "One Joey Wheeler is already more than I care to tolerate. I don't need another mutt yapping at my heels."
Then, in a final act of disdain, Kaiba held the coin aloft for all to see. "This? This isn't worth cluttering my collection."
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the coin off the side of the blimp. It spun once in the moonlight, then vanished into the clouds below.
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