"It's my turn."
It was Delta's turn. But he lowered his head and looked at his deck, his eyes on the top card—seemingly unknown, but in reality already decided. He didn't draw immediately.
After a moment, he muttered:
"How ironic. Just like my life, if beings like us are even allowed to have the concept of a 'life' at all."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Kira asked with interest.
"It looks like the future is unknown, but from the moment we're born, it's actually already decided, isn't it?" Delta said.
"Now that you mention it, I did feel something was off from the start," Kira said. "Intercepting me here and dueling me may be your mission, but you don't seem all that... enthusiastic. Or willing."
"Does it matter if I'm enthusiastic or not?" Delta said calmly. "Our reason for existence, our goals, everything about us... We are given thoughts, but not the freedom to use them to decide our own future."
He closed his eyes and smiled faintly.
"But that's enough."
"To be the right hand of my father, and to do something for him—that's enough."
The image of the man surfaced in his mind again.
And the moment when that man handed him this card, his deck's ace, "Darkstorm Dragon".
"You're my best son. I trust your abilities. I know you won't let me down."
The man said in a deep voice.
"Right, Delta?"
"...Of course."
He lowered his head and solemnly accepted the card.
"I won't let you down."
"Never."
"..."
Yes, there's no way he could let that person down.
Otherwise, wouldn't they lose the very value of their existence?
"Even if the only future I have is a fixed one—I can only accept it, and do my utmost to prove my value among the limited choices. That's something you duelists would never understand."
Delta said.
"My turn, draw!"
Delta drew the card. Unsurprisingly, it was "Darkstorm Dragon"—as good as revealed.
"But at my Standby Phase, the effect of 'Totem Dragon' in my Graveyard activates," Delta said. "If this card is in the Graveyard and I have no monsters on my field, I can Special Summon it."
Golden light burst from the Graveyard zone of his Duel Disk, and a small dragon leaped onto Delta's field.
[Totem Dragon, ATK 400]
"One of the cards you sent to the graveyard with 'Future Fusion', huh?" Kira nodded knowingly.
No wonder it was a perennial Forbidden Card before the Numeron Era—its resource-gaining power is just that strong.
"And, if Totem Dragon is used as a Tribute for a Dragon monster's Tribute Summon, it counts as two tributes," Delta said. "So, I tribute 'Totem Dragon' as two tributes to Tribute Summon—once more!"
"Come forth again—Darkstorm Dragon, Summon!"
A pitch-black storm rose again, and the dark dragon appeared in the hurricane!
[Darkstorm Dragon, ATK 2700]
"You actually managed to summon it again," Kira rested his chin on his hand. "You really are obsessed with that monster... does it mean something special to you?"
"That's none of your business."
Delta replied coldly.
"Next, I activate the Equip Spell 'Supervise', equipping it to 'Darkstorm Dragon'."
"This card can only be equipped to a Gemini Monster. The equipped monster immediately becomes treated as having been Gemini Summoned, and gains its Gemini effect."
"Darkstorm Dragon's Gemini effect: by sending a face-up Spell/Trap you control to the Graveyard, you can destroy all Spell/Trap cards on both sides of the field."
Kira nodded slightly.
"That's a powerful effect. If you activate it again, I'll be in trouble."
"Then I activate my Set card, Trap Card 'Spiritual Wind Art - Miyabi'! I tribute a WIND monster I control to return a card on your field to the bottom of your deck."
He smiled.
"So I tribute my WIND monster 'Raiza the Storm Monarch'—sending your 'Darkstorm Dragon' to the bottom of your deck."
A green hurricane rose, and the Storm Monarch's body dissipated. The storm then swallowed Darkstorm Dragon as well. The poor dragon, just summoned, was swept away in a flash of gold back into Delta's deck—this time, to the very bottom.
Delta froze.
Bounced back to the deck again.
In just a moment, his Darkstorm Dragon had been sent back to the deck twice in a row.
Half a second later, he finally lowered his hand, which had been raised to continue his play, and took a deep breath.
Stay calm. Stay calm.
He was the best among all his father's sons—not just in strength, but also in psychological fortitude.
He couldn't fall into this guy's rhythm...
"It's not over yet."
Delta opened his eyes again, speaking in a low voice.
"Supervise has another effect. If the face-up card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Normal Monster from my Graveyard!"
"Since the equipped Darkstorm Dragon was sent back to the deck by you, Supervise loses its target and is sent to the Graveyard, so its effect activates!"
A card exited his Duel Disk's Graveyard.
"And the monster I'm summoning is—the other one I discarded as cost for 'Frost and Flame Dragon' last turn—"
As he raised the card, the image of his father flashed before his eyes again. With a stern, heavy gaze, he watched as he handed over this card.
"Don't let me down."
"..."
Delta's voice was full of power: "Revive the second Darkstorm Dragon from my Graveyard!"
The storm rose again. Its body as heavy as thunderclouds, scales glimmering with a dim light, wings spread to blot out the sky as dark winds howled.
Darkstorm Dragon, summoned once more!
[Darkstorm Dragon, ATK 2700]
"You actually managed to bring it out again."
Kira looked up at the dragon riding the storm.
"That dragon really does mean something special to you, doesn't it?"
"My father trusts me, and I'll do anything for him. That's all I need!" Delta shouted. "Attack directly with 'Darkstorm Dragon'!"
A pitch-black hurricane, filled with razor winds, roared toward Kira with a world-ending force.
"I see. I guess this card carries your so-called father's expectations—it's the reason you exist and fight."
Kira smiled slightly.
"Maybe you're right. Sometimes, fate only gives us limited choices. But sometimes... there might be no way out, even within those limited choices."
He snapped his fingers.
"Activate Trap Card—'Phoenix Wing Wind Blast'. By discarding a card, I can return one card on your field to the top of your deck!"
If Delta had a heart, it might be suffering cardiac arrest right now.
Bounced back to the deck again? Again!?
Delta's eyes turned red.
"Is this never going to end!?"
PS: 3 Bonus Chapters at 2000 PS.