Chapter 351: You Can Still Print a Card and One-Shot Me?
Just like at the start of this Duel, the (Fusion) Vortex swallowed Kaiba's three (Blue-Eyes White Dragon).
Within one Turn, Kaiba recycled the three (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) from his Graveyard to his Deck, then added them to his Hand all at once, once again gathering the (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)'s Fusion Materials.
At the same time, Hayato also knew that this time, Joey attempting to reuse (De-Fusion) to counter this top-tier Fusion Monster was unlikely.
Although Kaiba, when complacent, was essentially a reckless brute who ignored his opponent's Set Cards and always advocated F2A tactics, the now fully serious Kaiba probably wouldn't let Joey use (De-Fusion) anymore.
The three-headed white dragon appeared within the Vortex. Looking at Joey, who had previously forced it to leave the field in frustration, the three heads of (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) opened their gaping jaws, eager to eliminate Joey, who was nothing more than a small insect in its eyes. However, restricted by Kaiba having already passed the Battle Phase, and by (Magical Steel Knight - Giltia Fried) faithfully standing before Joey, (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) could only roar a few times as a threat and glare menacingly to intimidate Joey for now.
"Mediocre Duelist, engrave the shining form of (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) into your mind, and after your defeat, never forget the despair and terror I bring you," Kaiba sneered, a cold smile on his lips. "Compared to your filthy, weak Black Dragon, (Blue-Eyes) is the strongest Dragon-Type!"
"Set three cards, End Turn." Placing three cards from his Hand into his Spell & Trap Zone, Kaiba, with an empty Hand, raised a finger at Joey. "Next Turn, you will face an undeniable defeat!"
[Kaiba: 3000 LP, Hand 0]
[Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon][ATK4500]
[Set Card] X3
The invincible (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) stood on Kaiba's Field. Joey swallowed nervously, glancing at the (Magical Steel Knight) on his Field, and instinctively asked, "I say, do you have a way to deal with this Monster?"
In the Virtual World constructed by Noah, due to the rules of the Deck Master, Joey had inadvertently developed a habit of asking his monsters questions when he was unclear about the situation, including but not limited to Card Effects, Deck Master abilities, etc.
And (Magical Steel Knight) had indeed just shown independent thought. Hearing Joey's question, (Giltia Fried) helplessly spread his hands. "Come on, I'm just a weakling. It was already amazing that I managed to deal with that (Kinetic Soldier) just now."
"You want me to handle a (Blue-Eyes White Dragon), that's fine, but taking down a top-tier monster like (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)? I can't do it, boss!"
"This is my professional judgment as a professional commentator—bah, a seasoned elite Warrior. If I can't do it, I can't do it. I absolutely cannot do it, not even if you kill me!"
"Don't get so worked up." Waving his hand to signal (Giltia Fried) to calm down, Joey glanced at (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) and instinctively averted his gaze. The (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon), returning to the field for the second time, just like its master, had become completely serious due to its previous encounter. Its six eyes glared as wide as searchlights, its gaze so intense it seemed to emit lightning.
Taking a deep breath, Joey placed his finger on his Deck, calming himself and trying to remain composed, then drew a card. "My Turn, Draw!"
The card he drew was (Graceful Charity).
"I activate the Spell Card (Graceful Charity)! I draw three cards from my Deck, then select two cards from my Hand to discard." Joey's eyes lit up as he looked at the cards he drew. He discarded two cards from his Hand, one of which was (Magical Knight Giltia), which he had added to his Hand last Turn.
The sharp-eyed Kaiba also clearly saw the other monster he sent to the Graveyard: (Summoned Skull), which Joey had exchanged from Yugi.
"Hmph, so you intend to Summon (Black Skull Dragon)? While I believe the power of (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) will never lose to such a monster, I detest boring struggles, especially from fodder like you who can't recognize your own weakness."
Speaking coldly, as Joey sent (Summoned Skull) to the Graveyard, Kaiba activated his backrow Set Card. "Activate the Trap Card (Lost)!"
"From your Graveyard, I target one monster and Banish it from the Game!"
Before Kaiba, the phantom images of monsters existing in Joey's Graveyard appeared one by one. His gaze swept over monsters like (Warrior of Zera), (Marauding Captain), etc., without pausing. Kaiba glanced at (Red-Eyes Black Dragon), then sneered, and tapped his finger on (Summoned Skull), which was beside (Red-Eyes Black Dragon).
"If you revive this monster and start rambling about 'Bonds' or other annoying things, I'll be quite irritated. So I'll just banish this card, which Yugi exchanged with you, from this Duel."
"As for (Red-Eyes Black Dragon)? Hmph, a mere 2400 ATK is hardly worth mentioning."
"You can still print a new monster and one-shot my invincible (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)?"
On Joey's field, a large pit appeared with Kaiba's activation of (Lost). (Summoned Skull), which he had just sent to the Graveyard, went astray mid-way, never fully entering the Graveyard, and was caught by the suction emanating from the pit, struggling as it was Banished from the Game.
Looking at the Banished (Summoned Skull) and (Dragon's Mirror) in his Hand, Joey was stunned. He had indeed been planning to use (Dragon's Mirror) to Summon (Black Skull Dragon).
But now, he only had (Dragon's Mirror) and (Sword of the Soul-Eater - Burning Soul) in his Hand, which he intended to Equip to (Black Skull Dragon) to increase its Attack. What should he do?
Just as Joey fell into confusion, planning to change (Magical Steel Knight) to Defense Position to minimize the damage he would take later, he suddenly remembered something.
After his Duel with Mai Valentine in the previous Top 8 elimination round to reach Top 4, Joey had evolved his original (Dark Dragon) into (Black Skull Dragon) out of nowhere. Hayato seemed to have said something inadvertently back then.
It was something like...
"White Dragon brings victory, while Black Dragon brings possibility." Hayato's expression was subtle then. "Compared to (Blue-Eyes), (Red-Eyes) is more likely to spawn powerful "Big Bro," though those "Big Bro" usually appear in other Decks."
Although he didn't quite understand what Duel Monsters Hayato was referring to then with "Dark Steel Dragon Big Bro" and "Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon," still—
"(Red-Eyes Black Dragon) is a monster that symbolizes possibility?"
Looking at (Dragon's Mirror) in his Hand, Joey gritted his teeth and resolutely slammed it onto his Duel Disk. "I don't know if this will work, but please, (Red-Eyes)!"
"If you truly are the Black Dragon that brings possibility, as Hayato said, then please answer me!"
"Activate the Spell Card (Dragon's Mirror)! From my Graveyard, banish (Red-Eyes Black Dragon) and (Magical Knight Giltia) from the Game, and Fusion Summon a new monster!"
As Joey activated (Dragon's Mirror), from his Graveyard, (Red-Eyes Black Dragon) and (Magical Knight Giltia) were actually drawn into the (Dragon's Mirror) that had risen on Joey's backrow, Banished from the Game!
A dark figure swept through the tall mirror. Its crimson eyes seemed to emit a red glow, drawing a red line.
"Souls of LIGHT and Darkness intertwine! Adorn with blades, sever and tear apart the LIGHT!"
At Joey's call, a monster resembling (Red-Eyes Black Dragon), now clad in armor and blades, its appearance completely different from before, broke through the mirror's limitations and appeared. Facing the tall and robust (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon), this brand new (Red-Eyes) monster roared back, unwilling to be outdone!
"ROAR!"
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword][Level 7/DARK]
[Dragon / Fusion / Effect]
[2800/2400]
"He can still Summon a new monster?" Kaiba looked at the (Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword) Joey Summoned with some surprise. After (Magical Steel Knight), Joey had actually pulled out another Duel Monster he had never seen before.
But glancing at (Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword)'s Attack, Kaiba still didn't take it seriously.
"Even printing cards out of thin air has its limits. Do you really intend to challenge my invincible (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) with a monster of this caliber? Even if you have more fodder monsters, it's completely meaningless!"
"Hmph, Kaiba, since you look down on my monsters so much, then let me show you their combined power!" Joey activated the last card in his Hand. "Activate the Equip Spell Card (Sword of the Soul-Eater - Burning Soul), and equip it to (Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword)!"
Looking at (Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword) on Joey's field, and the (Sword of the Soul-Eater - Burning Soul) equipped to (Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword)'s armor, (Magical Steel Knight - Giltia Fried) grumbled, "The name of this Equip Card is a bit too ominous, isn't it? Who would dare be comrades with someone who uses this card?"
As he spoke, (Giltia Fried) turned his head to look at Joey, only to find Joey had turned his head away, seemingly avoiding (Giltia Fried)'s gaze.
(Magical Steel Knight), clad in sturdy armor forged from magical steel, suddenly felt a sense of dread. He subconsciously shivered and asked Joey for confirmation, "Hey boss, that Equip Spell Card, its name is just for show, right?"
"Uh, what was that saying again?" Joey stammered, trying to appease (Magical Steel Knight - Giltia Fried). "Ahem, all for the greater good, this is a necessary sacrifice, (Giltia Fried)!"
Under (Magical Steel Knight)'s disbelieving gaze, (Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword) pierced his chest from behind with a single sword thrust. All his magical energy was absorbed into (Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword)'s demonic sword.
As he was about to be sent to the Graveyard, (Magical Steel Knight) didn't resent Joey for selling him out, but instead glared fiercely towards the Audience Seating.
"That look just now, it felt like that monster held a lot of resentment," Mai Valentine remarked, glancing at Hayato as she spoke.
Tristan also couldn't help but sigh. "Joey would actually do something like that."
He also looked at Hayato.
Even Yugi, though he didn't say anything, also glanced at Hayato.
Hayato was a bit perplexed by their stares. "I mean, wasn't it Joey who Tributed (Magical Steel Knight)? Why are you all looking at me?!"
"Big Bro, don't you have any idea about this?! It's all because you usually—" The voice of (Ojama Yellow) came from Hayato's Deck, but it had only just popped its head out before (Rainbow Kuriboh) pushed it back into the Deck.
"The effect of (Sword of the Soul-Eater - Burning Soul) can be used once per Turn. I can Tribute one monster on my field, other than the Equipped Monster, and the Equipped Monster's Attack increases by the Tributed Monster's original ATK until the End Phase."
This was Joey's first time Tributing his own monster, mimicking Hayato's usual Dueling habit. Joey, feeling somewhat apologetic towards (Magical Steel Knight), was unaware that Yugi and the others had already concluded he had been corrupted by Hayato's influence, as he explained the effect of (Sword of the Soul-Eater - Burning Soul) to Kaiba.
Watching, (Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword)'s Attack skyrocketed after it absorbed (Magical Steel Knight)'s power, and its size also increased significantly from before.
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword][ATK2800→5500]
"Enter Battle Phase! I will use (Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword) to attack your (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) on the field! Get ready to take the attack, Kaiba!"
Joey made a bold declaration, then continued, "And because of (Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword)'s own effect, when a (Red-Eyes) monster declares an attack, I can equip one Warrior-Type monster from my Graveyard to (Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword) as an Equip Card, increasing its Attack by 200 points!"
And the monster Joey chose as an Equip Card was none other than (Magical Steel Knight - Giltia Fried).
"Can't even rest in peace after dying, you're something else, boss," the phantom image of (Magical Steel Knight) appeared beside (Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword). "This kind of exploitation should get you strung up on a lamppost!"
"But, who can blame you? You're the boss, after all."
As (Magical Steel Knight) chanted its spell, the power within (Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword) swelled even further!
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword][ATK5500→5700]
(end of chapter)
Chapter 352: Soul Energy MAX
"Go, Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon, attack Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" After boosting Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon's Attack to its current maximum, Joey pointed a finger at Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon in the distance and commanded, "Black Flame Sword Slash!"
Black flames began to burn on Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon's armor. The black dragon, like a weapon of slaughter, let out a low growl and swooped down from the sky towards Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!
Seeing Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon's attack coming, Kaiba's expression remained calm: "Is this all your so-called 'combined power' amounts to? How disappointing. I activate my Set Trap Card, Sakuretsu Armor!"
"When an opponent's monster declares an attack, you can activate this card by targeting that attacking monster. That attacking monster is destroyed!" Kaiba's lips curled into a cold sneer, "While your struggle for a glimmer of victory is amusing, I'd much rather see your pathetic expression when your hopes are dashed!"
With Sakuretsu Armor activated, just as Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon was about to make contact with Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, its armor suddenly exploded, enveloping it in a cloud of smoke.
Seeing that his activated Sakuretsu Armor wasn't negated, Kaiba let out a cold snort, completely disregarding the "Curse of Sakuretsu Armor" that Hayato had once mentioned to him. Just as he was about to say something to mock Joey, what surprised Kaiba was that a wail came from within the smoke, and it didn't sound like Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon?
"Mis~for~tune~!"
This was clearly the voice of Steel Magic Knight - Giltia Freed, which Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon had equipped earlier!
Accompanied by Steel Magic Knight - Giltia Freed's exaggerated wail, a demonic sword burning with dark flames flew out of the exploding smoke, propelled by Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon, piercing directly into Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's chest without giving it a chance to react!
"Uwooooh!!"
Not everyone could play "family backstabbing" like that bunch of white-haired guys from the Spartan Family; being run through the chest by Demonic Sword of Soul-Slaying - Burning Soul was an absolutely fatal blow for Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Its three heads simultaneously let out a wail, and it was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.
"Blue-Eyes!"
Kaiba: 3000 → 2000 LP
Watching Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon be destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Kaiba appeared quite furious, glaring fiercely at Joey: "You bastard, what the hell did you just do?!"
Joey, who had been looking down for a while, finally raised his head in realization and said: "When a card effect that targets a card on my field is activated, Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon can send 1 Equip Card from my field to the Graveyard to activate its effect, negating that activation and destroying it."
"Although it appears to have a ruthless, murderous expression, the power Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon possesses is the power of 'protection'!"
Just moments ago, when Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon became the target of Sakuretsu Armor's effect, used by Kaiba, even though Joey, its owner, hadn't quite understood Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon's effect yet, Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon proactively activated its own ability, using Steel Magic Knight - Giltia Freed, which it had just equipped, as a cost to negate Sakuretsu Armor's effect.
At the cost of a mere 200 Attack Points, Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon, with a single strike, obliterated Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, which had already appeared twice and hogged much of the other monsters' screentime.
This time, Joey didn't cleverly get rid of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon with De-Fusion as he did last time, but rather destroyed it by battle with a higher Attack.
To deal with Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, which had high Attack but no resistance whatsoever, the most efficient method in theory should have been to use a direct destruction effect like Tribute to the Doomed. But the single-minded Joey stubbornly insisted on clashing head-on with Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon in terms of Attack, and he actually succeeded.
"My turn ends."
Joey: 3550 LP, Hand 0
Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon: ATK 5500 → 2800
The "invincible" Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon in Kaiba's eyes had fallen again, which made him wonder if "invincibility" was actually a Debuff?
Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon was sent to the Graveyard again, but this time, while Kaiba's expression was still stern, he wasn't as utterly enraged as last time. Instead, he gave an excited Joey a profound look.
"The Power of the Heart (of the Cards)?"
Creating cards out of nothing that had never had data records, Kaiba had only seen it in Yugi and Hayato before Joey. Joey was the third Duelist to display this power before him, but also the only Duelist he didn't acknowledge, yet who possessed this ability.
Hayato's explanation to Kaiba was that "card printing is an important part of Duel Monsters, you have to try it." And Yugi's explanation to him was that it was the power that came from believing in cards and resonating with their heart (of the Cards).
"Hey, Joey Wheeler, answer me." Kaiba calmly questioned Joey, "What do your cards mean to you?"
Joey was clearly baffled by Kaiba's sudden question: "What's with you, suddenly asking me questions like that? Blue-Eyes was destroyed, why do you look like that? Are you really Kaiba?"
In Joey's imagination, when he destroyed Kaiba's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and sent it to the Graveyard for the second time, Kaiba's face would surely be filled with exasperation and uncontrollable rage, and he would definitely spout insults, belittling him endlessly.
Joey had even mentally prepared his counterattack, but he never expected Kaiba to calmly throw out such a nonsensical question.
"What do my cards mean to me?" He glanced at his Deck; images of cards like Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Summoned Skull, Time Wizard, and The Legendary Fisherman flashed through his mind one by one.
"For a question like that, there's only one answer." Joey raised his head and looked at Kaiba; although he didn't know why Kaiba had suddenly asked him such a question, Joey didn't think much and stated his answer.
"Battles with opponents, bonds with friends, and my own growth—my cards are proof of all of it! As long as I trust my Deck, I believe my Deck will surely answer me!"
"That's my answer!" Joey declared loudly, "Start your turn, Kaiba! I told you, I'd show you what I'm made of! Or are you scared stiff by my Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon?"
"Hmph, don't think you can order me around just because you gained a temporary advantage, Mediocre Duelist!"
Kaiba's face once again showed an annoyed expression as he looked down at his Deck.
'The heart (of the Cards), huh? The old me might have scoffed at it, but compared to my past self, I too have grown.'
'The power of cards and the heart (of the Cards)—only by possessing both can one forge a future in the World of Duel Monsters. Therefore, I must also master this power.'
'Even setting Hayato and Yugi aside, if even Joey Wheeler can do it, there's no reason I can't!'
"My turn! Draw!"
He swiftly drew the top card of his Deck. Kaiba activated it: "Spell Card, Pot of Greed! I draw two cards from my Deck!"
"Then I activate the Spell Card, Soul Release! From both Graveyards, I will banish a total of five cards of my choice!"
After Kaiba placed the card into his Duel Disk's Spell & Trap Zone, he said, grabbing the five cards that popped out of his Graveyard and dramatically flinging them up: "I choose to banish all five monsters from my Graveyard!"
Hayato couldn't help but suspect that Kaiba was copying his own move of dramatically discarding cards, a flourish he had performed more than once before.
Oh, I copied Kaiser too. Never mind then.
Following Kaiba's dramatic flourish—the kind that makes one think, "you look pathetic picking up cards, but so cool throwing them"—Blue Dragon Summoner, three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon all appeared as phantom images in soul form from Kaiba's Graveyard.
This card hadn't actually been in Kaiba's Deck construction until recently. Kaiba decided to add this card to his Deck only after leaving the Virtual World. For this, he removed Cyclops, which had accompanied him for a long time, from his Deck.
The reason for adding this card was the duel between Hayato and Gozaburo in the Virtual World. Although it wasn't Kaiba who dueled Gozaburo, after Kaiba put himself in Hayato's shoes, he realized his own Deck had no way to defeat Exodia Necross.
After analyzing the situation, Kaiba found the most suitable way to counter it: using Soul Release before Gozaburo activated Necrovalley.
And it wasn't just Exodia Necross; Kaiba also discovered that Soul Release could effectively counter Yugi's Electromagnetic Turtle, as well as Hayato's Rainbow Kuriboh and The Winged Dragon of Ra.
What he hadn't expected was that the monsters banished by Soul Release the first time it was used, were all his own.
Seeing Kaiba banish five monsters from his Graveyard, including Blue-Eyes White Dragons and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, although Joey wasn't entirely sure what Kaiba was up to, his keen intuition told him something big was coming.
"I pay half of my Life Points to activate this card, the Trap Card Return from the Different Dimension!"
Kaiba didn't keep Joey guessing for long; immediately after his monsters were banished, he activated the set card in his back row: "The effect of this card is to summon as many of my banished monsters to the field as possible!"
Kaiba: 2000 → 1000 LP
The wormhole of banished monsters hadn't closed yet when a pair of pure white dragon claws extended from within, pushing against its sides and tearing it wide open!
The three-headed Ultimate Dragon emerged from the portal to the Banished Zone, followed by three Blue-Eyes White Dragons and a supplementary Blue Dragon Summoner, returning from the Banished Zone led by Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!
Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon: ATK 4500
Blue-Eyes White Dragon: ATK 3000
Blue Dragon Summoner: ATK 1500
Due to their sheer size, all four great dragons stood behind Kaiba, with only Blue Dragon Summoner standing before Kaiba, directly facing Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon.
Glancing at the fierce Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon before it, then looking back at the four Blue-Eyes White Dragons behind it, Blue Dragon Summoner's face was full of arrogance, and it confidently said, feigning power: "A mere Black Dragon! My Attack combined with a Blue-Eyes White Dragon's is more than enough to obliterate you! The advantage is mine!"
On Kaiba's field, all five monsters, except for Blue Dragon Summoner, possessed the power to destroy Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon; their combined Attack more than enough to wipe out Joey's Life Points.
Just when everyone thought Kaiba would launch a total attack with his Blue-Eyes to defeat Joey, Ishizu, Yugi, and Hayato—those who had long-term contact with the Egyptian God Cards, or who currently/formerly possessed them—all felt the power emanating from Kaiba's last card in hand.
"That feeling..."
Hayato nodded, confirming Yugi's guess: "Mm, it's Obelisk the Tormentor, alright."
Ishizu glanced at the monsters on Kaiba's field and said: "Although Kaiba has drawn his God Card, looking at the monsters on his field, there's no longer any need to summon a God."
"That's not it, Ishizu." However, to Ishizu's surprise, Yugi clearly didn't agree with her thought, but he didn't offer any explanation either.
Hayato, on the other hand, looking at Kaiba's gaze towards Joey, smiled and said: "Duel Monsters, after all, truly requires giving it your all to show respect to an opponent you acknowledge."
"The way Kaiba's looking at Joey now is exactly the same way he looks at me and Yugi."
On the field, Kaiba looked at a tense Joey, but he smiled. Although it was a cold smile, just like at the start of the duel, the feeling it conveyed was completely different.
"Watch closely, Mediocre Duelist. As a counterattack to your full effort, I too will use my full power to crush you!" Although his feelings towards Joey had changed, Kaiba was always relentless with his words: "Engrave this monster's majestic form in your mind, and challenge me for the rest of your life!"
"I Tribute three Blue-Eyes White Dragons from my field, to descend with the Light Attribute and shatter the darkness, to sweep the earth with a scorching wind, and to turn all things on Earth into bone!"
"Descend, Obelisk the Tormentor!"
Obelisk the Tormentor: ATK 4000
The blue God appeared. Looking at this monster that brought overwhelming despair, Joey felt no fear, but rather looked at Kaiba.
In a situation of great advantage, tributing all of his Blue-Eyes White Dragons, although Joey was slow to catch on, he could sense that Kaiba's attitude towards him seemed to have changed.
He couldn't articulate exactly how, but for the first time, Kaiba's eyes held no contempt or disdain, only seriousness.
Of course, Kaiba calling him a "Mediocre Duelist" still pissed him off.
"Obelisk the Tormentor is the God among the Egyptian God Cards that symbolizes Light Attribute and Dark Attribute, wielding the power of the Earth. It's perfectly fitting as the final monster you'll face."
Joey looked at Kaiba's expression, sighed, and then smiled again: "Is that so? To be defeated by a God, what an honor. Still, it's annoying that I couldn't beat you."
"Hmph, I am Seto Kaiba. A mere Mediocre Duelist, you're 20,000 years too early to defeat me!" Kaiba's lips curled slightly, and he raised his hand above his head: "I activate Obelisk the Tormentor's special effect!"
"I release Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and Blue Dragon Summoner from my field! Until the End Phase, Obelisk the Tormentor's Attack becomes infinite!"
"This is the final attack, Joey Wheeler! Soul Energy MAX!"
Obelisk the Tormentor extended its hands. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and Blue Dragon Summoner were grasped in its hands. The two monsters, originally vastly different in size, no longer showed any distinction before Obelisk the Tormentor, because neither was as large as the God.
The two monsters dispersed into particles, their energy entirely absorbed into the gem on Obelisk the Tormentor's forehead. A massive surge of power began to gather in the God's right fist.
Obelisk the Tormentor: ATK 4000 → ∞
Watching Obelisk the Tormentor raise its fist, Joey glanced at the audience seating, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces, then looked back at Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon on his field.
"I'm sorry, Yugi, Hayato, Tristan, Duke Devlin, Serenity Wheeler, Mai, I've disappointed you. And Red-Eyes, it looks like my Battle City journey really ends here. I'm such a failure."
"But still, it's not my style to just sit here and wait for defeat."
Suddenly raising his head to look at Obelisk the Tormentor, whose fist was ready to strike, Joey gave Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon his final command in this Duel: "Let's go, Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon!"
"Come on, Kaiba!"
Facing the attack of the God of Destruction's infinite power, the unyielding black dragon spread its wings and soared, its demonic sword firmly gripped, slashing forward. The moment they collided, a shockwave swept across the entire field!
Joey: 3550 LP → 0
Amidst the howling wind, though the easygoing Croquet kept trying to convince himself, "It's just virtual projection," seeing Joey's Life Points completely nullified, he wanted to declare the duel's winner. But the violent currents of air rudely rushed into his open mouth, preventing him from announcing the match results.
Kaiba stood perfectly straight, facing the brunt of the wind, arms crossed over his chest, and slowly closed his eyes: "Hmph, an outcome I already foresaw. The victor is I, Seto Kaiba; that fact never changes."
"Joey Wheeler, you lose!"
The storm gradually subsided. Joey, who had been hit by an attack of infinite attack, stumbled, dropping to one knee, gasping for breath. His Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon on the field had been destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by the God's infinite power at the very moment the attack was declared, and vanished.
"Ah, I lost, quite thoroughly."
Raising his head, Joey's gaze met Kaiba's: "But don't think I'll be discouraged by this, Kaiba. One day, I'll defeat you."
Obelisk the Tormentor's figure slowly vanished from the field as the duel ended. Kaiba looked at the exhausted Joey and let out a cold sneer: "Come at me all you want, Mediocre Duelist. But you'll never defeat me, the strongest Duelist; you, a second-rate Duelist using a third-rate Deck."
"Take that back, Kaiba! My Deck is strong!"
"Shut up, Common Bone! You're good for nothing but willpower!"
"Who are you calling names?!"
Amidst Joey's suddenly energetic protests, Croquet lowered his hand from his sunglasses and announced: "The winner has been decided!"
"The winner of the second Battle City semi-finals match is—Duelist Seto Kaiba!"
"Both finalists have advanced. In one hour, the Battle City finals will begin, with Hayato facing Seto Kaiba, competing for the supreme title of 'King of Games'!"
Joey and Kaiba returned to the audience seating.
"Joey!"
"Brother!"
Seeing everyone's worried expressions, Joey, however, was calm and not dejected by his duel loss. He laughed and said, "Ahahaha, I lost."
"I thought you'd be crying your eyes out for losing to Kaiba," seeing Joey's foolish grin, Tristan put an arm around his neck, "Why are you grinning so heartlessly, you punk?!"
"Huh? You think I'm some idiot like you who cried all day because Little Ribbon rejected your confession?"
"Those who bring up old grudges will swallow a thousand needles!" Tristan frantically tried to cover Joey's mouth, and nervously peeked at Serenity Wheeler's expression out of the corner of his eye. Seeing that she didn't look upset, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
While bickering with Tristan, Joey noticed Kaiba walking arrogantly towards him, carrying a briefcase he seemed to have gotten from Croquet: "Still as noisy as ever, Mediocre Duelist."
"Grinning so happily, you haven't forgotten, have you, that according to Battle City's rules, as the victor, I'm entitled to take one card from your Deck?"
"Uh—" Joey's face couldn't help but show an embarrassed expression, because he genuinely had forgotten such a rule existed.
With a tearful face, Joey pulled his Deck from his Duel Disk and spread it out: "I didn't forget! Go on, pick one."
Though he said that, Joey looked at the cards in his Deck with great reluctance. Just as Joey had said earlier, the cards in his Deck were proof of his bonds with others.
After glancing at Joey's Deck, Kaiba ostentatiously "tsk'd"; ignoring Joey's reluctance, he reached for Red-Eyes Black Dragon and opened the briefcase in his hand, about to place the card inside.
But after opening the briefcase, Kaiba frowned and called back: "Hey, Croquet, why do I have five Red-Eyes Black Dragons?!"
"Tsk, my collection only needs three copies of the same card! Who told you to put in extras?!"
"Eh? Kaiba, didn't you just—"
"Shut up!" Kaiba impatiently snapped at Croquet, who was about to reveal the truth, then glanced disdainfully at Joey's other cards: "A truly third-rate Deck. Putting any of these into my collection would be an insult."
"Mediocre Duelist, take back your Red-Eyes Black Dragon, consider yourself lucky!" Feigning an angry expression, Kaiba shoved the card back into Joey's Deck, closed the briefcase, and walked away without another word.
Kaiba's acting was far too exaggerated; even Mokuba understood what Kaiba was doing, and covered his face helplessly.
Only Joey actually believed Kaiba's excuse: "Eh? You said it yourself, you said you didn't want Red-Eyes!"
Happily putting his Deck away, Joey then noticed that besides his original Red-Eyes Black Dragon, two more Red-Eyes Black Dragons had been slipped into his Deck.
"Seto is such a tsundere," Hayato remarked.
(end of chapter)
Chapter 353: Binding Play
An hour passed quickly.
In the lounge, Hayato stretched, stood up from his seat, picked up his revised Deck, and pushed open the door.
On the Duel Field, Kaiba was already prepared.
"You're too slow, Hayato!" With a stern face, Kaiba tilted his head slightly. "As punishment for making me wait, are you ready to be crushed by me?"
"You're the one who showed up too early, don't make it sound like I'm late," Hayato waved his hand, took out his Deck, and looked at the sun nearing the top of his head.
It was exactly 11 AM, the scheduled start time for the Finals. Although it was still some time before noon, the gazes exchanged between Hayato and Kaiba on the Duel Field were exactly like those of cowboys dueling at high noon in the Old West.
With the assistance of Croquet and other staff members, both Duelists exchanged their Decks for a Shuffle, just as cowboys would turn their backs to each other, ready to draw their guns.
In the Audience Seating, Joey nudged Yugi beside him and asked, "Hey, Yugi, who do you think has a better chance of winning? I think Hayato's strong, but Kaiba's (Obelisk the Tormentor) earlier was really something else."
As he spoke, he unconsciously clutched his chest.
In the previous Duel, even though Kaiba had no intention of killing him, and (Obelisk the Tormentor)'s punch didn't unleash its full destructive power, Joey still suffered some injury from its infinite Attack.
But Joey didn't notice Ishizu's strange look when he said (Obelisk the Tormentor)'s Attack was "something else."
Among the Egyptian God Cards, (Slifer the Sky Dragon), with the strongest oppressive power, symbolized divine majesty. (The Winged Dragon of Ra), proclaimed as the strongest, symbolized divine authority. And (Obelisk the Tormentor) symbolized divine Power.
In terms of functionality, (Obelisk the Tormentor) couldn't compare to the other two Egyptian God Cards, but in terms of destructive power, it was undoubtedly the strongest.
Even if Kaiba had no intention of killing, (Obelisk the Tormentor)'s Attack, which soared to infinity after releasing "Soul Energy MAX," was enough to make even a Duelist with an extremely strong Will lose consciousness directly from the spiritual pressure and impact. Yet Joey only felt a great deal of stamina drained when attacked, and afterwards, merely a slight pain in his chest?
Ishizu believed Hayato when he mentioned in a casual chat that "you can't generalize about everyone's physique."
Yugi glanced at the ambitious Kaiba, then at the confident Hayato, and said with some uncertainty, "It's hard to say, honestly. Before your Duel with Kaiba, Joey, I thought Hayato's strength would be greater, but I'm seeing something special in Kaiba now."
"Something special?"
"I can't put my finger on it, but if I had to summarize, it's probably that Kaiba seems to have learned something from his Duel with you. Kaiba, who used to walk alone on a dark path towards the future, now seems to have something extra by his side."
Yugi's riddling ways earned him Joey's playful restraint, while at the Judge's Stand, Croquet nodded as he watched Hayato and Kaiba place their Decks into their Duel Disks. He raised his hands and announced, "The next Duel is the Battle City Finals, featuring Duelist Hayato against Duelist Seto Kaiba!"
"I declare, the Match begins!"
"Duel!" X2
[Hayato: 4000 LP]
[Kaiba: 4000 LP]
"The First Turn is mine, Draw!" Kaiba claimed the right to go first, drawing a Card.
Looking at his Hand, Kaiba's face showed a confident expression. "The title of Duel King is mine for the taking. To achieve final victory, I will defeat all enemies who stand in my way. Even you, Hayato."
"I can't just pretend I didn't hear that, Seto," Hayato glanced at his Hand, raised an eyebrow, and met Kaiba's gaze. "If a Duel isn't about defeating all Opponents, then it's meaningless, isn't it? Just so you know, to be worthy of this Duel, I've specifically used a Pure Dragon-Type Deck this time."
"You modified your Deck again to defeat me? Useless. No matter how you modify your Deck, you have no hope of defeating me, and if you ask why, it's because (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) is the strongest Dragon-Type!" As he spoke, Kaiba Activated a Card from his Hand. "I'll use this Combo to begin this Duel!"
"(Spell Card) (Trade-In)! I can Activate this by discarding 1 Level 8 Monster from my Hand." Kaiba revealed the Card he was discarding, which was indeed his (Blue-Eyes White Dragon). "I Draw two cards from my Deck."
"Then, I Activate the (Spell Card) (Return of the Dragon Lords)! I Special Summon 1 Level 7 or 8 Dragon-Type Monster from my Graveyard."
Unlike his Duel with Joey, it seemed Kaiba had become completely serious even though the Duel had just begun. He spread his palm and raised it above his head, as if to grasp the entire blue sky in his hand. "Oh, strongest Dragon, come to my side!"
"(Blue-Eyes White Dragon)!!"
The legendary battle power unit—I mean, the phantom of the legendary (White Dragon) appeared from the ground before Kaiba, rapidly transforming from ethereal to physical, soaring into the sky, letting out a resounding Dragon roar:
"Roar!!"
[(Blue-Eyes White Dragon) [ATK 3000]]
Seeing the pure (White Dragon) appear, Hayato smiled. "It's you, Kaiba, always committing to that High-Level Hand strategy."
"However, since you've Special Summoned a Monster, I'll discard one Card from my Hand to Activate this Card's Effect!" In response to Kaiba's (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) Summon, Hayato also played a Card. Discarding a Card from his Hand to the Graveyard, Hayato revealed the Card he was activating: "The (Chaos Hunter)'s Effect! When your Opponent successfully Special Summons a Monster, I can discard one Card from my Hand to Activate it."
"I Special Summon it from my Hand."
On Hayato's Field, a white-haired witch in dark red armor appeared, holding a whip. Seeing this Monster's appearance, Kaiba was slightly startled, then uncharacteristically retorted to Hayato, "Didn't you just say you were using a Pure Dragon-Type Deck? What's with this Monster?"
[(Chaos Hunter) [Level 7 / DARK]]
[Fiend-Type / Effect]
[2500 ATK / 1600 DEF]
"Well, who says Dragon-Type Monsters are so inconvenient?" Hayato simply chuckled.
Kaiba snorted and let the matter go.
"Then, I Activate the Effect of (The Tricky) in my Hand! I discard one Card from my Hand to Special Summon it." Discarding a Card to the Graveyard, Kaiba Special Summoned a clown-dressed Monster covered in question marks and wearing a blue cape from his Hand. "And then, I use the Effect of (Dark Trickster - Peter) that was Sent to Graveyard to Banish it from my Graveyard and Special Summon another (Dark Trickster - Peter) from my Deck."
As Kaiba spoke, he waited for his Duel Disk to process the Monster Effect he Activated, but the Effect of (Dark Trickster - Peter) Banishing itself from the Graveyard did not occur.
"What's this?" His sharp eyes suddenly noticed that Hayato's (Chaos Hunter) on the Field had lowered her whip at some point, one end of the whip sinking into the ground as if without substance, disappearing. At the same time, Kaiba saw his (Dark Trickster - Peter) in the Graveyard, wanting to Activate its Effect to Banish itself, but being tied up by a whip and unable to break free.
"Too bad, Seto. As long as (Chaos Hunter) is Face-up Position on the Field, you cannot use Effects that Banish cards."
Hayato explained, "I thought you'd be able to tell from the name. Monsters like (Chaos Sorcerer), (Black Luster Soldier), and (Chaos Emperor Dragon) require the combination of LIGHT and DARK power, and (Chaos Hunter)'s Effect is specifically designed to Counter their appearance."
"What a troublesome Effect," Kaiba frowned, seeing Hayato's (Chaos Hunter) Seal his Banish operations. "In that case, I just need to Destroy your (Chaos Hunter)."
"I Activate the (Spell Card) (Burst Stream of Destruction)! This Turn, (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) releases its Power to the maximum, Destroying all Monsters on your Opponent's Field!"
With a sweep of his hand, Kaiba's face showed a cold smile. "Although (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) cannot Attack the Turn this Card is used, since it's currently the First Turn, this drawback has no Effect on me whatsoever! Take this, Hayato!"
"Burst Stream of Destruction!"
(Blue-Eyes White Dragon) opened its fearsome maw, and a torrent of light was unleashed in an instant, immediately Destroying Hayato's (Chaos Hunter) on the Field and Sending it to Graveyard.
Hayato shrugged indifferently at (Chaos Hunter)'s Destruction. Compared to having a bunch of Monsters Summoned only to be Board Wiped by one of Kaiba's cards, having only one (Chaos Hunter) Destroyed was clearly a huge gain for Hayato, and the Cost was merely two cards from his Hand.
Moreover, Sending cards from his Hand to the Graveyard couldn't really be called a Cost in some respects, because Hayato actually hadn't lied to Kaiba; the Deck he was using this time truly was a Dragon-Type specialized Deck. While it wasn't a Pure Dragon-Type Deck, the purity of Dragon-Type Monsters was quite high.
Though purity was ultimately useless.
As for drawing a non-Dragon-Type (Chaos Hunter) on the First Turn, it could only be attributed to bad luck.
Watching (Chaos Hunter) disappear from the Field, Kaiba gave Hayato a triumphant look.
In his eyes, there was three-tenths triumph, three-tenths confidence, three-tenths battle intent, and one-tenth arrogance—a classic pie chart, indeed.
Yugi, who had caused his first complete defeat; Hayato, whose strength remained unfathomable; and Joey, who could be eliminated at any moment—these three were the only Duelists Kaiba acknowledged. For Kaiba, this Duel with Hayato wasn't just about the honor of "Duel King," but also a test of his own capacity.
'I'll stake everything I have as a Duelist. I'll use my full Power to crush you, Hayato,' Kaiba thought to himself. 'You, who defeated Yugi, are undoubtedly the strongest Duelist in this World. Only by defeating you can I prove the limit of my Power!'
'Respond to me with your full Power, Hayato!'
Feeling Kaiba's gaze, Hayato couldn't help but shiver. If he knew what Kaiba was thinking at that moment, he would probably be so disgusted he'd Forfeit the Duel.
It wasn't for any other reason than that being targeted by a Dueling Addict, Blue-Eyes Fanatic, and trench coat maniac was definitely not a comfortable experience. As far as Hayato knew, even Yami Yugi, after being targeted by Kaiba, was dug up for Duels more than once, and even eventually had his home invaded for face-to-face Duels, unable to Rest in Peace.
"My Turn, Draw."
Drawing a Card, Hayato played a Card from his Hand. "In my Standby Phase, I Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card (Armed Dragon's Lightning)! From my Deck, I Special Summon 1 Level 3 (Armed Dragon) Monster in Defense Position."
"I choose (Armed Dragon Thunder LV3)."
A beam of bright yellow Lightning struck Hayato's Field. The light gradually dissipated, revealing the small, adorable young form of an Armed Dragon. However, unlike its usual appearance, (Armed Dragon Thunder LV3), having mastered the power of Lightning, had its fists enveloped in electricity, and its eyes glowed faintly yellow.
[(Armed Dragon Thunder LV3) [Level 3 / WIND]]
[Dragon-Type / Effect]
[1200 ATK / 900 DEF]
Although in Duel Monsters, those who possess the power to control Lightning are generally LIGHT Attribute Monsters, it's not absolute. Just as (Grandsoil the Elemental Lord) uses Lightning as a weapon, (Armed Dragon Thunder LV3) retains its original WIND Attribute.
Because of the power of Lightning, (Armed Dragon Thunder)'s evolution method also changed.
"I discard 1 Dragon-Type Monster from my Hand, and Activate (Armed Dragon Thunder LV3)'s Effect, Sending it to Graveyard." Hayato ignored (Armed Dragon Thunder LV3)'s cute, pleading expression and mercilessly Sent it to Graveyard, looking at the expanding ball of Lightning left on the Field. "I Special Summon 1 Level 5 or lower (Armed Dragon) from my Hand or Deck!"
"Evolve, (Armed Dragon Thunder LV5)!"
"Then, the Effect of (Armed Dragon Thunder LV3) that was in my Hand earlier: If it is Sent to Graveyard by a Dragon-Type Monster's Effect, I Add 1 WIND Attribute, Level 5 Dragon-Type Monster from my Deck to my Hand."
Adding another (Armed Dragon Thunder LV5) to his Hand, Hayato showed it to Kaiba, then smiled and said, "I should also mention that the evolution condition for (Armed Dragon Thunder LV5) is the same as (Armed Dragon Thunder LV3), and its other Effect is also an evolved version of (Armed Dragon Thunder LV3)'s."
"What!?" Kaiba was surprised to hear Hayato's words. "That means—"
"That means, evolution is about to accelerate, Kaiba!" Hayato showed a smile and played a Card. "I Activate (Armed Dragon Thunder LV5)'s Effect! I discard (Armed Dragon Thunder LV5) to begin a glorious evolution, my Soul!"
"Come forth, (Armed Dragon Thunder LV7)! Then, I Add (Armed Dragon Thunder LV7) to my Hand!"
"And now, this is the final evolution! I Activate (Armed Dragon Thunder LV7)'s Effect! I discard (Armed Dragon Thunder LV7) from my Hand, Final Vent! O furious dragon of thunder and lightning, strike down all my foes before me with ten thousand bolts of thunder!"
"(Armed Dragon Thunder LV10)!"
On Hayato's Field, each time an (Armed Dragon Thunder) appeared, the lightning expanded twofold. After experiencing the third evolution, the volume of the lightning had expanded to be even larger than (Blue-Eyes White Dragon).
From within the wild lightning, a pair of enormous, sky-obscuring Dragon's Wings emerged. Surging Power was completely Absorbed into (Armed Dragon Thunder LV10)'s body. Lightning crackled across its form, waiting for its master's command, and it would annihilate all enemies!
[(Armed Dragon Thunder LV10) [Level 10 / WIND]]
[Dragon-Type / Effect]
[3000 ATK / 2000 DEF]
Because it was Special Summoned by the Effect of an (Armed Dragon) Monster, several lights glowed on the emerald jewel on (Armed Dragon Thunder LV10)'s body.
ATK 1 or more: This card's name becomes "(Armed Dragon LV10)".
ATK 10 or more: Control of this card cannot change.
ATK 100 or more: Cannot be Destroyed by Battle.
ATK 1000 or more: Once per Opponent's Turn: You can Send 1 card from your Hand to the Graveyard, then Target 1 other card on the Field; Destroy that card, and if you do, this card gains 1000 ATK.
"A Dragon-Type Monster with 3000 ATK? To think it can be on par with (Blue-Eyes White Dragon)." Kaiba's eyes returned to calm after a brief moment of surprise. "Hmph, I'll grudgingly admit you have some tricks up your sleeve."
Kaiba was somewhat relieved that he had impulsively used (Burst Stream of Destruction) last Turn just to vent some anger, Destroying (Chaos Hunter).
In Kaiba's Graveyard, (Return of the Dragon Lords) still had an unused Effect after Summoning (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) to Kaiba's Field. If a Dragon-Type Monster on Kaiba's Field were Destroyed, (Return of the Dragon Lords) could be Banished from the Graveyard to Substitute for it.
(Armed Dragon Thunder)'s Attack was 3000, on par with (Blue-Eyes White Dragon). However, (Armed Dragon Thunder) had an Effect that prevented it from being Destroyed by Battle if its Attack was 100 or more. This meant that if Hayato used (Armed Dragon Thunder) to perform a Suicidal Attack, he could Send Kaiba's (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) to the Graveyard.
If (Chaos Hunter) hadn't been Destroyed, preventing (Return of the Dragon Lords) from being Banished, that would have been the only outcome.
"Because the (Armed Dragon Thunder LV7) in my Hand was Sent to Graveyard to Activate a Dragon-Type Monster's Effect, I Add 1 (Armed Dragon) card from my Deck to my Hand." Hayato continued his moves, taking a Card from his Deck. "Then I Activate the Continuous Spell Card (Armed Dragon's Thunderclap) that was just Added to my Hand."
"Once per Turn, I can Target 1 (Armed Dragon) Monster on my Field, and Activate (Armed Dragon's Thunderclap)'s first Effect: That Monster's Attack increases by that Monster's Level x 100."
There was only one (Armed Dragon) Monster on Hayato's Field, so it was a given that (Armed Dragon Thunder LV10)'s Attack began to increase, and by a full 1000 points in one go!
[(Armed Dragon Thunder LV10) [ATK 3000 → 4000]]
"Enter Battle Phase! I Attack (The Tricky) with (Armed Dragon Thunder LV10)! Roar of the Thunder Dragon!"
Seeing that Hayato had Special Summoned (Armed Dragon Thunder LV10), whose Attack was on par with (Obelisk the Tormentor), in the very first Turn, Kaiba's expression was quite calm. "Then, I Chain to your Attack! I Activate my Set Card!"
"Continuous Trap Card, (Dark Bind)!"
(Armed Dragon Thunder LV10) on Hayato's Field had just raised its lightning-clutching hand, the lightning in its grip transforming into a javelin that was about to be hurled at (The Tricky). But at that moment, with the Activation of Kaiba's (Dark Bind), a large number of black Chains shot out from the Card, wrapping around (Armed Dragon Thunder LV10) in an instant like a dense swarm of snakes.
Although its Attack was comparable to a God, (Armed Dragon Thunder LV10) was ultimately not a God. Under the Control of (Dark Bind), (Armed Dragon Thunder LV10) involuntarily loosened its grip, and the lightning javelin disappeared from its hand.
[(Armed Dragon Thunder LV10) [ATK 4000 → 3300]]
"(Dark Bind) can Target 1 Attack Position Monster on your Opponent's Field to Activate," Yugi explained to Joey in the Audience Seating, giving him a lesson due to Joey's clearly shallow knowledge from the previous Duel. "That Monster's Attack will Decrease by 700 points as long as (Dark Bind) remains on the Field, and it cannot Attack or Change Position."
"That sounds similar to your (Spellbinding Circle), Yugi? And it even has an additional Effect to Decrease ATK?"
Yugi nodded, looking at Hayato's (Armed Dragon Thunder LV10) bound by Chains and unable to move. "Kaiba's card was probably prepared specifically for the Aggressive Play style Hayato occasionally uses."
"With few cards left in Hand, and a Monster he painstakingly Summoned now under Control, what will you do, Hayato?"
Looking at his (Armed Dragon Thunder LV10) subjected to "Binding Play" on his Field, Hayato clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I thought your Set Card was (Crush Card Virus), you've gotten dirty, Seto."
Because Kaiba wanted to Summon (Dark Trickster - Peter), which had exactly 500 ATK, last Turn, Hayato genuinely thought Kaiba had Set (Crush Card Virus), after all, that was Kaiba's Classic Combo.
"Hmph, who do you think taught me this move?" Kaiba glared at Hayato. With Yugi Muto leaving most of the Duels to Yami Yugi and rarely stepping in now, who else but Hayato would pack his Deck full of Trap Cards?
Thank you for the 500 points from "not all men are scum"
Thank you for the 100 points from "Moonshun527"
I went to the hospital today, so I'm a bit late. You thought I ghosted, but I didn't. This is also a form of ghosting.
Remaining: 2
(end of chapter)
Chapter 354: A Brand New (Blue-Eyes)
Restrained by (Dark Curse) and its attack restricted, (Armed Dragon LV10) was immobile on the Field. Glancing at his Hand, Chumley said helplessly, "I Set one Card and End My Turn."
Chumley: 4000 LP, Hand 2
(Armed Dragon LV10) (Dark Curse) ATK 3300
(Armed Dragon's Roar) (Set Card)
In the Audience Seating, Joey knocked on the railing in front of him with a look of regret. "He finally Summoned (Armed Dragon LV10) with 4000 Attack Points," he said. "I thought Chumley could take out Kaiba in one turn. What a shame."
"Even I know that's impossible just by thinking about it," Tristan retorted. "Besides, if Chumley defeated Kaiba so easily, wouldn't that make you, who couldn't defeat Kaiba, seem weak?"
"Huh? I guess so."
Joey hit his palm with a belated realization. "Well, whatever," he said, "rather than Kaiba defeating Chumley to become Duel King, I'd much rather see Chumley give Kaiba a good thrashing in my stead."
"What's more, didn't Chumley say he was going to defeat Kaiba and obtain the (Obelisk the Tormentor) in his Hand to collect the Egyptian God Cards? He has a reason he absolutely must win."
Mokuba, hearing Joey's words, also put down the Tablet in his Hand and turned his head. "Reasons for victory? My brother has them too."
"My brother told me, Joey, you've all met Gozaburo in that Virtual World before, right? The reason my brother chose to hold the Battle City Finals on Devil's Island is to use the glory of the Duel King to sever himself from Gozaburo's past."
"To achieve this goal, my brother will defeat all obstacles and push forward, even if it's big brother Chumley, he won't hold back." Mokuba lowered his head again and opened a report to analyze it. "But I'm sure big brother Chumley won't hold back against my brother either. Perhaps this is what they call 'mutual respect between Duelists'?"
On the Duel Field, Kaiba drew a Card from the top of his Deck. "My Turn, Draw!"
His confident movements as he drew seemed to disperse even the fierce winds atop the tower.
"During your Main Phase, I have a Card Effect to Activate," Chumley said. "Although its Attack ability is sealed, (Dark Curse) cannot prevent (Armed Dragon LV10) from Activating its Effect!"
"When (Armed Dragon LV10)'s Attack is 1000 or more, once per Opponent's Turn, I can Discard one Card from my Hand, Target one other Card on the Field, and Destroy it."
Kaiba snorted coldly. "So, which Card will you choose to Destroy? Will it be (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) or (Dark Curse), which is restricting (Armed Dragon LV10)?"
"Don't always give me such tough choices, I have decision paralysis!" Chumley said, somewhat conflicted, pointing at the (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) on Kaiba's Field. "Rather than restoring (Armed Dragon LV10)'s Attack, eliminating the active threat is the optimal choice."
"I choose to Destroy (Blue-Eyes White Dragon), and then increase (Armed Dragon LV10)'s Attack by 1000!"
(Armed Dragon LV10), its limbs tightly bound by (Dark Curse), as Chumley Discarded a Card from his Hand, began to unleash a surge of electricity. It traveled along the Chains of (Dark Curse) to Kaiba's Field, and attacked the defenseless (Blue-Eyes White Dragon)!
(Armed Dragon LV10) ATK 3300 → 4300
"Boom!" An explosion erupted as the Lightning struck. Watching (Armed Dragon LV10)'s Attack increase with the Activation of its Effect, Chumley raised an eyebrow slightly. "I thought you'd save (Gospel of Revival)'s Effect for a more crucial moment."
"Oh? You know the Effect of that Card?" Kaiba said, feigning surprise, but his expression remained calm. "Hmph, while I can sacrifice anything for victory, even (Blue-Eyes), I will not accept unnecessary sacrifices."
"My glorious path is the royal road to the top of the World with my Monsters! Roar, (Blue-Eyes)!"
"Roar!!"
With a fierce Dragon Roar, the dust from the recent explosion was dispersed by a strong gust of wind. The unharmed (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) spread its wings. Behind it, a statue of a Great Dragon wreathed in Lightning was crumbling into ash.
"(Gospel of Revival)'s second Effect is that when a Dragon-Type Monster on my Field is Destroyed by Battle or Effect, I can Banish (Gospel of Revival) from my Graveyard as a Substitute."
Kaiba had just used this Effect to prevent (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) from being Destroyed by (Armed Dragon LV10)'s Effect. After explaining (Gospel of Revival)'s Effect, Kaiba looked down at the Card he had just Drawn.
A Spell Card possessing one of the most mysterious (Card Printing) Powers in Duel Monsters, (Polymerization).
The Card Kaiba had in his Hand from the previous Turn was another (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) from his Deck. Last Turn, he had intended to use (Trickster) and (Dark Mimic LV3) as Tributes to gather two (Blue-Eyes White Dragon)s on the Field at once.
However, due to Chumley's (Chaos Hunter)'s interference, his plan fell through, and he wasted his Normal Summon opportunity, Ending his Turn.
After all, he couldn't very well Tribute (Trickster) and (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) to Tribute Summon another (Blue-Eyes White Dragon), could he?
Glancing at (Armed Dragon LV10) on Chumley's Field, whose Attack had already increased to 4300, Kaiba couldn't help but frown. Although (Dark Curse)'s Effect temporarily prevented it from Attacking, this situation wouldn't last long.
By Kaiba's next Turn, Chumley could easily use (Armed Dragon LV10)'s Effect on (Dark Curse) to remove its restriction. And by then, (Armed Dragon LV10)'s Attack would increase again to a massive 6000, double that of (Blue-Eyes White Dragon).
By that time, aside from (Obelisk the Tormentor) using its "Soul Energy MAX" ability, Kaiba couldn't think of any other Monster in his Deck that could defeat (Armed Dragon LV10) at that point.
Even now, Kaiba had no way to defeat (Armed Dragon LV10), which had resistance to battle destruction. Even (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)'s Attack was only 200 points higher than the weakened (Armed Dragon LV10)'s.
As he deliberated in his Mind, Kaiba suddenly recalled Joey's answer to his question in the previous Duel.
"Believe in your Cards, and the Cards will answer you, huh?" Looking at (Polymerization) in his Hand, and at the (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) on the Field that had turned to glance at him, Kaiba suddenly felt a sense of ease. A slight smile, unnoticed by himself, formed on his lips.
"White Dragon, who carries all my glory, answer me!"
"I Activate the (Polymerization) Spell Card, to Fusion Summon a (Blue-Eyes) Monster!"
"(Polymerization)!? Is Kaiba going to Summon (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)!?" Joey was startled too. He looked at Kaiba's Hand, but besides the (Polymerization) Spell Card, he clearly only had one other Card in his Hand.
Mai Valentine beside him was also a little puzzled. "(Trickster)'s Effect should only be able to Special Summon itself by Discarding a Card from your Hand. Or is Seto Kaiba going to Summon a Fusion Monster other than (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)?"
"A (Blue-Eyes) Fusion Monster other than (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)? I've never heard of such a thing," Joey muttered, then asked Yugi, "Yugi, have you ever heard of a Monster like that?"
"No, I haven't either. After all, there are only four (Blue-Eyes White Dragon)s in the World." Yugi shook his head. He wasn't Pegasus, the Card Printing merchant, who knew every Card Industrial Illusions released. "However..."
Yugi's gaze moved from the Fusion Vortex on Kaiba's Field, to Chumley, who looked surprised, but also revealed a look of understanding.
'It seems Chumley-kun recognizes the Monster Kaiba is about to Summon. How interesting.'
'Aibo, you've become naughty.'
Chumley watched Kaiba Fuse the (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) in his Hand with the (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) on the Field, feeling both surprised and somewhat relieved. "A Fusion of two (Blue-Eyes) monsters? Did you learn Card Printing from Joey, Seto?"
"Hmph, according to you all, isn't this the Heart (of the Cards)?" After responding to Chumley, Kaiba raised his Right Hand high. A Card materialized between his fingers, and he slapped it onto his Duel Disk. "Cry out, tremble!"
"Descend! (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon)!"
"Roar!!"
With a Dragon Roar, the brand new (Blue-Eyes) that had completed its Fusion flew out from the Card. Watching the soaring White Dragon, Kaiba, in a trance, suddenly heard a faint female voice whisper in his ear: "Se...to..."
"Hm?" Kaiba frowned, and subconsciously turned his head to look beside him, but saw nothing.
The woman's voice he had just heard, Kaiba could swear he had never heard in his Memory. Yet his intuition gave him a feeling completely contrary to his Memory. He seemed quite familiar with the owner of the voice, and vaguely felt a hint of pain and anger, but even that feeling vanished in a flash.
Shaking his head to cast the feeling aside, Kaiba dismissed it as an after-effect of not resting well yesterday. He refocused his gaze on the two-headed White Dragon on the Field — (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon).
(Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon) Level 10 / LIGHT Attribute
Dragon-Type / Fusion / Effect
ATK 3000 / DEF 2500
Despite (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon) being Summoned by Fusing two (Blue-Eyes) Monsters, its Attack and DEF were unchanged? However, Kaiba felt no dissatisfaction. Simply seeing the brand new form of (Blue-Eyes) was enough to bring him contentment.
But of course, crushing powerful enemies brought him satisfaction just the same.
Following his Mind's intuition, even though he didn't yet know (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon)'s Effect, Kaiba firmly swung his Hand forward, and shouted, "Begin the Battle! (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon), Attack (Armed Dragon LV10)!"
"What?!"
"Kaiba is going to use (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon), with its lower Attack, to Attack (Armed Dragon LV10)?!"
Except for Chumley, almost everyone was surprised by Kaiba's Attack command. Chumley, however, wore a troubled expression because he knew (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon)'s Effect.
(Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon), hearing Kaiba command it to Attack (Armed Dragon LV10), showed no displeasure at this suicidal command. It unhesitatingly folded its spread wings, and dove from mid-air towards (Armed Dragon LV10), which was under the Control of (Dark Curse).
(Armed Dragon LV10) was not one to simply take a beating when provoked. Before (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon)'s Attack could land, it began to unleash Lightning from within itself to Counterattack.
Although some of the Lightning was diverted by (Dark Curse)'s Chains, (Armed Dragon LV10)'s Attack was still one step faster than (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon), striking back and hitting perfectly!
Kaiba: 4000 → 2700 LP
The overflowing Lightning spread from (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon) to Kaiba's Field, the powerful electrical Attack even caused Kaiba to take a step back.
"Alright!"
Joey couldn't help but cheer. He didn't mean anything by it; he was just happy to see Kaiba at a disadvantage. "That Kaiba guy, giving random Attack commands, isn't he just asking for trouble?"
"Is Kaiba really just Attacking recklessly?" Yugi wondered, a little puzzled.
In his prediction, Kaiba wasn't someone who would thoughtlessly Activate an Attack. Furthermore, as a Monster Fused from two (Blue-Eyes White Dragon)s, (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon) would surely be stronger to some extent. Perhaps it had an ability similar to (Metalmorph), where its Attack increases based on the Attack of the Target Monster it battles.
However, even after being Counterattacked by (Armed Dragon LV10), which resulted in Kaiba's Life Points Decrease, (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon)'s Attack hadn't changed. Troubled by this, Yugi subconsciously looked towards the spot where (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon) had been "Destroyed".
Then his eyes widened.
"No, that's not it, Joey!"
"(Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon) wasn't Destroyed by (Armed Dragon LV10) at all. It also possesses an ability that prevents it from being Destroyed by Battle!"
Almost at the same moment Yugi uttered those words, everyone saw two dragon heads emerge from the dust cloud caused by (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon) being hit. Each held a pulsating sphere of pure white Light, and Counterattacked (Armed Dragon LV10), which was bound by Chains!
"Is being immune to Destroyed by Battle a common Resistance or something? It feels really common," Joey grumbled, then he watched as the battle Resistance on (Armed Dragon LV10), struck by (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon)'s Attack, seemed to vanish, instantly consumed and gone!
(end of chapter)
"Dragon-Type monsters with battle destruction resistance aren't limited to just your (Armed Dragon) Lightning LV10, Hayato! (Blue-Eyes) is the strongest Dragon-Type, so it's only natural that (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon) would also possess resistance to being destroyed by battle!"
Although the logic was questionable in many ways, Kaiba successfully convinced himself that (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon) not being destroyed by battle was a perfectly normal thing. And the moment he felt (Armed Dragon) Lightning LV10's counterattack, he suddenly understood (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon)'s full Effect.
"The (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon) has the ability to Attack a Monster twice during each Battle Phase, and if (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon)'s Attack does not Destroy the Target Monster by battle, that Target Monster is Banished from the Game at the end of the Damage Step!"
"Banish (Armed Dragon) Lightning LV10 to the ends of the World where it cannot obstruct me, (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon)!"
The Different Dimension portal created by (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon)'s Attack flickered and vanished, taking with it (Armed Dragon) Lightning LV10 from Hayato's Field, and the (Dark Curse) on Kaiba's Back Row.
"Now, there are no troublesome Monsters left on your Field to block a Direct Attack, Hayato!" Kaiba sneered. "Take this Direct Attack, (Trickster)!"
The Riddler—I mean, (Trickster)—hearing Kaiba's command, clasped its hands together and manifested a Magical Energy blast, sending it flying towards Hayato.
But just as (Trickster)'s Attack was about to hit Hayato, a grey Dimension wall appeared before him, completely blocking (Trickster)'s Attack.
"Who said you can't block a Direct Attack without Monsters?" Hayato calmly pointed to the Set Card he had somehow Activated on his Back Row. "The Trap Card (Counter Gate) can only be Activated when a Direct Attack is declared, Negating that Attack, then I Draw one card from my Deck."
"If the card I Draw is a Monster Card, I can Normal Summon it in Attack Position."
As he spoke, Hayato Drew a card.
"What a coincidence, wouldn't you say?" Hayato said, flipping the card in his Hand to reveal its true form. "The card I Drew is Level 5 (Curse of Dragon), which cannot be Normal Summoned without a Tribute."
"However, considering your (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon)'s ability to Attack a Monster a second time, even if I could, I wouldn't choose to Summon it."
"It doesn't matter. Whether you recklessly Summon a Monster to the Field, or conserve resources to plot a counterattack, it's all meaningless, Hayato." Kaiba slightly tilted his head. "The (Blue-Eyes) that I possess is the strongest Dragon, and between it and other Dragon-Type monsters, there is a gulf as vast as the sky and the Abyss."
"My Turn ends. Do as you please, because before (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon), all resistance is utterly weak!"
[Kaiba: 2700 LP, Hand 0]
[(Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon) ATK 3000]
[(Trickster) ATK 2000]
"Don't speak so soon, Kaiba. Duel Monsters isn't a chess game where all the pieces are visible; every Draw creates new possibilities and hope." Hayato smiled, Drawing the top card of his Deck. "My Turn, Draw!"
"I Activate the Spell Card (Graceful Charity)! I Draw three cards from my Deck, then Discard two cards from my Hand."
Sending two cards from his Hand to the Graveyard, Hayato looked at a card in his Hand and smiled, "Although there's no Xyz Summon to unleash its full Power, I'll show you a Dragon that once reigned supreme over Duel Monsters!"
"I Banish two Dragon-Type Monsters from my Graveyard—(Armed Dragon) Lightning LV7 and (Armed Dragon) Lightning LV5—from the Game, and Special Summon this Monster from my Hand!" Hayato played the card from his Hand. "One of the four elements that compose the World, the extreme of cold and dry Earth, lend your decaying yet mighty body to my command!"
"(Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders)!"
As Hayato placed the card on his Duel Disk, the ground suddenly began to violently tremble.
Amidst vibrations like an eight-magnitude earthquake, strangely, the (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders) Hayato played was slow to reveal itself. Just as everyone wondered where (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders) could be, they were astonished to find that, at some point, a towering, moving mountain range had appeared beside the Duel Tower!
The mountain range was covered in the ruins of old weapon production lines from Devil's Island. Amidst the violent tremors, the "mountain range" opened its eyes.
This was clearly a Duel Monster! The (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders) that Hayato had Summoned was this very "mountain range" before their eyes!
[(Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders) Level 7/Earth]
[Dragon-Type/Effect]
[1600/3000]
"That size, isn't it a bit too much?!" Joey gulped, looking at the unbelievably enormous (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders). "Even Kaiba's (Obelisk the Tormentor) isn't as ridiculously huge as this Monster!"
One could only say that the era limited Joey's imagination. While (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders)'s size was indeed immense, it still paled in comparison to the likes of (Meklord Emperor), (Odin, Father of the Aesir), (Number 9: Dyson Sphere), or (Sandaion, the Ultimate Timelord). And not to mention, even in the DM (Duel Monsters) era, there were still Monsters of comparable size, like (Divine Serpent Geh) and (Horakhty, the Creator of Light).
And to be fair, (Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos)'s size could rival a volcano, (Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms)'s could match a sky-reaching tornado, and (Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls)'s was on par with the height of a great flood. For (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders) to be a moving mountain range was perfectly reasonable.
Of course, another characteristic of Duel Monsters is that the size limit for Monsters is incredibly high. However, in Duels taking place indoors, the Monsters' Virtual Images automatically adjust their size and proportion, preventing the dramatic scenario of people Dueling indoors with only a few colossal feet on the Field, leaving spectators to guess which foot belongs to which Monster.
"Hmph, yet another Dragon I've never heard of." Kaiba snorted. While (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders)'s size was indeed quite exaggerated, its ATK was only 1600, not matching its extravagant proportions.
As for its 3000 DEF, without (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon), it might have been a little tricky for Kaiba. But now? Hmph, it would simply end up Banished.
"Your next line is, 'Although (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon)'s ATK isn't enough to Destroy (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders)'s Defense Points, its Effect can shatter any Defense!'"
"Although (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon)'s ATK isn't enough to Destroy (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders)'s Defe—Nani!" Kaiba subconsciously repeated Hayato's words, suddenly realizing that what he had said was identical to what Hayato had just spoken!
"You—!"
Hayato teased the overly serious Kaiba, then continued:
"Heh heh, Seto, do you know what the most terrifying thing about Duel Monsters is? It's not the strongest Monster showcasing an invincible Effect, but rather a Monster that hasn't revealed its full Effect."
"It's like having an unarmed person and a person holding a pistol standing before you. The unarmed person poses a greater threat than the one with the gun, because the person with the gun can only use that gun at this very moment!"
As he spoke, Hayato played another card from his Hand. "Spell Card, (Dragon's Mirror)! I Banish Dragon-Type Fusion Monster Materials from my Field and Graveyard to Fusion Summon a Dragon-Type Fusion Monster!"
"I Banish (Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight) from my Graveyard and (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders) from my Field from the Game! Appear, (Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion)!!"
As the towering (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders) fell, its immense Power flowed into the (Dragon's Mirror) that had appeared on Hayato's Back Row.
The reason Hayato had previously traded one of his (Dragon's Mirror) cards with Joey was that, by chance, he had pulled a second (Dragon's Mirror) from a Pack Opening. While (Dragon's Mirror) wasn't trash, it wasn't so good that you'd run two in a single Deck, so Hayato had given one to Joey.
Guided by (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders)'s Power, (Gaia), who had helped Hayato overcome powerful foes time and again, also appeared in this Duel. In fact, Hayato had drawn (Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight) as early as the first Turn, but to Special Summon (Chaos Hunter) from his Hand, he had Sent it to the Graveyard, only now getting the chance to appear.
With his arms crossed, Kaiba watched coldly as Hayato Summoned (Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion).
[(Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion) ATK 2600]
"When Banished from the Game, (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders) has an Effect that can Activate, but unfortunately, all three of its Effects can only be used once per Turn." Hayato spread his hands helplessly. "However, (Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion)'s Effect can Activate normally. When it is successfully Special Summoned, I Add one (Spiral Spear Strike) from my Deck or Graveyard to my Hand."
"Then, I Activate (Spiral Spear Strike) and Enter Battle Phase."
As he spoke, Hayato looked towards Kaiba's (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon)—and the (Trickster) next to it—on the Field.
"Although (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon) has resistance to being Destroyed by battle, that only protects itself. (Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion), Attack (Trickster)!"
"Then I Activate (Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion)'s Effect to change (Trickster)'s Battle Position!"
"Let me make this clear, Seto. If you face (Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion), the one who decides a Monster's Battle Position is not you, but me!"
"Sky Galloping, Like a Dragon!"
Having grown completely accustomed to his master's whimsical and strange attack names, (Gaia) didn't bother to ponder who the true user of this move's name was; in any case, this one was the most fitting of the recent ones. After the Wyvern beneath him accelerated for a distance, (Gaia) thrust his lance at the (Trickster) on Kaiba's Field, whose Battle Position had been forcibly changed.
[(Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion) ATK 2600]
[(Trickster) ATK 2000 → DEF 1200]
Due to (Spiral Spear Strike)'s presence, a whopping 1400 points of Piercing Battle Damage was inflicted upon Kaiba.
"Guh!"
[Kaiba: 2700 → 1300 LP]
In just the fourth Turn of this Duel, Kaiba, who was usually skilled at crushing his Opponents with Aggressive Play, had his Life Points reduced to just over a thousand by Hayato.
Seeing (Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion) inflict Damage upon Kaiba, Hayato said, "Because (Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion), treated as (Dragon Knight Gaia), inflicted Damage to you with (Spiral Spear Strike)'s Effect, I Activate (Spiral Spear Strike)'s second Effect."
"I Draw two cards from my Deck, then Discard one card from my Hand."
Looking at the (Card of Demise) he had Drawn into his Hand, Hayato helplessly Sent (Rainbow Kuriboh) to the Graveyard. Although he had no intention of Activating (Card of Demise) in Main Phase 2, Hayato couldn't bring himself to Send it to the Graveyard just like that. Instead, it was better to Discard (Rainbow Kuriboh), which could Activate its Effect from the Graveyard.
He still had two cards in his Hand. Leaving (Card of Demise) in his Hand, Hayato Set another Trap Card. "I Set one card and End my Turn."
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 1]
[(Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion) ATK 2600]
[(Armed Dragon's Roar) (Spiral Spear Strike) Set Card]
Seeing Hayato end his Turn like that, Kaiba frowned, saying to Hayato with some dissatisfaction, "Is your Turn really over, Hayato?"
"This is the Finals, where everything is on the line. I expected a fierce battle between us, but what did I see? Did you truly use your full Power, Hayato?"
Looking at Kaiba's serious expression, Hayato wasn't sure what he was getting at. "Isn't that obvious?"
"If so, why did I hear nothing in your Attacks?" Kaiba looked directly at Hayato. "The fierce clash of Duelist Souls, the burning desire for victory—why is even that Mediocre Duelist's earnestness above yours?"
"Or perhaps, after defeating Yugi, you think I, who once lost to Yugi, don't even qualify to pose a threat to you? Hayato!"
Under Kaiba's furious roar, Hayato wanted to retort, but then he realized that his own mindset since the beginning of the Duel was exactly as Kaiba had described!
Seeing Hayato speechless, Kaiba snorted coldly. "Hmph, did I hit the mark? If I don't defeat the full-powered you, even winning the title of King of Games would only add to my disgrace. Get serious, Hayato."
"Or do you need to be pushed into a corner by me before you'll unleash your true Power?"
As he spoke, Kaiba placed a finger on his Deck and sharply Drew a card. "My Turn, Draw!"
(end of chapter)