Chapter 356: The Ultimate Evolved Dragon
"My Turn, Draw!"
Kaiba coldly glanced at Hayato, flipping over the card in his hand. "I activate the Spell Card (Card of Demise)! I Draw from my Deck until my hand contains five cards. As a cost, during the Standby Phase of the fifth Turn after (Card of Demise) was activated, I must Discard all cards from my hand."
"What's the difference if it practically has no cost?" Hayato retorted, but after Kaiba drew five cards into his hand, his expression grew serious. He sensed the aura of Kaiba's God Card—(Obelisk the Tormentor).
"I activate the Spell Card (Trade-In), sending a Level 8 (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) from my hand to the Graveyard. Then, I activate the Spell Card (De-Fusion), releasing the Fusion state of my (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon) on the Field and Special Summoning two (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) from my Graveyard."
After drawing two cards, Kaiba used (De-Fusion). It was at this moment that Hayato flipped his Set card in the Back Row. "Then, in chain to your (De-Fusion), I also activate the Quick-Play Spell Card (De-Fusion)!"
Taking effect before Kaiba's (De-Fusion), Hayato's (De-Fusion) activated first, banishing (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon) from the Field, just as Joey Wheeler had done to Kaiba's (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) in their previous Duel.
But seeing Hayato flip the Set Card (De-Fusion), Kaiba instead revealed a smug smile and snorted. "Hmph, Hayato, did you think I wouldn't learn from my mistakes and guard against such a childish trick? The same trick won't work on me twice!"
Hayato retorted, "No, I just thought you were a Saint Seiya who ran to the wrong set."
The power of (De-Fusion) faded, and Kaiba immediately played a card from his hand. "I activate the Spell Card (Fusion Recovery)! I Add one (Polymerization) Spell Card and one Fusion Material Monster that was Sent to the Graveyard for a Fusion Summon from my Graveyard to my hand. I choose the first (Blue-Eyes White Dragon)."
"Next is the Spell Card (Dark Factory of Mass Production)! I Add two more (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) from my Graveyard to my hand!"
Seeing this, Joey Wheeler's eyes widened, and he said nervously, "No, this is bad! Kaiba has gathered three (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) in his hand again, along with a (Polymerization) Spell Card!"
"He's going to Summon (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) again!"
Clearly, Kaiba's (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) had left an extremely deep impression on Joey Wheeler, after all, it was a super-powerful monster with a whopping 4500 ATK, even (Obelisk the Tormentor) without its effect activated seemed slightly inferior in comparison.
With Joey Wheeler's shout, even Hayato felt a slight headache looking at Kaiba's six-card hand. Among Kaiba's six cards, Hayato could sense the definite presence of (Obelisk the Tormentor). The other five cards included three (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) and one (Polymerization), meaning Kaiba still had one trump card unrevealed.
Just as Hayato had told Kaiba last Turn, the threat of an invincible Duel Monster whose effects are fully revealed is far less than one whose effects are completely unknown. Similarly, much like Exodia, the threat of revealed cards in hand is far less than that of deeply hidden cards.
Kaiba's Deck wouldn't run multiple copies of (De-Fusion). Even if he Fusion Summoned (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) with a (Polymerization) Spell Card, if he didn't have (De-Fusion) to gather three Tributes, no matter how strong (Obelisk the Tormentor) was, it would just be a dead draw if it couldn't be brought out.
As for (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon), Hayato wasn't as concerned as Joey Wheeler; it was just a vanilla monster with a high ATK of 4500, but no resistance whatsoever.
Subconsciously, Hayato forgot that Kaiba had just performed card creation for (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon), and that there were other possibilities for Fusion Summoning three (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) besides (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon).
"With this ultimate evolved form of the strongest Dragon-Type, I will send you to hell to repent for your contempt towards me, Hayato!" Clutching the four cards in his hand—three (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) and one (Polymerization)—Kaiba raised his hand high.
As he moved, behind him, three (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) appeared simultaneously, soaring into the sky. Under Hayato's stunned gaze, the three White Dragons, circling in parallel, approached each other and merged!
Hayato was all too familiar with this Fusion method!
"Fusion Summon!"
"Appear now, (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)!!!"
A new Blue-Eyes, distinctly different in form from the four-clawed (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon), manifested on Kaiba's Field. The twin wings on its back became even larger, even replacing its two front claws. Azure blue patterns covered its three heads, as if the unrestrainable power within it was overflowing through its skin.
[(Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)][Level 12 / LIGHT]
[Dragon / Fusion / Effect]
[4500 ATK / 3800 DEF]
"(Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon), the strongest Dragon-Type after evolution?" Hayato truly hadn't expected Kaiba to adapt so quickly after learning his card-creating ability, applying the concept by analogy and even performing a second card creation in a single Duel.
Would this guy also create (Deep-Eyes White Dragon) and (Chaos MAX Dragon) later?
Kaiba laughed heartily at the appearance of (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon). "This is the strongest form of (Blue-Eyes White Dragon)! This is the strongest monster I Summoned, staking my everything on!"
"Resilient! Invincible! Strongest!!"
"Now, fall into the abyss of defeat, Hayato!" Kaiba maniacally swung his hand forward. "First, begin with that (Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion) on your Field!"
"First Attack!"
At Kaiba's command, the left head of (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) raised its neck high, and dazzling light converged within its mouth.
It swallowed, then spat!
A torrent of light instantly engulfed Hayato's (Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion), whose ATK was only 2600!
"Agh!"
After (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)'s attack destroyed (Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion), the residual shockwave pushed Hayato a long way back, nearly sending him off the Duel Field.
[Hayato: 4000 → 2100 LP]
Just as Joey Wheeler in the spectator stands was about to cheer for Hayato, who had taken on this clearly formidable (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) summoned by Kaiba, Ishizu saw a glimpse of the future through her Millennium Necklace.
"When that (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) attacked just now, it only used one head! It has the special ability to attack three times during the Battle Phase!"
At Ishizu's words, Joey Wheeler was startled. "Attack three times? A monster with 4500 ATK attacking three times in a single Battle Phase?! That's cheating! Even Bandit Keith's (Barrel Dragon) could only attack up to three times by tossing a coin."
"In that case, Hayato!" Yugi was also shocked by Ishizu's words and couldn't help but look at Hayato's Field.
After the only (Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion) was destroyed, there were no monsters left on Hayato's Field!
"Hmphahaha, now there's no monster left to protect you, Hayato!" Kaiba roared, laughing maniacally. "(Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) has the special ability to attack three times. Take this Direct Attack with a combined 9000 ATK!"
"Second Attack!"
This time, it was the turn of (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)'s right head. A breath attack, completely undiminished compared to the previous one, surged towards Hayato again!
"Boom!"
The overwhelmingly powerful torrent of light instantly engulfed Hayato, who had an empty Field. But in the instant the smoke from the explosion obscured their vision, Yugi heard a "Kuriboh" sound amidst the roar of the explosion.
It was the sound of Hayato's (Rainbow Kuriboh).
Yugi couldn't help but feel relieved. Seeing Joey Wheeler looking agitated, he comforted him, "Don't worry, Joey Wheeler, Hayato is very strong. It's too early to defeat him with just this kind of battle."
And sure enough, just as Kaiba, who hadn't heard of the "no damage if there's smoke" trope, was about to declare his victory, Hayato's strong voice came from within the rapidly dissipating smoke: "That was close, that was really close. You almost finished me off, Seto."
Before Hayato, the figure of (Rainbow Kuriboh) was gradually fading and becoming transparent. Before it left, it cried "Kuriboh-kuriboh" and raised its hand towards Kaiba's (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon).
"While (Rainbow Kuriboh) is in the Graveyard, because your (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) declared a Direct Attack on me, it is Special Summoned from the Graveyard to my Field in Defense Position. (Rainbow Kuriboh) Special Summoned by this effect is Banished if it leaves the Field," Hayato explained. "You saved me again, Aibo."
"Kuriboh, Hayato-bro's Kuriboh actually jumped out to take the hit! It moved on its own!" Mokuba exclaimed from the spectator stands. "Duel Monsters are truly incredible!"
"That's so touching! Sacrificing itself to protect Hayato, that's the bond between a Duel Monster and a Duelist!" Joey Wheeler was also deeply moved. "Such a kind (Rainbow Kuriboh) must have been telling (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) that it and its master would not yield."
Yugi was on the verge of speaking but stopped, considering that everyone around him was moved by (Rainbow Kuriboh)'s protective act. It was probably better not to mention that (Rainbow Kuriboh) had actually been cursing at (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) and flipping it off to provoke it, so as not to ruin the atmosphere.
"Another fodder monster! You refuse to show your true strength, yet you won't let me strike you down into the abyss of defeat. You're making things very difficult for me, Hayato!"
Unlike the others, Kaiba was not at all moved by (Rainbow Kuriboh)'s spontaneous protective act. Although he didn't understand what (Rainbow Kuriboh) had said, he felt that its last words were definitely not complimentary, and his mood was sour. He commanded again: "Next, I want to see what other tricks you have!"
"(Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon), deliver the final blow to secure victory!"
"Hyper Neutron Blast!!"
The only head of (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) that hadn't attacked yet began to gather its final assault. Just as (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)'s third attack was about to strike, Hayato also activated the only Set Card in his Back Row: "I activate the Trap Card (Escape from the Dark Dimension)!"
"Target one of my banished DARK monsters and Special Summon it! Return, (Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight)!"
Facing (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)'s second direct attack, following (Rainbow Kuriboh), Hayato's other ace monster, (Gaia), took its place.
His sharp lance was no match for the dragon's breath, instantly melting away. Facing the scorching heat of the torrent of light, (Gaia) stoically met its demise, like a tough warrior. It merely turned its head, gave Hayato a thumbs-up, and was then destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.
"Hmph, that again." Kaiba frowned slightly, quite displeased that his confident attack had been blocked once more.
Glancing at the cards in his hand, Kaiba Set one card and said, "Because (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) used its ability to attack three times, at the end of this Battle Phase, (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) will be destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. I Set one card. My turn ends."
A Set Card appeared in Kaiba's Back Row, and at the same time, the immensely powerful (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) on Kaiba's Field shed snowflake-like particles and vanished from the Field.
[Kaiba: 1300 LP, 1 Hand card]
[1 Set card]
Watching (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) disappear, Hayato took a deep breath and said, "It seems you're quite insistent on achieving complete victory in a Duel, Kaiba."
"Isn't that what every Duelist strives for?" Kaiba retorted, his face holding a confident expression, like a king leading an army that had surrounded an enemy fortress and was on the verge of victory, despite his Field being empty.
Hayato nodded. "You're right."
"You said earlier you wanted me to treat this Duel seriously, right? I should apologize first. You are a truly powerful Duelist, and not using my full strength against you earlier was indeed disrespectful." As he spoke, Hayato placed his finger on his Duel Disk. "As an apology, let me show you the ultimate Dragon in my Deck!"
"My Turn, Draw!"
Drawing a card, Hayato merely glanced at it before playing it. "I activate the Spell Card (Dimensional Fusion)! I pay 2000 Life Points! Both players Special Summon all of their banished monsters to their respective Fields!"
"You're paying a whopping 2000 Life Points all at once?!" Kaiba on the opposite Field frowned. "You only have 2100 Life Points, and after paying this card's cost, you'll only have 100 left."
"Carelessly paying your Life Points, are you trying to dig your own grave?!"
"Heh, as long as it brings me victory, you can take all my Life Points."
[Hayato: 2100 → 100 LP]
His Life Points plummeted to three digits, yet Hayato's expression was calm. "Besides, as long as they're not completely zero, a Duelist's Life Points are limitless!"
"Hmph, that's your freedom, but no matter what monster you Summon, you won't defeat my invincible (Blue-Eyes). Or do you think my Field is actually empty?" Kaiba coldly laughed, flipping his Set Card in the Back Row. "I activate my Set Card, (Graverobber)! I pay 1000 Life Points to gain the right to use one card from my opponent's Graveyard!"
"I choose the (Dragon's Mirror) you used earlier to Summon (Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion)!"
[Kaiba: 1300 → 300 LP]
As Kaiba's Life Points decreased, the (Graverobber) in Kaiba's hand changed form, astonishingly becoming Hayato's (Dragon's Mirror)!
"You criticize me for carelessly paying Life Points, yet you're doing the same, Kaiba." Hayato retorted, watching Kaiba take (Dragon's Mirror) from his Graveyard. At the same time, he understood Kaiba's plan.
"When a card excavated by (Graverobber) is a Spell or Trap Card, its effect can be activated immediately. I will similarly banish Fusion Materials specified by a Fusion Monster from my Graveyard to Fusion Summon a Dragon monster."
Kaiba's lips curved into a sneer. "The one I will Summon, of course, is (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)!"
"Be temporarily banished from the game, my Blue-Eyes!"
An exaggerated (Dragon's Mirror) appeared in Kaiba's Back Row. From his Graveyard, the transparent spirit forms of three (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) merged into the mirror world. Accompanied by three overlapping dragon roars, the giant (Dragon's Mirror) shattered, and the massive body of (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) appeared from within the mirror world!
"Roar!!" As it roared, (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)'s feet landed on the ground. The power of (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) from Kaiba's Graveyard astonishingly reappeared, attaching itself to (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)?!
Not only that, after resolving the effect of (Dragon's Mirror) taken by (Graverobber), the effect of (Dimensional Fusion) that Hayato activated earlier began to resolve!
"Come forth, (Reactan the Rock Dragon Ruler)! (Armed Dragon Thunder LV5)! (Armed Dragon Thunder LV7)! (Armed Dragon Thunder LV10)! And (Rainbow Kuriboh)!"
A wormhole to a different dimension opened above the Duel Field. From that hole, Hayato's five monsters appeared simultaneously.
[(Reactan the Rock Dragon Ruler)][DEF 3000]
[(Armed Dragon Thunder LV10)][ATK 3000]
[(Armed Dragon Thunder LV7)][ATK 2800]
[(Armed Dragon Thunder LV5)][ATK 2400]
[(Rainbow Kuriboh)][DEF 100]
And Kaiba, not to be outdone, had three slightly smaller (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) land on his Field beside the towering (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon).
(Dimensional Fusion) is a card that Special Summons as many banished monsters as possible for both players. At the beginning of this turn, Kaiba had no banished monsters, so if Hayato activated (Dimensional Fusion), he wouldn't gain any advantage.
(Graverobber) targeting (Dragon's Mirror), then using (Dragon's Mirror) to banish three (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) from the Graveyard, and then using (Dimensional Fusion) to Special Summon those three Blue-Eyes to the Field – it must be said that Kaiba's move was brilliant.
However, what puzzled the spectators was that Kaiba, uncharacteristically, Special Summoned all the monsters—both (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) and (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)—in Defense Position?
[(Blue-Eyes White Dragon)][DEF 2500]
[(Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)][DEF 3800]
"Brother, who always insists that overwhelming offense is the best strategy, actually chose to Special Summon monsters in Defense Position?"
Not just others, even Kaiba's younger brother, Mokuba, couldn't quite understand why Kaiba would choose to Summon monsters in the relatively weaker Defense Position.
Hayato's (Armed Dragon Thunder LV10) has 3000 ATK. Although it was Special Summoned by (Dimensional Fusion)'s effect and not by an (Armed Dragon) monster's effect, meaning its ability to gain effects based on ATK could not be used, that (Armed Dragon Thunderbolt) in Hayato's Back Row hadn't moved.
If he used (Armed Dragon Thunderbolt)'s effect to boost (Armed Dragon Thunder LV10)'s ATK, its ATK would increase to 4000, making it unable to destroy Kaiba's (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon), which has 4500 ATK.
However, Kaiba specifically Special Summoned (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) in Defense Position, and its 3800 DEF could be destroyed by (Armed Dragon Thunder LV10)!
Most of the others couldn't understand why Kaiba was doing this, but Yugi, however, understood Kaiba's reason for choosing defense.
"The ultimate Dragon, not Dragon-Type but Dragon... Hayato must be planning to Summon those two monsters, right?"
Hayato also knew Kaiba's reason for doing so, but he merely smiled slightly: "At this point in the battle, not only our Life Points, but also our hands are almost empty. In that case, I activate the Spell Card (Card of Providence)!"
Although he had repeatedly complained during Duels with Yugi that powerful draw cards like (Card of Providence) needed to be restricted, Hayato, being a hypocrite, still ran three copies of (Card of Providence) in his Deck and had drawn one last Turn.
Kaiba and Hayato both replenished their hands to six cards. Compared to Kaiba, who undoubtedly had (Obelisk the Tormentor) among his cards, Hayato, starting with an empty hand, drew one more card than him.
As Hayato drew the card, Kaiba and Yugi both stared at one of Hayato's hand cards. An invisible aura, equal to that of (Obelisk the Tormentor), emanated from the card.
In fact, before he even drew it, Hayato had felt the aura of a God Card from the top of his Deck, which was why he had said he would Summon "the ultimate Dragon."
However, when he drew the card and saw that God Card, Hayato was also stunned.
Because he realized that what he had drawn was not the powerful, useful, and reliable (The Winged Dragon of Ra) that he had sensed earlier,
Why was it (Slifer the Sky Dragon)?!!
(end of chapter)
Chapter 357: Osiris, the Disdained
Looking at the [Slifer the Sky Dragon, the Traitor Dragon] in his hand, Hayato was a little confused.
When did he add this to his Deck?! And the feeling just now was clearly [The Winged Dragon of Ra]!
"Roar—!"
Just then, Hayato heard a deep dragon's roar emanating from the [Slifer the Sky Dragon, the Traitor Dragon] card in his hand. Although not as proficient in Kuriboh-speak, Hayato managed to understand what the [Slifer the Sky Dragon, the Traitor Dragon] meant.
"You mean, you were the one who pushed aside [The Winged Dragon of Ra], which I was about to Draw!?"
"Roar! Roar!"
The [Slifer the Sky Dragon, the Traitor Dragon]'s voice sounded somewhat smug, "Roar! Roar—Roar~"
"'This lord thinks that you, who can defeat the Pharaoh, actually have some potential. If you worship this lord, this lord might grudgingly lend you a hand'? Who needs assistance from a liability like you!"
"Roar!"
The [Slifer the Sky Dragon, the Traitor Dragon] seemed to be refuting that it wasn't a liability, and that its name was [Slifer the Sky Dragon], not [Slifer the Sky Dragon, the Traitor Dragon]. However, its protest was Negated.
Feeling the top card of his Deck, Hayato helplessly realized that [The Winged Dragon of Ra] was indeed very close, but it was just out of reach, requiring one more Draw to obtain.
Glancing at Kaiba's four [Blue-Eyes] Monsters on the Field, Hayato complained to the [Slifer the Sky Dragon, the Traitor Dragon] in his hand with a headache, "Why did I Draw you? And specifically after Kaiba has already Summoned his Monsters. If I can't use your most powerful 'Thunderforce Attack,' what good are you, you useless card?"
To make matters worse, in this turn's Hand replenishment, besides the [Slifer the Sky Dragon, the Traitor Dragon], Hayato didn't Draw a single Monster. He drew five red and green Cards, and because of the [Dimension Fusion] Effect earlier, his Field was already completely filled with Monsters.
So, should he even Summon [Slifer the Sky Dragon, the Traitor Dragon]?
Despite Hayato's persistent efforts to convince himself—
[Slifer the Sky Dragon, the Traitor Dragon] is the Sky... bah, [Slifer the Sky Dragon] is a traitor. Anyone other than Yami Yugi who dares to use it will lose terribly; even Yami Yugi was once led to a total defeat by it.
—But it's a God!
[Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s ATK depends on the Hand. Using the Hand to Decrease ATK is very uneconomical.
—But it's a God!
[The Winged Dragon of Ra] in his Deck was expressing its dissatisfaction, sounding like it was about to cry.
—But it's a God!
Seriously, can anyone truly refuse the temptation to Summon a God?
Let alone others, even veteran Dragon Enthusiast Kaiba has more than once performed a six-for-one play, offering his three "wives" as Tributes to Summon the "Sacrificial God Soldier"—I mean, [Obelisk the Tormentor]. I'm just exchanging three of my weakest Monsters for a powerful combatant, so it's perfectly reasonable.
Thinking along these lines, Hayato successfully talked himself into it.
"I Tribute [Armed Dragon LV5], [Rainbow Kuriboh], and [Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders] from my Field!" Hayato held the [Slifer the Sky Dragon] card above his head. "I can't think of a Summoning chant for this guy; I must Summon Kami immediately!"
"Appear, [Slifer the Sky Dragon]!"
As [Rainbow Kuriboh] and [Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders], two Monsters of extreme size difference, vanished, [Armed Dragon LV5] also showed a relieved expression and dissipated. It had been under considerable pressure, being squeezed between its two evolved forms. After all, both the LV7 and LV10 forms had ATK greater than 2500, which was just enough to Destroy a [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] in Defense Position.
Unlike the LV5, whose ATK was only 2400, comparable to a certain unnamed Black Dragon infamous for its lack of power, often called "Slacker-Eye," and was completely defended against by [Blue-Eyes White Dragon].
In the sky, a long red Dragon coiled and poked its head out from suddenly appearing dark clouds. With three Monsters offered as Tributes, Hayato was the first to Summon one of the Egyptian God Cards, [Slifer the Sky Dragon], in this Duel!
[Slifer the Sky Dragon] [ATK 5000]
Ignoring other things for now, even setting aside the super Resistance common to God Cards and [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s strongest and weakest Effect, "Thunderforce Attack," this 5000 ATK alone was worthy of a God's name.
"[Slifer the Sky Dragon]! Hmph, hm hahaha, this is how it should be! A Monster like this is a worthy Opponent for me!"
As its volume was no longer restricted by its surroundings, [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s size was fully unleashed. Yet, looking at the ferocious Divine Dragon coiling around the Duel Tower and baring its fangs at him, Kaiba's face showed an expression of excitement, and he even burst into laughter.
"Come on, Hayato, let me see the limits of your power!"
"I will, I will let you see, Seto."
[Slifer the Sky Dragon] scanned everyone present, noticing that both Kaiba opposite Hayato and the people in the Audience Seating looked at it with reverence. Although the guy in sunglasses at the Judge's Stand had a calm expression, [Slifer the Sky Dragon], having been disdained by two of its three previous users, was quite satisfied.
This is the treatment a God deserves. Besides the Pharaoh, everyone else prefers [The Winged Dragon of Ra] and disdains this lord, hmph!
At this moment, [Slifer the Sky Dragon] heard Hayato's command: "Enter Battle Phase, Traitor Dragon, you go first! Attack [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] on Kaiba's Field! For my sake, use Hayato Kick on it!"
How the hell am I, a Dragon, supposed to use a flying kick for you?! And what even is that weird name?!
Muttering a complaint internally, [Slifer the Sky Dragon] timidly followed Hayato's command and Activated its Attack. After opening its massive maw, a beam of Lightning gathered in [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s lower mouth. This Dragon's breath, formerly known as "Superconductive Wave Thunder Cannon" and now renamed "Hayato Kick," surged towards [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] and, in a mere instant, Destroyed it and Sent to Graveyard!
After [Slifer the Sky Dragon], [Armed Dragon LV7] and [Armed Dragon LV10] also successively struck, Destroying two of Kaiba's remaining three [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] Monsters and Sent to Graveyard.
However, because all of Kaiba's Monsters on the Field were in Defense Position, even though three Monsters were successively Destroyed, his Life Points remained unchanged. It must be said that his previous choice was quite wise.
(One more update today, the last outstanding one.)
(Yes, all caught up, hooray!)
(Checks outstanding update count) Damn, almost immediately behind again.
(end of chapter)
Chapter 358: Divine Fist Crush · Shockwave
"Activate the effect of the Spell Card on my field, [Armed Dragon's Thunder]. Select one [Armed Dragon] monster on my field, and increase its ATK by its Level x 100. I choose [Armed Dragon Thunder LV7], increasing its ATK by 700."
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV7][ATK2800→3500]
All monsters on Kaiba's field were in Defense Position. Since the ATK of Hayato's monsters was sufficient, he only used the effect of [Armed Dragon's Thunder] until Main Phase 2.
Although choosing [Armed Dragon Thunder LV10] would maximize the effect of [Armed Dragon's Thunder], considering his Life Points were only 100, Hayato felt it was better to enhance a weakness on his field – [Armed Dragon Thunder LV7], whose ATK was 200 points lower than [Blue-Eyes White Dragon].
Hayato glanced at his hand. "I will Set two cards. At the same time, [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s ATK will decrease accordingly. My turn ends here."
[Hayato: 100 LP, Hand 3]
[Slifer the Sky Dragon][ATK5000→3000]
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV10][ATK3000]
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV7][ATK3500]
[Set Card] x2 [Spiral Spear Strike] [Armed Dragon's Thunder]
"Roar~" [Slifer the Sky Dragon] let out a rather displeased roar at Hayato. Its power originated from Hayato's Hand, and because Hayato Set two cards, its ATK dropped by a full 2000 points.
As its power weakened, [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s size also somewhat shrank. Although it could still occupy most of the top platform of the Duel Tower, the length it could wrap around the tower was significantly less than before.
After experiencing the feeling of immense power, the sensation of losing it was never pleasant. However, Hayato didn't particularly care about [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s feelings.
Because he noticed that although only one [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] remained on the field and Kaiba's Life Points were only 300, Kaiba looked at Hayato with great excitement, his eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit.
"My turn, Draw!"
Drawing a card from his Deck with great flair, Kaiba looked at [Slifer the Sky Dragon] on Hayato's field, which was arrogantly looking down on him: "Hmph, the strongest dragon. [Slifer the Sky Dragon], named after a god, certainly lives up to that title."
"Since you've already summoned a God, as a counter, I must also summon one!"
"Activate the Spell Card [Pot of Avarice]. I will return a total of five monster cards from my Graveyard to my Deck: two [Blue-Eyes White Dragons], [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], [The Tricky], and [Dark Jester - Peter]. I will draw two cards."
After recovering the monsters from his Graveyard and shuffling them to randomize their order, Kaiba drew two cards from his Deck and then said: "For the final decisive battle, [Blue-Eyes] isn't in my Hand? But it doesn't matter, I will Normal Summon [Lord of D.] in Attack Position!"
From the cards Kaiba played on his Duel Disk, [Lord of D.], adorned with dragon bone decorations and dressed like a noble, revealed itself.
"Don't forget about [Slifer the Sky Dragon], Kaiba," Hayato raised an eyebrow at the appearance of [Lord of D.]. "Because a monster has been Summoned, the effect of Thunderforce Attack is mandatory!"
[Slifer the Sky Dragon] glanced contemptuously at [Lord of D.] on Kaiba's field. Its mouth opened, instantly charging up and spitting out a bolt of lightning towards [Lord of D.]. Just then, Kaiba also played a card:
"I won't let you destroy [Lord of D.] until I've squeezed out its full value!"
"Quick-Play Spell Card [Forbidden Dress]!"
Just before [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s Thunderforce Attack could hit [Lord of D.], a white robe appeared on [Lord of D.], followed immediately by the direct hit of the Thunderforce Attack!
The Thunderforce Attack instantly stripped [Lord of D.] of all its power, but [Lord of D.]'s wail of destruction did not sound.
"The effect of [Forbidden Dress] is to decrease one monster's ATK by 600, and it cannot be targeted by or destroyed by card effects."
Hearing Hayato state the effect of [Forbidden Dress], Kaiba snorted: "Hmph, because [Lord of D.] was already targeted by [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s effect when [Forbidden Dress] was activated, the 'cannot be targeted by card effects' ability couldn't apply, but it at least evaded the subsequent 'being destroyed by its ATK dropping to 0'."
[Lord of D.][4 Stars/DARK Attribute]
[Spellcaster-Type/Effect]
[1200/1100→600/1100→0/1100]
Although [Lord of D.] had a noble, mysterious, and handsome appearance, its Type being Spellcaster-Type and not Kaiba's main Dragon-Type indicated it was just a utility monster.
"Discarding one card from my Hand, I activate the Spell Card, [The Melody of Awakening Dragon]!"
As expected, as Kaiba sent a card to his Graveyard, [Lord of D.] raised its cape and brandished its 'artifact' from within – an electric guitar!?
Despite being a Spellcaster-Type monster dressed as a medieval fantasy lord, why would [Lord of D.] use an electric guitar?!
Despite the starkly different styles, [Lord of D.] played the guitar with remarkable skill. Unexpectedly, it was playing AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," and doing quite well at it.
Kaiba wasn't surprised at all by [Lord of D.] playing "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," making one wonder if it was [Lord of D.]'s taste in music or Kaiba's: "[The Melody of Awakening Dragon]'s effect is to add up to two Dragon-Type monsters with ATK of 3000 or more and DEF of 2500 or less from my Deck to my Hand."
"What's the difference between that and adding two [Blue-Eyes] to my Hand?" Hayato quipped.
As [Lord of D.]'s performance reached the climax of the song, behind it, two spectral images of [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] appeared and flew into Kaiba's Hand.
Seeing Kaiba take out a card from his Hand, Hayato could swear on [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s head: with [Lord of D.] on the field and two [Blue-Eyes] in hand, Kaiba's next card was definitely [The Flute of Summoning Dragon].
As expected, Kaiba placed the card he took from his hand into the Spell & Trap Zone on his Duel Disk and activated it: "Because I have [Lord of D.] on my field, I can use the Spell Card [The Flute of Summoning Dragon]. Both players can Special Summon up to two Dragon-Type monsters from their Hands!"
Hayato shrugged helplessly: "That card couldn't have come at a better time for you. I don't have a single Dragon-Type monster in my Hand."
"Hmph, so what kind of 'Pure Dragon-Type Deck' is that?" Kaiba retorted, revealing the two [Blue-Eyes White Dragons] he just added to his Hand. "Then, what I will summon are the two [Blue-Eyes] in my Hand!"
[Lord of D.] produced a dragon-head-shaped horn from its cape, took a deep breath, and began to blow.
However, due to the limitations of the instrument, [Lord of D.] couldn't play any variations on the horn, wearing an unsatisfied expression.
On Kaiba's field, two [Blue-Eyes White Dragons] flew in to the accompaniment of the low horn music. Simultaneously, Kaiba's seven cards at the start of the turn were reduced to only three remaining.
Another two precise attacks from Thunderforce Attack – Kaiba's two [Blue-Eyes White Dragons] didn't even have time to let out a roar to show themselves before they were battered by [Slifer the Sky Dragon], their ATK reduced by 2000 points.
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon][ATK3000→1000]
"I activate the Spell Card [Double Summon]. I can perform a second Normal Summon this turn." After playing a card, Kaiba looked at one of the cards in his Hand and gave a confident smile. "Are you ready, Hayato?"
"Witness the might of the God of Destruction!"
The blue-bordered card in his hand was raised high. The three [Blue-Eyes White Dragons] on the field dissipated into particles, and a colossal blue giant, as if propping up the sky and shaking the earth, materialized!
"Tribute the three [Blue-Eyes White Dragons] on my field! Descend, and turn all things into bones with infinite power! [Obelisk the Tormentor]!!"
Just as Kaiba had said before, as a return for Hayato summoning [Slifer the Sky Dragon] with his full effort, he also summoned the second of the three Egyptian God Cards he possessed, [Obelisk the Tormentor]!
Upon seeing [Obelisk the Tormentor] appear, [Slifer the Sky Dragon] showed no mercy just because it was an acquaintance, firing a Thunderforce Attack directly, as a greeting to its old friend.
And [Obelisk the Tormentor] was no mere Fodder Monster to be instantly destroyed by Thunderforce Attack. It punched out, shattering the Thunderforce Attack in mid-air, its form barely even shaken. Of course, this was merely a superficial impression; under the rules of a Duel, even [Obelisk the Tormentor] couldn't be immune to the effects of an equally ranked [Slifer the Sky Dragon].
[Obelisk the Tormentor][ATK4000→2000]
"While Gods have resistance, making them immune to destruction by monster effects from non-God Attributes, and effects of Level 10 or higher monsters only last for one turn on Gods," Hayato looked at Kaiba and gave a triumphant smile, "the reduction I need for just this one turn is enough."
"Now, [Obelisk the Tormentor]'s ATK cannot destroy any monster on my field. By the time my next turn arrives, [Slifer the Sky Dragon], whose ATK will have increased to 4000, will mutually destroy [Obelisk the Tormentor]. Your Life Points are like a candle in the wind, Seto!"
"Hmph, we'll see about that!"
Hearing Hayato's taunt, which sounded like a challenge, Kaiba replied with "That's not necessarily true," and revealed the last card in his Hand to Hayato: "My formula for victory is far more perfect than you imagine!"
"Activate the Equip Spell Card [Birthright]. It can be activated when there are 3 copies of a monster with the same name in my Graveyard. I will Special Summon one of those monsters with the same name to my field and equip it with this card!"
Kaiba raised his hand: "Fight for me once more, [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]!"
As the dragon soared, the ever-present Thunderforce Attack struck. Seeing the ATK of the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] equipped with [Birthright] reduced to a mere 1000 points, Hayato's expression became serious.
It wasn't just Hayato; everyone watching this climactic battle understood Kaiba's plan.
"Besides [Obelisk the Tormentor] on Kaiba's field, he's gathered two monsters…"
Joey's hand clenched involuntarily, his palm sweating from excessive tension. He had lost to Kaiba in the semi-finals precisely because of the move Kaiba was about to use.
Tristan glanced at Joey and patted his shoulder. Although Joey had looked relieved when the Duel ended, Tristan, who knew Joey's mind all too well, could see that he was suppressing his frustration in his heart, not wanting to worry those who cared about him.
"Is Kaiba going to use that move that defeated Joey, 'Soul Energy MAX'?" Yugi also frowned, putting himself in Hayato's position to think of a way to break the deadlock.
'Infinite ATK… it's likely that even Hayato would have trouble blocking this move,' Yami Yugi's voice came from the [Millennium Puzzle]. 'Although [Slifer the Sky Dragon] has the strongest suppression among the Egyptian God Cards, in terms of pure destructive power, [Obelisk the Tormentor] is indeed stronger.'
Kaiba also gave Hayato a deep look: "What a shame. As you can see, this is my victory, Hayato!"
"You won't have another turn. This Duel will end this turn, within my turn!"
"Tributing [Lord of D.] and [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] on my field—"
Watching Kaiba tribute the two monsters on his field, the White Dragon and the utility monster being absorbed by [Obelisk the Tormentor] in its grasp, Hayato opened a Set Card on his back row: "Chaining to the effect of [Obelisk the Tormentor], I activate my Set Card!"
"Useless! Trap Cards are ineffective against Gods!" Kaiba looked displeased at being interrupted by Hayato.
Hayato smiled: "Of course I'm aware of that, but I never said the Set Card I'm activating was aimed at your [Obelisk the Tormentor]."
"Trap Card [Desert Sunlight]! All monsters on my field will change to Face-up Defense Position!"
As one of the two Set Cards on Hayato's back row was revealed, a desert mirage enveloped Hayato's field. [Armed Dragon Thunder LV7] and [Armed Dragon Thunder LV10] were both affected by the card's effect and changed to Defense Position.
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV7][ATK3500→DEF1000]
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV10][ATK3000→DEF2000]
"To actively change its own monsters to Defense Position?" Mai Valentine was taken aback by this, then a look of understanding dawned on her face, "I see! So that's how you block infinite ATK!"
If monsters in Attack Position would directly reduce Life Points to zero due to receiving infinite damage, then wouldn't changing them to Defense Position, where they wouldn't take damage, solve the problem?
Joey also showed an excited expression. Just as he was about to say something, his eyes widened: "N-no! Hayato forgot one thing!!"
Following the direction Joey was pointing, Mai Valentine also realized what Hayato had forgotten.
"[Slifer the Sky Dragon] is still in Attack Position!"
"Hmph, you've made a miscalculation, Hayato," Kaiba glanced at [Slifer the Sky Dragon] on Hayato's field, which was completely unaffected by the effect of [Desert Sunlight], and a slight smile touched his lips. "Gods are unaffected by Trap Card effects, even ones you activate yourself!"
"If you hadn't summoned a God last turn, perhaps even Obelisk would have had trouble ending the Duel this turn. But by actively summoning [Slifer the Sky Dragon], you've undoubtedly left an unfixable vulnerability for yourself!"
Hearing Kaiba's words, Yugi couldn't help but recall Hayato's field layout from the previous turn. If it had been the monsters from before, due to the effect of [Desert Sunlight], even [Obelisk the Tormentor]'s infinite ATK would have struggled to penetrate monsters in Defense Position to inflict damage on Hayato.
In other words, Hayato was screwed over by [Slifer the Sky Dragon]? Yugi suddenly remembered the designation '[Slifer the Sky Dragon], the Traitor Dragon' that Hayato had repeatedly emphasized to him before.
"Tributing two monsters as sacrifice, I activate [Obelisk the Tormentor]'s Special Ability, 'Soul Energy MAX,' to raise its ATK to infinity!" With that, Kaiba waved his hand forward.
In mythology, "Set," represented by the obelisk, killed [Osiris], which is why the Nile River flooded. And on the Duel Field, following Kaiba's command, [Obelisk the Tormentor], once suppressed by [Slifer the Sky Dragon], raised its arm and threw a punch. As its massive, meteor-like fist advanced, its power surged to infinity!
[Obelisk the Tormentor][ATK2000→∞]
"This is the final blow! Annihilate [Osiris] like in the myth, [Obelisk]!"
"Divine Fist Crush · Shockwave!!"
Seeing [Slifer the Sky Dragon] about to be hit by [Obelisk the Tormentor], Yugi and the others watched the Duel Field tensely. It was then that Yugi noticed Ishizu smiling, and Hayato on the Duel Field also wore a confident expression.
'In this situation, why are Hayato and Miss Ishizu so relaxed? Could it be that they foresaw Hayato's defeat and had already accepted this outcome?' Just as Yugi had this thought, he dismissed it: "No, it's not like that."
'If he didn't have the desire for victory, Hayato wouldn't have gotten this far,' Yami Yugi's voice came from the [Millennium Puzzle]. 'And rather than accepting reality, Hayato's expression clearly shows he has confidence in blocking this attack.'
'What card will Hayato use?'
This question arose simultaneously in the minds of Yugi Muto and Yami Yugi. Recalling Hayato's past dueling performances, one card surfaced in their minds: 'No way?'
"Boom!"
"Divine Fist Crush · Shockwave" finally struck the location of [Slifer the Sky Dragon]. Under Kaiba's triumphant gaze, [Obelisk the Tormentor]'s fist pierced [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s head.
Wait, not shattering, but piercing?
Kaiba's eyes widened in surprise as he discovered that the target of [Obelisk the Tormentor]'s strike was not [Slifer the Sky Dragon] at all!
Before being hit by the [Obelisk], [Slifer]'s body had already dissolved into a phantom image and gradually disappeared. What [Obelisk the Tormentor] struck was actually [Armed Dragon Thunder LV7] on Hayato's field, which was in Defense Position!
"Just as you said, Kaiba, Trap Cards are ineffective against Gods, even the traps I activate."
Hayato's voice came through: "But similarly, I can also use Spell Cards with non-destructive effects on Gods!"
Behind the dissipating smoke and dust, the card Hayato had activated in that moment was revealed – [Mysterious Chinese Wok]!
Yugi's face showed an expression of "As expected."
"Impossible!" Kaiba couldn't maintain his surprised expression. "That's a God Card, the strongest existence among Duel Monsters, and you actually tributed a God Card!"
"What's so hard to accept about that, Seto?" Facing Kaiba's shock, Hayato remained quite calm. "As long as I can achieve ultimate victory, I am willing to give up [Slifer the Sky Dragon]."
"The effect of [Mysterious Chinese Wok] is to tribute one monster and restore my Life Points by the value of the tributed monster's ATK or DEF. Regardless, I will choose [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s ATK value."
[Hayato: 100→3100 LP]
He said it nicely, but looking at [Slifer the Sky Dragon] in his Hand, about to be sent to the Graveyard and currently cursing him, Hayato seized the moment while Kaiba wasn't paying attention and revealed a 'God-tier' expression: "Eat shit!"
Almost got screwed by you, you traitor dragon! Even dogs won't play with you!
"My turn, ends."
[Kaiba: 300 LP, Hand 0]
[Obelisk the Tormentor][ATK∞→4000]
As the turn ended, the power of [Obelisk the Tormentor]'s "Soul Energy MAX" vanished, and along with it, the interference from [Slifer]'s "Thunderforce Attack" also disappeared.
Now it was Hayato's turn again. He drew a card, which was none other than the [The Winged Dragon of Ra] he had sensed earlier.
"My turn, Draw."
Glancing at [Obelisk the Tormentor] on Kaiba's field, Hayato played a card from his Hand: "Kaiba, your desire for victory, your obsession with becoming the King of Games – I felt them clearly during our battle."
"So please watch closely, this is my final turn!"
(end of chapter)
"Watch closely, this is my final turn!"
As Hayato's voice fell, he played a card from his hand: "I activate the Spell Card (Painful Choice)! I choose five cards from my Deck to reveal, and you, Seto, choose one card to add to my hand, while the rest are sent to the Graveyard."
Kaiba frowned when he saw the card Hayato activated.
(Obelisk the Tormentor) on his field has 4000 ATK. Hayato's field has an (Armed Dragon LV10) with 3000 ATK, and the (Armed Dragon's Thunder) in Hayato's back row can, once per turn, increase the ATK of an (Armed Dragon) monster; if it targets (Armed Dragon LV10), it can even increase its ATK by 1000 points at once.
This means, in theory, if Hayato can Summon a monster with 300 or more ATK this turn, he can use (Armed Dragon LV10) to achieve mutual destruction with (Obelisk the Tormentor), then direct attack Kaiba to clear his remaining 300 LP.
However, that's just in theory; Kaiba had already prepared a countermeasure.
Last turn, to use (Melody of Awakening Dragon), Kaiba discarded a card from his hand to the Graveyard, and the card he sent to the Graveyard was (Shield Warrior).
While (Shield Warrior) is in the Graveyard, he can banish itself from the Graveyard to prevent his opponent from destroying his monster by battle once.
In other words, if Hayato really Summoned a relatively weak monster to try and clear Kaiba's LP in one turn, he would awkwardly discover that after (Armed Dragon LV10) is destroyed, (Obelisk the Tormentor) would still stand on Kaiba's field, and then the next turn would be Kaiba's counterattack opportunity.
However, the appearance of (Painful Choice) was rather unfavorable.
Hayato only needed to select cards that could increase ATK; it didn't matter which one was discarded. As long as one entered Hayato's hand, Hayato could use it to increase the ATK of (Armed Dragon LV10) beyond (Obelisk the Tormentor)!
As the cards Hayato selected were revealed before Kaiba, Kaiba indeed saw the appearance of Equip Spell Cards.
(Owner's Seal), (Robbin' Goblin), (Lightning Vortex), (Rush Recklessly), (Dragon's Treasure)
Seeing the five cards Hayato had chosen, Kaiba frowned deeply. It wasn't because the choices before him were so "painful," but rather that his options were too singular.
Not much different from Duelist Kingdom, in Battle City's rules, cards like (Dark Hole) that indiscriminately destroy the entire field, and cards like (Fireball) with unlimited effect damage, were limited, but cards like (Just Desserts) were still usable.
(Goblin Thief) and (Lightning Vortex) were cards allowed by the rules. Kaiba had impressions of both cards; the former was active when Hayato was still using a Warrior Beatdown Deck, while the latter often partnered with Hayato's Ojama monsters for the final blow.
(Rush Recklessly) is a card that targets one monster to increase ATK by 700 points until the End Phase, and (Dragon's Treasure) is an Equip Spell Card exclusively for Dragon-Type monsters that increases ATK and DEF by 300 points.
Kaiba's LP are currently only 300. Whether it's (Robbin' Goblin) which "deals 500 damage to the opponent and gains 500 LP for yourself" or (Lightning Vortex) which "destroys all monsters on your field and deals X300 damage to the opponent for each destroyed monster," both can defeat him.
And (Rush Recklessly) and (Dragon's Treasure) also couldn't be chosen.
The fifth option, outside of the four absolutely unchoosable ones, was (Owner's Seal). Its effect is to return control of all monsters on the field to their original owner. This card made Kaiba somewhat confused about Hayato's intentions.
"I choose (Owner's Seal)." Kaiba thought again and again. There were no Hayato monsters on his field at all, so this card posed no threat. Compared to the other cards, he could only choose this one.
"Then, I add (Owner's Seal) to my hand, and all other cards are sent to the Graveyard."
Adding (Owner's Seal) to his hand, Kaiba wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but when Hayato added that card to his hand, a mischievous smile seemed to appear on Hayato's face.
"I activate the effect of the Spell Card (Armed Dragon's Thunder) on my field. Once per turn, I can target one (Armed Dragon) monster on my field to activate its subsequent effect." Hayato pointed to his (Armed Dragon LV10) on the field. "I target (Armed Dragon LV10)."
"Hmph, so you plan to increase the ATK of your monster and achieve mutual destruction with a God?" Kaiba temporarily put his previous doubts aside, sneering with a contemptuous expression.
He was, of course, wary of (Armed Dragon LV10) in his heart, but outwardly he maintained an arrogant facade, hoping to make Hayato lower his guard, even just slightly.
"Mutual destruction? Hmm… I suppose you could say that." Hayato smiled mysteriously. "Increase (Armed Dragon LV10)'s ATK by 100 points for each of its Levels, which is 1000 points."
(Armed Dragon LV10) [ATK 3000→4000]
"I activate the effect of (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders) in my Graveyard. Banish two Dragon-Type monsters from my Graveyard — (Armed Dragon LV7) and (Armed Dragon LV5) — and revive from the Graveyard, the Dragon that Conquers Elements — (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders)!"
Amidst a thunderous roar, the enormous (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders) crawled out from underground.
(Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders) [ATK 1600]
Now, Hayato's field had (Armed Dragon LV10) with ATK equal to (Obelisk the Tormentor), and (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders) which, though impressive in size, had rather poor ATK.
On the surface, if Hayato just launched an attack, he would secure victory!
Just as Kaiba watched with anticipation, Hayato showed a troubled expression.
"Oh dear, I just remembered. At the start of the duel, Seto, you said you use the strongest Dragon-Type monsters, didn't you? Yet, at the time of the final duel, there isn't a single Dragon-Type monster on your field. This simply won't do."
Hayato said, drawing two cards from his hand and playing them: "I'm a kind person; I can't stand to see your field empty with only a lone (Obelisk the Tormentor). I activate these two cards, and I'll give both of my monsters on the field to you!"
When Kaiba heard Hayato's words, he didn't understand what he was saying at first, but when he saw the two cards Hayato revealed, he was stunned, because Hayato was holding two (Shien's Spy)!?
"That card, I feel like I've seen it before, but also like I've never seen it?"
In the audience seating, Joey, lacking knowledge, turned to his "Doraemon" — Yugi. Yugi, a bit troubled, explained to Joey: "The effect of (Shien's Spy) is to give control of one monster on your field to your opponent until the End Phase."
"Give your own monster to the opponent? What kind of card is that?" Joey's expression was strange. "How could anyone use such a card to give their monster to their opponent? How did Pegasus come up with such a card effect?"
"But Hayato is really using such cards, and he's using two of them," Mai Valentine retorted. "Could it be that this guy suddenly realized his past actions of often taking control of other people's monsters and wants to atone?"
"Yugi, do you know what Hayato's purpose is in using this card?"
Téa asked Yugi, but Yugi Muto, after communicating with Yami Yugi for a moment, could only shake his head and reply to Téa: "Sorry, Téa, I also don't understand what Hayato is trying to do."
"However, my other self said he can feel that the descent of the last of the Egyptian God Cards — (The Winged Dragon of Ra) — is not far off."
Although everyone couldn't understand the purpose of Hayato's maneuvers, since Hayato had activated both (Shien's Spy), both of his monsters on the field — (Armed Dragon LV10) and (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders) — were moved to Kaiba's field under the effect of the cards.
At the same time, Hayato's field became empty, and he only had two cards left in his hand, one of which was the face-up card (Owner's Seal).
"Sending your own monsters to my field, what exactly are you trying to do, Hayato?" Kaiba frowned, pressing Hayato.
"Well, like I said earlier, I'm just a kind person." Hayato shrugged, glancing at the (The Winged Dragon of Ra) in his hand. "Oh, besides 'proving you're the strongest Dragon-user,' Seto, you also seemed to have a wish to defeat me and take control of a God Card, right?"
"Then, allow me to bestow this powerful monster upon you!"
As Hayato held the card in his hand high, amidst Kaiba's surprised gaze, particles, like those for a Tribute Summon, appeared on (Obelisk the Tormentor) as well as the two other monsters Hayato had given him!
"Tribute the three monsters on your field: (Obelisk the Tormentor), (Armed Dragon LV10), and (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders), and Tribute Summon the final God!"
"Appear, strongest God!" The card in Hayato's hand dissipated, and at the same time, the card of (The Winged Dragon of Ra) teleported to Kaiba's Duel Disk, its name suffix also changing. "With this, I prove that I am the strongest principle!"
"(The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode)!!"
As if the sun was falling to the earth, (Obelisk the Tormentor) ultimately became a 'Tribute God,' and in its place, a massive golden Sphere Mode appeared on Kaiba's field!
(The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode) [Level 10/Divine]
[Divine-Beast Type/Effect]
[?/?]
"It's (The Winged Dragon of Ra)!" The appearance of (The Winged Dragon of Ra) even woke up Marik, who was asleep in the infirmary. 'Rising from his deathbed,' he sharply turned his head to look at the broadcast television in the infirmary, watching the confronting Hayato and Kaiba, greatly surprised. "How much did I miss?!"
On the duel field, Hayato ignored Kaiba's murderous glare and explained: "Although the Egyptian God Cards possess extremely powerful resistance, ultimately, they are still limited by the 'Release' rule of Duel Monsters."
"(The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode) cannot be Special Summoned, but it can be Normal Summoned to my or my opponent's field by Tributing three monsters from my field or my opponent's field."
Looking at (The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode) on his field, and recalling the card Hayato had added to hand with (Painful Choice) earlier, Kaiba's fists were clenched tight.
"That's the expression, Seto, that's the displeased expression after knowing the final outcome!" Seeing Kaiba's face twisted with anger, Hayato laughed mischievously, regrettably unable to perfectly recreate a frog jump due to the duel field's distance. "I'm sure you fully understand what (Painful Choice) truly means by now, don't you?"
"(The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode) cannot be used for attack, nor can it be targeted by attacks or effects."
Hayato said, revealing (Owner's Seal) in his hand. "However, (Owner's Seal) is untargetable by noble means. I activate the Spell Card I just added to my hand with (Painful Choice), (Owner's Seal)."
"Return to my field, (The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode)!"
Watching (The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode), which had devoured all monsters on his field, return to Hayato's field, Kaiba's expression remained grim, but he defiantly said: "Hmph, so even though it looks impressive, (The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode) is just for show, completely unable to attack."
"Well, that's true," Hayato shrugged helplessly. "This form of (The Winged Dragon of Ra) is mainly used against those without the right to wield it. Although it retains some divine power and resistance, it cannot attack."
"But I never said that (The Winged Dragon of Ra) was locked into this form."
As he spoke, Hayato pushed back his drooping bangs, making his hair stand up defying gravity as if styled with hair gel: "Let your light shine even brighter, (Ra)! I grant you full power!"
"I activate the effect of (The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode). Tribute it, then Special Summon 1 (The Winged Dragon of Ra) from my hand or Deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions, and make its ATK and DEF 4000 points!"
With a wave of Hayato's hand, (The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode) in the sky began to transform like a cosmic overlord. From its Sphere Mode, massive wings and sharp claws extended, and the golden Solar Disc-like halo behind it rose, radiating light freely!
Not only that, but as soon as (The Winged Dragon of Ra) was Summoned to the field, Hayato revealed a wild smile: "Was eating (Obelisk the Tormentor) not enough, (Ra)? How greedy! In that case, take my LP too!"
"I will Decrease my LP to 1, and the amount decreased will be added to (The Winged Dragon of Ra)!"
[Hayato: 3100→1 LP]
(The Winged Dragon of Ra) [ATK 4000→7099]
"This is the radiance that illuminates all things! And now, Seto, this ends. Under the sun's brilliance, let's finish this! Direct Attack the opponent Duelist!"
(The Winged Dragon of Ra), symbolizing supreme divine authority among the Egyptian God Cards, opened its mouth, and a high-temperature fireball instantly appeared within its oral cavity, then transformed into a pillar of fire, surging towards Kaiba!
"God Phoenix Blast!!"
Facing the attack of (The Winged Dragon of Ra), which completely filled his vision and even drew the gaze of everyone around, Kaiba smiled in the split second before he was engulfed by the flames.
'When you get serious, Hayato, your strength is truly despair-inducing.'
'Precisely because of this, you are worthy of being my goal to surpass.'
'Wait ahead to be surpassed by me, both you and Yugi!'
'This time is undoubtedly my defeat, but all this experience will surely be useful for next time…'
"Boom!"
"Ugh!!"
[Kaiba: 300 LP→0]
The sun's flames engulfed Kaiba, clearing Kaiba's meager LP completely in an instant.
And after the flames, Kaiba was revealed, having raised his Duel Disk as a shield, barely blocking the attack of (The Winged Dragon of Ra).
Seeing Kaiba's LP completely nullified, Croquet on the judge's stand frowned, patted out a spark on his sleeve, and calmly announced: "The victor has been decided!"
"Because Seto Kaiba's LP have been completely nullified, I declare that the final victor of the Battle City Finals is, Duelist Hayato!"
The fact that he almost stumbled over his words showed that even Croquet, the 'professional judge' who remained unmoved by great calamities, could not suppress his excitement after witnessing the veritable "final battle" with all Egyptian God Cards appearing.
Hearing Croquet announce Hayato's ultimate victory, everyone in the audience seating cheered with joy. Joey, in his excitement, even hugged Mai Valentine, who was closest to him, and lifted her up, making Mai Valentine blush.
Seeing this, Tristan also had a sudden inspiration, wanting to pretend to be too excited and hug Serenity Wheeler. But just as he turned to hug Serenity Wheeler, Serenity Wheeler excitedly hugged Téa. The one who ended up hugging Tristan was Duke Devlin, who had the same idea.
Watching Hayato, who stood last on the duel field, waving towards the audience seating after claiming victory, Ishizu couldn't help but show a sympathetic smile.
Yugi and Mokuba were also happy for Hayato's victory, but Mokuba ultimately remembered that his older brother was the one who lost, so he didn't smile too excessively, and he also remembered to notify the medical team to come to the tower top to treat Kaiba's possible injuries.
At the moment Kaiba was defeated, the quest that had been hanging at the top of Hayato's system panel for a long time was finally completed.
[Main Quest: Rejoice!]
[Achieve final victory in Battle City and become the rightful King of Duels 1/1 (Completed)]
[Reward: 10000DP, Specified Entry Unlock X1, Specified Type Random Deck X1]
Hayato claimed the quest's reward. Immediately, his DP balance, which had long been only three digits due to frequent card redemptions, instantly surged to five digits, a full 10000 DP. Although it would only buy the cheapest UR-rank cards if directly redeemed, it would allow Hayato to draw cards to his heart's content.
For the Specified Type Random Deck, Hayato had received similar rewards before in Noah's Virtual World. The (Cyber Dragon) in Hayato's hand and the (Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders) that jumped back and forth three or four times in this duel were opened from those two Decks.
As is well known, card players' XP (personal preferences) are none other than dragon enthusiasts, waifu card lovers, and mecha fans.
Dragon-Type + Mech card = Drytron
Dragon-Type + Waifu card = (Dragonmaid)
Mech card + Waifu card = (Sky Striker)
Of course, these are the more common XPs. Some heavy-tasting card players prefer alien monsters like (Worm) and (Paleozoic). Hayato doesn't discriminate against them, because everyone's XP is free.
Of course, Hayato would still recommend they see a doctor.
As for Hayato's own XP, he prefers Mech cards and Dragon-Type more than Waifu cards. The previous (Cyber Dragon) made him quite satisfied, so this time he decided to continue choosing Machine-Type.
'I won't force it to be (ABC); Drytron is fine too. I Tribute (Slifer the Sky Dragon)'s head, may the Creator of Light bless me!'
Hayato prayed wildly in his heart, opening the card pack designated as a Machine-Type Vitamin Deck.
The moment the Deck was revealed before him, seeing the monster at the very top with "Machine + Dragon" elements, Hayato's heart stopped.
An impatient Kaiba, having unsuccessfully refused Mokuba's summoned medical team and resignedly accepted treatment, saw a dejected Hayato sighing and walking towards him.
This somewhat annoyed Kaiba: "Hmph, Hayato, why are you so dejected? Even defeating me and taking control of the Name of the King can't cheer you up? Are you looking down on me!?"
Hayato, however, waved his hand helplessly: "Then you've misunderstood me. You are, after all, a formidable opponent who's hard to defeat. I almost lost to you just now."
"Hmph, stop putting on airs. There's no luck in Duel Monsters; strong is strong, and weak is weak."
With a cold snort, Kaiba took a card from his Duel Disk and flung it out. After drawing a spiral in the air, it was caught by Hayato.
It was none other than (Obelisk the Tormentor).
"This is your prize card as the victor, but don't think you'll win forever." Kaiba, whose hand was bandaged by the medical team, said coldly as he turned and walked away. "(Obelisk the Tormentor) will stay with you for now. How you choose to use it is none of my business."
Judging by his domineering posture, if one didn't know, most would assume that Kaiba was actually the one who won.
"Should I have just not gone easy on you earlier, would it have been better to make Kaiba lie in bed for a few days?" Hayato picked up (The Winged Dragon of Ra) from his Duel Disk and grumbled at it.
(Slifer the Sky Dragon), (The Winged Dragon of Ra), and (Obelisk the Tormentor). At this moment, Hayato had finally gathered all three God Cards and was crowned the King of Duels.
Looking at (Obelisk the Tormentor) in his hand, Hayato had an idea regarding the final reward of the quest — 'Specified Entry Unlock.'
And so, the Battle City arc concludes here. This volume also ends. It's finished… oh wait, not quite yet.
In the next volume, some of the foreshadowing previously laid out will begin to be used.
So, as usual, I ask for some recommendation votes.
(end of chapter)
Chapter 360: For The Emperor!
And so, Battle City came to an end.
Unlike during Duelist Kingdom, as the ultimate victor of Battle City and the holder of the "Duel King" title, Hayato received no substantial rewards beyond the cards he had collected along the way and the system's rewards.
When Hayato asked Kaiba if he would give him 60% of KaibaCorp's shares, he only received a dismissive glare from the President, who was still somewhat annoyed from losing the Duel.
"Not everyone is like that Pegasus guy, so indifferent to their assets."
Standing in the central hall of the "S.S. St. Ann," Mokuba put down the tablet he had been holding, calmly sipping a glass of milk and gazing at the scenery outside the airship.
Hayato turned his head to look behind him. As the airship departed, the distance between them and Devil's Island grew, and the Duel Tower steadily grew smaller in their sight. Once the airship reached a safe distance, a deafening explosion, audible even from several kilometers away, erupted, and the silver-white Duel Tower vanished.
Kaiba gazed intently at Devil's Island as it disappeared with the explosion, muttering, "Devil's Island, to me, you are Gozaburo's lingering ghost. As the stage for Battle City's final decisive battle, that was your greatest value. Now, become obsolete along with Gozaburo's ambitions!"
Shortly after Hayato and Kaiba's Duel concluded, Kaiba impatiently announced the end of Battle City, then informed everyone of his intention to blow up Devil's Island.
Devil's Island had been purchased by Gozaburo long ago and became a private island. Whatever its fate, it was within the authority of Kaiba, who had inherited all of Gozaburo's assets. Under Kaiba's precise demolition, Devil's Island was erased from the map, ceasing to exist.
Now, having concluded their Battle City journey, everyone was still aboard the "S.S. St. Ann" airship, preparing to return to Domino City.
"This time, we won't suddenly get hijacked again, right?" Joey recalled the previous incident where the airship was hijacked by Noah, and they were forced into the Virtual World at gunpoint, feeling a lingering sense of dread. Because of that experience, he, like Hayato, had inexplicably begun to feel that the "S.S. St. Ann" airship was rather unlucky.
Hearing this, Kaiba, who had been watching Devil's Island vanish over the horizon, turned back. "Hmph, if you don't want to take the airship back to Domino City, you're perfectly welcome to stay on Devil's Island, you mediocre duelist."
"Huh? Kaiba, you bastard, are you looking for a fight?!"
"Hmph, I have no intention of dueling a loser and reliving a victory I've already experienced."
Yugi couldn't help but smile as he watched Tristan and Duke Devlin, almost instinctively, expertly pull Joey back, one on each side, just as Kaiba and Joey were about to clash.
Though they were noisy, wasn't this just their everyday life?
Since they no longer needed to access the "Sky Duel Arena" on the airship for the return journey, Kaiba ordered the "S.S. St. Ann" to go full power, estimating they would reach Domino City in just over two hours. With nothing else to do, Yugi and Joey began to spar in the hall.
Even Kaiba, who had just claimed to be uninterested in dueling Joey, found his dueling addiction rekindled by their match and joined in.
Hayato, meanwhile, went with Ishizu to the infirmary. Marik, having returned to his own body, had already woken up, but because Dark Marik frequently used Shadow Games to inflict torture upon himself and savor the pain, Marik's body was still weak and he remained resting in the infirmary.
Standing before the infirmary, Ishizu reached out to open the door, but just as her hand was about to touch the handle, it stopped.
"What's wrong?" Hayato asked.
Ishizu shook her head. "I just... I just don't know how to face Marik."
"Although Odion and I concealed the truth from Marik back then to protect him, it was also because of that concealment that Marik was completely unaware of his dark personality's existence and had his body seized while unprepared, even almost having his soul scattered."
"I'm such an incompetent older sister. I suppose Marik must be filled with hatred for me in his heart..."
Ishizu, who usually exuded an aura of maturity and composure, spoke with an indescribable despondency at this moment.
"That's not it."
Ishizu looked up at Hayato beside her. Hayato wore a gentle smile. "Marik doesn't blame you at all. On the contrary, he's incredibly grateful to both Odion and you, Ishizu, for always caring for him."
"Before Marik returned to his own body, knowing full well that his journey back was fraught with danger, do you know what he said last? He said you're a kind person, and he hoped you would live well."
Patting Ishizu's shoulder, Hayato smiled as he pushed open the room door for her. "So, smile, smile! You should always smile when visiting a patient."
Ishizu looked at Hayato's smile, nodded, and then smiled herself. "Mm, thank you, Hayato."
"Click~"
Pushing open the room door, Hayato and Ishizu's gazes fell upon the room, and almost the instant the door opened, a white paper airplane flew past both of them.
"Hoo-hoo-hoo, witness the excellent performance of Apophis Mark III, you federal small fry!"
"Damn it, Nut V isn't just for show! For The Emperor!"
With his back to the door, Marik, dressed in a hospital gown, held two paper airplanes and simultaneously launched them towards the corner of the room, providing pilot voices for his "planes."
"Ba-Bakana! It's a Cobra maneuver!"
"Dare you defy me, who wields Nut V? Hmph-hahaha!"
One of the two simultaneously thrown paper airplanes traced an arc in the air due to its aerodynamic design. Marik, still providing sound effects, followed the extensively banking paper airplane with his gaze until it came to rest behind him.
And then, his eyes met Hayato's and Ishizu's.
"So, you still claim you're not a three-year-old?" Hayato glanced at the paper airplane on the floor. Its material seemed to be medical report paper?
"N-No, it's not like that! Listen to my quib— ugh, listen to my explanation, Sis, Brother-in-law!" Marik felt like he had just died of embarrassment on the spot, frantically trying to salvage the situation.
Hearing Marik call Hayato "Brother-in-law," Ishizu's face flushed slightly. She glanced sideways, saw that Hayato was silently staring at Marik and not paying attention to her, and stammered, "M-Marik, seeing you so energetic, I'm relieved. I-I'll just go first!"
With that one sentence, Ishizu suddenly ran off.
Watching the suddenly fleeing Ishizu, Hayato cast a look at Marik.
Marik spread his hands. "Did I say something wrong?"
(end of chapter)