Chapter 347 - 445-450

"Zigfried von Schroeder."

"No, 'Zigfried von Schroeder' is the name for one of the KC Cup participants. Since you've already been eliminated, I'll just call you Siegfried."

Wearing an unsightly expression, Zigfried von Schroeder—that is, Siegfried—looked at Seto Kaiba, who was blocking his path with his usual arrogant look.

"While there's no concrete evidence, waiting for absolute proof before acting means missing many optimal opportunities," Kaiba said coldly, his arms crossed over his chest. "I don't know how you did it, but the anomaly here must be your doing, right?"

Under normal circumstances, even if Siegfried was truly the mastermind behind the surrounding anomaly, he wouldn't simply confess everything honestly based on Kaiba's baseless accusation. He should at least deny it with a "It wasn't me," if not try to mislead and distance himself.

However, Siegfried, whose objective was precisely Seto Kaiba, smirked. "That's right, it was me, Seto Kaiba."

"Do you remember the Duel Robot anomaly from a few days ago?"

Kaiba's gaze sharpened. "As expected, that was also connected to you."

The Kaiba Dome and the Kaiba Land Tower on the other side were completed one after another. So far, the Kaiba Dome has only been open for less than ten days, and Kaiba Land is the same. As a result, many attractions haven't made a name for themselves, and some are still in the preparatory stage and not yet open.

After all, even if most people had time to visit, their preferred choice would be the Kaiba Dome, where the KC Cup is being held. Only a freeloading genius like Pegasus would spend all day at Kaiba Land playing video games, and Gekko would be called annoying for trying to get him to leave.

The Duel Robot, or rather, the attraction utilizing Duel Robots—"Duel Portal," a project centered around battling virtual Legendary Duelists—was one of the attractions still in its preparatory phase and not yet open. If it weren't for the hacked Duel Robots consuming too much data, it might not have been discovered until the staff responsible for daily checks came to work.

Because "Duel Portal" hadn't even launched, the hacking of the Duel Robots naturally wouldn't attract external attention or knowledge. After all, any issues with something still in its experimental stage would be considered internal laboratory matters. Even unscrupulous reporters, desperate for a story, wouldn't waste ink on such a thing, unless it involved fatalities or major politically sensitive issues.

That's why it was so strange that Siegfried knew about the Duel Robots' malfunction. Only KaibaCorp personnel, Hayato, and Pegasus should have known about it, besides the invader. Siegfried couldn't be a KaibaCorp employee, nor could he be Hayato or Pegasus. Therefore, logically, he could only be the invader.

Although he wasn't actually the one who invaded KaibaCorp, but rather someone who used Ryo Bakura as a distraction and then brazenly slipped a Trojan program into the Kaiba servers, this didn't stop Siegfried from using this pretense.

"Who else could it be, besides me?"

Siegfried said proudly, "Surely you haven't forgotten, Seto Kaiba. At your first birthday party after you were adopted, I easily cracked the firewall you programmed."

Hearing this, Kaiba seriously thought back and remembered that such an event had indeed occurred. He chuckled, "So that was you, huh? Heh heh, it seems you're too preoccupied with meaningless superficial vanity to even realize your own network was invaded."

"And to think you'd remember such an ancient, trivial matter to this day; I've long since forgotten about it. What a tiresome fellow."

Siegfried's arrogant expression froze. It wasn't that Kaiba bringing up the aftermath of that event embarrassed him; it was that Kaiba actually called it a "tiresome matter"?

"You said you've 'long since forgotten'?" Siegfried's expression turned somewhat ferocious. "Do you even know what you're saying? That incident was my shame, the first time I was defeated by you!"

"I carefully preserved the diary I wrote that day. Every time you defeated me, I wrote an entry. A full 3000 times! I've been defeated by you a full 3000 times, and you don't even remember the first?!"

"3000 times? You've been defeated by me so many times, it seems you really are trash," Kaiba said with disdain. "No, calling you trash would be an insult to actual trash. Even some Mediocre Duelists are stronger than you."

"You—!!"

Siegfried's face twisted. "Don't tell me you don't remember any of your victories over me! I consider you my sworn rival!!"

"Hmph, I don't make a habit of remembering the faces of those I've defeated. Besides, I only have one rival, and that's Yugi."

"I had planned to defeat Yugi in this KC Cup, then ride the momentum to also defeat Hayato," Kaiba said coldly, pointing at Siegfried. "And you, like a fly just emerged from a sewer, intruded upon a carefully prepared gourmet soup, completely disrupting my plans!"

"Prepare to face my wrath, you scum!!"

Hearing Kaiba's words, Siegfried lowered his head, covering half his face with one hand, and began to tremble.

He wasn't trembling from fear, but rather—

"I, a genius, an elite, the President of Schroeder Corp, have never once been acknowledged by you?"

"Kaiba, Seto!!"

"You! Only you! You should be the one to bear the wrath, my Siegfried's wrath!!"

"I will utterly crush you using your most prized Duel Monsters, then make you watch as KaibaCorp's towering buildings collapse!"

"Duel!!"

[Siegfried: 4000 LP]

Watching Siegfried insert his Deck into his Duel Disk and activate it, Kaiba revealed a bloodthirsty smile. "Stop spouting such idiotic pipe dreams, scum. If you could actually do it, I would have already thought more of you."

"Since you wish to humiliate yourself, then I shall ungraciously bestow upon you a punishment called 'despair'!"

"With my Blue-Eyes!"

"Duel!"

[Seto Kaiba: 4000 LP]

"I'll take the First Turn, Draw!"

Because their Duel Disks were also equipped with an automatic card-ejecting function, Kaiba and Siegfried's race for the First Turn depended entirely on their respective hand speeds. Kaiba's speed was clearly faster, allowing him to Draw his card first and secure the right to go First Turn.

"I Activate the Effect of (Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator) in my Hand! This card can be Special Summoned from my Deck to the Field by Sending one (Blue-Eyes) monster from my Deck or Hand to the Graveyard! I choose to Discard (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) from my Deck and Special Summon it!"

"Appear, (Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator)!"

[(Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator)][Level 4/DARK Attribute]

[Spellcaster-Type/Effect]

[1200/1100]

After Sending a card automatically Searched from his Deck to the Graveyard, a new form of his frequently used (Lord of D.) appeared on Kaiba's Field. With familiar dragonbone armor and a dashing cape, the difference was that (Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator) held a (Flute of Summoning Dragon) in a (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) limited edition.

As a Spell Card commonly used by (Lord of D.), (Flute of Summoning Dragon) has the Effect to Special Summon two Dragon-Type Monsters directly from the Hand to the Field. Although its appearance has changed, the (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) model (Flute of Summoning Dragon) held by (Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator) also retains the ability to Special Summon Dragon-Type monsters, albeit with some added restrictions.

"The second Effect of (Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator) allows me to Send one (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) or a card listing (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) in its card name from my Hand to the Graveyard,"

Kaiba sneered as he Sent a Monster Card from his Hand to the Graveyard. "I Target the (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) that was Sent to the Graveyard earlier to Special Summon (Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator)! Revive, (Blue-Eyes White Dragon)!"

"Right here, I'll let your so-called (Valkyrie) witness the strongest Dragon you cannot defeat, Siegfried!"

Pure Holy Light bloomed on Kaiba's Field. As (Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator) blew its flute, the white Dragon soared within the Holy Light, descending before Kaiba.

Both the strongest "spear" and the most solid "shield," this was Kaiba's most trusted, strongest Dragon-Type monster—(Blue-Eyes White Dragon)!!

[(Blue-Eyes White Dragon)][ATK 3000]

"He actually Summoned (Blue-Eyes) on the First Turn?!" Siegfried's expression twisted. "Damn it, don't get so arrogant, Seto Kaiba!"

"You say I can't defeat it? Next Turn, I'll definitely kill that (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) right before your eyes!"

For some reason, hearing Siegfried's words made Kaiba's already less-than-pleasant mood worsen considerably.

Because Siegfried's name (Zigfried) was derived from the dragon-slaying hero "Siegfried" in the famous mythological poem Nibelungenlied, and he uses a (Valkyrie) Deck whose prototype is the Valkyries who aided Siegfried in myth, Siegfried himself was promoted in Europe as a figure like a "great hero stepped out of mythology."

In Nibelungenlied, the great hero Siegfried's greatest feat was slaying the Dragon Fafnir. It was precisely for this reason that Kaiba had just specifically ridiculed and taunted Siegfried, saying he couldn't defeat his own Dragon-Type monster, (Blue-Eyes White Dragon).

But now Siegfried's retort and boastful declaration that he would kill (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) made Kaiba extremely displeased.

"Hmph, save your daydreams for when you're alone in a prison cell, enjoying your torment." With a cold snort, Kaiba drew two cards from his Hand and inserted them into his Spell & Trap Zone. "I Set two cards in my Back Row, and End Turn."

[Kaiba: 4000 LP, Hand 2]

[(Blue-Eyes White Dragon)][ATK 3000]

[(Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator)][ATK 1200]

[Set Card] X2

"My Turn, Draw!" With his heart full of the fury of being disregarded, Siegfried Drew a card. After seeing the card he Drew this Turn, he grimaced in annoyance.

The card he had just Drawn was (Mischief of the Time Goddess), which grants his Monsters an additional second Battle Phase, giving them another Attack opportunity. If the Opponent's Field doesn't have enough Monsters to act as a barrier, it can be considered a very powerful card.

Combined with (Valkyrie's Ride), which can Summon a large number of (Valkyrie) monsters to the Field at once, it can easily achieve an OTK or even an FTK.

The problem was that Kaiba currently had a (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) with 3000 ATK on his Field. Siegfried didn't have any powerful Monsters in his Hand capable of Destroying it, so Activating this card now would be a complete waste.

He had to find a way to Destroy (Blue-Eyes White Dragon), or bypass it.

Recalling a card in his Deck, Siegfried grimaced and played a card. "I Activate the Spell Card (Time Capsule)! This card's Effect is to place one card from my Deck into (Time Capsule), and Send it to my Standby Phase two turns from now."

"When I retrieve that card, you will undoubtedly face a most humiliating defeat, Seto Kaiba!"

"Before then, I Summon a monster in face-down Defense Position on my Field, then Set two cards. Turn End."

[Siegfried: 4000 LP, Hand 2]

[Face-down Defense Position Monster]

[(Time Capsule)][Set Card] X2

"My Turn, Draw." After Drawing a card, Kaiba's lips curled into a cold sneer.

"Hmph, for all your exaggerated talk, you're just an incompetent rat, aren't you?" Kaiba said coldly, adding the card he had just Drawn to his Hand. "I wasted a little bit of seriousness on you. How tedious. Very well, I'll finish you off this Turn."

"Spell Card (Twin Twisters)! By Discarding one card from my Hand, I can Destroy up to two Spell & Trap Cards on the Field."

Sending one card from his Hand to the Graveyard, Kaiba pointed at Siegfried's Back Row. "I'll crush those two Set Cards in your Back Row!"

"Don't think you'll succeed!" Siegfried triumphantly flipped over a Set Card. "Chain (Twin Twisters)! I Activate the Trap Card (Time Seal)! You skip your next Draw Phase!"

"Then the other card will be Destroyed by (Twin Twisters). Because of (Freyja's Apple)'s Effect when Destroyed, I Draw one card from my Deck."

Drawing a card and then sealing Kaiba's next Draw, Kaiba's (Twin Twisters) proved useless.

Looking at Kaiba, Siegfried sneered, "What's wrong, Kaiba? Didn't you say you'd finish me off this Turn? You'll have to be a bit faster. I don't mind, but these spectators don't have all day to wait for you."

Hearing Siegfried's words, Kaiba frowned and scanned his surroundings.

He didn't know what was happening, or where it had started, but in the Audience Seating of the Kaiba Dome Venue, a strange phenomenon was spreading among many spectators who had originally been watching the Duel between Dan Kuroto and Leon Wilson on the Field, causing them to fall into a weakened state.

Dizziness, debilitating weakness, and fatigue. Just a sip of water could make them choke for ages, their bodies so weary they only wanted to sleep. Even sitting in a chair was an extreme effort. A healthy adult male could become as weak as an eighty-year-old woman in a mere instant.

However, even so, a significant portion of the people remained in a normal state.

"Hey, old man, don't fall all over me! 'Can't chew steak,' what's that even supposed to mean?!" Rex sounded fierce, but he steadily supported an uncle with a 'kidney deficiency' look on his face who had been sitting beside him and accidentally slid off his seat. He helped him back into his seat and retrieved his own hat from the man's hand, putting it back on his head.

"Seriously, I haven't even had a medium-rare steak yet," Rex grumbled, standing up from his seat and looking around. He realized it wasn't just the blond uncle beside him who had collapsed, but almost everyone in the Venue.

Although he didn't know why, he had certainly not fallen into a weakened state, as if everyone around him had been infected by some disease, but he had received an antidote in advance.

In such a situation, the most cautious approach would be to quickly escape from the Kaiba Dome. After all, if he continued to linger there, no one could guarantee that his "antidote" wouldn't wear off, causing him to become like everyone else around him.

And doing that wouldn't be difficult at all: merely leaving his seat, avoiding the other sprawled-out people, and exiting through one of the many safety passages located throughout the Kaiba Dome. After all, the Kaiba Dome had been designed with emergency exits for situations like fires from the very beginning.

Some people had even taken action, loudly shouting "What's happening?!" as they sprinted into the nearest exit passage.

With someone taking the lead, Rex noticed another person quite a distance away from him also mimicking the action, running into a passage on their side.

His own safety was paramount. Just like in a fire, where one must escape quickly and cannot look after others, no one had the right to blame him for simply leaving, especially since he wasn't the one who started it. This was probably that person's thought process, and Rex even felt a slight urge to follow suit.

But hearing the weak voices of others around him, Rex's brow furrowed. Gritting his teeth, he turned back, grabbed the uncle named Prosciutto, with whom he'd exchanged a few words, and another guy named Pesci who was with him, tucking them under his arms. He intended to carry them both out of the Kaiba Dome Venue.

Rex couldn't help but feel a bit fortunate. To save money for cards, he had once hidden his age and carried cement at a construction site. Otherwise, without that training, he wouldn't have the strength to carry two people.

His capabilities were limited to this. After getting these two guys out, if circumstances allowed, he might return. But for now, it was indeed best to leave first.

Thinking this, Rex, like he used to carry bags of cement, tucked the two weakened uncles under his arms and dragged them along. He had only taken two or three steps away from a nearby safety passage when he heard a scream: "Don't come near me!!"

Then, a gunshot rang out, strikingly sudden in the Venue, which had become slightly quieter due to many people falling into weakness.

Rex's memory and ability to distinguish sounds were quite good, so he naturally remembered that the voice had clearly belonged to the person who was the first to escape into the safety passage. But what was that gunshot about?!

Turning his head to look at the passage another person he had previously confirmed to have fled had entered, Rex was surprised to find that guy actually backing out of the passage. Just as he emerged, a sharp sword suddenly pierced his back, and blood splattered a long way.

A man in a black suit walked out of the passage, and the one who had just stabbed the fleeing person with a sword also appeared beside the man in black. That familiar greenish-blue armor, red cape, and a long sword held in each hand, left and right, clearly belonged to the Duel Monster (Marauding Captain)!

"I've never heard of such a thing! Duel Monsters actually killing people?!" Sweat broke out on Rex's forehead. Dragging the two uncles by his waist, he involuntarily quickened his pace, but then had to stop.

He saw that in the safety passage he had chosen as his target, not far away, another similarly dressed man in a black suit emerged. After looking around, he directly locked onto Rex, who was moving while dragging two people, and began moving towards him, showing no interest in the other spectators who had collapsed around them.

The man in black also wore a Duel Disk on his wrist. As he placed a card onto it, a classic Dinosaur-Type Monster, (Two-Headed King Rex), appeared beside him, also advancing to Attack Rex.

"Two- (Two-Headed King Rex)?! Duel Monsters are Solid Vision Materialized?!" Seeing this, Rex looked at the two uncles he was holding and, with some reluctance, temporarily placed them on the Stairs. He nervously took out his Deck from his waist, inserted it into his Duel Disk to activate it, and then Drew a card. "I'm not sure if this will work, but don't think you can use Dinosaurs against me, you bastard!"

"I am 'Dinosaur' Rex!"

(End of Chapter)

"The Duel Monsters materialized?"

Watching the situation with Rex, Kaiba retracted his gaze, scrutinizing Siegfried with a suspicious look. "What in the world is this..."

"Hmph, so there are things even you don't know, Seto Kaiba?"

Looking at the smug Siegfried, Kaiba snorted coldly. "Hmph, I have no need to delve into irrelevant matters. As long as I defeat you, all problems will be solved anyway."

"If that's what you think, then by all means, Attack me, Seto Kaiba."

In response to Siegfried's provocation, Kaiba waved his hand forward, commanding, "Enter my Battle Phase!"

"I'll use 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」 to Attack that Set Monster of yours!"

"Burst Stream of Destruction!!"

The Burst Stream of Destruction descended upon Siegfried's sole Monster on the Field, and the Monster, hidden within the Card, was forced to reveal its true form due to the arrival of this calamitous Attack.

A weak Monster, dressed like an Indian and wielding a scythe, was instantly engulfed by the torrent of light. Kaiba noticed that the Monster's DEF was only 500 points, truly trash among trash.

However, Kaiba was no longer the Kaiba of old. Although he still looked down on Low-level, low-ATK Monsters, he no longer disregarded them as he once did. After all, among the few Duelists he respected, both Chumley and Yugi were quite skilled at using Fodder Monsters in Battle.

Especially 「Kuriboh」 and 「Rainbow Kuriboh」; if used properly, they could even withstand a God's Attack.

Although the Destroyed Monster seemed like complete trash, its abysmal Battle power still prompted Siegfried to put it in his Deck, indicating it definitely had some special Effect.

Sure enough, as soon as the torrent of light dissipated, the scythe, which had been knocked into the air by 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」's Attack, spun downwards towards the ground. Judging by its trajectory, it seemed to be headed directly for 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」's position.

Siegfried's voice held a hint of triumph: "While I couldn't Destroy your 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」 directly, taking a shortcut doesn't make much difference. After all, being bounced back to your Hand is much harder to Summon to the Field than being Revived from the Graveyard."

"The Flip Monster 「Hane-Hane」 has an Effect that, when flipped face-up, it forces one Card to return to its owner's Hand!" Siegfried pointed his finger at 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」. "Leave the Field, annoying Blue-Eyes!"

As the scythe, falling from the sky, struck 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」, the Blue-Eyes that had just Attacked was directly knocked away by the seemingly flimsy scythe. Though not harmed by the scythe, it was bounced back into Kaiba's Hand.

Annoyed, Kaiba returned 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」 to his Hand. He looked at the triumphantly laughing Siegfried. "Is that all you've got? You haven't forgotten that I still have a 「Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator -」 on my Field, have you?"

"Even if Blue-Eyes leaves the Field, it has already cleared the path for my Direct Attack against you."

Kaiba waved his hand forward: "Direct Attack Siegfried with 「Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator -」!"

「Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator -」 [ATK1200]

Although its Type was Spellcaster-Type, and it played instruments, 「Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator -」's Battle style was more like that of a Nordic berserker. Shouting "Urah!", 「Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator -」 swung its Blue-Eyes-themed 「The Flute of Summoning Dragon」 in its hand like a hammer, smashing it fiercely into Siegfried.

"Ugh!"

[Siegfried: 4000 → 2800 LP]

Siegfried instinctively cried out from the pain of the Attack, involuntarily stepping back two paces before regaining his balance by planting a foot on the Stairs.

"It didn't hurt a bit," he forced out, pointing triumphantly at Kaiba. "Before, I was merely wary of your 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」, which is why I didn't develop my offensive. But now your 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」 has been Destroyed, so just wait until the Next Turn to get a proper lesson from me, Seto Kaiba!"

"Hmph, is that so? So you were wary of my 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」."

Listening to Siegfried's taunts, Kaiba's lips curved into a sneer. "I don't recall saying that My Turn was over."

"During my Main Phase 2, I Activate 「Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator -」's Effect! I Send the 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」 that was just returned to my Hand to the Graveyard, then Special Summon another Blue-Eyes from my Graveyard to the Field!"

"Wrap the brilliant aurora around your pure white wings, forging absolute invincible power! Soar, 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」!"

Siegfried, who had used 「Hane-Hane」's Effect to return 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」 to Kaiba's Hand, couldn't gloat for long. He realized that his carefully executed move had become utterly useless. After one Blue-Eyes left the Field, Kaiba had, in fact, used the Blue-Eyes that returned to his Hand as a cost to Summon a new Blue-Eyes!

Its originally white wings became transparent, scattering dazzling rainbow light with each flap. The new Blue-Eyes, as if clad in steel armor — 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」 — burst forth from the Graveyard, soaring into the sky!

「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」 [Level 8/LIGHT Attribute]

[Dragon-Type/Effect]

[2500/2000]

However, although it was still a Blue-Eyes, 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」 seemed to have exchanged some of its Power for appearance, with both its ATK and DEF decreasing by 500 points compared to a Vanilla Monster 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」.

Even so, its ATK was still on par with 「Dark Magician」, and even higher than Joey's 「Red-Eyes Black Dragon」.

Glancing at the last Card in his Hand, Kaiba snorted coldly and Set it. "I Set my last card. My Turn ends."

As Kaiba Set his last Card, it meant he wouldn't be able to replenish new Cards until his turn after next. Because of the 「Time Seal」 Activated by Siegfried, Kaiba's next Draw Phase would be skipped.

However, even so, it didn't matter. Kaiba was confident that even without new Cards, with the two Monsters on his Field, he had enough power to defeat Siegfried, though his speed might be somewhat limited.

Although he appeared calm on the surface, Kaiba had noticed when surveying his surroundings that most of the fallen people were ordinary spectators. However, the vast majority of Duelists—not just those with a passing interest in Duel Monsters, but those who seriously participated in and loved Duel Monsters—had not fallen into a weakened state.

Kaiba didn't know many people, and due to his own preferences, Yugi, Chumley, and Joey were all Duelists; he had practically no ordinary acquaintances. There was only one person among those he cared about who wasn't a Duelist.

That was Mokuba.

For now, although many had fallen into a weakened state, there were no further new developments, and no lives were in danger. Even if Mokuba had also fallen into a weakened state, nothing unexpected would happen. But Kaiba didn't want to entrust Mokuba's safety to the vague notions of "should" and "probably."

He needed to quickly resolve the abnormality occurring at the scene, and Siegfried, this suspected insider, was the target he had to defeat and interrogate.

Therefore, the faster the Duel, the better. And Kaiba had already pieced together most of the winning equation; all that was left was the final push.

[Kaiba: 4000 LP, Hand 0]

「Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator -」 [ATK1200]

「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」 [ATK2500]

[Set Card] X3

"Huhu, My Turn, Draw!" Drawing a Card from his Deck, Siegfried narrowed his eyes at the 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」 in Attack Position. "That Monster, even though it's a Blue-Eyes and a Level 8 Monster, still has 500 less ATK than 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」."

"This 500-point difference must be more than just a change in appearance; 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」 surely has a special Effect worth exchanging 500 points for. I must confirm what that 500-point trade-off Effect is!"

"I Activate the Spell Card 「Swan Maiden」! This Card's Effect allows me to Special Summon a 「Valkyrie」 Monster from my Hand! I Special Summon 「Valkyrie Brunhilde」 from my Hand!"

A Phantom of a pure white swan flew into the sky over Siegfried's Back Row, like an angel soaring across the heavens. Amidst the falling white feathers of the swan, a blue-helmeted knight, riding a warhorse and holding a sword and shield, stood firm on Siegfried's Field.

The Valkyrie "Brunhilde," who in mythology helped the dragon slayer hero defeat the Fiend Dragon and later married a great hero, was also the true name of the eldest daughter among the 「Valkyrie」!

「Valkyrie Brunhilde」 [Level 7/LIGHT Attribute]

[Fairy Type/Effect]

[1800/2000]

Siegfried said triumphantly, "Although its ATK is only 1800 points, 「Valkyrie Brunhilde」's Power grows stronger with the strength of her enemies."

"For every Monster on your Field, 「Valkyrie Brunhilde」's ATK increases by 500 points. Therefore, its current ATK is..."

「Valkyrie Brunhilde」 [ATK1800→2800]

"2800 points! Higher than your 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」!"

Siegfried glanced at 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」, then shifted his gaze to 「Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator -」 standing beside it. "However, I don't know 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」's Effect. To prevent that Monster from having any troublesome Effects, I will use this Card!"

Watching the Card Siegfried drew, Kaiba's eyes widened. He had previously watched Yugi's Duel against Siegfried and vividly remembered this "cheap" Card that nearly made him lose face.

"The Spell Card 「Nibelung's Treasure」's Effect allows me to grant one 「Ring of the Nibelung」 from my Deck or Hand to your Monster — 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」. As compensation, I can then Draw five Cards from my Deck." Siegfried said proudly, having Searched for 「Ring of the Nibelung」 from his Deck.

"A Monster Equipped with 「Ring of the Nibelung」 cannot Change Battle Position, its Effects are negated, and it cannot Attack. However, during each of your Draw Phases, you get to Draw two Cards. After all, I am a very generous person."

"Hmph, what a farce."

Kaiba glared coldly at Siegfried. Siegfried's words sounded good, but in reality, due to the Effect of the 「Time Seal」 he had just Activated, Kaiba's next Draw Phase was already skipped. What good would drawing ten Cards in one Draw Phase do then?

「Ring of the Nibelung」 wouldn't even be useful during the next Draw Phase, and by the turn after that, Siegfried would have long figured out a way to deal with 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」, which would be Equipped with 「Ring of the Nibelung」.

In other words, from start to finish, Kaiba gained no advantage from 「Nibelung's Treasure」; he merely got his Monster sealed.

However, Kaiba had already anticipated such a "cheap" Card. In the previous Turn, he had two 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」 in his Graveyard, yet he specifically chose 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」. Why do you think he chose 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」?

"Then, Chaining to 「Nibelung's Treasure」's Effect, I Activate 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」's Effect!"

"This Effect can only be Activated when your opponent Activates a Spell, Trap, or Monster Effect! I return my 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」 on the Field to the Deck, then Special Summon 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」 from my Deck!"

As Siegfried inserted the Card into the Spell & Trap Zone, Kaiba smirked, returning his 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」 on the Field to the Deck. "Although 「Ring of the Nibelung」 could negate 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」's Effect after it's Activated, it's being Activated by 「Nibelung's Treasure」."

"In other words, by Chaining to 「Nibelung's Treasure」 to Activate 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」's Effect, I can make it lose its Equip Target before 「Ring of the Nibelung」 can Equip onto 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」!"

A chest full of sparkling treasure appeared on Siegfried's Back Row, and a ring flew out from the treasure, descending towards Kaiba's 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」 on the Field. However, just before the ring could hit, 「Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon」's body dissolved into an ethereal rainbow light and vanished. The seemingly precious ring smashed onto the ground, shattering into pieces.

Amidst the sparkling fragments of the ring, the last 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」 from Kaiba's Deck was Summoned to the Field!

"ROAR!!"

「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」 [ATK3000]

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(end of chapter)

Chapter 448: Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Attack Brunhilde!

His Ring of the Nibelung strategy falling flat left Siegfried quite displeased.

Restraining the Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon and then destroying it right in front of Kaiba — though not as satisfying as destroying a Blue-Eyes White Dragon — at least counted as a substitute.

However, his calculations were completely seen through by Seto Kaiba. The Ring of the Nibelung, having lost the Monster it was equipped to, its activation failed and it was sent to the Graveyard.

"D-damn it!" With a sour face, Siegfried's finger hovered over his Duel Disk. "Even so, the Ring of the Nibelung was successfully activated; it wasn't negated. So the effect of Nibelung's Treasure continues!"

"I draw five cards from my Deck!"

Compared to Card of Safe Return, which allows the opponent to draw cards as well, Card of Demise, which forces you to discard all cards after five turns, and Roll of Fate, where the number of cards you draw is entirely up to luck, Siegfried's Nibelung's Treasure was practically cheating. It allowed him to draw five cards from his Deck with almost no cost.

In Duel Monsters, while cards on the Field are crucial, the Hand's resources are equally important. The former are cannons ready to fire, the latter are the cannonballs.

Although Kaiba's Field boasted thick cannon barrels, who knew what cannonballs Siegfried had prepared.

Glancing at the cards he drew, Siegfried smirked triumphantly, for he had drawn two rather excellent cards.

"I activate the Spell Card Graceful Charity! I draw three cards from my Deck, then select two cards from my Hand to discard to the Graveyard."

As Siegfried spoke, he drew three cards from his Deck. When it came time to discard, he seemed to have a plan, pulling out the two rightmost cards from his Hand. But before sending them to the Graveyard, Siegfried specifically showed one of them to Kaiba.

"These are the two I'm discarding, and one of them is this Union Monster Card, Chariot of Destiny."

"And now I activate the Spell Card, Valkyrie's Ride!"

Hearing the card Siegfried intended to activate, even Kaiba couldn't help but grow serious.

In the Valkyrie Archetype, all Monsters that had appeared until now, even the highest Level Valkyrie Brunhilde, only had 1800 ATK. It wasn't an aggressive-style Deck.

But conversely, the Valkyrie Archetype contained many cards with effects so unfair they felt like cheating, such as the recent Nibelung's Treasure, or this Valkyrie's Ride, which could Special Summon all Valkyrie Monsters from the Hand to the Field at once.

"Because of the effect of Valkyrie's Ride, I can Special Summon all Valkyrie Monsters from my Hand to the Field." Having previously drawn five cards with Nibelung's Treasure, Siegfried now pulled out three Valkyrie Monsters from his Hand, leaving only two cards remaining.

"Come forth, Valkyrie Fourth, Valkyrie Fifth, Valkyrie Sixth!"

Three pillars of light rose on Siegfried's Field. Three young horses and three maidens walked out from the pillars of light, shoulder to shoulder.

The simultaneous appearance of three Monsters should have been an imposing sight, but as soon as the originally valiant Valkyrie trio emerged from the pillars of light, upon seeing the majestic Blue-Eyes White Dragon on Kaiba's Field, they didn't even need the Blue-Eyes to act menacingly. They all cowered behind Valkyrie Brunhilde, trembling.

Valkyrie Sixth [Level 1/LIGHT Attribute]

[Fairy Type/Effect]

[0 ATK/2000 DEF]

Valkyrie Fifth [Level 2/LIGHT Attribute]

[Fairy Type/Effect]

[800 ATK/1200 DEF]

Valkyrie Fourth [Level 3/LIGHT Attribute]

[Fairy Type/Effect]

[1400 ATK/1400 DEF]

"Just low-Level Monsters, huh… Hmph, easily crushed."

Kaiba coldly watched the fearful Valkyries. For him, there was no such thing as "such sentimentality"; women were simply bothersome, only affecting the speed of his draw.

Siegfried narrowed his eyes, a sneer twisting his lips. "That's right, the Valkyries in my Hand are all Fodder Monsters with weak ATK, and due to the effect of Valkyrie's Ride, they will all return to my Hand at the End of this Turn."

"However, I will defeat you before then! And it's much more interesting to drag the high and mighty Seto Kaiba into the Abyss with weak Monsters!"

Siegfried's finger pointed at Valkyrie Sixth, the lowest Level and youngest. "If Valkyrie Sixth is Special Summoned successfully, I can Special Summon one Valkyrie Monster from my Deck. Special Summon Valkyrie First!"

"Next is the effect of Valkyrie Fourth during the Main Phase. I can flip over a number of cards from the top of my Deck equal to the number of Valkyrie Monsters on my Field. If there is a Normal Spell or Trap Card among them, I can add one of them to my Hand and send the remaining cards to the Graveyard; otherwise, the flipped cards return to the Deck."

At this moment, Siegfried's Field was completely filled with five Monsters: Valkyrie Sixth, Valkyrie Fifth, Valkyrie Fourth, Valkyrie First, and Valkyrie Brunhilde. Therefore, Siegfried could flip over the maximum of five cards.

He flipped over five cards from the top of his Deck. Although he immediately saw a Normal Spell Card, Siegfried frowned because the very top card of his Deck was Card of Safe Return.

Although Siegfried possessed an outrageously powerful card draw card like Nibelung's Treasure, nobody ever complained about having too many cards in their Hand. Thus, he had also included a Card of Safe Return in his Deck.

However, using this card now was not suitable. Siegfried had just sealed Kaiba's Draw Phase last Turn, and now Kaiba's Hand was empty, unable to draw next Turn, like a trapped beast in a cage, deprived of food and water.

If he were to use Card of Safe Return, while his own Hand would be replenished to six cards, Seto Kaiba's Hand would also be replenished to six.

Instead of drawing more cards to increase his success rate in defeating Seto Kaiba this Turn, Siegfried didn't want to risk "giving Seto Kaiba a chance for a desperate Counterattack." Therefore, even if he drew Card of Safe Return, he would absolutely not use it.

Fortunately, there was more than just Card of Safe Return among the flipped cards.

"The card I choose is this one, the Normal Spell Card Goblin's Secret Remedy, and I activate it." Sending the other four cards, including Card of Safe Return, to the Graveyard, Siegfried inserted a card into his Spell & Trap Zone. "I gain 600 Life Points."

[Siegfried: 2800 → 3400 LP]

Watching Siegfried's actions, Kaiba scoffed, "As expected, you truly are just a boring, mediocre Duelist."

"You had Card of Safe Return among the cards you just sent to the Graveyard, didn't you? Are you wary of that card's side effect making me draw too? Instead of strengthening yourself, you chose to weaken your opponent. Instead of focusing on increasing your success rate, you prematurely considered failure scenarios."

"You, a fourth-rate Duelist with a third-rate Deck."

"Shut up, Seto Kaiba!"

Siegfried had imagined what expression Kaiba would make upon seeing his series of plays. He wanted to see surprise and fear, but it certainly shouldn't have been this contemptuous attitude.

"I'm not a reckless fool like you!"

What was wrong with being cautious, considering failure before success, and calculating gains and losses?

"I am Siegfried Schroeder, President of the Schroeder Corp, a true genius, an elite who surpasses the vast majority of ordinary people. Therefore, I absolutely cannot fail; I must maintain a 100% success rate!"

"When my current win probability is already as high as 80%, why would I sacrifice increasing the failure rate from 20% to 50% just to boost the win probability to 90%?"

Siegfried glared at the composed Kaiba, seething. He was the one who had demonstrated an absolute advantage right now. What gave Seto Kaiba such confidence?

It was simply sickening to look at!

"That arrogant demeanor is disgusting, Seto Kaiba! I'll see if you can maintain that arrogant look after a crushing defeat!" Siegfried swept his hand forward. "I activate the effect of Valkyrie First! I banish Blue-Eyes White Dragon from your Graveyard, making Valkyrie First's original ATK equal to Blue-Eyes White Dragon's value!"

"What?! You dare to touch my Blue-Eyes!" Kaiba's composure shattered instantly.

For Kaiba, there was room for negotiation on anything else, but Blue-Eyes was his absolute sore spot. Even when Chumley had merely used a Blue-Eyes White Dragon not belonging to Kaiba in the Virtual World, Kaiba still pursued Chumley for Duels for a long time afterward.

Upon hearing this, Valkyrie First raised her sword above her head. A white light shot out from Kaiba's Graveyard and surged into the sword, and the unwilling roar of Blue-Eyes White Dragon echoed from the gem on the blade.

Valkyrie First [ATK 1600 → 3000]

"It's not over yet!"

Siegfried pointed his finger at Valkyrie Fifth again. "The effect of Valkyrie Fifth! All Valkyrie Monsters on my Field gain 200 ATK for each of your banished Monsters!"

Valkyrie Fifth [ATK 800 → 1000]

Valkyrie Fourth [ATK 1400 → 1600]

Valkyrie First [ATK 3000 → 3200]

Valkyrie Brunhilde [ATK 2800 → 3000]

"Not enough, still not enough! This level isn't enough to instill complete fear in you!"

"So, I'm activating this other card!"

Siegfried drew one of his two remaining cards from his Hand: "The Spell Card, Wings of Pegasus! This card can only be activated if Chariot of Destiny is in my Graveyard. This Turn, my Valkyrie Monsters can direct attack the opponent by halving their ATK!"

At this moment, four of Siegfried's five Valkyrie Monsters on the Field were in Attack Position. With the boost from Valkyrie Fifth's effect, their combined ATK had already risen to a staggering 8800. Even when halved, it was still 4400, more than enough to wipe out Kaiba's Life Points!

"Now, enter my Battle Phase!" Siegfried laughed triumphantly. "Your Monsters can no longer protect you, Kaiba! This is your final Turn, hmph ha ha ha ha ha!"

"First, as an appetizer, Valkyrie First's direct attack!"

Having absorbed the power of Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Valkyrie First, now with the highest ATK on the Field, raised her longsword a second time. However, this time she was not guiding souls, but slaughtering.

The warhorse beneath her grew pure white wings, transforming into a Pegasus that carried Valkyrie First into the sky. Soaring past Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator - and Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Valkyrie First plunged down towards Kaiba!

Seeing this, Kaiba scoffed and roared, "Don't you dare succeed! I activate my Set Card!"

"The Trap Card Counter Gate!"

"Valkyrie First's direct attack is negated, and I draw one card from my Deck," Kaiba's finger touched his Deck. "If the card I draw is a Monster Card, I can Summon it in Attack Position."

"Draw!"

After drawing a card from his Deck, Kaiba glanced at it but didn't Summon it. Instead, he looked at Siegfried. "What a shame, Siegfried. Because of your own Monster's attack, I've ended up drawing a card again."

"And if Valkyrie First's attack missed, you've completely lost the ability to defeat me this Turn!"

Siegfried responded with a displeased snort. "Hmph, even so, my other Valkyries can still direct attack you!"

"Valkyrie Fourth, Valkyrie Fifth, Valkyrie Brunhilde, direct attack the opponent!"

At Siegfried's command, the remaining three Valkyries on his Field who hadn't attacked, excluding Valkyrie Sixth in Defense Position, all mounted their white-winged Pegasi and launched an attack at Kaiba.

First among them was Valkyrie Brunhilde, whose ATK was the highest besides Valkyrie First.

Although he had blocked Valkyrie First's attack, the combined ATK of these three attacking Valkyries was still a hefty 5600 points. Even halved, it was 2800 points, not a small amount of damage to ignore.

But watching the approaching Valkyries, Kaiba sneered, "Finally, you fell for it…"

"Then return their attack with my fury, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

"Attack Brunhilde!"

"What?!"

To Siegfried's astonished gaze, the Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator - on Kaiba's Field suddenly began to play a flute. However, compared to the beautiful melody earlier when Summoning Blue-Eyes, what he played now was pure noise, serving no purpose other than to irritate anyone who heard it.

As Valkyrie Brunhilde, riding her Pegasus, flew past Blue-Eyes White Dragon, she had no intention of looking down. However, the Lord of D. - Dragon Dictator -'s music was simply too awful to tolerate. After enduring it for a few more seconds, she angrily tugged on her reins, driving her mount to attack the Blue-Eyes White Dragon below, seeking an immediate outlet for her frustration.

Responding was the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's blast of light. The sword that cut all and the torrent of light that engulfed all collided.

"Boom!!!"

A thank you to "Awtqaq" for the 500 Qidian coins. Thank you!

As everyone knows, Seto Kaiba's alias is the Extreme Dragon, and his ultimate technique is the Wheel of Calamity.

(end of chapter)

"Boom!!!"

"Wh-what?!"

(_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_) and (Valkyrie Brunhilde) clashed! With equal ATK, both were destroyed. The fierce wind generated by the impact ruffled Kaiba's trench coat, causing Siegfried to involuntarily take half a step back.

Seeing Siegfried's bewildered expression, Kaiba finally explained, "Although its ATK is only 1200, there are no useless Monster Cards in my Deck."

"The third Effect of (Lord of D.) -Dragon Dictator- is that as long as a (Blue-Eyes) Monster exists on my Field, the attack target of your Monsters is no longer decided by you, but by me!"

"It's just one Monster, yet it has so many Effects! Can all those Effects even fit on one Card?!"

Siegfried couldn't hold back his exasperation, gritting his teeth as he said, "But now you shouldn't have any (Blue-Eyes) Monsters on your Field, which means the command of the next Attack is back in my hands."

(Valkyrie Erste) [ATK 3200]

(Valkyrie Viertel) [ATK 1600]

(Valkyrie Fünfte) [ATK 1000]

(Valkyrie Sechste) [DEF 2000]

On Siegfried's Field, (Valkyrie Viertel) and (Valkyrie Fünfte) had not yet attacked. Although they no longer had the ability to wipe out Kaiba's Life Points, they were more than enough to Destroy the (Lord of D.) -Dragon Dictator-, which only had 1200 ATK.

"The Attack continues! This time, I'll use (Valkyrie Viertel) to first Destroy that (Lord of D.) -Dragon Dictator-!"

Although (Lord of D.) -Dragon Dictator- resisted fiercely—attempting to block the slash with a limited edition (The Flute of Summoning Dragon) depicting (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_)—(Valkyrie Viertel)'s ATK was ultimately higher. It was thus Destroyed and Sent to Graveyard, inflicting the first Damage to Kaiba since the start of this Duel.

Kaiba: 4000 → 3600 LP

With that, all of Kaiba's Monsters on the Field were Destroyed.

"Finally, all the troublesome Monsters have been Destroyed!" Siegfried laughed triumphantly. "Next is a Direct Attack! (Valkyrie Fünfte), Direct Attack the Opponent Duelist!"

Facing (Valkyrie Fünfte) as it charged forward with its mount, Kaiba, who had just lost 400 Life Points, frowned. His eyes flickered to a Card Set in his Back Row. After a slight hesitation, he did not Activate that Card.

Generally speaking, in Duel Monsters, without specific needs like for a Card such as (Chicken Race), one should try to conserve their Life Points as much as possible to avoid unnecessary Damage. If Kaiba Activated that Set Card in his Back Row now, he could perfectly block (Valkyrie Fünfte)'s Damage.

However, Kaiba's Duelist intuition told him that now was not the best time to use this Card. Although there was no concrete evidence, the last Card in Siegfried's Hand gave Kaiba a subtle sense of threat. If it was a (Valkyrie) Deck, that Card might be (Mischief of the Time Goddess), which had appeared in a previous Duel with Yugi.

If it truly was that Card, Kaiba would have to endure.

"Eeyah!" Crying out like a certain white-haired old man, (Valkyrie Fünfte) thrust its longsword forward without hindrance.

Kaiba: 3600 → 2600 LP

"Hmph, hm-hahahaha! How about that, Seto Kaiba? My Life Points are higher than yours now!" Siegfried watched Kaiba stumble back half a step after being struck by (Valkyrie Fünfte), laughing triumphantly. "You've seen my power, haven't you?!"

With a cold expression, Kaiba straightened up and returned to his original position, glancing at the Stairs behind him.

The place where he and Siegfried were Dueling was not a proper, flat Duel Stage, but on a series of stairs. Siegfried, standing higher up, was fine; even if he received an impact, he would only retreat slightly, and if he fell, he would merely fall onto the stairs.

But for Kaiba, who was on the lower ground, if he was knocked back too far beyond the stairs, he would fall. If he was lucky, he would only suffer bruises. If unlucky, he might hit something on the way down, and a fracture would be considered light.

Despite this, Kaiba remained unfazed. He casually patted his abdomen where he had just been struck by (Valkyrie Fünfte)'s longsword. "Your so-called 'power' couldn't possibly be an Attack that doesn't even count as a massage, could it? I almost fell asleep from comfort."

"It's just a shame my 20,000 yen shirt got dirty from your Monster's Attack."

Hearing Kaiba's words, Siegfried gritted his teeth and said, "Why do you always act so arrogant?"

"Hmph, could it be that you think my Attacks are over, and you've survived this Turn, which is why you're so calm, Seto Kaiba?" Siegfried drew the last Card from his Hand. "Weak, weak, weak, weak! Since I said I would defeat you this Turn, I naturally have a winning strategy!"

"The strongest Power of the (Valkyrie) Deck will be unleashed here! Open your eyes and witness it, Seto Kaiba!"

"I Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, (Mischief of the Time Goddess)!"

As Siegfried inserted the Card in his Hand into his Duel Disk's Spell & Trap Zone, an invisible Power expanded outwards from his Duel Disk. In an instant, it enveloped both Kaiba and Siegfried.

Mysterious time Power began to Activate. Centered around the Card (Mischief of the Time Goddess), time within the expanded force field rapidly leaped into the future!

Kaiba's eyes widened.

'This feeling... Was Yugi fighting against this level of Power back then?'

'My fingers, my eyes, everything—no, my entire body is unable to move!'

Siegfried, during his time under the alias "Zigfried von Schroeder", used (Mischief of the Time Goddess) in every Duel as a means to end the Duel. Because to those who didn't Duel him, the Duel appeared to end in an instant, his information had been kept well-hidden.

It wasn't until the official KC Cup match, where "Zigfried von Schroeder" faced Yugi. Yugi perfectly withstood the continuous Attacks of (Mischief of the Time Goddess) and Counterattacked, winning the Duel and simultaneously exposing the data of the Card (Mischief of the Time Goddess) to Kaiba's eyes.

Although the data of the Card (Mischief of the Time Goddess) on its face appeared quite simple, merely stating "Skip to your next Battle Phase," it actually implied an ability that, once Activated, would prevent the Opponent Duelist from Counterattacking.

Unlike (Super Polymerization) which cannot be Chained to, (Mischief of the Time Goddess) achieves this because its Effect after Activation makes it impossible for the Opponent to react to the Card's Activation. If they can't even Activate a Set Card, then naturally, they can't defend.

It's like having a twenty-meter diameter Barrier that can unleash a tempest-like Attack at any disturbance, yet still being unable to block an enemy with time-stopping abilities from Attacking you while time is halted.

Siegfried's triumphant voice reached Kaiba's ears. "This is the end, Seto Kaiba. As expected, the final victor is me, Siegfried. Having defeated you, I shall stand at the pinnacle forever!"

"Honor, victory, glory, and pride! I, who have been defeated by you countless times, will prove myself with this victory and reclaim everything that rightfully belongs to me!"

"First, (Valkyrie Fünfte)'s Attack!"

Kaiba: 2600 → 1600 LP

1000 points of Battle Damage struck Kaiba, but in the space sustained by (Mischief of the Time Goddess), even with his Life Points reduced to merely 1600, Kaiba still couldn't react at all.

Seeing this, Siegfried's expression grew even more triumphant. "Indeed, not everyone can be like Yugi. This world still belongs to me alone."

"Even with your Life Points reduced this much, you can't react. Seto Kaiba, your end is here!"

Siegfried glanced past Kaiba, then looked at the stairs behind him, a sinister smile forming on his face.

"Although this Duel, according to those guys, isn't a Shadow Game, it's only natural that you would take a step back from the impact of the Solid Vision system after taking such Damage, wouldn't you?"

"And then, Seto Kaiba, who invented the Solid Vision system, dies by falling due to the simulated impact from the Solid Vision system installed on his own Duel Disk—what a perfect comedy!"

Siegfried's finger pointed directly at Kaiba from afar. "Then this is the final blow! (Valkyrie Erste)'s Direct Attack!"

"Die, Seto Kaiba!"

(Valkyrie Erste) clearly understood what her master's command meant. This one strike would wipe out the remaining Life Points of the man named Seto Kaiba, and the accumulated Damage would explode instantly.

However, no matter how unwilling she was, bound by the Rules of Duel Monsters, (Valkyrie Erste) still charged on her warhorse, thrusting the finishing sword at Kaiba.

Siegfried imagined Kaiba's wails, excitedly closing his eyes and eagerly listening for the sound that was about to come.

But what reached his ears was—

"Clang!!"

Siegfried suddenly opened his eyes wide. No matter how he listened, that sound wasn't one a person could make; it was more like the clang of metal hitting metal!

And (Valkyrie Erste) also looked, quite surprised, at the shield that had suddenly appeared before her thrusting longsword.

Under Siegfried's horrified gaze, Kaiba's finger moved away from the Activate Set Card button on his Duel Disk.

"Hmph, you seem to think I'm inferior to Yugi? You truly underestimate me, Siegfried." With a cold expression, Kaiba exuded an imposing Aura, as if it wasn't he, but Siegfried, who had only 1600 Life Points. "While it might be useless against Hayato, it's more than enough to deal with a Fourth-Rate Duelist like you."

"The Set Card I Activate is, (Absorption Shield)!"

Last Turn, (Valkyrie Erste)'s ATK had soared to a full 3200 points due to Absorbing the Power of (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_). Now, although (Mischief of the Time Goddess) caused its ATK to revert to its Original ATK of 1600, it gained 200 points from (Valkyrie Fünfte)'s boost, making its current ATK 1800 points.

But now, as the shield that blocked (Valkyrie Erste)'s Attack transformed into an energy body and surged into Kaiba's body, her 1800 ATK was completely converted into sustenance for Kaiba.

Kaiba: 1600 → 3400 LP

"My Life Points... they actually recovered?!" Siegfried's eyes widened. "Damn you, Seto Kaiba!"

"Hmph, in that case, both our Life Points have returned to the same level." Kaiba sneered. "Are you getting arrogant because you thought you had a world all to yourself, and now you're enraged, as if you've found someone else's scent in your own bed, feeling your world has been invaded?"

"Your capacity is only this much, Siegfried!"

"Seto Kaiba!"

Furious and helpless, Siegfried ignored what might happen on the Next Turn and commanded again, "Stop acting so high and mighty! I'm above you, you're below me; don't think you can surpass me again!"

"(Valkyrie Viertel)'s Direct Attack!"

Kaiba: 3400 → 1800 LP

Taking another Attack, Kaiba's face still held that arrogant expression. "No, no, this force is still too weak. Are you trying to put me to sleep with this massage-like strength?"

He said that, but Kaiba's foot couldn't help but retreat half a step, almost touching the edge of the stairs.

The impact simulated by the Solid Vision system, if delivered with full force, could easily send a two-hundred-pound strongman flying. It was only because of Kaiba's excellent acting that he managed to deceive Siegfried into thinking his Attacks weren't inflicting any Damage on Kaiba.

"D-damn it!" His last Monster had already attacked, further bruising Siegfried's already fragile ego. Powerless, he ended his Battle Phase, and the force field generated by (Mischief of the Time Goddess) vanished with it.

Moving into his Main Phase 2, although it wasn't Kaiba's Turn yet, Siegfried already began to imagine the moves he might make.

'Damn Seto Kaiba, he actually survived this Turn, even though I used all my resources. Damn it, if I had chosen (Card of Safe Return) instead of (Goblin's Secret Remedy) earlier, I would have won already!'

'On the Next Turn, he can't Draw due to (Time Seal)'s Effect, but he has one Card in his Hand that he drew from the previous (Gate of Counterattack). That's the only Card he can play.'

'Phew, no, calm down, Siegfried. You are an absolute elite; the noble blood of the Schroeder Family flows through your veins. You are more qualified and capable of becoming the victor than that Seto Kaiba! You will definitely find a way to win!'

'That's right, Seto Kaiba possesses three (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_)s. And although I haven't watched the Battle City recordings because of that annoying guy, Leon seemed to have mentioned that Kaiba's (Blue-Eyes) can Fusion Summon (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon), as well as (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon).'

'If he Draws a Card like (Dragon's Mirror) that allows Fusion Summoning Dragon-Type Monsters from the Graveyard, he might be able to Summon such a Monster. However, one (Blue-Eyes) has already been Banished by me, so the only Fusion he can make is (Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon).'

'That's it! If I Banish another (Blue-Eyes) from his Graveyard like before, he'll only have one (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_) left in his Graveyard!'

Upon realizing this, the panic on Siegfried's face vanished, and he regained his composure. "During my Main Phase 2, I will Activate the Effect of (Valkyrie Erste) on my Field."

"Once per Turn: Target one Opponent's Monster in their Graveyard and Banish it from the Game. This Turn, this Card's Original ATK becomes the same as the Original ATK of the Monster Banished by this Effect." Siegfried pointed his finger at Kaiba. "You must be planning to Summon a (Blue-Eyes) Fusion Monster on your Next Turn, right?"

"As punishment for opposing me, I will cut off your hope! I Banish the (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_) from your Graveyard!"

Just like in the previous Turn, another (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_)'s Soul was released from Kaiba's Graveyard. As the white Phantom Dragon vanished, (Valkyrie Erste), wielding its longsword, had its ATK once again boosted to 3200 points.

Furthermore, as more Monsters were Banished, the ATK boost provided by (Valkyrie Fünfte) increased once again!

(Valkyrie Erste) [ATK 1800 → 3400]

(Valkyrie Viertel) [ATK 1600 → 1800]

(Valkyrie Fünfte) [ATK 1000 → 1200]

(Valkyrie Sechste) [ATK 200/DEF 2000 → ATK 400/DEF 2000]

"My Turn ends here. And because (Valkyrie's Ride) was Activated last Turn, it cannot affect the (Valkyrie) Monsters that exist this Turn." Siegfried looked at Kaiba with triumph, provoking, "I don't believe you, you bastard. Are you really going to defeat me in one Turn?"

(Valkyrie Erste) [ATK 3400 → 2000]

Although (Valkyrie Erste)'s boosted ATK only lasted for one Turn, the ATK bonus provided by (Valkyrie Fünfte) would remain. And Siegfried's current Life Points were 3400.

This meant that even if Kaiba Summoned a Monster on his Next Turn and Attacked the (Valkyrie Fünfte) with the lowest ATK, he would need a formidable 4600 ATK to wipe out Siegfried's Life Points.

And once the Next Turn arrived, the (Time Capsule) Siegfried had Activated earlier would be ready to Activate. He had stored a (Valkyrie's Embrace) inside it. That Card had an Effect that, by changing a (Valkyrie) Monster to Face-up Defense Position, it could Banish one Opponent's Monster without Targeting, easily removing any Monster Kaiba Summoned.

Then, it would be another Direct Attack from his (Valkyrie) Monsters.

It was an Overwhelming Direct Attack setup; how could he lose?

But Kaiba, hearing Siegfried's provocation, responded with a cold sneer. "Tell me, you idiot, do you really think Banishing my (Blue-Eyes) will stop my Summoning?"

"My Turn! Due to (Time Seal)'s Effect, I cannot Draw this Turn." Kaiba pressed the Activate Set Card button, and the last Set Card in his Back Row Activated. At the same time, he spread his palm towards the sky. "But my final Millennium Puzzle to victory was personally delivered into my Hand by you last Turn!"

"The Quick-Play Spell Card, (Burial from a Different Dimension)! It returns two of my Banished (Blue-Eyes) Monsters to my Graveyard!"

"Wh-what?!"

Under Siegfried's astonished gaze, the two previously Banished (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_)s reappeared from the Void under the Effect of (Burial from a Different Dimension). After affectionately nuzzling the stoic-faced Kaiba, the two (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_) Phantoms returned to the Graveyard.

"Even with a Time-Space gap, if I wish it, the Bonds between me and (Blue-Eyes) will never be severed." Kaiba's face was impassive. He seemingly indifferently touched the spot where (Blue-Eyes) had just nuzzled him, then Flipped over the Card in his Hand. "As my Soul, my Bonds, my Ace Card—(Blue-Eyes) will always come to my Hand!"

"The Quick-Play Spell Card, (Ultimate Fusion)! Return Fusion Material from my Hand, Field, or Graveyard to the Deck to Fusion Summon one Fusion Monster that lists (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_) or (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) as Fusion Material!" Kaiba extended his hand, retrieving all three (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_)s resting in his Graveyard.

The one Sent to Graveyard when (Lord of D.) -Dragon Dictator- was Special Summoned;

The one Sent to Graveyard when (Lord of D.) -Dragon Dictator- Special Summoned (Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon);

The one Special Summoned after (Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon) returned to the Deck, which was destroyed in battle with (Valkyrie Brunhilde).

The three (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_) Cards were shuffled back into Kaiba's Deck, but the figures of the three (Blue-Eyes) Monsters all appeared on Kaiba's Field, circling him. The (Blue-Eyes), a symbol of Power in Duel Monsters, was now acting as a "guardian."

Encircled by the (Blue-Eyes), Kaiba slammed a Card onto his Duel Disk and declared loudly, "Let me show you the strongest, most Ultimate Dragon in history, transcending the boundaries of Time-Space!"

"Let the form of the strongest, Evolved Dragon be burned into your very soul!"

"Fusion Summon! Summon, (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)!!"

"Resilient, Invincible, Strongest!!!"

Amidst dazzling radiance, the Power of three (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_)s converged into one. Seto Kaiba's absolute Ace Card, the Ultimate Dragon he trusted even more than a God, Summoned here!

(Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) [ATK 4500]

"ATK, 4500?!"

Siegfried's eyes widened. He was almost suffocated by the oppressive Aura of the majestic (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon).

Because of (Burial from a Different Dimension)'s Effect, the Banished (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_) returned to Kaiba's Graveyard, and the ATK boost provided by (Valkyrie Fünfte) disappeared. So, if Kaiba were to Attack the current (Valkyrie Fünfte), an ATK of just 4200 would be enough to wipe out Siegfried's Life Points.

But to Siegfried's surprise, Kaiba commanded, "Enter my Battle Phase! I will use (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) to Attack (Valkyrie Erste)!"

"What?!" Siegfried was stunned for a moment, then burst into maniacal laughter. "Seto Kaiba, you idiot! You could easily wipe out my Life Points by Attacking (Valkyrie Fünfte)! Are you trying to Destroy the strongest Monster with the strongest Monster?!"

"Fool! Idiot! How can you have such a pointless amount of pride in such a trivial matter! In that case, I'll gladly accept my victory!"

"Even if (Valkyrie Erste) with 1600 ATK is Destroyed by you, the Damage dealt to me would only be 2900 points. Fortunately, I chose (Goblin's Secret Remedy) last Turn!"

"Victory truly belongs to me, Siegfried!"

Seeing the triumphant Siegfried, Kaiba said with a hint of malice, "Is that so? How unfortunate."

"I forgot to mention, after gathering the Power of three (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_)s, (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) doesn't just gain ATK; it also gains the ability to Attack thrice during a single Battle Phase!"

Watching Siegfried's face suddenly freeze and his triumphant gaze instantly turn to despair, Kaiba's laughter grew more unrestrained.

Oh no, this feeling... so Hayato feels this happy every time, does he?

Cough, cough, I was just trying to put myself in Hayato's shoes, to understand his way of thinking and find a way to defeat him, hm.

Although his internal thoughts were quite active, Kaiba's poker face was as impeccable as ever. With a wave of his hand, Kaiba, like a God of Death, delivered his verdict: "Alright, the Game is over. (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon), burn that guy to ashes!"

"Hyper Neutron Blast!!"

"Crush! Shatter! Great Cheers!!!"

The strongest Dragon-Type that transcends limits, the Triple Attack that transcends limits—first (Valkyrie Erste), then (Valkyrie Viertel), and finally (Valkyrie Fünfte). Three beams of white light engulfed and annihilated the (Valkyrie) Monsters in Attack Position on Siegfried's Field one by one.

Although in Duel Monsters, a Duel ends once Life Points hit zero, if one is fast enough, it's not impossible to complete a Triple Attack before the Duel concludes.

Under three consecutive Attacks, each dealing 4500 points of Damage, Siegfried was sent flying by the powerful impact. Filled with resentment and fear, he was defeated.

Siegfried: 3400 LP → 500 LP → 0 → 0

(The Barbatos who kept stumbling decided to recover and hold on until the masters finished watching the main story of the Grand Time Temple on Bilibili, which resulted in me farming twenty more times.)

(end of chapter)

# Chapter 450: Sir, The Times Haven't Changed

"Slap!"

Siegfried, who was sitting on the stairs, was slapped by Kaiba.

"You bastard! Even my father never hit me!"

From above, Kaiba looked down at Siegfried, who was covering his cheek with his hand. His eyes cold, Kaiba raised his hand once more.

"Eek!"

Siegfried, who had been so arrogant before the Duel, was nowhere to be seen. Seeing Kaiba raise his hand again, the utterly terrified Siegfried hastily covered his entire face with his palms, nervously saying: "Don't hit me, don't hit me, I'll tell you, I'll tell you!"

"The people in this venue fainted because people from the Paradox Group tampered with things. I was just responsible for hacking into KaibaCorp's firewall and implanting the virus. Those who carried out the act were also from the Paradox Group, and it has nothing to do with me!"

"Slap!"

But despite Siegfried blabbering on and on, what he received was still a huge slap from Kaiba.

Siegfried, whose mind was severely traumatized, had his collar grabbed and yanked up by Kaiba. Kaiba's voice was utterly cold: "I don't care if you're guilty or not, tell me if there's a way to end all of this!"

Siegfried hastily nodded: "Yes, yes, yes! As long as we dismantle what the people from the Paradox Group built, disable the virus program within KaibaCorp's network, and destroy the `Golden Palace of the Rushing Rapids`, which acts as the activation key, then all of this can be ended!"

"The people from the Paradox Group built something underground in this building, but according to them, what was important wasn't the physical object underground, but a specific card. Destroying that card will be enough;"

"I gave the `Golden Palace of the Rushing Rapids` to my younger brother, Leon Wilson, who is Dueling on the Duel Stage. Ending the Duel is useless; that card must be destroyed during a Duel, but I added an effect to that card, 'cannot be destroyed by Spell Card, Trap, or Monster Effects';"

"And then there's the virus I put into KaibaCorp's network. I only put the virus in; I don't know its exact location, but you should know!"

"That's all there is; that's all I know!"

Siegfried's will to survive was extremely strong. It wasn't that he was a coward.

After the Duel concluded, he was knocked flying by the desperate Triple Attack of `Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon` and fell onto the stairs. Unable to accept the reality of being defeated, and such a complete defeat at that, Siegfried chose to make a final struggle.

Unfortunately, not everyone can struggle as thoroughly as a certain `Cyber Dragon` Duelist, or struggle to new heights. As a gentleman, magnate, inventor, and nobleman, Siegfried's talents had their limits. It was already impressive that he had achievements in fields like electronic networks, scientific research, economics, and finance, but he had absolutely no experience with "hand-to-hand combat," "fighting," or "boxing."

And what he had to face was the master of cutting chains with cards, the expert who blocked bullets with a briefcase, the specialist in landing unharmed from high altitudes without protection, the man with a voice louder than a helicopter's propeller, the trench coat enthusiast, the Dragon Enthusiast, the husband of Blue-Eyes, the scoff-or-die alien, the High-Level Hand opener, Legendary Duelist Seto Kaiba.

Especially after the KaibaCorp takeover incident orchestrated by Pegasus and the Big Five, although he had promoted his trusted subordinate Croquet to head the `The Security` department, Kaiba, just in case, arranged a devilish special training regimen for himself—every time he lost to Hayato or Yugi in a Duel Bot Match, he would do one set of exercises, and if he won, he would do two sets.

As for Kaiba now, to say nothing of others, he could at least be evenly matched with Joey. Although he couldn't defeat a combined Tristan and Joey like a certain invincible cameo God, he could at least solo KaibaCorp's `The Security` department, and a mere Siegfried was simply an easy target.

Under Kaiba's threat of "I summon my fist in Attack Position," Siegfried was subdued extremely easily and quickly. Furthermore, Kaiba even experimented on Siegfried with a technique he learned from a western country called "Bone Dislocation Hand."

Having lost the Duel and then lost a physical Duel as well, plus Siegfried wasn't blind and could clearly see Kaiba's murderous glare, born from worry for his younger brother. Although his pride was important, for Siegfried, "himself" was paramount. He fully confessed everything he knew.

Staring at the terrified Siegfried for a long time, Kaiba scoffed coldly, released his grip and stood upright, letting Siegfried, whom he had lifted, fall back onto the stairs, where he gasped sharply as the edges dug into him.

"Hmph, you'd better not be lying. Otherwise, look forward to developing congenital insensitivity to pain."

Although Siegfried didn't provide any evidence, Kaiba couldn't find any trace on his face that indicated "Siegfried was lying." Because of his previous "interrogation," Siegfried wouldn't be able to move his legs or feet even an inch for at least a day. There was no need for him to take Siegfried along to verify his statements.

Being a burden was secondary. It would be troublesome if this guy caused any disruption, for example, if he yelled loudly and drew attention in a situation that required concealment and avoiding others.

Anyway, if only his hands could move, Siegfried wouldn't be able to escape anywhere else.

Thinking this, Kaiba turned around.

"Stay here quietly and don't think about escaping."

"Alright, I definitely won't go anywhere, won't go anywhere."

Looking at Kaiba, whose back was turned to him, Siegfried's words were very respectful, and he maintained his "cowardly" persona that had persisted since earlier. However, the look in his eyes as he watched Kaiba, after confirming Kaiba had fully turned away, revealed unparalleled malice.

Watching Kaiba's foot step onto the next stair, Siegfried kept his body largely still to prevent Kaiba from noticing anything amiss if he turned back. His gaze darted to the stairs above, a short distance away.

About five or six stairs above Siegfried's current position, a briefcase lay beneath an empty seat. That case had been hidden by Siegfried the moment Kaiba stopped him, just as he was planning to leave the venue.

This was America, a place where even the air was filled with the scent of freedom. And as the old saying goes, "Free America, gunfights every day." In America, you could be without money, without ID, but you absolutely couldn't be without a gun. And in that briefcase was a handgun Siegfried kept for self-defense.

Confirming Kaiba hadn't noticed his quick glance, Siegfried, dragging his legs that were numb from Kaiba's "torture," supporting himself with his hands on the ground, he dragged his body up one stair.

Once there, just get there!

After confirming again that Kaiba hadn't noticed his movements, and keeping his actions silent, Siegfried moved his body up one more stair.

Now he was only three stairs away from the briefcase. Siegfried could reach out and touch the briefcase.

However, to quickly open the case and retrieve the gun, he needed to move at least one more stair.

Watching Kaiba's distance from him widen slightly again, Siegfried could barely maintain his "terror" and "fear" expressions, and was on the verge of laughing maniacally.

"Didn't expect this, did you, Seto Kaiba? Of course I won't leave here."

"Because right here, I'm going to finish you!"

"Once I get there, once I have the gun, you're dead!"

"Then, I'll be the victor. I'm stronger than you. You're just a lowly commoner, but I am an elite!"

As his hands touched the cold stairs, Siegfried's inner rage almost burst forth from his eyes.

Since childhood, he had been suppressed by the existence of "Seto Kaiba." Soon, soon the dark clouds in his mind would dissipate!

His body moved up one stair. Confirming that Kaiba still hadn't turned his head to look at him, Siegfried excitedly reached out towards his briefcase's location—

"Oh, are you trying to get this thing?"

Under Siegfried's stunned gaze, a short person wearing a red cap picked up the briefcase he was just about to reach.

Hearing the speaker's voice, Kaiba also turned his head, frowning as he looked at the boy with several streaks of blood flowing down one side of his face.

"Seto Kaiba?"

During the Duel between Kaiba and Siegfried, Rex, who had just barely managed to deal with the Men in Black attacking him using Duel Monsters, was holding the briefcase Siegfried had just tried to open in his hand. He greeted Kaiba, who responded with a nod in return.

Compared to Joey, Yugi, and Hayato, Rex and Kaiba could be said to be completely unfamiliar with each other. Even Mai Valentine had interacted with Rex several times at least.

However, despite having no personal relationship, Rex had initially come to help Kaiba with the intention of rescue.

Not many people could move freely within this venue. Moreover, the Men in Black who suddenly appeared didn't know what method they used to supposedly kill people with Duel Monsters. Rex also only defeated them because he was a superior Duelist. However, no one knew if there would be another wave of Men in Black, or when they would strike.

Rex opted not to blindly rush into the evacuation channels. He still clearly remembered the gunshot from just now. In the current situation, those who could move should stick together as much as possible. And because of the Duel between Kaiba and Siegfried, the commotion caused by Kaiba's final Summon of `Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon` was too immense, and it was also the closest to Rex. Therefore, Rex hurried over to see if he could help.

However, just as he arrived, Rex looked around but found no trace of the Men in Black. Instead, he saw Kaiba walking towards the exit and a figure lying on the stairs, struggling to move towards a briefcase, apparently having difficulty moving.

Out of goodwill, after confirming the person was reaching for the briefcase, Rex stepped forward, picked it up for him, and casually opened it.

"I can't believe there are people so passionate about Duel Monsters! Even with his lower body paralyzed, he still comes to watch the KC Cup? It's a shame this big shot was eliminated in the First Round. Otherwise, you might have even seen my heroic figure."

Completely oblivious to Siegfried's and Kaiba's gazes, Rex casually opened the unlocked briefcase, reached inside, and after grasping something hard, pulled it out. "Seeing how inconvenient it is for you to move, don't worry, I'll get it for you. Here, take—"

Looking at the firearm that appeared in his hand, Rex's face was utterly dumbfounded.

"W-wait a minute, what is this thing?!"

"This is a handgun, right? Even though I've never handled a firearm and have no interest in guns, but this metallic texture and weight, it's definitely a handgun, right? And it's not a toy gun, it's a real one!"

"Why can I just casually open a briefcase and pull out a handgun? Does everyone in this country have a handgun or something?!"

Kaiba frowned, then his pupils contracted. He noticed that Siegfried had moved; he was clearly much higher than his previous position!

Considering the briefcase in Rex's hand, could Siegfried have been moving towards that case just now?!

The handgun in the case, that guy, he couldn't be thinking of—!

"Hey, Rex Raptor! Get away from that guy by your feet, quick!"

Recalling Rex's actions that he had seen from afar just now, Kaiba knew that Rex seemed to have come to help out of good intentions. Kaiba wouldn't accept any favors; he would only mock Rex for helping, implying that Rex was underestimating him and thought everyone was as weak as himself.

However, despite usually acting arrogant, Kaiba didn't want the scenario that had just flashed through his mind to become reality.

Looking at Rex, who hadn't reacted, Kaiba said, turning and stepping up the stairs again towards Siegfried's position: "This guy isn't one of the weakened individuals you believe him to be!"

"He's with the people who just attacked you, and he's effectively their leader!"

"His target is the gun in your hand!"

"W-what?!" Rex looked in surprise at Siegfried lying by his feet, and shuffled his foot back one stair, wanting to create distance from Siegfried.

"Too slow, too slow, too slow!"

But Siegfried, with a ferocious expression, tightly grabbed Rex's other foot and forcefully yanked him sideways.

Rex's entire body's center of gravity was disrupted, causing him to fall backward onto the stairs. The gun he had just been holding in his hand flew into the air as his arm swung unconsciously during the fall.

"I told you, Kaiba, the victor will always be me, Siegfried!" Looking at the handgun spinning and falling through the air, Siegfried completely lost control of his expression, laughing maniacally with a twisted, hideous face, "Thanks to this guy, Rex, he opened the briefcase and took out the handgun for me!"

After glancing at the current distance between Kaiba and himself, Siegfried became even more arrogant: "How far are you from me? Ten meters? Nine meters? Even if you climb the stairs quickly, it will take at least five seconds to reach me."

"But catching the handgun, then shooting and killing you, won't even take one second for me!"

"Although your fists are strong and powerful, at this distance between us, a handgun is both accurate and fast!"

"This is the fate of one who falls for my trap! This is my escape route, indeed!"

"The times have changed, Seto Kaiba! Handguns are far more useful than Duel Monsters!"

Siegfried laughed triumphantly, reaching out towards the handgun falling through the air. His experience told him he only needed to stretch out his hand to seize the handgun.

"Whoosh—"

"Thwack!"

Just as Siegfried's fingers were a hair's breadth away from grabbing the falling handgun, extremely abruptly, the palm of Siegfried's hand was suddenly pierced by an appearing Duel Monster Card.

Even a thin, soft blade of grass can accidentally cut human skin. And a rapidly spinning card, if wielded with extreme skill, could even slice through sheet metal with ease.

Maintaining his card-throwing posture, Kaiba watched as the `Goddess of Whim`, which he repeatedly used as a throwing weapon, wounded Siegfried's palm. The injury caused Siegfried's reach for the handgun to distort, making him miss the falling weapon. Kaiba sneered, bent down, and caught the handgun that slid down the stairs. After confirming the ammunition was full, he skillfully flipped off the safety.

"No, the times haven't changed, Siegfried."

Sitting up from the stairs, clutching the back of his head where a large lump had formed, and looking at Siegfried, who was howling in pain, clutching his palm almost pierced by a card, Rex looked utterly dumbfounded as he glanced down at the Deck inserted into his Duel Disk on his wrist.

"What the heck? Are the Duel Monster Cards I use every day really this powerful?"

"How on earth did that guy Weevil manage to tear up cards and eat them?"

Speaking of throwing knives, they exist in reality too. It's possible to chop through a soda can with an ordinary paper playing card. But for someone like Kaiba to cut through chains with a card, that's completely outlandish. It's already impressive that Rex's palm was only cut and not half his hand severed; after all, this means his hand is tougher than chains.

(end of chapter)