Chapter 486: Your Dragonmaid Brings Little Blue, My Drytron Brings the Boss
Drytron-Alcor γ [Level 1/LIGHT Attribute] [Machine-Type/Special Summon/Effect] [ATK 2000/DEF 0]
"A Level 1 monster with a whopping 2000 Attack Points, and it can be Special Summoned from the Hand!?" Hiroyuki Kobayashi furrowed his brow. "What kind of card is this, designed by a fool?"
"Not really, it's just 2000 Attack Points. And I need to correct you on one thing: it's not 'can', but 'can only'."
Hayato spread his hands. "All of the Low-Level Monsters in this Drytron Deck are Level 1, LIGHT Attribute, Machine-Type Monsters with 2000 ATK and 0 DEF that cannot be Normal Summoned. Their Summon requires another Drytron Monster to be Tributed for their Special Summon."
"Also, after you Special Summon a Drytron monster, for the rest of this turn, you cannot Special Summon monsters, except monsters that cannot be Normal Summoned/Set."
Hearing Hayato's explanation, Hiroyuki Kobayashi reluctantly nodded. "I recall this is what they call a 'Self-Restriction' Effect, right? In that case, it's barely acceptable."
"However, it's impossible to defeat the Dragonmaid Steward with just this one Monster. A Duel Monster's Deck is like a sports car; even with the determination to push the accelerator to the floor and the courage to grip the steering wheel tightly, you cannot exceed the vehicle's inherent functional limitations."
Hayato smiled. "In that case, how about you witness the limits of my Deck first?"
"After Drytron-Alcor γ is Special Summoned by its own effect, I can choose one Drytron Monster with 2000 ATK, other than Drytron-Alcor γ, from my Graveyard and Special Summon it. I choose Drytron-Thuban β, which was previously Tributed and Sent to Graveyard."
Beside Drytron-Alcor γ on Hayato's Field, another Phantom, composed of starlight, materialized from illusion to reality. Drytron-Thuban β, an Ultimate Dragon striking a Gundam Freedom stance, appeared. Its crystal wings unfolded, and the cannon device mounted on its wrist aimed at the Dragonmaid Steward.
Drytron-Thuban β [ATK 2000]
"Next, the Effect of Drytron-Ruchbah α in my Graveyard Activates! I Tribute Drytron-Alcor γ, then Special Summon Drytron-Ruchbah α from my Graveyard, and Add one Ritual Monster from my Deck to my Hand."
"Any Set Cards to Activate?"
Taking the Card that Drytron-Ruchbah α, which materialized on the Field after Drytron-Alcor γ was Tributed, had Searched from his Deck, Hayato glanced at the three Cards in Hiroyuki Kobayashi's Back Row and confirmed.
Although Dragonmaid Lumina's negate effect had been successfully baited out by [Cyber Emergency] earlier, he hadn't forgotten the three other Set Cards. He hadn't Drawn [Harpie's Feather Duster] this Turn, so he could only use this rather naive method to probe the type of Trap Cards.
His opening Hand was decent; he drew two Drytron Monsters and [Cyber Emergency]. The card he drew was the Drytron Deck's Ritual Spell Card, [Meteonis Drytron]. Although he hadn't drawn the matching Ritual Monster, Drytron Dracoverlord, he could use Drytron-Ruchbah α's Effect to Search it directly.
However, to guard against Dragonmaid Lumina's Effect, Hayato didn't immediately Special Summon Drytron-Ruchbah α to be negated. Instead, he used [Cyber Emergency] to bait it out, and it worked, successfully turning the troublesome Dragonmaid Lumina into a Dragonmaid Steward.
Although until now Hayato still hadn't figured out what those three Set Cards were, he couldn't worry about it any longer.
Hesitating and holding back due to excessive caution, thereby losing the opportune moment to attack, was not Hayato's style.
Glancing at the Drytron Dracoverlord added to his Hand, Hayato decisively Activated the Card. "I Activate the Ritual Spell Card, [Meteonis Drytron]! Drytron-Ruchbah α and Drytron-Thuban β, I will use them as Tributes!"
"Using two Level 1 Monsters as Tributes for a Ritual Summon? Doesn't 1+1 equal 2?"
Hiroyuki Kobayashi was startled at first. After calculating the total Level of the two Monsters, he said contemptuously, "A Level 2 Ritual Monster? Isn't that just a Fodder Monster?"
Although he hadn't really studied Ritual Summon Decks, he had dueled against Ritual Summon Duelists in London and had a basic understanding of the Ritual Summon Rule.
The three necessary elements are the Ritual Monster, its corresponding Ritual Spell Card, and Tributes with a total Level equal to or higher than the Ritual Monster's Level.
He didn't believe in his heart that two Level 1 Monsters could Ritual Summon any powerful Monster.
But as Hiroyuki Kobayashi entertained these thoughts, he saw the Phantom of a colossal entity appear behind Hayato, after Drytron-Thuban β and Drytron-Ruchbah α disintegrated into stardust.
"That thing—!?"
"Oh, shining stars in the universe, release your eternal, unchanging light, and become a beacon illuminating the future!"
Hayato raised the Card in his hand high. The stardust from Drytron-Ruchbah α and Drytron-Thuban β converged upon the Card, enveloping it completely in light. Hayato then slammed it onto his Duel Disk. "Ritual Summon, Descent, My Soul!"
"LV.MAX! Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA!"
A dark and lightless universe formed its matte black body, while pure white light constructed the armor for its limbs, torso, and head, nested upon the main body. From the hidden Draco Constellation in the sky, dazzling Starlight burst forth, transforming into bright yellow meteors that landed on various parts of the mechanical Dragon's armor.
Icy blue mechanical claws extended. The mechanical Dragon from the Starry Sky opened its orange-red eyes, sextant-like structures opened on its armor, and sky-blue light wings unfolded. A Top-tier Ritual Monster, like a God, thus Descended!
Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA [Level 12/LIGHT Attribute] [Machine-Type/Ritual/Effect] [ATK 4000/DEF 4000]
"Level 12!? Something must be wrong!" Hiroyuki Kobayashi couldn't comprehend. "1+1 clearly equals 2, but your 12 has an extra digit! What kind of messy math is this?"
"As everyone knows, a kitten plus a puppy can turn into an invincible Gundam, so 1 Level + 1 Level = 12 Levels, I think it's perfectly reasonable."
Hayato made a joke before explaining, "The Drytron in some ways possesses Power that doesn't belong to this World. Originating from the Draco Constellation in the sky, it differs from conventional Duel Monsters in every aspect."
"Not only are all its Low-Level Monsters unable to be Normal Summoned, but the Drytron's Higher-Level Ritual Monsters—the Drytron Dracoverlord monsters—don't base their Ritual Summon on the Level of the Ritual Tributes, but rather on the total ATK of the Ritual Monsters."
When Hayato said that, Hiroyuki Kobayashi also noticed that the Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA he had just Summoned had exactly 4000 ATK, which was the total ATK of Drytron-Thuban β and Drytron-Ruchbah α, both 2000 ATK Monsters, which were used as Ritual Tributes.
"When Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA is successfully Ritual Summoned, and the total Level of the Tributes used is Level 2 or less, its Effect Activates," Hayato pointed his hand at the three Set Cards in Hiroyuki Kobayashi's Back Row. "Although I didn't Draw a Board Clear Card, a Monster Effect Board Clear works just as well."
"Destroy all Spell & Trap Cards on my Opponent's Field!"
"Nani?!"
"4000 ATK, and it has such a powerful Effect too?" Hiroyuki Kobayashi frowned. "Clearing the Cards in my Back Row, then you can just recklessly Attack me, can't you?"
"Nonsense! This situation was already within my consideration, Hiroyuki Kobayashi! I had already Set a [Breakthrough Skill] in my Back Row, which can Negate a Monster Effect! You won't use that Monster to Destroy the Cards in my Back Row!"
As he spoke, Hiroyuki Kobayashi triumphantly pressed the button to Activate his Set Card, but to his surprise, he couldn't possibly Activate the Set [Breakthrough Skill]!?
"Oh? Not trying to escape, but attempting to approach my Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA? Pathetic, pathetic! How can mere Souls bound by gravity ever comprehend the greatness of the stars?"
"The Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA on the Field cannot be Targeted by your Opponent's Spell & Trap Card Effects. For true Card Players, it is Untargetable! Your Dragonmaid purity is too low!"
"Now, Destroy all of my Opponent's Spell & Trap Cards, Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA!"
"Stellaaaaa!!"
Named after the "Quadrantid Meteor Shower," Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA raised a single hand high. The bright yellow gemstones on its body burst forth with light, and its entire Power converged into its hand. Then, Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA threw the Energy Orb it held.
Once freed from its Control, the Energy Orb suddenly exploded, transforming into a barrage of projectiles filling the sky that shot out, directly aimed at the Cards in Hiroyuki Kobayashi's Back Row!
"Tch, so it cannot be Targeted by Spell & Trap Card Effects? In that case, I Activate this Card, [Dragonmaid Welcome]!"
Facing the rain of projectiles, Hiroyuki Kobayashi moved his finger to another spot and Activated another Card. As he Activated the Set Card, his Chamber Dragonmaid vanished from the Field, flying back into his Hand.
"The Continuous Trap Card, [Dragonmaid Welcome], is a Card whose Effect can be Activated by Targeting one Dragonmaid on my Field. I Return Chamber Dragonmaid to my Hand, then I can Add one Card other than [Dragonmaid Welcome] from my Deck to my Hand."
Adding a Card from his Deck to his Hand and placing it with Chamber Dragonmaid, Hiroyuki Kobayashi continued, "At the same time, Dragonmaid Steward, who oversees the Dragonmaids, is also able to Activate her Effect. When a Face-up Dragon-Type Monster on my Field, other than Dragonmaid Steward, returns to the Hand, I can Target one of my Opponent's Monsters and Destroy it!"
As Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA launched its meteor shower, Dragonmaid Steward, whose Effect was Triggered by Chamber Dragonmaid's Leave the Field, found several short-handled throwing knives appearing in her hand, clutched between her fingers. As the dense rain of light fell upon the Cards in the Back Row behind Dragonmaid Steward, she also threw out her knives.
"Boom!"
"Clang!"
Hiroyuki Kobayashi's Back Row Cards and Hayato's Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA on the Field were Destroyed simultaneously. Amidst the explosion, Hayato also confirmed the last Set Card: the invincible [Sakuretsu Armor]. Apparently, today's [Sakuretsu Armor] still couldn't be Activated.
Considering the Set Cards, his old man's field establishment ability was quite impressive. Not to mention Dragonmaid Lumina's Omni-negate, a Continuous Trap, [Dragonmaid Welcome], allowed for Sustained Resources through Recycle and Search. Combined with Dragonmaid Lumina transformed into Dragonmaid Steward, it could also achieve a Targeting Monster Destroy Effect.
Then there was [Sakuretsu Armor] to guard against powerful Attacks, and [Breakthrough Skill] to Counter troublesome Effect Monsters.
Aside from Little Blue falling short during Milling, his old man's strength was actually quite good. Maybe "undefeated in London" wasn't just bragging after all.
Across from Hayato, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who had Destroyed Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA, was quite satisfied with this trade-off. After all, though the Cost of his three Destroyed Set Cards wasn't small, it was much better than Hayato's Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA, which the kid had only managed to Summon after great difficulty gathering enough Tributes.
That kid only had three Cards left in his Hand. No matter how he thought about it, there was no way he could get rid of the Dragonmaid Steward on his Field. Although the end hadn't arrived yet, no matter how he thought about it, the final victory of this Duel surely belonged to him, Hiroyuki Kobayashi! Hayato still had 20,000 years to go before he could defeat him!
"Heh heh, ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha—" Hiroyuki Kobayashi's triumphant three-stage laugh had just begun before it abruptly stopped. Because he saw that in the spot where Hayato's Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA had been Destroyed on the Field, the figures of two Monsters that had appeared earlier had reappeared!?
Drytron-Alcor γ [ATK 2000]
Drytron-Ruchbah α [ATK 2000]
"Yare yare, you're wearing quite a surprised expression, old man," Hayato said triumphantly. "'Hayato still has 20,000 years to go before he can defeat me,' you presumably thought that just now when you Destroyed my Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA, didn't you?"
"The Monster that was Tributed earlier was actually Summoned back, that's your question, isn't it? The answer is the Effect of my Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA." Hayato held the Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA Card in his hand, which he hadn't yet had time to Send to Graveyard after it was Destroyed.
"Even if Starlight is temporarily obscured by dust, the stars still hang high in the same position. Even if the changes of time make them no longer shine brightly, the stars still remain unchanged."
"When the Ritual Summoned Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA is Destroyed, its Effect can be Activated: Special Summon any number of Drytron or Drytron Dracoverlord Monsters, other than Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA, from my Graveyard whose total ATK becomes 4000."
"Then, I Activate the Effect of the Ritual Spell Card, [Meteonis Drytron], in my Graveyard! If this card is in the Graveyard, I can decrease the ATK of one Drytron or Drytron Dracoverlord Monster on my Field by 1000, then Recycle [Meteonis Drytron] from my Graveyard to my Hand."
Drytron-Ruchbah α [ATK 2000 → 1000]
Hiroyuki Kobayashi was startled upon hearing the Effect of [Meteonis Drytron]. He hadn't forgotten Hayato's previous explanation of [Meteonis Drytron]'s Effect: if the Tributes in the Hand and on the Field met the conditions, it could Special Summon a Ritual Monster from the Hand or Graveyard.
In other words, although Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA was Destroyed and Sent to Graveyard, Hayato, having Added [Meteonis Drytron] to his Hand, could still Revive Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA from the Graveyard if he gathered enough Tributes!
However, after recalling, Hiroyuki Kobayashi relaxed. "You actually voluntarily decreased the ATK of Drytron-Ruchbah α, which could have been a Tribute. In that case, you won't be able to gather the total 4000 ATK required to Summon Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA on your Field!"
Hayato, however, smiled. "No, you've forgotten one Monster."
"Drytron Monsters, when Special Summoned by their own Effect, have a Once per turn restriction. But there's one Monster in my Graveyard that hasn't used its own Effect to Special Summon yet."
A light shone in Hayato's Graveyard. The figure of Drytron-Ruchbah α, whose ATK had just been decreased to Recycle [Meteonis Drytron], dissipated. In its place, Drytron-Thuban β reappeared!
Drytron-Thuban β [ATK 2000]
"With this, two 2000 ATK Monsters are once again gathered! I Activate the Ritual Spell Card, [Meteonis Drytron], from my Hand!"
"Once again, Descent, Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA!"
After Tributing the two Drytron Monsters on the Field, Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA rose from the Graveyard. The revived Monster immediately locked onto the Dragonmaid Steward that had previously Destroyed it with throwing knives. Although it was a Machine, it still held a grudge.
Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA [ATK 4000]
Because the total Level of the Tributes used was Level 2, Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA still possessed the ability to Destroy all Spell & Trap Cards on the Opponent's Field. However, Hiroyuki Kobayashi's Back Row had already been cleared earlier, so the Effect had no meaning in Activating.
But now, the Destroy Spell & Trap Card Effect of Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA was no longer needed. At this moment, simply with its ATK, equal to that of Obelisk the Tormentor, it was enough to pose a sufficient threat to Hiroyuki Kobayashi.
"The prelude is almost complete. This Duel will end within this Turn! First, the Attack of Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA will be the opening act!" Hayato raised his hand over his head. "Enter my Battle Phase!"
Hearing this, Hiroyuki Kobayashi glared at Little Blue on his Field.
The Low-Level Monsters of the Dragonmaid archetype all have two Effects. One Effect can be Activated when they are Summoned or Special Summoned, while the other Effect is used at the start of either player's Battle Phase.
Little Blue's second Effect allows her to return Chamber Dragonmaid from the Field to the Hand, then Special Summon a Level 7 Dragonmaid from the Hand or Graveyard. This Effect was originally quite suitable when combined with her first Effect—Sending the top three cards of the Deck to the Graveyard.
But because the three cards that were Mill to the Graveyard earlier were all [Pot of Greed], it directly led to Hiroyuki Kobayashi's Graveyard currently containing only Dragonmaid Flamme, a Monster that had been Sent to Graveyard as Fusion Material for Dragonmaid Lumina. Unfortunately, its Level was 8, making it completely unable to adapt to Chamber Dragonmaid's Effect.
All the Cards in his Back Row had also been Counter. Knowing that his Monster would inevitably be Destroyed during the Battle Phase, Hiroyuki Kobayashi could only watch helplessly from the sidelines.
To Hiroyuki Kobayashi's surprise, Hayato chose to Attack not the Dragonmaid Steward in Attack Position, but instead Chamber Dragonmaid in Defense Position.
"Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA, Attack Chamber Dragonmaid."
"It's Attacking a Monster in Defense Position?" Hiroyuki Kobayashi asked, puzzled, while staring at Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA with a questioning gaze. "That Monster has already shown three Effects. It couldn't possibly also have Piercing Battle Damage, could it?"
"While there are Monsters with so many Effects that they can't be fully written on one card, Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA isn't that excessive. It also cannot inflict Damage when Attacking a Defense Position Monster." Hayato shrugged. After a pause, he triumphantly inserted a Card from his Hand into the Spell & Trap Zone.
"However, if Attacking a Defense Position Monster cannot inflict Damage, then I just need to change it to Attack Position."
"Quick-Play Spell, [Enemy Controller]!"
As Hayato Activated the Card, a game controller appeared before him for inputting commands. Its cables wrapped around Hiroyuki Kobayashi's Chamber Dragonmaid on the Field.
"Uwaah!" Little Blue, tangled by the electric wires, cried out in surprise. Bound, she couldn't move at all, and her randomly thrashing tail once again knocked to the ground the clothes she had just managed to tidy up.
"You're Controlling my Monster? This unpleasant feeling!" Hiroyuki Kobayashi said through gritted teeth. "It's like the humiliation and awkwardness of having someone else watch you in a restroom that should be completely private!"
"Heh heh, I'll take that as a compliment, I guess. Now, input Code '←→Beware The Winged Dragon of Ra'! [Enemy Controller] will rewrite Little Blue's Battle Position, which was chosen as the Attack Target for Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA, changing her from Defense Position to Attack Position!"
After Hayato shouted a string of meaningless commands, Little Blue across from him was indeed changed from Defense Position to Attack Position, directly facing Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA, which had an ATK as high as 4000!
Chamber Dragonmaid [DEF 1600 → ATK 500]
Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA [ATK 4000]
"S-save me, what is such high ATK going to do!?" Little Blue, forcibly controlled and waving her little fists at Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA, cried and pleaded for help, looking towards Hiroyuki Kobayashi. "Help me out! Why are you just watching over there!?"
"Masaka, Masaka! Have you really abandoned me!?"
"Uwaah!!!"
When Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA Attacked Little Blue, it didn't use much force. It merely bent down, extended a mechanical claw, and flicked Little Blue's forehead. Although the action was very gentle, due to its enormous size, even a mere flick easily sent Little Blue flying, crashing into Hiroyuki Kobayashi!
"Buga!!" Struck directly in the abdomen by Little Blue's dragon horns, Hiroyuki Kobayashi also fell backward to the ground. Little Blue, with swirly eyes, passed out and was Sent to Graveyard.
Hiroyuki Kobayashi: 4000 → 500 LP
A full 3500 points of Battle Damage. It took Hiroyuki Kobayashi a while to get used to it, and he said with some shame and anger, "Ya, Yaro! How dare you treat me, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, like this!"
"However, that's as far as you go! Inflicting 3500 points of Battle Damage is your limit!"
Glancing at the Cards in his Hand, Hiroyuki Kobayashi couldn't help but reveal a triumphant smile.
In his Hand, besides Chamber Dragonmaid which had been returned to his Hand by the Effect of [Dragonmaid Welcome] earlier, there was also Dragonmaid Tempest, which was likewise Searched from his Deck by [Dragonmaid Welcome] and Added to his Hand.
It wasn't just the Drytron's Ritual Spell Card, [Meteonis Drytron], that could Recycle itself from the Graveyard to the Hand with its own Effect. The Fusion-like Card that he used for his Dragonmaids, [Dragonmaid Changeover], also had the same Effect: as long as a Dragonmaid on the Field was returned to the Hand, it could be Recycled.
Next Turn, he could first Normal Summon Chamber Dragonmaid to Search for a Spell & Trap Card in his Deck. Then, he could use [Dragonmaid Changeover] to return Chamber Dragonmaid to his Hand to Recycle [Dragonmaid Changeover]. At the same time, this would Trigger Dragonmaid Steward's Effect to Destroy Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA.
Then, using [Dragonmaid Changeover], he could use Chamber Dragonmaid and Level 8 Dragonmaid Tempest from his Hand as Material to Summon Dragonmaid Lumina once again.
Victory still belonged to him, Hiroyuki Kobayashi!
Across from Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Hayato also nodded. "Ah, indeed. Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA is fine for clearing Spell & Trap Cards, but when it comes to inflicting Battle Damage, another Drytron Dracoverlord would be stronger."
"Inflicting 3500 points of Battle Damage is indeed the limit of what I can do."
"However, my Turn hasn't ended yet. In my Main Phase 2, I will Activate this winning Card!"
"Continuous Spell Card, [Ectoplasmer]!"
As Hayato inserted the Card from his Hand into the Spell & Trap Zone, neither Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who hadn't had much contact with such unconventional cards, nor Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA, who was inexperienced, being in the Duel Monster World for the first time, were aware of this Card's Effect or had any knowledge of what was about to happen.
However, the observing Marik, upon seeing [Ectoplasmer], sighed helplessly. "This move, it has that familiar feel. The usual ending, then."
Sumire Kobayashi, who wasn't very familiar with Duel Monsters, asked, not understanding, "What's wrong with that Card, the one called [Ectoplasmer]?"
"It's not a big problem," Marik said, mimicking Hayato's tone. "As the man himself would say, 'This is the struggle I make for victory; I'm willing to give up my old friend,' or something like that. That [Ectoplasmer]'s Effect is—"
"During both players' End Phase, forcefully choose one Monster on your Field and Tribute it. Inflict damage to the Opponent equal to half the ATK of the Tributed Monster." The corner of Hayato's mouth curled up, revealing a "pained" expression. "For the ultimate victory, this is a necessary sacrifice!"
"Forcefully Tribute a Monster on your own Field?"
Hiroyuki Kobayashi gazed towards Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA, which was also completely dumbfounded and hadn't reacted yet, and checked its ATK value.
Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA [ATK 4000]
"Half of 4000, 2000 points?!" Hiroyuki Kobayashi instantly panicked. He shouted at Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA, "You're not going to self-destruct, are you? Don't do anything reckless! Don't come closer!!"
But no matter how much Hiroyuki Kobayashi and Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA didn't want to see what was about to happen next, Hayato still firmly declared, "Then, My Turn ends."
"Then, [Ectoplasmer]'s Effect takes effect! I Tribute Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord=QUA on my Field!"
"Sacrifice yourself for the greater good!"
The star Dragon exploded with a boom. The shockwave directly swept Hiroyuki Kobayashi away, leaving him sprawled on the ground, butt in the air. Hayato, taking the opportunity, brushed his bangs away from his forehead, a refreshed expression on his face.
"It's been a long time since I've self-destructed so satisfyingly. It feels as refreshing as greeting the first morning of the New Year while wearing brand new underwear."
While stretching, Hayato noticed that as the Duel ended, the figure of the undestroyed Dragonmaid Steward, although gradually vanishing from the Field like a normal Duel Monster image, still maintained enough sentience before disappearing. It even politely bowed towards Hayato before retreating its form back into the Deck loaded in Hiroyuki Kobayashi's worn Duel Disk.
The corner of Hayato's mouth curled up, revealing an expression of interest.
'As expected, it's a Duel Monster Spirit? No wonder it's so sentient.'
'But judging by the old man's appearance, he doesn't seem to see Duel Monster Spirits. What a shame, otherwise the Duel would probably be more interesting, right?'
If Hiroyuki Kobayashi's Dragonmaid Deck had a bit more Heart of the Cards luck—for example, if Little Blue hadn't Sent all three [Pot of Greed] to the Graveyard, but only two, and the other one was any random Level 7 Dragonmaid—then there might have been some other variables in this Duel.
"Kuriboh?" The sound of Rainbow Kuriboh rang in his ears. Hayato lowered his head to look at the last Card in his hand. Rainbow Kuriboh peaked its head out from the Card it resided in, asking Hayato what he was thinking.
"Nothing much, I just suddenly remembered something." Hayato gently rubbed Rainbow Kuriboh's soft head with his finger, then looked at Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who was sitting up from the ground, and his Deck. "Although my old man isn't the only Duelist who has awakened a Duel Monster Spirit but can't see its abilities, a necessary confirmation is still in order."
"Old man, can I check your Deck?"
(end of chapter)
Chapter 487: I Got a Pokem—... Dragonmaid!
"Little Green, Big Green, Little Pink, Big Pink, and Little Black, who still doesn't have a Big Black." Hayato held a stack of Cards, quickly flipping through them one by one. But when he saw three Cards linked together, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Do you believe in Blind Milling?"
"I really admire the first person to put three Little Blues in their Deck, because they might end up Milling all three critical Fusion cards."
"Little Red, once I Mill the Trap, I'll use your second Effect to Special Summon you."
Hayato heard a slightly ambiguous Chanting that was practically etched into his DNA. He turned his head and, sure enough, the Ojama brothers had appeared again.
Among all of Hayato's Duel Monster Spirits, the Ojama Yellow brothers were arguably the weakest, but their ability to cause mischief was undeniably the strongest.
And the root of their mischief was none other than the three copies of Laundry Dragonmaid, also known as Little Blue, that Hayato had found.
Hayato was actually quite surprised. Although he knew from previous Duels that his old man was quite bold, daring enough to even include Little Blue in a Dragonmaid Deck, Hayato never expected that while other Dragonmaid Cards were only included as one or two copies in the Deck, Little Blue was inexplicably maxed out at three.
Incredible, truly incredible.
As he and the Ojama Yellow brothers roasted his dad's Deck composition, truly a Little Blue specialist's work, Hayato flipped to the next Card. Before him appeared a Monster Card.
"'Tyrant Neptune?' Hayato frowned. 'Shocking, how is there even a Forbidden Card?'"
On the Card Art of the Card in Hayato's Hand, a Monster with a crocodile-like lower body, its four limbs sprawled on the ground and a long tail swinging, yet its upper body stood upright, clad in armor and wielding a giant scythe, stared at a head shrouded in shadow, striking a majestic pose.
In Hayato's previous life, the Level 10 Tyrant Neptune, along with Cards like Pot of Greed, was imprisoned in the 'Forbidden & Limited List'. Its powerful Effect was evident from its 0 ATK and 0 DEF, symbols of its strength.
The first Effect of Tyrant Neptune was similar to Hayato's The Winged Dragon of Ra, possessing the ability to gain the combined ATK and DEF of the Tributed Monsters used for its Tribute Summon. Additionally, despite being a Level 10 Monster, it could be Tribute Summoned with just one Monster, making it quite flexible.
However, the key lay in Tyrant Neptune's second Effect: it gained the Effect of one Tributed Monster used for its Summon.
What did this mean?
As is well known, many Monsters in Duel Monsters possess incredibly powerful Effects. To limit these strong Effects, many Monsters have the restriction "This card's Effect can only be used Once per Turn" added to them.
However, Tyrant Neptune didn't "treat itself as a Card with the same name and gain the same Effect"; it directly gained the ability.
While Tyrant Neptune with such an Effect was decent, it still occupied a Normal Summon. Initially, it was merely usable, until the evil Konami, in pursuit of profit, Printed a Fusion Monster with only Level 1, Lyrilusc - Independent Nightingale.
Lyrilusc - Independent Nightingale had three Effects. The first Effect allowed it to increase its Level by the number of Xyz Materials used from the Lyrilusc Archetype during its Fusion Summon. The second Effect boosted its ATK by a value of its Level X 500 and made it unaffected by other Card Effects. The third Effect was, Once per Turn, during your Main Phase, inflict Damage to your Opponent equal to its Level X 500.
On the surface, there was nothing wrong with it; the latter two Effects revolved around the Level boosted by the first Effect. However, because its base Level was only 1, a proper Fusion Summon wouldn't boost it much, and if Summoned with Instant Fusion, it would only have its base Level 1, making it less practical than a random Fireball Card.
But the problem was, if Lyrilusc - Independent Nightingale was Released to Summon Tyrant Neptune, it would be a different story, because Tyrant Neptune's Level was 10.
With two Cards from the Hand, one Normal Summon, and 1000 Life Points, one could Summon a powerful Monster with 6000 ATK, unaffected by other Cards, and capable of inflicting 5000 Effect Damage directly to the Opponent Once per turn. Who could withstand that?
After recalling the power of Tyrant Neptune in his previous life, Hayato frowned as he looked at the Tyrant Neptune that appeared in his dad's Deck.
Aside from its glorious forbidden history, most importantly, the name of Tyrant Neptune suggested that it also belonged to the Planet Series Deck.
Since seeing The splendid VENUS with Gekko, this was the third Planet Series Card Hayato had encountered. He also hadn't forgotten the Card that Bakura had taken from the KC Cup, which was suspected to be Tragoedia.
"Dad, where did you get this Card?"
"Hoh-hoh, are you interrogating me, Hiroyuki Kobayashi? Such a condescending attitude isn't appropriate when asking for help—Ow!" Sumire Kobayashi lightly tapped Hiroyuki Kobayashi's head as he sat on the sofa. Though it wasn't a strong tap, Hiroyuki Kobayashi reacted as if he'd taken a critical hit.
"When your child asks you something, answer him properly!" Sumire Kobayashi, seemingly accustomed to her husband's occasional Dio-like antics, casually retorted before looking at Hayato. "As for that Card, your dad bought and opened the other Dragonmaid Cards himself, but I actually know the origin of that particular Card."
From his mother, Sumire Kobayashi, Hayato learned the origin of this Tyrant Neptune.
The story began when the couple was still in London.
While at the London airport, preparing to board their flight to Domino City, the couple encountered a mysterious individual whose face was concealed by a baseball cap. This person claimed to be the host of a hidden airport event and that Hiroyuki Kobayashi and Sumire Kobayashi had become lucky passengers.
As a prize for being lucky passengers, the two could receive a free Card Pack of Duel Monsters Cards. What specific Cards were inside the pack was, like any ordinary Card Pack, entirely up to luck. Adhering to the principle of "nothing ventured, nothing gained," the couple naturally accepted.
After handing the two Card Packs to the couple, the 'mysterious person'—whose appearance was obscured, only his small stature and relatively young age were discernible, and whose white hair could be glimpsed from beneath his baseball cap at the back of his head—departed.
"That guy, could it be Bakura?" Hayato casually commented. While Bakura wasn't the only person with white hair—Pegasus also had white hair—when it came to causing trouble, Bakura was indeed the first one that came to mind.
Hayato lowered his head again to look at the Card in his Hand. "In that case, Dad must have opened this Card, right?"
"No, your father's luck isn't that good, it was me~" Sumire Kobayashi revealed a triumphant smile. "Your dad was saying things like 'I'll bet my pride as a Duelist,' but in the end, he only Drew three copies of Card of Safe Return. That Card was Drawn by me, but it was too ugly, so I gave it to your dad."
"To Draw three copies of Card of Safe Return from one Card Pack... I don't even know if I should call that a Top-tier God Draw or an ultimate terrible Draw," Hayato commented.
Card of Safe Return is a single Card that can unconditionally replenish your Hand to a full six Cards in one go. Even with the drawback that the Opponent Duelist also benefits from this Effect, it couldn't hide the Card's inherent power, making people want to run three copies in their Deck.
After Duelist Kingdom, the power of Card of Safe Return spread widely among Duelists, reaching its peak during Battle City. Basically, any Duelist randomly found in Battle City would have a copy of Card of Safe Return in their Deck, and some extreme cases even ran three.
Under these circumstances, the price of Card of Safe Return, which originally belonged to the same category as less popular Cards like Pot of Greed, Graceful Charity, and Foolish Burial, naturally soared, also reaching its peak around Battle City.
What followed was the 'Forbidden & Limited List' introduced by Industrial Illusions, the copyright holder of Duel Monsters Cards, and KaibaCorp, the copyright holder of the Solid Vision system used by Duel Disks, in order to maintain the Duel Monsters Meta and its long-term development. While both Chaos Emperor Dragon and Yata-Garasu were forbidden from being included in Decks, Card of Safe Return was Limited to one copy.
Just as scalpers, seeing the price of Card of Safe Return skyrocket and new business opportunities emerge, had heavily invested in and hoarded Cards, they discovered with despair that their speculative "sea-view properties" had collapsed, and the price of Card of Safe Return plummeted.
The losses of the unscrupulous scalpers were naturally ignored by Kaiba and Pegasus. However, due to the 'Forbidden & Limited List,' Industrial Illusions adjusted the quantity of Card of Safe Return during Card Printing to prevent too many copies from circulating and causing Duelists to open useless Cards.
If, in the past, one Card of Safe Return could be opened from every hundred Cards, now to open one would require at least 1000% of that, or a thousand Cards. Hiroyuki Kobayashi, however, had opened three consecutive copies of Card of Safe Return, a probability that could almost be considered one in a billion.
Admiring his dad's god-like luck, Hayato looked at the Card in his Deck, placed below the Tyrant Neptune: the Fusion Monster, Dragonmaid Butler.
The graceful and perfect Dragonmaid Butler in the Card Art noticed Hayato's gaze, smiled gently, and bowed slightly. Hayato wasn't surprised; after all, he already knew about the existence of Duel Monster Spirits in the Dragonmaid Deck from their previous Duel.
He wasn't sure about other Cards, but Dragonmaid Butler had definitely awakened its Duel Monster Spirit. However, whether it was awakened by his dad's inherent strength and Duelist's Soul, or influenced by Tyrant Neptune, remained unknown.
Nodding in response to the Dragonmaid Butler's greeting, Hayato didn't look further. Instead, he gathered the spread-out Deck, drew out the Tyrant Neptune by itself, and with a slightly serious expression, said to Hiroyuki Kobayashi, "I found the Card I was looking for."
"Hm, is that Card what you were looking for?"
"For the specifics, I can only say that those who know, know, and those who don't, I'd find it difficult to explain." Speaking like a riddle, Hayato solemnly stated, "All in all, there are many secrets behind this Card. If possible, it's best if it's not used again."
It wasn't that Hayato was being alarmist. Although Gekko, who possessed The splendid VENUS, behaved quite normally in all respects, there were also negative examples like Tilla Mook, who was controlled by her own Vampire Sucker.
Hayato wanted to trust the Duel Monster Spirit of Dragonmaid Butler, but he didn't possess Pegasus's Millennium Eye to see into hearts, nor could he constantly stay by his dad's side to prevent accidents.
He could only trust that Dragonmaid Butler wouldn't turn on its master like Vampire Sucker had, and so he took Tyrant Neptune from Hiroyuki Kobayashi's Deck, deeming it a "source of pollution."
Hayato had expected his dad to be annoyed or dismiss his advice, but to his surprise, Hiroyuki Kobayashi simply waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever, go ahead. Never mind that one Card, you can take the entire Deck if you want."
"Hm?" Hayato tilted his head in surprise.
"Hmph, I've hated this Deck for a long time. All the Monsters are too dainty, without enough sense of power; they're not as good as that Drytron thing you just used." When he brought up the Dragonmaid Deck, Hiroyuki Kobayashi actually looked disgusted. "Besides, I haven't had this Deck for long. I didn't conquer London undefeated with this Deck, either."
Hiroyuki Kobayashi wasn't lying; he had only acquired the Dragonmaid Deck less than a month ago, and its usage was minimal. He had conquered London undefeated not with Dragonmaids, but with another Zombie-Type Deck.
What he didn't tell Hayato was that the reason he gave him the Dragonmaid Deck was because ever since he started using it, even though his wife Sumire Kobayashi seemed to really like the Dragonmaid Cards and looked happy, the way she looked at him each day grew increasingly strange.
He even had the illusion that he would receive an incredibly long text message and hear the kettle boiling.
Also, the main Strategy of the Zombie-Type Deck Hiroyuki Kobayashi used to play was Milling Monsters to the Graveyard to Trigger various strategies. Back then, Hiroyuki Kobayashi was invincible with his Targeted Milling.
However, ever since he started using the Dragonmaid Deck, due to his old habits, Hiroyuki Kobayashi directly put in three copies of Laundry Dragonmaid, Little Blue. As a result, his usual Targeted Milling vanished, leaving only one Milling mishap after another. He had been annoyed with Little Blue for a long time; if his Milling was inaccurate, he figured it was Little Blue's fault.
Though Hayato didn't know his dad's thoughts, he politely said, "How could I possibly accept such a thing?"
"He says that, but you've already slipped it into your pocket. Your movements are far too practiced," Marik remarked, complaining about Hayato, who was already accustomed to swiping other people's Cards and skillfully placed the Deck into a Deck box.
And as Hiroyuki Kobayashi transferred the Dragonmaid Deck to Hayato, Hayato heard the System's voice, a sound he hadn't heard in a long time:
[Achievement Completed]
[Achievement Name: Your Waifu is Great, But She's Mine Next Second]
(end of chapter)
# Chapter 488: Amazing! Era! Future!
Domino City, Commercial Street.
As the most bustling area in Domino City, and also due to KaibaCorp's proximity, the number of people coming and going on Domino City's Commercial Street was considerable even on regular weekdays. On Saturdays and Sundays, when children were out of school and adults were off work, the foot traffic multiplied even further.
However, even compared to typical weekend holidays, today, despite being a Friday, the number of people present on the Commercial Street was remarkably high.
The last time Domino City's Commercial Street saw such a large crowd was on the eve of Battle City's opening, when Kaiba gathered numerous Duelists and, from a helicopter, loudly announced the news of Battle City.
Today's event, however, had nothing to do with Kaiba. Ever since he made his mark in America with the KC Cup, he had been diligently expanding into new markets. Yet, he hadn't abandoned the Japanese market he had already secured, leaving it instead to Mokuba.
In this world, where Duel Monsters was increasingly popular globally, it wasn't too difficult to gather so many people. Any major news related to Duel Monsters, whether a large-scale tournament or the release of new cards, could easily draw a crowd.
And today, Pegasus's Industrial Illusions was doing the latter. He had specifically chosen Domino City, where the Duel Monsters craze was at its peak, as the venue for launching a new card series. He even invited Chumley, Yugi, and Joey to appear alongside him.
The reason for inviting Chumley and Yugi was that both were shareholders of Industrial Illusions. They were simply there to boost the atmosphere, and it would only benefit them, not cause any loss, as an increase in Industrial Illusions' stock price would mean larger dividends for them.
As for Joey, though he was initially reluctant, Pegasus, like Kaiba, had discerned Joey's greatest weakness and offered far too much.
Although Pegasus himself had not yet appeared in the Central Plaza of the Commercial Street, those waiting there showed no sign of boredom. Presumably, their profound love for Duel Monsters endowed them with immense patience.
This surely had nothing to do with the numerous beautiful women at the scene cosplaying various Duel Monsters such as (Mystical Elf) and (Dark Magician Girl).
Chumley wasn't sure about others, but Joey and Grandpa Muto, who came with Yugi, were already enjoying themselves immensely, lingering amongst the crowd.
Tristan and Téa hadn't come today, as it was Friday and they still had school.
Yes, you heard right, "school attendance," a phrase that seemed so distant to Chumley and his friends, yet it was indeed happening.
The famous cherry-licking performance artist Hanaxouin once said that students should act like students. Even though Yugi, Joey, and Chumley had a blast playing cards of all kinds outside countless times, they were still just ordinary, unremarkable Japanese high school students.
And as everyone knows, students should attend school, and Chumley and his friends were no exception. However, due to Pegasus's invitation, the school approved the leave applications submitted by Chumley, Yugi, and Joey. As for Tristan, Téa, and Duke Devlin, they regrettably had to remain at school.
Chumley and Yugi, each owning 30% of Industrial Illusions' shares, didn't seek out beautiful cosplayers for photos in the plaza like others. After all, Yugi had (Dark Magician Girl) in his own Deck, whose figure was arguably better and personality more affectionate than any cosplayer. Chumley, on the other hand, felt that Waifu Cards were more appealing than cosplayers.
Besides that, they also knew in advance what kind of spectacle Pegasus was planning for today.
The release of new Card Packs was merely a promotional tactic. Inviting "Legendary Duelists" like Chumley, Joey, and Yugi to grace the event was just to create enough atmosphere. Pegasus's true objective was to host a Duel Monsters Convention in Domino City.
This "Duel Monsters Convention" wasn't a competition-oriented event like Battle City; it was closer to a personal art exhibition by Pegasus and a Duel Monsters fan exchange meeting.
For today's "Duel Monsters Convention," Pegasus reportedly brought out all the works he had treasured in his castle from his youth. Among them were a considerable number of prototypes for current Duel Monsters Cards, and even copies he had taken imprints from Stone Tablets during his travels in Egypt. He truly spared no expense.
After all, with these items and Pegasus himself, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the origin of Duel Monsters Cards. Not even the Stone Tablets that recorded the predecessor of "Duel Monsters"—the "Duel Ritual" of Ancient Egypt—were as precious as these.
The ancient "Duel Ritual" was certainly valuable, but without Pegasus transforming it into Duel Monsters Cards, the "Duel Ritual" would have had no chance of development, let alone becoming popular worldwide.
Despite the massive crowd almost completely filling the plaza, leaving little empty space, superficially, it seemed like a chaotic mix, and one couldn't tell if some madman might cause trouble. But Chumley and Yugi were well aware that numerous (The Security) personnel were stationed in the tall buildings lining both sides of the Commercial Street's Central Plaza. If necessary, they even had permission to use firearms.
Moreover, even among the crowd, Pegasus's subordinates were secretly mixed in. At least Chumley knew that the person currently posing for a photo with Joey, wearing a (Rainbow Kuriboh) mascot suit, was a subordinate of Pegasus. And the (Dark Magician Girl) posing with Grandpa Muto was actually a cross-dresser.
As for the other aspect of the "Duel Monsters Convention"—the so-called "fan exchange meeting"—it was essentially still dueling, but made more casual and entertainment-focused. Participants wouldn't use their own collected Cards but would build a Deck from Card Packs provided by Industrial Illusions.
Even Professional Duelists, if they dueled using unfamiliar card piles instead of their accustomed Decks, could, with bad luck, lose to newly initiated Duelists.
After all, no one could guarantee what kind of Cards they would open. It could be the invincible (Leo Wizard the Dark Fiend), or it could just be a pile of Fodder Monsters.
Furthermore, for added fun, these Card Packs provided by Pegasus to participants included not only previously released Cards already known to the public, but also the new Cards he intended to release, which were randomly mixed into this batch.
That way, participants would not only have to use unfamiliar Cards but also face Cards with unknown effects.
It was quite a mischievous twist. However, Chumley, Joey, and Yugi all intended to participate, as they found such a playstyle quite interesting.
The official start time was twelve o'clock noon. Since Pegasus had not yet arrived, Chumley and Yugi, who had no intention of posing for photos with cosplayers, sat in their reserved seats. Yugi passed the time by reading a promotional pamphlet, while Chumley looked towards Pegasus's empty seat.
A small mechanism was installed under the table in front of Pegasus. The "Duel Monsters Convention" had prepared a trophy for the ultimate victor, stored within that mechanism. With a little trick, the mechanism could rise, lifting the trophy onto the tabletop, creating the illusion of a "rising trophy."
Next to the trophy was a Deck containing the latest Cards Pegasus was about to release. This meant the victor of the "Duel Monsters Convention" wouldn't need to buy Card Packs to obtain the Cards directly.
Chumley actually knew what that Deck was: it was the (Elemental HERO) Deck he had previously gifted to Little Jaden, primarily consisting of Elemental HERO Wastes and (Elemental HERO Bubbleman), along with Cards like (Winged Kuriboh).
However, Chumley found the trophy itself inexplicably familiar.
A golden, vase-like base, with a clear green glass sphere embedded in its opening, surrounded by a pair of exquisitely crafted blue wings. Above the glass sphere was a three-dimensional sculpture of a Duel Monster Card in a tilted position.
"This trophy, I think this is the first time I've seen it, right? Why does it look so familiar, full of déjà vu?" Chumley muttered to himself, examining the trophy, yet unable to recall where he had seen it before.
"No, that's not the point." Chumley's gaze sharpened suddenly. "Even a 'Duel Monsters Convention,' which isn't even a major event, has a trophy. Why wasn't there one back during Duelist Kingdom?"
"You took kickbacks, Pegasus, unforgivable!"
——————(Little Blue) OTK (Ojama Yellow)——————
20XX, Florence, Italy.
As the birthplace of the European Renaissance and a world-renowned cultural tourism destination, Florence had always attracted tourists from all over the globe. In Florence's City Hall Plaza, in particular, people came and went in an endless stream.
Even in Florence, with its many plazas, the City Hall Plaza was known as "Italy's most beautiful plaza." However, today, this plaza, surrounded by numerous exquisite and historically rich buildings, was covered in thick smoke and raging fire.
Above the City Hall Plaza, which was dim under the blanket of dense smoke, a three-headed mechanical Wyvern spread its wings, soared, overlooking the land. Its three heads swayed, searching in different directions, seemingly looking for something.
Suddenly, on the rooftop of a building the Dragon had just flown over, a red-clad Jellyfish Head boy exerted force with both arms, shifting from hanging suspended from the eaves to standing on the rooftop. He pulled a Card from the Duel Disk-like device on his wrist: "Alright, now's the time! Attack (Cyber End Dragon), (Elemental HERO Gaia)!"
"Earth-Shattering Fist!"
The three-headed mechanical Dragon soaring in the sky—(Cyber End Dragon)—detected the life it had missed behind it the moment the boy spoke. But it was too late to change direction in mid-air. Before "Eternal Evolution Burst" could be unleashed from one of (Cyber End Dragon)'s three heads, (Elemental HERO Gaia), named after Earth, delivered a stylish uppercut, knocking (Cyber End Dragon) out of the sky.
"Ya-da-ze!"
Seeing this, the red-clad Jellyfish Head boy triumphantly swung his fist, but suddenly heard a reminder from his unseen friend beside him: "Jaden, dodge at six o'clock."
Without thinking, the boy followed his friend's warning and performed a backward somersault, narrowly avoiding a light projectile that struck his original position. The light cannonball shattered the rooftop of the building, and the boy used the shockwave to leave the rooftop he was originally on.
"Thanks, Yubel." Thanking his friend, whom others couldn't see, the boy looked up at the entity that had attacked him in the air, revealing his heterochromatic eyes, one blue and one gold.
From his friend's address and the boy's appearance, it was clear that this boy was Jaden Yuki, but he looked at least ten years older than the Jaden Chumley knew.
Through the dust, Jaden's heterochromatic eyes spotted the entity hidden behind the smoke that had attacked him, and his pupils involuntarily constricted. He realized that the Monster that had just attacked him was none other than the most famous Duel Monster of his era—(Blue-Eyes White Dragon).
"Whoa, whoa, no way, even (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) showed up. Could it be that Seto Kaiba's Cards have also been affected?" Jaden said flippantly, but his hands were not slow in the slightest. Another Card was placed on his Duel Disk. "To deal with (Blue-Eyes), this Card should be quite suitable, right?"
"Go, (Elemental HERO Flame Wingman)!"
The one-winged hero with a dragon-headed arm flew out from Jaden's Duel Disk. With a flick of its Dragon tail, it dispersed another "Burst Stream of Destruction" spat out by (Blue-Eyes White Dragon), and the dragon head on its right arm fired a fireball in return.
A golden speck of light floated out from Jaden's jacket pocket, and from it came a lazy man's voice: "No, it doesn't feel like President Kaiba's (Blue-Eyes). The (Blue-Eyes) that once fought the King of Games under his command shouldn't be that weak. It's almost as if it hasn't experienced much battle."
"Huh? Could it be that fourth (Blue-Eyes White Dragon)? No, that's not right either. I heard Mr. Chumley say that card was torn up by Seto Kaiba, wasn't it? You must be mistaken, Professor Banner~"
Jaden waved his hand dismissively. Beside him, an illusory figure emerged. With arms crossed over its chest, (Yubel), much calmer and more peaceful than when Chumley sealed it, said, "Regardless, (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) has a certain baseline. Even with your power, Jaden, (Elemental HERO Flame Wingman) can only hold its own; it cannot defeat (Blue-Eyes White Dragon)."
"And as for (Cyber End Dragon), I don't think it'll be that simple to take it down."
Jaden nodded. "After all, it's Kaiser's Ace Card. Even you, Yubel, almost couldn't handle Kaiser back then, right?"
"Hmph!" Hearing Jaden bring up old matters again, (Yubel) huffed tsundere-like, then asked, "So, what's next?"
Upon hearing this, Jaden's expression grew serious. "Mr. Chumley mentioned this to me before. As a Duelist, if you want to reach the peak, you must coordinate your entire being."
"Not only do you need a mind full of courage and wisdom, and to Draw Cards connected to your Deck's Heart (of the Cards), but even these legs are extremely crucial."
"Ooh, ooh, what are you going to do with your legs, Jaden-kun?" The speck of light named Professor Banner asked with an expectant tone, completely oblivious to (Yubel) beside him, who was covering its forehead with a troubled expression.
"Not again, really?"
Jaden suddenly reached out, grabbed the speck of light that was Professor Banner, stuffed him into his pocket, turned his back to the battling (Blue-Eyes White Dragon), and sprinted across the rooftop: "Of course, I'm using my legs to run away, Professor Banner!"
"Nigero, da yo~!"
(end of chapter)
Chapter 489: Collecting Powerful Monsters? Then I'll Send You One Too!
Jaden Yuki, 2X years old, was once a student at Duel Academy, funded by KaibaCorp. He began his global travels a few years after graduating.
At some unknown point, a strange phenomenon of "disappearing Duel Monsters" began to occur globally. Monsters within Duelists' Cards mysteriously vanished, subtly restricted to "Dragons."
Among Jaden's classmates, not to mention traditional Dragon-Type Monsters like Light and Darkness Dragon and Rainbow Dragon, even Monsters that were clearly Machine-Type or Sea Serpent-Type, such as Cyber End Dragon and Water Dragon, also disappeared from their Cards one by one. Following various clues, Jaden found the mastermind in Italy—a mysterious Masked Man.
The Duel Monsters that had mysteriously vanished from Cards were, astonishingly, in the hands of Paradox, the man wearing a black and white mask. What surprised Jaden even more was that he even saw the legendary Duel Monster—Blue-Eyes White Dragon—in the man's possession!
Next time, The Death of Jaden—
"As if! Don't come up with such nonsensical titles!" Jaden, who looked like a slightly scrawny teenager, was now sprinting at superhuman speed up the outer wall of a tilting clock tower, like a superpowered superhero. "And what have you been talking about since earlier, Professor Banner!"
"Now, now, just like all heroic epics need a background-setting segment, it's just a basic recap," a voice emerged from a glowing point in Jaden's arms. "Also, Cyber End Dragon is catching up!"
"Nani?!"
Jaden sharply turned his head, seeing that, just as Professor Banner had said, the Cyber End Dragon he had previously shot down with his Elemental HERO Gaia had reappeared completely unharmed and was rapidly closing in on Jaden, its three heads already locked onto him.
Leaping, Jaden forcibly changed his direction of movement, hiding behind a griffon statue. However, he wasn't naive enough to believe that this statue would serve as an indestructible cover for the protagonist's team to chat and strategize behind, like in movies and TV shows, so he instantly jumped away.
And sure enough, in the next second, a blast of light shot from the left head of Cyber End Dragon instantly annihilated the griffon statue.
Under normal circumstances, such damage to precious cultural relics would certainly lead to fines and imprisonment. But even if police responsible for apprehending lawbreakers appeared here, they would likely not dare issue a ticket to the airborne Cyber End Dragon, which resembled a killing machine.
Thus, Jaden ran and dodged, as if Drake and Lara had simultaneously possessed him. After destroying several churches, museums, and bell towers along the way, he finally managed to block Cyber End Dragon's flight path with a toppled bell tower, putting some distance between them, and landed on the ground, gasping for breath.
"Phew, that was close, almost game over," Jaden, landing in an open space, turned around and glanced at the Cyber End Dragon, which had been forced to evade due to the bell tower. Just as he was about to sigh in relief, he noticed a winding figure flying out from the gap between the toppled bell tower and an adjacent building.
"Is that, Jesse Anderson's Rainbow Dragon?" Jaden frowned, sensing trouble.
Cyber End Dragon, due to its size, couldn't pass through the gap, which was why he had intentionally lured it next to the bell tower as a restriction, hoping to rest a little before landing in this open area. He hadn't expected that while the bulky Cyber End Dragon couldn't pass through, it was effortless for the snake-like Rainbow Dragon to do so. And there was no cover in this open space for him to dodge behind.
The Rainbow Dragon, with its two pairs of dim yellow eyes, stared intently at Jaden on the ground, opening its mouth. A seven-colored breath of light erupted from it, aimed directly at Jaden. Jaden, unfazed, drew a Card: "Elemental HERO Neos Alius!"
An Elemental HERO Monster with a silvery-white body, resembling Ultraman, a Monster that even Chumley didn't possess, appeared before Jaden. Although transparent, it easily sliced through the rainbow beam spit by Rainbow Dragon with a single hand chop.
The split beams streaked past both sides of his body, destroying the buildings nearby. Just then, Jaden heard an unfamiliar voice.
"Jaden Yuki, the Duelist who controls Spirit Power."
"Hmph hmph hmph, because Rainbow Dragon has 4000 ATK, you used Elemental HERO Neos Alius, which isn't Destroyed by Battle when Special Summoned, to block the Attack?"
Looking in the direction of the voice, Jaden saw the Cyber End Dragon, which had bypassed the bell tower, and the Rainbow Dragon, which had just Attacked, descending from the sky. Standing atop a church was Paradox, the masked man.
Jaden had witnessed Paradox plundering a Duelist's Monsters from their Deck, which confirmed that he was the culprit behind the "disappearing Duel Monsters" incident, and had subsequently been pursued by him.
Glancing behind him, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which should have been Destroyed by his Elemental HERO Flame Wingman, had quietly landed behind him, blocking his retreat.
Nevertheless, Jaden still managed a smile.
"Hohoho, what an honor, I didn't realize my reputation was so great?" Jaden rubbed his nose, not at all appearing like someone surrounded by three powerful Duel Monsters. "But speaking of controlling Spirit Power, haven't you also Materialized Duel Monsters?"
"There's no need to inform you of such things. In any case, the Cards that can be collected in this era are almost complete. Perish now, Jaden Yuki." Paradox drew a Card from his Duel Disk. "With this Card from the Future!"
Strange starlight surged from the Card in Paradox's hand, converging in the sky, forming a golden sphere. Then, lightning struck!
Appearing before Jaden was a Dragon-Type Monster with a humanoid torso and limbs, a slender and beautiful physique, with specks of starlight circling its delicate wings.
"A white Dragon I've never seen before? And, it's a black-bordered Card!?" The sharp-eyed Jaden immediately noticed the uniqueness of the Card Paradox placed on his Duel Disk. Unlike the usual yellow border of Monsters, it wasn't the blue of a Ritual, or the purple of a Fusion, but a distinctly dark black.
However, Paradox seemed to have no intention of answering Jaden's questions. With a wave of his hand, Cyber End Dragon, Rainbow Dragon, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and the newly appeared unknown Dragon-Type surrounded Jaden from four directions, all simultaneously charging their attacks!
"I don't have time to waste with you. Die, Jaden Yuki!"
"Eternal Evolution Burst!" "Over the Rainbow!" "Burst Stream of Destruction!" "Sonic Jet!"
Seeing this, Jaden's brain began to process at high speed.
Although he himself possessed the ability to Materialize Duel Monsters, and Materializing five at once wasn't difficult, to give his Monsters enough strength to withstand the attacks of these powerful Monsters, his limit could only be three. Any more, and they wouldn't be able to defend effectively.
Elemental HERO Flame Wingman and Elemental HERO Neos were immediately substituted onto the Field by Jaden. As for the last Monster, his choice was—
"Your goal is to collect powerful Monsters, right? Only choosing Dragon-Type Monsters is a bit too picky. To help you maintain a balanced diet, I'll give you this powerful Monster!"
As Jaden drew a Card, a large amount of lava suddenly surged from beneath the feet of Cyber End Dragon and Rainbow Dragon, the two Monsters with the highest ATK that Jaden recognized, engulfing them. The lava rose and merged, forming a towering Lava Golem.
The attacks from the unknown white Dragon and Blue-Eyes White Dragon were also blocked by the now less pressured Elemental HERO Flame Wingman and Elemental HERO Neos.
"Damn it, it's Lava Golem!" Paradox was clearly annoyed that his Monsters were swallowed, grinding his teeth. Jaden didn't hold back his praise for the Monster that had made a great contribution. "Niiiice! Lava Golem!"
Paradox, in a foul mood, was about to place his hand on his Duel Disk again to draw other Monsters and launch another Attack to eliminate Jaden. But just then, a Dragon's roar suddenly echoed from the church he was standing on:
"Wooooooh!!!"
"Nani?!"
The moment the sound rang out, Paradox immediately moved from his position. The very next second, a phantom red Dragon flew from the church beneath his feet towards the sky, then turned and swooped towards the ground, before shattering and disappearing like a phantom.
From the head of the disappearing Dragon, a strangely shaped motorcycle emerged. With a standard Akira slide stop, the motorcyclist immediately saw the white Dragon locked in a struggle with Elemental HERO Neos.
"Stardust Dragon!!"
"Yusei Fudo? Hmph, so you followed Stardust Dragon and tracked me to this Time-Space?" Paradox, seeing the motorcyclist—a crab-haired man named Yusei Fudo—arrive, stopped his movement to draw a Card.
Jaden Yuki alone was already troublesome enough, and now with Yusei Fudo's support, eliminating both of them here would undoubtedly require a significant amount of effort.
He didn't have an absolute necessity to kill these two. In any case, once his objective was achieved, they would also disappear from the World. Leaving them alone was fine.
They would never guess what he planned to do next, anyway.
"You bastard!" Yusei Fudo didn't notice Paradox's retreating action. He dismounted his motorcycle aggressively, wearing a Duel Disk. "Give me back my Stardust Dragon!"
"Hmph hmph, I can't do that. It still has a great use for me," Paradox said, leaping down and being perfectly caught by an unmanned giant motorcycle. "Our encounter ends here. In any case, this era will be Destroyed by my act of salvation!"
"Era, Destroyed?" Jaden struggled to understand Paradox's meaning, but Yusei Fudo's eyes widened. "Don't tell me this guy plans to—"
"Cherish your last moments with Duel Monsters, Duelists, hahahaha!" The giant motorcycle Paradox was riding was enveloped in a phantom white light. After a flash of light, the highly conspicuous giant motorcycle vanished into thin air amidst Paradox's maniacal laughter!
With Paradox's disappearance, Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Stardust Dragon also vanished, and Lava Golem turned back into magma, falling to the ground.
"Damn it! He got away again!" Yusei Fudo angrily flung his hand, but he couldn't do anything about the vanished Paradox. In his frustration, he remembered Jaden, who had just fought Paradox, and turned to walk towards him, asking with concern, "Hello, are you not hurt?"
Jaden had just put away his Duel Disk and was brushing dust off his red jacket. Seeing Yusei Fudo approach, he flashed a bright smile: "Hehe, Daijoubu Daijoubu, not even a scratch."
"Oh, right, my name is Jaden Yuki."
"Jaden Yuki?" Yusei Fudo nodded, remembering the name. "My name is Yusei Fudo."
---Pure Love Wargod Kaiba will definitely defeat NTR Paradox---
"I see, so that Stardust Dragon is your Card, Yusei. You traveled through time from Domino City decades later because your Card was taken." Sitting amidst the architectural ruins, Jaden held a previously hidden backpack, checking its contents. "Good thing, I thought it would be crushed."
"Yes, although it sounds highly improbable, it's true."
However, to Yusei's slight surprise, upon hearing talk of "traveling through time," Jaden nonchalantly said, "No, I believe you, Yusei. Actually, I've experienced similar things before, like having partners taken away, or traveling through time."
"But speaking of which, is that a Duel Disk from the future?" Jaden's gaze drifted to an open space nearby, where the strangely shaped red motorcycle Yusei had arrived on—a device called a D-Wheel—was parked. "And New Domino City, it sounds exciting, I wonder what it looks like."
"Well, it's hard to describe in words." Recalling the prosperity of New Domino City and the dilapidation of Satellite, Yusei decided it was better to let Jaden maintain his beautiful imagination.
"Hmm, it is the future after all. Just as people in the past couldn't imagine the present, I really can't imagine what the future will look like," Jaden smiled and nodded, then, as if remembering something, said, "Speaking of which, the guy who took your Stardust Dragon, Yusei, seems to have traveled through time again."
"Yes, although I'm not sure what his objective is, his actions have caused my era to collapse. If we continue to let him act freely, the era itself might even cease to exist."
Yusei's expression was quite serious. "So, not only to retrieve Stardust Dragon, but even for the sake of the people living in my era, I must find Paradox and stop him."
"Oh, I'll lend you a hand too. That guy also took a lot of my friends' Cards. And from what you're saying, Yusei, my era will also disappear, right?"
Jaden scratched his head. "When I first found that guy, I was thinking of retreating first and then calling for help, but I didn't expect it to be such a serious major event. In this situation, as a hero, I can't just run away."
This was just the setup before the Fusion, after all, you can't just have Paradox being ganged up on right away.
Besides, the original movie was incredibly short, a film with less than fifty minutes including the beginning and end, barely an extended Anime episode.
Upcoming chapter previews:
"A Trap-heavy Strategy so potent it can ensnare even light to death."
"Hahaha, I will Summon my loyal servant!"
"Even Little Blue is gray, utterly shameless."
"It's just Nibiru, the Primal Being, watch me push it—Nani, Nibiru, the Primal Being!??!"
"You're too naive, this is my Attack route!"
"DARK! FUSION! FUSION!"
(The above will not appear in the main text)
(end of chapter)
Chapter 490: Machine-Type vs. Cyber Dragon — Just a Freebie
With that, Jaden Yuki and Yusei Fudo formed a team, working together with the objective of stopping Paradox's world-ending actions and reclaiming the numerous Duel Monsters he had taken.
"Right, about that," Jaden asked, a little confused, "Which era should we go to to find Paradox?"
Yusei Fudo shook his head; he also didn't know how to find Paradox.
He could travel through time to Jaden's era by relying on the existence known as "Ultimaya Tzolkin"—the Crimson Dragon that appeared with Yusei Fudo. However, navigating to a specific era still depended on Yusei Fudo himself.
The precise timing of Yusei Fudo's arrival was also thanks to a pair of twin siblings he knew, Leo and Luna. Their family wasn't immensely wealthy, but they could pretty much do whatever they pleased. With their help, Yusei Fudo learned that his stolen [Stardust Dragon] had, for some unknown reason, appeared in Europe decades ago and caused widespread destruction through materialization.
But now, Yusei Fudo didn't have Leo and Luna by his side to help him research information.
"Ultimaya Tzolkin" could help Yusei Fudo and Jaden return to the past, but the first thing they needed to do was confirm the specific point in time they needed to go. If they blindly traveled to the past without knowing their destination, it would only be a waste of time.
However, from Paradox's previous words, Yusei Fudo had also deduced a key piece of information: that his ultimate goal in collecting powerful Monsters from various eras was to make Duel Monsters disappear. However, what Yusei Fudo couldn't understand was why Paradox was only collecting "Dragon-Type" Monsters.
Could it be that he thought only Dragon-Type Monsters were the most important among all Duel Monsters? Yusei Fudo silently grumbled to himself.
"Constantly collecting Duel Monsters, in the end, won't make much of a difference, will it? After all, as long as Industrial Illusions still exists, any number of Cards can be reprinted. Paradox can't possibly destroy every card spirit within every Card." Jaden said casually, "So what exactly is he collecting Cards for?"
Jaden's casual words, however, sparked an idea in Yusei Fudo: "I understand. That guy's objective isn't actually 'Dragon-Type' Monsters, but simply 'powerful Monsters' as he said. Whether they are Machine-Type or Spellcaster-Type doesn't actually matter, because he just wants a tool."
"His goal is to destroy Duel Monsters, then the simplest method, without a doubt, is to kill the 'Father of Duel Monsters' who created them—Pegasus!"
"What!? Mr. Pegasus? That guy's target is actually Mr. Pegasus!" Jaden exclaimed, shocked. "I see, I completely understand."
No, you clearly don't understand at all, do you?
Seeing Jaden still wearing a carefree expression, Yusei Fudo grumbled inwardly.
"Still, even if we know Mr. Pegasus is that mysterious person's target, it's no use. We still don't know when that person plans to make their move. Furthermore, Mr. Pegasus has had a habit of hiding his whereabouts for a long time, so we have no idea when or where he might appear."
Jaden frowned in thought, but then suddenly a look of realization crossed his face, and he excitedly snapped his fingers. "That's right! Even if we don't know, there's definitely someone who does!"
"Don't sleep yet, Pharaoh, let me grab something." As he spoke, Jaden opened his backpack, pulled out the fat cat "Pharaoh" curled up and hiding inside, and then took out a portable camera laptop. "Hmm, 'who says only those who stand in the light are heroes.' Okay, password confirmed."
"Hm, looks like our luck is pretty good; the nearby signal towers haven't been destroyed. But I wonder if Mr. Chumley is online?"
After opening the laptop, Jaden logged into a chat software that seemed quite ancient to Yusei Fudo, and opened a chatroom named [I Must Duel Immediately]. Several online users were posting in it ———
[Hundreds and Thousands]: Just wondering, why are both my [Armed Dragon] and [Light and Darkness Dragon] gone, but Kaiser only lost one [Cyber End Dragon]?
[Hundreds and Thousands]: Is Paradox an idiot or something? Doesn't everyone know that Kaiser readily abandons his old friends these days? What's the deal with him not losing his other [Chimeratech Rampage Dragon] and [Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon] besides [Cyber End Dragon]?
[Tenjouin~]: Chazz-chan, you didn't really think Kaiser's cards had all disappeared, so you challenged him with [XYZ-Dragon Cannon], did you?
[Tenjouin~]: @[Reforge Ritual Glory] Alexis Rhodes, do you know?
[Reforge Ritual Glory]: Thanks for asking, I'm here live. The audience is roaring with laughter, and I hear it's even been nominated for this year's Professional Duelist blooper reel.
[I Always Love Elemental HEROes]: Really? Too bad I can't watch Chazz Princeton and Kaiser's match from here.
[I Always Love Elemental HEROes]: Oh, right, @[Man in Zeon Just Off Guntank] Mr. Chumley, a friend of mine asked me to help them ask: if some jerk wanted to travel back to the past to kill Mr. Pegasus to destroy Duel Monsters, what year should they go back to to stop him?
[Tenjouin~]: Jaden-chan, there are no outsiders here, is that friend you're talking about actually you?
[I Always Love Elemental HEROes]: Of course not, I really do have a friend, and he's from the future.
[Hundreds and Thousands]: Honestly, nothing that happens around you would surprise me.
[Man in Zeon Just Off Guntank]: A person from the future? Let me think. Oh, that's right, it was when Pegasus first held the 'Duel Monsters Tournament' in Domino City. @[I Always Love Elemental HEROes]
"Got it, the first 'Duel Monsters Tournament' in Domino City, that's it." After getting the necessary information from the chatroom, Jaden thanked the ID [Man in Zeon Just Off Guntank], and then looked up the exact time of the first 'Duel Monsters Tournament'.
Yusei Fudo was a little confused: "Is it really this time? Is the person who gave you that information trustworthy?"
"Don't worry, Yusei Fudo, you can always trust Mr. Chumley." After Jaden found the exact time on the laptop, he closed it and put it back in his backpack, and picked up the fat cat "Pharaoh" who was playing with a light spot. "And if I'm not mistaken, we might even run into Mr. Chumley at our destination."
"Achoo!"
The helicopter's rotor wash kicked up some dust. Watching Pegasus, who seemed to have picked up bad habits from Kaiba, descend from the helicopter, Chumley's nose tickled, and he sneezed. He rubbed his nose and looked at a nearby clock.
That Pegasus fellow arrived quite "on time." He said it would start at 12 o'clock, so he absolutely had to be there by 12 o'clock sharp, not a minute earlier.
Unconsciously looking up, Chumley sighed, "The winds today are quite boisterous~"
(end of chapter)