# Chapter 606: Dump Truck Instantly Defeats Kaiba
[Dump Truck Instantly Defeats Kaiba]: "Valon, was he defeated?"
[Dump Truck Instantly Defeats Kaiba]: "How embarrassing for that guy."
In the communication group with only Alister, Valon, and Rafael, Alister, upon learning from Rafael that Valon had actually died and even his corpse had been recovered, merely said a couple of indifferent remarks.
There was none of the anger or sadness one would feel at a companion's death; instead, it was as if he was mocking Valon for dying like that.
[Dump Truck Instantly Defeats Kaiba]: "But Rafael, are you sure Valon was really defeated by that Joey Wheeler? You know that guy is just a second-rate Duelist, right?"
[Ah~ Aiwass]: "Second-rate Duelist? Where did you get that idea?"
[Dump Truck Instantly Defeats Kaiba]: "Huh? Of course, Seto Kaiba said so. Joey Wheeler is just a second-rate Duelist with a third-rate Deck. I remember Seto Kaiba made that evaluation of Joey Wheeler. I remember everything he's said and done clearly."
[Dump Truck Instantly Defeats Kaiba]: "Can a second-rate Duelist, even with the power of the 'Legendary Dragon' that Lord Dartz is so wary of, really defeat that guy Valon?"
[Ah~ Aiwass]: "You might as well speak directly. It's just the two of us here."
[Dump Truck Instantly Defeats Kaiba]: "What I mean is simple, Rafael. I still don't trust that guy Hayato Kobayashi. Valon's death might have been orchestrated by him. For example, maybe he secretly swapped Valon's cards when it was just the two of them teaming up, leading to his defeat or something."
[Dump Truck Instantly Defeats Kaiba]: "Hayato Kobayashi is the kind of person who would do something like that. I don't trust that guy. Even getting within two meters of him, his unpleasant aura gives you the illusion that your heart is being squeezed, as if you're being schemed against!"
[Dump Truck Instantly Defeats Kaiba]: "It's the same for you, right, Rafael!"
[Ah~ Aiwass]: "..."
[Ah~ Aiwass]: "Hayato Kobayashi is an important member of Lord Dartz's New World Plan, and Lord Dartz has great trust in him. Naturally, I also trust him."
Alister looked at the text Rafael sent after hesitating for a moment, and couldn't help but reveal a cold smile, sending a message.
[Dump Truck Instantly Defeats Kaiba]: "Heh heh, if that's really the case, why did you specifically find a reason not to act with Valon before, but instead went to monitor Hayato Kobayashi alone?"
[Dump Truck Instantly Defeats Kaiba]: "Let's just say what you said is true. If you want to act with Hayato Kobayashi, then keep acting with him. But I won't trust that guy."
After sending the message, Alister tossed his mobile phone aside and walked out of the Room.
Pushing open the balcony window, he stood on the Castle's balcony, looking down at the Island's view under the bright sun. Alister's current location was none other than the Castle on Duel Kingdom Island, which originally belonged to Pegasus and was once used to host the Duelist Kingdom event.
Although Pegasus had a lover in his early years, he never married after her untimely death and had no descendants. While he did adopt an adopted son named Tenma Tsukihiro, he did not possess the right of inheritance to Pegasus's property.
After Pegasus was "killed" by Hayato and his soul was sealed, Organization Doma successfully, through its operation, seized half of the stock Pegasus originally held in Industrial Illusions, which was 20%. Added to the 30% stock Hayato already held, they collectively owned 50%. At the same time, some of Pegasus's assets were also taken over by Doma, including this Island where the Father of Duel Monsters had resided for many years.
Although theoretically this Island held more significance as family property for Pegasus himself, it's undeniable that due to his identity as the "Father of Duel Monsters," this Island had been colored by Pegasus's personal touch. Even within this Castle, many of Pegasus's secrets were unknowingly hidden.
After discovering that Yugi, Joey Wheeler, and Kaiba possessed the "Legendary Dragon" cards, Dartz naturally had some suspicion towards Pegasus, the reason being his identity as the "Father of Duel Monsters."
Duel Monsters cards aren't just printed casually. The will of the card spirit is the most important existence. And Pegasus, the "Father of Duel Monsters," could be said to be the person most easily inspired by the card spirits to design cards.
For this reason, Pegasus, who was both a Duelist and a card printer, lost his life. At the same time, Dartz also arranged for Alister to come to Pegasus's Castle to investigate and see if the opponent had left anything behind here during his life.
Alister was actually somewhat unwilling at first. Compared to taking action against Industrial Illusions, he actually wanted to take action against KaibaCorp more and make Seto Kaiba suffer a setback. But Dartz's will was an existence that surpassed everything in Organization Doma, so Alister could only reluctantly execute Dartz's order first.
However, halfway there, he intercepted a message about Kaiba, whom they had been monitoring. A two-seater jet plane under KaibaCorp's name, primarily used only by Kaiba, had filed an application for an international route, arranging an approach from San Francisco, America, to Pegasus's Duel Kingdom Island.
It was clear that Seto Kaiba was going to Duel Kingdom Island.
Isn't this a coincidence? I'm going there too.
Alister was quite excited about this, and his initial unwillingness was completely thrown to the back of his mind. As soon as he arrived on the Island, the highly motivated Alister immediately had the accompanying Organization Doma personnel take over the management staff originally stationed on the Island.
Whether it was security guard captain Saruwatari, who had previously betrayed KaibaCorp for Industrial Illusions, then betrayed them for The Big Five, and then sheepishly defected back to Industrial Illusions, and upon seeing the Doma personnel, wanted to defect again; or Croquet, the butler fiercely loyal to Pegasus – all of them were driven onto a Cruise Ship with insufficient fuel by the Doma personnel and expelled.
Alister felt that not wiping them all out and instead sparing their lives was already being greatly benevolent, but in reality, the fuel on the Cruise Ship was only enough for the people on the Ship to travel from this Island to the nearest San Francisco, and besides the fuel, there was no fresh water or food on the Ship.
However, whether they survived or not had nothing to do with Alister. He only wanted to wait for Kaiba's arrival. For this, he even drove away the Doma personnel, leaving only himself in the huge Castle on this maritime Deserted Island.
This time, he would absolutely take down Seto Kaiba. Any existence that could even slightly become an obstacle must not exist.
"Hurry up and come, Seto Kaiba. I can't wait to harvest your soul." Leaning against the balcony, Alister clenched his fists, his thoughts involuntarily drifting to the past.
He came from Italy and once lived with his family in a beautiful village. He had a father who wasn't handsome but was very reliable, a mother who wasn't beautiful but was very gentle, and the most important person whom Alister regarded as his heart's pillar—his younger brother, Miruko.
One day, a green-haired traveler came to the village. He seemed to be traveling around the World. Even though foreigners were rare in that small village, let alone one with unusual green hair, Alister at the time wasn't very interested in the opponent. Rather than going to watch the foreigner, Alister preferred to play robot war games with his younger brother Miruko.
However, that outsider proactively approached Alister and said difficult words to him like "The Reaper always descends unexpectedly," "The world's pain will converge towards the center," and "Humanity will eventually face a trial."
Alister didn't take those words to heart. And a few days later, that outsider quickly left as well.
His father who worked at the factory, his mother who worked at the bakery, and Miruko, who was innocent, naive, and so cute, and loved robots the most – Alister at that time thought his life would continue forever just like that, unaware of how wonderful that life was compared to the pain that followed.
KaibaCorp, or rather, the arms company "Kaiba Weapons Group" ruled by Gozaburo Kaiba at the time, in order to test newly developed weapons, selected an area that required enough life as a test for destructive power. Of course, KaibaCorp didn't directly appear; instead, they orchestrated a conflict between armed militants and the Italian government, simultaneously providing weapons to both sides to collect data and make money.
The hired armed militants were eventually repelled and fled Italy with the money. The then-president of the Italian government gained certain political achievements and reputation. KaibaCorp got the money and data. The only sacrifices were the chosen village where Alister lived.
The clear river dried up, the lush Jungle burned to ashes, the fields turned into scorched earth, and houses and buildings became ruins.
Alister was the village's only survivor. This was perhaps a miracle, or perhaps a curse, because sometimes the living suffer more pain than the dead.
In this war, Alister lost both his parents and his younger brother Miruko, whom he treasured. He only found his younger brother's favorite robot toy in the hand of an unrecognizable charred corpse.
KaibaCorp was later exposed for this matter, but the then-president, Gozaburo Kaiba, claimed that choosing the test location was the responsibility of a temporary worker. By sending an obvious scapegoat to court, he lightly evaded punishment.
It was simply like a joke.
It seems like someone once said that to destroy a person, all it takes is one bad day and one bad joke.
His younger brother Miruko's toy robot was blackened by the flames, the plastic warped and deformed by the high temperature, and Alister's heart was also stained with darkness and became twisted.
That day, the outsider who had left before returned and sought out Alister again. He said that Gozaburo Kaiba was the culprit behind this war, but if Alister wanted to take revenge on him, he would need power, and he could provide that power.
He said his name was Dartz. When he looked at Alister, his gaze was like looking at a piece of unpolished jade that could finally be harvested. Although he had an extremely handsome, angel-like face, Alister saw a smile full of malice on his face, as if Mephistopheles had finally waited for Faust's soul.
"A demon's whisper can sometimes sound like an angel's voice," Dartz's voice was full of temptation.
But Alister didn't care. As long as he could truly take revenge on KaibaCorp, he didn't care even if Dartz was truly a demon.
Dartz certainly didn't lie to Alister. He truly gave Alister great power, so great that it was among the best even within Organization Doma. This great power allowed Alister to see the possibility of taking revenge on Gozaburo Kaiba.
However, just before he took action, a piece of news made it onto the international headline: the death of Gozaburo Kaiba, and his adopted son, Seto Kaiba, inherited Kaiba Weapons Group.
Gozaburo Kaiba's death felt so unreal. That guy just died like that, before I even had a chance to vent even a shred of the wrath in my heart?
Because of the death of his revenge target, Alister's unvented wrath accumulated and became increasingly twisted. His target immediately targeted Seto Kaiba.
How dare you snatch away my chance for revenge! Since you inherited Gozaburo Kaiba's name and assets, then inherit this wrath of mine along with them, Seto Kaiba!
"Woooosh—"
A low sound came from the sky. Alister looked up and saw a Blue-Eyes White Dragon-shaped jet plane rapidly approaching.
Seto Kaiba had arrived, just as Alister had expected.
Alister pulled his thoughts out of his memories. From the inner pocket of his open trench coat, he took out the toy robot he always carried with him. Looking at his younger brother Miruko's keepsake, Alister murmured incessantly, "The weight, the weight of the dead has doubled. I will continue to battle, upholding Miruko's soul."
Putting away the toy, Alister's gaze became resolute. He turned and walked towards the inside of the Castle. He knew why Seto Kaiba was coming here, so he would go there in advance to wait for Kaiba's arrival.
"This is... a trial."
"I believe this is a trial to overcome the past."
"Only after overcoming the shadow of the past can a person achieve growth."
Murmuring, Alister's figure left the balcony, plunging from the sunlight into the Castle's interior, gradually sinking into the darkness within the empty Castle. The madness in his eye grew more intense.
Meanwhile, outside the Castle, Kaiba stepped off the jet plane, looked at the Castle on the mountain in the distance, and narrowed his eyes.
Just like his previous visits to Pegasus's Castle, this Castle was as silent and empty as ever. But for some reason, Kaiba had the illusion that the Castle, though still in the distance, was already filled with murderous intent, even pointing a sharp blade towards him.
"Nii-san?"
"Hmph, it's nothing, Mokuba." Brushing off the accompanying Mokuba, Kaiba confidently said, "I originally planned to come to this Island to collect the virtual projection system data I need, as well as any potentially useful cards, before Pegasus's assets were swallowed up by America's capital."
"However, it seems like some petty individuals who don't know death from life have already reached out here."
As he spoke, Kaiba put his Duel Disk on his wrist, and with a flourish of his trench coat, walked forward. "Let's go, Mokuba."
"We have plenty of things to be busy with."
Chapter 607: Is That So?
This wasn't the first time Kaiba had come to Pegasus's, or rather, what used to be Pegasus's Castle. Whether it was during the Duelist Kingdom to rescue Keipei, who was held hostage by Pegasus, or just before the "Pyramid of Light" incident when he sought the card Pegasus had created.
However, this was the first time he had ventured deep inside the Castle of his own volition.
After all, Kaiba had actually been imprisoned in the Castle's Dungeon by Pegasus and rescued by Hayato, though that particular incident wasn't in Kaiba's memory.
Kaiba, completely uninterested in the antiques, cultural relics, and art scattered throughout the Castle, headed straight for the Data Center whose location he had investigated beforehand.
Yes, the Data Center. Although the Castle felt ancient and indeed had a long history, because the capricious Pegasus had hosted the "Duelist Kingdom" event on This Island, the Castle also contained distributed data from the Virtual Projection System to manage the Duel Platforms and Duel Monsters data across the Island.
Industrial Illusions has branches in major countries around the world, and the data for the Virtual Projection System, which is of great significance to Duel Monsters today, naturally doesn't exist solely on the Headquarters Building's server. However, Kaiba is a rather impatient person.
Rather than flying across the ocean to other branches of Industrial Illusions to trace the data back to the Headquarters, it was better to come directly to Duel Kingdom Island and use the Data Center in Pegasus Castle, which had an access level comparable to the Headquarters server, to search for the data.
After finding the reason for the Duel Monster Materialization worldwide, Kaiba was eager to go back and find Yugi and the others, who were acting separately, to search for clues together and have the decisive battle with the people from Doma.
It wasn't just the humiliation of having Obelisk the Tormentor taken from him due to Rafael's sneak attack last time; more importantly, that guy Hayato Kobayashi was now rumored to have joined Doma.
Even if Joey Wheeler and Yugi had told him this news, and it had been confirmed by Rex, the only one who had woken up from the serial coma incident, Kaiba wouldn't believe it.
That guy Hayato must be playing some boring trick again. That guy, full of dark humor, wasn't trustworthy, but he was also worth trusting. Kaiba could swear on Joey Wheeler 's gambling luck.
Kaiba, stubbornly believing that Hayato was playing some kind of game, didn't care that he had joined Doma. On the contrary, this was for the best, as it provided Kaiba with a perfectly valid reason to defeat Hayato openly and then reclaim the "Duel King" title he had missed out on during Battle City.
In a Corridor leading to the Data Center located underground in the Castle, Kaiba stopped. Keipei, who was following closely behind Kaiba, couldn't stop in time and bumped into Kaiba.
"Brother, what are you doing?" Complaining about Kaiba suddenly stopping, Keipei stood steady and looked down the Corridor Kaiba was facing. "What's wrong there?"
The wide Corridor wasn't illuminated by classical oil lamps like other parts of the Castle. Instead, electric lights with a slightly retro style that didn't seem out of place were chosen.
However, for some reason, perhaps the light bulbs had reached the end of their lifespan, perhaps due to neglect, or perhaps a circuit malfunction, the direction where Kaiba and Keipei were was fine, but the closer they got to the Data Center, the dimmer the light bulbs became. In the middle section, several lights flickered uneasily, and at the end of the Corridor, all the lights were out.
The pitch-black end of the Corridor was like a vicious beast with its mouth wide open, waiting for its prey to step inside.
Alister, hidden in the darkness, watched Kaiba Seto and Keipei stop and sneered.
The abnormality with the light bulbs was, of course, his doing. He had made a slight adjustment to the circuit, which took less than ten minutes, but the effect was quite good. At least, Alister felt the atmosphere he had created was excellent.
In such a dim environment, stepping from light into darkness required considerable courage, enough to diminish the aura of the usually arrogant Kaiba Seto. And when he suddenly appeared from the darkness, he could transform this heavy atmosphere into fear and impose it upon Kaiba Seto.
Although it sounded like a scary game played by children, Alister believed that a Duelist's aura was very important for a duel. If he could suppress Kaiba's aura, he could also suppress Kaiba's fortune in the duel.
Seeing that the atmosphere was about right, Alister intended to step out of the darkness and reveal himself. But just then, Keipei, who couldn't see what was in the darkness, casually raised the watch on his wrist, turning its side towards Alister. With a "click," a strong light suddenly flared up, nearly blinding Alister, who had adapted to the light in the darkness!
"Ugh!" "Ugh!"
Alister, covering his tearing eye, and Keipei, startled by a person suddenly appearing in the darkness, shouted in unison!
"W-What's wrong with this guy? Why is he hiding in that pitch-black place!" Keipei said, his face full of anger, but his body instinctively hid behind Kaiba, only showing his head. "I haven't seen anyone since entering Pegasus's Castle. I thought there was no one here anymore."
"I totally didn't expect someone to just be standing there! You scared the hell out of me!"
Even Kaiba hadn't expected Alister, a living person, to be hiding in the darkness. He was somewhat startled too, but being skilled at pretending, he maintained a calm and collected expression on the surface, even showing some disdain, as if to say, "I knew he was there all along." "Hmph, this kind of rat in the gutter probably wants to catch someone off guard and sneak attack again."
"It's even more disgusting than Frog's Urine."
"What the hell, is that so?" Keipei raised an eyebrow. "Brother, go! Beat the hell out of him."
"Keipei, who taught you that?"
"Brother Hayato. He said it was a famous quote from a lawyer."
"Don't learn that again."
Meanwhile, Alister heard the voice of Kaiba Seto, whom he was obsessed with. Although his eyes were still very uncomfortable, he forced them open, bloodshot and teary, and glared at Kaiba. "Onore Kaiba Seto!"
You knew I was here all along, yet you pretended to be wary and unaware, and then secretly instructed your younger brother to ambush me. Such cunning schemes and using your younger brother as a tool are unforgivable, Kaiba Seto!
"You bastard, you're noisy!" Kaiba roared back, annoyed. Not to mention that he wasn't scared just now and was just pretending, it was Keipei who shone the flashlight on his arm at you. By your logic, are you trying to blame me?
Could I, Kaiba Seto, tolerate this insult?
"Talking is useless! Let's duel!"
"Hmph, I don't care. After all, the winner can only be me."
"That's not necessarily true. This is your end point of despair, Kaiba Seto!"
"Duel!" x2
Watching Kaiba Seto and Alister, who had suddenly raised their respective Duel Disks and started a duel without a word, Keipei couldn't help but mutter, "Well, they are duelists, after all. As expected, still dueling."
[Kaiba Seto: 4000 LP]
[Alister: 4000 LP]
Although the duel started seemingly like child's play. Actually, neither Kaiba nor Alister felt it was abrupt.
Alister desired revenge, wanting to defeat Kaiba's pride in Duel Monsters, which he was best at, and then kill him.
As for Kaiba, he was also dissatisfied with the draw result against Alister last time and wanted to win. Furthermore, Alister was now blocking the sole entrance to the Data Center. If he didn't defeat him, advancing was basically out of the question.
'Neither of us is the type to sit down and make small talk. In that case, we just need to kill the other with a duel!'
The two, who seemed completely different yet somehow similar in spirit in certain aspects, drew the card from the Top of Deck with the same conviction.
"I'll take the first turn! Draw!"
It wasn't Alister who took the first turn, but Kaiba. Rarely having a "high-level opening hand" without three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, he drew a card.
Although he used a Blue-Eyes Deck, that didn't mean Kaiba was only good at beatdown strategy. Actually, the number of Trap Cards in his Deck was not small either. As for who influenced him? It wasn't Hayato, probably.
Inserting a card into the Spell & Trap Zone, Kaiba declared: "From my Hand, I activate this Spell Card, Dragon Shrine! Send one Dragon-Type monster from my Deck to the Graveyard."
"And when the monster sent to the Graveyard by this Effect is a Dragon-Type Normal Monster, I can additionally send one Dragon-Type monster from my Deck to the Graveyard." While saying this, Kaiba drew the two cards automatically searched by his Duel Disk. "The monsters I send to Graveyard are Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Then, because it's a Normal Monster, I will send another Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard."
"Just a Foolish Burial limited to Dragon-Type monsters. You send your important Blue-Eyes White Dragon to the Graveyard without changing your expression, Kaiba Seto, you cold-blooded animal." Although it was just a standard milling operation, Alister, who couldn't stand Kaiba, seized the opportunity to find fault and sneered at Kaiba.
Kaiba just drew another card and said with disdain, "Hmph, there's no need to explain my idea to a rat droppings in the toilet like you."
"Spell Card, Return of the Dragon Lords! Target one Level 7 or 8 Dragon-Type monster in my Graveyard and activate! Special Summon that monster!" Kaiba raised his arm, pointed his finger upwards, and shouted, "Come to my side, my soul!"
"Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
Radiance dispelled the darkness, and the giant dragon soared up. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon, searched from the Deck and sent to Graveyard by Dragon Shrine, revived here and descended onto Kaiba's Field!
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon] [ATK 3000]
After Summoning Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Kaiba drew another card and Set it horizontally on his Duel Disk. "Moreover! Send the last Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard, and Special Summon Lord of D. - The Dominator from my Hand in Defense Position."
"Next, I Set two cards from my Hand. My Turn ends."
[Kaiba: 4000 LP, Hand 1]
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon] [ATK 3000]
[Lord of D. - The Dominator] [DEF 1100]
[Set Card] x2
Seeing Lord of D. - The Dominator appear on Kaiba's Field, Alister raised an eyebrow. If he remembered correctly, that monster had the ability: "While a Blue-Eyes monster is on my Field, your monster's attack target is decided by me, Kaiba Seto!"
This effect is a Continuous Effect and does not enter a Chain. As long as this monster exists, to Battle Destruction this monster with only 1100 DEF, you would instead have to first face the Blue-Eyes White Dragon with a high ATK of 3000. And if you wanted to use a high attack power monster to destroy Blue-Eyes White Dragon, you would instead attack Lord of D. - The Dominator, which cannot be destroyed by battle and prevents you from inflicting damage.
In short, it was a monster with a simple but troublesome effect.
"My Turn, draw a card."
However, even knowing the effect of Lord of D. - The Dominator, Alister was still full of confidence. After all, there were only two monsters on Kaiba's Field with no resistance whatsoever.
Playing the card he drew directly, Alister sneered, "I activate the effect of Machina Cannon from my Hand! Discard and Send Machina Colonel from my Hand to the Graveyard, and Special Summon Machina Cannon onto my Field in Attack Position!"
A card was sent to Graveyard by Alister, and then a huge machine soldier appeared on his Field.
[Machina Cannon] [ATK 1700]
Although it was a Level 8 Higher-Level Monster, Machina Cannon's stats were clearly weak, with an ATK of only 1700. After seeing Alister only Summon such a weak monster, a contemptuous smile appeared on Kaiba's face.
However, Kaiba, who had suffered losses from "weak monsters" more than once, wisely didn't speak up to taunt directly, but Alister had already entered his Battle Phase.
"Begin Battle! I will use Machina Cannon to Attack Lord of D. - The Dominator on your Field, Kaiba Seto!"
Saying this, Machina Cannon's integrated cannon aimed at the Lord of D. - The Dominator in Defense Position, and a laser cannon beam shot out!
Although somewhat confused that Alister had simply Summoned a monster and then immediately started the Battle Phase, Kaiba still spoke. "Hmph, don't even think about approaching my monster! Lord of D. - The Dominator's ability is: "While a Blue-Eyes monster is on my Field, your monster's attack target is decided by me, Kaiba Seto!""
"I order your monster to Attack Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and then turn to dust under the radiance of Blue-Eyes!"
Following Kaiba's command, the beam of light that was originally aimed at Lord of D. - The Dominator took a turn in mid-air and flew towards Blue-Eyes White Dragon. But to Kaiba's unexpectedness, Alister proudly played a card.
"This is a trial, Kaiba, a trial from our past. Only the winner can overcome it and go to the future." Inserting the card into his Duel Disk, the Quick-Play Spell Card manifested in Alister's Spell/Trap Zone. "At this moment, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card Limiter Removal! Double the Attack Power of all Machine-Type monsters on the Field!"
"The trial will be declared ended with the blood you shed!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 608
In Kaiba's slightly surprised gaze, Alister played another card: "It's not over yet! Chain [Limiter Removal]! I'll also activate the effect of Machina Armored Unit from my hand!"
"By sending Machina Armored Unit from my hand or field to the Graveyard, I can target one [Meklord] monster on the field and increase its ATK by 1200 until the End Phase. This effect can also be activated during the opponent's turn!"
"Due to chain resolution, Machina Armored Unit's effect resolves first, followed by [Limiter Removal]!"
Although Machina Armored Unit's effect text doesn't explicitly state it can be activated during the Battle Phase, the language of Duel Monsters is that magical. Sometimes, even if it's not written on the card, some monsters can still be Special Summoned.
Actually, the description "Can also be activated during the opponent's turn" means that Machina Armored Unit's effect is not a Spell Speed 1 effect that can only be used during your own turn, but a Quick Effect. It's equivalent to a Quick-Play Spell Card or a normal Trap Card. Just like [Limiter Removal], Machina Armored Unit's effect can naturally also be activated during the Battle Phase.
A Machina Soldier wrapped in dark energy was sent to the Graveyard by Alister, but that dark energy didn't dissipate. Instead, it attached itself to Machina Soldier, causing its ATK to increase.
[Machina Soldier] [ATK 1700 → 2900]
In an instant, the attack of Machina Soldier, which originally had low ATK, soared to a full 2900 points, just 100 points shy of [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]'s 3000 ATK. Then, [Limiter Removal]'s effect began to take effect.
The card [Limiter Removal] is a Quick-Play Spell Card that has the effect of doubling the ATK of all Machine-Type monsters on the User's Field until the End Phase, with an incredibly terrifying increase.
The more powerful the monster, the greater the boost it receives. And Machina Soldier's ATK, which had already been increased like this, reached an even higher level after being doubled!
[Machina Soldier] [ATK 2900 → 5800]
"It's a monster with 5800 ATK!" Keipei, who was watching, exclaimed in surprise. "It has already surpassed Brother's [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] and [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], and is even stronger than [Five-Headed Dragon], which has the highest ATK in Duel Monsters!"
Including the duel at Industrial Illusions that was interrupted midway, this was the second time Keipei had seen Kaiba and Alister duel.
Originally, seeing Alister use two cards from his hand just to Summon an underwhelming monster like Machina Soldier, Keipei felt the same caution as Kaiba. However, Keipei didn't expect that Alister would consecutively play two cards during the Battle Phase to provide such a massive boost for Machina Soldier!
If this operation had been performed before the Attack Declaration, Kaiba could have used [Lord of D. - The Dominator]'s effect to transfer the Attack Target to itself in Defense Position to avoid taking damage. But Alister chose the instant Kaiba declared [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] as the Attack Target to activate this combo!
That's just too unfair! If that attack hits, Kaiba will take a whopping 2800 points of battle damage in one go!
"Accept this attack, Kaiba Seto, and taste my pain!"
Even [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] with its high attack power of 3000 points couldn't withstand this seemingly fatal attack. Under Alister's expectant gaze, Machina Soldier's ultimate attack truly hit the body of [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] in Attack Position on Kaiba's Field!
"Boom!"
Not only that, the expanding laser beam went past the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] that was engulfed within it, fiercely blasting Kaiba who was behind it!
"Ugh!"
[Kaiba: 4000 → 1200 LP]
Kaiba's Life Points decrease caused Alister to feel relieved. It seemed that Kaiba Seto's two Set Cards in his Spell/Trap Zone didn't include troublesome cards like [Magic Cylinder] or [Mirror Force]. His attack was a success.
"How does it feel, Kaiba Seto, this pain?"
However, Alister's taunt only earned him a cold laugh from Kaiba.
"Hmph, you're getting so proud just from an attack that barely scratches me, not even counting as a massage?" Even though it was a virtual attack from a Duel Monster, Kaiba felt an unbearable burning pain where he was just engulfed by the laser beam, but he refused to lose any aura. "Or are you saying you think that level of attack can bury the radiance of my [Blue-Eyes]?"
"Stand up, [Blue-Eyes]!"
Accompanied by Kaiba's loud shout, the spot where Machina Soldier's attack just hit suddenly radiated with light. Under the gale's breath, the smoke dispersed. Although covered in wounds, the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] that was still alive let out a roar filled with authority!
"Roar!"
Alister's eyes widened: "What? [Blue-Eyes] wasn't destroyed by that attack just now!"
"It's just a Normal Monster with no effect, why—" Alister muttered, seeing a card on Kaiba's Spell/Trap Zone that had somehow been activated. "That card is?! When did he activate it?!"
"Hmph, idiot, you should ask yourself when you got the illusion that I didn't activate a Set Card?" Kaiba's lips curled up. Although his Life Points were low, only 1200 points remaining, his aura was even stronger than when he was at full health. "[The Ultimate Creature of Destruction], this card can only be activated by targeting one [Blue-Eyes] on my Field."
"This turn, that [Blue-Eyes] is unaffected by other card effects besides its own, and cannot be destroyed by battle."
"Tsk, you'd rather use a card that makes you take battle damage just to protect [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]? But what good is battle destruction resistance? What can you possibly do with your Life Points currently like a flickering candle?"
"As for my Machina Soldier, although it will be destroyed by [Limiter Removal]'s effect during the End Phase this turn, before that, I can proactively activate its effect to destroy itself and Special Summon a Machina Armored Unit from the Graveyard that was sent to the Graveyard before and has a Level lower than it!"
Alister looked contemptuously at Kaiba, whose Life Points were only 1200 points, and at the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] glaring at him. He stated the strategy he planned to use next, provoking Kaiba.
His words were filled with "I left a trap," "Come step on it," and "This is a conspiracy." If it were someone else with sanity, they might resist the provocation, but Kaiba wasn't the type to quietly endure.
The proud Kaiba, even knowing there was a trap on the opponent's Field, wouldn't flinch because of it. He would only attack bravely and fearlessly.
To Alister's provocation, his response was—
"Is that so? In that case, I'll destroy that monster of yours before that, without even needing a second!"
Kaiba said, pointing a finger at Machina Soldier on Alister's Field, which still maintained 5800 ATK. "Even for this level of attack, a provocation must be answered! It's time for a counter, [Blue-Eyes]!"
Because Kaiba was attacked despite being under its protection, [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] showed a human-like dangerous gaze. Looking at Machina Soldier, it opened its mouth, and a white orb of light instantly formed. Its attack was at least three times more serious than before.
"Burst Stream of Destruction!"
The flood of light surged forth with Kaiba's wave of his hand. In just an instant, Machina Soldier, which was so arrogant just now, was instantly destroyed and turned into ash, sent to the Graveyard!
"Besides granting [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] battle destruction resistance and the ability to be unaffected by other card effects, [The Ultimate Creature of Destruction] also grants [Blue-Eyes] the ability to destroy your monster at the end of the Damage Step when battling a monster."
"Looks like you won't be able to pick up that 'trash' monster from the Graveyard again."
Kaiba said, looking proudly at Alister. Anyone who didn't know would think it wasn't him, but Alister, who just took 2800 points of battle damage.
Even though Kaiba had already destroyed the monster on his Field, Alister's expression seemed somewhat gloomy, as if suppressing wrath: "You really dare to say that, Kaiba Seto, calling these robots 'trash'..."
"You, who bear the Gozaburo Kaiba name, are indeed a deeply sinful fellow with dirty blood flowing in your veins, a soul that only knows destruction!" Raising his head, Alister's originally handsome face twisted in expression. "I must inflict the torment of defeat upon you!"
"Because you destroyed my Machine Type, EARTH Attribute Machina Soldier on the Field, this precisely fulfills the condition for my Machina Force in the Graveyard to activate its effect!"
"Machina Force is in the Graveyard. If a Machine Type, EARTH Attribute monster on my Field is destroyed, I can Special Summon Machina Force from the Graveyard!"
"The power of the destroyed gathers here, countering the one who dealt the destruction! Come forth, Machina Force!"
From the wreckage of Machina Soldier, destroyed by [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]'s counter, the sound of an engine starting up rang out again, even stronger this time. Amidst the sound of metal friction and operation, Machina Force, wielding a chainsaw and electromagnetic cannon, descended!
[Machina Force] [Level 10/EARTH]
[Machine Type/Special Summon/Effect]
[3000/2500]
Glancing at the Machina Force summoned by Alister, whose stats were practically identical to Blue-Eyes White Dragon's, Kaiba frowned and stared at Alister, saying, "I should have warned you, you rat, don't lump me together with that guy Gozaburo Kaiba."
However, after summoning Machina Force to the Field, Alister no longer paid attention to Kaiba. He glanced at the tall Machina Force, then looked at Keipei Off-field. Alister reached into his chest and pulled out his younger brother's keepsake again—that heavily damaged toy robot.
"Do you want to hear a story, Keipei Kaiba? A story about my past with KaibaCorp." Unlike when facing Kaiba, when looking at Keipei, Alister showed a rare gentle smile on his usually grim face. However, when he turned back to look at Kaiba, the smile on his face instantly turned ferocious. "Consider it me letting you, Kaiba Seto, die with understanding."
# Chapter 609: Drown in the Past
Alister told the Kaiba Brothers his story. Upon hearing that Alister had lost his brother because of Gozaburo Kaiba, Kaiba's fist clenched.
Keipei also hadn't expected that this person from Organization Doma was actually brought to this point and stood against his Brother because of Gozaburo Kaiba, his and his Brother's adopted father.
"Milk, is that your brother's name, Alister?"
"Ah, Milk liked robots. This was his favorite toy, and it was the last keepsake I found by his corpse." Alister looked at Keipei with a gaze full of reminiscence. He remembered Milk's age when he was alive, which wasn't much different from Keipei's age now. He saw Milk's shadow in Keipei.
"Kaiba Seto, you who also have a brother, can imagine this pain of mine, right! This is all thanks to Gozaburo Kaiba!"
"After losing my parents and losing Milk, I joined Doma. It was so that one day I could get revenge on you, Kaiba Seto, who inherited Gozaburo Kaiba and inherited the sin of KaibaCorp!" Alister glanced at the Machina Colonel on his Field. "Milk liked robots, so the Machina Deck I obtained from Lord Dartz also mainly consisted of robot soldiers."
"And the power of the Seal of Orichalcos further unearthed my inner darkness, creating even more advanced Dark Machina monsters. These monsters are the proof of my battle with Milk, and also my will to get revenge on you!"
Machina Colonel [ATK 3000]
However, even though Alister explained the cause and effect of his conflict with KaibaCorp, while Kaiba was somewhat moved and could empathize with Alister's plight, understanding the pain of losing a brother was one thing, but trying to influence Kaiba because of it was impossible.
Kaiba's pride and confidence were engraved in his bones. Just as Kaiba never lingered on the past, his eyes had always only seen the future. Even the present, which was about to become the past, he wouldn't care about.
Moreover, speaking of tragic pasts, how much better was Kaiba's childhood? He also lost his parents, but Kaiba relied on his own ability to trick and win a gamble against Gozaburo Kaiba, making him adopt him and Keipei as adopted sons. Afterwards, he also relied on his own ability to grow step by step and finally forced Gozaburo Kaiba to death, becoming the heir of KaibaCorp.
The risk in this process was not small at all. Don't forget that after Gozaburo Kaiba adopted Kaiba Seto, he had thought about using Kaiba Seto's body to revive the dead Noah Kaiba who existed in the Cyber World. If Gozaburo had done that, Kaiba, whose body was possessed, would have been killed.
Furthermore, Kaiba Seto's rebellion against Gozaburo Kaiba was also an extremely high-risk action. These were all concrete efforts Kaiba made to protect Keipei. Therefore, in Kaiba's eyes at this moment, Alister, who was indulging in his tragic past and unable to step towards the future, was nothing but a coward.
"Hmph, even if you say that, don't forget that The Ultimate Creature of Destruction granted Blue-Eyes White Dragon the toughness to not be destroyed by battle, and the ability for a monster that battled it to be destroyed at the end of the Damage Step." Coldly waving his hand, Kaiba said to Alister, "You are still in your Battle Phase. If you want to die, then just hurry up and come."
"Of course I will attack, Kaiba Seto, but you are wrong. The one who will die is not me, but you." Alister sneered and waved his hand, saying, "Machina Colonel, attack the Defense Position Lord of D. - The Dominator!"
"Hmph, then the Attack Target is transferred again to Blue-Eyes White Dragon on my Field."
Hearing Kaiba's instruction, the Defense Position Lord of D. - The Dominator quickly retreated a few steps to make Space, letting Blue-Eyes White Dragon directly face Machina Colonel. Watching the Machina Colonel wielding a high-speed rotating chainsaw approach, Blue-Eyes White Dragon let out a powerful roar, about to counterattack.
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon] [ATK 3000]
"Alister clearly knew that Brother's Lord of D. - The Dominator on the Field had the ability to transfer the Attack Target, so why did he still declare an attack with Machina Colonel?" Keipei looked at the two monsters engaging in battle and became suspicious.
Although Alister always had a crazy appearance of wanting a desperate struggle when facing Kaiba, his own dueling style was undoubtedly full of calculation and sanity, quite similar to Kaiba's dueling style. Such an Alister would absolutely not be the type of person who would recklessly declare an attack knowing that his attack could not destroy the monster on Kaiba's Field.
Especially, because of the Effect of The Ultimate Creature of Destruction, Machina Colonel would not only be unable to destroy Blue-Eyes White Dragon, but even if its ATK wasn't equal to Blue-Eyes White Dragon's, it would still be Effect Destruction afterwards.
As expected, when Machina Colonel's Attack Target was transferred to Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Alister used the same trick again, playing another Card from his Hand: "Chain Machina Colonel's Attack Declaration, I Activate this Quick-Play Spell Card, Giant Shadow of Vanity."
"When a monster declares an attack, you can Activate this Card by targeting one Face-up Monster on the Field. That monster's ATK increases by 1000 points until the end of that Battle Phase. And the Monster I choose is, of course, Machina Colonel on my Field!"
"Enjoy the fun of Hell, Kaiba Seto!"
[Machina Colonel] [ATK 3000 → 4000]
The two huge monsters, Machina Colonel and Blue-Eyes White Dragon, collided. Fortunately, the Corridor in Pegasus's Family Castle was built quite wide and wasn't destroyed by the battle of the two monsters.
At first, the two monsters could be considered evenly matched. The high-speed rotating chainsaw failed to cut through Blue-Eyes White Dragon's sturdy scales. Instead, Blue-Eyes White Dragon's breath was melting Machina Colonel's armor little by little.
But, as Giant Shadow of Vanity took Effect, Machina Colonel's ATK suddenly surged, and the chainsaw instantly accelerated, cutting open a few of Blue-Eyes White Dragon's dragon scales. This was followed by a zero-range electromagnetic cannon shot that had accumulated energy for a long time, and Blue-Eyes White Dragon was heavily blasted away!
"Cough!"
[Kaiba Seto: 1200 → 200 LP]
Kaiba's Life Points, which were already precarious, decreased again from Battle Damage, reaching the point of only having 200 points left!
"Kaiba Seto, this is the penalty for daring to insult my Machina Deck! Where is your arrogance from just now?" Alister looked at Kaiba's Life Points, which had dropped to a level that even Kuriboh's punch could clear, and laughed proudly, "To protect Blue-Eyes White Dragon, you repeatedly reduced your own Life Points. How unsightly."
"After your Life Points are completely reduced to zero, let's see what else you can protect!"
Saying this, Alister didn't give Kaiba an opportunity to counterattack and actively sent his Machina Colonel on the Field to the Graveyard.
Although The Ultimate Creature of Destruction was a Normal Trap Card and would be sent to Graveyard after its Effect took Effect, the Effect it granted to Blue-Eyes White Dragon would continue until the end of the turn. The Effect "a Monster that battled with Blue-Eyes White Dragon is destroyed after Damage Calculation ends" also followed the same principle.
So even if Machina Colonel's ATK was increased to 4000 points, because it had no resistance to destruction, it would also be destroyed and sent to Graveyard.
Although Alister had no monster that could continue to attack and inflict Damage to Kaiba this turn, it didn't matter. Leaving Kaiba with his mere 200 Life Points was completely fine, not that it was necessarily best to leave them.
In this Duel, Alister had made up his mind to give Kaiba Seto a complete defeat. After completely destroying Kaiba's will and arrogance, Alister would use the Seal of Orichalcos to have Kaiba's soul absorbed by the Orichalcos God.
If this Card in his Hand were replaced with the Seal of Orichalcos, it would be a finishing blow. In that case, Kaiba Seto should already be dead by now. Pity it can't be replaced.
Ending the Battle Phase and entering Main Phase 2, Alister looked at Kaiba barely propping up his body, revealing a contemptuous smile.
Soon, very soon, he would be able to kill Kaiba Seto. Wait until the next turn, first take down Kaiba Seto's important Blue-Eyes White Dragon, then find a way to Search for the Seal of Orichalcos. As long as he cleared Kaiba's Life Points, which were like a flickering candle, he could get revenge for Milk.
Thinking this way, Alister instead heard the laughter of Kaiba, who was clearly the disadvantaged side but revealed a rampant expression.
"Hmph hmph, hehe, hahahaha!"
"Kaiba Seto, you guy..." Alister furrowed his brow and said through clenched teeth, "Do you know what the situation is right now!"
"I'm about to kill you. You guy, at least show me a little fear or unwillingness that can satisfy me! What are you laughing at!"
"Hmph, I'm laughing at you guy. You are fundamentally just an incompetent person." Facing Alister's wrathful gaze, Kaiba said coldly, "A guy who can't even see the path he wants to take indeed only deserves to be lost in the past."
"From beginning to end, you are fundamentally just drifting with the current. Because your hometown was destroyed, you listened to others and hated Gozaburo - although that guy really wasn't a good person. Then because Gozaburo died, you lost your goal and hated me. Your life fundamentally has no goal."
"What is that appearance? What is that gaze? What is that wrath!"
"If you don't even know what kind of path you want to take, who can someone like you save?" Kaiba said coldly, "My future will not stop here. As for you, just hold onto that past and drown!"
End of Chapter
Chapter 610: Named, Whip of Complete Defeat!
Hearing Kaiba's words, Alister merely sneered.
Just as Kaiba wouldn't hold back because of Alister's past, Alister wouldn't reflect on himself because of the words of Kaiba Seto, the target of his long-held obsession for revenge.
"Before you evaluate me, look at your own precarious 200 Life Points, Kaiba Seto." Alister drew a card from his Hand. "Your only hope now is to defeat me with a single attack from Blue-Eyes White Dragon during my turn to survive. However, I won't give you that opportunity."
"During my Main Phase 2, I Activate the Spell Card Foolish Burial, sending Meklord Army of Skiel - Machinicle from my Deck to the Graveyard. Next, I Activate Meklord Army of Skiel - Machinicle's Effect, banishing two monsters from my Graveyard, Machina Gearframe at Level 4☆ and Machina Cannon at Level 8☆, making their total Level 12☆ or higher."
"From the Graveyard, I Special Summon Meklord Army of Skiel - Machinicle in Defense Position!"
The pitch-black war machine rose from underground. Its sabers, laser cannons, and rocket pods, weapons that looked imposing just by looking at them, aimed at Kaiba.
[Meklord Army of Skiel - Machinicle] [10☆/Dark]
[Machine Type/Special Summon/Effect]
[4600/4100]
As a Dark monster created by Alister using the power of the Seal of Orichalcos, and also the strongest power in Alister's Deck, Meklord Army of Skiel - Machinicle possessed a powerful ATK that was exactly 100 points higher than Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. However, to be cautious, Alister chose to Special Summon it in Defense Position safely.
Originally, after Alister's strong attack had forcibly reduced Kaiba's Life Points to only 200, he had practically used up all his resources, and his Field was empty with no cards. Kaiba could have achieved a comeback and won by reducing Alister's Life Points to zero by changing Lord of D. - The Dominator to Attack Position and attacking alongside Blue-Eyes White Dragon during his turn.
However, after Meklord Army of Skiel - Machinicle appeared, Blue-Eyes White Dragon on Kaiba's field simply couldn't get past this barrier. Especially since Meklord Army of Skiel - Machinicle also had the effect negation ability during the Battle Phase, and if destroyed, it could Special Summon banished Meklord monsters from the Graveyard.
Furthermore, in Alister's Graveyard, there was Machina Colonel, an EARTH Attribute Machine Type Meklord monster that could be Special Summoned when a Meklord monster was destroyed. To break through Alister's setup, it would require at least five consecutive attacks if relying solely on attack.
"My turn, end."
[Alister: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Meklord Army of Skiel - Machinicle] [DEF 4100]
After Summoning Meklord Army of Skiel - Machinicle and declaring the end of his turn, Alister looked at Kaiba with confidence. He put himself in Kaiba's shoes and believed there was no way Kaiba could defeat him.
Even if Kaiba got a divine draw this turn and drew a Polymerization he had used before, fusing the three Blue-Eyes White Dragon from his field and graveyard into Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and then using Polymerization's effect to destroy Meklord Army of Skiel - Machinicle on his field, he could still consecutively Summon three monsters afterward as walls.
Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's triple attack effect was strong, but it was only a triple attack. After clearing the monsters on his field, it would be powerless. With only the power of the remaining Lord of D. - The Dominator, could Kaiba Seto possibly defeat him in one turn?
And strangely, despite their differing stances and mutual lack of acknowledgement for each other, Kaiba's thinking at this moment was quite similar to Alister's. The most powerful strategy he could think of was drawing Polymerization in the next draw. But even with this combo, he couldn't deal enough damage to defeat Alister in one turn.
The Set card in his Spell/Trap Zone was Tyrant Wing, which could be activated and equipped to a Dragon-Type monster to provide an ATK/DEF boost. However, because the resistance granted to Blue-Eyes White Dragon by The Ultimate Creature of Destruction last turn, "unaffected by other card effects," was also effective against Kaiba's own cards, Kaiba hadn't activated this card last turn.
Besides that, the mysterious card in Kaiba's Hand was actually the "Legendary Dragon" he had obtained, named The Fang of Critias by Kaiba. However, the awkward thing was that although he had added this card to his Deck, Kaiba hadn't yet mastered how to use the power of this card until now.
Previously, after Joey Wheeler obtained Hermes' Claw, Yugi suggested that Joey Wheeler practice and master using the "Legendary Dragon" cards, which were completely different from ordinary Duel Monsters cards, before Dueling against the people from Doma.
At that time, Kaiba had no interest in practicing with Joey Wheeler . Instead, he chose to use KaibaCorp's supercomputer to calculate and analyze the data of The Fang of Critias, just like he had previously analyzed Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
In the past, Kaiba had even analyzed Obelisk the Tormentor! KaibaCorp's science and technology were the best in the world!
Then, Kaiba belatedly remembered something: the biggest difference between the "Legendary Dragon" The Fang of Critias and ordinary cards, or even the God Card Obelisk the Tormentor.
That was, the card had only a drawing and no text whatsoever!
How was he supposed to analyze that?! (Throws it down)
But the words rejecting Yugi and the others had already been spoken, and Kaiba couldn't bring himself to go practice with them. Plus, he was rushing to Pegasus's Castle. Kaiba simply stuffed the completely unknown The Fang of Critias into his deck, acting as if he had already analyzed it.
His Deck had 40 cards. He wouldn't be so unlucky as to draw this brick at a crucial moment, right? If he didn't draw it, it wouldn't have any influence on his deck. He could just figure out this card slowly later.
Thinking this, Kaiba, however, drew this card on the first turn, and was even bricked because of it, failing to draw the standard three Blue-Eyes plus Polymerization plus De-Fusion.
Otherwise, with Kaiba's style, why would he take the first turn?
With the cards Kaiba could currently use, he temporarily couldn't find a possibility for victory. But the fun of Duel Monsters lay precisely here. Even in the most desperate situation, sometimes one draw could create a sliver of hope for victory.
"My turn..."
With his finger on his Deck, Kaiba made the preparatory motion for drawing.
Even though Kaiba's Life Points were only 200, Alister saw "hope" in Kaiba's eyes at this moment: "Even in this situation, you haven't given up yet, Kaiba Seto?"
"This trial from the past, destiny is on my side!"
"Hmph, idiot." A corner of his mouth curved up, and Kaiba let out a cold snort. "I absolutely don't believe in any arrangement of destiny. People's destiny should be decided by their own hands."
"A True Duelist can decide their own future!"
"Draw!"
Just by looking at the card he drew, Kaiba played it, inserting it into his Duel Disk. "Activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed! I draw two cards from my Deck. Next, I Tribute Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Lord of D. - The Dominator on my field as sacrifice for a Tribute Summon!"
"A Tribute Summon with two monsters?" Alister thought for a moment and didn't think Kaiba could summon any powerful monster. After all, among monsters that could be Tribute Summoned with two monsters as tribute, Blue-Eyes White Dragon could already be said to be an extremely powerful monster, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was close to the apex.
Generally speaking, the more powerful a monster, the more stringent its summoning conditions. Although the true form of the monster Kaiba was about to summon was unknown, there was nothing to fear anymore.
"[Blue-Eyes], wait for a moment in the Graveyard..." Looking at Blue-Eyes White Dragon which he had Tributed and was about to send to the Graveyard, Kaiba murmured, "New hope is being nurtured. This is a necessary sacrifice for victory..."
Blue-Eyes White Dragon understood Kaiba's meaning and nodded in a human-like manner, its body dispersing into light points.
And within the starlight left behind when the two monsters dispersed, Kaiba vaguely saw a white-haired woman dancing.
Looking closer, he found it was a four-winged white dragon quite similar in appearance to the Deep-Eyes White Dragon Kaiba had used several times before, but whose wings behind it were not the dragon wings of a giant dragon but rather angel-like wings.
Its slender body danced with the radiance. The monster summoned with two monsters as tribute manifested on Kaiba's field.
"Bow down before this incomparably beautiful, sacred and dazzling radiance, you rats! Witness the pure white power contained within these trembling wings, the power from the End of Time!"
"Tribute Summon! Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon!"
[Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon] [8☆/Light]
[Dragon Type/Effect]
[2500/2500]
"Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon? Sounds like a woman's name." Looking at Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon with a standard protagonist ace monster's 2500 ATK, Alister said dismissively, "I never expected there would be a monster among the Blue-Eyes White Dragon monsters that looks like a female. You're not so great after all, Kaiba Seto."
Kaiba let out a cold snort. "Hmph, a woman's name? Is there a problem with Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon being female? If you look down on my [Blue-Eyes] so much, then experience her power!"
"Only when Blue-Eyes White Dragon exists on my field or in my Graveyard can Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon activate her effect," he reached for the side of his Deck and drew a searched card. "The first effect is, when Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon is Summoned or Special Summoned, I can add one Ritual Spell Card or Polymerization from my Deck to my Hand."
"The card I add to my Hand is the Ritual Spell Card Chaos Form!"
Off-field, Keipei showed a joyful expression upon hearing this. "That's great! Chaos Form plus Blue-Eyes, Brother is going to summon that monster, right? That Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon. Its powerful ability to force all monsters on the opponent's field to change their battle position and reduce their ATK/DEF to zero upon attack declaration, combined with its piercing damage effect, can easily heavily damage any opponent!"
"Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon?" Alister was reminded by Keipei and recalled how troublesome that monster was. Not only did it force a change in the monsters' attack/defense position upon attack declaration, but it could also strip monster power from the opposing monsters simultaneously. Furthermore, it possessed powerful resistance, being unaffected by card effects and unable to be destroyed by card effects.
Not long ago, during the action to infiltrate KaibaCorp to steal Obelisk the Tormentor, Alister had faced this monster once when he dueled Kaiba, and the impression was quite deep.
After all, back then, if it weren't for a specifically included Super Soldier Soul, Alister could have almost been dealt piercing damage by Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon and had his Life Points reduced to a flickering candle.
Thinking of this, Alister instead showed a smile.
"Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon, huh? Was the other card you just drew through Pot of Greed that monster? Tsk, what a useful card. You managed to create a glimmer of hope out of a desperate situation."
"But Kaiba Seto, even Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon's ability to strip monster power is useless against the transformation of my revengeful wrath --- Meklord Army of Skiel - Machinicle. You remember its effect, right?" Alister sneered proudly. "An effect activated during the Battle Phase, I can pay half my Life Points to negate it and reduce your Life Points by half."
"This effect doesn't target your Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon, so its resistance won't work!"
Looking at the confident Alister, Kaiba also laughed. "Hmph hmph, if it were Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon, it's true that it couldn't break through Meklord Army of Skiel - Machinicle's barrier as you said. But stop being so proud, idiot!"
"Activate the Ritual Spell Card Chaos Form! I Tribute Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon on my field, whose Level is 8, making the total Level 8☆ or higher, to Special Summon a Chaos Ritual Monster from my Hand!"
Inserting the Chaos Form he had just added to his Hand into his Duel Disk to activate it, Kaiba drew a card from his Hand, revealing its blue border belonging to a Ritual Monster. "This is the strongest Dragon Type, evolved, that my Deck responded to me and delivered to my Hand! Open your eyes wide and look, Alister!"
"The Chaos power, evolved to the ultimate under the influence of Abyssal power, is now unleashed upon you, named the Whip of Complete Defeat!!"
"Ritual Summon!"
"Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon!!!"
Space, collapsing;
Time, solidifying;
Darkness and Light fused into one, becoming tangible chaos;
The giant white dragon opened its blue eyes, its highly sci-fi-looking wings, seemingly from a Different Dimension, spread out as if to cover the sky. Its sturdy body stood upon the Earth. This ultimate Ritual Monster let out a roar amidst Kaiba's loud laughter!
"Roar!"
[Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon] [8☆/Dark]
[Dragon Type/Ritual/Effect]
[4000/0]
(Author's Note: I'm in a slump. After getting up today, I wrote for a whole day, stopping and starting, and only managed 4K. I'm a bit confused about how I managed to write over 10,000 words in a day without drafts a few times before.)
End of Chapter