From the white light of the Chaos Extreme Dragon's destruction, a beam so dazzling that even the heavens and earth seem to lose their color.
As someone directly facing this devastating brilliance in the scene, everything within Loren's view was swallowed by the light, his eyesight growing blurred.
In that fleeting moment, all the scenery vanished before his eyes, even sounds were engulfed by the roar. Within the pure white curtain, as if through the power akin to the White Dragon God, for a moment he felt as if he had traversed time, returning to the past...
"..."
"Going again?"
It was a memory of his mother, in their old home, asking his father with a slight tone of complaint.
"Hmm, I'm very close to the truth, just a little more." Father said, "I've come this far, there's no way I can give up now."
Mother: "But it's the child's birthday in two days. You promised him last time..."
She stopped speaking.
Because at that moment, both realized their son was peeking at them through a crack in the bedroom door.
The man showed a doting smile and opened his arms toward the direction of the bedroom: "Come."
The child hesitantly pushed open the door, ran up and threw himself into his arms. The man lifted him up and kissed his forehead.
"Why must you go, Daddy?" The child hung his head.
The man laughed, gently scratching his nose.
"Because there are always things in the world that someone has to do."
"Because justice won't uphold itself."
"..."
...
The scene dissipated, as if shattered by the blow from the White Dragon, pulling him back to reality.
Nothing but an illusion.
Yes, the past has long gone, how could one truly traverse time back to it?
Boom!!!
The white light shattered the Trap Monster, sweeping across the opposite half like a tidal wave, leaving only billowing black smoke.
"..."
[Loren, LP 4000]
"Hah." Kaiba chuckled with crossed arms, "Not that easy to fall, eh?"
"Trap Card 'Guardian Defense Wall,' battle damage becomes 0 once, then draw one card from the deck." Loren said coldly, "However, 'Burgess Bloodsucker - Mar Trilobite' is Special Summoned from the graveyard through its own effect, when leaving the field it is directly removed from the game instead of going to the graveyard."
"Heh, though it's a junk, it'd be boring to fall so easily.
I'll set one card in the backfield."
Kaiba waved his hand, setting another card.
"Speed Attack Magic 'Super Regeneration Ability.' During the end phase of this turn, draw cards from the deck based on the number of Dragon-type Monsters discarded from hand or sacrificed during this turn.
'Angel's Charity' discarded two cards, 'Price Reduction Shopping' discarded one. Therefore, draw three cards from the deck.
Turn end."
Kaiba replenished his hand.
"My turn, draw."
Loren said gloomily.
"Activate 'Pot of Greed,' draw two more cards from the deck."
Loren drew the cards, glanced at them, and immediately played one.
"I'll use the 'Little Horned Dragon' on the field as a sacrifice for Upper-level Summon! Level 8—
—Super Ancient Terror Beast, summon!"
[Super Ancient Terror Beast, Attack Power 2700]
"Eh?" Keihei couldn't help but say, "A Level 8 Monster summoned with just one sacrifice..."
"Although the Super Ancient Terror Beast is an Eight-Star Monster, when using a Dinosaur Race as a sacrifice, it only requires one sacrifice for an Upper-level Summon."
Then Loren waved his hand to activate the backfield.
"Activate Cover Card, Continuous Trap 'Restricted Revival,' revive a monster from the graveyard in attack position with attack power below 1000.
I will Special Summon this card from the graveyard..."
He drew a card from the graveyard.
"Revive Little Horned Dragon."
[Little Horned Dragon, Attack Power 500]
"Furthermore, the effect of 'Super Ancient Terror Beast.'" Loren said, "While Super Ancient Terror Beast is in the Monster Zone, when a Dinosaur Race Monster is Special Summoned from the graveyard, draw one card from the deck."
Loren drew one card.
"Next, activate Equipment Magic 'Premature Burial.'" Loren said, "Pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon a Monster in attack position from the graveyard."
[Loren, LP 4000→LP 3200]
"I Special Summon the 'Dark Triangular Monster Bird Dragon' discarded last turn from the graveyard!"
[Dark Triangular Monster Bird Dragon, Attack Power 2400]
"At this moment, because of a Dinosaur-type Special Summoned from the graveyard, activate the effect of 'Super Ancient Terror Beast' again, draw one more card from the deck!"
Loren drew another card, and then without hesitation played it directly.
"Magic Card 'Hurricane'! All Magic and Trap Cards on the field return to their owner's hand!"
A tropical depression hurricane swept up all Kaiba's backfield Cover Cards, and his own Magic Traps, causing them to return to each respective hand.
"I see." Hibiki Momiji adjusted her glasses, "'Premature Burial' when destroyed, its equipped Monster would be destroyed as well. But if it returns to the hand, not only can the equipped Monster stay on the field, but 'Premature Burial' can be reused..."
Hibiki Midori added: "Not only that, but it also clears the opponent's backfield, paving the way for his own attack."
"Indeed, a dangerous opponent." Hibiki Momiji also said.
Kaiba glanced at the Cover Card returned to his hand, silently added it to his hand, expressionless.
"Of course, 'Orichalcos Barrier' once activated cannot leave the field in any form, naturally it is unaffected." Loren said, "However when the Trap Card 'Restricted Revival' leaves the field, the Monster Special Summoned by its effect is destroyed.
Therefore, destroy Little Horned Dragon!"
Loren's Little Horned Dragon on the field exploded into pieces with a boom.
"And then triggers Little Horned Dragon's effect again, huh." Kaiba said.
"Correct, when Little Horned Dragon is destroyed, Special Summon a Dinosaur Race Monster from the deck that's Level 4 or below." Loren said, "Special Summon the third Little Horned Dragon from the deck."
[Little Horned Dragon, Attack Power 500]
"I'll again activate 'Premature Burial,' revive an attack mode Monster from the cemetery!"
But there's only Little Horned Dragon in the cemetery.
"Pay 800 Life Points, revive another Little Horned Dragon from the cemetery!"
[Loren, LP 3200→LP 2400]
[Little Horned Dragon, Attack Power 500]
"The effect of 'Super Ancient Terror Beast,' since a Dinosaur is revived from the graveyard, draw another card from the deck."
Loren continued drawing cards.
"Heh, the formation looks quite nice." Kaiba said indifferently, "But no matter how many junk comes, it's still just junk."
"Don't rush, President Kaiba." Loren said icily, "The power transformed from my rage is not just to this extent.
Because 'Orichalcos Barrier' is on the field, all Monsters on my field gain an attack power boost of 500 points."
[Super Ancient Terror Beast, Attack Power 2700→Attack Power 3200]
[Little Horned Dragon, Attack Power 500→Attack Power 1000]x2
[Dark Triangular Monster Bird Dragon, Attack Power 2400→Attack Power 2900]
Keihei: "Hey, even so, still can't reach the toe of Blue-Eyes Chaos Extreme Dragon!"
"What about adding this card?"
A glint flashed in Loren's eyes.
"Activate Magic Card 'Courageous Attack'! This turn, only one Monster on your field can attack, but that Monster... gains the attack power of all attack-position Monsters on your field!" (Original Card)
A card used by Atom in the animation, and not just once.
"I allow 'Super Ancient Terror Beast' to gain the combined attack power of all attack-position Monsters on my field!" Loren shouted, "Therefore, Super Ancient Terror Beast's attack power becomes..."
[Super Ancient Terror Beast, Attack Power 3200→Attack Power 8100]
Keihei began to panic: "Attack power... Eight thousand one hundred!?"