**Chapter 321: Duel of the Beginning of Heaven and Earth**
"Duel!"
Because Noah had already drawn five cards, Hayato drew five cards in one go and then drew a sixth card, seizing the First Turn.
"The First Turn belongs to me, Draw!"
Although he said it with great spirit, Hayato helplessly discovered that his hand was filled with nothing but monster cards. [Rainbow Kuriboh], [Treeborn Frog], [Wretched Ghost of the Attic], and so on. He didn't even have a single monster with any real battlefield presence.
To make matters worse, he bricked at a time like this.
Helplessly, Hayato Set [Wretched Ghost of the Attic], planning to use its effect – "When destroyed by battle, end the Battle Phase" – to survive the turn: "I Summon a monster in face-down Defense Position, then I End my Turn."
Having seized the First Turn, yet not even preparing a single Set Card for the Backrow, and to make matters worse, his opponent was Noah, who had a deck full of custom cards he'd printed himself. This gave Hayato a slight bad premonition.
As Hayato's turn ended, almost simultaneously, the environment around the two of them underwent a drastic change with a snap of Noah's fingers. Except for the patch of land beneath Hayato, Noah, and the observing Kaiba, all other ground was instantly engulfed by scalding magma.
It was as if the world had been destroyed in an instant!
"My Turn, Draw." The instigator of it all—Noah—calmly and slowly announced his Draw: "Now then, Hayato, since you've chosen to use Seto's Ace Card, I'll treat this Duel as a simulation of my Duel against Seto."
"Watch closely from the side, Seto, and see how Hayato, using your [Blue-Eyes], is defeated by this Duel symbolizing the Beginning of Heaven and Earth!"
"I activate the Spell Card, [Graceful Charity], to draw three cards from my Deck, and then send the LIGHT Attribute [Asura Priest] and the DARK Attribute [Great Tengu] to the Graveyard." As he spoke, Noah, like a beginner at Duel Monsters, revealed the cards he was about to send to the Graveyard.
To this, Kaiba responded with disdain: "Hmph. To reveal the cards you intend to send to the Graveyard? With this level of skill, you rat who impersonates others by name, you're still twenty thousand years away from defeating me."
"No, Seto, you've got one thing wrong." The moment Hayato heard Noah mention the attributes of LIGHT and DARK, he understood what Noah was planning: "In Duel Monsters, there's a special kind of monster that can only be Summoned by combining two conflicting attributes. You're trying to Summon that monster, aren't you, Noah!"
"Heh heh, it seems you're much more perceptive than Seto, Hayato." Noah wasn't surprised his intention was seen through; after all, he had practically laid the puzzle out in plain sight. "One soul guiding darkness, one soul guiding light. Banish one LIGHT Attribute monster and one DARK Attribute monster from my Graveyard!"
"Symbol of ultimate power, invincible emperor, descend now!" Noah pointed to one of the cards floating before him. As the card flipped over, the true appearance of a powerful monster with a Level as high as 8 was revealed.
"[Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End]?" Kaiba knitted his brows, beginning to imagine how he would deal with the situation if he were facing Noah who had Summoned [Chaos Emperor Dragon] on the First Turn. He was well aware of the card's effect; if you wanted to know why, it was because he actually possessed this card himself.
It wasn't just Kaiba; even in Grandpa Muto's Kame Game Shop, [Chaos Emperor Dragon] was present, even displayed and sold in a showcase. However, although its rarity didn't compare to the now-remaining three copies of [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], [Chaos Emperor Dragon] wasn't a common card either. It was quite expensive, enough to deter even Hayato and Tristan, who weren't short on allowance.
From Noah's Graveyard, the souls of the two monsters sent there by [Graceful Charity] appeared. After combining in mid-air, accompanied by a majestic dragon roar, a giant dragon with a slender, cyan body descended onto Noah's Field.
[Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End] [Level 8 / DARK Attribute]
[Dragon-Type / Special Summon / Effect]
[3000/2500]
On the surface, [Chaos Emperor Dragon] had the same standard 'second male lead's ace' ATK Value of 3000/2500 as [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]. However, Hayato knew that [Chaos Emperor Dragon]'s effect was far more terrifying than its ATK Value. It had even dominated the Real Card environment alongside another card, [Yata-Garasu], earning it the title of the "most ferocious and evil monster combination."
[Chaos Emperor Dragon] possessed a Board Clear effect that sent all cards from both players' Hands and Fields to the Graveyard by paying Life Points. Then, [Yata-Garasu], which could seal the opponent's Draw after inflicting battle damage, would keep the opponent's Hand empty. In an environment where Hand Traps and Graveyard Effect Cards weren't prevalent enough, this 'Emperor Dragon Yata-Garasu' combination reigned supreme for a long time, only being Forbidden nearly 500 days after [Chaos Emperor Dragon]'s debut.
Forbidden together were [Witch of the Black Forest] and [Sangan], used in this Combo to Special Summon [Yata-Garasu] from the Deck by effect after being sent to the Graveyard. As for [Chaos Emperor Dragon], its record for being Forbidden the fastest lasted for 5 years, until it was broken by [Dark Strike Fighter] which was applied to combo OTK decks.
"Judging by your reactions, you all seem to know [Chaos Emperor Dragon]'s effect? Nevertheless, allow me to explain it once more." Noah's tone was quite confident. "Although it can only be Special Summoned by its own effect, in exchange for the restriction on its Summoning conditions, [Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End] possesses an ability that is extremely fitting for me, a divine being!"
"After paying 1000 Life Points, I send all cards from both players' Hands and Fields to the Graveyard! Then, for each card sent to the Graveyard, I inflict 300 Life Points of damage on you!"
Hayato looked at Noah's Hand. Noah had five cards in his Hand, making a total of six with the [Chaos Emperor Dragon] on his Field. Then, adding Hayato's five cards in Hand and the monster on his Field in face-down Defense Position, the total number of cards was twelve!
"Bring annihilation to the sinful souls blocking my path, [Chaos Emperor Dragon], Chaos End!" Noah paid his Life Points without hesitation. As Noah's Life Points decreased, the [Chaos Emperor Dragon] on his Field unleashed its full power, transforming into a black hole that seemed capable of devouring everything!
[Noah: 4000→3000 LP]
The moment the black hole appeared on the Field, all cards on Hayato's Field and in his Hand, as well as Noah's Hand, turned into fragments and were sucked into the black hole. Simultaneously, Noah's triumphant laughter echoed: "A total of 12 cards were sent to the Graveyard, therefore, you will receive 3600 damage!"
"This is the price for opposing a god!"
After absorbing the power of the 12 cards, a laser beam shot out from the center of the black hole that [Chaos Emperor Dragon] had transformed into, piercing Hayato's abdomen in an instant. An unbearable sharp pain radiated from Hayato's pierced abdomen, causing him to involuntarily hunch over, clench his teeth, and gasp in pain.
"Hiss—!"
[Hayato: 4000→400 LP]
"To inflict such great damage in an instant?!" The observing Kaiba was also startled. His gaze turned to Noah's Field, but his pupils contracted, his face filled with disbelief. "How is that possible? Didn't [Chaos Emperor Dragon]'s effect just send all the cards into the Graveyard?"
"Hey, rat! What's with that monster on your Field!"
Hearing Kaiba's voice, Noah looked at him contemptuously: "Heh heh, while sending cards to the Graveyard did reduce Hayato's Life Points significantly, I don't believe such a simple trick could defeat him, the King of Duelists. The cards sent to the Graveyard weren't just his Hand; they included cards from my Hand too."
"When sent to the Graveyard by [Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End], the [Sangan] in my Hand can use its effect to add a monster with an ATK of 1500 or less from my Deck to my Hand. The card I added to my Hand is this [Yata-Garasu]."
"I will use my unused Normal Summon opportunity for this turn to Summon [Yata-Garasu] in Attack Position, and then launch a Direct Attack against Hayato, who has an empty Field and Hand!"
"If you take damage from [Yata-Garasu], your next Draw Phase will be skipped. This means your Draw will be sealed, and it cannot be removed until your demise, Hayato!" Noah, as if he could already see himself grasping victory, continued, "Heh heh, hahahaha, with this, the victor has been decided!"
"The ultimate victor is me, Noah!"
The ordinary-looking [Yata-Garasu] attacked towards Hayato's Field. Seeing the smug-looking Noah, Hayato's face instead broke into a confident smile:
"Is that so?"
"While it may have reigned supreme for a time, the world has long since changed. The era of the 'Emperor Dragon Yata-Garasu' combination is over. It's no longer an environment where being stripped of all your cards to the Graveyard leaves you powerless to struggle!"
*Bang!*
In Noah's confident gaze, just as [Yata-Garasu] was about to collide with Hayato, a small monster suddenly revived from the Graveyard and appeared before Hayato!
"Kuribo—!"
"What the—!?"
The [Rainbow Kuriboh] revived from the Graveyard was destroyed by [Yata-Garasu], whose ATK only exceeded its DEF by 100 points. As its card gradually dissipated under Hayato's gaze, he said, "Thank you, Aibo, you saved my life again."
Hayato looked at Noah, his gaze determined: "When I am attacked directly, I can Special Summon [Rainbow Kuriboh] from the Graveyard in Defense Position. When this [Rainbow Kuriboh], Special Summoned by this effect, leaves the Field, it will be Banished from the Game."
"Tch, so tenacious, like a cockroach," Noah said, slightly annoyed. "My Turn End. And because [Yata-Garasu] is a special Soul Monster, it returns to my Hand at the end of the turn it was Summoned."
[Noah: 3000 LP, Hand 1]
Looking at Noah's empty Field and his meager 3000 Life Points, Kaiba, observing from the side, suddenly let out a cold laugh: "Hmph, rats are rats indeed. Short-sighted, only thinking about the immediate situation, with no consideration for the future."
"The cards cleared by [Chaos Emperor Dragon] weren't just that guy Hayato's Hand and Field; they included yours too! With only one unusable monster card left in your Hand, prepare to be utterly consumed by the majesty of [Blue-Eyes]!"
Just as Kaiba said, after Noah's near-perfect, deadly combo was blocked by the invincible [Rainbow Kuriboh]—a quite rare Graveyard Effect Card in this era—the 'Emperor Dragon Yata-Garasu' combination's weakness of lacking follow-up was thus exposed.
By using [Chaos Emperor Dragon]'s effect to completely clear the field, Noah, like Hayato, was left without any defensive measures. The monster he just used was a Soul Monster that returned to his Hand at the end of the turn. Coincidentally, the prevailing Duel Monsters rules at this time were the ultimate House Rules: "Deck Master."
It didn't matter what card Hayato drew. As long as he could Summon the long-cherished [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] beside him and unleash an attack on Noah, this Duel would be over.
"My Turn, Draw!" Hayato declared. After drawing a card from his Deck, he glanced at the card he drew and said, "During my Standby Phase, a monster in my Graveyard can activate its effect."
Following Hayato's declaration, a frog with a halo on its head and holy wings on its back appeared on Hayato's Field.
"During my Standby Phase, if there is no [Treeborn Frog] on the Field, it can be Special Summoned from the Graveyard." Hayato said, playing the card he drew. "Then, I activate the Spell Card, [Pot of Greed], to draw two cards from my Deck."
While Hayato was adding cards to his Hand, Noah subtly glanced at his Graveyard area. Although he was currently in an Empty Field state, Noah always liked to have a "Plan B." He had already prepared for the follow-up if the 'Emperor Dragon Yata-Garasu' combo failed to land a finishing blow on Hayato; that method existed within his Graveyard.
"Here I go, Noah!" After drawing two cards, Hayato suddenly raised his hand. "Finally, I can use this card. I Special Summon my Deck Master—[Blue-Eyes White Dragon] onto the Field!"
"Go forth, my pride, my Soul, [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]!"
"And then, launch a Direct Attack on Noah! Burst Stream of Destruction!"
The holy White Dragon descended like an angel, but when it opened its massive jaws and spat out a gale-force blast imbued with an aura of destruction, one realized it was an "armed angel."
The attack from the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] with its towering 3000 ATK Value surged towards Noah. However, just like when Hayato was almost hit by [Yata-Garasu]'s Direct Attack earlier, Noah remained completely calm. With a casual wave of his hand, a dark shadow flashed by, appearing before Noah and taking the full brunt of [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]'s attack.
(end of chapter)
## Chapter 322: Great Flood
"What?!" Unlike Hayato, who wasn't surprised because he had seen the monster's true form, Kaiba was quite annoyed that his "wife" had been blocked. "What was that thing just now?"
"Bone Porpoise is a card that can activate its effect in the Graveyard, similar to your Rainbow Kuriboh, Kobayashi Hayato. When your opponent's monster declares an attack, I can banish it from the Graveyard to negate that attack."
Noah's fingertip held the Bone Porpoise card and flicked it lightly. Just like Hayato's Rainbow Kuriboh earlier, the Bone Porpoise card, banished, turned into fragments and disappeared.
"I knew it wouldn't be that simple," Hayato sighed, setting the two cards in his hand onto his field. "Set two cards. My turn ends."
[Hayato: 400 LP, Hand 0]
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon][ATK 3000]
[Set Card]X2
"Then, my turn. Draw."
Noah drew a card with a calm tone. After seeing the card he drew, the corner of his mouth curved into a smile as he said, "Heh heh, how boring. It seems this duel is about to end, Kobayashi Hayato. Regret summoning Blue-Eyes White Dragon to the field!"
"In myths around the world, there are legends of a 'world-ending great flood'. Let me use this card to clear the field!" Saying this, Noah held up the card in his hand. "I activate the Spell Card Giant Flood! All monsters on the hand and field are sent to the Graveyard! Your Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the field, the symbol of Seto Kaiba's wicked soul, shall be destroyed!"
Watching Noah play the Giant Flood card, whose effect was even more excessive than Dark Hole, Hayato immediately activated his set card in the backrow: "Not a chance! I activate my set card—"
"Muda da! The effect of Giant Flood is to send monsters directly to the Graveyard, not destroy them! Even if you set a trap card that prevents monsters from being destroyed, it's useless!"
But facing Noah's triumphant words, Hayato smiled calmly. "You can't be so sure."
"The set card I activated is this one, Forbidden Lance! I target my Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the field, decreasing its ATK by 800 points. In exchange, Blue-Eyes White Dragon will not be affected by the effects of spell/trap cards other than this card this turn!"
A wall of floodwaters, seemingly reaching the sky, surged towards the field, overwhelming everything as if to swallow it whole. The Yata-Garasu in Noah's hand was swept away by the torrent, while Blue-Eyes White Dragon was spared, thanks to the Forbidden Lance standing between it and Hayato like a stabilizing pillar, parting the water.
Incidentally, Kaiba was also brought to the high ground where Hayato was by Blue-Eyes. Held by the dragon's claw, Kaiba's gaze looked at the vast ocean below.
His pupils contracted. "Is that?"
As the floodwaters gradually receded, the figures of the monsters that had been sent to the Graveyard earlier emerged one by one in the vortex. Treeborn Frog, Maiden of the Aqua, Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End, Yata-Garasu, and many other monsters were all carried by the water flow in one direction.
There, surprisingly, was Noah's Deck Master that he hadn't used for a long time—The Ark of the Covenant. At this moment, the giant wooden ship opened the mechanism at its bow, and one monster after another was sucked into the Ark, just like in myths where "various animals were brought onto the Ark".
"No need to be surprised, Seto. This is the 'Containment Ability' of my Deck Master, The Ark of the Covenant. From this moment on, all cards in the Graveyard will be transported into the different dimension inside the hull of the The Ark of the Covenant."
As if seeing through Kaiba's thoughts, Noah explained.
"The Ark of the Covenant is a sacred place that carries the last hope of all life in the world. No effect can interfere with the monsters protected by the Ark! Then, under my leadership, they will create a new world!"
Hayato interrupted Noah, annoyed. "Your delusion ends here. Sending cards to the different dimension? I'll send *you* to the different dimension!"
"Tch, you're getting ahead of yourself. Have you forgotten that your field is still empty?" Kaiba also snorted coldly. "Use Blue-Eyes to take down that guy next turn, Kobayashi Hayato!"
"Hey, don't order me around."
Noah glanced at Hayato contemptuously. "If you can do it, then attack me. Kobayashi Hayato. Even if my hand and field are empty, you won't be able to defeat me who possesses The Ark of the Covenant."
"My turn, end turn."
As Noah declared his turn end, Hayato and Kaiba noticed that Noah's life points were increasing wildly, as if there was a bug in the duel program.
[Noah: 3000 → 9000 LP, Hand 0]
"This is the second effect of The Ark of the Covenant, called 'Life Recovery'. As the name suggests, for every monster contained inside the The Ark of the Covenant, I recover 500 life points."
"Even [Aromage] would cry on the spot hearing this. Such a monster effect can only be described as a tragedy. Printing such a cheap monster for yourself, Noah, you fat pig!"
Despite meeting for the first time, Hayato immediately called Noah a fat pig.
"Tch, now the only way to defeat that guy is to summon all three Blue-Eyes at once," Kaiba said with a frown. "To give the monster he uses so many effects... I wouldn't be surprised if even more new effects appear later."
"That Noah guy is completely dueling around his Deck Master. His purity is too low," Hayato sighed, drawing a card. "However, the most important thing for Duel Monsters has always been victory. Purity is useless in itself."
"My turn, draw!"
The card Hayato drew was the second Blue-Eyes. Although its ATK is powerful, the Level 8 Blue-Eyes White Dragon requires two Tributes to be summoned. In other words, Hayato had bricked again.
"Is this the punishment for not using my own deck? In that case, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, direct attack that green-haired guy! Burst Stream of Destruction cough cough cough!"
Hayato ordered, imitating Kaiba's voice, but not everyone could shout such a chuunibyou attack name with full force, and Hayato choked.
However, in Duel Monsters, there is no mandatory requirement for duelists to finish or correctly shout the attack name; as long as the attack command is given, it's fine. Therefore, Blue-Eyes White Dragon attacked Noah again.
"A weak attack is useless against me, a god!" Noah, relying on his exceptionally high life points, even looked down on Blue-Eyes White Dragon's attack. "In the name of god, I command you to retreat!"
Under Kaiba's gaze of "Just as I expected," the The Ark of the Covenant floating on the vast ocean behind Noah once again opened the bow mechanism it had used to transport monsters earlier. A familiar girl blocked the attack of Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and was then easily shattered.
"Was that, Maiden of the Aqua just now?"
Chapter 323: Crush! Shatter! Great Cheers!
"Was that... 'Wretched Ghost of the Attic'?"
"Why is that Hayato guy's monster on your Field!"
Noah's hearty laugh answered Kaiba: "It seems you truly don't understand, Seto."
"Let me tell you again. 'Miracle Ark' is the wheel of salvation carrying hope, and as the God of this World, any Monster that rides upon 'Miracle Ark' will fall under my control!"
"Each time your opponent's Battle Phase begins, I can Special Summon Monsters equal to the number of Monsters on your opponent's Field from the Different Dimension within 'Miracle Ark' in Defense Position."
"In other words, no matter how many Monsters you Summon, you will never be able to penetrate my perfect defensive perimeter!"
As if responding to Noah's dismissive glances towards him, "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" let out a disgruntled roar, but having already performed one Attack, it could not Attack again.
Even with the ability to Attack multiple times, the "Wretched Ghost of the Attic", which had just been Destroyed by Battle, possessed the ability to end the current Turn's Battle Phase when Destroyed by Battle. With no other choice, Hayato ended his Turn.
[Hayato: 400 Life Points, Hand 1]
["Blue-Eyes White Dragon" ATK 3000]
[Set Card]
"Powerless, aren't you? As you should be, for you are facing me, Noah Kaiba, an existence that completely transcends Seto Kaiba."
Noah's tone greatly irritated Kaiba, and his repeated mention of "Noah Kaiba" made him furious.
"Enough! Even now, are you still only capable of putting on a charade with a dead man's name and appearance?" Kaiba said coldly. "Noah Kaiba has been dead for over a decade!"
Noah glanced at Kaiba: "It seems, Seto, you've already seen the recording of my funeral, haven't you? Indeed, 'Noah Kaiba is dead' is an indisputable fact."
"But who ever dictated that the deceased Noah Kaiba couldn't stand before you now? Where do you think the 'Electronic Mind' technology used in the Virtual World designed by KaibaCorp came from?"
As he spoke, Noah didn't rush to Draw a Card, but instead snapped his fingers.
In the sky, now covered in dark clouds due to the Great Flood, a colossal sphere appeared like a falling sun, countless points of light flickering across its surface.
"What is that thing?" Hayato frowned. "Hey, you're not going to tell me that's your brain, are you?"
Noah slowly recounted his story: how, as the crown prince of the powerful KaibaCorp, he grew up failing to meet Gozaburo's expectations, how he died due to an accident, and how KaibaCorp's Advanced Tech transferred his consciousness and Memory into the Network World.
Kaiba's face showed understanding, even a hint of sudden inspiration, as if the technical principles Noah mentioned had sparked an idea. Hayato, however, felt like he was listening to an alien language; he understood every word individually, but couldn't make sense of them together.
"So, because you're no longer human but an AI made of data, you stopped growing? Does that mean your brain has been this powerful since childhood?" Hayato remarked, looking at Noah, who appeared no older than ten. "Could someone your age really learn such profound things? Aside from childishly calling yourself a God, I don't see you as a mere elementary school student."
"Calling myself a God? No, I told you from the very beginning, Hayato. In this Virtual World, I am the undisputed God." Noah Drew a Card and Declared, "As My Turn begins, the divine shall commence recreating this World after purging it of sin."
"I Activate the Spell Card 'Card of Demise', allowing both of us to replenish our Hands to 6 Cards! Then, I Activate the Field Spell Card 'Jurassic World'!"
Noah played the Card, then drew six cards in one go. Hayato, who had a bricked "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" in his Hand, only drew five.
After drawing his cards, Noah lightly tapped one, and the chosen Card plummeted towards the ground, entering it like a ginseng root.
The water level rapidly receded, exposing the ground beneath as if it had dried up. The previous magma had solidified into hard land, and simultaneously, the silt and dust were carried to the ground by the flood. In the blink of an eye, the ground was covered in vegetation as if countless ages had passed instantly. Lush green stretched as far as the eye could see, vibrant and full of life.
At the same time, Noah Summoned a Monster: "After all civilization is Destroyed, comes the age of Dinosaurs. I Attack Summon 'Tyrant King Spinosaurus' from my Hand, then Equip it with the Equip Spell Card 'Rising Body Temperature'."
In this lush Jurassic jungle, a massive Spinosaurus poked its head out, its powerful claws tearing through a thick, obstructive tree. Simultaneously, because Noah Equipped it with the Equip Spell Card "Rising Body Temperature", the muscles on its sail-like spine expanded, maximizing heat dissipation.
["Tyrant King Spinosaurus" Level 4/Earth]
[Dinosaur-Type/Effect]
[2000/1200 → 2600/1800]
Boosted by two Spell Cards, "Tyrant King Spinosaurus", whose Attack was already at the forefront of Level 4 Monsters, soared to a formidable 2600 points. While still no match for Hayato's "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" on the Field, most other Monsters would be unable to contend with it.
And Noah's actions were far from over.
"Even after being Enhanced twice, 'Tyrant King Spinosaurus''s Attack still can't compare to the Great Dragon of mythical times, 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon', just like you and I, Seto." Although it was a Duel against Hayato, Noah's attention always drifted to Kaiba behind Hayato. "You, who were raised to imitate me, no matter how much you grow, can never surpass me."
"Hmph, a mere ghost wandering the Virtual World, a dead man trying to meddle in the World of the living? Don't dream." After hearing Noah's story, Kaiba's tone shifted slightly. Rather than his previous disdain for "someone impersonating the dead," Kaiba now viewed Noah more as one of Gozaburo's sins that absolutely had to be conquered.
"Compared to you, who only gained extraordinary talent through strict upbringing, 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' is clearly me. Don't get it twisted, Noah!"
Noah merely smiled: "If you insist on saying that, then just watch as 'you' are defeated by 'me'. I Activate the Spell Card 'Attack Seal', changing 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon''s Battle Position to Defense Position."
An "X"-shaped red light burst forth from one of the cards in front of Noah. After being struck by the red light, "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" struggled fiercely but ultimately couldn't break free from the Card's Power, reluctantly curling its body into Defense Position.
["Blue-Eyes White Dragon" ATK 3000 → DEF 2500]
The "Blue-Eyes White Dragon", changed to Defense Position, had exactly 100 less Defense Points than "Tyrant King Spinosaurus"'s Attack!
"Go, 'Tyrant King Spinosaurus', Destroy 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon'!"
At Noah's command, "Tyrant King Spinosaurus" opened its massive maw, lunging to bite "Blue-Eyes White Dragon"'s exposed neck.
Hayato immediately Flipped his last Set Card on the Field: "I Chain to your Attack Declaration! I Activate 'Sakuretsu Armor' to Destroy it!"
"Hmph, don't even think about it!" Noah snorted, playing a Card as well. "Don't assume you're the only one with that Card. Quick-Play Spell Card, 'Forbidden Lance'! Reduce 'Tyrant King Spinosaurus''s Attack by 800 and make it unaffected by other Spell/Trap Card Effects!"
The "Sakuretsu Armor", rendered ineffective, predictably failed to Destroy "Tyrant King Spinosaurus". Its Effect was blocked by a golden long spear before it could even reach "Tyrant King Spinosaurus".
"It failed, indeed. But Noah, 'Forbidden Lance' doesn't just Negate my 'Sakuretsu Armor'! The Effects of your 'Jurassic World' and 'Rising Body Temperature' on your Field will also be Negated for 'Tyrant King Spinosaurus' due to this, and it still loses an additional 800 Attack!"
"Counterattack, 'Blue-Eyes'!"
["Blue-Eyes White Dragon" DEF 2500]
["Tyrant King Spinosaurus" ATK 2600 → 2000 → 1200]
Although "Tyrant King Spinosaurus" avoided "Sakuretsu Armor"'s Effect by using "Forbidden Lance", its Attack was reduced as a result. "Tyrant King Spinosaurus" no longer had the Power to Destroy "Blue-Eyes White Dragon"'s Defense. It opened its mouth and bit "Blue-Eyes"'s scales, but couldn't break its Defense. Instead, "Blue-Eyes" flapped its wings, pushing "Tyrant King Spinosaurus" back to Noah's Field, reflecting Battle Damage to him.
[Noah: 9000 → 7700 Life Points]
"Tch, mere negligible Damage." Noah clicked his tongue, annoyed that he couldn't defeat Hayato this Turn and that Hayato had stalled for another Turn.
He lightly tapped his last Card in Hand: "I Activate the Continuous Spell Card 'Supply Squad'. Once per Turn, when my Monster is Destroyed, I can Draw one Card from my Deck."
"And now, I end my Turn."
[Noah: 7700 Life Points, Hand 0]
["Tyrant King Spinosaurus" ('Rising Body Temperature') ATK 2600]
['Supply Squad']
Field: 'Jurassic World'
Hayato: "My Turn, Draw!"
Hayato's eyes widened when he saw the Card he drew. It was the third "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" in his Deck, and by a curious coincidence, thanks to Noah's previous "Card of Demise" Effect, he happened to have a "Polymerization" in his Hand.
"Hmph, you drew it..." Kaiba, though unable to see Hayato's Hand, wore an understanding expression, a slight curve to his lips. "So what's your choice, Hayato?"
"In this situation, is there even a choice?" Hayato also smiled, activating a Card from his Hand. "Noah, let me show you the strongest Dragon-Type! I Activate the Spell Card 'Polymerization', using 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' on my Field and two other 'Blue-Eyes' from my Hand as Fusion Material!"
Before Hayato could finish, Kaiba snatched his lines: "Noah, allow me to show you the strongest, most ultimate Dragon in history! Transcending the boundaries of time and space, Summon! 'Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon'!"
Under the Power of "Polymerization", the Ultimate Dragon with three heads appeared on Hayato's Field. All three Dragon heads roared towards the sky!
["Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon" ATK 4500]
"Enter Battle Phase!" Hayato immediately issued an Attack command. Just as he was about to Target an Attack, Noah on the opposite side immediately Activated his Deck Master's Effect: "Before 'Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon' Attacks, I Activate the Effect of 'Miracle Ark'!"
"Absolute Defense!"
Since Hayato only had "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon" on his Field when he entered the Battle Phase, only one Monster flew out from "Miracle Ark". It was Hayato's "Treeborn Frog".
Although his own Monster appearing on his opponent's Field slightly annoyed Hayato, his gaze remained fixed on the Attack Position "Tyrant King Spinosaurus": "'Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon', Attack 'Tyrant King Spinosaurus'!"
"Burst Stream of Destruction!"
"Resilient! Invincible! Strongest!!"
A triple-layered "Burst Stream of Destruction" erupted from the mouths of the three-headed Dragon, crashing onto "Tyrant King Spinosaurus" on Noah's Field. Even after undergoing dual Enhancements, "Tyrant King Spinosaurus" was powerless against "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon"'s Attack and was easily Destroyed.
"Eek!"
[Noah: 7700 → 5800 Life Points]
Noah impatiently waved his hand, dispelling the incoming air currents, and Drew a Card: "Because of 'Supply Squad''s Effect, I Draw one Card from my Deck."
"To have reduced my Life Points to this extent, I must admit you have some skill, Hayato. But unfortunately, to defeat me, a God, you're still twenty thousand years too early."
With a sneer, Noah continued: "Once it's My Turn, the 'Tyrant King Spinosaurus' that was just Destroyed, and the three 'Blue-Eyes' in your Graveyard, will all be taken into my 'Miracle Ark' and restore my Life Points."
"Your efforts to reduce my Life Points were utterly in vain!"
Hayato, however, was not at all worried about what Noah said would happen. If asked why: "No, that's not how it is, Noah. Haven't you realized yet? This Duel is about to end, right in this very Turn of mine!"
"You, with 'Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon' on your Field already having Attacked, say the Duel is about to end? Heh, are you implying you can Summon new Monsters to Attack during the Battle Phase?"
"Wait, could it be!"
Under Kaiba's "of course" gaze, Hayato revealed the Card in his Hand: "You've seen Kaiba Duel so many times, you should know that in his Deck, there are always a few Cards that are stuck together, right?"
"While it's not as extreme as him sticking five Cards together, drawing 'Polymerization' and 'De-Fusion' at the same time? I can do that!"
As "De-Fusion" was played by Hayato, the unified "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon" reverted into three "Blue-Eyes White Dragon"s, which immediately Attacked Noah, who only had a trembling "Treeborn Frog" on his Field!
"Crush!"
"Shatter!"
"Great Cheers!"
Three beams of white light descended, "Treeborn Frog" once again returned to the Underworld, and Noah's Life Points were completely depleted by this triple assault!
[Noah: 5800 → 2800 → 0 Life Points]
Achievement: [Crush! Shatter! Great Cheers!] completed.
P.S. There's one thing I have to say: the card "De-Fusion" is actually very strong.
P.S. In the DM Anime, its Effect was to undo a Fusion state, even being able to undo Fusion with a God.
P.S. After becoming a Real Card, it directly returns a Fusion Monster to the Extra Deck, and if all Fusion Material are in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon them to the Field.
P.S. And it's not limited to Fusion Monsters on your own Field, either.
P.S. I once used it to De-Fusion a "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon" from a White Dragon Player who had an incredibly lucky starting Hand. He had attacked once, then wanted to use "De-Fusion" for three more Attacks, but I Chained to his "De-Fusion", the Ultimate Dragon returned to the Deck, and his White Dragons weren't Summoned from the Graveyard. He was completely dumbfounded.
P.S. Also, in that Duel, I was playing "Masked HERO", so I rarely used "De-Fusion"; I just carried it as a Trap Card.
(end of chapter)
Chapter 324: Can't Handle Losing?
After defeating the enemies, the three Blue-Eyes let out a long roar skyward, nodded towards Hayato and Kaiba, and slowly dissipated. Kaiba, uncharacteristically, said something pleasant: "Hmph, well played."
That might count as pleasant, if Kaiba didn't know "Hearthstone" existed.
"You don't need to confirm that for me, Seto." Hayato waved his hand and immediately claimed the Quest Reward after completing the Achievement.
Like other Achievements in the past, there was a guaranteed 1000 DP, and a Special Reward somewhat related to the Achievement, which was a random Dragon-Type Deck.
Hayato wasn't asking for anything else; a Dragonmaid set would be fine, or even a Blue-Eyes Deck if that wasn't possible. As a last resort, the four Dragon Rulers would also do.
As the sealed Deck was opened, holographic projections of forty cards appeared before Hayato's eyes, but Kaiba saw nothing.
Seeing the first two cards in the Deck, Hayato was a little excited—Earth Dragon Ruler - Trace Dragon, and Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders!
"Yes! Dragon Ruler Get!"
However, Hayato celebrated too soon. As he continued to look, he realized there were only these two Dragon Ruler cards in the Deck.
Synthetic Dragon, Tiger Dragon, Dragon's Vanguard, Folk Art Dragon, Hardened Armored Dragon, and so on. Hayato initially thought he had received a four-element Dragon Ruler Deck, but it was actually an Earth Attribute specialized Dragon-Type Deck.
However, Hayato wasn't too disappointed; getting anything was good. And even though he couldn't collect all four Dragon Rulers at once, acquiring the Earth Dragon Ruler and Rock Dragon Ruler also unlocked the Dragon Rulers archetype for him. In the future, he could slowly acquire them using DP Points—though for Hayato, who found it hard to save DP Points, that was as good as no hope.
Because he was still in the Virtual World, Hayato couldn't use these newly acquired cards yet. Waving his hand to dispel the holographic projections of the cards, he saw Kaiba had leaped from the high platform, used a large tree in the center of the Field for leverage, and moved to the platform where Noah lay on the ground, still not having gotten up.
Although this was the Virtual World, the physical forms each person controlled were based on their real-life bodies. Was Kaiba actually from *Baki the Grappler*?
Next to Hayato, the figure of Gaia The Fierce Knight appeared. He was just about to borrow Gaia's horse to follow Kaiba, when suddenly, Hayato and Kaiba heard someone shouting their names from afar—
"Over there! I see Hayato and Kaiba!"
The voice was so loud and full of vigor, it could only be Joey.
From a distance, Hayato saw Yugi's striking starfish head, as well as Mai Valentine, Joey, and Ishizu rushing towards them.
Following the four of them were four rampaging Duel Monsters—Nightmare Penguin, Deepsea Warrior, Machine Attacker, and Jinzo. One could guess they were the Big Five—though, of course, they should now be called the "Four Elders."
"You guys are really persistent, aren't you!" Joey was riding on the back of Thousand Dragon, which had grown due to the Effect of Time Wizard. Mai Valentine was riding the same Dragon with him. Nightmare Penguin and Machine Attacker were hot on their heels. Seeing this, he drew a card from his Deck: "Spike Trap Hole!"
The trap hole that suddenly appeared on the ground almost made Nightmare Penguin, who was just about to catch Joey, fall in. Although it successfully flew out of the trap hole with the help of Machine Attacker, the distance between them and Joey widened again.
On Yugi and Ishizu's side, the Combo of Kuriboh and Maxx "C" blocked the electrified water stream attack launched by Jinzo and Deepsea Warrior for Yugi.
As early as when Hayato and Noah began their Duel, everyone else had already defeated their respective opponents and were wandering through the Virtual World, searching for their companions. Then, because of the Lava World, Giant Flood, and Noah's manifested brain form during Noah and Hayato's Duel, they had a unified direction and rushed towards this location.
However, halfway there, the four encountered the Four Elders again, who had been given a Second Chance by Noah. After learning from their previous experience, the Four Elders exchanged the information they had gathered and switched opponents.
For a time, because their opponents knew their Decks and Deck master Effects inside out, all four of them fell into trouble. Of course, after a tough struggle, it still ended with the defeat of the Four Elders.
Unwilling to fail again, the Four Elders saw that two Duels in a row had ended in defeat. Throwing caution to the wind and to carry out Noah's orders, they directly used their bodies, transformed into Duel Monsters, to pursue the four. This chase led them all the way here.
"Absolutely, absolutely we won't let you reach Hayato!"
"We cannot let Master Noah be disappointed again!"
"This is our last chance!"
"Stop right there! You brats!"
Watching as the Four Elders chased Yugi and the others closer, Kaiba, having jumped to the edge of Noah's platform and thinking of grabbing Noah, who lay on the ground, to force him to release them from this Virtual World, had just taken a step, when he was surprised to find his body suddenly unable to move.
"Stay right there, Seto. You'll be dealt with last."
Noah's body, which had been lying on the ground, without any apparent leverage, floated up from the ground, defying gravity. His face was twisted in anger as he glared at Hayato: "You dare to disgrace me, a God, so completely? Your crime is unforgivable, Hayato!"
"Here we go again. Do all you self-proclaimed god game administrators like to pull this stunt?"
Watching Noah get angry because he lost the Duel, and even seeming like he was about to throw a tantrum and flip the table, Hayato remained completely calm.
"Hmph, to think I would lose to you in Duel Monsters, how infuriating!" In his anger, Noah's gaze fell upon the Four Elders nearby, and he immediately used them as an outlet for his frustration. "Duel Monsters is nothing but worthless rubbish!"
"And you lot are worthless rubbish too!"
Saying this, Noah reached out and clenched his fist towards the Four Elders. In that instant, the Four Elders, who had transformed into Duel Monsters, simultaneously shattered into pieces and, after a scream, vanished from this World?!
Yugi and the others belatedly realized that the pursuers behind them had vanished. Hayato, meanwhile, watched as Noah's gaze fell upon him, as if he hadn't noticed the murderous intent in Noah's eyes, and said with a smile: "Little Noah, you look like you're in a bad mood. Do you feel embarrassed about losing the Duel Monsters Game? You're quite the sore loser, aren't you?"
"HAYATO!" Noah yelled Hayato's name in exasperation, raising his hand and pointing it at him: "Repay your insolence to me with your Life Points!"
(end of chapter)