Chapter 326: Hayato VS Gozaburo
Gozaburo, Kaiba Noah's biological father, and the adoptive father of brothers Mokuba and Seto Kaiba, was the founder of the arms corporation, KaibaCorp.
After becoming one of the world's richest men in terms of wealth, Gozaburo, who always maintained an ambitious spirit, harbored a grand ideal—to conquer the world with weapons.
However, in the process of achieving his ideal, he accidentally made one mistake.
His adopted son, Seto Kaiba, invented the Solid Vision system, intending to build KaibaCorp's foundation in the entertainment industry upon it. However, Gozaburo repurposed this invention for non-peaceful uses, such as developing Tactical Training Simulators and Phantom Devices to disrupt enemy forces' lines of sight.
This was precisely one of Seto Kaiba's sore points. He felt his ideals were ruthlessly trampled upon by Gozaburo.
Although Kaiba always presented himself as an ambitious schemer, resorting to any means to ensure Gozaburo adopted them, and suffered from a severe Duel Addiction, his ideal was actually quite simple: to create a world where children and adults could laugh and play to their hearts' content—in essence, the real-life Kaiba Land.
Of course, setting aside whether Kaiba Land, with its unique aesthetic, could truly make children laugh, Kaiba's ideal was quite admirable. His determination was evident in his willingness to incur massive losses to transform KaibaCorp from an arms company, and this ideal was certainly superior to Gozaburo's ambition of ruling the world.
One person's ideal was peace, another's was war. When they could not agree, one had to exit the stage, and that person was not Seto Kaiba. Knowing the principle of "cutting the grass by the roots," Seto Kaiba, unwilling to leave loose ends, directly forced the defeated Gozaburo to his death.
However, what Kaiba hadn't accounted for was that Gozaburo had left behind a contingency plan—a technological feat that normal people could hardly imagine: the ability to upload human consciousness into the Virtual World.
His gray hair was meticulously styled, and his red suit was impeccably sharp. After so many years, Gozaburo's appearance was exactly as Kaiba remembered him. Seeing Gozaburo holding a Blank Card with an ecstatic expression, as if he had found a priceless treasure, Kaiba coldly demanded, "Release us from here, Gozaburo!"
"You, a mere phantom, dare to obstruct the path of the living towards the future!"
"Heh, I refuse." Gozaburo clutched the Blank Card in his hand, a cold smile on his face. a Duel Disk materialized on his wrist, and he added the Blank Card to his Deck. "I taught you, didn't I, Seto? Don't let go of something easily until you've squeezed every last drop of its commercial value."
"This card, (Super Polymerization), is only one final energy infusion away from true completion. I won't let any of you present escape."
"(Super Polymerization)?" Upon hearing the card's true name, everyone simultaneously turned their gaze towards Hayato. Their recollection was that the earliest user of the card (Super Polymerization) wasn't Gozaburo, who was now trying to complete it, but Hayato.
In his Duel against Ishizu, Hayato had used (Super Polymerization) to fuse Ishizu's monsters on the field as Fusion Material to Summon (Quintet Magician).
Hayato also seemed to recall something and turned to glance at Kaiba. "Hey Seto, is the Duel System on your 'S.S. St. Ann' Airship perhaps still connected to KaibaCorp's database?"
Although Kaiba didn't understand why Hayato was asking this now, he nodded nonetheless.
"That makes sense. Because I recall being certain that, aside from the (Super Polymerization) in my hand, there shouldn't be any other (Super Polymerization) in existence for the time being." Even the (Super Polymerization) Hayato held was a replica simulated by (Philosopher's Stone - Hermos), possessing the Effect but not the actual power. "Gozaburo's (Super Polymerization) was manufactured by stealing the card data recorded in the Airship's Duel System."
"However, I do have a question for you, Gozaburo. With just the data for (Super Polymerization), you shouldn't be able to analyze the power hidden behind it, let alone figure out how to create it."
"Who told you that!"
"Hmph, I refuse to answer your question." Gozaburo raised his thick, singular eyebrow and activated his Duel Disk. "You want me to release you, want me to answer your question? That's perfectly fine, as long as you can defeat me in a Duel!"
Gozaburo waved his hand, and the environment, previously shifted to Domino City by Hayato, was transferred again. In the blink of an eye, their surroundings transformed into a spacious office. Gozaburo stood before a massive floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the scenery outside.
Outside was... Earth? This office was located in space!
"This is... KaibaCorp's President's Office?" Kaiba recognized it instantly, without needing to examine it closely. It was the very President's Office where he used to handle company affairs. However, the furnishings were from years ago, from when KaibaCorp was still under Gozaburo's control.
"I didn't understand all of it, but this guy wants someone to Duel him, right?" Joey excitedly activated his Duel Disk, and the figure of his Deck Master, (Flame Swordsman), materialized beside him.
Kaiba snorted coldly and blocked Joey. "Don't make me say it again, you Mediocre Duelist. This is my business, it has nothing to do with you, and I am the one who should sever ties with this guy Gozaburo!"
"What do you mean it's irrelevant? We've already been dragged into this! What if you lose, Kaiba!" Mai Valentine, seeing Kaiba's harsh attitude towards Joey, stepped forward to support him. The figure of her Deck Master, (Amazoness Queen), appeared beside her.
With each successive defeat, the determined Mai Valentine sought change, wanting to inject new vitality into her Deck, a new strength besides (Harpie Lady). Leveraging KaibaCorp's database, which stored almost all the cards on the market, she found a new power that suited her taste perfectly—the (Amazoness) Deck.
Not only were these Duel Monsters of the same maternal clan as (Harpie Lady), but their card Effects also perfectly compensated for (Harpie Lady)'s weakness in the front field, despite her strength in countering the Back Row. For instance, the (Nightmare Penguin) she had encountered before lost to an (Amazoness Swordsman) with a counter-attack Effect.
"Hmph!" Not bothering to explain anything to Mai Valentine, Kaiba stubbornly refused to yield even half a step.
Ishizu, after foreseeing the future with the power of the Millennium Necklace, hesitantly asked Hayato, "Hayato, you mentioned before that Gozaburo discovered the power hidden behind the (Super Polymerization) card. What kind of power is it? Why do I see a future of twisted chaos?"
"Regarding (Super Polymerization), to put it simply, it's a card symbolizing ultimate power. Its might is more exaggerated than a nuclear bomb, possessing the strength to merge dimensions, capable of destroying several universes."
Ishizu and Yugi beside her were both startled by Hayato's answer: "What?!"
"In that case, that's one more reason to defeat Gozaburo." Yugi Muto looked at Gozaburo with firm eyes, closed them, and then reopened them, his gaze sharp. "I absolutely cannot let you complete (Super Polymerization)!"
"Heh, this is the expression young people should have. However, there are quite a few of you. If you cooperate with each other, a duel that isn't sufficiently fierce won't be enough to complete the card (Super Polymerization)."
Gozaburo stroked his chin, a malicious idea seemingly forming. He let out a cold, ill-intentioned smile and clapped his hands.
Corresponding to the six people standing opposite Gozaburo, five square mechanisms opened in the floor beside him. As elevators rose, five people with stiff expressions, wearing Duel Disks, appeared.
Kaiba, Yugi, and Joey's eyes widened in rage. They simultaneously called out the names of the figures who had appeared before them:
"Mokuba!"
"Téa! Tristan!"
"Serenity Wheeler! And Duke Devlin!"
The five people who appeared were none other than Mokuba, Téa, and the others who had been left behind on the S.S. St. Ann!
Gozaburo sneered, "Angry? Good, you should be. The people who appeared before you are your important family and friends, aren't they? Their souls are now in my hands, and their bodies have been turned into puppets; after all, their utility must be fully extracted."
"Want to reclaim their bodies and souls? Of course, you can. Defeat them with your full strength!" Gozaburo laughed heartily and added, "But I must remind you, the ones controlling their duels are Duel Robots programmed with the duel consciousness data of renowned Duelists. If you don't fight with all your might, be careful not to lose your own bodies as well."
As Gozaburo finished speaking, the already vast office space expanded further. Acting unilaterally, he assigned opponents to everyone present.
Yugi would face Téa.
Kaiba would face his brother Mokuba.
Joey needed to defeat Tristan.
Mai Valentine would duel Serenity Wheeler.
Ishizu would face Duke Devlin.
And finally, standing before Gozaburo, was Hayato.
"Gozaburo, you bastard!" Seeing Mokuba as his opponent, Kaiba, in a fit of rage, tried to charge at Gozaburo. However, he discovered that after the spatial transfer, an invisible Spatial Barrier had been placed between each pair's dueling area. No matter how Kaiba raged and tried to assault Gozaburo, he could not breach the barrier.
"Aren't you curious why I didn't deal with Seto, the one who forced me to my death, first, Hayato?" Gozaburo looked at Hayato, who stood opposite him.
Giving Gozaburo a cold glance, Hayato replied, "After all, a malicious person like you would only do something like that to see the sad expressions of others forced to act against their loved ones."
"Stop playing such tedious games, Gozaburo. Your ambition to conquer and destroy the world will be defeated by me and my Deck!"
"Duel!"
[Hayato: 4000 LP]
[Gozaburo: 4000 LP]
(end of chapter)
Chapter 327: Exodia Necross
"The first turn is mine, Draw!" Gozaburo claimed the first turn and drew a card.
Apparently, he had drawn a good card, and a slight curve appeared on Gozaburo's lips. He wasn't in a hurry to play it. "Hayato, you are a remarkably excellent individual. To have defeated Pegasus, the creator of Duel Monsters, is enough to prove your strength."
"Although even now, I still despise Seto's impractical, childish dream that can't be taken seriously, I personally quite approve of Duel Monsters."
"Because, just like Chess, Duel Monsters can, to some extent, test a person's mettle. Calculation, strategy, choice, courage, foresight, and finally, the indispensable luck." As Gozaburo spoke, he played the card he had just drawn. "Duel Monsters is a microcosm of war, and it is regrettable that the one standing before you is the President of KaibaCorp, who rules the world through war!"
"I activate the Spell Card Painful Choice! I select five cards from my Deck to show you. You then choose one of them to Add to my Hand, and the rest are Sent to the Graveyard."
Because they were in the Virtual World, Gozaburo merely thought of it, and five cards automatically flew out from his Deck, stopping before him, their images enlarged for Hayato to choose.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Kaiba, unwilling to go hard on his brother Mokuba, had his Kaiser Sea Horse, Summoned in Defense Position, easily Destroyed by Mokuba's Summoned Blue-Eyes White Dragon. As he endured the piercing Battle Damage caused by Dragon's Rage's Effect, Kaiba saw the five cards Gozaburo had displayed.
In that instant, Kaiba's entire expression became somewhat distorted.
"Is that...?!" Yugi Muto, who had not let Yami Yugi take over and was Dueling himself, also showed a look of surprise.
"Exodia?!"
The five cards lined up before Gozaburo were precisely the Exodia cards Yugi had once used to defeat Kaiba, one of which was later damaged by Weevil!
Left Arm of the Forbidden One, Left Leg of the Forbidden One, Exodia the Forbidden One, Right Leg of the Forbidden One, Right Arm of the Forbidden One—all five cards were gathered!
Although in the Real World, no one apart from Grandpa Muto had ever collected these five cards, thanks to being in the Virtual World, Gozaburo also possessed all the Exodia cards!
"These past few years, I haven't been wasting my time in the Virtual World. Just as Seto investigated all my chess strategies to defeat me back then, I also studied Seto's habits regarding Duel Monsters. Incidentally, Yugi's Deck, which defeated him, was also within my scope of research."
"While this might seem unbelievable to humans, as an Ai, my computational power is unrivaled; no one can be my opponent in a mental game! And the most suitable for me is Exodia, the strongest Duel Monster, once used by Yugi!"
"Not only that, my Deck contains no other boring Monster Cards besides Exodia. This card set is a meticulously calculated and optimized 'Sai-Q' Deck. I am already invincible!" Gozaburo spread his arms wide. "Just like in intense business competition, make your choice carefully, Hayato, which Card will you Add to my Hand!"
"Though, the outcome will not change."
Despite Gozaburo's confident tone, as if he had already won the Duel, Hayato scoffed at his words.
Duel Monsters is a mental game?
It's clearly a game of luck!
In a Yu-Gi-Oh! international tournament from Hayato's previous life, a rather absurd incident occurred: a Duelist also using an Exodia Deck, after his Deck was Shuffled by his opponent, drew five cards on the Second Turn, and they happened to be all five Exodia pieces, instantly achieving an extremely strict Second Turn One-Turn Kill.
Explain that to me, what exactly is a "mental game"?
"I choose 'The Random Left Hand' to Add to your Hand."
The Exodia cards were essentially indistinguishable. Besides the main Exodia the Forbidden One, the other four were all Normal Monsters. Hayato casually picked the leftmost one.
Gozaburo frowned. "That is Left Arm of the Forbidden One. In any case, I Add this card to my Hand, and the other four cards are Sent to the Graveyard."
The usual method of winning a Duel by gathering all Exodia pieces in Hand was dismantled by Gozaburo. Then, Gozaburo also Sent the Left Arm of the Forbidden One he had just Added to his Hand to the Graveyard.
"I discard Left Arm of the Forbidden One from my Hand to activate the Effect of the Spell Card, Graveyard Seal! Until the end of this turn, card effects Activated in the Graveyard are Negated." Gozaburo smiled.
"However, this card's Effect is not my main objective. With Left Arm of the Forbidden One Sent to the Graveyard, all five parts of Exodia are now gathered in my Graveyard!"
"I activate the Spell Card, Contract with Exodia! This can only be activated when all five Exodia cards are assembled in my Graveyard, by paying 2000 Life Points!"
[Gozaburo: 4000 → 2000 LP]
As Gozaburo's Spell Card activated, the five Exodia pieces slumbering in his Graveyard appeared on his Field, transforming into five black-purple spheres that formed a magic circle emanating an ominous aura. A black version of Exodia emerged from the magic circle, standing tall on Gozaburo's Field.
[Exodia Necross] [Level 4 / DARK]
[Spellcaster / Effect]
[1800 ATK / 0 DEF]
"Exodia Necross..." Hayato naturally recognized this card. He remembered that this Monster possessed powerful resistance; as long as five Exodia cards existed in the Graveyard, it could not be Destroyed by any means, and it also had an Effect to gain 1000 Attack Points after each Battle.
Of course, it was really just a matter of a Soul Release or a Dimensional Prison.
"Hmph hmph, heh heh, hm ha ha ha ha!" Unlike Hayato, who disdained Exodia Necross, Gozaburo noticed the grim expressions on Yugi and Kaiba's faces as they watched the Battle, and he laughed maniacally. "Exodia Necross is the strongest Duel Monster! Its appearance symbolizes my victory!"
"You have already lost, Hayato!"
(end of chapter)
Chapter 328: The Library, and More
Laughing wildly, Gozaburo didn't simply end his Turn. Instead, he raised his hand and played another card: "Field Spell Card, «Necrovalley»! From this moment on, neither player's effects can interfere with the Graveyard!"
"Then I Set two cards. My Turn ends."
[Gozaburo: 2000 LP, Hand 0]
[Exodia's Undead: ATK 1800]
[Set Card] X2
Field: «Necrovalley»
Now, it was Hayato's Turn.
To be honest, the Deck Hayato was using this time was actually more suited for going first. Its full power could only be unleashed by developing his strategy without any interference.
Although Hayato currently had a great hand, considering Gozaburo's two unknown Set cards in his Back Row, Hayato felt it was necessary to probe them.
Just as he was thinking this and Hayato was about to Draw, Gozaburo impatiently Flipped the cards in his Back Row.
"At the start of your Turn, I Activate my two Set cards: the Continuous Trap Card «Soul Barrier», and the Continuous Trap Card «Safe Zone»!"
As Hayato looked on, utterly bewildered, Gozaburo himself Activated both cards. Hayato's expression, a mix of "Why did he expose them himself?" and "Was I just outsmarting thin air?", was misinterpreted by Gozaburo as shock at the Activated cards.
He couldn't help but smugly explain: "«Exodia's Undead», as a monster with such strict Summoning conditions, is naturally no ordinary monster. Don't let its Level 4 and ATK of only 1800 points fool you, for every «Exodia» in the Graveyard grants it power."
"«Left Leg of the Forbidden One» and «Right Leg of the Forbidden One» prevent it from being Destroyed by any Spell or Trap Card;
«Left Arm of the Forbidden One» prevents it from being Destroyed by any monster effect;
«Exodia the Forbidden One» prevents it from being Destroyed by battle;
And «Right Arm of the Forbidden One» grants it the power to Increase its ATK by 1000 after each battle!"
Gozaburo paused here, a scornful smile spreading across his face: "Although «Exodia's Undead» will self-destruct if the five «Exodia» cards in my Graveyard are removed from it, I've already used «Necrovalley» to seal off your interference with my Graveyard."
"Even if «Necrovalley» is Destroyed, I've long since purged cards with Graveyard-banishing effects, like «Soul Release», from this world!"
"«Soul Barrier» ensures that as long as I control a monster on my field, I won't take battle damage, preventing you from using high-ATK monsters to bypass «Exodia's Undead» and clear my Life Points; and «Safe Zone» makes «Exodia's Undead» immune to being targeted by effects, filling its last flaw, its vulnerability to being Banished by you!"
Gozaburo confidently clenched his fist: "Immortality, impenetrable defense, and infinitely growing power! I'll repeat it again: «Exodia's Undead» is invincible!"
"Try to counter «Exodia's Undead»'s defense, and then fall into despair, Hayato!"
Hayato sighed, casting a look at Gozaburo as if he were an idiot, and drew a card: "My turn, Draw!"
"Honestly, I don't know what to make of you, Gozaburo. To say you don't understand dueling, your setup is indeed quite extravagant. But to say you do understand dueling, if you had properly managed the resources you spent, you probably would have already gathered all of «Exodia» in your Hand."
"Counter? There's absolutely no need. Instead, you should watch closely and learn, and let me show you the true power of a 'Sai Q Monster'!"
"I Summon «Summoner Monk» in Attack Position!"
[«Summoner Monk»: Level 4 / DARK]
[Spellcaster-Type / DARK Attribute]
[ATK 800 / DEF 1600]
"«Summoner Monk»'s own effect Activates when it is Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned: It changes to Defense Position."
A somewhat slender, monk-dressed monster appeared in Hayato's Monster Zone. Although it was Summoned in Attack Position, upon entering the Field, «Summoner Monk» automatically changed to Defense Position.
Gozaburo glanced at «Summoner Monk»'s mere 1600 defense points, scoffing: "Hmph, a weak monster. Do you intend to block «Exodia's Undead»? It's useless! «Exodia's Undead», with its infinitely increasing ATK, cannot be defended against by your monster!"
Hayato calmly shook his head: "No, «Summoner Monk» wasn't Summoned to block an attack. I'll make a declaration here, Gozaburo. This duel will end this Turn. Don't blink; the pain will only last a moment."
"As its name suggests, «Summoner Monk» has a Summoning effect. Once per Turn, I can Discard one Spell Card from my Hand to the Graveyard, then Special Summon one Level 4 monster from my Deck." As he spoke, Hayato took a monster card from his Duel Disk and placed it on the Duel Disk. "The monster I'm Summoning is this one: «Royal Magical Library»!"
As the sickly-looking «Summoner Monk» coughed and chanted, a miniaturized building appeared beside him. Inside the building, countless magical books were housed, and just by looking at it, one could feel the magical energy contained within.
[«Royal Magical Library»: Level 4 / LIGHT Attribute]
[Spellcaster-Type / Effect]
[ATK 0 / DEF 2000]
"Another low-Level monster."
Gozaburo, who had yet to grasp the true meaning of the «Royal Magical Library» that Hayato had Summoned, still retained his arrogance. In his eyes, although «Royal Magical Library» had 2000 defense points, it was still no match for «Exodia's Undead».
As for its effect? That wasn't important.
"«Royal Magical Library»'s effect states that each time either player Activates a Spell Card, it collects magical energy and places one Spell Counter on itself (max 3). By removing 3 Spell Counters, I can Draw one card from my Deck."
Hayato looked at the scornful Gozaburo and found it rather amusing.
Alright, today we're dueling! My opponent this time is playing a frustratingly slow «Exodia's Undead» strategy. Even though they Summoned their soul in one Turn, it doesn't matter, because this time we're playing the genuine «Exodia»! Let's Obliterate him!
Inexplicably, a voice spoke in Hayato's head.
The Deck he was using this time was none other than the infamous Meta Deck—the "Library Exodia" built around the two cards: «Exodia» and «Royal Magical Library»!
(end of chapter)
Chapter 329: Adding the Deck to Hand
Ignoring Gozaburo, Chumley continued to play cards from his hand: "Activate Spell Card _Terraforming_! I can add one Field Spell Card from my Deck to my hand. I choose _Magical Citadel of Endymion_, and at the same time, place one Spell Counter on _Royal Magical Library_."
"Then, I activate _Magical Citadel of Endymion_, and at the same time, place a second Spell Counter on _Royal Magical Library_."
"Hmph, it's all useless." Gozaburo still didn't think Chumley had any way to defeat his invincible _Exodia Necross_. Although _Necrovalley_ was replaced by _Magical Citadel of Endymion_, Gozaburo, having previously removed the threatening cards, wasn't worried at all that Chumley would do anything to the five pieces of _Exodia_ in his Graveyard.
"_Magical Citadel of Endymion_, like _Royal Magical Library_, are both cards from the new 'Spell Counter' series recently released by Industrial Illusions. Not only can they not provide buffs to monsters like other Field Spell Cards, but its effect is also just to remove a Spell Counter from a monster once per turn."
Yugi looked towards Chumley's side somewhat worriedly, observing the surrounding environment that had been altered again due to the activation of a Field Spell Card. "How can Chumley defeat that _Exodia_?"
"Activate Spell Card _Pot of Greed_! I draw two cards from my Deck. Then, because _Royal Magical Library_ already has three Spell Counters, I remove them and draw one more card."
"Spell Card _Double Summon_! I can perform a second Normal Summon this turn. I summon the second _Royal Magical Library_ in Defense Position."
"_Magical Citadel of Endymion_ already has three Spell Counters. I remove them to activate the effect of _Royal Magical Library_, and draw one more card."
"Activate Spell Card _Terraforming_! Add the second _Magical Citadel of Endymion_ to my hand, then I activate it. At the same time, remove three Spell Counters from _Royal Magical Library_ and draw one card!"
Even Gozaburo couldn't help but frown seeing Chumley activate the effect of _Royal Magical Library_ to draw cards again and again.
Just now, when Chumley activated _Double Summon_, he had thought Chumley intended to Tribute the two monsters on the field to summon some troublesome High-Level Monster. But what he didn't expect was that Chumley actually just summoned the second _Royal Magical Library_.
The Spell Counters on the two _Royal Magical Library_ on the field kept increasing as Chumley frantically activated various Spell Cards. Once they reached three, Chumley would immediately remove them to exchange cards from the Deck.
As Chumley frantically drew cards, his Deck visibly thinned out, and it continued to decrease.
"Although I don't know what you are doing," Gozaburo said, "it's useless even if you draw more cards. Even if you can summon _Slifer the Sky Dragon_ whose ATK increases based on the number of cards in your hand, you can't break through my _Exodia Necross_ on the field."
"Activate Spell Card _Pot of Greed_!"
"Spell Card _Upstart Goblin_!"
"_Royal Magical Library_'s own effect!"
"Spell Card _Graceful Charity_!"
"_Royal Magical Library_'s own effect!"
"Spell Card _Magical Mallet_!"
"Spell Card _Magic Mastery_!"
"_Royal Magical Library_'s own effect!"
Seeing Chumley's Deck count drop drastically from 40 cards at the start to only the last three cards, what Chumley held in his hand was more like an entire Deck than a mere hand.
"You... don't you know the hand limit is six cards, and if you exceed it, you have to discard at the End Phase?" Gozaburo's voice deepened. His Life Points were raised to 5000 due to the effect of the three _Upstart Goblin_ activated by Chumley, but looking at Chumley's "adding the Deck to hand" performance, he always had an ominous premonition in his heart.
Looking at his _Exodia Necross_ on the field, Gozaburo still couldn't recall where this ominous premonition came from.
Even though he wasn't using his true body right now, after narrating such a long sequence, Chumley couldn't help but feel his mouth parched. Shaking his wrist that ached from the mechanical repetition of drawing cards, he looked at the stern-faced Gozaburo and said with a smile, "I really narrated for quite a long time. Now, my Deck finally only has the last three cards left."
"Even though at the start I felt my hand was pretty good and my setup went smoothly, but it ended up being dragged until the last three cards. Should I say I'm lucky or unlucky?"
"So, Gozaburo, would you like to guess what my final three cards are?"
"You... what are you trying to say?"
Hearing Gozaburo's words, Chumley's lips curled. "Nothing much. Since you're not interested in guessing, let's change the question—how many ways are there to win in Duel Monsters?"
"The opponent's Life Points becoming zero, or being unable to draw from an empty Deck. There are also _Destiny Board_, _Final Countdown_, and other cards that change win conditions. And beyond these, the strongest is this one."
"I activate Spell Card _Graceful Charity_! I draw three cards from my Deck, then discard two cards from my hand!"
As Chumley drew the last three cards from his Deck, almost without thinking, he casually picked two from his hand and sent them to the Graveyard. His hand suddenly burst with light.
Just like when Gozaburo previously activated _Contract with Exodia_, five golden orbs flew up from Chumley's hand, forming a magnificent magic circle in mid-air.
Under Gozaburo's disbelieving gaze, a truly terrifyingly powerful ultimate Duel Monster walked out from the magic circle. It didn't seem to do anything; just the pressure it carried upon appearing on the field made Gozaburo's _Exodia Necross_ on the field instantly dissipate as if a shadow vanished before a scorching sun.
"Ex-Exodia," Kaiba looked at the ultimate monster on Chumley's field, which had broken free from chains and condensed a ball of light in its hand. His lips curled, revealing a smile that no one else noticed. "It was _Exodia_ that buried the former me. I didn't expect it would be _Exodia_ that buries Gozaburo, huh?"
"Go, _Exodia_, Little Fists, Pound the Chest!"
Shouting an inscrutable attack name, _Exodia_ was commanded by Chumley, unleashing the attack from its hand.
Infinite power engulfed Gozaburo in an instant.
(end of chapter)
Chapter 330: The Out-of-Control Virtual World
(Exodia)'s Kamehameha-like blast unstoppably destroyed everything in its path, sending Gozaburo's entire body flying to land supine on the ground. The enlarged office serving as the background was also left in a state of utter chaos, and the massive floor-to-ceiling windows shattered with a roar.
The moment after defeating Gozaburo, Hayato received the reward issued by the System.
However, he didn't have time to check the details of the reward yet.
Stepping forward quickly, Hayato gripped the (Millennium Ring) in one hand and grabbed Gozaburo's collar with the other. "The game is over, Gozaburo. As one of the deceased, you have no right to interfere with the world of the living. Go back to the Afterlife!"
As he spoke, Hayato moved to press the (Millennium Ring) onto Gozaburo's face, as if it were a set of brass knuckles.
The principle of using the (Millennium Items) to send a soul to the afterlife was quite simple. It was essentially just using a large amount of Dark Power to directly disperse the soul. As for whether Gozaburo, or Johnson (Ooka Chikuzen) before him, actually entered the Underworld? Hayato couldn't care less.
The (Millennium Ring), radiating a golden glow, slowly approached his forehead. Gozaburo wanted to resist, but having just lost the Duel, he was utterly paralyzed, only able to let Hayato act.
Just as the Dark Power surging on the (Millennium Ring) was about to invade Gozaburo's body, Hayato suddenly let go, throwing Gozaburo aside like a wild rabbit sensing a predator approaching, and himself rolled away from the spot.
And in the next second, a golden beam of light missed its target, and a voice Hayato knew very well rang out: "Isn't it a bit too cruel to exterminate him like this, Hayato-kun?"
Air currents surged into the office through the shattered floor-to-ceiling windows, fluttering the speaker's long coat-tails. Beneath a messy mop of white hair was a face full of smiles. It was Bakura, who had gone missing from the infirmary.
Beside Bakura, a golden eyeball floated in mid-air like a Float-Cannon. The Dark Power that had just interrupted Hayato came from it.
"Bakura, you've actually come to this world too? Tsk, what a headache, everyone's gathering here." Hayato held the Deck he had just seized the opportunity to pull from Gozaburo's Duel Disk. As a large number of cards vanished into data, Hayato was left with only a single Blank Card in his hand.
Bakura smiled. "You've gone and snatched someone else's Deck again, Hayato-kun. You truly haven't forgotten your roots, have you? If I recall correctly, you even took my Deck once, didn't you?"
"Well, our family rule is 'if you don't pick it up when you're out, it's as good as lost.' But don't you slander me; I did ask for your opinion back then."
As the Duels of the other five people around him continued, Hayato's expression grew serious, because, holding the card, he discovered a type of energy, different from Dark Power, was surging forth from the Blank Card in his hand. At the same time, the energy already concentrated in the card was spinning in a Vortex, and even showed a tendency to pull the surrounding space into its rotation.
That Gozaburo, he only parsed the data within KaibaCorp's internal database, and he could actually restore (Super Polymerization) to this extent? Hayato didn't believe it.
But Hayato thought, if there was someone who knew a thing or two about the existence of (Super Polymerization) giving guidance from the side, then it would be understandable.
Thinking this, Hayato looked at Bakura and asked: "The method for creating (Super Polymerization) that Gozaburo knew, you provided it to him, didn't you, Bakura?"
"Well, a person's dreams have no end, after all. Seeing him strive so hard for his dream, I just gave him a gentle push from behind."
Bakura's expression was quite calm. He walked over to the prone Gozaburo, looked at his wretched state, a smirk playing on his lips, and lifted his foot to kick him fiercely. "It's just that this guy disappointed me too much."
These words were a complete replica of what Gozaburo had said when he killed Noah earlier.
"You—you dare to kick me!" Gozaburo, kicked in the abdomen by Bakura, curled up. He wanted to get up and counterattack, but for some reason, even though he had already used his mind to interfere with the Virtual World, the world seemed to have disconnected and no longer responded to him.
"How is this possible!?"
Gozaburo couldn't help but widen his eyes, green data streams rushing through them. Although he didn't have items like the (Millennium Items), Gozaburo, who had analyzed the Dark Power during Hayato's Duel with Noah, was quite certain that in his recent Duel with Hayato, Hayato had not used the (Millennium Items) to turn the Duel into a Shadow Game and place stakes.
Within the Virtual World, although Hayato's administrator permissions were still retained, the owner of the highest permissions was still Gozaburo himself.
Yet for some reason, even though he had issued the command to the world to 'erase everyone present except for himself,' neither Hayato, Yugi, Kaiba, nor Bakura was affected by him in any way.
He tried to manipulate other things again.
On the shattered floor-to-ceiling windows behind him, as if by time reversal, the glass gradually began to repair itself. But halfway through the repair, the speed of the glass's restoration plummeted, like a file nearing completion of its download, and it abruptly froze halfway, refusing to change any further.
He tried to transfer the surrounding space to another location, but after merely a slight flicker, the scene remained in this world.
The Virtual World was actually gradually slipping from his control!
Bakura noticed Hayato's gaze on him, and quickly waved his hand. "This has nothing to do with me. If I had to say, the real culprits are Yugi, Seto Kaiba, and you, Hayato-kun, the three of you."
"My reason for coming to this world is quite simple. Besides solving a problem that had troubled others for a long time, I haven't done anything else." Saying this, Bakura walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window that had only half-repaired itself. He kicked the glass, shattering it, then turned to face Hayato, revealing a smile. "Well then, everyone, see you in the Real World. Ciao~"
With that, he actually leaned back and fell, dropping from the floor-to-ceiling window.
There was no thought of stopping Bakura, because Hayato knew clearly that Bakura, or rather the Evil God within him, not only possessed a vitality as tenacious as a cockroach and wouldn't easily die, but he was also quite satisfied with Bakura's body and wouldn't mess around recklessly.
He lowered his head and glanced at the Blank Card in his hand. The pattern on it became increasingly clear, seeming to be gradually completing itself with the Duels of the others around him. At the same time, the distorting sensation of interfering with space also grew more apparent.
If he didn't act faster, the card of (Super Polymerization) would probably be completed very soon!
Hayato looked at Gozaburo, who had fainted after Bakura kicked out the glass that had only half-repaired itself, then looked at the others still in their Duels. He made up his mind, and once again raised the (Millennium Ring) at his chest.
Golden light bloomed on the (Millennium Ring). Five dangling cones all pointed in one direction. Hayato quickened his pace, and ran quickly in the direction indicated by the (Millennium Ring).
Previously, because he had been interrupted by Noah, he hadn't been able to find what he was looking for before being dragged into successive Duels. Now, he had to quicken his pace and quickly find that thing.
Within the (Millennium Ring), Marik sat cross-legged, looking at Hayato and asking: "Brother-in-law, what exactly are you looking for?"
His expression was quite leisurely.
Indeed, after all, in a certain sense, he, having left his own body, was actually not much different from a dead person. If he could live within the (Millennium Ring), then he would live. If he couldn't, then he simply couldn't.
Hayato kicked open the door to the KaibaCorp office. Behind the door was a desert. Hayato strode forward across the soft sand, but the sand absorbed the power from his feet, making it somewhat difficult for him to walk.
Hearing Marik's question, he explained: "A long time ago, I, Yugi, Joey, Mai Valentine, and Kaiba, a few of us, participated in an online game developed by KaibaCorp, centered around Duel Monsters."
"Although the world of that online game seemed like an ordinary game world, in reality, that world was quite miraculous. Have you ever seen a Duel Monster Spirit encountered in a game turn into a card and come into your hand in the Real World?"
"How is that possible? If even something like that could be done, wouldn't Duel Monster Spirits be too cheap?" Marik said casually, but after a pause, he said somewhat uncertainly, "Brother-in-law, don't tell me..."
Hayato nodded. "Both Yugi and I obtained cards from that world. You should have seen the card I use; it's that [Earthbound Immortal]."
After crossing a sand dune, although a vast expanse of sand lay before him, Hayato didn't continue forward. Instead, he walked to a large rock by the dune. Carrying the (Millennium Ring), he passed through a crevice in the rock, and in an instant, Hayato arrived in a dense jungle.
"This world, isn't it a bit too chaotic? It's like it's been pieced together." Marik complained.
"What you said isn't entirely accurate, because this world isn't 'like it's been pieced together'; it is pieced together. With the development of the game I just mentioned, all sorts of leftover scene scraps were haphazardly stuffed into this world that originally had nothing, so calling it 'pieced together' is actually a compliment."
The light from the (Millennium Ring) in Hayato's hand grew even brighter, seeming to indicate he was extremely close to his destination. Hayato turned, confirmed a direction, and pushed aside a patch of grass nearby.
Before his eyes, a rather strange rift appeared, clashing with the surrounding greenery.
Seeing this fissure, Hayato smiled. "Finally found it."
(end of chapter)