Chapter 506: Just Use Me, Jaden (Inori Yuzuriha expression)
[Kaiba: 4000 LP, Hand 1]
[Deep-Eyes White Dragon][ATK 4500]
[Face-down Monster]
[Set Card] x3
After Kaiba ended his turn, Jaden's Turn began. His finger rested on his Deck, waiting for him to Draw a Card, which would then be his Standby Phase.
If things truly went as Kaiba had declared last Turn, Jaden would lose the Duel in the Standby Phase. While he couldn't guess exactly what cards Kaiba had Set like Hayato could, Jaden had a pretty good idea of the method.
'I don't know the true identity of that Face-down Position Monster, but a Face-down Position Monster can't Activate its Effect proactively, so it probably isn't related to that Monster. In that case, are they the two Set Cards in the Back Row?'
Jaden looked at the Set Cards in Kaiba's Back Row, pondering, 'The method that can be used in the Standby Phase, is it Effect Damage? Tsk, if Hayato had been Attacking last Turn, he surely would've used (Soul Absorption) to Tribute Deep-Eyes White Dragon in the end, and I wouldn't have gotten this chance to Draw.'
'In this situation, the Card in my Deck that can turn this crisis around is...'
A smirk played on Jaden's lips as he recalled a Card in his Deck.
"200 Life Points against 4000 Life Points, the outcome rests on this Card. However, a True Duelist creates their own Draw future."
"My Turn, Draw!"
As Jaden made his Draw, Kaiba sneered coldly, and pressed the button to Activate his Set Card: "Since you've Drawn, that means you're prepared to face defeat. In your Standby Phase, I Activate my Set Card!"
"Trap Card, (Ring of Destruction)! It Destroys one Face-up Position Monster on the Field, and then both players take Damage equal to the Destroyed Monster's Attack!"
"The Monster I Target is my Deep-Eyes White Dragon on the Field with 4500 Attack Points! After Destroying her and Sending her to the Graveyard, both Duelists take 4500 points of Effect Damage!"
From the Set Card Kaiba Activated, an iron ring adorned with eight grenades appeared, looping around the neck of Kaiba's Targeted Deep-Eyes White Dragon. Seeing Deep-Eyes White Dragon don the "collar," Kaiba inexplicably turned his head away in silence.
Yusei Fudo said, somewhat confused, "Huh? 4500 points of Effect Damage? Wouldn't that wipe out both players' Life Points? And I recall that (Ring of Destruction)'s Effect requires you to Target an Opponent's Monster with ATK less than or equal to their Life Points, first deducting your own Life Points, and then inflicting equal Damage to your Opponent, right?"
"Ah, well, the Great Qing has its own national conditions; it's perfectly normal for (Ring of Destruction)'s Effect to 'degenerate' decades later, you know," Hayato said, spreading his hands. "As for 'Mutual Destruction' and all that, here's a little lesson for you."
"Just like Yugi is skilled at Proxy Dueling and Joey excels at rolling Dice, how can a True Duelist not have a signature move? Kaiba's specialty is gluing cards together in his Deck."
"Three (Blue-Eyes) always appear with (Polymerization), (Shrink) and (Crush Card Virus), and..." Hayato looked unsurprised at the second card Kaiba Activated in his Backrow, immediately following (Ring of Destruction): "(Ring of Destruction) and (Defense Wheel)."
Completely disregarding what Card Jaden had Drawn or if he had any immediate responses, Kaiba nonchalantly Activated his second Set Card in the Backrow as Chain Link 2: "Quick-Play Spell Card, (Defense Wheel)! Its Effect makes any Effect Damage I would take from a Trap Card become 0."
"Your Life Points are only 200, and you will now take 4500 points of Effect Damage from (Ring of Destruction). As for me, thanks to (Defense Wheel)'s Effect, I won't take any Damage."
Kaiba narrowed his eyes, looking at the Card Jaden had Drawn. "Perhaps you truly do have some connection to that Hayato fellow, but unfortunately, 4500 points of Damage is far too much. Even if you were to mimic him and Activate a Card like (Mystik Wok) or Tribute a Monster, it would only be a drop in the ocean. I have already secured my victory!"
Hearing this, Jaden smiled helplessly: "Indeed, in this situation, no matter how many Life Point Recovery Cards I use, unless I can recover over 4300 points in one go, it's useless. I simply can't resist such high Damage."
As Jaden's words fell, (Ring of Destruction) and (Defense Wheel) on Kaiba's Field began to spin simultaneously. Just as Kaiba thought Jaden had conceded defeat, having realized his impossible odds, Jaden suddenly looked up, revealing his mismatched orange and green Odd-Eyes.
"However, since the Power of righteous (Elemental HERO)es is no longer useful, then let's use the Power of Destruction to turn this around!"
"Quick-Play Spell Card, (Tribute to the Doomed)! As a Cost to skip my next Turn's Draw Phase, I Target one Face-up Position Monster on the Field and Destroy it." Jaden pointed his finger at (Ring of Destruction), which was wrapped around the neck of Deep-Eyes White Dragon and about to Detonate any moment: "If I Destroy Deep-Eyes White Dragon before it is Destroyed by (Ring of Destruction), then (Ring of Destruction)'s Effect won't Activate!"
"It's the same principle as shooting a hostage preemptively to prevent a robber from taking them!"
Jaden inserted (Tribute to the Doomed) from his Hand into his Duel Disk's Spell & Trap Zone. On Kaiba's Field, Deep-Eyes White Dragon, while still wearing the (Ring of Destruction) that was about to obliterate it, suddenly found countless bandages extending from beneath the ground, reaching anti-gravitationally into the air like myriad tentacles, binding it and dragging it underground!
In short, for any Dragon Enthusiast, the scene might have appeared extremely lewd: a bride, a collar, bondage, and even a "swallow whole" scenario.
Kaiba paused, surprised by the Card Jaden Activated. He narrowed his eyes, assessing Jaden.
"Hmph, it's not Yugi's tiresome 'Bonds,' nor Hayato's troublesome 'Sacrifice,' but 'Destruction'?"
Although Kaiba didn't understand the sudden color change in Jaden's eyes—he mostly assumed it was just a magic trick, like putting on colored contact lenses—Kaiba suddenly found Jaden's Dueling style quite interesting.
A passionate youth who doesn't overthink, a mature Warrior who has endured pain, and a sovereign who clearly embraced the Darkness to reign. Despite it being the same person using the same Deck, Kaiba could sense three distinct Duelist Souls.
Although Kaiba still didn't believe Jaden's claim of being from the future, he could at least be certain that Jaden wasn't completely mimicking Hayato's Dueling style, but was forging his own path.
"Now this is more like it," Kaiba sneered, "but don't get one thing wrong, kid who calls himself 'Jaden Yuki'. When you gaze into the Abyss, the Abyss also gazes into you. Deep-Eyes White Dragon's third Effect will Activate when it is Destroyed!"
"It drags all Monsters on the Opponent's Field into the endless Abyss!"
The bandages generated by (Tribute to the Doomed) successfully dragged Kaiba's Deep-Eyes White Dragon into the Graveyard, leaving behind only (Ring of Destruction), which fizzled out uselessly, and (Defense Wheel), which defended nothing. But before the fissure in the ground closed, Deep-Eyes White Dragon struggled and unleashed its final Attack.
A beam of breath shot into the air, forming a sphere. From the sphere, dense light projectiles erupted like a peacock's display, raining down on the ground, accompanied by a carpet bombing of laser beams. Jaden's two Monsters on the Field reacted quickly and resisted fiercely, but Deep-Eyes White Dragon's Power was too great, and Jaden's (Elemental HERO Shadow Mist) and (Masked HERO Acid) were Destroyed and Sent to the Graveyard.
Though they hadn't even entered the Main Phase, Jaden and Kaiba had already engaged in a fierce exchange. All Monsters on both players' Fields had been cleared, leaving each player with only two Set Cards.
[Kaiba: 4000 LP, Hand 1]
[Face-down Monster]
[Set Card]
[Jaden: 200 LP, Hand 2]
[Set Card] x2
"When it comes to the Power of Destruction, my (Blue-Eyes) won't lose to any other Monster. Trying to win by trickery like that is nothing but a pipe dream."
Although Kaiba spoke with his usual arrogance, not truly considering Jaden a threat, those familiar with him could discern a glint of admiration for Jaden in his eyes.
Even though under the influence of Solomon Muto and Yugi—primarily after being utterly crushed by Yugi's (Exodia)—Kaiba had come to understand the "Power" and "Heart" of Cards. However, humans are always prone to first impressions. Even though Kaiba understood the "Soul" of Cards, he still habitually pursued the "Power" of Cards.
However, the Duelists who could challenge him were few:
Yugi Muto wasn't one to actively Duel. Even when he did Duel, he would constantly annoy Kaiba, who specialized in high ATK, with Cards like (Fiendish Chain) or (Magic Cylinder).
Joey, when Dueling, was also a brute-force Duelist like Kaiba. But while Kaiba favored an Aggressive Play style, overwhelming opponents with absolute Power, Joey was a "cockroach-style" Duelist, constantly "struggling" and teetering on the edge between defeat and survival.
As for Hayato, there's no need to even mention him. He either used (Change of Heart) for a NTR Warrior tactic that infuriated pure-hearted Duelists, or used (Super Polymerization) to Fusion Summon using (Gaia) and (Blue-Eyes). For Kaiba, the Game experience with Hayato was the worst.
Only Yami Yugi would genuinely pit his (Dark Magician) against Kaiba's (Blue-Eyes). And now, Jaden's Dueling style was also accepted by him.
"Now then, show me how far your (HERO)es can go, Jaden Yuki."
"Oh! Then I won't hold back, Mr. Kaiba!" Jaden said confidently, despite all his Monsters on the Field having been Destroyed. Beside Jaden, (Yubel) materialized, visible to Hayato, Yugi, and Yusei Fudo, but not Kaiba.
"What ferocious fighting spirit, even in my experience, those with this level of Dueling Will are few. Have you already been pushed to the brink, Jaden?"
Currently, Jaden's Field only had two unknown Set Cards. In his Hand were (Elemental HERO Stratos), which he had Recycled earlier, and (Miracle Fusion). Furthermore, due to the Negative Effect of (Tribute to the Doomed), his Hand would not be replenished next Turn.
"Ah, well, it is Mr. Kaiba, after all," Jaden rubbed his nose sheepishly. "I thought I'd show off my growth at the start, but I almost got OTK'd. But from now on, this is my—no, our stage."
"Honestly, you never get serious until your Life Points are flickering like a candle in the wind." Yubel looked at Jaden with a helpless expression. "But even so, I still love you very much."
"Feel free to use my Power, Jaden. If it's for you, anything is fine."
Yubel's voice faded as her form disappeared. Jaden, too, displayed a confident smile: "Our partnership is invincible."
Kaiba snorted, watching Jaden's "soliloquy": "Boring. More baseless talk about 'Duel Monster Spirits'? Hmph, there's no scientific basis for any of that."
Unbeknownst to Kaiba, after hearing his muttered words, a (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) Card in his Graveyard seemed to let out an incredibly faint, resigned sigh.
"Although all my Monsters on the Field were Destroyed by Deep-Eyes White Dragon's Effect, the legacy of (HERO)es will be inherited." Jaden lifted his Duel Disk, and his Deck, equipped with an automatic Search device, began to Shuffle. "When (Elemental HERO Shadow Mist) is Sent to the Graveyard, I can Add one (HERO) Monster, other than (Elemental HERO Shadow Mist), from my Deck to my Hand."
"The Card I'm Adding to my Hand is (Elemental HERO Neos)."
Jaden briefly displayed the (Elemental HERO Neos) he had Added to his Hand—a Level 7 Monster with 2500 ATK, the standard Stats for a protagonist's Ace Card: "Next is my Set Card in the Backrow, (Fusion Reserve)! This Card allows me to reveal one Fusion Monster, then Add one of the Fusion Materials listed on that Fusion Monster from my Deck to my Hand, and then Recycle one (Polymerization) Spell Card from my Graveyard."
"The Fusion Monster I'm revealing is (Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman). Then, I Add (Yubel), one of the Fusion Materials for (Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman), from my Deck to my Hand. Finally, I Recycle a (Polymerization) Spell Card from my Graveyard."
Watching Jaden Recycle (Polymerization) once again, Kaiba knew he was about to use Fusion Summoning again. Counting it, this would even be Jaden's third Fusion in this Duel. After all, while (Masked HERO Acid) is a Fusion Monster, it's technically a Special Summon.
"(Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman), then (Yubel) as one of the Materials, and (Elemental HERO Neos) that was Added to Hand—these must be the required Materials." Kaiba glanced at the Face-down Defense Position Monster on his Field and the Set Card in his Backrow, a sneer forming on his lips.
The Monster he had Set was (Abyssal Assassin), one of the few low ATK, low DEF Monsters in his Deck. Its Attack was only 200, and its Defense Points were only 500. However, it was a Flip Monster with the Effect: "When this card is Flip Summoned: Target one Monster on your opponent's Field; Destroy that target."
The reason he added this Card to his Deck, Kaiba declared, was purely his Top-tier understanding of Duel Monsters. It had absolutely nothing to do with Yugi nearly One-Turn Killing Kaiba with a (Man-Eater Bug) that Hayato had given him back then.
Presumably, Jaden was about to perform a Fusion Summon. And once he Summoned a Monster and Attacked, flipping (Abyssal Assassin), its Effect would Trigger, Targeting and Destroying one Monster. Fusion Summoned, and instantly defeated. What's there to say?
In short, Kaiba was greatly anticipating the "freebie" scenario that was sure to follow.
As for the subtle thought that briefly crossed his mind—"Is this Strategy perhaps what Hayato was talking about with a Heavy Trap Deck?"—it was dismissed by Kaiba in an instant.
(PS: Another chapter today, for my birthday this Thursday. I'll be going out to celebrate in a few days (this Thursday). So, I'll update a bit more today, there's still more to come, to finish this Duel.)
(end of chapter)
Chapter 507: Duelists, Please Don't Join the Duel Directly – And That Includes Your Spirit Partners
Under Kaiba's gaze, Jaden played the Polymerization Spell Card he had barely warmed up.
"I activate the Spell Card Polymerization, using Yubel and Elemental HERO Neos from my Hand as Fusion Material!"
"Two souls intertwined by fate…"
Jaden clenched his left fist and raised it into the air.
"A profound love that could not be severed, even from a past life…"
Beside Jaden, Yubel opened her right palm, raising it above her head in sync with Jaden's movement.
"Supreme King's Darkness!" "Light of Sorrow!"
"Converge here!" (Both shouted)
Yubel and Jaden turned to look at each other, a smile appearing on both their faces. Then, they lowered the raised hand and lifted their other arm. Jaden opened his palm, enveloping Yubel's clenched fist.
"You are in me," "And I am in you,"
"The ultimate Fusion of love!" (Both shouted)
"Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman!!!"
As the two, bearing the same heterochromatic eyes, simultaneously called out its name, Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman, its white body adorned with demonic black armor, made a grand appearance!
Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman [Level 9/LIGHT]
[Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect]
[ATK 3000/DEF 2500]
"A Monster that combines the power of Elemental HERO Neos and Yubel, what a strong aura!" Yusei Fudo exclaimed, looking at Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman. "And, even though it wears demonic armor, it gives off a feeling of gentle protective power?"
After Summoning Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman, the heterochromatic eyes in Jaden's eyes returned to their original color. Hearing Yusei Fudo's words from off the Field, Jaden couldn't help but feel a little proud: "Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman is the ultimate Contact Fusion that combines my power and Yubel's power."
"Its specific power will be revealed in the upcoming Battle." As he spoke, Jaden played another Card from his Hand. "I haven't performed a Normal Summon this Turn yet. I Normal Summon Elemental HERO Stratos in Attack Position, then Activate its Effect, adding a HERO monster from my Deck to my Hand."
"I choose Elemental HERO Bubbleman."
After adding a Card to his Hand, Jaden pointed to Kaiba's Set Card in the Back Row: "Entering my Battle Phase, I'll start by attacking the Set Monster on your Field with Elemental HERO Stratos, Mr. Kaiba!"
"Bringer Fan!"
Upon receiving the Attack command, the sky's hero, Elemental HERO Stratos, started its thrusters, propelling it into the air. From above, it locked onto the unknown Set Card on Kaiba's Field.
As the propellers on Elemental HERO Stratos's back sped up, it miraculously generated two clockwise spiraling tornado columns, which, under Elemental HERO Stratos's control, swept towards the Face-down Position Monster!
"Urgh!"
The moment Elemental HERO Stratos's Attack landed, Jaden heard the Set Monster being instantly destroyed without any resistance. It shrieked as it was destroyed, unable even to hold onto its weapon. Jaden and the others were then able to see the Card's true form.
Abyss Assassin [Level 3/DARK]
[Fiend/Flip/Effect]
[ATK 200/DEF 500]
"Huh? A Monster with 200 ATK! Did I miss a zero?" Chumley looked at the Monster's ATK/DEF Stats display with great surprise. He never imagined Kaiba would put such a "trash Monster," as Kaiba would call it, into his Deck.
However, upon seeing it was Abyss Assassin, he paused and understood Kaiba's strategy.
"Jaden Yuki, you attacked my Face-down Position Monster with Elemental HERO Stratos, intending to Destroy Abyss Assassin so that you could then Directly Attack me with Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman's 3000 ATK, right?"
Kaiba watched his Monster be destroyed, but he smiled. "As punishment for opposing me, I shall crush your hope!"
"When Abyss Assassin is flipped face-up, I can Target and destroy one Monster on your Field. Of course, I choose your Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman, which hasn't attacked yet!"
As Kaiba spoke, he swung his hand. The weapon of Abyss Assassin — a dagger entwined with eerie blue light — which had been swept away by Elemental HERO Stratos's Attack, flew out from the corner and plunged into Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman's back!
"Urgh!"
Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman collapsed, stabbed in the back, bleeding profusely. Its blood flowed down its outstretched finger onto the Central Plaza's earthy yellow tiles, as if saying, "Don't stop."
Kaiba was somewhat disappointed that Jaden offered no resistance to the Effect of Abyss Assassin, simply watching as Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman was destroyed.
"Hmph, the last Ace Card, which took so much effort to Summon, was destroyed so easily without even using its Effect. As expected, just a third-rate Duelist."
Looking at Elemental HERO Stratos returning to Jaden's Field, Kaiba sneered, then continued, "If this is all you've got, then you might as well start preparing for the defeat that awaits you next Turn, Jaden Yuki."
"After all, your Ace Card has already been destroyed. You're out of options now."
Unexpectedly, Jaden replied to Kaiba's words with a battle-ready smile: "Is that so, Mr. Kaiba? Since when did you get the illusion that my Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman was destroyed without even Activating its Effect?"
"Nani?!"
Jaden took Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman's Card from his Duel Disk: "Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman has the ability to inflict damage to the opponent's Life Points equal to the battling monster's ATK during Battle. And its other Effect can only be Activated when it's destroyed by Battle or leaves the Field by an opponent's Effect!"
"If Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman was my Fusion with Yubel, primarily based on Elemental HERO Neos, then what's about to appear is its form with Yubel as the primary body!"
Jaden's gaze fell on Yubel beside him: "Let's go!"
"Already prepared," Yubel said with a seductive smile, raising her hand and snapping her fingers.
The armor on Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman, destroyed by Abyss Assassin, dispersed into a dark mist, enveloping it and causing its form to recede. Emerging from the dark mist once again was another Monster, predominantly black!
"Special Summon! Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman!"
Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman [Level 10/LIGHT]
[Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect]
[ATK 3000/DEF 3000]
"If you underestimate me so casually, you're in for a world of pain, Mr. Kaiba!" Jaden chuckled. "Now, there are no Monsters blocking your path. I'll return your words to you: prepare to receive my Direct Attack!"
"Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman Directly Attacks the Opponent Duelist," Jaden had barely finished speaking when Yubel issued the Attack command for him. "Ultimate Nova!"
Although the command was given by Yubel and not Jaden directly, because Yubel was one of Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman's Fusion Material, Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman genuinely obeyed Yubel's Attack command and sprang into action.
Its wide bat-like wings spread, lifting Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman into flight. The agile "Spellcaster" struck a punching pose, transforming into a phantom and attacking Kaiba, who only had one Set Card in his Backrow!
"Don't attack for me without permission, Yubel, even though I was going to Attack anyway," Jaden complained with a slight hint of dissatisfaction. "And, what a lame move name, not cool at all."
"I thought it was quite good," Yubel shrugged, smiling. "Anyway, Jaden, you only come up with weird names like 'Spiral Flash Rondo Roar Style Three' or something."
Amidst the little couple's (?) interaction, Kaiba watched the attacking Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman and revealed a ferocious smile.
"Indeed, it should be like this. Only then does it seem proper; otherwise, you wouldn't be worthy of my Blue-Eyes making an appearance."
As he spoke, Kaiba pressed a button, Activating his last Card in the Back Row.
"Rejoice, Jaden Yuki. Your efforts have moved me. As a reward, I grant you the qualification to once again face the pinnacle of Duel Monsters! In return, I shall show you a true Ultimate Fusion!"
"At the same time Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman declares an Attack, I Activate my Set Card in the Back Row, the Trap Card Necro Fusion, to Banish three Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my Graveyard in Face-down Position as Fusion Material!"
"Crush everything with absolute light! Indomitable! Invincible! The Strongest!!!"
"Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!!"
Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon [Level 12/LIGHT]
[Dragon/Fusion]
[ATK 4500/DEF 3800]
Just as Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman was a step away from Kaiba, the Souls of the three Blue-Eyes in Kaiba's Graveyard were Banished from the Game, awakening the pinnacle white dragon of Duel Monsters.
As a renowned Vanilla Fusion Monster, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon has no Effects. But at this moment, its sheer 4500 ATK alone successfully formed an insurmountable wall blocking Jaden's path to defeating Kaiba.
"Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon has 4500 ATK. Ordinary Duel Monsters, even giving their all, cannot possibly surpass its ATK. At the same time, the Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon in my Graveyard can also use its second Effect." Kaiba said arrogantly, "The Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon on my Field will receive its power boost, making it Unaffected by and untargetable by any of the opponent's Effects!"
When a Monster with 4500 ATK, 3800 DEF, and virtually no weaknesses in its basic Stats gains full resistance to being Targeted and Unaffected by Effects, only two words can describe such a Monster.
Invincible.
And now, Kaiba's long-unseen Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon had become such an invincible entity.
"In Duel Monsters, the appearance of a Monster can Trigger the Battle Replay Rule. Your Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman can cancel this Attack. However, that only postpones the inevitable defeat."
Kaiba glanced at the Ultimate Burst in his Hand. This Card is a Spell Card specifically for Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, which can grant Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon a Triple Attack Effect, similar to Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, without being destroyed, while also stripping the Opponent of the ability to Chain Effects to Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's Attacks.
Both Elemental HERO Stratos and Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman on Jaden's Field were in Attack Position. Next Turn, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon would deliver the final blow to clear Jaden Yuki's Life Points!
Just as Kaiba was already predicting the subsequent sequence, Jaden, contrary to his expectations, refused to use the "Battle Replay" Rule: "No, I won't back down here, Mr. Kaiba."
"The final blow is a Battle with Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. It's truly thrilling! Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman will continue to Attack!"
Kaiba sneered: "Since it's your own choice, then there's no need to hold back. Counterattack, Blue-Eyes!"
"Neutron Burst Stream!"
Facing the triple dragon's breath unleashed by the three-headed ultimate dragon, Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman, with its 3000 ATK, still bravely charged forward, its figure swallowed by Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's Attack.
Seeing this, Kaiba was not surprised. After all, in his mind, the invincible Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon doing this was only natural.
"Hmph…"
But with just a cold snort, before Kaiba could say another word, he saw Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman, though covered in wounds, burst out from the torrent of light spat by Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, delivering an uppercut that forced one of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's heads to recoil!
"Nani?!"
Kaiba completely failed to understand what had happened. Just then, Jaden's voice came from across the Field.
"Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman, born from the combined power of Yubel and me, possesses the power of light and dark. He's very strong; how could he fall so easily before creating a miracle?" Jaden revealed Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman's Effect.
"When Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman battles, at the End of the Damage Step, inflict Damage to the Opponent's Life Points equal to the battling Monster's ATK, and I Gain Life Points equal to the battling Monster's DEF."
Jaden paused, then smiled and said, "In other words, Mr. Kaiba, you're about to take 4500 Effect Damage. What a coincidence."
"Nani?!" Kaiba's eyes widened, watching the Battle between Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. "Yaggh!"
4500 Effect Damage – wasn't that almost the exact Damage Kaiba nearly inflicted on Jaden with Ring of Destruction earlier?!
"But that Effect can only be Activated at the End of Damage Calculation! Before that, you'll first take 1500 Battle Damage!" Kaiba said, his face darkening.
For Kaiba, a near-mutual destruction victory was worse than a complete mutual destruction. That kind of narrow victory was not what he wanted; his goal should be a complete victory.
Jaden did not explain further but pointed to the Set Card he hadn't revealed in his Back Row, then pressed the Activate Set Card button.
Kaiba's face grew even darker. He suddenly felt that he must have been blind to ever find Jaden's Dueling style agreeable.
Elemental HERO Stratos also turned its head, seeing the Set Card Jaden Activated, its face went swish — oh, its helmet was in the way.
"Quick-Play Spell Card, Mystical Pot. Rather than watching Stratos disappear after losing the Duel, I might as well cook it up and eat it myself, regaining 1800 Life Points equal to its ATK," Jaden snapped his fingers dramatically, looking at Elemental HERO Stratos.
"For the greater good, sacrifice yourself!"
[Jaden: 200 LP → 2000 LP → 500 LP]
"And now, Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman's Effect! Inflict 4500 Damage to Mr. Kaiba!"
"Spacium Ray!"
[Kaiba: 4000 LP → 0]
[Jaden: 500 LP → 4300 LP]
Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman disappeared after releasing its final power, taking with it Kaiba's remaining 4000 Life Points, which were like a flickering candle in the wind. To Kaiba's cry, the Duel between Jaden Yuki from the future and 18-year-old Seto Kaiba was decided:
"Damn you!!!"
The banlist has been released; Imperial Order and Mr. Shuijing have been added. A discussion on why Drytron is God-tier.
Original text below, so those who haven't seen it don't have to look it up:
Cards Being Limited/Forbidden:
Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World [Forbidden]
Imperial Order [Forbidden]
Cards Being Semi-Limited:
Rite of Aramesir [Semi-Limited]
Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack [Semi-Limited]
Predaplant Verte Anaconda [Semi-Limited]
Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer [Semi-Limited]
Rite of Aramesir [Semi-Limited]
Mist Valley Apex Avian [Semi-Limited]
Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion [Semi-Limited]
Sky Striker Ace - Kagari [Semi-Limited]
Virtual World Hime - Nyannyan [Semi-Limited]
Diviner of the Herald [Semi-Limited]
Branded Fusion [Semi-Limited]
Pot of Prosperity [Semi-Limited]
Called by the Grave [Semi-Limited]
Infinite Impermanence [Semi-Limited]
Evenly Matched [Semi-Limited]
Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit [Semi-Limited]
Solemn Judgment [Semi-Limited]
Called by the Grave [Semi-Limited]
Infinite Impermanence [Semi-Limited]
Cards Being Removed from Semi-Limited:
Altergeist Multifaker [Unlimited]
Shaddoll Fusion [Unlimited]
Super Polymerization [Unlimited]
Gateway of the Six [Unlimited]
Elemental HERO Bubbleman [Unlimited]
(end of chapter)
Chapter 508: Who Are You Calling a Traitor Dragon?
After Summoning the fully resistant Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Judai indeed didn't manage to defeat it until the very end. However, just as the invincible six-material King of the Citadel couldn't protect the Duelist, Judai seemed to say, "I can't deal with Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, but that doesn't mean I can't take down the Duelist!"
For Judai, that Duel was a Victory achieved through the combined efforts of him and his Spirit—or perhaps Partner, or Lover?—Yubel; but for Kaiba, it was a humiliating and crushing defeat.
Once again, he was in a situation where he held a complete Advantage, only to have the battle turned around by a single Card, a single Monster, and this was even when his Life Points were at the full 4000 Points.
His Blue-Eyes had undoubtedly evolved to an extremely powerful realm. Comparing the "Power" of the Cards, he should have been stronger than that Kid who called himself "Judai Yuki".
Looking at Judai Yuki, who wore a smug smile and said, "That was truly an interesting Duel," Kaiba let out a Cold Snort.
Although it was a Comeback from a Desperate Situation where he narrowly escaped death, and his Life Points during the Duel were always like walking a tightrope, seemingly about to fall into the endless Abyss at any moment, the fact that Judai defeated him was undeniable.
Up until now, Kaiba knew of no more than five Duelists capable of competing with him.
The two Mutou Yugi, Hayato Kobayashi, Pegasus in his Millennium Eye state, and the guy Kaiba met in America during the KC Cup who claimed to be "Rafael," seemingly a "Guardian." As for Joey Wheeler? Just a defeated Subordinate.
And now, he had to add another one who claimed to be from the Future, "Judai Yuki."
Even Rafael, who didn't show his face in public, left behind the Legend of an uncrowned king with the codename "Guardian" in the Professional Duelist circles of America. Yet, before today, Kaiba had never heard of a powerful Duelist using this E HERO Deck that had just been released.
In that case, the Possibility that the Opponent truly came from the Future became very high.
Kaiba's Expression turned very Bad.
His Goal from beginning to end was to become the World's number one and dominate the World of Duel Monsters. To achieve this Goal, Kaiba had to continuously become stronger and Defeat all Opponents who came before him. However, before he even had the chance to Defeat Hayato and Yugi, Kaiba discovered that there were already Duelists stronger than his Present self in the Future.
So, how strong would his Future self be? Would he successfully Defeat Yugi and Hayato, or would he still be just a little short of defeating them?
Or perhaps, his Future self was also stuck in a bottleneck like his Present self? Maybe even a Commoner like Joey Wheeler would gradually become stronger and Surpass him!?
Unable to know what state his Future would be in, Kaiba was in a terrible Mood. He glanced at the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon still on his Duel Disk. Although his Expression was still an Ice Cube face, his Heart was exceptionally restless.
In his pursuit of the "Power" of Duel Monsters, he had almost reached his Ultimate. Whether it was the Enhancement of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon by Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, or the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon Enhancement Card Ultimate Burst developed using the Data of Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, they were undoubtedly tangible Enhancements.
However, he was still defeated by others, before he became stronger than Hayato and Yugi.
Could it be because his pursuit of Duel Monsters was more focused on "Power" rather than the "Heart" of the Cards that Hayato and Yugi spoke of?
In Kaiba's Eyes, there was a moment of Confusion. A Voice almost Entered his ear, but in the next Instant, Kaiba's Gaze suddenly became firm again.
No, the Path I am walking is not wrong at all. There is only one Reason for my failure.
That is, my pursuit of the "Power" of Cards is only "approaching" the Ultimate, not "reaching" the Ultimate. I should focus more on Increasing the Power of my Cards!
The Sound of a Helicopter propeller rang in his ears. Kaiba looked up and saw that after him, a Helicopter marked with the Industrial Illusions Logo appeared, and the Clock in the Central Plaza also chimed the hour. It was exactly twelve o'clock noon when his Duel with Judai Yuki ended, and Pegasus arrived on Time.
Remembering certain things, Kaiba turned back to Yugi and Hayato, who were watching him, and said calmly, "Through this Duel, I will tentatively Believe what you said about the 'Future' and 'Time Travel.' As for that Strange Blue-Eyes White Dragon you are holding, the Winner takes all, I will not interfere further."
"You guys are participating in that guy Pegasus's so-called 'Duel Monsters Convention' today, right? Then continue to enjoy the Winner's celebration." As he spoke, Kaiba walked towards his Helicopter parked on the Ground not far away. "However, I won't accompany you to play that game of gathering."
The Industrial Illusions Helicopter landed on the Ground. Pegasus got out of the Aircraft Cabin with a Strange Expression, wondering where the participants of the "Duel Monsters Convention" who should have been here had gone. Just then, Kaiba also got into his Helicopter and glanced at Pegasus through the one-way glass.
When he possessed the Millennium Eye, Pegasus had the eerie Ability to read the Human Heart, which once made Kaiba, who Believed in Science, doubt whether Psychic Powers truly existed in the World, and he had also been defeated by him. However, after being rescued by Yugi and Hayato, Kaiba suddenly "figured out" Pegasus's Trick.
Guessing what Card I Set on the Field?
He must have installed surveillance in his Castle!
What Card is on top of my Deck?
The Duel Platform must have been tampered with!
I fainted after losing the Duel?
Sleeping potion, he used a sleeping potion!
In short, Kaiba successfully "saw through" Pegasus's tricks one by one afterwards. And after the Millennium Eye was taken away from Pegasus, he indeed no longer possessed the Mystical Power to read people's Hearts as before, which made Kaiba even more firm in his Idea.
However, Kaiba's attention on Pegasus at this moment was not because of his Strength in Duels, but because of another Incident.
During the KC Cup, Pegasus, as the Industrial Illusions President and one of the organizers, naturally made an appearance. However, the day before the Anomaly Incident that still has Influence today occurred, Pegasus proactively approached Kaiba and asked him for the Data of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, saying he had Inspiration for developing New Cards.
At that time, Kaiba casually handed over the Data to Pegasus. After All, at that time, Kaiba hadn't fully developed the Ability of Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and could barely only Use the Triple Attack Ability. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon was also a Card on the verge of being Crammed Into the Warehouse in Kaiba's Deck, only stubbornly occupying a Position because it was a Blue-Eyes.
Kaiba also really wanted Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to shine with new Radiance with the help of Pegasus's Talent.
Now, so much Time has passed. Presumably, even if that guy Pegasus hasn't fully Converted his Inspiration into Reality, he must have at least found the Direction for design based on the Data of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. As long as he is given a little more Time, Kaiba Believes he will definitely see a surprise appear.
However, he didn't want to meet Pegasus with Hayato and Yugi present, because Kaiba couldn't be sure if Pegasus would unintentionally mention the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon Card Data after seeing Kaiba. This kind of important Information must be kept secret until Kaiba officially Challenges Hayato and Yugi.
Moreover, that will definitely not be a minor Duel. Kaiba's Goal is to make Hayato wager the Title of "Duel King," and he also needs to Defeat Yugi to prove that he possesses the genuine Strength to become the Duel King!
---- Kisara ----
After defeating Paradox, and Kaiba President who jumped out of the bushes and interrupted, Yugi and the others successfully maintained the original History, allowing Pegasus's first Duel Monsters Convention to be held smoothly.
Watching Pegasus receive a warm welcome among the massive crowd, Yusei, who was sitting on a bench with Hayato, said with great emotion, "That's the Father of Duel Monsters, Pegasus J. Crawford, right? He's completely different from the Impression I had of him, and it's the first Time I've seen him as a living person instead of just printed in a Photo."
"That's for sure. After All, what can be left in History Books is only a partial view. If you don't witness it with your own Eyes at the Time, you can never preserve the full picture, let alone a complex person." Hayato sat on the bench, playing with the Millennium Rod. "However, if Pegasus knew that in the Eyes of Yusei, who is from the Future, he's basically just a Photo, he might really regret sealing people into Cards in the Past."
Before, to prevent Paradox from changing History, Hayato and the others had dispersed the crowd at the scene beforehand and Set up the Illusion of a 'Stage Fire.' Although they successfully hindered Paradox's Plan, it also caused the Audience who had gathered to scatter and flee.
And now, the fact that so many people have gathered again in the Central Plaza is largely thanks to the Cooperation of Hayato and Pegasus.
Hayato, who possessed the Millennium Rod representing 'Thought,' and Pegasus, who still retained some Mystical Power despite losing the Millennium Eye, used Industrial Illusions' methods to conduct Live Broadcast Hypnosis on all large Screens near the Domino City Commercial Street, successfully erasing the Memory of the previous 'Attack' from the minds of those who knew about it, causing them to Forget the Reason for leaving the Central Plaza and spontaneously return to the plaza.
Compared to Hayato, who Used the Millennium Rod, Pegasus, although not using this method for the first Time, had lost his Millennium Eye, causing him to sweat profusely and consume a lot of Stamina after the hypnosis was completed. He even pretended to rest for a long Time in the Guest Seats by the Stage before recovering to his current Appearance.
During this Time, he was also interviewed by two media outlets who were good at seizing the opportunity, but Pegasus, being very experienced, used seemingly sensational but actually useless information to brush them off.
"Sealing people into Cards? That sounds quite Evil." Yusei was also quite surprised upon hearing this. He glanced at Pegasus in the distance, who had a kind Smile on his face and was interacting friendly with the Kids. "You really Cannot tell he would Use such methods. Was the Pegasus from the Past like that?"
"Yes, he was the type who always had a smiling Expression, and could perfectly Control Duels as if he had predicted Everything. He always seemed nonchalant, but when it came to achieving his Goal, he would stop at nothing."
"That sounds like a pretty standard Antagonist Persona from a novel."
"Back then, he sealed Yugi's Grandpa—that old man over there with the same hairstyle as Yugi, taking a Photo with Mystical Elf—and Kaiba's younger brother into Cards. His Goal was to take over KaibaCorp, but his main Purpose was to Use KaibaCorp's Virtual Projection System to Create an Opportunity to see his long-dead Lover again."
"Isn't that an even more standard Antagonist Persona?" Yusei remarked, a Smile appearing on his face. "That really overturns the Information I saw in books."
"'The Genius Game Designer who Created Duel Monsters, the Industrial Illusions President who Created many classic Card Series, and designed various Special Monsters like Soul and Union. He Uses his Exclusive Toon Deck, is very childlike, and passionate about the medical field,' and so on."
Yusei's Memory was quite good. Although he didn't specifically try to memorize Information about Pegasus at that Time, being the Father of Duel Monsters, his Impression was very deep. He easily recited the Information about Pegasus that remained in books decades later.
Hayato listened to Yusei's recitation and felt a bit sentimental: "No matter how great a person is, only a few words can be left in History. You can even turn over countless Lives by turning over a single page. However, it's also quite good to be able to leave your own mark on vast History during a short Life."
"Also, Yusei, do you remember the Description about me? I'm quite curious about what was said about me."
Seeing that Hayato's Curiosity was piqued by his words, Yusei wore a Helpless and apologetic Expression: "Um, Mr. Hayato, I didn't look closely at the History of Duel Monsters at that Time. I just flipped through a small part out of Curiosity. I'm really sorry."
"About your part, I only remember it mentioning that you once held positions like Duel King, Duel Academy Principal, and Industrial Illusions President. I don't remember anything more."
Yusei said he didn't remember, but he actually slightly concealed some Evaluation about Hayato. After All, in his opinion, no one would like their record in History Books to say things like "ruthless towards Duel Monsters, can sacrifice Monsters while laughing maniacally," or "methods are vicious and perverted, can stop at nothing for Victory, even putting 39 Trap Cards in a 40-Card Deck."
Finished speaking, Yusei changed the topic: "However, as Mr. Hayato said, what can be left in History Books is only a partial view. Rather than rely on written records, understanding the person directly is more truthful."
"Hmm?" Hayato looked at Yusei with Confusion. After meeting his Gaze, Hayato smiled. "If we're going to understand the other person, I think there's no more suitable Method than using 'that.' Your Idea should be the same as mine, right, Yusei?"
"Yes, although I watched Judai and Mr. Kaiba's Duel before, because I was just observing, the feeling isn't as profound as Dueling directly." Yusei also returned the Smile and Took Out his Deck. "So, Mr. Hayato, please Duel me. I want to witness the true Strength of the legendary Duel King."
Hayato watched as Yusei inserted his Deck into the Duel Disk's Slot, and also reached for the Card Box at his Waist: "Since you've said that, then I'll let you witness it."
"Experience the Power at the Apex of Duel Monsters that Paradox saw!"
A Monster with a red Border was inserted into Hayato's Deck.
Thanks to "Absolute Clarity" for the 500 Points Tip. Thank you.
The Epidemic seems to have recurred. I wish everyone good health, stay safe, and remember to wear masks (a classmate tested Positive, I hope he is safe too).
End of Chapter
Chapter 509: Have you heard of Amway?
If you were expecting a thrilling Duel between Hayato and Yusei, you might be disappointed, because Yusei, going second, voluntarily conceded (or perhaps, was utterly bulldozed into surrendering) before his own Turn even ended.
"My Turn, Draw!" Yusei drew a card from his Deck, looking at the red Dragon-Type Monster that dominated Hayato's Field as if facing a formidable enemy.
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 2]
[Slifer the Sky Dragon][ATK 2000]
In the previous Turn, Hayato used Graceful Charity to Discard Ojama Magic, then used its effect to Search for three Monsters from his Deck: Ojama Yellow, Ojama Black, and Ojama Green. He then used a Combo of Polymerization and De-Fusion to gather the three Tributes needed to Summon a God in a single Turn, a classic six-for-one Summon that brought forth Slifer the Sky Dragon, one of the Egyptian God Cards.
In his previous Duel against Paradox, Yusei had witnessed the power of The Winged Dragon of Ra, which was as sacred as the sun and had united the strengths of Yugi, Jaden, and Yusei to defeat Paradox in one decisive blow. Now, it was his turn to face a "God."
"Just like The Winged Dragon of Ra's power depends on the total power of its Tributes, Slifer the Sky Dragon's Attack depends on the number of cards in my hand. This means that to maintain its power, I must keep a certain number of cards in my hand unused."
Hayato explained Slifer the Sky Dragon's effect to Yusei. "In addition, the Egyptian God Cards also share common resistances. They are unaffected by Trap Card effects, and only Spell Cards active during the current turn, or Monsters of Level 10 or higher, can affect a God for a single turn. Furthermore, they are unaffected by effects from Attributes other than Divine, cannot Leave the Field, and possess various other resistances."
"Hmm, it's perfect for you, Yusei, as a practice target for your future... No, never mind."
Hayato remembered the three "God" Cards, other than the Egyptian Gods, that Yusei would face in the future, but Yusei had no idea what Hayato was referring to. This, however, didn't stop him from thinking about how to defeat Slifer the Sky Dragon.
'So many resistances, it basically means it's almost impossible to bypass a God with effects; only pure power will work.' Yusei glanced at the Harmonic Gum he had just Drawn, and a few other cards in his hand, forming a plan. 'Only 2000 Attack? I think I can manage it.'
"I Activate the effect of Junk Converter from my hand, sending it and the Tuner Monster Harmonic Gum from my hand to the Graveyard, then I Add Junk Synchron from my Deck to my hand."
Yusei Searched for Junk Synchron from his Deck and Normal Summoned it directly to the field. "Next, I Normal Summon Junk Synchron!"
"Due to Junk Synchron's effect, I Special Summon Junk Converter, a Level 2 Monster from my Graveyard, in Defense Position. Then, because I Special Summoned a Monster from the Graveyard, Doppelwarrior from my hand is Special Summoned!"
By just Summoning one Monster, Yusei, through Junk Synchron's synergy with other Monsters, managed to Summon three Monsters to the field at once, and among them were already Tuner and Non-Tuner Monsters.
Level 3 Junk Synchron plus Level 2 Doppelwarrior, these two Monsters could Synchro Summon Level 5 Junk Warrior. Then, using Junk Warrior's ability to increase its ATK, it could gain a total of 1200 Attack from the two Doppel Tokens Special Summoned by Doppelwarrior's effect and Junk Converter.
In that case, Junk Warrior's Attack would reach a formidable 3500, completely sufficient to defeat Hayato's Slifer the Sky Dragon on the field.
Yusei's plan was wonderful, but what he didn't know was that Hayato had only just explained Slifer the Sky Dragon's most unassuming basic ability. Hayato had not mentioned Slifer the Sky Dragon's strongest yet weakest ability, "Thunderforce Attack."
Just as Yusei was about to Synchro Summon with his three Monsters that had appeared on the field, before he could even speak, Slifer the Sky Dragon on Hayato's field moved on its own without Hayato's command. One of its two mouths opened, instantly spitting out three bolts of lightning!
"Boom!" X3
Like heavenly thunder striking down, the three lightning spheres accurately hit Junk Synchron, Junk Converter, and Doppelwarrior. The punitive lightning instantly stripped them of their power!
[Junk Synchron][ATK 1300 → 0]
[Junk Converter][DEF 200 → 0]
[Doppelwarrior][DEF 800 → 0]
And as the Attack or Defense of Yusei's three Monsters on the field were nullified, their bodies suddenly shattered into dust and were sent to the Graveyard!
To Yusei's bewildered and shocked gaze, Hayato put his hands on his hips, looking quite proud: "When the opponent successfully Summons, Flip Summons, or Special Summons a Monster, Slifer the Sky Dragon forcibly Activates an effect called 'Thunderforce Attack.' It lowers that Monster's Attack or Defense by 2000 points, depending on its Battle Position. If this effect reduces the corresponding value to 0, that Monster is Destroyed."
"While it can easily backfire, it's perfect for countering your Junk Deck, Yusei."
Yusei fell silent upon hearing Hayato's explanation of Slifer the Sky Dragon's "Thunderforce Attack" effect. After a brief thought, he reluctantly lowered his raised Duel Disk, saying with a wry smile, "My Deck is completely countered. What a terrifying Monster."
Yusei was not someone who gave up easily. If he were, he would never have been able to leave Satellite and would have stayed with his friends in a dilapidated place like Satellite Scrap Yard for a lifetime, nor would he have obtained Stardust Dragon.
The reason he decisively forfeited was that after mentally reviewing the cards in his Deck, he realized that even if he had his entire Deck in his hand, there was no possibility of defeating Slifer the Sky Dragon. Knowing that the rest of the Duel would only be a futile struggle, he chose to end the Duel.
Yusei's Deck certainly had strategies for dealing with powerful Monsters, but his opponent was Slifer the Sky Dragon with powerful resistances, making direct Destroy-type cards ineffective.
On the other hand, the Deck Yusei used was a Junk Deck he picked up from a scrapyard. While it sounds absurd to find an entire archetype of cards, including powerful cards like Effect Veiler, it was indeed a Deck found in a scrapyard.
The strength of the Junk Deck lies in its incredibly smooth combo plays and continuous recycling. Although individual Junk Monsters lack powerful Monsters capable of delivering a decisive blow, they can Synchro Summon powerful boss Monsters.
The problem lay here: Yusei realized that Slifer the Sky Dragon's "Thunderforce Attack," which could be activated infinitely, was simply too strong a counter against the individually weak Junk Deck. His Deck revolved around Synchro, and the strongest individual Monster he had was Junk Destroyer with 2000 Attack. No other Monster could withstand "Thunderforce Attack."
Unable to Destroy, unable to gather Synchro Materials for Synchro Summoning—what was the point of dueling then?
"Slifer the Sky Dragon is indeed powerful, but powerful cards often come with risks. If the Egyptian God Cards are used by someone unworthy, people can die," Hayato said, putting away his Duel Disk with a smile.
At the same time, he saw a dropped card appear in the system's match settlement for the first time in a while. It was a card Yusei had used, a Continuous Spell Card called "Future Battle," which hasn't been made into a real card.
This card's effect was very similar to Berserker Soul, also allowing a Monster to attack repeatedly, but the difference was that the one drawing cards was the opponent, not himself.
Regardless of the effect, for Hayato, who had a slight collector's habit, drawing a card he didn't possess was a good thing. His inner joy was palpable as he smiled at Yusei.
Hayato, in a good mood, looked at Yusei, who seemed to be contemplating something, and asked, "Are you thinking about how to deal with Slifer the Sky Dragon?"
"Yes, I actually have a habit of adjusting my Deck based on information about known opponents. You can only become stronger by learning from every failure," Yusei nodded. "However, I can only think of one way: using certain Monsters with high ATK to forcibly break through Slifer the Sky Dragon while its Attack is low."
After much thought, Yusei realized that no matter how he modified his Deck, it always followed the path of "a collection of many low-Attack Monsters," which was too severely countered. If it were Seto Kaiba's Blue-Eyes Deck, it would be much less countered.
A high-Level hand plus Polymerization, a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon would still have 2500 Attack even after its Attack was lowered by 2000 points. Defeating Slifer the Sky Dragon wouldn't be impossible.
But his own Deck truly had no way against Slifer the Sky Dragon; its ability to interfere with combo plays was too strong.
Seeing that Yusei couldn't think of a way to counter Slifer the Sky Dragon, Hayato mysteriously smiled and actively offered Yusei advice, telling him to find a way to defeat Slifer the Sky Dragon without Synchro Summoning.
((Slifer): You keep calling me an 'internal spy,' but you just sold me out, didn't you?)
"Yusei, your Deck primarily revolves around the 'Synchro' strategy, right? If a battle like today's with Slifer the Sky Dragon, which restricts your Monster Summoning for Synchro Summons, occurs, your Deck would be in big trouble."
"Even if we loosen the conditions a bit, not restricting Monsters but just targeting your Synchro Monsters, the battle would still become very difficult." Hayato paused, thinking about how to phrase it. "For example, the opponent could even Mind Control (concept) your Stardust Dragon during their Turn."
In truth, compared to the Yu-Gi-Oh! DM era Hayato was currently in, his most vivid impression was actually the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's era Yusei belonged to. Although he had mostly forgotten the detailed plot, he still remembered some major arcs.
If Hayato's memory wasn't mistaken, the current time period in Yusei's future seemed to be when Yusei and his team had just defeated someone who called himself God and used Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca... something seemed off there?
Anyway, Yusei and his team had just saved the future New Domino City, and afterward, the rescued New Domino City was apparently going to host a large team-based World Racing Grand Prix (WRGP) Turbo Duel tournament. In this tournament, Yusei's "5D's" team would meet the three members of the "New World" team, who, like Paradox, were also from the future.
Or rather, it was the threefold despair of a single person, named Aporia ("Aporia" meaning "impasse/difficulty"), a survivor of the apocalypse from the future who had split himself into three androids of different ages, sent from the future to the past.
The three members of the "New World" team, being from the future, were not only extremely familiar with "ancient people" like Yusei and his friends, similar to Paradox, giving them an information advantage, but they could even actively alter history with their time-space traversal abilities.
Of course, while it sounded impressive, this was the world of Duelists, and in the end, it all came down to dueling ability. However, the "New World" team was also very strong in their dueling skills, or rather, their Decks were highly specialized.
Their Deck was named Meklord. Its specific ability was like a super sentai team, composed of four Monsters acting as parts, forming a giant Machine-Type Monster to battle. Its strength lay in the parts being freely interchangeable and upgradeable, while its flaw was that if the core was Destroyed, all the parts would self-destruct.
However, the Meklord's greatest strength was that they all possessed the ability to "Equip the opponent's Synchro Monster to themselves as an Equip Card," much like Paradox, who liked to Take Control of other people's Monsters. While this effect was just an effect for general Monsters and Fusion Monsters and purely targeted Synchro Monsters, people in Yusei's era happened to insist on Synchro all the way.
Hayato remembered that Yusei would encounter the Meklord next, and that Yusei's Stardust Dragon would be taken control of, which is why he specifically used Slifer the Sky Dragon to help Yusei simulate how vulnerable his Deck would be after losing Synchro.
"For this situation, the best method I recommend to you is this." Hayato reached into the card holder at his waist and pulled out a stack of spare cards from his Inventory.
Mystic Wok, Cannon Soldier, Soul Absorption, Mass Driver, Ring of Destruction...
Hayato's face broke into a smug smile: "Wouldn't it be better to proactively drain your own Monster's remaining value before it gets Destroyed or Taken Control of?"
Yusei's eyes lit up upon hearing Hayato's words, and he seemed intrigued by the cards in Hayato's hand.
However, because of Hayato's "drain the value" statement, when Yusei inadvertently looked at Hayato, due to Hayato's status as an Industrial Illusions shareholder, he suddenly had a hallucination of Hayato wearing a monocle and fedora, and even saw a noose hanging from a streetlamp behind him.
(end of chapter)
Chapter 510: So, Don't Stop!
Although Yusei Fudo himself felt that Chumley's approach was a bit strange, he then dueled Yugi and Jaden in separate sparring matches, discovering that both of them used the strategy Chumley had mentioned.
Leaving Jaden aside, even Yugi, when Yusei Fudo's Life Points dwindled to a mere flicker, decisively Tributed his (Dark Magician) for (Catapult Turtle) to perform a self-destruct kill.
"I see, I completely understand now."
Yusei Fudo had an expression of sudden enlightenment. Seizing the opportunity presented by the large number of Duelists gathered at the Duel Monsters tournament, Yusei Fudo used the cards he brought from the future to trade for many cards he desired. He was also introduced by Chumley to Solomon Muto, who was busy enjoying the company of beautiful women.
Unlike Kaiba, perhaps due to frequent contact, Grandpa Solomon readily accepted the story that "Yusei Fudo was from the future" and was very enthusiastic towards Yusei Fudo, who wanted to buy cards. He even decided not to participate further in the Duel Monsters tournament, instead taking Yusei Fudo directly to his Card Shop.
Although Yusei Fudo had arrived hastily in this era, he hadn't brought much money, and the currency he did possess was only valid in the future New Domino City, making direct card purchases impossible. However, the unreleased cards Yusei Fudo brought from the future were already valuable enough on their own.
After trading some less important cards from his spare Deck to Grandpa Solomon, Yusei Fudo contentedly received a large box brimming with cards, including classics like (Card of Safe Return) and (Pot of Greed).
Although taking cards from this era to the future might make them appear as newly printed fakes rather than valuable antiques, Yusei Fudo still knew many friends in Satellite who were adept at such methods. Furthermore, since the cards were genuine and could be directly used on a Duel Disk, many wealthy individuals in the future would surely be willing to pay a high price for them.
By then, he would also earn a good amount of money. Not only could he buy some useful cards and modify his D-Wheel with new parts, but he could even...
...rent a dueling field and go Turbo Dueling with Akiza and their friends!
Yusei Fudo was in excellent spirits, not feeling that taking a beautiful young woman dueling was a wasteful act in the slightest.
As dusk approached and the sun gradually dipped below the horizon, Yusei Fudo, who was fine-tuning his Deck through duels with Jaden, noticed that the (Stardust Dragon) he had just Synchro Summoned was becoming noticeably unstable.
"Whoa-oh-oh~~"
From afar, Yusei Fudo also heard the roar of the Crimson Dragon, (Ultimaya Tzolkin).
"What's wrong, Yusei Fudo?" Jaden asked, looking at the thoughtful Yusei Fudo with some confusion.
"Synchro Summoning can essentially be described as a Summoning method born from 'Yusei Particles.' Although 'Yusei Particles' were only discovered and named by my father, they have always existed in nature and are not man-made. However, before the advent of Synchro Summoning and Perpetual Motion Machines, most 'Yusei Particles' were actually in an inactive state."
Yusei Fudo began to state his reasoning, "We traveled through spacetime to get here, relying on the power of the Crimson Dragon, (Ultimaya Tzolkin). The Crimson Dragon's power is manifested in the activated 'Yusei Particles.' However, the energy of the active 'Yusei Particles' we carried from the future is limited."
"Since arriving in this era, the energy of the active 'Yusei Particles' has been continuously released into the surroundings, and it has now nearly reached its limit."
Although Yusei Fudo was merely explaining the underlying principles, Jaden still understood what he meant.
"Has our time limit for staying in this era reached its maximum?" He lowered his raised wrist, Jaden put away his cards, ending the duel with Yusei Fudo, and looked helplessly at Yugi and Chumley nearby, "My apologies, Mr. Yugi, Mr. Chumley."
"Are you heading back?" Yugi asked, looking at Jaden and Yusei Fudo with a smile on his face.
"Yeah, there are still many things left unfinished in our own era. For example, Chazz Princeton seems to have made it to the entertainment headlines; I'm really excited about that," Jaden chuckled.
Chumley said with great interest, "Chazz Princeton? Now that you mention it, I'm a little excited too. It's just a shame that things from the future can't be brought over."
"But, I have a feeling we'll have a chance to return," Yusei Fudo said, picking up the box beside him and securing it to his D-Wheel. "By then, let's duel again, and I'll show you how much I've grown, Mr. Chumley."
"Mm-hmm, of course. We'll meet again someday," Chumley said, smiling and nodding. Standing at the edge of the tall building's rooftop, looking down, the Duel Monsters tournament was also about to conclude. "As long as we believe in Duel Monsters, our bonds will remain tightly connected."
Although a slight mishap occurred at the beginning, due to the changes in spacetime, this Duel Monsters tournament ultimately concluded smoothly and without further incident. Paradox's remains and the wreckage of his flying D-Wheel, "Ark Cradle," were taken away by Pegasus's men for safekeeping. At this moment, Pegasus was in the crowd, handing out commemorative gifts with several security guards.
Of course, they were still Duel Monsters cards, as for a card printing mogul, this was the most cost-effective option with the best effect. The commemorative card chosen by Pegasus was an alternate art version of (Gaia The Fierce Knight), along with Chumley's printed signature.
Although it was a special version and couldn't be used on a Duel Disk, the large crowd surrounding Pegasus made it clear just how popular this gift was.
"These are special gift cards prepared for today's event, everyone gets one, desu~"
Chumley turned his head, looking at the glowing Dragon Mark on Yusei Fudo's right hand, visible even through his glove, and said with a smile, "Our struggles so far have not been meaningless. Being able to protect this world is proof of our efforts."
"With our love for Duel Monsters, as long as we don't stop, there will always be a path forward."
"I will continue moving forward, so, Yusei Fudo, Jaden, you two shouldn't stop either!"
A long red Dragon enveloped Jaden's and Yusei Fudo's D-Wheels, passing through a spacetime tunnel amidst the Dragon's roar, disappearing from the sight of Yugi and Chumley. The active 'Yusei Particles' also returned to dormancy as the Crimson Dragon departed from this spacetime.
However, the heavy rain that had disturbed the lake's calm surface had stopped, but the ripples on the water would not subside anytime soon.
———Placido: He actually fried and ate a monster!———
In a certain sacred hall, three crystal dragon statues of varying forms were displayed, and into each of the three dragon statues, a magnificent sword was embedded.
Even though the blades were almost entirely submerged within the statues, simply from the wear and bloodstains on the hilts of the three swords, one could tell that these were not mere decorative swords nobles used to display their wealth, but had genuinely seen fierce battle.
Nevertheless, such significant swords were merely discarded in this hall. Aside from the three dragon statues, no traces of the three swords' owners could be found.
Although the hall appeared splendid, this was only true for the area around the three dragon statues. Further beyond, lush vegetation had already overgrown the space. Weeds, not particular about their growing environment, had intruded into this long-unvisited hall, growing wildly and unchecked.
Judging by the robust connection between the swords and the statues, it couldn't be described as merely seamless, but rather as a single, integrated whole. If no one were to disturb them, the three swords and three dragon statues would likely continue to exist in their current state for decades, even centuries.
But suddenly, from somewhere, an extremely faint sound could be heard, so weak that if one didn't listen carefully, it might be mistaken for the rustling of wind and grass and ignored:
"Crack..."
The sound of something breaking echoed through the empty hall.
However, in another place, far removed from this hall.
A hooded mage was resting on a thick tree branch, his head resting on his spellbook. At the same moment the shattering sound echoed in the hall, the branch beneath him suddenly broke, sending him tumbling from the tall tree and scaring away the little rabbit gnawing on a carrot in the woods.
"'Whoa, that scared me half to death! I was finally dreaming of drinking sweet soup with (Artemis), and then I got scared, thinking it was (Endymion)!' The hooded mage rubbed his nose, which had hit the ground. Although the earth was soft, his nose still felt a bit sore."
As he picked up his "pillow"—a spellbook containing his notes on magic studies, a volume others might consider priceless—the hooded mage dusted it off while sniffing the air for something.
The birds, startled by the mage's landing, returned to the branch after realizing no danger was present. Watching the mage's strange actions on the ground, a small bird mimicked him, tilting its head to sniff the air as well.
Seeing this, the hooded mage chuckled, "How silly, you can't smell that scent."
"'This feeling, it must be (Ultimaya Tzolkin), right? But it only seems to have appeared in that world for a very short time. What a bother.' The hooded mage looked regretful. 'I thought he could at least last long enough to bring a few girls over!'"
"'But, it seems those old geezers have been awakened. Well, I have nothing to do right now, so I'll go check on the situation, hmm~'"
The hooded mage muttered to himself. With an empty right hand, a staff with a remarkably sharp tip appeared out of thin air. The next second, he hurled it towards the bird in the tree.
The bird, startled, was about to flap its wings and fly, but before it could beat them even twice, it found its body already restrained by a surge of magical energy, and was even dragged towards the staff that had been thrown off target.
The light in the forest suddenly brightened. With a "thud," a pair of heavy knight's boots landed on the ground. A tall knight, who had suddenly appeared, thrust the knight's sword wreathed in lightning into the ground, and bowed towards the hooded mage. Even so, the mage still had to look up at the knight before him.
However, the mage did not perceive the suddenly appearing giant knight as a threat, simply because the staff he had just thrown, which had absorbed the forest bird, was now embedded in the knight's right shoulder guard. Using that staff, the mage had absolute control over the knight before him.
"'Yosh, 1.14 seconds! Four whole seconds faster than the original 5.14 seconds, nice, Crowler!'"
Casually using an innocent life to cast his spell, the hooded mage was instead smugly pleased with the improvement in his spellcasting ability.
Climbing easily along the knight's armor, the mage settled cross-legged on its shoulder, then casually pointed in a certain direction: "'Hmm, I think it's this way? Let's go anyway, Lightning!'"
——————Shanghai King: Love Is a Ray of Light——————
Kaiba Building.
Wearing his signature long white trench coat, Kaiba descended expressionlessly from the helicopter parked on the rooftop and stepped into the ascending elevator, leaning his back against the cool metal wall.
The elevator he was currently in was not an ordinary one that any random employee could use. It was a special elevator that required authorization to enter, capable of reaching the top floor of the KaibaCorp Building. Not many within KaibaCorp had access to it, allowing Kaiba to calmly contemplate in this quiet and enclosed space.
He was contemplating what aspects of his Deck still had flaws that could be remedied and improved.
In Kaiba's view, the combination of (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) and (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) was already an invincible existence. No effect, no matter what, could counter it. Logically, with such powerful monsters, he should undoubtedly be the victor.
Yet, he still lost. (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) was indeed not destroyed by the opponent, but he still lost. Under the protection of (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) with its ultimate 4500 attack points, he was one-turn killed from 4000 Life Points.
Such a battle situation made it difficult for Kaiba not to recall past duels with Chumley, where he was defeated by (Spiritual Exoskeleton) bypassing his monsters.
Leaning against the wall, Kaiba unconsciously moved his ankle, which had been the first to land when he jumped from the helicopter earlier for a bit of showmanship. The joint felt slightly swollen and numb.
If it were anyone else, they might reflect on never again jumping from helicopters or performing dangerous stunts for showmanship. But as Kaiba felt this soreness and swelling, he suddenly had an idea.
"That's right, my (Blue-Eyes) is indeed invincible every time, but it seems I'm not invincible myself, am I? Time and again, my personal defeat is the outcome. So does that mean as long as I ensure I remain in an 'invincible' state, that's all that matters?"
Kaiba's eyes lit up. The moment he found a way to become stronger, he also arrived at the highest point of the KaibaCorp Building — a floor exclusively his, his "executive floor."
As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, Kaiba heard a notification sound from the smart system. He casually manipulated the virtual projection, opening the information panel. There, he found a video file attributed to "Industrial Illusions," but annotated by Kaiba as "The one-eyed Bakura who kidnapped Mokuba and took the (Blue-Eyes)."
He clicked it open. Watching Pegasus proudly introduce his "merchandise" in the video—the wreckage of a spacetime device from the future—and casually mentioning, "That card based on (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)'s data is almost complete, you know," Kaiba sneered, his heart filled with anticipation for the near future.
GO has opened an infinite pool, I'm having so much fun farming it.
I'd be even happier if there were recommendation tickets (hint, hint).
(end of chapter)