Chapter 521: Going Solo in a Horror Film Gets You Killed
Ever since Yugi's vision was filled with the light emanating from the Mummy, he found himself in a Starry Sky, with nothing beneath his feet, just standing in the Void.
All that his gaze could reach were countless, unreachable stars. However, he wasn't alone there; in a position where he could look up and see it, the Millennium Puzzle and a crystal Pyramid – which Yugi had only ever seen in newspapers but never in person – were magnified countless times, floating above Yugi.
Although it was somewhat strange to say "above" in this gravity-free Starry Sky, where three-dimensional space was undefined, Yugi tentatively re-established a coordinate system with himself at the center. He looked up in surprise at the two gigantic quadrangular pyramids, one right-side up and one inverted, above his head.
"What is this...?"
Although they were similar in scale and identical in shape, and both had a golden relief of the Eye of Udjat on the side facing Yugi, Yugi was certain that the slightly bluish crystal Pyramid and the golden Millennium Puzzle were completely different entities.
Just by gazing at the crimson eyeball within the Eye of Udjat on the crystal Pyramid, Yugi felt a continuous, tide-like pressure on his spirit. At the same time, a gradually clearer voice echoed in his ears, and even images began to appear before his eyes.
"...When light and dark intersect..."
To Yugi's astonished eyes, two figures appeared, facing each other. Though blurry at first, they quickly sharpened, and Yugi realized that the two confronting each other were his other self, Dark Yugi, and Kaiba!?
However, compared to the two figures Yugi knew, the ones before him weren't wearing modern clothes, but rather Egyptian attire that exposed a significant amount of skin. Each was adorned with gold and silver, seemingly unbothered by the weight.
As Yugi puzzled over why he was seeing Dark Yugi and Kaiba dressed so differently from their usual selves, the two figures facing each other simultaneously made a sweeping gesture, as if commanding a Battle. Two heavy Stone Tablets appeared before them, and from within these Stone Tablets, two Monsters incredibly familiar to Yugi flew out.
They were none other than Dark Yugi's trusted servant, Dark Magician, and Kaiba's ace monster, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!
As Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes White Dragon flew from the Stone Tablets depicting their respective forms and clashed, Yugi noticed that the attire of Dark Yugi and Kaiba transformed with the collision of Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Dark Magician. Even the Stone Tablets of Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes White Dragon gradually turned into Cards.
The Millennium Rod, once held by Marik and later by Chumley, vanished from Kaiba's hand, replaced by a technologically advanced Duel Disk. His long white cloak transformed into a long white trench coat, and the hat on Kaiba's head also disappeared. However, the cold, arrogant expression on Kaiba's face remained unchanged.
Meanwhile, Dark Yugi's gold and silver jewelry changed into Yugi's usual school uniform pants and shoes. His stylish blue cape gradually became a blue school jacket draped over his shoulders, and the black hemp rope he used to hang the Millennium Puzzle around his neck slowly turned into a silver chain.
Seeing this, Yugi subconsciously stretched his neck. While hanging the Millennium Puzzle with a metal chain certainly looked cooler than with a hemp rope, Yugi had recently noticed his neck was always stiff and swollen, making him feel exhausted every day.
When he had time, he definitely had to switch back to the rope. Even if his other self disagreed, he'd change it – he still wanted to grow taller.
Just as Yugi was lost in these random thoughts, he heard the mysterious voice resound once more:
"...The King of Light buries Darkness, obliterating the King of Darkness..."
As soon as the words fell, Yugi saw the balance between Dark Yugi and Kaiba, and between Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes White Dragon, shatter. Blue-Eyes White Dragon gradually gained the upper hand, overwhelming Dark Magician with its immense Power. Dark Yugi also seemed to take Damage in the Battle, grimacing in pain as he semi-knelt.
"...When filled with light..."
Seeing Dark Yugi at a disadvantage, Kaiba's face curved into a triumphant smile. But in the very next moment, a large hand clamped firmly around his head and lifted him!
"...The King of Destruction is about to Revive!"
The Anubis, who had abruptly appeared behind Kaiba, looked at Kaiba, whom he held captive, with a joyful expression. He then cast a mocking glance in Yugi's direction, who was observing the Battle.
Yugi finally realized that the voice entering his ears was, in fact, coming from the Anubis right before him!
"King of Destruction?!"
Yugi, slightly flustered, watched the Anubis, who held Kaiba in one hand, walked past Dark Yugi, who was still kneeling in pain, and approached him. He repeated the name the other party had uttered: "King of Destruction."
Just as the grinning Anubis reached out to him, Yugi, who had no Power to Counterattack at that moment, was so frightened he almost closed his eyes. Then, he suddenly saw a dazzling golden light flare up behind the "King of Destruction."
This stopped the Anubis from being able to attack Yugi further. Instead, he looked back nervously, facing his rear as if confronting a formidable foe, at a dazzling sun that had appeared in the Void.
"...The King of Destruction contends with the Sun King..."
To Yugi's surprise, the "King of Destruction" had already turned to confront the sun, but another voice spoke up. Judging by the sound, it wasn't the same person as the Anubis "King of Destruction."
And as the voice narrated, three beams of light flew from the "sun," attacking the "King of Destruction." Although they caused significant Damage to the "King of Destruction," the King of Destruction waved a hand, and the crystal Pyramid Yugi had seen earlier appeared. He then sealed the three beams of light released by the "sun" within it.
However, after the three light beams were sealed, the "sun" released three more Attacks, striking the "King of Destruction" once again. This time, what was released was not "light," but three streams of Darkness.
The Anubis, wounded again, seemed unable to withstand this second Attack and was knocked to the ground.
"...The Sun King will [] obliterate the King of Destruction..."
Towards the fallen "King of Destruction," the "sun" seemed to be gathering Power, preparing to deliver a final blow.
But just then, the fallen "King of Destruction" made a final, desperate Counterattack, spitting a red orb from his mouth, which collided with the three streams of Darkness that hadn't been retracted.
The three dark streams of Power, drawn by the red orb, seemed to escape the "sun's" Control. They twisted and turned, transforming into a pitch-black vortex that slammed into the "sun"!
"...But the King of Destruction also [] took away the sun."
The voice in Yugi's ears gradually faded. At the same time, under his gaze, the "sun's" last Power transformed into a lightning-flickering Vortex, successfully crushing and scattering the "King of Destruction." However, the "sun" also vanished into the vortex left by the "King of Destruction."
The crystal Pyramid that had bound the initial three beams of light shattered, but the light could no longer return to the "sun."
Everything before Yugi's eyes, along with the shattering of the crystal Pyramid, suddenly fragmented. He abruptly opened his eyes and sat up from the ground.
"Whoa!"
Yugi's sudden awakening from the ground startled Téa, who hadn't woken much earlier than him. Téa quickly looked at Yugi with concern: "Yugi! What's wrong!?"
"Téa? Did you just see that—" Yugi exclaimed. As he saw Téa, he was about to say something, but his consciousness wavered slightly, and he found he couldn't recall what he had just seen at all. "That, what was it again?"
"Hm?" Téa was a little confused by Yugi's nonsensical question. "What are you talking about, Yugi? Did you see something?"
"No, nothing." A bewildered Yugi tried to recall. Although he managed to remember the scene up until the voice announcing "The King of Destruction is about to Revive!" sounded and the "King of Destruction" reached out to him, no matter how hard he tried, he had no memory of what happened afterward.
"What about you, Téa? Did you see anything?"
Helping Yugi stand up from the ground, Téa shook her head. "All I remember is that scary Mummy suddenly started glowing, and then everything went black. I don't remember anything else."
With Yugi and Téa waking up, the others also opened their eyes one by one.
"Ah, an unfamiliar ceiling," Marik said, opening his eyes with a sour expression. Although awake, he hadn't gotten up.
Next to his head, Joey opened his eyes. "Huh? Why am I lying on the ground?"
"I don't even know where the end of the universe is, so how would I know the answer to your question?" Marik turned his head, glaring at Joey who lay bewildered on the ground. "But before you think, get up, you idiot!"
Hearing this, Joey suddenly realized that when he fell, he had landed right on top of Marik. No wonder Marik hadn't gotten up even after waking. It wasn't that he didn't want to; it was that he couldn't lift Joey, who was pressing down on his shoulder.
"Ah, my bad, my bad, I was wondering why the ground was uneven," Joey said with an embarrassed chuckle as he got up, giving Marik a pull to help him up. Meanwhile, Tristan was helping the elderly Grandpa Muto, who had a bad back, to stand.
The group then realized they weren't next to the glass display case they had been observing earlier. Instead, they had been moved to an open area a bit further away. Looking back at the display case, they saw the figures of Chumley and Ishizu.
"...And then, that guy ran off. Couldn't catch him, or rather, it." As the curious Yugi and the others approached, they heard Chumley seemingly finishing a conversation with Ishizu. Chumley also noticed their approach. "Yo, everyone's awake."
"Chumley, Ishizu." The strange vision Yugi had just seen greatly troubled him. He looked at Chumley and Ishizu, who had clearly woken up earlier than them, and asked, "Do you know what just happened?"
"Chumley was the first to wake up. I also seem to have woken up a bit earlier than you, Mr. Yugi, with his help," Ishizu said, shaking her head in response to Yugi's puzzled gaze. "I truly didn't expect the Millennium Ring's ability to interfere with Dark Power could be used in this way."
"I almost took Chumley's joke about 'you being the one with the best aptitude in this batch' seriously."
Hearing Ishizu mention his previous joke, Chumley shrugged. "Honestly, it was my first time using it like that. I just thought I'd try my best to wake you up."
"As for what just happened..." Noticing that Yugi, usually quite laid-back, now seemed extremely concerned about the answer, Chumley turned aside, revealing the Sarcophagus, which Anubis had ripped open and left lying on the ground, along with shattered glass scattered everywhere.
"This!" Joey and the others looked in great surprise at the vanished Mummy. Even Marik had a look of astonishment. "Did the ancient Mummy really Revive!?"
As he spoke, Marik quickly reached into his pocket and found that the Coin he had used to jokingly bet against the un-Revived Mummy was gone.
Chumley's finger nudged the Coin deeper into his pocket.
"No way that happened, right?" Joey still seemed unconvinced that the Mummy had Revived. "Maybe a thief just used a flashbang to knock us out and stole the Mummy."
"Idiot, if it was a flashbang, we wouldn't have recovered this quickly," Tristan retorted.
"Actually, the Mummy really did Revive. That guy even took a crystal Pyramid that was previously in the exhibition hall. I even Dueled him in a Shadow Game with our lives on the line."
Hearing Chumley's words, Marik was surprised. "Brother-in-law, you didn't lose, did you?!"
"If I lost, would I still be standing here?" Chumley patted Marik's shoulder, giving him a look usually reserved for imbeciles. He couldn't be bothered to correct Marik's address; even if he did, Marik wouldn't change. "I won. That guy was indeed killed by the Shadow Game right in front of me."
"But I didn't expect that guy to fake his death, then fake his resurrection, and escape with the crystal Pyramid when I wasn't looking."
Listening to Chumley mention the "crystal Pyramid," Yugi's thoughts kept replaying his previous vision.
From the conversations of Joey and the others, he gathered that everyone else had simply fainted after their vision went black, without seeing any illusions. Only Yugi, it seemed, had been able to see the illusions because he possessed the Millennium Puzzle.
'The Mummy Reviving—could that correspond to the King of Destruction's Reviving? If so, then wouldn't Yami Yugi be the King of Darkness, and Kaiba the King of Light?'
Remembering Kaiba's pained expression from the vision, Yugi briefly explained the illusions he had seen to Dark Yugi within the Millennium Puzzle. Then, he made up his mind, his gaze resolute, and declared to everyone:
"Everyone, I apologize, but there's something I'm very concerned about."
"Right now, I need to go find Kaiba!"
After explaining, Yugi bowed slightly and hurried out of the exhibition hall.
'If the Prophecy on the Sarcophagus is true, the King of Light could very well become a sacrifice for the King of Destruction's Revival. That means right now...'
The voice of Yami Yugi echoed in his ears, and Yugi mentally completed the second half of the sentence that Dark Yugi hadn't voiced:
'That means right now, Kaiba will be in danger!'
(end of chapter)
KaibaCorp Headquarters Building, Data Center.
A programmer in a white lab coat pushed up his slightly slipping glasses. Prolonged sitting in front of the screen had made his neck feel a bit sore, and he twisted it left and right.
First, he looked behind him to confirm no one was there. Programmer A, having entered "slacking off" mode due to boredom, spoke to his colleague, Programmer B, next to him: "Have you finished organizing the data over there?"
"Huh? Far from it," Programmer B replied, turning his head to check if anyone was behind him as well. After confirming no one was watching them, he finally took his hands off the keyboard, stretching his wrists as he answered, "The data verification for the new cards that Industrial Illusions released recently is a massive undertaking."
"Even though I'm only responsible for a small part of it, I'll still need to work overtime for at least another week to even hope to finish."
It was almost ten in the evening. Only the two of them were still in the Data Center. Programmer A was on the night shift, while Programmer B had chosen to enjoy double pay for overtime due to the excessive workload.
"Ah, that's really tough," Programmer A said, empathizing with Programmer B, as he too had experienced such an immense workload. "And I remember we also have to keep a separate encoding to prevent fake cards, right? That's a huge project."
Programmer B had a helpless expression: "There's no other way. After all, this kind of work has to be manually entered card by card. A single word difference in Industrial Illusions' card effect descriptions can make a world of difference. Wasn't there someone who tried to use AI to process it automatically last time to slack off, and ended up creating a bug where [Fissure] could be summoned as a monster?"
"That was the new employee from the next team, right? I remember, I remember." Programmer A seemed to have heard about the incident his colleague mentioned. "He graduated from Todai and finally got into the corporation, but because of that one time he slacked off, his chances of promotion became difficult."
"That guy was still lucky. At least that bug was contained before it leaked. Otherwise, the next team, and even our entire department, would probably have had their performance bonuses docked."
Programmer B's face held a helpless expression. "That's why you can't slack off with this kind of work; it has to be done manually. And looking at how popular Duel Monsters is right now, it wouldn't be a problem for it to remain popular for decades to come. There will definitely be no shortage of card entry work in the future, I've already prepared myself mentally for it."
"You certainly have a good outlook," Programmer A chuckled. "My luck is much better than yours. I just need to save the card data detected on those Duel Disks that the President specially marked. I think it's Yugi, Hayato, and Joey Wheeler, right? They're all well-known Duelists."
"Although I hardly get any holidays, the work is quite easy. On the other hand, I don't get overtime pay as high as yours."
Programmer B shrugged: "Come on, KaibaCorp's benefits are among the best in all of Japan. Even without overtime pay, your monthly income definitely won't be low. Besides, you're not dating anyone anyway, so isn't it enough if your salary covers your expenses?"
"Hehe, you might say that," Programmer A grinned foolishly. "Next month, Industrial Illusions seems to be releasing a series of blind boxes containing female Duel Monster figures, including Dark Magician Girl. I don't have much faith in my luck, so the more salary I save, the better, to pull my wife!"
Looking at his colleague, who had suddenly become passionate, Programmer B was slightly embarrassed: "Seriously, I remember whenever they release these blind boxes, aren't there always resellers who directly sell opened blind boxes on the market? Couldn't you just buy Dark Magician Girl directly? Although it's more expensive than the normal price, it's still cheaper than you opening multiple boxes, right?"
"What do you know?" Programmer A retorted self-righteously. "Only by opening them box by box myself can I show my deep and devoted love for Dark Magician Girl. Besides, I heard that this time they've also included figures of new card monsters that will be released next time, and I really want those too!"
Just as Programmer B was about to mock his colleague for his "scumbag" comment – claiming unwavering devotion to Dark Magician Girl one moment, then "falling for" a new Duel Monster the next – a voice suddenly rang out behind them, making them both tremble with fright:
"Hey, you two---"
"!" "!"
Completely forgetting to pay attention to what was behind them during their chat, both A and B immediately recognized the owner of the voice. Their bodies instantly stiffened, and their hands and feet felt a chill. Slowly turning around, the two who were caught slacking off saw Kaiba appear in the Data Center and stammered in fear: "P-President Kaiba!"
"What to do when caught slacking off by the President during work hours? Asking online, urgent!"
It's important to know that job seeking in Japan isn't like in other countries. If you join a corporation or group here, your job is generally for life, and you're bound to that group for your entire career. Even if you leave to seek other employment, other groups won't offer you good treatment because of your resignation history.
Conversely, minor mistakes within the company typically won't lead to termination, but they will inevitably affect future promotions. Both programmers had ambitions to climb the corporate ladder, so at this moment, they were understandably extremely nervous in front of Kaiba.
Fortunately, Kaiba didn't care that he had caught them chatting and slacking off earlier.
After getting two cards from Pegasus, Kaiba immediately took his beloved Blue-Eyes Jet back to KaibaCorp Headquarters Building in Domino City overnight, heading straight for the Data Center upon his return.
"You two, input the data for one card each," Kaiba commanded them. As he spoke, he walked over to an unused computer in the Data Center, took out the cards he had received from Pegasus earlier from his pocket, and inserted them into a card reader-like device.
The card data was transferred by Kaiba from the card reader to the two programmers' computers, awaiting manual processing. Kaiba then added, "Also, retrieve the simulated Duel data from my past matches against Hayato and Yugi."
"Yes, sir!"
Hearing that the President was only giving orders and not reprimanding them, the two frightened programmers naturally weren't foolish enough to bring up the previous incident again. They immediately began operating their computers, projecting two sets of archived data onto the Data Center's large screen.
The first image to appear in Kaiba's vision simulated his Duel against Yugi. After a long back-and-forth, it shifted to a scene where his [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], empowered by [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] and possessing an invincible resistance (unaffected by card effects), was battling Yugi's [The Dark Magicians] on the field.
The full resistance granted by [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] allowed [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] to ignore Yugi's activated [Mirror Force], attacking and destroying [The Dark Magicians]. Yugi's Life Points were consequently reduced to only 200.
Although the destroyed [The Dark Magicians] then Special Summoned [Dark Magician] and [Dark Magician Girl] from Yugi's Graveyard, Kaiba also had the invincible [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] on the field, and his Life Points were 2000, ten times Yugi's.
Yet, in this situation, Yugi incredibly Summoned [Catapult Turtle] by Tributing [Dark Magician Girl], and then used Dark Magic Attack Barrage to boost [Dark Magician]'s Attack to 4500. By Releasing [Dark Magician], he fired a devastating shot that defeated Kaiba!
This familiar method of defeating an opponent made Kaiba's face exceptionally grim. After all, he had experienced the same way of losing countless times against Hayato. This oppressive aura of displeasure felt substantial, weighing down on the two programmers who were pretending to be inconspicuous as they worked with their heads down.
Next, the content of his Duel with Hayato began to play.
Although Kaiba had been able to read data from some of Hayato's new cards, such as [Drytron] and [Dragonmaid], via a chip embedded in Hayato's Duel Disk, Kaiba believed Hayato's strongest card was not these, but his most trusted [Gaia] Deck.
Driven by the desire to defeat his opponent at their strongest, Kaiba set Hayato's Duel data to use a [Gaia] Deck that included the Egyptian God Cards. Although it also contained other cards Hayato commonly used, such as [Rainbow Kuriboh], Kaiba had intentionally removed the [Ojama] cards, which he disliked the most.
In the simulated Duel, Kaiba gained the upper hand with the power of one [Blue-Eyes] after another, but Hayato also counterattacked with [Gaia]'s Special Summoning ability and [Super Polymerization]. After a few turns, he even Summoned [Obelisk the Tormentor], which he had won from Kaiba, onto the field.
After Hayato took [Obelisk the Tormentor] from him in the Battle City Finals, Kaiba, while acknowledging the "winner takes all" mentality, was still quite angry. He was annoyed not only that Hayato had once again claimed victory as an Upper Tier Duelist, but also that he had suffered another humiliating defeat.
More importantly, Kaiba truly loved [Obelisk the Tormentor], that God Card. Although Ishizu, Marik, and Hayato, who had a deep understanding of the Egyptian God Cards, had all stated that [The Winged Dragon of Ra] was the strongest card among them, if Kaiba had to choose, he would probably prefer [Obelisk the Tormentor].
It had nothing to do with "sentiment" like it being the first God Card he obtained. It was purely because Kaiba had a natural sense of familiarity with [Obelisk the Tormentor]. While not as much as with [Blue-Eyes], he found [Obelisk the Tormentor] quite easy to use, and thus was very displeased after losing it.
Furthermore, the shift in power dynamic—Hayato gaining another God Card while he lost one—was also one of the reasons for Kaiba's displeasure.
However, after Battle City, Kaiba had also engaged in several private, unannounced Duels with Hayato. Although Hayato teased him, saying he acted like a shy girl, Kaiba believed that until he was absolutely certain he could defeat Hayato, no one else had the right to observe their Duels.
During these Duels, Hayato had posed a question to Kaiba: "Seto Kaiba," the Duelist, what is his strongest Ace Card?
At the time, Kaiba, still preoccupied with Hayato winning [Obelisk the Tormentor], blurted out that it was [Obelisk the Tormentor], but Hayato deemed his answer incorrect. He never asked Kaiba again after that.
Looking at [Obelisk the Tormentor] standing tall on the earth in the image, Kaiba, though he hadn't answered Hayato again, already had the answer in his heart.
Watching as [Obelisk the Tormentor], at the cost of two monsters, activated its special effect and its two fists crushed [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], Kaiba silently observed his own Life Points in the image drop to 0.
At the same time, the two programmers completed the manual entry of the card data. Kaiba briefly edited his Deck data, incorporating the two cards' data, and then started another simulation.
On the screen, Hayato and Kaiba's Duel began anew.
'Although [Obelisk the Tormentor]'s power is formidable, that power ultimately belongs to the past. It's not suitable for me, who needs to move towards the future.'
'What is Seto Kaiba's Ace Card? I now have an undeniable answer: it is [Blue-Eyes]. My Ace Card, my glory, my soul, is [Blue-Eyes White Dragon].'
'However, this doesn't mean I've given up on [Obelisk the Tormentor]. Wait for me to reclaim [Obelisk the Tormentor] from your hands with a new form of [Blue-Eyes], Hayato!'
Watching himself Banish [Obelisk the Tormentor] using a card obtained from Pegasus, and then seeing another [Blue-Eyes] take away Hayato's last remaining Life Points, which were flickering like a candle in the wind, even the usually stern-faced Kaiba couldn't help but let out a satisfied laugh.
"Hmph hmph, hehe, hahahahaha!"
"This power truly hasn't disappointed me. It seems the time has finally come to end this entangled destiny!"
Kaiba pulled out the two cards from the card reader. He glanced at the two cautious programmers beside him. Being in a good mood, he didn't hold them accountable, merely walking triumphantly out of the Data Center: "It's fine now. You can continue working."
As he walked, Kaiba also retrieved a previously used stock transfer agreement from his personal terminal and began re-editing it, though he modified some of the details.
'I'll use this to make Yugi and Hayato Duel me.' Kaiba stepped into the elevator heading to the top floor and looked out through the glass at a large industrial park in the distance. A significant portion of that land had been contracted by KaibaCorp, and at the very end, on a cliff, a building remarkably similar to the Kaiba Dome during the KC Cup had already been completed. 'In that very place, I will become the strongest Duelist!'
On one of the cards he held in his arms, an ominous red light glowed. However, the other card seemed to be protecting Kaiba, actively suppressing the red light to prevent it from affecting him.
(end of chapter)
# Chapter 523: Kaiba VS Yugi
When Yugi left the Antiquities Exhibition Hall alone, Joey and Téa had tried to keep him there, but Yugi's movements were so swift that they had no time to say anything before he was gone.
When the others also left the exhibition hall, they saw a black luxury sedan pull away from the front of the hall, as if it had completed its covert task, and Yugi was nowhere in sight.
Sharp-eyed Joey noticed a three-dimensional Blue-Eyes White Dragon car emblem on the hood of the black luxury sedan before it drove off, with the letters "KC" on its base. "That car, is it from KaibaCorp?"
"Yugi didn't actually get into that car, did he? We don't see him anywhere around here," Tristan said, looking around. In front of the exhibition hall was a main road, with no other cars parked nearby, with no places for concealment.
Téa was somewhat puzzled. "But why would Yugi get into a KaibaCorp car? And seeing how rushed he was just now, with a KaibaCorp car coincidentally appearing here—it's almost as if they were tracking us and waiting at the entrance for Yugi to get in."
Téa's suspicion was not unfounded. After all, it was common knowledge that President Kaiba was always someone who quickly grew tired of old things and embraced the new. He could incinerate everything left over from Gozaburo's era based on his personal preferences, without even sparing things that held childhood memories. He had absolutely no interest in antiques or cultural relics.
On the top floor of KaibaCorp's Headquarters Building, Kaiba's President's Office was devoid of the usual ornaments found in other corporate President's Offices, such as classical oil paintings, armor and swords. Instead, it was filled with high-tech items favored by Kaiba himself, and plenty of Blue-Eyes White Dragon-related merchandise.
Of course, Kaiba claimed that the reason for displaying Blue-Eyes White Dragon merchandise was to cultivate his Aura as a Duelist and to live in close proximity with his Duel Monsters. The credibility of this claim was open to interpretation.
Although Ishizu's Egyptian Antiquities Authority and Kaiba's Kaiba Entertainment Group had collaborated on the "Egyptian Antiquities Exhibition" in Domino City, with KaibaCorp even constructing the exhibition hall, this was merely due to commercial profitability and Ishizu having given Kaiba a copy of Obelisk the Tormentor.
After Battle City concluded and Marik's "capture" fulfilled Ishizu's objective, Kaiba's cooperation with Ishizu came to an end. Although the "Egyptian Antiquities Exhibition" continued, Kaiba and the Egyptian Antiquities Authority no longer had any ties, and KaibaCorp cars would certainly not pass through this area, as the location of the Egyptian Antiquities Exhibition Hall in Domino City was considered "remote."
Not just Téa, but Marik, Tristan, and Joey also harbored some suspicions about KaibaCorp.
"Ms. Ishizu, I remember the Millennium Necklace seems to be..." Joey suddenly recalled Yugi mentioning the miraculous powers of the Millennium Items, among which the Millennium Necklace could use Future Sight, causing him to look involuntarily at Ishizu.
However, Ishizu shook her head, giving Hayato a helpless look. "I apologize. While the Millennium Necklace does possess the power of Future Sight, it is an ability I have not used for a very long time. Furthermore, due to the Millennium Ring's interference with other Millennium Items, I cannot accurately foresee Mr. Yugi Muto's situation."
"I think, instead of making wild guesses here, it would be more convenient if we just went directly to KaibaCorp," Hayato, self-aware of his role as a human-shaped mobile signal jammer, smiled apologetically at Ishizu and offered a suggestion.
Upon hearing this, Marik smugly pulled out the key tucked into his waistband and flourished it. "I have a motorcycle!" As he spoke, he pressed a button, and the lights of a red and yellow motorcycle nearby lit up. The dazzling lights on the bike created an effect like flowing lava, making it extremely conspicuous even in broad daylight.
Looking at Marik's motorcycle, Tristan said with interest, "Isn't that a Honda Gold Wing? And it's even been modified with electronic controls and lighting effects. It looks great, but... why does it look so strange?"
Unlike Tristan, who focused on the bike itself, Joey immediately recognized the source of the motorcycle's modified lighting.
"Isn't that the Lava Golem pattern? Why would anyone put such an ugly Monster on their bike?" Although slightly different from Industrial Illusions' classic Card Art, Joey had been "gifted" a 'special present' by Hayato on more than one occasion, leaving him with an unforgettable impression of the Lava Golem's image.
"That's not important, okay? Finding Yugi is the most important thing right now," Téa said, exasperated with the two whose attention had completely wandered. "However, a single motorcycle can only carry two people at most, and there are so many of us here."
"I have the exhibition hall's truck keys. That truck can carry many people, but its speed is limited because it's used for transporting important items," Ishizu said, also pulling out a key. "How about two of us go ahead, and the rest take the truck?"
After discussing Ishizu's proposal, they decided that Hayato and Joey would ride the motorcycle and leave first. Téa, Marik, Ishizu, Grandpa Solomon, and Tristan—the five "elderly and infirm"—would take the exhibition hall's truck.
"First the Mummy of the Cursed Flame revival, and now Yugi suddenly dashed off... I have a bad feeling about this," Grandpa Solomon said with a slight worry as he watched Joey and Hayato get on the motorcycle, Joey fumbling to put on his helmet.
"Don't worry, Master Solomon, even if we don't know what happened, we'll definitely protect Yugi from that guy Kaiba and ensure he isn't damaged!" Joey said, giving a thumbs-up. "Me, Joey, Yugi, and Hayato, the three of us are invincible!"
"It wouldn't make much difference if you weren't there, actually," Tristan, as Joey's close friend, immediately undercut him. Téa also shared Grandpa Solomon's feeling and looked at Hayato and Joey with a pleading gaze. "Please, Hayato, Joey, bring Yugi back safely."
"Hm, don't worry," Hayato nodded, putting on his helmet.
"It's my motorcycle, you know, brother-in-law. Be careful not to scratch my paint," Marik said somewhat reluctantly as he handed the key to Hayato. "But brother-in-law, I never heard you mention learning to ride a motorcycle."
"Hmph, would I tell you that I once trained at the Hawaii Secret Agent Training Center for this kind of thing?" Hayato, brimming with confidence, took the key and started the motorcycle. "My riding skill is A+, you know."
Ten minutes later.
"Ugh~"
Joey, who had just dismounted the motorcycle, squatted by the green belt beside the road in the Kaiba Industrial Park, his face pale and looking unwell. "What the heck just happened?!"
"I told you, I trained at the Hawaii Secret Agent Training Center," Hayato was much more composed than Joey. He parked the motorcycle in front of a massive building and casually removed the card of [Dark Knight Gaia] that he had attached to the motorcycle before leaving the exhibition hall.
This was a new use for Card Spirits that Hayato had discovered: by having the Card Spirit possess other items, various powerful functions could be achieved. For example, Gaia could help Hayato easily drive most vehicles; home appliances infused with Drytron Meteonis Dracoverlord would turn into networked smart furniture; and Chamber Dragonmaid could even boost a washing machine's power to the maximum, causing the motor to burn out...
The last one can be ignored.
Let alone controlling a mere motorcycle, if Hayato wished, he could even use a bicycle, the kind used by elderly people for grocery shopping, to outrace a racing motorcycle with Gaia's help. His "riding skill is A+" was no exaggeration.
However, Joey clearly couldn't adapt to such high-speed driving beyond human limits. Although he didn't experience motion sickness, the aftereffects of the adrenaline surge left him feeling nauseous.
Nevertheless, Joey's physique was ultimately different from ordinary people, or perhaps his concern for his friend allowed him to overcome his physical discomfort. Hayato and Joey entered their destination—the newly completed structure within the Kaiba Industrial Park, located on the outskirts of Domino City at the end of the coast—another "Kaiba Dome."
"That guy Kaiba actually built another Kaiba Dome here! Is he planning to host the next KC Cup here?" Joey surveyed the Kaiba Dome's spacious lobby. "And, did Yugi really come here? Though I did see that car from the exhibition hall parked outside."
No sooner had Joey finished speaking than he and Hayato heard Kaiba's voice, amplified through a loudspeaker:
"Full projection system, Activate! Image projection!"
Accompanying Kaiba's voice, a giant screen in the Kaiba Dome's lobby lit up. A Field, completely dark and unlit, appeared on the screen.
Then, the countless grid sections of the dome above the Field, which was divided like a Game Board, lit up one by one with white light. As the Field was illuminated, Kaiba's figure, standing at an entrance, was revealed.
"Is that... Kaiba? He's actually here," Joey frowned. "In that case, maybe Yugi also..."
The white light shining on the dome distorted slightly, gradually simulating a complete sky. Whether it was the white clouds drifting and deforming due to airflow, or an occasional bird soaring across the firmament, everything felt so real. If they hadn't just seen the unactivated dome, Hayato and Joey might truly have mistaken the sky before them for the real thing.
On the ground, as Kaiba stepped onto the Duel Field, one Phantom Duel Monster after another shimmered into existence beside him, even without any Virtual Projection devices, and then dissipated behind him as he walked forward.
Cyclops, Dark Clown Zacchi, Bloody Beast Warrior, Giant Germ, Lord of D....
And Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
To say there were no Virtual Projection devices wasn't entirely accurate, because all the evidence indicated that Kaiba had used the entire Kaiba Dome's dome as a Virtual Projection device!
By the time Kaiba reached one end of the flat Duel Field, only a single Blue-Eyes White Dragon remained behind him. Kaiba's gaze remained fixed on an entrance opposite him, a smirk playing on his lips.
Under the watchful eyes of Hayato and Joey on the screen, and Kaiba inside the Field, Yami Yugi, with an unactivated Duel Disk, walked out from that entrance, exuding an imposing Aura.
"You've arrived, Yu↑gi↓," Kaiba, who had only granted himself a dramatic entrance with special effects, sneered as he watched Yugi calmly walk onto the Field opposite him and stand still. "Speaking of which, our last Duel was a long time ago. I haven't had a chance to prove I'm stronger than you."
"The experience of being defeated by your Exodia back then is still fresh in my memory today. This humiliation of defeat, I will repay it today." Kaiba raised his Duel Disk. "Consider this a warm-up before defeating Hayato and winning the King of Games title. I will unleash the lash of complete defeat upon you, Yu↑gi↓!"
"Yugi is going to Duel Kaiba?!" Joey exclaimed, surprised, in front of the screen. "What's going on?"
His question was answered not by Hayato, but by Mokuba, who had appeared in the Kaiba Dome lobby at some point. "My brother... he received two incredibly powerful cards from Pegasus yesterday, cards that seem capable of suppressing even Gods."
"Mokuba?"
Nodding at Hayato, Mokuba's expression was grim. "After getting those two cards, my brother has been acting very strange, as if he's being manipulated. He's desperate to Duel you, Brother Hayato, and Yugi. I couldn't stop him, and then Yugi coincidentally came here looking for my brother."
Inside the Kaiba Dome, facing the intensely driven Kaiba, Yami Yugi did not immediately activate his Duel Disk to accept the challenge.
"Kaiba, this Duel is not pure. Some evil power has seeped into it," Yami Yugi said, having learned the contents of that Phantom through Yugi Muto's recounting. "Even so, do you still wish to Duel?"
In the Phantom, his Duel with Kaiba would lead to the revival of an entity called the "King of Destruction." Although Yami Yugi didn't believe he would lose, he felt it would be best to avoid conflict. However, while his original intention was to check if Kaiba, who also appeared in the Phantom, had encountered any mishaps, who would have thought Kaiba had already become a 'red-named monster' and wanted to Duel everyone he saw.
"Hmph, spouting such boring nonsense again. I couldn't care less about your supernatural things," Kaiba's gaze was unwavering. "My target has always been just one thing: to prove that I am superior to you!"
I casually opened a Mirror Rare Tri-Brigade Shuraig the Ominous Omen in MD, and now I suddenly want to play Tri-Brigade.
(end of chapter)
Chapter 524: Ancient Egyptian Monsters Land in Domino City
"In that case, it wouldn't be good to not go all out."
Just as Kaiba and Yugi faced off on opposite sides of the Duel Field, a voice suddenly rang out, reaching both their ears. Along with that voice, two more whooshing sounds followed.
The agile Yugi and Kaiba instinctively caught the items "assailing" them. But upon catching them and taking a look, both were stunned, for they had received the cards (Slifer the Sky Dragon) and (Obelisk the Tormentor) respectively!
Looking in the direction the voice came from, Yugi and Kaiba saw Hayato standing on the spectator stand beside the Duel Field, maintaining the posture of throwing cards. Behind Hayato, Joey followed him out.
"Yugi!"
"Joey, Hayato?"
Yugi was somewhat surprised that Hayato and Joey managed to find this place so quickly. Moreover, he didn't quite understand Hayato's intentions in giving him the (Slifer the Sky Dragon) card.
"Hey, Hayato, what's the meaning of this? Are you giving me charity?" Kaiba directly ignored Joey, glanced at the (Obelisk the Tormentor) in his Hand, and stared straight at Hayato, seemingly demanding an explanation.
"Nothing much. I just thought that if you, Kaiba, want to defeat a full-power Yugi, you should at least experience Yugi at his peak, shouldn't you? During Battle City, even I only barely managed to win against Yugi when he possessed (Slifer the Sky Dragon)."
"The same logic applies to (Obelisk the Tormentor). After all, only an evenly matched Duel can be called spectacular, wouldn't you agree?"
Hayato said with a matter-of-fact expression, "Also, don't think of this as charity. I'm just lending you the cards temporarily. If you want (Obelisk the Tormentor), you'll have to defeat me first, Kaiba."
"Evenly matched..."
Hayato's words seemed to sway Kaiba. Kaiba looked at the card in his Hand; to say he felt no desire would be a lie. However, he had just recently realized that even just (Blue-Eyes) could prove his Power, so accepting (Obelisk the Tormentor) now felt a bit like "eating his words." Hayato's words mostly provided Kaiba an excuse.
"If that's the case, then prepare to be astonished by my evolved Deck, Hayato. As a spectator to this Top-tier Duel in the World, you have that right, even if it incidentally includes a superfluous Mediocre Duelist."
Ignoring Joey's "Who are you calling a bastard?" comment, Kaiba placed the (Obelisk the Tormentor) card into his Deck, and the Duel Disk's automatic Shuffle function mixed it into the Deck. He looked at Yugi opposite him with a formidable aura of battle, clearly ready.
Yami Yugi looked at the (Slifer the Sky Dragon) in his Hand, a hint of hesitation on his face. After a moment of thought, he also added it to his Deck and shuffled it, muttering to himself: 'I truly don't know if this decision is right or wrong...'
'This is also Hayato's sincere Heart (of the Cards), Other Self. Although he didn't say it, my intuition as a Duelist tells me that Hayato knows something, and he's probably trying to prevent the appearance of the illusion I saw earlier.'
The voice of Yugi Muto, from within the (Millennium Puzzle), entered Yami Yugi's mind. It had to be said that his intuition as a Duelist was quite accurate. '(Slifer the Sky Dragon) will also be useful in the upcoming Duel against Kaiba.'
'Perhaps.' Yami Yugi also mentally told Yugi Muto the reason for his hesitation. 'But Aibo, do you remember the nickname Hayato gave (Slifer the Sky Dragon), and how we defeated Dark Marik when he possessed it?'
'I'm a little worried we might also get "trapped" by the Traitor Dragon.'
'Uh, you have a point...' It was fine before Yami Yugi mentioned it, but once he did, Yugi Muto inside the (Millennium Puzzle) couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.
(Slifer the Sky Dragon) is one of the (Egyptian God Cards), and its Power is indeed immense. However, powerful cards often come with great risks, and compared to the other two God cards, (Slifer the Sky Dragon)'s risk is much greater.
Its Effect called "(Thunderforce Attack)" can effectively Counter Combo/Board Development, but its mandatory Activation Effect can easily be exploited by the Opponent. Furthermore, its ATK being determined by the Hand restricts players from playing some cards, forcing them to be retained.
The confident Kaiba and Yami Yugi stood on opposite sides, both raising their already unfolded Duel Disks and shouting in unison:
"Duel!" x2
[Kaiba: 4000 LP]
[Yugi: 4000 LP]
As both Duel Disks Activated and they drew five cards each, the stadium's dome seemed to Trigger a mechanism, and a faint humming sound reached everyone's ears.
Looking up, they saw Mokuba sitting inside a spherical mechanical device, ascending along the dome's tracks to the highest point, continuously operating some equipment. His voice came through the broadcast system: "Full-Scale Projection fully Activated, Immersive Real-Field Duel Mode, Into the Vrains!"
As Mokuba seemed to activate something, Hayato, Joey, and Yugi were surprised to find the ground beneath their feet gradually being replaced by a flat, open space that looked incredibly familiar, and the distant scenery had transformed into a high-altitude landscape!?
With the comparison, Joey instantly remembered where he had seen the current scenery: "This is, the Airship from Battle City!? Did we teleport?"
"No, this is still the Kaiba Dome." Hayato, however, understood the principle of the anomaly before them. "By using the Solid Vision to overlay illusory scenery onto normal architecture, simulating a real environment, Kaiba's technology has advanced again."
"First Turn is mine, draw!"
Taking advantage of Yugi's surprise at the surrounding scenery, Kaiba slyly claimed the First Turn, drawing one card, and then slowly explained: "Rather than an advancement, it's more like achieving the original objective I had when first designing the Solid Vision."
"Using this Field, once used to determine who could challenge for the 'King of Games' throne, as the stage to end our intertwined Destiny, couldn't be more fitting."
As he spoke, Kaiba finally checked which card he had drawn. Seeing the card he had drawn, Kaiba's lips curled into a smug smile.
"Spell Card (Melody of Awakening Dragon), I Discard one card from my Hand to Activate it. From my Deck, I Add to Hand two Dragon-Type Monsters with 3000 or more Attack and 2500 or less DEF. I choose two (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_)."
After Searching for two (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_) and Adding them to Hand, Kaiba then draws another card: "Because (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_) is a Level 8 Monster, I Activate this Spell Card, (Trade-In). I Discard the Level 8 (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_) and Send it to Graveyard, then draw two cards from my Deck."
"Rest for a while in the Graveyard, (Blue-Eyes)." With that, Kaiba draws two cards.
Joey, observing, looked surprised at Kaiba's actions: "That Kaiba, actually Sending (Blue-Eyes) to the Graveyard voluntarily?"
In Joey's understanding, Kaiba always acted like "(Blue-Eyes) is mine, touch it and die." Normally, let alone transferring Control of (Blue-Eyes), even if someone just tried to Weaken (Blue-Eyes) or Destroy (Blue-Eyes) and Send it to the Graveyard, Kaiba would instantly fly into a rage, Obliterate them, and then Obliterate their Opponent.
So far, only Hayato was an exception because Kaiba couldn't defeat him, so nothing happened to him.
But now, Kaiba voluntarily Sends his own (Blue-Eyes) to the Graveyard? You have to understand, (Blue-Eyes) isn't (Red-Eyes Black Dragon); it specializes in Aggressive Play through various means, not reviving from the Graveyard. Kaiba's actions were extremely strange.
"Hmph, don't use such meager intellect to fathom my Strategy, Mediocre Duelist." Joey's voice reached Kaiba's ears. "To create the future, destruction is inevitable. It's what they call 'being pushed to the brink of death to find life.'"
"Spell Card Dark Factory of Mass Production, this card allows me to Add to Hand two Normal Monsters from my Graveyard. I will Add to Hand the two (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_) that were Sent to the Graveyard by the Effects of (Melody of Awakening Dragon) and (Trade-In)."
Kaiba retrieved the two cards from his Graveyard, and his Hand size increased to seven. Moreover, three of those cards were face-up (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_)!
"The card Discarded for (Melody of Awakening Dragon) was also (Blue-Eyes)? In that case, Kaiba has gathered all three (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_) again!?" Joey exclaimed in surprise. But after saying it, he himself felt a bit strange. "Huh? Why did I say 'again'?"
Hayato casually retorted: "Probably because it would be weirder if Kaiba didn't glue all three (Blue-Eyes) together."
After gathering all three (Blue-Eyes) in his Hand, to no one's surprise, Kaiba indeed played (Polymerization).
"Activate the (Polymerization) Spell Card! I Fuse three (_Blue-Eyes White Dragon_) from my Hand! Appear here, the strongest Dragon-Type Evolved!"
"(Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)!"
The three (White Dragon) combined under the Power of (Polymerization), and a three-headed, two-winged dragon appeared on Kaiba's Field!
[(Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)][ATK 4500]
"Since it's the First Turn, I cannot enter Battle. Therefore, I Set two cards, and End My Turn." After summoning a high ATK Monster to put some pressure on Yugi, Kaiba kept one card in his Hand and Set the other two cards, making his End Turn Declaration.
[Kaiba: 4000 LP, Hand 1]
[(Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon)][ATK 4500]
[Set Card] x2
Yami Yugi looked at the highly prominent (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) on Kaiba's Field, which was trying its best to attract everyone's attention, but he felt a sense of caution.
'The (Blue-Eyes) Deck Kaiba uses primarily relies on Aggressive Play Strategy, focusing on overwhelming the Opponent with high ATK.' Yugi Muto expressed his thoughts from inside the (Millennium Puzzle). 'Logically, in a Second Turn situation, activating an Aggressive Play with (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) capable of Attacking three times would be more in line with Kaiba's style.'
'To recklessly seize the First Turn just for an Aura advantage—Kaiba is definitely not that kind of rash Duelist.'
Yami Yugi strongly agreed with Yugi Muto's thoughts: 'Furthermore, (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) is a bit too eye-catching. If the goal were just to dominate the Field with high ATK, then (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) would be sufficient. But this current Aura, it's almost as if it's deliberately trying to attract my attention.'
'Kaiba is anticipating me Destroying (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon), and those two cards in his Backrow definitely hide something!' x2
Both Yugis, with a shared understanding, arrived at the same speculation simultaneously.
"My Turn, Draw!" Having finished his thoughts, Yugi draws a card and begins to Combo/Board Development the Strategy he devised. "Activate the Spell Card (Ancient Rules)! I Special Summon one Normal Monster of Level 5 or higher from my Hand."
"Appear, my most loyal servant, (Dark Magician)!"
[(Dark Magician)][ATK 2500]
The emerald Staff, imbued with powerful Magical Energy, was held by the magician. (Dark Magician) stood before Yugi, facing the towering three-headed (White Dragon), silent and reliable.
But Yugi's cards weren't limited to just that one. "Because (Dark Magician) exists on my Field, I Activate the Spell Card (Bond Between Teacher and Student)."
"The great (Dark Magician) has an apprentice! Special Summon her from my Deck, appear!"
"(Dark Magician Girl)!"
Immediately following (Dark Magician), the playful female magician appeared with light steps, cutely acting cute to Yugi behind her. But because of her lack of seriousness and magical elegance, the stoic (Dark Magician) next to her tapped her on the head with his Staff.
[(Dark Magician Girl)][ATK 2000]
"The subsequent Effect of (Bond Between Teacher and Student) continues to Activate after I Special Summon (Dark Magician Girl)." Yugi Search for a total of two cards from his Deck. One was the (Dark Magician Girl) he just placed on the Field, and the other card he was now revealing in his Hand: "I will Set (Dark Burning Magic) in my Backrow."
Although Yugi only stated the card name, Kaiba had an impression of that card: "If I remember correctly, that's a Normal Spell Card that can Destroy all Monsters on your Opponent's Field when (Dark Magician Girl) is on your Field, right?"
"Yes, that's correct. Although I could also Target (Dark Magic Attack) to Destroy a Set Card in your Backrow, Kaiba, that would leave me with no recourse against (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon). Given the choice, I Targeted (Dark Burning Magic)."
As Yugi spoke, he activated the card he had just Set: "Because it's a Normal Spell Card, (Dark Burning Magic) can be Activated the Turn it's Set! I Activate this card!"
"Even if you Set a card like De-Fusion in your Backrow, Kaiba, it won't prevent this! Be Destroyed, (Blue-Eyes)!"
(Dark Magician Girl) raised her Staff, and a sphere of Magical Energy flashing with Lightning was hurled, striking (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon). The (White Dragon) with a staggering 4500 ATK was successfully Destroyed.
Yugi watched as he truly and easily Destroyed (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon), and Kaiba hadn't even Activated a Set Card. While feeling a sense of unreality, he also became wary, knowing that Kaiba was definitely not an Opponent who could be suppressed so easily.
As expected, seeing his (Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon) Destroyed, Kaiba instead revealed a smug sneer.
"Yugi, actually, because of (Bond Between Teacher and Student), you could have also Targeted Dark Burning Attack and Dark Magic Twin Burst, right? To defeat you and Hayato, I remember every card you two have used with perfect clarity."
"However, those other two cards are Quick-Play Spells that cannot be Activated the Turn they are Set. Your eagerness to gain an advantage this Turn was completely within my expectations!"
"Witness the future born from destruction!"
(end of chapter)
Chapter 525: Man-Eating Devils Advance Towards KaibaCorp Building
"Witness the future born from destruction!"
As Kaiba slapped a card from his Hand onto his Duel Disk, brilliant light suddenly burst forth from the spot where Dark Magician Girl had previously struck Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Five slender, sharp, wing-like blades extended from the smoke and dust, fanning away the debris and revealing a slender, white dragon!
"Pure White Power hidden within the source of infinite time, raise your twin wings that tremble amidst the intertwining echoes of souls, and appear from the azure Abyss!"
"Deep-Eyes White Dragon!!"
"Roar!"
[Deep-Eyes White Dragon: ATK0]
"When a Blue-Eyes monster on my Field is destroyed, Deep-Eyes White Dragon can be Special Summoned from my Hand, and it inherits the power of the Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon that was just destroyed in the Graveyard." Kaiba said smugly, "Furthermore, you must also endure the wrath of the Dragon from the Graveyard!"
"For every Dragon-Type Monster in my Graveyard, you will take 600 points of Damage!"
Joey, seeing Deep-Eyes White Dragon for the first time, couldn't help but be greatly surprised: "What? Such a cheating effect!"
"Not only did it completely foil Yugi's plan to destroy a powerful monster by summoning one as powerful as Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, but it even launched a counterattack!"
[Deep-Eyes White Dragon: ATK0 → 4500]
Bearing five wings, blue flames, like a soul, ignited on Deep-Eyes White Dragon's body. It absorbed the form of Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon it had taken, and while its Attack Power increased, it also created four pillars of light, matching the number of Dragon-Type Monsters in Kaiba's Graveyard, that struck towards Yugi!
"Ugh!"
[Yugi: 4000 → 1600 LP]
Watching Yugi's Life Points drop by more than half in an instant, Kaiba sneered and said, "Before my evolved Blue-Eyes, you have absolutely no resistance, Yugi. Hmph, it seems the winner between us will be decided even before the God Cards appear."
"Sore wa dou ka na?"
"Nani!?"
Seeing the surprise on Kaiba's face, Yugi's lips curved into a smirk: "Kaiba, just as you regard me as an opponent you must defeat and pay attention to, I likewise acknowledge you as my important opponent. Naturally, I wouldn't forget the effects of the cards you've used."
"When I saw you deliberately leave one card in your Hand, I guessed that card might be Deep-Eyes White Dragon. Now it seems I was right."
"The disciple's strategy failed, so now it's Master's turn to act! I activate the Spell Card Thousand Knives from my Hand! If Dark Magician is on my Field, I destroy one monster on your opponent's Field, which is precisely the Deep-Eyes White Dragon you just summoned, Kaiba! This is my true attack strategy, Kaiba!"
Dark Magician raised the emerald Staff in his Hand, and black magical energy was released, transforming behind him into countless sharp knives, their target pointed directly at the Deep-Eyes White Dragon that had just harmed his master.
Even Kaiba hadn't expected Yugi to have two different methods for destroying monsters. With Thousand Knives already in his Hand, when faced with the choice regarding Bonds of the Mentors, Yugi still chose to destroy monsters with Dark Magic Blasts instead of destroying backrow cards with Dark Magic Attack! It was almost as if he had predicted the appearance of Kaiba's Deep-Eyes White Dragon!
Like the famous game "Blackbeard," a dense flurry of knives struck towards Deep-Eyes White Dragon. Even though it was a Level 10 Dragon-Type Monster with extremely high ATK, Deep-Eyes White Dragon was easily destroyed due to having no resistance, turning into falling stardust scattered across the sky, mixed with scattered feathers like a falling angel.
Witnessing his own White Dragon being destroyed, Kaiba uncharacteristically showed no angry expression. He merely sneered and said, "When you destroy my Deep-Eyes White Dragon, Deep-Eyes White Dragon will offer me its last power, destroying all monsters on your Field!"
"Fall into the Abyss together with Blue-Eyes! Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl!"
Kaiba's reaction made Yugi feel a bit strange. Just as Joey understood Kaiba, Yugi also knew how much Kaiba cared about Blue-Eyes. Yet, Kaiba, despite clearly witnessing his own monster being destroyed, was pleased because Deep-Eyes White Dragon's mutual destruction effect had successfully triggered.
This was very unlike Kaiba.
However, strange as it was, the Duel was still ongoing. Yugi drew a card from his Hand and played it: "That won't do. I can't bear to let my cherished monsters be dragged into the Abyss by you just like that."
"Chain to Deep-Eyes White Dragon's destroy effect, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Instant Fusion! I will use Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl on my Field as Fusion Material to Fusion Summon The Dark Magicians!"
"The monster Fusion Summoned by this effect will be destroyed at the End Turn, but before that, The Dark Magicians will take on Deep-Eyes White Dragon's effect!"
Although it was called Fusion, Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl on Yugi's Field merely moved slightly closer. After all, The Dark Magicians is simply the combination of the two of them.
After Fusion, The Dark Magicians was surrounded by the stardust and feathers left behind when Deep-Eyes White Dragon left the Field. Although they were light and airy feathers, the moment they landed on Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl's shoulders, they fiercely burst forth with a dazzling light, as if wanting to devour everything.
All those watching within the Field were deprived of their vision for a moment. After the light dispersed, Yugi's Field was already completely empty.
However, in the very next instant, an abrupt snapping sound came from empty space, and immediately a magical door opened within the Void. The figures of Dark Magician Girl and Dark Magician emerged from it. Dark Magician looked quite calm, while Dark Magician Girl had an expression of lingering fear, even patting her well-developed chest.
[Dark Magician: ATK2500]
[Dark Magician Girl: ATK2000]
"If The Dark Magicians is destroyed, I can Special Summon one Dark Magician and one Dark Magician Girl from my Hand, Deck, or Graveyard." Yugi explained the current situation on the field to everyone.
"So that's it! The effect of The Dark Magicians activating after being destroyed, Deep-Eyes White Dragon's destroy effect, and Instant Fusion's side effect were all surprisingly utilized by Yugi! Well done, Yugi!"
Although Joey's daily behavior was like an idiot, and his academic performance truly proved him to be one, his intelligence concerning Duel Monsters was not low at all. After all, he was no longer the rookie who couldn't even remember common card effects, so he naturally understood Yugi's strategy from just now.
If even Joey understood, then there was no need to mention anyone else.
"Oh, right! If that's the case, Kaiba's Field no longer has any monsters that can serve as a barrier, while Yugi has Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl with a combined Attack Power of 4500 points." Joey's eyes suddenly lit up, "As long as he performs a direct attack, Yugi can defeat Kaiba!"
"Hmph, so will you attack as the mediocre duelist said, Yugi?" Even though there were only two unknown Set Cards on the Field, Kaiba at this moment had a smug look, as if he, not Yugi, held the advantage.
Hearing this, Yugi did not rush to answer, but first glanced at his Hand.
After the recent series of offense and defense, Yugi still had one last card in his Hand. After a moment of thought, Yugi made a decision: "Then, as you expect, I'll enter my Battle Phase."
"Then, Dark Magician Girl will perform a Direct Attack on Kaiba! Dark Magic Blasts!"
Facing the two unknown Set Cards on Kaiba's Backrow, Yugi did not directly attack with Dark Magician, which had higher Attack Power, but instead chose to first launch a probing attack with Dark Magician Girl.
"Hmph, useless, useless! This level of attack is utterly insufficient to reach me. If you want to defeat me, at least unleash your full power when you get serious, Yugi!" Facing Dark Magician Girl's Direct Attack, Kaiba activated his Set Card from his Backrow, "Chain to the monster's Attack Declaration, I activate the Set Card Negate Attack!"
"Dark Magician Girl's attack is negated, and your Battle Phase ends!"
The playful Dark Magician Girl, because her previous attack had instead caused Direct Effect Damage to Yugi from Deep-Eyes White Dragon, this time for her Direct Attack, although she was a Spellcaster, she had enchanted her Staff with a dozen or so spells and even added a bunch of enhancement spells to herself, putting all her strength into delivering a fierce blow to Kaiba.
However, as Kaiba activated the Set Card Negate Attack, she, who was attacking with full power, crashed into a once-solid barrier. Not only did she fail to damage Kaiba in the slightest, but she even bumped her own nose painfully, tears welling up in her eyes from the pain.
Having finally destroyed all of Kaiba's Set Cards on the Field with great difficulty, Yugi instead encountered a cheap card like Negate Attack which directly ends the Battle Phase. Helplessly, Yugi entered his Main Phase 2.
Lowering his head to look at the cards in his Hand again, Dark Yugi felt a slight hesitation in his heart.
'Card of Safe Return.' Yugi Muto, from within the Millennium Puzzle, urged, 'Other Self, now is not the best opportunity to activate this card.'
'Hmm, indeed, if I use Card of Safe Return after the Battle Phase, I truly can't effectively cause damage to Kaiba.'
Dark Yugi agreed with a sound, but to his surprise, Yugi Muto's thoughts were different from his: 'No, that's not it, Other Self, that has nothing to do with it.'
'Although there's no evidence, do you remember, Kaiba said before that he remembers every card we've used, and in our Duels, we often use Card of Safe Return to replenish our cards. Kaiba will definitely have some strategy to counter Card of Safe Return!'
'A strategy to counter Card of Safe Return?' Dark Yugi was startled, feeling a little hesitant in his heart, but ultimately chose to listen to Yugi Muto's advice, 'Since you say so, Aibo, then...'
"Set one card. My Turn Ends."
Although he chose not to activate Card of Safe Return, Yugi surprisingly chose to cunningly Set Card of Safe Return as a decoy. Although he couldn't be sure Kaiba would fall for it, tricking him a little was still good.
After all, a normal person would absolutely not Set super powerful draw cards like Card of Safe Return and Pot of Greed on the Field, right?
[Yugi: 1600 LP, Hand 0]
[Dark Magician: ATK2500]
[Dark Magician Girl: ATK2000]
[Set Card]
"Then, my Turn, Draw!" Hearing Yugi's End Turn, Kaiba immediately drew a card. Seeing the drawn card, he smiled smugly, "Yugi, your Hand is already empty, right? Mine too. Just two turns of battle exhausted our Hands. It was truly an intense battle."
"But if we want this Duel to escalate, just drawing cards one by one is too slow. Let's use this card to replenish our Hands."
"Spell Card, Card of Safe Return! Both Duelists will draw cards until they have six in their Hands!"
While saying this, Kaiba was the first to draw six cards from his Deck.
Although Yugi was a bit surprised that Kaiba had also drawn Card of Safe Return, getting it for free from Kaiba instead of using his own card made him smile a little. Without delay, he also drew six cards.
As they each glanced at the drawn cards, both Kaiba and Yugi were slightly startled, then immediately revealed almost completely identical expressions.
"Judging by your expression, did you draw something good, Yugi?"
"You too, Kaiba."
Seeing the same feeling in Yugi's eyes as in his own, Kaiba guessed that Yugi had definitely drawn that card; after all, he himself had too.
Kaiba's hand held none other than Obelisk the Tormentor? And Yugi's hand, strikingly, also held a Slifer the Sky Dragon!
Because of one Card of Safe Return, both sides simultaneously drew a "God", and because it was Kaiba's Turn, he had a very good chance to Summon a God this Turn!
As a God at the pinnacle of Duel Monsters, Obelisk the Tormentor requires Tributing three monsters for a Normal Summon, and cards like Mausoleum of the Emperor cannot be used to substitute Tributes. This means what Kaiba currently needs is to gather three monsters on his Field to Summon a God.
Coincidentally, he truly had cards in his Hand that could achieve this.
"I will Normal Summon Lord of D. from my Hand in Attack Position! As long as Lord of D. is present in the Monster Zone, neither player can target Dragon-Type Monsters on the Field with card effects."
"Then, it's the Spell Card The Flute of Summoning Dragon! While Lord of D. is on my Field, I Special Summon two Dragon-Type Monsters from my Hand!"
"Come forth, Diamond Dragon, Emerald Dragon!"
Yugi successively summoned three monsters, yet still showed no intention of activating that unknown Set Card on his Backrow. This made Kaiba rule out the possibility in his heart that the card was a Trap Hole-type Summon Trap Card.
"However, since you haven't activated that Set Card until now, you won't get another chance, Yugi!"
Having already performed a Normal Summon, Kaiba played his second to last card: "Activate the Spell Card Double Summon! I can perform a second Normal Summon this Turn. Then, I will Release the three monsters on my Field as Tribute---"
'It's coming!'
Just Kaiba raising the card, the imposing aura that enveloped the entire Field, and the rare Summoning Condition of Releasing three monsters, Yugi already knew that the Egyptian God, whose destructive power was the strongest among the God Cards, was about to appear!
(end of chapter)