Chapter 526: The Despicable Destroyer Enters the Kaiba Dome
[Dragon Ruler - Dragon of Overlord],[Diamond Dragon], and [Emerald Dragon]—these three monsters on Kaiba's Field, upon being chosen as Tribute and Tributed, unlike monsters Tributed at other times, did not turn into fragments and go directly to the Graveyard. Instead, they dispersed into dust as if weathered away.
Subsequently, a suffocating gale swept across the Field. A giant vortex appeared in the virtual projection of the sky, and within the vortex, a pair of eyes suddenly opened!
Thick arms reached out from the clouds, tearing the dark clouds apart. Only then did Yugi realize that the "God" had already made its descent. Its overly majestic body made it hard to imagine that it was actually a Duel Monster!
"Gale sweeps across the Field, all things turn to withered bones before divine might! Descend, obeying my order!"
Kaiba raised his arm and shouted,
"[Obelisk the Tormentor]!"
The blue Giant God Soldier stood tall upon the Field!
[Obelisk the Tormentor][ATK4000]
"He already summoned the Tri... Giant God Soldier on the third turn. Kaiba really has some tricks up his sleeve." Hayato quickly corrected his slip of the tongue, not speaking his inner thoughts, his face bearing a smile full of anticipation for the upcoming Duel.
Joey Wheeler , however, was a bit nervous. "Now isn't the time to marvel at Kaiba's strength, Hayato. [Obelisk the Tormentor] has a whopping 4000 ATK, and it also has the powerful resistance shared by the Three Egyptian Gods."
"Although I don't know what that Set Card in Yugi's Spell & Trap Zone is, if he just lets [Obelisk] attack [Dark Magician Girl] with only 2000 ATK, Yugi's remaining 1600 Life Points will be reduced to zero, and Yugi will just lose like that!"
"That's right, Yugi. Although I don't know what that card in your Spell & Trap Zone is, there's no longer any need for me to know. Because what stands before you now isn't some ordinary monster, but Kami-da!"
Kaiba, with an empty Hand, looked contemptuously at the [Dark Magician] and [Dark Magician Girl] on Yugi's Field, feeling certain victory was already in his grasp. After all, [Obelisk the Tormentor] was already right in his face, how could he still lose?
However, Kaiba suddenly remembered that if he were to attack Yugi next, he would still have to battle with the monsters on Yugi's Field instead of a direct attack. Yugi still had room to maneuver here, such as [Soul Shield] which prevents taking damage as long as there is a monster, or [Desert Sunlight] which changes his monster's battle position.
To be safe, he still needed to destroy that card in Yugi's Spell & Trap Zone, or at the very least, seal it.
Although he had no cards in Hand, Kaiba glanced at the six cards in Yugi's Hand and the Set Card in his own Spell & Trap Zone, revealing a proud expression. "[Graceful Charity] is a draw card that replenishes the Hand. While it can draw a large number of cards in one go, the cost is that it will also cause you, Yugi, to draw a large number of cards. As Hayato often says, powerful cards are often accompanied by great risk."
"But for me, who has the firm resolve to climb to the peak, I can even utilize this negative effect." Kaiba sneered, pressing the button to activate his Set Card. "Open my Set Card in the Spell & Trap Zone, the Trap Card [Balance of Power]!"
"I can only activate this card when my Hand is 0. My opponent chooses half the number of cards in their Hand to discard and Send to Graveyard, and then I can draw cards from my Deck equal to the number of cards my opponent discarded from their Hand."
"Yugi, because of [Graceful Charity]'s effect, your Hand size has increased to three. So now, you need to discard three cards from your Hand, and I will draw three cards as a result!"
As Kaiba's Set Card activated, Yugi looked at his Hand with a slight hesitation. After a moment of thought, he drew three cards from it. "In that case, the cards I discard are these three."
Witnessing Yugi Send three cards of unknown significance to the Graveyard, Kaiba drew three cards. Seeing the cards he drew, Kaiba's eyes lit up, and he immediately burst into maniacal laughter. "Yatta! Yugi! The victory in this Duel has undoubtedly fallen into my Hand!"
"I enter Battle Phase, and chain its activation to the start of the Battle Phase, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card [Forbidden Lance] from my Hand!"
As Kaiba inserted the card from his Hand into the Duel Disk, a large number of spell arrows suddenly appeared out of thin air above Yugi and Kaiba's heads and rained down. They all landed precisely on both players' Spell & Trap Zones, and the card Set in Yugi's Spell & Trap Zone was firmly nailed to the Ground by [Forbidden Lance]!
"[Forbidden Lance]'s activation cannot be chained by Spell, Trap, or monster effects. Its effect is to lock the activation of all your and my Spell and Trap Cards for this turn! This means that card in your Spell & Trap Zone can no longer be used!" Kaiba's finger pointed at the [Dark Magician Girl] in attack position on Yugi's Field. "Then next, is [Obelisk the Tormentor]'s attack!"
"Crush that [Dark Magician Girl], [Obelisk]!!"
"Divine Fist Smash Attack!!!"
Under [Dark Magician Girl]'s terrified gaze, the blue giant raised its fist comparable to a meteor. Its movement seemed heavy but was actually swift. Visibly compressed air wrapped around the fist, turning into a blue impact, and slammed down heavily onto [Dark Magician Girl]!
"Kyaa!"
Although she put up a magic defense in front of her, facing the power of a God Card, [Dark Magician Girl]'s barrier was easily broken through, not even counting as a sheet of paper. The little witch was destroyed and Sent to Graveyard. The airflow from the terrifying impact shook the virtual projection of the airship beneath their feet, raising sky-covering smoke that enveloped Yugi's figure.
Seeing this, Kaiba frowned. Due to Hayato, Kaiba had somewhat grasped the existence of the so-called "no damage with smoke" rule. Although he personally saw [Dark Magician Girl] being destroyed, because he didn't directly witness Yugi's Life Points reduced to zero, a thought arose in Kaiba's heart that "Yugi can withstand this attack."
And in reality, that was indeed the case.
"Kuriboh~"
In the gradually dispersing smoke, the figure of [Kuriboh] beside him gradually became transparent. Yugi, who had dodged this damage and was completely unharmed, met Kaiba's gaze. "Oh my, that was dangerous. Thanks to you, Kaiba, for Sending [Kuriboh] to my Hand with [Graceful Charity] earlier."
"Tsk, it's that small fry monster again." Kaiba curled his lip in disdain. The more he didn't want to see something, the more likely he was to see it. This was already the umpteenth time. Kaiba found that every time Yugi was in a critical moment where his Life Points were about to be reduced to zero, a [Kuriboh] would always appear in his Hand, as if it were glued there.
And that guy Hayato too, [Rainbow Kuriboh] is just as troublesome.
Kaiba, grumbling internally about both Yugi and Hayato, didn't reflect on himself at all. When it came to "gluing cards," he was actually better at it than both Yugi and Hayato.
Even though he had summoned [Obelisk the Tormentor], he still couldn't finish off Yugi. Although Kaiba felt a bit annoyed in his heart, he also had the idea that "Since it's Yugi, this level is only natural."
[Forbidden Lance]'s effect is effective for both players. Therefore, neither Yugi nor Kaiba could use Spell and Trap Cards during this turn. After Yugi used his monster [Kuriboh]'s effect to reduce the battle damage to zero this time, Kaiba glanced at the two cards in his Hand and Set them both.
"Set all my Hand. I end my turn." Kaiba inserted the cards into the Spell & Trap Zone of his Duel Disk. His face showed no signs of "disappointment" or "annoyance." Instead, he looked at Yugi with anticipation.
[Kaiba: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Obelisk the Tormentor][ATK4000]
[Set Card]X2
Kaiba agreed with what Hayato said before the Duel began. After all, what he needed was victory, but not just any victory. Only a victory earned after a full-power struggle where both players burned their Duelist Spirit was what he craved.
Since he had already summoned [Obelisk], Yugi surely wouldn't make Kaiba wait long. He would probably be able to summon [Slifer] this turn.
"My turn, draw a card."
"Then, activate the effect of [Pot of Greed], and draw two more cards."
[Forbidden Lance]'s effect was lifted when Kaiba ended his turn. After activating the [Pot of Greed] he had just drawn on the Field, Yugi drew two cards. Glancing at the [Slifer the Sky Dragon] that had been Added to his Hand last turn, Yugi's mouth curved into a smirk.
"Kaiba, I feel your thirst for victory from your Duel. But, I will not lose this Duel, because I have a reason why I must defeat you."
Recalling everything Yugi Mutou described seeing in the illusion, Dark Yugi's gaze was firm. "I will use [Slifer the Sky Dragon] to defeat your [Obelisk]!"
"Hmph, that's a good spirit, Yugi. If you can summon [Slifer], then by all means, try it. After all, only a God can defeat a God." Kaiba, anticipating the descent of [Slifer], smirked, but then added, "However, if you're harboring such a naive idea that you can defeat me, you're two thousand years too early!"
With a commanding spirit, Yugi played a card from his Hand. "By discarding one card from my Hand as cost, I activate the Normal Spell Card [Joker's Straight]! Special Summon [Queen's Knight] from my Deck, then Add either [King's Knight] or [Jack's Knight] to my Hand. I choose [King's Knight]. After that, I can Normal Summon one monster from my Hand."
"Come forth, [King's Knight]!"
The two Knights representing "Q" and "K" in playing cards appeared on Yugi's Field, standing beside [Dark Magician]. [King's Knight]'s sword and [Queen's Knight]'s sword crossed each other and were raised, and then another sword was generated out of thin air, resting on the point where the two warriors' swords intersected.
"When [Queen's Knight] exists on my Field, [King's Knight] can Special Summon one [Jack's Knight] from the Deck when he is Normal Summoned. And because [King's Knight]'s summon is the effect of [Joker's Straight],"
Yugi looked at the "JQK" Three Knights that had appeared on his Field.
[Queen's Knight][ATK1500]
[King's Knight][ATK1600]
[Jack's Knight][ATK1900]
"Kaiba, I have assembled the three Tribute monsters required to summon [Slifer the Sky Dragon] on my Field!"
"Is that so..." Looking at the Three Knights assembled on Yugi's Field, plus the almost certainly existing [Slifer the Sky Dragon] in Yugi's Hand, Kaiba knew Yugi was planning to summon the God next.
However, while he anticipated the battle between Gods, Kaiba was not someone who would intentionally go easy for such a reason. Yugi wanted to summon [Slifer], but what would he do if Kaiba destroyed his Tributes first?
Thinking this, Kaiba sneered and pressed the button to activate his Set Card. "Too bad, Yugi. Although I also look forward to you summoning a God, at least withstand this move first. Don't fall into the abyss so easily."
"I activate my Set Card, the Quick-Play Spell Card [Polymerization]! This card allows me to use the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] and [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] in my Graveyard as Fusion Material and return them to the Deck to perform a Fusion Summon." Kaiba caught the three cards automatically retrieved from the Graveyard by his Duel Disk. "The Fusion Material I choose is, three [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]!"
"Come forth, Ultimate Dragon that surpasses all things! Show me your powerful strength! [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]!"
The three [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] cards were returned to Kaiba's Deck, and the Duel Disk automatically shuffled. Kaiba then slammed a Fusion Monster Card onto the Duel Disk.
The Ultimate Dragon appeared on Kaiba's Field, its form different from [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], yet its immense power, unchanged from the original version, remained!
"Roar!" X3
[Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon][ATK4500]
"While [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] exists in my Graveyard, it grants the [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] on my Field the ability to not be the target of any of your effects, nor be affected by any of your effects! Furthermore, the second effect of [Polymerization] resolves!"
Kaiba extended his finger towards the sky. Beside [Obelisk], the three heads of the Ultimate Dragon opened their mouths, and three beams of light shot towards Yugi's Field!
"Based on the number of [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] and [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] used for the Fusion, I can destroy three cards on your Field!"
"I'll leave that [Dark Magician] for you for now, but the Tributes for [Slifer] that you worked so hard to gather will be Sent to Graveyard by [Blue-Eyes]'s attack, Yugi!"
"Toughness, invincible, strongest!"
The three beams of light struck [Queen's Knight], [King's Knight], and [Jack's Knight] on Yugi's Field with lightning speed. The "JQK" Three Knights, having been on the Field for less than a minute, were thus destroyed by the power of [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], turning into dust.
Hmm? Kaiba frowned, looking at the dust floating into the air from Yugi's Field.
Logically, when a monster is destroyed, the virtual projection effect should be that it turns directly into fragments. When Fusion Summoned, the monster's body deforms and twists. When Ritual Summoned or Tribute Summoned, the monster turns into light points.
Turning into dust is not the correct representation...
Kaiba glanced at the [Obelisk the Tormentor] on his Field. Earlier, when summoning the Giant God Soldier, Kaiba's monsters had also turned into dust and dispersed.
Meaning...
Chapter 527: Ancient Antique from a Thousand Years Ago Steals Others' Results
Within the illusory sky projected onto the dome of Kaiba Dome, the clouds previously torn apart by Obelisk the Tormentor gathered once more. Unlike the somewhat gloomy clouds before, the clouds gathering this time were entirely dark storm clouds.
A few streaks of yellow lightning flashed within the storm clouds pressing down on the ground like a fortress. Noticing the faintly visible phantom, Kaiba's lips curved into a smile: "You really didn't disappoint me, Yugi!"
Yugi raised a Card from his Hand above his head. Amidst the flashing lightning, Yugi shouted the true name of the Card in his Hand—
"When the thunder of the heavens brings chaos, the ancient Spellbook is bound in chains, its power is said to be infinite!"
"Respond to my order and descent, Kami!"
"Slifer the Sky Dragon!!"
"Uwooooh!!!"
Slifer the Sky Dragon [10☆/Divine-Beast]
[Divine-Beast Type/Effect]
[?/?]
"Alright! Yugi has Summoned Slifer the Sky Dragon! With this, Kaiba isn't the only one with a God Card on the Field anymore!"
Beside Hayato, Joey Wheeler cheered excitedly because Yugi had Summoned Slifer the Sky Dragon. At the same time, he heard voices coming from behind him:
"Yosh, we made it!"
"He's already Summoned a God."
"At least we weren't too late."
"Yugi!"
Turning around, Tristan, Marik, Ishizu, and Téa had also arrived at Kaiba Dome. They arrived at a good time, having only missed the first three Turns, and at least saw the entire process of Yugi Summoning Slifer the Sky Dragon this Turn.
Looking at Slifer the Sky Dragon, whose massive dragon head emerged from the storm clouds above, even though they had witnessed the entire process, it didn't mean everyone understood exactly how Yugi had Summoned Slifer the Sky Dragon.
Joey Wheeler noticed the gazes of the people who had arrived a step late were directed at him, and quickly shook his head, indicating that he didn't actually know what was going on either, after all, he was Joey Wheeler.
However, Yugi on the Field took the initiative to explain his play just now.
"Chaining to your Ultimate Fusion, Kaiba, I just Activated this Quick-Play Spell Card, Swift Summon, from my Hand. Because of its Effect, I can Normal Summon a Monster that is Level 10 during either player's Main Phase or Battle Phase."
In a very Yugi style, the smoke kicked up by Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's light blast hitting the ground slightly dispersed, revealing the Swift Summon Card Yugi Activated from his Hand. "Luckily, it was during my Turn, so I could Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card directly from my Hand. How lucky, Kaiba."
Looking at Yugi on the Field holding a Card whose Effect was so coincidental it was practically Card Printing on the spot, let alone Kaiba who was being provoked with sarcasm, even Hayato on the side felt like ranting a bit.
Although the Swift Summon Card didn't mention "God" anywhere except for the word "God" in its name, it was indeed a Support Card for the Three Egyptian Gods Series. Hayato also had one.
However, Hayato's Card was one he drew while trying to draw Horakhty, the Creator of Light, while Yugi's Card was clearly printed. He only got Slifer the Sky Dragon back a few Turns ago and he's already printing Cards? That's so you, Yugi.
"Hmph, I see. You used the Effect of Swift Summon to Tribute the three Cards on your Field that were targeted for Destruction by Ultimate Fusion's Effect? You truly are a troublesome yet exciting Opponent, Yugi!"
Kaiba's mindset was quite good. Although Slifer the Sky Dragon's appearance was in a way he didn't expect, the result of a "God" appearing was enough. He was somewhat satisfied with the Strength Yugi displayed; the only flaw was...
Slifer the Sky Dragon [ATK0]
"Although you Summoned Slifer the Sky Dragon to fight me with your full power, unlike Obelisk, Slifer the Sky Dragon's ATK isn't a fixed value."
Kaiba said with a sneer, "With an empty Hand, you don't even have the ability to Activate any Cards with effects that replenish your Hand. Summoning Slifer the Sky Dragon but being unable to unleash its power is truly disappointing, Yugi!"
"Heh heh, sore wa dou kana, Kaiba."
Yugi drew the Set Card in his Spell & Trap Zone and showed it to Kaiba: "Since I made the decision to Summon Slifer the Sky Dragon, it's naturally because I have a way to increase its ATK."
"The Card I Set in my Spell/Trap Zone is Graceful Charity. I Activate it! Both players draw until they have six Cards in their Hand!"
"Nani?!"
[Yugi: Hand 0 → 6]
[Kaiba: Hand 0 → 6]
As Yugi drew six Cards, Kaiba, though slightly surprised, also immediately drew six Cards. And as Yugi's Hand increased, the lightning surrounding his Slifer the Sky Dragon on the Field also became thicker.
Slifer the Sky Dragon [ATK0 → 6000]
Seeing the increase in Slifer the Sky Dragon's ATK, Dark Yugi couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, saying to Yugi Mutou inside the Millennium Puzzle: 'Thank goodness for you, aibo.'
In the Turn before, when Kaiba used Negate Attack to skip Yugi's Battle Phase, Dark Yugi had Graceful Charity in his Hand and hesitated whether to Activate it during Main Phase 2, but Yugi Mutou advised him not to use it.
In the next Turn, Kaiba actually used Graceful Charity himself, and after Summoning Obelisk the Tormentor, he even used Power Balance to halve Yugi's Hand to replenish his own.
It was also fortunate that Kaiba used that Power Balance at that time, otherwise, Dark Yugi could completely imagine what kind of situation would occur if Kaiba were to Attack Obelisk the Tormentor with Slifer the Sky Dragon.
If he were to Attack Kaiba with six Cards in Hand, the Effect of Power Balance would cause him to directly Discard three Cards from his Hand, resulting in Slifer the Sky Dragon's ATK decreasing. The "God" unaffected by Traps would thus fall into the Trap Kaiba had laid.
"Enter my Battle Phase! Here I come, Slifer!" Yugi glanced at the Cards in his Hand and directly declared his Battle Phase, completely disregarding the Set Card in Kaiba's Spell/Trap Zone. "Attack Obelisk the Tormentor!"
"Superconductive Wave - Thunder Force!"
Not using the upper mouth, which is most commonly used for "Thunder Force," Slifer the Sky Dragon uses its lower mouth when performing a formal Attack. Lightning converged into its mouth, transforming into a pillar of light like heavenly thunder that fell, aiming directly at Obelisk on Kaiba's Field!
Although it is the God of Destruction, under such a powerful Attack like a divine wrath, even Obelisk cannot escape the fate of being destroyed!
The blue giant god raised its fist and swung it down towards the falling lightning, attempting to resist it. But mere will could not have the slightest impact on the ATK clearly written in the Duel Monsters Rules. The iron fist of the giant god, which was invincible in the past, now showed the same effect it would normally have on its targets, gradually cracking and shattering!
In the Spectator Area, Tristan and Téa looked at Yugi's Slifer the Sky Dragon gaining the upper hand and couldn't help but beam with joy: "Yosh, the advantage is on Yugi's side!"
Honda wanted to share this joy with Joey Wheeler, but when he turned his head, he saw that neither Hayato, Ishizu, Marik, nor Joey Wheeler showed any happy expression because of Yugi's temporary advantage.
"With this, it should be Yugi's victory, right?" Tristan's excitement was slightly dampened, and he spoke with some uncertainty. Joey Wheeler beside him heard this and shook his head: "I'm not as naive as you think, Tristan."
The Joey Wheeler of the past had grown and matured somewhat after so many Duels. "If Yugi really had the advantage, do you think that guy Kaiba would still have that expression on his face?"
Hearing Joey Wheeler say this, Tristan and Téa couldn't help but look towards Kaiba.
Kaiba's face showed neither sorrow nor joy. In the clash of Gods, his Obelisk the Tormentor was suppressed by Slifer the Sky Dragon and fell into a disadvantage, but Kaiba just watched in silence.
Suddenly, he spoke: "Indeed, relying solely on the power of God Cards, I have no possibility of defeating you, Yugi."
As if reaching a conclusion, or perhaps lamenting something, Kaiba pressed the button to Activate Set Card: "In the countless Duels until now, I have discovered that the power of God Cards from the past, while strong, is limited. The more one relies on these things of the past to create the future, the more one will lead themselves to a losing ending."
The Card in Kaiba's Spell/Trap Zone opened. The moment Dark Yugi saw the Card Art of that Card, his heart tightened as if it were being squeezed, his pupils constricted, and the voice of Yugi Mutou came from within the Millennium Puzzle: 'That Card is!'
The Card Art of that Card depicted a Pyramid emitting radiance. Although it should have been a Card filled with the radiance of hope, at this moment it gave off a suffocating sense of despair!
"Kaiba, you—"
Yugi spoke, wanting to stop Kaiba's next move, because he suddenly realized that he and aibo had come to Duel Kaiba to stop the vision-like illusion from before, but instead, they were moving step by step towards that predicted future!
"I don't need God Cards anymore, Yugi!" Kaiba's Hand shot up and pointed towards the sky. "My future will be created by my own hands! For victory, I am willing to give up Obelisk the Tormentor!"
"Activate Continuous Trap Card, Pyramid of Light!"
"Bury the God from the past, and with this, open up my future!"
From the Set Card that opened in Kaiba's Spell/Trap Zone, a pillar of blue light shot up into the sky, hit the dome of Kaiba Dome which was projected to look like the sky, and then reflected, casting down four walls of light from above. Besides surrounding Yugi and Kaiba, it also separated the two Gods who were just fighting from the Field!
"Cough!!"
As the four triangular light walls formed a blue Pyramid, Dark Yugi heard Yugi Mutou's voice filled with pain coming from the Millennium Puzzle.
"Aibo!" More concerned about Yugi Mutou's condition than the abnormal situation of the two God Cards being isolated, Dark Yugi saw sparks inexplicably start flashing on the Millennium Puzzle and Yugi Mutou's figure turn into a phantom beside him. Dark Yugi anxiously called out to his friend.
"The... The Other Me!"
A suction force appeared on the Millennium Puzzle, targeting Yugi Mutou's soul right beside Dark Yugi. Only managing to call out to the other party once, Yugi Mutou couldn't resist this power and turned into golden radiance, being pulled into the Millennium Puzzle!
"Aibo!"
"Aibo!"
The abnormality that appeared on the Millennium Puzzle after Kaiba Activated Pyramid of Light made Dark Yugi very anxious. He called out again to the friend who had disappeared from his side, but the two, who could always connect heart-to-heart instantly in the past, now received no response no matter how Dark Yugi called out, like a stone sinking into the sea.
"Aibo, I can't hear your voice anymore, there's no echo from the Millennium Puzzle." Holding the Millennium Puzzle, which now felt like a truly ordinary golden pendant with no abnormalities whatsoever, Yugi couldn't get a response, and anger gradually rose in his heart. "What... What happened!"
"Hmph, although it's a Trap Card, Pyramid of Light's ability to Banish God Cards is independent of the Duel Monsters Rules. Even a God cannot break free from this power." Kaiba wasn't concerned about what was happening to Yugi at the moment. With his arms crossed over his chest, he looked at the furious Yugi. "Now, let us engage in battle once more with the power of our own Monsters, Yugi!"
"Hmph hmph, heh heh, heh hahahaha!!"
Kaiba's answer, completely off-topic and not on the same wavelength as him, made Yugi's already bad mood even more irritated. He looked at Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon on Kaiba's Field and Dark Magician on his own Field, changed Dark Magician to Defense Position, and then drew three Cards and Set them: "Tsk, in that case, I can only see Aibo again by defeating you, Kaiba."
"Change Dark Magician to Defense Position. I Set three Cards. End Turn."
[Yugi: 1600 LP, Hand 3]
[Dark Magician] [ATK2500 → DEF2100]
[Set Card] X3
"My Turn. The Card Pyramid of Light was originally something I specifically prepared for Hayato Kobayashi, but using it in a Duel against you isn't a waste. Draw!" Kaiba's finger rested on his Deck, and he sharply drew a Card. Looking at the Card he drew, Kaiba's lips curved into a smile. "Then next, I'll let you witness another Card I've prepared that surpasses the Gods, Yugi!"
"I Tribute Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon on my Field, and from my Hand—"
"That troublesome Card, I can't let you Summon it..."
Kaiba hadn't finished speaking when a third person's voice suddenly echoed within this "Pyramid of Light" where only Kaiba and Yugi were present.
Kaiba hadn't even had time to see who had interrupted him when he was suddenly grabbed by the neck and lifted by a Hand.
"Ki... Kisama!"
Dark Yugi looked at the muscular man who suddenly appeared in this "Pyramid of Light" and lifted Kaiba, just as seen in the vision Yugi Mutou had witnessed before. He was on high alert.
The man who had suddenly attacked Kaiba and stopped him from Summoning the Card in his Hand laughed wildly: "Heh hahahaha, I sense the aura of a God, such powerful power!"
"I, Anubis, have returned!"
Chapter 528: Anubis is About to Achieve Victory
Inside the "Pyramid of Light," Yugi's connection to the Millennium Puzzle was severed, and Kaiba was sneak attacked by Anubis.
Meanwhile, outside the "Pyramid of Light."
"That Pyramid is—!" Having heard Ishizu talk about that stone tablet with Hayato in the exhibition hall, Marik immediately linked the "Pyramid of Light" before him with that tablet. "It can actually affect even Gods!"
Beside the "Pyramid of Light," **Osiris's Sky Dragon** and **Obelisk the Tormentor** had been locked in a fierce struggle, battling each other like bitter rivals just moments before Kaiba used the "Pyramid of Light." After the blue "Pyramid of Light" isolated Yugi and Kaiba, these two guys surprisingly stopped fighting simultaneously, showing extreme understanding.
It was almost like workplace slackers who would pretend to argue in front of the Boss due to business conflicts but would go out for drinks together after work.
They even greeted Hayato's group.
"What is this? With this 'Pyramid' out, we can't see what's happening inside at all," Joey Wheeler said, widening his eyes and staring at the "Pyramid of Light" formed on the Field, clearly annoyed. "The intense Duel was interrupted at a critical moment. It feels as uncomfortable as an anorexic patient finally getting a bite of interesting food only for it to be taken away."
"I wonder what the result of Yugi and Kaiba's Duel is..."
"Huh?"
Honda stopped speaking halfway, looking strangely at one side of the blue Pyramid. As he watched, golden patterns appeared on the smooth surface of the Pyramid. An engraving of the Eye of Udjat emerged from within the "Pyramid of Light." A large amount of dark power accumulated within that scarlet eyeball, surging like a tide.
The Eye of Udjat emerged for only a few breaths. That eyeball seemed to have finished accumulating power, and a red whirlwind was released, sweeping towards the direction where everyone was!
"Whoa, what is that thing!"
Startled by the sudden whirlwind sweeping towards them, Tristan and Joey Wheeler hugged each other, shouting in unison. Téa, who had been too focused watching the Eye of Udjat, was also startled and hid fearfully behind Ishizu.
"Roar!"
Although repelled from the Duel, **Osiris's Sky Dragon** still retained considerable power and immediately blocked in front of everyone to meet the red storm. **Obelisk the Tormentor** also followed closely behind.
They thought that although the "Pyramid of Light" before them looked very uncomfortable, it was just a Duel Monsters Card. They were invincible God Cards, so there was nothing to fear anymore.
But the moment **Osiris's Sky Dragon** touched the whirlwind, it realized that wasn't the case. Although the "Pyramid of Light" before them was formed based on a Trap Card in Duel Monsters that they should be immune to, the power it released was extremely counter to them.
In fact, **Osiris's Sky Dragon** felt its power was actually being absorbed!
Entangled by the red airflow, **Osiris's Sky Dragon**, unable to extricate itself as if stuck in deep mud, struggled and turned into ashes and dispersed. The Three Egyptian Gods, who were almost at the apex in Duel Monsters, couldn't withstand this power. Even **Obelisk the Tormentor** followed in the footsteps of **Osiris's Sky Dragon**.
Facing the red whirlwind that could even devour deities, Hayato and Ishizu did not retreat in fear, because they knew that Marik, Joey Wheeler, and the others behind them had no resistance whatsoever against this evil power. They had to act to protect them.
The Millennium Rod, Millennium Necklace, and Millennium Ring, three Millennium Items containing powerful power, bloomed with golden radiance. The semi-circular protective barrier they formed protected the people in the Spectator Area, like a stubborn rock in the center of a river being washed by a storm.
But even so, Joey Wheeler and the others who were protected still felt like they couldn't breathe, as if even leaving the protection for a moment would cause their souls to be swept away by this storm.
"This, this is!"
At the main control device on the Dome of the Kaiba Dome, Keipei looked at the abnormal situation below, his face full of disbelief. Up until now, he had actually experienced quite a few supernatural events. Although Kaiba's superstition about science had some influence on him, Keipei wasn't as stubborn as Kaiba; he at least accepted the existence of psychic powers and the like.
But before today, the most exaggerated "supernatural phenomenon" he knew of was just the large-scale fainting during the last KC Cup. Other than that, it was just the tricks Pegasus often played. In short, they were all things that looked silent and motionless.
However, the attack launched by the "Pyramid of Light" before him against the Spectator Area completely exceeded Keipei's imagination.
But he didn't have much time to exclaim.
Because along with the disappearance of **Osiris's Sky Dragon** and **Obelisk the Tormentor**, the "Pyramid of Light" seemed to gain powerful strength from the "Gods being destroyed." A pillar of light bloomed from the tip of the "Pyramid," pointing directly at the virtually projected sky, instantly burning down the virtual projection device on the Dome of the Kaiba Dome, making the ground and the destroyed Dome reveal their original appearance.
Not only that, the blue pillar of light continued to exert force. The Dome of the Kaiba Dome, whose quality was considered top-notch in all of Domino City thanks to KaibaCorp's money power, was torn apart and collapsed by the pillar of light in an instant. The azure blue pillar of light continued to extend into the air as if it could extend infinitely.
And this time, it pierced into the true sky. The sky, which was originally noon, instantly turned into night. Large patches of dark clouds pressed down towards the ground, as if the world was ending!
What made Keipei even more anxious was that along with a part of the Dome being destroyed, the originally complete load-bearing structure was broken into different shapes, causing the Dome to gradually crack, at risk of completely disassembling at any moment.
How could Keipei dare to stay longer? Of course, he chose to leave quickly. Fortunately, his action was decisive. The very next moment after Keipei left, the virtual projection main control device where he was before was directly hit by a falling piece of the Dome and fell towards the ground!
For a moment, the Kaiba Dome was in chaos, as if the world was about to be destroyed the next second.
"That light, it's the light that will destroy the world!" Maintaining the power of the Millennium Necklace, Ishizu looked up at the pillar of light rushing into the sky, her face quite serious. "Could it be that the prevision on that coffin was..."
"Light? Why would light bring destruction?" Joey Wheeler, who often played JRPG games and had the understanding that "light is justice," didn't quite understand Ishizu's words.
Hayato, on the other hand, knew what Ishizu meant: "Light isn't necessarily the light of justice. The existence of some light is purely for destruction and to create despair and terror."
When he dueled Anubis back then, what Hayato felt was indeed the aura of the Light of Destruction. The "Pyramid of Light" at this moment was clearly a world-destroying device that perfectly fit the needs of the Light of Destruction. If it wasn't stopped, the world would truly be in danger of being destroyed!
After hearing Hayato say that "light brings despair and terror," Téa looked worriedly towards the direction of the "Pyramid." Unfortunately, due to the obstruction from the opaque structure of the "Pyramid," she couldn't see Yugi's situation inside at all.
However, when her gaze looked towards the Eye of Udjat on the "Pyramid," she seemed to have seen something. She raised her hand and pointed towards that eyeball which was continuously releasing the whirlwind, saying urgently, "Look there, Yugi is in there!"
Hearing this, Hayato looked towards the location of the eyeball. Indeed, as Téa said, Yugi's figure appeared within that eyeball. At this moment, Yugi was lying down in an Open Space, in a state of unconsciousness, his life and death unknown.
"Yugi!"
"Hey, Yugi!"
Honda and Joey Wheeler saw that Yugi's state wasn't quite right and anxiously shouted loudly towards that eyeball, trying to send their voices into it to wake up the fallen Yugi, but they could never get Yugi's response.
Under anxiety, Joey Wheeler even more recklessly wanted to step forward and walk out of the protective circle to increase his voice as much as possible.
However, his shoulder was pulled by Hayato.
"Calm down, Joey Wheeler."
"Hayato?" The impatience in Joey Wheeler's heart was completely written on his face. "Yugi, Yugi is in there, how can I calm down!?"
What state Yugi was in right now was completely unknown. Although he didn't know what was going on with that eyeball, since Ishizu even said that the light released by the "Pyramid" was evil light, that eyeball most likely wasn't anything good either. How could Joey Wheeler not worry about Yugi's situation?
"Calm down, Joey Wheeler." Hayato held down Joey Wheeler, who wanted to rush there again, repeating what he just said. "Yugi's situation isn't good, I saw that too, but you can't put yourself in danger because you want to save Yugi."
"Yugi, he will be saved by me."
Hayato's tone didn't allow for rebuttal. He pulled Joey Wheeler behind him very forcefully and stood in front of Joey Wheeler himself.
"Hayato, I'll go with you!" Joey Wheeler still refused to give up. "I also want to save Yu—What are you doing, Tristan!"
Joey Wheeler was pulled by Tristan.
"If I'm not mistaken about that 'Eye of Udjat,' it seems to be continuously absorbing the surrounding power to provide energy for the 'Pyramid's' light," Marik sighed helplessly from the side. "Ordinary people, even just getting close, will have their souls instantly taken away."
"However, there is a way to break in, and that is to wrap oneself in a certain powerful force and move forward. But that powerful force must be what that 'Eye of Udjat' needs. That is—"
"**Ra's Winged Dragon**." Hayato drew a card from his waist and placed it on his Duel Disk. **Ra's Winged Dragon** did not manifest alone as it did in previous duels; instead, it transformed into flames in the form of the Immortal Phoenix, wrapping around Hayato's body.
Hearing Marik's explanation, Joey Wheeler also understood Hayato's meaning. Although very unwilling, it seemed only Hayato could break into that eye.
"Hayato, I'm counting on you." Joey Wheeler looked at Hayato and solemnly entrusted him.
And Hayato also turned his head, looked back at everyone, and gave a thumbs-up: "Okay, I'll come back with Yugi. It's a promise."
**Ra's Winged Dragon** carried Hayato and charged towards that scarlet Eye of Udjat. Hayato successfully entered the giant eyeball and arrived in a world where space was distorted.
As soon as he entered this space, the last wisp of **Ra's Winged Dragon's** power wrapped around Hayato's body was also stripped away.
The sound of Ra by his ear gradually weakened. Standing firm on the Open Space after landing, Hayato looked at **Ra's Winged Dragon** card on the Duel Disk in his hand which had turned gray, and felt a little apologetic: "Sorry, Ra, I need you to work hard for a bit."
Putting the card away, Hayato finally had time to survey this world where up, down, left, and right were completely chaotic and inverted. Stairs, walls, rooftops, and floors were arranged chaotically in this world, making it difficult to discern direction. And among them were countless room doors mixed in, further increasing the complexity of the space.
Hayato's waist felt a bit empty at this moment because before he entered here, he left the Millennium Rod behind to help Ishizu protect Joey Wheeler and the others. However, the Millennium Ring did accompany Hayato into here. And fortunately, the Millennium Ring's "pathfinding" function seemed to still work normally here.
Regarding the detailed progress of the "Pyramid of Light" incident, Hayato had a slight impression. He knew that the figure that appeared in the Eye of Udjat before was Yugi Mutou, who had swapped places with Dark Yugi. However, due to the power of the "Pyramid of Light," Yugi Mutou within the Millennium Puzzle, along with everything within the Millennium Puzzle, was transferred into the "Pyramid of Light."
Hayato also remembered that the space within the "Pyramid of Light" wasn't actually very dangerous. It just contained the key to destroying that "Pyramid of Light" card, which was Anubis's true form.
The last duel let Hayato know that even using Dark Game couldn't kill Anubis. It seems only by destroying the "Pyramid of Light" card in a duel can he be killed. This time, Hayato stopped Joey Wheeler partly to prevent him from taking risks according to the original plot, and partly to "speedrun" to the maximum extent.
Hayato doesn't worry about Yugi's situation at the moment. After all, he knows clearly that the "Pyramid of Light" isn't actually dangerous inside. The only danger is in the room where Anubis's true form is stored. Therefore, compared to looking for Yugi who might be wandering around, going directly to that dangerous room to deal with Anubis is faster.
Thinking like this, Hayato used the power of the Millennium Ring to search for the "evil power in this space." However, what surprised Hayato a little was that the five golden cones of the Millennium Ring, which should have pointed in one direction, at this moment, pointed in two different directions. One of the directions was clearly a door not far behind him?
Even Hayato was a little confused about what was happening.
"Could it be that I ran directly to the entrance of the Final Boss Room?"
While confused, Hayato drew out a few cards in advance in one hand, ready to activate at any time. He held the Millennium Ring in the other hand and approached that room.
Turning the doorknob, Hayato easily pushed open the unlocked door. Looking behind the door, both unexpected and within reason, Hayato couldn't help but exclaim: "It really is the entrance to the Final Boss Room..."
"Hehe, surprised, Hayato-kun?" Inside the room, the White-Haired One looked at Hayato at the doorway with a smug expression.
Chapter 529: The Esteemed Pharaoh Conquers His Loyal World Today
"Seems like I've collected another portion of a god's power..."
Within the "Pyramid of Light", Anubis was replenishing his energy reserve using the power of **"Osiris"** and **"Obelisk"** absorbed by the "Pyramid of Light". This allowed him to create a physical body within the "Pyramid of Light" to interfere with Yugi and Kaiba's duel.
This new body was in excellent condition. Its strong grip tightly squeezed Kaiba's neck, preventing him from speaking or breathing. The pressure on his nerves even caused him to choke and fall into a coma.
Just then, Anubis felt the "Pyramid of Light" send him another powerful surge of power. It felt very similar to the Osiris and Obelisk he had absorbed before, so it must be **The Winged Dragon of Ra**.
In a good mood, Anubis reached for the Duel Disk Kaiba was wearing on his wrist. After taking the Duel Disk and all of Kaiba's cards from it, Anubis casually threw the unconscious Kaiba aside like trash.
"Power is still surging up continuously, hmph~ hmm, this feeling is truly wonderful, so wonderful I want to sing a song."
"This feeling of pleasure and comfort is unprecedented. The power of a God Card is truly perfect for me, it makes me feel absolutely ecstatic!"
Laughing, Anubis put Kaiba's Duel Disk on his hand, then pressed his face against **The Pyramid of Light** Card opened in the Duel Disk. The cool, smooth card face rubbed against his face, letting him feel the power within the card.
"However, since victory isn't complete yet, it's better to stay a little calm. Rubbing such a smooth and soft card on my face really makes me feel peaceful~"
Across from Anubis, Yugi controlled the wrath in his heart towards Anubis, the suspected mastermind, caused by being separated from his cherished Aibo. He watched the opponent vigilantly.
"Who exactly are you?"
"Hmph?" Anubis glanced at Yugi, seemingly annoyed that his closeness with **The Pyramid of Light** was interrupted by Yugi. "Do you, a mere small fry, deserve to know the name of Yours Truly?"
"If it weren't for the prophecy needing your existence and that small fry over there to create the complete conditions for Yours Truly's revival, do you think I would have left that mortal's life intact?"
Anubis sneered as he looked at Yugi: "However, now even that guy named Hayato Kobayashi cannot stop Yours Truly from destroying this world. Therefore, I can graciously permit a low-level existence like you to respectfully call me 'Lord Anubis'."
"Anubis?"
On one hand, Solomon Muto had worked in Egypt for a long time as part of the Archaeological Team led by Professor Arthur and often brought back "souvenirs". On the other hand, Dark Yugi also learned from Ishizu, Marik, and others that he was likely a Pharaoh from a certain period in Egypt before losing his memory. So, he had some understanding of this name.
In his memory, this seemed like the name of the god of the dead in Egyptian Mythology. Yugi subconsciously repeated it.
However, Anubis suddenly became angry at Yugi's attitude: "What's with that tone? It's not 'Anubis', it's 'Lord Anubis'. Speak my name respectfully in the tone of a slave who would offer their life for their Master, you foolish mortal!"
"I have no such idea of debasing myself. Furthermore, you seem to be the mastermind who caused me to be unable to hear Aibo's voice, right?" Yugi's gaze was quite dangerous, as if confirming the saying, "The gaze of someone who wants to kill cannot be hidden." "If that's the case, if I defeat you, I can bring Aibo back to my side!"
"Heh heh, idiot, do you want to dance too?" Anubis looked at the serious Yugi with arrogance. "Do you really think you can defeat Yours Truly just by saying big words like 'I'll definitely defeat you'?"
Anubis, who had been hiding inside **The Pyramid of Light** Card in Kaiba's Deck and observing their duel until now, didn't think Yugi was very strong. In his opinion, Yugi was pressured by Kaiba almost the entire time. Although he almost turned the tables with **Osiris**, he was still very weak, with only 1600 Life Points and only one **Dark Magician** on his Field.
Although he had been defeated by Hayato once and barely managed to escape, Anubis didn't believe that Duelists with Hayato's level of strength were common in this world, which was as impure as it was a thousand years ago. Having one or two was the absolute limit, and it was unlikely to be this guy with colorful hair who looked like a Starfish.
"Even if you didn't challenge Yours Truly, your life would still be taken by me as it is necessary for Yours Truly's complete revival. However, since you've actively challenged Yours Truly, I presume you are prepared to suffer the double punishment of body and soul." Anubis casually glanced at the cards he had taken from Kaiba's Hand and drew one of them.
"Anyway, there's still a little time until the destruction of this world, so I'll amuse myself with your pain and wailing for a bit. However, I don't really want to use these cards, so I will use this Card, **Hand Destruction**."
Because he had tried using a Duel Disk during the Dark Game with Hayato before, Anubis, relying on his body's powerful strength and precision, casually flicked the card into the Spell & Trap Zone of the Duel Disk. The projection of the **Hand Destruction** Card manifested before him.
"The Effect of **Hand Destruction** is that Duelists with a Hand discard all cards in their Hand, then draw the same number of cards from their Deck as they discarded."
Anubis said this as he discarded all six cards he had taken from Kaiba's Hand into the Graveyard: "I discard these six cards, then draw six cards from my own Deck."
Because he had absorbed the power of the Three Egyptian Gods, Anubis had plenty of energy to squander. He conjured a Deck out of thin air and placed it on the Duel Disk to replace the previous one. However, when using Kaiba's Duel Disk, the automatically activated shuffle function made Anubis frown.
It seemed he had tampered with the card order when creating the Deck, so the automatic shuffle of the Duel Disk messed up the card order?
After the Deck automatically shuffled, Anubis drew six cards. After looking at the cards he drew, he couldn't help but sigh in relief, seemingly having still drawn the desired cards.
And Yugi also discarded the three cards in his Hand and drew three cards. Although it was Anubis's Turn, he proactively played a Card: "Because of your **Hand Destruction**'s Effect, I drew **Kuriball** from my Deck. And because of the Card Effect, **Kuriball**, which was added to Hand from my Deck, can be immediately Special Summoned to my Field."
"I Special Summon **Kuriball** in Defense Position."
[**Kuriball**] [DEF300]
"Tsk tsk, a Monster so weak it breaks the limit of my imagination, even worse than those Monsters called **Ojama** from before. After all, even those disgusting Monsters had at least 1000 DEF." Anubis looked at the white ball that appeared on Yugi's Field and commented contemptuously, "However, it matches its user, both are equally inferior."
"Let me show you the Monster truly suitable for use in the Ceremony of the Duel, and what power and strength truly are!" Anubis drew two Cards from his Hand. "Because **The Pyramid of Light** exists on my Field, I pay 500 Life Points twice to Special Summon these two Monsters from my Hand!"
"**Andro Sphinx** and **Sphinx Teleia**!"
[Anubis: 4000→3500→3000LP]
As if unable to come up with any new tricks, the two Sphinx monsters he had used once before in the duel with Hayato crashed onto his Field accompanied by lightning as Anubis paid a total of 1000 Life Points, their aura imposing.
[**Andro Sphinx**] [ATK3000]
[**Sphinx Teleia**] [ATK2500]
"A Monster with 2500 ATK, and a Monster with 3000 ATK, can actually be easily Summoned by only paying 500 Life Points?!"
Yugi looked at the two Monsters on Anubis's Field in great shock. After all, the Ace Monsters of both him and Kaiba - **Dark Magician** and **Blue-Eyes White Dragon** - had ATK of 2500 and 3000 respectively, but both required two Monsters as Tribute for a Tribute Summon.
However, why would anyone use two Monsters and a Normal Summon for a Tribute Summon just for a Normal Monster with no Effect?
It's something that can be done with one **Ancient Rules**, or Cards like **Star Blast**, **Cost Down**, or even Dedicated Special Summon Cards like **Sage's Stone**.
And using the **Polymerization** and **De-Fusion** combo to Summon is even more foolish.
Of course, there is absolutely no insinuation towards anyone here.
Yugi's expression made Anubis very satisfied. Seeing his Monster appearance should naturally elicit this surprised expression. That Hayato Kobayashi before, despite seeing such powerful Monsters appear, maintained a calm expression the whole time. The panicked expression he finally managed to force out later turned out to be just a disguise to trick him. It was truly infuriating to think about.
"Although I dislike that guy very much, one thing he said was right. My **Andro Sphinx** and **Sphinx Teleia**, as such powerful Cards, naturally come with considerable risk."
"Not only does Special Summoning require the payment of Life Points, but they cannot attack the Turn they are Summoned or Special Summoned."
Listening to Anubis's self-praise, Yugi was a little speechless. He merely exclaimed that the combat power of the Monsters the opponent Summoned was decent, he didn't mean anything else. If those two Sphinx Monsters didn't have other troublesome effects, they would just be average Cards.
As for powerful Cards, Yugi didn't think those Monsters could compare to God Cards like **Osiris**, **Obelisk**, and **Ra**. Yugi even felt that his **Dark Magician**, with enough Card support, would be stronger than the opponent's, especially since those two Sphinxes even had a self-restriction effect preventing them from attacking.
The confidence that appeared in Yugi's eyes was seen by Anubis. With a raised eyebrow, Anubis said annoyed: "However, although **Andro Sphinx** and **Sphinx Teleia** have the restriction of not being able to attack due to their self-restriction effect, that doesn't mean you are safe, mortal."
"I Activate Magic Card **Foolish Burial**, sending **Executioner Makyura** from my Deck to the Graveyard, allowing me to Activate Trap Cards directly from my Hand this Turn. I pay 1000 Life Points to Activate **Skill Drain** from my Hand!"
[Anubis: 3000→2000LP]
With the Activation of **Skill Drain**, blue smoke rose from the four Monsters on Anubis and Yugi's Fields simultaneously and dispersed in the air, clearing their effects.
However, **Kuriball** on Yugi's Field originally only had a Special Summon Effect, and **Dark Magician** was a Normal Monster with no Effect at all. **Skill Drain** drew nothing from them.
But Anubis's goal was originally just to restore **Andro Sphinx** and **Sphinx Teleia's** ability to attack.
"Enter my Battle Phase. First, I attack your **Dark Magician** in Defense Position with **Andro Sphinx**!" Anubis pointed towards Yugi's Field. "When **Andro Sphinx** destroys a Monster in Defense Position, it inflicts damage to the opponent's Life Points equal to half the destroyed monster's ATK!"
Upon hearing Anubis's words, Yugi pressed the Activate Set Card button: "In that case, I Activate my Set Card in the Spell/Trap Zone, Trap Card **Magician's Circle**!"
With the Activation of Yugi's Set Card, the **Dark Magician** kneeling on one knee on his Field drew a line on the ground in front of him with his emerald green wand. The mystical power left on the ground by the wand's tip formed a mystical power shield, blocking in front of **Dark Magician**.
**Andro Sphinx**, which attacked according to Anubis's instruction, swung its claws. But even with an ATK of 3000, it was merely bounced back when it struck the shield!
"My Spellcaster-Type, DARK Attribute Monster with 2000 or more ATK on the Field cannot be battle destruction until the End Phase, is unaffected by the opponent's effects, and its own effects are negated." Yugi said proudly, "And the **Dark Magician** on my Field is a Normal Monster, and its Effect will not be negated by **Magician's Circle** or your **Skill Drain**."
"Tsk, in the end, it's just a turtle-like Effect, and your Spellcaster-Type, DARK Attribute Monster with 2000 or more ATK is only that **Dark Magician**."
Anubis looked at the other **Kuriball** on Yugi's Field, "Then I attack that **Kuriball** with **Sphinx Teleia**. And **Sphinx Teleia**'s Effect is that when it attacks a Monster in Defense Position, it can destroy it directly without performing damage calculation."
Although the human-faced lion **Sphinx Teleia** had a female appearance, when it took action, it had the aura of a fierce beast like a lion. It pounced forward and defeated and destroyed the **Kuriball** on Yugi's Field with a single strike.
"However, because of **Skill Drain**, **Sphinx Teleia**'s Effect is negated. But even without this Effect, destroying a Monster utterly pathetic is an easy matter."
Anubis sneered contemptuously, but just then, he found that the destroyed **Kuriball** didn't go directly to the Graveyard, but suddenly turned into a Hand.
"If you look down on **Kuriball** so much, at least experience its power." Yugi's Hand moved away from the Activate Set Card button, and his Set Card on the Field was also revealed, showing the card's name---
to be continue
# Chapter 530: ATK 13500!? So Strong, Too Strong!
"I flip up my Set Card, [Scapegoat]!"
Under Anubis's gaze, Yugi stated the name of his Set Card. "When a monster on the Field is destroyed and sent to my Graveyard, I can activate this by targeting one monster on the opponent's Field. That monster is also destroyed."
From the [Cotton Ball] destroyed by [Sphinx Teleia], a ghostly hand extended, reaching towards Anubis's Field. Yugi continued to explain, "Anubis, in my opinion, you're just someone who has some cards but hasn't grasped the Power or the Heart of the Cards at all."
"If it were anyone else, upon seeing me use [Dark Magician Illusion] to protect [Dark Magician], they would likely start wondering why I bothered to Summon [Cotton Ball] as well. But you just recklessly attacked with an arrogant and conceited mindset."
"Before, I thought your [Sphinx] and [Skill Drain] Combo was somewhat impressive. Now it seems like maybe you only know this one Combo."
Yugi's casual remark was completely accurate. Anubis was somewhat speechless because he truly only knew that one Combo. He then became slightly flustered with rage and said angrily, "Don't get cocky, Kid!"
"It's still my Turn, and the Effect of [Executioner - Makyura] is still active. Chaining to your [Scapegoat], I Activate the Trap Card [High-Speed Draw] from my Hand! I can Destroy two or more monsters on my Field, and for every two monsters destroyed, I can Draw a Card from my Deck."
"I will Destroy [Sphinx Andre] and [Sphinx Teleia] on my Field! I will use this to avoid the Effect of your [Scapegoat] and Draw a Card from my Deck!"
"Nani? He actually willingly Destroyed his own monsters!"
A look of considerable surprise appeared on Yugi's face.
Before the hand formed by [Scapegoat] could reach Anubis's Field, with the Activation of [High-Speed Draw], many hands shot out from beneath the feet of [Sphinx Andre] and [Sphinx Teleia] on his Field, grabbing the two monsters and dragging them into the Graveyard, stealing [Scapegoat]'s job.
Drawing a Card, Anubis said with a cold laugh, "Hmph, although you Mortals from a thousand years later play tricks like sacrificing your own monsters in the Ceremony of the Duel, even Yours Truly has to admit that such methods can sometimes be useful."
"Don't think you're the only ones who will Destroy your own monsters, Kid."
Even though Yugi didn't know exactly what Anubis had experienced before, from Anubis's performance in the Duel so far, he could somewhat infer that Anubis seemed to have been trapped by someone using Trap tactics in a Duel, and suffered a crushing defeat due to some tactic involving destroying his own monsters.
In short, suspecting Hayato was definitely not wrong.
Just as Anubis was feeling proud of himself for "using your own tactics against you" and regaining some face with the strategy he learned from Hayato, he suddenly found it a bit strange that the ghostly hand created by the Effect of Yugi's previous [Scapegoat] still existed. And it had already moved next to the [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] on Anubis's Field, concealed by the cover of [Sphinx Andre] and [Sphinx Teleia] being swallowed into the Graveyard?
After Anubis took Kaiba's Duel Disk, although he took Kaiba's Hand and the Cards on the Field at that time, he also discarded Kaiba's Deck and the Cards in his Graveyard. Although it seemed like he did nothing wrong at the time, this resulted in the complete resistance that [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] gained from the Effect of [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] in Kaiba's Graveyard disappearing!
In Anubis's surprised gaze, [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] almost willingly met [Scapegoat] head-on, and was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard!
"No, impossible!" Anubis clearly hadn't anticipated this situation occurring. "In the Effect of your [Scapegoat], the Target selection should have been completed before Activation! How could you re-select the Target after I destroyed [Sphinx Andre] and [Sphinx Teleia] with [High-Speed Draw]?"
"In a Chain Resolution, only my [Sphinx Andre] and [Sphinx Teleia] should have been destroyed by [High-Speed Draw], and your [Scapegoat] should have missed because its Target disappeared!"
"Did you use some Card to pull a trick!?"
Hearing this, Yugi just smiled mysteriously, "Then Anubis, when did you get the idea that 'the Target of [Scapegoat]'s Activation wasn't [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]'?"
"Na, Nani?!"
Yugi looked at Anubis and said calmly, "When I activated [Scapegoat] before, I simply said it was to show that even a weak monster like [Cotton Ball] has a unique usefulness in a Duel. I never said that I targeted that monster on your Field when I activated [Scapegoat]."
"Just because you felt your dignity was affected, you hastily activated [High-Speed Draw], but you couldn't even imagine that my goal from the very beginning was to destroy [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]."
"Just as I evaluated before, you are simply a puppet of power. You cannot comprehend the Heart of the Cards, nor do you know how to control the Power of the Cards."
"Ya, Yarou!" Hearing Yugi say this, Anubis clearly couldn't accept such a poor evaluation of himself. "That [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] is that guy Kaiba Seto's monster, and it's a monster he cherishes greatly! Although you are his opponent, how can you so easily destroy someone else's important Card!?"
In Anubis's imagination, shouldn't Yugi, facing [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], not want it to be destroyed but instead want to take that Card from him?
Yugi's gaze turned to Kaiba, who was still unconscious nearby. He recalled his past with the other party, and the corner of his mouth slightly curved up. "Although Kaiba is my opponent and a very troublesome guy who cares a lot about his pride and won't easily surrender, in my heart, he is indeed a very important friend. And I would indeed not use any despicable means to damage his monster."
"But!"
Yugi's tone changed, and he glared sharply at Anubis, "That premise is only valid in a fair duel! Anubis, you interfered with the sacred duel between me and Kaiba. If Kaiba were conscious, he would similarly not want his [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] to fall into your hands!"
"If the duel ended with [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] under your control, then [Blue-Eyes] would be too unfortunate."
After saying this, Yugi felt slightly amused himself, because the words he had just spoken were actually the same words he had said back before the Duelist Kingdom, when Pegasus invited him to participate via a videotape.
Unknowingly, so much time had passed since he woke up from the [Millennium Puzzle]. However, even after such a long time, Yugi's thoughts about Duel Monsters had not changed at all.
"Tsk, in that case, you can drown in failure with those boring thoughts." Anubis was disdainful of Yugi's thoughts and sent the [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] on the Duel Disk to the Graveyard. "However, you made me show that awkward expression of confusion that a Priest who received a prophecy from the Temple but couldn't find a way to interpret it would have. Prepare to face my anger!"
"You thought you calculated my draw? But, my scheme is above yours! Because [Sphinx Andre] and [Sphinx Teleia] were destroyed on my Field simultaneously, I can Pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon this strongest [Sphinx] from my Deck!"
[Anubis: 2000 → 1000 LP]
Where [Sphinx Andre] and [Sphinx Teleia] were destroyed, mist rose from the ground and gathered in the air, turning into lightning that struck down. [Sphinx Androgyne], the two monsters stitched together, appeared on Anubis's Field!
[Sphinx Androgyne][ATK 3500]
"Not only that, when [Sphinx Androgyne] is successfully Special Summoned, I will Activate its other Effect." Anubis pointed to himself. "I will Pay another 1000 Life Points to Increase the ATK of [Sphinx Androgyne] until the End of the next Turn by the Total ATK of all monsters in my Graveyard!"
"There are a total of three monsters in my Graveyard: [Sphinx Andre] with 3000 ATK, [Sphinx Teleia] with 2500 ATK, and the recently destroyed [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] with 4500 ATK. Therefore, [Sphinx Androgyne]'s ATK Increases by ten thousand Points!"
"Impossible!" Yugi said in surprise. "Your Life Points are only 1000 Points! If you Pay 1000 Life Points, the duel will be my victory! And because of the existence of [Skill Drain], the Effect of [Sphinx Androgyne] cannot be Activated at all!"
Yugi's judgment was logical and reasonable, but what he didn't expect was that Anubis proudly played a Card. "Hmph hmph, who do you think Yours Truly is? As long as I use this Card, everything can proceed perfectly."
"The Quick-Play Spell Card [Emergency Provisions]! I can Send Spell/Trap Cards on my Field to the Graveyard and Recover Life Points equal to that number X 1000. [Sphinx Androgyne] doesn't have a Self-Restriction Effect like [Sphinx Andre] and [Sphinx Teleia]! Let [Skill Drain] serve its final purpose!"
Saying that, Anubis sent the [Skill Drain] and the [Emergency Provisions] on his Field to the Graveyard. His Life Points first recovered by 1000 Points, and then decreased due to Paying Life Points to Activate [Sphinx Androgyne]'s Effect.
And [Sphinx Androgyne] on his Field, due to [Skill Drain] leaving the Field and Anubis Paying Life Points, saw its ATK surge dramatically!
[Anubis: 1000 → 2000 → 1000 LP]
[Sphinx Androgyne][ATK 3500 → 13500]
"ATK, thirteen thousand five hundred points!"
Even Yugi, who was used to seeing grand spectacles, couldn't help but be dumbfounded when he saw Anubis summon such a monster with exaggerated ATK onto the Field.
An ordinary Duel Monster having 3000 ATK was already considered very strong. [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] even became the standard unit for measuring monster ATK for a time. One of the Three Egyptian Gods, [Obelisk the Tormentor], only had 4000 ATK, and 5000 ATK was almost the symbol of the famous large-Buttocks [Five-Headed Dragon].
And the ferocious demonic beast before him had an ATK higher than the Total ATK of the aforementioned monsters combined.
If it were at the beginning of the duel, when his Deck was still complete and not in its current state, Yugi would have at least nine ways to make that very undignified [Sphinx Androgyne] dignified, nine ways!
However, now, whether it was [Dark Burning Attack] or [Thousand Knives] which could directly destroy monsters, or [Slifer the Sky Dragon] which could Increase ATK infinitely, they had all been used in the duel with Kaiba before. This meant Yugi truly had no good way to counter it now.
Fortunately, the [Dark Magician] on Yugi's Field was in Defense Position, and due to the Effect of [Dark Magician Illusion], it would not be destroyed for the time being.
"Hmph hmph, seeing my invincible [Sphinx Androgyne], you must have deeply felt fear by now."
Anubis Set the last Card in his Hand in the Spell/Trap Zone. "I'll let you struggle for one last Turn. I Set a Card, and my Turn Ends."
"But next Turn, your life will be destroyed along with this world!"
[Anubis: 1000 LP, Hand 0]
[Sphinx Androgyne][ATK 13500]
[Pyramid of Light][Set Card]
It was Yugi's Turn, but Yugi wasn't in a hurry to Draw a Card at the moment. Instead, he was still thinking about his strategy in his mind.
'To deal with Kaiba, although I prepared cards that could directly destroy monsters in my Deck, because I was wary of that [Deep-Eyes White Dragon], I didn't include cards like [Mirror Force]. Thinking about it now, it was truly a miscalculation.'
'I can't find any card in my Deck that could create the possibility of defeating that [Sphinx Androgyne]. However, if I were to bypass the monster and directly damage the Duelist's Life Points...'
Yugi looked at the [Catapult Turtle] in his Hand and had an idea. But just as he was about to Draw a Card to implement his strategy, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear:
"That won't work, Yugi."
"This voice, it's Hayato!"
Recognizing the owner of the voice immediately, Yugi turned his head to look beside him, but couldn't find the source of the voice anywhere.
Anubis on the opposite side saw that Yugi was slow to Draw a Card and urged, "Although I know you Kid must be very scared seeing my invincible [Sphinx Androgyne], hurry up and make your move! My patience is very limited! Don't keep looking around! Draw a Card like a slave diligently working for fear of the whip falling!"
Just as Anubis was annoyed and urging him, Yugi heard Hayato's voice again, "Hey, Yugi, over here, over here."
With the guidance of the voice a second time, Yugi looked up and found that although he couldn't see the outside through the blue walls of the "Pyramid of Light", he could see the "Eye of Wjat/Udjat" carved on the inner wall. And Hayato's figure now appeared in that red eyeball.