Chazz carefully studied his hand.
He still had a decent hand size.
Even though he'd burned through a lot of monsters, the Ojama losers' supreme kamikaze value meant his hand remained healthy.
But...
These cards weren't enough to beat his master.
"Activate Spell Card, Magical Mallet!" Chazz drew out a powerful card.
If Amaki Hikaru were here, he'd definitely shout, "Holy crap, it's the anime version of Magical Mallet!"
"This card lets me return any number of cards from my hand, including this one, to the Deck, then draw the same number!"
Exactly.
This version of Magical Mallet was a super-cycle card that didn't waste hand resources and returned itself!
Chazz sent four cards, including Magical Mallet, back into the Deck, then it auto-shuffled.
Roooar
A voice echoed in his ears. A black-and-white dragon materialized in his hand.
His heart warmed.
Light and Darkness Dragon, you're here.
He glanced at the new hand.
Unfortunately...
He couldn't summon Light and Darkness Dragon right now. Still, seeing his childhood partners reunited in his hand cheered him up.
'Alright then.'
'Armed Dragons, thanks for being with me all this time!'
'Today, I'll beat Master with your strength!'
"I discard Armed Dragon LV3 to activate this card's effect! Special Summon from my hand!"
Chazz flipped over a card wrapped in lightning and storm, showing it to Kaiba, "Pile Armed Dragon!"
Bzzt bzzt bzzt
A new Armed Dragon appeared on the field. A giant machine had been grafted onto its right claw, and now the drill-loaded machine whirred into a spinning frenzy.
[Pile Armed Dragon] Level 7│WIND│Dragon
"Oh? A new Armed Dragon?" Seto Kaiba hadn't seen Chazz use this one before. He nodded slightly.
"That's right! It's a card even you haven't even seen! This is the power the Armed Dragons gave me!" Chazz punched forward. "Pile Armed Dragon's effect! Send 1 "Armed Dragon" monster except itself from my hand or Deck to the Graveyard, then target 1 monster I control.
"This turn, that monster is the only one that can attack, but it gains 300 Attack per Level of the sent monster!"
"I send Armed Dragon LV10 from the Deck to the Graveyard!"
"That means Pile Armed Dragon gains 3000 Attack!"
"ROAAAR!!!"
Armed Dragon LV10 was sent to the Graveyard. At the same time, Pile Armed Dragon's drill arm whirred wildly, letting out a spirited roar.
[Pile Armed Dragon, ATK: 2800 → 5800]
Far stronger than XYZ-Hyper Dragon Cannon, even stronger than Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!
Seto Kaiba nodded.
Not bad.
"Battle!!" Chazz clenched his fist. "Pile Armed Dragon, attack XYZ-Hyper Dragon Cannon!"
Bzzzzzzzz
The drill drove into the robot. Even though the Hyper Dragon Cannon had a powerful effect to destroy cards during the opponent's turn, against this assault, it could only brace itself.
Still, the drill pushed relentlessly, cracking its armor, tearing it apart, until finally;
BOOM!
It exploded!
Mechanical debris flew everywhere, striking Kaiba and cutting down his Life Points.
[Seto Kaiba, LP: 4000 → 2,400]
"Yes!"
Chazz clenched his fist in excitement.
"That's the power of the most heavily armed dragon, Master!"
There was hope!
He looked to the side.
His Set card was the Continuous Trap, Call of the Haunted.
Too bad XYZ-Dragon Cannon couldn't be revived from the Graveyard. Otherwise, he might have won this turn. Even so, with Call of the Haunted, even if Master destroyed Armed Dragon, he could revive it again. He still had a chance to defend or counterattack!
"I end my turn."
[Pile Armed Dragon, ATK: 5800 → 2800]
"Chazz, did you forget something?"
"Huh?"
"At your End Phase, this card's effect activates!"
'?!' Chazz's eyes widened.
'Effect? What effect?'
Kaiba opened his Graveyard and pulled out a Level 1 monster.
It was the card he discarded to activate Hyper Dragon Cannon's effect!
"The White Stone of Ancients. At the End Phase of the turn, it's sent to the Graveyard, and I can Special Summon 1 "Blue-Eyes" monster from the Deck."
'Blue-Eyes White Dragon!'
'Crap!'
'Master hasn't even used Blue-Eyes yet!'
"I Special Summon, Dragon Spirit of White."
'What the hell is that?!'
As Chazz stared in confusion, a slender, slightly smaller pure-white dragon appeared on Kaiba's field.
[Dragon Spirit of White] Level 8│LIGHT│Dragon│2500 ATK
"This card is always treated as a 'Blue-Eyes' card.
"And when it is Special Summoned, I can target 1 Spell/Trap card you control and banish it."
"Ah!"
Chazz could only watch as his Call of the Haunted got banished.
"My turn. Draw." Kaiba drew, then revealed a card. "Reveal Blue-Eyes White Dragon. This lets me Special Summon this from my hand.
"Come forth, my newest servant."
"Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!"
"Alternative White Dragon!!!
Chazz flinched.
This was the card Kaiba had used before back in the S-Dimension!
[Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon] Level 8│LIGHT│Dragon│3000 ATK
"While on the field, this card's name is treated as "Blue-Eyes White Dragon." Once per turn, it can destroy 1 monster you control."
"Alternative White Dragon, crush that so-called most heavily armed dragon!"
The Alternative inhaled, then unleashed a blazing torrent that blasted Pile Armed Dragon to pieces.
"But! Monsters that used that effect can't attack this turn!" Chazz shouted, shielding his eyes.
He still had a chance!
"Heh... Good. That's more like it." Seeing his disciple not give up even now, Seto Kaiba nodded in satisfaction.
He glanced at his hand.
"In that case, I'll give you a reward worthy of being my disciple."
"Huh?"
"Watch carefully, Chazz. This is a glorious sight few others get to witness!"
"Activate Spell Card, Polymerization!"
"I fuse Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon on the field with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand!"
"Two of them?!" Chazz gasped.
'Isn't Blue-Eyes fusion usually the three-dragon Ultimate Dragon!?'
"That's right, a Fusion using two Blue-Eyes White Dragons!
"Ah, Blue-Eyes, I feel your joy!
"Come forth;
"My most loyal servant!
"Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon!"
Shiiing
Noble white wings spread wide. A blue aura flashed across the hot spring. The dragon's sacred light pierced even the thick mist around them.
Under Chazz's stunned gaze, a two-headed Blue-Eyes White Dragon slowly descended onto the field!
[Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon] Level 10│LIGHT│Dragon│3000 ATK
Now the Attack was enough.
"Dragon Spirit of White, direct attack."
"AAARGH!"
"Then, Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon, direct attack!"
"W-Wait, Master!" Chazz panicked, not wanting to take a full Twin Burst blast to the face.
Regardless, it was too late!
Twin Burst Dragon soared down and rammed into him. A loud boom! sounded as Chazz was blasted into the hot spring, his badge and Duel Disk clattering to the ground with a metallic "clang."
"Gah....cough cough."
Chazz sat up in the hot spring, looking up at Kaiba. "Master."
"Hmph. Not bad." Kaiba stepped over, picked up Chazz's badge, stamped it, and casually tossed it back.
"Master!" Chazz forgot he was soaked. He shot up from the hot spring, caught the badge, and shouted with excitement.
After all these years, he'd finally received direct recognition from Seto Kaiba!
"What is your goal?"
Kaiba suddenly asked.
Chazz paused, then smiled and declared with conviction:
"Champion!"
As he said, he stepped out of the hot spring.
"Heh. That's more like it." Kaiba picked up Chazz's Duel Disk, slid a few cards from his coat pocket, and added them to Chazz's Deck.
"Go chase higher, more magnificent horizons, Chazz."
"Yes, sir!"