So what if there really is a trap?
He was a god, and now, he was an evolved god!
Traps are completely ineffective against him, ordinary monster effects are useless, and non-destructive spell cards only last for one turn.
At this moment, Kaiba's field was completely empty, and any setup could only be a hidden effect in his hand or graveyard. Most of those effects would be from monsters or traps, but none of that mattered to the Wicked God.
"If you want to play, I'll play with you.
I've never been afraid of you, Seto Kaiba. Now, let me show you just how insignificant you really are—"
The Wicked God bellowed.
"Using myself, The Wicked Dreadroot—
—Direct Attack!"
But it seemed like Kaiba had been waiting for those words: "Direct Attack."
A sharp light flashed across his eyes.
The Wicked God had guessed right—Kaiba's backup was indeed in the graveyard.
And it was a card Kira had seen in Kaiba's lab before, a card that his most persistent rival often used, a new card developed after in-depth research into Kaiba's lifelong adversary.
That card was—
"I activate the effect of 'Clear Kuriboh' from my graveyard!" Kaiba shouted. "When the opponent declares a direct attack, banish this card from the graveyard and draw one card! If it's a monster card, Special Summon it, and the attack target is forcibly switched to that monster!"
Wicked God: "???"
Seto Kaiba's Kuriboh?
According to all the info he'd gathered, wasn't that the Pharaoh's staple card, and Kaiba's lifelong nemesis?
Seto Kaiba, you thick-browed, righteous-looking guy, are you joining the enemy because you couldn't beat them?
The Wicked God snorted, "So this was your impressive backup? Turns out it's just trash.
But you still have to draw a monster card for it to work."
He paused, then sneered.
"And even if you do draw a monster, do you even have a monster in your deck that can rival me, the Dreadroot?"
"I do,"
Kaiba replied coldly.
"And the next card I draw will be that card. Your nemesis, your nightmare—my God!"
Wicked God: "!"
Seto Kaiba's god?
Could it be...
No, impossible.
That card had already gone to the underworld with the Pharaoh. It shouldn't exist anymore.
And even if it did somehow exist, what are the odds he'd just happen to draw it at this moment?
This was their Wicked God's domain, their sealed territory, like a barrier. No matter how strong Kaiba was, his luck and fate here should be severely suppressed...
Kaiba reached out, placing his hand atop his deck.
He'd never told anyone, but there was one image he could never get out of his mind.
His greatest rival—the one who always infuriated him, the one who left victorious—had shown everyone what it truly meant to be king in the final Duel of Destiny.
That day, at the climax of the duel, Atem didn't even need to look at the card he drew. He'd declare what the next card would be, then draw it, and every time, it was exactly as he'd said.
Kaiba knew clearly: Atem wasn't predicting the next card—he was forcing the card he wanted to appear, through sheer will.
The ability to draw any card you want at will. That is the true strength of the greatest duelist—the ultimate power. Atem had shown them all this, as if he wanted them, before he left, to see the true highest peak of dueling, one that only existed in theory.
Before that, Kaiba had always thought he was only a step behind Atem, always just one card away from victory.
But after that, even though he refused to admit defeat, deep down he realized he was far further behind than he'd thought.
Kaiba had never given up. For years, he'd challenged himself, trying to reach his own limits. Ten years had passed, and with each day, the memory of that night grew clearer. Every time he improved, it only made him realize how vast the gap between him and that man still was.
But he was Seto Kaiba. He never gave up.
He always believed that if there was a summit in this world, he was destined to reach it.
That was why, even though he could've stalled for another turn with a defense monster, he chose not to.
Put yourself on the line, and only then can you be reborn.
A worthy opponent, enough pressure, the thrill of desperation—these are the elements required for transformation.
Kaiba knew he still couldn't manipulate destiny like that man—at least not yet.
But at least this draw...
If he succeeded, maybe he'd be a little closer to that man.
"Ahhhh—!"
Kaiba roared.
He drew a card from his deck.
He didn't even need to look at it. He simply raised the card high and shouted the name—
"Obelisk the Tormentor!!!"
A blue light, filled with boundless destructive force. The earth shattered, crying out in agony. Cracks spread like a spiderweb, thunderous booms echoed, dust and rubble flew up, blotting out half the sky in a curtain of dust.
"Bakana (Impossible)!"
The Wicked God screamed.
Are you kidding me?
How could a card that no longer exists appear here?
And this once-only chance with Clear Kuriboh, this one-in-a-million draw... why did it have to be this card?
Seto Kaiba—wasn't he once just their defeated lackey? How could he have this kind of power?
This is impossible! This makes no sense!
It can't be explained!
The blue giant looked as if he'd stepped out of a myth from three thousand years ago, every muscle bursting with destructive power. Just by standing there, a storm-like aura exploded outward, crushing even the floating debris around him.
The Wicked God's face twisted: "You... over the past ten years, did you recreate Obelisk's card!?"
Years ago, after Kaiba dueled Aigami at Atem's tomb, Kaiba drew Obelisk from the floor. At that moment, Kaiba realized his connection to God hadn't been severed.
The God still recognized him, and was always ready to fight for him.
Since then, recreating the God Cards had become Kaiba's top priority.
"Obelisk the Tormentor, effect activate!" Kaiba shouted. "Tribute two monsters on the field: destroy all monsters your opponent controls, and inflict 4000 damage to their Life Points!
This effect can be activated during your opponent's turn!" (Anime effect)
The Wicked God's face contorted even more: "Impossible, how can this be—"
He had now evolved to God status, and the rank of Obelisk was beneath him; naturally, Obelisk's destruction effect was ineffective.
But as a monster, Dreadroot was invincible on the field—it didn't mean the duelist was invincible. Even if the monster couldn't be destroyed, he still couldn't avoid the 4000 damage.
This was the power of the God of Destruction, Obelisk the Tormentor—a force of nature.
After so many years, Obelisk's crimson eyes locked onto his old enemy, hands gripping Venus and the Mystical Shine Ball on the field. The two monsters immediately disintegrated, their energy absorbed by Obelisk.
"Disappear," Kaiba said coldly. "Trash."
Obelisk punched down.
Wicked God: "Ahhhhh—"
[Wicked God, LP 3500 → LP 0]
…