To be honest, Cobra really did see the shadow of his adopted son in Kagurazaka. Even though the two of them didn't resemble each other in any way, Kagurazaka truly let him feel a last trace of warmth.
That heartfelt respect, that heartfelt wish to protect him, and the effort he put in so Cobra could stand out in the "professor qualification exam" — none of that could have been faked.
But it was already too late.
"Anyone dragged into sleep by Darkness's power will never wake up!"
Judai frowned, still wanting to make one last effort to talk Professor Cobra down.
But right at that moment——
"That's not necessarily true, Professor!"
A voice very familiar to both of them rang out.
Tenjo Hikari!
Both of them turned to the road in surprise, only to see Tenjo Hikari supporting a student as he walked straight toward the site of their Duel.
They both widened their eyes at the same time. Judai was the first to break into an excited grin: "Kagurazaka! You're awake!?"
For the first time, a look of stupefaction appeared on Cobra's cold face.
"The moment this kid woke up he insisted on coming. I really couldn't stop him." Tenjo Hikari said with a smile.
After defeating Fujiwara Yusuke, Tenjo Hikari had started working at lightspeed on developing a drug to wake people up, and not long ago he finally succeeded in awakening Kagurazaka, the very first person to fall into a coma.
Perhaps it was because Kagurazaka himself wanted to wake up, or perhaps because he was the first to fall unconscious so it was easier. In any case, Tenjo Hikari had finally succeeded in waking the first person.
And after Kagurazaka woke, the first thing he asked about, of course, was the current situation and the Professor.
So Tenjo Hikari casually told him what had happened.
He hadn't expected that Kagurazaka bore no resentment toward Professor Cobra at all. On the contrary, Kagurazaka regretted not listening to him and studying the "advanced class" ahead of schedule, which was what brought things to this point.
"Kagurazaka..." For a moment, Professor Cobra could hardly find the words.
And at that moment, Kagurazaka, who for the first time had enjoyed being personally supported by Tenjo Hikari all the way here, finally spoke the words he'd been holding back all this time.
"I'm sorry, Professor. I let you down. In the study plan you told me not to aim too high too fast, but I impulsively called out Yubel——if I'd just followed your Dogmatika all along, you definitely wouldn't be here now!"
Kagurazaka spoke with genuine feeling.
Hearing it, Cobra felt as if his heart had been smashed by a giant hammer.
Yubel had told him.
Kagurazaka was a special talent. He possessed the ability of a mirror, able to reflect other people's traits and abilities.
So Kagurazaka was the one who could feel Cobra's expectations and genuine care for him the most clearly, and also the one who was most tormented by regret over his own mistakes.
No matter how stubborn the mouth, it couldn't beat true feelings.
Cobra took a deep breath, looked at Yuki Judai, and smiled. "...Kagurazaka, then let the Professor teach you one more time what mistake a man at the end of his road must never commit.
I discard 1 card and activate the Spell Card, Snake Rain. This card sends 4 Reptile-Type Monsters from my Deck to the Graveyard.
The ATK of the Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes on my field increases by the number of Reptile-Type Monsters in my Graveyard × 500. Right now I have 8 Reptile-Type Monsters in my Graveyard, so its ATK rises to 4000!"
The snakes on the goddess whose hands were both snakes began to multiply, and her ATK steadily rose.
Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes, ATK: 4000.
"Vennominaga isn't affected by other card effects and cannot be targeted by effects. When this card inflicts battle damage to the opponent three times, I win the Duel outright!"
"Judai, this is the last attack. As long as this attack goes through, I win." Cobra said, staring at Neos on Judai's field.
"It won't be that easy, Professor——I activate the Trap Card, Favorite Contact! I return Neos on the field and Shining Flare Wingman in the Graveyard to the Deck, then Special Summon from the Extra Deck 1 Fusion Monster that lists a Hero Monster as Fusion Material, ignoring its Summoning conditions!
I Special Summon, Elemental Hero Shining Neos Wingman!"
Elemental Hero Shining Neos Wingman, LV 8, Light Attribute, Warrior-Type, ATK 3100.
Judai clenched his fist and continued: "Shining Neos Wingman's ATK increases by the number of Monsters in my Graveyard × 300. There are 10 Monsters in my Graveyard, so that's 6100 ATK!"
Elemental Hero Shining Neos Wingman, ATK: 3100→6100.
Seeing this, Cobra closed his eyes at once.
He knew he could no longer carry out that final attack.
After all, the gap between Vennominaga's ATK and Shining Neos Wingman's was just too great.
He chose to end his turn, and on the other side, Judai immediately ordered Shining Neos Wingman to attack the Monster.
BOOM!!!
Professor Cobra's LP dropped to zero!
As Cobra's life hit zero, he saw a yellow figure slowly appear before his eyes — the Phantom of his son. He reached out, trying to grab hold of his child, but halfway there, he let his hand fall.
The past's Phantom was, in the end, only a Phantom.
He hadn't saved his own son, but he had found a new path in life.
When he snapped back to himself, he was shocked to realize he was standing at the very edge of a cliff. If he took one more step, he'd probably plunge straight off and be shattered to pieces.
At the same time, Kagurazaka, who had only just woken and still needed someone to support him, saw this and went completely mad, sprinting over and throwing his arms around Cobra, begging him not to give up on life.