The Evil God of Trinity let out a maniacal roar, raising a massive blade high. Within the large mass of black mist, the blade's silver sheen gleamed coldly, its edge flowing with golden light.
Multiply Guy's attack power is merely 800, and a strike from the Cubic Evil God is enough to obliterate him five times over, if not more. With no Kuriboh to block this lethal attack, all of Youyu's traps are sealed by the power of "Red Reboot."
Moreover, the Evil God of Trinity cannot be targeted by effects—this means that even if a card like "Necro Gardna" rests in Yugi's graveyard, it can't stop this strike!
"Youyu!"
More than one person gasped.
"Flip Cover Card!" Yet Youyu still has cards to play, "Quick-Play Magic - Book of Moon!"
A thick blue book appeared above the field, its cover engraved with ancient complex patterns and the symbol of the moon.
The book slowly hovered into the air, like a bright new moon. The yellowed ancient pages seemed to be lifted by a gentle breeze, flipping with a loud rustle, as ancient incantations imbued with majestic magic floated from the pages.
"This card can target one monster on the field, changing it to face-down defense position!"
"'Crimson Nova Trinity the Dark Cubic Lord' cannot be targeted by effects."
"I know," Youyu replied, "So the one I'm changing to face-down defense position is 'Vision Hero Multiply Guy'!"
The magic book's power shot out like invisible chains, forcibly twisting Multiply Guy into a defensive posture, covering it as a face-down card.
Though the Evil God's might is overwhelming, it ultimately does not pierce through effects, and battle-destroying monsters in defense position won't inflict damage. Multiply Guy was crushed along with the card but at least fulfilled his final duty by absorbing the damage.
"However, when the Cubic Evil God attacks, the opponent player's Life Points are halved."
All eyes on the Evil God briefly closed, and upon opening were engulfed in purple blaze. An intense impact exploded in front of Youyu, pain rushing through every corner of his body, yet the stimulation made his mind sharper.
[Youyu, LP 575 →LP 288]
The crowd let out a sigh of relief.
Although the Life Points are dwindling, with only a fragile sliver left like a thin film ready to break, at least Youyu managed to endure.
As long as there are remaining Life Points, there is hope. A true Duelist has a chance to create miracles with every draw.
Z-ONE seemed not at all surprised by Youyu's perseverance to this point: "Then I'll set two more cards face-down and end the turn."
Youyu let out a long breath.
Powering through the last boss spanning three series of Yu-Gi-Oh, while also being the last human at the end of history, Z-ONE was unsurprisingly strong.
Even though he's using "Cubic," he's actually mastering it better than the card deck's original owner, Aigami. If not for the protagonist Yusei boldly cheating in the 5DS finale, with the Red Dragon printing cards like there's no tomorrow, they really might not have been a match for Z-ONE.
Even if the opponent isn't using their original deck, Youyu unmistakably feels their prowess as a Duelist.
But now that this turn has been endured, there is hope for the next turn...
"Even under such circumstances, you still believe you can rewrite the ending, don't you?" Z-ONE suddenly spoke in a murky tone.
Youyu briefly fell silent, then said, "Shouldn't every Duelist hold onto such a belief?"
"Looking at you, at all of you past Duel King leaders, you all remind me of myself... the utterly unsuccessful, completely failed version of myself from the past.
Attempt after attempt, failure after failure. Forever blindly hopeful, baseless arrogance, believing that one's insignificant strength can shake the monumental force known as 'destiny'."
The voice remained cold, feeling as though conversing with a computer, yet filled with weathered experience.
Upon hearing this, Yugi suddenly remembered something: "Wait, are you perhaps... a companion of that last future person?"
Yugi had also faced off against Paradox—although that time it was the royal form playing in his stead—but Yugi had equally grasped the events.
"Hm, it's meaningless." Kaiba crossed his arms, saying coolly, "Destiny doesn't exist! A strong person's destiny is chosen by themselves, crafting the future into any shape with their own hands!
Destiny is merely an excuse sought by the weak and failed!"
President Kaiba waved his large hand, his coat fluttering, unleashing an imposing aura. Kisara stood by, her small eyes shining with admiration for the President, though inwardly she didn't entirely agree with his words.
Destiny, she thought, surely must still exist.
Precisely because of it, she and Seto remained tightly bound across three thousand years of time and space.
Z-ONE's eyes briefly shifted over.
"I truly admire your achievements, Kaiba Seto, your life is a legend," he said, "But regrettably, the future you've crafted is the very beginning of an end.
"You've dedicated your life to making 'Duel Monsters' into the foundation of human civilization, greatly advancing civilization's progress, yet its end is inevitably destruction."
"I thought we'd made this point clear to Paradox," Youyu said, "President Kaiba directed humanity towards progress and a bright future. It is the future people themselves who failed to seize this, it bears no correlation with President Kaiba... or Duel Monsters themselves.
Even if Duel Monsters cease to exist in history, unless humankind itself changes, it still will be...
"Perhaps," Z-ONE said nonchalantly, "I'm well aware of what you told Paradox, that as Duel Kings, you might have brought fundamental change, altering a doomed future."
"You mean we failed?" Youyu raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't say anything," Z-ONE replied calmly, "I merely brought facts."
The mechanical arm of the device on him rose, straightly pointing toward what should have been the movie's Boss, yet now lay like a piece of dried fish on the side, Aigami.
Aigami startled.
What's the deal?
You're having a conversation and a duel, why involve me?
"That 'Prana' boy over there," Z-ONE said, "In some original timeline, he gets corrupted by the 'Millennium Ring.' His power spirals out of control, becoming a world-threatening disaster.
And I saw you changed that, Duel King Youyu. You took away the 'Millennium Ring,' subduing the evil desires dwelling within.
You averted a crisis before it even began, you've made a change."
Youyu was momentarily stunned.
Z-ONE actually knew the original timeline events from the movie?
But on second thought, it sort of made sense.
Z-ONE is a time traveler. He has traveled through time countless times, witnessed countless parallel timelines, likely becoming a historic change maker numerous times personally.
He certainly could see events from the now non-existent history.
Youyu frowned: "Since you know I've altered history, then why..."
"Because it's pointless," Z-ONE said, "I've seen your efforts, witnessed you change many things. But regrettably, that effort is in vain.
Everything you've done amounts to futility. You've given people hope, made them admire you and expect you, led everyone, including yourself, to believe you can make a difference... but in the end, you only lead everyone to disappointment in an even crueler way.
This mirrors precisely the ongoing duel. Your Life Points are nearly depleted, and your hand suffers the same fate. Yet still, your comrades believe you have a chance to turn the tables, right?
The gaze from beneath the mechanical mask seemed to grow even colder.
"Just as those alongside me once believed in me," he said icily, "Now, they are all dead."