"People from your time might think that history is fragile. Some may tell you that time is like a delicate piece of art, beautiful but very fragile. Even the slightest change might lead to a massive ripple."
"But they are all wrong."
"Time is far from being fragile... It's even quite stubborn, you could say."
"You try your best to hurt it, to reshape it. You flap your wings, trying to topple known history through a chain reaction of the butterfly effect.
But the truth is, you try to change the past, to rewrite the destined history. Yet when you return to the future, you always face the same scene...alongside your own failure."
Z-ONE clearly narrates his own experience—his countless journeys through time to rewrite history but was ultimately unable to change the doomed outcome.
Yet his voice remains calm, as if he were just an observer, telling a story that has nothing to do with him.
Youyu opened his mouth to say something but was immediately interrupted.
"You don't need to explain anything to me, nor try to convince me," Z-ONE said coldly, "You are powerless to change the fact I'm telling you, just as you are powerless to win this duel.
You will disappoint all those who have expectations of you, the story's ending will always be the same."
Youyu simply chose to remain silent.
As this "pseudo-world protagonist," he wasn't good at negotiating with words—that's a talent only the true protagonist can wield. He also didn't think he could convince Z-ONE to change his mind; his opponent's determination was likely beyond anyone's imagination.
So there was only one thing he could do.
Focus on playing cards.
And he had no room for holding back.
"My turn!"
Youyu's fingers touched the Card Deck.
Power surged through his entire body, an impulse like a galloping army roared along his veins. He felt a dormant "force" awakening, a faint blue storm appeared in front of him.
Skill: Divine Wrath, activate!
In the duel, only once, when Life Points are below 1000, as a substitute for a normal draw, add an "Obelisk the Tormentor" from the Card Deck to the hand!
A card, along with a strong wind pressure, was drawn from the Duel Disc, the intense pressure making it hard to breathe.
Z-ONE calmly watched his actions as though everything was as predicted.
"Flip Cover Card."
Youyu waved his hand and flipped the Trap Card that last turn was set on the field via the opponent's "Red Reboot" effect.
"Trap Card—Reckless Greed. At the cost of skipping your next two draw phases, draw two cards from the Card Deck."
Two cards were drawn, and without hesitation, Youyu slid both into the Duel Disc.
"First, set two cards on the field and then activate the Magic Card 'Painful Choice.' Until you have five cards in hand, draw from the Card Deck."
"Skipping the next two draw phases, ready to risk everything are we?" Z-ONE commented, "I've been in such moments too—reckless, betting everything.
There were times of success, you win cheers, you win hope."
His tone shifted.
"...But you cannot bear the consequences of failure—even just one single failure."
Youyu still didn't respond: "Flip the set card, Magic Card 'E Emergency Call,' add Elemental Hero from the Card Deck to the hand. I add 'Elemental Hero Airman' to my hand.
Then flip another Set Card, Magic Card 'Foolish Burial,' select a Monster Card from the Card Deck to send to the Graveyard. I send 'Makyura the Destructor' to the Graveyard."
Watching a Monster Card sent from the Card Deck to the Graveyard, Youyu's deck was quickly shuffled. Z-ONE still had no reaction.
"Summon 'Elemental Hero Airman!'"
[Elemental Hero Airman, Attack Power 1800]
"Airman's effect, upon summoning, adds a 'Hero' monster from the Card Deck to the hand. I add another 'Vision Hero Faris' to my hand."
Next would be the Hero Deck's expansion engraved in DNA.
"I discard a 'Hero' monster in hand, Special Summon 'Vision Hero Faris!'"
[Vision Hero Faris, Attack Power 1600]
"Faris's effect, place 'Vision Hero Increase' from the Card Deck in the Magic and Trap Zone." Youyu revealed Increase drawn from the Card Deck, "Then I sacrifice 'Vision Hero Faris' to Special Summon 'Vision Hero Increase' from the Trap Zone."
[Vision Hero Increase, Attack Power 900]
"Increase's effect, Special Summon 'Vision Hero Vyon' from the Card Deck!"
[Vision Hero Vyon, Attack Power 1000]
Z-ONE's gaze slowly swept over the field: "Three Heroes present... Is it finally coming?"
"Activating the Quick-Play Magic 'Thunderspeed Summon' from my hand!" (Anime Card)
Youyu inserted the card into the Duel Disc.
"With this effect, I can Normal Summon a monster from my hand."
In the anime, Yuki Judai used this Quick-Play Magic. Although it is similar to the Magic Card 'Double Summon', because it's a Quick-Play Magic, this card even allows you to summon monsters during the opponent's turn or Battle Phase, making it superior to 'Double Summon' in every aspect.
"I offer 'Elemental Hero Airman', 'Vision Hero Increase', and 'Vision Hero Vyon' as tributes!"
The Heroes were each engulfed by a white whirlwind, transforming into blue beams and soaring into the sky one by one.
Under the steel dome of the stadium, black clouds appeared, as if slashed through by a tremendously sharp weapon, the scars reaching across the sky. The ominous thunder sounded like dense explosions, and a presence of great power rapidly approached from the space behind the clouds.
A massive shadow descended, like a heavy hammer smashing the floor to pieces—Youyu was quite sure the president wouldn't make him pay for the damage.
The blue giant stood towering, lofty, the crimson eyes seeming to reflect a crumbling and fragile world.
Obelisk the Tormentor, summon!
[Obelisk the Tormentor, Attack Power 4000]
Those around Youyu knew he could summon the Egyptian God, so no one was surprised. Even Z-ONE, directly facing the power of the God, simply looked up with calm composure, unfazed by the gaze of the Egyptian God.
Throughout the audience, only Aigami, thrown aside and evidently indifferent, exclaimed in astonishment, "Obelisk! Impossible! The Egyptian God that returned to the Netherworld with the Pharaoh, how can it possibly...!?"
It's one thing for Kaiba to pull the Egyptian God from the Pharaoh's grave, but where the heck did you pull it from?
"Obelisk, the legendary Egyptian God that represents the pinnacle of Duel Monsters," Z-ONE remarked, "But some things, even the Gods cannot alter.
Obelisk's attack power is only 4000, not enough to surpass the power of the Dark Cubic Evil God."
"I know," Youyu replied, "Activating the Magic Card 'Over Destiny' from my hand! Choose a 'Destiny Hero' in the graveyard and Special Summon a 'Destiny Hero' from the deck that is half the level of the chosen monster.
I choose the level six 'Destiny Hero Malicious' from the graveyard and Special Summon the level one 'Destiny Hero Disk Commander' from the deck!"
[Destiny Hero Disk Commander, Attack Power 300]
"Next, the effect of Malicious in the graveyard!" Youyu said, "Banish Malicious from the game to Special Summon a card with the same name from the deck.
Appear now! Destiny Hero Malicious!"
[Destiny Hero Malicious, Attack Power 800]
"Youyu has two monsters on the field!" Yugi remarked.
Jonouchi's eyes lit up: "With Obelisk's ability..."
Obelisk the Tormentor has two special abilities. However, the ultimate ability 'Soul Energy MAX' either requires other Egyptian Gods as sacrifices, or the extreme anger of Obelisk itself to be used.
Previously, in the battle against Atem's "Millennium Intelligence," because the opponent used a phantom of the Egyptian God, Obelisk was extremely angry and therefore able to freely activate this ability. But now, since the Egyptian God emerged for a brief moment after the Pharaoh left the real world and appears to be in a good mood, it doesn't meet the activation conditions...
But it doesn't matter.
"I offer Destiny Hero Malicious and Destiny Hero Disk Commander as tributes!" Youyu raised his hand, "Obelisk's special ability activates!
Using two monsters as sacrifices, destroy all monsters on the opponent's field, delivering 4000 points of damage to the opposing player!"
The Destiny Heroes transformed into blue electric charges, powering the enormous fist of the Egyptian God. The Egyptian God raised its fist, the air roared with upheaval. The Egyptian God swung a punch, and where the fist wind reached, the land exploded violently, high heat waves erupting like deep blue lava from the cracks, as if a grand celebration was occurring in Hell.
The divine power stormed through, engulfing half of the opponent's field. The Evil God Cubic trembled violently under the mighty divine power, forced to plunge all its blades into the floor to keep its body from being blown away.
The destructive power struck its twisted steel body hard, causing all its eyeballs to protrude, its steel arms like whips pulled straight by the mighty force, and the tough shell of its body emitted a soft whimper.
Z-ONE still made no movement, until the divine fist force pressed down like Mount Tai, the tide of energy engulfing him completely.
Fist of Fate Shock Wave!!!
[Z-ONE, LP 400 → LP 0]
Youyu watched as that steel gray shell was swallowed like a conch by the tide, saw Z-ONE's Life Points rapidly plummet until the number became "0," a cold and unfeeling digit, devoid of any fluctuation.
...Won?
The dueling field suddenly fell silent. Youyu heard his own heavy breathing, could hear his heart pounding wildly as if it was lodged in his ears.
But it seems like it's truly over. No matter what, Z-ONE's Life Points were reduced to zero, he has lost, which is the undeniable rule of dueling, unless...
Youyu's pupils narrowed slightly.
He saw slim and strong arms tear through the smokescreen, the cubic monster with a spherical body standing firmly on the field. Chains of light extended from the monster's back, directly linking to Z-ONE whose Life Points were zero, as if binding the monster and the master as one.
[Duza the Meteor Cubic Vessel, Attack Power 1600]
"I activated the Trap Card - Relay Soul," Z-ONE said coolly, "Only when Life Points become 0 can it be activated. Special Summon one monster from the hand onto the field, as long as the Special Summoned monster remains on the field, I will not be defeated.
However, if the monster leaves the field, that will be my defeat in the duel." (Anime Effect)