Yako Tenma took a deep breath.
He only had 500 Life Points left, and his field was almost empty. On the other side stood the world famous Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning of Duel Monsters, a presence that pushed him to the edge of defeat. Yet his body would not stop trembling.
That feeling had returned. When facing a top opponent and burning everything as a Duelist, the thrill of staking it all made his blood rush. Back then, as Mokuba Kaiba said, his duel with Yugi Muto had freed him from the control of The Three Wicked Gods, but afterward he had hit a wall he could not break.
For years he felt he had reached his limit, unable to move further. That was exactly why he longed for stronger opponents. Only battles against the powerful could force him to grow.
And now, against a mere freshman from Duel Academy, he had found that sensation again. There was no doubt this was an opponent worth unleashing everything for. Though he carried the title of Legendary Duelist and the other was just a student, Yako Tenma had already placed himself in the role of challenger.
He would cross this gap and surpass himself.
"My Turn!, Card Draw!" Yako Tenma declared. "I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed and draw two cards from my Deck!"
After the Card Draw, he narrowed his eyes and a smile rose on his lips. It seemed he had drawn the key to turn this desperate situation around.
"First, I activate the Spell Card Level Calibration!" he said. "I choose one monster on my field and change its Level to any value from 1 to 8!"
It was a card he had once used against Yugi Muto in the manga.
"I choose Netherthorn Amethyst Dragon and raise it to Level 8!"
Netherthorn Amethyst Dragon, LV5 to LV8.
Mokuba Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "A Level adjustment card?"
"That is right. This is the final preparation for the descent of my new power!"
Yako Tenma slowly pulled a card from his hand.
"This is the first time I have used this new power in public. I did not expect it would be in a situation like this."
Yugen frowned slightly. That pose looked suspiciously like he was about to print a new card on the spot.
"But you are an opponent worthy of my full strength. Watch closely, the evolved form of Beast King Barbaros!"
He raised the monster card high before the summon, and wind began to swirl across the field.
"The heartbeat of a divine beast shakes the earth. Crossing the river of time, descend now.
Beast King Barbaros, Summon!"
The ground shook as the beast emerged from the storm. Golden fur shone under the light like a holy mantle, and its sharp eyes cut forward like blades. The lion bodied creature slammed its claws down, sending dust and sand into a spiraling gale.
Beast King Barbaros, Summon.
Yugen glanced at Beast King Barbaros in its new form. Over the years, Yako Tenma had clearly not been idle and had given his ace a new evolution.
Beast King Barbaros, ATK 3000.
"This card is Level 8, but it does not require two Tributes for a Normal Summon. I can Special Summon it by offering monsters on my field whose total Levels equal 8 or more!"
"And once per Once Per Turn, by banishing a Beast King Barbaros monster from my field or Graveyard, I can Destroy up to two cards on your field!"
Mokuba Kaiba was startled. "That is a powerful effect."
"This is the evolved form of Beast King Barbaros. If you think you can defeat my ultimate ace, then try!" Yako Tenma shouted. "I banish Beast King Barbaros from my Graveyard to Destroy Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning and the leftmost card in your Back Row!"
"I respond with Counter Trap, Divine Punishment!" Yugen answered at once. "By discarding one card, I negate that monster's Effect Activation and Destroy it!"
Yako Tenma stiffened. Even at this stage, there was still such a trap hidden.
If Beast King Barbaros were stopped here, he would have no way back. That could not happen.
"Counter Trap, Effect Interference!" Yako Tenma chained from his Back Row. "I discard one card to negate and Destroy a card effect that would Destroy a monster on the field!"
Lightning from Divine Punishment struck a transparent barrier and scattered across its surface. The recoil shattered the trap itself.
The counter succeeded.
"Beast King Barbaros's effect resolves!" Yako Tenma shouted. "Black Luster Soldier and that set card are Destroy!"
Thunder swept across the field, wiping out Yugen's side. Black Luster Soldier exploded under the strike, and the set card flipped up and shattered, revealing Magic Cylinder.
"The card I discarded was the Spell Card Card of Compensation. When it is sent from my hand to the Graveyard, I draw two more cards from my Deck!"
"You even had Magic Cylinder behind Divine Punishment. That was a solid defense," Yako Tenma said. "But now all your defenses are gone."
Even the watching members of the Card Professors felt the duel had reached its conclusion.
"To push Yako Tenma this far as a mere student," Tiramuku commented. "That boy is frightening."
But Yako Tenma did not relax.
Was it over? As long as there were Life Points remaining, he could not lower his guard. This opponent was not ordinary.
He had cleared the visible defenses, but that did not mean there were no counters left.
"I activate the Spell Card Card Exchange!" Yako Tenma declared. "We reveal our hands and each choose one card from the other to add to our own hand!"
The card professors were stunned. Had he not already won?
Why exchange hands now?
"Sharp instinct," Yugen said softly as he revealed his hand.
Yako Tenma narrowed his eyes.
As expected.
Swift Scarecrow.
A hand trap that could be discarded to block direct attack damage.
"He still had an answer in hand," someone gasped.
"Yako Tenma even calculated that," another murmured.
"Then I take Swift Scarecrow from your hand," Yako Tenma said.
"Then I will take General Gib," Yugen replied.
It was a Level 6 Fiend with 2200 ATK, a card Yako Tenma had used before. There had been no better choice in his hand.
"He even stripped away the defense in your hand," Mokuba Kaiba muttered.
He glanced again at Yugen. Was this the end?
"Beast King Barbaros attacks directly!" Yako Tenma shouted, raising his arm.
This was the finishing blow, his final strike.
Yet he felt something was off. Even after all this, perhaps he was still one step short.
Just as Beast King Barbaros's attack was about to land, a burst of electricity erupted on Yugen's side of the field. A transparent magnetic barrier formed and repelled the charging beast.
"From my Graveyard, the effect of Electromagnetic Turtle. Once only, during the opponent's Battle Phase, I can banish it to end that Battle Phase."
Yako Tenma let out a slow breath. He felt no surprise.
"When was it sent to the Graveyard?" he asked.
"Morphing Jar," Yugen replied.
"I see. You set up that deep defense long ago."
He smiled and shook his head.
"Then my My Turn! ends."