Dark Paladin's blade glimmered with dense black light—an executioner's glow—ready to carve through everything in front of it.
"No… Seto's—" Kisaragi almost shut her eyes—
"Counter Trap—Negate Attack!" Kaiba's voice cracked through the wind like a whip. "That attack is negated, and the Battle Phase ends!"
"What?!" Yami Yugi's pupils tightened.
"What's wrong, Yugi?" Kaiba sneered, chin raised. "Weren't you going to finish me this turn?"
"Hmph. Typical of you," Yami Yugi said, forcing calm into his tone. "My turn ends." (Cards in hand: 0)
"Tch… So close," Joey muttered.
Kisaragi's eyes snapped to him—cold enough to freeze breath. Joey's spine stiffened. He swallowed and shut up on the spot.
"My turn!"
Kaiba's thoughts churned.
One card in hand. He has a 5400-ATK monster on the field. What do I do?
For the first time—outside of Kisaragi—Kaiba felt pressure bite into his ribs.
Down below, Kisaragi's gaze pinned the deck in Kaiba's hands.
Only one card breaks this. The one I slipped into his deck…Can you actually draw it?
"Draw!"
Kaiba pulled a single card—looked at it—
His eyes widened.
"This is…?!"
Kisaragi's voice was barely a whisper. "Seto… you got it. The salvation card."
Kaiba's mind flashed back to the day before—the quiet creak of his room door, the faint scent of her shampoo, the way she'd moved like she belonged there—
He glanced down at her.
Was it you?
Kisaragi didn't speak. She simply nodded once.
The uncertainty inside Kaiba shattered. Light returned to his eyes—sharp, ruthless, absolute.
"Hahah… hahahaha!" Kaiba laughed, the sound rising over the arena. "Yugi—this duel is decided right now!"
Yami Yugi's body went taut.
That reaction… even he didn't expect that card. Did Kisaragi…?
"Take this! I activate the Quick-Play Spell—Ultimate Fusion!"
"Ultimate Fusion?!" Yami Yugi's expression tightened.
Kaiba didn't look away from his opponent, but his voice softened for a heartbeat.
"Kisaragi… thanks."
Then the edge returned.
"Ultimate Fusion lets me return fusion materials from my hand, field, and Graveyard to the Deck, then Fusion Summon a monster that lists 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' or 'Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon' as material!"
"I return my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons on the field to the Deck!"
A violent spiral of white light tore open above Kaiba's board—three dragon silhouettes folding into one massive presence.
"Fusion Summon—Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon (ATK 4500 / DEF 3800)
Yami Yugi's eyes flicked to Dark Paladin.
"And because my three Blue-Eyes left the field…" Kaiba said, voice like steel. "Your Dark Paladin loses 1500 ATK."
Dark Paladin (ATK 4400 / DEF 2400)
"Even if you destroy Dark Paladin this turn, I still won't lose," Yami Yugi said quickly, clinging to the turn structure. "I can survive."
Kaiba's smile didn't reach his eyes.
"You really think so?"
"What—?"
Kaiba lifted the card again, as if it were a verdict.
"Ultimate Fusion has another effect. After Fusion Summoning, I can destroy up to the number of Blue-Eyes White Dragons / Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragons used as material—that many face-up cards your opponent controls."
"I used three Blue-Eyes as material."
"So I destroy three of your cards."
Yami Yugi's breath hitched.
"No way…"
"I destroy Eternal Soul, Forced End, and Dark Paladin!"
"Bang—bang—bang!"
Three explosions of light. Eternal Soul's stone slab shattered. Forced End crumbled. Dark Paladin disintegrated—its sword's black glow extinguished mid-swing.
The spectators went pale.
"If Ultimate Dragon attacks now, Yugi's—" Tristan started.
"Yugi!" Téa screamed.
Even Marik, who'd seen more rare cards than most people saw birthdays, stared. "That card… I've never—"
Ishizu's voice came out thin. "Is the Pharaoh's fate… ending here?"
Kaiba's laughter returned, cruel and victorious.
"Hahahaha! Yugi—fall into the abyss with your 'ancient memories'!"
"Battle! Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, direct attack—Ultimate Burst Stream of Destruction!"
Three heads fired in unison—pure white annihilation.
"I win!" Kaiba shouted.
The blast was inches from Yami Yugi—
A small black pig-shaped spirit popped into existence, like a grotesque charm, and swallowed the impact.
Kaiba's eyes snapped wide.
"What is that?!"
Kisaragi answered instantly, tight-fisted.
"Boarbow's One Toss."
Yami Yugi's voice cut in, calm but hard.
"When you used Gradual Life Decrease, besides discarding Dark Magician, I also sent Boarbow's One Toss to the Graveyard. While it's in the Graveyard, I can banish it to negate one monster's attack."
Kisaragi's fingers curled until her knuckles whitened.
Damn it… not now.
She knew the pattern. If Kaiba couldn't end it here, the Pharaoh would do what he always did—
draw the impossible.
Kaiba ground his teeth.
"Set one card. End my turn." (Cards in hand: 0)
Across the field, Yami Yugi stared at the three-headed dragon with a grim stillness.
"No hand. No cards on the field. One draw decides everything…"
He closed his eyes, palm resting on his deck.
"My turn… draw!"
A faint light shimmered around him—subtle, but unmistakable to the one person who understood it.
Ishizu's eyes widened.
"That glow—!"
Marik snapped, "Sister?!"
"The Pharaoh…" Ishizu whispered. "He's showing his power."
Yami Yugi didn't even look at the card.
The moment he drew it, he slammed it down.
"I activate Card of Sanctity! Both players draw until they have six cards in hand!"
Six points of light fell like a verdict from the heavens, sinking into both decks.
Kisaragi's brow tightened.
Of course. Of course he drew it.
Yami Yugi looked at his fresh hand—then smiled.
"Kaiba… our duel of fate can finally reach its true conclusion."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 165)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter220)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter125)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter250)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 220
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 185
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 248
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 230
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 125
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 145
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 115
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 110
My Harem Is Indescribable 100
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 105
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 67
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 80
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 85
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 78
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 80
Checking In in Demon Slayer 85
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 100
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 85
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 80
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 90
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 75
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 80
Why did they assign me to Uma 75
MYGO Beauties 70
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 70
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 80
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 80
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 57
The Uma Musume Who Became 55
I'm Definitely Not the King of 60
After Maxing Out Every Class 45
Naruto: I'm Konoha's Local Men 35
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 34
I, the Elden Sword Saint 27
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 24
No One Knows Pokémon Better 18
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 20
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