Chapter 356: The Strongest Dragon-Type After Evolution
"My Turn, Draw Card!"
Kaiba coldly glanced at Hayato, flipping the card in his hand. "I Activate the Spell Card [Card of Demise]! I draw cards from my Deck until I have five cards in my hand. As a cost, during the Standby Phase of the fifth turn after [Card of Demise] is activated, I must discard my entire hand."
"What's the difference between that and having no cost?" Hayato muttered, but after Kaiba drew five cards into his hand, his expression turned serious. He felt the presence of Kaiba's God Card—[Obelisk the Tormentor].
"I Activate the Spell Card [Trade-In]! I send the Level 8 [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] from my hand to the Graveyard. Then I Activate the Spell Card [De-Fusion]! I de-fuse [Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon] on my field and Special Summon two [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] from my Graveyard."
After drawing two cards, Kaiba used [De-Fusion]. It was at this moment that Hayato flipped his Set Card in his Backrow: "Then, chaining to your [De-Fusion], I also Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card [De-Fusion]!"
Acting before Kaiba's [De-Fusion], Hayato's [De-Fusion] took effect first, removing [Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon] from the field, just as Joey Wheeler had done to Kaiba's [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] in their previous Duel.
But seeing Hayato flip the Set Card [De-Fusion], Kaiba instead revealed a smug smile and snorted: "Hmph, Kobayashi Hayato, do you think I wouldn't learn my lesson and guard against such a childish move? The same move won't work on me twice!"
Hayato retorted: "That's not it. I just thought you were a Saint Seiya who wandered into the wrong show."
The power of [De-Fusion] dissipated, and Kaiba immediately played the card in his hand: "I Activate the Spell Card [Fusion Recovery]! I add one [Fusion] Spell Card and one Fusion Material Monster that was sent to the Graveyard by a Fusion Summon from my Graveyard to my hand. I choose the first [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]."
"Next is the Spell Card [Dark Factory of Mass Production]! I add the other two [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] from my Graveyard to my hand!"
Seeing this, Joey Wheeler couldn't help but widen his eyes and said nervously: "Oh, no, Kaiba has gathered three [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] in his hand again, plus a [Fusion] Spell Card!"
"He's going to Summon [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] again!"
Clearly, Kaiba's [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] had left a deep impression on Joey Wheeler; after all, it was an incredibly powerful Monster with 4500 Attack Points. Even [Obelisk the Tormentor] without its effect activated seemed slightly inferior in comparison.
With Joey Wheeler shouting that out, even Hayato felt a slight headache looking at Kaiba's hand, which had returned to six cards. Among Kaiba's six cards at this moment, Hayato could sense the definite presence of [Obelisk the Tormentor]. Of the remaining five cards, three were [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] and one was [Fusion]. In other words, Kaiba still had one hidden card that hadn't been revealed.
Just as Hayato had told Kaiba last turn, the threat of an invincible Duel Monster whose effects are completely exposed is far less than that of a Monster whose effects are completely unknown. By the same logic, like the case of [Exodia], the threat of revealed hand cards is far less than the threat of deeply hidden cards.
Kaiba's Deck wouldn't include several copies of [De-Fusion]. Even if he Fusion Summoned [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] with a [Fusion] Spell Card, without [De-Fusion] to gather three Tributes, no matter how strong [Obelisk the Tormentor] is, it would just be a brick if it couldn't be brought onto the field.
As for [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], Hayato wasn't as concerned about it as Joey Wheeler was. It was just a Vanilla Monster with a high Attack of 4500 points but no protection.
Subconsciously, Hayato forgot that Kaiba had just performed Card Creation for [Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon], and that there were other possibilities besides [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] for the Fusion of three [Blue-Eyes White Dragon].
"With this new form, the strongest Dragon-Type after evolution, I will send you to hell to repent for your contempt towards me, Hayato!" Grasping the four cards in his hand—three [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] and one [Fusion]—Kaiba raised his hand high.
As he did so, behind him, three [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] appeared simultaneously, soaring into the sky. Under Hayato's stunned gaze, the three white Dragons flying side-by-side circled closer and fused together!
Hayato was all too familiar with this method of Fusion!
"Fusion Summon!"
"Appear now, [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]!!!"
A new [Blue-Eyes] appeared on the field, distinctly different in form from the four-clawed [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]. Its wings on its back became wider, even replacing its original two front claws. Its three heads were covered in blue patterns, as if the power within couldn't be suppressed and was overflowing from beneath the skin.
[Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon][Level 12/LIGHT]
[Dragon-Type/Fusion/Effect]
[4500/3800]
"[Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], the strongest Dragon-Type after evolution..." Hayato truly hadn't expected that Kaiba would adapt so quickly after learning Card Creation, even managing a second instance of Card Creation within a single Duel.
This guy isn't going to print [Deep-Eyes White Dragon], [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon], and the like next, is he?
Kaiba burst into laughter upon the appearance of [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]: "This is the strongest form of [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]! This is the strongest Monster I Summoned, betting everything!"
"Resilient! Invincible! Strongest!!"
"Now fall into the abyss of defeat, Hayato!" Kaiba laughed maniacally and swung his hand forward fiercely, "First, starting with that [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] on the field!"
"First Attack!"
At Kaiba's command, the left head of [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] raised its neck high, and dazzling light gathered in its mouth.
Swallow, then spit out!
The stream of light instantly engulfed [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] on the field, which only had 2600 attack points!
"Yikes!"
After destroying [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion], the aftermath of [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]'s attack pushed Hayato back a long distance, almost knocking him out of the Duel Field.
[Hayato: 4000 → 2100 LP]
Just as Joey Wheeler in the audience seats outside the field was about to cheer for Hayato having endured the attack from the clearly formidable [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] Kaiba had Summoned, Ishizu Ishtar saw a part of the future through the [Millennium Necklace].
"When that [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] attacked just now, it indeed only used one head to attack! It has the special ability to attack three times!"
As soon as Ishizu Ishtar said this, Joey Wheeler was startled: "Attack three times? A Monster with 4500 Attack Points attacking three times in one go?! That's cheating! Even Keith the Thief's [Barrel Dragon] could only attack up to three times by coin toss."
"In that case, Hayato!" Yugi Mutou was also shocked to hear Ishizu Ishtar's words and couldn't help but look at Hayato's field.
After the only [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] was destroyed, there were no monsters left on the field for Hayato!
"Hmphahaha, now there's no Monster that can protect you, Hayato!" Kaiba laughed maniacally, shouting Hayato's name, "[Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] has the special ability to attack three times! Take this direct attack totaling 9000 attack points!"
"Second Attack!"
This time it was the turn of the head on the right side of [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]. A dragon breath that showed no sign of weakening compared to the previous attack surged towards Hayato again!
"Boom!"
The exceptionally powerful stream of light instantly engulfed Hayato, who was empty on the field. But just as the smoke and dust from the explosion obscured the view, Yugi Mutou heard a "Kuri" sound amidst the roar of the explosion.
It was the sound of the [Rainbow Kuriboh] that Hayato possessed.
Yugi Mutou couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Seeing the excited Joey Wheeler beside him, he comforted him: "Don't worry, Joey Wheeler, Hayato is very strong. It's still too early to defeat him with just this level of battle."
And sure enough, just as Kaiba, who hadn't heard of the "no damage in smoke" rule, was about to declare his victory, Hayato's strong voice came from the rapidly dissipating smoke and dust: "That was close, that was close. I was almost taken down by Seto."
In front of Hayato, the figure of [Rainbow Kuriboh] was gradually fading and becoming transparent. Before leaving, it let out a "Kuri Kuri" cry and raised its hand towards the [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] on the field.
"When [Rainbow Kuriboh] exists in the Graveyard, because your [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] declared a direct attack on me, the one existing in the Graveyard is Special Summoned to my field in Defense Position. [Rainbow Kuriboh] Special Summoned by this effect is banished if it leaves the field," Hayato explained. "You saved me again, Aibo."
"Kuriboh, Hayato's Kuriboh actually jumped out to take the hit by itself! It moved on its own!" Mokuba in the audience seats exclaimed, "Duel Monsters are really incredible!"
"That's so touching, sacrificing itself to protect Hayato! That's the bond between Duel Monsters and Duelists!" Joey Wheeler also looked deeply moved, "Such a kind [Rainbow Kuriboh] must have been telling [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] just now that it and its Master wouldn't yield."
Yugi Mutou hesitated to speak. After some consideration, everyone around was moved by [Rainbow Kuriboh]'s protective action towards its Master. It was probably better not to mention that "[Rainbow Kuriboh] was actually cursing at [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] and flipping it off to provoke it" and ruin the atmosphere.
"Another lackey-like Monster. You won't show your true strength, yet you refuse to be struck down into the abyss of defeat. You're making things very difficult for me, Kobayashi Hayato!"
Unlike the others, Kaiba was not moved by [Rainbow Kuriboh]'s spontaneous act of protection. Although he didn't understand what [Rainbow Kuriboh] said, he felt annoyed, believing that its final words were definitely not good. He ordered again: "Now I'll see what other moves you have!"
"[Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], use your final full power attack to secure the victory!"
"Hyper Neutron Blast!!"
The only head of [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] that hadn't attacked yet began to brew its final attack. Seeing [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]'s third attack about to strike, Hayato also flipped the only Set Card in his Backrow: "I Activate the Trap Card [Dark Dimension Liberation]!"
"Targeting one DARK Attribute Monster of mine that is banished, I Special Summon it! Return, [Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight]!"
Facing the second direct attack from the 4500 Attack Point [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], taking over from [Rainbow Kuriboh] was another of Hayato's Ace Card, [Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight].
Its sharp lance was instantly melted by the dragon breath, proving fragile. [Gaia], facing the high temperature within the stream of light with composure, like a tough guy, didn't utter a sound. It just turned its head, gave Hayato a thumb, and was then destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.
"Hmph, that routine again." Kaiba frowned slightly, quite annoyed that his confident attack had been blocked again.
Looking at the card in his hand, Kaiba Set one card and said: "Because [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] used its ability to attack three times, at the end of this Battle Phase, [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] will be destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. I Set a card. My turn ends here."
A Set Card appeared in Kaiba's Backrow. At the same time, the [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] on the field, which had exerted immense presence, shed snowflake-like particles all over its body and disappeared from the field.
[Kaiba: 1300 LP, Hand 1]
[Set Card]
Watching [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] disappear, Hayato took a deep breath and said: "It seems you are quite obsessed with achieving complete victory in Duel Monsters, Kaiba."
"Isn't that what Duelists pursue?" Kaiba retorted, his face displaying a confident expression like a King leading his army to surround an enemy fortress and about to achieve victory, despite his field being empty.
Hayato nodded: "You're right."
"You said earlier that you wanted me to go all out in this Duel, right? I'll apologize first. You are a considerably powerful Duelist, and not using my full power before was indeed a disregard towards you." As he spoke, Hayato placed his finger on the Duel Disk, "As an apology, I'll let you see the Dragon at the peak of my Deck!"
"My Turn, Draw Card!"
Drawing the card, Hayato played it after just one glance: "I Activate the Spell Card [Dimension Fusion]! I pay 2000 Life Points! Both players Special Summon their banished monsters to their respective fields!"
"You're actually paying a full 2000 Life Points in one go?!" Kaiba on the opposite field frowned, "Your Life Points are only 2100. After paying the cost for this card, you'll only have the last 100 left."
"Recklessly paying your own Life Points, are you seeking your own death?!"
"Heh heh, as long as it brings me victory, you can take my Life Points,"
[Hayato: 2100 → 100 LP]
His Life Points plummeted to three digits, but Hayato's expression remained calm, "Besides, as long as they aren't reduced to zero, a Duelist's Life Points are infinite!"
"Hmph, that's your freedom. But no matter what Monster you Summon, you won't defeat my invincible [Blue-Eyes]. Or perhaps, you think my field is actually empty?" Kaiba sneered and flipped his Set Card in the Backrow, "I Activate my Set Card [Graverobber]! I pay 1000 Life Points to gain the right to use one card from my opponent's Graveyard!"
"The one I choose is the [Dragon's Mirror] you used earlier to Summon [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion]!"
[Kaiba: 1300 → 300 LP]
As Kaiba's Life Points decreased, the appearance of the [Graverobber] in Kaiba's hand changed, actually transforming into Hayato's [Dragon's Mirror]!
"You say I'm recklessly paying Life Points, but you're doing the same, Kaiba." Hayato muttered, watching Kaiba take his [Dragon's Mirror] from the Graveyard. At the same time, he saw through Kaiba's plan.
"When the card excavated by [Graverobber] is a Spell/Trap Card, its effect can be activated immediately. I will similarly banish the Fusion Material Monsters specified by the Fusion Monster from the Graveyard and Fusion Summon a Dragon-Type Monster."
Kaiba's lips curled into a smile: "The one I will Summon is, of course, [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]!"
"Be banished from the game temporarily, my [Blue-Eyes]!"
An exaggeratedly large [Dragon's Mirror] appeared in Kaiba's Backrow. From his Graveyard, the transparent soul forms of three [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] were absorbed into the mirror world. Accompanied by three overlapping dragon roars, the giant [Dragon's Mirror] shattered with a crash, and the large body of [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] appeared from the mirror world!
"Roar!!" While roaring, [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]'s feet landed on the ground. The power of the [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] that existed in Kaiba's Graveyard actually reappeared and attached itself to [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]?!
Not only that, after resolving the effect of the [Dragon's Mirror] stolen by [Graverobber], the effect of [Dimension Fusion] that Hayato had activated earlier began to resolve!
"Come forth, [Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders]! [Armed Dragon Thunder LV5]! [Armed Dragon Thunder LV7]! [Armed Dragon Thunder LV10]! And [Rainbow Kuriboh]!"
A wormhole leading to another dimension opened above the Duel Arena. From that hole, Hayato's five Monsters appeared simultaneously.
[Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders][DEF 3000]
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV10][ATK 3000]
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV7][ATK 2800]
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV5][ATK 2400]
[Rainbow Kuriboh][DEF 100]
Kaiba's side was not to be outdone. Beside the large [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], three slightly smaller [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] landed on the field for Kaiba.
[Dimension Fusion] is a card that allows both players to Special Summon as many banished monsters as possible. At the start of this turn, Kaiba had no banished monsters at all, so Hayato activating [Dimension Fusion] wouldn't give him any advantage.
[Graverobber] targeting [Dragon's Mirror], then using [Dragon's Mirror] to banish three [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] from the Graveyard, and then using [Dimension Fusion] to Special Summon the three Blue-Eyes to the field—one has to say, this move by Kaiba was excellent.
However, what puzzled the onlookers was that Kaiba, contrary to his usual behavior, Special Summoned all his Monsters, whether it was [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] or [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], in Defense Position?
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon][DEF 2500]
[Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon][DEF 3800]
"Brother, who always advocates that a strong attack is the best strategy, actually chose to Special Summon his Monsters in the relatively weak Defense Position?"
Let alone others, even Kaiba's younger brother Mokuba couldn't quite understand why Kaiba chose to Summon his Monsters in the relatively weak Defense Position.
The attack of [Armed Dragon Thunder LV10] on the field for Hayato is 3000 points. Although its ability to gain effects based on attack couldn't be used because it was Special Summoned by the effect of [Dimension Fusion] and not by the effect of an [Armed Dragon] Monster, it's important to remember that the [Armed Dragon Shockwave] in Hayato's Backrow hadn't moved.
If he used the effect of [Armed Dragon Shockwave] to increase the attack of [Armed Dragon Thunder LV10], its attack would rise to 4000 points, which still wouldn't be able to destroy the 4500 Attack Point [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] on the field for Kaiba.
However, Kaiba specifically Summoned [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] in Defense Position. Its 3800 Defense points is just enough to be destroyed by [Armed Dragon Thunder LV10]!
Most others couldn't understand why Kaiba would do this, but Yugi Mutou saw the reason for Kaiba's choice of defense.
"The strongest Dragon, not Dragon-Type but Dragon. The Monsters Hayato is about to Summon are those two, right?"
Hayato also knew the reason for Kaiba's actions, but he just smiled slightly: "The battle has reached this point, not only our Life Points, but also our hands are running low. In that case, I Activate the Spell Card [Card of Demise]!"
Although he had repeatedly complained about the overly powerful card drawing/cycling card [Heavenly Gift Card] needing to be limited when Dueling Yugi Mutou, the double-standard Hayato still included three copies of [Card of Demise] in his Deck and had drawn one of them last turn.
Kaiba and Hayato both replenished their hands to six cards. Compared to Kaiba, who still had one card that was 1000% [Obelisk the Tormentor], the empty-handed Hayato drew one more card than him.
As Hayato drew the card, Kaiba and Yugi Mutou both stared at one of Hayato's hand cards. On the card, an invisible presence equal to that of [Obelisk the Tormentor] was spreading.
In fact, even before drawing it, Hayato had felt the aura of a God Card coming from the very top of his Deck. This was why he said he was going to Summon the "strongest Dragon".
However, after drawing the card and seeing that God Card, Hayato was also stunned.
Because he found that what he drew was not at all the [The Winged Dragon of Ra] that he had just sensed, which had powerful and useful effects and could be trusted,
Why was it [Slime Token]?!?!
Chapter 357: Osiris, Disliked by Others
Looking at the [Osiris the Traitor Dragon] in his hand, Hayato was somewhat bewildered.
When did he add this to his Deck?! And the feeling just now was clearly [The Winged Dragon of Ra]!
"Roar—!"
Just then, Hayato heard a low dragon roar coming from the [Osiris the Traitor Dragon] card in his hand. Although not as fluent as Kuriboh Language, Hayato could roughly understand what [Osiris the Traitor Dragon] meant.
"You're saying you were the one who pushed out [The Winged Dragon of Ra], which I was about to draw?!"
"Roar roar!"
[Osiris the Traitor Dragon]'s voice sounded somewhat smug. "Roar! Roar—roar~"
"'This Great One thinks you, who can defeat the Pharaoh, still have some potential. If you prostrate yourself before This Great One, This Great One can reluctantly make a move for you'? Who needs help from a liability like you!"
"Roar!"
[Osiris the Traitor Dragon] seemed to be refuting that it wasn't a liability, and that its name was [Slifer the Sky Dragon], not [Osiris the Traitor Dragon]. However, the protest was invalid.
Feeling the card at the very top of his Deck, Hayato helplessly found that [The Winged Dragon of Ra] was actually very close to him, but just out of reach until the next draw.
Glancing at the four [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] on Kaiba's Field, Hayato also complained to the [Osiris the Traitor Dragon] in his hand with a bit of a headache, "Why did I draw you? And precisely after Kaiba has already summoned his monsters. If you can't use the 'Thunder Force' with the strongest Suppression Power, what good are you, you liability?"
Adding insult to injury, in this round's hand replenishment, besides [Osiris the Traitor Dragon], Hayato didn't draw a single monster. There were five cards of various colors, and because of the effect of [Dimension Fusion] earlier, his Field was already completely filled with monsters.
So, should he summon [Osiris the Traitor Dragon] or not?
Although Hayato kept trying to convince himself—
[Osiris the Traitor Dragon] is the Sky, ah, no, [Slifer the Sky Dragon] is a traitor. Anyone other than the Pharaoh who dares to use it will lose miserably. Even the Pharaoh was trapped by it and suffered a total defeat.
—But, it's a god!
[Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s Attack depends on the Hand. Using cards from his hand to decrease its Attack is very disadvantageous.
—But, it's a god!
[The Winged Dragon of Ra] in his Deck was expressing its dissatisfaction, and by the sound of it, it was almost crying.
—But, it's a god!
Seriously, can anyone really refuse the temptation of summoning a god?
Let alone others, even the veteran Dragon enthusiast, President Kaiba, has more than once performed a six-for-one operation of Tributing his three wives on the Field to summon a God Card—I mean [Obelisk the Tormentor]. I'm just exchanging three monsters with the lowest Combat Power for a powerful combat power, yes, it's perfectly reasonable.
Thinking this, Hayato successfully managed to convince himself.
"I offer [Armed Dragon Thunder LV5], [Rainbow Kuriboh], and [Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders] from my Field as tributes!" Hayato raised the [Slifer the Sky Dragon] card above his head. "I really can't think of a summoning chant for this guy, I must summon the god immediately!"
"Appear, [Slifer the Sky Dragon]!"
As [Rainbow Kuriboh] and [Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders], whose sizes were at two extremes, disappeared, [Armed Dragon Thunder LV5] also vanished with a look of relief. Being squeezed between the two evolved forms put it under considerable pressure. After all, both [Armed Dragon Thunder LV7] and [Armed Dragon Thunder LV10] had Attack of over 2500 points, which was just enough to destroy a [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] in Defense Position.
Except for [Armed Dragon Thunder LV5], its Attack was only 2400 points, comparable to a certain unnamed Black Dragon known as the "Salted Fish Eye" due to its weakness, and it was completely defended against by [Blue-Eyes White Dragon].
In the sky, a long red dragon coiled and poked its head out from the abruptly appearing dark clouds. Having gathered three monsters as tributes, in this Duel, Hayato was the first to summon one of the Three Egyptian God Cards, [Slifer the Sky Dragon]!
[Slifer the Sky Dragon] [ATK 5000]
Ignoring other things for now, even setting aside the super Protection common to God Cards and [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s strongest and weakest 'Thunder Force', just this 5000 Attack is worthy of the name of a god.
"[Slifer the Sky Dragon]! Hehehe, hahahaha, this is how it should be! A monster like this is a worthy opponent for me!"
Because its size was no longer restricted by its surroundings, [Slifer the Sky Dragon]'s size was completely released. But looking at the ferocious god dragon coiling around the Duel Tower and baring its fangs and claws at him, Kaiba's face showed an expression of excitement, and he even burst into laughter.
"Come on, Hayato, let me see the limit of your strength!"
"I will, I will show you, Seto."
[Slifer the Sky Dragon] scanned everyone present and found that both Kaiba opposite Hayato and the people in the Audience Seats looked at it with a sense of awe. Although the guy wearing sunglasses on the Judge's Stand looked calm, [Slifer the Sky Dragon], having been disliked by two out of its three previous users, was quite satisfied.
This is the treatment a god should receive. Except for the Pharaoh, everyone else likes [The Winged Dragon of Ra] and dislikes This Great One, hmph!
At this moment, [Slifer the Sky Dragon] heard Hayato's command: "Enter the Battle Phase. [Traitor Dragon], you go first and attack the [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] on Kaiba's Field! Just for my sake, use Hayato Kick on it!"
How the hell can I, a dragon, use a kick for you?! And what is that weird name?!
Complaining inwardly, [Slifer the Sky Dragon] chose to timidly obey Hayato's command and attack. After opening its giant mouth, a beam of lightning gathered in the lower mouth of [Slifer the Sky Dragon]. The dragon's breath, previously named "Superconductive Wave Thunder Force" and now renamed "Hayato Kick", struck towards [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] and destroyed it, sending it to the Graveyard in just an instant!
After [Slifer the Sky Dragon], [Armed Dragon Thunder LV7] and [Armed Dragon Thunder LV10] also took action one after another, destroying two of the three remaining [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] on Kaiba's Field and sending them to the Graveyard.
However, because all the monsters on Kaiba's Field were in Defense Position, even though three monsters were destroyed consecutively, his Life Points did not change as a result. It must be said that his previous choice was quite wise.
This is the last update today, and also the last Missed Update.
Yes, all caught up, hooray!
(Looks at the Missed Update count) Crap, going to be missing updates again soon.
(End of Chapter)
# Chapter 358: God Hand Crush - Shockwave
"I activate the Spell Card Armed Dragon Lightning! I choose one Armed Dragon monster on my field and increase its Attack by its Level x 100. I choose Armed Dragon Thunder LV7, increasing its Attack by 700."
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV7] [ATK 2800 → 3500]
All of Kaiba's monsters on the field were in Defense Position. Since the Attack of Hayato's monsters on the field was sufficient, he only used the effect of Armed Dragon Lightning during the Main Phase 2.
Although choosing Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 would maximize the effect of Armed Dragon Lightning, considering his Life Points were only 100, Hayato felt it was better to boost the weaker monster on his field—Armed Dragon Thunder LV7, whose Attack was two hundred points lower than Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
Glancing at his hand, Hayato drew two cards from it. "I Set two cards from my hand. At the same time, Slifer the Sky Dragon's Attack decreases accordingly. My turn ends here."
[Hayato: 100 LP, Hand 3]
[Slifer the Sky Dragon] [ATK 5000 → 3000]
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV10] [ATK 3000]
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV7] [ATK 3500]
[Set Card] x2 Spiral Charge Armed Dragon Lightning
"Roar~" Slifer the Sky Dragon let out a somewhat dissatisfied roar at Hayato. Its power originated from Hayato's hand. Because Hayato Set two cards, its Attack dropped by a full 2000 points.
As its power weakened, Slifer the Sky Dragon's body also shrank. Although it could still occupy most of the Duel Tower's top platform, its length was significantly shorter than before, when it could wrap around the tower.
After experiencing the feeling of possessing great power, the feeling of losing power is never too comfortable. However, Hayato didn't pay much attention to Slifer the Sky Dragon's thoughts.
Because he noticed that even though only the last Blue-Eyes White Dragon remained on the field and his Life Points were only 300, Kaiba was looking at Hayato with great excitement, his eyes filled with burning fighting spirit.
"My turn, drawing cards!"
With great momentum, Kaiba drew a card from his deck and looked at the arrogant Slifer the Sky Dragon overlooking him on Hayato's field. "Hmph, the strongest dragon. Slifer the Sky Dragon, crowned with the name of a god, is indeed worthy of that title."
"Since you've already summoned a god, as a return gesture, I must summon a god too!"
"I activate the Spell Card Pot of Avarice! I return five monster cards from my graveyard to the deck—two Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, The Trickster, and Dark Balancer—and draw two cards."
After recycling the monsters from his graveyard and shuffling the deck to mix the card order, Kaiba drew two cards from his deck and continued, "The final battle, and Blue-Eyes didn't come to my hand? No matter, I Normal Summon Dragon Master Knight in Attack Position!"
From the card Kaiba played on his Duel Disk, Dragon Master Knight, adorned with dragon bone decorations and dressed like a noble, appeared.
"Don't forget the presence of Slifer the Sky Dragon, Kaiba." Hayato raised an eyebrow upon seeing Dragon Master Knight appear. "Because a monster was summoned on the field, the effect of Thunder Force is mandatory activation!"
Slifer the Sky Dragon looked at Dragon Master Knight on Kaiba's field with disregard. Its mouth opened, instantly charging up and spitting out a bolt of lightning towards Dragon Master Knight. Just then, Kaiba played a card:
"Before I've squeezed every last drop of value from Dragon Master Knight, I won't let you destroy it!"
"Quick-Play Spell Card Forbidden Dress!"
Just before Slifer the Sky Dragon's Thunder Force hit Dragon Master Knight, a white robe appeared on Dragon Master Knight's body, followed immediately by the direct hit of the Thunder Force!
The Thunder Force instantly stripped Dragon Master Knight of all its power, but the wail of Dragon Master Knight being destroyed did not sound.
"The effect of Forbidden Dress is to decrease a monster's Attack by 600 points and make it unaffected by card effects and unable to be destroyed by effect."
Hearing Hayato state the effect of Forbidden Dress, Kaiba snorted coldly. "Hmph, because Dragon Master Knight was already the effect target of Slifer the Sky Dragon when Forbidden Dress was activated, the 'unaffected by card effects' ability couldn't activate. But at least it avoided the subsequent 'Attack reduced to 0 and destroyed'."
[Dragon Master Knight] [Level 4 / DARK]
[Spellcaster Type / Effect]
[1200 / 1100 → 600 / 1100 → 0 / 1100]
Although Dragon Master Knight's appearance was elegant, noble, mysterious, and handsome, the fact that its Type was Spellcaster Type instead of Kaiba's main Dragon-Type showed that it was another tool person.
"I discard a card and activate the Spell Card, Dragon Ravine!"
As expected, as Kaiba sent a card to the graveyard, Dragon Master Knight dramatically swept its cape, and from within, it suddenly pulled out its "magic tool"—an electric guitar!?
It was clearly a Spellcaster Type monster dressed like a medieval fantasy lord, so why would Dragon Master Knight use an electric guitar?!
Despite being two existences with completely different art styles, Dragon Master Knight, holding the guitar, began to play with extreme skill. And surprisingly, it was playing "AC/DC"'s "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," and playing it quite well.
Kaiba showed no surprise at Dragon Master Knight playing "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," making one wonder if this was Dragon Master Knight's musical taste or Kaiba's. "The effect of Dragon Ravine is to add up to two Dragon-Type monsters with 3000 or more Attack and 2500 or less Defense from my deck to my hand."
"How is that different from adding two Blue-Eyes to your hand?" Hayato quipped.
As Dragon Master Knight's performance reached the climax of the song, behind Dragon Master Knight, two phantom images of Blue-Eyes White Dragon appeared and flew into Kaiba's hand.
Seeing Kaiba drawing a card from his hand, Hayato could swear on Slifer the Sky Dragon's head that with Dragon Master Knight on the field and two Blue-Eyes in hand, that card of Kaiba's was definitely The Flute of Summoning Dragon.
As expected, Kaiba placed the drawn card into his Duel Disk's Spell & Trap Zone and activated it. "Because Dragon Master Knight is on the field, I can use the Spell Card The Flute of Summoning Dragon! Both players can Special Summon up to two Dragon-Type monsters from their hand!"
Hayato spread his hands helplessly. "That card came at an incredibly convenient time for you. I don't have a single Dragon-Type monster in my hand."
"Hmph, so much for your 'Pure Dragon Deck'!" Kaiba retorted to Hayato, drawing the two Blue-Eyes White Dragon he had just added to his hand. "Then what I will summon are the two Blue-Eyes in my hand!"
Dragon Master Knight produced a horn shaped like a dragon's head from its cape, took a deep breath, and began to blow.
However, due to the limitations of the instrument, Dragon Master Knight couldn't produce any variations with the horn, wearing a look of dissatisfaction.
On Kaiba's field, two Blue-Eyes White Dragon flew in accompanied by the low sound of the flute. At the same time, Kaiba's hand of seven cards at the start of the turn was consumed down to the last three.
Two more precise Thunder Force attacks followed. Kaiba's two Blue-Eyes White Dragon didn't even have time to let out a couple of roars to show themselves before being struck down by Slifer the Sky Dragon, their Attack deducted by 2000 points.
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon] [ATK 3000 → 1000]
"I activate the Spell Card Double Summon! This turn, I can perform a second Normal Summon." After playing a card, Kaiba glanced at one of his hand cards, revealing a confident smile. "Are you ready, Kobayashi Hayato?"
"Witness the greatness of the God of Destruction!"
The blue-bordered card in his hand was raised high. The three Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the field dissipated into particles, and a towering blue giant, as if propping up the heavens and shaking the earth, appeared!
"I offer the three Blue-Eyes White Dragon on my field as Tribute! Descend, turn all things into skeletons with infinite power! Obelisk the Tormentor!!"
Just as Kaiba had said before, as a return gesture for Hayato's "Go All Out" summon of Slifer the Sky Dragon, he also summoned the second of the Three Egyptian God Cards he possessed, Obelisk the Tormentor!
Seeing the appearance of Obelisk the Tormentor, Slifer the Sky Dragon wouldn't go easy just because it was an acquaintance. A Thunder Force was directly blasted over, a greeting to an old friend.
And Obelisk the Tormentor was not some lackey that would be instantly destroyed by Thunder Force. It threw a punch, directly shattering the Thunder Force in mid-air, its body barely shaken. Of course, this was just the surface. Under the restrictions of the Duel Rules, even Obelisk the Tormentor couldn't be immune to the effect of Slifer the Sky Dragon, a God Card of equal standing.
[Obelisk the Tormentor] [ATK 4000 → 2000]
"Although the god's protection makes it immune to being destroyed by monster effects other than those of the Divine Attribute, and monster effects of Level 10 or higher only last for one turn against a god," Hayato looked at Kaiba, showing a smug smile. "But the weakening I need is enough for just this one turn."
"Now Obelisk the Tormentor's Attack cannot destroy any monster on my field. As long as it's my next turn, Slifer the Sky Dragon, with its Attack increased to 4000, will be destroyed along with Obelisk the Tormentor. Your life is like a candle in the wind, Seto!"
"Hmph, Sore wa dou kana!"
Hearing Hayato's taunt, which sounded like he was setting a death flag, Kaiba replied with "That's not necessarily true," and flipped over the last card in his hand to reveal it to Hayato. "My winning equation is far more perfect than you imagine!"
"I activate the Equip Spell Card Mark of the Rose! Activate when there are 3 monster cards with the same name in my graveyard! Special Summon one of those monsters with the same name to my field and equip this card to it!"
Kaiba waved his hand. "Fight for me once more, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
Accompanying the soaring of the giant dragon was the ever-present Thunder Force. Seeing the Attack of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon equipped with Mark of the Rose reduced to only 1000 points, Hayato's gaze was surprisingly serious.
Not just Hayato, everyone watching this final battle understood Kaiba's plan.
"Besides Obelisk the Tormentor, Kaiba has gathered two monsters on the field..."
Joey Wheeler's hand couldn't help but clench, his palm sweating profusely from the extreme tension. In the semifinals against Kaiba, he had lost to the very move Kaiba was about to use.
Tristan glanced at Joey Wheeler and patted his shoulder. Although Joey Wheeler looked relieved at the end of the duel, Tristan, who knew Joey Wheeler's thoughts inside and out, could tell at a glance that he was actually suppressing his frustration and didn't want to worry those who cared about him.
"Is Kaiba going to use the move that defeated Joey Wheeler, 'Soul Energy MAX'?" Yugi Mutou also frowned, putting himself in Hayato's position and thinking about how to break the stalemate.
'Infinite Attack, I'm afraid even Hayato will have difficulty blocking this move,' Dark Yugi's voice came from within the Millennium Puzzle. 'Although Slifer the Sky Dragon has the strongest suppression power among the Three Egyptian God Cards, when it comes to pure destruction power, Obelisk the Tormentor is indeed stronger.'
And Kaiba looked deeply at Hayato. "What a pity. As you can see, this is my victory, Kobayashi Hayato!"
"You won't have another turn. This duel will end this turn, my turn!"
"I offer Dragon Master Knight and Blue-Eyes White Dragon on my field as Tribute—"
Watching Kaiba Tribute the two monsters on his field, the white dragon and the tool person absorbed into Obelisk the Tormentor's grip, Hayato opened his Set card in the Backrow. "I chain to Obelisk the Tormentor's effect activation! I activate my Set card!"
"Muda da! Trap Cards are invalid against a god!" Kaiba was annoyed that Hayato interrupted him.
Hayato just smiled. "Of course I know that, but I didn't say the Set card I'm activating is targeting your Obelisk the Tormentor."
"Trap Card Desert Sunlight! All monsters on my field are changed to Face-Up Defense Position!"
As one of the two Set cards in Hayato's Backrow was revealed, a phantom image of a desert enveloped Hayato's field. Armed Dragon Thunder LV7 and Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 were both affected by the card effect and changed to Defense Position.
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV7] [ATK 3500 → DEF 1000]
Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 [ATK 3000 → DEF 2000]
"He actually voluntarily changed his monsters to Defense Position?" Mai Kujaku was startled, then showed a look of realization. "So that's it! There's actually a way to block infinite ATK!"
Since being in Attack Position would result in immediate Life Point loss due to infinite damage, why not just change the monsters to Defense Position to avoid damage?
Joey's face also lit up with excitement. He was about to say something, but suddenly his eyes widened. "N-no! Hayato forgot something!!"
Following Joey's pointing finger, Mai Kujaku also discovered what Hayato had forgotten.
"Slifer the Sky Dragon is still in Attack Position!"
"Hmph, you miscalculated, Hayato." Kaiba glanced at Slifer the Sky Dragon on Hayato's field, which was completely unaffected by Desert Sunlight's effect, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "Gods are immune to Trap Card effects, even Trap Cards you activate yourself!"
"If you hadn't summoned a god last turn, even Obelisk might not have been able to end the Duel this turn. But by voluntarily summoning Slifer the Sky Dragon, you undoubtedly left yourself an unerasable flaw!"
Hearing Kaiba's words, Yugi couldn't help but recall Hayato's field setup from the previous turn. If it had been his previous monsters, due to the effect of Desert Sunlight, even Obelisk the Tormentor's infinite ATK would have struggled to penetrate Defense Position monsters and deal damage to Hayato.
So, Hayato was trapped by Slifer the Sky Dragon? Yugi suddenly remembered the nickname Slifer the Traitor Dragon that Hayato had repeatedly emphasized to him before.
"By TRIBUTING two monsters, I activate Obelisk the Tormentor's special ability, 'Soul Energy MAX,' increasing its ATK to infinity!" With that, Kaiba powerfully swung his hand forward.
In mythology, Obelisk (the obelisk) represented "Set," who killed Osiris, which led to the flooding of the Nile. On the Duel field, at Kaiba's command, Obelisk the Tormentor, once suppressed by Slifer the Sky Dragon, raised its arm and punched. As its massive, meteorite-like fist moved forward, its power surged to infinity!
Obelisk the Tormentor [ATK 2000 → ∞]
"This is the final blow! Annihilate Osiris like in the myth, Obelisk!"
"God Fist Crush · Shockwave!!"
Watching as Slifer the Sky Dragon was about to be struck by Obelisk the Tormentor, Yugi and the others nervously watched the Duel field. It was then that Yugi noticed Ishizu smiling, and Hayato on the Duel field also had a confident expression.
'In this situation, why are Hayato and Ishizu so relaxed? Could it be that they already foresaw Hayato's defeat and have accepted this outcome?' A thought like that just surfaced in Yugi's mind before he himself rejected it. 'No, that's not it.'
'If he didn't crave victory, Hayato wouldn't have reached that position,' the voice from the Millennium Puzzle echoed. 'And rather than accepting reality, the expression on Hayato's face clearly shows he has a way to take this hit.'
'What card will Hayato use?'
This question resonated in both Yugi's and Atem's minds. Recalling Hayato's past performances in Duels, a card surfaced in their thoughts. 'No way?'
"Boom!"
The "God Fist Crush · Shockwave" finally struck the position where Slifer the Sky Dragon was. Under Kaiba's triumphant gaze, Obelisk the Tormentor's fist pierced through Slifer the Sky Dragon's head.
Wait, not shattered, but pierced?
Kaiba's eyes widened in surprise, discovering that what Obelisk the Tormentor had struck was not Slifer the Sky Dragon at all!
Before being struck by the Tormentor, the Sky Dragon's body had already turned into an illusion and gradually disappeared. What Obelisk the Tormentor had struck was actually Armed Dragon Thunder LV7, in Defense Position on Hayato's field!
"As you said, Kaiba, Trap Cards are ineffective against gods, even Trap Cards that I activate myself."
Hayato's voice came through: "But likewise, I can also use non-destruction effect Spell Cards on gods!"
Behind the dissipating smoke and dust, the card Hayato had activated in that instant was revealed—Mystical Refpanel!
Yugi's face showed a "just as I thought" expression.
"How is that possible!" Kaiba couldn't maintain his surprised expression. "That's a God Card, the strongest existence in Duel Monsters! You actually TRIBUTED a God Card!"
"Is there anything so hard to accept about that, Seto?" Facing Kaiba's shock, Hayato was remarkably calm. "As long as I can achieve ultimate victory, I'm willing to give up Slifer the Sky Dragon."
"The effect of Mystical Refpanel is to TRIBUTE one monster and recover my Life Points equal to the TRIBUTED monster's ATK or DEF. Although both are the same, I choose Slifer the Sky Dragon's ATK value."
[Hayato: 100 → 3100 LP]
Despite his noble words, looking at Slifer the Sky Dragon, which was about to be sent to the Graveyard from his hand and was continuously cursing at him, Hayato seized the moment while Kaiba wasn't looking to make a certain expression: "Eat crap!"
He almost got screwed by you! You're really a traitor dragon, nobody wants to play with you!
"My turn ends."
[Kaiba: 300 LP, Hand: 0]
Obelisk the Tormentor [ATK ∞ → 4000]
As the turn ended, the "Soul Energy MAX" power of the Tormentor disappeared, and with it, the "Thunder Force" interference of the Sky Dragon.
It was now Hayato's turn again. Hayato drew a card, which was precisely the The Winged Dragon of Ra he had sensed earlier.
"My turn, draw."
Hayato glanced at Obelisk the Tormentor on Kaiba's field and played a card from his hand. "Kaiba, your desire for victory, your obsession with becoming the King of Games—I clearly felt it in our last battle."
"Then watch closely, this is my final turn!"
---
End of Chapter
Chapter 359: The Strongest God Card, The Strongest Duelist
"Watch closely, this is my final Turn!"
As Hayato's words fell, he played a Card from his Hand: "I Activate the Spell Card Painful Choice! I Reveal five Cards from my Deck, and you, Seto, choose one Card to Add to my Hand. The rest are all Sent to the Graveyard."
When Kaiba saw the card Hayato activated, he couldn't help but frown.
His Obelisk the Tormentor on the Field had 4000 ATK. Hayato had an Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 with 3000 ATK on his Field, and the Armed Dragon Shockwave in Hayato's Backrow could Increase the Attack of an Armed Dragon Monster Once per turn. If the Target was Armed Dragon Thunder LV10, it could even Increase its Attack by 1000 Points in one go.
Theoretically, this meant that if Hayato could Summon a Monster with 300 or more ATK this Turn, he could use Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 to destroy Obelisk the Tormentor in battle, and then Direct Attack Kaiba to finish off his remaining 300 Life Points.
However, that was only in theory. Kaiba had already prepared a countermeasure.
Last Turn, Kaiba discarded Shield Warrior from his Hand to the Graveyard to use Melody of Awakening Dragon.
When Shield Warrior is in the Graveyard, he can Banish himself from the Graveyard to prevent one of his Monsters from being destroyed by battle once.
In other words, if Hayato really Summoned a Relatively Weak Monster intending to Deplete Kaiba's Life Points in one Turn, he would awkwardly find that after Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 was Destroyed, Obelisk the Tormentor would still Stand Tall on Kaiba's Field, and then the Next Turn would be Kaiba's Opportunity to Counter.
However, the appearance of Painful Choice was somewhat unfavorable.
Hayato only needed to choose some cards that could increase ATK. It didn't matter which one was discarded; as long as one entered Hayato's Hand, Hayato could use it to increase Armed Dragon Thunder LV10's ATK beyond Obelisk the Tormentor's!
As the Cards Hayato chose were Revealed before Kaiba, Kaiba indeed saw the appearance of Equip Spell Cards.
Owner's Seal, Goblin Thief, Thunder Light Crush, Rush Recklessly, Dragon Treasure
Seeing the five Cards Hayato had chosen, Kaiba's brow furrowed. It wasn't because the choices before him were so "Painful," but because the choices he could make were too limited.
Similar to the Rules in the Duelist Kingdom, the Rules in Duel City placed restrictions on Cards like Dark Hole which Destroy everything indiscriminately, and Cards like Fireball which deal unlimited Effect Damage. However, Cards like Just Desserts could still be Used.
Goblin Thief and Thunder Light Crush were Cards allowed by the Rules. Kaiba had an impression of both these Cards; the former was often active when Hayato was still using a Warrior-focused Deck, while the latter often appeared alongside Hayato's Ojama Monsters to finish off opponents.
Rush Recklessly is a Card that Targets one Monster and Increases its Attack by 700 Points until the End of the Turn. Dragon Treasure is an Equip Spell Card exclusively for Dragon-Type Monsters that Increases their ATK/DEF by 300 Points.
Kaiba's current Life Points are only 300. Both Goblin Thief, which deals 500 Damage to the opponent and Recovers 500 Life Points for himself, and Thunder Light Crush, which Destroys all Monsters on his Field and deals Damage to the opponent equal to the Destroyed Monsters' Attack X 300, could finish him off.
And Rush Recklessly and Dragon Treasure also couldn't be chosen.
Outside of the four absolutely unchoosable options was the fifth option, Owner's Seal. Its Effect is to return Control of all Monsters on the Field to their original owner. This Card made Kaiba somewhat confused about what Hayato was thinking.
"I choose Owner's Seal." After thinking it over, Kaiba said. He had no Monsters belonging to Hayato on his Field at all. This Card posed no threat whatsoever. Compared to the other Cards, he could indeed only choose this one.
"Then, I Add Owner's Seal to my Hand, and all other Cards are Sent to the Graveyard."
As he added Owner's Seal to his Hand, Kaiba couldn't be sure if it was an illusion, but when he added that card to his Hand, a malicious smile seemed to appear on Hayato's face.
"I Activate the Effect of the Spell Card on my Field, Armed Dragon Shockwave! Once per turn, I can Target one Armed Dragon Monster on my Field and Activate a Subsequent Effect." Hayato pointed to the Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 on his Field, "I choose Armed Dragon Thunder LV10."
"Hmph, planning to Increase your Monster's Attack and achieve a mutual Destruction with a God?" Kaiba temporarily threw his previous doubts to the back of his mind, showing a look of Disregard and mockery.
Of course, he was wary of Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 in his heart, but on the surface, he still had to maintain an Arrogant appearance so that Hayato would relax his guard, even if only slightly.
"Mutual Destruction? Hmm... you could say that, I guess." Hayato smiled mysteriously, "Increase Armed Dragon Thunder LV10's Attack by a value equal to its Level X 100 Points, which is 1000 Points."
Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 ATK 3000 → 4000
"I Activate the Effect of Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders in my Graveyard! Banish two Dragon-Type Monsters from my Graveyard—Armed Dragon Thunder LV7 and Armed Dragon Thunder LV5! Revive from the Graveyard, Elemental Dragon of Conquest—Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders!"
With a thunderous roar, the massive Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders crawled out from underground.
Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders ATK 1600
Now, Hayato had Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 with Attack equal to Obelisk the Tormentor on his Field, as well as Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders, which looked quite intimidating in Volume but had quite lackluster Attack.
On the surface, as long as Hayato Attacked, he would achieve Victory!
Just as Kaiba watched with Expectation, Hayato showed a Troubled expression.
"Oh, I just remembered. Didn't you say at the beginning of the Duel, Seto, that you Use the Strongest Dragon-Type? It's the time for the Finals, yet there isn't a single Dragon-Type Monster on your Field. That won't do."
As Hayato spoke, he drew two Cards from his Hand and Played them: "I'm a kind person, I can't bear to see your Field empty with only a lonely Obelisk the Tormentor. I Activate these two Cards! I'll give both Monsters on my Field to you!"
Kaiba heard what Hayato said and didn't understand what he meant at first, but when he saw the two Cards Hayato Revealed, he was also stunned, because Hayato was holding two Shien's Spy in his Hand!?
"That Card, I feel like I've seen it, but also like I've never seen it before?"
In the Audience Seats, the less knowledgeable Joey Wheeler turned to his "Doraemon"—Yugi, and Yugi also explained to Joey Wheeler with some difficulty: "The Effect of the Card Shien's Spy is to give Control of one Monster on your Field to your opponent until the End of the Turn."
"Give your own Monster to your opponent? What kind of Card is that?" Joey Wheeler's expression was strange, "Why would anyone Use such a Card to give their own Monster to their opponent? How did Maximillion Pegasus come up with this Card Effect?"
"But Hayato is really Using this Card, and he's Using two of them." Mai Valentine complained, "Could it be that this guy suddenly had a realization and wants to atone for his past behavior of often taking other people's Monsters?"
"Yugi, do you know what Hayato's purpose is for Using this Card?"
Téa asked Yugi, but Original Yugi, after communicating with Dark Yugi, could only shake his head in response to Téa: "Sorry, Téa, I also don't understand what Hayato is trying to do by doing that."
"However, The Other Me said that he can feel that the descent of the last of the Three Egyptian God Cards—The Winged Dragon of Ra—is not far off."
Although everyone couldn't understand the purpose of Hayato's Operation, since Hayato had Activated both Shien's Spy, both Monsters on his Field—Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 and Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders—were moved to Kaiba's Field under the effect of the Card Effect.
At the same time, Hayato's Field became empty, and he only had two Cards left in his Hand, one of which was the Face-up Card Owner's Seal.
"Sending your own Monsters to my Field, what exactly are you doing, Kobayashi Hayato?" Kaiba frowned and pressed Hayato.
"Well, like I said just now, I'm just a kind person." Hayato shrugged, glancing at the "The Winged Dragon of Ra" in his Hand. "Oh, right, besides 'proving you're the Strongest Dragon User,' Seto, you also seem to have a wish to defeat me and take the God Card, right?"
"Then, let me bestow this Powerful Monster upon you!"
As Hayato raised the Card in his Hand high, under Kaiba's surprised gaze, Obelisk the Tormentor and the other two Monsters Hayato had transferred to him began to show the scattering particles that appear during a Tribute Summon!
"By Tributing the three Monsters on your Field—Obelisk the Tormentor, Armed Dragon Thunder LV10, and Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders—I Tribute Summon the final God!"
"Come forth, Strongest God!" The Card in Hayato's Hand dissipated. Simultaneously, the Card of The Winged Dragon of Ra Teleported onto Kaiba's Duel Disk, and its name's suffix changed, "This proves that I am the truth of the Strongest!"
"The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode!!"
As if the sun was falling to the earth, Obelisk the Tormentor ultimately became a "God Card Tribute." In its place, a giant golden sphere appeared on Kaiba's Field!
The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode [Level 10☆/Divine]
[Divine-Beast Type/Effect]
[?/?]
"It's Ra!" The appearance of The Winged Dragon of Ra even woke up Marik, who was sleeping in the Infirmary. "Sitting up in a deathly illness," he suddenly turned his head to look at the broadcast Television in the Infirmary, watching the Confrontation between Hayato and Kaiba, extremely surprised, "How much did I miss?!"
On the Duel Field, Hayato ignored Kaiba's murderous Gaze and gave Commentary: "Although the Three Egyptian God Cards have considerable Powerful Protection, ultimately, they are still restricted by the 'Tribute' Rule of Duel Monsters."
"The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode cannot be Special Summoned, but it can be Normal Summoned to my Field or the opponent's Field by Tributing three Monsters on my Field or three Monsters on the opponent's Field."
Looking at The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode on his Field, and recalling the Card Hayato Added to his Hand with Painful Choice, Kaiba's fists were already clenched.
"That's the expression, Seto! That's the Annoyed expression after knowing the final outcome!" Seeing Kaiba's expression twisted with anger, Hayato laughed mischievously. Unfortunately, due to the distance between the two sides of the Duel Field, he couldn't perfectly Recreate the scene by doing a frog leap. "I'm sure you fully understand now what a Painful Choice is, right?"
"The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode cannot Attack, nor can it be the Target of Attacks or Effects."
As Hayato spoke, he Revealed the Owner's Seal in his Hand, "However, Owner's Seal is a noble Non-Targeting Card. I Activate the Spell Card I just Added to my Hand with Painful Choice, Owner's Seal."
"Return to my Field, The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode!"
Watching The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode, which had completely consumed the Monsters on his Field, return to Hayato's Field, Kaiba's face was still grim, but he said defiantly, "Hmph, so it looks impressive, but The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode is just a decoration. It can't be Used to Attack at all."
"Well, that's true." Hayato also shrugged helplessly, "This Form of Ra is mainly Used to deal with people who don't have the Qualification to Use it. Although it retains some Divine Power and Protection, it cannot be Used for Attack."
"But I didn't say that The Winged Dragon of Ra is locked in this Form."
As he spoke, Hayato brushed aside his drooping Bangs, making his hairstyle stand up against gravity as if he had applied hair gel: "Let the Light shine even brighter, Ra! I permit your Power to be fully unleashed!"
"I Activate the Effect of The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode! I Tribute it, then Special Summon one The Winged Dragon of Ra from my Hand or Deck, ignoring its Summoning Conditions, and make its ATK/DEF 4000 Points!"
With a wave of Hayato's Hand, the The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode in the sky began to transform like a cosmic emperor. From its spherical Form, giant Wings and Claws extended, and the golden circular ring behind it, like a Solar Disc, stood upright, radiating Light freely!
Not only that, but at the same moment The Winged Dragon of Ra was Summoned to the Field, Hayato showed a wild smile: "Eating Obelisk wasn't enough, Ra? You're truly greedy! In that case, take my Life Points too!"
"I will reduce my Life Points to 1, and the reduced amount will be added to The Winged Dragon of Ra!"
[Hayato: 3100 → 1 LP]
[The Winged Dragon of Ra][ATK 4000 → 7099]
"This is the radiance that illuminates all things! So, this is the End, Seto! Under the Solar Flame, End all of this! Direct Attack the Opponent Duelist!"
God Blaze Cannon!!
Facing the Attack of The Winged Dragon of Ra, which filled his entire vision and even drew the Gaze of everyone around, in the instant before being Engulfed by the Fire, Kaiba smiled.
'When he gets serious, his Strength is truly despair-inducing, Kobayashi Hayato.'
'It's precisely like this that he has the Qualification to be seen as a goal to chase.'
'Wait ahead to be surpassed by me, both you and Yugi Mutou!'
'This time is undoubtedly my Defeat. All this experience can definitely be Used for the next time...'
"Boom!"
"Ugh!!"
[Kaiba: 300 LP → 0]
The Solar Flame Engulfed Kaiba, completely Depleting his meager Life Points in just an instant.
And after the Flames, Kaiba was revealed, holding up his Duel Disk as a Shield, having barely blocked The Winged Dragon of Ra's Attack.
Seeing Kaiba's Life Points Reduced to Zero, Iso on the Judge's Stand frowned, patted out the sparks that had landed on his sleeve, and calmly announced: "Winner Decided!"
"Because Player Kaiba, Seto Kaiba's Life Points have been Reduced to Zero, I announce that the final Victor of the Duel City Finals is, Player Kobayashi Hayato!"
The fact that he almost mispronounced the name shows that even Iso, the "professional Referee" who remains unmoved even when mountains collapse before him, found it difficult to suppress his excitement after witnessing the true "final Battle" where all Three Egyptian God Cards appeared.
Hearing Iso announce Hayato's Victory, everyone in the Audience Seats was Cheering. Joey Wheeler was so excited that he even hugged Mai Valentine, who was closest to him, and lifted her up, making Mai Valentine blush.
Seeing this, Tristan also had a sudden idea and wanted to pretend to be too excited to hug Serenity Wheeler. However, just as he turned to hug Serenity Wheeler, Serenity Wheeler excitedly hugged Téa, and the one Tristan ended up hugging was Otogi, who had the same intention.
Looking at Hayato, who stood on the Duel Field until the End and was waving towards the Audience Seats after achieving Victory, Ishizu Ishtar couldn't help but show a sympathetic smile.
Yugi Mutou and Mokuba were also happy for Hayato's Victory, but Mokuba ultimately remembered that his Older Brother was the one who lost, so he didn't smile too excessively. He also remembered to notify the medical team to come to the Tower Top to treat Kaiba's potential injuries.
And at the moment he defeated Kaiba, on Hayato's System's Task panel, the Task that had been at the top for a long time was finally completed.
[Main Quest: Celebrate!]
[Achieve final Victory in Duel City and become the King of Games in name and reality 1/1 (Completed)]
[Reward: 10000 DP, Specified Entry Unlock X1, Specified Type Random Structure Deck X1]
Hayato claimed the Task's rewards. Afterward, his DP Points balance, which had long been in the triple digits due to repeated Card exchanges, instantly increased to five digits. A full 10000 DP Points. Although it was only enough to exchange for the cheapest UR Level Cards directly, if Used for Drawing Cards, it would allow Hayato to Draw to his heart's content.
Specified Type Random Structure Deck. Hayato had received similar rewards before in Noah's Virtual World. The Cyber Dragon in Hayato's Hand and the Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders that bounced back and forth three or four times in this Duel were opened from those two Structure Decks.
As is well known, a Duellist's Preference is nothing more than Dragon Obsession, Cute Monster Card Fan, and Mecha Fan (Slang).
Dragon + Mecha = Drytron
Dragon + Cute Monster Card = Dragonmaid
Mecha + Cute Monster Card = Sky Striker
Of course, these are more common Preferences. Some Duellists with heavier tastes like Alien Monster/Strange Monster like Worm and Paleozoic. Hayato doesn't discriminate against them, because everyone's Preference is free.
Of course, Hayato would still recommend them to see a Doctor.
As for Hayato's own Preference, compared to Cute Monster Cards, he preferred Mecha and Dragon more. The previous Cyber Dragon made him quite satisfied, so this time he decided to continue choosing Machine Type.
'I'm not asking for ABC, Drytron is fine too. Sacrifice Osiris's dog head, Horakhty, the Creator of Light bless me!'
Hayato prayed frantically in his heart, opening the Card Pack designated as a Machine Type Structure Deck.
And the moment the Structure Deck was displayed before him, seeing the Monster at the very top whose Elements were "Machine + Dragon," Hayato had a Cardiac Arrest.
Kaiba, looking impatient, refused the medical team called by Mokuba without success and reluctantly accepted treatment. While doing so, he saw a dejected Hayato walking towards him with a sigh.
This made Kaiba somewhat Annoyed: "Hmph, Hayato, what are you so dejected about? Even defeating me and taking the name of King of Games can't make you happy? Are you looking down on me!"
Hayato just waved his Hand helplessly: "Then you've misunderstood me. You're a difficult opponent to defeat, and I was only a hair's breadth away from losing to you just now."
"Hmph, stop pretending. There's no such thing as Luck in Duel Monsters. Strong is strong, weak is weak."
With a cold snort, Kaiba took a Card from his Duel Disk and flicked it out. After drawing a spiral in the air, it was caught by Hayato.
It was Obelisk the Tormentor.
"This is your Prize as the Victor, but don't think you'll win forever." Kaiba, whose hand was wrapped in gauze by the medical team, said as he turned and left Arrogantly, "Obelisk can stay with you for now. As for how you plan to Use it, it has nothing to do with me."
Looking at his overbearing demeanor, if one didn't know, most people would probably think the one who won was actually Kaiba.
"Should I have not gone easy on you just now? Would it have been better to let Kaiba lie in bed for a few days?" Hayato picked up The Winged Dragon of Ra from his Duel Disk and complained to it.
Osiris, Ra, and Obelisk. At this moment, Hayato had finally collected all three God Cards and was crowned the King of Games.
Looking at the Obelisk in his Hand, Hayato had an idea regarding the final reward of the Task—"Specified Entry Unlock."
Chapter 360: For the Emperor!
Duel City, just like that, came to an end.
Unlike Duelist Kingdom, as the ultimate victor of Duel City and the holder of the "King of Games" title, Hayato didn't receive any substantial rewards besides the cards he collected along the way and the system's rewards.
When Hayato asked Kaiba if he would give him 60% of KaibaCorp's shares, he only received a glare from the President, who was somewhat annoyed by losing the duel.
"Not everyone is like Maximillion Pegasus, who doesn't care about the assets under his control."
Standing in the central hall of the "S.S. Anne", Mokuba put down the tablet he had been holding all this time, leisurely holding a glass of milk and watching the scenery outside the airship.
Hayato turned his head to look behind him. As the airship set sail, the distance between them and Devil's Island grew wider, and the Duel Tower also became smaller in their sight. After the airship reached a safe distance, a deafening explosion, audible even from several kilometers away, sounded, and the silver-white Duel Tower vanished.
Kaiba gazed deeply at Devil's Island, which had disappeared with the explosion, and murmured, "Devil's Island, to me, you are the lingering departed soul of Gozaburo. As the stage for the Duel City Final Battle, that was your greatest value. Along with Gozaburo Kaiba's ambitions, become obsolete!"
Not long after Hayato and Kaiba's duel ended, Kaiba impatiently announced the end of Duel City and then informed everyone of his plan to blow up Devil's Island.
Devil's Island had been bought by Gozaburo Kaiba a long time ago and became a private island. Its disposal was within the authority of Kaiba, who inherited all of Gozaburo's assets. And under Kaiba's precise demolition, Devil's Island was erased from the map, ceasing to exist.
Now, the group who had finished their trip to Duel City were still aboard the "S.S. Anne" airship, preparing to return to Domino City.
"This time, we won't suddenly be hijacked like before, right?" Joey Wheeler recalled the previous incident where the airship was hijacked by Noah, and they were forced into the Virtual World at gunpoint, feeling a bit fearful. Because of that experience, somehow, he also started to feel that the "S.S. Anne" airship was unlucky, just like Hayato.
Hearing this, Kaiba, who had been watching Devil's Island disappear over the horizon, turned back and said, "Hmph, if you don't want to take the airship back to Domino City, you can just stay on the island, mediocrity."
"Huh? Kaiba, you bastard, do you want to fight!"
"Hmph, I have no intention of dueling a loser and reliving a victory I've already experienced."
Watching Tristan and Otogi, almost reflexively, skillfully pull back Joey Wheeler, one on each side, just as Kaiba and Joey Wheeler were about to clash, Yugi Mutou couldn't help but smile.
Although they were noisy, wasn't this just everyday life?
Since they no longer needed to board the "Sky Duel Arena" on the airship during the return trip, Kaiba gave the command for the "S.S. Anne" to go full power, estimated to reach Domino City in just over two hours. Having nothing else to do, Yugi Mutou and Joey Wheeler started practicing their duels in the hall.
And Kaiba, who had just claimed he wasn't interested in dueling Joey Wheeler, also had his dueling addiction piqued by their duel and joined in.
Hayato, on the other hand, came to the infirmary with Ishizu Ishtar. Marik, who had returned to his body, had woken up, but because Dark Marik often used the Dark Game to inflict torture upon himself and enjoy the pain, Marik's body was still weak and he was resting in the infirmary.
Standing in front of the infirmary, Ishizu Ishtar reached out to open the door, but just as she was about to touch the handle, her hand stopped.
"What's wrong?" Hayato asked.
Ishizu Ishtar shook her head. "I just... I just don't know how to face Marik."
"Although Rishid and I hid the truth from Marik back then to protect him, it was also because of this concealment that Marik was completely unaware of the existence of his dark personality and had his body taken over when he was unprepared, and even almost suffered soul annihilation."
"I'm a completely unqualified sister. I suppose Marik must be full of hatred towards me in his heart..."
Ishizu Ishtar, who usually gave off a mature and steady impression, spoke with an indescribable sense of dejection at this moment.
"That's not true."
Ishizu Ishtar looked up and at Hayato beside her. A gentle smile hung on Hayato's face. "Marik doesn't blame you at all. On the contrary, he's very grateful to Rishid and you, Ishizu Ishtar, for always caring about him."
"Before Marik returned to his body, he knew he was likely heading into a dangerous situation. Do you know what he said in the end? He said you were a kind person and hoped you would live well."
Patting Ishizu Ishtar's shoulder, Hayato smiled and pushed open the door to the hospital room for her. "So, smile, smile. You should smile when visiting a patient."
Ishizu Ishtar looked at Hayato's smile, nodded, and also smiled. "Okay, thank you, Hayato-kun."
"Click~"
Pushing open the door to the room, Hayato and Ishizu Ishtar's gazes fell inside. Then, almost at the moment the door opened, a white paper airplane flew past the two of them.
"Hahaha, witness the excellent performance of Apophis III, you federation lackeys!"
"Damn it, Nut V isn't just for show, for the Emperor!"
Facing away from the door, Marik, wearing a hospital gown, held two paper airplanes in his hands and threw them simultaneously towards the corner of the room, even voicing the pilots on the "airplanes".
"Ba-Bakana! This is the Cobra Maneuver!"
"Do you dare defy me, who possesses Nut V, hmphahaha!"
One of the two paper airplanes thrown simultaneously arced through the air due to its aerodynamic design. Marik, while voicing it, followed the paper airplane that made a wide turn with his gaze, which led him to look behind him.
Then, his gaze met Hayato and Ishizu Ishtar's.
"So, you still say you're not a three-year-old?" Hayato glanced at the paper airplane on the ground. The material seemed to be medical report paper?
"N-No, it's not like that, listen to my excuse— ah, no, listen to my explanation, sister, brother-in-law!" Marik felt like he was socially dead on the spot, desperately trying to salvage the situation with an anxious expression.
Hearing Marik call Hayato "brother-in-law", Ishizu Ishtar's face flushed slightly. She glanced to the side and saw that Hayato was looking speechlessly at Marik and wasn't paying attention to her, so she stammered, "Ma-Marik, seeing you so energetic, I'm relieved. I-I'll be going now!"
With that said, Ishizu Ishtar suddenly ran off.
Looking at Ishizu Ishtar who had suddenly run off, Hayato glanced at Marik.
Marik spread his hands. "Did I say something wrong?"