Yugioh [333-338] (Patreon)

Chapter 333: The Academy’s Kaiser

“Seriously, this is supposed to be a major Doma base, and this is all they had?”

Kira walked out of the dimly lit base, stepping back into the sunlight as he counted the loot he’d confiscated from this raid.

To be honest, he wasn’t too impressed.

It wasn’t that there weren’t any rare cards, but most of the rare cards these people had were the kind that were considered powerful and valuable among the local natives, but to him, they were pretty much useless.

Take, for example, the “Chainsaw Insect”—a four-star monster with an impressive 2400 attack points, but its minor drawback was that whenever it battled, the opponent drew a card.

Well, at least it could fetch a good price.

With this, the Doma forces stationed here in Domino City were basically wiped out.

“But… is this really okay?” Jaden sounded a bit worried.

He’d been so caught up in the duel just now that he hadn’t thought much of it, but now that it was over and he recalled the intel they’d overheard, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“They just said something about headquarters having already arrived in Duel City or something, right?” Jaden glanced at Kira. “Sounds like some pretty tough people are coming?”

He was reminded of Shell—one of the New Doma Three Swordsmen. Back then, it took both of them together to defeat him.

If it was someone like that, the threat level would be on a whole different scale compared to the grunts they’d just faced.

“Who knows, maybe.” Kira shrugged. “Anyway, we’ve done what we could for now. Whatever comes next, we’ll deal with it as it comes. How’s your puzzle card collection?”

“Oh.”

Jaden fished out a handful of puzzle cards from his back pocket.

“Four pieces,” he said. “Still missing two.”

“Hah, I’ve already got five.” Kira pulled out five pieces.

This raid on New Doma not only cleared out the threat and grabbed some cards, but both of them also won quite a few puzzle cards. After all, there were only a handful of qualified duelists in such a huge base; the rest of the cannon fodder didn’t even have puzzle cards.

“All right, time to find the last opponent,” Kira waved his hand and smiled. “See you at the finals—though we’d better hurry. It’d be a joke if we didn’t even qualify for the playoffs in the end.”

The two bumped fists and then split up.

“So it’s just the last match left…”

Kira wandered the streets, glancing around.

Honestly, with duelists scattered throughout such a large city, it wasn’t that easy to bump into one.

Especially since most duelists made an effort to hide themselves. If you walked around Duel City during the tournament blatantly wearing a duel disk, it was like declaring yourself open prey. Anyone could instantly tell if you were a participant and decide whether to challenge you.

But if you hid and observed from the shadows, you became the hunter. You could watch for easy prey to make your move—or keep hiding if you thought you’d lose against someone.

So, Kira and Jaden managing to farm five puzzle cards each at a duelist hotspot was already pretty fast. For others, just wandering the streets wasn’t likely to net them opponents quickly.

Not to mention, 90% of duelists—even if they got the chance—would have a hard time winning all their matches. The higher-ranked and more famous the duelist, the more likely they were to face opponents just as strong or even stronger. Others who recognized them would avoid them entirely.

So even though it seemed like he only needed one more win, finding that last opponent might not be so easy.

After walking down another street without seeing any duelists, Kira realized he was getting a bit hungry after a morning’s activity, so he decided to grab a bite to eat.

And as luck would have it, just as he pushed open the door to a restaurant, he bumped right into someone.

It was Duel Academy’s Kaiser, Zane Truesdale.

Both of them froze in surprise.

Their eyes met—yes, it was the right person.

Half a second later, Kira smiled. “What a coincidence. You here for lunch too?”

“Yeah.” Zane smiled and casually asked, “How many pieces do you have?”

“Five.”

Kira showed his puzzle cards.

“Missing just one.”

“What a coincidence.”

Zane smiled as well, pulling out his own pile.

He also had five pieces.

Kira figured it probably had something to do with his school uniform. Although Zane Truesdale—Kaiser—was one of the strongest characters in GX, his reputation as Kaiser was mostly within the Academy. Before graduation, he wasn’t famous in the outside world.

Many Duel City participants probably hadn’t heard of his name, and seeing his school uniform, figured he was just some student experiencing the tournament—an easy target. That’s probably how he managed to win five matches so quickly.

“So, we’re both at match point,” Kira grinned.

“Yeah.” Zane’s eyes sparked with fighting spirit. “Looks like one of us will qualify for the finals right here.”

“Oh, right here?”

“Well, if both our goals are to keep advancing, we’d run into each other eventually. Besides, we never had a chance to duel in the Academy, but sooner or later, we had to face off, didn’t we?”

“True.”

Kira smiled.

“Yeah, since we’re both here, we might as well take the chance.”

Zane nodded, took two steps back, and prepared his duel disk.

But Kira raised a hand in a “stop” gesture.

“Wait.”

He said very seriously,

“I need to eat first.”

Zane: “…”

…

So, a few minutes later, Kira was sitting inside the restaurant, digging into his meal. Zane sat across from him, arms folded, patiently waiting. (He’s watching Mukbang. xD)

“The food here’s so-so, beef’s a bit tough. Want to order something?”

Zane waved it off. “I just ate.”

“No worries, you can always order more. My treat,” Kira offered.

“Really, I’m fine.”

Zane smiled.

“By the way, I’m surprised you already managed to win five pieces so quickly. Impressive.”

“Haha, just lucky,” Zane laughed. “I just give every duel my all and fight with everything I have.”

Kira nodded. “I understand.”

He knew Zane’s philosophy—one of the defining traits of his early character: Respecting your opponent’s dueling.

Zane was the classic idealistic duelist—always positive, placing great value on the honor of duelists, even more than his desire to win.

The bonds with his deck, respect for his opponent and the duel itself—that was what he pursued, as shown in the anime when he reflected on himself after turning dark in the underground duels. He used to think that respecting his opponent was enough, and victory didn’t matter.

This conviction made him strong but also became his weakness.

In the Academy, he was the invincible Kaiser, not even losing to protagonist-tier duelists like Jaden. He’d never lost before, so he didn’t crave victory—since it was always within reach.

But once he entered the professional circuit, and was utterly defeated by the genius Aster Phoenix, he felt, for the first time, a genuine desire to win.

But his habitual way of thinking made him suppress that desire. He kept reminding himself to stick to his ideals and tried not to let himself want to win at any cost. This inner conflict ultimately broke his spirit as a duelist.

It was a clear demonstration of a rule in anime: when a duelist loses their nerve, their cards lose their power too. Even someone as strong as Kaiser—after his defeat to Aster and subsequent collapse—kept losing in the pro circuit, never winning another match, even against lower-ranked pros.

It wasn’t until he fought in underground do-or-die duels that his long-suppressed desire finally exploded. He abandoned his old philosophy and began to pursue victory by any means necessary.

But in Kira’s view—even though he knew this opinion might seem heretical in the eyes of most duelists in this world—he preferred the path of the “Hell Kaiser” after he turned dark, compared to the idealistic early version.

Because dueling is cruel. There can be only one winner. The “respect your opponent, winning or losing doesn’t matter” talk never sat right with him—because in this world, victory and defeat decide everything, and the loser loses it all.

Kira narrowed his eyes as he regarded Zane.

Zane was among the strongest characters in GX. It was a shame that he later crashed and burned, his body ruined, becoming one of the few still-competent allies during the fallen era of GX.

If he could use this duel to give him a wake-up call—to make him realize the harshness of the dueling world—maybe he wouldn’t have to wait until the pro circuit to get crushed and traumatized, and wouldn’t have to fight in the underground. Maybe their side would gain a huge power-up in the later stages.

Having made up his mind, Kira wiped his mouth and stood up. “Thanks for waiting. Let’s do this.”

Chapter 334: Battle of the Academy Kings?

“Duel!” ×2

[Kira, LP 4000]

[Zane, LP 4000]

“I’ll go first. Draw.”

Kira declared.

“I set a monster in face-down defense position, then set a card face-down. Turn end.”

Zane: “My turn. Draw!”

He glanced at his hand, then promptly played a card.

“Spell Card: ‘Different Dimension Capsule.’ I choose one card from my deck, banish it face-down. During my second Standby Phase after activation, that card is added to my hand.”

Cards like Gold Sarcophagus and Different Dimension Capsule are considered obsolete due to their slow speed nowadays, but back in the early days, they were incredibly strong and restricted. Although you have to wait two turns, it acts as a universal search—hugely popular among players back then.

Unlike modern Yu-Gi-Oh!, where duels are often decided in one turn, back then it was normal to have empty turns and little to no OTKs. Waiting two turns for a search was no problem.

Zane searched his deck, selected a card, and placed it face-down in the Different Dimension Capsule. The capsule closed, glowed gold, and sank into the ground, disappearing.

While Kira couldn’t see what card was chosen, he could easily guess it was the Spell Card “Power Bond.”

A Machine-Type Fusion Spell that doubles the attack of the fused monster.

In the anime, Zane always opens with Different Dimension Capsule—and always picks Power Bond.

“…Hey, isn’t that guy over there Kaiser?”

“Looks like it! And his opponent—wait, isn’t that the guy, Fujiki Kira, the Yellow Big Villain?”

A few students happened to be passing by—probably Duel Academy students visiting Duel City during their break. Running into the two school legends dueling in Duel City was a huge surprise.

The Master of Yellow versus Academy’s Kaiser!

A battle for the Academy’s crown?

“Record this! Hurry up!”

The students quickly crowded around with their phones.

Everyone knew that no matter who won, this duel would be viral back at school—guaranteed to draw attention.

“Then, Spell Card: ‘Pot of Greed.’” Zane continued. “Draw two cards.”

After drawing, he paused and glanced at Kira’s set card.

He’d never dueled Kira before, but he’d watched plenty of his duels. He knew Kira was a master of trap setups—his back row couldn’t be underestimated.

“Quick-Play Spell, ‘Mystical Space Typhoon,’” Zane said. “Destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field. I’ll destroy your set card.”

A black whirlwind wrapped around Kira’s set card, and a bolt of lightning struck it, shattering the trap.

Kira smiled faintly. “The card you destroyed was the Trap Card ‘Dummy Marker.’ When this card is destroyed by a card effect, I draw one card. If it’s destroyed by your Spell Card, I can draw two cards from my deck.”

Zane nodded. “So I walked right into your trap.”

“Since your ‘Mystical Space Typhoon’ destroyed it, I’ll draw two cards.”

Kira drew two cards from his deck.

Zane: “Now, I Special Summon ‘Cyber Dragon.’”

The legendary monster—the core of the Cyber deck—a mechanical dragon appeared on his field, electricity arcing around its steel body as it protected Zane.

[Cyber Dragon, ATK 2100]

“Cyber Dragon is a Level 5 monster, but if my opponent controls a monster and I don’t, I can Special Summon it from my hand.”

Zane swept his hand.

“Cyber Dragon attacks the face-down monster.”

Cyber Dragon opened its mouth, unleashing a golden spiral of energy, obliterating the set monster—a tiny frog with a halo above its head.

[Treeborn Frog, DEF 100]

“Treeborn Frog… a monster that can revive itself.”

Zane frowned and pulled a card from his hand.

“I set a card face-down. Turn end.”

The nearby students, recording the duel, were already gushing: “As expected of Kaiser, immediately summoning a high-level monster, clearing the back row, and solidifying his own back row too.”

Another nodded. “That was a perfect first turn—both offense and defense.”

Kira: “…”

Honestly, Zane’s opening was identical to his first appearance against Jaden in the anime—even the in-show commentary said the same thing.

“Cyber Dragon, a high-level monster that can hit the field so easily—pretty impressive, huh?” Kira smiled.

Zane smiled too, glancing at Cyber Dragon.

“It’s my friend.”

And as if it understood, Cyber Dragon actually lowered its head in acknowledgement.

But that was nothing unusual; it was well-known that Kaiser’s Cyber Dragon was a spirit.

“I’ve seen your duels—your style as ‘Kaiser.’” Kira smiled. “You respect every possibility your opponent has, showcase the strong bonds between yourself and your monsters through dueling, and use Cyber Dragon’s ultimate forms to give your opponent an honorable finish.

That’s your style—and the source of your strength.”

He paused, narrowing his eyes meaningfully.

“Well, as long as you can keep winning like this, that’s great.”

Zane was momentarily confused but replied,

“As long as I can stick to my own dueling, and walk my own path, there’s nothing to regret even if I lose to a strong opponent.”

“That’s true.”

Kira smiled mysteriously, saying no more.

“My turn, draw,” Kira declared. “During my Standby Phase, Treeborn Frog’s effect in the graveyard:

If I have no Treeborn Frog on the field, I can Special Summon this card from the graveyard.

So I revive Treeborn Frog.”

A holy light descended, and the little angelic frog with wings and a halo hopped back onto the field.

[Treeborn Frog, ATK 100]

“Now, I tribute Treeborn Frog for a Tribute Summon!”

Kira raised his hand, and a green storm whipped up, blades of wind swirling as if an army of wind was welcoming its general.

“Raiza the Storm Monarch—Summon!”

[Raiza the Storm Monarch, ATK 2400]

“When Raiza is Tribute Summoned, I can return one card on the field to the top of its owner’s deck,” Kira said. “‘Cyber Dragon’ goes back to the top of your deck.”

A green storm engulfed Cyber Dragon, and its metallic body vanished in a flash of light, returning to the top of Zane’s deck.

“Then Raiza attacks directly!”

A storm of wind blades ripped through the battlefield, even the ground was torn apart by the air currents. The storm swept over Zane, making him stagger.

[Zane, LP 4000 → 1600]

The crowd buzzed.

“Kira takes the first point!”

One guy sounded like he was streaming.

“He actually pushed back even Kaiser…”

But Zane wasn’t discouraged. After the storm, he straightened up and smiled. “No wonder the Monarchs are such a rare and powerful series—that was impressive.”

“Spell Card: ‘Card of Heaven and Earth.’” Kira said. “If I performed a Tribute Summon this turn, I draw two cards from my deck. But the cards I draw can’t be used this turn—if possible, I must set at least one.” (Manga Card)

Kira drew two cards.

“I set two cards face-down. Turn end.”

Chapter 335: Good Thing My Skills Are Better

“My turn, draw!”

Zane drew a card.

Of course, everyone knew it was the Cyber Dragon that just got bounced to the top of his deck. While Cyber Dragon was once the strongest beater, it couldn’t get past Raiza.

“Spell Card: ‘Graceful Charity!’” Zane declared. “Draw three cards, then discard two.”

He quickly drew three, then discarded two.

“One of the cards I discard is the Spell Card ‘Card of Compensation.’ I draw two cards from my deck.” (Manga Card)

Glancing at his new draws, Zane quickly formulated a plan.

“When my opponent controls a monster and I don’t, I can Special Summon ‘Cyber Dragon’ again!”

[Cyber Dragon, ATK 2100]

“Then I activate my face-down—Continuous Trap ‘Limit Reverse!’ Special Summon a monster with 1000 or less ATK from my graveyard in Attack Position.

I’ll revive the monster I just discarded…”

He pulled a card from his graveyard slot.

“Special Summon ‘The Light - Hex-Sealed Fusion’!”

[The Light - Hex-Sealed Fusion, ATK 1000]

“Now, activate Fusion Substitute Monster’s effect. By tributing itself and other monsters on the field as Fusion Materials, I can use it as a substitute for a named material to Fusion Summon a LIGHT Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck!”

He indicated the monsters on his field.

“I tribute ‘The Light - Hex-Sealed Fusion’ and ‘Cyber Dragon,’ using the substitute as the second ‘Cyber Dragon’ for Fusion! Appear—

—Cyber Twin Dragon!”

The Fusion Substitute Monster released a surge of light, forming a vortex. Its body transformed into Cyber Dragon’s form, and together with the other Cyber Dragon, they vanished into the light.

A steel-white body, forged like armor, gleamed with a metallic sheen.

Twin dragon heads, electricity crackling like silver snakes across its body.

[Cyber Twin Dragon, ATK 2800]

The crowd was excited: “There it is! Kaiser’s strongest monster, just below Cyber End Dragon—Cyber Twin Dragon!”

Though the anime called it “second only to Cyber End Dragon,” in early tournaments, Twin Dragon was actually considered stronger and more frequently used.

“And I’m not done!” Zane shouted, “Spell Card: ‘Monster Reborn!’ Special Summon a monster from the graveyard!

I revive ‘The Light - Hex-Sealed Fusion’ that was just used as Fusion material!”

[The Light - Hex-Sealed Fusion, DEF 1600]

“Then, I Normal Summon ‘Proto-Cyber Dragon’ from my hand!”

[Proto-Cyber Dragon, ATK 1100]

A Level 3 downsized version of Cyber Dragon—basically the prototype. For a long time, it was the only card that could substitute for Cyber Dragon, but as the Cyber Dragon archetype got more support, it eventually became obsolete.

“‘Proto-Cyber Dragon’ effect: While this card is on the field, it is treated as ‘Cyber Dragon.’ Now I activate ‘The Light - Hex-Sealed Fusion’ again!

I tribute the substitute and Proto-Cyber Dragon (as Cyber Dragon) to Fusion Summon another LIGHT Fusion Monster!”

The substitute morphed into Cyber Dragon’s form, and two Cyber Dragons merged in a whirl of light. Lightning flashed, and another twin-headed metal dragon roared onto the field.

“Cyber Twin Dragon #2—Summon!”

[Cyber Twin Dragon, ATK 2800]

Kira mused, “You even have a second one…”

But in the anime, Kaiser had two Cyber End Dragons, so having two Cyber Twins wasn’t strange.

The crowd was already fired up, and they hadn’t even started the battle phase.

“As expected of Kaiser—he instantly summoned two Twin Dragons! Two of them!”

The blue-uniformed student was especially excited.

“Cyber Twin Dragon can attack twice per turn—if he’s got two…”

“That’s four attacks in one turn!” another student chimed in.

2800 ATK, four times—what a concept!

One turn KO, and then some.

“Your Monarch, and my Cyber Dragons—let’s see which is truly the strongest power of Duel Academy!”

Zane declared.

“Battle! First, the first Cyber Twin Dragon attacks Raiza!”

Both dragon mouths charged with fire and lightning, the left head unleashing a beam at Raiza!

Kira snapped his fingers. “Activate the Trap Card ‘Spiritual Wind Art – Miyabi.’ Tribute a WIND monster I control, then return one of your cards on the field to the bottom of your deck.

I tribute ‘Raiza the Storm Monarch’ and send your Cyber Twin Dragon to the bottom of your deck.”

Raiza spread its arms as if burning itself out, releasing a final storm. The power of wind erupted, engulfing the Twin Dragon in a green tornado until it vanished.

“Ugh, sent back to the deck…”

After going to all that trouble to summon it, having it blown away so easily made even Zane frown.

But it was fine.

What about the second one?

“Then Cyber Twin Dragon #2 attacks directly!”

With Raiza and Twin Dragon #1 gone, Kira’s field was empty. Twin Dragon #2’s double strike could easily secure victory!

“Activate the Trap Card ‘Phoenix Wing Wind Blast.’”

Kira flipped a back row card and discarded a card from his hand.

“I discard one card, then return a card on your field to the top of your deck. I discard a card to send your Cyber Twin Dragon #2 to the top of your deck.”

The spirit of Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys appeared, spreading its wings. A fiery storm swept up and swallowed the second Twin Dragon, its metallic body vanishing in the flames.

Zane: “…”

The crowd: “…”

So now both sides were left with empty fields.

“That was close—really close. As expected of Kaiser,” Kira grinned. “If I hadn’t been careful, your Twin Dragons would’ve finished me off in one turn.”

Zane: “…”

He suddenly felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

It was like playing a competitive online game, using a high-difficulty, flashy hero with insane hand speed and fancy footwork. You pull off all your tricks—maximum style, all skills used.

And then your opponent, playing some boring stats monster, just presses one button, deals 999 damage, and you get instantly KO’d.

Afterward, that guy even wipes his brow and says, “Phew, that was close. Good thing my skills are better…”

Chapter 336: Monarchs VS Cyber Dragons

“That’s Kira for you.”

The student streaming the duel gasped.

“Kaiser’s two Cyber Twin Dragons, a fourfold attack, were actually neutralized so effortlessly.”

At this point, he couldn’t help but feel a little gloomy.

So, it’s still not enough?

Even someone as strong as Kaiser is struggling this much against darkness. What’s left for the rest of us—where should we go from here?

 Zane took a deep breath and said, “Then I activate the Spell Card ‘Card of Burial Magic.’ I banish the Spell Cards ‘Mystical Space Typhoon,’ ‘Pot of Greed,’ and ‘Graceful Charity’ from my Graveyard to draw two cards.” (Anime card)

After drawing, he helplessly waved his hand.

“I set three cards facedown. My turn ends.”

His offensive had been completely neutralized, and now his field was empty. His Life Points were only 1600, and for the next turn, he could only rely on his backrow for defense.

“My turn. Draw.”

Kira pointed to his own field, and another beam of sacred white light descended from the sky.

“My front-row Storm Monarch was tributed, and my backrow set cards have all been used. There are no longer any Spells or Traps on my field. Therefore, the effect of ‘Treeborn Frog’ in my Graveyard can activate again.

If I have no cards in my Spell/Trap Zone during my Standby Phase, Treeborn Frog Special Summons itself from the Graveyard.”

[Treeborn Frog, DEF 100]

Zane frowned.

He was starting to understand Kira’s Monarch deck strategy.

The endlessly reviving Treeborn Frog could provide a Tribute for Monarchs every turn, and the different attributes of Monarchs each had powerful field-clearing effects, granting strong offense and continuous resources every turn.

In fact, this was the classic top-tier build during the Monarchs’ heyday in the real TCG, called the “Frog Monarch” combo.

Sure enough, with Treeborn Frog as an infinite Tribute resource, the Monarchs launched another wave of assault.

“Tribute ‘Treeborn Frog’,” Kira declared. “This time, the Rock Monarch, showing power enough to shake the land—

—Granmarg the Rock Monarch, Summon!!”

A deafening roar echoed as the earth shattered. The ground seemed to tremble violently, stones flying everywhere.

From the cracks emerged a massive golden figure, shining like sunlight on fragments of earth, its armor stacked like steel boulders, immeasurably heavy—its mere presence pressed down on everyone.

[Granmarg the Rock Monarch, ATK 2400]

“When Granmarg is successfully Tribute Summoned, destroy one set card on the field.”

Kira pointed to Kaiser’s backrow.

“Well, I’ll just choose one at random. The one in the center.”

Zane took a deep breath. “Then I chain that set card—Trap Card ‘Back to the Front’!

Revive a monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position!”

A vortex opened in the Graveyard, and an armored dragon, crackling with electricity, was revived.

“I Special Summon ‘Cyber Dragon’ from the Graveyard!”

[Cyber Dragon, DEF 1600]

A student from the Yellow Dorm said, “That was close. Now at least Kaiser has a Defense monster and should survive this turn’s assault.”

“Then, ‘Granmarg the Rock Monarch’ attacks ‘Cyber Dragon’,” Kira declared.

Zane shouted, “I activate the Trap Card ‘Attack Reflector Unit’!”

The Trap Card flipped, projecting an arsenal-like scene—robotic arms and machinery surrounded Cyber Dragon, rapidly transforming it.

“Attack Reflector Unit: Tribute a ‘Cyber Dragon’ you control to Special Summon ‘Cyber Barrier Dragon’ from your Deck!”

 Zane shouted.

“Tribute ‘Cyber Dragon’ and evolve into a new form!

Cyber Barrier Dragon, Summon!”

A golden beam shot skyward as Cyber Dragon rapidly transformed, evolving into a new steel dragon.

[Cyber Barrier Dragon, DEF 2800]

“2800 Defense!” shouted a Blue Dorm student. “Now the Monarch can’t break through!”

“Then, the battle rewinds—‘Granmarg the Rock Monarch’ cancels its attack.”

Kira revealed another card from his hand.

“But I activate the Quick-Play Spell ‘Quick Summon’—I can perform another Normal Summon of a monster from my hand.” (Anime card)

He revealed another card from his hand.

“Tribute ‘Granmarg the Rock Monarch’ for another Tribute Summon!”

Zane’s face changed. “A second Monarch in one turn?”

“Under the thunderous sky, the ruler of lightning descends—

—Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, Summon!”

A projection of black clouds appeared in the sky, releasing surging energy like a boiling sea. Silver lightning flashed, swirling and expanding, as a towering figure descended amidst the storm!

[Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, ATK 2400]

“When Zaborg the Thunder Monarch is Tribute Summoned, destroy a monster on the field!” Kira declared. “Destroy ‘Cyber Barrier Dragon!’”

Zaborg raised his hand, golden light shooting skyward. The sky split open, and thunder rained down like a torrent onto Cyber Barrier Dragon. The steel dragon looked fragile under the thick lightning, pierced as easily as butter by a hot knife.

“Ugh—” Zane raised his arm to shield himself from the blast.

“Oh no, the newly summoned Cyber Barrier Dragon was instantly shattered by the Monarch’s might!” the streamer narrated.

“Now Kaiser’s field is empty again! Will Zaborg’s attack decide the Academy’s new king!?”

Kira waved his hand. “Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, direct attack!”

Lightning surged between Zaborg’s hands, arcing toward his opponent!

 “I activate a set card!” Zane shouted. “Continuous Trap ‘Call of the Haunted!’ Revive a monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position!”

A monster card emerged from the Graveyard.

“I revive ‘Cyber Barrier Dragon!’”

Kira’s first instinct was to argue that Cyber Barrier Dragon couldn’t be Special Summoned except by ‘Attack Reflector Unit,’ not even if it was properly summoned, because of its own effect. But then he remembered—in the anime, during the episode where Zame faced Vampire Camula, he did use Call of the Haunted to revive Cyber Barrier Dragon to block an attack.

So, clearly in the anime, there’s no such summoning restriction. Once properly summoned, it can be revived.

“‘Cyber Barrier Dragon,’ Special Summon again!”

[Cyber Barrier Dragon, ATK 800]

“Cyber Barrier Dragon’s effect: When this card is in Attack Position, once per turn, it can negate an opponent’s attack,” Zane said.

The mechanical head of Cyber Barrier Dragon activated, projecting a defensive energy barrier. The Thunder Monarch’s lightning slammed into it, exploding on the shield.

In fact, the battle could be rewound here, but whether Kira attacked or not didn’t matter. He didn’t retract his attack.

“Then, I set a card,” Kira said. “Turn end.”

Chapter 337: Against Flash Defense!

Zane let out a long breath.

No matter what, he’d barely survived this turn.

Losing two Cyber Twin Dragons in a single turn was too much. The Storm Monarch’s repeated hand-bouncing, combined with Treeborn Frog and Monarchs’ relentless assault, was enough to make even him sweat.

Actually, Zane had long sensed that Kira, in some ways, was a duelist who walked a path completely different from his own.

Zane pursued dueling his own way, keeping his pace steady and focusing on his own process rather than just victory. All in all, he valued the journey over the result.

Kira was the opposite. His dueling was a formula derived for victory—if it won, the means didn’t matter. Flashy tactics or monster slugfests popular with modern duelists were irrelevant.

For him, the result clearly mattered more than the process.

Well, if he could have fun along the way while winning, that was even better.

Zane didn’t think his path was superior, nor did he plan to change. For him, his conviction was his strength, and regardless of his opponent’s tactics, he would always be himself.

As long as he stayed true to his path, his deck would answer him. Whether he won or lost was secondary.

“My turn. Draw!”

Zane declared.

“And during this turn’s Standby Phase, it’s my second Standby Phase after ‘Different Dimension Capsule’ was activated. According to its effect, ‘Different Dimension Capsule’ is destroyed, and I add the card I banished with it to my hand.”

A vortex appeared on the ground, and the Different Dimension Capsule, like a coffin from another dimension, emerged and slowly opened. The card within returned to Zane’s hand.

Of course, everyone knew what Kaiser’s Different Dimension Capsule contained—just like everyone always knew Seto Kaiba’s set card was Polymerization.

“Then I activate the Spell Card ‘Spell Books from the Pot’—both players draw three cards from their Decks.” (Manga card)

After drawing, he quickly made a decision and revealed three cards from his hand.

“Activate the Spell Card ‘Monster Reborn!’” Zane played his signature card. “Revive any monster from my Graveyard!

I choose this card—

—Proto-Cyber Dragon, Summon!”

[Proto-Cyber Dragon, ATK 1100]

“And at this moment, activate Quick-Play Spell ‘Inferno Reckless Summon!’” Zane declared. “When your opponent controls a monster and you Special Summon a monster with 1500 or less ATK, you can Special Summon as many copies of that monster as possible from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.

But as a cost, your opponent can also Special Summon as many copies of one of their face-up monsters as possible.”

“My field has ‘Zaborg the Thunder Monarch’,” Kira said. “But I don’t have any more copies in my Deck.”

Monarchs were already super-rare in this world, and nobody ran two or three copies of Zaborg anyway, so he only had one.

A Yellow Dorm student in the crowd said, “Kaiser just Special Summoned Proto-Cyber Dragon, so with Inferno Reckless Summon, he’ll get two more from his Deck.”

“You idiot, did you forget Proto-Cyber Dragon’s effect?” a Blue Dorm student reminded him.

The Yellow Dorm student froze. “When Proto-Cyber Dragon is on the field, its name becomes ‘Cyber Dragon.’ Masaka (could it be)!?”

Sure enough, next moment, Zane revealed three more cards in quick succession.

“I Special Summon these three cards from my Graveyard and Deck!

Appear, three Cyber Dragons, Special Summon together!!!”

[Cyber Dragon, ATK 2100] x3

 “Then, activate the Spell Card ‘Power Bond’! Using Fusion Materials from my hand or field, I Fusion Summon a Machine monster!” Zane declared. “I fuse Proto-Cyber Dragon, treated as ‘Cyber Dragon,’ with two more ‘Cyber Dragons’!

Transform into the ultimate evolution of Cyber Dragon—descend in your mightiest form!”

Zane raised his arm high.

“Fusion Summon! Cyber End Dragon!!!”

As if tearing through the boundaries of space, a three-headed steel dragon arrived with a roar of grinding machinery! Its massive body, every inch of armor sparking with electricity, the silver plates shining like a flowing galaxy.

[Cyber End Dragon, ATK 4000]

“Power Bond’s effect—when a Machine monster is Fusion Summoned with this card, its ATK is doubled!”

[Cyber End Dragon, ATK 4000 → ATK 8000]

“It appeared!”

The students on site and those watching the stream all became excited.

“Kaiser’s signature—an 8000-attack Cyber End Dragon!”

“So powerful, it’s practically a legendary monster...”

8000 attack points—a barrier unattainable for most ordinary duelists. Now this three-headed steel dragon was the embodiment of might itself!

“Battle!” Zane declared. “Cyber End Dragon, attack ‘Zaborg the Thunder Monarch!’

Eternal Evolution Burst!!”

All three mechanical jaws of the End Dragon opened wide, like black cannon barrels charging up! The raging energy swirled inside, crashing and roaring.

With 8000 attack, even a glancing blow meant instant annihilation.

“Power Bond + Cyber End Dragon—this is your trump card, so strong, too strong.”

Kira nodded in acknowledgment, giving his opponent due respect

 —or at least he felt he did.

Then, with a flourish, he flipped a card, and in that instant, dazzling light burst forth from the card!

Such overwhelming, radiant power—everyone in the room was forced to shield their eyes, squinting to see what the card was.

Zane also shielded his eyes, his face grim. “That power... Could it be...?”

“Exactly.”

Kira, at some point, had calmly put on sunglasses to block the light, so he didn’t need to shield his eyes like the others. Facing the blinding light with ease, the dazzling glow was reflected on his black lenses.

He spoke calmly:

“Trap Card, Mirror Force.

When your opponent’s monster declares an attack—”

He slowly gestured across Kaiser’s field, passing over ‘Cyber Dragon,’ ‘Cyber End Dragon,’ and ‘Cyber Barrier Dragon’—such a magnificent lineup.

“All Attack Position monsters your opponent controls are destroyed!”

Chapter 338: Give Him a Heavy Blow

Mirror Force!

Holy blue light burst forth from the Trap Card, forming a shield on the field. At first, the barrier was as calm as a lake, but as Cyber End Dragon’s Eternal Evolution Burst crashed into it, the light trembled, becoming hot and dazzling. The flames of light leapt in the void, as if absorbing Cyber End Dragon’s unmatched power, then returned it a hundredfold!

The blue glow surged like a flood, shaking space itself.

Cyber Dragon, Cyber End Dragon, and Cyber Barrier Dragon—all three mechanical giants were mercilessly engulfed, their steel bodies instantly shattering, twisting in the shockwave.

“To use Mirror Force at a time like this...”

Zane said in a low voice.

“Then I activate the Quick-Play Spell ‘Cybernetic Zone’!”

The Spell Card’s image unfolded in golden light, appearing on his field at the critical moment.

“I target a Machine Fusion Monster I control and banish it!”

He pointed to his Cyber End Dragon.

“I banish ‘Cyber End Dragon’!”

A starry blue barrier enveloped the field. Cyber End Dragon was encased within, vanishing just before the holy light could destroy it.

“Dodged, huh.” Kira nodded. “But the remaining ‘Cyber Dragon’ and ‘Cyber Barrier Dragon’ are destroyed.”

Like a shooting star streaking briefly but brilliantly across the night sky, the holy radiance swept the field, leaving only emptiness—no trace even of metal fragments.

“What a pity. Such a lineup, gone in an instant. That was close—whether it was the Cyber Twin Dragons earlier or the Cyber End Dragon just now, one careless hit and it would’ve been all over.”

Kira patted his chest in a show of relief.

“As expected of Kaiser, truly the legendary wielder of overwhelming power.”

Zane was silent.

“But unfortunately, your opponent won’t always meet force with force,” Kira said. “Maybe to you, using your strongest monster and going all out is the highest respect for your opponent—but duelists come in all kinds.”

“...I understand.”

Zane closed his eyes and spoke slowly.

“But I’ve already decided—no matter what, I’ll walk with my old friends to the end. That’s my way, my path. No matter what tactics or methods my opponent uses, it doesn’t matter.”

He drew another card.

“Activate Spell Card ‘One Day of Peace.’ Both players draw a card, and until the end of your opponent’s next turn, neither takes battle or effect damage.”

He drew a card, and then seemed to consider for a moment.

“Activate Spell Card ‘Card of Burial Magic.’ Banish ‘One Day of Peace,’ ‘Different Dimension Capsule,’ and ‘Inferno Reckless Summon’ from my Graveyard, and draw two cards.” (Anime card)

Then he set two more cards.

“I set two cards in my backrow and end my turn.”

Zane declared,

“In the End Phase, the monster I banished with ‘Cybernetic Zone’—Cyber End Dragon—returns to the field. And when it returns, its ATK is doubled!”

A star-blue beam descended again, Cyber End Dragon’s image roaring as it reappeared.

[Cyber End Dragon, ATK 8000 → ATK 16000]

The students watching instinctively held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

“Cyber End Dragon with 16,000 attack!”

 “That’s terrifying—at that power, even Five-Headed Dragon would be just a wall, or even less!”

The streamer continued his commentary.

“What a duel! Kaiser has continuously set up OTK fields, only for Kira to neutralize them with ease—yet Kaiser’s offense shows no sign of faltering, it’s only getting stronger!

Did you see that? 16,000 ATK Cyber End Dragon! Sixteen thousand!”

Zane said gravely, “Power Bond’s effect—during the End Phase, if the Fusion Monster summoned with it is still on the field, I take damage equal to its original ATK.” (Anime effect)

The anime and real card effects of Power Bond differ. In the real TCG, Power Bond’s damage is applied at the end of the turn regardless of whether the Fusion Monster is still present, and the effect doesn’t start a new chain.

But in the anime, the effect triggers and requires the Fusion Monster to be present at the end of the turn. That’s why, in the anime, Kaiser can use De-Fusion or similar effects to avoid the damage, but not in the real game.

“Because I activated ‘One Day of Peace,’ all damage until the end of your next turn becomes zero,” Zane said. “So, Power Bond’s damage is negated.”

“...Amazing!”

The spectators were once again awestruck.

“He even accounted for Power Bond’s drawback!”

Kira smiled, not surprised.

Power Bond was Zane’s soul card, but every time he summoned Cyber End Dragon, he either won outright or had a way to dodge the self-burn. He’d never actually lost to Power Bond’s own damage.

Of course. If he couldn’t handle the inevitable side effect of his own card, he wouldn’t deserve the title of Kaiser.

“My turn. Draw.”

Kira drew.

“During my Standby Phase, since my Spell/Trap Zone is empty, Treeborn Frog revives from my Graveyard.”

[Treeborn Frog, DEF 100]

Zane frowned.

That frog again—the Monarchs’ endless ammunition.

Kira could also see that, even after all these setbacks, Kaiser hadn’t wavered.

He still stuck to his chosen path, just as stubbornly determined to win using Cyber Dragon or its fusions.

From Zane’s first underground duel, it was apparent that his Fusion deck always had other powerful monsters like Chimeratech Overdragon, but he used to refuse to play them.

Only at a life-or-death moment did he finally let go of the obsession with winning with Cyber Dragon, and decided to fight to win.

But now, it seemed he was still persistent—meaning he hadn’t faced enough resistance or setbacks yet.

But that was fine.

Kira smiled slightly.

Then let’s give him an even greater defeat to experience.

“Tribute ‘Treeborn Frog’ once again.”

Kira raised his hand.

Treeborn Frog was swallowed by a dark vortex, jet-black winds erupting like a hellish storm!

“The embodiment of destruction, breaking free from chains and awakening from endless darkness—

—Caius the Shadow Monarch, Summon!!!”