Yugioh [366-371] (Patreon)

Chapter 366: The Source of Darkness

Boom!

A fireball crashed down, smashing into the black motorcycle, turning it into a blazing inferno. It skidded, trailing sparks, before slamming into the far wall. The rider, dressed in black, also looked like a ball of flame as he tumbled, rolling almost the entire length of the street before finally slamming head-first into the wall.

Kira tightened the brakes, skidding his bike sideways to a stop in front of the fallen rider.

He dismounted and approached the rider.

"What are you doing!?"

Iwao only now stopped his bike behind him, shouting.

"If you stop here, we'll be surrounded!"

Indeed, zombies on the surrounding streets were already starting to converge on their location.

"It's fine, I won't be long."

Kira walked toward the fallen rider—or rather, his deck.

Although the tactics hadn't worked on Kira, he still found the combination of Burden of the Mighty and King Tiger quite interesting. With some refinement, it could have even more potential.

There was no way he would miss this deck.

However, just as he was a few steps away, the black-clad rider’s body suddenly convulsed.

Kira paused, frowning slightly.

Taking a hit from unlimited fireball in a Shadow Duel, then falling off a burning bike, rolling at least 800 meters, and slamming into a wall—if he was still alive after all that, he’d be a true superhuman.

No, the fact that his body was still in one piece was already a miracle.

But, even stranger, after the convulsion, the black-clad body actually started struggling to get up.

Or rather, it seemed like something inside him was trying to break free from the prison of flesh and burst forth.

Sure enough, a thick black cloud erupted from his body, floating into the air, and the black-clad rider collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut, falling flat and never moving again.

It was as if a demon finally broke its chains, rushing wildly into the night sky. The darkness in midair writhed and churned, as if infused with life, expanding and contracting like a giant black bubble.

Within seconds, it began to take on a vague shape. Though still indistinct, it was clearly the form of some massive monster.

That huge body, with what seemed to be countless legs and bared fangs emerging from the darkness, instantly reminded Kira of an infamous evil card—one that was also a final boss in the original manga.

“Are you Tragoedia?” Kira frowned.

“Hm?”

The dark shadow paused, seemingly surprised.

“Kid, you know me?”

So it really was him.

Tragoedia, known for his card art as Little Lobster among fans, was the final boss of the GX manga.

As a boss, Tragoedia had quite the presence. In the final battle, both Jaden and Chazz had to team up against him, and even then, their combined strength likely wouldn’t have been enough.

In the end, Jaden fused "Winged Kuriboh" with Chazz's spirit "Light and Darkness Dragon" to summon the avatar of the high priest "Ma'at," who wielded the Millennium Rod—one of the seven Millennium Items.

This card was later printed in real life; you can even see the Millennium Rod in the priest's hand, just like Marik's.

Ma'at lent his power to Jaden, allowing Jaden to temporarily wield the Pharaoh Atem’s power—being able to draw any card he declared, seven times in a row, pulling off a combo that completely overwhelmed Tragoedia.

So in a sense, Tragoedia was written out of the story, but among all the GX characters, he absolutely deserved the title of strongest boss.

“Interesting. Three thousand years sealed away, and yet there are still warriors in this era who know my name.”

A wicked glint flashed in Tragoedia’s eyes.

“You’re not bad, not bad at all. Of all the duelists I’ve met since awakening in this world, you’re the best. So I’ll give you a chance.

You’re different from the others. You won’t just be food. I’ll allow you to become my new agent—after I devour your soul!”

As the surging darkness lunged at him, Kira seemed to hear the howls of hell. The darkness opened a monstrous maw, reeking of death, the black storm surging like an endless tide.

Silent Magician and Black Luster Soldier shot forward, one left, one right, blocking its path.

“Spirits?”

Tragoedia snorted disdainfully.

“Mere spirits... Aaaah!”

The Silent Magician’s blast exploded on its left, vaporizing a chunk of darkness in the light. Black Luster Soldier’s sword cut from the other side, slicing away more darkness, even severing its massive form.

Tragoedia shrieked like a slaughtered pig, halting his attack and retreating hastily, suddenly remembering something.

“That’s right, I lost the Shadow Duel…”

He roared in rage, his eyes blazing with darkness.

“Damn it! The backlash of the Shadow Duel—I can’t believe it—”

If it was a direct fight, he believed he could take on anyone in this world.

That was Tragoedia’s defining trait—extreme self-confidence. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to challenge the Millennium Item holders head-on all those years ago.

In his eyes, even the Millennium Items were overrated, and all modern spirits were trash—only the legendary God Cards were worthy opponents. But now that the Gods were gone, he saw himself as their equal.

He’d been this bold for three thousand years. Though unlucky enough to be sealed, now that the Millennium Items, high priests, and Pharaoh were all gone, he was even bolder.

Of course, his confidence wasn’t entirely blind—Tragoedia really was strong. He just had one fatal flaw:

He wasn’t very bright.

At this moment, more of Kira’s spirits were being summoned.

Black Luster Soldier guarded the left, Jinzo the right, Caius the center. Silent Magician stayed glued to Kira, unleashing blast after blast just in case.

A righteous beatdown!

At the same time, a dazzling golden light burst from Kira’s chest, as if endless warmth was pouring into his spirits through the glow.

Kira sensed something and pulled out the “Sealing Device”—a mini Millennium Puzzle derivative.

Ever since he picked it up, it had been dormant, but now it began to shine, as if giving all his spirits a power-up.

“This… you… you’re…”

Tragoedia’s form twisted in the golden light, screaming shrilly.

“The cursed Pharaoh’s power—why do you have…”

But before he could finish, Black Luster Soldier flashed before him, gripping his sword in both hands. With a sharp cry, the blade of light and dark chopped down.

“Uraaah!”

Tragoedia screamed in rage and pain as the sword cleaved him in two.

Chapter 367: Good Thing He’s Not Bright

The sword light from Black Luster Soldier fell, and the black mist forming Tragoedia’s body finally began to collapse and evaporate like a puddle under the sun.

“Damn… whatever. I’ve absorbed enough power here anyway; I can’t get any more even if I stay.”

Tragoedia glared coldly at Kira.

“This time you’re lucky. But I’ll remember you, duelist. We’ll meet again soon.”

He paused, his voice turning even colder.

“And it might be sooner than you think.”

As he finished, his figure faded away completely, dissolving into nothing.

“So that’s the culprit behind all this?” Iwao murmured, watching the darkness fade.

“Most likely.”

Kira silently took the deck Tragoedia had used, stood up, and got back on his motorcycle.

“Let’s go. We still have a plan to execute, don’t we?”

“Oh, right. Let’s hurry.”

Iwao quickly turned his bike around. The power plant was just ahead, and the two sped inside at full throttle.

From what Tragoedia said, Kira guessed this zombie crisis was probably his doing. In the manga, Tragoedia was unearthed by a so-called “anime team-wipe engine” archaeology group, but even then he was only partially unsealed, far weaker than before.

Maybe he’d turned this whole town into his personal feeding ground, using each zombie to help him absorb more energy. Every person attacked and drained of darkness became another zombie.

Come to think of it, Tragoedia’s original sealing was a bit ridiculous.

Back then, he inhabited an astrologer. When he tried sneaking into the forbidden palace where the Pharaoh stored his Duel Monster tablets, the priests caught him.

They summoned the spirit “Winged Kuriboh”—and in the manga, its feathers were pure white back then. Kuriboh could extract a person’s heart and place it on the priest’s “Millennium Scales” to judge their sins.

Tragoedia sneered as the priests took his heart and placed it on the scale. Instantly, the scale slammed into the floor, showing his darkness exceeded even the Millennium Scale’s limit.

He then revealed his true form, laughing arrogantly: “Shocked? Tremble before my power, you foolish priests!”

But the priests whipped out their Millennium Items and pinned him down instantly. Only then did Tragoedia realize something was off.

Wait, my heart?

Without it, he was powerless.

He’d gotten so carried away showing off his endless darkness that he forgot to retrieve his heart from the scales—so he was sealed by the priests.

Cause of death: showed off so hard, he lost his heart.

Possibly the funniest boss defeat in all of Yu-Gi-Oh.

But even then, the priests were shocked to find that, sealed in a tablet, he could still retain consciousness and even curse their ancestors from within. Such a powerful monster was rare even in their careers.

They all wiped sweat from their brows.

Thank goodness this demon was strong but not smart. If they’d had to fight him head-on, it might not have gone so well.

Tragoedia said they’d meet again. Clearly, this wasn’t his real body just now—only a fragment. The real body was still out there.

Plus, this world wasn’t identical to the manga; who knew how strong Tragoedia was now? If he’d already found his lost heart and was at full power, that’d be a real problem.

If that happens, they’ll just have to take advantage of his dim-wittedness.

But for now, it was best to focus on the task at hand.

Boom!

A wall collapsed with a deafening crash as Silent Magician burst through a hole.

All the zombies were drawn to the noise, shrieking as they converged. Silent Magician floated in midair, sweeping his staff to unleash a rain of magical blasts.

Explosions and zombie screams filled the hall, the air thick with smoke and dust.

The rest was simple.

Silent Magician alone could hold off nearly all the zombies, covering the two as they charged into the control room.

Iwao rushed in first, while Silent Magician cast a massive magic circle at the door. Any zombie that touched the edge was blasted back by the recoil, unable to get close.

“We did it!” Iwao cheered.

The machines in the power plant rumbled to life, electricity surging through the cables and spreading to every corner.

“Easier than I thought,” Iwao laughed. “Let’s go.”

Their escape route was already planned using the plant’s map. All they had to do was leave through the emergency exit, where a new motorcycle was waiting to return to base.

That was the plan.

Kira led the way, exiting through the emergency corridor first.

Iwao followed—until, just steps from the exit, there was a loud clang.

His only escape, the iron door just before him, slammed shut.

Iwao froze, then hurried to the door.

Through the barred window, Kira stood silently on the other side, the moonlight casting an eerie chill on his face.

Kira had left first and closed the door, locking Iwao inside.

“Why!?” Iwao yelled in disbelief.

“I’ve already removed the magic barrier at the other end of the corridor. In about thirty seconds, the zombies should be here,” Kira said calmly.

“Why!?” Iwao’s eyes bulged with rage. “Weren’t we partners!?”

“I don’t recall ever agreeing to that.”

Behind him, zombie moans echoed down the corridor.

A handful of the fastest had already entered, advancing step by step toward Iwao. In maybe ten seconds, he’d be overwhelmed.

“Open the door!”

Iwao pounded furiously.

Kira waved dismissively. “Good luck.”

He turned away, leaving the angry shouts, pounding, and zombie howls behind.

But he hadn’t gone far when—

Bang!

A tremendous force exploded behind the sealed door. The metal was smashed inward like a piece of scrap paper.

“Tch, knew it wouldn’t be that easy…”

Kira stopped and turned.

The door had been blasted open, and Iwao stepped out, eyes glowing an eerie green. The zombies that had cornered him were scattered on the ground.

His whole aura had changed.

“Knew it,” Kira said, unfazed.

“You’re not Iwao, are you?”

Iwao stopped several meters away, smirking lazily.

“When did you figure it out?”

Chapter 368: The Impostor

“When did you figure it out?”

Iwao asked casually.

“For some time now,” Kira replied coolly. “One of my spirits is very sensitive to the scent of Orichalcos.”

As he spoke, Black Luster Soldier’s spirit materialized at his side, hand on sword, watching warily.

“I see… Black Luster Soldier, huh? I knew I shouldn’t have let him escape. What a nuisance.”

Iwao muttered, then pulled off his disguise.

The bulky man shrank, turning into a lean man.

Luca, one of New Doma’s Three Swordsmen.

“Let me guess, from the very first time we met, it’s been you, right?” Kira asked. “What about the real Iwao?”

“What do you think?”

Luca shrugged.

“If I’m taking his place, I can’t risk him ruining my plans, can I?”

He smiled and pulled out a card.

It was the Seal of Orichalcos Card. In a duel under the Seal of Orichalcos, the loser’s soul is sealed in such a card.

And on it was the real Iwao.

“I see.” Kira nodded. “So what was a Doma Swordsman doing among a bunch of refugees?”

“Mainly looking for that guy you just eliminated. I thought he might be hiding among the survivors.”

Luca said nonchalantly.

“Tragoedia is a powerful monster—the organization could use him.

And I also wanted to find that legendary duelist…”

“Joey Wheeler, right?” Kira said.

“Yeah.” Luca shrugged. “Too bad, never found a lead. He really is in high demand—lots of people looking for him.”

He paused and smiled.

“Of course, meeting you was a pleasant surprise. I can sense you’re special too—your dueling style is unique yet as strong as any top duelist. And that inexplicable confidence…”

He narrowed his eyes, smiling.

“So you were so sure I was the enemy, locking me in with the zombies without hesitation? Didn’t you consider even a ten percent chance you might be wrong?”

“No need,” Kira shrugged, glancing at Black Luster Soldier. “A duelist only needs to trust his spirit monsters. If you can’t do that, how can you step onto the field?”

“Haha, fair enough. I’m starting to like you.”

Luca licked his lips and unfolded his duel disk.

“Shame I still have to kill you. Our factions are different, and you just happen to have something we want.”

Kira didn’t say more, also opening his duel disk.

“Duel!” x2

[Kira, LP 4000]

[Luca, LP 4000]

“I’ll go first. Draw.”

Luca drew, then narrowed his eyes.

“Starting off with this card… looks like even if I wanted to go easy, the gods wouldn’t allow it.

Activate Field Spell—‘Seal of Orichalcos’!”

The seal activated in a burst of green light. A hexagram spread under their feet, and the mark appeared on Luca’s forehead. He let out a roar as green fire seemed to erupt from him, his aura swelling.

“Only the winner can leave this field—you know that, right?” Luca said. “Next, Spell Card ‘Card Destruction’!

Both players discard all cards in hand, then draw the same number.”

Kira didn’t speak, quickly discarding his hand and drawing new cards.

“Then I set a monster in defense position,” Luca said. “And set a back row card. Turn end.”

Kira: “My turn. Draw.”

Thanks to Kaiba’s earlier intel, he knew Luca’s deck was based on Worms. He had to watch out for dangerous flip effects.

But it didn’t matter.

Kira glanced at his new hand—he had a plan.

“Activate ‘Allure of Darkness.’ Draw two cards, then banish a DARK monster from my hand.”

He drew, then revealed a card.

“Banishing ‘D.D. Scout Plane’.”

The white, orb-shaped scout appeared above, sucked into a dimensional vortex.

“Next, banish the ‘Shield Crush’ discarded last turn from the graveyard.”

The spell card’s image appeared and was also banished.

“Special Summon ‘Spell Striker’!”

[Spell Striker, ATK 600]

“Spell Striker can be special summoned by banishing a spell card from the graveyard,” Kira said. “Then, tribute ‘Spell Striker’ for a tribute summon!

Shake the earth with your power—Earth Monarch, Granmarg, appear!”

A golden beam shot from the ground, splitting it open. Granmarg’s massive golden body, like a mountain clad in gold armor, emerged in a swirl of smoke.

[Granmarg the Rock Monarch, ATK 2400]

Luca’s face changed slightly. “Summoning a Monarch right away? That effect is…”

“Granmarg’s effect: destroy a set card on summon,” Kira said. “Destroy your set monster.”

Granmarg hammered the ground, the shockwave splitting the field. Luca’s set monster was revealed.

As expected, a Worm Yagan.

Its flip effect would have bounced a monster back to the hand, costing Kira his Monarch if he’d attacked recklessly.

But Granmarg’s effect destroyed it before it could flip.

“Granmarg, direct attack,” Kira ordered.

Granmarg’s huge fist crashed down like a mountain. The solid blow slammed into Luca, knocking him back into the barrier, his chest heaving.

[Luca, LP 4000 → 1600]

He knelt, clutching his chest, steadying himself after the Monarch’s blow.

“Tch, a Monarch to counter flips… and you banished ‘Shield Crush’ from the graveyard too—another anti-flip card.

So, you adjusted your deck specifically after getting intel from Seto Kaiba, huh?”

He stood, wiping blood from his mouth, unfazed.

“Looks like I underestimated you.”

Chapter 369: I Must Future Fusion

“I set three cards and end my turn.”

With a flash of golden light, Kira’s back row now held three set cards.

“End Phase—because ‘D.D. Scout Plane’ was banished by ‘Allure of Darkness,’ I special summon it in Attack Position at the end of this turn.”

[D.D. Scout Plane, ATK 800]

“My turn, draw.” Luca declared. “I activate the Spell Card ‘Pot of Greed,’ drawing two cards.”

With two more cards in hand, he suddenly brightened as he glanced at one, then couldn’t help but throw his head back in laughter.

Kira raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? Drew your key card?”

“Heh, I was going to test your skills a bit more, but it looks like this guy wants to face you too.”

Luca lowered his voice, building the atmosphere.

“The duel’s just started, but it’s about to end. Still, you’re lucky—you get to witness my ultimate ace monster.

I activate the Equip Spell, ‘Future Fusion’! (Anime effect)”

He raised the card high, and the spell’s image appeared before him, the sky shimmering with a rainbow aurora.

“Future Fusion lets me choose a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck, send its materials from my Deck to the Graveyard, and perform the Fusion!”

“The anime version of Future Fusion, huh?” Kira narrowed his eyes.

He’d known about this card, but seeing it in person, he still wanted to complain about how broken it was.

The printed card’s nerfed version already got banned for being too strong, and even that was nowhere near as absurd as the anime version, which fuses instantly from the deck with no restrictions. Even the infamous pre-errata Future Fusion is tame by comparison.

“Nice card you’ve got there.” Kira smiled mysteriously.

“Don’t blink, because what’s coming is the ultimate monster.”

Luca pulled a huge stack of cards from his deck.

“I send twenty-five different Worm monsters from my deck to the Graveyard for an ultimate twenty-five-fold Fusion! Descend now—the origin and zero point of all things, the strongest Ultimate Worm!”

The world shook.

Twenty-five Worm spirits appeared, gathering toward the swirling vortex in the sky. A terrifying existence was brewing within.

“Not so fast.”

Kira snapped his fingers.

“Before ‘Future Fusion’ resolves, I chain this card—”

He grinned oddly, looking almost eerie in the pre-dawn light.

“Continuous Trap—Macro Cosmos!

All cards sent to the graveyard are banished instead.”

Luca froze for two seconds.

Then his pupils shrank, and horror twisted his face.

“Wait a second!”

He instinctively reached toward his Future Fusion.

“Wait, don’t send them! Stop! Yamero!”

But it was too late. Macro Cosmos took effect as Future Fusion attempted to send twenty-five Worms to the Graveyard—they were all banished instead.

“Uaaaaaaaah!!!”

Luca’s eyes bulged in disbelief.

His Worms. His precious Worms!

Twenty-five cards!

Half his deck, banished in an instant—unbelievable!

He was about to lose it.

But he steadied himself. It wasn’t over yet.

Even if half his deck was gone, Fusion had still been activated. After resolving the effect, Worm Zero should still be summoned.

The fusion anomaly continued, a massive shadow appearing in the sky—a world-ending sphere about to manifest.

Luca’s eyes sparkled.

As long as he could summon his invincible Worm Zero—

“I activate my set card, Trap Card ‘Dust Tornado’!” Kira said. “Destroy one Spell or Trap on your field. I’ll destroy ‘Future Fusion.’”

He smiled.

“Future Fusion is an Equip Spell—it must remain equipped to the monster it summons. If it leaves, the equipped monster is destroyed, right?”

A sandstorm swept across Luca’s field, tearing Future Fusion to shreds. Instantly, the fusion anomaly stopped, the giant sphere exploding before it could even fully appear.

Luca: “…”

He realized Kira could have destroyed Future Fusion right when it was activated, stopping everything. But instead, he let Luca banish half his deck first, then destroyed it at the last moment.

So infuriating!

Luca took a deep breath, forcing down the urge to punch something, and drew another card.

“Then I Normal Summon ‘Worm Xex.’” He said coldly.

[Worm Xex, ATK 1800]

“And the effect of ‘Worm Yagan’ in the graveyard. If I control only ‘Worm Xex,’ I can Special Summon ‘Worm Yagan’ from the graveyard in face-down defense position.”

A disgusting Worm flashed onto his field as a set card—the same Yagan destroyed by Granmarg last turn.

Xex and Yagan are a well-known Worm combo: Xex sends Yagan to the graveyard, and Yagan can return in face-down defense to bounce monsters when flipped.

“Now I activate my set card—Spell Card ‘Book of Taiyou’!

Flip one face-down monster to face-up attack position.”

“Ah, so you’re manually flipping to trigger the effect.” Kira nodded.

“Exactly! I flip ‘Worm Yagan’ face-up!”

[Worm Yagan, ATK 1000]

“Worm Yagan’s flip effect: return a monster on the field to its owner’s hand.

Go—Granmarg, back to your hand!”

Granmarg turned into golden light and returned to Kira’s hand.

“Now my formation breaks through! Xex and Yagan, attack!”

Chapter 370: Finally Summoned

“First, Worm Xex attacks ‘D.D. Scout Plane’!”

Luca shouted.

“And both Xex and Yagan gain 500 ATK from ‘Seal of Orichalcos’!”

[Worm Yagan, ATK 1000 → 1500]

[Worm Xex, ATK 1800 → 2300]

With the Seal’s boost, this double attack would deal serious damage!

But Luca didn’t realize he was far more agitated now than in his duel with Kaiba, his personal feelings getting involved.

“Calm down, you’re a Doma Swordsman. Don’t lose your cool so easily.”

Kira grinned and snapped his fingers.

“I activate my set card, Trap Card ‘Quaking Mirror Force.

When your monster declares an attack, all your face-up Attack Position monsters change to face-down Defense Position!”

Luca’s eyes widened: “NANI…!”

Quaking Mirror Force! Monsters affected by this card can’t change positions back!

A golden dust storm shielded Kira. Both Worms were sucked into the sandstorm, spinning helplessly before crashing face-down.

“I heard your Worms love being face-down.” Kira joked. “Don’t mention it.”

Luca: “…”

Not mention it?

You bastard!

“Ugh… end turn.”

“My turn, draw.” Kira drew. “As one of Doma’s top three swordsmen, you’re a bit too angry.

Our teachers always say: the most important thing in dueling is a calm mind. You were all smiles at first—why aren’t you smiling now?”

Luca stared at him with a deadpan face.

“Guess not. You lost your composure at just one Macro Cosmos—that’s nothing. I tribute ‘D.D. Scout Plane’ to Tribute Summon.

Thanks for returning Granmarg to my hand—I’ll use it again.

Once more, descend—Granmarg the Rock Monarch!”

[Granmarg, ATK 2400]

“Granmarg’s effect: on Tribute Summon, destroy a set card. I’ll destroy the set ‘Worm Yagan.’”

He pointed at the Yagan, which crumbled under Granmarg’s punch.

“Thanks for the assist letting me use this effect again.” Kira smiled.

Luca’s face was dark as night.

“Now I attack your set ‘Worm Xex.’”

Granmarg’s punch shattered the little Worm.

“Then I activate Spell Card ‘Card of Heaven and Earth.’ After a Tribute Summon, draw two cards. However, they can’t be used this turn, and must be set if possible.” (Manga Card)

Kira drew two cards.

“I set one card and end my turn. Of course, ‘D.D. Scout Plane’ was banished by Macro Cosmos, not sent to the graveyard.

At End Phase, ‘D.D. Scout Plane’ special summons itself again in Attack Position.”

[D.D. Scout Plane, ATK 800]

Luca looked grim.

The field had been cleared, and his LP was way behind. But worse, most of his monsters had been banished by Macro Cosmos, so his deck was now mostly spells and traps. With Macro Cosmos locking down the graveyard, he only had a sliver of resources left from earlier turns. Meanwhile, Kira’s Scout Plane was an endlessly renewable resource.

For most duelists, this was a hopeless situation.

But not for him.

He was one of the New Doma Three Swordsmen, and considered himself among the strongest duelists alive. With the power of Orichalcos, he even thought Seto Kaiba was no big deal—otherwise, he wouldn’t have charged in so confidently before.

Was his ambition to end here?

At the hands of a Duel Academy freshman, under Macro Cosmos?

No!

He couldn’t accept it!

“My turn!”

Green light blazed in his eyes. The Orichalcos seal responded, spinning as he shouted. The hexagram shone, and a green beam shot to the sky.

“Oh?” Kira watched the spectacle. “Is this your final push?”

“Draw!”

A wave of green light exploded from him, shaking the entire field.

Luca’s eyes glowed.

“I activate—

 —Parallel World Fusion!!!”

“Huh?”

Kira had to admit, this surprised him.

Wait, isn’t that card supposed to be for Elemental HEROes? Why now…

Oh, right. In the manga, Parallel World Fusion was the first card to allow banished monsters as fusion material.

The printed card was HERO-only, but the original manga version was generic fusion support.

“Parallel World Fusion allows me to use banished monsters as fusion materials!”

Luca shouted.

“I shuffle all my banished Worms—including both copies of ‘Worm Zero’—a total of twenty-six kinds, back into the deck for the ultimate fusion!”

“Uh,” Kira couldn’t help but comment. “A second Worm Zero? You’ve got a backup?”

Guess your soul ace isn’t so rare.

“Exactly! Only by fusing every Worm—including the first Worm Zero—can I achieve the ultimate twenty-six-type fusion.

Thanks to New Doma’s tech, I could even make three Worm Zeros if I wanted.”

Luca howled.

“This time, for real—the origin and endpoint of everything, the ultimate Worm, appears!

—Worm Zero, summon!!!”

Clouds gathered as the giant Worm descended again. This time, nothing stopped it, and its terrifying form finally emerged, blotting out the sky.

[Worm Zero, ATK ?]

“Well done, you finally pulled it off.”

Kira nodded, acknowledging Luca’s persistence with his ace card.

And, of course, that lucky draw with Parallel World Fusion was key.

“Can you stay so calm in the face of this godlike Worm? Let’s see how long you keep that smug face.”

Luca laughed.

“Worm Zero’s effect: Its ATK becomes 500 times the number of fusion materials.

I used twenty-six kinds!”

“And there’s the Seal of Orichalcos boost,” Kira helpfully added.

“Right, with the Seal of Orichalcos’s bonus!”

Luca pointed skyward.

“So Worm Zero’s ATK is—”

[Worm Zero, ATK ? → ATK 13,500]

Thirteen thousand five hundred attack!

Chapter 371: Mindset Is Everything

Worm Zero summoned!

Seeing his ace, the ultimate Worm, finally appear, Luca felt happier than ever—almost like his life was complete.

Finally!

Now victory was within reach!

“Worm Zero’s effect depends on the number of fusion materials. First effect—”

Luca gestured.

“With two or more materials, once per turn, I can Special Summon a Reptile from my graveyard in face-down defense position.

I set ‘Worm Apocalypse,’ discarded by ‘Card Destruction’ in turn one.”

A shadow flickered on his field as Apocalypse appeared face-down.

“Second effect: with four or more materials, I can banish a Reptile from my graveyard to send a monster from the field to the graveyard.

I banish ‘Worm Barses’ from my graveyard to send your ‘Granmarg’ to the graveyard.”

He grinned coldly.

“Of course, thanks to your own Macro Cosmos, it’s banished instead.

Now taste your own medicine—banished!”

Luca was elated. Worm Zero’s effect engulfed Granmarg in darkness, banishing it.

“Hahahaha, banished! Now, die! Battle!

Worm Zero attacks ‘D.D. Scout Plane’!”

13,500 ATK versus 800 ATK—a guaranteed kill.

“It’s over!” Luca yelled.

But it wasn’t.

Suddenly, a turtle spirit appeared, unleashing an electromagnetic wave that deflected Worm Zero’s attack.

“What?” Luca frowned.

“‘Electromagnetic Turtle’ in the graveyard—banish it during the opponent’s Battle Phase to end the Battle Phase.”

Kira smiled.

“Card Destruction filled my resources, too, you know.”

“Tch, saved yourself.” Luca scowled.

No matter—Worm Zero was on the field with 13,500 ATK.

Nothing to fear.

“Worm Zero’s third effect: with six or more materials, draw a card once per turn.”

Luca drew, then played a card.

“Continuous Spell ‘Mirage of Nightmare.’ During each of your Standby Phases, I can draw until I have four cards in hand.”

He set two cards.

“Set two, end turn.”

Kira: “My turn, draw.”

“Now, Mirage of Nightmare’s effect—I draw until I have four cards.”

Luca drew cards.

Kira watched, not in a hurry: “To draw Parallel World Fusion at that critical moment, breaking the lock with Macro Cosmos—impressive. You really are one of Doma’s Three Swordsmen, not bad.”

Luca: “…”

At first, it sounded like praise, but the more he listened, the more annoying it got.

He realized Kira had a terrifying talent—not just for dueling, but for influencing others’ mindsets, affecting their momentum and performance.

Luca steadied himself, determined to keep a calm mind no matter what Kira did next. This was not an opponent to take lightly.

“I tribute ‘D.D. Scout Plane.’

Sky’s ruler, embodiment of the storm—descend—

—Raiza the Storm Monarch, summon!”

Green winds howled, swirling the black clouds as the green monarch descended.

[Raiza the Storm Monarch, ATK 2400]

“Raiza’s effect: on Tribute Summon, return a card on the field to the top of its owner’s deck.

Sorry, but your ultimate Worm is leaving—‘Worm Zero’ goes back to the Extra Deck.”

A tornado surged upward, aiming straight for Worm Zero.

“Not so fast!” Luca sneered. “I activate my set card, Trap Card ‘Skill Prisoner’!

Select one card on my field—its effects are negated for this turn!”

A protective barrier surrounded Worm Zero, blocking the tornado.

“Hahaha, did you think I wouldn’t expect a Monarch effect?”

Luca laughed. With Worm Zero on the field, his confidence had returned.

“Nice try! This turn, all effects targeting Worm Zero are nullified—even if you summon more Monarchs.”

Kira: “I activate my set card, Trap Card ‘Spiritual Wind Art - Miyabi.’ I tribute a WIND monster to return a card on your field to the bottom of your deck.

I tribute ‘Raiza’ to send ‘Worm Zero’ to the bottom of your deck.”

Luca’s smile froze.

Raiza, despite being negated, surged with energy, self-destructing to fuel the storm. The barrier was shattered, and Worm Zero was swept away by the tornado, vanishing into the sky.

“Ahhhhh!!!”

Luca was on the verge of losing it.

His Worm Zero—twenty-six materials, 13,500 ATK—

Not a single attack landed before it was blown away.

“I know you’re in a hurry, but just relax.”

Kira smiled.

“You never know what’ll happen until the duel’s over; mindset is everything, right?”