Yugioh [423-425] (Patreon)

Chapter 423: Pick a Card

Scorching lava fell, marking the duel's end. The onlookers outside the arena watched the scene, their expressions mixed—some strange, some with mouths agape. The entire place was eerily silent, with nothing to say.

A duel like this, representing the clash of the world's top duelists, could truly be called a battle for the summit.

Who could have expected it to end this way?

Lava Golem.

And when the duel ended, before Kira packed away his duel disk and the holograms faded, that burning iron brute actually glanced back at Kaiba, as if a little embarrassed.

Its expression seemed to say: Sorry I ate your dragon, but dueling isn't about personal grudges.

Then the Lava Golem disappeared.

Kaiba let out a long, heavy breath.

He'd guarded against the Dragon Capture Jar, the Light-Imprisoning Mirror, and even the endless trap holes his opponent set.

He'd even played around the "Dragons Must Die" anti-dragon Buster Blader.

He'd countered everything, should have been fully prepared.

And yet—Lava Golem.

Of course, he remembered that card. He'd been there the first time Marik played Lava Golem in the Battle City tournament.

That time, Marik passed Lava Golem to Joey, leading to classic scenes like "Joey's Death" and "Joey on Fire." 

Everyone present had been shocked such a hellish monster existed.

Compared to back then, Kira's Lava Golem had improved. Originally, Marik's Golem dealt 700 damage during the controller's Standby Phase, but ten years on, the card had been updated to deal 1000—matching the real-world version.

Of course, most people wouldn't care about a mere 300-point difference.

But Kaiba, having faced it, knew it wasn't just the card's development.

Kira's ability to wield Lava Golem now surpassed even Marik, the deck's founder.

Alister, who'd also suffered from Kira's Lava Golem barrage, would surely agree. Compared to him, Marik seemed like a downright sunshiney guy—no sarcasm intended.

"Ahem—the winner: Fujiki Kira!"

It was the veteran judge, Roland, who first broke the silence and announced the result.

If it had been any other KaibaCorp judge, seeing their president lose, they'd probably have checked Kaiba's expression before declaring. But Roland, long used to Kaiba's ways, knew that process didn't matter—only win or lose.

Losing is losing. Kaiba would never go for any "special KaibaCorp rules mean this duel doesn't count" nonsense.

"Big Brother!"

Mokuba jumped onto the stage.

Kaiba gestured to him, signaling it was fine.

He then walked straight toward Kira.

"Just half a year... Honestly, when I invited you to participate six months ago, I never expected you'd reach this level so quickly."

"Just luck," Kira replied with a nod.

It was true. During the duel, he'd felt stronger than ever—perhaps thanks to the Sealing Device.

Though the artifact hadn't shown any obvious effects, he could feel it strengthening his aura, or at least helping him resist Kaiba's overwhelming presence.

No wonder the dark duelists risked everything for artifacts or cards infused with power—just possessing such things, even without using them, could give a huge boost.

Of course, it's all rather mysterious. Maybe it depends on the item's attributes and how it's used.

Take the Sealing Device—Kira had had it for a while, and fought many life-or-death duels, but hadn't seen any clear effects until this duel.

Maybe it was because his opponent was Kaiba, Atem's three-thousand-year rival. Or maybe because this duel would determine who would face the final boss—the Arbiter. After all, the artifact was made for that purpose.

"You've proven yourself as a duelist. Congratulations."

Kaiba spoke calmly.

"According to Battle City rules, you may take any card from me."

"Thank you, President Kaiba," Kira said. "But I only participated because of your invitation, and over these months, you, Mokuba, and KaibaCorp have helped me a lot.

So let's skip the card selection. I've already chosen plenty from your collection."

He meant it. If anything, he'd taken more than one rare card—he'd regularly carted away boxes from Kaiba's warehouse, to the point even he didn't know how many benefits he'd received.

So, consider the rare card for this duel as already repaid in advance.

But Kaiba snorted heavily.

"A win is a win. Don't get wishy-washy. Pick a card—even if you choose Blue-Eyes White Dragon, I won't flinch."

Kira felt Kaiba's generosity. Kaiba always meant what he said—if Kira refused or picked a worthless card, he'd probably offend him instead.

But still...

 Kira was at a loss.

Come on, I don't even have a Blue-Eyes. What use is your Blue-Eyes White Dragon to me?

 As a mascot?

Same with the rest of the Blue-Eyes support. The whole system revolves around Blue-Eyes White Dragon—no matter how rare or powerful the support cards, without the Blue-Eyes, they're just mascots.

As Kira pondered, he suddenly thought of something.

"Oh, President Kaiba, just a quick question."

He considered a moment, then asked,

"I heard the world's 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' originally had four copies. Is it true you keep the fourth one?"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow.

Then, unexpectedly, he chuckled.

"Oh? Interested in the power of Blue-Eyes?"

"Just asking," Kira shrugged. "I only heard the rumor. If not—"

"Hmph, even if it's not true, what's the harm in giving you a Blue-Eyes? Do you think I, Seto Kaiba, look like a sore loser?"

Kira said nothing.

No, he didn't doubt Kaiba's pride. He knew if Kaiba only had three Blue-Eyes and Kira asked for one, Kaiba would still probably hand it over.

But then he'd never hear the end of it—Kaiba wouldn't rest until he won it back.

But if the rumored fourth Blue-Eyes really existed...

"Indeed," Kaiba admitted. "That card does exist."

Chapter 424: The Final Battle

Veteran Yu-Gi-Oh! fans know: in this world, there were originally four Blue-Eyes White Dragons.

Each card was in a different owner's hands. One was with Grandpa Mutou. But Kaiba, introduced as a villain, used various means to gather all four, then tore up Grandpa's card right in front of him.

Yet, despite that, the Blue-Eyes still followed him loyally, no complaints. It may have been Kaiba's darkest act, though he'd never admit it.

When the character was first created, Takahashi-sensei just wanted a pure villain; he hadn't planned for further development, or for Yu-Gi-Oh! to become a card game anime.

Afterward, the fourth Blue-Eyes was never mentioned again. But after Kaiba's mind break and subsequent redemption, rumors said he'd recovered the fourth card.

Tearing up Blue-Eyes was probably one of Kaiba's few regrets, even if he'd never show it. Over the years, he'd used advanced technology to try to restore the card.

Rumor had it he'd succeeded. But as everyone knows, you can only have three copies of any card in a deck, so even with the fourth, he couldn't use it. So the legendary fourth Blue-Eyes was just kept as a mascot at KaibaCorp HQ.

But rumor is rumor—this was the first time Kaiba admitted it in person.

"So, Blue-Eyes White Dragon is your choice?"

Kaiba's face was unreadable.

"Very well. You'll receive the card when you return."

Kaiba was a man of his word—if he said it, it would happen; Kira had no doubt.

"Thank you, President."

In truth, there were probably only four Blue-Eyes in this world, but that might only be true for this dimension. In the GX anime, Kaibaman spirit also had a Blue-Eyes deck, with three Blue-Eyes, suggesting the spirit world had more.

Some say Kaibaman was Kaiba himself in disguise, showing up just to inspire Jaden, but it's hard to say—there's little evidence in the anime.

"Don't thank me yet—you've got a bigger problem to deal with," Kaiba said coolly.

Kira understood, following his gaze.

He met the eyes of the Arbiter, across the field.

The Arbiter stood with arms crossed, still wearing that polite smile, looking for all the world like a scholar—nothing like the terrifying evil god he was rumored to be.

"Fujiki Kira."

He stood up, apparently speaking to Kira.

But Kira quickly realized it wasn't traditional speech—they were too far apart. The voice sounded directly in his ear—or perhaps, his mind.

"Perhaps you'll be even more interesting than I expected. Will you be a better sacrifice than Seto Kaiba, I wonder..."

He licked his lips, grinning strangely at Kira, then left the arena.

The finals were about to begin. After all the fighting on Duelist Kingdom, only two remained, so there was no need to draw lots for order.

In one hour, on this isolated island, a new King of Games would be crowned.

And perhaps the fate of the world would be decided.

…

Elsewhere.

A dark aura hovered in midair, and in the darkness, a blurry image appeared, like a hologram.

In the projection, scenes from the Duelist Island appeared. Kira and Kaiba's duel had just ended, and the finalists were decided.

A man in white stood before the image, hands behind his back, frowning slightly.

"Fujiki Kira... He even beat Seto Kaiba," he muttered hoarsely. "This guy..."

He narrowed his eyes, staring at Kira, but the more he looked, the more inscrutable Kira seemed.

Just then, the door behind him opened. Someone stood at the entrance.

"Principal MacKenzie, should I go assist Reggie? Or..."

"No need."

The man addressed as Principal MacKenzie waved his hand.

Yes—he was the American Duel Academy professor, MacKenzie—or rather, the body's current occupant.

Now, the body belonged to Tragodia, the ancient Egyptian royal family's nemesis, a spirit that had haunted the world for three thousand years.

"But the world champion, Koyo Hibiki..."

The person hesitated.

"He's an important sample, right? Just letting him be taken—"

"It doesn't matter."

Principal MacKenzie—Tragodia—waved dismissively, then looked back at the projection with a cold smile.

To be precise, he was staring at Kira.

"This could get interesting. Let's wait and see."

"Yes, Principal."

The person withdrew.

The room fell into darkness again.

Tragodia sneered.

Fujiki Kira, with multiple spirits and even a faint trace of the Pharaoh's aura—though the connection between Tragodia and the Millennium Items ran deep, so even a faint trace could be sensed.

This boy, up against Orichalcos...

He decided it was worth watching.

Once the two revealed their true colors, he'd make his move.

Amused by his own cunning, Tragodia let out a sinister laugh.

…

"You actually made it to the finals! Amazing…!"

Jaden looked at Kira with admiration.

After so many duels today, both were hungry, so they headed to the buffet to recharge.

"Just lucky," Kira said, as usual.

"But be careful in the finals. That Arbiter guy—how to put it—he's really strong. And he feels... different."

"Kuri!" 

Winged Kuriboh appeared.

Kira couldn't understand. "What did it say?"

"It said it senses it too—Arbiter hasn't even used his full strength yet," Jaden explained.

"I see." Kira nodded.

No surprise there.

At the same time, next to him, the spirit of Lava Golem manifested, newly awakened after the intense battle.

Kira had suspected Lava Golem had a spirit before, and seen signs in past duels, but today's fierce fight seemed to have fully awakened it.

"Roar~" said Lava Golem.

"What did it say?" This time Jaden couldn't understand.

"It said it doesn't matter—he'll act," Kira translated.

"Oh, good." Jaden nodded, reassured.

But wait—Kira couldn't understand Kuriboh, but could understand Lava Golem?

Ehhh...

Jaden set the thought aside. "But seriously, that guy's really strong—even you can't afford to be careless."

"I know," Kira nodded.

"Oh, right—since that's the case..."

Jaden suddenly stood up, rummaged through his card box, and pulled out a card.

"Here—use this in the finals," he said, handing it to Kira. "Consider it from both me and Mr. Koyo."

Kira blinked. Instinctively, he thought, "What is this? What if it bricks my hand?"

Not that he blamed Jaden—after all, nine out of ten of Jaden's cards were... questionable.

But he took a look, and was surprised. "This card..."

"You can use it, right?" Jaden smiled.

Indeed.

Kira thought a moment, then accepted without fuss. "Alright, then I'll borrow your and Mr. Koyo's power. Thanks, Jaden."

"Haha, what are friends for?"

They fist-bumped.

"Friends should help each other."

Chapter 425: Final Battle

"The final battle!"

Judge Roland stood at the center of the field. Kira and the Arbiter faced off, both expressionless.

Everyone else stood at the sides, watching with worry or anticipation.

"Kira..." Mokuba muttered. "Will he be okay?"

He'd hoped his brother would win the last match, but Kira was also a good friend. They all knew how terrifying the Arbiter was—not someone a normal person could defeat.

He knew Kira was extraordinary, but still worried.

"He'll be fine."

"Huh?"

Mokuba turned in surprise, only to see Kaiba standing behind him, arms crossed, calm as ever—his eyes even more confident than Kira himself.

"Big Brother?" Mokuba couldn't help but ask.

"That guy will find a way."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes, staring at Kira, with an unspoken thought.

—If he dares lose to someone else right after beating me, I'll never forgive him.

Meanwhile, Midori had left Koyo's hospital room to watch the finals. She didn't know the Arbiter's exact origins, but knew he was no good and a threat to the world.

She desperately hoped Kira would win.

"Fujiki Kira, I've learned about you," the Arbiter said, eyes narrowing. "Fascinating."

"Oh?" Kira replied, interested. "Care to elaborate?"

The Arbiter was surprised by his composure, but continued with a chuckle. "A boy with no talent, who risked everything to walk the path of a champion—now at this level."

He clicked his tongue.

"Truly an inspiring duelist's journey."

Kira: "?"

What is this guy talking about?

Before he could ask, Roland swung his arm down, shouting, "Finals begin!"

Then he leapt off the field.

The Arbiter said no more, activating his duel disk. Kira, though confused, did the same.

"Duel!" x2

[Arbiter, LP 4000]

[Kira, LP 4000]

"I'll go first. Draw!"

Kira took the initiative—nothing to be polite about against this cheat of an opponent. He drew his card.

"I activate the Spell Card 'Take Over Five.'"

Kira played Jaden's anime-only card right away.

"Send the top five cards of my deck to the graveyard."

Five cards were drawn and slid into the graveyard slot, with mechanical clicks. Kira checked what resources he'd just sent.

"I summon 'Ojama Yellow' in defense position."

[Ojama Yellow, DEF 1000]

"Set two cards face-down. Turn end."

"The first turn—building graveyard resources and a defensive field."

The Arbiter spoke calmly, but his eyes glimmered oddly.

"A textbook first turn. Very much your style—or should I say, the current Fujiki Kira. But have your duels always been like this?"

Kira didn't understand, but ignored him for now.

"Silent, are we? Interesting," the Arbiter said, half his face in shadow. "We're all fighting with our secrets—not wanting to talk is understandable."

Kira frowned.

The Arbiter didn't elaborate. "My turn. Draw."

He paused. A slot on his duel disk popped out, and the card he drew didn't even go to his hand—it was slammed straight onto the field.

"Since this is the final battle, let's get right to it—Field Spell: 'Seal of Orichalcos'!"

The card was absorbed into the disk; electricity surged, spreading across the arena. Green light burst out, forming a hexagram, engulfing the field in a glowing barrier.

Everyone present was familiar with this dangerous seal. This time, it shone even brighter, more ominous. Lightning roared around the barrier, thunder crackled through the air.

"Big Brother, it's that seal again!" Mokuba cried. "Whoever loses this duel will—"

"Yeah, it's expected," Kaiba replied calmly.

He shot a look at Kira—like a knife.

But you'll win in the end, right, Fujiki Kira?

 "With this, only one person will leave this barrier when the duel ends."

The Arbiter drew another card.

"I activate 'Pot of Greed'—draw two cards."

He calmly drew two, then immediately played another.

"'Graceful Charity'—draw three, then discard two."

He looked at Kira.

"Honestly, it's a shame. We don't have to fight like this. Watching you these past days, I see we have a lot in common."

"Oh?" Kira raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

He was curious what he could possibly have in common with this cheating snake.

"We're both skilled at piloting different decks, never revealing our trump cards easily, always confident."

The Arbiter studied him as he spoke.

"And... we both hide our true depths."

Kira said nothing.

The Arbiter didn't mind his silence. He smiled and continued.

"But I can see you're different. For this duel, I'll use my trump card.

 I summon 'Gorlag' from my hand!" (Anime-original card)

Flames swirled on his field, forming a massive, fiery beast with blazing eyes. In its hand was a sword of fire, its blade flowing with living flame, and a crown of eternal fire atop its head.

[Gorlag, ATK 1000]

"Gorlag's effect: It gains 500 ATK for each FIRE monster on the field. It's a FIRE monster, so +500. And with Seal of Orichalcos, another +500."

[Gorlag, ATK 2000]

"Big Brother, that's Alister's—" Mokuba blurted.

Kaiba said nothing, but nodded.

Most people had never seen this strange monster—it was another card not available outside, created by Doma, and used by Alister when he first dueled Kaiba.

"Confused?" the Arbiter chuckled. "Don't worry—you'll soon understand its power."

He waved a hand.

"Battle! Gorlag, attack 'Ojama Yellow'!"