Yugioh [474-479] (Patreon)

Chapter 474: Counter-Reconnaissance

"Duel King Fujiki Kira!?"

Camula's face had already changed.

"How is this possible?" she hissed. "You shouldn't be here right now."

"You used bats to monitor my movements and deliberately avoided me, didn't you?" Kira smiled. "Just like how you had bats tail Zane so you could strike once he was alone?"

"!"

Camula said nothing, only staring daggers at Kira.

After a moment, she spoke. "You noticed?"

"I did. My spirits helped me locate every one of your familiars. You thought you were peeping on us through them, but by watching your familiars in turn, I could see what you were seeing, what you were plotting... even what you planned to do next."

"!"

Her pupils shrank. She looked at Zane in shock.

She had her bat familiars circle the island to pick out students she fancied as targets, and she'd also peek at their decks in advance to prepare accordingly.

But Kira had turned that against her. By tracking the bats, he deduced who Camula was likely to set her sights on, and he warned each possible target ahead of time.

"So you weren't using Dragons at all."

"Honestly, I didn't think it would matter," Zane said. "I've entered public tournaments more than once. If anyone wanted to research me, they could see from past matches that I use a Cyber Dragon deck. Even though Kira warned me and I swapped to a pure Dragon build when the bats were watching, I didn't expect you to actually fall for it."

"Well, can't hurt to try," Kira chuckled. "And even pros swap decks now and then. Besides, this vampire lady has been pulling the same trick for years and trusts whatever her familiars see without question. Seemed worth a shot."

"Damn you, Duel King," Camula growled.

So devious—feeding her false intel like that!

In the original, Camula would stop at nothing to win her duels, and she was very confident in her strength. In the anime, her entire castle appeared before the Academy crowd, a red carpet rolling straight onto the island as she swaggered in and declared they could send anyone—they'd all fall before her.

But now she'd clearly toned it down. No grandstanding, no public challenge—she was sneaking around the school picking off targets she'd marked.

Obviously, to avoid Kira.

Kira sighed lightly.

The Duel King title has plenty of perks, but also its downsides.

These days, most villains steer clear as soon as they see the glow. Hard to even farm any easy marks…

"Continue the duel," Zane said.

Camula collected herself, narrowing her eyes at him.

One way or another, she needed to focus on the duel first. Deal with this man in front of her, then think about how to slip away from the Duel King.

Damn that cunning Duel King—crafty himself and even tipping off others. Now all the setup she did to counter a Dragon deck had turned into dead weight choking her own strategy.

"Even if you fused a 4000 ATK finisher, monsters summoned by Future Fusion can't attack this turn," Camula said coolly.

"I know," Zane barked. "Quick-Play Spell, De-Fusion! I'll undo 'Cyber End Dragon' and Special Summon the three Fusion Materials from the Graveyard."

The massive End Dragon crackled with electricity. Its silver-white shell split apart and separated into three towering figures.

Three Cyber Dragons!

[Cyber Dragon, ATK 2100] x3

"Losing its equipped target, the Equip Spell 'Future Fusion' naturally destroys itself and leaves the field."

The Equip in Zane's back row shattered.

"But the Cyber Dragons summoned by De-Fusion aren't under any attack restrictions," Zane shouted. "Battle! All three Cyber Dragons, full assault!

"First one, attack 'Zombie Werewolf'!"

"Straight to lethal range, huh... An all-out bruiser," Camula gritted out.

Going straight for an OTK—this was Kaiser's most comfortable style: overwhelming force to finish in the shortest time, leaving the opponent in tatters before they even knew what happened under the relentless Evolution Bursts.

"Evolution Burst!"

The beam from Cyber Dragon's maw pierced the werewolf. Camula cried out, staggering back under the wash of light and flame.

[Camula, LP 4000 → LP 3100]

"But the werewolf isn't dead," Camula snapped. "Zombie Werewolf's effect! When this card is destroyed by battle, Special Summon another copy from your Deck."

A golden flash shot from her Deck.

"Special Summon the second 'Zombie Werewolf'!"

The gold light struck and coalesced into the werewolf again. It threw back its head to howl at the moon, chains clattering in its grip.

"Through this effect, Zombie Werewolf's ATK increases by 500." Camula paused and smiled. "Well, even with +500 it's no match for a Cyber Dragon.

"So I'll switch 'Zombie Werewolf' to Defense Position."

At her command, the werewolf obediently crouched, shifting to Defense.

[Zombie Werewolf, DEF 1200]

"Then Cyber Dragon No. 2 attacks!" Zane pressed on.

The second unit opened its jaws; electricity coursed down its steel frame, gathering as a roaring Evolution Burst!

The werewolf shattered again under the blast.

"It'll be the same no matter how many times you try," Camula said. "Special Summon a third 'Zombie Werewolf' from the Deck, in Defense Position!"

[Zombie Werewolf, DEF 1200]

"Then Cyber Dragon No. 3—attack!" Zane called. "Evolution Burst!"

Another blast, another werewolf shattered. The shockwave rolled out in a gust, flipping up the vampire's skirt hem; long white legs flashed in and out of sight.

"You can only run three copies of a card," Zane barked. "In other words, your so-called zombie werewolf has only three lives. And now all three are gone."

"Tch."

Camula snorted.

"But that means all three of your Cyber Dragons have attacked. The werewolves may be done reviving, but they fulfilled their mission—blocking your attacks."

"Is that really so?" Zane said coldly.

"What?"

Zane revealed another card.

"Quick-Play Spell, Photon Generator Unit!" he said. "Tribute two 'Cyber Dragons' you control, and Special Summon 'Cyber Laser Dragon' from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard!"

Two Cyber Dragons vanished from his field, and in a writhing storm of electric serpents, a laser-bearing dragon descended!

Cyber Laser Dragon, summon!

[Cyber Laser Dragon, ATK 2400]

Camula's face changed. "It can still attack!?"

It was only the first turn!

 How many times are you going to hit me this turn!?

"Cyber Laser Dragon, direct attack!" Zane shouted.

The new dragon flicked its tail, firing a laser lance from the tip! The beam punched straight through Camula's chest. She screamed, face going paper-white as she dropped to one knee.

[Camula, LP 3100 → LP 700]

The vampire clutched her chest, trembling from the pain.

"Ugh. Not cute at all."

She muttered this, then couldn't help shooting a vicious glare at Kira.

It was all his fault.

If that sly Duel King hadn't misled her with bogus intel, her backrow lock would not look like the antics of a clown...

Camula's face darkened further.

What a joke.

At this rate... she might actually lose.

Chapter 475: The Forbidden Field

[Camula, LP 700]

Her life points had been blown down to a guttering candle in a single turn. The beautiful vampire looked grim.

Such a fierce offensive, such relentless pursuit—this was top-tier even in the pro scene, never mind the Duel Academy.

Worst of all, she was completely unprepared for him running Cyber Dragons. Through her familiars' eyes she'd peeked several times—this boy had been diligently studying an honest-to-goodness pure Dragon deck...

If only she hadn't relied so heavily on her familiars' vision—if she'd at least checked his past record and tournament history...

Too late now. All she could do was lean on pure duelist skill and technique to hang on.

"My turn. Draw."

Camula spoke in a low voice.

"I activate the Spell Card, Pot of Greed, to draw two cards."

With such dangerous LP, facing the dual pressure of Cyber Dragon and Laser Dragon—and with Cyber Laser Dragon having a once-per-turn monster-destruction effect—if this draw didn't flip the table, she was done.

A red gleam flashed in the vampire's eyes. Invisible power stirred, lifting her hair as if on a breeze.

When she looked at the cards, delight flickered in her eyes.

"Looks like fate hasn't abandoned our bloodline."

Murmuring something cryptic, she lifted her head, gaze on Zane carrying a hunger like bloodlust.

"I activate the forbidden Field Spell, Infernalvania!" (anime-original card)

The card slid into the Duel Disk, and a thunderous roar filled the air. Blood mist churned in the sky until it seemed the heavens were dyed crimson. An ancient fortress stood proud under that sky, its ominous silhouette lit by a stroke of lightning.

Zane's face tightened. "That's... a forbidden field!"

An anime-original card never printed in real life—and one of the few the anime explicitly labeled forbidden. The anime world had its own banlist system distinct from reality.

"Forbidden? Hahahahaha..."

Camula tilted her head back and laughed, as if she'd heard the funniest thing.

"You Academy students are like hothouse flowers—naive to the point of being cute," she cooed. "The world we live in is nothing like your playacting duels. In our world, dueling is life and death. The strong don't need praise or approval from others. The only honor and proof is surviving countless battles.

"If you're alive, that's the only proof of strength. What 'forbidden cards' could possibly matter?"

Zane clenched his teeth.

Suddenly, he felt this was, in a way, the same difference between Kira and himself. He was the traditional, by-the-book duelist who valued honor. On a brutal, no-rules battlefield, he'd be at a disadvantage.

Kira, on the other hand, didn't care if a tactic was "honorable." Victory was the only measure.

It was like the difference between a ring fight and a death match in hand-to-hand combat. Ring masters are certainly top martial artists, but the ring emphasizes technique, with lots of rules and bans on targeting vital areas.

But in a fight to the death, there are no such rules. When life is on the line, the more something is banned in the ring, the stronger it is—and only killing blows settle it.

Someone like him... is better suited to that dark battlefield, isn't he?

"Effect of Infernalvania!" Camula cried. "Send an Zombie monster from your hand to the Graveyard to destroy all monsters on the field!"

Definitely banlist-tier. Kira mused that even ported straight into the TCG, this would still be weight-class heavy. In early formats, a one-card trade for a Raigeki/Black Hole effect is super-broken—and it's not once per turn, and being Zombie-exclusive means your discard likely remains usable via Graveyard synergies.

In later, faster formats, a simple mass-destruction effect isn't as outrageous—but on an Zombie field, in, say, an 'Eldlich' meta...

Yeah. There's a reason it was never printed.

"I discard the Zombie 'Vampire Lord' from my hand—activate Infernalvania's effect!"

Camula screeched, her previously pretty features contorting into something grotesque as her tongue lolled out.

"Wipe out all your Cyber Dragons for me!"

The forbidden power surged, a necrotic storm sweeping Zane's field. Cyber Dragon and Laser Dragon both shattered.

Zane raised his arm to shield himself, biting down lightly.

"Even a forbidden field has a downside. The turn I use this effect, I can't Normal Summon."

Camula drew her tongue back and started giggling again, darting looks at Zane with feigned coquettish charm. But after that dinner-ruining face just now, the contrast made one's skin crawl even more.

"I activate the Spell Card, Book of Life — Forbidden Spell!" Camula said. "Special Summon one Zombie from my Graveyard and banish one monster from your Graveyard!"

A card slid out of her Graveyard.

"I Special Summon the 'Vampire Lord' I just discarded to pay for 'Infernalvania'!"

Cloaked in black, the Vampire Lord arrived with a flourish of his cape and a confident laugh.

"As for your Graveyard... Cyber Dragon—that looks like the absolute core of your deck, doesn't it?"

Camula tittered.

"In that case, I'll banish one 'Cyber Dragon.'"

One of the three Cyber Dragons appeared above Zane's field and then dissolved in a shimmer of gold.

Zane frowned.

The three Cyber Dragons were his soul, his ace, his obsession. Losing even one carried a real cost.

"Then I banish 'Vampire Lord'!"

Camula raised another card high, her tongue snaking out again, the face that had barely recovered sliding straight back into a grotesque rictus.

"This card can't be Normal Summoned. It can only be Special Summoned by banishing 'Vampire Lord' from your field! Now appear, and offer up everything for the revival of the glorious vampire clan! Beyond the Lord, the strongest vampire—

—Vampire Genesis, summon!!!"

Chapter 476: Red Moon

Vampire Genesis, summon!

A hurricane tore through the field. A massive purple-black silhouette took form within the gale. The giant bloodkin's arrival carried the rush of wind and the stink of blood; it bared its dangerous fangs.

[Vampire Genesis, ATK 3000]

Zane's expression had grown solemn. "Vampire... Genesis."

And he had no monsters left to serve as a wall.

"Pay me back—principal and interest—in one hit!" Camula snapped. "Vampire Genesis, direct attack!"

The hulking bloodkin crossed the field in a stride and hammered Kaiser's chest. The dull impact made him feel his organs shift; blood surged up his throat.

[Zane, LP 4000 → LP 1000]

He went pale, staggered back two steps, and nearly collapsed to his knees.

This is... a Shadow Duel.

Pain so real it makes you feel the weight of your life bound to the duel. In such duels, every clash is steeped in blood; it's not just about victory or defeat—it's life and death.

Only victory lets you live?

Zane gasped for breath and looked down at his hands—unconsciously trembling, beyond his control.

"I set two cards. Turn end!"

Camula declared, chin high, chest out. Confidence returned to her as she giggled at the half-kneeling Zane.

"Now you're looking a little cute again. You'd make a lovely doll."

"Doll?" Zane frowned.

"This."

Camula plucked something that had been hanging at her waist. It looked like a small doll.

"This one's specially for you," she giggled. "If you lose, you'll be sealed into this little doll.

You come out when I call you. You do what I tell you."

She paused, licking her lips.

"Hehe... don't worry, I won't make you do anything strange. Just give me healthy, strong babies..."

She wasn't even joking. Her vampire line had flourished in the Middle Ages, but by now it had long since declined. When the master behind the Shadow Riders awakened her, she learned she was the last of her clan. Overwhelmed by grief and loneliness, she made reviving the bloodline her sole goal.

In short—she needed to have children.

With handsome, capable men.

Of course, not too capable—the ones stronger than her, she couldn't handle...

"Don't be ridiculous!"

Zane forced himself up, fighting spirit blazing again.

If he lost, he'd become that doll and spend the rest of his life as a plaything under this vampire's control. Better a clean death by the sword.

No. He refused to lose.

"My turn—draw!" Zane shouted. "I activate the Spell Card, Card of Adversity! If my opponent controls a Special Summoned monster and I control none, I draw two cards!" (anime-original card)

He drew two.

"I Normal Summon Proto-Cyber Dragon!"

[Proto-Cyber Dragon, ATK 1100]

"I activate the Spell Card, Power Bond! Fusion Summon a Machine Fusion Monster using Fusion Materials from my hand or field!"

His expression hardened; he raised his voice.

"I Fusion Summon my old friend... Cyber End Dragon!"

Camula reeled. "But two of your Cyber Dragons are in the Graveyard, and one is already banished—how will you fuse—"

"Quick-Play Spell, Cybernetic Fusion Support!" Zane cut in. "I pay half my Life Points. This turn, when Fusion Summoning a Machine monster, I can banish monsters from my hand, field, or Graveyard as Fusion Materials!"

[Zane, LP 1000 → LP 500]

"You can pick materials from anywhere!?" For a moment, Camula felt the card was overpowered—but she quickly added, "Wait, even if you can choose from hand, field, or Graveyard, I already banished one of your Cyber Dragons—"

"Proto-Cyber Dragon on the field can be treated as 'Cyber Dragon'!"

Zane swept his arm.

"I banish Proto-Cyber Dragon on the field and two 'Cyber Dragon's from my Graveyard to perform the ultimate fusion! Lend me your power once more—let the light of evolution shatter everything—

—Cyber End Dragon, summon!!!"

A fortress-like steel dragon descended, three heads writhing amid crackling arcs as it roared with the grind of heavy metal!

[Cyber End Dragon, ATK 4000]

"Power Bond's effect—double the ATK of the Fusion Summoned monster!"

[Cyber End Dragon, ATK 4000 → ATK 8000]

Instantly soaring to eight thousand—so powerful even Camula felt a chill.

After being swept by a banlist-tier field wipe, to call out such a terrifying monster in a single heartbeat from such a disadvantage—

He was about to OTK her again.

Camula swore inwardly.

Are all Duel Academy students monsters!?

How does picking a random handsome one get me this level of opponent every time?

"Cyber End Dragon—attack!" Zane cried. "Eternal Evolution Burst!!!"

The three heads opened wide. Light poured from its maws like a flood; the purple-black giant vampire and Camula's delicate face were washed ghost-pale.

"Before your attack... I activate the Trap 'Reckless Greed'!" Camula said. "Draw two cards, then skip my next two Draw Phases!"

She was clearly pinning it all on the last draw. But relying on a single draw to survive an 8000-ATK steel dragon's fury wasn't very realistic.

She immediately continued: "I activate my other set card!

The Trap Card, 'Red Ghost Moon'!" (anime-original card)

A bizarre red moon floated overhead. Its face resembled a human visage, smirking mockingly from within swirling clouds.

"When the opponent declares an attack, discard an Zombie from your hand to recover Life Points equal to the attacking monster's ATK... and forcibly end the Battle Phase!"

Zane's face changed. "What!?"

"I discard a second copy of 'Vampire Lord' from my hand."

Camula revealed the Zombie in hand and discarded it. She spread her arms as if for an embrace, a cold smile on her lips.

"Come, then—let me accept the entirety of your Cyber End Dragon's unleashed power!"

Chapter 477: Forbidden Power

Cyber End Dragon, full-power barrage!

Power Bond's doubled strike erupted, lightning coiling around the End Dragon like mad serpents. That world-ending force poured from above—yet the instant it touched the thin mist before Camula, it seemed to melt away.

The domineering beam was transmuted into a torrent of life. In the mist it swirled into a golden vortex—like a fountain of life—surging endlessly into Camula's body.

"Ah~ kimochi (so good)."

Camula wore an expression of sheer bliss.

"More... let more in. This feeling of life..."

[Camula, LP 700 → LP 8700]

Zane ground his teeth.

Eight thousand seven hundred Life Points…

His overzealous push had backfired disastrously.

"And the rest of 'Red Ghost Moon'—your Battle Phase is forcibly ended," Camula laughed, shoulders shaking with mirth. "Thanks for the effort, little boy. Big sis feels great."

Kira watched in silence, studying Zane.

Camula counted among the stronger of the Shadow Riders. She was an unprincipled duelist who used bans and sometimes off-table tricks, but results-wise she'd taken down both Professor Crowler and Zane—on paper, the Shadow Riders' MVP.

Granted, her win over Zane had been by holding Syrus's life hostage; Zane had essentially forfeited. If they'd kept dueling, the outcome wasn't certain.

Still—a formidable opponent.

Could Zane use this chance to find his path again and complete his metamorphosis?

"Ara~, little boy's in trouble," Camula tittered behind her hand. "Your Battle Phase is over; you can't push any further.

"But you already activated Power Bond—at the end of the turn, you'll eat 4000 in burn from your own Spell!"

She smiled triumphantly.

"Be a good doll for me, pretty boy."

The more perilous it got, the calmer Zane forced himself to be. He slapped down a card. "I activate the Spell, One Day of Peace. We both draw one card, and until the end of the next turn, all damage either player would take becomes 0."

A paper ceasefire brought a brief, precious peace to a battlefield thick with smoke. A soft golden glow formed a shield around both duelists.

"This way, Power Bond's end-phase burn becomes 0."

Zane immediately revealed the card he drew.

"I activate Card of Burial Magic. Banish 'Power Bond,' 'Cybernetic Fusion Support,' and 'Card of Adversity' from my Graveyard to draw two cards."

He drew again.

"I set two cards. Turn end."

"Such a tenacious boy—but big sis likes you better for it," Camula said with a smile.

"What do you actually want?" Zane frowned.

"What I said. A healthy, strong man—one who can make big sis happy." She smiled.

"For the great cause of reviving your bloodline?" Kira interjected.

Camula's smile vanished in an instant. She shot him a chilly look.

"Yes. It's all for the cause," she said coolly. "Our race once built a dazzling civilization... and humans destroyed it.

"They hunted us, drove our kind to extinction. The few who remained fled to the ends of the earth.

"And when that master summoned me, this era had only me left."

Zane blinked.

"You're doing it for your people—"

"Yes. Don't make that face—I don't need your pity."

She dropped the flirty mask and barked, voice hard.

"I am a proud vampire noble. I don't need human mercy. I'll rebuild our home with my own hands and take back all that humans stole from us.

"For that, I'll throw myself into the darkness and sell my soul. Whatever the method, whatever the means—only winning matters! I have no room for hesitation or choice!"

Zane's heart stirred again. The thought rose unbidden.

Some duels must be won.

To the him of the past, it was enough to uphold his ideals, respect his opponents, and put on a brilliant match. But now he was discovering the cruel reality—many people don't have that option. The weight their duels carry doesn't allow them the freedom to enjoy dueling.

This woman was one of them.

By comparison, how willful his own dueling had been…

"My turn!"

Of course, because of Reckless Greed, she couldn't draw.

Camula's gaze fell to a card in her hand. She hesitated.

She murmured to herself: "Yes... I decided long ago. No matter the cost—even if I sell everything I am..."

Then she lifted her head again, eyes firm.

"I activate the Spell—

—Illusion Gate!!!"

An ancient, massive door rose up behind her, radiating silent menace. A bat perched atop the lintel, like a demon's herald, smirking down at the world.

A torrent of darkness exploded forth.

Not just within the duel. Now that he, too, was a Dark Duelist, Kira could feel it—the presence of a power beyond the duel itself, something truly formidable.

This was GX's infamous anime-original—rare even among anime-only cards—Illusion Gate.

Zane felt the danger in the card's roar. "That's—!?"

"Illusion Gate—one must entrust their soul to the Sacred Beast to activate it!" Camula cried. "Destroy all monsters on your opponent's field, then Special Summon any monster from either Graveyard, ignoring its summoning conditions!"

Zane jolted. "That's outrageous!"

Even more absurd than the forbidden field she'd just used!

But the anime-world banlist had one more rule: only cards known to the dueling world could be evaluated and banned. That Zombie field spell, while rare, was known and existed within that world.

A card like Illusion Gate, so rare it had never appeared anywhere—no one even knew it existed. Of course it wouldn't be on any banlist.

"Indeed. But such power demands a price. The price of Illusion Gate is this: if the duelist who uses this forbidden card loses the duel, their soul is sacrificed to the Sacred Beast for eternity."

Camula's voice was icy.

"But it doesn't matter—so long as I win.

"Illusion Gate—destroy all the monsters on your field!

"Then, from your Graveyard, I Special Summon 'Cyber End Dragon' to my side—ignoring its conditions!!"

Chapter 478: Severing the Past

Illusion Gate, activate!

One of the most taboo magics of the early anime era—the heavy door of the Sacred Beast creaked open, and a violent energy stormed out.

Like the roar of a demon, evil power spewed forth. Abyssal darkness, cold as ice and hot as fire, wove endless chaos and destruction.

Before such force, 8000 ATK might as well have been paper. The Sacred Beast power coalesced into black claws wrapped in warped arcs and dark flames. It seized the End Dragon—steel body dissolving in the dark—electricity bleeding out as the form was crushed to scraps.

Then the darkness carried the fragments to Camula's field, where they reformed—steel body reassembling. Three heads roared in unison, electric serpents bursting—yet now the Cyber Dragon's eyes glowed an evil crimson.

[Cyber End Dragon, ATK 4000]

"Your Cyber End Dragon belongs to me!"

Camula laughed aloud.

Zane said nothing, face grim.

"Next, Vampire Genesis's effect," Camula continued. "Once per turn, by discarding a Zombie from my hand, I can Special Summon from the Graveyard one Zombie with a Level lower than the discarded monster."

She revealed another card.

"I send the Zombie 'Despair from the Dark' from my hand to the Graveyard.

"Despair from the Dark is Level 8, so I can revive any Zombie of Level 8 or lower."

A card slid from the Graveyard into her hand. She raised it high.

"I revive the second 'Vampire Lord' I discarded when I activated 'Red Ghost Moon' last turn!"

A blood-red vortex spun up, and the vampire baron swept his cape and landed. His face was corpse-pale, mouth curled in a cruel smile—faint fangs glinting.

"Your field is empty, your hand is 0! Your Life Points flicker like a dying candle; mine are a full 8700!

"Your ace was captured by me, and I command both 'Vampire Genesis' and 'Vampire Lord'!"

Camula spread her arms, tongue flicking out as she mugged, laughing wildly.

"Why not surrender yourself to me? Become my doll—at least you'll suffer less pain.

"You might lose your freedom, but I promise you'll feel good forever."

She licked her lips, eyes like a predator's on prey.

"I refuse," Zane said flatly.

He stood straight, stared down his treacherous old friend—and the terrifying lineup on her field.

"You've told me this duel is not just about me, but a battle between humans and vampires. Then what I bear here is no longer my own win or loss. I must not be defeated."

He paused, lowered his head, looking at his hands—lost in thought.

"And I've decided."

Camula: "Decided what?"

"To fight, from here on out, with victory as my only goal."

The instant he said it, Zane felt a breath trapped in his chest finally escape. The knot that had plagued him for days loosened; his thoughts fell into place.

Yes. This is the true meaning of dueling.

Victory. Victory is everything. He'd never thought so before—because he'd never grown up, never faced cruel reality.

Whatever it takes—only a life that wins has meaning. No—only if you win do you even have a life to speak of.

"How un-cute," Camula said, indifferent. "Well, no matter what resolve you've found now—it's too late.

"Because of One Day of Peace I can't finish you this turn, but with your Life Points hanging by a thread..."

She giggled.

"Cyber End Dragon—a mighty 4000-ATK monster. Ohoho... sending you off by using the power of your most trusted old friend—how poetic..."

"My turn. Draw."

Zane drew, stared at Cyber End Dragon for a moment, then said quietly:

"It's true—I've relied too much on it all this time. I clung to having it by my side, to it being the one to accompany me to victory.

"But that luxury has no place in the cruel world of dueling.

"And for victory—my old friend... please become my stepping stone."

His arm swept out, voice ringing.

"I activate my set Continuous Trap—

—DNA Surgery!

"Declare one Type; all monsters on the field become that Type!"

Camula frowned. "A card that changes Types?"

"I declare Machine!" Zane snapped. "Your Cyber End Dragon is already a Machine. In addition—your Vampire Genesis and Vampire Lord now become Machines!"

Camula watched as every vampire on the field quietly became Machine-Type.

Oh? And then?

"Then I activate the Trap, Return from the Different Dimension!" Zane said. "I pay half my Life Points to Special Summon, as many as possible, my banished monsters."

[Zane, LP 500 → LP 250]

Camula: "Book of Life banished one Cyber Dragon, and 'Cybernetic Fusion Support' banished two more Cyber Dragons and a Proto-Cyber Dragon..."

"Correct. So three 'Cyber Dragon's and one 'Proto-Cyber Dragon' return to my field!"

[Cyber Dragon, ATK 2100] x3

 [Proto-Cyber Dragon, ATK 1100]

Camula chuckled. "So what? At best, a Cyber Dragon can beat my weakest Vampire Lord. And I have 8700 Life Points.

"And monsters summoned by Return from the Different Dimension are banished again at the end of the turn—you can't even keep them as walls for next turn..."

Zane glanced at Kira.

"Thank you, Kira. You showed me a new path when I hit a wall—the road a mature duelist should walk.

"And this is the perfect card to say farewell to my former self!"

Zane raised his hand, palm sweeping over each of the seven monsters on the field as if to scoop them all up.

"Counting the 'Proto-Cyber Dragon' treated as 'Cyber Dragon,' I fuse all seven monsters on the field!

"Fusion Materials: 'Cyber Dragon' plus any number of Machine-Type monsters on the field!"

Camula's eyes went wide; she practically jumped, chest heaving.

"You—you—what are you fusing!?"

But a moment later, there was no mistake.

On Zane's field, the Cyber Dragon was like a bottomless maw—swallowing all of his own Cyber Dragons in an instant—then, appetite unabated, sweeping toward her side.

One bite for Cyber End Dragon. One bite for the forcibly mechanized Vampire Lord. One bite for Genesis—

Camula was stunned.

N-n-n-nani!?

What the hell is this thing? A field-wide, no-discrimination fusion that swallows seven monsters in one go?

Aren't you using forbidden cards too!?

"Farewell, my willfulness."

Zane raised a clenched fist.

"And this is the proof of my rebirth—born for victory alone—the new Cyber Dragon—

—Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, summon!!!"

A dragon so massive it looked like interlocked rings of metal fortresses, its serpentine steel body descended in majesty. It roared—a cry of rebirth through fire and steel!

[Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, ATK 0]

"Chimeratech Fortress Dragon can be Fusion Summoned using, including 'Cyber Dragon,' any number of Machine monsters on either side of the field as material.

"And its ATK becomes 1000 times the number of Fusion Materials!"

"Materials... one thousand..."

Camula's face blanched. Thunderstruck, she stood frozen.

He just used seven monsters as Fusion Materials...

[Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, ATK 0 → ATK 7000]

"Seven thousand ATK..."

Camula's mind reeled.

Wait—

This guy's Cyber Dragons were all flashy OTKs up to a moment ago—pure brute force, straight-ahead pressure—just what his deck and duelist style should be.

So what is this!?

It eats everything on the field and pops out at seven thousand ATK?

You sure you don't have to sacrifice a soul to summon this thing?

Suddenly, the soul she'd offered up for Sacred Beast power didn't feel so special...

"Quick-Play Spell, Limiter Removal," Zane said coldly. "Double the ATK of all Machine monsters I control."

[Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, ATK 7000 → ATK 14000]

"Fourteen... fourteen thousand!?"

Camula's legs went weak. She stumbled back, trembling.

So massive, so overwhelming a blow—she'd be broken—

No. She'd die. Horribly.

Zane drew a deep breath. Facing such a monstrous Fortress Dragon, he felt clarity. No more confusion, no more doubt—his earlier hang-ups felt almost laughable.

"Chimeratech Fortress Dragon—direct attack!

Evolution End Cannon!!!"

The steel giant's core surged, the whole fortress quaking. The world turned kaleidoscopic under its light; time itself seemed to freeze in the moment of its charge.

Then it fired.

A sun-devouring blast. Arcs of lightning danced like ten thousand sprites, swallowing the vampire's final scream.

[Camula, LP 8700 → LP 0]

Chapter 479: Going Dark

The beam tore through the vampire without a shred of mercy. Fourteen thousand in damage almost pixelated her entire being. With a scream, the long-legged vampire collapsed to her knees, hands on the ground, gasping in pain.

Zane had won.

The path had looked bumpy, but Kira had never been surprised by the outcome. To him, Camula was a strong Dark Duelist by common standards, but her duelist power wasn't exceptional; her strength was propped up by forbidden cards and outright hacks like Illusion Gate. She shouldn't be Zane's equal.

If the win seemed laborious, it was partly because Zane's heart had been shaken—he was in the midst of remaking it, and that uncertainty bled into his play. And partly the protagonist's customary at 1 HP drama—dangerous on the surface, stable underneath, with low odds of a true upset.

In the original, when Camula used Illusion Gate, she also cheated off the table. Illusion Gate should stake the user's soul, with the loser paying the price. But she was a ends-justify-the-means duelist bent on reviving her race—honor meant nothing to her. She exploited the main cast's ignorance of dark power, rewriting the terms with her own magic—swapping in Syrus' soul in place of her own.

That way she bore no risk, and if Zane won, Syrus's soul would be taken instead. No risk to her, a leash on her opponent, and a table-flipping cheat—easy win.

But now, afraid of drawing Kira's eye, she ambushed Zane in secret. There were no bystanders to snatch as her soul's substitute.

Only Kira was present. She hadn't watched Duel City finals in person, but as a Dark Duelist she'd heard enough—this Duel King had won after gods fought a world-ending boss.

Cheating in front of ignoramuses is one thing. Trying tricks in front of someone like that would just get her killed worse.

Hence her end.

With the duel over, Illusion Gate rose behind her again. The massive door opened slowly. Beyond it—nothing. Only bottomless dark.

A demon's hand reached out, closing around Camula's pale throat. Her white face flushed red under the choke; her voice broke into ragged, helpless screams—she couldn't form a single word.

Kira wanted to intervene—this was the second Shadow Riders he'd caught. He'd come hoping to try the trick that hadn't worked on Dark Atticus—to see if he could use his power to influence the rules of a Shadow Duel, keep Camula alive as a remote-controlled puppet, and have her lead him back to the Shadow Riders' base for intel.

But no luck. Though his dark power had grown, and he could tweak a Shadow Duel's stakes a little when Zane won, he couldn't shake Illusion Gate's rules.

A brief probe told him the card's power vastly outstripped the Shadow Duel Camula had started. The Sacred Beast force beyond the door was absolute; it would not allow its promised soul to be spared.

Forcing it would risk a backlash from beyond—and that wasn't worth it. So Kira withdrew, watching Camula caught in her own web.

The Sacred Beast power dragged the vampire into a hellish abyss. Screams that seemed to come from her very soul echoed from behind the door, lingering long before fading.

The door shut.

The Sacred Beast was satisfied. The door became a fading image; the bat upon it smirked in mockery, as if waiting for the next fool to open it.

The second of the Shadow Riders—done for.

Zane stared at the alluring body now empty of a soul. In his head, her final struggles echoed—the despair as she was dragged into the dark. He said nothing.

If he'd fallen short—if he hadn't turned it around and had lost to her—

Zane dared not finish the thought.

He clenched a fist, looking down at his Duel Disk and the card still set upon it—Chimeratech Fortress Dragon.

The first card he'd received from Kira's lab.

The card that had plunged him into doubt back in Duel City—and then saved his life today.

Suddenly, he felt the worth of victory more keenly than ever.

Victory meant standing here alive, greedily breathing free air.

Defeat meant ending like Camula—cold, a lifeless doll on the ground, soul dragged into an unknown darkness for endless torment, a demon's plaything.

His fist tightened.

"Thank you, Kira."

"Ah?"

Kira looked up from deftly pocketing the vampire's deck.

"Thanks for the intel today. This vampire wasn't weak—if she'd learned my deck in advance and teched against it..."

A shiver ran through Zane.

If not for Kira's warning—if Camula hadn't mistaken him for Dragons but had peeked his real build—

If she'd prepared to lock down Machines and he'd been forced to fight under that pressure...

The thought alone made him sweat.

"And... thank you for the deliberate guidance," Zane said solemnly.

When he'd faced Kira in the Duel City qualifiers, he hadn't thought much. Then Kira went on to win the whole thing—cutting through all comers to become Duel King.

If Kira had been merely an excellent classmate before, he was now a legendary grandmaster.

Looking back on that duel, Zane suddenly saw it—the other had glimpsed the limits of his path and used the duel to nudge him.

And indeed, only after that duel had he stepped outside his old tunnel vision—and today, he'd had his moment of sudden clarity.

Guidance personally delivered by the Duel King—he knew its worth. In the dueling world, it was priceless.

"Ah, that? No big deal. We're classmates—we sharpen each other."

Kira smiled—and slipped Camula's deck into his pocket.

Two Shadow Riders in a row, both uncontrollable. He'd need a different plan to probe this organization.

After saying goodbye, Zane turned away. He was wrung out from the battle; his racing heartbeat hadn't fully slowed. Yet his steps were lighter than they'd been in a month, and the road ahead had never looked clearer.

He remembered.

When Master Chancellor taught him the Cyber style, he hadn't passed down everything.

What Zane inherited was only the "Outer Cyber Style." There was also an "Inner Cyber Style."

The Outer was light; the Inner stood opposite to the light—dark.

That power was too strong—and too evil. The Cyber Dojo sealed it and passed it to no one. Zane had believed his master's teachings and never considered that deck.

But now, his thinking had changed.

Light or dark—if it wins, any necessary means should be used to their fullest.

He would make the Cyber school whole again in his hands.

He would seek out the dark secret of the Cyber Dragons—sealed away by history.