Yugioh [564-569] (Patreon)

Chapter 564: A Desperate Gamble

"Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, descend!"

One of the Three Sacred Beast, said to possess power capable of plunging the world into chaos—and that's no exaggeration.

Many might think Chairman Kagemaru's description is overblown, that even if the Three Sacred Beast are powerful Duel Spirits, they're not truly top tier. Talk of world-destroying is too much, right?

Actually, not at all.

It's true the Three Sacred Beast seem less awe-inspiring than the previous generation's Egyptian Gods. Even by anime standards of strength, their innate resistances and effects don't match the Gods.

But "plunging the world into chaos" doesn't refer to how they perform in a duel.

In the duel between Jaden and Kagemaru, even halfway through a single duel, the Sacred Beast showed exactly why they bring darkness.

It's a power outside of dueling.

The Three Sacred Beast are practically the nemesis of all Duel Spirits in the world.

Just during that brief stretch of Jaden's duel, the three Sacred Beast Kagemaru summoned had already absorbed vast amounts of spirit energy. Even Spirits thousands of miles away were affected, nearly drained dry.

With this power alone, the Three Sacred Beast can inflict catastrophic damage on every Duel Monsters card worldwide. In a world where the extraordinary—and even the fundamental rules—are built on cards, saying they can drag the entire world into chaos and darkness is neither alarmist nor exaggerated.

And at this very moment, Kagemaru, who spent his life pursuing the power of the Sacred Beast, had the honor of being the first in years since their sealing to experience their power firsthand.

Such pressure and might—merely looking at them was almost suffocating.

"So this is a Sacred Beast."

Staring up at the colossal silhouette, Kagemaru grit his teeth.

This should have been his power.

His hope to keep living.

"Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder attacks," Kira waved his hand. "Attack 'Troposphere'!"

Kagemaru said in a low voice, "You activated the Continuous Trap 'Gravity Bind' yourself. Monsters Level 4 or higher can't attack."

"Yes, but Hamon is a noble Sacred Beast." Kira smiled lightly. "Traps don't work on Sacred Beast."

Those were Kagemaru's exact words to Jaden in the anime after the Sacred Beast appeared. Traps are ineffective on Sacred Beast; Spells only work if activated that turn.

In the anime, the Sacred Beast' resistance to Spells/Traps resembles the Gods' in some ways. In DM, the Gods' resistances were described as "Traps don't affect the Gods, and Spells only have effect for one turn."

Similar to the Sacred Beast, though in GX the Sacred Beast' resistances hew closer to printed card templating.

All Three Sacred Beast are unaffected by Traps. Spells only affect them during the turn they're activated. If it's a Continuous Spell activated earlier, or a Normal Spell like Swords of Revealing Light that continues to apply after the turn of activation, once that turn passes, the Sacred Beast are immune to it.

However, Sacred Beast seem to have no blanket resistance to monster effects, and lack the "cannot be forced to leave the field" protection the Gods sometimes showed, or hidden resistances like Slifer being immune to Brain Control under Marik.

Otherwise Jaden wouldn't have one-tapped them with Elemental HERO Neos Bubbleman's effect after battle.

Elemental HERO Neos Bubbleman is only Level 4, but it can destroy a monster it battled after damage calculation. That worked on a Sacred Beast, so they likely lack general monster-effect and destruction immunity.

Only traps are fully nullified.

Kagemaru bit down.

Traps don't affect Sacred Beast, so if you're running a Sacred Beast deck, Gravity Bind basically does nothing.

Does that mean only his own side can't attack?

 "Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder attacks," Kira said. "Thunder of Despair!"

Hamon raised its head and loosed a lightning lance skyward. Thunder serpents writhed in the black clouds as azure bolts gathered and crashed down on Kagemaru's Sphere with world-rending force.

With only 100 LP flickering like a candle in the wind, Kagemaru couldn't possibly withstand the blow. Even a graze from a Sacred Beast's might would pulverize him.

"Activate face-down, Trap Card 'Waboku'!" Kagemaru barked. "This turn, I take no battle damage, and my monsters can't be destroyed by battle."

Three robed maidens appeared on Kagemaru's field, holding talismans of peace. Their energy unfolded into a transparent barrier that enveloped his side.

A sacred no-damage zone: not even the Lord of Striking Thunder could pierce it. Heaven-splitting bolts washed over the barrier like water, sparks scattering and leaping, but no damage was dealt.

"And chain Quick-Play Spell 'Emergency Provisions'! Send the activated Trap 'Waboku', 'Ultimate Offering', and 'Mirage of Nightmare' to the GY to gain 3000 LP!"

[Kagemaru, LP 100 → LP 3100]

All four backrow vanished at once, turning into golden warmth that flooded the life-support pod. The old man gulped down a deep breath of blood-rich fluid; his LP quickly recovered.

Escaping that candle-in-the-wind LP eased him slightly, but the Sacred Beast's pressure remained—he couldn't relax.

"You blocked Hamon's attack—impressive as expected of the Chairman." Kira chuckled. "The Chairman's blade hasn't dulled. I'll set two and end."

Kagemaru: "…"

He'd always believed his blade was sharp, but in this man's mouth it sounded different.

Especially with the duel proceeding entirely at the opponent's tempo; everything he'd done so far was a struggle to survive, and he'd been on the brink more than once.

Now he had to face a Sacred Beast.

Will I lose?

The thought flashed unbidden.

Is this really the end?

The Duel King, and the Sacred Beast snarling behind him, blurred into a terrifying mountain in the old man's eyes—a peak unlike any he'd faced, nearly impossible to climb.

No, I must climb it.

He must live. He had decided long ago: he would live, at any cost.

If a god stands in the way, then he'll topple the god as well.

"My turn!"

The voice, still hoarse, echoed muddily through the life-support equipment. Yet the figure within seemed a bit straighter. Though the draw was made by a mechanical arm, a ripple of pressure seemed to follow.

Kira knew that rhythm too well.

He'd seen it in countless opponents—the moment they realized they were cornered.

He was about to go all in. A desperate last stand.

The old man raised his head, a fire in his eyes as he looked at Hamon.

"The power of the Sacred Beast—no matter what, it will be mine!"

Chapter 565: A Weary Life

"Quick-Play Spell 'Mystical Space Typhoon'—destroy a Spell/Trap on the field!"

Kagemaru slammed down the spell.

"First, that eyesore of a trap," he barked. "Continuous Trap 'Gravity Bind'—begone!"

A black whirlwind lifted the trap into the air; a bolt split it to pieces. Gravity's shackle vanished, and the invisible field on Kira's side dissipated.

"With that, the attack lock is gone!"

"Indeed," Kira nodded with a smile. "So, I take it you've prepared a counter to the Sacred Beast?"

Kagemaru snorted heavily without answering.

"Special Summon 'Breeze Sphere'!"

[Breeze Sphere, ATK 700]

"A Special Summon?" Kira said.

Kagemaru: "If the opponent controls a Level 5 or higher monster, Breeze Sphere can be Special Summoned from the hand." (manga card)

 "I see," Kira nodded.

"Then I Tribute 'Breeze Sphere', 'Troposphere', and 'Gene-Warped Warwolf' to Tribute Summon the ultimate Sphere!"

The moment that card was lifted by the mechanical arm, a force that could contend with a Sacred Beast blossomed.

Transparent cyclones wove a storm, breathing with the will of the sky itself! The aura was unlike any prior Sphere—not a mere tempest, but a tapestry of countless micro-cyclones.

The eddies danced and spun, as if the wind itself had gained life. The living gale gathered into broad wings; the colossal divine bird descended wreathed in air.

The ultimate current: The Atmosphere—Summon!

[The Atmosphere, ATK 1000]

"That looks like your ace," Kira said flatly.

The The Atmosphere is the last of the three "Sphere" cards to be printed. Its printed summoning condition is actually "buffed" compared to the manga.

The manga required three Tributes for a Tribute Summon, but the printed card can't be Normal Summoned at all.

The printed version can only be Special Summoned by banishing two monsters from your field and one from your GY.

"The Atmosphere's effect: absorb one monster your opponent controls, and gain that monster's ATK and DEF!"

Kagemaru shouted.

"Absorb Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!"

His eyes seemed to turn blood-red.

"Sacred Beast—become my power!"

The Atmosphere's power activated; even a Sacred Beast couldn't escape the irresistible gale! Invisible hands in the storm seized Hamon and dragged it under, sealing it within the bird's atmospheric ring.

Hamon roared, but its lightning was siphoned away, flooding into the bird.

[The Atmosphere, ATK 1000 → ATK 5000]

Five thousand attack!

 "Direct attack with the The Atmosphere!" Kagemaru roared. "Die—just die!"

"The power of the Sacred Beast is mine! Mine!"

Heaven's thunder coursed into the storm, which hurled forth under a crown of wind blades! Endless lightning exploded around Kira, gouging craters and billowing black smoke.

In the life pod, bubbles gurgled. The old man panted harshly.

Win… I won.

He'd turned the tables from the brink. Once more, with his most trusted ace…

[Kira, LP 600]

Kagemaru: "!?"

"Why…"

"Close one. In that instant I activated the Trap 'Nutrient Z'—if I'd take 2000+ battle damage, I can gain 4000 LP once."

"Uh."

Kagemaru muttered.

"Troublesome guy—he takes a 5000 direct hit and still won't fall… Then I'll set one and end."

"We can't let things be too easy, can we?" Kira dusted himself off. "So, in that instant when you thought you'd won—how did it feel?"

"Joy? Or the satisfaction of finally succeeding?"

"Professor Lyman told me about you. He truly believed you were once a hero."

Through the glass and murky fluid of the life pod, Kira looked at Kagemaru.

"I could hear it—he respected who you were. Your deeds, your ideals, what you fought for."

"And look at you now. Look at this room. What you've done—these people you've exploited. Seeing yourself become indistinguishable from what you once fought—how does that feel?"

"How does it feel?"

Kagemaru chuckled coldly.

"I think the past me was a joke. Hot-blooded passion? Ideals? Just youthful naivety."

"Once you die, nothing remains. In the face of life and death, ideals are laughable. In a life where we leave with nothing, if you can't even stay alive, what else matters?"

He looked at Kira.

"And what right do you have to judge me?"

Kagemaru's tone was ice.

"I can tell, Duel King. You aren't some paragon of justice. You're not one to sacrifice everything for righteousness."

"Tell me, King—do you truly care for anyone besides yourself?"

"How are you any different from me?"

Kira smiled.

"Perhaps I'm not. But…"

He paused.

"At least every morning, I can look the man in the mirror in the eye."

Kagemaru fell silent.

"Draw."

Kira drew calmly.

"Activate Spell 'Take Over 5'. Send the top five cards of my deck to the GY."

He flipped five cards and slid them to the GY one by one.

"It's over," Kira said evenly. "Activate Trap 'Back to the Front'. Special Summon a monster from my GY in Defense Position."

"From the GY…" Kagemaru frowned. "But that card can't ignore summoning restrictions. You can't revive a Sacred Beast."

"I know. I'm reviving this—"

He tapped another card ejected from the GY.

"Phantasmal Summoning Beast—revive."

[Phantasmal Summoning Beast, DEF 0]

"Phantasmal… Summoning Beast?"

Kagemaru held his breath. The name alone felt ominous.

"Yes. I've got a dedicated research team for Sacred Beast. We've developed a card or two… You didn't think I'd waltz in, wielding Three Sacred Beast I couldn't control, and duel you unprepared, did you?

That would be disrespectful to the Chairman."

Kira smiled.

"Phantasmal Summoning Beast's effect: Tribute itself to return any one of the Three Sacred Beast from the GY to the hand.

I tribute Phantasmal Summoning Beast to add this from my GY…"

He took a card from the GY and revealed it.

"'Uria, Lord of Searing Flames' to my hand."

"Uria…" Kagemaru held his breath.

"Right. And after that, I can Special Summon from my hand, ignoring summoning conditions, one Level 10 FIRE, LIGHTNING, or FIEND monster with equal ATK and DEF."

Yeah, that pretty much reads the trio's ID numbers aloud.

"So, ignoring summon conditions, Special Summon from my hand—

The ruler of the inferno, who sears the earth with godflame—

—Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!"

A red dragon, akin to a cousin of Slifer the Sky Dragon, manifested and roared, brimming with divine might!

[Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, ATK 0]

"So this is Uria…"

Kagemaru was stunned again.

Damn it. It should be mine—mine.

That damned Duel King…

 "Uria's ATK equals 1000 times the number of Trap Cards in the GY." (anime effect)

In its printed form, along with its summon condition, it was changed to count only Continuous Traps.

"My GY has nine Traps total, including two just sent by 'Take Over 5'. Therefore, Uria's ATK becomes—"

[Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, ATK 9000]

"ATK nine thousand?" Kagemaru's face twitched.

"Of course, traps don't affect Sacred Beast. But just to be safe…"

Kira snapped his fingers.

"Trap Destruction!"

Uria roared, and transparent shockwaves erupted. Kagemaru's set backrow was forcibly flipped and ground to dust in the wave.

Continuous Trap—Spirit Barrier. While you control a monster, you take no battle damage.

It had been his last safety net.

"Spirit Barrier, huh. Indeed, even against Sacred Beast who ignore traps, it could still negate battle damage and keep you alive. Too bad traps aren't allowed in Uria's presence."

Kira continued.

"Uria, Lord of Searing Flames—once per turn, destroy all Trap Cards your opponent controls, including face-down ones." (anime effect)

In the printed card, it was changed to destroy only one set Spell/Trap. But it isn't limited to traps, and the opponent can't chain spells/traps to it; the anime lacks the "cannot be chained" clause—pros and cons.

"Uria, attack the The Atmosphere."

Kira gave the final command.

Uria slowly opened its maw, hellfire boiling within.

With even his last card blown away, Kagemaru, utterly out of options, faced the Sacred Beast he'd longed for. He watched the inferno gather in its jaws, his gaze unfocused.

He thought of the past.

His former self, his former aspirations—the ease with which he once threw his life into what he believed was right. It felt like watching someone else.

Perhaps that person had already died long ago.

Now, to fall here, struck down by the very Sacred Beast he had pursued—perhaps that was fate's mockery.

One way or another, it was finally over.

The old man closed his weary eyes and murmured:

"What a…

…weary life."

Uria's infernal cannon blasted forth.

Hyper Breath!

 The Atmosphere was engulfed and shattered, along with the Hamon sealed within its ring.

[Kagemaru, LP 3100 → LP 0]

Chapter 566: One of Our Own

"What a weary life…"

The old man closed his eyes and gave up struggling.

Darkness flashed with scenes of his life.

In his youth he encountered the power of darkness, learning that there existed "Shadow Games," a supernatural reality.

That was before Duel Monsters was rediscovered in the modern age. He and Lyman had studied alchemy from early on, and through it crossed the threshold into the world of Shadow Games.

Shadow Games had in fact always existed in hidden corners of the world since ancient times, only not combined with dueling until Pegasus unearthed the Duel Monsters tablets. In the past, Shadow Games took many forms—cards, chess, all kinds of games, even video games, or simply ad hoc rules invented on the spot.

After Duel Monsters appeared, Shadow Games were basically displaced by duels.

Kagemaru's life was essentially that of a Shadow Game player.

Countless thoughts and memories flashed by. Every danger, every foe he defeated, every life he saved…

All gone.

Yes—gone. Sealed memories no longer felt like they belonged to him. Looking back felt like he was an onlooker watching someone else's life.

And that… was fine.

Ironically, as the Sacred Beast's blow struck him—Uria's flame engulfing him—Kagemaru felt a strange relief, as if a long, arduous road had finally reached its end.

At last, he could rest.

Soon, the remaining "Shadow Riders" members arrived at the top of the baby-products company building.

Disembarking, they made their way in virtually unopposed. Since Kira's dramatic arrival, the upper floors were in chaos.

These were all Kagemaru's subordinates and recognized the Shadow Riders executives—organization officers—so in the confusion no one tried to stop them.

By the time they reached the top floor, it was basically over.

The alloy door had been violently breached; the smell of char and a haze of black smoke drifted from within.

They paused briefly at the entry before Kira strode out.

"It's done."

The Shadow Riders executives, and the growing cluster of organization members in the building, fell silent.

So that was it?

Their mysterious boss—the founder of the Shadow Riders—just… finished?

But they soon saw for themselves.

The life pod lay toppled, its exterior glass crazed like after a hammer blow. A plume of fluid sprayed from a crack, pooling on the floor.

A withered, gaunt old man lay within, head slumped to the side, motionless—as if asleep.

Asleep forever.

Don Zaloog blurted in surprise, "That—could that be… that guy?"

"The Shadow Riders' Master. Yes," Kira said.

Not just Don Zaloog—the others looked shocked.

They'd imagined many possibilities for their mysterious leader, but none had pictured a feeble, dying old man.

No wonder he never appeared in person, even before cadres, and never showed his face. Most of the Shadow Riders had backgrounds and clout; if they'd known their leader was a sickly old man, Kagemaru would've had a much harder time commanding them.

The life readouts on the pod had flatlined.

Lyman stepped to the pod, peered at the old man within, and exhaled a long breath.

"Why did we have to come to this?" he murmured to himself.

"But for you, perhaps… this is better."

"Maybe… the only piece of luck that visited your twilight years."

The Shadow Riders became history.

With word of the mysterious founder's fall, the organization was delisted from the underworld and vanished.

Of course, the end of the Shadow Riders didn't mean its executives disappeared.

On the contrary, the surviving executives gained even more legend in the underworld…

They were now the elite under the meteoric, mysterious newcomer "Revolver."

How the Shadow Riders were dismantled remained a mystery. Just as no one had known their base or mastermind, no one knew what happened that night, or who toppled such a behemoth in one stroke.

But in the days that followed, underworld duelists noticed that the surviving Shadow Riders executives were still active—not under the Shadow Riders, but as high-level enforcers of the rising group "Knights of Hanoi."

It seemed the remnants, with most of their subordinates, had defected to Hanoi.

Thus spread a rumor: Hanoi launched a massive assault, uprooted the Shadow Riders overnight, killed their master, and even absorbed their forces.

Though unproven, the rumor sent shockwaves through the underworld. Everyone had to reassess Hanoi and its leader, Revolver.

No one was more baffled than Hanoi's original members.

Like Kurozaki, one of the first duelists Revolver had recruited.

Kurozaki would never forget:

Back then, the boss casually said he'd go have a word with the Shadow Riders.

Not long after, the boss returned—

—and the Shadow Riders were ours.

While Kira was busy ransacking the Shadow Riders' lair…

…

Elsewhere, a towering snowy mountain rose like a natural wall between earth and sky. Gales from the void howled with a killing chill, raging through a world of white.

Bundled in mountaineering gear, a man clawed his way up a steep, jagged path, wind and snow whipping as he reached the summit. Fine, feathery flakes danced like celestial down.

At the peak, he pulled back his hood and goggles.

It was Zane Truesdale.

Before him, atop the mountain, an ancient dojo stood stoic in the storm. Roof and walls lay under a thick white shroud, nearly blending into the world around it—impossible to find without memory as a guide.

This was where he trained in childhood—the home of "Cyber Style."

Now he had returned to reclaim what he once left behind.

Zane clenched his fist.

He would claim Cyber Style's ultimate secret art.

Chapter 567: Underworld Deck

"Uraaah!"

Chancellor Sheppard—or rather, within this dojo he should be called Master Sheppard—staggered back a few steps and dropped to one knee, panting hard.

[Sheppard, LP 0]

Zane Truesdale ended the duel, retracted his Duel Disk, and walked forward with calm, effortless motions, as if it had been nothing.

"Why, Zane?" Sheppard raised his head. "Can you no longer hear the voice of Cyber End Dragon?"

"Have you forgotten how you felt back then?"

Bracing himself on his knee, Sheppard stood, seemingly trying to help Zane remember.

"This place, this dojo—does it not hold a special meaning for you?"

"The Cyber Style—you once sweated with comrades here, growing together, becoming stronger. But from the moment you obtained Cyber End Dragon at nine years old, what remained of Cyber Style was only a name."

"Ah, I remember."

Zane nodded and addressed his master respectfully.

"That was nine-year-old me's ultimate dream: to be acknowledged by Cyber End Dragon and become the heir to the style."

"Exactly! So many disciples, so many who dreamed of inheriting Cyber Style's secrets—but in the end, only you, at nine, won it all."

To him, the past scenes were still crystal clear.

He remembered dueling nine-year-old Zane, the satisfaction and admiration he felt seeing the boy's deck and his dueling.

"Respect your opponent—see yourself as if from your opponent's heart. Duel from that place. You're excellent."

Back then, Sheppard praised him, then handed the Cyber End Dragon card to the boy.

He still remembered the spark of hope that flashed in that child's eyes when he received it.

"I hope you won't forget this day," Sheppard said with a smile as he patted the boy's head. "And never forget this feeling."

"Mm!" the nine-year-old nodded vigorously.

But now the boy from memory had been replaced by a cold young man, the fire once visible in those eyes seemingly extinguished.

"I can hear it."

Zane spoke calmly.

"I can hear Cyber End Dragon's voice."

"Then why—!?"

"Because it's unnecessary," Zane said coolly. "I can hear it; I simply choose not to heed it now.

Because my soul craves victory, and I will pay any price to get it."

"But your dueling has strayed from the path of Cyber Style that we once followed…"

Zane shook his head. "But I won, and you lost, Master. Doesn't that prove the path I've found now is more correct?"

Sheppard was speechless.

After a long pause, he said, "Is winning and losing… all there is to dueling?"

"Of course, Master," Zane said softly. "It always was. I was merely too dull to notice.

The world of dueling is cruel—there is always only one winner. If you lack the resolve to do anything to win, you're handing victory—and everything else—to someone else."

He shook his head, unwilling to speak further.

"As agreed, Master, I've won. I came here today to take Cyber Style's ultimate secret."

Master Sheppard's face tightened.

"Cyber Style's ultimate secret was entrusted to you years ago."

"You know what I mean, Master," Zane said. "The Cyber End Dragon I inherited is only the symbol of the Cyber Style—it does not encompass the whole."

"You want that?" Sheppard shook his head. "No. Absolutely not. You mustn't—"

But Zane walked past him straight to the back of the main hall. He tore down the Cyber End Dragon tapestry hanging on the wall; behind it, a recess had been concealed.

Within sat an exquisite little box.

It had been here all these years, in the dojo's main hall, hidden behind the symbol of the Cyber Style—as if to signify it was the other side of the coin.

"No!"

Sheppard protested.

"The 'Underworld Deck' is a forbidden power—too dangerous. The founder of Cyber Style sealed it, never to be inherited by anyone—"

"No, Master. Power is just power. Whether Cyber or Underworld Cyber, both are tools for victory."

Zane spoke earnestly.

"Only then is Cyber Style complete."

"I was too naive in the past to understand, unworthy of this power."

"But now I do. As Cyber Style's heir, light or darkness, I must master all of it. As long as it wins, as long as it leads Cyber Style to a higher peak, that's what matters."

Sheppard fell silent, at a loss for words.

After a while, he let out a long sigh.

He felt deeply that he was old.

He could do nothing.

He couldn't out-argue his former student, nor stop him from taking a dangerous deck and straying from the style's path.

The future belongs to the young; perhaps his way was already outdated.

Sheppard drew a deep breath and stood. "Zane, you're in your third year now. Graduation must be soon?"

"Yes, Master," Zane nodded.

Though he no longer agreed with Sheppard's teachings, their difference lay in philosophy.

Even if they contended over it—even just now dueling to seize the forbidden deck—their conflict was about the direction forward.

Sheppard was his mentor, the one who opened Cyber Style's doors to him and gifted him Cyber End Dragon—a man who shaped Zane's life more than anyone. He still respected his teacher.

"How quickly three years have passed."

Sheppard sighed.

"Indeed," Zane nodded. "Three years—graduation is upon me. Looking back, my progress has been limited.

Complacent within the academy's small world, reigning there, I couldn't see a broader sky."

"True…"

Sheppard, of course, knew who had spurred this third-year student onward.

"Well, your grades are excellent—first in every subject. You'll certainly be this year's exemplary graduate.

By tradition, the representative gives a graduation duel, choosing any enrolled student as the opponent. I presume you've already decided?"

"I have."

Zane looked toward the doors. Beyond the hall, atop the snowy peak, flakes whirled in the gale.

"It was decided long ago."

Chapter 568: The Graduation Duel

Duel Academy, great hall.

Third-years packed the auditorium, gazing up at the giant screen hanging overhead. Though it was blank for now, a palpable tension permeated the students.

It felt, in a sense, like awaiting judgment.

Yes—judgment.

Today was results day.

Duel Academy is infamously hierarchical, and rank is determined entirely by grades—comprehensive assessments of performance: practical dueling scores and written theory.

Today's the final report for everyone present—the culmination of three years, the key stepping stone to the next stage of their lives.

Duel Academy's diploma carries weight in the dueling world; naturally, the final assessment is vital. When graduates apply across the industry, these scores and rankings are critical.

It had the air of students awaiting the release of college entrance-exam results.

Of course, some were perfectly calm.

Like the name after that conspicuous "NO.1" at the top of the list.

Zane Truesdale.

"Mamma mia!"

Professor Crowler's unmistakable voice rang out.

"As expected of Truesdale—nearly perfect in every subject!"

"Without question this year's No. 1—the academy's representative graduate!"

As Crowler spoke, it felt as if a spotlight fell on Zane, and the surrounding students turned with respectful, awed looks.

Zane's expression didn't ripple.

In the original timeline, he might've felt some pride—his best report in three years, proof none could surpass him within the academy.

But now, he felt none of that.

Because to him, this so-called exam wasn't the true graduation test, and his opponents weren't the long list of names beneath his.

In this academy, the ones he considered rivals were few—Jaden included.

Above them all, the only one he regarded as his true graduation test—the greatest challenge of his life—was a single person.

"Then, by academy tradition," Crowler announced, "the representative will duel on behalf of the class."

"You may choose any enrolled student as your opponent. So, Truesdale…"

"It's already decided."

Zane cut in, lifting his student terminal for a glance.

Not only decided—he'd already sent the challenge. Even before grades were posted, he was certain he'd be top graduate and the representative.

Because his opponent was never any student competing with him.

And now, that person had replied.

One character:

"Fine."

Zane couldn't suppress a satisfied smile.

"The Battle of the Century."

That was the headline the academy paper gave this duel.

The academy's three-year "Kaiser," this year's representative, would challenge the man who had become a legend in his very first year.

The Yellow Dorm's once-unspeakable outcast, who had wrought miracles and become the academy's pride.

The Duel King, Fujiki Kira.

It wasn't their first clash. Their Duel City bout had been seen by all. If some had once found it hard to accept that Kaiser lost to the Yellow Monarch, now they saw losing to the Duel King as only natural—it didn't reflect poorly on Kaiser; he had done his best.

Today was the rematch.

And the challenger was obvious.

Though arriving on time per the schedule, Kira found that Zane seemed to have been waiting on stage for ages. The stands had been packed well in advance, making him look almost late.

"You came," Zane said.

"I came."

Kira nodded, then smiled.

"I hear your graduation marks are near-perfect—among the best in academy history. Congratulations."

"If I can't surmount the highest wall I've faced in three years, that's all trivial," Zane shook his head.

He unfolded his Duel Disk as he spoke.

"You're right. I basked in self-satisfaction, trapped in a pitfall called 'perfection.'"

"But thanks to you, I've broken the three-year bottleneck!"

"Then I'm looking forward to it." Kira opened his Duel Disk too.

"Duel!" x2

[Kira, LP 4000]

[Zane Truesdale, LP 4000]

"I'll go first—draw!"

Rarely did Zane seize the initiative.

In this era, Cyber Dragon is almost purely a going-second deck. Even when winning the die roll, Zane often yielded the turn. This time he took first—already a shift from the past.

"I summon 'Infernal Dragon' in Defense Position."

[Infernal Dragon, DEF 0]

"Then I set one and end my turn!"

A terse opening.

The crowd was baffled.

Zane using Dragons?

That alone was odd—no one had seen him run anything but Machines.

And Infernal Dragon in Defense?

It's a Level 4 with 2000 ATK—who puts its 0 DEF up front?

Only Chancellor Sheppard on the stands guessed Zane's intent.

Cyberdark.

Underworld Deck—"Cyberdark"—absorbs Dragons from the GY as equips for power.

He wants his opponent to destroy Infernal Dragon, stocking dragons in GY.

 "Zane, are you really going to use that…" Sheppard looked conflicted.

Others hadn't seen Cyberdark, but Kira knew.

Opening Defense Infernal Dragon—straight out of Hell Kaiser's playbook. Different styles, though—Kira wouldn't have played it that way.

Still, if Zane is willing to donate a premium beater just to set up dragon fuel in the GY…

 "My turn—draw."

Kira dropped a monster at once.

"I Normal Summon 'Truckroid.'"

[Truckroid, ATK 1000]

"Roid?"

Syrus was the most surprised.

Kira using Roids—just like him—against his brother?

A jumble of feelings welled up.

"Truckroid, attack 'Infernal Dragon'."

The anthropomorphic machine flopped forward, the little truck chugging as it rammed the 0-DEF dragon. It shattered with a boom.

"And at this moment, Truckroid's effect activates!" Kira said. "When it destroys an opponent's monster by battle, equip that monster to this card.

This card gains ATK equal to the equipped monster's ATK!"

Zane: "!"

Chapter 569: Jail Duel, As Expected

Truckroid destroyed Infernal Dragon!

Clearly, Kaiser's plan to stock the GY with dragons fell flat—and even backfired.

The 2000-ATK Infernal Dragon was handed over—NTR'd—by the roid and stuffed into the truck's container, which snapped shut, locking it in.

[Truckroid, ATK 1000 → 3000]

"Turn one and I've got a beater on par with Blue-Eyes." Kira smiled. "Kaiser, you're too generous—donating such a strong monster right away."

Zane: "…"

By plan, Infernal Dragon would go down now, then next turn he'd summon a Cyberdark, absorb the dragon from GY, and swing—baiting the opponent to summon an attacker into a trap. He hadn't expected his foe to hijack the dragon first.

Now the opponent had a Blue-Eyes-tier body while his GY had no dragon fuel; even if he summoned a Cyberdark, it'd be a weakling with a few hundred ATK.

"I set one and end," Kira said.

It was a stumble out of the gate, but Zane took a deep breath, steady.

Facing the Yellow Monarch requires calm.

He'd steeled himself beforehand—this level of trouble was to be expected.

"My turn—draw!"

A flash in Zane's eyes at the card he drew.

Here it is!

Exactly what he needed now.

Zane lifted his gaze, the corner of his mouth rising.

"You used a special-ability monster like Truckroid to block my graveyard setup—very you.

But! My dueling has evolved. Watch closely! This brand-new deck—Cyber Style's long-buried esoterica—won't be stopped by something like this!

I activate the Equip Spell 'Future Fusion'! Send fusion materials from my deck to the GY to conduct a Fusion Summon!" (original effect)

Five golden streaks flew from his deck, coalescing into five dragons overhead, their roars blending into one!

 "I fuse five Dragons from my deck!"

Zane clenched his fist as an AR tempest whipped his coat.

"The ultimate dragon fusion—holder of the strongest power in history—descend now—

—Five-Headed Dragon, Fusion Summon!!!"

The hall erupted.

Not a rare card, but a storied one—the "strongest dragon" printed by the Big Five to oppose Yugi and Kaiba.

Kaiser—ever the man of Cyber End OTKs—was summoning Five-Headed Dragon!

 "Going for Five-Headed Dragon, huh," Kira looked up, a touch of sentiment.

He added inwardly:

A wall that's not even a wall.

"Right." Zane revealed the five dragons. "Although a monster summoned by Future Fusion can't attack this turn, Five-Headed Dragon's materials are five Dragons.

So I can choose any five Dragons from my deck to send to the GY!"

Think you can stop my Cyberdark fueling? Not so easily!

I'll fuse five straight from deck!

 "Impressive," Kira nodded, then snapped his fingers. "But before Future Fusion resolves, I activate this card:

Continuous Trap—Macro Cosmos!"

The scenery shifted; the arena was dragged into endless space.

"While Macro Cosmos is face-up, any card that would be sent to the GY is banished instead—for both of us!"

Zane: "…"

Zane: "…"

Zane: "…"

Na—NANI!???

His expression twitched—calm, shaken.

All banished?

This wasn't nibbling at his setup like Truckroid had—this was burning the GY to the ground, ripping out the engine of Cyberdark at the root.

Cyberdark's core is absorbing Dragons from the GY as equips for power—it's a graveyard-centric strategy. Hence Hell Kaiser's famed "Power Wall" moments later on.

So what's left to play without a GY?

With no grave, every Cyberdark in his deck was a feeble 800 ATK—none could stand.

"Future Fusion continues resolving—your five dragons are banished from the deck," Kira smiled. "Fusion still goes through, of course."

Thunderous roars—the five dragons swirled into a vortex, birthing a colossal form wreathed in the five attributes of earth, water, fire, wind, and dark. An unscalable mountain descended!

[Five-Headed Dragon, ATK 5000]

Zane steadied himself.

At least he had Five-Headed Dragon. Cyberdark was offline, but the dragon could hold the field.

"Monsters summoned by Future Fusion can't attack this turn," Zane said low.

"I'll set one and end."

He drew a deep breath.

He had chosen to challenge the Yellow Monarch—the supreme of the dueling world.

He'd been prepared for every sly tactic and torment. Doing time in duel jail against this man was normal; he had to keep his cool.

"My turn—draw."

Kira eyed the imposing Five-Headed Dragon.

"A 5000-ATK wall—slightly troublesome; even Truckroid can't beat it…

So I activate the Field Spell 'Megaroid City'!"

Steel towers rose in the starlit void, seizing the arena.

"Megaroid City lets me destroy one of my cards to search a 'roid' from the deck.

I'll destroy the 'Infernal Dragon' equipped to Truckroid to search… And with Macro Cosmos up, it won't ever reach your GY."

As he spoke, the container popped; Infernal Dragon exploded into fragments, then streaked as golden light into a rift.

Zane: "…"

"Then I'll add 'Submarineroid' from my deck," Kira said. "Normal Summon 'Submarineroid'!"

[Submarineroid, ATK 800]

Zane's face twitched again.

That submarine…

I knew it!

PS: Submarineroid: Every Student's grim reaper! xD