"Flame Wingman, attack Kaiba directly!"
It was clear that Kaiba had truly run out of defensive tactics this time. His field was completely empty, with not even a single set card left to help him create cards on the spot.
In this era, hand pits and grave pits were extremely scarce, leaving him no way to block this move.
Flame Wingman's second strike hit Kaiba squarely without any hindrance. The impact of the flames exploded, and Kaiba staggered back two steps, letting out a sharp, disgruntled sound.
[Kaiba, LP 2800 → LP 700]
"That ends my Battle Phase," Youyu said. "Next, I'll activate the Magic Card - Pot of Greed from my hand and draw two more cards from my deck."
Drawing two cards, Youyu glanced at them and couldn't help but feel a bit peeved.
This card... if I had it just a little earlier, the duel might already be over.
But it doesn't matter. Better late than never, as Youyu could still plot against his opponent and make a fortune silently.
"Set three cards, ending my turn."
Youyu announced the end of his turn as three cards appeared at his feet.
His LP was down to just 100, while Kaiba was left with only 700; either side could fall with just a breeze... a lethal touch.
This signified that the duel was finally approaching its climax, and the next turn might decide the victor.
Kaiba looked at his remaining 700 LP, then at the Flame Wingman on Youyu's field, feeling his blood boiling, a kind of excitement only felt when a duelist's mind was at its peak, battling to the utmost climax.
This was it! This was the feeling he sought!
This was true dueling against an evenly matched opponent, the thrill of using every ounce of effort, the pleasure he had always pursued, pushing himself one step further.
No matter how advanced their KaibaCorp technology became, or how realistic their AI was, it could never replicate this experience for him.
This was the battle he desired!
"Watch closely, Youyu!" Kaiba raised his Duel Disc. "What you're about to witness is the power of the strongest duelist on Earth!"
Youyu was startled by the sudden declaration from the president.
Even the spirit of the Dark Magician Girl was frightened enough to float out, holding her little Magic Staff protectively in front of her master.
Seeing the president's fierce expression and hearing such a loud roar, she momentarily thought that this person was about to summon his fist to perform a direct attack on her master…
"My turn!" Kaiba shouted, "Watch closely, this card will be the key to steering the course of this duel. Draw!"
He drew a card from his deck, pupils shrinking, and immediately burst into laughter.
From that reaction, Youyu could roughly guess that the card was already created…
"Magic Card - Dragon's Mirror!" Kaiba yelled at the top of his lungs. "By banishing Fusion Material Monsters from the graveyard, I will perform a Fusion Summon of a Dragon-Type Fusion Monster!"
Okay, Youyu couldn't help but think, as expected of the president.
His top-decks were always spot on.
"By banishing the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons in my graveyard from play, I will perform a fusion!
Transcending time and space, the strongest dragon in history—
——Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Fusion Summon!"
A vortex opened in the graveyard, and the White Dragons flapped their wings, soaring skyward. The three White Dragons circled and melded into a pillar of light, ascending into the air. A colossal three-headed dragon descended from the sky, crashing with a force like a mountain falling, stirring up a dust wave.
[Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, ATK 4500]
"Hahaha, be crushed under this ultimate power of destruction!" Kaiba laughed with his arms crossed, "Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's attack will put an end to this duel!
Destructive White Light Blast!!!"
The three-headed dragon opened its mouths simultaneously, spewing forth an endless barrage. The destructive beam swept along the ground, blasting through the streets between skyscrapers, the powerful impact shattering walls on either side from afar, making the whole city seem to tremble under the force of destruction.
"Field Magic - Skyscraper's effect!" Youyu cried, "When an Elemental Hero Monster battles an opponent with higher attack points, it can increase its attack by 1000 points!" (animation effect)
The animation card of Skyscraper only needed a hero to battle against a stronger monster to gain an attack boost, whereas the physical card only boosted attacks when an Elemental Hero initiated the attack.
Back in the Duel City era, Youyu used the physical card version of Skyscraper because that was all he had. After the end of Duel City, Youyu drew cards like crazy and finally acquired this animation-effect card, naturally replacing it with this more effective version.
But this evidently wasn't enough.
[Elemental Hero Flame Wingman, ATK 2100 → ATK 3100]
"Such an increase is insignificant before the invincible Ultimate Dragon!" Kaiba shouted at the top of his lungs. "Your LP is only 100, defeating you is more than easy!
Crumble before the invincible power of the Neo Ultimate Dragon!!!"
Youyu, of course, understood this clearly. He raised his hand, and the trap beside his feet immediately flipped open.
"Open Set Card - Heroic Visit! Activated during the opponent's attack declaration, it lets the opponent randomly choose a card from my hand. If it's a Monster Card, it can be summoned directly; if not, it goes to the graveyard!"
Kaiba squinted, "You only have one card in hand."
"That's right, and it's a Monster Card!" Youyu revealed his last hand, "Elemental Hero Edgeman, Defense Position!"
With a shout, Edgeman arrived on the field, engine flames spewing behind him.
[Elemental Hero Edgeman, ATK 2600, DEF 1800]
"Summoning such trash won't do anything!?" Kaiba shouted, "Ultimate Dragon, continue the attack on Flame Wingman, destroy them!!!"
The moment Youyu's number of monsters on the field changed, Kaiba's side underwent a "Battle Recall." At this moment, he had the opportunity to cancel the attack, but he didn't.
A real man must attack relentlessly, there is no retreat in the president's dictionary!
"Destruction's Blinding White Light!"
The three heads of the White Dragon opened their mouths simultaneously, intense white light swirling within, brewing world-ending power.
"Kaiba, since you said you want to conclude our unfinished duel, then let's start right now!" Youyu swung his arm, revealing yet another Trap Card.
"Trap Card - Covering Fire!" he shouted, "The ATK of my attacked Monster increases by the ATK of another Monster on the field!
At that moment, Flame Wingman gains the ATK of Edgeman, increasing by 2600 points!"
The two Heroes on the field unleashed their power simultaneously, enveloped in a mutual glowing green aura. Engine Man let out a low growl, his power transmitted through the Trap Card to his ally. Flame Wingman's flames surged, his combat power soaring.
[Elemental Hero Flame Wingman, ATK 3100 → ATK 5700]
An ATK of 5700 for Flame Wingman!
"Now my Hero's ATK surpasses yours!" Youyu said, "Flame Wingman, counterattack the Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
Flame Wingman soared into the air, flapping his wings to ascend above the Ultimate Dragon, raising his arm, with the dragon's mouth on it opening and brewing a searing, rolling flame.
Youyu watched from afar as his Hero and the colossal White Dragon faced off, narrowing his eyes.
It should truly be over now.
However...
"Heh heh heh heh... Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!"
At this moment, President Kaiba looked up to the sky and burst into laughter again.
Youyu suddenly had a bad premonition...
"Youyu!" Kaiba's eyes burned as he stared at him, and the latter instinctively wanted to jump back.
"W-What?"
"You are indeed strong and a proud Duelist!" Kaiba shouted, "But I've already seen through your strategy! 'Covering Fire', this is the foreshadowing left from the unfinished duel last time, right?
From the moment you summoned the small fry Monster with your Trap Card, I guessed you'd use this card to secure victory.
But my tactics have already advanced a step beyond that time!"
Even Edgeman has turned into a small fry Monster, the president's standards are indeed getting higher...
The president quickly drew a card from his hand and revealed it: "And this is the card that will conclude the duel! Quick-Play Magic - Battle Fusion!!!"
Youyu was taken aback: "Nani!?"
The green Magic Card appeared on Kaiba's field: "Battle Fusion is a card that can be activated when your Fusion Monster is battling with an opponent's Monster! The ATK of your Monster increases by the value of the opponent's ATK!" (Anime effect)
The actual card effect of Battle Fusion is that it can only be activated during the "attack declaration". But in the anime, this card's description is "can be activated when both Monsters are battling", meaning it can be used at any time during the Monster battle.
[Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, ATK 4500 → ATK 10200]
A Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon with an ATK over ten thousand!!!
At this moment, looking at his Ultimate Dragon on the field bathed in divine white light, with the destruction ray in its mouth more dazzling than ever, President Kaiba felt an indescribable sense of pride and burst into laughter once more.
Strong! Invincible! The strongest!!!
Smash! Jade Shattering! Big applause!!!
"To be destroyed by such power, you have done well." President Kaiba said happily, "But it ends here! I have already surpassed the me of yesterday, and now I won't lose to anyone..."
"Uh, hold on a second, President." Youyu interrupted, "The battle process isn't over yet."
Kaiba narrowed his eyes.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly realized... there was still an unturned Set Card on Youyu's field.
Could it be...
"Honestly, I also didn't expect it to turn out like this, it's just too much of a coincidence..." Youyu felt a bit embarrassed, then straightened up and raised his voice.
"But I promised to give it my all, so brace yourself, President! I'm also opening my last Set Card——
——Quick-Play Magic, Battle Fusion!"
"Nani!!??" President Kaiba was thunderstruck.
This final round, the last clash between the two, he actually...
...also drew Battle Fusion!?
The exact same card as mine???
Kaiba was full of disbelief, staring incredulously at Youyu.
Impossible! Could this truly be destiny!?
"The effect of Battle Fusion, when Fusion Monsters battle, increases by the ATK of the opponent's Monster!"
[Elemental Hero Flame Wingman, ATK 5700 → ATK 15900]
Kaiba was stunned, standing there in a daze, watching the flaming Hero rise into the sky, spinning and charging, cloaked in flames, breaking through the beam of light fired by the White Dragon, then like a cannonball piercing through his Ultimate White Dragon with over ten thousand ATK.
The dazzling white light burst from the shattered body of the White Dragon, and the flames fell like an erupting volcano, crashing down towards Kaiba...
[Kaiba, LP 700→ LP 0]