"It looks like Kisaragi's strategy worked," Yugi said. "She's been stacking Spell Counters nonstop—and now her monsters' ATK is almost on par with Blue-Eyes White Dragon."
No one spoke after that. Everyone understood: if Kaiba still couldn't find a way to break the deadlock, then next turn Kisaragi would completely surpass him.
And Kaiba himself… had already gone stiff, his mind blank.
He'd finally drawn a countermeasure—only for it to be dismantled with absurd ease.
"Battle! High Priestess of Prophecy — Junon attacks Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
"Not so fast!" Kaiba snapped. "I activate the Counter Trap Negate Attack! This turn, your Junon's attack is negated—and the Battle Phase ends immediately!"
Kisaragi didn't look particularly bothered. In her eyes, the win was already practically locked.
"Turn end." (Hand: 5)
Kaiba stared at the three powerful monsters on Kisaragi's field, his body rigid.
Her tempo was too fast—only a few turns, and she'd already built her board to this level. Every counterattack he attempted… she cracked it cleanly.
"It looks like Kisaragi's about to win," Yugi said quietly. "Kaiba's eyes… they've lost their fighting spirit."
"Am I… going to lose?" Kaiba muttered.
For the first time, he felt truly helpless.
Last time, he'd coped by telling himself: I only lost because of Blue-Eyes—so it doesn't count as shame.
But this time he was being beaten by an entirely different deck. The faith he'd built up—was collapsing.
Kaiba's hand reached toward his Deck to draw… but he didn't draw.
Instead, his palm lowered toward the top of the Deck—like he was about to cover it.
"Yugi… Kaiba's doing that thing—" Jounouchi started.
"Yeah," Yugi said. "That's the covering-the-deck motion. When a duelist places their whole palm over the Deck… it means they admit defeat and concede."
"For someone as arrogant as Kaiba to surrender…" Honda said. "He really must have no options."
"Kaiba!" A sharp voice cut through the moment.
Kaiba's hand trembled—stopping mid-motion.
The voice came from Kisaragi.
"You're… giving up?" Her voice was cold.
Truthfully, she felt disappointed.
In her mind, Kaiba was the kind of person who would push forward no matter how bad things got—someone whose will wouldn't break even if he was defeated.
But this surrender… felt unfamiliar.
"No," Kaiba said, the lifeless dullness in his eyes snapping into focus. "I won't give up! I still have Blue-Eyes White Dragon. I absolutely cannot lose!"
"My turn—draw!"
(Yes. That's the spirit, Seto Kaiba—surpass your limits. You'll become stronger.) Kisaragi thought.
"I activate Pot of Greed! I draw two cards from my Deck!"
At the instant Kaiba drew, a faint white glow rose from his Deck—as if answering his resolve.
He glanced at the cards he'd drawn, and the confidence returned to his face like it had never left.
"Hahahaha! Blue-Eyes White Dragon hasn't abandoned me! Kisaragi—take this!"
"Come on, Kaiba!"
Jounouchi frowned. "Kaiba's back on his feet, but that Junon on Kisaragi's field is a problem. How's he going to break through?"
At that moment, the shadowy image of Yami Yugi appeared.
"My other self…?"
"Kaiba's expression just now," Yami Yugi said, "looked like he drew something dangerous."
"Yes," Yugi replied. "If he can't suppress Kisaragi this turn, then this duel is basically over."
Kaiba slapped down a Spell Card.
"I activate Burst Stream of Destruction again! As long as I control Blue-Eyes White Dragon, I can destroy all monsters you control—at the cost that Blue-Eyes can't attack this turn!"
Blue-Eyes gathered light and fired—wiping out Kisaragi's monsters in a single blast.
"Kaiba," Kisaragi said coolly, "just doing that still won't break my strategy."
"I know," Kaiba replied—then placed another card on the field.
"I activate Dragon's Rage! I return Blue-Eyes White Dragon from the field to my hand—then I destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field!"
A violent storm of wind erupted as Blue-Eyes spread its wings.
Kisaragi's backrow—Spells and Traps—was obliterated.
"Now your advantage is gone!" Kaiba declared.
"That's… not necessarily true." Kisaragi smiled. "I've been waiting for this moment."
"What?!" Kaiba's eyes widened.
"When Spellbook Star Hall is destroyed by the opponent, I can add one Spellcaster monster from my Deck to my hand whose Level is less than or equal to the number of Spell Counters that card had."
"Spellbook Star Hall had 12 Spell Counters. So I add World of Prophecy — Duremond to my hand!"
"And when The Grand Spellbook Tower is destroyed by the opponent, I can Special Summon one Spellcaster monster from my hand or Deck whose Level is less than or equal to the number of different Spellbook Spells in my Graveyard."
"I have 9 different Spellbook Spells in my Graveyard—so I Special Summon World of Prophecy — Duremond from my hand!"
World of Prophecy — Duremond (2900/2400)
"And when Duremond is Special Summoned by a Spellcaster monster's effect or a Spellbook Spell's effect, I can add two Spellbook Spells from my Graveyard to my hand!"
"I add Spellbook of Fate and Spellbook of Secrets!"
"So that's why she kept piling Spell Counters…" Yugi said in awe. "It was all for this moment!"
Kaiba smirked. "So what? I told you—this turn ends it."
"What?!" Kisaragi blinked.
"I activate Polymerization! I fuse the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons in my hand!"
"Come forth—my strongest servant… Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon (4500/3800)
"That's the monster born from fusing three Blue-Eyes…" Jounouchi gasped. "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon?!"
"But even if Kaiba destroyed Kisaragi's monsters," Anzu said tensely, "Kisaragi still wouldn't lose…"
"Kisaragi," Kaiba roared, "you think I can't finish you this turn? With this card, I can turn the impossible into possible!"
He slammed his final card onto the Duel Disk.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell—Dragon's Fighting Spirit!"
"What?!" Kisaragi's eyes sharpened.
"This card targets one Dragon monster I control that was Special Summoned. This turn, in the same Battle Phase, it can attack in addition to its normal attack—up to the number of monsters your field Special Summoned this turn!"
"Kisaragi—you have one monster on the field. So my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon can attack one extra time beyond its normal attack!"
Jounouchi paled. "Crap… if Kaiba's attack goes through, then Kisaragi—"
Yugi's brows knitted.
"Hahahaha! This is the final turn! Battle!"
"Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon attacks World of Prophecy — Duremond—Ultimate Burst!"
Kisaragi's Life Points: 4000 → 2400
"And this is the last attack! Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, direct attack!"
At that moment, Kisaragi smiled.
The smile was stunning—so beautiful that the shadow in Kaiba's eyes vanished, replaced by sudden light.
"Kaiba… I've received your fighting spirit. And if I don't answer with an equal fighting spirit—then I'd be insulting yours."
...
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 80)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 80)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 80)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter50)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter50)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter50)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter50)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 10
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 10
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