Reading settings
Chapter 449: Crush! Shatter! Great Applause!
"Boom!!!"
"H-How could this be?!"
Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Valkyrie Brunhilde attacked each other. With equal ATK, the two directly destroyed each other. The gale stirred up by the impact blew Kaiba's trench coat, causing Zigfried von Schroeder to involuntarily take half a step back.
Looking at the bewildered Zigfried von Schroeder, Kaiba explained, "Although its ATK is only 1200 points, my Deck doesn't contain any useless monsters."
"Lord of D.'s third Effect is that as long as a 'Blue-Eyes' monster exists on my Field, the Attack Target of your monster is no longer decided by you, but by me!"
"It's just one monster, how can it have so many Effects? Can that many Effects even fit on a card?!"
Zigfried von Schroeder couldn't suppress his rant, saying through gritted teeth, "But now there shouldn't be any 'Blue-Eyes' on your Field, which means the command of the next attack has returned to my Hand."
Valkyrie First [ATK 3200]
Valkyrie Fourth [ATK 1600]
Valkyrie Fifth [ATK 1000]
Valkyrie Sixth [DEF 2000]
On Zigfried von Schroeder's Field, there were still Valkyrie Fourth and Valkyrie Fifth who hadn't attacked. Although they no longer had the ability to reduce Kaiba's Life Points to zero, they were more than enough to destroy the Lord of D. with only 1200 ATK.
"Attack! But this time, I'll use Valkyrie Fourth to destroy that Lord of D. first!"
Although Lord of D. resisted fiercely—attempting to block the slash with a limited edition The Flute of Summoning Dragon—Valkyrie Fourth's ATK was ultimately higher. It was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, dealing damage to Kaiba for the first time in this duel.
[Kaiba: 4000 → 3600 LP]
With this, all monsters on Kaiba's Field were also destroyed.
"Finally, with this, all the troublesome monsters have been completely destroyed!" Zigfried von Schroeder laughed triumphantly. "Next is a Direct Attack! Valkyrie Fifth, Direct Attack the opponent!"
Facing Valkyrie Fifth charging forward with her mount, Kaiba, whose Life Points had just been reduced by four hundred points, frowned. His eyes glanced at a Set card in his Spell/Trap Zone. After a slight hesitation, he did not activate that card.
Generally speaking, in Duel Monsters, unless there's a specific need like 'Try Your Luck', one should try to preserve their Life Points as much as possible to avoid unnecessary damage. If Kaiba activated the Set card in his Spell/Trap Zone now, he could perfectly block the damage from Valkyrie Fifth.
However, Kaiba's intuition as a Duelist told him that now was not the best time to use this card. Although there was no basis for it, the last card in Zigfried von Schroeder's Hand gave Kaiba a subtle threat. If it was a 'Valkyrie' Deck, perhaps that card was Mischief of the Time Goddess, which had appeared in a duel against Yugi before.
If it really was that card, Kaiba had to endure.
"Yaaah!" Shouting like a certain white-haired Uncle, Valkyrie Fifth thrust out the long sword in her hand without obstruction.
[Kaiba: 3600 → 2600 LP]
"Heh heh, ha ha ha ha, how about that, Kaiba Seto? Now my Life Points are higher than yours." Zigfried von Schroeder watched Kaiba take half a step back after being struck by Valkyrie Fifth and laughed triumphantly. "Have you seen my strength?!"
With a cold face, Kaiba straightened up and returned to his original position, glancing at the Stairs behind him.
The location where he and Zigfried von Schroeder were dueling was not a proper flat Duel Platform, but on a series of Stairs. Zigfried von Schroeder, standing higher up, was fine; even if he received some impact, he would only retreat slightly, and even if he fell, he would just fall onto the Stairs.
But for Kaiba below, if the distance he was pushed back was too far beyond the Stairs, Kaiba would fall. If he was lucky, it would just be a sprain or bruise; if he was unlucky and hit something while falling, a fracture would be considered light.
However, despite this, Kaiba remained calm, casually patting his abdomen where Valkyrie Fifth's long sword had just struck: "Your so-called 'power', couldn't possibly be this attack that doesn't even count as a massage, could it? I almost fell asleep from how comfortable it was."
"It's just a shame that my 20,000 Yen shirt got dirty from your monster's attack."
Hearing Kaiba's words, Zigfried von Schroeder said through gritted teeth, "Why are you always so arrogant?"
"Hmph, could it be that you think my attack ends here, and you've survived this Turn, which is why you're so calm, Kaiba Seto?" Zigfried von Schroeder drew the last card from his Hand. "Weak, weak, weak, weak! Since I said I would finish you this Turn, I naturally have a winning plan!"
"The strongest power in the 'Valkyrie' Deck will be unleashed here! Open your eyes wide and watch, Kaiba Seto!"
"Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card Mischief of the Time Goddess!"
As Zigfried von Schroeder inserted the card from his Hand into the Spell & Trap Zone of his Duel Disk, an invisible power expanded outwards from his Duel Disk, enveloping both Kaiba and Zigfried von Schroeder in an instant.
The mysterious time power began to activate. Centered around the card Mischief of the Time Goddess, everything within the expanded domain began to leap rapidly into the future!
Kaiba's eyes widened.
'This feeling... was this the level of power Yugi was fighting against back then?'
'My fingers, my eyes, everything... no, my entire body is unable to move!'
During the time Zigfried von Schroeder used the alias "Zigfried von Schroeder", he always used Mischief of the Time Goddess as a means to end duels. Because to those not dueling him, the duel ended in an instant, his information was always kept well hidden.
It wasn't until the Main Tournament of the KC Cup that "Zigfried von Schroeder" faced Mutou Yuugi. Against the continuous attacks of Mischief of the Time Goddess, Yugi perfectly endured and counterattacked, winning the duel and exposing the data of the card Mischief of the Time Goddess to Kaiba's eyes.
Although the data on the card face of Mischief of the Time Goddess seemed simple, merely stating "Skip to your next Battle Phase", it actually implied the ability to prevent the opponent Duelist from counterattacking after activation. Unlike 'Super Polymerization', which cannot be chained to, Mischief of the Time Goddess can do this because the Effect that activates makes it impossible for the opponent to react to the activation of this card. If they can't even activate a Set card, naturally they cannot defend.
It's like having a domain twenty meters in diameter that calls forth a gale and torrential rain at the slightest disturbance, yet still being unable to block an attack made by an enemy with time-stopping ability in stopped time.
Zigfried von Schroeder's triumphant voice reached Kaiba's ears: "This is the end, Kaiba Seto. As expected, the final winner is me, Zigfried von Schroeder! Having defeated you, I will stand at the peak forever!"
"Honor, victory, radiance, and pride! I, who have been defeated by you time and time again, will prove myself through this victory and reclaim everything that rightfully belongs to me!"
"First, Valkyrie Fifth's attack!"
[Kaiba: 2600 → 1600 LP]
1000 points of Battle Damage fell upon Kaiba, but within the space created by Mischief of the Time Goddess, even after his Life Points were reduced to only 1600 points, Kaiba still couldn't make any reaction.
Seeing this, Zigfried von Schroeder's expression became even more triumphant: "Indeed, not everyone can be like that Mutou Yuugi. This world still belongs to me alone."
"Even with your Life Points reduced to this extent, you can't react. Kaiba Seto, your doomsday has arrived!"
Glancing past Kaiba, Zigfried von Schroeder looked at the Stairs behind him, revealing a sinister smile.
"Although this duel, according to those guys, doesn't count as a Dark Game, it's only natural that you would take a step back due to the impact force of the Virtual Projection System after taking such damage."
"And then, Kaiba Seto, the inventor of the Virtual Projection System, will fall to his death due to the simulated impact force from the Virtual Projection System installed on his own Duel Disk. It's a perfect comedy!"
Zigfried von Schroeder's finger pointed far at Kaiba: "Then this is the final blow! Valkyrie First's Direct Attack!"
"Die, Kaiba Seto!"
Valkyrie First knew very well what the order given by her Master meant. This single strike of hers would reduce the remaining Life Points of the person named Kaiba Seto to zero, and the accumulated damage would instantly erupt.
However, no matter how unwilling she was, due to the rules of Duel Monsters, Valkyrie First still charged on her war horse, thrusting the final sword strike at Kaiba.
Zigfried von Schroeder imagined the scene of Kaiba wailing, and couldn't help but close his eyes in excitement, eagerly listening for the sound that was about to come.
However, what reached his ears was—
"Clang!!"
Zigfried von Schroeder's eyes snapped open. No matter how he listened, this sound didn't sound like something a person could make; instead, it sounded more like metal hitting metal!
And Valkyrie First, too, looked with surprise at the shield that had suddenly appeared before the long sword she had thrust out.
Under Zigfried von Schroeder's horrified gaze, Kaiba's finger moved away from the activate Set card button on his Duel Disk.
"Hmph, you seem to think I'm inferior to that guy Yugi? You really underestimate me, Zigfried von Schroeder." Kaiba, with a cold face and a commanding presence, spoke as if he wasn't the one with only 1600 Life Points, but Zigfried von Schroeder. "Although it wasn't very useful against that guy Hayato Kobayashi, it's more than enough against a fourth-rate Duelist like you."
"The Set card I activated is Absorption Shield!"
Valkyrie First's ATK had once soared to a full 3200 points in the previous Turn because she absorbed the power of Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Although her ATK returned to its original ATK of 1600 points now due to Mischief of the Time Goddess, it was increased by 200 points due to Valkyrie Fifth's boost, making her current ATK 1800 points.
But now, as the shield that blocked Valkyrie First's attack turned into an energy body and surged into Kaiba's body, her 1800 points of ATK were completely converted into nourishment for Kaiba.
[Kaiba: 1600 → 3400 LP]
"My Life Points... recovered?!" Zigfried von Schroeder's eyes widened. "Damn you, Kaiba Seto!"
"Hmph, in that case, both sides' Life Points have returned to the same level." Kaiba sneered. "Are you triumphant because you thought you had a world all to yourself, and then got angry and felt your world was invaded like finding the scent of a second person in your bed?"
"Your capacity is only this much, Zigfried von Schroeder!"
"Kaiba Seto!"
Zigfried von Schroeder, raging ineffectively, didn't care what would happen next Turn and ordered again: "Stop putting on airs over there! I'm above and you're below, don't think you can surpass me again!"
"Valkyrie Fourth's Direct Attack!"
[Kaiba: 3400 → 1800 LP]
Taking another attack, Kaiba still wore that arrogant expression: "No, no, this force is still too light. Are you trying to make me fall asleep with this massage-like intensity?"
While saying that, Kaiba's foot couldn't help but retreat half a step, almost reaching the edge of the Stairs.
The impact simulated by the Virtual Projection System, if used with heavy force, could even send a two-hundred-pound strong man flying. It was just that Kaiba's acting was good enough to fool Zigfried von Schroeder, making him think his attack couldn't cause Kaiba any damage.
"D-Damn it!" His last monster had already attacked, which further bruised Zigfried von Schroeder's already fragile self-esteem. Helplessly, he ended his Battle Phase, and the domain created by Mischief of the Time Goddess also disappeared.
Entering his Main Phase 2, although it wasn't Kaiba's Turn yet, Zigfried von Schroeder had already begun imagining the operations he might perform.
'Damn Kaiba Seto, he actually managed to survive this Turn, even though I used all my resources. Damn it, if I had chosen Graceful Charity instead of Goblin's Secret Remedy earlier, I would have won already!'
'Next Turn, he can't draw a card due to Seal of Time's Effect, but he has one card in his Hand that he drew from Counter Gate earlier. That's the only card he can play.'
'Phew, no, calm down, Zigfried. You are an absolute elite. The noble blood of the Schroeder Family flows through you. Compared to that guy Kaiba Seto, you are more qualified and capable of becoming the winner. You can definitely find a way to victory!'
'Right, that guy Kaiba Seto possesses three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, and although that annoying guy prevented me from watching the Battle City replay, Rayne seemed to mention that Kaiba's 'Blue-Eyes' can Fusion Summon Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, as well as Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon.'
'If that guy draws a card like Dragon Mirror that Fusions Dragon-Type monsters from the Graveyard, he might be able to Summon such a monster. However, one 'Blue-Eyes' has already been banished by me, so the only thing that guy can Fusion Summon is Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon.'
'That's it! As long as I banish one of his 'Blue-Eyes' from the Graveyard like before, that guy will only have one Blue-Eyes White Dragon in his Graveyard!'
Thinking of this, the panic on Zigfried von Schroeder's face disappeared, and he calmed down again: "In my Main Phase 2, I Activate the Effect of Valkyrie First on my Field."
"Once per Turn, Target one monster in your Opponent's Graveyard and banish it. This Turn, this card's original ATK becomes the same value as the original ATK of the monster banished by this Effect." Zigfried von Schroeder's finger pointed at Kaiba. "You must be planning to Summon a 'Blue-Eyes' Fusion Monster next Turn, right?"
"As punishment for being my enemy, I will cut off your hope! I banish the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in your Graveyard!"
Just like in the previous Turn, another soul of Blue-Eyes White Dragon was released from Kaiba's Graveyard. As the phantom of the White Dragon disappeared, Valkyrie First, holding her long sword high, had her ATK increased to 3200 points once again.
Not only that, because the number of banished monsters increased again, the ATK boost provided by Valkyrie Fifth increased once more!
Valkyrie First [ATK 1800 → 3400]
Valkyrie Fourth [ATK 1600 → 1800]
Valkyrie Fifth [ATK 1000 → 1200]
Valkyrie Sixth [200/2000 → 400/2000]
"My Turn ends here, and because 'Ride of the Valkyries' was activated last Turn, it cannot affect the 'Valkyries' that exist in this Turn." Zigfried von Schroeder looked at Kaiba triumphantly, with provocation in his voice: "I don't believe you, are you telling me you can defeat me in one Turn?"
Valkyrie First [ATK 3400 → 2000]
Although the ATK boost of Valkyrie First only lasts for one Turn, the ATK boost provided by Valkyrie Fifth can remain. And Zigfried von Schroeder's current Life Points are 3400 points.
This means that even if Kaiba Summons a monster next Turn and attacks the Valkyrie with the lowest ATK, Valkyrie Fifth, he would need an ATK of a full 4600 points to defeat Zigfried von Schroeder.
And as long as the next Turn arrives, the 'Time Capsule' Zigfried von Schroeder activated earlier will be ready to open. He stored a card called 'Valkyrie's Embrace' in it. That card has an Effect that allows him to banish one of the opponent's monsters without targeting, simply by changing one 'Valkyrie' monster to face-up Defense Position. He can easily remove any monster Kaiba Summons.
Then, it's another Direct Attack from his 'Valkyrie' monsters.
This is a guaranteed victory, how can I lose?
And Kaiba, listening to Zigfried von Schroeder's provocation, replied with a cold laugh: "I say, you idiot, you don't think banishing my 'Blue-Eyes' can stop my Summoning, do you?"
"My Turn, because of Seal of Time's Effect, I cannot draw a card this Turn." Pressing the activate Set card button, the last Set card on Kaiba's Spell/Trap Zone opened, and at the same time, he opened his palm towards the sky. "But the last piece of the puzzle leading to my victory was sent to my Hand by you personally in the previous Turn!"
"Quick-Play Spell Card Burial from a Different Dimension, return my two banished 'Blue-Eyes' to my Graveyard."
"What?!"
Under Zigfried von Schroeder's surprised gaze, the two banished Blue-Eyes White Dragons from before reappeared from the void under the Effect of Burial from a Different Dimension. After affectionately nuzzling the cold-faced Kaiba, the phantoms of the two Blue-Eyes White Dragons returned to the Graveyard.
"Even with the gap in space and time, as long as I wish, the connection between me and 'Blue-Eyes' will never be severed." Kaiba was expressionless, his hand seemingly carelessly touching the spot where 'Blue-Eyes' had just nuzzled him, and he flipped over the card in his Hand. "As my soul, my bond, my ace, 'Blue-Eyes' will always come to my Hand!"
"Quick-Play Spell Card Ultimate Fusion! Choose Fusion Monster materials from my Hand, Field, or Graveyard and return them to the Deck, then Fusion Summon one Fusion Monster that lists Blue-Eyes White Dragon or Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon as Fusion Material!" Kaiba reached out and took out all three sleeping Blue-Eyes White Dragons from the Graveyard.
The one sent to the Graveyard when Lord of D. was Special Summoned;
The one sent to the Graveyard when Lord of D. Special Summoned Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon;
The one Special Summoned after Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon returned to the Deck, which was destroyed simultaneously with Valkyrie Brunhilde.
The cards of the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons were returned to Kaiba's Deck, but the figures of the three 'Blue-Eyes' all appeared on Kaiba's Field, surrounding Kaiba. The 'Blue-Eyes', which symbolize "power" in Duel Monsters, were now performing "guard duty".
Surrounded by 'Blue-Eyes', Kaiba slammed a card onto his Duel Disk and shouted loudly: "Let me show you the strongest, most ultimate dragon in history, transcending the boundaries of time and space,"
"Let the form of the evolved strongest dragon be burned into the depths of your eyes!"
"Fusion Summon! Descend, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!!"
"Resilient, invincible, strongest!!!"
In the dazzling radiance, the power of the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons converged into one. Kaiba Seto's absolute ace, the ultimate dragon he trusted even more than the 'Gods', descends here!
Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon [ATK 4500]
"ATK, 4500?!"
Zigfried von Schroeder's eyes widened, almost breathless from the oppressive aura of the majestic Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
Because of the Effect of Burial from a Different Dimension, the banished Blue-Eyes White Dragon returned to Kaiba's Graveyard, and the ATK boost provided by Valkyrie Fifth disappeared. So if Kaiba were to attack Valkyrie Fifth now, an ATK of just 4200 points would be enough to defeat Zigfried von Schroeder.
But under Zigfried von Schroeder's surprised gaze, Kaiba ordered: "Enter my Battle Phase! I will use Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to Attack Valkyrie First!"
"What!?" Zigfried von Schroeder was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Kaiba Seto, you idiot! You could easily defeat me by just attacking Valkyrie Fifth, are you trying to defeat the strongest monster with the strongest monster?"
"Idiot! Fool! How can you have such a level of boring pride in such a trivial matter! In that case, I'll gladly accept the victory!"
"Even if Valkyrie First with 1600 ATK is destroyed by you, the Damage dealt to me will only be 2900 points. Fortunately, I chose Goblin's Secret Remedy last Turn!"
"Victory still belongs to me, Zigfried von Schroeder!"
Looking at the triumphant Zigfried von Schroeder, Kaiba said smugly: "Is that so? That's truly bad."
"I forgot to remind you, after gathering the power of three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon doesn't just gain an ATK boost. It will also gain the ability to attack three times during each Battle Phase!"
Watching Zigfried von Schroeder's face suddenly froze, the triumph in his eyes instantly turned into despair, Kaiba laughed even more wildly.
Oh no, this feeling... was Hayato that happy every time?
*Cough cough*, I was just trying to put myself in his shoes, adopting Hayato Kobayashi's way of thinking to find a way to defeat him, yes.
Although his inner thoughts were quite active, Kaiba's expression remained as perfect as ever. Waving his hand forward, Kaiba, like a Reaper, delivered his judgment: "Alright, the game is over. Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, burn that guy to ashes!"
"Hyper-Neutron-Blast!!"
"Crush! Shatter! Great Applause!!!"
The strongest dragon that transcends limits, a three-hit combo that transcends limits. First Valkyrie First, then Valkyrie Fourth, and finally Valkyrie Fifth. Three beams of white breath of light swallowed and annihilated the 'Valkyrie' monsters in Attack Position on Zigfried von Schroeder's Field one by one.
Although in Duel Monsters, the duel ends once Life Points reach 0, if the actions are fast enough, it's not impossible to complete a three-hit combo before the duel ends.
Under three consecutive attacks of up to 4500 ATK, Zigfried von Schroeder was directly sent flying by the intense impact, defeated with unwillingness and fear.
[Zigfried von Schroeder: 3400 LP → 500 LP → 0 → 0]
"Boom!!!"
"H-How could this be?!"
Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Valkyrie Brunhilde attacked each other. With equal ATK, the two directly destroyed each other. The gale stirred up by the impact blew Kaiba's trench coat, causing Zigfried von Schroeder to involuntarily take half a step back.
Looking at the bewildered Zigfried von Schroeder, Kaiba explained, "Although its ATK is only 1200 points, my Deck doesn't contain any useless monsters."
"Lord of D.'s third Effect is that as long as a 'Blue-Eyes' monster exists on my Field, the Attack Target of your monster is no longer decided by you, but by me!"
"It's just one monster, how can it have so many Effects? Can that many Effects even fit on a card?!"
Zigfried von Schroeder couldn't suppress his rant, saying through gritted teeth, "But now there shouldn't be any 'Blue-Eyes' on your Field, which means the command of the next attack has returned to my Hand."
Valkyrie First [ATK 3200]
Valkyrie Fourth [ATK 1600]
Valkyrie Fifth [ATK 1000]
Valkyrie Sixth [DEF 2000]
On Zigfried von Schroeder's Field, there were still Valkyrie Fourth and Valkyrie Fifth who hadn't attacked. Although they no longer had the ability to reduce Kaiba's Life Points to zero, they were more than enough to destroy the Lord of D. with only 1200 ATK.
"Attack! But this time, I'll use Valkyrie Fourth to destroy that Lord of D. first!"
Although Lord of D. resisted fiercely—attempting to block the slash with a limited edition The Flute of Summoning Dragon—Valkyrie Fourth's ATK was ultimately higher. It was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, dealing damage to Kaiba for the first time in this duel.
[Kaiba: 4000 → 3600 LP]
With this, all monsters on Kaiba's Field were also destroyed.
"Finally, with this, all the troublesome monsters have been completely destroyed!" Zigfried von Schroeder laughed triumphantly. "Next is a Direct Attack! Valkyrie Fifth, Direct Attack the opponent!"
Facing Valkyrie Fifth charging forward with her mount, Kaiba, whose Life Points had just been reduced by four hundred points, frowned. His eyes glanced at a Set card in his Spell/Trap Zone. After a slight hesitation, he did not activate that card.
Generally speaking, in Duel Monsters, unless there's a specific need like 'Try Your Luck', one should try to preserve their Life Points as much as possible to avoid unnecessary damage. If Kaiba activated the Set card in his Spell/Trap Zone now, he could perfectly block the damage from Valkyrie Fifth.
However, Kaiba's intuition as a Duelist told him that now was not the best time to use this card. Although there was no basis for it, the last card in Zigfried von Schroeder's Hand gave Kaiba a subtle threat. If it was a 'Valkyrie' Deck, perhaps that card was Mischief of the Time Goddess, which had appeared in a duel against Yugi before.
If it really was that card, Kaiba had to endure.
"Yaaah!" Shouting like a certain white-haired Uncle, Valkyrie Fifth thrust out the long sword in her hand without obstruction.
[Kaiba: 3600 → 2600 LP]
"Heh heh, ha ha ha ha, how about that, Kaiba Seto? Now my Life Points are higher than yours." Zigfried von Schroeder watched Kaiba take half a step back after being struck by Valkyrie Fifth and laughed triumphantly. "Have you seen my strength?!"
With a cold face, Kaiba straightened up and returned to his original position, glancing at the Stairs behind him.
The location where he and Zigfried von Schroeder were dueling was not a proper flat Duel Platform, but on a series of Stairs. Zigfried von Schroeder, standing higher up, was fine; even if he received some impact, he would only retreat slightly, and even if he fell, he would just fall onto the Stairs.
But for Kaiba below, if the distance he was pushed back was too far beyond the Stairs, Kaiba would fall. If he was lucky, it would just be a sprain or bruise; if he was unlucky and hit something while falling, a fracture would be considered light.
However, despite this, Kaiba remained calm, casually patting his abdomen where Valkyrie Fifth's long sword had just struck: "Your so-called 'power', couldn't possibly be this attack that doesn't even count as a massage, could it? I almost fell asleep from how comfortable it was."
"It's just a shame that my 20,000 Yen shirt got dirty from your monster's attack."
Hearing Kaiba's words, Zigfried von Schroeder said through gritted teeth, "Why are you always so arrogant?"
"Hmph, could it be that you think my attack ends here, and you've survived this Turn, which is why you're so calm, Kaiba Seto?" Zigfried von Schroeder drew the last card from his Hand. "Weak, weak, weak, weak! Since I said I would finish you this Turn, I naturally have a winning plan!"
"The strongest power in the 'Valkyrie' Deck will be unleashed here! Open your eyes wide and watch, Kaiba Seto!"
"Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card Mischief of the Time Goddess!"
As Zigfried von Schroeder inserted the card from his Hand into the Spell & Trap Zone of his Duel Disk, an invisible power expanded outwards from his Duel Disk, enveloping both Kaiba and Zigfried von Schroeder in an instant.
The mysterious time power began to activate. Centered around the card Mischief of the Time Goddess, everything within the expanded domain began to leap rapidly into the future!
Kaiba's eyes widened.
'This feeling... was this the level of power Yugi was fighting against back then?'
'My fingers, my eyes, everything... no, my entire body is unable to move!'
During the time Zigfried von Schroeder used the alias "Zigfried von Schroeder", he always used Mischief of the Time Goddess as a means to end duels. Because to those not dueling him, the duel ended in an instant, his information was always kept well hidden.
It wasn't until the Main Tournament of the KC Cup that "Zigfried von Schroeder" faced Mutou Yuugi. Against the continuous attacks of Mischief of the Time Goddess, Yugi perfectly endured and counterattacked, winning the duel and exposing the data of the card Mischief of the Time Goddess to Kaiba's eyes.
Although the data on the card face of Mischief of the Time Goddess seemed simple, merely stating "Skip to your next Battle Phase", it actually implied the ability to prevent the opponent Duelist from counterattacking after activation. Unlike 'Super Polymerization', which cannot be chained to, Mischief of the Time Goddess can do this because the Effect that activates makes it impossible for the opponent to react to the activation of this card. If they can't even activate a Set card, naturally they cannot defend.
It's like having a domain twenty meters in diameter that calls forth a gale and torrential rain at the slightest disturbance, yet still being unable to block an attack made by an enemy with time-stopping ability in stopped time.
Zigfried von Schroeder's triumphant voice reached Kaiba's ears: "This is the end, Kaiba Seto. As expected, the final winner is me, Zigfried von Schroeder! Having defeated you, I will stand at the peak forever!"
"Honor, victory, radiance, and pride! I, who have been defeated by you time and time again, will prove myself through this victory and reclaim everything that rightfully belongs to me!"
"First, Valkyrie Fifth's attack!"
[Kaiba: 2600 → 1600 LP]
1000 points of Battle Damage fell upon Kaiba, but within the space created by Mischief of the Time Goddess, even after his Life Points were reduced to only 1600 points, Kaiba still couldn't make any reaction.
Seeing this, Zigfried von Schroeder's expression became even more triumphant: "Indeed, not everyone can be like that Mutou Yuugi. This world still belongs to me alone."
"Even with your Life Points reduced to this extent, you can't react. Kaiba Seto, your doomsday has arrived!"
Glancing past Kaiba, Zigfried von Schroeder looked at the Stairs behind him, revealing a sinister smile.
"Although this duel, according to those guys, doesn't count as a Dark Game, it's only natural that you would take a step back due to the impact force of the Virtual Projection System after taking such damage."
"And then, Kaiba Seto, the inventor of the Virtual Projection System, will fall to his death due to the simulated impact force from the Virtual Projection System installed on his own Duel Disk. It's a perfect comedy!"
Zigfried von Schroeder's finger pointed far at Kaiba: "Then this is the final blow! Valkyrie First's Direct Attack!"
"Die, Kaiba Seto!"
Valkyrie First knew very well what the order given by her Master meant. This single strike of hers would reduce the remaining Life Points of the person named Kaiba Seto to zero, and the accumulated damage would instantly erupt.
However, no matter how unwilling she was, due to the rules of Duel Monsters, Valkyrie First still charged on her war horse, thrusting the final sword strike at Kaiba.
Zigfried von Schroeder imagined the scene of Kaiba wailing, and couldn't help but close his eyes in excitement, eagerly listening for the sound that was about to come.
However, what reached his ears was—
"Clang!!"
Zigfried von Schroeder's eyes snapped open. No matter how he listened, this sound didn't sound like something a person could make; instead, it sounded more like metal hitting metal!
And Valkyrie First, too, looked with surprise at the shield that had suddenly appeared before the long sword she had thrust out.
Under Zigfried von Schroeder's horrified gaze, Kaiba's finger moved away from the activate Set card button on his Duel Disk.
"Hmph, you seem to think I'm inferior to that guy Yugi? You really underestimate me, Zigfried von Schroeder." Kaiba, with a cold face and a commanding presence, spoke as if he wasn't the one with only 1600 Life Points, but Zigfried von Schroeder. "Although it wasn't very useful against that guy Hayato Kobayashi, it's more than enough against a fourth-rate Duelist like you."
"The Set card I activated is Absorption Shield!"
Valkyrie First's ATK had once soared to a full 3200 points in the previous Turn because she absorbed the power of Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Although her ATK returned to its original ATK of 1600 points now due to Mischief of the Time Goddess, it was increased by 200 points due to Valkyrie Fifth's boost, making her current ATK 1800 points.
But now, as the shield that blocked Valkyrie First's attack turned into an energy body and surged into Kaiba's body, her 1800 points of ATK were completely converted into nourishment for Kaiba.
[Kaiba: 1600 → 3400 LP]
"My Life Points... recovered?!" Zigfried von Schroeder's eyes widened. "Damn you, Kaiba Seto!"
"Hmph, in that case, both sides' Life Points have returned to the same level." Kaiba sneered. "Are you triumphant because you thought you had a world all to yourself, and then got angry and felt your world was invaded like finding the scent of a second person in your bed?"
"Your capacity is only this much, Zigfried von Schroeder!"
"Kaiba Seto!"
Zigfried von Schroeder, raging ineffectively, didn't care what would happen next Turn and ordered again: "Stop putting on airs over there! I'm above and you're below, don't think you can surpass me again!"
"Valkyrie Fourth's Direct Attack!"
[Kaiba: 3400 → 1800 LP]
Taking another attack, Kaiba still wore that arrogant expression: "No, no, this force is still too light. Are you trying to make me fall asleep with this massage-like intensity?"
While saying that, Kaiba's foot couldn't help but retreat half a step, almost reaching the edge of the Stairs.
The impact simulated by the Virtual Projection System, if used with heavy force, could even send a two-hundred-pound strong man flying. It was just that Kaiba's acting was good enough to fool Zigfried von Schroeder, making him think his attack couldn't cause Kaiba any damage.
"D-Damn it!" His last monster had already attacked, which further bruised Zigfried von Schroeder's already fragile self-esteem. Helplessly, he ended his Battle Phase, and the domain created by Mischief of the Time Goddess also disappeared.
Entering his Main Phase 2, although it wasn't Kaiba's Turn yet, Zigfried von Schroeder had already begun imagining the operations he might perform.
'Damn Kaiba Seto, he actually managed to survive this Turn, even though I used all my resources. Damn it, if I had chosen Graceful Charity instead of Goblin's Secret Remedy earlier, I would have won already!'
'Next Turn, he can't draw a card due to Seal of Time's Effect, but he has one card in his Hand that he drew from Counter Gate earlier. That's the only card he can play.'
'Phew, no, calm down, Zigfried. You are an absolute elite. The noble blood of the Schroeder Family flows through you. Compared to that guy Kaiba Seto, you are more qualified and capable of becoming the winner. You can definitely find a way to victory!'
'Right, that guy Kaiba Seto possesses three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, and although that annoying guy prevented me from watching the Battle City replay, Rayne seemed to mention that Kaiba's 'Blue-Eyes' can Fusion Summon Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, as well as Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon.'
'If that guy draws a card like Dragon Mirror that Fusions Dragon-Type monsters from the Graveyard, he might be able to Summon such a monster. However, one 'Blue-Eyes' has already been banished by me, so the only thing that guy can Fusion Summon is Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon.'
'That's it! As long as I banish one of his 'Blue-Eyes' from the Graveyard like before, that guy will only have one Blue-Eyes White Dragon in his Graveyard!'
Thinking of this, the panic on Zigfried von Schroeder's face disappeared, and he calmed down again: "In my Main Phase 2, I Activate the Effect of Valkyrie First on my Field."
"Once per Turn, Target one monster in your Opponent's Graveyard and banish it. This Turn, this card's original ATK becomes the same value as the original ATK of the monster banished by this Effect." Zigfried von Schroeder's finger pointed at Kaiba. "You must be planning to Summon a 'Blue-Eyes' Fusion Monster next Turn, right?"
"As punishment for being my enemy, I will cut off your hope! I banish the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in your Graveyard!"
Just like in the previous Turn, another soul of Blue-Eyes White Dragon was released from Kaiba's Graveyard. As the phantom of the White Dragon disappeared, Valkyrie First, holding her long sword high, had her ATK increased to 3200 points once again.
Not only that, because the number of banished monsters increased again, the ATK boost provided by Valkyrie Fifth increased once more!
Valkyrie First [ATK 1800 → 3400]
Valkyrie Fourth [ATK 1600 → 1800]
Valkyrie Fifth [ATK 1000 → 1200]
Valkyrie Sixth [200/2000 → 400/2000]
"My Turn ends here, and because 'Ride of the Valkyries' was activated last Turn, it cannot affect the 'Valkyries' that exist in this Turn." Zigfried von Schroeder looked at Kaiba triumphantly, with provocation in his voice: "I don't believe you, are you telling me you can defeat me in one Turn?"
Valkyrie First [ATK 3400 → 2000]
Although the ATK boost of Valkyrie First only lasts for one Turn, the ATK boost provided by Valkyrie Fifth can remain. And Zigfried von Schroeder's current Life Points are 3400 points.
This means that even if Kaiba Summons a monster next Turn and attacks the Valkyrie with the lowest ATK, Valkyrie Fifth, he would need an ATK of a full 4600 points to defeat Zigfried von Schroeder.
And as long as the next Turn arrives, the 'Time Capsule' Zigfried von Schroeder activated earlier will be ready to open. He stored a card called 'Valkyrie's Embrace' in it. That card has an Effect that allows him to banish one of the opponent's monsters without targeting, simply by changing one 'Valkyrie' monster to face-up Defense Position. He can easily remove any monster Kaiba Summons.
Then, it's another Direct Attack from his 'Valkyrie' monsters.
This is a guaranteed victory, how can I lose?
And Kaiba, listening to Zigfried von Schroeder's provocation, replied with a cold laugh: "I say, you idiot, you don't think banishing my 'Blue-Eyes' can stop my Summoning, do you?"
"My Turn, because of Seal of Time's Effect, I cannot draw a card this Turn." Pressing the activate Set card button, the last Set card on Kaiba's Spell/Trap Zone opened, and at the same time, he opened his palm towards the sky. "But the last piece of the puzzle leading to my victory was sent to my Hand by you personally in the previous Turn!"
"Quick-Play Spell Card Burial from a Different Dimension, return my two banished 'Blue-Eyes' to my Graveyard."
"What?!"
Under Zigfried von Schroeder's surprised gaze, the two banished Blue-Eyes White Dragons from before reappeared from the void under the Effect of Burial from a Different Dimension. After affectionately nuzzling the cold-faced Kaiba, the phantoms of the two Blue-Eyes White Dragons returned to the Graveyard.
"Even with the gap in space and time, as long as I wish, the connection between me and 'Blue-Eyes' will never be severed." Kaiba was expressionless, his hand seemingly carelessly touching the spot where 'Blue-Eyes' had just nuzzled him, and he flipped over the card in his Hand. "As my soul, my bond, my ace, 'Blue-Eyes' will always come to my Hand!"
"Quick-Play Spell Card Ultimate Fusion! Choose Fusion Monster materials from my Hand, Field, or Graveyard and return them to the Deck, then Fusion Summon one Fusion Monster that lists Blue-Eyes White Dragon or Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon as Fusion Material!" Kaiba reached out and took out all three sleeping Blue-Eyes White Dragons from the Graveyard.
The one sent to the Graveyard when Lord of D. was Special Summoned;
The one sent to the Graveyard when Lord of D. Special Summoned Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon;
The one Special Summoned after Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon returned to the Deck, which was destroyed simultaneously with Valkyrie Brunhilde.
The cards of the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons were returned to Kaiba's Deck, but the figures of the three 'Blue-Eyes' all appeared on Kaiba's Field, surrounding Kaiba. The 'Blue-Eyes', which symbolize "power" in Duel Monsters, were now performing "guard duty".
Surrounded by 'Blue-Eyes', Kaiba slammed a card onto his Duel Disk and shouted loudly: "Let me show you the strongest, most ultimate dragon in history, transcending the boundaries of time and space,"
"Let the form of the evolved strongest dragon be burned into the depths of your eyes!"
"Fusion Summon! Descend, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!!"
"Resilient, invincible, strongest!!!"
In the dazzling radiance, the power of the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons converged into one. Kaiba Seto's absolute ace, the ultimate dragon he trusted even more than the 'Gods', descends here!
Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon [ATK 4500]
"ATK, 4500?!"
Zigfried von Schroeder's eyes widened, almost breathless from the oppressive aura of the majestic Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
Because of the Effect of Burial from a Different Dimension, the banished Blue-Eyes White Dragon returned to Kaiba's Graveyard, and the ATK boost provided by Valkyrie Fifth disappeared. So if Kaiba were to attack Valkyrie Fifth now, an ATK of just 4200 points would be enough to defeat Zigfried von Schroeder.
But under Zigfried von Schroeder's surprised gaze, Kaiba ordered: "Enter my Battle Phase! I will use Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to Attack Valkyrie First!"
"What!?" Zigfried von Schroeder was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Kaiba Seto, you idiot! You could easily defeat me by just attacking Valkyrie Fifth, are you trying to defeat the strongest monster with the strongest monster?"
"Idiot! Fool! How can you have such a level of boring pride in such a trivial matter! In that case, I'll gladly accept the victory!"
"Even if Valkyrie First with 1600 ATK is destroyed by you, the Damage dealt to me will only be 2900 points. Fortunately, I chose Goblin's Secret Remedy last Turn!"
"Victory still belongs to me, Zigfried von Schroeder!"
Looking at the triumphant Zigfried von Schroeder, Kaiba said smugly: "Is that so? That's truly bad."
"I forgot to remind you, after gathering the power of three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon doesn't just gain an ATK boost. It will also gain the ability to attack three times during each Battle Phase!"
Watching Zigfried von Schroeder's face suddenly froze, the triumph in his eyes instantly turned into despair, Kaiba laughed even more wildly.
Oh no, this feeling... was Hayato that happy every time?
*Cough cough*, I was just trying to put myself in his shoes, adopting Hayato Kobayashi's way of thinking to find a way to defeat him, yes.
Although his inner thoughts were quite active, Kaiba's expression remained as perfect as ever. Waving his hand forward, Kaiba, like a Reaper, delivered his judgment: "Alright, the game is over. Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, burn that guy to ashes!"
"Hyper-Neutron-Blast!!"
"Crush! Shatter! Great Applause!!!"
The strongest dragon that transcends limits, a three-hit combo that transcends limits. First Valkyrie First, then Valkyrie Fourth, and finally Valkyrie Fifth. Three beams of white breath of light swallowed and annihilated the 'Valkyrie' monsters in Attack Position on Zigfried von Schroeder's Field one by one.
Although in Duel Monsters, the duel ends once Life Points reach 0, if the actions are fast enough, it's not impossible to complete a three-hit combo before the duel ends.
Under three consecutive attacks of up to 4500 ATK, Zigfried von Schroeder was directly sent flying by the intense impact, defeated with unwillingness and fear.
[Zigfried von Schroeder: 3400 LP → 500 LP → 0 → 0]
