Chapter 486: Your Dragonmaid Brings Little Blue, My Drytron Brings the Boss Monster
[Drytron Gamma Eligius] [Level 1☆/LIGHT]
[Machine-Type/Special Summon/Effect]
[2000/0]
"Level 1, yet it has a whopping 2000 ATK, and it can be Special Summoned from hand!?" Kobayashi Hiroyuki frowned. "What kind of card did someone stomp out with their feet?"
"It's not that bad, it's just 2000 ATK. And I need to correct something, it's not 'can', it's 'can only'," Hayato said, spreading his hand. "In this [Drytron] Deck, all the lower-level monsters are Level 1☆, LIGHT attribute, Machine-Type monsters with 2000 ATK and 0 DEF that cannot be Normal Summoned. Their Special Summon requires Tributing another [Drytron] monster."
"Furthermore, during the turn a [Drytron] monster is Special Summoned by its own effect, other monsters cannot be Special Summoned unless they are monsters that cannot be Normal Summoned."
Hearing Hayato say that, Kobayashi Hiroyuki reluctantly nodded. "I remember that's the so-called 'restriction' effect, right? In that case, it's barely acceptable."
"However, it's impossible to defeat Dragonmaid Sheou with just this one monster. A Duel Monsters Deck is like a sports car; even if you have the resolve to step on the accelerator and the courage to grip the steering wheel, you cannot surpass the inherent limitations of the vehicle itself."
Hayato smiled. "In that case, how about you say that after you've seen the limit of my Deck?"
"Drytron Gamma Eligius's own effect allows me to Special Summon another Drytron monster with 2000 ATK from my Graveyard, other than Drytron Gamma Eligius, after it's Special Summoned. I choose Drytron Beta Rastaban, which was Tributed and sent to the Graveyard earlier."
Beside Drytron Gamma Eligius on Hayato's Field, another starlight phantom solidified from nothingness, taking on the free Gundam-like stance of another limit dragon, Drytron Beta Rastaban. Its crystal wings spread behind it, and the cannon blast device mounted on its wrist aimed at Dragonmaid Sheou.
[Drytron Beta Rastaban] [ATK 2000]
"Next, the effect of Drytron Alpha Thuban in the Graveyard activates. By Tributing Drytron Gamma Eligius, Drytron Alpha Thuban is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, and I add a Ritual Monster from my Deck to my Hand."
"Do you activate a Set Card?" Hayato asked, taking the card that Drytron Alpha Thuban, which had manifested on the Field after Tributing Drytron Gamma Eligius, had searched from the Deck for him. He glanced at the three Set Cards in Kobayashi Hiroyuki's Spell/Trap Zone and confirmed.
Although the negate from Dragonmaid Hestia had been successfully baited out by Cyber Emergency earlier, he hadn't forgotten the other three Set Cards. He also hadn't drawn Harpie's Feather Duster this turn, so he could only use this somewhat foolish method to probe the trap type.
His opening hand was decent; he drew two Drytron monsters and Cyber Emergency. The card he drew was the Drytron Deck's Ritual Spell Card, Meteonis Drytron. Although he didn't draw the accompanying Ritual Monster, he could directly search for it with Drytron Alpha Thuban's effect.
However, to guard against Dragonmaid Hestia's effect, Hayato didn't immediately Special Summon Drytron Alpha Thuban and wait to be negated. Instead, he used Cyber Emergency to bait it out, and he successfully did so, managing to turn the troublesome Dragonmaid Hestia into Dragonmaid Sheou.
Although Hayato still hadn't managed to figure out what those three Set Cards were, he couldn't worry about it too much for now.
Hesitating and shrinking back due to excessive vigilance, thus losing the opportune attack timing, was not Hayato's style.
Looking at the Ritual Monster added to his Hand, Hayato decisively activated the card. "I activate the Ritual Spell Card Meteonis Drytron! Drytron Alpha Thuban and Drytron Beta Rastaban, I will use them as Tributes!"
"Using two Level 1 monsters as Tributes for a Ritual Summon? 1+1 doesn't equal 2?" Kobayashi Hiroyuki was momentarily stunned. After calculating the Total Star Level of the two monsters, he said contemptuously, "A Level 2 Ritual Monster, isn't that just a small fry?"
Although he hadn't studied Ritual Summon Decks much, he had dueled against Duelists who used Ritual Summoning in London and had a basic understanding of the Ritual Summon rules.
The three necessary elements are the Ritual Monster, the corresponding Ritual Spell Card, and Tributes whose Star Level Total is equal to or greater than the Ritual Monster's Star Level.
He didn't believe from the bottom of his heart that two Level 1 monsters could Ritual Summon any powerful monster.
But while Kobayashi Hiroyuki was harboring such thoughts, he saw the phantom of a colossal creature appear behind Hayato as Drytron Beta Rastaban and Drytron Alpha Thuban decomposed into stardust.
"That thing...!?"
"O Stars shining in Space, release your eternal radiance and become the signpost illuminating the future!"
Hayato raised the card in his Hand high. The stardust formed by Drytron Alpha Thuban and Drytron Beta Rastaban gathered towards the card, causing it to be completely enveloped in light. Hayato slammed it onto his Duel Disk. "Ritual Summon, Descent! Wagatama Soul!"
"LV.MAX! Drytron Meteonis Draconids!"
The Pitch-black space formed the matte black body, pure white light constructed the armor for the limbs, torso, and head, nested upon the main body. The Cyber Dragon Constellation hidden in the sky erupted with dazzling starlight, transforming into bright yellow meteors that landed on various parts of the machine giant dragon's armor.
Ice-blue mechanical claws extended, and the machine giant dragon from the Starry Sky opened its orange-red eyes. Sextant-like structures opened on its armor, and light blue light wings spread out. The ultimate Ritual Monster, like a deity, had descended!
[Drytron Meteonis Draconids] [Level 12☆/LIGHT]
[Machine-Type/Ritual/Effect]
[4000/4000]
"Level 12☆? Something is definitely wrong!" Kobayashi Hiroyuki couldn't understand. "1+1 clearly equals 2, you have a whole extra digit for 12, what kind of nonsensical calculation is this!"
"As everyone knows, Kitten plus Puppy can turn into an invincible Gundam. 1☆ + 1☆ = 12☆, I think it's very reasonable."
Hayato made a joke before explaining, "Drytron, to some extent, can be said to be a power that doesn't belong to this World. Originating from the Cyber Dragon Constellation in the sky, it's different from conventional Duel Monsters in every aspect."
"Not only can all the lower-level monsters not be Normal Summoned, but the High-Level Ritual Monsters of Drytron—[Drytron Ritual Monsters]—are Ritual Summoned based not on the Star Level of the Tributes, but on the Total ATK of the Ritual Monsters."
As Hayato said this, Kobayashi Hiroyuki also noticed that the Drytron Meteonis Draconids he had just Summoned had exactly 4000 ATK, which was the Total ATK of Drytron Beta Rastaban and Drytron Alpha Thuban, the two monsters with 2000 ATK each that were used as Ritual Tributes.
"When Drytron Meteonis Draconids is successfully Ritual Summoned, and the Total Star Level of the Tributes used is Level 2 or less, its effect activates," Hayato pointed to the three Set Cards in Kobayashi Hiroyuki's Spell/Trap Zone. "Although I didn't draw a Field Clear Card, Clearing the Field with a Monster Effect is the same."
"Destroy all Spell/Trap Cards on the Opponent's Field!"
"Nani?!"
"It has such a powerful effect along with 4000 ATK?" Kobayashi Hiroyuki frowned. "Clear my Spell/Trap Zone, and then you can attack me without any restraints, right?"
"Noroi Noroi! This situation was already within my, Kobayashi Hiroyuki's, consideration! I set a Breakthrough Skill in my Spell/Trap Zone earlier, which can negate a Monster Effect! You won't get away with using that monster to destroy the cards in my Spell/Trap Zone!"
As he spoke, Kobayashi Hiroyuki pressed the activate Set Card button proudly, but to his surprise, he couldn't activate the Set Breakthrough Skill no matter what he did!?
"Hoh? Not trying to escape, but attempting to approach my Drytron Meteonis Draconids? Weak, weak! How can a soul bound by gravity understand the greatness of the Stars?"
"The Drytron Meteonis Draconids on the Field has the ability to cannot be targeted by the Opponent's Spell/Trap Card Effects. For a true Duelist, it's non-targeting! Your Dragonmaid purity is too low!"
"Now, Destroy all of the Opponent's Spell/Trap Cards, Drytron Meteonis Draconids!"
"Stellaaaaa!!"
Drytron Meteonis Draconids, named after the "Quadrantid Meteor Shower," raised one hand high. The bright yellow gems on its body radiated light, and all the energy in its body converged into its hand. Then, Drytron Meteonis Draconids threw the energy ball in its hand.
The energy ball, having escaped control, suddenly burst, transforming into a sky full of projectiles that shot out, aiming directly at the cards in Kobayashi Hiroyuki's Spell/Trap Zone!
"Tsk, it cannot be targeted by Spell/Trap Card Effects? In that case, I activate this card, Dragonmaid Downtime!"
Facing the rain of projectiles, Kobayashi Hiroyuki moved his finger to the other side and flipped another card. As he activated the Set Card, the Dragonmaid Chamber Dragonmaid on his Field disappeared and flew back into his Hand.
"The Continuous Trap Card Dragonmaid Downtime is a Card whose effect can be activated by Targeting one Dragonmaid on my Field. I Return Dragonmaid Chamber Dragonmaid to my Hand, and then I can add a card other than Dragonmaid Downtime from my Deck to my Hand."
Adding a card from his Deck to his Hand and placing it with Dragonmaid Chamber Dragonmaid, Kobayashi Hiroyuki continued, "At the same time, Dragonmaid Sheou, who manages the Dragonmaids, can also activate its effect. When a Face-up Dragon-Type Monster on my Field other than Dragonmaid Sheou returns to the Hand, I can target one of the Opponent's monsters and destroy that monster!"
As Drytron Meteonis Draconids threw the meteor shower, Dragonmaid Sheou, whose effect was triggered by Dragonmaid Chamber Dragonmaid's leaving the Field, also gained several short-handled throwing knives held between its fingers. As the dense rain of light fell on the cards in the Spell/Trap Zone behind Dragonmaid Sheou, it also threw the small knives in its hand.
"Boom!"
"Crack!"
The cards in Kobayashi Hiroyuki's Spell/Trap Zone and Drytron Meteonis Draconids on Hayato's Field were destroyed simultaneously. In the explosion, Hayato also confirmed the last Set Card; it was the invincible Sakuretsu Armor. Clearly, today's Sakuretsu Armor still couldn't be activated.
However, considering the Set Cards, his old man's board-building ability is quite amazing. Not to mention Dragonmaid Hestia's once-per-turn omni-negate, a Continuous Trap Dragonmaid Downtime provides sustainability for recycling and searching, and combined with Dragonmaid Sheou (transformed from Dragonmaid Hestia), it can achieve a targeting monster destruction.
Then there's Sakuretsu Armor to defend against powerful attacks, and Breakthrough Skill to counter monsters with troublesome effects.
Aside from Little Blue failing during the milling, his old man's strength is actually quite good. Maybe "Undefeated in London" wasn't just bragging.
Meanwhile, across from Hayato, Kobayashi Hiroyuki was quite satisfied with this base trade. After all, the three Set Cards he lost, while not a small stakes, were much better than the Drytron Meteonis Draconids that That Kid had struggled to gather Tributes to Summon.
That Kid only has three cards left in his Hand now. There's no way he can get rid of the Dragonmaid Sheou on my Field. Although the ending hasn't arrived yet, no matter how I think about it, the final Victory in this Duel definitely belongs to me, Kobayashi Hiroyuki! That Kid Hayato is still twenty thousand years too early to defeat me!
"Hehehe, hehehe, hehahahahaha—" Kobayashi Hiroyuki's triumphant three-stage laugh suddenly stopped because he saw the figures of two monsters that had appeared before reappear at the location where Drytron Meteonis Draconids was destroyed on Hayato's Field?!
[Drytron Gamma Eligius] [ATK 2000]
[Drytron Alpha Thuban] [ATK 2000]
"Oh dear, oh dear, you're making a very surprised expression, old man," Hayato said proudly. "'Kid Hayato is still twenty thousand years too early to defeat me,' I suppose that's what you were thinking just now after destroying my Drytron Meteonis Draconids?"
"The monsters that were Tributed earlier have been Summoned back, that's your confused thought, right? The answer is the effect of my Drytron Meteonis Draconids." Hayato held the Drytron Meteonis Draconids card in his hand, which hadn't been sent to the Graveyard yet after being destroyed.
"Even if the starlight is temporarily obscured by dust, the Stars still hang in the same position. Even if they are no longer dazzling due to the passage of years, the Stars remain unchanged."
"The Ritual Summoned Drytron Meteonis Draconids's effect can be activated when it is destroyed. Special Summon any number of [Drytron/Drytron Ritual Monster] monsters from my Graveyard, other than Drytron Meteonis Draconids, whose Total ATK is up to 4000."
"Then, I activate the effect of the Ritual Spell Card Meteonis Drytron in my Graveyard. If this card is in the Graveyard, I decrease the ATK of one [Drytron/Drytron Ritual Monster] monster on my Field by 1000 points, and Return Meteonis Drytron from the Graveyard to my Hand."
[Drytron Alpha Thuban] [ATK 2000→1000]
Kobayashi Hiroyuki was also startled when he heard Meteonis Drytron's effect. He hadn't forgotten what Hayato had said about Meteonis Drytron's effect: after gathering the required Tributes from the Hand and Field, it could Special Summon a Ritual Monster from the Hand and Graveyard.
In other words, even though Drytron Meteonis Draconids was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Hayato, having Added Meteonis Drytron to his Hand, could still revive Drytron Meteonis Draconids from the Graveyard as long as he gathered the Tributes!
However, after thinking about it, Kobayashi Hiroyuki relaxed again. "You actually voluntarily decreased the ATK of Drytron Alpha Thuban, which could be used as a Tribute. In that case, you can't gather the required Total 4000 ATK on your Field to Summon Drytron Meteonis Draconids."
Hayato smiled. "No, you forgot one monster."
"The Special Summon of Drytron monsters by their own effect has a once per turn restriction, but there is one monster in my Graveyard that hasn't used its own effect to Special Summon yet."
A light shone in Hayato's Graveyard. The figure of Drytron Alpha Thuban, whose ATK had just been decreased to recycle Meteonis Drytron, disappeared, replaced by the reappearance of Drytron Beta Rastaban!
[Drytron Beta Rastaban] [ATK 2000]
"With this, I have two monsters with 2000 ATK again! I activate the Ritual Spell Card Meteonis Drytron from my Hand!"
"Descend once more, Drytron Meteonis Draconids!"
After Tributing the two Drytron monsters on the Field, Drytron Meteonis Draconids rose from the Graveyard. The revived monster immediately locked onto Dragonmaid Sheou, which had destroyed it with throwing knives earlier. Although it was a machine, it held grudges.
[Drytron Meteonis Draconids] [ATK 4000]
Because the Total Star Level of the Tributes used was 2☆, Drytron Meteonis Draconids still had the ability to destroy all Spell/Trap Cards on the Opponent's Field. However, Kobayashi Hiroyuki's Spell/Trap Zone had already been cleared earlier, so the effect had no meaning to activate.
But now, the effect of Drytron Meteonis Draconids to destroy Spell/Trap Cards was no longer needed. At this moment, its ATK, equal to that of Obelisk the Tormentor, was enough to pose a sufficient threat to Kobayashi Hiroyuki.
"The prelude is just about ready. This Duel will end within this turn. First, let Drytron Meteonis Draconids's attack be the opening!" Hayato raised his hand above his head. "Enter my Battle Phase!"
Hearing this, Kobayashi Hiroyuki glared at Little Blue on his Field.
The lower-level monsters of Dragonmaid each have two effects. One effect can be activated when they are Summoned/Special Summoned, and the other effect is used at the start of either player's Battle Phase.
Little Blue's second effect is that she can Return Dragonmaid Laundry Dragonmaid on the Field to the Hand, and then Special Summon a Level 7 Dragonmaid from the Hand or Graveyard. This effect was originally quite suitable when combined with her first effect—milling the top three cards of the Deck to the Graveyard.
However, because the three cards milled earlier were all Pot of Greed, it directly resulted in Kobayashi Hiroyuki's Graveyard currently only containing Dragonmaid Flamme, the one monster that was sent to the Graveyard as Fusion Material for Dragonmaid Sheou. And unfortunately, its Level was 8☆, completely incompatible with Dragonmaid Laundry Dragonmaid's effect.
All the cards in his Spell/Trap Zone were also broken through. Knowing that his monster would inevitably be destroyed during the Battle Phase, Kobayashi Hiroyuki could only watch helplessly from the side.
To Kobayashi Hiroyuki's surprise, the attack target Hayato chose was not the Dragonmaid Sheou in Attack Position, but rather the Dragonmaid Laundry Dragonmaid in Defense Position.
"Drytron Meteonis Draconids, attack Dragonmaid Laundry Dragonmaid."
"Attacking a monster in Defense Position?" Kobayashi Hiroyuki asked, confused, while staring at Drytron Meteonis Draconids with a questioning gaze. "That monster has already shown three effects, could it possibly also have piercing damage ability?"
"Although there are monsters with so many effects that they can't fit on one card, Drytron Meteonis Draconids isn't that excessive. It cannot inflict damage when attacking a monster in Defense Position." Hayato spread his hands, paused for a moment, then proudly inserted a card from his Hand into the Spell & Trap Zone,
"However, if attacking a monster in Defense Position cannot inflict damage, then I just need to change its battle position to Attack Position."
"Quick-Play Spell Card, Enemy Controller!"
As Hayato activated the card, a game controller appeared before him for inputting instructions, and the controller's cable wrapped around Dragonmaid Laundry Dragonmaid on Kobayashi Hiroyuki's Field.
"Uwaah!" Little Blue, tangled by the wires, cried out in surprise, but she couldn't move at all because she was bound. Her wildly swinging tail even knocked over the clothes she had just managed to tidy up again.
"You're controlling my monster, this annoyed feeling!" Kobayashi Hiroyuki gritted his teeth. "It's like the humiliation and awkwardness of having another person watch you use the Restroom when you're the only one in there!"
"Hehehe, I'll take that as a compliment for now. Then, input the code '←→ Be careful of Winged Dragon', Enemy Controller will change the battle position of Little Blue, who was selected as the attack target for Drytron Meteonis Draconids, from Defense Position to Attack Position!"
Hayato shouted a string of meaningless instructions, but the Little Blue opposite him was indeed changed from Defense Position to Attack Position, and was directly facing Drytron Meteonis Draconids with a towering 4000 ATK!
[Dragonmaid Laundry Dragonmaid] [DEF 1600→ATK 500]
[Drytron Meteonis Draconids] [ATK 4000]
"H-Help! What are you doing with such high ATK!" Little Blue, forced to swing her pink fists at Drytron Meteonis Draconids, cried out for help, her gaze fixed on Kobayashi Hiroyuki. "Help me! Why are you just standing there watching!"
"Masaka, Masaka! Have you really given up on me!"
"Uwaah!!!"
When Drytron Meteonis Draconids attacked Little Blue, it didn't use much strength. It just bent down, extended its mechanical claw, and flicked Little Blue's forehead. However, even though the movement was very light, due to its enormous size, even a mere flick easily sent Little Blue flying, crashing into Kobayashi Hiroyuki!
"Bugah!!" Hit directly in the abdomen by Little Blue's dragon horn, Kobayashi Hiroyuki also fell backward onto the ground, while Little Blue also fainted with spiral eyes and was sent to the Graveyard.
[Kobayashi Hiroyuki: 4000→500 LP]
A whopping 3500 points of Battle Damage. It took Kobayashi Hiroyuki a while to recover, and he said somewhat shamefully, "Ya, Yarou! To treat me, Kobayashi Hiroyuki, like this!"
"However, this is as far as you go! Inflicting 3500 points of Battle Damage on me is your limit!"
Looking at the cards in his Hand, Kobayashi Hiroyuki couldn't help but show a proud smile.
In his Hand, besides Dragonmaid Chamber Dragonmaid which was returned to his Hand by Dragonmaid Downtime's effect earlier, he also had a Dragonmaid Ernus which was also searched from the Deck and added to his Hand by Dragonmaid Downtime.
It's not just the Drytron Ritual Spell Card Meteonis Drytron that can be recycled to the Hand from the Graveyard by its own effect. The Dragonmaid Fusion Card he uses, Dragonmaid Changeover, also has the same effect; it can be recycled by returning a Dragonmaid on the Field to the Hand.
Next turn, he can first Normal Summon Dragonmaid Chamber Dragonmaid to search for a Spell/Trap Card from the Deck, then use Dragonmaid Changeover to Return Dragonmaid Chamber Dragonmaid to the Hand to recycle Dragonmaid Changeover. At the same time, this can trigger Dragonmaid Sheou's effect to destroy Drytron Meteonis Draconids.
Then, using Dragonmaid Changeover, he can use the Dragonmaid Chamber Dragonmaid in his Hand and the Level 8 Dragonmaid Ernus as Fusion Material to Summon Dragonmaid Hestia again.
Victory still belongs to me, Kobayashi Hiroyuki!
Across from Kobayashi Hiroyuki, Hayato also nodded. "Ah, that's true. Drytron Meteonis Draconids is fine for clearing Spell and Trap Cards, but when it comes to inflicting Battle Damage, another Drytron Ritual Monster is stronger."
"Inflicting 3500 points of Battle Damage is indeed the limit of what I can do."
"However, my turn is not over yet. In my Main Phase 2, I will activate this winning card!"
"Continuous Spell Card, Psychic Ectoplasm!"
Watching Hayato insert the card from his Hand into the Spell & Trap Zone, neither Kobayashi Hiroyuki, who hadn't had much contact with this type of stall card, nor Drytron Meteonis Draconids, which was appearing in the Duel Monsters World for the first time and lacked experience, knew the effect of this card. At the same time, they had no understanding of what was about to happen next.
However, Marik, who was watching, sighed helplessly when he saw Psychic Ectoplasm. "This operation, it has that flavor. The same old ending."
Kobayashi Sumire, who wasn't very familiar with Duel Monsters, asked, confused, "What's wrong with that Card, the one called Psychic Ectoplasm?"
"It's not a big problem, according to the person himself, it's something like, 'This is the struggle I make for Victory, I am willing to give up my old friend'," Marik imitated Hayato's tone. "The effect of that Psychic Ectoplasm is—"
"During the End Phase of both players, you must choose one monster on your Field and Tribute it, and inflict damage to the Opponent equal to half the ATK of the Tributed Monster." Hayato's mouth curved into a "painful" expression. "For the final Victory, this is a necessary sacrifice!"
"Force yourself to Tribute a monster on your Field?"
Kobayashi Hiroyuki's gaze fell upon Drytron Meteonis Draconids, which was equally bewildered and hadn't reacted yet. He looked at its ATK value.
[Drytron Meteonis Draconids] [ATK 4000]
"Half of 4000, 2000 points?!" Kobayashi Hiroyuki instantly panicked and shouted at Drytron Meteonis Draconids, "You're not going to self-destruct, are you? Don't do anything rash! Don't come over here!!"
However, no matter how much Kobayashi Hiroyuki and Drytron Meteonis Draconids didn't want to see the scene that was about to unfold, Hayato still firmly declared, "Then, I end my turn."
"And then, Psychic Ectoplasm's effect takes effect, Tributing Drytron Meteonis Draconids on my Field!"
"Sacrifice for the great cause!"
The Star Dragon was detonated with a roar. The shockwave swept Kobayashi Hiroyuki away, leaving him sprawled on the ground with his buttocks sticking up, while Hayato took the opportunity to brush back his bangs, looking completely refreshed.
"It's been a while since I self-destructed so satisfyingly. It feels as refreshing as welcoming the first morning of the New Year wearing brand new underwear."
As he stretched, Hayato noticed that as the Duel ended, the figure of Dragonmaid Sheou, which hadn't been destroyed, gradually disappeared from the Field like a normal Duel Monsters image. However, before disappearing, it still maintained enough spirituality, even giving Hayato a polite bow before retreating back into the Deck loaded in the Duel Disk Kobayashi Hiroyuki was wearing.
Hayato's mouth curved up, revealing an expression of interest.
'As expected, it's a Card Spirit? No wonder it has such spirituality.'
'But looking at old man's reaction, he doesn't seem to see Card Spirits. That's a pity, otherwise the Duel might have been more interesting?'
If the Dragonmaid used by Kobayashi Hiroyuki had a bit more divine draw, for example, if Little Blue hadn't milled all three Pot of Greed but only two, and milled a random Level 7 Dragonmaid instead, then there might have been some other variables in this Duel.
"Kuriboh?" The voice of Rainbow Kuriboh sounded in his ear. Hayato lowered his head to look at the last card in his Hand. Rainbow Kuriboh poked its head out from the card it resided in, asking Hayato what he was thinking about.
"Nothing much, just suddenly remembered something." Hayato rubbed Rainbow Kuriboh's soft head with his finger and looked at Kobayashi Hiroyuki's Deck as he sat up from the ground. "Old man isn't the only Duelist who has awakened a Card Spirit but can't see its ability, but I still need to make a necessary confirmation."
"Old man, can I check your Deck?"
# Chapter 487: I Got a Magical Treasu... Dragonmaid!
"Little Green, Big Green, Little Red, Big Red, Little Pink, Big Pink, and Little Black who still doesn't have a Big Black." Hayato held a stack of cards in his hand, quickly flipping through them one by one. However, when he saw three copies of the same card together, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Do you believe in blind Milling?"
"I really admire the first person to run three copies of **Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon** in their Deck, because they might Mill all three **Instant Fusions**."
"Little Red, wait until I Mill the Trap Card, then I'll use my second Effect to Special Summon you."
Hayato heard chanting that was almost etched into his DNA, yet slightly off. Turning his head, he saw that it was indeed the **Ojama** brothers who had popped out again.
Among all of Hayato's Card Spirits, the **Ojama** brothers, including **Ojama Yellow**, were arguably the weakest, but when it came to causing chaos and being entertaining, they were undoubtedly the strongest.
And the reason for their antics was none other than the full three copies of **Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon**, that Hayato had found in the Deck.
Hayato was actually quite surprised. Although he knew from a previous Duel that his old man was quite bold, bold enough to even include **Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon** in a **Dragonmaid** Deck, Hayato was even more surprised that while other **Dragonmaid** cards were only included as one or two copies in the Deck, **Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon** was somehow maxed out at three copies.
Incredible. Just incredible.
While complaining with **Ojama Yellow** and the others about his old man's Deck Composition being truly that of a **Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon** master, Hayato flipped through the cards below. Before him appeared a Monster Card.
"**Tyrant Neptune**?" Hayato frowned. "Seriously, you're even running Forbidden Cards?"
On the Card Art of the card in Hayato's hand, a Monster with the lower body of a crocodile crawling on all fours, its long tail swaying, but its upper body standing upright, clad in Armor and holding a giant scythe, stared at a Skull shrouded in Shadow, striking a domineering pose.
Level 10☆ **Tyrant Neptune**, in Hayato's previous life, was a card locked away in the Forbidden & Limited List, a place known as the "small black room," alongside cards like **Pot of Greed**. Its strength could be seen from its seemingly weak 0 ATK and 0 DEF, a symbol of the power of its Effect.
**Tyrant Neptune**'s first Effect was similar to **The Winged Dragon of Ra** that Hayato possessed, having the ability to gain the combined ATK and DEF of the Tributes used for its Tribute Summon. Additionally, although it was a Level 10☆ Monster, it could also be Tribute Summoned with just one Monster, making it quite flexible.
But the Key Point lay in **Tyrant Neptune**'s second Effect, which was to gain the Effect of one of the Tribute Monsters used to Summon it.
What did this mean?
As everyone knows, many Monsters in Duel Monsters have quite Powerful Effects. To place Restrictions on those Powerful Effects, many Monsters were given the clause "You can only use this Card Name's Effect once per Turn."
However, **Tyrant Neptune** doesn't "treat itself as the same Card and gain the same Effect"; it directly gains the ability.
With such an Effect, **Tyrant Neptune**, while having a good Effect, still occupied the Normal Summon. Initially, it could only be considered usable, until the Evil Conglomerate K printed a Fusion Monster with only Level 1☆ for profit: **Lyrilusc - Independent Nightingale**.
**Lyrilusc - Independent Nightingale** had three Effects. The first Effect was to increase its Level based on the Rank of the **Lyrilusc** Xyz Monster used as Fusion Material. The second Effect increased its ATK by its Level X 500 and was unaffected by other Card Effects. The third Effect was once per Turn, during your Main Phase, to inflict Effect Damage to the Opponent equal to its Level X 500.
On the surface, there was nothing wrong. The latter two Effects revolved entirely around the Level increased by the first Effect. Since its base Level was only one, a proper Fusion Summon wouldn't increase it much, and when Summoned with **Instant Fusion**, it would only have its base Level 1☆, making it less practical than just playing a random **Sparks**.
But the problem was, if you Tributed **Lyrilusc - Independent Nightingale** to Summon **Tyrant Neptune**, it was different, because **Tyrant Neptune**'s Level is 10☆.
Two cards from Hand, one Normal Summon plus 1000 Life Points, could Summon a Powerful Monster with 6000 ATK, unaffected by other Cards, and capable of inflicting 5000 Effect Damage directly to the Opponent once per Turn. Who could withstand that?
Recalling the Power of **Tyrant Neptune** in his previous life, Hayato looked at the **Tyrant Neptune** in his old man's Deck and frowned.
Aside from its glorious history of being Forbidden, the most important thing was that, as its name suggested, **Tyrant Neptune** also belonged to the **Planet Series** archetype.
Since seeing **Splendid Venus** at Tenma Tsukihiro's place, this was the third **Planet Series** card he had seen, and he hadn't forgotten the card that Bakura had taken from the KC Cup, which was suspected to be **Tragoedia**.
"Old man, where did you get this Card?"
"Hoho, are you interrogating me, Kobayashi Hiroyuki? This condescending attitude isn't what you should have when asking for guidance—Ouch!" Kobayashi Hiroyuki, sitting on the sofa, had his head lightly tapped by Kobayashi Sumire. Although the force wasn't strong, Kobayashi Hiroyuki acted as if he had taken a critical hit.
"When your child asks you a Question, answer him properly!" Kobayashi Sumire seemed used to her husband occasionally displaying Dio-like mannerisms and remarked casually, then looked at Hayato. "But, about that Card, your dad bought the other **Dragonmaid** cards by opening Card Packs himself, but I happen to know the origin of that specific Card."
From his mother, Kobayashi Sumire, Hayato learned the origin of this **Tyrant Neptune**.
The story had to start when the couple was still in London.
While preparing to board their flight to Domino City at the London Airport, the couple met a mysterious person whose face was hidden by a baseball cap. That person claimed that the Airport was holding a hidden event and that he was the mysterious host, stating that Kobayashi Hiroyuki and Kobayashi Sumire happened to be the lucky passengers.
As a Prize for being lucky passengers, the couple could receive a free Card Pack of Duel Monsters Cards. What specific cards were inside was completely up to luck, just like a regular Card Pack. Following the principle of "don't refuse free stuff," the couple naturally accepted.
After handing the two Card Packs to the couple, the "mysterious person," whose appearance was indistinguishable except for being thin and not very old, and whose white hair could be seen through the gap in his baseball cap at the Back of his Head, left.
"That guy, could it be Bakura?" Hayato mused. Although Bakura Ryo wasn't the only person with white hair—Pegasus also had white hair—when it came to causing trouble, Bakura was indeed the first person that came to mind.
Hayato lowered his head again to look at the Card in his hand. "So, you're saying my old man pulled this Card?"
"No, your dad's luck isn't that good. It was Mom~" Kobayashi Sumire showed a proud Smile. "Your dad said something about 'gambling my dignity as a Duelist,' but in the end, he only pulled three copies of **Graceful Charity**. That Card was pulled by me, but because it was too ugly, I gave it to your dad."
"Pulling three copies of **Graceful Charity** from one Card Pack... I don't even know if I should call that a top-tier Divine Draw or the ultimate terrible draw," Hayato muttered.
**Graceful Charity**, a Single Card that could unconditionally replenish your Hand to a full six cards at once. Even with the drawback that the Opponent Duelist would also benefit from this Effect, it couldn't hide the Card's inherent Power, making people want to run three copies in their Deck.
After Duelist Kingdom, the Power of **Graceful Charity** was widely spread among Duelists, reaching its peak during Battle City. You could basically find a copy of **Graceful Charity** in the Deck of almost any Duelist you randomly encountered in Battle City, and some excessive ones even ran three copies.
Under these circumstances, the price of **Graceful Charity**, which originally belonged to the same category as cards like **Pot of Greed**, **Graceful Charity**, and **Foolish Burial** that were initially ignored, naturally soared, also reaching its peak almost during Battle City.
Following this, Industrial Illusions, the copyright holder of Duel Monsters Cards, and KaibaCorp, the copyright holder of the Virtual Projection System used by Duel Disks, introduced the "Forbidden & Limited List" to maintain the Duel Monsters Meta and ensure its long-term development. While **Chaos Emperor Dragon** and **Yata-Garasu** were both Forbidden from being included in Decks, **Graceful Charity** was also Limited to only one copy.
Scalpers who saw the price of **Graceful Charity** being inflated and a new business opportunity emerging had just heavily invested in buying and hoarding cards when they were devastated to find their speculative 'Sea View' investment had collapsed, and the price of **Graceful Charity** plummeted.
The losses of the Scalper merchants were naturally not something Kaiba and Pegasus would care about. However, due to the Forbidden & Limited List, Industrial Illusions adjusted the quantity of **Graceful Charity** when Card Printing, to avoid too many copies of **Graceful Charity** circulating and causing Duelists to pull useless cards.
If previously you could pull one **Graceful Charity** out of every hundred cards, now to pull a **Graceful Charity**, you would need at least 1000% of the original amount, or a thousand cards. And Kobayashi Hiroyuki pulled three consecutive **Graceful Charity** cards, a Probability that could almost be considered one in a billion.
Marveling at his old man's incredibly good luck, Hayato looked at the card below **Tyrant Neptune** in the Deck in his hand, the Fusion Monster **Dragonmaid Sheou**.
The perfect and elegant **Dragonmaid Sheou** in the Card Art noticed Hayato's Gaze, smiled softly, and bowed slightly. Hayato wasn't surprised; after all, in the previous Duel, he already knew that the **Dragonmaid** Deck had Card Spirits.
He wasn't sure about other cards, but **Dragonmaid Sheou** had definitely awakened its Card Spirit. However, whether it was awakened by his old man's own Strength and Duelist Spirit, or influenced by **Tyrant Neptune**, was unknown.
Nodding in response to **Dragonmaid Sheou**'s greeting, Hayato didn't look further down. Instead, he gathered the spread-out Deck, pulled out the **Tyrant Neptune** Card individually, and his face became slightly serious. He said to Kobayashi Hiroyuki, "I found the Card I was looking for."
"Hmm, is that Card what you were looking for?"
"For the specific situation, I can only say that those who understand, understand, and those who don't, I find it hard to explain to you." Speaking in standard Riddler fashion, Hayato said solemnly, "In short, there are many secrets behind this Card. If possible, it's best not to use this Card again."
It wasn't that Hayato was being alarmist. Although Tenma Tsukihiro, who held **Splendid Venus**, behaved quite normally in all aspects, there was also the negative example of Tila Muku, who was controlled in reverse by her **Vampire Fraulein**.
Hayato really wanted to place Trust in the Card Spirit of **Dragonmaid Sheou**, but he ultimately didn't have Pegasus's Millennium Eye to see through Hearts, and he couldn't always stay by his old man's side to prevent Accidents.
He could only believe that **Dragonmaid Sheou** wouldn't Backlash against its Master like **Vampire Fraulein**, and he would take away **Tyrant Neptune**, the "source of pollution," from Kobayashi Hiroyuki's Deck.
He thought his old man would be Annoyed or wouldn't listen to his advice, but to Hayato's surprise, Kobayashi Hiroyuki just waved his hand dismissively. "Suit yourself. Forget that Card, you can take the whole Deck if you want."
"Huh?" Hayato tilted his head in surprise.
"Hmph, I've long been unhappy with this Deck. All the Monsters are too feminine, lacking a sense of power. It's not as good as that **Drytron** you used just now, Kid." Mentioning the **Dragonmaid** Deck, Kobayashi Hiroyuki actually looked disgusted. "Besides, I haven't had this Deck for long. I wasn't unbeatable in London back then because of this Deck."
Kobayashi Hiroyuki wasn't lying. He had only acquired the **Dragonmaid** Deck less than a month ago, and its Usage Count was negligible. He was unbeatable in London back then not because of **Dragonmaid**, but because of another Zombie Deck.
What he didn't tell Hayato was that the reason he gave the **Dragonmaid** Deck to Hayato was because ever since he started using the **Dragonmaid** Deck, although his Wife, Kobayashi Sumire, always seemed to like the **Dragonmaid** cards and looked very happy, her Gaze towards him became increasingly strange day by day.
She even gave Kobayashi Hiroyuki the illusion that he would receive a super long Text Message and hear the sound of a boiling kettle.
Also, the main Strategy of the Zombie Deck Kobayashi Hiroyuki used to use was to Mill Monsters into the Graveyard and then trigger various Strategies. Back then, Kobayashi Hiroyuki was invincible with his precise Milling.
However, ever since he started using **Dragonmaid**, due to his usual habits, Kobayashi Hiroyuki directly included three copies of **Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon**. As a result, his previous precise Milling completely disappeared, leaving only one Milling Accident after another. He had been Annoyed with **Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon** for a long time. His Milling was inaccurate; how could it not be **Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon**'s fault?
Although Hayato didn't know his old man's Idea, he said politely, "How can I accept such a thing?"
"You say that, but you've already stuffed it into your pocket. Your movements are too practiced," Marik commented at Hayato, who, accustomed to taking other people's cards, skillfully put the Deck into his Card Box.
And as Kobayashi Hiroyuki transferred the **Dragonmaid** Deck to Hayato, Hayato heard the System's voice after a long time:
[Achievement Completed]
[Achievement Name: Your Wife is Great, But She'll Be Mine Next Second]
# Chapter 488: Amazing! Era! Future!
Domino City, Commercial Street.
As the most prosperous area in Domino City, and also because KaibaCorp is located near the Commercial Street, even on regular workdays from Monday to Friday, the flow of people on Domino City's Commercial Street were quite numerous. On days like Saturday and Sunday when children don't have school and adults are off work, the flow of people is even greater.
However, even compared to regular Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, today is clearly a Friday, yet there were simply too many people on Commercial Street.
The last time Domino City's Commercial Street had such a large flow of people was on the eve of Battle City's opening, when Kaiba gathered a large number of Duelists, rode a helicopter, and loudly announced the news of Battle City.
However, today's matter has nothing to do with Kaiba. Ever since he carved out a space in America during the KC Cup, he has been working hard to expand into new markets. However, he hasn't abandoned the Japanese Market he already occupied, instead entrusting it to Keipei.
In this world where Duel Monsters is becoming increasingly popular globally, gathering so many people today isn't too difficult. As long as it's major news related to Duel Monsters, whether it's a large event or the release of new cards, it's easily done.
And what Pegasus' Industrial Illusions is doing today is the latter. He specifically chose Domino City, where the Duel Monsters craze is at its peak, as the release venue for the new card series. He even invited Hayato, Yugi, and Joey Wheeler to support him.
The reason for inviting Hayato and Yugi is that both are shareholders of Industrial Illusions. They are just there to boost the atmosphere of the event. It's beneficial for Hayato and Yugi and causes them no loss, as the higher Industrial Illusions' stock price rises, the more dividends they will receive.
As for Joey Wheeler, although he was initially reluctant, Pegasus, like Kaiba, saw through Joey Wheeler's biggest weakness and gave him too much.
Although Pegasus himself has not yet appeared in the Central Plaza of the Commercial Street, the people waiting there don't feel bored at all. Presumably, they have such patience because of their passion for Duel Monsters.
This must have absolutely nothing to do with the many beautiful women at the scene who are cosplaying as various Duel Monsters like Mystical Elf and Dark Magician Girl.
Hayato isn't sure about the others, but Joey Wheeler and Grandpa Solomon, who came with Yugi, are already lingering in the crowd.
Honda, Téa, and the others didn't come together today. After all, it's Friday, and school still has classes.
Yes, you heard right, "school classes," a word that sounds so distant from Hayato and the others, but it just happened.
Hanekoma, the famous cherry-licking performance artist, once said that students should act like students. Don't look at how much fun Yugi, Joey Wheeler, Hayato, and the others have had playing Duel Monsters outside time and time again; they are still just ordinary, unremarkable Japanese high school students.
And as everyone knows, students should go to school, and Hayato and the others are no exception. However, because of Pegasus' invitation, the school approved the leave applications submitted by Hayato, Yugi, and Joey Wheeler. As for Tristan, Téa, and Otogi, they could only regretfully stay at school.
Hayato and Yugi, who each own 30% of Industrial Illusions' stock, didn't look for beautiful cosplayers to take photos with in the plaza like others. After all, Yugi has Dark Magician Girl in his own deck, and her figure is better than those cosplayers, and her personality is more clingy. As for Hayato, he feels that waifu cards are better than cosplayers.
Besides that, it's also because they both knew in advance what kind of stunt Pegasus was planning today.
Releasing new card packs can only be considered a means of promotion. Inviting Hayato, Joey Wheeler, and Yugi, these "legendary duelists," to lend support is just to create enough atmosphere. Pegasus' true goal is actually to hold a Duel Monsters convention in Domino City.
The so-called "Duel Monsters convention" is not something competition-focused like Battle City. It's actually closer to Pegasus' personal art exhibition and a Duel Monsters fan gathering or exchange meeting.
For today's "Duel Monsters convention," Pegasus is said to have brought out all the works from his youth that he treasured in his castle, including a considerable portion of the prototypes for today's Duel Monsters cards, and even imprinted copies he made from tablets during his trip to Egypt. It can be said he spared no expense.
After all, with these things plus Pegasus himself, it's no exaggeration to say they are the origin of Duel Monsters cards. Even the tablets that recorded the predecessor of "Duel Monsters" - the "Ceremony of the Duel" of Ancient Egypt - are not as precious as these things.
The ancient "Ceremony of the Duel" is certainly precious, but without Pegasus evolving it into the "Duel Monsters" card, the "Ceremony of the Duel" had no possibility of development, let alone becoming popular worldwide.
Don't look at how many people are here, almost occupying the entire plaza with little empty space left. On the surface, it seems like a mixed crowd, and no one knows if some lunatic will cause trouble. But Hayato and Yugi know very well that a large number of Security Personnel have been arranged in the tall buildings on both sides of the Commercial Street's Central Plaza. If necessary, they even have permission to use firearms.
Furthermore, even within the crowd at the scene, Pegasus' subordinates are mixed in. At least Hayato knows that the guy currently taking a photo with Joey Wheeler, wearing a Rainbow Kuriboh mascot suit, is a subordinate of Pegasus. And that Dark Magician Girl taking a photo with Grandpa Solomon is actually a cross-dresser.
As for the other aspect of the "Duel Monsters convention" - the so-called "fan gathering" - it's still dueling at its core, but more casual and recreational. Participants don't use cards they've collected themselves but rather build decks using card packs provided by Industrial Illusions.
Even Professional Duelists, if they duel using unfamiliar card piles instead of their own specialized decks, might lose to Rookie Duelists who just started if they have bad luck.
After all, no one can guarantee what kind of cards they will pull. It might be the invincible Lion Man Wizard, or it might just be a pile of small fry.
Additionally, for fun, in these card packs provided to participants, besides the cards already known to the public that were previously released, the new cards being released alongside this event have also been randomly placed in this batch of card packs by him.
That way, participants not only have to use cards they aren't good with, but also face unfamiliar cards with unknown effects.
It can be said to be quite dark humor. However, Hayato, Joey Wheeler, and Yugi all plan to participate, as they also find this way of playing very interesting.
The official start time is twelve noon. Since Pegasus hasn't arrived at the scene yet, Hayato and Yugi, who had no intention of taking photos with cosplayers, sat in the seats reserved for them. Yugi was flipping through a promotional brochure to pass time, while Hayato looked towards Pegasus' empty seat.
Under the table in front of Pegasus, a small mechanism was installed. The "Duel Monsters convention" prepared a trophy for the final winner, stored inside that mechanism. With just a little trick, that mechanism could rise and lift the trophy onto the table, creating the illusion of the "trophy rising."
Placed together with that trophy was a deck containing the latest cards Pegasus was releasing this time, meaning the winner of the "Duel Monsters convention" wouldn't need to buy card packs and open them; they could directly assemble the cards.
Hayato did know what that deck was. It was actually the E HERO deck he had previously given to young Judai, but it mainly consisted of Elemental Four Wastes and Greed Hero, along with cards like Winged Kuriboh.
As for that trophy, Hayato looked at it and found it strangely familiar.
A golden base like a vase, with a crystal clear green glass sphere inlaid at the mouth of the vase, surrounded by a pair of exquisitely crafted blue wings. Above the glass sphere was also a three-dimensional sculpture of a Duel Monsters card in a tilted state.
"This trophy, I think this is the first time I've seen it, right? Why does it look so familiar, filled with a sense of déjà vu?" Hayato muttered to himself, examining the trophy, but he couldn't remember where he had seen this trophy before.
"Wait a minute, that's not right. The key point isn't this." Hayato's gaze suddenly sharpened. "Even an event that can't even be considered large like the 'Duel Monsters convention' has a trophy, so why wasn't there one during Duelist Kingdom back then?"
"He actually took kickbacks, unforgivable, Pegasus!"
——————Little Blue Crush Ojama Yellow——————
Year 20XX, Italy, Florence.
As the birthplace of the European Renaissance movement back then, and a world-renowned cultural and tourist destination, Florence was never lacking in tourists from all over the world in the past. And here at Florence Municipal Square, the flow of people was even more endless.
Even in Florence, which has many plazas, Municipal Square is also known as the "Most Beautiful Plaza in Italy." But today, this plaza, surrounded by numerous exquisite and historically long buildings, was covered by thick smoke and blazing fire.
Above the Municipal Square, which was shrouded in thick smoke that obscured the sky and sun, making it appear dim, a three-headed flying dragon with a mechanical body spread its wings, soaring and overlooking the earth. Its three heads swayed, searching in different directions. It seemed like it was searching for something.
Suddenly, on the rooftop of a building the giant dragon had already flown over, the red-clothed jellyfish-haired youth pushed with his arms, changing from his original state of hanging from the eaves to standing on the rooftop with both feet. From the Duel Disk-like device worn on his wrist, he drew a card: "Alright, now's the time! Attack Cyber End Dragon, E·HERO Gaia!"
"Stone-Breaking Sky-Shocking Fist!"
Cyber End Dragon, the three-headed mechanical giant dragon soaring in the air, detected the life it had missed behind it the moment the youth spoke. But it was too late to change direction from the air. Before the "Eternal Evolution Burst Stream" from one of Cyber End Dragon's three heads could be unleashed, E·HERO Gaia, named after the Earth, delivered a cool uppercut, striking Cyber End Dragon down from the air.
"Ya☆ta☆ze!"
Seeing this, the red-clothed jellyfish-haired youth proudly swung his fist, but suddenly heard a reminder from his friend beside him: "Judai, dodge at six o'clock."
Without thinking at all, the youth followed his friend's reminder and did a back handspring backwards, just managing to dodge a beam of light bullet that hit his original position. The light cannonball crushed the rooftop of the building, while the youth used the shockwave to leave the rooftop he was originally on.
"Thanks, Yubel." Thanking the friend beside him whom others couldn't see, the youth raised his head to look at the existence attacking him in the air, revealing his heterochromatic eyes, one blue and one gold.
From the friend's address to the youth, and the youth's appearance, it was clear that this youth was none other than Jaden Yuki, except he was at least ten years older than the Judai Mr. Hayato knew.
Through the smoke, Judai's heterochromatic eyes saw the existence that attacked him hidden behind the smoke. His pupils couldn't help but shrink. Because he discovered that the monster that had just attacked him was clearly the monster that, even in his era, was the most famous Duel Monsters - Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
"Whoa, no way, how did even Blue-Eyes White Dragon appear? Could it be that Mr. Kaiba Seto's card was also affected?" Jaden said flippantly, but his hand movements were not slow at all. Another card was placed on his Duel Disk. "To deal with Blue-Eyes, this card is more suitable, right?"
"Go, E·HERO Flame Wingman!"
The one-winged hero with the dragon head arm flew out from Jaden's Duel Disk. With a flick of its dragon tail behind it, it scattered another "Burst Stream of Destruction" unleashed by Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The dragon head on its right arm shot out a fire bullet in return.
A golden light point floated out from the pocket of Judai's jacket. From it came a lazy man's voice: "No, it doesn't feel like President Kaiba's Blue-Eyes. The Blue-Eyes that was once driven by him to battle the Duel King shouldn't be that weak. It's almost like it hasn't experienced much battle."
"Huh? Could it be that fourth Blue-Eyes White Dragon? That's not right either, I heard Mr. Hayato say that card was torn up by Mr. Kaiba Seto, wasn't it? You must have guessed wrong, Professor Banner~"
Jaden waved his hand dismissively. And beside him, a phantom figure appeared. Yubel, who was much calmer and more peaceful than when sealed by Hayato, said with arms crossed over its chest: "Regardless, Blue-Eyes White Dragon's floor is set. Even with your power supporting it, Judai, E·HERO Flame Wingman can only maneuver and cannot defeat Blue-Eyes White Dragon."
"And as for Cyber End Dragon, I don't think it will be that easy to deal with that Cyber End Dragon."
Judai nodded: "After all, it's Kaiser's ace card. Even you, Yubel, almost had no way against Kaiser back then, right?"
"Hmph!" Hearing Judai bring up past events again, Yubel tsundere-ly snorted, and said again, "So, what should we do next?"
Hearing this, Judai couldn't help but straighten his expression and said seriously: "In this situation, Mr. Hayato mentioned it to me before. As a Duelist, if you want to reach the peak, you must coordinate your entire body."
"Not only must you have a brain full of courage and wisdom, and draw cards with a heart-to-heart connection with your deck, even these legs are extremely crucial."
"Oh oh oh, what are you going to do with your legs, Judai?" The light point named Professor Banner said in a very expectant tone, completely failing to notice Yubel beside him covering her forehead with a troubled expression.
"Seriously, again?"
Only to see Judai suddenly reach out and grab the light point Professor Banner, stuffing it into his pocket, turned around, turning his back to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon engaged in battle, and ran wildly along the rooftop: "Of course, I'm using my legs to escape, Professor Banner!"
"Run Away!~"
Thanks to "Shunshun527" for the 100 points tip, thank you.
Although the Fusion Movie only stated that Jaden found Paradox, the mastermind behind the "Duel Monsters Disappearance" incident happening globally, in Europe, the place where the two fought can be seen at a glance to be Florence, Italy.
If you ask how I can tell, you'll have to ask someone named Ezio.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 489: Collecting Powerful Monsters? I'll Give You One Too
Judai Yuki, age 2X, was once a student at Duel Academy, funded by KaibaCorp. After graduating a few years ago, he began his global travels.
Sometime ago, a strange phenomenon of "disappearing Duel Monsters" appeared worldwide. The monsters in the cards held by duelists mysteriously vanished, and it was subtly limited to "Dragon" monsters.
Among Judai's classmates, putting aside true Dragon Type monsters like [Light and Darkness Dragon] and [Rainbow Dragon], even monsters that were clearly Machine Type or Sea Serpent-Type, like [Cyber End Dragon] and [Hydrogeddon], disappeared from their cards one by one. Following various clues, Judai found the mastermind in Italy—a mysterious man wearing a mask.
The Duel Monsters that had mysteriously disappeared from the cards were surprisingly in the hands of this man wearing a black and white mask. What astonished Judai even more was that he even saw the figure of the legendary Duel Monster—[Blue-Eyes White Dragon]—in the man's possession!
Next time, The Death of Judai—
"As if! Don't use such a ridiculous title!" Judai, who looked like a slightly thin and weak boy, was now running at an extraordinary speed up the outer wall of a tilting clock tower, like a superhero with superhuman abilities. "And what have you been saying since just now, Professor Banner!"
"Well, well, just like how all heroic epics need a part to set the background, it's just a basic recap," a voice came from points of light within Judai's embrace. "Also, [Cyber End Dragon] is about to catch up, you know~"
"Nani?!"
Judai turned his head sharply and saw that, just as Professor Banner said, the [Cyber End Dragon], which had been shot down by his [E·HERO Gaia] earlier, had reappeared completely unharmed and was rapidly approaching Judai, with its three heads locked onto him.
Leaping up, Judai forcibly changed his direction, hiding behind a griffin statue. However, he wasn't naive enough to think this statue could serve as cover for the protagonist team to chat and discuss strategy without being destroyed, like in movies and TV shows. He instantly jumped away.
And sure enough, in the very next second, a blast of light shot from the left head of [Cyber End Dragon] instantly destroyed the griffin statue.
Under normal circumstances, such an act of damaging precious cultural relics would certainly result in fines and imprisonment. But presumably, even if the police responsible for apprehending criminals appeared here, they wouldn't dare issue a ticket to the [Cyber End Dragon], which soared in the sky like a killing machine.
Thus, Judai kept escaping and dodging, as if Drake and Lara Croft were simultaneously possessing him. After destroying several churches, museums, and clock towers along the way, he finally managed to use a collapsing clock tower to block [Cyber End Dragon's] flight path, creating distance and landing on the ground, gasping for breath.
"Phew, that was close, that was close. I was almost defeated," Judai, who had landed in an open space, turned around and glanced at the [Cyber End Dragon], which had to evade due to being blocked by the clock tower. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he noticed a winding figure flying out from the gap between the collapsed clock tower and a nearby building.
"Is that, Johan's [Rainbow Dragon]?" Judai frowned, feeling a great sense of unease.
Due to its size, [Cyber End Dragon] couldn't pass through the gap, so he had deliberately led it near the clock tower as an obstacle, thinking he could rest for a bit before landing in this open space. But he completely didn't expect that while the bulky [Cyber End Dragon] couldn't pass through the gap, it was easy for the long, snake-like [Rainbow Dragon] to pass through. Moreover, there was no cover around him in this open space for him to dodge behind.
The [Rainbow Dragon], with two pairs of dull yellow eyes, stared intently at Judai on the ground. It opened its mouth, and a beam of seven-colored breath shot out, aimed directly at Judai. Judai, however, showed no fear and drew a card: "[E·HERO Neos Alius]!"
An [E·HERO] monster with a silver-white body that looked like Ultraman and even Hayato didn't possess, appeared before Judai. Although its figure was transparent, it easily sliced through the rainbow beam spat out by [Rainbow Dragon] with a single hand chop.
The split beams grazed past his body, destroying the buildings on either side. Just then, Judai heard an unfamiliar voice.
"Judai Yuki, a duelist who controls spirit power."
"Heh heh heh, since [Rainbow Dragon's] ATK is 4000 points, you used [Neos Alius], which cannot be destroyed by battle when Special Summoned, to block the attack, huh?"
Looking in the direction of the voice, Judai saw the [Cyber End Dragon], which had gone around the clock tower, and the [Rainbow Dragon], which had just activated its attack, descending from the sky. They stood guard on top of a church, where a man wearing a mask was standing.
Judai had personally witnessed the opponent plundering the monsters from a duelist's deck, which confirmed that he was the culprit behind the "disappearing Duel Monsters" incident. Because of this, he was now being pursued by the opponent.
Glancing behind him, the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], which should have been destroyed by [E·HERO Flame Wingman], had silently landed behind him. Now, even his retreat path was blocked.
Despite this, Judai still wore a smile.
"Oh my, oh my, what an honor, I didn't expect my fame to be so great?" Judai rubbed his nose, not at all looking like he was surrounded by three powerful monsters. "But speaking of controlling spirit power, you've also materialized Duel Monsters, haven't you?"
"There's no need to inform you of such things. Anyway, the cards that can be collected in this era are almost complete. Perish here, Judai Yuki." The Masked Man drew a card from his Duel Disk. "With this future card!"
A strange starlight surged from the card in the Masked Man's hand, gathering in the sky, forming a golden sphere. Then, lightning struck!
Appearing before Judai was a Dragon Type monster with a humanoid torso and limbs, a slender and handsome build. Points of starlight circled its thin wings.
"A white dragon I've never seen before? And, it's a black-bordered card!?" The sharp-eyed Judai immediately noticed the difference in the card the Masked Man placed on his Duel Disk. Unlike the yellow border of normal monsters, or the Ritual blue, or the Fusion purple, it was a kind of very dark black.
However, the Masked Man seemed to have no intention of answering Judai's confused thoughts. With a wave of his hand, [Cyber End Dragon], [Rainbow Dragon], [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], and the unknown Dragon Type that had just appeared surrounded Judai from four directions, all accumulating attack in their mouths!
"I don't have any more time to waste with you. Die, Judai Yuki!"
"Eternal Evolution Burst Stream!" "Over the Rainbow!" "Burst Stream of Destruction!" "Sonic Burst!"
Seeing this scene, Judai's brain began to think at high speed.
Although he himself had the ability of Duel Monster materialization, and materializing five monsters at once wasn't difficult, to give his monsters the strength to withstand the attack of the powerful monsters before him, the limit could only be up to three. Any more would actually fail to provide resistance.
[E·HERO Flame Wingman] and [E·HERO Neos] were immediately replaced on the field by Judai, and for the last monster, his choice was—
"Your goal is to collect powerful monsters, right? Only choosing Dragon Type monsters is a bit too picky. To help you achieve nutritional balance, I'll give you this powerful monster!"
As Judai drew a card, a large amount of lava suddenly surged from beneath the feet of [Cyber End Dragon] and [Rainbow Dragon], the two monsters Judai knew had the highest ATK, swallowing the monsters that were accumulating their attack. The lava rose and merged, forming a tall [Lava Golem].
And the attacks of the unknown white dragon and [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] were blocked by [Flame Wingman] and [Neos], whose pressure was greatly reduced.
"Damn it, it's [Lava Golem]!" The Masked Man was very annoyed that his monsters were swallowed, grinding his teeth. Judai didn't hesitate to praise the monster that had done a great job, "Niiiice! [Lava Golem]!"
The Masked Man, in a very annoyed mood, was about to put his hand on his Duel Disk again to draw other monsters and launch another attack to eliminate Judai. But just then, a dragon roar suddenly echoed from the church he was standing on:
"Woooooh!!!"
"Nani?!"
The moment he heard the sound, the Masked Man left his position. And in the next second, a phantom red giant dragon flew out of the church beneath him towards the sky, then turned and swooped down towards the ground, before shattering and disappearing like a phantom.
At the head of the disappearing giant dragon, a strangely shaped motorcycle drove out. With a standard Akira-style stop, the motorcycle rider immediately saw the white dragon locked in a struggle with [E·HERO Neos].
"[Stardust Dragon]!!"
"Fudo Yusei? Hmph, did you track me to this era by following [Stardust Dragon]?" The Masked Man saw the motorcycle rider—the crab-haired man named "Fudo Yusei"—arrive and stopped his action of preparing to draw a card.
Just Judai Yuki alone was endlessly troublesome, and now with Fudo Yusei's support, trying to defeat the two of them here would require a considerable amount of effort.
He didn't absolutely need to defeat these two. Anyway, as long as his purpose was achieved, they would disappear from the world along with it. Leaving them alone was fine.
Anyway, they would absolutely never guess what he was going to do next.
"You bastard!" Fudo Yusei didn't notice the Masked Man's stopping action. He got off his motorcycle with a fierce aura, wearing a Duel Disk. "Give me back my [Stardust Dragon]!"
"Heh heh, I can't do that. It still has a great use for me here," the Masked Man said, leaping down and being caught by an unmanned giant motorcycle. "Our exchange ends here. Anyway, this era will also be destroyed by my act of salvation!"
"Era, destruction?" Judai found it difficult to understand the Masked Man's meaning, but Fudo Yusei's eyes widened. "Could it be that this guy is planning to—"
"Cherish your last moments with Duel Monsters, duelists, hahahaha!" The giant motorcycle the Masked Man was riding was enveloped in a phantom white radiance. After a flash of radiance, the extremely conspicuous giant motorcycle disappeared into thin air amidst the Masked Man's wild laughter!
With the Masked Man's disappearance, [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] and that [Stardust Dragon] also disappeared. [Lava Golem] also turned into lava and fell back to the ground.
"Damn it! He got away again!" Yusei angrily swung his arm but could do nothing about the Masked Man who had disappeared. In his frustration, he also remembered Judai, who had just dueled the Masked Man. He turned and walked towards Judai, asking with concern, "Hello, are you hurt?"
Judai had also just put away his Duel Disk and was brushing off the dust that had splashed onto his red jacket. Seeing Fudo Yusei walk over, he showed a bright smile: "Heh heh, I'm fine, I'm fine, not even a scratch."
"Oh right, my name is Judai Yuki."
"Judai Yuki?" Yusei nodded, remembering the name. "My name is Fudo Yusei."
———Pure Love War God Kaiba will instantly defeat Monster Stealing Paradox———
"I see, so that [Stardust Dragon] is your card, Yusei. You time traveled from Domino City decades in the future because your card was stolen." Sitting among the building ruins, Judai held a backpack that had been hidden earlier, checking the contents. "Good luck, I thought it would be smashed."
"That's right. Although these words sound very unbelievable, it is indeed true."
However, what surprised Yusei slightly was that upon hearing words like "time travel," Judai said nonchalantly: "No, I believe you, Yusei. Actually, I've experienced similar things before, like having my partner stolen, time travel, and so on."
"But speaking of which, is that a future Duel Disk?" Judai's gaze drifted towards the open space nearby. The strangely shaped red motorcycle—the device called a D-Wheel—that Yusei had ridden when he appeared via time travel was parked there. "And New Domino City, huh? I'm really looking forward to seeing what it looks like."
"Well, it's hard to describe in words." Recalling the prosperity of New Domino City and the dilapidation of Satellite, Yusei felt it was better to let Judai keep his beautiful imagination.
"Yeah, after all, it's the future. Just like people in the past couldn't imagine the present, I really can't imagine what the future will look like," Judai smiled and nodded, then as if remembering something, "Speaking of which, the guy who took your [Stardust Dragon], Yusei, seems to have time traveled again."
"Yes, although I'm not sure what that person's purpose is, his actions have caused the era I live in to collapse. If we continue to let him act recklessly, the era might even disappear completely."
Yusei's face was quite serious. "So, not only to get back [Stardust Dragon], but also for the people living in my era, I must find that Masked Man and stop him."
"Oh, I'll lend you a hand too. That guy also stole quite a few of my friends' cards, and judging by what you said, Yusei, my era will also disappear, right?"
Judai scratched his head: "When I first found that guy, I was thinking of retreating first and then calling for help, but I didn't expect it to be such a serious major event. In this situation, as a hero, I can't be deserting the post."
This passage is the setup before the Fusion Summon, after all, you can't just start with Paradox being group attacked.
However, the original movie was extremely short, a film less than fifty minutes long including the beginning and end, only counting as an extended anime episode.
Let's take a look at the preview for the next chapter:
"The trap-heavy deck piled up can even trap light to death"
"Alright, I'll summon my loyal servant"
"Even Little Blue is gone, completely shameless"
"It's just a Satellite meteor, watch me push it—Nani, a meteor!?!"
"You're still far from understanding, this is my offensive strategy!"
"Fu-sion Summon!"
The above will not appear in the main text
End of Chapter
# Chapter 490: Machine Type vs. Cyber Dragon - A Free Win
And so, Judai Yuki and Fudo Yusei formed a team, uniting and cooperating with the goal of stopping the Masked Man's world-ending actions and reclaiming the numerous Duel Monsters he had stolen.
"That being said," Judai asked somewhat confusedly, "which era should we go to find that Masked Man?"
Yusei shook his head; he didn't know how to find the Masked Man either.
He was able to travel through time to Judai's era thanks to the existence known as "Ultimaya Tzolkin" - the Red Dragon that appeared with Yusei. However, navigating to a specific era still depended on Yusei himself.
And the reason Yusei appeared at such a precise time was thanks to a pair of twins he knew named Leo and Luna. Their family wasn't exactly wealthy, but they could pretty much do whatever they wanted. With their help, Yusei learned that his stolen Stardust Dragon had somehow appeared in Europe decades ago and was materializing and causing widespread destruction.
But now, Yusei didn't have the Leo and Luna twins to help him search for information.
Ultimaya Tzolkin could help Yusei and Judai return to the past, but the first thing they needed to do was confirm the specific time point they needed to go to. If they blindly went back without knowing their destination, it would only be a waste of time.
However, from what the Masked Man had said earlier, Yusei had also gathered one piece of information: his ultimate goal in collecting powerful monsters from various eras was to make Duel Monsters disappear. But what Yusei couldn't understand was why the opponent was only collecting Dragon Type monsters.
Could it be that he thought only Dragon Type monsters were the most important in Duel Monsters? Yusei muttered to himself inwardly.
"Collecting Duel Monsters non-stop won't have much of an impact in the end, right? After all, as long as Industrial Illusions is still around, no matter how many cards can be reprinted, that Masked Man can't destroy every single card spirit in every single card," Judai said casually. "So what exactly is he collecting cards for?"
Judai's words, though spoken without much thought, gave Yusei inspiration: "I get it. That guy's goal isn't actually 'Dragon Type,' but just 'powerful monsters' as he said. There's no difference whether they're Machine Type or Spellcaster Type, because he just wants a tool."
"His objective is to eliminate Duel Monsters, so the simplest method is undoubtedly to kill the 'Father of Duel Monsters' who created Duel Monsters - Pegasus J. Crawford!"
"Nani?! Mr. Pegasus? That guy's target is actually Mr. Pegasus!" Judai looked shocked. "I see, I completely understand."
No, how can you possibly understand?
Watching Judai's relaxed expression even now, Yusei grumbled internally.
"However, even knowing that Mr. Pegasus is the mysterious person's target is useless. We still don't know when that person plans to make his move, and Mr. Pegasus has had a habit of hiding his whereabouts for a long time. We have no idea when or where Mr. Pegasus will appear."
Judai frowned in thought, but suddenly his expression brightened with realization, and he snapped his finger: "Right, even if we don't know, there's one person who definitely knows!"
"Don't sleep yet, Pharaoh, let me get something." As he spoke, Judai opened his backpack, pulled out the fat cat curled up inside, and then took out a portable laptop. "Hmm, Who-Says-Only-Those-Standing-In-The-Light-Are-Heroes, OK, pin confirmed."
"Hmm, looks like we're in luck. The nearby Signal Tower hasn't been destroyed. But I wonder if Mr. Hayato is online?"
After opening the laptop, Judai logged into a chat software that seemed quite ancient to Yusei and opened a Chat Room named [I Must Duel Immediately]. Several online users were currently speaking -
[Ge Shi Bai Qian]: Asking because I don't understand, why are my Armed Dragon and Light and Darkness Dragon gone, but that Kaiser guy only lost one Cyber End Dragon?
[Ge Shi Bai Qian]: Is that Masked Man an idiot? Who doesn't know that Kaiser guy keeps abandoning his old friends these days? What's with him not losing Chimeratech Rampage Dragon and Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon besides Cyber End Dragon?
[Tian Shangyuan]: Manjoume-chan, you didn't think Ryo's cards had all disappeared, so you challenged him with XYZ, did you?
[Tian Shangyuan]: @[Chongzhu Yishi Rongguang] Asuka, do you know?
[Chongzhu Yishi Rongguang]: Thanks for the invite, I'm here live. The audience is laughing really hard. Apparently, it's even nominated for this year's Professional Duelist Funny Highlights.
[Wo Yongyuan Xihuan Yuansu Yingxiong]: Really? That's too bad I can't watch Manjoume and Kaiser's match from here.
[Wo Yongyuan Xihuan Yuansu Yingxiong]: Oh, right @[Ren Zai Jiong Gang Xia Gangtank] Mr. Hayato, I have a friend who asked me to help ask, if some jerk wants to travel back in time to kill Mr. Pegasus to eliminate Duel Monsters, which year should he go back to stop him?
[Tian Shangyuan]: Judai-chan, there are no outsiders here, is that friend you mentioned yourself?
[Wo Yongyuan Xihuan Yuansu Yingxiong]: No, I really have a friend, he's a person from the future.
[Ge Shi Bai Qian]: I wouldn't be surprised by anything strange appearing next to you.
[Ren Zai Jiong Gang Xia Gangtank]: Person from the future? Let me think. Oh right, it was when Pegasus first held the "Duel Monsters Convention" in Domino City. @[Wo Yongyuan Xihuan Yuansu Yingxiong]
"Got it, the first 'Duel Monsters Convention' in Domino City will do." After getting the necessary information from the Chat Room, Judai thanked the ID [Ren Zai Jiong Gang Xia Gangtank] and looked up the specific time of the first "Duel Monsters Convention."
Yusei was a little confused: "Is that really the right time? Is the person who gave you the message trustworthy?"
"Don't worry, Yusei, you can always trust Mr. Hayato." After finding the specific time on the laptop, Judai closed it and put it back in his backpack, then picked up the fat cat "Pharaoh" who was playing with a light spot. "Besides, if I wasn't mistaken just now, we might run into Mr. Hayato at our destination."
"Ah-choo!"
The helicopter's rotor stirred up some dust. Watching Pegasus, who had picked up bad habits from that Kaiba guy, step down from the helicopter, Hayato's nose tickled and he sneezed. He rubbed his nose and looked at the clock beside him.
That Pegasus guy was quite "punctual." He insisted on arriving at the site exactly at 12 o'clock if it was scheduled to start at 12, not wanting to be a minute early.
Subconsciously looking up, Hayato sighed: "The wind is rather noisy today~"