Chapter 391: Kobayashi Hayato vs. Kobayashi Hayato
"Speaking of which, this thing really looks like me."
"Really looks like me."
"It's just annoying how it copies what I say."
"Copies what I say."
Standing beside "another me," Hayato tentatively reached out to touch "Kobayashi Hayato," but his hand passed right through, leaving only some red light and shadows on his palm.
Mokuba glanced at "Kobayashi Hayato," who was imitating Hayato's movements and also putting his hand through Hayato's body, and said helplessly, "The prototype for this thing is actually the Virtual Projection System used for Duel Monsters, as well as the Duel Robot that Older Brother used before abandoning it."
"Duel Robot?" Hayato had some recollection. "Ah, is it that one that Kaiba punched and blew up with Obelisk the Tormentor back then?"
"Punched and blew up that one?" the Virtual Projection of "Kobayashi Hayato" repeated.
"That's the one. Even though it had data from all the famous Duelists recorded, Older Brother used it to simulate potential Duels against Yugi Mutou and you, Hayato. However, after discovering that the Duel Robot couldn't even contend with Obelisk the Tormentor, Older Brother just discarded it."
"It cost a lot to complete this Duel Robot that simulates a Duelist's thinking, so it would be a shame to just waste it like that." Mokuba looked regretfully at the red ring above his head. Hayato followed his gaze and looked up, also vaguely seeing some similarity between the red ring and the Duel Robot he had seen before.
"So, I thought I'd try out this modified Duel Robot here at Kaiba Land in America."
As he spoke, Mokuba walked over to a screen embedded in the wall nearby and tapped it repeatedly with his finger. "Users can challenge the Legendary Duelists whose data is stored in this machine, based on their own skill level and dueling style."
"That's how it was supposed to be."
"That's how it was supposed to be? Did something happen?"
"Did something happen?"
Mokuba turned back, looking somewhat helpless at Hayato, who had deliberately overlapped himself with the Virtual Projection. "Just now, the Duel Robot went out of control. The Duelist originally selected was supposed to be Jounouchi Katsuya, the lowest difficulty, but the one projected was you, Hayato."
"In the original process, regardless of whether the Duel result was success or failure, the Duel Robot should have been canceled. But your projection, Hayato, can't be canceled no matter what. It seems it can only be dispelled by being defeated in a Duel."
"What's worse, the Duel Robot's processing power is connected to the Kaiba Land mainframe. If we don't fix it quickly, not only will this area be unable to operate normally, but it will also affect other amusement facilities in Kaiba Land, and even the match currently underway at Kaiba Dome."
Mokuba's words made Hayato even more confused. "In that case, isn't it even simpler? It's just a robot. Just defeat it."
"Just defeat it."
"It sounds simple, but it's really not that simple." Mokuba said with some helplessness. "Hayato, why do you think Maximillion Pegasus is here?"
"Yes, Hayato-boy." Maximillion Pegasus nodded with a helpless expression. "Even though it's just a robot, it's quite strong, isn't it? Even I became a loser~"
"A Duel Robot that even Maximillion Pegasus can't defeat? Well, I guess so. Not to mention you don't have the Millennium Eye now; even if you did, you couldn't read a robot's thoughts." Hearing this, Hayato moved away from his original position and looked at his Virtual Projection again.
"Even so, it feels like an interesting opponent. The experience of dueling yourself isn't something you get every day."
"Something you get every day."
Hearing Hayato's words, Mokuba was a little surprised. "Hayato, are you going to step in? I was thinking that reconstruct code would take too long, so it would be great if you, Hayato, could defeat the Duel Robot."
"However, Hayato, you need to be careful. Although it couldn't simulate the power of some of the cards you possess, neither the Earthbound Immortals nor the Egyptian God Cards were included,"
"But the deck it's using is the Gaia the Fierce Knight Deck you used in the Duel City Semifinals against Yugi Mutou. Both Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion and Dark Magician Knight are included."
This genuinely surprised Hayato.
He had thought that Kaiba, with his Dragon Obsession, would stubbornly believe that the "pure Dragon-Type" deck he used in the Duel City Finals was the strongest. He didn't expect his Gaia Deck to be ranked as the highest difficulty level?
"That's because the Duel Robot doesn't just record your decks, Hayato. It even has records of when you would draw which cards," Mokuba explained, seeing Hayato's surprise. "The same goes for your Rainbow Kuriboh, Hayato, so be careful."
"Don't worry about that. Just so you know, I'm very strong." Upon learning that the Duel Robot was using his Gaia Deck, Hayato's competitive spirit was somewhat roused. He retrieved his deck from the system and inserted it into the Deck Zone on his wrist Duel Disk. His Duel Disk unfolded.
"This time, I'm using a 'Pure Gaia' Deck."
Unusually, the Duel Robot didn't imitate Hayato's words this time. Detecting that someone on the opposite side had deployed a Duel Disk, "Kobayashi Hayato" also entered Battle Mode, deploying the Duel Disk on its wrist with a blank expression.
And in its Deck Zone, Duel Monster Cards appeared out of thin air.
"Duelist detected, Duel Mode activated, duel level confirmation in progress..."
"error! error!"
"Hazard on!"
"Duel level error, Hazard Mode activated, level fixed at LV10!"
"Duel, start!"
Several blocks of abnormal garbled code flickered across Virtual Hayato's body. Its facial expression changed, revealing a battle-ready smile that was extremely similar to Hayato's. "Just so you know, I'm very strong!"
"Honestly, copying people is really annoying." Hayato pouted, annoyed. Seeing an identical "himself" provoking him felt annoying no matter how he looked at it. He turned back and glanced at Mokuba. "I say, Mokuba, even if I go too hard and break this thing, it should be fine, right?"
Without waiting for Mokuba's answer, Hayato drew five cards from his deck, holding them up in front of him with both hands. "Alright, now begins the Duel Robot's Error Removal Surgery. Surgery difficulty Lv100."
"My level is 1000% of yours!"
The Duel Robot also drew its cards. The two Kobayashi Hayatos, whose appearances were basically identical, looked at each other and said in unison:
"Duel!" X2
[Hayato: 4000LP]
[Virtual Hayato: 4000LP]
"I'll take the first turn, draw!" After confirming his Hand, Hayato decisively took the first turn, drawing a card from his Deck.
Although Mokuba said the Duel Robot had recorded his Duel Data and its Deck wasn't too different from his own, Hayato had no way of knowing its specific performance. Rather than being countered when launching an attack on the second turn, it was better to take the first turn himself in advance, set up his defense and see just how strong the Duel Robot's offensive was.
"Set one Monster in Defense Position, then I activate the Continuous Spell Card **Nightmare Mirage**." After placing a Monster Card horizontally on the Field, Hayato inserted **Nightmare Mirage** into his Duel Disk's Spell & Trap Zone. "Although you're a Robot and should be very clear about this card's effect, I think it's best to explain it anyway."
"During your Standby Phase, **Nightmare Mirage** allows me to replenish my Hand up to four cards. However, during my Standby Phase, I must discard the number of cards drawn due to **Nightmare Mirage**'s effect from my Hand."
"Then, I will set all four remaining cards in my Hand."
Under Maximillion Pegasus's strange gaze from outside the Duel Field, Hayato smugly set all the cards in his Hand, filling his Backrow completely. It was an extremely standard T-Set with five cards in the Backrow and one in the Front Row.
It was also fortunate that Hayato's opponent was the Virtual Hayato projected by the Duel Robot. If it were a real person, their blood pressure would have already soared.
"Alright, my turn ends here." Hayato, having successfully emptied his Hand with the T-Set, declared the end of his turn. "Now it's your turn. Let me see how strong your strength is, Virtual Hayato."
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Set Defense Position]
Nightmare Mirage Set X4
"My turn, draw." Although it had Hayato's Duel Data, Virtual Hayato was, after all, just an AI used within Duel Monsters. Naturally, it couldn't respond to Hayato's words.
A hand swept over the Deck, a card was added to his Hand. At the same time, Hayato quickly said: "When entering your Main Phase, **Nightmare Mirage**'s effect activates."
After Virtual Hayato drew, Hayato drew four cards: "My Hand size is replenished to four cards."
[Hayato: Hand 0→4]
"Entering my Main Phase." From Virtual Hayato's face, there was no sign of jealousy or indifference towards Hayato's drawing cards. There was only a mask-like smile. "Activate the Spell Card **Pot of Greed**. I draw two cards from my Deck."
"Then, activate the Spell Card **Polymerization**. I use **Curse of Dragon** and **Gaia the Fierce Knight** from my Hand as Fusion Material."
Is it coming? Hayato couldn't help but become a little serious, watching the "himself" projected by the virtual projection activate the card.
On Virtual Hayato's Field, the images of **Curse of Dragon** and **Gaia the Fierce Knight** appeared, and were sucked into the Fusion Vortex. When they reappeared, **Gaia** was already riding on the back of the evolved **Gaia the Dragon Champion**.
**Gaia the Dragon Champion** [ATK 2600]
"When **Gaia the Dragon Champion** is successfully Special Summoned, its effect can activate." Virtual Hayato declared, and as he spoke, his hand reached for the Deck.
But just then, countless streaks of fire suddenly erupted from the underground, entangling the defenseless **Gaia the Dragon Champion**.
"Summoned **Gaia** on the first turn? Hmph, just as I expected." The one who made this move was naturally Hayato.
Glancing at the "himself" whose movements had stopped and wore a calm expression, Hayato snapped his fingers, and said casually: "The **Gaia** Deck is best at Warrior and Dragon Riding Tactics, and is skilled in Piercing Battle Damage."
"Others might not know, but as the user of this Deck, how could I set a Monster without caring at all? As expected, a machine is just a machine."
On Hayato's Backrow, a card silently flipped open. Hayato calmly explained: "**Fiend Comedian**, a card that can only be activated when the opponent successfully Fusion Summons a Fusion Monster. Its effect is, by tributing one Monster on the field, gain control of that Fusion Monster."
"**Gaia the Dragon Champion**, truly a good card. But as expected, the Ace Card still ends up in my Hand."
"Come here, my **Gaia**!"
"Boom!"
Following Hayato's words, the flames wrapped around **Gaia the Dragon Champion**'s body were suddenly broken free. The **Gaia the Dragon Champion**, having regained its freedom, shook its head. It was clearly much more lively than the simple image from before.
It looked at the Virtual Hayato behind it, then looked at Hayato himself on the opposite side. The **Gaia the Dragon Champion** flapped its wings, and ran from "Hayato"'s Field to Hayato's Field.
"Amazing, Brother Hayato!" Mokuba outside the Duel Field saw Hayato take control of Virtual Hayato's Monster, and looked very excited. "He easily restricted the Duel Robot's play."
But Maximillion Pegasus beside him shook his head: "No, No, No, Mokuba boy. Although Hayato boy is amazing, it's still too early to say he's completely suppressed him~"
His right eye, not covered by his silver long hair, looked towards the Virtual Hayato standing opposite Hayato, who wore a calm expression. Maximillion Pegasus said, uncharacteristically serious: "The most dangerous thing in Duel Monsters is not an invincible presence that has revealed its full form, but the fear of the unknown. Those are Hayato boy's own words."
"As a Duel Robot that has recorded his Duel logic, how could the Virtual Hayato boy not know this principle?"
On the Duel Field, because of **Fiend Comedian** activated by Hayato, the **Gaia the Dragon Champion** summoned by Virtual Hayato was transferred to Hayato's Field. Only then did the effect of **Gaia the Dragon Champion** resolve. He added **Spiral Spear Strike** from his Deck to his Hand.
However, without **Gaia the Dragon Champion** on the field, what use was adding **Spiral Spear Strike** to his Hand?
Virtual Hayato's expression was as usual, not showing the slightest influence from his play being interfered with. "I activate the Spell Card **Dragon's Mirror**."
The expressionless Virtual Hayato played a card that was anything but ordinary.
"**Dragon's Mirror**? Could it be!" Mokuba thought of the two Fusion Material that Virtual Hayato had just sent to the Graveyard. Meanwhile, Maximillion Pegasus showed an "As expected" expression: "He already expected the first Fusion to be interfered with, so he specifically used **Gaia the Dragon Champion**, which wouldn't matter if it was destroyed or taken?"
"Even the Virtual Hayato boy, is just as meticulous."
In the tall **Dragon's Mirror** that appeared on Virtual Hayato's Backrow, the figures of **Curse of Dragon** and **Gaia the Fierce Knight** flashed one after another. As a Lance shattered the Mirror, the Knight riding the Fiend Dragon appeared in a different form!
# Chapter 393: Those Who NTR Will Be NTR'd
"The effect of [Dragon's Mirror] is that I can Banish monsters from the field or Graveyard to Fusion Summon a Dragon Fusion Monster."
Virtual Hayato explained the card's effect, although everyone present was perfectly clear on the effect he activated. "I Banish Curse of Dragon and Gaia the Fierce Knight from the Graveyard to Fusion Summon Gaia the Dragon Champion."
Gaia the Dragon Champion [7☆/Wind]
[Dragon/Fusion/Effect]
[2600/2100]
"Amazing, you even have the data for this card recorded? I haven't even used it that many times."
Hayato clapped along quite cooperatively and didn't activate his Set Cards, seemingly having no cards he could use.
"Gaia the Dragon Champion has the effect to increase its Attack by a full 2600 points after destroying a monster by battle, and can also destroy one card on the field directly by decreasing its Attack by 2600 points." Mokuba was clearly very worried. "When used for attack, it's practically an invincible monster."
"Hmm, but, because of Hayato boy's [Hell Assembly], he gained a Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Knight with the same Attack as Gaia the Dragon Champion. If the virtual Hayato boy attacks, it will only result in mutual destruction."
Maximillion Pegasus had just finished speaking when he saw Virtual Hayato activate a card: "I activate the Spell Card Owner's Seal from my hand! It returns control of all monsters on the field to their original owner!"
"Return to my field, Gaia!"
With the activation of Owner's Seal, an invisible force swept across the entire field. After passing over the Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Knight on Hayato's field, its body moved on its own.
Despite looking reluctant, Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Knight, riding the Flying Dragon beneath it, returned to Virtual Hayato's field. For a moment, Hayato inexplicably had the illusion of being NTR'd.
If I NTR myself, but then I NTR myself, who is the NTR? For a moment, Hayato was troubled by this philosophical problem.
Now, Virtual Hayato's field had two monsters simultaneously, and their combined Attack was as high as 5200 points, enough to wipe out Hayato's Life Points in one turn!
Even though Mokuba watching from the sidelines was extremely anxious for Hayato, Hayato on the field still maintained a leisurely attitude.
"Next, I enter the Battle Phase." As soon as he entered the Battle Phase, Virtual Hayato drew another card and inserted it into his Duel Disk. "At the start of both players' Battle Phase, I can activate this card, the Quick-Play Spell Card Seal of Dark Magic."
"After Seal of Dark Magic is activated, until the end of the turn, both players cannot activate Spell/Trap Card effects, and Seal of Dark Magic's activation cannot be responded to by Spell/Trap/Monster effects!"
As the card in Virtual Hayato's hand was played, dense arrows appeared out of thin air above the field and rained down, firmly pinning all three remaining Set Cards in Hayato's Backrow to the ground.
Magic power flowed on the arrows. It seemed that these few cards of Hayato's wouldn't be able to activate until the effect of the Spell Card dissipated.
"During the Battle Phase, I will first use Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Knight to perform a direct attack on the opponent Duelist! Sky Soaring Lance Strike!"
Under Virtual Hayato's command, the [Infernal Flame Curse Dragon] beneath Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Knight flapped its wings and flew up. The sharp Lance was held firmly by [Gaia] as it swooped down from high altitude, stabbing towards Hayato.
Hayato, whose Spell/Trap Cards were completely negated, felt at this moment—
"Seriously, the accuracy is terrible. How could I possibly use a move name like that?" The sharp Lance was about to hit him and take away a large amount of Life Points, but Hayato revealed a contemptuous smile. "Besides, to hit me, you're still twenty thousand years too early!"
"I activate the effect of the monster in my hand!"
"Kuriboh, save me!"
Following Hayato's declaration, just as Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Knight's Lance was about to strike, a seven-colored Rainbow Light suddenly leaped out from his hand and fiercely knocked Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Knight flying!
It was the eternal God— Rainbow Kuriboh!
"Rainbow Kuriboh has appeared!"
"What a brilliant strategy!" Maximillion Pegasus also praised. "Although he was sealed by Seal of Dark Magic's effects, preventing Spell and Trap Card activation, seemingly in an unavoidable checkmate, he was able to find an opening in Monster Effects. Genius!"
"The effect of Rainbow Kuriboh is that when an opponent's monster declares an attack, I can equip Rainbow Kuriboh from my hand to that attacking monster." Hayato inserted the Rainbow Kuriboh card into his Duel Disk. "A monster equipped with Rainbow Kuriboh cannot attack."
The attack that was almost certain to secure victory was thus sealed. Virtual Hayato's expression was without sorrow or joy: "In that case, I will use Gaia the Dragon Champion to attack again."
For a Duel Robot with no emotions, driven solely by Duel Monster logic, neither the success nor failure of a strategy could cause a fluctuation in its already empty mind.
Gaia the Dragon Champion received the command and launched an attack on Hayato. This time, Hayato had no monster in his hand that could be used to block the attack. The sharp long spear directly pierced Hayato. Although there was no physical form, the impact brought by the 2600 Attack still caused Hayato to retreat two steps involuntarily.
[Hayato: 4000 → 1400 LP]
"Hiss, that stings a bit. I say, Mokuba, is this thing really a Dueling Device for the kids who come to Kaiba Land to play?" Rubbing his chest, Hayato seemed completely unconcerned about the current situation, even having the leisure to turn his head and speak to Mokuba.
After the attack ended, Virtual Hayato calmly stated: "My Battle Phase ends. I then enter Main Phase 2."
"I Set a card from my hand on the field. I End Turn."
[Virtual Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Knight [ATK 2600]
Gaia the Dragon Champion [ATK 2600]
[Set Card] X2
Hearing Virtual Hayato end his turn, Hayato couldn't help but yawn, complaining somewhat resignedly: "In the end, it's only this level, huh?"
"I was originally thinking that a Duel Robot that recorded the Duel mindsets of various Duelists would be somewhat more interesting. I even specifically snatched the first turn to see your offensive capability. If it's just like this, no wonder that Kaiba guy threw the machine aside and didn't use it. After all, it really is..."
Stretching his limbs a bit, Hayato's finger rested on the Duel Disk, and he revealed a smile: "Then, in this one turn, I'll crush you!"
"My turn, Draw!"
Chapter 394: Unleashing Ultimate Power
"My Turn, Draw!"
Drawing a card from his Deck, Hayato's finger quickly pressed a button on his Duel Disk: "The effect of the [Spell-Sealing Arrow] you activated only lasted until the end of the last turn. So, in my Standby Phase, I activate this card. Quick-Play Spell Card, Emergency Provisions!"
"I send Nightmare's Steelcage from my Field to the Graveyard, and gain 1000 Life Points for each card sent to the Graveyard!"
[Hayato: 1400 → 2400 LP]
Because Hayato sent Nightmare's Steelcage to the Graveyard, the cards in his Hand were saved. Drawing one of them, a smug smile appeared on Hayato's face: "Let me show you the evolved strongest Gaia!"
"Normal Summon Gaia the Magical Knight in Attack Position!"
Appearing on Hayato's Field was a Gaia whose name differed by only one character from Gaia the Dragon Champion, and whose overall appearance was largely the same, except for the mount beneath him being a War Horse instead of a Flying Dragon. Its Attack surprised Mokuba.
[Gaia the Magical Knight][Level 7/LIGHT]
[Warrior/Effect]
[2300/ 2100]
"A monster with 2300 Attack was Normal Summoned directly without Tributing?!"
Hearing this, Hayato explained, "After all, cavalry is all about speed far exceeding other units; a slow appearance isn't a Knight's style."
"If I control no monsters on my Field, Gaia the Magical Knight can be Normal Summoned without Tributing." As he spoke, Hayato snapped his fingers again. "Furthermore, when Gaia the Magical Knight is Summoned or Special Summoned, I can activate its other effect."
On Hayato's Field, the newly appeared Gaia the Magical Knight first gave a slightly strange look at the Gaia the Dragon Champion standing opposite him, the Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion wrapped in a seven-colored light barrier by Rainbow Kuriboh, and the eerily calm Virtual Hayato. Then, shaking his head to temporarily cast aside the questions in his head, he used his lance to draw a magic circle on the ground.
Compared to the standard long lances used by other Gaia monsters, Gaia the Dragon Champion and Gaia the Magical Knight use slightly smaller twin short lances. While they lack some of the imposing presence in attack, they are more convenient for assisting in battle with magic.
Within the magic circle drawn by Gaia the Magical Knight, accompanied by a clear dragon roar, a yellow swift shadow flew out and appeared on Hayato's Field. Although its appearance was somewhat different, it was still clear that this yellow flying dragon was Curse of Dragon!
[The Cursed Dragon - Curse of Dragon][Level 5/DARK]
[Dragon/Effect]
[2000/1500]
"Gaia the Magical Knight's effect is to Special Summon a Level 5 Dragon monster from my Hand or Graveyard. The monster I Summoned is naturally Curse of Dragon from my Hand."
Hayato said, pointing at Curse of Dragon, whose appearance was vastly different. "Because of its cooperation with Gaia, Curse of Dragon has evolved into a new form through the power of magic."
"When Curse of Dragon is Summoned or Special Summoned, it also has an effect that can be activated."
"From my Deck, I add a Spell/Trap Card that mentions "Gaia the Dragon Champion" in its text to my Hand."
"The card I add to Hand is, Spiral Fusion."
A card was added to Hayato's Hand. With just one Normal Summon, Hayato had gathered both the Gaia and Dragon elements on his Field, completing the preliminary preparations for Fusion Summoning a Dragon Fusion Monster from the Gaia the Dragon Champion series.
Next, it seemed he only needed a Fusion card, and Hayato would be able to Summon Gaia the Dragon Champion.
And the Spiral Fusion card that Curse of Dragon just added to Hayato's Hand, although he hadn't seen it much before, had the most common "Spiral" entry for the Gaia series, and its name included Fusion. Its effect couldn't possibly be drawing two cards, right?
Everything was ready, just waiting for the East Wind? That phrase wasn't quite suitable, because theoretically, Hayato could call upon the East Wind at any moment now.
"Alright! Hayato-bro is about to Summon his Gaia the Dragon Champion!" Mokuba seemed very happy. However, his smile quickly faded.
Hayato had just added the Spiral Fusion card to his Hand when Virtual Hayato spoke up, interrupting his next operation: "During your Main Phase, I activate the effect of my Gaia the Dragon Champion on the Field."
"Once per turn, I decrease its Attack by 2600, then destroy one other card on the Field."
Virtual Hayato's hand pointed directly at Curse of Dragon on Hayato's Field, which was baring its fangs at Gaia the Dragon Champion: "The monster I choose to destroy is Curse of Dragon."
Curse of Dragon that was pointed at looked completely bewildered.
It had been thinking that since Hayato had already drawn Spiral Fusion with its own effect, the next thing it needed to do was become Fusion Material for Gaia the Dragon Champion and participate in the battle as a mount.
Spiral Fusion could be said to be a Hand or Field version of Dragon's Mirror. Although the monsters it could Fusion Summon were limited to Dragon Fusion Monsters, the Fusion range was restricted to the Hand and Field, just like a regular Fusion Spell Card.
However, since there was a restriction, there was naturally compensation. If the Dragon Fusion Monster Fusion Summoned by Spiral Fusion was Gaia the Dragon Champion, it could increase that Gaia the Dragon Champion's Attack by a full 2600 points, and also grant it the effect to attack twice during a turn.
For the Gaia the Dragon Champion series, whose Attack is all 2600, the effect of Spiral Fusion was to give you a critical attack with a double attack. It wasn't just strong; it was incredibly strong.
It was also because of this that Curse of Dragon had previously provoked Gaia the Dragon Champion, or more accurately, the other Curse of Dragon beneath him. Although others couldn't quite understand the content of the provocation, the rough translation was—
"Little brat, I'll kill you within three minutes and scatter your dragon bones to the wind!"
Flames ignited on the tip of Gaia the Dragon Champion's short lance. At this moment, the thought in Curse of Dragon's mind was:
*If only I had known provocation would get me beaten...*
[Gaia the Dragon Colossus][ATK 2600 → 0]
The flames, compressed into a single line, instantly pierced through Curse of Dragon's body, destroying it and sending it to the Graveyard.
"Curse of Dragon, was destroyed!"
Mokuba looked surprised, just like when you've been looking forward to a Hatsune Miku concert for a long time, you've already taken time off, finished all your work early just to see the performance, and then you're notified that Hatsune Miku was arrested for tax evasion?
"What's going on?!"
"The Duel Robot is truly impressive," Maximillion Pegasus even praised. "If it had destroyed Gaia the Magical Knight, Hayato-boy might have had other Gaia monsters in his Hand that could be Special Summoned individually, and he could still combine them to Fusion Summon Gaia the Dragon Champion."
"But what was destroyed was Curse of Dragon."
Maximillion Pegasus praised again, "Remarkable Dueling intuition."
He would never say that he was actually reminded of the time during Duelist Kingdom when Yugi Mutou asked him to guess his Set Card, and he guessed wrong. Losing the Duel was one thing, but admitting that his intuition was inferior to a robot would be too embarrassing.
The situation was indeed as Maximillion Pegasus said. After Curse of Dragon was destroyed by Gaia the Dragon Champion at the cost of its own Life Points, Hayato no longer had any other Dragon monsters in his Hand that could be used for Fusion Summoning Gaia the Dragon Champion.
This made Hayato's action of adding Spiral Fusion to his Hand using Curse of Dragon's effect just now seem very foolish.
"Seriously, I was just looking down on robots a bit, but in the blink of an eye, I was tricked. How embarrassing." Hayato awkwardly rubbed his nose, looking helpless, and sighed, "Ah, this is terrible. Now I don't have any Dragon monsters I can use for Fusion, do I?"
As he spoke, Hayato looked at Virtual Hayato's Field, at the Gaia the Dragon Champion whose Attack had been reduced to 0, and the Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion.
"Hmm, what a coincidence. Why didn't I think of it? Gaia the Dragon Champion is actually a Dragon monster too, isn't it?" Hayato said, revealing a card from his Hand. Although he hadn't activated it yet, a strange power manifested on the Duel Field, causing Virtual Hayato's body to fluctuate abnormally. Pieces of white garbled code floated around his body, just like a television screen with a bad signal.
"Since you're also Hayato, I'm sure you won't mind if I borrow your card for a bit, right?" Hayato didn't even look at his Duel Disk, with a flourish flicking the card he held between his fingers downwards, just enough to send it into the Spell & Trap Zone. "I discard one card from my Hand, and then activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, Super Polymerization!"
"By discarding the Spiral Fusion in my Hand, I will use the Gaia the Dragon Champion on your Field and the Gaia the Magical Knight on my Field as Fusion Material to Fusion Summon a monster!"
"Witness this, ultimate power!"
## Chapter 395: So, shall we shoot?
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, [Super Polymerization]!"
As Hayato sent [Spiral Fusion] to the Graveyard, an unmatched power instantly locked onto [Gaia the Magical Knight] and [Gaia the Dragon Champion] on the Field.
"The effect of [Super Polymerization] is that after discarding a card from my Hand, I send the required Fusion Material Monsters from both my Field and yours to the Graveyard, and then Special Summon a Fusion Monster as a Fusion Summon."
"Furthermore, [Super Polymerization] also has the ability to prevent Spell/Trap/Monster Effects from being activated in response to its activation!"
On Hayato's Field, [Gaia the Magical Knight] pulled the reins, and the War Horse beneath him suddenly accelerated into a wild charge, rushing towards [Dragon Knight Gaia] on Virtual Hayato's Field. [Dragon Knight Gaia] wanted to avoid it, but under the suppression of [Super Polymerization], he couldn't move at all!
The distance between them finally grew shorter and shorter. At the last moment, [Gaia the Magical Knight] stood up directly from the horse's back, leaping high into the air. Using the momentum of his War Horse, he flew up and delivered a "Knight Kick" directly onto the body of the immobile [Dragon Knight Gaia]!
[Gaia] on the dragon's back was directly kicked away, falling to the ground. He was then struck by the War Horse's powerful horseshoe, which couldn't stop its momentum, and was directly sent to the Graveyard. Meanwhile, the original [Gaia the Magical Knight] took the opportunity to take control of the [Curse of Dragon] beneath him, pulled the reins, and returned to Hayato's Field.
However, upon returning to Hayato's Field, [Gaia], who had to abandon his weapon due to the previous kick, reluctantly pulled out a backup Lance. The [Curse of Dragon] also evolved into [Infernal Flame Dragon].
[Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] [ATK 2600]
"Although I also wanted to Fusion Summon [Dragon Knight Gaia], his Fusion Material requirements are a [Gaia the Fierce Knight] Monster and a Level 5 or higher Dragon-Type Monster. The [Dragon Knight Gaia] used as Material was a Level 7 Dragon-Type."
Hayato, who had gained an advantage but still acted dissatisfied, wore a slightly unhappy expression. "So, I could only Summon [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion]."
"And you should be familiar with his effect, right? When Special Summoned Successfully, I can add one [Spiral Spear Strike] from my Deck to my Hand."
Catching the [Spiral Spear Strike] ejected from his Deck, Hayato had no intention of keeping it in his Hand and activated it immediately: "I activate [Spiral Spear Strike], which I just added to my Hand."
As Hayato placed [Spiral Spear Strike] into his Duel Disk, spiral air currents began to coil and rotate around the tip of the Lance held by [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] on his Field, already imbued with the ability of Piercing Battle Damage.
At this moment, both Hayato and Virtual Hayato had one [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] on their Fields. Coupled with their identical appearances, it was as if a mirror had been erected in the very center of the two Duel Fields.
As one of the few differences, [Rainbow Kuriboh] sat obediently on top of [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion]'s head, opening its mouth to yawn.
Mokuba watched both Fields, feeling somewhat confused. Although [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] on Virtual Hayato's Field had its attack ability sealed because it was equipped with [Rainbow Kuriboh], its 2600 Attack was still there.
If Hayato's [Super Polymerization] had targeted [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] just now, Hayato would only need to face [Dragon Knight Gaia], whose Attack had been reduced to 0.
Maximillion Pegasus, also watching, slightly narrowed his only exposed single eye, looking at the Set Card in Hayato's Hand. For some reason, he suddenly remembered the Card Hayato frequently used during the Duelist Kingdom period. With that Card, Hayato often took and used other Duelists' cards right in front of them.
And every time he used it, Hayato would always add one more sentence—
"Witness the bond between me and my companion," Hayato declared loudly, drawing a Card from his Hand. "I activate this Card that symbolizes 'bond', the Spell Card [Change of Heart]!"
So how exactly does that thing relate to bond?!
As Hayato placed the Card into his Duel Disk, on his Backrow, a figure that was half-angel and half-demon emerged from the activated [Change of Heart] Card. From a distance, it formed a heart shape towards [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] on Virtual Hayato's Field. From the hand shape, a translucent pink heart flew out.
"The effect of [Change of Heart] is that I can target one Monster on my Opponent's Field and gain control of that Monster until the End Phase." Hayato said, pointing his finger like a gun, aiming through the translucent heart shape at [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion]. "Alright, I'll be taking your Monster. It might tickle a little~"
"Capturing Arrow!"
As Hayato made a shooting gesture with his Hand, a dense volley of arrows flew out from the translucent heart shape towards [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] opposite Hayato. The rain of arrows fell upon him but passed through his body, landing in the empty space.
However, just after the arrows passed through [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion]'s body, the heart shape floating in front of Hayato turned black, and Virtual Hayato's [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] also arrived on his Field with a dazed expression.
With this, the situation on the Field changed again. On Hayato's Field, just like Virtual Hayato's Field in the previous Turn, there were now two Monsters with 2600 Attack, totaling 5200 Attack. This gave him the ability to deplete Virtual Hayato's currently full 4000 Life Points in one Turn.
Virtual Hayato only had two Set Cards in his Backrow, and it was confirmed that one of them was not a Trap Card that could be used for defense or counter. It was [Spiral Spear Strike], which Virtual Hayato had added to Hand using [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion]'s effect in the previous Turn and was now merely serving as a smoke screen.
On Hayato's side, his resources were much more abundant. He still had one Card in his Hand that hadn't been used, and two Set Cards in his Backrow.
The only weakness was probably—
"This is bad, Hayato-bro made a big mistake!"
Mokuba, who was watching from the sidelines, noticed something and pointed directly at the [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] that had just been transferred to Hayato's Field, specifically at the top of its head.
"What's on top of it is—"
"[Rainbow Kuriboh] is still equipped to [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion]!"
"Although control has changed, the Equip Card hasn't changed. [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] is still sealed from attacking!"
"What?!" Pegasus looked over upon hearing this and also saw [Rainbow Kuriboh], which was clearly much more energetic than its bored yawning appearance from before, now that it was back on Hayato's Field. It was currently bouncing on the head of the dazed [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion], waving at Hayato.
For a moment, it was unclear whether [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] was dazed because of [Change of Heart] or because [Rainbow Kuriboh] was bouncing on its head, causing a concussion.
Virtual Hayato also spoke: "The Equip Card does not target a specific person's Monster, but simply the Monster itself. Unless the Monster's state changes, such as changing from Face-up Position to Face-down Position, or leaving the Field, a mere change in control will not cause the Equip Card to leave the Monster."
"Even though you used [Change of Heart] to control [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion], he still cannot attack due to [Rainbow Kuriboh]'s effect."
Hayato shrugged indifferently upon hearing this: "Just a mere machine. Simple calculation can't possibly calculate the possibilities of Duel Monsters. It's just that its attack ability is restricted. Just because you can't do it doesn't mean I can't!"
"Who says you can't kill someone without attack ability?"
Hayato played the last Card in his Hand: "Then, I activate the Spell Card [Power of Heritage]!"
"A single [Gaia] might have its individual limits, after all, individual rotation has an end point. But, as long as someone can inherit the incomplete rotation that [Gaia] possesses, the endless rotation can lead to an infinite future!"
"I send one Monster from my Field to the Graveyard, then I choose one Monster on my Field. The Attack of the chosen Monster increases by the Attack value of the Monster Card sent to the Graveyard until the End Phase of the Activation Turn!" Hayato ordered with a wave of his Hand, "Believe in the rotation, [Gaia], and step towards the next stage of rotation!"
On Hayato's Field, [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion], which was controlled by the effect of [Change of Heart], raised its Lance in response to a bright light enveloping Hayato's Field. The rotation granted by [Spiral Spear Strike] coiled around its Lance.
[Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion]'s Lance was touched. It was touched by the other [Gaia]. The completely synchronized rotation power from two identical Lances was transferred to the same place, onto the [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] that Hayato had summoned. A golden sacred flame ignited on it.
The radiant light enveloping it silently dissipated. At the same time, the [Gaia] that was controlled by [Change of Heart] also dissipated. [Rainbow Kuriboh] on its head was also sent to the Graveyard as a result, waving goodbye to Hayato before leaving.
[Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] [ATK 2600 → 5200]
"Did you inherit this completely identical rotation power, [Gaia]?"
Although it was a question, Hayato used a tone of certainty.
Looking at Virtual Hayato, who stood before him indifferent to his Monster's departure, Hayato simply gave the final command with determination:
"Then, let's use a rotation as perfect as the Golden Ratio to deliver the final blow in this Duel!"
"Entering the Battle Phase, I will use [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] to Direct Attack the Opponent!"
"Golden Rotation Power!"
At Hayato's command, [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion], empowered by the other [Gaia]'s power, charged without hesitation. Without even seeing him pull the reins, the [Infernal Flame Dragon] beneath him flapped its wings and flew high as if by telepathic connection, its body rotating like a spiral.
"This is the rotation! Go, Gaia!"
At the same time, Hayato also flipped over a Set Card in his Backrow. "And I also need to provide support! I activate the Continuous Spell Card [Spiral Discharge]!"
"As long as I have a [Gaia the Dragon Champion] on the Field in my Monster Zone, my Opponent can only choose [Gaia the Dragon Champion] as an Attack Target."
"Furthermore, Once per turn, when my [Gaia the Dragon Champion] Declares an Attack during Battle, I can target one Card on the Field and destroy it directly!"
Hayato's finger pointed at a Card in Virtual Hayato's Backrow: "The Card I choose to target is the one on your left. Fall before [Gaia], who has achieved the Perfect Cavalry Spin!"
[Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion], whose Card Name can be treated as [Gaia the Dragon Champion], swooped down from the air. The rotating [Infernal Flame Dragon] served as a second layer of support after the other [Gaia], strengthening the rotation power at [Gaia]'s Lance tip. It even used some of the overflowing power to directly tear apart a Card in Virtual Hayato's Backrow!
The green Card shattered under everyone's gaze—
The Card Destroyed was [Spiral Spear Strike]?!
"Then, I will Chain to [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion]'s Attack and activate the other Set Card on my Field that was not Destroyed," Virtual Hayato said in his usual calm tone, but his words felt like mockery. "The Card I Set is this Card."
"Trap Card, [Magic Cylinder]!"
"What?!" Hayato was quite unexpected. "How do you have this Card?! My [Gaia] Deck doesn't have this Card!"
Mokuba also had an unexpected expression, even finding it hard to believe: "The data for the Cards saved in the database, has the data been modified?"
"Oh no, does that mean—!!"
Mokuba's face was extremely grim, and he anxiously reminded Hayato on the Duel Field: "Hayato-bro, the Cards the Duel Robot originally used should undoubtedly be your original Cards. That [Magic Cylinder] shouldn't exist; the Robot should have Set other Cards before!"
"But now the data the Robot is using has been completely modified. To avoid being defeated, it's starting to use Card Creation!"
"That doesn't matter, who doesn't use Card Creation these days?" Hayato retorted, focusing on [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion], which was about to hit Virtual Hayato.
Coiled with Rotation Power accelerated to the extreme, already appearing golden, [Gaia]'s Lance tip was about to pierce Virtual Hayato's body when a light barrier unfolded before him, completely blocking his Attack.
At Virtual Hayato's feet, a deep cylinder appeared, covered in mysterious patterns. Although it looked quite small, looking inside revealed only darkness, bottomless. A similar device also abruptly appeared beside Hayato's feet.
In that instant, a light barrier emerged from this cylinder, blocking [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion]'s Attack. And now, a suction force appeared within the cylinder, as if to transfer [Gaia]'s Attack into the cylinder and then release it in front of Hayato!
The [Magic Cylinder] available on the market, like the Card [The Force], exists in two versions. The version of [Magic Cylinder] used by Yugi requires a Spellcaster-Type Monster on the Field to activate. Since Virtual Hayato's Field was empty, he naturally couldn't be using that version, but the other one.
Its effect is—
"The effect of [Magic Cylinder] is that when an Opponent's Monster Declares an Attack, you can activate it by targeting that Attacking Monster. It negates the Attacking Monster's Attack, and the Attack value of the Monster is inflicted as Effect Damage to the Opponent." Virtual Hayato said calmly. "[Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion]'s Attack is 5200, and your Life Points are only 2400."
"The outcome of this Duel has already been revealed."
Even [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion], whose Attack had surpassed 5000, struggled for a long time but ultimately couldn't resist the interference of [Magic Cylinder]'s effect. Its Lance, along with all the rotation power coiled around it, was completely sealed into the [Magic Cylinder] in front of Virtual Hayato.
And in front of Hayato, the light barrier that had just blocked [Gaia]'s Attack unfolded. The Lance coiled with rotation power appeared before his eyes.
As the light barrier suddenly disappeared, the sharp, rotating Lance pierced—
"Puff!"
"Clack!"
Two strange sounds rang out consecutively. Mokuba, who was looking worried, was surprised to find that [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion]'s Lance, which should have hit Hayato at point-blank range, strangely deviated due to its self-rotation and landed beside Hayato's feet. It had been just a tiny bit away from hitting Hayato and taking away his remaining 2400 Life Points.
The rotating Lance detached from [Gaia], and the rotation power suddenly dissipated. Although it still plunged into the ground, it didn't pierce very deep, hence the "Puff" sound.
And the "Clack" sound was...
Pegasus's single eye looked at a masked gunman who had abruptly appeared beside Virtual Hayato, holding a revolver in his outstretched left arm, pressing it firmly against Virtual Hayato's head. He revealed an interested smile: "Interesting! Hayato-boy, is this another new Duel Monster? And, since when?"
"Can't be helped, since the Opponent is shamelessly forcing Card Creation, I had no choice but to resort to this."
Hayato, who had just been panicking and seemed helpless and at a loss against Virtual Hayato's counter, was now completely calm. He even spread his hands and shrugged helplessly. "As for this Monster? His Name is [Infernity Death Gunman]."
"I summoned him to the Field back on the first Turn."
"I see, a Monster sent to the Graveyard by [Inferno Assembly]? And, Infernity? Sounds like an impressive Name," Pegasus exclaimed with a smile. "Just by looking at it, I feel countless inspirations for Duel Monsters emerging in my head again."
Mokuba's reaction was a bit slower, and he said in surprise: "What exactly happened just now?"
Virtual Hayato remained silent. On one hand, he also wanted to hear Hayato explain the Card's effect. On the other hand—with a gun pointed at his head, was he "moved" or "unable to move"?
"[Magic Cylinder] is indeed a very powerful Card. Returning the Monster's Attack value as Damage is perfect for dealing with Beatdown Decks, especially Brute Force Decks like Kaiba's and Joey Wheeler's." Hayato explained patiently. "However, its only weakness is that what it returns is not the Damage itself, but 'Effect Damage' caused by a Trap Card."
"After I activated [Power of Heritage] just now, the number of Cards in my Hand became 0. When I have 0 Cards in my Hand, and my Opponent activates a Spell/Trap/Monster Effect that would inflict Damage to me, the effect of [Infernity Death Dragon] in my Graveyard can activate."
"By banishing [Infernity Death Dragon] from my Graveyard, the Effect Damage I would take becomes 0." Hayato said, glancing at Virtual Hayato, whose head was being pressed by the handgun. "However, although I escaped certain death, the Grim Reaper is quite fair."
"After [Infernity Death Dragon] negates the Effect Damage, the Opponent can choose whether or not to activate its subsequent ability."
Pegasus's face showed an interested smile: "Oh, the Opponent gets to choose whether to activate it? Amazing~"
"Just like a Western cowboy!"
Hayato smiled: "Actually, it does have some relation to Western cowboys, because the next ability is similar to Roulette."
"Reveal the top of my Deck. If that Card is a Monster Card, I inflict Damage to the Opponent's Life Points equal to the total value of Effect Damage I took and Effect Damage that was negated this Turn. Conversely, if the drawn Card is a Spell/Trap Card, I take the Effect Damage that was negated."
"Of course, this effect only applies if you are willing to activate it. If the Opponent chooses not to activate the subsequent effect, they cannot inflict Effect Damage to me this Turn."
Hayato adopted a relaxed posture: "Should I call it dancing on the edge of a knife, or sticking a gun barrel in your mouth? In short, the effect of this Card, [Infernity Death Dragon], can be said to be interpreting the Grim Reaper's way of life."
"So, what will you do? What is your choice?"
Placing his finger on his Deck, feeling the touch of the Cards, Hayato smiled and looked at Virtual Hayato's expressionless face. "To be honest, although I clearly remember that the total number of Cards in the Deck I'm currently using is forty, unfortunately, because Cards are often added or removed,"
"Even I myself have forgotten how many Monster Cards I've put in my Deck."
"So, what will you do?"
Synchronized with Hayato's movement, [Infernity Death Dragon], standing beside Virtual Hayato and pointing a gun at him, placed its finger on the revolver's trigger. It seemed that as soon as Virtual Hayato made his decision, Hayato and [Infernity Death Dragon] would draw Cards and pull the trigger like Western cowboys dueling at high noon.
Virtual Hayato's Calculation Logic Unit was currently calculating various possibilities at full load.
If he activates [Infernity Death Dragon]'s effect, the outcome of this Duel will be entirely dependent on the Card at the top of Hayato's Deck. If he doesn't activate [Infernity Death Dragon]'s effect, [Magic Cylinder]'s effect will be completely wasted, and the Duel will once again enter a fierce exchange.
In the Duel Robot's Calculation, the probability of drawing a key card sufficient to clear the board in the next Draw is less than 5%. This means that if it doesn't use [Magic Cylinder] to defeat Hayato here, the Duel Robot will likely lose in the future.
On the other hand, the Duel Robot also completed the Calculation of the theoretically most probable composition of the [Gaia] Deck Hayato was using. The result was a ratio of 15 Monster Cards, 15 Spell Cards, and 10 Trap Cards.
In this Duel, Hayato has already used 4 Monster Cards (excluding Fusion Monsters), 7 Spell Cards, and 1 Trap Card from his Deck. This means theoretically there are still 11 Monster Cards, 8 Spell Cards, and 9 Trap Cards left in the Deck. The probability of drawing a Card other than a Monster Card is 60%, a success rate of over half.
So, the result is clear.
Virtual Hayato spoke: "I choose to activate [Infernity Death Dragon]'s effect."
"Pull the trigger."
"Swish!"
Just as Virtual Hayato's words fell, Hayato's finger on the top of the Deck exerted slight force, like a swordsman focusing his will in a single instant drawing a sharp blade that had been waiting in its sheath, he drew the Card from the top of the Deck.
A faint golden light flashed in mid-air, but dissipated in the blink of an eye, as if it were merely an illusion.
"So, I said it already, mere machines are truly boring." Hayato, who had drawn the Card, didn't even check what Card he had drawn, just sighed helplessly. "Although I don't think a mere machine can learn anything from this, let me teach you a little."
"Lesson 1: The number of Cards in a Duelist's Deck is limited, but the possibility of each drawing Cards is infinite."
"Lesson 2: A Duelist must believe in their Deck, and the Deck will naturally respond to that trust."
"Lesson 3: As long as you don't give up on the future, the future can advance infinitely."
"Lesson 4: The most important thing for a Duelist is not powerful Cards, but intuition."
"And, Lesson 5."
As he spoke, Hayato held up the Card in his Hand: "For a True Duelist, everything is inevitable, even drawing Cards itself is created by the Duelist!"
"You, a mere computer program, calculated the Cards completely but held no trust. You gave up on the possibility of the future simply because of probability, and you relied only on powerful Cards without any intuition. Such a you was destined for failure from the start of the Duel!"
"The Card at the top of my Deck is a Monster Card, [Dark Knight—]"
"[GAIA———!!!]"
"Bang!!"
As [Infernity Death Dragon] bent its finger and pulled the trigger, a gunshot echoed through Kaiba Land. However, here in America, a mere gunshot was nothing.
The image of Virtual Hayato, with a hole opened in his temple, dissipated like dust in the wind. At the same time, perhaps due to overload, the red ring above the Duel Field burst with a "Bang", as if it were a salute for the Duel Robot's defeat, smashing heavily onto the ground.
Hayato exchanged a high-five with [Infernity Death Dragon], whose figure was gradually dissipating and walking towards him. He glanced at the Opponent's Field, which was covered by the smashed Virtual Projection Device: "Well, at a time like this, I guess I have to say..."
"...This is satisfying."