"Zigfried von Schroeder."
"No, 'Zigfried von Schroeder' is the name used to refer to one of the KC Cup participants. Since you've already been eliminated, calling you Zigfried von Schroeder is more appropriate."
With an unpleasant expression, Zigfried von Schroeder—that is, Zigfried von Schroeder—looked at Kaiba Seto, who was blocking his path with his usual arrogant face.
"Although there is no concrete evidence, if one only acts after obtaining concrete information, they will miss many optimal opportunities," Kaiba said coldly, his arms crossed over his chest. "I don't know how you did it, but this anomaly here must have been caused by you, right?"
Under normal logic, even if Zigfried von Schroeder was indeed the instigator of the anomaly happening around them, he wouldn't honestly confess everything just because of Kaiba's baseless question. Instead of proposing misleading ideas to clear his name, he should at least deny it by saying, "I didn't do it."
However, Zigfried von Schroeder, whose goal was specifically aimed at Kaiba Seto, pulled a cold sneer at the corner of his mouth. "That's right, it was me, Kaiba Seto."
"Do you remember the anomaly with the Duel Robots a few days ago?"
Kaiba's eyes sharpened. "As expected, that incident was also related to you."
The Kaiba Dome and the Kaiba Land Building on the other side were completed one after the other. The Kaiba Dome had only been open for less than ten days, and Kaiba Land was the same. Therefore, many projects hadn't gained recognition, and many were still in the preparation stage and not yet open.
After all, even if most people had free time and wanted to visit, their primary choice would be the Kaiba Dome, where the KC Cup was being held. Only a genius freeloader like Pegasus would spend all day at Kaiba Land playing video games, and he'd even get annoyed if Tenma Tsukihiro called him.
The Duel Robots, or rather, the project that utilized Duel Robots and focused on dueling against virtual Legendary Duelists, "Duel Gate," was one of the projects still in the preparation stage and not yet open. If the invaded Duel Robots hadn't consumed so much data, it might not have been discovered that they were invaded until the staff responsible for daily checks started work.
Also, because "Duel Gate" hadn't even launched, the invasion of the Duel Robots naturally wouldn't attract any external attention or knowledge. After all, if something went wrong with something still in the testing phase, it would just be an internal laboratory issue. Even unscrupulous Reporters desperate for news wouldn't want to waste ink on such matters, unless there were deaths or major issues involving political correctness.
Therefore, it was strange that Zigfried von Schroeder knew about the Duel Robots' malfunction. The only people who should know about this were KaibaCorp personnel, Hayato, and Pegasus, besides the invader. Zigfried von Schroeder couldn't be a KaibaCorp person, nor could he be Hayato or Pegasus. Thus, logically, he could only be the invader.
Although in reality, he wasn't the one who invaded KaibaCorp but merely used Bakura Ryo as his wingman to attract attention, then brazenly slipped the Trojan Horse Program into the Kaiba Server while the waters were muddied, this didn't prevent Zigfried von Schroeder from using this pretense.
"Besides me, who else could it be?"
Zigfried von Schroeder said proudly, "You haven't forgotten, have you, Kaiba Seto? At your first birthday party after you were adopted, I easily cracked the Firewall you wrote."
Hearing this, Kaiba thought back seriously and remembered that such a thing had indeed happened. He laughed, "So that person was you. Heh, but you, you only cared about those meaningless superficial vanities, and you didn't even know your own network was invaded."
"And you've held onto such old, trivial matters until now. I've almost forgotten about it. What a boring fellow."
Zigfried von Schroeder's arrogant expression froze for a moment. It wasn't that Kaiba mentioning the aftermath of that incident embarrassed him, but rather that Kaiba actually said it was a boring matter?
"You said you've almost forgotten?" Zigfried's expression became somewhat distorted. "Do you know what you're saying? That incident was my humiliation! It was the first time I was defeated by you!"
"I carefully preserved the diary I wrote that day. Every time I was defeated by you, I would write a diary entry. A full 3000 times! I was defeated by you a full 3000 times, and you don't even remember the first time!?"
"3000 times? You've been defeated by me that many times? It seems you really are a piece of trash," Kaiba said with disdain. "No, calling you trash is an insult to trash. Even some mediocre people are stronger than you."
"You!!"
Zigfried von Schroeder's expression twisted. "Don't tell me you don't remember any of the times you defeated me! I consider you my arch-rival!!"
"Hmph, I don't have a habit of remembering the faces of guys I've defeated. Besides, my arch-rival is only one person, and that's Mutou Yuugi."
"I had planned to defeat Yugi in this KC Cup, and then ride the wind and waves to defeat Hayato Kobayashi as well," Kaiba said coldly, pointing at Zigfried. "And you, like a fly that just flew out of a sewer into a carefully cooked soup, completely disrupted my plan!"
"Prepare to bear my wrath, scum!!"
Hearing Kaiba's words, Zigfried lowered his head, covering half his face with one hand, and began to tremble.
He wasn't trembling out of fear, but rather—
"I, a genius, I, an elite, I, the President of Schroeder Corporation, was never even put in your eyes?"
"Kaiba, Seto!!"
"You! Only you! The wrath should be borne by you, the wrath of me, Zigfried von Schroeder!!"
"I will completely crush you in your most prized Duel Monsters, and then make you watch helplessly as KaibaCorp's tall buildings collapse!"
"Duel!!"
[Zigfried von Schroeder: 4000 LP]
Looking at Zigfried, who had inserted his Deck into his Duel Disk and activated it, Kaiba showed a bloodthirsty smile. "Stop spouting such foolish daydreams, scum. If you could do that, I would have thought highly of you long ago."
"Since you want to bring shame upon yourself, I won't be polite and will bestow upon you the punishment of 'Despair'!"
"With my Blue-Eyes!"
"Duel!"
[Kaiba Seto: 4000 LP]
"I'll take the first turn, draw!"
Because the Duel Disks they were using were also equipped with an automatic card eject function, claiming the right to go first between Kaiba and Zigfried depended entirely on their hand speed. Kaiba's speed was clearly faster, and he drew a card first, claiming the right to go first.
"I activate the effect of 'Lord of D. - Dictator of D.' in my hand! This card can be Special Summoned from my Deck by sending one 'Blue-Eyes' card from my Deck or hand to the Graveyard. I choose to send 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' from my Deck to the Graveyard and Special Summon it!"
"Come forth, 'Lord of D. - Dictator of D.'!"
['Lord of D. - Dictator of D.'] [4☆/Dark]
[Spellcaster/Effect]
[1200/1100]
After sending a card automatically searched from his Deck to the Graveyard, what appeared on Kaiba's field was a new form of his frequently used Lord of D.. The familiar dragon bone armor and spirited cloak were there, but the difference was that 'Lord of D. - Dictator of D.' held a 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' limited edition of The Flute of Summoning Dragon in its hand.
As Lord of D.'s usual Spell Card, The Flute of Summoning Dragon has the effect to Special Summon two Dragon-Type monsters directly from the hand to the field. Although the design has been modified, 'Lord of D. - Dictator of D.'s' 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' version of The Flute of Summoning Dragon also retains the ability to Special Summon Dragon-Type monsters, albeit with a few limiting conditions.
"The second effect of 'Lord of D. - Dictator of D.' is that I can send one 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' or a card that lists 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon's' card name from my hand to the Graveyard,"
Kaiba said with a cold laugh, sending a monster card from his hand to the Graveyard. "Targeting the 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' I sent to the Graveyard earlier to Special Summon 'Lord of D. - Dictator of D.', I activate its effect! Revive, Blue-Eyes!"
"Right here, let your so-called Valkyrie witness the strongest Dragon you cannot defeat, Zigfried!"
Pure holy light bloomed on Kaiba's field. As 'Lord of D. - Dictator of D.' blew the flute, the white giant dragon soared up within the holy light, descending before Kaiba.
It is both the strongest "spear" and the most solid "shield." This is Kaiba's most trusted strongest Dragon-Type monster—'Blue-Eyes White Dragon'!!
['Blue-Eyes White Dragon'] [ATK 3000]
"He actually Summoned 'Blue-Eyes' on the first turn?!" Zigfried's expression twisted. "Damn it, don't get cocky, Kaiba Seto!"
"You say I can't defeat it? Next turn, I will definitely destroy that 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' right in front of you!"
For some reason, listening to Zigfried's words, Kaiba felt his already foul mood worsen.
Because Zigfried's name (Siegfried) is taken from "Siegfried," the dragon-slaying hero in the famous mythological poem "Nibelungenlied." Combined with his use of a Valkyrie Deck, based on the Valkyries who helped Siegfried in mythology, Zigfried himself has been promoted in Europe as a figure like a "great hero who stepped out of mythology."
In "Nibelungenlied," the greatest achievement of the great hero "Siegfried" was killing the giant dragon Fafnir. It was precisely because of this that Kaiba had just specifically teased and mocked Zigfried, saying he couldn't defeat his 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon,' which is also a Dragon-Type monster.
But now Zigfried retorted and made wild boasts, saying he would destroy 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon,' which made Kaiba extremely displeased.
"Hmph, save your daydreams for when you're locked alone in prison, enjoying your torment," Kaiba snorted coldly, drawing two cards from his hand and inserting them into the Spell & Trap Zone. "I Set two cards in my Spell/Trap Zone and end my turn."
[Kaiba: 4000 LP, hand 2]
['Blue-Eyes White Dragon'] [ATK 3000]
['Lord of D. - Dictator of D.'] [ATK 1200]
[Set Card] X2
"My turn, draw!" His heart filled with the wrath of being underestimated, Zigfried drew a card. After seeing the card he drew this turn, he pouted unhappily.
The card he drew was Mischief of the Time Goddess, which allows his monsters to gain an additional second Battle Phase, giving them another chance to attack. If the opponent's field doesn't have enough monsters as barriers, it can be a quite powerful card.
Combined with Ride of the Valkyries, which can Special Summon a large number of Valkyrie monsters at once, it can easily achieve an One-Turn Kill (OTK) or even a First Turn Kill (FTK).
But the problem was that Kaiba's field currently had a 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' with 3000 ATK, and Zigfried's hand didn't have a powerful monster strong enough to break through it. Activating this card now would simply be a waste.
He had to find a way to break through 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon,' or perhaps, bypass it.
Remembering the existence of a card in his Deck, Zigfried played a card with a sour face. "I activate the Spell Card Time Capsule! This card's effect is to place one card from my Deck into the 'Time Capsule,' sending it to my Standby Phase two turns in the future."
"When I get that card, without a doubt, you will face the most humiliating defeat, Kaiba Seto!"
"Before that, I Summon a monster in face-down Defense Position on my field, then Set two cards. I end my turn."
[Zigfried: 4000 LP, hand 2]
[Face-down Defense Position Monster]
[Time Capsule] [Set Card] X2
"My turn, draw." After drawing a card, a cold sneer appeared at the corner of Kaiba's mouth.
"Hmph, you talk big, but you're just an incompetent rat after all?" Kaiba said coldly, adding the card he just drew to his hand. "I even got a little serious, how boring. Well then, I'll finish you off this turn."
"Spell Card Twin Twisters! By discarding one card from my hand, I can destroy up to two Spell/Trap Cards on the field."
Sending a card from his hand to the Graveyard, Kaiba pointed at Zigfried's Spell/Trap Zone. "I will destroy those two Set cards in your Spell/Trap Zone!"
"Don't think you'll succeed!" Zigfried opened his Set card triumphantly. "Chain Twin Twisters, I activate the Trap Card Seal of the Tomb! Skip your next Draw Phase!"
"Then the other card will be destroyed by Twin Twisters. Due to Freyja's Apple's effect when destroyed, I draw a card from my Deck."
Drawing a card and then sealing Kaiba's next draw, Kaiba's Twin Twisters ended up being useless.
Looking at Kaiba, Zigfried sneered, "What's wrong, Kaiba? Didn't you say you were going to finish me off this turn? Then you better hurry up. I don't mind, but these spectators don't have that much time to wait for you."
Hearing Zigfried's words, Kaiba frowned and looked around.
He didn't know what was happening or where it started, but in the Spectator Area of the Kaiba Dome Venue, among many spectators who were properly watching the Duel between Dan Kuroto and Rayne on the Field, a strange phenomenon causing people to fall into a weakened state began to spread.
Dizziness, collapse, weakness, and fatigue. Just taking a sip of water could make them choke for a long time. Their bodies were so tired they just wanted to sleep, and even sitting on a chair was extremely difficult. Even a middle-aged man would become weaker than an eighty-something-year-old woman in just a moment.
However, a considerable portion of people were still in a normal state.
"Hey, you Uncle, don't lean on me! What do you mean you can't chew steak? I've never heard of that!" Rex's words were fierce, but he steadily supported a weak-looking Uncle who had been sitting next to him and had accidentally slipped from his seat. He helped him back into his seat and pulled his hat back from the Uncle's hand, putting it back on his head.
"Seriously, I haven't even had a medium-rare steak yet," Rex complained, standing up from his seat. He looked around and found that it wasn't just the blonde Uncle next to him who had fallen, but almost everyone in the venue.
He didn't know why, but he definitely hadn't fallen into a weakened state, as if everyone around him had been infected by some disease, but he had been inoculated with antibodies beforehand.
In such a situation, the most cautious way to handle it would be to quickly escape from the Kaiba Dome. After all, if he continued to stay in this place, no one could guarantee that his "antibodies" wouldn't become ineffective, causing him to become like the people around him.
And doing this wasn't difficult at all. It was just a matter of leaving his seat, avoiding the others who had fallen sprawled out around him, and leaving through the Safety Passage access points located throughout the Kaiba Dome. After all, the Kaiba Dome had considered situations like fire requiring escape during its initial construction.
Some people had even put this into action, shouting loudly, "What's happening?!" while running wildly into the nearest Passage entrance.
With someone leading the way, Rex noticed that someone quite far from him was following suit and running into a Passage on their side.
His own safety was the most important thing. Just like in a fire where you have to escape in a hurry and can't care for others, no one has the right to blame him for leaving like this, especially since he wasn't the one who led the way. This was probably that person's idea, and Rex even felt a little like imitating it.
But listening to the weak voices of others coming from beside his ear, Rex's brows furrowed tightly. Gritting his teeth, he turned back around, grabbed the Uncle named Prosciutto, whom he had chatted with a couple of times, and another guy traveling with him named Pesci, carrying them at his waist, planning to take them out of the Kaiba Dome Venue together.
Rex couldn't help but feel fortunate that he had concealed his age and carried cement on a construction site to save money for cards. Otherwise, without training, how could he have the ability to carry two people?
His ability was limited to this. After taking these two guys out, if the situation allowed, he might still come back, but for now, it was indeed best to leave first.
Thinking this way, Rex dragged and moved his body, carrying the two weak Uncles at his waist like when he used to carry bags of cement. He had only walked two or three steps towards a Safety Passage not far away when he heard a scream: "Don't come near me!"
Then, there was a gunshot. In the venue, which had become slightly quieter because many people had fallen into weakness, the sound was quite abrupt.
Rex's memory and ability to distinguish sounds were quite good. He naturally remembered that the person who had just spoken was clearly the guy who was the first to escape into the Safety Passage, but what was going on with that gunshot?!
Turning his head to look at the Passage the other guy he had previously confirmed had escaped had entered, Rex was surprised to find that the guy had actually backed out of the Passage. But just as he walked out of the Passage, a sharp sword suddenly stabbed out from behind him, and blood splattered a long way.
A guy wearing a black suit walked out of the Passage, and the guy who had just stabbed out with the sharp sword and dealt with the escapee also appeared beside the black suit. That familiar greenish-blue armor, the red cloak, and the long swords held in each hand were clearly the Duel Monster Command Knight!
"That kind of thing... I've never heard of it! A Duel Monster actually murdered someone?!" Sweat broke out on Rex's forehead from fright. He couldn't help but quicken his pace while carrying the two Uncles at his waist, but he had to stop.
He saw that in the Safety Passage not far away, which he had chosen as his destination, another black suit guy dressed similarly walked out. After looking around left and right, he directly locked onto Rex, who was moving while carrying two people, and moved towards him, showing no interest at all in the other spectators who had fallen around.
The black suit guy also wore a Duel Disk on his wrist. As he placed a card on it, a classic Dinosaur-Type monster, Two-Headed King Rex, appeared beside him and also attacked towards Rex.
"'Two-Headed King Rex'?! Duel Monsters materialized!?" Seeing this, Rex looked at the two Uncles he was carrying and, quite helplessly, temporarily placed them on the steps. He somewhat nervously took out the Deck from his waist, inserted it into his Duel Disk and activated it, then drew a card. "I'm not quite sure if it will work, but don't think you can use dinosaurs against me, you bastard!"
"I am, 'Dinosaur' Rex!"
# Chapter 447: Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon Evolves
"Duel Monsters materialized?"
Watching the situation with Rex, Kaiba withdrew his gaze and eyed Zigfried with suspicion. "What exactly is this...?"
"Heh heh, so there are things you don't know, Kaiba Seto?"
Seeing Zigfried's smug expression, Kaiba snorted coldly. "Hmph, I have no need to delve deeply into insignificant things. In any case, defeating you will resolve all the trouble."
"If that's what you think, then by all means, attack, Kaiba Seto."
In response to Zigfried's provocation, Kaiba waved his hand forward and ordered, "Enter my Battle Phase!"
"Use [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] to attack that Set Monster of yours!"
"Burst Stream of Destruction!!"
The Burst Stream of Destruction fell upon the only Monster on Zigfried's Field. The Monster hidden within the Card was forced to reveal its True Body due to the arrival of this attack, like a natural disaster.
A Weak Monster dressed like a Native American, holding a scythe, was instantly swallowed by the Flood of Light. Kaiba noticed that the Monster's DEF was only 500 points, belonging to the trash among trash.
However, Kaiba was no longer the Kaiba of the past. Although he still looked down on low-Level, low-ATK Monsters today, he would no longer disregard them as he used to. After all, among the few Duelists he acknowledged, both Hayato and Yugi were quite skilled at using Weak Monsters to Battle.
Especially [Kuriboh] and [Rainbow Kuriboh]. If used properly, they could even withstand the Attack of a Divine-Beast.
Although the Destroyed Monster looked quite like trash, its low Battle Power was still included in Zigfried's Deck, indicating it definitely had some special ability.
As expected, as soon as the Flood of Light dispersed, the scythe that had been knocked away into the sky by [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]'s Attack earlier spun and fell towards the ground. Judging by its trajectory, it seemed to be heading directly towards [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]'s position.
Zigfried's voice held a hint of smugness. "Although I couldn't directly Destroy your [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], taking a Shortcut isn't much different. After all, being bounced back to your Hand is much harder to Summon onto the Field than Reviving from the Graveyard."
"Flip Monster [Hani Hani], has the Effect that When Flipped from a Set state, it can forcibly bounce one Card back to its owner's Hand!" Zigfried's Finger pointed at [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]. "Leave the Field, you troublesome [Blue-Eyes]!"
As the scythe descending from the sky hit [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], the [Blue-Eyes] that had just Attacked was directly knocked away by the seemingly flimsy scythe. Although it wasn't injured by the scythe, it was bounced back to Kaiba's Hand.
Kaiba unhappily returned [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] to his Hand and looked at the extremely arrogant Zigfried. "Is that all you've got? You haven't forgotten that I still have a [Lord of D.] on my Field, have you?"
"Even if [Blue-Eyes] leaves the Field, it has already paved the way for my Direct Attack on you."
Kaiba waved his hand forward. "Direct Attack on Zigfried, [Lord of D.]!"
[Lord of D.] [ATK 1200]
Although its Type is Spellcaster Type and it plays a musical instrument, [Lord of D.]'s Battle style is more like a Nordic Berserker. While shouting "Ura!", [Lord of D.] swung the [The Flute of Summoning Dragon] in its hand like a hammer and smashed it fiercely into Zigfried's Body.
"Ugh!"
[Zigfried: 4000 → 2800 LP]
Calling out in pain from the sensation of the Attack hitting his Body, Zigfried instinctively stepped back two steps, steadying himself by stepping onto the steps.
"It doesn't hurt at all," he forced himself to say, pointing at Kaiba smugly. "Before, I was just wary of your [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], which is why I didn't launch an offensive. But now that your [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] has been Destroyed, just wait until the next Turn to be properly taught a lesson, Kaiba Seto!"
"Hmph, is that so? You were wary of my [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]."
Listening to Zigfried's shouting, the corner of Kaiba's mouth curved into a cold smile. "I don't believe I said my Turn was over yet."
"During my Main Phase 2, I Activate the Effect of [Lord of D.], Send the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] that was just returned to my Hand to the Graveyard, and then Special Summon another [Blue-Eyes] from my Graveyard onto the Field!"
"Wrap the brilliant aurora around your pure white wings, building an absolutely invincible Power! Soar, [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon]!"
Zigfried, who had been smug for not too long because he used [Hani Hani]'s Effect to bounce [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] back to Kaiba's Hand, found that his careful play just now had become wasted effort. After one [Blue-Eyes] left the Field, Kaiba instead used the [Blue-Eyes] that was bounced back to his Hand as Cost to Summon a new [Blue-Eyes]!
Its originally white wings became transparent, scattering brilliant rainbow radiance as they flapped. A new [Blue-Eyes] that seemed to wear a layer of steel armor all over its Body—[Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon]—burst forth from the ground and soared into the sky!
[Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon] [Level 8 / Light Attribute]
[Dragon Type / Effect]
[2500 / 2000]
However, although it was still [Blue-Eyes], [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon] seemed to have exchanged some of its Power for appearance. Its ATK and DEF Values both decreased by 500 points compared to the Vanilla Monster [Blue-Eyes White Dragon].
But even so, its ATK was still at the level of [Dark Magician], and it was still higher than Joey Wheeler's [Red-Eyes Black Dragon].
Glancing at the last Card in his Hand, Kaiba snorted coldly and Set it. "Set my last Hand Card, I End my Turn."
With Kaiba Setting the last Card in his Hand, it meant that he would only be able to replenish New Cards until his turn after the next. Because of the [Seal of Time] that Zigfried Activated, Kaiba's next Draw Phase would be skipped.
However, even if that was the case, it didn't matter. Because Kaiba was confident that even without New Cards for replenishment, with the two Monsters on his Field, he had enough ability to defeat Zigfried, although the speed might be limited.
Although he appeared calm and collected on the surface, Kaiba had noticed when surveying the surrounding situation just now that most of the people who had collapsed were ordinary audience members. The vast majority of Duelists—not just people who had a certain hobby for Duel Monsters, but people who seriously participated in Duel Monsters and invested their passion into it—had not fallen into a weakened state.
Kaiba didn't know many people, and due to his personal preference, whether it was Yugi, Hayato, or Joey Wheeler, they were all Duelists. He simply didn't have any ordinary people among those he cared about. There was only one person among the people Kaiba cared about who was not a Duelist.
That was Keipei.
From the current perspective, although many people had fallen into a weakened state, no further new changes had appeared, and their lives were not in danger. Even if Keipei also fell into a weakened state, nothing unexpected would happen. But Kaiba didn't want to entrust Keipei's safety to the vague "should" and "probably."
He needed to quickly resolve the anomaly appearing at the scene, and Zigfried, the suspected insider, was the target who must be defeated and interrogated.
Therefore, the faster the Duel, the better. Furthermore, Kaiba had already pieced together the Equation for Victory, only missing that final push.
[Kaiba: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Lord of D.] [ATK 1200]
[Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon] [ATK 2500]
[Set Card] X3
"Heh heh, my Turn, Draw a Card!" Drawing a Card from his Deck, Zigfried narrowed his eyes and looked at the Attack Position [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon]. "That Monster, clearly both are [Blue-Eyes] and Level 8 Monsters, yet it specifically has exactly 500 less ATK than [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]."
"This 500-point Gap is definitely not just a change in appearance. [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon] must have its special Effect, worth exchanging 500 points for. I must confirm what the Effect gained from exchanging those 500 points is!"
"I Activate the Spell Card [Valkyrie White Swan]! This Card's Effect allows me to Special Summon one [Valkyrie] Monster from my Hand! I Special Summon [Valkyrie Brunhilde] from my Hand!"
The phantom of a pure white swan flew into the sky from Zigfried's Spell/Trap Zone, as if an angel soaring across the sky. Among the falling white feathers of the swan, a blue-helmeted knight riding a steed, holding a sword and shield, stood tall on Zigfried's Field.
In mythology, the Valkyrie who helped the Dragon Slayer Hero defeat the Evil Dragon and later married the Great Hero, her true name is precisely "Brunhilde"!
[Valkyrie Brunhilde] [Level 7 / Light Attribute]
[Fairy / Effect]
[1800 / 2000]
Zigfried said smugly, "Although its ATK is only 1800 points, [Valkyrie Brunhilde]'s Power grows stronger as the enemy becomes stronger."
"The existence of each Monster on the Opponent's Field can increase [Valkyrie Brunhilde]'s ATK by 500 points. Therefore, its current ATK is..."
[Valkyrie Brunhilde] [ATK 1800 → 2800]
"2800 points! Higher than your [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon]!"
Zigfried glanced at [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon], but then moved his gaze to [Lord of D.] standing next to [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon]. "However, I don't know the Effect of [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon]. To prevent that Monster from having any troublesome Effects, I will use this Card!"
Seeing the Card Zigfried drew, Kaiba widened his eyes. He had seen the Replay of Yugi's Duel against Zigfried before and had a fresh Memory of this shameless Card that almost made him lose face completely.
"Spell Card [Treasure of the Nibelung]! Its Effect is to bestow one [Ring of the Nibelung] from my Deck or Hand upon your Monster—[Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon]—and then as compensation, I can Draw five Cards from the Deck." Zigfried said smugly, searching for [Ring of the Nibelung] from his Deck.
"A Monster equipped with [Ring of the Nibelung], although it cannot change Battle Position, its Effect is Negated, and it cannot Attack, it allows you to Draw two Cards during each of your Draw Phases. After all, I am a very generous person."
"Just pretending."
Kaiba glared coldly at Zigfried. He said it nicely, but in reality, because of the Effect of that [Seal of Time] just now, Kaiba's next Draw Phase had already been skipped. What's the use even if you could Draw ten Cards in one Draw Phase?
[Ring of the Nibelung] cannot be put to use at all in the next Draw Phase. And in the turn after the next, by then Zigfried would have already figured out a way to deal with the [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon] equipped with the [Ring of the Nibelung].
In other words, from beginning to end, Kaiba didn't get any benefit from the [Treasure of the Nibelung] at all; he only got his Monster being sealed.
However, facing such a shameless Card, Kaiba actually had a Plan long ago. In the previous Turn, there were two [Blue-Eyes White Dragons] in his Graveyard, yet he specifically chose [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon]. Why do you think he chose [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon]?
"Then, Chaining to the Effect of [Treasure of the Nibelung], I Activate the Effect of [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon]!"
"Can only be Activated when the Opponent Activates a Spell/Trap/Monster Effect! Return my [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon] on the Field to the Deck, then Special Summon [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] from my Deck!"
Seeing that Zigfried inserted the Card into the Spell & Trap Zone, Kaiba coldly smiled and returned his [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon] on the Field to the Deck. "Although the [Ring of the Nibelung] can Negate the Effect of [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon] after it's Activated, it was Activated by [Treasure of the Nibelung]."
"In other words, by Chaining to [Treasure of the Nibelung] to Activate the Effect of [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon], I can preemptively make it lose its Equip Target before the [Ring of the Nibelung] is equipped!"
A chest full of shining Treasure appeared on Zigfried's Spell/Trap Zone, and a Ring flew out from the Treasure, falling towards the [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon] on Kaiba's Field. However, just before the Ring was about to hit, [Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon]'s Body turned into Illusory Rainbow Light and Dispersed. The seemingly valuable Ring smashed onto the ground and shattered into pieces.
Among the sparkling Ring Shards, the last [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] in Kaiba's Deck Descended onto the Field!
"Roar!!"
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon] [ATK 3000]
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 448: Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Attack Brunhilde!
His Ring of the Nibelung strategy falling flat made Zigfried quite annoyed.
Restraining Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon and then destroying it right in front of Kaiba's face, while not as satisfying as destroying Blue-Eyes White Dragon, could at least serve as a substitute.
However, his calculations were completely seen through by Kaiba Seto. The Ring of the Nibelung, having lost the monster it was equipped to, fell into empty space and was sent to the Graveyard.
"Damn it!" With a sour expression, Zigfried's fingers tapped on his Duel Disk. "Even so, the Ring of the Nibelung was successfully activated; it wasn't negated. Therefore, the effect of Treasure of the Nibelungs continues to resolve!"
"I draw five cards from my Deck!"
Compared to Graceful Charity, which makes the opponent draw cards as well, Card of Demise, which makes you discard all cards after five Turns, and Card of Fate, where how many cards you draw is completely up to luck, Zigfried's Treasure of the Nibelungs was practically cheating, allowing him to draw five cards from his Deck with almost no cost.
In Duel Monsters, while the cards placed on the Field are very important, the resources in your Hand are equally important. The former are the cannons used for firing, and the latter are the cannonballs for those cannons.
Although Kaiba's cannon barrel on the Field was thick, who knew what cannonballs Zigfried had prepared.
Glancing at the cards he had drawn, Zigfried revealed a smug smile, because he had drawn two quite good cards.
"Activate Magic Card, Graceful Charity! I draw three cards from my Deck, then choose two cards from my Hand to discard and send to the Graveyard."
As Zigfried spoke, he drew three cards from his Deck. When he was about to discard cards from his Hand, he seemed to have already made up his mind, pulling out the two cards on the far right. However, before sending them to the Graveyard, Zigfried specifically showed one of them to Kaiba.
"These are the two I'm discarding, and one of them is this Union Monster Card, Chariot of Destiny."
"Then I Activate Magic Card, Ride of the Valkyries!"
Hearing the card Zigfried was about to activate, even Kaiba couldn't help but become serious.
In the Valkyrie Deck, all the monsters that had appeared so far, even the highest Level Valkyrie Brunhilde, only had an ATK of 1800 points. It wasn't a beatdown type Deck.
But conversely, the Valkyrie Deck had many cards with effects as unfair as fake cards, like the earlier Treasure of the Nibelungs, and like this card which could Special Summon all Valkyrie monsters from the Hand to the Field at once, Ride of the Valkyries.
"Because of the effect of Ride of the Valkyries, I can Special Summon all Valkyrie monsters from my Hand to the Field." After drawing five cards with the previous Treasure of the Nibelungs and then drawing three more, Zigfried had discarded two, leaving only the last two cards in his Hand.
"Come forth, Valkyrie Fourth, Valkyrie Fifth, Valkyrie Sixth!"
Three pillars of light rose on Zigfried's Field. Three young horses and three maidens walked out of the pillars of light, shoulder to shoulder.
Three monsters appearing together should have been a scene with considerable presence, but the three originally imposing Valkyries, as soon as they walked out of the pillars of light, upon seeing the majestic Blue-Eyes White Dragon on Kaiba's Field, didn't even need the Blue-Eyes to make any threatening moves. They all immediately hid behind Valkyrie Brunhilde, trembling with fear.
Valkyrie Sixth [Level 1/LIGHT]
[Fairy/Effect]
[0 ATK / 2000 DEF]
Valkyrie Fifth [Level 2/LIGHT]
[Fairy/Effect]
[800 ATK / 1200 DEF]
Valkyrie Fourth [Level 3/LIGHT]
[Fairy/Effect]
[1400 ATK / 1400 DEF]
"Are they all low-Level monsters... Hmph, easily defeated."
Kaiba looked coldly at the frightened Valkyries. For him, there was never such a boring thing as "cherishing and protecting women". Women were just a nuisance, only affecting the speed of his draw.
Zigfried narrowed his eyes, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "That's right, the Valkyries in my Hand are all weak small fry in terms of ATK, and because of the effect of Ride of the Valkyries, at the End Phase of this Turn, they will all return to my Hand."
"However, before that, I will defeat you! And it's much more interesting to drag the high and mighty Kaiba Seto into the abyss using weak monsters!"
Zigfried's finger pointed at Valkyrie Sixth, the one with the lowest Level and youngest age. "In the situation where Valkyrie Sixth is successfully Special Summoned, I can Special Summon one Valkyrie monster from my Deck. Special Summon Valkyrie First!"
"Then, during the Main Phase, the effect of Valkyrie Fourth! I can reveal cards from the top of my Deck equal to the number of Valkyrie monsters on my Field. If there are Normal Spell or Trap Cards among them, I can add one of them to my Hand and send the rest to the Graveyard; otherwise, the revealed cards are returned to the Deck."
At this moment, on Zigfried's Field, Valkyrie Sixth, Fifth, Fourth, First, and Valkyrie Brunhilde - five monsters completely filled the Field. Therefore, Zigfried could reveal the maximum number of five cards.
He revealed five cards from the top of his Deck. Although he saw a Normal Spell Card at first glance, Zigfried frowned, because the card at the very top of his Deck was Graceful Charity.
Although Zigfried had overpowered drawing cards like the fake card-like Treasure of the Nibelungs, no one would complain about having too many hand resources, so he also included a Graceful Charity in his Deck.
But using this card now wasn't suitable, because Zigfried had sealed Kaiba's Draw Phase last Turn. Now Kaiba's Hand was empty and he couldn't draw next Turn either, like a trapped beast in a cage, cut off from water and food.
If he used Graceful Charity, although he could replenish his Hand to six cards, Kaiba Seto's Hand would also be replenished to six cards.
Rather than increasing his success rate of defeating Kaiba Seto this Turn by drawing more cards, Zigfried didn't want to take the risk of "giving Kaiba Seto a chance for a desperate counterattack". Therefore, even if he got Graceful Charity, he would absolutely not use it.
Fortunately, among the revealed cards, there wasn't just Graceful Charity that could be used.
"The card I choose is this one, the Normal Spell Card Goblin's Secret Remedy, and I activate it." He sent the other four cards, including Graceful Charity, to the Graveyard. Zigfried inserted a card into the Spell & Trap Zone. "Recover 600 Life Points."
[Zigfried: 2800 → 3400 LP]
Watching Zigfried's play, Kaiba instead let out a cold smile. "Indeed, you are just a boring mediocre person."
"You had Graceful Charity among the cards you just sent to the Graveyard, didn't you? Are you afraid that the Side Effect of that card would make me draw too? Instead of strengthening yourself, you chose to weaken your opponent. Instead of thinking about increasing your success rate, you're already considering how to handle failure."
"You, a fourth-rate Duelist with a third-rate Deck."
"Shut up, Kaiba Seto!"
Zigfried had been thinking about what kind of expression Kaiba would have after seeing his series of plays. He wanted to see surprise and panic, but it definitely shouldn't be this contemptuous attitude.
"I'm not a reckless guy like you!"
What's wrong with being cautious, considering failure before success, and calculating gains and losses?
I am Zigfried von Schroeder, President of Schroeder Corporation, a true genius, an elite person who surpasses the vast majority of ordinary people. Therefore, I absolutely cannot fail, and I must maintain a 100% success rate!
With my current winning chance already as high as 80%, why would I increase the winning chance to 90% at the cost of raising the failure rate from 20% to 50%?
Zigfried looked angrily at the calm Kaiba. Clearly, he was the one who had shown absolute advantage right now, so what exactly gave Kaiba Seto that kind of confidence?
It was annoying to look at!
"That form is disgusting to look at, Kaiba Seto! I'll see if you can still maintain that arrogant look after a crushing defeat!" Zigfried waved his hand forward. "I Activate the effect of Valkyrie First! I Banish Blue-Eyes White Dragon from your Graveyard, and make Valkyrie First's original ATK equal to Blue-Eyes White Dragon's!"
"What?! How dare you lay your hands on my Blue-Eyes!" Kaiba's expression instantly broke.
For Kaiba, other things could be negotiated, but Blue-Eyes was his absolute red line. Even when Hayato had used a Blue-Eyes White Dragon that didn't belong to Kaiba in the Virtual World, Kaiba still kept challenging Hayato to Duels for a long time afterward.
Hearing this, Valkyrie First raised the treasured sword in her hand above her head. Following this, a white light was seen flying out of Kaiba's Graveyard and pouring into the sword. The unwilling howl of Blue-Eyes White Dragon echoed from the gem on the sword.
[Valkyrie First ATK 1600 → 3000]
"It's not over yet!"
Zigfried's hand pointed at Valkyrie Fifth again. "The effect of Valkyrie Fifth! All Valkyrie monsters on my Field gain ATK equal to the number of your opponent's banished monsters!"
[Valkyrie Fifth ATK 800 → 1000]
[Valkyrie Fourth ATK 1400 → 1600]
[Valkyrie First ATK 3000 → 3200]
[Valkyrie Brunhilde ATK 2800 → 3000]
"Not enough, still not enough! This level isn't enough to bring you complete fear!"
"So, I will Activate this card again!"
Zigfried drew one of the only two cards in his Hand. "Magic Card, Wings of Pegasus! This card can only be activated if Chariot of Destiny exists in my Graveyard. During this Turn, my Valkyrie monsters can Direct Attack your opponent by halving their ATK!"
At this moment, on Zigfried's Field, four of the five Valkyrie monsters were in Attack Position, and because of the boost from Valkyrie Fifth's effect, their total ATK had increased to a full 8800 points. Even if halved, it was still a full 4400, completely enough to wipe out Kaiba's Life Points!
"Now, enter my Battle Phase!" Zigfried laughed triumphantly. "Your monsters can no longer protect you, Kaiba. This is your final Turn, Hahahaha!"
"First, as an appetizer, Valkyrie First's Direct Attack!"
Having absorbed the power of Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Valkyrie First, whose ATK was now the highest on the Field, raised her long sword for the second time. This time, however, she wasn't guiding souls, but killing.
White wings grew from the sides of the precious horse she rode, transforming into the form of a pegasus and carrying Valkyrie First into the sky. After flying past Lord of D. - Dictator of D. and Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Valkyrie First swooped down towards Kaiba!
Seeing this, Kaiba let out a cold snort and coldly shouted, "Don't think you can succeed! I Activate my Set Card!"
"Trap Card, Counter Gate!"
"Valkyrie First's Direct Attack is Negated, and I draw a card from my Deck," Kaiba's fingers tapped on his Deck. "If the card I draw is a Monster Card, I can Summon it in Attack Position."
"Draw!"
After drawing a card from his Deck, Kaiba glanced at the card, but didn't summon it. Instead, he looked at Zigfried. "How regrettable, Zigfried. Because of the attack activated by your own monster, I have instead drawn another card."
"And if Valkyrie First's Attack missed, you have completely lost the ability to defeat me this Turn!"
Responding to Kaiba was Zigfried's annoyed cold snort. "Hmph, even so, my other Valkyries can still continue to launch direct attacks against you!"
"Valkyrie Fourth, Valkyrie Fifth, Valkyrie Brunhilde, Direct Attack your opponent!"
At Zigfried's command, the remaining three Valkyries on his Field who hadn't attacked, excluding Valkyrie Sixth in Defense Position, all mounted white-winged pegasuses and launched an attack on Kaiba.
The first to charge was Valkyrie Brunhilde, who had the highest ATK besides Valkyrie First.
Although Valkyrie First's Attack was blocked, the total ATK of the three Valkyries launching this attack was still a full 5600 points. Even when halved, it was still 2800 points, not a small amount of damage that could be ignored.
But looking at the charging Valkyries, Kaiba revealed a cold smile. "You finally fell for it..."
"Then take my wrath and counterattack, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
"Attack Brunhilde!"
"What?!"
Under Zigfried's surprised gaze, Lord of D. - Dictator of D. on Kaiba's Field suddenly began to play a flute. However, compared to the beautiful melody when he previously summoned Blue-Eyes, what he was playing now was pure noise, serving no purpose other than making the listener feel annoyed.
When Valkyrie Brunhilde rode her pegasus past Blue-Eyes White Dragon, she originally had no intention of paying attention to what was below her feet. However, Lord of D. - Dictator of D.'s tune was simply too unbearable. After enduring it for a few more seconds, she angrily yanked the reins, urging her mount to attack the Blue-Eyes White Dragon below her, venting her frustration nearby.
Responding was Blue-Eyes White Dragon's breath of light. The sword that cut through everything and the flood of light that swallowed everything collided.
"Boom!!!"
Chapter 449: Crush! Shatter! Great Applause!
"Boom!!!"
"H-How could this be?!"
Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Valkyrie Brunhilde attacked each other. With equal ATK, the two directly destroyed each other. The gale stirred up by the impact blew Kaiba's trench coat, causing Zigfried von Schroeder to involuntarily take half a step back.
Looking at the bewildered Zigfried von Schroeder, Kaiba explained, "Although its ATK is only 1200 points, my Deck doesn't contain any useless monsters."
"Lord of D.'s third Effect is that as long as a 'Blue-Eyes' monster exists on my Field, the Attack Target of your monster is no longer decided by you, but by me!"
"It's just one monster, how can it have so many Effects? Can that many Effects even fit on a card?!"
Zigfried von Schroeder couldn't suppress his rant, saying through gritted teeth, "But now there shouldn't be any 'Blue-Eyes' on your Field, which means the command of the next attack has returned to my Hand."
Valkyrie First [ATK 3200]
Valkyrie Fourth [ATK 1600]
Valkyrie Fifth [ATK 1000]
Valkyrie Sixth [DEF 2000]
On Zigfried von Schroeder's Field, there were still Valkyrie Fourth and Valkyrie Fifth who hadn't attacked. Although they no longer had the ability to reduce Kaiba's Life Points to zero, they were more than enough to destroy the Lord of D. with only 1200 ATK.
"Attack! But this time, I'll use Valkyrie Fourth to destroy that Lord of D. first!"
Although Lord of D. resisted fiercely—attempting to block the slash with a limited edition The Flute of Summoning Dragon—Valkyrie Fourth's ATK was ultimately higher. It was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, dealing damage to Kaiba for the first time in this duel.
[Kaiba: 4000 → 3600 LP]
With this, all monsters on Kaiba's Field were also destroyed.
"Finally, with this, all the troublesome monsters have been completely destroyed!" Zigfried von Schroeder laughed triumphantly. "Next is a Direct Attack! Valkyrie Fifth, Direct Attack the opponent!"
Facing Valkyrie Fifth charging forward with her mount, Kaiba, whose Life Points had just been reduced by four hundred points, frowned. His eyes glanced at a Set card in his Spell/Trap Zone. After a slight hesitation, he did not activate that card.
Generally speaking, in Duel Monsters, unless there's a specific need like 'Try Your Luck', one should try to preserve their Life Points as much as possible to avoid unnecessary damage. If Kaiba activated the Set card in his Spell/Trap Zone now, he could perfectly block the damage from Valkyrie Fifth.
However, Kaiba's intuition as a Duelist told him that now was not the best time to use this card. Although there was no basis for it, the last card in Zigfried von Schroeder's Hand gave Kaiba a subtle threat. If it was a 'Valkyrie' Deck, perhaps that card was Mischief of the Time Goddess, which had appeared in a duel against Yugi before.
If it really was that card, Kaiba had to endure.
"Yaaah!" Shouting like a certain white-haired Uncle, Valkyrie Fifth thrust out the long sword in her hand without obstruction.
[Kaiba: 3600 → 2600 LP]
"Heh heh, ha ha ha ha, how about that, Kaiba Seto? Now my Life Points are higher than yours." Zigfried von Schroeder watched Kaiba take half a step back after being struck by Valkyrie Fifth and laughed triumphantly. "Have you seen my strength?!"
With a cold face, Kaiba straightened up and returned to his original position, glancing at the Stairs behind him.
The location where he and Zigfried von Schroeder were dueling was not a proper flat Duel Platform, but on a series of Stairs. Zigfried von Schroeder, standing higher up, was fine; even if he received some impact, he would only retreat slightly, and even if he fell, he would just fall onto the Stairs.
But for Kaiba below, if the distance he was pushed back was too far beyond the Stairs, Kaiba would fall. If he was lucky, it would just be a sprain or bruise; if he was unlucky and hit something while falling, a fracture would be considered light.
However, despite this, Kaiba remained calm, casually patting his abdomen where Valkyrie Fifth's long sword had just struck: "Your so-called 'power', couldn't possibly be this attack that doesn't even count as a massage, could it? I almost fell asleep from how comfortable it was."
"It's just a shame that my 20,000 Yen shirt got dirty from your monster's attack."
Hearing Kaiba's words, Zigfried von Schroeder said through gritted teeth, "Why are you always so arrogant?"
"Hmph, could it be that you think my attack ends here, and you've survived this Turn, which is why you're so calm, Kaiba Seto?" Zigfried von Schroeder drew the last card from his Hand. "Weak, weak, weak, weak! Since I said I would finish you this Turn, I naturally have a winning plan!"
"The strongest power in the 'Valkyrie' Deck will be unleashed here! Open your eyes wide and watch, Kaiba Seto!"
"Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card Mischief of the Time Goddess!"
As Zigfried von Schroeder inserted the card from his Hand into the Spell & Trap Zone of his Duel Disk, an invisible power expanded outwards from his Duel Disk, enveloping both Kaiba and Zigfried von Schroeder in an instant.
The mysterious time power began to activate. Centered around the card Mischief of the Time Goddess, everything within the expanded domain began to leap rapidly into the future!
Kaiba's eyes widened.
'This feeling... was this the level of power Yugi was fighting against back then?'
'My fingers, my eyes, everything... no, my entire body is unable to move!'
During the time Zigfried von Schroeder used the alias "Zigfried von Schroeder", he always used Mischief of the Time Goddess as a means to end duels. Because to those not dueling him, the duel ended in an instant, his information was always kept well hidden.
It wasn't until the Main Tournament of the KC Cup that "Zigfried von Schroeder" faced Mutou Yuugi. Against the continuous attacks of Mischief of the Time Goddess, Yugi perfectly endured and counterattacked, winning the duel and exposing the data of the card Mischief of the Time Goddess to Kaiba's eyes.
Although the data on the card face of Mischief of the Time Goddess seemed simple, merely stating "Skip to your next Battle Phase", it actually implied the ability to prevent the opponent Duelist from counterattacking after activation. Unlike 'Super Polymerization', which cannot be chained to, Mischief of the Time Goddess can do this because the Effect that activates makes it impossible for the opponent to react to the activation of this card. If they can't even activate a Set card, naturally they cannot defend.
It's like having a domain twenty meters in diameter that calls forth a gale and torrential rain at the slightest disturbance, yet still being unable to block an attack made by an enemy with time-stopping ability in stopped time.
Zigfried von Schroeder's triumphant voice reached Kaiba's ears: "This is the end, Kaiba Seto. As expected, the final winner is me, Zigfried von Schroeder! Having defeated you, I will stand at the peak forever!"
"Honor, victory, radiance, and pride! I, who have been defeated by you time and time again, will prove myself through this victory and reclaim everything that rightfully belongs to me!"
"First, Valkyrie Fifth's attack!"
[Kaiba: 2600 → 1600 LP]
1000 points of Battle Damage fell upon Kaiba, but within the space created by Mischief of the Time Goddess, even after his Life Points were reduced to only 1600 points, Kaiba still couldn't make any reaction.
Seeing this, Zigfried von Schroeder's expression became even more triumphant: "Indeed, not everyone can be like that Mutou Yuugi. This world still belongs to me alone."
"Even with your Life Points reduced to this extent, you can't react. Kaiba Seto, your doomsday has arrived!"
Glancing past Kaiba, Zigfried von Schroeder looked at the Stairs behind him, revealing a sinister smile.
"Although this duel, according to those guys, doesn't count as a Dark Game, it's only natural that you would take a step back due to the impact force of the Virtual Projection System after taking such damage."
"And then, Kaiba Seto, the inventor of the Virtual Projection System, will fall to his death due to the simulated impact force from the Virtual Projection System installed on his own Duel Disk. It's a perfect comedy!"
Zigfried von Schroeder's finger pointed far at Kaiba: "Then this is the final blow! Valkyrie First's Direct Attack!"
"Die, Kaiba Seto!"
Valkyrie First knew very well what the order given by her Master meant. This single strike of hers would reduce the remaining Life Points of the person named Kaiba Seto to zero, and the accumulated damage would instantly erupt.
However, no matter how unwilling she was, due to the rules of Duel Monsters, Valkyrie First still charged on her war horse, thrusting the final sword strike at Kaiba.
Zigfried von Schroeder imagined the scene of Kaiba wailing, and couldn't help but close his eyes in excitement, eagerly listening for the sound that was about to come.
However, what reached his ears was—
"Clang!!"
Zigfried von Schroeder's eyes snapped open. No matter how he listened, this sound didn't sound like something a person could make; instead, it sounded more like metal hitting metal!
And Valkyrie First, too, looked with surprise at the shield that had suddenly appeared before the long sword she had thrust out.
Under Zigfried von Schroeder's horrified gaze, Kaiba's finger moved away from the activate Set card button on his Duel Disk.
"Hmph, you seem to think I'm inferior to that guy Yugi? You really underestimate me, Zigfried von Schroeder." Kaiba, with a cold face and a commanding presence, spoke as if he wasn't the one with only 1600 Life Points, but Zigfried von Schroeder. "Although it wasn't very useful against that guy Hayato Kobayashi, it's more than enough against a fourth-rate Duelist like you."
"The Set card I activated is Absorption Shield!"
Valkyrie First's ATK had once soared to a full 3200 points in the previous Turn because she absorbed the power of Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Although her ATK returned to its original ATK of 1600 points now due to Mischief of the Time Goddess, it was increased by 200 points due to Valkyrie Fifth's boost, making her current ATK 1800 points.
But now, as the shield that blocked Valkyrie First's attack turned into an energy body and surged into Kaiba's body, her 1800 points of ATK were completely converted into nourishment for Kaiba.
[Kaiba: 1600 → 3400 LP]
"My Life Points... recovered?!" Zigfried von Schroeder's eyes widened. "Damn you, Kaiba Seto!"
"Hmph, in that case, both sides' Life Points have returned to the same level." Kaiba sneered. "Are you triumphant because you thought you had a world all to yourself, and then got angry and felt your world was invaded like finding the scent of a second person in your bed?"
"Your capacity is only this much, Zigfried von Schroeder!"
"Kaiba Seto!"
Zigfried von Schroeder, raging ineffectively, didn't care what would happen next Turn and ordered again: "Stop putting on airs over there! I'm above and you're below, don't think you can surpass me again!"
"Valkyrie Fourth's Direct Attack!"
[Kaiba: 3400 → 1800 LP]
Taking another attack, Kaiba still wore that arrogant expression: "No, no, this force is still too light. Are you trying to make me fall asleep with this massage-like intensity?"
While saying that, Kaiba's foot couldn't help but retreat half a step, almost reaching the edge of the Stairs.
The impact simulated by the Virtual Projection System, if used with heavy force, could even send a two-hundred-pound strong man flying. It was just that Kaiba's acting was good enough to fool Zigfried von Schroeder, making him think his attack couldn't cause Kaiba any damage.
"D-Damn it!" His last monster had already attacked, which further bruised Zigfried von Schroeder's already fragile self-esteem. Helplessly, he ended his Battle Phase, and the domain created by Mischief of the Time Goddess also disappeared.
Entering his Main Phase 2, although it wasn't Kaiba's Turn yet, Zigfried von Schroeder had already begun imagining the operations he might perform.
'Damn Kaiba Seto, he actually managed to survive this Turn, even though I used all my resources. Damn it, if I had chosen Graceful Charity instead of Goblin's Secret Remedy earlier, I would have won already!'
'Next Turn, he can't draw a card due to Seal of Time's Effect, but he has one card in his Hand that he drew from Counter Gate earlier. That's the only card he can play.'
'Phew, no, calm down, Zigfried. You are an absolute elite. The noble blood of the Schroeder Family flows through you. Compared to that guy Kaiba Seto, you are more qualified and capable of becoming the winner. You can definitely find a way to victory!'
'Right, that guy Kaiba Seto possesses three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, and although that annoying guy prevented me from watching the Battle City replay, Rayne seemed to mention that Kaiba's 'Blue-Eyes' can Fusion Summon Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, as well as Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon.'
'If that guy draws a card like Dragon Mirror that Fusions Dragon-Type monsters from the Graveyard, he might be able to Summon such a monster. However, one 'Blue-Eyes' has already been banished by me, so the only thing that guy can Fusion Summon is Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon.'
'That's it! As long as I banish one of his 'Blue-Eyes' from the Graveyard like before, that guy will only have one Blue-Eyes White Dragon in his Graveyard!'
Thinking of this, the panic on Zigfried von Schroeder's face disappeared, and he calmed down again: "In my Main Phase 2, I Activate the Effect of Valkyrie First on my Field."
"Once per Turn, Target one monster in your Opponent's Graveyard and banish it. This Turn, this card's original ATK becomes the same value as the original ATK of the monster banished by this Effect." Zigfried von Schroeder's finger pointed at Kaiba. "You must be planning to Summon a 'Blue-Eyes' Fusion Monster next Turn, right?"
"As punishment for being my enemy, I will cut off your hope! I banish the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in your Graveyard!"
Just like in the previous Turn, another soul of Blue-Eyes White Dragon was released from Kaiba's Graveyard. As the phantom of the White Dragon disappeared, Valkyrie First, holding her long sword high, had her ATK increased to 3200 points once again.
Not only that, because the number of banished monsters increased again, the ATK boost provided by Valkyrie Fifth increased once more!
Valkyrie First [ATK 1800 → 3400]
Valkyrie Fourth [ATK 1600 → 1800]
Valkyrie Fifth [ATK 1000 → 1200]
Valkyrie Sixth [200/2000 → 400/2000]
"My Turn ends here, and because 'Ride of the Valkyries' was activated last Turn, it cannot affect the 'Valkyries' that exist in this Turn." Zigfried von Schroeder looked at Kaiba triumphantly, with provocation in his voice: "I don't believe you, are you telling me you can defeat me in one Turn?"
Valkyrie First [ATK 3400 → 2000]
Although the ATK boost of Valkyrie First only lasts for one Turn, the ATK boost provided by Valkyrie Fifth can remain. And Zigfried von Schroeder's current Life Points are 3400 points.
This means that even if Kaiba Summons a monster next Turn and attacks the Valkyrie with the lowest ATK, Valkyrie Fifth, he would need an ATK of a full 4600 points to defeat Zigfried von Schroeder.
And as long as the next Turn arrives, the 'Time Capsule' Zigfried von Schroeder activated earlier will be ready to open. He stored a card called 'Valkyrie's Embrace' in it. That card has an Effect that allows him to banish one of the opponent's monsters without targeting, simply by changing one 'Valkyrie' monster to face-up Defense Position. He can easily remove any monster Kaiba Summons.
Then, it's another Direct Attack from his 'Valkyrie' monsters.
This is a guaranteed victory, how can I lose?
And Kaiba, listening to Zigfried von Schroeder's provocation, replied with a cold laugh: "I say, you idiot, you don't think banishing my 'Blue-Eyes' can stop my Summoning, do you?"
"My Turn, because of Seal of Time's Effect, I cannot draw a card this Turn." Pressing the activate Set card button, the last Set card on Kaiba's Spell/Trap Zone opened, and at the same time, he opened his palm towards the sky. "But the last piece of the puzzle leading to my victory was sent to my Hand by you personally in the previous Turn!"
"Quick-Play Spell Card Burial from a Different Dimension, return my two banished 'Blue-Eyes' to my Graveyard."
"What?!"
Under Zigfried von Schroeder's surprised gaze, the two banished Blue-Eyes White Dragons from before reappeared from the void under the Effect of Burial from a Different Dimension. After affectionately nuzzling the cold-faced Kaiba, the phantoms of the two Blue-Eyes White Dragons returned to the Graveyard.
"Even with the gap in space and time, as long as I wish, the connection between me and 'Blue-Eyes' will never be severed." Kaiba was expressionless, his hand seemingly carelessly touching the spot where 'Blue-Eyes' had just nuzzled him, and he flipped over the card in his Hand. "As my soul, my bond, my ace, 'Blue-Eyes' will always come to my Hand!"
"Quick-Play Spell Card Ultimate Fusion! Choose Fusion Monster materials from my Hand, Field, or Graveyard and return them to the Deck, then Fusion Summon one Fusion Monster that lists Blue-Eyes White Dragon or Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon as Fusion Material!" Kaiba reached out and took out all three sleeping Blue-Eyes White Dragons from the Graveyard.
The one sent to the Graveyard when Lord of D. was Special Summoned;
The one sent to the Graveyard when Lord of D. Special Summoned Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon;
The one Special Summoned after Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon returned to the Deck, which was destroyed simultaneously with Valkyrie Brunhilde.
The cards of the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons were returned to Kaiba's Deck, but the figures of the three 'Blue-Eyes' all appeared on Kaiba's Field, surrounding Kaiba. The 'Blue-Eyes', which symbolize "power" in Duel Monsters, were now performing "guard duty".
Surrounded by 'Blue-Eyes', Kaiba slammed a card onto his Duel Disk and shouted loudly: "Let me show you the strongest, most ultimate dragon in history, transcending the boundaries of time and space,"
"Let the form of the evolved strongest dragon be burned into the depths of your eyes!"
"Fusion Summon! Descend, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!!"
"Resilient, invincible, strongest!!!"
In the dazzling radiance, the power of the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons converged into one. Kaiba Seto's absolute ace, the ultimate dragon he trusted even more than the 'Gods', descends here!
Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon [ATK 4500]
"ATK, 4500?!"
Zigfried von Schroeder's eyes widened, almost breathless from the oppressive aura of the majestic Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
Because of the Effect of Burial from a Different Dimension, the banished Blue-Eyes White Dragon returned to Kaiba's Graveyard, and the ATK boost provided by Valkyrie Fifth disappeared. So if Kaiba were to attack Valkyrie Fifth now, an ATK of just 4200 points would be enough to defeat Zigfried von Schroeder.
But under Zigfried von Schroeder's surprised gaze, Kaiba ordered: "Enter my Battle Phase! I will use Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to Attack Valkyrie First!"
"What!?" Zigfried von Schroeder was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Kaiba Seto, you idiot! You could easily defeat me by just attacking Valkyrie Fifth, are you trying to defeat the strongest monster with the strongest monster?"
"Idiot! Fool! How can you have such a level of boring pride in such a trivial matter! In that case, I'll gladly accept the victory!"
"Even if Valkyrie First with 1600 ATK is destroyed by you, the Damage dealt to me will only be 2900 points. Fortunately, I chose Goblin's Secret Remedy last Turn!"
"Victory still belongs to me, Zigfried von Schroeder!"
Looking at the triumphant Zigfried von Schroeder, Kaiba said smugly: "Is that so? That's truly bad."
"I forgot to remind you, after gathering the power of three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon doesn't just gain an ATK boost. It will also gain the ability to attack three times during each Battle Phase!"
Watching Zigfried von Schroeder's face suddenly froze, the triumph in his eyes instantly turned into despair, Kaiba laughed even more wildly.
Oh no, this feeling... was Hayato that happy every time?
*Cough cough*, I was just trying to put myself in his shoes, adopting Hayato Kobayashi's way of thinking to find a way to defeat him, yes.
Although his inner thoughts were quite active, Kaiba's expression remained as perfect as ever. Waving his hand forward, Kaiba, like a Reaper, delivered his judgment: "Alright, the game is over. Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, burn that guy to ashes!"
"Hyper-Neutron-Blast!!"
"Crush! Shatter! Great Applause!!!"
The strongest dragon that transcends limits, a three-hit combo that transcends limits. First Valkyrie First, then Valkyrie Fourth, and finally Valkyrie Fifth. Three beams of white breath of light swallowed and annihilated the 'Valkyrie' monsters in Attack Position on Zigfried von Schroeder's Field one by one.
Although in Duel Monsters, the duel ends once Life Points reach 0, if the actions are fast enough, it's not impossible to complete a three-hit combo before the duel ends.
Under three consecutive attacks of up to 4500 ATK, Zigfried von Schroeder was directly sent flying by the intense impact, defeated with unwillingness and fear.
[Zigfried von Schroeder: 3400 LP → 500 LP → 0 → 0]
"Slap!"
Zigfried, sitting on the Stairs, took a slap to the face from Kaiba.
"You guy! Not even my father has ever hit me!"
Kaiba looked down at Zigfried von Schroeder, who was covering his cheek with his hand, his gaze cold as he raised his hand again.
"Eeek!"
Zigfried was nowhere near as arrogant as he was before the Duel. Seeing Kaiba raise his hand again, he quickly covered his entire face with his Palm, terrified, and said nervously, "Don't hit me, don't hit me, I'll talk, I'll talk!"
"The people in this Venue falling unconscious was the work of the People of Industrial Illusions. I was just responsible for hacking into KaibaCorp's Firewall and implanting the Virus. The ones who actually did the deed were also People of Industrial Illusions. It has nothing to do with me at all!"
"Slap!"
However, despite Zigfried rambling on and on, all he got was another big slap from Kaiba.
Zigfried, whose Heart had suffered immense trauma, had his collar grabbed by Kaiba and was yanked up. Kaiba's voice was extremely cold: "I don't care if you're guilty or not, tell me if there's a way to end all this!"
Zigfried nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes! As long as you dismantle the things the People of Industrial Illusions set up, shut down the Virus program within the KaibaCorp Network, and Destroy the Golden Castle of Stromberg which serves as the Activation Key, you can end all this!"
"The People of Industrial Illusions built something Underground in this Building, but according to them, what's important isn't the physical object Underground but a certain Card. As long as that Card is Destroyed, it will be over;"
"I gave the Golden Castle of Stromberg to my Younger Brother, Leon von Schroeder, the one Duelling on the Duel Platform. Ending the Duel is useless, that Card must be Destroyed during the Duel. However, I added an Effect to that Card: 'Cannot be Destroyed by Spell/Trap/Monster Effect';"
"And then there's the Virus placed in the KaibaCorp Network. I only put the Virus in, I don't know the actual location, but you should know!"
"That's all there is, that's all I know!"
Zigfried's will to survive was incredibly strong; it wasn't that he was timid as a mouse.
After the Duel ended, having been sent flying by the utterly Despairing three consecutive Attacks of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, he lay on the Stairs, unable to accept the reality of being defeated, especially such a complete Defeat. Zigfried chose to make one last Struggle.
But unfortunately, not everyone can Struggle as thoroughly as a certain Cyber Dragon Duelist, even Struggling to new heights. Zigfried, as a gentleman, a rich man, an inventor, and a noble, had Limits to his talent. Being able to achieve Achievements in multiple areas like Electronic Network, scientific research and invention, and economic finance was already very strong, but he had never touched upon "close combat," "fighting," or "boxing."
And who he was facing was Kaiba Seto, the Master of Cutting Iron Chains with Cards, the Expert at Blocking Bullets with Briefcases, the Specialist in Landing Safely from High Altitudes without Protection, the Man whose voice was louder than a Helicopter propeller, the trench coat enthusiast, the Dragon Enthusiast, the Husband of Blue-Eyes, the Person who would die if he didn't Cold Snort, the High Star Opening Hand, the Legendary Duelist.
Especially after the KaibaCorp takeover incident orchestrated by Pegasus and The Big Five earlier, although he promoted his trusted subordinate Isono as the head of the security department, Kaiba, as a Safety Measure, arranged a devilish special training method for himself – every time he lost to Hayato or Yugi in an AI Match, he would do one set of exercises, and if he won, he would do two sets.
Now, Kaiba, not to mention others, could at least go Fifty-Fifty with Joey Wheeler. Although he couldn't defeat the combined Tristan and Joey Wheeler like a certain invincible guest God, he could at least solo the KaibaCorp security department. A mere Zigfried was simply serving himself up.
Under Kaiba's threat of "I Attack Position Summon my fist," Zigfried was subdued with extreme ease and speed. Kaiba even experimented with a technique he learned from that country in the west called "Bone-Separating Muscle-Dislocating Technique" on this guy Zigfried.
Defeated in the Duel, defeated again in the Physical Duel, plus Zigfried wasn't blind and could clearly see Kaiba's Gaze, which was like he wanted to commit Murder because he was worried about his Younger Brother. Although face was important, for Zigfried, "himself" was the most important thing. He confessed everything he knew completely.
Staring at the Terrified Zigfried for a long time, Kaiba gave a Cold Snort, loosened his Finger, and stood up straight, letting the lifted Zigfried fall back onto the Stairs, hitting the sharp edge of the Stairs and gasping in pain.
"Hmph, you better not be lying, otherwise, look forward to suffering from Pain Insensitivity."
Although Zigfried didn't provide any Evidence, Kaiba couldn't find any trace of "Zigfried is lying" on his face. Because of his previous "torture," Zigfried wouldn't be able to move his Legs even a tiny bit for at least a day. There was no need for him to take Zigfried to verify if what he said was true.
The Burden was secondary; it would be troublesome if this guy caused any trouble, like shouting loudly and creating a disturbance in a Situation where he needed to be hidden and avoid others.
Anyway, if only his hands could move, Zigfried couldn't Escape to anywhere else.
Thinking this, Kaiba turned around.
"Stay here honestly, don't think about Escape."
"Okay, I definitely won't go anywhere, won't go anywhere."
Looking at Kaiba's Back, Zigfried's words were very respectful, maintaining the "coward" persona he had kept since just now. However, the Gaze he directed at Kaiba revealed extreme maliciousness after confirming Kaiba had completely turned away.
Watching Kaiba's foot step onto the next step of the Stairs, Zigfried maintained the overall stillness of his Body to prevent Kaiba from noticing anything amiss if he turned back, his gaze glancing towards the Stairs above him not far away.
At a height of about five or six steps above Zigfried's current position, a Briefcase was placed under an empty seat. That Briefcase was hidden by Zigfried the moment Kaiba stopped him when he was planning to leave the Venue a short while ago.
This was America, a place where even the Air was filled with the fragrance of freedom, and as an old saying goes, "Free America, Gun battles every day." In America, you can be penniless, without identification, but you absolutely cannot be without a Gun, and that Briefcase contained a Handgun Zigfried kept for self-defense.
Confirming that Kaiba hadn't noticed his slight turn of the head just now, Zigfried dragged his Legs, which had lost sensation due to Kaiba's "torture," and used his hands to support himself on the ground, moving his Body up one step.
Get there, just get there!
Confirming again that Kaiba hadn't noticed his movements, maintaining silent movements, Zigfried's Body was moved up another step by him.
Now he was only three steps away from the Briefcase. Zigfried could reach out and touch the Briefcase.
However, to quickly complete the action of opening the Briefcase and taking out the Gun, he needed to move at least one more step.
Watching Kaiba's distance from him widen slightly again, Zigfried was almost unable to maintain the "Terrified" and "Fearful" Expression on his face, almost bursting into maniacal laughter.
Didn't expect this, Kaiba Seto, of course I won't leave here.
Because right here, I will finish you!
As long as I get there, once I get the Gun, you're dead!
At that time, I will be the Winner, I am stronger than you, you are just a lowly mortal, I am an Elite!
His hands touched the cold Stairs, Zigfried's inner fury almost bursting from his eyes.
From childhood until now, he had always been suppressed by the Existence of "Kaiba Seto." Soon, soon the dark clouds in his Heart would Disperse!
Moving his Body up one step, confirming that Kaiba hadn't turned back to look at him until now, Zigfried excitedly reached out towards the location of his Briefcase—
"Huh, are you trying to get this thing?"
Under Zigfried's stunned Gaze, a Shorty wearing a red hat picked up the Briefcase he was just about to reach.
Hearing the speaker's voice, Kaiba also turned his head, frowning as he looked at the young man with several Bloodstains running down half of his face.
"Kaiba Seto?"
Rex Raptor, who had finally dealt with the Staff who attacked him using Duel Monsters during Kaiba and Zigfried's Duel, held the Briefcase Zigfried had just wanted to open and greeted Kaiba. Kaiba also nodded in return.
Compared to Joey Wheeler, Yugi, and Hayato, Rex Raptor was completely unfamiliar with Kaiba. Even Kujaku Mai had interacted with Rex Raptor several times at least.
However, although there was no personal relationship, Rex Raptor initially came with the Goal of rescue to help Kaiba.
There weren't many people who could move freely in this Venue, and the group of Staff who suddenly appeared just now somehow managed to commit Murder using Duel Monsters. Rex Raptor also defeated them because he was more skilled as a Duelist. But, no one knew if there would be another wave of Staff, or when they would Attack.
Rex Raptor didn't choose to blindly rush into the Evacuation Channel. He still clearly remembered the Gunshot from just now. The current Situation should be that those who can move should stick together as much as possible. And because the commotion caused by Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, which Kaiba Summoned at the end of his Duel with Zigfried, was too great, and it was also the closest to Rex Raptor, Rex Raptor rushed over to see if he could help.
However, upon arriving, Rex Raptor looked around but didn't find any Staff. Instead, he saw Kaiba walking towards the exit Direction and a guy lying on the Stairs, moving with difficulty towards a Briefcase, seemingly having trouble moving.
Out of kindness, after confirming that the person was reaching for that Briefcase, Rex Raptor voluntarily stepped forward to help him pick it up and opened it casually.
"I didn't expect there to be someone so passionate about Duel Monsters, even coming to watch the KC Cup Match despite being disabled in the lower Body? It's a shame Yours Truly was eliminated in the first round, otherwise, you might have seen Yours Truly's heroic figure."
Completely oblivious to Zigfried and Kaiba's Gazes, Rex Raptor casually opened the unlocked Briefcase and felt inside. After grabbing something hard, he pulled it out. "Seeing you're having so much trouble moving, don't worry, I'll help you get it. Here you go—"
Looking at the Gun that appeared in his hand, Rex Raptor was completely stunned.
"W-wait, what is this thing!"
"It's a Handgun, right? Although I've never handled Firearms and I'm not interested in Firearms, this metallic texture and weight, it's a Handgun, right? And it's not a toy Gun, it's a real Gun!"
"Why can I just casually open a Briefcase and pull out a Handgun? Does everyone in this country have a Handgun?!"
Kaiba's brow furrowed, then his pupils contracted, because he noticed that Zigfried's position had moved, significantly higher than where he was just now!
Combined with the Briefcase in Rex Raptor's hand, that guy Zigfried, was he trying to move towards that Briefcase just now?!
That guy, with the Handgun in the Briefcase, was he trying to—!
"Hey, Rex Raptor, quickly get away from the guy at your feet!"
Combining what he saw of Rex Raptor's performance from afar just now, Kaiba knew that this guy Rex Raptor seemed to have come to help him out of good intentions. Kaiba wouldn't accept favors; he would only mock Rex Raptor for coming to help, saying he was looking down on him and thought everyone else was as weak as him.
However, although he usually acted arrogant and looked down on everyone, Kaiba didn't want the Illusion in his mind just now to become reality.
Looking at Rex Raptor, who hadn't reacted, Kaiba said this while turning around and stepping onto the Stairs again towards Zigfried's location: "This guy isn't one of the weakened people in the Venue as you think!"
"He's with the people who attacked you just now, and he's like the leader!"
"His Goal is the Gun in your hand!"
"N-Nani?!" Rex Raptor looked at Zigfried lying at his feet in surprise, moving his foot back one step to create distance from Zigfried.
"Too slow, too slow, too slow!"
However, Zigfried grabbed Rex Raptor's other foot with a ferocious Expression and pulled hard to the side.
Rex Raptor's entire Body's center of gravity was disrupted, and he fell backward onto the Stairs. The Gun he was holding in his hand was thrown into the Air by his unconsciously swinging arm as he fell.
"I told you, Kaiba, the Winner is always I, Zigfried von Schroeder!" Looking at the Handgun spinning and falling in the Air, Zigfried completely lost control of his Expression, laughing maniacally with a ferocious look, "Thanks to this guy named Rex Raptor, he helped me open the Briefcase and take out the Handgun!"
Glancing at the distance between Kaiba and himself at this moment, Zigfried became even more arrogant: "How far are you from me? Ten meters? Nine meters? No matter how fast you are climbing the Stairs, it will take at least five seconds to reach me."
"But, catching the Handgun and then shooting you, that won't even take me a second!"
"Although your fist is strong and powerful, at this distance between you and me, a Handgun is accurate and fast!"
"This is the Outcome for you who fell for it, this is my Escape route!"
"The Era has changed, Kaiba Seto! Compared to Duel Monsters, Handguns are much easier to use!"
Zigfried laughed triumphantly, reaching out towards the Handgun falling in the Air. His experience told him that as long as he could reach out, he could grab the Handgun.
"Whoosh—"
"Pfft!"
Just as Zigfried's Finger was only a hair's breadth away from grabbing the falling Handgun, a Duel Monsters Card suddenly appeared and pierced the Palm of Zigfried's hand with extreme abruptness.
Even a soft Grass Sprout, when extremely thin, can accidentally scratch a person's skin. And a rapidly spinning Card, if practiced to the extreme, can even cut through iron sheets.
Maintaining the motion of throwing the Card, Kaiba sneered as he watched the Goddess of Whim, which he had used as a throwing Weapon countless times, injure Zigfried's Palm, causing his movement towards the Handgun to deform and fail to catch the falling Handgun. He then bent down, caught the Handgun that slid down the Stairs, checked that the Ammunition was sufficient, and skillfully opened the Safety Measure.
"No, the Era hasn't changed, Zigfried."
Sitting up from the Stairs, covering the Back of his Head which had a large bump, Rex Raptor looked at Zigfried, who was wailing while covering his Palm, which was almost pierced by the Card, with a bewildered Expression. He lowered his head and looked at the Deck inserted in the Duel Disk on his Wrist.
What the heck, are the Duel Monsters Cards I use every day this powerful?
How did that guy Weevil manage to tear up Cards and eat them back then?
(End of Chapter)