Win... won.
Yugen won.
The outcome of the duel seems clear. The vortex of green light begins to contract, as if announcing the end of the match with the collapse of the Triple Barrier.
Yet until now, everyone is still staring blankly, seemingly unaware of exactly what has transpired.
Did Yugen just use his Tamashi... to devour the invincible Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes?
From a traditional viewpoint, it seems utterly absurd, yet it perfectly fits Yugen's persona. Especially after the semi-final against Kaiba, this scene evokes a strong sense of déjà vu.
"Brother... brother, Yugen... won?"
Keihei looks bewilderedly at Kaiba, only to find his brother still maintaining his composed demeanor, arms crossed as usual, but with a smile he can no longer suppress at the corners of his mouth.
Seto Kaiba is not someone who easily reveals his thoughts. Despite his arrogance and dramatic flair, even spouting nonsensical lines and his trademark laughter, he never easily lets anyone see through him when necessary.
But as someone closest to him, Keihei can read from his brother's face that he is genuinely happy now.
Keihei hasn't seen his brother this genuinely happy in many years. It seems even the frustration from his semi-final loss has been completely wiped away.
Even watching the goofy Lava Demon God devour the Snake God, he might be thinking—
—Yes, that's the feeling!
Suddenly, his heart finds balance.
The President is pleased, but the Cheating Snake is on the brink of mental collapse.
His Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes, with infinite Attack Power and resistive aura, a Twelve-Star Evil God!
Can you believe it got eaten?
Moreover, his victory condition was entirely tied to the special effect of Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes, so the act of the Lava Demon God eating Vennominaga led directly to his defeat.
To devour the opponent whole, even for the Lava Demon God, this is unprecedented. Added to that, in a battle that determines the fate of the world, in the end, the iron-clad fool undoubtedly secured the MVP.
Even with heavyweights like Supreme Illusionary Divine Dragon participating in the duel. Winged Divine Dragon making its grand comeback, and who would have thought it wouldn't claim the center stage...
The MVP value of the iron-clad fool continues to rise.
At this moment, as the duel ends, the projection doesn't immediately disappear. The Lava Demon God, who splendidly delivered the final blow, stands on the opponent's field, touching its belly, its abstract face showing a trace of satisfaction.
As if saying, an Evil God is truly a nutritious treat, it's the first time eating such a high-quality meal, and the taste isn't bad...
"Amazing!"
Judai flies onto the stage to greet Yugen.
"Yugen's godlike! You, are there no limits? You're absurdly strong..."
Kaiba remains silent but can't help but huff a laugh, as if saying this is what winning should feel like, embodying the dominance that a victor over him should have.
"Now that Evil God should be done for, right?" Keihei looks toward the other side.
Yugen has never laid down the Duel Disc, his eyes always vigilant, fixed on the Judge's figure.
In Orichalcos Barrier, the defeated are to have their soul absorbed, a fundamental rule of the duel that initiated the barrier... Generally speaking, it should be like this.
But this opponent is special.
The Judge is the embodied form of the Snake God. Ordinarily, the souls defeated in the barrier are ultimately absorbed by the Snake God to become sustenance, even Dazi, who served as the Snake God's avatar, was no exception.
But presently, it is the Snake God himself on the battlefield. If the barrier were to absorb his soul, wouldn't it be "I eat myself"?
Witnessing the barrier contracting to the Judge's feet, the latter suddenly raises his head, emitting a sharp, bizarre howl. An invisible wave bursts from his body, forcibly breaking through the contracting Orichalcos Barrier.
The indestructible green shield shatters into countless fragments instantly, and an overwhelming darkness erupts from the humanoid shell. Soon the human form appears to blur, the darkness piercing the sky, gradually transforming into the outline of a giant beast in mid-air.
Shattering the shackles of the mortal form, the black rift in mid-air resembles a shocking scar. Darkness rends the space, and from within pours chaos engulfing the world.
The gigantic Snake God, like entwined with lightning and Netherworld fire, its scales glisten with ominous ghostly light. Its eyes resemble two gigantic black holes, filled with fury and hatred, scanning this world that is about to become its hunting ground.
The God of Orichalcos, descends!
With the dagger revealed, it seems the game of cards has fallen short and the decision is to fight directly.
Yet even if the soul-absorbing effect of the barrier remains ineffective on the Snake God itself, the real damage inflicted during the duel is unavoidable.
And Yugen already anticipated the possibility of the Orichalcos Barrier's ineffectiveness, with the duel energy on his side operating at full dark duel power.
Though the Cheating Snake, as the Snake God, did not fall like ordinary duelists directly through the duel, it is only in a half-resurrected state, and the battle further inflicted severe damage.
Now forcibly revealing its true form is an act of desperation, leaving no choice but to make a final stand.
But even though the Snake God appears in a weakened state, it carries an aura of terror as it descends, a colossal serpentine form that stirs fear in the hearts.
Kaiba reacts swiftly, immediately unveiling his Duel Disc.
"Blue-Eyes Light Dragon!!!"
The President wastes no words, unleashing his strongest trump card. The most powerful Light Dragon bearing the title of God in Ancient Egypt, it rises like a blue sun, its metallic body unfolding, desperately countering the Snake God's dark aura with sacred blue light.
The God of Orichalcos lets out a piercing roar.
"A mere White Dragon dares to oppose the darkness of this era?"
Blue-Eyes Light Dragon ascends, simultaneously firing a light bullet from its mouth. The Snake God doesn't dodge, but merely its eyes turn red, and the light bullet detonates like hitting an invisible shield a dozen meters ahead, creating ripples.
Snake God, roaring as it charges in, reveals sharp fangs, aiming its blade straight for Blue-Eyes Light Dragon's neck.
Its speed is incredibly fast, but as it reaches halfway, it suddenly senses a fierce wind on its side, glancing sideways to see Chaos Warrior drawing his sword, the dimension-splitting Sword Qi slashing toward its serpentine body.
"A mere Swordsman!"
The God of Orichalcos barks, its extended body suddenly tumbling. A surge of dark energy bursts from its tail, colliding with the vigorous Chaos Sword Qi in mid-air. The Sword Qi is instantly shredded, and the remaining dark wave doesn't lose momentum, heading for Chaos Warrior in retaliation.
Chaos Warrior hurriedly raises his shield to block the strike. The mighty force crashes onto his shield, making him grunt and retreat, struggling to hold onto the shield, almost dropping it, his heart filled with dread.
Even in this half-revived state, the Snake God possesses such terrifying power with a casual backlash. What if it were at full strength?
At this moment, a beam of golden light shoots skywards. Yugen has retrieved the Phantom God Card from the graveyard, fiercely slamming it onto the Duel Disc.
Almost as the card lands on the Duel Disc, visible infinite currents surge from the Duel Disc.
Amid the black clouds, a glorious golden light bursts forth!