Chapter 73. An Unimaginable All-In Play! The Pure-Love Victory—Finale!
And the reality.
Just as Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win predicted.
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "Enter Battle Phase!"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "Relinquished, at 4500 ATK, destroys your 4000 ATK [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon]."
"Subtract 500!"
"Tyrant Dragon destroys your [Bystial Magnamhut]."
"Combo swing! Subtract 900!"
"Tyrant Dragon's effect—set [Switcheroroo] from the Graveyard."
"Tyrant Dragon continues the attack! Destroy your [Lubellion the Searing Dragon]."
"Second swing! Subtract 900!"
"Third swing! Continue attacking to destroy your [Bystial Druiswurm]!"
"Subtract 900!"
"......"
One monster after another was beaten down by the Minotaur and sent to the Graveyard.
Across the six Duel Worlds, many Duelists couldn't help but close their eyes.
They didn't dare watch.
It's over.
Everything is over.
Both waves of resources were seized by the Minotaur and used to smash through.
In this situation, can there still be a comeback?
Impossible…
After all, Abyss-Branded—Online has only 4800 Life Points left.
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win has 5100—300 more.
And in terms of monsters, the advantage is currently with Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win.
Abyss-Branded—Online: "You think I'll give up? No."
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Heh-heh-heh, I only keep struggling."
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Because the Minotaur can never beat a pure-love warrior!"
"[Bystial Druiswurm]—effect, activate!"
"When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: target 1 Special Summoned monster your opponent controls; send it to the Graveyard."
"I choose your Relinquished to be sent to the GY!"
"All right, continue your turn."
After more desperate struggling, a bit of advantage was barely clawed back.
Or rather, the advantage was still gradually expanding.
The Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon stolen by [Change of Heart] had finished all of its attacks.
And the monsters stolen by [Mind Control] couldn't attack at all.
Once the turn ends, the monsters controlled by [Mind Control] will return to Abyss-Branded—Online's field.
But without a doubt, the Minotaur—how could he possibly give them back?
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "Main Phase 2!"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "I use the [Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon] and [Starving Venom Fusion Dragon] on the field for a Link!"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "Link Summon [Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy]!"
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Activate [Branded Regained]!"
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Once per turn, when your opponent Normal or Special Summons a monster: target 1 'Bystial' monster in your GY; Special Summon it."
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Revive [Bystial Druiswurm] from the GY!"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "Useless. I'm not giving any of them back."
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "I use Dharc and [Abyss Actor – Frame Stage Dragon] for another Link!"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "Come forth—[Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess]!"
A 3-material [Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess] has only 2400 ATK.
But it also solved the problem of monsters reverting.
Up to this point, both players' fields had basically returned to parity.
The turn passed back to Abyss-Branded—Online.
Abyss-Branded—Online: "My turn! Draw!"
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Looks like, in the end, I will seize victory!"
"I switch [Bystial Druiswurm] to Attack Position!"
"Attack your [Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess]!"
2500 ATK—exactly 100 higher than Apollousa.
And precisely this 100 is crushing pressure.
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "Hahaha, you didn't forget the Trap I got back with Tyrant Dragon earlier, right?"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "Flip Trap—[Switcheroroo]!"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "Come on, come on! Let's keep Minotauring—swap those monsters!"
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Don't even think about it! Chain the Quick-Play Spell I just drew—[Rage with Eyes of Blue]!"
Abyss-Branded—Online: "I banish every card from my hand, field, and GY, face-down!"
"Come forth!"
"Invincible! Applause! Strongest! Insanity!"
"All three [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], appear!!!"
In this final exchange of blows, Abyss-Branded—Online successfully pulled the advantage all the way back.
He even sacrificed every card in hand, on field, and in the Graveyard.
All for one thing:
To protect his pure-love warrior's battle.
This sequence moved Duelists across all six worlds to tears.
This is too crazy.
Truly insane.
A Branded Deck relies on the GY to begin with.
This was a death-before-dishonor resolve.
Could it be that he already has a way to win?
So he dared to go mad and fire off that card.
At the cost of so much, he Special Summoned three Blue-Eyes White Dragons.
Can he really take the win?
Maybe because of all the false finish lines before, Duelists of the six worlds didn't dare believe the Duel was actually ending.
Three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, and the opponent has only one Apollousa.
It seemed like a guaranteed win.
Duel Monsters World.
"It's over—finally, it's going to end."
"Hahaha! Nice ending."
"Three Blue-Eyes White Dragons—invincible! The strongest!"
"End it with everything you've got!"
Seto Kaiba saw this and smiled with deep satisfaction at the Duel screen.
"Yugi, looks like it's over."
"Other me, why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
Yugi Muto spoke with the Pharaoh Atem within him.
The two held differing opinions, as if this victory wasn't fully locked yet.
"Yugi, you're too sensitive."
"Three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, 3000 each—that's 9000 total damage."
"Apollousa has 2400 ATK, plus 5100 Life Points—he'll end up negative!"
Joey Wheeler curled his lip.
He too believed the war against the Minotaur could end this turn.
Yugi frowned slightly.
Am I really overthinking?
5D's World.
Crow Hogan let out a long breath.
That earlier jinx nearly cursed the pure-love warrior to death.
This time, it shouldn't happen, right?
Three Blue-Eyes White Dragons—this has to be the win.
"It's over, right? This time?"
"He's only got one card in hand."
"He shouldn't be able to block it."
"Both sides have basically ground their resources to nothing."
"It should end."
Crow spoke in a small voice, and the more he talked, the less confident he sounded.
"Uh, Crow, how about you don't say anything."
"I'm worried you'll jinx it again."
No sooner had Yusei Fudo finished speaking than things started to feel off.
And the next moment left Crow, Yusei, and everyone else—
All six Duel Worlds—stunned.
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Blue-Eyes White Dragon attacks Apollousa! You'll lose 600!"
Abyss-Branded—Online: "You're at 4500 Life Points! Two Blue-Eyes will already finish you!"
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Direct attack!"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "Oh? You really think so?"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "Then I'll say the classic line—Sore wa dō kana?"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "From my hand, the second [Battle Fader]—effect, activate!"
???
Battle Fader?
A second Battle Fader?
Crap!
Shimatta!
Another turn is being handed over!!!
All the Duelists watched the original finishing blow with ashen faces.
They never imagined the last card clutched by Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win was actually a second Battle Fader.
It forcibly gave the Minotaur another turn.
No way.
Again?
Is this going to get turned around again?
Impossible!
If that happens, the pure-love warrior will definitely lose, right?
Abyss-Branded—Online was already numb.
With a blank stare, he couldn't believe what card he was seeing.
What kind of Duel becomes like this?
Enough already!
It's gone this far!
Why are you still holding on?
Is this the Minotaur's persistence???
After this block, at this moment, both players had no cards in hand.
It was a pure top-deck war.
Draw one, play one.
It was down to who could draw the last, wind-swinging reversal.
Helpless, Abyss-Branded—Online ended the turn.
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "My turn—draw!"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "Set one, end!"
Abyss-Branded—Online: "My turn—draw!"
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Enter Battle Phase! Blue-Eyes White Dragon—attack!"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "Hahaha! The Minotaur never surrenders!"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "Flip Trap! [Crackdown]—hand over your Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
What?
What is this?
Again?
Damn!
More Minotaur steals?
Is this entire Deck nothing but Minotaur cards?
We're playing like this???
Then this sequence stalls the board again, doesn't it?
No.
Not like this—there's still one way.
You want Minotaur tricks?
Then we stall together.
Let's see who can claim the final victory!
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Activate Quick-Play Spell! [Rapid Trigger]!"
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Destroy Fusion Materials on my field listed on a Fusion Monster, then Fusion Summon it from the Extra Deck."
Abyss-Branded—Online: "A monster Summoned by this effect can only attack monsters Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, and is unaffected by activated effects from any other monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck."
"Then—all three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, fuse!"
"Vanilla behemoth—4500 ATK [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]!"
"Because of its clause, I can't attack."
"Your turn!"
With a single card, the stalemate was established.
No doubt, Abyss-Branded—Online clearly wanted to use this card to drag out the turn.
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "My turn—draw!"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "You worked hard not to be Minotaur-ed!"
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win: "That Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon of yours looks nice!"
"I switch Battle Fader to Attack Position!"
"Activate Spell—[Creature Swap]!"
"My Battle Fader to you—your Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to me."
"Come on! Minotaur victory!"
More Minotaur?
Insane.
Truly insane.
This guy is insane!
Even now, what good is taking the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon?
Under its clause, he still can't attack.
But it's obvious he doesn't care about attacking.
He just wants to use this method to drag out the turns.
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Fine, fine! You win this one!"
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Then I'll stake my final hope on this draw!"
Deep breath.
"Draw!!"
"The card I drew is—"
"Monster Reborn!"
"Come! Activate Monster Reborn!"
"Revive!!!"
"That monster you used before! You should remember, right?"
"That's right! [Predaplant Verte Anaconda]!!!"
As Monster Reborn slammed onto the field, all fate was staked on [Predaplant Verte Anaconda].
But many were confused.
Why revive this Fusion-copying Predaplant?
What's the point?
To fuse?
Could it be his Deck still has a Fusion play?
Unlikely, right?
The Extra Deck was already nearly exhausted.
What else could he fuse?
And Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win secretly felt lucky that he'd swapped monsters earlier.
That 4500 ATK vanilla Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon felt so safe.
Just when everyone thought Abyss-Branded—Online had no way to turn the tables, he made a move no one saw coming.
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Yes—Verte can pay 2000 to copy a Fusion Spell."
Abyss-Branded—Online: "Then what if I copy [De-Fusion]?"
With a wry smile from Abyss-Branded—Online, the words "De-Fusion" carved themselves into every Duelist's mind.
Could it be?
What the—?!
No way!
Don't tell me!
Seto Kaiba's pupils shrank: "Impossible! Could it be—the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon?"
Yugi Muto's face changed: "Kaiba! It really is! It's the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
Professor Chronos looked puzzled: "H-hey, what are you all talking about? What about Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon?"
Yuma Tsukumo stiffened: "Professor, you haven't realized? If you use De-Fusion on Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon—"
In the chat group, with someone providing the mental leap, no one failed to understand what was about to happen.
Abyss-Branded—Online: "That's right! I choose the [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] on your field!"
Abyss-Branded—Online: "And Ultimate Dragon's materials are originally my monsters—the three Blue-Eyes are mine!"
"Then—Blue-Eyes White Dragon!!!"
"All three Blue-Eyes White Dragons—come back out!"
"Go! Burst Stream of Destruction!"
"All of you—attack!!!"
With the final full-force assault—
3000, first strike!
3000, second strike!
Bull-To-the-Extreme-Is-Also-Win's Life Points drop to 0!
Duel over!
It ended with all Duelists across the six Duel Worlds staring in shock and in a daze.
By a destined draw—or a god-draw—
He walked an unimagined path and ended it.
VRAINS World.
"He won? He actually won? Wait—this can be played like that?"
"I'm stunned—really stunned. How did he think of that?"
"Yikes—I thought he'd Monster Reborn something to drag another turn!"
"This is the difference between us and them."
Yusaku Fujiki, Takeru Homura, and Left could no longer sit still as they discussed.
This level of lateral thinking is far beyond any of them.
The three had thought that, in this Duel, he probably had no chance left.
Even with Monster Reborn, there wasn't much of a shot.
But at the final moment, he used Verte to copy the Fusion-undoing De-Fusion—something no one expected.
And thanks to that undoing, the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons sealed the pure-love warrior's victory!!
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