Chapter 225
The apex Blue-Eyes Synchro had arrived. Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon's three-headed form moved through the swirling Synchro starlight with an unmistakable nobility that matched any Ultimate Dragon variant before it.
On the teacher's platform, Synchro Academy's headmaster Raiden finally seized the moment and had Grafa locked in a firm hold.
"Quiet down and watch properly. How many stars is that Synchro? Amano is without question the future of Synchro Academy!"
Commanding both a Level 12 Synchro and a Level 12 Fusion simultaneously, Amano drove his fist forward and entered the Battle Phase.
"Destroy the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in Defense Position! Quintet Magician!"
"Five-Extinction Formation!"
Five stacked bursts of magical detonation hammered Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon was destroyed.
The destruction brought no relief to anyone watching from the Synchro Academy side. If anything, the tension sharpened. Everyone present understood why Chiaki had deliberately positioned Blue-Eyes White Dragon in Defense.
She had been waiting for the moment it fell.
Chiaki played the card she had carried in her hand.
"That's it for you, Amano! Shine and roar again, Deep-Eyes White Dragon!"
The azure dragon that shattered dimensional walls descended once more, igniting every dragon soul in both Graveyards for the second time.
"Between both Graveyards, twelve Dragon-type monsters. Effect damage: 7200."
The concentrated azure light assembled on those circular wings and detonated toward Amano in a column that could have ended the duel on its own.
"I'll leave this to you, Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon."
The transparent wings of Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon, suffused with its spirit dragon radiance, swept forward and intercepted the incoming detonation.
"Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon's effect!"
Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon's second effect read: When a card effect activates on the field, negate that activation. This card gains 1000 ATK until the end of the turn.
"I negate Deep-Eyes White Dragon's burn effect. Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon absorbs it as attack power."
The destructive azure light, denied its target, was drawn into the transparent wings and converted. Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon's three heads raised in unison and roared toward the sky.
Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon: 3500 attack becomes 4500.
With one negate used, Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon stood at 4500 against Deep-Eyes White Dragon's 5000. The gap remained.
"What a shame. Just a little short." Amano threw the Quick-Play Spell from his hand during the Battle Phase. "Quick-Play Spell, Forbidden Dress."
Forbidden Dress read: Target one face-up monster on the field. Until end of turn, that monster's ATK decreases by 600. It cannot be targeted by effects and cannot be destroyed by effects.
"I target Deep-Eyes White Dragon. Decrease its ATK by 600."
Deep-Eyes White Dragon: 5000 attack becomes 4400.
The gap was closed. Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon at 4500. Deep-Eyes White Dragon at 4400. One hundred points between them.
Three white dragon heads locked on the azure behemoth above and unleashed their combined spirit-light.
Deep-Eyes White Dragon and Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon clashed one final time on the ruins of the Gold Stage.
Chiaki LP: 800 to 700.
Deep-Eyes White Dragon was destroyed.
"Deep-Eyes White Dragon, when destroyed, destroys all monsters on the opponent's field."
Deep-Eyes White Dragon's fourth effect activated in its final moment, scattering the last of its azure energy across Amano's field without exception.
Quintet Magician stood unshaken, immune to effect destruction by its own second effect.
Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon was destroyed.
"But I needed that destruction, Kaiba. Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon's third effect."
Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon's third effect read: When this card is destroyed by battle or card effect, Special Summon one Dragon-type LIGHT monster from your Graveyard other than Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon.
"Rise from my Graveyard. Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon."
Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon: Attack 2500.
Summoned during the Battle Phase, Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon could act immediately.
"Direct attack, Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon!"
The Synchro white dragon that had overcome the deep-abyss dragon launched its spirit-light directly at Chiaki.
Chiaki opened her set card.
"Trap Card, Counter Gate."
Counter Gate had already decided the shape of this duel once before, letting Amano draw Gabrion, the Timelord at a critical moment. Now it held the line for Chiaki.
Counter Gate read: When the opponent declares a direct attack, negate that attack. Draw one card from your deck. If the drawn card is a monster, it can be Normal Summoned in Attack Position.
"I negate Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon's attack and draw one card."
Chiaki looked at the card she had drawn. Her expression paused briefly. She set it without using the Normal Summon option, which told Amano everything he needed to know about what it was.
Not a monster.
"I set two cards face-down. Turn end."
Having fought this far, both players had exhausted nearly every major card in their arsenals. The feeling of a war run down to the final reserves had settled over the arena.
Something was still missing, though. Amano could feel it.
"My turn. Draw."
Chiaki's opening play answered it.
"Spell Card, Pot of Greed."
Every high-ranked duelist carried a copy. In every other duel, at some point, it had already appeared. Only Chiaki had held hers back this long, letting the rest of her arsenal carry the load before squeezing the last possibility out of her deck at the very end.
Pot of Greed detonated. One monster and one Spell Card arrived in Chiaki's hand.
The dimensional projection behind her shattered for the third time. Chiaki raised the Spell.
"Spell Card, Monster Reborn. I revive Deep-Eyes White Dragon from my Graveyard. And now, with thirteen Dragon-type monsters combined between both Graveyards, deal 7800 points of effect damage!"
"I'll take every point of that," Amano said, and opened his set Trap.
"Trap Card, Rainbow Life."
Rainbow Life read: Discard one card from your hand. Until the End Phase of this turn, instead of taking battle damage and effect damage, recover that amount as Life Points.
Rainbow light filled the arena around Amano, and the azure destructive column converging on him transformed into a surging tide of restored life. Deep-Eyes White Dragon's third attempt to end this duel became the opposite of what it intended.
Amano LP: 1200 becomes 9000.
The most powerful dragon in this duel had been designed to end it in a single appearance. Amano had endured its effect three times. Three separate strikes from the abyss, and he was still standing in front of Kaiba Chiaki.
This turn, because of Rainbow Life, Chiaki could not deal him any damage at all.
Deep-Eyes White Dragon: 5000 attack, still inheriting Ultimate Dragon Wizard's power from the Graveyard.
"Attack, Deep-Eyes White Dragon!"
Even knowing Amano would recover Life Points from the damage, Chiaki sent her 5000-attack dragon forward into Quintet Magician.
Quintet Magician had no protection against battle. At 4500 attack, it fell to the higher ATK of Deep-Eyes White Dragon.
Quintet Magician was destroyed.
Amano LP: 9000 becomes 9500.
The moment the card on the field was destroyed, something in Chiaki's hand stirred.
"Special Summon, Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon."
Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon: Level 8. LIGHT. Dragon-type Effect. Attack: 3000. Defense: 2500.
Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon's first effect read: When this card is in the hand or Graveyard, if a card on the field is destroyed by battle or card effect, Special Summon this card. This effect can only be used when Blue-Eyes White Dragon exists on your field or in your Graveyard.
Quintet Magician's destruction triggered the condition. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon resting in Chiaki's Graveyard from earlier in the duel satisfied the restriction.
"Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon attacks Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon! And at the start of the Damage Step, its effect activates!"
Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon's second effect read: At the start of the Damage Step when this card battles, target one card on the opponent's field and return it to the owner's hand.
"Evolved Gale Strike!"
Before damage could be calculated, Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon was ejected from the field and returned to the Extra Deck. The exchange bypassed Amano gaining any additional Life Points from the collision.
Amano's field was cleared.
Even with a Life Point count ten times Chiaki's, with Deep-Eyes White Dragon at 5000 attack standing on her field, any remaining deficit in field presence would close within two turns.
Yet Chiaki's eyes, reflecting the azure glow, moved to the one card still remaining in her hand. She set it face-down.
"I set my last card. Turn end."
The card she held openly was Deep-Eyes White Dragon's threat made explicit: as long as Blue-Eyes White Dragon could be put in danger, Deep-Eyes White Dragon would emerge from hand with the full fury of both Graveyards behind it. Amano had burned through his counters. He had no more negates, no more negation Kuribohs, no more trap protection.
"My turn. Draw."
Amano drew and the Continuous Spell completed one final response.
"I reveal Space Spell Rabbit, a Normal Monster. Additional draw."
Even now, fighting to the last moment. There was no reason to lose this duel.
"Even against Kaiba. Come out."
The draw had weight to it. Amano felt what remained in that card the instant he touched it.
"I Normal Summon Space Spell Rabbit in Defense Position. Then I activate Spell Card."
This card had appeared once before, in the duel against Yugi Mutou. After that, no matter how many decks he had built with it included, it had stayed silent. Amano had worked out why.
The will of Kaiba Seto had never departed from this card. And like Kaiba Seto himself, it would not appear for an opponent it did not acknowledge as worthy.
Yugi Mutou had earned it. Today, so had Kaiba Chiaki.
"Have you acknowledged your successor, three thousand years in the future, Kaiba Seto?"
"Card of Demise."
Card of Demise read: Draw until you have five cards in your hand. Then, during the Standby Phase of your fifth turn after this card's activation, discard your entire hand.
"I draw until I have five."
Five cards arrived in a single pull. Among them, one radiated a light that was different from any standard ranked card. A quiet, distinct starlight that did not belong to the normal acquisition channels.
"I activate the hand effect of Stardust Synchron."
Stardust Synchron's effect brought itself and Maiden with Eyes of Blue from the Graveyard simultaneously onto the field. Then Amano activated the Graveyard effect of Priest with Eyes of Blue, sending Maiden to GY and bringing Blue-Eyes White Dragon from the Graveyard to the field in her place. But the game state that mattered most was not what emerged from the Graveyard.
When Amano activated Rainbow Life on the previous turn, he had discarded one card to pay the cost.
That card was Occupation Entry: Spirit Binder.
In the Graveyard, the burning soul of that entry card had been waiting. And something on the arena floor below responded to it. At the feet of the audience, Shio noticed the azure gemstone pendant at her chest beginning to quietly warm.
"I activate the Graveyard effect of Earthbound Immortal, True Crimson Nova."
Earthbound Immortal, True Crimson Nova's effect read: During either player's Main Phase, banish this card from the hand or Graveyard. Send one Earthbound Immortal monster or Red Dragon Archfiend from the hand or face-up field to the Graveyard. Then choose one: Special Summon one Earthbound monster from the deck or Extra Deck, or Special Summon one True Crimson Nova Dragon from the Extra Deck as a Synchro Summon.
"I send Red Dragon Archfiend from my field to the Graveyard. Earthbound Immortal, True Crimson Nova calls the ultimate Synchro!"
"The King and the Archfiend converge at this point in time and space! Raging soul! Let out the cry of creation!"
"Appear, my soul! True Crimson Nova Dragon!!"
True Crimson Nova Dragon: Level 12. DARK. Dragon-type Synchro. Attack: 3500. Defense: 3000.
"True Crimson Nova Dragon's effect: this card's ATK increases by 500 for each Tuner monster in my Graveyard."
The souls of every Tuner who had carried this duel forward stirred in the Graveyard: White Ecclesia the Virtuous, The White Stone of Ancients, Maiden with Eyes of Blue, Sage with Eyes of Blue, Protector with Eyes of Blue, Witch with Eyes of Blue, Stardust Synchron, Space Spell Rabbit.
Eight Tuners. Eight times five hundred.
True Crimson Nova Dragon: 3500 attack becomes 7500.
The dragon burning at 7500 attack points blazed against Deep-Eyes White Dragon's 5000. A direct strike would remove Chiaki's last 700 Life Points and end the duel. Attacking Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon instead risked being bounced back to the Extra Deck by its effect, which would accomplish nothing.
"This is exactly what I expected from you, Amano."
Chiaki smiled. Chiaki, who had felt through the shared resonance of two duelists who had fought this far against each other, that even with a single card remaining in his hand, Amano could still summon a miracle.
"Then let this card decide the final result between us in this turn."
Her last set Trap opened.
"Trap Card, Final Battle!"
Final Battle read: When your Life Points are 1000 or below, activate during your opponent's turn. Choose one monster you control. All other cards on both players' fields and in both players' hands are sent to the Graveyard. Then, the opponent selects one monster from their deck and Special Summons it in Attack Position, and battle is conducted. Player battle damage is 0. The player who has a monster remaining on the field at the end of the turn wins the Duel. Otherwise, the result is a draw.
In all of Yu-Gi-Oh history, this card stood among the true legends. A card that rewrote the victory conditions for the turn it appeared.
Amano knew it. There was a reason it had spent decades on the forbidden list.
"I select Deep-Eyes White Dragon as my monster."
The winds of the Final Battle swallowed the Gold Stage's entire arena. Every card on Chiaki's field besides Deep-Eyes White Dragon, including Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon, was swept into the Graveyard. Everything in Amano's hand followed.
True Crimson Nova Dragon was sent to the Graveyard.
Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon was sent to the Graveyard.
When the storm wall settled, only Chiaki's Deep-Eyes White Dragon remained standing in the center of what had once been the Gold Stage.
"Now, Amano. Choose your monster from your deck."
In the stands below the arena, Shio heard it before she felt it. A sharp, burning sting in her chest. Her hands went to the azure gemstone pendant and pulled it free.
"This is what you asked for, Kaiba!"
"Good!" Shio called from the audience. She did not know exactly what was happening, only that the pendant was reacting more intensely than it had all day, and that whatever Amano was about to do, something in the seal was already answering it.
Having fought to the very last moment of a duel like this one, there was no reason to lose.
Amano recalled the system skills shown to him in last night's dream. He recalled what Eve had said then.
"Amano, show everyone your limits."
These are my limits, right now.
The three occupations offered themselves.
Occupation: Fraudster. Sacrificed.
Occupation: Spirit Binder. Sacrificed.
Occupation: Diviner. Sacrificed.
Occupation Entry: Deity Tamer.
A black storm erupted around Amano, surging through the air toward his deck, reaching for the ultimate divine power sleeping within it. The call went out for the invincible, the absolute, the one that stood beyond every card that had come before.
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