"You're too naive!"
Kaiba flipped his set card.
"I activate the Counter Trap Negate Attack!"
The trap's effect was brutal and absolute:
"It negates your monster's attack—and ends the Battle Phase for this turn!"
"Tch… you set something like that?!" Jounouchi grit his teeth. "But my turn isn't over yet!"
He quickly shifted into defense.
"I change Axe Raider and Black Panther Warrior to Defense Position, set one card, and end my turn!" (Cards in hand: 3)
"Of course it wasn't that simple," Honda muttered.
"Kaiba's going to counterattack next turn," Kisaragi said quietly, eyes narrowed.
As Jounouchi's turn ended, Kaiba's stolen monsters returned.
"Your turn is over. My Luster Dragon and La Jinn return to my field."
"My turn—draw!"
Kaiba didn't hesitate for even a second.
"I activate Graceful Charity! I draw three cards, then send two cards to the Graveyard!"
"Next, I activate the Continuous Trap City of Dragon Souls."
He explained its effect with cold precision:
"Once per turn, I can banish one Dragon from my Graveyard, then target one face-up monster I control. That monster gains 700 ATK until the end of this turn."
"I banish Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my Graveyard—Luster Dragon gains 700 ATK!"
Luster Dragon (ATK 3200 / DEF 1400)
Jounouchi's eyes went wide. "He… he banished Blue-Eyes?!"
Kisaragi's gaze flicked to the continuous trap.
I see it now. The ATK boost is secondary… the real aim is setting up the resurrection line.
"Battle! Luster Dragon, attack Black Panther Warrior!"
"Then I'll flip my set card too!" Jounouchi shouted. "I activate Trap—The Cost of Arbitration!" (anime card)
He rattled off the effect, practically daring fate itself to cooperate:
"When an opponent's monster declares an attack: the opponent chooses two cards from their Graveyard. Those two cards and this card are placed face-down and shuffled. I choose one.
If I pick this trap, the Battle Phase is forcibly ended, then the two chosen cards are returned to the top of the opponent's Deck in any order, and this trap goes to the Graveyard.
If I pick anything else, all three cards go to the Graveyard."
He handed the trap to Kaiba with a grin.
Kaiba clicked his tongue. "Cheap tricks."
Kaiba selected two cards from his Graveyard, shuffled the three face-down piles, and laid them on the desk.
Jounouchi stared like his life depended on it.
"I choose… the one on the far left!"
Kaiba revealed the chosen card.
It was The Cost of Arbitration.
"Yes!!" Jounouchi pumped his fist. "I guessed right! The Battle Phase ends! And the other two cards go back on top of your deck!"
Kaiba's lip curled.
"You really are a stray mutt—living off sheer dumb luck."
"Shut up!" Jounouchi barked. "Luck is part of skill!"
People around them were snickering, and Jounouchi finally realized he was being laughed at too.
"Kaiba! Who are you calling a stray mutt?!"
"The one standing in front of me."
Kaiba set one card.
"Set one. End turn." (Cards in hand: 2)
(And with the battle ended, Luster Dragon's ATK returned to normal.)
Luster Dragon (ATK 2500 / DEF 1400)
Bakura spoke up softly, amused.
"LP hasn't changed at all… but you can tell Kaiba has the advantage now. Jounouchi's getting forced into defense."
"Yeah," Yugi said. "This draw decides the direction of the duel."
"My turn—draw!"
Jounouchi looked at the card he drew—then smiled.
"Yes…! I drew my deck's ace!"
Kaiba's brow tightened slightly.
"Come on, Kaiba—take this!"
"I activate Monster Reborn! I revive Mystic Lamp from your Graveyard!"
Mystic Lamp (ATK 900 / DEF 1400)
"Then I Tribute Mystic Lamp, Black Panther Warrior, and Axe Raider—three monsters!"
Kisaragi's eyes sharpened.
Three tributes… so it's that card.
"Come forth—Gilford the Lightning!"
Gilford the Lightning (ATK 2800 / DEF 1400)
"And if Gilford the Lightning is Tribute Summoned using three monsters—he destroys all monsters on my opponent's field!"
Kaiba's eyes widened for the first time. "What?!"
"That's Jounouchi's ace!" Honda yelled. "What a crazy effect!"
Kisaragi's inner voice was far less impressed.
It's flashy, sure. But three tributes for a board wipe, no protection, no follow-up… it only looks legendary in this era.
Jounouchi thrust his arm forward.
"Now you can't stop me! Battle—Gilford the Lightning, direct attack!"
Kaiba didn't panic.
"I activate Quick-Play Spell Emergency Provisions. I send City of Dragon Souls to the Graveyard and recover 1000 LP!"
Kaiba LP: 4000 → 5000
"So what?!" Jounouchi snapped. "Even if you heal, you can't stop my attack!"
Kaiba's smile turned razor-thin.
"Idiot. When City of Dragon Souls is sent from the field to the Graveyard… I can target one of my banished Dragon-Type monsters and Special Summon it."
Jounouchi's face froze as the implication hit.
"The banished… Blue-Eyes…?"
"Looks like you're not completely hopeless."
Kaiba raised his hand like a judge delivering the sentence.
"Come forth—Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
Blue-Eyes White Dragon (ATK 3000 / DEF 2500)
"Heh. You can still stop your attack while you have the chance," Kaiba taunted.
"Tch…!" Jounouchi clenched his fist. "I stop the attack. End turn." (Cards in hand: 2)
"That's Kaiba's Blue-Eyes," the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle murmured behind Yugi.
"Jounouchi's out of options," Yugi said quietly.
"My turn—draw!"
Kaiba's voice dropped into contempt.
"This boring farce ends now."
"What?!" Jounouchi shouted. "I still have a 2800 ATK monster! Even if your Blue-Eyes is stronger, you can't drop my LP to zero in one go!"
"In my eyes, that monster is trash."
Kaiba slapped down a spell.
"I activate Black Pendant—I discard one card to banish one monster on the field. I banish Gilford the Lightning!"
Jounouchi's blood ran cold. "What?!"
"And I'm not done."
Kaiba played another monster.
"I Normal Summon Spear Dragon in Attack Position!"
Spear Dragon (ATK 1900 / DEF 0)
"Battle! Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Spear Dragon—direct attack this stray mutt!"
The strikes landed back-to-back.
Jounouchi LP: 4000 → 0
Kaiba Seto: WIN.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 80)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 80)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 80)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter50)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter50)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter50)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter50)
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