# Chapter 376: Invincible is a Debuff
After drawing a card, Amon waved his hand and commanded: "Then, enter my Battle Phase!"
"[Cloudian - Smoke Ball], [Cloudian - Turbulence], and [Cloudian - Storm Dragon], attack Dan Kuroto directly!"
[Cloudian - Smoke Ball][ATK 200]
[Cloudian - Turbulence][ATK 800]
[Cloudian - Storm Dragon][ATK 1000]
Although the ATK of a single [Cloudian] monster was so low it was almost negligible, the three monsters combined had a total of a full 2000 points of damage.
If this attack hits, Amon's advantage would be quite significant!
"Monsters of this level are simply not qualified to challenge my Divine Talent!"
Responding to the total attack of Amon's monsters on the field was the Set Card Hayato opened: "Chain the direct attack declaration of [Cloudian - Smoke Ball], I activate my Set Card [Mirror Gate]!"
"I negate the direct attack of [Cloudian - Smoke Ball], and I draw one card from my Deck. When the drawn card is a Monster Card, I can Normal Summon that drawn monster in Attack Position."
A white dimensional wall blocked the path of [Cloudian - Smoke Ball], bouncing the charging monster back to Amon's field.
Seeing the attack negated, Amon frowned: "Normal Summon... That means you can only Summon a monster that can be Normal Summoned, right? If you draw a high-Level monster, you still won't be able to withstand the subsequent direct attacks from [Cloudian - Turbulence] and [Cloudian - Storm Dragon] without Tributes on the field, Dan Kuroto."
"Wahahaha, no, no, you haven't realized what my Divine Talent truly is." Hayato revealed a healthy smile. "I am the Game Administrator of this Duel Monsters game. Whatever card I draw is decided by me!"
"Just like game development requires a prototype, come forth, the first Cyber Dragon, [Proto-Cyber Dragon]!"
From within the dimensional wall, a grey mechanical dragon crawled out, standing on the field for Hayato. Compared to the completed form [Cyber Dragon] of the future, [Proto-Cyber Dragon]'s body was covered in connecting cables, clearly in an unfinished state.
[Proto-Cyber Dragon][Level 3/LIGHT Attribute]
[Machine Type/Effect]
[1100/600]
Compared to [Cyber Dragon]'s 2100 ATK, [Proto-Cyber Dragon] only had 1100 ATK, a type that was originally difficult to use in battle.
However, everything is relative. [Proto-Cyber Dragon]'s ATK was weak, but the [Cloudian] monsters' ATK was even weaker than [Proto-Cyber Dragon]'s.
An ATK of 1100 was just enough to completely defend against the attacks of [Cloudian - Turbulence] and [Cloudian - Storm Dragon], forcing them back to Amon's field without leaving even a trace of damage.
His round of attacks blocked, Amon didn't get discouraged. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, then Set the last card in his Hand, the card he had just drawn using [Mystical Space Typhoon]:
"I Set one card. My Turn Ends."
[Amon: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Cloudian - Smoke Ball][ATK 200]
[Cloudian - Turbulence][ATK 800]
[Cloudian - Storm Dragon][ATK 1000]
[Set Card]
"Heh heh, this lineup is like a low-quality program full of bugs, what a 'pile of junk'. Such a terrible program is better off being discontinued."
"My Turn, Draw!"
"I activate my Set Card on the field, [Pot of Avarice]! I return five cards from my Graveyard: two [Cyber Dragon], [Cyber End Dragon], [King of the Swamp], and [Mirror Gate] to my Deck and shuffle, then draw one card."
"Then, I activate the Spell Card [Fusion Recovery]! I add one [Cyber Dragon] that was used as Fusion Material during a previous Fusion Summon and the [Fusion] Spell Card from my Graveyard to my Hand."
Hayato's Hand size recovered to three cards. Taking out the recently recycled [Cyber Dragon] and [Fusion] from his Hand, Hayato looked at Amon and said: "Now, it's time to clear the monsters on your field!"
"[Proto-Cyber Dragon]'s own Effect, while on the field, its card name can be used as [Cyber Dragon]. I activate the Spell Card [Fusion]! I use [Proto-Cyber Dragon] on the field and [Cyber Dragon] from my Hand as Fusion Material!"
"Form Change! The Rampaging Twin-Headed Dragon! Come forth, [Cyber Twin Dragon]!"
On Hayato's field, two [Cyber Dragon]s attached to each other at the neck, transforming into [Cyber Twin Dragon], which was only missing one head and a pair of wings compared to [Cyber End Dragon]. Because there was no central Cyber Brain to harmonize them, the left and right heads constantly fought, but because of this, [Cyber Twin Dragon] became quite active.
[Cyber Twin Dragon][Level 8/LIGHT Attribute]
[Machine Type/Fusion/Effect]
[2800/2100]
"Level 8, [Cyber Twin Dragon], complete." Hayato smiled smugly. "Because there is no central Cyber Brain for logical balance, [Cyber Twin Dragon]'s two heads operate independently."
"During a single Battle Phase, [Cyber Twin Dragon] can attack twice! Now, let the battle begin!"
"Go, [Cyber Twin Dragon]! All-Powerful Double Burst!"
"Target Lock-on: [Cloudian - Smoke Ball]! First hit!"
At Hayato's command, the left head of [Cyber Twin Dragon] roared at the other head beside it, then a large amount of electric current was channeled into its mouth, turning into a beam of white laser that shot towards the trembling [Cloudian - Smoke Ball]!
[Cyber Twin Dragon]'s ATK is 2800 points, while [Cloudian - Smoke Ball]'s ATK is only 200 points. If this attack goes through, Amon will have a full 2600 Life Points deducted at once.
What's more fatal is that [Cyber Twin Dragon] can attack again. Even if [Cloudian - Turbulence] and [Cloudian - Storm Dragon] both have Battle Destruction Resistance, attacking either one is enough to deplete Amon's Life Points!
Seeing that [Cloudian - Smoke Ball] was about to be hit, Amon decisively activated his Set Card in the Backrow: "I activate the Continuous Trap [Soul Shield]!"
Although Amon's Trap Card was successfully activated, that [Soul Shield] merely unfolded a transparent barrier in front of Amon himself. It had no intention of protecting [Cloudian - Smoke Ball], letting it be destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.
After destroying [Cloudian - Smoke Ball], the aftermath of [Cyber Twin Dragon]'s attack swept towards Amon, but was just enough to be blocked by [Soul Shield].
[Amon: 4000 LP]
"Continuous Trap Card [Soul Shield]'s Effect is that as long as I have a monster on the field, I will not take Battle Damage. In other words, I am now in an invincible, undefeated position."
Pushing up the glasses that had slid down his nose, Amon glanced at "Dan Kuroto" and said calmly.
"Invincible? You shouldn't say that." Hayato knew better than anyone what kind of Debuff "Invincible" was. Even the invincible Jotaro would fall, and the invincible Golden Flakes Dad also had his moments of weakness.
Chapter 377: There's Nothing Wrong with a Cyber Dragon Deck Winning Through Fusion
"Invincible? You shouldn't say that." Hayato knew better than anyone what a debuff "invincible" was. Even the invincible Jotaro would fall, and the invincible Golden Head Scum Dad wasn't without his moments of frustration.
However, the card [Soul Barrier] was indeed tricky. As long as there was a monster acting as a barrier, it could protect Amon from battle damage. It was a perfect match for the [Cloudian] monsters, which had weak attack but generally possessed battle destruction resistance, perfectly compensating for the [Cloudian]'s biggest weakness.
And yet, Hayato was using a [Cyber Dragon] deck that relied mainly on aggro for victory. It wasn't that the [Cyber Dragon] deck had no means of backrow destruction; Chimeratech Rampage Dragon had the effect to destroy spell/trap cards on the field equal to the number of its fusion materials when Fusion Summoned.
But the problem was, Hayato didn't have Chimeratech Rampage Dragon. The [Cyber Dragon] deck he obtained only had two Fusion Monsters in total: Cyber End Dragon and Cyber Twin Dragon.
To strengthen the power of his boss monsters, Hayato had spent DP points to draw and buy cards, but in the end, he only managed to get Chimeratech Overdragon and the invincible Two-Seater Bicycle Robot. However, even these two monsters were helpless against [Soul Barrier].
Of course, Hayato's deck also included three copies of Mystical Space Typhoon, but without drawing it, everything was useless.
Although Cyber Twin Dragon could still attack once more, it couldn't destroy the [Cloudian] monsters on the field or inflict damage to him. Hayato could only helplessly play the card in his hand:
"Activate Continuous Spell Card Nightmare's Mirage! My turn ends."
["Dan Kuroto": 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Cyber Twin Dragon] [ATK 2800]
[Nightmare's Mirage]
"Phew, although you're not old, you've certainly made God feel tricky. It's hard to imagine you're the child of that short-tempered guy, Ptah. Though you're not his biological child, of course."
Hearing "Dan Kuroto"'s words, Amon Garlem's expression showed a rare, noticeable change: "You, you know my father?"
"Not really know, because strictly speaking, we've only met each other, and haven't even spoken more than five sentences," Hayato shrugged. "I just witnessed that guy's exasperated look after losing a duel."
During Duelist Kingdom, Ptah Garlem was one of the players who qualified for the Top 8. His opponent at the time was the legendary duelist, the man favored by the Goddess of Fortune, the lucky one, the Will of the Commoner, the Black Dragon Wielder, Joey Wheeler. A victory within reach was turned into a comeback victory by Joey Wheeler using a Graceful Dice. Ptah was so angry that he left Maximillion Pegasus's castle immediately.
Although later, when Hayato and Yugi Mutou dueled Maximillion Pegasus, he returned to the castle to watch the duel due to the need for cooperation with Industrial Illusions.
Thinking about it now, two years have passed since Hayato came to this world without him realizing it. Ptah seems to have inherited his father's position and become the president of the Garlem Corporation, and he also adopted the young boy named Amon before him.
Compared to the easily agitated Ptah due to duel losses, Amon Garlem was calm, as if watching someone else's duel. It wasn't the kind of indifference that showed no desire for the outcome of the duel; this young boy seemed to always have his gaze set on something further away.
"I see. However, I don't think your talent is particularly outstanding. To be called a god, you must first defeat me," Amon said calmly. As he spoke, his finger rested on the Duel Disk, preparing to draw a card. "My turn, draw—"
Hayato glanced at Amon's expression and suddenly laughed: "To consider me a trial to test your divine talent, how arrogant. Oh, no, that's not right. You're actually feeling inferior, aren't you?"
Amon's hand paused. He looked up at "Dan Kuroto"'s face, which held an inexplicable smile, and said expressionlessly, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Huh? Is that so?" Hayato waved his hand casually. "God's talent is never wrong. Whether it is or isn't, let your duel tell me, Amon Garlem~"
Frowning, Amon's hand paused on his deck, thinking about something. After a few seconds, he chose to forget the meaningless words from "Dan Kuroto"'s mouth: "My turn, draw."
"Then, during your Standby Phase, I activate the effect of Nightmare's Mirage on the field." Hayato placed his free hand on his deck and sharply drew four cards. "During the opponent's Standby Phase, I draw cards from my deck until my hand size is restored to four. During my next Standby Phase, I discard cards equal to the number I drew."
"A meaningless card," Amon frowned, not understanding why Hayato would activate such a card. "You have no cards on the field that can use your hand. You'll have to discard all four cards in your hand at the start of your Standby Phase."
"Even if you drew some powerful cards, you can't use them during my turn."
Although he said this, Amon actually remembered the Red Reboot card from "Dan Kuroto"'s information. However, for Amon, who had no set cards on the field, even Red Reboot posed no threat.
Looking at the cards he drew, Amon played one to activate: "Spell Card Pot of Greed! I draw two cards from my deck."
"Then I activate the effect of Cloudian - Storm Dragon. Once per turn, I place one Fog Counter on one face-up monster on the field. My target is Cloudian - Turbulence. Then, I remove one Fog Counter, and the effect of Cloudian - Turbulence activates! Special Summon Cloudian - Smoke Ball from the graveyard."
As Cloudian - Smoke Ball was revived on the field, Amon looked down at a card in his hand.
"Dan Kuroto"'s words were not wrong, because no one knew better than Amon himself the inferiority in his heart.
Before being adopted by Ptah Garlem and given the "Garlem" surname, Amon was just an orphan from a poor area. His early experiences of struggling for survival were deeply etched in his mind and difficult to forget. Because of this, Amon was filled with gratitude towards Ptah Garlem, who adopted him and raised him as his own son and heir.
Although Ptah's personality was not very stable, he was a very competent adoptive father. He was very dedicated to Amon's education and told him that to become the president of the Garlem Corporation, the most important thing was not talent but capacity. He must have the ambition to become the world's number one, to become a king, to become a god, in order to lead the Garlem Corporation to greater heights.
And Amon did indeed try to cultivate a "Heart of a King" for himself, just as Ptah had taught him.
But plans couldn't keep up with changes. Not long ago, Amon learned something—Ptah's wife, who had been married for a long time without children, was finally pregnant, and it was estimated to be a boy. In other words, the person with the legitimate qualification for the position of "Garlem Corporation Heir" that Amon had filled was returning.
Although Ptah continued to care for Amon as always, Amon himself was stirred by feelings of inferiority. In his struggle, he proactively found Ptah, explained that he would not accept the heir status, and vowed to assist his unborn younger brother—Sid.
'I am indeed feeling inferior. Inferior that I, just an orphan, had the great luck to be adopted by the Garlem Corporation. Inferior that everything I have comes from external bestowal.'
'However, Duel Monsters is different. This [Cloudian] deck was not purchased with the power of the Garlem Corporation; I collected it card by card myself.'
'Only in Duel Monsters can I use my own power, not the power of the Garlem Corporation, and do things that even my father cannot do!'
Looking up, Amon's gaze met Hayato's. It was the first time Hayato had seen such a thirst for victory in the eyes of this young boy with a great haircut for dueling: "That gaze, interesting."
"Dan Kuroto, I will take the victory in this duel. Because my target is the King of Games, I will become the champion of the KC Cup and then defeat Kobayashi Hayato!"
Amon Garlem, who didn't know that "Dan Kuroto" was Kobayashi Hayato, raised the card in his hand: "I tribute Cloudian - Smoke Ball and Cloudian - Turbulence on the field for a Tribute Summon!"
"The light leading to the future can stir up a storm even in this windless place! Come forth, my deck's ace monster, Cloudian - Eye of the Typhoon!!"
Cloudian - Turbulence and Cloudian - Smoke Ball were tributed at Amon's command. The smoke cloud and air current, no longer bound by the power of Duel Monsters, began to spread and were continuously expanded under the guidance of Cloudian - Storm Dragon nearby.
In just a few breaths, the smoke cloud of [Smoke Ball] was completely blown away by [Turbulence] into a vast cloud, but then pulled towards the center by the centripetal force of the high-speed air current. The storm continuously expanded, and [Storm Dragon] even began to circle around the huge tornado.
Suddenly, a giant single eye appeared within the storm, followed by a pair of giant fists that extended from the storm and smashed onto the ground!
[Cloudian - Eye of the Typhoon] [Level 8/Wind]
[Aqua-Type/Effect]
[3000/1000]
Looking at the enormous volume of Cloudian - Eye of the Typhoon, like a giant, Hayato not only felt no fear but instead showed a look of interest: "That's how it should be. Compared to those lackeys who swarmed me just now, this level is a qualified game."
Amon looked up at Cloudian - Eye of the Typhoon. Although its appearance was much uglier than cute Duel Monsters like [Smoke Ball], watching [Eye of the Typhoon]'s appearance made him feel incredibly secure.
"Cloudian - Eye of the Typhoon is the strongest [Cloudian] monster in my deck." Adjusting his glasses, Amon looked at the Cyber Twin Dragon on the field and waved his hand, giving the command, "Now, enter my Battle Phase!"
"Cloudian - Eye of the Typhoon, attack Cyber Twin Dragon! Ultimate Storm Fist!"
Following Amon's spirited command, Cloudian - Eye of the Typhoon raised its thick arm and punched out fiercely. Although it should have been insubstantial cloud, [Eye of the Typhoon]'s fist instantly scattered the light beam sprayed out by Cyber Twin Dragon when it countered, and then heavily struck and destroyed it, sending it to the graveyard!
["Dan Kuroto": 4000→3800 LP]
"Then, Cloudian - Storm Dragon's direct attack!"
Amon pressed his advantage. [Storm Dragon] opened its mouth and spat out a blast of cold air. In the cold weather, this kind of attack made Hayato shiver, and his Life Points decreased again.
["Dan Kuroto": 3800→2800 LP]
"Even if your talent is truly like a god, I will not lose to you, Dan Kuroto. Because this is my duel, Amon Garlem's duel." Amon set the last card in his hand. "Set a card! My turn ends!"
[Amon: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Cloudian - Eye of the Typhoon] [ATK 3000]
[Cloudian - Storm Dragon] [ATK 1000]
[Soul Barrier] [Set Card]
"What a spirited declaration, but just talking is far from enough. Fighting spirit alone cannot change the gap in talent between you and me." Although he was at a disadvantage, Hayato's words were quite arrogant. If you ask why—
"My turn, draw! Then I activate Emergency Provisions from my hand! I send Nightmare's Mirage on the field to the graveyard and recover 1000 Life Points." Sending [Nightmare's Steelcage] to the graveyard and then getting free cards, Hayato was getting smoother and smoother with this combo.
And he could swear to God that he absolutely did not put glue between Emergency Provisions and [Nightmare's Steelcage].
["Dan Kuroto": 2800→3800 LP]
"Then, Spell Card Pot of Greed! I replenish two more cards from my deck."
After activating [Pot of Greed], Hayato still had five cards in his hand. It didn't seem like much, but it was completely enough to win this duel.
Although I'm sorry to Kaiser, who made Cyber Dragon a classic monster in the hearts of countless people, just as Kaiser said, for victory, I am willing to give up my old friend Cyber Dragon!
Besides, [Cyber Dragon] is a deck that focuses on [Fusion]. There is absolutely no problem with the combo I'm about to make!
"As a game administrator, I know better than anyone that no matter how difficult a game is, there must be an opportunity to clear it. However, as a game administrator, before starting this ultimate game, I must cut off your last hope, Amon."
As he spoke, Hayato showed a healthy smile and played a card: "Activate Spell Card Mystical Space Typhoon! Unconditionally destroy any one spell/trap card on the field."
"Are you going to destroy my [Soul Barrier]?" Amon subconsciously looked at the [Soul Barrier] protecting him. With this card on the field, no matter how much "Dan Kuroto" attacked the [Cloudian] monsters on the field that couldn't be destroyed by battle, he wouldn't take damage. Putting himself in "Dan Kuroto"'s shoes, Amon thought he would definitely prioritize destroying [Soul Barrier].
But to Amon's slight unexpectedness, "Dan Kuroto" shook his finger: "If the designer's thoughts are so easily guessed, how can it highlight the greatness of God's talent? What is powerful is never the power that has been fully displayed; the power held back is the most dangerous!"
"Destroy it! The card I choose to destroy is that set card in your backrow!"
Mystical Space Typhoon blew, failing to budge the bodies of [Storm Dragon] and [Eye of the Typhoon] even an inch, heading straight for Amon's set card in the backrow. The strong wind tore the set card apart. Before it was destroyed, Hayato saw that Amon's set card was Aggressive Cloudian.
Hayato remembered this card was a support card specifically for [Cloudian] monsters. Because [Cloudian] monsters' characteristic was that they couldn't be destroyed by battle in Attack Position, and would self-destruct in Defense Position, dealing with [Cloudian] monsters could actually be easily done by using cards that change monster position like [Nightmare's Labyrinth] or [Enemy Controller].
And Aggressive Cloudian was a counter-card to this kind of method. It was a defense card that, when a [Cloudian] monster was destroyed and sent to the graveyard due to its own effect, would revive the self-destructed monster, place Fog Counters on it, and also grant it resistance to changing position.
In short, it was a card that wouldn't have any influence on Hayato's subsequent combo whether he destroyed it or not. But living is for peace of mind. Destroying Amon's set card gave Hayato immense peace of mind, allowing him to proceed with his combo calmly.
"I activate Spell Card Graceful Charity! I draw three cards from my deck, then choose two cards from my hand to discard." Drawing three cards, Hayato didn't hesitate to send two cards from his hand to the graveyard. However, before one of the cards was sent to the graveyard, he specifically revealed it. "One of the cards sent to my graveyard is Executioner Makyura."
"A true god can even control the power of the dead! During the turn Executioner Makyura is sent to the graveyard, I can activate trap cards directly from my hand!"
"With this, my divine talent completely surpasses the rules of Duel Monsters!"
Amon also frowned.
The biggest characteristic of trap cards was that they needed to be set on the field and wait one turn before they could be activated. Although some traps had effects that allowed them to be activated from the hand under certain conditions, "setting" was always the biggest feature of trap cards.
Because of this, Maximillion Pegasus generously gave many trap cards powerful effects as compensation for needing to be set. But what would happen if trap cards no longer needed to be set and could be activated directly from the hand like spell cards?
The answer is—
"From my hand, I directly activate Continuous Trap Card DNA Surgery, and declare [Psychic-Type]!" Hayato still had three cards in his hand. As he placed DNA Surgery in the Spell & Trap Zone of his Duel Disk, he held up three fingers. "To my victory, there are only three steps left."
"The effect of DNA Surgery, I remember is..." Amon looked at the card Hayato played. "As long as it is on the field, it changes the type of all face-up monsters on the field to the declared type?"
"Bingo!" Hayato snapped his fingers. "The surgery is ready. Next is this card, Zero-Force Magic Crusher!"
"This card's effect is, I can discard one spell card from my hand to inflict 500 points of damage to you. This effect is effect damage, so it won't be blocked by [Soul Barrier]."
"Then there's Field Spell Card Brain Research Lab. It's a Field Spell Card with the effect that when a Psychic-Type monster activates an effect by paying Life Points as a cost, I can place a Psychic Counter on [Brain Development Institute] instead."
"And the final step, I Normal Summon Monster Eye!"
"Come, witness what divine talent is!"
Hayato's hand was completely depleted, and on the field, a research institute rose from the ground. A rather unsettling eyeball floated in a life support pod in the center of the institute.
[Monster Eye] [Level 1/DARK]
[Fiend Type/Effect → Psychic-Type/Effect]
[250/350]
Speaking of this Brain Research Lab, Hayato obtained it when he defeated Psychic Ryujin, who cheated in a duel during Duel City. If you had to say, it could even be considered proof of bond?
Hayato was lost in self-admiration, but Amon still didn't understand where "Dan Kuroto"'s so-called "divine talent" ultimately manifested.
Was it the simple magic machine in his backrow, the Field Spell Card that appeared on the duel field, or the eyeball monster soaked in nutrient solution?
"Confused? Yes, well, not everyone can understand my talent, you know." Hayato sighed dramatically, pointing a hand at Amon. "After all, I am God Dan Kuroto! Even the era couldn't keep up with my talent!"
"The effect of Monster Eye is, I can pay 1000 Life Points to add one Fusion spell card from my graveyard to my hand! I activate it!"
As Hayato raised his hand, the eye of Monster Eye, soaked in nutrient solution, lit up. The Fusion that Hayato used to summon Cyber Twin Dragon earlier was added back to Hayato's hand out of thin air. At the same time, an electronic screen lit up beside Hayato, displaying: "Remaining Uses: 3"
Hayato's current Life Points were 3800, meaning he could use [Monster Eye]'s effect three times.
However, what puzzled Amon was that even though "Dan Kuroto" had used [Monster Eye]'s effect to add Fusion back to his hand, why did the "Remaining Uses" number on the electronic screen beside him still show 3?
Of course, it wasn't because Senior Tachibana could only say 3. The answer was—
"DNA Surgery changes the type of Monster Eye to the Psychic-Type I declared. And when a Psychic-Type monster activates an effect by paying Life Points, I can place a Psychic Counter on Brain Research Lab instead! This means I can add Fusion from the graveyard back to my hand infinitely and send it to the graveyard using Zero-Force Magic Crusher!"
Hayato proudly held up Fusion with both hands, showing it off. The number on the electronic screen beside him jumped wildly, changing to the maximum value of 99. "Now, extend life until I clear the game!"
Chapter 378: Satisfaction
The effect of Zero-Force Magic Crusher activated, sending the only Fusion in Hayato's hand to the Graveyard and inflicting 500 points of Effect Damage to Amon Garlem.
Then, the effect of Monster Eye, which had been transformed into a Psychic-Type by DNA Surgery, activated. A Psychic Counter was added to Brain Research Lab, and the Fusion was returned to Hayato's hand.
Amon's Life Points were steadily reduced to 0 through this infinite combo.
[Amon: 500LP→0]
"Winner, No.114514!"
As Amon Garlem's Life Points reached 0, the referee promptly announced the result of the Duel: "Dan Kuroto" had won the Duel. At the same time, the name "Dan Kuroto" advanced two spots on the Ranking Board, while "Amon Garlem"'s name dropped five spots.
While Hayato was dueling, others were dueling as well, and the rankings on the Ranking Board rose and fell. As of now, the top spot on the Ranking Board was held by Kaiba. After all, Kaiba's "High-Level Opening Hand" included versions of Fusion and De-Fusion, leaving ordinary duelists with only the option of being crushed.
Besides Kaiba, Hayato also saw the names "Jounouchi Katsuya" and "Mutou Yuugi". Both of them had also pushed their points into the top twenty.
Amon Garlem seemed somewhat lost after the Duel ended. In his imagination, even if he lost the Duel, shouldn't it have been a defeat in a passionate clash between Monsters? Being defeated repeatedly by the Fusion felt like it was destroying Amon Garlem's inherent understanding of Duel Monsters.
How could there be winning methods in this world other than battle?!
Regarding Hayato's dueling method, which completely bypassed the Monsters on his field and the cards in his backrow, and defeated him by changing the nature of the battlefield, Amon could only say, "I don't understand, but I am greatly shocked." At the same time, he also became interested in this special way to win.
He vaguely recalled that when he was collecting Cloudian cards, he had unexpectedly pulled a card called Left Arm of the Forbidden One. That seemed to be a card belonging to the Exodia series, which also possessed a special victory condition. Should he try to collect Exodia?
Watching the thoughtful Amon leave the Duel Arena without a word, Hayato didn't pay him much mind. Instead, he continued to enjoy the cheers of "Lord God Dan Kuroto" from the surrounding crowd, and while waiting for the next opponent to step onto the duel platform that served as an arena, he opened the System.
The Duel victory against Amon only credited Hayato with 400 DP points. It wasn't a lot, but it was alright. Besides that, there were no card drops.
Hayato checked the drop list for "Amon Garlem (10 years old)". It exclusively listed Cloudian cards that could be dropped, from Cloudian - Smoke Ball all the way to Cloudian - Eye of the Typhoon. There were also Cloudian Monsters like Altus, Ghost Fog, and Poison Cloud, which Amon hadn't used in this Duel. Hayato didn't know if Amon hadn't drawn them or hadn't collected them.
However, Hayato didn't feel much regret, as the Cloudian series Monsters didn't really appeal to him much. They lacked strength and popularity, the Monsters weren't cool or handsome, and their play speed was terribly slow. Even if they dropped, Hayato wasn't likely to use them.
But Hayato didn't just gain from the Duel settlement and card drops; the Duel against Amon Garlem unlocked two Achievements for him—
[Achievement: Survive Until Completion]
[Conditions: Use cards or effects that require paying Life Points as a cost 10 times in one Duel (Completed)]
[Reward: 1000DP points, R-Rank Exchange Ticket]
[Achievement: Satisfied Reaper]
[Conditions: While your Life Points are lower than the opponent's, cumulatively inflict 2000 or more points of Effect Damage and reduce the opponent's Life Points to 0 using only Effect Damage]
[Reward: 1000DP points, Infernity Death Gunman]
Now, this was a pleasant surprise.
Hayato claimed the rewards for both Achievements. He had obtained an R-Rank Exchange Ticket once before, which he had used to exchange for Ojama Trio, and after that, he had awakened the Card Spirits of Ojama Yellow and the others. Although he hadn't used the exchange ticket yet, he had more or less decided what card he wanted to exchange for.
However, the Infernity Death Gunman was Hayato's biggest surprise. Before this, Hayato had always thought that the System could only provide OCG version cards. But Infernity Death Gunman was a card that hadn't been OCG-ized yet and only existed in the Anime, TF, and Duel Links.
Unexpectedly, by winning this time using only Effect Damage, Hayato had unexpectedly met the achievement unlock conditions.
As for the origin of the unlock conditions for the Achievement: Satisfied Reaper, Hayato guessed at a glance that it came from the Duel in "Satisfaction Town" by Kyosuke Kiryu, who made a second appearance after the 5D's Signer arc in the distant future.
Although, Kiryu didn't inflict damage at that time.
Obtaining Infernity Death Gunman not only meant that Hayato could actually obtain cards from other versions besides OCG from the System (he just hadn't found the method yet), but it also meant that the Infernity series deck was unlocked for Hayato. As long as he had enough DP points, he could pull them.
However, the biggest problem currently troubling Hayato was that he didn't have enough DP points.
In Hayato's plan, if he got DP points next, he would first use Odd-Eyes to pull some Dragon-Type monsters to satisfy his Dragon Obsession (Slang). Then he planned to first use XYZ Summon to pull the invincible ABC. After that, his Gaia deck, and at the same time, there were multiple deck series like Cyber Dragon, Dragon Rulers, and Noble Knight waiting for Hayato to complete them.
To complete these decks was very simple. Hayato didn't need to complete high-difficulty challenges like the Twelve Trials. He merely needed to find people to duel to grind for DP points, and then keep pulling cards.
But the biggest problem was precisely here—Hayato had an extremely clear understanding of his luck. He wasn't an unlucky person or a lucky king; he could only be considered an Asian. There were occasions when his luck was overflowing and he could get what he wanted in one pull, and times when his luck was terrible and he would spend everything, only pulling one usable card. This kind of situation repeatedly occurred.
Of course, having a clear understanding was one thing, and getting carried away with pulling cards was another.
After all, who hasn't fantasized that they can get what they wanted in the next pull?
"Sigh, I really hope someone comes who can provide an exciting duel but is also a very weak guy, so I can farm DP points."
Muttering to himself, Hayato heard the broadcast announce: "No.114518, Alister, please go to Challenge Arena 44."
"114518? The number is so unexpectedly close to mine?" Hayato was somewhat surprised to be matched with a player whose participant number was so close. While adjusting his deck through the System, he waited for the player named "Alister" to arrive.
However, "Alister", Hayato really couldn't think of any duelist he had an impression of with that name. He did remember that the "Spider-Slayer" from the Marvel Universe was called Alister, but he wasn't a pajama baby.
Just as Hayato was lost in thought, he heard a person calling his name: "How calm and relaxed you are. Is this the composure of the King of Games, Kobayashi Hayato?"
Under Hayato's surprised gaze, a familiar red-haired person calmly stepped onto the duel platform step by step, his eyes constantly looking directly at Hayato.
Because of the Millennium Rod, the surrounding crowd automatically filtered out the words "King of Games" and "Kobayashi Hayato" that they heard, and didn't notice anything.
Hayato thought for a moment, as if remembering something: "Aren't you that one, who is with Rafael and that guy called Valon?"
The red-haired person crossed his arms over his chest: "Hmph, it's truly an honor to be remembered by the King of Games. But unfortunately, I won't hold back because of this, because I—"
"That Yamiedie?"
"It's Alister!"
Seeing that the red-haired person—Alister was a bit agitated, Hayato waved his hand casually: "It's all the same, all the same. 'Yamiedie' and 'Alister' sound similar."
"They're very different!" Alister said angrily, then suddenly seemed to realize something and forced himself to calm down. After taking a few deep breaths, he said unhappily, "Hmph, unexpectedly so skilled at psychological tactics. You've got some skills, King of Games."
"But if you want to affect me, you're still far off. This level of provocation can only make my flames swell even more."
While speaking, Alister glared fiercely at Hayato, shuffled his deck a few times towards the referee, and then directly inserted it into his Duel Disk's Deck Zone. He seemed to be planning to no longer converse with Hayato.
"He really is a hot-tempered guy," Hayato shrugged, also inserting his deck into his Duel Disk. "Moreover, you seem to have a lot of dissatisfaction with me?"
Alister glanced at Hayato, just smiling coldly.
"I won't answer the question of a loser who is about to lose to me."
"But I can give you a hint. Blame it on the fact that you are a stumbling block in my path of revenge."
He seemed to have been triggered by some not-so-pleasant memories. Alister turned his head and glanced at something in the distance, revealing a gnashing-teeth expression of hatred.
Hayato followed Alister's gaze and only saw a billboard painted with the abbreviation "KC" of KaibaCorp erected beside the qualifiers venue.
"Revenge against KaibaCorp? Or rather, revenge against that guy Seto?" Turning back, Hayato looked at Alister, whose hatred in his eyes was almost turning into flames, and rarely seriously asked a question.
Although Hayato himself knew Alister's goal, knew the reason why he wanted to do that, and also knew the deeper reason for Alister holding hatred towards KaibaCorp, he didn't think telling Alister the truth could make him change his mind. It was hard to say if he would even believe him.
Moreover, for Hayato, compared to telling the truth to people he wasn't very familiar with, he was more concerned about whether the people he cared about would be harmed.
And Alister gave his answer without hesitation: "KaibaCorp, Seto Kaiba, is there a difference between these two? For me, who is a revenger, concealing the truth of Revenge is just an insult to the hatred I bear. Therefore, I will not conceal my goal."
"I will completely destroy KaibaCorp, Seto Kaiba, all of them, not a single one left! Utterly destroy them!"
As Alister finished speaking, the crushed green stone on the pendant he wore around his neck bloomed with a strange green light. A spherical field precisely enveloped Hayato and Alister, as well as the duel platform under their feet, in an instant.
From a perspective others couldn't perceive, starting from the center point of the spherical barrier, a green magic circle began to spread, seemingly about to encompass both Hayato and Alister.
Hayato of course recognized this thing. This thing was clearly the Seal of Orichalcos, that thing that came with the ability of "Soul Sealing of Duel Losers" and the curse of "Whoever Uses It Loses"!
Hayato didn't want to be dragged into dueling within this troublesome barrier. With a thought, he opened the System and was about to activate a Dark Game to contend against the power of Orichalcos. But before he could activate it, a change suddenly occurred on the field.
A sound of a card tearing suddenly came from Hayato's waist. At the same time, the Seal of Orichalcos expanding on the field suddenly stopped expanding as if a pause button had been pressed. And at the same time, surprisingly, as if time reversal had occurred, it began to contract, disappearing in just the blink of an eye.
At this moment, not only Hayato, but even Alister was dumbfounded.
"The barrier... disappeared!? How is this possible!" Alister frowned deeply. He glanced at Hayato, who also didn't know what happened, and after thinking for a moment, he asked Hayato, "You guy, how did you just do that?"
In Alister's understanding, after the Seal of Orichalcos is activated, the only way to break it is by using the Orichalcos Fragment he possesses, and it's not something that can be done casually. Breaking the barrier also consumes the energy within the Orichalcos Fragment and cannot be used frequently.
Hayato thought to himself, *You ask me, who should I ask? I also want to know what just happened.* Of course, he didn't say that out loud: "Who knows? I won't answer the question of a loser who is about to lose to me."
"However, maybe it's because that thing you just activated was afraid of me, that's why it disappeared."
Hayato was clearly spouting nonsense, which made Alister feel very annoyed: "Hmph, nonsense-spouting guy. Consider yourself lucky, you saved your life again. However, since I can't lay a hand on you, then I'll use Duel Monsters to teach you a lesson."
Saying this, he flicked his wrist, his Duel Disk underwent automatic deployment, and without waiting for Hayato, he was the first to draw five cards.
"Aren't you speaking too soon?" Hayato also deployed his Duel Disk, looking at his hand of Meaning☆Less Cards, and revealed a kind smile. "Duel Monsters is a game that brings smiles to people. If you don't smile, then I'll help you smile."
"Duel!" X2
Chapter 379: Electronic Mecha
"Duel!" x2
[Hayato: 4000 LP]
[Amelda: 4000 LP]
"The first turn is mine! My turn, draw!" Amelda had already drawn five cards for his hand, securing the right to the first turn, and drew another card from his Deck.
Looking at the card in his hand, Amelda thought for a moment, then drew a card from his hand:
"I activate the Spell Card Machina Redeployment! This card's effect is: I can discard a card from my hand and add two Machina monsters with different names from my Deck to my hand, or I can discard a Machina card from my hand and add two Machina cards with different names other than Machina Redeployment from my Deck to my hand."
As he spoke, Amelda sent a card to the Graveyard: "I choose to activate its first effect. I send a card from my hand to the Graveyard, then I add Machina Sniper and Machina Soldier to my hand."
"Machina Deck?" It wasn't the first time Hayato had seen a Machina Deck. When Keith was controlled by Marik and attacked the Egyptian Artifacts Traveling Exhibition Hall, he also used a Machina Deck, but Keith's Machina Deck was just full of weak monsters.
Amelda's lips curled slightly: "Heh heh, although this can only be considered fighting violence with violence, if my opponent is KaibaCorp, using this Machine Army Deck for revenge is perfect."
As he spoke, Amelda added the two cards he had just searched from his Deck to his hand, and drew a card from his hand to play: "I Attack Position Summon Machina Soldier, and activate its effect!"
"This effect can only be activated when Machina Soldier is successfully Summoned and there are no other monsters on your field. I Special Summon one Machina monster other than Machina Soldier from my hand. I choose to Special Summon Machina Sniper in Defense Position!"
On Amelda's field, with the hum of mechanical drive, two mechanical humanoids, one green and yellow, appeared.
Machina Soldier's right arm was a sharp steel blade, and its blood-red monitor stared coldly at Hayato, while Machina Sniper carried a sniper rifle almost as tall as itself, its slender body crouching on the ground with the weapon.
[Machina Soldier] [Level 4 / EARTH]
[Machine Type / Effect]
[1600 / 1500]
[Machina Sniper] [Level 4 / EARTH]
[Machine Type / Effect]
[1800 / 600]
Although he Summoned two Level 4 monsters, unfortunately, since this isn't the era of Xyz Summon, Amelda couldn't perform the exciting Overlay. He drew two cards from his hand and Set them: "Since it's the first turn, I cannot enter the Battle Phase. So I Set two cards. My turn ends."
[Amelda: 4000 LP, Hand 2]
[Machina Soldier] [ATK 1600]
[Machina Sniper] [DEF 600]
[Set Card] x2
"Although he looks like a brute, his Duel Style is primarily cautious?" Hayato muttered to himself, drawing a card. "Then, my turn, draw!"
Looking at the card added to his hand, Hayato smiled proudly: "Then I activate the effect of Cyber Dragon in my hand! When there is a monster on the opponent's field and no monsters on my field, it can be Special Summoned directly from my hand!"
The same hum of mechanical drive sounded, but what appeared on Hayato's field was not a war machine-style Machina soldier, but the Cyber Dragon, which perfectly integrated bionic technology into mechanical creations. Its silver-white body coiled, and Cyber Dragon raised its head, proudly looking down at the Machina on Amelda's field.
[Cyber Dragon] [Level 5 / LIGHT Attribute]
[Machine Type / Effect]
[2100 / 1600]
Amelda also knew Cyber Dragon. Rather, he had collected information about Hayato. The information that "King of Games Kobayashi Hayato Summoned Cyber End Dragon with 8000 ATK during the grouping match to decide the Top 4 players' Duel order in Duel City" was difficult to collect, but it didn't stump Amelda.
Amelda was also aware that Cyber Dragon is a legacy card of the "Cyber Style" Duel Style. Although he didn't understand why Hayato, someone completely unrelated to "Cyber Style," also had Cyber Dragon, this didn't prevent him from being wary of Hayato's Cyber Dragon.
Moreover, why do you think Amelda is here?
It's because Amelda had just lost a Duel! His opponent at the time was Samejima Iemitsu, one of only two people using a Cyber Dragon Deck in this qualifier tournament!
Due to the influence of the information about Hayato's "Cyber End Dragon with 8000 ATK and piercing damage effect," Amelda focused heavily on defense during his Duel with Samejima Iemitsu and didn't rush to attack immediately. As a result, he was utterly disgusted by Samejima's Stall/Burn Cyber Style and lost the Duel in a very dishevelled state, which is why he was matched with Hayato.
Although Samejima's Cyber Dragon was eye-opening for Amelda, Kobayashi Hayato's shouldn't be that underhanded, right? Amelda thought so.
Hayato, however, didn't know that Amelda's mood was so bad because he had just experienced an underhanded Duel with Samejima, and seeing the Cyber Dragon he Summoned also brought back unpleasant memories: "As you can see, this time I'm using a pure Cyber Dragon Deck."
"I have no interest in the grudge between you and Kaiba, but if you harm someone I care about because of this hatred, then I'll have to 'resolve' your hatred with a Duel." Hayato said as he played a card: "With my Ruruda!"
"Activate the Spell Card Future Fusion! As the name suggests, this card performs a Fusion in the future. I will show you a Fusion Monster for confirmation, and then send the determined Fusion Material Monsters from my Deck to the Graveyard."
The Future Fusion Hayato held was a card included in the original Cyber Dragon preconstructed Deck. Unlike the censored version, Hayato's Future Fusion could send the Fusion Material to the Graveyard immediately after activation, and Summon the Fusion Monster on the second turn, increasing its flexibility significantly.
Drawing a card to reveal to Amelda, Hayato explained: "The Fusion Monster I've decided on is this card, Chimeratech Overdragon. The Fusion Material Monsters it requires are one Cyber Dragon monster plus one or more Machine-Type monsters, and this card's material has no upper limit!"
As he spoke, Hayato's Duel Disk automatically searched for the monsters Hayato wanted. The thick stack almost exceeded Amelda's imagination, because Hayato drew out nearly thirty cards!
"Th-this many cards!" Amelda was somewhat stunned. "What are you doing!"
"Hmph, the total number of cards in my Deck is forty-five. The total number of Spell/Trap Cards is ten. The other thirty-five cards are all Machine-Type monsters." Hayato said proudly, holding the thick stack of cards and sending them into the Graveyard. "I'm going to mill my Deck directly!"
On the next turn, the effect of Future Fusion will activate, and Chimeratech Overdragon, using these thirty cards I sent to the Graveyard as Fusion Material, will summon!
Amelda subconsciously swallowed.
In Duel Monsters, most people understand Fusion as combining two monsters. Fusion Monsters that can Fusion three monsters are a rare minority and often possess extremely powerful strength, such as the invincible Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and Yu-Yu King.
But a Fusion of thirty monsters? This was simply unheard of. What kind of monster would that be?
Amelda didn't know, but looking at Hayato's proud expression, he sneered: "That would be too interesting, Kobayashi Hayato."
"You said Chimeratech Overdragon will summon to your field on the next turn, right? As punishment for being my enemy, I will cut off your hope!"
"Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card Mystical Space Typhoon! I will destroy the Future Fusion in your backrow!"
A strong wind suddenly swept across the Duel Field. The Future Fusion in Hayato's backrow, which had just been activated, had only resolved its first effect of sending monsters to the Graveyard and hadn't even had time to wait for the "future" summon to activate the Fusion before it was torn apart by the strong wind and sent to the Graveyard.
Amelda was triumphant about this, very satisfied with successfully thwarting Hayato's plan.
Clearly, when Hayato just revealed the effect of Future Fusion to him, he didn't have time to see the detailed effect. Because if he had seen the effect of Chimeratech Overdragon, he would naturally know that it has the effect "Send all other cards on my field to the Graveyard." The moment it appears, it would self-destruct because Future Fusion was sent to the Graveyard.
In other words, on Hayato's next turn, even if Amelda did nothing, the cards on Hayato's field would be instantly cleared by Chimeratech Overdragon. By doing this, he actually helped Hayato avoid this trouble.
Hayato was also a bit unexpected by Amelda's play, because although he talked big, in reality, his activation of Future Fusion was purely for sending to the Graveyard from the start.
For a user of a Cyber Dragon Deck, whether it's the field, hand, Graveyard, or even the banished zone, they are all usable resources within their control and can be called upon at any time. The only trouble is how to move these resources from the Deck into the aforementioned zones.
The purpose of Future Fusion, Fusion is secondary; sending to the Graveyard is the key.
Even if Hayato's field would be cleared by his own cards on the next turn for the sake of sending to the Graveyard, that cost was nothing. He just didn't expect Amelda to be so kind as to help Hayato resolve this concern.
In that case, Hayato couldn't not "repay" him.
Although suppressing a laugh inwardly, Hayato put on a regretful and helpless expression: "You actually destroyed my Future Fusion, which I placed so much hope in. Damn it, I should have known not to discard so many cards just now. Now, I only have nine cards left in my Deck?"
"I must win the Duel before my Deck runs out!"
Pretending to talk to himself, Hayato's voice wasn't lowered at all, and it fully reached Amelda's ears.
"I haven't performed a Normal Summon this turn yet. I Attack Position Summon Proto-Cyber Dragon, then enter my Battle Phase!" Hayato said with an impatient expression, waving his hand to give the order. "Cyber Dragon, attack Machina Soldier!"
"Stone-Breaking Sky-Shaking Fist!"
It was a good thing Cyber Dragon couldn't talk, or it would surely curse – I don't even have hands, what kind of fist do you want me to use?
Ignoring Hayato's usual nonsensical name shouting, Cyber Dragon opened its mouth, and a pure white laser beam instantly shot out from it, attacking the Machina Soldier in Attack Position. But just as the attack was about to hit, suddenly, Machina Soldier grabbed the Machina Sniper next to it and blocked in front of itself!
"Boom!"
Cyber Dragon's attack hit caused an explosion, dispersing the smoke and dust at the point of impact. Machina Sniper was blocked in front by Machina Soldier's "Defense Summon." Due to its low DEF, it was completely destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, revealing the unharmed Machina Soldier hiding behind Machina Sniper.
Amelda said proudly: "The effect of Machina Sniper is, as long as this card is in the Monster Zone, both players cannot attack Machina monsters other than Machina Sniper. As long as it's there as a shield, no matter how strong the firepower, it cannot harm me in the slightest."
"No, rather than protecting, it was clearly used as a shield." Hayato retorted, glancing at his Proto-Cyber Dragon on the field and the Machina Soldier on Amelda's field.
[Proto-Cyber Dragon] [ATK 1100]
[Machina Soldier] [ATK 1600]
"If you had used Proto-Cyber Dragon to attack just now, then Machina Sniper with only 600 DEF would naturally be destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, and then you could use Cyber Dragon to attack my Machina Soldier." Amelda said calmly. "But unfortunately, you attacked in the wrong order, which means you cannot inflict damage on me for now."
'So what will you do? Will you bring out Fusion?' Amelda secretly held hope in his heart, because the card he Set was the highly targeted Fusion Failure, a disruption card that says "When a Fusion Monster is successfully Special Summoned, return all Fusion Monsters on the field to the Deck." Its purpose was specifically for Hayato summoning cards like Cyber End Dragon.
And what made Amelda happy was that Hayato actually drew a card: "It's not good to speak too soon! I haven't used all my options yet!"
"Activate the Spell Card Instant Fusion! I will use the Cyber Dragon on my field and Proto-Cyber Dragon, whose name is treated as Cyber Dragon, two monsters with the same name, as Fusion Material to perform a Fusion Summon during the Battle Phase!"
Amelda couldn't help but secretly rejoice: Although it wasn't the Fusion of three Cyber Dragons, Cyber End Dragon, the Fusion of two Cyber Dragons is Cyber Twin Dragon, right? That's not bad either.
"Come forth, Two-Seater Bicycle Robot!"
Uh, Cyber Two-Seater Bicycle, huh?!
Chapter 380: Bicycle-Type Mud Truck VS Tank-Type Mud Truck
As Hayato activated Instant Fusion from his Hand, the Cyber Dragon and Proto-Cyber Dragon on his Field immediately intertwined, transforming into a double-helix pillar of light like DNA, flying into the vortex of Instant Fusion!
The result of the Fusion between the futuristic and imposing Cyber Dragon and the industrial-style Proto-Cyber Dragon was a Q-version monster that looked like a tandem bicycle with eyes and arms added: Twin-Cycled Robo!
Twin-Cycled Robo [Level 5/EARTH]
[Machine Type/Fusion/Effect]
[1600/1200]
"That's what you Fusion Summoned? That thing?" Alister felt like the Fighting Spirit he had finally mustered was completely wasted. Did he really need to use De-Fusion on this monster that looked like it had no Battle Power?
Especially since the Machina Soldier's ATK was equal to this Twin-Cycled Robo's.
"Heh heh, the Two-Seater Bicycle is invincible. It's much stronger than you think, so don't underestimate it."
Hayato wouldn't tell Alister that Cyber Dragon and the like were just for fun; the true Cyber Style ultimate technique was the 'Mud Truck Fatal Five Consecutive Hits' combo: Fusion Summoning Two-Seater Bicycle using two Proto-Cyber Dragons, then immediately following up with De-Fusion and Instant Fusion. If the Opponent wasn't prepared with Defense Cards, even a Meta Deck would fall under the Mud Truck's might.
Although Hayato didn't explain that Twin-Cycled Robo had the Effect of Direct Attack, Hayato's certainty made Alister wary: "Is that so? Looking at your Expression, it seems you genuinely think this Monster is very strong."
"You should cherish such a powerful Monster. You can't just Summon it onto the Field casually."
As he spoke, Alister ultimately decided to activate his Set Card. Although he didn't quite know where Hayato's smugness came from, it was enough if his Set Card made him irritated.
"Trap Card Fusion Failure, this card can only be activated when a Fusion Monster is successfully Fusion Summoned. Return all Fusion Monsters on the Field to the Deck!"
As Alister's Set Card activated, cracks suddenly appeared at the connection point between the front and back sections of the Twin-Cycled Robo's body. It had just appeared on Hayato's Field and hadn't even had a chance to ram anything. With a "boom", it exploded violently, and white Smoke enveloped Hayato's Field.
However, before Alister could gloat and mock him, he saw a silver-white metal tail suddenly whip out from the exploding Smoke. The Smoke was instantly dispersed, revealing the refreshed Cyber Dragon and Proto-Cyber Dragon beneath the Smoke, as if Hayato hadn't activated Instant Fusion at all!
"That was close, that was close. You almost cleared my Field." Hayato's tone was quite provoking. "Of course I cherish powerful Monsters, but they won't be bounced back by your Card; I'll return them myself."
As he spoke, Hayato pointed his Hand towards his Field, letting Alister follow his Finger to see a Card Hayato had activated—the Quick-Play Spell Card De-Fusion.
"De-Fusion's Effect is to return one Fusion Monster to the Deck, and if the Fusion Material Monsters used for that Fusion Summon exist in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon the Monsters that were sent to the Graveyard due to the Fusion Summon to my Field."
Hayato spoke, looking at Alister with a contemptuous Gaze, a mocking Smile playing on his lips: "Come on, the Monster Fusion Summoned by Instant Fusion destroys itself. I didn't forget this Effect, so of course I prepared a Card to Avoid this Side Effect. Or did you not even know about this Effect?"
The Pressure from the Proto-Cyber Dragon and Cyber Dragon that had Revived and returned to the Field was ordinary, but Hayato's highly provocative words successfully enraged Alister.
"You bastard, what are you so smug about!"
Hayato spread his Hands innocently: "I'm not smug about anything. It's just that I seem to remember hearing someone say just now that I couldn't inflict even a single point of Damage on him?"
"Too bad. Now, I will Enter Battle Phase." Hayato raised his Right Hand like a Handgun, aiming at Mr. Alister's Machina Soldier on the Field. "Cyber Dragon, Attack Mr. Alister's Machina Soldier,"
"Gaia Energy Cannon!"
Although Machina Soldier tried to perform a small knife slashing at an Energy Cannon before being Destroyed, not everyone is Kira Yamato. The Machina Soldier, which could at best be considered a mass-produced fodder unit, was instantly swallowed by "Evolution Burst," which had nothing to do with "Gaia Energy Cannon."
[Alister: 4000 → 3500 LP]
"Then, Proto-Cyber Dragon's Direct Attack!"
"Garuru Missile!"
[Alister: 3500 → 2400 LP]
A white laser swept across. Because his Life Points were deducted twice in a row, Alister couldn't help but take a step back, his face extremely grim.
His Goal was to Destroy KaibaCorp and kill Kaiba Seto. For this, he paid close attention to Kaiba's Movements and naturally watched the Battle City Finals broadcast on Television. In that Duel, Kaiba had a complete advantage in the early stages, using both Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
Using that Duel as a reference, Alister believed that if he wanted to defeat Kaiba and give him a complete Defeat, he needed to be even better than Hayato. This meant that if Alister could defeat Hayato, he would have 1000% confidence in defeating Kaiba.
His encounter with Hayato in the Qualifiers was a pure Accident. But who would have thought that Hayato, who wasn't even using his Main Deck but his rarely used Cyber Dragon Deck, and didn't even have a God Card, could gain the upper Hand in the first Turn's clash and even inflict nearly half of his Life Points as Damage?
"Truly, a disgrace..." Alister lowered his head, his voice filled with suppressed Wrath.
If even the not-fully-in-form Hayato Kobayashi couldn't achieve complete Victory, how could he talk about defeating Kaiba Seto?
When would he finally achieve his Revenge against him!
"I Set one Card, my Turn ends." Hayato didn't Mind Read, so he naturally didn't know Alister's thoughts at this moment, nor could he imagine how someone could be so enraged they were close to losing their Sanity just because 1600 Life Points were deducted.
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Cyber Dragon] [ATK 2100]
[Proto-Cyber Dragon] [ATK 1100]
[Set Card]
It was Alister's Turn. He didn't Draw a Card from the top of his Deck immediately. Instead, he looked up at Hayato, revealing an Expression that was hard to describe.
It was like Jealousy, like Resentment, and at the same time, somewhat like Recognition.
"Hayato Kobayashi, I have to admit, you are a Duel King in name and in reality. Even using a Deck you're not very familiar with, you can still excavate its Potential to this extent."
As he spoke, Alister looked down at his Deck: "You might not know, this Deck I'm using, I've always hated it, because what it represents is the root of my Pain. Every time I Draw a Card, I'm tearing open my wound."
"I hear the wailing of The Dead, I hear the Cannon Fire and smell the Gunsmoke."
Alister closed his Eyes, his Expression becoming calm. At the same time, his index and Middle Fingers rested on the Card at the top of his Deck, "But it is precisely because of this that I can see my Goal even more clearly."
"I will kill that Man, even if I become like the person who created the hatred within me, I don't care!"
"With this Draw, let me show you my Resolve!"
"My Turn, Draw a Card!"
"Then, I activate the Magic Card Pot of Greed!"
As Alister Drew two Cards, Hayato's Gaze narrowed, because he could feel the power of a Card Spirit clearly attached to the Card Alister had just Drawn!
In other words, Alister seemed to have made a Divine Draw of a Powerful Card.
"I activate the Effect of Machina Fortress from my Hand. By Discarding Machine Type Monsters from my Hand with a combined Level of 8 or higher, I can Special Summon Machina Fortress from my Hand! What I will Discard is the Level 10 Machina Force!"
"Roar! This is divine retribution! Come forth, Machina Fortress!"
As Alister discarded a card from his hand into the graveyard, the ground suddenly cracked open, and a hollow cannon barrel burst out of the ground, followed by a strangely shaped tank, which aimed its cannon barrel at Hayato as soon as it appeared, as if threatening Hayato!
Machina Fortress [Level 7/EARTH]
[Machine Type/Effect]
[2500/1600]
"This is my resolve, Hayato Kobayashi, even if I have to use these murderous weapons full of sin to transform into a demon in order to achieve my goal, I am willing!" Alister said, playing the last card in his hand, "I equip the equip magic card Air Cracking Storm to Machina Fortress, and then enter the battle phase!"
Saying that, Alister waved his hand forward: "Start the attack, Machina Fortress, attack Cyber Dragon!"
"Electromagnetic Cannon!"
After Alister's order was issued, Machina Fortress immediately turned its cannon barrel to aim at the wary Cyber Dragon. The hollow cannon barrel began to charge, and with a "boom", a shell fired out at three times the speed of sound. Even the sound couldn't keep up with its speed, and it hit Cyber Dragon's head in an instant, causing Hayato to take excessive battle damage!
[Hayato: 4000 → 3600LP]
Before Hayato could catch his breath, Alister ordered again: "It's not over yet, my resolve is more than this!"
"The effect of Air Cracking Storm is activated when the equipped monster destroys an opponent's monster in battle. During this battle phase, Machina Fortress, which is equipped with Air Cracking Storm, can attack again only once!"
"Target locked on Proto-Cyber Dragon, reload, second electromagnetic cannon strike!"
Having just fired an electromagnetic cannon, Machina Fortress's strange cannon barrel became hot due to the excessive current charged at once, and it needed to cool down for a turn before it could attack again, but as the Air Cracking Storm it was equipped with was activated, a large amount of air was drawn into the cannon barrel to accelerate cooling. In just a moment, Machina Fortress regained its attack ability!
"Boom!"
In the face of Machina Fortress's standard protagonist ace attack power—2500 points, Proto-Cyber Dragon wanted to resist, but its drive response speed could not keep up with the flying speed of the electromagnetic cannon shell, and it was destroyed and sent to the graveyard in an instant.
[Hayato: 3600 → 2200LP]
"Ugh!"
It seemed that the card spirit in Machina Fortress also felt the owner's desire to win. Hayato felt that the power of this attack was quite high. While grunting, he could not help but take a half step back to receive the impact.
Alister looked at Hayato very seriously: "Duel King, do you feel the pain? But, this is just the pain simulated by the Kaiba Corporation's virtual projection system, not even one ten-thousandth of my pain."
"In the next duel, feel more pain, Hayato Kobayashi. With this pain, become a stepping stone for me to achieve my ambition!"
"Set down one card, my turn ends."
[Alister: 2400LP, Hand 0]
Machina Fortress (Air Cracking Storm) [ATK2500]
[Set Card]
After hearing what Alister said, Hayato's gaze bypassed the temporarily stalled Machina Fortress and met Alister's.
"From your attack just now, I can feel your pain. Alister, you are moving forward with hatred on your back." Hayato's face showed a helpless expression, "If it were Seto here, he would probably say something to you like 'Hatred is in the past' or 'All I can see is the future', right?"
"But I won't say those cannon fodder-like words."
Saying that, Hayato's finger rested on the deck, and he drew the card without stopping: "My turn, draw card."
"Someone said that people's joys and sorrows are not connected. Unfortunately, although I feel your pain, I can't understand it, especially your idea of using duel monsters to bring pain to more people."
"I said, duel monsters can bring smiles to people. You who use them to inflict pain are taking the wrong path."
While speaking, Hayato looked at the card in his hand and was a little surprised that he would draw such a card. But, since I drew it, let's use it.
"Since I'm going to deal with you who are using duel monsters on the wrong path, then using this card is better, right?" The corner of Hayato's mouth hooked, and he flipped the card in his hand to show Alister, and subconsciously tapped the side of the card, "I activate the magic card Card of Demise!"
"I draw cards from my deck until the number of cards in my hand reaches five. On the fifth standby phase after activating this card, I discard all cards in my hand!"
Suddenly drawing the card, looking at the cards in his hand, Hayato said with a smile: "But there's no need for that, because in this turn, I will end this duel!"
"I activate the magic card Overload Fusion!"