"Special Summon, Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon!"
[Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon ★★★★★★★★★★ (10 stars) Light] [Dragon/Fusion/Effect][ATK:3000 DEF:2500]
"Yes, if it's Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon, it can defeat the Toon monsters!" Looking at the roaring twin-headed dragon on the field, Jonouchi finally understood Kaiba's intention.
"Oh? This is interesting, Kaiba boy~" Pegasus, who had been wearing a casual and mocking expression, became slightly more serious when Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon appeared.
"Watch closely, Pegasus. Today, I'm going to use my blue eyes to tear apart the sinister face you hide behind your hair!" Stretching his right hand forward, Kaiba's powerful aura surged towards Pegasus. "Attack the Toon monsters, Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon!"
The twin-headed dragon, poised to strike, unleashed a terrifying white light from its mouth, shooting towards the shivering and cowering Toon Goblins.
Normally indestructible Toon monsters were turned to ash in the scorching white light of the Twin Burst Dragon.
Pegasus LP 3500 → 2800
"It defeated the Toon monsters? How did that happen?" Anzu, still confused, looked at the destroyed Toon Goblin Attack Force.
"It's because of Twin Burst Dragon's effect," explained Yugi patiently. "Twin Burst Dragon has a special effect where if its attack doesn't destroy the opponent's monster, that monster is banished instead. That's how it defeated Hoshino's Hercules."
"Ugh..." Hoshino winced at the memory. "Yugi, it's fine to explain, but don't use my sad experiences as examples."
"Ah, sorry, sorry~" Yugi apologized, scratching his star-shaped hair with a sheepish smile.
"I see!" Anzu exclaimed, hitting her palm with her fist in realization. "So the indestructible Toon monsters triggered Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon's effect and were banished!"
"As expected of Kaiba. To come up with such a strategy against the Toon monsters," Honda excitedly shook the fence in front of the audience. "Maybe Kaiba really can defeat Pegasus, and then Yugi's grandpa can be saved."
"Pegasus, my attack isn't over yet!" Ignoring the discussions and praises from the audience, Kaiba roared as he continued his turn. "Activating Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon's special effect again!"
[This card can attack monsters twice during the same Battle Phase.]
"I'm going to wipe out every last Toon monster on your field!" Kaiba shouted arrogantly at Pegasus, reaching forward. "Attack again, Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon!"
The twin Burst Dragon's wings quivered as its heads gathered energy once more.
Hiding her face under a large magician's hat, the Toon Dark Magician Girl, unable to watch the scene, was engulfed by the merciless attack.
"The cute Toon Dark Magician Girl..." Hoshino turned away, unable to bear the sight. Despite being the enemy's monster, Hoshino, who firmly believed that 'cute is justice,' silently lamented for the Dark Magician Girl.
As expected, due to Twin Burst Dragon's effect, the Toon Dark Magician Girl also vanished without a trace.
Pegasus LP 2800 → 1800
"Splendid! Kaiba boy!" Despite applauding, Pegasus's tone carried a hint of anger as he watched his two Toon monsters be annihilated.
"Pegasus, I wonder how long you can maintain that unperturbed attitude!" Kaiba, exuding a sense of finality, revealed his last set card. "This is my final trump card, Pegasus! Activate the set Quick-Play Spell Card, [De-Fusion]!"
"Kaiba!" Yugi looked at Kaiba's last set card with excitement.
"De-fuse my Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon!" Kaiba placed the de-fused [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] and [Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon] onto the table, and the two White Dragons returned to Kaiba's field.
[Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon ★★★★★★★★ (8 stars) Light] [Dragon/Effect][ATK:3000 DEF:2500]
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon ★★★★★★★★ (8 stars) Light] [Dragon][ATK:3000 DEF:2500]
"Because the monsters were de-fused during the Battle Phase!" Hoshino's eyes widened in shock. "It means the two Dragons can still attack!"
"And Pegasus has no monsters on his field!" Jonouchi clenched his fists in excitement. "Doesn't that mean Kaiba has won?"
"Pegasus, you've played with KaibaCorp and imprisoned Mokuba's soul in a card. Your heinous actions have thoroughly enraged me!" With a wave of his right hand, Kaiba commanded his final attack. "Prepare to face my wrath, Pegasus! Blue-Eyes White Dragon, obliterate the man in front of you!"
Responding to Kaiba's command, Blue-Eyes White Dragon roared and launched a dazzling burst of white light.
"Wait, Kaiba! Be careful!" Hoshino, who had been anticipating Pegasus's defeated expression, noticed a hint of cunning in Pegasus's face. Her intuition told her that this was not the expression of someone about to lose. "Pegasus still has a counter!"
"Even if you've realized it, it's too late, Hoshino girl~" Pegasus, revealing a triumphant smile, activated his last set card. "Activate the set Trap Card, [Toon Mask]!"
[Toon Mask Trap Card Effect: When you have "Toon World" on the field, target one face-up monster your opponent controls; Special Summon one Toon monster from your hand or Deck whose Level is less than or equal to the Level of that target, ignoring its Summoning conditions.]
"I've been waiting for your de-fusion, Kaiba boy!" Stretching his slender arm, Pegasus pointed at the attacking Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "I target your Blue-Eyes White Dragon to Special Summon my Toon monster, [Toon Blue-Eyes White Dragon]!"
A comical mask appeared on the field, closely examining the Blue-Eyes White Dragon before flying into the Toon castle behind it.
"Toon Blue-Eyes White Dragon?" Kaiba's pupils contracted as he sensed danger.
[Toon Blue-Eyes White Dragon ★★★★★★★★ (8 stars) Light] [Dragon/Effect][ATK:3000 DEF:2500]
With a comical appearance, the Toon Blue-Eyes White Dragon emerged from the Toon Kingdom castle due to the Toon Mask's effect.
The next moment left everyone speechless...
Faced with the attacking Blue-Eyes White Dragon's burst of white light, the Toon Blue-Eyes White Dragon opened its exaggerated dragon mouth, swallowing the attack whole. After holding the light in its mouth for a moment, it spits it back at the opposing Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon] was destroyed...
"How unfortunate. Despite having the same 3000 attack points, my Toon Blue-Eyes White Dragon cannot be destroyed~" Feigning regret, Pegasus's tone was full of mockery. "In comparison, your Blue-Eyes White Dragon is fragile, Kaiba boy~"
"My Blue-Eyes White Dragon... was defeated by such a ridiculous monster!" Kaiba pounded the table in frustration, his words filled with resentment. But now, with no cards left in his hand, Kaiba was out of options, making a comeback nearly impossible. "Even my final strategy was completely seen through by the Millennium Eye!"
"Are you ready to face my Toon Blue-Eyes White Dragon's final attack? Since it's a Toon monster, it can directly attack the player~" Pointing at the enraged Kaiba, Pegasus commanded his Toon Blue-Eyes White Dragon to attack. "Byebye~ Kaiba boy~"
The comical white light, like a burp, engulfed Kaiba.
Seto Kaiba LP 2600 → 0
"Kaiba actually lost..." Anzu covered her mouth in disbelief, unwilling to accept the reality before her.
"Hmph, so this is my final struggle. How futile." Kaiba sneered, looking at his empty life points as if mocking his powerlessness.
"Kaiba boy, you know what happens next, don't you~" Pegasus, holding a blank card, said meaningfully to Kaiba.
"Soul Cage" was written on the blank card, a name that meant a cage imprisoning souls. This was the card Pegasus used to imprison Yugi's grandpa and Mokuba, and now it was Kaiba's turn.
"Yugi! Pegasus agreed with the Big Five. The moment he defeats you, all shares of KaibaCorp will be transferred to him. That's his real goal!" At his final moment, Kaiba didn't react with fear or begging but loudly revealed the truth to Yugi. "Yugi! If it's you, my destined rival, you can defeat Pegasus!"
"Kaiba..." Yugi, filled with sadness, couldn't bear to look at the defeated Kaiba.
"Hoshino!" Even Kaiba himself didn't seem to know why he called out this girl's name. "I told you to learn well, but in the end, I still failed. How disgraceful!"
"Kaiba boy, you talk too much!" Annoyed by Kaiba's revelation of his plan, Pegasus's Millennium Eye shone with a dazzling golden light. "Time to say goodbye to everyone~"
"Hoshino, though you are still immature, you are a duelist full of potential! Try to surpass..." Kaiba's soul left his body before he could finish his shout, and his figure was imprinted on Pegasus's previously blank card.
Surpass who? Pegasus? Yugi? Or Seto Kaiba himself? Hoshino couldn't grasp the full meaning of Kaiba's incomplete words, but one thing was certain: the anger in her heart. "Kaiba, I said I'd be very upset if you lost easily, but it's okay. You fought beautifully."
Despite Kaiba, who had defeated her, losing to Pegasus, Hoshino felt no fear. "Pegasus! You use the dark power of the Millennium Eye to toy with souls and separate loved ones for money and profit! Such despicable behavior, please don't call yourself my number one fan anymore!"
Though Kaiba, Mokuba, and Yugi's grandpa had nothing to do with her, Hoshino's heart surged with uncontrollable anger. Only by shouting could she vent her dissatisfaction with Pegasus.
"Well said, Hoshino!" With the dazzling light of the Millennium Puzzle, the Pharaoh had swapped souls with Yugi. "Kaiba fought with his life to protect his most important person. This feeling of protecting someone precious is the same as ours. And you, Pegasus!!"
"Hmph, here comes the other Yugi boy." Pegasus, his expression previously calm, now showed a slight change as he looked silently at the Pharaoh in the audience.
"Pegasus, you don't have the right to take away our most important people!" The Pharaoh pointed fiercely at Pegasus, still standing in the duel arena. "I will defeat you with my own hands!"
"If you want the right to duel me, you must win the championship finals first~" Pegasus dismissed the Pharaoh's challenge and turned to leave the duel arena.
"I know, but be prepared!" Yugi clenched his Duel Glove, gritting his teeth. "My anger won't subside until I've defeated you!"
"Hmph, the four strongest duelists gathered on this island will engage in the fiercest battles tomorrow morning. Only the one who stands out among them will have the highest honor of dueling me~" Pegasus said his final words and left the duelist hall.
"Yugi boy, Hoshino girl, I'm looking forward to it~" Walking down the hallway, Pegasus could no longer hide his deep interest with a calm expression. "Let's see if your burning anger can consume me, the father of Duel Monsters!"
——————
"This food is really good. Pegasus is a bad guy, but he prepared so many delicious dishes for us." Jonouchi praised as he ate heartily at the dinner table.
"Jonouchi, how can you eat so well after seeing that scene?" Hoshino, who had no appetite, played with the cherry tomatoes on her plate and looked disdainfully at Jonouchi.
"Starving won't help us duel properly," Mai Valentine, unexpectedly cutting her steak, said. "Are you planning to rely on that cherry tomato to get through the night, or sneak into my room for food later?"
"Mai is right!" The butler, with his hands behind his back, explained respectfully. "To prepare for tomorrow's elimination matches, Pegasus specially prepared these exquisite dishes. He hopes everyone will rest well and be in top form for tomorrow's duels."
"Hmph, I'd rather starve, die outside, and jump off from here than eat a single bite of Pegasus's food!" Hoshino declared fiercely, cutting the cherry tomato on her plate in half with her fork and then stirring the soup before her out of boredom.
"Hoshino, don't play with your food." Anzu reminded her, picking up the cherry tomato from Hoshino's plate and eating it.
"Additionally, there's one more thing to announce before tomorrow's elimination matches. Everyone must prepare one of the two cards given to you before the match." The butler pulled out two cards from his coat.
"This one, [Glory of the King's Right Hand]." The card was adorned with luxurious gold coins and jewels.
"And this one, [Glory of the King's Left Hand]." This card, however, was blank.
"Without [Glory of the King's Right Hand], you can't win the prize money. Without [Glory of the King's Left Hand], you can't challenge Pegasus." The butler explained.
"Ah!!" Hoshino's scream interrupted the explanation.
"Hoshino, what's wrong!" Jonouchi, who was worried because he didn't have the qualification cards as a stowaway contestant, was immediately drawn to Hoshino.
"There's an eyeball in the soup!" Hoshino, bored and stirring her soup, had discovered a golden eye that looked like a replica of the Millennium Eye.
"That's disgusting!" Anzu shrank away, scared.
"How dare you serve us something so disgusting!" Jonouchi, angry that Hoshino and Anzu were scared, slammed the table and questioned the butler.
"Apologies, but this is a special item prepared by Pegasus, a replica Millennium Eye containing the contestant's duel sequence tags." The butler bowed slightly. "Now, please open the replica Millennium Eyes in your soups."
Sure enough, only the contestants had the replica Millennium Eyes in their soups. Reluctantly, Hoshino fished out the eye and opened it along the seam.
"Number 2? What does that mean?"
"I'm number 1," Jonouchi said, looking at his tag.
"I'm number 3," Yugi added.
"And I'm number 4~," Mai said.
"Tomorrow's duel order is number 1 versus number 2, followed by number 3 versus number 4. Please adjust your decks according to your opponent." The butler left the dining room after his final instructions.
"Number 1 versus number 2 means my first opponent tomorrow is..." Hoshino sighed, looking at the grinning Jonouchi. "I'll be dueling Jonouchi."
"And the most crucial part is, I don't have the qualification cards!" Hoshino, having searched her deck multiple times, had never seen the 'Glory of the King's Right Hand' or 'Glory of the King's Left Hand.'
"Even though I know I shouldn't complain to Da Vinci, how can I enter the finals like this?" Hoshino suddenly turned to Mai, who was chewing her steak.
"???" Mai, noticing Hoshino's gaze, showed a charming smile while chewing her steak.
————
In the darkness, Kaiba's soul floated somewhere, endlessly repeating his unfinished words.
"Try to surpass fate, Duelist Number 001, Hoshino Chiyuki..."
(*****)
If you'd like to read 20 chapters ahead, please consider joining my Patreon: patreon.com/ANeet. Your support means a lot. Thank you!