Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh!

Mirror Force!

Holy blue light burst forth from the Trap Card, forming a shield on the field. At first, the barrier was as calm as a lake, but as Cyber End Dragon's Eternal Evolution Burst crashed into it, the light trembled, becoming hot and dazzling. The flames of light leapt in the void, as if absorbing Cyber End Dragon's unmatched power, then returned it a hundredfold!

The blue glow surged like a flood, shaking space itself.

Cyber Dragon, Cyber End Dragon, and Cyber Barrier Dragon—all three mechanical giants were mercilessly engulfed, their steel bodies instantly shattering, twisting in the shockwave.

"To use Mirror Force at a time like this..."

Zane said in a low voice.

"Then I activate the Quick-Play Spell 'Cybernetic Zone'!"

The Spell Card's image unfolded in golden light, appearing on his field at the critical moment.

"I target a Machine Fusion Monster I control and banish it!"

He pointed to his Cyber End Dragon.

"I banish 'Cyber End Dragon'!"

A starry blue barrier enveloped the field. Cyber End Dragon was encased within, vanishing just before the holy light could destroy it.

"Dodged, huh." Kira nodded. "But the remaining 'Cyber Dragon' and 'Cyber Barrier Dragon' are destroyed."

Like a shooting star streaking briefly but brilliantly across the night sky, the holy radiance swept the field, leaving only emptiness—no trace even of metal fragments.

"What a pity. Such a lineup, gone in an instant. That was close—whether it was the Cyber Twin Dragons earlier or the Cyber End Dragon just now, one careless hit and it would've been all over."

Kira patted his chest in a show of relief.

"As expected of Kaiser, truly the legendary wielder of overwhelming power."

Zane was silent.

"But unfortunately, your opponent won't always meet force with force," Kira said. "Maybe to you, using your strongest monster and going all out is the highest respect for your opponent—but duelists come in all kinds."

"...I understand."

Zane closed his eyes and spoke slowly.

"But I've already decided—no matter what, I'll walk with my old friends to the end. That's my way, my path. No matter what tactics or methods my opponent uses, it doesn't matter."

He drew another card.

"Activate Spell Card 'One Day of Peace.' Both players draw a card, and until the end of your opponent's next turn, neither takes battle or effect damage."

He drew a card, and then seemed to consider for a moment.

"Activate Spell Card 'Card of Burial Magic.' Banish 'One Day of Peace,' 'Different Dimension Capsule,' and 'Inferno Reckless Summon' from my Graveyard, and draw two cards." (Anime card)

Then he set two more cards.

"I set two cards in my backrow and end my turn."

Zane declared,

"In the End Phase, the monster I banished with 'Cybernetic Zone'—Cyber End Dragon—returns to the field. And when it returns, its ATK is doubled!"

A star-blue beam descended again, Cyber End Dragon's image roaring as it reappeared.

[Cyber End Dragon, ATK 8000 → ATK 16000]

The students watching instinctively held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

"Cyber End Dragon with 16,000 attack!"

"That's terrifying—at that power, even Five-Headed Dragon would be just a wall, or even less!"

The streamer continued his commentary.

"What a duel! Kaiser has continuously set up OTK fields, only for Kira to neutralize them with ease—yet Kaiser's offense shows no sign of faltering, it's only getting stronger!

Did you see that? 16,000 ATK Cyber End Dragon! Sixteen thousand!"

Zane said gravely, "Power Bond's effect—during the End Phase, if the Fusion Monster summoned with it is still on the field, I take damage equal to its original ATK." (Anime effect)

The anime and real card effects of Power Bond differ. In the real TCG, Power Bond's damage is applied at the end of the turn regardless of whether the Fusion Monster is still present, and the effect doesn't start a new chain.

But in the anime, the effect triggers and requires the Fusion Monster to be present at the end of the turn. That's why, in the anime, Kaiser can use De-Fusion or similar effects to avoid the damage, but not in the real game.

"Because I activated 'One Day of Peace,' all damage until the end of your next turn becomes zero," Zane said. "So, Power Bond's damage is negated."

"...Amazing!"

The spectators were once again awestruck.

"He even accounted for Power Bond's drawback!"

Kira smiled, not surprised.

Power Bond was Zane's soul card, but every time he summoned Cyber End Dragon, he either won outright or had a way to dodge the self-burn. He'd never actually lost to Power Bond's own damage.

Of course. If he couldn't handle the inevitable side effect of his own card, he wouldn't deserve the title of Kaiser.

"My turn. Draw."

Kira drew.

"During my Standby Phase, since my Spell/Trap Zone is empty, Treeborn Frog revives from my Graveyard."

[Treeborn Frog, DEF 100]

Zane frowned.

That frog again—the Monarchs' endless ammunition.

Kira could also see that, even after all these setbacks, Kaiser hadn't wavered.

He still stuck to his chosen path, just as stubbornly determined to win using Cyber Dragon or its fusions.

From Zane's first underground duel, it was apparent that his Fusion deck always had other powerful monsters like Chimeratech Overdragon, but he used to refuse to play them.

Only at a life-or-death moment did he finally let go of the obsession with winning with Cyber Dragon, and decided to fight to win.

But now, it seemed he was still persistent—meaning he hadn't faced enough resistance or setbacks yet.

But that was fine.

Kira smiled slightly.

Then let's give him an even greater defeat to experience.

"Tribute 'Treeborn Frog' once again."

Kira raised his hand.

Treeborn Frog was swallowed by a dark vortex, jet-black winds erupting like a hellish storm!

"The embodiment of destruction, breaking free from chains and awakening from endless darkness—

—Caius the Shadow Monarch, Summon!!!"

PS: Bonus chapter at 300 PS.