Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh!

"Nineteen cards from my deck—to the graveyard!"

With Zane's shout, nineteen cards became a shield. Card Trooper's triple attack all slammed into that barrier, unable to break through Zane's last 600 Life Points.

"He blocked it?"

Kira calmly drew another card from his hand.

"Then I set one card. Turn end."

Zane: "My turn. Draw!"

He swept away his earlier dejection; his fighting spirit seemed rekindled.

But something was different now.

If before he fought for the love of dueling, for the thrill of facing a strong opponent, now it was pure, burning desire to win this duel.

On the field, there is always only one winner. There are no participation prizes. The winner is remembered; the loser is forgotten.

If you play, you play to win.

"I activate the Spell Card 'Card of Reversal'!" Zane declared. "If the opponent has Special Summoned monsters and I have none, I draw two cards!" (Anime card.)

He drew two cards, his eyes flaming with darkness.

"I activate the Spell Card—'Overload Fusion'!

I banish monsters from my field and graveyard as Fusion Materials to Fusion Summon a DARK Machine-type monster!"

The watching students were shocked.

DARK Machine-type?

"Isn't that the opposite Attribute of Cyber Dragon and Cyber End Dragon?" a Blue Dorm student muttered.

All of Zane's Cyber Dragon, Twin Dragon, and End Dragon were LIGHT. It was well known he was a LIGHT Machine user, his duels as bright and upright as his signature End Dragon.

No one had ever seen him use DARK Fusion before—it almost felt at odds with his dueling style.

"I fuse three 'Cyber Dragons' from the graveyard, one 'Proto-Cyber Dragon', one 'Cyber Barrier Dragon', two 'Machina Peacekeepers', and eleven more Machine-type monsters sent by 'Power Wall'—all together!"

Metallic beasts emerged one after another, drawn into the swirling vortex of dark fusion. The audience was stunned.

Fuse with eighteen monsters!?

What could that possibly Summon?

"Eighteenfold Fusion—arise!

—Chimeratech Overdragon!"

A cold, steel body exploded with immense energy. Countless dragon heads studded its fortress-like frame; black lightning danced along its armored surface.

Kira nodded slightly. "Oh, there it is. You're going all out, huh?"

It seemed Zane had realized the limits of clinging to Cyber End Dragon.

For victory, he could even abandon an old friend.

"Chimeratech Overdragon's ATK is the number of Fusion Materials x 800," Zane declared gravely. "I used eighteen materials, so its ATK is—"

[Chimeratech Overdragon, ATK ? → ATK 14400]

"Fourteen thousand four hundred ATK!?"

The Blue Dorm students were shocked.

"So strong…"

"And Chimeratech Overdragon can attack up to the number of Fusion Materials used," Zane continued. "So it can attack eighteen times in one turn!" (Anime effect.)

The printed card retained this effect but limited it to attacking monsters, not players. But in the anime, there was no such restriction.

In a shadow game with real damage, over ten thousand points of damage, eighteen times in a turn—even ashes would be scattered.

"Not done yet!" Zane declared. "I summon 'Armored Cybern' in Defense Position!"

[Armored Cybern, DEF 2000]

"Once per turn, this card can equip itself to any Machine-type monster with 'Cyber' in its name!" (Anime effect.)

The printed card was later changed to only equip to Cyber Dragon or its Fusions.

"Equip 'Armored Cybern' to Chimeratech Overdragon!"

The wing shot arcs of electricity, gliding along rails to attach to Chimeratech Overdragon.

"Armored Cybern's other effect: I can decrease the equipped monster's ATK by 1000 to destroy any card on the field. And this effect—can be used any number of times per turn!" (Anime effect.)

"Nani!?"

The students were floored.

With 14,400 ATK, that meant up to fourteen destructions!?

Isn't that invincible?

Kira rested his chin on his hand. "So that's how broken this was originally…"

The printed card was later changed to once per turn, and only to destroy monsters.

"This is my full power—my all-out pursuit of victory!"

Zane stepped forward.

"Armored Cybern: lower Chimeratech Overdragon's ATK by 1000, destroy your Set card!"

[Chimeratech Overdragon, ATK 14400 → 13400]

A blast was fired, but midway the cannon turned and targeted another Set card.

"Trap Card—'Card of Pandora'," Kira said. "When a card in my Spell/Trap Zone is targeted by an effect, the target shifts to this card, then I draw two cards." (Anime card.)

"No matter," Zane said. "Armored Cybern, activate again! Lower Overdragon's ATK, destroy another Set card!"

[Chimeratech Overdragon, ATK 13400 → 12400]

The next card revealed was the Continuous Trap "Spirit Barrier"—negates battle damage while you control a monster.

"Third and fourth!" Zane shouted. "Lower Overdragon's ATK two more times, destroy Chimeratech Fortress Dragon and Card Trooper!"

[Chimeratech Overdragon, ATK 12400 → 10400]

Two more blasts; Chimeratech Fortress Dragon and Card Trooper were destroyed.

"When Card Trooper is destroyed, I draw one card."

Kira drew another card.

"Now your field is empty. It's over!"

Zane roared.

"Chimeratech Overdragon, direct attack!"