Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh!

"Chimeratech Overdragon, direct attack!"

Zane shouted, his pupils shrinking, heart racing.

Armored Cybern had cleared the field—no wall monsters, no set cards.

Even if Kuriboh, Necro Gardna, or Kiteroid came out, they could only block one or two attacks. But Overdragon could attack eighteen times. There was no way to stop it.

He'd won!

Kira remained calm, leisurely drawing another card.

"Kuriboh in hand—"

"Not a chance!" Zane interrupted. "Chimeratech Overdragon can attack eighteen times—even Kuriboh can't stop it!"

Even if every card in Kira's hand was Kuriboh, it wouldn't be enough.

Kira paused, smiled, and continued.

"Kuribon's effect—or you might call it 'Sphere Kuriboh'," Kira smiled. "When your opponent declares an attack, send this card from your hand to the graveyard to change the attacking monster to Defense Position."

Zane: "!?"

A different Kuriboh!?

"A new research breakthrough. Well, it's not mine—it's a KaibaCorp product," Kira said.

The golden, spherical Kuriboh appeared, circling Overdragon. The mighty monster sputtered and powered down.

[Chimeratech Overdragon, ATK 10400 → DEF 14400]

Zane bit his lip in frustration.

In Defense Position, even eighteen attacks would do nothing.

So close, and yet…

"I set a card and end my turn," he declared, frustrated.

Only now did he realize how truly unwilling he was, for the first time, to let victory slip from his grasp.

"What a pity. If I'd had regular Kuriboh instead of Sphere Kuriboh, I might've lost. But still, just a little short."

Kira drew a card.

"My turn. Draw.

In the Standby Phase, 'Treeborn Frog' in my graveyard: If I control no Spells or Traps, I can Special Summon it."

"My field was wiped by your Armored Cybern, so no Spells or Traps. Treeborn Frog revives."

[Treeborn Frog, DEF 100]

"I activate 'Pot of Avarice'—shuffle five monsters from my graveyard into my deck, then draw two cards."

The five cards leapt out, displayed for all to see.

"I return Storm, Rock, Thunder, and Shadow Monarchs, plus Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, then draw two cards."

Seeing Chimeratech Fortress Dragon among them, Zane's eyelid twitched.

But he quickly suppressed the anxiety.

Stay calm, nothing to fear. Chimeratech Fortress Dragon needs Cyber Dragon plus another Machine to Fusion Summon. With only Overdragon on my field, he can't use it.

He'd only seen Chimeratech Fortress Dragon once, but already felt PTSD…

"Draw two cards."

Kira revealed one of them.

"Spell Card—'Dark Magic Veil'. Pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon a DARK Spellcaster from hand or grave."

[Kira, LP 5400 → 4400]

Zane was shocked. "That's the legendary Duel King's ace support card—Dark Magician!"

He looked at Kira in disbelief.

His gaze seemed to ask: Don't tell me you even have Dark Magician?

"Hahaha, no way I'd have a legend like that. But it doesn't have to be Dark Magician—any DARK Spellcaster works."

Kira smiled.

"I Special Summon 'Witch of the Black Forest'."

[Witch of the Black Forest, ATK 1100]

"Tribute Witch of the Black Forest to Tribute Summon—"

Kira waved his hand.

"The ruler of frozen lands descends now—

—Mobius the Frost Monarch!"

The field froze over, as if the world itself had iced up.

"Mobius, upon Tribute Summon, destroys up to two Spell/Trap cards. I target your Set card and the equipped 'Armored Cybern'."

Zane watched as ice spread rapidly toward his field, and said gravely:

"The Monarch series has strong on-summon effects that press both monsters and backrow—paired with Treeborn Frog's endless recursion, it's terrifying. But I know the Monarchs' weakness."

He flipped his Set card.

"Counter Trap—'Pulling the Rug'!

When a monster's effect activates upon Summon, negate that activation and destroy the monster!"

"Oh?"

Kira nodded.

Indeed, a Monarch counter. A Counter Trap that neuters "on Summon" effects, quite effective against Monarchs. Even Mobius, the so-called backrow killer, was stymied today.

The ice instantly shattered, Mobius destroyed in a burst of energy.

"That should do it…"

But Zane was still tense.

Because he'd almost exhausted his resources, while Kira still seemed to have endless options.

Even with Overdragon's monstrous stats, he felt little sense of safety.

Kira: "But the Witch of the Black Forest I just tributed triggers too. When sent to the graveyard, I can add a monster with 1500 or less DEF to my hand."

Zane's eyelid twitched.

Right—the Monarchs' DEF is all under 1500.

And those Monarchs just returned to the deck with Pot of Avarice…

That means Kira can fetch any Monarch he wants!

"Exactly. I add 'Caius the Shadow Monarch' to my hand."

Kira drew out the card.

As he revealed it, a chilling aura seemed to swirl above—Caius's shadow looming, gazing coldly down.

"I play 'Double Summon'—I can Normal Summon again this turn."

Kira waved his hand.

"I tribute Treeborn Frog—

The embodiment of destruction, breaking free from endless darkness, descends once more—

—Caius the Shadow Monarch!"

The strongest and most sinister of the early Monarchs, awakening like a demon god, descending with his supreme power!

[Caius the Shadow Monarch, ATK 2400]

"Caius's effect: When Tribute Summoned, banish any card on the field."

The audience was shocked.

"If Overdragon is banished, Kaiser's field will be empty…"

Nothing could stop Kira!

"Not over yet…"

The dark fire in Zane's eyes still burned.

He hadn't lost, and didn't want to!

"From the graveyard, I banish the Trap Card 'Skill Prisoner' sent by Power Wall," Zane shouted. "I select a card on my field; all monster effects that target it this turn are negated!

I use Skill Prisoner to protect Overdragon—even Caius can't…"

"You're rattled, Zane." Kira interrupted.

Zane paused.

"Don't be so quick to activate it. Look closely—which card is Caius targeting?"

Zane: "?"

With only Caius and Overdragon on the field, what else could he target?

He then noticed the dark vortex swirling around Caius himself.

"Nani!? Are you—"

He suddenly thought of a terrifying possibility, momentarily speechless.

"Caius the Shadow Monarch, upon Tribute Summon, can banish any card on the field. But it also has an extra effect."

Kira explained calmly.

"If the banished card is a DARK monster, inflict 1000 damage to your opponent."

Kira smiled brightly amid the swirling darkness.

"Caius is itself a DARK monster."

Zane: "…"

No…no way?!

The undefeated Kaiser, having come this far, finally cracked.

Is this really dueling?

If you actually beat me head-to-head, I'll admit defeat!

But Kira felt this was only right. In dueling, victory means reducing your opponent's Life Points to zero—nothing more.

Blasting down a 10,000-ATK Overdragon was cool, but there was no bonus for style.

Winning is enough.

"Caius's effect: banish itself.

Since Caius is DARK, inflict 1000 damage!"

[Zane, LP 600]

The raging darkness peaked, Caius soaring, its body turning ethereal as it rocketed toward Zane.

Caius the Shadow Monarch—kamikaze bomb!

Boom!!!

[Zane, LP 600 → LP 0]

PS: Nice Duel.