Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh!

A white beam from the Chaos MAX Dragon's destruction, so bright even heaven and earth seemed to lose their color.

As the one facing that destructive light directly, everything in Loren's field of vision was swallowed by the radiance; his gaze grew hazy.

In that fleeting moment, everything vanished from his sight, even sound was drowned out by the roar. Within that pure white curtain, as if empowered by the might of a White Dragon God, he felt like he had traveled back in time.

"…"

"Going again?"

It was his mother from memory, in their old home, with a hint of complaint in her voice as she asked his father.

"Yeah, I'm so close to the truth. Just a little more," his father replied. "I can't give up now."

Mother: "But in a couple of days, it's the kid's birthday. Last time you promised him—"

She stopped, both realizing their son was peeking through the bedroom door.

The man smiled dotingly and opened his arms toward the door: "Come here."

The boy hesitantly pushed open the door and ran into his father's arms. The man picked him up and kissed his forehead.

"Dad, why do you have to go?" the boy asked, head down.

The man smiled and gently tapped his nose.

"Because there are things in this world that someone has to do."

"Because justice doesn't uphold itself."

"…"

The scene faded, as if shattered by a White Dragon's attack, pulling him back to reality.

Just an illusion.

Yes, the past is already gone. How could anyone really travel back in time?

Boom!

The white light obliterated the trap monster, surging like a tide across the field, leaving only thick black smoke.

"…"

[Loren, LP 4000]

"Hmph," Kaiba chuckled with arms crossed. "Not down so easily?"

"Trap card 'Defense Draw'. One instance of battle damage becomes 0, then I draw a card," Loren said coolly. "But 'Paleozoic Marrella' is Special Summoned from the graveyard by its effect, and when it leaves the field, it's banished."

"Heh, weaklings, but it'd be boring if you fell so easily.

I set a card face-down."

Kaiba played another card.

"Quick-Play Spell 'Super Rejuvenation'. At the end of this turn, draw cards equal to the number of Dragon monsters discarded or tributed this turn.

'Graceful Charity' discarded two, 'Trade-In' discarded one. So I draw three cards.

Turn end."

Kaiba replenished his hand.

"My turn, draw."

Loren said darkly.

"Activate 'Pot of Greed', draw two cards."

He drew and immediately played one.

"I tribute 'Babycerasaurus' to Tribute Summon! Level 8—

—Super-Ancient Dinobeast, summon!"

[Super-Ancient Dinobeast, ATK 2700]

"Huh?" Koyo blurted out, "A Level 8 monster with just one tribute?"

"Super-Ancient Dinobeast is Level 8, but if you tribute a Dinosaur, you only need one tribute."

Loren then activated his backrow.

"Activate face-down, Continuous Trap 'Limit Reverse', revive a monster with 1000 or less ATK from the grave in attack position.

I Special Summon—"

He picked out a card from his graveyard.

"Revive Babycerasaurus."

[Babycerasaurus, ATK 500]

"Also, Super-Ancient Dinobeast's effect," Loren said. "If a Dinosaur is Special Summoned from my grave while Dinobeast is on the field, I draw a card."

He drew.

"Next, Equip Spell 'Premature Burial'. Pay 800 LP to Special Summon a monster from my graveyard."

[Loren, LP 4000→3200]

"I Special Summon the 'Dark Driceratops' I discarded last turn!"

[Dark Driceratops, ATK 2400]

"Again, a Dinosaur was Special Summoned from grave, so I draw another card thanks to Super-Ancient Dinobeast."

He drew and immediately played:

"Spell card 'Giant Trunade'! All Spell and Trap cards on the field return to their owners' hands!"

A tropical cyclone swept the field; Kaiba's backrow and Loren's own S/Ts were blown back to hands.

"I see," Midori adjusted her glasses. "'Premature Burial' destroys the equipped monster if destroyed, but if it's returned to hand, the monster stays and you can reuse the equip spell."

Midori added, "Not just that, it clears the opponent's backrow, making way for attack."

"A dangerous opponent," Koyo agreed.

Kaiba looked at his returned cards, then silently added them to his hand, expressionless.

"Of course, 'Seal of Orichalcos' can't leave the field by any means, so it's unaffected," Loren said. "But when 'Limit Reverse' leaves the field, the monster revived by it is destroyed.

So, Babycerasaurus is destroyed!"

Babycerasaurus exploded on Loren's field.

"And that triggers Babycerasaurus's effect," Kaiba said.

"Right. When Babycerasaurus is destroyed, I Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Dinosaur from my deck," Loren said. "I Special Summon another Babycerasaurus."

[Babycerasaurus, ATK 500]

"I activate 'Premature Burial' again to revive another Dinosaur!"

He only had Babycerasaurus in the grave.

"Pay 800 LP, revive another Babycerasaurus!"

[Loren, LP 3200→2400]

[Babycerasaurus, ATK 500]

"Super-Ancient Dinobeast's effect, I Special Summon a Dino from grave, so I draw another card."

Loren kept drawing.

Kaiba commented, "Your board looks impressive, but trash is trash, no matter how much you pile up."

"Don't rush, Kaiba," Loren said coldly. "The power of my rage is far from exhausted.

Because 'Seal of Orichalcos' is on the field, all my monsters gain 500 ATK."

[Super-Ancient Dinobeast, ATK 2700→3200]

[Babycerasaurus, ATK 500→1000] x2

[Dark Driceratops, ATK 2400→2900]

Mokuba: "Even so, it's still nowhere near Chaos MAX Dragon!"

"What about this?" Loren's eyes flashed.

"Activate 'Brave Attack'! This turn, only one monster I control can attack, but it gains the combined ATK of all my attack position monsters!" (Anime card.)

Atem used this card in the show, more than once.

"I give Super-Ancient Dinobeast the combined ATK of all my attacking monsters!" Loren declared. "So Super-Ancient Dinobeast's ATK becomes—"

[Super-Ancient Dinobeast, ATK 3200→8100]

Mokuba panicked: "Eight thousand one hundred ATK!?"

PS: Bonus chapters at 2000 PS