"Blue-Eyes White Dragon, summon!"
A divine pressure, equal to that of a god, swept the field. It felt as if this force came from beyond three millennia, its bony wings stirring a tempest that swept away the surrounding darkness. It was as if a sacred, inviolable domain of light had been created, illuminating everything.
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon, ATK 3000]
"To pull out such a formation in the very first turn, not bad, Seto Kaiba," the Dreadroot said with a chuckle. "You've improved."
Kaiba sneered coldly. "Do you really have time to waste on such taunts?"
The Dreadroot replied, "Heh, if you think something like this can shake me, you're underestimating a god."
"My turn. Draw."
The humanoid shadow under the Dreadroot's control drew a card from the Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card 'Pot of Greed'," the Dreadroot announced. "I draw two cards from my deck."
He drew two cards, glanced at them, and paused for a brief moment, then let out another cold laugh.
"It's already been ten years since our last duel. Ten years is but the blink of an eye for beings like us, but for mere mortals, it's probably an eternity. No wonder, President Kaiba, you've forgotten the true terror of the Wicked God."
"Well then, let me help you remember..."
The Dreadroot slapped one of the cards he just drew onto the field.
"Summon the ancient king of beasts to descend! Tribute Summon, Level 8—
—Beast King Barbaros!"
It was as if a roar from ancient times shook the air, a blood-red spear piercing the very fabric of space. The beast, half-human and half-animal, descended amidst thunder and lightning, wielding a round blue shield in one hand and a long spear in the other. His bare chest was exposed, his head that of an enraged lion.
[Beast King Barbaros, ATK 3000 → ATK 1900]
"Although Beast King Barbaros is a Level 8 monster, he can be Tribute Summoned without a tribute. However, when summoned this way, his ATK drops to 1900," explained the Dreadroot, pausing briefly before grinning. "Well, there's no need to explain such an effect. I'm sure President Kaiba is familiar, right?"
Kaiba retorted coolly, "What are you trying to prove, you bastard?"
It was obvious that the Dreadroot was doing this deliberately.
Back then, the Wicked God brothers had possessed Yako Tenma and, using his hands, defeated Kaiba. While the Wicked God's cards were a key factor, Yako himself was also a top-class duelist.
Beast King Barbaros was a signature card of Yako.
Now, even though the Wicked God wasn't possessing Yako, he still chose to use Barbaros, as if intentionally reopening Kaiba's old wounds, constantly reminding him of his previous defeat.
This was actually a well-known theory at Duel Academy: no matter what method is used, exerting one's own "momentum" to suppress the opponent can make them lose half the battle before it even begins.
Many unscrupulous villains in the anime love to use dirty tricks for the same reason—taking hostages, playing twisted Shadow Games, or launching direct psychological attacks. In short, it's all about destabilizing the opponent's mind and will, making it easier to overpower them and greatly increasing the chance of victory.
But who is Seto Kaiba? He's faced far worse underhanded tricks than this kind of petty mockery. Now, facing his own defeats head-on has no negative effect; if anything, it only makes his will to win stronger. The Dreadroot's attempt to shake him with such a low-level tactic was completely ineffective.
Seeing that his opponent remained unmoved, the Dreadroot, a bit disappointed, continued his turn: "Then I'll use 'Beast King Barbaros' as a tribute!"
Kaiba said, "A Tribute Summon via Barbaros' effect still counts as a normal summon. You've already used your normal summon this turn; you can't tribute summon again."
He was preventing his opponent from trying to cheat.
"Thank you for the reminder, President Kaiba, but there's no need," the Dreadroot said. "I tribute 'Beast King Barbaros' to Special Summon this card from my hand—
—King Beast Barbaros!"
It sounded like the same monster with a new title, and visually, it looked like Barbaros had simply donned new armor. Still the same ferocious lion head, spiral spear, blue shield, human upper body and beast lower body—but the aura was now on a whole different level.
[King Beast Barbaros, ATK 3000]
"King Beast Barbaros can only be Special Summoned by tributing monsters from your field whose total levels are eight or higher," the Dreadroot said. "That's why I tribute the Level 8 Barbaros to Special Summon this card! The King Beast is the ultimate, unleashed form of Barbaros, a power so great that even your Blue-Eyes can be destroyed in an instant!"
The Dreadroot raised his arm high.
"By banishing a 'Barbaros' monster from my graveyard or field, King Beast Barbaros can target and destroy up to two cards on your side of the field!"
The Barbaros that had just been tributed appeared as a shimmering apparition behind the Dreadroot. He retrieved the monster card from his graveyard and displayed it. The apparition and the card both turned into golden light, fading and disappearing, banished from the game.
"I banish 'Beast King Barbaros' from my graveyard to destroy 'Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon' and 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon'!"
The King Beast let out a ferocious roar as his spiral spear shot through the air, splitting into two beams that targeted both of Kaiba's dragons!
Just as both dragons were about to be struck down, Kaiba snorted, swung his arm, and the set card in his back row instantly flipped open.
"I told you, in these ten years, my Blue-Eyes has achieved earth-shaking evolution, and I am no longer the person I used to be. Let me show you that more clearly!
I activate the set card: Quick-Play Spell, 'Ultimate Fusion'!
This card can only be activated during either Main Phase. I return Fusion Materials for a monster that requires 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' or 'Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon' as material from my hand, field, or graveyard to the deck, and Fusion Summon that monster!"
The Dreadroot exclaimed, "A Quick-Play Fusion? You're going to Fusion Summon during my turn?"
"Exactly!"
Kaiba dramatically revealed three monster cards.
"'Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon' can be treated as 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' while on the field!
So I use the 'Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon' and 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' on my field, plus another 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' from my hand—three monsters in total—as Fusion Material to Fusion Summon!
The strongest, most ultimate dragon in history, transcending time and space, is about to descend—
—Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, summon!!!"
The three Blue-Eyes dragons soared into the sky, trailing streaks of white light. Their trails intertwined and merged, fusing into the brightest new star ever witnessed.
Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, summon!
...
…
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