"It's over!" Jonouchi's heart stopped once more, "If this battle resolves, then Youyu will..."
He didn't continue, and no one else spoke.
Everyone felt that, reaching this point, no one could blame Youyu for anything.
He had already demonstrated an extraordinary strength, his dueling had surpassed all expectations. It's just that the opponent was even more absurdly strong, that's all.
He already did his best.
It's just...
... still, there could be a bit of unwillingness, right?
Due to the changes in the number of monsters on the field, the Battle Recall triggered consecutively. Now that it had ended, the attack power of the Pharaoh's Obelisk the Tormentor soared to infinity, and the battle resumed.
Youyu's Winged Dragon of Ra roared defiantly, its mouth spewing a raging golden flame cannon. The Pharaoh's Obelisk the Tormentor, with Slifer the Sky Dragon and The Winged Dragon of Ra on either side, united the power of the three gods, combining the super conductive wave and flame cannon with the destructive power of the Fist of Fate.
Faced with a divine power vast enough to shake the world, Youyu almost couldn't feel his own existence.
Is this how... I'll lose?
Losing to this Pharaoh, the Dark Yugi from three thousand years ago, doesn't seem shameful at all.
After all, he is the protagonist, the true master of the Three Egyptian Gods, reputed to be the strongest duelist of all time. It's normal not to win against him, right?
...
No.
Closing his eyes briefly, Youyu reopened them, fearlessly staring at the overwhelming divine might and the figure standing beneath the vibrant light.
The one standing there isn't Yugi, isn't the protagonist of this story.
Even if he has perfectly replicated everything about the Dark Yugi, he remains only a relic of an illusion from three thousand years ago.
In the modern revival, after experiencing so many battles and trials, the Dark Yugi of today cannot be compared to what he was back then.
The one dueling with Youyu now is just a remnant of what couldn't seize victory over the Great Evil God Sok three thousand years ago.
Perhaps there is indeed sense in this trial.
If one can't even defeat this remnant from three thousand years ago... what hope is there against Sok!?
Youyu has no intention of stalling here!
"The battle resumes," the voice of the Nameless Pharaoh fell, "Fist of Fate sha..."
"Don't rush, I'm not finished playing my cards yet!" Youyu interrupted, "I activate the effect of 'Makyura the Destructor' that was sent to the graveyard at the start of this turn! This turn, I can activate Trap Cards from my hand!"
"Therefore, I activate the Trap Card, 'Grave Robber'!"
As the sly dwarf of the grave robber jumped onto Youyu's field, Jonouchi almost soared from his spot in sheer excitement, shouting—
—"Damn, I know this move!"
"Grave Robber's effect, select a card from the opponent's graveyard, and can be activated at any desired time during this turn!" (anime effect)
Youyu pointed straight at the Pharaoh's Alchemy Duel Disc.
"The card I choose is... the Trap Card 'Solidarity'!"
Yugi couldn't help but speak: "'Solidarity's effect is, select a monster on your field, special summon a monster of the same type but with a different card name..."
"...and Youyu's monsters on the field... are also all Divine Beast-Type!" Jonouchi exclaimed.
"Return from the grave, god!" Youyu shouted, "Obelisk the Tormentor!"
As if carrying the hopes and prayers of everyone, the blue pillar of light blasted down again, and the mighty figure of the destructive god descended once more!
[Obelisk the Tormentor (by Youyu), ATK 4000]
"Obelisk the Tormentor, activate the ultimate ability!" Youyu raised his hand, "Offer Slifer the Sky Dragon and The Winged Dragon of Ra as sacrifices... Soul Energy MAX!!!"
Youyu's Slifer the Sky Dragon and The Winged Dragon of Ra similarly landed on either side of the Tormentor's arms, their red, gold, and blue lights merging into one, transforming the Tormentor into the unique form of the united three gods!
[Obelisk the Tormentor (by Youyu), ATK 4000 → ATK ∞]
Battle Recall, followed by according to both Tormentor's effects—Soul Energy MAX when used during the opponent's turn forces the battle—reopening the battle!
"Fist of Fate Shock Wave!!!" x2
The ultimate conflict, six Egyptian Gods bursting forth with all their might. With a collision that seemed capable of annihilating all light and sound, the tricolor brilliance pressing against each other gradually became pure white, dyeing the whole world in immaculate white...
In that extremely brief moment, Youyu felt as if he was blown high into the sky by a tornado, hurled out to a space beyond dimensions.
In a pure white world, an empty space with seemingly nothing, he seemed to vaguely see... a face?
It was a face abstract to the extreme, with a texture as if carved, slightly leaning towards feminine.
A name flashed through Youyu's mind for a brief moment.
He seemed to catch the corners of the mouth slightly tilt upwards, as if smiling.
With a whirl of the sky and earth, a massive force of gravity seemed to pull his body. Coming back to his senses, he was already on the temple's floor.
Youyu kneeled on one knee, drenched in sweat, unable to stop his heavy breathing.
Could that vision have been...
...Holactie the Creator of Light?
Does this duel have any connection to that creator-level deity?
Youyu's gaze returned to the field, where all six Egyptian Gods on both sides had turned to ashes and ceased to exist.
But the duel was not over.
"The effect of 'Makyura the Destructor', this turn, I can activate Trap Cards from my hand." Youyu stood upright and pulled out a card from his hand.
"Trap Card - Damaged Mask! Special Summon one 'Masked Hero' from the Graveyard, ignoring summoning conditions, and destroy it at the end phase." (Manga card)
A dark vortex opened in front of Youyu, and the hero clad in diamond-like shining armor, draped in a blue cape, made a grand reappearance.
Masked Hero Dian, resurrect!
[Masked Hero Dian, ATK 2800]
Jonouchi's pupils contracted, Honda dared not speak further, and Anzu covered her mouth as her heart stopped.
The Nameless Pharaoh's Life Points remained at 1700, the Battle Phase of this turn was not yet over, if Masked Hero Dian delivers the final blow...
Yet the Pharaoh still has his means.
The final tablet flipped open on the Pharaoh's field.
Sealed within the tablet is the power of a Trap, called... Speed Chanting!
Speed Chanting, Trap Card, discard one Magic Card from your hand; this effect can be used as the effect of the discarded Magic Card. But as a trade-off, you cannot activate any Magic Cards in the next turn. (Anime card)
Here, the card discarded and activated by the Pharaoh is...
...Soul Charge!
Soul Charge, Magic Card, Special Summon any number of monsters from your Graveyard, then you lose Life Points equal to the number of summoned monsters x 500. (Anime effect)
Everyone in the audience froze, dumbfounded.
"No... It can't be?" Jonouchi felt his throat dry.
Special Summon any number of monsters from the Graveyard, now the Pharaoh's Life Points are at 1700, he can summon up to three.
As for which three he intends to summon... little need for words.
"In the Name of the Pharaoh, return to my field once more—
—Slifer the Sky Dragon! Obelisk the Tormentor! The Winged Dragon of Ra!"
Red, blue, and gold lights soared into the sky and fell crashing down. Three pillars of light burst upward, the red winding divine dragon, the towering blue giant, the fiery and immortal phoenix, all reappearing at the same moment!
[Slifer the Sky Dragon, ATK 5000]
[Obelisk the Tormentor, ATK 4000]
[The Winged Dragon of Ra, ATK 0]
[Nameless Pharaoh, LP 1700 →LP 200]
"How... is this possible?" Anzu covered her mouth and stumbled back, collapsing onto the ground.
The atmosphere was oppressively dreadful.
Failure in itself is not the most frightening; what is terrifying is that after so much effort, so many times coming back from the brink to turn the tables... it ultimately amounts to nothing.
The enemy is so powerful... it's simply despairing.
"You've got to be kidding..." Jonouchi said weakly, "In a situation like this, at a time like this, they can still summon the Three Egyptian Gods?"
"Obelisk's ability can sacrifice the other two Egyptian Gods to gain infinite attack power and forcibly battle the opponent." Even Yugi couldn't see hope for the first time, "This time Youyu...
...!?"
Yugi's words were cut short, surprised as he raised his head.
Because he found that Youyu was... smiling?
"It seems that in the end, choosing to use the power of the Egyptian Gods to end the battle this turn is inevitable, as the Egyptian Gods are the Pharaoh's strongest servants, choosing this way to conclude is also only natural. But at the same time, it also laid the groundwork for the true direction of the script."
Youyu made a grand gesture.
"But this is the true finale!" The card in his hand swiftly inserted into the Duel Disc, "According to the effect of 'Makyura the Destructor', activate the Trap from the hand - Meteor Light!" (Anime card)
"Meteor... Light!?" The whole room was astonished.
"When monsters used as tributes are Special Summoned on the field, deal 1000 points of damage to the opponent!"
"Na... Nani!?" Everyone was shocked.
Jonouchi realized: "Slifer and Ra left the field as tributes for 'Soul Energy MAX', which means..."
Honda tightly embraced his good friend: "One thousand points of damage!"
Yugi's eyes widened: "Could it be that Youyu has calculated that the opponent might try to summon the Egyptian Gods again?"
But no matter what, this truly was the final moment.
Countless meteors dragged long fiery tails, descending from beyond the heavens, like burning rain engulfing the skies.
Merely an ordinary Trap, a meteor fire rain, a mere insignificant one thousand points of damage, yet it disregarded the invincible three Egyptian Gods on the field, carrying forward with unstoppable momentum, aiming for the conclusion of this divine battle.
The Nameless Pharaoh looked up at the fiery rain descending from the sky, watching numerous swirling shooting stars streak across the horizon; his face, tense and expressionless throughout, seemed to finally relax at this moment.
He chuckled lightly, seeming relieved and at ease.
[Nameless Pharaoh, LP 200 →LP 0]