Chapter 219: VS Kaiba Chiaki! The Strongest vs. The Strongest!
The first day of the Academy Challenge Tournament ended on a high note, or at least that was the official version. In practice, the year's tournament had already broken from every precedent, and by that evening it had become the single most discussed topic across the entire Eva network.
In previous years, the most anyone had ever managed was cracking a Bronze Stage.
This year, within a single day, Fusion Academy's Bronze Stage and its Silver Stage had both fallen. Something that had never happened before, in the entire history of the event.
Witnessing it, and the prospect of personally creating more history, had driven an enormous surge of registrations for the first-ever Gold Stage challenge. The tournament's heat had reached a peak that no previous year could match.
Speculation also spread across the network that evening. The mainframe Eva had specifically designed the tournament format with Gold, Silver, and Bronze stages anchoring each academy like guardians. Some users noted that the format resembled an ancient ritual. If all three stages across all three academies were cleared, what would that mean? What would happen when the ritual was complete?
Speculation required evidence. And the Gold Stage was not the same thing as the Silver.
Especially not the one guarded by Kaiba Chiaki.
That afternoon's matches had made it clear enough. The people who registered to challenge her were not walking away with their wallets intact.
On the rooftop of the Kaiba Corporation building, Kaiba Chiaki stood alone at the very top of the tower.
Across three thousand years and the fall of a civilization, the Kaiba Corporation inside Eden Tower had rebuilt itself into something architecturally unrecognizable from the original building in Domino City. And yet Chiaki, standing on this rooftop and looking up at the artificial starfield hanging close overhead, found her thoughts drifting back to it anyway. Back to that duel she had watched between Amano Rei and Kaiba Seto, on a rooftop just like this one.
Was that something that happened two weeks ago inside a Chronicle? Or was it something that genuinely occurred three thousand years in the past?
Neither question mattered anymore. Not to her. Not right now.
Whatever came before, whatever obligations carried over from another era, none of it was relevant to the battle ahead. Only the purest version of a duelist's intent.
Under the false but brilliant cascade of the artificial stars, looking down at the thousand lights of the mid-level district burning against the darkness below her, three faint holographic images of Blue-Eyes White Dragon seemed to rise behind Kaiba Chiaki unbidden.
"Are you waiting for this victory as much as I am?"
She did not need to say it louder than that.
Amano Rei, unlike the person standing on that rooftop talking to her cards, was already in bed.
This was a genuine advantage built over years of living in a place with limited nighttime entertainment. The habit of falling asleep the moment his head touched the pillow had never left him. Getting adequate rest before an important duel was simply what you did.
In the dream, he saw that face again.
The same face he had seen when he collapsed from exhaustion after the double Dark Game night. A face that looked almost exactly like Eve, but carried none of Eve's usual noise or attitude. She stood quietly in front of him.
"Amano. Tomorrow's destined battle. Whatever it takes, find a way to win."
"Destined battle. Why are you using the Kaiba family's language now?"
"Only by winning the destined battle will the door to truth open. Let everyone see what you are capable of."
After those words, the slender figure dissolved into particles of light that scattered and vanished.
And then the system activated on its own, uninvited, in the middle of a dream.
It laid out every skill he had accumulated, one after another.
Dragon-Type Full Extra Deck. Hacker Invasion. Bond Resonance. Longing to be Yusei Fudo. Bearing the Family's Glory. Sisters at Odds.
Then the professional identities recorded from his Dark Game encounters.
Soulswindler. Soul Binder. Diviner. And the last one, marked April 1st: God Tamer.
It felt like the system itself was speaking to him without words. Take all of this. Use it to win.
The second day of the Academy Challenge Tournament had not officially begun when the activity plaza was already packed.
What had happened the day before had fermented overnight across the network, and the result was an unprecedented turnout. People had arrived early to hold viewing spots at the front of the crowd around the Fusion Academy stage. The tournament's energy that morning was nothing like any previous year.
Even the three academy principals had shown up in person to watch.
The Synchro Academy Principal, Leiden, was visibly the most excited of the three. The Fusion Academy Principal, Grapha, had the look of a man who had been regretting a specific decision for some time.
There had been a moment, back before the semester began, when Kaiba Chiaki had recommended to Grapha that Fusion Academy make whatever offer was necessary to recruit Amano Rei. Grapha had not acted on it. Looking at the rubble of his Silver Stage and the size of the crowd that had gathered to watch the Gold Stage challenger from Synchro Academy, the calculation was not improving with age.
On the Synchro side, Leiden had no such regrets. Every special accommodation and ranking point bonus that had been extended to Amano was looking like the best investment the academy had ever made. This was the man who was going to carry Synchro Summoning into the future.
"Over here, over here, Amano."
Finesse had used the Fusion Academy home-court advantage to claim front-row viewing positions for everyone early. Today's group included Shio and Yui, both of whom had come along specifically for this.
Shio was quieter than usual that morning, glancing down periodically at the pendant hanging at her chest. The small azure gemstone caught the light and pulsed faintly, not quite on any rhythm.
Yui noticed it immediately. Reading accessories came naturally to someone who ran a card shop.
"Shio, I kept meaning to ask. Did your brother buy you that pendant? Azure gemstones are rare in Eden. He really must be earning serious money now."
Shio smiled and shook her head. "My brother didn't get it. It was a going-away gift from a friend of mine. A farewell present."
"A friend gave you something that expensive?" Yui could not quite keep the surprise off her face. "There really are a lot of wealthy people in the mid-level district."
Amano looked around. "Chiha's not with you?"
The sisterly confrontation of the previous day had been cut short when Chiha fled the cafeteria, but it had left an impression.
According to Yui, catching up to her afterwards had not taken long, and cheering her up had been straightforward enough. And despite the display of anger, Yui had picked up something else underneath it. Chiha's feelings toward Kaiba Chiaki had never been as simple as hatred. The woman had been her most admired sister for most of her life. A new sister could share that space but could not erase it entirely.
Yui was not troubled by that. It was the healthier outcome.
"Chiha said she would find her own spot to watch," Yui said.
Amano nodded. That was expected. Chiha had broken the Bronze Stage specifically so this duel would happen. Watching it in person was the whole point. And whatever had passed between her and Chiaki, it would not interfere with a duel. If anything, the situation would make Chiaki want to prove something even more urgently.
At nine in the morning, the Eva system's tournament announcement opened the second day of competition.
Looking around at the crowd as the first challenger slot was about to be announced, Amano noticed nearly every student within range was leaning forward with the same expression. After everything yesterday, after the historic double-clearing of the Bronze and Silver Stages, the pull of trying to push through the Gold was overwhelming. Even knowing what Chiaki had done to the queue the previous afternoon was apparently not enough to discourage them.
Nobody wanted to be left out of the year their name might go into the history of the tournament.
Except perhaps Jinguuji Ryoushuu, who had already made it in and would have preferred a different entry.
Given the volume of registrations, Amano had genuinely expected to wait a significant amount of time before his name came up.
Then the Eva system spoke his name.
First challenger on Day 2. Fusion Academy Gold Stage. Challenger: Amano Rei.
The plaza erupted.
On the faculty viewing platform above, Principal Grapha flinched like something had bitten him. The timing was immediate, and the Eva system had apparently decided to make this the opening match of the day.
"Go get it, Amano."
"Give it everything, Brother."
"Win hard, Rei."
The energy from the crowd was almost physical. He felt himself being pushed toward the Gold Stage more than walking to it.
The Gold Stage.
Kaiba Chiaki stood on it in the Kaiba family's signature silver longcoat, the morning's brightest sunlight landing across her chestnut hair with a presence that commanded attention without asking for it.
"You kept the promise, Amano Rei. I won't break mine."
The promise from their first meeting: reach the Gold Stage of Fusion Academy. The agreement was not about winning or losing. The fact of the battle itself made it new history. And for creating that new history, Kaiba Chiaki had agreed to take him outside Eden Tower in search of what was buried in the ruins three thousand years old.
But none of that was the first concern right now. The first concern was the duel in front of them.
Both Duel Disks opened simultaneously.
"Begin."
"Kaiba."
"Amano."
Eva system: Duel approved.
Duelist: Amano Rei.
Duelist: Kaiba Chiaki.
Data network connected. Field generated.
Event: Academy Challenge Tournament.
Proud duelists, let the outcome of this battle serve as the scale that weighs your soul.
Duel.
No speeches. No preamble. Only the fluid, automatic motion of two people who treated dueling as a first language.
Kaiba Chiaki's Duel Disk lit up to indicate first turn.
"My turn. Draw."
Her blue-grey eyes swept her opening hand. Without any visible deliberation, she placed the card directly onto the Duel Disk.
"Equipment Spell: Future Fusion. Activated."
Future Fusion. Equipment Spell. Select 1 Fusion Monster from the Extra Deck and send the required Fusion Materials from the Deck to the Graveyard. Fusion Summon that monster equipped with this card. The Fusion Monster summoned by this effect cannot attack the turn it is summoned. If this card is destroyed, the equipped monster is also destroyed.
Anime effect.
Three souls of Blue-Eyes White Dragon launched from the Kaiba Corporation deck, roaring as they climbed and converged under the forward-reaching spiral light of Future Fusion.
"Three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Triple fusion."
"The three-fold Blue-Eyes blazing across the sky, transcending time in this very moment, merge into one."
"Shatter every dimension. Pierce through reality. Show me your ultimate form."
"Descend. Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon."
Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Level 12. LIGHT. Dragon. Fusion. Effect.
ATK 4500. DEF 3800.
The timeline-shattering dimensional space around it cracked as three massive heads howled in unison. The enormous luminous dragon body of Ultimate Dragon landed on Chiaki's field.
The anime version of Future Fusion summoned the Fusion Monster immediately. The only restriction was that the monster could not attack on the turn it arrived.
For a player going first, that restriction was essentially nothing.
"I set one card. Turn end."
From the stands, Shio's voice rose with complete confidence. "She opened with something matching Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's ATK. But if it's Brother, no problem."
The turn exchanged.
Amano's fingertips rested against the top of his deck.
"I'm counting on all of you."
"My turn. Draw."
The moment his opening card left the deck, he could have sworn he heard the spirits inside answering.
"Magic Fitting Room activated. I pay 800 Life Points. Reveal the top four cards of my Deck and Special Summon all Level 3 or lower Normal Monsters among them."
Amano LP: 4000 to 3200.
This was his signature opening. Even staring down 4500 ATK, not one card in his deck was going to back away.
The four revealed cards: Elemental HERO Neos Alius. Yuyu. Priestess Who Receives the Star Chalice. Gabrion the Timelord.
"By the effect, I Special Summon Yuyu and Priestess Who Receives the Star Chalice in Defense Position."
Yuyu. DEF: 100.
Priestess Who Receives the Star Chalice. DEF: 2100.
The two smallest, most ordinary members of the deck materialized under the shadow of Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and formed the defensive line in front of it.
"Then I set one monster face-down and set one card. Finally, I activate the Continuous Spell The Will of the Commoners. Turn end."
Amano's field was a picture of modesty. Set card. Set monster. Two visible defenders with ATK values that would embarrass most decks.
At the entrance exam, anyone watching this would have called his monsters garbage.
Nobody in today's crowd was calling them that.
Whatever names they had once been called, these vanilla monsters had been carried to the strongest stage in the tournament. The partnership between Amano and the cards nobody wanted had earned its place here. There was nothing left to question.
Chiaki's turn. She drew her card, gave it one look, and acted.
No hesitation. No pause for thinking.
She simply raised her arm.
"Completely destroy the ordinary monsters on that field. Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon."
"Ultimate Burst."
All three of Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's heads fired simultaneously. The combined white energy beam swallowed Yuyu in an instant.
Yuyu: destroyed.
"Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's effect."
When Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon exists in the user's Extra Deck, once per duel, this card may attack three times. At the End Phase of the Battle Phase in which this effect is used, this card is destroyed.
Chiaki reached into the Extra Deck zone and pulled out the original Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, holding it forward for the arena to see. The second beam of white light gathered.
"Ultimate Burst, second volley."
Priestess Who Receives the Star Chalice: destroyed.
Eve: "Ow."
"Ultimate Burst, third volley."
Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's three-hit payload rolled through every corner of Amano's field and shook the Gold Stage platform with the force of it. When the light cleared, the entire visible board had been wiped.
The Neo Blue-Eyes self-destruct trigger was now set. Three attacks used. End of the Battle Phase would destroy the card.
But Chiaki had not left herself unprepared for that. There would have been no reason to open with a 4500 ATK monster that clears itself if she did not have the answer in her back row.
Future Fusion into De-Fusion off the opening hand. The Kaiba family's tradition of adhesive combo sequences was running as strong as ever.
She reached for the set card.
"Quick-Play Spell. De-Fusion, acti"
She stopped mid-word.
The activation would not go through.
"Your turn comes after mine."
Amano's voice was calm from across the field. He pulled a card from the Graveyard zone and sent it directly across the stage into Chiaki's hands.
"I'm summoning this to your field. Go. Ivaliss, Phantom Rupture."
The face-down monster Amano had set in his first turn was not a third ordinary vanilla card. It had appeared to be. Three flat monsters making up a defensive row against a 4500 ATK boss. That had been the picture.
In reality, two of the three had been ordinary vanilla monsters. The third had not.
Ivaliss, from somewhere in Amano's Graveyard zone, spoke up: "Do not put me in the same category as those two effectless vanilla cards."
Ivaliss, Phantom Rupture. ATK 0. DEF 0. Effect.
When this card is sent to the Graveyard from your own field, activate this effect: Special Summon this card to the opponent's field in Defense Position.
During the Damage Step, Quick-Play Spells like De-Fusion could not be activated. But a monster effect triggered by being sent to the Graveyard was a different category entirely. Ivaliss had activated the moment Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's third attack sent her from Amano's field to his Graveyard zone.
She was now on Chiaki's field.
And while Ivaliss occupied a Monster Zone:
The controller of this card cannot Special Summon monsters that are not Link Monsters.
De-Fusion's resolution required Special Summoning three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Blue-Eyes White Dragon was not a Link Monster. With Ivaliss on her field, the Special Summon was blocked. De-Fusion could not resolve. It could not even activate.
The Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon that had dominated the field since the very first turn of the duel cracked, strained, and shattered under its own self-destruct condition.
Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon: destroyed.
On Chiaki's field: Ivaliss, Phantom Rupture. ATK 0. DEF 0. Blocking every non-Link Special Summon she could attempt.
Ivaliss tilted her dark-haired head and let out the smile of someone who had been waiting for exactly this.
"Single kill. Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon."
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