Seto Kaiba

"Duel!" x2

Kaiba, LP 4000

Fujimoto, LP 4000

"I'll go first. My turn, draw!"

Kaiba drew a card, then calmly revealed one from his hand and discarded it to the Graveyard.

"I activate the effect of 'Thunder Dragon' in my hand!

By discarding this card to the Graveyard, I can add up to two 'Thunder Dragons' from my Deck to my hand!"

After the card was discarded, the Duel Disk automatically searched the Deck, and two cards popped out with a click. Kaiba took them into his hand.

"I add two 'Thunder Dragons' to my hand."

That simple first move already made Kira a little envious. Even in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX era, Deck searches still required duelists to pull out their Decks and manually look through them, then shuffle afterward. It was especially slow and inconvenient for Decks that needed frequent searches. It wasn't until the 5D's Era that Duel Disks gained fully automated searching and shuffling functions.

As expected of President Kaiba—everything on him was cutting-edge high-end equipment. The moment Kira saw that Duel Disk, he instinctively began wondering how he could get one for himself.

"I place one monster in the Monster Zone and set three cards in the back row," Kaiba said calmly. "End Turn."

"Heh, so this is the legendary Seto Kaiba's duel? Looks like nothing more than this to me."

Fujimoto tried to calm his nerves, but his mouth was still as stubborn as ever.

Heads could be chopped off and blood could be spilled, but one's mouth had to stay tough. Duelists often fought on momentum. No matter what, they could not lose in presence.

It sounded mystical, but plenty of people had found it true in actual duels. Dueling was strange like that. Sometimes, if the person lost their nerve, their cards did too. Once their momentum broke and their mindset collapsed, the Deck started bricking along with them. They had already lost half the battle before it even began.

"My Turn, draw!"

After glancing over his opening hand, Fujimoto immediately felt his back straighten.

He had never had such a wonderful opening hand!

This hand had potential!

"I activate the Spell Card 'Graceful Charity' from my hand. Draw three cards from my Deck, then discard two cards."

After cycling through his hand, a cruel smile appeared on his face as he glanced at Kaiba's seemingly unremarkable Set Card monster. "Heh, it seems President Kaiba doesn't think much of me. Unfortunately, even if you decide to get serious now, it's already too late!

I summon from my hand—

—Level 8, Terrifying Emperor - Firstborn Demon!"

A huge jet-black demon erupted amid blood-red flames. Its greatsword swept through the air, unleashing a transparent blade aura.

"Ooh, a Level 8 monster right off the bat." Mokuba chuckled from the side, adding to the atmosphere. "That's some pretty good presence."

"Terrifying Emperor - Firstborn Demon's effect: although this card is Level 8, I can summon it without a Tribute," Fujimoto said. "However, Firstborn Demon summoned by this effect has its original ATK halved, and it is destroyed during the End Phase."

Terrifying Emperor - Firstborn Demon, ATK 3000 → ATK 1500

"What? Then it's just a paper tiger." Mokuba laughed.

"Heh, not necessarily."

Fujimoto smiled. Taking the chance to look stylish, he pulled another card from his hand.

"First, I activate the effect of 'Terrifying Emperor - Firstborn Demon.' Once Per Turn, I can banish one 'Demon' card from my hand or Graveyard to destroy one card on the field.

Therefore, I banish 'Archfiend Soldier' from my Graveyard and destroy the card on the left side of your back row!"

Kaiba remained calm, arms folded. The Set Card in his back row flipped up and shattered with a snap.

"You just destroyed the Trap Card 'Statue of the Wicked,'" Kaiba said flatly. "When this card is destroyed and Sent to Graveyard, I Special Summon one 'Wicked God Token' to my field."

A golden statue of an evil god appeared on Kaiba's field like a wall blocking the way.

Wicked God Token, DEF 1000

"Tch, it just had to be Statue of the Wicked."

Fujimoto frowned. Frustrated by his bad luck, he continued his play.

"Then I activate the Spell Card 'Double Summon' from my hand, allowing me to conduct two Normal Summons this turn.

Therefore, I Tribute the Firstborn Demon on my field for a Tribute Summon!

The sovereign of darkness, the king within chaos—

—Level six, Great Beast - Gazelle, summon!"

Great Beast - Gazelle, ATK 0

"Great Beast - Gazelle's effect: its ATK becomes double the original ATK of the monster Tributed for its summon.

When this effect resolves, the Tributed 'Terrifying Emperor - Firstborn Demon' is already in the Graveyard, so its original ATK is treated as its original 3000.

Therefore, Gazelle's ATK becomes—"

Great Beast - Gazelle, ATK 0 → ATK 6000

"Six thousand!" Fujimoto laughed loudly. "In an instant, it has reached twice the ATK of Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Kaiba's mouth curled faintly. "Hmph. This is finally a little less boring."

"What?"

His rare, triumphant opening had received no recognition at all, and Fujimoto could not help feeling anger rise in his chest.

"As expected of President Kaiba. Your standards are certainly different. But I'm not done yet." Fujimoto's voice sank. "Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell 'Deal with Dark Ruler' from my hand!

This card can only be activated during a turn when a Level 8 monster has been Sent to Graveyard from my field.

This turn, my Level 8 'Terrifying Emperor - Firstborn Demon' was sent to the Graveyard as a Tribute. Therefore, I can Special Summon this card from my Deck!"

He spread open his Deck and pulled out the card he had chosen.

"Entwined within raging flames and the shadow of death—

—Level 8, Rampaging Death Dragon, summon!"

Rampaging Death Dragon, ATK 3500

"It's actually Rampaging Death Dragon!" Mokuba exclaimed.

It was not because the monster was especially powerful, but because it had been one of the ace monsters used by the Big Five, the villains expelled from KaibaCorp back in the day.

"Ooh, it's this guy." Kaiba snorted. "That brings back memories."

"Next, I activate the Spell Card 'Shield Crash' from my hand. I can target and destroy one monster in Defense Position on the field!"

The Spell Card appeared, and Fujimoto pointed toward Kaiba's field.

"I destroy that Set Monster Card on your field!"

A beam of magical light shot from the card straight toward Kaiba's field. However, just as the Set Monster was about to be hit, a mass of black mist suddenly burst forth and formed a vortex, instantly swallowing the beam.

"What?" Fujimoto was startled.

"Trap Card 'Dark Sacrifice,'" Kaiba said coolly. "When an opponent activates a Spell, Trap, or Monster Effect that would destroy a card on the field, I negate that effect."

The black mist swallowed the magical blast fired by Shield Crash, and the Spell's hologram at Fujimoto's side faded away.

"Tch, it got stopped again." Fujimoto frowned.

"Furthermore, after negating it, I can send one DARK Attribute Monster of Three Stars or lower from my Deck to the Graveyard."

Another card was automatically searched from Kaiba's Duel Disk, popped out, and was Sent to Graveyard.

Fujimoto gritted his teeth. "Then I activate the Spell Card 'Spellbook of the Buried' from my hand!

By banishing three Spell Cards in my Graveyard, I can draw two cards from my Deck!" (Anime Card)

Three green cards popped out from his Graveyard.

"I banish 'Double Summon,' 'Deal with Dark Ruler,' and 'Shield Crash,' then draw two cards!"

Fujimoto drew from his Deck.

"Battle Phase! First, 'Rampaging Death Dragon,' attack the Set Monster!"

Rampaging Death Dragon opened its decayed mouth and spewed out a vortex of filthy energy. Kaiba's Set Monster was immediately destroyed by the overwhelming impact.

"Hmph, the monster you destroyed was 'Swift Squirrel.'"

Kaiba sneered as another two cards were automatically searched from his Deck.

"When 'Swift Squirrel' is destroyed by battle and Sent to Graveyard, I recover 1000 LP. In addition, I can Special Summon any number of 'Swift Squirrels' from my Deck in Face-down Defense Position.

Therefore, I Special Summon the other two 'Swift Squirrels.'"

Kaiba, LP 4000 → LP 5000

At the same time, two more Set Monsters appeared on his field one after another.

Fujimoto: "..."

Not only were there more and more monsters to attack through, but Kaiba's LP kept increasing too.

But Fujimoto had a countermeasure for that as well.

"No matter how many trash walls you put up, it won't matter!" Fujimoto shouted. "The Special Effect of 'Rampaging Death Dragon'!

This card can attack every monster your opponent controls once. Therefore, the attack continues! 'Rampaging Death Dragon,' attack 'Statue of the Wicked'!"

He would use Death Dragon's effect to clear the field in one go, then Great Beast's 6000 ATK attack would end the duel all at once.

He could OTK the legendary Seto Kaiba!

Boom!

Death Dragon's breath descended in a tremendous bombardment, and a black storm swept across the field.

Yet when the smoke cleared, Statue of the Wicked remained completely unharmed. Kaiba still stood in the same calm pose, with only a corner of his coat fluttering lightly in the storm.

"Counter Trap 'Waboku.' Negate the opponent's monster attack and forcibly end the Battle Phase."

After a pause, he gave a mocking little laugh.

"Hmph. You have worked hard enough for a rat, but it seems this is all you amount to."

"Tch..."

Fujimoto clenched his teeth, but there was nothing he could do.

"Then I set two cards on the field. End Turn."