What Kind of Fate Is This?

Ganmaru looked at the Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch he had just drawn into hand, not yet summoned, not even warmed in his palm, then at the Life Points display on his Duel Disk. For a moment, he was utterly lost.

This might have been the most bewildering moment a duelist could ever experience.

He still had cards. He still had Life Points. But he himself was gone.

But this shouldn't have happened.

Where was his Power of the Four Monarchs? Hadn't they said that once he obtained the power of the Four Monarchs, his future would be unstoppable?

Hadn't they said that after receiving the baptism of light, he would walk the correct path of fate?

Then was losing here today, getting instantly defeated by a combination of Black Scorpions comedians and Jackpot Pot, also his fate?

"No, I don't understand."

Ganmaru dropped to his knees and stared blankly at his hands.

"My fate... why is mine like this?"

"I feel like I said this not too long ago, but..."

Kira stepped forward.

"When you leave victory and defeat to fate, you've already lost."

"This duel may have looked like it was between you and me, but I could sense that the true opponent was someone else. That wasn't your power. Even the direction of the duel wasn't truly guided by your will.

You only looked like you were holding the steering wheel. In reality, from the moment you got into the driver's seat, the car had been on autopilot."

Ganmaru was speechless for a moment.

"A true duelist forges his own fate. A duelist who has lacked even the will to fight for himself from the moment he stepped onto the field is, in the end, only capable of just this much."

Ganmaru: "..."

Well, it sounded pretty reasonable.