"Battle! Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius. Burst Stream of Destruction!"
Blue-Eyes White Dragon opened its jaws and gathered a storm of energy before unleashing a scorching blast of light, obliterating the three-headed demon hound in an instant.
[Jack, LP: 4000 → 3400]
"At this moment, Blue Sirius's effect activates! When it's destroyed, I can reduce one monster's Attack Points!"
A spectral wolf emerged from a dark pit and bit into Blue-Eyes's body.
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon, ATK: 3000 → 600]
"Roaaaar..."
"Reduced Blue-Eyes's Attack, huh?" Kaiba glanced at the wolf mark now etched on Blue-Eyes, which was still flying beside him on the track, and smiled lightly. "I set one card and end my turn."
Vroom.
Both riders sped past a rescue squad stationed along the track. Kaiba glanced sideways and spotted Angmar still shouting and demanding a rematch with Jack. He scoffed.
'Pathetic Duelist.'
"My turn!" Jack drew with a snap. His breathing hitched slightly, but he was exhilarated.
"I activate my Trap, Descending Lost Star! This card lets me Special Summon one Synchro Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position with its Level reduced by 1 and DEF set to 0. Its effects are negated, and it can't change battle positions. I revive Blue Sirius."
[Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius, DEF: 1500 → 0, Level: 6 → 5]
"Normal Summon Level 3 Tuner Monster, Dark Resonator.
I tune Level 3 Dark Resonator with Level 5 Blue Sirius.
Behold the king's wrath. Witness the power that shakes heaven and earth.
Synchro Summon!
My soul!
Red Dragon Archfiend!"
Jack clenched his right hand into a fist and slammed it against his chest. Flames seemed to erupt from his body. From the inferno emerged a new, slightly different demonic dragon, similar to Hot Red Dragon Archfiend.
[Red Dragon Archfiend] Level 8│DARK│Dragon│3000 ATK
"There it is. Jack's true ace, the symbol of his soul. Red Dragon Archfiend!"
"Oh? A DARK Dragon-Type with 3000 Attack?"
Kaiba stared down the monster without a hint of fear. "Very well. Bring it on."
"I activate the Spell Card, Monster Reborn, to revive Blue Sirius from the Graveyard."
Jack, sweating, stared at Kaiba's composed expression as he activated another Spell Card.
"Ohhh! That's our Jack! If this attack lands, it'll deal 4800 damage. This could be our KING's victory!" the MC shouted, and the audience roared in kind.
But... would it really be that easy?
"Battle! Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Blue-Eyes White Dragon!
Overwhelming Force!"
Red Dragon Archfiend roared and struck Blue-Eyes with a mighty claw, shattering it.
[Seto Kaiba, LP: 4000 → 1600]
Kaiba lost a Speed Counter and his D-Wheel slowed down.
"Next, Blue Sirius attacks directly!"
"Naive!" Kaiba countered with a shout. "I activate my face-down, Counter Gate!
When my opponent declares a direct attack, negate the attack and draw 1 card. If it's a monster, I can Normal Summon it in face-up Attack Position. Back off, mutt."
As the three jaws of Blue Sirius were about to clamp down, they halted mid-air. Simultaneously, Kaiba drew a card.
He didn't even look at it. He flipped it around and revealed it.
"Of course I drew Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
"Tch." Jack's expression tightened, and he called off the attack.
"End turn," he followed up. "At the end of the turn, Red Dragon Archfiend's effect activates. It destroys all other monsters on my field that didn't declare an attack. But Blue Sirius attacked, so it's safe."
"Overwhelming Force, is it? Heh..." Kaiba drew a card.
His hand was still full.
"I reveal a Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand to Special Summon my new servant. Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!"
A silver-white dragon, leaner and sharper than Blue-Eyes White Dragon, materialized on the field.
[Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon] Level 8│LIGHT│Dragon│3000 ATK
"What?! A 3000 ATK monster summoned without Tribute or Tuning?!" the MC shouted.
"This card can be Special Summoned by revealing Blue-Eyes White Dragon in your hand. While it's on the field or in the Graveyard, it counts as Blue-Eyes White Dragon."
"Ngh…" Jack felt the dragon's pressure pressing down on him, his breath ragged. "No matter, its Attack is the same."
"You think matching Blue-Eyes in Attack is enough? Foolish. I activate the Spell, Burst Stream of Destruction.
A Spell with the same name as Blue-Eyes White Dragon's attack?!" a spectator exclaimed.
"If I control Blue-Eyes White Dragon, destroy all monsters my opponent controls!"
"What?!" the MC gasped. "What a brutal effect!"
"Not that simple," Jack countered, flipping a Trap Card. "I activate Starlight Road!"
"Huh?" Kaiba blinked.
"When a card effect would destroy 2 or more cards I control, I negate and destroy that card, then Special Summon Stardust Dragon from my Extra Deck."
With a haunting cry, a strange, alien-feeling dragon soared from the sky and blocked the incoming blast.
[Stardust Dragon] Level 8│WIND│Dragon│2500 ATK
The radiant dragon spread its wings wide, scattering stardust across the track.
"That monster?" Kaiba frowned at the card.
"Starlight Road..." Yugo squinted at the screen. "Isn't that Yusei's card?"
"Jack..." Rin murmured, sensing something.
Jack let out a long breath.
The activation of that card saved him from Blue-Eyes's destruction, and Stardust Dragon now offered protection.
"Wretched!"
Suddenly, Kaiba's tone shifted sharply. He stood atop his D-Wheel and pointed at Jack.
"Pathetic! You use that card to Duel me?"
"What?!" Jack reeled.
"Foolish! Utterly disappointing! That I let Blue-Eyes fight against someone like you! You're worse than a second-year student who only uses Fusion!"
Hearing this, every Duelist from this world simultaneously turned to look at Hikaru.
Hikaru, who had planned to slack off today, blinked in confusion.
'What?'
Even so, deep down, he understood, as did everyone present. If Seto Kaiba had singled someone out by name, it meant one thing. He had noticed them.
And recognized them.
"What did you say?!" Jack roared.
"You're afraid, aren't you? Not of Blue-Eyes, but of failure!
That's not a card you would ever use!"
...
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