Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"What a troublesome fellow. Fine, I'll revive the White Dragon's tribute—[Emperor Seahorse]." Seahorse glared at [XYZ], which had returned to the field. After Hayato draws a card next turn, [XYZ] will have its ammunition replenished. Although [Blue-Eyes] won't be destroyed because of [Dragon Shield Armor]'s effect, [Dragon Shield Armor] itself will most likely be destroyed.

[Emperor Seahorse][4 stars/Light]

[Sea Dragon Clan/Effect]

[1700/1650]

"End of round."

[Seahorse: 1800LP, 1 cards in hand]

Blue-Eyes White Dragon (Dragon Shield Armor) [ATK3000]

【Imperial Seahorse】【DEF1650】

"My turn, draw a card." Hayato glanced at the card he drew, activated it, and said, "Activate [Nightmare Mirage], then end my turn."

[Hayato: 2800LP, 0 cards in hand]

【XYZ-Dragon Cannon】【DEF2600】

[Nightmare of the Mirage Tower] [Frontline Base]

"Then during your turn's preparation phase, I activate the effect of [Nightmare Mirage], which allows me to draw up to 4 cards."

As Hayato replenished his hand to four cards, Kaiba snorted, "Hmph, but because of the effect of [Nightmare Mirage], you also have to discard the number of cards you draw during your Standby Phase."

"Don't worry about that, Seto." Hayato glanced at the card he had drawn and regained his confidence. As long as he could survive until the next turn, he would have a chance to turn the tide.

"My turn!" Kaiba drew a card from the top of his deck, paused slightly when he saw the card, then burst into laughter: "Hmph, hehe, hahahahaha! Hayato Kobayashi! Be proud of your strength, because your desperate struggle has earned you the opportunity to meet an even stronger being!"

"I offer my Emperor Seahorse as a sacrifice, and my second form, Blue-Eyes, descends!!!"

The strongest dragon of the second body appeared on the field. As a Level 8 monster, the pressure brought by [Blue-Eyes] completely exceeded that of [XYZ] on Hayato's field, not to mention that there were two [Blue-Eyes] monsters.

"Your empty back row can no longer save your life. Drink the bitter pill of defeat! [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] attacks [XYZ-Dragon Cannon]!"

The newly arrived [Blue Eyes] opened its massive maw, and white light gathered within it, about to erupt as a destructive torrent.

"I won't let you do that! Activate the effect of [Rainbow Kuriboh] in my hand!" Hayato interrupted Kaiba's attack declaration. "When your monster declares an attack, I can equip it as an Equip Card to that monster. The [Blue-Eyes] monster equipped with [Rainbow Kuriboh] will lose its ability to attack!"

"But there are two Blue-Eyes!" Kaiba said unhappily, watching his newly summoned Blue-Eyes monster get bound by Rainbow Kuriboh's seven-colored band of light before it could even defeat a single monster. "Although one Blue-Eyes' attack was interrupted by your weak monster, the other Blue-Eyes hasn't even launched an attack yet!"

"Destructive Explosive Gale Bullet!"

【XYZ-Dragon Cannon】was once again annihilated by the powerful attack of 【Blue-Eyes White Dragon】, sending the 【XYZ】 card to the graveyard. Hayato breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally survived this turn.

If you hadn't drawn Rainbow Kuriboh from Nightmare Mirage, Blue-Eyes' double attack would have been enough to wipe out XYZ and empty your own HP in the process.

"My turn is over." Kaiba looked at the empty field now occupied by Hayato and couldn't help but show a smug expression. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon is the most powerful of all Duel Monsters. Even if one of its forms is restrained, I can still use the other one to crush everything in my way."

"Whether it's you or the game!"

[Seahorse: 1800LP, 1 cards in hand]

Blue-Eyes White Dragon (Dragon Shield Armor) [ATK3000]

【Blue-Eyes White Dragon】(Rainbow Kuriboh)【ATK3000】

"Shouldn't you feel honored for this, Seth?" Hayato looked at Kaiba, who had become serious. "That arrogant Kaiba Group executive has placed me on the same level as a game?"

"Don't be so arrogant, you mere second-rate duelist." Kaiba said coldly, "You, who couldn't even defeat my Blue-Eyes White Dragon, how can you compare to Yugi, who wields Exodia!"

"Heh, then I'll try to defeat [Blue-Eyes]. My turn!" Hayato activated a spell card from his hand, "[Extraordinary Food]! Send my [Nightmare Mirage] to the Graveyard and restore 1000 Life Points!"

[Hayato: 2800LP → 3800LP]

"You avoided the cost of discarding your hand and even restored your base score? Hmph, a mere 3800 base score is as fragile as a candle in the wind before my Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

Hayato ignored Kaiba's buff and instead drew a card from his deck: "Looks like my journey isn't over yet. Activate the Spell Card, 'Dimensional Fusion'! Pay me 2000 LP, and both of you can summon as many banished monsters as possible to your respective fields!"

[Hayato: 3800LP → 1800LP]

"Return to the battlefield, [X], [Y], [Z]!"

【X-Leader Cannon】【ATK1800】

【Y-Dragon Head】【ATK1500】

【Z-Metal Tracks】【ATK1500】

Chapter 97 Resilient, Invincible, Strongest!

“I didn’t banish any monsters, so there’s no need to summon.” Kaiba said, looking at Hayato’s [X][Y][Z] on the field. “The three-body monsters have all returned to the field? So what? [XYZ] are still sleeping in your graveyard. Even if the three-body monsters combine, you can’t activate their Annihilation Mode to destroy my [Blue Eyes]!”

"But when did I ever say I summoned [XYZ]?" Hayato smiled mysteriously and played a card from his hand. "The spell card I'm going to use comes from a duelist who was once defeated by me and is even dead!"

"Equip Magic Cards, [7 Cards]!"

As the number "7" appeared on Hayato's field, the [X-Boss Cannon] seemed to receive a mysterious blessing. Then, the [Y-Dragon Head] and [Z-Metal Tracks] disintegrated and were equipped on it.

"I remember, [7-card] is a Spell Card that can only be equipped to Machine-Type monsters. It can increase a monster's ATK or DEF by 700 points at once." Kaiba's pupils contracted slightly. "The ATK of [X-Boss Cannon]!"

"That's right. With the support of the triple power, although it doesn't have the ability to use cards in its hand as ammunition to destroy cards as it does in its combined form, the current [X-Boss Cannon] has a full 3500 attack power!"

【X-Leader Cannon】【ATK1800→2500→2900→3500】

"Strongest dragon, witness my struggle for victory! [X-Boss Cannon], attack [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]! Evolution Flame!"

Facing the white dragon that had once destroyed it, the X-Boss Cannon's monitors emitted a cold red light as its weapon system locked onto it, followed by maximum power output. The white laser beam dissipated, and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which had been swaggering across the sea, was finally defeated head-on for the first time.

[Haima: 1800LP → 1300LP]

Hayato glanced at his field. [X-Boss Cannon]'s attack power had been boosted to 3500 points, but the cost was that its existence depended on the three cards in his back row. Adding to this the previously used [Frontline Base] and [Resurrection Spirit], Hayato's five back row positions were now completely filled.

"Summon a monster from my hand face down in Defense Position, and my turn ends."

[Hayato: 1800LP, 0 cards in hand]

【X-Leader Cannon】【ATK3500】

[Inside-side defense position monster]

[Frontline Base] [Resurrected Soul]

"My turn, draw a card!" Kaiba drew a card, but did not play it immediately. Instead, he looked at Hayato and said, "Kobayashi Hayato, I thought you were just a weakling, but you have such strength. I admit, I underestimated you."

"In response to your wholehearted dedication to the duel, I will defeat you with my strongest monster! Then I will activate the Spell Card, [Life-Slaying Treasure Card]!" After activating the Spell Card, Kaiba drew four cards from his deck in one go. "The effect of this card is that I can add up to five cards in my hand, but after five turns after activation, I must discard all the cards in my hand."

'What's the difference between having those side effects and not having them at all?' Hayato thought to himself.

But the seahorse's actions have only just begun.

"First, I activate 'Over-the-Top Burial' from my hand, discarding a monster from my hand and then reviving a monster with a lower Level than it from the Graveyard. And the monster I'm discarding is 'Blue-Eyes' from my hand!" Under Hayato's questioning gaze, Kaiba actually sent 'Blue-Eyes' to the Graveyard. "Rise, 'Emperor Kaiba'!"

【Imperial Seahorse】【DEF1650】

"It's not over yet! Then there's this card, [Price of Horsebone]. I'll release [Blue-Eyes] on the field and draw two more cards from my deck!" Kaiba's confusing behavior didn't stop there. The [Blue-Eyes] that was standing firm on the field was sent to the graveyard by him, and in its place was the only [Emperor Kaiba] in defense position.

"You actually sent all the Blue-Eyes to the graveyard, what are you trying to do, Kaiba?"

"Hmph, Hayato, celebrate the evolution of the strongest dragon! Celebrate the moment you witness an invincible being! This was originally my trump card for Yugi, but I'm releasing it early for you!" Kaiba said, playing a card. "Activate Spell Card, [Dragon Mirror]!"

"What?!" Hayato exclaimed in surprise. He recognized this card; he owned it and had even used it before. It was a Fusion Summon of a Dragon-Type monster from the Graveyard, and Kaiba's only Dragon-Type monster in his Graveyard was—

"I hereby remove the three-body Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my graveyard from the game," Kaiba declared, his voice like that of a supreme emperor. A violent hurricane appeared on Kaiba's field, as if the heavens and earth trembled for the monster about to appear. The immense pressure made it difficult for Hayato to breathe. "The strongest and most ultimate dragon in history, manifest!"

"Blue-Ace-Arutimeto-Doragon!!!"

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon [10☆/Light]

[Dragon/Fusion]

[4500/3800]

Kaiba has three cards left in his hand, and he hasn't Normal Summoned yet this turn. However, there's no need to summon any more, because Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon is the strongest Fusion Monster Kaiba can summon. As long as he has this card, he can sweep everything away.

"Perfect! Invincible! Strongest!" Accompanied by the seahorse's unique voice, the three-headed white dragon opened its mouth, and a white torrent began to gather. Its outstretched wings seemed to envelop the entire world in its shadow. "The strongest power that surpasses everything, destroy everything before you! Destructive jet of white light, ultimate explosion!"

The triple breath of light swept over, the dazzling light overwhelming all other colors in his vision, making it impossible for Hayato to see anything clearly. When the light dissipated slightly, the Y-Dragon Head beneath the X-Boss Cannon on Hayato's field had disappeared. "As a replacement for the destruction of X, the Y-Dragon Head was sent to the graveyard."

"Hmph, a futile struggle. Your life will still be damaged." The seahorse sneered.

[Hayato: 1800LP → 800LP]

"I'll set one card to my hand, and my turn ends." Riding his strongest white dragon, Kaiba was now brimming with confidence in the outcome of this duel. "Victory is in my hands. Begin your final turn, Kobayashi Hayato!"

[Seahorse: 1300LP, 2 cards in hand]

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon [ATK4500]

【GaiKa】

"Don't be so sure of yourself, Kaiba. Although I'd like to say this, the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon... tsk, undoubtedly a formidable foe." Hayato looked at the three-headed dragon swaggering before him. Its noble 12 stars not only gave it a magnificent physique, but its oppressive aura was even comparable to that of a god.

"My turn, draw a card."

"I activate the Spell Card 'Magic Flowerpot' to send 'Resurrected Soul' to the Graveyard, and draw two cards from my Deck." After drawing two cards, Hayato activates the Spell Card again, "'Pot of Greed', draw two more cards!"

With three cards in his hand, Hayato's eyes lit up. He looked at Kaiba and said, "Set, you say victory is already in your grasp? But I've also found my own path to victory!"

Chapter 98 Interrupted

"Activate the Spell Card: [Monster Resurrection]!"

As a fairly useful card, Hayato naturally has [Monster Resurrection] in his collection. Anka's symbol appears on Hayato's field, and [XYZ], which has repeatedly jumped between the graveyard and the field, returns to the field.

"You think you can destroy Blue-Eyes with the annihilation mode of [XYZ] after it lost [Dragon Shield Armor]? Don't even think about it!" Before Hayato could activate the effect of [XYZ], Kaiba hurriedly opened his face-down card, "[Forbidden Cloth]! My Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's ATK is reduced by 600 points. It cannot be destroyed by effects, nor can it be targeted by effects!"

"In other words, your [XYZ] effect is ineffective against my [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]. Even if you use a card like [Black Hole], you cannot destroy my invincible [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]!"

[Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] [ATK4500→3900]

"Tsk." Hayato had prepared follow-up measures, but he was still a little annoyed that he couldn't solve the problem that could be solved with [XYZ]. "Then I'll activate the effect of [Frontline Base] on the field and Special Summon [W-Ejector Wing] from my hand! Then flip the face-down monsters on my field!"

A blue catapult-shaped wing appeared on the field, and the monster Hayato summoned last turn in face-down Defense Position also revealed its true form. It was [V-Jet Tiger]. "VW two monsters merge into one! [VW-Strike Tiger]!"

"I hacked into the data center of the Duel Kingdom's dueling ring, right? That monster has the ability to change monster battle positions, right?" Kaiba suddenly said. "But no matter how you change the state of Blue Eyes, even in defense position, you can't break through it!"

“Then I’ll show you how to break through. Since you’ve hacked into the data center, you should know how I won the duel using this monster, right?” Hayato said, summoning again, “[VW] and [XYZ] monsters combine again, accelerating beyond the limit!”

"This is my glory as a duelist, my Tamashi! [VWXYZ-Dragon Strike Cannon]!"

Faced with the invincible ultimate dragon, the weak machines, with fearless hearts, combined, connected, and evolved, and [VtoZ], whose attack power reached the same level as Blue-Eyes, appeared on Hayato's field.