Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"Imprint the form of the strongest evolved dragon in your mind, and forever be consumed by its fear!" Kaiba shouted, holding up a card.

"Neo-Blue-Ace-Arutimet-Doragon!"

[True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] [ATK4500]

"Not only the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, but even the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, which is a fusion and evolution of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!?" Jaden looked at the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, a legendary Duel Monster that had only been used by the legendary duelist Seto Kaiba, and could hardly contain his surprise and doubt as he stared at it on Kaiba's field.

However, he was not afraid: "It is true that the attack power of the [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] is as high as 4500 points. However, my hero is not someone who can be deterred by that level of attack power."

"After entering my battle phase, I can activate the power of [Beloved Hero] to activate the Field Spell Card [Skyscraper] from my deck, which will increase the ATK of my [E·Hero Sunrise] by 1200 points, bringing its ATK to 4400 points."

"Then, [Skyscraper] can also increase the attack power of my [E·Hero] monster by an additional 1000 points when it attacks a monster with higher attack power!"

"Hmph? Not a bad plan. So, your plan after defeating [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] isn't to use [Beloved Hero]'s monster-destroying follow-up attack to deliver the final blow to me, is it?"

With his arms crossed, Kaiba sneered mockingly, "Playing at this level with that fourth-rate deck, you can barely be called a third-rate duelist."

"However, the power of Blue-Eyes is something a third-rate duelist like you with a fourth-rate deck can't achieve through sheer effort! The combined power of Blue-Eyes will unleash an invincible force that obliterates everything!"

"The effect of [Gathering Power] is activated!"

After Kaiba activated the skill in the previous turn, "Gathering Power" existed in his back row but had not been activated. However, during Jaden's turn, Kaiba performed a second-speed Fusion Summon, and "Gathering Power" suddenly took effect, empowering his "True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon".

Normally, the most information we hear is about cards like Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Knowing about True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon is already considered being well-informed. However, cards like Gathering Power, which are completely unrelated to Blue-Eyes White Dragon based solely on their names without seeing the card art, fall into Jaden's and others' blind spots.

Not to mention Judai, even top students like Manjoume and Misawa, as well as Maeda who likes to learn about card information, didn't know what this card was, let alone Marufuji Sho, whose grades were even worse than Judai's.

"【Gathering Power】is a card specifically designed to support 【Dark Magician】 and 【Blue-Eyes White Dragon】. Once per turn, if a Fusion/Ritual Summon is successfully performed using 【Dark Magician】 or 【Blue-Eyes White Dragon】, you can target one card on your opponent's field and banish it."

After saying that, "Nine of Bamboo" saw that Wan Zhangmu and the others were looking at him with eyes that said, "How did you know that again?"

The Kaiba on the field ignored "Nine of Bamboo" explaining the card's effect for him and said with a sneer, "That's right. Even though it's a fusion done in the graveyard, I successfully used [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] to fuse it. With the effect of [Gathering Power], I can selectively banish one of your cards."

"【Beloved Hero】 can grant 【E·hero Sunrise】 resistance to becoming the target of your opponent's card effects, but only if there is a card in your field zone. And right now, before your battle phase has begun, your 【Beloved Hero】 hasn't had a chance to place the card in your field zone."

Pointing to Jaden's only monster on the field, [E. Hero Sunrise], Kaiba said, "The one I'm banishing is that [E. Hero Sunrise] that you pinned your hopes on, the one you wanted to use to defeat me in one turn!"

"In the end, it was nothing but a mimicry of brilliance; how could it compare to the scorching heat of the real sun that I have ever seen? Let it be crushed into dust!"

The power of the [Gathering Power] poured into [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] was exhaled by it, and the three beams of light locked onto [E·hero Sunrise] and were then released, transforming into a torrent of light that engulfed everything.

In an instant, the [E·hero Sunrise Knight] that Jaden had painstakingly summoned again followed in the footsteps of the previous [Heroes], and was even banished without even entering the graveyard. Along with it, Jaden's [Beloved Hero], which he had specially retrieved using the [Weapon Cave], was also sent to the graveyard.

After a round of effort, Jaden had only two cards left in his hand, and he had only managed to probe two face-down cards on Kaiba's back field. There was still one mysterious face-down card that had not been probed. Furthermore, the monsters on Kaiba's field had changed from the initial "Abyss Blue-Eyes Dragon" and "Blue-Eyes Girl" to the terrifying and oppressive "True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon".

In this regard, the "Nine of Bamboo" felt it was only natural.

Although Jaden performed well during his school years, he was still just a first-year student. Compared to the future Jaden Yuki who dueled with Seto Kaiba, he was several years behind in terms of experience and growth. Currently, his deck is just a combination of [E·hero] and [M·hero].

In contrast, the deck that Kaiba uses is a huge improvement over the deck he used when he dueled with Jaden Yuki. Even during the Doma era, Kaiba's deck could overpower Jaden, let alone the current deck, which has grown even more since the Dark Side era.

“How could this be… I finally managed to summon [E·hero Sunrise]…” Marufuji Sho looked at Jaden’s field, which was empty again, while Kaiba’s field had a [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] with an attack power of 4500, and couldn’t help but show a look of despair.

"The difference in strength is too obvious. Are we not going to be able to leave here? We simply can't win..."

"Hey, stop spouting such discouraging talk. Aren't you Judai's underling?" Manjoume gave Marufuji Sho a disapproving look. "Have some faith in him."

“But even having confidence can’t help my brother defeat his opponent,” Marufuji Sho said, looking at Manjoume.

“Judging rationally, Judai’s current situation is indeed quite dangerous,” Misawa said. Marufuji was about to agree when he heard Misawa change his mind and say, “However, I also believe in Judai. He has a talent that none of us have: the power to create miracles in the face of difficulties.”

“Me too!” Although he wasn’t good at saying nice things, Maeda Hayato agreed.

Marufuji Sho said nothing more and looked at Judai. The image of that unwavering figure facing the terrifying [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] had become a seed planted in his heart. Although it couldn't immediately change Marufuji Sho's cowardly nature, it might take root and sprout at some point.

He couldn't hear what his companions behind him were saying, but even without turning around, Jaden could feel the trust coming from behind. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the towering [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] and said, "I will not enter the battle phase for now, and return to the main phase one."

The activation of [Ultimate Fusion] did not occur after Jaden entered the battle phase, but before he did. Therefore, Jaden could naturally withdraw his declaration to enter the battle phase and remain in the main phase.

Jaden currently has two cards in his hand, one of which is the revealed Miracle Fusion. However, there are no cards in his graveyard that can be combined using Miracle Fusion, meaning he can only use the other card. But how can he deal with a True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon with a whopping 4500 ATK when he only has one card?

"Even if the sun sets many times, a hero doesn't give up so easily!" Looking at the card in his hand, Jaden said firmly, "Even if I only have one card, I will defeat [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]! No, I will definitely do it!"

"Heaven is calling, earth is calling, and people are calling! They are calling for the arrival of heroes!"

"Spell Card [Hero's Arrival] activated!"

[Tenth Generation: 4000 → 2000 LP]

Without hesitation, Jaden paid half of his Life Points, saying, "[Hero's Arrival] can only be activated by paying half of my Life Points if I have no monsters on my field. Special Summon one [E·hero] of Level 4 or lower from my Deck!"

"Come out, [E·hero Bubble Man]!"

Jaden did not summon the powerful hero he had previously recycled with the Pot of Greed. Instead, he chose the 800-point E-hero Bubble Man, which had the lowest attack power in his deck, on par with E-hero Clayman.

【E·hero Foam Warrior】【ATK800】

"Hmm? [E·Hero Bubble Man]?" Kaiba glanced at the blue hero that had appeared on Jaden's field. "What can a monster of that level do?"

"Among my Heroes, E·Hero Bubble Man might be the weakest, right? But the performance of a Duel Monster card isn't the key to victory. A Hero that appears at the right time can defeat even an invincible enemy!"

As Jaden spoke, he placed his finger on the top of the deck, "If [E·hero Bubble Man] is successfully Special Summoned and I have no other cards on my field, I will draw two cards from my deck!"

"Draw!"

Drawing two cards, Jaden played another card, saying, "Then this is the Spell Card 'Sudden Mutation,' which will send my 'E-Hero Bubble Man' to the Graveyard and Special Summon 'E-Hero Neo Bubble Man' from my Fusion Deck!"

【E·hero New Foam Warrior】【ATK800】

Seeing that Jaden's [E·Hero Bubble Man] had simply changed clothes and become a new monster, Kaiba sneered: "Neo? You actually added 'neo' to your monster's name in front of [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], but there's no real change. Your monster's attack power is still only a mere 800 points. It's no match for [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]!"

"Then watch closely, Seahorse Man, and see how my 'weakest' defeats the 'strongest'!"

As Jaden spoke, he placed one card face down and then played another: "I'll set one card to the ground and activate the Spell Card 'Heavenly Treasure Card.' Both players draw cards from their decks until they each have six cards in their hand!"

"Without any cards in my hand, I can draw six cards!"

"Hmph, I have three cards in my hand, so I'm drawing three cards." Although Kaiba wasn't as angry as some Duel Kings who get upset when others win more than them, he didn't give Jaden a friendly look either. "So what if you replenished your hand with a lot of cards by struggling with those weaklings? How are you going to win?"

"My trump card is this card, the Equip Magic Card [Foam Launcher]. This card is the exclusive Equip Magic Card for [E·hero Foam Man]. It can increase his attack power by 800 points and can also replace one battle destruction and reduce the damage he receives to 0." Jaden showed a card. "And [E·hero New Foam Man] can use the card name as [E·hero Foam Man].

"Equip the [Foam Launcher] to [E·hero New Foam Man], I'm entering battle again, attacking [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] with [E·hero New Foam Man]!"

"New foam shooting!"

【E·hero New Foam Launcher】(Foam Launcher) 【ATK800→1600】

"Hmph, giving up already? But your eyes don't look like you've given up." Kaiba sneered. "But fighting spirit can't change a monster's attack power. Even after your 'Equip Spell Card' is equipped with 'E-Hero Neo Bubble Man,' the attack power of 'True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon' is still more than twice that of 'E-Hero Neo Bubble Man'!"

"Fight it, Neo Blueace!"

Both being monsters with "Neo" in their names, the attack fired from the foam launcher on the shoulder of [E·hero New Foam Man] collided with the dragon breath simultaneously exhaled from the three heads of the three-headed white dragon - [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon].

Unexpectedly, a brief stalemate occurred between the vastly different attack powers, and it was actually the attack of the [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] that was gradually suppressed?!

"Unbelievable! It's Judai! Judai's [E·hero New Bubble Man] attack has gained the upper hand!" "Nine of Bamboo," who was also providing commentary, excitedly exclaimed as he watched the colliding attacks. "His attack is getting closer and closer to [True Blue-Eyes]!"

"The legendary Kaiba Man! Jaden Yuki, yearning for revival after numerous setbacks! The entire battlefield trembles at the battle between these two monsters!"

"What exactly happened? And who is the final winner?!"

"The effect of 【E·hero New Bubble Man】 is that the monster that battles this card is destroyed at the end of the Damage Phase!" Jaden said, swinging his fist. "【Sudden Mutation】 isn't just for show; it's just an attack from 【True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon】. Watch me push it back!"

The foam launcher on the shoulder of [E·hero New Foamman] suddenly increased its power, gradually breaking through the attack of [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon].

"Yuki Judai! It's Yuki Judai! Yuki Judai, the miraculous revival!" Amidst the passionate commentary of "Ku-Tong" and the expectant gazes of Manjoume and the others, the foam torrent struck the three-headed white dragon, destroying it!

"boom!"

Chapter 1203 When You Gaze into the Abyss—

The True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon was destroyed by E-Hero New Bubble Man, who overcame a seemingly insurmountable odds. A gust of wind blew in his face, causing Kaiba's trench coat to flutter loudly. Through his helmet, onlookers could only see that the corner of his mouth remained unchanged, making it impossible to discern his true expression.

What were the reasons that led Seto Kaiba, the founder of Duel Academy, to spend so many resources to establish it?

There are many factors, but the most important one is the failure five years ago. It wasn't that he lost to Hayato Kobayashi, Yugi Muto, or even Katsuya Jonouchi, but to an unknown kid. If you don't look at his actual age and only look at his appearance, Kaiba's height and aura make him look more like an adult than the future Jaden.

After learning about the existence of the "Duel Academy" concept from the future Jaden, Seto Kaiba was filled with anticipation for its prospect of "continuously providing excellent duelists," which led him to invest a great deal in the Duel Academy project.

Everything stems from his pure fighting spirit, his desire to duel with more diverse and stronger opponents. If he were in a different setting and possessed a tool that constantly brought him powerful individuals to fight, but which would also affect the lives of countless ordinary people, Seto Kaiba wouldn't necessarily utter lines like "Ying O must stay for me," but he would definitely enjoy the battle immensely.

In his turn, Jaden used [Lava Demon] right from the start. Why did that make Kaiba so angry? Because he didn't see anything from Jaden himself in that move; it was full of the shadow of the Duelist King.

Simply following in someone else's footsteps is absolutely not enough, because no matter how far Jaden Yuki goes on this path, he is only following in the footsteps of his predecessors, and he is not walking on his own path as a duelist. No matter how far he goes, he can never catch up with Hayato Kobayashi.

To Kaiba's relief, Jaden Yuki, though influenced by Duel King, was only slightly affected. He then successfully resisted the temptation of that smooth path and forged his own way.

The best proof is the current [E·hero New Bubble Man], that insignificant existence created a miraculous revival in an almost desperate situation, which even made the Kaiba Man feel excited!

"Facing the [True Blue Eyes], he showed no fear or wavering for a moment. Instead, he used his courage and his own cards to accomplish something miraculous? Hmph, although he can't be called outstanding, he has barely gone from third-rate to second-and-a-half-rate."

When Jaden heard Kaiba's evaluation of him, he secretly thought, "How strong must a 'second-rate duelist' be?" Little did he know that by Kaiba's standards, even the world champion professional duelist, Joey Wheeler, would only be rated as a "second-rate duelist."

"Boy, state your name."

Upon hearing this, Jaden looked at Kaiba with some confusion. Kaiba should have heard his name before, so why was he asking again? Nevertheless, he wiped his nose, smiled, pointed at himself with his thumb, and introduced himself: "My name is Jaden Yuki, and my dream is to become the Duel King."

“Yuki Jaden, I’ll remember that name. The long-lost hero.” Kaiba looked at Jaden, taking the card of [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] from the Duel Disk and watching it vanish into the Graveyard. “But courage alone is far from enough. The world is much wider than you can imagine.”

"As a reward for your courage, I'll show you the true meaning of 'ultimate'!"

"At the very moment the [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] on the field was destroyed, the Ultimate Dragon in my hand met the conditions for being played!"

"The endless expanse of time is hidden within the primordial white power; stretch out your trembling feathers amidst the echoing resonance of intertwined souls, and emerge from the azure abyss!"

As Kaiba shouted out his somewhat awkward, yet powerfully dramatic, lines in his magnetic voice, the spot where his previously destroyed Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon had stood shone with light. However, despite being pure white, the light gave the impression of engulfing everything and dragging it into an abyss.

"What is that!?"

Others couldn't quite make out what was in the light, but Manjoume, who was also a dragon envoy, widened his eyes and saw that a deep void was opening in the light, and a dragon-shaped being with outstretched wings was descending from it.

"Power—only pure power can endure to the end of time! Now awaken from the seal at the end of time, Dragon of Destruction!"

"Deep-Eyes-White-Dragon!!"

"Woohoohoohoo!!!"

【Abyss-Eyed White Dragon】【10☆/Light】

[Dragon Clan/Effect]

[0/0]

Although the [E·hero New Bubble Man] who created a miracle in the face of death successfully destroyed [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], that just happened to meet the appearance conditions of [Abyssal Blue-Eyes White Dragon] in Kaiba's hands. The five-winged white dragon, similar to [Abyssal Blue-Eyes Dragon], soared on the field!

"When a Level 8 or higher monster on my field is destroyed, I can Special Summon [Abyss Eye] from my hand. Then, when [Abyss Eye White Dragon] is Special Summoned by this effect, my opponent will also suffer the wrath of the Graveyard Dragon from the Abyss, which descends at the same time as [Abyss Eye White Dragon]!"