Chapter 393: Obsession
Chapter 393: Obsession
Boom!
The Megaplanta self-destructed, colliding head-on with the Ultimate Dragon and exploding dramatically, like a giant fireball.
However, as the smoke cleared, the silhouette of the majestic dragon emerged once more, still proudly standing tall in the arena.
"What?!"
Loren was taken aback.
"Why...?!"
[Kaiba, LP 400]
"Speed Spell, 'I Stand as a Shield.' Pay 1500 Life Points to negate the destruction of a card on the field and destroy it. So, the destruction effect of 'Survival Territory' is negated, and both 'Megaplanta X' and 'True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon' are not destroyed," Kaiba explained calmly.
"Hmph," Loren grit his teeth, "You actually used yourself as a shield for the Ultimate Dragon."
"Battle! 'True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon,' attack 'Megaplanta X!' Ultimate Burst Stream!" Kaiba commanded.
The Ultimate Dragon simultaneously swung its three heads, and the dazzling white light from its mouths turned into a scorching torrent of chaos, erupting forth! Even with the amplification from the barrier, Megaplanta was completely helpless against this annihilating energy. Accompanied by a piercing scream, it was torn to shreds in the white light.
"Ahhhh!"
The exaggerated energy impact was like a white storm visible to the naked eye, sending Loren flying into the air. His entire body flipped over exaggeratedly, and he crashed heavily into the green light barrier behind him.
[Loren, LP 2400 → LP 400]
"The effect of 'True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon,'" Kaiba continued, "During each player's End Phase, send the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard. If it is a Dragon-Type monster, inflict 500 points of damage to your opponent. During your Main Phase, you can Special Summon that monster to your side of the field instead of sending it to the Graveyard. This effect can only be used once per Duel. (Original effect)"
He paused, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Loren's remaining "Super-Hammerhead Dragon" on the field.
"This monster seems to have the troublesome ability to bounce opponent's monsters back to the hand after battle. However, that happens after damage calculation!
Kaiba raised his voice and shouted, "Before that, all we need to do is defeat it with overwhelming power!
"Continue the battle! 'True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon,' attack 'Super-Hammerhead Dragon!' Ultimate Burst Stream, double strike!"
In the anime, the "True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon" has the opportunity to strike thrice in one turn. However, as a trade-off for this effect, it would originally self-destruct at the end of the turn it used this ability.
Thus, this is a self-destructive OTK-type ability—either achieve a one-hit kill or self-destruct. Even if there was no "Super-Hammerhead Dragon" to bounce it back, if it failed to finish the kill, it would still explode.
"Shatter! Die with honor! Bravo!" Kaiba shouted hoarsely, "The future only belongs to those who look forward. Let the weak drown in their boring memories!"
Once again, a light as brilliant as the heavens shone forth, and the white dragon's three mouths released scorching white light, like three burning suns, illuminating Loren.
Loren tilted his head back to look at the white light, and his expression became momentarily dazed.
"."
His memory flashed back to that day.
The darkest day in his memory, a day he would never forget in his life.
The village, like a hell, was filled with flames, black smoke, and monster-like groans. The man, whose appearance had already twisted, was crawling towards him on the ground.
That man used to be his father, but now he resembled those zombie-like monsters. When he looked at Loren, his eyes no longer held that gentleness and indulgence; instead, they reflected a hunger that seemed to come from instinct.
The child sat down on the ground, his body stiffening. He felt numb, his hands and feet icy, and he couldn't move. Only his tears flowed uncontrollably.
His hand fell limp, and just a step away from the child, he lay motionless, his body sprawled on the ground.
The boy stared blankly, as if stupefied, frozen in place.
Until a zombie-like creature spotted him and charged at him with a hungry roar, like a tiger pouncing on its prey.
In that instant, the card before the boy erupted with golden light. A shadow burst forth from the card, soaring skyward, and with a powerful strike, it blasted the zombie away, sending it tumbling across the ground to lie motionless against the wall.
The boy snapped out of his daze and, bewildered, turned to the shadow that had emerged from the card. With a trembling voice, he asked, unsure, "Father?"
"."
"Don't joke around."
Loren's eyes had turned bloodshot.
"How dare you call them boring memories," he said, craning his neck to look at the shattered white light, his expression twisted with anger. "Seto Kaiba!"
Boom!
The second consecutive strike, a burst of radiant light, obliterated everything in its path. Super Hammerhead Dragon was reduced to smithereens by the White Dragon's blast, and Loren was sent flying once more.
"Is it finally over?" Kyuping muttered.
However...
The figure that had been knocked down by the two consecutive strikes twitched and, amidst billowing smoke, slowly pushed itself up with its hands, rising to its feet once more.
Smoke still wafted from his body, and he swayed unsteadily, as if unable to stand firmly. It was a Dark Duel within the Orichalcos barrier, and the true Ultimate Dragon's two consecutive strikes would have been enough to overwhelm anyone. Yet, he stood again, his stubbornness keeping him from succumbing.
【Loren, LP 1900】
"Eh?" Kyuping exclaimed in surprise. "Why?"
"I activated a face-down Trap Card, 'Super Z Energy Boost,' just now," Loren said in a low voice. "When I take 2000 or more battle damage, I can recover 4000 Life Points right before that damage calculation. So, when the Ultimate Dragon's attack hit, my Life Points returned to 4400, and then I took 2500 damage when Super Hammerhead Dragon was destroyed, leaving me with 1900 Life Points now."
"What a tenacious guy," Kyuping frowned. "But the Ultimate Dragon still has one more attack left, and the outcome won't change."
"No," You Xuan said, patting his shoulder. "Remember Super Hammerhead Dragon's effect."
"Ah!" Kyuping exclaimed, finally realizing.
"That's right," Loren said. "If Super Hammerhead Dragon battles and fails to destroy the opponent's monster, that monster returns to the hand after damage calculation!"
The powerful death-effect triggered, as the Ultimate Dragon's OTK attempt had failed. Super Hammerhead Dragon's shadow appeared, roaring like an angry spirit as it rammed into the Ultimate Dragon.
The True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon instantly transformed into a beam of white light, returning to Kaiba's Extra Deck.
"The True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon is a Fusion Monster, so it can't return to my hand. Instead, it naturally goes back to the Fusion Deck," Loren said, his voice grim. "I won't go down that easily, Seto Kaiba. If I fall here, what will become of my hatred and rage?!"
(End of Chapter)
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