Chapter 418: Towards the Future
Chapter 418: Towards the Future
The earth was torn apart as if a powerful force surging from the depths of the earth's core, shaking every inch of space.
The air distorted, and the temperature soared as if the soul of a dormant volcano had been awakened. Gigantic fissures resembled hideous wounds, spewing endless torrents of molten lava—intense as blood in the sunset or the eternal flames of the deepest hell.
And it was within this torrent of scorching matter that an enormous hand emerged, slapping down onto the Duel Monster field with a mighty palm strike.
The molten lava consumed the Torture Giant, as well as the invincible White Dragon. Even the noble invincibility could not withstand the unstoppable Lava Golem.
In an instant, it devoured the CEO's Ultimate Dragon, after which a scorched and singed Yugi stepped out from the lava onto Yugi's side of the field, spotting the CEO who was now confined within an iron cage. A subtle, almost rustic smile appeared on Yugi's abstract face.
There was even a hint of "pleased to make your acquaintance" in that smile.
Kaiba: "..."
Lava Golem: ATK 3000
The audience fell silent for a moment.
Well... You Xuan's move was definitely intense and exciting. Just like a traditional Duelist, he trusted his deck, relied on crucial draws, and changed the game with miraculous card draws.
However, the difference here was that other Duelists would usually summon a gorgeous and powerful monster to turn the tables in such a situation. Especially given the current state of affairs, shouldn't he have gone for a direct attack, ignoring the effect, and then summoned a monster with an attack power of five or six thousand to slash down the Ultimate Dragon?
But with the atmosphere already built up, You Xuan suddenly played the Lava Golem.
It was hard for the average person to give an evaluation of this move.
"Tch, Marik's monster, huh."
Kaiba grunted, his emotions surprisingly stable.
As expected of the CEO, if this had been any other Duelist in this world, they might have already started rolling up their sleeves after seeing their invincible Ultimate Dragon devoured like that.
But it wasn't over yet.
"I activate the magic card, 'Take Over 5', sending the top five cards of my Deck to the Graveyard!" (Original card)
Yugi sent five cards from the top of his Deck to the Graveyard.
"One of the monsters sent to the Graveyard is 'Spell Striker'. When this card is sent to the Graveyard, I get to draw a card!" (Original card)
Yugi drew a card.
"Next, I activate the magic card, 'Owner's Seal'! All monsters on the field return to their original controller's possession!
Return, Lava Golem!"
Satisfied after its feast, the Lava Golem patted its behind and leaped back across to Yugi's field.
Kaiba: "..."
"Direct attack from Lava Golem! Eruption of the Golem Volcano!"
The Lava Golem's palm struck down, bringing with it a blazing inferno that engulfed the entire field. Kaiba, having lost all his monsters, took a direct hit from the Lava Golem, his clothes fluttering in the fiery blast.
Kaiba: LP 4000 → LP 1000
"I set one card. End turn." Yugi concluded.
"He took a direct hit!" Jaden was the first to exclaim, "As expected of Yugi's soul, the Lava Golem! It's so strong!"
Ryo Marufuji's expression was complex.
Well... You couldn't say he wasn't amazing.
It was just that his emotions were very mixed.
Facing Yugi and the Lava Golem on his field, which seemed to be burning fiercely, Kaiba fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"It's been many years since I last participated in any tournaments or chased after any honors or things I once passionately pursued."
He lifted his head to look at Yugi and said softly.
He truly didn't know.
Back then, the title of "King of Games" was something Kaiba had dreamed of attaining. He had challenged and failed countless times, yet he persevered and displayed an unwavering determination to obtain that title, as if it were his ultimate goal in life.
However, with Atem's departure and Yugi Muto's retirement from dueling, over the years, this title seemed within Kaiba's grasp, yet he let it slip away.
From You Xuan's perspective, he could only speculate that Kaiba felt that without defeating the true strongest duelist, even if he acquired the title, it would be meaningless. Perhaps he could gain recognition from the dueling world, but not from himself.
But why Kaiba had now decided to make a comeback was beyond You Xuan's understanding.
"That infuriating guy once told me that the future will not visit those without a past."
Kaiba closed his eyes, a smile playing on his lips as he indulged in the memory.
"How ironic. For the me back then, all the light existed only in the future, and the past was merely footsteps left behind, a bygone era that held no significance for me.
Who would've thought that one day, I, too, would find myself mired in the past, unable to move forward?"
Down in the audience, Mokuba was slightly dazed, whispering, "Brother..."
As Kaiba's younger brother and the person who knew him best, Mokuba seemed to sense the underlying reason for his brother's transformation.
It seemed to have started when Kaiba insisted on going to the Underworld to face Atem.
Upon his return, Kaiba remained tight-lipped about what had transpired there, not even confiding in Mokuba. No one knew what had happened to Kaiba in the Underworld, if he had met Atem, or who had won their duel.
Or perhaps during that duel, something had occurred, and through their duel, Atem had conveyed or said something to Kaiba that sparked this change in him.
Indeed, since Atem's departure, hadn't Kaiba also been trapped in the past, unable to move forward?
He couldn't let go of that person or the unresolved outcome of their rivalry. Once, Kaiba's pursuits and ambitions were solely focused on the future, rendering the past insignificant. But with Atem's leaving, the future suddenly seemed to lose its luster, and the future he had relentlessly pursued suddenly lost its appeal.
It was only after his return from the Underworld that Kaiba seemed to have found a new direction.
"I promised that stubborn guy that a true duelist would never stop moving forward, no matter what lay ahead," Kaiba said in a low voice. "If there's a god blocking my path, I'll defeat that god and keep going.
And now, I've even surpassed the gods! To face that annoying guy once more. And next time...
I shall face him as the King of Games!"
His fingers rested on his deck.
"Draw!"
As he drew the card, his deck seemed to burst forth with endless azure radiance, as if the mere act of drawing unleashed a terrifying power! You Xuan frowned slightly.
The quivering of the deck seemed to indicate that Kaiba had drawn something extraordinary.
Here it comes.
Kaiba's expression clearly showed his anticipation, a confident smile playing on his lips.
It was as if this draw had assured him of victory once more.
He slowly raised his head.
"Behold the arrival of the strongest Blue-Eyes ever, surpassing even the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
