Chapter 75

"Hmm..." Hoshino was momentarily at a loss for words after being rebutted by Pegasus. "Could Pegasus already know my Heroic Spirit deck?"

"Pegasus!!" Kaiba's voice grew even louder as his anger increased at Pegasus for not taking their duel seriously. "No matter how unbeatable your Toon Monsters are, they can't defeat my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

"Set two more cards face down, and end my turn!" Kaiba threw the two cards from his hand onto the table, a slight smile appearing on his face.

Current situation:

Seto Kaiba LP:4000

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon ATK:4500

Two face-down cards

Maximillion Pegasus LP:4000

Toon Mermaid in DEF:1500

One face-down card

"How interesting, Kaiba-boy." As if reading Kaiba's thoughts, the Millennium Eye behind Pegasus' hair glowed faintly.

"My turn, draw~" Pegasus smiled as he looked at the card he drew, switching his Toon Mermaid from defense mode to attack mode. "Go, Toon Mermaid, attack the adorable Kaiba-boy."

[Toon Mermaid ATK:1400]

"Attacking Kaiba," Hoshino asked Yugi in confusion, ignoring the word 'adorable,' "Kaiba has a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon with 4500 attack points on the field. Is attacking with a Toon Mermaid that only has 1400 attack points how you play cards?"

Before Yugi could answer, the bizarre scene unfolding before them provided Hoshino with the answer.

The Toon Mermaid emerged from its shell, drew a toy-like bow and arrow, and shot forward. The flimsy toy arrow inexplicably bypassed the massive Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and struck Kaiba directly.

[Seto Kaiba LP → 2600]

"!!" Kaiba's shocked expression showed that even he hadn't anticipated this outcome. "Ignoring my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragons?"

"Hahaha, Kaiba-boy, a regular monster like Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon can't interfere with a Toon Monster's attack." With a smile as if enjoying a fun animation, Pegasus continued, "Activating Toon Mermaid's special effect~"

[Toon Mermaid, ①: This card cannot attack in the turn it is Special Summoned. ②: This card cannot declare an attack unless you pay 500 Life Points. ③: If your opponent does not control a Toon Monster, this card can attack your opponent directly. If a Toon Monster is present, this card must attack the Toon Monster.]

"Since Kaiba-boy has no Toon Monsters on the field, I only need to pay 500 Life Points to launch a direct attack. Quite a bargain~" Unfazed by the minimal damage to his Life Points, Pegasus spread his arms wide, striking a nonchalant pose.

Pegasus LP → 3500

"Unaffected and able to bypass opponent's monsters." Realizing the gravity of the situation, Hoshino said to Yugi, "Now I understand why you said Toon Monsters are Invincible."

"After the Battle Phase, I'll tribute my Toon Mermaid to Special Summon from my hand..." As Pegasus placed the card on the table, the Toon Mermaid disappeared in a puff of smoke, just like in a cartoon.

"This exit style!" Feeling an odd sense of familiarity, Hoshino tried to recall, "Isn't this how Nobu cards exit?"

Could Nobu monsters be considered Toon Monsters? Hoshino couldn't help but wonder, though the art styles were similar, Nobu monsters couldn't avoid destruction or attack players directly, making them quite different from Toon Monsters.

"Special Summon Toon Dark Magician Girl~"

"Dark Magician Girl? Toon!" Hoshino, still contemplating the connection between Nobu cards and Toons, perked up upon hearing the name, her attention instantly captured.

"Hehe~" The Toon Dark Magician Girl appeared on the battlefield, her petite and cute figure bouncing, with large blush marks on her cheeks.

[Toon Dark Magician Girl ★★★★★★ (6 stars) DARK][Spellcaster/Effect][ATK:2000 DEF:1700]

[This card cannot be Normal Summoned. If Toon World is on your field, you can Special Summon this card by tributing 1 monster on your field. This card cannot attack the turn it is Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned. If Toon World is on your field and your opponent controls no Toon Monsters, this card can attack your opponent directly.]

"Oh wow~! That's so cute!" Seeing the bouncing Toon Dark Magician Girl, Hoshino clutched her chest excitedly, "The Dark Magician Girl was already very cute, and adding a cartoonish touch made her even more playful. It's hard to resist wanting to play with her!"

The crowd watched Hoshino, who had seemingly triggered a strange switch, with twitching mouths, unsure of what to say.

"Although Toon Monsters are very cute, their combat power is real~" Nodding in agreement with the Dark Magician Girl's cuteness, Yugi still analyzed the situation on the field. "Fortunately, most Toon Monsters can't attack the turn they are summoned, or else Kaiba would have lost."

"Since it's a Special Summon, I can still perform a Normal Summon this turn~" Pegasus drew another card from his hand and placed it on the table, "Summon Goblin Attack Force (Toon)~"

[Toon Goblin Attack Force ★★★★ (4 stars) EARTH][Warrior/Effect][ATK:2300 DEF:0]

[This card cannot attack the turn it is Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned. If this card attacks, it changes to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase and cannot change its position until the end of your next turn. If Toon World is on your field and your opponent controls no Toon Monsters, this card can attack your opponent directly.]

Toon Goblin Attack Force appeared on the field, wielding an oversized spiked club.

"Since I can't attack now, I'll set one card and end my turn," Pegasus announced, extending his right hand to signal Kaiba to begin his turn.

"Two high-attack Toon Monsters!" Even Jonouchi, who had been silent, realized the gravity of the situation. "If Kaiba doesn't take out these two Toon Monsters, he's sure to lose the next turn when they attack directly! But Toon Monsters can't be destroyed, it's tricky!"

Watching Jonouchi anxiously scratching his yellow hair, Yugi also looked worried. "Kaiba, what are you going to do in this situation?"

However, Kaiba on the duel platform remained expressionless, though his furrowed brows showed his concern.

"Kaiba!" A sudden voice from the audience broke Kaiba's concentration. Taking a deep breath, Hoshino shouted from the stands, "You defeated me in a duel. If you lose so easily to Pegasus, I'll be very disappointed!"

"Hmph, boring!" Kaiba grumbled, glancing at Hoshino, but a faint smile on his lips betrayed him. "Watch closely, Hoshino. My true counterattack begins now!"

"My turn, draw!" Kaiba declared his counterattack, drawing a card from his deck with flair.

"Although he talks big, what can Kaiba do?" Even though Jonouchi was often annoyed by Kaiba's arrogance, he still hoped Kaiba would win in moments like these.

"Since Toon Monsters can't be destroyed, I'll just attack their Life Points directly!" Kaiba shouted, flipping over his set card from the previous turn. "Activate the trap card..."

"You're going to activate Ring of Destruction, aren't you?" Pegasus interrupted Kaiba just as he was about to reveal his card. "The card you set last turn is indeed Ring of Destruction, isn't it?"

"Pegasus!" Kaiba stared in disbelief at the calm Pegasus as he flipped over his card, revealing it to be the [Ring of Destruction].

"So this is the Millennium Eye?!" Hoshino exclaimed, covering her mouth in astonishment as she witnessed its power to read minds for the first time. "It can reveal all of the opponent's set cards, hand, strategies, and thoughts... It's the Millennium Item, the Millennium Eye..."

Swallowing nervously, Hoshino struggled to think of a way to counter such an ability.

"So what if you've seen through everything? I still activate Ring of Destruction!" Kaiba, briefly taken aback, quickly regained his composure and continued his move.

[Ring of Destruction's effect: Destroy 1 face-up monster on the field. Both players take damage equal to that monster's attack points.]

"I choose to destroy my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" Kaiba declared, pointing at his Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon with a hint of reluctance in his eyes. "Sorry, Blue-Eyes, but this is for the sake of victory!"

"Destroy Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" Yugi quickly grasped Kaiba's strategy. "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon has 4500 attack points, meaning both players will take 4500 points of damage!"

"Going for a draw?" Jonouchi pounded the spectator railing, uncertain of how to react.

"Only the weak choose to go down together!" Kaiba drew another card and slammed it onto the table, glaring at Pegasus. "The only one who will lose is you, Pegasus! I activate the Quick-Play Spell [Ring of Defense] from my hand!"

[Ring of Defense's effect: The damage from a Trap Card's effect becomes 0.]

"So this is Kaiba's strategy! This way, Kaiba won't take the 4500 damage from Ring of Destruction." Hoshino, in awe of Kaiba's combo, remarked, "If Kaiba had used this combo when he dueled me, I would've lost right away."

At this moment, Hoshino finally understood why Da Vinci said she couldn't defeat Kaiba back then. The gap between their skill levels was indeed vast. But now, Hoshino could accept her defeat openly. If she lost, she would win next time. Even if not now, she was determined to beat Kaiba shortly.

The explosive ring wrapped around the central head of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. The green Ring of Defense stood ready before Kaiba, prepared to absorb the explosion's impact.

"Go to hell, Pegasus!"

With Kaiba's command, a massive explosion engulfed the field.

"Did he win?!" The spectators, their view obscured by the dust of the explosion, couldn't see the duel platform.

————

Seto Kaiba LP:2600

Maximillion Pegasus LP:3500

"How can this be!" Kaiba's eyes widened in shock as he saw Pegasus' Life Points unchanged.

"Too bad, Kaiba-boy." Wrapped in a gentle magical barrier amidst the explosion, Pegasus looked at the shattered Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon with pity. "Your Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon sacrificed itself for nothing."

"Activate the set trap card, [Pikeru's Circle of Enchantment]~"

[Pikeru's Circle of Enchantment effect: Until the end of this turn, the controller of this card takes no damage from card effects.]

The adorable white mage Pikeru's phantom softly chanted a spell, protecting the Pegasus behind her.

"A supposedly foolproof strategy rendered useless once seen by the Millennium Eye..." Pegasus countered Kaiba's move with a single card, causing him to lose his most powerful Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Hoshino pondered, "Is there a way to beat the Millennium Eye?"

"Kaiba..." Yugi, unable to see a path for Kaiba to win, watched anxiously as two indestructible Toon Monsters now dominated the field.

"Pegasus, I'll admit you seem to have seen through my strategy!" Kaiba slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Although I don't know what cheating methods you used to see through my setup from the last turn, can you counter the new strategy from the card I just drew this turn?"

"Kaiba-boy, the reason you're so confident is because of the [Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon] you stole from the lab in the castle, isn't it?" Pegasus said playfully, having anticipated Kaiba's next move. "Though I don't know how you found out about the Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon in the lab, it was originally meant for you after I took over KaibaCorp to defeat Yugi Muto. So, it's fine to give it to you now."

"But do you think you can defeat me with just the Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon?"

"The naive one is you, Pegasus!" Unfazed by Pegasus discovering his theft, Kaiba threw another card onto the table. "I activate the Spell Card [Fusion Recovery] from my hand!"

"I'll retrieve the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] used to summon Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and the Spell Card [Polymerization] from my Graveyard!" Reclaiming Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Kaiba played Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon onto the field. "Since I have Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand, I can Special Summon [Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon]! Come forth, Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!"

With a mighty roar, Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon descended onto the field.

[Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon ★★★★★★★★ (8 stars) LIGHT][Dragon/Effect][ATK:3000 DEF:2500]

[This card cannot be Normal Summoned. It can be Special Summoned by showing Blue-Eyes White Dragon from your hand to your opponent.]

"This is what Da Vinci meant by Kaiba's deck being specialized around Blue-Eyes White Dragon," Hoshino murmured, realizing that Kaiba's field always had a Blue-Eyes White Dragon no matter the situation. "Is this the source of your strength, Kaiba? Although you're teaching me, my deck doesn't seem to be able to emulate that."

"I activate the special effect of [Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon] on the field!" Riding the momentum of successfully summoning Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon, Kaiba pressed on.

"No, Kaiba-kun. Even though Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon's special effect can destroy an opponent's monster, Toon Monsters can't be destroyed by effects!" Yugi worriedly reminded Kaiba from the stage.

"Do you think I'm an idiot, Yugi?" Kaiba scolded Yugi and continued activating Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon's effect. "The effect I want to activate is that as long as [Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon] is on the field or in the Graveyard, its name becomes 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon'!"

"Becomes Blue-Eyes White Dragon?! I see!" Realizing the plan, Hoshino exclaimed, "Kaiba, you're amazing!"

"As expected of Hoshino, you've already figured out my strategy!" Kaiba praised Hoshino before drawing another card and slamming it onto the table. "I activate the Spell Card [Polymerization] from my hand!"

"Fusion? That's right, Kaiba still has that card!" Yugi, the second to catch on, also looked excitedly at the field.

Activating [Polymerization], Kaiba glared at Pegasus. "Pegasus, this is the response to your expectations! Witness the new form of Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

"I fuse the [Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon] on the field with [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] in my hand!" Slamming the fusion monster onto the table, Kaiba pointed at Pegasus and the Toon Monsters. "Let me defeat your indestructible Toon Monsters!"

"Special Summon, Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon!"

[Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon ★★★★★★★★★★ (10 stars) LIGHT][Dragon/Fusion/Effect][ATK:3000 DEF:2500]

(*****)

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