CHAPTER 444: CHAPTER 443: THE END OF THE FIERCE BATTLE

D.D. Crow’s effect activates!

For real-life card players, this card needs no introduction. Though released early, it dominated the meta as a universal staple. Its quick effect disrupts the opponent’s graveyard, making it very powerful.

With the Arbiter’s explanation, the crowd’s faces changed dramatically.

Everyone saw that this duel had become a death match between Ra and Divine Serpent Geh. Ra, the so-called Immortal Phoenix, was infamous under Marik for constantly hopping between graveyard and field, with its Phoenix form able to sweep everything.

After a fierce tug-of-war around Ra’s return, it seemed the Arbiter had finally gained the upper hand.

D.D. Crow’s activation caused Kira’s "Premature Burial" to lose its target and fizzle. Ra was banished again, meaning that even if Kira had other revival cards, he could no longer bring Ra back.

"No way, isn’t Ra sealed away for good now?" Mokuba bit his lip.

Kira’s greatest hope against the Evil God—Divine power—was now out of reach.

Despair was evident in his eyes, but he still looked hopefully at Kira.

Even for Kira, what could he do in this situation?

The Arbiter laughed loudly. "Struggle! Struggle even harder! The more you fight, the more delicious your soul will be when you die. Once I finish you—and that zombie god—I will fully break the seal and resurrect myself!"

Kira ignored him and continued,

"Activate Spell Card ’Foolish Burial’—send a monster from my deck to the graveyard."

He searched his deck for a card and sent it to the graveyard, then immediately flipped a set card in his back row.

"Now I activate my set card, Continuous Trap ’Limit Reverse’."

With a grand gesture—

"Special summon ’Doomdog Octhros’!"

[Doomdog Octhros, ATK 800]

The Arbiter frowned. "That’s just a trash monster..."

"Activate Spell Card ’Black Illusion Ritual’," Kira said. "Use monsters with total levels of at least 1 as tribute to ritual summon ’Relinquished.’

I tribute level 3 ’Doomdog Octhros’ to ritual summon—

The ace I got from the Father of Games, now descends—

—’Relinquished,’ summon!"

The earliest BOSS ace in Yu-Gi-Oh! history appeared, exuding an endless sinister aura. A single, sanity-shattering eye opened in the darkness, like a hunter lurking in the abyss.

The Arbiter was shocked. "Summoning Relinquished at this point!?"

As Pegasus’s iconic early ace, the Arbiter certainly recognized it. Relinquished could, once per turn, absorb an opponent’s monster as an equip card—a classic early boss.

The Arbiter’s heart pounded.

The Snake God within the barrier is immune to all spells and traps, but it can only resist destruction effects from monsters.

But Relinquished’ effect isn’t destruction, nor sending to graveyard, bouncing, or banishing—it just directly eats the target.

His mighty, invincible infinite-ATK Divine Serpent Geh was about to be devoured by this little Relinquished. The Arbiter almost laughed in disbelief.

But of course, he wouldn’t allow that.

"Activate Continuous Trap!" the Arbiter shouted. "Crystal Seal!" (an anime card)

The set card activated, and the freshly summoned Relinquished was immediately sealed in a giant crystal. The whole body froze, only the single eye inside still spinning, unable to move.

"Crystal Seal can seal one opponent’s monster. That monster can’t attack, be tributed, change its battle position, or activate its effects!"

A trap used by Rafael in DM, printed by Doma.

"Relinquished is sealed too!" Mokuba said, frustrated. "This guy is too overpowered!"

To him, Kira was already playing out of his mind, always finding breakthroughs against such an opponent, but every time hope appeared, it was crushed.

The deeper the hope, the deeper the despair when it’s cut off. Mokuba felt his heart sinking to the bottom.

"It’s fine," Kaiba suddenly spoke.

"Eh?"

Mokuba looked at his brother in confusion, but noticed he was smiling?

But unlike his usual confident, mocking smile, today’s smile was more... gleeful?

It was as if he knew something hilarious was about to happen and couldn’t help but laugh.

"It’s over," Kaiba chuckled. "What an interesting kid."

Mokuba: "?"

He was more confused than ever.

But it didn’t matter. A few seconds later, he understood.

"Now, the effect of ’Doomdog Octhros,’ which was just sent to the graveyard as a ritual tribute, activates," Kira said calmly. "When Doomdog Octhros is sent from the field to the graveyard, I add a level 8 Fiend-type monster from my deck to my hand."

The Arbiter froze.

Level 8, Fiend-type...

His pupils contracted, face turning pale, and his muscles began to twitch in disbelief as he realized what was coming.

No, impossible.

How could something so ridiculous happen...

"I add this level 8 Fiend from my deck to my hand," Kira revealed the card he’d just searched.

"Lava Golem."

The Arbiter completely lost his composure.

"You, what are you planning!?"

In this championship arena, in the final God battle, was this kid really going to—

"Activate my set card," Kira flipped his last set card, "Trap Card ’Ojama Trio.’

Special summon three Ojama Tokens to your field."

The yellow, green, and black tokens instantly popped out, bouncing into the Arbiter’s three monster zones.

"Sorry for the trouble~"

"Sorry to bother you again."

"Snore~ snore~"

The Arbiter, now fully aware of what was coming, began to tremble.

He knew, but could not accept it.

Yes, how could he accept this?

His invincible, infinitely powerful Divine Serpent Geh was about to leave the field like this?

He, the mighty God of Orichalcos, the dark side of the planet’s will, was about to return with a bang and drag the world into the abyss through this duel—

Yet he was about to fall in such a ridiculous, comedic way!?

But at this point, he could do nothing.

He could only stare, eyes full of anger, unwillingness, and disbelief, as Kira calmly pulled out the card in his hand.

"Ojama Tokens can’t be tributed for Tribute Summon, but if it’s an effect special summon, they can be used as tribute.

So, I tribute one of your Ojama Tokens and your invincible ’Divine Serpent Geh’ to special summon my soul and ace to you.

Awakening from the abyssal lava, power of destruction and rebirth—

—Level 8, Lava Golem!"

Lava erupted from the cracked earth, volcano-like flames engulfing the massive Snake God and the black hole it was emerging from.

Ignoring attack stats and all resistances, this was lava at a rules level—under such flames, all are equal.

God or minion, all become food.

A wail, so bitter it seemed to turn into a vengeful spirit, as Divine Serpent Geh was swallowed by the surging lava and exited the stage.

Lava Golem stood tall amidst the flames, towering like a giant!

"When Divine Serpent Geh leaves the field, its controller loses."

Kira said calmly.

"You lose."

[Arbiter, LP 0]

Endless lava surged as the Arbiter stood there, dazed, watching the giant before him as the magma swept towards him like a tsunami. For a moment, he felt regret.

He regretted blocking Ra’s appearance so many times.

If he had a choice, he’d rather die to the Immortal Phoenix.

At least he wouldn’t feel like such a clown.

PS: The true ace!