Megalosmasher X exploded on the Ultimate Dragon, a huge fireball.
But when the smoke cleared, the majestic dragon remained, standing tall.
"Quick-Play Spell 'My Body as a Shield'. Pay 1500 LP to negate and destroy any effect that would destroy a card on the field," Kaiba said calmly. "So 'Survival's End' is negated.
'Megalosmasher X' and 'Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon' are both safe."
"Tch," Loren gritted his teeth. "You'd use yourself as a shield for the Ultimate Dragon…"
"Battle," Kaiba commanded. "'Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon', attack 'Megalosmasher X'!
Ultimate Burst Stream!" ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novᴇlfire.net
All three heads unleashed blinding white blasts! Even with the barrier boost, Megalosmasher X couldn't resist, and was torn apart by the white light.
The massive energy knocked Loren into the air, flipping him before he crashed into the green barrier.
"Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's effect," Kaiba continued. "Once per duel, it can attack three times in a turn!" (Anime effect)
He paused, eyes on Loren's remaining 'Hyper Hammerhead'.
"That monster can bounce after battle, but only after damage calculation!"
"Before that, I'll defeat it with overwhelming power!
Continue, Ultimate Dragon's second attack! Attack 'Hyper Hammerhead'!
Ultimate Burst Stream, double attack!"
In the anime, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon could attack three times per duel, but after using that effect, it self-destructs at the end of the Battle Phase.
So it's an all-or-nothing OTK ability: kill in one turn or self-destruct. Even if Hammerhead doesn't bounce it, if it fails, it'll explode anyway.
"Shatter! Obliterate! Applause!" Kaiba shouted. "The future belongs only to those who look forward; the weak can wallow in their useless memories!"
More blinding light, the three dragon mouths like three blazing suns, converging on Loren.
Loren looked up at the light, dazed again.
A memory flashback—to that darkest day.
A hellish village, flames and black smoke everywhere, inhuman groans. The man, now twisted and crawling like a zombie, no longer had warmth in his eyes, only hunger.
The boy collapsed, frozen with fear, tears streaming.
The man crawled to him, reaching out a monstrous claw.
Placed a card in front of him.
The hand fell limp, the man died right before the boy.
He sat there, motionless, stunned.
Until a zombie saw him, shrieked, and charged.
At that moment, the card in front of him shone gold. A phantom emerged, blasting the zombie away.
The boy stared at the card's phantom, trembling.
Loren's eyes turned blood-red.
"Calling them useless memories?" He looked up at the light, face twisted. "Kaiba!"
Second strike, the white blast annihilated everything. Hyper Hammerhead was destroyed, Loren was knocked back again.
"Is it finally over?" Mokuba murmured.
After two hits, Loren's body twitched, then, still smoking, propped himself up and stood again.
Still smoking, shaky on his feet—Orichalcos's real pain, two hits from Ultimate Dragon would destroy anyone ordinary, body and mind.
But he stood again, too stubborn to die.
"Huh?" Mokuba exclaimed, "Why?"
"At that moment, I activated the set trap 'Nutrient Z'," Loren said. "If I take over 2000 battle damage this turn, before damage calculation I recover 4000 LP."
So, before the white dragon's hit landed, his LP went to 4400. After Hyper Hammerhead was destroyed, he took 2500, so now he has 1900.
"Stubborn guy," Mokuba frowned. "But the Ultimate Dragon still has one more attack—"
"No," Kira patted him, "Hyper Hammerhead's effect."
"Ah!" Mokuba realized.
"Right. After Hyper Hammerhead battles and fails to destroy the opposing monster, that monster returns to hand after damage calculation!"
A strong deathrattle effect—since Ultimate Dragon failed to OTK, Hammerhead's effect triggers. Its phantom roared and slammed into the Ultimate Dragon.
The Ultimate Dragon became a ray of white light, returning to Kaiba's extra deck.
"Fusion monsters can't return to hand, so it goes back to the extra deck," Loren said grimly. "I won't fall so easily, Kaiba.
If I fall here… what would become of all my hatred and rage!?"
PS: Bonus chapters at 2000 PS