"My turn!" Syrus's momentum returned, startling the two nobles who thought victory was certain.
This kid.
Syrus drew a card. Looking at the card in his hand, his expression grew more serious.
All along, his brother had sheltered him from wind and rain. Now he understood that to become a qualified leader, besides dueling ability, there was also responsibility and perseverance.
I will definitely rescue my brother!
"Activate Spell Card, Graceful Charity. Draw three cards from my Deck, discard two cards."
"What is this, so excessive?" The two nobles gasped.
Syrus didn't waste words. He drew three from his Deck. Then.
"I send Ursarctic Drytron and Rescueroid in my hand to the Graveyard."
"Ursarctic Drytron?" Polaris was clearly stunned.
Similarly, the others present clearly sensed a different atmosphere.
What was this situation?
"Activate Spell Card, Cyber Emergency!"
Cyber Emergency!
Is he bringing it out!
Jaden was somewhat worried about Syrus's body.
"Add 1 Cyber Dragon monster or non-Normal Summonable Machine-Type LIGHT Attribute monster from my Deck to my hand."
"I add Drytron Alpha Thuban from my Deck to my hand!"
As Syrus's motion ended, the figure of a mechanical dragon slowly manifested beside Syrus. Looking at the field situation and Syrus's Graveyard, it was annoyed: "Didn't I tell you to call us only at the critical moment!? This is only your second turn."
"At this moment is when I need to put it all on the line!" Syrus said firmly. "Because only by giving it my all can I possibly get a full response!"
Eltanin heard this. Its words choked. It looked at this man with some surprise.
Just a few days without seeing him. His skill had grown by who-knew-how-much, and his bearing was no small matter either.
"Activate Field Spell Card, Drytron Fafnir!"
Syrus held up the card, calling out to the battleship. Behind him, a tall mechanical battleship slowly manifested, corresponding to Ursarctic Big Dipper far across.
The nobles opened their mouths wide, staring dumbfounded at this scene.
This was.
Corresponding to Ursarctic, that Field called Drytron!?
"Drytron Fafnir's activation effect. I can add 1 Drytron Spell/Trap Card other than Fafnir from my Deck to my hand."
"I add Meteonis Drytron from my Deck to my hand!"
"Ritual Spell Card?" Polaris was also startled.
Facing Septentrion, most deck ace cards actually couldn't bring out their full power. But Ritual Monsters happened to be monsters Septentrion couldn't touch!
But.
"If that's the case, I open my Set card, Trap Card, Ursarctic Quint Charge!"
"Once per turn, pay 700 LP to activate one of its effects. I choose to add 1 monster from the Graveyard to my hand."
Polaris, LP: 4000 → 3300.
"I add Megabilis from the Graveyard to my hand, then activate its effect. During my or the opponent's Main Phase, tribute 1 Level 7 or higher monster from my hand other than this card to activate. Special Summon this card from my hand.
The triggered effect of Ursarctic in the Graveyard can substitute for the monster tribute, banishing it instead.
I banish Ursarctic Departure, Special Summon Megabilis in Defense Position!"
"Then, Megabilis's effect activates. Banish Ursarctic Drytron in your Graveyard!"
Before Syrus could act, Polaris had Special Summoned a monster during the opponent's turn and banished a card from Syrus's Graveyard. Syrus watched his card disappear, somewhat uncomfortable.
"Oh, I see." Yuto watched this scene, pondered briefly, and figured out the key. "Ursarctic needs to consume monsters to Special Summon, and Ursarctic Drytron can substitute for tributing, enabling Special Summoning.
Then, since Ursarctic Drytron can assist both deck types, that means Drytron also has related requirements."
"I see. Syrus, without Ursarctic Radiation, would have a hard time developing if he lacks tribute materials, right?" Shay Obsidian nodded in response.
"But what if Syrus has monsters in his hand?" Hikaru casually said.
"Since he used Cyber Emergency to search, there surely aren't usable monsters in his hand, right?" Misawa also joined the discussion.
In terms of judgment, that was so.
But the duel wasn't over. Everything was undecided.
"Activate Spell Card, Drytron Nova. Special Summon 1 Drytron monster from my Deck. The monster Special Summoned by this effect is destroyed at the End Phase."
"I Special Summon from my Deck, Level 1 Drytron Nu II!"
"When this card is Special Summoned, activate. Add 1 Drytron monster other than itself from my Deck to my hand. I add Drytron Gamma Eltanin from my Deck to my hand!"
"That's it." Hikaru nodded.
Without replenishing, recklessly exposing one's weakness, wasn't the mark of a qualified duelist.
"Nicely done." Yuto also quietly praised.
"Then, I also activate a monster effect, Septentrion's effect. When the opponent Special Summons a monster, activate. Add 1 Ursarctic card from my Deck to my hand.
I add Ursarctic Megatanus to my hand."
At the same time, Ursarctic Big Dipper's counters reached 6!
Syrus's brow furrowed into a knot. Though he didn't know that Field's specific effect, he knew that with Septentrion involved, gathering the special number 7 wouldn't be anything good.
He looked at his hand.
"Activate Alpha Thuban's effect. Tribute Drytron on the field, Special Summon it. After that, I can add 1 Ritual Monster from my Deck to my hand."
"I add Drytron Meteonis Quadrantids from my Deck to my hand!"
The giant battleship slowly opened its hatch. A massive Level 12 Ritual Monster card flew out and hovered above Syrus's head.
He felt his body wasn't quite comfortable. His blood vessels seemed to constrict. His body grew weary and painful.
"Drytron Nu II's effect in the Graveyard. While I control a Drytron card, activate. Special Summon this card from my hand or Graveyard. The monster Special Summoned by this effect is banished when it leaves the field."
This way, Ursarctic Big Dipper's counters reached 7!
"Activate Ritual Spell Card, Meteonis Drytron!"
Syrus raised the Ritual Spell Card in his hand.
Stars gathered. Starlight sprinkled down like rain.
"Huh?"
"That Ritual Monster is a Level 12 Ritual Monster, right?"
"Only two stars."
"Meteonis Drytron is a special Ritual Spell Card. It doesn't require Levels but requires ATK." Hikaru casually explained from the side. "Unlike other Ritual Spell Cards, as long as you gather Machine-Type monsters with enough ATK, this card can Ritual Summon a Ritual Monster."
Oh?
Polaris watched thoughtfully.
"Total ATK is 4000. I tribute two Level 1, 2000-ATK Drytron monsters on the field, conduct a Ritual Summon!"
"Memories sleeping in the star formation! Time to awaken! Flash of a comet, like a meteor, radiant brilliance!
Drytron Meteonis Quadrantids.
Descend!"
Starlight rain gently sprinkled down. A mechanical dragon shining with golden light flew out from Syrus's hand, then transformed into stars, into points of light, slowly descending.
Drytron Meteonis Quadrantids, LIGHT Attribute, Machine-Type. ATK 4000.
"ATK 4000 again!?"
"Strong, so strong, so terrifying!"
The two nobles trembled.
Otherworld duelists were all this strong!?
"Brother..." Syrus looked at his brother, expression sorrowful, but still forced himself up by his own will. "Regardless, I must awaken brother's memories, like Hikaru did!
Drytron Meteonis Quadrantids' effect. When this card was Ritual Summoned using monsters whose total Levels are 2 or less, activate. Destroy all Spell/Trap Cards on the opponent's field!
Because Meteonis Quadrantids is a Ritual Monster, not a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, it's not affected by Septentrion!"
Though feeling somewhat suffocated, though his body felt uncomfortable, Syrus still directed the monster, charging at Polaris's field.
"I activate Trap Card, Damage Diet! This turn, all damage I take becomes halved. Then, I activate Field Spell Card Ursarctic Big Dipper's effect. Remove all seven of its counters, then target 1 monster on the opponent's field to activate. Gain control of that monster."
"Ah?"
"The ace Ritual Monster that was finally Ritual Summoned!?"
"Meteonis Quadrantids cannot be targeted by opponent's Spell/Trap Card effects!"
Misawa let out a long sigh of relief.
"Oh ho, interesting. Then, I activate Megatanus's effect in my hand. Of course, because of the Field, I can directly banish Mikbilis in the Graveyard to Special Summon it in Defense Position."
Ursarctic Megatanus, Level 7, WATER Attribute. DEF 700.
The next instant, endless cannons under the starlight bombarded Ursarctic's field. In this situation, even Polaris had to shield himself from the wild winds with his hand.
"Megatanus's effect." Polaris wasn't the least bit saddened that his Spells and Traps had been swept away. He continued controlling cards. "While I control another Ursarctic monster, when this card is Special Summoned, target 1 face-up monster on the opponent's field to activate. That monster is changed to face-down position.
I choose Meteonis Quadrantids!"
Bad!
The monster finally summoned was instantly flipped face-down.
In an instant, the entire room was dead silent.
This.
What to do?
Syrus looked at the field, looked at his hand, somewhat dazed.
What to do?
Then his gaze gradually grew firm.
No matter what, continue!
Because he was a duelist. He had to take responsibility for the duel, and for his family and friends.
"Activate Eltanin's effect in my hand. Tribute Meteonis Quadrantids on the field!"
"Though it was flipped face-down, Fusion and Ritual don't need to worry about whether a monster is face-down like Synchro or Xyz do. Even if it's flipped face-down, Meteonis Quadrantids can be used for tribute!" Syrus had deep memory of this point.
Hikaru had once used this very point to easily defeat an Xyz Dimension duelist. After that, he'd secretly studied related knowledge. His understanding of the pros and cons of face-down monsters was considerable.
"I tribute Meteonis Quadrantids, Special Summon Eltanin. Then Eltanin's effect, when this card is Special Summoned by this effect, I can revive 1 Drytron monster with 2000 ATK other than Eltanin from my Graveyard. I revive Alpha Thuban!"
"Gathered materials again. But your hand only has 1 card left. Useless."
"Then I activate Meteonis Drytron's effect in the Graveyard!
While this card exists in the Graveyard, target 1 Drytron monster on my field to activate. That monster's ATK decreases by 1000, and this card is added to my hand."
"I decrease Eltanin's ATK by 1000!"
Huh?
Like this!?
ATK was only 3000 now!
Even though Meteonis Drytron could Special Summon a Ritual Monster from the Graveyard, there was no way to Ritual Summon!
Not enough ATK!
Syrus looked at his hand.
Now, placed before him was only this one choice left.
To defeat his brother this turn, to awaken his brother's memories as much as possible, he had to use this!
"Tribute Eltanin on the field, Special Summon, Drytron Delta Altais."
"He was hiding another monster?!"
"Impressive. This guy actually thought this far ahead?"
This way, he could Ritual Summon again!
But this wasn't enough.
Syrus looked at the field. His expression was grave.
He had no more cards, and his brother still had a full hand!
To win, he had to bet everything!
"Delta Altais's effect. After it's Special Summoned by its own effect, reveal 1 Ritual Monster or Ritual Spell Card, then draw a card.
I reveal Meteonis Drytron, draw a card!"
He gave his all, desperately pulling out a card.
"Draw!"
Starlight sprinkled on his body, lighting it up.
Here it came!
He looked at the drawn card.
"What are you doing, are you crazy!?" Eltanin shouted from the side. "Didn't I tell you, your spirit power isn't enough!"
"At this point, enough or not doesn't matter!"
"Activate Spell Card, Meteonis Drytron! Tribute monsters on the field whose total ATK is up to 4000, conduct a Ritual Summon from my hand or Graveyard!"
"I tribute Delta Altais and Alpha Thuban, conduct a Ritual Summon!"
"Ritual Summon!"
"Level 12, Drytron Meteonis Draconids!"
The dragon drawn on the Ritual Spell Card slowly descended from the sky. The rain-like starlight not only brought peace to one's heart but also seemed to reveal a kind of sanctity.
Drytron Meteonis Draconids, Level 12, LIGHT Attribute, Machine-Type. ATK 4000.
Syrus felt every part of his body cry out with the sound of breaking, but he paid it no mind.
"Meteonis Draconids, Ritual Summoned using monsters of Level 2 or lower, can attack all monsters on the opponent's field!"
All!?
Polaris's pupils slightly contracted.
"Not over yet."
"I pay half my LP, activate Mixeroid's effect in the Graveyard!"
Syrus, LP: 4000 → 2000.
"Banish any number of Machine-Type monsters including this card from my Graveyard to activate. Special Summon 1 Roid Fusion Monster with Level equal to the number of banished monsters from my Extra Deck, ignoring its conditions. The monster Special Summoned by this effect is destroyed at the End Phase!
I banish Mixeroid, UFOroid, Dragonroid, Rescueroid, Barbaroid the Ultimate Battle Machine, Drytron Gamma Eltanin, Drytron Alpha Thuban, and Drytron Meteonis Quadrantids!"
He actually banished almost all monsters in the Graveyard!?
At this moment, the two nobles no longer dared to casually chime in or speak. Because before them, a monster underground was wildly drilling out, rumbling onto the stage.
"Special Summon, Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill!"
Syrus's own ace, and one of his favorite monsters.
Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill, Level 8, EARTH Attribute, Machine-Type. ATK 3000.
Polaris watched the field in shock.
"Battle!" Syrus shouted.
"Attack Megabilis with Meteonis Draconids!"
Starlight gathered. The first cannon blast descended, instantly destroying the mechanical bear.
"Attack Megatanus with Meteonis Draconids!"
More cannon blasts descended, more destruction sweeping across!
"Next, attack Ultimate Bright Knight Ursatron Alpha!"
Triple strike!
Syrus felt his blood surge. His spirit power also seemed to be climbing step by step.
Polaris, LP: 3300 → 2300.
"Fourth attack, attack Grand Chariot!"
Facing Grand Chariot, Meteonis Draconids no longer casually bombarded but charged straight at its face, going toward Grand Chariot's greatsword.
Boom. Another powerful monster vanished!
Polaris, LP: 2300 → 1650.
"Last one, five-strike, attack Septentrion!"
Septentrion held up its seven-star greatsword and locked in battle with Meteonis Draconids. Though its suppression of Extra Deck monsters was quite strong, as kindred spirits and cooperative allies, Drytron Ritual knew it all too well.
Polaris, LP: 1650 → 1150.
"Wow..."
"My god..."
Very cool, very excessive.
Attacking five times in a row, Polaris didn't utter a single word of pain. Rather, Syrus was the one looking completely drained.
"That drill's ATK is 3000. As long as it attacks directly, even halved, he's won."
"Hehehehe, hahahaha, not bad, not bad! You made me feel pain!" Polaris burst into laughter.
Syrus heard the familiar line and was somewhat dazed. Then he shouted: "Then, direct attack!"
Jumbo Drill drilled from the field down into the ground, then came swimming over to Polaris's side, emerged, and attacked with a roar. Countless smoke and dust filled the entire dueling arena, making it impossible to see what had happened.
"I won!" Syrus shouted excitedly.
Hikaru raised his brow, then lightly shook his head.
"Well played..."
As the smoke cleared, a figure slowly emerged from within.
Polaris, LP: 1150.
Didn't lose any life.
"Wh, how could this be?"
"Because I used this." Polaris lifted a card from the Graveyard.
Syrus's pupils contracted. Misawa stood up with a scrape. Atticus shook his head helplessly. The Duel Academy companions also gasped, calling it unbelievable.
It was.
It was.
Kiteroid!
"Ki, Kiteroid!?" Syrus widened his eyes.
"I told you, right? As a duelist, you have to consider everything. Just like when using Power Bond, you shouldn't only focus on monster ATK but should pay attention to all the opponent's possibilities."
"Uh." Syrus stood dazed in place. "Bro, brother?"
"Syrus, you nearly beat me."
It really was his brother!
His brother, he hadn't lost his memories!?
Hikaru stroked his chin. He didn't think so.
Looked like he'd just recovered his memories not long ago.
The clearer sign was that this Synchro Summon didn't have the Crimson Dragon's power appear, while last time it clearly did.
Seemed that during this time, Zane had, through his own effort or some other method, remembered everything.
"If just now, you'd first used Meteonis Draconids to attack Septentrion and Grand Chariot, then used Jumbo Drill to attack Megapolar or Megabilis in Defense Position, through piercing damage, it would've been exactly 1150 damage."
Syrus was startled.
"But to better utilize Meteonis Draconids and use Jumbo Drill to deal more damage, you chose to use Meteonis Draconids to destroy all my monsters, then use Jumbo Drill for a direct attack. This gave me the opportunity."
Indeed.
Greed was a mindset one couldn't have.
Being as precise as possible, not creating unnecessary complications, was the mindset a duelist needed most. Otherwise, too many operations, then having the opponent find weakness and gaps, turning defeat into victory, would be a losing trade.
But this wasn't Syrus's fault.
Because before Hikaru saw Zane today, he hadn't known how Zane's current situation was either.
If he'd known Zane had recovered his memories, he definitely wouldn't have played so naively.
"Syrus, I'm glad you've grown into a true man, a true duelist." Polaris, Zane, rarely praised his younger brother. "This way, I can be at ease and reassured."
"Brother!" Syrus felt that putting everything on the line, betting on the spirits' repulsion, the pain of forcibly summoning two upper-level Ritual Monsters, none of it was as heavy as this one word of acknowledgment.
The two nobles exchanged a glance.
So they really were brothers?!
"But I only respect victory!"
Syrus was startled by his own brother's absurd shout. The voice was deafening, as if it could pierce the heavens, making Syrus think his heart had jumped out.
"Since you missed this only chance to defeat me, I won't be courteous, Syrus! You have nothing left to operate, so end your turn!"
The next second, Jumbo Drill, because its time was up, loudly shattered.
Bad.
Syrus looked at the field.
Brother still had 5 cards in hand!
"This is also the last thing I can teach you. In truly critical duels, sacrifice is also wisdom!"
Trade-offs, the eternal problem of dueling.
Also a problem true duelists had to consider.
"My turn, draw." Zane drew a card from his Deck. "Card Destruction. Both players discard all hand cards, draw an equal number of cards."
He glanced at the drawn card and gave a soft chuckle. "This card, when I control no other cards, can be activated directly from the hand."
?
"Trap Card, Infinite Impermanence!"
Before Zane, it was as if bubbles were flying backward.
He'd trained in Xyz Summoning for a long time in the Xyz Dimension. But in the end, due to an accident and E-Ra's doing, he'd joined the Synchro Dimension's City Hall team.
Perhaps this was fate's joke.
"Target 1 monster on the opponent's field to activate. That monster's effects are negated until the end of the turn."
Bad.
Syrus had already been sweating profusely from being unable to sustain the Drytron spirits. Now seeing this card, he grew even more tense.
Meteonis Draconids didn't have Meteonis Quadrantids' effect. It could be targeted by Spell and Trap Card effects.
He'd actually been thinking that even without a direct victory, he could use Meteonis Draconids' effect: during the opponent's turn, banish monsters whose total ATK is up to 2000 or 4000 from his Graveyard, target face-up cards on the opponent's field equal to that total divided by 2000, send those cards to the Graveyard.
But now.
"Then..."
"Heh."
"The final Spell Card, Power Bond!"
As expected.
Hikaru raised his brow.
"Fuse the three Cyber Dragons in my hand, Fusion Summon, Cyber End Dragon!"
"The monster Fusion Summoned by this effect has its ATK doubled!"
Among the stars, within the battleship, a three-headed mechanical dragon slowly manifested.
Cyber End Dragon, Level 10, LIGHT Attribute, Machine-Type. ATK 4000 → 8000!
It was over!
The group exchanged glances, somewhat at a loss for what to say.
Even the nobles who felt they'd won were somewhat bewildered at this moment.
How was this supposed to count?
Did he win, or didn't he?
Wasn't he our nobility's Negative Synchro trump card? How did it become Fusion?
Even Misawa was somewhat confused at this moment.
Wh, what was going on?
How, how was I different from him?
Hadn't he been affected more seriously?
Just at this moment, Hikaru stood up and lightly applauded.
"You've already played very well, Syrus! Also, Zane, you had us so worried!"
He'd already figured it out.
Perhaps in a previous duel, Zane had already realized his body's problem, but Zane hadn't cared. He just wanted to win!
Since he'd entered, there was no reason to stop halfway.
Perhaps because of this mindset, what seemed like more severe surveillance actually hadn't affected him. It allowed him to perform freely. Because only duelists who could truly perform freely could produce better results and skill.
Zane looked at Hikaru, somewhat apologetic in his heart.
Because he wanted to keep dueling, he hadn't contacted his juniors and classmates.
Seemed they really had worried too much.
Even Hikaru couldn't sit still and had actually come personally to find him in this situation.
A senior who worried his juniors was truly embarrassing.
But perhaps also a good thing. In this duel, Zane had seen his younger brother's dueling, different from his own yet equally upright.
As for other matters, later!
Now, he had to win!
"Heh, I only respect victory! Whatever the reason, since I've entered the competition, I must absolutely win!"
Zane said this, his eyes showing excitement and satisfaction.
He really was just a bit away from losing to his own younger brother!
Truly amazing. Syrus, looks like you've experienced a lot too!
But!
My dueling path started earlier than yours, and I'm more persistent than you too!
Even with memory loss, even in a foreign land, I might forget everything, but I will absolutely never forget dueling and the desire for victory!
I'll wait for you to catch up!
"Super Strident Blaze!"
Under the pure white light, the duel reached its curtain!
Syrus, LP: 2000 → 0.