"Mokey Mokey, direct attack!"
Under Kaima's complicated gaze, Miles's so-called 'all-out strike' was nothing more than a square white tofu block bumping into Cameron Slint's empty field.
A direct attack with 300 Attack Points… utterly harmless. Even taking it directly, Cameron would hardly feel it.
Yet it was exactly this weakling strike—
That prompted Cameron to reveal a card from his hand.
"When your monster declares an attack, I activate the effect of a monster in my hand!"
"Huh? Drew out a hand trap?!"
A pleasant surprise—baiting out a hand trap with Mokey Mokey's attack. Was this a small profit, or a massive one?
Even Kaima couldn't understand why the enemy would waste a response on Mokey Mokey.
"Effect of [Snow Plow Hustle Rustle]!"
[If a card exists in your Spell/Trap Zone when an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: Special Summon this card from your hand, then destroy all cards in your Spell/Trap Zone, and inflict 200 damage to your opponent for each card destroyed.]
"I Special Summon Snow Plow Hustle Rustle in Defense Position!"
[Snow Plow Hustle Rustle] Level 10│EARTH│Machine/Effect│2500 ATK / 3000 DEF
When the massive industrial snow-clearing train roared onto the open-air bridge, Miles suddenly didn't feel so lucky anymore.
A Level 10 monster, summoned thanks only to Mokey Mokey's attack.
Leaving his field empty had been Cameron's trap all along.
"When Snow Plow Hustle Rustle is Special Summoned, it destroys all cards in my back row and deals damage to you!"
The Trap Card [Barrage Blast] was shredded by the train's spinning gears, sending a shockwave straight at Miles.
[Aisha & Kaima, LP: 4000 → 3800]
"Facing my war machines, do you still dare attack, brat?!"
"Tch. I cancel Mokey Mokey's attack."
Sending 300 ATK against 3000 DEF would be the act of a true idiot. Miles wisely pulled back.
He set two cards in his back row. "I set two cards. End my turn."
The field state was clearer now: Miles with a lonely Level 1 Mokey Mokey, Cameron with a hulking Level 10 train.
Just a difference of nine Levels.
"My turn, draw!"
Cameron confidently drew. "Hmph! Now, experience the world's greatest firepower of the Varian Empire! I activate the effect of [Special Schedule Bullet Express] from my hand!"
[If you control only EARTH Machine monsters: Special Summon this card from your hand.]
With Snow Plow Hustle Rustle on the field, the conditions were perfect.
In a flash, a sleek bullet-train monster stormed onto the warship's dueling platform.
[Special Schedule Bullet Express] Level 10│EARTH│Machine/Effect│3000 ATK / 0 DEF
Two Level 10 monsters—more than enough power compared to Mokey Mokey.
But what truly mattered was not their stats, but their Levels.
Miles knew well what was coming. He had seen the Slint family crest glow when Luca performed her Xyz Summon.
If the daughter could summon the Empire's ultimate artillery, then surely the father could as well.
"Overlay my two Level 10 monsters! Xyz Summon!"
Standing tall with military precision, Cameron Slint raised his hand in a crisp imperial salute as the two trains merged into the light of Xyz.
"Behold the Varian Empire's supreme artillery—Xyz Summon! [Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Gustav Max]!"
[Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Gustav Max] Rank 10│EARTH│Machine/Xyz/Effect│3000 ATK / 3000 DEF
[2 Level 10 monsters]
Miles said, "Just as I thought—it's that card!"
The gigantic cannon extended from the deck, towering into the sky. A symbol of the Empire's absolute firepower.
"So this is the Empire's legendary giant cannon?"
Even Kaima grew serious now. Unlike Miles, she had never faced it before, only seen records of the Empire's duels.
"Feel the terror of absolute firepower! Fire—!"
[Once per turn: Detach 1 material; inflict 2000 damage to your opponent.]
Cameron detached [Bullet Express], and a massive shell traced an arc through the sky, exploding between Miles and Kaima.
[Aisha & Kaima, LP: 3800 → 1800]
The impact forced both of them back. Kaima grabbed a valve to steady herself; Miles clutched the trailing edge of her silver coat.
"Once per turn, 2000 burn damage. The Empire's firepower really is as terrifying as the rumors."
Kaima narrowed her eyes, helping Aisha back to her feet.
"Can you withstand what comes next, Aisha?"
Two thousand damage each turn was deadly enough. But Gustav Max could still attack—with 3000 ATK, it would crush Mokey Mokey instantly. If Miles couldn't stop it, they'd lose before Kaima even played.
"Of course I can stop it. You think this is my first time dealing with it? Not only will I stop it—I'll counterattack!"
He had learned his lesson before. This time, Miles was prepared.
"As expected." Kaima's eyes flickered. "I take back my doubt. You do have your own way of fighting, Aisha."
"You think you can resist? That's just academy brats who've never seen true firepower!"
Even as Gustav Max roared, Xyz light gleamed again. Cameron was performing a Rank-Up.
With immense willpower and imperial loyalty, he surpassed what even Luca had achieved.
"I overlay Rank 11 upon Gustav Max—Rank-Up Xyz Summon!"
The massive cannon reshaped, transforming into an even greater form.
"The Varian Empire's steel fortress, invincible and eternal—Xyz Summon [Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Juggernaut Liebe]!"
[Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Juggernaut Liebe] Rank 11│EARTH│Machine/Xyz/Effect│4000 ATK / 4000 DEF
[3 Level 11 monsters]
[Once per turn, you can also Xyz Summon this card by placing it on top of a Rank 10 Machine Xyz Monster you control.]
Normally requiring three Level 11 monsters, Juggernaut Liebe could instead be summoned directly atop Gustav Max.
"Upon Rank-Up, its ATK becomes 4000."
"Not just that! I activate Juggernaut Liebe's effect!"
[Once per turn: Detach 1 material; this card gains 2000 ATK/DEF. For the rest of this turn, only this card can declare attacks.]
Detaching [Bullet Express], the steel colossus powered up.
[Juggernaut Liebe ATK: 4000 → 6000]
"And Liebe can attack up to its number of materials plus one. With one left beneath it, that's two attacks."
Two swings of 6000 ATK. The very definition of overwhelming firepower.
"Battle—!"
As the phase began, the steel monster loomed. On Miles's field, his lone defender was… -_- Mokey Mokey. In Attack Position, no less.
"Juggernaut Liebe—obliterate them!"
"Trap Card activate—[The League of Uniform Nomenclature]!"
Though Gustav Max had become Juggernaut Liebe, Miles had prepared a counter.
[The League of Uniform Nomenclature: Target 1 face-up Level 2 or lower Normal Monster you control; Special Summon as many monsters as possible from your Deck with the same name.]
"From my Deck, in Defense Position, summon two more Mokey Mokeys!"
[Mokey Mokey DEF: 100]
Now his field was wall-to-wall tofu blocks. Enough to block Liebe's two strikes.
If not for one small problem: one Mokey Mokey was still in Attack Position.
"Fire again!"
Cameron shifted his cannon, targeting the weak point.
Aisha: "Miles, are you sure Mokey Mokey can stop that? That's the Empire's strongest firepower!"
Miles: "Of course! Mokey Mokey is here for exactly this kind of monster! Trap Card, activate!"
He flipped his last Set card. Though it was the opponent's turn, his field shone with Xyz light.
"An Xyz Summon?!"
Cameron and Kaima both exclaimed in shock.
"Accelerated Xyz—Trap Card [Wonder Xyz]!"
[This Trap allows you to Xyz Summon using monsters you control as materials, even during your opponent's turn.]
Aisha's eyes widened, "Wait, since when do I have Xyz support cards?!"
As a Livorden duelist from Fusion Academy, having an Xyz support trap was absurd. She didn't even recall owning it.
Miles said, "You must've forgotten, Aisha. You did have this card."
"...Really? I had this card?"
Easily fooled, Aisha accepted it. But in Miles's inner Soul Room, Dark Aisha was frantically patting her pockets.
"Hey, that's my card! Miles, when did you steal it?!"
"Just borrowing it for now. Anyways—"
"Overlay my two Mokey Mokeys! Xyz Summon!"
Two Level 1 monsters stacked into a new hope, gleaming through the cannon's fire.
"Light of hope, charge forward with flawless resolve—descend! [Number 39: Utopia Roots]!"
...
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