"Battle—!"
Riding the Chaos MAX Dragon, wielding the Sword of Hope to carve the way, Kaima Seth declared the start of the Battle Phase, prying open the door of the ritual.
"Aisha Carlos!"
As the Battle Phase began, Kaima's gaze signaled to Miles at her side.
On Cameron Slint's field stood [Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Juggernaut Liebe, ATK: 6000], immune to effect destruction. Battle destruction was the only way through.
"Roger that, Kaima!"
While Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon gathered its energy, the first strike was launched. The starlight blade of Xyz power slashed through the heavens.
"I place all hope for a breakthrough into this one strike—to carve the path for my teammate! Number 39: Utopia Roots!"
[Number 39: Utopia Roots, ATK: 6000]
This was Utopia Roots' second clash with Juggernaut Liebe. But this time, there was no need to negate its attack through Xyz effects.
A straight swing—head-on breakthrough.
"Hope Sword Origin Slash!!"
Light and cannon fire clashed. Both stood at 6000 attack, detonating in a tragic double destruction high above the royal capital.
The Rank 1 and Rank 11 monsters went down together, leaving Supreme General Cameron Slint, wielder of the Empire's strongest artillery, suddenly facing an empty field.
And next waited Kaima Seth's [Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon, ATK: 4000], charged for an ultimate, lethal blast.
"This farce ends here! The sins you've brought upon the Livorden royal capital—you'll repay them with your own hands! Direct attack, Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon!!"
"Hmph… sins? Naïve, Kaima Seth!"
Even as his war machine was destroyed, the Spirit-Eyed general raised his arm in imperial salute, his roar rising even louder.
"The Empire's steel fortresses, though collapsed, will forever shine in glory! This is the loyal sacrifice's resolve! I activate a Trap Card from my Graveyard—Barrage Blast!!"
Back in Miles' first turn, Cameron had sent this very Trap to the Graveyard using [Snow Plow Hustle Rustle].
[While this card is in the Graveyard, if your Machine Xyz Monster on the field is destroyed by battle or an opponent's effect: You can banish this card and 1 Machine Xyz Monster from your Graveyard; inflict damage to your opponent equal to the Rank of the banished monster × 200.]
"I banish [Juggernaut Liebe, Rank 11] along with Barrage Blast, to deal 11 times 200—2200 damage!"
[Kaima & Aisha, LP: 1800]
Already down 2000 LP from a cannon blast earlier, the hidden Barrage Blast became the lethal snare.
"Damn it!"
Kaima gritted her teeth. She hadn't expected such a trap lurking in the Graveyard after destroying Juggernaut Liebe.
Under 4000 LP duel rules, Cameron Slint's effects each dealt massive damage over 2000 points. Two successful strikes could end the duel without even battling.
"This is the Empire's victory through a barrage of fire—open fire!!"
The third ceremonial salvo thundered. Deafening explosions filled the skies, fire and smoke pouring toward Kaima and Miles.
If the damage went through, Kaima would fall before Chaos MAX Dragon could strike.
"Not here… not now—"
"Keep charging, Kaima! We can't stop yet!"
Through the cannon's roar, Miles' voice reached her.
"Aisha Carlos?!"
And in his hand—Kaima gasped at the desperate card.
A Kuriboh of salvation!
"As long as we keep moving forward, the path will continue! I activate [Kuriphoton] from my hand!"
[Send this card from your hand to the Graveyard; pay half your LP; this turn you take no damage. This effect can be activated during either player's turn.]
"I pay half my LP—this turn, all damage becomes 0!"
[Aisha & Kaima, LP: 1800 → 900]
Stronger than Clear Kuriboh, by paying half his LP, Miles nullified the deadly Barrage Blast.
The Kuriphoton floated forth, erecting a radiant shield that deflected the rain of cannon fire.
"As expected of you, Aisha Carlos! There's no partner more reliable!"
Protected, Kaima unleashed Chaos MAX Dragon's ultimate energy.
"Direct attack—MAX Energy Burst!!"
4000 attack points slammed toward Cameron—the perfect lethal.
"When attacked directly, I Special Summon [Construction Train Signal Red] from my hand!"
Even then, Cameron revealed another hand trap.
[Construction Train Signal Red] Level 3│EARTH│Machine│1000 ATK / 1300 DEF
[When your opponent declares a direct attack: Special Summon this card from your hand, then that monster must battle this card. This card cannot be destroyed by that battle.]
"In Defense Position, I Special Summon Construction Train Signal Red, redirecting the attack!"
A train crashed onto the field, its red warning light taunting as it drew the dragon's strike.
"Special Summon in Defense Position? Hmph!"
Kaima sneered, pride flashing on her beautiful face.
"So this is the Empire's general? Witness Chaos MAX Dragon's true power—the effect that crushes all small fry!"
[If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict double piercing battle damage.]
"The Small Fry Crusher…" Miles muttered nervously.
The hint was clear: this was aimed at him.
"Even if it can't be destroyed, the damage will break through Construction Train Signal Red's defense completely!"
4000 – 1300 = 2700. Doubled = 5400 damage.
If Cameron had let it attack in Attack Position, he might have survived. In Defense, the doubled pierce was even worse.
"Your refusal to face MAX Dragon head-on—that is your downfall, Cameron Slint!"
"Downfall? No—this is yours!"
As Chaos MAX struck through, Cameron flipped his final set card—the same Trap once used by his daughter, Locke Slint.
"Trap Card—Rainbow Life!!"
[Discard 1 card; until the End Phase, any damage you would take becomes LP gain instead.]
Using the monster his daughter once battled with, now the father revealed her Trap.
"I discard [Heavy Freight Train Derricrane]! Chaos MAX's damage turns into Life recovery!"
Rainbow light shone, reversing the fatal strike into a torrent of restored life.
[Cameron Slint, LP: 4000 → 9400]
A shocking turnaround. More satisfying than Locke's 1900 recovery—this time, over 5000 LP gained.
"We've screwed up, Kaima," Miles muttered. "The Small Fry Crusher backfired."
"…Hm?" Kaima glanced at him, a mix of exasperation and disbelief.
Sure, he had cheered earlier about "the road continuing." Now that the road stretched out before Cameron instead—in rainbow light.
"Tch! I change Mokey Mokey to Defense Position, set 2 cards, and end my turn!"
Clearly, her tone added "small fry" to Mokey Mokey's name. Yet emptying her hand in support of Miles showed her trust.
Believing he could carry her will forward with Chaos MAX and Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon.
"My turn—draw!!"
Scanning his two cards, Cameron chose.
"I activate Quick-Play Spell [Burial from a Different Dimension], returning Juggernaut Liebe from the Banished Zone to the Graveyard! Then I activate [Pot of Avarice]!"
[Target 5 monsters in your Graveyard; shuffle all 5 into the Deck, then draw 2 cards.]
Five train cards emerged—Snow Plow Hustle Rustle, Bullet Train, Derricrane, Gustav Max, and Liebe. Three returned to the Main Deck, two to the Extra Deck.
Miles realized—Cameron sought to recycle his rarest Xyz monsters.
Even generals might not own multiple copies of Gustav Max or Juggernaut Liebe.
So this was how he reused them.
Aisha gasped. "We can't let him recycle them, Miles-san!"
With only 900 LP left, their Clear Kuriboh already spent, and Miles holding only [Tri-Wight] and [Monster Reborn]—there was no real defense left.
Miles frowned. "Then it comes down to the goddess of luck—whose side she stands on."
Even after Pot of Avarice, Cameron had only 2 fresh cards. His Graveyard now empty of resources.
"Now is when you bet—his gun has no bullets!"
"I Normal Summon—[Flying Pegasus Railroad Stampede]!"
[Flying Pegasus Railroad Stampede] Level 4│EARTH│Machine│1800 ATK / 1000 DEF
The Pegasus charged onto the battlefield.
"I activate its effect! Change [Construction Train Signal Red] to Level 4! Overlay the two monsters—Xyz Summon!!"
Not a Rank 10, but a Rank 4. And in the skies, the Empire's warship descended.
"The chariots and warships of the Varian Empire fear nothing! Xyz Summon! Number 27: Dreadnought Dreadnoid!!"
...
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