The effect of [Number 88: Gimmick Puppet of Leo] activated. The king's great sword swung down, carving a sigil of victory into the air.
When all of its Xyz Materials were detached by its own effect, that would be the moment XYZ Academy's Leon Gate claimed victory.
A truly unique fighting style—built entirely around a single absolute core monster, [Number 88: Gimmick Puppet of Leo].
"Two turns left," Leon whispered on his D-Wheel, thrusting his hand forward.
"Attack, [Number 88: Gimmick Puppet of Leo]! The lion upon the throne knows more than one way to fight."
He declared his attack phase.
Even though his core strategy depended on stalling until his special victory condition was met, Leon still struck with everything he had when the chance arose. Whether through effect victory or sheer power, all that mattered was winning.
He was like a true lion. Eyes locked only on his prey.
"Destroy [Apprentice Illusion Magician]!—Sword of Destiny!"
The great sword of kings cleaved through the air toward the dark-skinned apprentice.
Most assumed [Number 88: Gimmick Puppet of Leo] was only a stall monster built for effect victory, while they overlooked an important fact.
[Number 88: Gimmick Puppet of Leo] was Rank 8, with 3200 Attack—stronger than Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
"You really dare to attack, huh?" Irena muttered. "What a reckless brute."
She had a Set card—if it had been Mirror Force, that lion would've gone straight to pieces.
Leon glanced sideways at her gliding form. "If it were Mirror Force, you wouldn't be making that face."
"Even if it's not, I can still stop you!" Irena swung her arm, activating a card from her Graveyard through her Spirit Eyes. "I banish the card I discarded earlier to activate its effect!"
Responding to her declaration, [Apprentice Illusion Magician] nodded knowingly and drew a mysterious object from thin air to meet the lion's strike in midair.
However, the object wasn't a sword—it was a bone.
"I banish [Bacon Saver] from my Graveyard to activate its effect!"
[When a monster attacks: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; negate that attack. You can only use this effect of 'Bacon Saver' once per Duel.]
"I negate [Number 88: Gimmick Puppet of Leo]'s attack!"
Thanks to her Graveyard's emergency defense, Irena successfully saved her dark-skinned apprentice from being torn apart by the Destiny Lion.
"Not bad. Otherwise, this Duel would've been boring."
Leon's probing strike hadn't been meaningless.
After ending his Battle Phase, he drew a Spell Card from his D-Wheel and hurled it skyward as he entered Main Phase 2.
In an instant, blades of light filled the entire Turbo Duel track.
"I activate the Spell Card—[Swords of Revealing Light]!"
[All monsters your opponent controls are changed to face-up Position. This card remains on the field for 3 of your opponent's turns. As long as it remains, your opponent's monsters cannot declare attacks.]
"For the next three turns, counting yours, you won't be able to attack."
Takehiko Izumi: "A perfect balance of offense and defense! Leon from XYZ Academy has successfully sealed off Irena's combat power with [Swords of Revealing Light]! If she can't attack for three turns, it'll be too late by the time they fade!"
In truth, she didn't even have three turns; if she couldn't deal with the Destiny Lion within two, defeat would be certain.
"Too bad, but your swords can't stop me."
Graceful and poised as ever, Irena flipped her Set card the moment Leon declared the end of his turn.
"Trap Card—[Magician Navigation]!"
[Special Summon 1 'Dark Magician' from your hand, then Special Summon 1 Level 7 or lower DARK Spellcaster monster from your Deck.]
"I Special Summon the [Dark Magician] I added to my hand last turn in Attack Position!"
[Dark Magician] Level 7│DARK│Spellcaster│ATK 2500 / DEF 2100
Her ace monster appeared in style, followed immediately by his most trusted disciple.
"Then I Special Summon the Level 6 DARK Spellcaster—[Dark Magician Girl] in Attack Position!"
[Dark Magician Girl] Level 6│DARK│Spellcaster│ATK 2000 DEF 1700
With two successive Special Summons, Irena had filled her field with three Spellcasters.
A pair of youthful, radiant magical girls—one dark, one light—stood ready beside her, dazzling the audience.
"My turn—draw!"
With her summons complete, Irena drew her next card as she glided forward.
The glowing swords still surrounded her, and unless she dispelled them, she couldn't advance.
Once again, she flicked her Spirit Eyes, banishing a card from her Graveyard to activate an effect.
"I banish [Magician Navigation] from my Graveyard to activate its effect!"
[If you control "Dark Magician", except the turn this card was sent to the GY: You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 face-up Spell/Trap your opponent controls; negate its effects until the end of this turn.]
"I target your [Swords of Revealing Light] and negate its effects until the end of the turn! By the power of the Magi—dispel the swords of light!"
Raising his staff, Dark Magician unleashed dark mana that shattered the radiant blades encircling Irena.
Through sheer magical might, she'd earned herself a window to attack.
"Battle! Dark Magician, attack [Number 88: Gimmick Puppet of Leo]!"
Taking advantage of the opening, Irena accelerated straight into the Battle Phase.
Leon's brows furrowed slightly. "Attacking the Destiny Lion with only 2500 Attack?"
He might not know every detail of a Dark Magician Deck's tricks, but he wasn't stupid—and neither was Irena.
Holding her hat with one hand, Irena swung the other forward. "I Tribute [Apprentice Illusion Magician] on my field to activate its effect! During this battle, Dark Magician gains 2000 Attack!"
The power of two magi intertwined, bursting forth beyond the Destiny Lion's might.
[Dark Magician, ATK: 2500 → 4500]
"—Illusionary Magic Burst!"
The blast of magical energy detonated, sending a violent gust sweeping across the track. Luckily, the ever-prepared Irena pressed down on her beloved witch's hat just in time.
A witch without her hat was an unqualified one.
[Leon, LP: 4000 → 2700]
Leon's remaining Life Points dropped sharply, but when the smoke of the magical blast cleared, the Destiny Lion still sat proudly upon its throne, sword in hand.
"—I activate the Continuous Trap [Dimension Guardian]!"
[Target 1 face-up Attack Position monster you control; it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects while this card is in your Spell & Trap Zone. When that monster leaves the field, destroy this card.]
"As long as [Dimension Guardian] remains face-up on the field, my Destiny Lion can't be destroyed by battle or card effects!"
Every Spell and Trap Leon had set existed solely to protect [Number 88: Gimmick Puppet of Leo] until it achieved its automatic win condition. That was his brutally straightforward strategy.
And his opponent now had only two turns left.
"I Set two cards and end my turn!"
No. Now, Irena only had one turn remaining.
The [Swords of Revealing Light] negated earlier by [Magician Navigation] returned at the end of Irena's turn, stabbing once more into the field in a ring of radiant blades.
"My turn, draw!"
Leon drew his card—and immediately threw out [Pot of Greed].
"By the effect of [Pot of Greed], I draw two cards!"
Among the two new cards was the Quick-Play Spell [Forbidden Lance], granting his Destiny Lion protection from other Spell or Trap effects.
One more layer of insurance. All Leon needed to do now was continue counting down to his destined victory.
"Once per turn, I detach 1 Xyz Material from Destiny Lion!"
The king's blade swung again, carving the second sigil of destiny into the Turbo Duel track.
Only one Xyz Material remained beneath [Number 88: Gimmick Puppet of Leo].
Leon could simply wait until his next turn to declare an automatic win.
Despite that, like any lion with its prey locked in its jaws, he didn't stop there.
"I activate the effect of [Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll] in my Graveyard!"
[If this card is in your Graveyard: You can banish 1 other 'Gimmick Puppet' monster from your Graveyard; Special Summon this card.]
"I banish [Gimmick Puppet Des Troy] from my Graveyard to Special Summon [Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll]!"
[Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll] Level 8│DEF 0
"Then I activate the Spell Card [Junk Puppet]!"
[Target 1 'Gimmick Puppet' monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it.]
"I Special Summon the Level 8 [Gimmick Puppet Bisque Doll] from my Graveyard!"
Leon once again assembled two Level 8 monsters on the field. The intricate Rank 8 overlay network erupted instantly.
"Arise, Number 15! Messenger from the depths of hell—puppet of the lines of fate! [Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder]!"
[Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder] Rank 8│DARK│Machine│ATK 1500 / DEF 2500
[2 Level 8 monsters]
Overlaying two Level 8 monsters, Leon gained a new Xyz weapon.
The massive black puppet, [Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder], was every bit as imposing as the Destiny Lion upon its throne.
"Rank 8 with only 1500 Attack?"
While gliding elegantly, Irena raised a brow, pondering how this thing was supposed to fight.
Then, from within the Giant Grinder's chest, something alarming began to emerge.
The puppet's torso split open, revealing a massive, black, gleaming cannon barrel slowly extending outward.
"Guh?" Irena twitched at the sight of the abruptly suggestive scene before her.
Leon shouted, "I detach 1 Xyz Material to activate [Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder]'s effect!"
[Up to twice per turn, during your Main Phase 1: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 Special Summoned monster your opponent controls; destroy it. If that monster was an Xyz Monster, inflict damage to your opponent equal to its original ATK. You can use this effect up to twice per turn.]
Twice per turn—it could directly destroy Special Summoned monsters.
And Irena's [Dark Magician] and [Dark Magician Girl] were both Special Summoned.
"This turn, I'll wipe out your entire field!"
If he succeeded, a direct attack from Destiny Lion and Giant Grinder could finish the Duel this turn.
"—End Calamity Cannon!"
The first blast locked onto [Dark Magician Girl]. The cute sorceress went pale as the enormous black cannon aimed squarely at her.
"Fire!"
Leon's command echoed as the puppet's massive artillery roared toward her.
"I won't let you! Quick-Play Spell—[Thunderspeed Summon]! I Normal Summon a monster from my hand!"
In a flash of tribute light, Irena performed an advanced summon during her opponent's turn, offering up her ace.
"I Tribute [Dark Magician] to Tribute Summon [Kiwi Magician Girl]!"
[Kiwi Magician Girl] Level 5│WIND│Spellcaster│ATK 1800 / DEF 1200
The Level 5 Wind Magician Girl strode forward, materializing before [Dark Magician Girl] to intercept the cannon blast.
"As long as [Kiwi Magician Girl] is on my field, all my Spellcaster monsters cannot be destroyed by card effects and cannot be targeted by your effects!"
Her presence alone granted all Spellcasters immunity, rendering Giant Grinder's firepower meaningless.
"And since [Dark Magician] was sent to the Graveyard, [Dark Magician Girl] gains 300 Attack!"
[Dark Magician Girl, ATK: 2000 → 2300]
When the destruction failed, Leon didn't hesitate for a second—he immediately declared his Battle Phase.
Irena's two monsters had 2300 and 1800 Attack, both stronger than Giant Grinder's 1500.
Thus, only the 3200 Attack Destiny Lion could battle.
"—Swing your blade! Sword of Destiny!"
The lion roared, its blade cleaving down the Spellcaster shield. [Kiwi Magician Girl] shattered into particles of light.
[Kiwi Magician Girl] destroyed.
[Irena, LP: 4000 → 2600]
Though he broke through her protective barrier by battle, during Main Phase 2, Giant Grinder's effect could no longer activate.
So Leon's last move was to Set [Forbidden Lance] and await the turn of destiny.
"I Set one card and end my turn. This is your last turn, Irena!"
The [Swords of Revealing Light] still stood around the field, and [Dimension Guardian] continued protecting Destiny Lion from destruction.
Takehiko Izumi: "In just two turns, Leon Gate has completely cornered the Gray Witch, Irena! This is the power of his special victory strategy!"
Aisha worried, "Will senpai be okay?"
Miles had planned for Irena to handle this round conservatively, to safely secure the second day's match.
But due to the matchup, she'd been pitted against XYZ Academy's leader instead.
Ren muttered nervously, "If she can't figure something out on this last turn, she's done for."
"What's going on, what's going on?!"
Holding onto her witch's hat, Irena kept gliding gracefully across the field. Through the surrounding ring of [Swords of Revealing Light], she swept her gaze across the crowd.
"Why does everyone look like I'm really cornered here? Seriously?"
"Hm?" Leon's brows knitted.
Meanwhile, Irena's lips curved into a mysterious smile.
"Looks like the one truly cornered hasn't realized it yet. But of course—an expert hunter often appears in the form of prey! Like me, the perfect beautiful girl~"
Timing it precisely at the end of Leon's turn, Irena flipped her final face-down card.
"—Quick-Play Spell [Soul Servant] activate!"
[Place on top of your Deck 1 card that mentions 'Dark Magician' or 'Dark Magician Girl,' except 'Soul Servant,' from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.]
"I place the Spell Card [Dark Burning Attack] on top of my Deck!"
By placing it during Leon's End Phase, Irena guaranteed that her next Draw Phase would give her that exact card.
[Dark Burning Attack]'s effect: if you control [Dark Magician Girl], destroy all face-up monsters your opponent controls—essentially the Dark Magician Deck's very own Raigeki.
"No way, senpai," even Ecclesia could tell. "The Destiny Lion can't be destroyed by effects right now. That card won't work!"
"My turn—draw!"
Switching turns, Irena drew the card everyone expected—yet one that couldn't help her.
Why deliberately search for a useless card? The answer was simple.
Because she'd never planned to use it.
"The comeback I gambled everything on isn't that card—it's this one!"
Still gliding stylishly, Irena threw her card forward, tracing a gleaming golden arc.
"—Spell Card [Left Arm Offering], activate!"
[You cannot Set Spell/Trap Cards this turn. If you have 2 or more cards in your hand other than this card, banish your entire hand to activate this card; add 1 Spell Card from your Deck to your hand.]
[Left Arm Offering] allows you to search any Spell directly from your Deck—but such power comes with a steep price.
You cannot Set cards that turn, and if you have two or more other cards in hand, you must banish them all.
Just like its artwork, to obtain the treasure, one must offer their arm.
Irena activated it now because a single Spell in her Deck could turn everything around.
"No way! Gambling everything just to search a Spell Card?!"
Leon scowled but didn't panic. He knew what Irena didn't—his Set card was [Forbidden Lance], which would protect his Destiny Lion from all Spell and Trap effects this turn.
No matter what she searched, it wouldn't matter.
"The Spell I'll search is—[Monster Reborn]!"
"What?!" The crowd gasped.
They'd expected something apocalyptic—after such a huge sacrifice, banishing her entire hand just to fetch… [Monster Reborn]?
It wasn't that it was weak: Just too ordinary. And in this situation, it seemed meaningless.
"Go ahead and laugh. You won't be laughing for long!"
Holding her key card tight, Irena hurled the sacred revival light skyward.
"Arise once more! I Special Summon—[Apprentice Illusion Magician]!"
[Apprentice Illusion Magician, ATK: 2000]
The dark-skinned apprentice reappeared from the cross of resurrection, floating beside Irena once again.
Two magical girls—one dark, one light—stood side by side. Without a doubt, this was Irena's final act.
Takehiko Izumi: "[Apprentice Illusion Magician] can raise [Dark Magician Girl]'s Attack to 4300! Even so, with [Swords of Revealing Light] on the field, Irena still can't attack!"
"Exactly." Leon pressed, "Knowing you can't attack, you sacrificed everything. What are you planning, Gray Witch of Fusion Academy?"
"Doing what you're most familiar with, Lion of XYZ Academy!"
At that last exchange, Leon's eyes widened—he suddenly realized something.
"[Dark Magician Girl] and [Apprentice Illusion Magician]—two Level 6 monsters on your field!"
Two monsters of the same Level—the very thing Leon knew best.
"Wait… no way!"
The XYZ Academy students leapt from their seats as a radiant surge of stars erupted around Irena.
There was no mistaking it—the light of Xyz Summoning, as two monsters overlapped to form an Overlay Network.
"I overlay my two magician girls to construct the Xyz Overlay Network!"
The black-and-white spellcasters crossed their ornate wands, spiraling into the sky before merging into one dazzling figure.
Aisha: "It really is an Xyz Summon! When did Senpai learn that?!"
Miles: "I think she's known all along… she just never needed it until now."
Irena might not have cared much about Dueling, but that didn't change the fact that she was a genius.
She'd witnessed countless Xyz Summons; there was no way she hadn't mastered the concept by now.
As Miles said, she'd simply been waiting for the perfect moment.
And now that moment had come—to turn fate itself on its head, like a magician's final illusion.
"Intertwined threads of dark magic, reveal the radiant form of the magnificent witch! Reverse destiny! Xyz Summon, Rank 6—[Magi Magi ☆ Magician Gal]!"
[Magi Magi ☆ Magician Gal] Rank 6│DARK│Spellcaster│ATK 2400 / DEF 2000
[2 Level 6 Spellcaster monsters]
Restricted to Spellcaster-type monsters only, the Rank 6 Xyz Monster descended—a matured Dark Magician Girl clad in her master's pure black robes, her alluring figure landing gracefully onto the Turbo Duel track.
"So beautiful, so dazzling!" Ecclesia exclaimed in excitement. "That's Senpai Irena's Xyz Summon!"
The magical girl that blossomed on Irena's field stunned the crowd, confirming one undeniable fact:
Fusion Academy truly embodied all three summoning arts.
So far, the three Fusion Academy Duelists had each represented one style: Aisha Carlos with Synchro, Ren Austin with Fusion, and now Irena, fulfilling expectations, with Xyz.
"A 2400-Attack Xyz Monster… what kind of effect does it have?"
Facing this unknown black card, even Leon Gate—the proud lion hunting for victory—felt his confidence begin to falter.
Adjusting her witch's hat, Irena's pale blue eyes locked on him. "Now tell me—who's the hunter, and who's the prey?"
"I activate the effect of my Xyz Monster, [Magi Magi ☆ Magician Gal]!"
[Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card and banish 1 card from your hand to activate one of these effects.]
"Hm?" Leon's eyes twitched, but then he smirked as his tension eased. "Heh. So, Gray Witch Irena… it's your first time using that monster, isn't it?"
The activation requirement for [Magi Magi ☆ Magician Gal] wasn't just detaching a material—it also required banishing a card from the hand.
However, after using [Left Arm Offering], Irena's hand was empty. She couldn't possibly activate the effect.
"Sorry, I've still got one hidden~"
"Nani?!"
Irena swung her arm again, her Spirit Eyes gleaming as she banished a card from her Graveyard.
"I activate the effect of the Quick-Play Spell [Soul Servant] in my Graveyard!"
[During your Main Phase: You can banish this card from your GY; draw cards equal to the number of 'Palladium Oracle' monsters, 'Dark Magician,' and/or 'Dark Magician Girl' with different names on the field and in the GYs.]
"Since my ace [Dark Magician] rests in my Graveyard, by banishing [Soul Servant], I can draw one card from my Deck!"
The bond between all Dark Magician cards pulsed at that moment.
Thanks to Dark Magician, Irena gained one additional card.
And that one extra draw gave her the key to activate [Magi Magi ☆ Magician Gal]'s crucial effect.
"I banish my last card in hand, [Magicalized Fusion], as the cost to activate [Magi Magi ☆ Magician Gal]'s effect!"
[Magi Magi ☆ Magician Gal] had two possible effects:
[Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card and banish 1 card from your hand to activate one of these effects:
● Target 1 monster your opponent controls; until the End Phase, take control of that target.
● Target 1 monster in your opponent's GY; Special Summon that target to your field.]
"I choose to take control of one of your monsters until the end of this turn!"
The sheer charm of the magical girl was overwhelming—so much so that she could literally bend her opponent's monsters to her will.
"[Swords of Revealing Light], [Dimension Guardian]?" Irena smirked. "I don't even need to fight. Because that lion has already cornered itself."
The question of who was hunter and who was prey was answered in that instant.
"I choose your [Number 88: Gimmick Puppet of Leo]—I take control of it for this turn!"
Irena seized control of the Destiny Lion, which had only one Xyz Material remaining.
"She took control of the Destiny Lion in the final turn?!"
For the first time, Leon's face broke into genuine panic.
"How could this happen… no—did you plan this from the start?!"
From the very beginning, Irena had been building toward this.
In the end, all of Leon Gate's efforts had only paved the way for her victory.
Did she need to attack? Not at all.
If you're cunning enough, victory will simply come to you.
Gliding forward, Irena raised her hand toward the fated lion.
"Once per turn, I activate [Number 88: Gimmick Puppet of Leo]'s effect and detach its final Xyz Material!"
[Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card. When all Xyz Materials are detached from this card by its own effect, the controller of this card wins the Duel.]
Leon had detached two materials; Irena detached the third.
And the controller of the card… won the Duel.
"Now then! The beautiful girl who rode the winds of mana and reversed destiny before everyone's eyes—the current controller of the Destiny Lion—who could she be?"
"That's right! It's me!"
"Destiny Engraved! Lion King: Roar of Victory!"
The lion's mighty roar split the heavens. As Irena removed the final Xyz Material from [Number 88: Gimmick Puppet of Leo], the Duel's instant-win condition was fulfilled.
The battle between the two academy leaders, Irena vs. Leon Gate, ended with Irena claiming victory through [Number 88: Gimmick Puppet of Leo]'s special win condition.
"Now then, as we agreed before the Duel… you can praise me all you like~"
...
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