"What is this?!"
"Ren, either keep quiet in class or step outside."
Staring at the brand-new HERO card within Spirit Eyes, Ren couldn't help but cry out, drawing a sharp reprimand from Miss Erin.
"S-sorry, teacher."
Even as she forcibly suppressed the shock in her heart, the hand holding the card still trembled.
An unseen HERO prefix, the Polar HERO, a chaotic form where Light and Dark were sharply contrasted, so cool that Ren wanted to kowtow to Miles on the spot.
"Just what kind of battle is Miles fighting...?"
---
"Miracle Fusion Summon—[Contrast HERO Chaos]!!"
"He actually used Miracle Fusion to summon a Contrast HERO!" Homar exclaimed in shock.
[Contrast HERO Chaos] Level 9│DARK│Warrior│3000 ATK
["Masked HERO" monsters ×2.]
Of course, no matter how soul-filled your Fusion Summon might be, the rule that Miracle Fusion can only fuse Elemental HEROes is absolute and cannot be twisted.
If Miracle Fusion's rules cannot be bent, yet it can still be used to summon, that is due to the effect of Contrast HERO itself.
[This card is always treated as an "Elemental HERO" monster.]
Using two Masked HEROes as Fusion Materials, treated as Elemental HEROes by rule, its name becomes Contrast HERO.
Even its own effect states: [While this card exists in the Monster Zone, this card is also treated as having the LIGHT Attribute.]
It can be said to be a HERO that perfectly embodies the "chaos" within the concept of chaos.
"The polar extreme born from the interweaving of Light and Dark... so this is your final trump card, Miles."
Relying on the only card he topdecked this turn, [Miracle Fusion], to gamble on the last possibility of Fusion Summoning, this was something Crown Prince Homar had already seen through.
And since Homar Kaiser had already seen through it, he would never allow the possibility of a HERO Fusion to pass.
Whether Elemental, Masked, or Contrast HERO—it made no difference.
The demonic god's flame cannon blazing fiercely in the palm of the guardian deity Exodia proclaimed absolute equality before its power.
Crown Prince Homar pointed at the [Contrast HERO Chaos] floating midair in the canyon Duel Arena, arms crossed over its chest, and activated an effect.
"I activate the effect of the Continuous Trap Card [Obliterate!!!]! Send [Right Leg of the Forbidden One] from the Deck to the Graveyard, and bounce your final Contrast HERO back to the Extra Deck!"
The final bullet loaded with all five pieces of Exodia roared forth for the third time, a scorching flame blasting from Exodia's palm.
"Before the power of the kingdom's guardian deity, let even the polar extremes of Light and Dark be burned away together!"
Burning head-on, the third torrent of flame tore through the canyon like a blazing fire dragon, engulfing the Light-and-Dark intertwined armor of Contrast HERO Chaos.
"I've won!"
"Heh heh, Your Highness Homar… people who say that usually haven't won yet!"
From the opposite side of the canyon, Miles' voice pierced through the wall of flames and reached Homar Kaiser's ears, causing the Crown Prince's expression to shift.
"What is this?"
Answering Miles' confident words was the sight of Contrast HERO Chaos, its black-and-white shoulder mantle already ablaze within the demonic flames, yet still continuing to accumulate power.
"This is exactly what you wanted to see—my struggle for victory! I activate the effect of [Contrast HERO Chaos]!"
[Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can target 1 face-up card on the field; negate that card's effects until the end of this turn.]
A HERO possessing the extremely rare Quick Effect negation. Because it is a Quick Effect, it can be chained to the activation of the Continuous Trap Card [Obliterate!!!].
That is precisely why, despite taking the demonic flames head-on, Chaos remained within the scorching inferno, continuously building up power.
Even in the face of wicked fire, he must still deliver this flying kick; this is knightly spirit.
"It actually has an effect that can negate card effects!"
A trace of unease flashed across Crown Prince Homar's expression.
If Miles wished, he could directly negate the effect of the Continuous Trap Card [Obliterate!!!] until the end of the turn.
However, one thing Homar Kaiser felt fortunate about was that even if [Obliterate!!!] were negated, the Attack of the guardian deity Exodia would still exceed that of Contrast HERO Chaos.
"Negate the effect of [Obliterate!!!]?"
Reading the thought behind the change in Homar Kaiser's expression, the corner of Miles' mouth lifted slightly.
"That's not struggling enough, Your Highness Homar!"
"Not struggling enough? Bakana!"
"Then let you witness the greatest struggle a HERO can offer! Charge, Contrast HERO Chaos!!"
At Miles' roaring command, [Contrast HERO Chaos] burst forth from the flames, its armor still steaming white from the searing heat.
"The card effect I choose to negate with [Contrast HERO Chaos] is this one!"
Raising his arm and pointing forward, the target Miles chose was the Exodia standing in the canyon battlefield, the most imposing and overwhelming presence there.
"Go and negate the effect of [Exodia, the Legendary Defender], Chaos!"
The fangs of struggle were laid bare. Leaping from the fiendish flames, Contrast HERO Chaos struck a handsome knightly flying kick pose in midair.
"—Chaotic Knight Twin Kick!!"
From Exodia's head all the way down through its body to its feet, the kick smashed straight through, forcing the kingdom's guardian deity down onto one knee.
Having burned through its body to complete this ultimate negation, [Contrast HERO Chaos] seemed to have fulfilled its mission, slowly fading away from the canyon battlefield.
[Exodia, the Legendary Defender] effect negated
[Contrast HERO Chaos] returns to the Extra Deck
Crown Prince Homar said in disbelief, "He actually… actually chose to negate Exodia!"
Not choosing to negate the effect of [Obliterate!!!], but instead going for an extreme one-for-one exchange with Exodia itself.
The Contrast HERO Chaos that vanished so cleanly from the field was just like one of those mysterious heroes awakened by a miracle—appearing for a single decisive strike to save the day, then departing coolly, hiding all credit and glory.
"Because the effect of [Exodia, the Legendary Defender] has been negated, its Attack and Defense both become 0!"
[Exodia, the Legendary Defender, ATK: 3400 → 0]
The result created by Contrast HERO Chaos' self-sacrificial strike ultimately rendered the massive godly defender powerless.
Homar Kaiser emphasized, "Even if you reduce Exodia's Attack to 0, you've already lost your last monster, Miles!"
That Miracle Fusion he all-in topdecked this turn was Miles' final trump card—Homar had believed that from the very start.
"Lost your last monster? Then why don't you take a look at what's standing on your field?"
"Hm?" Crown Prince Homar swept his gaze across the field. Aside from Exodia, the monster on his field was… an Elemental HERO Avian in Defense Position.
It was the monster Miles had obtained into his hand at the very start of the Duel by using [Exchange].
"You've already used your last monster, but my last monster hasn't appeared yet!"
Miles raised the final card in his hand high.
At the same time, it was the monster that had been swapped with Avian at the very beginning of the Duel using the Spell Card [Exchange].
"Only by playing this card does it really feel like struggling all the way to the end! I summon in Attack Position—[Left Leg of the Forbidden One]!"
[Left Leg of the Forbidden One] Level 1│DARK│Spellcaster│200 ATK
[DEF: 300]
"(*?ロ?)!"
Miles' final Summon drew this exact expression from everyone watching the Duel.
At the end of his struggle, Miles had summoned a tootsie!
No wonder everyone made that face; even Crown Prince Homar on the opposite side of the canyon looked like he could barely hold it together.
Alice: "He really did summon the foot."
Aisha: "Mr. Miles' Duels are still just as hard to read as ever."
Irena: "But somehow, this kind of development feels really interesting."
Nova: "Could it be that Miles… is a foot fetishist?"
As she said that, Nova even lifted her own small foot to examine it. Even through her shoes, her feet probably counted as the good-looking type, right?
Of course, whether it was choosing to swap this card away at the very beginning or choosing to summon it now had absolutely nothing to do with any kind of foot fetish.
Miles summoned this card for one reason only: Because this card could struggle its way to the final victory.
"Miles, you…!"
The reason Crown Prince Homar looked like this was because although [Left Leg of the Forbidden One] had extremely weak raw combat power, it still possessed 200 Attack.
That meant it could, through battle, directly defeat the now 0-Attack [Exodia, the Legendary Defender] after it had been rendered powerless by [Contrast HERO Chaos].
Just imagine that scene: the complete, gigantic guardian deity Exodia being swept down and killed by a single left tootsie.
The damage wasn't high… regardless, the humiliation was immense.
"Even if you use this method to forcibly destroy the Legendary Defender, next turn you'll still be defeated!"
"There is no next turn anymore, Your Highness Homar."
Miles swept his hand forward, declaring entry into this turn's Battle Phase.
"Battle! This strike will end this Duel!"
"You say end this Duel?"
"Go! Use [Left Leg of the Forbidden One] to attack [Exodia, the Legendary Defender]!"
A 200-Attack left leg battling a 0-Attack Exodia—up to this point, the development was still within Crown Prince Homar's expectations.
Until Miles flipped over the only set card in his back row, and the entire tone of the scene abruptly changed.
Along with it changing were the expressions of Crown Prince Homar and everyone watching in shock.
"—Trap Card [Soul Strike] activated!"
A Trap Card Miles had endured until the very last moment to activate, capable of causing a massive surge in Attack.
[If your LP is 4000 or less, when an attack is declared involving a monster you control and an opponent's monster: Pay half your LP, then target 1 face-up monster you control; it gains ATK equal to the deficit between your current LP and 4000 until the end of your opponent's turn.]
"I pay half my Life Points!"
[Miles, LP: 1000 → 500]
"Then take the amount my remaining Life Points are below 4000, and stack it as Attack onto [Left Leg of the Forbidden One]!"
[Left Leg of the Forbidden One, ATK: 200 → 3700]
"This kick is a struggle that pierces the heavens!"
"How could something like this be possible?!"
Looking up at the left foot in the sky above, its Attack skyrocketing to absurd heights, Crown Prince Homar Kaiser truly wouldn't have dared to imagine such an exaggerated scene even in his dreams.
One of Exodia's five pieces, just a single left leg… had reached a staggering 3700 Attack.
This feeling… was as if Miles were using a way of fighting with Exodia that was even stronger than his own.
"Take this, Your Highness Homar! A single left foot with a final Attack of 3700!"
The super jio descending from the sky locked onto Exodia, now at 0 Attack.
And just a single foot, charging in with lethal force toward Exodia's body—no matter how you looked at it, the scene was unbelievably bizarre.
Aisha: "Damn, this is so weird, but I can't look away! Let me watch a little more!"
"—Demon God Sealing Kick! Explode☆Kill!!"
With one sweeping kick, the massive body of Exodia, the Legendary Defender, was smashed to pieces.
"Uraaaaaahhhhhh!!"
[Homar Kaiser, LP: 3000 → 0]
If one hadn't seen it with their own eyes and only heard it as a rumor, no one would have believed it.
The dignified Livorden royal, Crown Prince Homar Kaiser, was taken down in a Duel by a single tootsie. His remaining 3000 Life Points were wiped out in one kick.
As his Life Points rapidly dropped to zero, Homar Kaiser's Spirit Eyes completely went dark.
He lost.
This Duel, meant to test Miles' strength, ended in Homar Kaiser's defeat.
As for the result of that test, there was no need to say more.
Yet after the Duel ended, Crown Prince Homar Kaiser stood there, momentarily stunned.
Before this Duel had officially concluded, Homar had already stated that he acknowledged Miles' strength and that he was qualified to receive the empire's invitation.
What he had been unwilling to acknowledge was only the matter between Miles and the young princess, Nova.
That was, until Miles summoned [Left Leg of the Forbidden One], boosted it to 3700 Attack, and kicked him to death in one blow.
As a Deck passed down through generations of the royal Kaiser family, the one with the highest compatibility with the five Exodia cards should, by all rights, be a member of the Kaiser royal line.
Yet in this Duel, although it was only that final explosive instant, Miles had surpassed Crown Prince Homar's [Exodia, the Legendary Defender] at its peak Attack—using nothing more than Exodia's left leg. This was an undeniable fact.
Even as an as-yet-unmatured Exodia successor, being surpassed by a non-royal outsider was an extremely serious matter for the Crown Prince.
Just as Homar had always insisted: the one with the highest compatibility with Exodia should be a member of the Kaiser royal family.
Anyhow, at present, Miles clearly was not.
Of course, that was only 'at present'.
"Worthy of my own little sister… her taste in choosing a future brother-in-law really is impeccable."
Miles unexpectedly received Crown Prince Homar Kaiser's double acknowledgment.
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