"—Descend, The Winged Dragon of Ra!"
[The Winged Dragon of Ra] Level 10│DIVINE│Divine-Beast│? ATK
A peak collision erupted in the very first turn going second. The golden, resplendent [Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon] clashed against [The Winged Dragon of Ra], bathed in divine flames, its body likewise shining with golden brilliance.
"The leader of the Three Sacred Beasts… the Sun God…"
Reflected within her ice-blue eyes were the raging divine flames burning across the sky above the field. Witnessing the descent of a god once again, Quaedes' fingers gripping her hand trembled slightly.
"To summon a god on the very first turn. Royal Duel Knight Aisha Carlos—I admire you!"
Even in Quaedes' duel against Miles, he had only managed to Summon [Obelisk the Tormentor] at the very last moment.
The girl before her now, who commanded a god, mimicked Miles' style… yet displayed a completely different tempo and rhythm.
In truth, Summoning Ra on the first turn was not the first time for Aisha.
As early as her initial battle with Krista, she had already demonstrated such a possibility.
"The effect of [The Winged Dragon of Ra]! This card gains ATK equal to the combined original ATK of the monsters Tributed for its Summon!"
Of the three monsters Tributed, Utopic Future had 0 ATK and provided no increase.
But with [Bahamut Shark]'s 2600 ATK and [Full Armored Black Ray Lancer]'s original 2100 ATK, the final value became—
[The Winged Dragon of Ra, ATK: ? → 4700]
Evaporating the sea beneath it, its golden body engulfed in blazing flames, Ra soared amid rising steam. Its ATK successfully surpassed the golden dragon on Quaedes' field.
"It's not over yet! Ra's other effect—convert all my Life Points into its ATK!"
Linked to the god, within the burning flames, Aisha's white short hair and emerald eyes were dyed radiant gold as her soul synchronized with Ra in a divine state.
[Aisha Carlos, LP: 3200 → 1]
[The Winged Dragon of Ra, ATK: 4700 → 7899]
With her Life Points reduced to a single point, the fiery vortex created by Ra's blazing wings intensified further across the field.
"Take this, Emperor Quaedes! This is my all-out strike! Blaze Cannon!!"
Amid layers of flame and Ra's piercing cry, the inferno formed from the life force of Aisha and her monsters shot forward in a single explosive blast.
The crimson heatwave seemed to warp the very space within everyone's vision as it violently pierced through the massive golden body of [Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon].
[Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon destroyed]
[Quaedes, LP: 4000 → 601]
"Ughhhhh!"
Struck head-on by the Sun God's flames, even the proud Emperor of the Empire was hurled several meters away as her body was engulfed by fire.
A sudden, ferocious assault—Aisha's swift Summon had pushed Quaedes into a near-lethal state that even Miles had failed to achieve.
But the price was that Aisha's remaining Life Points had also fallen to the ultimate brink—1.
On the very first turn, going second, an extreme clash of offense and defense unfolded before everyone's stunned eyes.
The famed Royal Duel Knight of Livorden and the strongest Emperor of the Varian Empire; after their opening exchange, both had been driven into a near-death state.
"What astonishing power," Prince Zepha Soroya said. "I truly did not gamble in vain. With such divine strength, there is definitely a chance to stop my sister!"
Ending her Battle Phase, Aisha Set the remaining two cards in her hand.
"I Set two cards and end my turn. Your move, Emperor!"
The turn shifted. After the Sun God's flames subsided, Quaedes slowly rose from her bent posture.
Her smooth, blue hair fell over her shoulders. At that moment, from around Quaedes' upright figure, a chilling aura spread—cold enough to rival the heat of divine flames.
"Royal Duel Knight Aisha Carlos… was that your full strength? Then you cannot shake My position as the strongest!"
Her pale fingertips pressed atop the Deck illuminated by her glowing blue Spirit Eyes. Having lived her life through battle and dueled countless times, Quaedes could clearly sense the moment she would draw that card.
"This draw—My Chaos Draw! Drawww!"
A card face shimmering with seven radiant stars, the light of seven layers of Chaos sigils flowing across it—the ultimate Rank-Up Magic that connected all possibilities from Number 101 to 107.
"Spell Card—[Rank-Up-Magic - The Seventh One]!"
During the Draw Phase, Quaedes revealed the drawn The Seventh One, and at the start of Main Phase 1, she activated its effect.
[At the start of your Main Phase 1, if this card was drawn this turn: Special Summon 1 "Number 101" to "Number 107" monster from your Extra Deck or GY, except a "Chaos Number" monster.]
At Quaedes' feet, surging Xyz ice gathered, its frigid power even freezing the divine flames surrounding The Winged Dragon of Ra.
Aisha stared in disbelief. "The flames of a god are being frozen… how is that possible?!"
"The power of ice that can freeze even space itself. Bloom here in an enchanting dance of frozen lotus! By The Seventh One—[Number 103: Ragnazero]!"
[Number 103: Ragnazero] Rank 4│WATER│Fairy│2400 ATK
Emerging from a storm of frost, the female-formed Over-Hundred Number monster stepped forth, ice blade in hand and icy wings spread behind her. She cleaved through the divine flames blanketing the sky and carved out a path of glacial counterattack.
"And now, the Chaos Rank-Up effect of The Seventh One!"
[After that, Special Summon from your Extra Deck 1 "Chaos Number" monster with the same Number as that monster by using it as material.]
After Special Summoning the Over-Hundred Number monster from the Extra Deck, the Chaos Rank-Up connected seamlessly. In the next instant, [Number 103: Ragnazero] was completely enveloped in intertwining light and darkness.
"The infinite power that can freeze even time—revive here as ultimate glacial Chaos and bury the god completely! Chaos Rank-Up by The Seventh One—[Number C103: Ragnafinity]!"
[Number C103: Ragnafinity] Rank 5│WATER│Fairy│2800 ATK
After the Chaos Rank-Up, not only did its ATK increase, but by overlaying as Xyz Summon, it also gained usable Xyz Materials.
Wielding a massive pitch-black scythe of Chaos, [Number C103: Ragnafinity] aimed its blade at the Winged Dragon of Ra soaring amid blazing flames.
"This is the ultimate frost that can even bury a god! Activate [Number C103: Ragnafinity]'s effect!"
[Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls whose current ATK is different from its original ATK; inflict damage to your opponent equal to the difference, and if you do, banish that target. This effect can be activated during either player's turn.]
An extreme funeral of frost covered the entire field. Within the azure domain, even the scorching flames surrounding The Winged Dragon of Ra were frozen solid.
The Xyz Effect of [Number C103: Ragnafinity] was specifically designed to counter ATK-boosting effects.
It targeted a monster whose current ATK differed from its original ATK and inflicted damage equal to that difference.
There was no doubt that Quaedes had activated this effect, targeting [The Winged Dragon of Ra].
Having absorbed the ATK of its Tributes and all of Aisha's Life Points, Ra's current ATK stood at 7899, while its original ATK was 0.
"Pay the price for pouring all your power into it, Aisha Carlos! The ATK difference—7899—becomes direct damage to you!"
Formed in the hands of Ragnafinity, the colossal scythe of ice swung down with force that seemed to tear space itself apart, as if to cleave both Aisha and Ra in two.
With her golden eyes glowing after synchronizing with the Sun God, Aisha stared solemnly at the massive ice scythe descending toward her. Meanwhile, her fingertips moved toward the card she had excavated earlier from the flow of all creation.
At the same time, outside the imperial capital:
Four figures stood—
"So it's begun… this inhuman plan."
From beyond the sealed gates of the Varian Empire's capital, closed off the moment the banquet began, Alester could not help but sigh.
"A national transmutation array? I thought that kind of thing only appeared in manga."
Standing beside Alester, Miles could likewise see what was unfolding within the capital at that very moment.
Sylvia said with mixed feelings, "Is this what Mother meant… that after the Emperor's banquet begins, the Empire would launch a hunt for Duelists within its borders?"
Within the sealed imperial capital, countless Duelists mobilized by the royal palace forces began indiscriminately dueling the Duelists gathered in the city tonight after the lockdown was enacted.
Because it was the Empire's annual grand celebration, the number of Duelists assembled in the capital was unprecedented.
Those who admired the Empire's pursuit of strength and had come out of admiration had unknowingly become part of someone's scheme within the Empire.
Perhaps this was what they meant by "those involved are blind, while onlookers see clearly."
Aisha and the others, still fighting within the palace, seemed not yet aware of what was happening throughout the capital.
But Miles and the others, observing everything from outside, could see not only the ongoing hunt for Duelists within the Empire, but also the massive magical array covering the entire capital.
As long as a duel took place within that magical formation, regardless of victory or defeat, a large amount of the Duelist's mental strength would be absorbed.
And the vast amount of mental strength being drained from Duelists within the capital was undoubtedly a required condition for summoning the world-destroying god.
"Mother… does she really know about this?"
Watching from outside the capital as Duelists collapsed one after another from exhaustion after being hunted in duels, Sylvia clasped the silver cross at her chest and prayed silently.
Miles said, "If Karina Diane truly knew the full scope of this, she wouldn't have stopped her daughter from leaving back then."
That morning, when Miles and Sylvia had attempted to escape the palace, Karina had intercepted them.
At the critical moment, the ever-reliable scumbag-senpai Alester directly crossed space and summoned Invoked Mechaba, using the speed of the 'Light Elemental Plane' to successfully carry the two of them away.
Even though Sylvia had been the first to intend to rescue Miles, the spotlight had once again been stolen by that man. Though she felt a bit frustrated inside, she had no grounds to vent it.
"Stop chatting. I didn't rush here just to hear you sigh about things."
Among the four gathered outside the capital—Alester, Miles, and Sylvia—there was also a petite girl.
The cheeky little brat Viel stood with her hands on her hips, complaining impatiently.
"If you don't want the capital to turn into a city of the dead by tomorrow, then put the magic sigils I gave you where they're supposed to go."
"Still, I didn't expect even you to come to the Empire, Viel," Miles said.
Since Viel had personally come and even asked Alester to pass the King's Key to him, it seemed rather redundant.
"You think I wanted to come? If it weren't to stop an irreversible disaster, I wouldn't bother traveling such a long distance. The dragon carriage into the Empire is expensive, you know!"
Urged on by the bratty little Viel, Miles and the others, holding the prewritten magic sigils, hurried in three different directions.
For a magical formation on the scale of a National Transmutation Array, even with counter-sigils prepared in advance, Miles had no idea how to operate them.
Fortunately, they could rely on Viel's remote voice guidance to place the counter-transmutation sigils in the correct locations.
Viel: "Right, right, Milessss. Just place it at the corner of the southern city wall."
Although the sigil was set in place, there was no obvious reaction.
"Will this really work, Viel?"
For such a massive National Transmutation Array, the preparation time must have been calculated in years.
Yet Viel had only arrived in the Empire today and had already written the counter-array formula. Miles no longer knew whether this bratty girl was arrogant… or truly terrifying.
"Even though your doubt in my abilities annoys me, I'll be honest… these countermeasures alone definitely can't suppress such a massive formation."
"Then what do we do?"
"We prepare for the worst and resolve everything through battle."
"By battle… you mean?"
"That's right. Fight the summoned Numerounius head-on. When that time comes, it'll be your turn, Miles, to heroically save a nation for the third time."
"Us?" Miles caught the key word in Viel's statement.
"Heh. Didn't the King's Key I gave you already exceed expectations? If you want to truly defeat a world-destroying god, then go fuse with Aisha Carlos. If it's the two of you together, you'll definitely unleash a power even more terrifying than the god of destruction!"
"Fuse? Is that even possible?"
If it were simply soul possession, Miles was already used to that.
But 'fusion'... that carried an entirely different meaning.
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