"End of turn!"
Yuto's voice carried a weight of caution.
Even with [ACE – Char the Red Comet]'s Attack at 3200, Joey's remaining 600 Life Points left no room for carelessness.
Now it was Joey's turn!
"My turn—draw!!!"
Despite facing a 3200-Attack monster, Joey showed no fear.
"Hmph! Yuto Tenshou! So what if you've got a 3200-Attack monster on the field?!"
He slammed a card down with unshaken bravado.
"In my dictionary, there's no such word as fear! I Normal Summon—[Time Wizard]! And then—"
Joey raised his arm high, voice full of anticipation.
"I activate [Time Wizard]'s effect—Time Magic!!!"
The clock-hand on [Time Wizard]'s staff began to spin wildly!
A mysterious force, as if twisting time itself, engulfed the Duel Arena! The very flow of time grew chaotic!
Yuto watched the pointer spin, and with a sigh, closed his eyes.
He didn't need to see it to know—Joey with 600 LP would always roll success.
"Come on—work!!!"
Joey clenched his fist, staring at the deciding pointer!
It slowed… and finally—
Stopped firmly on "Success"!
"YEEEESSSS—!!!!"
Joey erupted in a deafening cheer, nearly leaping with excitement!
"Time Magic—success! Yuto Tenshou! Before the power of time, your proud steel giant is nothing more than dust! All your monsters—destroyed!!!"
VMMM—!!!
A tide of irresistible time surged over Yuto's field!
[ACE – Char the Red Comet]'s crimson body was swept by the force, as if eroded by millennia! Armor rusted, joints seized, its legendary form crumbling in an instant!
In just a heartbeat, the legendary "Red Comet" machine disintegrated into lifeless powder, scattering to the winds!
Yuto's field was left utterly empty!
"And I'm not done!"
Joey roared, pushing forward!
He flipped up another card he'd prepared.
"Now's the time to strike! Spell Card activate—[Polymerization]!"
A rainbow vortex spun violently on his field!
"I fuse [Time Wizard] on the field with [Baby Dragon] in my hand!"
The playful wizard and the tiny dragon merged into twin streams of light, plunging into the vortex!
"Traveler of time and newborn dragon, unite beyond space and time—Fusion Summon! Soar through millennia, [Thousand Dragon]!!!"
"ROOAAARRR—!!!"
With an ancient roar, the fusion vortex exploded, birthing a massive bronze-scaled dragon whose wings spanned the sky!
Its eyes gleamed with ageless might as it glared down at its foe!
The legendary [Thousand Dragon] had descended!
"End of turn!"
The massive bronze dragon hovered opposite Yuto, radiating suffocating pressure.
"My turn…"
Yuto's voice was low and grim. His fingers rested on the top of his Deck as he drew in a deep breath.
This would be the deciding draw!
"Draw!!!"
The card arced through the air into his hand. His eyes flickered—
A chance!
Slim, yet a chance nonetheless!
Both of his [ACE] monsters lay in the Graveyard. [Monster Reborn] was already spent.
Should he risk it? Gamble everything on this one card?
There was no retreat.
Yuto's eyes hardened as he staked everything!
"I activate Spell Card—[Card of Sanctity]!"
He slammed it onto his Duel Disk! A colorful mallet spun in midair above the field.
"Its effect: I return two cards from my hand to my Deck, then draw two cards!"
He placed two of his three hand cards back, shuffling them into the Deck.
"Then—I draw two more!"
His fingers reached again. This draw held the weight of destiny!
Two fresh cards slid free. He glanced—
First: [Stim-Pack]!
Second—his heart nearly stopped! It was [Hinotama]!
A Normal Spell, dealing 500 damage directly to the opponent!
The plain card he'd never once relied on before now shone with the light of victory!
A breath of relief, edged with triumph, escaped his lips.
"Joey… this duel is mine!"
He raised his head, eyes blazing!
"I Normal Summon—[GQuuuuuuX Gundam]!"
A flash of white light—and a Mobile Suit clad in white, blue, and red armor crashed onto the field! Though smaller than [Thousand Dragon], its streamlined armor and glowing mono-eye radiated unshakable might!
"Next! I equip [Stim-Pack] to [GQuuuuuuX Gundam]! Its Attack rises by 700!"
The Gundam's body roared with overdrive! Steam vented from its armor as its mono-eye blazed crimson!
"Attack: 2500!"
Yuto thrust his hand forward.
"Surpassing your [Thousand Dragon]! [GQuuuuuuX Gundam]! Attack [Thousand Dragon]! Beam Saber—full power!!"
"Wha—?!"
Joey's eyes widened!
The Gundam's thrusters ignited, launching it in a streak of red, blue, and white! Its right arm swung a blazing pink beam saber, cleaving toward the dragon's head!
"ROOOAAARRR!!!"
The legendary dragon shrieked in pain! The blade sliced clean through its scales, piercing its colossal body! In Joey's stunned eyes, [Thousand Dragon] exploded into scattering light!
[Joey, LP: 600 → 500]
"And it's not over!"
Yuto's voice thundered with finality.
"The equation for victory is complete! Spell Card activate—[Hinotama]!"
The plain card in his hand blazed crimson! A blazing fireball, over ten meters wide, formed above Joey's head!
The searing heat warped the air, painting the field blood-red!
"Direct damage—500! Go!!!"
The fireball plummeted like a meteor, engulfing Joey in its inferno!
"What?! No—!!!"
His scream was swallowed by flames!
KABOOOOOM—!!!!!
The explosion thundered skyward, scorching winds sweeping the arena!
When the smoke finally cleared, Joey's Life Point counter flashed, then dropped to a cold, merciless—
[Joey, LP: 0]
...
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