Shooting Star Dragon had returned!
"Then activate Shooting Star Dragon's effect—once per opponent's turn, banish itself from the game and negate one monster's attack this turn," Yusei declared.
"Banish Shooting Star Dragon—negate Meklord Astro Mekanikle's attack!"
The attack was blocked again. Copy Yusei fell silent for several seconds.
"Then my turn ends," Copy Yusei said. "End Phase—Cosmic Blazar Dragon returns to the field."
Yusei: "Shooting Star Dragon also returns."
[Cosmic Blazar Dragon, ATK 4000]
[Shooting Star Dragon, ATK 3300]
Copy Yusei turned and looked at Yusei. "Without Delta Accel Synchro, facing the pincer attack of Cosmic Blazar Dragon and Meklord Emperor God… you actually fought to this point. As expected of you, Yusei Fudo."
Yusei replied, "But if what you said is true, then you are also me. You should understand why I must fight, right?"
"Regrettably, yes." Copy Yusei's voice was calm. "But this changes nothing. I still must stop you. You cannot defeat Z-ONE. If I let you reach him, everything will be destroyed and no one will be saved."
"Z-ONE?" Yusei was puzzled. He didn't even know who that was.
"If you cannot pass this stage, you have no need to know." Copy Yusei said. "You handled the last turn well, but it changes nothing.
Your Shooting Star Dragon is no match for either Meklord Astro Mekanikle or Cosmic Blazar Dragon. Facing both at once, your defeat next turn is nearly certain."
"Even so—I will win." Yusei's voice was iron.
"What?" Copy Yusei frowned. "You claim you can still win while facing both of them?"
"Correct!"
Yusei's gaze was unwavering.
"I believe in my Deck. Even in the most impossible situations, my Deck will show me a path. I have always fought this way—and I always will.
I do not fear drawing. I do not fear whatever future this draw reveals.
Even if it is failure, I will accept it and stand again. As long as I never abandon hope, I will always open a path to a bright future!"
Copy Yusei fell silent.
It had been a long time since he had seen such resolute eyes and such unwavering words.
As Yusei's copy he had fought, lost, grown stronger, gained more power—and paid the price. The last time he himself had shown such unshakeable belief in his Deck and his future… when had that been?
He now stood in a far higher realm than the current Yusei Fudo. He possessed stronger cards, even the power of the Meklord Emperor God. Yet he had lost that absolute conviction. Could he still call himself the savior Yusei Fudo?
What exactly had he become?
"This draw decides everything!" Yusei shouted.
"My turn—draw!"
"Activate Spell Card 'Card of Variation.' Draw two cards, but if I do not send one card to the Graveyard before the End Phase, I take 3000 damage." (Anime Card)
A desperate all-in. Yusei drew with such force that his aura visibly surged, as if touching a realm beyond his original Duelist level. The cards traced transparent arcs through the air, stirring a whirlwind.
Copy Yusei held his breath, waiting for the miracle the savior Yusei Fudo would create.
Then he saw Yusei… smile?
Even as Yusei's copy, he was momentarily confused. How could anyone smile in this situation? Could one draw truly create a miracle?
Yusei revealed the answer.
"First, activate Spell Card 'Stardust Shimmer'!" Yusei declared. "Select one Dragon-Type Synchro Monster in my Graveyard. Banish monsters from the Graveyard with a total Level equal to that monster's Level. Then Special Summon that Dragon-Type Synchro Monster from the Graveyard."
Yusei banished two monsters.
"I banish Level 7 'Junk Archer' and Level 1 'D.D. Sprite' from the Graveyard! Soar once more—Stardust Dragon!"
[Stardust Dragon, ATK 2500]
"Stardust and Shooting Star together on the field…" Copy Yusei muttered. "But what can they do now? Even combined they cannot match the Cosmic Blazar or Meklord Emperor God!"
"As long as you believe—you can!" Yusei's voice rang with conviction. "I'll prove it right now!
Activate Quick-Play Spell 'Assault Mode Zero' from the Graveyard!"
Copy Yusei's expression shifted. "Activating Assault Mode from the Graveyard?"
"During my Main Phase, banish this card from the Graveyard to activate its effect," Yusei explained. "Set one 'Assault Mode' Trap from the Deck to the field. The Set card may be activated the turn it is Set.
I Set 'Assault Mode Activate' from my Deck!"
A golden beam shot from the Deck and became a face-down card beside Yusei's Duel Runner.
Assault Mode Activate—the trap that evolves Synchro Monsters into Assault Modes. In the 5D's OVA, Yusei used it against Jack. Both had carried the card since early on.
Yusei: "Then activate the Set Trap—Assault Mode Activate!"
Copy Yusei's voice was low. "You're Burst-transforming Stardust?"
"Exactly. Assault Mode Activate Tributes a Synchro Monster on the field to Special Summon the corresponding Assault Mode from the Deck. I Tribute 'Stardust Dragon'!"
Countless fine particles of light exploded across the night sky—like the galaxy itself being crushed and scattered. The stardust did not drift randomly; some gravity drew them into a spiraling vortex of light. The vortex's center suddenly collapsed. All free stardust rushed inward in one instant.
Like a supernova flash, silver-white dragon wings pierced the light cocoon. Every scale of the silver-white dragon was inlaid with miniature star clusters. Nebula-like energy streamed from its joints. Floating stardust adhered to the wing edges, forming two constantly reforming blades of light. When it first beat its wings, tens of thousands of starlights poured from the gaps between feathers, leaving long-lasting constellation trails in the air.
[Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode, ATK 3000]
…