Chapter 235
"My turn! Draw!"
At 625 LP with only one Synchro Summon remaining, the number-one ranked duelist at Synchro Academy reached into her deck and pulled the card that would decide everything.
The moment she drew it, Rin Seiya's eyes lit up with quiet satisfaction. Her gaze swept across the arena below.
When she spotted Amano Rei in the crowd, she flashed him a wink.
Amano scratched the back of his head. "Why are you looking at me?"
Rin Seiya raised the card before her. "This card carries the bond between me and someone important. A miracle that was once awakened in the light!"
The card had already begun to glow before she announced anything. The moment Amano saw that familiar radiance, he knew the answer.
The light of the Majestic Dragon.
"I activate the effect of Convergence Dragon from my hand!"
[Convergence Dragon]
[Dragon / Tuner / Effect]
[ATK: 0 / DEF: 0]
[Reveal this card when drawn to activate. Special Summon this card from your hand. If you control a Level 8 or higher Dragon-Type Synchro Monster, you can also Special Summon 1 Level 1 Dragon-Type monster from your Deck. This card's name is treated as "Majestic Dragon" while on the field or in the GY. This card can only be used as Synchro Material for a "Majestic" monster. Once per turn, a "Majestic" Synchro Monster Summoned using this card cannot be used as Synchro Material.]
The Convergence Dragon materialized in a shimmer of pink salvation-light and resonated immediately with the Stardust Dragon soaring above Rin Seiya's field.
"Since I control Stardust Dragon, Convergence Dragon's effect lets me Special Summon 1 Level 1 Dragon-Type monster from my Deck!"
The light of their bond reached into her deck and ejected the card she needed.
"Come on out! I Special Summon Stardust Baby Dragon!"
[Stardust Baby Dragon]
[Dragon / Effect]
[ATK: 100 / DEF: 100]
All three pieces of the Majestic Synchro combination were now assembled on the field. In that instant, the three cards on Rin Seiya's Duel Disk seemed to connect to one another along trails of starlight.
"With this dragon, I will change the ending the Meklords want to write!"
Rin Seiya swept her hand across her Duel Disk. Synchro particles expanded from her fingertips.
"I tune Level 1 Tuner Convergence Dragon with Level 8 Stardust Dragon and Level 1 Stardust Baby Dragon!"
Acting as Majestic Dragon, Convergence Dragon expanded into a massive halo of salvation-light that passed through both Stardust Dragon and Stardust Baby Dragon. A pillar of Synchro light erupted from the field and tore into the sky.
Level 1 plus Level 8 plus Level 1 equals Level 10!
"Let the gathered brilliance of the stars illuminate a new miracle and shine as a road of light!!"
"Majestic Synchro Summon! Level 10!"
"Descend from the light! Majestic Star Dragon!!"
[Majestic Star Dragon]
[Level 10 WIND]
[Dragon / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK: 3800 / DEF: 3000]
["Majestic Dragon" + "Stardust Dragon" + 1 non-Tuner]
Majestic Star Dragon descended from the apex of the soaring Synchro column, its colossal dragon body blazing like a constellation of stars gathered into a single point.
"That monster is..."
"The dragon that saves the world."
Like Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon, no one enrolled at the mid-level Synchro Academy could have been a stranger to this monster. They had all watched the sky the night of the Wicked God battle, that terrifying clash reflected in the clouds above the mid-level district. This was the dragon that had taken the victory. The dragon that had pulled Eden Tower back from the brink of collapse.
If the Meklord Emperors in the anime represented the possibility that Synchro Summoning could lead the world toward destruction, then Majestic Star Dragon stood for the exact opposite: proof that Synchro Summoning could save it instead.
Prayano raised a hand toward Starmark on their side of the field. "When you Special Summon a Synchro Monster, Meklord God Dragon - Starmark's effect activates! You take 1000 points of effect damage!"
The Synchro-punishing passive was the reason Rin Seiya had been rationing her Synchro Summons all duel. The effect was mandatory and could not be negated.
She could have used the GY effect of Damage Diet to halve that 1000 down to 500. She did not.
"I am not using Damage Diet. That mandatory effect from Meklord God Dragon - Starmark is exactly what I need."
Rin Seiya raised her arm. Majestic Star Dragon blazed on her field.
"I said I would use this Synchro Summon to destroy the Synchro Killer's Meklords. Majestic Star Dragon's effect activates!"
When Amano had first Synchro Summoned Majestic Star Dragon during the battle against Shiyue Yi's Wicked God, he had used its ability to negate and copy an opponent's monster effect, turning that power against a divine card. But Majestic Star Dragon carried a second effect, one Amano had never used.
This was the effect Rin Seiya was calling on now.
[When your opponent activates an effect, you can Tribute this card to negate that activation and destroy all cards your opponent controls.]
Rin Seiya thrust her fist toward the sky.
"I Tribute Majestic Star Dragon to negate Meklord God Dragon - Starmark's damage effect. Then I destroy every card on your field!"
"Take this! Majestic Stardust Blast!!"
At the highest point of the arena sky, Majestic Star Dragon let out one final roar and dissolved into a cascade of stardust particles that rained down across Prayano's entire side of the field.
[Majestic Star Dragon: Tributed]
The particles ignited on contact with the Meklord God Dragons, triggering chain upon chain of radiant explosions that swept across everything: both God Dragons, every set card, and the Mobile Fortress field spell itself.
[Meklord God Dragon - Starmark: effect negated]
[Meklord God Dragon - Starmark: destroyed]
[Meklord God Dragon - Triple Branch: destroyed]
[Meklord Core: Infinity Nucleus: destroyed]
[Mobile Fortress - Fortissimo: destroyed]
[Magic Cylinder: destroyed]
Prayano said, "Majestic Star Dragon alone cannot eradicate my Meklords entirely. When Meklord Core: Infinity Nucleus is destroyed by an effect, its effect activates!"
[If this card is destroyed by an effect, you can activate this effect. Special Summon 1 "Meklord Emperor" monster from your hand or Deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions, as long as no monster of the same Attribute already exists on your field.]
"From my Deck, ignoring Summoning conditions, I Special Summon Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity!"
Guided by the core module, mechanical components shattered and reformed into a new Meklord Emperor.
[Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity]
[Level 1 DARK]
[Machine / Special Summon / Effect]
[ATK: 2200 / DEF: 2200]
"Then keep going!" Rin Seiya fired back without hesitation, triggering her face-up Continuous Trap. "Salvation Phantom's effect activates! When Majestic Star Dragon leaves the field through its own effect, I choose one of the listed effects!"
[Salvation Phantom: Choose one: Special Summon that monster; banish 1 monster from your opponent's field or GY; or halve all damage you take this turn.]
"I Special Summon Majestic Star Dragon back to my field! Shine again, miracle of returning light!"
[Majestic Star Dragon] [ATK: 3800]
"Battle Phase! Majestic Star Dragon attacks Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity!"
The Meklord Emperor had spent the entire duel being called a Synchro Killer while achieving nothing against Rin Seiya. It was only the Meklord God Dragons that had actually threatened her. The Meklord Emperors had been under her foot from the opening turn.
Anyone who had watched both the Silver Stage and the Gold Stage could see the gap clearly. Even Nanki'in Yukki, watching from the stands, could not hold back her reaction.
"So this is the power of Synchro Academy's number one? Senpai Rin usually seems like she's one punchline away from a comedy routine, but at the crucial moment she is actually kind of incredible."
"When you declare your attack, I activate Electromagnetic Turtle's effect from my GY!"
Even after losing his entire board to Majestic Star Dragon's explosion, Prayano produced one final piece of defense. It was the Machine-Type monster he had discarded when he activated Meklord's Creation the previous turn.
[Electromagnetic Turtle: This effect can only be used once per Duel. During your opponent's Battle Phase, banish this card from your GY to end the Battle Phase.]
If Prayano forced the Battle Phase to end and kept Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity alive, the Meklord Emperor would absorb any Synchro Monster Rin Seiya fielded next turn.
"Then I will just blow everything up again!" Rin Seiya raised her hand to the sky. "Majestic Star Dragon's effect activates!"
Majestic Star Dragon's Tribute-to-negate-and-destroy ability had no once-per-turn restriction.
The Majestic Star Dragon that Salvation Phantom had just returned to the field could activate the same effect a second time without limitation.
[When your opponent activates an effect, you can Tribute this card to negate that activation and destroy all cards your opponent controls.]
"Second shot! Majestic Stardust Blast!!"
[Electromagnetic Turtle: negated]
[Majestic Star Dragon: Tributed]
[Meklord Emperor Skiel Infinity: destroyed]
The second Majestic Stardust Blast swept the arena completely clean. This time, Prayano's field was bombed down to nothing. Not a single card remained.
Prayano stated, "But now you have no monsters either, Rin Seiya."
"Anime cannon fodder should stay quiet and stop wasting everyone's time."
Rin Seiya had no monsters, but she still had the final face-down card she had set the previous turn and one card remaining in hand.
"I activate the face-down Trap Card, Stardust Remnant Light!"
[Stardust Remnant Light]
[Trap Card]
[Target 1 "Stardust" monster in your GY. Special Summon it.]
"Let the gathered wishes become a newborn shining star and blaze as a road of light! Soar again, Stardust Dragon!"
"ROOAAAR!"
[Stardust Dragon] [ATK: 2500]
Stardust Dragon surged back from the GY along a trail of residual starlight and charged directly at Prayano's empty field.
"Stardust Dragon, direct attack! Shooting Sonic!!"
Prayano LP: 4000 to 1500.
"I'm not... I'm not finished yet!"
"Yes, you are."
The arc of starlight trailing behind Stardust Dragon's wings carved the shape of victory across the sky. Rin Seiya slammed her last card onto her Duel Disk.
"I activate Quick-Play Spell, Final Crossing!"
[Final Crossing]
[Quick-Play Spell]
[During your turn in which a Synchro Monster was sent to your GY, target 1 Synchro Monster you control. During this turn, that monster can attack twice during each Battle Phase. If you activate this card targeting a Synchro Monster whose original name contains "Warrior," "Synchron," or "Stardust," you can also target 1 Synchro Monster in your GY and have the targeted monster gain ATK equal to that monster's ATK.]
"I target Stardust Dragon with Final Crossing! And since Stardust Dragon's name contains Stardust, I also target a Synchro Monster in my GY to boost its ATK!"
In that moment, the Stardust Dragon blazing through the arena seemed to put on the light of the Majestic Dragon once more.
"Stardust Dragon gains the ATK of Majestic Star Dragon in my GY!"
[Stardust Dragon] [ATK: 2500 to 6300]
Two board wipes. A double direct attack sequence ending at 6300 ATK. Synchro Academy at its absolute peak was no less formidable than any other.
Behind the Final Crossing-powered Stardust Dragon, a phantom silhouette assembled from stardust particles took shape: the ghost image of Majestic Star Dragon, blazing alongside the real thing as one.
Stardust Dragon and the phantom Majestic Star Dragon struck together.
"Majestic Blast - Shooting Sonic!!"
The shockwave of starlight, several times more violent than the first direct attack, crashed into Prayano. The raw intensity of the impact tore the grey-white cloak from their body.
Prayano LP: 1500 to 0. (-4800)
Watching from the outside, Senpai Rin had appeared to be dueling at death's door the entire time. In reality, she had played with total composure.
The sequence was clear in hindsight. She could have activated Final Crossing immediately and boosted Stardust Dragon to 6300 ATK from the start. One clean finishing strike. That would have brought Prayano from 4000 LP to negative 2300, earning 2300 Eva Points as overkill reward.
Instead she attacked first at 2500 ATK, dropping Prayano to exactly 1500, and followed up with the 6300 boosted attack. The overkill on the second strike was 4800 Eva Points rather than 2300.
There was only one reason to do it that way. It paid better.
Amano had heard that Senpai Rin still had not finished paying off the loan on her D-Wheel.
He just had not expected that in the deciding duel for Synchro Academy's entire bracket, with every seat in the arena watching, she would be running mental arithmetic on her D-Wheel repayment schedule during the finishing sequence. Then again, this was a woman who had opened an unlicensed gambling operation inside the school building. Financial optimization apparently did not have an off switch.
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