Sartorius's plan had fallen apart.
Although he had a monster with 4000 Attack, if he couldn't finish the duel this turn, then in the next turn, even if Destiny HERO - Plasma couldn't absorb his own monsters anymore because of the equipped monster, and thus wasn't as strong as Light Ruler, the Fool on his field still had 0 Attack!
Sartorius's expression gradually calmed down.
Hikaru was surprised.
These two really were brothers in arms.
One tried to bypass Destiny HERO - Plasma by launching a direct attack on the Duelist. The other tried to bypass the duel itself, using Remove Brainwashing to awaken the Duelist.
You could only say they truly grew up together.
Under the astonished gazes of Aster and Amaki Hikaru, Sartorius took a deep breath.
"Battle continues. Light Ruler attacks Destiny HERO - Plasma!"
"I activate the Graveyard effect of Destiny HERO - Dreamer! It can be activated during damage calculation involving a Destiny HERO monster. I Special Summon this card from the Graveyard, and that monster won't be destroyed in that battle! The battle damage to me becomes 0!
"I Special Summon it in Defense Position and reduce the damage to 0!"
[Destiny HERO - Dreamer] Level 1│DARK│Warrior│600 DEF
"What now, Sartorius? You've got nothing left, right!!"
"Naive, too naive, Aster! I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Mischief of the Time Goddess!" Sartorius grinned. "I'm not that easy to beat!"
"What?" Aster froze when he saw the card. "Isn't that Prince Ojin's card…"
"Prince Ojin is one of our Society of Light members, Aster!"
"I activate it at the end of my Battle Phase. I skip to the start of my next Battle Phase!"
"That means I can attack again, Aster!! All of this was to eliminate your Destiny HERO - Plasma!!"
Just like Aster gave it his all to take down the World.
Because of Plasma, Sartorius had to think of a way to remove it; otherwise, no matter how he fought, he would only lose.
That's the terrifying pressure Plasma exerts.
Whether attacking directly or targeting Plasma, everything led to this moment!
[Aster, LP: 900 → 350]
"Sartorius..."
Aster braced himself with both hands. A storm howled as the light gnawed at his body.
With Plasma destroyed, the spirit protecting him returned to the card, and already exhausted, Aster was now on the verge of collapse.
But…
He still held himself upright, refusing to fall.
Was this still not enough?
Then let's strike another match to the flame!
Sartorius only had two cards in hand, and his Set card hadn't activated at all. Even destroying Destiny HERO - Plasma changed nothing!
Because the Fool was still on the field!
"My turn! Fate, the world, guide me—Draw!!" Aster drew forcefully, a streak of violet flashing across his hand.
"Whoa," Tierra murmured softly.
Seeing the card he drew, Aster's eyes lit up.
It was the card Amaki Hikaru had given him earlier!
Previously, he had been troubled. His hand couldn't deal enough damage to defeat the Fool's 0 Attack and deliver 2900 damage. But now, he'd drawn this card!
If he couldn't win this turn, dragging it out would only be worse for him. But with this card—
"Here it comes—I activate the Normal Spell: Destiny Fusion!"
He carefully slotted the card into his Duel Disk. "Sartorius, during this time, I've met many new friends and learned many new things.
"Like Fusion! The Fusion of power, the Fusion between friends.
"There's no need to be alone!
"I've realized that standing in the rain for a friend is never wrong. So I'll use this card to save you completely—With Destiny Fusion's effect, I send Fusion Materials from my hand or Deck to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon a Destiny HERO!"
"I send Dreadmaster and Malicious from my Deck to the Graveyard to Fusion!"
"This is the power I've learned, the power of Fusion that belongs to me!"
"Fusion Summon—Destiny HERO - Dangerous!"
Doom and peril!
Aster was betting everything on this card!
The card tied by fate to Amaki Hikaru!
[Destiny HERO - Dangerous] Level 6│DARK│Warrior│2000 ATK
"Dangerous's effect! I discard a card to send a Destiny HERO from hand or Deck to the Graveyard! Until the end of the turn, all Destiny HERO monsters on the field gain 200 ATK for each Destiny HERO in the Graveyard!"
"In my Graveyard, I have Dystopia, Celestial, Drilldark, Diamond Dude, Dreadmaster, Malicious, and Plasma. Adding the Decider I just discarded makes 8 total. All Destiny HERO monsters gain 1600 Attack!"
Although only one was in Attack Position.
[Dangerous, ATK: 2000 → 3600]
"This is the end!!"
Sartorius looked at the monster attacking him, the future reflected in his eyes.
Dangerous's attack hit.
His Life Points dropped to zero.
After the duel ended, he was helped by Aster, and he and Hikaru became friends. In front of this sun-like leader, Duelist, and absolute Fusionist, all his pain seemed to fade away.
That was a beautiful future.
Because Amaki Hikaru was also someone born with a "special ability," but he neither feared nor looked down on normal people. Instead, he led them toward a better future.
Yes… that was truly beautiful.
[Sartorius, LP: 2900 → 0]
'He won!?'
Hikaru's eyes widened.
'Aster actually… won!???'
He had completely broken his fate!
Just as he thought that, he suddenly noticed the world distorting rapidly. The clouds in the sky were moving in reverse!
Hikaru blinked, momentarily uncomprehending.
In the next instant, he snapped awake.
"Wait, Aster—" Hikaru tried to stop him, but before he could react, the scene had returned to Dangerous attacking Sartorius!
"Tierra!?" Hikaru called out.
"Ah, I know!!!" Tierra quickly responded, though she could only panic. "But it won't work! I haven't recovered enough power!"
At the same time, a deep, ancient voice resounded, "What a weak man. As expected, humans are always swayed by such emotions."
From Sartorius's body, an eerie voice emerged.
'!!'
"I activate the Trap Card—"
"Beckoning Light."
A Trap Card flipped face-up. The artwork showed angels flying toward the heavens.
As the card activated, the light of this dimension—no, countless dimensions—converged here, illuminating the entire Critical Nexus!
The light was gathering!!!
A light not belonging to humans, nor Spirits, not even this dimension. The light of the cosmos was converging atop the tower!
"Discard all cards in hand. Add LIGHT monsters from Graveyard to hand." Sartorius, who had seemed calm, suddenly twisted into a grotesque grin more terrifying than anything in Hikaru's memory. His expression no longer looked human; horns even began to grow from his head!
"I send two cards from hand to Graveyard to add Temperance and The Hierophant to my hand!"
"I discard Temperance to reduce battle damage to 0!"
"Ngh... I activate Celestial's effect from the Graveyard! I banish Dreadmaster to draw two cards!"
Aster didn't even know what was happening, only cursed himself under his breath and continued the duel.
He glanced at the cards he drew.
A D - Shield, and two monsters in Defense Position. Should be fine.
"I Set one card and end my turn."
"My turn, draw!" [Sartorius] drew a card.
"Normal Summon: Arcana Force V - The Hierophant!"
The Hierophant spun and stopped face-up: "When summoned, Special Summon Arcana Force IV - The Emperor from the Deck!"
"If you control a monster that tosses a coin, this card can be Special Summoned.
Major Arcana 19: The Sun!"
Arcana Force XIX - The Sun, Level 7, LIGHT, Fairy, 2900 ATK.
Sartorius began playing cards Amaki Hikaru had never seen before, and Hikaru merely stayed silent, quietly memorizing the names and effects.
Then, Sartorius raised his right hand. The Hierophant, Emperor, and Fool on his field began to glow with different colored lights, shooting skyward.
"Though the 'time' is incorrect, fate has presented a new judgment!"
He held up a blank card.
Originally, this card wasn't meant to appear until tomorrow!
However, "He" would now forcibly catalyze its birth!
"Become the power of fate!"
"I contact fuse the three Arcana Force monsters on my field!"
'Contact Fusion!?'
'What!?'
Aster stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
An Arcana Force Fusion Monster!?
With Sartorius's cry, in a blinding light, a massive angel bearing three black dragons descended. Its arrival heralded the end of all things, reeking of death.
Aster was dazed. He had already exhausted himself reviving Destiny HERO - Plasma, and now this monster's gaze left him mentally and physically shaken.
"Descend, Fate's End—Arcana Force EX - Chaos Ruler!"
[Arcana Force EX - Chaos Ruler] Level 10│LIGHT, Fairy│3300 ATK
The card spun automatically.
"Of course, Upright Position!"
CLACK!
The spinning card stopped and settled face-up.
"Chaos Ruler's Upright effect: ignore Summoning conditions, Special Summon a Level 10 Arcana Force monster from hand or Deck!"
"Appear now, Arcana Force EX - Dark Ruler!"
[Arcana Force EX - Dark Ruler] Level 10│LIGHT│Fairy│4000 ATK
Both ace monsters from the original were summoned in one go!
Hikaru watched, sinking into complete silence.
Only Tierra beside him knew the storm roiling in his heart.
Dark Ruler spun automatically, finally stopping upright.
"Battle, this is the final finale, The Hierophant!" Sartorius screamed madly, commanding The Hierophant to attack Aster: "Light Ruler attacks Dangerous!"
"Trap Card, Draining Shield! I recover LP equal to your monster's ATK!"
[Aster, LP: 350 → 4350]
"Chaos Ruler attacks Dreamer!"
Boom!
With only 600 Defense, Dreamer was reduced to particles and banished, as it was Special Summoned by its own effect.
"Then, The Sun attacks Drawhand."
Likewise, Drawhand was destroyed and banished, also due to its own Special Summon.
"Dark Ruler attacks Dangerous."
"I discard a card to send Decider from Deck to Graveyard!" Aster struggled desperately.
He still had LP left. He could still hold on—
"Dark Ruler in Upright Position can attack twice!!!"
Aster froze.
He opened his mouth, then gave a bitter smile and turned to Amaki Hikaru. "Sorry, Captain. Seems like I chose caution when I should've gone all out."
If he had switched all his monsters to Attack Position last turn, he would have won. The Fool can't be destroyed in battle; it only takes damage.
Light swallowed Aster, engulfing his silhouette.
[Aster, LP: 4350 → 0]
"No... Aster, you already won."
You've already won back your friend's heart.
It's just that…
The Light of Destruction was too despicable!
"Next, I will end everything."