"Our bond, Senpai and I's—I'll prove it with this card! I Summon in Defense Position: Crowned by the World Chalice!"
[Crowned by the World Chalice] Level 2│WATER│Spellcaster│0 ATK / 2100 DEF
A watery blue light bloomed within the Shadow Game barrier as the slim, gracefully twirling blue-haired priestess touched down with a gentle tap of her toes.
Irena thought, 'That card... I gave it to Aisha myself. She's actually Summoning it at a time like this…'
Even Irena, who had gifted the card, didn't know what Aisha planned to do with it against Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder.
Did Aisha know?
Not really.
But unlike Miles, whose tactical calculations ensured every move had precise meaning, Aisha's style leaned far more on intuition.
Even if she didn't know what this card might bring, she believed... in the bond between Duelist and Card—that it could change something.
That belief proved true. Once Crowned by the World Chalice was properly Summoned, the Trap Card Aisha had Set on her first turn suddenly became activatable.
"I can activate it now? Of course... You kept this card, too, didn't you, Irena-senpai!"
With no uncertainty, Aisha flipped her Set Trap Card.
"Trap Card activate: The League of Uniform Nomenclature!"
[Select 1 face-up Level 2 or lower Normal Monster you control. Special Summon as many cards with the same name as possible from your Deck.]
"I target the Level 2 Normal Monster Crowned by the World Chalice on my field and Special Summon cards with the same name from my Deck!"
"Aisha, you actually activated The League of Uniform Nomenclature?"
Miles understood better than anyone: Irena had only given Aisha one copy of Crowned by the World Chalice. So there shouldn't be a second copy in Aisha's Deck.
Yet the effect had activated successfully.
Which meant—
It wasn't Aisha's Deck that had responded. It was Irena's Deck, linked through the Spirit Eyes in Miles's arm, that answered the Summon.
Aisha turned to Miles with gleaming eyes: "Miles, summon her from Irena-senpai's bond deck!"
"You're really something... Special Summoning from a teammate's Deck!"
With a sweep of his hand, Miles revealed Irena's Deck and pulled out the slumbering second copy of Crowned by the World Chalice, tossing it onto the field.
"Crowned by the World Chalice, Summon!"
Back then, Irena had said that the card was tradable because it had been passed down from her grandmother.
So it made perfect sense that, as the granddaughter, Irena would also carry the same monster in her Deck.
Because both Aisha and Irena each had one Crowned by the World Chalice in their Decks, the effect of The League of Uniform Nomenclature could go off—their bonds connected.
[Crowned by the World Chalice] DEF: 2100
Two identical blue-haired priestesses with equally flat chests materialized side by side on Aisha and Miles's field.
Just then, a calm girl's voice echoed in Miles's mind.
Not Irena.
"Miles."
"Aisha?"
It was undoubtedly the voice of Dark Aisha from within the Soul Room.
If she was speaking at such a critical moment, it had to mean something.
"Miles, say this to the other me."
"Say what?"
"Just repeat after me."
"Alright."
Miles turned to Aisha and symbolically cleared his throat.
Then, he shouted the phrase:
Dark Aisha & Miles: "Two Level 2 monsters—it's time, Aisha!"
"Miles?"
A long-distance cue from another soul. A critical reminder from Dark Aisha imbued the two Crowned by the World Chalice monsters with new meaning.
From an alternate timeline, another soul, Aisha Yuna Carlos had inherited Xyz Monsters and the battle style of fighting with low-level monsters.
"Catch! Aisha!"
In perfect sync, Miles tossed his copy of Crowned by the World Chalice to Aisha.
"Got it, Miles!"
With a flourish of her fingers, Aisha overlaid the two cards.
"Two Level 2 monsters, I build the Overlay Network! Rank 2 Xyz Summon—Burning soul's blade, unsheathe! Onibimaru Soul Sweeper!"
[Onibimaru Soul Sweeper] Rank 2│DARK│Fiend / Xyz / Effect│1900 ATK / 1600 DEF
A blue ghost flame plunged into the Shadow Game barrier. Bearing a burning greatblade and a demon mask, Onibimaru Soul Sweeper represented Aisha Carlos's brand new ace Xyz Monster, slashing through the Summoning light.
"A Rank 2 Xyz Summon? You did it, Aisha!" Miles praised.
Unable to hold back, the white-haired loli complained, "Why are you, a Fusion Academy student, so good at Xyz Summoning?! Did you enroll at the wrong school?!"
Honestly, Miles had long suspected Aisha was enrolled at the wrong academy.
With Dark Aisha's battle style, if she had joined XYZ Academy instead, she might never have faced expulsion.
However, the declining Carlos family lacked both the money and connections to send her to Duel Academies abroad.
"No, I'm more grateful than anyone to have come to Fusion Academy. More than anyone, I believe this was the best fate I could ask for."
Her fingertips still shimmered with the ghostly blue flame of her successful Xyz Summon as Aisha spoke her truth.
"It's only because I came to Fusion Academy that I met the most important people, made the most precious friends… and now, can defeat you here!"
She detached Crowned by the World Chalice from beneath her Xyz Monster to activate its Rank 2 effect.
"Effect of Onibimaru Soul Sweeper! Once per turn, I detach 1 Xyz Material to activate—banish 1 monster on your field until the End Phase of your next turn!"
The massive execution blade, even larger than its wielder, gathered layers of ghostly blue fire upon its edge.
"Go! Sever time and space—Onibimaru Soul Sweeper! Oni Flame Phantom Slash!!"
With one cleaving strike, Ghostfire Katana opened a massive spatial rift, swallowing Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, and temporarily banishing it from the field.
...
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