"Fusion Summon! Meteor Black Comet Dragon!!"
[Meteor Black Comet Dragon] Level 8│DARK│Dragon│3500 ATK / 2000 DEF
[1 Level 7 "Red-Eyes" monster + 1 Level 6 Dragon monster]
The burning meteor that tore through the sky roared upward. Twin wings of black flame flared with starry embers, bathing the entire Duel Platform in blazing crimson.
Miles shouted, "Kevin's resolve is shining!"
As both soul-brother and rival, Miles could understand Kevin's actions. Why did Kevin return all three copies of System Down to his Deck?
It had to be tied to Duke Reigun Seth.
Kevin had made his move as a man fighting to forge a path of dignity, breaking the chains of fate.
"Kevin, you..."
Kaima's eyes trembled, pupils contracting. She looked up at the blazing meteor dragon, wanting to speak, but words failed her.
The red-hot comet roared as if to tear through destiny's bindings.
At some point, the little brother who'd always trailed behind her had grown so much.
While she... stayed mired in the filth.
"Meteor Black Comet Dragon's effect activates!"
[When this card is Fusion Summoned: Send 1 "Red-Eyes" monster from your hand or Deck to the Graveyard; inflict damage to your opponent equal to half its original ATK.]
"I send Gearfried the Red-Eyes Iron Knight (ATK: 1800) from my Deck to the Graveyard. You take half its original Attack as damage—Comet Burn!"
Using a Red-Eyes monster as a bullet, the meteor blazed across the field, past Cyber End and Chimeratech Overdragon, and struck Deion himself.
[Deion, LP: 2000 → 1100]
That intense heat seemed to carry Kevin's resolve straight into Deion's chest.
"Is that why you fight, Kevin Seth? Then I'll answer you with everything I have—my destiny included!"
Rivals bound by mutual understanding clashed, their souls colliding without need for words.
"Battle! Fly, Meteor Black Comet Dragon—!"
Kevin clenched his fist and charged into the Battle Phase. His ultimate Red-Eyes Fusion soared, becoming a crimson inferno as it dove toward Deion's field.
And its target? The 8000 ATK Cyber End Dragon, enhanced by Power Bond.
"So you've chosen to challenge Cyber-style evolution itself. Then let's collide head-on! Counterattack, Cyber End Dragon—Eternal Evolution Burst!"
A blinding clash between evolution's light and meteor flame. Though the stat difference was massive, Meteor Black Comet Dragon showed no signs of faltering.
It was the fire of dignity blazing within.
"During damage calculation—Trap Card activate!"
Kevin flipped his final Set card.
"Trap Card: Prideful Roar!"
[During damage calculation, if your monster's ATK is lower than your opponent's: Pay LP equal to the difference; that monster gains ATK equal to the difference + 300 during this damage calculation only.]
"The ATK gap between Meteor Black Comet Dragon and Cyber End Dragon is 4500. I pay that with my LP—my pride and soul—to bridge that difference!"
[Kevin, LP: 4900 → 400]
With a dazzling life cost, Meteor Black Comet Dragon's ATK surged past Cyber End.
[Meteor Black Comet Dragon, ATK: 3500 → 8300]
"Burn down that so-called evolution! Meteor Black Comet Dragon—Starflame Roar!!"
The dragon's searing claw slammed Cyber End Dragon into the Duel Platform, spewing point-blank starfire that annihilated the massive machine.
[Cyber End Dragon] destroyed
[Deion, LP: 1100 → 800]
Even the 8000-point Cyber End fell. The shockwave from this titanic clash rattled the newly repaired platform, making Vice Principal Raiden sweat bullets.
Even so, as head of Fusion Academy, he couldn't help but cheer for the Duelists' passion.
The audience erupted as well.
This was the Duel that fired up everyone's spirit.
"I Set 2 cards and end my turn!"
Kevin placed his remaining hand face-down. This was the end of the turn in which he defied Reigun Seth and resisted his shackles.
Kevin's turn ended—but this Duel was far from over.
"This is bad," Aisha murmured. "Even though it was awesome that he beat Cyber End head-on, Deion still has that 24000 ATK Chimeratech Overdragon on the field."
Even more terrifying than the Cyber End hit, Kevin had been bracing for Overdragon's 30-hit capability the whole time.
Now, with Meteor Black Comet Dragon in Attack Position, it was the perfect target.
"Believe in Kevin!" Miles declared. "That's not the look of someone who's given up! He's still got the power to turn this around—he's our year's number one!"
"My turn! Draw!"
Deion drew with a flourish and immediately entered the Battle Phase.
He didn't switch Cyber Dinosaur to Attack Position. Everyone could see what mattered now: if Chimeratech Overdragon landed a hit, the Duel would end.
This was a clash of aces. No other monsters mattered.
"Finally! Chimeratech Overdragon, 30-hit combo! Can you survive it, Kevin Seth?!"
Thirty mechanical dragon heads snapped into position, targeting the burning meteor dragon.
"Evolved Chimeratech Barrage!!"
"Set card activate!"
As Overdragon lunged in with its 24000-point onslaught, Kevin flipped one of his two remaining face-downs.
"Quick-Play Spell: De-Fusion!"
[Target 1 Fusion Monster on the field; return it to the Extra Deck, then, if all its Fusion Materials are in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon them.]
"De-Fusion? Even if you split Meteor Black Comet Dragon, you'll only block two attacks."
"No, Deion—I'm not targeting my Meteor Black Comet Dragon. I'm targeting your Chimeratech Overdragon!"
De-Fusion didn't specify whose Fusion Monster it had to be.
Chimeratech Overdragon's 30 dragon heads shattered apart. During the Battle Phase, Kevin forcibly canceled the fusion.
And with the 3 Cyber Dragons used to summon it banished, Deion no longer had the materials to resummon.
No monsters returned to the field.
Deion was left with only a lone Cyber Dinosaur.
Despite fusing his entire Deck via Future Fusion, Deion never got off a single successful attack. Kevin had defended his LP—and Grand Magus Fiona's Duel Platform.
"With all your monsters gone, including Overdragon, this Duel is mine, Deion Kaiser!"
"Hahaha!!"
Deion burst into laughter, more confident than ever.
"All monsters? Not quite, Kevin. I still have one left—in my hand!"
Miles: "So that last card... it really was a monster."
Just as they suspected. That final card in Deion's hand was another beast.
"To summon my last monster—Trap Card activate: Born from Draconis!"
[Banish all LIGHT Machine monsters from your GY and face-up from your field; Special Summon 1 Level 6 or higher LIGHT Machine monster from your hand, ignoring its Summoning conditions, and if you do, its ATK/DEF become equal to the number of monsters banished to activate this card x 500, also it is unaffected by card effects, except its own and this card's.]
"I banish all 29 "Cyber" monsters from my field and Graveyard to bring down the ultimate Draco Star!"
Deion theatrically drew the card. Twenty-eight "Cyber" monsters from the Graveyard and Cyber Dinosaur from the field vanished, paving the way.
"Descend, shining dragon of the cosmos—Special Summon! Cyber Eltanin!"
[Cyber Eltanin] Level 10│LIGHT│Machine│? ATK / ? DEF
From the heavens, through dense clouds, the final Cyber monster descended.
Vast, uncontainable, born of 29 banished "Cyber" monsters—on par with the Chimeratech Overdragon that had fused Deion's entire Deck.
"Cyber Eltanin gains 500 ATK for each banished "Cyber" monster. 29 total—its final ATK is 14500!"
[Cyber Eltanin, ATK: 14500]
Who would've thought that in this Duel, the weakest of Deion's three aces would be the 8000 ATK Cyber End Dragon?
The other two were true monstrosities.
"Now, Cyber Eltanin's effect activates! When Special Summoned: send all other monsters on the field to the Graveyard!"
A blinding galaxy descended.
Kevin's Meteor Black Comet Dragon vanished in an instant under the overwhelming starlight.
"Red-Eyes can't defeat the Draco Star! Be gone—Stellar Swarm!"
A full-field AOE engulfed the Duel Arena, leaving Meteor Black Comet Dragon incinerated.
"Now it's over, Kevin Seth! With 14500 ATK, this next direct attack will finish you!"
"Damn, so Kevin's going to lose after all?" Ren muttered.
If he fell here, Year One would be one draw and one loss. They'd be in serious trouble.
That said, what could they do? Deion's raw power was overwhelming.
If Irena had relied on dark combos and Valkyrie lockdowns...
Deion's Cyber Dragons were pure, relentless destruction from start to finish.
"No—look! It's not over!"
Aisha pointed at Kevin's field. The Fusion was gone, yet the flames of the Black Dragon still burned.
Even engulfed by starlight, the black flame intensified.
Kevin drew. "Come forth from the infinite potential of the Red-Eyes! Meteor Black Comet Dragon's effect activates!"
[If this card is sent from the Monster Zone to the GY: Target 1 Normal Monster in your GY; Special Summon it.]
"Ride the meteor and return—Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
"ROAR!!"
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon, DEF: 2000]
The final roar of Kevin's will—the resurrected Red-Eyes stood tall before Cyber Eltanin.
"Let's end this Duel—with our soul monsters, Deion Kaiser!"
"Well said, Kevin Seth! As a royal, I acknowledge you as a true Duelist of pride!"
Recognition from royalty. Any noble should rejoice.
But for Kevin, titles meant nothing.
All that mattered now was to finish this Duel with glory.
"Go, Cyber Eltanin—Draco Sky Flash!"
"Counterattack, Red-Eyes Black Dragon—Inferno Fire Blast!"
2000 DEF against 14500 ATK. The gap was massive.
Yet the legendary Red-Eyes Black Dragon roared in defiance, meeting the blow with a soul-burning blast.
The explosion shook the sky and ground. When it faded, Red-Eyes was gone.
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] destroyed
Deion hurled his last card: "In the name of the royal house, I end this Duel—Quick-Play Spell: Cyberload Fusion!"
[Return Fusion Materials from your field or banished zone to the Deck, then Fusion Summon 1 "Cyber Dragon" Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck.]
With his whole Deck banished, this meant 33 cards returned, including Cyber Eltanin.
"Return 33 cards—Fusion Summon! Chimeratech Overdragon, 26400 ATK!"
Another hit and Kevin would be finished.
"Deion! You can't activate that card! This Duel ends here!"
Cyberload Fusion never resolved.
Because when Red-Eyes Black Dragon was destroyed, Kevin had flipped his final Trap.
"Aisha Carlos! Take it from here! Carry our will forward! Trap Card activate—Red-Eyes Burn!"
[If a face-up "Red-Eyes" monster you control is destroyed by battle or card effect: Inflict damage to both players equal to that monster's original ATK.]
Red-Eyes' final burst of soul-fire detonated in the center of the arena, engulfing both Duelists.
[Deion, LP: 800 → 0]
[Kevin, LP: 400 → 0]
Standing tall in the aftermath, Kevin's soul as a Duelist had never burned brighter.
He defied his father, rejected his family's will, and shattered the chains of fate—this was what it meant to Duel with your soul.
He may not have won… but just as he told Aisha and Miles before the match:
"Until I clear every obstacle and defeat you fair and square, I won't lose!"
...
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