Kaima Seth, though prouder than anyone, was also more rational than most. If not for Miles reaching out with emergency aid, she might have collapsed before the battle even began.
So even though her body was being controlled by a soul that was not her own, Kaima tried to hypnotize herself into not caring.
She affirmed in her mind many times, 'It doesn't matter. Don't care.'
...Impossible not to care!
She couldn't imagine how Aisha Carlos or even Irena had managed to accept such a state so calmly. Kaima knew she absolutely couldn't. Even if her survival instinct had made her grasp the Millennium Puzzle, her inner dignity would never allow a man to control her body.
All the more when that man was the one who had once defeated her... the opponent she had sworn to defeat.
To be controlled by that destined enemy, her body used at will, while she had no way to resist… that was humiliation unlike anything Kaima had ever endured.
Fortunately, the true enemy standing before them—Varian Empire Marshal Locke Slint—was still silently absorbing life force from the Sacred Beast cards, making no move to attack. After all, for Locke, solidifying his eternal life was all that mattered; Everything else was ants beneath his feet.
Just as Kaima struggled with her feelings, a girl's energetic cry suddenly echoed from afar, rapidly approaching.
"Miles—! Aisha—!"
Ren Austin, having resolved herself, ran at full speed to the center of the Spiral Life Barrier. And what she saw upon arrival was Kaima holding Aisha in her arms, with Aisha wearing a blissful expression, reluctant to be released. Most importantly… Kaima held the Millennium Puzzle in her hand.
The tangled relationship, a scene worthy of white album drama, was so overwhelming that Ren even ignored the imposing muscular figure of Locke Slint beside them.
"You guys… who exactly is Miles?" Ren asked cautiously.
Innocent Aisha shook her head. "Hm?"
"Ahem! That's me, Ren." Miles responded.
Whether due to Kaima's muscle memory, he couldn't help letting out a hum before speaking. Using Kaima's voice for the first time—the already somewhat mature tone, layered with Miles's genuine male cadence—sounded even more domineering than Kaima herself.
"Ugh!!"
Ren's cheeks instantly flushed. This combination's impact was too strong. She could finally understand why Aisha looked so blissful.
"No, no, no!" Shaking her head hard, Ren managed to break free from the AOE assault of CEO Miles. "Why is your number growing again, Miles? Just how many people do you need before you're satisfied?!"
"..."
Miles could only give a bitter smile inside. Was this something he could decide? Every time, it had been forced circumstances that made Soul Exchange necessary…
"In this black fog, if Kaima hadn't established a link with the Millennium Item, her life force would've been absorbed by the Sacred Beasts. Ren, you must've seen the devastation along the way here."
Though Miles hadn't witnessed it himself, the suffocating darkness and silence made it easy to guess most duelists had already lost consciousness to the fog's corruption.
"I did see it. Sorry, Miles, now's not the time for jokes."
Ren's sudden return to seriousness made the importance of the situation hit home again.
Personal feelings had no place here. Having witnessed the duelist corpses along her way, she knew the true enemy was right before them.
She also realized that the only reason she hadn't fallen unconscious was because of Miles—Establishing contact with a Millennium Item granted resistance against the darkness… Once again, Miles had protected her.
That alone was enough. For that reason alone, Ren was all the more determined to fight alongside him.
"So even Ren Austin knows of Miles? And judging from her still-conscious state, she too must have exchanged souls with him."
The more Kaima thought about it, the more complicated her feelings became. What kind of charm did this man, Miles, possess?
"No. Nothing complicated!" she muttered to herself.
Whatever others thought of Miles, her vow would never change—he was the rival she must defeat. Right now was merely a matter of necessity in the darkness. Judging from Ren's condition, once contact with a Millennium Item was established, the fog no longer posed a threat. Meaning, even if Miles left, Kaima should now be able to fight.
Her body was hers alone… she would never allow her rival's soul to wield her Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The Blue-Eyes belonged only to her!
With that thought, Kaima's Soul Room shifted.
Within the palace-like chamber, the ground rumbled, and a massive stone slab rose up. Carved upon it was a dragon—one she had never seen before. Gorgeous and dazzling, resembling yet distinct from Blue-Eyes, as though born from an azure abyss.
Why would such a dragon appear here, within the Millennium Puzzle's Soul Room?
Drawn by some force, Kaima instinctively reached out.
Boom—!
At her fingertip's touch, the great slab crumbled into rubble. In its place appeared a brand-new card, the dragon's figure now transferred onto its face, glowing brilliantly.
"This card! So this is my Soul Room, the answer my heart gives!"
Epiphany often came in a single moment—and this card embodied hers.
"Miles!" she called out within her thoughts.
"Time to return my body. My duel is mine alone to control! Go back to Aisha Carlos."
"Oh?" For the first time, Miles had been outright refused a proxy duel.
As expected, Kaima Seth was unlike any other woman. If this were a game, she'd be the highest-difficulty heroine to capture. However, reality wasn't a game. Respecting her decision, Miles nodded inwardly.
"Understood, Kaima."
A pity… he had wanted to try using Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Anyhow, perhaps another time. Their common goal now was clear: defeat Varian Empire Marshal Locke Slint, the man who brought darkness through the Sacred Beasts.
—Soul Transfer!
"I'm back, Aisha."
"So fast this time!"
"There's a reason. Just consider it me fulfilling my promise at lightspeed. Let's switch again, Aisha!"
"Got it!"
The Millennium Puzzle gleamed, granting Miles control of Aisha's body once more. For some reason, the moment moved him. No matter what, only Aisha Yuna Carlos always entrusted her body to him without a shred of hesitation.
Perhaps it was her pure kindness at their first meeting that made his life here feel worthwhile.
"For someone like me with nothing but dueling in my head, maybe one day I'll find something worth protecting. And that's thanks to you, Aisha."
Raising his Spirit Eyes arm, Miles pointed at Locke Slint, swollen with stolen life force.
"Stop dreaming of eternal life, Locke Slint! When Spirit Eyes cross, a duel is forced open. We'll crush you in the name of Livorden!"
Locke ceased his absorption, his Millennium Eye glaring through the three girls. "So this is the final lineup? Just academy brats? Hardly exciting."
"Hmph, the last imperial general who underestimated Fusion Academy is already lying over there." Kaima gestured toward the fallen warship.
"Kaima Seth, eldest of the Seth dukes. You misunderstand. What I mean is, compared to our side's lineup, yours is far too lacking."
"Your side's lineup?"
At once, heavy footsteps approached through the dark. Anyone moving freely in this fog must bear a Millennium Item. From the shadows emerged one of the masterminds since the capital incident—the wielder of the Millennium Rod.
"Father?!"
Kaima's brow furrowed to its limit. Her father, Reigun Seth, stepped out of the darkness and stood beside Locke. That alone was proof enough of who the traitor in the royal capital was.
"Well done, Kaima! As expected of my son, I placed such hope in him. Your victorious declaration from the warship will raise the Seth family's prestige to new heights!"
Though the plan to seize the royal Spirit Eyes had hit a snag, with the Sacred Beasts now in hand, the duelists and even Lord Kaiser had all fallen.
The fog would affect the populace, but not fatally. Once the duelists were gone, the swayed citizens would hail the Seth family as saviors, and when the fog cleared, they would replace the Kaiser and rule Livorden as its new monarchs.
"The prophecy was true, Kaima. You've fulfilled your duty, bringing ultimate power and status to the Seth family. From here, you're no longer needed. You can die now."
It was clear from his every word—Reigun Seth had been utterly consumed by darkness. Whether it was the Rod's corruption or his own greed, who could say?
"You bastard!" Kaima's teeth ground together. She no longer called him father. "Do you feel any pride left in the Seth family after this betrayal?!"
"Victory is justice! History is written by winners. I can ensure the Seth family will shine brighter than ever for the next hundred years!"
"No!" Her Spirit Eyes blazed. "Even if history is rewritten, your betrayal strips away all honor! The only glory left to the Seth family is me cutting you down!"
Their duel ignited—father and son, no one else allowed to interfere.
Scanning the three, Reigun's moustache curled. "Seems my preparations weren't wasted. Your turn to enter."
Another set of heavy footsteps echoed. The third of Locke's lineup stepped forth—and Aisha froze in shock.
"Professor Field? Impossible!"
Of all people, the most righteous, the one who always believed in the light of duelists… Professor Field stood in the darkness. Their minds reeled at the sight.
"Nothing impossible," Miles snapped. "The Millennium Rod's power is brainwashing and control. That must be the preparation Reigun mentioned."
"Well said. No wonder you bear the Puzzle. Do you know why I chose Field? Because the Iron Demon's power is unmatched in Livorden. Far beyond you, children!"
They knew Field was strong—but to be praised so highly by Reigun proved his strength was extraordinary. Yet to see such a man, who always upheld light and justice, enslaved by the Rod—rage welled up inside Miles.
"Unforgivable!"
"I'm angry too, Miles."
Ren stepped forward, her HERO deck shining.
"This duel's mine. I'll save Professor from the darkness. That's the duty of a hero—to protect those who matter!"
The third duel began: a hero against justice twisted by darkness.
Only then did Miles understand the "lineup gap" Locke had spoken of. Within the black mist, three independent duels erupted:
Aisha VS Locke Slint, "Empire Marshal"
Kaima VS Reigun Seth, "National Lion"
Ren VS Professor Field, "Iron Demon"
Just their titles already dwarfed them. The opponents—each famed across the Spirit Continent. And on their side? Merely three academy students.
But so what? What about it?
Ren said, "Is a duel about titles?"
Kaima shouted, "Absolutely not!"
Miles continued, "What matters is the heart that never yields, even before the strong!"
"Betting on Livorden's future—we will win!" ×3
"Duel!"
...
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