"Next I tune my Level 7 [Ancient Fairy Dragon] with the Tuner [Sage with Eyes of Blue] on my field!"
"Synchro Summon! Accel Synchro—Stardust Dragon!"
As his voice fell, the two monsters turned into starlight and shot into the sky.
A moment later, a pair of broad, radiant wings unfurled behind Yusaku. A silver-white dragon appeared at his back, raising its proud, regal head and unleashing a roar that shook the entire arena.
Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon descended!
[Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon]
[Level 8 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK: 2500]
"Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon, effect activate!"
Yusaku called out:
"When this card is Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower Tuner from my GY. I Special Summon the Level 1 Tuner [Maiden of White] from my GY back to the field!"
[Maiden of White]
[ATK: 0]
"Then I tune the just-Special-Summoned [Maiden of White] with [Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon] once more!"
[Level 8 + Level 1 = Level 9]
"Synchro Summon! Level 9—Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon!"
[Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon]
[ATK: 2500]
"Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon's effect is not once per turn, so I can activate it again!" Yusaku thrust his palm upward. "I Special Summon a LIGHT Dragon Synchro from my Extra Deck! From here on out—you'll witness the end point of Synchro!"
"What? The end point of Synchro!?" Divana's pupils shrank. The mocking look on his face froze solid.
Yusaku snapped his arm up, pointing straight at the sky.
"Crimson king slumbering in the infernal abyss, break your shackles at this very moment! Let your blazing flames incinerate all that stands in my way!"
As his shout echoed, the Duel Disk flared with a blinding crimson light, and then—
A column of energy exploded upward.
What erupted from his card zone wasn't ordinary light, but a torrent of magma-like energy, packed with scattering embers. The raging red flood pierced the ceiling of the projection field, blooming into a massive cloud of fire in midair.
Within the blazing haze, a dragon's roar rolled like thunder through the arena. Even the lighting rigs above the stage seemed to rattle under the sheer force of it. As the fire slowly dispersed, every spectator instinctively held their breath—
A crimson dragon over twenty meters long hovered at the center of the arena. Its scales looked like molten rubies, flowing like lava across its body, and every roar reverberated through the sky.
[Red Dragon]
[Level 12 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK: 0]
"Red Dragon, effect activate! When this card is Special Summoned, I can add 1 Spell/Trap from my Deck that lists 'Red Dragon' in its text to my hand. I add the Spell Card [Synchro Resonance] from my Deck!"
After adding the card, Yusaku immediately placed a Spell into his Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card—[Synchro Resonance]!"
"This card lets me target 1 Tuner or 1 Level 7 or 8 Dragon Synchro Monster in my GY, and Special Summon it in Defense Position."
"I Special Summon the Level 1 Tuner [Maiden of White] from my GY!"
[Maiden of White]
[ATK: 0]
"Next, I activate the effect of [Master with Eyes of Blue] in my GY!"
"I shuffle this card from my GY back into the Deck, then target 1 Effect Monster I control. I send that monster to the GY, then Special Summon 1 'Blue-Eyes' monster other than that monster from my GY!"
Yusaku's movements did not slow for even a moment.
"I target [Maiden of White] on my field, send her to the GY, and Special Summon [Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon] from my GY!"
[Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon]
[ATK: 2500]
"Then I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
"Then it's my turn."
As he drew, Divana's gaze swept across the monsters on Yusaku's field.
Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon hovered on the left, Ultimate Dragon Magician in the Extra Monster Zone shimmered with a faint violet glow, Red Dragon coiled in the rear, and Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon gleamed with an icy, crystalline light.
"So this is the board you claimed would lock me down?" He let out a thin laugh, lightly tapping his Duel Disk with one finger. "Aside from that Ultimate Dragon Magician, the rest look like glorified support pieces—"
His words cut off.
His eyes had locked onto Red Dragon, and his sneer only deepened. "A monster that's supposed to be the very light of Synchro, with 0 ATK and 0 DEF? And that Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon—I know its effect crystal clear. Any monster it summons doesn't even live through the turn; it just explodes in the End Phase."
"The Spell [Synchro Resonance]," Yusaku said, flipping up a card in his GY, "can also be used from the GY. If my 'Red Dragon' or a Level 7 or 8 Dragon Synchro Monster I control would be destroyed, I can banish this card instead."
He drew his hand across the Duel Disk.
"I already used it once to protect Red Dragon. And the board I ended last turn on—that was only a half-finished version. The real board starts now."
Divana's brow knotted. "?"
"At the end of your Draw Phase!" Yusaku's voice suddenly rang out, sharper and louder. "I activate the Continuous Trap—[True Light]! I Special Summon [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] from my GY!"
A thunderous dragon roar split the air as a silver-white dragon slammed down onto the field.
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon]
[ATK: 3000]
"Another vanilla?" Divana shook his head with a cold snort. "You still don't get it? Stacking more of that kind of monster does nothing."
"Don't rush. The show is just getting started." Yusaku's lips curled as he revealed another GY card. "Because [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] was Special Summoned, the effect of [Maiden of White] in my GY activates! I Special Summon her again!"
The white-clad girl stepped lightly back onto the field, the starlight around Yusaku's board growing even more restless.
[Maiden of White]
[ATK: 0]
"I activate Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon's effect!" Yusaku raised his arm high. "During my Main Phase, I can tribute this card to Special Summon [Stardust Dragon] from my Extra Deck, treating it as a Synchro Summon. After that, I can conduct another Synchro Summon! I tribute Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon—come forth, Stardust Dragon!"
[Stardust Dragon]
[ATK: 2500]
The silver dragon unfolded its wings in a spray of light. The number 2500 stabilized on the display—and Yusaku's voice detonated again before anyone could catch their breath.
"Next, I tune the Level 8 [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] with the Level 1 Tuner [Maiden of White]!"
"Accel Synchro!?" Divana's pupils shrank again. The horrifying scene from the last duel flashed through his mind in an instant.
"Exactly what you're thinking," Yusaku said, lifting his arm and sending the air swirling, "Gathered prayers become a newborn brilliant star, illuminating the path ahead with radiant light! Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon!"
Before Stardust's roar had even faded, another column of white light stabbed into the sky—Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon's form reconstituted itself once more, with far denser light particles swirling across its wings than before.
[Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon]
[ATK: 2500]
"First, I activate the effect of this just-Synchro Summoned [Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon]!" Yusaku's tempo never slowed. "I Special Summon a LIGHT Dragon Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck!"
"Memories from countless battles gather into a flowing galaxy, forming wings like the night sky, building an unbreakable wall! Guard our future—and descend, [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Spirit Dragon]!"
Sacred radiance pierced the clouds as a spirit dragon over ten meters long glided down. Its translucent body was filled with rivers of starlight, and the 3500 ATK displayed beside it drew a wave of gasps from the stands.
[Blue-Eyes Ultimate Spirit Dragon]
[Level 12 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK: 3500]
"It's not over!" Yusaku's shout cracked like thunder. "Next, I activate [Red Dragon]'s effect! I target 1 Level 7 or higher Synchro Monster on the field other than itself, return this card to the Extra Deck, then Special Summon 1 Dragon Synchro Monster of the same Level from my Extra Deck! Immediately after that, I perform a Synchro Summon!"
"My target is the Level 12 [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Spirit Dragon]!" Yusaku pointed to the sky. "Red Dragon returns to the Extra Deck—then I Special Summon a Level 12 Dragon Synchro Monster!"
"Count it as a Synchro Summon…" Divana's breathing hitched. Names and effects of synchro boss monsters with summoning restrictions flashed through his mind.
"Finally catching up?" Yusaku's voice rolled across the arena. "Too bad it's too late."
"Bear witness—one of Synchro's true apex forms!"
"When the gathered stars unite as one, a new bond will light the way to the future, paving a road of dazzling radiance—appear, Cosmic Blazar Dragon!!!"
The instant his declaration fell, the world itself seemed to fall silent.
Then a vertical column of starlight slammed down, splitting the sky. A pair of crystalline dragon wings scythed through the light, carving it apart like blades.
The silver dragon burst forth, wreathed in a storm of glittering star dust. It soared upward, shredding the cloud canopy overhead, leaving a hundred-meter trail of living starlight behind it.
When it dove again, its sword-like wings generated a screaming gale. The ground of the duel arena trembled faintly with each sweep.
[Cosmic Blazar Dragon]
[Dragon / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK: 4000]
Yusaku looked up at the silver dragon hovering in the air, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable weight. "Now—do you still think my field is just a pile of junk?"
Divana said nothing. Staring at the monsters hanging over the arena, his expression grew darker and darker.
Four Level 12 Synchro monsters radiated suffocating pressure. He had never seen a single one of them before.
Since when did Blue-Eyes have this many Extra Deck options? And why were they all Level 12!?
Divana couldn't help screaming internally.
Are these even legal cards!?
Then something else flashed through his mind. He remembered his run-ins with the Gurus—those rare card hunters who loved forging high-end fakes. Cards that were impossible to obtain through normal means? To them, just another day's work.
No… that wasn't right.
He could feel it. The spiritual pressure pouring off those dragons was real. Fake cards couldn't produce this kind of synchro resonance.
Don't tell me… he printed them on the spot!?
Legends told of top-tier duelists who could, when pushed into absolute desperation, manifest powerful cards with sheer will.
No. Impossible. That's just a story.
He violently shook the thought away.
The crowd in the stands, meanwhile, was far less composed.
One pair of eyes after another stared at the five dragons behind Yusaku. Among the five Dragon monsters on the field, four of them were Level 12.
Everyone knew that Level 12 was the apex for monsters—and summoning just one was already insanely difficult. How was this guy pumping them out like they were on wholesale?
Some of the slower spectators finally snapped back to their senses. Rubbing their eyes, they couldn't help blurting out:
"What the hell just happened!? How did he summon that many monsters in the opponent's turn, all at once!? Isn't this Divana's turn!?"
Over in Cheese Crit's stream, the chat was also flying at breakneck speed.
"Yusei's ace is moonlighting in every meta deck again, no joke. Everything seems to spit out Blazar more smoothly than its own archetype now!"
"Blue Daddy in three attributes, one of each. Blazar in three attributes, once. Stardust to wall all effect destruction, two unknown backrow, Ultimate Spirit Dragon with multi-negate and beatdown… what exactly is Divana supposed to play here, rock-paper-suicide?"
"As a Blue-Eyes player you should be embracing fusing with White Dad, not spamming Blazar all day. Is he even a Blue-Eyes to you? You just roll him out and call it a day!"
"Bro, any dragon that's white is a White Dragon. Therefore, Blazar is technically Blue-Eyes."
While chat bickered, something on the field suddenly made Divana laugh out loud.
"Hahaha, Yusaku, I admit—you're strong. Very strong. But you made a fatal mistake—every monster on your board is in Attack Position!"
"And I ought to thank you for summoning so many high-ATK monsters…"
As he spoke, his pupils turned gold.
"Now, the energy is more than enough to awaken the power of a god!"
Before his words had fully faded, he whipped out a golden cube and hurled it into the air. The cube hovered above the arena, radiating orange-red light and heat, wrapping the entire stage in an oppressive glow as it ravenously siphoned energy from deep underground.
"I already told you before the duel—only one of us is walking off this stage today."
Divana's smile twisted into something feral.
"Under the power of the Quantum Cube's domain, the loser gets exiled to another dimension. If you'd put your monsters in Defense Position, I really would've had a problem. But you got too cocky. With you sitting at just 2200 LP, I just need to attack and this duel is over."
"So, as thanks for cooperating, I'll be the one to send you across the dimensional border personally!" Divana thrust a hand forward. "Battle! Crimson Nova Trinity the Dark Cubic Lord—attack [Stardust Dragon]!"
All three of the beast's dark-red heads let loose a howl of annihilation as a sphere of condensed, dark energy surged toward Yusaku's monster like a falling meteor.
"You're just going to throw away your Main Phase like that?" Yusaku's tone stayed level. "But I suppose that's about what I expected from you."
"Still talking big? The duel's over!" Divana snapped.
"The duel is about to end," Yusaku said, "but you're not the one who wins."
Divana: "?"
"The duel is about to end—but you're not the one who wins." Yusaku snapped his fingers. "On attack declaration, I activate [Cosmic Blazar Dragon]'s effect—by banishing it until the End Phase, I negate your attack and end the Battle Phase!"
He paused for a beat, gaze flicking toward the tri-headed horror across from him.
"Your attack is negated. And then your Battle Phase ends."
"What!?" Divana's pupils constricted again.
The silver dragon melted into starlight, its body becoming a raging torrent of cosmic dust that swallowed and ripped apart the incoming sphere of dark energy. As the last remnants of that blast faded, Divana realized in horror that his Battle Phase had been forcibly cut short.
"You're right about one thing," Yusaku replied. "The duel is over. But you're still wrong about who wins."
Divana snorted. "Don't be so sure. I haven't used all my monsters' effects yet—and I've still got Cubic effects live in my GY."
With that, he flipped up a card from his GY.
"I activate the Spell [Cubic Wave]!"
"This card lets me banish itself and any number of 'Cubic' monsters from my GY, then target the same number of face-up monsters your side of the field controls. I place 1 Cubic Counter on each of those monsters. Monsters with Cubic Counters can't attack, and their effects are negated."
"I banish [Geira Guile the Cubic King] and [Vijam the Cubic Seed] from my GY, and place Cubic Counters on your [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Spirit Dragon] and [Ultimate Dragon Magician]!"
"You're overthinking it."
Yusaku swept his arm.
"In response to your Spell, I activate [Ultimate Dragon Magician]'s effect. When my opponent activates a card or effect, I can negate that activation and destroy it."
"You've fallen for it!" Divana smiled coldly. "I wanted you to negate [Cubic Wave]. The card I really want to resolve is this one! I flip my Trap—[Cubic Ascension]!"
His last set card flipped up with a snap.
"[Cubic Ascension] places up to a number of Cubic Counters on your face-up monsters equal to the number of 'Cubic' monsters I control. Monsters with Cubic Counters can't attack, and their effects are negated."
"I currently control three 'Cubic' monsters. So I activate this effect to place Cubic Counters on your [Stardust Dragon], [Ultimate Dragon Magician], and [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Spirit Dragon]. All three of them lose their effects and can't attack."
"That's the card you were saving?" Yusaku flicked his wrist. "Then I chain to your Trap and activate [Ultimate Dragon Magician]'s effect again, negating your activation and destroying it!"
As his words fell, the three heads atop Ultimate Dragon Magician's form opened their jaws in unison. A triple-layered flood of blinding radiance poured forth, like a cataclysmic tidal wave of light, swallowing the Trap at Divana's feet whole.
[Cubic Ascension] was obliterated in a flash.
The crimson cube hanging in the air flickered violently.
The God of Cubes shook, ever so slightly.
And the crowd realized—
This duel was about to cross a line none of them had expected.
(End of Chapter)
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