Chapter 29: A Guardian Spirit's Fighting Style
For duel flow. Recommended listening: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX execution theme BGM.
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[Full Extra Deck Unlocked - "HERO"]
"This'll work!" Just as Amano predicted.
Finesse's archetype wasn't specifically "Destiny HERO"—it encompassed the entire "HERO" category.
He'd noticed this because of that H - Heated Heart card Finesse showed yesterday.
Though technically a semi-generic Spell, Amano—intimately familiar with the HERO series—knew this card fundamentally belonged to the "Elemental HERO" archetype.
Cards bridging both "Destiny" and "Elemental"—Finesse's HEROes wouldn't be a single-archetype limitation.
So the system directly judged possession as unlocking the full "HERO" archetype Extra Deck.
This let Amano grasp victory's hope within dark despair.
"HERO" extended far beyond just "Destiny" and "Elemental."
"Futile struggling—pathetically lamentable!"
Lutz spread his massive arms wide in the darkness-layered field, tone arrogant and chuuni to extremes.
"With your pile of trash Heroes, how will you face my darkness god that devours all light?!"
"Magic—negated! Monsters—negated! Traps—negated! Battle—negated!"
"This is strongest incarnation! Within this dark abyss, you cannot glimpse even hope's faintest light!"
"You'll regret not staying unconscious until death—would've been easier!"
Amano sighed. "Finished talking?"
Lutz: "Hm?"
Amano: "If you're done, I'm making my move."
Obviously his own speaking, yet the throat produced Finesse's clear girl's voice.
Though the voice was Finesse's, the tone was Amano's.
Even this counterattack turn's momentum gave Lutz a familiar feeling.
Lutz: "You say you're moving? Facing this situation..."
Amano: "I'm not just crushing Dark Guardian! I'm taking you down with it!"
Lutz: "!!!"
In this instant, Lutz also perceived where this familiar feeling originated.
Obviously Finesse's girl's voice, yet speaking words that man tonight once said.
(("I'm not just crushing Gate Guardian! This strike takes you down too!"))
Lutz felt like he was hallucinating—in his eyes, the hero-costumed girl's form seemed overlapping with someone.
Tonight's man who'd already defeated him once—Amano Rei.
"Could it be... you..."
At this moment, Lutz—more accurately, the 'Puppeteer' controlling Lutz—suddenly realized another fact.
Why had Finesse, who'd suffered massive Dark Game mental attacks, suddenly awakened like nothing happened?
Finesse: "Can we really win, Amano? Can I trust you?"
Currently Finesse's field only had Defender and Disk Commander—two Heroes whose combined ATK barely exceeded one thousand.
Not even one hand card remaining.
All hope condensed into this final draw.
Amano: "Finesse, besides trusting me, trust your deck more."
Whether overturning this depended entirely on this turn's draw.
Finesse could naturally trust Amano—because Amano's impoverished life probably invested all skill points into draw luck.
Standing before you—District 32's ten-time consecutive New Year's Poker Tournament champion!
Finesse could naturally trust her own deck too—
Amano: "Because righteous Hero decks will become light piercing evil!"
"My turn, draw!"
It actually seemed to shine!
This draw of Amano's—in Finesse's eyes, it genuinely seemed to shine!
No, in Finesse's eyes, was the shining thing the drawn card, or Amano drawing it?
Amano used the girl's fair fingertips, flipping the final drawn card toward himself.
"Victory!"
The reversal draw—Spell Card Polymerization.
Why did Amano know Finesse's deck might contain this card?
Simply because of one casual remark tonight at the ramen shop.
((Finesse: "Too bad, I personally have a Polymerization, except that card can't be lent to you."))
Cards that couldn't be lent—that meant Soul-Bound cards.
Eva system rules for Soul-Bound cards—[Bound cards cannot be traded, cannot be removed from deck].
So this breakthrough hope definitely rested in Finesse's deck.
"Familiar, isn't it—this card!"
Before killing, destroy the heart—Amano deliberately displayed the drawn Polymerization for Lutz across from him.
Tonight, Amano relied on the critical Polymerization to counter-kill Lutz's Gate Guardian.
Now, the same script would replay.
"Polymerization again?" Lutz frowned disdainfully. "Don't joke around—with just those two trash Heroes on your field, you think you can Fuse monsters surpassing the strongest darkness god?!"
"Two? No—three!"
Drawing the card, entering Standby Phase, Amano's monster effect activated accordingly.
"Destiny HERO - Defender's effect! When this card exists on field, during my Standby Phase, I can Special Summon Destiny HEROes destroyed by battle last turn from the Graveyard!"
Last turn, to deal Finesse fatal battle damage directly, Lutz ignored Defense Position Defender, choosing to attack Dreadguy.
Attack Position Dreadguy—originally Finesse's fatal flaw—now reversed, becoming Lutz's flaw.
Destiny HERO revival effects shattered like transparent glass. Afterward, black-caped Dreadguy revived standing on field again.
"Victory's equation is complete in this moment!"
Three Hero monsters plus one Spell Fusion assembled Amano and Finesse's survival path.
"Spell Card—Polymerization, activate! I Fuse all Hero monsters on my field!"
Dark sky erupted with Fusion spiral effects, drawing Dreadguy, Defender, and Disk Commander within.
"Just one more trash." Lutz remained disdainful. "Three trash Hero Fusion—you think you can defeat Dark Guardian - Black Guardian that devours even light? Dream on!"
"Darkness devouring even light?" Amano looked up toward dark sky's Fusion effects. "The one who needs to wake up is you, Puppeteer!"
Words barely finished, the horizon seemingly showed one ray of light illuminating this darkness.
"Light?" Lutz couldn't believe it.
Even longest nights eventually end.
Day-night cycles within Eden Tower were completely controlled by Mainframe Eva. The sun would rise precisely at 6:15 AM.
Current Eva Terminal display time—exactly 6:15 AM.
Even if merely artificial sun, it would inform all Eden Tower inhabitants of one undeniable fact—
—Dawn broke.
"Massive phantom tearing darkness, supreme fist shattering evil, punch through victory's path!"
"Fusion Summon! Vision HERO - Trinity!"
[Vision HERO - Trinity] [Level 8 DARK]
[Warrior/Fusion] [ATK: 2500] [DEF: 2000]
[Materials: "HERO" monsters × 3]
This time—genuine HERO Fusion!
Greeting rising sun, hands on hips standing. Fused using three "HERO" monsters, red-armored Trinity possessed a brand new HERO prefix.
Finesse: "Vision HERO—my first time seeing this!"
Lutz: "2500 ATK? Hahahaha! This is what you went all-out Fusing?! Completely inadequate!"
Currently Finesse had no extra cards—Lutz needn't worry about ATK reduction like tonight's Rare Metal Morph discarding Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
Moreover, Dark Guardian - Black Guardian possessed total card resistance plus immunity from battle destruction.
"You mention ATK? Then watch it soar!"
Amano raised Finesse's slender white fingers skyward, snapping crisply.
"Vision HERO - Trinity's effect!"
[This card cannot attack directly.]
[The turn this card is Fusion Summoned, this card's ATK becomes double its original ATK.]
Under sunrise, crimson-armored Trinity's body gradually enlarged until becoming double original size, even surpassing Dark Guardian's massive bulk.
[Vision HERO - Trinity] [ATK: 2500 × 2 = 5000]
Fusion turn doubles ATK. 5000 ATK surpassed Dark Guardian - Black Guardian's 3800 ATK.
Finesse: "So strong! Can Heroes possess this ATK? Amazing, Amano!"
Already accustomed to Destiny HEROes' trash-like weak ATK values.
Suddenly Amano using Destiny HEROes Fusing 5000 ATK Vision HERO—momentarily Finesse couldn't quite believe it.
More than surprise, for Finesse this felt like miracles.
Miracles created by this boy who saved her.
"End this battle here, Trinity!"
Hero's massive crimson body swung a space-shattering fist. The roaring exploding airflow alone made all District 11 tremble.
5000 ATK versus 3800 ATK battle.
Lutz LP: 3500 → 2300
"AAAAHHHHH—!"
Massive body launched by impact force, Lutz's back collided against hard walls behind, spreading dense cracks.
But as long as breath remained, Puppeteer-controlled Lutz wouldn't die, could continue dueling.
"Actually surpassing Dark Guardian's ATK—I must praise you. But—! Your all-out counterattack ends here!"
Vision HERO - Trinity only doubled ATK during Fusion turn—next turn ATK would return to initial 2500.
Finesse: "If we don't end the battle this turn..."
Lutz spat blood roaring: "The one losing the duel is still you!"
Airflow-shattering space effects dispersed—bombed Dark Guardian still remained on field.
"Even if you dealt me battle damage, Dark Guardian - Black Guardian cannot be destroyed by battle—an immortal, undying monster!"
Hearing Lutz's arrogant words, Amano's mouth curled into a shallow wicked smile.
Using Finesse's exquisitely cute criminally-unfair face for wicked smiling added several degrees of seductiveness.
But couldn't help it.
Amano genuinely couldn't suppress laughter.
"You said cannot be destroyed by what?"
"Cannot be destroyed by battle!" Re-emphasizing, Lutz was obviously angered by Amano's attitude.
"Hahahaha! That's exactly what I want—cannot be destroyed by battle!"
Transitioning from shallow wicked smile to loud laughter made secretly observing Eva unable to resist complaining.
"Using a beautiful girl's face making such exaggerated expressions—Amano, you've gone too far."
"Vision HERO - Trinity's final effect!"
[This Fusion Summoned card can attack three times during the same Battle Phase.]
Trinity's comprehensive effects combined:
ATK doubles to 5000, can attack three times, but possesses cannot-directly-attack restriction.
Yet precisely facing battle-destruction-immune Dark Guardian - Black Guardian, this restriction was released.
Because monsters immune to battle destruction became Trinity's perfect target for unleashing full output.
"Two more punches! Clench your teeth!"
Just kidding—clenching teeth won't help anyway.
Second hero punch powerfully slammed into Dark Guardian's ugly face, again shaking District 11's earth.
"GUAAAAAHHHHH!"
Lutz LP: 2300 → 1100
Amano: "Final strike! Watch closely, Finesse. This is Heroes' battle shattering darkness—and our shared victory!"
Finesse couldn't suppress excitement in her tone: "I'm watching, I see it, Amano!"
In this moment, boy and girl's different souls simultaneously shouted Hero victory's finisher within the same body.
"—'Justice Execution: Supreme Fist'—!"
The finishing punch completely shattering the entire Dark Game space blasted into Dark Guardian. Directly pulverizing the originally battle-destruction-immune monster into imaginary fragments.
Was the monster destroyed?
No—the duelist was destroyed!
Lutz LP: 1100 → 0
"AAAAAHHHHH—!"
Lutz's life's final scream, like this collapsing darkness, burned out within brilliant sunrise.
Having delivered three devastating punches, Vision HERO - Trinity maintained the final finishing pose. Crimson armor against the dazzling sun backdrop demonstrated Heroes' unyielding fighting spirit exploding within desperate straits.
Eva: "That's way too cool, Amano! This is cheating!"
Even Eva secretly observing throughout was severely shocked by this scene.
Then what about Finesse experiencing everything first-person?
[Finesse Affection +15]
Unexpectedly, even the system misjudged.
System warnings about drastically reducing affection side effects apparently didn't manifest.
This wave—whether dueling or affection—represented Amano's comprehensive desperate reversal.
[Finesse] [Affection: 85]
[New Skill Unlocked - Bond Resonance]