Chapter 530: 530: DSMW [530]

[Number C88: Gimmick Puppet Disaster Leo] destroyed[Ryan, LP: 4000 → 501]

"Gaaahhhhh!"

This time, there was no Time Machine to block the damage for Ryan. After shattering Disaster Leo, the flames of the god truly swallowed Ryan whole.

Rolling amid the searing waves of fire, the crimson heat seemed to warp space itself in that instant. All that could be heard was Ryan's agonized screams.

"So this is the power of the Winged Dragon of Ra… s-so strong!"

Sylvia was deeply shaken by the greatness of the god. A divine figure that bore calamity, opposed calamity, and crushed calamity outright made her heart race.

Naturally, that also had something to do with Miles in his deified state, bathed in interwoven crimson-and-gold divine flames.

A god plus a young boy… against Sister Sylvia, it was practically a double super-effective hit. She was almost losing control of herself.

The paradise of the fallen… could it really be no more than this? Had she finally reached heaven?

"The true power of a God Card…"

Struggling to his feet, Ryan—scion of a royal-power family opposed to divine authority—found it impossible for his heart to remain unmoved.

"An invincible shield, a blade that fuses all things. The Winged Dragon of Ra, God·Immortal Phoenix… does it really have no weaknesses?"

"It does," Miles smiled. "But I'm not telling you."

Before the battle even began, Miles had already gathered more than enough info about Disaster Leo.

Info disparity was itself a part of the battle. Even after destroying Disaster Leo, with Ra's role already fulfilled, Miles had no obligation to say anything further.

From the moment the god descended, the head of the Diane family—Karina—had stayed silent. Now, she slowly spoke.

"The Immortal Phoenix form of the Sun God cannot remain on the field. At the end of the turn, The Winged Dragon of Ra will return to the Graveyard. I'm not mistaken, am I?"

"So it's exposed already… wait, aren't you on our side?"

As a beautiful and mature duchess who controlled the Empire's divine authority, Karina possessing some understanding of God Cards didn't strike Miles as strange.

Regardless, at a moment like this—when he was dueling in the Diane family's stead and pounding their mortal enemy… she really ought to keep quiet.

"Hehe." Hiding half her exquisite face behind the rose folding fan, Karina smiled mysteriously. "All things have their destiny. Even if I said nothing, I couldn't change the fact that the sun will set."

"Besides, boy… your strength doesn't end here, does it?"

If Sylvia's God Eye could peer into the sinful souls of humans, then, as a mother—without any special powers at all—Karina, through the experience of one who ruled the church, could still see through certain truths with her refined eyes.

Though taking advice from an enemy family displeased Ryan, once he truly understood Ra's effects, he was finally able to reassess the situation properly.

"So that's it. The price of such overwhelming power… is that it only lasts for a single turn."

At this moment, the 6999-ATK God·Immortal Phoenix on Miles' field was unaffected by effects and could not be destroyed.

This seemingly invincible deified state, however, would only last until the end of the turn.

That meant that on the next turn, Miles' field would be empty. At the same time, he would have no set cards to use, and his hand would contain only the HERO monster he'd searched last turn.

Moreover, with the Continuous Trap [Savage Colosseum] in play, the forced-battle effect meant he wouldn't even be able to defend.

It was as though both sides stood before opposing cliffs, with nowhere left to retreat.

"There's still a chance!"

Ryan refused to give up. Because of the forced battle effect, all he needed to do before the turn ended was summon the strongest monster he could currently summon.

If Miles couldn't break through it on the next turn, victory would still be Ryan's.

[Ryan, LP: 501]

[Miles, LP: 1]

With both Life Points and hand resources nearing exhaustion, what remained was a contest of sheer resolve.

"—Trap Card activate [Puppet Parade]!"

[If your opponent controls more monsters than you do, Special Summon up to that difference in number of "Gimmick Puppet" monsters from your Deck.]

Ryan's final set card, a Trap that Special Summoned Gimmick Puppets from the Deck, was revealed.

"Using Puppet Parade's effect, I Special Summon the Level 8 [Gimmick Puppet Twilight Joker] from my Deck!"

[Gimmick Puppet Twilight Joker] Level 8│DARK│Machine│800 ATK

Because [Savage Colosseum] was in effect, all Special Summoned monsters were forced into Attack Position, unable to defend.

"Next, the effect of [Gimmick Puppet Magnet Doll] from my hand!"

[If your opponent controls a monster and all monsters you control are "Gimmick Puppet" monsters, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.]

"Come forth, Level 8 [Gimmick Puppet Magnet Doll]!"

[Gimmick Puppet Magnet Doll] Level 8│DARK│Machine│1000 ATK

With this final sequence, two Level 8 monsters once again gathered on Ryan's field.

"I overlay the two monsters! Blade of heaven, detonate fear with a frantic melody! Rank 8—[Number 40: Gimmick Puppet of Strings]!"

[Number 40: Gimmick Puppet of Strings] Rank 8│DARK│Machine│3000 ATK

Half a wing entwined with puppet strings, the Gimmick Puppet of Strings appeared, wielding a massive blade.

Although the Strings' destruction effect couldn't take effect on God·Immortal Phoenix, this monster was already the highest-Attack Xyz Ryan could currently summon.

"It's not over yet! I activate the effect of [Rank-Up-Magic Argent Chaos Force] in my Graveyard!"

[Target 1 Rank 5 or higher Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 "Number C" or "CXyz" monster that is 1 Rank higher than that monster you control, by using it as the Xyz Material. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon. Xyz Materials attached to it also become Xyz Materials on the Summoned monster.)]

"Because the Rank 8 [Number 40: Gimmick Puppet of Strings] was successfully Xyz Summoned, I add the Rank-Up-Magic to my hand—and immediately Chaos Rank-Up!"

Once again, chaotic Rank-Up effects rapidly swirled around the field, and the Rank 8 Gimmick Puppet of Strings evolved toward an even higher Chaos form.

"Chaos Rank-Up! Number C40! The crystallization of human wisdom—let the sounds of hell resound!—Gimmick Puppet of Dark Strings!"

[Number C40: Gimmick Puppet of Dark Strings] Rank 9│DARK│Machine│3300 ATK

After the Chaos Rank-Up, Dark Strings' Attack rose even further, and its white wing was stained black by chaos, turning into a blade as if forged in hell.

With 3300 Attack, surpassing the 3000 threshold, this was already the absolute limit Ryan Gate could reach beyond normal Xyz Summoning.

He was gambling on the fact that with his nearly exhausted resources, Miles would have no way to break through a field like this.

"My turn ends!"

Ryan ended his turn with a furious roar. During the End Phase, God·Immortal Phoenix returned to the Graveyard.

The divine flames died down, and Miles also recovered from his deified state, severing his soul's connection with the Sun God.

The banquet hall returned to calm, as though the earth-shaking battle between lion and god-bird moments ago had never truly happened.

"My turn, draw!"

Drawing his card, there was no dramatic reversal this time.

Miles' utterly ordinary draw yielded one of the most ordinary HERO cards from Ren's Deck.

"I Normal Summon in Attack Position—[Elemental HERO Sparkman]!"

[Elemental HERO Sparkman] Level 4│LIGHT│Warrior│1600 ATK

The lightning-wielding Elemental HERO Sparkman—this was Miles' draw for the turn.

Combined with the HERO monster remaining in his hand that he had searched with Shadow Mist, this constituted all of Miles' combat power for the final turn.

[Elemental HERO Bubbleman]

The effect of the so-called 'Pot of Greed HERO' allows its controller to draw two additional cards when there are no other cards on the field.

However, once the Continuous Trap [Savage Colosseum] was flipped face-up and remained in play, Bubbleman's draw effect could no longer be activated.

Even so, despite being unable to trigger its PoG-like draw, [Elemental HERO Bubbleman], with that supremely confident smile on its artwork, still possessed another effect.

[If this is the only card in your hand, you can Special Summon it (from your hand).]

"Because [Elemental HERO Bubbleman] is the only card left in my hand, I can Special Summon it directly!"

[Elemental HERO Bubbleman] Level 4│WATER│Warrior│800 ATK

An 800-ATK Bubbleman, together with the 1600-ATK Sparkman—this was Miles' final field.

"I've won."

Even combined, the Attack of the two monsters was still lower than that of [Number C40: Gimmick Puppet of Dark Strings]. Ryan Gate had already judged this to be his hard-earned victory.

Indeed, if Miles were using nothing more than Ren's pure HERO Deck, there would have been no way to win from this position.

Albeit in this duel, Miles had deliberately taken an unconventional path. The sigil glowing within his Spirit Eyes now shone with a blended light; the bond between Ren and Aisha.

"And you call yourselves Imperial Duelists? Can't you even see this coming?"

"What?!"

Dark Aisha: "Two Level 4 monsters! It's time, Miles!"

Miles swept his arm forward. "I overlay the two HEROes on my field, constructing an overlay network—Xyz Summon!"

"Xyz Summon?!"

Who could have seen this coming?

You're a Duelist from the Fusion Kingdom, using a Fusion-based HERO Deck. How could anyone in the Empire have predicted that Miles would pull something like this at the very last moment?

"My battle welcomes victory here, entrusted to wings of white hope. O messenger of light, appear!—Number 39: Utopia!"

[Number 39: Utopia] Rank 4│LIGHT│Warrior│2500 ATK

[Level 4 monsters ×2]

The bond between Ren's HEROes and Aisha's Utopia—this was a turnaround born of desperation that only Miles, capable of mixing both of their Decks, could achieve.

"U-Utopia?!" Sylvia's flushed lips parted a little in shock.

This Utopia was not that Utopia… but without a doubt, it bore the same name.

The Wings of Hope behind Utopia shimmered, and in the final moment of the duel, it became Xyz versus Xyz.

Ryan stressed, "Even if you Xyz Summon a 2500-ATK [Number 39: Utopia], [Number C40: Gimmick Puppet of Dark Strings] still has the higher Attack!"

Miles raised his arm and pointed toward the radiant Utopia before him.

"Then next… comes my own Chaos Rank-Up!"

"Are you insane! Chaos Rank-Up?!"

Not only Xyz versus Xyz… but Chaos Xyz versus Chaos Xyz.

In this duel, Ryan had already Chaos Ranked-Up twice.

"This time, it's finally my turn, isn't it?"

Miles' Chaos Rank-Up Summon was also the very first summon he had ever completed in his own name since his soul had taken residence within the Millennium Puzzle.

In an instant, chaotic effects of intertwined light and darkness enveloped Utopia's golden armor.

Ryan exclaimed in shock, "You didn't even use a Rank-Up-Magic?"

Do I have to use a Rank-Up-Magic?

Chaos Rank-Up? Since when was it something so inconvenient!

"Using [Number 39: Utopia] as Xyz Material, I directly perform a Chaos Xyz Rank-Up! Appear, Chaos Number 39! The messenger who turns darkness into light! Utopia Ray!"

[Number C39: Utopia Ray] Level 5│LIGHT│Warrior│2500 ATK

[LIGHT Level 4 monsters ×3]

[You can also Xyz Summon this card by using a "Number 39: Utopia" you control as the Xyz Material. (Xyz Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on this card.)]

The decisive battle—Chaos Xyz versus Chaos Xyz. Wielding a massive, extendable, transforming Chaos greatsword, Utopia Ray activated its effect, unleashing a triple release of Overlay Light Charge.

[You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; it gains 500 ATK and 1 monster your opponent controls loses 1000 ATK, until the End Phase. You must have 1000 Life Points or less to activate and to resolve this effect.]

An effect of [Number C39: Utopia Ray] that can only be activated when your own Life Points are 1000 or lower.

And at this moment, Miles' Life Points: 1 point!

"I detach all Xyz Materials—Sparkman, Bubbleman, and Utopia—and activate [Number C39: Utopia Ray]'s effect three times! Triple Overlay Light Charge!"

With no once-per-turn restriction, the three instantly unleashed Overlay Light Charges directly shaved 3000 Attack from [Number C40: Gimmick Puppet of Dark Strings], while boosting Utopia Ray's own Attack by 1500.

Utopia Ray, pseudo 7000 Attack, makes its grand entrance!

[Gimmick Puppet of Dark Strings, ATK: 3300 → 2300 → 1300 → 300]

[Utopia Ray, ATK: 2500 → 3000 → 3500 → 4000]

With each Overlay Light Charge, the Chaos greatsword in Utopia Ray's hand gradually extended and transformed, its volume swelling severalfold.

The pitch-black, gigantic Chaos sword looked as though it could cleave the entire arena in two with a single slash.

Ryan could hardly believe the scene before him. "My Gimmick Puppet of Dark Strings… it's actually down to only 300 Attack!"

"With this sword, with Chaos Rank-Up, I'll shatter Chaos Rank-Up! Charge, Number C39: Utopia Ray!"

The ultimate clash of Chaos Rank-Ups. Answering Miles' final attack declaration, Utopia Ray swung its colossal blade, the severed airflow of space itself mixing into the strike as it came crashing down upon Gimmick Puppet of Dark Strings.

"—Hope Sword Chaos Slash!"

[Number C40: Gimmick Puppet of Dark Strings] Destroyed

"Ughhhhhhhhhh!"

The battle style most revered by the Varian Empire: extreme full-throttle offense, a frontal breakthrough.

Miles first restrained Disaster Leo with the Winged Dragon of Ra, then, in the end, used Chaos Rank-Up to shatter Chaos Rank-Up itself.

[Ryan Gate, LP: 501 → 0]

As Ryan's Life Points plummeted at lightspeed, overshooting by three thousand, Miles—fighting as a mere guard—successfully defeated the son of an imperial duke.

His mustached cheeks twitched. No doubt, before the duel began, Duke Bach Gate could never have imagined such an outcome.

Although Miles himself truly hated the tedious formalities of aristocratic society, when it came to slapping noble lords in the face, he didn't dislike it at all.

In fact, it felt kind of good.

The duel ended. From within the Millennium Puzzle, Dark Aisha's voice suddenly rang out once more.

"Miles, it was born!"

"Born again? What's been born this time?"

It felt like he'd heard that line earlier in the day.

Besides, giving birth or not… Miles was pretty sure he really didn't have that kind of ability!

"Take a look at the Utopia Ray card first."

"Huh? What's wrong with the card?"

After the duel ended, as Miles retrieved the [Number C39: Utopia Ray] card, his fingertips absentmindedly rubbed the back of the card—only for him to rub out an extra card.

This situation was just like when Kaima had once discovered the [Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon] card on the back of the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], an astonishing sight.

However, the card awakened and born through the power of [Number C39: Utopia Ray] was not a Monster Card.

Spell Card: [Rank-Up-Magic Limited Barian's Force]

[Target 1 Rank 4 Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 "Number C" monster that is 1 Rank higher than that monster you control, by using it as the Xyz Material. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon. Xyz Materials attached to that target also become Xyz Materials on the Summoned monster.)]

One of the Rank-Up-Magics dedicated to Chaos monsters. Unlike the [Rank-Up-Magic – Argent Chaos Force] used by Ryan, which must target a Rank 5 or higher Xyz Monster to activate.

Miles' Rank-Up-Magic was specifically designed for Rank 4 Xyz Monsters.

After all, it was a Rank-Up-Magic awakened from the power of Utopia.

Rank-Up-Magic (×)

The key to printing cards (✓)

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