"Bad..." Jack looked at the current situation and worried for Yusei's team of three.
"What happened?" Kite rarely proactively struck up conversation.
Part of the reason was that although he wasn't that close with Team 5D's, they were now brothers who shared hardship and the same trench, so they weren't as distant as before.
The other reason was that he didn't really understand Yusei's tactics.
Hikaru was fine. They'd dueled together before, so he roughly had an impression.
But Yusei Fudo he truly didn't understand well.
"Yusei's tactics are using multiple lower-Level monsters coordinating together, then combining with Spells and Traps for multi-directional combat." Beside him, Crow saw Kite come over asking and nodded first, discussing with him. Pooling thoughts together. "Yusei's deck rarely has destruction-related cards. Most are support cooperation."
"A monster with ATK close to 8000, even without other strange effects, just sitting there, is already very difficult for Yusei." Jack spoke in a low voice.
Even his own deck would have some difficulty assembling 8000 ATK. For Yusei, who valued cooperation over ATK, this kind of thing would only be more difficult.
"Does Yusei have your Red Nova Dragon?" Crow asked.
"Of course. Forget Red Nova Dragon, I let him pick all my cards!" Jack replied even more directly.
Crow nodded.
If that was the case, even if Yusei's cards couldn't solve the current situation, there was at least the absolute worst-case fallback tactic.
Yusei looked at his hand, deliberated for a moment, and suddenly spoke: "Yuma, can I use your cards?"
Yuma was asked so abruptly that he didn't react at first. But quickly he raised his right hand, striking a bodybuilder's pose, left hand slapping his biceps, laughing: "Of course!"
"Then Yuma, Hikaru, can you trust me?"
Yusei slowly widened his eyes. The "mark" that only Satellite criminals bore on his face abruptly flashed with light.
That radiance was so brief that Yuma rubbed his eyes, doubting whether he'd seen correctly.
"Yusei, I came to this world precisely because I trust you."
"Of course I trust you! Don't worry about us!"
"Then my turn. Activate Dodododwarf Gogogoglove's effect in the Graveyard. This card is Special Summoned from the Graveyard. This card is banished when it leaves the field by this effect." The small hope Yuma had left behind, under Yusei's control, returned from the Graveyard. But at the same time, Ravenous Tarantula in the gloom used its cold venomous silk to pierce through Yusei's body.
Hope side, LP: 11400 → 10800.
"Normal Summon, Jet Synchron. Using Level 4 Gogogo Golem and Level 1 Jet Synchron, I tune!"
"Level 5, Synchro Summon!"
"T.G. Hyper Librarian!"
Here it came!
Jack's and Crow's eyes lit up.
The invincible monster had arrived!
T.G. Hyper Librarian. Level 5, DARK Attribute, Spellcaster-Type. ATK 2400.
A refined but imaginative mechanical magician flew out from Yusei's Extra Deck, lightly laughing as it protected him. Even with venomous silk ahead, it showed no fear whatsoever.
"Discard 1 card from my hand to activate Jet Synchron's effect. Special Summon from the Graveyard. This card is banished when it leaves the field by this effect."
"Laughable, Yusei Fudo. Each time you Special Summon, you lose 600 Life Points. And this loss of life makes my monster stronger!" E-Ra didn't care, sneering as she spoke.
"Wow, so cool!" Tori Meadows couldn't help cheering. "They have the same type of effect!"
Everyone cooperating and tuning with each other's cards, even leaving the field for the same reason. This was perhaps the romance of duelists and warriors.
"Prepare yourself, E-Ra. Using Level 4 Dodododwarf and Level 1 Jet Synchron, I tune!"
"Level open, 5. Here we go..."
"Junk Speeder!"
Wild wind blew through the darkness. Wind symbolizing freedom could never be bound by darkness.
Junk Speeder. Level 5, WIND Attribute, Warrior-Type. ATK 1800.
"T.G. Hyper Librarian's effect. When either I or the opponent conducts a Synchro Summon, draw 1 card. Junk Speeder's effect. When this card is Synchro Summoned, I can activate. Special Summon as many Synchron Tuner monsters from my Deck in Defense Position as possible. Only 1 of each Level maximum. On the turn this effect is activated, I cannot Special Summon monsters other than Synchro Monsters from my Extra Deck!"
"Come, Level 1, Tuner monster Unknown Synchron. Level 2, Tuner monster, Nitro Synchron. Level 3, Tuner monster, Junk Synchron!"
Yusei wasted no words. After Special Summoning three Tuners, he directly raised his hand and continued tuning.
"Using Level 5 Junk Speeder and Level 1 Unknown Synchron, I tune."
"Level open 6, Synchro Summon.
Stardust Charge Warrior!"
Wild wind swept. A warrior whose appearance and dress were quite similar to Stardust Dragon flew out from the gale.
"When this card is Synchro Summoned, I draw 1 card. T.G. Hyper Librarian's effect, I draw 1 card."
Really, nonstop drawing.
E-Ra furrowed her brow.
Compared to Ancient Leaf's draw, Yusei's drawing surpassed it. Truly exaggerated.
"Continue to tune!"
"Using Level 6 Stardust Charge Warrior and Level 2 Nitro Synchron, I tune!"
"Level open, 8!"
"The gathered prayers shall become the newly born shining star. Transform into a shining path of radiance!
Synchro Summon, Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon!"
"Roaaar!"
Within the wild wind.
Within the lingering radiance of hope.
The wild wind dispersed the atmosphere. A great dragon riding the wild wind charged out from the darkness.
No more needed to be said. Yusei had already drawn a card from his Deck. He glanced at that card and suddenly widened his eyes.
Here it came!
He slightly narrowed his eyes and looked at E-Ra:
"Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon's effect, activatable when Synchro Summoned. Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower Tuner from my Graveyard."
"Special Summon, Level 2, Nitro Synchron."
"Activate Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon's effect. During my or the opponent's Main Phase, tribute this card to activate. Special Summon 1 Stardust Dragon from my Extra Deck, treated as a Synchro Summon. After that, conduct 1 Synchro Summon of a Synchro Monster. The monster Synchro Summoned by this effect is unaffected by the opponent's activated effects this turn."
Here it comes?
E-Ra slightly narrowed her eyes.
Should be "Satellite Warrior," right?
Not engaging in battle, directly using monster effects to destroy the monsters on her field, was also a strategy.
But...
She looked at her Set cards.
With these cards here, there was no need to worry.
"Synchro Summon, Stardust Dragon. Then using Stardust Dragon and Nitro Synchron, I tune!"
Yusei slowly closed his eyes.
Long cooperation, meeting Hikaru, meeting people from numerous other teams and other god systems, even now, for a single justice, a single hope, Yusei no longer cared about differences between worlds. He was willing to risk his life for people of other worlds.
And this was his Synchro!
He suddenly widened his eyes. Brilliant golden particles visibly flew out from his eyes.
"What!?" E-Ra was shocked.
This.
What was this!?
This human, could he be trying to create, by his individual will alone, cards that only "gods" like them could create?
By will alone!?
Not relying on any special energy, not relying on any special materials!?
"Using Level 8 Stardust Dragon and Nitro Synchron, I tune!"
"Level open, 10!"
"The gathered prayers shall become the newly born shining star. Transform into a path illuminating the brand-new future!"
A mirror.
A mirror illuminating the world slowly shone from the sky. An aged figure, as if about to pass at any moment, reflected its form in the mirror. The next second, a golden body and machinery flew from this mirror, becoming a strange and bizarre life!
"Synchro Summon!"
"Level 10, Timelord Progenitor Vorpgate!"
Vrrm.
Heheheheh...
As if strange soft laughter echoed in the air.
"Ho, how is it possible?!" E-Ra finally showed a trace of emotional fluctuation.
This card was on the same tier as Utopic Dark Infinity, a card only gods could create!
Timelord Progenitor Vorpgate. Level 10, DARK Attribute, Fairy-Type. ATK 0.
"Timelord!?"
"Suc, succeeded!?"
Crow and Jack, seeing this monster, couldn't help cheering.
Yusei's self-creation seemed to have succeeded!
He himself possessed the qualification to become the One God!
ATK 0.
Though ATK was only 0, E-Ra had already grown tense.
This didn't look easy to handle.
"The effect of Assault Synchron discarded to my Graveyard activates. If a face-up Dragon-Type Synchro Monster on my field is tributed or banished, banish this card from my Graveyard, target that 1 monster to activate. That monster is Special Summoned."
Yusei casually drew a card, then banished the card in the Graveyard, pulling Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon back.
"Quick-Play Spell, Star Changer. Target Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon. Lower its Level by 1."
"Using Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon and Junk Synchron on the field, I tune."
"Level open, 10."
"Synchro Summon, Satellite Warrior!"
A golden satellite cannon fell to the ground, then instantly cracked open, becoming a tall warrior shining with golden light.
Satellite Warrior. Level 10, DARK Attribute, Warrior-Type. ATK 2500.
"When Satellite Warrior is Synchro Summoned, target up to a number of cards on the opponent's field equal to the number of Synchro Monsters in my Graveyard to activate. Destroy those cards. This card's ATK increases by 1000 times the number destroyed."
"I have Stardust Dragon, Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon, Junk Speeder, and Stardust Charge Warrior in my Graveyard."
"Beautiful!" Crow's eyes lit up.
"So that's it. Though there aren't many destruction-type cards, one is enough to use." Kite understood Yusei's tactics.
"Not only that, it can also raise ATK. Yusei Fudo, truly not to be underestimated." Quattro took a deep breath.
Setting aside other things, just this turn with Yusei Fudo madly Synchro-Summoning and madly drawing cards, watching made his eyes hurt a bit.
This wasn't a simple matter at all.
"I destroy your two Set cards and two monsters."
"Open Set card, Trap Card, Utopian Aura!"
"Bastard!" Yuma, seeing this card flip, laughed in rage.
Wasn't this a Utopia card!
But compared to the Utopian Aura in Yuma's hand, this card's colors were black, not looking like light's protection but more like darkness's devouring.
"Detach 1 Xyz Material on my field to activate. Face-up Xyz Monsters on my field cannot be destroyed by card effects until the end of the turn."
At the same time, her other card also flipped open under Satellite Warrior's attack, exploding.
It turned out to be an Xyz Reborn.
Satellite Warrior, ATK: 2500 → 4500.
"Heheh... truly regrettable, Yusei Fudo. The tactic you hard-worked to think of is easily obstructed." E-Ra, seeing she'd saved her monster, couldn't help sneering. "Even though Junk Speeder's effect counts as one Special Summon, in order to have enough Synchro Monsters in the Graveyard to use Satellite Warrior's effect, you've already conducted several Special Summons. Life Points flow away like water!"
Hope side, LP: 4200.
E-Ra's massive body seemed to devour all things. She sneered and said: "And my Life Points are 15400! So all monsters on my field gain 11200 ATK!"
Utopic Dark Infinity's ATK directly broke through to 15200. Even Ravenous Tarantula had a terrifying over ten thousand ATK. This chasm-like massive gap made almost everyone feel fear.
Exhausting every effort to Synchro Summon, yet the gap grew larger and larger!
Though ATK had reached 4500, so what? E-Ra sneered.
Far from enough.
She wanted to savor the despairing expressions of these humans. But to her surprise, not only were the three in the duel firm in gaze and expression, even those watching only showed fear, not despair.
She snorted unhappily.
If Yusei at this moment thought he could easily defeat her, the invincible existence of the Xyz Dimension, this existence that had controlled the human world throughout Xyz Dimension history, so simply, that was too arrogant, too laughable.
"Enter battle." Yusei was composed, commanding his monsters into battle.
E-Ra couldn't help instinctively curling the corner of her mouth.
"Timelord Progenitor Vorpgate attacks Utopic Dark Infinity!"
"What!?" E-Ra was shocked.
Wasn't that thing ATK 0?
"Huh? Isn't its ATK 0!" Tori Meadows grew alarmed.
Kite and Quattro held their breaths.
"No need to be tense." Crow watched Timelord Progenitor leap into the air and battle Utopic Dark Infinity, couldn't help smiling, then explained. "Timelord monsters cannot be destroyed by battle or effects, and battle damage to the controller becomes 0."
So that was its effect.
But what was the point? Even without taking battle damage...
"ATK over fifteen thousand. This is the confidence of a god, the power of a god. But even if ATK is 0, humans won't fear. They'll absolutely use their own will to make the god know human fury!"
"This card Special Summoned from the Extra Deck can be activated at the end of the damage step of battle. All opponent monsters on the field are banished. After this effect's activation, until the end of the turn, battle damage received by the opponent becomes halved."
Actually!?
This impressive!?
Timelord Progenitor appeared before Utopic Dark Infinity, spread its hands, tore apart this space-time. Before the three Xyz Monsters could react, they were directly kicked out of this world.
"That Antitopia can arbitrarily devour hope in the Graveyard during the opponent's turn." Yusei turned his head to look at Yuma beside him and smiled. "In that case, just banishing it works."
"Hope may disperse, but ultimately it will never belong to despair. Because hope endures forever."
"Yusei!" Yuma was overjoyed.
So intense!
"How could there be such a powerful monster..." E-Ra furrowed her brow.
Arbitrarily banishing opponent monsters at will, and not destroyed by battle or effects. This was too willful.
"Not willful." Yusei spoke. "During my End Phase, the monsters banished by Vorpgate will return."
"So that's it."
A very Yusei-style card.
Jack and Crow kept nodding.
Whether Stardust Dragon or anything else, Yusei was still devoted to protection and return.
"Battle. T.G. Hyper Librarian and Satellite Warrior direct attack."
Yusei spread his hand, commanding the monsters: "Come, E-Ra. Let me show you. Human will is enough to overcome a god's malice!"
"Tch..."
E-Ra snorted. The two monsters, one after another, charged before her, leaving marks of destruction on her originally pure, unblemished clothes.
E-Ra, LP: 15400 → 11950.
Exhausting every effort, losing nearly two-thirds of their Life Points, all for this strike. All to make the god feel human fury!
"Beautiful!"
"Her Life Points dropped back! Below twelve thousand!"
First time inflicting damage. Though they'd lost significant life, this was a good sign!
E-Ra swept her sleeve, cold-faced, looking at her opponents. Anger slowly rose. After a while, she suddenly laughed and said: "Praiseworthy, Yusei Fudo. Not only using human will to create god-cards, but even inflicting damage on me.
But at turn end, my monsters will return to the field. Though Ravenous Tarantula's material is gone, I can still recover Life Points! Your crisis is still..."
Yusei said nothing. He merely calmly flipped out a card and displayed it to his opponent.
De-Synchro!
"You!" E-Ra widened her eyes.
"I do want to connect everything. Connect companions, connect friends, connect strangers, connect different gods, create a beautiful future." Yusei looked at E-Ra and slowly spoke. "But no matter how much I tolerate others, no matter how I support different thoughts, there's one thing I understand.
That is, E-Ra, in this world, there's no place for you to live!
If it's you, even I won't support!"
Hikaru and Yuma on the sidelines nodded furiously.
Exactly right.
Even the inclusive Hikaru, even the innocent, pure, incomparably kind Yuma, agreed with this view.
"How could someone like you ever change?" Hikaru folded his arms, eyes closed. "What can change you is only one thing. That is death!"
With E-Ra alive, nothing good came for the world's many things. Darkness still had loyal spirit followers. This E-Ra was pure trash.
Yusei nodded and spoke: "De-Synchro. Target 1 Synchro Monster on the field to activate. That Synchro Monster returns to the Extra Deck."
"I choose Timelord Progenitor Vorpgate!"
Accompanying the Spell card's activation, Vorpgate's figure slowly dispersed in radiance. Then that endless golden light didn't fly to Yusei's Extra Deck but slowly merged into his body.
Yusei looked at the Graveyard.
De-Synchro could Special Summon the materials used for Synchro Summoning from the Graveyard. But if any material had left the Graveyard during the process, even if it returned to the Graveyard, it could no longer be considered "used Synchro Material." So he couldn't revive the materials in the Graveyard to re-tune. Fortunately, the Synchro Materials he'd used were Stardust Dragon and Nitro Synchron. He hadn't used Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon. So he could actually use it.
However, the other Level 10 Synchro Monster in his Extra Deck, Shooting Star Dragon T.G. EX, required a Tuner Synchro and non-Tuner Synchro Monster. The current materials weren't suitable. If he had just Stardust Dragon and a Tuner taking up slots, it might affect Hikaru next turn.
After some deliberation, Yusei looked at the field and finally chose to revive his two monsters: "Special Summon Stardust Dragon and Nitro Synchron in Defense Position."
Regardless, Stardust Dragon had a destruction-protection ability. Two more monsters meant two more attack blocks.
He'd dealt with all of E-Ra's monsters. But the monsters on his own field had no resistance ability, only basic protection.
Fortunately, Yusei looked at the cards in his hand.
Because of T.G. Hyper Librarian's effect, he'd drawn quite a few cards this turn, usable for next turn's obstruction and protection. At the same time, because of this, the cards he'd discussed and prepared with Hikaru were in hand.
"Set four cards! End turn!"
Timelord Progenitor's effect required it to be on the field to activate. Now that Timelord Progenitor had returned to the Extra Deck, E-Ra's field was naturally empty.
E-Ra's face slowly turned cold.
Not only had he banished all her Summoned monsters, he'd even inflicted damage on her.
In the end, Yusei Fudo's words even treated her like non-combustible trash, utterly humiliating, making her furious.
Arrogant!
Not knowing life from death...
"Heh, interesting, very interesting... Yusei Fudo, Hikaru, Yuma Tsukumo, my view of you has slightly changed." E-Ra slowly spoke.
She slowly recovered her initial confidence.
"The first deck was just a small test, a slight experiment." E-Ra slowly raised her hand. Butterfly-like black shadows slowly manifested substance.
A brand-new deck, a brand-new turn, would manifest at this moment!
Not only that. Accompanying E-Ra's motion, the shadows beside everyone that seemed physical began pressing in on them. That darkness and pain, as if becoming substance, pressed them, making their blood flow and breathing uneven.
Though almost everyone present was a high-grade duelist, this bone-deep oppression and pain was so evident, so distressing.
As E-Ra had said.
She too was about to truly get serious!
"Next, let me show you true despair and the eternal abyss."
"My turn, draw."
E-Ra drew a card.
Here it comes.
She slightly narrowed her eyes, looked at that card, corners of her mouth unconsciously rising.
The strongest card had arrived!
Number series awakened!