"Mr. Miles, that monster is... bad news!"
Having seen the Fusion of dragon and fiend with her own eyes—[Archfiend Black Skull Dragon], whose effect even [Gate Guardian] couldn't withstand—Aisha grew tense.
This destined Fusion to end a destined duel—Kevin came in like a storm, ready to stake everything on this turn with a will to win.
A Duelist's fighting spirit blazed no less fiercely than the crimson sky burning to its final ember.
[While this card battles, until the end of the Damage Step, your opponent cannot activate Spell/Trap Cards or monster effects.]
Archfiend Black Skull Dragon's built‑in triple lock during battle: once it enters combat, it's too late—no one could save you then.
To stop it, the only chance is before the battle begins!
"Have I gone too far ahead?"
Narrowing his eyes, Kevin roared into the dying sunset with his final, fated Fusion Summon, the cry stirring something within Miles as well.
"Fusing into [Archfiend Black Skull Dragon] at the very end… Kevin, is this the answer you found for our destined duel?"
"That's right, Miles. And it's also the very first Summon with which I'll defeat you!"
"Then I must find my own answer! I'll face destiny's Fusion with… this card!"
There was only a moment—before combat began. The final Summon long constructed in Miles's mind took complete form.
"I'll counter Fusion with Fusion!"
Miles flipped his Set Quick‑Play Spell.
"—Quick‑Play Spell Card, [Flash Fusion], activate!"
[Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters you control as Fusion Material, and it is destroyed during the End Phase of this turn.]
"A Quick‑Play Spell that Fuses the monsters already on the field!"
To reveal Fusion at the last moment of this fated duel—Miles truly took everyone's breath away.
Because the only monsters on his field were [Stardust Dragon] and [Number 39: Utopia].
"So you finally used Fusion, Aisha Carlos—and in this way!"
Vice Principal Raiden's worry vanished; a gratified smile returned to his aging face.
To oppose Kevin's Fusion, Miles sent both his Synchro and Xyz on the field to the Graveyard as material.
A pinnacle duel of Fusion Academy had to end with Fusion.
And Miles's Fusion used two other Summon methods as materials, a breakthrough uniting the Spirit Continent's three grand Summons.
"Kevin—this is everything I've got! I'll turn my entire Duelist journey into a Fusion that forges the future!"
If Kevin's Fusion was the trump card drawn from the earliest memories,
Then Miles's Fusion was the trump card discovered along the path—drawn from every Summon he had mastered until now.
The first Fusion vs. the final Fusion!
"I Flash‑Fuse Stardust Dragon with Number 39: Utopia!"
Stardust spread beautiful wings; Utopia unfolded twin wings of light. The two embodiments of possibility leapt into the spiraling Fusion.
"The ultimate Fusion that unites three Summon methods! Let the souls of dragon and warrior cross in a wave of power! — Fusion Summon: [Dragon Knight Draco‑Equiste]!"
[Dragon Knight Draco‑Equiste│Level 10│WIND│Dragon/Fusion/Effect│3200 ATK / 2000 DEF]
[1 Dragon Synchro Monster + 1 Warrior monster]
Spreading its wings, the azure‑armored Dragon Knight pierced the Fusion spiral with its lance, bursting through the dimension and taking flight—an embodiment of every Summon's possibility.
"3200 Attack—exactly the same as [Archfiend Black Skull Dragon]!"
Their first and final Fusions had called forth monsters with identical Attack. That collision at the finish line made many believe this truly was fate, needle‑point to needle‑point.
"Even if our Attack is the same, I won't retreat a single step!"
Kevin slammed an Equip Spell into his back row. Armor of reflective sheen instantly covered the fiendish dragon wreathed in thunder and flame.
"—Equip Spell Card [Dragon Shield], activate!"
[Equip only to a Dragon monster. The equipped monster cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects. Any battle damage either player takes from battles involving the equipped monster becomes 0.]
With rock‑solid armor, the Dragon‑Type [Archfiend Black Skull Dragon] gained resistance to both battle and effect destruction.
"At destiny's end—let this final blow decide it, Miles!"
Flames roared as the Battle Phase began; Archfiend Black Skull Dragon's triple lock engaged. From now until damage calculation ended, Miles could do nothing.
No—there was only one thing Miles could do…
"Counterattack, Dragon Knight Draco‑Equiste!"
To answer without retreat—absolutely, to the very end.
"—Meteoric Wave Lance!!"
"—Demonic Black‑Flame Bullet!!"
Beneath a sunset red as fire, lance of meteors and demonic dragonfire collided, unleashing equal devastation.
Both poured in everything. From start to finish they had never stopped—stronger assaults, fiercer ripostes—letting all witness Fusion Academy's true pinnacle.
"But in the end, I win this duel, Miles!"
With Kevin's victorious roar, Archfiend Black Skull Dragon, shielded by its armor, withstood the lance and, undaunted by battle destruction, unleashed a point‑blank burst of dragonfire enough to rend mountains.
Though their Attack was equal, with [Dragon Shield] preventing battle destruction, Archfiend Black Skull Dragon stood tall at the end.
"Now the duel is truly decided, Miles! After battle, [Archfiend Black Skull Dragon] activates its final effect. No matter how far you've gone, you haven't forgotten this one!"
[At the end of the Battle Phase, if this Fusion‑Summoned card battled: Target 1 "Red‑Eyes" Normal Monster in your Graveyard; inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's original ATK, then shuffle that monster into the Deck.]
"I declare the end of the Battle Phase!"
The instant Kevin ended the Battle Phase, flames burst from the gaps in the armored dragon, sweeping the entire field. Even the crowd could feel the heat spike inside the arena.
"I target the Gemini Normal Monster [Red‑Eyes Archfiend of Lightning] in my Graveyard! You take damage equal to its 2500 Attack!"
To burn a path to victory with the highest‑ATK Normal in his Graveyard—2500 points of terrifying effect damage took the form of a demonic draconic roar, blasting toward Miles.
"—Demonic Dragon Erupter: Terminal Black‑Flame Bullet!"
"You've ended the Battle Phase—so the triple lock on Archfiend Black Skull Dragon has ended too."
Miles flipped his final Set card. A miraculous light, like the will of reversal falling from the heavens, poured into the blazing arena—
A wind of Fusion that snuffed the demonic flames.
"—Trap Card activate: [Miracle's Wake]!"
[Target 1 monster in your Graveyard that was destroyed by battle this turn; Special Summon it.]
"With [Miracle's Wake], I revive the monster destroyed by battle this turn. Our counterattack begins—Dragon Knight Draco‑Equiste!"
[Dragon Knight Draco‑Equiste, ATK: 3200]
In the crossing of light and flame, the Dragon Knight returned to the field.
"Counterattack?" Kevin's brow furrowed at the miracle revival. "But the battle should be over!"
"The battle—only now does it truly begin, Kevin."
Miles thrust his arm skyward—toward the Dragon Knight flying above, toward the meteoric lance raised high.
"Gather all that demonic flame into this single strike!"
An unbelievable scene—the all‑consuming dragonfire that should have sealed Kevin's victory now surged toward the Dragon Knight's spear.
Baked redder than the sunset, the superheated lance tip held both Duelists' blazing souls.
"Activate [Dragon Knight Draco‑Equiste]'s effect!"
[While this card is in face‑up Attack Position, any effect damage you would take from an opponent's card effect is inflicted to your opponent instead.]
The power to reflect all effect damage back at the opponent—this was the final Fusion at destiny's end, forged from three Summon methods.
"The 2500 effect damage from [Archfiend Black Skull Dragon]—you'll take it all!"
Having absorbed all the demonic flame, the meteoric wave‑lance pointed down, locking onto Kevin.
"—Wave Burst: Demonic Dragon Flame!"
A pillar of fire vicious enough to tear the dusk sky erupted from the lance and crashed down upon Kevin Seth.
With only 500 Life Points left, Kevin stared wide‑eyed into the descending blaze of ruin.
This was Miles's Fusion that united three Summon methods—completely surpassing him—the newest, final Fusion.
"We went too far, so far that on the path to becoming strong, we forgot our first battle."
"No!"
The firestorm surged, and Kevin's defiant roar turned every card in his back row into life energy.
"—Quick‑Play Spell Card [Emergency Provisions]!"
[Send any number of other Spell/Trap Cards you control to the Graveyard; gain 1000 Life Points for each card sent to the Graveyard this way.]
He sent all his back row to the Graveyard—[Card of Safe Return], [Scrap‑Iron Scarecrow], [Dragon Shield].
Unwilling to fall to Miles's counter, Kevin clung to life with his last card, recovering 3000 Life Points.
[Kevin, LP: 500 → 3500 → 1000]
With 1000 Life Points remaining and [Archfiend Black Skull Dragon] still able to fight, Kevin, scorched but unbroken, refused to accept defeat like this.
If Miles could keep moving forward, creating ever newer Summons—invincible—then the scars of past battles would mean nothing.
That, Kevin could not accept.
"My turn ends!"
Jaw clenched, Kevin stood in the dying light, his silhouette lonelier for having fought to the very end.
On the field now: Archfiend Black Skull Dragon at 3200, stripped of its armor, and Dragon Knight Draco‑Equiste at 3200—their power perfectly matched.
Miles still held one last card.
"I've never forgotten, Kevin—our first battle."
Before starting his turn, Miles openly revealed his final card to Kevin.
The Spell Card [Monster Reborn]. The outcome was sealed.
"No matter how far I go, you were my first opponent in a true all‑out fight. Our first destined duel, the very first step on a long road—even as the strongest, I keep it in my heart!"
He slammed down [Monster Reborn] with all his might.
Black flames surged across sky and earth, and the massive silhouette of a dragon rose behind Miles.
"With [Monster Reborn], I Special Summon from my Graveyard—Red‑Eyes Black Dragon!"
For the final counterattack, under the sunset, the Black Dragon lifted its proud head and roared to the heavens.
On Miles's field, the Black Dragon descended.
This moment mirrored that moment.
The first duel—the same opponent, the same Black Dragon's arrival, the same finishing blow.
After the explosive clash, the equal‑ATK Dragon Knight and demonic dragon destroyed each other.
Kevin's field was empty. Miles still had Red‑Eyes Black Dragon.
As if time had turned back, the shadows of battle under the sunset returned to the duel from half a year ago.
That was the beginning of everything—but this time, it wasn't the end of everything.
"No matter how strong we become, the scars of the battles we shared will become our strength for the future!"
Miles swept his arm forward, declaring the final attack.
Half a year ago seemed to overlap with now. Kevin's eyes trembled; for a heartbeat he felt the illusion of time crossing.
"So it ends just like that duel, Miles…"
"—Inferno Fire Blast! Detonate!!"
"—Inferno Fire Blast! Detonate!!"
The same dragon's roar. Black flames burst from terrifying jaws like a nuclear blast, wiping out Kevin's last Life Points.
"Aaaaahhhh!"
[Kevin, LP: 1000 → 0]
Just like that first duel, the curtain fell—by Red‑Eyes Black Dragon.
...
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