"Roar—!"
On the Turbo Duel racetrack, the two Stardust Dragons roared at each other in midair, their brilliant wings stirring a storm of colliding starlight.
"It's… Stardust Spark Dragon!" Krista's Synchro Summon had gone far beyond what Miles expected.
He'd thought that when Krista spoke of a battle of Stardust, she meant something like Stardust Charge Warrior or Stardust Assault Warrior.
But to think she actually refused to back down—in response to his Synchro Summon of [Stardust Dragon], she immediately followed with [Stardust Spark Dragon]!
"I'll use this Turbo Duel to prove that Stardust Spark Dragon is stronger than your Stardust Dragon! Riding the flash that tears through the sea of stars—Battle!"
With both D-Wheels racing side by side, they charged straight into the Battle Phase.
From the stands, the delinquent girl Lost planted a foot on the railing in excitement. "It's finally starting—the battle between the Stardust Dragons!"
Aoyao swallowed nervously. "Who's going to win?"
"Obviously Krista's Stardust will!" Lost declared with absolute confidence.
The two Stardust Dragons soared above the circuit. Aside from their Attributes, their Level, Attack, and Defense were identical—it felt as if they were parallel versions of the same existence from different worlds.
Yet despite their similar stats and form, there was one decisive difference between Stardust Dragon and Stardust Spark Dragon.
And no one understood that difference better than Lost—who had fought both and been crushed twice by Stardust Dragon.
"Krista's Stardust will win!"
"Charge forth, Stardust Spark Dragon!"
Their Attack Points were equal. Krista commanded her dragon to dive at Miles's Stardust Dragon.
Ren said tensely, "They both have 2500 Attack—are they going to destroy each other?"
"No way they'll tie!" Lost shouted back, eyes locked on the glittering dragon overhead.
At the instant the battle began, a halo of protective stardust gathered around Spark Dragon's radiant form.
"During the Battle Phase, I activate [Stardust Spark Dragon]'s effect!"
[Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up card you control; that target cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn. This effect can be activated during either player's turn.]
Unlike Stardust Dragon's sacrifice-based protection, which requires releasing itself to negate destruction—Stardust Spark Dragon can directly grant one card per turn immunity from battle or effect destruction, without Tributing itself.
"I use [Stardust Spark Dragon]'s effect to protect itself from being destroyed once this turn—Sonic Barrier!"
A gleaming barrier of light flared from the dragon's wings, surrounding its body in a luminous aura.
Because this protection could be activated preemptively, Spark Dragon now had the upper hand—it could destroy Stardust Dragon while surviving itself.
"With equal Attack, my Stardust Spark Dragon stands stronger through its immunity! Take this, Carlos!"
Spark Dragon unleashed a radiant blast that tore through the racetrack.
"Meteor Flash Strike!"
"The first Stardust vs. Stardust duel… we're not backing down either!"
Miles raised his arm toward the sky, commanding his dragon's counterattack.
"Meteor Sonic Boom!"
The violent collision between the two Stardust Dragons filled Speed World with a surge of starlight energy, igniting every magic stone in the audience's hands.
"What—!?"
Gradually, as the clash dragged on, Krista began to realize something was off.
Despite its battle protection, her Stardust Spark Dragon still couldn't overpower Stardust Dragon.
"The battle between Stardust Dragons has only just begun! There's no way I'll lose so easily!"
Miles pulled a card from his Graveyard and showed it to Krista as they raced side by side.
"This is the card I sent to the Graveyard with [Speed Spell - Angel Baton] last turn—[Relinkuriboh]! I banish it to prevent Stardust Dragon's destruction this battle!"
No matter how dire things get—you can always count on Kuriboh.
The round little spirit merged into the burst of starlight, granting Stardust Dragon the same battle protection.
Now both sides were even.
The swirling radiance of the stars ascended skyward as their clash reached equilibrium.
Interwoven stardust seemed to awaken echoes of an ancient battlefield—multiple dragon roars resounded across the speeding racetrack.
"What… is that?"
Both duelists looked up.
Above the Turbo Duel arena, the collision of the two Stardust Dragons had somehow summoned a vast night sky filled with stars—even in broad daylight.
Bathed in starlight, the dragons shone brighter still, their brilliance illuminating the road ahead.
The illusion lasted only for a heartbeat, fading as their attacks ended.
The two Stardust Dragons separated, their clash leaving the spectators stunned—but the duel continued. The D-Wheels still thundered onward.
"I Set one card and end my turn."
Beneath her helmet, Krista's eyes were steady as ever.
In her mind, Miles had merely managed to draw even by using [Relinkuriboh] from the Graveyard.
However, her [Stardust Spark Dragon]'s effect could be used once per turn on either player's turn—and Miles no longer had a second Relinkuriboh to protect himself.
The advantage was hers.
As the D-Wheels continued at full throttle, the turn passed back to Miles.
He knew that [Stardust Spark Dragon] could activate its protection again at any time, and pondered how to pierce through that radiant shield.
Abruptly, before Aisha's fingertips even touched the Deck, Miles already sensed the answer.
A card greedy enough to devour even starlight itself.
"My turn—draw!"
[Aisha SPC: 3 → 4]
[Krista SPC: 3 → 4]
Aisha: "Mr. Miles, this card…!"
Her emerald eyes widened. If they used this, even the light of Stardust might be consumed.
Miles smirked faintly. "A dangerous card… just what I needed! Let's start the second round!"
He immediately declared his Battle Phase.
The dueling dragons collided again—fierce enough to make the crowd hold their breath. Barely ten seconds had passed since their last clash before the Stardusts met once more in midair.
"I've never seen a Turbo Duel this intense…"
"So this is the level of academy champions?"
"Though this time…"
As Krista had anticipated, her Spark Dragon held the advantage. With Miles's Graveyard empty of protective options, victory was within her grasp.
"[Stardust Spark Dragon]'s effect activates! Once per turn, I grant this card immunity from battle and effect destruction. What will you do now, Carlos!?"
Wrapped again in its halo of light, Spark Dragon soared upward, its resistance ensuring it would win this exchange.
"Sonic Barrier! Meteor Flash Strike!"
Spark Dragon deflected Stardust Dragon with a burst of force, then countered with a radiant blast, sending its counterpart crashing down through the Speed World sky.
"Yes! She did it! Amazing, Krista!" Lost shouted from the stands.
"No… she didn't," murmured a mysterious man in sunglasses from the Synchron Academy team—one who had barely spoken until now.
"In choosing to fight despite knowing defeat, it's Krista who's fallen into the trap."
"Huh? What do you mean she fell for it?" Lost blinked, confused. To her, it looked like Krista's Spark Dragon had clearly won.
"In Speed World… the one who keeps racing till the end is the true victor," the man said calmly.
"Roar—!"
Before his words even finished, a new dragon's roar erupted across the racetrack—shaking the entire Speed World.
It wasn't Stardust Dragon's cry.
This unknown roar came from the card Miles now held aloft.
A dragon of Eastern form, blazing with fire, burst forth—its long crimson body spiraling around the arena, igniting the entire track in a ring of flame.
"What did you do, Aisha Carlos!?"
"Watch closely, Krista! This is a power that can devour even Stardust!"
As his Battle Phase ended, Miles raised a card high and hurled it toward the blazing sky where Stardust Spark Dragon soared.
Guided by the card's radiance, the fire dragon rose, lunging at the starlit dragon above.
"Stardust—!?"
"You're not escaping this time!"
Miles activated the card's effect.
"Become the flame-born dragon! Burn with the fire of the Immovable Wisdom King! Wield the flame-sword that devours heretics—its breath resounds like twenty trillion thunders!"
Together with the raging fire dragon, a crimson greatsword of black iron fell from the heavens, piercing through Stardust Spark Dragon's body.
"Devour the Stardust! I Tribute your [Stardust Spark Dragon]—and Special Summon [Kurikara Divincarnate]!"
His sister's card.
As the fiery dragon consumed the pierced Spark Dragon, a barefoot, pink-haired girl appeared in the blazing sky of the Speed World… aloof, divine, and wreathed in flame.
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going! [Patreon.com/RedZTL]