After the brief silence that followed their disappearance, the roar of two D-Wheels—and two Stardust Dragons—erupted once more, sending the atmosphere of the Turbo Duel soaring to its absolute peak.
"What kind of Turbo Duel is this?!"
"Does the level really jump this high once you reach the academy leagues?!"
"They both performed Accel Synchro at the same time! Are we sure the other side's from Fusion Academy, the one that specializes in Fusion Summons?!"
"I've watched Turbo Duels for years, but I've never seen anything like this!"
Under the starlit sky, the twin Accel Synchros burst forth together, unleashing waves of explosive energy across the entire arena.
The energy wasn't limited to Synchron Academy—it rippled outward, affecting nearby cities of the Axet Republic.
If all that energy were converted into SP Points, the value would be beyond measure.
"[Shooting Star Dragon] and [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon]… I'm not dreaming, right?"
Fusion Academy mastering the ultimate technique of Accel Synchro left both XYZ Academy and even Synchron Academy themselves speechless.
Gazing up at the twin dragons above, Krista exclaimed with genuine awe, "You're incredible, Aisha Carlos! Even beyond the speed of light, you still can't be shaken off!"
"Because in this Speed World, the one who rides to the end is the true winner! Let's battle to the very end, Krista!"
"Fighting to the end… that's exactly what I want!"
Beneath the brilliance of intertwining starlight, the two duelists' hearts resonated. For those who had surpassed light, this pure Turbo Duel had already transcended what a duel could mean.
"The fate of this duel will be decided by the [Shooting Star Dragon] of Accel Synchro! I hate to admit it, but the Accel Synchro achieved through [Stardust Dragon] truly is stronger!"
[Shooting Star Dragon]'s Attack was 3300, higher than [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon]'s 3000.
That crucial 300-point difference, barely the strength of a Mokey Mokey, meant [Shooting Star Dragon] could overpower [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon] in direct combat.
Their roles had changed. Before Accel Synchro, [Stardust Dragon] couldn't defeat [Stardust Spark Dragon]; now, as [Shooting Star Dragon], it had overtaken it in sheer power.
Moreover, [Shooting Star Dragon] carried its famous ability… the potential fivefold attack that could determine destiny.
"Before the battle begins, I activate [Shooting Star Dragon]'s effect!"
[Once per turn: Reveal the top 5 cards of your Deck and shuffle them back. This card can attack up to the number of Tuner monsters revealed.]
The number of Tuners revealed among the five cards decides its total number of attacks.
The lowest outcome: no Tuners revealed—battle phase ends immediately.
The highest: five Tuners revealed—an instant five-hit combo of destruction.
"In this ultimate-speed Turbo Duel, witness the bond between me and my Deck!"
"First card—[Tune Warrior]!"
"Second—[Turbo Rocket]!"
"Third—[Hyper Synchron]!"
"Fourth—[Road Synchron]!"
"Fifth card…"
Out of the five cards Krista revealed, the fifth was [Speed Spell - Angel Baton]; the other four were all Tuner Monsters.
Although not the perfect five, four out of five Tuners showed an exceptional bond between Duelist and Deck.
Considering Aisha Carlos's Deck only contained four Tuners in total, including the mysterious [Converging Wills Dragon], that was astounding.
"By [Shooting Star Dragon]'s effect, it can attack up to four times this turn!"
With 3300 Attack and four strikes, while Miles's field held only [Kurikara Divincarnate] and [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon]...
"The scales of fate are tipping in my favor, Carlos!"
Krista revved her D-Wheel, entering the Battle Phase. The four revealed Tuners transformed into stardust fragments, trailing behind [Shooting Star Dragon] as shimmering afterimages.
"Battle, Shooting Star Dragon—Stardust Mirage!"
The number of mirages streaking through the air marked the number of attacks it could make this turn.
"First strike!"
With a fierce roar, Krista targeted the most dangerous threat—the one that had devoured her [Stardust Spark Dragon] last turn—[Kurikara Divincarnate]!
The Accel Synchro dragon clashed head-on with the pink-haired girl and her crimson sword.
That same 300-point difference once again decided the outcome, allowing [Shooting Star Dragon] to overpower the enhanced [Kurikara Divincarnate].
"First strike—Mirage Burst!"
The instant the dragon's stardust collided with the black-iron blade, a blinding explosion followed—countless particles enveloping and tearing through the small girl's figure.
[Aisha Carlos, LP: 2300 → 2000]
"She did it, Krista! Three attacks left… you can win this!"
One successful strike reignited the hope of Synchron Academy.
If Aisha had no counter, the four attacks born of her Deck's bond could secure victory right here in this ultimate-speed duel.
"Now for the real fight."
The clash between Stardust Dragons, the battle of Accel Synchros, was the true highlight of this turn.
The golden glow of [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon] met the white brilliance of [Shooting Star Dragon]; their light divided the massive battlefield in two.
"Our Attack is still higher! Keep pushing forward, Shooting Star Dragon—second strike! Mirage Burst!"
The second afterimage spread its wings and dived toward [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon]. Gold and white collided, their shockwaves erupting high above the Speed World sky.
"Wait—!" gasped Izumi. "The attack… was blocked?!"
Despite the same 300-point difference, everyone expected [Shooting Star Dragon] to break through just as it had before—
—but [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon]'s radiant wings unfurled, unleashing a holy counterstrike equal to [Shooting Star Dragon]'s power.
"It couldn't break through? Impossible!"
Still racing at full speed, Krista looked back in shock.
The girl who'd chased her D-Wheel from the very start… even light-speed acceleration couldn't shake her off.
Their endless pursuit within Speed World mirrored every exchange of attacks… every attempt Krista made to pull ahead, Aisha matched in kind.
No matter what she did, she couldn't create distance… like countless motes of stardust forever bound together in the night sky.
"Aisha Carlos!"
"This is…"
Miles raised his arm and flipped his last Set card beside the D-Wheel.
"This is the strike that overturns heaven and earth! Trap Card—[Trap of Darkness]—activate!"
[If your LP is 3000 or less, pay 1000 LP, then target 1 Normal Trap in your Graveyard, except 'Trap of Darkness'; this card's effect becomes that target's effect. Then banish that target.]
[Aisha Carlos, LP: 2000 → 1000]
At the cost of 1000 Life Points, Miles chose his target from the Graveyard.
"I use [Trap of Darkness] to replicate the effect of [Inverse Universe]!"
[Inverse Universe: Switch the ATK and DEF of all face-up Effect Monsters on the field.]
The Trap that turned heaven and earth upside down once more.
Miles had shown this spectacle once before.
The entire battlefield of Speed World inverted—sky became ground, ground became sky. All Effect Monsters' ATK and DEF were switched.
The two Accel Synchro Dragons, [Shooting Star Dragon] and [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon], both had 2500 DEF.
Krista realized it instantly. "A strike that reverses heaven and earth? By swapping ATK and DEF… you made their power equal?!"
"Equal? You're mistaken, Krista!"
Racing upside-down through the inverted world, Miles raised his arm toward his golden dragon above.
"In this reversed Speed World, [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon] shines brighter! Surpass the Shooting Star—activate [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon]'s effect!"
[Once per turn: You can banish 1 Synchro Monster from your Graveyard; this card is unaffected by other card effects until the end of this turn. (This effect can be activated during either player's turn.)]
The only Synchro Monster in Miles's Graveyard—the very [Stardust Dragon] used earlier as Accel Synchro material—returned to him now as strength.
"I banish [Stardust Dragon] from my Graveyard! When [Inverse Universe] takes effect, I grant [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon] complete immunity!"
The transparent stardust body of [Stardust Dragon] dissolved into radiant particles, merging with the golden light flowing over [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon].
"—Shining Barrier of Divinity!!"
By gaining immunity through its own effect, [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon] became completely unaffected by any other card effects.
That meant even Miles's own Trap Card, [Inverse Universe], could no longer influence it.
In this reversed world where heaven and earth were inverted, only [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon], spreading divine golden radiance, flew upright through the sky.
[Shooting Star Dragon, ATK: 2500]
[Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon, ATK: 3000]
With its ATK and DEF swapped, [Shooting Star Dragon] weakened—while [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon] remained untouched. In this fleeting intersection of two Stardust Dragons, Miles found his breakthrough.
"Counter the shooting star—[Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon]!"
The upright golden dragon and the inverted white meteor clashed head-on. In a flash of gold and white, the divided world of Speed World determined the final outcome of the Accel Synchro Duel.
"—Celestial Reversal, Divine Stardust Impact!!'"
The golden brilliance pierced through the white meteor.
Though [Shooting Star Dragon] could have attacked four times this turn, it fell on its second strike against [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon] within the reversed Speed World.
[Krista, LP: 2950 → 2450]
As [Shooting Star Dragon] faded, the field returned to normal, the reversed world collapsing with it.
Krista could never have imagined losing in an Accel Synchro clash.
Now left with only one card in hand… the card drawn earlier through [Formula Synchron]'s effect.
"It worked!" While Synchron Academy sank into stunned silence, Fusion Academy's three representatives leapt up and embraced, shouting, "Amazing! That was incredible!"
The light of Stardust… was now on their side.
On the field, [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon] gleamed in gold, its divine shield of total immunity illuminating the final stretch of the Speed World. In the endgame, it was the most reliable existence of all.
Miles said, "Can you see it now, Krista? The fate of Stardust… its final result."
Krista murmured, "At this stage, it doesn't even matter which Stardust is stronger anymore."
They had fought with their respective ace dragons, exchanged them, evolved them through Accel Synchro… and now, only Miles's [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon] remained.
Regardless, did that prove Miles's Stardust was stronger… or Krista's Stardust?
"In any case, that doesn't mean I've given up, Carlos!"
Krista slammed her last card onto the track, eyes still burning with determination.
It was the card drawn from the hope of the Formula… the card of destiny itself. As a duelist carrying Synchron Academy's pride, she refused to surrender until the very last moment of this Turbo Duel.
"I Set one card and end my turn! My fate's all in this card!"
"The final gamble on the scales of fate, huh? Then I'll take that final wager!"
The turns shifted. Miles drew his card.
After surpassing even the speed of light, Speed Counters no longer mattered. The final draw of the duel was no longer needed.
"Accel Synchro—[Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon], deliver the final strike!"
Racing together toward the end of the Stardust Duel, Miles declared the final direct attack.
"This is it, Krista!—Divine Stardust Impact!"
"Come at me, Carlos!—Trap Card, activate! [Rage Resynchro]!"
[Target 1 Synchro Monster in your Graveyard; banish monsters from your field and/or Graveyard whose total Levels equal that monster's Synchro Summon requirement, then Special Summon it. Its effects are negated, it gains 500 ATK, and it is destroyed during your next End Phase.]
Krista's Trap Card, [Rage Resynchro], let her revive a Synchro Monster from her Graveyard.
If she could Accel Synchro again, reviving [Shooting Star Dragon], it would be a perfect counter against [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon].
But she couldn't: because [Shooting Star Dragon]'s materials required 1 Synchro Tuner Monster + [Stardust Dragon].
And [Stardust Dragon] wasn't in her Graveyard… it belonged to Miles. Therefore, Krista couldn't resummon it.
Her only option was…
"I banish [Formula Synchron] (Level 2) and [Stardust Charge Warrior] (Level 6) from my Graveyard—Rage Resynchro!"
Eight Synchro stars flared from her Graveyard, reweaving the light of the cosmos.
"Awaken once more, Stardust! Let your soul's pulse thunder through the world—[Stardust Spark Dragon]!"
Reborn through furious synchronicity, its effects negated, [Stardust Spark Dragon]'s ATK rose by 500.
After all this time, Krista's final card was her very first dragon.
"With all the faith of this Turbo Duel behind you… please, [Stardust Spark Dragon], shine once more!"
"ROAR—!"
Answering her unyielding plea, [Stardust Spark Dragon] roared, its power surging to match Miles's evolved form.
[Stardust Spark Dragon, ATK: 2500 → 3000]
[Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon, ATK: 3000]
"—Shooting Blast!"
Golden beams collided, their wills intertwining—Krista's resolve and Miles's determination merging into a column of starlight that shot into the heavens.
The clash of equal powers—both dragons erased in a burst of stardust.
"Swapped Accel Synchros, huh… maybe this could work out after all!" Lost gritted her teeth.
Both fields were now empty. Miles's LP stood at 1000—if Krista could draw a monster stronger than 1000 next turn, she could turn it all around.
"No. It's over." The man in sunglasses from Synchron Academy raised his head to the stars. Reflected in his lenses… was a single point of starlight.
As the twin Stardust dragons vanished, the converging starlight focused into a single beam, signaling the duel's end.
"[Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon]'s final effect—activate!"
[If this card controlled by its owner is destroyed by an opponent's card: You can target 1 of your banished Dragon-Type Synchro Monsters; Special Summon it.]
In Miles's Banished Zone, the only Dragon-Type Synchro Monster was the true conclusion of the Stardust Duel.
"The gathered prayers shall become a brilliant path of victory! Once more, illuminate the way—fly, [Stardust Dragon]!"
Though their duel had taken countless turns and evolutions, Miles's winning monster was his first and truest soul partner.
The battle of Stardust ended with [Stardust Dragon]!
[Stardust Dragon, ATK: 2500]
"Guess it's still up to me, huh, Miles!"
"Yeah, let's finish this, Stardust!"
"—Final Shooting Sonic!!!"
Starlight erupted. [Stardust Dragon] spread its radiant wings, condensing every trail of Stardust behind it into a single, decisive blow.
The direct attack struck true—its brilliance engulfed the entire track, consuming all of Krista's remaining Life Points.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!!"
[Krista, LP: 2450 → 0]
Synchron Academy Turbo Duel Tournament—First Match: Synchron Academy vs. Fusion Academy.
What was meant to be the beginning had already reached its peak.
A duel that left every witness in awe.
Fusion Academy claimed the first victory!
"We won!!"
In Speed World, the one who rides to the end is the victor.
As the starlight faded, Miles raised his arm and circled the arena, shouting in triumph.
That single victorious cry was the strongest declaration to everyone present:
'The Academy you once looked down on, the eternal underdog, Fusion Academy… this year's Inter-Academy Duels… Can you still handle us now?'
"There's no such thing as a Fusion Academy that can Accel Synchro!"
...
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