The raging blaze was blasted apart by the collision. The Winged Dragon of Ra and Obelisk the Tormentor—two colossal gods—clashed with 4000 Attack, destroying each other, and vanished at the same time before the stunned crowd.
[The Winged Dragon of Ra] Destroyed
[Obelisk the Tormentor] Destroyed
As Ra disappeared and the flames scattered, the divine backlash that had been relentlessly scorching Quaedes's soul gradually began to ease.
The proof was clear: the pale skin on Quaedes's cheek, which had withered from the burning of his soul, was slowly recovering.
Fortunately, the fallen skin had not been a literal physical burn, sparing Quaedes from the fate of forcefully summoning a god only to be disfigured.
As for the damage to his soul, as long as it had not completely collapsed, it could gradually heal through the replenishment of spiritual power.
"Miles, you…"
Quaedes could feel with absolute clarity that the pain born from the depths of his soul—the agony that had nearly torn him apart—had vanished because of Miles' battle just now.
"If you collapsed out of sheer stubbornness, I'd be the one with a headache, Your Majesty," Miles said with a smile. "If I don't defeat you head-on at least once, I won't even be able to sleep well."
The Crown Prince, Homar, sighed. "Aisha-dono's attitude is even more confident than before. No, she's practically becoming arrogant."
"That's Miles!"
Princess Nova exclaimed in delight. "That tone, that arrogant confidence… it has to be Miles!"
"So you finally made it, Miles!" Irena said excitedly.
"Thank goodness, Miles." With Miles' figure once more within sight, Dark Aisha unconsciously felt much more at ease.
"Miles…"
Although her sister's body had once again been taken over, leaving Alice's emotions complicated once more, after Miles appeared, that infuriating feeling of 'relief' welled up inside her all the same, and even she had to admit it.
"Huh? That's Sir Miles?"
Looking left and right, observing carefully, from any angle, Homar could only see the figure of Royal Knight Aisha Carlos.
Yet Nova and the others insisted that it was Miles dueling.
This strange sense of isolation, as if he alone had been excluded… was he being disliked? Homar could not help but think so.
"Don't expect me to thank you!" Quaedes ground his teeth in fury. "Because you left on your own, I lost the chance to control a god. And now you want to take even my final opportunity from me?"
"Your final opportunity, huh." Miles raised an eyebrow. "Just as I thought."
Sure enough, the course of events was unfolding exactly as Alester and Viel had predicted.
"Then my raging tide will tear you apart once more, Miles!"
"Even His Imperial Majesty is saying it's Miles?" Homar was startled.
Although Obelisk and Ra had perished together, Quaedes still had a monster on his field that could continue attacking during the Battle Phase.
After being equipped with Armor Xyz, its Attack had reached 3700—[Full Armored Crystalzero Lancer].
"Direct attack, Crystalzero Lancer! Heavy Armored Ice Spear!"
Piercing through the lingering heat of the flames, the spear of ice shot straight toward Miles.
"Ah! Mr. Miles!"
"Mm. That attack won't be getting through her."
The card Aisha had Set last turn simply couldn't stop a god.
But a direct attack from an Xyz Monster was still manageable.
"—Trap Card [Graverobber], activate!"
[Target 1 Spell/Trap in your opponent's Graveyard; this card's effect becomes that card's effect.]
With a wicked grin, the little grave thief burrowed into Quaedes's Graveyard and stole a sleeping Trap Card.
Quaedes's brows furrowed. "Another stealing effect?!"
First Future Emperor and Sphere Mode, then Spell Enforcer, and now Graverobber.
After stealing from the field, you steal from the Deck; after the Deck, you steal from the Graveyard.
"Quaedes, when it comes to stealing cards, you're still far inferior to me. Remember this—that's the Carlos-style strategy!"
Miles flipped over the stolen card between his fingers with flair.
"—Trap Card [Double Dragon Descent], activate!"
The defensive Trap Quaedes had activated at the start of the Duel, which could only be used when an Xyz Monster declared a direct attack.
"When your Xyz Monster declares a direct attack, I can use [Double Dragon Descent] to call forth a LIGHT Xyz Dragon Monster from my Deck as a shield to block the attack!"
Facing the incoming icy crystal spear, a radiant dragon of light roared into existence before Miles and Aisha.
"Where the light of the galaxy leads, let the brilliance of new power be unleashed! Armed descent, Dual Dragon Armor Summon! [Galaxy-Eyes Full Armor Photon Dragon]!"
Armor Xyz against Armor Xyz. Clad in armor black as the cosmos, yet with wings that shone like the galaxy, the Photon Dragon descended with a furious roar.
"By the effect of [Double Dragon Descent], the summoned Dragon's effects are negated, and its Attack becomes equal to that of the attacking monster!"
[Galaxy-Eyes Full Armor Photon Dragon, ATK: 3700]
After a clash between gods, it was now Armor Xyz against Armor Xyz—another collision of identical Attack.
"Counterattack! Armored Galaxy Burst!!"
A blast of galactic destruction erupted from the dragon's maw, canceling out the ice spear that tore through the fading heat.
"Even if their Attack is the same, yours is the one that will be destroyed!" Quaedes declared. "The effect of [Full Armored Crystalzero Lancer]!"
[If this face-up card on the field would be destroyed, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from it instead.]
A layer of icy crystal armor covering the slender female figure shattered and fell away. By detaching one Xyz Material, [Full Armored Crystalzero Lancer] avoided destruction in place of being destroyed alongside the Full Armor Photon Dragon.
[Full Armored Crystalzero Lancer, ATK: 3700 → 3200]
Naturally, with one of the Xyz Materials beneath it removed, its Attack also decreased by 500.
Emperor Quaedes's two fierce assaults had both been blocked by Miles, who had entered midway through the turn. The Battle Phase now officially came to an end.
"I Set 3 cards. End turn!"
After activating [Card of Sanctity], Quaedes had 4 cards remaining in his hand. He angrily Set 3 of them, gripping the final card.
The turn changed.
"So it's finally my turn!"
Miles' gaze swept toward the Deck within the Spirit Eyes.
At the same time, the voice of that bratty loli, Viel, transmitted directly through their soul connection.
"Though it hasn't yet reached the level where fusion is possible, the power of the King's Key is genuinely awakening step by step, Miles!"
"Step by step awakening? What does that mean?"
"It means it's amazing! You should be able to see the omen from this draw! The omen of awakening!"
"Is that really so?"
Half doubtful, Miles gently placed Aisha's fingertips on the top of the Deck.
It's different!
It truly felt different from Aisha's Deck as it usually did.
Almost unconsciously, Miles' gaze began searching for that figure within the crowd—the other Aisha who had separated from the Millennium Puzzle because of the King's Key.
"You have to win, Miles."
Their eyes met. Sure enough, Dark Aisha had been staring at him without blinking the entire time.
On the surface, it was one against one. To those in the know, it was two against one. In reality, it was three against one.
"Then here I go!"
"Go on! Let that Emperor see the omen of awakening, Miles!"
"My turn—Draw!"
Light flickered at his fingertips as Miles drew the opening card of his turn from the Deck slumbering within the Spirit Eyes.
A brand-new card, one Miles had never seen before, and of a very special type.
If one had to say what made it special, it was that its activation condition was extraordinarily specific.
"The equation for victory is complete!"
Miles hurled the card he had just drawn this turn forward into the empty field before him.
"—Spell Card [The Equation of Victory], activate!"
Aisha: "O(?Д?)っThe Equation of Victory?"
Naturally, if even Miles had never seen it, then Aisha certainly hadn't either.
As the omen of the King's Key's awakening—just as that bratty loli Viel had said—it was a precursor card that appeared before truly reaching the state of different souls fusing.
[If only your opponent controls a monster, and you declare "The equation for victory is complete!" You can Special Summon 1 "Number" Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck, except a "Number C" monster. Then attach this card to it as Xyz Material.]
An extremely particular card in terms of activation conditions.
One of those conditions was: "Only your opponent controls a monster."
With Miles' field empty and Quaedes controlling [Full Armored Crystalzero Lancer], that condition was already fulfilled.
The other condition was that he must declare, "The equation for victory is complete!" in order to activate it.
That condition had already been loudly proclaimed by Miles at the very moment of activation.
With both conditions satisfied, the Spell Card enveloped in dazzling radiance expanded and activated.
"By the effect of [The Equation of Victory], I Special Summon a 'Number' Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck!"
Within the spreading light, wings of hope unfurled.
"Appear—Number 39! My battle begins here, white wings that bear hope! Bringer of Light—Number 39: Utopia!"
[Number 39: Utopia] Level 4│LIGHT│Warrior│2500 ATK
The embodiment of hope, Number 39, descended—while [The Equation of Victory] was overlaid beneath it as Xyz Material.
"It's not over yet! In this battle, the evolution of Number 39 has only just begun!"
Without the slightest pause, Miles further transformed the newly summoned [Number 39: Utopia] into Chaos.
"Using [Number 39: Utopia] as material, I directly perform a Chaos Xyz Change! Appear—Number C39! The one who turns chaos into light! Number C39: Utopia Ray!"
[Number C39: Utopia Ray]
Rank 4│LIGHT│Warrior│2500 ATK
[3 Level 4 LIGHT monsters]
[You can also Xyz Summon this card by overlaying it on "Number 39: Utopia" you control.]
A chaotic effect of intertwining light and darkness instantly engulfed Utopia's golden armor. From within was born Utopia Ray, gripping a greatsword with the momentum to cleave through everything and dominate the field.
At this moment, Miles and Aisha were in a state of being locked at 100 Life Points—perfect for activating Utopia Ray's Overlay Boost effect.
[Detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; until the end of this turn, this card gains 500 Attack, and 1 monster your opponent controls loses 1000 Attack until the end of this turn. You can only activate and resolve this effect while your Life Points are 1000 or less.]
"I detach both [Number 39: Utopia] and [The Equation of Victory] as Xyz Material! — 'Overlay Boost,' twice!"
[Number C39: Utopia Ray, ATK: 2500 → 3500]
[Full Armored Crystalzero Lancer, ATK: 3200 → 1200]
As the chaotic greatsword in Utopia Ray's hands swelled in size, its Attack surged past that of the Armor Xyz.
However, even now, the difference between 3500 Attack and 1200 Attack would result in 2300 battle damage—not enough to deplete all of Quaedes's Life Points and secure true victory.
Moreover, Miles had to remain wary of the three Set cards in Quaedes's back row.
With three face-down cards behind the opponent, recklessly charging in without preparation was hardly a wise choice.
"Then I'll use this card to step toward victory! After the Chaos transformation, [Number C39: Utopia Ray] continues to evolve!"
"It can still evolve?!"
Neither Aisha nor Dark Aisha had ever witnessed the further evolved form of [Number C39: Utopia Ray], which Miles usually used as a finishing blow.
"It's possible! With this card, I can guide Number 39 to an even greater height!"
The card in Miles' hand was the Rank-Up-Magic Spell he had obtained after his duel with Leon Gate, where Chaos had collided against Chaos.
"—Spell Card [Rank-Up-Magic Limited Barian's Force], activate!"
[Target 1 Rank 4 Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, by using it as material, 1 "Number C" monster that is 1 Rank higher than that target, by overlaying it on top of that monster.]
The Rank-Up-Magic awakened by Utopia's power completely enveloped the pitch-black body of [Number C39: Utopia Ray].
"Appear—Number C39! Let the shining soul of hope grasp victory and become the power that guides the future! Utopia Ray Victory!"
As the Rank-Up-Magic burst forth, the Rank 5 form of [Number C39: Utopia Ray]—"Victory"—erupted onto the field in a blaze of light.
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