"Let the shining soul of hope seize victory and become the power that guides the future! Utopia Ray Victory!"
[Number C39: Utopia Ray Victory] Rank 5│LIGHT│Warrior│2800 ATK
The armor once stained black by Chaos was now covered once more in the evolved silver-white of hope. In its Rank-Up "Victory" form, Utopia Ray gripped four-layered blades of hope, slicing through the swirling Xyz light around it.
Aisha: "It really evolved Utopia Ray again… so cool, Mr. Miles!"
"Of course it did!"
Even Miles himself was struck by how cool it was—Number 39: Utopia's continuous evolution.
Before even truly entering the fused state Viel had mentioned, the King's Key could already bring about such a tremendous increase in power.
The potential of Aisha Carlos, acknowledged even by Alester, truly was no exaggeration.
Quaedes said, "A Rank-Up Summon with only 2800 Attack?"
Before using [Rank-Up-Magic Limited Barian's Force], Utopia Ray's Attack had been 3500. Yet after Ranking Up, Utopia Ray Victory's Attack was 2800. Judging purely by Attack value, it had actually decreased.
Of course, only an average Duelist would be misled by surface-level Attack points.
A Duelist at Emperor Quaedes's level, even without knowing the effect of a brand-new monster, could judge its strength beyond mere numbers from the overwhelming aura it emitted.
"This is the light of victory that will break through your final line of defense, Quaedes!"
Miles pointed toward the three Set cards in Quaedes's back row while commanding the Rank-Up Summoned [Number C39: Utopia Ray Victory] and declaring the Battle Phase of this turn.
Against Quaedes's three face-down cards, recklessly charging in with Utopia Ray would absolutely not have been wise.
And the truth was exactly as Miles had anticipated.
Among Quaedes's three Set cards, the one in the center was the Trap Card [Dimensional Prison], which could banish an attacking monster the moment it declared an attack.
But [Number C39: Utopia Ray Victory] was different. Once it entered the Battle Phase and declared an attack, Quaedes would have no way to stop this light of victory.
"This is the effect of [Number C39: Utopia Ray Victory]!"
[When this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate Spell/Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step.]
Its Spell/Trap lock during attacks meant that Utopia Ray Victory feared nothing from Traps like [Dimensional Prison] that activated upon an attack declaration.
Of course, as the Rank-Up form crowned with the light of victory, Utopia Ray Victory possessed far more than just Spell/Trap sealing.
As a monster that had Ranked Up from Utopia, the most crucial effect of [Number C39: Utopia Ray Victory] was—
[If this card has a "Utopia" monster as Xyz Material, it gains the following effect.
● When this card declares an attack on a face-up monster your opponent controls: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; negate that opponent's monster's effects until the end of this turn, and if you do, this card gains Attack equal to that monster's current Attack.]
Since Utopia Ray had been used as the stepping stone for the Rank-Up, Victory also enjoyed the additional effect granted by having a "Utopia" monster as material.
"S-So strong!" The spectators were stunned.
The two effects of Rank 5 Utopia Ray stacked together—sealing Spell/Trap activations during battle while also negating the attacked monster's effects and gaining Attack equal to that monster's Attack.
An absolute triple lock of effects, combined with overwhelming Attack superiority. Once this card appeared, it truly lived up to the name "Victory."
"This strike will end it, Quaedes!"
The four blades of hope burst with radiant light as Miles formally declared Utopia Ray Victory's attack, a victorious assault that could not be stopped by [Dimensional Prison], slashing furiously toward [Full Armored Crystalzero Lancer] on Quaedes's field.
"Spell/Trap activations are sealed, and at the moment of attack, I detach Xyz Material to activate Victory's effect!"
Although its Attack after Ranking Up was lower than Utopia Ray's fully boosted state, once Utopia Ray Victory gained [Full Armored Crystalzero Lancer]'s Attack, it would be enough to push Quaedes's remaining 2601 Life Points straight into lethal range.
"Detach Xyz Material to activate the effect?" Quaedes's ice-blue eyes fixed sternly on Miles. "That is if you're able to do it, Miles!"
"What?!"
At those words, Miles felt a chill of foreboding and immediately looked toward Utopia Ray Victory on his field.
"Utopia Ray… it's gone?!"
It wasn't that Utopia Ray Victory had disappeared.
Rather, the original [Number C39: Utopia Ray] that had been overlaid beneath it as Xyz Material for the Rank-Up Summon was gone.
At this moment, Utopia Ray Victory stood with no Xyz Materials attached.
"Since Spell/Trap Cards can't be activated during battle, I simply need to activate my card before the battle begins!"
At Quaedes's feet, revealed just an instant before the four blades of hope burst into light, was the flipped face-down card.
"—Trap Card [Space Cyclone], activate!"¹
[Detach all Xyz Materials from all monsters on the field.]
A colossal tornado from outer space, targeting all Xyz Materials on the field, swept across everything in a violent storm.
"By the effect of [Space Cyclone], all Xyz Materials on the field are detached. That means [Number C39: Utopia Ray Victory] can no longer pay the cost of detaching material!"
By preemptively stripping away all Xyz Materials, she weakened Utopia Ray Victory's absolute sealing offensive during battle.
For Emperor Quaedes, this defensive method was undoubtedly an all-in, do-or-die, double-edged tactic.
Miles said, "If all Xyz Materials are detached, then the remaining two materials of [Full Armored Crystalzero Lancer] will be removed as well!"
If weighed purely by quantity, Quaedes would actually lose more Xyz Materials to the galactic storm.
Having lost all of its materials, [Full Armored Crystalzero Lancer] naturally also lost the 500 Attack boost per material and its armor's destruction-substitution effect.
[Full Armored Crystalzero Lancer, ATK: 1200 → 200]
Already reduced by Utopia Ray, its Attack dropped further to a mere 200.
And yet, those remaining 200 Attack points became Quaedes's final stand at the brink.
Miles clenched his teeth and declared, "Continue the attack, Number C39: Utopia Ray Victory!"
Even with all materials detached, Utopia Ray Victory's Spell/Trap sealing effect during attacks still remained, and Miles still held absolute superiority in Attack.
"—Hope Sword: Quadruple Victory Slash!!"
Four blades shimmering with the light of hope cleaved through Crystalzero Lancer's radiant armored body, shattering it into crystal fragments that scattered across the sky above the field.
[Full Armored Crystalzero Lancer] Destroyed
The intense impact of the luminous blades also blasted Quaedes backward, inflicting massive battle damage.
With 2800 Attack, Utopia Ray Victory destroyed the 200 Attack Crystalzero Lancer, dealing 2600 battle damage.
[Quaedes, LP: 2601 → 1]
Driven to the brink by battle and locked at 1 Life Point—Quaedes's final persistence.
If she had not used Space Cyclone to scatter all Xyz Materials, defeat would have been certain. By scattering them, she was left with a single remaining Life Point.
Such a choice—no, it could hardly even be called a choice—required no hesitation from Quaedes.
Aisha sighed regretfully. "She's still left with that last 1 Life Point…"
As long as Life Points do not reach zero, they are merely numbers that fluctuate.
Stronger than any opponent Miles had faced before—even in terms of sheer resilience and tenacity—Quaedes stood at the very top.
Of course, Miles and Aisha were not in much better shape either.
1 Life Point versus 100 Life Points.
The royal palace, which should have been filled with discussion, was eerily silent.
The duel had reached such heights that even in this banquet hall where the strongest gathered, no one dared to breathe too loudly.
Before this duel, Emperor Quaedes of the Empire had demonstrated overwhelming power, nearly every duel ending in instant victory.
No one had imagined she would be pushed to the extreme state of a single remaining Life Point.
It should be said that Aisha Carlos, Royal Knight of Livorden, though still a student at the Duel Academy, had already surpassed the ceiling of what a student should be; she was a terrifying existence capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Emperor of the Varian Empire.
Incidentally, since midway through the duel, Emperor Quaedes's way of addressing the Royal Knight had changed. That detail had also left the onlookers puzzled.
"What a monster of a Duelist…" Miles could not help but voice the same admiration Prince Zepha had once expressed.
Emperor Quaedes—those remaining 1 Life Point might prove even more troublesome than the previous 3999.
"It's time for my counterattack, Miles!"
Before Miles had even ended his turn, Quaedes—locked at 1 Life Point—flipped the card at her feet and began constructing her counteroffensive.
"—Trap Card [Speed Spell - Sonic Detonation], activate! I send 1 Spell Card from my hand to the Graveyard to activate that Spell at high speed!"
A Trap Card that allowed a Normal Spell to be activated at Spell Speed 2 during the opponent's turn.
And the Spell Card sent to the Graveyard by Quaedes was the final card she had been clutching in her hand all along—her last Rank-Up-Magic.
"Through the Trap Card [Speed Spell - Sonic Detonation], I activate [Rank-Up-Magic Admiration of the Thousands]!"
[You can only activate 1 "Rank-Up-Magic Admiration of the Thousands" per turn. During the turn you activate this card, you cannot Special Summon monsters except by this card's effect.]
During the turn it is activated, no Special Summons other than by this card's effect are allowed. To avoid such a severe restriction, Quaedes chose to use [Speed Spell - Sonic Detonation] to activate this Rank-Up-Magic during Miles's turn.
[Target 1 or more Xyz Monsters of the same Rank in your and your opponent's Graveyards; Special Summon from your Extra Deck 1 "Number C" or "Chaos Xyz" monster that is 1 Rank higher than those monsters, and attach the targeted monsters to it as Xyz Material.]
The power of multiple Xyz Monsters within the Graveyards gathered like countless threads into the radiance of the Rank-Up-Magic.
A Rank-Up-Magic of an exceptionally special nature, using Xyz Monsters of the same Rank from both Graveyards as materials.
"I will choose Rank 4 Xyz Monsters from both Graveyards!"
If there was any Rank with the greatest number of Xyz Monsters in Miles's and Quaedes's Graveyards, it was undoubtedly Rank 4.
In Miles's Graveyard were the Rank 4 monsters [Number 39: Utopia] and [Number C39: Utopia Ray].
In addition, in Quaedes's Graveyard were the Rank 4 monsters [Bahamut Shark], [Full Armored Black Ray Lancer], and [Number 103: Ragnafinity].
"I overlay a total of five Rank 4 Xyz Monsters as materials—Chaos Rank-Up: Thousand Deaths' Admiration!"
The gathered Xyz power before Quaedes successfully Ranked Up into yet another Over-Hundred "Number C" monster.
"Appear! Number C101! Guardian of the unsatisfied souls, become the dark knight that shatters the light! Silent Honor DARK!"
[Number C101: Silent Honor DARK] Rank 5│WATER│Aqua│2800 ATK
Special Summoned by the effect of [Rank-Up-Magic Admiration of the Thousands], with a full five Rank 4 Xyz Monsters overlaid beneath it as materials, the dark knight of Silent Honor rose as a WATER Xyz Monster.
The raging tides stirred up once more by Quaedes threatened to swallow even the wings of hope.
"At the very last moment, you summon another troublesome Chaos Number!"
The Emperor's monstrous resilience was on full display. Glancing at his remaining hand, Miles steeled himself for the final decisive battle.
"I Set two cards. End turn!"
"It's my turn—Draw!"
After drawing her card, Quaedes immediately declared a monster effect.
"Endure the silent vortex from the abyssal sea, Miles! I activate the effect of [Number C101: Silent Honor DARK]!"
[Once per turn: You can target 1 Special Summoned monster your opponent controls; attach that target to this card as Xyz Material.]
"I target your Special Summoned [Number C39: Utopia Ray Victory] and attach it beneath Silent Honor DARK as Xyz Material!"
Engulfed by chaotic darkness, hope seemed in that instant to sink into the unfathomable depths of the sea.
Not only had she overlaid Miles's two Rank 4 Number 39 monsters from the Graveyard, now even the Rank 5 Utopia Ray Victory that had been Rank-Up Summoned on the field was forcibly absorbed as Xyz Material for [Number C101: Silent Honor DARK].
Beneath the black card now lay a full six black Xyz Materials—half of them Utopia monsters.
"This level of hope alone cannot carve a path to victory before me, Miles!"
Displaying her monstrous strength without reservation, when everyone thought [Number C101: Silent Honor DARK] was already the Emperor's ultimate trump card, Quaedes once again shattered their expectations.
The extreme overlay of Xyz light burst forth across the body of Silent Honor DARK, now carrying six Xyz Materials.
"Hold honor in your heart, Miles! This is my greatest and strongest trump card—the power of the Seven Emperors gathered! I overlay on top of [Number C101: Silent Honor DARK]!"
More extravagant than any Xyz Summon Miles had ever witnessed before—six Xyz Monsters as materials, plus [Number C101: Silent Honor DARK] itself as the stepping stone—made for a total of seven Xyz Monsters as materials in this overlay Xyz Summon.
"The final manifested Chaos war god, carve open the proud form that embodies our hope! Gather the power of the Seven Emperors and transcend Number X! CXyz Barian Hope!"
…
¹ Wrong effect. Anyways.
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