"Gather the power of the Seven Emperors and transcend Number X! CXyz Barian Hope!"
[CXyz Barian Hope] Rank 7│LIGHT│Warrior│0 ATK
[3 or more Level 7 monsters. You can also Xyz Summon this card by overlaying it on any "Number C" monster from "Number C101" to "Number C107" you control.]
Born from Quaedes's assembly of the Seven Emperors' power, this was the ultimate Rank 7 Xyz Monster.
[CXyz Barian Hope] could be overlaid on any "Number C" monster from 101 to 107.
Like a war god descending upon the final battlefield, its crimson warrior armor and the spear and shield in its hands displayed the pinnacle of Xyz power.
Miles said, "An Xyz Monster with 0 Attack and 0 Defense… Well, it definitely won't be that simple."
As the strongest Xyz Monster declared by Emperor Quaedes, it undoubtedly followed the rule that 0 ATK and 0 DEF signified a true monster.
From the sheer presence of the Xyz war god towering over the battlefield, it was clear that the destructive power hidden within this monster was anything but low.
Quaedes raised her hand toward the crimson war god suspended in the sky. "The effect of [CXyz Barian Hope]! This card gains 1000 Attack for each Xyz Material attached to it!"
An effect that increased its Attack based on the number of overlaid Xyz Materials—this alone was extraordinary.
After all, beneath [CXyz Barian Hope] were no fewer than seven Xyz Materials.
"So that's how it is!" Miles understood at once. "To fully unleash the power of [CXyz Barian Hope], you accumulated and absorbed that many Xyz Materials."
Not only her own monsters as materials… even the Utopia monsters in Miles' and Aisha's Graveyards, and Utopia Ray Victory on the field, had all been absorbed.
The Emperor Quaedes's ultimate Xyz Summon, assembled from the Seven Emperors.
[CXyz Barian Hope, ATK: 0 → 7000]
"The Barian born of Chaos will bring me final victory. There are no more chances left for you, Miles!"
Standing beneath the crimson war god, Quaedes continued declaring the Xyz effect of [CXyz Barian Hope].
"Inherit the power of the Number that slumbers in the Graveyard—[CXyz Barian Hope]!"
[Once per turn: You can target 1 "Number" monster in your Graveyard; until the end of your opponent's turn, this card's name and effects become the same as that monster's original name and effects.]
Able to freely obtain the card name and effects of any "Number" monster in the Graveyard, Quaedes drew out the card whose power she would inherit and revealed it.
"O galaxy that shines to the very edge of Chaos, let [CXyz Barian Hope] inherit the effects of [Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon]!"
With the ultimate Chaos Xyz, she would inherit the name and effects of the greatest Chaos Number.
As the power of Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon merged into its body, the crimson armor of the war god was instantly dyed a brilliant gold by the power of the galaxy's edge.
Having inherited the name and effects of [Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon], [CXyz Barian Hope] now gleamed with the same radiant golden brilliance.
"After inheriting it, I use [CXyz Barian Hope] to activate Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon's effect!"
Though it had appeared several times before, this was the first time Quaedes formally activated [Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon]'s effect in this duel.
In an instant, galactic light flooded the entire field, as if to dominate this very space.
[Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; this turn, your opponent cannot activate effects on the field, and the effects of all other face-up cards currently on the field are negated until the end of this turn.]
"I detach [Bahamut Shark] as Xyz Material and claim dominion over this battlefield! Time Tyrant!"
[CXyz Barian Hope, ATK: 7000 → 6000]
All face-up card effects were negated, and activation of effects on the field was sealed.
Once the effect of [Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon] fully resolved, until the end of Quaedes's turn, Miles would no longer be able to activate any cards on his field.
Of course, if he wished to activate a Set card, there was one final opportunity.
That was—
"I Chain to [Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon] and activate my Set Trap Card!"
Seizing the last possible moment to flip his face-down card, and by the rule of Chains resolving in reverse order, Miles could still activate one final card before 'Time Tyrant' seized control of the field.
"—Trap Card [Monster Assortment], activate!"
[Reveal 1 Normal Monster and 1 Effect Monster from your Deck that share the same Type, Attribute, and Level. Your opponent randomly selects 1 of them; add that monster to your hand, and shuffle the rest into the Deck.]
Under the condition that they shared the same Type, Attribute, and Level, Miles selected two monsters from Aisha's Deck.
The Normal Monster—Level 1, Fiend, LIGHT: [White Duston].
And the Effect Monster—also Level 1, Fiend, LIGHT…
He handed the choice to Quaedes, allowing her to randomly select one of the two cards.
Since it was a random selection, Quaedes could see only the two card backs presented before Miles.
"In the end, they're nothing more than Level 1 fodder monsters."
Quaedes casually pointed with her pale finger, choosing the card on the left to be added to Miles' hand, while the other was shuffled back into the Deck.
Afterward, the inherited effect of [Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon] fully activated. With the overwhelming might of the galaxy, 'Time Tyrant' sealed the entire field. Until the end of the turn, Miles could no longer activate any effects of cards on the field.
"With the Xyz Summon assembled from the Seven Emperors, I will pierce through everything and claim victory!"
With all card effects on the field sealed, Quaedes commanded the golden [CXyz Barian Hope] and declared the Battle Phase.
"A direct attack that marches toward the end! Land Chariots Slash!!"
Within the sealed domain where only [CXyz Barian Hope] could act, the war god bearing the power of the Seven Emperors unleashed a lethal direct attack toward Miles, who remained with only 100 Life Points.
"They may just be Level 1 fodder monsters, but in the end, you still made the wrong choice, Quaedes!
"No. For us, this is the correct fate!"
As the earth-shaking slash of the war god was about to descend, Miles hurled forward with all his strength the monster Quaedes had just chosen.
Even though [Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon] had sealed the activation of all cards on the field, the starlight remaining in his hand could still shine at this moment.
An Effect Monster sharing the same Level, Attribute, and Type as the Normal Monster [White Duston].
"Shine! [Astral Kuriboh]!"
In desperate situations, the companion you can always trust—Kuriboh.
[You can reveal 1 "Number" Xyz Monster in your Extra Deck; Special Summon this card from your hand. This effect can also be activated during your opponent's turn.]
From the card Miles threw forward, the starlit body of Kuriboh materialized, sustained by the Xyz Monster within the Extra Deck.
"This is my final Number 39!"
Miles revealed the "Number" Xyz Monster from his Extra Deck, infusing it with crucial starlight.
"In the name of [Number 39: Utopia Double], I Special Summon [Astral Kuriboh] in Defense Position!"
[Astral Kuriboh] Level 1│LIGHT│Fiend│100 DEF
Utterly tiny and frail—even bathed in Utopia's radiant starlight, it remained the weakest of the weak. [Astral Kuriboh] lay sideways on the field before Miles and Aisha.
With only 100 Defense, there was no way it could withstand the war god's assault from [CXyz Barian Hope]. Yet with that same 100 Defense, it could preserve the remaining 100 Life Points of Miles and Aisha.
"Continue the attack, CXyz Barian Hope!"
Even the usually frost-cold Emperor could not conceal the anger in Quaedes's voice.
That anger ultimately became the war god's slash, destroying and shattering the [Astral Kuriboh] blocking the path to victory.
"How troublesome, Miles! Do you truly refuse to give up no matter what?"
"I came here to settle old scores with you, Quaedes. There isn't even the slightest reason for me to give up!"
"Then I Set my final card. End turn!"
With the turn declared over, Quaedes stood at the endgame with two Set cards at her feet, along with the 6000 Attack [CXyz Barian Hope] that had inherited Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon's effect.
Miles muttered softly, "You really are incredible, Emperor Quaedes. Even after fighting to this extent, your momentum hasn't faded—it's only grown stronger."
Aisha said, "But we won't lose either, Mr. Miles! Even if our opponent is the Empire's strongest, we'll win!"
"Of course!" Miles looked toward his Deck. "For that, I've prepared a secret weapon that will absolutely shock everyone!"
If last turn's draw—F.A. Winners—was the omen of the King's Key awakening provided by that bratty loli Viel; then, this turn's draw carried a bond he could already feel slumbering within the Deck.
After the Crystalline Archsage, the Codex Archsage would not be absent.
"My turn—Draw!"
As he drew from the Spirit Eyes, a peak of raging magical power surged outward from the card between his fingertips.
"It's time to show them our coordination, Miles!"
A steady male voice, just like Viel last turn, connected to Miles from afar.
"I'm counting on you, Alester-senpai!"
Miles slammed the Field Spell he had drawn onto the ground.
"—Activate! [Magical Meltdown]!"
[When this card is activated: You can add 1 "Aleister the Invoker" from your Deck to your hand.]
"Upon activation of Magical Meltdown, I add [Aleister the Invoker] to my hand!"
Aisha: "(っ°Д°;)っEh?!!!"
Miles' secret weapon that would shock the entire field. Whether others were shocked or not was uncertain—but Aisha certainly was.
And among the audience below, there was another wearing almost the same expression as Aisha—the Gray Witch Irena, who once suffered trauma from being utterly defeated by Aleister.
"Then I Normal Summon [Aleister the Invoker]!"
[Aleister the Invoker] Level 4│DARK│Spellcaster│1000 ATK
[If this card is Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned: You can add 1 "Invocation" from your Deck to your hand.]
Clad in white robes, the once-in-a-century prodigy of Fusion Academy—Alester-senpai—personally appeared at this decisive moment to help his junior defeat the Empire's strongest Emperor.
Alester said, "You understand how to use Invocation, don't you, Miles?"
"Of course I do. That Graduation Duel wasn't for nothing, Alester-senpai!"
Normal Summon Aleister—effect to search Invocation.
Holding in his hand the Fusion Spell capable of opening the elemental plane, the realm Miles had reached through countless bonds would now become the hammer that struck down the Empire's strongest Emperor, Quaedes.
"—Spell Card [Invocation], activate!"
[Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand as Fusion Material. If Summoning an "Invoked" Fusion Monster, you can also banish monsters from your field and/or either player's Graveyard as Fusion Material.]
"When using [Invocation] to Fusion Summon an 'Invoked' monster, I can also banish monsters from the field and the Graveyard as materials!"
Starlight once again overflowed from Miles' Graveyard, illuminating a path forward.
"I fuse [Aleister the Invoker] on the field with [Astral Kuriboh] in the Graveyard! Open—the elemental gate of the Plane of Light! Fusion Summon! [Invoked Mechaba]!"
[Invoked Mechaba] Level 9│LIGHT│Machine│2500 ATK
["Aleister the Invoker" + 1 LIGHT monster]
The chariot that gallops through elemental light descended, guiding the offensive of the final turn.
Miles and Alester's first coordinated battle—the scumbag and the scumbag had finally synced up.
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