Chapter 67. Yuma's Utopia Seals the Counterattack! Kite Scrapes Out a Lifeline!
Yuma Tsukumo took a long breath and glanced at his going-second hand.
Seeing Astral beside him swept away his lingering worry.
If it's Utopia, there's nothing to fear.
Since Kite Tenjo could force this kind of board state facing the incomprehensible Galaxy-Eyes, then so can he.
Let's go.
Shoot for the skies.
"My turn! Draw!"
After Yuma carefully studied the cards in his hand, even he was dumbfounded.
What the heck?!
Are these proxy fakes?
These cards explode so hard it's beyond understanding.
Even Astral leaned in for a look and nearly lost his composure.
You call this a Utopia deck?
A Spell Card, "Onomatopaira."
Discard 1 card to plus from the Deck with two names across four archetypes.
A Continuous Spell Card, "Onomatopickup."
Searches an Onomat card and changes Levels to help with Xyz.
A monster, "Utopic Onomatopoeia."
One card brings out multiple bodies, and its name counts as all four Onomat names.
Alright, alright.
No need to overthink it.
Even if he were clueless, he knows how to combo this.
Utopia?
No.
I'm going Utopia Double into something even stronger.
Grinning, Yuma swept a look at his Extra Deck.
But when he finished checking, he got even more rattled.
The Extra Deck cards were even wilder.
What even are these?
Number 39: Utopia has this many bizarre Xyz offshoots now?
"Hey, hey, hey? Why are you spacing out? Start your combo already!"
"Yuma, what's wrong—did you get scared?"
Kite Tenjo eyed Yuma impatiently.
Judging from Yuma's shocked face, Kite could tell.
Utopia, too, might be a build far beyond their current understanding.
Yuma said, "What's the rush? First I activate the Spell Card 'Onomatopickup.'"
"I add from my Deck—"
Kite said, "Chain 'Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring' from my hand—your activation is negated."
Before the search could resolve, Ash Blossom shut down Onomatopickup.
His line got interrupted.
Only now did Duelists across the six Dueling Worlds really clock what Ash Blossom does.
Negate adding from the Deck.
Negate Special Summoning from the Deck.
Negate sending from the Deck to the Graveyard.
Wait a second.
This card hits way too many things.
Doesn't that mean it can target tons of strategies?
As long as an effect does one of those three, Ash Blossom can ash it.
In that instant, everyone finally understood why so many decks ran Ash Blossom earlier.
Up to now, no one had really used Ash Blossom in action here.
Only Maxx "C" had shown up back in the Stardust vs. Red Dragon Archfiend duel.
Now that Kite used her, Ash Blossom finally stepped into the spotlight.
Yuma frowned slightly—no search.
But that won't stop his plays.
"I continue by activating the Spell Card 'Onomatopaira.'"
"I discard 'Dodododwarf Gogogoglove.'"
"From my Deck I add 'Zubababancho Gagagacoat' and 'Utopic Onomatopoeia.'"
"Normal Summon 'Utopic Onomatopoeia.'"
"Effect—Special Summon 'Zubababancho Gagagacoat' from my hand."
Before it could succeed, "Number 90: Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord" on Kite's field started a Chain.
"It's useless, Yuma! Photon Lord—effect!"
"I detach 1 material, 'Galaxy Wizard'; your Onomatopoeia's effect is negated, and it's destroyed."
"At the same time, Photon Lord's third effect—add 'Galaxy Expedition' from my Deck."
After the negate and pop resolved, Kite shot Yuma a smug look.
And that single negate made quite a few Duelists turn pale.
This Photon Lord is a bit overtuned.
A negate and a search in one package.
So now, Yuma can't keep comboing, right?
He's got to stop now… right?
But before anyone could think further, Yuma showed a peculiar smile.
Those earlier activations?
Of course they were bait—to draw out Photon Lord's one negate.
Now, this is where the real combo begins.
"So that's your turn-one negate?"
"Interesting. I activate the Spell Card 'Monster Reborn.'"
"Resolve! I revive 'Utopic Onomatopoeia' from my Graveyard."
"Also, 'Dodododwarf Gogogoglove' in my Graveyard activates to Special Summon itself."
"And 'Zubababancho Gagagacoat' in my hand activates to Special Summon itself."
"At this moment, I control three Level 4 monsters."
"Build the Overlay Network! Overlay!"
"I overlay Gogogoglove and Onomatopoeia."
"Number 39—Xyz Summon."
"'Number 39: Utopia Double!'"
A single Monster Reborn, and Yuma was right back into an explosive line.
Sweeping his field at a glance, he immediately fired Utopia Double's effect.
"Utopia Double—effect! I add the Quick-Play Spell 'Double or Nothing!' from my Deck."
"And now, I can overlay into an even stronger Xyz Monster."
Astral said, "Yuma! It's time—Summon that monster!"
Yuma thought, I know. You don't need to tell me.
"Overlay Xyz Summon."
"Number 39—bring overwhelming damage."
"'Number 39: Utopia!'"
Astral said, "What?"
What are you doing?
Not that card.
Why are you summoning plain Utopia?
Are you trying to pair it with Double or Nothing?
Astral was stunned seeing Yuma's last summon.
But a second later, he immediately understood what Yuma was thinking.
After ranking up, Utopia's ATK would become 5000.
And "Double or Nothing!" doubles the current ATK, not the original.
Which means Utopia would jump straight to 10,000 ATK in one shot.
Looking at Kite's field right now, the only Attack Position monster is "Galaxy Photon Dragon."
Its ATK is 2000.
If this attack goes through, that's 8000 damage in a single blow.
Maybe Yuma didn't misplay.
Thinking that, Astral calmed down and re-evaluated the duel.
Yuma said, "Next, I activate Gagagacoat on the field to revive Utopic Onomatopoeia from my Graveyard."
Yuma said, "I overlay Gagagacoat and Onomatopoeia."
"Two Level 4s—Overlay Xyz Summon."
"'ZS – Utopic Sage,' in Defense Position."
"Sage—effect. I detach 2 materials to Special Summon 'ZW – Pegasus Twin Saber' from my Deck."
"Then I equip 'ZW – Pegasus Twin Saber' to my Number 39: Utopia."
"My Utopia's ATK rises to 6000."
Seeing this, Kite now knew exactly which card Yuma was aiming for.
Gritting his teeth, Kite flipped a backrow card.
Kite said, "I activate my Trap Card."
Kite said, "'Eternal Galaxy.'"
"I target 'Galaxy Photon Dragon' on my field and Rank-Up Xyz Summon."
"Rank-Up. Defense Position—'Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy.'"
After thinking it through, Kite chose to fire early.
Even with 2500 DEF, Titanic Galaxy might not wall it.
But it has the ability to negate a Spell Card.
Even "Double or Nothing!" would be blanked right here.
But Yuma wore that peculiar smile again.
Yuma said, "So that was it. I figured your backrow wasn't simple."
Yuma said, "I activate the Spell Card 'Hyper Rank-Up-Magic Utopiforce.'"
Yuma said, "I target 'Number 39: Utopia' to Rank-Up Xyz Summon."
Kite said, "Not that easy."
Kite said, "Chain—'Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy.'"
Kite said, "Once per turn, negate the effect of a Spell, and attach it to Titanic Galaxy as material."
Yuma said, "Oh? So that's your play."
Yuma said, "Continue the Chain—equip effect of my 'ZW – Pegasus Twin Saber.'"
Yuma said, "Once per turn, when a monster effect is activated on the opponent's field, negate that effect."
A flurry of mind games and resource trades followed.
The three-deep Chain resolved one by one.
Pegasus Twin Saber resolved—Titanic Galaxy was negated.
With Titanic Galaxy negated, Utopiforce resolved successfully.
The 6000-ATK Utopia ranked up.
In the ZEXAL World, Duelists were on their feet.
Both sides were probing and interrupting nonstop.
In such a back-and-forth, it was impossible to call the winner yet.
Yuma said, "Rank-Up Summon. Overlay."
Yuma said, "'Number 99: Utopia Dragonar!'"
Yuma grew more excited as the fluid combo finished on a dime.
The very monster Astral wanted at the start now stood in everyone's view.
"Number 99: Utopia Dragonar" has only 3000 ATK—less than that 6000-ATK Utopia earlier.
But its effect boost isn't small at all.
Yuma said, "I activate Number 99's effect."
Yuma said, "I detach 2 materials to Special Summon a 'Number' monster."
"'Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray!'"
"'Hyper Rank-Up-Magic Utopiforce' in my Graveyard—activate."
"That card becomes Xyz Material for Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray."
"And I activate Utopia Ray's effect—detach that material and Special Summon a second copy of 'ZW – Pegasus Twin Saber' from my Deck."
"'ZW – Pegasus Twin Saber' equips and boosts Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray to 3500 ATK."
"My board is set."
"Battle."
"My 3000-ATK 'Number 99: Utopia Dragonar' destroys your 2500-DEF 'Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy.'"
"My 3500-ATK 'Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray' destroys your 3000-DEF 'Number 90: Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord.'"
"Now that's what I call shooting for the skies. Hahahaha."
"My turn is over. Your move."
As Yuma ended his turn, he had clawed the advantage right back.
Even with both Duelists unfamiliar with their decks, they could still leverage resources to craft lines for the board state.
Is this the duel sense they gained after watching those short videos?
Across the field, having had his board answered, Kite's expression grew solemn.
This "higher-world" Utopia deck's power is absolutely not inferior to Galaxy-Eyes.
And on Yuma's field, "Number 99: Utopia Dragonar" can change an attacking monster's ATK to 0.
"Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray" can, at Quick Effect speed, negate the opponent's monster effect and halve its ATK.
The equipped "ZW – Pegasus Twin Saber" can also negate a monster effect.
"ZS – Utopic Sage" sits at 2500 DEF and provides destruction protection by banishing itself.
Three monsters.
This is a bit troublesome.
But that doesn't mean he can't keep building a field.
Don't forget, he still has "Galaxy-Eyes Afterglow Dragon," a Level 8, on the field.
Kite said, "My turn. Draw."
"I activate the Spell 'Galaxy Expedition' to Special Summon 'Galaxy Soldier' from my Deck."
"Next—activate Soldier's effect."
Yuma said, "Chain the effect of my 'Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray'—your Soldier's effect is negated, and its ATK is halved."
Kite said, "I'm not done, Yuma. I Normal Summon 'Galaxy Summoner' and activate its effect to revive from the Graveyard."
Yuma said, "Chain the effect of 'ZW – Pegasus Twin Saber'—your Summoner's effect is negated."
Yuma threw out two negates without hesitation.
He wanted to see if Kite could still extend under all that.
The answer?
He could.
At that moment, Yuma's face shifted.
He realized he shouldn't have fired his negates so early.
This just got bad.
Astral, beside him, could only spread his hands.
Ever since he met Yuma, this is how it goes: sometimes careless, sometimes missing the small details.
Now, the momentum was about to swing.
And indeed, that's exactly what happened.
Kite said, "I use Summoner's other effect—the one that wasn't negated. I change 'Galaxy Soldier' to Level 4."
Kite said, "Build the Overlay Network. Two Level 4s—Xyz Summon 'Galaxy Photon Dragon.'"
"Galaxy Photon Dragon—effect. I send a second copy of 'Photon Emperor' from my Deck to the Graveyard."
"'Photon Emperor'—effect. It Special Summons itself in Defense Position."
"Now I control two Level 8 monsters."
"Overlay 'Photon Emperor' and 'Galaxy-Eyes Afterglow Dragon.'"
"Xyz Summon—'Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon.'"
"Rank-Up overlay—'Galaxy-Eyes Full Armor Photon Dragon.'"
"Full Armor—effect. I detach 'Photon Emperor' to destroy your 'Number 99: Utopia Dragonar.'"
Yuma said, "I activate 'ZS – Utopic Sage'—banish it from my field to prevent that destruction."
Kite said, "It's no use, Yuma. I upgrade into 'Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Blade Dragon.'"
"Effect—detach 'Afterglow Dragon' to destroy your 'Number 99: Utopia Dragonar.'"
"'Afterglow Dragon'—effect. Special Summon from the Deck."
"My ultimate ace. Come forth—my pride."
"'Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!'"
"Battle."
"'Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon' attacks 'Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray'—effect. Both monsters are banished."
"'Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Blade Dragon' makes a direct attack. You lose 3200 Life Points."
"My turn ends. Photon Dragon and your Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray return to the field."
"Your move, Yuma Tsukumo."
After that last explosive sequence, Kite used the resources he had to turn the tide from behind.
Not only was his line crisp, he also used Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon to banish together with Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray, sending its Equip to the Graveyard along the way.
Without its Equip, Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray is just a vanilla beater.
Yuma was sweating bullets.
His hands shook a bit during his actions.
Kite Tenjo can still pull this off to this degree?
But Yuma quickly steadied himself.
In his hand, he still held the glimmer of victory.
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