From nothing to something—thanks to 'Graceful Charity' sending cards to the Graveyard, a Destiny HERO monster suddenly appeared on the Shadow Duelist's field out of thin air.
She had summoned a HERO monster even before Ren, the girl who also used a HERO Deck.
"She's using a HERO Deck too?"
Ren's impression of the woman before her was unforgettable—etched so deeply it felt engraved into her DNA—yet she couldn't recall a single detail of Edigo Austin's Duel against her.
What Deck the Shadow Duelist used, what happened during the Duel, what words they exchanged—Ren's memory was missing pieces, as if part of it had been torn away.
The only thing she remembered was the Earthbound Immortal, and how their Duel ended in a draw.
"Ren, you have to be careful… careful of those Destiny HERO monsters!"
The image from the Millennium Necklace—the moment of Ren's defeat—kept looping in Korys's mind, making her more and more anxious.
"Yeah, I know, Korys."
Though she wasn't interested in girls, Ren knew Korys meant well—she wasn't heartless, and she could tell Korys truly cared.
"Still, no one ever said Destiny HEROes are stronger than Elemental HEROes!"
Thanks to 'Destiny HERO - Drawhand's' effect, Ren started with seven cards in hand. She drew and slapped down a Monster Card.
"I Normal Summon 'Elemental HERO Blazeman' in Attack Position!"
[Elemental HERO Blazeman] Level 4│FIRE│Warrior│1200 ATK / 1800 DEF
The Elemental HERO appeared, wreathed in flames—its fiery presence clashing against Drawhand in a standoff between heroes.
"When 'Elemental HERO Blazeman' is successfully Summoned, I can add the Spell Card 'Polymerization' from my Deck to my hand!"
Ren didn't rush into a Fusion right away. After searching out 'Polymerization', she first activated another Continuous Spell Card.
"—Continuous Spell Card, 'EN Wave'!"
[If your 'Elemental HERO' monster is used as Fusion Material for a Fusion Summon, and is sent to the Graveyard or banished, you can Special Summon 1 'Neo-Spacian' monster or 1 'Elemental HERO Neos' from your Deck.]
A Continuous Spell that worked in synergy with the Neos archetype—it was a card Ren obtained after inheriting and awakening the power of Neos during yesterday's Shadow Turbo Duel.
"Next—Spell Card 'Polymerization' activate! I fuse Blazeman on my field with Sparkman in my hand!"
With the fiery element of Blazeman as the catalyst, a new HERO was born within the swirling vortex of Fusion.
"Burn bright, flaming star of courage—ignite the battlefield! Fusion Summon! 'Elemental HERO Nova Master'!"
[Elemental HERO Nova Master] Level 8│FIRE│Warrior│Fusion│Effect│2600 ATK / 2100 DEF
[1 'Elemental HERO' monster + 1 FIRE monster]
A crimson cape fluttered amid the blazing inferno.
Just like Absolute Zero, Nova Master's Fusion didn't require specific HERO names—only a matching elemental attribute.
Ren continued, "When an Elemental HERO Fusion Monster is Summoned, my Continuous Spell 'EN Wave' activates! I can Special Summon 1 'Elemental HERO Neos' from my Deck!"
[Elemental HERO Neos] Level 7│LIGHT│Warrior│2500 ATK / 2000 DEF
Two top-tier HEROes stood on Ren's field in just her first turn.
Compared to the opponent's lone 'Destiny HERO - Drawhand', the Elemental HEROes clearly held the upper hand.
"Battle—!"
Ren decisively declared her Battle Phase.
"Nova Master, destroy her Destiny HERO!—'Flame Starburst!'"
With a sweeping motion, Nova Master unleashed a scorching wave of stellar fire toward Drawhand.
"Trap Card, activate," the Shadow Duelist's hoarse voice intoned. The set card at her feet flipped open. "Trap Card—'Metaverse'."
[Add 1 Field Spell from your Deck to your hand, or activate it directly.]
"From my Deck, I add—and activate—the Field Spell 'Dark City'! The battleground of the Destiny HEROes!"
The scenery transformed instantly—the gleaming skyline of 'Skyscraper' replaced by a lightless, sinister metropolis. Drawhand vanished into its shadows.
[If a 'Destiny HERO' monster you control battles an opponent's monster with higher ATK, that 'Destiny HERO' gains 1000 ATK during damage calculation only.]
Though the appearance differed, its effect mirrored that of 'Skyscraper': when facing stronger monsters, Destiny HEROes gained 1000 Attack.
[Destiny HERO - Drawhand, ATK: 1600 → 2600]
Hidden in the darkness of the city, Drawhand fired his shadow bullets—his Attack now matching Nova Master's.
"Their Attack is equal now—it's a draw!?" Korys gasped.
"No!" Ren countered instantly, slapping down a Quick-Play Spell. "Quick-Play Spell 'Graceful Dice'—activate!"
[Roll one die; all monsters you control gain ATK and DEF equal to the result × 100 until the end of this turn.]
A die Spell—Ren's signature tactic, relying on her incredible Duelist's luck.
Even Miles, blessed with unmatched luck himself, had once admitted defeat in dice rolls against her. For Ren, any die effect almost always landed on 6—5 at worst.
In this world, there was likely no one who could surpass Ren Austin in dice luck.
At least, that's what Miles used to believe.
Result: 3.
But this time, the die stopped on a middling number—surprisingly modest, even to Ren.
"Three's fine too—still enough to overpower it!" Korys cheered, oblivious to Ren's usual dice prowess.
[Elemental HERO Nova Master, ATK: 2600 → 2900]
Nova Master's flames flared brighter, overtaking Drawhand's power.
The blazing starfire swallowed the Destiny HERO whole—Ren claimed the first victory.
[Shadow Duelist, LP: 4000 → 3700]
"[Elemental HERO Nova Master]'s effect—when it destroys an opponent's monster by battle, I can draw one card from my Deck!"
"And now your opponent's field is wide open, Ren! You can attack directly!"
Though it was Ren who was dueling, Korys seemed far more emotionally invested than her.
Korys wanted nothing more than for Ren's advantage to last—to last long enough to rewrite that fleeting vision of defeat.
"Go, Elemental HERO Neos!—'Neos Impact!'"
Just as Ren declared Neos's direct attack, the Shadow Duelist flipped her second Set card.
"The Field Spell 'Dark City' isn't just meant for Destiny HEROes in this Duel. Trap Card activate—'Revival of the Immortals'!"
[Target 1 'Earthbound Immortal' monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target. The monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot declare an attack this turn, and if it battles, your opponent takes no battle damage from that battle.]
"Since a Field Spell exists on the field, I can Special Summon the Earthbound Immortal slumbering in my Graveyard!"
A Trap Card designed specifically for reviving an Earthbound Immortal—and without doubt, the one resting there was the second card sent to the Graveyard by 'Graceful Charity' earlier, alongside Drawhand.
"The Earthbound Immortals are cards that embody 'obsession.' As long as that obsession burns strong enough, their power can twist even life and time itself!"
The earth trembled violently—the giant Earthbound Immortal that had haunted Ren Austin's nightmares countless times now stood before her in reality.
"Behold, the titan that shakes the heavens and the earth!—I Special Summon 'Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu'!"
[Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu] Level 10│DARK│Fiend│3000 ATK / 2500 DEF
Even larger than any Earthbound Immortal Miles had ever faced—an immense, pitch-black giant that towered over everything.
"An Earthbound Immortal…? What kind of monster is that!?" Korys Diane gasped, her pupils trembling.
The Shadow Duelist declared, "As long as a Field Spell exists, you cannot target Earthbound Immortals for attacks."
A universal effect of all Earthbound Immortals—Ccapac Apu was no exception.
Of course, even without that effect, with 3000 Attack, Neos couldn't possibly defeat it right now.
Ren narrowed her eyes. "So it's finally here—the giant. Pretending to rely on Destiny HEROes, but in the end, you still turn to the power of the Earthbound Immortal!"
That same colossal monster had been the indirect cause of Edigo losing his Spirit Eyes.
To settle this fate, Ren had to defeat it—here and now.
"I Set two cards and end my turn!"
Unable to attack with Neos, Ren Set her cards, preparing to weather the next turn with traps.
"My turn—draw."
In the shadowed hero's metropolis, the female Shadow Duelist beneath the towering Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu surveyed her hand, her red eyes growing more focused.
"This turn, I'll show you the strongest destiny—one that ends everything! I Normal Summon 'D Cubed' in Defense Position!"
[D Cubed] Level 1│DARK│Machine│0 ATK / 0 DEF
The small black mechanical dog, emblazoned with the Destiny symbol 'D' across its face, crouched on the field.
"I activate D Cubed's effect—by discarding one card from my hand, I can summon another 'D Cubed' from my Deck!"
[D Cubed, DEF: 0]
Two black metal hounds now lay side by side.
"Next, I activate the effect of the 'Destiny HERO - Malicious' I discarded earlier!"
[Destiny HERO - Malicious] Effect: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; Special Summon 1 'Destiny HERO - Malicious' from your Deck.
"I banish Malicious to Special Summon another Malicious!"
[Destiny HERO - Malicious] Level 6│DARK│Warrior│800 ATK / 800 DEF
After a string of rapid plays, the female Shadow Duelist's field now held three Destiny 'D' monsters alongside her Earthbound Immortal.
"Finally, I Tribute both 'D Cubed' and one 'Destiny HERO - Malicious' from my field to Special Summon—the ultimate Destiny HERO that ends everything!"
"The ultimate Destiny HERO!?" Ren and Korys both tensed up.
Three Destiny monsters were offered as tribute.
At that instant, a blood-red pool spread from beneath the Shadow Duelist's feet, as though a gate to a cursed mire had opened.
"With the power of the strongest destiny, I end all fates! Special Summon—descend upon my field, 'Destiny HERO - Plasma'!"
From the crimson mire rose a being clad in black armor, bearing demonic wings and a dragon's-headed arm—the embodiment of absolute darkness.
…
Meanwhile, racing toward the Main Magic Stone Leyline Tower, Miles suddenly felt a terrible chill.
"This feeling… Ren?"
A nameless dread washed over him. In that instant, Miles sensed that something important had been altered.
For some reason, an image of Ren's back—her footsteps fading into the distance—flashed in his mind.
"You okay, Miles?" Krista asked.
Even in the high-speed ride, Krista noticed the slight change beneath his helmet—a dangerous sign for road safety.
"Yeah… I think I'm fine."
Unable to discern the cause of this foreboding, Miles could only respond vaguely.
"Let's hope… it's just my imagination."
Aisha chimed in, "Are you sure, Mr. Miles? I thought I just heard you mention Ren-chan's name."
Inside the Millennium Puzzle, Aisha could sense Miles's emotions more clearly than anyone.
Miles sighed. "Don't worry. We need to focus on purifying the magic stones. If that fails, worrying about anything else won't matter."
Dark Aisha muttered dryly, "Hmph. Miles is definitely thinking about another woman again."
...
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