"Miles... he flew off." Watching Miles disappear into the distance, Krista felt a small, lonely ache. "Then what about me?"
They had come this far together… but because her D-Wheel couldn't fly, Krista could only stand atop the leyline tower and watch Miles head alone into the final Turbo Duel.
Maybe, just like Demolish said, without the light of salvation, someone like her didn't even get the right to participate in the duel that would decide Axet's fate.
"I really wanted to fight by your side to the very end... In the end, I'm just not strong enough. Father... Mother..."
"Krista!"
"Eh? Eh—!?"
The sudden shout came rushing back toward her, leaving Krista blinking in confusion.
"Miles? Miles, why did you come back?!"
After docking with the crystal flight wings, Miles had circled once in the sky, then returned to the top of the leyline tower and stopped in front of her.
"Before the last Turbo Duel starts, I still wanted to say this to you."
Miles understood exactly how Krista felt. Coming all this way, only to be told she couldn't fight… that would crush anyone.
He held out his fist toward her. "We got here thanks to you, Krista. I won't let your effort go to waste. Even if we can't fight side by side, the destiny of Stardust—the prayers we've gathered—will guide us forward!"
"Miles..."
Her nose stung, but she forced her emotions down, tightened her right hand, and bumped her fist lightly against his.
"You have to win, Miles. Take everyone's hopes and break through despair!"
"Like that even needs to be said!"
As their fists met, the light of Stardust ran between their joined hands.
Behind Miles, the phantom of [Stardust Dragon] appeared. Behind Krista, the phantom of [Stardust Spark Dragon] flared to life.
Those who bear Stardust never fight alone.
In that moment, their resolve merged—the strength of those chosen by Stardust becoming one.
"Stardust Spark Dragon..."
Looking at her longtime partner behind her, Krista knew what she had to do.
"Go, Stardust! Take my resolve with you—help Miles win!"
"ROAR—!"
Answering her with a dragon's roar, Stardust Spark Dragon's power transformed into a temporary card and was added to Miles's Extra Deck.
Not just Stardust Spark Dragon—four Synchro white cards in total merged into his Extra Deck, proof that Krista and Miles were still fighting together through Stardust.
"This is how we fight together! Take all of Stardust, and overturn the will of the earth, Miles!"
"Yeah!"
Under Krista's conviction, Miles's D-Wheel in Ultimate Crystal Wing Mode gleamed even brighter, wrapped in stardust light.
"Full speed☆ahead!"
Racing on stardust through the sky—this was, without question, the fastest machine Miles had ever ridden in either of his lives.
On the ground below, everyone in Axet looked up at the two lights weaving across the heavens, one black and one white.
"That D-Wheel…! The one racing with that brilliant stardust glow!" Ren shouted, unable to contain herself. "That's Miles—that's Miles!"
Even without a reply, Ren's mismatched eyes sparkled, reflecting the lights in the sky as she spoke to the future version of herself ten years from now.
"That's everyone's hope! And that's the person I love most!"
Beating its massive vulture-like wings, the black D-Wheel of Demolish followed the projected leyline of destruction—abruptly, noticing Miles speeding up behind him.
"Oh? So you caught up," Demolish said, as if he'd expected it. "Accepting help from every corner of humanity and using it to stand before a god in the end… is that your way of fighting, Miles?"
"Even if a single human's strength is tiny—when countless prayers come together, we can surpass gods!"
Miles knew one thing for certain: he absolutely could not lose this Duel.
If he failed, the seal on the leyline wouldn't break, and everyone would die with him.
Even now, despite accepting the Duel, he couldn't trust the so-called god in front of him a full 100%.
So he set up the last layer of insurance.
Before the Duel truly began, Miles reached into his Side Deck and pulled out a card.
The card he'd hoped he'd never have to use… the strongest Wicked God Card, [The Wicked Avatar].
"Winner walks away alive. Loser becomes a snack for the Wicked God."
Without a second thought, Miles slid [The Wicked Avatar] into the Main Deck of Spirit Eyes.
Under the rules of a Contract Duel with a Wicked God, even if the Wicked God is never Summoned, as long as its card exists in a Duelist's Deck, the loser's soul will be offered up.
He was already betting his life. He might as well push every chip in. All-in.
Even if Demolish tried to cheat and refuse to lift the leyline seal… at that point, it wouldn't be up to him anymore.
Miles wasn't naïve enough to put blind faith in a so-called god whose very name meant "Destruction."
"Come! The final Turbo Duel!" ×2
Both D-Wheels shot into the crimson course forged from ruin. Still in the lead, Demolish used the speed granted by those massive vulture wings to take the first corner.
"Then I'll take the first turn. Draw."
From his D-Wheel, Demolish drew a card with one thick, sigil-covered arm.
He wasn't drawing from Spirit Eyes like Miles—he was drawing straight from the D-Wheel.
For a being who could seal a leyline, forge a staircase, and project a racetrack across the sky, it wasn't surprising that he could Duel without Spirit Eyes.
"I set 1 monster in face-down Defense Position, and Set 2 cards. Turn end."
In a Turbo Duel, with 0 Speed Counters, even a god's opening could be basic: 1 set monster, 2 set backrow. Turn over.
"My turn. Draw!"
They traded lanes. As Miles began his first turn going second, both riders accelerated, and their Speed Counters rose.
[Miles, SPC: 0 → 1]
[Demolish, SPC: 0 → 1]
Miles scanned the cards stored in the crystal slot and rapidly formed a plan.
"I Normal Summon in Attack Position—[Queen's Knight]!"
[Queen's Knight] Level 4│LIGHT│Warrior│1500 ATK / 1600 DEF
The familiar Royal Knight trio made its first appearance in a Turbo Duel. The blonde knight in pink armor, sword in hand, manifested and hovered over the sky track.
"I'll start by probing your field!"
Miles had no idea what kind of Deck a self-proclaimed god who was the aggregate of the Earthbound Immortals would run.
Especially since Demolish had gone first and Set all three cards facedown—Miles had nothing to read.
In times like that, you attack and find out.
"—Queen's Knight Cleave!!"
Her silver blade cut through the face-down Defense Position monster without resistance, slicing it cleanly in half.
[Mystic Tomato, DEF: 1100] destroyed.
The monster lurking beneath the set card was [Mystic Tomato], a monster with a "last word" effect.
"Shoot!" Miles hissed. He hadn't expected to trigger that on the first test swing.
He'd tested… and found trouble.
Demolish declared, "When [Mystic Tomato] is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon 1 DARK monster with 1500 or less Attack from my Deck in face-up Attack Position!"
Aisha blinked. "Isn't that fine? It's just any DARK monster with 1500 Attack or less. Why are you so tense, Mr. Miles?"
[Queen's Knight] had 1500 Attack. Worst case, it was an even match.
But Miles, eyes fixed on the sky in front of him—already beginning to warp—answered in a low voice:
"'A DARK monster with 1500 Attack or less.' You never know what that means... when the opponent is something that calls itself the sum of all Earthbound Immortals."
Demolish reached into his Deck.
Even though it was just [Mystic Tomato]'s "last word" effect, his first Special Summon tore the sky itself, warping space in something vast and terrifying.
"Bear witness to how a god Duels!" Demolish roared, hurling a card toward the earth. "Behold the strongest Earthbound Immortal! The ultimate Earthbound Immortal that burns sky and soil alike!"
Aisha: "The ultimate Earthbound Immortal? Off of Mystic Tomato?!"
Miles had fought Earthbound Immortals before. They could attack directly, and their Attack was never low.
Hoewever, this time, the 'strongest' Earthbound Immortal Demolish called forth... didn't even reach 1500 Attack.
"Spread your black wings and guide calamity! Special Summon—the ultimate Earthbound Immortal—[Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca]!"
"SKREEEEEE!!"
A jagged cry split the air. On the surface of Axet below, a massive burning Nazca Line in the shape of a vulture spread across nearly half the nation.
From that flaming sigil rose a black vulture god. Its colossal wings beat once, blotting out the sky in darkness.
[Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca] Level 10│DARK│Winged Beast│1 ATK / 1 DEF
Aisha: "(*?ロ?) Its Attack is... under 1500!!"
The ultimate Earthbound Immortal, with only 1 Attack Point… no one could have predicted that in the very first turn of a Turbo Duel, going second, Miles would be staring down that monster just because [Mystic Tomato] got popped.
…
TL: Wiraqocha Rasca is the anime version (like almost every card possible here in this)
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