After the Xyz Summon of [Number 39: Utopia], the further evolution into Chaos Xyz left the entire XYZ Academy visibly tense.
They all understood what was at stake. Miles (Aisha), right now, was the one carrying everyone's hope of survival. Of course XYZ Academy wanted him to gain the upper hand in this Duel—
even if that advantage came from Fusion Academy using Xyz power.
After steadying himself, Leon Gate looked up at the sky, at the blazing form of [Number C39: Utopia Ray], cloaked in chaotic light.
"Since you've brought it out," Leon said, "then show me. Show me how strong the legendary No.39 really is."
Miles immediately declared the effect of Utopia Ray—the effect it could only use while 'locked at 1 Life Point.'
"I activate [Number C39: Utopia Ray]'s effect! Draw your blade, Utopia Ray—Overlay Charge!!"
High above on the aerial track, [Number C39: Utopia Ray] slid the star-sword at its hip back into its sheath and instead drew the massive, transforming chaos blade mounted on its back.
[Detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; until the end of this turn, this card gains 500 ATK, and 1 monster your opponent controls loses 1000 ATK until the end of this turn. You can only activate and resolve this effect while your Life Points are 1000 or less.]
An effect restricted to 1000 LP or less—perfectly matched to Miles's 1 LP lock.
And on Demolish's field stood [Earthbound Greater Linewalker], Special Summoned by [Call of the Haunted]. As everyone knew, [Call of the Haunted] can only revive monsters in Attack Position.
That was the kill point.
"I detach [King's Knight] from Utopia Ray to weaken [Earthbound Greater Linewalker] by 1000 ATK and boost Utopia Ray by 500! First Overlay Charge!"
[Earthbound Greater Linewalker, ATK: 2900 → 1900]
[Number C39: Utopia Ray, ATK: 2500 → 3000]
In that instant, their stats flipped—Utopia Ray's chaos blade extended forward, lengthening through the air.
"Also, [Number C39: Utopia Ray]'s effect has no 'once per turn' restriction."
As long as it still had Xyz Materials, he could keep going.
"I detach [Queen's Knight]—second Overlay Charge!"
[Earthbound Greater Linewalker, ATK: 1900 → 900]
[Number C39: Utopia Ray, ATK: 3000 → 3500]
The chaos blade extended further, wrapped in a glow of warped, hungry light. Hope, twisted into pressure.
"I detach my last material—[Number 39: Utopia]—and activate it one more time! Triple Overlay Charge!"
[Earthbound Greater Linewalker, ATK: 900 → 0]
[Number C39: Utopia Ray, ATK: 3500 → 4000]
"This is a one-hit kill—a pseudo 7000-point strike!"
"Pseudo 7000" meant that so long as the opposing monster's Attack wasn't higher than 7000, Utopia Ray could crush it. Against anything with 3000 Attack or less, that meant a clean 4000-damage kill in a single swing.
On the crimson track of ruin in midair, the fully charged Utopia Ray raised its chaos blade—now so massive it looked like it could split the entire night sky.
Leon's eyes went wide. "The legendary No.39... after undergoing Chaos evolution, it can reach this level?!"
If the original [Number 39: Utopia] had been a shield, spending its Xyz Materials to protect… then Utopia Ray was that shield turned into a blade.
Turn 3 of the Turbo Duel: Miles was crushed to 1 Life Point by the ultimate Earthbound Immortal.
Turn 4 of the Turbo Duel: Miles used that locked-at-1 state to forge a kill shot.
"Carry both chaos and hope—cut him down, Utopia Ray!"
Miles, riding full speed on the Crystal Wing D-Wheel, roared into his Battle Phase.
"—Hope Sword Chaos Slash!!"
The colossal chaos blade swung downward. Its edge distorted the air itself as it came down on [Earthbound Greater Linewalker].
"..."
Demolish's face stayed unreadable. Even in the face of a blow that should have been instantly fatal, the so-called god didn't so much as flinch. In his gaze, it was as if this outcome had been inevitable from the start.
"Insufficient," Demolish said calmly. "Chaos-tinged hope of that level cannot move the will of the earth."
His sigil-marked arm stretched toward his D-Wheel as he flipped a Set card.
In the next moment, the sky-splitting chaos blade struck a radiant barrier and stopped.
"Trap Card—[Draining Shield], activate!"
[When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Target that attacking monster; negate that attack, and gain Life Points equal to that monster's Attack.]
"I absorb all of Utopia Ray's Attack. Your so-called hope and persistence only drive you closer to ruin—just like humanity itself, struggling against the earth."
[Demolish, LP: 4000 → 8000]
His Life Points doubled.
Miles's killing strike had become the force that pushed him closer to despair.
"This is bad. This is REALLY bad," came Viel's voice from the tiny speaker beside the D-Wheel's card slot.
"Boss Viel?" Miles snapped. "Why are you chiming in now of all times?"
Of course, Viel was watching the Duel in the sky.
"Yeah, yeah, I know it's not 'my turn to talk,' but I need to remind you of something."
"Remind me?"
"You cannot drag this Duel out. The magic stone leyline isn't going to hold much longer."
As if to punctuate her words, the mountain ranges along Axet's borders detonated in crimson light. Land flattened. Lava burst from the split earth, and the distant screams of civilians bled into the air.
A scene like a living painting of hell.
Miles wasn't just required to win. He had to win fast… before Axet itself exploded.
No wonder Viel was yelling.
In this Duel, he wasn't just on a timer. He was on the timer.
And now Demolish had healed to 8000.
A timed Turbo Duel: 8000 LP versus 1 LP…
It really didn't get worse than that.
"What a pain!"
With Viel's warning, Miles mentally snapped into "high-speed Duel" mode. It was like the turn timer in an online card game had lit up over his head, seconds away from burning out.
The rope was already on fire.
"Then we keep attacking! Jack's Knight, go!"
His target was still [Earthbound Greater Linewalker]. Even though Utopia Ray's strike had been absorbed, Linewalker's Attack had still been reduced to 0. Jack's Knight could still finish it.
"FUTILE," Demolish snapped, flipping his second Set card. "Trap Card, [Zero Gravity], activate!"
[Change the battle positions of all face-up monsters on the field.]
In a Duel that had to end fast, Demolish clearly didn't intend to let it end fast.
When gravity was "released," all four monsters on the field shifted into Defense Position at once—shutting down any further attacks this turn.
"I end my Battle Phase."
But with Viel's warning in his ears and no time left to grind resources, Miles turned straight to his set backrow.
"Continuous Trap—[Court of Cards], activate!"
[Once per turn: You can banish up to 1 each of 'Queen's Knight', 'King's Knight', and 'Jack's Knight' from your hand and/or Graveyard; draw cards equal to the number banished.]
Normally, this card would act as sustain for the Royal Knights—a way to keep regenerating pressure and bodies.
But there was no time for endurance.
They were already in sudden-death mode.
"I banish [Queen's Knight] and [King's Knight] from my Graveyard and draw 2 cards!"
Twin blades traced from the Graveyard and spun into his D-Wheel's card slot, materializing as two fresh cards in his hand.
He swept his new hand, forcing his pace even higher.
Use everything. Burn everything.
"I Set 1 card. Turn end."
"In your End Phase," Demolish said, flipping his last Set card, "I activate Continuous Trap—[Altar of the Bound Deity]."
A dark altar manifested above the aerial track, surrounded by four flickering pillars of flame—as if waiting to be lit.
"My turn. Draw."
[Demolish, SPC: 3 → 4]
[Miles, SPC: 3 → 4]
Their Speed Counters climbed to 4—another critical threshold. If Demolish had a Speed Spell in hand, then with [Speed World 2], he could deal 800 damage and end the Duel instantly.
Fast finish—however, in his favor.
He checked the drawn card. No Speed Spell.
But Demolish didn't look bothered.
Against an opponent with only 1 Life Point, he had plenty of ways to close.
"In my Standby Phase, I activate [Altar of the Bound Deity]!"
[During each of your Standby Phases: Place 1 Earthbound Counter on this card for each face-up Defense Position monster on the field.]
Because he'd activated [Zero Gravity] last turn, all 4 face-up monsters on the field were still in Defense Position.
"Earthbound Counters ×4."
Four Earthbound Counters were placed in a single instant. The four pillars of flame surrounding the altar in midair all ignited, staining the dark sky with something even more ominous.
"The will of humanity has been shaken," Demolish said.
He looked down once more at the land. With the magic stone network continuing to erupt in blast after blast, the fragile hope humans had just barely rekindled was being drowned in despair again.
And, of course, watching a Duel where victory didn't seem visible didn't help.
Most of the people suffering in this disaster weren't Duelists. The only way they could judge the flow of the fight—was Life Points.
1 LP versus 8000 LP.
That gap alone was enough to erase all hope.
"It's time to end this meaningless struggle," Demolish declared, as if announcing his victory.
"[Earthbound Greater Linewalker]'s effect: once per turn, I add 1 Earthbound monster from my Deck to my hand. Then, I Special Summon [Earthbound Prisoner Stone Sweeper] from my hand!"
[Earthbound Prisoner Stone Sweeper] Level 5│DARK│Fiend│1600 ATK / 1600 DEF
[If there is a Field Spell on the field, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.]
Because [Speed World 2] was active as the Field Spell, it could be Special Summoned instantly. The new Earthbound monster's pitch-black body looked like a miniature version of an Earthbound Immortal.
Then Demolish made his next move—evolving that miniature Earthbound monster.
"I Tribute [Earthbound Greater Linewalker] and [Earthbound Prisoner], and in Defense Position I Advance Summon [Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua] from my hand!"
A whale's cry ripped across the sky. The colossal blue whale Earthbound Immortal swallowed the tributes, and as if the entire cloud sea had become an ocean, it surfaced in the middle of the aerial Turbo Duel course.
[Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua] Level 10│DARK│Fish│2900 ATK / 2400 DEF
With two Earthbound Immortals now on his field, Demolish raised his arm and declared the finishing blow.
"It's over. I activate [Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua]'s effect!"
[Once per turn: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to half this card's DEF. This card cannot attack during the turn you activate this effect. Also, while this card is in face-up Defense Position, your opponent cannot conduct their Battle Phase.]
Even without a Speed Spell, it was a direct burn effect.
Half of Chacu Challhua's Defense was 1200. The tidal wave it conjured from the sea of clouds roared forward… and there was no way Miles's 1 LP could withstand that.
"Be erased—Earthbound Tidal Rage!"
"Not time to erase me yet!"
Racing at full speed, Miles snatched a card from the D-Wheel's hand slot and hurled it into the oncoming wall of water.
"I activate the effect of [Effect Veiler] in my hand!"
[During your opponent's Main Phase (Quick Effect): You can send this card from your hand to the GY, then target 1 Effect Monster your opponent controls; negate that target's effects until the end of this turn.]
"I use Effect Veiler to negate the effect of your [Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua]!"
Not long ago, when Luca Slint wasn't yet officially "courier rank," she'd lost a Shadow Duel and, as a result, was forced to hand over emergency tech cards to Miles.
Now, just like the crystal flight wings she'd delivered, [Effect Veiler] became one of the keys to survival.
The purifying light crashed against the surging black tidal wave—cancelling each other out. The sky calmed, and Miles, at 1 Life Point, was still alive.
[Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua] – effect negated.
"..." Luca, now also standing atop the leyline tower, stared silently up at the sky, thoughtful.
"What a cute girl," Krista whispered. "Is she also someone you know, Miles?"
Even quiet, Luca looked angelic—regardless, Krista's focus snapped back to the Duel immediately.
Stopping the whale's burn didn't mean Miles was safe.
"You're down to 1 Life Point," Demolish said flatly. "You don't honestly believe you're living through this turn, do you?"
The whale Earthbound Immortal couldn't attack while in Defense Position—that said, the ultimate vulture Earthbound Immortal was still on the field.
"I change [Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca] from Defense Position to Attack Position."
The ultimate Earthbound Immortal spread its colossal black wings once more, shrieking across the sky. Its presence alone poured despair over the land below.
Last turn, after using its effect to reduce Miles's Life Points to 1, Demolish had skipped his Battle Phase.
But this turn was different. Now he could attack.
With an ultimate god at 1 Attack Point, going after a Duelist at 1 Life Point.
"The will of the earth cannot be resisted. It brings the end—destruction and death!"
As Demolish declared Battle Phase, the vulture wings on both his D-Wheel and the god itself beat in unison, whipping up a storm so intense that no one below could keep their eyes open.
"In the name of god, I erase you. While a Field Spell exists, [Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca] can attack directly!"
The sky split. The ground trembled. The attack animation, tearing forward from that vulture, didn't look like 1 Attack Point—it looked like absolute defeat.
"Direct attack of the ultimate Earthbound Immortal—Death Singularity!!"
"Heh... The ultimate Earthbound Immortal, huh."
Even as the world-ending strike came at him head-on, Miles's mind had never been clearer.
"I've been waiting for you to do exactly that."
No matter how dramatic the special effects, no matter how the sky shattered and the earth split—in the end, its Attack was still only 1. Miles knew that better than anyone.
"I banish [Winged Kuriboh LV10]—Clear Kuribo—from my Graveyard to activate its effect!"
[When your opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can banish this card from your GY; draw 1 card, and if it is a monster, Special Summon it, then change the attack target to that monster.]
He had planted this trap last turn when he used [Speed Spell - Angel Baton] to load the Graveyard.
"I'm betting everything on this one soul-draw. If I pull a monster—we slay a god right here!"
Aisha's pale fingers pressed to the top of the Deck. Through the resonance between Miles's spirit and Aisha's body, the decisive draw cut a streak of light through the air above the track.
"Come forth! I Special Summon [Mokey Mokey] in Attack Position!"
"Mokey Mokey?!" ×N
Everyone watching the Duel in the sky cried out.
[Mokey Mokey] Level ?│LIGHT│Fairy│300 ATK / 100 DEF
Miles had successfully drawn and Special Summoned the monster now facing down [Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca].
￣ー￣?
A little white tofu block drifted straight into the apocalyptic storm.
"Because of [Winged Kuriboh LV10]'s effect, the attack target of [Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca] is forced to switch to [Mokey Mokey]!"
And just like that, a head-on clash with a god.
No boosts. No tricks.
Just [Mokey Mokey]—as it was.
The result—
"Hit it with the Mokey Mokey Punch!!" Miles shouted toward the tiny silhouette flying into the storm.
Logically, this shouldn't have been possible. A blank-faced tofu block against a sky-rending catastrophe should not have been allowed to exist in the same scene.
[Mokey Mokey, ATK: 300]
[Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca, ATK: 1]
In one sense, they truly couldn't exist on the same level.
Mokey Mokey's Attack was 300 times higher.
Gathering force into its tiny, perfect tofu fist, Mokey Mokey slipped cleanly through the storm like it wasn't even there, closed in on the vulture god's head—
And then!
One punch.
Mokey Mokey: "Ah-da!!"
Like a palm strike to the jaw, the punch sent the colossal vulture Earthbound Immortal flying. Everyone who saw it went slack-jawed.
The ultimate Earthbound Immortal crashed. Its massive black body lost all lift and slammed into the Nazca Lines that covered nearly half the nation.
Krista stared, blue-violet eyes wide and empty. "The ultimate Earthbound Immortal… got decked out of the sky by a tofu block? Am I... dreaming?"
Even Demolish, who had maintained an unreadable godlike calm until now, twitched at the mouth.
"So this is the power of a god? So small." Miles didn't hesitate to twist the knife.
[Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca] destroyed.
[Demolish, LP: 8000 → 7701]
Obliterated☆ 300x Attack difference.
The massive vulture's body shattered completely.
As the so-called 'ultimate' Earthbound Immortal got slapped by a tofu, one had to wonder… what kind of trauma does that leave a god with?
The Wicked Avatar and the God of Despair could both confirm, as fellow divine-class beings:
Getting punched by Mokey Mokey? That's not shameful.
Because that's the one thing in this world that beats up gods for a living.
...
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