"'Hope Sword: Double Slash!'"
From the 10,000-attack Utopia, the sword extended to the far end of the cosmos, cleaving through the Accel Synchro Stardust.
The attack power surged instantly to 10,000, and that radiant strike lit up Axet's sky with a brilliance even greater than The Winged Dragon of Ra.
"That's Number 39! Seriously?!"
Leon Gate, who was out for his usual morning run, had already noticed the battle between Ra and Stardust. But as the representative of XYZ Academy, the sight of the colossal Utopia, its Hope Sword piercing the heavens, left him utterly stunned.
"Number 39 reaching such terrifying destructive power… Aisha Carlos is truly a rival that can't be ignored!"
"Did Ai-san really pull that off?" Ren was equally shocked.
It wasn't Miles taking over—Aisha herself had done it. Her usually harmless, clumsy childhood friend had actually achieved an Xyz Summon where a single strike reached 10,000 Attack.
"Watch closely, Miles! Take this, Krista! My full-power strike!"
The blade that cleaved through Stardust came crashing down, its shining trail of hope seemingly dividing the heavens and the earth.
There was nowhere to run. Even with full resistance granted by its own effect, [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon] couldn't withstand such a direct and overwhelming strike.
Its golden, stardust-coated body was cut down by Utopia's shining sword.
The infinitely extending blade of light swallowed Krista along with the streets of the slums.
[Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon] destroyed.
"Aaaaahhhhhh!"
Engulfed in the radiant explosion of hope, Krista's scream was the only thing audible as her figure vanished in the blinding light.
"Ten thousand in one swing… Who could possibly survive that?" Miles swallowed hard.
The birth of [Number 39: Utopia Double] meant that, from now on, as long as Aisha had two Level 4 monsters, she could unleash a 10,000-attack strike at any time.
That wasn't just getting stronger… it was evolution.
"Wow… that's insane," Viel murmured, her eyes turning toward Krista, whose uniform was now in tatters after the light faded.
"So the pressure's on this side now? That's how a real slugfest should be… otherwise, even I wouldn't be able to help you."
Since she hadn't been able to return to her dorm, Krista was still wearing the same uniform from yesterday—the one she'd torn herself to tie the Millennium Scale around her thigh.
But now, after taking that hit, the tear was hardly noticeable.
Because Krista herself was now covered in rips and burns.
"Looks like I win, Krista!" Aisha pointed toward her opponent, who still hadn't managed to get up.
"Do you even look at Set cards?!" Krista groaned.
She'd had three face-downs on the field, yet Aisha had attacked without hesitation with a 10,000-attack Utopia. It was as if she didn't care what Krista had set at all.
If she'd hesitated even a moment, Krista would have felt a little better.
"When I take Battle Damage—Trap Card, [Nutrient Z], activate!"
[When you would take 2000 or more Battle Damage during damage calculation: Before applying damage to your LP, gain 4000 LP once per turn.]
From the Trap Card burst a super-charged healing tonic, restoring 4000 Life Points before the damage was even applied.
That meant Krista took Utopia's 10,000-point strike with a full 8000 Life Points.
Even so, the destructive power of a 10,000 Attack monster was terrifying.
After [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon] was destroyed, Krista's LP dropped by 7000 in one blow, leaving her sprawled on the ground, unable to rise.
[Krista, LP: 4000 → 8000 → 1000]
[Aisha Carlos, LP: 1000]
Their Life Points were now completely even—but Aisha still had [Jack's Knight] on the field, which hadn't yet attacked.
"Damn it, there's no way I'm losing here! I won't spend my life locked away—I refuse!"
Though she couldn't yet stand, Krista clenched her trembling fist and raised it toward the sky.
"Let the indomitable light of Stardust gather once more! [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon]'s effect activates!"
[If this card is destroyed by your opponent: You can target 1 of your banished Dragon Synchro Monsters; Special Summon it.]
"From the tail of Stardust, I call upon its light once more! I Special Summon [Stardust Spark Dragon] from the Banished Zone!"
The [Stardust Spark Dragon] that had been banished to grant protection now returned, forming an impenetrable wall of light before Aisha.
"Roar—!"
[Stardust Spark Dragon, DEF: 2000]
Aisha froze mid-motion. "(￣ー￣) Ugh… forgot about that effect."
Miles sighed. If Aisha had remembered [Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon]'s effect, she wouldn't have kept [Jack's Knight] in Attack Position.
Given her remaining 1000 LP, that was too risky.
"Then I'll use this card!"
Unable to continue her attack, Aisha quickly ended her Battle Phase and threw down another Spell Card.
"Second Spell—[White Elephant's Gift]! I send my Normal Monster [Jack's Knight] to the Graveyard to draw two cards!"
Though a Common rarity Spell, its effect rivaled [Pot of Greed] itself—so even with the extra 30 Magic Points its crafting cost demanded, Miles had still packed two copies into her Deck.
Turning [Jack's Knight] into light of possibility, Aisha replenished her hand to three cards.
"Finally, I Set one card and end my turn!"
Counting the previous Set that hadn't been activated, Aisha now had two cards in her back row.
Likewise, Krista also had two Set cards remaining—and only 1000 LP left.
The deciding factor was that Aisha still controlled a [Number 39: Utopia] whose Attack had doubled to 5000.
Even with Accel Synchro, Krista would find it hard to surpass that.
Not to mention, Utopia's ability to negate an attack gave it an additional layer of defense.
Just as Viel had silently calculated earlier, the pressure in this duel had now shifted entirely onto Krista, the ace of Synchron Academy.
To overcome Utopia with [Stardust Spark Dragon] was no small task.
Could this really be the end of her humanity?
No—that was something Krista could never accept.
Her memories of living as a human for over a decade were genuine, feelings she could never discard.
"There are still people at the Academy waiting for me! I refuse to be trapped forever!"
Battered and bruised, Krista finally mustered the strength to stand once again.
"I'll surpass my limits and show you, Miles! I'll make you acknowledge me… not just as Carlos's equal, but stronger than her!"
Krista had no cards left in hand. If she was to overcome this deadlock with Stardust, she had to entrust everything—her fate, her future—to this one draw.
"With this draw, I'll fill the sky with Stardust! My turn—draw!"
Unlike Aisha's brilliant double-light draw from before, Krista's card was drawn in a swirl of glimmering stardust that wrapped around her fingertips.
The duel between Utopia and Stardust now reached its ultimate peak in this single draw.
"I Normal Summon—[Quick-Span Knight]!"
[Quick-Span Knight] Level 3│EARTH│Machine / Tuner│1000 ATK / 800 DEF
The wrench-wielding [Quick-Span Knight], Krista's final Tuner draw, was Normal Summoned to the field.
"Next, I activate the effect of [Level Eater], which was sent to the Graveyard by [Graceful Charity] last turn!"
[If this card is in your Graveyard: You can target 1 Level 5 or higher monster you control; reduce its Level by 1, and if you do, Special Summon this card.
"I reduce the Level of my Level 8 [Stardust Spark Dragon] to Level 7 and Special Summon [Level Eater] from my Graveyard!"
[Level Eater] Level 1│DARK│Insect│ATK 600 / DEF 0]
As the insect emerged from the Graveyard, it manifested physically, plucking one of the Level Stars from Stardust Spark Dragon's head and attaching it to its own back.
[Stardust Spark Dragon, Level 8 → 7]
"I Synchro Summon with the Level 3 Tuner [Quick-Span Knight] and the Level 1 [Level Eater]! Become the blade that shatters all despair!——Synchro Summon [Armory Arm]!"
[Armory Arm] Level 4│LIGHT│Machine│ATK 1800 / DEF 1200
Born from the light of Synchro, [Armory Arm] could equip itself to another monster, increasing that monster's Attack by 1000.
However, anyone could see that such a small boost—just 1000 points—wasn't nearly enough for Stardust Spark Dragon to surpass the 5000-ATK [Number 39: Utopia].
Of course, that wasn't Krista's true goal.
Through her Synchro Summons, she was gathering even greater radiance upon her field.
"I activate the effect of [Quick-Span Knight] sent to the Graveyard as Synchro Material!"
[If this card is sent to the Graveyard for the Synchro Summon of a Synchro Monster: Target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; that monster loses 500 ATK.]
"By its effect, I reduce [Number 39: Utopia]'s ATK by 500!"
[Utopia, ATK: 5000 → 4500]
That 500-point drop brought the doubled Utopia's power down to that of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
With no cards left in hand, Krista still had two face-downs remaining in her back row.
"Now for the final piece of the triangle! Trap Card, activate—[Storm Dragon's Return]!"
[Target 1 banished monster; Special Summon it to your field, but return it to the hand during the End Phase.]
From the card Krista flipped, a raging dragon storm erupted, sweeping across the entire field.
"I Special Summon the Synchro Tuner [Formula Synchron] from my Banished Zone! Build the road of hope and victory—toward the horizon beyond!"
[Formula Synchron] Level 2│LIGHT│Machine│Synchro│Tuner│DEF 1500
By now, even Aisha could tell—Krista was gathering every Synchro Monster she could muster.
And at that moment—
"She's gathered it… the hope of Synchro itself!"
Each Synchro Summon made the light of Krista's Spirit Eyes glow brighter and brighter.
This was a light unlike Aisha Carlos's Xyz radiance—this was the astral brilliance of a true top-tier Synchro Summon.
"What's this?" Inside the Soul Room, the card [Shooting Quasar Dragon] bound to Miles's soul began to resonate, responding to the same frequency as a supreme Synchro Summon.
"Could it be… Krista has done it too?!"
"Top Clear Mind!"
The dazzling Stardust light shifted into the golden glow of supreme clarity. Krista's Spirit Eyes shone straight into the heavens.
Though she hadn't yet reached the state Miles had achieved in their final duel, there was no doubt—Krista had touched the threshold of Ultimate Synchro Summon.
Just one more star remained.
"With this card, I'll break through and reach the limits of Synchro! I banish [Stardust Illumination] from my Graveyard to activate its effect!"
[Banish this card from your Graveyard, then target 1 "Stardust" monster you control; increase or decrease its Level by 1 until the end of this turn.]
"I banish [Stardust Illumination] to decrease [Stardust Spark Dragon]'s Level by 1!"
[Stardust Spark Dragon, Level 7 → 6]
Bathed in the light of Stardust, Krista finally completed the requirements for the ultimate Synchro Summon.
"I'll use my three Synchro Monsters for a Trinity Accel Synchro!"
Unlike Miles's ultimate Overlimit Accel Synchro, which required four Synchro Monsters, Krista poured everything into this—her own maximum, a three-monster Trinity Accel Synchro.
"Level 2 Synchro Tuner [Formula Synchron]! Level 4 [Armory Arm]! Level 6 [Stardust Spark Dragon]! Their combined Levels reach the max! Shine forth with my resolve—Trinity Accel!"
2★ + 4★ + 6★ = 12★!
A golden Synchro aura erupted, piercing through Stardust Spark Dragon's radiant body and ascending into a brilliant triangular light—the pinnacle of 12 stars.
This time, unlike when [Shooting Quasar Dragon] had appeared, there was no redshift phenomenon. Instead, the golden light bloomed into an explosion of emerald brilliance.
Krista's own creation—a new Triangular Accel Synchro Monster—was born amid a radiant cosmic burst.
The explosion of a star transformed into a purifying green halo, signifying rebirth and change.
Whether freedom or confinement awaited her, Krista staked everything on this Trinity Accel Synchro, blazing across Axet's sky.
"Stars that adorn the ancient heavens! Awaken eternal memories of battle! Become the ultimate Stardust light and cleanse the world!——Trinity Accel Synchro Summon [Stardust Sifr Divine Dragon]!"
[Stardust Sifr Divine Dragon] Level 12│LIGHT│Dragon│Synchro│Effect│ATK 4000 / DEF 4000
[1 Synchro Tuner + 2 or more non-Tuner Synchro Monsters]
...
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