Before the final showdown began, the atmosphere at Synchron Academy grew increasingly tense.
Even though there may be pressure when fighting on foreign ground, does fighting on home ground mean there's no pressure at all?
Countless eyes were fixed on the arena, all hoping to witness the ultimate victory. No one wanted to betray such sincere support.
"Synchron Academy's honor is in your hands now, Nid!"
Lost patted Nid Hogg on the shoulder as he finished fine‑tuning his D‑Wheel.
"If you had won at least one more Duel, Lost, I'd probably feel a bit more relaxed right now."
"Guh… so cruel! I'm trying to cheer you on here!"
Good intentions pierced straight through—Lost, who had suffered two consecutive losses, now ranked at about the same level as the campus guard dog.
"Just kidding." Nid finished inspecting the engine and closed the hood with satisfaction. "Besides, whether you won that round or not, nothing would have changed."
On the final day, Duel points were doubled—one win counted as two. Since Synchron and Fusion were tied, Lost's win or loss truly made no difference.
"Wow, that somehow hurts even more. Like I'm totally irrelevant!"
Lost collapsed in dramatic defeat.
Aoyao could tell: "You're actually in the mood to joke? Nid, are you feeling good today?"
"Yeah. I've been waiting for this Duel for a long time. Aisha Carlos… she carries a Divine Power identical to Odin's. This is the Duel I've been wanting to fight."
"Divine Power…" Krista recalled, though she clearly didn't want to remember that Duel.
Having once been thoroughly beaten by The Winged Dragon of Ra, Krista knew full well that Ra belonged to the same Divine-Beast family as Nid's Three Polar Gods.
"It's good you're in form, but don't underestimate your opponent," Krista warned.
For Fusion Academy, this Duel was unprecedented in importance. Krista was certain that the one stepping into the arena would be Miles.
And as someone who had literally handed him her body before, Krista understood Miles's strength better than anyone.
Judging from that experience, whatever God Card he was going to use today would be several times more terrifying than the usually harmless Aisha Carlos.
"Underestimate her? Not a chance."
Nid removed his sunglasses, put on his D‑Wheel helmet, and his Rune Eyes flashed from beneath it.
"I'll treat this as the most important Duel of my life."
Riding onto the track, Nid entered the starting point almost simultaneously with Miles.
Both carried the honor of their respective academies. Neither had the option of losing.
The clash of their burning Duelist spirits ignited in the silence before the Duel even began.
Aisha: "Wh‑what an intense atmosphere…"
She simply lacked big‑tournament experience; after all, she had only just entered her second year. If she were the one fighting this final battle, the pressure alone would likely crush her performance.
However, Miles was different.
A veteran of countless major events, the more crucial the Duel, the more fiercely his fighting spirit ignited.
And judging from the unrestrained glow of Nid's Rune Eyes, his feelings mirrored Miles's exactly.
Takehiko: "Final battle of the Turbo Duel!"
"The last victor will be…"
Both spoke at the same moment:
"Synchron!"
"Fusion!"
"Turbo Duel! Acceleration—!!"
The battle cry that marked the start of the final Duel was shouted in unison by the entire roaring audience.
The Field Spell Card [Speed World – Novel] activated, and the two riders shot into the track with perfect synchronization.
Logically, Viel's custom D‑Wheel—the one Miles rode—should far surpass its competition in performance.
Albeit the current state of the arena was far beyond a simple test of machinery.
The earlier Duels had been too intense, especially Kevin versus Oga: First the massive bombardments, then Red‑Eyes Flare Metal Dragon's endless barrage.
As a result, the track, which was just recently repaired, had once again become full of cracks and deep potholes.
If a rider hit one by mistake, they could easily flip.
Thus, technique mattered far more here.
And on that front, Miles was clearly inferior to Nid.
"First turn is mine!"
With a field of vision widened far beyond human limits by his Rune Eyes, Nid effortlessly avoided the deepest pits in the road and took the first corner.
"My turn—draw!"
Drawing his first card, Nid scanned his hand.
"Let this passionate battle burn even hotter! I activate [Speed Spell – Power Acceleration]!"
[Can only be activated when you have 0 Speed Counters. Both players gain 2 Speed Counters and each draws 1 card.]
A reinforced version of the standard speed‑up spell, doubling acceleration at 0 Speed Counters and compensating hand loss.
[Nid SPC: 0 → 2]
[Miles SPC: 0 → 2]
Both drew a card. With the Rune Eyes glowing brighter, Nid opened with an explosive ace play.
"No need for preparation. Let's go straight to it! Battle of the Gods!"
Nid flicked a card into the speeding track.
"I Normal Summon in Attack Position—[Valkyrie of the Nordic Ascendant]!"
[Valkyrie of the Nordic Ascendant] Level 2│LIGHT│Fairy│400 ATK
A Level 2 Fairy Tuner—one of the Valkyries, daughters of Odin in Norse myth, guides of heroic souls to Valhalla.
"When she is Normal Summoned, Valkyrie's effect activates!"
[When this card is Summoned: You can send 2 cards from your hand to the GY; Special Summon 2 "Einherjar Tokens" (Warrior│EARTH│Level 4│1000/1000) in Defense Position.]
"I send two cards from my hand to the Graveyard and Special Summon two Einherjar Tokens!"
Two angel‑winged Einherjar Tokens manifested on Nid's field, soaring beside the Valkyrie—together channeling the astral light of the Polar Gods.
"Level 2 Tuner [Valkyrie of the Nordic Ascendant]—tune with the two Level 4 Einherjar Tokens!"
2★ + 4★ + 4★ = 10★!
A Triple‑material Level 10 Synchro Summon right from turn one—the gateway to the Aesir was thrown open immediately.
"I won't underestimate you—not for an instant. This is the most important Duel of my life!"
Bearing Synchron Academy's pride—and wielding Divine Power—Nid knew full well this was the kind of Duel he might never experience again.
Thus, he had to go all out from the very start.
"Oh, king who rules all from the North Star heavens—show your authority to the gods who govern the Astral Realm! Synchro Summon! Supreme ruler of all divine beings—[Odin, Father of the Aesir]!
One moment the sky was clear—then suddenly, thunderclouds snapped shut. And through them, a rift opened as the Supreme Aesir descended.
[Odin, Father of the Aesir] Level 10│LIGHT│Fairy│4000 ATK / 3500 DEF
[1 "Nordic Ascendant" Tuner + 2+ non-Tuner monsters]
From the fissure in the pitch-black sky, the massive form of Odin, Father of the Aesir descended slowly, the divine pressure of his majesty sweeping across the arena.
As the supreme god of Norse mythology, [Odin, Father of the Aesir] grants all Aesir monsters resistance to Spell and Trap effects upon his arrival.
And as the vanguard of Nid Hogg's assault, Odin also boasted the highest Attack among the Three Polar Gods—4000.
Miles exhaled with a hint of awe. "Aesir you can summon directly from the Extra Deck really are convenient…"
The Three Polar Gods that could be Synchro Summoned on demand were indeed far more flexible than the Egyptian God Cards sleeping somewhere in the Deck, only usable if drawn.
"I Set two cards. Turn end!"
Odin on turn one, then two face-downs. Under the divine storm stirred by the Aesir, the faint echo of warhorns began to resonate, heightening the atmosphere of the final battle.
"My turn—draw!"
[Aisha, SPC: 2 → 3]
[Nid, SPC: 2 → 3]
This was the first time Miles ever had the luxury of starting the second turn in a Turbo Duel with 3 Speed Counters already accumulated.
Unfortunately, none of the Speed Spells in his current hand were usable yet.
But he had drawn a card that could break through a god immediately.
"Get ready, Aisha! With a brand-new power of hope—let's break through Odin!"
"Yes, Mr. Miles!"
"—I activate the Spell Card [Joker's Straight]! I discard one card, then Special Summon Queen's Knight from the Deck, Normal Summon King's Knight, and when both are on the field, they call forth Jack's Knight!"
In Miles's first turn, the J–Q–K trio appeared instantly, every bit as fast and decisive as Nid's Aesir Summon.
"Next, I overlay the Level 4 [King's Knight] and Level 4 [Queen's Knight]! Construct the network of shining hope!"
"Opening with an Xyz Summon, huh?"
Nid Hogg's Rune Eyes flickered. Knowing exactly whom he was facing, he had already braced himself for a powerful response.
However, the light erupting from this Xyz—this Rank 4—was twice as brilliant as that of any ordinary summon.
"It's doubled!" Krista jumped up from her seat in excitement.
"A brand-new 'Number 39'! Overlapping emotions and the bonds that connect us will change the world! Grasp the shining road to victory ahead! Rank 4 Xyz Summon—[Number 39: Utopia Double]!"
[Number 39: Utopia Double] Rank 4│LIGHT│Warrior│0 ATK
[2 Level 4 monsters]
By overlaying another of Aisha's souls, Miles brought forth the Utopia Double form—instantly raising the power of his Rank 4 suite to a terrifying new level.
"Zero Attack?"
Nid's Rune Eyes followed the doubled radiance in the sky.
"I activate the effect of [Number 39: Utopia Double]!"
Racing forward on his D-Wheel, Miles declared Utopia Double's effect while searching his Deck.
[Detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; add 1 'Double or Nothing!' from your Deck to your hand.]
"After adding the Quick-Play Spell [Double or Nothing!] to my hand—Utopia Double evolves!"
[Then, Special Summon 1 'Utopia' Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck by using this face-up card you control as material. Its ATK becomes double its original ATK, and it cannot attack directly.]
"I overlay the original [Number 39: Utopia] on top of Utopia Double to perform an Xyz Summon!"
The doubled soul ascended, pointing toward the original form of hope—and doubling its Attack.
"My battle begins here! White wings bearing hope—descend! Number 39! Utopia!"
[Number 39: Utopia, ATK: 2500 → 5000]
With its shining sword carving a path of hope down the track, Utopia, freshly overlaid and empowered, had already surpassed Odin's Attack by 1000.
Yet the power of hope blazing at Miles's fingertips did not end there.
"Utopia! Attack Odin, Father of the Aesir!"
As the blazing 5000 ATK Utopia surged forward, Miles activated its effect mid-attack.
"During the attack declaration—I activate Utopia's effect! I negate its own attack!"
[When a monster declares an attack: detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; negate that attack.]
He negated his own attack—leaving the audience baffled.
But Krista, who had once personally faced this weapon of hope—couldn't stay calm.
"Oh no… it's coming… the Ten-Thousand King!"
A golden arc traced across the sky as Miles threw a Quick-Play Spell.
"—I activate the Quick-Play Spell [Double or Nothing!]!"
[When a monster's attack is negated: target that monster; during this Battle Phase, it can make a second attack, and during damage calculation for that attack, its ATK becomes double.]
Negating Utopia's own attack had only been to fulfill the activation requirement.
"Double on top of double! Ten thousand Attack—the god-slaying strike of shining hope!"
[Number 39: Utopia, ATK: 5000 → 10000]
The doubled blade extended endlessly into the sky, splitting the stormclouds of the Aesir's descent—hope's radiance pierced the heavens as the sword grew long enough to dwarf the colossal Odin.
"—Hope Sword: Double-Double Slash!!"
With a single decisive swing, the supreme Norse god was cleaved cleanly in two by the overwhelming force of the first-turn assault.
...
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