"Shine, Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!"
The fused souls of the twin White Dragons guided the galaxy's descent—cosmic radiance intertwining as it illuminated the dark poison fog spread by Starving Venom Fusion Dragon.
[Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon ATK: 3000]
"This is the galactic light that breaks through Starving Venom!"
Not the Rank 8 Xyz Monster [Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon] formed by overlaying three Blue-Eyes, but the original Effect Monster [Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon] used in Kaima Seth's Deck.
"Galaxy-Eyes and Blue-Eyes… on the field together!"
A sight never seen before; enough to make little Kaima's legs nearly give out from excitement.
A child's body really couldn't endure that kind of emotional overload.
But it was the first time Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon and Blue-Eyes White Dragon flew and shone together on the same battlefield.
The radiance of dragons crossed and intertwined, leaping toward a dimension beyond.
For Miles, and for Kaima, it was an entirely new breakthrough.
"Next is the effect of [Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon] in the Graveyard!"
Miles raised his arm, and from the Graveyard, the elegant soul of the radiant dragon soared gracefully once more. Unfolding four magnificent wings, she sprinkled pure white amplification onto both dragons.
[You can banish this card from your Graveyard; all Level 8 or higher Dragons you control gain 1000 ATK.]
"Now! Roar together! Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon! Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
[Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon ATK: 3000 → 4000]
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon ATK: 3000 → 4000]
The twin dragons' light was amplified further by Abyss Dragon's wings, raising both ATKs to 4000—enough for a clean one-hit kill.
"Fight, Miles!" Kaima shouted excitedly. "Let her feel the raging brilliance of light and galaxy!"
"Yoshi! Battle!"
Light surged as Miles declared the Battle Phase. Facing Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, whose destruction would trigger a deadly wipeout effect, he chose the path where Galaxy-Eyes and Blue-Eyes fought together.
"Let the dazzling light of the cosmos carve open the road of battle! I attack your [Starving Venom Fusion Dragon] with [Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon]!"
He once again chose direct combat.
According to Yuna Carlos's declared effect, if Galaxy-Eyes destroyed Starving Venom, all Special Summoned monsters Miles controlled would be destroyed—inflicting a total of 8000 effect damage.
"But the course of battle has already been changed—by the light of the galaxy!"
Miles thrust his hand forward, then clenched it tightly.
"Burst forth! Photon Stream of Destruction!"
Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon struck through the darkness, tearing open even the dimensional fabric.
From the ruptured dimensional seam, countless glittering galaxy particles spiraled around both Photon Dragon and Starving Venom.
And the next second—
"They disappeared!" Yuna exclaimed.
Not the disappearance of Accel Synchro—both monsters vanished mid-battle, swallowed by the dazzling galaxy particles.
Miles opened his hand, releasing the light he had grasped moments earlier.
"This is the effect of [Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon]!"
[At the start of the Damage Step, if this card battles an opponent's monster: You can target that opponent's monster; banish both this card and that monster. Monsters banished by this effect return to the field at the end of the Battle Phase.]
"I activated Galaxy-Eyes' effect during battle—sending both it and Starving Venom to another dimension!"
[Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon] Banished
[Starving Venom Fusion Dragon] Banished
As the galaxy's radiance faded, both dragons vanished from the field.
Just as Miles had declared—
the galaxy's light extended forward, illuminating the path of battle.
"ROOOAR—!"
A dragon's roar shattered the silence left in the galaxy's wake.
Charging down the path Galaxy-Eyes had opened, Blue-Eyes White Dragon soared from the fading stardust.
"Direct attack, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
Boosted by Abyss Dragon's effect, its Attack had risen from 3000 to 4000. This burst of destructive wind pressure would be a perfect instant kill.
"—Burst Stream of Destruction!"
Following the Photon Stream, the Burst Stream—a twin "Destruction" combo unleashed by two dragons.
"Hm-hm-hahaha!"
Hands on her hips, Yuna Carlos suddenly laughed as she watched the massive attack flying toward her empty field.
"Not bad… using this method to break through Starving Venom was truly unexpected. Still… Kuriboh, save me!!"
The girl maintained composure until the last possible second, then immediately tossed out a Kuriboh card while crouching with both hands over her head to avoid the shockwave.
[Performapal Kuribohble]
[When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can Special Summon this card from your hand, and if you do, change the attack target to this card. Then, if you would take battle damage from that battle, you instead gain that much LP.]
A cute Kuriboh wearing a party hat hopped onto the field, bravely colliding with the 4000-ATK Burst Stream.
[Kuribohble ATK: 300]
4000 ATK vs. 300 ATK—resulting battle damage: 3700.
Nonetheless, due to Kuribohble's effect, that massive damage was instead converted into Life Point recovery for Yuna.
A hand-trap version of Absorb Fusion Shield.
"How many Kuribohs did she start the duel with?!"
Though frustrated, his finishing blow was blocked, little Kaima was finally beginning to understand why Yuna Carlos reacted with a dramatic (;ºДº) face at the duel's start.
If you opened a brand-new Deck you'd never seen before… and your opening hand was three Kuribohs?
Anyone would make that face.
[Yuna Carlos, LP: 4000 → 7700]
"These little guys… they're surprisingly useful!"
Seeing her LP shoot upward, Yuna Carlos stood proudly, fully delighted by the charm of this Deck.
Selling Kuriboh cards really did spark joy.
However—
For Miles, facing an opponent happily tossing Kuribohs in every direction at the critical moment before victory… was a uniquely bitter kind of suffering.
"Miles, Miles… now you finally understand how I felt back then, don't you?"
Last year, Kaima Seth had held three Blue-Eyes White Dragons in her hand—radiant with pride, standing at the peak of Fusion Academy like an invincible champion.
And then, during the Academy Festival duel, before countless spectators, she was smashed into the floor and OTK'd by a single Winged Kuriboh.
"I don't feel even a little sorry for you, but you better not lose, Miles!"
Remembering her own humiliating defeat, Kaima—tsundere as she was—had already gone beyond her limits by offering such heartfelt encouragement.
"I end this Battle Phase."
"Then, the moment the Battle Phase ends, my Starving Venom Fusion Dragon returns as well!"
From the dimensional rift came galaxy light and poisonous violet-black mist as both dragons returned to their respective fields.
"I set one card and end my turn!"
After setting a card in his backrow, Miles was left with only two cards in hand—essentially playing open-handed.
Of the two remaining cards, one was Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and the other was the Ritual Spell [Chaos Form].
"My turn again—draw!"
Growing more excited the longer she played, Yuna Carlos drew her card through Aisha's Spirit Eyes. Her sparkling gaze swept across the card's surface.
"—I activate the Spell Card [Monster Reborn]!"
As the Spell activated, the holy resurrection cross shone brightly above Yuna Carlos.
"Roar!"
A familiar white dragon cry echoed. With nothing but Kuribohs in her own Graveyard, she naturally chose a monster from Miles's.
"Using Monster Reborn, I revive your Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!"
[Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon ATK: 3000]
"Damn it—she took my White Dragon!"
Little Kaima ground her teeth, furious as she watched Alternative White Dragon casually get stolen away.
In only a few turns, the entire duel's tone had shifted drastically.
From small fry to this—
Both sides' fields were now filled with big-brother-class Dragon monsters roaring at each other.
"I activate Alternative White Dragon's effect—once per turn, destroy one monster you control. I destroy your Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
Sacrificing its attack for the turn, Alternative's pinpoint destruction struck down the very White Dragon it originated from.
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon] destroyed.
As the explosive burst faded, Yuna Carlos surveyed the magnificent field she now commanded—no trace of "small fry" remained.
"And I can keep evolving even further!"
"Evolving… further?"
"If I only leave you Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, wouldn't that make me look stingy as your ancestor? In that case, I'll leave this power to Aisha as well!"
"You're… leaving more?"
Miles's emotions were complicated.
There was no doubt Yuna Carlos, ancestor of the Carlos family, was a top-tier Duelist.
And possessing Dark Aisha's body, she could draw forth powerful printed cards from this so-called small-fry Deck.
Just like Aisha Carlos could wield power from the future—
Dark Aisha could inherit power from the past, from Yuna, connecting ancient battle styles to the present and elevating her strength dramatically.
And Miles's complicated feeling came from one simple truth: every bit of Dark Aisha's power was being built from cards Yuna was currently using to beat him half to death.
Starving Venom Fusion Dragon had already been a nightmare—and now she wanted to evolve more?
"Fine!"
In the end, Miles simply endured it all.
So that Aisha's Deck could connect not only to the future—but to the past as well.
Miles glared and shouted, "Yuna Carlos! No matter how you evolve this duel, I'll fight through it to the end!"
"That's the spirit I wanted from you, Miles!"
Yuna swept her slender arm outward, and following Fusion Summoning—an Xyz radiance exploded across the field.
"Then I'll show you power from the distant past—yet still shining brilliantly in the present! I overlay my Level 8 [Starving Venom Fusion Dragon] and Level 8 [Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon] to construct the overlay network!"
Galactic light burst open across Yuna's field as well—transforming the duel's tone from Kuriboh survival tactics to a cosmic clash.
"O galaxy that shines within darkness—let ancient wavelengths project into the cosmos of today, and illuminate the future! Rank 8! —Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon!"
'…Shoot. I walked right into that.'
Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon, a Rank 8 Xyz monster… there was no universe in which Aisha would ever need that card.
...
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