"Emerge from the cerulean abyss! Deep-Eyes White Dragon!!"
[Deep-Eyes White Dragon] Level 10│LIGHT│Dragon│0 ATK
Miles's final remaining card in hand called forth the most beautiful and elegant of the White Dragons.
The instant its magnificent wings trembled, its noble and sacred form shattered the barrier between the present world and the abyss, roaring as it descended.
Even Yuna was shaken by the sudden eruption from the abyss and the White Dragon's thunderous arrival: "You actually summoned a Level 10 monster straight from your hand?!"
"This isn't a simple descent!"
Miles held the card forward, displaying its radiant brilliance, then slammed it onto the Duel Disk with style.
"Inheriting the fighting spirit left behind after Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon's battle… the one who burns that White Dragon soul to its very limits is Deep-Eyes White Dragon!"
[When a Level 8 or higher Dragon on your field is destroyed, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.]
"When Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon on my field was destroyed in battle, answering the passing of its dragon soul—I Special Summon Deep-Eyes White Dragon!"
"Deep-Eyes, huh…" Kaima looked up.
Its dazzling yet gentle glow shone down upon Kaima's now-shrunken childlike form.
This was the card she had once drawn from within the Millennium Puzzle's Soul Room, when Kaima Seth had entered by coincidence.
The one and only time she ever used it was in her duel against her father, Reigun Seth—Deep-Eyes White Dragon appeared and delivered an instant kill the moment it arrived.
After that, Deep-Eyes White Dragon never appeared again. Or more accurately, from that moment onward, Kaima almost never truly dueled again.
The sudden burden of the entire family collapsed onto her shoulders after Reigun Seth's passing, without warning, crushing the still-ungraduated Kaima.
External doubts, internal chaos, the unstable future of the family, and all the things she had to protect…
The elite girl who withstood all of it nearly perfectly restored the mess Reigun left behind, forcing everyone who had hoped to laugh at the Seth family to obediently shut their mouths.
She bore everything—everything except the card that had once been her belief.
Even now, entering the obelisk tower in this ridiculous childlike form, her Spirit Eyes gone, Kaima couldn't help feeling that this was some kind of punishment.
And now, that most magnificent and resplendent Deep-Eyes White Dragon spread its wings once more before Kaima.
Why she had taken Deep-Eyes White Dragon from a Soul Room that reflected her state of mind—no one knew.
However, upon reuniting with it, the "pure white power born of the infinite source of time, raising its wings in the overlapping echoes of souls" still shook Kaima's heart.
"It's just too beautiful… Deep-Eyes White Dragon!"
Unlike the brutal, overwhelming form of the strongest dragon, Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon, the equally strongest Deep-Eyes White Dragon possessed a noble elegance, almost like a feminine silhouette.
Miles raised his arm skyward, declaring: "When Deep-Eyes White Dragon descends, you'll take all the wrath of the Dragons in the Graveyard!"
[When this card is Summoned or Special Summoned: For each Dragon in either Graveyard, inflict 600 damage to your opponent.]
Most Dragons in this duel had been banished or stacked beneath Galaxy-Eyes Full Armor Photon Dragon as Xyz Materials.
But at this moment, the Graveyard still held one Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon.
"Total damage: 2×600 = 1200! Ignite the wrath of the dragons and light up the sky, Deep-Eyes White Dragon!"
The radiance spreading from Deep-Eyes's twin soul-wings blasted directly at Yuna Carlos.
[Yuna Carlos, LP: 7700 → 6500]
Gritting her teeth against the fragments of light, Yuna waited for the beam to fade, then taunted: "Only 1200 damage? Your final trump card doesn't even sting, Miles!"
"It's not over yet! This Deep-Eyes White Dragon is the heir summoned by the power of all Dragon monsters—its Attack becomes the same as the highest-attack Dragon in the Graveyard!"
Right now, the Dragon with the highest Attack in the Graveyard was naturally the Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon, which had just battled Galaxy-Eyes Full Armor Photon Dragon to mutual destruction and awakened Deep-Eyes.
"Deep-Eyes White Dragon! Inherit Chaos MAX Dragon's Attack! Let that unyielding fighting spirit reappear in the heavens!"
[Deep-Eyes White Dragon, ATK: 0 → 4000]
Its soaring 4000 Attack once again matched the armored Galaxy-Eyes.
"Battle, Deep-Eyes White Dragon! With this strike, pierce the galaxy!"
Cerulean light gathered in its jaws. Its wings beat violently with an unyielding soul as a blinding torrent shot forth to clash with Galaxy-Eyes Full Armor Photon Dragon.
"You let your guard down, Miles!"
Facing the renewed 4000 Attack blast, Yuna Carlos flipped her set card.
"—Trap Card, Trap Hole of Spikes! When my Monster is attacked, destroy the attacking monster and deal damage equal to half its Attack!"
Yuna hadn't used this trap earlier during the battle against Chaos MAX because that dragon possessed the proud immunity of not being destroyed by effects.
However, Deep-Eyes was different—though it inherited Chaos MAX's Attack, it could not inherit its resistance.
"Counterattack, Galaxy-Eyes Full Armor Photon Dragon! Return the abyssal blue assault, trying to pierce the galaxy!"
The light of the galaxy erupted back, the armored Dragon once again surviving to the end against both Blue-Eyes and Deep-Eyes.
"And when Deep-Eyes White Dragon is destroyed, you take damage equal to half its Attack!"
[Miles, LP: 3000 → 1000]
The gap in Life Points widened further. Miles had finally Special Summoned Deep-Eyes White Dragon and inflicted 1200 damage on Yuna—only to be struck back for 2000.
Albeit more importantly, he had lost his ultimate ace.
"Deep-Eyes…"
Kaima looked up at the Deep-Eyes White Dragon falling within the galactic glow, her emotions impossibly tangled.
If this dragon—the card from her Soul Room—were to fall here in the battle within the obelisk tower, Kaima felt as if something important within her would be lost as well.
"The battle isn't over!"
Miles stomped forward, his roar snapping the dazed Kaima back to herself.
"Keep throwing those selfish demands at me, Kaima! Don't tell me you think this is the end?!"
"Miles…"
The abyssal radiance from the end of infinite time still had not faded.
Miles carried the remaining fragments of the White Dragon's soul upon his back—like the ring of wings behind Deep-Eyes White Dragon when its final light detonated—shining with resolve.
"When Deep-Eyes White Dragon is destroyed, I'm taking all your monsters with it! Scatter in the tremor of these soul-wings, Full Armor Photon Dragon!!"
[When this card is destroyed: Destroy all monsters your opponent controls.]
The ring-shaped wings unleashed the last surge of annihilating energy forward. After two battles—after one final parting roar—the dazzling beam finally smashed the thick black armor layered over Full Armor Photon Dragon.
The impact of their clash was felt even outside the obelisk tower.
Light, galaxy, abyss, cosmos—too many forces woven together. The over-the-top battle drew to a close with both fields wiped clean.
Miles had no monsters remaining. Neither did Yuna.
Only dense particles of radiant light, born from the aftershock of their battle, still drifted around the two.
Quietly watching, Kaima's eyes fixed on Miles standing firm amid the fading glow—Duel Disk on his arm, clothing edges fluttering in the battle wind, his profile stern and striking.
Bathed in the radiance, Miles spoke softly.
"Our battle isn't over, Kaima. Don't tell me you've given up already?"
From Deep-Eyes White Dragon's card, Miles had also felt the confusion in Kaima's heart.
And why, upon entering the obelisk tower, she had lost her Spirit Eyes as a Duelist.
"Miles?"
"This is your one chance, Kaima. Keep throwing your selfish demands at me. I'll make them happen!"
"..."
Perhaps the weight of such a request was simply too heavy for Kaima in her current childlike state.
But even as a child, Kaima Seth was still Kaima.
"Our battle… my battle… shouldn't end here!"
Gathering courage and resolve far beyond what her small form should have been able to contain, Kaima shouted forward.
"Keep fighting! Keep calling the White Dragon, Miles! That's my most selfish demand! Let the White Dragon… let Deep-Eyes White Dragon's soul-shaking wings soar again!"
"Got it!"
Miles flipped his final set card. What lay revealed before him was the path toward the rebirth of interwoven dragon souls.
"You've stolen from me enough times. Time for me to steal once! Trap Card, Graverobber, activate!"
Why Kaima's Deck also contained this card?
Only Kaima herself knew.
Caught off guard that Miles had flipped this particular card, little Kaima's cheeks flushed instantly red.
After being completely crushed by Miles during the Academy Festival Duel, Kaima had realized the immense potential of this card—the ability to take a Normal Spell from the opponent's Graveyard and activate it as a Quick-Play.
Just like Ren, Kaima had secretly added one to her Deck.
Only… to have it exposed to Miles in this way… it felt almost like she was saying directly, I like your tactic, so I want to use it too.
Regardless, now was no time to worry about pride.
This Graverobber could take and activate a card from Yuna Carlos's Graveyard.
"Hand over your Monster Reborn!"
Fair is fair—Yuna had used Double Spell last turn to steal Miles's Monster Reborn.
So this turn, Miles using Graverobber to steal Monster Reborn felt only natural.
The grinning little thief slowly flipped over the stolen Monster Reborn.
"Using Monster Reborn… resurrect! O pure-white power transcending the infinite source of time—bear the souls of all dragons fought in this battle, and bloom once more! Deep-Eyes White Dragon!"
Fulfilling Kaima's demand in an instant, the revived Deep-Eyes White Dragon appeared more magnificent and radiant than ever in her eyes.
"Deep-Eyes… it can gather the souls of all the Dragons and illuminate the path forward! Use this strike—break through everything with the Dragons, Miles!"
"That's exactly my intent!" Miles lifted his arm again, declaring: "When Deep-Eyes White Dragon descends, your Graveyard's dragons unleash their wrath!"
"Oh? So it's the same effect as before, its Special Summon effect," Yuna remarked.
"It's nothing like before!"
[When this card is Summoned or Special Summoned: For each Dragon in either Graveyard, inflict 600 damage to your opponent.]
Last time Deep-Eyes White Dragon used its effect, only two Dragons existed in the Graveyard: just 1200 damage, hardly enough to faze Yuna.
Albeit this time, as Miles said, it was completely different.
"Rooooar!!" ×5
Their silhouettes appeared. Every Dragon currently in the Graveyard, roaring behind Deep-Eyes White Dragon's radiant halo-wings.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon, Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon, Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon, Galaxy-Eyes Full Armor Photon Dragon.
"When Galaxy-Eyes Full Armor Photon Dragon was destroyed, all the Dragons stacked beneath it as Xyz Materials were sent to the Graveyard along with Full Armor itself!"
The wrath of every Dragon that had carried this duel—gathered, borne on the cerulean abyss, releasing in full through its halo-wings.
"Soul-shaking wings of the dragons! Final damage! 5×600 = 3000! Take the full fury of the Dragons!"
The descending light was nothing like the first—heavier, denser, different in number, different in pain, different in resolve… and thoroughly different in the conviction of its true wielder.
"AAAAAAAAH!!"
No matter how tough she acted, Yuna Carlos could no longer call this attack 'nothing.'
[Yuna Carlos, LP: 6500 → 3500]
"This hit decides it!"
"Miles!!"
Customer satisfaction: 100%. Miles had perfectly fulfilled Kaima's 'selfish' demand.
The dragon wings shaking within the echoing overlap of souls still shone on the field.
Kaima's eyes sparkled: "It can still keep fighting… Deep-Eyes White Dragon!"
She wasn't just talking about Deep-Eyes being able to attack again after a Special Summon during the Battle Phase.
She meant—she could still keep fighting as a Duelist.
In the final moment, illuminated by the united light of every dragon soul within Deep-Eyes White Dragon… the Spirit Eyes that had vanished upon her arm reappeared.
A space defined by consciousness—the radiance at this moment was Kaima's will.
"Deep-Eyes White Dragon's effect—inherit the Attack of the strongest Dragon in the Graveyard!"
[Deep-Eyes White Dragon, ATK: 0 → 4000]
The shadow of the dragons prepared for the finishing blow. Chaos MAX and Full Armor appeared beside Deep-Eyes, left and right.
"Direct attack! Deep-Eyes White Dragon! Abyssal Radiance Burst!!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
[Yuna Carlos, LP: 3500 → 0]
In that instant, the moment the gathered dragon souls struck, Deep-Eyes White Dragon cleared all 7700 of Yuna Carlos's Life Points in a single turn.
...
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