The life infusion from Utopic Dark restored Sylvia's Life Points—after payment—to a level even more abundant than her original 4000.
"Now I can fight without any lingering worries."
Bathed in the surging radiance of life, Sister Sylvia wore an expression of pure comfort and pleasure.
"Let's go, Miles! Battle!"
Finally declaring entry into the Battle Phase of her turn, Sylvia launched the first offensive of her Malefic monsters, led by the fully statted [Malefic Truth Dragon], accompanied by the Rank 10 Xyz monster with 4000 Attack, Number XX: Utopic Dark Infinity.
Such an attacking formation could hardly be called weak.
It only depended on who it was aimed at.
On Miles' field stood both Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and the original Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, each boasting 4500 Attack.
Just as Irena had said, the only one capable of breaking through this formation was [Malefic Truth Dragon].
As for Number XX: Utopic Dark Infinity, its 4000 Attack was no different in raw power from the two 4000-Attack Malefic monsters before it became an Xyz.
"That's enough! As long as this Malefic Dragon that surpasses even the Ultimate Dragon of Light exists!"
With her slender fingers pinching a card, Sylvia flung it onto [Malefic Truth Dragon] during the Battle Phase.
"When a Malefic monster exists on the field, I can activate this Trap Card directly from my hand—[Malefic Force]!"
[Target 1 "Malefic" monster you control: that monster is unaffected by your opponent's Spell effects while it is face-up on the field.]
"I turn [Malefic Force] into an Equip Card and equip it to [Malefic Truth Dragon], granting True Dragon resistance to Spell Cards."
Two clusters of violet, malefic energy emerged from behind Sylvia's alluring form, coiling around the massive body of [Malefic Truth Dragon].
Nova asked curiously, "Giving Spell resistance during the Battle Phase… is that to guard against Miles' set cards?"
"I don't think that's all," Irena said. Compared to first-year Nova, the third-year Irena clearly had far more dueling experience.
If Sylvia's goal were simply to defend against Miles' Quick-Play Spells, the optimal timing would have been to chain this card in response to Miles activating a Spell.
That would not only waste one of Miles' Spell Cards, but also achieve precise defense.
Instead, she threw out [Malefic Force] proactively when Miles hadn't made any move at all… this lewd nun definitely had another purpose.
"After being empowered by the Trap-Equip [Malefic Force], [Malefic Truth Dragon] will break free from the shackles of [Malefic Territory] and reveal its true power!"
From the chest of Malefic Truth Dragon's colossal body, countless dense red beams erupted.
Those crimson rays of destruction instantly reminded Miles of the annihilating crimson blast unleashed by [Gandora-X the Dragon of Demolition] during his AI duel with Yugi Muto.
"After gaining Spell resistance, [Malefic Truth Dragon] will no longer be affected by the Continuous Spell Card [Malefic Territory]!"
One of the effects of the Continuous Spell Card [Malefic Territory]:
[During the Battle Phase only, the effects of all "Malefic" monsters on the field are negated.]
This effect, which seemed like a drawback at first glance, actually existed to compensate for another common limitation shared by Malefic monsters.
Whether it was [Malefic Rainbow Dragon] or [Malefic Cyber End Dragon], both carried the restriction: "While this card exists in a Monster Zone, other monsters you control cannot declare an attack."
And precisely because [Malefic Territory] negated Malefic monsters' effects during the Battle Phase, these terrifying 4000-Attack monsters—summoned almost casually—could ignore their own restrictions and attack freely.
However, every benefit comes with a drawback. By negating ordinary Malefic monsters' effects during the Battle Phase, this double-edged sword instead ended up restricting the strongest one—[Malefic Truth Dragon].
"Freed from [Malefic Territory], the True Dragon regains its own effect! One strike of purification—destroy all Ultimate Dragons!"
[If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle: Destroy all face-up monsters your opponent controls.]
"Offer up the monster born of my devout soul! Malefic Truth Dragon, attack! Paradox Spiral!"
With a roar from the 5000-Attack Malefic Dragon, overwhelming crimson light of destruction detonated directly, blowing away [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] on Miles' field.
[Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon destroyed]
[Miles, LP: 4000 → 3500]
Immediately after, the destruction field spread by those dense crimson beams engulfed the entire field, dragging the other, original Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon into it as well.
"—True Burst!"
[Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon destroyed]
With a single blow, both Ultimate Dragons were wiped out. Malefic Truth Dragon's terrifying strike instantly tipped the balance of the duel.
"Uh-oh… Miles' field is empty!" Nova cried out.
"And what's that?" Compared to Miles' empty field, Irena—eyes widened—seemed to notice something even more shocking.
Within the field of Malefic World surrounding Sylvia, the ultimate Blue-Eyes radiance began to shine.
"Even when beliefs are opposed, the gods' tolerance embraces all. That is divine benevolence~"
Sylvia lightly brushed her lips with her fingertips, then waved her hand toward the converging ultimate light on the field.
"The effect of [No.XX Number XX: Utopic Dark Infinity]: when a monster is destroyed, detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to Special Summon the destroyed monster to my field in Defense Position!"
Detaching the Malefic Rainbow Dragon layered beneath the Xyz monster, Sylvia used the power of Utopia to directly Special Summon Miles' destroyed [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon].
Irena couldn't help but mutter, "Do all these things called Utopia just love stealing other people's monsters?"
[Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, DEF: 3800]
Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon returned once more—but this time, to Sylvia's field.
If Kaima ever found out that her Ultimate Dragon was being used like this against someone else, Irena could already imagine the about-to-explode expression on her face.
"The situation has reversed, Miles," Sylvia said confidently.
At the start of the turn, the duel had still been fairly even. After Malefic Truth Dragon's world-shattering roar, Miles was now fieldless, while Sylvia stood with three ace-level boss monsters on her side of the field.
"Even the strongest Ultimate Dragon you take such pride in now serves me."
"Oh, serves you?"
Yet Miles' reaction to this dramatic reversal was far calmer than Sylvia had expected.
"Do you really have the ability to command the pride of a Dragon of Light? Don't be so naive. Not every monster that reaches your field will obey you!"
Sylvia froze. Despite being just a shota-aged boy, Miles displayed a faith and conviction in battle stronger than anyone else's, pressing down on her presence entirely.
Irena was also stunned. After being Kaima's roommate for three years, she knew better than anyone—what Miles had just said sounded exactly like something Kaima Seth herself would say.
Wielding Kaima's Blue-Eyes deck, Miles had perfectly reproduced the overwhelming aura that only Kaima herself could unleash.
"So the synchronization is really that high…?" Irena murmured to herself.
"It's far too early for you to be talking big, Miles!" Sylvia continued her battle declaration. "I still have [No.XX Number XX: Utopic Dark Infinity] with 4000 Attack on my field that hasn't attacked yet!"
Number XX: Utopic Dark Infinity swung its pitch-black greatsword with full force. The direct attack of 4000 Attack tore through space itself as it came crashing down.
"This strike will be my victory! Infinite Sword XX Slash!"
"Then let's clash head-on one more time!"
Miles flipped open the face-down Trap Card in his back row.
"—I activate the Trap Card [Krystal Avatar]!"
[When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack, if its ATK is greater than or equal to your LP: Special Summon this card in Attack Position as an Effect Monster (Warrior-Type/LIGHT/Level 4/ATK ?/DEF 0) that has ATK equal to your LP, then change the attack target to this card. (This card is also still a Trap Card.)]
[Miles, LP: 3500]
With 3500 Life Points remaining, Miles fully met [Krystal Avatar]'s activation condition when Number XX: Utopic Dark Infinity declared a direct attack with 4000 ATK.
"Convert all my remaining Life Points into crystal-boosted Attack power! Then forcibly redirect Dark Infinity's attack onto this card!"
[Krystal Avatar, ATK: 3500]
The Crystal Warrior that leapt out from the Trap Card, its dazzling crystalline body refracted the full fighting power of Miles' remaining life force.
"Counterattack!—Crystal Life Slash!"
The 3500-ATK Krystal Avatar clashed swords with the 4000-ATK Number XX: Utopic Dark Infinity at the center of the cathedral's field.
In this high-Attack pressure duel, even [Krystal Avatar]'s Attack had surpassed the level of Blue-Eyes White Dragon, leaving the imperial spectators utterly dumbfounded.
Crack!
Accompanied by a sharp, crystalline shattering sound, the resplendent body of [Krystal Avatar], its Attack lower by 500, shattered into fragments of light under the violent impact.
[Krystal Avatar destroyed]
[Miles, LP: 3500 → 3000]
The shockwave from the head-on collision sent Miles himself flying backward several meters.
"Then you'd better take this crystal's will to counterattack with you!"
Almost while still airborne from the blast, Miles declared the activation of [Krystal Avatar]'s final effect.
[If this card Summoned this way is destroyed by battle, after damage calculation: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to its ATK.]
"I deal damage to you equal to [Krystal Avatar]'s 3500 Attack!"
The counterstrike born from the shattered crystals on the field gathered countless fragments of light into a raging torrent of damage, blasting Sylvia backward in reverse.
"Ahhhhhh!"
[Sylvia, LP: 6750 → 3250]
In this exchange of blows, both Duelists were blown away by the immense force at the same time, their Life Points dragged down to nearly the same level.
"To think he could push Lady Nun this far…"
"Are Fusion Academy students really this strong?"
"I heard they've always been the bottom academy, but recently Fusion Academy pulled off a comeback in Axet's Turbo Duel…"
Listening to the surrounding crowd's murmurs, Sylvia bit her lip and struggled back to her feet.
"Krystal Avatar… that was dangerous," she said with lingering fear.
If she hadn't Xyz Summoned the Rank 10 [Number XX: Utopic Dark Infinity] in time before that battle and recovered 5000 Life Points, that single blow would have cost her the duel.
Even so, in a duel witnessed by gods and countless believers inside the imperial cathedral, being forced to this extent by a so-called ordinary student was something Sylvia simply couldn't accept.
No. This guy wasn't an ordinary student at all!
He was an existence bearing the power of multiple top-tier demons. She absolutely couldn't be deceived by his appearance, and she unquestionably could not lose this duel before the gods.
"I will use this duel to uncover your true face, Miles."
With her last remaining card in hand, Sylvia set it directly.
"I set one card. End my turn!"
Even with her Life Points nearly evened out, her field still held a terrifying advantage.
Malefic Truth Dragon, Number XX: Utopic Dark Infinity, and Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
She undoubtedly, positively could not lose!
"My turn. Draw."
As his turn began, Miles' gaze swept over the card he drew… it had finally arrived.
"Uncover my true face? There's no need for you to do it yourself, Sylvia. I know exactly what you want to see."
"You know… what I want to see?"
Caught off guard, Sylvia suddenly felt a chill down her spine as their eyes met, a bead of cold sweat sliding down her smooth back.
That familiar soul-pressure… Miles standing across from her now, felt exactly the same as he had in the confessional.
"You definitely want to see this, right? Then I'll only demonstrate it once—the way D/D/D fights!"
In the center of the sacred cathedral, summoning the D/D/D kings of another dimension—this blasphemous act, directly opposed to faith, only made Miles even more exhilarated.
Miles wasn't some great villain, but he had a premonition: riding this surge of excitement, he might be able to touch an even higher tier of D/D/D summoning.
"Open! Continuous Spell Card [Dark Contract with the Gate]!"
Demonic power from another dimension forced open the gates of hell inside the cathedral as Miles activated his card.
Irena cried out, "Opening the gates of hell in a holy cathedral… Miles, even wrecking the place has limits!"
[Once per turn, during your Main Phase: You can add 1 "D/D" monster from your Deck to your hand.]
"I add [D/D/D Dragon King Pendragon] from my Deck to my hand, then activate [D/D Swirl Slime] from my hand!"
[If this card is in your hand: You can Fusion Summon 1 "D/D/D" Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand as Fusion Materials, including this card.]
Another effect that allows [D/D Swirl Slime] to be used in place of a Fusion Spell.
Above Miles, an interdimensional Fusion field unfolded, calling forth the true heroic spirits of D/D/D to stand against the three top-tier combat monsters on Sylvia's field.
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