Riseheart, tell me—how many cards are left in your Deck?
You Ye's lips curled slightly as he looked at Riseheart and asked with a smile.
"Thirty-six cards. Go ahead—mill them!"
"Hah. Seven zones already sealed, and you think a single That Grass Looks Greener can turn this around?"
Riseheart glanced over in mild surprise, then sneered.
There wasn't a hint of panic in his eyes.
With the field locked down to this extent, what could you possibly do, You Ye?
As more than ten cards were sent from You Ye's Deck to the Graveyard, the humans and spirits present were momentarily stunned.
After checking the Graveyard, You Ye did not trigger the long chain reactions everyone expected.
There were no auto-resolving effects. Not even a single card lit up.
In the words of his previous life—
Grass milled more than ten cards, and not one of them activated.
For a moment, the hope that had just sparked in Sheng Ning and Wang Cheng's eyes vanished completely.
If milling over ten cards did nothing…
What could come next?
Melo fell silent.
Munin frowned deeply.
No matter how one looked at it, this was a terrible sign.
They all believed You Ye would win—but right now, the situation was overwhelmingly unfavorable.
"Hahahaha! Human duelist, this Fusion deck of yours is hilarious."
"If it were Tearlament, you'd have five or six chains minimum by now."
"What kind of trash Fusion deck is this? It's completely useless!"
"With this level of strength—and such weak spirit bonds—beating me is impossible."
Seeing that You Ye didn't speak immediately after the poor mill, Riseheart seized the chance to mock him mercilessly.
"Riseheart… have you considered the possibility that you've already lost?"
You Ye, finished checking his Graveyard,整理 his thoughts, and smiled mysteriously.
"When did you get the idea that I need Grass to win a duel?"
As he spoke, his gaze sharpened.
He had already found the line to both break through and suppress the field.
By the end of this turn, both Shangri-Ira Cocoons would be gone.
"Impossible! You milled ten useless cards—nothing activated! How could you possibly win?!"
Riseheart refused to believe it.
"Just watch."
You Ye, smiled—and began moving again.
"I activate Branded in High Spirits."
"Once per turn, I reveal one monster in my hand.
From my Extra Deck, I send to the Graveyard a Level 8 Fusion Monster of the same Type with exactly 2500 ATK or DEF."
"I reveal Bystial Saronir."
"I send Albion the Shrouded Dragon from the Extra Deck, and discard Saronir."
"Then I add Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous, to my hand!"
"Bystial Saronir's effect—send Branded Retribution from my Deck to the Graveyard."
"Now, Albion the Shrouded Dragon in my hand—once per turn, I send a card that mentions Fallen of Albaz or a Branded Spell/Trap from my hand or Deck to the Graveyard."
"I send Branded in White, place Albion on the bottom of the Deck, and draw one card!"
"Graveyard effect of Branded Retribution—once per turn, I banish it to add one other Branded Spell/Trap from my Graveyard to my hand."
"I add Branded in White back to my hand!"
"Another Fusion Spell?"
Seeing You Ye recover a Fusion-related Spell, Riseheart frowned slightly.
But he wasn't worried.
Albion's negate was once per turn, and You Ye only had one usable zone anyway.
What could he do?
"No," You Ye replied calmly.
"In my Bystial Branded build, only Branded Fusion actually fuses."
Since both Grass and Branded Fusion had resolved freely, Riseheart clearly had no interruptions left.
You, Ye, didn't mind explaining.
Hearing this, Riseheart grew even more confused.
Then You Ye continued.
"I activate Branded in White."
"Once per turn, I Fusion Summon using Dragon monsters from my hand or field.
If I use Fallen of Albaz as material, I can also banish monsters from my Graveyard."
"I banish Fallen of Albaz and Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous from my Graveyard."
"I Fusion Summon—Lubellion the Searing Dragon!"
"Lubellion's effect—once per turn, when Fusion Summoned, I can banish Fusion Materials from my hand, field, or Graveyard to Fusion Summon a Level 8 or lower Fusion Monster."
"Watch closely."
"This is the monster that breaks your field."
"I banish Lubellion itself and Keeper of Dragon Magic!"
"Two silent rages lurking within the network—
Surpass the root of calamity and merge into one!"
"Fusion Summon—Level 8!"
"Appear—Borreload Furious Dragon!"
A deafening roar echoed across the field.
A massive purple dragon with white wings descended, standing upright as it roared toward the sky.
Borreload Furious Dragon
Dragon / Fusion / Effect
DARK – Level 8
ATK 3000 / DEF 2000
"And what does summoning this Borreload monster even accomplish?"
Riseheart wasn't surprised.
When he checked You Ye's Extra Deck earlier, he had already noticed this card.
Its effect was a one-for-one trade.
Destroying a Shangri-Ira Cocoon with no materials would also destroy Furious Dragon itself.
And judging from You Ye's earlier resource routing, he had no Fusion Spells left.
Which meant—
Even if they traded one-for-one, You Ye would have no follow-up.
After that, victory would be trivial.
"Useless, You Ye," Riseheart sneered.
"A one-for-one change, nothing!"
"Who said I'm trading one-for-one with you?"
You Ye spoke calmly, catching Riseheart off guard.
"I activate Borreload Furious Dragon's effect."
"Once per turn, I target one monster I control and one card you control—destroy both."
"I target Furious Dragon itself, and your Shangri-Ira Cocoon with no materials!"
"At the same time—Graveyard effect of Branded Opening!"
"Once per turn, if my Fusion Monster would be destroyed by an effect, I can banish this card instead."
"You milled that too…?"
As one Shangri-Ira Cocoon shattered, fury surged once more in Riseheart's eyes.
You Ye, smiled faintly.
"Don't rush to get angry."
"There's a lot more you didn't anticipate."
"Now that one Cocoon is gone, I have more usable zones."
"I activate Bystial Magnamhut!"
"I banish Bystial Saronir from my Graveyard to Special Summon it!"
"At the End Phase, it will search a Dragon monster."
"Then—Graveyard effect of Bystial Druiswurm."
"I tribute a Level 6 or higher Dragon on my field—Magnamhut—to Special Summon it!"
"Druiswurm's additional effect—
I place the Continuous Trap Branded Beast directly from my Deck."
"Two monsters don't mean anything!"
"I still have three monsters—one Shangri-Ira with materials, Fenrir, and Unicorn!"
"Your Borreload can at best destroy Fenrir or Unicorn. You can't win!"
Riseheart roared, convinced the advantage was still his.
"Then watch carefully," You Ye replied.
"Effect of Branded Beast."
"If I control a Bystial monster, during either Main Phase, I can tribute one Dragon monster to destroy one card you control."
"I tribute Bystial Druiswurm—destroy Unicorn!"
"Battle Phase."
"Borreload Furious Dragon attacks and destroys Fenrir!"
"Main Phase 2—I set two cards."
"End Phase."
"Magnamhut's effect—I add Bystial Druiswurm to my hand."
"End Phase effect of Branded Beast—
I target Re-Branded in my Graveyard and set it face-up."
"Effect of Blazing Cartesia—once per turn, if a Fusion Monster was sent to the Graveyard this turn, I add it back to my hand."
"Graveyard effect of Albion the Shrouded Dragon—
At the End Phase, I add or Special Summon Fallen of Albaz."
"I choose to Special Summon it!"
"Effect of Fallen of Albaz—
When Summoned, I discard one card to Fusion Summon using monsters from either field!"
"I discard Cartesia, and use your Shangri-Ira Cocoon!"
"Fusion Summon—Level 8—Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon!"
Riseheart: "???"
He had already believed victory was assured when You Ye ended his turn.
Who could have imagined that during the End Phase, You Ye would fuse away Shangri-Ira and summon the monster he hated most?
In an instant, Riseheart's field was reduced to nothing but his Field Spell.
Meanwhile, You Ye stood with:
Mirrorjade
Borreload Furious Dragon
Red-green Branded backrow
Two set cards
The power gap was overwhelming.
In Riseheart's hand—only two Kshatri-La monsters and a Field Spell.
If he didn't draw the Continuous Spell, he had no chance.
Sheng Ning and Wang Cheng, who had been on the brink of despair, were now burning with excitement.
Victory was only one step away.
Munin, Melo, and Fenrir—who had been tense after the seven-zone lock—were now completely relaxed.
In their eyes, Riseheart had no path left.
"So?" You Ye, smiled faintly.
"Am I worthy of Tearlament's choice?"
"Hmph! You haven't won yet!" Riseheart snapped.
He drew.
Then his eyes lit up.
He had a chance.
"Any response?" Riseheart asked, looking at You Ye.
Borreload Furious Dragon and Mirrorjade could activate during the Draw and Standby Phases.
"No response. Go ahead."
You Ye, glanced at his field and set cards, smiling calmly.
With only a Field Spell, there was nothing worth pre-emptively destroying.
"I Special Summon Unicorn from my hand!"
You Ye responded instantly.
"Since you Special Summoned—
Effect of Re-Branded!"
"I Special Summon Bystial Magnamhut from my Graveyard!"
"Chain Link 2—Borreload Furious Dragon!"
"I target it and Unicorn—destroy both!"
"Chain Link 3—hand effect of Bystial Druiswurm!"
"I banish Keeper of Dragon Magic from my Graveyard to Special Summon it!"
Riseheart allowed it to resolve.
Chain resolution:
CL3: Druiswurm Special Summoned
CL2: Unicorn destroyed; Furious Dragon protected by Branded Opening
CL1: Magnamhut Special Summoned
"Magnamhut End Phase effect—search."
"Chain Link 2—Re-Branded's second effect!"
"When a LIGHT or DARK monster is banished, return it to the Deck and draw one."
"I target Keeper of Dragon Magic."
After the resolution, You Ye drew again.
Riseheart remained calm.
He still had options.
"I Special Summon Fenrir."
"Response?" he asked.
"You go ahead."
Fenrir was strong, but in pure Kshatri-La, it wasn't enough by itself.
"I activate Fenrir's effect—search Scareclaw Kshatri-La!"
"Scareclaw's effect—banish Unicorn from the Graveyard to Special Summon!"
"Battle Phase!"
Before Fenrir could activate—
"Wait."
You Ye, raised a hand.
"Mirrorjade's effect."
"Once per turn, I send a Fusion Monster that lists Fallen of Albaz from the Extra Deck to the Graveyard."
"I banish your Fenrir, no target."
Fenrir vanished.
Riseheart grinned cruelly.
"I activate my second Field Spell—search a Kshatri-La monster!"
You Ye, smiled.
"Chain Link 2—Branded Beast."
"I tribute Bystial Druiswurm to destroy your Field Spell."
"And by the way—when Druiswurm is sent from the field to the Graveyard…"
"I send Scareclaw Kshatri-La to the Graveyard as well."
Riseheart's smile froze.
"You've used all your interruptions!" he laughed desperately.
"This is what I was waiting for!"
"I activate Kshatri-La Preparations!"
"You Ye, blame yourself for not waiting until Unicorn resolved!"
You Ye looked at him as if watching a clown.
"Remember this for next time," You Ye said calmly.
"Unused backrow doesn't mean it's useless."
"It means it's more important, so it stays until the end."
"Impossible—!!!"
Riseheart's face twisted in disbelief.
"Chain Link 2."
You Ye, flipped his final set card.
"I activate Branded King."
"I choose Mirrorjade, the Iceblade Dragon."
"Until the end of the turn, the effects of all other face-up cards on the field are negated."
Riseheart roared as crimson energy erupted from his body, transforming him into Arise-Heart itself.
The pressure shook the surroundings.
But You Ye only smiled.
"Sorry."
"Even as Kshatri-La's boss, you can't change the outcome."
"I surrender this duel."
"But I request a second one."
"This duel was only about sparing the people here—
not about Kshatri-La becoming your domain."
"I know," You Ye nodded. "So—you concede this round and propose another?"
"Yes."
Arise-Heart hurled his massive axe.
It embedded itself in the ground beside You Ye.
"This is the Kshatri-La Domain. I lend it to you."
"Next duel—Kshatri-La mirror match."
"If you win, I'll trust Fenrir's choice."
"If you lose, you and your followers will repent inside Shangri-Ira forever."
"No problem," You Ye smiled.
"I'm adding a few cards of my own."
"As long as the core is Kshatri-La," Arise-Heart said coldly,
"I'll defeat you with the purest, strongest Kshatri-La."
"Deal."
You, Ye, nodded.
He checked his deck carefully.
Then added Necroface.
Then Cyberse Gadget.
Finally, two copies of Utopic Future from his old Master Duel pulls.
Kshatri-La banish engines—fully online.
It was time for this world—human and spirit alike—
to witness what full-power Kshatri-La really looked like.