The rain seemed to freeze at the instant the lightning dragon drew its card.
The deep green dragon circling low in the sky let out a heavy snort. The card it had just drawn erupted with a blinding azure glow between its massive claws.
Without any setup whatsoever, the card was slammed straight into the Spell Zone of its lightning Duel Disk.
"Normal Spell—[Raigeki]."
There was no need for further declaration. That destructive intent had already spread through every inch of the air along with the rain.
BOOOOM!!!
A thunderous explosion, louder than any before, erupted above Rikka's head.
This was not natural lightning; it was pure, rule-bound, destructive force. Several massive bolts of lightning pierced down from the clouds like spears, locking precisely onto the seemingly impenetrable barrier in front of her.
There was no suspense.
Before such absolute power, Ciel didn't even have time to cry out. The semi-transparent barrier shattered like glass. The knight who had just been protecting the girl dissolved into countless motes of light within the lightning, quickly dimming and vanishing.
"That effect… [Raigeki]?!"
Rikka instinctively raised her arm to shield her face. The burning smell rushing toward her made her cough. She had never expected a spirit to play such a card so casually.
So this is… true power?
Regardless, the duel had to continue.
The lightning dragon did not stop its rampage after clearing the obstacle.
It raised its massive head high, as if mocking the fragile resistance. Then it revealed a card in its hand bearing the same name—[Thunder Dragon].
"I activate Thunder Dragon's first effect! Discard it to add up to two 'Thunder Dragon' from my Deck to my hand!"
With a roar, the card turned into a streak of green light and fell into the Graveyard. Right after, two new flashes of lightning shot out from the Deck, returning to its "hand" like fledglings returning to their nest.
However, that was only the prelude.
"Next, I activate the first effect of [Thunder Dragonroar] in my hand! Discard this card to retrieve that 'Thunder Dragon' that was just sent to the Graveyard!"
Rikka watched as the green light in the Graveyard was dragged back out before it had even faded. This was the most terrifying aspect of the Thunder Dragon deck… its endless resource cycling, as relentless and despair-inducing as the never-ending rain.
Then, the Spell Card lit up.
"Spell Card—[Polymerization]!"
Three massive pillars of lightning rose simultaneously from its hand, converging, twisting, and reshaping in midair.
What emerged was no longer a single dragon.
As the blinding light faded, a colossal beast with three heads, its entire body clad in emerald lightning armor, descended with a thunderous impact. It was several times larger than before, and with each breath, the surrounding air crackled from ionization.
[Thunder Dragon Titan]!
"ROAR!!!"
It was a triple-layered roar. The overwhelming pressure, combined with its tangible and draconic aura, crashed into Rikka like an invisible wall.
"Ugh…!"
Rikka felt as if her chest had been struck by a hammer. Her footing slipped on the slick ground, and she was forced back several meters by the sheer force, only stopping when her back slammed against the cold outer wall of the spire.
So strong… this pressure feels like facing a natural disaster.
The lightning dragon's mocking gaze swept over the girl's disheveled state. It revealed another card—[Thunder Dragonmatrix]—and discarded it without hesitation.
"Trigger Dragonmatrix's effect… increase Titan's Attack!"
The already terrifying lightning beast surged with even more intense electricity, its Attack climbing rapidly, as if it would vaporize the fragile human before it in the next instant.
But—
Just one second before the lightning struck, Rikka suddenly raised her head.
There was no fear in her eyes.
Only a flame called "awakening" burning fiercely. Her fingers pressed against the Continuous Spell on her Duel Disk, the card that had been glowing all along.
"Now! At the exact moment you activate your effect—"
Though her voice was hoarse from pain, it rang out with striking clarity.
"I activate the second effect of [Starry Knight Ceremony]: When you activate a Spell, Trap, or monster effect, I can Special Summon a Level 7 LIGHT Dragon monster from my hand!"
The card she had been gripping was slammed onto the Duel Disk.
"Tear through this endless night! Descend—[Starry Night, Starry Dragon]!!!"
"ROOOAR!"
A pillar of starlight, purer and more radiant than lightning, surged skyward behind Rikka. Within that beam, a pure white dragon with aurora-like wings unfolded its elegant form. It did not possess the savage killing intent of the thunder dragon, but its sacred, untouchable majesty instantly drove back much of the surrounding darkness.
"I'm not done yet! I activate Starry Night, Starry Dragon's first effect!"
Rikka pointed straight at the towering three-headed thunder dragon, her fighting spirit blazing at its peak.
"When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can target one card on the field and destroy it! The one I destroy is your [Thunder Dragon Titan]! Disappear, creature of lightning!"
Starry Night, Starry Dragon opened its jaws, releasing a dazzling beam of starlight like a laser, striking directly at the massive body of the thunder dragon.
BOOM!!!
An explosion erupted across the plaza, raising a cloud of white smoke. Rikka stared fixedly into it, her heart pounding violently.
Did it work?
When the smoke was washed away by the rain, her pupils shrank sharply.
The three-headed dragon… still stood there unharmed.
Not even a single scratch marked its emerald armor. It merely shook its three heads disdainfully, while in its Graveyard, two faint green lights slowly faded; the two Thunder Dragons that had been banished as substitutes.
[If this card on the field would be destroyed by a card effect, you can banish 2 cards from your Graveyard instead.]
"H-How…?"
Rikka stared at those still-brutal, faintly mocking golden eyes, a chill racing up her spine.
"Battle Phase!"
All three of Titan's massive heads rose at once, the lightning that had been building deep in its throats erupting instantly. Its Attack had already surged to a terrifying 3700 under the boost of Thunder Dragonmatrix.
Before that world-ending lightning breath, the elegant [Starry Night, Starry Dragon] looked on the verge of collapse.
"Perish, dragon of light!"
This was not merely an attack; it was the final trampling of the sacred domain.
However—
At the very instant before the lightning devoured her dragon, Rikka suddenly raised her head. Where was the fear from before in her azure eyes? In its place was a confident smile, one clearly prepared in advance.
"We'll see who perishes!"
Her clear voice pierced through the thunder as she raised the card she had been holding all along like the key to victory.
"I activate the effect of [Honest] in my hand! During damage calculation, if my LIGHT monster is battling, I can send this card from my hand to the Graveyard. That monster's Attack becomes equal to the Attack of the monster it is battling until the end of the turn!"
"And your attack target—[Starry Night, Starry Dragon]—is the pinnacle of LIGHT!"
At that moment, time seemed to stand still.
A phantom of a great angel with radiant white wings emerged from her hand. It did not directly join the battle, instead transforming into countless pure white feathers that gently enveloped the Starry Night, Starry Dragon just before it was consumed by lightning.
"Accept this light—HONEST!!!"
The dragon, originally at 2500 Attack, swelled instantly under the radiance. Its scales shone brighter than diamonds, and its starlight breath transformed into a divine torrent capable of piercing heaven and earth.
[ATK: 2500 → 6200!]
"ROOOAR!!!"
The dragon's roar shook the heavens.
No longer a cry of defense, but the roar of absolute power. The massive beam of holy light surged forward against the thunder dragon's breath, tearing through the emerald lightning like a hot knife through butter and slamming directly into Titan's massive body.
BOOOOM!!!
The explosion illuminated the entire district. Titan's enormous body rapidly disintegrated within the torrent of light, letting out a piercing scream.
[Thunder Dragon, LP: 8000 → 5500]
The shockwave vaporized all the water around them, turning the area into a sea of white mist. When the light faded, only the proud dragon of light remained, standing tall… while the once-dominant lord of thunder had been reduced to nothing.
The Thunder Dragon's turn ends.
"Haa…"
Rikka took a deep breath. Rain slid down her cheeks, unable to conceal the blazing fighting spirit in her eyes.
"My turn—draw!"
She glanced at the card she had drawn, and the corner of her lips lifted.
That was destiny's answer.
"I Normal Summon the [Starry Knight Rayel] I just recovered!
"I activate its first effect: When this card is Normal Summoned, add one 'Starry Knight' Spell or Trap from my Deck to my hand. The one I add is—the Field Spell [Starry Knight Sky]!"
As Rayel descended onto the field once more, the Field Spell, radiating a gentle night glow, was slammed into the Field Zone.
In an instant, the storm-filled sky above the spire was torn open, forming a massive void. Though torrential rain still poured around them, within this dueling domain, a brilliant starry sky appeared. Countless starlights descended, illuminating the sinister spire like a sacred temple.
"I activate the first effect of Starry Knight Sky! While this card is in the Field Zone, I can perform one additional Normal Summon of a 'Starry Knight' monster or a Level 7 LIGHT Dragon monster during my Main Phase!"
"Come forth! With the stars as witness, I summon my companion as well!"
The final monster card in Rikka's hand began to glow.
"I summon [Starry Knight Flamel] in Attack Position!"
With a flash of light, the red-armored knight Flamel stepped out from the starlight, standing alongside Rayel and the Starry Dragon.
At this moment, Rikka's field was a complete Starry Knight force.
Starry Night, Starry Dragon (ATK 2500), Starry Knight Rayel (ATK 1800), Starry Knight Flamel (ATK 1500).
Total Attack: 5800.
And the Thunder Dragon's Life Points:
5500.
"This is… the final blow!"
Rikka swung her arm forward. Her oversized coat fluttered under the starlight like a valkyrie commanding an army.
"Battle Phase! All units—direct attack!!!"
"Starry Burst Stream!!!"
Three streams of light erupted at once, forming an unstoppable torrent that pierced straight through the empty field that had just lost the protection of Thunder Dragon Titan. Under the impact of that pure radiance, the Thunder Dragon's form let out its final cry.
[Thunder Dragon, LP: 5500 → 0]
The duel was decided.
As its Life Points reached zero, the massive spirit's body began to fade rapidly.
It did not vanish like an ordinary projection; it looked deeply at Rikka, and in those golden slit pupils, the earlier ferocity was gone… replaced by a trace of… acknowledgment?
It let out a low cry, no longer harsh, but calm, almost like relief. Then it dissolved into countless emerald particles, rising into the sky and merging back into the dispersing storm clouds.
A card crackling with electricity slowly drifted down from above, landing in the pooled water before Rikka.
That was… the Normal Spell [Raigeki].
"I… I won?"
Rikka stared at the card in disbelief. Her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the ground. The adrenaline that had been sustaining her was rapidly fading, replaced by overwhelming exhaustion.
Just as she was about to bend down to pick up the card—
BOOOOM!!!
A deafening explosion, far more terrifying than any thunder before, suddenly erupted from the very top of the spire.
The entire tower shook, as if something extremely unstable had gone out of control at its peak. A visible wave of dark purple energy burst outward like a hammer from the top, surging wildly down along the tower's structure.
"What?!"
Before Rikka could react, the terrifying shockwave was already upon her.
That kind of power was far beyond what she could withstand now. Like a dry leaf, she was flung into the air, losing all balance as her body was hurled backward toward the rubble.
"AHHH!"
The girl's uncontrolled cry rang out, especially helpless in the stormy night.
...
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