"My turn."
Yusei drew his next card. Their Speed Counters were still even, neither had taken any damage yet.
When he saw the card in his hand, Yusei's eyes tightened with quiet determination.
He held it out and placed it onto his Duel Disk.
"When my opponent controls a monster and I control none, I can Special Summon this card as a Level 4 monster! Level Warrior!"
A red-armored fighter, styled like a sentai hero, leapt onto Yusei's field. A glowing star pulsed on his helmet, and a holographic star projection appeared above him.
Level Warrior – Level 3 / LIGHT / Warrior / ATK 300 / DEF 600
Level Warrior, Level 3 → 4.
"Next, I Normal Summon Bri Synchron!"
A green mechanical warrior with a turbine-like backpack materialized beside Level Warrior, sparks whirring across his arms.
Bri Synchron – Level 4 / Earth / Machine / Tuner / ATK 1500
"I tune my Level 4 Level Warrior with my Level 4 Bri Synchron!"
He raised his arm as golden rings of light encircled the field.
"The single ray that cuts through the starry sky, let the pulse of the soul echo across the world! Synchro Summon!"
"Stardust Dragon! Shine once more!"
Light flooded the dark track. Bursting from it, a radiant white dragon soared skyward, trailing a shower of stars—its body gleaming even brighter than before.
Stardust Spark Dragon – Level 8 / Light/ Dragon / ATK 2500
"When Bri Synchron is used as Synchro Material, the Synchro Monster gains 600 ATK until the end of this turn, but its effects are negated."
ATK: 2500 → 3100
"Battle! Stardust Spark Dragon, attack Infernity Doom Archfiend!"
Stardust Spark Dragon spun in midair and dove, becoming a golden spiral of light that slammed through the Archfiend. Kalin didn't activate a single card, he had nothing left in his hand.
With a blast of radiance, Stardust Dragon's attack pierced through the dark flames, knocking Kalin's Duel Runner backward and hurling him into the violet fire surrounding the field.
The flames licked at his body, but Kalin only laughed wildly. "Ha ha ha ha! Yes! That's it! That's what I've been waiting for! Yusei! You struck first, beautifully done! Hahaha!"
Kalin LP: 4000 → 3100
Yusei frowned, then set a card. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."
Kalin's Turn
"My turn! Draw!" Kalin looked at his card, then smiled darkly. "Heh… tough luck for you, Yusei. I activate the Continuous Spell, Infernity Launcher!"
A massive cannon appeared on Kalin's Duel Runner, its barrel pointed at him.
"As long as this card remains on the field, once per turn, I can send 1 'Infernity' monster from my hand to the Graveyard."
"Discarding a monster?" Crow muttered.
Jack nodded grimly. "It makes sense. The Infernity Deck's entire strategy revolves around having no cards in hand. That Spell lets him dump his hand, and power up his monsters' effects to the limit."
Kalin's grin widened. "Oh, Jack, it's not just that. Infernity Launcher has another effect! When I have no cards in my hand, I can send it to the Graveyard to Special Summon up to two 'Infernity' monsters from my Graveyard!"
"What?!" Carly gasped.
"That's incredible!" Crow shouted.
"Even Monster Reborn can only revive one monster," Jack muttered. "That card's broken…"
Kalin thrust his hand forward. "I send Infernity Launcher to the Graveyard! I Special Summon Infernity Sage and Infernity Doom Archfiend!"
Both monsters burst from twin pillars of crimson flame beside him.
"I activate Infernity Doom Archfiend's effect! I target Stardust Dragon, its effect is negated!"
"Then I activate Stardust's ability!" Yusei shot back. "Once per turn, I can target one face-up card I control; it can't be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn. This effect can also activate during your opponent's turn!"
"Heh-then I'll chain my Trap Card!" Kalin laughed, flipping a card open. "Infernity Suppression!
"When I control an 'Infernity' monster and my opponent activates a monster effect, negate it! And then, you take damage equal to that monster's Level times 100!"
Carly gasped. "That's the card he set last turn!"
Jack clenched his fists. "Exactly. If Yusei's Stardust can't activate, he can't protect himself!"
But Yusei didn't panic. "Trap activate, Damage Polarizer!"
"What?!" Kalin's eyes widened.
"When an effect would inflict damage, Damage Polarizer negates and destroys that effect, and then both players draw one card!"
A radiant energy barrier appeared in front of Stardust Spark Dragon, splitting the incoming flames apart and scattering them into sparks.
"Beautiful!" Crow cheered.
"Classic Yusei," Jack said, nodding.
Carly blinked. "Wait, what's so special about that card?"
Jack explained quickly. "Yusei's realized that Kalin's Infernity Deck is strongest when he has no cards in hand. Damage Polarizer not only blocks the damage, it forces both players to draw a card, ruining Kalin's setup!"
Kalin growled as his Trap fizzled out. "Tch…"
Both Duelists drew.
Kalin looked at his new card. He smirked faintly. "Heh… interesting."
Yusei glanced at his own draw and exhaled. "Good."
Kalin smirked again. "If I can't win through effects, then I'll win through battle!
I tune my Level 2 Infernity Sage with my Level 6 Infernity Doom Archfiend!"
The fiends' bodies burst into black stars. Lightning ripped through the field, and countless eyes opened within the darkness.
"When the curtain of darkness falls, the eyes of the underworld awaken!
Synchro Summon! Rise, Hundred-Eyes Dragon!"
His Dark Signer mark flared crimson as the twisted dragon with eyes covering every inch of its body emerged, circling the track alongside his D-Wheel.
Hundred-Eyes Dragon – Level 8 / DARK / Dragon / ATK 3000 / DEF 2500
"Three thousand attack points?!" Crow exclaimed.
Jack narrowed his eyes. "Same as Red Dragon Archfiend. That's his ace monster."
Kalin sneered. "Don't blink, Yusei. Witness the power I gained for revenge!
Hundred-Eyes Dragon's effect, this card gains the effects of all DARK monsters in my Graveyard!"
"What?!" Yusei gasped.
Everyone watching went silent in shock.
"That's insane."
"All of them?"
Shinji's jaw dropped. "Unbelievable! If it can copy every DARK monster's power, then Mr. Kalin's unstoppable, he'll become the One God himself!"
Even Hikaru felt his heart skip. 'Hundred-Eyes Dragon… it really kept its original anime effect. There's no Dark Synchro energy in this world, and yet it appeared exactly as in the original battle, one of the strongest effects ever printed.'
Kalin raised a hand. "I'll make you taste despair, Yusei! Feel fear itself, and live forever in it, traitor!"
Behind his visor, Yusei's expression stayed unreadable.
"You're right, Hundred-Eyes Dragon's ability is terrifying. But the effects of your Infernity monsters only work when your hand is empty. That means the only one it can copy right now is Infernity Doom Archfiend's effect."
He pointed forward. "And Stardust Spark Dragon already activated its ability, so it can't be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn."
Kalin barked a laugh. "Maybe not destroyed, but you'll still take battle damage!
Attack, Hundred-Eyes Dragon!"
Yusei flipped his set card. "Trap activate, Scrap Iron Scarecrow!When you declare an attack, that attack is negated! This card doesn't go to the Graveyard, it's reset face-down!"
A metal scarecrow appeared before Yusei's Runner, shielding him with its rusted arms and deflecting the dark dragon's strike.
"Nice! As long as he's got Scrap Iron Scarecrow, even Hundred-Eyes Dragon can't touch him!" Crow cheered.
"Even in a moment this dangerous, he's still building tactics through card combos! Amazing!" Crow exclaimed.
"Heh… You've done well, Yusei," Kalin said, smirking darkly, "but you're still too naïve! Did you think I'd forget about Scrap Iron Scarecrow?
Infernity Doom Archfiend's effect, when it's used as Synchro Material for a DARK Synchro Monster, that monster can attack up to twice during the Battle Phase!"
He pointed toward Yusei's dragon. "Hundred-Eyes Dragon, attack again!"
The countless eyes across the fiendish dragon's body snapped open one by one. A violet aura flared around it as it lunged, slamming its claw into Stardust Spark Dragon.
"Urrgh—!" Yusei cried out as the impact sent his Duel Runner crashing into the wall of purple fire. The infernal flames engulfed him, his jacket and the Runner's rear frame briefly catching fire.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Hahaha!" Kalin laughed wildly.
But the laughter froze. Yusei twisted his throttle, the D-Wheel's tires sparking as he raced along the wall itself, bursting free from the flames in a blazing spin before landing back on the track.
Kalin's grin fell into stunned silence. Yusei… this guy…
Yusei LP: 4000 → 3500
"Tch. How boring. That didn't satisfy me at all. I end my turn."
Yusei's Turn
"My turn!" Yusei roared, accelerating through the violet fire once more, his Runner surging alongside Kalin's. Sparks scattered in the wake of his wheels as he drew his next card.
"Kalin! Ever since you died, I've been asking myself what went wrong with our world!"
"Huh?"
"I've met so many people in Satellite, seen so much pain and struggle. Jack and I even turned against each other for a time. I met Duelists from another dimension, and from them I learned how broken our world really is.
If things had been even a little better… maybe what happened to you would never have happened."
"What are you talking about, Yusei?" Kalin frowned. He could feel that the man before him was no longer the same friend he once knew, the Yusei standing there was evolving into someone he couldn't predict… someone he couldn't understand.
"I want to build a world," Yusei said quietly, "where everyone can truly understand one another, a world where people can connect, no matter who they are."
Kalin's eyes widened. "You mean… that's what made you a Signer?"
"No." Yusei shook his head. "I became one because I chose to keep fighting."
He raised his arm. "I activate Stardust Spark Dragon's effect! Once per turn, I can target one face-up card I control, it can't be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn!
Then I play the Quick-Play Spell, Cosmic Flare!"
"Cosmic Flare!?" Crow shouted.
"It targets one 'Stardust' Synchro Monster I control," Yusei explained. "When that monster battles this turn, at the start of the Damage Steps, its opponent's monster is shuffled back into the Deck!"
"Oh! So that lets him beat a stronger monster without destroying it!" Crow realized, cheering.
"Damn it… Come on, Mr. Kalin!" Shinji yelled from the crowd.
"Battle!" Yusei called out. "Stardust Spark Dragon, attack Hundred-Eyes Dragon!"
Kalin smirked. "I'll admit it, Yusei, you've impressed me. But that's still not enough! Trap activate, Yellow Alert!
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: I Special Summon one monster from my hand. While it's face-up on the field, you can't target other monsters for attacks. That monster returns to my hand at the end of the Battle Phase!
I Special Summon-Infernity Destroyer!"
A blazing fiend appeared beside the dragon, flames crackling around its fists.
Infernity Destroyer – Level 6 / DARK / Fiend / ATK 2300 / DEF 1000
Carly gasped. "He Special Summoned a monster from his hand… to make his hand count zero again!"
"Smart," Yusei admitted quietly. He lowered his hand. "Attack canceled. I end my Battle Phase."
"I see, trying to let my monster return to my hand so Hundred-Eyes Dragon can't copy its effect, huh?" Kalin sneered. "Pathetic! You play it safe, and you call yourself a savior?
Hahaha! You can't even save yourself!"
Yusei's pupils narrowed.
He remembered, years ago, during one of their old gang battles, someone had pushed him off a building. He'd been falling… until Kalin had risked his own life to grab him. Yusei had already accepted dying that day, but Kalin had refused to let go, shouting that they were comrades.
Now, Yusei stayed silent as Kalin drew his next card.
Kalin's Turn
"My turn! Draw!" Kalin's laughter grew harsher. "Ha-ha-ha! Looks like it's all over, Yusei!
I activate the Continuous Spell, Wave‑Motion Inferno!
As long as I have no cards in hand, all my face-up 'Infernity' monsters gain 400 ATK and DEF.
But that's not the important part. I can also send this card from the field to the Graveyard, and then send all cards in my hand to the Graveyard!"
Everyone watching went wide-eyed. They all realized at once what that meant.
The countless eyes across Hundred-Eyes Dragon began to glow with a sinister violet light.
"Battle time, Yusei-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Kalin shouted, pointing forward.
"Hundred-Eyes Dragon, attack Stardust Spark Dragon!"
Yusei's voice stayed firm.
"Then I activate Stardust Spark Dragon's effect! Once per turn, I can protect one face-up card I control, it can't be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn!"
Kalin only grinned wider.
"Go ahead, doesn't matter! Activate the effect Hundred-Eyes Dragon gained from Infernity Beast!
When this card attacks, your opponent can't activate any Spells or Traps!"
The dragon's eyes flared like a storm of purple suns. Stardust Spark Dragon was caught in its burning gaze, its white armor smoking under the darkness.
Yusei LP: 3500 → 2500
Jack clenched his fists. "Why'd he lose 1000 Life Points?!"
Kalin laughed maniacally.
"Because Hundred-Eyes Dragon also inherited Infernity Doom Archfiend's power!
When my hand is empty, any battle damage it deals is doubled! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
Yusei's Duel Runner swerved violently, nearly spinning out.
"What's wrong, Yusei? Already losing control? Don't disappoint me, remember, a DARK Synchro made with Infernity Doom Archfiend can attack twice per turn!
Now go, Hundred-Eyes Dragon! Tear him apart!"
The dragon dove again, its claws raking across Stardust Spark Dragon. The impact hurled Yusei across the track like a top, crashing him into the flaming barrier.
Yusei LP: 2500 → 1500
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! And by the way, thanks to Infernity Guardian's effect, as long as my hand is empty, my monster can't be destroyed by battle or card effects!"
Kalin's assault pressed on relentlessly, his voice cracking with manic satisfaction. But when Yusei's Duel Runner burst out from the flames again, charred, but still racing forward, Kalin's smirk faltered.
Those eyes beneath the visor… that unyielding glare shocked him.
"End my turn," Kalin muttered.
Yusei's Turn
"My turn, draw!"
His jacket was torn, purple fire still licking along his arm. His whole body trembled from the shock, but his eyes stayed sharp.
"From my Graveyard, I banish Rush Warrior!" Yusei announced."Then I target 1 'Synchron' monster in my Graveyard and add it to my hand, I return Junk Synchron!"
He slipped the card into his hand, then raised another.
"I play the Spell Card, Cards of Consonance!
I draw two cards, then discard one."
He drew swiftly, then sent Junk Synchron back to the Graveyard. His visor glinted. "I see it… the path is open."
"I activate the Continuous Trap, Lucky Punch!
Whenever my monster inflicts battle damage, I draw one card. If the card I draw is a Trap, this card is destroyed, and I can immediately activate that Trap!"
Kalin narrowed his eyes. "But you'll need to deal damage first."
Yusei raised another card. "Then I Normal Summon, Top Runner!"
A sleek, red-plated runner droid burst onto the track.
Top Runner– Level 4 / WIND / Machine / ATK 1100
"While Top Runner is on my field, all my Synchro Monsters gain 600 ATK!"
Stardust Spark Dragon ATK: 2500 → 3100
"3100… more than Hundred-Eyes Dragon!" Jack shouted."Nice work, Yusei!" Crow cheered.
"Battle!" Yusei commanded.
"Stardust Spark Dragon, attack Hundred-Eyes Dragon! Shining Impact!"
A burst of gold light engulfed the purple dragon.
Kalin LP: 3100 → 3000
Kalin laughed through the shock. "Heh, thanks to Infernity Guardian, Hundred-Eyes Dragon isn't destroyed by battle!"
Yusei pointed ahead. "Then Lucky Punch activates! I draw one card!"
He drew, eyes widening.
"Perfect."
"Since the drawn card was a Trap, Lucky Punch is destroyed, and I activate that Trap immediately, Miracle Locus!
I target one face-up monster I control; you draw one card.Until the end of this turn, that monster gains 1000 ATK and can attack twice!"
Crow's eyes widened. "That card! It's been years since I've seen it."
Kalin snorted, drawing one card from his deck. "Heh. You made me draw… now I've got a card in my hand!"
Yusei thrust his hand forward. "Even so, Stardust Spark Dragon, attack again!"
Stardust Spark Dragon cut through the storm, riding the wind and starlight as it plunged downward, piercing straight through Hundred-Eyes Dragon!
Kalin LP: 3000 → 1900
"Hundred-Eyes Dragon's effect activates!" Kalin snapped, his grin twisting.
"When this card's destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can add 1 card from my Deck to my hand!"
Crow's jaw dropped. "He still gets to search? That's insane!"
"I'll add Earthbound Geoglyph to my hand," Kalin declared.
Yusei's visor glinted. "Top Runner, attack directly!"His voice cracked into a shout that echoed over the roar of the engines.
"Kalin, remember who you are! Remember our bond!"
"Bond?" Kalin's eyes widened, then filled with fury.
"My only bond… is with Dueling itself! I'll never believe your words, traitor!"
He slammed a card into his Duel Disk.
"I activate my Trap, Offerings to the Immortal!
When my Life Points are 3000 or less and you declare an attack, your attack is negated! Then, I Special Summon two 'Offering Tokens', and I can add one 'Earthbound Immortal' card from my Deck to my hand!"
Yusei's eyes widened. "What?!"
"I add Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu!"
Hikaru Amagi watched as the glowing Earthbound Geoglyph spread across the ground, pulsing with an eerie blue light. He glanced down at his left hand, his Sign had begun to resonate.
For a fleeting moment, it looked as though he and Kalin were connected, as if some strange, invisible bond linked them together against the Dragon Signers.
Wait...!
In a sudden flash of realization, Hikaru's eyes widened. He finally understood what had felt off all this time.
Why had Yusei seemed so strange throughout this duel? Now he saw it, Yusei's Dragon Mark hadn't lit up once.In contrast, Jack's mark had already begun to glow brightly.
"My turn!" Kalin shouted. "Draw I activate the Field Spell, Earthbound Geoglyph!"
The ground erupted with a blinding crimson pattern that stretched high into the sky, mirrored like a reflection between the heavens and the earth.
From both the Lower City and the Upper City, countless people looked up in horror at the massive, terrifying sigil burning across the skyline.
"So… it begins," murmured Rex Goodwin, his hands folded calmly behind his back as he gazed upon the unfolding chaos.
Above the city, a massive stone heart pulsed in midair, beating slowly.
Thump... thump...
"I release the two Tokens on my field as Tributes!" Kalin roared."Now, Tribute Summon! Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu!"
In that instant, countless points of light began rising into the air. Shinji stared in disbelief as he realized what they were, souls.Not just any souls, but the spirits of the living, Security officers, and even familiar faces from the Resistance.
"What's happening!?" he gasped.
Crow's voice broke through the static of the Duel Runner comms.
"Those lights, aren't they the people who used Earthbound Geoglyph!?"
"What?" Shinji shouted, horrified.
"They're sacrifices," Hikaru said quietly beside them. "The Earthbound Gods demand souls, human life itself, to awaken."
Shinji froze. Among the drifting lights, he saw a resistance fighter he'd fought beside earlier that very day. His heart twisted painfully.
"D-Damn it... but... this is a necessary sacrifice!" he said through gritted teeth, forcing himself not to look at them.
"Kalin, what are you doing!?" Yusei shouted across the roaring Duel Runner engines.
Kalin's laugh echoed wildly through the night.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! I should thank you, Yusei! It was thanks to your duel, your Draw, and the destruction of Hundred-Eyes Dragon that I gathered everything I needed!
Now, let me show you... the power of a true GOD!"
The earth cracked open.
From the depths, a massive stone titan began to rise, its body wreathed in blue flames. The giant's form towered over the skyline, larger than the highest towers of the Upper City, its gaze casting shadow over the world below.
Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu
Level 10 / DARK / Fiend / ATK 3000
Carly trembled, clutching her microphone. "That thing... it's as strong as Red Dragon Archfiend!"
Kiryu thrust his arm forward. "Ccapac Apu, attack!"
"Trap Card, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" Yusei countered.
Kiryu's laughter cut through the wind. "Useless! Earthbound Immortals are unaffected by Spells and Traps!"
"Then I'll counterattack, Stardust! Top Runner! Go!"
The two monsters rushed in unison, but passed straight through Ccapac Apu's massive palm like phantoms.
"What the?!" Jack shouted.
Kalin's grin widened. "Earthbound Gods can attack directly! You're finished, Yusei!"
The giant's palm descended like a thunderclap.
BOOM!
An enormous blue explosion shook the field, a blazing mushroom cloud rising skyward.
Kalin's laughter echoed through the chaos, until it stopped."Huh?"
As the smoke cleared, Yusei emerged, battered but unharmed.
"What--how!?"
Yusei held up a single card.
"I discarded Swift Scarecrow!
When your monster declares a direct attack, I can discard this card to negate that attack — and end the Battle Phase!"
Kiryu scowled. "Tch... still playing your little tricks, huh?
It doesn't matter! Ccapac Apu can't be targeted for attacks!And while he's on the field, you can't attack directly either!
You're finished, Yusei!"
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Looks like this world's coming to an end, Yusei! So tell me, how should I rebuild it once I become the messenger of the One God? Hmm… yes, I'll erase the merchants, the money, all of it. Only Duelists will remain! Hahahaha!"
Yusei lowered his gaze to the cards still in his left hand, the ones he hadn't played. For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then quietly, he spoke.
"No."
Kalin's grin faltered. "Huh?"
"I said no," Yusei repeated firmly. "There's still a chance, there's always a chance. I don't believe hope can be extinguished. And I won't accept a world destined only for destruction."
Kalin narrowed his eyes, the flames of the Earthbound God flickering behind him.
Yusei closed his eyes for an instant, and in his mind, he was back there again.
That blinding white world.
That dead, silent wasteland where even breathing had vanished.
'The battle between gods repeats without end. Have you truly chosen a side?'
'Positive or negative, does it matter? Humanity's fate is the same.'
'Hope cannot exist, unless Synchro itself is erased from the beginning.'
Yusei's eyes snapped open.
"No!"
The storm of fire and the crushing pressure of Ccapac Apu's breath tore at his body.
Cracks spider-webbed across his visor, then, with a sharp snap, the helmet split apart, revealing his face at last.
"Yusei!?" Jack and Crow cried out in unison.
"Oh my god, his face…!" Carly gasped, covering her mouth.
"What is this…?" Hikaru whispered, eyes wide with shock.
Even Kalin froze, forgetting his rage for a moment.
"Yusei… what happened to you?"
The right side of Yusei's face looked as if it were being devoured by something unnatural. Black static shimmered across his skin, no, not smoke… numbers, fracturing and twisting like digital code.
It was as if he were infected by some cybernetic god, the corruption spreading in chaotic tendrils.
No wonder he had avoided public appearances.
No wonder he had never once removed his helmet until now.
Yusei took a shuddering breath but smiled faintly.
"It's fine. Just side-effects… a symptom of incompatibility with the Artificial God Project."
He lifted his Duel Disk again, his eyes burning with resolve.
"Kalin, I still believe in you. Deep down, you're still our comrade!
I believe that if everyone, every person, faces this together, we can fix the fate of our world!
If Hikaru could once declare that Fusion is the noblest form of summoning, then we shouldn't fear the power of Synchro, we should embrace it!"
Kalin's expression darkened. "What are you talking about…?"
Yusei's voice rose, clear and steady despite the pain wracking his body.
"What I'm saying is… I'm sorry, Kalin."
He looked down at his new card.
"Draw. I activate the Spell Card—Shallow Grave!"
Carly blinked in confusion. "That card… it lets both players Special Summon monsters!?"
Crow's jaw tightened. "He's still trying to reach him…"
"You…" Kalin's voice trembled as he stared at his old friend.
"I know your pain, Kalin. I know you've faced death… and I know you don't believe in me anymore. But that doesn't matter!"
He raised his Duel Disk, the energy sparking wildly around his right arm.
"I'll make you believe, through this Duel! I'll show you my resolve with Draw, and by bringing your monsters back to life!"
"The effect of Shallow Grave activates! Both players choose one monster from their Graveyard and Set it on their field!"
"I choose… Stardust Spark Dragon!"
Kalin smirked. "Then I choose Hundred-Eyes Dragon!"
"Now," Yusei declared, "I release the face-down Stardust Spark Dragon on my field, and the Stardust Spark Dragon already on the field!"
"What!?" the spectators gasped.
"Release!?"
"Huh, two Stardusts!?" Shinji blurted out.
Hikaru Amagi's eyes widened in disbelief.
Both dragons shimmered and dissolved into motes of starlight, their forms ascending skyward.
Yusei lifted his hand, where a flame ignited between his fingers, burning hotter and brighter until it became a radiant sphere of fire.
He hurled it into the air.
Within the flame, a human visage appeared, gazing through a mirror upon the world below. It smiled, a gentle, sorrowful smile, before splitting apart into light.
Mechanical arms unfolded. Wings of holy metal spread open. A radiant being descended from the heavens.
"Normal Summon—Timelord Metaion!"
Timelord Metaion — Level 10 / FIRE / Fairy / ATK 0
The very card Yusei had carried since the start of the duel, the one he had sworn never to use.
"Zzzzt—!"
Sparks exploded across his visor. Yusei clutched his right eye as the synthetic circuitry beneath his skin flared, scorching him.
The acrid scent of burning metal filled the air.
And then Kalin finally understood, why Yusei hadn't flinched, even when struck by Hundred-Eyes Dragon or Ccapac Apu.
Because Yusei… was already used to pain.
"But Metaion's ATK is zero!" Crow cried.
"It's fine," Yusei said, his voice steady. "Metaion, attack Hundred-Eyes Dragon!"
"Are you insane!?" Jack shouted. "Hundred-Eyes has 2500 DEF! You'll lose the Duel!"
"Timelord monsters take no battle damage."
Metaion calmly raised its hands, gathering a small sphere of fire. With a flick, it struck the opposing monster and hovered silently, its gaze shifting toward the towering Earthbound God.
"What… what's the point of this?" Kalin muttered, bewildered.
Then the air itself began to glow.
A holy light slowly overtook the massive Earthbound sigil in the sky. Without realizing it, everyone saw the darkness begin to fade.
"Metaion's effect activates!" Yusei shouted, voice rising over the engines' roar.
"At the end of the Battle Phase in which this card battled, return all other monsters on the field to their owners' hands! Then, inflict 300 damage to your opponent for each card returned!"
"!!"
"Yes!" Carly exclaimed, pumping her fist. "That'll get rid of both Hundred-Eyes Dragon and the Earthbound God!"
She turned excitedly toward Jack, expecting one of his confident remarks.
But he wasn't smiling. He was staring at the ground, silent, stunned.
Crow's helmet slipped from his fingers and clattered against the track, but he didn't even notice.
At that moment, they all understood.
Yusei Fudo, the man they had always known as a Signer of the Crimson Dragon, had abandoned that mark.
He was fighting now as a human.
He was seizing godlike power not for destiny, but for mankind itself.
And to do that… he had submitted himself to the Artificial God System.
Kalin said nothing. A few hundred life points meant nothing anymore.
He simply stared at Yusei, speechless.
The two divine entities clashed in midair: Metaion, the Timelord, and Ccapac Apu, the Earthbound God.
The world itself shook from their collision, light and darkness bursting outward in waves.
"Ugh-aaagh!"
Yusei's body convulsed under the energy overload, while Kalin felt the Earthbound God's wrath surge uncontrollably through his veins.
Zzzzt—BOOM!
Explosions erupted across the massive geoglyph etched into the city. The ground quaked. Flames spiraled into chaos.
Yusei's D-Wheel spun out of control and threw him violently to the ground.
Kalin fared no better, engulfed in searing violet fire as the Earthbound power backlashed against him.
"Hah!" Hikaru's eyes widened. He slammed down his own accelerator, vaulting off the edge to chase them both.
No one could have imagined that even now…the duel would end like this.
A "screw-pulling" conclusion, just like old times.
And only now did Hikaru finally understand why Yusei had reached out for his help.