The First of the Dragons, fused from two Normal Monsters, was another ace hidden within Miles's Deck—used only once before in his Duel against the Pharaoh.
"Roar—!"
Weakling Fusion vs. Weakling Xyz.
The First Dragon, so massive it barely fit inside the sealed space, opened its enormous jaws and roared at the elegant [Sylvan Princessprite] on the opposite field.
"That dragon—wait, it can't be!"
Before Miles even completed his Fusion Summon, Nia had been thrilled just to see another Level 9 Fusion Monster beyond Arcana Knight Joker in Aisha Carlos's Deck.
A girl who lined up perfectly with her XP—Nia even began considering how to keep Aisha Carlos by her side forever.
But when the First Dragon finally appeared on the field, not only Nia, but Rovik and Kevin were equally stunned.
"That's the same dragon that appeared over the mountain that day!"
That was also during Miles's Duel with the Pharaoh—the clash between First of the Dragons and Dark Magician had shocked much of Fusion Academy.
Most students had watched from their dorm windows, and the first thing they saw was this titanic dragon looming like a mountain.
While the current sealed space limited its full size, the ancient might it radiated left such a deep impression on the students that Nia would bet her G-cup she wasn't wrong.
"Then... was it Aisha Carlos who dueled that day in the mountains?!"
Behind his golden-rimmed glasses, Rovik's pupils trembled at high frequency.
That Duel in the rear mountain had become legend—
First came the roar of an unknown dragon that shook the land, then a brilliant goddess lit up the night, and finally, Slifer the Sky Dragon descended from the heavens.
The Duelist who had fought in that battle was now regarded by some students as a chosen Duelist—a legend who had witnessed the gods.
And now, it turned out to be the former bottom-of-the-class girl.
"No wonder Aisha was so certain when she said she'd seen an Egyptian God Card! She meant Slifer the Sky Dragon!"
"Aisha Carlos... just how many secrets are you hiding?"
Kevin frowned. He thought the Duel against the Paradox Brothers had closed the distance between them.
Though now, watching her stand beneath the mighty First Dragon, Kevin once again felt how small and faraway she was—mysterious and untouchable.
"Battle! First of the Dragons, destroy her Xyz Monster!—'Primal Dragon Shockwave'!"
The First Dragon inhaled violently, then released a concussive blast strong enough to shake the entire underground.
As the ground trembled, Aisha's dark side barely managed to steady herself and flipped her Set card.
"—I activate the Trap Card: [Hallowed Life Barrier]!"
[Discard 1 card to activate. Monsters you control are not destroyed by battle this turn, and all damage becomes 0.]
"I discard [White Duston] from my hand to protect my life—activate the barrier!"
A blue shield flared up in front of dark Aisha and Princessprite, neutralizing the shockwave and restoring balance to the field.
"I won't be defeated by your Fusion. Fusion Academy, the place that expelled me, is still my enemy."
Aisha: "..."
Watching this twisted version of herself, shaped by despair, Aisha felt a deep discomfort.
Would she really have ended up this way if Miles hadn't appeared?
Truth and illusion were like paper—paper-thin, and easily pierced.
"No," Aisha resolved herself and spoke up. "Mr. Miles, can I take over this Duel?"
"Hm? You want to Duel now, Aisha? Then it really will be you vs. you."
"It's okay, Mr. Miles. Because of your protection, I was able to stay at Fusion Academy. I've always believed in you. But this time, rather than hiding behind you, I need to face myself."
"Nicely said," Miles smirked. "If you lose after all that, it'll be super embarrassing."
—Soul Exchange.
When Aisha opened her eyes again, she was back in her own body—and across from her stood herself.
"What just happened?" Kevin noticed the change instantly. "Even though it's still the same Duel, Aisha Carlos feels... different. Though her fighting spirit hasn't dimmed at all."
This was the first time Kevin had seen Aisha like this—a girl with quiet timidity and burning resolve coexisting.
"I won't lose. Not with you beside me. I won't lose to the version of me who had nothing!"
After blocking the First Dragon's attack, Aisha Set a card.
"I Set 1 card and end my turn. It's your move—my dark side!"
"You choose to face me directly, rather than hide? Someone like me, who's never felt warmth or hope, who bloomed in a greenhouse of suffering, has no chance of winning, huh? My turn, draw!"
She had barely protected her Xyz Monster last turn, but [Sylvan Princessprite] still paled in comparison to the Fusion-summoned First Dragon in raw power.
"This turn, I detach [Volcanic Rat], Princessprite's last Xyz Material, to activate her effect—reveal the top card of my Deck!"
Spell Card: [Gift of the Martyr]—eligible to be added to her hand.
"And with all her Xyz Materials gone, I now have three Level 1 monsters in my Graveyard. I activate the Spell Card I searched last turn: [Tri-Wight]!"
[Target 3 Level 2 or lower Normal Monsters in your Graveyard; Special Summon them.]
"I Special Summon [Mokey Mokey], [Volcanic Rat], and the [White Duston] I discarded last turn!"
[Mokey Mokey, ATK: 300]
[Volcanic Rat, ATK: 500]
[White Duston, ATK: 0]
Three Level 1 weaklings gathered—blocky tofu, flaming squirrel, and ghostly dust.
Dark Aisha swept her arm and overlaid all three cards in a single motion.
"With three Level 1 monsters, I build the overlay network! Rank 1 Xyz Summon!"
...
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