"Miles, even with this card, there's no way to use the power of the Legendary Dragons, right?"
Through Miles's perspective, Aisha too gazed upon the card in his hand—a card that, in another sense, represented her very soul: Exchange.
It had triggered a dazzling draw animation like it was some Flash Draw, yet turned out to be utterly unusable.
For one very simple reason: the Headmaster had no cards in her hand. There was nothing to exchange.
"If it were just us, then yeah, this card would be useless. But we've got allies fighting alongside us."
Glancing at the Set card Ren had left behind last turn, Miles renewed his conviction in this final possibility.
This was the breakthrough he would bet on—as a Hero.
"This turn, I Normal Summon in Defense Position—Crowned by the World Chalice!"
[Crowned by the World Chalice] Level 2│WATER│Spellcaster│2100 DEF
The iron-plated priestess, completely lacking offensive power, materialized gently beneath rippling blue waves.
The Headmaster's eyes briefly flickered with surprise. "That card... So it's in your hands now, too. Looks like the girl who hosts you has a complicated history herself."
"Then I Set one card."
He had summoned the monster and Set the Spell Card he'd need this turn—clearly preparing for Exchange.
The final—and most crucial—step, the one that would determine whether he could reach the Legendary Dragons.
The card Ren had Set... was one only someone with absurdly good luck would include in their Deck.
"—I activate the Spell Card—Cup of Ace!"
[Toss a coin. If heads, draw 2 cards. If tails, you opponent draws 2 cards.]
A D-rank Spell Card. It had an effect comparable to Pot of Greed—but only if the coin landed heads. A 50% chance.
"Seriously now," the Headmaster grumbled, "I already let you draw five with Card of Sanctity, and that's still not enough? Don't you think you're being greedy?"
"I am greedy. Extremely greedy. That's why… I want that greed to be punished."
A gold coin flung into the air began to spin wildly. The sharp metallic clink echoed as it dropped to the ground.
Result: Tails.
Ren sighed. "So the card I left for Miles... failed?"
"No—it succeeded big time, Ren!"
Cup of Ace was D-rank for a reason.
"According to Cup of Ace's effect, my opponent gets to draw 2 cards from their Deck!"
"Wait a minute… what are you plotting?"
Normally, if your opponent failed a Cup of Ace and handed you free cards, you'd laugh your head off.
But this time... something felt off.
Especially with The Eye of Timaeus sitting atop her Deck—placed there with A Feather of the Phoenix just a moment ago.
"That counts as a success?" Kevin doubted. "You just let her redraw the Legendary Dragon."
"Exactly! That's what I wanted—to let her draw the Legendary Dragon back into her hand!"
They'd waited long enough. Aisha's soul card was already itching to act.
"—I activate the Spell Card Exchange! Both players reveal their hands and each selects 1 card from the other's hand to add to their own!"
They had done it—linked the Legendary Dragon through teamwork, Aisha and Ren working together.
Whether or not he was a true 'Hero'—that would be proven right now.
The Headmaster blinked twice in shock. "Exchange hands? You're not planning to—"
"Come on, let's trade!"
Thanks to Card of Sanctity, Miles still had 4 cards in hand: 3 copies of Mokey Mokey, and 1 Spell Card: Tri-Wight.
"Pick any you like. They're all 'great cards'."
They really were—at least for Aisha.
As for the Legendary Dragon Deck? Probably useless.
The Headmaster shrugged. "I'll take a Mokey Mokey. At least it's cuter."
"Then I'll take—The Eye of Timaeus!"
"So you really were planning that. However, I did warn you, Timaeus's power requires Dark Magician..."
As she was about to hand over the card, the one with no information—only a dragon's eye—was suddenly bathed in golden light.
"What's this? The seal on the Nameless Dragon is weakening? What a dramatic Duel this has turned out to be... Here, take it—the Legendary Dragon you wanted!"
The moment of exchange was accompanied by a draconic roar. The card that landed in Miles's hand was no longer a blank slate.
"Aisha, this card…"
"It's proof. Proof of legend and heroism. A dragon freed from its seal is reborn with its true name!"
"When the planet faces destruction, the three legendary knights are sealed as Nameless Dragons. A Hero is the one who can awaken them to save the world."
"As Nameless Dragons, they can fuse with all sorts of cards—but that's not their full power!"
Raising the gleaming golden card above his head, a dragon's roar—clearer and louder than anything heard in this Duel—erupted from the card.
"Seal release—Timaeus! Guided by the fate linked to the Millennium Puzzle, transcend time and space! I call upon you by your true name—awaken: Timaeus the United Dragon!"
The golden light melted into the card, and the Nameless Dragon's identity was finally revealed.
"Timaeus the United Dragon?"
Even the Headmaster had never seen this form before.
No longer a faceless card, but a true dragon with wings spread wide—Timaeus, awakened.
"He-he awakened? Miles, is this... our Legendary Dragon?!"
"Yeah. Let's show this Trial what Timaeus can really do."
The Eye of Timaeus, in its original form, could only fuse with Dark Magician. That said, Timaeus the United Dragon—this newly named form—opened up new possibilities.
"—I activate my Set Spell Card: Dark Factory of Mass Production!"
[Target 2 Normal Monsters in your Graveyard; add them to your hand.]
"I return Boo Koo and Elemental HERO Avian from my Graveyard to my hand!"
One had been fused with First of the Dragons, the other was material for Flame Wingman.
Ren gasped. "He even recovered my HERO? But Miles doesn't have Polymerization in hand, right?"
With Exchange having revealed all cards, Miles's remaining cards—three Mokey Mokey—were public knowledge.
No Polymerization. No support.
How could he possibly use Normal Monsters like this?
"Now! I activate Timaeus the United Dragon's effect! By sending 1 Spellcaster from my hand or field to the Graveyard, I Special Summon this card from my hand!"
Timaeus, now awakened, roared—no longer reliant on fusion with other cards.
"I send Boo Koo to the Graveyard! O, dragon burdened with the fate of saving the world, forge the path for this Hero! Special Summon—Timaeus the United Dragon!"
[Timaeus the United Dragon Level 8│LIGHT│Dragon│Effect│2800 ATK
Bathed in golden brilliance, the Legendary Dragon soared, displaying its true form for the first time.
"So Timaeus himself is a 2800 ATK monster... Didn't expect the Legendary Dragons to be used this way."
The Headmaster felt relieved she'd recovered 2000 LP last turn.
If she were still stuck at 200 LP, her Attack Position Dark Magician—with 2500 ATK—would've been obliterated.
Despite that, Blizzard Princess still matched Timaeus's ATK. A standoff.
"Heroic one!"
"That voice! It's the one I heard earlier—Timaeus's voice! See, Miles, I wasn't lying!"
'...No one said you were.'
This time, Miles heard it too—Timaeus's spirit resonating.
"Overcome this trial! You will be the light that protects this planet when darkness falls!"
"Just like the stories. Miles, you really are a Hero!"
"If you want me to break through—then lend me your power, Timaeus!"
"Gladly!"
In legend, only a Hero can wield a Legendary Dragon's full might.
"Unleash your boundless fusion power—Timaeus the United Dragon's effect activates!"
[During your Main Phase: You can send Fusion Materials listed on a Fusion Monster that includes a Spellcaster from your hand or field to the GY, then Fusion Summon that monster from your Extra Deck.]
"Fusion Materials, including a Spellcaster, huh!"
Even Timaeus's new fusion still required a Spellcaster.
Anyhow, that was much more flexible than needing Dark Magician. Even Aisha's ragtag Deck had plenty of Spellcasters.
"Ren, let's end this together!"
"Eh? Me too?!"
"I fuse my Spellcaster Crowned by the World Chalice with Elemental HERO Avian!"
Ren blinked. "Two Normal Monsters... again?"
"No—this is HERO fusion! A HERO plus a WATER monster!"
On Miles's field, Timaeus the United Dragon unfurled his radiant golden wings. Under his roar, the two monsters merged.
"Through Timaeus's power, awaken—the Hero deep within elemental waters! Freeze the land with pale fists! Fusion Summon—Elemental HERO Absolute Zero!"
[Elemental HERO Absolute Zero] Level 8│WATER│Warrior│Fusion│2500 ATK
The green hills of Ideal Land iced over, heralding the white-caped hero Absolute Zero.
"He used a Legendary Dragon to fuse a new HERO—Absolute Zero!"
Ren's eyes sparkled with excitement. She'd thought her Shining Flare Wingman brought her closer to Miles's HEROic path.
But now, with Timaeus's power, he revealed an even deeper possibility:
True elemental fusion.
"This is the final battle of the Trial!"
Miles crossed his arms, standing tall in Aisha's form, and declared the final stage.
"Break the stalemate! Absolute Zero, attack Dark Magician—Zero Instant Freeze!!'"
Despite Destruction Dragon being the weaker target, Miles chose to engage Dark Magician head-on.
Ice met dark sorcery. Equal ATK meant mutual destruction.
"Why that move, Miles?" Ren asked.
"To trigger the true effect of the HERO who freezes all—Absolute Zero!"
Miles roared the activation. Frost burst outward from Absolute Zero, instantly turning Ideal Land into a glacial wasteland.
Mountains, rivers, flora—everything froze in his final act.
Including the two monsters left on the Headmaster's field.
"When he goes down, he takes all enemy monsters with him!"
"Now there's nothing left to block the next hit! Timaeus, finish the Trial and claim victory!"
"Rrraaaagh!!"
Answering Miles's final call, Timaeus gathered stardust light into his maw.
"This is the path carved by the Hero and Legendary Dragon together! Direct Attack—Roar of Draco Star!!"
Bathed in golden starlight, the Headmaster saw only brilliance—and the next-gen Duelist standing tall within it.
"So that's it… the awakening of the Legendary Dragons and the changing of generations. What a beautiful Duel."
[Legendary Dragons (Controlled by Headmaster), LP: 2200 → 0]
"I've seen it—Fusion Academy's next generation. If it's you, I know you'll do it. Carry the Duelists' light and pride into a brighter future."
Setting down her Duel Disk, the Headmaster smiled like a mother watching her children grow.
The scenery shifted rapidly under the light of the final blow. When the trio came to, they were back at the Fusion Academy award ceremony.
Each of them still held their Legendary Dragon card from the treasure chest.
The audience's cheers remained deafening—as if time had truly paused. No one else seemed to realize a Trial Duel had even taken place.
"That felt like a dream."
Kevin flipped his card: The Fang of Critias, the Legendary Dragon-related card that fuses with Traps.
"Was it really a dream?"
Ren flipped hers: Claw of Hermos, which fuses with Warriors or Spellcasters into Equip Spells.
"No, it was real. All of it really happened."
Miles turned over his card—
The Legendary Dragon who had awakened its true form in the trial: Timaeus the United Dragon!
...
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