"Let the dragon's roar tear the underworld hell asunder—howl in the dark and bring the end!—Fusion Summon 'Dragon Necro Nether Soul Dragon'!"
[Dragon Necro Nether Soul Dragon] Level 8│DARK│Dragon/Fusion/Effect│3000 ATK/0 DEF
[Materials: 2 Zombie monsters]
The hellish fusion spiral surged from the darkness. A deathly dragon from the netherworld roared forth, rendering this deadland even more terrifying. Its materials were two Zombies—something only the Zombie 'Skull Servant' in Aisha's Deck could enable—an underworld-born Fusion.
Three streaks of darkness fell at once; the three from Fusion Academy unleashed tactics of darkness to crush darkness. An evil hero, a chaos ultimate dragon, and the dragon of the netherworld danced together. In that instant, the capital shrouded in black mist stepped one stride closer to the abyss.
"ROOAR—!"
Like a mass of sorrow and despair, 'Dragon Necro Nether Soul Dragon' spread its ominous wings within the Dark Game. From its undying fusion body seemed to seep a darkness capable of devouring even Sacred Beasts.
Aisha shivered, "What a terrifying monster… I can hardly believe Mr. Miles summoned it."
Dark Aisha's eyes sparkled, "It's insanely cool! That's how Fusion should be used, Miles!"
The two Aishas—holding completely different opinions—offered utterly opposite appraisals of the dark Fusion Miles had brought forth. Not that either could hear the other, so no catfights today.
This time, Miles took Dark Aisha's side. Dragon Necro—the undead fusion dragon born in hell—matched the cry from the depths of his soul, a curse powerful enough to tear the foe apart.
"An Undead Fusion, Dragon Necro Nether Soul Dragon? Livorden, famed for Fusion, truly has many curiosities." Darkness draws darkness—this death-bringing dragon upon the hellish scroll even drew Locke's attention.
"But frankly, with only 3000 Attack, that Fusion isn't enough to face my Sacred Beasts!"
"Enough or not, we'll know after the fight!" Miles gripped his cards, astride the nether dragon like a walker in hell. "Darkness from the underworld, strong enough to devour even Sacred Beasts—see it this turn! Battle!"
Entering Battle, Dragon Necro at 3000 Attack could only destroy the 'Phantasm Token'. Yet Miles ignored the three little whelps entirely.
"Battle target—the Sacred Beast on your field: Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!"
He chose a monster stronger than Dragon Necro.
"What are you thinking… are you mad, bearer of the Millennium Puzzle?!" With the Eye unable to read Dragon Necro, Locke couldn't pierce Miles's intent. Even by sight alone, ramming 3000 into 4000 was suicide.
"Don't think you can brute-force me! Counterattack, Hamon!"
Locke thrust his thick arm forward. The Sacred Beast's thunderous bombardment became the field's only 'LIGHT' strike—though drenched in malice.
"—Bolt of Lost Paradise!!"
"Heh. Got you." Seeing the counterattack, a sly smile tugged at Miles's lips.
"Dragon Necro's attack—Dragon Breath: Lament of Hades!!"
With a wingbeat, the nether dragon exhaled a light-devouring breath. At the clash, Hamon's thunder turned pitch-black—an ebon bolt.
"Useless! Not enough to overcome a Sacred Beast!" Locke roared, muscles swelling. "Crush that Fusion, Hamon!" By raw rules, 4000 overpowered 3000. The blackened thunder engulfed Miles's field.
[Aisha, LP: 4000 → 3000]
The real shock of 1000 damage in the Dark Game made Aisha's light body rock like a leaf in a storm. "It's only just begun!" Unlike her frail body, Miles—tempered by many Dark Games—was growing used to the real pain of darkness; his soul stood firm, enduring even Sacred Beast thunder.
"Oh? Not bad. You withstood Hamon's blow unmoved. Then take this as well—when it destroys a monster by battle, Hamon's effect!"
[When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the GY: Inflict 1000 damage to your opponent.]
"—Penance of Hell!"
A follow-up thunderstroke split the sky.
[Aisha, LP: 3000 → 2000]
"Is that all? Then it's my turn. Open your Millennium Eye and look closely!"
A nether soul spread across Miles's field—Dragon Necro's will, clinging to Hamon like a curse, dyeing the golden fiend as black as that bolt.
"Hamon, be taken by this lament from the abyss! Dragon Necro Nether Soul Dragon—effect, activate!"
[At the end of the Damage Step, if this card battled a monster: Make that monster's Attack become 0. (This effect applies even if this card is destroyed by that battle.)]
The nether soul drained Hamon's power, turning the 4000-Attack Sacred Beast into a 0-Attack stone husk—too weak to beat even Mokey Mokey.
[Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, ATK: 4000 → 0]
At the same time, the power stolen from Hamon condensed on Miles's field—a vast, jet-black Sacred Beast-like form. Darkness transferred—Dragon Necro's full effect.
[Then Special Summon to your field 1 "Dark Soul Token" (Zombie/DARK/Level ?/ATK ?/DEF 0) with the same original Level and Attack as that monster.]
"In the nether roar, even a Sacred Beast's power is mine! I Special Summon a 'Dark Soul Token' with the same Level and Attack as Hamon!"
[Dark Soul Token] Level 10│4000 ATK
Both Tokens—but Dragon Necro's creation was of Sacred Beast caliber, worlds apart from Raviel's.
"You… you absorbed a Sacred Beast's Attack? So that was your aim!"
Unable to read Dragon Necro's text, Locke finally understood. Even if Dragon Necro was destroyed, even if Miles suffered the extra 1000 from Hamon, he needed that lamenting breath.
The result: a 4000-Attack Dark Soul Token for Miles, and a hamstrung Hamon at 0. Because the Token was summoned during the Battle Phase, it could attack again—4000 against 0, a sure kill.
Aisha said, "Such a strong Fusion… scary, but I have to admit—fusing two Skull Servants into this is amazing!" The thought of adding a Dragon Necro line to her humble Fusion routes reminded her she really was a proud Fusion Academy student.
"Impossible!" Locke's massive body shuddered, muscles twitching. As Hamon's power was drained, he felt a third of his stolen life force ebb away. "My… my life!" His face twisted, the sunken Millennium Eye making it grotesque.
"Unforgivable—stealing the life I amassed! That is my life's pursuit—eternity! Unforgivable, bearer of the Millennium Puzzle!" Of all his taboos, only eternal life was inviolable.
"Finally angry? I've been waiting to see that face! Dueling without a bit of theatrics lacks soul!" Miles declared another Battle Phase attack with the Dark Soul Token. The abyssal soul, shaped like a giant black phantom, drew hell's thunder down upon the 0-Attack Hamon. One blow, and victory would be his.
"No one will take my eternal life—no one!!"
Locke slammed his palm forward and flipped his lone set card with earth-shaking force.
"—Trap Card, 'Draining Shield'!"
[When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Target the attacking monster; negate the attack, and if you do, gain LP equal to that monster's ATK.]
A shield intercepted the abyssal thunder, swallowing the Dark Soul Token's entire strike. "Negate your attack—and I recover 4000 Life!" He spread his arms to savor the Dark Game's restoration.
[Locke Slint, LP: 4000 → 8000]
"Tch." If not 'Rainbow Life', then 'Draining Shield'—all life-gain. Miles finally grasped how terrified this old man was of death; his Deck brimmed with LP boosts even in a duel.
With his rage eased by the recovery, Locke regained his chill. "A monster that turns power into its own—Dragon Necro exceeded my expectations. Still, you have no second chance. This duel is already mine!"
The Millennium Eye ran at full power, seeing clean through Miles's remaining three cards. No more 'hole card' tricks. His last three: 'Winged Kuriboh', the Spell 'Dark Factory of Mass Production', and the Trap 'Metaverse' to search a Field.
None could stop Raviel next turn. Even Winged Kuriboh couldn't. After 'Shimmering Scraper', Raviel would be at 8000; the 4000-Attack Token couldn't survive the ultimate Sacred Beast's nuke. And Winged Kuriboh only protects when it's destroyed—he could be ignored.
"I Set one card. Turn end!" As expected, Miles set 'Metaverse', leaving Winged Kuriboh in hand since it made no difference.
'I've won,' Locke exulted inwardly.
This time he would miss none of Miles's cards; his victory chance—100%.
...
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