The ultimate demon bearing the name of an angel—Armityle the Chaos Phantasm—was just like the great black-and-white angel Miles and Luca had summoned in their first duel, a being with one half white and the other black.
Only this time, the clash of black and white had been pushed to its ultimate limit.
"Armityle the Chaos Phantasm, direct attack! — 'Rebirth Annihilation Wave!!'"
Its Attack Points surged to 10,000 in battle, drawn from the fused might of the three Sacred Beasts, their destructive energy condensed into a single devastating blast. The dimensional fabric of the royal capital warped under the pressure, thick mist pouring forth, unable to mask the chaos but instead sharpening its edge.
The duelists waking within the capital all froze in shock, staring in terror at the monstrous form linking heaven and earth.
"What the hell is that monster?!"
"Someone actually fought against that thing while we were unconscious?"
"Who could it be?"
Kevin and Deion, regaining awareness, locked eyes at once.
"It must be them… yes, it can only be them!"
Luca's twisted expression warped further as her gaze fixed on Armityle's blast.
"This strike is my irreplaceable feeling for you, Aisha, Miles! In this Shadow Game not even a shred of DNA will remain—your souls will be annihilated! Then hand over the Millennium Puzzle!"
Her goal was clear: the Millennium Items. Her methods, merciless. With a 10,000-Attack Armityle, she unleashed a lethal strike against Miles, whose field and hand were both empty.
Aisha cried out, "Miles, what should we do?!"
"…"
For once, Miles did not answer her. Forced into this prolonged duel, he hadn't even reached his own Draw Phase yet. If he'd only had a Kuriboh in hand, there might've been a chance.
However, fate had denied him even that.
"To be knocked out without even drawing… that's just too bitter!"
The girl's emerald eyes fixed on the incoming 'Rebirth Annihilation Wave.' Even Miles, who had resigned himself to elimination, suddenly found a hero's back before him. It was the first HERO he had ever fused himself with upon entering this world.
At the moment of attack declaration, Ren lifted her hand with resolve and flipped her set card.
"Trap Card activate—Staunch Defender!"
[Activate only when your opponent declares an attack. Select 1 face-up monster you control; this turn, your opponent can only target that monster for attacks, and must attack it with all face-up Attack Position monsters.]
"I choose my Elemental HERO Flame Wingman! This turn, Armityle can only attack him!"
"Ren! You…"
Miles' emerald eyes widened in disbelief at the red-haired girl. The result of Ren's move was obvious: Staunch Defender, activated now, was a card that dragged certain death onto herself.
"Every time it's you protecting me, Miles… This time, it's finally my turn to protect you!"
Her smile held no trace of fear, only satisfaction in the fire of a HERO's resolve.
"A HERO who can't protect the one most important to them—what kind of HERO is that? Show our will one last time, Flame Wingman!"
Responding to her wish, Flame Wingman, though hopelessly outmatched, cloaked himself in fire and charged the chaotic blast without hesitation.
Luca snarled, "Courting death, are you?! Then in this Shadow Game, take 7,900 battle damage with you!"
"AAAAAAH!"
The ultimate chaos detonated, tearing through Ren's body with searing pain. Even short of Armityle's 10,000 maximum, the strike was enough to shatter a duelist's soul.
[Ren Austin, LP: 500 → 0]
Her crimson eyes dimmed, her strength fled, and her body collapsed.
"Ren-chan!"
"Ren!"
"I'll leave the rest… to you…"
With her last strength, Ren pointed toward her final face-down card.
"Use this card to summon our HERO… You must win, Miles."
Ren Austin fell, but in her last moment, just as Luca had inherited the Sacred Beasts from Locke and Reigun, she entrusted her graveyard and her final set card to Miles.
"This card!" Miles, as a fellow HERO duelist, understood at once and promised, "Leave it to me, Ren."
Luca's vile laughter cut through, further goading Miles and Kaima. "Heh, one down already—though she did it to herself."
"Unforgivable, Luca Slint!" Kaima's furious cry shook the air, her Deep-Eyes White Dragon shining even brighter.
"Oh? What will you do with that dragon? Then watch Armityle snuff out your last hope!"
With Battle Phase ended, Luca raised her hand. "Armityle's effect—during my Main Phase, I can give control of this card to my opponent. The monster is yours, Kaima."
The Sacred Beast vanished into the mist on Luca's field, only to reappear looming over Kaima.
"What?! You willingly gave up control of your fusion of the Sacred Beasts?"
Armityle's overwhelming force was undeniable. Yet Luca had handed it away.
"I gave it to you—though can you bear it, Kaima Seth?"
Luca's pale blue eyes fixed coldly across the field. "My turn ends."
At once, Armityle roared under Kaima's control. Black mist spewed from its seams, devouring even her dragon.
"At the End Phase of the turn Armityle changes control, it banishes all monsters on its controller's field except itself!"
The black fog consumed Deep-Eyes White Dragon, leaving no trace.
Luca sneered, "See? You can't win Armityle's favor, Kaima. When its effect resolves, it returns to my field."
Two turns of manipulation left Kaima without her dragon while Luca regained Armityle. "You!" she spat, teeth clenched.
Her fury sparked Spirit Eyes upon her arm. "My turn, draw! …Spell Card, Pot of Greed!"
Two cards drawn. Yet no salvation. Kaima could only set two cards and end her turn.
"Hahaha, pathetic!" Luca mocked. "Your Deck itself denies your rage. My turn, draw! Battle! Armityle, attack Aisha Carlos directly!"
Once again, 10,000 Attack thundered forth. Luca, consumed by hatred, still targeted Miles.
"—Rebirth Annihilation Wave!!"
"Trap activate!" This time, it was Kaima, revealing her set card.
"When you declare a direct attack, Trap Card—Krystal Avatar!"
[Activate only when your opponent's monster declares a direct attack and its ATK is greater than your LP. Special Summon this card as an Effect Monster (Warrior/LIGHT/Level 4/ATK ?/DEF 0) with ATK equal to your LP. Change the attack target to this card.]
"I'll turn my life into crystal's power to fight you, Luca Slint!"
[Kaima Seth, LP: 2000]
[Krystal Avatar, ATK: 2000]
The crystal avatar burst forth, brilliant and unyielding, rushing into Armityle's chaos.
Miles gasped, "Kaima, if you use that card, you'll—!"
"It doesn't matter!"
The clash meant 8,000 damage—more than even Ren had borne. The avatar shattered instantly, scattering crystal shards.
"When Krystal Avatar is destroyed, you take damage equal to its ATK, Luca!"
[Luca Slint, LP: 3800 → 1800]
Half her Life wiped away in one bite. Her sneer faltered.
Yet, Armityle's blast still dealt Kaima 8,000 damage.
[Kaima Seth, LP: 2000 → 0]
Her tall frame crumpled under the darkness. "Miles… you're our last hope… Summon it… the strongest dragon… will answer you…"
With her last breath, she pointed to her final set card before collapsing.
"Even Kaima…" Aisha's voice trembled. The invincible-seeming Kaima had fallen.
"I understand. Kaima, I'll carry your will too."
Miles' heart was calm now—beyond fury, beyond grief. Only resolve remained.
Luca covered her field with a new set card, laughing. "One by one, you throw your lives away. Disgusting 'sacrifice'—it's only a matter of who dies first. Turn end!"
She sneered. "Now only you two stay, Miles, Aisha. Bearers of Millennium Items are destined to clash in blood. From the moment we met at Fusion Academy, this fate was sealed."
Miles placed his fingertips on his Spirit Eyes Deck. The Millennium Puzzle shone with golden light, brighter than all of Luca's three Items combined.
"Then it's time to end this, Luca. The final turn!"
...
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