"I Normal Summon in Attack Position—[Exosister Elis]!"
[Exosister Elis] Level 4│LIGHT│Spellcaster│500 ATK / 800 DEF
The bright, sunny girl who appeared as Korys's first monster bore a striking resemblance to her summoner.
"...Exosister?"
Miles fixed his gaze on the spirit monster materializing before him—its form indistinguishable from a real human—and something clicked in his memory.
The word "exorcism" referred to an ancient ritual meant to ward off evil spirits and calamity.
To "rescue and exorcise" implied purifying the wicked… and Miles vaguely remembered the "Exosister" archetype, centered around exorcist girls.
That said, as far as he recalled, Exosisters weren't part of the Synchro series.
So why was this archetype showing up here in the Synchro nation of the Axet Republic?
After completing her Normal Summon, Korys threw down another monster card from her hand.
"When I successfully Summon a Level 4 monster, I can Special Summon [Kagetokage] from my hand!"
[This card cannot be Normal Summoned. When you successfully Summon a Level 4 monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. This card cannot be used as Synchro Material.]
[Kagetokage] Level 4│DARK│Reptile│1100 ATK / 1500 DEF
A Level 4 monster that could Special Summon itself when another Level 4 appeared—but one whose effect specifically stated it couldn't be used as Synchro Material.
Now with two Level 4 monsters on her field, what came next was obvious.
This girl wasn't a Synchro user at all!
Miles still recalled the Exosisters' key mechanic—banishing or purging cards from the Graveyard, the "evil" they exorcised.
"—Quick-Play Spell activate, [Mask Change]!"
Flipping his Set card, Miles made his move before Korys could act.
[Target 1 "HERO" monster you control; send it to the Graveyard, and if you do, Special Summon 1 "Masked HERO" monster from your Extra Deck with the same Attribute as that monster.]
"I send [Elemental HERO Shadow Mist] from my field to the Graveyard for a Dark-Attribute Mask Change!"
Dark armor enveloped Shadow Mist's slender form, covering her completely in the next second.
"Come forth—[Masked HERO Dark Law]!"
[Masked HERO Dark Law] Level 6│DARK│Warrior/Fusion│2400 ATK / 1800 DEF
[Must be Special Summoned by the effect of "Mask Change."]
Dark Law—the infamous "friend HERO" of the HERO archetype.
When a HERO player summoned this card, it usually meant they genuinely wanted to "be friends."
"And when [Elemental HERO Shadow Mist] is sent to the Graveyard, her effect activates! I add 1 'HERO' monster from my Deck to my hand. I choose [Elemental HERO Honest Neos]!"
"A transformation? So your HEROes can change forms too!"
Korys's eyes sparkled even brighter—so bright, in fact, that Miles felt guilty for what his "friend HERO" was about to do.
Ren asked, "Miles, did she say 'transform' too? Does that mean—?"
Miles nodded, "Yeah. Exosisters' real power is transformation."
After all, you couldn't expect an ordinary-looking Level 4 girl like [Exosister Elis] to have much battle power.
"Let's begin, Ren! A battle between girls—here I come!"
Once again referencing "girls," the possibly-lesbian Korys swung her arm, and the radiance that followed was unmistakably Xyz energy.
"I overlay my two Level 4 monsters to perform an Xyz Transformation!"
Ren's eyes widened: "Wait, Korys uses Xyz Summoning too?!"
The four stars spun together, merging into a single radiant symbol that infused the card between Korys's fingers.
"Banish all evil, and shine with holy light—Exosister transformation, descend! Xyz Summon—[Exosister Mikailis]!"
[Exosister Mikailis] Rank 4│LIGHT│Warrior/Xyz│2500 ATK / 1800 DEF
[2 Level 4 monsters]
Now elevated to her Rank 4 Xyz form, Elis reappeared as a warrior maiden cloaked in white, brandishing a gleaming sword.
The Exosisters were like something straight out of an anime—ordinary girls by day, righteous champions by night.
Thinking about it, HEROes and Exosisters weren't so different: both hid their identities, both transformed, both fought for justice.
"Then let us, partners of justice both, duel with honor, Ren!"
With her Xyz Summon complete, Korys detached one material to activate its effect.
"I detach 1 material—[Kagetokage]—from [Exosister Mikailis] to activate her effect! I add 1 'Exosister' Spell or Trap from my Deck to my hand. I choose the Quick-Play Spell [Exosister Arment]!"
"Heh, just as planned," Miles smirked.
It was the perfect "information-gap" tactic—something only possible on the Spirit Continent, where duelists often had no idea what their opponent's effects were.
"Alright, Korys—let's duel fair and square! Go, Dark Law!"
As Korys added a card from her Deck to her hand, Dark Law suddenly moved.
In a flash of darkness, the masked hero appeared before Korys. Seeing the eerie mask so close made her flinch.
Albeit Dark Law didn't attack her. Instead, he silently extended a hand and plucked a random card right from Korys's grasp.
"Eh... huh?" Korys blinked, wide-eyed in confusion.
Then, to both Miles's and Ren's mild horror, Dark Law did something utterly over-the-top.
He threw the stolen card to the ground—then stomped on it several times for good measure.
[Once per turn, if your opponent adds a card(s) from their Deck to their hand, except during the Draw Phase: You can randomly banish 1 card from their hand.]
"Ah!" Korys gasped, stunned by the HERO's rude display.
Miles could only sigh. "As expected of you, Friend HERO."
The card's effect alone was brutal—but seeing it acted out in real life with that taunting flair somehow made it feel even more… personal.
...
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