Miles' final draw was one of Emperor Quaedes's strongest cards—[Rank-Up-Magic - The Seventh One].
"It's actually… The Seventh One!"
Even though Zepha had fused with Numerounius Numerounia and become nothing more than a twisted face embedded within the god, he still reacted instinctively to that card.
Because in Quaedes's hands, that card was terrifying.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the reason Quaedes became the empire's strongest Duelist was largely due to the Chaos Xyz power of the Seven Emperors from No.101 to No.107.
Sylvia exclaimed in shock, "Miles is using the emperor's power of the Seven Emperors! Am I dreaming?"
"I see now… that's how that ring works!"
After observing closely, Aleister finally noticed the ring glowing with blue light on Miles and Aisha's fingers.
"The Emperor's Ring. The emperor was quite generous to hand over a legendary imperial artifact like that."
Just like the Republic Knight Emblem of the Republic of Axect, it was also a legendary national magical artifact.
The Emperor's Ring had been passed down through generations of imperial rulers. It broke the rule of the Spirit Continent that monster cards bound to a Duelist could not be traded. The ring allowed a portion of the emperor's power to be infused into it and inherited by the next emperor.
"For someone other than the emperor to obtain the Emperor's Ring… this should be the first time in history. Miles, Aisha—you two are truly incredible," Aleister said with admiration.
The power left in the ring by the previous emperor had already been inherited by Quaedes.
Which meant the power currently stored in the ring undoubtedly belonged to Quaedes herself—the emperor hailed as the strongest ruler in imperial history.
[Rank-Up-Magic - The Seventh One Spell Card effect: You can only use the effect of "Rank-Up-Magic - The Seventh One" once per Duel. During your Draw Phase, if this card was drawn for your normal draw, you can reveal it and activate it at the start of your Main Phase 1.]
A supreme Rank-Up Magic that could only be used once per Duel. On the surface of the card in Miles' fingers, seven chaotic sigils shimmered.
"I reveal the [Rank-Up-Magic - The Seventh One] I drew during my Draw Phase! At the start of Main Phase 1, I Special Summon from my Extra Deck one monster from 'No.101' to 'No.107'!"
The power of The Seventh One lay in its ability to freely wield the power of the Over-Hundred "Numbers."
Of course, wielding all the Over-Hundred powers was exclusive to Quaedes.
After all, the combined power of all the Over-Hundred "Numbers" was simply too vast. Even the legendary Emperor's Ring could not contain them all.
Normally, each emperor infused the ring with the power they used most often, to be called upon in emergencies.
That was why when Quaedes handed the ring to Miles, she said it contained the raging power of the ocean.
Within it resided Quaedes's most iconic Water Xyz monster.
"Then taste it yourself—the raging tides of the ocean that sweep away everything!"
Beneath the disaster-filled sky, the seven chaotic sigils of The Seventh One began to rotate, stirring massive roaring waves across the divine battlefield.
"Ark that carries the unsatisfied souls—rise from the abyss where even light cannot reach!—Number 101: Silent Honor ARK Knight!"
[Number 101: Silent Honor ARK Knight] Level 4│WATER│Aqua│2100 ATK
Quaedes's Water Xyz monster—a pure white ark that pierced through the raging waves—descended beneath the light of The Seventh One.
Immediately afterward, chaotic power surrounded the pure white ark of water. The final effect of The Seventh One's Rank-Up activated.
[Then, Special Summon from your Extra Deck a monster whose name includes "Chaos Number" with the same number as that monster by overlaying it on top of the monster you Special Summoned as an Xyz Summon.]
"Appear—Chaos Number 101! Guardian of unsatisfied souls, become the dark knight who shatters the light!—Silent Honor DARK Knight!"
[Number C101: Silent Honor DARK] Rank 5│WATER│Aqua│2800 ATK
Amid the raging waves, the pure white ark transformed through Chaos Rank-Up into a dark knight clad in jet-black armor, holding a blazing crimson spear, standing atop the crest of the waves.
During the final duel against Miles and Aisha, this was the Chaos Number 101 that Quaedes had once Xyz Summoned. It possessed the power to send an opponent's monster into the silent abyss without destroying it.
[Once per turn: You can target 1 Special Summoned monster your opponent controls; attach that monster to this card as Xyz Material.]
A tyrannical effect that could directly overlay a Special Summoned monster on the opponent's field as Xyz Material—even monsters with destruction immunity could not resist it.
Unfortunately, what [Number iC1000: Numerounius Numerounia] possessed was not destruction resistance.
[This card is unaffected by other cards' effects. It cannot declare an attack.]
While unable to attack, it possessed complete immunity to all card effects, making it impossible for Chaos Number 101 to absorb it as Xyz Material.
Having clearly noticed this, Zepha's face emerging from the body of the Numeron god grew even more arrogant.
"So this is the power you obtained from Quaedes? In front of Numerounius Numerounia, it's completely insignificant! After all, I've already completely surpassed and crushed her!"
If The Seventh One had been drawn a turn earlier, perhaps Chaos Number 101 could have absorbed Numerounius.
But to everyone watching, this [Rank-Up-Magic - The Seventh One] had arrived too late.
"Not late at all! Perfect timing!" Miles shouted, pointing toward the raging waves ahead.
"I told you I'd show you that relying on a destructive Numeron god means you'll surpass nothing!"
The black-armored [Number C101: Silent Honor DARK] suddenly began to shine with an even greater chaotic light.
This radiance rising above the raging ocean made Quaedes's blue eyes contract sharply.
"Could it be that? Impossible… I never infused that card's power into the ring. How could Miles awaken that power?"
"Sometimes, it's momentum and bonds that create miracles powerful enough to break past limits!"
Even though he had only seen Quaedes summon it once, Miles firmly believed that the bonds forged through duels would gather together to form the shining path of victory.
"Quaedes, lend me your greatest trump card as well! I overlay Xyz on top of [Number C101: Silent Honor DARK]!"
In Miles and Quaedes's final duel, Quaedes had used the power of all the Over-Hundred Numbers to perform a summoning that gathered the power of the Seven Emperors beyond them.
And now, Miles was betting his final hope on that same possibility of summoning to defeat the god.
"O ultimate Chaos war god made manifest! Proud body that opens the path of hope! Gather the power of the Seven Emperors and transcend the numbered X! CXyz Barian Hope!"
[CXyz Barian Hope] Rank 7│LIGHT│Warrior│ATK 0 / DEF 0
[3 or more Level 7 monsters. You can also Xyz Summon this card by using 1 monster you control with "Number C101" through "Number C107" in its name as the Xyz Material.]
With the final overlay, Miles successfully Xyz Summoned [CXyz Barian Hope] directly on top of Chaos Number 101.
Like a war god standing against every calamity, the crimson warrior armor and the spear and shield in its hands displayed the ultimate meaning of Xyz power.
Quaedes gazed at the Xyz figure in the sky. "CXyz Barian Hope… has it responded to The Seventh One and to Miles' call in order to protect the world?"
In the final turn before the world's end, Barian Hope also stepped forward without hesitation, linking its power within the raging waves to oppose the destructive Numeron god.
[This card gains 1000 ATK for each Xyz Material attached to it.]
[CXyz Barian Hope ATK: 0 → 2000]
With the black and white ark cards stacked beneath it as materials, its Attack increased by 2000.
Two thousand Attack was not particularly high. However, from the very beginning, Miles had never expected that stacking Xyz Materials would allow him to challenge Numerounius Numerounia's terrifying 100000 Attack.
What Miles needed was CXyz Barian Hope's ability to inherit the power of "Numbers" in the Graveyard.
[Once per turn: You can target 1 "Number" monster in your Graveyard; until the end of your opponent's turn, this card's name and effects become the same as that monster's original name and effects.]
The path of redemption, the road to victory, lay within that effect.
On the final turn before the world's destruction, they had to break through Numerounius Numerounia head‑on.
Yet even with all the Number monsters currently in Miles' Graveyard, it still wasn't enough to overcome the Numeron god's 100000 Attack.
"Break through the vortex of chaos and surge toward victory! This is the final piece of the puzzle!"
The Emperor's Ring shone brilliantly. At the same time that Miles summoned CXyz Barian Hope, he also pushed Quaedes's Water Xyz power to its absolute limit in this final battle.
"Spell Card—[Extra-Foolish Burial]!"
[Pay half your Life Points; send 1 monster from your Extra Deck to the Graveyard.]
Just like Foolish Burial, it was a Spell card with the word "Foolish" in its name. Yet whenever a card like this could be used, it was anything but foolish.
In fact, it was the card that would decide the duel.
Miles × Aisha LP: 250 → 125
"By paying half my Life Points, I send [Number C73: Abyss Splash] from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard!"
With a fierce slam, Miles sent the card of Chaos Number 73 straight into the Graveyard like a tidal wave flowing upstream.
A mere 100000 Attack? When it came to boosting Attack power, Quaedes's raging tides feared not even infinite Attack.
"I have CXyz Barian Hope inherit all the effects of [Number C73: Abyss Splash] in my Graveyard!"
[Once during damage calculation, when your monster battles an opponent's monster: you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; that monster you control gains ATK equal to the ATK of the opponent's battling monster during that damage calculation.]
No matter how powerful the opponent's monster was, once it battled Chaos Number 73, your monster's Attack would rise to match it.
Whether the opponent had 100000 Attack or even one million Attack, it would all be swallowed by these raging tides.
The "sibling quarrel" that had made Miles so furious would now be resolved by using the younger sister's card to beat the twisted older brother.
Against the crimson sky of world‑ending calamity, towering blue waves surged forward toward victory.
"What a shame! The tide of victory? You overlooked one thing in the end!"
From within the colossal black body of Numerounius Numerounia, Zepha's eerie shout echoed out.
"All chaos in this world is governed by the Numeron god! As long as Numerounius Numerounia exists on the field, monsters with 'Chaos' in their name cannot declare an attack!"
Just like Numerounius before it, the effect of "Numeron Dominion" sealed the attack declarations of all Chaos monsters on the opponent's field.
Both CXyz Barian Hope and the inherited Chaos Number 73 effect were considered Chaos.
"Chaos monsters cannot attack before the Numeron god! That means the effect of Chaos Number 73 cannot be used either!"
The final turn before the world's destruction—victory was only a single step away.
But if they could not battle Numerounius Numerounia this turn, the Numeron god's special victory condition would trigger.
Miles roared back in anger, "The one who didn't consider that possibility is you, Zepha! Chaos Number 73's effect doesn't require it to be the one battling!"
As long as a monster on his field battled an opponent's monster, the effect of Chaos Number 73 could activate and boost that monster's Attack by 100000.
Which meant Miles only needed to summon a non‑Chaos monster and bet the raging tidal force of this moment entirely on that monster.
And as it happened, Miles had exactly such a monster in his hand—a monster that was not Chaos, yet strong enough to finish off Zepha's remaining 300 Life Points.
This was also thanks to Miles' earlier decision to use Hope's Xyz Change Tactics, trading 1000 Life Points for the chance to draw a card—allowing him to grasp the final glimmer of hope now in his hand.
"All the perseverance from this long battle, all the defiance, all the bonds gathered here! Let them be unleashed through this monster!"
Miles hurled his final monster card forward with all his strength.
"Shatter the Numeron god that would destroy the world! I Normal Summon in Attack Position—Mokey Mokey!"
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