A strange sense of familiarity that Miles couldn't quite put into words.
There was nothing strange about that. Ever since the very first Barrier Mage, Megan, anyone even remotely connected to Shadow Duelists almost always appeared wrapped in the same kind of full‑body black robe.
Feeling familiar with it was probably just because he'd seen that same outfit far too many times.
However, although this person was also dressed in a black robe, the mysterious figure who suddenly appeared did not activate any so‑called Shadow Game.
They had simply come to challenge him to a duel.
To duel him in his fused state.
"This suddenly got interesting, didn't it?"
After witnessing yesterday's duel within the domain of the gods, the mysterious figure not only failed to back down but instead took the initiative to seek him out for a duel.
Even though the troublesome problem of their inability to separate had yet to be solved, the anticipation of facing an unknown, strong opponent in a duel still ignited Miles' fighting spirit.
"No problem. I'll accept the outcome of this duel!"
Their Spirit Eyes met.
Next came the part that could not be avoided: the duel itself.
"Good." The black‑robed figure not only concealed their voice through processing but also spoke with extreme brevity.
"Duel!"
The duel officially began, with the shining Spirit Eyes of Miles taking the first turn.
"Since I don't know the true strength of my opponent, then from the very first turn I'll have to go all out! My turn—Draw!"
Drawing the card for the start of his turn, Miles glanced over his hand before throwing out a monster to summon.
"When I control no monsters, I can Special Summon [ZS - Ascended Sage] from my hand!"
[ZS - Ascended Sage] Level 4│LIGHT│Warrior│900 ATK
The ZEXAL power unique to Miles' Shining Deck manifested as a blue servant and materialized onto his field.
"Then, when there is a Level 4 monster on my field, I can activate the effect of another card in my hand—[ZS - Armed Sage]!"
[If the only monster you control is 1 Level 4 monster other than "ZS - Armed Sage", you can Special Summon this card from your hand.]
[ZS - Armed Sage] Level 4│LIGHT│Warrior│300 ATK
Since ancient times, red and blue always came as a pair. Armed Sage, whose Attack and Defense were perfectly reversed from Ascended Sage, materialized beside it.
"Two Level 4 monsters are on the field. Here we go! I overlay Ascended Sage and Armed Sage to Xyz Summon!"
Guiding the power of the entire deck, the crucial Rank 4 light of hope shone across the empty grasslands on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.
"White wings that carry hope! Messenger of Light—Number 39: Utopia!"
[Number 39: Utopia] Rank 4│LIGHT│Warrior│2500 ATK
Ever since entering their fused state, Number 39 had already been somewhat overworked lately, yet it once again appeared through Xyz Summon on the field of Miles and Aisha.
However, this time, after the Xyz Summon was completed, Utopia was surrounded by the power of the two Sages acting as Xyz Materials.
"When used as Xyz Materials for a 'Utopia' monster, both Ascended Sage and Armed Sage grant Utopia brand‑new power!"
[If this card on the field is used as material for the Xyz Summon of a "Utopia" monster, that monster gains the following effect.
● When that Xyz Summon succeeds: You can add 1 "Rank-Up-Magic" Normal Spell from your Deck to your hand.]
[If this card on the field is used as material for the Xyz Summon of a "Utopia" monster, that monster gains the following effect.
● When that Xyz Summon succeeds: You can add 1 "ZW" monster from your Deck to your hand.]
The effects of the two ZEXAL Sages were just as easy to understand as their names.
When Ascended Sage was used as Xyz Material, it searched a Rank‑Up‑Magic Spell from the Deck. Armed Sage, on the other hand, searched a "ZW" monster.
"From my Deck, I add [Rank‑Up‑Magic ZEXAL Force] and [ZW - Unicorn Spear] to my hand!"
After completing the search, the light of hope on Miles' field began to undergo an even further chaotic transformation.
"I overlay on top of [Number 39: Utopia] to Xyz Summon again! Messenger who turns chaos into light—Number C39: Utopia Ray!"
[Number C39: Utopia Ray, ATK: 2500]
While his Life Points were still at maximum, Miles directly transformed Utopia into Utopia Ray through a Chaos change. Immediately afterward, he followed up by playing the Rank‑Up‑Magic card he had just searched.
"—Activate [Rank-Up-Magic ZEXAL Force]!"
[Target 1 Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, by using it as material, 1 "Utopia" monster or "ZW" monster that is 1 Rank higher than that monster, as an Xyz Summon. Then choose 1 "ZW" monster or "ZS" monster from your Deck and place it on top of your Deck.]
"I target [Number C39: Utopia Ray] on my field and perform a ZEXAL Rank-Up!"
Although it was called a Rank-Up, the transformation occurring on Utopia Ray at this moment differed from the usual evolution that simply changed its form.
The ZEXAL Rank-Up-Magic was more like directly merging and equipping [ZW - Leo Arms], which had been sleeping in the Extra Deck, onto Utopia Ray's pitch-black body.
"Shatter the unknown, powerful enemy! The decisive strike, armed with every weapon on my body! ZEXAL Rank-Up Xyz—Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray!!"
[Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray] Rank 5│LIGHT│Warrior│2500 ATK
[3 Level 5 monsters]
[This card's name is always treated as "Number C39: Utopia Ray".]
The name itself plainly described it—Beast Armored Combination. Leo Utopia Ray dominated the battlefield with its massive body fully covered in armor.
"Next, I activate the Xyz effect of [Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray]!"
[Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; choose 1 "ZW" monster from your Deck or Extra Deck and equip it to this card as an Equip Card. The activation and effect of this effect cannot be negated.]
"I detach the Xyz Material, Number 39: Utopia! From my Deck, I equip [ZW - Pegasus Twin Saber] to [Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray] with its own effect!"
The Pegasus leapt out from the Shining Deck. Its noble body transformed into a pair of pure white twin blades and equipped itself in Leo Utopia Ray's hands.
[Equip this card to that monster as an Equip Card that increases its Attack by 1000. While this card is equipped, once per turn you can negate the effect of a monster your opponent controls.]
[Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray, ATK: 2500 → 3500]
While increasing its Attack, it also granted Leo Utopia Ray a once-per-turn counter that could negate the effect of an opponent's monster.
Combined with the effect of [Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray] itself—
[Once per turn, during either player's turn, if this card has a "ZW" monster equipped: Target 1 Effect Monster your opponent controls; negate that monster's effects, and its Attack becomes half.]
Two monster-effect negations in a single turn could effectively seal off decks that relied on monster effects to expand their plays.
"It's not over yet. I still have more ZEXAL Weapons in my hand!"
Miles continued flipping cards from his hand. With every card he threw out, Leo Utopia Ray was strengthened even further.
"ZW - Tornado Bringer!"
[Leo Utopia Ray, ATK: 3500 → 4600]
"ZW - Lightning Blade!"
[Leo Utopia Ray, ATK: 4600 → 5800]
"ZW - Unicorn Spear!"
[Leo Utopia Ray, ATK: 5800 → 7700]
"ZW - Sylphid Wing!"
[Leo Utopia Ray, ATK: 7700 → 8500]
"This is the ultimate—Full-Armored Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray!"
After performing the ZEXAL Rank-Up and equipping a total of five different ZEXAL Weapons, it truly deserved the title of "Full-Armored".
Aisha: "-_- Mr. Miles is really fired up."
Dark Aisha: "-_- He looks like he doesn't want to lose. Has he already forgotten the objective?"
"I end my turn. Your move!"
Ending the first turn with a fully armed Leo Utopia Ray, even without setting any back-row cards, Miles simply couldn't resist the temptation of unleashing the strongest possible armament.
"That's more like it." Before drawing his card, the black-robed mysterious figure murmured. "Now that's your style of dueling. Just what I wanted!"
As the mysterious black-robed figure raised their Spirit Eyes and prepared to draw the card for the start of their turn, Miles suddenly noticed a small detail.
And this was also the first time Miles had ever seen Spirit Eyes with cracks on them.
Aside from the special situation during the battle in the Royal Capital, where Professor Field had deliberately damaged Spirit Eyes, in most cases, this item—so important to a Duelist's life—would never suffer any damage.
"What exactly is going on here?"
The unknown cracks on the Spirit Eyes made the atmosphere of this duel, one that wasn't even a Shadow Game, suddenly become heavy.
Looking again now, the Spirit Eyes in the opponent's hand stood at the complete opposite extreme from the brilliant, radiant Spirit Eyes that Miles and Aisha had after their fusion.
A Spirit Eyes that was extremely dim and lifeless.
"My turn—Draw!"
Drawing the card for the start of the turn, the mysterious Duelist's beautiful eyes, hidden beneath the black robe, stared at the fully armed Leo Utopia Ray.
"What truly excellent feed."
"Feed?
"...Don't tell me!"
A bad premonition instantly rushed into Miles' mind.
It was that infamous Monster Card; so notorious that even people who had never played Yu-Gi-Oh! had heard of it.
"Devour the shining armaments of ZEXAL completely! Your turn to appear—Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju!"
"ROOOAR!"
A thunderous roar echoed out.
This terrifying roar from within the darkness, like the cry of an enormous monster, was something Miles had heard once before in the fog-covered Royal Capital.
"No matter how powerful a monster is, it ultimately becomes nothing more than food for a Kaiju! I'll give this powerful monster to you—that is the effect of [Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju]!"
[You can Special Summon this card from your hand to your opponent's field in Attack Position by Tributing 1 monster they control.]
By Tributing a monster on the opponent's field, it could be Special Summoned directly onto the opponent's field.
Even though the fully armed Utopia possessed non-targeting protection, protection from destruction by battle and card effects, and could even negate two monster effects on the opponent's field… It still couldn't resist an effect that Tributed it directly from the hand to Special Summon.
After all, this was the giant Sea Turtle Kaiju that devoured everything; even monsters with complete immunity couldn't resist it.
"RAAAAH!!!"
The terrifying Kaiju roar descended onto Miles' field at point-blank range.
The colossal Gameciel opened its massive jaws and instantly swallowed the fully armed Leo Utopia Ray whole.
[Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju] Level 8│WATER│Aqua│2200 ATK
One moment earlier, the field had held Miles' soul-summoned fully armed Leo Utopia Ray.
The next moment, there was only a turtle left on the field.
"Looks like we've run into Utopia's natural predator."
The well-known Duel Monsters food chain: turtles eat Utopia.
"Next is the effect of [Jizukiru, the Star Destroying Kaiju] in my hand!"
[Jizukiru, the Star Destroying Kaiju] Level 10│LIGHT│Machine│3300 ATK
[If your opponent controls a "Kaiju" monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand in Attack Position.]
Using the Sea Turtle Kaiju on Miles' field, the mysterious Duelist also Special Summoned another Kaiju onto their own field.
In the blink of an eye, the duel scene turned into something like a monster movie; an enormous Kaiju showdown.
And if there was one defining trait of the Sea Turtle Kaiju, it was that its Attack was the lowest among all Kaiju.
As long as it was a Kaiju, any of them could easily destroy Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju.
"Take this attack—[Jizukiru, the Star Destroying Kaiju]! Planet-Destroying Cannon!!"
A blast powerful enough to destroy a planet engulfed the Sea Turtle Kaiju, the field, and the fused Miles and Aisha in a flood of destructive light.
[Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju] Destroyed
[Miles × Aisha, LP: 4000 → 2900]
Under the impact of the high-density Kaiju's destructive light, Miles suddenly felt a strange sensation in his body.
This feeling was exactly the same as their fusion before yesterday's decisive battle.
"Huh?" ×3
After the Kaiju's bombardment light faded, Miles and the two Aishas looked at one another, the three of them sitting dumbfounded on the grass.
"Did... the fusion get undone?"
Finally being able to separate from the fused state should have been something worth celebrating for Miles.
However, separating in the middle of a duel…
The timing left Miles bewildered.
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