"Damn it, even now you're coming to stop me?!"
Lost bared her teeth at Krista, loudly venting the dissatisfaction boiling over in her heart.
"I already went out on a secret date today. So what? Only you're allowed to find happiness, Krista, you selfish jerk?!"
"Ah, th-that's not… I…"
Momentarily overwhelmed by the powerful aura erupting from Lost's desires, Krista couldn't even figure out how to properly refute her.
She herself was still far from attaining happiness. The one truly causing trouble here was you, the love-struck idiot, wasn't it?
"No matter what, this Duel is the one thing you can't stop, Krista!"
Burning at her limit, Lost stood with the two highest-Level, Level 12 Double Synchro demonic dragons on her field, their furious roars mirroring her blazing Duelist's soul.
"I end my turn. It's your turn, Miles! Can you withstand this battlefield, commanded by the strongest demonic dragons?!"
Red Nova Dragon with 5000 Attack, Archfiend King Calamity with 4000 Attack—and facing them, Miles stood in a completely suppressed empty field state, with only a single unknown Set card.
The only consolation was that Miles still had a great deal of Life Points remaining.
[Miles, LP: 6000]
A tremendous amount—enough for him to spend freely.
"It's okay, Krista!"
Miles exchanged a firm, resolute look with the girl on the D-Wheel.
"Miles?"
"It's okay. I won't lose!"
"N-no, Miles, you've misunderstood!"
"My turn, draw!"
Whether Miles had misunderstood or not, deliberately throwing the Duel was something he simply couldn't do.
If he was going to lose, then it would only be after fully igniting his Duelist's soul and fighting to the very end, accepting defeat within a story of blazing light.
"—Quick-Play Spell Card [Burial from a Different Dimension] activated!"
[Target up to 3 banished Monster Cards; return them to the Graveyard.]
"I return [Damage Eater], [Bri Synchron], and [Stardust Spark Dragon] from the banished zone to the Graveyard!"
Pulling all three cards back from his banished zone into the Graveyard, reforged stardust light shone forth, using the holy stardust dragon within the Graveyard as its medium.
"I activate the effect of [Stardust Sifr Divine Dragon] in my Graveyard!"
[Banish this card from your Graveyard; target 1 Level 8 or lower 'Stardust' monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target.]
"A single flash that pierces the sea of stars—revive and take flight once more, Stardust Spark Dragon!"
[Stardust Spark Dragon, ATK: 2500]
Revived by the effect of the Trinity Accel Synchro divine stardust dragon, Stardust Spark Dragon returned to Miles's field, locking gazes with the two top-tier demonic dragons.
"It's useless, Miles!" Lost said, arms crossed, steady as a mountain amid the flames. "A Level 12 Double Synchro is already beyond what [Stardust Spark Dragon] can contend with!"
"Hmph. My counteroffensive is only just beginning, Lost!"
Miles pulled a card free with his fingertips, then slammed the monster he had searched last turn with [Tuning] onto the field as a Normal Summon.
"Go, [Junk Synchron]!"
[Junk Synchron] Level 3│DARK│Warrior│1300 ATK
The orange-yellow, short, and chubby canister—Junk Synchron, a Level 3 Tuner Monster—materialized on Miles's field.
"Then, when Junk Synchron is successfully Normal Summoned, its effect activates!"
[When this card is Normal Summoned: You can target 1 Level 2 or lower monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it in Defense Position, but its effects are negated.]
"I Special Summon the Level 2 monster [Damage Eater] that was returned to the Graveyard from the banished zone, then perform a Junk Synchro!"
Pulling the air pump on his back, Junk Synchron accelerated into three Synchro halos, passing through Damage Eater as they accumulated star levels and burst into Synchro light.
3★ + 2★ = 5★!
"The gathered starlight awakens a new power—become a shining road of light! Synchro Summon—Junk Warrior!"
[Junk Warrior] Level 5│DARK│Warrior│2300 ATK
Leaping out from the Synchro light with his air pump roaring, white scarf fluttering in the scorching airflow, Junk Warrior struck a dramatic split beneath the sunset sky.
"It's… Junk Warrior?" Lost's eyes widened in surprise.
"That's right! This is the monster best suited to decide a soul-to-soul battle like this, Lost!"
If Stardust was the ace of Krista's Deck, then Junk Warrior was the true soul card that Miles acknowledged as his own.
"Only a full-force scrap-iron punch can strike straight into the soul. You should feel it too, Lost!"
Commanding Junk Warrior and Stardust Spark Dragon, Miles ignored the obvious disparity in visible battle power and directly declared entry into the Battle Phase.
"Are you crazy? What are you trying to do, Miles?!"
Whether it was Junk Warrior or Stardust Spark Dragon, they were nowhere near a match for a Level 12 Double Synchro demonic dragon.
Yet Miles's fighting spirit was unmistakably real.
"Don't tell me—" Only Krista, who knew her own Deck's construction, reacted immediately. "Miles… did you draw that card?!"
"Let's have one soul-wagering battle, Lost!"
Miles raised his arm, pointing toward Junk Warrior in the sky, then shifted his fingertip toward the burning Archfiend King Calamity on Lost's field.
"Attack target [Archfiend King Calamity Red Dragon Calamity]! Charge, Junk Warrior!—'Scrap Fist'!!"
Golden energy took shape, forming a fist even larger than Junk Warrior himself, slamming down from the sky onto the burning Archfiend King Calamity.
Lost could have banished [Red Nova Dragon] when Miles declared the attack to block it.
But there was no need. The Archfiend King Calamity's Attack was higher; there was no reason to banish Red Nova Dragon just to defend against Junk Warrior's attack.
More importantly, stirred by Miles's burning passion for dueling, Lost also wanted to know what this soul-wagering battle truly represented.
"Counterattack, Archfiend King Calamity Red Dragon Calamity!—'Crimson Lotus Destruction Purgatory Cannon'!"
Declaring a counterattack, the demonic dragon's flames and the massive scrap-iron fist collided violently beneath the crimson sunset sky.
"If we calculate the battle damage directly like this, Miles, you're guaranteed to lose!"
"Of course, I wouldn't be stupid enough to walk into my own death. Everything hinges on this card!"
Miles hurled the card clenched tightly in his hand high into the sky, straight into the violent clash where the two forces collided.
"—Quick-Play Spell Card [Clashing Souls]!"
[When your Attack Position monster battles an opponent's Attack Position monster with higher Attack during damage calculation: The controller of the monster with lower Attack among those battling can pay 500 Life Points to have that monster gain 500 Attack during damage calculation only. Then, repeat this effect until both players choose not to pay Life Points.]
"According to [Clashing Souls]'s effect, I can continuously pay Life Points to increase my Attack until [Junk Warrior]'s Attack surpasses [Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity]!"
Paying Life Points in increments of 500, each payment increased the battling monster's Attack by 500.
"I repeat the payment four times, paying 500 Life Points each time, to raise Junk Warrior's Attack by 2000!"
[Miles, LP: 6000 → 5500 → 5000 → 4500 → 4000]
By turning the Duelist's own Life Points into the warrior's Attack, Miles poured his soul into Junk Warrior. The reinforced scrap-iron fist grew even larger as it smashed toward the Archifiend King of Calamity.
[Junk Warrior, ATK: 2300 → 2800 → 3300 → 3800 → 4300]
"So this was your aim, Clashing Souls!"
Lost stared wide-eyed at the clash in the sky between demonic dragon flames and the scrap-iron fist.
Just moments ago, Junk Warrior had been fully suppressed by the Archifiend King of Calamity, but after being infused with Miles's soul, it surged back with overwhelming force.
"This kind of battle…"
Lost's fingertips trembled with excitement as she couldn't help reaching toward the burning sky.
"This is the kind of fight I've been dreaming of, Miles!"
Beyond paying Life Points to inject 'soul' and increase Attack, the Quick-Play Spell [Clashing Souls] also possessed another effect that truly embodied its meaning of 'collision.'
That was the fact that the opponent could likewise pay Life Points to increase their battling monster's Attack.
This was the true expression of souls colliding.
"I will never back down from a clash of souls! I also pay 500 Life Points to raise [Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity]'s Attack by 500!"
[Lost, LP: 4000 → 3500]
[Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity, ATK: 4000 → 4500]
After Lost paid Life Points and injected her own burning 'soul,' the clash between demonic dragon flames and the scrap-iron fist shifted once again.
"Then I'll keep going too, Lost!"
[Miles, LP: 4000 → 3500]
[Junk Warrior, ATK: 4300 → 4800]
An overtake!
"Until my soul burns out, I won't stop either, Miles!"
[Lost, LP: 3500 → 3000]
[Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity, ATK: 4500 → 5000]
Another overtake!
Miles: "You're still far from it, Lost!"
Lost: "Of course, Miles! The one who backs down first is the loser!"
The endless cycle of Life Point payments and Attack values surpassing one another left Aoyao, watching from the rear, stunned.
"What kind of battle even is this? I've never seen anything like it!"
Under the crimson sunset sky, it seemed as though only [Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity] and [Junk Warrior] were continuously clashing.
But as both Duelists poured their souls into the fight, the demonic dragon's flames grew ever more ferocious, while the golden effect of the scrap-iron fist swelled to an exaggerated, colossal size.
"This is the final one!"
[Miles, LP: 1000 → 500]
"Burning collision of souls!"
[Lost, LP: 1000 → 500]
With a tenacity that surpassed all limits, neither side yielded, both paying their remaining Life Points down to the absolute minimum where they could no longer continue.
At the start of the turn, whether it was Miles with 6000 Life Points or Lost with 4000, after [Clashing Souls], both had entered a locked, do-or-die state.
And the final Attack values on both sides were—
[Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity, ATK: 7500]
[Junk Warrior, ATK: 7800]
With more Life Points to draw upon, Miles paid the price of his entire soul to close the Attack gap between [Junk Warrior] and the Level 12 Double Synchro demonic dragon, and after reaching the absolute limit, successfully overtook it by 300.
"This clash of souls… I win this one, Lost!"
The scrap-iron fist with 7800 Attack was already larger than the combined mass of the Archifiend King of Calamity and Red Nova Dragon.
This crushing blow smashed down across Lost's entire field in a single strike.
"—'Scrap Soul Fist'!"
A punch infused with all of Miles's soul—another meaning of 'Soul Energy MAX'—utterly destroyed [Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity] after the collision of their attacks.
[Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity] destroyed
"At the moment victory is decided, [Clashing Souls]'s final effect activates!"
[The battle damage both players would take from that battle becomes 0. After damage calculation, the player whose monster was destroyed by that battle sends all cards they control to the Graveyard.]
Although this battle inflicted no damage, the winner of [Clashing Souls] could deliver a one-hit decisive blow, wiping out the opponent's entire field by effect.
This massive scrap-iron fist—its size surpassing both demonic dragons—truly achieved a double kill.
Even [Red Nova Dragon], which could not be destroyed by card effects, failed to withstand being sent directly to the Graveyard, vanishing together with everything else beneath the all-field-devastating 'Scrap Soul Fist.'
Aoyao cried out in panic, "Isn't this disastrous? Lost, you hotheaded idiot!"
Lost's field had been wiped out by the scrap-iron fist, while Miles still had [Stardust Spark Dragon] that hadn't even attacked yet.
Meanwhile, Lost was left with only 500 Life Points after paying down to the limit.
If Lost hadn't stubbornly paid Life Points alongside Miles like a reckless fool, instead keeping enough to survive an attack from [Stardust Spark Dragon], the situation wouldn't have been forced into such a hopeless corner.
Krista said with understanding, "If she weren't hotheaded, she wouldn't be Lost."
Given Lost's personality, there was no way she could refuse [Clashing Souls]. This was her dueling creed—avoiding battle would go against who she truly was.
"Hahahaha!" Lost threw her head back and laughed. "Dueling you was incredible, Miles! It's been so long since I've had a Duel where I could burn this fiercely!"
"The feeling's mutual, Lost!"
Miles had also thrown that scrap-iron punch with everything he had.
"But don't get one thing wrong. The one truly cornered right now… is you, Miles!"
On Lost's field, which should have been wiped clean, the indomitable crimson hellfire flared up once more.
"The will of the demonic dragon pierces the limits of the soul! This is [Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity]'s effect!"
[If this card is destroyed by your opponent: You can target 1 Level 8 or lower DARK Dragon Synchro Monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target.]
Though destroyed in a single blow by the scrap-iron fist, the Archifiend King of Calamity left behind one final dying effect. Crimson hellfire reforged the very first soul card in Lost's Graveyard.
Just like how, at the start of this turn, Miles had used the power of the divine Stardust Dragon to reforge the original Stardust Spark Dragon.
"From my Graveyard, burn and revive one last time! [Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend]!"
"ROAR!"
[Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend, ATK: 3000]
In its battle-damaged state, the demonic dragon that best embodied Lost's will-Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend-made its third appearance in this Duel.
After the soul-colliding battle between Junk Warrior and the Archfiend King of Calamity, the field now formed the final showdown: the revived [Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend] facing the revived [Stardust Spark Dragon], the very first-and last-decisive scene.
...
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