"Charge, D/D/D!"
Entering this turn's Battle Phase, Miles declared the attack of [D/D/D Dragon King Pendragon].
The black dragon of Britain exhaled, evaporating the sea waves and blasting a path forward as it roared toward the Xyz Monster clad in pitch-black armor on Quaedes' field.
[Full Armored Black Ray Lancer] was the first to be swallowed by the D/D/D assault.
[Quaedes, LP: 4000 → 3200]
Struck head-on by Pendragon's roar, the Empire's emperor saw her Life Points rapidly reduced.
Yet although her Life Points fell, [Full Armored Black Ray Lancer], which had taken the black dragon's roar directly, was not destroyed. Only the heavy armor covering its body shattered under the impact.
"The effect of [Full Armored Black Ray Lancer]!"
[If this face-up card would be destroyed, you can detach all of its Xyz Materials instead.]
"The armor is shed. I detach all Xyz Materials to prevent its destruction."
[Full Armored Black Ray Lancer, ATK: 2300 → 2100]
Using its Xyz Materials as a substitute for destruction, Black Ray Lancer naturally lost the Attack it gained while it had materials attached.
"The heavy armor is shattered—the breach has been opened. Your turn now, Gust King Alexander!"
Continuing the offensive, after the King Arthur dragon came the Synchro conqueror, Alexander, swinging his gale-forged blade in a follow-up strike.
"Pierce through the cracks in that shattered armor, Alexander! Gale Severing Slash!"
With its heavy armor destroyed and no longer protected by a destruction substitute, Black Ray Lancer was finally cleaved apart by the king's sword that swept past like a raging storm.
[Full Armored Black Ray Lancer] destroyed.
[Quaedes, LP: 3200 → 2800]
Only through the combined assault of two D/D/D kings was one of the emperor's Xyz Monsters finally defeated.
What seemed like a difficult offense concealed another storm Miles had stirred behind the scenes.
"Not a single one escapes! After destroying a monster by battle, the effect of [D/D/D Gust King Alexander] activates!"
[Once per turn, when this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; destroy it.]¹
After destroying an opponent's monster, Alexander triggered his chained slash effect.
The storm-like blade instantly enveloped Quaedes' other Xyz Monster, [Bahamut Shark].
"—Gale Fury, Second Strike!"
[Bahamut Shark] destroyed.
Through the twin kings' relentless assault, after shattering the heavy armor, Miles successfully wiped out all monsters on Emperor Quaedes' field.
"Finally, I Set one card. End turn."
As Miles declared the end of his turn, Pendragon's increased Attack returned to normal.
[D/D/D Dragon King Pendragon, ATK: 3100 → 2600]
The turn shifted. With her expression still cold and composed, Emperor Quaedes drew a card from her Duel Disk.
It seemed that having her monsters wiped out did not even warrant a blink from Quaedes.
After sweeping her gaze over Miles' monsters, Quaedes drew out the card she would use this turn.
"When you control two or more monsters, I can Normal Summon [Panther Shark] from my hand without Tribute."
[Panther Shark] Level 5│WATER│Fish│1100 ATK
[If your opponent controls 2 or more monsters, you can Normal Summon this card without Tribute.]
The Level 5 Fish monster was Normal Summoned directly, and Quaedes immediately followed with another card from her hand.
"And while [Panther Shark] is on the field, I can Special Summon [Eagle Shark] from my hand!"
[Eagle Shark] Level 5│WATER│Fish│1100 ATK
[If you control "Panther Shark," you can Special Summon this card from your hand.]
Two Level 5 Fish monsters—these twin sharks working in tandem easily fulfilled the conditions for an Xyz Summon of an even higher Rank than the previous turn.
Without immediately overlaying them for an Xyz Summon, Quaedes flipped over the final card she had Set last turn.
"—Continuous Trap Card [Powerful Rebirth] activates!"
[Activate this card by targeting 1 Level 4 or lower monster in your GY; Special Summon that target. Increase its Level by 1 and ATK and DEF by 100. When that monster is destroyed, destroy this card.]
"I raise [Buzzsaw Shark] in my Graveyard to Level 5 and Special Summon it. And I activate [Buzzsaw Shark]'s effect to Special Summon 1 Level 5 Fish monster from my Deck! Come forth, [Lantern Shark]!"
[Lantern Shark] Level 5│WATER│Fish│1000 ATK
Far stronger than the previous turn's two Rank 4 Xyz Monsters, Quaedes now assembled four Level 5 monsters on her field.
Almost simultaneously before her, two Rank 5 Xyz Summons erupted in succession. In both energy and momentum, they far surpassed the probing first turn.
"I overlay [Panther Shark] and [Eagle Shark]! Appear—Number 73! Sacred droplet fallen into chaos, display your power and evolve into chaos! Abyss Splash!"
[Number 73: Abyss Splash] Rank 5│WATER│Warrior│2400 ATK
[2 Level 5 WATER monsters]
Wielding a raging tidal spear, the Rank 5 WATER Warrior Xyz Monster rode the waves into battle.
"I overlay [Buzzsaw Shark] and [Lantern Shark]! Descend—Number 94! Spirit-world shrine maiden with a heart of ice, let the pure soul reappear! Crystalzero!"
[Number 94: Crystalzero] Rank 5│WATER│Warrior│2200 ATK
A gorgeously dressed female Xyz Monster, sharing the same Rank and Attribute as [Number 73: Abyss Splash], this was Emperor Quaedes's counteroffensive this turn.
Yet this counterattack stance differed somewhat from what Miles had expected.
Even the highest Attack among the two Rank 5 Xyz Monsters, [Number 73: Abyss Splash], was still 100 points lower than [D/D/D Gust King Alexander].
"To be deceived by surface calm is to be devoured by the raging vortex hidden beneath the sea."
Her ice-blue eyes fixed upon Miles's field. Beneath Quaedes's seemingly tranquil exterior lay a terrifying power capable of swallowing and destroying everything, like the ocean before a storm.
"Battle. Let the Xyz Summon stir up a frenzy!"
She directly entered the Battle Phase. The first to attack was Abyss Splash, spear of raging tides in hand.
The wave-lifting spear collided with Alexander's wind-entwined blade.
"My Attack is higher by 100 points, Quaedes!" Miles emphasized.
"Higher by 100?" Quaedes replied coldly. "No. The Attack. On my side. Is doubled."
[Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; double this card's ATK until the end of your opponent's turn, also, any battle damage it inflicts to your opponent this turn is halved.]
A Quick Effect that could be activated during the opponent's turn, doubling its Attack until the end of that opponent's turn.
"I detach [Panther Shark] to double [Number 73: Abyss Splash]'s Attack!"
[Number 73: Abyss Splash, ATK: 2400 → 4800]
The ocean's calm shattered. The tidal spear stirred waves that rose into a towering surge capable of blotting out the sky.
"—Tidal God Spear, Double Surge!"
[D/D/D Gust King Alexander] destroyed.
[Miles, LP: 4000 → 2850]
Though Abyss Splash now exceeded Alexander by 2300 Attack after doubling, fortunately, the battle damage inflicted was halved by its own effect.
"It's not over yet." Quaedes raised her arm and pointed forward. "The effect of [Number 94: Crystalzero]."
[During either player's turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 face-up monster on the field; its ATK becomes half its current ATK until the end of your turn.]
Where Abyss Splash doubled its own Attack as a Quick Effect, Crystalzero halved the opponent's Attack as a Quick Effect.
"I detach [Buzzsaw Shark] to halve the Attack of [D/D/D Dragon King Pendragon]."
Following the tidal surge raised by Abyss Splash, the frigid power of Crystalzero spread outward, freezing both the ocean's surface and Pendragon itself.
[D/D/D Dragon King Pendragon, ATK: 2600 → 1300]
"—Ice Shatter!"
With its Attack halved and body frozen, Pendragon was easily shattered. The furious tide hidden beneath the calm sea ultimately devoured Miles's entire D/D/D field.
[Miles, LP: 2850 → 1950]
"I Set one card. End turn."
After Quaedes's counteroffensive, the field left to Miles was no longer as simple as it had been on the first turn.
Both Rank 5 WATER Xyz Monsters possessed Quick Effects that could be activated during the opponent's turn.
That meant [Number 73: Abyss Splash] could double its Attack again during Miles's turn, raising it to 9600.
Or [Number 94: Crystalzero] could halve the Attack of any monster Miles summoned afterward.
"My turn. Draw!"
Miles glanced at the card he had drawn this turn.
"It's here!"
Following the opening D/D/D assault, the follow-up power Miles had drawn at the perfect moment—the radiant card of starlight.
[Dretron Zeta Aldhibah] in his hand, and [Dretron Alpha Thuban] discarded last turn by Pendragon's effect, lying hidden in the Graveyard.
The two starlit cards intertwined, weaving a dazzling light of cosmic evolution.
"Your turn to shine, Drytron! I activate the effect of [Dretron Alpha Thuban] in my Graveyard!"
The first star in the Draco meteor cluster—the beginning of all things, Alpha Thuban.
[You can Tribute 1 "Drytron" monster or Ritual Monster from your hand or field, except "Dretron Alpha Thuban"; Special Summon this card from your hand or Graveyard in Defense Position. Then, you can add 1 Ritual Monster from your Deck to your hand.]
"I Tribute [Dretron Zeta Aldhibah] in my hand. Special Summon [Dretron Alpha Thuban] from the Graveyard, and add the Ritual Monster [Drytron Meteonis Quadrantids] to my hand!"
The classic Drytron line unfolded. After adding the Ritual Monster to his hand, Miles continued by activating the effect of the just-tributed [Dretron Zeta Aldhibah].
"I Tribute [Drytron Meteonis Quadrantids] in my hand. Special Summon [Dretron Zeta Aldhibah] from the Graveyard, and add the Ritual Spell [Meteonis Drytron] from my Deck to my hand!"
At this point, there were two Drytron monsters with 2000 Attack on the field, a Drytron Ritual Monster with 4000 Attack in the Graveyard, and the Ritual Spell [Meteonis Drytron] in hand.
Under normal circumstances, Miles could now perform the Ritual Summon of the stellar host.
But Miles understood clearly—just like before, if he performed the Ritual Summon now, he would not be able to overcome Quaedes's Xyz Monsters.
Worse, if he Ritual Summoned immediately, his Drytron monsters on the field would be hit by [Number 94: Crystalzero]'s Attack-halving effect, causing the Ritual to fail outright.
"The shining Draco meteor cluster needs an even stronger body!"
With a sweeping motion of his arm, Miles overlaid the two Level 1 Drytron monsters on his field, constructing a brilliant network of overlay light.
"An Xyz Summon?"
This time, a clearer flicker of emotion appeared in Quaedes's ice-blue eyes.
He had already used Fusion. He had already used Synchro. And now, Miles revealed Xyz before her as well.
A Duelist who had truly mastered the three summoning methods.
"Star number 42 that streaks across Draco—construct a brand-new steel body through Xyz light! Rank 1—[Drytron Mu Beta Fafnir]!"
[Drytron Mu Beta Fafnir] Rank 1│LIGHT│Machine│2000 ATK
[2+ Level 1 monsters]
Born from the Draco meteor cluster, this Xyz Drytron variant—an advanced cosmic tactical weapon—featured additional high-energy armaments such as an electromagnetic cannon mounted at its waist.
"When [Drytron Mu Beta Fafnir] is Xyz Summoned, its effect activates!"
[If this card is Xyz Summoned: You can send 1 "Drytron" card from your Deck to the Graveyard.]
"Let's fight with the new terminal unit. I send the Ritual Monster [Drytron Meteonis Draconids] from my Deck to the Graveyard!"
A different form of the Drytron Meteonis Ritual Monster—one Miles had never used before.
Awakened through the core amplification resonance of the low-Level "Drytron" units—the highest-level mechanical dragon, the heavily armed Drytron.
"—I activate the Ritual Spell [Meteonis Drytron]!"
[Meteonis Drytron] Ritual Spell Effect: Tribute Machine monsters from your hand or field whose total Attack equals or exceeds the Attack of the Ritual Monster to be Ritual Summoned, then Ritual Summon 1 Ritual Monster from your hand or Graveyard.
A Ritual Spell capable of Ritual Summoning from the Graveyard.
"And I also apply the effect of [Drytron Mu Beta Fafnir]!"
[When you Ritual Summon, you can detach materials from this card instead of Tributing those monsters.]
By using the Xyz Materials attached beneath the card as Ritual material directly, he could avoid falling short of 4000 Attack due to [Number 94: Crystalzero]'s halving effect.
"I detach 2 Drytron materials—exactly 4000 total Attack!"
With all preparations complete, the Draco meteor cluster poured down from outer space, exploding in succession across the sea's surface.
"A new body that shines among the stars—awaken! In a comet's flash, in a meteor's descent, unleash high-energy brilliance! [Drytron Meteonis Draconids], descend!"
….
¹ The Gust King Alexander is the anime version.
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