"An Xyz Summon that connects to the future?"
Even Quaedes showed a hint of surprise at the move of flipping four cards with low-Level monsters.
Though each was a seemingly insignificant weak monster, as long as enough of them gathered on the field, they could still overturn the tide of battle.
Twin lights of Xyz radiance burst forth at Aisha's left and right, flashing brilliantly.
"I overlay the Level 1 [Mokey Mokey] and Level 1 [Volcanic Rat]! Light of hope, advance boldly toward evolution. Release the memories of the origin, power without flaw! Rank 1! [Number 39: Utopia Roots]!"
[Number 39: Utopia Roots] Rank 1│LIGHT│Warrior│500 ATK
Leaping forth from the Xyz light on the left was another form of Number 39: Utopia.
And from the Xyz light on the right—
"I overlay the Level 1 [White Duston] and Level 1 [Skull Servant]! All creation returns to dust! Xyz Summon! Rank 1—[Sylvan Princessprite]!"
[Sylvan Princessprite] Rank 1│LIGHT│Plant│1800 ATK
Two Rank 1 Xyz Monsters descended together onto Aisha Carlos' field.
"Next, I activate the effect of the Xyz Summoned [Sylvan Princessprite]!"
[Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; excavate the top card of your Deck. If it is a Spell/Trap, add it to your hand. Otherwise, send it to the Graveyard.]
On her fifth excavation of the turn going second, Aisha drew and flipped the card face-up with her slender fingers.
"The card I revealed is the Quick-Play Spell [De-Fusion]. By the effect of [Sylvan Princessprite], I add this card to my hand."
Despite performing consecutive Xyz Summons, she revealed [De-Fusion]. As most people wondered about the Royal Duel Knight's deck construction, the future of surging hope descended.
"I overlay the two Xyz Monsters on my field—[Number 39: Utopia Roots] and [Sylvan Princessprite]! This is the evolved Xyz Summon that connects to the future!"
Using black Xyz cards that were already Xyz Monsters as materials, the complex network of overlapping light constructed in that instant spread above Aisha like twin wings woven from densely intersecting rays.
"Number Zero, be released here! Dash toward the boundless future, this is the world we carve out! Soar into the heavens! Descend across time and space—[Number F0: Utopic Future]!"
[Number F0: Utopic Future] Rank ?│LIGHT│Warrior│0 ATK
[2 Xyz Monsters]
Number Zero—without Rank, or rather transcending the very concept of Rank itself—Utopic Future soared upward, connected to the power of the future.
"Hm? A Number 0 Xyz Monster."
Quaedes' blue eyes narrowed slightly, her icy expression growing noticeably more serious.
If Quaedes wielded The Seventh One and the power of Numbers 101 through 107—the Xyz Monsters at the end of the Number series—
Then what Aisha now summoned was the complete opposite: the primordial Number 0… the original, yet bearing the name of the future—Utopia.
"Next, I activate the Equip Spell [Twin Swords of Flashing Light - Tryce]!"
[Send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard; equip this card to a monster. It loses 500 ATK, but it can make a second attack during each Battle Phase.]
"I send 1 card from my hand to the Graveyard and equip [Twin Swords of Flashing Light - Tryce] to [Number F0: Utopic Future]!"
Twin blades infused with thunder replaced the original swords in Utopic Future's hands, shining brilliantly.
Although the Equip Spell reduced ATK by 500, it did not affect Utopic Future's original 0 ATK. What it truly granted was the ability to attack twice during the Battle Phase.
Homar asked curiously, "You're going to have a monster with 0 ATK attack twice?"
Those who had never seen [Number F0: Utopic Future] before did not yet understand what was about to happen.
But Nova, who had witnessed that duel firsthand, the final decisive battle at Synchron Academy, already had her golden eyes sparkling like stars.
"Brother, you don't know, do you? This card is very strong… suuuuper strong!"
So strong that in the final battle at Synchron Academy, Miles had used a single [Number F0: Utopic Future] to attack and steal all three Polar Gods on the opponent's field.
And now, with [Number F0: Utopic Future] equipped with [Twin Swords of Flashing Light - Tryce], Aisha could attack both Xyz Monsters on Quaedes' field.
"Carve out the future with your twin blades, Utopia! Battle!"
Declaring entry into the Battle Phase, the surging power of hope dashed forward in radiant afterimages. The twin thunder blades slashed toward [Bahamut Shark] and [Full Armored Black Ray Lancer] on Quaedes' field.
In the instant after the battle, Quaedes felt the spiritual link between herself and her monsters severed.
"Aisha Carlos, you…?" Quaedes' ice-blue eyes widened toward Aisha.
"Unleash it! The effect of [Number F0: Utopic Future]!"
[This card cannot be destroyed by battle, and you take no battle damage from battles involving this card.]
It could not be destroyed by battle, nor would it inflict battle damage. That was the foundation that allowed Utopic Future, with 0 ATK, to clash head-on with Quaedes' Xyz Monsters.
Then came the most crucial effect.
[After this card battles an opponent's monster: Take control of that opponent's monster until the end of the Battle Phase.]
The ultimate "steal" effect of Utopic Future allowed her to gain control of every monster that battled this card during the Battle Phase—what Miles proudly called the ultimate Carlos-style tactic.
"Twin blades that change the future! During this Battle Phase, I take control of [Bahamut Shark] and [Full Armored Black Ray Lancer]!"
As the future-forging twin swords flashed and exploded with light, following Aisha Carlos' declaration, the two Xyz Monsters on Quaedes' field simultaneously turned around, their black spearhead and shark fangs aimed at their original master.
"Emperor Quaedes, you no longer have any monsters on your field. And during this Battle Phase, [Bahamut Shark] and [Full Armored Black Ray Lancer] can still attack directly!"
[Bahamut Shark, ATK: 2600]
[Full Armored Black Ray Lancer, ATK: 2300]
A combined 4900 points of direct attack damage. Aisha's Future Xyz counterattack on her going-second turn kicked Emperor Quaedes straight into lethal range.
"Quaedes, face the raging tides of the sea yourself! [Bahamut Shark], direct attack!"
The shark's fin raised a surging azure wave, its terrifying fangs lunging toward the blue-haired girl who had once commanded it and now stood defenseless before it.
"Heh… heh. This truly brings Me some delight! Royal Duel Knight Aisha Carlos… you have the value of being personally crushed by Me!"
Facing the berserk shark alone without retreating in the slightest, Quaedes crossed her arms. On the empty field before her, radiant Xyz light suddenly erupted, illuminating the entire battlefield, and within that brilliance the form of a dragon gradually appeared.
Aisha frowned. "An Xyz Summon? How…?"
The face-down Trap Card at Quaedes' feet slowly flipped open upon the declaration of the direct attack.
"—Trap Card, activate! [Double Dragon Descent]!"
[When an opponent's Xyz Monster declares a direct attack: Special Summon 1 LIGHT Dragon-Type Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck in Attack Position, then the attacking monster attacks it instead, and you proceed to damage calculation. Its ATK becomes equal to the attacking monster's, also its effects are negated.]
"Trying to defeat the Emperor of the Empire with Xyz Summoning? Don't be naive! When I am about to take a direct attack from an Xyz Monster, Double Dragon Descent awakens the slumbering Dragon of Light and turns it into My shield!"
By the effect of the Trap Card [Double Dragon Descent], a LIGHT Dragon Xyz Monster was Special Summoned directly from the Extra Deck. The radiant Xyz dragon collided head-on with the shark that stirred the raging sea.
"Mighty roar that pierces the cosmos! Trace back to the distant past and awaken from the origin of the galaxy. Appear, and guide Me to victory! [Number 107: Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon]!"
[Number 107: Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon] Rank 8│LIGHT│Dragon│3000 ATK
The final Number 107, its jet-black dragon body like the galactic universe itself, radiated a light that twisted space-time.
A clash between the future and time itself.
"3000 ATK," Aisha pointed out. "But the monster Special Summoned by [Double Dragon Descent] should have its ATK become the same as the attacking [Bahamut Shark]!"
[Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon, ATK: 3000 → 2600]
Using [Double Dragon Descent] to Special Summon Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon from the Extra Deck as a shield, the most Quaedes could accomplish was mutual destruction with [Bahamut Shark].
"Naive! Far too naive, Aisha Carlos!"
Emperor Quaedes changed her stance, no longer standing with arms crossed. With full force, she swung her arm, carving a chaotic trajectory as she flipped her final Set card.
"Open your eyes and witness this. The Chaos Rank-Up that breaks through the limits of the Dragon of Time! Quick-Play Spell—[Rank-Up-Magic Quick Chaos]!"
[Target 1 "Number" Xyz Monster you control, except a "Number C" monster; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 "Number C" monster with the same number in its name as that target, but 1 Rank higher, by using it as the Xyz Material. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon. Xyz Materials attached to that target also become Xyz Materials on the Summoned monster.)]
The quick Chaos Rank-Up magic instantly enveloped the massive black body of [Number 107: Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon] in chaotic light, elevating "Number 107" into "Chaos Number 107" in a leap across time and space.
"Xyz particles dwelling within My soul—now become the power that transcends light and reverse time! Chaos Rank-Up—[Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon]!"
[Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon] Rank 9│LIGHT│Dragon│4500 ATK
The black dragon of galactic space-time evolved into a super-galactic, golden, resplendent dragon. Its three golden heads roared toward the raging tidal wave ahead, shaking the cosmos itself.
"4500 ATK?" Irena couldn't help but complain. "Do all you three-headed dragons have the same ATK value?!"
By using [Rank-Up-Magic Quick Chaos] to override the side effect of [Double Dragon Descent], the evolved [Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon] broke free of all restrictions. With 4500 ATK, it far surpassed the two monsters on Aisha's field whose control she had taken.
Unable to break through Emperor Quaedes' field, Aisha's two monsters whose control had been changed would return at the end of the Battle Phase.
And if she recklessly used [Bahamut Shark] and [Full Armored Black Ray Lancer] for suicidal attacks to avoid returning them, Aisha's Life Points would give out first.
Quaedes stared forward coldly. "You are already checkmated, Aisha Carlos!"
"Sore wa dō kana?" Aisha's emerald eyes remained firm as she met Quaedes' gaze.
"Mr. Miles has already shown me once how to break through a desperate situation. Now is when the battle truly ignites!"
"When the battle truly ignites?" Quaedes suddenly noticed Aisha's fingertips gripping her card. "The card… it's burning!"
A card that emitted blazing flames before it had even been properly summoned.
"—Quick-Play Spell [Thunderspeed Summon]—activate!"
[During the Main Phase or Battle Phase, you can Tribute Summon 1 Level 10 monster.]
Divine flames instantly evaporated the raging tidal waves. Activating [Thunderspeed Summon] during the Battle Phase allowed Aisha to Tribute Summon the Level 10 monster in her hand.
And Tribute Summoning required sacrifices.
"I Tribute [Number F0: Utopic Future], [Bahamut Shark], and [Full Armored Black Ray Lancer]! The summoning of a god!"
By using the temporarily controlled monsters as Tributes, there was no need to return them.
"Spirits sing, primordial power governs all! Its life, its soul, and even its remains—when heaven and earth converge, begin the ritual to summon the Sun God! Descend—[The Winged Dragon of Ra]!"
Aisha Carlos revealed her trump card and launched her all-out assault.
The golden divine body engulfed in flames—The Winged Dragon of Ra—instantly evaporated the raging sea and stood ready to shatter the golden brilliance of Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon on Quaedes' field.
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