Yugioh [648-653] (Patreon)

Chapter 648: Fate

Aster fell to his knees, feeling the breath catch in his chest.

He lost.

This might be his first defeat since he began dueling. And thinking it through, he felt it should count as a complete defeat.

During the duel he hadn't felt that way; several times he thought he had a chance. At moments it even looked like he was just a hair's breadth away—that if luck tipped a little more his way, or if some small variable changed, the outcome might have been different.

He might have won.

But when he replayed the entire duel in his mind, taking the long view, considering the opponent's performance throughout, he suddenly felt that his opponent might never have even used his true strength.

Yes—like toying with him. As if the result had been decided before the duel began. What tactics he chose, how he played his cards or attacked—none of it mattered.

He would lose, because the ending was predestined.

Exactly like how all kinds of opponents had felt when they faced Aster himself up to now. In one duel after another, against every opponent—he'd barely even needed to bring out his Destiny HEROes. His attitude toward dueling had itself been one of toying.

The elusive thing called fate had always placed him on the side of the victor, yet today it seemed to have kicked him into the loser's seat for the first time. This was his first time feeling the helplessness of those he'd defeated when they stood before the behemoth of fate.

Especially now that this heavy fate had taken form—rolling in like a mountain that could not be shaken. He was pressed to the ground as if under a thousandfold gravity, almost unable to breathe.

But when he forced his head up to look at the fearsome figure, he was momentarily dazed.

They were his Destiny HEROes.

Yes, the very same four Destiny HEROes had steamrolled in a single turn—among them even his soul card, Dreadmaster…

Say what you will, that damn Revolver really can bull through. Four NTR in one turn—unheard of. A live demonstration of "we had no guns and no cannons, the enemy built them for us."

If it had been someone else, after such a brutal beatdown they might only wonder why the world allows someone to be that dirty. But Aster instead began to think about what it meant.

"See."

Kira stood before him, the four Destiny HEROes orbiting at his side.

"Your Destiny HEROes—they're mine now."

"So are you thinking this means that your socalled immutable fate with Sartorius is now on my side?"

Aster was silent.

He thought a moment, then slowly raised his head.

"Who are you?"

"As you can see, just a passerby duelist."

Kira pulled four Destiny HERO cards from the trap/spell slot of his duel disk. The holograms winked out in turn. He handed the four cards back to Aster.

Aster looked up at him in surprise.

He remembered the intel: this man loved cards like life itself. Anyone who'd lost to the Revolver never walked away with their own deck—assuming they were lucky enough to walk away alive.

It seemed the rumors weren't entirely reliable.

"I beat you—not because of fate, but simply because my tactics, my deck, my duel were stronger. That's all. Fate had nothing to do with it."

Kira said flatly.

"If you hand wins and losses over to 'fate,' then when you win it was 'inevitable,' and when you lose you were 'powerless'—as a duelist, that's as far as you'll ever get."

Kira continued.

"'Destiny HERO'? Laughable. Shackled by fate, you're only a prisoner.

Those who can break fate and carve their own path—that is who deserves to be called a hero."

Aster's heart jolted, as if struck by lightning.

The other question his opponent had posed during the duel floated back up.

What had his father been thinking when he designed the Destiny HEROes?

Was it truly his father's wish to burden them with such a crushing fate?

Once upon a time, every time he saw a new HERO his father designed, he was filled with anticipation. Their cool looks, their power—they thrilled him. Holding those cards, obtaining those HEROes, it felt like he could be one of them.

It made him feel unprecedented strength, as if he had the power to break any obstacle, to fear nothing.

When had he forgotten that feeling?

He had accepted that even HEROes weren't omnipotent; accepted that even HEROes couldn't escape the dictates of fate.

But how could he not? By Sartorius's side, he had witnessed too many times Sartorius's unfathomable power. The fates Sartorius predicted never missed, forcing Aster to believe that the future was a book already written, and all of them were merely marching along its plot mechanically.

Aster took a deep breath and stood to face the Revolver.

"Sartorius did foresee his own destruction—but that was many years ago. These last two years, he hasn't brought it up at all."

Aster stood and spoke.

"Are you trying to tell me that Sartorius has already fallen into the fate he predicted?"

"It's not for me to tell you. You were once one of the people closest to Sartorius. You must have sensed it by now."

Kira's tone was calm.

Aster said nothing.

Indeed. Thinking back, at some point Sartorius had stopped confiding in him like before. Sometimes Aster felt they'd grown distant, Sartorius less human than he used to be.

But people change. Aster himself had changed as he grew. So while the thought had crossed his mind, he'd never considered it a big deal.

Now, through this duel, the Revolver had shaken him.

He just didn't want to admit it.

"The guy telling me all this wears a mask and sits in some nameless trap deep underground," Aster said. "Why do you expect me to believe you?

For all I know, you, Revolver, are the root of the destruction in Sartorius's prophecy."

"I never said you had to believe me. Judge for yourself."

Kira smiled.

"Sartorius also foretold that you would be the key to changing his fate, didn't he? That's why he first approached you—because he knew that one day you would be crucial to his destiny."

Kira snapped his fingers.

"Don't let him down, Aster Phoenix."

Aster wanted to say more, but the world began to reel.

Startled, he stepped forward, only for the ground to drop away beneath his feet. He spun out of control, wave after wave of vertigo crashing over him.

When his feet found ground again, he focused—and discovered he was back on an empty street.

As if he'd merely had a long dream right here, without ever going anywhere.

Chapter 649: Shooting Champion

Sartorius sat as always in that room of white light, in his special seat.

He slowly turned over another tarot card.

Sartorius's brow lifted; he showed rare surprise.

"Aster's destiny has wavered?"

Through the mist of fate he could see clearly: Aster Phoenix's future had changed.

One who should have been his strongest enforcer, bound to the destiny of the Light of Destruction, had slipped off his original track. Aster's fate had grown hazy, unpredictable—even Sartorius began to find it hard to grasp.

But why?

Sartorius's brows knit. He reshuffled and drew a few more cards, laying them flat on the table and turning them over one by one.

He stared at the spread for a long time in silence.

"The Revolver."

Sartorius murmured.

"A mundane destiny, an ant raising its arms against the wheel of fate—its end can only be destruction. Easy, effortless destruction, barely worth notice."

So it should have been.

Yet now, this man had shaken Aster's fate.

One of his most important pieces.

How could that be?

He sat motionless in the white light, silent in thought. A terminal chime interrupted him.

Sartorius answered. On the other side appeared his sister, Sarina.

"Sarina, I was just about to call you."

Sartorius didn't look pleased.

"The Knights of Hanoi… you may need to pick up the pace on your end."

Sarina raised an eyebrow. "You seem uneasy, brother. What happened?"

That was rare. She knew he possessed a special power to foresee the future. For one who could pierce fate and know what was to come, unease and anxiety were uncommon emotions.

"No, I'm fine. It's just that the Revolver is a bit unexpected," Sartorius said darkly.

"Unexpected?"

Another novel phrase.

How could someone be beyond Sartorius's expectations?

"In any case, secure him as soon as possible, by any means necessary," Sartorius said. "If necessary, you can move personally next."

"I understand."

Sarina nodded, pondered a moment, then said:

"I'm considering unifying the powers of the Monarch and trying again. The Earth Monarch's master is the strongest of the four; he should be able to wield the combined power of all the Monarch."

"Good. But make it quick. Don't keep me waiting," Sartorius said coldly. "The time has come."

Sarina blinked.

"You're moving too, brother?"

"The Duel Academy—the center of the vortex of fate," Sartorius said. "The wheel of destiny has rolled to this moment. No one can stop it, and it cannot be halted."

He did not tell Sarina that another variable was the dark waves from space. The power of Neo-Space had arrived; he could not leave it unchecked.

He had to act.

But the plan required changes.

In fact, under the original plan—like in the anime—Sartorius would personally go to Duel Academy next.

In the anime, he first took down Chazz, making him the first White Knight at the Academy.

With the power of Light, Chazz then swept through the school, defeated many students, and infected them with the Light of Destruction, turning them into Sartorius's faithful believers.

They even abolished the Blue Dorm and turned it into the White Dorm, the headquarters of the Society of Light, which became the base for all of Sartorius's actions.

But now Aster's wavering destiny gave Sartorius pause. The destiny of Light seemed to be sprouting variables, and there was someone else on the island he was wary of.

Duel King Fujiki Kira.

So, after consideration, Sartorius decided to slightly revise the plan. He himself would not set foot on the island for now.

With his abilities, even without going in person, he could still exert influence over the Academy.

Sartorius took out his crystal ball. Light flashed over it, and soon a mirror-like image resolved on the gleaming surface.

It was a bustling venue. A banner hung high overhead:

"Domino City 7th Bullet-Hell Shooting Grand Prix."

It wasn't FPS—the first-person shooters most people know—but an older kind of bullet-hell shooter, like Raiden.

Players control a plane, weaving through curtains of fire, using a single craft to smash through enemy legions and finally destroy a boss-class dreadnought to claim victory.

"Match decided!"

The host's shout boomed over the speakers, accompanied by thunderous applause from the crowd.

"The winner is the world shooting champion, Lorenzo!"

"Once again, Lorenzo has defended his title, taking the Grand Prix crown! Let's congratulate him!"

A boy in an Obelisk Blue uniform leapt onto the podium, waving to the crowd with cocky flair.

When the host handed him the mic, the boy gripped it with one hand and thrust his other fist high.

"In shooting or in dueling, I will be No. 1!"

The boy named Lorenzo said with confidence.

"Soon, I'll stand at the pinnacle of the dueling world too!"

The audience erupted in even louder applause; the atmosphere boiled.

Lorenzo, a student of Duel Academy's Obelisk Blue. But before he was a seated duelist, he was a bullet-hell shooter—quite possibly the best in the world.

He'd won numerous titles in that genre, long recognized as a world champion. Later, he brought his talent and understanding from shooters into dueling, achieving outstanding results and earning the reputation of a double prodigy in shooting and dueling, with consistently stellar grades in Obelisk Blue.

Domino had hosted a high-caliber shooting event over the last two days. As a die-hard fan, Lorenzo immediately took two days off from the Academy to compete, and unsurprisingly, won again.

Hugging his trophy, humming to himself, Lorenzo set off back to the Academy.

But he'd barely left the venue when, on a whim, he glanced into a nearby alley.

He froze.

In the dim alley, shrouded in a thin mist, a table sat faintly outlined. A hooded man sat behind it, a crystal ball resting on the tabletop before him.

A fortune-teller?

Lorenzo blinked.

He'd never believed in that stuff. But today, for some reason, he felt a strong urge to go take a look.

He walked into the alley, step by step.

The man lifted his head slowly, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"My name is Sartorius," the hooded man said with a smile.

"Lorenzo, do you want to know your fate?"

Chapter 650: Giant Battleship Assault

Even though it was the weekend, Alexis Rhodes got up early.

She'd been busy lately. Not because of classes—those were easy for a top student like her. Regular lectures and homework no longer took much time.

Ninety percent of her energy was going into the lab.

Not because the lab boss, Kira, was squeezing them—no weekends, no breaks. In fact, Kira's management was pretty relaxed, especially with veterans like Alexis and Misawa. He almost never assigned them hard deadlines.

No pressure or mandates—she simply wanted to work.

The past year's research had dramatically improved her skills and sparked a deep interest in card-crafting research.

Just as she had chosen this path largely out of her love for dueling, the urge to explore the dueling world and forge new results into new cards filled her with passion.

Of course, compared with Misawa's zeal, she felt inadequate. She still had a life beyond card-making, with rest and balance.

Misawa, on the other hand, practically lived in the lab and didn't even want to go back to Yellow Dorm. He'd become the Academy's famed research maniac, the kind you never saw around.

On her self-appointed overtime commute, cutting along a familiar forest path, Alexis noticed a fog rising around her.

She'd never seen fog this thick in these woods; in moments, it was a whiteout, impossible to tell direction.

Then she heard a strange sound.

A crackling flurry of button presses, and some oddly familiar game sound effects.

Puzzled, Alexis followed the noise. As she approached, she was startled to see someone sitting in the grove, clutching a game controller and mashing buttons. Before him were a console and a monitor. On screen, a tiny plane he controlled was charging through a hail of bullets.

Alexis was stunned.

Playing console games in the grove?

"Ah, you finally made it."

The person seemed to notice, set down the controller, stood, and turned.

He stretched his fingers, flexing them lightly, a mischievous smile on his face as he looked at Alexis.

"I've been waiting for you, Alexis Rhodes."

"Waiting for me?" Alexis thought, "You're that Lorenzo, right? The shooting game champion, the dueling prodigy—"

"Hahaha, you know my name? I'm flattered."

Lorenzo grinned.

"So, how about it? Dare to duel me, Ms. No. 1 of Duel Academy?"

Only now did Alexis notice he wasn't in a Blue Dorm uniform—he wore a flashy white outfit.

Did the Academy even have a uniform like that?

The fog thickened, encircling them, hiding even the trees.

Her instincts told her she might not have the right to refuse this duel.

"Either way, if it's a duel, I never turn it down."

Alexis unfolded her duel disk.

"Hahaha, that's Rhodes for you. I knew you'd say that. Then…"

Lorenzo opened his duel disk as well.

"Duel!" x2

[Alexis LP: 4000]

[Lorenzo LP: 4000]

"I'll go first. Draw."

Alexis took the first turn.

"I activate the spell Graceful Charity. Draw three, then discard two."

"Then I Normal Summon Etoile Cyber in Attack Position!"

One of Alexis's favorite low-level monsters—a red-haired cyber dancer—spun onto the field, stretching her long, shapely legs. One eye covered, her red hair blazed like fire.

[Etoile Cyber, ATK 1200]

"Set two and end." Alexis said.

"Alexis's deck has lots of dancers," Lorenzo chuckled. "Beautiful, elegant—flowers in full bloom… but unfortunately, flowers can't withstand superior interstellar firepower!

My turn. Draw!"

As he drew, Alexis had the distinct sense—perhaps not just her imagination—that something about him changed.

A pressure no student should possess, a force so strong that even the instant of his draw made her chest tighten.

It wasn't in her head. Lorenzo had already joined the Society of Light, replacing Chazz's role from the anime to become Sartorius's first wedge at the Academy—the opening move in a plan to build his Society and ultimately swallow the school.

And unlike the nameless grunts infected by the Light of Destruction in the anime, Sartorius had changed plans and not gone to the Academy himself. He had lodged a portion of the Light of Destruction's power within Lorenzo—granting him strength and using his eyes to observe the Academy.

Thus Lorenzo's standing and power were entirely different from the anime: he was currently Sartorius's number one general invading the Academy.

"Alexis Rhodes—one of the earliest to join the Duel King's circle, one of the Academy's top talents."

Watching through the crystal ball, Sartorius looked intrigued.

"Starting the breakthrough here against that king's faction—not a bad choice. Now, show me your power."

Lorenzo said, "I Special Summon B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core!"

A white beam lanced skyward, as if something shot into the heavens.

The fog churned, as if cleaved by some colossal thing. A vast mass descended from above, revealing a steel body that blotted out the sky—like a scifi spaceship, hovering in the air, a blue core pulsing with deep light.

[B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core, ATK 2500]

Alexis blinked. "He just dropped a 2500 ATK high-level monster!?"

"Blaster Cannon Core's effect: if your opponent controls more monsters than you do, you can Special Summon this card from your hand!"

Giant Battleship—this was Lorenzo's deck, its concept based on the 2D horizontal shooter Gradius, matching his identity as a bullethell champion.

"Dueling is shooting. My Giant Battleships are stage bosses from shooters. They crush any clueless challenger with absolute force—that's my duel!"

With a sweeping gesture, Lorenzo issued the attack.

"Go! B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core, attack Etoile Cyber!"

Chapter 651: The Advancing Dancer

"B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core's attack!"

Lorenzo smiled.

"Celebrities should stay obediently on stage. Once you step onto the battlefield, be ready to be blasted to pieces."

"Thanks for the heads-up, but no need."

Alexis didn't budge an inch.

"Activate the trap 'Doble Passe'! When the opponent declares an attack with a monster on their field, that monster's attack becomes a direct attack to you!"

"Nani?"

This actually surprised Lorenzo.

Turn it into a direct attack? Is this woman insane?

Sure enough, once the trap took effect, Blaster Cannon Core's shot curved away, bypassing the Etoile Cyber in the front row and sweeping straight toward Alexis herself.

Boom!

Alexis grunted as she was engulfed by the barrage, the force of the holograms making her drop to one knee.

"Using the duelist's own body to protect the monster?" Lorenzo was baffled by the odd play. "Why?"

But then, a lithe figure tore through the wall of flames, whipped around with a gorgeous roundhouse, and lashed straight at him. Lorenzo started, reflexively raised his duel disk to block, yet the kick still made his upper body shudder as he staggered back.

"What—!?"

"'Doble Passe' turns the opponent monster's attack into a direct attack," Alexis explained. "But it also inflicts damage to the opponent equal to the ATK of the monster that was targeted."

[Alexis, LP 4000 → 1500]

[Lorenzo, LP 4000 → 2800]

"I see, a card that trades damage?"

Lorenzo brushed ash off himself and still sneered.

"But is that really wise?"

"My side had a 2500-ATK Tribute monster, and you traded to hit me with that weak little dancer's ATK? Isn't that a bit of a loss?"

"No need to worry about that," Alexis smiled. "'Doble Passe' has a follow-up effect.

That monster of mine can make a direct attack next turn!"

This was one of the upgrades Alexis earned from those long hours in the lab—one of her favorite traps.

In the anime, it turned the opponent's attack into a direct attack, then immediately let your own monster also make a direct attack. Of course, "making your own monster attack directly during the opponent's Battle Phase" screams nonstandard and non-OCG.

The real card not only standardized it but strengthened it. After the duelist takes the direct attack, the opponent takes effect damage equal to your monster's ATK—no battle, just effect damage. And next turn you get another face-shot opportunity.

That turns it from pure damage trade into your offensive advantage.

"Also, when I took that direct-attack damage, my other set card already activated."

Alexis flipped her second backrow.

"Activate the trap 'Damage Gate'!"

The blast and shockwave surging over Alexis didn't dissipate; guided by the trap, they converged and formed a gate-like shape.

"Damage Gate can only be activated when you take battle damage. Special Summon from the GY 1 monster with ATK less than or equal to the damage you took."

Golden light flared from Alexis's GY. A monster card flew out, passed through the Damage Gate, and spun down lightly to the field as a petite figure.

"The card I discarded with 'Graceful Charity'—Cyber Tutu—Special Summon!"

[Cyber Tutu, ATK 1000]

"I see."

Lorenzo understood.

"Direct-attack again next turn to widen the gap—and convert the damage you took into a new body on the field, growing your resources. As expected of Duel Academy's so-called No. 1 Miss duelist."

Lorenzo chuckled oddly twice.

"Alright… then I'll activate the Continuous Spell from my hand, 'Boss Rush'!"

A Spell card appeared in his backrow.

"This card can only be activated during a turn in which I didn't Normal Summon," Lorenzo said. "While it's face-up, each time a face-up 'B.E.S' monster I control is destroyed and sent to the GY, at the end of the turn I can Special Summon a different 'B.E.S' from the Deck!"

"A Continuous Spell that gives all the warships a 'last word' effect, huh." Alexis frowned.

She instinctively felt this card was strong—ignoring levels to pull any B.E.S directly from the Deck meant the entire monster suite could be freely dispatched.

"Lastly, I set 1 card and end my turn," Lorenzo said.

"Then it's my turn. Draw!"

Alexis slid the drawn card into her disk.

"Activate Equip Spell 'United We Stand'!"

The Spell appeared in her backrow.

"Equip to 'Etoile Cyber.' The equipped monster gains ATK/DEF equal to 800 times the number of monsters I control."

A soft yellow aura wrapped Etoile Cyber.

"I control two monsters, so her ATK increases by 1600!"

[Etoile Cyber, ATK 1200 → 2800]

"Two-thousand-eight hundred!?" Lorenzo's face fell instantly.

He hadn't forgotten—she could attack directly this turn!

A 2800 direct swing? That's brutal!

"And when Etoile Cyber makes a direct attack, she gains an additional 600 ATK." (Anime effect)

In the real card it became 500—who knows why that 100 makes a difference.

Alexis raised her hand.

"Battle! Etoile Cyber attacks directly by 'Doble Passe'!"

Seeing the golden aura-wreathed Etoile charge in, Lorenzo's expression tightened. He hadn't expected that after just starting, it had already come to a life-or-death moment.

A forced trade trap plus an ATK boost—indeed, it's a blitz that can kill before you can react. You can't let your guard down at all.

"Activate set card, the trap 'Destruct Potion'!" Lorenzo said. "Destroy a monster I control and gain LP equal to its ATK.

I destroy 'B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core'!"

With a boom, the warship exploded from its core. The steel vessel became a ball of fire, shrapnel flew, and streams of golden light kept pouring into Lorenzo.

[Lorenzo, LP 2800 → 5300]

"Then Etoile Cyber's effect," Alexis said. "When she attacks directly, she gains an extra 600 ATK."

[Etoile Cyber, ATK 2800 → 3400]

The star leapt in, spun, and unleashed a powerful roundhouse!

Lorenzo felt like that kick nearly took his jaw off.

[Lorenzo, LP 5300 → 1900]

"We're not done," Alexis continued. "Next, 'Cyber Tutu' attacks directly!"

Chapter 652: Warship Rush

"Cyber Tutu's direct attack!"

The petite dancer in a tutu stepped lightly forward, toes tapping, body spinning rapidly. In her spin, her right leg lashed out like a whip, cracking across the crouching, guard-up Lorenzo.

[Lorenzo, LP 1900 → 900]

"Ugh—"

Lorenzo grimaced, swaying, almost unable to stand.

In fact, even if he still had a monster on the field, this would've gone through. Cyber Tutu can attack directly if the opponent controls a monster with higher ATK than hers.

Yes—direct attacks: avoid head-on battles and go straight for the duelist's face, even tanking damage yourself to make the opening. That's Alexis's strategy.

She'd always liked such tactics; but over the past year, provoked by someone or something, she'd developed them further.

She dug deeper into her key cards and evolved them, adjusted her tactics, and her face-rushing is fiercer than before.

Lorenzo had already learned that the hard way. In just two turns at the start, he'd eaten 5600 damage, and neither side's monsters had actually clashed once—terrifying.

Alexis: "Then I set 1 card and end my turn."

"But Boss Rush also activates!"

Lorenzo barked.

"The Continuous Spell 'Boss Rush' effect," he said. "When a face-up 'B.E.S.' monster I control is destroyed and sent to the GY, during the End Phase I Special Summon a 'B.E.S.' from my Deck."

The Spell glowed. He raised his duel disk, and a beam of light shot out.

"Show yourself! B.E.S. Tetran!"

A brand-new warship flew out of the Deck. A massive metal body, swinging alloy arms like an octopus in the sky.

[B.E.S. Tetran, ATK 1800]

"B.E.S. do not die," Lorenzo said smugly. "All B.E.S. monsters cannot be destroyed by battle!

And even if they're destroyed by effects, no matter how many you knock down, more will replace them. That's a true BOSS!"

"They may not be destroyed by battle, but 'invincible' is far from it."

Alexis looked at the glaring blue core in the airborne warship.

"The warship's energy core is its greatest weakness. Once the core is attacked, it's destroyed immediately."

This wasn't fluff—it was intentional deck design. B.E.S. have a protective shield over their energy core. If the core is attacked without protection, the warship explodes.

Generally, when a B.E.S. is Summoned, it gets two or three Counters representing the protective layers over the core.

While a B.E.S. can't be destroyed by battle, it must remove one Counter each time it battles. If it battles while it has no Counters, after damage calculation it's destroyed.

"My turn. Draw!"

Lorenzo glanced at the card and lifted his lids.

"B.E.S. Tetran only places three Counters when Normal Summoned. Since it was Special Summoned by 'Boss Rush,' Tetran currently has no Counters.

But I'm activating this card!"

He slammed a card from his hand.

"The Spell 'Shield Recovery'!" Lorenzo declared. "This card places three Counters on a 'B.E.S.' monster on the field!" (Anime card)

He raised his arm high, pointing at the massive core above.

"I place three Counters on 'B.E.S. Tetran'!"

Three layers of armor clamped over the energy core, protecting its most fragile point.

"When a B.E.S. has Counters, it removes one after each battle and won't be destroyed by battle," Lorenzo said. "And Tetran has its own effect!

Once per turn, remove 1 Counter to destroy a Spell/Trap on the field."

Lorenzo pointed at Alexis's backrow.

"That troublesome Equip Spell—begone!"

Naturally he targeted "United We Stand." That big ATK boost was tough for his warships to push through.

One layer of Tetran's protection vanished, converting into a beam that blasted down. Alexis's Spell was pierced and shattered.

Lorenzo: "Heh, Etoile Cyber's ATK is back to normal."

[Etoile Cyber, ATK 2800 → 1200]

"Next I activate the Spell 'Monster Reborn' to revive a monster from the GY."

The sigil of revival appeared overhead. Then a colossal alien warship tore through, hovering high.

"Revive 'B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core'!"

[B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core, ATK 2500]

"When Blaster Cannon Core is Summoned or Special Summoned, it gains three Counters," Lorenzo said. "Defense layers, online!"

[B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core, Counters 3]

That meant Blaster Cannon Core could endure up to three battles and not be destroyed by battle during them.

"Your direct-attack tactic is interesting, but this is the end," Lorenzo smiled. "Under the BOSS-level warships' Boss Rush, few can last several turns.

First, Blaster Cannon Core attacks 'Etoile Cyber'!"

Energy surged, swirling into the massive core. Light condensed and erupted as a blazing beam from the sky!

Without her Equip, Etoile Cyber was outmatched, yet unafraid. She nimbly slipped through the barrage, darted to the core shrouded in layers of protection, and snapped a kick.

A blast sounded as one protective layer detonated. The backlash knocked Etoile away, and she was pierced midair by the beam, fading to nothing.

"Activate the trap 'Defense Draw'," Alexis said. "Make that battle damage 0, then I draw 1 card."

A transparent barrier rose before her, blocking the explosion's shock. Alexis drew, then added:

"And through that battle, Etoile Cyber broke a layer of protection. Blaster Cannon Core loses 1 Counter."

[B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core, Counters 3 → 2]

"That's more than enough."

Lorenzo's tone went cold.

"Battle continues. B.E.S. Tetran, attack Cyber Tutu!"

Chapter 653: Invitation to the Society

"Battle continues. B.E.S. Tetran, attack Cyber Tutu!"

The warship roared; four mechanical arms shot out like tentacles at the tiny Tutu. She was nimble—dodging left and right inside their encirclement, planting a foot on one arm to vault, grabbing another to flip, closing in fast, and snapping a kick at the protective layer before the core.

Another boom—the layer blew, backlash flinging Tutu back, and she shattered midair.

[Alexis, LP 1500 → 700]

"But Cyber Tutu's battle also removed a protective layer," Alexis said. "Now Tetran has only one Counter left."

[B.E.S. Tetran, Counters 2 → 1]

"Hmph. One last layer is plenty," Lorenzo snorted.

Which meant unless she attacked and stripped Tetran's last layer next turn, he could use Tetran to remove a Counter to snipe her backrow again, dismantling her defense.

And with Alexis at only 700 LP, attacking carried huge risk.

"My turn ends."

Lorenzo was full of confidence.

"Your LP flickers like a candle in the wind, while my B.E.S. have infinite staying power. Well then, Rhodes—why not abandon futile resistance and surrender to the Society of Light?"

"Society… of Light?" Alexis frowned.

"Indeed," Lorenzo said. "Master Sartorius's Society of Light is the greatest blessing to this academy tainted by darkness! It's our chance to be cleansed and made pure!

I've always thought highly of you, Rhodes. If anyone here deserves the Light's baptism, to be spotless and pure, it's you."

"You're saying things that make no sense…"

Alexis knit her brows.

She didn't fully grasp it, but she could sense something wrong about his aura—a predatory force. Her instincts said that if she lost, the consequences would be dire.

Alexis drew a deep breath.

She had to win, no matter what—and then tell Kira about this.

"My turn. Draw!"

Seeing the card, Alexis's eyes lit up.

This card…

"I activate the Spell 'Preparation of Rites,'" Alexis said. "Add 1 Level 7 or lower Ritual Monster from the Deck to the hand, then add 1 Ritual Spell from the GY to the hand."

She spread her Deck and quickly picked the one she needed.

"I add the Level 5 Ritual Monster 'Cyber Angel Natasha' to my hand."

"Going for Cyber Angels' blitz?" Lorenzo chuckled. "The ritual angels with speed—another ace in your Cyber deck, right?"

Alexis ignored him and continued: "Activate the Ritual Spell 'Machine Angel Ritual'!

Tribute monsters from hand/field whose total Levels equal the Level of the Ritual Monster to Ritual Summon a 'Cyber Angel'."

She revealed two cards at once.

"I tribute the Level 6 'Cyber Angel Benten' from my hand to perform a Ritual Summon!"

Benten appeared and dissolved into motes that scattered.

"O angel of light who holds hidden healing, descend in beauty and grant swift restoration! Ritual Summon—

—Cyber Angel Natasha!"

Benten's offering became a pillar of flame on the altar. Fire roared skyward and burst. Golden lances pierced the clouds, which split as the four-eyed angel descended, half-human half-beast, red cloak billowing.

[Cyber Angel Natasha, ATK 1000]

"A Ritual Monster with only 1000 ATK?" Lorenzo was puzzled.

And in Attack Position, no less…

"When 'Cyber Angel Benten' is tributed, its effect activates," Alexis said. "Add 1 LIGHT Fairy from the Deck to the hand."

She spread her Deck again, drew a card, and revealed it.

"I add 'Cyber Angel Idaten' to my hand."

Then she gestured to the multi-armed angel on the field.

"Natasha's effect activates. Once per turn, target 1 face-up monster I control; I gain LP equal to half that monster's ATK.

I choose 'Cyber Angel Natasha' herself to recover 500 LP—half of 1000."

[Alexis, LP 700 → 1200]

"I set 1 card and end my turn."

"Then it's my turn. Draw!" Lorenzo narrowed his eyes. "The drawback of 'Boss Rush'—while it's on the field, I cannot Normal Summon.

But I don't need to! First, 'B.E.S. Tetran's' monster effect!"

Lorenzo raised his arm high.

"Once per turn, remove 1 Counter to destroy a Spell/Trap on the field!"

He paused, smirking.

"Heh, a 1000-ATK monster in Attack Position, then a set card—might as well write 'trap' on the mat.

If that's all you've got, you underestimate me."

He shouted.

"Let me see what you pinned your hopes on!"

The warship's beam lanced toward her backrow.

"As you wish."

Alexis called out.

"Activate set trap, 'Card of Sacrifice'! If the total ATK of my monsters is lower than the lowest ATK of the opponent's monsters, I draw 2 cards!" (Anime effect)

Lorenzo: "My lowest-ATK monster is 'B.E.S. Tetran'…"

[B.E.S. Tetran, ATK 1800]

Alexis: "And I control only 'Cyber Angel Natasha.'"

[Cyber Angel Natasha, ATK 1000]

"Tetran's ATK is higher than Natasha's, so I draw 2 cards!"

Alexis drew two, then added: "However, the turn I activate 'Card of Sacrifice,' I cannot Normal Summon, Special Summon, or Flip Summon any monsters."

"Tch, just a decoy, huh."

Lorenzo's voice hardened.

"But that means you've got nothing left to save you. Straight to the Battle Phase!

'B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core,' attack 'Cyber Angel Natasha'!"