"De, despair?"
"Corresponding to hope, so... Number cards also have this kind of card?"
Yuma's and Astral's expressions were both bad. Seeing a monster opposite to their ace appear on the other side, no one would be happy.
But the question was, what next?
ATK 2000 wasn't as strong as Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray. Even less could it get past Utopia Ray's equipment.
"Activate Spell Card, Monster Gate."
"Tribute 1 monster on my field to activate. Flip cards from the top of my Deck until a monster that can be Normal Summoned appears. That monster is Special Summoned. Send the remaining cards to the Graveyard." E-Ra's operation was far from ending.
"Monster Gate?" Tierra furrowed her brow. "This thing better not be copying my body components."
If that was the case, even Tierra had a must-kill reason.
But actually not. E-Ra's Deck hadn't even been flipped twice when a card started shining.
"Special Summon, Level 10, Meteor Rush - Monochroid."
A small robot alternating black and white, waving fists like Go pieces, appeared on E-Ra's field.
Meteor Rush - Monochroid. Level 10, EARTH Attribute, Machine-Type. ATK 0.
"She tributed the hard-earned Xyz monster?"
"Eh, why?"
This operation left many puzzled.
If she wanted to use Monster Gate, why not directly tribute Goblindbergh, saving a hand card?
"Heheh, Yuma Tsukumo, your heart is full of confusion. You must be very doubtful. Then watch well. Let me tell you the answer.
Because I've long seen through all of this."
She spread her power to display, simultaneously declaring, gesturing for Yuma and the others to look at everything in this world: "You think you're the first to resist me?
No.
From ancient times, from the moment humans were full of hope for the future, from the moment the Astral World was born, there have already been countless of your predecessors challenging me.
Every one of them was a contemporary strong one. Every one was a born warrior who once shone through their era.
However, I still live."
E-Ra looked at Yuma and Astral: "Because even in dueling, I far exceed you!"
"Don't think you are unique in history. To me, you're just another remnant trying to obstruct me."
"E-Ra!" Kite's fury grew higher and higher.
Simply reducing the past to worthlessness.
Truly an evil, wicked goddess.
"Spell Card, Machine Duplication."
"Target 1 Machine-Type monster with 500 or less ATK on my field to activate. Special Summon up to 2 monsters with the same name as that monster from my Deck."
"Two more, Monochroids!"
"Three Level 10 monsters..." Astral realized.
"Not over yet! If I control only EARTH Machine-Type monsters, I can activate this. Special Summon this card from my hand!"
"Super Express Bullet Train!"
"Ah, that's Anna's card!?" Yuma recognized this card at once.
Four Level 10 monsters?
"Pegasus Twin Saber is indeed a rather powerful weapon. Because it needs no chain and only needs to be on the field to negate 1 opponent monster's effect." E-Ra's figure looked dim and strange in the darkness. "But if I only activate a monster effect from hand or Graveyard, it can't handle it."
"Ugh..." Cold sweat ran down Yuma's forehead.
"Activate Antitopia's effect in the Graveyard!"
What!
Graveyard effect!
"If this card is in my Graveyard, target 1 Number 39: Utopia monster on the field to activate. Special Summon this card in Defense Position, and overlay the targeted monster beneath it as Xyz Material.
Heheh, Yuma Tsukumo.
This effect can be activated even during the opponent's turn."
"What!?" Yuma cried out.
"Actually, actually turning hope into material!?" Astral quickly cried out too.
In the darkness, the dead Antitopia climbed out from the Graveyard. It pressed one hand on Utopia's face. Utopia swung its dual swords. The mount beneath it also tried to stop it. However, no matter how hard it tried, ultimately, under the pitch-black darkness, it could only become an orb of light, absorbed by Antitopia.
Bang, bang, bang.
Losing their bearer, the three weapons all shattered, falling into darkness.
"How, how could this be..." Yuma muttered to himself, unable to believe.
His own hope had actually been swallowed by despair in an instant!
Number 98: Antitopia, Xyz Materials: 1.
"Only this much? Hope seems to only reach this level. But despair is bottomless!"
"Using the two monsters on the field, overlay!"
"It's coming, Yuma!" Astral urgently called. Yuma swallowed, nodded, shook his head, prepared himself, and seriously watched ahead.
"Manifest, envoy of Chaos! Spread despair across the entire world!"
Vroom.
Two crimson-red Xs appeared in the sky.
"Wh, what?" Astral was stunned.
"Xyz Summon!"
"Rank 10, Number XX: Utopic Dark Infinity!"
Within the pitch-black vortex, a warrior holding a black greatsword and wearing a blood-red scarf slowly stepped forward, then thrust the greatsword into the air and crossed its arms, staring at Yuma.
Number XX: Utopic Dark Infinity. Rank 10, DARK Attribute, Warrior-Type. ATK 4000.
"XX?" Yuma was stunned. He shouted at Astral: "Astral, is that also one of your memories!?"
"No! That's not my memory. It's E-Ra. She must have learned how to create Number monsters by that point!"
E-Ra softly laughed, not denying.
She merely lightly raised her hand and continued: "If this surprises you, then just die here."
!!
"Using the remaining two monsters, continue to overlay."
In the sky, bright green numbers emerged.
Countless red dots appeared in the sky. Then a spider crawled out from the darkness.
"Xyz Summon, Rank 10, Number 35: Ravenous Tarantula!"
Number 35: Ravenous Tarantula. Rank 10, DARK Attribute. ATK 0. Xyz Materials: 2.
"While Ravenous Tarantula is on the field, monsters on my field gain ATK and DEF equal to the difference between my own and the opponent's basic score."
Difference...
Almost everyone was stunned for a moment.
"The Life Points paid for Ancient Leaf!"
So she'd planned this from back then.
"The Life Point difference is 4000, Yuma!" Astral quickly reminded Yuma. Yuma had cold sweat dripping from his forehead, but still nodded.
Antitopia, DEF: 2500 → 6500. Utopic Dark Infinity, ATK: 4000 → 8000. Ravenous Tarantula, ATK: 0 → 4000.
"This..."
"ATK easily exceeded the previous Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray."
"Careful, Yuma. That monster doesn't just have that effect." Hikaru spoke up to warn.
"Heheh, Hikaru. After all, you've seen it before." E-Ra wasn't surprised by Hikaru's familiarity. She'd lent this card to Reiji Akaba before. Hikaru naturally remembered. "Activate Ravenous Tarantula's effect. Once per turn, detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to activate. All opponent monsters with ATK less than or equal to this card's ATK are destroyed!"
"Bad!" Quattro instantly realized the danger.
"No good..." Kite couldn't help wanting to rush over to help.
But regardless.
Spider silk sprayed from Ravenous Tarantula's mouthparts, instantly wrapping around Utopic Sage and shattering it in an instant.
"Dangerous." Crow's expression was grim. "E-Ra's Life Points are 8000. Yusei's team's Life Points are 12000. Utopic Dark Infinity's ATK is 8000.
If Utopic Dark Infinity attacks first and inflicts 8000 damage, Yusei's team's Life Points will drop to 4000. At that point, the difference will still be 4000, and Ravenous Tarantula's ATK will still be 4000!"
"If they take a direct attack, they'll lose instantly!" Jack grew worried.
If they lost without even reaching Yusei's or Hikaru's turn...
"Precisely so, Yuma Tsukumo. This is your endgame. Your hope, your despair!" E-Ra laughed broadly, pointing at Yuma. "Direct attack. Accept your fate of destruction!
Utopic Dark Infinity, direct attack!"
Utopic Dark Infinity swung blood-red sword energy toward Yuma and the others.
"Yuma!"
"I understand. Activate Trap Card, Pinpoint Guard!" Yuma's forehead was covered in sweat, but he wasn't panicking. "When an opponent's monster declares an attack, target 1 Level 4 or lower monster in my Graveyard to activate. That monster is Special Summoned in Defense Position. The monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot be destroyed by battle or effects this turn!"
"I revive, Gogogo Golem!"
"Oh!"
The classic stone giant flew out from the Graveyard, then crossed its hands, stacked before itself.
Gogogo Golem. Level 4, EARTH Attribute, Rock-Type. DEF 1500.
The blood-red sword energy struck the Gogogo Golem, but like dripping water into an ocean, caused not a ripple. However, in the gloomy darkness, a strand of venomous silk still pierced through Yuma.
Hope side, LP: 12000 → 11400.
"So long as Ravenous Tarantula with Xyz Material is on the field, each time the opponent Special Summons, they lose 600 Life Points." Though E-Ra's attack had failed, she showed no regret, sneering as she spoke.
"Beautifully done..." Yusei looked at the monster that had appeared on the field, understood Yuma's thinking, didn't fuss over the 600 Life Points gained or lost, and instead praised his teammate. "You'd long prepared, so that even if all your monsters were handled, you could use this card to block the attack.
Even more, next turn, when it's my turn, I can also use Dodododwarf's effect to assemble two Level 4 monsters, right?"
"Uh, heheh, didn't think that far." Yuma scratched the back of his head, somewhat shy.
Not far away, Kite watched this scene and actually felt differently.
It seemed through the long adventures and duels with Number monsters, Yuma had truly become someone who could make him feel reliable.
"Yuma Tsukumo, consider yourself lucky." E-Ra ended the Battle Phase and entered Main Phase 2.
"That's not luck." Hikaru stroked his chin from the side and said. "Dueling isn't purely about luck. When a duel begins, when a duelist displays their conviction, some things are already fated.
Just like you, E-Ra, Monster Gate Special Summoning Monochroid was something you'd long anticipated.
And Yuma Setting that card, preparing for Yusei, leaving one monster in despair, then creating a brand-new future and hope. This is the point of light within despair. This is exactly hope."
"You sure can talk, Hikaru." E-Ra sneered. She didn't particularly care about Hikaru's words. "Hope within despair? A Level 4 monster, not even one the Synchro Dimension specializes in using. You can actually say such things."
"Fine, then let you see even more darkness and despair."
"Activate Utopic Dark Infinity's effect. Once per turn, choose 1 Special Summoned monster on my field. At the end of the turn, recover Life Points equal to that monster's ATK. I choose Utopic Dark Infinity!"
"What!?"
"Recovering Life Points!"
"No wonder she used Ancient Leaf!"
Crow and the others chattered.
Kite pursed his lips, furrowing his brow, thinking.
"Eh! Utopic Dark Infinity has 7400 ATK, meaning she'd recover 7400 Life Points!?" Tori Meadows was shocked. "And next turn, she can recover Life Points again. The more Life Points increase, the higher monster ATK will climb! Her Life Points are already higher than Yuma's now, and factoring in Ravenous Tarantula's effect, by then she could increase tens of thousands of Life Points and ATK in one go!"
"In that situation, taking even one attack means losing for certain." Quattro also looked stuck.
If Life Points kept growing like this, even his cards couldn't drain her Life Points.
"Set two cards."
E-Ra casually Set two pitch-black cards.
"End turn."
At the same time, Utopic Dark Infinity raised its great shield high. Crimson radiance flashed over E-Ra. She licked her tongue. Endless pain surged into her body, recovering and nourishing her life.
E-Ra, LP: 8000 → 15400.
The lost Life Points were all restored, and even more besides.
...
STONES PLzz 💎
Read upto 15 chapters ahead@ keepsmiling818 p2reon