The cathedral bell tower, the tallest building in the Academy town, held the massive clock that struck the hours for the townsfolk each day at its peak.
But now, instead of telling time, the top of the bell tower had become a sky dueling stage drawing every gaze in town.
The rooftop, never built for dueling, was narrow—Kaima and her opponent were dueling with their heels nearly against the edge.
One step back meant a plunge into the abyss.
"Kaima!"
Riding Stardust Dragon, Miles soared to the top. Even through the night, he could see Kaima's exquisite face contorted with strain.
[Kaima Seth, LP: 1594]
Her remaining Life Points were bizarrely precise to the single digit. Likely only in a battle with that black sphere Wicked God—The Wicked Avatar—could such numbers appear.
It seemed its effect was exactly what Miles had glimpsed when he once peered into the abyss:
[This card's Attack and Defense are always equal to the highest Attack or Defense on the field +1.]
Only such a ridiculous effect could produce such ridiculous Life Point totals.
"Still holding out, Kaima Seth? If you'd just accept destiny, you wouldn't suffer so. The power I sought in the abyss was only for this world's salvation."
The man standing opposite Kaima on the tower. If he could wield the strongest Wicked God, then he was surely the Pope of the Old Dominators.
Aisha asked, "That Pope doesn't look anything like what I imagined?"
Miles said, "Same here."
Though masked, his bearing was utterly solemn. Unlike the crazed garb of most cultists, the Pope's attire resembled the first Old Dominators cardinal Miles had defeated, Yog-Tos. In fact, even more like a true clergyman.
A golden mask, a pure white robe trailing to the ground, and an aura of sanctity radiated from him.
"Don't joke with me!" Kaima, unblinded by this so-called holiness, shouted: "If your salvation means taking my brother's life, then even in hell, I'll never accept it!"
[Pope, LP: 4000]
Despite Kaima's fierce resistance, the Pope still stood at full Life Points, coldly confirming Miles's fear.
Or worse—the reality was even harsher than he imagined.
No matter her efforts, Kaima hadn't even scratched this nearly invincible Wicked God.
"You'll be reunited with your brother soon, Kaima Seth. As a sacrifice for the abyss's descent, offering your life source is the highest honor!"
"Keep your honor for yourself!"
Kaima's slender fingers drew a card from her Deck. Her last defiant surge of strength reflected the triple-headed White Dragon in a mirror.
"—Spell Card [Dragon's Mirror], activate!"
[Banish from your field or Graveyard the Fusion Materials listed for a Dragon Fusion Monster, and Fusion Summon that monster from your Extra Deck.]
"I banish three Blue-Eyes White Dragons from my Graveyard for the final Fusion Summon!"
Like a tragic requiem, the mirror shattered. The souls of three dragons spread their wings, merging into a single point in the night sky.
"Shatter! Smash! Resound! I wager everything on you—the ultimate evolved Dragon! Fusion Summon—Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
[Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] Level 12│LIGHT│Dragon/Fusion/Effect│4500 ATK/3800 DEF
A colossal three-headed dragon bathed the night sky in fusion light, roaring atop the tower.
"So this is the legendary Blue-Eyes fusion… 4500 Attack, magnificent. Nonetheless, The Wicked Avatar will outshine it still!"
The Pope raised his hand toward the pitch-black sun hovering in the sky—[The Wicked Avatar].
"The strongest Wicked God's Attack is always the highest on the field +1. So with Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's arrival, Avatar's final Attack is—"
[The Wicked Avatar, ATK: 4501]
The black sphere writhed, sprouting wings and three heads, transforming into an identical form of the Ultimate Dragon—yet pure black, and with just 1 more Attack.
The rules themselves left no escape.
Even a single point higher meant certain destruction for the weaker. There was no 'just scratching' with 1 point more.
Aisha was shocked, "Even Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon can't surpass it? That effect is so broken!"
Miles calmly analyzed, "Still, Kaima doesn't look like she's giving up."
If she had, she wouldn't have fused Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon at the last moment.
Two cards left in her hand—her final counterstrategy.
"I set two cards and end my turn!"
Aisha said, "How's Kaima-senpai going to deal with that Wicked God?"
Miles remarked, "Watch closely. She just might pull off a miracle. She was the Academy's strongest once."
Across the tower, the Pope began his turn, drawing from the eerie Spirit Eyes.
"This ends now!"
Abruptly, then, as he drew, Kaima flipped her set Trap.
From it emerged an iron ring bound with explosives.
"Ring of Destruction?!" Miles and Aisha cried out in unison.
[Destroy 1 face-up monster; both players take damage equal to its ATK.]
Her final tactic—destroy a monster and drag both sides down in mutual destruction.
"Trying to seize victory with Ring of Destruction? Naïve, Kaima Seth. Such cards don't work on gods. Especially not on the strongest Wicked God!"
[The Wicked Avatar – Unaffected by other card effects. Cannot be Tributed.]
It bore the strongest resistances Miles had ever seen—even surpassing Ra. Though lacking Ra's explosive killing force, its ironclad defenses and perpetual highest Attack made it even more troublesome.
The Pope sneered: "End your futile struggle."
"No!" Kaima's fingers pointed Ring's path toward her own monster—[Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]!
"The monster I'll destroy with [Ring of Destruction] is my Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
The explosive ring locked around the central head of her dragon.
"Forgive me, Blue-Eyes," she whispered. Yet it was her only option. Against The Wicked Avatar's invulnerability, this was the last resort.
The charges heated, glowing red. Perhaps even the dragon understood.
There was no roar, no cry. Kaima's ultimate ace simply accepted its fate for her victory.
Aisha shouted, "If Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon is destroyed, won't both sides take 4500 damage?!"
With only 1594 LP left, Kaima couldn't possibly survive.
However, the Pope, even at full 4000 LP, couldn't withstand 4500 damage either.
"Is Kaima-senpai going for mutual destruction?"
"Maybe not mutual…"
Miles's eyes caught her subtle motion—her other set card beneath her fingers.
That last card was surely the Quick-Play Spell [Ring of Defense].
[Damage from your Trap Cards becomes 0.]
With Ring of Destruction and Ring of Defense together, the 4500 damage would hit only the Pope.
If she couldn't defeat his monster, then she'd defeat the Duelist himself.
"Well done, Kaima!"
"Ring of Destruction—detonate!"
With her cry of final resolve, the charges exploded, smoke and fire blotting out the sky.
"Waaahhh!"
Caught in the blast, Stardust Dragon struggled, wings flapping wildly to steady itself so Miles wouldn't fall.
The smoke cleared.
"Im-Impossible!"
Kaima's eyes trembled.
The [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] that should have been destroyed by [Ring of Destruction] still stood on the field.
"So that was your last struggle? How pitiful."
Chained to the activation of [Ring of Destruction], the Pope of the Old Dominators flipped his Quick-Play Spell, transforming it into a radiant holy spear that pierced through the Ultimate Dragon's body.
"—Quick-Play Spell Card [Forbidden Lance]!"
[Target 1 face-up monster on the field; that target loses 800 ATK, but is unaffected by other Spells/Traps this turn.]
[Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, ATK: 4500 → 3700]
Though its power was cut by 800, the lance buried within its body also granted it immunity to Spell and Trap effects. With that, it could not be destroyed by [Ring of Destruction].
"Can't even self-destruct, yet you still say you don't need salvation?"
The Pope tossed down the card he had drawn.
"Understand this. No matter your struggle, you cannot resist the abyss that is destined to descend! —Equip Spell [Junk Barrage], activate!"
[Junk Barrage – Effect: If the equipped monster destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the destroyed monster's ATK.]
He equipped it directly to [The Wicked Avatar].
Normally, the Wicked God—unaffected by card effects—would remain unchanged when equipped.
Albeit [Junk Barrage] was an exception. It added no properties, only a condition: when the equipped monster destroyed another by battle, the opponent would take damage.
It was practically tailor-made for [The Wicked Avatar].
Equipped with [Junk Barrage], even winning by just 1 point in Attack would inflict heavy damage to the opponent.
"The abyss's final strike! Receive my god's judgment, Kaima Seth!"
The black dragon, mirroring the Ultimate Dragon in form, roared. From its three heads gathered a murky, pitch-dark ultimate blast, aimed at Kaima's dragon.
"—Abyssal Ultimate Burst!"
In that instant of clash, the darkness of the abyss crushed the white dragon's light.
Malice swept through the night sky. The invincible Wicked God left Kaima no room to resist, claiming absolute victory.
[Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon destroyed]
"Due to [Junk Barrage]'s effect, you take damage equal to half its ATK!"
"AHHHHHH—!"
[Kaima Seth, LP: 1594 → 0]
From the edge of the tower platform, Kaima was blown into the air—behind her, only the abyss awaited the defeated.
Defeated, unable to summon monsters for a time, if Kaima fell from the tower, it would mean certain death.
"Stardust!"
"Yes!"
Miles dove from the sky on Stardust Dragon, catching Kaima mid-fall.
"You okay, Kaima?"
Never had Miles imagined he would one day cradle this domineering woman in his arms.
Anyhow, now was no time to notice the softness of her body.
"Miles… is that you?"
He had never seen Kaima so fragile—so weak she seemed no longer a grand duke's head, but just an ordinary girl.
"It's me, Kaima."
"Letting you see me like this… how shameful, Miles…"
Her eyes dimmed, just like Kevin's had. Whatever force sustained her life had been seized by the Wicked God.
"It's not shameful at all! You fought beautifully, Kaima. You nearly defeated the invincible Wicked God. Hold on, Kaima!"
"Nearly… is still defeat… Miles, I can't beat it. That fact won't change… but you're different… you've always been able to create miracles…"
With her last strength, Kaima drew a tradable Spell Card from her Spirit Eyes and handed it to him.
"You can do it… Save Kevin, Miles… if it's you, you can win…"
With her will entrusted to a card, Kaima lost consciousness in Miles's arms atop Stardust Dragon.
The Seth siblings had both fallen. The Pope of the Old Dominators, wielder of the strongest Wicked God, was the most formidable foe Miles had faced.
Could he win?
He didn't know.
Regardless, to Miles, it no longer mattered.
Placing Kaima safely in hiding, he mounted Stardust Dragon once more and shot back to the bell tower.
Whether victory was possible no longer mattered.
This was a duel he had to fight.
Landing at the edge of the platform, Miles faced the masked Pope, Spirit Eyes gleaming as they locked on.
"Oh—you're that one from earlier?"
The Pope had already noticed the rider watching on Stardust Dragon. That Miles had returned surprised him.
"After seeing [The Wicked Avatar]'s invincibility with your own eyes, you still came back instead of fleeing. Are you serious?"
"I've no reason to flee from you, cultist!"
Miles slid Kaima's entrusted card into his Deck. In that instant, dragon souls surged behind him, carrying the combined will of Kaima and Kevin.
"What is this feeling…?" Beneath his mask, the Pope's expression shifted.
"A child with both a God Card and a Millennium Item… interesting!"
With but a glance, he had pierced Miles's identity.
"Come then, child. Let this duel be the final witness to the abyss's descent!"
"The abyss will not descend!"
The will of souls in his Deck surged through him, Spirit Eyes shining at full brilliance.
"With my friends' faith in me, even if the abyss's god itself blocks my path, I'll shatter this darkness of malice with the will of the cards!"
"Duel!"
...
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