Chapter 318: HEROes and Swordsoul, Whoever Wins Is the Real Girlfriend
[Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao] [ATK: 2800]
A Level 8 Synchro Monster summoned not with a Tuner, but with a Token, modeled after the ancient Chinese sword Chixiao of legend. It cut through the Synchro starlight with a single stroke of sword intent, materializing in front of Nanki'in Sakuya.
"Since when did the class rep master a Synchro Summon that cool?" The Class 1-E students seated up front let out a collective gasp of astonishment.
"A Synchro Summon that doesn't need a Tuner? Isn't that the exact same as class rep's own signature move?" Kozuka Yoka said, delighted.
Amano Rei's own signature move at Synchro Academy was, without question, the one from his entrance exam, where he'd used a deck with no Tuners at all and still forced through a tunerless Synchro Summon to defeat Kaiba Chiha.
"So that's it, class rep secretly gave our class rep private lessons, didn't he?"
"No wonder you two kept sneaking off to the infirmary these past couple of nights!"
Class 1-E's cheerful chorus of teasing only made Amano Rei's expression grow more and more pained.
Their seats up front sat far too close to the dueling stage. Even a moderately raised voice would carry straight to the two duelists' ears, let alone the racket a class this loud could make.
It wasn't that he was embarrassed about privately tutoring his own class rep. It was that Amano Rei really didn't want Finesse finding out about any of it.
But judging by the subtle shift already crossing Finesse's face, her red lips pressed thin in a wronged, sulking expression, the lady had almost certainly already picked up on it.
Having successfully completed her first-move Synchro Summon, Nanki'in Sakuya continued declaring her effects.
"When Swordsoul of Mo Ye was sent to the Graveyard as Synchro Material, I get to draw 1 card from my Deck."
"And when Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao is successfully Synchro Summoned, I can add 1 'Swordsoul' monster from my Deck to my hand."
Chaining her draw effect and her search effect together, Nanki'in Sakuya picked out a brand new Swordsoul monster and immediately activated its effect, seamlessly.
"I add Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan to my hand, and activate this card's effect right away."
[Discard 1 other "Swordsoul" card or Wyrm monster to activate this effect. Special Summon this card from your hand. After that, you can Special Summon 1 "Swordsoul Token" (Wyrm/Tuner/WATER/Level 4/ATK 0/DEF 0) to your field.]
"I discard Swordsoul of Taia from my hand to Special Summon Longyuan!"
[Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan] [Level 6 FIRE]
[Wyrm/Effect]
[ATK: 1200] [DEF: 2300]
The Level 6 sword of Longyuan appeared on Nanki'in Sakuya's field, wreathed in burning crimson flame.
The next instant, from within that blazing legendary blade, a Token materialized, the manifested soul of sword intent itself, carrying the Tuner property.
"By Longyuan's effect, I Special Summon another Level 4 Swordsoul Token, then tune it with the Level 6 Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan!"
A ring of Synchro starlight, wreathed in flame, passed through the burning blade, and at the very height of that white hot quenching fire, a sword intent of water was born, the exact opposite of what had come before.
"Sword and shadow flow as one, real and unreal overlapping."
"Descend, sovereign who commands light and shadow!"
"Synchro Summon! Level 10, Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying!"
[Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying] [Level 10 WATER]
[Wyrm/Synchro/Effect]
[ATK: 3000] [DEF: 3000]
[1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters]
The legendary sword Chengying, said in legend to catch the light of dawn yet cast no shadow, its blade rippling with light and shadow, rang out with a sound like water flowing over stone.
Having bought a discounted back-row seat, Rin Seiya couldn't help but marvel out loud. "On the very first turn, first move, and she's already Synchro Summoned two Synchro Monsters and racked up 3000 ATK. Using Tokens for Synchro like that gives insane card efficiency!"
A level of raw power visible to the naked eye, one that didn't require someone like Rin Seiya to appreciate. Any random passerby could have picked up on it.
Most of the crowd who'd bought tickets to watch the campus queen duel also kept an eye on the monthly three-academy joint duels.
Everyone had a pretty good sense of what level the students at each academy, in each grade, were actually capable of.
As freshmen at the Upper Division, only two months into the semester, nobody in the audience had actually expected the campus queen candidates to put on a duel of any particularly high caliber or intensity.
Honestly, for a campus queen duel, most people had just come to watch beautiful girls play cards. As long as it dragged on long enough, the crowd would have been perfectly happy even watching two Yuyus flail at each other on stage.
And yet Nanki'in Sakuya had come out swinging from the very first move.
Alongside a rare and striking Synchro method, she'd maxed out her intensity right from the first turn, going first, at a level that blew way past anything a freshman should be capable of.
Forget freshmen. Even looking across the entire academy's joint duels, most fifth years rarely reached this level.
Nanki'in Sakuya sent Longyuan, used as Synchro Material, to the Graveyard, and activated its effect.
[Activate when this card is sent to the Graveyard as Synchro Material. Inflict 1200 damage to your opponent.]
"By Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan's effect, I deal you 1200 points of damage. Take this. Longyuan's Roaring Flame!"
A searing sword intent surged up from Nanki'in Sakuya's Graveyard and burned straight toward Finesse's still-empty field, dealing real damage on a first turn, going first, when no battle was even possible yet.
Finesse Wein LP: 4000 to 2800
The flame of sword intent swept past Finesse's brilliant red hair, lighting up the confusion swirling in the girl's eyes in that instant.
Muramasa said, satisfied, "Sakuya's gotten even stronger, hasn't she. Hahaha, no wonder, my Nanki'in family's own heir."
Yukihime laughed softly, as if she'd already seen straight through everything. "Dad, what little Sakuya's suppressing here isn't just the board and the Life Points, you know. That Wein girl and Sakuya probably share a bond that runs deeper than you'd think."
Standing tall with both Chixiao and Chengying, having claimed the first-move field entirely for herself, Nanki'in Sakuya flung one more card onto her Duel Disk.
"I set one card. Turn end!"
The turn changed hands, and Finesse laid her fingers on the deck in her Duel Disk.
"My turn, draw!"
Sweeping her eyes across her hand as her turn began, Finesse managed to gather herself a little.
"Nanki'in Sakuya, you have to be lying to me. When you say Amano helped you, that's absolutely a lie!"
"I'm not lying." Nanki'in Sakuya answered, cold and utterly sincere. "Amano and I get along well. I just asked him to help me tune my deck and help me win this duel. There's no reason for me to lie about something that small."
Though every word Nanki'in Sakuya said was true, Amano Rei still felt a chill run down his spine right about now.
"Is that so. Heh. Then I understand." In this particular situation, the lady had somehow managed to successfully talk herself into it.
"You're just brushing me off casually, Nanki'in Sakuya. Amano definitely wants me to win this duel! He told me himself, to my face, that he supports me!"
"He's lying to you." Nanki'in Sakuya answered flatly, her expression as devoid of extra emotion as ever, and every bit as lethal for it.
"Whether he's lying to me or not, we'll know soon enough!" Finesse flung a HERO monster onto her Duel Disk.
"I Normal Summon Destiny HERO - Devil Lord Guy in Defense Position!"
[Destiny HERO - Devil Lord Guy] [Level 3 DARK]
[Warrior/Effect]
[ATK: 600] [DEF: 800]
Though its appearance closely resembled the original Devilguy, this was a brand new Destiny HERO monster of Finesse's own. Amid the shadowy special effects of its summon, its crimson cape billowing behind it, the monster materialized standing in front of Finesse.
"When this card is successfully summoned, its effect activates!"
[When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls. Banish that monster until the next Standby Phase.]
An effect that had evolved from a slow, one-speed activation into an on-summon trigger, and one that no longer carried the drawback of skipping the Battle Phase after activating.
"Nanki'in Sakuya, I'm sending your Synchro Monster forward to the future, one turn from now!"
A demonic claw, warping space and time itself, lunged at the 10-star, 3000-ATK Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying on Nanki'in Sakuya's field.
Nanki'in Sakuya raised a hand. "That won't work, Finesse. I chain the effect of Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao."
[Activate during either player's turn by banishing 1 "Swordsoul" card or Wyrm monster from your hand or Graveyard, targeting 1 other effect monster on the field. Negate that monster's effect until the end of the turn.]
"I banish Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan from my Graveyard, negating Destiny HERO - Devil Lord Guy's effect!"
"Emperor's Sword: Judgment of Heaven's Mandate!"
The legendary emperor's own blade, carrying the sword intent to cut down fate itself, negated the entirety of Devil Lord Guy's card effect in one chained stroke.
[Destiny HERO - Devil Lord Guy's effect, negated]
Not merely the activation negated, but the card's effect itself negated, which meant Finesse couldn't just lose access to Devil Lord Guy's banish effect. Its secondary search effect was locked out too.
"And now, Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying's effect!"
[This card's ATK and DEF increase, and your opponent's monsters' ATK and DEF decrease, by 100 for each card currently banished.]
With one card just banished, Nanki'in Sakuya's Chengying's ATK rose to 3100, surpassing even Blue-Eyes White Dragon, while Devil Lord Guy's ATK dropped down to 500.
"In that case, I'll use this card instead!" Finesse flung a second card onto her Duel Disk. "Spell Card, Fusion Destiny, activate!"
[Fusion Destiny] [Spell Card: Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster that lists a "Destiny HERO" monster as material, using monsters from your hand and/or Deck as Fusion Material. The monster Special Summoned this way is destroyed during the End Phase of the next turn.]
The noblest of all card archetypes, Fusion, blazed up across Finesse's field with the fire of destiny's own phoenix, the ace card that carried the lady's own name.
"I use Destiny HERO - Malicious and Destiny HERO - Disk Commander as Fusion Material!"
"Phoenix flame, burning to the very end of destiny, be born here in my name, and seize command of fate itself!"
"Fusion Summon! Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer!"
[Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer] [Level 8 DARK]
[Warrior/Fusion/Effect]
[ATK: 2500] [DEF: 2100]
[1 Level 6 or higher "HERO" monster + 1 "Destiny HERO" monster]
Born right there in the middle of a campus queen duel, the freshman crowned "most beautiful" had summoned Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer, spreading burning wings of phoenix fire as it descended in front of Finesse.
Because of Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying's effect, the ATK of every monster on Finesse's field had already dropped by 100.
But Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's own sweeping flame of destiny cut both ways, chipping away at Nanki'in Sakuya's Swordsoul monsters' ATK in equal measure.
[Monsters your opponent controls lose ATK equal to 200 for each "HERO" card in your Graveyard.]
[Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying] [ATK: 3100 to 2700]
[Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao] [ATK: 2800 to 2400]
Finesse slammed the still burning Fusion card onto her Duel Disk and declared, "Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's effect, activate!"
[Activate during either player's turn. Destroy 1 card you control and 1 card on the field.]
Split into two by the flame of destiny, the phoenix's impact crashed down separately onto Finesse's own field and onto Nanki'in Sakuya's.
Was this really a freshman campus queen duel?
Outside of the freshman-titled "most beautiful" herself, Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer, neither of these two duelists' skill levels had anything to do with "freshman" whatsoever anymore.
Calling this clash of HEROes and Swordsoul a showdown between the strongest representatives Fusion Academy and Synchro Academy could each field, purely to win this duel, wouldn't have been an exaggeration in the slightest.
Nanki'in Sakuya flipped up a set card. "I chain Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's effect with the Trap Card Interdimensional Matter Transporter!"
[Interdimensional Matter Transporter] [Trap Card: Target 1 face-up monster you control. Banish that monster until the End Phase.]
"I choose to banish my own Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao until the End Phase!"
[Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao, banished]
Nanki'in Sakuya sent Chixiao into temporary refuge, banished until the End Phase.
Finesse laughed. "That's a pointless dodge, Nanki'in Sakuya! Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's destruction effect doesn't target!"
Since the effect didn't target, Sakuya sending Chixiao off to safety through banishment meant nothing. Finesse could simply choose to blow up a different card entirely instead.
"Pointless?" Nanki'in Sakuya admitted honestly, "This card is one Amano told me to run."
"See, he really is just messing with you. Like I said, Amano definitely wants me to win!"
Split in two across the sky, the flame of the phoenix crashed down on both sides.
"I destroy my own Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer, and your Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying!"
With Chixiao already tucked away in temporary banishment, Finesse naturally chose to destroy Chengying instead.
[Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer, destroyed]
But once both simultaneous destruction effects resolved, the only thing that actually left the field for good turned out to be Finesse's own Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer.
"What just happened?" Finesse blinked, disbelieving, staring at Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying, still standing tall in the flames, sword in hand.
Nanki'in Sakuya explained, "Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying's effect. When this card would be destroyed by an effect, I can banish 1 card from my Graveyard instead. I banished Swordsoul of Taia from my Graveyard to replace that destruction."
"A destruction-replacement effect, huh. Doesn't matter, though. Next turn, my Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer revives through its own effect anyway!"
[Activate when this card is destroyed by battle or by an effect. During the Standby Phase of your next turn, Special Summon 1 "Destiny HERO" monster from your Graveyard.]
"That undying phoenix isn't reviving anymore." Nanki'in Sakuya activated her monster's effect again, right on cue. "Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying's effect, activating whenever a card is banished!"
[Activate when a card is banished. Banish 1 card on your opponent's field and 1 card in your opponent's Graveyard.]
The legendary blade said to catch the light of dawn yet cast no shadow, an effect entirely true to its own legend.
One sword to cut what's real. One sword to sever what's illusion.
Able to banish one card each from the opponent's field and Graveyard alike.
"Twin Cut: Real and Unreal!"
Swinging Chengying, the sovereign of Swordsoul unleashed a wave of sword intent that swept clean across the field, reaching deep into the Graveyard zone of Finesse's Duel Disk.
Both Finesse's Destiny HERO - Devil Lord Guy on the field and Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer in the Graveyard were banished simultaneously by this single effect.
Finesse's pupils shrank, trembling. "Destruction-replacement, and, banishment..."
Nanki'in Sakuya said, "This is the way of fighting Amano taught me. Finesse Wein, do you still think it's pointless?"
Because Interdimensional Matter Transporter had sent Chixiao off to safety, Finesse's only real option left had been to put Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer up against Chengying directly.
And Chengying's effect banished as a destruction-replacement, and, in that very same instant of being banished, also banished a card each from the opponent's field and Graveyard.
This effect practically had "the perfect counter to Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer" written across its face.
Finesse's trembling right now wasn't just because her own ace monster, Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer, had been completely, thoroughly countered. It was because, exactly as Nanki'in Sakuya had said, Amano Rei really had helped her research a way to defeat Finesse's own HEROes.
You told me, to my face, that you were supporting me winning!
Kozuka Yoka said, admiring, "As expected of class rep, he saw straight through their whole strategy!"
Amano Rei wanted to protest his innocence. That Interdimensional Matter Transporter had never been meant to predict Finesse's own tactics. It had simply been there because sending Chengying into temporary refuge conveniently made it easier to trigger her powerful banish-and-desecrate-the-graveyard interference effect.
And Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer being a perfect counter to Chengying had absolutely nothing to do with him personally.
But explaining any of that now probably wouldn't convince anyone at this point.
"Rei, I think what you're doing here really is a little much."
As the one other neutral party in all of Class 1-E, right alongside Amano Rei himself, Kikawayu couldn't help but reach over and pat Amano Rei on the shoulder.
"Rei, I get that you really want class rep Nanki'in to win the campus queen title. But going after Finesse this hard makes you look pretty heartless, you know. She looks like she's about to cry."
Where was she crying? This little punk was just fearmongering.
"I banish Destiny HERO - Malicious, used as Fusion Material, from my Graveyard, then Special Summon a second Malicious from my Deck. Finally, I set two cards. Turn end."
[Destiny HERO - Malicious] [DEF: 800]
Though she genuinely hadn't cried, Finesse's spirits had clearly deflated from their initial high.
Biting down on her pearly white teeth against her flushed lips, unclear whether it was wounded pride or quiet frustration, her gaze seemed to flick briefly toward Amano Rei's side of the crowd.
Amano Rei closed his eyes, helpless, already trying to figure out how he was going to explain any of this to his lady tonight.
"My turn, draw!" Nanki'in Sakuya drew her card as her turn began.
"Press your advantage, class rep!" Class 1-E grew even more excited.
Still, Amano Rei knew perfectly well that his lady wasn't done yet.
Even with Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer banished, its delayed revival effect had still successfully triggered the instant it was destroyed the previous turn.
Finesse drew a card from her Graveyard, laying it sideways on her Duel Disk.
"By Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's effect, during the Standby Phase I Special Summon 1 Destiny HERO from my Graveyard. I revive Destiny HERO - Disk Commander!"
[Disk Commander] [DEF: 300]
Even at only 300 DEF, Finesse now had two monsters standing on her field to soak up an attack, enough to block both of Sakuya's Swordsoul Synchro Monsters.
"And when Disk Commander is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, I get to draw 2 more cards. Draw!"
Looking at the two brand new cards she'd just drawn from her Deck, Finesse's slender frame suddenly went rigid. "This card is!"
Officially beginning her own turn, Nanki'in Sakuya flung a card onto her Duel Disk's monster zone.
"I Normal Summon Sky Striker Ace - Raye in Attack Position!"
Even in a duel with no Extra Monster Zone available, Sakuya had gone ahead and pulled out Sky Striker.
No choice, really. Though it looked like a smooth, textbook Swordsoul opening on the surface, the actual concentration of Swordsoul cards in Nanki'in Sakuya's deck wasn't especially high.
Even with an archetype built around Blade and Sword, when it came to her Eva Terminal's own draws, the odds of Sakuya actually pulling a genuine Swordsoul card sat at barely one in ten.
Still, even in a duel with no Extra Monster Zone, Raye could still pull her weight the way she was doing right now, either as extra offense or as Synchro Material.
"I use Sky Striker Ace - Raye to destroy your Disk Commander in Defense Position."
A brilliant, dazzling arc of light trailed from the girl's katana, splitting the 300-DEF Disk Commander clean in two.
"And Chixiao destroys your Malicious!"
[Destiny HERO - Malicious, destroyed]
Both of Finesse's HERO blockers wiped out, leaving her with 2800 Life Points remaining, while Sakuya still had Chengying, sitting above 3000 ATK, yet to attack.
Finesse flipped up the set card at her feet. "When a monster is destroyed, my set Trap Card Destiny Signal, activate!"
[Destiny Signal] [Trap Card: Activate only when a monster you control is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower monster with "Destiny HERO" in its name from your hand or Deck.]
The Destiny version of HERO Signal, a towering "D" mark of light representing destiny itself, blazed across the sky above the stage.
"I Special Summon Destiny HERO - Drawguy in Defense Position!"
[Destiny HERO - Drawguy] [DEF: 800]
Still an unremarkable 800 DEF on paper, but it completed a HERO defensive line that could block Sakuya's third attack of the turn.
Sakuya activated a card right away. "I activate Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao's effect, banishing Swordsoul of Mo Ye from my Graveyard to negate Destiny HERO - Drawguy's effect."
[Destiny HERO - Drawguy's effect, negated]
There wasn't actually anything worth negating about Drawguy's effect, honestly.
Sakuya was doing this purely to get one of her own cards banished, in order to trigger Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying's own effect.
"Whenever a card is banished, Chengying's effect activates, banishing one card each from your field and Graveyard. I banish Drawguy and Malicious!"
Nanki'in Sakuya banished both the blocking Drawguy and the Malicious sitting in the Graveyard with its own recursive effect, clearing the way for Chengying to launch one final direct attack at Finesse.
"Direct attack, Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying!"
"Set Trap Card, activate!" Finesse flipped up her second set card. "Return from the Different Dimension!"
[Return from the Different Dimension] [Trap Card: Pay half your Life Points to activate. Special Summon as many of your own banished monsters to your field as possible. Monsters Special Summoned this way are banished again during the End Phase.]
Finesse Wein LP: 2800 to 1400
"HEROes never truly die!" Cracking open a rift across dimensions, Finesse unleashed a quadruple vortex of Special Summons across her own field. "I Special Summon your banished Malicious, Drawguy, Devil Lord Guy, and Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer, all of them, back onto my field!"
Four Destiny HEROes once again stood blocking in front of Finesse, shutting down Chengying's advance entirely.
Destroying any of Finesse's monsters now would actually be a losing trade. Even left completely alone, all four of those HERO monsters would end up banished again at the End Phase anyway, thanks to the drawback of Return from the Different Dimension.
"I'll set two more cards. Turn end." Giving up her attack, Sakuya settled for the safe, steady option of ending her turn.
"And right in this instant, Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's effect, activate!"
[Activate during either player's turn. Destroy 1 card you control and 1 card on the field.]
If the split flame of the phoenix destroyed itself right now, it could dodge the drawback of getting banished again at the End Phase from Return from the Different Dimension.
And even though Chengying itself couldn't be destroyed, she could still take the opportunity to blow up Chixiao while she was at it.
But Finesse's actual choice caught the surrounding crowd completely off guard.
The phoenix's flame, split in two, detonated entirely on Finesse's own field.
"I destroy my own Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer and Drawguy!"
True enough, Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's effect never specified that each player had to destroy exactly one card. Finesse could just as well choose to destroy two of her own monsters instead.
Besides the Phoenix Enforcer and Drawguy, burned away in the flame of destiny, the remaining two Destiny HEROes were banished once more.
"I knew something felt off. Fighting like this just isn't going to cut it!"
As the turn changed hands, Finesse didn't rush to draw her card. Instead, she tapped open her Eva Terminal's preloaded interface.
"A duel without the soul of a HERO in it isn't a real duel!"
Her homeroom teacher had strictly warned her before the duel began not to do this.
But Finesse still just wasn't used to dueling any other way.
Opening the outfit-change interface on her Eva Terminal, Finesse swept a hand forward in one motion. "Henshin!"
A black HERO costume, draped in a striking crimson cape, wrapped around the lady in a flash of dazzling special effects, like something out of a Kamen Rider suit-up sequence.
Shouting "hensin!" up on stage, the HERO girl had her helmet covering that stunning face of hers, but her skintight suit only made her toned legs and figure stand out all the more.
The audience who'd come to watch the campus queen duel, rather than complaining, actually seemed to get even more worked up over it, at least a portion of them.
Cape billowing in the wind, Finesse planted a hand on her hip and pointed straight at Sakuya.
"Nanki'in Sakuya, sure, Amano might have helped tune your deck. But there's no way he ever gave you a card this powerful!"
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