"DUEL!"
Both sides' LP: 8000
Both sides' starting hand: 5
"I'm going first?" Xing looked at the prompt that had appeared on the Duel Disk, hesitated slightly, then began his setup.
Why was this hand the same as when I dueled Kaiba in the Memory Battlefield last time? Had the deck not been shuffled?
"I Special Summon Kiana from my hand, then Special Summon myself and search Valkyrie Fusion. Fusion Summon Judgment Knight!
I activate Mei's effect in my hand, Special Summoning herself and me from the Graveyard. Then I Synchro Summon Blade of the Thunder Queen!
By Mei's effect, I Special Summon myself from the Graveyard again. Then I Normal Summon Bronya and search Heavy-Duty Rabbit 19C. I overlay myself and Bronya, Xyz Summon Otherworld Hacker! Then I equip Heavy-Duty Rabbit 19C to Otherworld Hacker. End turn."
Xing's hand: 1
The knight, warrior, and hacker had assembled on the field. Fire Moth, reporting in!
Crimson Prison Beast revealed a cold smile. "My turn, draw."
"I activate the Field Spell Yae Village from my hand. By its effect, I add Yae Sakura Primeval to my hand." A ruined village appeared upon the lifeless plain, making it feel even more desolate.
"Shouldn't that card be mine?" Xing asked irritably.
"Heh. I stayed with that woman for five hundred years. I was even the one who gave her her power. Why can't I use her cards?" Crimson Prison Beast answered disdainfully. "Worry about yourself first! I activate three Continuous Spells from my hand: Budding Affection, Saintess's Affection, and Miko's First Sprout!"
Why were all the card artworks scenes of Sakura and Kallen getting cozy together? Otto would probably be furious if he saw them.
"Then I Special Summon Yae Sakura Primeval from my hand. When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, I Special Summon a Level 4 Scarlet Sakura Token to my field and treat it as a Tuner Monster!"
"A Tuner Monster... Don't tell me?!" Xing seemed to have anticipated what was coming next.
"That's right, exactly what you think!" Crimson Prison Beast was quite satisfied with Xing's expression. "I tune the Level 4 Scarlet Sakura Token with the Level 4 Yae Sakura!
Flames coil around the sinner's body, offering a hymn to the gods! Synchro Summon—atone, Yae Sakura True Flame Lucky Soul!"
The fox-eared warrior with vacant eyes drew the blade of Crimson Cherry Blossom and pointed it at the white-haired boy.
"Tch, I thought it was Crystron. You gave me a scare. And can you stop using my Sakura's model? Believe it or not, I'll sue you for violating her portrait rights?" Xing said disdainfully.
Crimson Prison Beast nearly died of rage. "Don't get cocky! I activate Yae Sakura Primeval's effect when it leaves the field, adding Yae Sakura Miko of the Divine Punishment from my deck to my hand. Then I activate True Flame Lucky Soul's effect upon being summoned! When it is Synchro Summoned, destroy the monster with the highest ATK on your field and deal damage equal to that monster's ATK! I choose your Judgment Knight!"
The crimson blade pierced through the white knight's body, and he scattered into blue motes of light.
Xing's LP: 8000 → 5500 (2500 effect damage)
"Argh!" Flames scorched Xing's body, making him cry out in pain.
"It's not over! Battle! Yae Sakura True Flame Lucky Soul, attack Otherworld Hacker!"
"Heavy-Duty Rabbit 19C's effect! I banish it to negate this battle destruction!"
"But you still take the damage!"
"Gah!"
Xing's LP: 5500 → 5000
"I'll end my turn like this. Come on, draw already~" Crimson Prison Beast mockingly watched Xing, who had lost nearly half his Life Points by the second turn.
Crimson Prison Beast's hand: 3
"My turn, draw!" A sharp gleam flashed through Crimson Prison Beast's eyes. "At this moment, I activate the effects of the Continuous Spells on my field. Based on the number of Yae Sakuras on my field, you take effect damage!"
"What?"
Xing's LP: 5000 → 4500
"Hehe, do your best. Don't let me kill you during your own turn." Crimson Prison Beast sneered.
"Don't look down on me! Since there's a Yae Sakura on your field, I Special Summon Kallen Oath from my hand! By her effect, I search Kallen Fantasy of the Sixth Night from my deck!"
"I activate Valkyrie Fusion's effect in the Graveyard. I banish it and Judgment Knight to Special Summon myself and Bronya from the Graveyard!"
Xing flipped through the card selection interface displayed on his Duel Disk, searching for suitable cards.
"I add St. Freya Academy and a second Heavy-Duty Rabbit 19C to my hand, then activate the Field Spell St. Freya Academy!"
St. Freya Academy, which carried Theresa's beautiful hopes, appeared upon the plain, forming a stark contrast to the lifeless Yae Village.
"I tribute Kallen Oath on my field to Tribute Summon Kallen Fantasy of the Sixth Night from my hand! I activate her effect—when she is Tribute Summoned, I can take one card from your hand! The phantom thief strikes!"
"You..." Crimson Prison Beast glared resentfully as that card flew over to Xing.
"Yae Sakura Primeval? There's more than one? I overlay myself and Bronya again, Xyz Summon a second Otherworld Hacker! By Bronya's effect, I destroy Budding Affection! Then I equip Heavy-Duty Rabbit 19C to Otherworld Hacker!"
"Battle! I activate Otherworld Hacker's effect, detaching one Xyz Material to double her ATK! Otherworld Hacker, attack True Flame Lucky Soul!"
The hacker rode her motorcycle straight into the fox-eared warrior.
Crimson Prison Beast's LP: 8000 → 8000
"Why didn't you take battle damage?" Xing was thoroughly confused.
Crimson Prison Beast burst into laughter. "Idiot! As long as the Field Spell Yae Village remains on the field, all damage I would take is taken by you instead! Take your own attack! Then I activate True Flame Lucky Soul's effect when it leaves the field, Special Summoning Yae Sakura Primeval from the Graveyard."
Xing felt incredibly frustrated. If he had been able to confirm the opponent's card effects, he would have destroyed that card earlier. "Unfortunately, as long as the Field Spell St. Freya Academy remains on my field, I don't take damage either. Otherworld Hacker, attack Yae Sakura Primeval. Then I end my turn."
Xing's hand: 2
"My turn, draw!" Crimson Prison Beast wore a vicious expression. "I activate the Normal Spell First Encounter of Scarlet Sakura and White Flower from my hand, adding a third Yae Sakura Primeval to my hand. Then I Normal Summon it and activate its effect!"
"I tune the Level 4 Scarlet Sakura Token with the Level 4 Yae Sakura Primeval! Synchro Summon, Yae Sakura Nightshade Heavy Mist! I activate its effect—when it is Synchro Summoned, destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on both sides of the field!"
The lifeless Yae Village and the vibrant St. Freya Academy vanished at the same time. Crimson Prison Beast sneered. "Although my field is gone too, now the thing protecting you from damage is gone as well! I activate the Spell Card Monster Reborn!"
So this duel actually had legitimate cards?
"Yae Sakura Primeval, return! I tribute her to Tribute Summon Yae Sakura Miko of the Divine Punishment!" Crimson Prison Beast looked at Xing maliciously. "When this card is Tribute Summoned, you take damage equal to the number of Valkyrie monsters on both fields times 500. And just so you know, these two on my field count as Valkyries too~"
Xing's field: Blade of the Thunder Queen, Otherworld Hacker ×2, Kallen Fantasy of the Sixth Night
Crimson Prison Beast's field: Yae Sakura Nightshade Heavy Mist, Yae Sakura Miko of the Divine Punishment
Six in total, so the damage was 500 × 6 = 3000
Xing's LP: 4500 → 1500
"Arghhh!" The Miko of the Divine Punishment's blade mercilessly slashed across his body. The pain that reached deep into his soul made him scream.
"Yes, yes, just like that! Let me hear more of your screams, so you can understand the price of opposing a god!" Crimson Prison Beast's face flushed with excitement. "Battle! Miko of the Divine Punishment, attack Otherworld Hacker!"
Sword shadows wrapped in cherry blossoms swallowed the hacker's figure.
Xing's LP: 1500 → 100
"Ugh!" Xing let out a muffled groan.
"End turn. Hehe, this is a battle of the mind. Once your Life Points hit zero, it means you have completely lost to me. Come on, draw your final card!"
In its arrogance, it had even forgotten to use Yae Sakura Primeval's effect when it left the field.
Crimson Prison Beast's hand: 1
"My turn, draw!" Xing glanced at the card he had drawn. "This is...? In that case, I set one card and end my turn."
Xing's hand: 2
As long as I draw that card next turn, I still have a chance to turn this around.
"Haha, so you really are out of options. My turn, draw!" When Crimson Prison Beast saw the card it had drawn, it burst into unrestrained laughter. "Before you lose this duel, I'll mercifully tell you why I crushed you so badly. Besides my own strength, there's another important reason: I know you inside and out!"
Xing was confused. "What do you mean?"
Crimson Prison Beast waved a hand and said lazily, "Although I was sealed inside your body before, I could clearly see every move you made. In other words, I know you better than you know yourself. So when you dueled that Kaiba in the Memory Battlefield, I had already figured out some of your card effects and developed this deck specifically to counter you. You can never defeat me!"
"What?!" Xing was stunned. No wonder it had prioritized destroying Judgment Knight, who could not grant him resistance, and targeted Otherworld Hacker first in battle because she could increase her ATK. It had known the effects all along. Damn, was this the importance of an intelligence war?
Crimson Prison Beast was quite satisfied with Xing's expression and continued laughing. "And just now, I drew a card that is more than enough to cast you into the abyss. I activate the Ritual Spell Sakura's Sacrifice from my hand!"
"I tribute Nightshade Heavy Mist on my field and Ritual Summon Far East Fox Spirit Crimson Prison Beast from my hand!"
A giant crimson demon fox descended.
"Battle! Miko of the Divine Punishment, attack Blade of the Thunder Queen!!"
The blade of Cherry Blossom Blizzard mercilessly pierced the warrior's body.
Xing's LP: 1500 → 1000
"Far East Fox Spirit Crimson Prison Beast, attack Kallen Fantasy of the Sixth Night! During battle, my ATK becomes twice that of the opposing monster! This ends it!"
ATK: 0 → 5000
"I activate the Trap Card Saintess's Protection! My Life Points become 100, and until the end of the next turn, I take no battle or effect damage!"
The demon fox's flames swallowed the delicate body of the Violet Bird Phantom Thief.
Xing's LP: 1000 → 100
Crimson Prison Beast ended its turn in annoyance. "Tch, a dying struggle. What can you do even if you survive one more turn? I'll tell you my effects outright. I cannot be destroyed by battle or effects, cannot be targeted by effects, and during your Battle Phase, you must declare an attack against me. Otherwise, during the End Phase, you take damage equal to the combined ATK of all your monsters. And no matter what kind of monster I battle, my ATK will be twice yours!"
Crimson Prison Beast's hand: 0
Crimson Prison Beast said arrogantly, "There is nothing you can do now!"
Xing placed his hand atop the deck but did not dare draw for a long while. If he drew that card, he could turn the tables. If he did not... Xing had never felt his right hand weigh so heavily.
"Hahahaha! Why aren't you drawing? Are you scared, Xing Kaslana?!" Crimson Prison Beast continued mocking him. "Only one Otherworld Hacker remains on your field. Your hand holds only one meaningless card and a useless Yae Sakura. Your Life Points are a mere 100, like a candle flickering in the wind. Your future defeat has already been decided!"
Can't I win? The light in Xing's red eyes gradually faded.
"Xing, do you want to give up?" Kallen, dressed in the Violet Iris Dress, appeared beside him.
"Keep it up, Xing!" Yae Sakura cheered him on.
"Hey, you still have to be my teammate! You're not allowed to lose, got it?!" Kiana appeared with a fierce, clawing gesture.
"Xing, do your best! You absolutely must not lose!" Mei looked at him gently.
"Xing, Genius Gamer X's journey will never end here, right? You will only lose to Bronya, never to anyone else." Bronya was expressionless, yet somehow still adorable.
(PS: Himeko and Theresa's bond was not strong enough yet, so they did not appear.)
"Everyone..." Xing stared blankly at the phantoms before him. These were the bonds he had formed in this world, some shallow and some deep. Yet now, they had all materialized as visions of his heart, representing his subconscious desire to win.
"Big brother!" At the sound of that voice, Xing's body shook. Tears spilled from his red eyes. "Little sis!"
The person he had thought he would never see again walked up to him and hugged him tightly. "Brother, if you fall here, we will never be able to see each other again. So for the sake of our reunion in the future, you absolutely cannot stop here!"
Surrounded and encouraged by everyone, Xing slowly closed his eyes and felt the stirring in his heart gradually ignite. When he opened them again, he was alone, but his red eyes were now filled with confidence.
"What is going on? Why is his mental state even better than at the beginning? What happened just now?" Crimson Prison Beast stared at the radiant Xing in disbelief, unable to understand the situation.
Of course it could not understand. It could not comprehend how great an impact the power born from human emotions—something called "bonds"—could have.
"You said it yourself, didn't you? This is a battle between minds!" Xing shouted. "In that case, I definitely won't lose! Because I am far stronger than you!"
Crimson Prison Beast flew into a rage from humiliation. "You're still talking big at a time like this?! Then try defeating me! I am invincible!"
Specks of golden light gathered upon the top card of the deck. Xing placed his fingers on the card and revealed a confident smile. "For a true duelist, everything is inevitable! Even the draw can be created! Shining Draw!"
The card traced a beautiful arc through the air before entering his sight.
"The card I drew is Xing Kaslana!"
Crimson Prison Beast paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. "I thought it would be some powerful card. This? What use is drawing yourself now?"
"Don't rush. I Normal Summon myself. By my effect, I add a Ritual Monster with Valkyrie in its name from my deck to my hand. Then I activate the Ritual Spell Saintess's Advent from my hand. When my Life Points are below 1000, I tribute one Kaslana monster on my field and Ritual Summon one Ritual Monster from my hand regardless of the Level difference!"
A dazzling white light illuminated the plain.
"O great and sorrowful Saintess, cross five hundred years of time and descend upon this world once more! Use your magnificent power to show us the way! Ritual Summon! Descend, Level 12, Schicksal Saintess Kallen Kaslana - Herrscher of Gratitude!"
The pure white saintess descended.
"Your final trump card is Kallen? So what? I'm invincible!" A trace of fear appeared in Crimson Prison Beast's eyes, but it still maintained its composure.
"God's Blessing Anthem's ATK and DEF are determined by the total number of Valkyrie monsters on both sides' fields, in the Graveyards, and in the banished zones!"
ATK: 0 → 32800
DEF: 0 → 28500
(Why did I make such a troublesome effect? I nearly calculated myself to death.)
"Her ATK is over thirty thousand?! So what? Don't forget, my ATK will always be twice yours!" Crimson Prison Beast was initially startled, but then dismissed it.
"During the turn God's Blessing Anthem is Ritual Summoned, all cards on the field other than her have their effects negated!"
"Idiot, I cannot be targeted by effects!" Crimson Prison Beast's ignorant remark was almost laughable.
"You're the idiot. This effect does not target!" As a professional duelist, Xing found it beneath contempt.
"Battle! God's Blessing Anthem, attack Crimson Prison Beast!"
The saintess mercifully began with an uppercut, sending the demon fox soaring into the sky. Then she summoned Judah and unleashed a field-wide barrage. The golden lances filling the sky became the last image in Crimson Prison Beast's memory.
Crimson Prison Beast's LP: 8000 → 0
"Impossible!" Crimson Prison Beast cried out in despair as its body turned into fragments and disappeared.
The twelfth Herrscher of the Previous Era, the Herrscher of Erosion, Crimson Prison Beast, had officially left the stage.
A small purple box appeared where Crimson Prison Beast had vanished. After a series of disassembly and reconstruction, it transformed into a black-and-red katana.
The Twelfth Divine Key, Key of Erosion, Jizo-Mitama, had finally been completed in the Current Era.
"So this is Jizo-Mitama." Xing stepped forward and gripped its hilt. "The first Divine Key I've officially obtained."
"Big brother, hello!" Suddenly, a pink-haired little girl with fox ears and a fox tail appeared out of thin air and pounced on him.
"You are?" Xing felt that she looked familiar.
"Uh, who am I again? Ah, I seem to remember nothing. But big brother feels very familiar somehow, so I'll follow you!" The fox-eared girl scratched her head with a dazedly adorable expression.
Xing guessed her identity. "In that case, how about you call yourself Hiyokomaru from now on?"
"Hiyokomaru? That's a lovely name. I like it, thank you, big brother!" The fox-eared girl—no, Hiyokomaru—was extremely happy.
"Let's go. I'll take you out for some fried tofu." Xing activated Jizo-Mitama and left the space of consciousness.
"Fried tofu? Yay!" Having forgotten her past and gained a new life, Hiyokomaru cheered joyfully.
Before you continue