Have you lost your mind?

"But this was undoubtedly reckless bravery."

"If you hadn't luckily drawn Breakthrough Skill and Hay Fever, you would have lost to Nero.Arisa long ago."

Yukikaze lowered her head in shame. "You're right. I'm indeed to blame for how things turned out."

"Good. Only by recognizing that can you keep moving forward." Ai nodded in satisfaction. "But for now, lift your head. The duel isn't over yet."

"But... if Nero uses Hime Peacock to bounce the monster on my field..." Yukikaze said despairingly.

"I added Soul Bird God - Hime Peacock and Ritual of Descension from my Deck to my hand," Nero said calmly from across the field.

"Huh?!" Yukikaze blinked, seemingly unable to understand the situation before her.

"Obviously, Hime Peacock can only Special Summon Amanogawa from the hand, and she doesn't have Amanogawa in her hand right now." Ai's lips curled slightly. "Special Summoning Hime Peacock in this situation would accomplish nothing except deal you a little battle damage. It would be better to use Hime Peacock to deal with your back row."

"Prepare to be attacked. If I calculated correctly, you'll have 600 LP left this turn. That'll be your hope for a comeback."

As Ai and Yukikaze spoke, Nero made her move.

She inserted Ritual of Descension into her black Duel Disk once more. "I activate the Ritual Spell Card—Ritual of Descension. I Tribute Thunder King Rai-Oh from my hand and Ritual Summon Soul Bird God - Hime Peacock from my hand."

As if stepping out of a painting, Hime Peacock appeared in full regalia once again. She waved the peacock fan in her hand, sending a gust toward the Continuous Spell Card on Yukikaze's back row—Six Flowers Blizzard.

"I activate Hime Peacock's effect. I return your 'Six Flowers Blizzard' to the Deck, then Special Summon Amanogawa from my Deck." Nero waved her small hand after speaking. "Next, I enter the Battle Phase."

"Hime Peacock, attack Peony."

Hime Peacock waved her peacock fan once more, and a massive gale blew the Peony on Yukikaze's field into the Graveyard. The remaining force slammed mercilessly into Yukikaze.

"Urgh!" Yukikaze endured the impact and remained where she stood, refusing to take even a single step back.

"Amanogawa, direct attack."

A casual command struck Yukikaze's body with another violent impact.

But...

Yukikaze: 4000 LP → 600 LP.

"Just like you said, I really have 600 LP left!" Yukikaze said excitedly.

"Don't celebrate too early. You're still at a disadvantage."

"I enter Main Phase 2, set one card, and end my turn." Nero ended her turn just like that.

"At the end of the turn, the Hime Peacock on my field returns to my hand, and I Special Summon two 'Soul Bird Tokens.'"

Yukikaze looked at the three monsters on Nero's field, took a deep breath, and placed her hand on her Deck.

"My turn, draw!"

It was here!

Yukikaze's eyes lit up as she looked at the card in her hand. "I activate the Spell Card—Monster Reborn! I Special Summon Rosemary of the Six Flowers from my Graveyard!"

"Next, I activate Six—ow!" Just as Yukikaze was about to activate Rosemary of the Six Flowers' effect, pain shot through her head. Looking up, she saw Ai staring at her as if she were an idiot.

"Did I do something wrong?" Yukikaze asked uneasily.

"Did you forget that Amanogawa is still on the opponent's field?" Ai said, facepalming.

"Huh? Oh, right!" Only then did Yukikaze realize it. She reached toward her Graveyard. "First, I activate the effect of Breakthrough Skill in my Graveyard. I banish this card and negate the Amanogawa on your field!"

No, this girl was just too stupid.

Ai could not help looking at Hara Shichi, who was silently watching the duel behind her. Luckily, her partner was Hara Shichi. If it had been Yukikaze, Ai would have been angered to death long ago.

"Next, I activate the effect of Rosemary of the Six Flowers and add Flower Princess Iron—"

"Ow!" Yukikaze's head suddenly hurt again.

"What did I do this time?" Yukikaze raised her head, her sapphire-blue eyes brimming with tears.

"Would Special Summoning Iron Chopsticks be useful at a time like this?" Ai asked irritably.

"But..." Yukikaze looked at the single lonely card in her hand and said pitifully, "I don't have any other choice now."

The only card in Yukikaze's hand was Six Flowers Brilliant. She had originally planned to use it together with Six Flowers Blizzard, but Nero had returned Six Flowers Blizzard to the Deck. Now, it could only be used as a simple search card.

"Print a card," Ai said flatly.

"Huh?!" Yukikaze's little mouth fell open in shock.

"What do you mean, 'Huh'?! You're always going 'Huh! Huh! Huh!' Are you deliberately trying to act cute?!" Ai puffed up her cheeks in dissatisfaction and reached out to smack Yukikaze on the head again.

Not bad. It felt pretty nice.

"I'm not!" Yukikaze retorted, her face turning red.

"Then stop acting so startled all the time. As a duelist, you need to learn to stay composed." Ai frowned.

"Wuwuwu..."

"Anyway, do you want to print a card?" Ai asked again.

"What card?" Yukikaze asked weakly.

"An Xyz Monster."

"I can't do something like that!" Yukikaze still had some self-awareness.

"No. If it's you, you can definitely do it." Ai took out a pristine white Duel Card she had prepared and held it out to Yukikaze.

"Do you remember the pink-haired little girl you met in the forest?"

"Take this card and call out to her."

"You've got water in your brain, haven't you?"

"Gulp."

Yukikaze unconsciously swallowed and accepted the Duel Card from Ai.

"Recite her name in your heart," Ai guided her step by step.

As for her name, Yukikaze had made sure to ask.

"Hua Quan."

That child's name was "Hua Quan."

Yukikaze began to mobilize the Duel Power within her body. In Ai's eyes, blue light circulated through Yukikaze's body, then flowed into the pure white Duel Card like a stream.

"Hua Quan, please lend me your power."

Deep within Elkland Forest.

The pink-haired little girl, who had been playing with her companions, paused in surprise before breaking into a radiant smile. She bid farewell to the companions beside her and came before Snowdrop.

"Have you decided?" Snowdrop seemed to have anticipated this moment long ago, smiling gently.

"Yes, I've decided." A resolute expression appeared on little Hua Quan's adorable face.

"But if you go alone, it won't be enough." Snowdrop lovingly stroked Hua Quan's little head.

"You're still too weak right now."

"Then... then I want to go too!" Hua Quan's pink hair trembled slightly along with her impassioned emotions.

"If that's the case, take this with you." Snowdrop stretched out her hand, and a cluster of blue ice crystals appeared in her palm.

Inside Training Room No. 7, Yukikaze's motionless state quickly aroused suspicion.

"Hey, what's she doing? Why hasn't she moved for so long?"

"Wait, look at the card in her hand... She isn't planning to print a card during the duel, is she?!"

"Isn't that something only Professional Duelists can do?"

"I can do it too, though I'd probably print a White Rabbit."

"..."

The noisy voices continuously flooded Yukikaze's ears like wind. Just as she could no longer resist giving up, the card in her hand suddenly emitted a dazzling light that enveloped her entire body.

"Snap!" Ai snapped her fingers crisply, and the white light vanished in an instant.

Yukikaze slowly opened her eyes. The previously white card frame had now turned jet-black. Within the card art, a pink-haired little girl held a delicate ice-crystal umbrella and winked playfully at her.

"I'm here to help you!"

That familiar voice echoed in Yukikaze's mind.

"Flower Princess of Six Flowers..." Yukikaze carefully stroked the card's surface and softly read out the full name of the Xyz Card.

"Not just that." Ai handed another card to Yukikaze. "There's also Tear-Drop Bouquet Snowdrop of Six Flowers."

"This is... that silver-haired big sister..." Yukikaze covered her mouth in surprise as she looked at the card art.

"Don't overthink it. She herself isn't residing inside it. This card is merely a portion of her power." Ai had long expected this reaction. "Use these two cards to start your counterattack!"

"Okay!" Yukikaze nodded energetically.

Looking at the two cards in her hand, a complete combo began to take shape in her mind.

"Then, I'm starting!" Yukikaze declared loudly.

"Go ahead, go ahead." Ai could not help yawning. Honestly, she felt a little tired. When had she ever done this sort of thing before? Hara Shichi had always been the one doing the talking while she watched from the side. At most, she only needed to move a little when it was time for an Xyz Summon.

"But... there's still one problem." Yukikaze looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Say it." Ai rested her chin on her hand, eyes half-lidded.

"I don't know how to Xyz Summon..." Yukikaze awkwardly touched her long hair.

"Leave that to me." Ai placed a hand on Yukikaze's shoulder and instructed her with a serious expression, "But I'll only help you this once, so make sure you carefully feel the Xyz Network."

"Huh? You'll help me?" A conflicted expression appeared on Yukikaze's face.

"Of course. Otherwise, with your current state, you can't even sense the Xyz Network, can you?" Ai said as if it were only natural.

"I see... I understand."

Yukikaze fell silent for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on her face. She looked at Nero across from her. "Sorry for the delay."

"It's fine. Judging by your expression, you succeeded." Nero's black eyes gleamed slightly, as if she were looking forward to it. "Continue."

"Mm. From here on, I'll give it everything I have." Yukikaze stretched out her hand and shouted, "I activate the effect of Rosemary of the Six Flowers! I add Iron Chopsticks from my Deck to my hand!"

"Pfft!!!" Ai nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

"What are you doing?!" Ai said, clutching her aching head. "First Xyz Summon the Rank 4 Flower Princess of Six Flowers, then activate her effect to Summon the Rank 8 Tear-Drop Bouquet Snowdrop of Six Flowers. That would be so much more profitable! Can't you even see something this simple?!"

"I know." Yukikaze lowered her head, then inserted the Spell Card in her hand into her Duel Disk. "I activate the Spell Card—Six Flowers Brilliant. I add Flower Princess Snowdrop from my Deck to my hand."

"If you know, why are you doing this?" Ai hugged her own head, suddenly realizing something. Her face froze in astonishment. "Don't tell me... you aren't planning to Xyz Summon?"

Yukikaze did not answer. She merely activated the effect in her hand in silence. "I activate the effect of Flower Princess Snow Lotus. I Tribute the Rosemary of the Six Flowers on my field, then Special Summon Snow Lotus from my hand in Defense Position and Iron Chopsticks from my hand in Attack Position!"

"Forget it, forget it. I'll just treat that as a misplay. Snow Lotus and Iron Chopsticks are both Level 8, so just Xyz Summon 'Tear-Drop Bouquet Snowdrop of Six Flowers' directly."

"I enter the Battle Phase. Iron Chopsticks, attack the 'Soul Bird Token'!"

"Fine, fine, enter Main Phase 2..."

"I end my turn like this!"

"Are you going to Xyz Summon or not? Or do you not trust me because I came out of nowhere?" Ai felt as if her lungs were about to explode from anger.

Even though gods did not have lungs.

She had specially come over to correct Yukikaze's mentality, give her advice, and help her print cards.

For what?

Wasn't it simply because Ai had seen how pitiful Yukikaze was and wanted to give her a hand?

Yet at the final step, Yukikaze was telling her she would not do it?!

"That's not it. I know you wouldn't harm me." Yukikaze shook her head. "Just now, I remembered something. During my previous duel with Nero, the voice that warned me was yours too, wasn't it?"

"So you knew it was me." Ai gave a smile that was not a smile.

"But I think this is wrong."