Shining Draw!
The golden light tracing through the fog as Aisha drew her card held no sign of darkness at all.
"What the hell? Even pushed this far, Aisha Carlos… you—!"
The scene of dark corruption Luca had longed to see never appeared. It was as if, in defiance of the oppressive environment, Aisha had become a light in the fog.
Even Dark Aisha in the Millennium Room was surprised.
"What? The third seal on Dystopia loosened…"
To use Dystopia, you must truly understand despair—that was the condition to break the second seal.
With three cards in hand, Aisha could, in theory, summon Dystopia. Its 5000 ATK might not destroy Malicious Bane by battle, but it could still win the duel.
But it was impossible—her Shining Draw had prevented Dystopia's descent.
At the same moment Dark Aisha felt Dystopia stir, Aisha had drawn something else entirely.
"This is the final clash, Ren-chan! I… will not lose! Spell Card, activate—[Joker's Straight]!"
[Discard 1 card; Special Summon 1 "Queen's Knight" from your Deck, add 1 "King's Knight" or "Jack's Knight" from your Deck to your hand, then you can Normal Summon 1 monster. For the rest of this turn, you can only Special Summon LIGHT Warrior monsters from the Extra Deck.]
"I Special Summon [Queen's Knight] from my Deck, then Normal Summon the [King's Knight] I added to my hand!"
[Queen's Knight] Level 4│LIGHT│Warrior│1500 ATK / 1600 DEF
[King's Knight] Level 4│LIGHT│Warrior│1600 ATK / 1400 DEF
The two knights crossed their swords.
"When Queen's and King's Knight are both on the field, I can Special Summon—[Jack's Knight]!"
"Arcana Knight Joker? Not happening, little Ai!"
Ren immediately flipped her set card.
"Trap Card, activate—[Breakthrough Skill]!"
[Target 1 Effect Monster your opponent controls; negate that target's effects until the end of this turn.]
"By negating your King's Knight, you can't summon Jack's Knight!"
Aisha's last card in hand—if it were [Polymerization], she could fuse for the 3800 ATK Arcana Knight Joker and surpass Malicious Bane. Even if Bane couldn't be destroyed by battle, it would still be hard for Ren to remove Joker.
So Ren's choice to stop the three knights with Breakthrough Skill was the best possible play.
"With only two knights, you have no chance, little Ai!"
Plus, Joker's Straight restricted Aisha to Extra Deck summons of LIGHT Warrior monsters.
"Without the fusion, it's over!"
"No, Ren-chan." Aisha shook her head firmly. "I never planned to fuse Arcana Knight Joker!"
"What?"
In the Soul Room, Dark Aisha gripped Miles's sleeve.
"The third seal on Dystopia has never reacted this violently… It's like it's roaring."
"Maybe… that's the meaning of the third seal," Miles guessed.
If the second seal required understanding despair, then the third might require…
Only one who understands despair and still carries hope can touch Dystopia's third seal!
Vice Principal Raiden had once said: "The third seal is less a danger than a chance to change despair."
That chance… was hope.
"This will be my final summon—my last Xyz Summon! I overlay Level 4 [King's Knight] and Level 4 [Queen's Knight] to build the Overlay Network! Rank 4!"
"Rank 4 Xyz Summon?"
A dazzling column of light pierced the fog—a beacon of turnaround, stirring hope in duelists mired in darkness across the capital.
Even Professor Field, locked in a Shadow Duel, felt it clearly.
"The light in a duelist's heart will never lose to darkness. You make me proud, my student!"
Luca clenched her teeth. "An Xyz Summon like that inside the dark fog barrier? Aisha Carlos, you…!"
"The light to change despair starts now!"
Aisha shouted with all her strength.
"Wings of hope, messenger of light—seize the shining victory of the future! Rank 4 Xyz Summon! No.39: Utopia!"
[Number 39: Utopia] Rank 4│LIGHT│Warrior│2500 ATK / 2000 DEF
The light-winged warrior appeared—Aisha's hope.
"Utopia? That's your final summon?" Ren was stunned. "It can't beat Malicious Bane."
"Even if it can't, this is my last chance! Battle!"
[Utopia, ATK: 2500]
[Malicious Bane, ATK: 3400]
As they clashed, Aisha threw her last card.
"Quick-Play Spell—[Swords at Dawn]! Equip 1 Equip Spell from my Graveyard to a monster I control!"
"From the Joker's Straight discard… a hidden ace in the Graveyard?" Ren realized.
With Ren at 1100 LP, the ATK gap seemed impossible to overcome with just an Equip Spell.
"Struggling to the end won't change the gap—it's weakness, little Ai."
"You're right, Ren-chan. I've always lost to you. No one is weaker than me." Aisha said, admitting, yet her eyes held no retreat.
"But riding this light of hope… even my weakness can change the ending! Equip Spell—[Double-Edged Sword]!"
[The equipped monster gains 2000 ATK.]
"A 2000 ATK boost?!"
[Utopia, ATK: 2500 → 4500]
Now stronger than Bane, the difference was exactly 1100—matching Ren's LP.
Every exchange had led here, even Mokey Mokey's punch.
"Strike, Utopia—Double-edged Hope Slash!!"
"You calculated it down to my last LP… Little Ai, you really have gotten stronger. If I could, I'd let you win—but I can't. My best friend's full-force strike… I have to answer it!"
Ren flipped her last set card.
"Trap Card—[Fiery Fervor]!"
"Equip to Bane! Since your monster's ATK is higher, Bane's ATK becomes double its original—6000!"
[Malicious Bane, ATK: 3400 → 6000]
"Counterattack, Bane—Death Blade Burst!!"
Double-edged blade met black blade—
"You can't win this, Ren-chan. Because I… won't lose!"
Crack!
The Double-Edged Sword shattered.
"I never intended to win when I swung this sword."
"Then why—?"
"Not winning doesn't mean losing!"
[Double-Edged Sword]: Both players take any battle damage involving the equipped monster.
It was her final trump card.
"I told you—I'd wake you up with this duel! Utopia's 1500 battle damage—we share it, my best friend!"
Light burst from the shattered glass of Double-edged Sword, piercing Ren's darkness.
"Hope Changer Slash!!"
[Ren Austin, LP: 1100 → 0]
[Aisha Carlos, LP: 300 → 0]
"Ren!"
As the duel-ending light faded, Aisha tackled Ren to the ground.
"Come back to me, Ren-chan. My best friend isn't a villain who'd do anything for desire. Remember… be the hero who grew stronger to protect!"
"Little Ai?"
Feeling Aisha's weight on her, Ren's eyes dimmed; her darkness faded.
"I know, Little Ai… I was wrong…"
"Forgive me, Ren-chan. This was necessary."
"Wait… Little Ai?"
Slap!
"This is the friendship face-slap!"
Slap!
"For my best friend's waking up, I'll bear the guilt!"
Slap!
"Little Ai, I'm really awake now—stop!"
Three sharp slaps, and Ren's desire was gone—her eyes restored.
"Tch, boring! I wanted blood!" Luca clicked her tongue. "Hope Xyz in the dark fog… what are you, Aisha Carlos?"
...
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