"The monster I Set is Fiber Jar!"
A half-mechanical half-plant jar shattered on Akiza Izinski's field. But the jar still emitted light, looking dazzling.
"What is that card!?" Many viewers exclaimed in surprise.
"Fiber Jar?" Harald said in astonishment.
"Actually Fiber Jar!"
"This card's Flip effect. Both players combine their field cards, hand cards, Graveyard cards, and Deck together and shuffle. Then each draws 5 cards from their Deck!"
"Eh?"
"Wow, this guy was tricked!"
The viewers laughed and mocked.
"Haha, this guy actively removed a material himself, making Rhongomyniad no longer unaffected by other card effects!"
"Wow!"
"Genius!"
"As expected of Team 5D's, actually thinking of this method at this crucial moment!"
Akiza Izinski's face rarely revealed a confident smile. She spoke with full confidence: "As expected, you wanted to continue replenishing Rhongomyniad's Xyz Materials during the duel. But because 3-material Rhongomyniad has the ability to be unaffected by other cards, you had to detach a material before you could use your own effect to add materials to it.
Don't underestimate Yusei. Even in the most dangerous situation, I, Yusei and I, we will absolutely create a brand-new world, brand-new possibilities!"
"Fiber Jar's effect activates!"
Slice, slice.
Countless cards flipped up. Akiza Izinski's field, Graveyard, hand cards, everything was shuffled back into the Deck. Finally, even Number 75's cards were all shuffled back into the Deck. In the end, everything on the field returned to calm.
Only the Xyz Material monsters and Xyz Reborn, not cards from any zone but Xyz Materials, lay quietly in Number 75's Graveyard, proving the existence and change of the "world line."
"Oooooh!"
"Defeated Rhongomyniad!"
"As expected of Team 5D's!"
"Yes yes yes, that's how it should be, overcome time, overcome the impossible!"
The viewers cheered excitedly.
But...
For some reason, Gossip Shadow showed not the slightest tension.
"Hnhnhnhn... Hahaha!"
Almost simultaneously, it and Throne burst into wild laughter.
The smile on Akiza Izinski's face slowly froze, then vanished.
Laugh, laughing at what?
"Too naive, Akiza Izinski. Could it be you thought I didn't know that you, as a Plant-Type deck user, would have that kind of card in your Deck?" Gossip Shadow burst into laughter. "Foolish. Could it be I couldn't detach a material during Main Phase 2 and then add Xyz Materials to Rhongomyniad!"
Intentional!!!!??
Akiza Izinski's heart froze.
"You thought you could really transcend time? Then let me show you. The complete form of this strongest monster! Activate Spell Card, Unexpected Dai.
If my field is empty, Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my Deck.
Special Summon, Level 3, Stinger the Electric Expeller!"
Akiza Izinski's pupils shrank.
Psy, psychic power.
"Next, if I control a Level 3 monster other than this card, I can Special Summon this card from my hand.
Psychic Tracker!"
The second Level 3 Psychic monster.
"Cou, could it be..."
Yuma Tsukumo was shocked.
This 75. It hadn't been that long since he'd seen it, and it had actually grown this much stronger!?
"Overlay using two monsters, appear, myself!"
Number 75: Bamboozling Gossip Shadow. Rank 3, WIND Attribute, Spellcaster-Type. ATK 1000. Xyz Materials: 2.
The joy on Akiza Izinski's face slowly disappeared. What remained was panic.
If...
If the second time...
The 5 cards she'd drawn couldn't handle the current situation!
"Then, Normal Summon Goblindbergh. When this card is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower monster from my hand. Special Summon, Heroic Challenger - Assault Halberd."
Immediately after, two Level 4 Warrior-Type monsters!
"Bad..." Left-arm and right-arm spoke in low voices.
Yusei, stopping in the corridor, seeing this, couldn't help closing his eyes and softly murmuring.
"Overlay using the two Level 4 Warrior-Type monsters on the field. Return once more! Rank 4, the world's strongest monster!
Number 86: Heroic Champion - Rhongomyniad!"
The invincible monster once again revived from the Extra Deck. This overbearing monster raised its long spear, spun around on the field, then calmly stood in place.
Number 86: Heroic Champion - Rhongomyniad. Rank 4, LIGHT Attribute, Warrior-Type. ATK 1500 → 3000 → 4000.
"4000!?"
"Heroic Challenger - Assault Halberd used as Xyz Material grants a special effect: when Xyz Summon succeeds, ATK increases by 1000!"
"This bastard!" Left-arm and right-arm grew angrier.
Truly a thief!
Taking all cards convenient for Rank 4 Xyz Summoning!
"Activate my own effect. Send myself and my materials all to Rhongomyniad!"
Like reincarnation.
Like a cycle.
Like time playing a joke.
Like the world telling Akiza Izinski that everything she'd done was useless effort.
When she came back to herself, Rhongomyniad had once again returned to 5 materials!
"And the final, perfect form. Activate Spell Card, Prohibition! Hahaha, Akiza Izinski, before you is only absolute despair! Behold this strongest monster's most despair-inducing form!"
!!!
"Declare a card name to activate. I declare Number 86: Heroic Champion - Rhongomyniad!"
"Declare a card name to activate. This turn, the opponent cannot activate effects of cards with the same original name as the declared card. And after that, heheheheh, hahahahaha! In the subsequent duel, I cannot activate effects of cards with the same original name as the declared card!"
This... what did it mean? Countless people had their brains freeze because of this, unable to understand.
"Rhongomyniad, every opponent's turn, has to detach, because this is the power the strong card must rely on." Hikaru explained, speaking to those who didn't understand. "But because of Prohibition, next, this Gossip Shadow duelist cannot activate Rhongomyniad's effect anymore. That is, it cannot activate the effect of detaching materials."
"Although as a cost, it cannot destroy all cards on the opponent's field once per turn. But correspondingly, it doesn't need to detach materials, transformed into a truly, invincible monster."
"Actually..." "Isn't that, over?" An atmosphere of despair flowed worldwide. This genuinely invincible scene shook their hearts.
But Hikaru instead felt this was an opportunity. Just like when Jack had lost before, Team 5D's didn't fear defeat. And this beyond-plan-but-within-expectation "card," Akiza Izinski perhaps didn't know, but Yusei did understand.
Akiza Izinski felt dizzy, nearly stumbling.
This... in that case... even the strategy of death-clinging couldn't be completed!
Over!
Absolutely no way!
She reached to touch her Deck, but in this instant, she felt her Deck was very far from her.
Further and further...
Further and further!
She seemed to see Yusei's back, watching that back receding further and further from her. She desperately wanted to hold him back, wanted to protect, but couldn't grasp his hand at all.
Pitch-black energy shrouded her whole body. She, who was already compatible with despair, having experienced the truly "seeing the possibility of hope then falling to the abyss"...
Gloomy, painful, cold, torment. Despair!
She felt she'd lost all control over herself. She felt life, warmth, hope, everything, was receding from her!
All was finished!
Even though Yuma Tsukumo and Tori Meadows cheered her on, she couldn't hear them at all.
She recalled the past.
Because she was born with psychic power beyond human understanding, she'd been feared by countless people since childhood. In duels, her dueling would instantly knock down opponents, even easily inflicting serious injuries. Even machines and firearms had no way to deal with her.
This was her, the Black Rose Witch.
At this moment, she suddenly had a feeling.
Perhaps, it would have been better if she'd never met Yusei.
That way she would still be that "Black Rose Witch," sunk in pain and darkness, without needing to meet the Yusei who rescued her from suffering, without needing to watch Yusei lose his final time day by day.
Perhaps becoming a rumor in the Upper City, being an unwanted witch in the gutters, was her fate.
No time left.
She had none either!
"Akiza."
She heard a voice she'd been longing for.
"Akiza."
But that must be a hallucination.
"Akiza."
She snapped her eyes open, and what she saw was that very person she'd been longing for.
Only, he didn't look... well.
Although still in his usual attire, the obvious mechanical modifications to his right side, the organs visible through the mechanical structure inside his body, the wildly surging blood, all without exception told her:
Time really wasn't enough.
"Yusei, I..." Akiza Izinski's eyes moistened.
"Sorry, Akiza."
"No, no need to apologize to me. It was my fault..."
"No, it was my fault. I didn't perceive your feelings. I'm sorry." Yusei said.
Really Yusei!?
Not the Yusei in her imagination.
Just as she was thinking this, Yusei lightly grasped her right hand: "There's still one. There's still that one possibility."
"!?"
"Akiza, my Synchro is harmony, is coordination, is resonance. I've never seriously understood your thoughts. That was my mistake. But it doesn't matter. Starting today, everything will keep moving forward."
This "Synchro," first grasped from Hikaru's Fusion and gradually perfected under the guidance of various events, was truly transforming into a special power, influencing Yusei Fudo and his companions.
"I, I can also bear this pain for you!" Akiza Izinski finally said her thoughts.
Bearing inhuman pain and torment.
"...I trust you."
Yusei stopped speaking, opened his eyes, and said to his two companions: "Let's go."
"Akiza's duel isn't over yet." Crow was worried.
"It's alright. Akiza will definitely win!" Every word Yusei spoke fell heavy.
Jack and Crow glanced at each other, hesitated a moment, and resolutely chose to move forward with Yusei to find Kite Tenjo.
Not only because they trusted Yusei, but more importantly, because they also believed Akiza Izinski could absolutely cross this hurdle.
"Huh?"
Without realizing it, Tori Meadows and Yuma Tsukumo noticed the strange aura enveloping Akiza Izinski had vanished.
No, it had been integrated!
Akiza Izinski placed her hand on top of her Deck. In this instant, behind her, it was as if another person stood there.
"Draw."
Akiza Izinski drew a card.
Yes.
Yusei!
In my Deck, in your Deck, this card must exist!
She slowly opened her smile. That smile wasn't the so-called witch's smile, but an ordinary, girlish, gentle smile.
"Hmm?" Gossip Shadow was slightly puzzled.
At this point still struggling?
The viewers also gradually felt there was no hope.
At this point, was there any method?
Akiza Izinski took a deep breath: "Set one monster."
"Hmph, as expected, no way after all."
"Then." Akiza Izinski slowly displayed the drawn card. "Activate Spell Card, Share the Pain."
"...Share the Pain!!!!????" Gossip Shadow was greatly shocked.
"Tribute 1 monster on my field to activate. The opponent must tribute 1 monster!"
On Akiza Izinski's field, Red Rose Dragon dispersed brilliantly in flames.
"This..." Gossip Shadow broke out in cold sweat, opened its mouth but couldn't speak.
Ho, how could this be.
How could anyone put this kind of thing in their Deck!
"That guy, why is it so nervous?"
"Huh? Seems it worked?"
Throne's brow furrowed tightly. Watching the broadcast, he fiercely slapped the chair.
Holding such an invincible monster and putting up this kind of result!?
"Share the Pain is a special card." Hikaru stroked his chin, thinking as he spoke. "The vast majority of cards in the world have different targets. Even effects like drawing cards or restoring Life Points work the same way.
Rhongomyniad is indeed a monster that can be called invincible. Not destroyed by battle, unaffected by effects, and even possessing near-comprehensive sealing effects.
But...
The duelist isn't invincible."
Share the Pain is that kind of card. Its target of effect is the players themselves. Even an invincible monster, so long as it can be tributed, will be tributed.
Although calling itself the strongest duelist, in the end, it's just a guy specifically for adding materials to Rhongomyniad."
Gossip Shadow...
Hikaru pondered. Akiza Izinski really should thank it. Without it, probably even after another year, playing until the end of the One God War, playing until the end, playing until she couldn't see Yusei anymore in this life, Akiza Izinski would have been unable to say her feelings, and Yusei would absolutely have never proactively asked either.
Activating this card, Akiza Izinski felt pain, but her body grew warmer.
This was the true symbol.
The "protection" she'd persisted in from the moment Yusei dueled her.
"Quick, choose. I don't want to waste time. And you don't have time either."
"Uh..." Gossip Shadow had no choice, and could only obediently send the monster to the Graveyard.
"Yesss!" As the true owner of Rhongomyniad, Nash gave the most emphatic cheer. "So thrilling! Team 5D's, so thrilling!"
Gossip Shadow forced itself to look across.
Still fine.
Still had ways to fight on.
Fundamentally, a card like Share the Pain should only be run at one copy. As long as it recycled it next turn, then...
But.
How could there be time?
Akiza Izinski wouldn't waste time!
"Discard Rose Princess from my hand, add White Rose Cloister from my Deck to my hand."
"Field Spell Card, White Rose Cloister!"
Akiza Izinski quickly laid out the field. The room's cracks and damage were gradually covered by flowerbeds and white roses. Tori Meadows exclaimed "wow~" and lightly caught a white rose, unable to help sighing "so beautiful."
"If my field has no monsters, activate. Special Summon 1 Rose Dragon or Plant-Type monster from my hand."
"I Special Summon this one from my hand."
Akiza Izinski looked at the card that had appeared in her hand from who knows when. Definitely a card that manifested from the resonance between Yusei's heart and hers.
"Twilight Rose Black Knight!"
"Ah! Despair..." Gossip Shadow felt the familiar power.
Twilight Rose Black Knight. Level 3, DARK Attribute, Plant-Type. ATK 1000.
"When it's Normal or Special Summoned, activate. Special Summon 1 Black Rose Dragon or Level 4 or lower Plant-Type monster from my Graveyard."
"Special Summon, Rose Princess."
"With Level 3 Rose Princess and Level 3 Twilight Rose Black Knight, I tune!"
Even more familiar power manifested before Gossip Shadow.
"Aaaaah... What's happening, this isn't what was agreed!"
"Synchro Summon!"
"Rage Rose Witch."
Akiza Izinski lightly placed her hand on her chest. This monster that had abruptly appeared in her deck felt like herself.
Rage Rose Witch. Level 6, DARK Attribute, Plant-Type. ATK 1600.
"When this card is Fusion or Synchro Summoned, activate. Send up to 1 Plant-Type monster each from my Deck and Extra Deck to the Graveyard. After this effect's activation, until the end of the turn, I cannot Special Summon monsters other than Synchro Monsters from the Extra Deck."
"This is Team 5D's, our continuous Synchro!"
"Send Rose Lover to the Graveyard. Then activate its effect, banish it from my Graveyard to activate. Special Summon 1 Plant-Type monster from my hand.
Tuner monster, Rose Girl."
Rose Girl. Level 3, EARTH Attribute, Plant-Type. ATK 800.
"If Black Rose Dragon, a monster whose card name is mentioned by it, or a Plant-Type Synchro Monster exists on my field, I can activate its effect. Special Summon from my hand.
Special Summon, Violet Witch."
"With Level 3 Tuner monster Rose Girl and Level 4 Violet Witch, I tune."
"The cold flame will devour everything in the world.
Pitch-black flower, bloom!
Synchro Summon!
Come out, Black Rose Dragon!"
The most ordinary, most direct, not even Ruddy Rose Dragon, the fundamental ace monster belonging to Akiza Izinski, and the monster that truly bound her fate to Yusei Fudo's.
Its enormous body, composed of countless dark red petals, at this scene appeared so sacred, so beautiful.
Black Rose Dragon. Level 7, FIRE Attribute, Dragon-Type. ATK 2400.
2400 and 1600.
Exactly 4000!
Even without the reduced 100 Life Points, at this moment, Akiza Izinski could win!
"This is my Synchro, mine and Yusei's Synchro, resonance!" She was slightly over-excited. Her face was already hot and red, but she wasn't concealing her feelings at all.
"Battle. Direct attack with both monsters!"
Gossip Shadow cursed angrily, throwing things beside it.
From the moment Rhongomyniad had vanished, it knew it was over.
When Rhongomyniad was on the field, one monster alone could win against a thousand armies.
But now that it was gone, it had nothing else!
Just as Hikaru said, so-called strongest duelist, in the end, was just Rhongomyniad's material!
Violent power tore through the entire room. The storm mixed with brambles almost instantly tore Gossip Shadow into pieces, giving this creature that loved gossip and rumor no time to feel much pain before it was turned into a card.
Noticing this, Astral quickly flew over, wanting to recover 75 and 86. When he touched 75, he successfully recovered this unlucky thing, but the next instant, 86 instantly vanished, disappearing before him!
Again.
His expression turned somewhat bad.
Gossip Shadow, LP: 3900 → 1500 → 0.
And in this instant, the viewers who'd been watching this duel couldn't help cheering together!
This was Team 5D's! Even facing such terrifying monsters, they could still find the path of Synchro in the abyss of despair!
Even if time cycles, even if the tragedy recurs, even if the deeper despair after hope, there was still a way to cross!
Victor: Team 5D's, Akiza Izinski!
...
STONES 💎
Read upto 15 chapters ahead@ keepsmiling818 p2reon