"Next, I enter the Battle Phase! [Thunder Dragon Titan] attacks [Eldlich the Golden Lord]!"
Rikka swung her arm, and the massive dragon wreathed in golden lightning let out a deafening roar.
[Thunder Dragon Titan, ATK: 3700]
[Eldlich the Golden Lord, ATK: 3500]
Two overwhelming forces collided midair, the shockwaves forcing the surrounding spectators to stagger back. Eldlich was pushed back several steps by the violent current, while Phila's body swayed violently under the impact of the virtual projection.
[Phila, LP: 3800 → 3600]
"Then–[Starry Night, Starry Dragon] attacks directly! 2500!"
Rikka's voice was clear and decisive. The white holy dragon spread its wings, diving down as sacred flames pierced straight through the arms Raku had raised in front of him.
[Phila, LP: 3600 → 1100]
Raku felt a long-forgotten pain. It was not the cold of a curse eroding him, but something real… something from the real world, a direct blow from the will of his family.
"After that, my turn ends." Rikka stood in the wind and snow, her gaze fixed firmly on Phila.
Using Phila's body, Raku steadied his faltering balance. He didn't look at the Life Points.
"My turn. Draw."
Raku inserted a card into his Spell/Trap Zone. "I Set a card. Afterward, I activate the second effect of [Eldlich the Golden Lord] in my Graveyard. I send that Set card to the Graveyard and add it to my hand."
A golden vortex surged once more from the veins of the earth.
"Special Summon again! [Eldlich the Golden Lord]!"
The magnificent monarch reappeared on the field. Scorch marks from the previous battle remained on his golden armor, yet his presence was still imposing.
[Eldlich the Golden Lord] Level 10│LIGHT│Zombie│3500 ATK
"Battle Phase! Attack your [Starry Night, Starry Dragon]!"
Raku showed no hesitation. Eldlich's scepter crashed heavily onto the dragon's pristine wings. Holy radiance and necrotic gold clashed and canceled each other out. With a crisp shattering sound, the dragon dissolved into particles of light.
[Rikka, LP: 6100 → 5100]
"Then, I enter Main Phase 2. I banish [Eldlixir of White Destiny] from my Graveyard and Set a [Guardian of the Golden Land]."
Raku looked at the girl across from him. She was no longer crying, but her eyes were filled with stubborn resolve.
"Turn end."
Almost the instant he declared it, Rikka drew the card that symbolized fate from her Deck.
"My turn, draw!"
She slammed the card onto her Duel Disk.
"I activate the second effect of [Thunder Dragon Fusion] in my Graveyard! I banish this card that wasn't sent to the Graveyard this turn. Then I add a Thunder monster from my Deck to my hand."
Rikka precisely pulled out [Thunder Dragonroar].
"Discard Thunder Dragonroar, retrieve [Thunder Dragon Fusion] from the Banished Zone!"
The combo flowed seamlessly.
"I chain to your [Thunder Dragonroar]." Raku flipped his back row card. "I activate the first effect of [Guardian of the Golden Land]! After activation, it becomes a Zombie, LIGHT, Level 8 monster and is Special Summoned. And since Eldlich is on the field–"
Raku pointed at Rikka's massive [Thunder Dragon Titan].
"Target one face-up monster on the field. Its Attack becomes 0!"
The guardian riding a ruby beast climbed out from the earth, its staff emitting a dim light.
[Thunder Dragon Titan, ATK: 3700 → 0]
Rikka gritted her teeth and slammed down the scroll-like Spell Card in her hand once more.
"And! I activate [Thunder Dragon Fusion]! I return three 'Thunder Dragon' monsters from my Graveyard to the Deck and Fusion Summon again–[Thunder Dragon Titan]!"
The faded afterimage with zero Attack vanished, and a brand-new dragon in its prime descended once more from the thunderclouds.
"I activate the effect of [Thunder Dragon] in my hand! Discard, search!" Rikka's movements no longer needed thought. "Thunder Dragon Titan's effect triggers–destroy your [Guardian of the Golden Land]!"
With the guardian shattered by lightning, only the golden monarch with 3500 Attack remained on Raku's field.
"Out of moves?" Raku's voice carried through the wind. "My Eldlich cannot be destroyed by card effects. As long as it stands here, your 3200 Attack Thunder Dragon Titan cannot break through my line. Unless… you still have [Thunder Dragonmatrix] in your hand."
"I'm not so sure about that!"
Rikka suddenly raised her head.
"I don't have Thunder Dragonmatrix. But don't forget–your Eldlich is LIGHT, and my Thunder Dragon Titan is also LIGHT!"
Rikka thrust her hand forward.
"Battle Phase! [Thunder Dragon Titan] attacks Eldlich!"
"What?" Raku froze.
"And then! I activate the second effect of [Honest] that I just drew!"
Rikka sent the card radiating holy brilliance from her hand to the Graveyard.
"During the Damage Step, from the start of damage calculation until before damage calculation! That monster gains Attack equal to the opponent monster's Attack until the end of the turn!"
[Thunder Dragon Titan, ATK: 3200 → 6700]
Golden fragments and feathers intertwined across the sky.
Phila's Duel Disk emitted a piercing warning sound as the Life Point counter dropped to zero.
[Phila, LP: 1100 → 0]
Raku watched as the virtual projections gradually faded.
He smiled.
"Well done, Rikka."
He spoke softly. Though it was in Phila's voice, the relief within it carried real weight.
Raku closed his eyes, sensing that faint, elusive connection between soul and body.
What happened here was understood… but it wasn't enough.
A real apology was still needed.
In the hospital room, those eyes that had remained shut all this time suddenly snapped open.
Raku stared at the white ceiling for a second or two. His throat was unbearably dry, and his body felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead. He fumbled for the phone on the bedside table, squinting as the screen's light stabbed into his eyes.
A short message was sent.
A chaotic and hurried set of footsteps echoed from the corridor.
Bang!
The door to the hospital room was flung open. Rikka stood at the entrance, still wearing that oversized black coat, sort of disheveled. Faint traces of cold seemed to linger on her shoulders, as if the virtual snow from the Duel Arena had followed her here. She was breathing hard, her chest rising and falling sharply.
"Big bro, you're awake?!"
Raku leaned against the headboard and turned to look at her.
"Yeah," Raku said. "Sorry for making you worry."
Rikka froze in the doorway. She walked to the bedside with quick steps, hiding the hand that had been gripping cards so steadily during the duel behind her back. She lifted her chin, forcing a wide smile.
"It's okay, really, really okay!" Rikka pointed to the emblem on her uniform. "Look, I got into Obelisk Blue!"
Those blue eyes were already filled with moisture, yet she kept them wide open, refusing to let it fall.
Raku looked at her like that.
"I mean it. I'm sorry, Rikka."
The fragile mask of forced strength shattered in a blink.
Rikka suddenly lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Raku's waist. Her face buried itself in the fabric of his hospital gown. The room fell silent.
A warm dampness spread against his shoulder.
His vision blurred slightly. Raku raised his hand and, a bit sluggishly, placed it on his sister's silver-white hair. A drop of water slid down his cheek and fell onto Rikka's collar. In the end, he couldn't hold it back.
After a long while…
"Actually…" Rikka's muffled voice came from within his clothes, "I met someone today named Phila. For some reason… they felt a bit like you."
She sniffed and lifted her head.
"I almost went down the wrong path, but thankfully Starry Night didn't give up on me."
Raku looked into those reddened eyes.
"Is that so?" Raku said. "You did well, Rikka. You did very well."
Near the window, space warped slightly.
Aleister stood there with his staff, his form gradually solidifying in the air. He looked at the two on the hospital bed, the usual teasing amusement gone from his eyes.
"You got lucky this time," Aleister said. "Next time…"
Raku cut him off.
"There won't be a next time."
Raku looked at the light streaming in from outside the window.
Some things couldn't be avoided; they would only get worse if you tried to run. If something like this happened again, whether facing family or unknown threats…
"Maybe I can make up for it this time. But after that, there might not be another chance. So if something like this happens again, no matter what, I won't just stand by and do nothing."
Aleister's fingers tightened slightly around his staff.
"I should have met you sooner."
Aleister turned away, his figure dissipating within the hospital room.
The window was half open as a gust of wind blew in, lifting the hem of Rikka's black coat, while sunlight spilled through the gap onto the white bedsheets.
...
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