Chapter 1112: Waiting for You

NO. 6 Ancient Heritage · Atlantic Continent Giant!!!

III's hidden trump card, his strongest NO. The moment the Overlay Network was constructed, a "NO. 6" number seemed to burn in the void, the distant horizon began to twist, and a golden pillar of light piercing sea and sky shot straight into the heavens. Within the light pillar, the giant's outline gradually emerged—first knees covered in coral and seaweed, then thick thighs flowing with magma, each muscle's grain like a dried riverbed.

When the giant fully rose, it seemed to shroud half the sky. Above its waist it bore an entire miniaturized continent: to the north, mountains blanketed in ancient forest, with pterosaur-like black shadows circling between the treetops; to the south, it seemed a volcano ready to erupt at any moment, orange-red lava flowing along stone gullies onto its bronze-colored arms. That magma dripped between its fingers, falling into the sea and instantly evaporating into hundred-meter-high steam pillars.

A hundred-meter-tall giant, standing like a pillar holding up the sky—such colossal monsters are exceedingly rare even across all dimensions of GX.

【NO. 6 Ancient Heritage · Atlantic Continent Giant, ATK 2600】

"Whoa, huge!"

Even the well-traveled and knowledgeable Shidai classmates were stunned.

Judging by appearance alone, it looks like it could rival a god, possibly even larger.

But this is also a feature of the ZEXAL dimension—giant monsters are more numerous here than in other eras, and the Atlantic Continent Giant isn't even the largest.

"Atlantic Continent Giant's effect activates! When this card is successfully Xyz Summoned, you can equip one 'NO.' monster from your graveyard as an Equip Card to the Atlantic Continent Giant!"

"I equip 'NO. 33 Ancient Heritage · Superweapon Psychic Energy' from my graveyard to the Atlantic Continent Giant!"

The fallen sky-city reappeared, but this time it quickly shrank upon appearing in midair, becoming miniature, and was sucked into the hollow reserved in the Atlantic Continent Giant's waist and abdomen.

"After absorbing the equipped monster, the Atlantic Continent Giant's ATK increases by that equipped monster's ATK!"

【NO. 6 Ancient Heritage · Atlantic Continent Giant, ATK 2600 → ATK 5000】

Shidai gasped: "ATK five thousand, impressive."

"The true power of the Atlantic Continent Giant is only just beginning to show."

III again displayed his toy-like pride in showing off. But as he was about to continue his boastful explanation, he suddenly froze.

Because he noticed the opponent seemed to be smiling?

Yes, Fujiki You Xuan was smiling. And it was the kind of expression trying to say "I've had professional training, I won't laugh," but he couldn't help it—it was just too funny, and he was barely holding back.

When the opponent smiled, III felt something was off. He cautiously asked: "What's so funny?"

"Sorry." Fujiki You Xuan laughed, "Just suddenly felt, you duelists in this dimension are really... how to put it?... in sync."

"In sync?" III became even more bewildered.

"Am I syncing with you? Where?"

He naturally didn't understand Fujiki You Xuan's meaning.

Everyone builds their deck around their ace card, meaning the duel's course is almost entirely controllable. In the Xyz Dimension, each person's duel can be seen as formulaic—perhaps the lower-level cards used to summon the ace vary each time, but the final ace that enters the field to clash is fixed.

For example, III: his duel will definitely start by summoning "Superweapon Psychic Energy," and if that fails, he'll follow up with the Atlantic Continent Giant. In ZEXAL, every person's duel follows a similar pattern, and this isn't limited to minor characters with few appearances—even the main character Ninety-Nine Yuuma, who appears in the most duels throughout the series, almost always brings out Hope, and if he can't win, he upgrades, and if that still fails, he activates a cheat fusion to materialize a printed equip card, a one-hit 999 desperate comeback.

That's why saying it's just a card game is misleading—ZEXAL is more like a hot-blooded battle anime. Yuuma's Hope deck gives the feeling of a new-era Kamen Rider: basic form takes a hit, if he can't win he uses power-up items, if still not enough he uses power-up forms, if still not enough he transforms into ultimate form—anyway, as long as the numbers go up, he can always cut down the opponent.

But precisely because of this, many people's duels in this dimension are much easier to predict.

"Atlantic Continent Giant, I've been waiting for it to appear." Fujiki You Xuan smiled.

III: "!"

He knew from the start he would summon the Atlantic Continent Giant? But how could that be?

"Activate Set Card, Continuous Trap 'Inside Fog'!" Fujiki You Xuan snapped his fingers, "This card, when the opponent has a monster specially summoned on their field, can gain control of that monster!" (Original card)

In the ZEXAL dimension's anime cards, early on Yuuma's classmate Tokunosuke used this to steal Yuuma's NO. monsters. GX's world originally didn't have this card, and similarly, it was only recently developed with the connection of the two worlds.

III's face drastically changed: "You want to gain control of my Atlantic Continent Giant!?"

"Of course." Fujiki You Xuan curled his finger, "This looks like your soul, your most important monster, right?"

Saying this, he laughed even more brightly.

"Just leave it to me."

And so, the Atlantic Continent Giant, which had just landed and hadn't yet steadied itself, with its ATK now at five thousand, immediately turned around and arrived on Fujiki You Xuan's field.

Oh right, and it's even buy-one-get-one-free. III's other ace, the "Superweapon Psychic Energy" equipped to the Atlantic Continent Giant, counts as being stolen along with it.

III was nearly petrified.

Atlantic Continent Giant, his trump card tucked away, his soul's Atlantic Continent Giant, originally entrusted with a one-shot reversal.

Just like that

He maintained a broken-like expression for several seconds.

Until Fujiki You Xuan tilted his head: "Huh? No Atlantic Continent Giant means you can't duel, so it looks like you're conceding?"

"Concede?"

At this moment, III's face twitched once, as if he had just come to his senses after a massive blow.

"What the hell are you joking about."

He had made up his mind—no matter what, he had to win. He would not lose, would not give up.

After all, this isn't just about himself—he's fighting to reclaim his family. Even if it's bitter, even if it's exhausting, no matter how many difficulties arise

"Set one card, end turn." III said in a low voice. "Still haven't given up, so it seems that set card might still create an opportunity?"

Fujiki You Xuan narrowed his eyes and smiled.

"Well, the moment the Atlantic Continent Giant arrived, his combination was actually already complete."

"My turn, draw." Fujiki You Xuan said leisurely, "So then, let me immediately borrow the power of the Atlantic Continent Giant!"

"Atlantic Continent Giant's effect activates! Once per turn, remove one Xyz Material, halve the opponent's LP!" (Anime effect)

The real card still requires sending the equipped card on oneself to the graveyard, but the anime doesn't need that.

One Xyz Material directly halves the opponent's LP!

One orbiting Xyz Material was absorbed by the Atlantic Continent Giant, followed by countless meteors like a meteor shower dragging burning trails as they bombarded III.

"Ahhh—"

III's entire body was blasted into the air, spinning several times in midair before crashing heavily to the ground.

【III, LP3400 → LP1700】

"Damn it." III gritted his teeth.

His most beloved Yucheng Shidai giant, such a handsome debut first shot, actually blasted onto himself.

"Then activate the magic card 'Dark World Thunder'." Fujiki You Xuan revealed the second Dark World Thunder, "Destroy one set card on the field, then discard one hand card."

Fujiki You Xuan pointed to the opponent's back field.

Give me your trap.

III realized this was already a life-or-death moment.

This set card was his last line of defense; if it couldn't take effect, the next direct attack from the Yucheng Shidai giant would instantly kill him.

Defeated by his own Tama Shi's fist, even if he died, he probably couldn't die in peace.

"So chain Dark World Thunder activate set card, trap card 'Messenger of Peace'!" III shouted, "All battle damage I receive this turn becomes 0!"

A translucent energy shield appeared, like an eggshell protecting him in the middle.

"Too bad." Yucheng Shidai said, "If the trap takes effect, this turn's attack would be meaningless, Fujiki You Xuan almost just instantly killed him."

"No, look at his expression."

Yu Beier pursed his lips toward Fujiki You Xuan's direction.

"It's already over."

"Huh?"

Yucheng Shidai then noticed, it really seemed so.

Fujiki You Xuan's expression looked like his scheme had succeeded, watching the protagonist team walk into his trap, falling into eternal ruin, the great demon king's smug grin.

"The effect of Dark World Thunder, I discard one hand card." Fujiki You Xuan said, "I discard, 'Dark World's Mentor·Celuuri'."

"This card, when discarded from hand to graveyard by a card's effect, is specially summoned in defense position on the opponent's field."

【Dark World's Mentor·Celuuri, DEF 300】

III watched the mentor jump onto his own field, and a question mark unconsciously appeared on his forehead.

What does that mean?

You countered my Yucheng Shidai giant, so now you also return me a monster as a friendly gesture?

"The mentor's other effect is, if this card is successfully special summoned by the effect of 'Dark World', the opponent can choose one hand card to discard."

"Effect of Dark World."

III watched the mentor jump onto his own field, puzzled.

"It itself is a 'Dark World' card. So the meaning is you want to choose one hand card to discard?"

"Yes, now the mentor is on your field, so from your perspective 'opponent' refers to me, so I discard one hand card."

Fujiki You Xuan calmly discarded one hand card to the graveyard.

"And the hand card I just discarded is 'Disaster Image'."

"Disaster Image, when sent to the graveyard due to the opponent's card effect."

At the end of his rope, Fujiki You Xuan revealed a sunny yet dangerous smile.

"The opponent receives 2000 points of damage."

III: "."

The disaster magic image appeared in mid-air, turning into a golden afterimage, launching a final charge toward III.

【III, LP1700→LP0】