Chapter 1216: Blocking Strong Enemy

"Don't give up on dueling, Kaito!" Yuma called out.

Kaito slowly looked toward him: "Yuma..."

"Up until now, I've also been fighting while chasing your back!" Yuma clenched his fists. "Just because you are so strong, so invincible."

"Even if you don't think so yourself, you have always been the goal I chase and the model for my dueling!"

Kaito remained silent.

Astral pondered for a moment, then also said: "You are wrong, Kaito."

Kaito: "Astral?"

"Yuma initially fought with me to collect the Numbers; those were the fragments of my lost memory. But those were merely a collection of the past."

Astral said slowly.

"From Yuma's dueling, I have gained something even more important."

Kaito: "Something more important?"

"That is partners," Astral smiled slightly. "Partners with whom I've deepened bonds through dueling, through heart-to-heart dialogue. Kaito, you are one of them; to me, and to Yuma, you are also an important partner."

"Memories are things of the past, while partners possess the future. Opening up a brand-new future with one's own hands alongside partners—isn't that what we should be doing?"

Kaito: "."

Opening up the future... is it?

He gently closed his eyes.

Does someone like me have a future worth looking forward to?

"Partners... what a bunch of guys who like to talk to themselves. I don't remember when I became your partner."

Kaito said softly, then smiled slightly.

"Well, but there is one thing you might be right about. It seems I'm indeed not ready for retirement yet."

Yes, regardless of anything else, he was someone who possessed power and understood dueling. The world might need someone like him most in the time to come.

"My turn, draw!" A flash of sharpness crossed Kaito's eyes. "Activate Spell Card 'Despair Treasure'!

Draw three cards from the deck, then send all remaining cards in the deck to the Graveyard!!!" (Anime card)

Yuma was shocked: "All the cards in the deck!? Doesn't that mean there won't be a next turn?"

"It means he intends to decide the winner in this turn," Astral said.

"Then activate this card, Spell Card 'Dimension Fusion'!" Kaito said. "Pay 2000 Life Points, and both players can Special Summon as many monsters banished during this duel as possible!"

【Kaito, LP 2200 → LP 200】

Yuma: "Even his Life Points are down to 200!"

"Consuming both his deck and Life Points, a desperate final struggle, is it," Astral said.

Fujiki You Xuan: "I have 'Dragon Destruction Swordsman - Destruction Swordsman' banished, but this card cannot be Special Summoned without a Fusion Summon, so it cannot be summoned back to the field."

"Then, I summon 'Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon' back to the field!" Kaito said.

【Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, DEF 2500】

"But Galaxy-Eyes is a Dragon-Type," Fujiki You Xuan said. "Even if you call it back, it must still be in Defense Position and cannot activate monster effects. Furthermore, the Dragon Destruction Sword's ATK will increase by another 1000."

【Dragon Destruction Swordsman - Destruction Swordsman, ATK 3800】

"I know!" Kaito said. "Next, activate Spell Card 'Galaxy Expedition'!

If there is a Level 5 or higher monster with 'Photon' or 'Galaxy' in its name on my field, Special Summon a Level 5 or higher Galaxy or Photon monster from the deck in Defense Position!"

Kaito raised his hand.

"Special Summon 'Photon Emperor'!"

【Photon Emperor, DEF 2800】

"When Photon Emperor is used as an Xyz Material, it can be treated as two monsters!" (Anime effect)

Kaito shouted.

"Using Photon Emperor treated as two monsters, plus Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, overlay three Level 8 monsters! Three monsters construct the Overlay Network, Xyz Summon!

Surging galaxy, now transform into the light of raging waves and reveal your form! Descend! My soul—"

"—Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!!!"

【Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, ATK 4500】

"Oh, it appeared, the power Haruto gave Kaito, the strongest Galaxy-Eyes!" Yuma was excited, but immediately said, "Eh, wait, but Neo Galaxy-Eyes is also a Dragon-Type, even if it's summoned to the field, facing the Dragon Destruction Sword..."

"It won't be," Astral said. "Watch closely, Kaito's backrow."

Yuma looked closely and saw that Kaito's backrow had already activated a Trap Card at some point.

Continuous Trap - DNA Surgery. Declare a Type, and all monsters on the field become the declared Type.

"Right, right! As long as he declares that Neo Galaxy-Eyes becomes a Type other than Dragon, the Dragon Destruction Sword's restriction is invalidated!" Yuma's eyes were full of admiration. "As expected of Kaito!"

Fujiki You Xuan smiled: "Oh? You've regained your fighting spirit and are no longer lost?"

"Of course." A smile also appeared on the corner of Kaito's mouth. "Although I don't know what your purpose is, thanks anyway. My battle hasn't ended, and the evolution of Galaxy-Eyes and me hasn't stopped here either!"

"Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon's effect! When this card is successfully Xyz Summoned, the effects of all face-up cards on the field other than this card are negated!"

"Your Dragon Destruction Sword's effect is negated, and its ATK returns to its original value!"

【Dragon Destruction Swordsman - Destruction Swordsman, ATK 2800】

"Go, Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon! Attack 'Dragon Destruction Swordsman - Destruction Swordsman'!"

Several streams of light seemed to flow across Neo Galaxy-Eyes' entire body, gathering toward its mouth and transforming into several high-heat light orbs, like condensed supernovas.

"Activate set card," Fujiki You Xuan snapped his fingers. "Trap Card 'Blocking Strong Enemy'.

Can only be activated when the opponent declares an attack. Target 1 face-up monster on my field. During the turn this is activated, the opponent can only target the selected monster for attacks, and must attack the selected monster with all face-up Attack Position monsters."

Kaito frowned: "You only have the Dragon Destruction Swordsman on your field..."

"That's true, but this card can be activated when the opponent declares an attack, but the 'target 1 monster on my field' part is only chosen when the effect resolves," Fujiki You Xuan said.

Kaito's expression changed slightly: "What?"

"It means I can chain and activate a second card," Fujiki You Xuan said. "I activate Trap Card 'Destruction Sword Memories' from the Graveyard!"

Kaito: "Activate from the Graveyard!?"

"Correct, banish 'Destruction Sword Memories' from the Graveyard, then select Fusion Materials from the Graveyard, and by banishing those Fusion Material monsters from the Graveyard, perform a Fusion Summon for a Fusion Monster!"

This explanation made Kaito feel as if he couldn't understand it for a moment.

Activating from the Graveyard during the opponent's turn, fusing monsters from the Graveyard...

Every concept felt a bit abstract.

Can Fusion really be played with so many tricks?

"Therefore, I fuse 'Destruction Swordsman's Companion Dragon' and 'Destruction Swordsman' from the Graveyard once again!"

Fujiki You Xuan raised his arm high.

"Fusion Summon once again—"

"—Dragon Destruction Swordsman - Destruction Swordsman!"

【Dragon Destruction Swordsman - Destruction Swordsman, ATK 2800】

Kaito's face changed slightly: "A third Dragon Destruction Swordsman!?"

"Correct, and since this swordsman appeared later, it naturally wasn't negated by Neo Galaxy-Eyes," Fujiki You Xuan said. "And according to the effect of 'Blocking Strong Enemy', Neo Galaxy-Eyes is forced to attack this third Dragon Destruction Swordsman."

"And your 'DNA Surgery' on the field has already been negated by the effect of your own 'Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon' when it appeared, so Neo Galaxy-Eyes has also returned to being a Dragon-Type."

"But even so, I only have one Dragon-Type on my field!" Kaito said. "Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon is currently an Xyz Material on Neo Galaxy-Eyes. In the state of being an Xyz Material, it is not counted as a monster; it is neither on the field nor in the Graveyard, so your Dragon Destruction Swordsman cannot increase its ATK!"

【Dragon Destruction Swordsman - Destruction Swordsman, ATK 3800】

"I see, he even calculated that Xyz Materials don't count toward ATK," Astral said. "As expected of Kaito. Indeed, Galaxy-Eyes would be converted into the opponent's ATK whether it was on the field or in the Graveyard. But if it becomes an Xyz Material..."

"It seems you really have considered it seriously," Fujiki You Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly. "But what if I add this card?"

Kaito: "What?"

"Activate set card, Continuous Trap 'Cycle of Reincarnation'!" Fujiki You Xuan said. "This card allows me to declare a Type, and all cards in both players' Graveyards become the declared Type!"

"Nani!?"

Kaito's pupils contracted, and his heart trembled.

All cards in both Graveyards... this is bad!

"That's right, the 'Despair Treasure' you just activated seems to have sent all the monsters in your deck to the Graveyard, right?" Fujiki You Xuan smiled.

Kaito: "."

"Then the Type I declare is, of course, Dragon-Type!" Fujiki You Xuan said. "Alright, let's see what the Dragon Destruction Swordsman's ATK will become? It's truly something to look forward to."

【Dragon Destruction Swordsman - Destruction Swordsman, ATK 3800 → ATK 22800】

Twenty-two thousand eight hundred ATK!

The dragon-slaying sword slashed down, the tyrannical sword energy breaking through space, splitting the hot torrent formed by the several supernovas into two. The sword energy was like a rainbow, its momentum undiminished, and with a single strike, it slashed the peerlessly tyrannical Neo Galaxy-Eyes into two.

【Kaito, LP 200 → LP 0】 ===== CHAPTER 1217 =====