The final day of the exchange study tournament—the Turbo Duel Championship.
Because the three academies had, for the first time in history, reached a perfect tie with not a single point separating them, the final day's showdown burned with unprecedented intensity.
Synchron Academy was packed to the brim, as if it had returned to the peak days before the magic stone crisis.
Everyone wanted to witness firsthand the moment when top Duelists, after fierce battles, finally reached the end. With all three academies neck and neck, who would be the last one standing?
"Wow, it's been so long since I've seen this many spectators. How exciting!" Lost shaded his forehead with his hand as he spun around, surveying the crowd.
"You're the last person who should be excited, Lost," Krista retorted. "You already lost. What are you even excited about?"
"So harsh! Krista, why have you become so sharp-tongued lately? Like a girl who just entered her moody secret-crush phase. Don't tell me something happened between you and Aisha Carlos?"
"Nothing happened! And you're not allowed to talk about it!" Furious, Krista wound up and kicked Lost in the shin.
The impact felt as if Shooting Quasar Dragon had tackled him—Lost collapsed to the ground, rolling in pain.
It was precisely because nothing had happened that Krista was so irritated.
Compared to Aisha, who could spend time with Miles every day, and Ren and the others from Fusion Academy, who always surrounded her…
Krista, a student of Synchron Academy, had become a complete outsider once all the trouble was resolved.
Even if she wanted to find an excuse to approach them, Krista couldn't think of a single legitimate reason.
Especially now, when the Tri-Academy War had entered its tensest phase—contacting them openly was out of the question.
"If you want to see him, just go," Aoyao said, curled up in the corner of her seat as if seeing through everything. "It's not like you're star‑crossed lovers who can only meet once a year. Why restrict yourself?"
"Guhhh!" Krista's cheeks flushed as she was completely exposed. "Even if I want to… right now is just… not the time."
Even from afar, she could feel the heavy tension surrounding Fusion Academy.
It truly wasn't the right time.
The reason was obvious—Ecclesia, one of Fusion Academy's only two remaining duelists, was unable to participate because of her physical condition.
As a result, even at the moment the final match was supposed to begin, Fusion Academy still hadn't submitted their player list.
Therefore, seeing this, Krista—just a Synchron Academy student—could do nothing.
"By the way, Aoyao, didn't you get hurt yesterday too? Are you alright?"
Yesterday, while saving Ecclesia, who collapsed mid‑ride, Aoyao had been dragged off her D‑Wheel as well. The scene had practically looked like a traffic accident.
"Just scrapes. It won't affect today's duel. Don't worry, Krista."
Though she said so, Aoyao's fall had been fairly severe. Her shins and knees still showed heavy bruising.
"Fusion Academy is the one in serious trouble. They might even be forced to forfeit."
Aoyao noticed that Ecclesia, the one she saved yesterday, hadn't appeared today. That likely meant her condition was so bad she couldn't even show up, let alone duel.
And since this was an away match, Fusion Academy didn't even have reserve duelists.
"Fusion Academy, your time is almost up."
The host, Takehiko, stood in Fusion Academy's preparation zone, waiting for their final lineup.
Even as a Synchron Academy teacher, he was willing to wait until the very last moment. He didn't want Fusion Academy's last day to end with a forfeit due to missing a duelist.
And as the host, he knew the crowd—gathered for the joy of dueling—wanted to see a battle among all three academies, blooming into a glorious, hard‑fought finale.
"Teacher—Mr. Izumi—please wait just a little longer," Aisha requested.
"A little longer?" Takehiko sighed softly. "Well… since it's you asking, I suppose I have to agree."
Even ignoring her status as a Republic Knight, as a teacher, he still hoped to recruit Aisha—the genius capable of Overlimit Accel Synchro.
What he didn't understand was what Fusion Academy's group was waiting for.
Everyone stood with serious expressions, silent and tense. The atmosphere was so heavy that even Takehiko didn't dare ask.
Fine… wait, then.
As long as he returned to the commentary booth five minutes before the duel began, he'd make it in time.
"Fusion Academy won't lose by default… right?"
Even XYZ Academy was worried.
Burning to avenge their loss at last year's Spirit Sanctuary Ranking War, XYZ Academy's determination for revenge was intense.
Nevertheless, as proud Duelists, none of them wanted the battle to end anticlimactically.
"If they're still holding on, maybe they still have a trump card," Lloyd guessed. "Right, Oga Slint?"
"Whether they do or don't, my job is simply to win my duel."
"So cold… Oga, you really lack a Duelist's passion."
Their teammate, Korys, arms akimbo, suddenly twitched her ears.
"Wait… did you hear something?"
"A sound?" Leon asked.
"Yeah… a humming noise. Like an engine starting up."
Korys listened carefully and followed the sound upward.
"It's coming from the sky… Wait—WHAT IS THAT!?"
Korys screamed, entirely abandoning her cute‑girl composure. The sight in the sky was so overwhelming that she couldn't even begin to describe it.
Others soon noticed it too.
A massive "Blue‑Eyes White Dragon," accompanied by thunderous engine noise, flew directly over the Duel Arena.
"The legendary Blue‑Eyes White Dragon?"
If it were the real monster, then its size and strange proportions would classify it as a mutant—perhaps not even an actual subspecies.
Finally, someone knowledgeable shouted the answer.
"That's the legendary Seth family's Blue‑Eyes White Dragon Airship!"
It wasn't a monster summoned into reality, but an airship constructed through the Seth family's overwhelming wealth.
For reasons better left unspoken, the entire airship had been remodeled to resemble the iconic Blue‑Eyes.
"He finally came!"
Miles was so excited he immediately triggered the Millennium Puzzle, swapping places with Aisha.
"To make that dramatic of an entrance… yeah, that's exactly what I'd expect from him!"
Fusion Academy's hidden fifth duelist—the one carrying the final hope of breaking the "Fusion curse"—Kevin, atop his personal D‑Wheel, stood in the airship's deployment bay.
"Lord Kevin, wind direction and landing zone calibrated. Opening the hatch now," the operators reported.
"Open it!"
"Yes, sir!"
As the hatch at the base of the airship opened, a pitch‑black D‑Wheel shot out—plunging straight from mid‑air.
"Wait! Kevin, is he insane?!" Miles shouted.
He had expected Kevin's entrance to be flashy, but this exceeded anything imaginable.
If this weren't a world with magic, this would've been a suicide attempt.
But with magic—everything changed.
Above the Blue‑Eyes Airship, dozens of magicians chanted in unison, weaving a glowing mana runway that curved downward from the sky.
And Kevin—before everyone's shocked eyes—raced down the airborne runway, landing directly in Fusion Academy's preparation zone.
A perfect, overwhelming entrance.
"Sorry, I'm a bit late."
"No, you're right on time, Kevin!" Miles signaled to Takehiko, who had been waiting the whole time. "Teacher, this is our final Fusion Academy duelist. Please register him!"
The Fusion group, who had almost given up on winning the championship last night, unexpectedly received word that Kevin had recovered early.
So Fusion Academy placed their last hope entirely on Kevin, waiting in silence for the fifth member's return.
"You're incredible, Miles." With just a single exchanged line, Kevin at once recognized Miles' current soul-swap state. "Even all the way in Livorden, I've heard about what you've done."
With Fusion Academy's information network, it had already spread everywhere—Aisha Carlos' dazzling feat of saving the Axet Republic.
"Who would've thought an exchange program would lead you to such absurd achievements? As expected of my eternal rival!"
"But if you hadn't come, no matter how big the achievements, the story wouldn't end perfectly," Miles said with relief. "Kevin, with you here, we finally have a chance to win!"
"Leave it to me!"
Fusion Academy's final lineup for the decisive battle: Kevin Seth and Aisha Carlos (Miles).
The rival pair, united once more, prepared to create Fusion Academy's first-ever miracle in a Turbo Duel.
All they needed was to win both duels today.
Takehiko: "Thank you for waiting, everyone! The final showdown of the Tri-Academy Turbo Duel Tournament begins now!"
"OHHHHHHH!!"
"I've been waiting for this!"
"What was that earlier… was that supposed to be an opening performance?!"
The already heated arena was driven even higher thanks to Kevin's absurdly dramatic entrance, which made Takehiko's job as host much easier.
All he needed was a single line to ignite the audience completely.
"I have it now! The lineup for the first Turbo Duel of the day!"
After Fusion Academy registered their final duelist, the battle order was automatically arranged by the system to ensure fairness.
"The first match of today's finals! XYZ Academy vs. Fusion Academy!"
The match order seemed like destiny, drawing together people with similar burdens.
"Oga Slint vs. Kevin Seth!"
The moment the first match was announced, it dropped a massive bomb on Fusion Academy.
In the end, it was just as Miles had feared—the unavoidable battle against a God.
Kevin, who'd parachuted in for the finals, was not only fighting first, but immediately facing the hardest, hell-level opponent.
"Oga Slint… someone from the Slint family?"
Kevin's eyes sharpened. In shared misfortune, Kevin had known of Oga Slint for a long time.
Though "known" only referred to the predicament of Oga's family.
Kevin was likely the only person present who didn't know he was about to face the Divine Serpent Geh—the monster with infinite Attack.
And because Kevin had arrived so last-minute, there had been no time to brief him or strategize how to deal with the infinite Attack.
The only method Miles could think of was the one originally prepared for Ecclesia.
The key to the Obelisk Tower, sealing the power of Obelisk the Tormentor.
But Kevin wasn't a Millennium Item holder, nor a Saint, nor a Tower Warden.
Without the God Cards awakening, summoning Obelisk the Tormentor during a duel was nearly impossible.
Even so, Miles still presented the key he'd regained from Lishia.
"Take this with you, Kevin."
"Hm? What's this?"
"You might need it during the duel. A key that seals a God Card."
"A key… that seals a God Card…"
From Miles' wording, Kevin could roughly infer the meaning—he was someone who devoted his life to dueling, after all.
As he restarted his pitch-black D-Wheel, engine rumbling, Kevin smiled.
"God Cards are undeniably tempting to Duelists… but they're not meant for me."
Kevin did not take the Obelisk key.
"After losing to the Wicked Gods, I understood one thing… things like Gods don't suit me. Or rather, I'm just an ordinary human… someone furthest from the divine."
"Kevin?"
"Heh, relax, Miles. I have my own way of fighting. Even if a God stands in front of me, it won't stop me! Don't forget—the one I ultimately want to defeat… is YOU!"
The Duelist with the most God Cards was undeniably Miles.
And as Miles' destined rival, Kevin's final goal was to defeat him—so he would never fear the power of Gods.
"Watch closely. I'll defeat a God with my own hands!"
Leaving behind overwhelming confidence and a declaration of victory, Kevin accelerated onto the track.
A mortal, with mortal cards, challenging an infinite being.
Final Day-Match One!
Kevin vs. Oga-the explosive clash of Black Dragon and Divine Serpent begins!
...
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