mesbooks Chapter 470 - 470: DSMW [470]
Chapter 470 - 470: DSMW [470]
"When you successfully Special Summon a monster, the Field Spell Card [Ursarctic Big Dipper] places 1 counter!"The fourth star along the Big Dipper's path lit up.
Although Miles Special Summoned both Stardust Dragon and Starving Venom Fusion Dragon in one go, because the summons were completed simultaneously through the effect of [Harmonic Synchro Fusion], only a single counter could be added.
"And the effect of [Ursarctic Septentrion]: when your opponent Special Summons a monster, I can add an Ursarctic card to my hand. I choose [Ursarctic Radiation]!"
Placing counters and searching cards in one smooth sequence, little Miles clearly didn't treat Miles like an outsider at all-handling his opponent's turn as if it were his own.
And since the other side wasn't treating him like an outsider, Miles naturally had no intention of holding back either.
"Battle!—Starving Venom Steel-Shattering Fang!"
Declaring battle, the Fusion Dragon—having absorbed the Attack of the giant white bear mech Septentrion—drove its purple-crimson, razor-sharp venom fangs straight through the pure white steel body.
The black Fusion Dragon, looming within the dark cosmic battlefield, unleashed an overwhelming burst of damage the moment it took the field, sending the experimental little Miles flying off the top of the battleship.
"Aaaaaaaaah!"
[Prototype Miles, LP: 3200 → 400]
With that, both sides' Life Points had once again dropped into a deadlock at critical levels.
Ren couldn't help but sigh. "As expected of a duel between Miles and Miles… neither side is giving an inch."
Viel sighed. "So there really wasn't even the slightest intention of holding back, huh? Sigh… and I'm still the one who has to fix things if he breaks."
Aisha: "Little Mr. Miles got sent flying… that must've hurt a lot."
"Hey, hey! I just took a full 3000 too!"
"But Mr. Miles, weren't you taking that hit using my body? Compared to me getting hurt, of course, I'd worry more about Mr. Miles's body getting injured!"
That's way too heavy! Miss Aisha, your love is a bit twisted!
Miles reminded her, "Still, I'd advise you not to get too emotionally involved in this duel."
After clashing with his own experimental subject for several turns, no one understood better than Miles himself.
Viel hadn't lied to him. This experimental body truly had only his dueling personality data input; nothing more, nothing less.
If one had to describe it, it was a cold, unfeeling card-playing machine.
The sensation was extremely similar to how Miles had felt back when he dueled the AI Duel King at Kaiba Entertainment Group.
"An existence like that is far too dangerous!"
Even without any narcissistic tendencies, Miles was well aware of his own dueling ability—he wouldn't lose to anyone.
On the Spirit Continent, where Duel Monsters ruled supreme, overwhelming dueling skill was like a blade held in one's hand.
And the experimental little Miles—imbued only with Miles's dueling personality—had not been joking when he spoke those words after destroying Viel's Magic Workshop.
"I will take every powerful card in this world and become the strongest Duel King of this world!"
He truly could do it.
What, you're saying Miles himself could do the same?
Even if the goal was the same, the means of reaching it mattered just as much.
When collecting powerful, rare cards, Miles would be constrained by the morals of being human: he would never harm others.
Every rare card Miles had obtained so far had never violated his own moral standards; even when it came to Shadow Games, they were always initiated by opponents who were courting death themselves.
However, the experimental little Miles—driven purely by dueling personality—was different.
Great dueling strength was equivalent to an incomparably sharp blade. And yet, this blade currently lacked a sheath to restrain it.
Destroying Viel's Magic Workshop the moment it was born, if this thing were allowed to run wild, who knew what it would do next?
"I'll be the one to defeat it! Charge, Stardust Dragon!"
Declaring an additional direct attack, Stardust Dragon spread its wings through the cosmic battlefield, its raised head gathering stardust energy.
"—Meteor Sonic Burst!"
"—Trap Card activated, [Grave Robber]!"
Faced with Stardust Dragon's potentially lethal Meteor Sonic Burst, the prototype little Miles flipped open a Trap Card that everyone knew all too well.
Krista's eye twitched. "If it really is Miles's dueling personality… then running that card makes perfect sense."
The grave-robbing fiend slipped into Miles's Graveyard, stealthily stealing a card and baring a wicked grin as it flipped the stolen card face-up.
Trap Card [Numbers Protection].
"I copy the effect of [Numbers Protection] in your Graveyard—negate this direct attack, and then I draw one card from my Deck!"
The Trap Miles had Set on the very first turn—[Numbers Protection], which had been blown up by [Ursarctic Megapolar] before he could even use it—now became the experimental Miles's lifeline.
The opened gate absorbed the meteor impact, transforming its light into a brand-new draw.
If [Numbers Protection] drew a monster that could be Normal Summoned, it could be immediately Summoned to little Miles's field.
After glancing at the drawn card, little Miles's eyes flickered slightly before he added it to his hand.
"The card I drew can't be Normal Summoned."
When the drawn card couldn't be Summoned, [Numbers Protection] didn't require it to be revealed.
Ending the Battle Phase, Miles slammed two more cards down onto the battleship's bridge.
"I Set two cards and end my turn!"
The moment the turn ended, the Attack Starving Venom Fusion Dragon had absorbed returned to its original 2800.
Although both sides were left with very little Life Points, compared to little Miles's empty field, Miles still held the advantage with Stardust Dragon and his Fusion Dragon standing side by side.
"My turn—draw!"
Drawing his card, little Miles activated the search effect of [Ursarctic Septentrion] from the previous turn right away.
The giant white bear mech had already been smashed by Starving Venom, and this card was its legacy.
"—Continuous Spell Card [Ursarctic Radiation], activate!"
[When this card is activated, place 7 counters on it.]
Compared to the Field Spell, which required counters to be built up over time, the Continuous Spell placed all seven counters on itself the moment it was activated.
Little Miles explained, "As long as [Ursarctic Radiation] remains on the field, whenever an Ursarctic monster is Special Summoned from my hand or Extra Deck, I can remove 1 counter to draw one card!"
"One counter for one draw?!" Miles exclaimed in shock.
After all, this card placed seven counters the instant it was activated. Removing all of them meant drawing up to seven cards.
A potential 1-for-7 draw engine—forget Pot of Greed, it was practically on par with the Three Sacred Treasures (PoG, Graceful "C", and Painful "C").
"The battle is only just beginning. I activate the effect of the Spell Card [Ursarctic Departure] from my Graveyard!"
[If you would Tribute a monster to activate the effect of an Ursarctic monster, you can banish this card from your Graveyard instead. You cannot use this effect during the turn this card is sent to the Graveyard.]
"I banish [Ursarctic Departure] as a substitute, and Special Summon [Ursarctic Mikbilis] from my hand!"
[Ursarctic Mikbilis] Level 7│WATER│Beast│700 ATK
[During either player's Main Phase: You can Tribute one Level 7 or higher monster from your hand, except this card; Special Summon this card from your hand.]
With arm-mounted light saws, the mechanized Mikbilis materialized onto the field.
"Then I activate the effect of [Ursarctic Mikbilis]!"
[This effect can only be activated if this card is Special Summoned. Special Summon one "Ursarctic" monster from your hand, except "Ursarctic Mikbilis".]
"I Special Summon [Ursarctic Megabilis] from my hand!"
[Ursarctic Megabilis] Level 8│WATER│Beast-Warrior│2800 ATK
The massive Megabilis, its thick gray arms fitted with sleek golden blade claws, stomped heavily onto the battleship.
At last, Miles could clearly see it—every large bear was a Level 8 Tuner, with even heavier mechanization, serving as the core of the mech's transformations.
"When Megabilis is successfully Special Summoned, I can banish one monster from your Graveyard! I banish [Mokey Mokey]!"
Aisha: "(っ°Д°;)っ You actually banished Mokey Mokey!"
There were clearly many other monsters in Miles's Graveyard that could have been banished, yet little Miles deliberately targeted the completely non-combat-capable tofu block.
This was the first time Miles had ever encountered an opponent who would go out of their way to target Mokey Mokey.
For no other reason than this: this was Miles's dueling personality.
Ren bit down on her thumb and said gravely, "So only Miles himself truly understands how important Mokey Mokey is!"
At the same time, after consecutively Special Summoning two Ursarctic monsters from his hand, the experimental little Miles drew two cards in succession due to the effect of the Continuous Spell Card [Ursarctic Radiation].
And with those two Special Summons, the counters representing the Big Dipper constellation on the field battleship also lit up to six stars.
"This makes the seventh time!" Little Miles swept his arm and declared, "I send Mikbilis and Megabilis to the Graveyard, and Special Summon a Level 1 Synchro from my Extra Deck—[Ursarctic Polari]!"
[Ursarctic Polari, DEF: 1000]
The doll-like Level 1 Synchro Monster was Special Summoned to the field once again by little Miles. Along with it, the Big Dipper constellation aboard the steel warship was fully illuminated.
"The final effect of the Field Spell Card [Ursarctic Big Dipper]! When a monster is Special Summoned, I can remove 7 or more counters to take control of one monster your opponent controls!"
The starlight of the Big Dipper warship surged in the direction little Miles pointed, all of it pouring into the body of Starving Venom Fusion Dragon.
Control shifted, and the jet-black Fusion Dragon now stood on little Miles's field.
Miles couldn't help but complain, "Your steel battleship looks all serious and proper, but it turns out it's actually a NTR battleship?!"
Compared to Stardust Dragon, the most threatening monster on little Miles's field was unquestionably [Starving Venom Fusion Dragon], whose death effect could destroy all Special Summoned monsters and deal damage equal to their total Attack.
Anyone with eyes could see it—little Miles's Ursarctic deck relied entirely on Special Summons. If Starving Venom Fusion Dragon were to detonate, the result would be utterly catastrophic.
"But now there's no need to worry. Starving Venom Fusion Dragon is my monster now."
Although Starving Venom Fusion Dragon's 2800 Attack was more than enough to defeat Stardust Dragon's 2500 Attack and wipe out the remaining 200 Life Points, the experimental little Miles's dueling style was clear; He would never ignore the two face-down cards in Miles's back row.
"Using the effect of [Ursarctic Polari], in conjunction with the Field Spell [Ursarctic Big Dipper], I banish Megabilis from my Graveyard as a substitute, and Special Summon [Ursarctic Megapolar] from my Graveyard!"
The white bear mech wielding a heavy hammer returned to the field—and if Miles remembered correctly, this was the very card that had smashed his [Numbers Protection].
"When Megapolar is Special Summoned, if another Ursarctic monster is on the field, I can destroy one Spell or Trap you control!—Glacial Heavy Hammer!"
Targeting the rightmost face-down card on Miles's field, the frozen hammer came crashing down.
"Before it's destroyed, I chain my Set card!"
Rather than letting it be destroyed for nothing, Miles flipped the card face-up.
"—Quick-Play Spell Card [Meteor Sonic Burst], activate!"
[Target one "Stardust" Synchro Monster you control. For the rest of this turn, when that monster battles an opponent's monster, at the start of the Damage Step, return that opponent's monster to the Deck.]
A brilliant meteor-like radiance wrapped around the dragon's body. The Quick-Play Spell, sharing its name with Stardust Dragon's attack, granted Stardust Dragon the ability to bounce opposing monsters back into the Deck whenever it battled this turn.
If the experimental little Miles had attacked immediately with the stolen [Starving Venom Fusion Dragon], it would have been inevitably sent back to the Deck by Meteor Sonic Burst.
Of course, the current situation was much the same. Although little Miles attempted to snipe the back row, [Meteor Sonic Burst] still resolved successfully.
For this turn, Stardust Dragon effectively declared itself invincible in battle.
Krista couldn't help but praise, "As expected of Stardust Dragon—still as reliable as ever!"
"Then I'll just make sure you don't even reach the Battle Phase!"
Standing atop the battleship, little Miles once again activated a new Ursarctic combat-mode transformation.
This time, it wasn't an anti-Xyz weapon targeting monsters without Levels, but a different combat mode—another steel mech.
"I send the Level 1 Synchro [Ursarctic Polari] and the Level 8 Tuner Megapolar to the Graveyard—an extreme-cold Synchro Summon!"
8★ − 1★ = 7★
"Let the icy aurora scythe cut down everything—Final Battle Mode II, transform! [Ursarctic Grand Chariot]!"
[Ursarctic Grand Chariot] Level 7│WATER│Beast-Warrior│2700 ATK
A humanoid black combat-mode mech, wielding a massive mechanical scythe glowing with polar light, charged into the battleship's field.
"Take this—the effect of [Ursarctic Grand Chariot]!"
[When this card is Special Summoned: Target up to 2 other cards on the field; destroy them.]
At this point, only two cards remained on Miles's field—his face-down card and Stardust Dragon—and both were within Grand Chariot's destruction range.
"—Destroy them all! Aurora Grand Scythe!"
"I won't let you! I activate Stardust Dragon's effect—Tribute this card until the end of the turn to negate and destroy that destruction effect!"
Its brilliant wings spread wide, forming a radiant sacrificial sanctuary across the cosmos. Stardust Dragon's protective effect collided head-on with Grand Chariot's destruction.
"That won't work, Miles!" Ren shouted anxiously. "Even if you block the destruction with Stardust Dragon, Stardust Dragon itself gets Tributed!"
Losing Stardust Dragon at this moment would leave Miles's field empty—unable to stand against the Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, whose control had been stolen by the Big Dipper battleship.
"I'll cover the cost of that Tribute with this card!"
A card shot out from Miles's Graveyard.
The second effect of the Quick-Play Spell [Meteor Sonic Burst].
[If a "Stardust" Synchro Monster you control would Tribute itself to activate its effect, you can banish this card from your Graveyard instead.]
"As a substitute for Stardust Dragon's self-Tribute, I banish [Meteor Sonic Burst] from my Graveyard!"
Using Meteor Sonic Burst's banish effect as a replacement meant that Stardust Dragon, which had deployed its sacrificial sanctuary to counter Ursarctic Grand Chariot's destruction, remained on the field.
"Then I chain another Quick-Play Spell—[Forbidden Dress]!"
[Target one face-up monster on the field. Until the End Phase, that monster loses 600 ATK, cannot be targeted by card effects, and cannot be destroyed by card effects.]
"I reduce [Ursarctic Grand Chariot]'s Attack by 600 and grant it immunity to effect destruction!"
[Ursarctic Grand Chariot, ATK: 2700 → 2100]
The clash between the polar scythe and stardust ended with both monsters still standing.
Naturally, that outcome favored Miles.
Unable to destroy Stardust Dragon by effects, and with Meteor Sonic Burst still in play for battle, little Miles had no way to break through Stardust Dragon in the Battle Phase.
"This ends here! I won't lose to myself!"
Losing to a cold, unfeeling card-playing machine that possessed only his dueling personality—just as Miles had said at the very start—would be a blow to his dignity as a Duelist.
"Ends here?" Under the star-bright cosmos, the experimental Miles's body was illuminated. "I feel like the final battle has only just begun."
"Only just begun?"
Revealing his face-down card, little Miles showed the card he had drawn earlier using [Numbers Protection].
The card he claimed couldn't be Normal Summoned was, in fact, a Level 1 monster.
[Drytron Alpha Thuban]
"At the very start of the duel, I used the effect of [Ursarctic Departure] and sent one card from my hand to the Graveyard. That card was [Drytron Gamma Eltanin]!"
With both Duelists clinging to Life Points that could vanish at the slightest touch, the final chapter of this cosmic war unfolded; The light of Draco constellation replaced the awakening of the polar bears.
The truth behind the deck the experimental little Miles had obtained was finally revealed—the autonomous dragon-type weapons active across the cosmos!
...
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