Duels should be played with a smile.

"Leave it to me, Yugi-san, Judai-san."

A calm and reassuring voice came from Yusei. The two, who had just come out of their thoughts, met Yusei's gaze, which was not confused at all, but full of confidence.

"Let me bring this duel to a close."

"..."

"Well then... good luck!"

"Well, just watch closely! The real battle is about to begin!"

With a sharp look in his eyes, Yusei's demeanor suddenly changed, becoming somewhat cold.

"I activate the Spell Card [Synchro Release]!"

"Target Junkbreaker, return him to the Extra Deck, and Special Summon his Synchro Materials!"

Similar to a Fusion Release card, Yusei activated it, and the Curator and Junk Synchron returned to the battlefield.

But having already linked and summoned the water machine, what exactly does Yusei want to do now? It can't be a superior summon, can it?

Mr. Phantom Thief remembers very clearly that Synchro Monsters are not very good at high-damage attacks. If Phantom God can fool Yusei, then a low-power monster with 100,000 attack power is actually somewhat useful.

At the very least, we won't get completely crushed.

While still pondering what Yusei was thinking, the next second, Mr. Phantom Thief felt his blood pressure rise instantly.

Synchro Monsters are indeed not good at high-damage attacks. Most Synchro Monsters can only falter when facing the 100,000 ATK of the Phantom God.

However, it's fine as long as we don't use Synchro Monsters.

Mr. Phantom Thief now understands why Yusei didn't summon the Junk Speedster and the Hundred-Headed Dragon before.

"Reappear! Guide the circuit of hope!"

The loop reappeared, and this time, one person closed their eyes, while the other three's eyes were filled with hope.

"The summoning condition is 3 or more Effect Monsters. Arrow confirmed! I've set arrows for Jet Synchron, Inherited Fiber, and Junk Synchron on the field!"

"The gathered radiance will shatter all obstacles, my cleaving wind will pierce through the closed world! Link Summon! Appear! Link 4, [Bayonet Barrel Dragon]!"

[Dark Link 4 Dragon Clan Attack Power 3000 Arrows ↑←↙↓]

The powerful monster that had slain countless enemies at the hands of the Phantom Thief has now appeared on the other side.

"This monster...maybe it can work!"

Although they couldn't see the information about the opponent's monsters, they could freely view their own monsters. Upon seeing the effect of the Bayonet Gunner, both Yugi and Jaden were instantly excited.

"Yusei! Your strength is truly impressive!"

"That's right, Yusei, as long as we have this monster, we can just fight it and win!"

Seeing the two somewhat excited people, Yusei shook his head slightly.

"The monster on the other side may be hiding a very powerful effect, so we need to be fully prepared before attacking."

"We may not have another round, so let's put an end to this duel in this round!"

"You're right, then we look forward to your performance!"

The matter of the attack has been resolved, so the next step is to show the glory that belongs to the same group!

Unlike Fusion, which has a simple and straightforward effect, Link, which allows for easy and convenient summoning, and Xyz, which has incredibly powerful endpoints, Synchro Monsters have their own unique characteristics. Because most powerful Synchro endpoints are difficult to summon, they are still alive while still having powerful effects—unlike Xyz, where a whole bunch of them are locked up in a dark room.

Fun fact: The number of Fusion Monsters and Synchro Monsters in the Dark Room is doubled to equal the number of Xyz Monsters.

As for the links themselves, not to mention the war criminals, the number of scapegoats who were killed by the links is countless.

"One or more Tuner monsters plus one or more non-Tuner monsters!"

"I will adjust the star rating of the LV3 armed forces to that of the LV5 staff!"

"Heroic dragon, unleash those ferocious fangs as bullets! Synchro Summon! Appear, LV8! [Loading Barrel Savage Dragon]!"

[Dark 8-Star · Dragon · Attack 3000 · Defense 2500]

The versatile and powerful Savage Dragon, which frequently appears in both Synchro and non-Synchro decks, has appeared at Yusei's call.

"The effect of [Loading Barrel Ferocious Dragon] can only be activated if this card is Synchro Summoned. Equip 1 Link Monster from your Graveyard to this card as an Equip Card, and place Barrel Counters equal to the number of Link Markers on this card."

"I'll equip it with the inherited fiberglass from the graveyard as an Equip Card!"

"Now, everything is ready, except for that one last step!"

Chapter 117 She and Him

"Hey? Aren't you done over there yet? Seahorse's almost done with the nonsense, we're about to get to the main event."

"Almost there, almost done."

"Are you getting beaten up right now?"

"How can you say that the duel was a complete rout? It's more accurate to say that I'm currently at a severe disadvantage, like a candle flickering in the wind. As soon as it's my turn, I can make a lucky draw and immediately turn the tide, becoming a true powerhouse who can defeat three opponents at once!"

"Then I can only wish you good luck and get it over with quickly, I have some other things to do."

"Hmm? What could be wrong on your end?"

"Hmm... I did put the virtual world inside your body, and then for some complicated reasons, that big oaf in the cyber world is itching for a beating again, and I need to deal with him..."

"It's nothing major. Anyway, that guy always uses the same trick: he acts like a big monster and then I beat him up in a variety of ways. I guess this time I'm just going through the motions to teach him a lesson... It just so happens that I've developed a new power this time. Although it's not very strong, it's quite suitable for dealing with him."

"Okay, I'll be back as soon as possible."

After hanging up with Philvo, Mr. Thief was quite certain that he would be able to leave this place soon.

The more he looked, the more he felt that Yusei on the other side knew the true nature of the Dreamy Void God.

With Bayonet, a master of finishing off enemies, and White Barrel, a powerful three-cost monster, on the field, Yusei still did not launch an attack on the Phantom God.

He was still telling stories.

That attitude of not being prepared to take any action without being fully prepared was far too cautious.

It felt so stable... as if I had lost something before.

His demeanor seemed to have subtly changed, making him seem somewhat unfamiliar to both the game and Jaden.

There was also a strange sense of familiarity.

That's a feeling that only people who have experienced certain things can understand.

"The effect of [Jet Synchron] in the Graveyard: Discard 1 card from your hand and Special Summon it to the field. When this card Special Summoned by this effect leaves the field, it is banished."

A 1-star Tuner monster has reappeared, but it's clear that Yusei can't use a terminal-level white barrel for Synchro Summoning.

So the key is actually the card he threw out using this effect.

"The effect of [Stardust Synchron] in the Graveyard: Once per turn, if this card is in your hand or Graveyard, Tribute 1 monster you control to Special Summon this card."

"I will release the Jet Synchron on the field."

A burst of starlight flashed, and Stardust Synchron, which resembled the juvenile form of Stardust Dragon but was actually a Machine-type, came to the field from the graveyard with the help of Jet Synchron.

[Light - 4-Star - Machine Race - Adjusted - Attack 1500 - Defense 1000]

"After this effect is activated, until the end of the turn, the monsters I can Special Summon from the Extra Deck can only be Synchro Monsters."

The standard self-restraint was a form of synchronized self-restraint, but this self-restraint had little effect after the introduction of bayonets.

"Then, another effect of Stardust Synchron is activated! When a Summon or Special Summon is successfully performed, I can search for 1 Spell/Trap Card with the name [Stardust Dragon] and add it to my hand."

"I'm adding 'Miracle of Light' to my hand!"

The Stardust Synchron bears the name of Stardust and also shoulders the mission of guiding Stardust. It spreads its wings and gently flaps them, dropping specks of starlight. The starlight falls into Yusei's hands and transforms into the miracle that once saved Yusei.

The light of salvation will bring miracles, but whether one can grasp it requires sufficient awareness.

This realization... is something I really don't want to think about.

"So...even in different times and spaces...Autumn..."

Perhaps it was fate, but ever since then, this card, which was so heavy for him that he couldn't bear to look at it, would naturally come into his hands whenever he needed it.

Just like back then, they would come to help him and protect him whenever he needed them.

"You're always reminding me, and you're always protecting me..."

"The effect of [Stardust Trail] is the same as that of Stardust Synchron: it can be Special Summoned when a monster is Tributed!"

This card, which held special significance, was gently placed on the Duel Disk, Yusei's expression serious and solemn.

"My companions who walk with me, my companions who guide me with hope, light my way once again!"

In the blink of an eye, daytime turned into starry night, and countless stars twinkled in the night sky.

Making a wish under the starlight is a beautiful aspiration for people.

Five stars of different colors twinkled together, then transformed into shooting stars, trailing long tails as they flew toward the wandering star.

In the center of the five shooting stars, a dragon girl with beautiful, long hair like a rose slowly appeared. Dressed in a pure white robe, she was surrounded by shooting stars and came to the side of the wandering star.

She is an elf, an elf who belongs exclusively to Yusei Fudo.

Surrounded by shooting stars, she appeared ethereal and otherworldly, her gently outstretched arms seeming as if she wanted to embrace someone.

[Light - 4-Star - Dragon - Attack 500 - Defense 2000]

Yusei was deeply moved as he fought alongside this girl once again.

This strange sight and the sudden appearance of the girl plunged the tense battlefield into silence. No one spoke, and everyone silently observed him and her, who looked like a perfect couple.

The shooting stars gathered in the girl's hand, dancing as if in celebration or in a call.

Let's fight side by side once again!

The girl nodded in response to Yusei's call, and she floated lightly to Yusei's side. The two were so well-matched that they seemed like one person.

"Stardust light will bring miracles!"

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card 'Miracle of Light'!"

"As a card effect, I select the Level 1 Dragon monster [Mind Dragon] from my deck and place it on top of the deck."

The Dragon of Gathering Hearts is a dragon that can gather the power of all its companions together and transform it into a miracle that paves the way forward.