Duels should be played with a smile.

The lively and imaginative Kit arrived on the battlefield in her vehicle, but before she could even properly admire the scenery in the distance, she and Kras were sucked into a vortex.

We arrived at a warm and inviting forest.

“I will stack Kit and Kras, both of which are LV2, to construct an Xyz network.”

"Xyz Summon! Rank 2! [Forest Fairy Tale Animal Family]!"

[Earth · 2 ☆ · Beast · Attack Power 500]

The adorable little animals gathered together to welcome the arrival of the two Iron Beasts. A group of harmless animals hopped and skipped around, adding a touch of fantasy to this dark duel against the backdrop of the fairytale forest.

After all... what bad intentions could small animals possibly have?

"The effect of Animal Family: Remove the Kit used as material and search for [Fairy Tale Animal - Little Kangaroo] from the deck."

Before she could even properly enjoy herself in the fairytale forest, Kit suddenly remembered that she had come to fetch reinforcements, so she immediately left.

I don't know if I'll make it in time for the final battle... I hope Albus is alright.

"Gite's effect can be activated if it is sent to the Graveyard, adding any [Iron Beast] cards other than the same name to the Graveyard."

“I will bury another Nabel.”

With three axes mixed together, Marvin's deck composition is quite complex. Consequently, the card slots allocated to each axis are relatively tight, so he doesn't have many Iron Beast cards to choose from for his graveyard at this point.

Anyway, it won't produce any results.

After a series of maneuvers, Marvin's field was filled with four monsters, three of which had disruptive abilities, making him incredibly powerful.

This is probably the high ceiling that multi-axis stitching can bring. Even if his current arena is not yet at its maximum potential, it is already powerful enough.

However, the trade-off is... a slight deficiency in attack power.

"Enter battle!"

Marvin waved his hand, declaring that he was ready to fight, while Ella merely glanced at him and then remained still, continuing to focus on breaking the seal on the source code.

"You don't care? Then I'll wait and see... All troops, attack!"

With Marvin's command, the four monsters contributed their power, and a huge, obviously abnormal energy ball was condensed and smashed down on Ella.

"This is..."

Recalling the Snow Maiden's serious injury that Leyou had mentioned before, Ella, realizing the situation, dared not be reckless. She drew back all the power that was originally used to break the seal of the source code, forming a huge gray barrier in front of her before Marvin's attack arrived.

boom--

A continuous rumbling sound rang out, as if an airplane had crashed into a building, causing it to collapse and triggering a series of earthquakes.

Such a huge commotion seemed to be violating the precept called rest.

Just then, a barely perceptible emerald light flashed through the swirling dust.

After a while, the smoke and dust dissipated.

[Ella's LP: 8000 → 3300]

The gray barrier had shattered, and the black and white energy transformed into streams of light, returning to Ella's body. Protected by the barrier, Ella seemed to have suffered no harm.

"Your power... why does it feel familiar?" Marvin murmured to himself. He didn't expect Ella to answer, and he knew she definitely wouldn't.

Even if you get the answer, it's meaningless. In peace, nothing in the world matters.

After a moment, Marvin, having regained his composure, once again tried to persuade Ella: "Fighting goes against the will of rest, and injuring others is not what I want... If you are willing to give up now, I can also end this trial."

Ella, however, remained expressionless, showing no intention of paying him any attention.

"Since that's the case... the round is over, it's your turn to break the trial I've set before you... or fall into despair and slumber within the trial."

Chapter Twenty-One: I'm so hungry from writing this late at night!

"Where...is this place?"

An unfamiliar ceiling.

The sensation beneath me was fairly comfortable; I wasn't lying on a cold floor.

I vaguely remember being dragged into a dark duel by a strange guy, and I failed... I even messed up.

The last image I remember is myself and D-Wheel flying off the track.

Most racing tracks are built high in the sky. For a normal person to fly down from there... it would be a miracle if they could even find all the parts. So Jack is very curious about his current situation.

"Could it be a red dragon? Or the Crimson Lotus Demon Dragon?"

He tried to struggle to get up, but just as he had the idea to use his hands to support himself, a sharp, intense pain filled his entire body.

"Although we don't know exactly what you've been through, the doctor's advice is that you'd better stay in bed until you find an elf with powerful healing abilities to help you."

An unfamiliar voice came from the other side. Jack wasn't exactly a good boy, but recalling the feeling of being between life and death, he sighed softly.

"Thank you."

The moment between life and death can indeed bring about significant changes in some people.

Jack didn't ask who the person was; instead, he thanked them first.

"No need to thank me... Remember to pay the treatment fees after you're cured."

"..."

"I will."

"Now that you're awake, let me recount what happened before to you."

A soft sound came from the bedside table. Jack, who couldn't even turn his head, could only guess at the person's voice—it was probably a man in his early twenties... no, maybe in his thirties or forties. Although the voice sounded young, the calm and collected tone was clearly that of a more mature person.

"Then trouble you."

"It's okay, I just wanted to let you know about your situation... By the way, I sent your D-wheel for repairs, remember to pay for the repairs too."

Perhaps spurred by these two waves of fees, Jack, who wasn't one to overthink things, suddenly noticed a blind spot before the visitor even began explaining the situation.

My previous physical condition certainly didn't allow for too much travel, which meant I was mostly still in the city, and in the city, whether in the upper or lower districts, I was somewhat... well-known.

Either this person isn't from the same dimension, or... this guy might be operating in a gray area, and the hospital where I'm currently receiving treatment is most likely also in a gray area.

Having made a rough guess about his situation, Jack felt a little more at ease. At least people in the gray area were relatively "real"—as long as you have money, there are no problems.

"Then let me briefly explain the current situation."

Where Jack couldn't see, the newcomer held up three fingers.

"First, I saw you fall from the sky when I had just arrived at my destination. For some reasons that I can't say, I saved you."

"Secondly, your condition is particularly bad, and what you've encountered is clearly not a minor matter, so I'm providing you with treatment through very private channels... By the way, just a heads up, you should know the cost of private medical care, so it's best to be mentally prepared."

"Finally, the third one... the attack that seriously injured you was very powerful, so apart from your D-Wheel, you and your deck, nothing else was left. So I don't know your identity. Now that you're awake, if you feel you can't afford the medical and repair costs, you can ask me to help you contact your relatives and friends."

The three points, which were somewhat logically presented, gave Jack a general understanding of his current situation. However, the fact that this guy kept mentioning money in almost every sentence was really making him lose his composure.

Would a man as powerful as Jack Atlas be short of money for your medical treatment?

Moreover... this guy clearly hasn't revealed many details. Someone who saved me in that situation and even provided treatment is obviously no nobody. Why would someone like that be short of money for medical expenses? Surely this guy isn't the kind who just likes to make money, right?

Suppressing his doubts, Jack pondered for a moment before speaking.

"I understand the situation roughly... Don't worry about the cost, but it's really necessary to help me contact my friend. I'll give you his contact information later... One last question, you must be someone important, what's your name?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a light screen nearby. As far as Jack knew, this was something that hackers who liked to navigate the virtual world typically used.

"He's not some big shot."

He slid his finger across the screen, sent a thank-you message to an old friend who liked using the Ethereal Spirits deck, and then closed the screen.

"Just call me PlayMaker."

"By the way, here is your bill."

Another screen lit up in front of Jack's eyes, with a long list of items reflected in his eyes, making his already sore body seem to hurt even more.

Jack glanced at the total treatment amount in the bottom right corner and blinked, feeling a little unreal.

How many zeros were there after that number?

……

"During the End Phase, Little Kangaroo's effect allows you to summon this card from your hand."

[Earth · 2★ · Beast · Defense 400]

"Now, my turn is completely over. It's your turn to show me how to fight against the trial of Anxi."

Ella curled her lip in disdain. This guy talks about rest and despair, but when it comes to duels, he's still using the satellite Shining and overwhelming strength... So it doesn't really matter what the trial is called, in the end he'll just crush people with a super mainstream deck?

"I don't understand your peace... but if you think you can make me despair with this scene, then you're dreaming!"

Thanks to the fact that part of Marvin's power was despair that Ella could control, in that slightly long round just now, Ella took turns manipulating the power of despair and hope, and finally broke a small opening in the Resting Domain that had been imposed on the source code.

Although you can't change your deck after the duel starts, as long as you can get your deck to respond to your call again, even if your opponent has 3-4 interferences on the field, you can still turn the tide of the duel with your face-down cards!

"To be honest, I hate your rest... You can't do anything when you're asleep. I've been sleeping for far too long inside a crystal."

Gently lifting her long hair, Ella gathered the black and white energy in her palm, transforming it into a simple... headband.

Her long, flowing hair was tied up in a high ponytail, giving Ella a sharper and more assertive aura.

"Being able to have my own will and satisfy my own desires, I have no choice but to return to sleep..."

"And the despair you speak of, in my opinion... is not worth mentioning!"

"My turn..."

It's like turning on a switch.

Countless energies surged from all directions, converging in Ella's hands and landing on the deck.

"Draw a card!"

Between black and white, there is often a blurred gray.

"I have already seen the outcome of this duel!" Ella declared loudly, using the only card in her hand without hesitation.

From the first round until she drew this card and won, she knew the entire course of the duel!

"Let me show you what true Xyz Summoning is all about! Let me show you the power of Xyz Summoning!"