Yu-Gi-Oh!: This isn't a duel!

He abruptly raised his hand, pointing at the mechanical forest owl hovering above his head, his voice as cold as a knife:

"Activate the effect of [Rapid Raptor - Valiant Wood Owl]!"

"If this card contains a Winged Beast Monster as Xyz Material, you can activate this effect once per turn by detaching 1 Xyz Material!"

"Add one 'Rank-Up Spell Card' from your deck to your hand!!"

"What?! Retrieve upgrade magic?!"

Upon hearing this result, Tsukuyomi Rion's heart, which had just settled down, instantly jumped into her throat again.

The mighty forest owl let out a mechanical cry, its chest armor slid open, and a purple orb surrounding it shattered instantly, transforming into a stream of data that flowed into its core processor.

Immediately afterwards, its huge metal wings suddenly flapped, and an invisible mental wave swept across You Yang's deck.

"I have removed the excess material [Assault Team Knight]!"

With lightning speed, You Yang's two fingers precisely extracted the crucial card he needed the instant the deck automatically popped out, and held it high:

"And what I'm going to add to my hand is—this one!!"

"[Advanced Magic - Leap Power]!!"

The instant she heard those words, Tsukuyomi Rion's beautiful amethyst eyes narrowed sharply, as if she had been stung by a bright light.

"Rank-Up Spell... It's actually a deck focused on rank-up and evolution?"

A storm raged within her.

This tactical style is completely different from her "Lyric Robin" style, which relies on low-level monsters for horizontal board control and meticulous management.

If her deck is like a light and agile flock of birds dancing, then Youyang's deck is like an iron torrent constantly modifying itself and evolving into a stronger weapon!

You Yang didn't give her any more time to be shocked. His movements were swift and decisive. With a flick of his wrist, the magic card emitting an eerie bluish-green light was slammed into the back slot of the Duel Disk.

"Spell Card activated—[Rank-Up Spell - Leap Power]!!"

"Om-!!"

As the words fell, the entire space of the danger containment chamber seemed to shift out of place.

A burst of dazzling starlight shot into the sky from the mechanical body of the [Rapid Raptor - Valiant Forest Owl] on the field. Instead of scattering, it gathered above its head to form a miniature galaxy vortex that contained terrifying energy.

You Yang raised his right hand, his voice piercing through the storm of energy:

"This card's effect is: You can target 1 'Raid Raptor' Xyz Monster you control; this effect can be activated."

"Special Summon from your Extra Deck a 'Raid Raptor' monster that is 2 Ranks higher than the targeted monster by placing it on top of your monster—as an Xyz Summon!!"

"I'm targeting the Tier 5 [Rapid Raptor - Valiant Wood Owl] on the field!"

"Proceed—leapfrog advancement!!"

The valiant forest owl let out a high-pitched, mechanical cry, and then plunged headlong into the vortex of the Milky Way overhead.

Its armor disintegrates and reassembles in the starlight, evolving into a larger and more lethal form.

Youyang's chanting was like that of a commander on the battlefield, full of iron will and grim determination:

"Under the cover of the sky, your wings will pierce the heavens, making you an invisible grim reaper!"

"You are the aerial overlord equipped with endless weapons, a mobile fortress that dominates the battlefield!"

"Supercharge Upgrade Change! Tier 7!"

"Full launch—[Rapid Strike Raptor-Arsenal Falcon]!!"

"Boom—!!!"

Accompanied by the deep roar of engines, it sounded as if a giant warship was breaking through the clouds.

At the end of that dazzling starlight, a gigantic mechanical falcon, large enough to blot out the sun, made a majestic entrance as it circled overhead!

Its entire body was covered with thick military green composite armor, and its original wings had been modified into weapon racks full of missiles and cannons. The huge turbine engine spewed blue exhaust flames, and every time it hovered, the surrounding air groaned in unbearable pain.

【Rapid Raptor - Arsenal Falcon】【Tier 7】【Dark/Bird/Xyz/Effect】【ATK: 2500 / DEF: 2000】

"Gurgle..."

Gazing at the towering, steel figure that blotted out the sky, Tsukuyomi Rion felt her throat go dry and involuntarily swallowed.

The enormous shadow cast upon her petite frame created an indescribable sense of suffocation.

"It's... a Rank 7 monster!"

Although as a professional duelist, she knows that in the world of Xyz Monsters, class is not a representation of power.

But class is a representation of card power!

and……

Looking at You Yang's still composed face, a chill ran through her.

For a deck like this that focuses on ranking up, Rank 7 is probably far from its limit, and it might not even be considered an ace.

"It's not over yet; this is just the beginning of the firepower suppression."

You Yang raised his hand, pointing straight at the Arsenal Falcon before him, which resembled an aerial fortress, and loudly proclaimed:

"Activate the effect of [Rapid Assault Raptor - Arsenal Falcon]!"

“1回合1次，取除此卡1个超量素材才能发动。从卡组把1只鸟兽族·4星怪兽特殊召唤！”

"Load ammunition, airborne assault!"

"I've removed excess material—[Rapid Raptor - Drive Away the Shrike]!"

"Click—"

The Arsenal Falcon's massive mechanical belly emitted a screech of pressure relief, and a purple orb representing an excess of materials was peeled off from its core, dissipating into a stream of light.

At the same time, a card popped out of Youyang's deck.

Without even glancing at it, relying on his absolute control over the deck, he pinched the card between two fingers and slapped it onto the duel disk:

"Answer the call! [Rapid Raptor - Dark Shrike]!!"

"laugh--!"

Beneath the Arsenal Falcon's massive metal wingspan, a concealed, shadowy hangar hatch quietly opened.

Immediately afterwards, a black lightning bolt swooped down with a piercing shriek!

It was a more agile and sharply sleek mechanical raptor.

Its main body is painted in a deep matte black that can absorb all radar waves and light, with only the joints and the pair of extremely sharp alloy claws flashing with a cold light.

It doesn't have the heavy firepower of the Arsenal Falcon, but it's like a deadly assassin that blends perfectly into the night.

After completing an extremely agile tactical maneuver in the air, it hovered silently in the shadow of the Arsenal Falcon's flank, its red electronic eyes coldly watching its prey.

【Rapid Raptor - Dark Shrike】【★4】

[Dark/Bird/Beast Race/Effect] [Attack: 1600 / Defense: 500]

"Is it just a Special Summoned Monster? This level of development is still within expectations."

Rion Tsukuyomi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although the black mechanical raptor looked sharp and aggressive, its effect was still within an acceptable range.

However, You Yang's offensive was like a finely meshed gear, giving her no chance to breathe.

He reached out and placed his hand on top of the deck again, his eyes chillingly calm:

"Continue the play! I activate the effect of [Rapid Raptor - Dark Shrike] on the field!"

"During the Main Phase of the turn this card is Normal or Special Summoned, you can target 1 'Raid Raptor' monster you control."

"Add 1 'Raid Raptor' monster from your Deck to your hand, even if its Level is different from that monster's!"

A sly smile played on You Yang's lips as he pointed at the black raptor that had just appeared:

"This effect does not specify that it must target monsters other than this card!"

"Therefore, I activate this effect targeting [Rapid Raptor - Dark Shrike] itself!"

"Dark Shrike is a Level 4 monster, so I can search for monsters that are not Level 4!"

You Yang's fingers, as precise as a scalpel, sliced ​​into the deck, drew a card, and revealed it to his face:

"I've added the Level 3 [Rapid Raptor - Villain Eagle] to my hand!"

Without pausing, he immediately revealed the card he had just acquired.

"Then activate the effect of the [Rapid Raptor - Villain Eagle] in hand!"

"If you control only 'Raid Raptor' monsters, you can activate this effect—Special Summon this card from your hand."

"Come on! [Rapid Raptor - Villain Eagle]!"

"Chirp—Snap!"

A sharp electronic siren pierced the gloomy air.

The blue holographic light effect on the field flickered, eventually coalescing into a form. A small, but extremely sharp, purple mechanical eagle darted out from the light, its mechanical claws, gleaming with a cold light, scratching restlessly at the ground, emitting a harsh scraping sound.

【Rapid Raptor - Villain Eagle】【★3】【Dark/Bird/Beast Race/Effect】【Attack: 700 / Defense: 700】

"A level 3 monster?"

Looking at this incongruous little mechanical bird, a deep sense of confusion appeared between Tsukuyomi Rion's delicate brows.

"Why recruit a three-star monster at a time like this? There's no room for this three-star monster to be effective in the current situation in Youyang!"

"Could it be that one of the monsters on the field has the ability to adjust its level and is preparing to perform a Rank 3 Xyz Summon?"

Just as Rion's brain was racing, trying to decipher You Yang's tactical intentions, You Yang did something that left her speechless.

He abruptly removed two monster cards from the Duel Disk at the same time—the newly summoned [Rapid Raptor - Villain Eagle] and the imposing behemoth [Rapid Raptor - Arsenal Falcon]!

"What?! Even a Rank 7 ace is being used as material?!"

Before Rion could react, Yu Yang had already raised his hands high, his voice filled with the excitement of an impending revolution:

"Rally! Broken wings!"

"The circuit that guides the Wings of Rebellion to pierce the sky—activated!!"

"Arrow confirmed! Summoning condition: 2 Winged Beast type Dark attribute monsters!"