The protagonist of the Yu-Gi-Oh! world might be the same person.

Yusei waved his hand and shouted, "[Savior Star Dragon]'s effect activates: Once per turn, negate the effect of one monster your opponent controls this turn. The effect of the negated monster can be activated as this card's effect only once this turn. I negate the effect of [Hundred-Eyed Dragon] and gain its effect, then ascend and absorb it!"

'Ghost Willow' gritted her teeth, "However, the effect of [Hundred-Eyed Dragon] is gained by absorbing the effects of DARK monsters in its own Graveyard. [Savior Dragon], having absorbed the effect of [Hundred-Eyed Dragon], cannot use my power to attack me directly!"

Yusei didn't expect to decide the winner in this round; sealing the effect of the Hundred-Eyed Dragon was enough.

Then he gave the order: "Battle begins! Attack the [Hundred-Eyed Dragon] with the [Savior Star Dragon], Meteor Burst at supersonic speed!!"

As soon as the sound faded, the Savior Star Dragon accelerated instantly, its body enveloped in cyan energy, and it transformed into a meteor that crashed directly into the Hundred-Eyed Dragon, smashing it to pieces with a loud 'boom'.

"Uh-huh...!"

[Kyosuke Onyanagi: LP2800→2000]

"Oh no! But don't forget, according to the effect of [Hundred-Eyed Dragon], I can choose one card from my deck to add to my hand. I'm going to add the Living Dead from my deck..."

However, before Kiryu could finish speaking, Yusei suddenly interrupted him: "Don't even think about doing that! The other effect of [Savior Star Dragon] is activated. When the opponent activates the effect of a Spell, Trap, or Effect Monster, you can release this card to negate that activation and destroy all cards on the opponent's field. Stardust Power!"

"What?!" 'Kiryu's' pupils contracted sharply upon hearing this. "Not only did it negate the effect, but it also destroyed all the cards on my field?!"

The Savior Star Dragon instantly conjured two clones and crashed into the enemy again, shattering the Infinite Fire Demon and the Perpetual Trap in the back row, disappearing from the field along with them.

Now not only is 'Kiryuu' empty-handed, but the arena is also empty.

Yusei pressed the button on the Duel Disk again. "My turn isn't over yet. I activate the Trap Card 'Equal Exchange.' Because of this card's effect, I can Special Summon 1 monster from my Graveyard to my opponent's field in Defense Position. For this turn, the Level of 1 monster you control is increased by the Level of the Special Summoned monster."

"I Special Summon [Savior Dragon], and level up [Scrap Guardian] to 16." (Zero)

Seeing this, Guiliu asked in surprise, "What do you want to do by summoning [Savior Star Dragon] on my field?"

Yusei quickly explained: "My turn ends here, and then [Salvation Star Dragon] must return to its owner's Extra Deck during the End Phase, and [Stardust Dragon] from my Graveyard must be Special Summoned."

Chapter Seventy: Death and Dragon Enlightenment

After this round of attacks, both sides were completely out of cards, with zero in hand. 'Kiryu' didn't even have a single card on the field, but Yusei still had Junk Guardian, a hard counter to Earthbound God, and Stardust Dragon, which counters destruction effects. (Pomegranate)

No matter how you look at it, Yusei's advantage is overwhelming. Unless Kiryu draws a miraculous card that can turn the tide, this duel will most likely end in Yusei's victory.

"My turn!" *whoosh*

(Yusei Fudo SPC5, Kyosuke Kiryu SPC4) (Sigh)

After glancing sideways at the card he drew, 'Kiryu' tossed it out without hesitation: "Activate [Sp-Angel's Scepter]. When this card has 2 or more Speed ​​Counters, draw 2 cards from your Deck, then send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard."

He placed an unidentified card into the grave, then covered the rest of the cards.

"Set a card face down, end the turn."

Seeing that the opponent hasn't given up, this face-down card is probably a trap that can save their life. And since there's Stardust Dragon on the field, it's most likely a non-destructive card. So...

"My turn!"

[Yusei Fudo's hand cards: 0 → 1]

(Yusei Fudo SPC6, Kyosuke Kiryu SPC5)

Yusei immediately entered the battle phase, shouting, "Attack the player directly with [Stardust Dragon]! Charge, Meteor Sonic Strike!!"

Stardust Dragon then opened its mouth, and a torrent of light condensed with starlight shot out, striking the 'Ghost Willow' behind it.

Seeing this, 'Kiryu' decisively flipped the face-down card and shouted, "Don't even think about succeeding! I'm activating the Trap Card 'Premature Resurrection'!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a Trap Card with the image of "Earthbound God Kapak Ap" on it was activated.

"This card can Special Summon 1 [Earthbound Beast] from your Graveyard to your field. However, the monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot declare an attack this turn, and if the monster Special Summoned by this effect battles, the battle damage your opponent takes becomes 0."

"I will summon myself in a special way... Awaken, my true form!"

In an instant, the evil light intensified, a thick pillar of light shot into the sky, and a giant shadow rapidly solidified from the seed of evil light.

As the evil light dissipated, a terrifying, pitch-black giant stood tall on the earth.

[Kappa, the Earthbound God: Attack Power 3000]

As soon as the evil god appeared, he stretched out his giant hand and slapped away the incoming dragon breath.

"Earthbound gods cannot be the target of attacks..." Seeing that the attack was ineffective, Yusei had no other options and could only announce: "End of turn."

Now that neither side can do anything to the other, the cards you draw next are especially crucial.

"My turn!"

(Yusei Fudo SPC7, Kyosuke Kiryu SPC6)

With a flick of his wrist, 'Kiriyu' drew a card that immediately appeared in his black eyes, then burst into laughter: "Hmph hmph hmph, hahahahaha!! It seems fate is on my side. I activate the effect of [Infernal Demon] from my hand!"

"When you draw this card if you have zero cards in your hand, you can Special Summon it from your hand by revealing it. If the Special Summon is successful, add one card with 'Infernal' in its name from your Deck to your hand."

"What!? I actually drew this card at this crucial moment!?" Yusei's expression changed slightly.

If the opponent searches for their own counter-trap, even the Stardust Dragon effect won't help...

However, to his surprise, 'Kiryuu' did not declare a protective shield, "I will add [Infernal Illusion] from my deck to my hand and Normal Summon it!"

The passage opened, and a humanoid demon with blood-red feathers on its head passed through the passage and landed beside 'Ghost Willow'.

"It's actually an illusion of eternal fire...!?"

Yusei knows that this card's effect is to release himself and revive two Infernal monsters in the Graveyard.

However, the Hundred-Eyed Dragon does not have the Eternal Flame field, which makes Yusei somewhat unsure of what the other party is trying to do.

"My hand is empty, so I can Special Summon the Infernal Dwarf and Infernal Beetle from my Graveyard by releasing Infernal Illusion!"

Yusei suddenly realized, "So that's how it is! The card that was sent to the graveyard by the Angel's Scepter was the Infernal Beetle!?"

“Exactly…” 'Ghost Willow' sneered, then continued, “I used a level two [Eternal Fire Dwarf] and a level four [Eternal Fire Demon] to adjust the star level of the level two [Eternal Fire Beetle]!”

"When the dead and the living merge into nothingness, the dragon will be released from its eternal cage!"

"Synchron Summon! Appear, [Infernal Death Dragon]!"

The moment the sound faded, a green light shone forth, and a jet-black demonic dragon burst through the light, flying swiftly behind 'Ghost Willow'.

【Infernal Death Dragon: Attack Power 3000】

Looking at the demonic dragon with its protruding brain and 'intelligent' eyes, Yusei's expression hardened. "There are two monsters with an attack power of 3000..."

'Kiryu' laughed even more wildly: "That's right, the effect of [Scrap Guardian] is indeed troublesome, but its effect can only be activated once per turn, so it can't stop my second monster's attack, hahahahaha!"

"Take this! Attack the [Junk Guardian] with [Infernal Fire Death Dragon]! Death Blast!"

The dragon, with its shrewd expression, opened its mouth, and hellfire erupted, hurtling towards the Scrap Guardian.

With two high-scoring monsters present, Yusei knew that the Scrap Guardian was beyond saving, so he allowed the attack to pass through.

boom--! ! !

With a deafening roar, the Scrap Guardian was instantly engulfed in flames and melted away.

Just then, Yusei swung his arm and shouted, "At this moment, the other effect of [Scrap Guardian] activates!"

"If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, you can choose one monster on the field to change its battle position, thereby changing [Earthbound God Kapak Ap] from Attack Position to Defense Position."

【Kappa, the Earthbound God: Defense 2500】

'Kiryu' curled his lip: 'Tch, stopping my attack again... But with this, that disgusting monster has finally made its exit!'

"You will no longer be able to stop my offensive. I will end this round here."

The current situation is very unfavorable for Yusei. He only has Stardust Dragon, which is a Soul Card, on the field, while his opponent has two large monsters with 3000 ATK. Although Earthbound God cannot cause battle damage, it has the effect of dealing damage to the opponent equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster. If he doesn't do something next, he will be killed by the evil god in one turn.

'No! I've made up my mind to save Kiryu, I absolutely cannot give up now!'

With a determined look in his eyes, Yusei pressed his finger on the deck, and at the same time, the cards on it emitted a light even more dazzling than when the Red Dragon was printed.

Chapter Seventy-One Gathering Hearts

"What? That light...?"

Seeing the unusual state of Yusei's deck, Kiryu felt a growing unease. "Hasn't the power of the Red Dragon already been used? What exactly was that power?"

The Earthbound God, who has been the enemy for millennia, did not sense the power of the red dragon from above, but rather a strange yet extremely threatening force.

At this moment, the red light emanating from the dragon head seal on Yusei's right arm became even more dazzling, and the red dragon seemed to sense something and became very excited.

At the same time, the other Dragon Seals seemed to sense the Red Dragon's cheers.

Jack: "The red dragon is actually excited?!"

Aki: "I can sense Yusei's desire to save his companions."

Ryuko: "The power of the Wandering Star is surging forth continuously..."

Yusei finally understood the meaning of what the Red Dragon had said about his true power. "So that's it! This power doesn't originate from the body itself, but from the deeper source of consciousness (the soul), which is why I can use it with my will!"

He had figured out what to do next, and pressed his fingers harder on the cards in the deck, causing the light emanating from them to become even more dazzling.

"I will save my comrade and take him away from that dark and hopeless world. This is my only promise to Kiryu as his comrade!"

"This is the card of hope that gathers my... no, our hearts and minds! My turn!!"

Yusei forcefully pulled out the card, and a blinding light suddenly exploded. The intense light was so strong that 'Kiryu' couldn't open his eyes and exclaimed in shock and anger, "Damn it! What happened?!"

(Yusei Fudo SPC8, Kyosuke Kiryu SPC7)

As the light faded, Yusei finally saw the newly formed card clearly, a smirk playing on his lips: "When you draw this card, you can activate this effect by showing it to your opponent. Special Summon this card from your hand... Come forth, [Gathering Heart Dragon]!"

The passage opened, and a red dragon, quite similar in shape to the Savior Dragon, flew out, spreading its blade-like wings.

"Then, if you control a Level 8 or higher Dragon Synchro Monster that is Special Summoned by this effect, you can Special Summon a Level 1 Dragon Monster from your Deck... such as the Level 1 Stardust Dragon."

As soon as he finished speaking, a young Stardust Dragon, which had not yet grown and did not even have limbs, suddenly appeared.

Seeing this, Guiliu's unease grew even stronger: "That dragon is so similar to the Savior Dragon, could it be..."

"That's exactly what you think! As long as [Mind Control Dragon] exists on the field or in the graveyard, it can be used as [Savior Dragon]!"

"Nani?!"

No further words were needed; Yusei's aura suddenly surged: "I'll use [Stardust Dragon] and [Stardust Baby Dragon] to tune [Gathering Heart Dragon]!"

The Heart-Gathering Dragon rapidly expanded, instantly enveloping the two dragons within it.

"May the gathered starlight illuminate new miracles and become a radiant path!"

"Synchronization Summon! Descend once more, [Savior Star Dragon]!!"

Nine stars aligned in a straight line, and the light of harmony instantly engulfed the Dragon of Unity, awakening once again the miraculous savior dragon.

[Savior Star Dragon: Attack Power 3800]

"It's Savior Dragon again... But I have two monsters on my field. Which one will you negate this time?"

When asked by 'Kiryuu', Yusei thought for a moment and then gave an answer.

Infernal Death Dragon has an effect where, when your hand is empty, your attack destroys one monster on your opponent's field and deals damage equal to half the destroyed monster's ATK. However, this card cannot attack after this effect is activated, so Yusei does not consider it.

Then Yusei raised his arm and shouted, "I activate the effect of [Savior Star Dragon] to negate the effect of [Earthbound God Kapak Apoo] and gain its effect. Furthermore, this card's effect can only be activated once this turn as this card's effect. I will absorb it through Ascension!"

With the power of the Earthbound God taken away, Kiryu's consciousness regained control: "A beautiful duel, Yusei. The effect of [Earthbound God Kapak Apoo] is to inflict damage equal to the ATK of the monster destroyed in battle. If this attack succeeds, I will lose, and as a Dark Signer, I will stop here."

"Alright, let's end this sad battle, Yusei!"

"Ghost Willow..."

Since the opponent was so fearless, Yusei naturally couldn't disappoint them: "Battle begins! [Savior Star Dragon] attacks [Earthbound God Kapak Apoo], Meteor Blast at supersonic speed!!"

As soon as the sound faded, the Savior Star Dragon suddenly accelerated, transforming into a blue meteor that crashed into the Earthbound God, instantly creating a large hole in the pitch-black giant with a loud 'boom'.

boom--! ! !

With a deafening roar, the Earthbound God's body instantly transformed into jet-black energy, exploding and dissipating into the world.

"Ughh ...

[Ghost Willow: LP2000→0]

Affected by the terrifying impact, Guiliu was thrown into the air.

Without needing Youxing's command, the ever-ready Savior Star Dragon accelerated again, lifting Guiliu's body from mid-air.

"Ghost Willow!"

Seeing this, Yusei quickly caught Kiryu: "Cheer up, Kiryu! I won't abandon my friend, I will definitely save you this time!"

Kiryu, nestled in Yusei's arms, weakly opened her eyes: "Yusei... when I became a Dark Signer, I made another wish... I wanted to have the final battle of the Satisfaction Team that we couldn't fulfill back then..."

"Ghost Willow..."