"??"
Aisha's cuteness filter had already maxed out. Right now, even if Miles picked his nose using the little princess's body, Aisha would probably still think it was the cutest thing in the world.
"Damn, why does it feel like there's some love-brain standing beside me? So irritating." Luca shot Aisha an annoyed glare. "Don't tell me, Aisha Carlos, your hobby is selfcest?"
"You still have the leisure to worry about other people's kinks, Luca Slint?!"
Cutting her off, Miles taunted, "Your immortal demon Sun can't revive in front of Dragonmaid Nudyarl. And next turn, the second one's coming out!"
He also had Nova, the little princess inside the Millennium Puzzle's chamber, in mind. If he wiped out that terrifying legless demon Sun with his Dragonmaids, at least it could ease some of Nova's trauma.
"Miles… Miles is amazing!"
The princess's soft and tender voice echoed once again in Miles's mind, healing just as he expected.
Miles couldn't help but sigh. Though controlling a loli's body was inconvenient in countless ways, the loli herself was wonderful.
"It's not really me being amazing. Nova, it's just your monsters and the Deck the crown prince gave you—they're simply a bit overpowered."
A pile of rare Spell Cards, the power of Dragonmaids, and even the only weakness of not being able to draw monsters had been solved with just one Painful Choice.
And most importantly—
"Luca, you're just too weak. You ran your mouth so much before the duel, but this is all you've got? Compared to half a year ago, you haven't improved at all."
It wasn't entirely her fault. Spending s months in prison—going from noble luxury to meals without a drop of oil, the mental gap alone was enough to break anyone. Progress was too much to ask.
"Weak? You're saying I'm weak?!"
Pinned against the barrier wall, slapped in the face, and mocked, Luca clearly couldn't keep her pride intact.
Despite that, she couldn't argue… anyone could see she was being suppressed by the princess's makeshift Deck.
After all, Luca Slint's title as Fusion Academy's zero-win-rate beast wasn't for nothing. Ever since she arrived, she hadn't won a single duel.
"Damn it, trash, garbage! Miles, and you stupid dragon—I'll make you regret being so arrogant!"
It looked like mindless rage, but in truth, Luca had her own frustrations.
She had stuffed her Deck with one of the Sacred Beasts, Raviel, and tuned it to revolve around it.
Yet, after two turns of digging, the key card still hadn't shown up.
That meant even though she had Card of Safe Return on the field, her hand was just cluttered with useless support pieces for the Sacred Beast.
"I set 3 cards and end my turn."
Miles, on the other hand, had no intention of going easy.
The backrow he'd set in earlier turns was spent already, and with his near-entirely Spell/Trap "underworld" Deck apart from four Dragonmaids, experiencing a triple-set in the backrow after one turn was inevitable.
"My turn, draw!"
She drew with all the momentum she could muster—but reality slapped Luca instantly.
Still no sign of the Sacred Beast…
Compared to Miles, who had been immobilized for two turns, the true clown without "bonds" had revealed herself.
Holding nothing but dead weight, Luca became the biggest fool on stage.
"In that case, it's decided!"
With gritted teeth and stamping foot, Luca's aura changed completely. The Slint family crest on her waist swayed and glimmered faintly.
"For victory, I'm willing to abandon my old friend, the Sacred Beast!"
"Old friend Sacred Beast?" Aisha tilted her head in confusion.
"—I activate the Spell Card, Magical Mallet!"
[Return any number of cards from your hand to the Deck, then draw the same number.]
"I return three cards from my hand to the Deck, then draw three."
She shuffled decisively, throwing back the Fiend monsters meant to summon Raviel.
"From here on, I fight in the name of the Slint family—draw!"
After redrawing, Luca accepted it. No bonds, no reason to keep licking boots. Raviel indeed wasn't going to intervene in this duel.
"Don't think having Dragonmaids makes you special. I'll show you the fighting style of Xyz Academy, the Slint family, and the Varian Empire!"
Calling out three names in succession, Luca slammed down a card for a Normal Summon. The high-Level monster shocked them all.
"—I Normal Summon Night Express Knight!"
[Deep-Space Cruiser] Level 10│EARTH│Machine│3000 ATK/3000 DEF
Aisha was dumbfounded, "Another high-Level monster Normal Summoned without Tributes?"
Normally possible only because of Mausoleum of the Emperor. But Luca's LP was only 1800… nowhere near enough to pay the 2000 required.
Luca said, "Night Express Knight's effect—when Normal Summoned without Tributes, its Attack becomes 0!"
[Night Express Knight, ATK: 3000 → 0]
Nova asked nervously, "Zero Attack? What's the point of a monster like that?"
Miles said, "Most of the time none. But Luca just said it—Xyz Academy, Slint family, Varian Empire."
Of course, Xyz Academy meant Xyz Summons.
The Varian Empire was a military superpower of the Spirit Continent. And the Slint family crest glittering at her waist was one of its honors.
"The Supremacy Sun and Night Express Knight—two Level 10 monsters. Time to go!"
"Rank 10 Xyz?"
Such a towering Summon—Miles had never seen it since coming to this world.
Compared to Aisha's Rank 1 or 2 Xyz, these two stacks of ten glowing stars ascending into Rank Stars exuded overwhelming force.
Overlaying the two cards, Luca Slint cried out as the dark stars of Xyz swirled together.
"All fear comes from lack of firepower! With enough firepower, everything can be crushed! This is the Empire's way of battle! Xyz Summon! Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Gustav Max!"
[Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Gustav Max] Rank 10│EARTH│Machine│3000 ATK/3000 DEF
Summoned from two Level 10 monsters, Gustav Max's barrel pierced the skies—absolute firepower incarnate.
And such a colossal cannon monster didn't even belong to Luca originally.
Graduation—this was a symbol of the military empire, passed down through the Slint family.
It was said that this card could even evolve through a form called "Rank-Up Summon," powered by the wielder's soul strength and loyalty to the Empire.
Of course, for Luca, just pulling off a Rank 10 Xyz was already her limit.
"But even this is enough to crush you! Gustav Max, activate effect!"
[Once per turn: Detach 1 Xyz Material; inflict 2000 damage to your opponent.]
"I detach Night Express Knight to activate effect—fire, Gustav Max!"
With firepower at its peak, the colossal cannon fired a shot from the heavens, made to obliterate all manner of monsters and demons.
Miles muttered, "This thing's way better than a Sacred Beast…"
...
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