Chapter 81: Stardust's Legacy
[Field Summary]
Amano Rei: Empty field
Rin Seiya: Empty field
Bart (Puppeteer): Ancient Gear Chaos Giant, Field Spell Geartown, Continuous Spell Ancient Gear Castle
The faint star fragments scattered around Rin's body were all that remained of Stardust Dragon's protection—the card spirit taking the brunt of what should have been a lethal blow in the Dark Game.
Even with that buffer, the psychological damage from the duel had left Rin visibly weaker than she'd been moments ago.
They were both fourth-years at Academy City. Rin had dueled Bart multiple times before, memorized his patterns, knew his deck inside and out. When she'd sealed off both copies of Heavy Storm, she'd been certain she had won.
That certainty was exactly what the Puppeteer had counted on.
Just like District 11. Just like Finesse versus Ruiz. Finesse had thought she'd mapped out Ruiz's underground duel style, built her entire strategy around countering his known patterns—and then nearly lost to the dark card the Puppeteer had hidden in the deck.
Now, Ancient Gear Chaos Giant was that same trap. The card that had pushed both of them to the edge of defeat.
"Still talking like you're in an anime, Rin Seiya? You think you're surviving another turn?"
Rin had used Mystical Space Typhoon chained to Stardust Dragon's Tribute effect to remove Stardust from the field before battle—a brilliant emergency evacuation that prevented Ancient Gear Chaos Giant from hitting two targets at once.
But with Stardust Dragon gone, the Puppeteer still had Ancient Gear Flying Dragon on the field. And Flying Dragon could attack directly.
"Can you even survive this hit?!"
The mechanical dragon opened its steel jaws, laser energy gathering in the back of its throat. The targeting lock settled on Rin's battered frame.
"'Flying Dragon Flash'!!"
Amano stepped in front of her.
He couldn't block the attacks on her monsters—those had been unavoidable. But this was a direct attack. In a two-on-one duel, even in a Dark Game, he could at least take the physical damage for his teammate.
Not that taking it would end any better for him than it would have for her.
The laser burned through his arm. His white Synchro Academy uniform sleeve disintegrated instantly. When the beam faded, his right arm was bloody from wrist to shoulder.
Amano & Rin LP: 1800 -> 100
He'd blocked the physical impact—spared Rin's already broken body from absorbing another hit. But the mental damage from Life Point loss in a Dark Game couldn't be redirected. One hundred LP left. Staying conscious at that threshold was difficult. Staying upright was harder.
"You idiot." Rin's voice was barely audible, her pupils unfocused. "If you go down too—how are we supposed to win—"
She was on the verge of collapse. Her eyes reflected Amano's back, standing between her and the Puppeteer. Even now, lips barely moving, she was still maintaining the bit.
"It's up to you now... Jack Atlas. Win this."
Still committed to the 5D's parallel. Even at 100 LP. The dedication was almost impressive.
Except Amano was also at 100 LP. His condition wasn't any better than hers.
And yet he was still standing.
A faint blue energy rippled around his body—gentle, like water flowing over stone. Soft magic, but persistent.
Eve: "Bet you didn't expect this! My physical defense is trash, but my magic resistance is maxed out!"
Eve's hidden effect. The card spirit couldn't block physical damage the way Stardust Dragon had for Rin. But she could keep Amano's consciousness intact through the mental assault of the Dark Game. As long as his Life Points weren't at zero, and as long as nothing killed him physically, he'd stay on his feet.
Amano bit down against the bone-deep pain radiating from his arm.
"Puppeteer—I'm actually angry now."
Simple. Direct. No flourish.
The Puppeteer threw his head back laughing.
"The impotent rage of an insect! What can that possibly change in a duel?!"
The gap was insurmountable. Seven thousand Life Points on the Puppeteer's side in a two-on-one format, versus Amano's 100 with an empty field. There was no angle that made this a loss.
"I end my turn. Your move, Amano Rei. Struggle with your last ember of Life Points and your empty board!"
"Who said my board is empty?"
"What?"
"Like Rin-senpai just said—Stardust's fragments, the pieces of hope—they've already been passed down!"
Amano looked at Rin. The Graveyard zone on her Duel Disk was glowing, star fragments gathering strength.
Rin, still lying on the ground, managed to speak.
"Go... Stardust. Help our bond, our partner. Defeat the despair and darkness ahead."
Stardust Dragon's effect. When it Tributes itself to negate a destruction effect, it can Special Summon itself from the Graveyard during the End Phase.
And because Rin's Starlight Road had used the anime effect—bypassing normal Synchro Summon restrictions—Stardust Dragon could return without the usual revival limitations.
"Light the path that shines ahead—Stardust!"
[Stardust Dragon] [8-Star / WIND] [ATK: 2500]
"My turn—draw!"
Stardust Dragon returned to the field. Amano's delayed draw finally came.
Monster Reborn.
"It's complete. The hope that's carried forward—it'll become the fire that burns through the darkness!"
"Complete? What's complete?! One Stardust Dragon won't change the outcome!"
"Stardust Dragon isn't the only thing senpai left behind!"
"I'm—not dead yet—" Rin's protest came with slightly more energy than before. Possibly a second wind. Possibly just adrenaline.
"Graveyard effect—Stardust Sprite activates! When an 8-Star Synchro Monster is on the field, this card can Special Summon itself from the Graveyard!"
The second fragment. A point of light beside Stardust Dragon—a card that had been discarded to the Graveyard by Card Destruction earlier in the duel.
[Stardust Sprite] [1-Star / LIGHT / Dragon / Effect] [ATK: 0 / DEF: 0]
"Stardust Sprite's second effect! Tribute this card—Special Summon 2 Level 1 LIGHT Dragon-Type monsters from the Graveyard!"
The fragment split again. Against the massive dark chaos machine across the field, the specks of light on Amano's side were multiplying.
"Special Summon—two copies of Debris Dragon from the Graveyard!"
One had been used as material for Stardust Spark Dragon earlier. The other had been discarded by Card Destruction alongside Stardust Sprite.
"And now—my own card. Normal Summon, Level 1 Tuner—Cosmo Queen!"
[Cosmo Queen] [1-Star / LIGHT / Spellcaster / Tuner] [ATK: 0 / DEF: 1500]
Fresh from the ranked shop. Purchased hours ago alongside Chosen by the Star Chalice. Both cards still new enough that the exchange felt recent.
But this one-star Normal Monster Tuner—despite being a common—had been expensive in the shop. The Tuner attribute on a Level 1 Normal Monster made it rare.
Worth every point now.
"Three Tuner monsters—Amano, what are you—" Rin's thoughts were moving slowly, consciousness still recovering. Even Jack Atlas in the anime had only managed a double Synchro at most.
"Not enough yet!"
Amano looked at the last open monster zone. The Monster Reborn he'd drawn this turn went up above his head.
"The final fragment of hope—revive from my Graveyard!"
Eve: "I knew it! You're bringing me back! I'm ready to go Divine Child form!"
"I'm reviving Yuyu from the Graveyard!"
Yuyu: "—???"
Eve: "—???"