SWNOVELXO Chapter 42: DSMW [42]
"Miles... are you really planning to—"
Aisha's brows furrowed. She understood better than anyone what this meant.
"It's the only way to save Ren right now. Quick, Aisha!"
"R-Right... Got it."
Nodding firmly—though her heart was tangled with mixed emotions—Aisha didn't let herself hesitate. Right now, saving Irene from the Shadow Game was the top priority.
All other questions could wait until afterward.
With her mind made up, Aisha unhooked the Millennium Puzzle hanging from her pale neck, gripped it tightly, and aimed it at the barrier surrounding the Shadow Game.
"Please... save Ren, Miles. She's my best friend."
She whispered it softly... then raised her voice.
"Ren-chan! Catch Miles!!"
"...What? Catch Miles?!"
Half-lost in a haze of consciousness, Irene blinked. That sentence jolted her awake.
'...Catch Miles?'
How exactly does one catch a person?
Forcing her head up, she spotted the Millennium Puzzle flying through the air—arcing gracefully over the barrier.
Her reflexes kicked in. With what little strength remained, Irene reached out and caught it perfectly, pulling it tight against her chest.
In that instant... it felt as if two souls fused into one.
Her fragile mental state didn't even require the usual effort of emptying her mind, like when she first bonded with Aisha. Her spirit was wide open—completely defenseless.
At the same moment, Aisha felt her connection with Miles severed.
She had prepared for it, but when the moment actually arrived... she couldn't stop the pang of emptiness.
Still... it couldn't be helped.
"Do your best, Miles... Go be Ren-chan's HERO."
When Miles opened his eyes again, he was in a brand-new body.
Just like the first time they swapped souls, he instinctively flexed his fingers.
Same slender, fair-skinned hands as Aisha's—but distinctly different in feel.
The edges of his vision caught strands of Irene's red hair... and yeah, her chest felt slightly heavier, too.
Of course, what stood out most was the overwhelming pain.
The aftermath of [Dark Hole] still ravaged this body. It felt like it had been torn apart... Irene had been enduring this the whole time?
"WHAT... WHAT EVEN IS THIS?!"
Her reaction mirrored Aisha's perfectly from the first time.
Totally fair. Who wouldn't freak out?
"It couldn't be helped, Ren. Your mind and soul were on the verge of collapse. I'm taking over from here."
"You're... taking over the duel? Like you did with Aisha?"
If Aisha had accepted Miles quickly because of her overly trusting, good-natured personality...
Irene was accepting it for the opposite reason—because she was sharp enough to instantly weigh the risks... and realize there was no other choice.
"Is this... even allowed in a duel?"
But looking at her current board... Irene couldn't bear to face it.
Her field had been wiped by [Dark Hole], and Megan had a 3000-ATK [Archfiend's Manifestation] staring her down.
It looked like game over.
But Miles didn't think so.
Glancing at Irene's remaining hand, he swiftly determined—this duel was still winnable.
Probably thanks to the deck's simple structure. Most Duelists here ran decks with poor hand economy. Even after several turns, they always had a handful of cards.
Not ideal... but sometimes, that worked in your favor.
Because right now... the hand Irene had left gave Miles the setup for one of the most iconic HERO moments ever.
"Leave it to me, Ren."
"!!!!"
("Leave it to me, Ren.")
The same words... the same tone... the same overwhelming sense of safety.
In that moment, Irene's image of Miles... overlapped perfectly with her memories of her brother Edigo—the one who once sacrificed his own Elves' Eyes to protect her during a Shadow Game.
Even in this soul-state... she could feel her heart pounding.
"Miles... You won't lose... right?"
"Of course not."
No matter the situation, Miles always carried unshakable confidence. That was his pride.
"You... you won't lose to the Shadow Game again…"
"Again? Heh... Don't worry. I'm going to break the darkness."
"...Then I'm counting on you, Miles. Please... be my HERO this time. Beat the darkness for me."
A wish... sincere and soul-deep.
Meanwhile, Megan—standing across the field—noticed Irene's sudden recovery... and of course, she noticed the Millennium Puzzle Aisha had thrown.
'That's... a Millennium Item? You're telling me a random academy girl owns a Millennium Item? No wonder Dekul lost.'
Realizing how serious this had become, Megan stopped holding back.
Victory was only one strike away.
"It's too late to recover now, little cutie. [Archfiend's Manifestation]—Attack directly! —Demonic Lightning Storm!!"
"If I want to win... first, I've gotta survive this hit. I activate my set card!"
Facing the descending lightning, Miles flipped the face-down Trap Card.
"—Trap Card activate: Skull Dice!"
[Roll 1 six-sided die. All monsters your opponent controls lose ATK and DEF equal to the result x100 until the End Phase.]
A dark counterpart to [Graceful Dice].
Irene's LP was 2600. [Archfiend's Manifestation] had 3000 ATK.
He needed to roll at least a 4 to survive—a 1/3 chance.
"That's more than enough." Miles grinned.
Considering who was rolling... a 1/3 chance was basically guaranteed.
The man who carried [Destiny Draw]... paired with Irene, the girl with [High Luck].
No way a lousy die was going to ruin this.
The demonic avatar above spun a blood-red die into the air.
The result: 5.
"Wait... not a 6?!" Irene gasped.
"5 is the best number," Miles said mysteriously.
[Archfiend's Manifestation, ATK: 3000 → 2500]
Lightning skimmed past, still hitting—but now survivable.
Whether it was because Irene's body was sturdier than Aisha's... or because this was Miles's third time being electrocuted tonight... the pain wasn't so bad anymore.
Only the LP counter screamed.
[Irene, LP: 2600 → 100]
"And as for why 5's the best? Heh... let's just say... I'm locking it in."
...
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