Chapter 1295 1296: Despairing Spacetime

Yusei Fudo failed?

"What nonsense are you spouting again!?" Jack roared angrily.

Jack knew nothing about the future's destruction or Z-ONE's plans, but the few people watching the remote livestream felt a stir in their hearts.

Z-ONE's blue eyes beneath the mask flickered, followed by a hint of gloom.

"He failed…?"

Kira had somewhat guessed what this meant.

The dimension these copies came from—a parallel world similar to this 5D's—had probably unfolded mostly the same as the anime he knew.

The Dark Signer incident, the WRGP, Yusei and the others successively defeating the Three Aesir and Iliaster's Three Meklord Emperor. The Ark Cradle was about to descend, and the moment of New Domino City's destruction was approaching…

According to the plot Kira knew, this should have been the part where Yusei activated the Crimson Dragon imprint card printer, cheat-printed "Shooting Quasar Dragon," and counter-killed Z-ONE. But clearly, in that parallel dimension, something went wrong.

Perhaps the Crimson Dragon imprint card printer.exe failed to respond, or perhaps even after Summoning Shooting Quasar Dragon, it still couldn't defeat Z-ONE's Timelord. In the end, Yusei lost.

As the savior, Yusei was defeated. What happened next needed no further explanation. The Ark Cradle continued its descent. New Domino City was destroyed. The prototype of the perpetual motion machine was buried along with the entire city.

"So," Kira looked at the fake Z-ONE beside him and asked.

"In your dimension, what exactly happened between your original Z-ONE and Yusei Fudo?"

"Nothing much."

The fake Z-ONE's tone was calm, but his voice seemed to carry a faint, almost imperceptible sadness.

"Betting on the future of New Domino City and humanity, Z-ONE and Yusei Fudo clashed in a Duel above New Domino City," the fake Z-ONE said. "But in the end, Yusei Fudo failed.

New Domino City was destroyed. Z-ONE succeeded in his wish and eliminated New Domino City, but he did not obtain the future he wanted."

He glanced at the other Z-ONE opposite him.

Z-ONE's gaze flickered, but he remained silent.

But this had always been one of the possibilities Z-ONE had considered.

Destroying New Domino City had always been a last resort. Because his life was nearing its end, the options before him were few. He had no choice but to make this extreme choice, while using the desperate situation he created to stimulate Yusei, hoping Yusei would evolve further.

But if Yusei failed to evolve smoothly and New Domino City really was destroyed by him, Z-ONE himself had no confidence that the future could actually be changed.

Would a future without the perpetual motion machine really be better?

And now, the Z-ONE from another spacetime told him that it was not.

"Yusei Fudo was right," the fake Z-ONE said. "Even after eliminating the perpetual motion machine, the world was not saved. What destroyed the world was never the perpetual motion machine itself, but the human heart that drove it with the wrong intent.

Even without the perpetual motion machine, the world still could not be saved. The darkness in people's hearts will always invite new destruction. The future will not change."

Z-ONE was silent for a while, then said, "So, the 'me' after that died, and then you were born, right?"

"Yes." The fake Z-ONE nodded. "He died because his lifespan had run out. But even before he died, he failed to save the world. Even though he sacrificed New Domino City and stained his hands with blood, he still couldn't change anything.

Therefore, he later copied his own personality and uploaded all his memories—that is 'me'."

Z-ONE understood. "That way you can complete his unfinished mission, and you can witness the future he didn't live long enough to see in his place."

"Correct."

The Duel continued.

"That is why we inherited God's will. No matter what, we will not allow this dimension to repeat the same mistake!"

Copy Yusei declared.

"My turn. Draw!"

"I activate the Spell Card 'Card of Adversity'. If your opponent controls a Special Summoned monster and you control no monsters, draw 2 cards!"

Copy Yusei drew two cards.

Jack lightly gritted his teeth.

He vaguely felt that the aura of the guy in front of him had undergone a slight change.

Could this guy really be Yusei…?

No, impossible.

He would never acknowledge such a thing.

"The effect of 'Quickdraw Synchron' in my hand," Copy Yusei said. "Discard 1 monster card from your hand; this card can be Special Summoned from the hand."

Copy Yusei sent one card from his hand to the Graveyard.

"Special Summon 'Quickdraw Synchron'!"

A burst of starlight exploded. A short-limbed little robot resembling a western cowboy jumped onto the field, its red scarf covering most of its face.

[Quickdraw Synchron, ATK 700]

"Next, I activate my Set card," Copy Yusei said. "Continuous Trap 'Limit Reverse'. It can revive a monster with 1000 or less ATK from the Graveyard to the field.

The monster I want to revive from the Graveyard is the card I just discarded via 'Quickdraw Synchron''s effect."

The flipped Trap card in front of him opened a black vortex. A dark whirlpool burst from the path to the Graveyard.

"Special Summon 'Level Eater'!"

[Level Eater, ATK 600]

"Level Eater?"

Jack frowned slightly. Based on the combos he knew Yusei used, the opponent should normally use Level Eater's effect to "reduce the Level of 1 monster on the field that is Level 5 or higher by 1 and Special Summon itself from the Graveyard."

Discard Level Eater to Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron, then have Level Eater eat one star from Quickdraw Synchron and Special Summon itself. The now Level 4 Quickdraw Synchron plus Level Eater would exactly allow a Synchro Summon of one of Yusei's mainstays—"Junk Warrior."

But the opponent did not use Level Eater to reduce Quickdraw Synchron's Level. That meant the combined Levels of Quickdraw Synchron and Level Eater were six.

"A Level 6 Synchro Summon… So that's it. Turbo Warrior?" Jack thought he understood.

Turbo Warrior was a Level 6 monster with 2500 ATK. When it attacks a Synchro Monster of Level 6 or higher, the opponent's monster's ATK is halved.

If Red Nova Dragon's ATK was halved, it would drop to 2250. Summoning Turbo Warrior would indeed remove it.

But at that moment, Copy Yusei said coldly, "I activate the effect of 'A/D Changer' from the Graveyard.

Banish 'A/D Changer' from the Graveyard from play and change the battle position of 1 monster on the field.

I will change the battle position of 'Level Eater' on my field."

"Nani!?" Jack was shocked.

He was somewhat confused. Level Eater had been Summoned via the Continuous Trap "Limit Reverse." Monsters Summoned by Limit Reverse are destroyed if they are changed to Defense Position.

Did that mean he had just revived Level Eater, only to immediately destroy it himself again?

"You are correct. I am not Yusei Fudo. I am the one who has surpassed Yusei Fudo—the emissary born to fulfill the mission."

Copy Yusei said calmly.

"The next card will make you understand this."