Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL - Episode 071

"The Miraculous Kattobingu! ZEXAL, Open The Path to the Future!!" is the seventy-first episode of the Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL anime. It first aired in Japan on September 10, 2012.

Summary
"Number 92: False Skeletal God Dragon, Heart-eartH Dragon" revives itself using its final effect, and a red cloud forms around Dr. Faker's body, introducing itself as Barian, shocking all of Yuma, Kite, Shark, Astral, and Tori. Barian then fuses himself with Dr. Faker, taking control of his body and the duel, continuing it, since Faker himself would've stopped it, having come to his senses, and increases "Number 92"'s ATK to 4000. It then switches "Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon" to Defense Position with its effect.

Kite suffers from the pains his Photon Transformation causes him, and Barian quickly begins his turn, showing he now uses "Barian" cards. He attacks "Neo Galaxy-Eyes" but Kite dodges the attack with a Trap Card. However, since his Dragon was banished, "Number 92" rises to 5000 ATK. Still down, Kite gets angry at Barian for everything he has caused, and calls out to Hart, who wakes up from Kite's scream. Angrily, Kite uses is "Dimension Wanderer" to inflict ATK equal to "Shark Drake Vice" and "Neo Galaxy-Eyes"' ATK points, making the two banished monsters use their Depth Chaos Bite and Ultimate Photon Stream. Barian, however, cancels this finishing blow using his "Barian's Gateway". Shark and Kite then drop to their knees from the aftermath of a cut by a robot from before and their Photon Transformation's respective pains, respectively.

Yuma is being talked down by Barian. Hart, pinned into the Sphere Field Cannon and now awake, overhears this and unleashes a burst of power. Fascinating everyone, and shocking Barian, he lowers the Sphere Field, which contains Astral. Kite and Shark tell Yuma to do it, and Astral calls out to Yuma, who performs several back-flips, then runs to the edge of the plateau and jumps into the Sphere Field using the Emperor's Key's power, touching Astral, and commencing their usage of the Zexal power. Yuma's red overlaying form, and Astral's blue burst out of the Sphere Field, into the sky of the room, circling around each other, eventually colliding, and in the huge flash, returning in their ZEXAL form. Kite and Tori smile at its success, and Shark, who bears witness to it for the first time, is amazed.

Together, Yuma and Astral tell Barian they will definitely defeat him, and use their Shining Draw ability. They draw and summon ZW - Ultimate Shield. Using its ability, it revives the banished "Neo Galaxy-Eyes", "Hope Ray", and "Shark Drake Vice" from within a storm. "Number 92" loses 3000 ATK as a result. Yuma/Astral then challenge Barian while all are cloaked in their power; Yuma's golden ZEXAL aura, Kite's red outline from his dragon, and Shark's purple from his Chaos Number.

Angrily, Barian has "Number 92' take the Sphere Field in its beak, stating its power is already high enough even without Astral in it, preparing to launch it into the portal to the Astral World. Yuma quickly equips "Ultimate Shield" to "Utopia Ray", ready to use its effects, and equips "Xyz Unity" to it. Using the powers of all Xyz Monsters they have, its ATK becomes 9800. Barian reminds Yuma of Number 92's effects, but "Xyz Unity" allows "Utopia Ray" to attack directly. Barian counters again with his Barian cards, nullifying the combo a second time when Yuma does it a second time, also forcing an attack from "Utopia Ray" on Number 92, whose effect would deal enough damage to defeat the trio.

Yuma and Astral, however already thought it out with "Ultimate Shield", raising "Utopia Ray" to the insane ATK of 16600. Using a slash of lightning, Ultimate Slash, it silences Number 92. Barian loses and Faker is set free in the process and, Barian seemingly disappears into thin air. The place starts exploding and Hart is set free and lands into Kite's arms. Kite orders Orbital up, who was though to have shut down before. Dr. Faker then falls down as the plateau underneath him breaks to pieces, while Tori is brought to the trio by Orbital in his jet-pack function.

Kaito jumps down the chasm and attempts to find Faker, with Yuma following after. Kaito lands further down and saves his Father from nearly falling to his death. However Kaito and Faker nearly fall together until Kaito extends his Duel Anchor and Yuma who arrives at the bottom catches it. Yuma and Faker talk about things, like how Yuma reminds Faker of his Father Kazuma.

Suddenly out of nowhere Tron appears and has a talk with both Faker and Yuma. He holds his hand up and in what appears to be an act of malice he uses the power of his now blue crest to sent them into the depths of the pitfall. Shark, Kotori, Orbital and Haruto look on outside and seem to think that the group had not survived. All of them appear through a port apparently having been sent there by the power of Tron's crest.

Haruto embraces both his brother and his father and Kotori scolds Yuma. Faker recalls his meeting with Tron in the Astral World and finally seems sorry for what he had done to him.

Gauche and the revived Droite take Shark to the hospital for his injury. Faker tries to make amends for his actions to his two sons while Astral thanks Yuma for saving him. This seems to remind Yuma that he is the champion of the Duel Carnival. Nobody seems to believe the timing but Kaito seems to know what's coming by the smile on his face.

Yuma then challenges Kaito to a duel which Kaito accepts from both Yuma and Astral. Both of them stare at each other as the episode ends.

Featured Duel: Yuma Tsukumo, Reginald "Shark" Kastle and Kite Tenjo vs. Barian
Duel continues from the previous episode.

As "Number 92: False Skeletal God Dragon, Heart-eartH Dragon" was Special Summoned via its own effect, its effect activates, increasing its ATK by 1000 for each banished card (0 → 4000/0). Its other effect activates, changing "Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon" to Defense Position.

Turn 9: Barian

Barian activates the Continuous Spell Card "Barian's Gateway". During this turn, if a card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, his opponent will take 800 damage and Barian cannot Normal or Special Summon or Set monsters. "Heart-eartH Dragon" attacks "Neo Galaxy-Eyes", but Kite activates his face-down "Photon Escape". As a "Photon" monster was targeted for an attack, Kite can banish it and end the Battle Phase. "Neo Galaxy-Eyes" is banished and as it was, the ATK of "Heart-eartH Dragon" increases via its own effect (4000 → 5000). As a monster he controls was banished, Kite activates the effect of the "Dimension Wanderer" in his hand, sending it to the Graveyard to target two banished monsters and inflict damage to Barian equal to their combined ATKs. He chooses "Neo Galaxy-Eyes" and "Number C32: Shark Drake Vice", but Barian activates the other effect of "Barian's Gateway", sending it to the Graveyard to negate the effect of "Dimension Wanderer". Barian Sets a card.

Turn 10: Yuma

At this point, Hart frees Astral from the Sphere Field, so Astral and Yuma perform an Xyz Change ZEXAL. Yuma performs a Shining Draw, drawing "ZW - Ultimate Shield". Yuma Normal Summons it (0/2000), with its effect activating. As it was Normal Summoned, Yuma can Special Summon up to three banished Xyz Monsters in Defense Position, though their effects are negated. He Special Summons "Number C39: Utopia Ray" (2500/2000), "Shark Drake Vice" (2800/2100) and "Neo Galaxy-Eyes" (4500/3000). As three less cards are banished, the ATK of "Heart-eartH Dragon" decreases by 3000 (5000 → 2000). Yuma activates the effect of "Ultimate Shield", equipping it to "Utopia Ray" and increasing its DEF by 2000 (2000 → 4000). Yuma equips "Utopia Ray" with "Xyz Unity", letting him change "Utopia Ray" to Attack Position and increasing its ATK by the total ATK of all Defense Position Xyz Monsters he controls until the End Phase (2500 → 9800). "Utopia Ray" attacks "Heart-eartH Dragon", with Yuma attempting to activate the other effect of "Xyz Unity", letting him send an Xyz Monster he controls to the Graveyard and let "Utopia Ray" attack an additional time directly. He sends "Shark Drake Vice" to the Graveyard, but Barian activates his face-down "Barian's Battle Buster", letting him banish a "Barian's" card from his Graveyard and negate up two attacks per turn. He banishes "Barian's Gateway" to negate the attack. Yuma sends "Neo Galaxy-Eyes" to the Graveyard with "Xyz Unity" to let "Utopia Ray" attack again, but Barian negates the attack with "Barian's Battle Buster". Barian activates the other effect of "Barian's Battle Buster", sending it to the Graveyard to force "Utopia Ray" to attack again. "Utopia Ray" attacks; as the effect of "Heart-eartH Dragon" would deal the same amount of Battle Damage Barian would take to Yuma as effect damage, Yuma activates the other effect of "Ultimate Shield", negating the damage and increasing the ATK of "Utopia Ray" by that value instead (9800 → 16,600). The attack continues (Barian 150 → 0).

Featured cards
The following cards appeared in this episode. Cards in italics debuted here.