"In the future, don't help that guy, Seto Kaiba."
After hearing Bakura's words, Chumley narrowed his eyes. He didn't directly refuse, nor did he agree, but instead crossed his arms over his chest and said, "From what you're saying, it seems you're planning to make a move on KaibaCorp?"
"No, that's not right. It's not just you. You alone can't do much. So let me guess, you, Schroeder Corp, and Doma?"
"KaibaCorp has been quite prominent lately. Unfortunately, a tall tree catches the wind, so many people are targeting him." Bakura sneered, "I'm merely acting as an intermediary in this, but even so, you wouldn't want to get into trouble because of Kaiba, would you?"
Chumley snorted coldly, "Then you've misjudged me. Kaiba is my friend; we have a life-and-death bond and can even be considered sworn brothers."
"But why do I feel that a mercenary person like you wouldn't care about such things at all?"
"No, that's why I said you misunderstood," Chumley revealed a sly grin. "Since Kaiba is my sworn brother, if he's in trouble, and you want me *not* to help him..."
"You'll have to pay more."
Bakura looked at Chumley, a bit confused. "To my knowledge, haven't you already obtained 30% of Industrial Illusions' shares from Pegasus?"
"Who would ever complain about having too much money?" Chumley said with a look of disdain and envy. "That guy Kaiba acts so condescending every day, isn't it just because he has some 'stinking money'? When he goes bankrupt, I'd like to see how smug he can still be."
"Besides, I'm quite interested in KaibaCorp's technologies."
Hearing Chumley's words, Bakura shook his head. "You clearly lack experience. Have you ever schemed against anyone?"
Chumley honestly replied, "No."
"Come, let me tell you." Bakura beckoned, lowering his voice as if imparting his wisdom. "To bring down KaibaCorp, they'll do the heavy lifting. All the technological data and such belong to them, we can't touch it. Even KaibaCorp's assets will be split 30-70."
"Only 70% for them?"
Chumley's face showed dissatisfaction, which was met with Bakura's scoff. "The 70% is theirs. You'll only get 30%, and even then, you'll have to curry favor."
"So, I'd be begging on my knees then, wouldn't I!?" Chumley straightened up, a reluctant expression on his face.
Bakura didn't seem to think anything was wrong, merely assuming that Chumley was somewhat persuaded but his greed made him want more. He struck while the iron was hot, saying, "If you put it that way, it really is begging on your knees. Are you ashamed? I'm ashamed too. Where is there a job these days that isn't shameful?"
Speaking of shame, Bakura couldn't help but recall that scoundrel Dark Marik. At first, they had a good agreement: Bakura would help him eliminate Odion, and Marik would give the Millennium Rod to Bakura. But who knew that scoundrel would renege and try to double-cross him.
Although he possessed the Millennium Eye stolen from Pegasus, it ultimately couldn't compare to the Millennium Ring he was accustomed to. That unscrupulous scoundrel Marik nearly took him down with a left kick and a right hook. Fortunately, while he wasn't good at much else, he was the best at escaping, which allowed him to get away.
Later, when Kaiba's "S.S. St. Ann" was hijacked by Kaiba Noah and taken to the Sea Fortress, Marik and Bakura, forced by circumstances, teamed up again. Of course, the vengeful Bakura chose to betray Marik at a crucial moment, abandoning him to the Machine-Type forces to exact revenge.
But who knew that scoundrel, despite being able to easily defeat those robots, had also learned to play dirty. He ambushed Bakura and took the Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder Card from him.
Finally, he even detonated the Sea Fortress, sending it to the bottom of the sea. He was truly an evil person. If Bakura hadn't been slightly skilled in escape techniques, he would have been dragged down with it.
However, because he stayed in the fortress a little longer, Bakura successfully found several unpatched and still usable vulnerabilities from KaibaCorp's network, which Noah had used in the past and stored in his database. Using these as leverage, he brought Doma and Schroeder Corp, these two forces, together.
With Bakura's pushing, the two forces largely reached an agreement. Schroeder Corp wanted to eliminate Seto Kaiba and KaibaCorp, who Zigfried von Schroeder considered a thorn in his side. Doma also did not want Duel Monsters to become more widely popular. Both were now cooperating with the goal of "bringing down KaibaCorp."
As for Bakura's own purpose, neither side knew, because both sides merely thought Bakura was the other's contact person.
Combining the power of the two forces, the goal of using the KC Cup to bring down KaibaCorp was now only hindered by the troublesome individuals standing in their way, primarily the powerful Duelists like Chumley and Yugi.
Bakura's initial purpose in asking Chumley out was to see if he could control him with the Millennium Eye. However, his proficiency with the Millennium Eye was not as high as Pegasus', and as soon as he established a Magical Energy Domain, it was simultaneously nullified by the Millennium Rod and Millennium Ring on Chumley's person.
However, being able to bribe Hayato was still a stroke of luck.
Chumley furrowed his brows and pondered for a long time before sighing and saying helplessly, "The deal is made. I will not intervene in your actions against KaibaCorp. And after it's done, 30% goes to me."
"Also, you cannot actively inform Seto Kaiba or leak this matter; that would not benefit anyone," Bakura added. He wasn't worried that Chumley would renege on the deal.
In fact, although the two were still standing near the exit of Kaiba Dome's emergency passage, none of the passing spectators or pedestrians noticed the conspicuously dressed pair. As soon as Chumley noticed Bakura, the Dark Magic released by the Millennium Items had automatically formed a barrier separating them from everyone else.
Not only was their conversation unnoticed by others, but this dark barrier was actually another application of the Shadow Game, similar to the one Pegasus used to seal off Chumley and Yugi at the end of Duelist Kingdom. The agreement Chumley and Bakura reached within this barrier would, to some extent, also be bound by the Shadow Game.
Therefore, Bakura wasn't worried that Chumley would break his promise. Rather, he secretly hoped to see Chumley betray the agreement and be consumed by the Shadow Game; that way, he would have avenged his earlier defeat.
Putting his hood back on, and having established a transactional relationship witnessed by the Shadow Game, Bakura wasn't at all worried about Chumley backstabbing him. He walked ahead of Chumley, returning to the Kaiba Dome Venue, while Chumley watched Bakura's figure disappear around the corner of the passage before reaching into his pants pocket.
He pressed the button to end the call that had been on hold.
I, Hayato, am a man of my word. I've decided not to actively inform Seto Kaiba.
What?! That scoundrel Kaiba actually eavesdropped on me? How detestable!
(The past two days were transition parts, so there was only 4K each day. I'm already two chapters behind. I'll make up for them when the plot unfolds.)
(end of chapter)
Chapter 432: Completely Fired Up!
Hayato wasn't the kind of fodder character in a horror movie who would be called out by a random phone call, left alone, and then solo-killed after being isolated and helpless. When he left the audience seating, he had called Kaiba and learned that Kaiba had never sent him an email.
Even though Kaiba said he hadn't sent him an email, the first email in his inbox clearly bore Kaiba's name. Either Kaiba was out of his mind, or someone was playing tricks.
As a result, using his phone left active, Hayato broadcast his entire conversation with Bakura to Kaiba. The dark barrier deployed by the [Millennium Items] was, after all, just a barrier for concealment, not spatial transference. It was effective at preventing others from observing those inside, but it had no effect whatsoever on the phone signal.
Thus, Kaiba was aware that "someone was targeting KaibaCorp" before the agreement was reached, and Hayato had not violated the protocol.
However, that was all Hayato could do. Regardless of how much Kaiba understood from their conversation, Hayato couldn't guide or hint at more. It was up to Kaiba himself to think and prepare for any potential accidents.
As for the transaction between him and Bakura, protected by the rules of the Shadow Game, Hayato had no intention of violating it, at least not until he completely figured out what the Schroeder Corp and Doma were planning.
Before being invited to meet by Bakura today, he had been investigating related information. However, even though he knew in advance that the Schroeder Corp would cause trouble, their actions were too obscure, and Hayato hadn't been able to find any effective clues.
While he could have refused the deal Bakura proposed, doing so would have made them retreat entirely into the shadows, making it even less likely for Hayato to discover their methods of attack.
In that case, it was better to join. Although he couldn't stop them, at least he could learn their attack methods to prepare defenses in advance.
Moreover, just as that Bakura guy was closing the distance by teaching me about a "three-seven split," I took advantage when he wasn't paying attention to plant a miniature listening device, obtained from Mokuba, on his cloak, which looked like it hadn't been changed in ages. If I'm lucky, it might even allow Kaiba to gather more intelligence on Bakura, Doma, and Schroeder when they interact.
Moreover, likewise, this wasn't a leak from Hayato; it was Bakura himself. It also didn't violate the terms of their agreement.
As for why Mokuba had miniature listening devices typically used by corporate spies? Who cares about that?
Returning to the venue inside the Kaiba Dome, some time had passed since Hayato had left. Joey and Reiko Northwood had already left the field, replaced by two other duelists. However, Hayato could only confirm he had seen them in previous matches; he had no impression of who either of them were.
However, Hayato didn't have much time to become interested in them, as the duel was decided within just a few turns.
One of the duelists was using an Aggro Deck. Unfortunately, his opponent's strategy focused on a Heavy Trap Deck, with all sorts of attack-declaration traps appearing endlessly. Although neither side's Life Points were being damaged, the situation on the field felt as precarious as walking a tightrope.
It was either the Aggro Deck breaking through the Heavy Trap Deck defenses to create openings, or the Heavy Trap Deck wearing down the advantage created by the Aggro Deck.
After attack after attack was intercepted, the aggressive player decided to go all in, Tributing all the monsters they had previously Summoned to Summon the terrifying "big baby" - the Level 8 [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts].
This was a rather special monster card. Although it was a Level 8 monster, it could not be Tribute Summoned by Tributing two monsters; instead, it had to be Special Summoned by Tributing all monsters on its owner's field. At the same time, although [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts]'s ATK and DEF were both 0, it could absorb the full power of the Tributes and combine it.
Furthermore, [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts] also had Piercing ability. Theoretically, it would be quite advantageous to use it to attack Decks focused on defensive strategies, especially when the aggressive player had Tributed all their previous powerful monsters, raising [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts]'s ATK to a full 6000 points.
But the problem was, the Heavy Trap player on the opposite side seemed to have anticipated this. They directly activated a Set Card from their back row, and a [Ring of Destruction] immediately turned the newly appeared [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts] into a terrifying bomb.
This was not the actual card game environment Hayato was used to. Back then, the effect of [Ring of Destruction] had already been nerfed, becoming: "On your opponent's turn, Target one face-up monster on your opponent's field whose ATK is less than or equal to your opponent's current Life Points: Destroy that monster, and you take damage equal to that monster's Original ATK. After that, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the damage you took."
To put it another way, it could only destroy an opponent's monster with ATK lower than their Life Points on the opponent's turn, and it caused the player themselves to take damage first, then the opponent. It was quite confusingly weak and lacked much practicality.
However, the current [Ring of Destruction] was a pre-errata version. Its effect was quite concise: "Destroy one face-up monster on the field. Both players take damage equal to the destroyed monster's ATK."
With no turn restriction, no ATK restriction, and inflicting effect damage to both players simultaneously, it was practically the ultimate tool for a Self-Destruct strategy. This was especially true when the chosen monster was the 6000 ATK [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts], as both players would have their Life Points reduced to zero simultaneously due to the effect of [Ring of Destruction].
However, the Heavy Trap player was quite clever. Chaining to [Ring of Destruction], they directly activated [Mysterious Chinese Pot]. They Tributed the monster on their field previously used as a shield – the 3000 DEF [Millennium Shield] – to recover 3000 Life Points, bringing their remaining Life Points to 7000, more than enough to withstand the damage from [Ring of Destruction].
With a loud "Boom," [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts] was Detonated. The heavy trap duelist, whose Life Points had dropped to a mere 1000, laughed maniacally as they watched their opponent engulfed in smoke and dust. However, after only two laughs, a gunshot echoed from within the smoke, instantly knocking them to the ground with their Life Points reduced to zero.
Meanwhile, the aggressive duelist within the smoke revealed their Life Points, which had not suffered any damage, along with a [Curse of Painful Soul] activated on their back row. Thanks to the effect of [Curse of Painful Soul], the aggressive duelist completely returned the effect damage they should have taken, achieving victory and presenting the audience with a spectacular duel.
Amidst the cheers of the audience, Hayato returned to his seat, but he received peculiar glances from Marik and the others, which left Hayato somewhat bewildered.
"I haven't done anything, right?"
"How many is this?"
"Must be the sixth. A guy who can easily Tribute monsters."
"The influence on young people is immeasurable."
Listening to the banter from Marik and Joey, who had returned to their seats, Hayato understood exactly what they meant. These guys were again complaining about the monster-Tributing strategy he had popularized.
"Cut it out! Don't act like I'm the only one who likes using monster-Tributing strategies. Yugi has Catapult Turtle too!"
Hayato would never admit that he started this trend. Besides, even if he did, Tributing a monster for victory was a huge profit, perfectly reasonable and justifiable. It was a necessary sacrifice!
"My heart and actions are as clear as a bright mirror; everything I do is justice!"
Then, Hayato noticed that Yugi had once again disappeared from the group.
"As for Yugi Muto, while he says he's eager to Duel, it looks more like he wants to escape the so-called 'scene of chaos'," Marik said, his eyes meeting Hayato's. As he spoke, he passed Hayato the large bag of fries Hayato had left behind, and stuffed a handful into his own mouth.
The KC Cup matches were quite long. Naturally, different audiences had different preferences for different dueling styles. It was normal to feel bored during duels that didn't interest them.
KaibaCorp, meanwhile, seized every opportunity to work on this aspect, specially arranging dedicated staff to sell various snacks and small eats.
These weren't just ordinary snacks. After each snack was sold, a stamp was given. Collecting ten stamps allowed one to redeem a beautiful standee. Monsters frequently used by many Legendary Duelists, such as [Gaia The Fierce Knight], [Dark Magician], [Dark Magician Girl], and [Red-Eyes Black Dragon], were all made into standees.
However, the monsters appearing on the standees were random. Achieving a complete collection wouldn't be easy; one would have to buy more snacks. Upon learning this, Hayato exclaimed that Kaiba had completely mastered the marketing tactics of Japanese idol support.
After a short while, Hayato saw Yugi's figure appear on the Duel Field. However, this time, the Yugi appearing on the Duel Field had a different aura than usual. Furthermore, he had undone his blue jacket and draped it over his shoulders like a cape, revealing the black t-shirt he wore underneath, striking a pose that prioritized style over warmth.
No need to guess; the one appearing now was definitely Yami Yugi. After all, he was the kind of tough guy who would have Yugi wear a solid metal chain around his neck and walk around.
Compared to Yugi Muto's strategy, which was primarily cautious if you put it nicely, or a Heavy Trap Deck if you put it bluntly, Yami Yugi's duels were far more watchable. After all, rather than watching monsters fall into pits of various sizes like fools, being annihilated by Spells at least offered visual enjoyment.
However, the prerequisite for watchability was that the opponent, not necessarily a legendary "worthy opponent," should at least have a comparable skill level. If Yugi's opponent was someone whose Ace Monster didn't even have 2500 ATK, the duel would be quite boring.
Thinking this, Hayato looked up at the name of Yugi's opponent displayed on the big screen.
"Jaden Yuki?"
Hayato blinked.
"Yuki Jaden? Jaden Yuki!"
What's up, Yugi Muto VS Jaden Yuki? This is some kind of dream collaboration, a classic rerun.
Amidst the audience's cheers, a jellyfish appeared before colorful starfish—cough, cough—in front of Yugi, a youthful-looking Jaden walked onto the Duel Field.
"Wow, it's Mr. Yugi! This is awesome!" Upon seeing that it was indeed Yugi standing before him, Jaden seemed to finally confirm he hadn't misheard, his face filled with excitement. "I never expected to be Dueling Mr. Yugi so soon!"
Although he usually wore a cold expression during Duels, Yami Yugi was actually quite a gentle person, just like Yugi Muto. Looking at the excited Jaden, he smiled and said, "Hello, Jaden. I am Yugi Muto."
"Hello, Mr. Yugi!" Jaden replied politely. "You can just call me Jaden. Hayato calls me that too."
"I'm incredibly excited at the thought of Dueling Mr. Yugi! This way, I'll have Dueled both Mr. Yugi and Hayato. It looks like I have the potential to become a Legendary Duelist too."
Watching Jaden's excited smile, Yami Yugi smiled and raised the Duel Disk on his arm: "I'm also looking forward to Dueling you, Jaden. Hayato mentioned you to me, saying you have great potential in Duel Monsters."
As he spoke, Yugi's gaze couldn't help but drift towards Jaden's back. Although Hayato had placed a Seal on him, and [Yubel] wouldn't affect Jaden for a long time, the Seal itself was quite conspicuous, especially to Yami Yugi, who was sensitive to Dark Power.
"In any case, let's have an interesting Duel, Jaden," Yami Yugi's expression became somewhat serious. While he was gentle, it didn't mean Yami Yugi would hold back just because Jaden was a child. He was always serious about every Duel. "Even though you're still a child, I will treat you as a professional duelist."
"That's exactly what I wanted, Mr. Yugi," Jaden nodded with a smile, and the child-specific Duel Disk he wore on his hand unfolded as he inserted his Deck. "The Heroes who cooperate intimately with me are invincible!"
"Duel!" X2
[Yugi: 4000 LP]
[Jaden: 4000 LP]
"Alright, I'll take the First Turn, Yugi!" Jaden moved quickly. After drawing a card, his face lit up with anticipation. "I'm completely fired up! I'm going to soar!"
"I'll Summon a monster in face-down Defense Position, then Set three cards in my back row. My turn ends."
Yugi raised an eyebrow.
"You call that 'fired up'? You're practically burning on a heated brick bed!"
"This familiar feeling... it's the feel of Aibo and Hayato!"
(end of chapter)
```
Chapter 432: Completely Fired Up!
Hayato wasn't the kind of fodder character in a horror movie who would be called out by a random phone call, left alone, and then solo-killed after being isolated and helpless. When he left the audience seating, he had called Kaiba and learned that Kaiba had never sent him an email.
Even though Kaiba said he hadn't sent him an email, the first email in his inbox clearly bore Kaiba's name. Either Kaiba was out of his mind, or someone was playing tricks.
As a result, using his phone left active, Hayato broadcast his entire conversation with Bakura to Kaiba. The dark barrier deployed by the [Millennium Items] was, after all, just a barrier for concealment, not spatial transference. It was effective at preventing others from observing those inside, but it had no effect whatsoever on the phone signal.
Thus, Kaiba was aware that "someone was targeting KaibaCorp" before the agreement was reached, and Hayato had not violated the protocol.
However, that was all Hayato could do. Regardless of how much Kaiba understood from their conversation, Hayato couldn't guide or hint at more. It was up to Kaiba himself to think and prepare for any potential accidents.
As for the transaction between him and Bakura, protected by the rules of the Shadow Game, Hayato had no intention of violating it, at least not until he completely figured out what the Schroeder Corp and Doma were planning.
Before being invited to meet by Bakura today, he had been investigating related information. However, even though he knew in advance that the Schroeder Corp would cause trouble, their actions were too obscure, and Hayato hadn't been able to find any effective clues.
While he could have refused the deal Bakura proposed, doing so would have made them retreat entirely into the shadows, making it even less likely for Hayato to discover their methods of attack.
In that case, it was better to join. Although he couldn't stop them, at least he could learn their attack methods to prepare defenses in advance.
Moreover, just as that Bakura guy was closing the distance by teaching me about a "three-seven split," I took advantage when he wasn't paying attention to plant a miniature listening device, obtained from Mokuba, on his cloak, which looked like it hadn't been changed in ages. If I'm lucky, it might even allow Kaiba to gather more intelligence on Bakura, Doma, and Schroeder when they interact.
Moreover, likewise, this wasn't a leak from Hayato; it was Bakura himself. It also didn't violate the terms of their agreement.
As for why Mokuba had miniature listening devices typically used by corporate spies? Who cares about that?
Returning to the venue inside the Kaiba Dome, some time had passed since Hayato had left. Joey and Reiko Northwood had already left the field, replaced by two other duelists. However, Hayato could only confirm he had seen them in previous matches; he had no impression of who either of them were.
However, Hayato didn't have much time to become interested in them, as the duel was decided within just a few turns.
One of the duelists was using an Aggro Deck. Unfortunately, his opponent's strategy focused on a Heavy Trap Deck, with all sorts of attack-declaration traps appearing endlessly. Although neither side's Life Points were being damaged, the situation on the field felt as precarious as walking a tightrope.
It was either the Aggro Deck breaking through the Heavy Trap Deck defenses to create openings, or the Heavy Trap Deck wearing down the advantage created by the Aggro Deck.
After attack after attack was intercepted, the aggressive player decided to go all in, Tributing all the monsters they had previously Summoned to Summon the terrifying "big baby" - the Level 8 [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts].
This was a rather special monster card. Although it was a Level 8 monster, it could not be Tribute Summoned by Tributing two monsters; instead, it had to be Special Summoned by Tributing all monsters on its owner's field. At the same time, although [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts]'s ATK and DEF were both 0, it could absorb the full power of the Tributes and combine it.
Furthermore, [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts] also had Piercing ability. Theoretically, it would be quite advantageous to use it to attack Decks focused on defensive strategies, especially when the aggressive player had Tributed all their previous powerful monsters, raising [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts]'s ATK to a full 6000 points.
But the problem was, the Heavy Trap player on the opposite side seemed to have anticipated this. They directly activated a Set Card from their back row, and a [Ring of Destruction] immediately turned the newly appeared [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts] into a terrifying bomb.
This was not the actual card game environment Hayato was used to. Back then, the effect of [Ring of Destruction] had already been nerfed, becoming: "On your opponent's turn, Target one face-up monster on your opponent's field whose ATK is less than or equal to your opponent's current Life Points: Destroy that monster, and you take damage equal to that monster's Original ATK. After that, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the damage you took."
To put it another way, it could only destroy an opponent's monster with ATK lower than their Life Points on the opponent's turn, and it caused the player themselves to take damage first, then the opponent. It was quite confusingly weak and lacked much practicality.
However, the current [Ring of Destruction] was a pre-errata version. Its effect was quite concise: "Destroy one face-up monster on the field. Both players take damage equal to the destroyed monster's ATK."
With no turn restriction, no ATK restriction, and inflicting effect damage to both players simultaneously, it was practically the ultimate tool for a Self-Destruct strategy. This was especially true when the chosen monster was the 6000 ATK [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts], as both players would have their Life Points reduced to zero simultaneously due to the effect of [Ring of Destruction].
However, the Heavy Trap player was quite clever. Chaining to [Ring of Destruction], they directly activated [Mysterious Chinese Pot]. They Tributed the monster on their field previously used as a shield – the 3000 DEF [Millennium Shield] – to recover 3000 Life Points, bringing their remaining Life Points to 7000, more than enough to withstand the damage from [Ring of Destruction].
With a loud "Boom," [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts] was Detonated. The heavy trap duelist, whose Life Points had dropped to a mere 1000, laughed maniacally as they watched their opponent engulfed in smoke and dust. However, after only two laughs, a gunshot echoed from within the smoke, instantly knocking them to the ground with their Life Points reduced to zero.
Meanwhile, the aggressive duelist within the smoke revealed their Life Points, which had not suffered any damage, along with a [Curse of Painful Soul] activated on their back row. Thanks to the effect of [Curse of Painful Soul], the aggressive duelist completely returned the effect damage they should have taken, achieving victory and presenting the audience with a spectacular duel.
Amidst the cheers of the audience, Hayato returned to his seat, but he received peculiar glances from Marik and the others, which left Hayato somewhat bewildered.
"I haven't done anything, right?"
"How many is this?"
"Must be the sixth. A guy who can easily Tribute monsters."
"The influence on young people is immeasurable."
Listening to the banter from Marik and Joey, who had returned to their seats, Hayato understood exactly what they meant. These guys were again complaining about the monster-Tributing strategy he had popularized.
"Cut it out! Don't act like I'm the only one who likes using monster-Tributing strategies. Yugi has Catapult Turtle too!"
Hayato would never admit that he started this trend. Besides, even if he did, Tributing a monster for victory was a huge profit, perfectly reasonable and justifiable. It was a necessary sacrifice!
"My heart and actions are as clear as a bright mirror; everything I do is justice!"
Then, Hayato noticed that Yugi had once again disappeared from the group.
"As for Yugi Muto, while he says he's eager to Duel, it looks more like he wants to escape the so-called 'scene of chaos'," Marik said, his eyes meeting Hayato's. As he spoke, he passed Hayato the large bag of fries Hayato had left behind, and stuffed a handful into his own mouth.
The KC Cup matches were quite long. Naturally, different audiences had different preferences for different dueling styles. It was normal to feel bored during duels that didn't interest them.
KaibaCorp, meanwhile, seized every opportunity to work on this aspect, specially arranging dedicated staff to sell various snacks and small eats.
These weren't just ordinary snacks. After each snack was sold, a stamp was given. Collecting ten stamps allowed one to redeem a beautiful standee. Monsters frequently used by many Legendary Duelists, such as [Gaia The Fierce Knight], [Dark Magician], [Dark Magician Girl], and [Red-Eyes Black Dragon], were all made into standees.
However, the monsters appearing on the standees were random. Achieving a complete collection wouldn't be easy; one would have to buy more snacks. Upon learning this, Hayato exclaimed that Kaiba had completely mastered the marketing tactics of Japanese idol support.
After a short while, Hayato saw Yugi's figure appear on the Duel Field. However, this time, the Yugi appearing on the Duel Field had a different aura than usual. Furthermore, he had undone his blue jacket and draped it over his shoulders like a cape, revealing the black t-shirt he wore underneath, striking a pose that prioritized style over warmth.
No need to guess; the one appearing now was definitely Yami Yugi. After all, he was the kind of tough guy who would have Yugi wear a solid metal chain around his neck and walk around.
Compared to Yugi Muto's strategy, which was primarily cautious if you put it nicely, or a Heavy Trap Deck if you put it bluntly, Yami Yugi's duels were far more watchable. After all, rather than watching monsters fall into pits of various sizes like fools, being annihilated by Spells at least offered visual enjoyment.
However, the prerequisite for watchability was that the opponent, not necessarily a legendary "worthy opponent," should at least have a comparable skill level. If Yugi's opponent was someone whose Ace Monster didn't even have 2500 ATK, the duel would be quite boring.
Thinking this, Hayato looked up at the name of Yugi's opponent displayed on the big screen.
"Jaden Yuki?"
Hayato blinked.
"Yuki Jaden? Jaden Yuki!"
What's up, Yugi Muto VS Jaden Yuki? This is some kind of dream collaboration, a classic rerun.
Amidst the audience's cheers, a jellyfish appeared before colorful starfish—cough, cough—in front of Yugi, a youthful-looking Jaden walked onto the Duel Field.
"Wow, it's Mr. Yugi! This is awesome!" Upon seeing that it was indeed Yugi standing before him, Jaden seemed to finally confirm he hadn't misheard, his face filled with excitement. "I never expected to be Dueling Mr. Yugi so soon!"
Although he usually wore a cold expression during Duels, Yami Yugi was actually quite a gentle person, just like Yugi Muto. Looking at the excited Jaden, he smiled and said, "Hello, Jaden. I am Yugi Muto."
"Hello, Mr. Yugi!" Jaden replied politely. "You can just call me Jaden. Hayato calls me that too."
"I'm incredibly excited at the thought of Dueling Mr. Yugi! This way, I'll have Dueled both Mr. Yugi and Hayato. It looks like I have the potential to become a Legendary Duelist too."
Watching Jaden's excited smile, Yami Yugi smiled and raised the Duel Disk on his arm: "I'm also looking forward to Dueling you, Jaden. Hayato mentioned you to me, saying you have great potential in Duel Monsters."
As he spoke, Yugi's gaze couldn't help but drift towards Jaden's back. Although Hayato had placed a Seal on him, and [Yubel] wouldn't affect Jaden for a long time, the Seal itself was quite conspicuous, especially to Yami Yugi, who was sensitive to Dark Power.
"In any case, let's have an interesting Duel, Jaden," Yami Yugi's expression became somewhat serious. While he was gentle, it didn't mean Yami Yugi would hold back just because Jaden was a child. He was always serious about every Duel. "Even though you're still a child, I will treat you as a professional duelist."
"That's exactly what I wanted, Mr. Yugi," Jaden nodded with a smile, and the child-specific Duel Disk he wore on his hand unfolded as he inserted his Deck. "The Heroes who cooperate intimately with me are invincible!"
"Duel!" X2
[Yugi: 4000 LP]
[Jaden: 4000 LP]
"Alright, I'll take the First Turn, Yugi!" Jaden moved quickly. After drawing a card, his face lit up with anticipation. "I'm completely fired up! I'm going to soar!"
"I'll Summon a monster in face-down Defense Position, then Set three cards in my back row. My turn ends."
Yugi raised an eyebrow.
"You call that 'fired up'? You're practically burning on a heated brick bed!"
"This familiar feeling... it's the feel of Aibo and Hayato!"
(end of chapter)
```
Chapter 433: (Elemental HERO Clayman): "Nice play, but don't do it again next time."
Jaden: 4000 LP, Hand 2
Face-down Defense Position Monster
Set Card X3
Although Yugi had seen the young Duelist in front of him in various matches before, and Chumley had told him that the cards Jaden used were part of the (E・HERO) Deck, which would be released soon, Yugi truly couldn't guess what specific Monsters Jaden would use.
However, the Monsters weren't Yugi's main concern; the three Set Cards in Jaden's Back Row were. Yugi, experienced in Duels, knew that simply Summoning powerful Monsters wasn't always effective; a single (Trap Hole) could easily take out a hard-summoned ace.
"My Turn, Draw." After deciding on his approach, Yugi drew a Card. The Card he drew was the Spell Card (Heavy Storm).
It's said that "a True Duelist can even create their own draws," so it was only natural for Yugi to Draw (Heavy Storm) when he wanted a Card with the Effect to destroy Spell/Trap Cards.
"I Activate the Spell Card (Heavy Storm)! This Card's Effect is to destroy all Spell/Trap Cards on the Field!" Inserting the newly drawn Card into his Duel Disk, Yugi said with a smile, "This Card's biggest flaw is that it also destroys my own cards on the Field, but in this situation, only your cards, Jaden, will be destroyed."
The (Heavy Storm) Card was displayed in Yugi's Back Row, and a powerful storm engulfed the entire Field indiscriminately. But just then, Jaden pressed the button on his Duel Disk to Activate a Set Card:
"No, Mr. Yugi, a Duelist must face difficulties head-on. Thinking you can take a shortcut by Countering my Trap is actually just taking the long way around."
"I Activate my Set Card, Trap Card (Atonement for the Dark)! This Card can be Activated when an Opponent's Spell, Trap, or Monster Effect that would destroy a card on the Field is Activated, and it Negates that Effect!"
The storm, filled with destructive aura, was about to destroy all three cards in Jaden's Back Row. However, from the (Atonement for the Dark) that Jaden Activated, a dark shadow shot out and surged into the center of the storm, Negating (Heavy Storm)'s Effect.
Yami Yugi wasn't too surprised. After all, Jaden had three Set Cards. Having Dueled with Chumley and Yugi Muto frequently, he knew it would be strange if he could resolve the Back Row so easily.
Moreover, one (Heavy Storm) for one (Atonement for the Dark) was a fair trade.
"After (Atonement for the Dark)'s Effect Negates (Heavy Storm), I need to Send one Level 3 or lower DARK Attribute Monster from my Deck to the Graveyard."
Jaden said, then proceeded to Search his Deck, quickly choosing the Monster Card he wanted to use and Sending it to the Graveyard.
'A Monster Sent to the Graveyard as a Substitute for a card from the Field, due to (Atonement for the Dark)'s Effect?'
'No, if Chumley advised Jaden, even a negative Effect would likely be utilized. Perhaps that card Sent to the Graveyard has an Effect that can Activate.'
Yugi thought for a moment, then played another card: "If that's the case, then probing with a Direct Attack is the only way."
"I Normal Summon (Magical Trickster - Reijin). Then, due to (Magical Trickster - Reijin)'s Effect, as long as it exists Face-up Position on the Field, once per Turn, I can Tribute Summon one Spellcaster-Type Monster in Face-up Position in addition to my Normal Summon."
(Magical Trickster - Reijin) [ATK 1300]
(Magical Trickster - Reijin), dressed as a clown, appeared on Yugi's Field with a mischievous grin. It then quickly vanished, transforming into a shining orb of light due to its own Effect. The orb of light transformed into a Magic Circle, and from within the Magic Circle, (Dark Magician Girl) made a dazzling entrance, one hand holding down her pink miniskirt to prevent any wardrobe malfunctions, the other holding her magical staff.
(Dark Magician Girl) [ATK 2000]
Although she is a Level 6 Monster, requiring one Tribute to Summon, theoretically she would at least need to wait until the second Turn to be Normal Summoned to the Field. However, under the Effect of (Magical Trickster - Reijin), (Dark Magician Girl) was Summoned by Yugi on the first Turn.
And upon her arrival, for the first time in the Kaiba Dome Venue, an incredibly passionate cheer erupted—
"(Dark Magician Girl) is my wife!"
"So cute, absolutely amazing!"
"I'm good, brothers!"
"It might sound a bit lewd, but I..."
Such passionate cheers were surprising not only to Yugi on the Field but also to Kaiba backstage.
In reality, it was perfectly normal for (Dark Magician Girl) to have such high popularity among the audience. You see, while more seasoned Duelists have different preferences — some are Dragon Enthusiasts, some like Waifu Cards, some like Mech Cards, and some perverts like (Paleozoic Dinomischus) — if it's a casual spectator, what is most appealing about Duel Monsters?
Even the majestic Great Dragon (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) can scare off some timid individuals. And while (Dark Magician) can swing a staff to attack, his appearance might seem too slender for some muscle-heads. Only Waifu Cards like (Dark Magician Girl) receive universal approval.
Regardless of age or even gender, who can refuse a cute and beautiful young lady, especially one who's a magical girl with a magic wand?
Not to mention, the monsters from Duke Devlin's Dungeon Dice Monsters game; although more batches of Duel Monster-themed Dice were released later, to this day, the first batch released, (Dark Magician Girl), still stands at the top of the popularity charts.
Furthermore, regarding Kaiba's event where you collect stamps by buying snacks to exchange for standees, Chumley has already discovered several instances of scalping and price gouging for the scarce (Dark Magician Girl) standees. Meanwhile, Kaiba's personal favorite — the (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) standees — are so numerous that their price is about to drop below 50 yen among resellers, soon to compete with a certain fallen king's Soul.
After a brief moment of surprise, Yugi and Jaden quickly recomposed themselves, refocusing their attention on the Duel.
"(Dark Magician Girl), huh? I've seen her many times on Videotapes, but this is the first time I've seen her appear before me. She's truly a beautiful Duel Monster."
Listening to Jaden's words, Yugi returned a gentle smile: "Don't get too caught up admiring (Dark Magician Girl), Jaden. Her Master is the strongest Spellcaster, (Dark Magician), and (Dark Magician Girl)'s strength is also considerable."
"(Magical Trickster - Reijin)'s Effect, which was Released as a Tribute, Activates! When this Card is Sent to the Graveyard from the Field, I can Add one Spellcaster-Type Normal Monster from my Deck or Graveyard to my Hand. The Card I choose is my most loyal servant, (Dark Magician)."
Yugi skillfully Searched for the (Dark Magician) Card from his Deck, as if he knew exactly where it was, and placed it in his Hand. Looking at the four cards in his Hand, Yugi selected one: "Although I can attack directly now, to be safe, I'll use this Card first."
"Normal Spell Card, (Swords of Revealing Light)!"
As Yugi Activated the Card, three giant swords of light materialized in the sky above Jaden's Field, plummeting down and embedding themselves into Jaden's Field. As they sealed Jaden's Field, the resulting tremor caused the Face-down Defense Position Monster on Jaden's Field to lose its position and flip face-up.
(Elemental HERO Clayman) [Level 4/Earth]
[Warrior-Type/Normal Monster]
[ATK 800/DEF 2000]
"Eh? (Elemental HERO Clayman) was flipped face-up!" Jaden's eyes widened as he looked at the three giant swords of light on his Field. "And it stays on the Field after activation?"
"(Swords of Revealing Light) is a Normal Spell Card, but it remains on the Field for three Turns after Activation. And as long as (Swords of Revealing Light) exists, your Opponent's Monsters cannot attack." Yugi noticed that Jaden seemed unfamiliar with (Swords of Revealing Light), so he patiently explained the Card's Effect.
This wasn't the first time, after all; Yugi had often explained card Effects to Joey and the others before.
"Also, as part of (Swords of Revealing Light)'s Effect Resolution upon Activation, all Face-down Position Monsters on the Opponent's Field are changed to Face-up Defense Position. However, this Effect only occurs during Activation." Yugi glanced at (Elemental HERO Clayman) on Jaden's Field, with its 2000 DEF, and said casually, "It's a good thing I Activated this Card, Jaden. Otherwise, (Dark Magician Girl) really wouldn't have been able to break through your DEF."
(Dark Magician Girl) has an Effect where her ATK increases with the number of (Dark Magician) and (Magician of Black Chaos) in the Graveyard. However, Yugi currently had none of those cards in his Graveyard, so (Dark Magician Girl)'s current ATK was only its base 2000.
While (Elemental HERO Clayman) only has 800 ATK, its DEF are an excellent 2000, making it truly difficult for ordinary Monsters to easily break through its Defense.
However, now that he knew the Opponent's exact stats, Yugi only needed to boost (Dark Magician Girl)'s ATK.
"I Activate the Equip Spell Card (Magic Formula)! This Card can only be Equipped to (Dark Magician) or (Dark Magician Girl), and it increases their ATK by 700 points."
Once again, Yugi played a Card and inserted it into his Duel Disk, then waved his Hand forward: "Now, entering my Battle Phase! Go, (Dark Magician Girl), attack (Elemental HERO Clayman)!"
"(Dark Magic Attack)!"
At Yugi's command, (Dark Magician Girl) playfully winked at the camera recording the Field, charming countless spectators. At the same time, she spun her short staff twice before gripping it tightly, and a transparent purple Magical Energy sphere instantly gathered at its tip.
As for that (Magic Formula)? It was tucked into (Dark Magician Girl)'s waist.
As everyone knows, while Equip Cards can affect a Monster's ATK and DEF, there is no mandatory rule that a Monster equipped with an Equip Card must use the Equip Card to battle.
Just as (Red-Eyes Black Dragon) and Demonic Dragon still breathe fire to attack even when Equipped with a "Dark Dragon Claw," it's perfectly reasonable for (Dark Magician Girl) to use (Magic Formula) as mere decoration after Equipping it.
*Heh heh, I've grown a lot, you know. Do you think I'd open that book and look inside in front of everyone? If I'm going to look, I'll do it when no one's around!*
(Dark Magician Girl) thought to herself.
The purple Magical Energy sphere launched from the tip of her staff. In an instant, it pierced through the three giant swords of light from (Swords of Revealing Light), seemingly about to hit (Elemental HERO Clayman) on Jaden's Field.
(Dark Magician Girl) ((Magic Formula)) [ATK 2000 → 2700]
(Elemental HERO Clayman) [DEF 2000]
Enjoying the enthusiastic cheers from the audience, (Dark Magician Girl) was supremely confident that her attack would destroy (Elemental HERO Clayman).
*There's no suspense here, right? 2700 ATK against 2000 DEF, it's an overwhelming attack, how can I lose? I'm a professional Spellcaster, you know.*
*Hoo hoo, even though I usually say Master is my Ace Monster, it's still me, (Dark Magician Girl), who takes the lead! High-popularity characters like me can do whatever they want, and this feeling is just too wonderful. So wonderful, I almost want to burst into song.*
*Heh heh, (Magic Formula)'s Effect is just perfect for me! This is simply the best, I'm practically invincible!*
"Boom!!"
Accompanied by (Dark Magician Girl)'s "gleeful" smile, her attack seemed to successfully destroy (Elemental HERO Clayman), causing an explosion.
However, before (Dark Magician Girl) could even laugh aloud, a tall, round figure suddenly burst out from the smoke of the explosion, appearing behind her and clamped her tightly with its stout arms!
"Nani?!"
More clearly than (Dark Magician Girl), Yugi could see the full picture. The figure that appeared behind (Dark Magician Girl) was unmistakably (Elemental HERO Clayman), who had just been "destroyed"!?
"Mr. Yugi, when did you get the misconception that my (Elemental HERO Clayman) was destroyed by battle?" Jaden, with a confident expression, answered Yugi and (Dark Magician Girl)'s confusion. "It was a Set Card! At that very moment, I Activated my Set Card."
"Trap Card (Clay Charge), a Card that can only be used when (Elemental HERO Clayman) is targeted for an attack." Jaden watched (Elemental HERO Clayman), whose clay body was gradually glowing white as it embraced (Dark Magician Girl), and said with a smile, "It destroys the attacking monster and (Elemental HERO Clayman), and inflicts 800 damage to the opponent Duelist."
"This is a necessary sacrifice! Self-destruct, (Elemental HERO Clayman)!"
"Boom!"
(end of chapter)
Chapter 434: The JoJo-fied Dark Magician
[E. HERO Clayman] perfectly recreated a certain artist's self-destruction in a sense, as under Jaden's guilt-free smile, it self-destructed, dragging along a reluctant [Dark Magician Girl].
"This Dark Magician Girl! This Dark Magician Girl!"
"BOOM!"
Although [Dark Magician Girl] was incredibly unwilling, she took the full brunt of the close-range self-destruct damage and was instantly destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.
However, what surprised Jaden a bit was that although [Clay Charge] had the effect "inflict 800 effect damage to your opponent," Yugi's Life Points not only didn't decrease but increased.
[Yugi: 4000 → 3200 → 4200 LP]
"When [Magic Formula] is sent from the Field to the Graveyard, I can recover 1000 of my Life Points," Yugi explained Jaden's confusion, showing an amused smile. "An impressive strategy, Jaden-kun. You completely blocked my offense and delivered such a beautiful counterattack. You are a skilled Duelist."
After all that maneuvering, Yugi's offensive not only failed to inflict any damage on Jaden, but his own hand was depleted down to only two cards. One of them was [Dark Magician], which was added to his hand due to the effect of [Magical Trickster Lizhen].
On Jaden's Field, one of the three cards he Set last turn remained unrevealed, and there was a chance for cards with usable effects to exist in his Graveyard. Although the monsters on both players' Fields were cleared, Yugi wasn't worried about being directly attacked by Jaden's summoned monsters next turn due to [Swords of Revealing Light].
"I'll Set one card in my Back Row and then end my Turn." The unplayable [Dark Magician] remained in Yugi's hand. After Setting the card, he looked at Jaden with keen interest, anticipating his next move.
While Yugi Muto and Yami Yugi displayed a "competitive" attitude in Duel Monsters, if the opponent was a child like Jaden, not even ten years old, even he felt it was a bit much to immediately miracle draw [Graceful Charity] for a burst of offense. Such an all-out effort against a child would be rather embarrassing.
[Yugi: 4200 LP, Hand: 1]
[Swords of Revealing Light][Set Card]
"It's my Turn again. Now, I draw!" After drawing a card from his Deck, Jaden pointed to his Graveyard. "During my Standby Phase, a monster effect in my Graveyard can be activated."
"Oh? Is it the monster sent to the Graveyard by [Scapegoat of Darkness] earlier?" Yugi had anticipated this.
Jaden nodded and took a card from the Graveyard area of his Duel Disk. "As expected of Mr. Yugi, you already knew I would use card effects to place favorable cards!"
"During my Standby Phase, if [Immortal Bushi] is in my Graveyard and I control no monsters, I can Special Summon [Immortal Bushi] from my Graveyard. This effect can only be activated if my Graveyard contains no monsters other than Warrior-Type monsters."
A mound of earth rose on Jaden's Field. A rotting, bone-exposed arm, clad in tattered armor, broke through the dirt from underground. The once-dead warrior, now covered in grime, held two rusty samurai swords and stood before Jaden.
It should have been an "undead creature" that inspires fear, but perhaps because of the sacred and resolute expression on [Immortal Bushi]'s face, Yugi instead felt that [Immortal Bushi] was like a hero who would uphold his beliefs and justice even if he returned from the Underworld.
[Immortal Bushi][Level 3 / DARK Attribute]
[Warrior-Type / Effect]
[1200 ATK / 600 DEF]
"[Immortal Bushi] is a monster that, as long as it maintains its conviction, can rise up and continue fighting no matter how many times it falls," Jaden said, pausing briefly. "However, letting a warrior fight alone is not my style."
"I activate the Spell Card [O - Oversoul]! The effect of this card is to Special Summon one Normal Monster of the [E. HERO] type from my Graveyard."
"Revive, [Elemental HERO Clayman]!"
As Jaden inserted the card into the Spell & Trap Zone, a giant "O" surrounded by a swirling, soul-like blue-purple flame appeared on his Field. [Clayman], who had just left the Field, returned to Jaden's side amidst the flames, forced back to work.
[Elemental HERO Clayman][ATK 800]
[Immortal Bushi][ATK 1200]
"Both monsters are in Attack Position, but unfortunately for you, Jaden," Yugi said, looking at the imposing [Immortal Bushi] and [Clayman] with a smile, shaking his head. He pointed to his Back Row.
"Although I only have one Set card on my Field and no monsters besides it, don't forget that due to the effect of [Swords of Revealing Light], you cannot launch an attack this Turn."
"And the effect of [Swords of Revealing Light] only applies to you. If you place two monsters in Attack Position on the Field, you will have to face my monsters' attacks next Turn."
Upon hearing Yugi's words, Jaden smiled confidently. "Mr. Yugi, don't underestimate my monsters. Don't forget, I haven't performed a Normal Summon this Turn yet."
"[Immortal Bushi] has a restriction: it cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon of a monster other than a Warrior-Type monster. However, the monster I am summoning is a Warrior-Type, so there is no problem."
"Tribute [Elemental HERO Clayman] and [Immortal Bushi]! Even discarded steel, when buried and forged, can turn rust into gold, blooming here with shining heroic light!"
"Tribute Summon, [E. HERO Golden Blade]!"
Golden light flashed; this was Yugi's sole evaluation of the monster that appeared at that moment.
Clad in shining golden armor, with two sharp longswords that could be used as mirrors attached to its armguards, a brand new high-level [E. HERO] that had never appeared in Jaden's previous Duels appeared before Yugi's eyes.
[E. HERO Golden Blade][Level 7 / EARTH Attribute]
[Warrior-Type / Effect]
[2600 ATK / 1800 DEF]
"Hehe, [Golden Blade] is the highest-level [E. HERO] in my Deck," Jaden said, placing his hands on his hips proudly, looking at [Golden Blade] on his Field with great satisfaction. He seemed happy just seeing heroes make their shining entrances. "Then I'll Set one card. Turn end."
"With him blocking my way, even if your [Dark Magician] appears, it won't be able to break my defense, let alone the fact that you haven't summoned [Dark Magician] yet."
"Hmph, how about that?"
"Huh?"
Jaden had no idea what he had triggered. One must never speak with certainty during a Duel with Yugi. The moment Yugi uttered that phrase, it was either life or death.
As expected, Yugi revealed his sole Set card in his Back Row. "Chaining to your End Turn declaration, I activate my Set card, the Trap Card [Magician's Circle]!"
As if to counter the "O" that had just dissipated on Jaden's Field, a white circle appeared on Yugi's Field. However, the center of the circle was quickly occupied by a patch of black. As if using the magic circle as a conduit, a portal to a Different Dimension opened in the blackness, and a hand reached out from within!
For some unknown twisted reason, Yugi's [Dark Magician] revealed half its body from within the black void, striking a super cool pose. Several "Gogogogogo" sound effects inexplicably appeared in the air, and the lines on [Dark Magician]'s face inexplicably became more three-dimensional.
If the black void had a zipper, it would be a perfect recreation.
Yugi, standing on the back, was completely unaware of whatever strange poses his [Dark Magician] had learned from Chumley recently. He calmly stated, "The effect of [Magician's Circle] is to Special Summon one [Dark Magician] from my hand. Then, I can Special Summon one Spellcaster-Type DARK Attribute monster from my Deck that is Level 7 or lower."
"I will Special Summon [Magician's Robe] in Attack Position from my Deck."
Beside the JoJo-fied [Dark Magician], a set of mage robes, identical to those worn by [Dark Magician] but not worn by anyone, appeared and floated next to it, as if it were [Dark Magician]'s "Stand."
[Dark Magician][ATK 2500]
[Magician's Robe][Level 2 / DARK Attribute]
[Spellcaster-Type / Effect]
[700 ATK / 2000 DEF]
"Aww~ You summoned a monster at the end of my Turn? That's so sly, Mr. Yugi."
Yugi looked at the pouting Jaden and smiled. "But because of [Swords of Revealing Light]'s effect, even if I summoned my monster earlier, you still couldn't attack me, Jaden-kun."
"Huh? That's true."
Jaden blinked, then realized Yugi was correct. He really couldn't attack Yugi, regardless of whether Yugi summoned earlier or later. The reason Yugi summoned later was merely to guard against Jaden's Set card.
Thinking this, Jaden felt relieved and said, hands on his hips, "It's fine even if you summoned [Dark Magician], Mr. Yugi, because [Dark Magician]'s Attack Points are only 2500. My [E. HERO Golden Blade] has higher Attack Points."
[Jaden: 4000 LP, Hand: 0]
[E. HERO Golden Blade][ATK 2600]
[Set Cards]x2
"That's not necessarily true, Jaden," Yugi said with a smile as he drew his card. "My Turn, I draw!"
After glancing at the card he drew, it was indeed the card he needed to increase his monster's Attack Points. "Attack Points aren't fixed. If you don't fight, no one knows the outcome."
"Here I come, Jaden! I will attack your [E. HERO Golden Blade] with [Dark Magician]!"
[Dark Magician], with 2500 Attack Points, unequipped with any cards, was attacking [E. HERO Golden Blade] with 2600 Attack Points, which had suffered no reductions. By all appearances, it was a suicidal attack.
However, after hearing Yugi's command, [Dark Magician] showed no hesitation. It extended its hand, conjured its staff, and charged directly at Jaden's [E. HERO Golden Blade] on the Field, roaring, "Ari!"
"It's attacking? Useless, useless! [E. HERO Golden Blade]'s attack is higher than your [Dark Magician]'s. Although I can't launch an attack due to [Swords of Revealing Light]'s effect, if it's a counterattack caused by your [Dark Magician]'s attack, then there's no such restriction!"
"Ah, right! As Mr. Chumley would say, I need to give an attack name at times like these. In that case..."
"Counterattack, [Golden Blade], Light Stream Style: Radiant Blade!"
Although [Golden Blade] really wanted to correct Jaden, stating that its attack name was clearly "Power Blade Slash" and not some nonsensical "Radiant Blade," considering the name sounded quite good, [E. HERO Golden Blade] followed Jaden's instructions and extended the sharp blades on its armguards to meet [Dark Magician]'s attack.
Seeing that Jaden had no intention of activating his Set card, Yugi's lips curled. "You fell for it, Jaden! This is my attack route!"
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card [Dark Magician Power-Up]!"
"Based on the total number of [Dark Magician] and [Dark Magician Girl] on both players' Fields and in their Graveyards, this card can exert different effects!"
"When the total count is one or more, I can designate one Spellcaster-Type monster on the Field—that is, my [Dark Magician]—and increase its Attack Points by 1000!"
"Nani!?" Jaden's eyes widened as he looked at [Dark Magician], who was wielding its staff and charging towards his Field like a martial monk. Under the effect of [Dark Magician Power-Up], [Dark Magician]'s slender arms visibly grew thicker and more powerful!
"2500 plus 1000... that equals 3500?!"
Greatly alarmed, Jaden frantically pressed his Set card. "In that case, I activate my Set card!"
But as Jaden's back row card slightly lifted, a second surge of magical power appeared on the [Dark Magician Power-Up] card. The phantom of [Dark Magician Girl], who was taken away by [Elemental HERO Clayman]'s self-destruction, manifested, using magical power to firmly hold down Jaden's back row card, making it impossible to activate!
"Although I only have one [Dark Magician] on my Field, don't forget about the [Dark Magician Girl] that was destroyed in the previous battle," Yugi said with a smile. "When the total count is two or more, this Turn, the opponent cannot activate Spell, Trap, or Monster Effects to chain to my Spell/Trap effects, and my Spell/Trap Cards cannot be destroyed by the opponent!"
[Dark Magician][ATK 2500 → 3500]
"Attack and destroy [Golden Blade]!"
"Dark Magic Attack!"
"BOOM!!"
"Waaaah!"
[Jaden: 4000 → 3100 LP]
...
...
...
(end of chapter)
**Chapter 435: The Left Side Always Loses in a Beam Struggle**
During the battle, the unsportsmanlike use of external power to Increase ATK, while also restricting Jaden from using Set Cards, greatly diminished the purity of [Dark Magician]. However, it was also true that he had defeated the [E・HERO Bladedge] that Jaden had painstakingly Summoned last turn.
[Jaden: 4000 → 3100 LP]
"Ugh, that hurt." Jaden rubbed his chest, lamenting, "It was only 900 points of Battle Damage, but it felt more painful than being hit by a rampaging rhino."
"Or perhaps, is this the power of a Legendary Duelist's Duelist's Soul?"
Yugi watched as [Dark Magician] returned to his Field. Hearing Jaden's lament, he said with a smile, "How about it, Jaden? Can you still continue?"
"Yeah, it's far from over. I won't forfeit a Duel so easily." Jaden said with a smile, "And Heroes won't be defeated by one or two losses."
"Although due to the Effect of [Dark Magician Enhance], I can't Chain to your Spell & Trap Cards, Yugi, if it's 'my Monster is Destroyed,' then it's fine."
As he spoke, a Set Card on Jaden's back row, which was firmly suppressed by the power of [Dark Magician Girl], broke free from the magical energy, releasing an illusory soul. It was precisely the [E・HERO Bladedge] that had just been Destroyed. After the released [Bladedge]'s soul ascended into the air, it transformed into a giant "H", looking as if it were projected onto the sky by a light.
"The Effect of [Hero Signal] is: when a Monster on my Field is Destroyed by Battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower [Elemental HERO] Monster from my Hand or Deck." As Jaden spoke, he searched for a card from his Deck and placed it on his Duel Disk, "I Special Summon [Elemental HERO Wingman] from my Deck!"
A black dot appeared in the center of the white letter "H". Accompanied by the howling wind, the black dot gradually expanded and descended onto Jaden's Field, revealing yet another [Elemental HERO] Monster. Covered in green feathers, with sharp claws on its hands and feet, and broad wings on its back, this was the hero of the sky — [Elemental HERO Wingman].
[Elemental HERO Wingman][Level 3/WIND Attribute]
[Warrior-Type/Normal Monster]
[ATK 1000/DEF 1000]
Possessing no Special Effect, its ATK and DEF were equally mediocre, without any strengths. However, even so, [Elemental HERO Wingman] standing before Jaden still put up a sufficient defense, blocking Yugi's [Magician's Robe], which had not yet attacked.
[Elemental HERO Wingman][ATK 1000]
[Magician's Robe][ATK 800]
Yugi felt a slight pity, because if it weren't for Jaden's [Hero Signal], [Elemental HERO Wingman] wouldn't have appeared. Next, Jaden would have suffered a Direct Attack, allowing him to reduce Jaden's Life Points to 2300, expanding his advantage. Although he couldn't Destroy [Elemental HERO Wingman], Yugi wasn't too concerned. After all, the Effect of [Swords of Revealing Light] that he activated had only been in use for a single turn. Jaden still needed to wait two more turns before he could Attack Yugi. So even if [Magician's Robe] was currently in Attack Position, it didn't matter.
"In that case, I end my turn."
[Yugi: 4200 LP, Hand 0]
[Dark Magician][ATK 2500]
[Magician's Robe][ATK 800]
[Swords of Revealing Light]
"My turn, Draw!" Jaden drew a card from his Deck, a smile appearing on his face. "Oh, I drew a good card."
"Although [Elemental HERO Wingman] is a Normal Monster, Chumley said that there are no useless cards in the world; every card has its purpose." Jaden said, revealing the card in his Hand. "And precisely because [Elemental HERO Wingman] is a Normal Monster, it can do things other Monsters cannot!"
[Elemental HERO Wingman] nodded repeatedly upon hearing this.
*What's this? Jaden has good taste. It seems he drew a powerful card, right? Heh heh, then it's finally my time to shine!*
"I Activate the Spell Card [Trade-In]!"
"Hm?!"
[Elemental HERO Wingman] widened its eyes, looking at the Spell Card that appeared behind it.
*This isn't quite what I had in mind. Shouldn't I be equipping some invincible Equip Card and then Counterattack [Dark Magician]?*
"The Effect of [Trade-In] is, I recall..." Yugi thought back for a moment, then fell silent.
The Effect of [Trade-In] is to send to the Graveyard one Monster on your Field that is not an Effect Monster, then Draw two cards. Even though he could just Draw two cards with [Pot of Greed], he insists on Tributing his own Monster. That's definitely Chumley's style.
"What exactly have you been teaching this kid, Chumley!"
Amidst [Elemental HERO Wingman]'s reluctance and Yugi's inner monologue, Jaden drew two cards and simultaneously sent [Elemental HERO Wingman] from his Field to the Graveyard.
"Although it appears I sent the only [Elemental HERO Wingman] on my Field to the Graveyard, Yugi, a hero's temporary departure is merely preparation for the next hero's arrival." As Jaden spoke, he played a card from his Hand, "I Activate the Spell Card [Unexpected Dai]!"
"This card can only be activated when there are no Monsters on my Field. From my Deck, I Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Normal Monster. Here it comes! [E・HERO Sparkman]!"
Following the Earth Attribute [Elemental HERO Clayman] and [E・HERO Bladedge], and the WIND Attribute [Elemental HERO Wingman], a sci-fi styled hero, engulfed in electricity, appeared on Jaden's Field. Although, still a Normal Monster.
[E・HERO Sparkman][Level 4/LIGHT Attribute]
[Warrior-Type/Normal Monster]
[ATK 1600/DEF 1400]
In Jaden's crippled [Elemental HERO] Deck, [E・HERO Sparkman], one of the "Elemental HERO Wastes," was also a Normal Monster, but at least its ATK was 1600, which was somewhat respectable. The problem, however, was he was currently facing [Dark Magician] with 2500 ATK. Although there was also [Magician's Robe] with only 800 ATK next to it that could be "bullied," due to [Swords of Revealing Light], Jaden could only passively endure Attacks for now.
"I Set one card. I end my turn." As he was temporarily out of options, Jaden could only hastily end his turn. However, a confident smile remained on Jaden's lips.
[Jaden: 3100 LP, Hand 0]
[E・HERO Sparkman][ATK 1600]
[Set Card] X2
*'Does he have a card that can turn the tide?'*
Yugi maintained his usual caution, with his finger resting on his Deck. Last turn, Jaden's attempt to Chain a Set Card to [Dark Magician]'s Attack was interrupted by the Effect of [Dark Magician Enhance], but that Set Card still remained, posing a constant threat.
"My turn, Draw."
Glancing at the drawn card, Yugi wasn't in a hurry to use it. He simply waved his hand and commanded, "I'll immediately enter my Battle Phase! I'll use [Dark Magician] to Attack [E・HERO Sparkman]!"
While Yugi's Deck was not without cards that could Destroy the back row — for example, [Dark Magic Attack] had the same Effect as [Harpie's Feather Duster] of Destroying all cards in the Opponent's back row — using [Dark Magic Attack] for only two cards felt a bit wasteful. Rather than that, it was better to do as now: directly Attack with a Monster and probe what kind of card it was.
Upon receiving Yugi's command, [Dark Magician] spun the staff in his Hand, manifesting a dark purple magical energy sphere at the end of the verdant staff. But instead of firing it directly, he clenched it in his hand like a "Rasengan" and charged towards [E・HERO Sparkman].
And [E・HERO Sparkman] was quite cooperative; with a flick of its arm, the electricity on its body converged into its palm, forming a crackling lightning sphere, as if a thousand birds were chirping together, and attacked [Dark Magician].
"He's attacking after all, alright, I Activate this Set Card!" Jaden watched [Dark Magician] attack and pressed the button to Activate the Set Card. "Last turn, you interrupted me, Yugi; this time, there won't be another accident, right?"
"I Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card [Blunt Force]!"
Just as [Dark Magician], wielding its "Rasengan," and [E・HERO Sparkman], holding its "Chidori," were about to clash and recreate a famous scene, suddenly, [Dark Magician] felt a heavy pressure appear on its body. It wasn't a weakening of its own muscles, but an actual, sudden increase in gravity!
"The Effect of [Blunt Force] is to decrease the ATK of one Face-up Position Monster by its own DEF until the End Phase." Jaden, hands on hips, explained confidently, "For Monsters with high ATK but low DEF, this card isn't much of a threat, but [Dark Magician] has strong ATK and DEF, so it will be significantly affected!"
"After all, its DEF is as high as 2100 points, and due to the Effect of [Blunt Force], its ATK will be reduced to only 400 points!"
As he spoke, Jaden looked at Yugi. He wanted to see expressions of "surprise" or "astonishment" on Yugi's face, but all he saw was "relief."
"I see. Last turn, if it wasn't for the Effect of [Dark Magician Enhance] which could negate my Spell & Trap Cards from being Chained, my attacking [Dark Magician], even with a 1000 ATK increase, would still only have 1400 ATK after [Blunt Force] was activated, and still wouldn't be a match for [E・HERO Bladedge]."
"It's a good thing it was [Blunt Force]. I was worried it might be a card like [Mirror Force]; that would have been bad." As Yugi spoke, he inserted the card he had just drawn into his Spell & Trap Zone. "But Jaden, you activated your card too early!"
"Chaining to the Effect of [Blunt Force], I Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card [Baptism of Light & Darkness] from my Hand!"
"Gather the power of Light and Darkness, and unleash your bound power!"
[E・HERO Sparkman], holding its lightning, approached [Dark Magician], which was bound by gravity and unable to move. It swung its palm with force, completely piercing [Dark Magician]'s body. But an expression of astonishment appeared on [E・HERO Sparkman]'s face. The sensation was completely wrong. This wasn't the feeling of destroying a physical body!
[Dark Magician]'s body, pierced by [E・HERO Sparkman], dissipated into starlight-like magical energy; it was clearly an empty shell! Astonished that its Opponent had changed positions without it noticing, [E・HERO Sparkman] looked left and right, searching for where [Dark Magician] might have appeared. Then, it abruptly looked up.
Unbeknownst to it, [Dark Magician], having "shed its shell" from its former wide magician's robe, had donned a black leather outfit and was now suspended in mid-air, looking down at [E・HERO Sparkman] on the ground. No, it was wrong to call him [Dark Magician] now. Utilizing the pressure from [Blunt Force], [Dark Magician] completely released its magical energy, mastering the power of Light and Darkness, appearing in a new form. *Like Golden Experience using the Stand Arrow,* [Dark Magician] was now named—
"[Dark Magician of Chaos]!"
[Dark Magician of Chaos][Level 8/DARK Attribute]
[Spellcaster-Type/Effect]
[ATK 2800/DEF 2600]
"He actually let [Dark Magician] evolve into another Monster." Jaden made a bitter face. "That's just unfair."
He had originally planned to use the Effect of [Blunt Force] to seize the opportunity to deal with [Dark Magician]. But he didn't expect Yugi to have such a trick up his sleeve. Because the targeted [Dark Magician] had become [Dark Magician of Chaos], the Effect of [Blunt Force] had become invalid and could no longer resolve, and Jaden had also lost the key card that could counterattack [Dark Magician].
Yugi waved his hand, "Due to the Effect of [Dark Magician of Chaos], when he is successfully Summoned or Special Summoned, I can Add one Spell Card from my Graveyard to my Hand!"
"The card I Target is [Dark Magician Enhance]!"
[Dark Magician of Chaos], suspended in the air, held his staff in one hand and snapped his fingers with the other. A moving magic circle formed before him, and as the magic circle moved, a card was created out of nothing; it was precisely [Dark Magician Enhance], which Yugi had already used once last turn!
As the battle with [Dark Magician] was interrupted, [E・HERO Sparkman] retreated cautiously to Jaden's Field, blocking in front of him, watching [Dark Magician of Chaos] slowly descend back onto Yugi's Field.
Yugi frowned in thought, looking at the Set Card on Jaden's back row.
*'The combo of [Dark Magician] and [Baptism of Light & Darkness] helped me bait out Jaden's [Blunt Force]. Now Jaden only has one Set Card left.'*
*'If it were an Attack Declaration Trap, Jaden could have activated it just now, instead of using [Blunt Force], which is more suitable for attacking. This means the possibility of that card being an Attack Declaration Trap is not very high. Perhaps it's a card similar to the previous [Hero Signal].'*
*'However, [Dark Magician of Chaos] has an Effect that banishes Destroyed Monsters, which can negate many cards that activate when Monsters are sent to the Graveyard, such as [Fellow Traveler]. Using [Dark Magician of Chaos] to safely deal with [E・HERO Sparkman], and then [Magician's Robe] could make a Direct Attack.'*
*'But my gut feeling tells me that doing so would be dangerous!'*
Yugi's gaze gradually sharpened. Although Jaden was just a kid, the strength he had shown so far made Yugi feel that even if he played seriously, it wouldn't be excessive, because Jaden deserved such serious treatment.
"Then, next, I will activate the card I just Recycled, [Dark Magician Enhance]." After inserting the card from his Hand into the Spell & Trap Zone, Yugi pointed to his Field, "Because the total number of [Dark Magician] and [Dark Magician Girl] in my Graveyard is two, I can Increase the ATK of one Spellcaster-Type Monster on the Field, and you cannot Chain to my Spell & Trap Cards."
However, the Monster Yugi pointed to, whose ATK would be increased, was not the grandly introduced [Dark Magician of Chaos], but rather [Magician's Robe], which had previously had little presence!?
"Although attacking with [Dark Magician of Chaos] seems safer, and I wouldn't need to worry about being counterattacked by cards like [Rush Recklessly], but to be safe, Jaden, the Monster I'm increasing ATK for is [Magician's Robe], and I will use [Magician's Robe] to Attack your [E・HERO Sparkman]!"
As Yugi's finger pointed at [Magician's Robe], behind him, the Phantoms of [Dark Magician] and [Dark Magician Girl] appeared simultaneously, injecting a powerful magical energy into [Magician's Robe]'s body.
[Magician's Robe][ATK 800 → 1800]
Jaden looked surprised, "He actually increased the ATK of [Magician's Robe]?"
"Go, [Magician's Robe], Attack [E・HERO Sparkman] on Jaden's Field!" Yugi gave the Attack command. "I can't be sure what that Set Card on your back row is, Jaden, so until then, I won't use [Dark Magician of Chaos] to approach."
[Magician's Robe], a magician's robe that moved automatically without anyone wearing it, floated up and charged towards [E・HERO Sparkman] on Jaden's Field. Although it appeared to be made of cloth, the moving [Magician's Robe] let out a whistling sound, full of imposing power.
[Magician's Robe]'s original ATK was only 800 points, but due to the Effect of [Dark Magician Enhance], it was increased to 1800 ATK, gaining the ability to destroy [E・HERO Sparkman]. And once [E・HERO Sparkman] was destroyed, the next would be a Direct Attack from [Dark Magician of Chaos] with 2800 ATK.
With no other option, Jaden finally activated his Set Card: "I Activate the Trap Card [Hero Barrier]!"
Yugi couldn't help but look at the [Hero Barrier] Jaden had activated. Judging by the card's name, it seemed to be a card with some kind of protective Effect. What Yugi didn't expect was that although Jaden had activated the Set Card, nothing changed on his Field. [E・HERO Sparkman] was fiercely struck by the rapidly moving [Magician's Robe], destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, and Jaden's Life Points were also deducted.
"Ugh!"
[Jaden: 3100 → 2900 LP]
Watching 200 points of Battle Damage deducted from Jaden's Life Points, Yugi, though somewhat puzzled, still gave the command:
"Although I don't know what kind of Effect [Hero Barrier] has, it seems it didn't protect you?"
"I apologize, Jaden, but I won't hold back in a Duel. So next, make a Direct Attack on the Opponent's Duelist, [Dark Magician of Chaos]!"
"Destruction Spell!"
Following Yugi's command, [Dark Magician of Chaos] raised the staff in his Hand, aiming at Jaden, who only had [Swords of Revealing Light] and the seemingly useless [Hero Barrier] left on his Field. A beam of dark magical energy instantly shot out from the tip of the staff, flying straight towards the unprotected Jaden. If this Attack hit, Jaden's Life Points would instantly plummet to only 100 points!
Despite the extremely dangerous situation, Jaden showed no signs of pressure; instead, he laughed, "Alright, this is exactly what I was waiting for!"
"Go, [Hero Barrier]!"
To Yugi's surprise, the [Hero Barrier] he had thought was useless suddenly began to spin, spontaneously interposing itself between [Dark Magician of Chaos] and Jaden, completely absorbing the Attack that had just been fired!
"Boom!"
[Hero Barrier] seemed to have absorbed its maximum load of power and exploded with a roar, revealing Jaden standing unharmed behind it.
With a triumphant smile, Jaden scratched the back of his head and pre-emptively answered Yugi's confusion before he could ask: "The activation condition for [Hero Barrier] is that an [Elemental HERO] Monster must be on my Field. Once activated, [Hero Barrier] can negate one Attack for me at any time during this turn. This Effect can be activated even if there are no [Elemental HERO] Monsters on my Field anymore."
Yugi showed an understanding expression, "I see. There's actually a Trap Card like this that can take Effect later."
"At the Cost of taking 200 points of Battle Damage, you defended against my offensive this turn. A good Strategy, Jaden." Yugi nodded in approval. "Then, my turn ends here."
"However, Jaden, relying solely on Defense won't win you the Duel."
[Yugi: 4200 LP, Hand 0]
[Dark Magician of Chaos][ATK 2800]
[Magician's Robe][ATK 1800 → 800]
Looking at [Dark Magician of Chaos] and [Magician's Robe] floating back onto Yugi's Field, Jaden's eyes gleamed with fighting spirit, "Yeah, I think so too, Yugi."
"Having taken so much Damage, I also think it's about time to show the heroes' courage." He placed his finger on his Deck, and Jaden drew a card. "So, next up is my offensive, Yugi!"
"I Activate the Effect of [E・HERO Bubbleman] in my Hand. When he is the only card in my Hand, I can Special Summon him to the Field!"
The hero representing the Water attribute, [E・HERO Bubbleman], emerged from a dense mass of bubbles. With a chin-exposing cowl similar to a certain Cup Noodle mascot, and a white cape, the symbol of a powerful warrior, [E・HERO Bubbleman], with pipes connected to his arms, made a cool entrance!
[E・HERO Bubbleman][Level 4/WATER Attribute]
[Warrior-Type/Effect]
[ATK 800/DEF 1200]
"This time, it's a Water [Elemental HERO]?" "Like [Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight], it has the ability to 'Special Summon itself directly when it's the only card in your Hand.'" Yugi looked at the newly appeared [E・HERO Bubbleman], but frowned. "However, even with such an Effect to compensate, as a Level 4 Monster, [E・HERO Bubbleman]'s ATK and DEF are a bit too low."
"And Jaden, isn't [Immortal Bushi] in your Graveyard? During your Standby Phase, there were no Monsters on your Field, and so far, only Warrior-Type Monsters have been sent to your Graveyard. Did you forget to activate his Effect?"
Yugi originally thought this was Jaden's misplay, but unexpectedly, Jaden shook his head. "No, Yugi. Although [Immortal Bushi] can come to my Field due to its Effect, if I want to activate [E・HERO Bubbleman]'s Effect, I must discard the idea of Special Summoning it."
As Jaden spoke, he pointed at [E・HERO Bubbleman] on his Field: "The second Effect of [E・HERO Bubbleman] is: when he is successfully Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, I can Draw two cards from my Deck, but this Effect can only be activated if there are no other cards on my Field."
Yugi had a realization. "I see. You thought Drawing more cards would be more useful than Summoning [Immortal Bushi]?"
Jaden, who had drawn cards, looked at his Hand and activated one of them: "Next is the Effect of [Pot of Greed], I can Draw two more cards from my Deck, bringing my Hand to three cards."
"Then I Activate the Spell Card [Metamorphosis]!" Jaden played a Forbidden Card from his Hand. "Due to this card's Effect, I Tribute [E・HERO Bubbleman] and send it to the Graveyard, then Special Summon a Fusion Monster with the same Level."
"Come forth, [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman]!"
The brawny [E・HERO Bubbleman] leaped into the air, and its form began to change under the influence of [Metamorphosis]. By the time it landed, it had transformed into the taller, leaner, muscular [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman]. Although the card art of [Metamorphosis] was quite ugly, the design of [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman] Summoned by this Effect was very cool. Its formerly somewhat rounded weapon and Equipments now had more intricate details, giving them a more futuristic feel, and the white cape on its back had transformed into two fin-like blades.
[Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman][Level 4/WATER Attribute]
[Warrior-Type/Fusion/Effect]
[ATK 800/DEF 1200]
In the Audience Seating, watching the appearance of [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman], Chumley frowned. Because he clearly remembered that although he had drawn [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman] in the [Elemental HERO] archetype, he only had one, and it wasn't in the Deck he gave to Jaden. Furthermore, the [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman] he drew was the OCG version; it was a Special Summon Monster, not a Fusion Monster. In other words, this Jaden, despite only having had [Elemental HERO] cards for a few months, was already starting card printing!?
On the Duel Field, Yugi watched the appearance of [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman] and also grew a little wary. Transformed by the Effect of [Metamorphosis], [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman]'s ATK and DEF were exactly the same as [E・HERO Bubbleman]'s before the change. Neither its Level nor Attribute had changed. If Jaden wasn't just performing acrobatics, then these observations meant that [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman]'s Effect would definitely be different from [E・HERO Bubbleman]'s.
And Jaden also drew his second card: "As long as [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman] remains on the Field in Face-up Position, its name can be treated as [E・HERO Bubbleman]. Therefore, I can Equip [E・HERO Bubbleman]'s Exclusive Card, the Equip Spell Card—[Bubble Blaster]—to him."
A massive cannon barrel appeared out of thin air on [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman]'s shoulder, which he shouldered. Although it had a name like [Bubble Blaster], which sounded like a child's toy, Yugi thought that, judging by its appearance, calling it an RPG would actually be more fitting.
"[Bubble Blaster] is an Exclusive Card that can only be equipped to [E・HERO Bubbleman]. Its Effect is to Increase the Equipped Monster's ATK by 800 points. With this, [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman]'s ATK will be increased to 1600 points!"
[Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman][ATK 800 → 1600]
Hearing Jaden's words, Yugi reminded him, "Are you trying to Attack my [Magician's Robe]? But Jaden, don't forget the presence of [Swords of Revealing Light]; its Effect won't be lifted until the next turn. And as long as [Swords of Revealing Light] remains, your Monsters cannot Declare an Attack."
"In that case, wouldn't it be fine to just destroy it?" Jaden flipped over the last card in his Hand. "Quick-Play Spell Card [Mystical Space Typhoon]! Target one Spell/Trap Card on the Field and Destroy it. I choose to Destroy [Swords of Revealing Light]."
"Now, whatever was in the way has disappeared!"
As a whirlwind swept across Jaden's Field, the Spell Card [Swords of Revealing Light] that had troubled him for two turns finally vanished from the Field. Now Jaden could finally begin to Attack.
"Alright, finally free! It feels as refreshing as greeting the first morning of the New Year in brand new underwear." Jaden excitedly pumped his fist and commanded, "Then, entering my Battle Phase, I'll use [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman] to Attack!"
"The Target of the Attack is—"
"[Dark Magician of Chaos]!"
"What?!" Yugi showed a surprised expression, "Attacking [Dark Magician of Chaos] with [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman]'s 1600 ATK?"
Yugi, who couldn't understand Jaden's intentions, was puzzled but still commanded, "Although I don't know what you're up to, counterattack, [Dark Magician of Chaos]!"
As [Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman] pulled the trigger of the rocket launcher-shaped [Bubble Blaster] on his shoulder, [Dark Magician of Chaos] also unleashed a magic cannon blast. The black magical energy beam and the blue foam current collided in mid-air, but to Yugi's surprise, [Dark Magician of Chaos]'s Attack was actually pushed back!?
"Boom!"
Looking at the destroyed [Dark Magician of Chaos], Chumley quipped, "If it were a kick battle, there might have been a chance, but in a beam struggle, from this perspective, Yugi was exactly on the left side."
(end of chapter)