"Whew... that was a really effective attack."
Jaden didn't get up immediately after being sent tumbling to the ground. Instead, he sat up right where he landed and suddenly burst into a boisterous fit of laughter.
"What's wrong? Did that hit scare you?" Yugen asked with a smile.
"Ha! Are you kidding me?" Jaden patted the dust off his seat and stood up, still grinning. "I'm just a little excited... This is how it should be. A duel should be a collision of souls. I can finally feel it nowYugen, your burning soul is incredibly strong."
Yugen smiled. "Does that mean you're surrendering?"
"Heh, not a chance," Jaden said cheerfully. "My turn! I draw! At this moment, I activate my face-down card: the Trap Card, Sixth Sense!"
Jaden's backrow flared to life.
"I declare two numbers from one to six, and then you roll a die. If the result is one of the numbers I called, I draw that many cards from my Deck. If it isn't, I send cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard equal to the result."
"I see," Yugen chuckled. "Activating it during the Draw Phase... that way, you circumvent the effect of my Appropriate, don't you?"
The effect of Appropriate allowed its controller to draw two cards whenever the opponent drew outside of their Draw Phase. By activating Sixth Sense during the Draw Phase itself, even if Jaden drew cards through its effect, they would still count as being drawn during the Draw Phase, preventing Appropriate from triggering.
"That's only if you call it right," Yugen pointed out.
"Heh, I've got plenty of confidence in my luck, not just my draws," Jaden replied. "The numbers I declare are five and six!"
The die fell, tumbling across the field before slowly coming to a halt. It landed on the number six.
"Alright! It's a six!" Jaden cheered. "Therefore, I draw six cards from my Deck!"
Yugen wasn't even remotely surprised. He could only say that Jaden was a true "top-decking" protagonist; the guy almost never missed when it counted.
"I activate the Spell Card, Soul Taker!" Jaden shouted. "I destroy one monster on your side of the field, and then you regain 1000 Life Points!"
He pointed straight at Yugen's field.
"First, I'll take out that troublesome fellow... Destroy Black Luster Soldier!"
Yugen responded instantly. "Then I activate the Continuous Trap, Dimension Gate! I banish one monster on my field from the game. I banish Black Luster Soldier!"
Jaden looked genuinely surprised. "Dimension Gate?"
A dimensional vortex opened, and the Black Luster Soldier vanished into it. Jaden's destruction spell lost its target, resulting in a failed capture.
"Interesting... this is getting really fun, Yugen! Fine, then here comes my full power, my beloved ace!" Jaden declared. "First, I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Burial from a Different Dimension. I can return up to three banished monsters to the Graveyard. I return Elemental HERO Bubbleman and Elemental HERO Sparkman, both of whom you banished last turn, to my Graveyard."
Jaden held up another card and barked, "Spell Card, Miracle Fusion! By banishing Fusion Materials from my Graveyard, I can Fusion Summon an 'Elemental HERO'! I banish Elemental HERO Sparkman and The Light - Hex-Sealed Fusion, which can substitute for any Fusion Material, from my Graveyard!"
Sparkman and the Hex-Sealed Fusion materialized briefly on the field. The latter erupted in a burst of golden light, transforming into the image of Flame Wingman before both were sucked into a swirling Fusion vortex.
"I use The Light - Hex-Sealed Fusion as a substitute for Elemental HERO Flame Wingman to fuse with Sparkman!" Jaden cried. "Appear within the brilliant radianceElemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman!"
Brilliant light exploded from the center of the vortex as a metallic hero wrapped in divine radiance descended. This was Jaden's current ultimate acethe evolved form of Flame Wingman.
[Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman, ATK 2500]
"There he is," Yugen smiled. "Your strongest Hero."
"Even against legendary monsters, my Elemental HEROes won't back down!" Jaden proclaimed. "Shining Flare Wingman's effect! This card gains 300 ATK for every Elemental HERO in my Graveyard!"
As he spoke, phantom images of Elemental HEROes began to appear behind him. There were those who had appeared in this duel, as well as those sent to the Graveyard by Take Over 5, his previous fusions, and Card Blocker. Each Hero turned into a streak of light, merging into Shining Flare Wingman's body, making him grow more powerful with every infusion.
"There are a total of nine Elemental HEROes in my Graveyard!" Jaden announced. "Therefore, Shining Flare Wingman's attack power becomes..."
[Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman, ATK 2500 → ATK 5200]
"Fifty-two hundred attack!" The students and teachers watching from the sidelines were visibly shaken.
"That's higher than the legendary Obelisk... no, even higher than the legendary Five-Headed Dragon!"
"Not only that, Shining Flare Wingman has the ability to inflict damage equal to the ATK of the monster it destroys!"
This meant that no matter which of Yugen's monsters was destroyed, the follow-up blow would deal 5200 points of damagea certified one-hit kill!
"Jaden's strongest Hero is indeed an OTK powerhouse. One clean hit would end the duel, even at full health." Yugen paused for a moment and gave a slight smile. "But I can't just let a monster that scary roam free. Activate face-down card! The Trap Card, Chthonian Polymer!"
The trap flipped up, and a tidal wave of roaring flames swept across the field. Demonic claws reached out from the fire, aiming to snatch Shining Flare Wingman before he could even settle into his stance.
"When you successfully Fusion Summon, I can tribute a monster on my field to take control of that Fusion Monster!"
Syrus gasped in shock. "Chthonian Polymer at a time like this? Then big brother's Shining Flare Wingman is going to"
"I tribute Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning!" Yugen commanded. "I take control of Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman!"
The entire audience held their breath. In this final stretch, if this trap resolved, Jaden's ultimate ace would be turned against him, likely leaving him with no way to fight back.
"Then I'll activate a face-down of my own!" Jaden roared. "Continuous Trap, Dimension Gate! I banish one monster on my field! I banish Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman!"
A dimensional rift tore open in mid-air, and Jaden's Hero was pulled inside just in time to dodge the reaching claws of the hellish flames.
The crowd went wild. "!!!"
The exact same trap?! These two were practically dismantling each other's moves like they were from the same school!
"I see..." Yugen smiled faintly. "It seems we've influenced each other more than we realized."
"Maybe we have!" Jaden laughed heartily. "Yugen, you're really the best! Dueling you is just way too much fun!"
"Save that talk for after you win," Yugen replied with a laugh.
"Heh, you got it!" Jaden was still grinning. Since both aces had fled the field, both front rows were now empty. "Now, I activate the Spell Card, Remove Trap! I destroy one face-up Trap Card on the field. I'm destroying my own Dimension Gate!"
The spell took effect, and the Dimension Gate on Jaden's field shattered instantly.
"Dimension Gate's secondary effect!" Jaden shouted. "When this card is sent to the Graveyard, I Special Summon the monster that was banished by its effect!"
Yugen raised an eyebrow. His first instinct was to cry foulthe entire "Elemental HERO" Fusion line usually had a restriction stating they "cannot be Special Summoned except by Fusion Summon." However, he quickly recalled that in the second episode of the anime, Jaden had tried to use Monster Reborn on Flame Wingman. It seemed that in the anime world, that restriction didn't exist; it had only been added to the real-life card game later.
"Since my Dimension Gate was destroyed, return to the field, Shining Flare Wingman!"
[Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman, ATK 5200]
"And now, battle!" Jaden commanded. "Shining Flare Wingman, direct attack!"
Shining Flare Wingman spread his metallic wings and took to the skies, trailing a wake of light as he charged straight at Yugen!
"Then I'll use my Dimension Gate's secondary effect as well!" Yugen countered. "When the opponent declares a direct attack, I can send Dimension Gate to the Graveyard to return the banished monster to the field! Return, Black Luster Soldier!"
[Black Luster Soldier, ATK 3000]
"But that doesn't change the situation!" Jaden laughed confidently. "Shining Flare Wingman's attack power is 5200. If this goes through..."
"Activate face-down card: the Quick-Play Spell, Battle Fusion!" Yugen interrupted. "When a monster I control battles an opponent's monster, my monster gains ATK equal to the ATK of the monster it is battling!" (Original anime effect).
In the real card game, this had been changed to only work with Fusion Monsters and only during the attack declaration. However, in the anime duel between Jaden and Zane, both used it without such Fusion restrictions, and the text indicated it could be activated "during battle," meaning it could be used anytime before damage calculation.
"Therefore, Black Luster Soldier gains 5200 ATK, the current power of your Shining Flare Wingman!"
[Black Luster Soldier, ATK 3000 → ATK 8200]
"Eighty-two hundred attack power?!" Syrus's mouth fell open so wide it could have held an apple. That was higher than Five-Headed Dragon... heck, it was even higher than his brother's Cyber End Dragon after being doubled by Power Bond!
"Heh, as expected of Yugen. You're strong, really strong," Jaden praised. "But I haven't reached my limit yet either! I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Trap Booster! By discarding one card from my hand, I can activate a Trap Card directly from my hand!" (Anime card).
Jaden discarded a card and revealed the trap in his other hand.
"Trap Card: Unification! I target one face-up monster on the field; every other monster's ATK and DEF becomes equal to that target's until the end of the turn! Naturally, I target your Black Luster Soldier, forcing Shining Flare Wingman's attack power to match it!"
[Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman, ATK 5200 → ATK 8200]
"Is your goal a double knockout?" Yugen asked.
"Not at all," Jaden chuckled. "I told you, I'm the one who's going to win in the end. From my Graveyard, I activate the Trap Card, Skill Successor! By banishing this card from my Graveyard during my turn, one monster I control gains 800 ATK until the end of the turn. I increase Shining Flare Wingman's ATK by another 800!"
[Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman, ATK 8200 → ATK 9000]
"NINE THOUSAND ATTACK POWER!!!" The spectators were collectively losing their minds.
"With Shining Flare Wingman's effect, if this battle resolves, you'll take 9000 points of damage," Jaden said with a smile. "What an amazing duel."
"Indeed. This has been a truly interesting duel." Yugen gently closed his eyes. "Thank you, Jaden." He paused for a moment before slowly reopening them, a faint smile on his lips. "But even so... I don't intend to hand over the victory quite so easily."
"Huh?"
"Activate Trap: Unbreakable Spirit!" Yugen shouted. "If I control only one monster, that monster gains ATK equal to the monster on the opponent's field with the lowest ATK!"
Jaden's pupils contracted. Lowest ATK on the opponent's field...
"That's right. You only have Shining Flare Wingman on your field," Yugen smiled. "Sorry, Jaden, but let me borrow your Hero's strength one more time!"
[Black Luster Soldier, ATK 8200 → ATK 17,200]
The students were beyond shock; they were practically catatonic. Seventeen thousand... at that level of power, even the Five-Headed Dragon was nothing but fodder.
Watching the Black Luster Soldier's power skyrocket to such an absurd height, Jaden looked up, momentarily dazed as a blade of light that seemed capable of cleaving the universe itself descended toward him.
"Unbreakable Spirit... is this what you found through our duel, Yugen?"
Before the sword intent of Light and Darkness could fall, Jaden smiled one last time.
"Then go, Shining Flare Wingman! We have to give Yugen's spirit everything we've got in return!"
The two aces collided in a thunderous explosion!
Brilliant energy blasts and the chaotic blade qi of Light and Darkness roared as they erupted, creating a holographic energy storm that looked as if it would tear the roof right off the stadium!
[Jaden, LP 6300 → LP 0]
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