"DUEL!"
[Jaden, LP 4000]
[Alexis, LP 4000]
"I'll go first. Draw!" Alexis declared as she pulled her opening card.
"Spell Card, Pot of Greed! With this, I get to draw two cards."
A faint smile appeared on her face as she placed her fingers on top of her deck, the familiar green pot manifesting briefly in front of her.
"Hold on a minute!" Jaden cut in immediately, raising a card from his hand. "I activate Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! When you activate a card or effect that let you; add a card from your deck to your hand, Special Summon from the Deck, or send a card from your deck to the Graveyard, I can discard this to negate it!"
The short dog girl appeared, running over and snatching the green pot before running away.
Alexis: "..."
She stares at the dog girl running away with her pot before shifting her gaze back to her hand.
"I normal summon, Snow Fairy."
A white-skinned woman clad in bluebird-themed armor appeared on her field, landing lightly as if carried by a gentle breeze.
[Snow Fairy, 1100 ATK]
"I activate the Equip Spell, Mist Body, equipping it to Snow Fairy."
A soft mist wrapped around the monster's body, giving her a faint, untouchable presence.
"I set one card. Turn end."
Jaden smirked, already placing his fingers on top of his deck.
"My turn. Draw!"
He drew and glanced at the card before grinning.
"I Normal Summon Elemental HERO Bubbleman!"
A cluster of bubbles rose up as the blue-armored HERO appeared, kneeling as his cape shifted behind him.
[Elemental HERO Bubbleman, 1200 DEF]
"Bubbleman's effect! If he's the only card I control, I get to draw two cards!"
Jaden quickly drew two more cards, then immediately followed up.
"I activate the Spell Card, Polymerization!"
He placed it down confidently, yet nothing happened.
"Huh?" Jaden blinked, looking down at the card in confusion.
Alexis let out a small chuckle. "With Snow Fairy on my field, you can't activate Spell Cards from your hand or the turn they were set."
Jaden stared at her for a second, then smiled in a way that completely missed the point. "Impressive, you even prepared something like that just for me."
Alexis's eyelid twitched. "Oi, don't say it like that."
Jaden just laughed it off. "I set four cards face-down. Turn end."
"My turn. Draw!" Alexis drew, and before she could even make her move.
"Quick-Play Spell, Master Magician's Incantation!" Jaden flipped one of his face-down cards. "This lets me activate a Spell like it's a Quick-Play!"
Without missing a beat, he revealed another.
"I activate Polymerization!"
The fusion vortex formed behind him as he raised two cards.
"I fuse Elemental HERO Necroshade from my hand with the WATER monster Bubbleman on my field!"
Necroshade appeared beside Bubbleman, and both leapt into the vortex.
A moment later, the temperature around the field dropped sharply as a warrior in snow-white armor stepped forward, his cape moving in the sudden chill.
"Fusion Summon! Elemental HERO Absolute Zero!"
[Elemental HERO Absolute Zero, 2500 ATK]
"Absolute Zero…" Alexis muttered, taking a small step back. She knew how dangerously powerful this hero was; his special effect was like a Raigeki that triggered upon him leaving the field.
Still, she continued her turn.
"Then I discard White Night Dragon to Special Summon Ice Doll from my hand!"
A humanoid figure formed entirely from ice appeared beside Snow Fairy.
[Ice Doll, 800 ATK]
"Since Ice Doll was summoned, I can add a WATER Spellcaster from my deck to my hand."
She searched her deck and pulled out a card.
"I'll add Blizzard Princess."
"I won't let you!" Jaden interrupted, flipping another face-down card. "Trap Card, Interdimensional Matter Transporter! I banish Absolute Zero until the end of this turn!"
A rift opened and pulled Absolute Zero inside before snapping shut.
"Absolute Zero's effect!" Jaden added with a grin. "When he leaves the field, all your monsters are destroyed!"
Cold spread instantly across Alexis's field as frost covered everything in sight, the temperature dropping in an instant.
"Freezing At Moment!"
Both Snow Fairy and Ice Doll were encased in ice before shattering into fragments, scattering like snow across the field.
Alexis frowned slightly. "Your Aibo is a bad influence on you."
"Bad influence?" Jaden tilted his head. "I think he's really cool and kind."
Yumi: "?"
Momoyo: "If he is kind, then I'm an angel."
Zane: "If you're an angel, then I'm Hell Kaiser."
Alexis closed her eyes for a second, already done with that line of thought. "Of course you would call him kind."
She placed a card down.
"I set one card. Turn end."
"At the end of the turn, Absolute Zero returns!" Jaden said.
The rift reopened, and the snow-white HERO stepped back onto the field, cape shifting in the cold air.
[Elemental HERO Absolute Zero, 2500 ATK]
"My turn. Draw!" Jaden said as he pulled his next card, glancing at it before casually waving his hand.
"I activate the effect of Necroshade in my Graveyard. This lets me Normal Summon an Elemental HERO from my hand without Tributing."
A dark silhouette formed briefly behind him, Necroshade's presence lingering as if acknowledging the call.
"Come forth, Elemental HERO Neos!"
He placed the card down, and the warrior from Neo Space stepped onto the field, landing firmly beside Absolute Zero.
[Elemental HERO Neos, 2500 ATK]
"I activate the Spell Card, R - Righteous Justice! I can destroy Spell and Trap Cards on the field equal to the number of Elemental HERO monsters I control."
Jaden pointed forward as if it was already decided.
"I won't allow that!" Alexis cut in immediately, raising her hand. "I activate my Trap Card, Level Rebirth! I discard a monster, then Special Summon another monster with an equal or lower Level but a different name!" (printed card)
She didn't hesitate as she sent a card from her hand to the Graveyard.
"I discard Blizzard Princess, and Special Summon White Night Dragon!"
A burst of white light erupted in front of her, and a massive dragon formed from blue ice descended onto the field, letting out a low, echoing roar as it faced the two HERO monsters.
[White Night Dragon, 3000 ATK]
"Impressive!" Jaden said with a grin, not looking worried in the slightest as Alexis's remaining back row shattered from R - Righteous Justice resolving.
Alexis narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Jaden… you're about to do exactly what I think you are, aren't you?"
Jaden just smiled like that was confirmation enough.
"Spell Card, Gift of the Martyr!"
He flipped another card on his field.
"I send Absolute Zero to the graveyard, and its original attack is transferred to Neos."
Elemental HERO HERO Absolute Zero dissolved into golden particles that flew across the field and merged into Neos's body.
[Elemental HERO Neos, 2500 -> 5000 ATK]
"And since Absolute Zero left the field, his effect activates!"
Jaden snapped his fingers lightly.
"Freezing At Moment!"
Cold surged across Alexis's field once again, even stronger this time. The ice spread instantly, climbing over White Night Dragon before locking it in place.
A second later, it shattered into countless fragments.
Alexis exhaled through her nose, watching her field get wiped clean again.
"Battle! Go, Neos! Direct attack!"
The HERO monsters moved at the same time, charging straight toward her without anything left to stop them.
Alexis didn't even raise her Duel Disk this time.
"I suddenly really want to punch that pink-haired bastard for giving you something this unreasonable," she muttered under her breath.
The attacks landed cleanly.
[Alexis, LP 4000 -> 0]
"And that's game!" Jaden said with his usual grin, flashing a quick two-finger pose before jogging over.
Alexis slowly pushed herself up, accepting the help as she sat up.
"Ugh… my head…" she murmured, pressing a hand against her temple.
"Alexis, you okay?" Jaden asked, leaning slightly as he looked at her.
She stayed quiet for a moment, then frowned slightly.
"…Why do I suddenly feel like punching Yumi?"
The moment the words left her mouth, a faint chill ran down her spine for no clear reason.
She paused. "…Yeah, never mind."
Her intuition told her that it wouldn't end well before she even got close.
Although Neos were the one delivering the finishing blows, the MVP of this match is undoubtedly Absolute Zero, the hero who did the most in this match.
...
Meanwhile, across Duel Academy, things were far less smooth for everyone else. Unlike Jaden, who was able to move through his duel with his usual pace against someone who wasn't exactly a final obstacle, the others were all locked in much harsher fights.
In front of the Ra Yellow dorm, Tyranno was already breathing heavily, his stance unsteady as he tried to keep himself upright. Syrus stood across from him, his Duel Disk still raised, but his expression lacked its usual hesitation.
A massive fireball descended from above, crashing down onto Tyranno before he could recover.
[Tyranno, LP 300 -> 0]
The impact forced him to his knees as the smoke slowly cleared, leaving Syrus standing there, silent and unmoving as if nothing about that outcome surprised him.
...
Near the front gate of the academy, the atmosphere was just as tense. Bahamut Shark let out a deep roar, its massive body looming over the field as water energy gathered around it. Across from it, Ojama King stood in place, its ridiculous appearance completely at odds with the overwhelming pressure coming from the opposing monster.
Chazz clicked his tongue, clearly not pleased with how things were shaping up, while Shark remained focused, his gaze sharp and unwavering under the influence controlling him.
...
At the docks, Declan's calm expression finally showed cracks.
His eyelid twitched violently as Momoyo casually discarded Droll & Lock Bird, cutting off any further attempts for either of them to add cards from their deck to their hand. Before he could even properly respond, the effect of Trickstar Reincarnation finished resolving.
In an instant, his entire hand was banished.
He drew nothing in return.
Declan stood there for a moment, processing the situation, while Momoyo simply rested her hand on her hip with a confident grin, as if this was exactly what she expected to happen.
...
Near the volcanic area, the heat in the air didn't stop the tension from rising.
Zane stood with his arms crossed, completely composed as his Cyberdark Dragon loomed behind him. The mechanical dragon had already latched onto Red-Eyes Black Dragon from the Graveyard, its power increasing as it let out a distorted roar.
Across from him, Atticus narrowed his eyes as Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon remained on his field, its presence still imposing, but now clearly being challenged.
Zane didn't move much, but the way he watched the field made it clear he was already several steps ahead.
...
Out at sea, aboard Aster's ship, the duel between him and his uncle had reached a critical point.
Aster clenched his teeth as Destiny HERO - Dreadmaster stood in front of him, its presence heavy and oppressive. Across from him, his uncle remained calm, almost too calm, with Destiny HERO - Plasma standing at his side like an immovable wall.
The two HERO monsters faced each other, neither side willing to give ground, while the tension between uncle and nephew ran far deeper than just the duel itself.
...
Back near the cliffside close to the Slifer Red dorm, the wind carried the sound of waves crashing below as two figures stood facing each other without moving.
Rio's expression remained cold, her Duel Disk active as Infernoid Attondel towered behind her, flames flickering along its massive form as it let out a low, threatening roar.
Across from her, Celina stood firm, her stance steady despite the pressure. Lunalight Cat Dancer and Lunalight Perfume Dancer stood at her side, their presence sharp and coordinated, ready to respond at any moment.
...
Back in the Society of Light dorm, Yumi stood face-to-face with Sartorius. A dark aura leaked from Yumi while a pure white one radiated from Sartorius, the two forces pressing against each other and clashing without either side giving way.
"Let's settle this," Sartorius said, his lips curling into a faint, unsettling grin as the light around him grew sharper.
"DUEL!"
[Yumi, LP 4000]
[Sartorius, LP 4000]
Without another word, Sartorius pulled out a deck of tarot cards. With a simple flick of his wrist, he tossed them into the air. The cards didn't fall. Instead, they hovered around the field, slowly circling above them like they were waiting to be chosen.
Yumi looked up at them, his brows furrowing slightly.
"…What the?"
He glanced around, trying to make sense of it, but nothing about this felt normal, even by his standards.
"This is a Tarot Duel," Sartorius said calmly, as if this explained everything.
"Tarot Duel?" Yumi repeated, clearly not impressed.
This wasn't anything he had seen before, not in any official format or even anything close to it.
"In a Tarot Duel, our fate is decided by the cards we draw from that deck each turn," Sartorius continued, sounding completely certain.
Yumi clicked his tongue.
"So you can't beat me normally, so now you're making up your own rules?"
Sartorius only chuckled at that, not even bothering to deny it.
Instead of arguing, he simply walked forward and reached up toward one of the floating tarot cards. The moment his fingers touched it, the card flipped over.
"Seven of Swords," he said, showing it openly.
A faint glow spread from the card as its effect took hold.
"This means I start with seven cards, and since I drew first, I take the first turn."
Seven cards shot out from his Duel Disk, lining up neatly in front of him, illuminated by that same white light.
Yumi watched the whole thing with a slightly annoyed expression, but he didn't step back. The duel had already started, and he wasn't about to walk away from it now.
He moved forward and grabbed one of the floating tarot cards.
"Two of Swords."
Two cards were drawn from his deck and added to his hand. He glanced at them briefly before shifting his attention back to Sartorius.
"I'll go first. Draw!" Sartorius declared without hesitation, adding another card to his hand before calmly selecting from the ones in front of him.
"I Normal Summon Arcana Force IV - The Emperor."
A dark, unsettling creature appeared on his field, its form surrounded by writhing tendrils with crimson orbs glowing at its tip.
[Arcana Force IV - The Emperor, 1400 ATK]
"Arcana Force monsters gain different effects depending on whether their Arcana is upright or reversed," Sartorius explained as a tarot card identical to The Emperor appeared above the monster's head, slowly spinning in place.
"Normally, I would tell you to call 'stop', but destiny has already been decided." he added, glancing at Yumi.
"What?"
"I make my prediction..." Sartorius continued, watching the spinning card. "The card will stop in upright position."
The card slowed, then stopped.
Upright.
"It gains its upright effect. All Arcana Force monsters I control gain 500 ATK."
[Arcana Force IV - The Emperor, 1400 -> 1900 ATK]
He let out a small laugh as the card activated. "I activate the Continuous Spell, Sowing of the Fool. Select one Arcana Force monster I control, note its ATK in multiples of 300. And depend on which position it landed, the effect differs."
Chuckling, he continued. "It gains the reversed position!"
The continuous spell stops at the reversal. "Now, you send cards from your deck to the Graveyard equal to that number."
Five cards were immediately ejected from Yumi's deck, dropping into his Graveyard one after another.
"I set two cards face-down," he said, placing them down with no hesitation.
"Turn end."