Fire Princess destroyed Air Hummingbird in battle.
Then, the Flame Lord picked up a small dagger from his left side. It ignited in flame, appearing right in front of Jaden, and before Jaden could react, the dagger pierced straight through his body.
"Guh..."
Skewered by the flaming knife, Jaden's vision briefly went black. It took him a long while to regain focus.
[Jaden, LP: 5500 → 3100]
But it wasn't over yet.
With a burst of sparks, countless meteors rained down nearby. Though there were no more spirits hiding there, the houses and farmlands were engulfed in flames, collapsing into ash before Jaden's eyes.
"Ahhh."
The pain of this devastation was far worse than any physical wound.
"I set one card face-down and end my turn!" The Flame Lord laughed wildly.
"Damn it..." Jaden gritted his teeth. "I activate my Trap Card!"
"NEXT!"
"This card lets me Special Summon any number of 'Neo-Spacian' or 'Elemental HERO Neos' monsters from my hand or Graveyard in Defense Position. Their effects are negated. As long as those monsters remain on the field, I can't Special Summon non-Fusion Monsters from my Extra Deck."
"I Special Summon Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab, Neo-Spacian Glow Moss, and Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird from my Graveyard!"
"A card that Special Summons three monsters at once... how wonderful... truly wonderful."
Jaden forced himself to stand up.
"Wake up, Flame Lord!" He drew a card from his Deck. "Even if they're old cards, even without power, there are still people who love them, just like I love my Elemental HEROes!"
In this Duel, Jaden understood his opponent's pain. He even had the heart to try persuading him.
But the Flame Lord had no intention of listening, only laughing maniacally at Jaden.
"Tch..."
Jaden clenched his teeth. "I activate the Spell Card, Space Gift! For each differently named Neo-Spacian on my field, I draw one card!"
He had three different ones on the field.
So he drew three cards!
"And at the same time, thanks to Fire Princess and Spell Absorption's effects, you'll suffer too!"
[Legendary Flame Lord, LP: 5000 → 5500]
[Jaden, LP: 3100 → 2600]
"Also, each time either of us activates a Spell Card, I get to place a Spell Counter on myself!" A strange, circular magical orb formed next to the Flame Lord.
After drawing, Jaden looked at the cards in his hand.
At this point, talking wasn't going to calm this spirit down.
"I Tribute Air Hummingbird and Flare Scarab from my field to Tribute Summon, Elemental HERO Neos!"
A point of light ignited before Jaden, and from the darkness of space emerged a strong, shining figure in white.
[Elemental HERO Neos] Level 7│LIGHT│Warrior│2500 ATK
"Next, Contact Fusion!"
Jaden picked up Neos and Glow Moss from his Duel Disk and returned them to his Deck. "Neos can fuse with Neo-Spacians without Polymerization. Contact Fusion!
Come forth, Elemental HERO Glow Neos!"
The already bright Neos changed form, taking up a radiant lance, aiming it at the opponent.
[Elemental HERO Glow Neos] Level 7│LIGHT│Warrior│2500 ATK
"So bright!" Tyranno shielded his eyes with his arm.
"Ugh, what a disgusting new monster," the Flame Lord spat bitterly.
Though light radiated from him as well, dark, heavy smoke billowed from his body, making him appear ominous and grim.
"Glow Neos's effect: once per turn, I can destroy one face-up card you control, then gain an additional effect based on the type of card destroyed.
I choose to destroy your Spell Absorption!"
Glow Neos gripped his glowing spear, aimed at the Spell Card, and hurled it, with a sizzle, it pierced straight through.
"Tch..."
With that, the continuous burn damage strategy was over.
"Next, I activate the Field Spell, Neo Space!" A vibrant, rainbow-colored ring lit up behind Jaden, spinning constantly.
"As long as this card remains on the field, Neos and Neos Fusion Monsters don't have to return to the Deck, and Neos and his Fusion Forms gain 500 Attack Points!"
[Elemental HERO Glow Neos, ATK: 2500 → 3000]
"But that also lets me place a second Spell Counter!" Another black orb floated beside the Flame Lord.
"...Glow Neos, attack!" Jaden aimed at a monster, deliberately not triggering Glow Neos's other effect.
"Not a chance! I activate the Continuous Trap Card, Spellbinding Circle! I choose one of your monsters; that monster can't attack or change its battle position!"
A huge hexagram enveloped Glow Neos. Jaden glanced at Neos, then at his hand, hesitated, and spoke again: "Stop this, Flame Lord!
You're a powerful spirit! Why must you destroy other spirits just to gain strength?!"
"I've got nothing to say to someone who uses brand new cards like you!"
"Neos has been my friend since I was a kid! Always has been!"
"Really?! Is that true?!" For a moment, a hint of struggle flashed across the Flame Lord's face.
Bathed in light, one eye glared at Jaden while the other wavered with conflict.
Duel Spirits could sense a Duelist's heart.
Especially during a Duel, it was clear to him that Jaden had never abandoned his Elemental HEROes.
And Elemental HEROes, in the human world, were considered a very old, even "overplayed" Deck.
"Of course!"
"Is that so?! Really?!"
Suddenly, the light around the Flame Lord swelled rapidly. What had been a human-sized glow now covered the entire village.
"Flame Lord?!" Jaden cried out in shock.
A voice whispered incessantly in the Flame Lord's ear.
'Don't believe him.'
'Even if you give up now, one day he'll abandon you too.'
'Elemental HEROes? Someone using a never-before-seen Neo-Spacian series, how can you trust him?'
"Aaaaaahhh!"
'Yes!'
'You mustn't trust this human.'
'Destruction, ruin, power, that's all you can trust!'
"My turn!"
Jaden froze.
"I activate the Spell Card, Gather Your Mind! I add another Gather Your Mind from my Deck to my hand!"
"Now I can gather three Spell Counters!"
"I activate my own effect, destroy every other monster on the field except myself!"
Flames surged from his body.
Distrust, abandonment, a crazed thirst for destruction, and above all, unbearable pain with no turning back, this spirit had gone berserk!
Fire Princess beside him was instantly reduced to ash.
Wild flames soared high. Amid his maniacal laughter, the entire sky ignited. The whole village was swallowed by the sea of fire, leaving almost nothing untouched.
"Our village..." One spirit collapsed to their knees at the sight.
Everything they had. All of it, burned to nothing!
Glow Neos, engulfed in flames, flashed before Jaden, raising its body silently to shield him, blocking the raging inferno.
Jaden drew in a deep breath.
"No matter how pitiful you are, that doesn't excuse this!!!"
"I don't care anymore!" The Flame Lord roared. "You're finished!"
Shrieking, he charged through the flames toward Jaden, stabbing through him again.
[Jaden, LP: 2600 → 200]
...
Bonus @400 PS
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