"It's my turn." Jaden drew a card and couldn't help but sigh as he looked at his hand. Since it was Jaden's turn, the audience quickly focused their attention, wanting to see what he would do.
If someone had carefully observed all the spectators, they might have noticed that one particular person seemed especially excited at that moment.
Although the duel so far had been thrilling and wonderfully varied, this particular audience member had shown no emotional reaction, only appearing excited when Jaden made a move or when Jaden's cards achieved some effect.
Now, it was Jaden's turn again.
Jaden looked at the cards in his hand, sighing slightly.
"Thinking about it now, it seems like only a year and a half has passed, but it feels as if a lifetime has gone by." Although the Labyrinth prevented him from seeing Hikaru or hearing his voice, just looking at the card Hikaru had set face-down made him feel like it was still the past, still like their first time in the Warrior Domain.
He seemed to hear Hikaru's words: "Use my card," from when they fought side by side.
Was confusion, after all, too much of a luxury for him?
Jaden looked at the cards in his left hand.
As stated earlier: he was super strong now.
However, precisely because of that, he'd been holding back. He hadn't truly gone all out.
He'd dueled the Paradox Brothers before and felt that the Paradox Brothers in his memory were too far below his current level, so he'd held back.
But looking at it now, he'd been a little too confident. And a little too unfair to the "duel" itself.
Everyone grows. Even old veterans won't always remain stagnant.
Deep in the vortex and the labyrinth, only by moving forward can one find the answer.
Fear... that shouldn't be what he should feel.
Just like Hikaru, who forever believes in Fusion.
Jaden had reached this point by believing in HEROes. So whether it was Elemental, Neo-Spacian, Masked, or even... Evil HERO, they were all part of the HEROes!
He shook his head.
Before anything else, he would use every card in his hand.
"Activate when there are no monsters on your field, Convert Contact! Send one Neo-Spacian from your hand and one from your Deck to the Graveyard, then draw two cards." Jaden revealed Neo-Spacian Grand Mole in his hand and Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin in his Deck, sent them to the Graveyard, then drew two cards.
"Then, I activate the Spell Card, Evil Assault!"
"Oh my god," Hikaru couldn't help but mutter as he looked at the card.
That exists too?
"Evil Assault's effect: discard one card from your hand to activate. Add one Level 4 or lower Evil HERO monster from your Deck to your hand, or Special Summon it. After this card is activated, until the end of the turn, you cannot Special Summon non-HERO monsters from your Extra Deck!"
"Heh, another self-restriction for HEROes?"
"That's right, I discard Elemental HERO Solid Soldier from my hand. From my Deck, I Special Summon, Evil HERO Dead-End Prison!"
A Prisma-like hero bound within a crystalline prison stepped onto the field.
Evil HERO Dead-End Prison -- Level 4, LIGHT, Rock, ATK 1700
"Dead-End Prison's effect: send one HERO monster from your Deck to the Graveyard. This turn, if a HERO Fusion Monster is Fusion Summoned, this face-up card can be used as one of the listed Fusion Materials!"
"I send the second Shadow Mist to the Graveyard, and this turn, Dead-End Prison becomes a substitute Fusion Material."
"Oh oh oh! I know this one, it's a monster similar to The Light - Hex-Sealed Fusion!" Below the stage, Serena nodded repeatedly, indicating she was well-versed in this.
"Additionally, the second Shadow Mist's effect: when sent to the GY, add one HERO monster except Shadow Mist from my Deck to my hand. I choose Sparkman."
He took a Normal Monster.
"Spell Card, Polymerization." He played a common Spell Card. "This card is the origin of Fusion, and the starting point of friendship, I Fusion Summon using Dead-End Prison on the field and Sparkman in my hand!"
"Come forth, one of my most beloved HEROes! Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman!"
Below the stage, there was a crackling sound.
A HERO clad in silver-white armor appeared brilliantly in a flash of light!
Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman -- Level 8, LIGHT, Warrior, ATK 2500
"So it's Shining Flare Wingman?" The Paradox Brothers immediately recognized this card. "This card can destroy an opponent's monster by battle and inflict damage equal to that monster's ATK, and it also gains 300 ATK for each Elemental HERO in the GY. Although you don't have too many Elemental HEROes in your Graveyard, as long as it surpasses Gate Guardians Combined, you can win directly with its effect, so, do you dare to attack?!"
In the combined Graveyards, there were a total of 10 Elemental HEROes, so Shining Flare Wingman's ATK would reach 5500!
As long as the attack went through, they'd win!
"Battle! Shining Flare Wingman attacks."
"Naive! Activate Trap Card, Mirror Force!" Kyuu laughed and flipped his face-down card.
"Oh wow!" Shining Flare Wingman was instantly reflected by its own power and exploded.
"Hahaha, looks like we win!"
"It's all over! Dark Guardian and Gate Guardians Combined are too strong!"
"Ah, did they lose after all? Looks like the GX champion is nothing special."
The audience chattered.
However, on the stage, Jaden couldn't help but smile.
"Hahahaha."
"Hmm? What's wrong, young man? Winning and losing in a duel is normal, don't let it drive you crazy." Seeing Jaden smile, the Paradox Brothers thought he couldn't accept the loss and began to console him.
"No, hah, thank you, seniors. You're right, I really am in a labyrinth of my own." Jaden laughed. "But I suddenly realized,
The exit was hinted at from the very beginning, wasn't it?!"
?
Jaden suddenly flipped open a face-down card.
Just like his first Tag Duel with Hikaru, where he'd won using Hikaru's card after his ace was destroyed.
Trusting teammates. Trusting partners. That was truly the act of a HERO!
There was nothing purer or simpler than that!
"Then, I'll use your card, Hikaru!"
Hikaru nodded silently. "Fight to your heart's content!"
"Activate Trap Card, Favorite Contact!"
"What?"
"That is, what?"
Although the Paradox Brothers couldn't see each other, they were certain that at this moment, they were both utterly bewildered.
"Special Summon one Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck that mentions a HERO monster as material, ignoring its Summoning conditions, by placing the Fusion Materials mentioned on it on the bottom of the Deck in any order, from among cards in your hand, field, GY, and/or your banished cards!"
On the card art, Neos and Shining Flare Wingman shone together.
"I will fuse Shining Flare Wingman and Neos!"
The two most beloved HEROes fused together!
"Ignite my path! Neos! Flame Wingman!"
"ROAR!"
"ALRIGHT!"
The two monsters made contact in the air. Shining Flare Wingman's armor equipped itself onto Neos, their bodies merged, and finally -- a Neos wielding a long blade and spreading silver-white wings descended from the sky!
Elemental HERO Shining Neos Wingman -- Level 8, LIGHT, Warrior, ATK 3100
"ATK 3100?"
"The opponent's ATK is over seven thousand."
"Hahaha." Jaden clenched his fist excitedly. "Shining Neos Wingman inherits all of Shining Flare Wingman's effects and is further strengthened!"
"Shining Flare Wingman, could it be?!" The Paradox Brothers were greatly alarmed.
"It IS that 'could it be'!" Jaden was so excited he spoke much faster. "Shining Neos Wingman's ATK increases by 300 points for each monster in the Graveyard!"
It only needed to be a monster?!
How many monsters were in their Graveyards?
"Currently, in our Graveyards, there are a total of, a total of 21 Monster Cards!"
The Paradox Brothers' jaws dropped.
T-twenty-one?!
Elemental HERO Shining Neos Wingman -- ATK: 3100 -> 9400
"N-nine thousand?"
"This, this, this..."
"Even Five-Headed Dragon can only stand behind it and sigh in awe!"
"Now, as long as Shining Neos Wingman attacks Gate Guardians Combined, they win." The audience discussed animatedly. Chazz's brother immediately looked as if someone had died. On the other side, Chazz wasn't particularly excited either, he just looked at this monster, feeling his blood boil, thinking that next time he absolutely had to settle the score with Jaden again.
Jaden looked at his hand. "Although directly attacking Gate Guardians Combined would be fine, however! Last time, in my duel with you, I won by battling with Winged Kuriboh's Fusion Monster, defeating your Dark Guardian.
Now, we've both grown stronger, and we've both moved forward, so I want to show you two my determination to break free from the labyrinth!
Quick-Play Spell, Burial from a Different Dimension! Target up to three of your and your opponent's banished monsters, those monsters return to their owners' Graveyards. I choose Hikaru's Evil HERO Malicious Edge, Evil HERO Adusted Gold, and Destiny HERO - Dasher!"
Because three more monsters were added to the Graveyard, Shining Neos Wingman's ATK would increase further!
Elemental HERO Shining Neos Wingman -- ATK: 9400 -> 10,300
"Huh?"
Someone couldn't help but quickly snap a photo.
Someone else dropped their phone in shock at seeing this number.
The Paradox Brothers just wanted to say, you don't need to show THAT much determination!
"Such... such ridiculous ATK!" Lulu couldn't help but stare at the duel field. Even for a resident of the Xyz Dimension, where the culture revolved around pursuing high ATK numbers, this value felt quite terrifying.
"Battle!" Jaden pointed at Dark Guardian. "Shining Neos Wingman attacks Dark Guardian!"
Neos spun the long blade in his hand. Being able to fuse with anything and wield any weapon, the moment he grasped the sword, it was as if he'd practiced swordsmanship for decades, dancing with the blade, cutting directly through the Labyrinth from one end to the other.
The gatekeeper guarding the exit of the Labyrinth vanished in an explosion.
Paradox Brothers -- LP: 2425 -> 0
The Labyrinth slowly began to collapse. Jaden finally saw Hikaru again. The two smiled at each other, not saying much. They extended a hand to each other, high-fived, and everything went unsaid.