"Turn Elemental HEROes into fiends?" Jaden was stunned.
"I fuse the Avian on my field with Burstinatrix in my hand!" the Supreme King declared. "Embrace darkness—and let hellfire scour everything—
—Evil HERO Inferno Wing!!!"
Jaden's eyes widened as Avian and Burstinatrix merged into the pitch-black fusion vortex. Black lightning erupted within, carving jagged cracks across the floor.
Swirling darkness condensed into form—long arms, a lean torso, the curve of claws taking shape. Demon-broad bone wings unfurled; a mass of hellfire exploded behind, wrapping the wicked hero in flame, a cruel smile seeming to hang at its lips.
[Evil HERO Inferno Wing, ATK 2100]
Inferno Wing beat its wings, hovering, facing down Flame Wingman. HERO and Evil HERO—two auras clashed invisibly in the air.
"An evil version of Flame Wingman?" Jaden said gravely.
"No—stronger, more perfect," the Supreme King said icily. "I activate the Equip Spell Vicious Claw from my hand, equipping it to Evil HERO Inferno Wing."
Metal talons latched onto the fiend hero's hands. The blackened hero toyed with the glinting blades, slashing the air to leave transparent scars.
"Vicious Claw gives the equipped monster +300 ATK."
[Evil HERO Inferno Wing, ATK 2100 → ATK 2400]
"And if the equipped monster would be destroyed by battle, I can return this card to my hand instead—and then destroy another monster on your field outside of that battle," the Supreme King added.
Jaden: "Such a powerful Equip…"
"Battle," said the Supreme King. "Evil HERO Inferno Wing—tear apart that inferior reflection."
Inferno Wing needed no order; it shot forward eagerly.
Flame Wingman flapped up to meet it—the two collided at high speed again and again.
But in the end, Flame Wingman fell short. When his dragon-arm lunged, Inferno Wing seized it, twisted, and ripped open Flame Wingman's abdomen with a savage slice of the Vicious Claw.
Flame Wingman staggered back. Inferno Wing let out a shrill cackle, drove a kick into Flame Wingman's chest, and sent him plummeting. He smashed into the ground with a thunderous crash.
[Jaden, LP 4000 → LP 3700]
"Now Inferno Wing's effect," the Supreme King said. "When Evil HERO Inferno Wing destroys a monster by battle, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the destroyed monster's higher of original ATK or DEF."
Inferno Wing screeched, arms thrust high. Sparks flared at Jaden's feet—hellfire from the abyss ready to erupt.
"Counter Trap—Damage Polarizer!" Jaden immediately responded. "Negate the activation and effect that would inflict effect damage, and both players draw a card!"
A mirror-smooth shield appeared. The hellfire was fully deflected, scattering harmlessly in all directions.
Inferno Wing's effect was stopped, but the Supreme King remained unruffled.
"Pointless stalling," he said. "I set two cards. Turn end."
Jaden exhaled lightly.
So this is the corrupted version of Flame Wingman. This suffocating feeling—pressure born of power?
Or is it…
He stared at Inferno Wing—the cruel smile, the eyes playing with prey.
Somehow, he read sorrow there.
Jaden shook his head, casting off the thought.
Either way, this is bad. The enhanced Inferno Wing is stronger than Flame Wingman. Take last turn for example—even if Jaden set Clayman to defend, being destroyed by Inferno Wing would deal 2000 damage, since Clayman's DEF is higher.
And Inferno Wing has Vicious Claw. Even if he summons something stronger and attacks, he might not beat it—and could trigger the claw's effect, turning the tables and hurting himself.
Enough thinking.
Overthinking tactics isn't Jaden's style. He's better at following his heart.
"My turn. Draw!" Jaden said. "I activate the Spell Books from the Pot—both players draw three cards."
Both drew three. Seeing the HERO he needed, Jaden made up his mind.
"My Elemental HEROes may not be as strong as those turned into fiends—but they never give up!" Jaden raised his head. "I once again use Fusion Gate!
I'll banish monsters from my hand to Fusion Summon!"
"Not this time," said the Supreme King. "I activate my set trap—Dust Tornado.
I destroy one Spell/Trap on the field."
He pointed at the fusion vortex above Jaden.
"I destroy the Field Spell, Fusion Gate."
A sand-laden gale swept through; even the black vortex dissipated in the wind. Jaden raised an arm to shield himself as his Duel Disk's Field Zone popped out the destroyed card.
"Now you can't use that field to fuse anymore," the Supreme King said. "And Dust Tornado lets me set one Spell/Trap from my hand afterward."
He set another card to his back row.
Fusion foiled, but Jaden didn't falter: "Then I activate the Spell Fusion Sage, adding Polymerization from my Deck to my hand.
Next, I activate Polymerization!"
He drew two monsters from his hand and tossed them skyward. The cards became HERO forms in midair: a blue-suited hero wrapped in crackling arcs, and a heavy, bulwark-like armored hero.
"I fuse Elemental HERO Sparkman and Elemental HERO Clayman!"
The two heroes spiraled into a fusion vortex, swallowed like by a black hole. The core churned, then burst into prismatic light—like countless stars swept into an endless dance.
Suddenly, dazzling golden lightning erupted from the depths of the vortex like first light piercing mist. Surging current sculpted mighty steel arms and stout legs; countless fine arcs and energy bands wove thick armor, forming a giant wreathed in thunder, towering between heaven and earth.
Elemental HERO Thunder Giant—summon!