"My turn. Draw!"
Yubel drew her card and dramatically revealed it.
"Spell Card: 'Pot of Greed.' I draw two cards from my deck!"
She drew two more cards.
"Next, I switch the Yubel on my field from Attack to Defense Position."
Yubel on the field shifted from attack to defense; a sideways card appeared beneath her feet, and her broad, bony wings crossed in front of her like twin shields.
[Yubel, DEF 0]
Jaden said, "You're switching to Defense Position on purpose? I see, making use of Limit Reverse's downside."
Yubel smiled. "Not bad, Jaden. Looks like you really did your homework these past three years. You've learned quite a bit.
Yes, this is Limit Reverse's side effect. This card can revive a monster with 1000 or less ATK from the graveyard in Attack Position, but if that monster is switched to Defense Position, it is destroyed."
She pointed at herself on the field.
"The moment I, Yubel, am changed to Defense Position, due to Limit Reverse's effect, Yubel is destroyed!"
The Continuous Trap that had resurrected Yubel now became her fuse. With a boom, Yubel exploded. Her body was torn apart in a flash of fire, scattering into countless fragments.
But within the lingering smoke and flames, something even more massive began to take shape.
It was the form of a demon. If Yubel's first form only covered her with dragon skin and demonic armor but kept her humanoid appearance, then from the second stage on, she had completely abandoned her humanity—becoming a full-fledged demon.
The demon's body descended, radiating a world-ending aura. The despairing darkness, chilling and terrifying, was like the arrival of a king among demons.
And yet, that kingly figure, glimpsed through the thick darkness, seemed to carry a hint of endless sorrow.
"Because I lacked the power to protect, unable to save those important to me, that pain gave birth to me—Yubel. That's Yubel's First Darkness," Yubel said quietly.
"And to gain power, I threw myself into the darkness and abandoned what was precious to me. But even so, what I gained was only a hideous form. After the pain of the flesh comes the pain of the spirit—because my ugly, evil form was rejected, misunderstood, and hated..."
She raised her hand.
"This is Yubel's Second Darkness, the Second Stage—
—Yubel - Terror Incarnate!"
[Yubel – The Terror Incarnate, ATK 0]
Jaden looked up at the grotesque knight. This was the result of sacrificing oneself to gain the power to protect—yet in the end, it turned out so tragically.
"What's so ugly about it?"
He spoke softly.
"Even like this, you're still beautiful."
Yubel's pupils contracted, as if struck in the heart. She staggered back half a step.
But after a brief daze, the darkness quickly returned to her eyes.
"No, Jaden. You don't understand. You're still far from understanding.
Battle!"
She almost screamed.
"When I crush all your unnecessary friends, then you'll truly understand!
Yubel - Terror Incarnate, attack 'Elemental HERO Neos'!"
The Terror Incarnate let out a sound halfway between a roar and a wail, her eyes flashing with an enchanting light. Neos's eyes lit up with the same glow, and an uncontrollable urge surged within him. He rushed forward, ready to attack Yubel.
If the battle proceeds, Yubel remains unharmed, but Neos's 2500 ATK will be reflected back to Jaden as damage.
"Come, let's share the pain, Jaden!" Yubel cried. "Only then can you truly understand my darkness—all that I am!"
"I will understand, but not the way you say."
Jaden replied.
"And I won't abandon any of the friends I've met on this journey. Every irreplaceable friend has made me stronger—not just spirits, but also the friends I've made at the Academy—
—I activate a Set card! Trap Card: 'Doble Passe'!"
Jaden's Set card flipped up—it was Alexis Rhodes's signature Trap, already upgraded thanks to her work in Kira's lab.
"Doble Passe can only be activated when an opponent's monster attacks your own Attack Position monster," Jaden declared.
"It inflicts damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of the attacked monster, then changes the attack into a direct attack to yourself!"
Yubel: "!"
It was a brilliant counter, and especially effective against Yubel. Changing the opponent's attack to a direct attack usually comes at a risk, but since Yubel's ATK is 0, there's no downside.
He avoided the clash with Yubel, nullified all damage, and could launch a powerful counterattack—this trap was tailor-made to counter Yubel.
"So the Terror Incarnate's attack becomes a direct attack on me," Jaden said. "And you'll take damage equal to Neos's ATK—2500 points!"
Under the Trap's effect, Neos snapped out of Yubel's mind control and flipped over the Terror Incarnate, transforming into a beam of white light that shot straight at Yubel.
"Such a sly trick—are you rejecting my love like this?" Yubel growled.
"But my love won't be so easily dispelled! I activate a Set card—Counter Trap: 'Barrel Behind the Door'!"
A giant revolver appeared behind Yubel. Neos's attack struck a barrier, the energy absorbed and channelled into the revolver.
The gun fired. A golden beam shot from the gun, rebounding Neos's attack and piercing Jaden's chest. He staggered back two steps.
"Jaden!" Neos called.
Jaden steadied himself, shaking his head with a smile. "I'm fine."
[Jaden, LP 4000 → 1500]
He raised his head. "But Doble Passe's effect isn't over.
The monster chosen as the attack target—'Elemental HERO Neos'—can attack your opponent directly on my next turn!"
Yubel said coldly, "Assuming it survives until then.
I Set three cards to my back row."
Two cards promptly left her Graveyard.
"At the end of the turn, I Special Summon two 'Samsara Lotus' from the Graveyard!"
Jaden was shocked. "The two cards discarded by Graceful Charity before—they were both Samsara Lotus?"
[Samsara Lotus, ATK 0] x2
"And then, the effect of Yubel - Terror Incarnate!" Yubel declared. "At the end of the turn, all other monsters I control are destroyed!
And for each one destroyed this way, I destroy one monster on your field, too!"
…