"Then it's my turn. Draw!"
As Yusaku added the card to his hand, the voice from across the field came over.
Miki revealed a card in his hand. "I've got five Fairy monsters in my hand, and one of them is [Eva]. Combined with [Herald of Ultimateness], that's seven negates!"
Mizuki let out a cold snort. "And my senior still has [Vanity's Ruler] on the field. That damned [Lava Golem] of yours is never getting summoned."
Yusaku glanced at him. "A loser should stop talking."
At that, Mizuki's face turned dark in an instant. "You…"
But in the end, he couldn't force the rest of the sentence out. He could only let out a heavy snort and turn his head away in silence.
Miki looked toward Yusaku and spoke. "My junior's right. With [Vanity's Ruler] on the field, you can't summon any monster that needs Tributes to Special Summon. Add [Herald of Ultimateness]'s seven negates on top and…"
Before he could finish, Yusaku cut him off.
He revealed a card in his hand. "Sure, [Vanity's Ruler] + [Herald of Ultimateness] is strong. But that's only if their effects can actually activate."
Miki's pupils tightened. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said."
Yusaku flicked his wrist and slapped the card onto his Duel Disk. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell [Forbidden Droplet]!"
"The effect of this card: I can send any number of other cards from my hand or field to the GY, then choose that many effect monsters your opponent controls. Those monsters' ATK are halved and their effects are negated until the end of this turn…"
Yusaku revealed two cards.
"I send [Destiny HERO - Malicious] and [Elemental HERO Shadow Mist] from my hand to the GY, and choose your [Vanity's Ruler] and [Herald of Ultimateness]. Until the end of this turn, their ATK are halved and their effects are negated!"
"Since the cards I sent to the GY were monsters, your [Herald of Ultimateness] can't chain to the activation of my [Forbidden Droplet]!"
Miki's pupils shrank sharply. His mind frantically searched through the card database, but he couldn't find any information on this card at all.
As Yusaku's words fell, a crystal-clear phantom goblet formed above the plaza, its surface flowing with seven-colored light. A droplet of water, clear as morning dew, slowly tipped from the cup and began to fall.
[Vanity's Ruler]
[ATK 2500 → 1250]
[Herald of Ultimateness]
[ATK 2000 → 1000]
Seeing this, the players standing behind Yusaku couldn't help clenching their fists and cheering in low voices.
"Nice, now all of Miki's monsters are negated!"
Hearing that, someone in the circle spoke up.
"Honest question: HERO counts as a going-second deck now? Why isn't he on Branded? And compared to [Forbidden Droplet], wouldn't [Dark Ruler No More] be better?"
"Stop the forced flaming. [Masked HERO Dark Law] has negation too, doesn't it?"
"HERO nowadays isn't the old era of 'expensive but weak' anymore. Don't tell me you all forgot HERO's main-deck ace: [Elemental HERO Neos Kluger]! Lock a turn and blow up cards. If Yusaku had gone first this game, I guarantee the opponent wouldn't even be able to move!"
On the field.
Staring at the two monsters on his field that had both been nullified, Miki's brows knit together, his tone tinged with disbelief. "According to the intel we gathered, you've never used a HERO deck before."
Yusaku looked at him and replied, "This is my first time using a HERO deck."
This deck had been in his backpack since the day he crossed over.
It was one of the three decks rewarded by the system. After some tweaking over this period, it was finally ready for actual duels.
"As for [Forbidden Droplet], that just means your intel's a little outdated. I already used this card in the earlier rounds."
At that point, Yusaku paused briefly, as if he had suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right. I used it in the duel against your junior Fujiwara. By the time you guys rushed over, he was already knocked out, so naturally he didn't have time to tell you about it."
After speaking, Yusaku flipped up a card from his GY. "Then my turn continues. I activate the effect of [Elemental HERO Shadow Mist] in my GY. When this card is sent to the GY, I can add 1 'HERO' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add [Elemental HERO Stratos] from my Deck to my hand."
"Don't even think about it!"
Miki immediately slapped two cards from his hand onto the Duel Disk. "I activate [Herald of Orange Light], sending it and the Fairy monster [Diviner of the Herald] from my hand to the GY. I negate the effect of your [Elemental HERO Shadow Mist] and destroy it!"
As his words fell, a brilliant golden light shot from his GY, lancing straight toward Yusaku's GY and wiping away the lingering effect aura of [Shadow Mist].
"Next, I activate the effect of [Eva] that I just sent to the GY!" Miki pressed the advantage. "When this card is sent to the GY, I can banish up to 2 other LIGHT Fairy monsters from my field or GY, except this card; for each monster banished, I add 1 Level 2 or lower LIGHT Fairy monster with a different name, except [Eva], from my Deck to my hand."
"I banish another [Eva] and the [Herald of Orange Light] I just sent to the GY, and add another copy of [Herald of Orange Light] and [Diviner of the Herald] from my Deck to my hand!"
After adding the newly searched cards to his hand, Miki looked toward Yusaku. "There are plenty of students at the Academy running HERO. I've faced the deck myself quite a few times. It's got some going-second power, sure, but its extension is too reliant on [Vision HERO Faris]…"
"A third-rate deck, huh?"
Yusaku smiled faintly at that. "Then watch closely and see how this 'third-rate deck' of yours beats you."
With that, he drew a card from his hand and slammed it onto the Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card [A Hero Lives]!"
"Its effect: If you control no face-up monsters, you can pay half your LP to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower 'Elemental HERO' monster from your Deck."
"I pay half my LP and activate the effect!"
[Yusaku, LP 8000 → 4000]
"I Special Summon [Elemental HERO Stratos] from my Deck!"
A milky-white whirlwind suddenly formed on the field. Stratos, clad in high-tech armor with metallic wings unfurled behind him, descended from within the vortex. The gusts and shockwaves stirred up by his landing blew the dust around him in all directions.
[Elemental HERO Stratos]
[Level 4 / Warrior / Effect]
[ATK 1800]
"I activate the effect of [Elemental HERO Stratos]." Yusaku's voice was steady and forceful. "When this card is Summoned, I can add 1 'HERO' monster from my Deck to my hand."
As Miki sent two more cards from his hand to the GY, that familiar golden radiance shot forth once more, striking straight at Stratos on Yusaku's field. His effect aura was completely wiped out, and the monster itself dissolved into motes of light.
Then Yusaku revealed a card from his hand.
"The effect of [Premature Burial]: I pay 800 LP, then target 1 monster in my GY and Special Summon that target in Attack Position, and equip this card to it."
"I pay 800 LP!"
[Yusaku, LP 4000 → 3200]
"I Special Summon [Elemental HERO Stratos] from my GY and equip [Premature Burial] to it!"
[Elemental HERO Stratos]
[ATK 1800]
"I activate [Elemental HERO Stratos]'s effect again…"
Before Yusaku could finish, Miki immediately cut in. "I activate the effect of the last [Herald of Orange Light] in my hand, sending it and the Fairy monster [Diviner of the Herald] from my hand to the GY to negate your Stratos's effect and destroy it!"
As his words fell, the freshly revived Stratos once again turned into particles of light and vanished from the field.
Miki folded his arms and looked at Yusaku. "It's true I'm out of negates now, but you only have one card left in your hand too. What can you possibly do with just one card?"
In response, Yusaku raised that final card high, his eyes shining with absolute confidence. "Why can't I do anything with one card?"
Miki's pupils shrank. "???"
Yusaku slammed the card down onto his Duel Disk. "I activate the Spell Card [Monster Reborn]! I revive [Elemental HERO Stratos] from my GY!"
Holy light burst onto the field, and Stratos's figure re-formed once more, standing firmly on the duel ground.
[Elemental HERO Stratos]
[ATK 1800]
"I activate [Elemental HERO Stratos]'s effect! I add [Vision HERO Vyon] from my Deck to my hand!"
After adding the searched card to his hand, Yusaku didn't pause for even a moment. He immediately played it. "Normal Summon, [Vision HERO Vyon]!"
Blue energy flared out as a hero clad in sleek black armor appeared on the field.
[Vision HERO Vyon]
[Level 4 / Warrior / Effect]
[ATK 1000]
"Next, I activate the effect of [Vision HERO Vyon]!"
Yusaku's voice suddenly rose, steeped in irresistible momentum. "When this card is Summoned, I can send 1 'HERO' monster from my Deck to the GY. I send [Destiny HERO - Denier] to the GY!"
After sending the card to the GY, Yusaku swept his arm and shouted loudly, "Then I activate [Vision HERO Vyon]'s other effect! Once per turn, I can banish 1 'HERO' monster from my GY to add 1 'Polymerization' from my Deck to my hand!"
"I banish [Elemental HERO Shadow Mist] from my GY and add [Polymerization] from my Deck to my hand!"
With the freshly searched [Polymerization] in hand, Yusaku took a powerful step forward, raising his arm high. "Next, I conduct a Link Summon! Manifest, the Link circuit that guides the future!"
The moment his words fell, a gigantic Link circuit radiating golden light appeared in the sky above the field, intricate patterns spinning rapidly.
"Link Arrows confirmed! Summoning condition: 2 Warrior monsters!"
Yusaku swung his arm down with force, his voice ringing across the arena. "I use [Vision HERO Vyon] and [Elemental HERO Stratos] on my field as Link Material!"
"Oracle that proclaims the heavens, recollection that cleaves the sky! The sole incarnation bearing the vows of sacred knights through the ages, shattering falsehood with an ancient oath! Armor reflecting holy light, blade piercing the stars, wherever it passes, darkness retreats!"
"Descend, Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights!!"
As his incantation ended, the two monsters turned into brilliant streaks of light that shot up into the sky, leaving twin trails across the dome of the arena.
A moment later, the [↙][↘] Link Arrows flared to life. A gray-haired, red-eyed girl in a black dress and a tall, red-robed beauty stepped out of the circuit on rivers of light.
[Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights]
[Link-2 / Warrior / Link / Effect]
[ATK 1600]
"Holy crap, it's Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights!"
"No, no, you've got it wrong, man. That's clearly Elemental HERO Isolde!"
"Isolde's effect resolves and it's basically 'have everything you want'!"
"Hahaha, my waifu is finally on the field!"
"Move aside, boys. I've got a yellow stream ready to spray him awake!"
Hearing this chorus of nonsense, the various Dojo Masters from the 27th floor, along with the master of Flame Wolf Dojo on the 23rd floor, all turned and stared at Takeuchi in surprise.
Seeing this, Takeuchi cleared his throat twice and waved his hand a bit awkwardly. "Just pretend you didn't hear that. These newly joined students sometimes blurt out… incomprehensible things. You'll get used to it."
On the duel field.
Having successfully summoned Isolde, Yusaku's eyes sharpened. "I activate the effect of [Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights]! When this card is Link Summoned, I can add 1 Warrior monster from my Deck to my hand!"
"I add [Elemental HERO Stratos] from my Deck to my hand!"
After tucking the searched card into his hand, Yusaku didn't miss a beat and continued loudly. "Next, I activate Isolde's other effect! I send any number of Equip Spell Cards from my Deck to the GY, then Special Summon 1 Warrior monster from my Deck whose Level equals the number of cards sent!"
"I send the Equip Spell [Infernoble Arms - Durendal] from my Deck to the GY, then Special Summon the Level 1 Warrior monster [Infernoble Knight - Renaud] from my Deck!"
As his declaration ended, a knight astride a warhorse with blazing eyes appeared on the field, hefting a greatsword wreathed in flames and radiating scorching heat.
[Infernoble Knight - Renaud]
[Level 1 / Warrior / Effect]
[ATK 500]
"I trigger the effect of [Infernoble Knight - Renaud]!" Yusaku's voice rang out once more. "When this card is Special Summoned, I can target 1 FIRE Warrior monster or 1 Equip Spell in my GY or among my banished cards, except this card, and add it to my hand!"
(End of Chapter)
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