Yusaku glanced at the card Miki had played and raised an eyebrow. "So you're on a HERO deck, huh? No wonder you chose to go second."
"That's right!" Miki sneered. "Among all going-second decks, HERO's OTK potential is definitely top-tier. And it doesn't even rely on the Normal Summon, which means I can also run Lava Golem!"
"Then I activate its effect!"
[Miki, LP 6800 → 3400]
"I'll take from my Deck—"
Before he could finish, Yusaku immediately chained from his hand.
"Chain to your effect: I send Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring from my hand to the GY. Your search effect is negated."
A crisp, mischievous giggle rang out. A white-haired little girl with a wide forehead popped onto Miki's field, kicked the face-up Spell card on his field straight into the GY, pulled a face at him, then scattered into motes of light and vanished.
"…Huh?"
Staring at his negated card, Miki froze, genuinely not understanding what had just happened.
"Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring," Yusaku said calmly as he looked at Miki. "When your opponent activates an effect that would add a card from the Deck to the hand, Special Summon from the Deck, or send from the Deck to the GY, I can chain Ash Blossom and negate it."
"Tch… So it can negate three different kinds of effects. But… you didn't see this coming!" Miki smirked, then flashed another copy. "I've got a second A Hero Lives in my hand!"
Before the words even finished leaving his mouth, he slammed the card onto his Duel Disk.
"Activate A Hero Lives!"
[Miki, LP 3400 → 1700]
"I Special Summon Elemental HERO Stratos from my Deck!"
A milky-white cyclone spiraled down as a HERO in high-tech armor descended from above, metal wings flaring behind him. He landed in a standard superhero pose, a gust of air rolling outward.
[Elemental HERO Stratos]
[Level 4 / Warrior / Effect]
[ATK 1800]
"Stratos's effect," Miki said. "When it's Summoned, I add 1 'HERO' monster from my Deck to my hand."
"I add Vision HERO Faris!"
After the search, Miki looked at Yusaku and sneered. "Just like I thought. That thing you've got—Ryzeal Detonator—doesn't have anything scary. It doesn't even have Spell/Trap negation. This turn, I take the win!"
He raised another card high.
"Vision HERO Faris effect! Discard 1 'HERO' monster; Special Summon this card from my hand!"
He revealed a card to Yusaku without hesitation. "I discard Elemental HERO Shadow Mist to the GY, then Special Summon Faris!"
A HERO in crimson armor burst onto the field in a flare of red light, the lines of his suit still glowing with heat.
[Vision HERO Faris]
[Warrior / Effect]
[ATK 1600]
"I activate Faris's effect—also, I chain the effect of Elemental HERO Shadow Mist that was just sent to the GY!"
"First, Shadow Mist," Miki announced. "When this card is sent to the GY, I can add 1 'HERO' monster from my Deck to my hand."
"I add Destiny HERO – Plasma!"
"Now Faris's effect," Miki continued. "On Summon, I place 1 'Vision HERO' from my Deck in my Spell & Trap Zone as a face-up Continuous Trap. I choose Vision HERO Increase."
A HERO-shaped silhouette slowly formed in Miki's back row, glowing with a faint blue aura.
"Vision HERO Increase effect activates!" Miki shouted. "By Tributing 1 'HERO' monster on the field, I can Special Summon this card from the Spell & Trap Zone!"
He scanned his field, then spoke sharply.
"I Tribute Vision HERO Faris and Special Summon Vision HERO Increase!"
"At the exact moment you activate Increase's effect," Yusaku snapped his fingers, his voice bright and crisp. "I activate Ryzeal Detonator's effect—detaching Splitting Aggregator as Xyz Material!"
[Ryzeal Detonator]
[Xyz Materials: 4 → 3]
"I destroy your Elemental HERO Stratos!"
The mech-like war god surged upward, its massive fist wrapped in molten heat and crackling electricity as it smashed down. Stratos shattered in an explosion and was sent to the GY.
Miki stared—then let out a mocking laugh. "That's it? I thought it would be something insane. It's just popping a card! You didn't pop Faris, you didn't pop the real key pieces, and HERO doesn't fear destruction in the first place!"
He raised his voice again. "By Faris's setup, Increase still comes out! Come on—Vision HERO Increase!"
Blue data streams flickered. Faris's afterimage dispersed, the back-row silhouette condensed into solid form, and a HERO in blue armor appeared on the field.
[Vision HERO Increase]
[Warrior / Effect]
[ATK 900]
"Increase's effect—" Miki began.
"Hold it." Yusaku cut him off. "I still have an effect to resolve."
Miki's eyes widened. "What?"
Yusaku lifted a card from his GY, tone laced with amusement.
"Splitting Aggregator's effect. When this card is sent to the GY, I can target 1 face-up card on the field; its effects are negated until the end of this turn."
"I target your Vision HERO Increase. Its effects are negated until the end of the turn."
A red-brown flash shot out of the GY and struck Increase dead-on, snuffing out the blue glow on its body.
Yusaku folded his arms and looked at Miki. "Your HERO deck doesn't fear destruction? How about now?"
Miki's face darkened instantly. "You didn't pop anything earlier because you were waiting for this. You wanted me to commit to Increase, tribute my monster, then you chain-pop at the perfect timing so I lose the most possible."
"Bingo." Yusaku snapped his fingers, grinning. "That's the idea."
"You think that means I'm out of options?" Miki yanked another card from his hand, eyes flashing with something near-madness. "Sorry, I've still got That Grass Looks Greener!"
"Everything before this was just testing whether you had interaction. Now I've confirmed it—your field has no more answers!"
He slammed the card down.
"Activate That Grass Looks Greener! If my Deck has more cards than yours, I send cards from the top of my Deck to the GY until we have the same number!"
"My Deck has 51 cards. You have 27. So I send 24 cards to the GY!"
Miki swept the top 24 cards from his Deck in one motion and sent them straight to the GY. As he scanned what had just milled, his eyes lit up—his expression turning eerily blank, like a poker face stretching into a silent laugh.
"Yusaku—now I can assemble the materials for Destiny HERO – Plasma!"
He thrust his hand toward his GY.
"I activate Destiny HERO – Malicious in my GY! I banish it to Special Summon another Destiny HERO – Malicious from my Deck!"
A Malicious with enormous wings unfurled behind him appeared on the field, wrapped in thick shadowy aura.
[Destiny HERO – Malicious]
[Level 6 / Warrior / Effect]
[ATK 800]
"Not done yet!" Miki's voice climbed higher. "I activate Destiny HERO – Denier in my GY! If this card is in the GY, and I have another 'Destiny HERO' monster on my field or in my GY, I can Special Summon Denier!"
"I already have Malicious on the field, so I Special Summon Destiny HERO – Denier!"
"At the moment you activate Denier's effect," Yusaku said evenly, "I chain your effect: I activate Ryzeal Detonator, and I flip my set card—chaining Ryzeal Mass Accelerator!"
"First, Ryzeal Mass Accelerator," Yusaku declared. "I can attach this card to a Rank 4 'Ryzeal' Xyz Monster I control as Xyz Material, then my 'Ryzeal' monster gains 1000 ATK."
"I attach it to Ryzeal Detonator, and it gains 1000 ATK!"
[Ryzeal Detonator]
[Xyz Materials: 3 → 4]
[ATK 3000 → 4000]
"Now, Ryzeal Detonator's effect—detach 1 material!"
[Ryzeal Detonator]
[Xyz Materials: 4 → 3]
"I destroy your Vision HERO Increase!"
The mech-god swung again. Increase detonated into fragments under the roar of the impact.
The next second, Denier still completed its Special Summon, stepping onto the field with chains clinking coldly at his side.
[Destiny HERO – Denier]
[Level 3 / Warrior / Effect]
[ATK 1100]
Yusaku looked at Miki, the corner of his mouth lifting. "Looks like you're still missing one more body before you can drop Plasma."
Miki ground his teeth, staring at the towering machine on Yusaku's field. "Every time I try to resolve a monster effect, you chain and blow something up. I get it now—your monster can chain to monster effects and pop cards!"
"Fine." He jabbed a finger forward. "This time I'm using a Spell. Let's see how you answer that!"
Yusaku raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You want to test it?"
"Yeah!" Miki snapped, and slapped down one of the last playable cards in his hand.
"Activate Monster Reborn, targeting Elemental HERO Stratos in my GY! I Special Summon it!"
"Still not learning," Yusaku said, shaking his head once. "Then I chain your activation: Ryzeal Detonator, and I also chain the effect of Centur-Ion Atrii in my Spell & Trap Zone!"
"First, Centur-Ion Atrii's effect," Yusaku announced. "During either player's Main Phase, I can activate it and Special Summon this card."
"I Special Summon Centur-Ion Atrii!"
Blue hair fluttered as a tall, slender dragonkin girl manifested, sword in hand. The dragon patterns on her armor shimmered with faint silver light.
[Centur-Ion Atrii]
[Level 4 / Dragon / Tuner]
[ATK 1800]
"Now Ryzeal Detonator's effect—detach 1 material!"
[Ryzeal Detonator]
[Xyz Materials: 3 → 2]
"I destroy your Destiny HERO – Denier!"
Miki's pupils shrank. "Wait—so your monster can even chain to Spell activations?"
"Correct," Yusaku answered sharply. "Ryzeal Detonator: when you activate a card or effect, I can detach 1 material and target 1 card on the field; destroy it."
"As long as you activate something, I can chain—and I'm not restricted to destroying monsters. I can hit any card on the field."
Miki was left speechless.
The mech-god's massive hand slammed down again. Denier was pulverized instantly.
At the same time, Monster Reborn resolved, and Stratos returned to the field.
[Elemental HERO Stratos]
[ATK 1800]
"The moment you Special Summon Elemental HERO Stratos," Yusaku's voice rose, crisp and commanding, "I activate the effect of my Field Spell Stand Up Centur-Ion!!"
"When a monster is Special Summoned, I can perform a Synchro Summon using my monsters, including a 'Centur-Ion' monster!"
He swept his arm outward.
"I tune my Level 8 Lava Golem with my Level 4 Tuner Centur-Ion Atrii!"
Miki's eyes went wide. "You can Synchro Summon like that?!"
"Be born—Crimson Dragon!"
A red meteor-like streak tore across the sky. A massive red dragon roared as it descended, its body blotting out the arena's light.
[Crimson Dragon]
[Level 12 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK 0]
"Then I activate Crimson Dragon's effect!" Yusaku declared. "I target my Level 12 Synchro Monster—Centur-Ion Auxila—return Crimson Dragon to the Extra Deck, and Synchro Summon a Level 12 Dragon Synchro Monster!"
Yusaku raised his arm high, crimson light surging around him.
"My three sages—welcome. The crimson star never dies, and only fools march toward extinction. Roaring, violent souls—carve this moment of world-beginning into history!"
"Synchro Summon—Red Supernova Dragon!"
A deafening explosion erupted as the Synchro pillar crashed down like a waterfall of light. A colossal dragon wreathed in blazing crimson hellfire burst forth, its sheer size covering the entire field. Every scale radiated annihilating red brilliance, and its eyes burned like twin stars.
[Red Supernova Dragon]
[Level 12 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK 4000]
"Red Supernova Dragon's effect!" Yusaku shouted. "Its ATK increases by 500 for each Tuner in my GY."
"I have 4 Tuners in my GY, so it gains 2000 ATK!"
[Red Supernova Dragon]
[ATK 4000 → 6000]
Miki stood there, completely stunned, blank confusion written all over his face.
The Lava Golem he had just dropped… had turned into the material for Yusaku's ace monster.
Not just him—every single academy spectator in the stands was frozen, mouths open, eyes wide with disbelief.
Miki had only activated one Spell, and the turn had practically been stolen out from under him.
In under thirty seconds, Yusaku had put a 6000 ATK Red Supernova Dragon onto the field.
"I don't know how many HERO bodies you can still pull out of your GY," Yusaku said calmly, absolute confidence behind every word, "but I can guarantee you this: you will never assemble the materials to Summon Plasma."
"Before Plasma ever hits the field, your monsters will be destroyed or banished first."
"You can keep trying to build," Yusaku continued, "but it's pointless. Ryzeal Detonator still has two Xyz Materials left, so I can pop two more times. Red Supernova Dragon can banish the entire field, and it won't be destroyed by card effects."
"And most importantly—"
Yusaku flicked the fan of cards in his hand.
"You Special Summoned seven times. I drew seven cards off Maxx 'C'. No matter what you do, this Duel ends next turn."
"I've said what I needed to say. Go ahead—continue."
Miki fell silent, his face flushing deep red.
His fists clenched so hard his knuckles went white. After a long pause, he let out a broken, hoarse sigh.
"…You win."
(End of Chapter)
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