Elemental HERO Bubbleman, ATK 800 to 1600
"An 800 boost? Still weak," Shell scoffed.
"Don't rush. I'll show you the endless possibilities of Hero!" Judai Yuki played another card. "Spell Card 'Polymerization'! I fuse 'Elemental HERO·Sparkman' and 'Elemental HERO·Bladedge' from my hand!
The power of Hero releases endless potential. Tear through the darkness of the Rift with lightning!
Elemental HERO·Thunder Giant, Summon!"
The two monsters appeared and merged into the vortex of Polymerization. Lightning burst outward as a golden armored warrior descended in a storm of electricity.
Elemental HERO·Thunder Giant, ATK 2800
"Elemental HERO·Thunder Giant's Effect Activation!" Judai Yuki shouted. "By discarding one card, I can Destroy one face up monster you control!"
He discarded a card.
"I Destroy 'King of the End·Demise, King of the End'!"
Thunder Giant hurled a spear of golden lightning at the demonic king.
"Useless!" Shell's eyes burned blue. "I activate my Trap Card, 'Darkness of Atonement'! When a card would be Destroy, I negate that effect and send a Level 3 or lower DARK monster from my Deck to the Graveyard!"
Black mist rose and blocked the attack. The lightning shattered against it in bursts of gold.
"King of the End is invincible, and strengthened by The Seal of Orichalcos. Its ATK is now 2900. Your Polymerization Hero can't defeat it," Shell said coldly.
"If once isn't enough, I'll do it again!" Judai Yuki yelled. "Thunder Giant's effect again! I discard one card to Destroy a face up monster! I Destroy 'King of the End·Demise, King of the End'!"
Shell was startled. "No once per turn limit?"
"That's right. Thunder Giant's effect can be used as many times as I want in a turn!" Judai Yuki declared. "Go! Thunder Crash!"
Another spear of lightning shot forward, piercing through the dark king's chest. A massive hole opened in King of the End, and its huge body collapsed in blue flames with a thunderous explosion.
King of the End·Demise, King of the End was destroyed.
King of the End·Demise, King of the End, Break Strike!
With the fading of Apocalyptic Archfiend Manifestation and Ashen Banishment, the pressure over the entire field dropped sharply. The strange blue flames around Shell weakened, yet he was still breathing hard.
"So you actually defeated King of the End." Shell let out a long breath. "I underestimated you. You are not ordinary brats."
"It's not over yet."
Judai Yuki revealed two more cards from his hand.
"Spell Card 'Double Attack'! I discard one monster from my hand to the Graveyard, then target a monster I control with a lower Level than the discarded one. That monster can attack twice this turn.
I discard the Level 5 'Elemental HERO·Destiny HERO - Doom Lord' from my hand and choose the Level 4 'Elemental HERO Bubbleman' on my field. This turn, Elemental HERO Bubbleman can attack twice. Then I enter the Battle Phase."
Judai Yuki swung his arm down and called the charge for his Heros.
"First, 'Elemental HERO Sparkman' attacks the set monster! When Elemental HERO Sparkman attacks a Defense Position monster and its ATK exceeds that monster's DEF, it inflicts piercing damage equal to the difference!"
"Then I activate my set card!" Shell responded from his Back Row. "Trap Card 'Draining Shield'! When an opponent's monster declares an attack, negate that attack, and I gain Life Points equal to that monster's ATK!"
A transparent barrier spread out, shining with rainbow light. The lightning from Elemental HERO Sparkman crashed into it and dissolved into pure energy, which flowed back into Shell.
Shell, LP 4800 to LP 7600.
"His LP are going up instead. Then 'Elemental HERO Bubbleman', attack the set monster. Bubble Shot!"
Elemental HERO Bubbleman crouched and fired a stream of bubbles. The blast washed away the set card and revealed a pot shaped monster with a single eye and a sly grin.
Morphing Jar.
Yugen frowned slightly. That card had been set without drawing attention, but it was a dangerous one.
Morphing Jar, DEF 600.
"When Morphing Jar is flipped, both players discard all cards in their hands," Shell said. "Then each player draws five cards from their Deck."
Both hands were replaced at once, and Morphing Jar was shattered by the bubbles.
"Because of 'Double Attack', Elemental HERO Bubbleman can attack twice this turn!" Judai Yuki declared. "Go, Elemental HERO Bubbleman! Direct attack. Bubble Shot!"
The bubble cannon fired again, and the exploding bubbles struck Shell head on. He staggered and took several steps back.
Shell, LP 7600 to LP 6000.
"This is still far from enough." Shell forced himself upright.
"I set two cards and end my turn." Judai Yuki then looked at Yugen with a trace of apology. "Sorry, his Life Points actually went up."
"It's fine. You broke his formation," Yugen Do said.
Judai Yuki gave him a thumbs up. "I knew it. When we team up, we are unbeatable."
Shell watched them in silence, his face twitching with displeasure.
"Companions. That is why people grow weak."
"What did you say?" Judai Yuki frowned.
"Heros are alone. They must be. That is the fate of those who hold a sword."
Judai Yuki paused before answering. "You keep saying you abandoned your companions and your Spirit. But I do not think you have truly let go."
"What?"
"The Phoenix God of Nephthys. You claim it betrayed you, yet you still carry it, and this Deck too." Judai Yuki said. "If your family protected that card for generations, and you treated it as a friend since childhood, it cannot be so easy to cast aside."
"Do not be ridiculous." Shell replied coldly. "I already said it. A Duel is only for victory. Phoenix God or King of the End, they are merely swords in a Duelist's hand. They only need to serve their role.
Any weapon that can be used must be used to the fullest."
"Then why come here, to this Dimension, searching this hidden ruin?" Judai Yuki pressed on. "This is not your first search, is it? You have been traveling everywhere, looking for the trace of Phoenix God. You wanted to see its Spirit, did you not?"
"Nonsense. I sought only to capture the power of the Spirit and make it mine," Shell said. "Or perhaps I came to take revenge for its indifference back then."
"That is what I thought at first. But through Duel, you can understand each other." Judai Yuki shook his head. "A Duel is a clash of hearts. You are strong, maybe the strongest Duelist I have faced. You say monsters are just tools, but during that Duel, I felt that you trust your cards. You trust your monsters. You are a true Duelist."
"Absurd. Utter nonsense."
"You can deny it all you want," Judai Yuki continued. "But can you really convince yourself with those words?"
Shell fell silent.
Yugen said nothing, yet he could not help admiring Judai Yuki's inherited talk no jutsu from the protagonists of Yu-Gi-Oh!. After that speech, even he could feel Shell's presence weakening.
"Enough."
Shell shook his head, his voice turning cold.
"You know nothing. It was only a Duel. How could you understand my thoughts? My Turn!, Card Draw!"
He drew from his Deck with force, the Card tracing a wide arc.
"The moment we enter the Standby Phase, the effect of 'Nephthys's Phoenix God' in the Graveyard activates again!" Shell raised his voice. "Last turn it was Destroy by the effect of 'King of the End·Demise, King of the End', so now, Effect Activation! During this turn's Standby Phase, Nephthys's Phoenix God will be reborn!"