"Molten Red Flare!" HellKing screamed. "All four of my Resonators are destroyed, and you take 500 damage for each! 2000 points of damage await you, Leo!"
"I don't think so!" Leo countered, flipping his facedown. "Hallowed Life Barrier! By discarding one card from my hand, all damage I take this turn becomes zero! I discard Elemental HERO Necroshade, and now I'm safe!"
"You may have survived this turn," HellKing hissed, "but you're just delaying the inevitable. I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards, set two more, and end my turn."
"He made it..." Alex sighed in relief.
"But can he actually win?" Luna asked, her eyes fixed on the field. "He's up against a legend."
"My move! Draw!" Leo pointed forward. "Go, Flame Wingman! Destroy Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend!"
"If this attack lands, Leo wins!" Alex cheered.
"I activate my Continuous Trap: Spirit Barrier!" HellKing shouted. "As long as I control a monster, all battle damage I take becomes zero!"
"Scarlight is still destroyed, and you take damage from Flame Wingman's effect!" (HellKing: 3100 → 100 LP). "And now, the third effect of Favorite HERO! By sending the Equip card to the Graveyard, Flame Wingman can attack again!" (Flame Wingman ATK: 3700 → 2100). "Go, Flame Wingman! Direct attack!"
"This is it!" Luna cried.
"Trap activate: King's Consonance!" HellKing roared. "When you declare a direct attack, I negate it! Then, I banish Red Rising Dragon and Red Resonator from my Graveyard to Synchro Summon a monster with the same Level! Return to the field, Red Dragon Archfiend!"
"Red Dragon..." Leo's voice broke with emotion. "I will save you. I activate Pot of Greed! I draw two cards, set two cards, and end my turn."
I'll save you, Red Dragon, Leo thought, looking into the eyes of the beast he loved.
"What now, Leo?" HellKing mocked. "Will you use those facedowns to destroy your precious dragon?"
"I would never do that," Leo said firmly.
"Then you'll die a fool. Red Dragon belongs to me forever—the ultimate engine of destruction for the Mask of Power. My move! Draw! Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Flame Wingman! Absolute Powerforce! Burn in the flames of hell!"
"Don't you dare use my lines—or my monster—against me!" Leo shouted. "Mirror Gate, activate! When you attack an 'Elemental HERO,' our monsters swap sides for the duration of the turn! Come back to me, Red Dragon Archfiend! Fight by my side once more!"
The two monsters crossed paths. As Red Dragon landed on Leo's side, it let out a thunderous roar of recognition. It turned and struck Flame Wingman, who was now on HellKing's side of the field.
"Spirit Barrier reduces the damage to zero!" HellKing reminded him with a sneer. "You destroyed your own hero just to spend one turn with your dragon? You really are an idiot. At the end of the turn, Red Dragon returns to me. I set one card and end my turn. Now, return to your true master, Red Dragon!"
The dragon vanished from Leo's field and reappeared behind the shadow of the Mask. Leo took a deep breath, looking at his empty hand and his lone set card. This is it. One way or another, it ends here.
"My turn! Draw!"
"I activate my Trap: Red Cocoon!" HellKing interrupted. "Now, even if you destroy him, Red Dragon Archfiend will return during the End Phase. This dragon obeys only me!"
Leo looked at the card he had just drawn. A sad smile touched his lips. "I'm sorry, old friend. But this is the only way to set you free. By using Necroshade's effect in my GY, I can Normal Summon a high-level 'Elemental HERO' without Tributing! Come forth, Elemental HERO Bladedge (2600/1800)!"
"Go, Bladedge! Attack Red Dragon Archfiend! With Skyscraper's effect, your attack rises!" (Bladedge: 2600 → 3600 ATK).
"It's useless!" HellKing laughed. "My Spirit Barrier is still active! I take no damage!"
"Maybe not," Leo shouted, "but Red Dragon is still destroyed!"
Bladedge's golden armor flashed as he sliced through the dragon. A thick cloud of smoke covered the field, and HellKing's laughter echoed through it. "Fool! You've killed the thing you loved! And he will still return to me—his rightful master!"
"That's where you're wrong!" Leo's voice pierced the smoke. "Red Dragon doesn't need a master. He is loyal to the one who protects him, no matter the cost. If you stand by this dragon even when it could destroy you, he will open the path to impossible victories!"
As the smoke cleared, everyone gasped. Red Dragon Archfiend was standing in the center of Leo's field, flanked by Bladedge, glaring at HellKing with murderous fury.
"What!?" HellKing, Luna, and Alex shouted in unison.
"How is this possible?" HellKing took a step back, trembling.
"My facedown: Monster Rebirth!" Leo explained. "When a monster is destroyed by battle, I can send a Monster Reborn from my deck to the GY to Special Summon any monster from either Graveyard! I chose the Red Dragon Archfiend that was just destroyed! And since I'm still in my Battle Phase... Red Dragon, it's time to end this. Absolute Powerforce!"
With the dragon on Leo's side, HellKing had no monsters to activate Spirit Barrier. The blast hit the shadow directly. (HellKing: 100 → 0 LP).
As the duel ended, the shadow and the Mask of Power evaporated into nothingness, leaving only a deck of cards scattered on the ground. Leo picked them up, smiling with profound relief.
"Finally," he whispered. "I've got you back, partner."
He turned around only to find Luna and Alex staring at him with icy, demanding expressions.
"You," Luna began, "have a lot of explaining to do."
"Yeah... I guess I owe you guys that much," Leo said with a nervous laugh, clutching the Red Dragon Archfiend card tightly in his hand.