Golden lightning split the dark clouds as a HERO in golden armor descended, electricity surging in his core.
[Elemental HERO Thunder Giant, ATK 2400]
"Oh?" The Necromancer grunted. "A Quick-Fusion during the Battle Phase? But even a powerful Fusion HERO—"
"Thunder Giant's effect activates!" Jaden shouted. "When Thunder Giant is Fusion Summoned, he can destroy a monster on the field with lower original ATK!"
(In the actual cards, Thunder Giant's effect can be used once per turn by discarding a card as cost. In the anime, it only activates when summoned and doesn't require a discard.)
"Thunder Giant's effect—destroy Marshmallon!"
Thunder Giant raised his hands, energy whirling in his chest before unleashing a spinning lightning sphere.
Marshmallon was struck, its fluffy body vaporized by the thunderbolt.
"Yes! Marshmallon is defeated!"
Jaden pumped his fist.
"Since it's still the Battle Phase and the number of monsters on the field changed, the battle is rewound—Wildheart attacks directly!"
Wildheart leaped forward, slashing down with his blade, breaking through the Necromancer's defenses.
[Necromancer, LP 4000 → LP 2500]
The Necromancer grunted, clutching his chest as he dropped to one knee.
"Tch, you've got some skill…"
He frowned at Jaden.
What was going on? This kid didn't seem like the bottom of Duel Academy at all.
Didn't Black Flame say he'd done his research? Wasn't this kid supposed to be the weakest in Slifer Red?
This was their academy's worst student?
The Necromancer was almost relieved he'd come himself. If he'd sent someone else from his branch, they might not have been a match for this spiky-haired kid.
The Duelist Kingdom had just begun, and his branch had already suffered a double defeat by two academy students. If word got out, he'd be finished as branch chief—maybe the whole department would be in trouble.
Good thing he'd come in person.
The Necromancer stood, humming. "I underestimated you… but it doesn't matter. At the end of this turn, Destiny Board activates again."
He raised his hand.
"Spirit Message!"
Destiny Board activated once more. A third ghostly spirit appeared, clutching the third letter of "DEATH".
A.
D, E, A—now three out of five letters for "DEATH".
"Time's running out, Jaden," the Necromancer said coldly. "You're one step closer to death."
"…"
Jaden fell silent. Thunder Giant exploded in a burst of energy, vanishing from the field.
"Because of 'Gravity Bind', Thunder Giant can't attack. And since he was Fusion Summoned with 'Flash Fusion', he's destroyed at the end of the turn.
My turn ends."
"Hahaha, seems you're out of options." The Necromancer declared, "Now it's my turn! Draw!
First, Spell Card: 'Spell Books from the Pot'—both players draw three cards from their decks." (manga card)
He glanced at his new cards, then burst out laughing.
"Next, from my hand, I activate this card! Spell Card: 'One Day of Peace!'"
A green card shimmered in his back row, casting a faint golden glow over the field.
"One Day of Peace—both players draw a card from their deck."
The Necromancer drew, smiling eerily.
"But until the end of your next turn, all damage—battle or effect—becomes zero!"
"I see," Jaden nodded. "With that card, I can't deal any damage at all…"
"Exactly! So you can do nothing but sit there, powerless, for your next turn!"
The Necromancer's laughter was sharp and twisted.
After a while, he stopped and asked with a sneer, "Do you hear it?"
"Huh?" Jaden was puzzled.
"The footsteps of the Grim Reaper—drawing closer and closer," the Necromancer said darkly. "Your time is almost up."
"Hahaha, yeah, it's a real headache," Jaden scratched his head. "Just two more turns and I'll lose, and now there's nothing I can do next turn… what a pain."
The Necromancer raised an eyebrow.
Why wasn't this guy scared?
Was he actually enjoying this situation?
"If you can't deal damage, you have to wait until the last possible turn to decide the outcome." Jaden mused. "Destiny Board, huh… Never thought I'd see this legendary tactic in person. Awesome…"
The Necromancer: "…"
Was this kid insane?
Did he not understand the words "lose and you die"?
"Tch, such a carefree brat." The Necromancer scoffed. "Then let me give you even more pressure.
Spell Card: 'Card of Burial Magic'—banish three Spell Cards from the graveyard: 'Pot of Greed', 'Mystical Space Typhoon', and 'One Day of Peace', to draw two cards." (Anime card)
He drew two more cards.
"Then, I Normal Summon a second 'Marshmallon'!"
[Marshmallon, ATK 300]
"Ah, this monster again…"
Jaden tilted his head.
"A monster that can't be destroyed by battle… It's getting even trickier."
He said it casually, as if nothing was wrong, showing no sign of the tension that comes with "I'm about to die."
The Necromancer frowned again.
Did this kid have absolute confidence, or was he just an idiot?
In the anime, Jaden did start feeling pressure from "Shadow Games" starting with the Sacred Beasts arc—he even had nightmares about losing his friends. For a while, the always-cheerful boy almost couldn't smile.
But back then, he feared losing and dragging his friends down. He worried about others.
Now, even if this was a duel for life, it seemed like only his own life was at stake. So Jaden immersed himself fully in the duel, almost forgetting about life and death.
"So many weird students at Duel Academy this year…"
The Necromancer muttered, setting two more cards into his Duel Disk.
"Set two cards. Turn end."
PS: 2 Bonus chapters at 1000 PS.