"I choose to send the 'Elemental HERO Avian' on my field to the Graveyard, then draw two cards from my Deck!"
On the field, Avian glanced somewhat wistfully at Yuui and Alicia before dissolving into particles of light.
Yuui then looked down at his Deck. To turn the tables now, he had to find a way to defeat the two monsters on the opponent's field, both with over 2000 Attack. And indeed, there were cards in his and Alicia's Deck that could do that.
Regardless, whether he could draw them or not… that depended on the bond between Duelist and Deck!
Two cards sliced through the air as a streak of black light flashed. Alicia swiftly glanced at them and widened her eyes in delight.
Alicia: "Yuui-san, this time we can hold out for the turn, right!!"
"Yeah," Yuui's brows furrowed slightly as he looked at the cards and thought to himself, "That said, it's only holding out for one more turn. To win, I still need one more card. Well… this will have to do for now!"
He raised his hand. "I Set two cards and switch 'Stratos' to Defense Position to end my turn!"
[Elemental HERO Stratos, ATK: 1800 → DEF: 300]
"Even with more cards in your hand, you still can't do anything, huh? Looks like your Deck really is too weak!" Kexi shook his head in mild disappointment. "My turn—Draw!!"
After glancing at the card he drew, Kexi narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Now this is a great draw! I activate the Spell Card 'Big Evolution Pill'. By tributing one Dinosaur monster on my field, I can activate it.
"I choose to Tribute 'Sabersaurus' to activate this card!"
The crimson triceratops vanished, and a card appeared in Kexi's back row.
"The Spell Card 'Big Evolution Pill' remains on the field and will destroy itself at the end of the opponent's third turn. As long as this card remains in the Spell & Trap Zone, I can Normal Summon Level 5 or higher Dinosaur monsters without Tributing!"
"And thanks to 'Big Evolution Pill', I can now summon this monster without a Tribute!" Kexi raised his final card high. "Come forth—my other ace! The ultimate predator lurking in darkness—Black Tyranno!!"
"ROAAAR!!"
A deafening roar startled all the examinees. The forest behind Kexi began to collapse in waves as a terrifying shadow charged forward.
Its entire body was pitch-black, its massive jaws lined with steel-shredding fangs. Its muscular tail swept across the trees, toppling them like twigs.
The apex predator of darkness—Black Tyranno, had appeared!
[Black Tyranno, ATK: 2600 → 2900]
Alicia: ( °Δ°) "2600 Attack!? He has so many monsters over 2000 Attack!"
"And that's not all!" Yuui said calmly. "If it were the me from last turn, I would definitely have lost to this monster's effect!"
Alicia: [・_・?] "Huh?"
Kexi waved his hand. "Battle Phase! Black Tyranno, attack directly!"
Alicia: "Why can it attack directly!?"
Before Yuui could answer, Kexi explained himself. "Black Tyranno's effect—when your opponent only controls Defense Position monsters, this card can attack directly! This duel is over!"
"ROAAAR!!"
The dark dinosaur roared again and lunged straight toward Alicia, ignoring the 'Stratos' defending her field.
"It's too soon to declare victory, kid!"
Yuui spoke softly as the colossal dragon charged. Kexi didn't hear what he said, but a chill crawled up his spine.
Then Yuui suddenly shouted, "I activate my face-down Trap Card—HERO Barrier! When there is a face-up 'Elemental HERO' monster on my field, this card negates one of your monster's attacks!
"I negate your Black Tyranno's attack!!"
"What!?"
As Kexi shouted in surprise, a glowing cross-shaped barrier appeared before Yuui, spinning rapidly as golden lightning erupted from it, forcing the charging Black Tyranno backward.
"She actually... blocked it again!"
"You've gotta be kidding! How can she still be holding out!?"
"A 'Nameless One'... with power like this...?"
"No way she can keep it up! Next turn—next turn, she's definitely going to lose!"
Once again, Yuui had stopped Kexi's attack. From the crowd's initial disdain for her nameless identity, people were now beginning to acknowledge her strength. Some even started to wonder—could Alicia actually defeat Kexi?
On the field, Kexi let out a long breath, releasing the frustration of failing to land a decisive blow yet again. Still, he couldn't help but glare coldly at Yuui. "You really are... a persistent one!"
"Of course. I'm using a HERO Deck, after all. Heroes never stop chasing their opponents!" Yuui replied casually.
"Hmph, you sure like to talk!" Kexi snorted. "Horned Saurus, attack Elemental HERO Stratos—Infernal Dive Assault!!"
"KRAAA!!"
The gray-winged raptor screeched and dove at Stratos, its beak piercing the Hero clean through. The explosion that followed sent waves of wind rippling through the arena, making Alicia's golden hair flutter. Yet Yuui's gaze remained unwavering.
"Haa..." After doing all he could, Kexi exhaled deeply. "My turn... ends."
Somehow, Kexi felt as though he had already lost.
Yet, could Alicia, with an empty field and just two cards, truly defeat him?
On the other side, Yuui placed his hand on the Deck and took a deep breath. This draw could decide both his and Alicia's future. To be honest, he was a little nervous.
Suddenly, a small pale hand rested on his. Yuui turned and saw Alicia beside him.
Her face was full of determination as she said, "Yuui-san, let's do this together! This duel isn't yours alone—it's ours!"
Seeing her like that, Yuui smiled. "That's right. Now that's what a HERO Deck user should say! Come on—let's do this together!"
Together, they raised their hands. "Our turn—Draw!!"
A black-gold arc flashed through the air as two different waves of energy flowed through the girl. Some spectators noticed and frowned but dismissed it, assuming it was the power of her other Duel Spirit.
As the new cards slid into their hands, Alicia and Yuui exchanged a glance and both smiled.
Alicia: Yuui-san, the pieces of victory... they're all here, right!"
"Yeah. Now—let's claim the victory that's ours!" Yuui shouted, raising his hand. "I activate the Spell Card 'Dark Factory of Mass Production'! I target two Normal Monsters in my Graveyard and add them to my hand.
"I choose 'Elemental HERO Avian' and 'Elemental HERO Burstinatrix'!"
Hearing the names of those two monsters, Kexi froze. "Those two cards... don't tell me—she's going to summon Flame Wingman!? Does she already have 'Polymerization'!?"
Yuui retrieved the two cards from the Graveyard, then revealed the Spell Card he had just obtained from the Academy's shop the day before—Polymerization!
"I activate the Spell Card 'Polymerization'! I fuse the 'Elemental HERO Avian' and 'Elemental HERO Burstinatrix' in my hand!"
A massive fusion vortex opened in the sky. The wind-representing Avian and the fire-representing Burstinatrix took physical form once more. The two long-time partners exchanged a look, then together dove into the swirling light.
"Fusion materials: 'Elemental HERO Avian' and 'Elemental HERO Burstinatrix'! The hero who stands tall atop the skyscraper, answering the call of his comrades—Descend!
"Fusion Summon—Elemental HERO Flame Wingman!!"
With Yuui and Alicia's synchronized chant, the heroes of wind and fire merged. Their combined power was born within the vortex, descending like a blazing meteor onto the field.
Elemental HERO Flame Wingman—has arrived!
[Elemental HERO Flame Wingman, ATK: 2100]
"That's Flame Wingman, huh? So cool!"
"A Nameless One actually pulled off a Fusion Summon? That's surprising!"
"Even if she did summon Flame Wingman, she still can't beat those monsters on the other side! Flame Wingman only has 2100 Attack, while Horned Saurus has 2300. How's she gonna win this?!"
"Hmph, after all that effort, she just brought out a weakling. Figures—that's what you'd expect from a Nameless One!"
Even though Yuui and Alicia had summoned [Elemental HERO Flame Wingman] together, after comparing the monsters on both sides of the field, everyone still believed Yuui had no hope of victory.
However, some of the instructors—and a few students—noticed something different: Yuui still had one face-down card on the field.
Kexi naturally noticed it too. His eyes turned toward Yuui's back row, and he quickly guessed what that Set card might be.
Then Yuui raised his hand again and declared, "Your dinosaurs have their own field, and my Heroes have theirs. I activate my face-down card—Trap Card [Metaverse]! From my Deck, I add 1 Field Spell to my hand or activate it directly. I choose to activate [Skyscraper] from my Deck onto my field!"
As his voice fell, the surrounding forest shattered and vanished. The sky dimmed; a full moon rose high above. Towering, dark skyscrapers emerged from the ground one after another, and the tallest one—its spire seemed to pierce the very moonlight.
This was the field belonging only to the Elemental HEROes—Skyscraper.
Haah!!
Once [Skyscraper] appeared, [Flame Wingman] seemed to react instinctively. With a beat of his single wing, he soared to the top of the tallest building, perching on the spire, his back to the moon as he gazed down from above at the two ancient dinosaurs surrounded by towering steel.
That solitary figure made many of the students watching share the same thought—"So cool!!!"
Maybe that's the true charm of the HERO Deck. It may not be the strongest deck, yet it's certainly the coolest.
After all, what boy hasn't dreamed of becoming a hero?
"The effect of [Skyscraper]: When an Elemental HERO monster attacks a monster with higher Attack, during damage calculation only, that HERO gains 1000 Attack."
Yuui looked at the dinosaurs below, now surrounded by skyscrapers. "Although your Field Spell [Jurassic World] disappeared, returning your monsters' Attack Points to their original values, your [Black Tyranno] still has higher Attack than [Flame Wingman]. So, [Skyscraper]'s effect will activate!"
[Black Tyranno, ATK: 2900 → 2600]
[Horned Saurus, ATK: 2300 → 2000]
Alicia: "That's great, Yuui-san! We're going to win! [Flame Wingman]'s 2100 Attack, plus 1000 from [Skyscraper], makes 3100! If we attack [Black Tyranno] and then deal its original 2600 Attack as effect damage, we've got this in the bag!"
"Didn't I tell you? Never let your guard down until the very end of a Duel." Yuui gently reminded the excited girl.
Yet even as he said that, he knew—this was the final blow.
"Battle Phase! Go, [Flame Wingman]! Attack [Black Tyranno]—Skyscraper Shoot!!"
The hero spread his wings and dove. Moonlight gleamed over his body, giving him a faintly divine glow.
Then, crimson flames erupted across him. With the force of his dive and the acceleration from his wing, [Flame Wingman] became a blazing projectile, piercing straight through the dark tyrant's body.
ROAR!!
BOOM!!
The dragon's howl was swallowed by a burst of fire. The shockwave forced Kexi to raise his arms in defense as he staggered back several steps.
[Kexi, LP: 2900 → 2400]
The explosion's light illuminated the city. When Kexi opened his eyes again against the glare, the hero—bearing one wing, his right arm a dragon's head, his tail sweeping gales through the air, his body split between vivid red and green—was standing before him.
Seeing this, Kexi couldn't help but give a wry smile. Then he heard the girl's cold voice ring out:
"[Flame Wingman]'s effect—when this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, it inflicts damage to your Life Points equal to that monster's original Attack. [Black Tyranno]'s original Attack is 2600, so you take 2600 damage—Sparkling Breaker!!"
[Flame Wingman] raised his dragon-arm high, aiming at Kexi. A surge of blazing fire erupted from the dragon's mouth, engulfing him completely.
The flames consumed Kexi, yet he clenched his fists, enduring the full impact.
[Kexi, LP: 2400 → 0]
Life Points reduced to zero. The Duel was over.
Phew~~
Outside the field, Instructor White let out a long breath. Watching the small girl's silhouette, he smiled softly. "Looks like Saint Fusion Academy just got an extraordinary Duelist."
Silence. Silence. Silence.
The arena stayed utterly quiet for a full minute. Then, somewhere within the crowd, the first clap echoed—followed by thunderous applause from everyone present, all directed toward the victorious figure still standing on the field.
"Your body's back to you, Alicia. Enjoy this moment." Yuui muttered, looking around at the crowd before returning control of the body to her.
"Eh? Isn't this the part where Yuui-san should take the spotlight?"
Regaining control, Alicia looked a bit lost. At that moment, White walked over, smiling. "Alicia, you've really surprised me. This victory belongs to you."
He took Alicia's left hand, still wearing the Duel Disk, raised it high, and shouted to everyone, "The winner—Alicia!!"
Thunderous applause erupted once again. Kexi stood up, looking at the shy girl, and chuckled. "So your name's Alicia, huh? That's a nice name. But next time, I won't lose!"
Among the crowd, a spark of fighting spirit flared deep in Autrys Bredt's calm eyes. He murmured under his breath, "I'll duel her after this… It should… be interesting."
Meanwhile…
Inside the dean's office, the dean closed the Magic Mirror, stepped toward the window overlooking the Duel Plaza, and gazed at the man floating beside the girl.
In a low voice, he said, "Welcome, Albaz Yuui."
...
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