"After using a LIGHT-Attribute Fusion Monster, now it's a WATER-Attribute Fusion Monster as material?"
Chazz observed the Elemental HERO Absolute Zero on Jaden's field, carefully considering what kind of combo this card could pull off together with Jaden's backrow.
The HERO Deck was indeed a fairly common Deck type, but its characteristics included a huge variety of Fusion Monsters, and the same Fusion materials could create completely different monsters. Combined with the fact that no one at the Academy actually used this Deck, Chazz really didn't have much experience dealing with it.
Originally, he had planned to test himself against Youmi. If Jaden hadn't provoked him so much, Youmi would probably be the one standing before him right now.
"Doesn't look like the type of HERO whose Attack increases based on the number of HEROes in the Graveyard. So what's the goal here…?"
Turn.2
"My turn, draw. I first activate Graceful Charity. I draw three cards from my Deck and discard two. Next, I activate Unexpected Dai — it can only be activated when you control no monsters. I Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my Deck. I Special Summon Dark Blade."
After drawing, Chazz swept a glance over a card and immediately activated it. A flash of blue light appeared, and now a warrior clad in black armor, wielding a sword, stood upon his field.
"I activate the Continuous Spell Frontline Base from my hand. With its effect, once per turn during my Main Phase, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Union Monster from my hand. I Special Summon Pitch-Dark Dragon!"
Immediately, a pitch-black dragon materialized beside Dark Blade.
"Looks like Chazz is going for his specialty—a Union strategy. I wonder if Jaden has any way of dealing with that." Alexis watched Chazz summon two monsters in succession, already forming an idea in her mind. "Youmi, what do you think? Who's winning this duel?"
Youmi shook his head, pulled out three cups of pudding, and casually handed one each to Alexis and Syrus before eating. "They're just getting started. And both sides are basically equally blind right now; they don't know each other's monster effects, so they're still probing one step at a time. Ohh… pudding really is the best."
"Union Monsters… my brother has a few in his Deck too. But Chazz uses Union Monsters as his main strategy? That's pretty rare…"
Unlike the spectators, who were simply watching, Jaden was confused by the unfamiliar monster type he was seeing for the first time. "Union Monsters... what's that?"
"How ignorant can you be? Union Monsters are a very special type of Monster. They can equip themselves to certain monsters as Equip Cards, and they can also unequip themselves to return to Monster form. While a Union Monster is equipped, the equipped monster gains special abilities, and the Union Monster can be destroyed in its place."
Chazz picked up another card. "But this time, I'm not showing you Union equips or the even more special Union combinations. Because my real ace is right here! I Tribute both of my monsters to Tribute Summon—"
Both monsters on Chazz's field were Tributed, and at the same time, he raised a monster card high.
"Light and darkness meet and intertwine! Behold the true Dragon bearing the Wings of Duality! Light and Darkness Dragon!"
Using Dark Blade and Pitch-Dark Dragon as Tribute, Chazz summoned his ace—Light and Darkness Dragon, a 2800 Attack monster with the effect: whenever a Monster Effect / Spell / Trap Card is activated, if its Attack/Defense are 500 or higher, it negates that activation and reduces its own Attack/Defense by 500.
Jaden looked at the 2800-ATK monster Chazz had summoned using four cards total and muttered, "A 2800 Tribute Monster? But you used four cards just to summon it. That's a huge loss. It's cool-looking, sure, but if it's only this much…"
Hearing the last person who should be saying something like that deliver such a cutting remark, Youmi couldn't help laughing.
"Battle Phase. I use Light and Darkness Dragon to attack Elemental HERO Absolute Zero!"
Chazz swung his right arm, and the giant black-and-white dragon unleashed a dual-colored blast toward Absolute Zero.
"At your attack declaration, I activate my face-down Interdimensional Matter Transporter! I banish Absolute Zero until the end of the turn!"
Finally, Jaden's plan became clear—Fusion Summon Absolute Zero, then banish it temporarily with Interdimensional Matter Transporter to trigger its effect and blow up Chazz's entire field.
A truly clever move.
Albeit—
"Light and Darkness Dragon's effect activates! When a Monster Effect / Spell / Trap is activated and this card has 500 or more Attack/Defense remaining, negate that activation and this card loses 500 Attack/Defense. Therefore, Light and Darkness Dragon negates your Interdimensional Matter Transporter and loses 500 Attack and Defense. This effect is mandatory and can only activate once per chain."
Seeing Absolute Zero and Light and Darkness Dragon collide, Jaden said confidently, "Even so, that means Absolute Zero with 2500 Attack will overpower your 2800—"
"I already accounted for that. I chain to Light and Darkness Dragon's effect and activate the Quick-Play Spell Forbidden Lance! I target one face-up monster on the field. That monster loses 800 Attack until the end of the turn and is unaffected by Spell/Trap effects except this card. I target Absolute Zero!"
[Elemental HERO Absolute Zero, ATK: 2500 → 1700]
[Light and Darkness Dragon, ATK: 2800 → 2300]
[Jaden Yuki, LP: 4000 → 3400]
Jaden took the hit, then picked up Absolute Zero from his Duel Disk. "Wah... so strong, Light and Darkness Dragon! It has an effect like that…
"Then I activate Absolute Zero's effect from the Graveyard. When this card leaves the field, destroy all monsters your opponent controls! I destroy Light and Darkness Dragon!"
"As expected, a special effect. But if I had used a Union Combination instead of a Tribute Summon… 'Once per chain' isn't the same as 'once per turn'! Light and Darkness Dragon's effect activates again!"
[Light and Darkness Dragon, ATK: 2300 → 1800]
"Damn it… I won't forget your sacrifice, Absolute Zero!"
...
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