As the attack connected, the crimson demon raised its right hand and swatted the rainbow hero away in a single blow.
In that instant, Hikaru's team's Life Points plunged like a waterfall.
Humanity, LP: 9800 → 1500.
Jaden was blasted away by the sheer force. Syrus, Jesse, and several others rushed to catch him. Horrific darkness engulfed his body and soul.
"Ngh..." Jaden could barely hold on, letting out a low groan.
At least...
Though Jaden had been the one who chose to attack, in that moment, a massive number of humans had supported the decision. Because of that, those who had screamed for him to attack also bore a share of his pain.
But the wounds on his body wouldn't disappear. He still coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Through it all, Jaden pulled himself to his feet, clutching his abdomen, face twisted in agony. "Sorry, Hikaru. Got a little reckless."
"Ha, don't worry about it." Hikaru hadn't tried to stop Jaden either. He had run the numbers: even if it was Gren Maju Da Eiza, they would still have Life Points to spare. And if it wasn't Gren Maju, that attack could have been a massive gain. So there was no reason to hold back.
Dueling isn't about having x-ray vision. Nobody knows what the opponent has Set. What if it had been an Ash Blossom?
You don't know what they're hiding unless you take the shot.
It was that exact line of thinking that had given Jaden the resolve to attack. Without it, no amount of voices could have swayed him.
In a duel, no one could influence his decisions!
No one!
That was the mentality of a true duelist!
Clutching his stomach, blood on his lips, he forced the words out: "Turn... end."
Countdown to the End: 14.
"My turn. Draw." Darkness's avatar drew two cards, glanced down, and picked one up. "Heh heh heh. A third Pot of Desires. I banish 10 cards from the top of my Deck face-down. Draw 2 cards."
He drew two more, bringing his hand to 3 cards.
"With 10 more cards banished, Gren Maju Da Eiza's ATK and DEF rise again!"
Gren Maju Da Eiza, DEF: 12,800 → 16,800.
"16,000 ATK!"
"That's more than triple Five-Headed Dragon!"
"It's over. It's all over. There's no hope..."
As the Countdown crept closer to its endpoint, even the Duel Academy students were beginning to hear those voices. Chazz and the others finally understood the state Hikaru and Jaden had been dueling under.
As he listened, Chazz thought he caught his brother's voice among the din. He snapped: "What's everyone complaining about?! What is there to worry about?!"
"So what if its ATK is that high! It can't attack anyway!"
Exactly!
No matter how high Gren Maju Da Eiza's stats climbed, what did it matter?!
Did Darkness dare attack?
No!
He didn't dare!
To reach this position, Darkness had whittled down his own Life Points repeatedly, and now he had barely over a thousand left.
Of course, Hikaru's side was sitting at only 1500 as well. Against a 16,800-ATK Gren Maju, the slightest touch meant death.
But...
Darkness could not attack.
Up to this point, Darkness had barely used any Spell or Trap destruction. His entire strategy revolved around stalling!
That was the core of his tactics, his greatest strength, and his greatest weakness.
Because even with over 16,000 ATK, what could Gren Maju do? The moment it attacked, it would walk straight into Mirror Force.
Overlooked and ignored on ordinary days, but in the moment that mattered most, the noble power of that classic trap still served its purpose!
As long as Darkness dared to attack, Mirror Force would destroy every Attack Position monster he controlled, and he would be left wide open with nothing to do but wait for defeat!
Mirror Force alone was enough to keep Darkness from ever lifting a finger!
Looking at his hand, Darkness thought... if only he had banished more cards. If the total had been high enough to push past 16,000 before Jaden's attack, that strike would have ended the duel right there. Then Jaden and Hikaru wouldn't be over there casually chatting about whether the attack had been worth it.
What a shame.
Now, all he had to do was survive one final stretch...
"Spell Card, One Day of Peace."
Darkness held up the card, his teeth practically falling out from the width of his grin. "Both players draw 1 card. Until the end of the opponent's next turn, all damage both players take becomes 0."
With that, he and Jaden each drew a card.
"What?!"
"It's over. Turn 16..."
"This is terrible! Now even effect damage is useless!"
Darkness listened to the humans' voices as though savoring a symphony. He casually picked up a card and placed it face-down. "I Set one card. Turn end."
There was nothing left for him to do.
And nothing he could do.
Even summoning a Number 86 at this point would be useless, because Extinction on Schedule would wipe his field clean at the end of Hikaru's Battle Phase anyway.
But Setting one card as insurance couldn't hurt.
"My turn. Draw."
Hikaru drew a card.
"I activate a Trap Card: Grave of the Super Ancient Organism." Darkness flipped his Set card at just the right moment. "As long as this card is in the Spell and Trap Zone, Special Summoned monsters of Level 6 or higher cannot declare attacks, and neither player can activate their effects."
"Oh, that's a pretty good one." Hikaru nodded.
Voices filled his ears. Plenty were cursing him. Some resented him for failing to win. Others went so far as to call him a traitor to humanity.
"These people are probably being influenced by Darkness, right?" Hikaru asked Tierra offhandedly.
"Most likely." She confirmed.
Some urged him to surrender. Others suggested he negotiate with the enemy, maybe spare a portion of humanity. A few were questioning his entire dueling strategy.
All in all, quite the variety.
"A bunch of idiots." Chazz was getting angry.
"Hey, take it easy. Trust Hikaru." Adrian spoke up. "Those people know nothing about dueling. There's no need to pay them any mind."
Hikaru didn't rush into his plays. After drawing, he tapped his forehead lightly, listening to the noise around him, waiting as the clamor shifted from argument to fury to blank, hollow silence. Only then did he speak.
"I couldn't care less what you think."
"I'm not Jaden."
Two ice-cold statements, nothing like the warm, approachable Fusion Club President everyone knew.
But this was who he truly was.
"My duel, my life, my future. I care about one thing and one thing only: Fusion!"
Silence.
Dead silence.
"Anyone who denies Fusion gets nothing from me!"
"And besides... do you really think Jaden accomplished nothing?"
Hikaru narrowed his eyes and looked at Darkness. "Darkness. Let me tell you something. This will never reach the 20th turn."
"What did you say?"
"Has this guy lost it? He can't deal any damage right now!"
"If Darkness plays another Mischief of the Time Goddess next turn, we're dead."
"It's over. We'll be reincarnated as animals."
"Oh, Romeo... see you in the next life..."
"No."
Hikaru cut them off without a second thought.
"That will never happen."
?
"Mischief of the Time Goddess skips phases and turns. But the Countdown to the End must be processed at the End Phase of the 20th turn, counting from the very first turn, in order to trigger Darkness's victory.
If he uses Mischief of the Time Goddess next turn, after my turn ends it would jump into his turn, skipping my End Phase... which means the Countdown can't resolve! He wouldn't be able to win through its effect!
That's why he could only play Mischief of the Time Goddess when he did, last turn!"
So that's how it works?
Plenty of people caught on belatedly, finally understanding through the haze.
There was one more thing Hikaru didn't explain.
The duel had already turned in their favor since the previous turn.
M.B. tactics.
One of Yu-Gi-Oh's most enduring Deck archetypes: using monster effects and Trap Cards to disrupt and restrict the opponent, then grinding out a win through resource exchanges.
That kind of strategy had a fatal flaw: while each individual card appeared efficient, the reality was that each was a one-time use. That was why Darkness needed support cards like Time-Tearing Morganite, along with a massive number of draw spells.
Because he was genuinely running low on cards.
Hikaru and Jaden were different.
Their Decks, beyond Mirage of Nightmare, contained countless search targets and draw engines. Their Deck type was combo-oriented.
Through combos, they could leverage their resources, and powerful plays could cycle through the entire Deck, activating every card's potential. The weakness was that if disrupted, they would stall out entirely.
But...
If the disruption was gone, if the path was clear, the difference in resources was on an entirely different scale!
After rounds of resource trading, Darkness's cards had indeed handled most threats, but they had been consumed one after another.
To everyone else, that last attack felt like a plunge from heaven into the absolute depths of despair. But to Hikaru, it was Darkness's final trick. It meant Darkness had nothing left except relying on Gren Maju Da Eiza to ambush them or stalling through the last few turns. And if that was the case, what came next was simple.
"We've reached this point in the resource war. But precisely because we're here, I know exactly what to do next. Darkness, your dueling has no will of steel, no iron resolve. All you have is an obsession with killing your opponent!
Your dueling has flaws. Massive, glaring ones!
Let me show you what our dueling looks like, mine and Jaden's!
I reveal my Set card: Chain Material!"
"The turn this card is activated, when I Fusion Summon, I can banish the Fusion Materials listed on the Fusion Monster from my hand, Deck, or Graveyard, removing them from play, and use them as Fusion Materials! I cannot attack the turn this card is activated, and monsters Fusion Summoned by this effect are destroyed during the End Phase!"
"Huh?"
"Could he be planning to..." Chazz's jaw dropped.
He realized what Hikaru was about to do.
Jaden flashed a grin and gave Hikaru a thumbs-up.
He had tested all the pitfalls himself. From here on, it was Hikaru's show.
"I reveal my Set card! Spell Card, Substitute Polymerization!"
"I banish Cyber Dragon, Ancient Gear Golem, and X-Head Cannon from my Deck! Fusion Summon! Level 10, Cyber Eternity Dragon!"
A golden mechanical dragon coiled across the field, gleaming with radiance.
"A Cyber Dragon Fusion Monster we've never seen before!"
"Mama mia! Cyber Dragon fused with Ancient Gear Golem! Absolutely perfect, Hikaru!"
Hikaru chuckled and continued his plays. "Flip Summon, Shaddoll Falco! I activate its effect: Special Summon Shaddoll Beast from my Graveyard in face-down Defense Position!"
"Then, I enter the Battle Phase."
"?"
Darkness was starting to feel lost.
"Because I can't attack, I proceed straight to the end of the Battle Phase. At this instant... your Extinction on Schedule resolves."
"Wait! I activate a Quick-Play Spell: Shared Ride!"
"This turn, each time my opponent adds a card from the Deck or Graveyard to their hand by a method other than drawing, I draw 1 card." Darkness flipped his remaining Set card.
"All cards on the field are sent to the Graveyard!"
Meteors fell from the sky. The invincible Gren Maju Da Eiza vanished under the celestial fire, and Hikaru's freshly Fused Cyber Eternity Dragon disappeared in the same instant.
"This is..."
The field was swept clean in an instant.
Both sides had lost every card!
"Shaddoll Beast's effect. I draw 1 card."
Hikaru drew a card from his Deck. Since it wasn't a search, Darkness couldn't draw from Shared Ride.
"This... He worked so hard to Fuse that monster, and it just vanished. Why would he do that?" Serena was confused.
"I... don't know either." Chazz was at a loss.
"Insurance against disruption." Hikaru answered casually.
He was always willing to answer his students' questions.
Insurance against disruption?
What did he mean?
No one understood. Hikaru opened his Graveyard and showed them. "Cyber Eternity Dragon's effect in the Graveyard. I banish this card from the Graveyard to activate it. This turn, Fusion Monsters I control cannot be targeted by my opponent's effects!"
"ROOOOAR!" Though already shattered, the mechanical glow still radiated across Hikaru's field, eternal and unchanging. Just like Zane, who, though absent, still stood behind them.
"Spell Card, Earthbound Fusion! I banish Earthbound Prisoner Line Walker and Earthbound Prisoner Stone Sweeper from my Deck! Fusion Summon!
Level 8, Earthbound Servant Geo Kraken!"
A massive squid geoglyph materialized in the air, and then the squid Earthbound god rose from the drawing. Free of chains and shackles, it looked refreshed and invigorated.
"Geo Kraken's effect! When this card is Special Summoned: add 1 Field Spell from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand."
"I add the Field Spell Fusion Gate from my Deck to my hand."
Darkness drew a card from Shared Ride.
"And then, I activate the Field Spell: Fusion Gate!"
Hikaru raised his left hand. A slot ejected from his Duel Disk, and he slid the Field Spell into place.
In truth, both Hikaru and Jaden had long understood the core problem of this duel.
Namely: they wanted to fight, but Darkness didn't. He just wanted to turtle.
Given that, the two had wordlessly arrived at the same strategy.
Jaden handled the trial and error. Hikaru handled the execution.
Jaden tested the opponent's cards one by one, probing for each response, then prepared counterplay and created openings for Hikaru to exploit.
The reason was simple.
This was a duel with unlimited Extra Decks!
While Jaden's own Extra Deck was substantial and his monster roster extensive, it couldn't compare to the sheer number of options Hikaru's Deck offered.
That was precisely why Hikaru was the second player in the rotation!
When Darkness declared the Extra Deck unlimited before the match, his intentions were transparent. Jaden and Hikaru weren't fools. They had naturally considered the hidden implications.
These were things that required no discussion to handle.
And now, all the trial runs were complete, and Darkness had even played Extinction on Schedule, a field-clearing card.
Powerful as it was, a card strong enough to wipe even Number 86 off the board...
...that card, prepared for the sake of stalling, was in reality the seed of Darkness's downfall!
"Field Spell, Fusion Gate's effect!"
Hikaru had zero concern about his plays being disrupted, because Darkness could no longer activate LIGHT Attribute monster effects. Even if he had Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, he couldn't use it.
"I banish all of these monsters from my Deck and perform Fusion Summons!"
"Worm King, Worm Queen, Worm Victory, Worm Illidan... Worm Ugly, Worm Apocalypse, Worm Hope. 26 Worm monsters in total, all banished! Fusion Summon!"
"Wh-What?"
"26 monsters?!"
"Descend, birthplace of all Worms!" Hikaru paid no mind to the voices. He performed his Fusion with total focus. "Worm Zero!"
Worm Zero. Level 10. LIGHT Attribute. Reptile-Type. ATK: ? → 13,000.
"Whoa, 13,000 ATK!"
"Incredible, that's absurdly high."
"What's the point? It'll just get destroyed anyway. Can't attack either. All it can do is sit there."
"Quiet! Don't interrupt my Fusion!" Hikaru's shout silenced most of the voices swirling around him.
"Worm Zero's effect. Once per turn, I draw 1 card."
Hikaru drew instantly.
He looked at what he drew and the corner of his mouth curled. He had it. The key Counter Trap.
"I banish Destiny HERO - Plasma and Destiny HERO - Dasher from my Deck! Fusion Summon!"
"Level 8, Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer!"
"Ah! That's Aster's hero!"
"Wow... so cool."
Behind Hikaru, several people couldn't contain their excitement at the sight of the monster.
"Once more! Fusion condition: Aleister the Invoker and a LIGHT Attribute monster. I fuse Aleister and Ojama Green!"
"Fusion Summon, Invoked Mechaba!"
A mechanical chariot charged in at full speed, its rider pulling the reins to a halt beside Hikaru.
Invoked Mechaba. Level 9. LIGHT Attribute. Machine-Type. ATK 2500.
Darkness was beginning to panic.
Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
What was he planning?
"Ha ha ha ha!" Tierra burst into laughter. "The unlimited Extra Deck did give you powerful cards and strength, but for Hikaru, it's equally insane!"
"Could it be... is he actually..." Jaden's eyes lit up from the side. He broke into a wide grin. "Hikaru, you madman! At a moment like this, you're going for an even higher level of Alchemy?!"
Alchemy!
The ancient name for the Fusion that Hikaru pursued!
Just when everyone thought Hikaru was giving everything he had to save humanity, Hikaru told them otherwise.
No.
Don't flatter yourselves.
I'm saving you because it's my responsibility.
I accepted this duel because I'm a duelist.
I'm performing Fusion here simply because... I want to Fuse!
That kind of madness.
That hysterical, absolute madness...
It terrified countless people. And yet, inexplicably, it put countless others at ease.
Ah, if this guy is still obsessing over Fusion at a time like this, he must have things under control, right?
"I banish monsters from my Deck! Fusion Summon! FIRE Attribute, Flame Swordsman!"
"I banish Flame Swordsman, Earthbound Servant Geo Kraken, and Worm Zero from my field! Special Summon! WATER Attribute, Trishula, the Dragon of Icy Imprisonment!"
"I banish monsters from my Deck! Fusion Summon! EARTH Attribute, Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond!"
Trishula roared onto the field, venting its fury, and after surveying its surroundings, it howled with manic excitement.
Yes! YES!
A perfect place for a glorious fight... wait, it's Main Phase 2?!
Hikaru looked at his Deck.
"In this instant, Hikaru has completed Fusions of all six Attributes: EARTH, WATER, FIRE, WIND, LIGHT, and DARK." Jaden was electrified.
The opponent had sealed off all six Attributes of monster "individuality," and Hikaru, step by step, had performed Fusions of all six.
Hikaru narrowed his eyes.
"I Set four cards!" He grabbed four cards from his hand and flung them into the air. They embedded themselves in the ground like blades.
"I activate Fusion Gate's effect! I banish from my Deck: Infernoid Pirmais, Infernoid Lilith, Infernoid Adramelech, Infernoid Baal, Infernoid Belphegor, Infernoid Asmodeus, Infernoid Astaroth, Infernoid Lucifuge, Infernoid Beelzebub, and Infernoid Satan! Ten monsters! I perform the ultimate Fusion!"
The students stared, slack-jawed, as Hikaru Fused with reckless abandon.
This was a sight only possible in this duel.
Because only in this duel could Hikaru perform Fusions without restraint. His Fusion Materials were unlimited, and his Fusion Monsters were unlimited!
Tierra took a gentle breath. Her body began to grow and shift. Black and white split down the middle, cleaving the world itself in two!
"The words of god have fallen silent. Now is the hour of rebirth!
Awaken!
My ally! My friend! My soul!
God of Creation!"
Both of Hikaru's eyes blazed with blue flame. An absolute violet storm began sweeping across the blackened planet.
"Fusion Summon!
Open the gates of the Divine Star Tree! Descend!
Level 11! Infernoid Tierra!"
The ten monsters orbited Hikaru, transforming into ten colossal metal points. Blue fire ignited at each one, and the flames became a gate. From within, a shadow emerged.
Infernoid Tierra. Level 11. FIRE Attribute. Fiend-Type. ATK 3400.
"Tierra's effect activates when she is Fusion Summoned! When the Fusion Materials include 10 or more different names, she can unleash the full extent of her power!"
In that instant, time began to warp violently once more.
The parts of the globe that had still held some light were swallowed by darkness in an instant.
It was as if, from the very beginning, all existence had been destined for oblivion.
Darkness looked at the Infinite Impermanence in his hand and couldn't force out a single word.
Because of Cyber Eternity Dragon's effect, Fusion Monsters on Hikaru's field couldn't be targeted by effects this turn. The Infinite Impermanence he had worked so hard to draw was utterly useless!
"Ngh..." Darkness had nothing to say.
"Begin processing Tierra's divine power!"
"Both players send 3 cards from their respective Extra Decks to the Graveyard, send the top 3 cards of their Decks to the Graveyard, return up to 3 of their banished cards to the Graveyard, and any player with cards in their hand sends all of them to the Graveyard."
"Whoa..."
"What an incredible, terrifying effect."
Chazz watched in awe. "No matter how many times I see it, that power never stops being astonishing..."
Hikaru selected XYZ-Dragon Cannon, Fossil Warrior Skull King, and Meteor B. Dragon from his Extra Deck and sent them to the Graveyard, carried out the remaining steps, then casually tossed his entire hand into the Graveyard. Darkness snarled under his breath and reluctantly sent his cards as well.
Every card he had drawn was gone.
"...Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's effect. Destroy itself and Tierra."
BOOM!
Enforcer exploded into flames, but Tierra's silhouette lingered in the air, as though she still had unfinished business.
"Enforcer's effect: during the next Standby Phase, Special Summon 1 Destiny HERO from the Graveyard."
"And with that... it's the finale."
Hikaru took a deep breath, then raised his right hand. On it, a green rune flickered in and out of visibility.
Flash.
Flash.
Cards pulsed with light.
A stone of peculiar color materialized in his hand.
"Whoa..."
"Huh?!"
"What is that?!"
The students gasped in amazement.
"Interesting..." In the human world, Seto Kaiba, watching everything unfold, allowed himself a small smile.
If this crisis had fallen to him, even he would have found it difficult to resolve. If these two could overcome a world-scale threat like this, they would have earned the right to speak to him as equals.
But first, they had to break through.
He had considered the possibility of Hikaru tapping into bonds with friends to create a new Fusion.
He had considered Hikaru using personal charisma to win the trust of ordinary people corrupted by the dark god.
He had considered Hikaru relying on the help of Duel Spirits and the one called Tierra to overcome the obstacle.
But he never expected this.
Hikaru had abandoned every one of those paths.
At this critical juncture, he had chosen only one road.
Pure Fusion!
True, Hikaru's Fusion had always been inclusive, always willing to embrace everything.
But in Kaiba's eyes, that inclusiveness carried a hint of accommodation.
Because Hikaru was easygoing by nature, approachable, and liked helping others.
So, apart from the Fusion Corps, which he despised, he generally let everything else slide.
As long as it wasn't too outrageous, he'd shrug it off. He might even think, "The guy's already like that, what can you say?"
But...
"Alchemy requires a purification process."
Kaiba tapped his finger against his arm.
Attempting self-purification at a moment like this, and then further sublimation?
Using alchemy on oneself. How interesting.
By the time he finished that thought...
The "sphere" in Hikaru's hand was complete.
His lips curved upward, and the look in his eyes returned to its usual self.
If anything, the others felt he seemed... more striking. More magnetic.
On one point, Kaiba was wrong.
Hikaru wasn't "purifying" himself. He was performing "re-sublimation."
The cards entrusted to him by friends, the cards borrowed from them: even when they weren't strictly necessary, he wanted to Fuse them all, to cycle Fusion and sublimate it, extracting the power of "Fusion" from the process and obtaining a purer substance.
"Fusion Gate's effect! I banish Elemental HERO Avian, Elemental HERO Bubbleman, Elemental HERO Clayman, and Elemental HERO Burstinatrix from my Deck! Fusion Summon!"
The four heroes flew from Hikaru's Deck, then transformed into spheres of different colors, floating in the air.
The four spheres merged, then split into two types of light orbs, attaching themselves to other essences.
EARTH Attribute. The power of fossils, from Jim.
WATER Attribute. The power of clouds, from Adrian.
FIRE Attribute. The power of the black dragon, from Atticus.
WIND Attribute. The power of heroes, from Jaden!
DARK Attribute. The power of destiny, from Aster!
And finally, Hikaru's own light. The power of Fusion!
The four-colored gems blazed with brilliance, converging into a single stone of extraordinary radiance.
He held both hands before him, and the colorful, wondrous stone drifted upward with his gesture, rising into the sky.
"Fusion Summon! Elemental HERO Electrum!"
Light descended. A golden, pure hero alighted before Hikaru.
At the same moment, Hikaru caught the small sphere as it fell back into his palm.
The Philosopher's Stone was complete!
Hikaru could barely contain his excitement.
Now.
He, too, was an Absolute Alchemist!
He no longer needed to find another method to create a second Super Polymerization!
Because it was already in his hands! He had finally made the leap from "using Super Polymerization to defeat unbeatable enemies" to "creating the power of Super Polymerization through his own strength when facing a powerful enemy!"
"While Electrum is on the field, it is simultaneously treated as EARTH, WATER, FIRE, and WIND Attributes."
"..." Darkness stared at the monster in silence.
"This is precisely what you despise: a hero brimming with individuality! And it is that individuality that will prove its power!"
"Electrum's effect! When this card is Fusion Summoned, all cards banished from play return to their owners' Decks!"
Cards.
Countless cards rose from every direction.
Tierra gently lifted her head.
Her body began to change. The power of darkness receded, and the creative force of light began to transform.
Time started to reverse.
No.
All things began to reconstruct.
Everything seemed to rewind, to run backward. Darkness peeled away from the planet. Black clouds flew from the world and returned to this realm.
Humans who had fallen unconscious slowly awakened. Those dragged into this world began returning to the outside. Everything started to realign, as if nothing had ever happened.
This was the "Astral Reconstruction" that Tierra could perform.
She wasn't in perfect condition, but powered by this "duel for humanity's fate" and the Philosopher's Stone, she could exercise this ability as normal.
"...You restored everything to its original state?" Darkness was mildly surprised. "It seems I underestimated you, otherworldly god."
Yubel, too, reassessed Tierra.
This otherworldly god was far more dangerous than she let on!
She possessed the ability to reconstruct all things?
Could a spirit god from another dimension really do something like that?
In Yubel's experience, perhaps only a transcendent being like Black Luster Soldier could accomplish such a feat effortlessly.
"Beautiful! With this, even if Darkness draws a second Gren Maju Da Eiza, it's useless! All banished cards have been recovered!" Aster cheered.
Victory seemed assured!
"I don't know what you're planning, but at the End Phase of the turn Chain Material was activated, all monsters Special Summoned by that effect are destroyed."
"Obviously I know that. However, Trishula wasn't Summoned through Chain Material, so it stays."
"Then, Substitute Polymerization's effect in the Graveyard: I return Tierra to the Deck, shuffle, and draw 1 card."
Still a draw effect, not a search, so Shared Ride couldn't trigger!
Only then did Tierra dissolve into green stardust and return to Hikaru's side.
Rebirth through reincarnation. That was Tierra's domain. And unlike before, she now held in her hands a cluster of white energy: Darkness's creative power!
Darkness wasn't merely death. This world was a "parallel timeline" he had created for humanity, which meant he possessed creative power as well. Now, that power was being absorbed by Tierra, becoming part of her own.
"Are you truly so indifferent to all that resentment and suffering?"
"I know they said those things under the pressure of darkness." Hikaru answered casually. "I only care about the one responsible. A little noise won't affect my Fusion."
"I end my turn."
Countdown to the End: 16.
Four more turns.
If he could hold out for just four more turns...
Darkness drew two cards from his Deck. At the same time, Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer blazed onto the field.
Enforcer had the ability to destroy one card it controlled and one card on the field once per turn. It had to be dealt with.
But...
He looked at Hikaru's field.
Four Set cards!
He steadied himself.
Now it was his turn to face this many face-downs!
Just stall a little longer...
It was already turn 16!
"I activate the Spell Card, Moon Goddess' Arrowhead!"
Hm?
Hikaru looked at the card.
The image of a maiden materialized above the world, a golden bow raised high.
The maiden released her arrow, and it struck the Destiny HERO.
"My opponent cannot activate monster effects in response to Moon Goddess' Arrowhead."
"Send 1 monster from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard, then target 1 Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum, or #$%& monster my opponent controls that matches the sent monster's type; return it to the owner's Deck."
"Did he just say something weird?"
"No. I didn't catch it."
"I thought I heard some garbled noise."
A Link-related card?
Even Hikaru was taken aback.
He had been in this world for so long, and this was the first time he had heard the word "Link."
Before now, let alone hearing it, the vast majority of spirits he knew didn't even know the word existed. He had never seen a card effect that contained "Link" in its text.
And yet, Darkness had one!
"This card is one I obtained from one of the distant possible futures of your human world. In that future, humanity abused science and created AI that crossed every line. Those intelligent AIs turned on humanity, using humans as mining computation and temporary batteries.
That is what your kind is. You will always find a reason to destroy yourselves."
"Talking tough on death's doorstep, are we?"
Darkness snorted. "Spell Card, Card of Demise. This card lets me draw 5 cards. During my 5th Standby Phase, I discard my entire hand."
"Fat chance! I activate a Trap Card: Paradox Fusion!"
Jaden turned to look.
Well then. Paradox Fusion.
Outside of the duel against Professor Banner, he'd never seen Hikaru use that card.
Hikaru's reasoning was straightforward.
Who knew if Darkness had a second Numbers Eveil? What if he did?
That card had to be ready, which was why Hikaru had cycled through draws for this exact purpose. If Darkness dropped Number 86 again, they still wouldn't be able to deal with it, and Darkness would stall them out regardless.
"Paradox Fusion! I banish 1 face-up Fusion Monster I control to activate. During my 2nd End Phase after activation, the banished monster returns to my field in face-up Attack Position.
When a Spell or Trap Card is activated: negate that activation and destroy it!"
The three-headed ice dragon roared, then charged headlong into Darkness, howling and thrashing with unrestrained fury.
"...Turn end."
Countdown to the End: 17.
He still had a chance to stall.
Jaden had no usable cards. As long as his Life Points held, there was still hope.
Jaden looked at the card he drew. "Normal Summon, Neo-Spacian Dark Panther."
Good. Only 1000 ATK!
This was winnable!
"I reveal my Set card! Miracle Fusion!" Jaden opened the card with a grin. "Ha, Hikaru, just like the first time, huh? This card again."
"After all, it's the perfect Fusion."
The two of them talked and laughed, and Darkness knew in his heart that it was over.
"I fuse Neos from the Graveyard, Neos Overlord from the Graveyard, Neo-Spacian Dark Panther on the field, and Elemental HERO and Vision HERO monsters from the Graveyard! Five different types of HERO monsters, Fused together!"
The killing blow.
In case the final attack couldn't completely eradicate everything, Jaden chose to unleash every ounce of his power.
"Ultimate Contact Fusion! Elemental HERO Divine Neos!"
To reach this moment, he had paid dearly in Life Points.
And yet...
Three steps.
If he could take three more steps, he would win!
Three more turns... Standing before him were Hikaru Amagi and Jaden Yuki, and it seemed as though another "self" would stand there forever.
The paradox...
Darkness, whose complete birth required humanity's destruction: how could it destroy humanity before it was even born?
Elemental HERO Divine Neos. Level 12. LIGHT Attribute. Warrior-Type. ATK 3000.
"Any last words?"
"I am not the first, and I will not be the last. Your kind will forever walk the path of self-destruction. You cannot see it now, but that red light has already begun to tilt your way."
No reconciliation. No praise. No sentiment.
To the very end, there was no possibility of making peace with humanity.
"Battle! Divine Neos, direct attack!"
"Legendary Strike!!"
The divine giant spread its golden wings. All things shifted. The golden colossus aimed its fist at the world-ending catastrophe.
The fist connected with the ram-headed demon's skull.
Across the earth, the dark clouds dispersed. The figures of Mr. T standing all around crumbled into black dust, scattering in the wind.
A child woke from sleep, opened the window, and saw golden dust falling on the ocean surface. How beautiful.
Seto Kaiba opened his window and reached out to catch a few specks of gold.
"Human evolution? Interesting..."
In that instant, countless humans received a new blessing.
And the ones who received the greatest blessing were, of course, the two still in the duel.
Jaden received a smaller share, his body wrapped in a halo of light. But Hikaru, his entire being was enveloped in golden radiance, transformed into a sphere of gold!
No matter how much Darkness resented it.
His death would usher humanity into a new era!
Humanity's Final Duel. Duration: 17 turns!