"Wh-What is this supposed to mean, Jaden? Are you taking it easy on me?"
Seeing Jaden Yuki end his turn just like that, Chazz grit his teeth, his eyes burning with rage. Not only had Jaden performed an utterly absurd move, but he had also passed his turn with far too much ease.
"If that's how you want to play, then I'll take this victory without hesitation! My turn! Draw!"
A light flashed in Chazz's eyes. With a swift motion, a card appeared between his fingers.
"I activate the effect of Armed Dragon Thunder LV3! By sending one monster card from my hand to the Graveyard, I Special Summon Armed Dragon Thunder LV5 from my Deck!"
Chazz shouted as he sent the previously recovered Armed Dragon Thunder LV5 to the Graveyard.
Boom!
Lightning crackled across Chazz's field once more. The Armed Dragon grew larger, its body surging with powerful, brilliant currents of electricity.
"And I'm not done yet! Because I discarded Armed Dragon Thunder LV5, its effect activates! When this card is sent to the Graveyard to activate a Dragon monster's effect, I can add one Level 5 or higher WIND Dragon monster from my Deck to my hand! I add Armed Dragon Thunder LV7 to my hand! Now, I activate the effect of Armed Dragon Thunder LV5 on the field! By discarding the LV7 I just searched, I Special Summon the 7-star Armed Dragon from my Deck!"
Boom!
The Armed Dragon continued to grow. A monster as massive as a mountain range appeared on Chazz's field.
"Here we go again. Chazz is using the effects of the Armed Dragon Thunder monsters to evolve repeatedly. And because the discarded Armed Dragon Thunder monsters have their own effects, he's able to replenish his hand every time he discards. Armed Dragons... truly a terrifying Deck."
The murmurs from the crowd reached Chancellor Sheppard, making the already nervous man look even more frantic.
"This is bad... if he lets Chazz's Armed Dragon keep evolving like this... Jaden! Stop his evolution, quickly! Jaden! You absolutely cannot lose! Jaden!" Chancellor Sheppard suddenly stood up and roared at the top of his lungs.
"It's already impossible!" Chazz said coldly. "An Armed Dragon that has evolved to this point can no longer be stopped! Since Armed Dragon Thunder LV7 was sent to the Graveyard to activate a Dragon monster's effect, I can add one Armed Dragon monster from my Deck to my hand!"
Chazz drew another card from his Deck. He looked at the mountain-like Armed Dragon on the field, a cold smirk playing on his lips.
"It's over, Jaden. Allow me to show you the strongest Armed Dragon of all!"
"..." Jaden Yuki watched Chazz's plays in silence.
Up to this point, everything was still within his calculations. An Armed Dragon Deck could upgrade from LV3 all the way to LV10 through a continuous chain of evolutions. The previous forms had mediocre effects.
But Armed Dragon Thunder LV10...
Jaden's expression finally turned serious.
"I send Dark Armed Dragon from my hand to the Graveyard to activate the effect of Armed Dragon Thunder LV7! By discarding one monster from my hand, I Special Summon an Armed Dragon monster with 10 or fewer stars from my Deck!"
Chazz sent the card to the Graveyard, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Rumble!
On the field, the body of Armed Dragon Thunder LV7 expanded further under the weight of thick lightning. A pair of orange-yellow wings unfurled before the crowd. Under everyone's shocked gaze, that mountain-high body flapped its dragon wings, and the electricity surging through it shot straight into the sky.
Sizzle...
The sound of the current echoed. As the lightning finally dispersed, the silhouette of Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 was finally revealed.
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV10]
[Level: 10]
[ATK: 3000 / DEF: 2000]
It's here! Chazz's ultimate Armed Dragon! That thought flashed through everyone's minds.
"So... so powerful! As expected of the Chazz!"
"Chazz! Chazz! Chazz!"
Unlike the horrified spectators from Duel Academy, the students from North Academy were cheering Chazz's name with wild enthusiasm.
"It... it appeared. The final evolution of the Armed Dragons."
In the spirit world, Ghost Reaper, who was being pinned down by Ghost Ogre, stared at the scene in disbelief.
"I didn't expect anyone in this era to actually be able to summon that monster... There might actually be a chance of winning this duel!"
"Winning my foot!" Ghost Ogre pressed down on Ghost Reaper's head, her face full of annoyance. "Don't underestimate the Supreme King, okay?"
"If... if he can deal with this card, then I'll acknowledge the Supreme King's strength! Is that enough for you!?" Ghost Reaper struggled, throwing Ghost Ogre off her. She stood up abruptly, keeping her eyes fixed on the duel. "If he can pull it off..."
"Armed Dragon Thunder LV10, huh?" Jaden Yuki looked at the card on Chazz's field, an almost imperceptible smile touching the corner of his mouth.
He hadn't realized that, without him noticing, the characters from the original story had evolved to this extent. Though Jaden had never intended to form deep bonds with them from the start...
whether it was destiny or his own inherent ability to draw people toward him, Alexis, Zane, Bastion, and Chazz had all begun surpassing their original limits because of him, closing the gap between them and his height one step at a time.
Could they be considered qualified teammates? Jaden wondered privately.
However, Jaden still had two set cards on his field. Chazz, if you want to defeat me, you have to get past them. Can you do it? Can I?
He looked at the last card in his hand.
[Pot of Greed]
This card was his final chance to draw this turn. Whether he could draw the key to a reversal depended entirely on this draw.
"I activate the Spell Card, Pot of Greed. I draw two cards from my Deck."
Sending the Spell to the Graveyard, Chazz silently drew two cards.
"..."
Seeing the Mystical Space Typhoon in his hand, Chazz's eyes showed a hint of surprise. Mystical Space Typhoon? Does that mean I have to make the final choice?
Jaden currently only had two set cards left on his field. The one on the left was the one he had set on his first turn. The second one was the one he had just set during the previous turn. One represented the past; the other represented the present.
Which one should he choose?
Chazz closed his eyes, sensing the atmosphere. The air around them seemed to have solidified. The students from both North Academy and Duel Academy watched Chazz in silence, waiting for his decision.
"Jaden..." Chazz opened his eyes, his gaze becoming sharp. "I activate my Quick-Play Spell, Mystical Space Typhoon. I destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field... and the card I choose to destroy is..."
Chazz pointed his finger at the card on Jaden's left. I don't want to be bound by the past anymore. Jaden, I'm going to break free from the shadow your past self cast over me! I will surpass the you of the past!
Bang!
The whirlwind instantly shattered Jaden's card. Storming Mirror Force broke into pieces under the force of the spell.
"That card... when an opponent's monster declares an attack, it returns all Attack Position monsters they control to the hand!" Alexis's eyes lit up. "It looks like Chazz made the right gamble. He hit a crucial set card!"
"Yeah. Right now, he has surpassed the Jaden of old." Zane nodded slowly, arms crossed.
But Chazz wasn't the only one improving. Jaden was constantly evolving as well.
"Go! Armed Dragon Thunder LV10!" Chazz shouted. "Attack Masked HERO Dian!"
"Roar!"
Spreading its wings shrouded in thick lightning, the Armed Dragon breathed a massive current of electricity from its maw. The powerful bolt instantly pierced through Dian's body.
"AAHHHH!"
Accompanied by a violent explosion and Dian's scream, Jaden Yuki's Life Points finally began to drop.
[Jaden Yuki LP: 4000 -> 3800]
"He... he did it!"
"Chazz actually managed to clear Jaden Yuki's field!"
"Amazing... I'm afraid Chazz is the only one in the entire academy capable of doing something like this..."
"He didn't just clear Jaden's trap and destroy his monster; he even dealt battle damage. Chazz actually pulled it off..."
The crowd's exclamations rose one after another. The smoke on the field gradually cleared. However, within the haze, a dark shadow began to materialize.
Two ribbons, one black and one white, fluttered in the air. Starting from the center of its armor, a body that was black on the left and white on the right emerged from the dust.
"When two Masked HEROes make contact, a new miracle occurs." Jaden Yuki raised his left arm's Duel Disk. Between his fingers, he held a red Trap Card.
"I activate my Trap Card, Necro Fusion! By banishing two Fusion Materials from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck!"
Jaden smiled as he moved the two copies of Dian from his Graveyard into the Banished Zone.
"Fusion from the Graveyard?!" Chazz stared blankly at the monster appearing on Jaden's field. "Impossible... Masked HEROes can fuse?!"
"That's right." Jaden Yuki took a card from his Extra Deck. "This is the end of the Masked HEROes. Contrast HERO Chaos!"
[Contrast HERO Chaos]
[Level: 9]
[ATK: 3000 / DEF: 2600]
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).