Hearing Aster's enraged voice, Jaden didn't look bothered. He just scratched his cheek a little and explained in a straightforward way.
"Since Flame Wingman was summoned by Grandmerge's effect, he can't attack monsters with a lower Level than his."
This Grandmerge was a bit different from the original one, but Yumi still kept one of its part of it weaknesses. Any monster brought out with that method simply couldn't attack monsters that had an equal or lower Level than itself.
Honestly, Jaden had other options. If he really wanted to push things, he could have gone straight for Shining Flare Wingman instead of stopping at Flame Wingman.
But he had walked into this duel with the mindset of just enjoying it, not treating it like some final battle. Winning at all costs wasn't really what he was aiming for, unlike his AIBO, which tended to take things way more seriously and OTK-ing people.
"You really think I would believe that?" Aster shot back instantly. His voice was tight, his expression stiff.
It wasn't clear if he was doubting the ruling or just not wanting to accept the situation at all. Either way, his anger wasn't helping his judgment.
For a moment, Jaden opened his mouth like he was going to reply, then simply closed it again.
He decided to just leave it there.
Arguing over it wouldn't improve the mood of the duel, and he honestly couldn't think of anything else to add that wouldn't just make Aster even more annoyed.
"My turn! Draw!"
Aster practically tore the top card from his deck, the movement sharp and impatient. Before the card had even fully settled in his hand, he slapped another onto his Duel Disk.
"Quick-Play Spell, Mystical Space Typhoon! I'll destroy your Mirage of Nightmare!"
A swirling cyclone formed almost immediately, whipping across the field and tearing apart Jaden's spell card before its effect could even start up. The remnants of the hologram scattered like dust and faded out.
"I activate Pot of Greed! This let me draw two cards!" Aster drew two more cards, and he didn't pause.
"Next, I activate Destiny Draw. By discarding Destiny HERO - Malicious from my hand, I get to draw two cards."
He sent the card to the graveyard in one neat motion and drew again, the cards sliding smoothly into his hand.
His expression barely changed, but his movements showed he was pushing the pace on purpose, not wanting to give Jaden any room to breathe.
"Next, I'll activate Doom Lord's effect and banish your Flame Wingman."
Doom Lord leaned forward as if receiving a silent order, then rushed toward Flame Wingman.
"AIBO! Lend me your strength again!" Jaden called, flipping one of his set cards without hesitation. "Quick-Play Spell, Effect Shut! When you activate a monster effect, I can negate it and destroy it!"
A surge of yellow electricity wrapped around Doom Lord, locking its movement in place before bursting apart, taking the monster with it.
Aster's jaw tightened. His breathing was steady, but everything in his posture suggested irritation slowly stacking up. His focus narrowed until it felt like the rest of the arena didn't matter.
"I activate the effect of Malicious in my graveyard," he continued, voice low but firm. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon another Malicious from my deck."
He slid the card out of the graveyard and removed it, then searched briefly through his deck before placing another Malicious onto his Duel Disk. The fiendish hero appeared, only to immediately kneel down with its arms crossed defensively.
[Destiny HERO - Malicious, 800 DEF]
"Now, I tribute Malicious, Disk Commander, and Defender."
One after another, the three monsters dissolved into light and vanished from the field.
"Come on! Destiny HERO - Dogma."
A massive, bulky black-armored hero descended, wings spreading out heavily behind it. A long blade extended from its right arm, pointing straight toward Jaden's side of the field.
[Destiny HERO - Dogma, 3400 ATK]
Aster didn't pause.
"Next, I activate the Spell, Heavy Storm. Destroy all cards in the Spell and Trap Zones."
A violent gust swept across the field, wiping away the remaining backrow from both sides. When the wind finally died down, only two monsters were left standing.
Flame Wingman and Dogma, facing each other across an empty field.
"Now, Dogma destroys Flame Wingman."
Dogma lunged forward, the large blade cutting through the air as it came down toward Jaden's monster.
"From my grave, I banish Shield Warrior," Jaden said quickly, a card sliding out from his grave zone. "During damage calculation, I can banish this card so that the monsters I control can't be destroyed by that battle."
A faint image of a warrior with a shield appeared in front of Flame Wingman, bracing itself and dulling the impact. Even so, the force of the blow rippled across Jaden's Life Points.
[Jaden, LP 1400 -> 100]
Flame Wingman remained on the field, a bit worn but still standing. Aster stared at it for a moment, his hand slowly curling into a fist. His knuckles went pale, not from pain, just from holding back more words he didn't bother to say.
"…Turn end."
"My turn. Draw!"
Jaden drew his card in one smooth motion.
"Dogma's effect," Aster said flatly, barely looking away from the field. "During your Standby Phase, your Life Points are halved."
It sounded more like a procedure than a threat at this point. Jaden's Life Points were already so low that even a Kuriboh could finish him off.
[Jaden, LP 100 -> 50]
Jaden just smirked a little, like this was actually the part he enjoyed most. He lifted his gaze back toward Aster.
"It's been fun, Aster," he said, not taunting, just honest. "But I'll be ending this here."
He placed the card he drew onto his Duel Disk.
"Spell Card, Fusion Recovery. I add Sparkman and Polymerization back to my hand."
Aster's eyes widened as the realization clicked. Of all the things Jaden could have drawn right now, it had to be that one.
Jaden was already moving.
"I activate Polymerization! I fuse Flame Wingman and Sparkman!"
Sparkman appeared beside Flame Wingman, both heroes giving a brief nod toward each other before leaping into the swirling fusion vortex above them.
"Fusion Summon! Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman!"
Light flooded the field, not harsh or overwhelming, just bright enough that the edges of the arena seemed to fade for a moment. The white-armored hero descended calmly, wings spreading out behind him with a quiet glow.
[Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman, 2500 ATK]
"Shining Flare Wingman gains 300 ATK for each Elemental HERO in my graveyard," Jaden explained, as his graveyard glowed.
Behind him, faint afterimages of the fallen HEROes appeared one after another.
Clayman, Thunder Giant, Bladedge, Necroshade, Avian, Burstinatrix, Grandmerge, Solid Soldier, Flame Wingman, and Sparkman.
[Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman, 2500 -> 5500 ATK]
Aster said nothing, but the math was obvious.
"Battle! Shining Flare Wingman attack Dogma!"
Jaden pointed forward. Shining Flare Wingman took off, wings flaring as he closed the distance.
"Shining Shoot!"
The impact was clean and decisive. Dogma broke apart and faded from the field.
But Aster was already holding up a card.
"I activate Destiny HERO - Dynatag's effect," he said, sounding reluctant more than anything else. "By discarding this card, I take no battle damage from that battle. And we both take 1000 effect damage."
He discarded the card.
Jaden: "Nani!?"
A burst of energy rippled outward, not especially flashy, but enough that both duelists took the hit squarely.
[Aster, LP 600 -> 0]
[Jaden, LP 50 -> 0]
The arena registered the result instantly.
Aster dropped to one knee, more from fatigue than anything dramatic. His palm stung and his jaw ached, and for a moment he just stared at the field that was now empty.
Jaden, on the other hand, fell backward onto the ground, staring up at the ceiling. His deck slipped from his Duel Disk, cards scattering around him.
From his point of view, the images on them slowly faded out, one by one, until every card was blank white.
...
After the duel, Aster left Duel Academy without looking back, more annoyed than anything. The draw with Jaden stuck in his head like a splinter. He'd come here convinced he'd crush Jaden completely, prove his point, and walk away satisfied.
Instead, he had to accept a forced draw. That alone irritated him enough that he didn't even bother with his earlier plan of dueling Yumi.
From their first brief exchange, Aster already felt like he'd lost that battle anyway, and after drawing with Jaden, the mood to duel anyone else was just gone.
Back on the arena floor, Yumi was kneeling and gathering up the scattered cards around Jaden.
"Here, your deck and your Winged Kuriboh," Yumi said, handing over the stack of cards.
"Thanks… Aibo," Jaden replied with a weak smile.
Yumi frowned slightly. The card on the front that he handed wasn't Winged Kuriboh at all; it was Flame Wingman. That told him enough. Jaden wasn't seeing the card images anymore.
From what Yumi remembers, Jaden's spirit became disconnected from his deck due to the overwhelming darkness and power of the Supreme King within him, leading to a deep depression and loss of his love for dueling, which manifests as his cards showing nothing, symbolizing his empty heart.
Sensing something off, Winged Kuriboh appeared beside Jaden, hovering in its usual way. It waved its tiny paws and let out soft "Kuri, kuri," trying to get his attention. Jaden, however, didn't react. He simply couldn't see it right now.
After that day, word spread around Duel Academy almost instantly. By lunch the next day, everyone had already heard it from someone else.
Jaden couldn't see his cards. Jaden couldn't duel. Hallway whispers did the rest.
In the Slifer Red dorm, Jaden sat on the floor, leaning back against Yumi's bed, eyes duller than usual.
"Aibo… what should I do now?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to glance up at Yumi.
Yumi was lying across the mattress, lazily printing more cards like it was just another normal evening. The room was quiet; everyone else was off watching the "monkey show" duel between Alexis and her brother Atticus.
"I think you should go clear your mind and rediscover your love for dueling," Yumi replied in a calm tone. He already knew that Jaden would soon leave Duel Academy and have this crazy run-in with his Neo-Spacian and rediscover his love for Dueling, thanks to them.
"You really think that would help?" Jaden asked. He sounded uncertain, but not unwilling.
"You won't know if you don't try. And if you never try, then you'll never know," Yumi said, shrugging slightly before pulling out a freshly printed card.
"Here." He handed it to Jaden. "This will help you when you can see your cards again."
"…Thanks," Jaden murmured. He looked down at the card. To him, it was just another blank rectangle staring back.
The next morning, Jaden was already gone.
Back on the island, Syrus and Tyranno were still loudly arguing over who counted as Jaden's "real little brother," like that title actually existed anywhere outside their heads.
Yumi wasn't surprised when his room door was kicked open by Celina, as she told him that Jaden had gone missing. So he told her about Jaden leaving the island.
"What do you mean Jaden isn't on the island anymore!?" Celina shouted, immediately stepping on his stomach like it was a button she needed to press to get answers.
"As I said, he isn't at Duel Academy anymore," Yumi repeated, trying to shift to get her foot away from anywhere important.
"Then where!? You're his partner! How could you just let him wander off like that!? In a mental state like that!"
She lifted her foot, then stomped down again with even more emphasis.
"Gah! Knock it off!" Yumi smacked her other leg on reflex, throwing her off balance so she toppled onto him instead.
Celina glared at him from up close. She was angry, clearly, and partly worried in a way she didn't want to admit. A lot of people were worried about Jaden right now.
Like in the show, the group indeed worried about Jaden's well-being, but besides that surface-level worry, they didn't understand him as well as Yumi to truly help him.
So while they all worried about Jaden, Yumi is currently the only one who believes that Jaden will return.
"Hey, Celina, has Yumi told you where Ja-" Syrus froze mid-sentence as he opened the room door after noticing it was unlocked.
He paused, seeing that Celina was on top of Yumi as they were in the same bed together.
"Uh, sorry!" He immediately turned bright red and bolted, forgetting to close the door on his way out.
"Hey! It isn't-" Celina started, then went quiet when she noticed Rio poke her head into the doorway.
Her expression was already frost-level.
"Uhh, Rio. It isn't what it looks like!" Celina said quickly, knowing full well that Rio is obsessed with Yumi. So seeing the two of them in this kind of position, Rio would want to stab her first, then ask questions later.
"Celina Hiiragi… so you finally show your true colors…" Rio said slowly, voice cold, raising her Duel Disk with all the seriousness of someone declaring war. "Let's decide this once and for all. Which one of us will sleep with him first."
Like typical Yu-Gi-Oh fashion, everything is decided by playing cards.
Sending that both girls were going to have a fight over a misunderstanding. Yumi just smiles and decides to pour fuel into the fire.
"I see, girls… keep my bed warm for me, will you?" he said casually.
Celina's eye twitched. Rio's competitive aura somehow intensified even more. Somewhere nearby, Reginald looked like he was going to need a paper bag to breathe into after hearing what his sister just volunteered for.
"You bas-" Celina didn't get to finish as Yumi used the Shadow Charm Pendant and teleported away, leaving her to deal with this mess.
Reappearing in the forest near the Slifer Red dorm, Yumi brushed off a few leaves from his shoulder like teleporting into trees was just mildly inconvenient. He turned toward one of the thicker trunks.
"Hiding is no use. I already know you're there," he said casually.
A hooded figure stepped out from behind the tree, cloak brushing against the grass. His face was hidden, but his voice wasn't.
"You're just as impressive as the rumors say," the figure said. "A duelist compared to a god."
Yumi blinked once.
He honestly hadn't heard that particular rumor, and if he had, he would've blamed Crowler for exaggerating again. Still, the voice caught his attention. Under the hood, it sounded very familiar, a lot like Albaz, actually.
The figure lifted his hand slightly, palm open.
"Hand over The Tyrant Neptune," he said, like he was asking for a pen instead of a powerful card.
Yumi looked at the offered palm, then back at the hood. He didn't move.
"Hand over the rest of the Planet series first," Yumi replied in the same calm tone.
There was a short silence. Even without seeing his face, it was pretty easy to tell the guy was frowning under there.
"So you're choosing not to do this the easy way," the hooded man said. He raised his arm, and a Duel Disk unfolded from his sleeve with a metallic snap, sharp silver frame, golden edge, clearly custom-made and very "I take myself seriously."
Yumi's eyes went from that Duel Disk to his own simple, standard model. For a moment, he just thought that maybe it was time for an upgrade. His looked a bit too… basic now.
"Very well," Yumi said, activating his Duel Disk anyway.
The hooded figure's cloak shifted slightly as he mirrored the gesture.
"DUEL!"
[Yumi, LP 4000]
[Planet Hunter, LP 4000]
"I'll go first. Draw!" The Planet Hunter drew the first card without hesitation.
"First, I'll activate the Spell, Trade-In. This lets me discard the Level 8, The Blazing Mars, and draw two cards."
He revealed the card just long enough for Yumi to see it, then slid it into the Graveyard and calmly drew two new cards.
"Next, I activate Graceful Charity. I draw three cards, then discard two."
He drew again, his hand briefly swelling before he casually picked two cards and sent them to the Graveyard like he had already decided beforehand.
"Since I control no monsters, I get to Special Summon Super Quantum Red Layer!"
The ground pulsed with red light as a large, muscular warrior in bulky red high-tech armor landed on the field with a heavy metallic thud.
Yumi: "!!!"
[Super Quantum Red Layer, 2000 ATK]
"Red Layer's effect," the Planet Hunter continued, already moving along. "When he is summoned, I can add a Super Quantum card from my Graveyard back to my hand."
A card popped up from the Graveyard slot, and he retrieved it without any unnecessary commentary.
"I then Normal Summon, Super Quantum Green Layer."
A slimmer warrior in sleek green armor appeared beside Red Layer, the contrast between the two pretty obvious at a glance.
[Super Quantum Green Layer, 1600 ATK]
"Green Layer's effect. When he is summoned, I can Special Summon one Super Quantum from my hand."
He placed another card onto the Duel Disk without pause.
"Come on out! Super Quantum Blue Layer."
Blue light gathered and formed a third armored figure. Compared to the others, this one had a noticeably more feminine silhouette and lighter movements, almost like she weighed a bit less than her teammates.
[Super Quantum Blue Layer, 1200 ATK]
"Blue Layer lets me add a Super Quantum card from my deck to my hand." He said before pulling out his deck. "I'll add the Continuous Trap, Super Quantum Union - Magnaformation."
He revealed the card briefly, then slid it into his hand before shuffling his deck.
Now, red, green, and blue stood lined up together on his field. The three Layers looked like a sentai team assembled for roll call, each one facing forward in a ready stance, lights from their armor softly pulsing.