With the support of Skyscraper, Elemental HERO Flame Wingman was known as a killer of 3000-ATK monsters. Its ATK was even a full hundred points above the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon, making it extremely dangerous. Chaos Sorcerer was no match at all, and the flying kick sent him hurtling away before flames quickly consumed him.
Yugen, LP 3600 -> LP 2800
"It's not over yet. You definitely haven't forgotten Elemental HERO Flame Wingman's effect either, Yugen," Judai Yuki said with a cheerful grin. "When Elemental HERO Flame Wingman destroys an opponent's Monster by battle, it inflicts damage equal to that destroyed Monster's original ATK."
After landing the attack, Elemental HERO Flame Wingman spun and dropped in front of Yugen, raising one arm as flames surged over it. This strike would deal another 2300 damage, enough to cut Yugen's LP down to a mere 500 in one blow. The flames exploded forward.
But they did not hit him directly. At the last instant, a shield appeared out of nowhere in front of Yugen, and the full force of the fire slammed into it and spread across its surface. "Nani?!?" Judai Yuki said in surprise.
"Counter Trap Divine Wrath," Yugen said. "Negate an Effect Activation that would inflict damage, then both players draw one card from their Deck." (ANIME EFFECT) Yugen drew his card. "Don't be so hasty. The outcome of this Duel is still far from decided."
"Haha, that's true."
Judai Yuki also drew one card, but he still spoke with confidence. "Even if I still can't see the full path yet, the one who wins in the end will be me." Yugen gave a soft laugh. "Is that so? Then I really will look forward to it."
Judai Yuki glanced at the card he had just drawn, then pulled out all the remaining cards in his hand at once. "I set three cards on the field, and end my turn."
"As expected of a Duel between the two strongest in the new class."
Asuka Tenjoin leaned against the railing of the raised platform, her eyes fixed on the two figures on the stage. "They opened with a clash this fierce right from the start. You still can't tell which way the scales of victory will tip."
"More than that, both of them have improved by a shocking amount in just this one semester."
The one who spoke behind her was Ryo Marufuji. Asuka Tenjoin turned her head. "Really?"
"Yeah. I dueled Judai Yuki once," Ryo Marufuji said with a nod. "I already knew back then that he was someone special. But even I didn't expect that, from then until now, he could improve this much in only one semester."
"So even Kaiser Ryo thinks so..." Asuka Tenjoin murmured.
"But that Yugen is the same," Ryo Marufuji continued. "What frightening potential for a Duelist."
Asuka Tenjoin thought for a moment before speaking again. "Those two... I think they may be the kind who push each other forward." She said no more, but a sudden feeling welled up in her chest. This was the first time Judai Yuki and Yugen had faced each other in such a formal and important Duel, and through this Duel, both of them might break through to another level.
"My Turn!, Card Draw," Yugen announced. "I activate a Spell Card! 'Pot of Greed,' and both sides draw three cards from their Deck." (ANIME EFFECT)
Judai Yuki drew from his Deck and gave a light laugh. "You really want to let me Card Draw? I'm pretty confident in my Card Draw, you know."
Yugen smiled as well. "Like you said, this Duel is about going all out. It isn't just about deciding the winner. For me, it's also about testing my limit."
"I see." Judai Yuki grinned. "An invitation to compete with me in Card Draw? Fine then, I accept that challenge. Draw!"
"Draw!" they shouted at the same time.
Both of them drew from their Deck together, and faint smiles appeared on their faces. For Yugen, this Duel mattered less for the result than as a test of his own power of destiny. If he wanted to stand among the very top rank of Duelist in the future, then performing steadily against Judai Yuki was a threshold he had to cross.
From the look of things now, after persistent training and the support of Spirit, his performance was fairly satisfying. "Here I come, Judai Yuki."
Judai Yuki's spirit flared at once. "Yeah, bring it on!"
"I banish the DARK 'Chaos Sorcerer' in the Graveyard, and the LIGHT 'Blade Knight' that I milled from the Deck earlier, from my Graveyard!"
Yugen raised a card high in his hand. "Let the souls of light and darkness be offered to Field of Chaos, and call forth the descent of the Legendary Warrior!" A beam of light and a beam of darkness vanished into a whirlpool of Chaos, and countless particles spun together into imposing armor and a blade of light and dark, as if it had descended from the very beginning of Chaos itself.
"Genesis of Heaven and Earth! Legendary Warrior -- Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, Summon!"
"It's finally here!" Fire seemed to light in Judai Yuki's eyes. "The Legendary Warrior! That sky-splitting coolness!" Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, ATK 3000.
"Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, Effect Activation," Yugen declared. "Once Per Turn, at the cost of giving up its attack this turn, banish one Monster on the field. Banish 'Elemental HERO Flame Wingman'! Chaos Dimensional Slash!"
Black Luster Soldier raised the sword in his hand, and a slash that seemed to cross time and space burst forth. Violent sword energy tore open a narrow wound in space itself, together with a shattered Rift, and shot straight toward Elemental HERO Flame Wingman.
"Then I activate my set card, the Quick-Play Spell Spell 'De-Fusion'!" Judai Yuki said.
"De-Fusion the 'Elemental HERO Flame Wingman' on the field, and Special Summon the Fusion Material Monsters in the Graveyard! Come back, Elemental HERO Avian! Elemental HERO Burstinatrix!"
Elemental HERO Flame Wingman split apart and returned to the familiar pair, the two of them stepping away to either side. The overbearing Dimension Rift cut through the space between them and stretched onward as though it would run all the way to the Dead End of the horizon. Both members of the pair were placed in Defense Position.
Elemental HERO Avian, DEF 1000. Elemental HERO Burstinatrix, DEF 800.
"That means Chaos Dimensional Slash lost its target and resolves with nothing," Judai Yuki said with a smile. "And this way, Black Luster Soldier also can't attack on the same turn after using its effect."
Even the gold-medal commentator Daichi Misawa could not help praising it. "Impressive. He used De-Fusion to dodge Black Luster Soldier's strongest effect and sealed off the attack in one move..."
Yugen raised his hand again. "Then I flip the face-down monster on my field."
The set monster on his field flipped over at once. "The monster I set is... Mask of Darkness!" Mask of Darkness, ATK 900.
"When Mask of Darkness is flipped, I can choose one Trap Card in my Graveyard and add it to my hand." Yugen smiled faintly, pulled out the Trap Card that emerged from the Graveyard, and briefly showed it. "So I recover this Continuous Trap card, 'Non-Fusion Area.'"
Everyone: "!"