"A true duelist must step on a trap even if they know it's there!"
Chazz glanced at his hand and immediately snatched a card from it. "I summon Armed Dragon Thunder LV3!"
Dense lightning coalesced on the field. As the bolts dissipated, a small, orange-yellow dragon appeared before Chazz.
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV3]
[Level: 3]
[ATK: 1200 / DEF: 900]
"Armed Dragon?" Chancellor Sheppard gasped from the audience, his face pale with shock. "Wait, isn't that the rare card the Academy entrusted to North Academy for safekeeping?"
"No, compared to those rare cards, this Armed Dragon seems... a bit different."
"Foster! What is the meaning of this?"
"I..." Principal Foster looked just as bewildered by the Chancellor's interrogation. He remembered that in order to win this school duel, he had entrusted the North Academy's crowning treasure, the Armed Dragon deck, to Chazz.
But... that Armed Dragon deck wasn't supposed to look like this, was it?
"An LV monster? A deck that evolves continuously by fulfilling certain conditions." Alexis looked at the monster on the field with surprise. "This appears to be a legendary rare card."
"Indeed, the Armed Dragon deck of North Academy... but something feels off about it," Zane Marufuji added, nodding in agreement.
"It looks like we're in for quite the duel today."
With the appearance of Chazz's Armed Dragon, the crowd from North Academy erupted into a thunderous roar.
"Thunder! Thunder! Thunder!"
The emergence of such a rare card drew the eyes of every spectator. Everyone wanted to know what kind of special effect this unique card possessed.
"Hey! You idiot! You knew he had that many traps, yet you just wasted your precious Normal Summon right out of the gate!"
Behind Chazz, Ghost Reaper was nearly fuming at his play. He knew the opponent was playing a backrow-heavy deck. Instead of using the Armed Dragon Flash he had just drawn to Special Summon an Armed Dragon LV3 from the deck to scout ahead, he had simply thrown away his Normal Summon.
"You're going to be the death of me! I evolved that deck for nothing!" she ranted. "Are you veterans of the GX era all this straightforward!?"
"Shut up! I don't need anyone tell me how to duel!" Chazz gritted his teeth, his gaze locked onto Jaden Yuki.
Come on, Jaden! If it's you, I know you won't trigger a trap card at this timing!
Jaden remained silent for a moment, choosing not to activate his face-down cards. He knew that if he flipped a trap now, all he would be dealing with was a harmless Armed Dragon Thunder LV3. To deliver a truly crushing blow, he had to wait for the next monster Chazz summoned.
Furthermore, Jaden looked at the Maxx "C" in his hand. He needed to wait for Chazz to begin his plays.
"Good, Jaden didn't trigger a trap..." Chazz felt a surge of joy. "I activate the effect of Armed Dragon Thunder LV3! By sending one monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can send this card to the Graveyard to Special Summon an Armed Dragon monster with Level 5 or lower from my hand or deck!"
Chazz looked at the second Armed Dragon Thunder LV3 in his hand and sent it to the Graveyard without hesitation.
Boom!
A pillar of lightning soared toward the heavens, instantly enveloping Armed Dragon Thunder's body.
"In that case, the time is now!" Jaden's eyes sharpened as he slapped a card onto his duel disk. "I activate the monster effect of Maxx 'C'! By sending this card to the Graveyard, every time you Special Summon a monster this turn, I must draw one card from my deck!"
A summoning circle rose on Jaden's side of the field. Countless small cockroaches swarmed out, crawling rapidly toward Chazz.
Looking at the field covered in insects, Chazz's face twisted in horror, and he began hopping around to avoid them. "Wh-what is this!?"
"Maxx 'C'? No way... how does the Supreme King have that card? Are you playing the OCG!?" Ghost Reaper stared at the swarming roaches in a daze, cold sweat dripping from her forehead.
This was bad. If he tried to combo through Maxx "C," he'd be destroyed!
"Chazz! Stop now! End your turn!" Ghost Reaper shouted a warning.
"Are you kidding me!? This is the only way to clear all of Jaden's cards! I'm not stopping now!" Chazz gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with an unyielding spirit. "Evolve! Armed Dragon Thunder LV3!"
Rumble!
The light faded, and a giant Armed Dragon, several times larger than the previous one, stood on Chazz's field.
"Roar!"
Electricity crackled as the dragon's roar echoed through the arena.
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV5]
[Level: 5]
[ATK: 2400 / DEF: 1700]
"Furthermore, according to the effect of the Armed Dragon Thunder LV3 I sent to the Graveyard, when this card is sent to the Graveyard to activate a Dragon monster's effect, I can draw one card from my deck!" Chazz drew a card.
"And by the effect of Maxx 'C', since you Special Summoned a monster, I also draw a card." Jaden smiled as he drew.
"It's not over! Armed Dragon LV5 can still evolve!" Chazz shouted. "I activate the effect of Armed Dragon Thunder LV5! I send one monster from my hand to the Graveyard!"
Chazz glanced at the card in his hand Ghost Reaper & Winter Cherries and discarded it.
"Hey! Who are you throwing away!?" Ghost Reaper yelped in shock. She tried to stop him, only to find herself already being pulled into the Graveyard.
A purple summoning circle appeared. Ghost Reaper's physical form was suddenly sucked from behind Chazz, screaming as she fell into the abyss of the Graveyard.
"You're being reckless! You're going to lose!"
"Hmph, I won't be controlled by a mere card spirit..." Chazz growled, watching his dragon being enveloped in lightning once more. "Come forth! Armed Dragon Thunder LV7!"
Boom!
The lightning reached the sky. The Armed Dragon on Chazz's field grew even more massive, its mountainous frame towering behind him. Intense currents of electricity surged from its maw.
"Roar!"
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV7]
[Level: 7]
[ATK: 2800 / DEF: 1000]
"ATK 2800! It's already far surpassed any monster on Jaden's field!"
"But Jaden still has four face-down cards. Why hasn't he used them yet?"
"Hey! Are you holding back, Jaden!?"
The audience broke into a mixture of jeers and gasps. Everyone stared at Jaden. They couldn't understand why he was letting Chazz level up his Armed Dragon despite having so many set cards. If this continued, Jaden would be at a massive disadvantage!
"By the effect of Maxx 'C', I draw another card." Jaden drew calmly, a smile playing on his lips. "Chazz, your Armed Dragon has one final form, doesn't it? Come on, don't hold back. Show me your ultimate form!"
Jaden's words turned Chazz's face slightly pale. It was true. Armed Dragon Thunder had its final LV10 state. And among the four cards remaining in his hand, he had the last monster he needed.
Chazz knew exactly what Jaden was planning. The only reason Jaden hadn't activated his face-down cards was to milk the effect of Maxx "C" for more draws, waiting to destroy the boss monster the moment it hit the board.
"But I won't do as you expect, Jaden!" Chazz swept his hand forward. "I enter my Battle Phase! Go, Armed Dragon Thunder LV7! Attack Jaden's Traptrix Myrmeleo!"
"Roar!!!"
Armed Dragon let out a deafening howl. From its mouth, a thick bolt of lightning blasted toward the girl on Jaden's field.
"Oh? Choosing to attack directly?" Jaden blinked in surprise. Then, the corner of his mouth curled upward.
You've improved, Chazz. You're finally starting to look like a real duelist.
"But... I activate my trap card!"
"Treacherous Trap Hole!"
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