Jaden approached the crater, hesitated for a moment, then walked slowly forward.
"Wait!"
A researcher tried to stop him.
"We don't know what it is—it's dangerous—"
But Kira gestured for the researcher to stop. The researcher looked at him in surprise.
Mokuba asked, "Are you sure this is safe? I mean, it's from space, and we don't know—"
"It's fine," Kira nodded. "I know what I'm doing."
If he had any doubts before, now he was certain.
This sphere of light from the sky was coming for Jaden.
It was the very card Jaden had designed as a child and sent into space with KaibaCorp's rocket, now returned with new power and new cosmic companions.
Neos and the Neo-Spacians were not just aliens, but Duel Monster spirits with extraordinary powers.
In the anime, Jaden met them later. At that time, Sartorius had empowered Aster Phoenix's deck with the Light of Destruction and used it to influence Jaden, causing Jaden to lose his ability to see spirits and even the images on his cards.
To Jaden, every card became a blank slate. No doctor could explain it—only "psychological reasons." He couldn't even read the cards and was told he might never duel again.
That was when the Neo-Spacians appeared. The aliens infused his deck with new power, cleansing the Light of Destruction from his mind and giving him a second chance.
Jaden took a deep breath and reached out to touch the glowing red sphere.
The sphere reacted instantly. Brilliant light erupted, wrapping him in an irresistible pull.
Everyone saw a flash of light—so bright they couldn't see anything. Instinctively, they closed their eyes. When they opened them again, Jaden was gone.
"Where did he go?"
"Check the cameras!"
Mokuba looked at Kira in shock. "Is Jaden really going to be okay?"
"Relax, he'll be fine," Kira waved.
"Jaden, Jaden Yuki."
A voice echoed in a space filled with light.
Jaden shook his dizzy head and looked around in confusion.
"Who?"
"Who's speaking?"
"It's me, your friend from the stars."
"Friend? From the stars?"
Jaden blinked in confusion.
His eyes slowly adjusted to the light. He saw particles of light gathering, forming the shape of a person.
A streamlined silver body, a blue crystal on the chest, arms folded, shrouded in golden light, looking at Jaden...
"Whoa, Ultraman has appeared!"
Jaden exclaimed in awe.
"No, I'm your own Elemental HERO from the stars," the light said. "Years ago, I took your dueling passion and hopes for the future into space.
Now, the Earth faces invasion from evil cosmic beings. So I've returned. We'll fight together—"
Jaden's pupils shrank as memories of his childhood flashed through his mind—how he'd joined KaibaCorp's project, how he'd designed his greatest hero...
"Ah, it's you!"
Jaden blurted out.
"Yes. We don't have much time—the invaders are almost here. Now is when your power is needed most, Jaden!"
As it spoke, the silver figure dissipated, becoming countless light particles that gathered before Jaden, finally forming a shining golden card.
Jaden slowly reached out and took the card.
The card burst forth with brilliant golden light, engulfing him and the entire space.
"Unidentified flying object breaking through the atmosphere, coming in fast—"
Someone at the KaibaCorp camp shouted.
"It's heading right for us!"
Everyone saw it.
A massive disc, a mechanical craft unlike anything on Earth, spun down and hovered in midair.
A beam of light shot from beneath the disc. A figure—no, a monstrous being with mechanical tentacles, half-machine, half-organic—descended in the beam.
"An alien!"
The researchers were stunned.
This time, a real, live alien!
The alien tilted its head. Its mechanical eyes flickered, then calmed. It looked up.
"Language analysis complete.
Commencing operation: destruction. Purify this filthy world with the light."
It unlocked something on its arm—a device that transformed and assembled itself.
It looked just like a duel disk.
Mokuba looked conflicted.
"Even alien invasions happen through dueling?"
He looked at Kira.
"What do you think?"
Kira shook his head: "Not today. I won't steal this duel from him."
"Huh?"
"This is Jaden's job," Kira smiled. "Let's just watch."
Sure enough, as soon as he finished, the crater erupted in light, shooting up and landing before the alien.
Jaden reappeared in the light.
"So, you're the Light of Destruction? I'll be your opponent!"
The alien scanned him, as if running diagnostics.
Then it spoke.
"Darkness detected. Primary target locked.
Commencing operation: purging by duel."
"Bring it on!"
Jaden shouted.
"Duel!" x2
[Jaden, LP 4000]
[Alien, LP 4000]
"I'll go first," the alien said coldly.
"I discard two cards from my hand—"
Using its long mechanical arm, it sent two cards to the graveyard.
"Embodiment of purifying light—
Level 12, Candelato, the Beast of Light!"
A dazzling beam shot into the sky as a two-headed dragon appeared, lightning swirling in its chest core, electric arcs dancing in its mouths—its heads resembled Slifer the Sky Dragon.
[Candelato, the Beast of Light, ATK 0]
"A Level 12 monster with 0 attack!?" Jaden was shocked. "And its attack is zero?"
A Level 12 with 0 ATK—usually a sign of something tricky.
"And, when Candelato is summoned, one of the discarded cards was the Spell 'Compensation Draw.'
Sent from hand to grave, it lets me draw two cards."
The alien drew two more cards.
"Candelato's ATK and DEF become my hand size x 1000!"