"You're next, Ace. I hope you're ready to lose?"
Ace smirked coldly. "You're welcome to try! My Red Dragon Archfiend won't fall so easily!"
"Heh, good! Then let me see just how strong your Red Dragon Archfiend really is!" Yuui smiled and raised his hand. "Battle Phase ends. I Set two cards and end my turn!"
As his turn concluded, Yuui's Grand Neos began to glow. "At this moment, Grand Neos's effect activates—at the end of the turn, it returns to my Extra Deck."
Light engulfed the hero as it returned to the Extra Deck.
"I see. Such powerful effects come with equally powerful drawbacks!" Ace's battle spirit reignited. "In that case, I won't hold back! My turn—Draw!!"
Ace drew his card, glanced at it, and his eyes lit up. He slammed it into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Spell Card Premature Burial! By paying 800 Life Points, I target one monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it in Attack Position. That monster is—Red Dragon Archfiend!!"
[Ace, LP: 6100 → 5300]
"ROAR!!"
A blazing inferno erupted as the demonic dragon returned to the field, its roar shaking the air.
[Red Dragon Archfiend, ATK: 3000]
Ace thrust his hand forward. "Battle Phase! Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Elemental HERO Great Tornado! Absolute Power—Domination!!"
Crimson flames gathered in the dragon's claws as it soared toward the wind hero. Great Tornado countered instantly, summoning a storm dragon to meet the attack—but the power gap was too great. The storm was torn apart, and Red Dragon's fiery talons smashed into Great Tornado.
BOOM!!
The explosion sent another shockwave at Yuui, who gritted his teeth and withstood the blast.
[Yuui, LP: 2300 → 1700]
He raised his hand. "I activate my face-down card—Trap Card, HERO Counterattack! When a monster with 'Elemental HERO' in its name I control is destroyed by battle, my opponent randomly selects one card from my hand. If it's an 'Elemental HERO' monster, I destroy one monster they control and Special Summon that card!"
"Then, I activate my other Set card—Trap Card, Change of Hero - Reflector Ray! When a Fusion Monster with 'Elemental HERO' in its name is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's Level × 300!"
Ace's eyes shot open. "So that's the kind of effect those cards have!" He realized his choice earlier had sealed his fate, but there was no changing it now.
Through the flames, the shattered form of Great Tornado knelt weakly, his body fading.
Yuui shouted, "You can still fight, Great Tornado!!"
For a moment, the hero froze—then roared. "Haaah!!!"
A violent gale exploded outward as Great Tornado forced himself to his feet, wind dragons spiraling around his battered body. He turned and nodded once toward Yuui and Alicia.
Yuui smiled and nodded back, as Alicia cheered loudly for him.
Yuui raised his arm. "Great Tornado is Level 8—so you take 2400 effect damage! Go, Great Tornado—avenge us with one last strike!!"
The hero leapt skyward, winds surging around his legs, and unleashed a spinning kick—the 'Knight's Strike'—wrapped in storm dragons, straight toward Ace.
"Darn it!" Ace raised his arms to block as the attack crashed into him, realizing too late that Yuui had played him perfectly.
[Ace, LP: 5300 → 2900 ]
"ACE!!" Lilith Haila screamed, rushing toward him, but Ace raised a hand. "Don't come any closer, Lilith! This is my Duel! That attack's not enough to stop me!"
He was clearly forcing himself to stand, covered in dust and bruises, but his determination remained unbroken.
Yuui smiled vaguely. "That's the spirit." He raised his final card. "Now for HERO Counterattack's effect—you'll choose one card from my hand. If it's an 'Elemental HERO' monster, I destroy one of your monsters and Special Summon that card. Though it won't matter, since I only have one card in my hand anyway."
Ace's expression soured as the crowd murmured—none of them wanted to see this. It was essentially forcing Ace to destroy his own monster. Still, after a pause, Ace muttered, "I choose your card."
Yuui flipped the card—Elemental HERO Bubbleman.
"My card is Elemental HERO Bubbleman! According to HERO Counterattack, I can destroy one of your monsters—and I choose your Red Dragon Archfiend/Assault Mode!!"
A thunderbolt struck down from above, shattering the fiery dragon into fragments.
"Then, I Special Summon Bubbleman!"
[Elemental HERO Bubbleman, DEF: 1200]
The unshakable HERO reappeared, and Yuui continued, "Bubbleman's effect! When this card is Summoned and I control no other cards, I draw two!"
He drew and smiled. "Red Dragon Archfiend/Assault Mode's effect—after battle, it destroys all other monsters, and when it's destroyed, it revives Red Dragon Archfiend from the Graveyard. Unfortunately, you already brought it back earlier, so you can't activate that effect now."
Yuui's voice stayed calm but cutting. "If you hadn't rushed, and instead used Red Resonator to recover 3500 Life Points, you might've still had a chance to win."
As Yuui dissected his strategy, Ace's fists clenched tighter and tighter.
Around them, students and teachers stared at Alicia (Yuui) in disbelief… none of them had ever seen these cards before.
'How does she even know the exact effects of his monsters!?'
And why did her tone sound so much like a villain gloating before victory?
Alicia could feel those strange looks burning into her. Just moments ago, everyone had been cheering for her… and now they looked utterly baffled. She sighed.
Yuui finally noticed the awkward stares and realized how his "guidance" toward Nash and Ace must have looked. "Uh… sorry, Alicia."
"It's fine," she said with a forced smile. "I'll just rebuild my reputation again later."
Yuui scratched his head, feeling sheepish… his well-meaning lessons had unintentionally tanked Alicia's image again.
Ace, his voice low and strained, growled, "Even so… I don't believe you can finish me next turn! I still have 2900 Life Points, and my Red Dragon Archfiend is on the field! All you have is Bubbleman… how do you plan to beat me!?"
Yuui raised an eyebrow, his tone suddenly sharp. "Oh? Then I'll show you."
...
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