"My turn, draw!!"
After glancing at the drawn card, Yuui immediately revealed a Spell Card they had spent a hefty sum to acquire recently.
"I activate the Spell Card Metamorphosis! By Tributing 1 monster on my field, I can Special Summon 1 Fusion Monster of the same Level from my Extra Deck. I choose to Tribute Bubbleman on my field to Special Summon Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman from my Extra Deck!"
As the effect activated, Bubbleman's body began to change. The smooth armor sprouted sharp edges, with fin-like decorations growing from his back. The water cannon on his right arm now bore a marking shaped like a fish's head.
[Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman] Level 4│WATER│Warrior│800 ATK] (anime card)
"Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman!?" Ace frowned. Even though the Axel Republic had HERO decks too, he had never heard of a monster like this before.
In fact, not only he—many students of Saint Fusion Academy had never seen this card either. It wasn't something Yuui and Alicia had obtained from the academy; it was a card they had stumbled upon by chance outside the school.
Since this card required both Bubbleman and Metamorphosis to summon, no one had ever really bothered using it despite its decent effect. Alicia had spent a fortune to buy it, and only after entering Saint Fusion Academy and obtaining both Bubbleman and Metamorphosis were they finally able to summon this "legendary" monster for the first time.
Yuui continued, "Next, I activate the Spell Card Fifth Hope! I choose 5 cards in my Graveyard that include 'Elemental HERO' in their names, return them to my Deck, then draw 2 cards."
"I select Elemental HERO Burstinatrix, Elemental HERO Flame Wingman, Elemental HERO Great Tornado, Elemental HERO Bubbleman, and Elemental HERO Clayman to return to my Deck and Extra Deck, then draw two new cards!"
Five cards left Yuui's Graveyard and were shuffled back into the Deck and Extra Deck. Then Yuui drew two new cards. Seeing them, Alicia's eyes lit up. "Yuui-san, with these, the pieces of victory are complete, aren't they?"
"Yeah." Yuui smiled softly. "Now it's up to our Deck to see if it'll respond to us."
Then Yuui revealed the first key card to victory. "First, I activate the Spell Card Hero Heart! I target 1 face-up 'Elemental HERO' monster I control; that monster's Attack becomes half its current value, but it can attack twice during this Battle Phase! I target Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman!"
[Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman, ATK: 800 → 400]
"Its Attack was already only 800, and now it's halved again!?" Chuck couldn't make sense of what Alicia (Yuui) was planning—yet seeing that confident smile on her face, he could only feel like she would win.
"Next is my second card—Equip Spell Bubble Blaster!" Yuui revealed another rarely-seen card. "This card can only be equipped to Elemental HERO Bubbleman. The equipped monster gains 800 Attack. I equip it to Neo Bubbleman! While equipped, he is treated as Bubbleman on the field!"
[Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman, ATK: 400 → 1200, Equipped Spell: Bubble Blaster]
"Hmph, even with an extra 800 Attack, trash is still trash!" Ace scoffed, though an uneasy feeling stirred in his chest. Every move Alicia (Yuui) made seemed too deliberate—the activation of every Spell, even the halving of Attack—it all felt premeditated. How could that not shake his confidence?
"You'll see soon enough who the real trash is!" Yuui only smiled. "Battle Phase! Neo Bubbleman, attack Red Dragon Archfiend! Bubble Blast!!"
"You're asking for death!! Red Dragon Archfiend, counterattack with Absolute Powerforce!!"
On the field, Neo Bubbleman fired a massive water bubble projectile, while Red Dragon Archfiend unleashed a torrent of blazing flames.
"Attacking with a weaker monster? That's suicide!"
"She's lost it!"
"Unbelievable! She's actually throwing the match!"
"Didn't expect her to go down like this…"
Many students watching from the sidelines groaned, thinking Alicia (Yuui) had lost her composure. Yet, a few stayed focused—because like Ace, they knew she wouldn't make a move without purpose.
The next instant, Red Dragon Archfiend's claw smashed the bubble projectile and then struck Neo Bubbleman's body.
Boom!!
A violent shockwave rippled across the field—even so, Yuui stood unmoved, as firm as a pine tree. His Life Points hadn't dropped at all.
[Yuui, LP: 1700]
"What!? His Life Points didn't decrease!?" Ace stared in disbelief.
Yuui explained calmly, "Bubble Blaster's secondary effect: if the equipped monster would be destroyed by battle, this card is destroyed instead, and all battle damage to the controller becomes 0. So my Life Points remain the same."
[Elemental HERO Neo Bubbleman, ATK: 1200 → 400]
"And now, Neo Bubbleman's effect activates!" Yuui declared. "At the end of the Damage Step, the monster that battled this card is destroyed! Destroy Red Dragon Archfiend!!"
Ace looked to his field in horror. Cracks began to spread across Red Dragon Archfiend's body as bubbles leaked out of it before it exploded into fragments!
The spectators were speechless. None had expected the duel to turn like this.
Ace's expression darkened as he shouted, "Even if my Red Dragon Archfiend is destroyed, I still have 2900 Life Points! Even if your monster hits me again for 400 damage, you can't win! Next turn, I'll crush you!!"
"That's not certain." Yuui smiled, raising his Duel Disk. "Because thanks to Hero Heart, Neo Bubbleman can attack twice this turn! Neo Bubbleman, direct attack! Bubble Shot!!"
"Haah!!"
Neo Bubbleman fired another stream of foam at Ace, forcing him back a step.
[Ace, LP: 2900 → 2500]
"I told you, it's meaningless!" Ace growled.
Yet, Yuui calmly lifted his final card. "No, it means everything. I activate the Quick-Play Spell Berserker Soul!"
"When a monster I control inflicts 1500 or less battle damage by a direct attack, I can discard my entire hand to activate it. Then, I reveal the top card of my Deck. If it's a Monster Card, I send it to the Graveyard and deal 500 damage to you. I repeat this process up to 7 times, until a non-Monster Card is revealed. You have 2500 Life Points left—if I reveal 5 monsters, I win this turn!"
"Heh, five monsters? All in a row? That's impossible!" Ace sneered.
The crowd murmured in disbelief too; the odds were slim. Albeit, a few—Autrys, Alice, Carl, Professor White, and Chuck—believed. Because to a true Duelist, faith in your Deck defines victory.
"You'll see soon enough." Yuui drew a card, voice steady. "First card… Monster Card—Slower Swallow!!"
"Chuu!!" The blue-and-white swallow spirit chirped joyfully.
Ace clenched his fists but told himself it was luck. There was no way Yuui would draw five monsters straight.
Yuui called out, "By Berserker Soul's effect, attack again, Neo Bubbleman!!"
[Ace, LP: 2500 → 2000]
"Next card!" Yuui drew again, revealing it with a smile. "Another Monster Card—Elemental HERO Neos!! Continue the attack, Neo Bubbleman!"
[Ace, LP: 2000 → 1500]
"Third card… Monster Card—Hero Kid!! Attack again!!"
[Ace, LP: 1500 → 1000]
"Fourth card… Monster Card—Goddess of Sweet Revenge!! Attack once more!!"
[Ace, LP: 1000 → 500]
Ace shielded himself from the barrage, panting heavily. He couldn't believe Yuui had drawn four monsters in a row.
Despite that, he refused to yield.
Yuui met his defiant gaze, nodding with respect. A worthy wielder of Red Dragon Archfiend shouldn't surrender so easily.
Regardless, it was time to end it.
Yuui drew again—and revealed it. "The final card is also a Monster Card—Elemental HERO Clayman! Finish this, Neo Bubbleman!!"
Neo Bubbleman raised his arm and unleashed one final bubble beam, blasting Ace off his feet.
[Ace, LP: 500 → 0]
...
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