In the depths of the darkness within.
Jaden was surrounded by countless mirror-like fragments, each displaying the outside world. Not just what "eyes" could see. The entire world seemed visible through these mirrors.
He was excited.
He had heard everything the Supreme King and Hikaru said. He hadn't deliberately sealed off his heart. The Supreme King had sensed the situation was inappropriate and placed Jaden's consciousness in their shared mental world. So he could clearly see and hear everything outside.
And now, the Supreme King was finally dueling someone in the real world, showing his true "dueling." It wasn't just about watching and absorbing the essence of dueling. A duel between "excellent duelists" excited him too.
Both Hikaru and the Supreme King were incredible duelists. He knew that better than anyone!
"Draw." The Supreme King drew a card, then played it one-handed.
"I discard Evil HERO Adusted Gold from my hand. Monster effect activates."
His left-hand Duel Disk began spinning automatically, emitting a piercing roar. "Evil Mind."
A card flew from the Deck.
Evil Mind?
Hikaru frowned.
He had seen Jaden use this card many times. It was fairly familiar.
"I discard one card from my hand and activate the Normal Spell: Evil Mind."
Evil Mind had a HERO-only restriction after activation. But neither Jaden nor the Supreme King would care about such "costs."
"I Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Evil HERO from my Deck.
Come forth! Evil HERO Dead-End Prison."
Terrifying black lightning struck from the sky. A rock materialized on the field, then slowly cracked open.
"ROAR!!!"
A pitch-black prism appeared on the field with a howl.
Evil HERO Dead-End Prison. Level 4, LIGHT Attribute, Rock-Type. ATK 1700.
A completely different, eerie feeling from Jaden's version.
Hikaru recognized this card since Jaden had used it several times. But when Jaden played it, it felt more like Prisma wearing a costume. Scary at first glance, but not much pressure.
The Supreme King's version was something else entirely!
"The discarded Shadow Mist's monster effect. I add one HERO monster other than Shadow Mist from my Deck to my hand. Toxic Bubble."
Purple droplets of liquid fell from the sky. Highly corrosive, merely hitting the Fusion Division's floor burned holes through it.
"Dead-End Prison's monster effect. Once per turn, I send one HERO monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. This turn, Dead-End Prison can substitute as one Fusion Material monster whose name is listed on a HERO Fusion Monster.
I send Elemental HERO Neos from my Deck to the Graveyard."
"Refraction Shift!"
With his words, Dead-End Prison's form twisted, refracting countless images, as though it were every hero.
"Spell Card: Dark Fusion."
"I fuse Dead-End Prison on the field with Elemental HERO Liquid Soldier from my hand."
"Appear!
Evil HERO Inferno Wing - Backfire!"
Who?!
Hikaru and Jaden stared wide-eyed in shock.
A demon familiar to everyone extended her claws onto the field. But unlike Hikaru's Flame Wingman, the Supreme King's female demon looked colder, her smile more cunning and manic.
Evil HERO Inferno Wing - Backfire. Level 6, FIRE Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK 2100.
A completely unseen form of Flame Wingman!
"Backfire's effect." Behind the Supreme King, endless flames began burning. "When this card is Special Summoned, I add one Dark Fusion, or a card that mentions it, from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand."
"Dark Calling."
"Then, Liquid Soldier's effect. When used as Fusion Material for a HERO Fusion Monster and sent to the GY or banished: draw two cards, discard one." He drew two, glanced at them, frowned, and said casually, "Discard Evil HERO Adusted Gold."
"Special Summon Toxic Bubble." He leisurely held up the searched card. "It can Special Summon itself directly from my hand. Then I draw."
When Toxic Bubble was Special Summoned while he controlled a Fusion Monster summoned by Dark Fusion's effect, he could draw two cards.
"Spell Card: Dark Calling."
"By banishing monsters from my Graveyard, I perform a Dark Fusion. I banish Elemental HERO Neos and Evil HERO Adusted Gold from my Graveyard."
Neos?
"Dark Fusion!"
"Fusion conditions: one Fiend monster plus one Warrior monster."
"Appear! My cavalry! Evil HERO Darkest Knight!"
Pitch-black fury seemed to shred everything. At the storm's eye, dark wings slowly beat. Then a fully armored demon swung a greatsword, slowly taking the stage.
Evil HERO Darkest Knight. Level 8, EARTH Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK 1600.
"1600 ATK?" Tierra questioned from the side. "Fusing with Neos for 1600 ATK?"
There had to be other effects.
But it wasn't over!
The Supreme King held up another card. "Finally, I activate the Normal Spell: Dark Contact!"
?
Dark... Contact?!
While Jaden was stunned, the banished Neos had already appeared on the field.
But now, Neos looked terrible. His eyes blazed with terrifying crimson light.
"Dark Contact can return monsters from my field, Graveyard, or banished zone to the Deck as Fusion Materials for a Dark Fusion."
Countless bolts of lightning struck Neos from all directions.
On the ground, Toxic Bubble's body struggled briefly, then screamed. He was torn into pure energy and absorbed into Neos.
"Fusion conditions: Neos plus an Effect Monster on the field."
"Witness the absolute power that leads my victory!"
"Ruler of heroes, enforce justice with the power of darkness!"
"Appear!"
"Dark Fusion!"
"Evil HERO Neos Lord!"
With his call, armor manifested across Neos's body. Pitch-black armor, an enormous cape, a heroic mask, all appearing on him.
As though Neos had donned the Supreme King's armor, wielding the Supreme King's power!
Without question!
This was the Supreme King's true symbol!
Hikaru felt that this Neos he had seen so many times now stared at him like a butcher, coldly watching, ready to kill at any moment!
Evil HERO Neos Lord. Level 10, DARK Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK 2500.
"I Set one card. Turn end."
The Supreme King Set a card expressionlessly and ended his turn without another word.
Invisible pressure permeated the building. Sweat instinctively dripped from Hikaru's forehead.
Not from fear.
From the excitement born of this intense pressure!
"Wait. At this moment, I activate Thunder Dragon's effect from my hand, discarding it to add another Thunder Dragon from my Deck to my hand."
Hikaru sent the Thunder Dragon from his hand to the Graveyard, then searched another copy. Looking at the demons seemingly closing in, he couldn't help but grin.
What incredible pressure!
Completely unlike any duelist he had faced before!
"Wow, amazing..."
In the inner world, watching the Supreme King effortlessly Special Summon three Fusion Monsters, Jaden once again felt that overwhelming pressure!
Although none of the three had particularly high ATK, standing there, they seemed like an invincible army capable of destroying everything.
His face showed excitement and anticipation. He had dueled the Supreme King many times, but those "duels" were merely sparring in the mental world. Despite receiving many powerful cards from the Supreme King, today he was being shown entirely new power!
Neos Lord, and those other two Fusion Monsters. What effects did they have?!
He waited eagerly.
"My turn. Draw!" Hikaru felt his chest heaving as he drew a card.
He looked at his hand.
Then at his opponent.
Three Fusion Monsters, all completely unfamiliar. Their effects were total unknowns!
So Hikaru couldn't determine whether they had disruption abilities or what their restrictions were.
One Set card on the field. In the Graveyard, at least one Evil HERO Adusted Gold.
Adusted Gold could Special Summon from the Graveyard when a HERO on the field was destroyed. With a Dark Fusion or related card in the Graveyard, it could even destroy a card.
Although this effect was "once per duel," it couldn't be underestimated.
Any destruction could be the end.
So, test the waters first.
"I pay 1000 LP. I activate the Normal Spell: Instant Fusion."
Hikaru played Tierra's favorite cup noodles, then grinned. "This card directly Fusion Summons a Level 5 or lower Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck!"
Hikaru, LP: 4000 → 3000.
"Simple, efficient Fusion." The Supreme King remarked casually. "But things won't be that easy.
I activate the Trap Card.
Dark Supremacy."
A Trap slowly flipped. Neos Lord strode forward amid flames and demons, as though the supreme ruler of all things.
"I target face-up cards my opponent controls, up to the number of Dark Fusion and Spells mentioning it in my Graveyard. Those cards' effects are negated until the end of the turn."
Wow.
A "wipe."
In Yu-Gi-Oh!, a common disruption method: wiping a card's "effect" away, turning it into an effectless card. This type of effect was called a "wipe."
But it was fine.
This was just his test card.
Compared to Instant Fusion being negated, having the next card negated would be the real loss.
"I activate the Normal Spell: Shaddoll Fusion!"
Hikaru played his new Fusion. "This is a Shaddoll-exclusive Fusion. It can fuse using monsters from my hand and field.
But if my opponent controls a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, I can use Deck monsters as Fusion Materials!
I send Shaddoll Beast and the LIGHT Thunder Dragonhawk from my Deck to the Graveyard. Fusion!"
"Be born! El Shaddoll Construct!"
A purple halo rose in the sky. A towering giant appeared in the light, radiating divine glory.
El Shaddoll Construct. Level 8, LIGHT Attribute, Fairy-Type. ATK: 2800 → 0.
But the divine light barely lasted before Construct's body shrank drastically, becoming palm-sized. Nothing like the mythological giant.
0?
Hikaru looked at the tiny Construct beside him, startled.
"While Darkest Knight is on the field, all opponent's monsters lose ATK equal to the combined original ATK of its Fusion Materials." The Supreme King stated the effect cold as a machine.
That meant 2100 plus 2500, a total of 4600?!
Hikaru's expression shifted.
What an insane effect!!
Yes.
In Hikaru's view, this effect was absurdly powerful!
Although ATK didn't determine everything in a duel, sometimes, higher ATK simply meant dominance!
For example, Destiny HERO - Bloo-D could negate all opponent's monster effects, but with only 1900 ATK, its first-turn pressure was only decent. But add Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer reducing the opponent's ATK by hundreds or thousands, and Bloo-D's pressure skyrocketed!
4600 points of suppression was already outrageous in this game.
But it was fine.
Hikaru shook his head.
He wasn't the type to rely on battle destruction anyway.
Construct could directly destroy Special Summoned monsters. Even Darkest Knight couldn't stop that.
"Then I'll resolve the remaining effects!"
"Shaddoll Beast's GY effect: draw one card. Construct's effect: when Special Summoned, send one Shaddoll card from the Deck to the Graveyard."
Compared to Instant Fusion's one-for-one at best, Shaddoll Fusion's advantage generation was something Hikaru loved.
But...
Just as he was thinking this, he noticed Neos Lord's eyes suddenly erupting with eerie green light.
Hikaru froze.
"At this moment, Neos Lord's effect also activates."
!!
Everyone focused intently.
This was clearly the "ace's" effect!
"When Neos Lord is Special Summoned, or while it's in the Monster Zone and a monster is sent to the opponent's Graveyard: I target one face-up monster my opponent controls.
I take control of that monster!"
What?
Hikaru's eyes widened slightly.
No return?!
"Neos Lord's effect! Your monster joins my ranks!"
"Mind Subjugation!"
Neos Lord extended its right hand. Terrifying black lightning erupted, then slammed into Construct. The tiny Construct had zero resistance. It was dragged across to the Supreme King's field.
Not only that, after leaving Hikaru's field, Construct quickly returned to full size. But the puppet strings that had surrounded it were now replaced by black lightning!
An effect usable just from Special Summoning, and it was a "Neos" Fusion Monster. In other words, it could even be brought out via Favorite Contact?
Tierra frowned deeply seeing her creation controlled by another power. She looked quite unhappy.
The enormous giant stood directly before Hikaru. The pressure on him became even more palpable.
No, not just pressure.
At this moment, the Supreme King's figure seemed to expand wildly before his eyes, growing larger than monsters, than buildings, than the world itself!
As though all creation bowed at the Supreme King's feet!
Was this the Supreme King's power?
Hikaru felt the pressure, his body trembling, yet growing even more excited.
As expected, a completely different Fusion power!
"Only the one who wins in the end is justice!" The Supreme King declared as always.