Ok! It's decision time! I decided that...We skip the Zane vs Aster episode! Reason is, because there really was no point to using the episode and I doubt that Aster would even mention Jaden during his duel as he would be focused.
That said, time for the real duel to start! And by that, I mean Aster and Jaden!
Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!
Everyone at Duel Academy were stunned as they could only watch Aster's press conference in shock. About an hour ago, they had gathered inside one of the larger classrooms in Duel Academy as they were granted permission by Bonaparte and Crowler to watch their former top duelist, Zane Truesdale, duel with the infamous young Pro Duelist, Aster Phoenix.
After graduation. Zane's made quite a reputation of himself as he keep winning duel after duel, gaining support as he kept advancing in the dueling world. Today, however, when he was matched up against Aster, who surprisingly wielded an Elemental Hero deck just like Jaden, he lost despite putting his best efforts into the duel.
As Aster's press conference continued, one female reporter walked up to Aster and questioned, "That was a magnificent victory, Aster Phoenix! What's your secret?"
Confidently, Aster answered, "Hard work and determination. Truesdale was strong, but it was destined that I would win."
"This time, you used your prized Hero deck out there, but why at a time like this?"
"Well, there's a duelist at Duel Academy that I enrolled in who uses a Hero deck like me," started Aster.
Jaden gasped, smiling in admiration. "Cool! He's talking about me! I'm famous!"
"I was originally the faster one to make the Hero deck, but in all the craziness, this duelist became famous. The other day, I heard how this duelist was on par with Truesdale, but lost. Even so, that duelist must have put up a great fight to be called on...almost the same level as Truesdale. But that just means that if I was able to defeat him, I might be able to defeat that copycat duelist. That's why I used this opportunity to display my deck."
"Copycat? Why's he talking about Dimitri?" wondered Jaden.
Syrus sighed and shook his head. "Jaden, this isn't about Dimitri. Aster's referring to you. You're the copycat duelist he's talking about!"
"Wait, was he displaying his deck not only to prove his true strength, but to use Zane as a guinea pig?" Bastion questioned, feeling disgusted with Aster's actions. If that were the case, then that's practically an insult towards Zane!"
"I can't let some wannabe slacker imitate me, so I'm officially issuing a challenge for that student in Duel Academy," announced Aster, turning to the cameras. "I won't announce that student's name, but you know who you are. I'm going to Duel Academy tomorrow, and when I do, we'll settle once and for all which one of us is more worthy of using the Heroes."
With the conclusion of the press conference at hand, everyone was even more shocked since the only one who could use a Hero deck, like Aster described, was none other than the top duelist of their school, Jaden Yuki. In fact, he just announced on live TV that he wished to duel her.
"Oh, my! A duel between Aster Phoenix and Jaden Yuki?!" gasped Crowler.
Bonaparte found it quite amusing and interesting as he laughed. "Ahaha! We all know Aster's gonna win, and if he does, more reputation for the school and less slackers!"
"So, Jaden and Aster are going to have a rematch?" wondered Syrus.
"A battle of Heroes versus Heroes..." muttered Alexis, finding the ideal duel quite interesting.
While everyone else was worried, Jaden was beyond ecstatic and overjoyed. She was so excited that she was squealing and feeling the urge to jump up and fly around. She couldn't wait until tomorrow to duel him! And this time, he was going to put his A-game on and use his true deck instead of the other one he had!
Meanwhile, in the Duel Spirit World...
"SON OF A BITCH!"growled Flame Wingman, punching the TV screen while everyone else was trying to ease their own concerned state, but found it difficult after that announcement.
"Are you still mad about last week's accident?" wondered Elemental Hero Inferno. "It's not your fault the villain got away from the shopping mall."
"NO, I-Actually, I'm still quite livid about that, but that's not the point! My precious Jaden is going to duel against a bad boy! I told you guys over and over that he has his sights on her, but would you listen? NO!"
In actuality, everyone did listen, and a majority of them supported Flame Wingman because of their parental love for Jaden, while others dissed off Aster as nothing more than a guy that Jaden would meet only once since Aster was infamous and would probably be busy traveling around the world while Jaden was stuck at Duel Academy.
To their surprise, they didn't expect Jaden to be considered anonymous while Aster declared his challenge in front of the whole world. Well, at least he did count her anonymous because if the media learned of her name, they would hound her for information.
"Okay, okay, so you were right, but now what do we do?" wondered Mudballman. "The best we can do now is wait for the duel to start and for us to be summoned into battle."
As much as Flame Wingman hated to delay the inevitable, Mudballman was right. Yes, they could enter the Human World, but it'd be only temporary, and they couldn't inflict damage to humans unless it was for a good reason or else they'd face heavy punishment. And they can't hurt Aster because he probably has his own Monsters to protect him, and because he hasn't really done a single thing wrong, although Flame Wingman would like to scorch him to death.
"Poor Jaden..she must be so scared right now!" sighed Flame Wingman, sitting down.
"Actually, she's looking really happy right now," commented Lady Heat.
"She must be struggling to put on a happy face for us! The poor girl...she doesn't need to hide her emotions like that!"
"She just ran out of the room faster than that hedgehog character from that one TV show Jaden used to watch when she was a child."
"Jaden! She must be so frightened that she ran out of the room!"
"She's now performing a victory dance and-"
"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! SHE'S HAPPY! HOW?! HOW CAN SHE ENJOY THE INEVITABLE?!"
Shining Flare Wingman comforted his cousin by rubbing his back. "Flame Wingman, I understand that you're worried for Jaden. We all do. But you have to understand that she's usually like this."
"How?! She can't be excited unless...GASP! NO, don't tell me she's become another one of that bastard Phoenix's fangirls?!"
"Oh, great, here we go," groaned Escuridao.
"Yes, that must be it! Damn you, Aster Phoenix! How dare you seduce my Jaden with your good looks and charms and personality and skills?! I bet you're just some...some scum playboy behind that face of yours!"
"We'll never let Jaden fall in love with him!" declared the three Hero Kids, being somewhat in love with Jaden since they had child-like crushes on her.
"Everyone, change of plan! We must train ourselves! Hone our skills! Anything for preparation for the upcoming duel!" declared Flame Wingman.
"Isn't that kind of pointless?" wondered Sparkman. "Our Attack Points and Defense Points will stay the same, so if Jaden wants to enhance our abilities, she just needs to use Spells and-"
"Even so, we must become more powerful, and who knows, maybe we'll gain more new Monsters and allies! Now, who's with me?!"
"I!" yelled most of the Duel Monsters in the meeting room.
"...By the way, how do we get new Elemental Heroes?" wondered White Magician Pikeru.
"Don't question it. Just go with it," sighed Ebon Magician Curran.
In an unknown location...
Satorius was shuffling through a pile of tarot cards, trying to predict the future using his mysterious powers when Aster entered the pure white room.
"...Are you going?" asked Satorius.
Aster nodded. "Yeah, I gotta make this quick. I don't have time for simple detours like this. I'll duel Jaden, win, and then get on with my life."
Having assembled the tarot cards into a single deck, Satorius drew a card and laid it facedown on the table. "So, you're going to use your true deck, is that correct?"
"That's my intention. I plan to show Jaden Yuki the true power of the Heroes. That they should be used for justice and not for fun. Her childish demeanor about using them in such a manner is an insult for a Hero deck user like me!"
"Stay calm. Controlling your emotions and keeping a rational mind is key to winning," advised Satorius smoothly. "Don't be hasty, for the doors of destiny will always be open to those who accept fate. In fact, to give you some courage, I will look at the fighting spirit and future that dwells within your deck."
Trusting in Satorius, Aster handed his deck over to him. Placing his hand on top of the deck, Satorius' eyes lit up as he emitted a dark energy into the deck. A dark energy magic-like power that could only be used once on the loser of the duel, but that was more than enough to secure Aster's victory as he handed the deck back to its original owner.
"How's my destiny?" asked Aster.
"It seems that even I didn't need to foretell it."
Smirking, Aster turned around and left. "Then, you don't even need to wish me luck. I'll be back soon."
Watching Aster leave, Satorius couldn't help but allow his own smirk to emerge. Soon, his plan will grow into fruition, and there must be stepping stones to bypass. Jaden Yuki was, unfortunately, one of those stones.
That night...
"Hmm...Aster Phoenix...His various hobbies include surfing, skydiving, and skiing, and he excels well in those sports," revealed Bastion, researching the young prodigy through his computer. "What's more is that this guy has two PhDs through skipping grades and a photographic memory."
Syrus, who was standing right next to Bastion, asked, "So, this guy is a prodigy among prodigies who didn't even lose to my big brother? Man, this guy's good!"
Jaden yawned; eyes droopy as she was shuffling her deck for her upcoming duel with Aster tomorrow. "You guys don't need to worry! I'll be fine! After all, I'm the one dueling Aster tomorrow, so it's all cool!"
"Jaden, it's not cool!" cried out Syrus. "Bastion's just trying to help by finding any weaknesses Aster might have, and so far, there aren't any!"
"Even if I win or lose, all I need is to just duel and enjoy myself! Like I always have!" replied Jaden, being relaxed. Yawning, she fell back against Bastion's bed, curling up. "Man, these are nice! Ra Yellow beds are so nice and fluffy! Hehehe!~ I should have brought over one of my stuffed animals!"
It didn't take long for Jaden to fall asleep. It's been a long day for all of them anyways, so naturally, they were all tired. Bastion and Syrus glanced at each other and sighed, knowing this is how Jaden's always been.
Looking out at the night skies, Syrus saw a shining wishing star from above and prayed, hoping that Jaden might be able to win tomorrow with the fear of anything going wrong.
That shining wishing star happened to be Aster Phoenix, who was currently skysurfing at this very moment after launching himself off his private helicopter. Wanting to end this whole ordeal early, Aster decided to arrive at the one time nobody would have predicted; late at night before the match.
Sometime after, a lone burglar was robbing the card shop inside of the Duel Academy building, having stocked all available cards inside of his bag before heading out and escaping through the front entrance doors as fast as he could.
"Leaving so soon? Stealing cards...one of the worst types of scum of people," spoke up a loud voice from out of nowhere.
"Who's there?!" yelled the burglar, turning around and glancing upwards and spotting a fiendish, cloaked vigilante on the rooftop.
"How about you repent your sins...through a duel?"
It didn't take long for the burglar to be flat on his back as he was left with no more cards on the field, and his opponent's dark Monster was looming over him maliciously while its owner, Aster Phoenix, was standing nearby with a confident smirk of satisfaction.
"You sure won't give up easily, huh? Your destiny has already been determined," spoke Aster. "Now, finish him off!"
"No...No...NOOOOOOO! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
In response to the burglar's loud screams that echoed throughout halfway of the island, Bonaparte, Crowler, along with Jaden and Syrus and Bastion rushed towards the scene of the crime.
"What was that explosion?!" wondered Jaden.
"I heard some scream! Someone must be in trouble!" cried out Syrus.
Aster, having defeated and rendering the burglar unconscious, had taken his deck and examined each card before looking up in disappointment and disgust. "Looks like you don't have the card I want. Looks like you'll be facing more repentance in prison."
Tossing the cards away at the unconscious burglar's twitching body, Aster started to walk away when he heard footsteps. Having just arrived, Jaden and the others were surprised to see Aster and could only wonder what happened.
"Oh, sweet! It's Aster! Does that mean he's come to duel me?" squealed Jaden.
"How did he get here without us noticing?! We were standing in the docks for hours!" complained Bonaparte.
"Huh? Hey, who's that?" Syrus spotted an unconscious man with cards scattered all over him before he and Bastion rushed to his aid.
"Some scum that tried to steal cards from the store," answered Aster. "You don't need to worry about him. I just left him unconscious."
Checking out the unconscious man, Syrus and Bastion noticed that he wasn't only rendered unconscious, but he had various injuries all over his body, meaning he needed immediate medical treatment.
"He's more than unconscious! He's hurt real badly!" gasped Syrus.
Angrily, Bastion looked at Aster. "What the hell did you do to this guy?! Even if he was committing a bad crime, this was way too much for him!"
"..." Aster merely glanced at the two for a moment before turning his attention to Jaden. "Jaden, it's been a while, hasn't it?"
Realizing the gravity of the situation and what horrible thing Aster did, Jaden's admiration turned to anger. "I don't care about that right now! As much as I really, really wanna duel you, I wanna ask! How could you hurt that guy?!"
Remaining calm, Aster replied, "Hey, he was the one doing the bad stuff in the first place. I just merely...taught him his place. And you should really save that anger for our duel."
Walking up to him, both Bonaparte and Crowler approached Aster. "Bonjour, Mr. Phoenix! I'm Vice-Chancellor Bonaparte, and the guy besides me is someone not that important."
Crowler gasped. "How rude!"
"If you're trying to utilize my dueling, you'll have to be my sponsor, which you'll have to deal with through my manager," said Aster, walking off. "Of course, since my manager is quite busy, he won't have time to spend on little people like you."
"L-Little?!"
"Calm down, Bonaparte. He speaks the truth, after all," said Crowler.
Stopping near Jaden, Aster spoke to her. "Jaden, I'll be waiting for you in the Duel Arena first thing in the morning. However, other than your friends, there won't be any other spectators allowed."
"And why not?" demanded Bastion.
"To me, this is a duel that won't be anything special," replied Aster. "A pro doesn't recklessly expose his skills. And besides, people pay money to watch me duel, and there's no way I'm giving a free show to a bunch of amateurs."
"What?! How could you call any of the students here amateurs?" questioned Jaden. "They worked hard to be here! And they look up to you! You're going to repay their admiration for you by telling them not to come? How selfish can you be, you...you...you big meanie?!"
"Wow, really? Real mature," taunted Aster, unfazed. "You've got a lot of learn about the real world. It's not all about rainbows and unicorns out there, you know."
"Grrr...! As a Elemental Hero duelist, I can't afford to lose this duel, you big meanie! My Hero deck is everything to me!"
"They mean everything to you? Ha!" Chuckling a bit, Aster was now a little bit more interested in Jaden. "Well, don't forget those words tomorrow, alright?"
Jaden felt even more determined, yet insulted to beat Aster now. Oh, this was now personal! For the sake of Duel Academy and its students, there's no way she would lose now! Even so, why does she feel as though tomorrow might be...her last day for something? As though she might lose something precious to her?
The next morning...
Everything was set in preparation for the duel between Aster and Jaden as workers Aster hired were finishing the final preparations for the dueling field while Jaden's friends were sitting in the sidelines, waiting for the duel to begin.
"They're about to start," said Alexis.
"Don't worry! Jaden will win this for sure!" said Hassleberry, having confidence in Jaden's ability.
Syrus knew most of the time, no matter how difficult the duels were, Jaden always managed to get herself out of a tight spot. But right now? Somehow, Syrus had a feeling that not everything will be going according to Jaden's way.
"We'll now hold a duel between Jaden Yuki and Aster Phoenix!" announced Bonaparte, holding a microphone.
Although it was plain obvious that Bonaparte wanted Aster to win, Crowler was secretly rooting for Jaden. "You must do your best and win, Jaden..."
Meanwhile...
Being informed by one of his spies that he sent to observe the duel, Satorius nodded while talking to the phone. "...I understand. The duel's starting, isn't it? It won't be long before Jaden Yuki becomes one of us."
A wicked grin formed on his face as the white-cloaked man stood up. "Jaden Yuki will see the light, and Aster will experience this duel and rise into new heights!"
Aster inserted his deck into his duel disk, confident of his victory that was sure to come. What he didn't know was the dark energy power emitted within his deck by Satorius that contained only one usage that activated once there was a confirmed loser.
Aster had no idea the amount of pain and damage he was going to give to Jaden should she lose.
Putting aside Aster and his jerkish attitude from last night, Jaden was so excited to duel him that she was literally bouncing up and down with joy. "Hmm hmmm hmmmm!~ Can't wait to duel him! This is going to be so exciting!~" sang Jaden, activating her duel disk.
Winged Kuriboh, having sensed something...nefarious and dark emitting from Aster's deck, appeared in front of Jaden. "Kuri! Kuri kuri kuri, kuri?" ("Jaden! Don't let you guard down, okay?")
"Huh? Awww, it's so nice of you to worry about me, Winged Kuriboh!~" cooed Jaden, ruffling her cute, soft Winged Kuriboh. "But, I'll be alright! After all, this is a duel I can't afford to lose! Not only that, but this is a duel that'll prove just how much stronger you and I and the others have become!"
Seeing Jaden right now still didn't impress Aster. 'Just why is Satorius fussing over this girl? She's nothing special! She's naïve and too childish to be considered a threat!' he thought.
"Aster! Let's have a great duel! A duel of Heroes between Heroes!" declared Jaden. "Now, get your game on!"
"We'll settle which one of us is the true Hero user!" promised Aster.
"DUEL!"
- DUEL -
Aster - 4000 LP
VS
Jaden - 4000 LP
"I'll go first!" decided Aster. "I summon Elemental Hero Clayman in Defense Mode!"
Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)
"With that, I end my turn."
Being familiar with Clayman, Bastion's expression was stern. "Looks like he is a genuine Hero user."
"My turn, draw!" said Jaden. "Aw, yeah! I activate Polymerization and fuse Avian and Burstinatrix from my hand to form Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"
Avian and Burstinatrix, spotting Aster and his own Clayman on the field, gave some unease looks at one another before forcibly being fused together to form Flame Wingman. Before they vanished into the vortex, they only prayed that Flame Wingman would give some form of mercy.
Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)
'Wait, I'm the first Monster out? Yes!' thought Flame Wingman before scanning the field in front of him, especially Aster. He crackled his knuckles, chuckling to himself. 'Oh, I am SO going to have fun with this.'
'He's just a hologram, but why do I feel some sort of scary vibe coming from him?' wondered Aster, glancing at Flame Wingman.
"Flame Wingman, attack Clayman!" ordered Jaden.
Flame Wingman was a little too happy to oblige as he unleashed a concentrated blast of fire from his demonic arm, destroying Clayman the moment the hot raged flames hit him. Not even his best defense could protect him from Flame Wingman's sadistic wrath.
"And now it's time for Flame Wingman's effect! Whenever he destroys a Monster in battle, you get hit with the same amount of Attack Points as your Monster did!"
"Hello..." spoke Flame Wingman, appearing in front of Aster before preparing a large fireball at his demonic arm's jaws. "DIE."
Some of Jaden's friends could only look away as they heard Aster's screams and the light of the engulfing flames as they surrounded Aster's field with no mercy. "Damn, I would really hate to be that guy right now," muttered Chazz, sweatdropping. He's had his own share of Flame Wingman's awful ability, so he can kinda relate to how Aster's feeling.
Aster - 3200 LP
Jaden - 4000 LP
'What the hell?! Those flames were fake and didn't burn me, but they felt hot! Almost as if I was actually being burnt to death!' thought Aster, regaining his calm composure.
"Whew! I end my turn!" said Jaden, glad to see she drew first blood.
"My turn, draw!" Aster seemed glad about the card he drew. "Of course, naturally, it'll be a Fusion versus Fusion duel. I fuse my own Avian and Burstinatrix using Polymerization! But, unlike you, I'm not going to be Fusion Summoning Flame Wingman! I'll Fusion Summon an even stronger version of him! Elemental Hero Phoenix Enforcer!"
Appearing a little similar to Flame Wingman, a humanoid Hero clad in both red and green, but with less of a demonic appear and having wider wings and claws instead of a demonic arm, appeared.
Elemental Hero Phoenix Enforcer - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)
It was only the start of the duel and Jaden was acting like a fangirl. "OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD! EEEEEEKKKKK! IT'S PHOENIX ENFORCER! I ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE HIM! HE'S SO COOL! AAAAAAHHHH!"
"Jeez, would you quit it?! It's nothing too impressive like that!" yelled Aster, covering his ears.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Enforcer and Flame Wingman were having a bit of a...standoff with one another. "...Brother," spoke Flame Wingman with no contempt, but no love within his tone.
"It's good to see you too, my youngest twin brother," replied Phoenix Enforcer. "So, tell me, how's that temper of yours going?"
"This isn't about me and my temper. I'm still-No, the rest of my team is still angry at you and your other...team for defecting the Elemental Heroes and ending crimes in your own, violent ways."
"Oh, come now. I hear that you've been pretty violent to your opponents and even innocent humans too. How is what I'm doing different?" questioned Phoenix Enforcer.
Narrowing his eyes, Flame Wingman answered, "Simple. I go around and beat up and sometimes send my enemies to the hospital. However, you go and murder your own enemies. There's a line that can't be crossed, and you and your team has crossed it too many times."
"To be fair, I only kill the Duel Monsters for justice. As for humans, I wouldn't go so far as to kill them. After all, humans are helpless before us Duel Monsters."
"See, there you go! Your stupid philosophy of looking down on humans! Yes, not all humans are good, but that doesn't mean all of them are evil! My master isn't evil! I'll stop you here and now, elder brother!"
"You can try it, but you never could beat me in a duel. Just be careful of the new league me and my team have joined."
"Wait, what?"
"Phoenix Enforcer, destroy her Monster!" yelled Aster.
Obediently, Phoenix Enforcer charged up a beam from both his palms as Flame Wingman did the same, and at the same time, both of their beams fired and collided with each other until Phoenix Enforcer's power overwhelmed Flame Wingman and destroyed him.
"Just as I thought. You never could defeat me that easily," spoke Phoenix Enforcer, crossing his arms.
"Wait, why'd only Flame Wingman got destroyed?!" asked Hassleberry, baffled. "They both had the same Attack Points!"
Bastion shook his head. "That's true, but their abilities are quite different. Phoenix Enforcer can't be destroyed in battle.
"Not bad, Aster!" praised Jaden.
'But, of course,' thought Aster, smirking. "I should warn you that you don't have a chance at winning this duel."
"Huh?"
"That's because there's something significantly different between you and I even though we're both Hero users. And I'm not just talking about different cards like your Flame Wingman and my Phoenix Enforcer."
"I'm...confused," admitted Jaden, tilting her head and scratching it.
"You'll understand soon enough," promised Aster. "Well? It's your turn."
"Oh, right! My turn!" said Jaden. "Okay, I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"
Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)
"And when he's out on the field and there's no other cards, I get to draw two more cards! Here we go! I activate Fusion Recovery, letting me take back an Elemental Hero Monster that was used for Fusion-Material along with Polymerization! I fuse Bubbleman, Avian, and Sparkman and Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Tempest!"
With the destructive force between the three heroes, they merged together to form a Hero more powerful than even Phoenix Enforcer and Flame Wingman. Needless to say, Tempest wasn't too surprised when he saw Phoenix Enforcer.
Elemental Hero Tempest - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2800)
"Of course, you would be in Master's opponent's deck since we did hear Aster Phoenix possessed a similar Hero deck like hers," said Tempest, disgusted to see a former colleague.
"Tempest...How...nice to see you," Phoenix Enforcer said.
"I'd rather not waste my breath on murderous scum like you. Let's just fight!"
"Like I've told you and the others before, no matter how hard you try, you can't beat me, only injure me. I'll just keep getting up over and over again."
"Elemental Hero Tempest, attack!" shouted Jaden.
Soaring high, Tempest fired a highly-charged laser beam from his gauntlet, effectively harming Phoenix Enforcer, but unable to destroy him.
Aster - 2500 LP
Jaden - 4000 LP
"Aster's Monster couldn't be destroyed, but if this keeps up, Jaden will be wilting his Life Points little by little until they're zero!" said Alexis.
"Plus, Jaden's Tempest has that non-destructive effect as well, should she play her cards right," reminded Bastion.
"I end my turn!" said Jaden.
"My turn!" Aster said. "In cases like this, I think it's time for a brand new Hero. I activate Polymerization and fuse Sparkman in my hand with Shining Enforcer out on the field. I Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Shining Phoenix Enforcer!"
Resembling Shining Flare Wingman, a new, bright hero with flashier and enforced armored wings arrived.
Elemental Hero Shining Phoenix Enforcer - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2100)
"NO! Don't even say anything!" Aster shouted to Jaden, knowing she was going to freak out the same way she did when seeing Phoenix Enforcer for the first duel during this duel.
"...Aww..." pouted Jaden.
"Shining Phoenix Enforcer's ability activates!" said Aster. "For every Hero in my Graveyard, his Attack Points increase by 300! There are 5, so he receives 1500 Attack Points!"
Elemental Hero Shining Phoenix Enforcer - (FIRE/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (4000/2100)
"Shining Phoenix Enforcer! Destroy her Tempest with Shining Finish!"
Flying into the air, Shining Phoenix Enforcer's foot lit up as he charged it with his own energy before performing a somersaulting kick at Tempest's abdomen, defeating him with one blow.
Aster - 2500 LP
Jaden - 2800 LP
"I set a card facedown before ending my turn!"
"Pretty cool moves, but I can do better, too!" said Jaden, drawing her card. "I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Then I activate Miracle Fusion! This card removes from play Monsters on my field or Graveyard to Fusion Summon a new Elemental Hero! I remove from play Flame Wingman and Sparkman to create Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman!"
Emerging onto the field, Shining Flare Wingman was surprised to see his twin brother counterpart on the field, yet remained calm just like him.
Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2100)
"My eldest, twin brother..." said Shining Flare Wingman. "How could a rift come between us? We were the ultimate tag team together when it came to fighting crime. What happened to us?"
"...Ideals," answered Shining Phoenix Enforcer. "I'm sorry it had to come this way. It seems both our cousins had the same clash as we're going to now. If possible, I wish to avoid this, but..."
"I know. We must respectfully obey our masters."
"I'm glad to see that obedient personality of yours hasn't changed one bit."
"Shining Flare Wingman's Attack Points increase by 300 for every Elemental Hero in the Graveyard, and I've got 4, so he gains 1200 Attack Points!" shouted Jaden.
Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (3700/2100)
Aster smirked. "A rivalry between your Shining Monster and mine? How interesting. Still, my Monster's still stronger even after that power boost you gave to your Monster!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Aster. My strategy's not over," said Jaden. "I equip Light Laser to Shining Flare Wingman! Light Laser removes from play any Monsters my Monster battles with at the end of the Damage Step!"
"Heh, that's like Jaden, doing something stylish and flashy," Chazz said, impressed.
"Even if Jaden manages to attack, Shining Phoenix Enforcer can't negate that remove from play effect," replied Bastion.
"Now I activate the Field Spell, Skyscraper!" Jaden shouted as buildings quickly surrounded the dueling field, rendering any escape useless as Shining Flare Wingman literally illuminated. "Now, an Elemental Hero that battles a Monster with higher Attack Points gains 1000 extra Attack Points during battle calculation! Attack!"
Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (4700/2100)
"Go, Shining Phoenix Enforcer! Fight back!" commanded Aster. If Shining Phoenix Enforcer was going to go down anyways, he might as well allow the Monster to go down with dignity and with some fight left in him.
Knowing it was pointless, Shining Phoenix Enforcer fought back anyways as Shining Flare Wingman activated Light Laser, emitting a laser sword from the equipped item before piercing through his twin brother.
"Well...done...You have a remarkable...master..." coughed Shining Phoenix Enforcer before being blasted to bits.
Aster - 1800 LP
Jaden - 2800 LP
Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (3700/2100)
"She did it! She defeat Shining Phoenix Enforcer!" said Alexis.
"And now, Shining Phoenix Enforcer will be removed from play thanks to Light Laser! So, he won't be around to bother Jaden anymore!" cheered Syrus.
"I end my turn! Yay! I defeated a really tough Monster! My Shining Flare Wingman's so cool, as well as my other Monsters!~" giggled Jaden happily. "I've never seen a more exciting duel like this before, where Heroes are duking it out with each other! It's like we're in an action movie or so-"
"Shut up!" hollered Aster, ticked off by Jaden's naivety. "You call this fun?! You think this is all just a big joke?! A fate in which heroes can't help but fight is never something enjoyable!"
Taken aback by Aster's outburst, Jaden said, "W-well...I never said anything about this being a jo-"
"Do you even understand the weight of the cross that a hero is burdened with, with-with all that suffering and hatred?!" Aster continued yelling out of spite. "I duel for justice, not for fun! And also...revenge."
Narrowing his eyes, Shining Flare Wingman noticed the hostility in Aster's voice and moved a little closer towards Jaden to protect her as Jaden was confused and a little conflicted. "Revenge? But...revenge is never good, no matter what."
Aster scoffed. "Of course a naïve, happy-go-lucky, and stupid girl like yourself would never understand. Someone like you, using Heroes just because of their looks and their cool movies, and because they're your favorite, makes me sick!"
"Uh...what's wrong with that?" wondered Jaden.
Her answer continued to infuriate Aster. "See, this is part of the reason why we're different! In order to live and seek out revenge, I need my Heroes! At this moment, the wheel of destiny has begun to spin! I activate my Trap, D-Time! This activates only when an Elemental Hero of mine has been removed from play! When that happens, I'm able to add Destiny Heroes with a total Level that's less than or equal to that Monster's Level from my deck to my hand!"
"Destiny Heroes?" Jaden wondered. "Oh! Are they similar to Elemental Heroes?! Sweet!"
"Hey, I've never heard of that kind of archetype!" shouted Chazz. "Either he's a liar, or..."
"No, I doubt he'd lie in a situation like this," said Syrus. "Bastion?"
"Sorry, not even I have knowledge of these Destiny Heroes Aster supposedly has."
"Jaden, you have no idea of the true power of the Elemental Heroes," explained Aster. "The power of evolution that lies dormant within...and taking that evolution form are the Destiny Heroes! They were created by Industrial Illusions, but never officially released. They're called the D-Series, and the "D" in them could mean more than just destiny. They could mean Destroy or Death."
"Why do I have an urge to suddenly call out a sexual reference?" wondered Chazz.
"My turn, draw!" shouted Aster. "I activate the Field Spell, Clock Tower Prison!"
The skyscraper buildings all around them shattered and collapsed to the floor, before a clock tower-like setting took place and surrounded the field as the setting grew dark as night with the clock striking at 6.
"This is a new battlefield where the Destiny Heroes will flourish!" announced Aster. "Now, turn, the hands of fate! Engrave the hour of destiny!"
The clock tower began automatically rotating counterclockwise until it reached midnight, where the bells started to chime loudly as a mysterious figure appeared on top of the clock tower after the clouds cleared.
Everyone began to notice the mysterious figure masked in the darkness before Aster shouted, "Come forth, Destiny Hero - Doom Lord!"
Destiny Hero - Doom Lord - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)
Doom Lord leapt off the clock tower and flew towards Shining Flare Wingman with his arm extended and his claws ready to tear out something.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, why is he attacking?!" cried out Chazz. "Is he going to a suicidal attack?!"
"It makes no sense! Jaden's Monster has 3700! He'll lose if he attacks!" gasped Bastion.
"No, what I'm doing isn't attacking," corrected Aster. "Doom Lord, activate your effect!"
Upon making physical contact, Doom Lord merely placed a clawed palm onto Shining Flare Wingman's shoulder. Feeling odd, Shining Flare Wingman lit up and disappeared before his Light Laser clattered to the floor and shattered.
"Shining Flare Wingman...what did you do, Aster?!" demanded Jaden.
"It's all Doom Lord's effect," explained Aster. "Once per turn, he can remove from play 1 Monster for two full turns. Don't worry, he'll come back to the future soon enough, assuming there is one."
"You sent my Monster to the future?"
"Yes. The power to manipulate the fate of the future...That is the D-Series of the Destiny Heroes! You'd best prepare yourself, Jaden, because your destiny has already been decided. During the turn in which Doom Lord activated his effect, he can't attack, so I'll end my turn by placing one card facedown."
Normally, one would be frightened of this situation, but Jaden was clearly different as she was clapping her hands and jumping up and down. "Sweet, sweet, sweet!~ Not only do I get to see more Destiny Heroes, but this is the right path for my Elemental Heroes! To surpass your Destiny Heroes!"
Aster smirked. "You think your pathetic Heroes will surpass my Destiny Heroes?! I accept that challenge! Now, come on and face me!"
"Happily!" said Jaden, drawing her card. "My turn, draw!"
"At this moment, my Clock Tower Prison's effect activates!" shouted Aster. "Each time my opponent's Standby Phase arrives, the clock tower's hands spin, granting me a Clock Counter!"
True to his word, the clock tower began rotating until the hands landed on 3 o'clock. This action confused everyone, but knew that the Clock Tower Prison's effect had some sort of meaning to it, otherwise, Aster wouldn't have activated it.
"Jaden, the countdown of destiny has already started. You can no longer escape from your fate of defeat!"
"Fate? I don't believe in dumb stuff like that," replied Jaden, a little annoyed by how he keeps mentioning fate and destiny. "The future's something you decide with your own hands, right?"
"Hmph. Well, I guess you'll try to prove me wrong, huh?"
Jaden nodded. "I'll start off by summoning my cute Wroughtweiler to the field!"
Wroughtweiler - (EARTH/Machine) - LV3 - (800/1200)
"Isn't he so cute?! If he were real, I'd start cuddling him right away and-"
"Get on with the duel! He's fake! He's just a tool!" interrupted Aster.
Jaden gasped, puffing her cheeks in anger. "How dare you say that! Wroughtweiler, attack Aster!"
"Jaden, he still has a Monster on the field," called out Chazz.
"Fine! Then attack his stupid Destiny Hero!"
Growling at the insult, Wroughtweiler pounced onto Doom Lord and knocked him down before biting his shoulder deep enough to destroy him.
Aster - 1600 LP
Jaden - 2800 LP
"I activate a Trap! Destiny Signal!" called out Aster.
"So it's just like Hero Signal," deadpanned Jaden.
"When a Monster is destroyed, this will Special Summon a Level 4 or lower-"
"So it's just like Hero Signal."
"Hey! This will Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Destiny Hero from my deck to the field!"
"So it's just like Hero Signal."
"Quit it, already! My Destiny Signal is nothing like your Hero Signal!"
"Oh yeah? Prove it!"
"...My Trap card Special Summons Destiny Heroes," replied Aster. "But anyways, I Special Summon a new Destiny Hero! Come out, Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious!"
Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/800)
"His special ability activates! He can revive a Destiny Hero that was destroyed in battle this turn during my next turn!"
Watching a gear-like object appear next to Captain Tenacious, Jaden wondered, "A effect that revives a Monster in the future? ...THAT IS SO COOL!~ I end my turn!"
"Now, Jaden, just try to overturn your destiny!" challenged Aster. "My turn, draw! At this moment, Captain Tenacious' effect will now Special Summon Doom Lord back to the field!"
Destiny Hero - Doom Lord - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)
"And why not introduce another new Destiny Hero? I summon Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude!"
Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude - (DARK/Warrior) - LV4 - (1400/1600)
"I activate Diamond Dude's effect! I draw a card, and if it's a Spell, it sends the card to my Graveyard, and activates on my next turn! I've drawn the Spell card, Misfortune and send it to the Graveyard! Now, I can activate its effect during my next turn!"
"Aster Phoenix and his Destiny Heroes...They may hold a strength that not even we can comprehend," admitted Bastion.
"What do you mean?" wondered Syrus.
"In most cases, Spells and Traps activate when existing on the field. However, should the card be destroyed, leaving the effect to be activated in the future, it'll still pose a threat."
Understanding Bastion's logic, Alexis spoke up, "And unless the card exists on the field, you won't be able to counter the activated Spell or Trap, either."
"They are, without a doubt, Heroes that a prodigy like Aster Phoenix's caliber should be able to master."
"Attack, Diamond Dude!" commanded Aster.
Clenching his fist, Diamond Dude drove his punch deep within the machine-like canine, destroying him mercilessly as a revenge act for what he did to his comrade earlier.
Aster - 1600 LP
Jaden - 2200 LP
"Wroughtweiler's effect activates! Now, I take back an Elemental Hero and Polymerization from my Graveyard because Wroughtweiler was destroyed!" shouted Jaden.
"What's the point if it's not going to help you now?" questioned Aster. "Besides, I can still land direct attacks on you. Captain Tenacious! Attack her directly!"
Suddenly appearing in front of Jaden, Captain Tenacious delivered a heavy uppercut towards Jaden, knocking her and making her slid across the ground.
Aster - 1600 LP
Jaden - 1400 LP
"I set a card and end my turn."
"That jerk! Can't he at least be a little gentler?" wondered Hassleberry. "In fact, he should never hit a lady!"
"You're one to talk, considering you hit her with your Monsters during your first duel," reminded Syrus.
"My turn, draw!" said Jaden.
"At this moment, Clock Tower Prison's effect activates!" shouted Aster as the clock tower's time was now at 6 o'clock. "I now gain a second Clock Counter!"
"Just what does these Clock Counters do?" wondered Jaden.
"You'll see! I believe you still have your turn?"
Jaden nodded. "Okay, my turn! I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Attack Mode!"
Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/1200)
"When he's out on the field, I get to draw two more cards if he's all alone! Then, I equip him with Bubble Blaster, giving him 800 more Attack Points!"
Elemental Hero Bubbleman - (WATER/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1200)
"Now attack Captain Tenacious!"
"How naïve, Jaden!" said Aster. "Go, Trap card! D-Shield!"
The barrage bubble blast Bubbleman fired from his weapon was nullified by Captain Tenacious' armlet shields, protecting him.
"Allow me to explain! When you targeted a Destiny Hero, I can change Captain Tenacious into Defense Mode and equip him with D-Shield, and guess what? He can't be destroyed in battle thanks to the other effect of D-Shield!"
"Looks like things just got worse," muttered Chazz, sensing the serious tension rising.
"Aster's Monster not only has the power to revive other Monsters, but he's now in Defense Mode and can't be destroyed?! Talk about an impenetrable defense!" commented Crowler.
"Guess they don't call him a pro for nothing," said Bonaparte.
"I end my turn!" shouted Jaden, seeing as there was nothing she could do.
"My turn!" said Aster.
"Oh, yeah! My Shining Flare Wingman returns because two turns have passed!" cheered Jaden. "Yay! I get to destroy your Monsters with my Shining Flare Wingman next turn!"
Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV8 - (2500/2100)
"Jaden, you idiot. He'll probably use Doom Lord's effect again," groaned Chazz.
"Unfortunately, I don't think you'll ever have the chance of beating me, Jaden," replied Aster. "In case you forgot, I can now activate Misfortune's effect from my Graveyard. "In exchange for giving up my Battle Phase this turn, Misfortune inflicts half of the Attack Points of one of your Monsters I choose. And I choose Shining Flare Wingman!"
Shining Flare Wingman's body glowed, shooting out a beam of light which headed for Aster's direction before a barrier protected him and fired at Jaden, sending her flying and crashing down.
Aster - 1600 LP
Jaden - 150 LP
"Jaden!" cried out Shining Flare Wingman before glaring at Aster. "That young man...!"
"And now Doom Lord's effect activates!" shouted Aster. "He'll send your Shining Flare Wingman two turns into the future, and there's nothing you can do to stop it! I'll end my turn after he's finished!"
Before Shining Flare Wingman could do anything, Doom Lord rushed forward and grasped his face with both his claws, making him vanish once his usefulness was finished.
"It's almost as if Aster's purposely making her Monster come back just to hurt her," mumbled Alexis, feeling sorry for Jaden.
"It's not just the Destiny Heroes that are troubling Jaden," added Bastion. "Ever since those Destiny Heroes appeared, not once has any of Jaden's attacks have been successful.
"My turn, draw!" shouted Jaden, growing a little desperate. Something was wrong, very wrong! She was still happy to duel, but something was...blinding her.
"At this moment, Clock Tower Prison's effect activates again!" reminded Aster, as the clock struck 9'o clock. "It's useless, Jaden! No matter how much you struggle, it's all powerless when faced with your determined destiny!"
As the clock tower chimed around 9 times to signal the time it was on, Jaden giggled. "Awesome! Your Destiny Heroes are so cool! Hard to think guys like these were in a Hero deck! This is totally the type of challenge I've been waiting for! Ever time I see your Destiny Heroes, it's like the image of a new Hero comes into my mind, too!"
"A new Hero? Hmph. Aside from my Destiny Heroes, such a thing doesn't exist on this Earth!" said Aster. "Besides, an amateur like you could never truly understand the full power and potential behind my deck!"
"Not true!" pouted Jaden. "There's a new Elemental Hero you've never heard of!"
"Oh, yeah? Try me! I've studied not only the Destiny Heroes, but a wide majority of other cards!"
"Oh? I bet you never heard of Elemental Hero Enforcer!"
"That...That Elemental Hero doesn't exist!"
"Of course he does!" argued Jaden. "I made him!"
"...What?" deadpanned Aster.
"Yeah! It was for an art assignment where we had to design our own cards! I made my own personal Elemental Hero that nobody could beat! He has a lot of Attack and Defense Points, he can destroy all cards on your field automatically, he can't be destroyed by card effect and battle, and so much more!"
Syrus realized what Jaden was talking about and facepalmmed. "Jaden, that was only a made up card! Industrial Illusions would never post a card like that in public! It's too OP!"
"Oh, so it was just some art assignment," said Aster, annoyed. "Even if your so-called Elemental Hero were real, your Heroes are nothing compared to mine! The Destiny Heroes are their ultimate forms and they surpass the strength that the Elemental Heroes possess!"
"Oh yeah? Then, I guess I'll just have to surpass the guys that want to surpass my Heroes!" replied Jaden.
"That...doesn't make any sense!" shouted Aster. "Whatever! Just finish your turn!"
"Alright! Bubbleman, destroy Doom Lord!"
This time, Bubbleman's bubble attack was successful as it managed to get a clean hit on Doom Lord. At least for the moment, Doom Lord wouldn't be sending anymore of her Monsters to the future.
Aster - 600 LP
Jaden - 150 LP
"Alright!" cheered Syrus, happy to see some progress happening.
"Jaden just cut Aster's Life Points by a lot!" pointed out Hassleberry. "That's gotta hurt!"
"Even if you destroyed Doom Lord, I can still bring him back!" reminded Aster. "I activate Captain Tenacious' effect to bring him back as soon as my turn arrives!"
''Fine by me! But in the meantime, I'll summon Elemental Hero Clayman in Defense Mode before ending my turn!" said Jaden.
Elemental Hero Clayman - (EARTH/Warrior) - LV4 - (800/2000)
"My turn, draw!" Aster said. "I activate Captain Tenacious' effect and revive Doom Lord back to the field!"
Destiny Hero - Doom Lord - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)
"And now, Diamond Dude's effect activates! Now I've drawn a Spell card, so I send it to the Graveyard so I can use it next turn! Next, I activate Doom Lord's effect to remove from play Bubbleman until two turns later into the future!"
Doom Lord landed in front of Bubbleman and grasped his face with his claws, transporting Bubbleman elsewhere as his Bubble Blaster shattered upon reaching contact onto the floor.
"I equip Ring of Magnetism to Captain Tenacious! The Attack and Defense Points of the Monster equipped with this card are decreased by 500 Points. And, my opponent is only able to attack the Monster equipped with Ring of Magnetism!"
Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (300/300)
"D-Shield combined with Ring of Magnetism being equipped onto the defensive Captain Tenacious would spell out trouble for Jaden, since this basically means he's invincible!" said Bastion.
"How will Jaden get out of this situation?" wondered Alexis.
"I end my turn! Now, what will you do, Jaden?" pondered Aster, interested to see what sort of trick Jaden will pull this time.
"My turn, draw!" said Jaden.
"Not so fast! At this moment, Clock Tower Prison's effect activates!"
With the 4th Clock Counter in place, the clock tower struck midnight and for a brief moment, the image of the entire Field Spell began distorting, meaning that something was happening as an effect of the Field Spell.
Paying no mind to the Field Spell, Jaden continued her turn. "I activate Polymerization and fuse Elemental Heroes Wildheart and Necroshade! Come forth, Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman!"
Bearing a toned body, but being equipped with a traditional weapon, ancient clothing, and red flowing hair with some makeup on, Necroid Shaman took the stage as the newest Elemental Hero on the field.
Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman - (DARK/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (1900/1800)
"I'll admit, he's strong, but the power of the Elemental Heroes is useless before the Destiny Heroes!" said Aster.
"But you haven't even heard his special ability yet!" pointed out Jaden. "When Necroid Shaman's Special Summoned, he can destroy one Monster on your field, and then Special Summon another Monster that's already in my opponent's Graveyard straight to my opponent's field! I'll destroy Captain Tenacious and Special Summon Avian to your field!"
Elemental Hero Avian - (WIND/Warrior) - LV3 - (1000/1000)
"Great! She turned the tides around!" said Hassleberry.
"Now, Jaden can attack without any defensive Monsters in her way!" spoke Syrus.
"Plus, because the Destiny Heroes have low Attack Points, if Jaden attacks, she'll win!" added Alexis.
"Go, Necroid Shaman!" ordered Jaden.
Necroid Shaman twirled his traditional weapon around before swinging it downwards onto Doom Lord, creating a huge explosion that ended the Destiny Hero and should have depleted Aster of his Life Points, yet an invisible barrier protected him in the end, leaving him safe.
"What a shame!" called out Aster, much to Jaden's shock. "No matter what kind of attack you try firing my way, you won't be able to change your destiny of defeat! Let me explain! Because there are 4 or more Clock Counters for Clock Tower Prison, the effect of the Field Spell renders any Battle Damage to me to become 0!"
"Awww man, and I was so close!" pouted Jaden. "Oh, well! I set two cards facedown and call it a turn!"
"I can't believe the clock tower had a powerful ability like that!" cried out Chazz, astonished.
"This is bad," muttered Bastion. "During Aster's next turn, Shining Flare Wingman will return to Jaden's field!"
"My turn," said Aster. Like Bastion mentioned, Shining Flare Wingman did return after being removed from play for 2 turns. "Through Diamond Dude's effect, I activate the effect of Magical Stone Excavation from my Graveyard! I discard two cards from my hand in order to return a Spell card that was sent to my Graveyard! Naturally, I'll be activating Misfortunate! It inflicts half the original Attack Points of one opponent's Monster as damage to you! I choose Shining Flare Wingman! Now, attack your master and finish this!"
Shining Flare Wingman unleashed a light-like beam emitting from the aura surrounding his body, headlining straight for Aster as a barrier protected his field and aimed for Jaden. If it hits her, then it was all over-!
"I totally saw that one coming!" said Jaden. "I activate two Quick-Play Spells! De-Fusion and Burial from a Different Dimension! First, Burial from a Different Dimension! This card sends Monsters that were removed from play back to the Graveyard! I return Flame Wingman and Sparkman back to my Graveyard! Next is De-Fusion! I defuse Shining Flare Wingman and bring back both Sparkman and Flame Wingman to the field!"
Elemental Hero Sparkman - (LIGHT/Warrior) - LV4 - (1600/1400)
Elemental Hero Flame Wingman - (WIND/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2100/1200)
Because Shining Flare Wingman was gone, the Misfortune effect bypassed Jaden, rendering the effect useless as it didn't damage her since the target had vanished.
Aster smirked. "Not bad. You really are tough. I end my turn."
"My turn!" said Jaden. "Sweetness! I activate the Field Spell, Fusion Gate! Now both of us can remove from play Fusion-Material Monsters to Fusion Summon, and thanks to the activation of a new Field Spell, Clock Tower Prison is getting destroyed, which means you won't be immune to Battle Damage any longer!"
"Jaden, I've been waiting for this moment!" shouted Aster, ecstatic instead of worried about his Clock Tower Prison crumbling as the field returned back to normal. "When Clock Tower Prison is destroyed while having 4 or more Clock Counters, I can Special Summon a new Destiny Hero on the field! Come out, Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster!"
As soon as the entire setting crumbled with stormy clouds hanging above the field, a gigantic, tall, muscular Monster with chains and an iron helm appeared, resembling a Monster instead of a hero.
Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (?/?)
"Holy wow, he's big!" cried out Jaden, startled by his appearance.
"His appearance isn't the only thing impressive!" stated Aster. "You see, when he's summoned, he destroys all of my non-Destiny Heroes, and I'm allowed to Special Summon up to two Destiny Heroes in my Graveyard!"
Roaring and staying his ground, Dreadmaster stomped his feet, forcing the ground to shake as the only Elemental Hero on Aster's field got destroyed, being unworthy of being in the presence of the other Destiny Heroes.
"Avian!" cried out Jaden before glaring at Aster. "How could you?! Even if Elemental Heroes and Destiny Heroes are different, they're still a part of your deck!"
"Hmph. It's true that by owning a Hero deck, I gain possession of Elemental Heroes, but I value my Destiny Heroes more than the old and weak Elemental Heroes!" shouted Aster.
"Oh, I am so taking you down now!"
"I'd like to see you try!" challenged Aster confidently. "For now, I'll Special Summon Doom Lord and Captain Tenacious to the field!"
Destiny Hero - Doom Lord - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (600/800)
Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious - (DARK/Warrior) - LV3 - (800/800)
"Another one of Dreadmaster's effect is that his Attack and Defense Points becomes the combined Attack Points of all other Destiny Heroes on my field!"
Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster - (DARK/Warrior) - LV8 - (2800/2800)
"But that super cool ability will be his weakness!" said Jaden. "Why? Because I activate Fusion Gate to fuse Sparkman and Clayman on the field to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!"
Elemental Hero Thunder Giant - (LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion) - LV6 - (2400/1500)
"Thunder Giant's effect activates! When he's Fusion Summoned, he can destroy 1 Monster on the field with original Attack Points lower than his own Attack Points!"
"Then, I activate Dreadmaster's effect!" countered Aster. "On the turn he's summoned to the field in Attack Mode, my other Destiny Heroes can't be destroyed by battle or by card effects!"
"Awwww!" complained Jaden.
"Your assessment was overly optimistic, Jaden-"
"English, dude! I don't understand what you mean!"
"Fine! I expected a stupid girl like you wouldn't understand anyways. I'm trying to say that you're clearly underestimating and taking things way too lightly!" said Aster. "I'll admit, you certainly are a duelist with good skills. However, there's another difference between us! Something I have that you don't!"
"Money, fame, and good looks?" wondered Jaden.
"Did she just admit that he was good-looking?!" questioned Chazz and Syrus, shocked.
"...No, but those are true," admitted Aster. "What's missing between us is a purpose. A more important reason to use the Heroes! I duel for justice, and for revenge. I'll use the power of these Destiny Heroes to seek my revenge on the one who killed my father!"
Realizing the seriousness behind his reason and possible backstory, Jaden ceased her cheerfulness for a moment to pay more attention. "...What do you mean?"
Sorrowfully, Aster recalled the painful memories as he explained. "My father was a duelist and a card designer for the Industrial Illusions company run by Maxmillion Pegasus, the creator of Duel Monsters. Not only was he a kind-hearted hardworker, but he was a father looked up to, who designed many great Monsters. My hero."
Feeling uneased about hearing fatherly stories, Jaden had a slight flashback of her own, clutching her arm before mustering a smile to hide her slight pain. "...What happened?"
"My father..." Clenching his eyes shut from the painful memory, Aster calmed down and opened them; eyes full of sorrow. "My father was killed by a burglar. My father, who never harmed anyone and was always kind, lost his life because some...some scum desired his cards!"
"That's so sad..." admitted Jaden. "Wait a minute! Could it be that your Dad-"
Knowing what she was going to say, Aster looked up and nodded. "That's right. The last cards my father created were the very cards I hold today, the Destiny Heroes! The very power that my father gave me! At one point, I also believed in the power of justice, just as you do. I still do, but I believe that in order for evildoers to truly be punished, they must be struck down the hard way! I kept waiting and waiting for that murderer to show up! But even so, nothing has happened! And that's why I swore in my heart that I would become the hero who would find that criminal and exact my revenge upon him, along with any other evildoers! Soon, I became a Pro Duelist, and using my influence and power, I took part in numerous battle across the world to find the criminal!"
The more he mentioned about his father, the more unpleasant memories Jaden started to remember. Memories she never wanted to arise in her mind again.
Flashback...
Because she was young and naïve, Jaden couldn't fully understand the power of the Duel Spirits, so her ability to communicate with them wasn't as strong as the power she held in her teenage years.
Despite her cheerful personality, Jaden didn't have a lot of friends. Truth be told, she used to be a shy individual to others when she was a small child. She loved stuffed animals and a few other girly things, but her true passion relied on dueling, though she lost a couple of times against the boys, who were much better at dueling than her.
Her parents were always off at work, coming home late at night and then leaving bright and early in the morning. They always left her notes and instructions on what to do on a special bulletin board, so Jaden hardly spent any time with her parents. She was so lonely all the time, coped up in her home after the school bus dropped her off from school.
One day, she was happy when she received her Elemental Hero deck, and that was where she managed to improve her Duel Spirit powers. Though she was considered a freak and an outcast by others, she wanted to show others her power despite them unable to see Duel Spirits.
When reports from school about her acting strange about Duel Spirits reached her parents, it only caused problems as Jaden was forced to cover her ear and cry in her room as her parents argued over her behavior. Realizing all of this could be over if she kept the Duel Spirit problem a secret, she came up with that strategy and soon, life began to return to normal, but not exactly her lonely self, especially after the whole crazy incident with her behavior.
Eventually, she came to meet...that one card.
"-ey! HEY!"
"W-What?!" Wiping away a tear from her eye, Jaden glanced up to see a rather angry-looking Aster.
"You...were you even paying attention?!" questioned Aster.
"I was...thinking about...spirits."
"...Spirits?"
"Yeah...Ghosts...Spirits...you know...?"
Shoulders trembling with anger, Aster tried to keep his cool. "Here I am, explaining my whole motivation behind dueling...And you're just daydreaming?! HOW STUPID ARE YOU?!"
Flinching from his angry tone, Jaden remembered a horrible memory she tried to keep down from the bottom of her mind, but failed.
Flashback...
"How could you not see this?! Her grades are dropping, her teachers keep reporting about her behavior, and this has got to stop!"
"She's only a child! Children have imaginary friends and play around! She'll get over this!"
"No, I want her to get over this NOW! It's stupid and shouldn't be affecting her education! She may be a child, but she won't be for long!"
"I hate this too, alright?! Her acting like some...some weird freak! Talking to air all the time, it's worrying-no, scaring me! It's like I don't even know our own daughter anymore!"
"So you understand me?! How stupid she is?!"
Trying to muster up a smile, Jaden asked, "So...How would you know about the criminal anyways?"
Clenching his fists at his side, Aster explained, "The criminal who killed my father is the only one who holds a card that's the only one of its kind in the world. I won't let the criminal get away with it! No, all of those who commited evil with unconcern!"
Worried for Aster and thinking his way of justice was wrong, Jaden shook her head, trying to shake the bad memories of her past away. "But still, using the Heroes that your father left behind for you as tools for revenge?! Not only is it pointless, but it's wrong!"
"SHUT UP!" yelled Aster, having lost his patience. "I'm sick and tired of you thinking that you know everything, being ignorant of everything so serious and thinking it's all fun and games to you! Do you think right now's all fun?! Huh?! That my backstory is something to be made fun of?!"
"N-no...But-"
"Don't talk as if you understand, Jaden! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HOW I FEEL! From what I can tell, you're just a stupid, obnoxious girl who doesn't know anything! You're stupid, you're too clueless, and you're pathetic and weak! It makes me sick to see a pathetic person like you using Heroes just for fun and because they're your favorites! Unlike you, I need Heroes in order to defeat that criminal! The true Heroes that give me power! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE TRUSTED WITH A HERO DECK, YOU WEAKLING!"
Startled by his offensive words and forced to recall memories all at the same time, Jaden placed her hands on her ears. "I-I...I didn't..." Tears whelmed up at her eyes, unable to hide them as they were beginning to pour down.
"My turn! This is the end!" Aster practically screamed, unaware of the malicious power emitting from his Destiny Heroes as he was about to hurt someone completely innocent in his actions. "Dreadmaster! Destroy her Monster! NOW! CRUSH FLAME WINGMAN!"
Leaping from his spot, Dreadmaster appeared in front of Flame Wingman as he and the other Elemental Heroes were beginning to sense something wrong...as though something was about to be taken away from them. It was one thing being destroyed, but the important thing being taken away...was something none of them could ever forget.
With one slam, Dreadmaster defeated Flame Wingman, but as he was about to disappear, Flame Wingman saw...the expression on Jaden's face as well as the light disappearing from her eyes.
It was the last sight he saw of her before vanishing.
Aster - 600 LP
Jaden - 0 LP
Winner: Aster
Smirking at his successful victory, Aster turned his back on her as the Duel Spirit of Dreadmaster followed him. "Begone, you runt." With that said, he left, unaware of the damage he caused her.
Tears fell down her cheeks, and she began to collapse, falling onto her back. Everything felt as though it was slow motion for her. She didn't know why she was crying, or where the painful feeling in her chest came from, but she felt as though something important was being removed from her. She could hear the voices of her friends calling out for her.
The last thing she saw was her cards...all turning into nothing but blank pieces of paper as her powers of seeing Duel Spirits vanished...for good.
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