[3rd POV]
The moment Jaden saw the card he drew, his lips curled into a grin.
"Let's go."
Syrus jumped excitedly on the boat. "Yes! Jaden finally drew something good!"
Lovely Labrynth leaned toward him with a teasing smirk."Oh~? Looks like the deadweight's finally about to do something useful for once~"
"Haha, yeah… You're right, Miss Lovely." Jaden laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry for being a burden this whole duel."
She narrowed her eyes playfully, wagging a finger at him."Tsk tsk~ It's Miss Labrynth, Jay-Jay~ Only my Darling gets to call me Lovely~"
Jaden gave a mock salute. "Alright then, Miss Labrynth!"
He turned toward Mash, who looked back at him with a satisfied smile.
"Told you," Mash said, crossing his arms. "You've got a superpower, which is drawing exactly what card you needed when shit gets desperate."
He jabbed a finger toward the girls' boat. "And now, all you got to do is beat the crap outta them and their 7400 LP in this one single turn."
Jaden nodded. "I won't let you down, Mash!"
"Oh, you better not! Because..." Mash chuckled, thumbing over his shoulder. Behind him, Lovely Labrynth was ominously sharpening her axe against a silver bar, her grin absolutely sadistic.
Jaden gulped as a visible chill ran down his spine. "...Noted."
Meanwhile, on the girls' boat…
The duel had shifted.
Alexis, Jasmine, and Mindy all stared as Jaden stood confidently on the other boat, clutching his newest draw like a weapon.
Mindy's voice trembled. "Oh no… What do we do? Jaden definitely drew something good…"
Jasmine curled into herself, tears forming in her eyes. "H-hu-huuu… It's all my fault! If I hadn't attacked, none of this would've happened!"
Alexis placed a hand on her shoulder. "Jasmine… It's not your fault."
"You're right." Jasmine suddenly stood up straight, her fists clenched. "It's Mash's fault! That smug demon of a duelist! I swear, I'm gonna exorcise and banish him for the good of Duel Academy!"
Alexis just stared at her, expression flat.
[Actually, I'd want say it was my fault… but sure. Whatever keeps you going.]
She took a breath, trying to steady herself.
"Listen, Jasmine," Alexis said quietly but firmly, her voice regaining that familiar composure. "We're going to be fine. We just need to stay calm and think. There's no way that—"
"—That Jaden can wipe out all 7400 of your Life Points in a single turn?"
A new voice cut through the air like a cold breeze.
All three girls froze.
The tension snapped tight in their chests as they slowly turned their heads.
Mash stood at the very edge of his boat, arms folded across his chest, that maddening smirk carved onto his face like he was already celebrating the victory.
"C'mon, girls…" Mash said, his tone light, but with an edge. He slung an arm around Jaden's neck and pulled him in like a proud older brother. "Give my bro Jaden here some respect."
His smirk widened, eyes sharp.
"Just because your LP is sky-high, you think you're safe? You think you've earned the luxury of another turn? And also a hope of winning?"
Mash suddenly burst into a manic, theatrical laugh full villain mode. Even the girls recoiled slightly from the sound
"GYA HO HO HO HO HO HO HO!!!"
Jaden, still caught in Mash's arm, gave an awkward smile. "Uhh… Mash?"
Lovely Labrynth looking pridefull. "As expected of my handsome Darling~ You're like personification of lucifer~!"
"Now go get 'em, Jaden!" Mash grinned and released him. But not before slapping Jaden square on the ass.
SMACK!
"OW! Mash!!" Jaden flinched, rubbing his ass with a scowl.Mash just winked.
Jaden shook it off and turned toward the girls, taking a deep breath. Then, with his signature protagonist smirk, he turned toward them with confidence.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Alexis! Jasmine!" he called. "Let me show you the trust Mash put in me!"
Alexis flinched. His tone was serious.
But she took a breath, calming herself with logic.
[Calm down, Alexis. There's no way Jaden can take all our LP down in one turn no less... He'll probably summon Flame Wingman again, or maybe some other Fusion Monster. We'll take some damage, its inevitable at this point, but we'll still survive.]
…Or so she thought.
Jaden grinned and slapped a card onto his duel disk."Here I go! First, I'll summon one of the cards Mash gave me! Behold the fiery Hero with the same fire as Burstinatrix! {Elemental HERO Blazeman}!"
A ring of fire erupted on the field. From within it, a flaming figure leapt forward, red armor glowing, hair blazing like a torch, fists ready to fight fire with fire.
{Elemental HERO Blazeman|4 Star|Fire|Warrior/Effect|ATK: 1200 DEF: 1800}
"Hah!" Jasmine jeered. "That's it? You're summoning a weak 1200 Monster? Its just like you!"
Jaden didn't flinch.
"Blazeman may look weak, but the real power's in his effect!"
He raised his arm dramatically. "When Blazeman is summoned, he activates his superpower!"
On cue, Blazeman's hand ignited with flames that swirled around him, forming into a glowing card that hurled toward Jaden.
Jaden caught it with a grin and revealed it to the girls.
"Thanks, Blazeman! His effect lets me add {Polymerization} to my hand!"
The girls all gasped as the fusion spell shimmered in Jaden's hand.
"And that's not all!" Jaden continued. "With the spell card {O – Oversoul}, I can revive a normal Elemental HERO in my graveyard! And I will revive {Elemental HERO Sparkman}!"
A violet flame erupted next to Blazeman, and Sparkman burst onto the field in a flash of lightning. Now two heroes stood side-by-side, ready for fusion.
{Jaden's Field: Blazeman, Sparkman}
Alexis's face tightened with concern. [Two monsters... One Polymerization... He's going for a fusion… but what? Flame Wingman needs Avian and Burstinatrix to fusion summon.]
Jasmine took a step forward, eyes wide. "Oh no… He's going to fuse!"
Mindy crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Oh please, Jasmine. Unless Jaden pulls out some Fusion monster that can search another Fusion card from the deck, then summon something with 4000 attack, and attack twice… we'll be fine."
Alexis and Jasmine both turned and stared at her, mouths slightly open.
[Why is that so specific, Mindy?] they both thought in sync.
"Now," Jaden declared, holding up his next card dramatically, "for the moment you've all been waiting for!"
He slammed the card into his Duel Disk with a flare."I activate the spell card {Polymerization}! I'll fuse Blazeman and Sparkman to Fusion Summon…!"
The light burst outward almost like the sun, so intense that everyone instinctively flinched except for Jaden, who stood unfazed in the center of it all.
"KYAAAH! So bright!" Jasmine and Mindy cried out, shielding their eyes.
"Darling-darling~! I can't see~!" Lovely Labrynth whined, fumbling for someone beside her. She grabbed a hand. "Darling? Is this you!?"
A nervous voice replied."Uh… no. This is Syrus and that's my hand, Miss Labrynth."
"…Tch." She let go immediately.
Mash rubbed his temple with a smirk. "Man… why does that card I gave him have such a ridiculously extra entrance?" (Author Note: Shut the fuck up, Mash. you too.)
Alexis overheard, and her head snapped toward him.
[Wait. That's another card Mash gave Jaden!?]
"Haha!" Jaden laughed, already high on the momentum. "Mash, this monster you gave me!? Totally worth the trouble!"
He raised a hand toward the heavens."Let's go and reveal yourself like the sun, {Elemental HERO Sunrise}!"
From the swirl of light descended a radiant figure, crimson armor gleaming, a majestic blue cape flowing behind him, the symbol of the sun blazing on his chest. He landed like a true hero and struck a flawless pose atop the silver field.
{Elemental HERO Sunrise|7 Star|Light|Warrior/Fusion/Effect|ATK: 2500 DEF: 1200}
"Whoa…" Syrus whispered. "He looks awesome!"
"Oh, of course he does," Lovely Labrynth purred, twirling a strand of silver hair. "Courtesy of my darling~ Naturally~"
Mash just nodded silently, watching Jaden with that same satisfied grin.
[Pfft, you look like a kid getting an early christmast present.]
"And now," Jaden continued, "Sunrise's special super power activates! He increases all my monsters ATK by 200 for each different Attribute monster I control! And since I only control him for now, a LIGHT Attribute monster, he gets 200 more ATK!"
{Elemental HERO Sunrise ATK: 2500 -> 2700}
Jasmine was starting to visibly sweat. Mindy tried to keep her upbeat energy… but even her smile was starting to crack.
Alexis stayed composed but her heart skipped a beat."That's a flashy card you've got there, Jaden… But 2700 ATK still won't be enough to take us down."
"Oh? But I'm not attacking yet," Jaden said confidently. "Because Sunrise also has another super power when summoned, just like Blazeman! It lets me add {Miracle Fusion} from my deck to my hand!"
Sunrise raised one hand, forming a glowing orb of light that floated toward Jaden. In the middle of the orb {Miracle Fusion} gleamed like a holy relic. Jaden caught it with a flourish.
Jaden smirks confidently as he hold the card. "Thanks Sunrise."
Mindy's jaw dropped. "WHAT!? A Fusion monster that searches ANOTHER Fusion spell!?"
Jasmine turned and grabbed Mindy by the shoulders and violently shook her."YOU JINXED US! MINDY! YOU FREAKIN' JINXED IT!!"
"I-I-I-I'm s-s-s-s-sorry!!" Mindy squeaked as Jasmine still shaking her.
"Knock it off, both of you!" Alexis snapped. "It's not over yet as we can still survive this turn." Alexis said with firm composure, but she clenched her fist and was panicking inside.
Jaden raised the card triumphantly."Now! I activate {Miracle Fusion}! By removing materials from my field or graveyard, I can fusion summon again!"
He slid it into his Duel Disk."I banish Blazeman and Sparkman from my Graveyard..." he pointed skyward. "...to fusion summon {Elemental HERO Flame Wingman – Infernal Rage}!"
Everyone froze.
Alexis, Jasmine, Mindy, and Syrus all gasped.
Mash and Lovely? Just stood there, grinning like proud parents at a their kid talent show.
A blazing vortex appeared in the sky. From within, a green and crimson figure descended into the silvery field, Flame Wingman! He landed with a roar, belching a stream of fire across the field with his right crimson dragon arm.
…That fire licked across the silver and splashed near Lovely Labrynth.
She slowly turned, eyes glaring at him."If my effect activates, Darling~ please choose him to be destroyed."
{Elemental HERO Flame Wingman - Infernal Rage|8 Star|Wind|Warrior/Fusion/Effect|ATK: 2100 DEF: 1200}
"And don't forget Sunrise super power!" Jaden added
{Elemental HERO Sunrise ATK: 2500 -> 2900
Elemental HERO Flame Wingman - Infernal Rage ATK: 2100 -> 2500}
Back on the girls' boat, Alexis squinted in disbelief.
"Hold it right there, Jaden!" She raised her arms "That's Flame Wingman! He's supposed to be summoned using Avian and Burstinatrix as fusion materials! instead you used Blazeman and Sparkman as materials, that's illegal!"
Jaden opened his mouth—But Mash beat him to it.
"…Because that ain't Flame Wingman, Alexis."
"HAAAH!? Are you blind!?" Jasmine shouted, pointing frantically. "That's LITERALLY Flame Wingman over there!!"
A fire breath from Flame Wingman dragonic arms singed Jaden's face mid-talking, leaving it covered in soot. "Cough ...Great."
"…Maybe with just a bit more of an arsonist streak," Jasmine muttered.
Mash gave a smirk that oozed confidence. "You know what? Instead of explaining..."
he gestured casually. "How about Jaden just shows you."
Jaden wiped the soot off his face with a sleeve, still grinning."Alright then! Since Elemental HERO Flame Wingman – Infernal Rage was special summoned, I can activate its superpower!"
Mindy blinked. "Wait!? Flame Wingman has an effect on summon now!?"
"He doesn't," Jaden said cheekily. "This Flame Wingman does!"
He pointed at his monster, who responded with another puff of flame. Thankfully away from Jaden this time.
"Infernal Rage lets me add a card from my deck with 'Favorite' in its name!" he declared proudly as he swiftly pulled a card out of his deck and showed it off. "And I'm choosing one of the cards Mash gave me, {Favorite Hero}!"
Alexis gritted her teeth. "Tch… Another card from Mash?"She glared across the field. "How many cards did you even give him, Mash!?"
Mash and Lovely Labrynth exchanged smug looks, then slowly turned toward Alexis with matching sinister smirks.
Mash waved a hand casually. "Oh please, it's not that many. Just four."
Alexis raised an eyebrow. "And would you mind telling us what those four are?"
Lovely scoffed with a toss of her hair. "Pft! Like my Darling~ would ever reveal—"
"Sure!" Jaden interrupted cheerfully. "The four cards Mash gave me are: Elemental HERO Blazeman, Sunrise, Flame Wingman – Infernal Rage, and Favorite Hero!"
Silence.
Mash and Lovely both turned to glare daggers at Jaden, their expressions a perfect match of betrayal and disbelief.
"...What?" Jaden muttered nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Was that supposed to be a secret?"
Mindy tilted her head. "Wait, wait… {Flame Wingman – Infernal Rage}? So just changing the name makes it a different monster?"
"That's right, Mindy! 10 Billion points for you!" Mash replied, pointing dramatically. "Which means now Jaden has access to both normal Flame Wingman and Infernal Rage in his arsenal."
Alexis's breath hitched. Her eyes darted between Jaden's field and Mash, realization dawning like a cold slap to the face.
[No… This duel... It's all been in the palm of Mash's hand… from the very beginning!]
"Wait a second…" Alexis said slowly. "Back at the start, I saw Mash give Jaden three cards. So where did the fourth come from?"
"Oh, that?" Mash shrugged lazily. "That one came from a little bet."
"A bet?" Jasmine raised an eyebrow.
"Yup," Mash smirked. "All Jaden had to do… was survive for three turns against me."
Mindy squinted suspiciously. "...And how many tries did that take?"
Mash sighed dramatically."Twelve. And that 13th attempt Jaden won, was only because Jaden cheated, he went first and skipped the third turn. Dick move, Jaden."
Jaden gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry, Mash… But your deck's basically unbeatable once you've got, like, five cards face-down."
The girls were stunned.
Alexis felt her stomach twist.Jaden, the boy who stood toe-to-toe with Chazz, in a full-power duel had been demolished twelve times in 3 turns in a row by Mash. And he seems casual about it!?
[Ah… We're already done for.]
Lovely Labrynth cupped her cheeks, her eyes practically sparkling."Ahh~♡ That look of despair~♡ It's such delicious food for the eyes, don't you think so, Darling~?"
Mash folded his arms and chuckled darkly."Fu fu fu fu... Couldn't have said it better myself, my love~♡"
The two of them broke into unified, evil laughter.
"HO HO HO HO HO HO!"
Jaden side-eyed them. "Man... Why are they our friends again?"
Syrus, deadpan. "They're like... a couple straight out of hell."
Mash turned, clapping his hands once."Anyway! Enough foreplay. Let's wrap this up with a climax, Jaden. Time to go home."
Jaden nodded firmly. "Alright! Now, with Infernal Rage's effect—since I used a Normal Monster as Fusion Material, I can tribute it to—"
Flame Wingman slowly raised its draconic arm...Then blasted itself with a fiery breath, engulfing its own body in a storm of fire.
Leaving behind a large lingering flame.
Everyone on both boats flinched.
Even Mash took a half-step back.
[Damn… I didn't know it did that. That was brutal... Like an Harakiri from Mortal Kombat]
Lovely burst into laughter and pointed at the flame, nearly doubling over."HAHAHAHA! Darling~! He just—" *Insert Labrynth eyes glowed white and silver lightning crackling behind her*
Jaden cleared his throat, blinking awkwardly. "Uh… a-anyway, by doing that, I can now special summon a Level 7 or lower Elemental HERO from my Extra Deck, ignoring its summoning conditions! And the Hero I'll summon is… the original Flame Wingman—!"
"Hold it." Mash slipped on a pair of shiny silver glasses (courtesy of Lovely) and pulled out his PDA with a calculator app open. "Uhm.. Actually, let's say you summon Flame Wingman and do the full combo…" Jaden and Syrus watched as Mash punched in a few numbers. The girls exchanged confused glances.
Mash turned the screen toward Jaden. "See? It won't close it." Then he tossed the glasses into the sea.
"Eh!? Really!?" Jaden looked disappointed. "So what should I summon, then…?"
"How about you go and finish this duel just like in the anime." Mash exclaimed.
Jaden confused. "What? What kind of anime?"
[Ah shit… I can't exactly tell him that in episode three of the GX anime, Jaden finishes Alexis off with Thunder Giant. And he wouldn't even get it because it didn't and will not happen now, Dumbass!]
Mash sighed, leaned in and whispered something into Jaden's ear.
Jaden's eyes lit up with understanding. "Ohh! Got it! You could've just said that from the start!"
He inserted a new card into his Duel Disk."Then I'll summon… {Elemental HERO Thunder Giant}!"
From the blaze left by Infernal Rage's sacrifice, a massive silhouette emerged, golden armor, surging electricity, and a thunderous roar shook the field as the colossal HERO landed with a dramatic flourish.
{Elemental HERO Thunder Giant|6 Star|Light|Warrior/Fusion/Effect|ATK: 2400 -> 2800 DEF: 1500}
"And now, I'll equip him with the spell card Favorite Hero!" Jaden slid the card in, and Thunder Giant was suddenly enveloped by a radiant moon-like glow behind his back.
Jasmine squinted. "What does that card even do?"
"You'll see…" Jaden said, pointing forward. "When I enter the Battle Phase!"
The Duel Disk buzzed as he declared it.
"{Favorite Hero} activates! At the start of my battle phase, I can activate a Field Spell directly from my hand or deck! So I'll activate {Skyscraper}!"
He slammed the card in, and instantly, the field shifted—sky-piercing towers erupted from beneath their feet, stretching toward the heavens.
Mash looked around in awe. [Whoa… Seeing it in person is way cooler than I imagined. Can't wait to see how my {Labrynth Labyrinth} looks when I play it someday...]
"And that's not all!" Jaden grinned wide. "{Favorite Hero}'s other effect kicks in! When there's a field spell active, Thunder Giant will gain ATK equal to its original DEF! And you can't target him with card effects either!"
Thunder Giant let out a mighty roar as lightning surged through his armor, his power escalating.
{Elemental HERO Thunder Giant ATK: 2800 -> 4300}
"But wait, there's more! I play the spell card {H – Heated Heart}! It gives Thunder Giant an extra 500 ATK!"
{Elemental HERO Thunder Giant ATK: 4300 -> 4800}
Mindy's jaw dropped. "No way… He's at nearly fo-"
"HOLY SHIT! HE'S AT FOUR-THOUSAND-FREAKING-EIGHT-HUNDRED!?" Jasmine yelled, nearly pulling her own hair.
Alexis sighed in defeat. "…Looks like this one's yours, Jaden. You and Mash really pulled it off."
Jaden chuckled. "Then let's finish this!"
He pointed dramatically. "Thunder Giant—Voltic Shock!"
Thunder Giant charged his fist and fired a massive lightning beam that slammed into the girls' boat.
"Ugh—!" Alexis and Jasmine grunted as the attack hit.
{Alexis & Jasmine LP: 7400 -> 2600}
Jaden clenched his fist. "And now, to end this duel… Sunrise! Rising Sun Fist!"
Sunrise soared into the sky, glowing with the light of dawn. The sun rose behind him, casting his silhouette in gold. He came crashing down in a blazing punch, an explosion lighting the field.
BOOOOOOM!!
When the smoke cleared… Alexis and Jasmine sat dazed and defeated on their boat.
{Alexis & Jasmine LP: 2600 -> 0}
Jaden points two finger at them and say his catchphrase. "Gotcha! That was a fun duel, Alexis! Jasmine!"
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Sorry for making you wait long! I accidentally cleared a whole damn chapter because i just want to block a part on my phone and the son of a bitch blocked everything and after pressing a single "a" it literally fucked everything up and now i need to make it from scratch again FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-
Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading it because i did (NOT). Chiao!
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