["Aibo, these cards…?"]
There was no way Hoshino Alter wouldn't recognize whether Hoshino originally had these cards. And of course, she would never forget where they came from.
Back then, within the time-space tunnel, she had received this very deck from her future self—and with Synchro power far beyond that era, she reversed the outcome of her duel against Paradox.
"If I'm not mistaken… this is probably the hint given by the 'Star Relic.'"
Placing the Synchro deck back into her Duel Disk, Hoshino looked at the girl before her—the one who shared her exact appearance.
"And the answer to that hint… needs to be solved through battle, huh? That really is a puzzle that suits my style."
"Good luck, Hoshino!" Eve cheered.
"Whether you can obtain the Star Relic—'Star Grail'—depends on you!"
Mash followed up with encouragement as well.
"Even though the you from before was great… I still like the current you more, Senpai!"
"== Hey, you two—if you're going to cheer, then just cheer properly. Do you really have to hug me this tightly?"
Earlier, worried that Hoshino might get hurt by the aura released from the Star Grail, Mash had reacted instantly—grabbing her and pulling her into a tight embrace.
At the same time, startled by the sudden change, Eve had hidden behind Hoshino and tightly wrapped her arms around Hoshino's slender waist.
"If you don't let go… do you want to take my place instead?"
"Uh…"
Both Eve and Mash froze. Though reluctant, they slowly released Hoshino.
Freed from the "restraint," Hoshino activated her Duel Disk with a crisp mechanical sound and pointed forward.
"Alright, let's begin! Just so you know—I'm not losing to my past self. Whatever trump cards you've got, bring them all out, Faker!"
Duel—!
"…And now, the Neo-Spacians have a new hero! I tribute the two heroes on my field to Tribute Summon—Elemental HERO Neos!"
[Elemental HERO Neos★★★★★★★ (Level 7)][LIGHT][Warrior][ATK 2500/DEF 2500]
Bathed in the shining light of Neo Space on Jaden's field, a brand-new Elemental HERO descended—its appearance closely resembling a tokusatsu hero like Ultraman.
Hearing that Jaden had returned, Akasha rushed over, ready to complain—only to be completely stunned by his opening play.
"┌(.Д.)┐ What the hell kind of five-for-one is that?! And it's just a vanilla?!" Akasha exclaimed in disbelief. "I thought you lost the duel and went off to train in secret… but in the end, did you just hit your head or something?!"
"Wait a second… this might not be that simple."
Okita, having noticed something crucial, suddenly grew serious.
"Even though Jaden summoned a Normal HERO monster… this one's Level, ATK, and DEF are exactly the same as mine."
"So what?" Nobunaga scoffed dismissively.
"Idiot, Nobbu!" Okita pointed at Neos on the field and explained firmly.
"This guy has the stats of a true ace monster! Trading five cards for one ace—do you really think that's a loss?"
"ヽ(ー_ー)ノ It's a massive loss…" Akasha concluded flatly.
"Hahahahaha! How interesting, boy!"
However, Frodi burst into laughter, giving a completely opposite evaluation.
"I can feel it—you're different from yesterday! That resolve of yours…! Heroes should indeed be summoned with a five-for-one!"
"You really get it, old man!"
Even after summoning Neos, Jaden remained fired up as he placed his final card onto his Duel Disk.
"—Continuous Spell Card: Mirage of Nightmare!"
After activating the Continuous Spell, its effect didn't immediately manifest—only a slight distortion appeared in the space around Neos.
"Since I can't enter the Battle Phase on the first turn, I end my turn."
[Jaden: 0 Hand Cards | 0 Set Card]
"…Does Jaden even know what he's doing?"
Minazuki, who had quietly snuck into the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm to watch the duel, muttered in confusion.
"The opponent's using a Masked HERO deck. With a field like that, he could easily get OTK'd."
"Um… Minazuki, are we really allowed to be here?" Syrus asked nervously.
"Of course not!" Minazuki replied confidently.
"This is a crucial battle between Jaden and the Sword King! But Professor Crowler said regular students aren't allowed to leave their dorms—so if we want to watch, the best spot is obviously the girls' dorm!"
"Oh? Is that so?"
A cold voice came from behind them—Alexis.
"…We're busted."
The turn shifted. After Jaden's five-for-one setup, it was now Frodi's turn.
"My turn—draw!"
"Alright! The moment your turn begins, Mirage of Nightmare activates!"
The Mirage Spell that Jaden had been waiting on finally triggered. Its hazy illusion spread outward, seeping into Jaden's deck.
[Once per turn, during your opponent's Standby Phase: Draw until you have 4 cards in your hand. If you do, once during your next Standby Phase after that: Randomly discard the same number of cards you drew.]
"Since I have zero cards in hand, I draw four cards from my deck."
Jaden's hand: 4 cards
Glancing at Jaden's replenished hand, Frodi commented:
"Drawing cards during my turn, only to discard them all at the start of yours… truly an effect as fleeting and empty as a mirage."
He then threw a Monster Card onto his Duel Disk—formed from his golden greatsword—
And a wind-element HERO descended onto the battlefield of Frodi.
"This turn, I Normal Summon in Attack Position—Elemental HERO Stratos!"
[Elemental HERO Stratos ★★★★ (Level 4)][WIND][Warrior/Effect][ATK 1800/DEF 300]
"So it's still a HERO deck… but this time, I definitely won't lose again!" Jaden clenched his fist instinctively and declared firmly.
Continuing his play, Frodi revealed a dark Elemental HERO from his Deck.
"When Stratos is successfully Summoned, I can add Elemental HERO Shadow Mist from my Deck to my hand! Next, I activate the Spell Card—HERO's Bond!"
[If there is a face-up "HERO" monster on the field: Special Summon 2 Level 4 or lower "Elemental HERO" monsters from your hand.]
"By the effect of HERO's Bond, I Special Summon Elemental HERO Shadow Mist and Elemental HERO Blazeman from my hand in Attack Position!"
[Elemental HERO Shadow Mist ★★★★ (Level 4)][DARK][Warrior/Effect][ATK 1000/DEF 1500]
[If this card is Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Change" Quick-Play Spell Card from your Deck to your hand.]
[Elemental HERO Blazeman ★★★★ (Level 4)][FIRE][Warrior/Effect][ATK/DEF]
[If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Polymerization" from your Deck to your hand.]
"Damn… he built up his field all at once," Akasha muttered uneasily.
"The opponent's level is way higher than Jaden's ridiculous five-for-one play…"
"But precisely because of that five-for-one, Jaden used his Continuous Spell to draw four cards!" Okita hurriedly defended.
"That's also a way to utilize an ace monster!"
"That's just a mirage effect," Nobunaga mercilessly pointed out.
"At the start of his turn, he'll discard them all anyway. It's basically the same as not drawing."
"No… it's not that simple."
However, Holmes and Waver noticed something deeper.
"If used properly, Mirage of Nightmare could become a terrifying card."
"So in the end, it still has nothing to do with that Neos, huh?" Nobunaga pressed on, refusing to let Okita off the hook.
"—I activate the Quick-Play Spell Mask Change! I send Stratos on my field to the Graveyard and Special Summon a WIND Attribute Masked HERO from my Extra Deck!"
The clash between HERO users escalated.
After Jaden summoned Neos—resembling a tokusatsu hero like Ultraman—Frodi now performed a transformation akin to a Kamen Rider.
"Appear—Masked HERO Divine Wind!"
[Masked HERO Divine Wind ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][WIND][Warrior/Fusion/Effect][ATK 2700/DEF 1900]
[Must be Special Summoned by 'Mask Change'.]
A green gale swept up a white cape as the wind-attributed Masked HERO made a stylish entrance.
"No matter when I see it… it's just so cool!" Jaden said enviously.
"Hmph. Then let the battle between heroes begin, boy!"
Frodi raised his golden Duel Disk and entered the Battle Phase. Even though it had transformed from a greatsword, it still radiated sharp killing intent.
"Win this battle—Divine Wind's surprise attack! Destroy Elemental HERO Neos!"
"This is bad…" Akasha held her forehead.
"The monster he sacrificed so much for is already being outclassed this easily… I guess we shouldn't expect much from Okita-level attack power?"
Just like the scene where Jaden was instantly defeated yesterday, a storming vortex formed from HERO power. At its center, Divine Wind unleashed a decisive Rider Kick.
"This time, I won't lose so easily! I'll use the power of heroes gained from Neo Space to break through!"
Jaden revealed a card from his hand—one of the cards he had drawn through Mirage of Nightmare.
Even though those cards would normally be discarded at the start of his turn, it didn't prevent him from activating hand effects.
"—Go! Elemental HERO Honest Neos!"
[(Quick Effect): You can discard this card, then target 1 "HERO" monster on the field; it gains 2500 ATK until the end of this turn.]
Empowered by "Honesty," Neos unfolded radiant white wings behind him. Gathering Neo Space energy into his fist, he soared upward to meet Divine Wind's Rider Kick within the raging storm.
[Elemental HERO Neos ATK 2500 → 5000]
"5000 ATK?!" Nobunaga shouted in shock.
"Now that's the kind of power that crushes Okita—so this is what you call an ace monster!"
"Hey, you're being crushed too at 5000 ATK, you know!" Okita protested.
"Heh, sorry—but I can boost myself to 6000 ATK with my own effects. I'm not on the same level as you~" Nobunaga smirked smugly.
As the two bickered mid-battle, fists and kicks collided—Masked HERO versus Elemental HERO, Divine Wind versus Neos.
"With 5000 ATK—Neos wins!" Jaden shouted excitedly.
"No, boy—even with higher ATK, Divine Wind has not lost!" Frodi countered.
The tornado dispersed. Though Neos forced Divine Wind back to its side of the field, it was not destroyed despite the overwhelming difference in power.
[Frodi LP 8000 → 5700]
"Masked HERO Divine Wind cannot be destroyed by battle…"
"But I must admit—that was a splendid counterattack, Jaden!"
"You're not bad either, old man. I thought Honest Neos would definitely take down one of your Masked HERO monsters," Jaden said with a hint of regret.
"You intrigue me even more now… The power and fate hidden within you resemble that of the Kings—yet are fundamentally different…"
The golden Duel Disk reverted into a greatsword once more.
Frodi slammed it into the ground, drawing upon the Sword King's power from within the World Tree. A golden barrier etched with seven swords formed, completely enclosing both duelists.
"Yesterday, I showed you mercy with the wager. But not today. In this duel—we will stake all of our power against each other!"
Trapped within the barrier, Jaden's eyes flickered with surprise.
"Stake… all of our power?"
"Boy, perhaps you haven't realized it yet. The kingly power within you—one that rivals the Nine Realm Kings—has reignited my long-lost passion for battle!"
Placing a Set card into his Duel Disk—now returned to its original form—Frodi ended his turn.
"To survive, awaken all of your power, boy named Jaden Yuki! In the end, the one who walks out of this barrier… will be the sole hero who seizes victory!"