The Evil God's blow shattered Chaos Neos like paper, and the aftershock sent Jaden stumbling backward. He half-kneeled, bracing himself and gasping as black smoke slowly faded from his body.
After catching his breath, Jaden explained:
"Because I activated 'Damage Diet' during the attack declaration, by the time damage is calculated, I have one less card on my field.
Now I have five cards, so The Wicked Eraser's ATK is reduced to 5000."
[The Wicked Eraser, ATK 6000 → ATK 5000]
"Chaos Neos had 3500 ATK when destroyed, so the battle damage is 1500. With 'Damage Diet,' it's halved to 750."
[Jaden, LP 1500 → LP 750]
"So tenacious."
Yubel snorted, but a faint smile appeared.
"Well, I don't dislike a tenacious Jaden."
She set another card face-down.
"I set another card and end my turn."
Jaden, still panting, remained kneeling.
"So strong… Just as Kira said. Yubel's gained extra power from the universe, plus the Evil God is not an opponent you can beat while holding back."
He quickly made up his mind.
Yes, there was nothing to hesitate about. He'd already decided—no matter what, next time he met Yubel, he'd bring her back, no matter the cost.
He had to go all out.
Even if it meant embracing the darkness.
Jaden closed his eyes.
"Hey? Are you there?" Jaden called out.
"…"
"I know you can hear me. Don't pretend to be asleep."
"…"
In a space of pure darkness, a pair of burning golden eyes slowly opened.
"What do you want?"
A cold voice asked.
"Naturally, I need your help," Jaden replied matter-of-factly.
"You must be joking."
"Hardly. I'm in the middle of a crucial duel. My opponent was once my closest friend, but now she's possessed by evil. To help free her, I need your power."
"Are you crazy? The only reason I'm here is because you tricked me in a previous duel. You want my power, I want your body. The moment you drop your guard, I'll take your body, your life, your everything."
Jaden just laughed.
"If you really wanted that, after all this time inside me, why haven't you done anything?"
"…"
Jaden's smile faded, his tone serious.
"I am you, and you are me, Supreme King. Maybe we don't fully understand each other yet, but I believe in you."
"..."
Trust?
A moment of silence.
Then Jaden slowly stood up, his eyes opening to reveal burning golden pupils.
"Thank you, my other self," he said with a smile.
Supreme King's cold voice sounded in his ear.
"Don't get the wrong idea. Your naïve words don't move me. I just want to see what this so-called Evil God is really capable of."
"Ahaha, whatever you say."
Jaden smiled, then turned serious.
"Alright, let's do this—my other self."
"Don't call me that. We're not that close," Supreme King replied coolly.
On Yubel's side, she sensed the shift in Jaden's aura and her expression changed.
"Those eyes… That power—Supreme King?"
Part of her was startled—Jaden had awakened and could seemingly control Supreme King's power, making him even harder to handle. But part of her was overjoyed, because Jaden's image now overlapped even more with the king from her past life.
"My turn! Draw!"
With Supreme King's power, Jaden's presence surged. Even his draw seemed to bring a mighty wind.
"I activate the Spell Card 'Card of Sanctity'. Both players draw until they have six cards in hand."
Jaden drew back up to six cards and immediately played another. The Spell Card's projection erupted in a surge of dark wind.
"Spell Card—'Dark Fusion'!" Jaden declared. "A Fusion Spell for Fiend-Type monsters. Send Fusion Materials from hand or field to the Graveyard for a Fiend Fusion Summon.
I send 'Valkyrion the Magna Warrior' and 'Evil HERO Malicious Edge' from my hand to the Graveyard for a Dark Fusion!"
The Rock-Type Magna Warrior and Fiend-Type Malicious Edge briefly appeared, then were sucked into a vortex of darkness, like being tossed in a giant blender. From the swirling darkness, thunder struck, bringing forth a mighty white demon.
Evil HERO Dark Gaia, Fusion Summon!
[Evil HERO Dark Gaia, ATK ?]
"Dark Gaia's ATK becomes the combined ATK of the Fusion Materials," Jaden explained. "Valkyrion is 3500, Malicious Edge is 2600, so Gaia's ATK is—"
[Evil HERO Dark Gaia, ATK 6100]
Yubel's face changed. "ATK 6100!?"
Jaden's field still had the three Ojama Tokens, Gaia, and Neo Space—a total of five cards. So The Wicked Eraser's ATK was still 5000.
"Evil HERO Dark Gaia!" Jaden shouted. "Attack The Wicked Eraser!"
Gaia raised its hand, palm to the sky. The earth shook, rocks and rubble floated up, then streams of lava shot up, merging into a massive fireball in Gaia's palm.
"Supreme King's power is impressive," Yubel admitted. "But to defeat the Evil God, just piling up ATK isn't enough.
I activate my set card—Trap Card 'Mirror Force'! When your monster attacks, destroy all your Attack Position monsters!"
The sacred blue barrier rose, ready to reflect the attack and destroy Gaia.
But it didn't work!
Gaia's right hand broke through, hurling the fireball at the Evil God. The so-called strongest shield was pierced like paper.
"Useless," Supreme King's cold voice declared. "Monsters Summoned by 'Dark Fusion' can't be destroyed by card effects this turn."
…