Is this the poker world?Ada thief!

"My turn, draw!" Jaden drew a card from his deck, but instead of focusing on the monsters on Professor Cobra's field, he turned to Asuka's side and said worriedly, "Asuka, over there—"

"Don't worry about it, Judai!" Asuka shouted, smashing a leaping snake in mid-air with her stick. "We're not just useless pretty faces, so feel free to fight us!"

"On the contrary, it would be more troublesome if we were fine and you were the one who got knocked down by the other side." As O'Brien reloaded his gun-shaped duel disk, Manjoume stepped in and shouted, "So end this battle as soon as possible, preferably in this round!"

“Yes, I understand.” Judai nodded, then looked at Professor Cobra again and said, “In order to get everyone here and everyone in the school out of danger as soon as possible, I’m going to defeat you, Professor Cobra!”

"During my Preparation Phase, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card 'Mask Change'! I send the WATER 'E-Hero Steam Healer' from my field to the Graveyard and Special Summon one 'M-Hero' monster with the same Attribute from my Extra Deck!"

As Jaden activated Mask Change, the [E·hero Steam Healer] on the field swung both hands to the right and then slowly raised them to the upper left, drawing an arc in the air. Then, the [E·hero Steam Healer] first withdrew his right hand, leaving only his left hand raised high, and then suddenly raised his right hand again.

"Mask-Change!" A resolute voice came from beneath the armor.

"Appear in a brand new guise, you indomitable hero of water!" Jaden took out a card, placed it on the Duel Disk, and completed the final summoning, "[M·hero Acid]!"

【M·hero Acid Water】【8☆/Water】

[Warrior Race/Fusion/Effect]

[2600/2100]

Watching [M·hero Acid] emerge from the armor in a bodysuit after completing a transformation pose similar to "Masked Hero V3," Professor Cobra calmly remarked, "So you've abandoned [E·hero Steam Healer], which restores Life Points by attacking and destroying monsters, and instead started using the destructive [M·hero Acid]? So you're actually quite like me, Jaden Yuki. In order to achieve your goal, haven't you easily given up what you originally believed in?"

"However, it's pointless for you to sacrifice [E·hero Steam Healer] for [M·hero Acid Water]. Under the effect of [Exotoxic Hydra], which is Fusion Summoned using two Fusion Monsters, the ATK of all Fusion Monsters on your field will decrease by their original ATK value. Therefore, even if the original ATK is as high as 2600 points, the ATK of [M·hero Acid Water] will decrease to 0!"

【M·hero acid solution】【ATK2600→0】

Because the effect of [External Poison Hydra] is a continuous effect that does not require activation, [M·hero Acid] actually appears with 0 attack power the moment it enters the field. However, even with 0 attack power, it still draws its gun the moment it steps into the swamp and fires all six bullets in one go!
"The important thing isn't the attack power of [M·Hero Acid], but its effect!" Jaden rubbed his nose. "When [M·Hero Acid] is successfully Special Summoned, its effect is activated to destroy all Spell & Trap Cards on the opponent's field and reduce the attack power of all of the opponent's monsters by 300!"

"Ultimate acid control!"

Seeing this, Professor Cobra remained calm: "Yuki Jaden, why do you think I haven't investigated the effects of the cards you're using? The cards in my back row aren't just set up for you to destroy. Chain the activation of [M·Hero Acid] and open my back row's set-up cards!"

"【Divine Punishment】! As a counter-trap, its spell speed is three, it cannot be chained by your monster effects or Quick-Play Spell Cards, and this card requires discarding one card from your hand to activate, negating the activation of an Effect Monster and destroying it!"

"Boom!"

The acid bullets, which were supposed to hit all of Professor Cobra's spell and trap cards and destroy them, were suddenly struck by a bolt of lightning in mid-air. The almost connected acid bullets instead became a conductive cable, leading directly to the hand of [M·hero Acid] who had just fired the last bullet.

It was as if [M·hero Acid Water] had suffered "divine punishment," as its effects were completely ineffective, and even the newly appeared [M·hero Acid Water] itself was destroyed and sent to the graveyard.

Furthermore, Professor Cobra added, "The card that was just sent to the graveyard to activate [Divine Punishment] was this [Reptile Witch - Wishji]. Because of the increase in the number of Reptile-type monsters in the graveyard, the ATK of my [Snake King - Venomron] has increased by another 500 points!"

[Venom King - Viperlon] [ATK2500→3000]

"Is the attack power still increasing? But I don't have a second [Soul Release]." Jaden paused, then said, "However, Professor Cobra, this is still my preparation phase, and besides the Quick-Play Spell Card [Mask Change], I have another card effect to use during this phase—that's this [Time Capsule] on my back row!"

On Jaden's back row, a coffin that Jaden activated and sank into the ground two turns ago slowly rises and crumbles: "Now it is the second preparation phase of my turn since the activation of [Time Capsule], so at this moment, [Time Capsule] is destroyed, and the card that was banished face down when this card was activated is added to my hand."

"And the card I excluded at that time was this one—[Pot of Greed]!"

The [E·hero] deck, which consumes a lot of monsters, can easily fill a large number of monster cards in the graveyard. The card [Pot of Greed] can recycle a large number of monsters and draw cards. In the current environment where [Pot of Greed] is limited to one copy, Jaden actually uses this [Pot of Greed] more often, even filling up three copies.

"Next, I activate the spell card [Pot of Greed] and draw two cards from my deck."

Just as Jaden was about to replenish his hand, Professor Cobra pressed the button to activate a face-down card: "At this moment, I reveal the [Snake Venom Rattlesnake] in my hand to activate a face-down card in the back row, countering the Trap Card [Snake God's Decree]!"

"You can activate this effect by showing one of my [Snake Venom] monster cards to your opponent. Negate and destroy the activation and effects of your opponent's Spell Cards!"

Another fast counter, this time Judai's "Pot of Greed" was countered, preventing him from replenishing his hand. However, as Judai's hand dwindled to only three cards, Professor Cobra's face-down cards in the back row were also depleted by two.

"As expected, there are face-down cards that can negate my cards. But I've used two already. Professor Cobra, do you have any more face-down cards like that in your back row?" Despite having [Pot of Greed] negated, Jaden seemed relieved, playing a card as he spoke, "Let me test this with this card—[Time Capsule], activate this Spell Card [Pot of Greed] that I added to my hand!"

"Target the five monster cards in my Graveyard: [E·hero Skyman], [E·hero Solidman], [E·hero Sunriseman], [E·hero Shadow Mist Lady], and [M·hero Acid], return them to the Deck, shuffle them, and then I draw two cards."

Because he was worried that Professor Cobra might have a trap in his back row, Jaden used the "[Greed] Deceptive Counter" technique he learned from Professor Chronos, putting the truly important card after [Pot of Greed] to use. And the result was as he wished. It seemed that the [Serpent God's Decree] was Professor Cobra's last magic counter. This time, he did not respond to Jaden's card activation chain to open the face-down card, allowing Jaden to successfully retrieve the card from the graveyard and draw two cards from his hand.

Of the two new cards he drew, one caught Jaden's eye, and he immediately played it, exclaiming, "I've drawn a pretty good card! I'm going to activate this [Hero's Legacy] again!"

"This card can only be activated by returning two Fusion Monsters that require a [Hero] monster as Fusion Material to the Extra Deck. I retrieve [E-Hero Earth Core Healer] and [E-Hero Steam Healer] from my Graveyard and draw three cards!" With a significant increase in his hand size, Jaden was quite confident about the upcoming developments. He immediately played a card and said, "Pay me 500 Life Points. I activate the Spell Card [Double Fusion], allowing me to perform a Fusion Summon this turn using monsters from my hand and field as materials without needing to activate another [Fusion] Spell Card."

【游城十代：6000→5500LP，手牌3→4→3→4→3→4→6→5】

"The first effect of [Dual Fusion]! Send my [E·hero Golden Blade] on the field and [E·hero Electro] in my hand to the Graveyard, Fusion Summon - [E·hero Ionizer]!"

【E·hero Ionizing Claw Man】【8☆/Location】

[Warrior Race/Fusion/Effect]

[2600/2300→0/2300]

Although E-Hero Ionizer was reduced to zero by the effect of Exo-Hydra as soon as he appeared, Jaden doesn't need his attack power now, but rather its effect.

"In addition to inheriting the defense penetration effect of [E·hero Electrocliper], [E·hero Golden Blade] also gained the ability to discard a card from the hand and directly destroy one Attack Position monster on the opponent's field." Jaden took a card from the graveyard. "However, before that, because I successfully Special Summoned the [E·hero] Fusion Monster, the effect of [Cross Guardian] in my graveyard was triggered."

"By banishing it, I draw two cards from my deck and select one card from my hand to place back at the bottom of the deck."

After adjusting his hand, Jaden discarded a card and said, "Now, I'm discarding this [Winged Kuriboh LV6] from my hand to destroy the [Outer Poison Hydra] on the opponent's field!"

"Ring Thunder!"

As Jaden discarded the card, a large amount of electricity gathered on the arms of [E·hero Ionizing Claw Man] as the energy was replenished, and the golden arm armor was heated to a scorching hot temperature and even turned red.

Clenching his fists and raising his hands, [E·hero Ionizing Pincers] roared and pounced on [Exotoxic Hydra], ready to use his arm armor as pincers to crush the target: "Goodbye to your fragrant chicken!"

Without offering any resistance, the [External Venomous Hydra] was easily captured by [E·hero Ionizing Claw Man], and then crushed by the golden pincers filled with high voltage and scorching heat. Its remains naturally fell back into the [Snake Venom Swamp] and slowly sank.

"Yay!" John exclaimed excitedly, "We took down that monster! Now, the attack power of the Jaden monsters has been restored!"

【游城十代：5500LP，手牌5→4→5→4】

【E·hero Ionizing Pliers】【ATK0→2600】

【E·hero铁壁炮手】【毒指示物2】【0/2500→1000/2500】

Backcourt: [Face Card] x2
Having successfully dealt with the most troublesome [Exotoxic Hydra] and unleashed the fighting power of the Fusion Monsters, Jaden happily exclaimed, "The effect of [E·Hero Ionizer] isn't limited to once per turn; I can activate it again as long as I have cards in my hand—and now, I'm going to press my advantage!"

"I'll discard another card from my hand to activate the effect of [E·hero Ionizer], and this time I'll destroy the last monster on your field, Professor Cobra—[Venomiron the Serpent King]!"

"Let's do it again, [E·hero Electro-Ionizer]!" Jaden shouted, tossing a card from his hand. "—Raging Thunder!"

The Serpent King - Venomiron, whose body was made of coiled venomous snakes, had no special resistance. Following in the footsteps of the Exovenomous Hydra, it was caught and instantly refined by E-Hero Electrocutioner, while the venomous snakes on its body also fell into the swamp.

Surprisingly smoothly, Jaden successfully destroyed Professor Cobra's last monster on the field, clearing away all obstacles. All he had to do now was launch a direct attack to win!

—or so?

"GuluGulu——"

The moment after the [Serpent King - Venomiron] was destroyed and its remains were swallowed by the swamp, the [Serpent Poison Swamp] suddenly began to boil like water, constantly bubbling. The swarm of snakes that were constantly being born from the swamp also suddenly stopped and retreated back into the swamp, allowing the people on the side to breathe a sigh of relief for the time being.

"Is the attack over?" Jim asked doubtfully, but O'Brien denied it, "No, I think it's more like a brewing phase before a more violent attack, like an unusually low tide before a tsunami."

"What is this?" Asuka finally managed to calm down and subconsciously looked towards Judai, but then she noticed the card that Professor Cobra had opened in his back row. She quickly reminded Judai, "Judai, it's that face-down card in the opponent's back row!"

"Huh!? When was that activated?" Jaden looked at the Trap Card in Professor Cobra's back row with some confusion.

"Of course, it was the moment you destroyed [Serpent King - Venomilon], Jaden Yuki," Professor Cobra said with a sneer. "See? This is the end of everything your brutal destruction has brought about. People like you and me, who only have the power to destroy everything, do not deserve happiness and fulfillment."

"【Venom King】originally possessed the ability to revive a Reptile-Type monster from my Graveyard at the cost of being destroyed in battle. The more you destroyed my Reptile-Type monsters, the more the souls of the dead would drag you into an abyss of no return. However, at the moment it was destroyed by its effect, an even deeper darkness was awakened by you!"

"The Trap Card 'Serpent God's Descent' can only be activated when 'Viper King - Venomron', which is face-up on my field, is destroyed outside of battle—"

Holding up a card, Professor Cobra exclaimed, "Special Summon [Venom Minaga] from my hand and Deck!"

(Image unrelated to text) (End of chapter)