Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"Fall down, [Sakura-hime-Talia]!"

This time, the monsters summoned by the [King of Light - Queen Mador] were not named after the gods in the Kojiki, but were moved to the faraway Greece on the other side of the earth and named after one of the goddesses of beauty in ancient Greek mythology who embodies all the beauty of life.

The so-called Graces, in ancient Greek mythology, symbolize feasting, consumption, and the most colorful life. They are the materialization of human desires, the embodiment of life, or more accurately, the embodiment of the pleasures that life brings. They represent play and irrational behavior, including dancing, eating when not hungry, and even premarital sex.

"Talia" is the youngest of the three goddesses, representing feasting, that is, eating for pleasure without being necessary. However, although her prototype is the goddess in ancient Greek mythology who often appears naked like her sisters, "Sakura-Talia," summoned by "Benhime-Chiruhime," has a side-hime hairstyle and wears a Japanese-style witch's outfit, which is very disappointing.

At the same time, perhaps because, just like the previous "Red Princess" and "Autumn", the pronunciation of "Sakura Princess (おうひ)" is the same as "Queen (おうひ)", and the summoning words of [Light Realm King War - Queen Mador] play on the pun of "minimum deduction".

【Sakura-hime - Talia】【8☆/Water】

[Plant Tribe/Effect]

[2800/1200]

"Although you freed [Fragrant Night Demon - Magnolia], my Special Summoned [Sakura Princess - Talia] has a similar effect. As long as [Sakura Princess - Talia] is in the Monster Zone, no other Plant-Type monsters on either player's field will be destroyed by monster effects." After a pause, [Light King Battle - Queen Mador] added, "Furthermore, [Sakura Princess - Talia]'s ATK increases by 100 times the number of Plant-Type monsters on my field!"

[Beauty Princess - Chiruhime] and [Fragrant Night Demon - Magnolia] were released, and then [Sakura Princess - Talia] was Special Summoned. At this moment, there are three Plant-Type monsters on the field of [Light King Battle - Queen Mador], including [Sakura Princess - Talia] herself, which can increase her ATK by 300.

The seemingly minor improvement actually allowed [Sakura-hime-Talia], whose attack power was already as high as 2800 points, to successfully break through the shackles that restricted countless monsters and gain power surpassing the legendary [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]!

【Sakura-Hime - Talia】【ATK2800→3100】

"In that case, even if you have a card like [Owner's Mark] and take this [Lava Demon] back, it won't threaten me anymore." With her arms crossed, [King of Light - Queen Mador] remained calm and confident, showing no sign of panic despite Jaden having just released her monster.

"I did have the [Owner's Mark], but I couldn't draw it into my hand. Maybe it's because this is a virtual Duel Disk and the cards are virtual, so the feeling of drawing cards is a bit strange." Jaden complained, "Duel Monsters really do feel better when you have real cards and draw them."

"Because of the effect of [Lava Demon], I cannot perform a Normal Summon this turn. However, Special Summoning is not restricted." Jaden said, and without hesitation played his second card, "Spell Card [Fusion Troops], you can only activate one card with this name per turn."

"Show your opponent a Fusion Monster from my Fusion Deck, and then Special Summon the Fusion Material Monsters listed in the name of that Fusion Monster from your hand or Deck."

With a wave of his hand, Judai conjured a digital card out of thin air before him. "I present the Fusion Monster [E-Hero Stormman] from my Fusion Deck. Its Fusion Materials are [E-Hero Winged Man], [E-Hero Electroman], and [E-Hero Bubbleman]. I Special Summon [E-Hero Bubbleman], one of its Fusion Materials, from my Deck!"

"Come forth, hero of the flowing water element—[E·hero Bubble Man]!"

E·hero Bubbleman, decked out in high-tech gear and fully utilizing his "money power," makes a dashing entrance. He not only creates a grand entrance effect with a large amount of foam, but also uses his white cape to cover the lower half of his face, the only part not covered by his helmet, and whispers, "I am the night, I am revenge, I am Bubbleman."

【E·hero Bubble Man】【4☆/Water】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[800/1200]

Meanwhile, Judai, standing behind him, drew two cards from his deck at the same time Judai appeared.

"Because when [E·hero Bubble Man] was successfully Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, there were no other cards on my field, and its effect met the activation conditions, I drew two cards from my deck."

[Yujo Judai: 4000LP, hand size 4→6]

"Next, since I have a [Hero] monster face-up on my field, I activate this Spell Card in my hand: [Hero Union]!"

The effects of Duel Monsters cards often differ between the anime, manga, and physical card versions. In most cases, the effects of the anime and manga versions, which serve the storyline, are stronger than those of the physical card versions, which emphasize balance. This difference is particularly noticeable with cards like "Treasure Card from Heaven" and "Treasure Card that Cuts Life".

However, although the effects of [Hero Union] are different in the manga and physical card versions, it is a rare case where the physical card is stronger than the anime.

"Under the effect of [Hero Union], I can Special Summon two Level 4 or lower [E·hero] monsters directly from my hand." In the manga, [Hero Union] can only Special Summon one monster, but in the actual card game, it becomes a Special Summon of two. Jaden's card-printing ability naturally adaptively chose the side with more monsters. He swiped his finger in front of him and selected two adjacent digital cards.

"The monsters I Special Summon are Sky Elemental HERO - [E·hero Sky Warrior] and Shadow Elemental HERO - [E·hero Shadow Mist Lady]!"

(Sky: Is this photo of you? Shadow Mist: I was very thin back then.)

If [E·hero Skywalker] is the big brother of the [Hero] deck, then [E·hero Shadow Mist Lady] is undoubtedly the big sister. At this moment, Jaden even Special Summoned two monsters from his hand at the same time under the effect of [Hero Union].

Originally alone, the [E·hero Bubble Man] was joined by a dashing black-clad female warrior and an elegant warrior with flying wings. However, the [E·hero Shadow Mist Lady] was not used by Jaden to display her entrance effect; she simply stood on the field showing off her unforgettable long legs, which could be used to make fragrant lemon tea.

(The original legs are actually better than the AI's.)

【E·Hero Sky Warrior】soared into the air, looking down at the two remaining cards on the field behind 【King of Light - Queen Mador】. Jaden then explained, "When 【E·Hero Sky Warrior】 is Normal or Special Summoned, its effect is activated. I can either add one 【Hero】 monster card from my Deck to my hand, or destroy up to the number of 【Hero】 monsters on my field other than 【E·Hero Sky Warrior】. Here, I choose the second effect."

"Besides [E·hero Sky Hero], I also have two [Hero] monsters on my field: [E·hero Shadow Mist Lady] and [E·hero Bubble Hero], which is just enough to destroy both of my opponent's back row cards."

"Go, [E·hero Sky Warrior]!"

Unexpectedly, Jaden immediately started clearing the back row, and [King of Light - Queen Mador] used as many cards as possible before her own cards were destroyed: "Then I'll chain the effect of [E-Hero Sky Warrior], and I'll also activate the first effect of the Continuous Trap Card [Wet Wind] that I used once before. Pay me 1000 Life Points and add one [Fragrant] monster from my Deck to my hand!"

[Battle of the King of Light - Queen Mador: 4300 → 3300 LP]

But that wasn't all. The moment she deliberately lowered her Life Points to a level lower than Jaden's, [King of Light Battle - Queen Mador] spoke again: "And at that moment, the second effect of [Moist Wind] also met the activation conditions. It can only be activated when my Life Points are lower than the opponent's Life Points, restoring my Life Points to 500."

"Then, because my Life Points were restored, I drew a card from my deck under the effect of [Aroma Mage - Jasmine]!"

Chapter 1352 The Heroes' Opening Battle

Although it was linked to the effect of Jaden's [E·hero Sky Warrior], [King of Light Battle - Queen Mador] activated two effects in one go, but neither of the two effects could stop the destructive effect of [E·hero Sky Warrior].

So, after the Life Points of [Light King Warrior - Queen Mador] dropped and then rose again, and she gained one card in her hand, when she started dealing with the effect of [E·hero Sky Warrior], the two tornadoes still swept away and destroyed both cards on her back field. Then, she drew another card from her hand because of the effect of [Aroma Mage - Jasmine].

[Light Realm King Battle - Queen Mador: 3300→3800LP, Hand Cards 1→3]

"Although it can recover a lot, it's also quite fast to use, that [Fragrance] deck, meow." Daitokuji said, looking at the fluctuating Life Points of [Light King Warrior - Queen Mador], "Since [Fragrance Night Demon - Magnolia] has left my field, there's no point in keeping Life Points higher than Jaden's, so I'm just using the last bit of [Moist Wind] to convert Life Points into resources in my hand, meow?"

"Would you even be willing to sacrifice your precious Life Points for a single hand card?" Marufuji Sho asked, somewhat puzzled. For him, Life Points were still quite important in a duel.

However, upon hearing Marufuji Sho's words, Marufuji Ryo, who had remained silent all along, sneered disdainfully, "Precious life points? No, there is only one important thing in a duel, and that is the final victory. In the pursuit of victory, even useless things like favorite cards, feelings for your opponent, or life points can be sacrificed for it."

"You, who cannot even understand this and have no desire to win, are not qualified to be a duelist."

"That's not true at all!" Even though the person opposite him was Ryo Marufuji, the older brother he used to look up to, Sho Marufuji still argued vehemently the moment he was denied. "Victory is not everything for a duelist. My older brother in the past—no, the Ryo Marufuji in the past—also thought so. Are you denying your past self, Caesar!"

Faced with Marufuji Sho's question, Marufuji Ryo nodded without hesitation and said, "Ah, of course that's right. So the past me is dead. Don't make me repeat the same thing. That would make you look stupid, and I would be even more stupid to waste time talking to you."

"A duelist's base score is infinite as long as it doesn't reach zero. What a duelist should pursue is not 'invincibility'. If you can't understand this, then continue to drown in your childish fantasies and comfort zone."

With that, Ryo Marufuji directly rejected Sho Marufuji's attempt to refute him and continued watching Jaden's duel.

Seeing that Marufuji Ryo didn't even look at him, Marufuji Sho clenched his fists, his heart filled with resentment.

'If it's my older brother... yes, he'd definitely understand and agree with me.' Turning his gaze to Judai on the field, Marufuji Sho thought to himself, 'That's right, unlike Caesar, my older brother Judai would definitely agree with me. Because he admires heroes and enjoys dueling!'

"That's amazing. They actually managed to recover the two cards they lost before they were destroyed." Seeing the increase in the hand size of [Light King Battle - Queen Mador], Jaden smiled happily. "Although they look like delicate girls, the [Fragrance] deck also has a strong will."

"Don't think you can change my impression of you just by saying nice things about my [Fragrance], you 'hero' kid." Despite saying this, [Light King Warrior - Queen Mador] couldn't help but smirk when she heard her card being praised. "Right now, we both only have three cards in our hands, but the monsters on the field are clearly of higher quality with my [Fragrance] cards. The advantage is mine!"

When comparing the quality of the monsters on both sides' fields, [King of Light - Queen Mador] did not hesitate to exclude [Lava Demon], which Jaden had forcibly put on his field.

"If you only look at the attack and defense stats of the monsters on the field, you are indeed stronger. However, heroes of justice should not be alone. Only when heroes work together can they unleash their true power!" Jaden pointed to a card in front of him, and in Daitokuji's excited eyes, a vortex of power appeared on his field.

"Here it comes, it's coming! Judai's true talent!" In his excitement, Daitokuji even forgot his usual "meow" verbal tic. "Let the other side witness your [Fusion], Judai!"

"Os!" Jaden responded, focusing intently on the duel without turning around, and shouted, "[Kagekiri]-chan, [Sky]-san! Lend me your power!"

"The Spell Card [Displacement Fusion] is activated! This card's name is treated as [Fusion] under the rules, and its effect is a special [Fusion] that limits its range to my field, sends the Fusion Material Monsters specified in the Fusion Monster to the Graveyard, and Fusion Summons a Fusion Monster from the Fusion Deck!"

"Send my WIND-attribute [E-Hero Skywalker] and DARK-attribute [E-Hero Shadow Mist Lady] to the Graveyard as Fusion Materials. The material requirement is two [Hero] monsters of different attributes!"

On the field, the two heroes leaped into the vortex created by [Displacement Fusion], transforming into two completely opposite elemental forces, Gale and Darkness, which were perfectly harmonized in the fusion vortex. At the same time, Jaden raised his right hand.

"The gale under the night sky will gather and transform into the light of hope to bloom at dawn. Show your brilliance, Hero of the Sun!"

"Fusion Summon, Level 7☆!"

The card materialized out of thin air in his hand, and Jaden swung the Fusion Monster Card forward, transforming it into a golden and red ball of light that shot out at lightning speed!

"Wake-Up! [E·hero Sunrise Man]!"

The forces of wind and darkness intertwined on Jaden's field, transforming into a deep blue cloak fluttering in the wind. The golden and red orbs of light stopped, revealing a hero who radiated a dazzling yet gentle light, like the sun!

Before the tenth generation, [E·hero Sunrise Warrior] makes a grand entrance!

【E·hero Sunrise Man】【7☆/Light】

[Warrior Race/Fusion/Effect]

[2500/1200]

"This radiance of the sun... Could it be that you, 'hero' kid, are really someone who cherishes light and justice and aspires to be a 'hero'?" Seeing the [E·hero Sunrise Warrior] summoned by Jaden, [King of Light War - Queen Mador] was quite surprised. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, seemingly lost in thought.

"Of course! It didn't just start when Hayato-sensei gave me [E·hero]. I've been admiring cool and righteous 'heroes' for a long time, even before that." Jaden gave his answer without hesitation. "I like 'heroes' and want to become a righteous partner like them!"

[King of Light Battle - Queen Mador] After a moment of silence, she muttered to herself, "Such a hopeful and radiant heart, even that liar couldn't fake it in a duel where hearts are laid bare. The thought of such a heart disappearing or turning against itself... I'm starting to hope the prophecy is wrong..."

"prophecy?"

"It's nothing, let's continue the duel, young hero." Unexpectedly, Jaden's hearing was so good that he actually heard her mutterings. [King of Light Battle - Queen Mador] had no intention of telling him anything now; she simply decided to continue the duel. However, her attitude had changed somewhat; at least she didn't emphasize the word "hero" when addressing Jaden. "Your warrior shouldn't only have the ability to emit light like a lamp, right?"

"Hmph, how could [E·hero Sunrise Warrior] only have that level of power? He is the hero of the sun who represents hope and can bring 'miracles'." Jaden proudly introduced his favorite card, "When [E·hero Sunrise Warrior] is Special Summoned, I can add one [Miracle Fusion] from my deck to my hand."

"However, before the sun rises, the [Hero] who upholds justice in the darkness still has a final power to pass on." Behind Jaden, the dashing [E·hero Shadow Mist Lady] crossed her arms in front of her chest, then opened them, channeling her power into Jaden and conjuring a card in front of him. "[E·hero Shadow Mist Lady] can only use one of her two effects per turn."

"This effect can only be activated if [E·hero Shadow Mist Lady] is sent to the graveyard. Add [Hero] other than [E·hero Shadow Mist Lady] from my deck to my hand. I chose [E·hero Liquid Man].

[Yujo Judai: 4000LP, hand size 2→4]

"That's amazing! This is exactly what I wanted to see, meow!" Daitokuji exclaimed excitedly as he saw Jaden's hand grow larger. "Even though it's an extremely card-deficient fusion, Jaden managed to perfectly harmonize it with his own power, achieving the miracle of increasing his hand size with each play. This is the alchemy I've been waiting for, meow!"

"Given time, perhaps Judai will be able to surpass Principal Hayato's current 'fusion' power!"

When Maeda heard Daitokuji's words, he didn't think much of it at first, but Daitokuji's second sentence made him feel a little strange: "Daitokuji-sensei, you seem to have high hopes for Judai, so why did you add so many limitations to Judai?"

"Well, Principal Hayato is like this. Ordinary people would have to exert all their strength just to see his back, let alone him getting stronger at a faster pace than anyone else. As he himself claims, he has godlike talent that transcends his time, and the times can't keep up with his pace, meow~" Daitokuji shrugged. "By the time when others finally reach his current level, he might have already developed a completely new way of summoning?"

What Daitokuji didn't say was that during the time he was adapting to his new body at the Kaiba Corporation, he "accidentally" saw a special video recording stored by Kaiba. Judging from the shooting angle, it seemed to be a duel video secretly filmed using the surveillance backdoor built into the Duel Disk.

Among them, besides Yugi Muto and Hayato Kobayashi, Daitokuji also saw Judai, who was obviously older than he is now, and a man with a brightly colored crab-shaped haircut. The group was playing cards with a man sitting on a flying motorcycle.

The video was short, but it contained a lot of information. It included not only the image of himself appearing in spirit form next to the seemingly grown-up Jaden, and the demonic spirit that was quite intimate with him, but more importantly, the crab-headed figure and the new card with a white border called "Synchro Monster" used by Hayato and his opponents!

Even a few words were enough to broaden Daitokuji's horizons. For an alchemist of his caliber, that fragment of information had given him enough inspiration and direction to explore. Before entering the virtual world, he had even almost found that special particle in the real world that was still dormant and had not yet been activated.

When the new summoning method appears, Mr. Duel King, who is already invincible, will probably become even stronger and more powerful due to the removal of his upper limit.

On the duel field, Jaden was unaware of Daitokuji's expectations. As he watched his hand grow, he continued, "Next up is this card, the Spell Card [Fusion]. This time, I'll choose [E-Hero Liquid Man], which I just added to my hand, and [E-Hero Bubble Man], which I control. I'll send them to the Graveyard as Fusion Materials to add a WATER monster to the [Hero] monster!"

"Born from the element of water, and sublimated from the element of water, the dual water elements will awaken the hero of ice!"

"Fusion Summon, Level 8☆!"

As Jaden threw out the card, a huge ice crystal rose up on his field, then shattered violently, scattering frost everywhere! From within it, a warrior clad in holy white armor appeared!

"Shatter the heavens, [E·hero Absolute Zero]!"

【E·hero Absolute Zero】【8☆/Water】

[Warrior Race/Fusion/Effect]

[2500/2000]