Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

As Jaden spoke, he found another card and showed it to Ameruda.

But Ameruda's speechless expression was even more obvious than before: "I believe your card design predates Pokémon, but I think you weren't even born when Ultraman was introduced in 1966, were you?"

"It's one thing if the design is somewhat similar, but you're making no attempt to hide the fact that this card is based on Ultraman Neos! You haven't even changed the name, you've just added 'E·hero' to it!"

Jaden couldn't refute it at all, because he really did design the new [Hero] in his hand—[E·hero Neo]—by referencing Ultraman Neos's chest lamp, head lamp, and the lines and patterns on his body, just as Ameruda said.

"Because these cards were launched into space five years ago, and the latest Ultraman at that time was 'Neo'." Jaden scratched the back of his head sheepishly and chuckled. "And although it only has twelve episodes and isn't as popular as 'Tiga' from a few years ago or 'Seven OVA' from the same period, Neos is still a pretty exciting story of a hero."

"Such a wonderful heroic story, but it couldn't even be broadcast on TV back then. I thought that at least the story of Ultraman Neos on Earth could be transmitted back to the Land of Light. So, in order to avoid copyright disputes with Tsuburaya Productions, which had not yet been acquired by International Illusion Company, I drew the image of [E·hero Neos] and secretly put the videotape on it."

“I understand the reasoning, but there’s one more thing.” Ameruda pointed to the word “Normal” on the [E·Hero Neos] card again. “I remember Ultraman Neos had a lot of superpowers in his character design, so how come your card, which is based on him, has become a Normal Monster with no effect whatsoever?”

Now, Jaden looked completely bewildered: "Does Ultraman Neos have a lot of superpowers? But he doesn't have any in the show?"

Ameruda understood. So, Jaden designed E-Hero Neos based on Ultraman Neos from the story. However, due to space and budget constraints, many of Ultraman Neos's superpowers were not shown, resulting in E-Hero Neos not having many special abilities and ultimately becoming a regular monster.

"If you were to use 'Tiga' as the model, would you even need to design a normal monster? Wouldn't it become an overpowered monster that can be Special Summoned on its own, can search for cards to assist in its combo, can also block the opponent's combo, and even has maximum resistance, and can release an effect just by posing a pose?"

Upon hearing Amelda's description, Jaden was somewhat tempted by the god-tier T0 monster he spoke of—"Tiga Neos." However, he didn't look down on the ordinary monster [E. Hero Neos] because of this. He said with great joy, "No matter what, I still have full confidence in [E. Hero Neos]. Even now, he is very strong."

As he spoke, Jaden couldn't help but flip through his deck, taking out all the cards that had been added to his deck along with [E. Hero Neos], such as monsters with the [Neo] tag [E. Hero Neos] and [Neospace Guide], spell cards [EN-Battle Neospace] and [Neo Fusion], trap card [Neospace Expansion], and fusion monster [E. Hero Neos], as well as support cards for [N. Dolphin] such as [Cross Watcher], and many other cards.

However, without exception, all of these cards were related to the two cards that he knew he had put into the satellite—[C·Little Dolphin] and [E·Hero Neos]—but none of the cards could remind Jaden of what the third card he had put into the satellite and launched into outer space was.

Looking at the card [N·Water Wave Dolphin] in his hand, Jaden asked directly, "[N·Water Wave Dolphin], do you still remember the other card that was launched into outer space with you back then?"

However, the card spirit [N·Water Wave Dolphin] residing in the card shook its head under Jaden's expectant gaze: "I'm sorry, Jaden, theoretically we are not the cards you launched into outer space back then. Do you remember what I told you before?"

"The endless universe was born from light and darkness. The multiverse was created by light, but it was also destroyed by light. The universes block each other and cast shadows to protect each other, thus preserving themselves. Light and shadow take the universe as their stage and represent the continuous battle between good and evil."

"There is light that creates life, and there is light that destroys everything. Darkness gently nurtures life, and sometimes it carries negativity and malice. Light and darkness fight endlessly, but their positions are not fixed, just like the Duel Monsters cards that constantly change between face-up and face-down."

"However, what is certain is that every shift in the positions of light and darkness represents the arrival of a fierce battle. The most recent one happened a few years ago, when the light of creation dispelled the darkness that carried malice, but in the process of creation, it gradually turned into the light of destruction due to 'entropy increase', while the darkness of 'antimatter' also turned into justice that gave birth to hope."

Looking at Jaden with his blank expression, as if he were born of a mother, [N·Water Wave Dolphin] decided to keep it simple: "In short, the [New Space], born from 'antimatter,' needs to find someone with the right dark power to fight against the light in order to fight this war for justice. Jaden, the card you launched into the universe made us realize that you possess the dark power to save the universe and the sense of justice in your heart, which is why we ultimately chose you."

"The card you hold in our possession is the power created by the cosmic vibrations we emitted and the resonance with the [New Space] that you designed back then. It is not the card that you originally launched into the universe as a mere sketch, nor is it the antimatter power within the [New Space] that cannot appear in reality. Rather, it is a completely new power born from the combination of the two."

"Because it's not the original card or the power within the [New Space] itself, [N. Water Wave Dolphin] was able to appear as a Duel Monster Card," Jaden said with sudden realization. "It's just a bit of a shame, I still can't remember what the other card I fired was. I'll ask Hayato-sensei later."

Seeing that Jaden finally understood, [N·Water Wave Dolphin] also breathed a sigh of relief, wiping non-existent sweat from his skin: "That's pretty much it. This is the power of 'connection' that was born from your sense of justice, Jaden, making us, the cards you created, a bridge connecting your universe and our universe."

"Moreover, I can sense that along with my connection with you, many other companions from the [New Space] have come to Earth through the bridge."

“I understand. Perhaps the ‘N’ in your [N·Water Wave Dolphin] card also means ‘Nexus’ besides ‘Neo’. That’s what they call ‘light is the bond’.” Jaden put away his deck and looked up at the sky with great interest. “Then let’s go find our other [New Space] partners!”

Chapter 1483 In water, fire, grass, forest, earth, clouds, and her skirt ( )

"Meow!"

"You stingy guy, why are you getting so worked up? These are our food to begin with, what's wrong with me having one more skewer?"

As soon as Marufuji Sho opened his eyes after waking up, he saw Judai sitting side by side with the "leopard cat" that had stolen their food earlier, around the campfire. Judai was pushing the "leopard cat's" head against one side while pulling a skewer of barbecue out of a bubble next to it, and he was talking indistinctly while biting into the grilled meat.

"...Big brother?"

Hearing the voice, Judai turned around, looked at Marufuji Sho with a smile, and said, "Oh, you're awake, Sho? Want some skewers?"

"Who feeds others the moment they wake up?" Sho retorted, then looked at Judai. "But big brother, didn't you get hit by a meteor earlier? You seem... fine now?"

"It's a long story, but in short, I think I experienced a 'Alice in Wonderland' once."

Starting with Europa, Jaden recounts what he previously told Amelda: "About how I was dragged into a game of cards by a Duel Monster that turned out to be a painting from my past, and incidentally chosen to save the world." Throughout, he adds his own subtle descriptions and onomatopoeia to further develop the story, for example—

"Although the opponent's [Light Source Beast - Gandora Dragon] has an attack power of up to 3000 points and attacks very powerfully, its attack power is entirely dependent on the hand cards. It is just like the [Sky Dragon of Osiris] that Hayato-sensei mentioned. It is a 'traitor dragon'."

Holding a twig, Jaden drew a rather abstract, but actually quite realistic, two-legged, two-headed dragon on the ground. He then showed off his newest and coolest card to Marufuji Sho, saying, "However, the power of [N·Water Wave Dolphin] perfectly countered the opponent. It's almost like it was printed out on the spot as a counter card. No, if I had to say, this is the epic and destiny-like feeling of [Hero]."

"【N·Water Wave Dolphin】 requires discarding a card to activate. By checking your opponent's hand and selecting one of their monsters, if a monster with an ATK equal to or greater than the targeted monster's ATK is on your field, destroy the targeted monster and inflict 500 damage to your opponent. If the monster is not on your field, you take 500 damage."

After reading out the effect of the card 【N·Water Wave Dolphin】, Marufuji Sho exclaimed in surprise, "An effect that can destroy cards in the hand isn't even available once per turn? That means you used the effect three times in one go and destroyed your opponent's entire hand in one go!?"

"Hehe, at that time, [N·Water Wave Dolphin]'s 'Echo Location' just locked onto the opponent's hand with a 'click'. Although I was also surprised that the opponent's hand was full of monsters with low attack power, it just so happened that [N·Water Wave Dolphin] had a chance to shine. I used its 'Pulse Blast' to destroy the opponent's hand in three consecutive 'bang bang bang' attacks, and also dealt 1500 points of effect damage. Incidentally, it also reduced the attack power of [Light Source Beast - Gandora Dragon] to 0."

After a pause, Jaden took the card from Marufuji Sho and showed another card: "So in the end, by attacking the [Light Beast - Gandora Dragon] with 0 attack power, the [E·Hero Neos] with 2500 attack power successfully dealt a full 2500 battle damage, clearing the opponent's Life Points and defeating them."

“Even this scene has become this card.” The magic card in Jaden’s hand records the moment Jaden won that dreamlike duel. “Although the effect has nothing to do with that time.”

“[N] Monsters... A new category.” Marufuji Sho looked at the description on the card and was genuinely happy for Jaden. “Just one [N Water Wave Dolphin] has made you even stronger, I wonder what your deck will look like after you get other [N] Monsters.”

"Hayato-sensei also said that the second year is the best time for us to adjust our decks and try new structures. Since you said that it's not just [N·Water Wave Dolphin], but also many other 'new spaces' and more [N] power that have come to Earth waiting for you to obtain, let's set off early tomorrow to look around!"

Although Hayato dragged Jaden and the others to the island early in the morning to start this "wilderness survival" exercise, a day is so long that when Marufuji Sho woke up, he found that it was already dark. This is one of the reasons why Jaden lit a campfire even after he had prepared a lot of food. After all, the temperature is still quite cold this season, and if they don't pay attention to keeping warm, they might catch a cold when they wake up the next day.

Seeing how eager Marufuji Sho was to help him find the other "new space" companions mentioned by [N·Water Wave Dolphin], Judai said with emotion, "Thanks, Sho, I appreciate your kindness, but there's no need for that, because I've already found the other [N]s."

Upon drawing from his deck, Jaden re-extracted other [N] cards, including [N-Water Wave Dolphin]. Marufuji Sho discovered that their attributes covered all six major attributes except for the Divine attribute: Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, Light, and Dark. Furthermore, their designs were all based on a creature from Earth, and their races corresponded to their respective references, except—

“The Bird-Beast race’s [N·Sky Hummingbird], the Plant race’s [N·Radiant Moss], the Insect race’s [N·Flame Beetle]…” Marufuji Sho pointed to the [N] card that first appeared next to Jaden, “It’s neither an Aquatic nor a Fish race, so why is [N·Wave Dolphin] a Warrior race?”

"Xiang, what are you talking about? Dolphins aren't fish, they're mammals!"

"Why are we looking for realism in Duel Monsters at a time like this? All the other Dolphin Monsters are fish, aren't they?"

Hearing Marufuji Sho's sarcastic remark, Jaden looked at the card in his hand. After hearing the card spirit's reply, he imitated [N·Water Wave Dolphin], pointing a thumbs-up at himself with a matter-of-fact expression: "Because [N·Water Wave Dolphin] isn't a dolphin, but a 'Dolphina Alien'!"

“Sho, you were asleep so you didn’t know. I went to great lengths to find them.” Holding the cards, Jaden counted on his fingers, “Except for the [N·Water Wave Dolphin] which was on the beach of Io, I found the other [N]s in the forest, on the edge of the cliff, in the soil, on the grass, and even in the volcano. It was dark by the time I found them all.”

"Compared to how you are not at all directionally challenged when you're looking for the cards, I want to complain about how incredibly efficient you are. It's like I've been unconscious for two or three days."

Considering that it was only noon when he fell unconscious, Jaden managed to collect all the cards for "New Space" on this island in just one afternoon. Isn't his efficiency a bit exaggerated?

“While Jaden Yuki is indeed efficient, the main reason is that these cards were created through him as a medium and bridge, and naturally they would be born near him.” Carrying some firewood, Ameruda came to the campfire and said as she walked, “In other words, it’s not that Jaden Yuki found the [N] that existed in the corresponding location beforehand, but rather that [N] was born in a specific location through Jaden.”

"Perhaps this is what Hayato-sensei often refers to as 'Do you believe in gravity?'"

Jaden smiled and handed a skewer of grilled meat to Ameruda. However, Ameruda glanced at the skewer in Jaden's hand and showed no intention of refusing. She even said, "Perhaps it's a difference in customs. In Italy, when people take poison, they usually choose something that works quickly and doesn't cause much suffering. They wouldn't choose to eat those raw and burnt green beans like the ones you're holding."

"Huh? The green beans are raw? I roasted them for ages, they were burnt. No wonder they tasted a bit tough." Jaden handed the green beans to Ameruda while also chewing one himself. Hearing Ameruda's words, he quickly spat them out.

"Meow~" While Jaden and Amelda were avoiding the green beans like the plague, the leopard cat at Jaden's feet continued to eat nonchalantly, meowing as if to say something like, "Where are these green beans old? These green beans taste amazing~"

"Sometimes I envy those monster-fighting guys; they're so carefree." Marufuji Sho, though not a professional chef, knew that green beans shouldn't be eaten raw. Suddenly, he remembered something. "But speaking of which, why is this cat following us?"

"Although it did steal our food at first, we escaped together later, right? We've been through a crisis together. And it was with me when I went to find the 'new spaces,' so it's our partner now." Judai said casually, taking out a card. "Look, Sho, it even gave me the card."

"If it encounters Hayato Kobayashi's 'Inferno Machine' or other decks that specialize in Special Summoning monsters from the Graveyard or banished, it's a pretty good card." Ameruda commented on the card that is the leopard cat at Jaden's feet—[Joyful Companion - Meow Meow Leopard Cat]. "I just wonder what the other cards Hayato Kobayashi left on the island are like."

Jaden, who was teasing the [Friendly Companion - Meow Meow Leopard Cat], was a little surprised: "Huh? Are there any other [Friendly Companions] on the island? I haven't encountered any all day."

"Because the island is very big, and monsters like these are not common, right? I remember that Hayato Kobayashi brought three to the island as 'treasures' for you students to discover on your own. Let alone more, you are already considered lucky among your classmates to have encountered one."

Although Ameruda said so, Jaden had his own thoughts: "Today I found Sho, and [N·Water Wave Dolphin] also found his companions. Although I don't know how the others are progressing, why don't we go and help [Joyful Companion·Meow Meow Leopard Cat] find its other companions tomorrow? Maybe it's also feeling incredibly lonely because it doesn't have any companions?"

"I think you don't need to worry about this guy, big brother." Looking at the things that Judai made that were supposed to be food and were reacting excessively to Maillard, Marufuji Sho complained, "It looks so carefree. It looks pink, but its actions and expressions are so smug... Ah, my stomach is starting to hurt."

(Cat Lime)

So, raw green beans really shouldn't be eaten. Even the monster [Joyful Companion Meow Leopard Cat], which ate raw green beans not long ago, was already curled up and rolling on the ground, seemingly in stomach pain. The bubbles on its body had shrunk considerably, leaving only its cat head whimpering.

Just as it started rolling around, it accidentally bumped into something on the ground. A small white, chick-like creature was knocked out by [Happy Companion·Meow Meow Leopard Cat] and rolled out, appearing in the open space.

"Waaaaah!?"

("Kun Kun")

The creature, "Kun Kun," was startled when it was suddenly bumped into. When it realized that the others were all looking at it after it appeared, it suddenly jumped up from the ground as if it was startled and ran into the forest. Its body quickly became transparent, and it seemed that it had been staying next to the others in this transparent state.

It just thought it was lively around here and came to see what was going on, but who knew it would suddenly be bumped into by [Happy Companion·Meow Meow Leopard Cat]. Unforgivable, [Meow Meow Leopard Cat]!

(Transparent state)

Seeing the mysterious creature that suddenly appeared and disappeared, Jaden, who had been busy all day without a moment's rest, was intrigued. He jumped up and excitedly exclaimed, "Was that Pokémon?!"

"No, the ones on the island are just materialized Duel Monsters, right?" Marufuji Sho retorted, then looked at the [Friendly Companion Meow Meow Leopard Cat] with some doubt. It had recovered by splitting off food by putting it into a bubble, but it was much smaller and had lost its limbs, so it could only wriggle around. "But, I feel like that monster from before looks a bit like the [Friendly Companion Meow Meow Leopard Cat]?"

"Could that be another 'Friendly Companion'? That's great! We just decided to look for other 'Friendly Companions' tomorrow, and we've already run into one tonight!" Jaden said excitedly. "We can't let this discovery go to waste. I'll go see where that monster went!"

"Sho, you and Mr. Ameruda stay here. I'll be right back if I can't find him!" With that, Jaden rushed into the dense forest with his deck and Duel Disk without waiting for the other two to catch up.

On the other side of the dense forest, watching the long-tailed titmouse, which had lost its invisibility and rapidly grown from its initial "Kun Kun" form to fly back into her hand, Fubuki asked with a puzzled look, "What's wrong, Jungjung?"

"Hmm? You said something was chasing you?" Frowning, Fubuki stood up, glanced at the direction the little bird in her hand—[Joyful Companion - Fluffy Long-tailed Tit]—had come from, and immediately put on the Duel Disk she had put down and picked up her deck. "This island is really full of dangers, even at night it's not peaceful?"

"I'm starting to regret not going to find a supply depot to spend the night. But I don't care."

Having spent many nights outdoors while carrying out missions for the Shadows of the Forest as "Darkness," Fubuki has plenty of ways to deal with nature. She has drawn her cards in advance and is ready to go, waiting for the creature in the dense forest to reveal itself.

Chapter 1484 Keith Must Destroy Ameruda

First, let's be clear about one thing: although Jaden Yuki is physically strong and has the rare ability of a "spirit user," he is undoubtedly an ordinary human being. He does not possess the "premonition sense" that allows him to foresee danger, nor does he have the "night vision" that allows nocturnal creatures.

It was already past six o'clock in the evening. Although the island where Jaden and his friends were conducting their "wilderness survival" activity was some distance from the Duel Academy, it was still located in the tropical region of the Indian Ocean. In May, the sun sets around six o'clock in this area, and without sunlight, the forest, which was already dim due to the shade of the trees, became even darker.

When Jaden left the supply point where he had stopped earlier, he could still vaguely see the forest by the firelight behind him. But as he chased the strange creature deeper and deeper into the forest, his visibility became shorter and shorter.

Although it wasn't pitch black yet, Jaden was gradually only able to see the scenery within a meter around him. However, the tree roots in the forest were intertwined, and Jaden used up most of his attention just to avoid tripping while running, leaving him no time to worry about whether there were other things around him.

However, after Jaden ran a distance, he discovered a light emanating from a spot in the woods ahead, which seemed to be the direction the suspected "Friendly Companion" had fled. This allowed him to focus on avoiding the uneven ground and not be distracted.

In addition, as a "spirit user", Jaden has the advantage that he can make Winged Kuriboh and N-wave Dolphin leave the card without materializing, so that they can guard around him or help him find his way, unlike others who need to consume a lot of stamina to materialize the Duel Monsters in order to get their help.

However, just as human abilities have limits, so too do Pokémon abilities. The Winged Kuriboh, remaining by Jaden's side, used its innate ability to sense malice to warn him of potential danger. But what if the being was not malicious—

Yawning, the blond man sleepily pulled off his eye mask and realized that it was already dark. Hit by Hayato Kobayashi as a "safety officer," he had come to this island in the Eastern Hemisphere. Still jet-lagged, he glanced at the distant lights, knowing the kid he'd found was probably alright. He casually sat up from his hammock, which he'd set up in the woods, and headed to a nearby supply depot for something to eat.

Then, the blond man who hadn't noticed Judai at all, and Judai who hadn't noticed the blond man either, bumped into each other next to a large tree that served as a wall at a crossroads in an anime series, and both fell down in the woods.

"Which-jerk?!" "Which-jerk?!"

As Fubuki, still on guard, walked into the woods carrying an oil lamp, he had only taken a few steps when he heard those two sounds. He initially thought it was one of the materialized dueling monsters on the island chasing the little tit beside him, but upon hearing human voices, he lowered his guard somewhat and approached, asking, "Who's over there?"

"Huh? It's Fubuki!" By the light of the oil lamp, Fubuki first saw Judai, who was closer to her. Judai also recognized Fubuki as she approached and said in surprise, "What a coincidence, you're also around here?"

"I didn't expect to run into you, Judai. I thought with your speed and agility, you would have gone far ahead by now." Coming to Judai's side, Fubuki held a lantern in one hand and reached out with the other to help Judai, who had fallen to the ground, up. As she asked, she looked at the other person who had been knocked down, "What did I just hear? What happened here?"

"Uh, it's my fault. I was chasing a Duel Monster that looked like a chick in the dark, and I wasn't paying attention. I think I bumped into someone." Jaden pointed to the blond man on the other side who was still wearing sunglasses when he fell down and complained, "But why would you wear sunglasses in such a dark forest?"

"Hey you clumsy brat over there, do I need your critique of my outfit?!" Clutching the back of his head, the blond man was relieved that he hadn't bumped into some rock and passed out in a melodramatic way. He then took off his headscarf, unfolded it into a handkerchief, wiped the dust off his clothes, and casually put his sunglasses on his forehead.

He looked at Jaden and Fubuki, "You bumped into me so hard for no reason, and then you were saying those kinds of things? That's why I've never liked kids your age from the beginning. You're annoying and hateful. If it weren't for the fact that Hayato Kobayashi offered such a high reward, I wouldn't have come here."

Looking at the blond man's face, Fubuki felt that the man looked somewhat familiar, but now was not the time to ask about his identity. Instead, she politely apologized to him on behalf of Jaden, saying, "I'm so sorry, sir. My friend was a bit impetuous and offended you."