Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Jaden explained the reason for the increase in his monster's attack power: "In other words, although [Winged Kuriboh LV6] is no longer on my field, her will will be inherited, and she will continue to fight alongside my [E-Heroes]!"

"Hey, don't look like you're having fun with duels! Why are you smiling?!" Edward said, somewhat annoyed, looking at Jaden's upturned lips. "Showing off your cards, is that how you understand [Hero]? Are they your tools for showing off your power?!"

"But duels are meant to bring smiles, so what's wrong with the [Hero]s bringing laughter to people?"

"That's why I said that something so flimsy isn't a true [Hero]!" Edward gritted his teeth, taking a card from the graveyard. "Stop being so smug... Even if [D·hero Blood Demon-D] is defeated, my [D·hero]'s battle continues!"

"Because I have a [D·hero] monster in my Graveyard other than [D·hero Negation Man], I Special Summon [D·hero Negation Man] from my Graveyard, and activate its effect. I choose one [D·hero] monster from my Deck, Graveyard, and banished monsters and place it on top of my Deck. I choose [D·hero Fear Man]!"

【D·hero Denies People】【3☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[1100/600]

After placing the cards on the field, Edward played another spell card from his hand. "Next up is this normal spell card, 'Angel's Charity.' I draw three cards from my deck and discard two cards from my hand."

After changing his hand, Edward didn't rush to use the [D·hero Fear Man] he had just searched for with the effect of [D·hero Negation Man]. Instead, he first used the effect of [V·hero Bionic Man] on the field: "After that, I use the second effect of [V·hero Bionic Man] on my field to banish the third [D·hero Demonic Man] from my graveyard to activate this effect. Add one [Fusion] from my deck to my hand."

[Ed Phoenix: 2100LP, hand 3→3→4]

"Next, since I haven't performed a Normal Summon this turn, a Level 8 monster requires two monsters as Tributes. Tribute my [D. Hero Negator] and [V. Hero Bionic] to perform a Tribute Summon!"

"The lonely man in the iron mask, imprisoned beneath the clock tower, break free from the heavy chains that bind you and cry out from your heart to fate!"

"Superior Summoning, Level 8☆!"

"All bindings broken—[D·hero Fear Man]!"

【D·hero Fear Man】【8☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

【？ /？】

Chapter 1516 Heavenly Soaring Overwhelming Mountain Palm

Ed Phoenix: 2100LP, 3 cards in hand

【D·hero Fear Man】【8☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

【？ /？】

"It's out! It's the same monster that appeared during the duel with Hayato-sensei!" Kenzan swallowed hard. "Now that [D·hero Blood Demon-D] has just been defeated, it has summoned a new powerful monster so quickly. Are this year's freshmen monsters?"

"Don't talk like you're not a freshman!" Marufuji Sho retorted. "Besides, aren't you just boosting the other side's morale and diminishing the older brother's prestige?"

"Senior, you don't understand anything. You need to use the strength of the opponent to highlight how powerful Big Brother is."

However, there's no need for Kenzan to praise it. Edward's [D·hero Fear Man] is not a weak card to begin with, especially now that Edward has accumulated enough powerful cards in his graveyard.

"When [D. Hero Fearman] is successfully Summoned or Special Summoned, destroy all monsters on my field except for [D. Hero] monsters—however, right now I only have [D. Hero Fearman] on my field." Ed paused, then took two cards from his Graveyard. "And after that, I can Special Summon up to two monsters with [D. Hero] in their names from my Graveyard."

"Come forth, [D·hero Disc Man], [D·hero Dash Man]!"

Neither of these two cards appeared during Edward's previous playthrough. If I'm not mistaken, these two cards are most likely the two cards Edward sent to the graveyard with "Angel's Charity".

【D·hero Disc Man】【1☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[300/300]

【D·hero Sprinter】【6☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[2100/1000]

(How many people didn't notice the card and thought he only had one leg?)

After placing the two cards, Edward continued, "The ATK and DEF of [D·hero Fearman] will become the sum of the ATK of all [D·hero] monsters I control, excluding this card. The heavier the fate, the stronger the power that [D·hero] can bring to my [D·hero]. This power is the reason for becoming [Hero]!"

【D·hero Fear Man】【? /? →2400/2400】

"Not only that, when [D·hero Discman] is successfully Special Summoned from the Graveyard, I draw two cards from my Deck." Drawing two cards, Edward waved his hand again. "Next, I activate the effect of [D·hero Rushman] on my field. Once per turn, I can Tribute one monster I control to activate this effect, increasing its ATK by 1000 until the end of the turn. The monster I'm Tributing is [D·hero Discman]!"

At Edward's command, a disc flew out from D·hero Disc Man and inserted into D·hero Dash Man's body. D·hero Disc Man appeared behind D·hero Dash Man in a semi-transparent form, as if he had become a "stand-in". D·hero Dash Man's attack power surged.

Although the number of monsters on the field has decreased, the power of [D·hero Dashman] has increased instead of decreased because the attack power of [D·hero Discman] far exceeds that of [D·hero Fearman].

【D·hero Sprinter】【ATK2100→3100】

【D·hero Fear Man】【ATK2400→3100】

"Attack power exceeds 3000 points, and there are two of them?!"

"It's too early to be surprised! The power of [D·hero] is far greater than you can imagine!" Edward revealed a card in his hand. "The Spell Card [Fusion Fate] is activated! This card allows me to send the Fusion Material Monsters determined by the Fusion Monster from my hand and Deck to the Graveyard, and to Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster that uses a [D·hero] monster as Fusion Material from my Fusion Deck. The Fusion Material I send to the Graveyard is [D·hero Divinity] and the Level 8 [D·hero Doctrine]!"

"The required fusion materials are a Level 6 or higher [Hero] monster and a [D·hero] monster. Heroes of the divine world, heroes of noble will, now unite as one, and descend upon this land as the immortal hero of ultimate destiny!"

"Fusion Summon, Level 8☆!"

Flames erupted on the field of love, and in the space between [D·hero Sprinter] and [D·hero Fearer], the soaring flames transformed into a phoenix!

Edward played a card and shouted, "Fly! [D·hero Destroy the Phoenix]!"

【D·hero Destroys the Phoenix】】【8☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Fusion/Effect]

[2500/2100]

Because of the appearance of [D·hero Destroyer Phoenix Man], [D·hero Fear Man] was also upgraded once again, rising by a full 2500 points!

【D·hero Fear Man】【3100/3100→5600/5600】

Moreover, [D·hero Phoenix Destroyer] is not just good-looking. As one of the "Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix" who are on par with "Red Daddy", [D·hero Phoenix Destroyer] also has three very powerful effects. The first effect does not need to be activated and takes effect at the same time as its appearance!

Flames reignited on the land previously covered by the blood pool of [D·hero Blood Demon-D]. The oxygen content in the scorching air dropped rapidly, making it difficult for the monsters on the Jaden's field to breathe, and their attack power also decreased significantly.

"While [D·Hero Phoenix Destroyer] is on my field, all monsters on my opponent's field will have their ATK reduced, and for each [Hero] card in my Graveyard, the ATK will be reduced by 200." He paused, then raised his Duel Disk, his Graveyard area lighting up as his cards appeared as phantoms.

"My graveyard contains eight 'Hero' cards: [D. Hero Doctrine], [D. Hero Blood Demon-D], [D. Hero Denial], [D. Hero Divinity], [D. Hero Disc], [V. Hero Increment], [V. Hero Alone], and [V. Hero Bionic], therefore all of your opponent's monsters lose 1600 ATK!"

【E·hero Sunrise Man】【ATK2900→1300】

【E·hero Brave New Universe】【ATK3000→1400】

【E·hero Flash New Universe】【ATK3800→2200】

【E·hero Nebula Neocosmic Knight】【ATK3400→1800】

In an instant, the attack power of Jaden's monsters almost all decreased by half. With this shift in power, the balance of power changed, and Edward's monsters suddenly gained the upper hand!

"It's not over yet! I'm activating the second effect of [D-Hero Phoenix Man of Destruction] right now!" Edward glanced at the monsters on Jaden's field, then pointed to [E-Hero Shining Neos], which had the highest remaining attack power. "You can activate this during both players' turns to destroy one card and one card on my field. The cards I'm destroying are—my useless [D-Power] in the back row, and [E-Hero Shining Neos] on my opponent's field!"

Destroying other cards would only increase the attack power of Jaden's "E-Hero Shining Neos" due to the increased number of monsters in the graveyard. It would be better to destroy "E-Hero Shining Neos" directly and give Jaden even deeper despair!

[D·hero Phoenix Destroyer] snapped his fingers and detonated his own flames. Edward's [D-Power] was destroyed and sent to the graveyard in an instant, while Jaden's [E·hero Flashy Neos] was also blown into a shower of scattered light.

But before Edward could say anything more, he suddenly noticed that the points of light had actually regrouped on Jaden's field and transformed back into the unharmed [E·hero Shining Neo Cosmic Warrior]!?

"【E·hero Shining Neoswing】is not so easy to deal with. Its existence makes up for the weakness of 【Hero】 decks, which are generally afraid of cards like 【Lightning Strike】," Jaden explained. "Having received the power of Neos, 【E·hero Shining Neoswing】 cannot be destroyed by card effects."

As he spoke, Jaden even smiled.

"Tch, it's infuriating that you use [Hero] just because you admire it! Does that kind of card make you happy?!" Unlike Jaden, who was happy because the card was interesting, Edward said angrily, "You don't understand at all, you don't understand what [Hero] is!"

"My father was a card designer at the International Illusion Society. He designed the [E·hero] and [D·hero] cards, and he was the father I was incredibly proud of. However, my father, whom I admired so much, was murdered one day, and the [D·hero Blood Demon-D] card he created was also stolen!"

To Jaden, Edward began to recount his past: "A long time passed, and no matter how hard the police tried, they couldn't find the shameful murderer who stole my father's card. Until one night, I saw two people dueling. One of them was my adoptive father who had taken me in after I lost my parents, and the other was Mr. Hayato."

"That duel was no ordinary duel, but a dangerous dark game. It was during that duel that I saw my adoptive father use the stolen [D·hero Blood Demon-D] card!"

"What!?" Jaden was also surprised when he heard Edward talk about his childhood. "Then your adoptive father is not—"

"He probably adopted me because he wanted to use me to find out the progress of the police investigation, right? Naively, I thought he would be my savior." Ed chuckled, it was unclear who he was laughing at—that despicable DD or the naive Ed himself? "I used to believe in the power of justice, but it's clear that the police, who represent justice and the law, are completely incapable of punishing evildoers, or even identifying suspects."

"I had been waiting for the culprit to be caught, but instead I saw the murderer who killed my father and stole the [D·hero Blood Demon-D] card go unpunished right before my eyes. At that moment, I knew that the so-called [E·hero] was nothing more than a hero who only existed in an ideal world. The weight of reality could not tolerate that kind of light-hearted justice!"

"Do you believe in gravity, Jaden Yuki? What brings people together is the force called 'gravity,' and the truth behind this force is 'fate'! It was through this dramatic twist of fate that my father died, and the [D·hero Blood Demon-D] card was stolen, only to reappear before me in my adoptive father's hands!"

"When I was caught up in the Dark Game, but was saved by Mr. Hayato and even had the [D·hero Blood Demon-D] retrieved, I realized one thing: the misery and despair of fate must not be spread to more people. Those who have already borne the burden of fate have the responsibility to become heroes and end their sorrow. In other words, only those who bear the weight of fate can deeply understand that pain and become true heroes!"

"Even so, it doesn't mean my [E·hero] isn't a hero!" Moved by Edward's sorrowful past, Jaden insisted, "Anyone can—"

"Don't talk like you know everything, Jaden Yuki! You're infuriating! You're just a guy who thinks he's a hero because of his admiration!"

"Your monster is nothing but a self-satisfying artifact born from your own yearning for heroism. You become a hero simply because you like heroes, like an immature brat who worships villains and commits evil deeds. Acting solely for your own purposes, that kind of hero is no hero at all. Your [E·hero] lost its qualification as a [Hero] the moment you tried to become one!"

Only now, after Edward's detailed explanation, did Jaden finally understand the reason behind Edward's malice and rejection of him and his [E·hero] persona. This reason also caused Fubuki and Asuka to fall silent. They had heard the same words from another person—"Darkness," who had previously possessed Fubuki's body—saying that Jaden had lost his qualification when he wanted to become a hero.

Whether it's Ed Phoenix or "Darkness," they both made the same judgment about the Jaden series. How could this be...?

"So what if you presumptuously deny others?" Jaden retorted to Edward, somewhat angrily. "Aren't you the same, treating [D·hero] as a tool to bear your own destiny?"

"That's better than your monster that can't even protect itself, no, can only protect itself. What good is it if [E·hero Shining Neo-Winged Man] protects himself? Only he himself has that kind of resistance, while my [D·hero Fear Man] can grant all of my [D·hero] resistance to being destroyed or damaged by any means during the turn it enters the battlefield."

"Compared to your self-satisfied [E·hero], the [D·hero] who bears the weight of destiny is the true hero!"

Returning to the topic of the duel, Edward pointed at Jaden's [E·hero Neos], who had the second lowest attack power on the field, and said, "Moreover, your so-called hero from 'new space' has become your weak point on the field!"

"My [D·Hero Fearman] currently has an attack power of 5600 points. Using it to attack [E·Hero Valiant Neo-Universe] will deal 4200 points of combat damage to you, enough to wipe out your life points in one go!" Edward waved his hand, "I'm entering combat phase!"

Although Jaden's [E·hero Sunrise] has the lowest attack power, Edward not only wants to suppress [E·hero], but also won't let go of the [N]s from the "new space" that Jaden mentioned. [E·hero Brave Neos] is naturally the best choice.

"This is the final one, Jaden Yuki! I use [D-hero Fear Man] to attack [E-hero Brave Neos], Sky Soaring Mountain-Piercing Palm!"

(Ed's D and Jaden's E's finishing move during their first duel (even with Jaden's BGM playing, allowing Ed to win))

Chapter 1517 This is a substitute attack!

"【D·hero Fear Man】attacks 【E·hero Valiant New Universe Warrior】Sky Soaring Mountain-Piercing Palm!"

As Edward declared his attack, his D·hero Fear Man gathered all his strength, as if to vent his frustration from the previous duel where he had appeared but failed to launch a single attack. He raised his hand high, ready to jump onto Jaden's field and slap the "brave" E·hero Brave Neos.

However, before he could even deliver his slap, Jaden's [E·hero Sunrise] suddenly sprang into action, shooting a beam of light into the air, which transformed into an energy ball shaped like the sun.

"When one of my [Hero] monsters other than this card declares an attack, I activate the effect of [E-Hero Sunrise] by targeting one card on the field," Jaden explained. "Destroy the targeted card!"

However, Edward merely glanced disdainfully at [E·hero Sunrise], completely ignoring its effects, and said contemptuously, "Such weak resistance, I thought it would be something... But, damn it, Jaden Yuki! You want to affect my [D·hero] with a destructive effect? ​​Have you completely forgotten the effects of [D·hero Fear Man] that I witnessed and learned about in my duel with Hayato-sensei?"