"—Slash!!"
With a single decisive strike, Frodi—personally entering the fray—channeled the power of the seven swords engraved in the golden barrier beneath his feet, effortlessly wiping out all of Jaden's Neo-Spacians.
"Jaden, this is the power of a king that you absolutely cannot surpass. The outcome has already been decided."
"So this is the power of a king… that's no joke." A bead of sweat rolled down Nobunaga's temple as she spoke cautiously. "That barrier engraved with seven swords… it's practically on par with my own."
"You've got to be kidding, Nobu—that's an EX-rank Noble Phantasm, isn't it?" Okita said in disbelief.
After all, her strongest Noble Phantasm was only Rank B. The very concept of EX still held a certain awe for her.
"It's only EX-rank when facing 'God,'" Waver added.
"But Miss Nobunaga isn't wrong." Holmes clasped his hands together, narrowing his eyes as if analyzing something. "In a certain sense, the barrier deployed by the Sword King is very similar to it."
"What do you mean by 'similar,' Mr. Holmes?" Okita pressed.
"A boundary that exhibits power beyond common sense when facing specific targets… that is my fundamental deduction, my dear friend!"
Holmes had sublimated his very origin—"clarification"—into a Noble Phantasm. Even when confronted with an unsolvable mystery, clues or pathways leading to the truth would inevitably manifest.
"Have you figured something out, Holmes?" Seeing that Jaden had remained completely silent ever since the barrier was activated, Akasha couldn't help but grow worried.
"This is… quite difficult to explain."
For once, Holmes showed a troubled expression. But judging from his tone, he had indeed deciphered the nature of Frodi's barrier.
"It is similar to Miss Nobunaga's barrier—but its essence is that of an 'anti-king.'"
"An anti-king?" Akasha patted her chest in relief. "Then it shouldn't have anything to do with Jaden, right?"
"(｡・`´･) Stop pretending, Jaden! The duel isn't over yet—you can't stop now!"
"No." Holmes stopped her, frowning. "That's exactly why I said it's difficult to explain. This seven-sword anti-king… it's as if it's specifically targeting Jaden, completely trapping his mind within it."
"So that's how it is, Jaden. It seems my guess was correct. The mysterious power hidden within your body… is also a form of kingly power, in another sense."
Lowering his golden greatsword, Frodi—who had just annihilated everything—looked at Jaden, whose mind was sealed by the barrier, and spoke solemnly:
"You have no chance of winning. Even among kings, there are differences in power. Your unawakened strength cannot break through the Sword King's boundary. This is where it ends."
"H-How is that possible?" After a brief mental lag, Akasha still couldn't understand the situation. "Why would a barrier meant for kings affect Jaden? Holmes, you're not joking, are you?"
Raising an eyebrow, Holmes replied firmly, "Unfortunately, as a detective, I do know when it is appropriate to joke. And now is not the time. If what King Frodi says is true, then this duel is already over."
Leaning against the dormitory window, Minazuki and Syrus called out anxiously:
"Jaden, with your personality… you wouldn't lose for such a ridiculous reason, right?"
"W-Wait, hold on! Just a second!!" Without warning, Nobunaga suddenly shouted, as if she had foreseen something incredible. "Something's coming! Everyone—prepare anti-flash defenses!"
"What are you talking about, Nobu?" Okita looked confused. As part of the usual comedic duo, she wasn't about to play along with Nobunaga's strange behavior. "Mr. Holmes just said this isn't the time for jokes."
"Idiot! I'm not joking—!"
Before Nobunaga could finish, a blinding light erupted from within the barrier. Though it lasted only an instant, it pierced through every corner of the academy.
"AHH—MY EYES, OKITA-SAN'S EYES!!" Being the closest and staring directly at the duel, Okita became the biggest victim, clutching her eyes in agony.
"I told you to prepare for the flash…" Nobunaga sighed helplessly, having lowered the brim of her hat in advance to block the light.
After the overwhelming radiance—so intense it felt like it could bring about destruction—what followed was an almost suffocating pressure… and a darkness that mirrored the brilliance of that explosive flash.
"W-What… what just happened?" After the light faded, Akasha barely managed to open her eyes and look back at the duel.
"Come on, let's continue. The duel isn't over yet, King Frodi."
Finally able to move again, Jaden spoke—but his voice was utterly devoid of emotion. Combined with his completely altered eye color—gleaming like jewels in the night—it gave him an almost inhuman presence.
"Jaden… feels completely different…" Akasha muttered in a daze.
"A sealed mind… yet he stepped out of the King's boundary." Staring intently at Jaden, Frodi spoke cautiously. "No… that's not quite right. To be precise, what broke through my boundary… was another soul. The soul of a king?"
"Enough talk. The effect you activated earlier hasn't been fully resolved yet, has it?" Jaden coldly urged.
"So now it's no longer about heroes—this is a battle between kings." Frodi transformed his golden greatsword back into a Duel Disk and declared his effect.
"When I destroy your cards by tributing monsters on my field, you draw cards equal to the number destroyed."
"Since I wiped out all three of your monsters in one strike, you can now draw three cards from your Deck."
Including the Neo-Spacian Grand Mole returned to his hand earlier and the one card drawn, even though his field was cleared, Jaden's hand had recovered to five cards.
"And I haven't performed my Normal Summon this turn yet! I summon Elemental HERO Bubbleman in Defense Position!"
[Elemental HERO Bubbleman DEF 1200]
"When Bubbleman is successfully summoned and I have no other cards on the field, I can draw two more cards from my Deck. Then I set two cards and end my turn!"
[Jaden: 4 Hand Cards | 2 Set Cards]
"So this is the kingly power you possess, Jaden! Then this turn, I'll respond with the full strength of a King!"
"Draw—!"
With a draw that seemed to shake the very seven-sword barrier, Frodi tightly gripped the card—proof of kingship—ready to counter the unknown darkness emanating from Jaden.
"I activate Equip Spell—Proof of the Sword King: Heaven-Splitting Cleave! It equips to me. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, all Warrior monsters I control gain 1000 ATK and are unaffected by your Spell and Trap effects!"
[Frodi, Generaider Boss of Swords ATK 2500 → 3500]
"Is that all?" Jaden sneered coldly. "The so-called proof of a king… is nothing more than this insignificant resistance effect?"
Akasha's cheeks flushed slightly as she exclaimed excitedly, "ヾ(ﾟдﾟ)ﾉ Wow—this Jaden suddenly feels so dominant! He went from a soft, easygoing type to a full-on emperor-type attacker in an instant… not bad at all!"
"But that's not all!" Frodi continued his declaration. "HEROES, gather under the guidance of the King's blade! Once per turn, I can Special Summon from my Graveyard a number of Warrior monsters equal to the number of cards in your hand, ignoring their summoning conditions—and their effects are negated!"
Corresponding to the four cards in Jaden's hand, four heroes returned to the battlefield, stepping onto the stage of the final clash.
[Elemental HERO Great Tornado ATK 2800 → 3800]
[Elemental HERO Core ATK 2700 → 3700]
[Masked HERO Divine Wind ATK 2700 → 3700]
[Masked HERO Acid ATK 2600 → 3600]
"So after generously letting Jaden refill his hand last turn, this was what you were planning all along? That's way too underhanded!" Okita protested as the field filled with various HERO forms.
"So what?" Jaden lifted his head confidently, staring straight at Frodi. "There's no such thing as 'underhanded' in a duel. But if this is your full power… then you're going to lose badly."
Raising his arm, Jaden activated the set card beneath his feet, causing the entire Duel Academy island to tremble.
"—Quick-Play Spell, Demise of the Land!"
[When your opponent Special Summons a monster(s): Activate 1 Field Spell Card directly from your Deck.]
"Descend upon this land and crush the Generaider Boss Stage! Field Spell—Supreme King's Castle!"
From the shaking ground, a bizarre, pitch-black castle rose up, overwriting Generaider Boss Stage and looming behind Jaden.
"Supreme King's Castle… another King? Is this your royal name, Jaden… no—Supreme King!"
Feeling the indescribable pressure emanating from the castle, the undefeated Frodi trembled with excitement for the first time.
"Then let the battle begin! To prove kingship with the sword—this is the true, final clash of heroes!"
With a heavy swing of his golden greatsword, Frodi led the charge himself, destroying the Defense Position Bubbleman on Jaden's field.
"It's over! Take the direct attacks of four heroes, Supreme King!"
"The one who's finished is you!" Jaden flipped his final set card, as darkness poured out from his field, hand, Graveyard—and even from the castle behind him.
"—Trap Card, High Speed Aria! I can send a Normal Spell from my hand to the Graveyard and activate it instantly!"
Pulling a card from his hand and discarding it, a fusion light imbued with dense, black energy erupted before Jaden.
"The Normal Spell I send and activate is—Dark Fusion!"
[Fusion Summon 1 Fiend Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or field as material.]
"Dark Fusion? Jaden is actually using a card like that?" Alexis said in disbelief.
"Witness the strongest hero born from the ultimate darkness that transcends dimensions! I send two Evil HERO Malicious Edge from my hand to the Graveyard as Fusion Materials—Dark Fusion Summon!"
Unlike Masked HEROes, Elemental HEROes, or even Destiny HEROes—this was a completely new kind of hero no one had ever seen before. Evil HERO Malicious Edge manifested from the Supreme King's Castle, only to be swallowed by the dark fusion light.
"The one who survives is the true king!—Dark Fusion Summon, Evil HERO Malicious Fiend!"
[Evil HERO Malicious Fiend ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][DARK][Fiend/Fusion/Effect][ATK 3500/DEF 2100]
["Evil HERO Malicious Edge" + 1 Level 6 or higher Fiend monster]
[Must be Special Summoned by 'Dark Fusion'.]
A demonic overlord that seemed to completely deny the justice of Neo-Spacian heroes—an Evil HERO descended upon the battlefield with overwhelming dominance.
"3500 ATK… that's undeniably strong for a HERO! But—!!"
Continuing the assault, with the boost from Proof of the Sword King, all four of Frodi's HEROES now exceeded 3500 ATK.
"Justice shall prevail! Masked HERO Acid, deliver judgment upon this evil!"
"Pathetic justice is meaningless before the Supreme King! Field Spell, Supreme King's Castle—activate!"
[Once per turn, during damage calculation when your Fiend monster battles, you can send 1 'Evil HERO' from your Deck or Extra Deck to the Graveyard. That monster gains ATK equal to the sent monster's Level × 200 until the end of the turn.]
"I send Evil HERO Dark Gaia (Level 8) from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard—Malicious Fiend gains 1600 ATK!"
[Evil HERO Malicious Fiend ATK 3500 → 5100]
Empowered by another layer of Evil HERO strength, its dark aura surged explosively—its attack power now surpassing every HERO on Frodi's field.
"In that case, I'll cut down your final struggle with my blade!"
Charging forward, dragging his golden greatsword across the ground and leaving sparks in its wake, Frodi personally took over the attack from Acid.
"Effect! I tribute my Warrior monster, Masked HERO Acid, to destroy your Evil HERO Malicious Fiend!"
Clang—!
The violent clash between the golden blade and the twin dark blades rang out like a piercing scream of metal.
"King Frodi—your path as king ends here!"
Jaden's declaration was followed by the impossible—his opponent's golden greatsword shattered before everyone's eyes, proving the Supreme King's overwhelming superiority.
"Monsters Special Summoned by Dark Fusion cannot be targeted by your effects this turn! Your blade cannot reach this endless darkness!"
"So the hero of darkness protects itself with the power of darkness…"
With his golden sword shattered and his effect failing, Frodi swiftly stepped back.
"However, the protection granted by Dark Fusion only lasts one turn. Next turn, your Evil HERO will still fall to my blade. I will not continue attacking—I end my Battle Phase!"
Yet, standing with arms crossed, Supreme King Judai stared at the battlefield—and spoke the very same words King Frodi had said earlier.
"Heroes… don't run from battle!"
(King Frodi: "Heroes… don't run from battle!")
"—This is the effect of Evil HERO Malicious Fiend!"
[While this card is on the field, during your opponent's Battle Phase, all monsters your opponent controls must switch to Attack Position and must attack this card if able.]
"No—rather, you have nowhere left to run, King Frodi!!"
With the Supreme King's roar, Evil HERO Malicious Fiend launched a counterattack at blinding speed. Its jet-black twin blades swept across the field, annihilating every HERO in an instant.
"Evil Blade—Shatter! Step into this endless darkness and fall into hell, King of Nine Realms!"
"AAAAAAHHHH!!"
[Frodi LP 4100 → 0]
[Duel Over — Winner: Jaden Yuki!!]