"The strongest White Knight? Oh-ho, sounds impressive!"
Jaden looked excited.
But Gelgo felt offended.
What's that supposed to mean—looking down on me? Think my ace of the White Knights is nothing to fear?
He snorted inwardly.
Time to show this cocky brat what's what.
"Activate Spell Card 'Pot of Greed'—I draw two cards from my deck."
Gelgo drew two, then considered a moment.
"Next, Spell Card 'Card Destruction.' Both players discard their entire hands, then draw two cards."
They both redrew. Gelgo's lips curled into a cold smile.
As expected.
"First, Spell Card 'Heavy Storm'!" Gelgo barked. "Destroy all Spell/Trap cards in both back rows. Whatever your set card is—begone!"
A black storm rose. Jaden instinctively raised an arm to shield himself. His set card was whirled up and shredded to dust.
"Too bad. The card you destroyed was the Trap 'Dummy Marker,'" Jaden grinned. "When this card is destroyed by an opponent's Spell effect, I draw two cards from my deck." (Anime card)
Jaden drew two.
"One of your set cards got destroyed too. Shame."
Gelgo snorted.
"Don't you worry. The set card I lost has its use. The one destroyed was…"
He held up the Trap that had just been sent off.
"Trap Card 'Sealed Gate'!"
The card art was a pure blank white—nothing at all.
"When this card is destroyed and sent to the GY: banish one each of 'White Knight Swordsman,' 'White Knight Lancer,' and 'White Knight Gardna' from your GY!
Then Special Summon the strongest White Knight—'White Knight Lord'—from your deck!"
"Ohh, so that's how you bring out your ace!?" Jaden looked thrilled. "So that means the 'Card Destruction' just now discarded…"
"Correct. I discarded another Gardna and Lancer, completing the materials.
I banish a Gardna, a Lancer, and a Swordsman from my GY—now appear—
—White Knight Lord!!!"
A blinding white radiance burst from the Trap, as if a sealed gate were shattered by light. The Lord in white armor strode forth with boundless majesty, as though the entire domain had fallen under the dominion of white light.
[White Knight Lord, ATK 2000]
"So that's the ace." Jaden rubbed his hands. "Looks strong indeed."
"And summoning the Lord was a Special Summon; I haven't used my Normal Summon yet," Gelgo said. "I tribute my last on-field 'White Knight Swordsman' for a Tribute Summon!
The ancient dragon that floats in the air driven by lightning—now appear—
—Wattaildragon, summon!"
Azure lightning gathered, as if forging a dragon's body from lightning itself, descending with overwhelming presence onto his field.
[Wattaildragon, ATK 2500]
"And with that, my last 'White Knight Swordsman' also goes to the GY," Gelgo said coldly.
"I have two 'White Knight Swordsman' in the GY. Each increases the ATK of all 'White Knight' monsters on the field by 300!"
[White Knight Lord, ATK 2000 → ATK 2600]
"Your back row defense is gone. Now let darkness be erased by the light! White Knight Lord, attack 'Evil HERO Lightning Golem'!"
The Lord slashed. The steel body of the lightning HERO split open, black thunder crackling as the golem exploded.
[Jaden, LP 4000 → 3800]
"In addition, for each monster destroyed by battle by White Knight Lord, inflict 300 damage to your opponent!"
[Jaden, LP 3800 → 3500]
"Then Wattaildragon!" Gelgo continued. "Direct attack!"
Blue lightning rained down like a barrage, tearing through Jaden's field with rolling thunder and leaving several smoking craters.
[Jaden, LP 3500 → 1000]
"I set one card and end my turn," Gelgo smiled. "See? This is the knight of light—White Knight Lord!
Darkness can never triumph over light. No matter how deep the night, dawn will come. Your evil HERO cannot defeat the knights of light!"
Jaden: "…"
Uh-oh. The more he said, the more I feel like I'm the villain.
Actually, there've been times I felt like the bad guy already.
When did that start?
Jaden reflected.
Maybe it's because I've been hanging around Kira too much…
Forget it, not important. Villain, then villain.
"My turn. I draw!"
"Activate Spell Card 'Card of Adversity.' If your opponent controls a Special Summoned monster and you control no monsters, draw two cards from your deck."
Jaden smiled.
"The strongest White Knight—pretty impressive. Then I'll use this.
I activate Polymerization!
I fuse 'Elemental HERO Necroshade' and 'Elemental HERO Wildheart' from my hand! Fusion Summon—
—Elemental HERO Necroid Shaman, in Defense Position!"
[Elemental HERO Necroid Shaman, DEF 1800]
Gelgo snorted: "A HERO of that caliber, and in Defense…"
But with Jaden's LP low, his choice of position did matter.
"Necroid Shaman's effect: when Special Summoned, you can tribute one monster your opponent controls," Jaden said, wagging a finger with a smile. "Then Special Summon one monster from your opponent's GY to their field." (Anime effect)
Gelgo: "!"
NANI?
Tribute my monster, then dig up my grave?
Your HERO didn't even need to go dark to be this dark!
But…
Jaden: "I tribute 'White Knight Lord'!"
Necroid Shaman tried to cast his ritual. A transparent whirlwind rose at the Lord's feet.
But the Lord snorted disdainfully and stomped. The whirlwind dissipated instantly, leaving nothing.
"Eh?" Jaden blinked.
"Hahahaha—too bad!" Gelgo laughed. "White Knight Lord's effect! This card cannot be tributed!"
"Huh?"
Jaden was shocked.
Can't be tributed… the natural enemy of Lava Golem?
He immediately thought: Kira would definitely hate this monster…
"Trying to cheese me?" Gelgo grinned ferociously. "Did you think the glorious Light of the cosmos would fall for such cheap tricks?"
"Alright… if I can't tribute that, then I'll tribute 'Wattaildragon,'" Jaden said. "Special Summon 'White Knight Swordsman' from your GY to your field."
[White Knight Swordsman, ATK 1200]
"Since your GY has one fewer Swordsman, the Lord loses 300 ATK!"
[White Knight Lord, ATK 2600 → ATK 2300]
"Heh, still stronger than your trash HERO," Gelgo scoffed.
"If one plan fails, use another," Jaden said. "I activate Spell Card 'Necro Sacrifice'!
Choose up to two monsters in your GY and Special Summon them to your opponent's field. Then you can reduce the number of tributes required to Tribute Summon a monster from your hand by the number of monsters Special Summoned this way!" (Anime card)
Jaden revealed two monsters in his GY.
"I'll gift you these two.
The 'Elemental HERO Wildheart' I fused earlier.
And 'Storm Caller,' which you made me discard with 'Card Destruction' last turn!"
Gelgo: "?"
What the heck is that?
Is that one an Elemental HERO too?
"Of course, the position of these Special Summons is chosen by the opponent," Jaden added.
Gelgo considered.
"Defense Position."
[Elemental HERO Wildheart, DEF 1600]
[Storm Caller, DEF 2000]
"Therefore I can reduce the tribute count by two and perform a Tribute Summon," Jaden said. "Come forth! I Tribute Summon—
—Elemental HERO Bladedge!"
[Elemental HERO Bladedge, ATK 2600]
"Higher ATK than the Knight Lord?" Gelgo muttered.
Jaden: "Elemental HERO Bladedge, attack 'White Knight Lord'!"
Bladedge's thrusters flared as he lunged in a golden afterimage, arm blades slashing down.
With the Lord at only 2300 ATK now, he couldn't match Bladedge. But he neither dodged nor retreated—he raised his blade and, with a clear clang, parried solidly.
"Hahaha, too bad!" Gelgo laughed. "The Lord is the strongest White Knight—unbeatable in battle!
White Knight Lord cannot be destroyed by battle, and any battle damage to me becomes 0!"
"Eh? Can't be tributed, can't be destroyed, huh."
Jaden nodded.
"Alright, I set a card and end my turn," he said.
"Out of ideas?" Gelgo sneered. "Seems even if you fall into darkness, a HERO is only so much.
I won't be so polite—time to go all out!
My turn—"
But before he could act, Jaden smiled with confidence.
"No. The HEROes have already won. You just haven't realized it."
"What?" Gelgo froze.
Jaden snapped his fingers.
"Activate set card, Trap Card 'Edge Hammer'!
Tribute 'Elemental HERO Bladedge' you control; destroy one monster your opponent controls, then inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's original ATK!"
Gelgo frowned.
"You intend to use this to take down my Knight Lord?"
"No, actually, I don't."
Jaden grinned.
"The monster I'll destroy is… 'Storm Caller'!"
"Huh?"
Gelgo glanced, bewildered, at the Storm Caller that had been forcibly shoved onto his field. He didn't get it.
Destroy that thing?
"Storm Caller's effect," Jaden said. "When this card is destroyed by a card effect, its controller must take damage equal to this card's ATK!"
Gelgo paused two seconds.
Edge Hammer destroys Storm Caller and deals him damage equal to the destroyed monster's original ATK—2300.
Then Storm Caller's own effect triggers and deals damage to its controller—another 2300.
Stack them and…
Gelgo: "!!!!"
Nani!?
His eyes bulged as he stared at the Storm Caller on his field.
The Storm Caller stood proud like his senior, Lava Golem—thumping its chest with a look that said, "Yup, I'm the mole."
Wait—
In that instant, a hundred different curses surged to Gelgo's tongue.
Bladedge, Edge Hammer, Elemental HERO Storm Caller…
When you said the HERO fell into darkness, you really weren't kidding, huh?
"Go, Bladedge—Edge Hammer!"
Bladedge hefted a giant hammer, turning into a streak of golden lightning as he threw himself forward.
Boom—
[Gelgo, LP 4000 → LP 0]
...
2 Bonus chapters at 500 PS