https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-387-Dazed-and-Confused-from-the-Duel/12557546/
Chapter 388: The Path of Dueling
Chapter 388: The Path of Dueling
Despite knocking out an opponent in the first round, the tournament proceeded without much disruption thanks to Kaiba's insistence. After a brief suspension, the quarter-finals resumed with the second match.
This time, it was an internal duel within Duel Academy, as Jaden coincidentally faced Marufuji Ryo.
"It's surprising that out of the eight remaining duelists, three of them are students from Duel Academy," Kyosuke remarked. "There are quite a few professional players participating too. Are all students these days so exceptional?"
"Is it possible that the current batch of professional players just isn't up to par?" You Xuan asked.
Kyosuke: "..."
You Xuan wasn't joking. The professional players in the GX anime had always been portrayed as underwhelming, and although this preconceived notion existed, You Xuan maintained an open mind, not underestimating the professional circuit in this world beforehand.
However, after witnessing it first-hand, he realized that his initial impression had been accurate.
The professional players truly weren't that impressive.
After all, it was common knowledge that the strongest duelists in the Yu-Gi-Oh! world wouldn't bother with pursuing a professional career. Marufuji Ryo, for his part, wasn't in the best shape mentally at the moment.
Doubting one's path could be devastating for a duelist, and this uncertainty would directly impact their performance in a duel. This was one of the reasons why, in the original story, Marufuji struggled to even defeat minor characters after his loss to Adrian.
While he didn't feel the same blow of falling from the highest peak to the depths of hell as he had back then, his mentality had still been significantly affected.
However, standing in the arena at that moment, all he could do as a duelist was temporarily set aside his worries and force himself to commit fully to the duel before him.
"Let's go, Chazz! It's the second round!" Jaden exclaimed confidently. "I'm not the same as I was before!"
Marufuji, who seemed to be daydreaming, snapped out of his trance, shook his head, and forced himself to adjust his state of mind as the Duel Disk unfolded.
However, the reality of the duel was far from ideal for both parties.
". "
"It's been two turns since I activated the Magic Card 'Time Capsule,'" Marufuji explained. "During the preparation phase two turns from now, I'll add the card sealed within 'Time Capsule' to my hand!"
"Oh ho, here it comes," Jaden said, rubbing his nose. "But I won't make it that easy for you. I activate a face-down Trap Card, 'Mind Crush'! I declare 'Power Bond'! If you have that card in your hand, you must discard it immediately!"
"What?!?"
Marufuji was shocked.
"How do you know that I'm adding 'Power Bond' to my hand?!?"
Even You Xuan, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but smile at this turn of events.
It felt reminiscent of when Kaiba had been stunned by Yugi, exclaiming, "Damn it, Yugi! How did you know I was going to summon the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon?!"
Marufuji had been dueling with the same strategies for three years at Duel Academy, and he always used "Time Capsule" to search for his signature card, "Power Bond." Even the slow-witted Jaden had picked up on this pattern.
Marufuji glared at Jaden, his expression conveying his thoughts: You've changed. Your duels weren't like this before.
Of course, such resistance was not enough to stop Marufuji.
The duel between the two intensified, with Jaden's endless Fusion Heroes and Chazz's agile and versatile Cyber Dragons going back and forth in a chaotic clash.
"The Duel Academy students this year are really strong," Kyosuke commented midway through the duel, not for the first time.
"Hmph, they're decent," Kaiba acknowledged, his gaze lingering on Marufuji for a moment.
Indeed, in the boy, he saw glimpses of his former self. Their styles were so similar—a relentless pursuit of ultimate power through aggressive strategies. There was a time when Kaiba firmly believed that power was everything, both in reality and in dueling.
But that was a long time ago. Now, he had already taken a step beyond, venturing into a higher realm.
"Will you falter and remain stagnant, or will you undergo a metamorphosis and join the ranks of the truly strong?"
However, even if he did metamorphose, it probably wouldn't be today.
After a series of intense back-and-forth exchanges, the final turn had finally arrived.
"The effect of 'Elemental Hero Electrum!' " Jaden declared, "By discarding one card, I can destroy an attacking monster on your side of the field."
Jaden discarded a card, and Chazz's 'Cyber-End Dragon' was destroyed!
Currents of electricity, like spears, shot from the metal hero's arms, piercing through Marufuji's sole remaining 'Cyber-End Dragon'!
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, 'Prohibited Holy Dress'!" Marufuji shouted. "Until the end of this turn, my 'Cyber-End Dragon' loses 600 ATK, but it cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects!"
['Cyber-End Dragon', Attack: 4000 → Attack: 3400]
An almost invincible barrier enveloped the 'Cyber-End Dragon', sacrificing 600 ATK points for robust defensive capabilities. The piercing currents of Electrum were forcibly repelled, unable to inflict any effect.
"With this, the 'Cyber-End Dragon' won't be affected by most effects this turn," Marufuji declared. "If you can, then crush it with all your might, Jaden!"
But even if Jaden did so, Marufuji had a counter ready.
The card he had set face-down on the field was the same crucial card from the original story, where Marufuji and Jaden had their graduation duel—the Quick-Play Spell, 'Fusion Sage.' It could increase the ATK of his monster by an amount equal to the ATK of Jaden's monster during battle.
In other words, no matter how high the ATK of Jaden's subsequent Elemental Heroes was, the 'Cyber-End Dragon' could surpass it with a single strike, and this attack would decide the victor!
"You're amazing, Chazz! To have prepared such a robust defense." Jaden admitted, "But if there's one thing I've learned this semester, it's that there's no such thing as an indestructible monster! Watch closely, Chazz, for this is my evolution after these past six months!"
"Come, Jaden! Attack with all your might!" Marufuji challenged.
"Alright! First, I activate the Spell Card 'Fusion Recovery' to add the Spell Card 'Polymerization' and 'Elemental Hero Wildman' from my Graveyard to my hand. Then, I activate the Spell Card 'Polymerization' to fuse 'Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman' and 'Elemental Hero Wildman' from my hand! Fusion Summon—
—Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman!!!"
['Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman', Attack: 1900]
"Necroid Shaman?" Marufuji was taken aback.
This turn of events was beyond his expectations. It didn't seem like the kind of overwhelmingly powerful hero that Jaden typically used for his OTK strategies.
"The effect of Necroid Shaman," Jaden explained with a smile, "By tributing a monster on the opponent's field, I can Special Summon a monster from their Graveyard to my field. (Original effect)
I tribute your 'Cyber-End Dragon' and Special Summon your 'Cyber Dragon' from your Graveyard!"
"What?!?!"
Marufuji was shocked.
No, you bloody cat! How dare you use that trick, too?!?
He instantly recalled how, not long ago, his 'Cyber Dragon' had been devoured by Yu Xuan's Chimera Fortress Dragon. It felt like deja vu.
"The 'Cyber-End Dragon' cannot be targeted or destroyed, but sacrificing it is the cost to activate the effect of Necroid Shaman. There's no targeting or destruction involved," Jaden clarified with a smile.
"Then, 'Elemental Hero Electrum' and 'Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman' attack you directly, Chazz!"
". "
[Marufuji: LP 0]
The outcome was decided. Marufuji staggered backward and fell to the ground, his mind in a daze.
He looked up at the sky, questioning his path.
Had his dueling journey truly been wrong?
(End of Chapter)
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