The moment "final turn" left Hikaru Amagi's lips, the entire audience ignited with excitement.
They all wanted to know—what gave him such confidence to call this the last turn?
"How interesting. That Amagi kid… he's brimming with confidence," Zane Truesdale, arms folded, observed from the stands. His eyes glimmered with anticipation. The academy's duelists were evolving. Even as someone on the cusp of graduation, he couldn't help but feel his duelist's blood begin to boil.
Sure, in his eyes, Jaden still had a long way to go before surpassing him—but now, there was another contender. How could that not thrill him?
"But with no hand advantage, a monster field that's had its ATK permanently halved, and his back row wiped clean… how's he planning to turn this around?" Alexis's question echoed the thoughts of many.
Hand disadvantage, weakened monsters, no trap defense—by all accounts, this was checkmate. Even a Fusion Summon, as powerful as it was, wouldn't be enough in such a cornered state.
What's more—Hikaru didn't even run Ancient Gear Golem. There was no way he could pull off Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem again.
"Jaden, Amagi's field looks terrible! Just hold out, and you've got this!" Chumley was already cheering his friend on.
"What tricks could he even have left at this point?" Even Elemental HERO Tempest, watching from the side with folded arms, couldn't figure it out. His evolved form could take on a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon without blinking—what could a 1200-ATK battle wagon even do?
Jaden didn't understand either.
But his heart pounded, not with fear—but with anticipation.
His instincts told him this turn… would be legendary.
"All right then, Hikaru—show me your Fusion!"
"Gladly, Jaden. Let me show you exactly why you're going to lose—because you dared to challenge me in the one arena where I reign supreme!
I activate the Spell Card—Voice of Heaven's Compliance!"
"That card—!"
Those who had watched Hikaru's match yesterday instantly recognized it.
"I pay 2000 Life Points and declare the name of a card. If that card exists in your Deck, you must either add it to my hand, or Special Summon it to my field!"
Amagi LP: 2100 → 100
"Ugh…" Jaden winced.
What was the point of paying 2000 LP now?
"So, what card name are you declaring?" Jaden asked.
"Elemental HERO Burstinatrix," Hikaru grinned, pointing at Jaden's Duel Disk. "I've been watching your Graveyard. You haven't used her once this entire duel—she must still be buried deep in your Deck!"
"Ah—you're right…" Jaden checked his Deck. Sure enough, Burstinatrix was at the bottom. He fished her out and handed her over.
But Hikaru didn't use her just yet. Instead, he pointed at his Continuous Spell—Flame Swordfield.
"I send Labyrinth Battlewagon from my field to the Graveyard, and from my Extra Deck, I Fusion Summon a second copy of Flame Swordsman!"
"Ha! I'm back, baby!" Though technically only one copy bore the Flame Swordsman's spirit, the spirit itself could leap between both. Now free to reappear, he puffed up proudly and saluted his comrade Black Flame Swordsman within the Deck.
"Battlewagon's power was halved—keeping it on the field would've been a liability. Fusing it away was the optimal play." Zane nodded once again, approving of Hikaru's cool judgment.
But… what was the purpose?
"Now for the final setup. Jaden…" Hikaru tapped his Continuous Spell once more. "I activate Neo Future Fusion."
"Wait—what?" Jaden blinked. "Isn't that card only for summoning Battlewagon?"
He didn't get it at first.
"With Neo Future Fusion's first effect, I reveal a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck and send one of its materials to the Graveyard. This turn, I can't Special Summon that Fusion, nor activate its effects!"
Hikaru flipped through his Extra Deck—and paused on one card, a smile tugging at his lips.
"I reveal—this!"
He lifted a violet-bordered card high for the entire arena to see.
"What—!?"
"No way!"
"Unbelievable!"
Even Zane Truesdale stepped forward in astonishment. "That card…?"
Jaden's mouth dropped open, but then curled into a grin of pure excitement.
"Flame Wingman!"
That's right. The card Hikaru revealed was—Elemental HERO Flame Wingman.
"I send Avian from my Deck to the Graveyard!" Hikaru declared.
He revealed Avian before sending it to the Graveyard. Tempest turned pale.
It was happening again—another cheap shot from the side.
"You… you've had that card in your Deck the whole time?" Jaden suddenly realized. "Wait… yesterday, you said during your duel, you'd fuse with one of my HEROes using this very card—!"
"That's right," Hikaru beamed. In truth, that card had been fused into his Deck by Super Fusion back in the Otherworld.
Jaden inhaled sharply. "You weren't just fusing materials… you're even running my Fusion Monsters…?"
Hikaru spread his arms wide and declared:
"Fusion is the noblest of all summonings! As a duelist who strives for the pinnacle of Fusion—as a soldier of the Fusion army—as a Fusion Duelist—
I must master not just Fusion materials, but Fusion Monsters themselves!"
"And now—I Normal Summon Burstinatrix!"
"Sorry, Jaden… but this is the end.
I activate Miracle Fusion!"
There was no need for explanations anymore.
Fusion materials: Burstinatrix and Avian.
The warrior with wings and a dragon head for an arm, born of fire, descended once more in a blaze of glory.
Elemental HERO Flame Wingman, Level 6, WIND, Warrior-Type, ATK 2100.
"When it destroys a monster in battle and sends it to the Graveyard—inflict damage equal to that monster's ATK!"
Flame Swordfield could lower one Warrior's ATK by 1000 to boost all others by 1000.
Flame Swordsman: ATK 1800 → 800Flame Wingman: ATK 2100 → 3100
3100 + 800 = 3900Jaden's LP: 3200
It was over!
Even if this wasn't the "complete" Jaden—even if he was just starting his journey—this much was undeniable:
Hikaru Amagi had won.
"Battle Phase—Flame Wingman, attack! Activate Flame Swordfield!"
The hero of flame and wind launched himself forward. On the opposite side, Jaden smiled wide, unflinching as he raised his fist toward the charging monster.
"Man… what an awesome duel!" he shouted.
"Bring it, Hikaru!"
"YEAHHHH!!!"
"Fusion! Fusion! Fusion!"
"Hikaru Amagi! Hikaru Amagi!"
As the solid holograms faded and the light returned to the battlefield—
Thunderous cheers and applause erupted from all corners of the arena. They had just witnessed a duel where no one truly lost.
Because in the end—
It was a Hero versus Hero.
"Winner: Hikaru Amagi!"