Alexis and Zane were still analyzing and watching, but didn't expect Kira's next move would nearly make them fall off the stands.
"I summon 'Cyber Valley!'"
[Cyber Valley, ATK 0]
"Cyber Dragon?" Alexis was shocked and instinctively looked at Zane.
Zane's first reaction was surprise, but then he quickly calmed down: "Cyber Dragon's signature card is really only Cyber End Dragon. While not common, the other cards aren't that rare."
After all, the Cyber Art Dojo had plenty of students—even if only Zane inherited Cyber End Dragon, the rest used Cyber cards too.
Besides, everyone knew Kira was now a hotshot research ace at the Academy and had partnerships with the two big card companies. Pulling a Cyber series card wasn't strange at all.
"Oh, is Kira going to play Cyber Style too?" Jaden looked hopeful.
"No," Kira smiled.
He was fine with tossing in a few odd cards or combos, but mashing totally unrelated decks together felt too forced.
Cyber Valley was, in fact, a popular tech card back then—could block attacks, end the battle phase, draw cards, recover from the grave… all solid effects, and thus often seen in both meta and rogue decks.
"Cyber Valley's effect—banish itself and another monster on my field to draw two cards."
Kira declared.
"I banish Cyber Valley and 'Mask of Darkness' to draw two cards."
A golden light shone from Cyber Valley, enveloping both itself and Mask of Darkness, and both vanished into light.
Kira drew two cards, then revealed one.
"Next, from my hand, I activate 'Jester Confit's' effect—Special Summon!"
[Jester Confit, ATK 0]
"Then I Tribute the Spellcaster-type Jester Confit—"
The clown vanished in a flash of light, and a pure white magic circle appeared.
"Silent wings carrying hope, magician of light, appear before us—
—Silent Magician, summon!"
A storm of light, a white-robed magician appeared in the swirling light, legs barely visible beneath the hem of her robe, power swirling into her pure white staff.
[Silent Magician, ATK 1000]
"Two ace monsters in a row in a single turn, huh?" Jaden laughed.
"Silent Magician's ATK increases by 500 for each card in my hand," Kira noted. "I have three cards left, so her ATK rises by 1500."
[Silent Magician, ATK 1000 → 2500]
"Silent Magician, attack 'Elemental HERO Avian!'
Silent Magic Burst!"
A milky white magic bullet blasted down, Avian was immediately shattered and vanished in the light.
"Then I set three cards to my back row and end my turn."
[Silent Magician, ATK 2500 → 1000]
"So you value backrow protection over ATK? That's just like you, Kira," Jaden said.
"Alright, I can't lose either!
My turn, draw!"
Jaden drew, then played a card from his hand.
"From my hand, I activate—
—Spell Card 'R – Righteous Justice!'
For each 'Elemental HERO' I control, I can destroy a Spell or Trap on the field."
"Nice!" Syrus cheered, "With Kira as the opponent, the biggest threat is definitely the back row!"
"True," Misawa smiled. "But will it really go through that easily?"
Kira said, "I activate 'Silent Magician's' effect—once per turn, negate and destroy a Spell Card activation.
I negate and destroy 'R – Righteous Justice.'"
The silent staff was raised, a spell chanted soundlessly. The Spell's effect was quickly bound and burst into light.
"Haha, it's not that easy after all," Jaden laughed. "Then I activate the Spell 'White Elephant's Gift'—send a non-Effect Monster from my field to the graveyard, draw two cards.
I send 'Elemental HERO Burstinatrix' to the graveyard and draw two cards."
Jaden drew two.
"At this moment, I chain to 'White Elephant's Gift'—Continuous Trap 'Appropriate!'" Kira said. "Whenever my opponent draws outside the Draw Phase, I can also draw two cards."
A card rarely seen in the TCG, but after trying it once, Kira realized it was surprisingly strong in this draw-heavy anime world.
Sure enough, Jaden played another card.
"I activate Spell Card 'Hero's Legacy!' If I have two or more Level 4 or higher HERO monsters in the graveyard, I draw three cards!" (Anime effect)
A brutal engine in the anime. Kira, not to be outdone, followed up: "Appropriate's effect—when you draw outside the Draw Phase, I also draw two."
Jaden continued, "I Normal Summon 'Elemental HERO Bubbleman!'"
[Elemental HERO Bubbleman, ATK 800]
"Hm?" Kira raised an eyebrow.
Didn't Bubbleman go to the graveyard already?
Or…
Seeing his confusion, Jaden grinned, "Remember when we chatted over lunch? You said my Bubbleman was actually underrated—a really strong HERO.
The more I thought about your analysis, the more I agreed, so I added two more copies!"
Kira took a deep breath.
Wow, I just made an offhand comment, and you actually packed multiple copies?
"Well, with Skyscraper on my field and a set card, I can't use Bubbleman's effect to draw again," Jaden said.
"But I then activate Quick-Play Spell 'Bubble Shuffle!'" Jaden continued. "I switch my Attack Position Bubbleman and one of your Attack Position monsters to Defense Position!
I'll change Bubbleman and your 'Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning' to Defense Position!"
[Elemental HERO Bubbleman, ATK 800 → DEF 1200]
[Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, ATK 3000 → DEF 2500]
"Then, by tributing the now-Defense Position Bubbleman, I can Special Summon an 'Elemental HERO' from my hand."
Jaden declared.
"I tribute 'Elemental HERO Bubbleman' to Special Summon—
—Elemental HERO Bladedge!"
A torrent of water burst from beneath Bubbleman, who vanished, replaced by a golden, shining blade-armed warrior.
[Elemental HERO Bladedge, ATK 2600]
"'Elemental HERO Bladedge,' attack 'Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning!' Also, at this moment, Skyscraper's effect!
When an Elemental HERO battles a monster with higher ATK, its ATK increases by 1000!"
"Oh, right!" Syrus blurted out, "Skyscraper says 'battles a monster with higher ATK,' it doesn't have to be in Attack Position.
Even though BLS is in Defense, its ATK is still higher than Bladedge, so Bladedge's ATK goes up to 3600!"
"And not only that, Bladedge deals piercing damage when attacking Defense Position monsters," Misawa said. "This attack can deal massive damage."
"Impressive. But—"
Kira waved his arm, flipping a back row card to reveal a blinding golden radiance.
"I activate Trap—Magic Cylinder!"
PS: 3 Bonus Chapters at 2000 PS.