Chapter 17

Duel!

[4000 LP] [4000 LP]

Darkness starts by summoning Darkness Eye. He then activates the field spell Darkness, setting five specific Darkness spells and trap cards randomly on his side of the field. Due to the Darkness field spell though, he cannot tell which zone holds which card.

As expected of an entity like Darkness, it is difficult to analyze his duel style during the first turn. Even beings like (5DS) Z-ONE and (VRAINS) Lightning do not understand his methods.

Jaden summons Elemental Hero Sparkman and has it attack Darkness Eye.

Sparkman: [1600 ATK]

Darkness Eye: [0 ATK]

Thanks to Darkness Eye's monster effect, Darkness is able to know his face-down spells and trap cards even while under the effects of the field spell Darkness.

Darkness activates the trap card Zero, using its effect to activate the corresponding trap card Infinity.

Since Darkness activated Zero and Infinity, all of the set cards between them are forcibly activated. Darkness activates the continuous trap card Darkness 1 to destroy one of Jaden's cards for each "Darkness" card activated by Zero and Infinity. Since the number of activated "Darkness" cards is one, Sparkman is destroyed.

Jaden activates the spell card Relationship since Sparkman was destroyed to special summon Elemental Hero Necroshade in defense mode. He sets a card and ends his turn.

Necroshade: [1800 DEF]

Since it is the end phase, Darkness's spell and trap cards are randomly set onto his side of the field in random spell and trap card zones thanks to the field spell Darkness.

For his turn, since he controls Darkness Eye in attack mode, Darkness summons Darkness Destroyer without tributing any monsters.

Darkness Destroyer: [2300 ATK]

With Darkness Destroyer, Darkness can inflict piercing damage to Jaden and declare a second attack.

Darkness then activates his trap cards Zero and Infinity, activating the three-set cards in between.

Since Darkness activated three "Darkness" trap cards, Darkness 2 increases Darkness Destroyer's ATK by 3000.

Darkness Destroyer: [5300 ATK]

Darkness Destroyer then attacks Necroshade, prompting Jaden to use the trap card Hero Barrier to stop the attack. Darkness Destroyer then attacks again, destroying Necroshade.

Jaden: [500 LP]

Jaden falls to the ground under the Darkness Destroyer's power. Darkness tells Jaden to give up for there is no one around wishing for his victory.

Yubel would have to disagree though as it is still by Jaden's side and still believes in him.

(GX) Yubel smiled as it looked at the smiling Jaden next to it. As long as they were together, no one can stop them.

Darkness's trap cards are re-set and Darkness Destroyer returns to its original ATK.

Jaden draws and uses the monster effect of Necroshade in his graveyard to summon Elemental Hero Neos without tributing any monsters.

Neos: [2500 ATK]

Darkness attempts to use Darkness Eye's effects to confirm his set cards but Jaden activates the spell card Effect Shut to negate it and destroys Darkness Eye. Without Darkness Eye, Darkness fails to activate the trap card he wanted, and Darkness Destroyer is destroyed in battle.

Darkness: [3800 LP]

Jaden sets a card to end his turn. Darkness's effect activates, setting Darkness's trap cards all over again.

Infuriated by Yubel's support, Darkness summons Darkness Outsider.

Darkness Outsider: [0 ATK]

Darkness discards Darkness Seed and uses Darkness Outsider's monster effect to switch itself with the Yubel in Jaden's deck.

Yubel: [0 ATK]

"Damn him!" (GX) Yubel shrieks. It was fighting alongside Jaden but now it has to be stolen and used against him. This is too much for it to bear!

Darkness declares an attack using Yubel, seeking to end Jaden's LP using his prized partner. Jaden activates the trap card Astral Shift and turns Yubel's attack into a direct attack while drawing a card.

Jaden catches Yubel's attack while promising to rescue it.

Everyone can see that the twisted bond from their previous duel was no more and they were truly partners now.

Darkness special summons Darkness Slime in defense mode since no monsters on his field have higher ATK than 0. With Darkness Slime on Darkness's field, Darkness Slime ATK and DEF become the reverse of Neos's.

Darkness Slime: [2500 DEF]

Jaden draws a card and activates the spell card Super Polymerization.

It's the return of Super Polymerization!

Jaden discards Winged Kuriboh and fuses his Neos with the Yubel on Darkness's field.

Fusion summon! Neos Wiseman!

Neos Wiseman: [3000 ATK]

When Neos Wiseman battles an opponent's monster, Jaden gains LP equal to the opposing monster's DEF while dealing damage equal to that monster's ATK.

Darkness: [1800 LP]

Jaden: [3000 LP]

"Darkness, I will prove that your philosophy is wrong and my bonds are true," Jaden exclaims.

"Hahaha," Darkness scoffs. "Your bonds with your friends are already gone. They've sunk into darkness and are unable to hear your words. Even so, you still plan to save them?"

Darkness starts his turn by summoning the Darkness Necro Slime. He then sacrifices it for its monster effect to revive the Darkness Eye in his graveyard. He still plans on using the "Darkness" cards to win this duel.

Darkness activates the trap cards Zero and Infinity, activating two set trap cards in between. Darkness 1 moves to destroy Neos Wiseman but its effect protects it from effect destruction. Left with no other choice, Darkness ends his turn by resetting his trap cards.

Jaden takes his turn and attacks using Neos Wiseman, restoring his LP to the original starting amount.

Jaden: [4000 LP]

Since it has been two standby phases since Darkness sent Darkness Seed to the graveyard, its monster effect activates to revive itself from the graveyard. With its effect, Darkness LP returns to its starting amount.

Darkness: [4000 LP]

Faced with the power Darkness holds, Jaden is forced to confront a scary possibility. Darkness's true identity is that of his world's future.

Darkness is the future of the GX World?!

No one wanted to believe it since just his other identity was enough to scare them, let alone the fact that he is the world's future embodied in a single vessel.

Wanting to prove his identity, Darkness shows Jaden a dystopian future the world has in store for it. It is the fear of the future that leads to his future and why Darkness is here to give humanity the eternal peace it desires.

(5DS) Z-ONE frowns as he thinks to himself that if a being like Darkness exists in his world it will be his eternal enemy. He refuses to believe humanity is forever destined for despair.

(5DS) Z-ONE's thoughts are shared by countless in the myriad worlds as they try and muster up the courage to keep fighting for the futures they believe in.

Jaden attacks with Neos Wiseman, destroying Darkness Seed.

Darkness: [2000 LP]

Since Neo's Wiseman battled Darkness Seed, its monster effect activates to both deal damage and restore Jaden's LP.

Darkness: [1000 LP]

Jaden: [5000 LP]

When the smoke clears, Jaden is surprised to find Darkness Seed still standing there. Darkness Seed is a being that came to life from the graveyard so it cannot be sent back by battle. Jaden sets a card and moves to the end phase where Darkness Seed restores Darkness's LP.

Darkness: [4000 LP]

No matter how much Jaden fights Darkness, he will still remain strong and standing.

Darkness sends Darkness Seed to the graveyard and summons Darkness Bramble, a monster with Darkness Eye's ability to check Darkness's set spells and trap cards.

Darkness then activates Zero and Infinity, revealing three "Darkness" trap cards in between them. Since he revealed three "Darkness" trap cards, the trap card Darkness 3's effect activates to inflict 3000 points of damage to Jaden's LP.

Jaden: [2000 LP]

Darkness ends his turn, shuffling his set spells and trap cards before starting again during Jaden's following turn. Among them was Darkness 3 and another "Darkness" card!

Facing the 2000 points of effect damage, Jaden activates the spell card Quick Summon to normal summon Chrysalis Pantail. Jaden then sacrifices it for the trap card Cacoon Veil in order to reduce Darkness 3's damage to 0.

Since Jaden used Chrysalis Pantail as a tribute for Cacoon Veil, Jaden special summons Neo-spacian Dark Panther in defense mode.

Dark Panther: [500 DEF]

Neos Wiseman attacks Darkness Bramble, prompting Darkness to use the monster effect of Darkness Raincrow in his hand. Darkness Raincrow and Darkness Bramble are sent to the graveyard and Darkness special summons Darkness Neosphere.

Darkness Neosphere: [4000 ATK]

"A monster as strong as Obelisk the Tormentor!" (DM) Tristan shouts.

With Darkness Neosphere on Darkness's side of the field, he gets free reign to set his trap cards as he wishes. If Jaden doesn't do anything, he will be left at the mercy of Darkness's traps.

Jaden activates the monster effect of Dark Panther to mimic the Darkness Neosphere on Darkness's side of the field. Using its effect, Jaden resets Darkness's set trap cards as he wishes as well as turns the field spell Darkness face-down.

Faced with his set field spell Darkness, Darkness has to now consider activating it as it will destroy all of his other spells and trap cards upon its activation.

With this trap seal in place, Jaden sets a card and ends his turn.

Darkness attacks with Darkness Neosphere. destroying Neos Wiseman.

Jaden: [1000 LP]

Since Neos Wiseman was destroyed, Jaden can revive Neos at the cost of removing Yubel from the game. If he does that though, Jaden will lose his close partner and be fighting alone.

Yubel believes in Jaden so they are willing to make the sacrifice.

Neos: [2500 ATK]

With Yubel gone, Darkness once again engages Jaden in a philosophical discussion.

Many viewers didn't understand the contents of the conversation but they didn't turn their ears away because they felt how important this discussion was for them as inhabitants of the myriad worlds.

Jaden argues that humans have the possibility for whatever future they desire but Darkness thinks that too many humans will lack the will to fight for that future.

Jaden then explains that just because someone has given up that doesn't mean they will never get back up again. He went through hardships losing his friends and giving up his humanity to become the Supreme King, yet he came back from it with the help of his comrades and now has the strength to still keep on fighting.

No matter what difficulties humans face, they will eventually pick themselves up again and continue to struggle for the future they believe in.

Cards are bonds, possibilities, and the power to reach a better tomorrow!

Many down and out viewers in the myriad worlds rallied up their fighting spirit hearing Jaden's cries. They can keep fighting because there's always tomorrow to continue on for!

Inside the dark void, Jaden's voice can be heard loud and clear telling them to find the one card that stuck by them through all of the struggles they've gone through.

It will never lie. It will be there for them through all of their adversity.

Inside the darkness, all of Jaden's friends found their will to continue and escaped Darkness's void. Countless lights returned to the Earth, ready to continue living.

"Impossible!" Darkness cried.

"Looks like they didn't want your future," Jaden sneered and draws his card. Drawing the spell card Polymerization, Jaden thanks his deck and activates the trap card Hope for the Future. Since Neos is on Jaden's field, he can discard Polymerization to fusion summon a Fusion monster using monsters in his deck as fusion materials.

Neo-spacians Flame Scarab, Grand Mole, Aqua Dolphin, Air Hummingbird, and Glow Moss join Dark Panther and Elemental Hero Neos in a divine fusion summon!

Fusion Summon! Elemental Hero Divine Neos!

Divine Neos: [3000 ATK]

A golden figure towers over Jaden's field, giving hope to the viewers in the myriad worlds.

Since Jaden has six "Neo-spacian" monsters in his graveyard, Divine Neos gains 500 ATK for each of them equaling a 3000 ATK boost.

Divine Neos: [6000 ATK]

Divine Neos also inherits the monster effects of the six Neo-Spacians in Jaden's graveyard. Thanks to Flame Scarab's monster effect, Divine Neos gains 400 ATK for each of Darkness's spells and trap cards.

Divine Neos: [8400 ATK]

Jaden attacks Darkness Neosphere with Divine Neos, radiating a fierce light that scares the dark away. Darkness's cloak blows off, revealing the skeleton monstrosity's head.

"Your cards may have won but I will never die. In the future, I will come again."

"That may be true," Jaden admits. "But as long as we duelists keep believing, your turn will never come again."

With a cry, Darkness fades away into nothingness as the light of day covers the sky.

Darkness: [0 LP]

"(GX World): Jaden Yuki Vs Darkness. The winner is Jaden Yuki!"