Chapter 8, Dragon's and Dignity.

Seeing the Iconic Hero Monster on the other side of the field my plan has been stalled, so I have to think of another process.

"I'll end my turn." I hear Jaden say.

I draw a card and look at my hand at the new card. Fudge I forgot that Bastard was in this deck.

I continue to look at my hand then make a plan using the 5 cards in my hand.

"Ok my turn, first of all I'll play the card Rot Kindred Swarm from my hand."

A spell card appears depicting a trio of Kindred of Rot patrolling Caelid in its malformed and corrupted form.

[Rot Kindred Swarm][Spell/Continuous] 

"I activate Rot Kindred and remove all one Rot Token from the card to Summon a Rot Kindred Token onto the field in ATK Mode."

burrowing from the earth beneath me and Jaden a pale Mollusc like Insect creature appears before standing at full height wielding a long pale Glave.

[Rot Kindred Token★★★ Fire][Insect/Effect/Token][ATK:1400/DEF:0]

"But don't get used to its presence Since I'll use it as a Tribute to Summon Rot Dragon Ekzykes in ATK position"

A loud Roar is Heard resounding though the Forest of an Apex Predator but the sounds way more guttural than normal roars, its sounds like both a roar of defiance and roar of pain intertwined.

The Kindred of Rot raises his hands in a form of prayer before both me and Jaden see a massive, calcified mass of rotting flesh appears from the sky and simply squishes the Kindred of rot.

 It looks upon the Domain it's been summoned and looks towards me as if it recognises me, it makes a Jagged Snarling sound towards me but it finds no fear in my eyes, The dragon senses this and turns towards the fresher meat.

The white mass of chipped calcifying Stone and pulsating flesh coils around itself and rears itself and stares down at the HERO with a Giant dripping Maw infused with Scarlet Rot, as if sensing a challenge Elemental HERO Flame Wingman Strike a Pose of defiance as it faces a real Monstrosity, like how any HERO should.

[Rot Dragon Ekzykes ★★★★★★ Fire][Dragon/Effect][ATK:2400/DEF:2000]

"Due to the effect of the Rot kindred Token, I lose 500 LP, but then I'll activate Rot Dragon Ekzykes's Effect."

[Dro's LP's:1800 > 1300]

The Dragon's Jaw unhinges like an alligator's towards Elemental HERO Flame Wingman everyone sees as the Dragon's Mouth starts to fill with an Orange Mist.

"When Rot Dragon Ekzykes Is summoned, he destroys 1 monster on the field with less ATK than himself."

Jaden's eyes Widen in surprise as the Flame Wingman expecting flames braces for the heat before being overwhelmed in a Scarlet Rot mist. The hero looks to be corrupted by the mist before decaying into pixels.

"No Flame Wingman. . . I use Stuff of Champions to add a Warrior to my hand!"

now it's my battle phase. "Go Ekzykes, Attack Jaden Directly" Both me and Jaden watch as Ekzykes rears its leg up before Stomping the ground causing an earthquake effect that travels along the floor hitting Jaden.

[Jaden's LP: 3600 > 1200]

the strike takes any smile away from his face but in his eyes, I can see his determination to win blaze like a bonfire. 

"I'll End my turn and let you go." At my words he Draws a card then reveals it. It's the Greedy Pot.

"I'll activate pot of greed letting me draw 2." I watch as he draws 2 and looks though his hand and smiles.

[Pot of greed][Spell]

"First of all I'll Summon my newest friend Jar Barin." Jar Barin's card appears flat down and Jar Barin appears doing a flexing pose.

[Jar Barin ★ Earth][Warrior/Effect][ATK:300/DEF:1000]

"Oh, hello Coz!" he says animatedly full of energy as he waves. I wave back.

"I'll use Jar Bairn's Effect to Special Summon from my deck Elemental HERO Woodsman in Defence mode before equipping to Woodsman"

Swinging in from the surrounding roots and tree trunks appears what can only be described as the unholy combination of Swamp Thing and Groot, He lands on the field and goes into his defence position but Jar Bairn climbs onto of the Warrior/Plant thing and Sits on his Shoulder like a Elden ring version of Pikachu as he equips himself to Woodsman.

[Elemental HERO Woodsman ★★★★ Earth][Warrior/Effect][ATK:1000/DEF:2000]

[ATK:1000>1300/DEF:2000>3000]

The Dragon leers at the pair but all I feel is pride from Jar Barin not even flinching at the sight.

with a face that seems like he has a plan he says, "I'll play Fusion Recovery, to get polymerization from the graveyard as well as Burstinatrix back to my hand." 

[Fusion Recovery][Spell]

[Polymerization][Spell]

[Elemental HERO Burstinatrix ★★★ Fire][Warrior/Normal][ATK:1200/DEF:800]

"Now with my polymerization from my hand and using Elemental HERO Ocean in my hand I Fusion Summon Elemental HERO Terra Firma!"

The little Jar on the Shoulder Waves at me happily since in his own little way he would become part of a great Champion, The pair jump into a vortex that appears where a blue dolphin themed hero is waiting, In a Flash of light a Hero that looks very similar to Neos appears all but being a little less alien looking and more machine like, that and how he's standing as tall as Ekzykes with the dragon being around his chest height.

[Elemental HERO Terra Firma ★★★★★★★★ Earth][Warrior/Effect][ATK:2500/DEF2000]

the Monster is very imposing even when I even remember the anime lore it has being part of the Legendary Planets series. but I don't worry yet since Jaden's already used his Quick attack spell card making it so he can't attack this turn, my thoughts are proven true when Jaden says, "I'll end my turn here."

At the start of my turn, I draw and look and laugh lightly. "From my hand I'll play Flask of Cerulean Tears, this allows me to Draw two then discard 1."

Drawing more cards the cards in my hands then discarding a currently useless card just finalize a path for victory for me.

"From my hand I send Bloom of the Valkyrie to the graveyard to add a Fire type warrior monster with 500 or less DEF from the grave to my hand. and I choose Decaying Millicent."

[Bloom of the Valkyrie][Spell]

Adding her back to my hand she doesn't remain there for long since I immediately Summon her, she just walks out onto the field and looks between the Rot Dragon and the Titan before Sighing in exasperation.

[Decaying, Millicent ★★★★ Fire][Warrior/Effect][ATK:1300/DEF:500]

"Like before When she's Summoned, I can discard a card and search my deck for an equip spell card but I chain the effect with The Haligtree roots, To chain this I'll be discarding a Miquella's Needle which is an equip spell in itself allowing me to remove a Rot Counter from the Haligtree roots to retain it in my hand, while searching for an additional equip spell." 

I place Miquella's Needle on the graveyard place which makes a card pop out from the deck, but the machine doesn't take Miquella's Needle which I place back in my hand with the newly gained Equip Spell.

"Now I'll play all three equip spells in my hand onto Millicent." the Millicent's appearance from the Church of Plague at the start of her journey to her appearance just before her death near the end of it.

[Miquella's Needle][Spell/Equip]

[Scarlet Rot][Spell/Equip]

[Valkyrie's Prosthesis][Spell/Equip]

[Decaying, Millicent][ATK:1300 >2000/DEF:500 >0]

Looking at Jaden I still see the fire in his eyes, and I speak out to him. "Just so you know I was saving this play against Seto Kaiba and his three Dragon's, but you made me pull this trigger be proud."

My words cause Jaden to tense up at the Compliment before I play the last card for me to win the duel.

"I now Play the last card in my hand I play Dignity Personified" as I say this the Face of Millicent Brightens up like a Christmas tree.

I play the card, and it depicts a Dead Millicent holding onto the Golden Needle but there's and obvious arm wound from where it's been removed from her body.

Jaden is surprised at the imagery of the card as the Millicent on the field Gives him a loving smile before taking the needle out of her own skin and immediately collapsing like a puppet with her Strings cut onto the ground, in agony She says a single line that both me and Jaden can hear.

"If I am to flower into something other than myself, I would rather rot into nothingness as I am."

As the words are said out loud Ekzykes Roars to the Sky gutturally as if marking his acknowledgment of her Ideals.

Her Corpse decays rapidly into a Flurry of Aeonian Butterflies and appearing from the cascade of Aeonian Butterflies is a very Familiar tall red-Haired woman wearing a Golden Helmet and a golden Prosthetic arm.

"Heed my words. I am Malenia. Blade of Miquella. And I have never known True defeat."

[Dignity Personified][Spell]

[Malenia, Blade of Miquella★★★★★★★ Fire][Warrior/Effect][ATK:2500/DEF:1000]

"Due to the effect of Dignity Personified I get to summon Malenia, Blade of Miquella with all the equip spells attached to Millicent." at my words this becomes apparent when Malenia becomes fully buffed by the equip spells.

[Malenia, Blade of Miquella][ATK:3200/DEF:500]

"Now Malenia please take out Elemental HERO Terra Firma." the Demi-goddess Raises her blade and pounces upon the Titan and appears behind him. when she's stopped moving Jaden calls out.

"No, I activate Necro Gardna in the graveyard to negate the next attack of the turn saving my Terra Firma." Jaden says with full confidence at his play, that is before he watches the arms of Terra Firma fall off his frame, we both watch as Terra Firms turns around to Malenia who in the time it takes for him to turn around Raises herself into the air as if she weights nothing and readies her blade.

"Too bad Jaden but that won't stop Malenia for two reasons, First she's immune to Monster effects and secondly Due to the effect of Dignity Personified for this turn she can use her Signature Technique, The Waterfowl dance, Allowing her to attack equal to the amount of equip spells attached to her, for the cost of being able to attack directly."

My words are like thunder as Malenia Dives at the chest of Terra Firma and appears on the other side of him again, she appears to suddenly disappear and reappear around the HERO all the while small trails of White light appear around her at her locations. 

Once the dance has stopped, she appears back on my field and with a flourish of her blade Elemental HERO Terra Firma becomes as segmented and incohesive as the United Nations. falling to the ground as many, many chunks of pixel flesh before disappearing.

"Finally, Ekzykes Finish the duel. with a direct attack." The dragon responds and does another stomp which hits Jaden reducing him to 0 LP.

[Jaden Yuki's LP's: 1200 > 0 ]