"When your opponent declares an attack, randomly select a card from your hand. If it’s a monster card, Special Summon it directly to the field. If not, send it to the Graveyard."
Jaden currently had four cards in hand, all drawn this turn thanks to the effect of "Mirage of Nightmare." So, there’s no way this setup was planned last turn since whether he’d draw a monster, or which monster, is theoretically random. The source of thɪs content is N0veI.Fiɾe.net
Of course, for true duelists, everything is inevitable.
"So you really do have confidence in your luck?" Kira smiled.
"Hahaha, I do! But just to be safe..." Jaden said, "I’ll Chain the Quick-Play Spell ’Emergency Provisions,’ sending my Spell/Trap Cards on the field to the Graveyard and gaining 1000 Life Points for each.
I’ll send both ’Mirage of Nightmare’ and the currently activating ’A Hero Emerges’ to the Graveyard, gaining 2000 Life Points."
[Jaden, LP 3300→LP 5300]
A second layer of insurance. This way, even if Kira doesn’t select a monster card, and Jaden takes the full brunt of Silent Magician’s attack, he won’t lose immediately.
"Of course, since ’A Hero Emerges’ has already activated, sending it off the field won’t affect its resolution."
Jaden chuckled and showed up his four cards.
Kira pointed casually: "The second from the left."
"Nice, it’s a monster card!" Jaden said. "So I Special Summon ’Card Blocker’ in Defense Position!"
[Card Blocker, DEF 400]
He smiled confidently: "I’m pretty good at this. I’ve never lost at pulling wild cards so far."
"Then ’Silent Magician LV8,’ attack ’Card Blocker,’" said Kira.
"Card Blocker’s effect! When it’s targeted for an attack, I can send up to three cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard. For each, its DEF increases by 500."
Jaden immediately drew three cards from his Deck.
"I’ll send all three to the Graveyard—Card Blocker’s DEF increases by 1500!"
[Card Defender, DEF 400→DEF 1900]
Of course, even this much DEF doesn’t matter before Silent Magician. His real aim is to mill three cards as resources.
A magical light sphere crashed down, the little shield quickly pierced, and Card Blocker exploded.
"Then I set two cards face-down and end my turn," said Kira.
"Alright, my turn—draw!"
Jaden glanced at his drawn card and immediately played it.
"Spell Card ’Fifth Hope’! Shuffle five ’Elemental HERO’ monsters from my Graveyard back into the Deck, then draw two cards."
Cards flew out of the Graveyard in golden light.
"I’ll shuffle ’Avian,’ ’Burstinatrix,’ ’Clayman,’ ’Bubbleman,’ and ’Bladedge’ back into my Deck."
The five cards returned in order; Jaden quickly shuffled and slid the Deck back into his Duel Disk.
"Then I draw two cards!"
"Appropriate’s Effect," Kira said, "When you draw outside your Draw Phase, I also draw two cards."
"Activate ’Pot of Greed!’" Right after drawing, Jaden revealed another card. "Draw two more cards from my Deck."
Kira chuckled: "Then I’ll draw two more as well."
Kira became more convinced his judgment was right—this Continuous Trap, unremarkable in the real card game, was insanely strong in the anime world. In this relatively slow-paced environment, with lower Special Summon frequency, it was even better than the infamous hand trap "Maxx ’C’."
And facing this card, Jaden’s situation felt similar to the competitive dilemma: "To push through Maxx ’C’ or not."
If he doesn’t have a combo to break through, doing nothing might mean losing next turn. If he accelerates his own draws, there’s a chance to turn the tables—but also a risk of giving the opponent more cards.
In a way, this card is like the anime-only version of "Maxx ’C’."
Jaden looked over his newly drawn combo and smiled again: "Haha, my Deck is telling me it’s enjoying this duel too.
You’re really strong, Kira—so strong it’s crazy! But that just makes me burn even brighter inside!"
"You’re incredible too," Kira smiled.
Not just idle flattery—he meant it sincerely.
To be able to wield so many bizarre combos so smoothly, it’s no wonder he’s a natural-born card genius.
"That’s a must. And for the sake of the duel we’ve both been waiting for, I have to get even stronger and do even better.
Watch carefully, Kira! I’m going to use this duel to try and surpass myself!"
He played another card with a flourish.
"I activate this card again—
—Spell Card ’Fusion Birth’!" (Manga card)
The spectators were also shocked.
In this situation? How?
"’Fusion Birth’—send the top five cards of your Deck to the Graveyard. If among them are the exact Fusion Material Monsters, you can Fusion Summon using those materials!"
Chumley was dumbfounded: "B-but last time, Jaden stacked the Fusion Materials on top of his Deck with a Spell before activating ’Fusion Birth.’
"He’ll have to leave it all to fate," Misawa narrowed his eyes, then smiled. "Interesting. Can you really pull it off, Jaden?"
The previous combo, using "Soul Return" to stack the fusion materials before Fusion Summoning with "Fusion Birth," was tricky but still counted as standard in this world.
After all, duelists in this world always seem to have two-card combos glued together. It’s just normal.
But to blindly mill five cards and just happen to get all the Fusion Materials...
That’s something only the invincible God Hand could do.
"No worries," Syrus said with mysterious confidence, "Big bro’s draws are the strongest."
"Now, by ’Fusion Birth’ effect, I’ll send the top five cards of my Deck to the Graveyard!"
Jaden drew five cards at once, catching a glimpse from the corner of his eye as he did.
Then, a fiery gleam flashed in his eyes.
Jaden triumphantly revealed four cards.
"What I drew are the ’Elemental HERO’ monsters I just shuffled back—Avian, Burstinatrix, Clayman, Bubbleman!
With the four attributes—Earth, Water, Fire, Wind—I’ll do a quadruple fusion! Appear now—
—Elemental HERO Electrum!!!"
The whole crowd erupted.
Even the teachers and students, by now used to Jaden’s miracle draws, were dumbfounded.
Blindly milling five cards and getting the exact four for a quadruple fusion?
And they’re the same four you just shuffled back in?
Did you really shuffle???