The Traits of Elemental HEROES

"Who's that?"

"Seems like a new student? Probably came to the island to visit during the event."

Not long after, Jaden and Bastion also returned to the Fusion Club, waving at Hikaru from afar before curiously looking toward Syrus and Aster in the clearing.

"He actually challenged Syrus to a duel?" Jaden grinned. "Syrus's really strong, you know!"

"That new guy looks kinda familiar." Bastion stroked his chin, hesitating.

"Huh? Somehow, he looks really familiar?" Chazz squinted at Aster, trying hard to recall.

"That's Aster Phoenix," Hikaru said plainly, not hiding anything as the others struggled to remember.

"Aster—"

"Phoenix?" Chazz's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, isn't that a pro duelist!?"

"What? A professional duelist!?"

"Not just any pro, a celebrity-tier professional duelist!"

Gradually, they all realized this wasn't just a simple "new student interaction."

On the flip side, Hikaru was also recalling what he knew about Aster.

Aster Phoenix, the closest thing to a true rival in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. In a show with a different secondary protagonist for each arc, Aster stood out on his own, surpassing many characters in both skill and conviction, arguably even Jaden at one point.

He debuted by almost matching Jaden in a duel with random cards bought from a shop, then later crushed the undefeated Zane Truesdale in just a few turns, and eventually defeated Jaden outright.

Only when Jaden obtained his Neo-Spacian deck did he finally beat Aster, and even then, Aster remained stylish and dominant, repeatedly defeating strong opponents and teaming up with Jaden in memorable tag duels, earning Jaden's admiration.

In terms of actual TCG relevance, Aster has always been a savior of HERO decks—from Destiny HEROes to Vision HEROes to Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer, many builds owe their strength to his cards.

His ace, Destiny HERO – Plasma, has long been a powerhouse, a serious threat even in the meta Hikaru knew before crossing worlds.

The only downside? After obtaining Plasma, Aster never won again.

And he's one of the few characters to appear in Arc-V from a previous series—

Hikaru frowned.

What kind of Aster would this world have?

"I summon Truckroid in Defense Position and set one card, then end my turn!"

A cartoonish truck, like something out of a Disney animation, appeared and revved its front wheels like fists.

[Truckroid] Level 4 | EARTH | Machine | 2000 DEF

Syrus set his card and dramatically flicked his cape. After the likes Polymerization members and Yamaguchi had repeatedly lost, Syrus had become the last remaining representative of the Polymerization Club.

Though short, he added a large robe over his usual purple uniform and even wore a mysterious medal, making him look like some kind of commander.

As Syrus ended his turn, everyone swallowed nervously and looked toward Aster Phoenix.

This was a pro duelist!

Syrus was dueling a pro before Kaiser even entered the pro circuit!

At the same time, they were all dying to know—what kind of deck would a pro duelist like Aster Phoenix use?

Aster examined Syrus's field and furrowed his brow in confusion.

'This is it?'

'This weak setup was what gave Leo Akaba such a headache?'

'Was Sartorius tricked?'

Still unsure, he drew a card and glanced at it before speaking up, "I activate the Spell Card, E - Emergency Call."

"!?" Jaden blinked in surprise, then immediately perked up. "It's HEROes!"

"HEROes?" Chazz uncrossed his arms, taken aback.

"If it's a HERO deck, maybe Syrus actually stands a chance," Bastion said.

"Oh!! A HERO deck!?" Syrus instantly recognized the card. "Haha, newbie, then you really picked the right guy to duel! I know HEROes super well!"

As he spoke, he even raised his nose proudly.

He'd had a pretty good time in the Polymerization Club—though timid, he was no longer bullied, and even the average soldiers of the Fusion Army didn't dare talk down to him.

Plus, his dueling skills far exceeded those of a normal student, and he'd been doing quite well for himself.

Of course, as Jaden's underclassman, his claim of knowing HEROes wasn't a bluff.

Aster looked down at his deck while thinking.

So the intel checks out—this club led by Amaki Hikaru really does know all about Fusion.

"E - Emergency Call lets me add 1 Elemental HERO from my deck to hand. I add Elemental HERO Avian to my hand."

"What?!!" Jaden gasped. "Avian!?"

"What's the big deal? Is that HERO really that good?" Chazz asked Bastion, who shook his head.

That card's not even available on the market!

"Spell Card, Polymerization! I fuse the Avian in my hand with Burstinatrix!" Aster casually revealed the two cards and sent them to the Graveyard.

"Fusion Summon—Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer."

A burly, wind-winged HERO quite different from Flame Wingman roared as it landed on the field, glaring down at the little truck.

[Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer] Level 6 | FIRE | Warrior | 2100 ATK

"Phoenix Enforcer?" Chazz asked. "Isn't it supposed to be Flame Wingman?"

"Elemental HEROes have a special trait—they can fuse into different Fusion Monsters even with the same materials," Bastion explained, then looked to Jaden.

"Oh, is that how it works?"

"What's going on? Aren't you using a HERO deck?" Chazz looked at Hikaru helplessly. "Can you explain this?"

Hikaru nodded. "Avian and Burstinatrix can be fused to summon a variety of Elemental HEROes. Besides the common Flame Wingman, there's Phoenix Enforcer, who can't be destroyed in battle, the Evil HERO Inferno Wing, and, depending on needs, Wind-attribute Tempest or FIRE-attribute Nova Master. Jaden, don't you have all of these?"

"Ohhh yeah! That's right?"

He'd obviously choose Flame Wingman first if possible!

"So that monster can't be destroyed in battle?" Bastion and Chazz, already used to Jaden's inconsistencies, turned their focus to the duel. "Compared to Flame Wingman, it lacks damage output, while having better defense."

"No, the key is the other card—" Jaden coughed and tactfully shifted topics. "It's Avian!"