"Attack the Archfiend Giant, Lu Bu!"
Like a high-speed white bullet train, Lu Bu, wielding his halberd, charged toward the grotesque Archfiend Giant on the opposite side.
"I'll leave the support to you, Boudica!"
"Yes, Master!"
[Lu Bu ATK 2600 → 2800]
With a resounding clash, the sharp point of the halberd lodged into the Archfiend Giant's armor. The full force of Lu Bu's attack sent sparks flying as the halberd scraped against the titan's body.
"Wow! A battle of gigantic monsters! So cool!" The audience, excited by the spectacle, erupted with enthusiasm.
"Even though its attack power was lower, it wasn't destroyed?" Unlike the excited crowd, Yugi immediately noticed that the Archfiend Giant, despite being attacked, remained on the field.
"Hmph, Chiyuki Hoshino, I admit you have some skill. Both your strategy and execution are top-tier—among the best duelists I've ever seen." Surprisingly, Devlin praised Hoshino. "But I still refuse to believe that you could defeat Pegasus!"
"Activate the special effect of the [Archfiend Giant]!"
[If this card on the field is destroyed, you can pay 500 Life Points to prevent its destruction. This effect can only be used once while this card is face-up on the field.]
[Duke Devlin LP 3600 → 3100]
Although the destruction was avoided, the battle damage still applied.
[Duke Devlin LP 3100 → 2800]
"Pegasus is not only a master duelist but also a genius in game design and foresight." Devlin suddenly started monologuing.
"Seriously? I didn't know Pegasus had such dedication." Hoshino, puzzled, was a bit surprised by Devlin's story.
"My father and I spent years trying to develop a new game without success. In a last-ditch effort, I sought out Pegasus. With his extraordinary vision, he instantly recognized the potential of my Dungeon Dice Monsters. What seemed like a boring toy to everyone else, Pegasus saw value in it, and he helped me refine its rules. His genius mind was truly made for designing games."
"Really? I had no idea Pegasus had such passion." Hoshino tilted her head, genuinely surprised by Devlin's story.
"Pegasus promised me that after the Duelist Kingdom tournament, he would use Industrial Illusions' influence to promote Dungeon Dice Monsters worldwide!" Devlin's voice grew bitter. "But because of you, Chiyuki Hoshino, Pegasus was dealt a massive blow and went missing! It was you who destroyed Pegasus, shattered my father's dream, and crushed the future of Dungeon Dice Monsters!"
"..."
An enormous, invisible burden seemed to fall from the sky, landing squarely on Hoshino's head. Hoshino, who was initially touched by Devlin's heartfelt confession, now felt utterly speechless.
"First of all, I followed the rules of the Duelist Kingdom tournament and defeated Pegasus. Secondly, Pegasus' disappearance has nothing to do with me! Most importantly, the reason Dungeon Dice Monsters didn't succeed is that you set the drop rates too low! If there was a 50% chance to pull Dark Magician Girl, there's no way it wouldn't sell!"
Even after rebutting Devlin's accusations, Hoshino felt that Devlin wasn't in a state to listen.
"So, let this duel prove once and for all whether I have the strength to defeat Pegasus!"
A dispute sparked by a duel could only be resolved through another duel. Unknowingly, Hoshino had gradually started to understand and adapt to the way of thinking in this world.
If duels could solve everything, then there would be no need for war.
"Turn end!" Though her words were fierce, after Lu Bu's attack was blocked, Hoshino had no monsters capable of defeating the Archfiend Giant on her field, leaving her no choice but to end her turn.
Hoshino LP: 3600, remaining hand: 3 cards, 1 set card.
"My turn, draw!"
"You couldn't defeat the Archfiend Giant last turn, and now the situation has completely reversed. It's time for my counterattack!" Glancing at the card he drew, Devlin's previous frustration vanished, replaced by a surge of confidence and rage toward Hoshino.
"From my hand, I activate the Spell Card [Dark Hole]!"
"!!"
[Dark Hole Spell Card Effect: Destroy all monsters on the field.]
"He activated Dark Hole? Doesn't that mean his monster will be…?" Jonouchi was confused.
"Just watch, loser!"
A terrifying black vortex engulfed the entire field, sucking in Hoshino's three Heroic Spirits and Devlin's Archfiend Giant.
"Damn it! Even my chariot can't withstand such power!"
"Lily didn't even get to attack after being summoned! This is no different from when she stayed in the back row, gaining bonds!"
"Roaaar!!"
Though Heroic Spirits possessed the power of legendary heroes, against the overwhelming destructive force of Dark Hole, they were utterly helpless. In just a few seconds, the black vortex vanished, and there were no monsters left on the field.
"One card wiped out the entire team I painstakingly summoned! This feels just like getting wiped by Ars Almadel Salomonis of Goetia during a raid," Hoshino muttered, wearing a complex expression as she glanced at her now-empty field. "At least his monsters were destroyed too."
"Hmph, the only one cleared off the field is you!" Devlin sneered, pointing to the spot where the Archfiend Giant had once stood on his field. Though the Archfiend Giant had been destroyed, a glowing purple crystal remained where it had been standing.
"Activate the effect of [Archfiend Giant]!"
[②: When this card is destroyed by an effect and sent to the graveyard, you can activate this effect. Special summon 1 [Archfiend] monster from your hand.]
"I special summon [Darkbishop Archfiend] in Attack Position!"
[Darkbishop Archfiend ★★★ (3 Stars)][DARK][Fiend/Effect][ATK300/DEF1400]
The black crystal left behind by the Archfiend Giant suddenly expanded, and with its overwhelming magical power, the figure of the Darkbishop Archfiend materialized on the field.
"That's the Archfiend from last turn that was added to your hand because of the field card!" Hoshino realized.
"Exactly. Thanks to the effect of the field card Pandemonium, when Archfiend Giant was destroyed, I could add a lower-level Archfiend monster to my hand!"
"The one I added is this: [Archfiend Heiress]!"
"This constant barrage of Archfiends feels pretty overwhelming," Hoshino said with a twitch in her eye, feeling as if she was facing an entire army of demons.
"If that's tough for you, my strategy is far from over." Devlin, his excitement at its peak, played each card with such flair that it won him screams from the female fans in the audience.
"Now, I activate my face-down continuous trap card, [Call of the Archfiend]!"
[Call of the Archfiend Continuous Trap Effect: You can target 1 Level 5 or higher Fiend monster in your GY; discard 1 Fiend monster, and if you do, Special Summon the targeted monster.]
"I discard the [Archfiend Heiress] I just searched to bring back [Archfiend Giant] from my graveyard!"
With an eerie, chilling voice as if calling from the depths of hell, the Archfiend Giant slumbering in the graveyard was successfully revived.
[Archfiend Giant ATK 2400]
"Next, I activate the special effect of [Archfiend Heiress], which I just discarded to the graveyard!"
[When this card is sent to the graveyard by an effect or destroyed in battle, you can add 1 [Archfiend] card, other than [Archfiend Heiress], from your Deck to your hand.]
"Thanks to its effect, I add [Archfiend Cavalry] to my hand and immediately summon it!" After searching his deck, Devlin wasted no time in summoning the heavily armored knight riding a horse from the underworld.
[Archfiend Cavalry ★★★★ (4 Stars)][DARK][Fiend/Effect][ATK1900/DEF0]
"He reversed the whole field in an instant!"
"If Devlin had competed in the Duelist Kingdom Tournament, he definitely would've been the champion!"
"How about that? Now the field is completely in my favor. I have three monsters on the field, and you have none!" With the setup complete, Devlin's smug confidence was unmistakable in his voice.
"This is bad. Hoshino doesn't have enough Life Points to withstand all those attacks," Anzu worriedly muttered as she wrung her hands at the sudden reversal.
"This duel is over!! Archfiend Cavalry, launch the final assault!"
At Devlin's command, the spectral horse of the underworld began to charge, carrying its rider forward with immense momentum, straight toward the defenseless Hoshino.
"Hmph, what a flashy move!" For the first time, Hoshino, who had remained silent in the face of Devlin's overconfidence, began to take action. While she would have liked to flip a Mirror Force, unfortunately, her deck didn't have that card.
"Activate my set trap card, [God Is Here With Me]!"
[God is Here With Me - Trap Card Effect: This card can only be activated when your opponent declares an attack and has 3 or more attack-position monsters on the field. Special summon [Heroic Spirit - Jeanne d'Arc] from your hand or Deck.]
"I'm not just a benchwarmer!" In a burst of holy light, Jeanne d'Arc shouted her innermost thoughts as she waved her banner, mercilessly striking down the Archfiend Cavalry.
"..."
Devlin stood there with his mouth wide open, watching as his Archfiend Cavalry was shattered by Jeanne's holy flag. His once-soaring momentum instantly came to a screeching halt. Likewise, the female fans who had just been cheering for Devlin's counterattack also fell into complete silence.
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
"It feels like Devlin lost control, going all out on summoning monsters like he was desperate to prove something," Yugi commented, observing the shift in the duel.
With a slight smile, Yugi watched the interesting situation unfold on the stage, offering his analysis. "Trying too hard to pull off a flashy comeback, he overlooked the one-set card in Hoshino's back row. Although Devlin didn't visibly lose his cool in response to Hoshino's taunt, deep down, it's clear he was bothered."
"Is that... part of Hoshino's plan?" Jonouchi, shrinking back after hearing Yugi's analysis, suddenly felt that Hoshino's presence on the stage had taken on a more sinister, strategic air.
"If I end up facing Hoshino next week, will I end up even worse off?" Jonouchi couldn't help but wonder.
"Who knows," Yugi replied with a knowing smile.
"Thanks to God is Here With Me, I special summon [Heroic Spirit – Jeanne d'Arc] from my deck!"
[Heroic Spirit – Jeanne d'Arc ★★★★★★★★ (8 Stars)][LIGHT] [Fairy/Effect][ATK2500/DEF3000]
The Archfiend Cavalry was immediately destroyed.
[Duke Devlin LP 2800 → 2200]
"I told you, you're too weak. Struggling like that will only make you look like a joke."
Hoshino waved dismissively at Devlin, who wore a frustrated expression. "I think you'd be better off playing dice than cards."
"It's not over yet! Since [Archfiend Cavalry] was destroyed, I can activate its effect!" Devlin, trying to regain his footing, quickly composed himself.
[If this card on the field is destroyed by card effect and sent to the GY: You can target 1 [Archfiend] monster in your GY, except [Archfiend Cavalry]; Special Summon it, but it cannot attack this turn.]
"Revive, [Terrorking Archfiend]!"
[Terrorking Archfiend ★★★★ (4 Stars)][DARK] [Fiend/Effect][ATK2000/DEF1500]
"And thanks to the effect of my field spell, I can add an Archfiend monster from my deck to my hand that's lower in level than Archfiend Cavalry."
"The one I'm adding is [Desrook Archfiend]."
With Desrook Archfiend added to his hand, Devlin silently placed a layer of protection on his newly summoned Terrorking Archfiend.
"Tch, these Archfiends are tough to deal with—like an endless grind," Hoshino muttered to herself, feeling exhausted by the constant summoning of Archfiends as if she were stuck farming a game event.
"I set one card and end my turn."
But Devlin wasn't having an easy time either. The move that was supposed to turn the duel in his favor was blocked by the sudden appearance of Jeanne d'Arc. With no other option, he set his last card and ended his turn.
Duke Devlin's remaining cards: 1 in hand, 1 set card, 3 monsters on the field
"My turn, draw!" Standing behind Jeanne, Hoshino felt an overwhelming sense of reassurance. After all, this Ruler—humanity's ultimate fortress—was no joke.
However, Hoshino once again found herself with a hand that wasn't ideal.
"Another turn where I can't summon any monsters... I feel like my draws haven't been as good lately. Maybe my card-drawing aura is off."
"Well, let's check out that set card first. Jeanne, prepare yourself!"
"Yes, Master!" Jeanne, who had been seeking her Master's guidance since the start of the turn, suddenly opened her closed eyes.
[Once per turn, you can target 1 card in your opponent's Spell/Trap zone (if the targeted card is face-down, reveal it). Then, send a card of the same type (Spell or Trap) from your hand to the graveyard and destroy the targeted card. Your opponent cannot activate card effects in response to this effect.]
"God, show me the hidden truth! True Name Discernment!"
Using her ability, Jeanne forced Devlin's set card to be revealed, exposing its true identity.
Trap Card: [Mirror Force]
"Wow, Devlin, you really don't seem the type to use such a trap with that serious look on your face," Hoshino couldn't help but mock after seeing Mirror Force revealed thanks to Jeanne's effect.
"Hoshino, I think Mirror Force is a pretty normal card. It's not as bad as you're making it out to be," Yugi, who also frequently used the card, tried to defend it from the audience.
"Normal, my foot! Yugi experience is awful!" Hoshino made a funny face at Yugi in the audience before pulling a similar-type trap card from her hand.
"I discard the trap card [Gate of Ryuudou Temple] from my hand! Jeanne, destroy it!"
"Understood, Master!"
"God cast down your judgment upon the evil spirits wandering this world!"
A flash of lightning struck precisely, shattering the image of Mirror Force.
"Now that there's nothing left to worry about, Jeanne, attack Darkbishop Archfiend!"
[Darkbishop Archfiend ATK: 300]
"With your last set card gone, you're finished!" Hoshino clenched her fist, sensing victory was within reach.
Devlin had 2200 Life Points left, and Jeanne's attack would deal exactly 2200 damage.
"Yosh! Hoshino's gonna win!" Jonouchi cheered loudly, grabbing Yugi in a headlock. "It's great the duel ended before Devlin could summon an Evil God!"
"Archfiend, be purified before the Holy Banner!" With a powerful shout, Jeanne swung her flag, ready to physically (and spiritually) purify the frail body of the Darkbishop Archfiend.
Though this was a critical moment, Devlin didn't seem particularly panicked.
"I activate the special effect of [Darkbishop Archfiend]. When a monster with Archfiend in its name that I control is targeted for an attack, I roll a die. If I roll a 1, 3, or 6, the attack is negated!"
"A dice roll?!" Hoshino instantly felt uneasy upon hearing that effect.
"You said it yourself—I'm better at rolling dice than dueling! Honestly, I'm quite confident in my dice-rolling skills."
As Devlin pulled a six-sided die from his pocket, the anxious look on his face gradually faded.
"Only when rolling dice do I feel this calm."
His eyes, which were locked onto the dice rolling across the table, held an unprecedented tranquility.
Dice roll result: 1
A transparent dark barrier blocked Jeanne's attack with brute force.
"That was close. I almost lost," Devlin said calmly as he pocketed the die. It was as if he had become a different person. "Let's continue, Chiyuki Hoshino."
"As expected from the creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters, your dice-rolling luck is impressive," Hoshino couldn't help but lament the missed chance for victory, even though the odds had been 50-50.
"Victory was so close, yet... I set one card and end my turn."
Hoshino Chiyuki's LP: 3 cards left in hand, 1 set card.
"My turn, draw!" As Devlin slowly drew his card, it seemed as though he already knew what was coming.
"Damn, it's happening!" A wave of ominous energy radiated from the card Devlin had drawn, spreading throughout the field.
"He drew it... the Evil God!" Hoshino's eye twitched as she looked at the three demons on Devlin's field, which could serve as sacrifices for the Evil God. "So, was everything I did just playing into his plan?"
"Hmph, this duel is over, Chiyuki Hoshino!" Enveloped in darkness, Devlin's gaze was now devoid of any trace of the earlier frustration caused by Hoshino's taunts. It was as if everything up until now had been part of his plan.
"I sacrifice my three demons on the field to summon the Evil God from my hand!"
A dark and foreboding aura filled the arena, as Devlin's monsters—the Terrorking Archfiend, Darkbishop Archfiend, and Archfiend Giant—disappeared in a swirl of shadow, their essence pulled into a single, monstrous card.
"Descend, you who roar from the depths of hell! Show these foolish mortals the true source of fear!"
With a heavy slam on the table, Devlin placed the card that emanated an overwhelming aura of dread, perfectly matching the eerie atmosphere created by the field spell Pandemonium.
"Tribute summon: [The Wicked Dreadroot]!"
(*****)
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