"You undid the fusion of Ultimate Dragon, but now you can't add more attacks! Feeling frustrated, aren't you?" Though Jonouchi had been told off by Hoshino earlier, he couldn't resist taking this rare chance to mock Kaiba.
Kaiba, as usual, seemed to have activated a "Jonouchi-ignore" mode, not even sparing him a glance or an eyebrow twitch.
"Well, since I can't continue attacking, I'll end my Battle Phase," Kaiba said coolly.
Facing the oppressive presence of Cú Alter, Kaiba knew his plan for an OTK (One-Turn Kill) had slipped away. But he wasn't about to give up yet.
"However, my turn is far from over!" Kaiba declared, throwing out his final move of the turn.
"All-in on turn one?" Hoshino remarked, her tone laced with mockery. "Go too hard too fast, and you might burn out before the finish line."
"Don't be ridiculous! If I was worried about pacing myself in a duel with you, I'd lose for sure!" Kaiba snapped, his sharp gaze meeting hers. Deep down, he understood her skill level all too well. She wasn't just another duelist—she was rapidly climbing to the pinnacle of dueling, the very place he had always aspired to reach.
Back during the Duelist Kingdom, she had been just another rookie duelist. But after witnessing her triumph over Pegasus, Kaiba saw her quickly evolving into a terrifying opponent, one who could rival even him.
"All I can do now is give it my all! I activate the Spell Card [Card of Demise]!" Kaiba's voice carried absolute confidence as he replenished his hand to five cards.
[Card of Demise Effect: Draw cards until you have 5 cards in your hand. During your 5th Standby Phase after activation, send all cards in your hand to the Graveyard.]
"Wow, so that's why he went through his cards so fast!" Hoshino said, her crimson eyes narrowing. "A starting hand of three Blue-Eyes, two Fusions, and a Card of Demise? And you're telling me you shuffled? I'll take apart your Duel Disk after this match to see if you've installed some kind of 'Lucky Shuffle System' in there!"
Kaiba ignored her jab, continuing his move. "Next, I activate the Continuous Spell—[Different Dimension Gate]!"
[Different Dimension Gate Continuous Spell Effect: Activate this card by targeting 1 monster on each field; banish those targets. When this card is destroyed and sent to the GY: Return those banished monsters to the field in the same battle positions they were in.]
As a massive barrier formed on the field, Kaiba glanced briefly at Yugi. "Yugi, I'll be borrowing your monster. I'll banish both King's Knight and Cú Chulainn Alter!"
"Damn it!" Hoshino clicked her tongue as the black dog vanished from the field, swallowed by the other dimension.
[Heroic Spirit - Cú Chulainn Alter] Banished
[King's Knight] Banished
"And lastly, I activate the Continuous Spell—[Non-Spellcasting Area]!"
[Non-Spellcasting Area Continuous Spell Effect: All face-up monsters, except for Effect Monsters, are unaffected by other Spell effects.]
The protective shield shimmered on the field, enveloping his Blue-Eyes White Dragons in an impenetrable aura. "Your Cú Alter might have been hard to destroy, but it won't be coming back now. Let's see how you handle this!"
Kaiba's three Blue Eyes stood tall, their brilliant light radiating from the field. "My turn is over!"
Kaiba's remaining hand: 3 cards.
Though he hadn't managed to take Hoshino down in one blow, he had removed her most dangerous monster and fortified his position with his dragons. With three Blue-Eyes White Dragons still on the field, Kaiba felt secure in his advantage.
"This situation is so tough; even you'll have a hard time turning it around, Hoshino!" Kaiba taunted, his voice brimming with unshakable confidence.
"Tough? What's tough for you might not be tough for me," Hoshino replied, her tone calm but sharp. Her Graveyard zone began to glow faintly as she prepared to make her move.
"Kaiba, are you so overconfident that you don't even set cards anymore? Are you underestimating me?"
Kaiba scoffed. "Why don't you try breaking through the wall of my invincible Blue Eyes before worrying about anything else?"
"Those monsters? Hardly walls," Hoshino remarked with a scoff as she began her turn. "In my Standby Phase before the Draw Phase, I'll activate the effect of [Heroic Spirit – Atalanta], which was sent to the Graveyard by Marie Alter!"
[Heroic Spirit – Atalanta Effect:
①: If this card is sent to the Graveyard, during your next Standby Phase, Special Summon it from the Graveyard.]
As her Duel Disk emitted a green light, Hoshino raised it high. "Special Summon—Atalanta!"
[Heroic Spirit – Atalanta ★★★★★★ (6-star)][WIND] [Warrior/Effect] [ATK 2000/DEF 1800]
"And upon a successful Special Summon, Atalanta equips herself with the [Tauropolos: Bow of Heaven] from the Deck!"
[Tauropolos: Bow of Heaven Equip Spell Effect: Equip this card only to [Heroic Spirit – Atalanta].]
Atalanta readied her stance for battle, the Bow of Heaven shimmering in her hands. "Alright, the hunt begins!"
Kaiba folded his arms, unimpressed. "A monster with only 2000 Attack thinks it can stand against my invincible Blue-Eyes?"
"The performance is about to start, so keep your eyes open, Kaiba!" Hoshino drew her next card with a flourish. "My turn—draw!"
Adding the drawn card to her hand, she wasted no time playing another. "Here's my counter, Kaiba! Continuous Spell—[Chaldea Mana Support System]!"
[Chaldea Mana Support System Continuous Spell Effect: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can banish 1 [Heroic Spirit] monster from your Graveyard; draw 1 card.]
A glowing Command Seal appeared on Hoshino's hand, its intricate lines glowing red. She held it up confidently, the mark adding an air of authority to her already commanding presence.
"Feels like Hoshino's whole aura has changed," Anzu said, watching her intently. "She's different."
"Yeah, yeah, I noticed it too!" Jonouchi nodded enthusiastically. "That scolding earlier? Totally regal! I wouldn't mind getting told off by her again~"
Honda gave him a look of pure disgust. "Jonouchi, please don't tell me you're awakening some kind of weird kink here..."
Seeing the familiar mark, Yugi frowned. "A Command Seal... This could be trouble."
He still remembered the Duelist Kingdom finals, where this red mark had caused him no small amount of trouble.
However, the Command Seal on Hoshino's hand abruptly shattered, scattering fragments of magical energy across the field. Along with its destruction, the card "Tauropolos: Bow of Heaven" was also shattered.
"A Command Seal must also be sacrificed at critical moments! I activate Atalanta's special effect!"
[Effect ③: Once per turn, you can destroy up to three face-up Spell/Trap cards you control. For each card destroyed, target that many Spell/Trap cards on your opponent's field, and send them to the Graveyard. Then, if you destroyed two or more cards, you can add one [Complaint Message on the Arrow] from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand.]
"I destroy the Continuous Spell Card, Chaldea Mana Support System, along with the Equip Spell, Tauropolos: Bow of Heaven. Ready, Atalante?"
"Target locked, Master. I won't miss!" Atalanta, her cat ears twitching, smiled with fierce confidence.
Atalanta drew her bowstring taut, releasing two emerald arrows that streaked across the sky in flawless arcs, shattering Kaiba's two Continuous Spell Cards with pinpoint precision.
Different Dimension Gate and Non-Spellcasting Area were sent to the Graveyard.
"With Different Dimension Gate destroyed, the banished Cú Alter and King's Knight returned to the field!"
With a resounding thud, a shadowy figure landed on the battlefield, its aura of malice even stronger than before.
"You've got guts, locking me away with that old man!" Cú Alter snarled, his wicked grin so menacing it made the newly freed King's Knight visibly tremble.
[Cú Chulainn – Alter ATK 2800]
Kaiba flinched as his Continuous Spell Cards were obliterated, but he quickly recovered. "It doesn't matter! Your Cú Alter still falls short of my Blue Eyes in raw attack power!"
"Is that so?" Hoshino smirked, discarding Tauropolos, Bow of the Heavens into the Graveyard as she turned her attention to Kaiba's hand.
"The moment it was destroyed, the effect of Tauropolos activates."
[Effect ②: If this face-up card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, reveal your opponent's hand, then select one monster from it. Special Summon the selected monster to your opponent's field, with its effects negated.]
Kaiba reluctantly revealed his hand, which included two unfamiliar Machine-type monsters, as well as…
"Just as I expected." With a satisfied smile, Hoshino signaled to Atalanta.
At some point, the green figure had moved behind Kaiba and fired an arrow that pierced one of his cards, pinning it firmly to the ground.
Soon after…
"Roar—!" A familiar dragon's cry echoed as Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon, its effects negated, appeared on Kaiba's field.
[Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][LIGHT][Dragon/Effect][ATK 3000/DEF 2500]
"Even if its effect is negated, Alternative White Dragon still has its attack intact!" Jonouchi muttered, confused as he eyed the four imposing White Dragons on Kaiba's field.
"Now it's time for judgment! With Atalanta's effect, I add [Complaint Message on the Arrow] to my hand from my Deck or Graveyard!"
With the selected card in hand, Hoshino glanced over the five monsters now crowding Kaiba's field. "Now that Non-Spellcasting Area is gone, your Blue-Eyes are no longer shielded from Spells! Get ready—here comes my Spell Card, [Complaint Message on the Arrow]!"
"An offering to the gods!" Atalanta, resonating with the Spell's power, raised her bow, gathering immense magical energy as she aimed towards the heavens. Her bow, blessed by Artemis, sent forth an arrow in a plea to the sun god Apollo and moon goddess Artemis.
"Phoebus Catastrophe!" In answer to her prayer, the god of destruction rained calamity upon the enemy.
[Complaint Message on the Arrow Effect: Target one monster on your opponent's field, then Tribute one [Atalanta] you control; banish all monsters on your opponent's field with the same Attribute or Type as the targeted monster.]
"With the effect of Complaint Message on the Arrow, all Light monsters on the field are banished! And every monster you have, Kaiba, is a Light Attribute!"
The light arrows engulfed not only Kaiba's four White Dragons but also Yugi's King's Knight, sweeping them away in a blinding storm.
Empowered by the god of destruction, the arrows ripped through the battlefield, erasing every trace of "light" and leaving only the lingering "darkness" of the Alter.
[Atalanta] tributed.
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon X3, Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon, King's Knight] banished.
"This duel of light and darkness—it's darkness that has prevailed!" Hoshino's voice echoed as she gained the upper hand.
"And as your monsters are banished, I activate the Quick-Play Spell [Holy Devotion]!"
[Holy Devotion Quick-Play Effect: Once per turn, when a monster on the field is banished, gain 1000 Life Points per banished monster. When activated, add one [Heroic Spirit] monster from your Deck to your hand.]
"Since five monsters were banished, I recovered 5000 Life Points!" As seven-colored meteors streaked across the sky, their warm glow gently illuminated the battlefield.
[Hoshino Chiyuki's LP 2650 → 7650]
This absolute reversal seemed to turn the world upside down.
Jonouchi finally understood something. "Hoshino isn't just dueling for fun… She's aiming to defeat both Yugi and Kaiba!"
Her relentless offense and overwhelming power made her feel both familiar and entirely different. This wasn't the Hoshino Jonouchi once knew.
"The monster I added to my hand is [Heroic Spirit – Atalanta Alter]!" Hoshino took the selected Heroic Spirit and entered her Battle Phase decisively.
"Attack the player directly, Cú Alter! Unleash all the hatred you've built up!"
"I've been waiting for this moment!" Cú Alter's voice, deep and commanding, resounded across the field. With his attack power at its peak, he roared, "Let the slaughter begin!"
(*****)
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