"Hey, are you okay, Okita-san?" Hoshino looked at the card in her hand. The initially energetic Okita suddenly started coughing up blood, making Hoshino unsure whether to laugh or cry at the dynamic card animation.
"I'm fine, Master. I'm just too excited to see you." Okita wiped the remaining blood from her mouth skillfully and gave Hoshino an "all okay" gesture.
"Well, that's true. You do cough up blood often. You'll be fine." Hoshino indifferently added Okita to her deck and reopened the summoning page.
"It's not fine! Okita-san is very sad! Please talk to me a bit more, Master~" Ignoring Okita's fading voice, Hoshino began planning how to use the remaining 60 Saint Quartz.
<[Saint Quartz Summon (Limited-Time Banner) Fuyuki Select Heroic Spirit Recommended Summon] (Time remaining: 4 hours)>
"If the banner changes at midnight, then it's already 8 PM." Hoshino looked up at the sky. Despite the starry night, it wasn't completely dark thanks to the campfire.
"Now, I have 60 Saint Quartz. Should I use them all to try for Artoria?" Hoshino was torn. With only 4 hours left for the Fuyuki banner and it already being night, there probably wouldn't be any more duels tonight. These 60 Quartz were her last hope to summon Artoria.
In the past, Hoshino would definitely go all out, thinking she could always buy more Quartz. But now, the significance of summoning had changed. She needed to improve her deck's strength quickly. Although she wanted Artoria, she had already summoned most of the other Servants in the Fuyuki banner. From a strategic standpoint, waiting for the next day's new banner would be better.
"Why isn't there a story banner? That would make this so much easier." Hoshino grumbled as she pressed the summon button. "Just one ten-pull, I swear I won't do more."(That all it's started)
Perhaps because her previous summoning session was so unlucky, this time the system seemed to favor her. The first pull was golden.
"Oh, oh, oh!" Hoshino's excited exclamations made Anzu think she was delirious from hunger.
"Roar!!!" Greece's great hero, Heracles, appeared in Hoshino's hand.
"Wow, Berserker! This is great!" Hoshino thought about Heracles' strength in FGO. He was a pseudo-SSR disguised as an SR, so he must be strong in Yu-Gi-Oh! as well.
Although the rest of the ten-pull didn't yield any more Servants, she got some useful spell cards. For instance, a **Pot of Greed** card was definitely worth adding to her deck.
"Should I do another ten-pull while my luck is good..." Hoshino, who had just sworn not to do more, hesitated.
"No, no, Hoshino! You need to control your gacha addiction! Are you going to be driven by your impulses forever? Do you really want to be the Duel King?" Staring at the tempting ten-pull option, Hoshino held back her right hand, continuously reminding herself.
"I, Hoshino, am going to be the Duel King. I can endure what others can't. Today, even if I have to break this hand, I won't do another ten-pull!"
**...**
"Are you my Master?" As the golden light faded, Artoria's familiar face appeared in Hoshino's hand.
"Artoria!"
Hoshino finally succumbed to the temptation of summoning, happily looking at the card. Luckily, she had successfully summoned Artoria, the only remaining Servant in the Fuyuki banner she hadn't yet acquired.
"Master. Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm here to answer your call." Artoria's initially serious expression softened into a warm smile. "It must be tough being alone in this world. Let me help you."
Every time she summoned a Servant, it felt like reuniting with old friends, filling Hoshino's heart with warmth.
After using up all her Saint Quartz, Hoshino sat up, feeling relieved, and started organizing her deck.
"You're so diligent, Hoshino. Staying up late to adjust your deck." Seeing Hoshino take out her deck, Honda slowly approached.
"I've been curious about Hoshino's deck for a long time. Let me see it." Jounouchi, always eager to join in, wasn't going to miss this opportunity.
"No way! Hmph~" Hoshino stuck out her tongue at Jounouchi and hid her deck behind her back. "This is my secret weapon. What if you leak it?"
"What?! You think I'd do that?" Jounouchi, feeling deeply hurt, lowered his head.
"It's fine, Jounouchi. Some duelists don't like showing their decks to others." Yugi joined in to console Jounouchi.
"If you really want to see a deck, how about looking at mine?" Honda said, pulling out a bunch of cards from his pocket.
"Honda, you play Duel Monsters too?" Jounouchi was surprised. He'd never seen Honda duel, even during school breaks.
"Hahaha." Honda laughed awkwardly. "It was really popular back then, so I bought a few packs to try it out."
"I have a deck too," Bakura chimed in, joining the group.
"Me too," Anzu added from where she was cooking.
"What? So everyone secretly brought their decks?" Seeing everyone pull out their decks, Jounouchi laughed happily.
"I understand how everyone feels." Yugi said warmly. "After all, this is Duelist Kingdom."
"That's right! On this island, everyone's hopes are tied to their cards," Hoshino added, earning nods of agreement.
"So, Jounouchi, what's your favorite card?" Bakura asked, sitting beside them.
"That would be this one!" Jounouchi proudly pulled out his card. "Flame Swordsman!"
"From now on, call me the Flame Swordsman!" Entering his chuunibyou mode, Jounouchi brandished his card like a sword.
"This is my favorite!" Honda excitedly showed his card, **Command Knight**.
"You two are such kids." Anzu couldn't help but laugh at Jounouchi and Honda's excitement.
"What about you, Anzu? What's your favorite card?" Yugi asked gently.
"For me, it's this one," Anzu said, holding up **Holy Magician**. "What about you, Yugi? What's your favorite card?"
"For me, it's definitely this one." Yugi looked at his **Dark Magician** card, smiling brightly.
"What about you, Hoshino? What's your favorite card?" Everyone turned their attention to Hoshino.
"Ah? Well..." Hoshino scratched her head, thinking.
"It must be Spartacus, right?" Jounouchi answered for her.
"No, it's not!" Hoshino angrily punched Jounouchi's head.
"For me, it's definitely this one." Hoshino pulled out her Mash card, her eyes filled with fondness.
"Thinking back, Mash has been with me for many years, always my steadfast support."
Seeing everyone share their favorite cards, Bakura's expression briefly turned dark.