The chariot's engine roared as it broke through the maze walls, heading directly towards the Minotaur.
"Lightning Chariot, destroy that creature!" someone commanded.
As the attack neared, Hoshino activated the flip effect of [Heroic Spirit - Asterios], revealing the minotaur without hesitation.
"Asterios? Who's that?" Anzu asked, puzzled.
"If you knew his other name, you'd recognize him," Hoshino explained. "He's known as the Minotaur, the Bull of King Minos."
"The monster from the legend trapped in the labyrinth!" Anzu exclaimed, surprised.
"No, not a monster. He was a hero blessed with lightning," Hoshino corrected, insisting that Asterios was not a monster, but a kind hero.
[Heroic Spirit - Asterios ★★★ Earth][Beast-Warrior/Effect][ATK:1400 DEF:1400]
"So it's just the ugly bull from the maze!" The Labyrinth Brothers laughed at Asterios' stats. "With that attack power, my chariot will crush him!"
"I said he's not a monster!" Hoshino snapped. "Asterios, make them regret entering this maze!"
[Effect: When this card is flipped face-up, while it remains face-up on your Monster Zone, the ATK and DEF of all monsters on your opponent's field become half their original values.]
"The real power of the Chaos Labyrinth! Forever lost within!"
A massive, complex light maze appeared above the Labyrinth Brothers' field. Though it wasn't physical, the fear and confusion it caused were real.
"Wander... hesitate... and die..." Asterios' voice, despite the words, was gentle, not matching his imposing appearance.
"Because of Asterios' effect, all your monsters' attack and defense are halved!" Hoshino shouted. "Block it, Asterios!"
[Labyrinth Lightning Chariot ATK 2400 → 1200]
"Got it!" Asterios crossed his twin axes in front of him, stopping the chariot's drill. Sparks flew from the contact, but Asterios didn't move.
Seeing their chariot stopped, the Labyrinth Brothers shouted angrily, "Don't celebrate yet! My Lightning Summoner hasn't attacked!"
Even with its attack power halved to 2500, the Lightning Summoner was still formidable.
"Isn't your Lightning Summoner stupid enough to get lost in the maze?" Jounouchi taunted.
"Shut up and look at the maze now!" the Labyrinth Brothers retorted. "The Lightning Chariot has created a new path through the maze!"
The destroyed walls formed a direct route to the exit.
"Have you forgotten, bald brothers?" Hoshino teased. "We're the ones who need to navigate the maze, and you've just made it easier for us. Thanks!"
"Don't get arrogant, brat!" Furious, the Labyrinth Brothers played the Lightning Summoner's card. "Go, Lightning Summoner, fry that minotaur!"
The Lightning Summoner charged down the new path, leaping high and gathering an electrical charge in its foot before kicking downwards.
"Disappear! Thunderbolt Kick!"
Despite the attack's name, its 2500 attack power was significant, enough to break through Asterios' defenses.
But just before the attack hit, Asterios was replaced by a slender figure.
"You're fast, Lightning Man," Okita Souji mocked from where Asterios stood. "But is your lightning faster than my blade?"
"What? I wasn't attacking..." The Labyrinth Brothers looked at Hoshino, puzzled.
"Don't forget me." Yugi, who had been silent, spoke up. "Cooperation in a duel isn't limited to you two! Activate the trap card [Shift]!"
[Shift Trap Card Effect: Activate when a monster you control is targeted by a card effect or an attack. Target 1 other monster you control that would be an appropriate target; that effect/attack now targets the new target.]
"Shift! I switched Asterios and Okita Souji." Yugi explained with a smile. "And Okita Souji is the only one who can defeat the Lightning Summoner."
"You're quite the speaker, Starfish Guy. Okita is pleased!" Okita grinned at Yugi's compliment.
"Likewise, I trust you, Okita." Yugi, unconcerned by the nickname, had faith in his cards.
"Leave it to Okita! She's confident! After all..." As the Lightning Summoner kicked, Okita leaped, her blade flashing. "At full power, Okita's blade is as swift as lightning!"
The brilliant blade cut through the Lightning Summoner's kick and its body.
[Labyrinth Brothers LP 2100→ 1900]
"Okita wins! Because it was a counterattack, the Weakness effect doesn't activate!" Okita gave a victory sign to Hoshino and Yugi, smiling.
"Well done, Okita. It's our turn now!" Hoshino praised Okita and evaluated the situation. "The maze is open, their monsters' attack is halved, and our morale is high! Now's the time to strike!"
Drawing a card dramatically, Hoshino's eyes were filled with determination. "It's time to counterattack. My turn, draw!"
"Advance through the newly opened path, Okita-san!" Hoshino directed. After switching places with the minotaur, Okita had a clear path ahead, thanks to the chariot.
"Skipping those winding paths is convenient! Okita is moving out!" Okita darted through the chariot-made path, with the maze completion percentage increasing with each wall she passed.
[Maze Progress: 66%, 76%, 86%, 96%, 100%]
[Maze Conquered]
"Finally out!" Okita, twirling her sword, grinned mischievously. "Now, let's see which troublemakers need a lesson from Okita."
The Labyrinth Brothers' monsters had their attack points halved by the 'Eternal Maze' effect, leaving their strongest, [Thunder God - Sanga], with only 1300 attack points. Confident, Okita, with her 2700 attack points, prepared for action.
"Activate [Heroic Spirit - Okita Souji]'s special effect! She can attack a number of times equal to the number of monsters on the opponent's field during the Battle Phase! So, Okita Souji will attack both [Thunder God - Sanga] and [Water God - Skega]!" Hoshino declared excitedly. "Go, Okita-san! This will bring those bald Brothers' life points to zero, and we'll win!"
"Absolutely, Master!" Okita, grinning, rushed forward with her sword. "This is how an ace monster should perform!"
"Activate [Water God - Skega]'s special effect!" The Labyrinth Brothers countered calmly.
[Effect: This effect can only be activated during the damage calculation in your opponent's turn. The attacking monster's attack becomes 0. This effect can be used once while this card is face-up on the field.]
A torrent of water rose up, blocking Okita and the Water God. Drenched and annoyed, Okita exclaimed, "Why did this suddenly appear? It soaked my favorite haori!"
"Okita-san, the haori getting wet is the least of our worries..." Hoshino said, stunned by the turn of events.
"The situation is much worse," Hoshino added, sighing.
[Okita Souji ATK 2700 → 0]
"Eh? Okita-san's power is gone?" Okita looked at her hands, dismayed.
"Even with zero attack power, the attack declaration can't be stopped," the Labyrinth Brothers sneered. "Go ahead, continue attacking my Water God!"
"Master, this is bad. I don't think we can win like this." Okita gulped, facing the threatening Water God. "Maybe apologizing would help?"
"No, it won't..." Clearly, apologizing wasn't an option.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!!" Okita yelled as she was hit.
"Ugh!"
[Weakness] Marker x2
Hoshino covered her face, unable to watch the scene.
[Hoshino & Yugi LP 3100 → 1850]
"Damn, they didn't hold back!" Okita, drenched and panting, used her sword to steady herself.
"Activate [Haori of Vows] effect. The equipped monster can't be destroyed by battle once per turn." While Okita was protected by the haori's effect, she was too weakened to continue attacking.
Drawing a card and setting it face-down in defense mode, Hoshino thought, "If the Water God has that ability, the Thunder God likely has a similar one. These skills are troublesome."
"With Asterios' maze effect, the opponent's monsters have halved attack power, so they won't attack recklessly. But there's no guarantee they won't summon stronger monsters, as Asterios' maze doesn't affect newly summoned monsters." Looking at Yugi, Hoshino said, "I have a feeling the Labyrinth Brothers still have a powerful ace hidden. We'll rely on you next turn, Yugi."
"Turn end!"
"Hahaha, you talked so big, and now look at this mess!" The Labyrinth Brothers began their turn, mocking Hoshino. "My turn, draw!"
"Hahaha, this card will finish you off!" The Labyrinth Brothers' excitement grew as they looked at their drawn card.
"Activate the spell card [Sacrificial Puppet]!" They played their third Sacrificial Puppet, using the chariot as a tribute. "By sacrificing the chariot, I special summon [Wind God - Fujin]!"
A fierce wind swept the field as the green Wind God descended.
[Wind God - Fujin ★★★★★★★ (7 stars) Wind][Spellcaster/Effect][ATK:2400 DEF:2200]
"A third... God!" Hoshino exclaimed as her suspicion was confirmed.
"Now, with all three Gods on the field!" The Labyrinth Brothers triumphantly placed another card on the table. "Sacrifice all three Gods to summon our invincible monster!"
As they played the card, the three Gods combined, stacking from bottom to top.
"So they were meant to combine. That's why they each looked incomplete," Hoshino realized, watching the fusion. "The Water God only had legs, and the Thunder God only had hands."
"Thunder, Wind, Water Gods! Combine to special summon [Gate Guardian]!"
[Gate Guardian ★★★★★★★★★★ (11 stars) Dark][Warrior/Effect][ATK:3750 DEF:3400]
[This card cannot be Normal Summoned. It can only be Special Summoned by tributing "Thunder God - Sanga," "Wind God - Fujin," and "Water God - Skega." The attack power of any monster attacking this card becomes 0. This effect can be used three times while this card is face-up.]
The Gate Guardian, with its formidable presence, was as powerful as the five-fused mecha, Mazinger Nobu. Its overwhelming power threatened all monsters on the field.
"Hahaha, this is our final trump card, the invincible [Gate Guardian]!" With the Gate Guardian's arrival, the Labyrinth Brothers were at their peak. "Gate Guardian, attack Okita Souji! Combined elemental attack: Guardian Elemental Blast!"
"This is bad, Master..." Okita, seeing the attack, gripped her sword tightly. Though the haori's protection would prevent her destruction, the battle damage could be fatal.
"Okita-san is in a desperate situation!"