Sensing the situation, Hoshino tried to maintain her composure and spoke seriously, "Pe… Pegasus, why are you here…?"
"Hahaha, no need to be so nervous, Hoshino-girl," Pegasus laughed, noticing Hoshino's attempt to appear confident. "Since this is the player's restroom and I'm a contestant in the final match, it's perfectly normal for me to rest here, isn't it?"
"It sounds reasonable, but…" Hoshino almost fell for Pegasus's reasoning before realizing something was off. "There are so many places for you to rest in your castle. Why come here specifically to see me? I can't believe you have no other motives!"
"Hoho, you're quite sharp, Hoshino-girl," Pegasus nodded in approval. "I do enjoy conversing with clever individuals, so I'll be direct."
"Hoshino-girl, where did your cards come from?"
"!!!!" Hoshino didn't expect Pegasus to ask such a direct question. Given that Pegasus is the creator of all Duel Monsters cards, it was natural for him to question the Heroic Spirit cards she brought from another world.
But how could she explain this? She couldn't exactly say she made them herself. Even though the cards passed scrutiny from Kaiba Corp's advanced equipment, labeling them as counterfeit seemed unlikely.
"Oh? You don't intend to tell me?" Pegasus smiled, intrigued by Hoshino's silence. "Since you're unwilling to answer, let me help you out."
"?!"
"Go ahead, share your hypothesis, my friend," Hoshino said, imitating Sherlock Holmes.
"What an interesting girl," Pegasus remarked, raising an eyebrow and becoming more serious.
"Card spirits, that's it, isn't it? And quite a few of them!"
"!!" Although Hoshino had already heard about "card spirits" from Yugi, she feigned surprise to give Pegasus a sense of validation and encourage him to continue.
"Hmph, seems I've hit the mark," Pegasus grinned with satisfaction. "If I'm not mistaken, each of your cards houses a powerful spirit. To have the favor of so many spirits, you must be a special person, Hoshino-girl."
Pegasus's suspicion was understandable. He had previously investigated Hoshino due to her association with Yugi Muto, only to find no information about her, not even a single clue. This, combined with her possession of numerous card spirits, made Hoshino a significant variable in Pegasus's otherwise flawless plan. Now, this variable has reached a critical point by defeating Yugi Muto.
"So the most important question, Hoshino-girl, is what is your true identity and purpose?" Pegasus threw out another weighty question.
"Hehe~," Chiyuki chuckled, feeling more comfortable answering questions about herself. "I am the beautiful duelist, Chiyuki Hoshino. My goal is to defeat you, rescue Kaiba's brothers and Yugi's grandfather's souls, and win the Duelist Kingdom's grand prize money!"
"Still unwilling to tell the truth, I see. Hoshino-girl, you're such a naughty child who doesn't like to tell the truth," Pegasus said, his smile growing more sinister, making Hoshino uneasy.
"I-I'm telling the truth! What are you planning to do?" Hoshino stepped back instinctively as the room's atmosphere darkened with Pegasus's sinister smile.
"In the face of the power of the Millennium Eye, no secrets can be hidden," Pegasus declared, as dark energy gathered around his eye, partially covered by his hair. "Since you won't tell me, I'll just see for myself!"
As the dark energy gathered, Pegasus's hair lifted, revealing the glowing golden eye. "Witness the power of the Millennium Eye to read minds!"
"Help!" Hoshino cried, finding the restroom door locked. She had no idea what consequences Pegasus reading her mind might have, but as a girl, having her inner thoughts exposed was intolerable.
…
"Mr. Pegasus, your attempt to pry into a young lady's thoughts is far from gentlemanly!" In a critical moment, Sherlock Holmes appeared, standing between Hoshino and Pegasus. "A true gentleman seeks the truth through intellect and deduction, not force."
"Tch, card spirits, huh!" Pegasus clicked his tongue in annoyance, his plans interrupted by Holmes. He had noticed Holmes briefly appearing during Hoshino's duel with Yugi and now realized he was a card spirit.
"I was impulsive, Mr. Card Spirit…" Realizing the potential danger, Pegasus backed off. Card spirits' mysterious powers were unknown even to him, and using the Millennium Eye might backfire.
"My aim is clear: to take over Kaiba Corporation. If I defeat Yugi-boy, all of Kaiba Corp's shares will transfer to Industrial Illusions. However, with Yugi's defeat by your hand, Hoshino-girl, the condition has changed to defeat you!" Pegasus explained, his tone calm.
"Defeating me?" Hoshino echoed, suddenly understanding that her battle was not just about saving Kaiba's brothers but also protecting Kaiba Corp.
"Kaiba, you owe me a huge favor now…"
"That's right, so if you want to stop my plan, give it your all. I'm looking forward to it, Hoshino-girl," Pegasus left the player's lounge with a cryptic taunt.
"Phew~ That was dangerous just now. Thank goodness Mr. Holmes showed up to save the day," Chiaki said with a grateful look at Holmes, who had manifested in the room. "Pegasus is the villain and final boss; he's so evil!"
"That might not be Pegasus's true nature," Holmes speculated, rubbing his chin. "Judging by his change in behavior and usual demeanor, it seems a bit far-fetched to say he's the same person."
"What are you babbling about, Mr. Holmes?"
"I'm thinking the Millennium Eye, which possesses Pegasus, may be influencing his judgment, especially when he uses its power, making him particularly sinister."
"Huh? He seems pretty evil even without it," Hoshino said, skeptical of Holmes's theory.
"No, no, no, not at all. Pegasus is quite the gentleman, not unlike myself!" Holmes said with a smug grin, shaking his head.
"Are you saying he's good at kicking people too?"
"..."
Half an hour later—
"The duel against Master Pegasus will begin in 5 minutes. Chiyuki Hoshino, please prepare yourself," the old butler's voice suddenly announced from a speaker in the corner of the lounge, much like a school's PA system.
"Alright!" Hishino, with a confident expression, quickly gathered the cards she had organized on the table.
"You seem very confident, Miss Hoshino," Holmes, who had remained in the room, leaned against the wall, calmly smoking his seemingly endless pipe. "Have you figured out how to counter Pegasus's Millennium Eye and his Toon World?"
"Hmph, not at all!" Hoshino replied honestly, ready to leave the lounge.
"As expected," Holmes smiled slightly, having anticipated Hoshino's answer. "But confidence is always better than being hesitant."
"Of course I'm confident. After all, you said that Yugi is stronger than Pegasus. Since I defeated Yugi, why should I fear Pegasus?" Hoshino said proudly, striding confidently.
"Considering that reasoning, Miss Hoshino, you should still be cautious. After all..."
"Your victory over Yugi was a one-in-a-million chance," Holmes paused, then corrected himself, "It would be unfair to call it just luck; rather, you seized a one-in-a-million opportunity to defeat a nearly unbeatable opponent. But if you were to duel Yugi again, do you think you could win?"
"..." Hoshino fell silent, her confident stride slowing down, as Holmes's words hit home.
"I don't think I could win..." Hoshino admitted, knowing better than anyone the difficulty of her victory.
"Hehe, I didn't mean to bring you down," Holmes said, patting Hoshino's head with his translucent right hand. "I just want you to take this duel seriously and cautiously."
"Mr. Holmes, you're so mean!" Hoshino grumbled, pouting.
"Hehe, if it helps you win this duel, I'm happy to play the bad guy," Holmes laughed, noticing Hoshino's playful tone.
Duel Arena—
"Hoshino's here!" The group eagerly watched the entrance.
Hoshino waved to the crowd, feeling like a star, with the audience as her fans.
"Good luck, Chiyuki! Win that prize money!" Mai cheered loudly.
"Go, Hoshino! Summon Spartacus and crush Pegasus!" Jonouchi and Honda shouted, supporting her.
"Hoshino, please win!" Yugi, now in Yami's form, stood seriously in the crowd.
"Hoshino, you must win!" Anzu prayed, her hands clasped. "Save Yugi's grandfather and the Kaiba brothers!"
...
"What is this feeling?" Hoshino, now at the stage, felt her heart swell with warmth.
"Miss Hoshino, that's the power of friendship," Holmes smiled, looking at her supportive friends.
"For real?" Hoshino asked skeptical
"For real." Holmes smiled answering her.
"Power of friendship?" Hoshino smiled, looking at her right hand about to draw a card. "I used to think 'friendship' was fake and cheesy, but this feeling, this warmth in my chest, makes me stronger!"
"Bring it on, Pegasus!" Hoshino shouted, pointing at Pegasus. "Today is the day you'll be judged for your crimes!"
Duelist Chiyuki Hoshino vs. Duel Kingdom King - Pegasus J. Crawford
"Duel Start!"
"My turn! Draw!" Hoshino drew her card, taking the first turn.
"First, I activate the Continuous Spell Card [Chaldea Magic Support System]!"
[Chaldea Magic Support System - Continuous Spell: When activated, place 1 'Command Seal' counter on this card. During your Standby Phase, place 1 'Command Seal' counter on this card.]
With good luck, Hoshino drew a crucial card in her opening hand. As she played the card, a bright red Command Seal appeared on the back of her right hand.
[Command Seal] X1
"Next, I summon [Heroic Spirit - Cú Chulainn (Prototype)] in attack mode!" Hoshino placed a card on the table, summoning a youthful Cú Chulainn.
"Cú Chulainn of Ulster, pleased to meet you!"
(*****)
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