"Tribute Summon, [The Wicked Dreadroot]!"
"Has it finally come? The Evil God?" Staring intently at the dark energy gathering on the field, Hoshino knew in her heart that what was meant to happen would happen eventually.
"ROAR!!" The deep bellow of fear from the abyss echoed through the gathering darkness, filling the rather spacious room.
[The Wicked Dreadroot★★★★★★★★★★ (10 stars)][DARK][Fiend/Effect][ATK 4000/DEF 4000]
Draped in massive skeletal armor, its enormous bone wings symbolizing fear, the Evil God's power rivaled that of Obelisk the Tormentor.
A god had once again appeared before Hoshino.
"Chiyuki Hoshino, the moment the Evil God is summoned, your defeat is already decided!"
Enveloped in an evil aura, Devlin's words seemed oddly overlaid with two voices, even though he was speaking slowly and calmly.
"What a strange feeling... it's completely different from Obelisk."
Though Jonouchi had warned her about the overwhelming fear one feels when confronting an Evil God, Hoshino felt something else now.
A strong sense of unease, as if this monster shouldn't exist in the world at all.
"Feel it, the all-encompassing fear! Because of the effect of [The Wicked Dreadroot], all monsters other than this one have their ATK and DEF halved!"
[As long as this card is face-up on the field, the ATK and DEF of all other face-up monsters become halved.]
[Jeanne d'Arc ATK 2500 → 1250]
"I see... this is the effect that instantly defeated Jonouchi's Red Eyes."
Now that she understood the Evil God's effect, Hoshino also realized why Jonouchi, with 2600 Life Points, had been instantly knocked out.
The Red-Eyes, reduced to just 1200 ATK, had suffered a single blow that inflicted 2800 points of damage.
"What a troublesome ability..."
"I'm sorry, Master." Just as Hoshino was lamenting the Evil God's effect, Jeanne's slightly tearful voice came from the field.
"As a hero standing on the front lines, I should never feel fear, but..."
Before the massive Evil God, Jeanne seemed so small.
Her voice trembling with fear, Jeanne apologized to Hoshino behind her.
"But I can't help it. My hands won't stop shaking. This fear... it's something I never experienced while I was alive, not even when..."
"Don't say any more, Jeanne." Even though Jeanne herself probably didn't mind, Hoshino didn't want her to think of those painful memories.
"It's not your fault. It's just that this monster is beyond reason, and the aura it emits makes it impossible not to feel an overwhelming sense of fear."
"Master..." Jeanne's frightened expression eased slightly, comforted by Hoshino's words.
"Chiyuki Hoshino! This is no time for you to be peacefully chatting with your monster swallowed by fear!" Devlin yelled, his voice still echoing in a strange, overlapping manner.
"You... you can hear the Spirit talking?" Hoshino, barely managing to stay calm in front of the Evil God with her willpower, immediately picked up on the crucial point in Devlin's words.
Hoshino was sure that, at least before, Devlin had never reacted to any of the Spirits' words.
But just now, Devlin had responded to Jeanne's complaint.
"Who are you?"
"That's a question you should ponder after your defeat! Attack, Wicked Dreadroot!" Without further acknowledging Hoshino, Devlin gave the command for the Evil God to strike.
"Evil God, Fear Crush!"
The massive claw of the Evil God reached out toward Jeanne, showing no mercy.
"Jeanne!" Hoshino called out urgently.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid..." Jeanne clasped her hands in prayer before her chest, murmuring to herself.
"If even I am afraid, there will be no one left to protect my Master!"
"I am the heroic Spirit who stands alone against countless foes. How could an Evil God make me retreat?"
"It's useless! Just like the Red Eyes, you'll be obliterated in the face of the Evil God's attack!" Seeing that the Evil God's attack was about to strike Jeanne, Devlin's voice grew more excited.
"O Lord, I beg of you…!"
The sacred light reawakened, shining in the face of the Evil God's claws.
"What?!"
"Grant me the strength to protect those precious to me. (Luminosite Eternelle)!!"
[Once per turn, reduce your ATK by 1000 until the end phase. For the rest of the turn, none of your monsters can be destroyed, and you take no damage. This effect can also be used during your opponent's turn.]
[Jeanne d'Arc ATK 1250 → 250]
In the radiant light, Jeanne raised her banner high. Like a divine messenger, she dispelled the dark aura that filled the room.
"As the Ruler and final bastion of humanity, I cannot be defeated by the Evil God!"
"Jeanne!" Seeing Jeanne regain her courage, Hoshino felt deeply moved.
"Master, though I said that, we don't have many options left." Though she had regained her courage, Jeanne reverted to her usual lecturing tone.
"Because of the Evil God's effect that lowered my ATK, I no longer have enough power to use my Noble Phantasm again."
"But I believe Master will find a way out of this desperate situation. Don't waste the opportunity I've fought for!"
"Of course!" Nodding resolutely, Hoshino's eyes became even more determined after Jeanne's encouragement (and lecture). "After all, I've never known fear. I've defeated gods before; there's no way I'll fail in front of an Evil God!"
"My turn now, draw!"
"I may have talked big, but taking down an Evil God isn't as easy as it sounds." Scanning her hand, Hoshino truly began to feel how troublesome the Evil God's effect was.
Even though the Evil God's stats were on par with Obelisk's 4000 ATK, to destroy the Evil God, Hoshino would need at least 8000 ATK to stand a chance.
"Master, it's time to swap me out."
"Jeanne?"
"With my current ATK, forget about the Evil God, I couldn't even defeat a regular monster," Jeanne said, looking at her 250 ATK.
"But if it's Alter, she can do it. In Master's deck, when it comes to sheer damage output, no other Heroic Spirit can surpass Alter!"
"Jeanne Alter, huh..." Hearing the name of Jeanne Alter from Jeanne's mouth, Hoshino was briefly stunned.
"Yare yare, how rare to hear our goody two-shoes mention my name."
Suddenly, the familiar voice of another Jeanne echoed in Hoshino's mind, though this one carried a hint of malice (or pride).
"Now isn't the time to be stubborn, Master needs your strength."
"Why are you speaking like an older sister? You know you're the person I hate the most in all of Chaldea!"
"It doesn't matter if you hate me! You only hate me because I know you best."
"Ugh, it's that lecturing tone again, that's why I..."
"Why are you two suddenly fighting?!" At such a critical moment, the fact that both Jeannes started arguing left Hoshino speechless.
Of course, Hoshino had considered that among all the Heroic Spirits, Jeanne Alter was the best candidate for achieving a single, overwhelming burst of attack power.
However, even with Jeanne Alter, breaking through a defense as high as 8000 attack points wasn't an easy task.
"Master?" Jeanne d'Arc, with a questioning look, gazed at Hoshino, unsure if her suggestion was useful.
"Well, it's worth a try. If you don't believe in your own Heroic Spirits, how can you as a Master, right?"
"If the white one can't do it, then we'll blast through with the black one!"
"Well, if Master needs my strength, then I suppose I'll lend a hand. Hmph!" Jeanne Alter's voice rang out proudly in Hoshino's mind.
"Come on, banish that saint first. That's the only way to summon me~"
"Don't rush, Jeanne Alter. I'm very aware of your power in a single turn, but defeating the Evil God isn't something you can do alone."
Calming Jeanne Alter's impatience, Hoshino drew a card from her hand and placed it horizontally on the field. "To defeat the Evil God, we need everyone's combined strength!"
"In defense position, I summon [Heroic Spirit - Mash Kyrielight]!"
[Heroic Spirit - Mash Kyrielight ★★★★ (4-star)][LIGHT][Warrior/Effect][ATK 1000/DEF 2000]
In her adorable and protective posture, Mash trembled as she materialized on the field, her small figure retreating further behind her shield upon sensing the terrifying aura of the Evil God.
[Mash DEF 2000 → 1000]
"Hasn't Hoshino figured out how to defeat the Evil God yet?" Yugi muttered under his breath, his face filled with worry as he watched the situation unfold on the field. "It looks like she's summoning Mash to defend against the Evil God's attack, trying to buy some time."
"Even Hoshino can't figure it out?" Jonouchi couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Hoshino managed to defeat Obelisk, but even she's struggling now? Could the Evil God be stronger than the gods?"
The question of whether gods or Evil Gods were stronger was hard to answer, and Yugi continued to watch Hoshino intently on the stage. "Right now, all we can do is hope that Hoshino has a plan."
"I'll also change [Heroic Spirit - Jeanne d'Arc] to defense position."
[Jeanne DEF 3000 → 1500]
"Lastly, I set two cards face-down and end my turn!" Hoshino declared.
Hoshino Chiyuki LP: 3600, remaining cards in hand: 1, set cards: 3.
"Hoshino set so many cards at once. It's obvious the situation is tough."
Even an outsider like Anzu could tell that Hoshino was on the defensive, and the situation had become as passive as it could be.
"My turn, draw!" Devlin grinned. "Hmph, it's just a futile struggle, trying to block the Evil God's attack by continuously summoning defensive monsters."
Looking at Hoshino's heavily fortified defenses, Devlin sneered coldly.
"Did you forget? My deck isn't just made up of the Evil God; there are other Archfiends, too!"
With a malicious grin, Devlin slammed the card he had just drawn onto the table.
"In attack position, I summon [Shadowknight Archfiend]!"
[Shadowknight Archfiend ★★★★ (4 stars)][WIND][Fiend/Effect][ATK 2000/DEF 1600]
[Any battle damage this card inflicts to your opponent is halved.]
With his blood-red crystal claws and sword, Shadowknight Archfiend materialized, standing next to the massive body of the Evil God.
"Another 4-star monster with 2000 attack points," Jonouchi gritted his teeth. Now he was probably more nervous than Hoshino on the field.
Just dealing with one Evil God was already overwhelming, and now Devlin continued to pressure her by summoning more monsters. Their power was beyond normal monsters' strength...
"This is an impossible combo to beat!"
"Jonouchi, there's no such thing as an unbeatable combination." Sensing Jonouchi's anxiety from below the stage, Hoshino responded.
"The Evil God's effect applies to the whole field, including your monsters. Their attack power is halved, isn't that right?"
[Shadowknight Archfiend ATK 2000 → 1000]
"So what?" Devlin, unbothered by this minor reduction in attack, pointed directly at Hoshino's Mash on the field. "Your Mash may be great at defending, but if I remember correctly, she has a fatal flaw."
"Attack Mash, Shadowknight Archfiend!"
With a swing of his blood crystal sword, radiating dark energy, the attack aimed squarely at Mash's giant shield.
"Damn it!" Yugi's eyes widened as he realized the situation. "If Mash is forced into attack mode and then hit by the Evil God, Hoshino's life points will be nearly wiped out!"
If Mash were forced into attack position and hit by the Evil God's blow, it would inflict 3500 points of damage, while Hoshino only had 3600 Life Points remaining.
"Come on, let me shatter your Life Points!"
"As much as I appreciate your offer, I'll have to decline," Hoshino said calmly.
Placing the last card in her hand on the field, Hoshino called out the name of the man who symbolized ultimate sacrifice.
"George, I'm counting on you!"
[Heroic Spirit - Saint George ★★★ (3 stars)][EARTH][Warrior/Effect][ATK 1000/DEF 1600]
[①: When the opponent declares an attack, you can activate this effect from your hand, Special Summon this card in defense position. The DEF of this card increases by 500 points when summoned this way.]
[②: As long as this card is on the field, the opponent can only target this card for attacks.]
[Heroic Spirit - Saint George DEF 1600 → 2100 → 1050]
"Alright! Just enough to block Shadowknight Archfiend's attack by 50 points! She did it!" Jonouchi, who had been extremely tense, let out a sigh of relief when George appeared.
The blood crystal sword clashed with George's sword, and the attack was barely blocked.
"Huh? I survived!" George, who had blocked the attack, had an expression of disbelief.
"See? I told you I wouldn't let you die this time, Saint George. I promised you'd survive at least one turn" Hoshino said with a nervous smile, feeling a little guilty seeing George's doubtful expression on the field.
"But it's not over yet! Dreadroot, attack Saint George!" Devlin commanded.
The claws of the Evil God once again reached for the innocent Saint.
"Nmd, wsm!!" (What the Fuck)
(*****)
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