"The wind on the rooftop is really cold =_=."
Upon reaching the top of the 200-story building, Hoshino couldn't help but shiver. It wasn't because of fear, but because it was genuinely cold!
"Why do we have to duel on the rooftop?! If the duel needs a spacious area, wouldn't the duel arena downstairs be better? This bastard must have noticed that I dressed lightly today and is trying to use the cold wind to suppress my strength. How despicable! Truly the leader of terrorists."
Hoshino muttered complaints about Yako in her heart while discreetly sniffing her nose, trying to prevent a runny nose.
"Stop wasting time, Hoshino Chiyuki. Let's begin." Raising his left arm, Yako calmly unfolded the duel disk on his arm.
"That's just what I wanted!" Hoshino, trying to bolster her spirit to fend off the cold (though it wasn't very effective), unfolded her duel disk without showing any weakness.
"Go for it, Hoshino! Just deal with Tenma Yako like you always do!" At this point, Mokuba probably saw Hoshino as an unbeatable duelist.
"Hoshino-nee definitely won't lose! After all, the guy we're facing has the same hairstyle as the one Hoshino-nee just defeated, so their power can't be that different, right?" Hair determines strength—despite being young, Akasha sure seemed to know a lot.
Only Kaiba remained silent, keeping a stern expression since reaching the rooftop. He was still upset about losing to Tenma Yako.
[Hoshino Chiyuki vs. Tenma Yako]
"Duel start!"
"Let's begin the final shadow game as a ritual offering!"
"Huh?!" Hoshino, who had been focusing on going first, was startled by the sudden phrase that slipped out of Yako's mouth.
Then, an eerie darkness began to envelop the rooftop. The temperature, already cold enough, dropped further as a black mist spread across the area, making everyone's spines tingle.
"Starting with a shadow game right off the bat? This is getting intense too fast!"
The familiar dark energy and the glowing Millennium bracelet were unmistakable. Hoshino was sure Yako had initiated a real shadow game.
However, it seemed that the spectators, like Kaiba and the others, weren't affected by the dark energy spreading around them. It appeared that the shadow game Yako triggered was different from the one activated by Pegasus' Millennium Eye, only enclosing the duelists within.
That being said, the powerful dark energy was no weaker than that of the Millennium Items.
"Even though he doesn't have a Millennium Item, he's still able to wield such dark power..." Hoshino murmured in awe, glancing disdainfully at her unreliable Millennium bracelet. Though it was a replica, it could never actively control dark energy and was always on the receiving end.
"It seems someone's talking trash about my perfect creation~." A familiar voice suddenly chimed in.
"Da Vinci-chan! You've been offline for so long, but you're finally back!" Hoshino exclaimed with joy, suddenly remembering that while her Millennium Bracelet couldn't actively control dark energy, it did have the function of summoning the genius mind of Da Vinci.
"Of course! How could I, the universal genius Da Vinci, miss such a critical shadow game~?" Like a guardian spirit, Da Vinci appeared behind Hoshino.
"But it seems that in just a few days, Hoshino-chan's dueling skills have surpassed mine. At this point, all I can do is cheer you on." In a tone akin to a parent watching their child grow up, Da Vinci pretended to wipe away non-existent tears from the corner of her eye.
"Stop pretending, Da Vinci-chan. You showed up because this shadow game is dangerous, right?" Hoshino said seriously, knowing that Da Vinci didn't appear during the almost one-sided shadow game against Devlin.
"Hoshino-chan is a clever girl..." Da Vinci responded, her tone becoming more serious.
"Tenma Yako is very dangerous. Even though he doesn't possess a Millennium Item, the dark energy he commands is comparable to those who do. Also, how should I put it? His soul feels very unstable."
"It's my turn! I draw!" While Hoshino and Da Vinci were still analyzing the situation, Yako had already started his turn.
"This isn't just any shadow game, Hoshino. You'll feel it with your own body!" Yako said, playing a card from his hand.
"I summon the monster card [Beast King Barbaros] in attack mode!"
In the darkened space, energy rapidly gathered at a point. Along with the projection effects of the duel disk, the shadow game made the monsters appear even more realistic than usual.
[Beast King Barbaros ★★★★★★★★(8-Star)][EARTH][Beast-Warrior/Effect][ATK 3000/DEF 1200]
"Roar!" The lion-headed beast king, wielding a knight's lance, roared as it appeared on the field.
"No way... Summoning an 8-star monster with 3000 attack points without a tribute?! Are we even playing the same game?" Hoshino stared in disbelief at the massive creature in front of her.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Hoshino Chiyuki. This is just the beginning..." As Yako spoke calmly, the Beast King slowly began to shrink, as if it had been hit by Doraemon's shrink ray.
[①: You can Normal Summon this card without Tributing, but its original ATK becomes 1900.]
"A high-level monster with restrictions, huh? You almost gave me a heart attack..." Hoshino patted her chest in relief as she watched the Beast King shrink, losing its previous grandeur.
[Beast King Barbaros ATK 3000 → 1900]
"But 1900 attack points is still pretty high, Hoshino-chan," Da Vinci kindly reminded her, whispering into her ear.
Indeed, a 1900 attack point monster summoned without tributes wasn't something to take lightly.
"I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn."
Tenma Yako's remaining hand cards: 3
"It's my turn! I draw!"
After thinking for a moment, Hoshino played the first card of the duel.
"I summon [Heroic Spirit – Boudica] in defense mode!"
[Heroic Spirit – Boudica ★★★★ (4 stars)][Earth][Warrior/Effect][ATK900/DEF 1200]
"With Boudica's effect, as long as this card is face-up on the field, its defense points increase by 1000!"
"Come forth, Chariot of Boudica!" Boudica, equipped with a round shield, summoned the wheels of a chariot that began to revolve around her.
[Boudica DEF 1200 → 2200]
"Now, even the Beast King's 1900 attack points can't break through."
Satisfied with her defensive move, Hoshino then placed two more cards into her duel disk.
"I'll set two cards and end my turn."
Hoshino's remaining hand cards: 3
Though this was a shadow game that could decide life and death, the opening was unexpectedly calm, like the calm before a storm.
"A steady start, huh? That's not like Hoshino's style..." Kaiba, who hadn't taken his eyes off the field, remarked as the duel proceeded peacefully through two turns.
Kaiba, who always throws down Blue-Eyes White Dragon right away—how could you ever expect a peaceful start with him?!
"An interesting monster, but!" Yako's smile turned sinister as he pulled a card from his Duel Disk.
"The real terror of this Shadow Game—let me show you this turn."
"Summon monster card [Axe Dragonute] in attack mode!"
[Axe Dragonute★★★★ (4 star)][DARK][Dragon/Effect][ATK 2000/DEF 1200]
[If this card attacks, it is changed to Defense Position at the end of the Damage Step.]
A pitch-black dragon warrior wielding a crescent-shaped axe materialized on the battlefield.
"That monster's attack power can't break through Boudica's defense!" Hoshino pointed out.
"Oh? Is that so? Attack Axe Dragonute!" Ignoring Hoshino's words, Yako immediately launched the battle phase.
"Dragon Axe Cleaving Strike!"
Like it was infused with soul energy, a stream of pure white energy surrounded Axe Dragonute's weapon.
"Block it, Boudica!" Hoshino retaliated without hesitation.
But just as Dragonute neared Boudica, the wheel of vows surrounding her suddenly stopped spinning.
"What?! Could it be...?" Boudica's face was filled with shock.
[Boudica DEF 2200 → 1200]
"The defense buff is gone!" Hoshino's eyes widened as Axe Dragonute's axe plunged deep into Boudica.
[Heroic Spirit – Boudica] destroyed
"Heh heh, surprised, Hoshino Chiyuki? I activate the Continuous Trap Card [Skill Drain]!" Yako smirked and pointed to a face-down card that had flipped up.
[Skill Drain Continuous Trap Effect: Activate this card by paying 1000 LP. Negate the effects of all face-up monsters while they are face-up on the field.]
[Tenma Yako LP 4000 → 3000]
"Because of Skill Drain's effect, Boudica's defense buff was negated!"
"This is bad news!" both Akasha and Kaiba exclaimed from the sidelines.
"That card is very unfavorable for Hoshino. The Heroic Spirit relies heavily on monster effects, but with their skills drained, their combat strength doesn't just get reduced—it collapses."
"He came prepared for this!" Even though Da Vinci was still smiling, her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"Hahaha, Hoshino Chiyuki! Let me show you the true nature of this Shadow Game!" Yako didn't continue his attack but focused on Boudica, who had just been destroyed.
Suddenly, the white energy surrounding Axe Dragonute's weapon, after destroying Boudica, rushed toward Hoshino's chest.
"Ugh!" Hoshino's frail body shuddered as the energy pierced through her.
"Hoshino-chan, are you okay?!"
"This feeling..." Her trembling crimson eyes filled with confusion and fear.
"It hurts, doesn't it? That's what it feels like when your soul is being torn away, Hoshino Chiyuki!"
"My... soul... being torn away?" Struggling to lift her head, Hoshino clutched her chest and stared at Yako, who was grinning wickedly.
"Snap!" With a crisp sound, Yako snapped his fingers and pointed to the sky above the rooftop.
At some point, a translucent sphere had started floating in the sky. The energy that had just pierced Hoshino's chest was now being funneled into the sphere.
"The rule of this Shadow Game is that when a Duel Monster is destroyed or banished, part of the duelist's soul is torn away and injected into the soul container!" Yako declared, proudly spreading his arms as if showing off a prized possession.
"When the soul container is full, that will mark the resurrection of Lord Pegasus! Hoshino Chiyuki, your soul will be the sacrifice for his revival!"
"Soul container, resurrect Pegasus? What the heck is he talking about?" The three spectators were completely bewildered. Since they couldn't perceive the Shadow Game, they also couldn't see the soul container Yako had created.
"I can't believe this kind of weird Shadow Game exists..." Hoshino released her chest. Although the pain of having part of her soul ripped away was unlike anything she had ever experienced, it was still just a single monster's worth of soul energy, and she could manage to recover slightly.
"I'm not trading my soul to revive Pegasus!"
"You don't have a choice in the matter, Hoshino Chiyuki! Let's continue this Shadow Game!" Yako resumed his dueling stance and continued his moves.
"Don't think that Skill Drain just seals your Monster effects. Since all face-up monsters on the field have their effects negated, Axe Dragonute doesn't need to switch to Defense Position after attacking, and more importantly..."
[Beast King Barbaros ATK 1900 → 3000]
"With the monster effects negated, Beast King Barbaros's attack power returns to 3000!"
"Not only does it negate Hoshino's monster's positive effects, but it also nullifies the drawbacks of his monsters?!" Although Kaiba had already dueled Yako before, in the match against Kaiba, Yako hadn't used this tactic.
"At this rate, Hoshino-nee is going to have a hard time!" Akasha, no amateur at dueling herself, also realized how dangerous Yako's strategy was, especially since it directly targeted Hoshino's Heroic Spirit deck, which relied on effects.
"Attack directly, Beast King Barbaros!"
The white soul energy gathered on Beast King Barbaros's lance. With the force of a fierce charge, the Beast King raised its lance and roared as it rushed toward Hoshino.
"I don't want to lose part of my soul to a monster's destruction, but I don't want to take this direct hit for 3000 points!" The incoming attack left Hoshino little time to think.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, [Heroic Spirit—Emergency Summoning]!"
[Heroic Spirit—Emergency Summoning Quick-Play Spell Effect: Activate when you control no [Heroic Spirit] monsters. Special Summon one Level 4 or lower [Heroic Spirit] monster from your Deck in Defense Position. This turn, you cannot Special Summon monsters that aren't Heroic Spirit.]
"Since all face-up monster effects are negated, I'll have to pick a monster that can activate its effects from the Graveyard!" Having quickly selected her card, Hoshino threw it onto the field.
"I choose you! Special Summon in Defense Position! [Heroic Spirit–Jekyll]!"
(*****)
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