"We... we won?!"
Due to the suddenness of the final strike, Yako's seemingly safe Life Points burned away like paper, leaving the three spectators no time to react.
The scorching flames incinerated Yako's Life Points and swept away the ominous aura on the field, breaking through the darkness that had veiled the sky.
"Do you see it now, Yako? This is my ultimate trump card—the power of Okitan!" Though Hoshino's body was shaky and exhausted, her voice was full of pride after securing the final victory.
"Hoshino-nee is amazing!" Akasha, excited by the end of the duel, opened her arms and jumped toward Hoshino.
"Ugh!! Hoshi—" In the unexpected turn of events, Hoshino swiftly embraced the approaching Akasha. The sudden surge of enthusiasm left Akasha's cheeks slightly flushed.
Completely drained, Hoshino collapsed onto the rooftop floor, pulling Akasha's petite frame down on top of her.
"Hahaha, I won, I actually won!!" Hoshino laughed brightly, playfully holding the adorable Akasha in her arms.
Though her rapid breathing indicated her fatigue, the unmistakable excitement in her voice was just as clear.
"You were truly incredible, Hoshino-chan! At the last moment, you even exceeded the predictions of Destiny Draw!"
"Hehe~ Da Vinci-chan, even though the Shadow Game has ended, why are you still—huh?!!" Lying on the ground, Hoshino suddenly noticed the transparent container of gathered souls above her wasn't disappearing. Instead, it was expanding.
"What's wrong, Hoshino-nee?" Akasha, still nestled in Hoshino's arms, was startled by her sudden scream.
"Now's not the time to be squeezing Akasha-chan! It seems the battle isn't over yet..." Hoshino sighed and released her grip on Akasha's small face.
"But even though I say that, I can't move at all!" Her body felt as if it were falling apart. Due to the extreme degree of soul separation, no matter how hard Hoshino tried, her unresponsive legs felt like they weren't even hers.
"What's going on, Hoshino-nee?" Akasha asked again. Unable to see the Shadow Game, Akasha couldn't perceive the nearly overflowing soul container above them.
"Yako, your plan has completely failed! Release the Kaiba Corp. employees you've imprisoned!" Kaiba, equally unaware of the situation, angrily approached Yako, who stood frozen. His clenched fist seemed ready to strike.
"This feeling... something's wrong!"
Zzz—!
In response to Hoshino's uneasiness, cracks suddenly formed on the surface of the transparent container. The concentrated soul energy began leaking out.
While the souls inside appeared pure white, the energy seeping through the cracks was thick and black.
"Watch out, Kaiba!" Even though she couldn't stand, Hoshino, dragging her unmovable legs, sat up and yelled a warning to Kaiba, who was stepping closer to Yako.
!!!
A familiar black mist condensed into a giant claw, filled with killing intent, and lunged at Kaiba.
Boom—!
The impact was so powerful it almost shattered the rooftop floor. Fortunately, Kaiba instinctively jumped back the moment he heard Hoshino's warning, barely dodging the sudden attack.
"What the hell is this?!" Kaiba, drenched in cold sweat, stared in shock at the massive claw that had appeared out of nowhere. Without Hoshino's warning, he might have been killed on the spot.
Da Vinci furrowed her brow. "Even Kaiba can see it... It seems it has gained a physical form now. It's The Wicked Avatar..."
"The Wicked Avatar has a physical form? Why, Da Vinci? Didn't I win?"
"Hahaha, Hoshino Chiyuki, you won, but this world is already doomed!" The black soul energy leaking from the container began to coalesce. Starting from the claw, it slowly took shape, eventually forming a familiar figure—even more ominous than before.
"The Wicked... Dreadroot?" Though the figure resembled The Wicked Dreadroot, its two massive arms were stripped of their skeletal covering, replaced by an oppressive black body that exuded even greater menace.
As the blackened Wicked Avatar materialized, Yako's lifeless body collapsed onto the floor.
"Borrowing The Wicked Dreadroot's form is just a more convenient way to wreak destruction. Hoshino Chiyuki, though you won the Shadow Game, the soul energy collected in the container is already more than enough. It's just a tiny bit short, but I can easily substitute that with Yako's life."
"Yako's... life?" Hoshino's crimson eyes trembled slightly as she looked at Yako's fallen form. "No way, we were just playing cards, and now someone's actually going to die?"
"Hmph, playing with fire and getting burned, Yako!" Kaiba sneered as he glanced at Yako's fallen body, then pointed at the massive Evil God before him.
"But Hoshino, what exactly is this thing? Give me a reasonable explanation."
"Even if I gave you a reasonable explanation, you wouldn't believe it." Hoshino knew all too well that, even if she explained it as a soul-condensed monster, Kaiba would find a thousand reasons to reject it. She decided not to waste her breath.
"But there's one thing you must believe—if you let this thing rampage, your precious Kaiba Corp. might be torn apart."
The massive claw that had originally struck at Kaiba had left a deep crater in the rooftop—and that was just a strike from the Evil God in its incomplete form.
"Even so, the current Kaiba Corp. has no armed forces to handle something like this!" Despite his disbelief, Kaiba couldn't ignore the seriousness in Hoshino's voice, nor the destruction caused by The Wicked Avatar.
During Kaiba's adoptive father Gozaburo's reign, Kaiba Corp. was a military company. But now, it had fully transitioned into a toy company.
"Only Duel Monsters can defeat Duel Monsters!" Though Hoshino wanted to fight, her soul had been so severely weakened that even lifting her Duel Disk was a challenge. Otherwise, she would have already pushed away Akasha's head, which was buried in her chest.
"The rest is up to you, Kaiba!"
"Only Duel Monsters can defeat Duel Monsters, huh? Interesting!" Naturally, Kaiba wasn't a fool. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made it to where he was today.
With a confident smirk, Kaiba spread open the Duel Disk on his arm in an outrageously arrogant manner. "This time, I won't lose!"
A scorching gale blew across the rooftop, accompanied by thunder rumbling in the sky once more. The massive form materialized instantly, and with a heavy punch, it struck The Wicked Avatar's black body with precision.
"Go, [Obelisk the Tormentor]!!"
A powerful punch surged forth, smashing against the massive body of the Evil God. Without missing a beat, Obelisk followed up, his other fist already charging with immense force.
"You're just a loser, and yet you come out here!"
Though the Evil God staggered from Obelisk's unexpected blow, it regained its balance almost immediately.
The Evil God's massive claw, though slower to prepare, swung out at the same moment as Obelisk's fist.
The deep blue arm and the pitch-black arm clashed violently in midair, the two gigantic bodies exchanging blows powerful enough to shake the earth.
Boom—!
The entire Kaiba Corp. building trembled. If not for its advanced earthquake-proof technology, the rooftop would have collapsed under the force of the collision.
"Wow, this is like a battle of giants!" Akasha exclaimed, finally lifting her head from Hoshino's chest, drawn by the sound of impact.
"It's not going to work. With Obelisk's power alone, it's too much to handle The Wicked Avatar." Hoshino frowned slightly, eyes fixed on the two giants exchanging blows before them.
Though Obelisk had initiated the attack, he was gradually being overwhelmed by the Evil God's sheer might, and retaliating was becoming noticeably difficult.
"Damn it! Relying on Obelisk alone won't be enough to fully suppress the Evil God..." Kaiba had hoped that, though Obelisk had lost to the Avatar before, an incomplete Evil God would give him a chance.
But the gap between dreams and reality was often brutal.
"In that case…" Kaiba drew four cards from his deck, refusing to lose again.
"I'll fuse my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Come forth, the ultimate emperor of destruction—"
"—[Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]!!"
"Roar!" With a deafening triple dragon roar, three beams of destructive white light blasted from the sky, striking the Evil God's body simultaneously.
"Another insect, just when my soul hasn't fully recovered!"
The Evil God, seemingly unfazed by the Ultimate Dragon's attack, let out a bone-chilling voice. The blackness of its back began to melt, morph, and reshape. Soon, a third arm emerged and ruthlessly reached for the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon soaring in the sky.
"Ugh, what a grotesque creature, how disgusting!"
The Evil God, without a fixed form, could transform into whatever shape was most convenient for battle. But its monstrous appearance made Hoshino feel nauseous just looking at it.
"Roar~!" The Ultimate Dragon, wrapped in the Evil God's giant claw, flapped its wings desperately. But the power difference was too great. No matter how hard it struggled, it couldn't break free from the Evil God's pitch-black grip.
"Offer your monster along with your soul, Seto Kaiba!"
Drawing another card from his Duel Disk, Kaiba grinned, "If you think you can take the soul of Seto Kaiba, you've got a hundred years to go!"
Hey! Kaiba, how can you say such things? Souls aren't scientific, you know _(ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ
"Quick-Play Spell, [De-Fusion]!"
Just as the Ultimate Dragon was about to be absorbed, Kaiba activated his spell card. Surrounded by white light, the Ultimate Dragon split into three separate dragons.
"Roar!" Two of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons let out fierce roars of defiance.
But only two were roaring—the third was still caught in the Evil God's massive claw.
"I've still captured one! This will be the last soul I need to complete my body!"
"Hmph, drown in your disgusting delusions, Evil God!" Kaiba, with a confident smile, suddenly radiated an aura that overshadowed even the god before him.
So, are you even human, Kaiba? You're truly standing shoulder to shoulder with gods in a mortal body, aren't you?Σ(°△°|||)︴
"I activate Obelisk the Tormentor's special ability!" With a commanding shout, Obelisk spread his enormous hands, seizing the two remaining Blue-Eyes White Dragons in each of his powerful fists.
"By offering two monsters as tributes, Obelisk the Tormentor's attack power rises to infinity!"
As Obelisk's muscled arms glowed with the radiant light of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons, he became a towering force.
"MAX Soul Energy!!!"
[Obelisk the Tormentor ATK: ∞]
"You're finished, Evil God! This is the final blow!" Kaiba roared with all his might, his voice echoing beneath the darkened sky.
"Perish under the divine might of the MAX God Hand Crusher!!"
With a force that could scorch the earth and tear through the heavens, Obelisk's double-fisted strike, enveloped in blinding white light, surged forward.
A deafening explosion followed as the MAX God Hand Crusher landed squarely on the Evil God's body.
The overwhelming energy pierced through the Evil God's thick form, shooting straight into the sky. If Kaiba Corp.'s building wasn't the tallest in Domino City, the sheer power might have damaged several nearby structures.
"It's over!" Kaiba crossed his arms over his chest, grinning with satisfaction at the final blow he had unleashed.
"Well done, Kaiba!" Hoshino sighed in relief, giving Kaiba a thumbs-up.
"Brother, you're super, super cool!" Mokuba exclaimed, admiration sparkling in his eyes.
.
..
....
Silence reigned for a moment, but then...
"What a pity, Seto Kaiba!"
Despair. That was the voice of true despair, chilling and dark, like it came from the depths of hell. The sense of relief that had begun to take hold vanished instantly, replaced by dread.
"Impossible! How could this be!" Kaiba, unable to believe his eyes, took a step back as the black figure slowly emerged from the aftermath of the white light.
"You're scared, aren't you, Seto Kaiba? I've captured the fear in your heart!" The Evil God's voice, dripping with malice, seemed to pierce through Kaiba's very mind.
"If it weren't for the souls of your monsters restoring me to my full form, that blow might have actually taken me down. But now—"
Raising his massive arm, the Evil God aimed his attack at... Mokuba, who was cowering in fear. "—it's my turn to strike back!"
"Mokuba, get out of there!" Kaiba shouted desperately.
"Brother, what do I do? My legs are shaking too much to move..." Mokuba, his voice trembling, looked helplessly at Kaiba and Hoshino.
"Damn it, at a time like this, I can't do anything to help." Hoshino gritted her teeth, feeling utterly powerless as she struggled to raise her Duel Disk.
Biting her lip in frustration, Hoshino screamed out her last hope...
"Akasha-chan, draw a card from my deck and place it on my Duel Disk!" Her final hope rested on the young girl sitting on her lap.
"Huh? Draw a card?" Akasha's face was blank with confusion. After all, she was younger than Mokuba, and it was impressive enough that she wasn't crying in such a terrifying situation.
"But Hoshino-nee, I don't know which monster in your deck could..."
"Just take the top card!" Hoshino's eyes were filled with determination, hoping to pass that resolve to Akasha. "Remember, as long as you trust in the deck, it will always respond to your expectations."
"Is that true, Hoshino-nee...?" Akasha bit her lip, recalling what Hoshino had once told her during their duel.
"As long as you believe in your deck, the card that can turn the tide of the duel will always be in your next draw, right?"
"That's right. Now draw the card of destiny!"
"Mm!" Akasha's eyes, filled with newfound determination, sparkled with Hoshino's spirit.
"It's Akasha's turn. Draw!"
"It's pointless, pointless, pointless! Even if you summon a monster now, there's nothing that can stop me!" The Evil God, undeterred, continued to stretch his vile claws toward Mokuba, who had his eyes shut tightly in terror.
Snap—! A crisp sound echoed.
"Huh??" Expecting the worst, Mokuba opened his eyes cautiously.
"Ah!!" Mokuba fell back in shock. The Evil God's claw, inches from his brow, was completely immobilized...
Bound by the Chain of Heaven!
"You mongrel, didn't you say nothing could stop you? Well, allow this king to enjoy this to the fullest!"
(*****)
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