Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

[Vivian VS Ren]

[The Duel Begins!]

Even amid a chorus of boos, Ren gradually regained his composure and drew his opening card.

"I Normal Summon a monster in Defense Position—[Little Red Riding Hood]!"

[Little Red Riding Hood ★★★ (Level 3)] [EARTH] [Fairy/Effect] [ATK 800 / DEF 800](Anime Exclusive Card and Modified Effect)

A petite monster wearing the iconic red hood materialized on Ren's field. Her sweet, innocent appearance felt jarringly out of place in this arena overflowing with greed and bloodlust.

Hoshino tilted her head, puzzled.

"Little Red Riding Hood? Isn't she the one who got eaten by her grandma in that fairy tale?"

Hoshino Alter quickly corrected her:

[Partner, the one who ate Little Red Riding Hood was the Big Bad Wolf. Since when do grandmas eat people? Andersen would throw a fit if he heard that…]

The sight of the adorable monster instantly triggered laughter from the audience.

"What's with that weak-looking monster? Are you serious, 'child prodigy'?"

"Hey kid, if you want bedtime stories, go back to mommy's lap!"

Ignoring the jeers, Ren calmly inserted a card into his duel disk.

"Finally, I set one card face-down and end my turn."

[Ren: 4 Hand Cards | 1 Set Card]

"My turn! Draw!"

As Hoshino drew her card and glanced at Little Red Riding Hood on the field, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

A weak, cute monster to bait an attack, backed up by a hidden trap... Was Ren using the same strategy as Akasha?

"Are all these genius kids just in love with trap-heavy decks? If that's the case— I Summon [Heroic Spirit – Mash Kyrielight] in Attack Position!"

But when it came to dealing with trap-centric decks, Jaden was no match for Hoshino. After challenging Akasha three times that afternoon, he'd been so thoroughly crushed by traps that he was starting to question reality itself.

[Heroic Spirit – Mash Kyrielight ★★★★ (Level 4)] [LIGHT] [Warrior/Effect] [ATK 1000 / DEF 2000]

It was rare to see Mash summoned in Attack Position. Her expression was full of protest.

"Senpai!"

"Wh-what is it, Mash?"

"Please stop making weird promises to Kiyohime-san… I haven't had a proper night's sleep in days worrying about your chastity."

"Sorry… and thanks for everything, Mash…"

"It wasn't just me. If Ereshkigal hadn't shown up yesterday, you'd have been completely… ruined."

What do you mean, ruined, you pervy eggplant?!

Lowering her head in apology, Hoshino suddenly realized the one who truly owed someone an apology wasn't her—it was that smug alter ego currently lounging in a self-made pyramid of light.

[Apologize? Me? Never. Unless Kiyohime shows up in my bed tonight~]

"Let's put that topic on hold... Mash, begin the attack! Since the enemy monster is cute, use a gentle shield strike!"

As the battle phase began, Mash dashed forward with her signature shield bash. With 1000 ATK, she was just strong enough to destroy Little Red Riding Hood—and even if there was a trap, it wouldn't be a huge loss.

"Hyaa~!"

[Little Red Riding Hood – Destroyed]

To Hoshino's surprise, Ren didn't activate his set card and let Little Red Riding Hood be destroyed.

"When Little Red Riding Hood is destroyed, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Warrior-Type monster from my Deck. I Special Summon [Forest Hunter]!"

Ren flung the card into his duel disk, and in Little Red's place appeared an elderly hunter wielding a longbow.

[Forest Hunter ★★★ (Level 3)] [EARTH] [Warrior/Effect] [ATK 1200 / DEF 800](Anime Exclusive with modified effects)

"When Forest Hunter is Special Summoned, I can banish one Beast, Beast-Warrior, or Warrior-Type monster on the field! Take this—Gale Arrow, Forest Hunter!"

Targeting Mash with his banishing arrow, Ren loosed the attack.

Commentator: "Unbelievable! Ren counters with a perfect strike, exploiting the weakness of Vivian's Warrior-Type monster!"

But faster than the arrow could hit, Hoshino swiftly activated a Quick-Play Spell.

"Not so fast! I activate Quick-Play Spell—[Vessel of The Saint]!"

[Vessel of The Saint – Quick-Play Spell

Effect: Target 1 "Heroic Spirit" monster you control; that monster is unaffected by your opponent's card effects until the end of this turn.]

A holy light enveloped Mash, and the arrow dissolved harmlessly just before impact.

Ren frowned slightly at the failed counterattack.

"So you're not easy to deal with after all... No wonder you defeated King."

"You're not bad either. Looks like your 'prodigy' title isn't just for show."

After the mutual exchange, Hoshino played two cards from her hand.

"I set two cards face-down and end my turn!"

[Hoshino: 2 Hand Cards | 2 Set Cards]

"But I won't lose. I have my own resolve! Draw!"

Completely different from the timid boy who had first stepped onto the stage, Ren's confidence grew with every turn, and his aura grew more focused.

"This turn, I Summon a monster in Attack Position—[Forest Wolf]!"

[Forest Wolf ★★★ (Level 3)] [EARTH] [Beast/Effect] [ATK 1800 / DEF 1300](Anime Exclusive with modified effect)

Unlike a typical beast, this Wolf looked like it had leapt straight from a picture book—wearing a grandmother's apron and bonnet.

Hoshino rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Little Red Riding Hood, then the Forest Hunter... and now the grandma-eating Wolf. So this kid's running a full-on fairy tale deck."

With the Wolf now on his field, Ren immediately entered the Battle Phase.

"Targeting Mash on your field—attack, Forest Wolf!"

Hoshino raised her hand. "Mash's special ability activates—once per turn, during the opponent's Battle Phase, she can switch to Defense Position!"

Raising her shield again, Mash braced for impact.

[Mash DEF 2000]

Ren's lips curled into a triumphant grin. "Heh… even 2000 Defense might not be enough to satisfy my Wolf's appetite~"

With a leap and a wide-open maw, Forest Wolf vaulted over the shield and swallowed Mash whole—armor, shield, and all.

"She... she actually got eaten..."

Hoshino stared in disbelief at the lone shield remaining on the field, stunned that Mash—her unbreakable wall—had been taken out in one bite.

"Maaaaashhhh!"

"I'm still alive, Senpai…"

Mash's faint voice echoed from within the Wolf's bloated belly.

Ren explained, "When Forest Wolf battles a monster, it can equip that monster to itself instead of destroying it. If the Wolf is destroyed, the equipped monster returns to the field."

"So if I destroy the Wolf, I can save Mash... Ah, I see. That's the gimmick. Hey, Mash—what's it like inside the stomach?"

A beautiful girl swallowed whole by a monster... Hoshino couldn't help but feel this scene resembled an R18 doujin setup more than a fairy tale reenactment.

Mash's voice was barely audible: "It's warm… but sticky and gross. Please hurry and get me out, Senpai..."

"Don't worry, Mash! I'll free you in no time!"

"Senpai, this gooey stuff... I think it's corrosive. If this keeps up, my armor's going to melt..."

"Uhhh... for strategic purposes, maybe we don't rescue you right away, Mash!"

Totally for strategic reasons... not because Hoshino was curious to see her armor slowly melt away.

"Now there's no monster left on your field to block me. Forest Hunter, launch a direct attack!"

Continuing his battle phase, Ren had Forest Hunter charge forward. This time, instead of drawing his bow, the old hunter unsheathed a gleaming hunting dagger and lunged directly at Hoshino.

"Then it's time for my counterattack—Quick-Play Spell Card, [Firefly's Flame of Integrity]!"

[Firefly's Flame of Integrity – Quick-Play Spell Effect: Choose one of the following effects. ● Special Summon 1 'Heroic Spirit – Okita Soji' from your deck in Defense Position.]

"Let's go, Okita-san! Block that attack!"

Slamming the card down, a green flash streaked across the field—Okita appeared with a gleaming silver blade, intercepting the Forest Hunter's strike with perfect timing.

[Heroic Spirit – Okita Souji ★★★★★★★ (Level 7)][WIND][Warrior/Effect][ATK 2500/DEF 2000]

Commentator: "Once again, Vivian summons a rare monster never before seen! Though she may appear delicate, her stats are surprisingly impressive!"

Knocking away the hunter's dagger, Okita snapped, "What do you mean 'never before seen'? You guys better go rewatch the Duelist Kingdom Finals Blu-ray—Okita-san was the MVP!"

"There's no such Blu-ray, Okita-san..."

[Ren LP 4000 → 3200]

Since Forest Hunter, with 1200 ATK, had attacked Okita in Defense Position with 2000 DEF, Ren took damage equal to the difference.

Commentator: "After two turns of fierce battling, it's contestant Vivian who lands the first hit, successfully dealing damage to Ren's Life Points!"

"AAAAAAAAAARGH!!"

Electric current surged through Ren's body, his pupils dilating in pain. Even though it was only 800 LP, the sensation was brutally realistic—especially for Ren, who lacked the endurance of adult duelists.

"Give up, Ren! You should realize by now—this isn't some play battle anymore..."

Hoshino could tell. Unlike her or Sheppard, Ren didn't seem to have any way of disabling the electric device. He was fighting for real—with his life on the line.

"I know. That's why I said—I have my own convictions too! Even in a duel like this, there's a reason I must win!"

Recovering from the shock, Ren activated the hidden field zone on his Duel Disk.

"I activate the Field Spell—[Golden Castle of Stromberg]!"

The platform trembled. Behind Ren, a giant golden castle rose, radiant under the overhead lights—majestic and glowing with surreal brilliance.

Keith suddenly spoke up in shock. "Wait, I've seen that card before! Pegasus created it for a specific tournament. It's a special field card meant only for viewing and collection."

Clara blinked. "Only for viewing and collection? There are cards like that?"

"Of course," Keith said. "They're ultra-rare collector's cards—only one copy in the entire world. Even though they can't be used in official duels, they're extremely valuable. But since they're collector-only, KaibaCorp's system automatically marks them as banned."

Hoshino's eyes narrowed. "I get it now. The hologram system we're using... it's not KaibaCorp's, is it?"

Pegasus had once mentioned that Zigfried also developed a virtual holographic system. However, being a step behind Kaiba, he missed the chance to partner with Industrial Illusions.

Still, Zigfried had refused to give up. Launching his system through unofficial channels in the European and American underground markets, it was his technology now powering the dueling arena.

For Ren to find a loophole that let him bypass the ban list... and considering what Keith said—that there was only one copy of that card in the world...

"Just who is this kid, really?"

"Stay sharp, Vivian!" Keith warned. "Display-only cards are banned for a reason—their effects are too broken. They wreck the game balance!"

"Fighting with a banned card, huh? Now this is getting interesting."

Rather than being intimidated, this kind of danger only made Hoshino's fighting spirit blaze brighter.

"Back in the day, I didn't even flinch at the Orichalcos. You think some golden fairytale castle is gonna shake me? Let's see how much chaos it brings."

Ren then slotted another card into his Duel Disk.

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card—[Gingerbread House]! Turn end."

[Ren's: 2 Hand Cards | 1 Set Card]

In contrast to the imposing castle behind him, a small, whimsical candy house appeared on Ren's field—its walls made of sweets, radiating an enticing aroma.

"Sniff sniff sniff~ What a delicious smell, Master!"

Okita sniffed the air, then wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth.

"A house made entirely of candy... That's something I've only seen in dreams! Eating one was one of Okita-san's childhood goals!"

As she finished speaking, a small colorful flag rose from the candy house's roof.

[Today: All-You-Can-Eat—FREE!!]

"All-you-can-eat?! Really?! Then Okita-san won't hold back—Itadakimasu!"

She knocked on the chocolate door and popped a piece into her mouth, bliss lighting up her expression.

"A candy house you can eat freely—this is heaven, Master!"

Hoshino's lips twitched. "This is definitely a trap... Okita-san..."

Ren chuckled. "How could it be a trap? It's a benefit for your monsters, Vivian. As long as Gingerbread House is on the field, during your Standby Phase, all your monsters gain 600 ATK."

[Okita ATK 2500 → 3100]

Licking the chocolate from her fingers, Okita beamed with pure joy.

"Candy energy restored—Okita-san's power boosted! I've finally surpassed Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Master!"

Hoshino narrowed her eyes. "No way it's that convenient. What's the catch?"

Ren grinned. "The catch is... all your monsters with more than 2500 ATK get destroyed~"

"—PUAAAH!!"

Okita spat out a mouthful of blood onto the candy floor, clutching her stomach in shock.

"Why... why is this happening, Master...? Th-the candy... was poisoned..."

[Okita – Poisoned to death]

(*****)

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