Chapter 404
"—Soar between the heavens! Become the irreplaceable dream of summer! Fusion Summon: Heroic Spirit – Okita J. Soji!"
[Heroic Spirit – Okita J. Soji ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][WATER][Machine/Fusion/Effect][ATK 2500/DEF 2000]["Heroic Spirit – Okita Soji" + 1 WATER-Attribute "Heroic Spirit" monster]
"——Jetpack, ready!"
Dressed in a revealing swimsuit, Okita floats above the arena, powered by the jetpack on her back.
"No more sickness! A cherry blossom fluttering along the beach—presenting the perfect Miss Okita in her swimsuit, taking the field!"
Why is she Machine-Type, you ask? Well, as the cost for temporarily removing her "weakness" trait, the life-support functionality of her jetpack fused with her spirit core—making it inseparable.
Landing gracefully, Okita wore a smug smile she didn't even try to hide.
"Race doesn't matter at all! What's important is that the perfectly healthy, swimsuit-clad Okita-san is here—basically Super Okita! I'm totally bragging to Nobu for the next 24 hours~"
Though it looked like a landing, the jetpack remained active. Okita hovered just above the ground, her toes barely brushing it—ready for a follow-up strike.
Commentator:
"Can Vivian's Fusion break through the stranglehold of the Golden Castle of Stromberg and carve out a chance for victory?!"
"Go, Vivian! Don't lose!"
"Show us your spirit as a duelist!"
A rare moment of united outrage echoed through the underground duel arena. Using banned cards was bad enough, but altering card effects? That was a surefire way to stir fury.
"Now, let the invincible Okita-san deliver judgment! Jetpack Mode II, deploy!"
[①: When this card is Fusion Summoned: You can target 1 face-up card on the field; destroy it.]
Mode II is a specialized stealth module—perfectly suited to Okita's high compatibility with the Assassin class. It grants power on par with her Saber form: super speed, precision control, instant-kill Kondo techniques, and more.
"Targeting Golden Castle of Stromberg—destroy that face-up Field Spell, Okita!"
With a burst from the jetpack and a flash of her blade, the palace shattered like a mirage. The materialized virtual image of the castle began to fade.
However, just when it seemed the palace was gone, Golden Castle of Stromberg reversed—like a rewound video—and returned to its original, undamaged state.
Staring at the still-standing palace, Ren said:
"It's useless. The Golden Palace's effect makes it immune to destruction by Spells, Traps, or Monster effects…"
Realizing what had just happened, Hoshino scoffed.
"That effect was modified, wasn't it? Even the card itself didn't realize it and almost let itself be destroyed."
Ren struggled to maintain composure.
"I already told you—even the Duel King and Yugi Muto couldn't defeat Golden Castle of Stromberg. With that kind of effect, my Fairy Tale deck is unbeatable."
"Aren't you getting a bit full of yourself? You've never even fought Yugi. How can you claim even he couldn't beat it?"
Ren frowned, responding flatly:
"It's impossible. With absolute defensive effects, the Golden Palace can't be overcome!"
Hoshino gave a smug sideways grin.
"Oh? He says that, so what do we do now, Okita-san~?"
Retracting Mode II back into its base form, Okita grinned.
"Obviously, we show him what the new and improved Okita-san is capable of, Master~"
With a perfectly synced exchange of glances, the pair entered the next Battle Phase.
"You really think hiding behind your little Golden Palace will save you? That last attack was just the warm-up. Now comes the true effect of Okita J. Soji!"
The jetpack on her back roared to full power, launching her skyward with force on a completely different level.
"The 'J' stands for JET! Having overcome her sickness, Okita-san now wields a new sword technique—Jet Ten'nen Rishin-ryū!!"
[②: This card can make additional attacks during the same Battle Phase equal to the number of monsters your opponent controls.]
The name sounds flashy, but really, it just removed the side effect from her Saber-class cards where she would receive a "Weakness" counter after attacking.
Ren raised his Duel Disk high, and the Golden Palace behind him glowed in response.
"Useless. Even if you target all my monsters, if you can't break through the Golden Palace's defense—it means nothing!"
"How could it mean nothing? This is Okita-san's super finishing move~" Hoshino smiled, Okita's card surging with energy.
"Hold on, body! MA·KO·TO DRIVE, full throttle!!"
Okita's ultimate move activated her jetpack's internal engine—MAKOTO·DRIVE—sending it into overdrive for a miraculous strike.
"——Swift, as in supersonic! Mumyou, as in a slash! Trinity, as in my special move!"
Using super-jet acceleration that pushed her beyond physical limits into near-light-speed bursts, she unleashed a triple-strike so powerful it distorted the very space around her.
Originally meant to strike one enemy, the attack's raw force dragged in everything nearby—a Noble Phantasm-tier light cannon technique unleashed by Okita herself.
"My deadly blow! Jet Sandanzuki!!!"
With a shout that defied her limits, Okita unleashed a brilliant summer light that pierced through the so-called indestructibility of the palace. Her max-powered strike detonated on Ren's field.
"What?! The monster that declared the attack should've self-destructed because of the Golden Palace's effect!"
"Okita J. Soji's final ability carries the will of her two graveyard allies—granting her immunity from all forms of destruction."
[③: If "Heroic Spirit – Oda Nobunaga" exists in the Graveyard, this card cannot be destroyed by battle.
④: If "Heroic Spirit – Okita Soji" exists in the Graveyard, this card cannot be destroyed by card effects.]
Hoshino pulled out the two comically eccentric partner cards from the Graveyard and flashed them at Ren. With the palace's defense pierced, all of Ren's monsters were obliterated.
[Prinzessin – Destroyed]
[Forest Hunter – Destroyed]
[Pumpkin Carriage – Destroyed]
[Forest Wolf – Destroyed]
The commentator's voice trembled with excitement:
"A reversal! Vivian's monster pierces through an absolute defense and annihilates Ren's entire field in a single moment!"
"Because all your monsters—except Pumpkin Carriage—were in Attack Position, Okita's assault inflicts a total of 3200 points of battle damage!"
[Ren LP: 3700 → 500]
The massive damage dealt in one blow left Ren no room to recover. A jolt—symbolic of death—surged through his body, nearly causing him to collapse.
"AAAHHHHHH!!"
Yet despite the agony, Ren's unwavering resolve pushed him to activate his final set card.
"My set Trap Card activates — [Rope of Life]!"
[Rope of Life – Trap Card Effect: When a monster(s) is destroyed by battle and sent to your GY: Discard your entire hand, then target 1 of those monsters; Special Summon it, and if you do, it gains 800 ATK.]
"I discard my entire hand to Special Summon the Prinzessin that was just destroyed by battle—and raise her ATK by 800!"
[Prinzessin ATK: 300 → 1100]
"And when Prinzessin is successfully Summoned, I search my Deck for the Equip Spell Glass Slippers and the monster card Pumpkin Carriage!"
[Pumpkin Carriage DEF: 300]
[Cinderella ATK 1100 → 2100]
"I won't lose!" Placing three cards on his Duel Disk, the weakened Ren still held determination in his eyes.
"Vivian, your attack has ended. On my next turn, with Pumpkin Carriage on the field, Cinderella can attack you directly… and that means I win!"
"Is that the kind of victory you seek? Winning with cards like that… is completely meaningless! And more importantly—my attack isn't over yet. Have you forgotten something?"
A snow-white figure descended with a strong gust, shield in hand, landing on Hoshino's field.
"Senpai! Mash Kyrielight, back on the field! I had to go change clothes, so I'm a bit late~"
Probably because her armor had melted earlier, Mash now wore a swimsuit similar to Okita's.
"Cheh, I was hoping to see your ultimate move, Mash… but swimsuit fanservice works too."
Since the Wolf that had devoured Mash was destroyed by Okita, Mash—who had been treated as an Equip Card—returned to Hoshino's Monster Zone.
Ren stubbornly protested, "That monster can't break through the Golden Palace's defense! It'll be destroyed upon declaring an attack!"
"Hmph, the final piece to this victory is now in my hand. All that's left… is to destroy that annoying Golden Palace!"
With a sharp declaration, Hoshino flipped the face-down Quick-Play Spell beneath his feet, unleashing a spiral of contradictory forces.
"—Quick-Play Spell, activate: [Paradox Spiral]!"
[Paradox Spiral – Quick-Play Spell Effect: Return 2 face-up "Heroic Spirit" monsters of different Attributes from your field to the Deck; Special Summon 1 "Ryōgi Shiki" monster from your hand or Graveyard, ignoring Summoning conditions.]
"I return Okita and Mash to the Deck, and Special Summon from my hand a monster I just searched earlier via Marie Antoinette's effect — [Heroic Spirit – Ryōgi Shiki Phase II]!"
[Heroic Spirit – Ryōgi Shiki Phase II ★★★★★★ (Level 6)][DARK][Warrior/Effect][ATK 2400/DEF 2000]
[This card cannot be Normal Summoned.]
"Hehe, looks like another troublesome job awaits, huh, Chaldea's Master?"
"Yeah, it's a real pain. I'll be counting on you, Miss Shiki. Destroy that pesky Golden Palace for me! Shiki's effect, activate—!"
Ren shouted again, "I already told you, Golden Castle can't be destroyed by card effects!"
The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception activated. Shiki raised her dagger and stabbed the ground hard.
"There's no such thing as something truly indestructible! I can already see it—that twisted, forcibly rewritten death line stretching all the way here!"
Following the death lines severed by Shiki, the magnificent Golden Palace didn't restore itself like before—it collapsed instantly into ruins.
[Ryōgi Shiki effect: Target 1 card on the field that cannot be destroyed by card effects; send it to the Graveyard. Then, destroy all Spell/Trap Cards your opponent controls.]
With the dream-like field that empowered the Fairy Tale deck—Golden Palace—gone, even cards like Gingerbread House and Glass Slippers disappeared with it.
[Cinderella ATK 2100 → 1100]
"Since Glass Slippers was destroyed, Cinderella's ATK drops by 1000. The resistance effect you forcefully added to the card… ended up backfiring on you, Ren!"
In the VIP box, Zigfried slammed the table in rage, grinding his teeth.
"Impossible! So because of the effect I added to Golden Palace, Ren is going to lose?! Stop the duel! If this continues, Ren will...!"
Ren collapsed to the floor, already accepting his defeat. If Hoshino used Shiki to attack Prinzessin, his remaining Life Points would be wiped out.
"Prepare yourself, Ren. I told you—using such ban Cards is an insult to Dueling. That's why, just this once… I won't accept your surrender. I'll crush you without hesitation."
"Damn it… It's too late!" At that moment, Hoshino's voice in Zigfried's ears felt like that of a devil. It convinced him that this girl truly intended to kill his little brother.
"Who the hell does she think she is?! I'm going to tear her apart with my own hands!"
Even Akasha couldn't believe what Hoshino was about to do. "Nee-chan… are you serious?"
"Do it, Shiki… kill him."
"…You really are heartless, Master."
With the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception still active, Shiki precisely locked onto the death line ahead and threw her silver dagger.
Crack—
The sound of shattering—her dagger pierced through Prinzessin's virtual body and, in the same motion, sliced through the electrical device on Ren's neck that was emitting current.
("If you forcibly destroy it, it'll explode. So please don't do something stupid that'll blow your own head off.")
That was a prior warning from 9527—never forcibly destroy the electric devices used in the underground dueling arena. But 'killing' is an entirely different concept. A deeper level of destruction, based on severing the death line, left the device incapable of producing even a single spark, let alone triggering an explosion.
"To use me so recklessly… Master, you're really heartless~"
[Ren LP: 500 → 0]
[Duel Over. The winner: Vivian!]
[Phase II Mission Complete. Kill that which is meant to die: 1/1]
[Rank Promotion: Phase II → Phase III]
(*****)
If you'd like to read 25 chapters ahead, please consider joining my Patreon: patreon.com/ANeet. Your support means a lot. Thank you!