Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

KC Grand Tournament – Elimination Round 3: Jonouchi vs. Rebecca

"Attack, Red-Eyes Black Dragon! Fire Blast!"

[Red-Eyes Black Dragon ATK 2400]

A searing fireball erupted from Red-Eyes' mouth and exploded against Rebecca's Fairy-Type monster.

[Power Angel Valkyria destroyed]

As the pitch-black flames cleared, no monsters remained on Rebecca's side of the field.

[Jonouchi LP: 4000]

[Rebecca LP: 4000 → 3400]

Despite facing off against the U.S. champion, Rebecca, Jonouchi wasn't falling behind at all. In fact, after summoning his ace monster, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, he had taken a significant lead.

"Nii-san is amazing!" Shizuka exclaimed, grabbing Honda's sleeve excitedly. While she always believed her brother had solid dueling skills, she hadn't expected him to hold his own—let alone take the upper hand—against someone like Rebecca.

Basking in the wave of pride, Honda laughed boastfully,

"Well of course! I'm the one who first taught Jonouchi how to play Duel Monsters, you know!"

It wasn't a lie. He hadn't expected that casually showing off a few Duel Monsters cards would one day kickstart Jonouchi's journey toward becoming a king of games.

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

"My turn! Draw!"

Rebecca, undeterred, summoned another adorable Fairy-type monster to the field.

"I Normal Summon Injection Fairy Lily! Then I equip her with the Spell Card Cestus of Dagla! It can only be equipped to Fairy-Type monsters and gives her 500 extra ATK!"

[Injection Fairy Lily ★★★(Level 3)][EARTH][Fairy/Effect][ATK 400 → 900 / DEF 1500]

Jack: "Whoa, a new Lily monster spotted! Time to go card hunting, Akasha!"

Akasha: "Jack, I think this Lily's a bit different from your kind."

Jack: "What do you mean? They're all Lilies and little girls, right?"

Akasha: "...I don't know…"

Even though it felt different, she couldn't quite explain why.

"Battle! Injection Fairy Lily, attack Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

With a massive syringe in hand, the fairy flapped her white wings and floated gently toward Red-Eyes.

"—During damage calculation, I activate Injection Fairy Lily's effect! By paying 2000 Life Points, she gains 3000 ATK for this battle!"

[Rebecca LP: 3400 → 1400]

[Injection Fairy Lily ATK: 900 → 3900]

"Wh-what?! 3900 ATK?!"

As the petite fairy's syringe swelled in size—eventually rivaling Red-Eyes itself—Jonouchi couldn't help but cry out in shock.

The needle pierced Red-Eyes' tail, and with a final roar, the dragon shattered and vanished from the field.

[Red-Eyes Black Dragon destroyed]

[Jonouchi LP: 4000 → 2500]

[Injection Fairy Lily ATK: 3900 → 900]

"When Red-Eyes is destroyed, the effect of Cestus of Dagla activates—since my monster inflicted battle damage, I recover that same amount in Life Points!"

[Rebecca LP: 1400 → 2900]

"You has no match for me. I set one card and end my turn!"

After a dominant offensive, Rebecca confidently ended her turn.

Anzu facepalmed.

"As expected… It's just too hard for Jonouchi to beat a champion like Rebecca on his own…"

"Come on, Nii-san! Don't give up!" Shizuka cheered.

"Don't worry! I'll show you what your brother can do! My turn—Draw!"

Jonouchi drew a card and immediately activated it. The next moment, his dragon let out a familiar roar and returned to the field.

"I activate the Spell Card Monster Reborn! I bring back Red-Eyes Black Dragon from the Graveyard!"

[Red-Eyes Black Dragon ATK: 2400]

Rebecca smiled confidently.

"It's no use~ A basic Red-Eyes won't beat my Injection Fairy Lily."

"Even if it lacks brute force, Red-Eyes has limitless potential! I activate Polymerization from my hand!"

Honda: "Yes! He's fusing it! I knew he wouldn't go down that easy!"

Jonouchi revealed another monster from his hand and sent both it and Red-Eyes to the Graveyard. A swirling vortex formed, heralding the arrival of something more powerful.

"I fuse Red-Eyes Black Dragon with Gilford the Lightning! The black dragon's wings shall become my blade to carve the path to victory—Fusion Summon! Red-Eyes Slash Dragon!"

[Red-Eyes Slash Dragon ★★★★★★★(Level 7)][DARK][Dragon/Fusion/Effect][ATK 2800 / DEF 2400]["Red-Eyes Black Dragon" + 1 Warrior monster]

From its claws, the jet-black dragon revealed sharp, blade-like wings. Infused with the power of a warrior, its new form roared onto the field.

Rebecca tried to maintain composure.

"Even with 2800 ATK, it's not enough to beat my Injection Fairy Lily..."

"Is that really the case? Red-Eyes Slash Dragon, attack Injection Fairy Lily!"

"You're crazy! I activate Injection Fairy Lily's effect—paying 2000 Life Points for a 3000 ATK boost!"

[Rebecca LP: 2900 → 900]

[Injection Fairy Lily ATK: 900 → 3900]

"I was waiting for that! I activate my face-down Trap—Metalmorph!'"

[Metalmorph – Trap Card Equip to 1 face-up monster. It gains 300 ATK/DEF. If it attacks, it gains ATK equal to half the target's ATK during damage calculation only.]

The metallic armor wrapped around Slash Dragon, turning its obsidian body silver and gleaming.

[Red-Eyes Slash Dragon ATK: 2800 → 3100]

"Time to evolve—Red-Eyes Metal Slash Dragon! When attacking, it gains half the opponent's ATK!"

[Red-Eyes Slash Dragon ATK: 3100 → 5050]

"That means it surpasses Lily's power!"

"Heh, you're too naive, Jonouchi." Rebecca coolly flipped her set card.

"I activate Compulsory Evacuation Device! Say goodbye and head back to the Extra Deck!"

[Compulsory Evacuation Device – Trap Card: Target 1 monster on the field; return that target to the hand.]

A powerful force burst forth, aiming at Slash Dragon.

"The naive one is you! Red-Eyes Slash Dragon has an effect!"

Crack!

The metal armor shattered as the dragon sacrificed its Equip Spell to resist.

"I send Metalmorph to the Graveyard to negate Compulsory Evacuation Device and destroy it!"

Rebecca smirked.

"You really are an idiot. Without Metalmorph, Red-Eyes' ATK goes back to normal. You'll lose this battle."

[Red-Eyes Slash Dragon ATK: 5050 → 2800]

"I may not be as smart as you, Rebecca—but even an idiot has his own way of fighting! At the moment of attack declaration, Red-Eyes Slash Dragon activates its effect!"

[When a "Red-Eyes" monster declares an attack: Target 1 Warrior in your Graveyard; equip it to this card. It gains 200 ATK.]

"I equip Gilford the Lightning from my Graveyard! Slash Dragon's ATK increases by 200!"

[Red-Eyes Slash Dragon ATK: 2800 → 3000]

Lightning crackled along Slash Dragon's blade as it lunged forward.

"Take this! Lightning Black Dragon Blade!'"

The blade slashed through Injection Fairy Lily—but despite the spectacle, her superior ATK prevailed.

[Red-Eyes Slash Dragon destroyed]

[Jonouchi LP: 2500 → 1600]

"So your idea of strategy is sacrificing your monster for pride? That's not a tactic—it's stubbornness."

Since Jonouchi took damage, Cestus of Dagla activated again, restoring Rebecca's Life Points.

[Rebecca LP: 900 → 1800]

"What's wrong with being hard-headed? In card games or fights, it sometimes works…"

Jonouchi smirked. Even though Slash Dragon had fallen, its lightning still danced on the field.

"This is the final effect of Red-Eyes Slash Dragon! When it's destroyed, I can Special Summon the monsters it was equipped with!"

The residual lightning surged—and from it, the warrior emerged.

"I Special Summon Gilford the Lightning in Attack Position!"

[Gilford the Lightning ★★★★★★★★(Level 8)][LIGHT][Warrior/Effect][ATK 2800 / DEF 1400]

"Now that Slash Dragon's gone, Lily's ATK returns to normal! So tell me, Rebecca—can she withstand Gilford?"

[Injection Fairy Lily ATK: 3900 → 900]

With only 900 LP remaining, Rebecca couldn't pay the cost again.

"Call me hard-headed or an idiot all you want… I pave my road to victory with relentless attacks! That's Jonouchi's style! Lightning Cleave Slash!"

Thunder roared as Gilford's sword cut across the field, destroying Injection Fairy Lily and wiping out the last of Rebecca's Life Points.

[Injection Fairy Lily destroyed]

[Rebecca LP: 1800 → 0]

[Duel Over — Winner: Jonouchi!]

(***)

NEW FanFic Translation

Uma Musume: It All Begins with a Ten-Meter Knockback

[Author Note: Some of the Uma musume backgrounds and roles have been slightly modified, and the worldbuilding has been expanded. Otherwise, the story remains true to the historical inspirations of the franchise and will not impact enjoyment for existing fans.]

[TLDR: It's AU]

[I can't escape to the horse propaganda]

(***)

Tokyo — Tracen Academy Hospital, Neurology Examination Room.

Behind the desk sat a woman with short brown hair and long brown horse ears, holding a steaming cup of tea in one hand and a brain X-ray in the other.

After studying the image for a while, she looked across the desk. Her eyes, striped like Venetian blinds, gleamed with unmistakable interest.

"To think you were hit by a Uma Musume running at dozens of kilometers per hour and sent flying ten meters... and all you ended up with was bruising?"

"Hoho, what a fascinating constitution..."

"Interested in becoming my experimental subject, Yasui-kun?"

Sitting across from her, the young man named Makoto Yasui shook his head rapidly, without the slightest hesitation.

"I'll have to respectfully decline, Dr. Agnes."

"Also, aside from the bruising, there's nothing else wrong with me, right?"

Setting down the X-ray and sipping her tea with both hands, the long-eared woman—Agnes Tachyon—narrowed her eyes, a smile curving her lips.

This young man is very interesting...

A few months ago, the JRA had announced the results of this year's National Trainer Exam.

As usual, only a handful passed—but the identity of the top scorer sent shockwaves through the industry.

Makoto Yasui, age 18. Just graduated from the Trainer Academy last year. Perfect scores in all subjects except for singing performance and dance training.

Agnes had been stunned for quite some time.

She had retired early, but as a former active racer, she knew just how hard it was to earn a Trainer License.

Especially the National-level license—passing that exam was said to be harder than one in ten thousand.

Trainers who managed it were usually in their 30s. Even those in their 20s were rare. But 18? Practically unheard of.

She had immediately thought about finding a way to obtain a few tissue samples for research.

Ideally, brain tissue. That could really advance some of her studies.

But her schedule was packed—hospital work, research, panels, and lectures at Tracen Academy—so the opportunity never came.

Who would've thought... today, he'd walk right in.

The reason? Exactly as she said: he'd been hit by a Uma Musume running at top speed and sent flying.

Normally, an accident like that would result in internal injuries or broken bones at the very least. Yet Yasui had only light bruises.

And according to the girl who brought him in, he even stood back up afterward, looking completely unfazed.

That meant he wasn't just absurdly intelligent—his body was freakishly resilient, too.

Now then… what excuse could I use to schedule a dissection for this fascinating guinea pig? Hohoho...

She took another sip of tea and feigned deep contemplation. Inside, her thoughts were racing.

Being stared at by those eyes, Yasui felt a chill run down his spine and an uneasy flutter in his chest.

He'd heard rumors about this particular woman—that she was very enthusiastic about human experimentation.

Nothing had ever been confirmed, but the way she kept acting like something might still be wrong with him, even though he clearly felt fine… he wasn't buying it for a second.

He could read X-rays. Not only because National Trainers were required to study medical basics, but also because in his previous life—he had been an Extreme Stunt Performer.

"Extreme Stunts" was a newer category of extreme sports. It combined high-level techniques from multiple disciplines into complex, performance-driven routines.

Movements like twisting somersaults from gymnastics, flying armbars, and capoeira's spinning double kicks—all fused together and elevated in difficulty.

It was as dangerous as it was awe-inspiring. Despite his natural talent, Yasui had met his end during a high-altitude performance due to a malfunctioning flight apparatus.

That's when he found himself reincarnated into this world.

And it didn't take long for him to realize… this world was different.

There were no horses. Instead, there were Uma Musume—horse girls.

They had long ears, horse tails, and were blessed by the so-called Three Goddesses. Their physical abilities far surpassed those of humans, and they were born with extraordinary talent.

Their average running speed alone was around 60 km/h.

They loved to run. And to nurture their abilities, institutions like Tracen Academy had been founded.

In this life, Yasui's parents were both connected to Tracen Academy—his father was a local Trainer, his mother a retired regional racer.

He had little hesitation in choosing to become a Trainer himself.

For someone who had once pushed the limits of the human body, nothing was more thrilling than witnessing true physical extremes.

And horse girls, who looked human but surpassed humans in strength and speed, struck him right at the core of his dream.

He wanted to see just how far they could go.

And maybe—just maybe—see if he could push beyond humanity's limits alongside them.

Fueled by that ambition and armed with knowledge from two lifetimes, he enrolled in the Academy right after middle school.

He graduated quickly and earned his National Trainer license. Just a few months ago, he moved to Tokyo.

Most rookie Trainers struggled to get contracts with horse girls. They typically had to work under senior Trainers for a while before earning trust.

But Yasui believed he didn't need that path.

His skills as a former stunt professional weren't "industry-leading," but they were certainly top-tier.

With help from his parents, he'd studied training methods from an early age and was confident he could raise a truly outstanding racer.

Unfortunately, not everyone shared that confidence. In the months since moving to Tokyo, he'd approached many girls—and every single one had politely turned him down.

Just like today.

A bit disheartened, he was spacing out at a crosswalk when he saw a small child about to be hit. He didn't think—he just ran.

The child was saved.

He was the one who got hit.

Not by a car—but by a horse girl with short black hair.

Fortunately, he'd trained for extreme reactions in his past life. Instinct kicked in, and he adjusted his body mid-air, suffering only minimal injuries.

He intended to leave it at that—but the girl who hit him was clearly panicked. She wouldn't stop apologizing and insisted on taking him to the hospital.

He declined several times, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. She even looked like she'd follow him home if he didn't comply.

Left with no choice, he came to the hospital.

Only to end up face-to-face with the infamous Agnes, who now looked ready to slice him open in the name of "research."

With a growing headache, Yasui quietly began plotting his escape.

At that moment, after staring at him for quite a while, Agnes finally spoke—slowly.

"As for other problems... well, that's hard to say right now."

"Some symptoms might not show up for days. That would be troublesome."

"So, my recommendation is that Yasui-kun stays here for observation for a while."

"Also, I think a cranial procedure might be necessary. Just to check everything thoroughly..."

(It's a surgery involving the skull and brain.)

Yasui's scalp tingled.

She's really trying to dissect me.

Just as he was about to speak up, the door to the neurology room burst open with a bang.

In stormed the black-haired horse girl.

As she crashed in, the doorknob let out a gut-wrenching crack—and a large chunk of the door broke off with it.

"C-Cranial surgery?! I-Is it really that serious?!"

Under the stunned gaze of both Agnes and Yasui, the black-haired horse girl looked down at the doorknob now in her hand, then at the hole she'd ripped in the door.

"S-Sorry! I was too careless..."

Hurriedly hiding the broken knob behind her back, she gave a deep bow.

"H-Hello, Dr. Agnes!"

"M-My name is Kitasan Black! I'm a new student at Tracen Academy this year! Please take care of me!"

"I-I... in any case, I'll take full responsibility for everything concerning Yasui-san!"

As the girl named Kitasan Black frantically apologized, Yasui couldn't help but glance at the hole in the door.

She must've been eavesdropping outside, and when she overheard the words "cranial surgery," she got so shocked that she yanked the doorknob—and part of the door—clean off.

Clumsy? Definitely. But more notable was this girl's sheer strength and explosive power.

Aside from the ears and tail, Uma Musume looked no different from human girls. But their physical capabilities were on a completely different level.

Beyond their incredible running speeds—often exceeding 60 km/h—they also possessed tremendous strength, core power, and more.

At Tracen Academy, many Uma Musume trained their strength by dragging heavy objects. Often, these objects were the kinds of tires used by large freight trucks—each weighing over half a ton.

Yet, to accidentally rip off a door handle and a chunk of the frame... even among Uma Musume, that kind of grip strength and burst power was rare.

That said, her ability to control that strength was clearly lacking—as seen now by her clumsiness, and earlier by the "traffic accident."

Also... Kitasan Black—that name sounded familiar. Had he heard it somewhere in his previous life?

While quickly analyzing the situation, Yasui drifted into thought.

"Take full responsibility, huh? Hohoho... how interesting."

Agnes, finally snapping out of her surprise, looked at the anxious Kitasan with great amusement.

"If I'm not mistaken, Kitasan Black-kun, you said earlier you haven't taken on a Trainer yet."

"And Yasui-kun just mentioned he's only recently obtained his Trainer license and also hasn't taken on any Racer."

"So then, Kitasan-kun—if you two aren't even officially partnered, in what way exactly are you planning to 'take responsibility' for him?"

In the industry, the term "Trainee" referred to the mutual contract between a Trainer and a Racer—meaning they were officially responsible for one another.

"Ehh—?!"

Kitasan let out a drawn-out gasp, her black horse ears perking straight up.

"Wait, Yasui-san... you're a Trainer?"

"Oh? You didn't even know that about the person you hit, Miss 'At-Fault Girl'?"

"A-At-Fault Girl?! I-I…"

Clasping her hands tightly together, her ears drooped as she stammered:

"I didn't get a chance to ask Yasui-san much… I just rushed to get him to the hospital…"

"B-But!"

She straightened up again with renewed energy.

"Even if I'm not his Trainee horse girl, the fact remains that Yasui-san got hurt because of me. So of course I'll take full responsibility!"

"I see..."

Agnes nodded, then slid the X-ray across the desk.

"Then for the next few days, I'll leave Yasui-kun in your care."

"Yes! No problem at all!"

Kitasan bowed deeply. At the same time, Yasui snapped out of his thoughts and frowned.

"Hold on a minute, Dr. Agnes."

"I have a decent grasp of medical. According to every report, aside from some bruising, there's nothing wrong with me—definitely nothing neurological."

"If I really need hospitalization or, heaven forbid, a cranial procedure, then I'd like to get a second opinion at another hospital."

"Oh? No wonder you were this year's top scorer."

Agnes gave a calm nod.

"You're right. As of now, there's no significant issue. So we'll cancel the hospitalization and surgery plan for now."

"Just rest properly, and come back for routine follow-ups."

"If any symptoms develop later, then hospitalization can be considered. Otherwise, the cost—for you, Yasui-kun… no, for Kitasan-kun—would be a burden."

Yasui was surprised by how quickly Agnes backed off—though it also made him suspicious. Was she already cooking up some new scheme?

Meanwhile, Kitasan was nodding vigorously.

"It's really no problem! Yasui-san is only in this state because of me, so I'll cover today's costs and also…"

Her face turned red, and her lips twitched as she pulled the broken doorknob from behind her back.

"…this. I'll take responsibility for this too."

"Oh? That's perfect, then."

Glancing nonchalantly at the doorknob, Agnes turned back to her computer and began typing rapidly.

"The payment counter is downstairs—exit and turn left. As for the door, I'll have them issue a repair invoice as well. Take care, both of you."

Seeing that Agnes had likely given up on her "dissection" plans, Yasui picked up the X-ray, stood, and bowed before heading for the door.

"Understood. I'll handle the costs. Thank you for everything, Dr. Agnes."

Kitasan bowed deeply too, quickly echoing her thanks.

She turned to follow Yasui out of the room—then hesitated, frowned at the doorknob in her hand, and suddenly smiled. Her eyes lit up as she tossed it into the trash bin by the door.

She gave one final bow to Agnes, then hurried out after him.

"Yasui-san, please wait!"

He had only walked a few steps when he heard her call and turned around without surprise, pointing at the nearby wall.

Kitasan, still full of worry, followed his gesture—and spotted a sign that read "No Loud Voices." Several passing doctors and nurses were already giving them sidelong glances.

"S-Sorry, sorry…"

She quickly apologized, then covered her mouth slightly and lowered her voice.

"Yasui-san… are you sure your head's okay?"

Realizing that she'd been completely misled by Agnes, Yasui shook his head.

"I'm really fine. I wouldn't joke about my health."

"And if anything was wrong, I doubt Dr. Agnes would've let me go that easily."

Though she had literally slammed him into the hospital, Yasui didn't harbor any resentment toward this girl.

When she half-dragged him here earlier, he could already tell—she was kindhearted and very considerate.

The so-called "accident" wasn't malicious. It was a coincidence. They'd both noticed a child about to be hit and reacted at the same time. That they collided was pure bad luck.

If there was any fault, it might've been in her lack of control over her own strength.

He could adjust his posture mid-sprint—technically, so could she. Her issue was a lack of body control.

If blame had to be placed, it would be there.

"Yasui-san, you… you're really a good person."

Looking touched, Kitasan Black declared it with utmost sincerity.

Then she pursed her lips and, after a moment, her expression turned serious.

"Alright! Then it's settled… It's decided!"

The first part was spoken at full volume—again. The second part, after glancing around nervously, came out as a mutter.

"Decided? What?"

Yasui blinked.

"Well…"

She started to speak—but just then, her eyes widened as she looked ahead.

"President?! W-What are you doing here…?!"

(*****)

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