Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

"If you're dissatisfied with the level of dueling in this era—then allow us to show you the strength of two of the greatest duelists in history!"

Hoshino's increasingly disrespectful tone had gone so far that she even skipped mentioning Bakura's name.

Bakura blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected Hoshino, after all the energy she'd spent, to recover so quickly—or perhaps she'd been conserving her strength all along.

"You really don't let your guard down, do you, Hoshino! Ever since I suffered a setback at your hands during Battle City, I've been biding my time. And now… now is the moment I turn the tables!"

Accompanied by the terrifying roar of Diabound behind him, Bakura, who had stormed the palace alone, looked unstoppable—like a dragon poised to strike, exuding total dominance.

"It's too dangerous, prince!"

Mana, the kindhearted childhood friend, reached out and grabbed Yugi's cape, trying to use her small frame to pull him back from the battlefield.

"You've never actually had a duel with Spirit Monsters before, right? This isn't some kind of game!"

"Don't worry, Dark Magician Girl—wait, I mean, Mana."

Grasping the hands clutching his cape, Hoshino gently reassured her:

"It's precisely because of the situation we're in now that a true King must never retreat. Believe in Yugi! And besides, he's not alone—I'll be fighting by his side~"

None of the gathered priests had ever seen Yugi truly fight, but even so, Mahad chose to believe. One who can bear the trust of their people and use their own brilliance to lead them through darkness—that is what makes a true King.

"Now, in the name of the gods, I summon the Spirit that stands at the pinnacle—!"

Raising the Duel Disk he inherited from Mahad, Yugi channeled his soul, which burst forth from the main hall and connected deep within the palace—to the sealed chamber where the tablets of the three Egyptian Gods were stored.

Though Mahad truly believed in Yugi from the bottom of his heart, the sheer magnitude of that soul—and where it was leading—left him stunned.

"My King… are you planning to summon the three Egyptian Gods? But you haven't even undergone the sacred rite to learn their true names yet!"

"Mahad, I already know the true names of the Gods!"

Feeling the immense power surging back from the tablet, Yugi gave a confident smile.

"Reporting to Mahad—I know the true names of the three Gods too!"

Hoshino raised her hand proudly.

"Huh?"

Completely lost, Mahad could only stand there with his mouth hanging open.

"—When it descends, a scorching storm will raze the land, and all life shall become ash! Answer my call—Obelisk the Tormentor!"

[Obelisk the Tormentor ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)] [DIVINE] [Divine-Beast/Effect] [ATK 4000/DEF 4000]

In a flash of lightning and thunder, the massive figure of Obelisk materialized behind Yugi, his overwhelming presence clashing head-on with Diabound behind Bakura.

"So, you really can summon a God, huh."

And yet, even with Obelisk now on the field, Bakura showed no sign of panic—it was as though he'd expected this outcome all along.

"If there's no challenge, the game wouldn't be any fun. Obelisk the Tormentor, huh? That just makes for the perfect meal—Diabound!"

Bakura summoned a second Diabound using his Duel Disk. The thin, twisted, snake-like monster instantly coiled around Obelisk's towering frame.

"Diabound's special ability—Possession! It binds to an opponent's monster, and the possessed monster's ATK is reduced by Diabound's own ATK!"

"Hmph, such a petty trick. A weak monster's effect… has no power against a God!"

Obelisk reached out and, using brute force, tore Diabound from his body, then hurled it onto the ground in front of Bakura.

"Counterattack, Obelisk! Feel the wrath of the divine!!"

With divine might channeled into his massive fist, Obelisk slammed it down onto the fallen Diabound.

"Aaaaaaahhhh!!"

The blow shattered Diabound's body with divine force. The resulting shockwave, impossible to describe in words, transferred directly into Bakura's spirit.

Seto, dumbfounded, witnessed such awe-inspiring power for the first time. He spoke with sincere reverence:

"So this… this is the power of the Egyptian Gods. The Pharaoh's strength. We're not even in the same league."

Even the combined strength of all six Millennium Item–wielding Priests couldn't so much as scratch Diabound. But Yugi's summoned Obelisk alone was enough to suppress two Diabounds.

"You're amazing, prince!"

Mana's eyes sparkled as she looked at the victorious Yugi with admiration.

But Simon cautiously warned:

"Don't let your guard down! The enemy still has one Diabound left!"

Though Obelisk seemed to have decisively turned the tide, Simon—the former High Priest who once served the previous Pharaoh—knew Diabound's secrets well.

And most importantly… if Bakura dared to invade the palace alone, he must have more tricks up his sleeve.

"So… divine power isn't so easy to consume after all. Still, I managed to absorb it."

Having his parasitic Diabound torn apart by Obelisk surprised even Bakura a bit.

"Truly impressive… If not for the generous gift from Kaiba, I might've fallen here today."

"Kaiba?"

Hoshino and Yugi asked in unison. They had no idea why Bakura would mention Kaiba at a time like this.

Yugi speculated:

"Could it be… Kaiba is here too?"

"The Ultimate Shadow Game wouldn't be complete without him. Of course Kaiba was invited as a special guest. But none of that matters now. The final step of this ultimate duel will be completed—right here!"

Laughing madly with his hand over his face, Bakura's expression twisted into full-on villainous insanity, leaving no trace of the handsome youth he once was.

"Hahahahahaha! Be afraid! Despair! Behold the power that surpasses even the Gods—Diabound, enhanced by the power of Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

From Diabound's snake-like mouth emerged the familiar dragon head of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. After a period of digestion and absorption, Diabound had now completely merged with the Blue-Eyes' power. Even if Kaiba's Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon were to appear again, it would now be completely outmatched.

[Diabound Kernel – 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' ATK 5000]

[This card is unaffected by your opponent's effects.]

"White Dragon?" Seto muttered, staring dumbfounded at the dragon head protruding from Diabound's mouth.

Priest Shada, wielder of the Millennium Key, clutched the sacred item tightly, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

"What terrifying evil... a bottomless force of malice. Even the Millennium Key can't gauge its power. This monster is far too dangerous, Pharaoh!"

"It's a little late for that now!" Without giving Yugi any time to react, Bakura launched his assault with lightning speed.

"—Now eat this! A Burst Gale Blast that surpasses even the gods—go!!"

A blast symbolizing destruction erupted from the dragon's mouth, striking directly at Obelisk the Tormentor under Yugi's control.

"I won't let you have your way that easily!"

With a flick of her fingers, Hoshino swiped a card across her Duel Disk. Though it was her first time using it, something deep inside told her this was the right way—just like when she summoned a Heroic Spirit.

"I'm counting on you—block that attack!"

Brandishing his holy sword, Saint George was summoned from the Duel Disk, standing protectively before Obelisk.

"You're all evil dragons... And do saints not get any time off, Master? Calling me twice in such a short span—don't you think that's a bit much?!"

"Twice? Look, I do feel a little guilty selling you out like this (well, not really), but even I wouldn't call you twice in one go!"

The tree wishes to be still, but the wind won't cease. Before Hoshino could even make sense of Saint George's complaints, the battlefield was consumed by the devastating blast—and the holy figure vanished without a trace.

Then came the spiritual backlash. Having shielded both Yugi and Obelisk from Diabound's enhanced Blue-Eyes attack, Hoshino felt—for the first time in this world—the true spiritual pain caused by a monster battle.

Yugi looked at her with concern and guilt. "Are you okay, Hoshino? I'm sorry, that was my carelessness."

Hoshino waved it off. "I'm fine. It's damage, yeah, but just a bit painful. Nothing serious."

Just a bit painful?

Bakura and the priests collectively froze. Anyone with eyes could tell—taking a direct hit from a Diabound infused with Blue-Eyes like that would've shattered an ordinary soul on the spot.

Yet to Hoshino, it was only a little painful. And she didn't even seem to be putting on a brave face. Just how monstrous was her soul?

In this kind of ancient Egyptian duel—where there are no Life Points and everything is determined by raw soul power—Hoshino, whose soul far exceeded any ordinary person's, had a natural advantage.

If soul energy could be converted to Life Points, the priests might have 4000 LP, the Pharaoh perhaps 8000 LP... but Hoshino? Probably something ridiculous like 99999 LP.

And it made sense. Without that much soul energy, she wouldn't be able to sustain any of her Heroic Spirits' Anti-World Noble Phantasms.

"You're the real monster here, Hoshino..." Bakura muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching. To him, Hoshino was still in her post-battle state after fighting Nitocris—and yet she could endure this?

"But Diabound, having absorbed the power of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, is invincible. Soon, it will also fully absorb the power it stole from Obelisk… My endlessly evolving Diabound cannot lose!"

"—Then it's my turn to counterattack, Bakura!"

Just as Bakura basked in his fantasy of invincibility, Hoshino summoned a new Heroic Spirit—already having formulated a strategy to defeat Diabound.

"Show them your resplendent beauty, the Eternal Rose Emperor of Rome—[Heroic Spirit – Nero Claudius]!"

[Heroic Spirit – Nero Claudius ★★★★★★ (Level 6)][FIRE][Warrior/Effect][ATK 2300 / DEF 1900]

Umu~!

With crimson rose petals fluttering through the palace, Nero stepped gracefully into the royal court, clad in her regal gown.

"To think that I, the great Nero, would one day set foot in the palace of an Egyptian Pharaoh—how wondrous! I shall call today's diary entry 'Nero's Bizarre Adventure!' Umu~!"

Her elegant form and perfectly timed petal entrance left Mana mesmerized. "So beautiful… I didn't know a Spirit Monster could be this beautiful…"

Bakura, however, scoffed in disdain. "Hmph. You think a weakling like that can stand against my Diabound? Don't make me laugh."

"Bakura, as your senpai in life—let me teach you a lesson!" Hoshino pointed at him dramatically. "Those who call other monsters weak usually end up eating their own words!"

"Hah?! You think I'm like that loser Kaiba?!"

Turning to take the Millennium Scales from Karim, Hoshino revealed a victorious grin. "You'll find out soon enough!"

"Millennium Scales?" Yugi's eyes narrowed in surprise. At first confused, he quickly caught on to Hoshino's plan. "Could it be… Hoshino, you're going to…"

Mimicking Karim's earlier fusion stance, Hoshino raised the Millennium Scales before her.

"—Millennium Scales! Use your body to weigh our souls! Transcend the boundary between Heroic Spirit and God—merge their powers and forge a path to victory!"

The sacred relic glowed with a gentle golden light. In the illusion hovering above the scales, Obelisk was placed on one side and Nero Claudius on the other. Through the artifact's mysterious power, the two vastly different souls began to balance as one.

"The Millennium Scales… are actually responding to that girl?" Karim gasped in disbelief. He never imagined that anyone other than the Pharaoh or the priests could use a Millennium Item.

"By the power of the Millennium Scales, I fuse Obelisk the Tormentor with Nero Claudius!"

A divine light enveloped Nero's crimson gown. Her former blade, Aestus Estus, vanished—replaced by brand-new divine armaments equipped on both arms. Behind her, Obelisk's towering silhouette stood like a guardian, a testament to the transfer of godly might.

"Now, go forth—surpass the Blue-Eyes, surpass the God Monsters, and shatter Diabound! Nero! —Fusion Summon: Saber Regalia Nero Claudius!"

[Saber Regalia Nero Claudius ★★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 11)][DIVINE][Divine-Beast/Fusion/Effect][ATK 5000 / DEF 5000]

[Nero Claudius + Obelisk the Tormentor]

(*****)

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