"—Due to the effect of Gilles de Rais, I Special Summon [Heroic Spirit – Gilles de Rais] from the Deck in Defense Position!"
[Heroic Spirit – Gilles de Rais ★★★★★ (Level 5)][DARK][Spellcaster/Effect][ATK 1500/DEF 1900]
"Oh, my Jeanne! The more brilliant one becomes, the deeper they should fall into depravity!"
[When this card is successfully Special Summoned, add 1 Fairy or Fiend monster from your Deck to your hand or send it to the Graveyard.]
"Thanks to Gilles de Rais, I choose to send the Fairy-type monster Arash from my Deck to the Graveyard!"
Hoshino Alter sent Arash from the Deck to the Graveyard. Though tempted to unleash a flashy "Stella!" moment, the destruction resistance granted by the Cyberdark Inferno Field Spell would likely negate its impact. Even if she launched Stella now, it would probably be in vain.
King pressed on with his assault: "So you summoned a monster as a shield? Then, Cyberdark Horn continues its attack—Cyber Impact!"
The pitch-black electronic light mercilessly devoured Gilles de Rais, who had been called forth as a shield.
"So… I, too, become one of the sacrifices..."
[Heroic Spirit – Gilles de Rais destroyed.]
"Cyberdark Horn's effect: When it destroys a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing damage!"
[Vivian LP: 675 → 175]
Commentator: "It's a hu-hu-huge crisis! King summoned his ace monster and shaved Vivian's Life Points right down to the wire! She's walking a tightrope now—one slip, and her Life Points, along with her life, could be gone!"
Clara clenched her fists. "Hang in there, Vivi! You absolutely can't fall here!"
"Clara-nee, if you keep doing this, I might fall over…"
Akasha, her expression increasingly pained, had her cheeks completely squished as Clara's stress ball.
"But now that Nee-chan's locked her LP and triggered the flag, it's time for a counterattack."
King glanced at Akasha and Clara in the audience and warned: "You should be urging her to surrender. This duel isn't child's play—if it keeps going, she might actually lose her life!"
Da Vinci's enhanced electric shock effects, while somewhat over-the-top, appeared painfully real. Each time Hoshino Alter's LP dropped, she seemed to be struck by actual lightning, causing the audience to break into cold sweat.
Akasha stuck out her tongue at King. "Pfft! Nee-chan will never lose, you baldy!"
"You tell him, Akasha!" Hoshino Alter, dropping her pained act entirely, stood tall amid the electricity as if nothing had happened. "I'm not weak enough to be taken down by some baldy. Let's keep going, King!"
King inserted his remaining two cards into his Duel Disk and declared solemnly, "Then let's see how you handle this—activate two Spell Cards: [Dian Keto the Cure Master]!"
[Dian Keto the Cure Master – Spell Card Effect: Recover 1000 LP.]
[King LP 1512 → 3512]
Two elderly women, glowing with overflowing holy light, materialized beside King. A balding man flanked by busty old ladies—this surreal yet oddly fitting image made Hoshino Alter twitch visibly.
"To carry two copies of this card... could this be his kink?"
King lowered his Duel Disk. "Due to the secondary effect of Extra-Foolish Burial activated this turn, I cannot Set any Spell or Trap cards. I end my turn."
[King's: 0 Hand Cards | 0 Set Cards]
"Possessing destruction immunity and the strongest monster, huh? Then I'll try this!"
Drawing her card for the turn, Hoshino Alter now had a well-stocked hand, thanks to King's Card of Sanctity from earlier.
"I activate the Spell Card [Heroic Spirit Forced Spirits Shift] from my hand! This can only be activated if there are 5 or more 'Heroic Spirit' monsters in the Graveyard!"
Hoshino Alter currently had Kiyohime, Jeanne, Jeanne Alter, Gilles de Rais, and Arash in her Graveyard—a total of five.
"Reveal up to 5 Alter monsters from your Deck, then send that many 'Heroic Spirit' monsters from your Deck to the Graveyard. Monsters sent by this effect cannot be Special Summoned or activate their effects."
Five cards were launched from the Deck to the Graveyard via the Duel Disk. Forced Spirit Shift's main use was to efficiently set up the Graveyard to meet the summoning conditions for Alter monsters in hand.
Even with the ideal setup, Hoshino Alter currently had only two Alter monsters in hand that could be summoned.
"Then, I activate the effects of [Heroic Spirit – Elizabeth Báthory Alter] and [Heroic Spirit – Kiyohime Alter] from my hand—banishing their corresponding monsters from the Graveyard to Special Summon them in Attack Position! And thanks to the Continuous Spell Source of Alter – 'Void', their ATK increases!"
She slammed the two cards onto the Duel Disk, and black flames erupted across the arena, pushing their way into the battlefield dominated by Cyberdark Dragon.
[Heroic Spirit – Elizabeth Báthory Alter ★★★★★★★ (Level 7)][DARK][Dragon/Effect][ATK 2000 → 2700 / DEF 1500]
"Want to hear my elegant singing voice? The price might be a bit steep—like your life."
[Heroic Spirit – Kiyohime Alter ★★★★★★ (Level 6)][DARK][Dragon/Effect][ATK 2000 → 2600 / DEF 1500]
"Love, love, love! A love burning like black flames—this time, no mere locked door will keep me out!"
Commentator: "Even under such intense pressure, Vivian refuses to give up, summoning two more monsters in quick succession! But even their power still can't match Cyberdark Dragon."
"I don't need to surpass Cyberdark Dragon—just Cyberdark Horn. Attack now—burn them with the flames of our twin black dragons!"
"—Jet-Black Blood Demon Maiden!!"
"—Black Dragon Cleave!!"
Elizabeth Alter and Kiyohime Alter launched a coordinated assault on Cyberdark Horn. Even though the first destruction was avoided using its equipped monster, the host monster itself—Cyberdark Horn—was finally obliterated under Hoshino Alter's offensive.
[Cyberdark Horn destroyed]
[King LP 3512 → 1412]
Though King's shock device was broken, the sheer force of the dark assault left him visibly shaken.
"Ugh... using Cyberdark Horn as the breakthrough point, huh... If not for my goddesses healing me last turn, I might've been finished..."
He really sees those aunties as goddesses? Maybe in King's eyes, that card is as important as Kuriboh is to Yugi.
"But now, your last chance at victory has slipped away. With more monsters in the Graveyard, Cyberdark Dragon gains an additional 100 ATK for each. On my next turn, my strongest Cyberdark monster will end this duel!"
[Cyberdark Dragon ATK 5100 → 5300]
"Oh? Sore wa dō kana?"
Hoshino raised a confident smile. "Everything is going just according to plan. After destroying Cyberdark Horn, I activate my set Trap Card — [Heroic Spirit Battle – Light vs Dark]!"
[Heroic Spirit Battle – Light vs Dark | Trap Card Effect
Activate only if you control a LIGHT or DARK Attribute "Heroic Spirit" monster. Apply the following effect depending on the Attribute:
DARK: If a DARK monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle, at the end of the Battle Phase: You can Special Summon all those destroyed monsters to your field.]
"DARK Attribute effect! The destroyed Cyberdark Horn is Special Summoned to my field in Defense Position!"
[Cyberdark Horn DEF: 800]
[Cyberdark Dragon ATK 5300 → 5200]
The mechanical horn that had just been annihilated by Kiyohime and Elizabeth is now forcibly revived on Hoshino Alter's field at the end of the Battle Phase.
Commentator: "Hard to grasp this move... Even if she went through the trouble to steal King's monster, it's just an empty shell with no attack power. What is Vivian aiming for?"
Clara scratched her head and asked Keith beside her, "Howard, if Vivi summoned a Cyberdark monster, couldn't she equip it with Dragon monsters from the Graveyard like her opponent?"
Keith shook his head. "Cyberdark Horn only gains that equip effect when Normal Summoned. Since it was Special Summoned, it really is just a powerless husk."
"I set 1 card face-down and end my turn~"
At the end of her turn, Hoshino had only one set card in her back row, along with the Continuous Spell, Alter's Source: 'Void'.
"My turn, draw!" As King began his turn, he made one last attempt to persuade her. "I'll warn you one final time…"
Hoshino snapped, "Cut the crap! I'll never surrender. And honestly, you're the one who should be giving up!"
Akasha rubbed her chin. "This bald guy… might actually be kinda decent."
9527 explained, "Of King's four straight wins, only one opponent actually died. The other three surrendered because of the overwhelming difference in power."
He had mentioned before: in this underground duel arena, no one gives up unless all hope is gone. Even Leon had fought on until the bitter end.
But that doesn't mean duelists are suicidal. If winning is impossible, even if it costs them all their money or brings trouble to their families, life comes first.
"To snuff out a talented youth like you is truly a pity. However..."
A flicker of regret appeared in King's eyes, but he pressed forward. "If you're not just a fool blinded by pride, but truly possess power that surpasses mine — then prove it, right now!"
A fusion of black and white electronic energy surged once again through the massive Cyberdark Dragon.
"Attack! Cyber Dark Ultimate Blast!"
"I've been waiting for this! Now, with the power to forge a machine beyond gods and demons — I activate the Quick-Play Spell, [Flash Fusion]!"
The only set card in Hoshino's back row burst with fusion light, drawing in Elizabeth Alter and Cyberdark Horn.
"Using Elizabeth Alter and Cyberdark Horn as Fusion Materials, I Fusion Summon—come forth, strongest mech girl of the iron skies! — Mecha Eli-chan!"
Her entire body transformed by machine power, the ultimate weapon of infinite destruction emerged on Hoshino's field. A Heroic Spirit reborn as a divine guardian — AlterEgo Mecha Eli-chan!
[AlterEgo Mecha Eli-chan ★★★★★★★★★ (Level 9)]
[LIGHT][Machine/Fusion/Effect]
[ATK 3000 → 3900 / DEF 3000]
["Elizabeth" monster + 1 Machine monster
This card's name is also treated as "Heroic Spirit".]
King's eyes widened in disbelief. "You used my Cyberdark Horn as Fusion Material?! So that was your plan all along?! Unorthodox and creative, I admit… but it still won't be enough against Cyberdark Dragon!"
The charged Cyber Blast — the embodiment of pure destruction — launched from both Cyber End Dragon and Cyberdark Dragon, targeting Hoshino's field.
"The one who's not enough... is your dragon! Mecha Eli-chan, Mode Shift — activate effect!"
[①: When this card is Fusion Summoned: You can equip any number of Dragon monsters from your hand, field, or GY to this card as Equip Spells.]
"Don't forget — thanks to your Continuous Trap Rebirth Judgment, all monsters in both Graveyards are treated as Dragons! That means I can equip Heroic Spirit – Kiyohime Alter, and every single monster in my Graveyard to Mecha Eli-chan!"
Equipping Kiyohime Alter from the field shields her from being targeted as a weak point. Equipping Graveyard monsters maximizes Eli-chan's destructive force.
"This is the ultimate mech born from Cyber tech — and it surpasses it! Go, Eli-chan!"
"Alright! Leave it to me, pilot!"
Infused with the souls of dragons, AlterEgo Mecha Eli-chan grew even more colossal.
"—— Final Combat System online! Dragon Soul Ignition! Mode Change: Elizabeth Particle Spread! Power beyond gods — Mecha Eli-chan: Super Mode!"
[②: This card gains 1000 ATK for each equipped monster via its effect.]
Hoshino pulled out her Graveyard monsters and filled her back row.
"Mecha Eli-chan has 4 Dragon monsters equipped — ATK +4000!"
[AlterEgo Mecha Eli-chan ATK 3900 → 7900]
In Super Mode, Mecha Eli-chan's towering form rivaled the combined mass of Cyberdark Dragon and Cyber End Dragon.
Commentator: "Unbelievable! 7900 attack points! A battle between giant mechs — it looks like they'll tear the entire arena apart!"
"It's time to strike back — Mecha Eli-chan, Super Mode! Blow away that so-called Ultimate Blast with our full-power photon energy!"
As Hoshino commanded, Eli-chan's joints deployed a full arsenal, and her glowing eyes locked onto the enemy target.
"Command received, pilot! Releasing... Skirt Flames! Charm Beam! Sonic Bath! Dragon Lungs Engaged — Iron Sky Mecha Girl!!"
Explosions and lasers clashed with the Cyber Ultimate Blast, the collision shaking the entire arena.
Even at the brink, King resisted: "Cyberdark Dragon still stands! I activate the Quick-Play Spell I just drew — [Concentrating Current]! Cyberdark Dragon gains DEF as ATK until the end of the turn!"
"This is already the final showdown! No more cheap tricks — Mecha Eli-chan, Rocket Punch — launch!"
[③: Once per turn, when the opponent activates a Spell/Trap/Monster effect: Send one equipped card to the GY; negate and destroy that activation.]
"—— Rocket Punch!!"
Eli-chan's iron fist detached with a fiery trail and smashed into the Concentrating Current card in King's hand, shattering it and nullifying its effect.
[AlterEgo Mecha Eli-chan ATK 7900 → 6900]
"We lost a bit of power, but it's still enough to destroy your dragon! Take this, Baldy — the ultimate destruction that pierces the Cyberdark!"
Fire. Missiles. Lasers. A triple onslaught overwhelmed the Armored Black Dragon, tearing its massive body apart in a dazzling explosion.
"Total victory, pilot! Eli-chan is the strongest robot!"
[King LP 1412 → 0]
[Duel Over. Winner: Vivian.]
(*****)
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