"So… this is a Beast card? Da Vinci, are you saying you want to hand this card over to me?"
Hoshino carefully examined the unidentified card in her hand. Although there was no information on the card face that hinted at its nature, merely holding it caused an overwhelming pressure to creep along her fingertips.
"But I refuse!"
"Eh?" A huge look of confusion flashed across Da Vinci's small eyes. "Kotowaru? What's wrong, Hoshino-chan?"
"And you're asking what's wrong?"
Hoshino forcefully stuffed the card back into Da Vinci's arms and said cautiously, "This is a Beast card, you know? According to your explanation just now, it contains the power of Humanity's Evil, right? Keeping something this dangerous by my side—I wouldn't be able to sleep at night."
"No, no, no—don't be so rigid, Hoshino-chan!"
Da Vinci pulled the card back out, pried open Hoshino's fingers by force, and shoved the Beast card into her hand again, smiling with narrowed eyes.
"You should look at it from another angle. This card was exchanged for an unimaginable amount of Saint Quartz. It was originally your possession—how could you just refuse it? That's really strange, you know~"
"What's strange is your attitude right now, Da Vinci…" Hoshino narrowed her eyes. "This really looks like you're trying to dump a ticking time bomb on me because the card is too dangerous."
Neither of them was willing to give in. The two ended up pushing and shoving on the bed—back and forth, neither willing to accept the unidentified Beast card.
.
..
...
"Hah… Hoshino-chan, you're unexpectedly stubborn about certain things."
Collapsed on the bed, Da Vinci Lily gasped weakly for breath.
"You're the suspicious one, Da Vinci! You're way too eager to give me this card!"
Already exhausted—today's duel alone had drained her completely—Hoshino finally gave up resisting and lay down beside Da Vinci.
Da Vinci Lily slightly raised her eyes and glanced at Hoshino's refined side profile, revealing an unusually serious expression.
"Romani once told you, didn't he? That this world is destined to enter an age of destruction—and that, as we are now, we don't possess enough power to confront it. So before you truly face that crisis, Hoshino-chan, we need to accumulate as much strength as possible."
"You're saying… we'll need to use the power of a Beast?" Hoshino frowned. "But not every Evil of Humanity is as easy to communicate with as Fou or an Evil God."
She couldn't quite understand why Da Vinci—normally so cautious—would choose to rely on something so dangerous.
"It's not a matter of using it—it's something we must use," Da Vinci replied seriously. "The crisis Romani spoke of likely surpasses even the Beasts. Otherwise, he would've simply called it the threat of the 'Final Evil.'"
"Something more dangerous than a Beast… so we must rely on the power of a Beast…"
Humanity's Evil is, at its core, humanity's love itself—it does not seek to destroy mankind out of hatred.
Though called 'evil,' it can never be eradicated. As long as humanity exists, it will continue to be born—and humanity must overcome it.
"And this time… it's no longer about overcoming it—but about harnessing that malice."
Not merely befriending a single Beast, nor borrowing the power of one—but truly unifying the powers of I through VII, twisting evil entirely into love, and reversing a destined end of destruction into a future of continuation and hope.
Lying on the bed, Hoshino raised the card in her hand. The deep black emblem revealed nothing—no matter how brightly the Xyz Network's light shone through the window.
"So… which Beast is being nurtured inside this card?"
Da Vinci shook her small head.
"I've tried every method I could think of, but until it awakens, the Beast probably won't reveal its true form. For now, all we can do is wait—and hold onto hope~"
"Don't just steal the Count's lines like that."
"Oh, right—Hoshino-chan, besides the Beast card, I also have some good news for you~"
Though Da Vinci's Lily form looked youthful, when that Mona Lisa–like smile curled at her lips, Hoshino instantly sensed the familiar aura of a shady merchant.
She's definitely about to scam me.
"Now that we've identified the source preventing Saint Quartz from being issued, any Saint Quartz you earn through future duels will accumulate normally. So, to celebrate this historic moment, I've decided to open a special card pool just for you."
A new gacha pool, huh.
I knew it—she is trying to take my money.
Opening the gacha system she hadn't touched in ages, just as Da Vinci said, a brand-new banner appeared before Hoshino's eyes.
[Ultra-Special Selected Pool! XYZ Xyz Summoning – Specialized Heroic Spirits, Rate-Up Now Live!]
"Huh? Xyz Summon–specialized Heroic Spirits?" Hoshino said in genuine admiration. "The world's only had Xyz Summoning for less than half a day, and you already prepared a banner? That efficiency is insane!"
Wagging her finger smugly, Da Vinci Lily replied, "You've got the order wrong, Hoshino-chan. I prepared this pool long ago—just waiting for Xyz Summoning to descend so you could gain brand-new power the moment it did."
"But no matter how fast you open the pool, it's useless if I don't have any Quartz. I can't roll."
According to Da Vinci's earlier explanation, all of her Saint Quartz had been absorbed by the Beast as energy. If that was the case, getting it back was impossible.
Watching the pool helplessly— Hoshino could only sigh in regret, staring at the banner with an empty wallet.
"Hoshino-chan, your memory really is terrible. How could you possibly have no Saint Quartz?" Da Vinci's merchant grin widened as she leaned closer, completely unrestrained.
"Sure, the previous Quartz was all intercepted by the Beast—but didn't you just finish an absolutely incredible duel today?"
[Duelist Rank Evaluation Complete]
[Duelist Kagemaru – Overall Rank: EX]
[Victory Saint Quartz Reward: 200]
[Remaining Saint Quartz: 200]
"There really are Quartz!" Hoshino exclaimed. "And Kagemaru's EX rank?! This is a one-shot jackpot!"
As a duelist alone, Kagemaru definitely wouldn't qualify for an EX rating. But the system had factored in the power of the Three Sacred Beasts and the threat level they posed to Duel Spirits and the world itself—granting him a capped evaluation, just like Dartz back then.
"Now you've got Saint Quartz to roll the new banner, right?" Da Vinci teased. "Don't hesitate—go on, do it~"
Snuggling into Hoshino's arms, Da Vinci Lily gently stroked her smooth cheek with her fingertips, whispering temptations nonstop.
"That long-lost gacha thrill—of course you're going to roll everything in one go, right? There's no way Hoshino-chan would leave herself with more than three Saint Quartz~"
"Mm, that is a very tempting suggestion."
Swallowing reflexively, Hoshino couldn't deny it. With such a sudden windfall, even without a shady merchant whispering in her ear, she doubted she'd be able to restrain herself anyway.
Still, there was one thing she wanted to clarify first.
"This 'XYZ Xyz Summoning – Specialized Heroic Spirits'… who exactly does that refer to? It feels completely different from the usual banners."
Even though the cards pulled were Duel Monsters cards, judging by the system's past habits, the banner descriptions usually leaned toward FGO-style explanations. Which Heroic Spirits were on rate-up, which chapter they came from, the Round Table Knights, and so on—everything would normally be clearly listed.
But this time, the title 'XYZ Xyz Summoning – Specialized Heroic Spirits' was far too vague. There was no telling what she might pull at all.
"Obviously it means you can pull good stuff," Da Vinci replied with her trademark overly commercial smile, completely dodging the question. "Don't tell me you're worried I'd scam you, Hoshino-chan?"
Honestly? She kind of was.
Even in her Lily form, the essence of a black-hearted merchant was barely contained.
"Well, we'll probably find out after two ten-pulls," Hoshino muttered. "Besides, we've got plenty of Saint Quartz."
In the end, she lost to her own desires. Without caring what was actually in the pool, Hoshino boldly threw in her freshly acquired Saint Quartz.
Ten-pull summon—
.
..
...
Remaining Saint Quartz: 20
Staring at the pile of cards stacked in front of her, Hoshino fell into deep thought.
[Blue Black Key – Spell Card Effect:
All "Heroic Spirit" monsters on the field gain 500 ATK.] ×10
[Green Black Key – Spell Card Effect:
All "Heroic Spirit" monsters on the field gain 500 DEF.] ×12
[Red Black Key – Trap Card Effect:
All opponent's monsters lose ATK equal to (number of "Heroic Spirit" monsters you control ×300).] ×10
"Damn it—this is the Nine Black Keys, isn't it?!
I sunk hard this time!"
If you asked how the person involved felt—
regret.
"No wonder the drop rate felt so high! Filling the pool with cards this barebones—Da Vinci, you shady merchant, did you finally switch careers and become a straight-up scammer?!"
Normally, even if she pulled Craft Essences or spell/trap cards, at least they could still be used in duels. But these Black Keys? Hoshino really didn't want to stuff them into her deck.
The only card that seemed remotely useful was this one:
[Fragarach – Counter Trap
Activation Condition: Chain Link 3 or higher. Banish 3 cards from your GY to activate.
①: Negate the activation and effects of all cards currently in the Chain, then send them to the GY.
②: Until the end of the turn this card is activated, neither player can activate card effects.]
"You swindler! Give me back my Quartz!
What kind of 'XYZ-specialized banner' is this? There's nothing useful in it at all!"
Hoshino locked her arms around Da Vinci Lily's neck and shook her violently in protest.
Unwilling to admit her overwhelming low-tier luck, Hoshino could only pin the blame on the suspicious merchant who'd looked untrustworthy from the very start.
"Don't be so hasty, Hoshino-chan~" Da Vinci smiled sweetly. "Aren't there still 20 Saint Quartz left? Sure, it's not enough for a ten-pull—but you know what they say: single pulls create miracles~"
Not even planning to spare Hoshino's last 20 Quartz, the merchant launched yet another blatant cash-grab speech.
"Coach Anzai once said, 'If you give up, the game is truly over.' Gacha is the same! If you give up now, those 180 Saint Quartz you spent earlier will have been sacrificed for nothing!"
"Guh…" Deceived once again, Hoshino glanced at her remaining Quartz.
"You… kind of have a point. Maybe the earlier sinking was just laying the groundwork for a miracle single pull…" "I'll trust you one more time, Da Vinci!"
She repeatedly pressed Single Summon ×3 Saint Quartz, and the summoning light once again filled the room.
[Black Key +5]
[Remaining Saint Quartz: 5]
"(▽) Why did I listen to a shady merchant? I'm such an idiot."
"But~ isn't there still one last chance~?" Da Vinci chimed in cheerfully.
Please, just be human for once.
Do you really need to squeeze Hoshino completely dry to be satisfied?
"…Forget it. My bad luck is my own fault." "If I'm going to sink, I might as well sink properly."
Finally resigned, Hoshino self-destructively pressed the button for the final single pull.
And yet—miracles always happen when you least expect them.
Brilliant rainbow light burst forth, a dazzling summoning animation filling the room once more. Even Da Vinci couldn't hide her momentary look of disbelief.
"A rainbow circle—then it's guaranteed a 5-star! Looks like a real monster this time!"
Heart pounding, Hoshino waited for the result.
After spending 200 Saint Quartz, the single 'XYZ Xyz Summoning – Specialized Heroic Spirit' she finally pulled—what kind of powerful Heroic Spirit would it be?
"=w= Ufufufu! Appearing at the moment to rescue Master from the depths of gacha despair—that's what a true ace is supposed to do!
Five-star Super Heroic Spirit—the invincible Okita contestant, has arrived once again!"
Staring at the card depicting Okita Souji in a cherry-pink kimono, Hoshino blinked twice, then grabbed Da Vinci Lily beside her.
"Scammer, refund! I already have this one! This is false advertising!"
"This Okita isn't that Okita," Da Vinci reminded her with a grin. "Take a closer look, Hoshino-chan~"
"They're both Okita—what kind of difference could there possibly be?"
Turning her gaze back to the card, Hoshino was shocked to find that behind the familiar artwork, a completely new suffix had indeed been added.
[Heroic Spirit – Okita Soji Sakura Dance ★★★★★★★ (Level 7)]
[WIND] [Warrior/Effect] [ATK 2500/DEF 2000]
[①: You can discard 1 "Heroic Spirit" monster from your hand, except this card; Special Summon this card from your hand.]
[②: If this card is Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Heroic Spirit" monster from your hand. That monster becomes Level 7 and its effects are negated. After activating this effect, you cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck this turn, except "Heroic Spirit" monsters.]
Completely different from the original Okita, this XYZ Okita felt like she was born for Xyz Summoning itself—instantly placing two Level 7 monsters on the field and enabling a direct Rank 7 Xyz Summon.
"No wonder it's an XYZ-specialized Heroic Spirit… this effect is insanely convenient." "And most importantly—Okita, you finally don't brick my hand anymore!"