[Elemental HERO Nova Master] destroyed.
"The effect of Okita Souji: Ikedaya Incident! I'll inflict damage to you equal to the 2100 DEF of the Elemental HERO Nova Master that was sent to the Graveyard!"
A series of razor-sharp sword winds tore through the battlefield. After cutting down Nova Master, the slashing gusts continued onward, passing straight through Supreme King Jaden and Yubel.
[Supreme King & Yubel LP 6100 → 4000]
"It's not over yet! My Battle Phase isn't over!"
After Nova Master was destroyed, the only monster remaining on Yubel and the Supreme King's field was Yubel, with 0 ATK.
Normally, attacking it directly would not only fail to destroy it by battle, but would also result in reflected damage.
However, Tamamo-no-Mae currently on Hoshino's field had no need to worry about that.
"Because of the effect of the Trap Card Doble Passe, Tamamo-no-Mae can attack directly this turn!"
Excited, Tamamo-no-Mae controlled the enormous blue mecha. It leaped over Yubel's head, took aim at the Duelists in the back row, and unleashed its full firepower.
"This time, there's absolutely no way I'm going to miss! Unleash all your firepower… and this cup too! I'm returning it to you guys as well!!"
The irritable Tamamo launched the Forbidden Chalice together with the mecha's bombardment, directly attacking Yubel with 0 ATK and widening the gap between their Life Points even further.
[Supreme King & Yubel LP 4000 → 1100]
"On Headmistress's second turn, she's already suppressed Jaden and the others down to just one thousand Life Points! That's way too strong!" Minazuki exclaimed excitedly.
"Even the last time she Dueled the Supreme King, they could still be considered evenly matched. How did this…"
Alexis recalled their previous Duel, her expression filled with confusion.
["…"]
However, the truth was that the person who originally Dueled Supreme King Jaden had not been Hoshino.
More precisely, it had been Hoshino Alter.
At the time, although the Supreme King had interrupted Jaden's Duel, the overwhelming power of the Evil HEROes and Super Polymerization had still pushed Hoshino Alter into a desperate situation.
If Super Polymerization had not destroyed the Supreme King's field at the very end and allowed Hoshino to awaken, the situation would never have been completely reversed in an instant.
Therefore, this time, when they were truly facing Hoshino from the very beginning, the combined forces of Supreme King Jaden and Yubel were completely suppressed from the opening.
["Aibo, when did you become this strong? It feels like the gap between us is getting bigger and bigger."]
"You're talking about the gap? That's been there since seven years ago, hasn't it? It's just that…"
Hoshino lightly clenched her fist and looked toward the Deck in her Duel Disk.
"I guess you could say that my recent Duels have broadened my horizons — or perhaps raised my level?"
After repeatedly crossing the boundary between life and death, Hoshino had undergone the trials of battle in her Duels against the Nine Kings. Through experiencing battles with the strongest Duelists of another dimension, she had unknowingly succeeded in breaking through the realm belonging to Duelists of the "Fusion Dimension."
"I just feel that lately, whenever I Duel, the scenery I see is completely different from before. Perhaps the current me can see many possibilities that I could never have anticipated in the past."
["So it's an improvement in your realm? That's certainly a very idealistic theory. But Aibo, if you can become even stronger, then of course that's a good thing. It'll also give you more confidence when you Duel against Jormungandr!"]
"Jormungandr, huh… I don't really have time to worry about that much right now. After all, winning this Duel and knocking some sense into Jaden is the most important thing!"
After the direct attack, Hoshino chose to end the Battle Phase and entered Main Phase 2.
"I'll transcend this despair through infinite Overlay! I overlay the Rank 5 Xyz Monster Oda Nobunaga: Tenka Fubu onto Okita Souji: Ikedaya Incident to Xyz Summon!"
Because of the effect of Heroic Spirit – Jeanne d'Arc: Saint Maiden, Nobunaga had been returned from the Graveyard to the Extra Deck, allowing her to once again be Xyz Summoned from the Extra Deck through an Overlay.
[Heroic Spirit – Oda Nobunaga: Tenka Fubu ☆☆☆☆☆ (Rank 5)][FIRE][Warrior/Xyz/Effect][ATK 3000/DEF 2500]
[This card can also be Xyz Summoned by overlaying it on a Rank 5 "Okita Souji" monster you control.]
For the second time, the swordswoman's violent gale became the smoke of arquebuses. Because of Super Polymerization, Xyz Nobunaga had been forced off the field after only a second — but now she had returned to the battlefield once more.
"This is really pissing me off! Fool me twice, shame on me — but there won't be a third time! This time, I absolutely must show off the dignity of the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven!"
Nobunaga's aura surged dramatically. She pulled the brim of her hat down as far as possible, concealing her furious eyes.
"Wherever I go, all shall become the infinite hell that destroys the Ten Realms! Receive the Demon King's wrath!"
Countless matchlock guns floated in the sky, engulfed in flames and ready to fire. Under Nobunaga's magical control, their barrels collectively locked onto Yubel.
"Activate the effect of Heroic Spirit – Oda Nobunaga: Tenka Fubu—"
[Once per turn: You can target 1 card on your opponent's field; that card is placed underneath this card as an Xyz Material.]
Hoshino selected Yubel as the target for the Overlay. Clearly, she intended to use Xyz Nobunaga's effect to deal with Yubel, a monster that could not be destroyed by battle and would reflect damage back at the attacker.
Yubel opened a Set Card with a swipe of her claw and declared her counterattack:
"You're not getting your way that easily! Trap Card activated — Nightmare Archfiends!"
[Nightmare Archfiends – Trap Card Effect: Tribute 1 monster; Special Summon 3 "Nightmare Archfiend Tokens" (Fiend-Type/DARK/Level 6/ATK 2000/DEF 2000) to your opponent's field in Attack Position. Each time 1 is destroyed, its controller takes 800 damage.]
Three thousand matchlock guns fired simultaneously, unleashing a massive barrage. But Yubel acted one step ahead, releasing herself through the light of the Tribute, engulfing herself in the darkness of a nightmare before her figure silently disappeared.
"Before Yubel on my field can be overlaid and become Xyz Material, I'll Tribute her with my Trap Card first! That means the target of the effect you selected no longer exists!"
"Tch!"
The Demon King's bombardment of three thousand matchlock guns fired into empty space. Nobunaga clicked her tongue in annoyance.
Akasha analyzed the situation:
"She deliberately Tributed the monster on her own field so that it couldn't be overlaid as Xyz Material? I suppose this can only be considered an emergency measure. After all, if Yubel were overlaid by the effect of Xyz Nobunaga and placed underneath the card as Xyz Material, that monster wouldn't even be able to enter the Graveyard."
"Next is the effect of Nightmare Archfiends. I can Special Summon three Nightmare Archfiend Tokens to your field. Such powerful monsters — please accept them with gratitude~"
[Nightmare Archfiend Tokens ★★★★★★ (Level 6)][DARK][Fiend/Token][ATK 2000/DEF 2000]
Ugly nightmare creatures crawled into existence on Hoshino's field, filling up the remaining three Monster Zones on her Duel Disk.
["As expected, we can't expect every nightmare to be as easy on the eyes as Merlin. Still, 2000 ATK is better than nothing."]
Glancing at the empty field on the Duel Disk attached to her arm, now completely filled with Token monsters, Hoshino said:
"Are you trying to lock me out of summoning my other monsters this way? I have to admit, that's pretty troublesome."
Hoshino had not yet used her Normal Summon for this turn.
But if her field was filled with Tokens, then unless Hoshino had a monster in her hand that could be Tribute Summoned by releasing monsters as Tributes, she could no longer Normal Summon any more monsters.
Unfortunately, Tokens could not be used to construct an Overlay Network for an Xyz Summon.
Otherwise, she could simply overlay these three Level 6 Nightmare Archfiend Tokens into a single Rank 6 Xyz Monster, which would be absolutely wonderful.
"I'll Set one card, then end my turn."
[Hoshino: 2 Hand Cards | 1 Set Card]
"The moment you end your turn, I activate a Trap Card."
During the End Phase, Yubel flipped up the final Set Card beneath her feet.
"— Trap Card, Limit Reverse!"
[Limit Reverse – Trap Card Effect: Target 1 monster with 1000 or less ATK in your GY; Special Summon it in Attack Position. If the target is changed to Defense Position, destroy it and this card. When this card leaves the field, destroy the target. When the target is destroyed, destroy this card.]
"Let me guess, Yubel."
Hoshino said sarcastically, having predicted Yubel's play.
"I choose a monster in my Graveyard with 1000 or less ATK…"
Taking a card from the bizarre Duel Disk, Yubel gave a smile.
"Of course, it's myself. I Special Summon it to the field."
[Yubel ATK: 0]
Although Yubel itself was a Level 10 high-level monster, its 0 ATK satisfied the condition of Limit Reverse, which could revive a monster with 1000 or less ATK.
Looking at Yubel, revived and standing on the field once again, Hoshino understood.
"I knew it. You were willing to Tribute yourself rather than let yourself become Xyz Material because you had prepared a Trap Card to revive yourself."
"My turn. Draw!"
After remaining silent for a long time, Supreme King Jaden finally began his turn again. After drawing a card, he didn't even bother to look at it.
The Supreme King calmly analyzed the situation.
"Just as I suspected. The difference in strength between the Hoshino Chiyuki who Dueled me last time and you yourself is truly enormous."
["(ノдヽ) Even Jaden figured it out. This is so embarrassing."]
"A huge difference in strength from the real her? What is Jaden talking about?" Alexis, whose head was filled with question marks, asked curiously.
"The way he's putting it makes it sound as though there are two different senpais. How could something like that possibly exist?"
Akasha, however, seemed to understand what was going on. She guiltily turned her eyes away.
Hoshino threatened him:
"If you've realized the difference in strength, it's still not too late to surrender. At most, I'll give you one punch, and then we can pretend none of this ever happened."
"There is no such thing as surrender in the Supreme King's dictionary. And precisely because I have enough resolve to recognize the immense power possessed by you, Hoshino Chiyuki, I am standing here with Yubel to settle things with you once and for all!"
As Supreme King Jaden officially began his turn, he slammed the Elemental HERO Stratos card that had been returned to his hand by Fusion Recycling Plant onto his Duel Disk, Normal Summoning it.
[Elemental HERO Stratos ATK 1800]
"Because of Stratos's effect, I can choose one 'HERO' monster from my Deck and add it to my hand!"
"You're searching for another HERO monster? This time, will it be an Elemental HERO, or an Evil HERO, which you're more familiar with?"
Although Stratos himself was an Elemental HERO monster, the "HERO" monster that his effect could search had no restriction based on its prefix.
Therefore, whether it was an Elemental HERO, an Evil HERO, or even the Destiny HERO monsters used by Aster, Stratos could search for them.
Flipping over the searched card in his hand, the Supreme King revealed it.
"The 'HERO' monster I'm adding to my hand is Elemental HERO Neos."
"Neos!" Minazuki protested.
"You're the Supreme King, yet you're planning to use Jaden's ace monster? That's shameless!"
Hoshino Alter excitedly joined in.
["Exactly! It's just as shameless as you using my Alter monsters, Aibo! Show me at least a little respect!"]
However, Supreme King Jaden, who had chosen to add Neos to his hand, showed no intention of actually using the card.
Whether by Summoning it or using it for a Fusion Summon, the Supreme King made no further move.
Hoshino urged him on.
"Why did you stop again? Do you even want to Duel? Show me the power of Neos's infinite possibilities, just like Jaden would!"
"Possibilities and all that are no longer necessary. Let this Duel end here."
Supreme King Jaden responded coldly:
"Do it, Yubel… I change the monster on my field, Yubel, to Defense Position."
[Yubel DEF: 0]
Akasha stared in disbelief.
"You changed Yubel to Defense Position? Why?!"
Minazuki was equally confused by the move.
"If you put Yubel into Defense Position, doesn't that mean the Supreme King can't use Yubel to deliberately crash into an opponent's monster and reflect the damage anymore?"
"Idiot, Minazuki! It's not simply a matter of being unable to attack!"
Akasha knocked Minazuki on the head and pointed out:
"That Yubel was revived by the Trap Card Limit Reverse!"
A monster revived by Limit Reverse cannot be changed to Defense Position. If it is forcibly changed to Defense Position, the revived monster is immediately destroyed.
Crack—!
As expected, the virtual image shattered with a sharp sound.
The Yubel whose battle position Supreme King Jaden had changed was directly destroyed, disappearing from the battlefield.
[Yubel] destroyed.
Hoshino widened her eyes, staring intently at the virtual image of Yubel as it shattered and fell like broken tempered glass.
Unable to understand, she asked:
"What are you planning to do?"
"Yubel's effect! When this card is destroyed by the effect of another card, I can activate its effect!"
The Supreme King waved his hand and activated the effect.
The shattered virtual image that had been falling through the air suddenly stopped in midair.
Then, it began to reassemble.
"Show your power, Hatred, and evolve, Yubel! When this card is destroyed, I can Special Summon 'Yubel – Terror Incarnate' from my Deck!"
The reassembled virtual image appeared once again on Supreme King Jaden's field — a terrifying monster even larger than Yubel.
[Yubel – Terror Incarnate ★★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 11)][DARK][Fiend/Effect][ATK: 0/DEF: 0]
[This card cannot be Normal Summoned. It can only be Special Summoned by the effect of "Yubel".]
It was one level higher than Yubel's original Level 10.
The evolved Yubel – Terror Incarnate possessed the terrifying appearance of a two-headed dragon. But what sent an even greater chill down one's spine was the single eye rotating within its chest, as though it could see through everything.
"This is Yubel's evolved form, the one that will bring an end to the universe — and to this Duel."