Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!-Chapter 318

"Is that so? In the end, I still couldn't defeat this man..."

Valon, his Psychic Helmet shattered by Jonouchi's headbutt, felt his consciousness begin to fade.

Like a slideshow of memories, his monotonous life of endless battles in the dark flashed before his eyes—followed by the faint light he glimpsed after meeting Mai, and finally, the surge of burning passion he experienced during his duel with Jonouchi.

"I guess... I'm still not satisfied... That last duel... If only I had met you sooner, Jonouchi..."

"Valon! Don't you dare fall so easily! Don't forget, this is a battle for the two of us!"

Rafael's furious shout jolted Valon from the brink of unconsciousness.

"—I activate the face-down Quick-Play Spell [Ring of Defense]! This card negates all damage from Trap effects, meaning the damage from Barrel Behind the Door is nullified!"

Originally brought along by Rafael to counter Kaiba's Ring of Destruction, even he hadn't expected it to be used in a situation like this.

Reawakened by Rafael's intervention, Valon's leg-mounted Armor kicked in, stabilizing his body and preventing him from collapsing.

"Thanks, Rafael! Looks like I get to enjoy this duel a little longer. Come on, Jonouchi!"

Not to be outdone, Yugi played his own card.

"Since this is a tag duel, I can't afford to fall behind! I activate the Continuous Trap [Call of the Haunted] to revive Lord of the Red from the graveyard! Go, Jonouchi!"

[Lord of the Red - ATK 2400]

Once more, Jonouchi's body was enveloped in the Lord of the Red, its searing flames radiating with newfound intensity.

"Thanks, Yugi!" He flexed his fiery arm plates and locked eyes with Valon. "Since Lord of the Red was revived during the Battle Phase, I can attack with it again! So, Valon, how's your armor holding up?"

Yugi blinked in surprise. "Jonouchi, since when did you start talking like that?"

"Mai! Open your eyes wide and witness the clash of our souls in this final moment!"

With a battle-hardened roar, Valon crouched slightly, adjusting his Armor into an offensive stance.

"This is the last piece of armor I have left on my field, meaning your attack can only target it!"

[Big Bang Blow - ATK 0]

Valon smirked bitterly. His Armor Deck, primarily composed of low-ATK pieces that were meant to be sacrificed after use, had never been fully depleted in a single duel cycle—until now.

"Battle—!"

Fist met leg armor in a powerful collision. Valon unleashed a spinning kick with remarkable precision, intercepting Lord of the Red's flaming punch.

"Heh, Big Bang Blow's effect activates! When this card is destroyed by battle, the battle damage is divided evenly between both players. That means this ends in a double KO, Jonouchi!"

Having anticipated this outcome, Valon smiled in relief.

"The Orichalcos ensures that when both players lose simultaneously, no souls are sealed. This is the best ending—because if your soul was taken, Mai would've been devastated."

[Big Bang Blow - Destroyed]

[Jonouchi LP: 600 → 0]

[Valon LP: 900 → 0]

Mai's tense heart finally eased, though her trembling lips could only manage a soft murmur.

"Valon... you..."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Valon."

Rafael shut his eyes, unwilling to witness what was about to happen.

"In a four-person duel, a double KO condition can't occur."

A sinking feeling washed over Valon as Rafael continued.

"We have no way out. To fulfill Doma's plan, we must seal the souls of the Legendary Duelists. This is Lord Dartz's command."

To eliminate any chance of failure, Dartz had ordered Valon and Rafael to fight as a team. The implication was clear—even if it cost the lives of Doma's own duelists, the mission had to succeed.

"Jonouchi—!"

As soon as Jonouchi's Life Points hit zero, the sealing ritual of the Orichalcos activated, dragging his soul into its barrier for eternity.

"This... can't be happening..."

Valon stared at his trembling hands as his vision darkened. His body collapsed onto the cold floor as his soul was extracted.

"Jonouchi!"

Mai rushed forward, catching Jonouchi's lifeless body just before it hit the ground.

Fortunately, Valon passed out before he could see it—spared from a fate worse than soul sealing itself.

"Ah, just in time for the grand finale~ Satisfied now, Hoshino?"

Dartz, still being dragged along by Hoshino, maintained his irritatingly smug tone, even as he watched the soul-sealing ritual unfold.

Jonouchi's lifeless body, now devoid of its soul, rested against Mai's tear-streaked cheek. His ice-cold hand instinctively reached up, wiping away her tears in his final moments of fading consciousness.

"Mai... you don't have to keep pushing yourself to fight. Even if you can't always win... there are still meaningful things in life..."

Completely ignoring the somber mood, Dartz scoffed.

"What a touching farewell. But let's be real—the world's ending anyway, so—ow! Hey!"

Hoshino flicked Dartz on the forehead.

"If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all!"

Dartz rubbed his sore head, pouting.

"I'm just stating the facts. Without the souls of the Legendary Duelists, you can't defeat the Orichalcos."

Suddenly, another dragon's roar echoed through the space.

This time, it wasn't just Kaiba's Fang of Critias—Yugi's Eye of Timaeus also responded. The twin cries reverberated through the air, piercing hearts and shaking souls.

But the most heartbreaking sight was Mai, clutching Jonouchi's lifeless body as tears streamed down her face, falling onto his cold hand.

Then—a new roar erupted.

This one was different.

It wasn't a cry of sorrow.

It was defiant. Unyielding.

A final, desperate cry of resistance.

The source of this roar?

Jonouchi's Claw of Hermos.

Mai gently took the glowing card from Jonouchi's hand.

The faint light radiating from it seemed to carry the unbreakable spirit of the Legendary Dragon—and the will of its chosen duelist, Jonouchi, who refused to surrender to darkness.

Wiping away her bitter tears, Mai followed the light's guidance—and hurled the card forward.

"This world can't end like this, Hoshino. I'm entrusting Jonouchi's spirit to you!"

From the Claw of Hermos, Mai could feel it—the last chance for this world.

A chance that existed only because the destined Duel King, absent from this timeline, had left this final opportunity behind.

"Legendary Dragon... Claw of Hermos..."

As Hoshino took the Legendary Dragon card from Mai's hand, her consciousness was instantly drawn into the world of Duel Monsters, where she found herself standing before the towering crystalline statues of the three Legendary Dragons.

"A nameless dragon... capable of awakening the hidden power within Duel Monster cards, transforming them into new forms to combat the Orichalcos..."

A voice echoed in her mind, conveying the essence of the Legendary Dragons and, more importantly, the method to unlock the hidden potential within the cards.

"I see now. I completely understand!" Hoshino's eyes lit up as she gazed up at the massive crystalline dragon statues. "This is your power!"

The Claw of Hermos—a dragon with the ability to fuse with monsters, awakening their latent forms through its legendary power, transforming them into ultimate Equip Cards.

"So I can fuse Heroic Spirit monsters into Equip Cards?" Hoshino mused. From this perspective, Claw of Hermos seemed like the most fitting Legendary Dragon for her.

After all, most Heroic Spirits had their own corresponding Noble Phantasms. If these Noble Phantasms—too vast in concept to be fully realized through Duel Monster mechanics—could be unlocked, they might manifest entirely new possibilities, capable of shaking the world itself.

Hoshino stroked her chin thoughtfully. "If the possibilities are limitless, maybe I can even create weapons that never existed before!"

Having twice witnessed Kaiba's Fang of Critias create completely new forms in battle, Hoshino was keenly aware of the Legendary Dragons' boundless potential. As long as her imagination was wild enough, there was nothing her opponents could do to stop her.

The only regret was...

"If only I hadn't obtained the Legendary Dragon's inheritance under these circumstances."

Returning to reality, Hoshino saw that the process of sealing souls within the barrier had been completed.

The massive green seal, originally encompassing the entire four-person duel, had now shrunk, enclosing only Yugi and Rafael.

Without hesitation, Rafael drew his next card.

"Pharaoh, your chance for a two-on-one advantage is gone. And thanks to Lord of the Red's effect, your field is completely empty!"

Activating the effect of Guardian Dreadscythe, Rafael discarded a card to Special Summon it from the Graveyard, equipping it with Reaper Scythe - Dreadscythe. With this, his field had become overwhelmingly dominant over Yugi's.

[Guardian Dreadscythe ATK 2500 → 8000]

"Even though Valon lost, the Armor Monsters in his Graveyard still power up my Reaper's Scythe! And now, I activate the Equip Spell [Twin Swords of Flashing Light - Tryce]! The equipped monster loses 500 ATK but gains the ability to attack twice during each Battle Phase!"

Rafael slid his final card into his Duel Disk and pointed forward.

"Pharaoh, you're not the only one who inherits the will of his allies! You will never defeat me!!"

The Reaper's Scythe cut through the air, unleashing a devastating soul-cleaving strike against Yugi's defenseless form.

[Yugi Muto LP 4000 → 0]

"Yugi... you..."

Watching Yugi's Life Points drop instantly to zero, Kaiba clenched his fists in frustration.

"How could you lose to this guy twice?!"

"No, Kaiba, it's not over yet!" Hoshino interrupted, her sharp gaze fixed on the battlefield.

If Yugi had truly lost, the barrier would have immediately begun to contract, sealing his soul. Yet, it remained unchanged.

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Lowering his head slightly, Yugi spoke with quiet determination.

"Rafael, I will not lose to you again—not for the sake of saving the world, but for the souls of my friends. I cannot afford to fail."

"—I activate the Trap Card [Relay Soul]!"

[Relay Soul - Trap Card Effect: Activate only when your Life Points reach 0. Special Summon 1 monster from your hand. You lose the Duel if the Special Summoned monster is destroyed.] (Anime Effect)

[Yugi LP: 0]

"Zero Life Points?! That's brutal!" Hoshino exclaimed, staring at Yugi's Duel Disk. "That's basically locking your Life Points at death's door!"

Dartz smirked. "It's meaningless. Rafael's monster can attack again thanks to its Equip Effect. With that much ATK, not even a god could survive the next hit."

Yugi, unfazed, continued.

"Due to Relay Soul's effect, I Special Summon—"

The monster that carried Yugi's final hope raised its gleaming sword, intercepting the reaping scythe with unwavering resolve.

"—I Special Summon [Obnoxious Celtic Guard] in Attack Position!"

For a monster often considered mere cannon fodder, the Obnoxious Celtic Guard stood firm, gripping its sword with unshakable determination. Though small in stature, it radiated the aura of an immovable warrior, refusing to yield even a single step.

[Obnoxious Celtic Guard ★★★★ (Level 4)][Earth][Warrior/Effect][ATK 1400/DEF 1200]

[Cannot be destroyed by battle with a monster that has 1900 or more ATK.]

"So that's his plan..."

Hoshino marveled once again at Yugi's strategic brilliance. Using Celtic Guard's battle immunity as the ultimate safeguard for Relay Soul, Rafael's Dreadscythe had now been rendered completely ineffective.

The real issue was that while Guardian Dreadscythe was an overwhelmingly powerful monster, it had a critical drawback—its controller could not Summon additional monsters while it was on the field. Without another way to attack, Rafael would never be able to break through Yugi's last line of defense.

"Dragging the duel into a war of attrition... Is that your strategy, Pharaoh?" Rafael's tone grew tense as he realized that Yugi had completely locked him out of victory.

"Turn end!"

"It won't last long..."

Drawing his next card, Yugi's expression shifted into a confident smile.

"In fact, this duel will end right now. I activate the Spell Card [Monster Reborn]! Return to me, my most loyal servant—[Dark Magician]!"

The holy light of revival enveloped Dark Magician, pulling it back from the Graveyard, where it had been sent by Red King's effect the previous turn.

"Next, I activate the effect of the [Eye of Timaeus]! By sending Dark Magician to the Graveyard as Fusion Material, I Special Summon a Fusion Monster that mentions Dark Magician by name!"

"What?! It's not a direct fusion with the Legendary Dragon?"

Even Hoshino, witnessing Yugi's Eye of Timaeus for the first time, was taken aback.

"This monster was born from the memories of my battles alongside Jonouchi!" Yugi declared, gripping his Fusion card tightly. "With the burning will of my dear friend, I will summon the strongest knight engulfed in black flames!"

Glancing solemnly at Jonouchi's unconscious body, Yugi's voice grew firm.

"I'm going, Jonouchi! This ultimate warrior, born from your strength, will carve the path to victory!"

"—Fusion Summon! [Dark Flare Knight]!

[Dark Flare Knight ★★★★★★ (Level 6)][DARK][Warrior/Fusion/Effect][ATK 2200/DEF 800]

[Dark Magician + Flame Swordsman]

A warrior clad in jet-black armor, its sword burning with crimson flames, emerged in a storm of magical energy—marking the beginning of Yugi's counterattack!

"The Dark Flare Knight, which normally requires Flame Swordsman as Fusion Material, can now be summoned directly thanks to Timaeus' power! Rafael, this is my final card!"

Hoshino blinked in disbelief, thinking she must have misread the situation. "A Fusion Monster using Dark Magician as material... and it's weaker than Dark Magician?"

"Attack, Dark Flare Knight! Black Flame Slash!!"

Yugi commanded, sending his Dark Flare Knight—with only 2200 ATK—charging headfirst into Rafael's Guardian Dreadscythe, which loomed over the battlefield with a staggering 7500 ATK.

Rafael scoffed. "A reckless move—what a waste of the Legendary Dragon's power!"

As the Reaper's Scythe cleaved through Dark Flare Knight, shattering it instantly, Rafael expected Yugi's defeat. However, despite Yugi's Life Points being at zero, they remained unchanged.

Hoshino twitched, staring at the Duel Disk in disbelief. "This is one heck of a stubborn lock! As long as Celtic Guard survives, taking damage doesn't even matter..."

But Yugi remained composed, arms crossed as the dissipating black flames swirled around him.

"No, Rafael, you've already lost."

At that moment, an overwhelming aura filled the battlefield.

[Dark Flare Knight Effect: When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon 1 Mirage Knight from your hand or Deck.]

Yugi raised his hand toward the sky.

"Come forth—the knight who stands at the pinnacle of all warriors! Special Summon from the Deck—[Mirage Knight]!"

[Mirage Knight ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][LIGHT][Warrior/Effect][ATK 2800/DEF 2000]

From the light emerged a radiant knight wielding a golden scythe, its brilliant armor standing in stark contrast to the darkness of Rafael's Guardian Dreadscythe. Within the barrier, the ultimate clash of light and darkness was about to begin.

Feeling the sheer intensity of the moment, Hoshino swallowed nervously—then instinctively pinched Dartz's cheek.

"Ow! If you're nervous, pinch your own face, not mine!"

Ignoring him, she turned her attention back to the battlefield.

Yugi extended his hand forward. "Battle, Rafael! This is the final duel!"

The Mirage Knight raised its gleaming weapon.

"Target Guardian Dreadscythe—strike it down!"

"Counterattack, Dreadscythe! Your opponent's monster doesn't even have half your attack power! Banish it to the void!"

The two scythes clashed, sending dazzling sparks scattering across the battlefield. Then—

A crisp sound echoed.

The unmistakable sound of metal shattering.

Rafael's eyes widened in shock. "Impossible...!"

Before him, the Reaper's Scythe had been completely destroyed, shattered into fragments by the sheer force of Mirage Knight's radiant blow.

"Special effect of Mirage Knight—during battle, this card's ATK becomes the sum of its original ATK and that of the opposing monster!"

[Mirage Knight ATK 2800 → 10,300]

Kaiba, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, eyes locked on the field.

"An attack power over 10,000...?"

Watching Yugi turn the duel around from zero Life Points to an overwhelming counterattack reignited Kaiba's competitive spirit.

"Rafael, this is the victory of the Knight of Light—the will of Jonouchi and me!"

With Guardian Dreadscythe obliterated and no remaining cards in Rafael's hand, he had lost the ability to revive it.

[Rafael LP 4000 → 1200]

Yugi pointed toward his final monster.

"End this duel, Celtic Guard!"

The Obnoxious Celtic Guard—once dismissed as a mere fodder card—dashed forward and slashed its sword across Rafael's chest.

"Aaaahhh!!!"

[Rafael LP 1200 → 0]

As Yugi stood victorious, faint tears shimmered in his eyes.

"I did it, Partner... Jonouchi... Did you see that?"

[Duel Over]

[Winners: Yugi Muto & Katsuya Jonouchi]

(*****)

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