Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!-Chapter 333

"It's finally over, right?!"

Kaiba kept his eyes locked on the shattered Leviathan, his expression tense—wary that Dartz might have one last desperate move hidden up his sleeve.

But just as Hoshino had said, the Leviathan did not resurrect or regenerate as before. The evil that had threatened this planet's existence had been vanquished, dissolved in the radiant light of the Holy Sword.

"To think that the Orichalcos was truly destroyed… As expected, even the Orichalcos God couldn't withstand an attack fueled by the will of the entire planet."

Though Shota Dartz had already foreseen this outcome the moment Arthur swung his sword, witnessing it firsthand still left him deeply shaken.

"Hoshino, that was so cool!"

Mokuba, unable to hold back any longer, jumped up and clung to Hoshino's arm, finally releasing the tension he had been carrying since the beginning.

Hoshino smiled, but her lips twitched slightly as she muttered with mixed emotions, "Of course, it had to be cool… That finishing move cost me 1,000 Saint Quartz to pull off."

Once "wealthy beyond measure," she now had only a pitiful 15 Saint Quartz left in her pockets.

"Ugh~ At most, I can only roll five more SSRs now~"

…Though even that was just wishful thinking.

As the space around them gradually faded away, a gentle illusion took shape before them. The figures of the Three Legendary Knights emerged before the group.

Timaeus: "Well done, all of you! With this, our ten-thousand-year grudge against the Orichalcos has finally come to an end."

Hermos: "Hoshino, you've truly given it your all. Not just as a descendant of Atlantis, but as a duelist—as a human—you have done your absolute best."

Critias: "That said… To think that, beyond our power, this planet held a force capable of gravely injuring and completely eradicating the Orichalcos God. A Wielder of the Holy Sword, huh? This world still holds many secrets… But those are no longer ours to uncover."

Realizing what this meant, Yugi's expression darkened. "Are you leaving?"

Timaeus smiled. "Yes. We've exhausted the last of our strength, and with our mission complete, we have no reason to remain or interfere in this world any longer. This is the best outcome for us."

Surprisingly, Kaiba set aside his pride and said, "Critias, thank you for your support. You've saved me multiple times at the most critical moments."

This rare show of gratitude was so unexpected that Hoshino couldn't help but think, Is the world ending?

Critias chuckled. "Kaiba, I've told you before—you are a man of true wisdom, and your intelligence will undoubtedly change this world. Even without my presence, you possess enough strength to stand on your own."

Hoshino hesitated before speaking. "Hermos… You're leaving too? You haven't even said goodbye to Jonouchi yet…"

After all, she wasn't the true wielder of Legendary Knight Hermos—she had only borrowed Jonouchi's power to help save the world.

Hermos shook his head. "This is enough. The fact that I failed to protect my original master is my own failing as a knight. If anything, I should be the one thanking you—for giving me one last chance to fight for the world. As a token of gratitude…"

Still in his phantom form, Hermos bowed politely, a gesture full of knightly grace. He reached out and touched the deck in Hoshino's duel disk, smiling gently.

"As thanks, I leave the power of the Nameless Dragon within your deck. As the last surviving heir of Atlantis, you will undoubtedly face many more difficult battles. I hope this small power can aid you, even if just a little."

"Hermos…" Hoshino was deeply moved. So this is what a true knight's grace feels like…

Timaeus and Critias nudged Hermos playfully with their elbows.

"You're always worrying too much, huh?" Timaeus smirked.

"Or is it that you just can't resist stopping for a girl?" Critias teased.

Hermos shrugged. "Even if I can't resist, it's time for us to go. We've fought for a long time—it's finally time to rest."

"—Thus, the Three Legendary Knights bid their eternal farewell. Chosen Duelists, may you never forget the courage, wisdom, and conviction engraved upon your souls!"

(***)

The Ritual Platform—Ruins of the Sacrificial Island

The golden sands and harsh sunlight of their surroundings faded, and instead of returning to the ruins of Atlantis, the group found themselves back at the very starting point—the ritual platform used for their duel.

With the Orichalcos God vanquished, the version of Atlantis created by its will had also disappeared. There was no longer any need to return.

Hoshino looked up at the sky, where Arthur's strike had shattered the ceiling. The once-massive Leviathan had faded, and the sky had returned to its original brilliant blue.

"Sigh… Is it finally over? It feels like I've been running around non-stop ever since I returned from the future. I haven't had a single moment to rest… I…"

She had been on the move for nearly an entire day and night since returning—and even in the future world, she had been engaged in high-intensity battles with no breaks at all. The overwhelming dizziness and exhaustion nearly caused her to collapse on the spot.

"I'm so hungry!"

"Oh no! Hoshino is back to her old habits!"

"This idiot…"

"Stop acting like everything ended perfectly just because of that!"

"?!"

Even in her fatigue, Hoshino's mind snapped back into full alertness.

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"Dartz!"

At some point, Dartz had appeared at the ritual platform. However, he looked even worse than Hoshino. His once-flowing white hair was now disheveled and covered in dust, and his haggard appearance no longer resembled the once-mighty hidden boss of Doma—the King who had lived for ten thousand years.

Shota Dartz clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Since the Orichalcos God was destroyed, all the sacrificed souls have been returned… I guess that means even you barely managed to survive."

"The souls… returned?!"

Rebecca, trembling with excitement, quickly pulled out the card that had sealed Yugi's soul. Just as she had hoped, the trapped image of Yugi had vanished from the card.

Yugi nodded. "Yes. I can feel it—my partner has returned to his body!"

Hoshino, however, sharply assessed Dartz's condition.

"Even if you survived, Dartz, you're nothing but a dying ember now."

Having been slashed by the Holy Sword alongside the Orichalcos God, Dartz had only survived due to unique circumstances. However, his complete erasure was only a matter of time—and not much time at that.

Dartz let out a dry, bitter laugh. "To think that I would end up like this… Defeated by a fellow Atlantean—the last one left in this world. I refuse to accept it! I, who have lived for ten thousand years, who have ruled the world from the shadows, was beaten by a mere girl like you?!"

"So you're just here to throw a tantrum, Dartz?"

Dark red blood dripped from his lips as his gaze burned with pure malice, locking onto Hoshino.

"I curse you! As the King of Atlantis, I condemn you for betraying our people—may you suffer the most vile and wicked of dark curses!"

True evil—the deepest darkness within the human heart. If all beings carried even a fragment of darkness, then Dartz's darkness was the abyss itself, strong enough to shake the very course of the world.

A deep and intense grudge, unlike anything she had ever felt before, emanated from Dartz, leaving Hoshino momentarily at a loss, unsure of how to respond.

"You bastard, even after falling to this state, you're still trying to pull something?!"

Standing protectively in front of Hoshino, Yugi and Kaiba assumed battle-ready stances, their eyes locked onto Dartz, who was teetering on the edge of complete mental collapse.

Shota Dartz's expression darkened. "That guy has already been consumed by darkness and fury, losing all reason. Even though the power of the Orichalcos has disappeared, if this kind of curse locks onto Hoshino..."

"Falling so low, yet still rambling about the betrayal of Atlantis? You're truly a disgrace to the title of King!"

A sealing barrier suddenly unfolded beneath Dartz's feet, and a deep, mature male voice rang out. The familiar, reassuring tone sent a wave of relief through Hoshino, reaching deep into her heart.

"I won't let you lay a single finger on my precious daughter, you bastard!"

A white-haired man in a tailored suit appeared out of nowhere, a cigarette dangling from his lips. The years had etched themselves onto his face, yet he exuded an air of unwavering strength.

"Ryuichi?!"

"Dad?!"

Both Shota Dartz and Hoshino exclaimed in astonishment.

"Yo~ My precious Chiyuki-chan! It's been, what, two months? I missed you like crazy~"

Turning to Hoshino, Ryuichi's expression shifted in an instant—like a sudden mask change in a traditional play—going from serious to utterly doting.

"Dad, why are you here…?"

Hoshino could hardly believe her eyes. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined their long-awaited reunion would happen under such circumstances.

Ryuichi grinned and ruffled Hoshino's soft, snowy-white hair. "Come on, it's a rare father-daughter reunion. Don't ask those headache-inducing questions. Let your old man take a good look at how much you've grown."

Then, his gaze drifted to Hoshino's chest.

His disappointment was entirely unmasked.

"As expected, still a bit lacking… Even with your mother's strong genes, you've completely failed to utilize them, huh~"

"Dad…"

Furious, Hoshino clenched her fist, inputted →↓↘+A, and unleashed a full-powered Shoryuken straight into Ryuichi's chin.

"You left your daughter stranded in another world for two months without a word, and now all you care about is borderline sexual harassment?! You're the worst!"

The others stood by, whispering among themselves in disbelief.

Mokuba: "Is this guy really Hoshino's father?"

Kaiba: "Since Hoshino admitted it herself, there's no doubt about it."

Rebecca: "He looks mature and dependable, but he actually seems surprisingly frivolous…"

Yugi: "Let's stay out of other people's family matters."

Honda: "This is way different from the emotional father-daughter reunion I imagined…"

Shota Dartz interrupted the comedic scene. "Ryuichi, since you're here in this world, does that mean everything over there is settled?"

"Oh, thanks to my hard work, everything's been wrapped up perfectly!" Casually flicking away his cigarette, Ryuichi's eyes grew serious again as he turned to face the deranged Dartz, now sealed within his barrier.

A bad feeling crept into Hoshino's heart. "Dad, what do you mean by 'everything over there is settled'? That sounds like…"

Ryuichi gave her a warm smile. "Well, when the president of such a big company suddenly resigns, there's a mountain of things to handle. Even though I started a month ago, I was working nonstop until just now to get everything in order."

"Eh?! Why did you resign, Dad?!"

"Relax, I've saved up plenty for you, Chiyuki. Even if you decide to be a shut-in for the rest of your life, you'll be completely set~"

"That's not the point! I'm asking why you—"

"Although I joked earlier that you haven't grown at all, the truth is, you've become an incredibly strong and reliable young woman, Chiyuki. If you keep clinging to your dad, your friends will laugh at you, you know?"

The look in Ryuichi's deep red eyes carried an emotion Hoshino couldn't quite decipher.

"To put it simply, we are nothing more than spirits who have wandered this world for thousands of years. Thanks to you and your friends, the only remaining Orichalcos darkness left in this world… is the tiny fragment in my hands."

The sealing power he used to trap Dartz was a residual remnant of the Orichalcos' power, preserved only because Ryuichi had been in another world when the Holy Sword cut down the Orichalcos God.

"So, as the former King of Atlantis—no, as your father—I can't just leave all the responsibility to my daughter, can I?"

Once again, the sealing energy expanded. Identical formations appeared beneath both Ryuichi and Shota Dartz.

"So the last thing I can do… is use this remaining power to erase the existence of 'Dartz' from this world completely."

Shota Dartz hesitated. "Are you really okay with this, Ryuichi? I've already made peace with it, but you're different. You started a new life… Are you truly ready?"

"I've lived for ten thousand years. There's no 'getting ready' left for me. Or rather, it's precisely because I got to enjoy a new life that I can leave without a single regret~"

The emotions in Ryuichi's gaze as he looked at Hoshino were complex—pride and sorrow interwoven in a way she couldn't yet understand.

"Dad, don't go! This is too selfish! I haven't even had time to prepare myself!"

Refusing to accept that their reunion was turning into a final farewell, Hoshino's trembling hands reached out to grab Ryuichi—but the barrier blocked her from getting any closer.

"Chiyuki, in my aimless years of existence, the only thing that truly gave me purpose was meeting your mother, witnessing your birth, and watching you grow. Those few short years were more precious than anything—they filled my empty soul completely~"

"Dad…"

"So now, your future is yours to decide, Chiyuki. Whether you return to the world you were born in or stay in this one—the world you fought to protect—both are equally valid choices, and they are yours to make with pride."

(*****)

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