Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!-Chapter 376

"This will be the finishing blow! Ozymandias, with his ATK boosted by Nero Alter's effect, will strike down Okita Illya! Since her effect doubles battle damage, you'll take 2000 points of damage!"

[Hoshino LP: 1900]

"Trying to force a kill? Go ahead and try!"

Hoshino forced a smile. Facing White Hoshino, who was poised to launch her finishing move, she refused to show any signs of backing down.

"Acting tough won't work on me. You're cute, sure, but your acting skills could use some work~"

White Hoshino shrugged—managing, somehow, to compliment herself in the process.

"That Set card of yours can only be the Phantasm Summoning from earlier. In this situation, there's no way it can stop Ozymandias's attack!"

Unaffected by Hoshino's provocation, White Hoshino continued her Battle Phase, issuing her command to attack.

"Witness the might of the Pharaoh! Bow before my radiance, for what you see is the brilliance of my sun!"

Floating above the Ramesseum, Ozymandias shone like a true celestial sun. In his hand, an enormous column of searing light condensed, gathering immense energy before crashing down toward Hoshino's field.

"Burn to ashes beneath my sun's radiance! Hahahaha!"

"Man, your yapping are getting way too long…"

Hoshino sighed. Ozymandias had always been a talkative one, but this time, he was clearly going out of his way to be dramatic.

"Naturally! How could I possibly hold back from displaying my grandeur in front of Set?"

"Set...? Oh! You mean Kaiba!"

Hoshino clapped her hands together in realization. She glanced at Kaiba, who stood with his arms crossed, watching the duel intently.

Now that she thought about it, Ozymandias had claimed that Kaiba resembled Set. No wonder he was trying so hard to show off.

"Too bad for you, Ozy. You won't be impressing anyone today—especially Kaiba."

With a smirk, Hoshino's fingers slid across her Duel Disk, activating a card from her Graveyard.

"Because this battle... is Illya's victory!"

"What?!"

Both White Hoshino and Ozymandias widened their eyes in shock.

Just when they expected Okita Illya to be obliterated by the sun's radiance, she was nowhere to be found in the impact zone. The light dissipated, revealing that Hoshino's field remained unchanged—Okita Illya stood there, completely unharmed.

"One step beyond sound—"

"Two steps into the void—"

A green blur flickered in midair, evading the sun's wrath with superhuman agility. Okita Illya danced across the battlefield, her bare feet stepping lightly upon the very air itself. In her hand, her sword gleamed with cold determination.

"Impossible! My sun's light has no blind spots! How could she dodge it?!"

"I activate the effect of the Quick-Play Spell Wolves of Mibu from my Graveyard!"

[Wolves of Mibu – Quick-Play Spell Effect: Target 1 "Heroic Spirit" monster you control; it gains 1000 ATK until the end of this turn. You can banish this card from your GY; the targeted monster gains 1000 ATK until the end of the turn. This effect can be activated during your opponent's turn.]

The decisive strike had been lying in wait in Hoshino's Graveyard all along. Initially, she hadn't been able to use it while Illya was in her Prisma Magical Girl form, since that version of her was unaffected by card effects.

But this time was different!

[Okita Illya ATK: 2000 → 3000]

"Looks like you miscalculated, Impostor! Your final move—stacked with all those buffs—just got overturned by a sword that transcends space itself!"

Hoshino drew Wolves of Mibu from her Graveyard, its green card frame gleaming like a blade slicing through the fiery storm.

"And as long as I control another monster, Okita Illya cannot be destroyed by battle! This is a continuous effect, which means it isn't negated by the Ramesseum's restrictions. In this clash of equal ATK values, the one being destroyed is—Ozy!"

Okita Illya's frame vanished in an instant, only to reappear before Ozymandias. Three blinding slashes struck his chest simultaneously.

"—Three Steps Severing Blade! Mumyou Sandan-zuki!!"

"Damn it… To lose like this… Master, you really don't show any mercy!"

[Ozymandias Destroyed]

After landing her finishing blow, Okita Illya gracefully touched down, flashing a V-sign toward Hoshino.

"Illya's big victory! Fuwah—!"

Hoshino sighed. "Why are you acting like that was a perfect win? You still took a ton of damage!"

White Hoshino's brow twitched as she watched Ozymandias collapse.

"Didn't expect you to turn that around… but it ends here!"

She swiftly pulled her final card from her hand and slammed it onto her Duel Disk.

"Since Ozymandias was destroyed, I activate my Quick-Play Spell—Encounter in the Dark Night!"

[Encounter in the Dark Night – Quick-Play Spell Effect: If a "Heroic Spirit" monster you control is destroyed: You can activate 1 of these effects;

● Send 1 "Alter" monster you control to the GY; add 2 different "Alter" cards from your Deck to your hand.]

"This is my choice! I send Nero Alter from my field to the Graveyard as cost—which triggers Nero Alter's special ability—securing my victory!"

The battlefield warped, shifting into a darkened golden theater. Black roses rained from above, carpeting the stage in velvet petals.

"—Behold the final curtain call of the Midnight Theater! The thread of fate shall be severed here!"

"Nocturnal Finale of the Black Rose!!"

Nero Alter's ability activated.

[If this face-up card leaves the field, inflict 500 damage to both players for each monster affected by its effect.]

"The monsters affected by Nero Alter's debuff include all three of your Illyas, plus my Sphinx Token—four in total! That's 2000 damage!"

[White Hoshino LP: 3624]

[Hoshino LP: 1900]

Standing amidst the falling rose petals, White Hoshino slowly closed her eyes.

"This elegant stage shall be the last sight you see before your departure. The outcome of this Duel is merciless—once you're gone, don't hold it against me!"

"I wouldn't blame you. If I lost, it would only mean I wasn't strong enough…"

Hoshino smiled peacefully.

After such an intense Duel, perhaps… just for a moment, the animosity between them had faded.

"But that's only IF I lost! I activate my Quick-Play Spell—Phantasm Summoning! Summoning: [Magical Girl – Tamamo-no-Mae Illya]!"

Unveiling the Phantasm Summoning she had retrieved and set the previous turn, Hoshino made her final move in an attempt to resist Nero Alter's finishing strike—her only chance to turn the tables and claim victory.

"Class Card activation! Caster Class, Install—Tamamo Mae!"

Waves of blue energy rippled through the dimly lit Golden Theater created by Nero Alter's Reality Marble. Though it appeared gentle and clear, this water-like energy clashed fundamentally with the essence of the Golden Theater.

[Magical Girl – Tamamo Mae·Illya★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][Water][Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect][ATK 1000/DEF 1000]

["Magical Girl – Illya" + "Heroic Spirit – Tamamo Mae"]

A fox-eared girl leapt from the waves—Tamamo Mae Illya! Her fluffy ears twitched, and behind her, a long, soft tail swayed. Seeing her, Hoshino felt an almost irresistible urge to pet her.

But contrary to her adorable appearance, Tamamo Mae Illya bared her tiny fangs, looking fierce and aggressive.

"Migu~! I don't know why, but after fusing into Tamamo Mae, just seeing that Nero over there makes me feel uncontrollably annoyed, Master!"

...Why, though? I don't know either, and I dare not ask.

"With Ozy destroyed and removed from the field, the Ramesseum's seal on Illya—preventing her from activating effects—is also nullified. Tamamo Mae Illya activates its effect!"

[①: When this card is Fusion Summoned, you can add 1 Spell/Trap card that mentions "Heroic Spirit" from your Deck to your hand.]

Tamamo Mae Illya clenched her tiny fists and eagerly prepared for battle.

"Get ready for this! This is the ultimate technique inherited from Tamamo—'One Husband, Many Wives... Emasculating Fist'!"

Wait, when did Tamamo ever have such a Noble Phantasm?! Illya, stop messing around!

Hoshino ignored her playful antics and, having successfully added her chosen card to her hand, smirked in satisfaction.

"It's too late to be searching for new cards at this point. Stop wasting time, Nero! End this duel with your final strike!"

"Understood, Master!" Grasping the Flaming Sword embedded in the heart of the Golden Palace, Nero wielded her blade infused with ominous black flames.

"—Darkness of the starry night, the waltz of the roses, searing black flames that graze the fingertips! This love may be ultimate, but it burns like fire—END NOW!"

The black flames slashed forward with terrifying momentum, aiming to tear the Golden Theater apart. The full-force direct damage effect of Nero Alter's ability—if Hoshino took this hit, she would undoubtedly lose.

"I'm counting on you, Illya! If we survive this final crisis, victory is within reach!"

Illya's fluffy fox ears twitched as she proudly declared:

"Just leave it to me, Master! This level of attack is nothing! Witness the power of a true divine spirit!"

She tossed an ornate mirror high into the air and began a dance that, despite her petite form, was unexpectedly graceful and mesmerizing.

"A god dwells in Izumo. —This is the contract of harmony, the Divine Treasure of Uka, the Celestial Mirror! 'Water Sky Sunlight, Amaterasu's Eightfold Stone of Tranquility'!"

An immense surge of magical power reflected from the mirror, forming a secondary protective barrier within Nero's Reality Marble. The soothing blue energy completely blocked the dark flames of the sword—its refreshing sensation even making Hoshino feel at ease.

[While this card is face-up on the field, once per turn, when you would take damage, you can Tribute 1 "Heroic Spirit" monster on the field. If you do, that damage becomes 0, and then you gain Life Points equal to the ATK of the Tributed monster.]

"Thanks to Tamamo Mae Illya's effect, I Tribute the 'Magical Girl – Illya' that I Special Summoned by banishing my Fusion Materials! This negates the damage from Nero's effect and restores Life Points equal to Illya's ATK—1000!"

[Hoshino LP 1900 → 2900]

The deep blue ripples from the divine mirror extinguished the black flames of Nero Alter's attack.

The battlefield now split into two starkly contrasting scenes—on White Hoshino's side, her field still burned with the remnants of Nero's black fire, while on Hoshino's side, a peaceful, water-bound sanctuary had emerged.

"Even though you blocked the damage I dealt to you, don't forget—Nero Alter's effect applies to both players, so you still have to take your share!"

Finally getting the chance to taunt White Hoshino for once, Hoshino wasn't about to hold back.

[White Hoshino LP 3625 → 1625]

"Are you some kind of cockroach?! Why is your survival ability so ridiculous?!"

Despite attempting a game-ending direct damage attack by sacrificing Nero Alter, the plan had backfired. Not only had Hoshino avoided the damage, but she had even healed, flipping the Life Point difference. Frustrated, White Hoshino grumbled.

"Looks like my final hope lies with Ozymandias and the Ramesseum…"

Since Ozymandias had been destroyed this turn, White Hoshino could revive him in the End Phase using the Ramesseum's effect. This was the foundation of her continued confidence in securing victory.

"Due to the effect of Encounter in the Dark Night, after sending Nero Alter to the Graveyard, I can add two different 'Alter' cards or cards that mention 'Alter' from my Deck to my hand! And my Battle Phase isn't over yet—my Sphinx will attack Arthuria Illya!"

[Sphinx Token ATK 2000]

[Arthuria Illya ATK 2000]

The Sphinx Token, endlessly resummonable through the Ramesseum's effect, was expendable. Even if destroyed, it could still help whittle down Hoshino's field before Ozymandias's return—or so White Hoshino believed.

The Sphinx, its body formed of stardust, gathered destructive energy and unleashed a howling blast toward Arthuria Illya.

"Your control over this duel has completely slipped away. Now, it's my turn to dominate the battlefield!"

This wasn't just a taunt—it was the truth. After suffering multiple setbacks, White Hoshino could no longer maintain the confident control she once had over the duel.

"That sword embodies the sorrowful yet noble dreams of warriors who perished on battlefields across past, present, and future! Magical Girl – Arthuria Illya's effect activates—"

[At the start of the Damage Step, you can reveal any number of "Heroic Spirit" monsters from your hand. This card gains ATK/DEF equal to the number of revealed monsters x1000 until the end of the turn.]

Hoshino flipped over the single card she had drawn last turn, revealing it with a sharp glint in her eyes—this was the decisive stroke.

"This is the only monster in my hand—King Hassan!"

(*****)

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