Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

"Draw!" As he drew his card, a flash of light accompanied it.

"Wait, that draw just flashed, didn't it? You lucky draw dog!" Before Yugi could even play a card, Hoshino couldn't hold back her jab, her voice carrying a mixture of irritation and playful disbelief.

With an innocent look, Yugi feigned ignorance. "That was just a normal draw."

But as his eyes lingered on the card he'd drawn, a small, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Like I said, no new cards needed—I'll settle this battle with the ones I already have!"

With a dramatic flourish, Yugi flipped his cloak behind him and slapped a card onto the Duel Disk. True to his word, it wasn't the newly drawn card he played, but two cards that were already in his hand.

"I'll summon a monster face-down, then activate my final Spell Card, [Monster Gate]!"

[Monster Gate Spell Card Effect: Tribute 1 monster on your side of the field. Pick up cards from your Deck until you pick up a monster that can be Normal Summoned, and Special Summon it. Send any other cards picked up to the Graveyard.]

A massive, golden gate materialized, swallowing the face-down monster he'd just summoned. In response to the card's effect, Yugi's deck began flipping from the top, sending card after card streaming into the Graveyard.

"There it is!" Jonouchi, sweating with tension, locked his eyes on the deck as it stopped flipping.

"Fate still favors me!" Yugi declared triumphantly. The last card revealed shone with an unmistakable crimson glow, appearing like a king returning to reclaim its throne.

"From my deck, I Special Summon [Slifer the Sky Dragon]!"

[Slifer the Sky Dragon ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)][DIVINE][Divine-Beast/Effect][ATK 3000/DEF 3000]

As lightning flashed and thunder roared, the colossal, crimson dragon burst onto the field with a deafening roar, its serpentine body coiling around the battlefield.

"Yugi, even if you summoned the Sky Dragon, you can't beat Gilgamesh!" Despite the overwhelming presence of the summoned god, Hoshino's confidence remained unshaken. As long as Gilgamesh stood by her side, she believed her victory was certain.

"Turn end!" Yugi announced abruptly.

"Huh?!" Hoshino blinked, confused by his sudden and unexpected move. Poised for battle, her rhythm was thrown completely off-balance.

But before she could draw to begin her turn, Yugi raised his hand dramatically, his voice booming. "My turn ends, and now... prepare for the stage of the ultimate showdown!"

Without warning, the ground beneath them cracked and split apart, sending countless Noble Phantasms scattering from their resting places. A fierce storm rose, carrying debris high into the air and forming an impenetrable wall around the battlefield.

"Activating my last set Trap Card, [Last Turn]!"

[Last Turn Trap Card Effect: This card can only be activated during your opponent's turn when your Life Points are 1000 or less. Select 1 monster on your side of the field and send all other cards on the field and in their respective owners' hands to their respective Graveyards. After that, your opponent selects and Special Summons 1 monster from their Deck in face-up Attack Position and attacks your selected monster. (Any Battle Damage from this battle is treated as 0.) The player whose monster remains alone on the field at the End Phase of this turn wins the Duel. Any other case results in a DRAW.]

"My selected monster is, of course, Slifer the Sky Dragon!" Yugi commanded, and the dragon roared in response, taking center stage in the final arena.

"So, it's a victory-condition-based card, is it? Since I have to summon from my deck..." Hoshino gritted her teeth in frustration as Gilgamesh, despite his immense power, was barred from the battlefield by the card's effect.

"Hahaha! There's no way I'd step into such a primitive arena myself!" Laughing boisterously, Gilgamesh took a step back, joining Hoshino on the sidelines. "I'll simply find the best viewing spot and watch this final act unfold!"

Akasha tilted her head in confusion. "Doesn't this actually work in Hoshino-nee's favor? If she summons a monster with 3000 or more ATK, she should win easily, right?"

"Hah, it's not that simple! This is precisely the moment where Slifer's effect shines brightest," Kaiba said, a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips. "Whatever monster Hoshino summons, it'll have to withstand Slifer's effect!"

[When a monster is summoned to your opponent's side of the field in Attack or Defense Position, decrease its respective ATK or DEF by 2000. If this reduces that card's ATK or DEF to 0, destroy that card.]

Jonouchi's eyes widened in shock. "So basically, she needs a single monster with at least 5000 ATK to defeat Slifer! Does Hoshino even have a Heroic Spirit that strong?"

As Hoshino contemplated her next move, Gilgamesh placed a firm, reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Mongrel, this isn't the time to hesitate. Since you've committed to this, give it your all! Light and darkness alike—consider them both as part of your treasury."

"Is Gil really saying that...?" Enkidu, watching nearby with a faint smile, narrowed his eyes at Hoshino.

"I quite like you too, Master! No one else embodies the spirit of a living person so fully. You hold your own beliefs, never shirk responsibility, and possess kindness yet also a touch of wickedness. This complete Master is what makes you so captivating!"

"And what about me?" Gilgamesh interjected.

"If you could control your temper a bit, you'd be perfect, Gil."

"How could I be king if I were not proud?"

Though they bickered, Hoshino could feel their unwavering encouragement. She smiled faintly. "Goldie, Enkidu..."

"I told you, don't call me by such a ridiculous nickname!"

"Goldie, does this mean even the darkness in the abyss is mine to use?" With the Millennium Ring's influence gone, Hoshino still hesitated to wield the darkness around her. Unlike the darkness of an Alter Heroic Spirit, this was raw, malicious power.

"Do I need to say it again, Mongrel?" Gilgamesh's confident smile met Hoshino's uncertain gaze. "The King acknowledges, the King permits, and the King shoulders the world! With me beside you, charge forward without hesitation!"

"Mm!" Reassured, Hoshino felt there was no greater support than the King of Heroes standing at her back.

"I'm going for it, Yugi—this is my final card!" Dark, ominous energy surged from the card Hoshino drew. This was the one card she had always been afraid to use—the deepest, most dangerous darkness of this world.

"Has Hoshino chosen a monster that can beat Slifer?" Jonouchi's voice trembled with anticipation.

"Is she really going to use...?" Akasha whispered, eyes wide.

Kaiba's expression tightened, his sharp gaze fixating on Hoshino. "No... this can't be!"

"Yugi, let's make this the final battle! Due to Last Turn's effect, I Special Summon...!"

The pitch-black lightning that erupted across the battlefield roared louder than the heavens themselves. The dark aura that followed overwhelmed even Slifer's immense presence.

"This... this can't be happening!" Yugi's voice faltered as his eyes widened in disbelief, staring at the figure emerging onto the battlefield.

Under the eerie glow of black lightning, another Slifer the Sky Dragon descended—its body wreathed in shadow, its presence as ominous as it was powerful.

"A black Slifer the Sky Dragon?!" Yugi's eyes widened in disbelief. He had never heard of Hoshino holding a second Slifer in her deck.

Clenching his teeth, Kaiba growled, "That's no ordinary Slifer. It's the strongest Evil God! I underestimated her—never thought she'd actually include that monster in her deck."

In Kaiba's mind, he recalled the ultimate battle atop KaibaCorp's roof, where the terrifying figure of the Evil God had left a vivid impression. That card, forged from the deepest depths of evil, was powerful enough to manipulate even Yako, its previous owner, with ease.

He had assumed that, even if Hoshino had acquired the Wicked God, she wouldn't dare use such an unstable and unpredictable card. After all, the risks were immense—if its power spiraled out of control, she could end up like Yako, consumed by the very darkness she wielded.

"Looks like I underestimated your resolve, Hoshino," Kaiba admitted, his voice tinged with grudging respect.

Guiding the black Slifer on the battlefield, Hoshino's presence radiated confidence. Beneath the ominous lightning, she seemed even more commanding than Yugi. "Let's begin, Yugi—this final battle!"

[The Wicked Avatar ATK 3001]

"Are you kidding me? It has just one more attack point than Yugi's Slifer?" Jonouchi exclaimed, bewildered by the Evil God's unusual power. To him, this was either some absurd coincidence or the most calculated move possible.

Pointing to his authentic Slifer, Yugi commanded, "It's useless! Now that you've summoned a monster, even a god must take this—Thunder Force!"

The second, otherworldly mouth of Slifer opened, unleashing a crackling torrent of lightning. The immense force of the Summon Thunder Force surged directly toward the black Slifer.

BOOM—!

The blast collided with the black Slifer, engulfing it in lightning. But as the smoke cleared, the dark god remained unfazed, roaring even louder in defiance.

[The Wicked Avatar ATK 3001 → 3001]

Yugi stared in shock. "How can this be? It didn't lose any attack points... even after taking Slifer's effect?"

"Did you really think I hadn't accounted for that, Yugi?" Hoshino's voice was firm, brimming with quiet confidence. "Let me tell you—there's no way Slifer alone can defeat the Wicked Avatar!"

The Wicked Avatar, one of the Evil Gods created by Pegasus himself, had been specifically designed to suppress the Egyptian Gods. But trying to suppress divine power with even greater evil only opened the door to chaos.

"The Wicked Avatar will always have the highest attack on the field!" Hoshino declared.

"Roar—!" The black Slifer howled, asserting its dominance as the ultimate being. Its presence seemed to mock Slifer's inability to overpower it.

"If that's the case, how do you even defeat such a creature?!" Yugi muttered, shaken by the realization. It wasn't just the Wicked Avatar's near-invincible effect that unsettled him—it was the fact that this girl had already defeated it before.

"When did you become so powerful...?" Yugi's voice was low, tinged with disbelief. This wasn't the Hoshino he had dueled before. Facing her now, he felt an unfamiliar sense of inadequacy, a quiet loss.

A duel is full of variables, Yugi thought. Winning or losing a single game doesn't mean everything. Change the deck, start a new duel, and the tides can turn again. That's the beauty of Duel Monsters. It's why Kaiba kept challenging him, even after countless defeats. But this... this felt different.

For the first time, Yugi felt something beyond the cards themselves. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of battles—what kind of despair—Hoshino had endured to stand here now, commanding the same monstrous Evil God that once struck fear into him.

"What kind of cruel trials, how much adversity, did you face to get here?" Yugi's gaze softened, unfamiliar emotions stirring within him. The girl before him, who looked more fragile than Anzu, had fought and survived through challenges he could only imagine. Alone in a foreign place, without family or close friends to lean on, she should have been weaker than anyone. Yet, in reality, she was stronger than anyone he had ever known.

"I'm sure there's a reason you desire a God Card, even if you can't put it into words," Yugi said softly, a calm smile crossing his face as he found his resolve once more. His heart, which had been turbulent moments before, now felt steady.

"This is the final blow, Yugi! Attack, Wicked Avatar!" Hoshino's voice rang out with authority as she pointed toward the heavens, signaling the end of the duel.

"Counter, Slifer!" Yugi shouted, his voice unshaken. "Though our time together was brief, thank you for everything."

As if bidding farewell, Yugi's tone carried a bittersweet weight, one that spoke of acceptance.

"Summon Lightning Impact!" x2

Blinding lightning and dark thunder collided violently at the center of the battlefield, intertwining light and darkness in a chaotic dance. The explosive godly wrath consumed everything in its path, igniting the world in a deafening crescendo of power.

"And so, it's over, Yugi, Kaiba!" With a fierce yell, Hoshino's dark power surged forward, piercing Slifer the Sky Dragon's massive form without hesitation or mercy.

[Slifer the Sky Dragon] Destroyed

Special win condition achieved: Winner, Hoshino Chiyuki!

"Yugi, you actually...!!" Kaiba's eyes widened in astonishment, staring at the empty battlefield where Slifer had stood moments before.

"Sorry, Kaiba. I wasted the opportunity you gave me, and I still lost." Though Yugi's voice carried a hint of apology, his eyes remained resolute, devoid of regret.

Kaiba's gaze narrowed as he read Yugi's calm demeanor. "So, this was your choice..." he muttered, his tone devoid of anger. "Since I left the final decision to you, I have no complaints about the outcome."

Kaiba didn't press further, nor did he blame Yugi for not activating the effect of the [Electromagnetic Turtle] that had been sent to the Graveyard by [Monster Gate].

[Electromagnetic Turtle's Effect: During your opponent's Battle Phase (Quick Effect): You can banish this card from your GY; end the Battle Phase. You can only use this effect of "Electromagnetic Turtle" once per Duel.]

Yugi had accounted for every contingency. With the Turtle supporting [Last Turn], even the Wicked Avatar could have been neutralized, leading to a draw. Yet, Yugi had chosen otherwise.

"Hmph! Next time, I'll beat both of you with my own power!" Kaiba declared, his voice regaining its usual confidence.

"Heh, I don't plan to lose to the two of you either," Yugi replied, his tone carrying a mixture of exhaustion and determination.

(*****)

If you'd like to read 25 chapters ahead, please consider joining my Patreon: patreon.com/ANeet. Your support means a lot. Thank you!