Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

As the dark lightning of the Wicked Avatar pierced through the Sky Dragon, the onlookers stood frozen in stunned silence.

"She… she actually did it. Hoshino won… she defeated Yugi and Kaiba!" Jonouchi's voice quivered with excitement, his wide eyes glued to the aftermath of the duel. "That… that was the ultimate battle, wasn't it? The kind of duel every duelist dreams of!"

"It was incredible!" he finally exclaimed, the words spilling out after a long pause.

Honda, equally awestruck, nodded. "God vs. God—that's a level of intensity I didn't know Duel Monsters could reach. Makes me want to start playing myself."

"Yeah, right, Honda," Jonouchi shot back, rolling his eyes. "Even if you did start playing, there's no way you'd get a God Card."

Honda frowned but didn't argue. "Fine, but still… what about Yugi? Is he okay?" he asked, glancing toward Yugi with concern.

To their surprise, Yugi didn't appear disappointed at all. If anything, there was a calm satisfaction in his expression as he stepped back from the Duel Disk.

"I knew Hoshino-nee would win!" Akasha cheered, leaping up and down in excitement. "She's the strongest! I wonder how she'll use the God Card now…"

Meanwhile, Gilgamesh, still lingering on the battlefield, crossed his arms and smirked. "Mongrel, you did well. Better than I expected."

Standing beside him, Enkidu sighed, tugging lightly on Gilgamesh's wrist. "It's time to go, Gil. Staying any longer would just make things more complicated for Master."

Gilgamesh chuckled, casting a final glance at Hoshino, who stood still, lost in thought. "Indeed. It seems she's found her own light now. From here on, she'll carve her own path forward."

With a shared look of pride, the King of Heroes and his companion from Uruk began to fade, their forms dissolving into golden light.

As the remnants of the duel settled, Yugi and Kaiba walked toward Hoshino in unison, their duel disks folding shut with a crisp, mechanical snap. Their synchronized steps echoed across the battlefield like the final punctuation to the epic clash.

"Hoshino," Yugi began, but before she could say anything, he reached into his deck and drew out Slifer the Sky Dragon. "You won."

Without hesitation, Yugi extended the card toward her. "Although it hasn't been with me for long, this card has saved me in countless battles. But now, it belongs to you."

Hoshino stared at the card, her hand trembling slightly as she hesitated to take it. The weight of what this meant wasn't lost on her. She knew the God Cards weren't just powerful—they were deeply tied to Yugi's journey to reclaim his memories as the nameless Pharaoh. For over a millennium, this had been his mission, his purpose.

As the darkness clouding her heart faded, Hoshino couldn't ignore the guilt gnawing at her. Was it truly right to sacrifice Yugi's thousand-year destiny for her own goals? Could she take this card, knowing what it meant to him?

"What are you hesitating for?" Kaiba's sharp voice cut through her thoughts as he thrust Obelisk the Tormentor toward her. "You won the duel. According to the Battle City rules, the winner takes the rare card! If you can't follow the rules, why do you think I made them in the first place?"

It was startling to see Kaiba—normally so possessive of his rare cards—handing over a God Card without a shred of reluctance.

Kaiba continued, his gaze fierce. "Take it now, because when I beat you next time, I'll take all the God Cards back without hesitation."

"All of them? So you're not planning on following the rules, huh?" Hoshino thought, suppressing a wry smile.

Before she could respond, Yugi gently took her hand and placed Slifer firmly in her palm. "I don't know why you need the God Cards," he said softly, "but I trust it must be for something important. That's what you showed us in this duel—the resolve in your heart. I believe in you."

"Yugi…" Hoshino's chest felt warm, a rare sense of comfort spreading through her as she met his gaze. For once, she felt understood.

[System Notification: Due to Duelist No. 001 Hoshino Chiyuki acquiring a God Card, a special limited-time banner is available—Divine Heroic Spirit UP.]

The sudden system alert snapped Hoshino out of her emotional moment. "A God banner?" she murmured in surprise. Thrilled by the unexpected bonus, she remembered how obtaining an Evil God Card had similarly unlocked a unique banner. The legends about the Evil Gods being created to counter the Egyptian Gods suddenly felt all the more plausible.

Kaiba, noticing Yugi still holding Hoshino's hand, interrupted gruffly by thrusting Obelisk closer to her. "Enough sentimental nonsense. If we're done here, let's head to the final showdown in Battle City. Don't forget, only the top eight duelists who collect all the puzzle cards and reach the final stage will qualify for the finals."

In other words, even with six puzzle cards, arriving late meant disqualification. It was Kaiba's subtle way of reminding them all to stay focused.

"You all go ahead. I've got some unfinished business with Marik," Hoshino said, carefully placing both God Cards into her card case. She reached for the Millennium Ring strapped to her back—but froze.

"Huh?!" Her hand met nothing but her own back. "Where is it? I put the Millennium Ring there earlier! How could it just disappear?"

Having been so absorbed in the duel, Hoshino hadn't noticed when the artifact slipped away. "This is bad. Without the Millennium Ring, how am I supposed to find Marik?"

"You were going to use the Millennium Ring to track Marik?" Yugi asked, raising an eyebrow. He quickly pieced together her plan: the Millennium Ring could locate anyone holding a Millennium Item, including Marik's Millennium Rod.

"I'm not surprised," Yugi said. "That's just like you to come up with a plan like that."

"Even the best plan is useless without the Millennium Ring," Hoshino muttered, frustrated.

"But why did Bakura's Millennium Ring end up with you in the first place?" Yugi asked, the question lingering from earlier.

Hoshino explained briefly, though she couldn't resist embellishing her heroics against the Rare Hunters a bit.

"That's awful!" Jonouchi burst out, his fists clenched in anger. "Attacking you like that—I'll never forgive Marik!"

"It's outrageous that the Rare Hunters were able to cause such violence during Battle City," Kaiba said, his usual scowl deepening. He glanced at Hoshino. "It's a relief nothing worse happened."

"Don't worry about the Millennium Ring," Yugi reassured her. "I tried to get rid of it once, but no matter what, it always returned to Bakura. I'm sure it'll go back to him eventually."

"Well, if you've lost your way of tracking Marik," Kaiba interjected, "then join us on the way to the finals!"

He unfolded his duel disk, slotting five puzzle cards into the Monster Card slots and the sixth into the Field Zone. The puzzle cards lit up, their combined glow forming a holographic map that revealed the final duel location.

"As long as Marik still wants a God Card, he'll show up at the finals. So let's settle everything there—no excuses!" Kaiba declared, his usual determination blazing in his eyes.

[Duelist level assessment complete. Duelist Rebecca Hawkins, rank C+, awarded 40 Saint Quartz.]

[Duelist Rowick Hawkins, rank B, awarded 45 Saint Quartz.]

[Duelist Seven Bosses of the Southern District, rank E, awarded 5x8 = 40 Saint Quartz.]

[Duelist Yami Bakura, rank C, duplicate rank bonus deducted, awarded 0 Saint Quartz.]

[Duelist Seto Kaiba, rank A+, duplicate rank bonus deducted, awarded 0 Saint Quartz.]

[Duelist Yugi Muto, rank A++, duplicate rank bonus deducted, awarded 70 Saint Quartz.]

[Remaining Saint Quartz: 195, 1 SSR Summoning Ticket.]

"What's with this A++? Yugi, you actually reached the world's highest duelist rank?" Hoshino couldn't help but smile as she spoke, a mix of astonishment and amusement in her voice. If Saint Quartz had a physical form, she imagined herself gleefully hoarding a glittering pile right now.

"Huh? What did I raise?" Yugi, sitting in the passenger seat, turned his head, looking genuinely confused.

At that moment, Hoshino and the others were riding in an unbranded (advertising space available) luxury car that Kaiba had arranged to transport them to the final battle site marked on the map. Their driver, a dark-suited man with sunglasses and an expression as sharp as his attire, fit perfectly into the mold of a Kaiba Corporation employee. Yugi sat up front, while Hoshino, Akasha, and Anzu occupied the back. As for Jonouchi and Honda, they had split off for the time being, mentioning they needed to pick someone up.

"It's nothing, just talking to myself," Hoshino waved it off casually, though she now found herself looking at Yugi with a new kind of admiration. Maybe this starfish-haired duelist could truly be the first in this world to reach EX rank. If that ever happened...

Her thoughts spiraled as she indulged in the fantasy, and, somehow, Yugi's starfish-shaped hairstyle merged with the image of a giant Saint Quartz crystal in her mind. Soon, she envisioned an absurd creature—Yugi's body with a Saint Quartz head—beaming like a deity.

"Knock, knock." Hoshino tapped her temple twice, dragging herself back from the bizarre daydream. "What am I even thinking? Yugi isn't just some Saint Quartz farming tool. Besides, if he did reach EX rank, I'd never be able to beat him."

Still, an idea nagged at her. "But if he were EX rank... how many Quartz would that reward?" she muttered under her breath, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"Oh? So, that's how those strange spirits are born, huh?" A soft, girlish voice suddenly whispered into her ear, its tone gentle yet oddly playful.

Hoshino turned toward Akasha, who sat beside her, confused. "Huh? Akasha-chan, did you say something?"

"Zzz… zzz…" Akasha's sleepy breathing was the only response she received. The girl must have been exhausted after being dragged around by Hoshino all morning.

But that voice… it wasn't Akasha's tone, nor did it sound like Anzu's. And judging by the lack of reaction from Yugi or Anzu, they hadn't heard it either.

Eliminating all other possibilities, the most unlikely answer had to be the truth.

"Mister Driver," Hoshino joked, tapping the back of the driver's seat, "I didn't know someone with such a rugged appearance could have such a cute, girly voice."

"Huh? Me, a girly voice?" The driver's deep, gruff tone matched his rugged appearance perfectly.

"Sorry for bothering you." Hoshino leaned back, her brow furrowing slightly. Could it have been her imagination? No, the voice had felt too real, almost as though it had a magical quality lingering near her ear. Thinking back on it, the memory sent a shiver down her spine.

"Getting flustered already? You didn't seem so fragile when you summoned me during that duel," the soft, teasing voice spoke again, its childlike charm sending another chill through her.

It wasn't her imagination—there was no doubt about it now. The voice didn't belong to anyone in the car, and judging by the lack of reaction from her companions, it seemed only she could hear it.

The voice had mentioned dueling and spirits… Could it be a new Heroic Spirit? But she hadn't summoned anyone.

"Who are you?" Hoshino whispered, lowering her voice to avoid catching Yugi or Anzu's attention.

"So cold and heartless. Weren't you just using me so freely a few minutes ago?" A faint vibration came from the card box on Hoshino's waist, and then, to her shock, a card slipped out of it on its own.

"No way..." Hoshino's jaw dropped as she looked down at the card that had fallen onto her lap.

It was the Evil God – The Wicked Avatar.

"So, you're not just some ominous sphere? I didn't know you had such a cute voice." Searching her memory, Hoshino recalled how the Wicked Avatar had always been associated with monstrous, otherworldly sounds during her duel.

The Wicked Avatar's voice took on a smug tone. "I don't have a fixed form. But as the greatest Evil God, taking on a human appearance is as simple as lifting a finger."

To prove its point, the Evil God emitted a faint, dark aura. Suddenly, a petite figure materialized right onto Hoshino's lap.

A gothic-style black-haired girl now sat on her legs, facing her directly. Her appearance was striking: snow-white skin contrasted sharply with her pitch-black hair, eyes, and intricately designed dress. Though her form was small, her presence was anything but.

"A goth loli as the Evil God? That's... not what I expected," Hoshino murmured, blinking in surprise. Despite the girl's dark and eerie appearance, she radiated a certain mischievous charm.

The Wicked Avatar smirked. "This is merely a form I chose. Humans are such lowly creatures, so easily shaken by appearances."

Hoshino sighed. "I should've known. Judging by how you transformed into female Servants like Nero or Okita during our duel, I guess you have a taste for theatrics."

At first, she'd thought Wicked Avatar might just be a cross-dresser with a flair for drama. But now, hearing its feminine tone and seeing its chosen form, the ambiguity only deepened.

"So, what's going on now?" she asked, glancing around. None of her companions seemed to notice the gothic girl sitting on her lap. Not even Yugi, who could normally sense card spirits, had reacted—he hadn't turned around.

The Wicked Avatar smiled slyly. "I'm here, of course, because you used my card."

"You're saying the card summoned you here?"

"Precisely. Using the power of an Evil God isn't something one does lightly. The moment you activated my card, you entered a contract with me. And as with all contracts, there's always a price to pay."

Its dark eyes glimmered as it leaned in closer, a predatory smile spreading across its face. "After all, the power of an Evil God doesn't come for free…"

(*****)

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