Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

"And because of the original effect of [Nightmare Penguin], all WATER attribute monsters on the field gain an additional 200 ATK!"

[Flying Penguin ATK 1700 → 1900]

Crump chuckled smugly, "Do you understand now? This is the overwhelming power of my Deck Master!"

"Overwhelmingly lame, you mean!" Hoshino stuck her tongue out mockingly.

"All this hype about Deck Masters, and yet you couldn't even break 2000 ATK? Honestly, the problem isn't the rules—it's your pathetic penguin. Even double Merlin couldn't salvage that thing."

A vein visibly bulged on Crump's already thinning scalp. "How dare you insult my adorable penguins! Penguins... penguins have been my only companions throughout my long life!"

Anzu's face turned complicated. "This guy... is a penguin fanatic?"

Shizuka timidly added, "But penguins are pretty cute..."

"Not when it's a grandpa-level guy obsessing over them! That's just creepy," Hoshino said bluntly. Sorry, but the world does judge people by appearances.

"That's why I must be reborn as a cute high school girl!" Crump declared passionately. "Then I can openly love penguins, and everyone will think it's adorable!"

"Urgh—!" Hoshino gagged. Please don't do a cutesy pose out of nowhere.

So this old geezer wanted to take over a high school girl's body... just to love penguins openly? What kind of twisted logic was that?

"Hoshino Chiyuki!" Crump pointed dramatically. "Once I take over your body, I'll turn you into the world's most penguin-loving high school girl!"

Ending his turn, Crump lowered his Duel Disk with a flourish.

"Turn End!"

[Crump: Hand Cards: 5 | Set Cards: 0 | Field: [Flying Penguin ATK 1900], [Deck Master: Nightmare Penguin DEF 2300]]

Hoshino drew her card with flair, sneering. "Weak monsters, no back row... You think you can beat me like this? Dream on, grandpa. You can just keep drowning in your 55-year-old fantasies!"

"Go, Hoshino!" Shizuka cheered softly from behind.

"Crush that creepy penguin man!" Anzu added, throwing a couple of air punches for good measure.

Turning back to them with a confident grin, Hoshino gave a thumbs-up. "Don't worry, I'll protect your bodies!"

"Master, that phrasing is a little... inappropriate," Saber Lily said, narrowing her eyes.

"Don't sweat the small stuff~" Hoshino waved it off with a laugh. Turning to Lily, she asked, "So, Lily, what do you think your Deck Master ability might be?"

The rules for Deck Masters sounded suspiciously like a free-for-all, but Hoshino figured the actual effects would be tied to the specific card's characteristics.

Lily tilted her adorable head, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "To be a worthy leader, I think... I'd need to grow even more!"

"Growth, huh?" Hoshino murmured.

Lily suddenly brightened. "And of course, if Merlin supported me, I'd feel much more confident in leading!"

Hoshino's eyes sparkled. "Merlin, you say? Yoshi! I think I've got it now!"

Pointing forward with dramatic flair, Hoshino declared, "Go forth, Saber Lily! I Special Summon my Deck Master: [Heroic Spirit - Artoria Pendragon Lily]!"

"I'm ready, Master!" Lily said with determination, stepping boldly onto the field.

[Heroic Spirit - Artoria Pendragon Lily ★★★★ (Level 4)][LIGHT][Dragon/Effect][ATK 1200/DEF 800]

Crump burst into laughter. "Ha! You criticized my penguins, and yet your so-called Deck Master is even weaker! What a joke!"

"Don't you dare compare my Lily to your penguins! I activate Lily's effect: Upon Special Summon, I can add 1 [Heroic Spirit] monster to my hand!"

Lily raised her golden sword high. "A valiant warrior, answer the call of the Holy Sword!"

"I'm adding [Heroic Spirit - Mash Kyrielight] to my hand!" Hoshino announced. Yet, she didn't summon it immediately.

"Now, it's time to reveal Lily's Deck Master ability! Lily, take the stage!"

Still gripping her golden sword, Lily steadied her breathing and called out, "Merlin, lend me your strength!"

[Deck Master Effect: Once per turn, add 1 [Hero Creation] from your Deck or GY to your hand. This effect can only be activated by targeting the Deck Master.]

Under the holy light of her sword, the semi-transparent figure of Merlin began to manifest, his hood obscuring part of his face.

"My, my," Merlin chuckled. "Master and Artoria, huh? Though my power is limited here, allow me to offer the blessing of flowers on your path forward!"

"Thanks to Lily's effect, I activate the Quick-Play Spell [Hero Creation]!" Hoshino slammed the card down as golden energy surged through Lily's blade.

[Hero Creation Quick-Play Effect: Target 1 [Heroic Spirit] monster you control. Until the end of this turn, that monster gains 1000 ATK and 1000 DEF. If that monster battles an opponent's monster, inflict double battle damage to your opponent.]

[Artoria Lily ATK 1200 → 2200]

Pointing forward, Hoshino entered the Battle Phase. "Attack, Lily! Target Flying Penguin and show them the resolve of the Holy Sword!"

"Oooooooh!" Lily charged forward, her blade gleaming with golden light as she aimed at Flying Penguin soaring overhead.

"Sword of Selection, grant me your power!

Cleave the wicked!

Caliburn!!!"

A radiant beam of golden light shot forth, engulfing Flying Penguin, whose plump body tumbled dramatically to the icy field below.

[Flying Penguin] destroyed

[Crump LP 4000 → 3700 → 3400]

"I did it, Master!" Lily turned back, beaming with pride.

"Great work, Lily!" Hoshino praised. "Next, I summon [Heroic Spirit - Mash Kyrielight] in Defense Position!"

[Heroic Spirit - Mash Kyrielight ★★★★ (Level 4)][LIGHT][Warrior/Effect][ATK 1000/DEF 2000]

"Senpai! I believe I can lead too!" Mash said as her form materialized, holding her massive shield. However, there was a trace of sadness in her eyes.

Noticing the shift, Hoshino frowned slightly. "Mash, is something wrong?"

"Well..." Mash hesitated, looking down. Her voice trembled slightly. "Lately, you haven't summoned me as often, Senpai. I feel like... I'm not needed anymore now that you've gotten stronger."

"Wha—No, no, that's not true!" Hoshino hurried to reassure her.

Back during the Duelist Kingdom arc, when her deck was far from complete, Mash had been Hoshino's most reliable protector, tanking countless attacks.

"I just feel like... if I could be your Deck Master, I'd be able to help you again..." Mash admitted softly, her tone laced with longing.

"Alright, alright, I'll definitely make you the Deck Master in the next duel, Mash~"

Faced with the sulking eggplant who looked as though she might burst into tears while chewing on a lemon, Hoshino could only choose to soothe her.

"It's a promise, for sure!" Mash, holding her shield at the ready, kept glancing back to confirm. "You won't lie to me, right, Senpai?"

Behind her, Hoshino nodded rapidly, like a chick pecking at feed.

"I'll set two more cards and end my turn."

[Hoshino's LP: 4000 | Hand: 4 | Set cards: 2]

Hoshino, who deliberately chose not to go all-out this turn, had her reasons. Judging by the old man's sly demeanor, his Deck Master likely held hidden effects.

By playing cautiously and studying the rules of this Deck Master system through his weak penguin deck, she could gain a strategic edge in future duels.

"It's my turn! Draw!" Crump exclaimed gleefully, a creepy grin spreading across his face as he eyed the field. "Hehe, so many cute girls on the field—what an enjoyable duel!"

"Senpai, what kind of attack is this? It actually bypassed my shield!" Mash said uneasily, disbelief evident in her tone. "I feel so uncomfortable... It's like I've been inflicted with some negative status effect!"

Hoshino's eye twitched, unsure how to explain. "Mash, whatever you do, don't look at disgusting things like this, or you'll go blind."

"A visual debuff? Got it!" Mash quickly adjusted her shield's angle, blocking Crump entirely from view.

"This turn, I'll demonstrate the next characteristic of a Deck Master, as well as the ultimate effect of Nightmare Penguin!" Crump declared dramatically, raising his arm and slamming a card onto the field.

"I tribute Nightmare Penguin to summon [The Great Emperor Penguin] in Attack Position!"

[The Great Emperor Penguin ★★★★★ (Level 5)][WATER][Aqua/Effect][ATK 1800/DEF 1500]

As Nightmare Penguin vanished, an enormous Emperor Penguin—several times larger than a regular penguin—crashed onto the icy battlefield, the impact cracking the ground beneath it.

"You can use the Deck Master as a tribute?!" Hoshino exclaimed, stunned.

"That's the third characteristic of a Deck Master!" Crump proclaimed triumphantly.

[③: Monsters summoned using the Deck Master as tribute, or monsters that replace the Deck Master upon removal, inherit the Deck Master's position, status, and abilities.]

"Because of this rule, The Great Emperor Penguin becomes my new Deck Master and perfectly inherits Nightmare Penguin's status—including its 700 ATK boost, as well as the ATK and DEF boosts for all Penguin monsters!"

The already formidable Great Emperor Penguin swelled with power, its massive form looming over the icy arena.

"Total ATK power: 3000!"

[The Great Emperor Penguin ATK 1800 → 3000]

From the sidelines, Anzu gasped. "You can stack ATK boosts like that? He's actually turning penguins into powerhouses!"

Shizuka looked at Hoshino nervously. "This feels dangerous, Hoshino."

"In my youth, only penguins were there to keep me company!" Crump suddenly shifted into flashback mode, his voice trembling with emotion.

"To bring the beauty of adorable penguins—my childhood spiritual support—to more children, I worked tirelessly to establish the Penguin Pool at Kaiba Land..."

"Old man, no one cares about your flashbacks! Just keep dueling!" Hoshino cut in impatiently, exasperation written across her face.

"But that wretched Seto Kaiba dared to say—" Crump's eyes blazed with fury as he recalled the insult.

(Kaiba Seto: "No one cares about penguins!")

"Wow, that's harsh." Though Hoshino initially had no interest in his sob story, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy. With Kaiba's infamous personality, it did sound plausible.

"That's why I must seize the body of a cute high school girl! Then I'll exact revenge on that bastard who trampled on the dignity of penguins—and me!"

Hoshino immediately retorted, "What does taking over a high school girl's body have to do with revenge? Admit it—you're just a perverted old man!"

"Silence! You, who enjoy the luxury of a youthful, adorable appearance as a high school girl, could never understand the suffering of an ugly old man like me!" Crump roared, slamming another card onto his Duel Disk.

"Feel the flames of my revenge! I activate the Equip Spell [Megamorph]! Since my Life Points are lower than yours, The Great Emperor Penguin's ATK is doubled!"

[The Great Emperor Penguin ATK 3000 → 6000]

"Hold up— isn't that cheating?! Megamorph only doubles the original ATK!" Hoshino objected immediately.

"Heh! Thanks to the Deck Master's rules, even the ATK boosts are treated as the monster's original ATK!" Crump cackled, the now-gargantuan penguin looming menacingly as the icy battlefield cracked beneath its weight.

"Attack the opposing Deck Master! Go, Great Emperor Penguin! I'll be taking your lovely body without hesitation! And before your defeat, let me reveal the final Deck Master rule."

[④: If a player's Deck Master is destroyed, they lose the duel.]

"Perish in the icy storm of Emperor Penguin's Blizzard Strike!" Crump commanded. The massive penguin flapped its enormous, razor-sharp wings, unleashing a ferocious blizzard toward Saber Lily.

"Watch out, Miss Lily!" Mash cried, leaping in front of Lily and planting her shield—well, dining table—firmly into the ground.

"Even if my strength has waned, I'll give my all to protect Master and everyone else!"

Facing the oncoming storm, Hoshino countered, "I activate [Heroic Spirit—Mash Kyrielight]'s special effect! While Mash is face-up, the opponent can only target her for attacks, and she cannot be destroyed in Defense Position!"

"Ho-oh-oh-oh! Obscurant Wall of Chalk!!" Standing resolute against the icy blizzard, Mash's shield absorbed the deadly 6000 ATK strike without faltering.

"Futile! I activate The Great Emperor Penguin's Deck Master ability—it can attack twice per turn! And after the first attack, your Mash is forced into Attack Position!"

Crump laughed maniacally. "I've studied every one of your duels in preparation for this moment! No escape!"

"Oh? After studying my duels so thoroughly, did you reach any conclusions?" Hoshino asked, a sly grin forming on her face.

"Huh? Conclusions about what?" Crump blinked, confused.

A massive castle gate rose behind Mash, its form radiating with impenetrable brilliance.

"The conclusion that no one has ever broken through Mash's defense!" Hoshino declared triumphantly.

"Noble Phantasm—Lord Camelot!"

(*****)

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