NOVEL NEXT Chapter 244: Chapter 244
"——Come forth, Special Summon [Heroic Spirit - Jack the Ripper]!"
[Heroic Spirit – Jack the Ripper ★★★★★★ (Level 6)] [DARK] [Zombie/Effect] [ATK 800/DEF 1000]
"And now, I activate Medea Lily's special effect—during the Main Phase, recover 1000 Life Points!"
[Hoshino Chiyuki LP: 1500 → 2500]
The dense fog that cloaked the frozen wasteland made Noah falter slightly. "This isn't part of the Creation script."
"Of course not, because this is my counterattack's script!" With a sly smile, Hoshino gave her order to the materialized Jack. "Jack-chan, it's up to you—activate your effect!"
"Yes, Mommy!" Jack's petite figure crouched, her crimson eyes glowing ominously through the thick fog.
"Jack's effect allows me to change one of your monsters from face-up to face-down Defense Position!" The creeping fog slithered toward Last Tusk Mammoth, enveloping its massive form entirely.
Even with the fog obscuring the battlefield, Kaiba's sharp gaze saw through the action. "Forcing it into face-down Defense Position means—"
"Exactly! According to the rules, a face-down monster cannot remain equipped, so Mist Body is destroyed!" Hoshino declared. As if on cue, the hologram of Noah's Equip Spell shattered into fragments of useless data.
"This means your Last Tusk Mammoth has lost its indestructible effect. Jack-chan, attack now!"
Jack's eerie voice echoed through the mist. Her small form darted forward, brandishing razor-sharp daggers that gleamed like streaks of silver light piercing through the darkness.
"Hell is starting. We are flame, rain, power… Let there be a slaughter… Maria the Ripper!!"
[Last Tusk Mammoth] Destroyed
Last Tusk Mammoth was annihilated, its form crumbling into data.
"Due to the Ark's effect, Last Tusk Mammoth is sent to the Ark!" Noah shouted as the remains of the Mammoth were absorbed into the Ark's glowing core.
Hoshino swiftly slid a new card into her Duel Disk. "Even though your monsters in the Ark will replenish later, during the Battle Phase, you can't activate Ark Defense to summon monsters!"
Ark Defense's effect summons wall-like monsters equal to the number of monsters on Hoshino's field at the start of the Battle Phase, but it can't be activated mid-battle.
"Activating the Quick-Play Spell [Heroic Spirit Summon]!"
[Heroic Spirit Summon Effect: Banish 2 [Heroic Spirit] monsters from your hand or field. Special Summon 1 [Heroic Spirit] monster from your hand.]
"I banish Jack the Ripper and Medea Lily to Special Summon the monster I retrieved earlier with Mash's effect!"
Akasha's eyebrows twitched with excitement. "Hoshino-nee summoned a monster like this?! She bypassed Ark Defense, and by banishing her tributes, they won't enter the Ark. Amazing!"
Even though Medea Lily couldn't attack, Hoshino didn't hold back her offensive.
"You think Ark Defense is enough to stop me? Brat, your cheats aren't nearly strong enough!" With a confident grin, Hoshino slammed the retrieved card onto her Duel Disk.
"This is the thunderbolt that pierces through fog and calamity—Special Summon [Heroic Spirit - Sakata Kintoki]!"
A golden lightning bolt tore through the heavens, shattering the frozen wasteland and splitting the icy ground beneath their feet.
"Golden's here! Let's wreck him, Boss!" The electrifying presence of Kintoki lit up the battlefield, evoking the image of a scene straight out of The Terminator.
[Heroic Spirit - Sakata Kintoki ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)] [LIGHT] [Warrior/Effect] [ATK 2700/DEF 1500]
"All right, don't hold back—strike that arrogant little brat!" Hoshino commanded, raising her arm dramatically.
BOOM! Lightning surged into Kintoki's massive golden axe, radiating with unrestrained power.
"Time to let loose! Let me go wild for a bit!" Kintoki roared, leaping high into the air. His axe, glowing like molten gold, cleaved toward Noah in a dazzling arc.
"Blow 'em away, Lethal Gooolden Spaaaark!!"
The impact shattered the frozen ground, carving jagged cracks beneath Noah's feet.
[Noah LP: 6000 → 3300]
Dazed and trembling, Noah tried to retort. "Calling me, the Creator God, a brat?! You barely scratched me—don't get too cocky, Chiyuki!"
"Scratched you? Noah, my attack isn't over yet!" Amid the thunderous crackle of electricity, Hoshino inserted another card into her Duel Disk.
"Kintoki, get ready to transform!"
"Roger that, Boss!" Kintoki grinned and pulled a golden belt from seemingly nowhere, strapping it on.
"Quick-Play Spell [Phantasmal Summoning]! Fusing Emiya from my hand with Sakata Kintoki on the field!"
"What?! Fusion?!" Noah's calm mask cracked further. A Fusion during the Battle Phase meant Hoshino could keep attacking.
"Fusion Summon [Heroic Spirit - Sakata Kintoki (Rider)]!"
"Transform—Rider Kintoki!" Golden light enveloped Kintoki as his attire transformed, and a sleek black motorcycle materialized beside him.
"Climbin' mountains? Breakin' the sound barrier? Pfft, that's child's play! I could wrestle a bear, swim a raging river, and still have time for a nap!"
[Heroic Spirit - Sakata Kintoki (Rider) ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)] [WIND] [Warrior/Fusion/Effect] [ATK 2500/DEF 1500]
[Fusion Materials: Sakata Kintoki + 1 WIND-attribute [Heroic Spirit] monster.]
[This card can attack directly.]
"This is my golden tempest's counterattack, you arrogant brat!" Hoshino shouted, her adrenaline spiking as Kintoki revved his motorcycle's engine.
"Race forward, Golden!"
"Hold on tight, Boss! Though, like, you're not even ridin'!" Kintoki teased with a wide grin, revving his bike to its limit.
"Let's hit the road then! Bear Howling!—GOLDEN DRIIIIVE!!!"
"Nooooo!" Noah's panicked scream echoed as the golden flash streaked across the battlefield, leaving thunderous destruction in its wake.
[Noah LP: 3300 → 800]
"GOODNIGHT!!!"
"My Ark's Absolute Defense was completely breached by such a monster!"
Noah was grinding his teeth in frustration. In this world, where he wielded absolute control, this was the first time he had suffered such humiliation.
Seeing Noah's defeated expression, Kaiba smirked smugly. "Hmph, I told you—weaklings remain weaklings, even when they cheat! The outcome of this duel is already decided."
"Noah, it seems your Seven Turns of Creation won't reach completion!" Hoshino joined in Kaiba's taunts, her confidence unshaken. Rider Kintoki had a straightforward ability—direct attacks on players. Against him, Ark Defense was completely useless.
"It's your turn, kid. The next draw will be your final chance to complete the Seven Turns of Creation!" Sliding her final card into the Duel Disk, Hoshino ended her golden whirlwind of a counterattack.
[Hoshino's Field: 0 Hand Cards | 1 Set Card]
"My turn—draw!" Both duelists were now running on fumes, with no cards in hand. At this point, Noah no longer bothered concealing his manipulation of the card order. As he drew, the Ark behind him glowed brightly, illuminating his deck.
"Activate Spell Card: [Card of Demise]!"
"I knew it!" Yugi smirked, as if the move had been completely within his expectations. In this situation, with the ability to control the order of his draws, Card of Demise was undoubtedly Noah's best option to replenish his hand.
"As expected!" Hoshino echoed Yugi's words with a confident laugh.
"Why are you laughing, Hoshino?! This is a serious crisis!" Anzu fretted nervously.
Hoshino's tone, however, remained calm and assured. "Relax, Anzu. If he really can manipulate his draws, this must be the card he values most right now. Do you think I wouldn't be prepared for this?"
"Could it be...?" Kaiba's sharp eyes narrowed. From Hoshino's unwavering confidence, he seemed to sense a hidden countermeasure.
"It's exactly as you suspect, Kaiba. Activate the Trap Card!"
The card revealed by Hoshino had to be the one retrieved earlier through Medea Lily's effect—a Spell/Trap card with "Medea" in its text.
"Counter Trap Card: [Rule Breaker]!"
[Rule Breaker Counter Trap Effect: If you control a [Heroic Spirit – Medea], you can activate this card from your hand.
①: When a Spell or Trap Card is activated while you control a [Heroic Spirit] monster, you can activate this card. Negate the activation, return that card to the owner's deck, and your opponent cannot activate the returned card or any cards with the same name this turn.]
"Thanks to Rule Breaker, your Card of Demise is negated and returned to your deck!" Purple lightning erupted from Hoshino's revealed card, shattering Noah's freshly activated Spell.
Akasha cheered excitedly. "She did it! Hoshino-nee just stopped that kid's last chance to draw extra cards!"
"Noah, replacing the potential of Duel Monsters with preordained outcomes… it completely ruins the fun of the game!" Hoshino drew the used Rule Breaker from her field, pointing directly at Noah.
"After all, dueling against someone as predictable as you makes it easy to anticipate every move!"
Leaning casually against his golden motorcycle, Kintoki whistled. "Cool! Cooler! Coolest! That was Golden-tier awesome, Boss!"
"He has no cards in hand and no monsters on the field! Hoshino's Rider Kintoki can bypass Absolute Defense without a hitch!" Mokuba practically jumped with excitement. "To win against such blatant cheating—Hoshino, you're amazing!"
"Enough with the racket!" Noah roared. Having taken loss after loss since the previous turn, his fury could no longer be contained.
With a dramatic wave of his hand, a snowstorm erupted, engulfing the room and freezing Mokuba solid in an instant. "You're all just ants! How dare you think you can defeat a god of creation!"
"Mokuba!" Kaiba's voice trembled with rage. "Noah, you dare lay a hand on Mokuba?! This is unforgivable!"
"Calm yourself, Kaiba, or you'll get frozen too!" Yugi held back the seething Kaiba, his brows furrowing in determination. "Trust Hoshino. This duel is almost impossible for her to lose now. Just watch."
"Chiyuki, I admit your Seven Singularities surpass my Seven Turns of Creation in some respects." Freezing Mokuba seemed to calm Noah's mood somewhat. His mercurial temperament underscored his immaturity despite his self-proclaimed divinity.
"Admitting defeat already? But the real fun is just beginning~" Hoshino teased. In just four turns, her Seven Singularities had dismantled Noah's so-called Seven Turns of Creation, even against his cheat-like [Ark Defense].
"Admit defeat? Don't make me laugh." Noah sneered. "I'm just bored of this Seven Turns of Creation nonsense. Activate the Ark's effect: banish all monsters in the Ark!"
Currently stored in Shinato's Ark were Last Tusk Mammoth and the Fusion Materials used for Rider Kintoki—a total of three monsters, restoring 1500 Life Points.
[Noah LP: 800 → 2300]
Hoshino raised an eyebrow. "Even if you recover LP, you still can't withstand an attack from Rider Kintoki. Why give up your defense?"
"Such effects are no longer necessary!" Noah declared. With a grand gesture, the Ark began to tremble violently. "I Special Summon my Deck's Master: [Shinato's Ark]!"
"Huh? How can a Ritual card be summoned like that?" Hoshino's unease grew as a foreboding chill crept up her spine.
"Hahaha! In this very moment, the ritual for Shinato's Ark has been completed. Activate the final effect of Shinato's Ark Deck Master!"
The surface of the Ark began to glow with intense golden light before shattering completely.
[When the number of monsters banished by the Deck Master effect reaches 12, or the game enters the 8th turn, the Deck Master is sacrificed. Ritual Summon and replace the Deck Master with [Shinato, King of a Higher Plane.]]
From the broken Ark emerged a six-winged, godlike entity, its radiant golden wings spreading wide.
"Kneel before the ultimate Deck Master of my deck—Ritual Summon [Shinato, King of a Higher Plane]!"
(*****)
If you'd like to read 25 chapters ahead, please consider joining my Patreon: patreon.com/ANeet. Your support means a lot. Thank you!