Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

"It's finally starting, huh?!"

The companions gathered around the second-level dueling platform in the Duel Tower seemed even more nervous than Hoshino.

Although the platform was inside the tower, the surrounding walls were made of transparent material. With only a few steel pillars at the edges for support, combined with the exceptionally high ceiling and the airflow circulating through the semi-open space, the dueling arena felt almost like an open-air venue.

Standing opposite each other on the battlefield, Hoshino and Marik were already locked in a tense standoff. Through hundreds of cameras installed on this floor, the duel was being broadcast live to viewers all around the world.

"Oh, it's about to start?"

At the Kame Game Shop, Grandpa Sugoroku chuckled, stroking his beard as he turned on the television. Behind him, a group of bright-eyed, restless kids practically bounced with excitement.

"It really is Hoshino! She's so cool!"

"I knew it! With her strength, Hoshino was bound to win all the way here."

"The Duel Tower, huh? I wish I could stand up there too."

"One day, I'll fight for the highest honor of duelists, just like Hoshino."

Hoshino's relentless battles had sparked dreams in the hearts of the children.

On a rickety boat, Yuta tapped on the old television. "So she really made it all the way, huh? With her skills, there's no way she'd lose. Still, Hoshino is just as adorable as ever, no matter when you see her."

In a bar, the already-drunk Keith glanced at the live broadcast the bar owner had turned on. "Tch, so she really made it to the finals, huh? Yako is totally useless."

Some patrons who didn't care for Duel Monsters began complaining. "Change the channel! Who cares about this boring card game?"

Thud! Keith slammed his glass heavily onto the wooden table, silencing the whiners instantly.

"I wanna watch this. Anyone got a problem?!"

"Master Yako, the doctor says you're not supposed to get out of bed yet."

The personal nurse at Pegasus Castle looked at the young man on the bed with concern.

"It's fine~" Yako smiled warmly, a demeanor entirely unlike the manic arrogance he displayed when controlled by the Evil God. His current gentle manner was strikingly similar to that of his brother, Gekko.

A massive screen on the wall was already tuned to the live broadcast. "I just wanted to stretch a little and witness the duel of Hoshino."

"Rebecca, it's about to start!" Arthur, sitting on a sofa, called out to the girl in the other room. Beside him was Rowick, sitting stiffly, his hands clenched on his knees in an overly serious posture.

Rebecca's nonchalant reply came from the other room. "What's the rush? It's not Yugi's duel. Let me finish burning through my stamina here first."

"Marik!" Rowick's tone betrayed his anger as he glared at the screen, fixated on the man's face.

Arthur, noticing this, lightly patted Rowick's shoulder and pointed to Akasha in the corner of the screen and Hoshino standing opposite. "The girls are still fighting hard. You, as a father, shouldn't lose your composure now."

"Yes..." Catching sight of Akasha's adorable form on the screen, Rowick instantly softened. "Even on TV, she's just so endearing. Akasha~"

On the streets of Domino City, Kaiba Corporation had monopolized every prominent advertisement screen to broadcast the duel.

Duelists gathered across the city. Although their campaigns had ended, their enthusiasm for dueling burned brighter than ever.

Amid this crowd of avid fans, however, an unusually conspicuous group stood out.

"Boss made it to the semifinals!"

"Boss is incredible!"

"Following the boss is the greatest honor of my life!"

"On the big screen, boss's dignity and cuteness are both maxed out!"

The Seven Henchmen's roars of excitement drew disdainful stares from others, who instinctively distanced themselves from the group.

At this moment, duelists worldwide focused on the Duel Tower, eager to witness the opening duel of the Duel City semifinals.

Hoshino herself, however, was entirely unaware of this.

"Why hasn't it started yet? And honestly, this cold wind blowing through the semi-open space is kinda chilly," she muttered, rubbing her arms.

As if on cue, the familiar black-clad host appeared.

"The first match of the Duel City semifinals is about to begin! Hoshino Chiyuki versus Marik Ishtar! Now, both duelists, please shuffle your decks!"

"Please shuffle your decks!!"

The host emphasized the deck-shuffling process multiple times, as if it were a critical step, keeping a sharp eye on the duelists.

Hoshino, of course, had no reason to slack off. She always shuffled her deck thoroughly—after all, how else could she consistently draw her "Comedy Duo" cards, Okita and Nobunaga? Then again, maybe her ability to consistently draw them from a 40-card deck was a skill in itself.

While shuffling, Hoshino kept a close eye on Marik. Only when she saw him shuffle his deck properly did she feel half-relieved.

Why only half? Well, what if he had the card-shuffling skills of a gambling legend? The kind that not only avoided randomizing the deck but set up a godly draw order—like putting an unnamed high-level fusion monster and its required components right at the top.

"Now then—"

The referee stepped off the stage, announcing loudly:

"Hoshino Chiyuki versus Marik Ishtar, let the duel begin!"

[Duel!!]

"I'll take the first move! Draw!"

Hoshino, taking the initiative, exuded a commanding presence.

"From my hand, I activate the Spell Card [Mana Transfer]! This allows me to Special Summon one Level 4 or lower [Heroic Spirit] monster from my deck. However, I can't Normal Summon this turn after activating it."

Under the radiance of Mana Particles illuminating the field, Hoshino selected the perfect monster for her opening play.

"I Special Summon [Heroic Spirit - Spartacus] in Attack Position!"

[Heroic Spirit - Spartacus★★★ (Level 3)][FIRE][Warrior/Effect][ATK 1500/DEF 1500]

"Yes! It's Spartacus!"

Jonouchi, overcome with excitement, stomped the floor in a classic theatrical outburst. "Victory is ours!!"

"Overthrowing oppression is my mission!" Spartacus's radiant smile grew even brighter in response to Jonouchi's enthusiasm.

Hoshino continued, inserting two cards into her Duel Disk. "I'll set one card face-down and activate the Continuous Spell [Chaldea Mana Support System]!"

A crimson Command Seal glowed vividly on her hand.

[Command Seal] x1

Satisfied, she waved her hand to show off the Command Seal and placed her Duel Disk down. "Turn end."

[Hoshino's: 3 Hand Cards]

Yugi gave a slight smile. "Hoshino's opening is well-executed. With the Command Seal and Spartacus, she's maintaining both offense and defense while ensuring proper resource management."

Jonouchi grinned. "Looks like I passed my good luck to Hoshino! You've gotta beat Marik in my place!"

"My turn! Draw!"

Marik's expression twisted into his signature sinister grin as his turn began.

"So noisy. Do you really think this is just an ordinary game? What follows is a Shadow Game—a battle of life and death!"

A surge of darkness erupted from Marik, instantly enveloping the entire floor. What had been a bright, open arena transformed into a deep, ominous void in the blink of an eye.

"To unleash such immense darkness, he's clearly going all out this time," Yugi said, his tone grave. This Shadow Game felt far more perilous than the one with Jonouchi—or any other he had witnessed before.

Kaiba, standing nearby, remained unfazed. "Still resorting to such childish tricks? If he thinks these scare tactics will work a second time, that's truly laughable."

"Now we can properly enjoy the game, Hoshino," Marik declared, cackling as he played his first card. "I summon [Dark Jeroid] in Attack Position and activate its effect!"

[Dark Jeroid★★★★ (Level 4)][DARK][Fiend/Effect][ATK 1200/DEF 1500]

[Effect: If this card is Summoned: Target 1 face-up monster on the field; it loses 800 ATK.]

"I choose your Spartacus—reducing its ATK by 800!"

[Spartacus ATK 1500 → 700]

"Ugh, this... this is what oppression feels like!!" Spartacus groaned as his strength diminished.

"Now the ATK difference is reversed! Experience the thrill of a life-or-death Shadow Game, Hoshino!" Marik declared, entering the Battle Phase.

"Attack, Dark Jeroid! Death Impale!"

The Dark Jeroid stretched its sharp claws, piercing through Spartacus's sturdy form.

[Hoshino Chiyuki LP 4000 → 3500]

Hoshino clutched her chest. "Yep, that definitely hurts. I'm starting to admire Jonouchi for enduring all this."

It was becoming clear—even a "noob" like Jonouchi had extraordinary physical and mental endurance.

The attack ended, but Marik's sinister grin only deepened. His gaze gleamed with wicked excitement.

"This Shadow Game isn't just about pain. Along with the Life Points you lose, parts of your body will also be consumed by darkness!"

"Eh?!!" Hoshino stared in shock as the creeping darkness began devouring parts of her body.

As Marik described, the sections of her body swallowed by darkness seemed to vanish entirely, leaving her partially transparent, as though chunks of her physical presence had been erased.

"My... my chest is gone?!!" Hoshino exclaimed, looking down in disbelief.

To clarify—it wasn't just her chest. Losing 500 Life Points resulted in one-eighth of her body vanishing into thin air.

"Isn't it amusing? This Shadow Game! Gahahahaha!" Marik's laughter grew increasingly deranged as he stuck out his tongue.

"Although your body won't feel any pain during the erasure, once your Life Points reach zero, your entire existence will vanish from this world completely!"

Losing in this Shadow Game meant total annihilation—there would be no chance of recovery, unlike the duel with Jonouchi.

Yugi's brows furrowed deeply. "Marik is willing to use such extreme methods. Controlled by the Millennium Rod, all he desires is absolute destruction."

Hoshino, recovering quickly from the initial shock, sent her destroyed monster to the Graveyard. "If it's a fight to the death, bring it on!"

"However, the next to lose a piece of themselves will be you! I activate the effect of [Spartacus]!"

[When this card is destroyed in battle: Inflict 500 damage to your opponent, then gain 500 Life Points.]

From the Graveyard, Spartacus's roaring voice echoed: "Triumphant Return of the Sword!!"

[Hoshino Chiyuki LP 3500 → 4000]

As her Life Points were restored, the parts of her body that had vanished reappeared.

"Thank goodness, it's back." Hoshino touched her chest in relief. Even though she hadn't felt anything missing, not seeing it was deeply unsettling.

[Marik LP 4000 → 3500]

"Arghhhh!" Marik let out a low growl of pain as his right leg was consumed by darkness.

"Well done, Hoshino. It wouldn't be fun otherwise!" Marik sneered, still standing steadily despite losing his right leg. The erasure appeared to be purely visual for now; only at the moment of defeat would the consequences become real.

"I set one card face-down and end my turn."

[Marik's: 4 Hand Cards | 1 Set Card]

"My turn! Draw!"

[Command Seal] x2

"I activate the effect of [Spartacus] in my Graveyard. During the Standby Phase, if the opponent has more monsters than I do, I can Special Summon it back to the field!"

[Heroic Spirit – Spartacus★★★ (Level 3)][FIRE][Warrior/Effect][ATK 1500/DEF 1500]

"Rebellion never rests!"

Pulling Spartacus's card from the Graveyard, Hoshino inserted another card into her Duel Disk. "From my hand, I activate the Continuous Spell [Vive la France]!"

[Vive la France Continuous Spell Effect: Each time a [Heroic Spirit] monster is Summoned or Special Summoned: Place 1 Glory Counter on this card (max. 6).]

"Next, I tribute Spartacus on my field to summon [Heroic Spirit – Nero Claudius]! I also summon [Heroic Spirit – Caligula] from my Deck! Placing two Glory Counters!"

A series of glowing lights pierced through the darkness, shining brilliantly within the void.

[Glory Counter] x2

(*****)

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