NOVEL NEXT Chapter 255: Chapter 255
"To entrust you with divine power? Don't make me laugh. What possible use could drawing a god card now have?"
Marik was momentarily startled by Hoshino's sudden reveal of the god card. However, after thinking it through, he smirked, convinced it was nothing more than a bluff.
Throwing a monster card onto his Duel Disk, Marik sneered mockingly, "Summoning a god? Forget it. You can't even withstand a single blow from my Obelisk!"
"I summon from my hand the monster card, [Phantom Skyblaster]!"
[Phantom Skyblaster ★★★★ (Level 4)]
[DARK][Fiend/Effect][ATK 1100/DEF 800]
A mechanical fiend with blue wings and gun barrels on its back materialized on Marik's field. Compared to the towering Obelisk, its small frame seemed almost insignificant.
"Upon summoning, Phantom Skyblaster's effect activates!"
[Phantom Skyblaster Effect: When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned: You can Special Summon any number of [Skyblaster Tokens] (Fiend/DARK/Level 4/ATK 500/DEF 500), up to the number of monsters you control.]
Marik gestured grandly to his field. "With Obelisk and Phantom Skyblaster, I control two monsters. Therefore, I Special Summon two [Skyblaster Tokens] in Defense Position!"
[Skyblaster Token ★★★★ (Level 4)]
[DARK][Fiend/Token][ATK 500/DEF 500] x2
The battlefield filled with shadows as two small fiend tokens appeared alongside the Phantom.
With his field now prepared, Marik pointed at Nero and declared, "Let's end this duel! Obelisk, attack Nero!"
Because gods are unaffected by effects from monsters below Level 10, Mash's defensive ability couldn't redirect the attack.
Jonouchi shouted in alarm, "This is bad! If Obelisk's attack lands on Nero, Hoshino's Life Points will drop to zero!"
Marik, his crazed grin widening in anticipation of victory, burst into maniacal laughter. "Hahahaha! Rome's glory? Rome's legacy? Utterly ridiculous!"
The colossal blue fist of Obelisk descended with earth-shattering force, bypassing Mash's defenses and targeting Nero directly.
Marik sneered as the ground trembled beneath Obelisk's wrath. "If the divine power entrusted to you and your monsters is real, then show it now—take this Fist of Obliteration!"
Jonouchi's voice was grim. "Not even Nero can survive this. Even if she's not destroyed, the damage from Obelisk's attack will end this duel!"
"Hoshino!" Kaiba, his voice filled with urgency, shouted at her. Or rather, at the card in her hand. "If Obelisk has entrusted its divine power to you, don't disappoint me!"
Hoshino raised her arm to the chaotic skies and shouted, "If this were the normal Nero, she couldn't withstand this blow. But this time, it's different! At this moment, transcend the gods, Nero!!"
"I feel it! Such overwhelming magic, Master!" Nero exclaimed as her body erupted with explosive energy.
"With this power, I can recreate and even surpass the Proof of the Emperor from the Singularity!"
A radiant divine light engulfed Nero's crimson dress. Her Aestus Estus vanished, replaced by colossal golden gauntlets that mirrored Obelisk's Fist of Obliteration. Behind her, a massive spectral figure of Obelisk the Tormentor, unbound and unchained, stood as proof of its divine power passing to her.
Kaiba, stunned, could only mutter, "Obelisk… has answered her call?" Though Hoshino couldn't summon Obelisk under normal circumstances, the god's power was undeniably on display.
"This is the dignity of a true god," Kaiba admitted, "distinct from those replicas."
"This is the ultimate counterattack, imbued with divine power!" Hoshino declared, flipping over one of her set cards.
"Quick-Play Spell [Phantasmal Summoning]! I fuse the Obelisk the Tormentor in my hand with Nero Claudius on the field!"
Nero's transformed figure now bore massive golden gauntlets, radiating Obelisk's divine energy. "Witness this—my ultimate form!!"
The entire Duel Tower trembled as a devastating collision erupted between Obelisk's massive fist and Nero's empowered gauntlets.
Marik, in utter disbelief, muttered, "An ordinary monster… has withstood a god's attack? Twice?!"
Not only had Slifer failed, but now even Obelisk's power couldn't crush Nero.
"My power doesn't end here!" Nero declared boldly, her strikes sending shockwaves through the battlefield.
"ORA ORA ORA ORA!!"
Nero's relentless flurry of punches began overwhelming Obelisk's strikes, her golden storm slowly overpowering the god's blue energy.
Hoshino pointed confidently at the battlefield. "An ordinary monster? Look again, Marik! Nero has transcended the gods!"
[Saber Regalia Nero Claudius★★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 11)
[DIVINE][Divine-Beast/Fusion/Effect][ATK 5000/DEF 5000]
[Nero Claudius + Obelisk the Tormentor]
[This card is also treated as a [Heroic Spirit]. (1) This card is unaffected by other card effects and cannot be destroyed by battle.]
Kaiba's eyes widened in shock. "A monster that fused with divine power… Her attack power completely surpasses the god she inherited it from."
Marik, now more serious than ever, acknowledged her strength. "You've truly surprised me, Hoshino. To fuse Obelisk at such a critical moment and surpass the gods… Your potential is terrifying."
"But this duel isn't over!" Marik shouted, sacrificing his two Skyblaster Tokens, which dissolved into radiant light and empowered Obelisk.
"Even if your attack surpasses Obelisk's, how will you handle this? I activate Obelisk's special effect! By sacrificing two monsters on my field, Obelisk's attack power becomes infinite!"
[Obelisk the Tormentor ATK 4000 → ∞]
Unleashing infinite attack power, Obelisk prepared to crush Nero with absolute force.
"Interesting." Nero smirked, her golden gauntlets glowing with crimson energy. "Then I won't hold back, either!"
"Let's finish this, Master!"
Ignited by the Primordial Flame, Nero unleashed a torrent of scarlet flames, roaring from her burning gauntlets.
Raising her right arm high, she faced the colossal destructive power of Obelisk the Tormentor with unwavering composure.
"This is infinity, and so am I. A clash that transcends the dimensional barriers of this world—only a true king can emerge victorious!"
"Saber Regalia Nero Claudius's special ability activates!" Hoshino declared, seizing a card from his Duel Disk as the flames and winds around him raged in chaos.
[Effect: During either player's Battle Phase, by Tributing all monsters on your field except this card that include [Heroic Spirit] in their name, this card's ATK becomes infinite.]
Grasping Mash's card, Hoshino spoke with conviction: "Mash, I'm counting on you to deliver the power to overcome this peril!"
"Yes, Senpai!" Mash nodded resolutely, her form transforming into a beam of light that merged into Nero's raised gauntlet.
"Using Nero's special ability, I Tribute Mash from the field—raising Nero's ATK to infinity!"
As Mash's card entered the Graveyard, an inferno erupted from Nero's gauntlet, its intensity nearly blotting out the sky itself.
[Saber Regalia Nero Claudius ATK 5000 → ∞]
Shizuka, utterly stunned, stammered, "Even Hoshino's monster has infinite attack power now... What happens when infinity collides with infinity?"
Nobody could answer. In a previous duel, such a clash caused the Duel Disk system to malfunction, leaving the true outcome shrouded in mystery.
Kaiba, his sharp gaze locked on the battlefield, turned to Mokuba. "Mokuba, can the Duel Disk handle this level of power?"
During the preliminary tests, the Duel Disk barely managed to contain the energy. A malfunction during this globally televised semi-final could spell disaster—not only for KaibaCorp's reputation but also for the duel itself.
Mokuba checked the system and nodded confidently. "No problem, big brother! Hoshino's Duel Disk is an enhanced version you personally designed. Combined with the super satellite computer, it'll handle the duel flawlessly!"
Kaiba grunted, satisfied. "Good."
"Now, Nero!" Hoshino commanded.
"Maxed-out soul energy? Then this must be my maxed-out Roman energy!" Nero declared, charging forward with her blazing gauntlet.
The fiery gauntlet collided with Obelisk's massive fist, unleashing a clash of infinite power. The resulting shockwave surged straight to the tower's peak, enveloping the massive Duel Tower in a fiery whirlwind.
Though merely virtual imagery, the sheer magnitude of the energy created a scene that resembled a natural disaster.
.
..
...
Elsewhere
Keith spat out his drink, completely stunned. Even as America's champion, he couldn't comprehend duels on this scale.
Before he could react further, the bar's old television shattered with a loud crack.
"Damn it, barkeep! I was just about to see the climax!" Keith yelled, slamming his glass onto the counter in frustration.
The barkeep, equally dumbfounded, stammered, "I-I've seen TVs black out, but shattering like that? Never!"
Keith stood, muttering to himself as he left, "Forget it. I'll find another place to drink and watch this."
"Sir, you haven't paid yet..." the barkeep called out weakly.
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..
...
Back at the Duel Tower
Jonouchi instinctively stood in front of Shizuka, shielding her as if the apocalyptic scene unfolding before them were real.
"Onii-chan, you're blocking me! What's the result?!" Shizuka asked anxiously, peering around him.
On the battlefield, Nero's golden gauntlet and Obelisk's massive blue fist remained locked in place, neither side giving an inch.
"The result..." Kaiba and Yugi smirked simultaneously.
"The result is that Hoshino won!"
Both duelists, with their sharp eyes, had noticed it—a faint crack spreading across Obelisk's massive fist. In a battle of infinite power, even the smallest detail could decide the outcome.
"Even if I were to use Invictus Spiritus, I would secure victory for my Master!" Nero roared defiantly.
[This card is unaffected by other card effects and cannot be destroyed by battle.]
"Infinite versus infinite—Nero won't be destroyed by an equal attack! Marik, the only ones defeated are you and your fake god!"
Hoshino thrust her arm forward, the Duel Disk generating a hot gust toward the battlefield. "Finish it, Nero!!"
"Oooooohhh!" Nero's golden gauntlet, now blazing fiercer than ever, channeled crimson flames into the cracks spreading across Obelisk's form.
The scorching fire surged into Obelisk's core, turning its blue form a searing red.
Boom!
The flames reached critical mass, obliterating Obelisk the Tormentor like a detonated nuke.
[Obelisk the Tormentor] destroyed.
"It's over!" Hoshino's teammates, who had been holding their breath, finally exhaled in relief as the mighty Obelisk fell.
Akasha jumped with excitement. "To think Nero defeated two gods in a row—she's truly an ace monster like no other!"
Hoshino pointed at Marik. "Since Nero destroyed Obelisk, it triggers the effect of Mound of the Bound Creator!"
[Effect: If a Level 10 or higher monster destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the GY, the player who controlled the destroyed monster takes 1000 damage.]
[Marik LP 2900 → 1900]
The encroaching darkness consumed more of Marik's body. In this shadow game, losing Life Points meant losing one's physical form. Over half of Marik's body had already vanished.
Marik's usual maniacal grin was gone, replaced by calm resolve. "I understand now, Hoshino. A fake god cannot defeat you. I cannot afford carelessness when dueling you."
Raising his hand, he declared with newfound intensity, "Now, allow me to incinerate you with the flames of the Sun God!"
Hoshino's eyes sharpened as the atmosphere grew tense. From Slifer to Obelisk, the final god had arrived.
"So it's finally here—the strongest Egyptian God Card: The Winged Dragon of Ra!"
(*****)
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