NOVEL NEXT Chapter 315
"Orichalcos Deuteros is activated, and with the turn's end, my Continuous Trap Card, Human-Wave Tactics, triggers! Since one Mokey Mokey was destroyed this turn, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Normal Monster from my Deck!"
Dartz's hand hovered over his deck before retrieving a familiar card."—I summon another Mokey Mokey, which was reshuffled back into my deck by Pot of Avarice!"
Hoshino frowned. "These pesky blocks of tofu are really troublesome. They may look harmless, but they just refuse to go away."
For a brief moment, she found herself staring at the simple, blank expressions of the Mokey Mokey monsters. Strangely, a hidden wisdom seemed to lurk within their deceptively innocent faces.
[Dartz's Field: 1 Hand Card | 0 Set Cards]
"My turn! Draw!"
As Hoshino faced down the ever-resilient Mokey Mokey army, it felt as though every attack she made was like hammering an iron mallet against a marshmallow—soft, yet unyielding.
"What now, big brother? Even if Hoshino has powerful monsters, as long as Dartz's Orichalcos Deuteros keeps healing his Life Points, this will drag on forever!" Mokuba exclaimed.
Kaiba, however, remained focused. "The Duelist who defeated the Gods wouldn't lose to a bunch of silly monsters like these."
Dartz smirked. "What's wrong, Hoshino? Weren't you so confident when summoning your Mordred? What happened to that fire? It seems to have burned out rather quickly."
He gestured toward the field. "And with Mokey Mokey Smackdown, every time you destroy one of my Mokey Mokey, the remaining two will have their Attack Points raised to 3000!"
Hoshino suddenly grinned. "Oh? So that's how it works!"
Dartz blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Has she gone insane...?"
Hoshino's Duel Disk beeped as she activated a Spell Card. "If I can't deal battle damage, then I'll just make you experience the wrath of your own Mokey Mokey! I activate the Spell Card— [Purely Bloom]! This lets me Special Summon [Heroic Spirit – Artoria Pendragon (Lily)] from my deck!"
A burst of light filled the field as petals fluttered through the air. The pure, radiant form of Artoria Lily materialized beside Mordred.
Mordred, upon seeing her, was momentarily stunned, unable to look away from the younger Saber's serene smile.
[Heroic Spirit – Artoria Pendragon (Lily) ★★★★ (Level 4)] [LIGHT] [Dragon/Tuner/Effect] [ATK 1200/DEF 1000]
"Hello~," Artoria Lily greeted cheerfully, flashing a dazzling smile.
Mordred's flame-reddened cheeks deepened as she stammered, "F-Father—er, I mean, in your younger days, you're like an angel! So… so cute…! My heart's racing so fast!"
Hoshino cleared her throat. "Ahem! Now, Lily's effect activates! With the light of her Holy Sword, she calls forth another Heroic Spirit to pierce through the darkness!"
She revealed the card drawn through Lily's effect, her voice filled with resolve. "The chosen Heroic Spirit is—[Heroic Spirit – Martha]! I tribute Lily to summon her!"
[Heroic Spirit – Martha ★★★★★★ (Level 6)] [LIGHT] [Fairy/Effect] [ATK 1600/DEF 1300]
As Martha appeared on the field, a mighty dragon's roar echoed, heralding the arrival of a new companion.
"And upon boss summoning, her effect activates!"
Martha squinted and jabbed a finger at Hoshino. "Master, don't you dare call me 'boss' again, or you're dead meat."
[① When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 'Tarasque Token' (Dragon/FIRE/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1500).]
The fearsome dragon Tarasque flapped its wings before affectionately nuzzling Martha. The stark contrast between its intimidating form and gentle behavior made even the onlookers chuckle.
[Tarasque Token ★★★★ (Level 4)] [FIRE] [Dragon/Token] [ATK 1500/DEF 1500]
Dartz eyed the newly strengthened field with mild amusement. "A buy-one-get-one-free Tribute Summon, huh? If you think numbers alone will overwhelm my army, you're sorely mistaken—after all, my monsters are Mokey Mokey."
Hoshino smirked. "Exactly! And because of that, I've devised a strategy specifically for them!"
She pointed forward, entering her Battle Phase.
"Lead the charge, Tarasque! Attack one of the Mokey Mokey!"
The dragon lunged, snapping its jaws around one of the fluffy creatures.
[Mokey Mokey – Destroyed]
Despite losing one of his monsters, Dartz remained unfazed. "Destroying a Mokey Mokey won't affect my Life Points thanks to Spirit Barrier. But in doing so, you've activated Mokey Mokey Smackdown!"
The remaining two Mokey Mokey suddenly turned crimson with rage, their Attack Points skyrocketing.
[Mokey Mokey ATK 300 → 3000]
Dartz crossed his arms. "You're digging your own grave, Hoshino."
Hoshino only grinned wider. "Am I? Let's see who's really digging whose grave!"
She tapped on her Duel Disk, activating Martha's ability.
"Let's make you experience the wrath of the Mokey Mokey firsthand! I activate Martha's effect!"
[When this card declares an attack: You can Tribute 1 Dragon monster; destroy the attack target, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to its ATK.]
Hoshino turned to Tarasque. "You've done great, but I need your help one last time. I tribute Tarasque to activate Martha's ability!"
Martha clenched her fists as a divine glow surrounded them. "Lord, please avert your gaze—Iron Fist of Judgment!"
The holy fist of iron smashed down, obliterating not only Tarasque but also the enraged Mokey Mokey it was pinning. Incidentally, Tarasque seemed to suffer the worst of it every time it fought alongside Martha.
"How is this possible?! You actually turned the wrath of my enraged Mokey Mokey against me?!" Dartz's expression faltered, his confidence shaken by Hoshino's clever reversal.
Seeing Dartz's reaction, Hoshino pumped her fist in triumph. "We won! Not even your strengthened Orichalcos could stop us!"
"Heh heh, fooled you~" Dartz's panicked expression suddenly vanished, replaced by a sly grin. His previous demeanor had been nothing more than a ruse.
"Well, Hoshino, did you enjoy that fleeting moment of victory? A pity it will be your last."
His cherubic, innocent face and soft smile might have resembled an angel's, but Dartz's twisted personality painted him as anything but pure.
The deep blue light of Orichalcos Deuteros suddenly constricted, forming a smaller sub-seal beneath Martha's feet. The sigil of Orichalcos appeared once more, trapping her within a binding prison of light.
Mid-celebration, Hoshino froze, lowering her victorious fist. "What's going on? Why is the seal activating again?"
Dartz grinned wickedly. "The effect of Orichalcos Deuteros activates! During an opponent's attack declaration, I can tribute one of my monsters to nullify that attack and destroy the attacking monster!"
The deep blue sub-barrier beneath Martha erupted with power, its chaotic energy binding her movements. Just as Hoshino suspected, Orichalcos Deuteros wasn't just for defense—it was feeding on the lifeforce of Duel Monsters.
"The Mokey Mokey you just destroyed wasn't taken down by Martha—it was sacrificed to my Orichalcos Deuteros!" Dartz declared gleefully.
"As a result, your attacking Martha is destroyed! Now witness the true terror of Orichalcos power, Hoshino—and all of you so-called Heroic Spirits!"
With a deafening crack, the seal shattered, taking Martha down with it in a burst of blue light.
"Boss—Martha!!" Hoshino's voice trembled as she watched one of her strongest allies be erased so suddenly. Martha, who had never failed to deliver a decisive blow, was outmatched by the merciless seal.
Hoshino clenched her fists in frustration. What should have been the finishing blow was nullified, and her card was lost. Even Kaiba, observing the duel intently, couldn't help but frown. "The Orichalcos Deuteros... its effects are far more dangerous than I thought."
Dartz tilted his head mockingly. "So, Hoshino, are you ready to attack again? Why don't you try having Mordred take down my last Mokey Mokey? Maybe you'll pull off a miracle~"
"Like hell I'm gonna trade myself for a stupid piece of tofu!" Mordred snapped.
Hoshino weighed her options. With the Mokey Mokey in its enraged state, boasting 3000 ATK, even Mordred would only result in mutual destruction, which would trigger Dartz's Human-Wave Tactics and set her back even further.
"I switch True Flame Mordred to Defense Position and end my turn!"
[True Samadhi Fire Mordred – DEF 2000]
Hoshino chose to play cautiously, unwilling to give Dartz any more opportunities to capitalize on her monsters' destruction.
[Hoshino's: 1 Hand Card | 2 Set Cards]
"Aww, what's the matter, Hoshino? Being cautious doesn't suit you!" Dartz teased. "Anyway, since your Tarasque devoured one of my Mokey Mokey earlier, Human-Wave Tactics triggers again!"
From his deck, Dartz summoned yet another monster, this time Cloudian – Smoke Ball, in Attack Position.
[Cloudian - Smoke Ball ★][WATER][Fairy][ATK 200→700/DEF 600→1100]
"Pop!" A bubbly sound accompanied the appearance of a tiny, spherical creature made of mist.
"C-cute!" Hoshino and Mordred exclaimed in unison.
The Smoke Ball wasn't just adorable—it was downright irresistible with its wobbly, cheerful demeanor.
"That Smoke Ball is mine once I win this duel!" Hoshino declared.
Dartz stuck out his tongue. "Dream on!"
Drawing his next card, Dartz immediately played it. "I activate the Spell Card [Tri-Wight]!"
[Tri-Wight – Spell Card Effect: Target 3 Level 2 or lower Normal Monsters in your GY; Special Summon them.]
"Using this effect, I revive two Mokey Mokey and one Bunilla from my Graveyard, summoning them all in Attack Position!"
Dartz's field was now fully occupied with his low-level monsters, his side brimming with cartoonish creatures.
[Bunilla ATK 150→650] [Mokey Mokey ATK 300→800]
Dartz wasn't done. "With the power of my Orichalcos, I can also treat my Spell and Trap Zones as additional Monster Zones. So, I Normal Summon Volcanic Rat to my back row!"
[Volcanic Rat ★ FIRE][Pyro][ATK 500→1000/DEF 500→1000]
A tiny mouse, its fur blazing with fiery embers, appeared on the field. Its tiny squeaks were accompanied by little bursts of flame as it darted around mischievously.
"This is my ultimate army! You'll never break through this formation, Hoshino!" Dartz declared, his field overflowing with a menagerie of adorable yet formidable creatures.
(*****)
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