Chapter 156

"I firmly believe that as long as a duelist believes in their deck, the deck will always respond to the duelist's expectations!"

"Here I go! Draw!" The smooth sound of the card sliding out, the crisp noise of the card brushing against the duel disk, filled the air.

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell [Single Pull of Miracles] from my hand!" Without hesitation, Hoshino slammed the drawn card onto the duel disk.

[Single Pull of Miracles Quick-Play Spell: The turn this card is activated, you cannot Special Summon monsters that are not [Heroic Spirit] monsters. ①: Declare a card type (Monster, Spell, Trap), draw 1 card, and if the drawn card is of the declared type, draw 1 more card.]

"Oh, so you've reached the point of betting your life, Duel King!" With the advantage on the board, Keith seized the chance to mock Hoshino.

"Really? Keith, you've been cheating your entire life, and now you're scared of a gamble?" When it came to trash talk, Hoshino was undeniably one of the best among duelists. "You're scared I'll win the gamble. You're scared this card will truly create a miracle, just as its name says."

"Enough talk, make your declaration!"

"I declare... Spell Card!" As if slapping Keith in the face, Hoshino swiftly drew the next card.

"The card I drew is the Quick-Play Spell Heroic Bond! According to the effect of Single Pull of Miracles, I can draw one more card!"

Hoshino's remaining hand: 3

"And now, I activate the Spell card I just drew, [Heroic Spirit Bond]!"

[Heroic Spirit Bond Quick-Play Spell: Discard 1 [Heroic Spirit] monster from your hand to activate this card. Shuffle the cards and draw 1 card, then reveal it to your opponent. If it's a [Heroic Spirit] monster, Special Summon that monster to your field.]

Hoshino discarded a monster into the graveyard and once again drew a card from her deck.

Hoshino's remaining hand: 2

After looking at the card she had just drawn, Hoshino couldn't help but chuckle, "Heh, heh, the scales of victory have tipped in my favor!"

"Because of Heroic Spirit Bond, I Special Summon the Heroic Spirit monster I just drew, [Heroic Spirit – Spartacus], in Defense Position!"

Hoshino's remaining hand: 1

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

"Alright! The comeback starts now, so you better be ready for it!"

With spirited confidence, Spartacus made his dramatic entrance, loudly declaring the beginning of the reversal.

"That's the kind of fighting spirit I want, Spartacus!" Spartacus' determined words deeply touched Hoshino, giving her a strong sense of security.

"I'll set my last remaining card and end my turn!"

Remaining hand: 0, a true all-in from Hoshino, betting everything on this last move.

"Hahaha, what miracle? What bond? That's hilarious!" Keith burst into laughter, clearly unimpressed by the sight of Spartacus crouching in Defense Position.

"After all that fancy talk, you're pinning all your hopes on such a monster? Pathetic, truly pathetic!"

"Spartacus is not a weak monster! He is the symbol of perseverance and resilience, a great hero who will bring me victory!"

"Hoshino..." Mokuba, worried and confused, didn't understand why Hoshino spoke so highly of this monster.

"Then stay lost in your fantasies and lose to me completely, Hoshino Chiyuki!" Keith, irritated by Hoshino's attitude, growled.

"Let this final draw put an end to this duel. It's my turn, draw!"

Keith proudly showed the card he'd drawn to Hoshino, flashing a smug grin. "Take a good look, Hoshino. This is a real divine draw!"

"This is the best card to send you to the afterlife this turn! I activate the Spell card [Monster Reborn]!"

As Keith slammed Monster Reborn onto his duel disk, the familiar ominous aura spread across the field again.

"Rise once again, [The Wicked Eraser]!"

"Roar!!" The same terrifying roar that could strike fear deep into the human heart, draining sanity, echoed as the twisted, slender body of the Evil God once again coiled over the battlefield.

"Because there are four cards on the field, The Wicked Eraser's attack points are 4000!"

[The Wicked Eraser ★★★★★★★★★★ (10 stars)][DARK][Fiend/Effect][ATK 4000/DEF 4000]

"This turn, I'll clear all your life points in one fell swoop! I summon my last monster, [Zure, Knight of Dark World], and with that, the Evil God's attack points rise even further!"

[Zure, Knight of Dark World ★★★★ (4 stars)][DARK][Fiend][ATK 1800/DEF 1500]

(This card returned to his hand because of the effect of Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World)

[The Wicked Eraser ATK: 4000 → 5000]

"This is bad. Keith has three monsters on the field, and even though Hoshino's life points are still healthy, she won't be able to survive such a powerful onslaught!" Mokuba, finally seeing his fears realized, was filled with despair as he analyzed the situation.

[Hoshino Chiyuki LP: 3600]

"Even the kid can see you're doomed!" With victory in sight, Keith wasted no time in declaring his attack. "Zure, Knight of Dark World, attack Spartacus!"

"Ha!" Having survived from the first turn to the last, this was the Knight's first attack in the duel, and he seemed quite thrilled to finally act.

With its sharp iron sword, the Knight effortlessly destroyed Spartacus in Defense Position.

"Ugh... This joy you feel, I'll return it a hundredfold!" Spartacus, his massive body being destroyed, let out a furious roar as he was defeated.

"Embrace my radiance!"

"Because Spartacus was destroyed, his effect is triggered! You take 500 damage, and I recover 500 life points!"

Feeling the glory of Spartacus's defiance, Hoshino's determined gaze showed not even a hint of impending defeat.

[Hoshino Chiyuki LP: 3600 → 4100]

[Keith LP: 1000 → 500]

"And because Spartacus left the field, The Wicked Eraser's attack points decrease!"

[The Wicked Eraser ATK: 5000 → 4000]

"This is just your pitiful last struggle! How unfortunate, I still have 500 life points left!" Unfazed by Hoshino's final counter, Keith laughed maniacally. "And you, even with more than 4000 life points, are no better than a flickering candle in the wind!"

"Obliterate your opponent completely, Wicked Eraser!"

Responding to Keith's final attack command, The Wicked Eraser's massive body began to writhe, its death beam charging for the decisive blow.

Clang—!

But at the very moment Keith believed he had secured victory, countless chains appeared out of nowhere, binding The Wicked Eraser's massive body tightly, leaving it immobile.

The chains spread across the field, even restraining Keith's Zure, Knight of Dark World, and Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World.

At the end of the chains stood a pure, white figure who had silently taken her place on Hoshino's field.

"What a great tactic, Master!" Enkidu praised as they gracefully bent down, placing a hand on the ground.

From Enkidu's hand extended the Chains of Heaven, binding Keith's three monsters tightly on the field.

The seemingly chaotic but aesthetically pleasing arrangement of chains made it clear they were a true master of using chains.

"If only it was the Dark Magician Girl being tied up…"

"What strange thoughts are running through your mind, Master?" Enkidu turned to smile, but that warm, sunlit smile sent a chill down Hoshino's spine.

"N-nothing," Hoshino muttered, pouting, trying to play it off.

"How could this happen?! My monsters' attacks have been stopped!" Keith's furious roar shifted the topic back to the duel.

Hoshino proudly lifted the card she had revealed from the duel disk, showing it off with the already defeated Spartacus to Keith. "Keith, this is the hope for a comeback brought by the monster you belittled, Spartacus!"

"Trap card, [Return of the Hero]!"

[Return of the Hero Trap Card Effect: ①: When a [Heroic Spirit] monster you control is destroyed by battle or card effect, you can target 1 [Heroic Spirit] monster in your graveyard and special summon it.]

"At the moment Spartacus was destroyed, the strongest monster who inherited his rebellious glory has revived from the grave!" Hoshino slapped the card onto her duel disk, and with that, the duel disk, once dimmed by the lack of cards, began to shine once again.

[Heroic Spirit – Chains of Heaven, Enkidu ★★★★★★★★★★ (10 stars)][Earth][Rock/Effect][ATK 2900 / DEF 2600]

"Ten stars?!" Keith's eyes widened as he stared at the beautiful girl (or boy?Neither) that suddenly appeared on the field.

"Keith, you should know what ten stars mean!" Hoshino pointed at Keith's The Wicked Eraser, now tightly bound by chains, as a confident smile spread across her face.

"Ten stars mean it's at a level that can influence even gods! Even a god card has to succumb to a monster of ten stars or higher!"

"But Hoshino, when did such a monster get into the graveyard?" Mokuba, still confused, couldn't grasp the sequence of moves Hoshino had pulled off, like magic, to turn the tables.

"That's all thanks to the Heroic Spirit Bond. Before drawing Spartacus, I discarded a monster from my hand, and that monster was Enkidu." Hoshino explained with a smile.

"Hoshino, you're so strong! You even use cards from the graveyard!" Mokuba's eyes sparkled with admiration.

"And thanks to Enkidu's effect, you can no longer attack." Hoshino turned her focus back to the battlefield, making her declaration.

[①: As long as this card is on the Field, if your opponent has more monsters than you, they cannot declare an attack.]

Keith's three monsters on the field clearly outnumbered Hoshino's lone Enkidu. "That's how I sealed your ability to attack, Keith!"

"Why don't you give me a good scream!" Enkidu tightened the chains around The Wicked Eraser, causing it to let out a deep howl of pain.

"You've got a bit of a sadistic streak, don't you, Enkidu?" Hoshino shivered again, watching Enkidu enjoy themselves.

"Damn it!" Keith, who had thought victory was within his grasp, felt a wave of nausea in his stomach from the sudden turn of events. "Time and time again, even back then! Why can you always smile so confidently at the brink of despair?!"

"Because girls who smile… No, because duels bring smiles!" Hoshino raised her duel disk, her signature grin never leaving her face. "I'm sure even the Heroic Spirits don't want to see me looking all gloomy."

"Ugh..." Keith swallowed down his discomfort, setting down his duel disk and ending his turn.

"Keith, I'm claiming victory with this next move! My turn, draw!" As Hoshino drew her last card, her gaze grew complicated as she glanced at Keith.

"Right, with Enkidu's attack on Zure, Hoshino will win!" Mokuba finally realized that with Enkidu's attack power and Keith's remaining life points, the duel was as good as over.

"But he's still hiding some secret weapon…" Holding the card up to her chin, Hoshino pondered silently.

"Hoshino, what are you waiting for? Attack!" Mokuba urged, not understanding why Hoshino was hesitating.

"He's waiting, waiting for my last card." Hoshino chuckled coldly.

Indeed, The Wicked Eraser's field-wiping effect could activate during the opponent's turn. But even in this situation, Keith hadn't triggered the self-destruct; he was clearly wary of Hoshino's final draw.

If Hoshino had drawn a monster card, activating the self-destruct prematurely would still lead to Keith's defeat.

Keith's best option now was to wait for Hoshino to play her last card before triggering The Wicked Eraser's effect. That way, both sides would lose all their cards, and as long as Keith drew a monster on his next turn, he would secure victory.

But Hoshino wasn't sure—she was only guessing. If Keith had any remaining chance for a comeback, it would undoubtedly rely on The Wicked Eraser.

"Still, when it comes to endgame gambles, I've never been afraid of anyone." Banishing the flickers of doubt from her mind, Hoshino trusted that Keith would act according to her predictions.

"I set my final card!" Hoshino placed her last card in the spell and trap zone of the duel disk.

"Hoshino, why are you—"

"Come on, Keith, I know you won't pass up this chance!" Hoshino locked eyes with Keith, silently hoping her plan would play out as expected.

"Hahaha! So, in the end, you didn't draw a monster card. It seems your bond with your deck isn't that deep after all!" Just as expected, after Hoshino set her last card, Keith burst into triumphant laughter.

"Bet you didn't know, The Wicked Eraser's self-destruct effect can be used even during your opponent's turn!" Keith waved his hand, immediately activating The Wicked Eraser's effect. "I send The Wicked Eraser to the graveyard, annihilating everything on the field once again!"

With Keith's command, The Wicked Eraser let out one final roar before its massive body exploded. Black sludge once again flooded the field, consuming everything.

"That god card is so broken! Twice we've been on the verge of winning, and twice it's wiped everything out!" Mokuba stomped his foot in frustration, watching The Wicked Eraser wipe the field clean.

"Hahaha." Despite her now empty field, Hoshino let out a relieved laugh.

"That god card sure is tough, but I still won the gamble!" A drop of sweat ran down Hoshino's forehead as she exhaled deeply.

In the sea of black sludge, a faint light began to shine.

(*****)

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