Chapter 163

"Hoshino, are you performing magic?"

Mokuba, who was already in a daze, watched as Hoshino pulled off a series of moves that seemed to create something out of nothing—going from one to two, two to four, and even healing herself along the way.

What was scarier was that after all those moves, Hoshino had only used one card from her hand.

"Basic, stay calm~" Hoshino waved her hand, signaling Mokuba not to make a big deal out of it.

Her gaze then shifted back to Akasha's field. "I've already solved one problem, and now I've realized something—another problem has also been resolved without me even noticing!"

"Hoshino-nee, I don't think these monsters of yours can defeat my Silent Magician LV8," Akasha said honestly, glancing at the lively children on Hoshino's field.

Although Hoshino's moves were impressive, it didn't change the fact that the highest attack power on her field was still only 1500 from Saber Lily.

This was the weak aspect of the Lily deck—although the kids had strong chaining abilities, they weren't great at attacking. Well, except for one...

"Mom, can I attack now?" Jack, crouching with her dual daggers, eyed the imposing Silent Magician LV8 on the other side, eager to strike.

"Yes, you can go ahead now, Jack!" Raising her right hand, Hoshino waved it forward. "Quickly disassemble her!"

"Hmm? You're going to use Jack to attack Silent Magician LV8?" Although Mokuba quietly voiced his doubt, after seeing Hoshino use Emiya to take down Silent Magician in the last round, he was starting to believe more and more in Hoshino's strategies.

Even if the attack seemed irrational, Hoshino always managed to turn it into an excellent move.

Of course, Akasha on the other side was also aware of this. Staring intensely at Hoshino with her sapphire-blue eyes, she cautiously watched, afraid to miss any subtle moves.

But in the end, Akasha didn't see Hoshino make any further moves—no magic cards were activated, nothing.

Hoshino stood still, with only her confident smile becoming increasingly blurred.

"Mist?" It was then that Akasha realized Jack's figure had disappeared from the field.

What was even stranger was that the previously dream-like atmosphere of the Children's Kingdom had now been enveloped by a thick layer of mist.

"Using mist to block my vision, huh..." Faced with the increasingly dense fog that was reducing visibility, Akasha, though unsure of its purpose, couldn't help but feel a growing sense of fear in her heart.

Finally, the mist had thickened to the point where Akasha could no longer see her Silent Magician LV8 standing right in front of her.

It was as if she had been transported to a quiet, otherworldly place where the only things present were Akasha herself and a faint rustling sound.

"That...are footsteps?!" Alarmed, Akasha, now with her sight completely obstructed, could only rely on her hearing.

The rustling, like the soft steps of a cat, grew closer and closer in the silent space.

"Silent Magician, are you still in front of me?" Feeling her fear intensify, Akasha sought comfort from her monster.

No matter how dense the mist was, her Silent Magician shouldn't have moved unless she commanded it.

Consoling herself with this thought, Akasha glanced at her duel disk and saw the glowing light of her Silent Magician LV8 card, which gave her a bit of reassurance.

"Lurking in the shadows of the night..."

"Who's there?!" Like someone whispering in her ear, the already slightly calm Akasha screamed in fright once more.

"Let the slaughter begin~"

"It's one of Hoshino-nee's monsters, isn't it?" Akasha finally recognized the voice, furrowing her brows even tighter.

"It's useless! Even if you block my vision, you can't defeat my Silent Magician LV8 with your attack power!" Akasha shouted, trying to bolster her own courage.

"Hell starts here. We are the fire, the rain, the power…"

The chilling words, coupled with the misty surroundings and the cold killing intent, made Akasha shiver uncontrollably.

"—Maria the Ripper!!" (The Holy Mother of Dismemberment!)

Even in the thick mist, the sharp flash of a blade could be seen clearly in front of Akasha.

The sound of a body being torn apart was more brutal, more professional, and more hidden than any other technique.

The infamous "Mist Night Murders"—the signature move of Jack the Ripper.

"No way!" In disbelief, Akasha stared wide-eyed at her duel disk, focusing on the now-dimmed light of her Silent Magician LV8 card.

[Silent Magician LV8] DESTROYED

As the mist cleared...

"How did this happen?" Akasha, legs weakened from the terrifying experience, collapsed onto the ground.

"Mom, Mom!" Jack, walking back from Akasha's field, twirled her daggers and eagerly looked up for praise. "Jack already took care of the enemy for Mom! Isn't Jack amazing?"

Akasha's field was now devoid of any sign of the Silent Magician.

"How did you do it, Hoshino?" Even as a bystander, Mokuba, who wasn't trapped in the mist like Akasha, could barely make out Jack's shadow. The only thing he could be sure of was that Jack had personally destroyed the 3500 ATK Silent Magician.

"That's because Jackie is super amazing, of course!" Hoshino proudly picked up Jack's card and showed it to the collapsed Akasha.

[②: Once per turn, you can target one face-up monster your opponent controls. That monster is changed to face-down Defense Position. ③: When this card battles a Defense Position monster, at the start of the Damage Step, you can destroy that monster.]

"First, I used Jack's effect to change your face-up Silent Magician LV8 to face-down Defense Position. That allowed Jack to trigger her effect to destroy a Defense Position monster during battle!" Hoshino, after showing off her card, placed it back into the duel disk with a satisfied smile. "Your Silent Magician has already been one-shot by Jack~"

"Though small in size and lacking powerful attack strength, Lilies have their own way of fighting!"

"Akasha-chan's strongest monster has been defeated..."

"You're really amazing, Hoshino-nee. You even defeated Akasha's strongest Silent Magician LV8."

Sitting on the ground, Akasha quickly accepted reality. Her tone, which had been fearful just moments ago, was now completely different, as if she had become a different person.

"Even Marik-nii couldn't defeat Akasha's Silent Magician, but Hoshino-nee managed to do it."

"Marik couldn't defeat you either... It seems like the leader of the Rare Hunters isn't very strong."

In this world, the necessary condition to be a leader isn't intelligence, a big-picture perspective, or leadership abilities, but simply the ability to play cards well.

Otherwise, why do you think Kaiba Corporation's stock and reputation plummeted after Kaiba lost to Yugi?

The idea of a corporate giant losing a card game to a high schooler—how could we trust you after that?

If you can't even manage your own deck, how could you possibly run a company?

This was more or less Hoshino just talking nonsense...

"Let me tell you a secret, Hoshino-nee. Akasha is the best duelist in the Rare Hunters. No one has defeated Akasha yet."

Hoshino's eyebrows twitched slightly. She had already realized that Akasha was strong, but she had never expected this little girl to be the strongest duelist in the Rare Hunters.

Indeed, for someone Akasha's age to have this level of dueling skill, calling her a "genius" wouldn't be an exaggeration. If you compare her to those brats at the Kame Toy Shop, they're nothing more than punching bags in comparison.

"Even so, I won't go easy on you." Hoshino had no intention of holding back, especially now that she had the advantage. The 'cold and ruthless' Hoshino wouldn't hold back just to protect a little girl's pride, even if that girl was a cute blonde loli.

"I don't need you to go easy on me. Akasha will win." Her voice was firm.

"Then I'll attack directly, Saber Lily!" Hoshino swung her hand, initiating the attack.

"Yes, Master! I won't fail this time."

Saber Lily raised her golden sword and charged straight at Akasha.

[Saber Lily ATK 1500]

[Akasha LP 3200]

If the remaining three Lily monsters hit Akasha directly, the duel would be over.

However, knowing Akasha's style, with two set cards in the back row, the chances of that happening were slim.

"Activate my set card." As expected, without even standing up, still sitting on the ground, Akasha pressed the activation button on her trap card.

"Trap Card [Dimension Wall]."

In an instant, a superimposed space appeared, precisely between Akasha and the attacking Saber Lily, like a reflection on the water.

Soon, Akasha's figure behind the dimensional wall faded, and in her place appeared Hoshino's reflection on the water's surface.

[Dimension Wall Effect: Activate only when an opponent's monster declares an attack. Instead of you, your opponent takes the Battle Damage you would have taken from this battle.]

"Lily, stop..." Instinctively, Hoshino tried to stop Saber Lily, but it was already too late. The attack had been reflected.

"I can't stop, Master! QAQ!" Saber Lily cried, her sword helplessly swinging through the air, hitting the reflection of Hoshino instead of Akasha.

[Hoshino Chiyuki LP 2250 → 750]

"I... I failed again." Saber Lily looked up at Hoshino with a pitiful expression, her eyes brimming with tears. The realization that she had just knocked off a huge chunk of her Master's Life Points was clearly too much for her to bear.

"Victory and defeat are part of battle..." Hoshino said gently, attempting to comfort Lily, but it was clear that the little knight was devastated.

There was still one set card left on Akasha's field, and based on repeated experience, Hoshino knew Akasha's set cards were all dangerous—without exception since the beginning of the duel. And with her current Life Points, stepping into another trap would likely end the duel.

"This is really giving me a headache..." Hoshino muttered, biting her lip in frustration. Akasha's duel style had been unpredictable and full of trap cards designed to turn the tide.

"Akasha-chan, with this style of dueling, you probably don't have many friends, do you?" Hoshino asked bluntly, her expression a mixture of pity and exasperation.

"Akasha doesn't need friends. I just need to complete the tasks Marik-nii gives me and keep winning with my deck. That's my only purpose," Akasha responded, her voice cold but strangely vulnerable.

"Even though you sound pretty determined, why are you still sitting on the ground?" Hoshino asked, somewhat exasperated by the contradiction between Akasha's words and her actions.

"Because my legs went weak and I can't stand up." Akasha's reply was matter-of-fact, without a hint of embarrassment.

"..."

Hoshino couldn't decide if this little girl was mature or childish. But there was one thing she needed to correct.

"If winning duels like this is your only purpose, then Akasha-chan, you're truly pitiful," Hoshino said, her voice softer but still firm, cutting through the bravado.

"I set two cards and end my turn!" Hoshino decided to play it safe, wary of Akasha's final set card. She refused to fall into another trap.

Hoshino's remaining hand: 2 cards

"Akasha isn't pitiful! The truly pitiful ones are those who lose!" Akasha's sharp rebuttal seemed to touch a nerve, her tone suddenly laced with anger that hadn't been there before.

Pushing herself off the ground with her small hands, Akasha forcefully stood up. She slammed the card she had just drawn onto her Duel Disk, her determination renewed.

"Akasha will win! Akasha never loses! I activate the Spell Card [Pot of Greed]."

Akasha's remaining hand: 2 cards

After replenishing her hand, Akasha immediately flipped over the set card from her previous turn.

"I activate the Continuous Trap Card [Call of the Haunted]. Using its effect, I revive [Dark Magician Girl] from my graveyard!"

[Dark Magician Girl ★★★★★★ (6 Stars)] [DARK] [Spellcaster/Effect] [ATK 2000 / DEF 1700]

Since Silent Magician LV8 in Akasha's graveyard couldn't be Special Summoned by other card effects, she had no choice but to revive the next highest ATK monster, Dark Magician Girl.

"Dark Magician Girl...!" Hoshino's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the iconic figure returning to the field. Though she knew this version wasn't the real one, Dark Magician Girl always held a special place in her heart.

However, even though it was Dark Magician Girl, Hoshino couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.

Luckily, she hadn't continued attacking on the previous turn. Otherwise, in this era of unreturnable attacks, she would have undoubtedly lost.

"And now I activate the Spell Card [De-Spell] from my hand," Akasha continued, her voice cold and precise.

[De-Spell Effect: Target 1 face-up Spell, or 1 Set Spell/Trap, on the field; destroy that target if it is a Spell. (If the target is Set, reveal it.)]

"I'm going to destroy the Spell Card [Wonderland]! Now, Hoshino-nee, your monsters won't be immune to effect destruction anymore."

As the field crumbled, Hoshino winced. The protective barrier that had kept her Lily monsters safe was now gone.

"And now, I activate my final Spell Card [Raigeki]!" Akasha declared, a small yet triumphant smile curling on her lips.

(*****)

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