Chapter 88

"What's happening, Hoshino?" Yugi asked, concerned about the sudden appearance of a red mark on Hoshino's hand.

"Don't worry, it's probably just a hologram," Hoshino speculated after examining it. The mark, similar to the projections from the [Chaldea Combat Suit], wouldn't physically affect the duelist.

Pegasus, watching from his seat, suddenly became serious. "So this is also a holographic effect. Truly, the finest technology from Kaiba Corp."

"Anyway, let's activate the special effect of the Continuous Spell Card [Chaldea Mana Support System]!"

[Chaldea Mana Support System Continuous Spell Card Effect: When activated, place 1 [Command Spell] counter on this card. During your Standby Phase, place 1 [Command Spell] counter on this card.]

"A Command Spell? So that's what the tattoo-like thing on Hoshino's hand is," Bakura understood quickly, sighing in relief. "I thought it triggered some kind of shadow game."

[Remove 1 [Command Spell] counter to add a Spell or Trap card that mentions an [Heroic Spirit] monster's name from your deck to your hand.]

"Using one Command Spell counter, I'll add a Spell Card that mentions [Heroic Spirit - Shirou Emiya] to my hand!" The magic from the Command Spell on Hoshino's hand transferred to Emiya.

(Da Vinci: "Hoshino, you need a key card to connect the Heroic Spirit deck. Without it, the individual Servant cards and their respective Noble Phantasms won't synergize.")

"This card is Chaldea's pinnacle of technology, connecting the entire deck!" With the Command Spell glowing on her hand, Hoshino drew the card as if by magic. "I'm adding the Field Spell [Unlimited Blade Works] to my hand!"

"Just one card can generate such immense power? Da Vinci truly is reliable," Emiya praised, feeling the magic flowing through him.

"Then I'll activate the [Unlimited Blade Works] I added to my hand!" Hoshino placed the card in the field spell zone, awaiting the transformation.

"What exactly is [Unlimited Blade Works]?" The onlookers were puzzled, with Jounouchi scratching his head anxiously. "This guy Emiya already feels mysterious, and now there's a card even more obscure than Yugi's magic cards."

"Just watch, Jounouchi," Hoshino replied with a mysterious smile. "You won't be disappointed."

On the battlefield, Emiya began chanting a familiar incantation.

"I am the bone of my sword."

"Steel is my body and fire is my blood."

"I have created over a thousand blades."

"Unknown to death, nor known to life."

"Have withstood pain to create many weapons."

"Yet, those hands will never hold anything."

"So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works."

As if a desert wind had passed, the entire scene dimmed.

Unexpectedly, the entire landscape changed before everyone's eyes.

"Impossible! No matter how advanced the technology, can it do this?" Pegasus, who had uncrossed his legs in tension, was taken aback. "A field spell's holographic projection should be limited to the duel arena, not change the entire surrounding scenery."

"It feels like the whole world has changed," Jounouchi exclaimed, marveling at the scene. "Hoshino wasn't kidding!"

The new setting was a red wasteland filled with countless swords stuck in the ground, with a fiery horizon and giant gears turning in the distance.

"So this is your trump card, Hoshino!" Yugi, calm despite the vast new landscape and countless swords, remarked. "But whatever appears is irrelevant to me. My goal here is to defeat you."

"That makes it more interesting, Yugi!" Hoshino, standing on a hill covered in swords, responded confidently. "Surrendering just from seeing a new scene would make defeating you meaningless!"

"This is so cool, almost unfairly so!" Okita, standing beside Emiya, exclaimed at the impressive scene and Emiya's cool demeanor. "Why do my effects always look so cheap? This makes it seem like Emiya-san is the real ace!"

"The moment of truth has come, Master!" Emiya, his back proudly turned to Hoshino, declared. "The effect can now be activated!"

"Alright, activating the special effect of the Field Spell Card [Unlimited Blade Works]!" Hoshino declared, raising the card on the hill.

[Unlimited Blade Works Field Spell Card Effect: Can only be activated when you control [Heroic Spirit- Shirou Emiya]. ①: When this card is activated, search both players' decks and equip [Heroic Spirit - Shirou Emiya] with as many Equip Cards as possible, ignoring any restrictions.]

"Copying the Equip Card [Magic Formula]!"

[Shirou Emiya ATK 2200 → 2900]

"Copying the Equip Card [Fou of The Sun]!"

[Shirou Emiya ATK 2900 → 3400]

"These are Equip Cards from the graveyard, and now for those that haven't been used yet!" Hoshino reviewed the available Equip Cards, looking through her deck.

"Copying the Equip Card [Piercing Thorn Lance]!"

[Shirou Emiya ATK 3400 → 3700]

"This is probably the only Equip Card besides Fou in my deck. And because of the [Chaldea Mana Support System] Continuous Spell Card, only four Equip Cards can be copied, so I can only equip four."

"Now, for the main event!" Hoshino pointed to Yugi's deck with a mischievous smile. "Yugi, your deck must have it, right? The strongest Equip Card that can drastically increase attack power, [United We Stand]!"

"Heh, even if I denied it, the rules wouldn't allow it," Yugi chuckled, nodding silently.

"So, copying the Equip Card [United We Stand]! Since I have Mash, Okita, and Emiya on the field, the attack increases by 800 x 3 = 2400 points!" Hoshino laughed boldly, having achieved her final goal. "The unity of three Servants is the most common formation in FGO battles!"

[Shirou Emiya ATK 3700 → 6100]

"I win, Yugi!" As Hoshino pointed towards the Dark Magician trio on the horizon, countless swords in the scene floated and trembled, ready to attack.

[②: While you control [Heroic Spirit - Shirou Emiya], only he can attack during your Battle Phase. ③: [Heroic Spirit - Shirou Emiya] can attack all opponent's monsters once each. After each attack, randomly destroy one Equip Card equipped to [Heroic Spirit - Shirou Emiya]. If no Equip Cards remain, destroy this card. ④: Your opponent cannot activate card effects in response to attacks by [Heroic Spirit - Shirou Emiya].]

[Heroic Spirit - Shirou Emiya ATK:6100]

[Muto Yugi LP:2400]

"In an instant, the attack power reached 6100!" Jounouchi, now accustomed to the surrounding scene resembling a steel mill, was once again stunned.

"If this attack hits any of Yugi's monsters in attack position, Yugi will lose!" Anzu, nervously gripping her sleeve, prayed silently. Although she had enjoyed meeting and befriending Hoshino over the past two days, her heart ultimately rooted for her long-time friend Yugi, who carried the souls of his relatives.

"Go for it, Yugi!"

On the battlefield, the countless swords projected by Unlimited Blade Works surrounded Yugi's three monsters. The originally limited dueling field seemed to expand, making the distance between Hoshino and Yugi appear even greater.

"It's time to settle this, Yugi!" Hoshino mimicked Emiya's gesture, pretending to control the swarm of swords. "Even though Unlimited Blade Works has the effect of attacking all of your monsters, with such high attack power, one strike is enough to end the duel."

"Oh? Then bring it on!" Yugi, clutching his card tightly, forced a confident smile. "This is truly a clash of aces!"

"Hey, you starfish-head! Don't overstate things. I've already said the ace is Okita-san!" Okita shouted angrily at Yugi, eager to clarify her status.

"Yes, Okita-san is indeed the ace!" With a wave of Hoshino's (Emiya's) hand, the infinite swords surged toward the trio of Dark Magicians. "That's why this is called the trump card or even a joker clash! Go, Emiya, attack the Dark Magician on Yugi's field!"

"Activate my set card..." As the overwhelming wave of swords approached, Yugi flipped his last face-down card.

"It's useless, Yugi! Within [Unlimited Blade Works], you can't activate any card effects in response to Emiya's attack phase!" Hoshino roared, pointing skyward and controlling the sword wave. "So your precious [Magic Cylinder] and [Mirror Force] can't activate."

"How can a card have such powerful effects?" Jounouchi exclaimed, worried. "This means Yugi's last defenses are completely neutralized. He'll have to take the attack head-on!"

"Keep your card hidden, Yugi, it's checkmate!"

"Hmph, Hoshino, it's true I can't activate traps in response to Emiya's attack declaration and must take the attack head-on," Yugi admitted, yet his eyes showed no sign of surrender. "Joker against an ace, this is interesting. Let my Dark Magician respond to your swords with the strongest dark magic!"

"The card I revealed is the Trap Card [Collected Power]!" As Yugi revealed the card, the Dark Magician, who had stood resolutely, leaped high, creating numerous violet magical circles in the twilight sky.

"I'll gather all the magical energy in this sky onto my Dark Magician!" The Dark Magician, extending his right hand toward the sky, was accompanied by Yugi's confident smile. "This magic rain, enough to cover the sky, should be able to withstand your sea of swords!"

"I'll target my Dark Magician and activate the effect of [Collected Power]!"

[Collected Power Trap Card Effect: Choose one face-up monster on the field. All Equip Cards on the field are equipped to that target.]

"Damn, that's too much! Did you just print this card?" Hoshino cursed, never expecting Yugi's set card to be not a pitfall like Magic Cylinder but a trap targeting Equip Cards.

"This is my counter to your strategy, Hoshino," Yugi explained seriously, ignoring Hoshino's harsh words. "With a high-level monster on the field, the best way to surpass my attack power is with Equip Cards. What I didn't anticipate was you using so many Equip Cards to skyrocket the attack power."

"Now, due to [Collected Power]'s effect, the four Equip Cards on Emiya transfer to the Dark Magician!" As Yugi declared the card's effect, the magic rain in the sky grew more intense.

[Heroic Spirit - Shirou Emiya ATK 6100 → 2200]

[Dark Magician ATK 2500 → 6400]

"Oh my God! The situation has completely reversed; Yugi-boy is truly an incredible duelist." Pegasus, previously calm, was now astonished by the sudden 180-degree turn. "Hoshino-girl has hit a hard wall this time."

"Even if you want to stop now, you can't halt the attack, Hoshino!" Yugi, who had turned the tide, declared with sharp eyes. "Once Emiya's attack lands, the duel will be over!"

"Hoshino..." The spectators were silent, watching the sudden reversal. "If Hoshino loses this way again, it'll be a huge blow."

The scene mirrored her duel with Kaiba.

---

"Reveal the trap [Limited/Zero Over]! The attacked Emiyy gains the attack power of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

[Heroic Spirit - Shirou Emiya ATK 2200 → 6700]

"Kaiba...!"

"Hmph, just a different timing. Such a pity, Hoshino! I activate Quick-Play Spell from my hand! [Fusion Duel ], raising my Blue eye's attack power of [Heroic Spirit - Shirou Emiya]!"

[Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon ATK 4500 → 11200]

"Hoshino...!"

Amid the spatial rift and their cries...

[Chiyuki Hoshino LP 1300 → 0]

---

The same monster, the same situation. Both times, just as Hoshino was about to secure victory with Emiya, a sudden twist pushed her into despair.

"I said I won't lose again!" Hoshino shouted, breaking the silence. Despite losing all Equip Cards, Emiya did not give up, charging toward the dark magic rain that seemed to burn the sky. "If I fail like this again, how can I face my master!"

"A futile struggle like a moth to a flame?" Yugi didn't mock Emiya's indomitable will, instead feeling a deeper respect for his perseverance. "But without the support of Unlimited Blade Works, you can't withstand this magic rain."

"If I've lost my swords, I'll just make more!" Emii retorted fiercely, swinging his hand upward as he charged. "In this space filled with countless swords, the one thing we don't lack is swords!"

As Emiya swung his hand, the swords embedded in the ground began to tremble as if reawakening.

"That's the spirit, Emiya!" Hoshino, standing on the hill of swords, shared Emiya's determination. "Activate the special effect of [Heroic Spirit - Shirou Emiya]! During my Battle Phase, I can copy all Equip Cards on the opponent's field and equip them to myself!"

"I almost forgot Emiya could copy Equip Cards!" Mai, previously despairing, lifted her head with tears in her eyes. "Go, Hoshino, don't give up!"

"It's ironic that the one who projects fake weapons now has to copy fake ones." Though Emiya mocked himself, his unwavering determination had turned into a fiery resolve. "The fake of a fake, the projection of a projection, I am the bone of my sword!"

"Trace! On!"

(*****)

If you'd like to read 20 chapters ahead, please consider joining my Patreon: patreon.com/ANeet. Your support means a lot. Thank you!