Chapter 141

"She won! That's awesome!" The moment Devlin's Life Points hit zero, Jonouchi felt an exhilarating sense of freedom, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "No more being someone's dog for a week! Woohoo!"

"Jonouchi, you've just switched to a different master," Honda said with a wry smile, not missing the chance to rain on Jonouchi's parade.

"Is it finally over?" Hoshino exhaled deeply, slowly releasing the tension from her body.

Although Devlin wasn't a particularly strong opponent, the power of the Evil God card, rivaling even the God Cards, made it a tough challenge.

"It's not over yet, Master!" Just as Hoshino started to relax, George's anxious voice caused her to tense up again.

"Something seems off with him!" Mash, still on the field, had also noticed something strange.

Devlin, who had been lying motionless on the duel platform, now had his cards scattered across the table.

"This looks just like someone who lost a Shadow Game," Hoshino muttered with a frown, a bad feeling creeping over her again.

What troubled her even more was that, despite the scattered cards, Devlin was still tightly gripping The Wicked Dreadroot card.

"Hehehe, hahaha!" Suddenly, Devlin started laughing while lying on the table, his behavior bizarre and unsettling.

"Ugh, did he lose his mind after taking a blow to the head?" Jeanne Alter looked at Devlin with disdain, finding his laughter even more irritating than usual.

"Chiyuki Hoshino, I won't let you take the Evil God card from me!" Devlin suddenly shouted.

"So that's why he was lying there pretending to be dead, huh? He's just trying to back out of the deal!" Jonouchi, now free from being anyone's dog, had regained his usual cocky attitude. "You made a bet, so you have to honor it! We've all seen it!"

"Jonouchi, stay quiet…" Hoshino quickly stopped Jonouchi from acting rashly, her eyes fixed on Devlin's strange behavior.

"I suspected it from the beginning. You're not really Duke Devlin, are you?" Hoshino's gut feeling was becoming more certain.

"As expected of the Duel King, you're much sharper than most," Devlin slowly stood up, the darkness in his eyes growing thicker despite the Evil God being defeated.

"Duke Devlin is nothing more than my pawn, hahaha, but a very useful one at that."

"You tricked Devlin, didn't you? You made him believe that Pegasus's disappearance was because of me," Hoshino began piecing the puzzle together.

It explained why Devlin held such a grudge against her and how he came into possession of the Evil God card.

If there was a mastermind pulling the strings, it all started to make sense.

"Hahaha, that's human nature for you. Foolish people only want to hear, and will choose to believe, what they most want to hear. I merely whispered a few things in his ear, and he believed it all. Or rather, it's the truth he wanted to believe."

"What surprised me, though, was the depth of his hatred for you. It drove him to bet the Evil God card."

"Could you stop using someone else's body to mock them? It's really awkward to hear." Hoshino couldn't resist pointing out the strange tone of "Devlin."

"Pathetic…" Devlin's body only responded with one word to her remark.

"But what surprised me even more was that you had the power to defeat the Evil God card."

"Duel King, you've become someone I can no longer leave unchecked…"

His words were abruptly cut off.

Suddenly, the scenery inside the room began to blur.

"Huh? What's going on? Who turned off the lights?"

As the room grew darker, the crowd began to stir.

"What the hell! My luck was just getting good! Who cut the power?"

A man dressed extravagantly kicked the now-unresponsive slot machine in frustration.

"Wahhh! It's so dark! I want my mommy!" cried a child, frightened by the sudden darkness.

"No, wait, it's the middle of the day. How is it this dark?!"

The crowd, slowly realizing the abnormality, started to understand that this wasn't just a simple power outage.

"This is… Yugi!" Jonouchi, now on high alert, glanced at Yugi beside him.

"That's right, it's a Shadow Game!" Yugi, with his experience from numerous Shadow Games, quickly confirmed the situation.

"What? But the duel is over! How can there be another Shadow Game?" Anzu was clearly unsettled by the terrifying darkness, no doubt recalling the deep scars left by the Shadow Games during Duelist Kingdom.

"The fact that he doesn't have a Millennium Item yet can use a Shadow Game—something's really off here," Bakura said, eyebrows furrowed, noticing the glaring inconsistency.

"But this is undeniably a real Shadow Game," Hoshino, who was facing "Duke Devlin" directly on the platform, knew more than anyone else that this was indeed a genuine Shadow Game.

"The duel ended just moments ago, and now you want a Shadow Game? I don't know who you are, but you must really enjoy losing!" she taunted.

"I admit your strength as the Duel King. At least, with this deck, I can't defeat you…"

In the Shadow Game, the darkness surrounding "Duke Devlin" grew even thicker.

"Let's have a special Shadow Game!"

"A special Shadow Game?"

Without answering Hoshino's question, "Duke Devlin" threw The Wicked Dreadroot card into the air.

"In this dark space, every monster can materialize—truly materialize!"

The Evil God card hovered in midair.

Despite being defeated earlier, the ominous aura that had dissipated from the card suddenly surged once again.

"Not confined to holograms or card effects, but showing the true power of the monsters within the cards!"

As the Evil God card floated in the darkness, "Duke Devlin's" laughter grew more maniacal.

"O Evil God, whose true form slumbers in the abyss of hell, reveal your ultimate terrifying visage now!"

"Grrraaaagh!" In the endless darkness, the real body of The Wicked Dreadroot began to emerge as black smoke poured from the card.

"A-a monster!!"

"What is that thing?! Why is it appearing out of nowhere?!"

The real Wicked Dreadroot, far more massive than any hologram, appeared. Its enormous, pale white body immediately drew the attention of everyone trapped in the dark space.

"Today, no one who witnesses this Shadow Game will leave here alive!"

The fear from the abyss, and the despair from facing an unknown threat, spread like a virus among the crowd.

"I just came here to make some money—how did I get caught up in this?!"

Even the usually arrogant thugs were cowering in the face of true evil.

"Help! I want to go home!"

"What the hell is going on?!"

"Cry, despair, scream!" With arms outstretched, "Duke Devlin" seemed to relish the chaos. "Your fear will provide even greater power to the Evil God."

"This is bad. The rules of this Shadow Game are far too advantageous for him!" Yugi, surveying the growing fear in the crowd and the strengthening power of the Evil God, knew things were heading in a dangerous direction.

"If what he says is true, this Shadow Game transcends data and rules, and instead focuses on the actual power of the monsters. The Evil God, already immensely powerful, is nearly invincible in an environment filled with fear."

"Hehehe…Hahahahahahaha!!" However, Hoshino suddenly started laughing, completely out of sync with the despairing atmosphere.

"A Shadow Game that pits the true power of monsters against each other? You've really chosen the worst possible way to die!"

"Hoshino…" Her sudden laughter left her friends stunned and bewildered.

"Has fear scrambled your brain? This Shadow Game guarantees my victory, with the power of the Evil God on my side!" "Duke Devlin" boasted, confident in his win.

"Spreading despair, threatening innocent lives, stealing children's smiles—you really are the worst duelist."

Hoshino drew a card from her deck and, mimicking "Duke Devlin," tossed it into the air.

The card, suspended in midair, emitted a light that was the complete opposite of the Evil God's darkness.

"Now, let's tally up your sins!"

"What monster did she summon?!"

For some reason, despite her previous fear, Anzu felt a slight sense of reassurance when she saw the card Hoshino threw, radiating with a tricolor glow.

"She only summoned one monster? At a time like this, to deal with the Evil God, Hoshino should summon more!" An impatient Jonouchi started acting like a backseat commander.

However, on the stage, Hoshino remained silent, arms crossed, as she watched the card suspended in mid-air.

The tricolor light that surrounded the card shot out like lasers, cutting through the giant body of The Wicked Dreadroot. Along with the light's landing, the Evil God's arm was severed.

"What just happened?!" The previously smug "Duke Devlin" was now dumbfounded.

"The power of the gods is in my hands!" The voice was calm and emotionless, yet strangely pleasant to the ears.

"Summon, [Heroic Spirit – Altera]!" Hoshino's excited gaze locked onto Altera's tall figure as she emerged at the end of the tricolor light.

"No way! A monster that can injure the Evil God!"

The Evil God's arm, massive beyond belief, was cut off in an instant. Now, "Duke Devlin" realized he had likely messed with the wrong person.

"In a Shadow Game, the damage transfers directly to the player, don't forget that rule!" Hoshino's confidence grew as she stared at Devlin, following the Evil God's severed arm.

The piercing pain, as if his own arm had been cut off, wasn't physical but a deep wound to the soul, making the one possessing Devlin let out a pained wail.

"Why? Doesn't this monster feel the fear from the Evil God?" Devlin, clutching his shoulder, gritted his teeth. "Evil God, release your full terror!"

Receiving the command, The Wicked Dreadroot—likely enraged by the loss of its arm—let out a deafening roar, more powerful than before.

The cold wail from the depths of hell now had the intensity of a psychic assault.

"Mommy, it's so scary! Waaaaaah!"

"Mommy, where are you? I want to go home!"

While the adults, having become somewhat accustomed to the situation, managed to regain a sliver of calm from their fear, the children in the toy shop were entirely helpless.

The enormous wail only served to further ignite their deepest fears.

"Hahahaha! Cry all you want, cower in fear, and let the Evil God's power grow even stronger!" Devlin, reveling in the atmosphere of terror, relaxed his grip on his arm as the Evil God's severed limb regenerated due to the new surge of energy.

"Fear is good civilization. Destruction brings fear, and I am the Great King of Destruction!"

Altera raised the War God's Sword high, her voice still calm but now tinged with unmistakable anger.

"I destroy, I conquer, always and forever! But…"

She paused, her eyes narrowing as she turned to look at the cowering children.

"Making children cry is bad civilization! Bad civilization must be destroyed!"

"Go, Altera! Protect the children and give that Evil God a lesson!" Hoshino's battle cry accompanied her command to Altera.

"Target: Destruction! Civilization: Eradicated!" Altera, following Hoshino's order, flew straight towards the Evil God. "Let's see if your arm regenerates faster than I can destroy it!"

The tricolor light from the War God's Sword continuously flashed over the Evil God's massive body.

"This was a huge miscalculation… A monster that can match the power of the Evil God…" Devlin cursed under his breath and stealthily reached for his deck once again.

"If the Evil God is held back, I'll crush you with my Archfiend army!" While everyone's attention was focused on the battle between Altera and the Evil God, "Duke Devlin" suddenly flung his entire deck into the air.

"Answer my call, Archfiends of the underworld, heed my command and launch a direct attack on the player!"

A large army of hideous, monstrous demons materialized on the battlefield, and with no room to react, they all charged toward Hoshino, their sole target.

"This is unfair! There's still a monster on the field—how can they directly attack the player?!" Jonouchi angrily shouted.

"Are you an idiot? This is a Shadow Game, beyond the regular rules—it's real war!" Devlin, with a righteous expression, retorted while commanding his Archfiend army. "Get devoured by the wandering Archfiends!"

"Taking down the commander, huh? It seems our opponent has a bit of a brain, but don't underestimate me!" Holding his holy sword in front of him, Saint George smiled confidently. "Master, I'll protect you!"

"Guardian Knight!" The holy light from Saint George's sword enveloped the entire field of Archfiends.

Then, as if their minds had been altered, the demon army turned their attention toward Saint George instead.

"Mr. George is so reliable!" Mash, who also had a taunt skill, admired his swift and precise judgment, though she lacked such ability herself.

"You mentioned war, didn't you?" Hoshino, with a mischievous smile playing on her lips, reached for her deck.

"This is the war you started, so don't regret it later!"

Before she finished speaking, Hoshino grabbed her entire deck and tossed it into the air.

The scattered cards, shining with dazzling light, illuminated the pitch-black space like stars in the night, driving away fear and despair, bringing the light of victory.

"Now, Heroic Spirits, respond to the call of war!"

"Yes, Master!" came the synchronized reply.

"The Chaldea (Rogue) Squad has arrived!"

The countless Heroic Spirits materialized in mid-air and, without hesitation, charged toward the demonic army.

"Damn it! Lately, my screen time has been too little! I must redeem myself as the ace here!" Clutching her chest full of passion (and blood), Okita Sōji's slender figure weaved through the demonic horde, creating a flurry of silver blades.

"Hahaha! The Battle of Okehazama was nothing compared to this. Such a crushing victory feels more like child's play!" Nobunaga floated in the air, leisurely pulling the trigger of her gun.

"ORA ORA ORA! Such evil will be cleansed before the might of my fists (literally)!" Martha's fists, wrapped in holy energy, were true one-hit kills for these evil demons.

"ROAAAAAR!" Hercules, like a steel war machine, stormed into the battlefield, his pitch-black metallic body exuding pure dominance.

"With love, let us resist the oppressors!"

"Trace on!"

"Sorry!"

"Excalibur!"

"…"

The crowd, initially drowning in despair, was now utterly stunned.

"Which side… are the real evil here…?"

(*****)

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