Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!-Chapter 369

"Karna Alter is victorious!"

The moment the spear clashed with the twin blades, tiny black sparks began to spread from the silver-white edge, engulfing Musashi in flames in the blink of an eye.

"Hot, hot, hot! Fighting against the sun... that's something I can't quite handle. Guess I'll have to retreat here."

Realizing she was outmatched by Karna Alter, Musashi chose to exit the battle without hesitation.

[Miyamoto Musashi Destroyed]

Since Musashi was destroyed by Karna Alter's effect, no damage was inflicted to Hoshino's Life Points.

"How does it feel to experience the overwhelming difference in power?"

White Hoshino raised her hand triumphantly toward Hoshino. The hope she had placed in Musashi's high attack power was shattered by the blackened "Karna" in an instant—exactly the moment White Hoshino had been waiting for.

"—I've always wanted to see this expression on your face! The expression of utter defeat!~ Now that your field is empty, and I haven't even entered my Battle Phase yet, I'll switch Mash Alter to Attack Position!"

[Mash Alter ATK 1000 → 1900]

Holding her face in both hands, Mash Alter let out a crazed smile.

"Hurry up and attack already. I can't hold back anymore! To pierce Senpai's body with this spear, to savor the sensation as I stir it around..."

"That's quite the explicit imagery. But go ahead, do as you like! Mash, attack!"

White Hoshino declared her attack, but instead of leading with her strongest, Karna Alter, she started with Mash Alter—because of the two set cards in Hoshino's back row.

"Well then, I won't hold back!!"

Following White Hoshino's command, Mash Alter shattered the black barrier beneath her feet, using the recoil to thrust her sharp spear forward.

"Quick-Play Spell Activate—[Heroic Spirit – Emergency Summoning]! When I have no monsters on my field, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Heroic Spirit' monster in Defense Position from my Deck!"

White Hoshino smirked, as if she had expected this. "I knew you'd have a defensive trap set up. But no matter what wall you summon, Mash will break through it!"

Hoshino swiftly placed a monster from her deck onto her duel disk. A figure appeared to block Mash's spear.

"I Special Summon in Defense Position—[Heroic Spirit – Saint George]!"

[Heroic Spirit – Saint George ★★★★(Level 4)][Light][Fairy/Effect][ATK 1000/DEF 1600]

"Apologies, George, but anyone who dares to stand between me and Senpai's 'intimate contact'... I will show no mercy!"

However, with Saint George's base Defense Points, and without activating his effect to raise his defense, he couldn't withstand Mash Alter's spear, now strengthened by the World's Evil.

"How disappointing. I thought you'd summon something a bit harder to deal with. This just means you wasted Saint George's sacrifice."

Mash's spear pierced effortlessly through the saint's heavy armor, and White Hoshino's expectant smile slowly faded.

"Your precious defense, which you worked so hard to set up, has now been broken. You won't get another chance. You have no way to stop the Karna Alter's attack now!"

[Karna Alter 4700]

"—Blackened Sun, Defy Death!!"

Black flames surged. The killing spear in Karna Alter's hands gathered enough energy to deliver a decisive, life-ending strike against Hoshino.

"Go, Karna! Deal the final blow and show me her face, crushed beneath absolute power!"

"...A crushed expression? Are you referring to me?"

A smirk Hoshino had been holding back finally crept onto her face. She had waited long enough for her moment to strike back.

On the battlefield, Mash Alter, who had just pierced Saint George, suddenly wore a complicated expression.

"You just said my Master made me die in vain, right? I don't see it that way..."

With blood-soaked hands, Saint George tightly grasped the spear embedded in his body. Despite always grumbling about being sacrificed in battle by Hoshino, this time, he stood by her with unwavering determination.

"Even though Master always orders me to take countless attacks—God, Dragons, Dark Magic—there's one thing she has never done. She has never let me die for nothing!"

With his last strength, Saint George pulled the spear from his body and once again raised his blessed holy sword.

"To sacrifice a saint's body to carve the path to victory... I now see it as my greatest honor! Take this—Ascalon!!"

In his final moment, Saint George swung his sword with all his might. But instead of attacking Mash Alter, the one who had struck him down, his target was the ominous black sun hovering in the sky—Karna Alter.

"Sir George, you truly embody the Saint! The brilliance of this holy sword shall pierce through the darkness!"

Hoshino raised a hand and flipped over her remaining set card.

"Now, let me show you the real reason I chose to summon Saint George! His final effect activates—"

[When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can target 1 monster on your opponent's field. Until the end of the next opponent's turn, that monster's Type becomes Dragon.]

"You are a dragon. That is your sin! Using Saint George's effect, I change your Karna Alter's Type to Dragon!"

[Karna Alter: Warrior-Type → Dragon-Type]

For the first time, White Hoshino furrowed her brows. Until now, she had predicted all of Hoshino's plays, including the use of Heroic Spirit – Emergency Summoning for defense.

As she had confidently stated—no one knew herself better than she did.

However, Hoshino summoning Saint George completely defied her calculations. She had even considered it a misplay at first.

"Using Saint George's death to change Karna's Type... No way... are you planning to—?"

"You thought I would just stick to my old, rigid dueling patterns? Don't underestimate me, Faker! I activate my set card—it's time for the comeback summon!"

As the holy light from Saint George's final strike shone across the battlefield, Hoshino slammed a card onto her duel disk.

"Every duel pushes me beyond my limits. Every desperate battle makes me stronger. That is my resolve as a Duelist!"

A new figure leaped over Hoshino's field, forcefully entering the battlefield.

The scene resembled the legendary war of the Holy Grail—

"The Lancer of the Red Faction... Even you have succumbed to darkness?"

Planting a massive fantasy greatsword before him, the card Hoshino had just played was none other than the dragon slayer—Siegfried.

"The wicked dragon shall fall! The darkness that spreads here today shall never defeat me!"

".…Saber?!"

Seeing Siegfried's familiar figure and the dazzling energy surging from his greatsword, Karna Alter's body froze mid-attack, as if a buried memory had been reignited.

"If I were alone, I probably wouldn't be able to defeat you. But this time, it's different! The sword that carries Saint George's will—I will respond with my full strength!"

Understanding his opponent's immense power, Siegfried did not let his guard down. His greatsword, now fully unleashed, radiated energy several times stronger than before.

"Full True Ether Release! Phantasmal Greatsword—Maximum Output!! Awaken from the golden dream! Be freed from the cradle!!"

Facing Siegfried's full-powered energy release, White Hoshino's expression filled with disbelief.

"Summoning Siegfried during my turn while the field was empty? Impossible. How could you pull off something like that?"

"Of course, it's possible! As long as the opponent is a Dragon!"

[This card can be Tribute Summoned by tributing one Dragon-Type monster on either player's field. In this case, this card's Type is also treated as a Dragon.]

Hoshino held up the Quick-Play Spell she had just activated, a triumphant grin on her face.

"With this Quick-Play Spell—[FGO The Stage]—I can turn the tables and Tribute Summon during your turn! …And you know, I've always wanted to see that expression on you, that 'getting wrecked' face!"

[FGO THE STAGE – Quick-Play Spell Effect: Tribute Summon 1 monster from your hand. If a [Heroic Spirit] monster is Tribute Summoned by this effect: You can target 1 or more [Heroic Spirit] monsters in your Graveyard that were used as Tribute for this Summon; return them to your hand.]

"Let the light and shadow that severs all things descend! The world is now at sunset!"

"By activating Siegfried's effect from my hand, I Tribute your Karna Alter, whose Type has been changed to Dragon, and Tribute Summon [Heroic Spirit—Siegfried]!"

"The Evil Dragon shall fall! Phantasmal Greatsword—Balmung!!!"

The ultimate radiance emitted from Siegfried's sword seemed capable of splitting the heavens apart. The brilliant light completely overshadowed the raging black flames of the darkened sun. Through Saint George's sacrifice, Siegfried ultimately triumphed over Karna Alter.

[This card gains ATK equal to twice the ATK of the Tributed Dragon-Type monster.]

[Heroic Spirit – Dragon-Blooded Knight Siegfried ★★★★★★ (Level 6)][EARTH][Warrior/Effect][ATK 0 → 9400/DEF 3000]

"Karna Alter has been vanquished! And thanks to FGO The Stage, I can retrieve Okita Souji from my GY, since I Tribute Summoned Siegfried!"

(Hoshino: "See, Okita? I do still love you!")

"…You actually thought of using Saint George and Siegfried as a combo? Summoning during my turn to counterattack? Fine, this round goes to you!"

Pouting in frustration, White Hoshino reluctantly ended her Battle Phase.

"But if you think just winning this round is enough to prove your strength, you're still too naive! Keep attacking, and try surpassing the strongest Alter if you dare!"

Inserting a card into her Duel Disk, White Hoshino ended her turn.

"I set one card and end my turn!"

[White Hoshino's: 1 Hand Card | 1 Set Card]

"Surpassing your strongest Alter? Siegfried is more than enough for that! My turn—Draw!"

As Hoshino drew her card, a familiar sensation tingled at her fingertips. A warm power began to spread through her hand.

"You've finally come, Illya… but it's not yet time for you to step in!"

"Instead, let's go straight for an attack on Mash Alter! Siegfried, attack!"

Mash Alter's effect prevented her from being destroyed by battle, but as long as she remained in Attack Position, she would still take battle damage.

And with Siegfried's ATK nearing 10,000, this overwhelming damage could end the Duel instantly.

[Siegfried ATK: 9400]

"I'm sorry, Mash… but for Master's victory, I must swing my sword against you!"

Once again, radiant light gathered upon Siegfried's greatsword as he took a determined stance, fully prepared to deliver the final blow.

Raising her lance, Mash Alter sneered.

"Don't keep apologizing, Siegfried. Look at me—I'm about to utterly destroy you, yet I don't feel even a shred of guilt!"

"What?!"

Siegfried immediately sensed something amiss. But before he could react, the boiling black mud beneath his feet surged upward, rapidly engulfing him.

"—At the moment you entered the Battle Phase, I activate my Set Trap Card: [Heroic Spirit — Holy Grail War]!"

[Heroic Spirit – Holy Grail War Trap Card Effect: During either player's Battle Phase: Target 1 "Heroic Spirit" monster you control; destroy all other cards on the field except the targeted monster.]

"I target Mash Alter and activate the Trap! Every other card on the field is destroyed!"

Mash drove her lance into the ground with force. The scorching black mud erupted like a tidal wave, engulfing the entire battlefield.

"This is the Unbreakable Spear—the ultimate, unavoidable strike! Take this and disappear, Siegfried!"

Her lance, infused with the essence of all the world's evil, pierced straight through the waves of darkness and struck Siegfried's Phantasmal Greatsword, shattering it along with him.

"Ugh… You did well, Mash. I never expected someone as timid as you to unleash such overwhelming power… all for your Master."

Mash's lance pierced straight through Siegfried's chest, emerging from his back. His weakness had been precisely targeted.

With a peaceful smile, Siegfried slowly closed his eyes.

"I suppose… this is as far as I go, Master. Thank you… for letting me have this fated duel against the Red Lancer one more time."

[Heroic Spirit – Siegfried Destroyed.]

White Hoshino revealed her Duel Disk's hidden zone and smirked.

"You said Siegfried could surpass an Alter? What a joke! Didn't he just get obliterated without any effort?"

"'Without any effort'—are you even listening to yourself?" Hoshino countered, pointing directly at White Hoshino's destroyed Field Spell.

"You were forced to destroy your own All the Evils of This World just to defeat my Siegfried. You're the one backed into a corner!"

[All the Evils of This World Destroyed.]

"If that was your trump card… then now it's my turn to reveal mine! Prepare yourself—witness the final defensive system of Chaldea, the power of a Magical Girl!"

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell—[Daily Life at the Beyond]!"

(*****)

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