Chapter 228 - 228

"Is this heat for real?" Feeling the intense flames burning on the field, beads of sweat rolled down Hoshino's cheeks. The sky was alive with swirling flames and lightning, as if a disaster were about to descend. "This… is impossible!" Kaiba was the first to break his composure. "There's no way projections could produce this level of heat!" You should have noticed this by now; there's nothing worth complaining about! Kaiba, always one to selectively forget, seemed to reset every time he faced something scientifically implausible. "I did it! I summoned the Winged Dragon of Ra!" Odion, almost oblivious to the searing flames at his feet, gazed up at the sky with excitement. "No, a replica God card just won't work!" Marik's mental state, however, only grew more chaotic, even after Odion successfully summoned Ra. "I can feel it—the wrath of the God descending!" Mokuba suddenly turned to Marik. "Did you say a replica card?! So that means he's using a fake card!" Then Mokuba remembered: when removing the counterfeit card data implanted by Yako in the Duel Disk's central system, there were a few card files that couldn't be read due to unreadable characters. He hadn't dealt with them at the time. "So those files really were replicas of the God cards!" Mokuba realized, understanding why the script was unreadable if the cards were indeed replicas of the God cards. Even Jonouchi could feel the intense heat. "You guys really dared to copy the Gods, huh? That takes some guts." "Run!" Marik shouted at the field, ignoring the others. "The wrath of the Winged Dragon is coming! Get out of there, Odion!" The Winged Dragon of Ra, its wings spread wide, let out a piercing cry as it soared through the flaming, lightning-filled sky. "It really is furious," Hoshino muttered, wiping sweat from her face as she looked up with difficulty. "Give up! If this continues, we're both in danger! These flames are way beyond the effects of virtual projection; if the temperature rises any further, this airship might be destroyed." "No, let's continue the duel, Hoshino!" Standing at the center of the flames, Odion, who should have been in the greatest danger, showed no intention of surrendering. "I'll bear the wrath of the God alone!" He tore off the dark cloak he had been wearing, revealing his upper body covered in intricate runes that extended from his face down his torso. "These markings carved in ancient script embody the tragic fate of the Tombkeeper. Each generation of the clan has to endure a harsh ritual, carving the Pharaoh's sacred texts onto their bodies and guarding them until death! Marik created the Rare Hunters to break this cycle!" As soon as he exposed the runes, the flames around Odion seemed to come alive, converging onto his marked body. "Hoshino, with your God cards, you're the greatest obstacle to Marik's plans, so I have to stop you here!" Enduring the searing pain of the divine flames, Odion raised his Duel Disk again. "So this is your resolve, huh." Hoshino's gaze shifted to a serious expression as she looked at Odion, cloaked in flames, with a touch of respect. "With a fighting spirit like that, it would be a disrespectful to retreat! Let's continue the duel!" "Then face the power of the Winged Dragon of Ra! Its effect: this card's ATK and DEF become the total ATK and DEF of the monsters sacrificed for its summoning!" [Winged Dragon of Ra ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)][DIVINE][Divine-Beast/Effect][ATK 7300/DEF 6300] "They're still going to continue?" Jonouchi couldn't believe they would continue dueling in this situation. "With an attack power of 7300, isn't it already stronger than Hoshino's monster?" seaʀᴄh thё Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Ra's power is not just about attack strength," Yugi said, frowning. "Because Ra is a God, it's unaffected by the effects of monsters below level 10. In other words, Hoshino's level-9 Mysterious Heroine X Alter won't be able to reduce Ra's level." Honda quickly understood. "Then Hoshino's monster won't be able to double its attack power!" "One hit will end this duel!" Odion decisively entered the Battle Phase. "Show your greatest power, Winged Dragon of Ra, and burn the opposing monster with the fury of the Sun God!" Following the command, the golden body of the Winged Dragon dived down, its massive wings carrying the flames and lightning from the clouds toward Hoshino's field. "Sorry for complaining about it being too cold earlier!" MHX stammered as Ra charged, muttering to herself in shock. "Compared to this, a bit of cold would be way better!" "Now's not the time to panic! Prepare for the counterattack, MHX Alter!" Hoshino urged sternly. MHX shook her head frantically. "Impossible! If you say to counterattack, Master, this thing is massive!" "Trust me; it'll be okay!" Hoshino pressed down on a set card in her Duel Disk, eyes fixed on the descending Winged Dragon. "This set card will protect you; everything depends on this moment!" "....Fine, I'm going in! Here I go!" Half giving in to desperation, MHX leapt, her glove striking the ground to propel her straight toward the flaming Winged Dragon. "Instant Shadowless Sword!!" "Now, activate the set Trap Card!" Odion countered with a shout. "It's useless! Trap cards don't affect—" "I know that already! You think this is my first time dealing with a God?" From beneath Hoshino, a card flipped up, releasing a gust of wind toward the flames in the sky. [Mature Gentleman Trap Card Effect: Target 1 [Heroic Spirit] monster you control. During the turn this card is activated, that monster cannot be destroyed by battle. Any battle damage you take this turn is halved.] MHX's small figure collided head-on with the enormous Winged Dragon. Her black hood caught fire instantly. "Ouch! Ouch! You're a liar, Master—I'll never forgive you!" Thanks to MHX's resistance to other card effects, Mature Gentleman's inability to destroy wouldn't affect her. Sorry, but Hoshino's a bit ruthless. MHX's figure gradually faded in the flames. "If you don't buy me ten strawberry Daifuku, I'll never forgive you!ヽ（≧□≦）ノ" [Mysterious Heroine X Alter] destroyed However, the effect directed at Hoshino was different; the gust of wind blew away the encroaching flames. "Because of the Trap Card's effect, I'll only take half the battle damage this turn!" [Hoshino Chiyuki LP 3400 → 1250] Odion was in awe of the girl's resilience. "To withstand the Winged Dragon's attack in such a situation…" "The Winged Dragon's power— is that all it's got? Don't embarrass yourself!" Standing in the dissipating flames, Hoshino's white hair flickered with lingering embers. "Now I'll show you what a true power of the Sun looks like!" Brushing the embers from her hair, Hoshino flipped over her final set card. "Activating the last set trap card—[Holy Maiden Leading Chaldea]!" The card activated from beneath Hoshino's feet, summoning three radiant figures from the graveyard. [Holy Maiden Leading Chaldea Trap Card Effect: If you take 2000 or more battle damage, you can activate this effect. Special Summon as many Level 6 or lower [Heroic Spirit] monsters from your GY to your field. Those monsters are banished during your next End Phase.] "Since I just took 2150 damage, the activation condition is met. Thanks to the Trap Card, I will Special Summon all Level 6 or lower Heroic Spirit monsters from my graveyard!" The three beams of light from the graveyard drove away the flames covering the field. [Heroic Spirit - Marie Antoinette] "Back on the field again~" [Heroic Spirit – Paracelsus von Hohenheim] "Need to wield the power of the Philosopher's Stone?" [Heroic Spirit - Artoria Pendragon Lily] "Master, did I just die to some unidentified AOE attack?" "Summoning low-level monsters in a situation like this—there's no way they can stand up to the Winged Dragon of Ra!" Odion, standing in the heart of the flames, began to burn and blister. Even his strong resolve couldn't entirely withstand the searing heat. "End turn!" Despite paying such a heavy price, Odion still couldn't utilize the full power of the Winged Dragon of Ra. At this point, if Hoshino wanted to, she could just stall for time, and Odion would probably pass out from the pain, ending the duel. "My turn, draw!" But Hoshino would never stoop to something that would insult a duelist's spirit. "I will defeat you in this turn, Odion!" "Bring it on!" Odion roared, his consciousness slowly peeling away from his body, driven only by his determination to duel—or perhaps, by his defiance of fate. "Thanks to Hohenheim's effect, I can also treat this card as Light attribute while it's on the field." Hoshino raised her Duel Disk, her fingers, now tinged with sparks, sweeping over the monster zones. As her fingers crossed over the three monster cards on the Duel Disk, they linked together in a radiant light. Marie, Hohenheim, and Saber Lily on Hoshino's field glowed with a soft, brilliant light. "Now, I have three Light attribute Heroic Spirit monsters on the field! I'll use their combined brilliance to defeat the sun!" Kaiba's eyes twitched slightly. "Combined?" "By using my three Light attribute Heroic Spirit monsters, I will Fusion Summon!" The three luminous Heroic Spirits gradually faded, leaving behind a dazzling light on the field. "Master of all things, ruler of the physical and spiritual realms, descend here through the guidance of the light!" The light condensed to a single point, becoming even more radiant. It rose into the sky, meeting the Winged Dragon of Ra. "A...sun?" Odion, dazed, thought he was hallucinating from the intense pain. But it was no illusion—the brilliance had ascended to rival the sun itself! "Fusion Summon!" Raising her right hand toward the sky, Hoshino pointed to her own sun above. "No way!" Her companions were dumbfounded by Hoshino's Heroic Spirit summoning, disbelief written across their faces. "Is something like this even possible?" Jonouchi rubbed his eyes, repeatedly confirming what he was seeing. Mokuba was equally shocked. "Can this really be happening?" Kaiba responded seriously, "If the Duel Disk acknowledges it, then it's a valid move!" Yugi agreed, "To pull off something like this—it really is typical of Hoshino, isn't it?" "HAHAHAHAHA! To be beaten and then re-summoned by you every time—such is the fate of your Master!" Amid the blazing radiance, Ozymandias reappeared. The monster originally under Odion's control, Ozymandias, had now been Fusion Summoned by Hoshino, leaving everyone astounded. "Though summoning Ozymandias this way is surprising, can it really defeat the Winged Dragon of Ra?" Akasha wondered aloud. "Hmph, this isn't the incomplete Ozy from earlier..." With pride, Hoshino pointed to the sky and declared loudly: "This is the true embodiment of the sun, the greatest Pharaoh, [Heroic Spirit – Ozymandias]!" [Heroic Spirit – Ozymandias ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)][LIGHT][Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect][ATK 3000/DEF 3000] [You can Special Summon this card (from your Extra Deck) by sending 3 LIGHT [Heroic Spirit] monsters with different names from your field to the GY (Fusion Spell is not required).] "This is how the true Ozymandias is meant to be summoned!" "I am the Sun, illuminating all things!" Ozymandias in the sky was a completely different presence from when he was on Odion's field. This radiance, comparable to the sun itself, was in no way inferior to the wrathful flames of the Winged Dragon. "Let my brilliance shine even brighter! With the Light of the Sun, burn all enemies to ashes!" "Activating Ozymandias's special effect!" [①: When this card is Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, you can activate 1 [Ramesseum Tentyris] from your hand or Deck.] "Mr. Rowick, the power you left behind will open the path to victory for me!" Whispering to the card as she placed it before her, Hoshino slapped it onto the Duel Disk with all her strength. "Destiny, resentment, sorrow! I shall crush through them all! Field Spell activated—[Ramesseum Tentyris]!" The colossal pyramid rising from the flames extinguished the fiery wrath, leaving only a majestic, otherworldly miracle behind. "This is the final blow, Ozymandias!" With the Field Spell in play, Hoshino issued her final attack command to Ozymandias in the sky. "O' Monument of the Sun... O' Pyramid which rules the universe!!" Amid Ozymandias's powerful chant, the massive pyramid rose from the earth, engulfing all the flames on the field as it surged toward the sky. "This is my trump card! Activating Ozymandias's ultimate effect!" [Ozymandias Effect: Discard 1 [Ramesseum Tentyris] from your hand or Field. Negate the effect of 1 face-up card on the field, then destroy it. If the destroyed card is a monster, inflict damage to your opponent equal to its original ATK.] "I'm sending the Field Spell [Ramesseum Tentyris] to the graveyard. This is the sun's final blow!" Suddenly, another gigantic pyramid appeared in the air. The twin pyramids converged, their massive weight combining to release devastating force. "—The Sun descends here… in our unlimited brilliance! Fall… Ramesseum Tentyris!!" The Winged Dragon of Ra, compressed by the enormous mass from above, let out a piercing, agonized wail. "One sun is enough—as long as that sun is me!" Ozymandias declared loudly, watching the Winged Dragon disintegrate into flames. "This world does not need two suns!" [The Winged Dragon of Ra] destroyed. "It's over. This duel, and your mission." Hoshino spoke softly as she put away her Duel Disk, looking at Odion, who lay unconscious in the fire. His towering figure was completely engulfed by the flames. Even in unconsciousness, his unyielding will kept him from falling. [Duel Ended.] [Winner: Hoshino Chiyuki] (*****) If you'd like to read 25 chapters ahead, please consider joining my Patreon: patreon.com/ANeet. Your support means a lot. Thank you!