Chapter 44: Chapter 44
"What Hoshino thinking?" Yugi looked at the 0-attack Siegfried, or rather the 1000-attack Siegfried, puzzled. With the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon on the field, Siegfried's attack points increased to 1000, but this was still nothing compared to the 4500 attack points of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
[Siegfried ATK: 0 → 1000]
"Jonouchi..." Jonouchi remained silent, believing Hoshino must have a plan.
"Jonouchi!" Hoshino suddenly called out to Jonouchi, "Do you believe in the potential hidden within your cards?"
"Huh?" Jonouchi was taken aback by the question, but then he looked at the cards in his Duel Disk and smiled. "Of course! I'm here, standing in Duelist Kingdom, because I believe my cards can create miracles."
"Nice answer, Jonouchi!" Hoshino inserted a Spell Card into the slot, convinced that this card would bring victory. "Alone, I might not be able to defeat Seto Kaiba. But with our combined strength, we can create miracles!"
"Activate Spell Card, [Monster Reborn]! Special summon [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] from the graveyard!"
"Got it!" Understanding Hoshino's plan, Jonouchi retrieved [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] from the graveyard and placed it on the Duel Disk. "Go, Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
With a roar, the Red-Eyes Black Dragon reappeared on the field. However, no matter how intimidating its roar, it was powerless before the ultimate white dragon.
"What can summoning that black dragon accomplish now?" Kaiba sneered at the roaring dragon. "A monster that couldn't even defeat the Blue-Eyes White Dragon stands no chance against the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
"If the White Dragon brings victory, the Black Dragon brings potential. Now, I'll show you what 'potential' truly means," Hoshino declared, unfazed by Kaiba's contempt.
"Stop struggling like a clown. Look at your LP. The only outcome for you is defeat!" Kaiba roared, irritated by Hoshino's defiance.
"No, our fate will be different!" Hoshino inserted another card into the slot, ready to create a hero that had never existed. "Activate Spell Card, [Alternate Ending]!"
[Alternate Ending Spell Card Effect: Discard 1 [Heroic Spirit] monster and 1 Spell Card from your hand, then target 1 Spell Card in your or your opponent's graveyard. Add that card to your hand.]
"What are you doing?" Kaiba's eyes widened in shock at Hoshino's sudden move.
"I need a card that can create miracles." Hoshino smiled confidently, discarding two cards from his hand. "I discard [Heroic Spirit - Spartacus] and [Lord Camelot], and add your Spell Card [Polymerization] from your graveyard to my hand!"
"Polymerization!" Yugi finally understood Hoshino's actions. "If any card can turn the tide, it's definitely Polymerization."
"Fusion summon [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] and [Heroic Spirit - Siegfried]! Appear, new heroic spirit that never existed!" Hoshino wasn't sure what this Fusion would bring, but it was their only chance. The potential of the Black Dragon and the miracle of Fusion converged.
A massive energy vortex engulfed Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Siegfried, forming a pillar of dark light that pierced the sky.
"I believe in you, Siegfried." Hoshino was about to break the dimensional walls and merge entities that shouldn't coexist.
The dark pillar exploded, and a new heroic spirit emerged from the darkness.
"It worked!" Hoshino exclaimed, placing the newly formed card onto the Duel Disk and throwing it out. "Special summon the new monster, [Crimson Demon Dragon - Siegfried Alter]!"
[Crimson Demon Dragon - Siegfried Alter ★★★★★★★★★★ (10-star) Dark] [Dragon/Fusion/Effect] [ATK:3000 DEF:3000]
Siegfried, now adorned in black armor with a Red-Eyes Black Dragon helmet on his left shoulder, spread his dark wings and hovered above the ground.
"The dragon slayer has become the demon dragon!" Siegfried raised his sword, a cursed holy sword that transformed into either a demon or holy sword depending on the user.
"I am the strongest demon dragon soaring in the night sky. There's nothing to apologize for!"
"Siegfried..." Hoshino felt a surge of emotion seeing Siegfried's newfound confidence.
"See this, Seto Kaiba!" Jonouchi boasted, proud of the monster that resulted from the fusion of his Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Hoshino's Siegfried. "This is the potential the Black Dragon brings!"
"But its attack is still not higher than the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" Despite the immense pressure from the new monster, Kaiba still believed his Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon was the strongest.
"Activate [Crimson Demon Dragon - Siegfried Alter]'s special effect!" Hoshino commanded the new Siegfried, raising his right hand.
[This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Fusion Summon. ① This card gains ATK equal to the number of Dragon-Type monsters on the field and in the graveyards × 500.]
"There are 8 Dragon-Type monsters on the field and in the graveyards: [Heroic Spirit - Kiyohime], [Baby Dragon], [Red-Eyes Black Dragon], [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] ×3, [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], and [Crimson Demon Dragon - Siegfried Alter]. So Siegfried's attack increases by 4000 points!" As Hoshino named the Dragon-Type monsters present in this duel, the dark energy of Siegfried's sword intensified.
[Crimson Demon Dragon - Siegfried Alter ATK → 7000]
"Impossible! 7000 attack points?!" Kaiba gasped at the sight of Siegfried, now empowered with the souls of all the Dragon-Type monsters. "It's higher than the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
"The ultimate Blue-Eyes cannot surpass the ultimate demon dragon." Hoshino crossed his arms, having already sealed their victory. "Crimson Demon Dragon - Siegfried Alter, attack Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
"Killing dragons is as easy as eating or sleeping," Siegfried grinned evilly, raising his empowered sword. "Whether holy dragons or demon dragons, all will fall—Phantom Greatsword: Heaven's End!"
Siegfried, hovering above, unleashed the dark energy from his sword. The evil energy exploded on the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, disintegrating it in an instant.
Seto Kaiba LP → 100
"Activate [Crimson Demon Dragon - Siegfried Alter]'s effect!"
[② If this card destroys a Dragon-Type monster by battle, it can attack again.]
"Sorry, Seto Kaiba, but we're winning this duel!" Jonouchi exclaimed, thrilled by Siegfried's final effect.
"See this, Kaiba! This is the potential the Black Dragon brings!" Hoshino shouted as Siegfried's massive dark sword swung again, striking down the stunned Kaiba.
Seto Kaiba LP: 100 → 0
Seto Kaiba: "Aaaah!!"
With Siegfried Alter's sword strike, Kaiba's remaining LP was reduced to zero.
"Great, we won, Hoshino!" Jonouchi, overwhelmed with excitement, spread his arms and rushed towards Hoshino.
"Get away, you creepy guy!" Exhausted, Hoshino threw her Duel Disk into Jonouchi's face. Although Jonouchi was reliable during the duel, seeing his exaggerated expressions made it hard to approach him.
"Ouch... not even a victory hug?" Jonouchi's voice was muffled by the Duel Disk on his face.
"Hmph, I actually lost," Kaiba said to himself, almost as if mocking his own defeat.
"Kaiba..." Yugi was happy for Hoshino and Jonouchi's victory, but seeing Kaiba standing solemnly made him worried.
"Kaiba!" Hoshino shouted as she walked up to him, trying to snap him out of his daze.
"Hoshino Chiyuki?" Kaiba looked up, his eyes calm as he gazed at Hoshino.
"Kaiba, you're really strong. If I had challenged you alone today, I would have surely lost." Hoshino wasn't trying to console him; she was stating a fact. Without Jonouchi's help, she knew she couldn't have won against Kaiba under equal conditions.
"Oh? If you're trying to comfort me, save your effort." Kaiba looked down at Hoshino with his usual cold expression. "A loss is a loss. I don't make excuses."
"Good to know you understand. And you still plan to challenge Pegasus?" Jonouchi, removing the Duel Disk from his face, couldn't resist the opportunity to mock Kaiba.
"Jonouchi!" Anzu glared at Jonouchi for his insensitivity.
"What? I'm just stating the truth," Jonouchi said, still acting cocky in front of Kaiba.
"Hmph, amateur." Kaiba, surprisingly, allowed a smile to creep onto his face as he looked at Jonouchi. "Win or lose, I'm still going to face Pegasus."
"As I said, this duel was just a test for my newly developed Duel Disk system." Kaiba removed the Duel Disk from his arm and placed it back in its case, signaling for Jonouchi and Hoshino to return theirs as well. "The test revealed many flaws, and that was the duel's only purpose."
"Are you really going to confront Pegasus, Kaiba?" Hoshino quickly returned the heavy Duel Disk to Kaiba, glad to be rid of it.
"Hoshino Chiyuki, you're the strongest female duelist I've seen," Kaiba praised Hoshino without holding back. "But it's still not enough. If your goal is to defeat Pegasus, you don't stand a chance with your current strength."
Hoshino understood this well; she still had many cards to collect. Her current deck was just a mishmash of whatever she had managed to draw, so it wasn't strong enough yet.
"But you don't need to worry about that. I will personally take down Pegasus." After collecting the Duel Disks, Kaiba turned and walked towards Pegasus's castle, displaying his tall, imposing figure.
"Kaiba..." Yugi, sensing Kaiba's determination, did not try to stop him again.
Everyone watched silently as Kaiba's figure slowly disappeared into the night.
"Do you think Kaiba can really defeat Pegasus?" Jonouchi asked after Kaiba had vanished from sight.
"It's hard to say." Yugi couldn't predict the outcome. As the only one among them who had dueled Pegasus, Yugi knew well how terrifying Pegasus was. "Pegasus's Millennium Eye allows him to see everything his opponent thinks. Every card and strategy becomes transparent."
"Such a terrifying ability is really OP!" Jonouchi clenched his fist. Even as a beginner, he could grasp the immense advantage the Millennium Eye gave.
"That's why decks relying on strategy are at a disadvantage against Pegasus," Mai noted, looking at Yugi. Yugi's deck was known for its strategic depth.
"But Kaiba's deck is different. If mine is a strategy deck, then Kaiba's is a power deck." Understanding Mai's point, Yugi continued, "Kaiba's deck focuses on the sheer strength of his cards. He might be the most likely among us to defeat Pegasus."
"No, Kaiba can't win," Hoshino suddenly spoke up, breaking her silence. She didn't elaborate, but from her distant memories, she knew that Kaiba had never defeated Pegasus.
"Well, let's not dwell on such serious topics." Mai patted Hoshino on the shoulder. "Let's go eat. You must be hungry."
"Yeah, Kaiba's interruption almost made us forget about dinner." Prompted by Mai's reminder, Jonouchi felt a wave of hunger.
"Yes, let's eat!" Everyone agreed with Mai's suggestion, their tense expressions easing as they headed back to the camp.
"Pegasus and the Millennium Eye..." Hoshino thought to herself, trailing behind the group. "Can I really win in such an open-book duel?"
Reluctantly, Hoshino admitted that her victories often relied on the unique effects of her Heroic Spirit deck. Since no one had seen such a deck before, they couldn't prepare for it. But Pegasus was different. He could see through any strategy.
"Hmm! My current Heroic Spirit deck!" Hoshino realized something. "After all the duels tonight, I should have earned plenty of Saint Quartz. It's time to update my deck."
With that thought, Hoshino's frown turned into a smile. The series of events had made her forget about the system rewards. Defeating Bakura, the Dark Duelist, and Seto Kaiba should have earned her a lot of Saint Quartz.
"Tomorrow, when the new card pack is released, I'll draw until I'm broke!" Hoshino giggled to herself, dreaming of pulling powerful new cards.
"Open unread messages."
<Evaluation complete. Duelist Bakura, Duelist Level: C. Victory reward: 30 Saint Quartz. Current Saint Quartz: 30.>
<Evaluation complete. Duelist Dark Duelist, Duelist Level: B. Victory reward: 45 Saint Quartz. Current Saint Quartz: 75.>
<Evaluation complete. Duelist Seto Kaiba, Duelist Level: A. Victory reward: 60 Saint Quartz. Current Saint Quartz: 135.>
<A dark game victory detected. Reward: 1 SSR-exclusive charm.>
"I'm rich! I'm really rich now!" Hoshino's eyes would have turned into the shape of Saint Quartz if they could.
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