Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

"The strongest God, The Winged Dragon of Ra! Though I'd love to summon it now and reduce you—and this world—to ashes, it seems I can't summon it this turn."

Even for someone like Marik, whose deck was meticulously designed to summon the Egyptian Gods, summoning two in the same turn was nearly impossible.

After placing a card face-down, Marik lowered his Duel Disk.

"I set one card and end my turn!"

[Marik's: 3 Hand Cards | 2 Set Cards]

"At the end of the turn, the effect of Saber Regalia Nero Claudius activates!" Hoshino declared. As Marik's turn ended, the golden armor adorning Nero gradually faded, reverting her outfit to her original red dress.

"This card is sent to the Graveyard at the end of the turn, and the Nero monster used as Fusion Material is Special Summoned."

[Heroic Spirit – Nero Claudius ★★★★★★ (Level 6)][FIRE][Warrior/Effect][ATK 2300/DEF 1900]

Looking at her hands, Nero sighed emotionally. "Umu, has the duration ended already? But I am satisfied—I bloomed like a beautiful firework, illuminating this world in all its brilliance."

"It's my turn! Draw!"

[Command Spell x2]

After drawing her card, Hoshino smirked arrogantly. "The Winged Dragon of Ra, huh? Then I'll return your words from the last turn back to you, Marik."

Marik froze in surprise. "!?"

"Your words were…" Mimicking Marik's exaggerated expressions and tone, Hoshino repeated with a grin, "Gahaha! Summoning a god? Forget it. You can't even withstand a single blow from my Obelisk!"

Her impression was laughable—far from capturing Marik's mannerisms, it only imitated the surface.

However, Marik trembled. "Obelisk?! Impossible!"

"Indeed, it's this impossible!" Hoshino exclaimed. Channeling Kaiba's dramatic energy, she slammed her card onto the Duel Disk.

"When it descends, a scorching gale will ravage the land, leaving the living as mere corpses! From my hand, I activate the Spell Card [Monster Reborn]! Revive, [Obelisk the Tormentor]!"

Responding to Hoshino's summon, the true form of Obelisk the Tormentor descended. Its menacing visage glared directly at Marik.

[Obelisk the Tormentor ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)][DIVINE][Divine-Beast/Effect][ATK 4000/DEF 4000]

"She actually summoned it..." At this moment, Marik's gaze toward Hoshino grew increasingly complex. The Egyptian God cards, said to respond only to those connected to the Millennium Items, now stood beside a seemingly ordinary girl.

"Next, I'll use one Command Spell to Special Summon [Heroic Spirit – Marie Antoinette] from the Graveyard. I activate her effect to add one Glory Counter to my field."

[Command Spell: 2 → 1]

[Glory Counter: 2 → 3]

[Heroic Spirit – Marie Antoinette ★★★★ (Level 4)][LIGHT][Spellcaster/Effect][ATK 1000/DEF 1400]

[Effect: When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, select one face-up monster on the field; that monster's battle position is changed.]

"Vive la France~" Marie cast her radiant love, forcing Marik's Phantom Skyblaster from Defense Position into Attack Position.

[Phantom Skyblaster ATK 1100]

Seeing Obelisk's overwhelming presence and Marik's now-exposed monster, Jonouchi jumped excitedly. "Go for it, Hoshino! Use Obelisk to finish him off in one move!"

"Exactly! Prepare yourself, Marik! Here comes Obelisk's attack—Fist of Destruction!"

The once-dominant wielder of the Egyptian Gods now commanded her own God. Following Hoshino's command, Obelisk raised its massive arm and brought it crashing down toward Marik's Phantom Skyblaster.

"Damn it! Activate Trap Card!" Marik reacted just in time.

"A Trap Card against a God won't work... Oh, never mind. It always does." Hoshino muttered, recalling every time a Trap Card somehow thwarted her God's attacks.

"Trap Card, [Waboku]!"

[Waboku Trap Card Effect: You take no battle damage this turn. Your monsters cannot be destroyed by battle this turn.]

Most defensive Traps don't work against Gods, but effects like Waboku, which target oneself or one's monsters, are exceptions.

This card was Marik's trump for battles involving Gods—a safeguard specifically designed for the finals of Battle City. The light-blue protective barrier absorbed the full force of Obelisk's devastating punch.

"What a shame, it was blocked!" Jonouchi lamented.

"Then, I summon [Heroic Spirit – Leonidas I] in Defense Position and add another Glory Counter!"

[Heroic Spirit – Leonidas I ★★★ (Level 3)][EARTH][Warrior/Effect][ATK 1400/DEF 1900]

[Glory Counter: 3 → 4]

"Lastly, I set two cards and end my turn! Since monsters summoned by Command Spells are destroyed at the end of the turn, Marie returns to the Graveyard, triggering her effect. I search my deck for one Heroic Spirit monster and add it to my hand."

Hoshino glanced at her deck briefly, then decisively chose a card—a monster capable of countering The Winged Dragon of Ra and Marik's synergies with the Egyptian Gods.

"The monster I'm adding to my hand is [Heroic Spirit – Scathach]!"

Jonouchi tilted his head. "Scathach? Is this another new Heroic Spirit monster?"

Kaiba shared Jonouchi's confusion. "Where does she keep getting these cards? It seems like the Heroic Spirit archetype is limitless."

Meanwhile, Hoshino's friends, who had experienced Duelist Kingdom with her, scratched their heads awkwardly. Even they couldn't explain where Hoshino obtained her cards—though some had witnessed it firsthand.

Especially Jonouchi, who had helped her pull a gacha himself, though he still didn't fully understand how it worked.

"Wait, why hasn't Obelisk disappeared?" Yugi suddenly noticed.

When summoned with Monster Reborn, Gods are supposed to last only one turn. Yet Obelisk stood tall like an unshakable guardian, resolutely protecting Hoshino.

"The effect of Monster Reborn should only last for one turn. Why hasn't Obelisk the Tormentor disappeared? She must have done something again, right?"

Kaiba glanced downward with a confident smirk. For the God Card that once fought by his side, he couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie.

"Huh? Why hasn't the god gone to the graveyard =_=?" Hoshino muttered.

Kaiba's confidence was immediately shattered as even Hoshino herself appeared baffled by the situation.

Initially, her plan was to use the revived Obelisk to deliver a finishing blow to Marik. Keeping Obelisk on the field for longer had never crossed her mind.

"Heh, why hasn't the god disappeared? Take a look at the surroundings!" Marik's eerie laughter echoed as he gestured toward the field.

Lightning crackled across the sky, and powerful winds whipped through the air. A dark, ominous backdrop was punctuated by three towering stone pillars emanating from the Field Spell – Mound of the Bound Creator.

Hoshino suddenly caught on. "Could it be the effect of Mound of the Bound Creator!?"

"That's correct! The field that binds the gods doesn't merely control fake gods. Once on this divine battlefield, a revived god cannot leave, even at the end of the turn!"

"Why does that sound like a totally made-up effect?" Hoshino shot a suspicious glare at Marik, who seemed all too pleased with his explanation.

"But why are you laughing? Clearly, this Field Spell's effect is working in my favor."

Since Mound of the Bound Creator ensured Obelisk wouldn't leave the field, Hoshino had no complaints about receiving a free God Card.

"Just Obelisk? Soon, the godly power of The Winged Dragon of Ra will show you what true despair looks like!"

Starting his turn, Marik didn't draw due to the lingering effect of Reckless Greed, though he appeared unfazed. Calmly, he activated one of his Set cards.

"Activating the Continuous Trap Card [Call of the Haunted]! I choose a monster from my Graveyard to Special Summon to my field!"

Hoshino raised an eyebrow, quickly countering, "Continuous Traps can't affect God Cards, so don't think you can revive your gods this way."

"Of course I know that!" Marik snapped, grinning as he retrieved a card from his Graveyard.

"The monster I'm reviving is [Ra's Disciple], sent to the Graveyard last turn by A Feather of the Phoenix!"

[Ra's Disciple★★★★ (Level 4)][LIGHT][Fairy/Effect][ATK 1100/DEF 600]

A humanoid figure clad in golden armor reminiscent of Ra materialized on the field.

"The moment Ra's Disciple is successfully Summoned, I activate its special effect!"

[When this card is Summoned: You can Special Summon up to 2 Ra's Disciple from your hand and/or Deck.]

Drawing two cards from his Deck, Marik placed them on the Duel Disk. "Special Summon, Ra's Disciple!"

Three identical golden figures now stood silently on his field.

Akasha's small mouth fell open. "With three disciples on the field, does this mean…"

"Hahahaha! Witness true power! By offering my three Ra's Disciple as Tributes…" Marik raised a card high, flames resembling the sun swirling around him.

"Great beast of the sky, please hear my cry. Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight! Envelope the desert with your glow and cast your rage upon my foe! Unlock your powers from deep within so that together we may win. Appear in the shadow game as I call your name: The Winged Dragon of Ra!"

[The Winged Dragon of Ra★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)][DIVINE][Divine-Beast/Effect][ATK ?/DEF ?]

Above the sacrificed disciples, a blazing sun-like orb manifested.

And why sun-like entity, you ask?

When the flames dissipated, a golden sphere floated ominously on the battlefield.

"Why did you summon a sphere too?!" Hoshino quipped, unable to resist sarcasm despite the tense atmosphere.

And why too, you ask?

"As the highest-ranked divine entity, even its initial form is awe-inspiring! Girl, this opponent won't be easy to deal with," declared of the Evil God, appearing suddenly behind Hoshino and wearing an exceptionally serious expression.

"So gods just like playing with balls?!" Hoshino groaned internally. During a prior duel, a terrifying Evil God had also appeared in orb form.

Marik smirked, his gaze fixed on the battlefield. "Don't rush, Hoshino. This is merely Ra's initial form, summoned without chanting the ancient incantation. It's completely different from that counterfeit version!"

"Initial form?" Hoshino frowned, recalling her battle against Odion. The fake Ra he had summoned had appeared in its fully-formed, dragon-like state.

Raising the Millennium Rod, Marik began to chant, "The Winged Dragon of Ra combines the power of its three sacrifices, but the god only obeys one who offers the ancient words to them!"

Even if Hoshino summoned Ra herself, the chant would allow Marik to reclaim its control.

As the chant reached its climax, the golden sphere began to shift, unfolding into the iconic, fearsome form of Ra. Its high-pitched roar sent searing flames cascading across the battlefield.

"Ra's first effect activates: its ATK becomes the sum of its three sacrifices!"

[The Winged Dragon of Ra ATK 3300]

Seeing the transformation, Anzu sighed in relief. "Looking at it this way, Ra's ATK isn't higher than Obelisk's after all!"

Clutching the Millennium Rod tighter, Marik smirked maliciously. "It's time to deliver despair, Hoshino. Let's hope you don't end up like Jonouchi!"

Yugi's eyes widened. "End up like Jonouchi?! Marik must be planning to…"

"Witness the power of the chant! When the time comes, Ra transforms into the Phoenix, and the chosen monster shall sleep forever beneath the earth!"

Suddenly, Ra's golden body was engulfed in flames, evolving into its fiery Phoenix form.

"Egyptian God Phoenix!"

(*****)

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