Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

"Fusion Summon! [Magical Girl – Medusa Miyu]!"

[Magical Girl – Medusa Miyu ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][DARK][Warrior/Fusion/Effect][ATK 2300/DEF 1000]

[Fusion Materials: Magical Girl – Miyu + Heroic Spirit – Medusa]

[This card is also treated as a [Heroic Spirit].]

"Another brand-new magical girl, huh?" The Slifer Red freshmen, witnessing such an unusual dueling style for the first time, were brimming with excitement.

"Wait, does this really count as a magical girl?"

The Miyu before them, astride a majestic white pegasus, wearing an eyepatch, and wielding an iron chain, looked less like a magical girl and more like…

"She looks more like an SM queen, especially with that sexy eyepatch…"

Smack!

Hearing this comment from the crowd, Miyu blushed furiously, ripped off her eyepatch, and flung it to the ground.

Sapphire, her staff, piped up in an indignant tone. "Miyu-sama, don't let the opinions of rabble bother you! Only those with pure hearts would see a magical girl for what she truly is! Master, for instance, would never think such impure thoughts!"

"Cough, cough!" Hoshino choked on her saliva and turned her head away, coughing violently. "Y-Yes! Transformation is merely a tool for battle. Now, Medusa Miyu, activate your effect!"

Recovering her composure, Miyu straightened herself on the pegasus, her expression now resolute. "Understood, Master! Noble Phantasm Deployment—Mystic Eyes of Petrification!"

Purple magic radiated from Miyu's eyes, rippling outward like an energy wave.

"Oh ma gawd! My set card! What's happening?!" Crowler shrieked, clutching his cheeks as his backup card, Magic Cylinder, began to turn to stone. In moments, the trap card solidified into an unyielding slab.

[When this card is Fusion Summoned, target one card on the field; that card cannot be activated or used for the rest of the turn.]

"Mamma mia! As expected from Signora Hoshino—truly a formidable opponent!" Crowler growled, angrily kicking the now-petrified trap card. Though merely a projection, it unnervingly felt solid.

Seizing the momentum, Hoshino extended her hand toward the battlefield. "Now that your scrap metal has no defenses, it's time to dismantle them! Miyu, attack!"

"With pleasure, Master! Noble Phantasm Deployment—" Astride her pegasus, Miyu charged forward like a streak of white light hurtling toward Crowler's Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon.

"—Bellerophon!"

The white pegasus collided violently with the mechanical beast, shattering it into pieces. Rusted gears and components clattered to the ground in a heap.

[Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon – destroyed]

[Crowler LP 4000 → 3900]

"You may have destroyed one of my ace monsters, but my Ancient Gear Golem is still standing strong!" Crowler declared, refusing to back down.

Hoshino plucked Medusa Miyu's card from her duel disk and sent it to the Graveyard. "Do you really think your metal can survive my turn? Miyu's effect, activate!"

[By sending this card from the field to the Graveyard or banishing it from the Graveyard: Target 1 "Magical Girl" monster on the field; it gains 1500 ATK until the end of this turn. This effect can also be activated during your opponent's turn, but only once per chain.]

"Miyu's sacrifice powers up [Fuuma Kotarou Illya] by 1500 ATK!"

"Let's fight together, Illya!" Miyu turned her pegasus mid-air, returning to Illya's side. "Here, take my power!"

Illya leapt onto the pegasus, effortlessly landing on its back. Her hands moved in rapid succession, forming intricate seals.

[Fuuma Kotarou Illya ATK: 2000 → 3500]

Ruby, the staff, chimed in dramatically. "Oh, how moving! The teamwork between magical girls is truly a sight to behold!"

"Shut up, Ruby!" Illya snapped, her hands completing the final seal. A fiery aura ignited around her, the air shimmering with heat as sparks flickered.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"

Hoshino blinked in disbelief. "Illya, where did you learn that jutsu?! I didn't know Kotarou's spirit origin came with iconic techniques!"

A massive fireball erupted from Illya's mouth, engulfing the Ancient Gear Golem in flames. The golem crumbled, its scorched remains collapsing onto the field.

[Ancient Gear Golem – destroyed]

[Crowler LP 3900 → 2600]

"Mamma mia! My ace monsters!" Crowler cried, staring in horror at the smoldering debris.

"It's over for you, Crowler!" Hoshino declared, reaching into her banished zone and retrieving a card.

"Using the effect of [Magical Girl - Miyu], banished earlier by Phantasmal Summoning…"

[If this card is banished as Fusion Material, it can be returned to your hand.]

She held up the card for all to see. "I activate Miyu's second effect! By discarding this card, I can return a Heroic Spirit Fusion Monster to the Extra Deck and immediately Fusion Summon another using at least one duplicate material!"

Crowler staggered back. "No! Don't tell me—!"

"That's right! This duel ends now!" Hoshino shouted, returning Fuuma Kotarou Illya to the Extra Deck. She slammed a new Fusion Monster card onto her Duel Disk with flair.

"By returning Kotarou Illya, I summon a new magical girl fused with Illya! Arise—[Magical Girl – Heracles Illya]!"

Drawing a class card from her thigh holster, Illya leapt from the pegasus and performed a mid-air summon. "Class Card: Berserker—Install Heracles!"

Bathed in light, Illya transformed. When she landed, her attire was wild and beastly, her petite frame wielding a battle axe far larger than she was.

[Magical Girl – Heracles Illya ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][EARTH][Warrior/Fusion/Effect][ATK 2800/DEF 1000]

"This… this doesn't even look like a magical girl anymore!" one Slifer student exclaimed, his disbelief echoed by the murmurs of the crowd.

Even Alexis, despite anticipating the outcome, couldn't hide her shock. "I thought Professor Crowler's strong opening would at least buy him some time. But he didn't even last a turn…"

Resting his chin on his hand, Chazz grumbled, "Tch, what a monster she is…"

Raising her Duel Disk, Hoshino gave her final command. "Illya, finish this! Direct attack!"

Illya grinned, her voice now feral, fitting of her Berserker form. "Got it, Master! Prepare yourself!"

With her colossal axe raised high, Illya brought it crashing down, obliterating the field beneath Crowler's feet.

[Crowler LP 2600 → 0]

"Mamma mia! Impossible—I lost in just one turn!" Crowler wailed in disbelief as the match ended.

[Duel End—Victory: Hoshino Chiyuki!]

"Thank you for the match, Professor Crowler~" Hoshino said with a polite smile, sliding her duel disk back into its case.

Crowler, still reeling from his crushing defeat, clutched his head in despair. "It's ova! I tole ya, I wanted ta get my dignity back, but now I been one-turn-killed! Dis is a total humiliation!"

"As per our agreement," Hoshino reminded him, her tone firm but not unkind, "if the 'Beast Wave' attacks again tonight, the students are absolutely forbidden from fighting."

The purpose of their duel had been to decide whether students would be allowed to join the defense effort against the rampaging Duel Monsters. Secretly, Hoshino had also wanted to toy with Crowler a little.

Crowler could only nod reluctantly, utterly defeated.

Satisfied, Hoshino turned to address the students who had gathered to watch. Her voice rang out across the arena, stern and commanding: "Listen up, you brats! If the Duel Monster rampage happens again tonight, stay in your dorms and tremble like scared little kittens! Anyone caught sneaking out will have their legs broken!"

"Is she serious?" Chazz muttered under his breath, staring at her in disbelief. "Without the power of hundreds of students, can they really hold the line?"

The memories of the previous night's battle still haunted him. Despite his pro-level dueling skills, he knew how terrifyingly overwhelming the "Beast Wave" had been. For most students—Obelisk Blue included—facing another onslaught like that could be catastrophic.

"Professor Hoshino will figure something out," Alexis said softly, her voice filled with quiet faith. She rested her chin in her hand, her expression weary but resolute. Like Chazz, she had endured the brutal fight, but her trust in Hoshino never wavered.

"If only I could become as mature and dependable as Professor Hoshino..." Alexis murmured, her gaze filled with admiration.

Chazz, hearing this, shuddered. "Think carefully before wishing to become like her, Alexis!"

For some reason, Hoshino was incredibly popular among the female students. Her maturity, charm, and unparalleled dueling skills made her a role model. Among the male students, however, she inspired a mix of awe and dread.

Hoshino's "disciplinary measures" were infamous. Random dorm inspections often resulted in the confiscation of limited-edition anime Blu-rays or rare game cartridges—items she claimed were "distractions" but clearly kept for herself. During dueling practice, her patience with female students was legendary, but her treatment of male opponents was ruthless. Even the academy's top student, Zane Truesdale, had suffered a humiliating loss against her.

Despite her often-questionable methods, Hoshino's dedication to the academy and its students was undeniable. Her strength and leadership had saved the school from countless crises, and if you asked anyone whether they loved or hated her, few would dare choose "hate."

.

..

...

"Ah~~ it turned out like this after all," Illya said with a sigh, materializing beside Hoshino as the students dispersed. Floating lazily, her expression was a mix of worry and exasperation.

"So, Master, if the 'Beast Wave' really does come tonight, what's your plan?"

Illya's tone betrayed her unease. As a teacher, Hoshino felt it was her responsibility to shield the students. However, Illya couldn't help but feel anxious about Hoshino's insistence on taking on such a dangerous task alone.

"After all," Illya continued, "since yesterday, you haven't been able to use any of your Heroic Spirit cards!"

This was the heart of the problem. Without her Heroic Spirit cards, Hoshino had lost access to some of her most powerful allies. Even Da Vinci, who had been investigating the cause of the rampages, had lost contact.

Thankfully, Illya and Miyu, as Magical Girl cards outside the Heroic Spirit system, could still be summoned and used for Phantasmal Summoning. But these two magical girls were now Hoshino's last line of defense.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it~" Hoshino replied cheerfully, brushing off the concern.

Illya's eye twitched. This was exactly the answer she had been dreading.

"Master!" Illya puffed out her cheeks indignantly, clearly wanting to complain but unsure where to start.

Hoshino, unfazed, looked up at the sky, her expression turning serious. "I have a feeling... tonight will be the final battle."

(***)

"Finally, Duel Academy!" Ryota exclaimed, stretching his arms as he let go of the boat's wheel, allowing it to drift on autopilot. "All those obstacles forced me to take a huge detour!"

The "obstacles" Ryota referred to were, of course, the Duel Monsters infesting the waters around the island. After countless evasive maneuvers and battles, what should have been a 30-minute journey had stretched to over an hour.

The one who had suffered the most, however, wasn't Ryota, nor was it Hoshino or Jonouchi. No, it was poor Musashi, who had been seasick from the start and now looked like a shadow of her former self.

"I can't… I can't go on. Master, are we at land yet…?" Musashi whimpered weakly, her voice barely audible.

"You can't give up now, Musashi-chan!" Hoshino grabbed her Servant's cheeks and shook them vigorously. "If you fall asleep now, you'll never wake up!"

"Master, I'm seasick, not stranded in the snowy mountains. Stop slapping me…" Musashi groaned, her cheeks reddened by Hoshino's "encouragement."

"Hey, I can see the island!" Jonouchi called from the bow, standing with one foot on the railing as he squinted into the distance.

Dropping Musashi unceremoniously, Hoshino hurried to join him. "So this is Duel Academy Island? It looks... wait, is that smoke?!"

The most striking feature of the island wasn't the massive academy building but the plume of smoke rising ominously from the top of its tallest volcano.

"Why on earth would anyone build a school next to an active volcano?!"

Jonouchi shrugged. "You'd have to ask Kaiba about that. Who knows what he was thinking when he established the academy here?"

As the boat approached, the island's details became clearer. The striking contrast of modern structures nestled within lush greenery painted a picture of harmony between civilization and nature.

"Hey, is someone sitting on the dock?" Hoshino asked, her sharp eyes spotting a blonde girl in a blue uniform sitting by the water's edge.

"Probably a student from the academy," Jonouchi guessed, though the figure was barely visible to him.

Hoshino tilted her head curiously. "Just a student? She looks... familiar for some reason."

(*****)

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