NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 287: Chapter 287
"Synchro Summon—[Heroic Spirit – Lostbelt King Qin Shi Huang]!"
A crystallized form of the ultimate cyber-spiritual technique, a "True Human"—an entity that embodies the pinnacle of symmetry and capability achievable by the human body.
A supreme creation of the Chinese Lostbelt's technology—an artificial immortal.
[Heroic Spirit – Lostbelt King Qin Shi Huang ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 12)]
[LIGHT] [Dragon/Synchro/Effect] [ATK 4000 / DEF 4000]
"To think you would dare challenge Me after feasting upon the sins of darkness… Such ignorance is beyond redemption." Wielding a radiant sword in his new form, Qin Shi Huang stood before the monstrous beast with an air of haughty confidence.
"The special effect of [Qin Shi Huang] activates!"
[①: When this card is successfully Synchro Summoned, activate 1 'The Great Wall' from your Deck or GY. Your opponent cannot activate card effects in response to this effect.]
There was no need to search—blinding light radiated from the deck as the emperor's chosen card emerged.
"Activate the Continuous Spell—[The Great Wall]! While this card remains on the field, Qin Shi Huang cannot be destroyed by battle, and no other monsters you control can be targeted for attacks or effects!"
An endless wall materialized, extending far beyond the boundaries of the space-time rift. Though only a fraction of its splendor could be summoned here, paired with Qin Shi Huang's commanding presence, its majesty overshadowed even the immense Great Maju Garzett.
"As long as My empire stands, so shall My throne. This is the Emperor's legacy—an immortal pride that endures as a wonder of the world!"
Paradox scoffed. "Do you think a mere wall can withstand the attacks of the Great Maju Garzett? It is as feeble as your dwindling life points." With a smirk, he placed his last card face-down. "I end my turn!"
[Paradox: 0 Hand Cards | 1 Set Card]
Qin Shi Huang's golden eyes glowed as he raised his hand. The Great Wall rumbled with power. "How bold of you to challenge the Emperor of All Under Heaven. Allow Me to entertain you a little longer—so that you may witness the true splendor of My empire."
"My turn! Draw!" Hoshino declared.
"I activate [The Great Wall]'s effect—once per turn, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower [Heroic Spirit] monster from my GY! The summoned monster gains 500 ATK and DEF!"
With a dramatic flourish, she retrieved a long-buried card from the graveyard.
"Special Summon—[Heroic Spirit – Traveling Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]!"
[Heroic Spirit – Traveling Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ★]
[LIGHT] [Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect] [ATK: 0 → 500 / DEF: 0 → 500]
Mozart materialized and gave a graceful bow. "If you'd like a song, I'm ready. A fitting piece for this duel's climax, perhaps?"
Hoshino grinned. "Oh? Then how about 'Passionate Duelist'? Activate [Mozart]'s effect—when the BGM is playing, I become unbeatable!"
[Once per turn, you can declare a Level and target 1 Synchro Monster you control; that monster's Level becomes the declared Level.]
"I'll target Qin Shi Huang and change its Level to 9! Now, I'll Synchro Summon using Mozart and Qin Shi Huang—tuning my Level 1 Tuner with my Level 9 Synchro Monster!"
The Evil God gasped. "You're using Qin Shi Huang as Synchro material?!"
Qin Shi Huang rose into the air as the Great Wall radiated divine light.
"Behold—the invincible army of Great Qin reborn in this moment!"
Hoshino thrust her final Synchro Monster into her Duel Disk.
"Let's go—Synchro Summon! [Heroic Spirit – Xiang Yu]!"
[Heroic Spirit – Xiang Yu ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)]
[WIND] [Machine/Synchro/Effect] [ATK 3000 / DEF 2500]
[Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner [Heroic Spirit] Synchro Monsters]
A towering war machine, rivaling even the Great Maju Garzett in size, emerged. Blades infused with radiant energy extended from its arms.
The tiny Evil God recoiled in fear. "What is that monstrosity?!"
Xiang Yu's deep voice resonated through the battlefield. "I am Xiang Yu. Your fate is sealed."
Qin Shi Huang's ethereal presence lingered, nodding in approval. "As expected of My finest general. You are ever reliable."
Paradox narrowed his eyes. "Why is Qin Shi Huang still on the field after being used as Synchro Material?"
Hoshino smirked. "Because of [The Great Wall]'s final effect!"
[You can banish this face-up card to Special Summon 1 [Qin Shi Huang] monster from your GY.]
The Great Wall faded away, and in its place stood Qin Shi Huang, regal as ever.
"This is the end, Paradox! [Xiang Yu]'s effect activates—it gains ATK equal to half the combined ATK of its Synchro materials! And it cannot be destroyed by battle!"
[Xiang Yu ATK: 3000 → 5250]
Hoshino pointed forward. "Xiang Yu, attack!"
Paradox sneered. "Heh… you can barely reach half the battle power of the Great Maju Garzett. A futile struggle."
"You can keep your worthless commentary! Xiang Yu, charge!"
A storm erupted as the colossal warrior surged forward.
Paradox roared. "Great Maju Garzett, counterattack!"
However, the fiendish beast did not move. Before Xiang Yu's sheer presence—like an unstoppable tidal wave—it felt, for the first time, the terror of impending destruction.
"Xiang Yu's effect activates! Any monster that battles this card has its effects negated until the end of the Battle Phase!"
[Great Maju Garzett ATK: 10,000 → 0]
Paradox's breath hitched. "… No… Impossible…!"
But his fingers twitched toward his final card.
"I activate my set Trap Card—[Storming Mirror Force]!"
[Storming Mirror Force - Trap Effect: When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Return all Attack Position monsters your opponent controls to the hand.]
A powerful storm surged forth, attempting to repel Xiang Yu's charge.
Paradox grinned. "Be blown away, back to the Extra Deck!"
But then, a calm yet absolute voice shattered his hopes.
"Cease your ugly resistance. Before the Emperor, all mysteries are but illusions."
[Once per turn, when your opponent activates a card effect: Negate the activation, and if you do, this card gains 500 ATK.]
With a mere flick of his hand, Qin Shi Huang unleashed a pulse of energy—annihilating the trap.
"Qin Shi Huang's effect negates Storming Mirror Force! And with it, Xiang Yu's attack will land!"
"NOOOOOO—!"
The impact was cataclysmic.
[Great Maju Garzett - Destroyed]
[Paradox LP: 1875 → 0]
[Duel Over. Winner: Hoshino Chiyuki!]
"You did it, girl! I knew you had it in you~ Didn't lose a single Life Point after the first turn—classic 'immortal defense' strategy in action!"
Hoshino put away her Duel Disk and faced Paradox head-on. "So, Paradox, the power that transcends three timelines has prevailed! Even if I can't prove which future is the right one, at the very least, I can refute your dream of reshaping the world!"
Paradox stood motionless, murmuring to himself, "I see… With power like this, I never stood a chance. You deliberately lost to me before because you already knew—the future was beyond saving."
Seeing him in a daze, Hoshino tilted her head. "Wait… did I break him? Is he completely out of it?"
The Evil God chuckled. "His belief has been shattered. The man before you now is little more than an empty shell—a dreamless husk, you might say~"
Paradox let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. "I've never truly defeated you. Even my final gamble with the future ended in complete failure. You really are something, Hoshino~"
"Paradox…"
"I give up. I won't interfere with the past anymore, nor do I have the strength to erase the history of Duel Monsters."
Spreading his arms wide, Paradox triggered the flow of the temporal tunnel, accelerating the currents of time. "I'll return to my era and stand amidst the ruins, waiting for the end of the world. And then…"
For the first time, an unfamiliar emotion surfaced in his gaze—hope.
"Then I'll wait with anticipation for the correct future you risked everything to create."
"The wasteland…" Hoshino recalled the vision she had seen through the Millennium Necklace when she crossed time using the three Egyptian God Cards.
"So, the man standing alone on the endless ruins, gazing into the distance with a duel disk—that was you, Paradox."
As she pieced the sequence of events together, realization struck her. Her journey and Paradox's simultaneous travel ten years into the future hadn't been a coincidence—it was guided.
But why had Ishizu given her the Millennium Necklace, leading her to such a distant future?
Hoshino pondered, but no immediate answer came to her. She decided to set it aside for now—perhaps Da Vinci would have some insight back in her own time.
"Huh? Paradox?"
Snapping out of her thoughts, Hoshino looked around. Paradox was gone. Only his still-running Duel Runner remained in the temporal tunnel.
The Evil God smirked knowingly. "Losing his dream allowed him to see the truth. Reality can be cruel like that. A man who has denied his very purpose… simply returns to where he belongs."
Paradox's sudden disappearance left Hoshino bewildered. "So, what now?"
"Well, he left this cool bike behind, didn't he?" The Evil God shrugged. "Our original plan was to steal it and return to our own time. Let's just stick to the plan."
Hoshino's era wasn't merely ten years before this timeline—the temporal tunnel Paradox created had caused her to cross not just time, but dimensions.
Returning to her rightful time required the use of Paradox's Duel Runner—the only means of traveling through time.
"But… but…" Hoshino hesitated.
"What's with the 'but'? Don't you want to go back?"
"I… I don't know how to ride a bike…"
Not even able to ride a bicycle, the idea of piloting a high-speed Duel Runner was utterly daunting.
The Evil God sighed. "..That's not the issue here. The important thing is figuring out how this thing works. Leave the driving to me—I picked up some skills in Hawaii back in the day~"
Hawaii? Since when do card spirits take vacations? What is this, Detective Conan?
The Evil God, now in her petite form, confidently climbed onto the Duel Runner—only to realize her legs were too short to reach the pedals.
"Pfft—" Hoshino barely managed to stifle a laugh.
"You just laughed, didn't you? You totally laughed!"
Embarrassed, the Evil God released a burst of dark energy, enveloping herself in its aura.
"If you dare mock me, I'll make you regret it!"
In the next moment, she transformed into a tall, elegant beauty with long legs and a striking figure. With a confident smirk, she swung one leg over the Duel Runner and settled into the seat with practiced ease. The black shorts she now wore accentuated her toned legs, exuding an effortless allure akin to a top-tier model.
The Evil God licked her fingertip seductively. "So? How about this? This is my true form~"
Isn't your true form just a ball?
Hoshino stared in shock. If the loli form had a subtle charm, this adult form radiated an overwhelming presence.
"What's the matter, girl? You were laughing just a moment ago." The Evil God leaned in closer, her teasing voice making Hoshino blush furiously.
"S-shut up…" Hoshino turned away, flustered. How was she losing her composure over a Duel Monster spirit—one whose true form was literally a sphere?
Desperate to regain her dignity, she quickly changed the subject. "A-anyway! Evil God-san, did you figure out how to operate this thing?"
The Evil God tapped the dashboard with confidence. "Got it all figured out the moment I touched it~" She then patted the seat behind her. "Hop on, girl. Let's go home~"
Hoshino hesitated for a moment before settling onto the Duel Runner, wrapping her arms around the Evil God's slender waist. A rare, content expression crossed her face.
"Evil God-san, can I ask you for a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Can you stay in this form from now on?"
"Ehehe, no chance~"
"Eh!Why?!"
---
Elsewhere—
"Master Dartz, we, the Doma, have obtained the Egyptian God Cards for you!"
Three figures, clad in strange robes, knelt on one knee before their leader. The one in the center held out three cards—the legendary Egyptian God Cards.
"The only regret is that our follower used The Seal of Orichalcos and still lost to the Nameless Pharaoh."
"It seems the Nameless Pharaoh's power is truly formidable," Dartz mused, his face obscured beneath a white cloak. "But no matter—as long as we have the Egyptian God Cards."
Accepting the cards, he placed them into the mouths of three massive serpents looming before him.
"The divine power of the Egyptian Gods should not be limited to reviving the Nameless Pharaoh's memories! Behold, my people's supreme deity—accept the power of these three gods and descend upon this world by opening the Forbidden Gate!"
(*****)
If you'd like to read 25 chapters ahead, please consider joining my Patreon: patreon.com/ANeet. Your support means a lot. Thank you!