"Crush and conquer, Golden Lord!"

Riding forth on an undead warhorse that commanded the spirits of the dead, Eldlich—empowered by the effect of Conquistador of the Golden Land—rushed past Mahad at high speed, shattering him just as he was about to launch his attack. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

[Palladium Oracle Mahad destroyed]

Immediately afterward, the undead warhorse that destroyed Mahad remained on the field in Defense Position as a Trap Monster.

[Conquistador of the Golden Land DEF 1800]

"Now your attack comes to a halt." Tapping her lips lightly, Hela smiled. "I will not allow anyone to rampage freely within my domain of death—not even a king from the human world!"

"Your domain? The king of the land of the dead who commands undead beasts and chariots—don't get it wrong. The ground you stand on now… is our world!"

Pointing his card toward Hela, Atem—completely unfazed—continued the Battle Phase that should have already ended.

"In the name of Pharaoh Atem, I stake my dignity as a duelist and settle this with you here and now! Effect of Palladium Oracle Mahad!"

The lingering phantom of Mahad remained on the field, gripping his staff as he entrusted his final power.

"My King! This is the power of my soul—at this moment, let this radiance transform into a vision of darkness!"

[If this card is destroyed by battle or card effect: Special Summon 1 "Dark Magician" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.]

The fading golden light transformed into the form of dark magic. As Atem slammed down his ace card, the Dark Magician—bearing Mahad's very soul—materialized on the field.

"Come forth, my greatest servant—!!"

[Dark Magician ★★★★★★★ (Level 7)][DARK][Spellcaster][ATK 2500/DEF 2100]

"First Mahad, and now the Dark Magician!" Okita exclaimed, impressed by the seamless shift between light and darkness. "That's some full-power ace offense!"

"So you summon another monster through an effect?" Hela sneered. "But a Normal Monster with 2500 ATK no longer has the destructive power of Mahad."

After all, Mahad had relied on doubling his ATK against DARK monsters to overcome the 2500 ATK Dark Soul Token.

"Then watch closely—the Dark Magician's attack!"

Pointing at Conquistador of the Golden Land on Hela's field, Atem unleashed another barrage of black magic.

"—Dark Magic Attack!!"

A dark core fired from the Dark Magician's staff struck true, shattering the Trap Monster and sending it—along with the Trap Card itself—to the Graveyard.

"So you chose to destroy my Trap Card in the end. Yes… that was your only option," Hela said calmly.

On her and Marik's field remained monsters like the high-DEF Eldlich, the Dark Soul Token, and Zoma the Spirit—none of which were suitable targets for the Dark Magician's attack.

"But don't forget—my Golden Land Traps can still activate their effects even in the Graveyard. This level of follow-up attack is meaningless."

"I never said this was the end!"

Thanks to the reshuffle from Monster Recovery, Atem now held fresh options—including another Quick-Play Spell.

"—Activate Quick-Play Spell Secrets of Dark Magic!"

[Send Fusion Materials that include "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl" from your hand or field to the Graveyard; Fusion Summon that monster from your Extra Deck.]

"I send Dark Magician on my field and Heroic Spirit – Marie Antoinette to the Graveyard as Fusion Materials—Fusion Summon with the secrets of dark magic!"

"So you're fusing Dark Magician with a Heroic Spirit again?" Hoshino asked curiously. "By the way, how many times are you planning to attack in one Battle Phase?"

Since the Fusion Spell was activated during the Battle Phase, the newly summoned monster could still attack.

"Oh, I'm fusing with you, Mr. Dark Magician?" Marie blinked in surprise, then smiled brightly. "That's fine! If my power is needed, I'm happy to help!"

Bathed in the effect of Secrets of Dark Magic, Marie's form transformed, merging into a new, adorable magician.

"Let the inheritance of supreme magical power bind together and overcome this shattered predicament—Fusion Summon! The Dark Magicians!"

[The Dark Magicians ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][DARK][Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect][ATK 2800/DEF 2300]

["Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl" + 1 Spellcaster monster]

With Dark Magician as the core and Marie as the Spellcaster material, Atem summoned the fusion of master and apprentice.

"Let's fight together, Master!" The Dark Magician Girl adjusted her oversized hat, her expression resolute.

"Take this, Hela! The combined attack of the Dark Magician and his disciple!"

Locking onto the Jeanne-like Dark Soul Token, Atem launched yet another overwhelming magical assault with his now superior ATK.

"—Black Burning Magic!!"

After enduring multiple waves of attacks and defenses, spells and traps clashing back and forth, the Dark Soul Token was finally obliterated under the combined might of dual black magic.

[Dark Soul Token destroyed]

[Marik & Hela LP 1900 → 1600]

At the very moment the Dark Soul Token was destroyed, Marik flipped a card from his hand and Special Summoned another monster in Defense Position, taking its place.

"Effect of the monster in my hand—Guardian Slime!"

[When you take battle or effect damage: You can Special Summon this card from your hand.]

[Guardian Slime ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)][WATER][Aqua/Effect][ATK 0/DEF 0]

A massive Level 10 slime flowed onto the field. Though it had 0 ATK and DEF, a monster of that Level could not be judged by its stats alone.

"Although it let the opponent summon yet another new monster, we finally managed to destroy the saint's dark side—what a grueling ordeal."

Okita wiped the sweat from her brow. She had only declared a single attack and coughed up blood once, yet somehow she gave off the impression of someone who had been commanding the entire battle from start to finish.

And the feeling wasn't Okita's alone.

After Atem concluded his attack and brought the curtain down on a duel sequence that had felt as long as a century, the onlookers—including Hoshino—quietly let out a breath of relief.

"Continuous Spell activates—Spell Sanctuary!"

What surprised Hoshino even more, however, was that after the Battle Phase had ended and Main Phase 2 began, Atem activated this Continuous Spell.

As long as this card remained face-up on the field, both players could use Spell Cards from their hands as Quick-Play Spells—a complex card capable of single-handedly shifting the entire rhythm of a duel.

"Then the effect of The Dark Magicians activates—once per turn, this effect can be activated when a Spell or Trap effect is activated. Draw 1 card from your Deck!"

After replenishing his hand to three cards, Atem selected two cards from his Duel Disk and set them face-down.

"Finally, I set two cards, switch the Fuuma Token—which has yet to attack—into Defense Position, and end my turn!"

[Fuuma Token DEF 500]

Counting the card he had set at the start of his turn to maximize the value of Card of Sanctity, Atem now had a total of three set cards in his back row.

"My turn—draw!"

At the start of her turn, Hela immediately activated the effect of an undead monster resting in the Graveyard.

"—The effect of Eldlich the Golden Lord activates from the Graveyard!"

Last turn, Hela had Special Summoned the Golden Lord—the same Golden Lord that had been destroyed by Jeanne d'Arc—and it still remained in the Graveyard.

"Send the Continuous Trap Jam Defender from the field to the Graveyard, add Eldlich the Golden Lord to my hand, then Special Summon 1 Zombie monster from my hand with its ATK increased by 1000."

From Graveyard to hand, then from hand to the field—a seamless chain of actions that granted the second Golden Lord on the field an attack power surpassing Okita's.

[Eldlich the Golden Lord ATK 2500 → 3500]

"Next, Quick-Play Spell—Eldlixir of White Destiny! Special Summon 1 Zombie monster from the hand. The monster I choose to Special Summon in Attack Position is…"

Bony fingertips drew a card from her hand and placed it deliberately onto the Duel Disk. Beneath Hela's feet, the undead earth erupted with a harrowing wail that sent SAN values plummeting.

"Special Summoned in Attack Position—myself. That is to say, Hela, Generaider Boss of Doom!"

[Hela, Generaider Boss of Doom ★★★★★★★★★ (Level 9)][DARK][Zombie/Effect][ATK 800/DEF 2800]

"That old woman actually summoned herself!" Eve declared with the air of someone who had seen it coming all along, berating her: "Do you have any idea that a Duelist is not allowed to personally step into the ring and hit people?!"

"Silence, worthless shrine maiden. I am the supreme sovereign over all death and the dead. Every departed soul—every creature that exists within this undead world—shall kneel before me."

The wailing that echoed in her ears did nothing to disturb Hoshino's thoughts. Her focused eyes locked firmly onto the opponent.

"She's a Queen, but this old woman only has 800 ATK. Why choose to summon her in Attack Position?"

"Is now really the time to be worrying about something like that, girl who commands the power of demons?!"

Piercing through Hoshino's gaze and her thoughts, the Queen of Hel had already taken to calling her "the girl who commands the power of demons"—no doubt because she could Synchro Summon.

"To utterly annihilate that dangerous potential of yours. With my power, I shall casually summon forth a God!"

"You said you'd casually summon a God—stop joking. How could something like a God ever just be casually summoned?" Mokuba protested indignantly.

"I told you—upon this land of the realm of death, I am the absolute sovereign!"

Pointing toward the Slime summoned by Marik, the Queen of Hel poured the magic of the death realm into it.

"Even a creature as lowly as a Slime—if I so desire—can be made to transform into a God! I Tribute the Guardian Slime on the field…"

It boiled violently. After the death-realm magic was poured into it, the Slime bubbled and swelled, and—exactly as Hela had so arrogantly proclaimed—an aura approaching that of a God began to radiate from it.

"—Descend! Egyptian God Slime!"

[Egyptian God Slime ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)][WATER][Aqua/Fusion/Effect][ATK 3000/DEF 3000]

[Can be Special Summoned from the Extra Deck by Tributing 1 Level 10 Aqua monster with 0 ATK you control.]

[Cannot be destroyed by battle. Your opponent's monsters cannot target for attacks, and your opponent cannot target with card effects, any monsters you control, except "Egyptian God Slime".]

Deliberately fashioned in the image of a Giant Soldier of Stone, this Slime-turned-God possessed a barrier of protection far more terrifying than even Revival Jam.

"She actually just casually summoned a God?" Hoshino's eyes widened slightly. Though Eve's descriptions of the King's danger had long since grown into a callus in her ears, witnessing it firsthand still made it impossible not to feel shaken.

["As expected—old women are not to be trifled with. If she can create Gods on a whim, I wonder who would win between her and a true divine being like Scáthach-Skadi."]

"But doesn't this feel a little anticlimactic? It's a God, yes, but because it's a Slime's God, does that mean its ATK is only 3000?" Okita tilted her head and mused: "That's just about Blue-Eyes White Dragon tier."

Kaiba declared, "Blue-Eyes White Dragon is already on par with the Gods!"

"Is now really the time to be discussing this? The opponent already has two monsters with 3000 ATK or more on the field!" Eve said frantically.

On Hoshino's side, their highest-ATK monsters were Okita at 2900 (Weakness ×1) and The Dark Magicians at 2800.

"Do you comprehend the gravity of the situation now?! The Golden Lord's attack power is already more than your remaining Life Points can withstand!"

The Golden Lord entered the Battle Phase, forging a razor-sharp pillar of gold that could pierce through all things. It rose from the undead earth and surged forward, crashing toward The Dark Magicians.

"Yugi!" Urgently looking toward Atem—if Hoshino's guess was correct, the card Atem had deliberately kept in hand for exactly this kind of situation must be…

"Activating the effect of Kuriboh from the hand—"

[When an opponent's monster declares an attack: You can discard this card; you take no battle damage from that battle.]

"Thanks to Kuriboh's effect—negate the damage!"

[The Dark Magicians] destroyed

Using Kuriboh's body to absorb the impact of the golden explosion, Atem flung two cards from his Graveyard back onto the Duel Disk.

"And when The Dark Magicians is destroyed by battle—Special Summon 1 each of 'Dark Magician' and 'Dark Magician Girl' from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard!"