Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!-Chapter 299 -

An overwhelming counterattack shattered Mai's Seal of Orichalcos, and with the sheer might of Ionioi Hetairoi, the battlefield was completely subdued.

The surrounding scenery gradually reverted from a barren desert to its original state, and the deafening sound of galloping hooves faded into silence. Valon exhaled deeply in relief.

"It seems the God's decision to brainwash and recruit Hoshino into Doma wasn't baseless. It's not just her absurd strength but also that ridiculous card, which completely nullifies The Seal of Orichalcos."

The Seal of Orichalcos revolved around swarming the field with monsters and boosting their strength collectively. But no matter how many monsters Mai summoned, Hoshino only needed to activate Ionioi Hetairoi to shatter the barrier and turn the tables effortlessly. The more monsters summoned, the stronger Ionioi Hetairoi became...

Realizing this, Valon couldn't help but shudder. Fortunately, not only was Hoshino fighting on Doma's side, but thanks to her breaking the Seal, neither of their souls had been taken.

As the Conqueror King trampled through the barrier, the glowing symbol on Mai's forehead faded away, and her demeanor gradually calmed. "Even with the power of the Orichalcos, I still can't beat you, Chiyuki?"

"Mai, you've already become really strong. Even without relying on the Orichalcos—"

Halfway through her sentence, Hoshino caught herself. She was technically still a member of Doma, and badmouthing the Orichalcos wouldn't sit well with them. Quickly, she changed her tune.

"Even with just your Phoenix Formation and Sparrow Formation, you're already incredibly formidable! You don't need to seek more power!"

Her praise was genuine. Those formations, paired with Harpie Ladies, had truly pushed them to their full potential and made the duel a tough challenge. Evaluating purely on skill...

[Duelist Level Assessment Complete: Duelist Mai Valentine, Level A+. Duplicate level rewards deducted. Issuing Saint Quartz: 25 pieces. Current Saint Quartz total: 25 pieces.]

"So she's reached the same A+ level as Pegasus, huh? At this rate, she could be the protagonist of another series." But Hoshino sighed, feeling let down. "The rewards are too stingy..."

Ordinarily, an A+ duel would grant 70 Saint Quartz, but since she had already dueled Mai before, she only received a fraction of that amount.

"At this rate, when am I ever going to gather enough Quartz to summon Mama Raikou back to Chaldea...?"

However, in the next moment, a system notification reignited her hope.

[Detected: Duelist No. 001, Hoshino Chiyuki, has defeated The Seal of Orichalcos. Issuing double Saint Quartz rewards. Remaining Saint Quartz: 95 pieces.]

"Double rewards?!" Hoshino's heart pounded as she did the math. "An A+ rank duel gives 70 Quartz, and doubled, that's 140! Even after deducting the previous 45, I still have 95 left!"

The sudden windfall nearly made her scream in joy, though the current atmosphere wasn't exactly appropriate for celebrating.

But realizing she was just 5 Quartz away from summoning Mama Raikou...

Noticing Hoshino's trembling shoulders and the barely contained grin on her face, Mai sighed deeply, turned on her heel, and walked away coldly. "I'm going to rest."

"Did I... make Mai mad again?" Hoshino muttered, frozen in place. She recalled their first duel—back then, her inability to hide her excitement over earning Saint Quartz had also seemed to hit a nerve.

History, it seemed, had repeated itself.

"Mai, about Jonouchi..." Watching Mai's cold silhouette fade into the distance, Valon sighed. Given her current state of mind, it didn't seem like she'd be giving up on him anytime soon.

The two exchanged helpless glances before Dartz shrugged. "Well, let's head back. If we hurry, we might catch the end of Rafael's duel with Yugi."

But Hoshino shook her head furiously. "I'd rather face Mai's icy stare than ride back on your bike."

That earlier motorcycle ride had completely drained her courage for another round. Besides, no matter how skilled Rafael was, Hoshino didn't believe he could defeat Yugi.

"Idiot, there's no way we'd make it back in time on a bike. We're taking..." Valon smirked mysteriously, pointing to the sky.

Just then, the sound of massive rotor blades approached.

"...a helicopter!"

(***)

Valley of the Kings

Leaning lazily against the helicopter window, Hoshino glanced down, relieved that—unlike Natsu from Fairy Tail—she wasn't prone to motion sickness. The noise was loud, but it was leagues better than Valon's reckless motorcycle ride.

"We're almost there!" Valon pointed ahead, where the familiar green glow of The Seal of Orichalcos shimmered in the distance.

"So they've activated a barrier... I guess it's inevitable if they're targeting Yugi's soul. That means after this duel, one of them—Yugi or Rafael—will lose their soul."

As the helicopter drew closer, Hoshino once again felt the oppressive, domineering energy of the dark seal. Although Rafael seemed like a good person, she could only hope Yugi wouldn't lose.

The helicopter's landing didn't interrupt the ongoing duel. Rafael merely spared them a brief glance before returning his focus, drawing a card from his Duel Disk.

"Let's head down and give Rafael some moral support!" Valon, satisfied that they had arrived just in time, gestured for Hoshino to follow before leaping decisively from the helicopter.

"Wait—" Hoshino stiffened, panicking. Even though she was technically undercover within Doma, her sudden reappearance—leaping from a helicopter alongside Doma's forces—was bound to be wildly misunderstood.

A sudden idea struck her as she noticed a military helmet left nearby.

"Alright... here goes!"

With some effort, Hoshino donned the oversized helmet. On her petite frame, it looked utterly ridiculous, with her long white hair spilling awkwardly from the ill-fitting headgear. The sight was undeniably amusing, yet it didn't hinder her movement. Most importantly, it concealed her identity while allowing her to observe the duel.

"Yo, Yugi! Long time no see!" Valon greeted with a casual salute, tapping his forehead with two fingers.

Yami Yugi's brow furrowed slightly. "Doma... It seems Rafael isn't the only one here."

Since the trio typically operated as a unit, Yugi instinctively glanced at the third figure descending from the helicopter. However, the petite frame and long white hair spilling out from the comically large helmet looked nothing like Alister.

His eyes narrowed in realization.

"...Hoshino?! Why are you here?"

"Wait, you recognized me?!"

Hoshino angrily tore off the utterly useless helmet from her head. "I can't believe I got recognized! All those times Superman became unrecognizable just by wearing glasses? Lies, all lies!"

Yugi's mouth twitched slightly. While he had identified Hoshino with ease, her sudden appearance was completely unexpected, and he couldn't make sense of her motives.

But as Hoshino removed the helmet, she noticed something even stranger—the faint green mark she had seen earlier was now etched onto Yugi's furrowed brow.

"Why is Yugi using the Seal of Orichalcos?!" Startled, she blurted out, her gaze shifting to the field, where Dark Magician Girl stood with the same Orichalcos symbol imprinted on her forehead.

Ending his turn, Rafael smugly answered her question. "So, the great Pharaoh of legend is only capable of this much—succumbing to the darkness by willingly using the magic card Exchange to place The Seal of Orichalcos into his own hands... and then playing it himself."

Hoshino still couldn't piece it together. "Giving him the Seal means losing the support of its immense power. Wouldn't that put you at a disadvantage, Rafael?"

Valon, wearing a slightly awkward expression, interjected, "Hoshino, even though we're both part of Doma, I gotta admit—Rafael's strength is leagues above mine or Alister's. He's never relied on the Seal to defeat his opponents. Instead, he focuses on listening to the voices of his Duel Spirits."

"The Seal of Orichalcos is something I can take or leave. But you, Pharaoh—you're different!" Rafael, having ended his turn, pointed dramatically at Yugi.

"The Legendary Dragons are fundamentally incompatible with the Orichalcos! By playing The Seal of Orichalcos, you've banished their power from the field. And the Legendary Dragons were the only thing I feared. Now, you have no chance of defeating me!"

As his turn began, Yugi's expression twisted into the same desperate craving for victory that Hoshino had just seen on Mai's face when she played the Seal. Even Yugi wasn't immune to its influence.

"My turn! Draw! Rafael, if you have time to preach, you should focus on your dwindling, flickering Life Points instead!"

[Rafael LP: 800]

[Yugi LP: 4000]

"With one more use of Catapult Turtle, your Life Points are done for!"

[Catapult Turtle★★★★★(Level 5)][WATER][Aqua/Effect][ATK 1000/DEF 2000]

[Effect: Once per turn: You can Tribute 1 monster; inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the Tributed monster's ATK on the field.]

"I'll tribute Dark Magician Girl to deal damage equal to half her ATK!"

[Dark Magician Girl ATK 2800]

[Orichalcos boost: +500, Bonus for Graveyard Magicians: +300]

The Dark Magician Girl turned to face her master, shock and disbelief written across her face, as though she couldn't believe Yugi would make such a decision.

"Wait, you're launching Dark Magician Girl? Isn't that a bit cruel, Yugi?" Hoshino exclaimed. To her, Dark Magician Girl was undoubtedly the No. 1 monster in terms of cuteness and charm. Using such a lovely creature as a projectile was too much to stomach.

"Let's finish this, Dark Magician Girl! We're just one step away from victory!" At Yugi's urging, the petite sorceress reluctantly stepped onto the firing platform of Catapult Turtle.

Her delicate feet scraped against the launch pad as the turtle's cannon activated, firing her diminutive form straight at Rafael. She transformed into a streak of energy, locking onto him with pinpoint precision.

"Yugi, by relying on Catapult Turtle to chip away at my Life Points over and over again... Have you not heard the cries of your Duel Monsters?" Rafael shouted, spreading his arms wide to meet the incoming attack. At the same time, he activated his set card.

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell [Shrink]! I target your Dark Magician Girl, halving her ATK! This also halves the damage I take!" (Anime Effect)

Even though her ATK was reduced, the sheer impact of the Seal-enhanced attack still struck Rafael, sending his massive frame stumbling backward.

[Rafael LP: 800 → 100]

"You're doomed now, Pharaoh!" Rafael, struggling to his feet, glanced at his remaining 100 LP and exhaled a long breath of relief.

Hoshino sensed disaster. "Yugi, you're setting up such an obvious death flag here—you're practically asking to lose!"

The battlefield grew increasingly grim as Yugi continued sacrificing his monsters with Catapult Turtle, leaving only the lone Catapult Turtle in Defense Position. The only small consolation was that his Life Points remained untouched.

Gritting his teeth, Yugi said, "As long as I draw a monster next turn, I can still win! Turn end!"

"There is no next turn, Pharaoh!" Rafael shouted as he drew his card, his voice brimming with confidence. "I activate the Equip Spell [Celestial Sword – Eatos]!"

Though Rafael activated an Equip Spell, the silver-white sacred sword didn't attach to any monster. Instead, it descended from the heavens and plunged into the rocky ground.

"This is the call of the Duel Spirits! I can hear their voices, and we will fight together! I activate the effect of [Guardian Eatos] in my hand! When Celestial Sword – Eatos is on my field, I can Special Summon this card!"

[Guardian Eatos★★★★★★★★(Level 8)][WIND][Fairy/Effect][ATK 2500/DEF 2000]

With an eagle headpiece adorning her, Guardian Eatos appeared on the field, grasping the sacred sword embedded in the earth.

"I activate Guardian Eatos' effect! By destroying Celestial Sword – Eatos, I can banish cards from the top of your Graveyard until a non-monster is revealed. For each monster banished, Guardian Eatos gains their combined ATK!"

Yugi's expression darkened. "Banish cards from my Graveyard until a non-monster is revealed?! This is bad!"

Rafael continued mercilessly. "Pharaoh, the sorrowful spirits of the monsters you sacrificed to Catapult Turtle will now empower my sacred sword and exact their vengeance!"

[Dark Magician Girl – Banished]

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[Dark Magician – Banished]

[Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast – Banished]

[Gaia The Fierce Knight – Banished]

"Guardian Eatos gains ATK equal to the combined ATK of the banished monsters!"

[Guardian Eatos ATK 2500 → 11400]

Rafael drew his final card. "It's over, Pharaoh! I activate the Spell Card [Stop Defense]! This forces your Catapult Turtle into Attack Position!"

[Catapult Turtle ATK 1000]

Infused with the anguished spirits of Yugi's monsters, the sacred sword came crashing down with devastating force, shattering Catapult Turtle and piercing Yugi's soul.

[Yugi LP: 4000 → 0]

Hoshino's crimson eyes trembled in disbelief. "No way... Yugi actually... lost."

(*****)

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