The Orichalcos, slain by the Shiki, the two fading Creator Gods, and the slowly dissipating Seal of Atlantis…
Everything before their eyes told the same story—this long battle had finally reached its end.
"Girl, catch meeeeee—!"
As countless spirits faded and departed, a small black figure gently floated down from the sky, crying out as she landed in Hoshino's arms.
Her soft, porcelain-like cheeks were tinged with a faint blush, and her delicate body felt nearly weightless—so light that even Hoshino could hold her with ease.
"Evil God-san? Why do you look so... droopy?"
The Wicked Avatar, weak and feeble, muttered, "Damn it... what a disgrace. To think I let Orichalcos take over my body... this is the greatest stain of my entire life. Girl, help a fellow out, share some energy with me..."
"Sorry, Evil God-san. If it's soul you need, I'm out too. You'll have to return to your card and wait for a bit."
Feeling her body utterly drained from the final battle, Hoshino apologized.
And not just Hoshino—everyone present had given everything they had. After all, losing meant total annihilation. No one wanted that fate.
"But at least we won, aibo! All our efforts weren't in vain—we won!"
Even in her exhaustion, Hoshino Alter couldn't hide the joy in her voice. The malicious presence of Orichalcos had vanished, and the world was finally beginning to return to normal.
With the Seal of Atlantis gone, Mana gazed down at the familiar royal city walls beneath her feet. The surreal sight made it hard to believe she had truly returned to her own world.
"We... really won, didn't we? That's wonderful. I did it too! Mana's now a real, grown-up mage!"
Atem nodded encouragingly. "Yes, Mana. You've worked very hard. I'm sure Mahad would be proud of you."
"Hehehe~" Mana let out a rare, bashful laugh at the straightforward praise.
"Hey hey hey! You lot! Don't act like everything's wrapped up in a happy ending just yet! I, the great one... am still alive!!"
"???" Hoshino's heart sank the moment she recognized that voice.
"Bakura? But how are you still alive? Zorc was destroyed!"
Standing at the edge of the royal city wall, Dark Bakura appeared before them. Though his voice carried the same arrogant tone, his tattered clothes and hollow eyes showed he was barely clinging to life.
"Damn it all... I can't believe that bastard Orichalcos tricked me and stole my power. Fuck!"
Cursing loudly, Dark Bakura had long since dropped his cold, mysterious persona.
"Even if Zorc's body was destroyed, as long as my soul remains, don't think you'll escape here that easily!"
"You bastard," Hoshino growled. "You lost and still won't accept defeat—now you're pulling something like this?"
Normally, Hoshino would have summoned a Servant to deliver righteous justice, but as the Evil God had said earlier, they were all completely drained after the battle.
"Step aside, Hoshino. I'll handle this."
Drawing a dagger from her waist, Marlene charged forward.
Hoshino Alter exclaimed in delight, "Marlene! That's right—since you can't summon spirits, you didn't use up your energy during the battle!"
"Sorry I wasn't much help earlier," Marlene replied, her black-clad figure gracefully closing the distance to Bakura in the blink of an eye. With a flash of her dagger, she slashed at his chest.
Yet Bakura didn't even flinch, let alone dodge.
The sharp blade sank into his chest—no blood spilled. Instead, a black mist, monstrous and unnatural, poured out.
"Woman, don't think killing the Thief King means you can finish me off the same way!"
Touching the gash, Bakura grinned darkly. "As part of Zorc, even without a physical body, attacks like that can't hurt me!"
"Tch. Another damn immortal."
Clicking her tongue, Marlene instantly leapt back. As if to test his claim, she flung her dagger mid-retreat—striking squarely in Bakura's forehead.
More black mist seeped out, thicker than before, but Bakura remained unfazed, pulling the dagger free and toying with it.
"So this is your final struggle, huh? Looks like Orichalcos, for all its meddling, actually did me a favor—by getting rid of all the dangerous variables—Hoshino!"
Sensing that Hoshino's soul had been completely drained, Bakura raised the dagger and pointed it at her.
Truth be told, if not for Orichalcos's interference, the power of Zorc alone would never have been enough to stand against Hoshino, who had awakened the full power of Atlantis.
"Hahaha! The process doesn't matter—the one who laughs last wins! No one can stop me now from carving a few beautiful marks into your face, Hoshino!"
Wearing a maniacal grin, Bakura advanced on Hoshino with the dagger raised high.
Swish—!
A card flew from Kaiba's hand, striking Bakura's knife-wielding hand dead-on.
"Hmph. I never noticed it before, Bakura—but you really are one sick bastard."
As a fellow classmate of Bakura and Yugi, Kaiba had some familiarity with him—though mostly with the meek surface personality.
"Kaiba, don't be in such a rush," Bakura snarled. "Once I deal with Hoshino, you're next!"
Despite the card embedded in his hand, Bakura didn't drop the dagger—this false body, born of Zorc's remnants, probably didn't even feel pain.
And Kaiba wasn't the only one. Atem and the priests stepped forward too, forming a protective wall in front of Hoshino.
"I won't let you harm Hoshino, Bakura! In the name of the Pharaoh, you are now an enemy of this kingdom—and you stand no chance of victory!"
At Atem's command, the Egyptian archers—who had long since taken aim—released their bowstrings. A storm of cold arrows tore through Bakura's body.
"Muda muda muda! I already told you—attacks like this can't hurt me! Today, every last one of you will die here!"
Dark energy expelled the arrows from his body as Bakura grew even more arrogant before Hoshino and the others, who could no longer rely on their drained spirit powers.
"If normal attacks won't work, then try this instead, Bakura!"
From behind her companions, Hoshino suddenly darted forward during a brief moment of distraction and charged straight at Bakura. Pulling out a strange bundle wrapped in papyrus from her pocket, she hurled it directly at his face.
Bakura was momentarily stunned by Hoshino's reckless move. Just moments ago, she had been shielded safely behind her allies—yet now she lunged forward as if offering her neck to his blade.
"Another useless attack, huh… Ugh!"
Bakura didn't even bother dodging, assuming it was a meaningless projectile. But the papyrus burst open upon impact, releasing a deep black powder that instantly distorted his expression. His eyes widened in disbelief as he froze in agony.
"I-It worked?! Hoshino, what did you just throw at him?!" Mana gasped in shock.
After knives and arrows had failed entirely, Hoshino's secret weapon had turned the tables. Bakura's face twisted, his movements stalled, and for the first time he looked vulnerable.
"That was your egg dish, Mana… the one you made earlier."
That dish had radiated such a wave of curses that it corroded spoons. Unable to stomach it, Hoshino had sealed it in papyrus and secretly carried it in her pocket ever since.
(This stuff might actually make a great weapon…)
In a world of cold weapons, such a potent chemical weapon was practically divine intervention.
"EH?! MY COOKING?!"
Mana's face flushed crimson with embarrassment.
To have her cooking used as a weapon in front of everyone—it was pure humiliation. She wanted to dig a hole and hide forever.
"That's so mean, Hoshino! 〒▽〒"
"Ugh! Damn it, I'm gonna puke!"
Even though his false body couldn't truly feel pain, the inhaled black powder triggered Bakura's instincts. He gagged violently, stumbling back as if about to topple off the edge of the city wall.
"Damn it! What kind of abomination was that?! You dare mock me?! I'll make you all suffer a horrible death!"
"No, Bakura! If anyone's dying here—it's going to be you, and you alone!"
Hoshino suddenly rushed forward and did something that left everyone frozen in shock.
With every ounce of strength, she slammed into Bakura and tackled him off the castle wall—her own body pulled down with his by sheer force.
"Hoshino!!"
"AIBO!!"
No one had imagined it would end this way.
From such a height—nearly 50 meters—a normal body would be crushed beyond recognition.
"You're insane, woman!"
Plummeting with her, Bakura roared. "You think you can stop me like this?! Trying to drag an immortal into death with you—dream on!"
"No, Bakura!"
Her white bangs and long hair whipped wildly in the wind as she fell, but Hoshino's crimson eyes shone with unshakable resolve.
"Let me send you back myself—with one final move! This is my last card in this game!"
She ripped a card from her duel disk and, resisting the rushing air, slammed it into her backfield zone.
"—Trap Card! Exchange of the Spirit! Time to return to the afterlife where you belong, Zorc's rotten soul!!"
This was the trap card Hoshino had taken from Ishizu during Battle City. It could invert the flow of power between the real world and the underworld.
Reality and the underworld twisted, warping the space around them as they plummeted. Just before they hit the ground, both were pulled into the realm of the dead.
In an instant, Hoshino and Bakura vanished from ancient Egypt, 3,000 years in the past.
[GAME OVER!]
The signal that the ultimate Shadow Game had ended. With Bakura—the vessel of Zorc's remaining soul—gone, the victory condition was complete. Atem, Kaiba, and Hoshino Alter's bodies began to fade away as the memory world dissolved.
Staring down at the spot where Hoshino and Bakura had vanished, Hoshino Alter whispered:
"Aibo… why? Why did you have to fall into the underworld with someone like him?"
"So this is how it ends?" Kaiba muttered, watching his own hand turn transparent as conflicting emotions churned inside.
Clenching his fist and striking the wall, Atem's voice carried regret:
"If it meant Hoshino had to fall into the underworld… then I'd rather not have had this victory at all!"
But no matter how unwilling they were, the Shadow Game was over, and they could no longer remain in the world of memory.
(***)
In the Underworld—
"Oww, oww, oww!"
Hoshino groaned, rubbing her sore backside as she sat atop a pile of bones, glancing around the dim surroundings.
"A world without sunlight… littered with bones… This must be the Underworld."
"HOSHINO!!"
Bakura's furious voice bellowed behind her.
"Again and again—you ruined my victory! I broke free from the Underworld's chains, and now you've dragged me back here?!"
Hoshino casually picked up a nearby bone and tossed it at him. "People are the same everywhere—no matter how far they wander, they still get homesick. You're welcome for the free ride. Don't forget to reimburse the travel fee."
Infuriated by her flippancy, Bakura charged at her.
"Don't think just because you dragged me here, you'll escape! In my domain, I'll show you a hell where you'll beg for death!"
But halfway through his rush, Bakura stumbled—and collapsed face-first before her.
Looking down, he was horrified to find his right leg cleanly severed.
"This… this is my domain! How—?!"
From the shadows, a golden-haired girl stepped forward. Even in the dim gloom, her beauty shone radiantly.
She leveled a long spear directly at him and declared:
"This Underworld now belongs to me!"