"Senpai and Akasha's teamwork—is that something they coordinated beforehand?"
Using her partner's monster's effect to retrieve a card from the Graveyard without Nightshroud even noticing, then boosting Silent Magician's ATK at the last possible moment for a lethal counterattack—their almost sly synergy left Alexis wondering.
Jaden shook his head. "I don't think they planned it. If it's Sensei and Akasha, this level of coordination is just normal."
"Normal? Do they practice tag-duels a lot?"
"No, no—I don't mean dueling. Since way back, Sensei and Akasha have always been in perfect sync."
With a finger on his chin, Jaden narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"Like when they eat together—they don't even need to speak. They'll just automatically pass each other the seasonings they need."
"Why does that sound less like good teamwork and more like… an old married couple?" Alexis muttered.
"And that's not all!" Jaden continued.
"You remember when that League of XX game was super popular? Even without voice chat, Sensei and Akasha could pull off perfect AD–Support combos."
"Wow, that's amazing!"
Alexis herself had been addicted to that game for a while. But since she only played Yasuo—and everyone kept calling her a 'solo-orphan'—she quit.
Still, if everything Jaden said was true, then the bond between Hoshino and Akasha was undeniably strong.
Jaden smiled.
"They've been together for a long time, after all. They've gone through a lot. Of course they'd have a connection only the two of them understand."
"They've been together… that long…"
Looking at the two of them fighting side-by-side, Alexis couldn't help but sigh.
"Honestly… I'm kind of jealous."
I thought I had already decided to give up. So why does it still bother me this much? If only… the one fighting beside Senpai right now was me.
"But is this really the time to be talking about that? That hit from Uria knocked off so many Life Points—we dropped a lot lower!"
Jaden could already feel heat licking at his legs—they'd taken another heavy step toward falling into the magma.
Judging from the distance, if they took another hit like before… they'd be scraping the death line.
"So you managed to turn things around and destroy Red-Eyes Black Dragon with that trick?" Nightshroud sneered. "It doesn't matter. As long as Uria exists, my victory is absolute!"
With the Battle Phase over, Nightshroud Set three cards in his backrow.
"I Set three cards. Now struggle all you like—at the mercy of the Sacred Beasts' power, and with your companions barely clinging to life! Turn end!"
"You're the one with barely any Life Points left—don't act so tough! My turn—draw!"
Akasha started her turn, glanced at Jaden and Alexis sinking dangerously close to the magma, and immediately slapped down a monster.
"I Summon in Attack Position—Heroic Spirit – Jeanne d'Arc Alter Santa Lily!"
[Jeanne d'Arc (Alter) Santa Lily★★★★(Level 4)][LIGHT][Fairy/Effect][ATK 1000/DEF 800]
Descending with shimmering holy-night radiance, Santa Lily touched down lightly onto Akasha's field.
"I remember—this one can restore Life Points!" Jaden said excitedly. Even a little recovery could push their platform away from the lava.
Santa Lily stuck out her tiny pink tongue mischievously.
"Sorry~ I didn't bring any Christmas presents this time."
"Santa Lily only restores LP when she's Special Summoned, so naughty kids like Jaden aren't getting anything," Akasha teased.
"But that doesn't matter. Since Hoshino-nee already shaved off 7000 LP in one shot—if I can't finish the last 1000, that'd be embarrassing."
With her kill declaration made, Akasha surprised everyone by setting all three cards in her hand face-down.
Nightshroud scoffed, "Setting Traps is pointless. Uria destroys them. Don't tell me you forgot?"
"Nope. Setting my entire hand is the straight flush that leads me to victory."
Akasha's confident grin widened.
"With zero cards in my hand, Silent Magician's ATK returns to its base value."
[Silent Magician ATK 2500 → 1000]
"Not only did you set a pile of useless Traps, you even lowered your own ATK? Looks like saving your companions isn't your priority."
Realizing her intention, Nightshroud laughed.
"Hahaha—so this is the fragility of your friendship?"
"Who said I set only Traps?"
According to the rules, Set Traps and Set Quick-Play Spells can't be activated this turn—
But Set Normal Spells can.
Akasha flipped over one of the freshly Set cards. The powers of Silent Magician and Santa Lily intertwined.
"—I activate the Spell Card 'Cross Attack'!"
[Cross Attack – Spell Effect: Target 2 face-up Attack Position monsters you control with the same ATK; this turn, one of them can attack your opponent directly and the other cannot attack.]
[Silent Magician ATK 1000]
[Jeanne d'Arc Alter Santa Lily ATK 1000]
"I finally got my pair—and now, with a straight flush backing them up, I'm taking this duel!"
Jaden's eyes widened. "So that's why—you set your entire hand to lower Silent Magician's ATK to match Santa Lily's!"
Alexis nodded, impressed.
"And once the condition is met, Cross Attack lets you ignore Uria's 4000 ATK and attack Darkness directly!"
"Exactly! The combined power of these magical girls will break through even Uria's! According to Cross Attack, Santa Lily can attack directly this turn!"
Santa Lily's silver lance decorated with Christmas ornaments crossed with Silent Magician's pure white staff—their joint attack amounted to only 1000 ATK, but it was still the final nail in the coffin.
[Nightshroud LP: 900]
"—On this holy night, let this wondrous, invincible, miracle-filled moment be crowned with 'Sing Elegantly—For This Holy Christmas!'"
The spiraling light pierced through Uria's massive body and struck Nightshroud directly.
"Did it… connect?!"
Jaden gripped the metal railing so tightly he was practically sticking his head through it.
"That was close! — Trap Card, activate: Destruction Potion!"
[Select 1 monster you control. Destroy it, and gain Life Points equal to its ATK.]
"I use my Trap Card's effect to destroy Uria, Lord of Searing Flames! I regain Life Points equal to Hamon's 4000 ATK!"
[Nightshroud LP: 900 → 4900 → 3900]
Uria's blazing body dissolved into a shield of protective flames, blocking the combined attack from Silent Magician and Jeanne d'Arc Alter Santa Lily before sinking back into the magma.
"So close—just a little more and it would've worked!" Jaden groaned.
"But this still kind of counts as beating Uria in a roundabout way, right?" Alexis consoled herself.
Because of Cross Attack, Silent Magician couldn't attack this turn. With all her cards set, Akasha carefully switched it to Defense Position.
"Finally, I switch Silent Magician to Defense Position. Turn end."
"So that was your final struggle? Then it's time to send you all into the magma hell below. My turn—draw!"
After drawing, Nightshroud immediately discarded a Trap from his hand.
"By Uria's effect, discarding a Trap lets me revive it—arise again!"
[Uria, Lord of Searing Flames ATK 6000]
For the third time, Uria burst forth from the erupting magma, stronger than ever. With two more Traps added to the Graveyard, its ATK surged even higher.
"To set your entire hand in front of Uria… after such a foolish move, you no longer have any chance of victory! Uria's effect!"
A wave of scorching fire swept across Akasha's backrow. One of the Set cards, identified as a Trap, was destroyed. The other—as expected—was the Quick-Play Spell she retrieved last turn: Phantasm Summon.
"Next, Fallen Paradise's effect lets me draw two cards. Then I Normal Summon in Attack Position—Gearfried the Red-Eyes Iron Knight!"
[Gearfried the Red-Eyes Iron Knight ★★★★(Level 4)][DARK][Warrior/Effect][ATK 1800/DEF 1600]
"And when Iron Knight is successfully Summoned, I can activate my Continuous Trap—Return of the Red-Eyes!"
He flipped one of his remaining Set cards, and the black-flamed dragon returned.
[If you control a 'Red-Eyes' monster: You can target 1 Normal Monster in your GY; Special Summon it.]
"By my Trap's effect—revive, Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
Alexis tensed.
"This is bad… with this many monsters and that much ATK, we can't block anything without a backrow."
"It's over for you!"
With his field assembled, Nightshroud immediately entered Battle Phase.
"Burn to ash in the flames of the Sacred Beast!!!"
Uria's 6000 ATK blast targeted Akasha's Jeanne d'Arc Alter Santa Lily—who only had 1000 ATK. If this hit, forget LP—Jaden and Alexis would feel what real hellfire was like.
"You fell for it again!"
Akasha flipped her last Set card, unable to hide her triumphant grin.
"Behold the power of divine light! Face-down Trap, activate—Mirror Force!"
The holy barrier manifested before Jeanne Lily, completely blocking Uria's massive attack and stunning everyone.
"Impossible!" Nightshroud roared.
"Your Set Traps were already destroyed by Uria's effect! There is no way this could happen!"
"Impossible? That just means you lack experience."
Akasha proudly presented the card in her hand.
"You think I'm new to playing Trap decks? A measly Uria, with a measly backrow destruction effect, won't stop me! The Trap you destroyed on purpose last turn was—this! Mirror Force Launcher!"
[If this Set card is destroyed by your opponent's effect and sent to the GY: Set this card and 1 'Mirror Force' from your hand, Deck, or GY to your field. A Mirror Force Set by this effect can be activated the turn it was Set.]
"The moment Mirror Force Launcher was destroyed, Mirror Force was immediately Set again to my backrow! Now—take back your precious sacred flames, tenfold!"
Mirror Force activated.
The barrier shielding Jeanne Lily absorbed the full force of Uria's inferno, amplified it, and hurled it back across Nightshroud's field.
With three simultaneous cries, the monsters that had been terrorizing them moments before were wiped out in a blaze of holy retribution.
[Uria, Lord of Searing Flames — Destroyed]
[Gearfried the Red-Eyes Iron Knight — Destroyed]
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon — Destroyed]
Nightshroud's field was obliterated.
"Did this girl… get even more scummy than before?"
Even Hoshino hadn't expected Akasha to pull a Mirror Force Launcher combo. Helplessly, she slid the Saint George she had been preparing to throw as backup right back into her hand.
Cu Chulainn: "You actually survived this time?!"
Saint George: "Life is full of surprises. Remaining quietly in the banished zone is fine by me."