"The lava… dried up just because Senpai's monster appeared?!"
Alexis looked down in surprise at the once-boiling magma, now black and solidified beneath her feet. The tension in her chest—thanks to Jaden repeatedly raising death flags—finally eased.
"At least now, even if the field sinks, it shouldn't be dangerous."
"Gilgamesh's effect: after destroying the Field Spell, I can equip as many 'Heroic Spirit' Equip Spells from my Deck as possible, ignoring all conditions. They're sent to the Graveyard at the end of the turn."
The radiant treasury of the King unfolded across the night sky. Hoshino pulled three Equip Spells from her Deck and slammed them onto her Duel Disk.
"Equip: Fou of the Sun (ATK +500), Angel of Death (ATK +1000), and Key of King's Law!"
[Key of King's Law – Equip Spell Effect: The equipped monster gains ATK/DEF equal to the number of Equip Spells on your field & in your GY × 500.]
Even though she could equip while ignoring requirements, Hoshino only carried three Equip Spells in her entire Deck—her deck core revolved around Magical Girls, so she kept the number of Equip cards low for consistency.
"And Gilgamesh gains ATK equal to 1000 points × the number of Equip Spells!"
[Gilgamesh ATK 6000]
Jaden gasped. "His attack shot straight up to 6000?!"
Alexis frowned slightly. "But that's still lower than Uria's 7000 ATK…"
"So this is your full strength, 'Duel King'? What a pathetic struggle."
Nightshroud grew more arrogant, his Sacred Beast looming triumphantly above them.
"You're only bold for now, creepy mask man."
Akasha—who understood Gilgamesh's true power better than anyone—spoke with absolute confidence, completely unfazed compared to Alexis's worry.
Hoshino raised her hand overhead. Golden trajectories—the lines of the King's Treasury—glimmered between her fingertips.
"This turn is your end, Uria! Activate Gilgamesh's effect!"
[During either Main Phase: send 1 Equip Spell equipped to this card to the GY; destroy 1 face-up card your opponent controls.]
"Since Fallen Paradise was sent to the GY, Uria no longer has protection from effect destruction! Do it, Gil!"
She sent Fou of the Sun from the field to the Graveyard.
A rain of Noble Phantasms fired from the Gate of Babylon, hammering down upon the massive Uria. Blades, spears, and halberds pierced its crimson body, drawing out an ear-splitting roar.
"Wail, mongrel! A fake Beast like you should consider being slain by the King a supreme honor!"
[Gilgamesh ATK 6000 → 4500]
[Uria, Lord of Searing Flames – Destroyed]
"Yes! Uria is down!" Jaden cheered. "And he still has ATK—enough to wipe out Nightshroud's Life Points—mpf!"
Alexis quickly clamped her hand over Jaden's big mouth. If she had a weapon, she might have knocked him out on the spot.
"Stop talking. Do you WANT to jinx us to death?!"
"But this time… this should REALLY be the end of Uria, right?" Akasha asked cautiously, staring at Uria's huge body skewered by countless weapons.
A cold laugh echoed.
"Impressive. Truly impressive. As expected of the Duel King."
Nightshroud's tone abruptly shifted—like an entirely different person had surfaced. The aura around him became even more chilling, even more corrupt.
Akasha shivered. "Why… why does his voice sound creepier than before?"
Hoshino narrowed her eyes. "So you're finally showing yourself, Nightshroud.
No… I should say—the coward hiding inside Atticus."
Ever since confirming Atticus was possessed, Hoshino had been looking for a way to force out the real Shadow Rider. She hadn't expected Gilgamesh's overwhelming pressure to draw him out so quickly.
Or perhaps Nightshroud realized hiding any longer was pointless.
"I was curious what strength the so-called 'King of the Academy' possessed… So this is his limit?"
The newly revealed persona glanced at the impaled Uria.
"Praise is due—reaching this level against a Sacred Beast with a human body is commendable. But what if I activate this card?"
He flipped one of his Set cards—a Quick-Play Spell. Earlier, Nightshroud couldn't use any Spell Cards at all due to Akasha's Silent Magician, but now, with The First Epic having banished all monsters, he finally had an opening.
"Quick-Play Spell—activate! Illusion Gate!"
A colossal demonic gate materialized behind Nightshroud, its swirling darkness ready to devour all living things.
Akasha's eyes widened. "Hoshino-nee, be careful! That's the same card Camula used to trap Professor Crowler!"
Nightshroud clutched his black mask and laughed wildly. Darkness surged from the gate, wrapping around the impaled Uria.
"HAHAHA! Offer your soul—this is the power of the Sacred Beasts!"
[Illusion Gate – Quick-Play Spell
Effect: Offer your soul to the Sacred Beast to activate. After activation, the loser of the Duel has their soul sacrificed to the Sacred Beast.
①: Destroy all monsters your opponent controls; then Special Summon 1 monster from your GY, ignoring its Summoning conditions.]
"By the power of the Gate, all your monsters are destroyed—and the Uria that you 'defeated' resurrects!"
[Uria, Lord of Searing Flames – ATK 7000]
"ROOOOAHHH!!"
Still pierced by countless weapons, the revived Uria roared in fury, empowered by the Gate's dark flames. Its pain dulled by rage, it gathered vengeful fire and unleashed it at Hoshino.
"Oh? A cornered beast finally manages a counterattack worth the King's notice?"
Gilgamesh's brow twitched. He still sounded arrogant, but even he recognized that the darkness within this spell was not something to take lightly.
"Heh. What's wrong, Gilgamesh? Can't handle even this level of counterattack? How disappointing."
The massive golden chains bound Uria's furious body, forcibly twisting the trajectory of its vengeance-fueled flames. The attack—empowered by Illusion Gate—was diverted and launched harmlessly into the distant sky.
Arms crossed, Gilgamesh smiled calmly.
"Heh. I simply foresaw that you would attempt something like this."
A white-robed figure—bearing Enkidu's form, yet distinguished by the purple glow in his eyes—raised his hand.
"That grating arrogance of yours… In that case, take this power head-on! — 'Mother, Sing for Me the Song of Creation!'"
The chains multiplied, blotting out the heavens as they completely suppressed Uria's counterattack. Having fulfilled his role, Kingu dissolved into particles of light.
Nightshroud trembled in disbelief.
"Impossible… The power of Illusion Gate was actually stopped?!"
"If you've resolved yourself to wager your soul to activate that card, then I won't hold back either!"
Drawing a Quick-Play Spell from her hand, Hoshino declared:
"—I send Child of Tiamat from my Deck to the GY to activate the Quick-Play Spell The Breath of the Stars!"
[The Breath of the Stars — Quick-Play Spell
①: Send 1 'Heroic Spirit – Enkidu' or 'Child of Tiamat' from your Deck to the GY; monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn.]
"Now it's time to destroy the revived Uria once more! Gilgamesh's effect—activate!"
The radiant Gate of Babylon reopened. A golden storm of Noble Phantasms descended like a shower of meteors, tearing through Uria's colossal body. The surrounding rock walls and the scorched earth shattered under the brutal barrage.
"I send the Equip Spell Angel of the Death to the GY—Uria is destroyed again!"
[Gilgamesh ATK 4500 → 2500]
[Uria, Lord of Searing Flames — destroyed]
"Blocked Illusion Gate… and destroyed Uria twice in one turn…" Jaden muttered in awe.
Compared to when Professor Crowler was tricked by the same card, Hoshino's outcome was the exact opposite—
A perfect victory.
Against such a vile dark card, she had given Nightshroud not even a sliver of advantage, despite him wagering his soul.
Alexis frowned.
"But after sending two Equip Spells to the GY, Gilgamesh's ATK is now lower than Nightshroud's remaining Life Points…"
If they couldn't finish him this turn, Uria would revive again next turn with even higher ATK. Meanwhile, Gilgamesh's own ATK would continue to drop—eventually unable to survive even a single strike.
"Even the power of Illusion Gate was stopped… I didn't expect that. However—"
Nightshroud flipped his final set card.
"However! Uria cannot be destroyed! Continuous Trap—activate: Hyper Blaze!"
[Hyper Blaze — Continuous Trap
Once per turn: You can discard 1 card; add to your hand or Special Summon 1 'Uria, Lord of Searing Flames' from your GY, ignoring its Summoning conditions.]
"You destroyed Uria twice—so what about a third time?! I discard my last card! Rise again, Uria!"
Even though its massive body was still impaled with countless blades and spears, Uria ignited once more, resurrected in a torrent of crimson flames.
"And because the discarded card was a Trap Card, Uria gains 1000 ATK!"
[Uria, Lord of Searing Flames — 8000 ATK]
Under the scorching heat of the Sacred Beast, sweat rolled down Akasha's golden hair.
"No matter how many times it's defeated, it revives—and its ATK keeps rising… Are the Sacred Beasts truly immortal?"
"You understand their terror at last? But it changes nothing. None of you can escape now."
Once Illusion Gate was activated, the loser's soul would be dragged into the abyss—there was no retreat.
Gazing at the dimming glow of the King's Treasury, Nightshroud sneered:
"Well? Will you discard your last Equip Spell to destroy Uria? Then Gilgamesh's ATK will drop to zero—and you'll be crushed instantly next turn!"
With Hyper Blaze on the field, Nightshroud didn't even need to draw a Trap—any card at all could revive Uria.
"Hahahahaha! Do you still have any Equip Spells left, 'Duel King'?!"
Gilgamesh's arm trembled faintly—but a mocking grin rose on his lips.
"To speak such irritating drivel… You truly underestimate the King."
"As you wish, Nightshroud!"
Hoshino drew the final Equip Spell from her Duel Disk and cast it into the GY.
"I send Key of the King's Law to the GY—destroy Uria!"
The last downpour of Noble Phantasms collapsed upon Uria. After being pierced for a third consecutive time, the beast's massive red body and the shattered walls behind it were buried beneath a forest of weapons, creating a battlefield of carnage.
[Uria, Lord of Searing Flames — destroyed]
[Gilgamesh ATK: 0]
"Hahahahaha! Finally gave in and discarded your last trump card!"
Seeing Gilgamesh's ATK drop to zero, Nightshroud erupted into manic laughter.
"Your treasury is empty! With no Equips left, Gilgamesh will be obliterated when Uria revives next turn!"
"Hahahaha—!"
—but Gilgamesh laughed with him, his echo deeper and far more menacing.
"Empty my treasury? That is the greatest joke this King has heard."
The golden circle of the Gate of Babylon shimmered again. The moment Key of the King's Law touched the GY, it twisted, reshaped, and reformed.
"All treasures under heaven and earth belong to this King. The concept of 'running out' does not exist."
Hoshino pressed her fingers to the Graveyard.
"There is no next turn! The moment Key of the King's Law was sent to the GY—it activated!"
[Key of the King's Law — Equip Spell
If this card is sent to the GY:
● Equip this card and 1 other Equip Spell in your GY to 1 'Gilgamesh' you control.]
Hoshino retrieved the two Equip Spells from the GY.
"It's checkmate! I re-equip Key of the King's Law and Fou to Gilgamesh!"
[Gilgamesh ATK: 0 → 4000]
The Key of the King's Law—vault key and final sword—sparkled like a divine decree.
"Unlock the vault of treasures. At the moment of judgment… let my Ea end the world!"
Even before the Battle Phase, the overwhelming force of the Sword of Rupture tore apart everything blocking the path to victory.
"It's over, Nightshroud! Gil—DIRECT ATTACK!"
Slashing open the void, returning to the void—the spatial shockwave obliterated Uria's ruined corpse and consumed Nightshroud entirely.
"—Enuma Elish!!"
"Aaaaaaaahhh!!"
[Nightshroud LP 3800 → 0]
[Duel Result: Victory — Hoshino & Akasha]