"I'm adding this card to my hand! The strongest Evil God—The Wicked Avatar!"
Akasha jumped up excitedly. "Yes! Now this is a real fight!"
Sensing the looming crisis, Hoshino had already asked Hoshino Alter to go to Chaldea and bring back the Evil God Girl while she was still at Kaiba Corporation earlier that day.
What she hadn't expected was for her other self to slack off so much—dragging things out until now before finally retrieving the final trump card.
["I wasn't slacking off at all, okay! It's just that Da Vinci said the situation was a bit complicated… but for now, let's win this duel first, aibo!"]
"Girl, while I was gone, did you raise another cute Duel Spirit?"
Even before being summoned—merely from being drawn into Hoshino's hand—the questioning voice of the Evil God echoed beside her ear.
"Evil God-san… when you say 'cute Duel Spirit,' you're not talking about Uria, are you?"
"Well, who else? That red-haired girl is pretty adorable, right? I even heard she likes being subjected to violence by you, girl. That kind of masochistic personality fits you perfectly, don't you think?"
For some reason, the Evil God's tone sounded strangely sour—absolutely drenched in lemony jealousy.
"N-No, Evil God-san! Whether Uria counts as a Duel Spirit I 'adopted' is another matter. Right now, Uria's true body has already fused into the Chaos Phantasm, and it's an enemy!"
"Hehehe… an enemy, you say? Then that makes things easy."
The Evil God smiled seductively, her voice brimming with absolute confidence.
Kagemaru frowned deeply and said gravely, "To think you'd draw a God Card at a time like this!"
No monster could stand against the Chaos Phantasm—but what about a being that transcended Duel Monsters altogether… a legendary god?
"But to Tribute Summon a God Card, you need three monsters as sacrifices!"
Shaking his head, Kagemaru forced himself to analyze calmly. "You only have two monsters on the field right now. And you don't have any extra hand resources left to summon another one. Even if you drew a God Card, you can't use it!"
"True… earlier, it was only two monsters…"
A God Card may be powerful, but possessing one alone does not guarantee victory.
The power of a god will always depend on the duelist's heart.
Glancing at Saber Lily and Marie on her field, the flames of Honnō-ji gathered around Hoshino's Duel Disk.
"But at the start of my turn, the final monster has already descended!
Field Spell Card—Final Honnō-ji, activate its effect!"
[Final Honnō-ji – Field Spell Effect:
During your first Standby Phase after this card is activated, Special Summon 1 "Heroic Spirit – Oda Nobunaga" from your Deck or Graveyard.]
"The inferno that's been burning at Honnō-ji since last turn… was all for this moment!"
Hoshino pulled Oda Nobunaga's card from the Graveyard and slammed it onto the Duel Disk. The instant it touched the Monster Zone, laughter burst forth from the flames.
"Fifty years of life—gone in a dreamlike blink.
Within all the world, who can claim true immortality—!"
Having blocked an attack from the Chaos Phantasm and revived once more from the Graveyard, Nobunaga planted her sword into the ground with both hands to steady herself, laughing boldly.
"Sorry, Master—guess I said that line a bit too early before.
This time… this really is my final ripple!"
[Heroic Spirit – Oda Nobunaga ATK 3000]
"The three monsters on my field are complete! And thanks to the effect of the Spell Card The Golden Apple, I recover 2000 Life Points!"
[Hoshino LP: 100 → 2100]
"At this moment, the situation has completely reversed, Kagemaru!"
"Reversed?!" Kagemaru snapped, swinging his arm violently.
"Because of its own effect, Chaos Phantasm's ATK will increase again this turn! Even a god can't stand against that power!"
[Armityle the Chaos Phantasm ATK 10000 → 20000]
"If even this level of power can't be surpassed, can it really be called a god?!
Now—release the three Heroic Spirits on my field as sacrifices to the god!"
Holding The Wicked Avatar aloft, Hoshino stood amidst the flames, calling forth the strongest Evil God from the abyss of hell.
"—Now, I will tear apart this chaotic sky!
The strongest card that reigns over all Duel Monsters—manifest as a god here and now!
Tribute Summon—The Wicked Avatar!"
[The Wicked Avatar ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)][DIVINE][Divine/Effect][ATK: ? / DEF: ?]
"ROOOAAAR—!"
From the raging inferno, a roaring form emerged, taking on the jet-black shape of Armityle the Chaos Phantasm, standing sovereign upon the battlefield.
Minazuki asked in confusion, "Why is it black? Is this the god the Headmistress possesses?"
Akasha shot Minazuki an incredulous look, as if staring at a clueless idiot.
"You seriously don't know, Minazuki? This is the strongest Evil God in Hoshino-nee's hand! No matter what monster it is, nothing can defeat her head-on. More powerful than any Duel Monster—and all because of her effect!"
Pointing at the jet-black Chaos Phantasm on the field, Hoshino declared:
"The effect of The Wicked Avatar! As long as this card remains on the field, its ATK is always 1 point higher than the highest ATK of any other monster on the field!"
[The Wicked Avatar ATK 20001]
"ATK… one point higher?!"
Struck by the overwhelming aura of the Evil God, Kagemaru exclaimed in shock.
Although Kagemaru had studied plenty of duel data related to Hoshino, it only covered recent years.
And the duels where Hoshino publicly used The Wicked Avatar were extremely rare—only during Duel City against Marik, and the KC Grand Prix Finals against Yugi. In both cases, the card appeared only for an instant before deciding the duel.
As for the infamous Duel City Finals—once a massive nationwide event before being abruptly cut short and endlessly flamed online—that black history aside…
The KC Grand Prix, once the most successful semi-professional tournament, had no footage whatsoever of its final duel. For some undisclosed, top-secret reason, all recordings were erased—as if history itself had deliberately wiped away the process, leaving only the result.
Hoshino knew the true culprit behind that total media blackout: Elizabeth's earth-shaking shout during the broadcast, which elevated the moment into an Anti-World Noble Phantasm.
Who would dare keep footage like that and still value their life?
Because of this, surviving records regarding the Evil God were extremely scarce.
Within the blazing field, two nearly identical Chaos Phantasms roared at each other, neither willing to retreat even a single step.
"This is the strike that surpasses Armityle the Chaos Phantasm!
Attack—The Wicked Avatar!"
Entering the Battle Phase, neither the Chaos Phantasm nor the Evil God yielded. Hoshino and Kagemaru roared at each other as the peak of their duel collided beneath the chaotic, darkened sky.
"—Total Land Annihilation Reincarnation Wave!" ×2
Chaotic energy and divine energy clashed violently, tearing open the sky above. Like the heavens themselves being split apart, the firmament was cleaved in two at the point where the Chaos Phantasm and the Evil God collided.
"The sky… it's really been torn apart!"
Like a dream, the scene defied all common sense, leaving everyone present wondering whether they were even awake.
["It's suppressing it—the power of the Chaos Phantasm! At this rate, the chaos won't keep spreading and devouring this world!"]
Hoshino said grimly, "So even the Wicked Avatar can only suppress it? I really can't underestimate this Chaos Phantasm!"
"It's useless!" Kagemaru roared.
"Chaos Phantasm cannot be destroyed by battle! And since this card was summoned by Dimension Fusion Destruction, it inflicts no battle damage to me either! In other words—even if your ATK surpasses it, my Life Points won't drop by even a single point!"
Banner opened his eyes wide, unable to maintain his usual squint.
"Even this can't decide the duel, nya?! Just how far does this duel have to escalate?!"
"Then let's see which of us breaks first, Kagemaru!
Because Marie Antoinette was sent to the Graveyard as a Tribute, I can activate her effect and search 1 'Heroic Spirit' monster from my Deck!"
After completing the search, Hoshino lowered her Duel Disk and ended her turn. Even if victory couldn't be decided immediately, with The Wicked Avatar on the field, she no longer needed to fear the Chaos Phantasm's power.
"Searching for trash monsters at a time like this? Completely pointless!"
As Kagemaru began his turn, he drew his card without even glancing at it. At this point, ordinary Duel Monsters were no longer relevant—what stood before them now was a godly battle beyond dimensions.
"Chaos Phantasm's effect—its ATK rises once more!"
[Armityle the Chaos Phantasm ATK 20000 → 30000]
Its body, stitched together from the Three Sacred Beasts, expanded at an exponential rate every turn, swelling as if it would tear through the sky itself.
"Then The Wicked Avatar's effect activates—its ATK rises as well!"
[The Wicked Avatar ATK 20001 → 30001]
As the Chaos Phantasm's power expanded, the Wicked Avatar responded as if fueled by infinite energy, always maintaining an ATK just slightly higher.
At the same time, due to the Continuous Trap All-Out Attacks, all monsters in Attack Position were forced to attack, ensuring that the clash between Evil God and Chaos Phantasm never ceased for even a moment.
"Mamma mia… just what level of battle is this?!
If this keeps up, it feels like the academy itself is gonna collapse, yo!"
The increasingly violent tremors of the ground made even Crowler struggle to keep his footing. The two monsters before him had long since transcended the constraints of Duel Disk holograms—breaking through dimensional limits and physically colliding upon the surface of the planet itself.
"Turn end! It's your turn, Hoshino Chiyuki!"
"My turn—draw! And at the same time, the Field Spell Final Honnōji activates its effect—!"
[②: During your second Standby Phase after this card is activated, activate this effect. Destroy this card, then destroy all monsters on the field.]
"Collapse, Honnōji! Carry a thousand years of obsession with you and burn everything to ashes!"
The battlefield, burned to its very end, unleashed all of its remaining heat in its final moment. Like a nuclear detonation, the explosion thundered across heaven and earth, engulfing the two colossal forms of Armityle the Chaos Phantasm.
[Final Honnōji destroyed]
"It's useless! Because of the Continuous Spell Null-Vision Rashomon, the Chaos Phantasm is unaffected by other card effects!"
"And this kind of destruction is just as meaningless to a god! The Wicked Avatar itself is unaffected by other card effects!"
Even the explosion born from Honnōji's total release of energy failed to leave the slightest scratch on either colossal being. Bursting through the flames, the Wicked Avatar and the Chaos Phantasm continued tearing into each other without pause.
[Armityle the Chaos Phantasm ATK 30000 → 40000]
[The Wicked Avatar ATK 30001 → 40001]
"I set one card and end my turn! Your turn, Kagemaru!"
"My turn—draw!"
With no monsters capable of interfering in this clash, both Hoshino and Kagemaru tacitly chose not to summon anything further. Under forced Attack Position conditions, any monster placed on the field would be nothing more than instantly crushed fodder.
[Armityle the Chaos Phantasm ATK 40000 → 50000]
[The Wicked Avatar ATK 40001 → 50001]
"Their ATK… it's already surpassed fifty thousand!"
Even Zane—hailed as the king of the academy—could only stare in awe at a duel of this magnitude.
"So this is the Headmistress's true power… to fight even the strongest Sacred Beasts to this extent!"
Flipping open the card she had set the previous turn, Hoshino declared:
"But it's time to end this! Activate the set Continuous Trap—Papiyas, Demon King of the Sixth Heaven!"
[Papiyas, Demon King of the Sixth Heaven – Trap Effect:
① Once per turn: You can target 1 'Heroic Spirit' monster in your Graveyard; banish it.
② During each End Phase, both players take damage equal to the number of banished 'Heroic Spirit' monsters ×300.]
The flames reignited—this was the grand extermination barrier of the Sixth Heavenly Demon King, Oda Nobunaga, slayer of gods and Buddhas alike.
"I banish Oda Nobunaga from my Graveyard. Including Magical Girl Illya and Magical Girl Jeanne d'Illya, I now have three banished Heroic Spirits. Both of us will take 900 damage each turn!"
[Hoshino LP 2100]
[Kagemaru LP 1300]
Pointing directly at Kagemaru, Hoshino declared the finishing blow.
"Kagemaru—your remaining Life Points can't withstand two more burn cycles! When the next turn ends, this flame barrier will declare the duel's conclusion!"
"Tch… forcing your Life Points up using that Spell God-searching card!"
["Aibo, since when did you have a Spell that can search gods? I've never seen that before."]
Hoshino narrowed her eyes with a grin. "Neither have I—but I still drew it~ Right, Yugi?"
["Yugi?"]
"But you miscalculated one thing—you've dug your own grave, Hoshino Chiyuki!"
The shock on Kagemaru's face vanished instantly, replaced by manic delight.
"I activate the effect of the Continuous Spell Null-Vision Rashomon! I send this card to the Graveyard and recover Life Points equal to the ATK of Armityle the Chaos Phantasm on the field!"
[Kagemaru LP 1300 → 51300]
"Though losing this Continuous Spell means the Chaos Phantasm will no longer gain ATK, the life force accumulated within it has granted me true immortality!"
As his Life Points skyrocketed, the aged Kagemaru instantly reverted to his youthful, powerfully built form.
"Then I continue activating Null-Vision Rashomon's effect—returning the Three Sacred Beasts from my banished zone to the Graveyard, and once again recovering Life Points equal to Chaos Phantasm's ATK!"
[Kagemaru LP 51300 → 101300]
"Life Points… exceeding 100,000?! Impossible!"
The academy's students stared in disbelief, utterly unable to accept what they were witnessing.
"I can feel it—the energy of life condensed from heaven and earth! I am now an immortal being! Hahahahaha!"
Kagemaru's mad laughter echoed across the chaotic heavens. With over 100,000 Life Points, an "immortal body" had been forged, plunging everyone present into despair.
Jonouchi clenched his fists in frustration. "What kind of bullshit card is that?! Recovering 100,000 Life Points?! Damn it—after coming this far, victory was only one step away!"
"Turn end. Now then—according to the Continuous Trap's effect, burn our Life Points!"
[Kagemaru LP 101300 → 100400]
[Hoshino Chiyuki LP 2100 → 1200]
"At this rate, you'll die to your own trap. What a laughable irony, Hoshino Chiyuki!"
"This is bad… did I really get outplayed by that geezer at a moment like this…?"
At this point, Kagemaru's sudden recovery of over 100,000 Life Points was far beyond Hoshino's expectations. Ending the duel through direct damage was no longer feasible.
"So my only option now is to destroy the trap and stall for a few turns to think of something…"
"You can't afford to stall anymore, Hoshino-chan!"
"Da Vinci?"
Once again, the nostalgic, sweet voice of Da Vinci echoed from the Millennium Bracelet.
But her tone was deadly serious. "If this continues, the planet won't be able to withstand it. The collision between the endlessly expanding chaos power and the Evil God's power has already reached the limit of what the current Human Order can endure!"
"The limit of what Human Order can endure… could you put that more simply, Da Vinci?"
"Simply put—if the winner isn't decided this turn, the planet will be overturned and incinerated by the excessive erosion of chaotic darkness!"
Hoshino Alter shook her head frantically. "Decide it this turn?! That's impossible—he's got over 100,000 Life Points!"
"This is the final deadline. If you drag it out any longer, even if you win the duel in the end, it will be meaningless. You must settle this before the planet is completely consumed by chaos—one decisive strike!"
Hoshino forced a bitter smile. "Da Vinci… this might be the hardest trial you've ever given me."
Doo-doo-roo~
An adorably untimely sound rang from Hoshino's pocket.
"Who's calling me at a time like this? Don't they know how to read the room?"
Pulling out her phone, she saw the name she had personally saved:
'Smug Bastard Kaiba Seto'
"First Yugi, now Kaiba… did these two plan this together?"
Yet her instincts told her clearly—this call from Kaiba mattered.
She answered, and Kaiba's voice immediately came through.
"Everything's ready, Hoshino."
"Ready? Ready for what?"
(***)
Kaiba Entertainment Group — Top Floor
Standing at the highest point of Domino City, his coat billowing in the raging wind, Kaiba stared into the dark, chaotic sky and roared:
"The Xyz·Overlay Network is fully prepared! Now—break through this deadlock with this new power! Use the light of science to illuminate this dark world once more, Hoshino Chiyuki!"