Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!-Chapter 317

"Aaaaaahhh!!"

The devastating impact of the shield strike shattered the Orichalcos, and the overwhelming 8000 points of damage sent the petite Dartz flying out of the barrier, crashing hard against the wall.

[Duel Over. Winner: Hoshino Chiyuki.]

The super-critical hit that drained all of Dartz's Life Points in a single blow left Kaiba momentarily stunned. Just moments ago, he had been concerned for Hoshino's chances, yet now, he could only stand there, speechless.

"This woman… still as unpredictable as ever."

"Mash, you really didn't hold back, huh~"

Hoshino glanced at Dartz, who had been sent flying by the force of the attack. For a brief moment, she almost felt bad for him.

"Wait a second—sent flying?"

Something felt off. Based on everything she had seen before, a duelist defeated within the Orichalcos should have been sealed the moment their Life Points hit zero. Their soul should have been trapped within the Orichalcos itself.

"Hahaha, how amusing. You truly are an interesting one, Hoshino~"

Yet instead of being sealed, Dartz, who was still plastered against the wall, let out a crisp laugh.

"As I suspected, someone like you—a controller of Orichalcos—wouldn't be sealed by it upon losing."

Hoshino had considered this possibility earlier. If even the Three of Doma had been able to bypass the Orichalcos' effects once, then it made no sense for someone like Dartz, who wielded the Orichalcos' power directly, to be sealed after losing.

In other words, the only one who had truly been risking their life in this duel was her.

"I was prepared for this," she muttered, her frustration growing. "But seeing it happen for real is still more infuriating than I expected!"

Peeling himself off the wall, Dartz brushed off the dust and once again flashed his trademark harmless smile.

"Don't be so mad, Hoshino. I already told you, even if you lost, I wouldn't sacrifice your soul. Wouldn't it be better to become one of my collectibles instead?"

This kid had absolutely no self-awareness when it came to how insufferable his personality was. Just because he had a cute face didn't mean he could get away with everything. After all, he had lived for ten thousand years—he wasn't some innocent "shota." Not even close, considering he didn't even have a clearly defined gender.

With the duel over, Hoshino deactivated her Duel Disk. "In the end, you've already lost. Whether it's as a collectible or a soul sacrifice, it's all just empty talk now."

"Heehee, you may have defeated me, Hoshino, but the true battle is just beginning~"

"The true battle?"

Wearing a mysterious smile, Dartz took small steps toward the window, his gaze shifting toward the night sky.

"The power of the Great Leviathan has nearly reached its peak. This world will likely meet its end today~"

Dartz's eyes remained fixed on the massive serpent-like shadow above, its enormous body continuously devouring the faint starlight. Compared to when it first appeared, the entity had nearly doubled in size.

"So that giant snake in the sky—what exactly is it?"

Every time she looked up into the dark night sky, Hoshino felt an indescribable pressure, an instinctive repulsion, as if her mind was being forced to avoid dwelling on it too deeply. But now that she was face-to-face with the one responsible, this was the perfect opportunity to ask.

"It's a concept beyond human understanding. Just think of it as the vessel for the revival of the God of Orichalcos. Right now, that vessel is absorbing nutrients in preparation for the god's grand arrival~"

Kaiba scoffed. "A vessel, huh? So, it's basically just a shedding snake. Do you really think an oversized reptile is going to destroy the world? Don't underestimate humanity!"

Dartz giggled. "What an interesting interpretation, Kaiba~"

Pleased by Kaiba's unique perspective, Dartz climbed onto the windowsill and pushed open the large pane of glass, which was nearly as big as his small frame. The night wind rushed into the room, carrying with it an eerie, chilling darkness.

"When the time comes, the earth will collapse, the seas will rise, and the sky will be torn apart, unleashing a rain of death. In the face of higher-dimensional forces, human civilization will appear just as powerless as Atlantis did ten thousand years ago."

Kaiba's expression hardened. "Atlantis…?"

With Arthur's research into ancient civilizations as his foundation, Kaiba had always viewed the existence of Atlantis as something within the realm of science. If even a super-ancient civilization like Atlantis had been destroyed so easily, how much better could modern civilization fare?

"That's why I said the true battle starts now~"

The night breeze tousled Dartz's silver hair, the strands fluttering messily around his face. Beneath them, his eyes glimmered with a strangely unreadable expression.

"If you want to stop Dartz and the God of Orichalcos, you'll need the strength of the three Legendary Duelists and the power of the Nameless Dragon. That is the last hope remaining for this world."

"Wait…" A sudden realization struck Hoshino. "Aren't you 'Dartz' yourself? Why are you telling us this?"

His words, his demeanor—everything about this version of Dartz seemed as if he wanted Hoshino and her group to stop the world's destruction.

"I already told you, to prevent the special existence of 'Dartz' from going astray, different versions of me from various points in time act as separate entities to regulate each other. But now, that balance has been broken."

"Balance… broken?"

Even someone like Dartz, who had lived for ten thousand years, had his own struggles. Everyone had their own "difficult books to read."

"The younger version of me—the CEO of Paradius—has spent the past century accumulating multiple Orichalcos powers by any means necessary, recklessly pushing forward this plan to destroy and remake the world. With the balance of power broken, none of the other versions of me can restrain him."

Hoshino narrowed her eyes. Was this kid seriously trying to excuse himself? This explanation sounded far too convenient.

"If world destruction was just a whim of 'Dartz,' then why do you look so entertained by it?"

Dartz simply shrugged. "Because the world's destruction has nothing to do with me~ Even if the balance is broken, I'm still immortal. If this world is destroyed, a new civilization will eventually rise from the ashes. For me, it's just a matter of waiting a few thousand more years…"

His gaze flickered toward Hoshino and Kaiba, his expression unreadable.

"But you know what? I'd much rather see you reverse fate and prevent the world's destruction. That would be much more interesting!"

Ah.

So he wasn't trying to absolve himself at all. From start to finish, he was just a pure sadist who enjoyed watching events unfold from the sidelines.

Just then, a sorrowful dragon's roar echoed through the building, cutting their conversation short.

Hoshino frowned and glanced at Kaiba with mild disdain.

"Kaiba, your phone's ringing again."

Hoshino, having been fooled once before, wasn't about to fall for it again. A Blue-Eyes White Dragon ringtone? Ha, you're not even trying to hide who your "wife" is, huh?

But this time, something felt... off.

"Unfortunately, it's not." Kaiba pulled out his phone and held it up, revealing a pitch-black screen—proof that the dragon's roar wasn't coming from his device.

"This sound... it feels familiar." The petite Dartz hopped off the windowsill, turning his gaze toward Kaiba's duel disk.

"The wail of the Legendary Dragons is an omen of disaster. Something bad must've happened—perhaps the duel downstairs..."

Kaiba flipped through his deck and pulled out a faintly glowing card. Fang of Critias. "Could this card be the source of that sound?"

"No way! Could it mean Yugi and Jonouchi lost?!" Hoshino suddenly remembered the duel taking place below—Yugi and Jonouchi versus Rafael and Valon.

Dartz shrugged, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "If the duelists chosen by the Legendary Dragons lose here, even the loss of a single dragon's power would make defeating the God of Orichalcos impossible. That means the show I was looking forward to won't happen~"

Whether he was exaggerating or not, Mokuba, growing increasingly anxious, urged, "Hoshino, we should go check! If they really lost..."

"That's impossible! Yugi would never lose to those opponents again!" Kaiba clenched his fists, his words filled with conviction. Yet despite his certainty, his body unconsciously moved toward the staircase.

"Go ahead, go ahead. Seeing the truth might just leave you even more hopeless~" Dartz's tone shifted, now laced with schadenfreude.

"You're coming with us!" Losing her patience, Hoshino grabbed Dartz's wrist.

"You're not getting away! We finally caught someone who knows the true location of the sacrificial island—no way I'm letting you escape!"

"Hey, hey?! What are you doing? Why are you using force now?"

Dartz, small as he was, had no way to resist as Hoshino effortlessly dragged him along. She wasn't particularly strong, but handling someone of his size was easy enough.

"I already told you, seeing the truth will only make you more desperate! Without the power of the Legendary Dragons, even if you reach the sacrificial island where Dartz resides, you won't stand a chance against the Orichalcos' power."

Without looking back, Hoshino continued forward without hesitation. "That's exactly why I'm taking you to see it! Not to witness despair—but to show you the infinite possibilities humanity can create in the face of survival!"

(***)

Five Minutes Earlier—

"Valon—!!"

"Jonouchi—!!"

Though fought with monster cards, the duel between Jonouchi and Valon had long since turned into a genuine fistfight.

Mai, who had arrived unnoticed, stood watching with a conflicted expression. "Why, Valon? Jonouchi is my prey! Why would you risk your soul to duel him?!"

Valon, clad in his blue mechanical armor, smirked. "I finally get it, Mai. I understand why you're so obsessed with this guy. Dueling Jonouchi is just too fun! I wouldn't give up this heart-pounding moment for anything!"

"That's right, Mai! This is a real fight for a man's pride! Not even you can interfere!" Jonouchi, clad in his own armor, swung his blazing fist toward Valon.

[Lord of the Red★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][FIRE] [Dragon/Ritual/Effect] [ATK 2400/DEF 2100]

"I activate Lord of the Red's special effect! When two or more Spell Cards are activated in the same chain, after the chain resolves, all other monsters on the field are destroyed!" (Anime Effect)

Jonouchi's Lord of the Red, a Ritual Monster resembling Red-Eyes Black Dragon, had transformed into armor to match his battle-focused instincts, awakening a miracle.

"With Lord of the Red's effect, all five of your armor pieces are destroyed!"

Valon's Power Armor Deck was unique—his monsters formed helmets, chest plates, and arm pieces. Only he could wield such a deck.

New novel chapt𝒆rs are published on ƒгeewebnovёl.com.

Yugi, Jonouchi's teammate, cheered, "Well done, Jonouchi! With all of his monsters gone, you can attack directly with Lord of the Red and win!"

"Pharaoh, shouldn't you worry about your own situation?" Rafael interjected. "Because of Lord of the Red's effect, all monsters on our field are destroyed as well."

The flames from Jonouchi's right fist engulfed the field, consuming Yugi's Dark Magician and Rafael's Guardian Dreadscythe.

"However, by discarding one card, I can summon Guardian Dreadscythe again."

"Even so, Rafael, losing your teammate makes this duel a lot harder for you!"

"I'm not going down that easily!" As Jonouchi's fiery punch closed in, Valon's arm armor released a burst of blue energy, meeting Jonouchi's attack head-on.

"I activate Jet Gauntlet's effect! By tributing it to the Graveyard, all other Armor Monsters on my field can't be destroyed by effects this turn!"

Their fists collided, and Valon's Jet Gauntlet shattered, leaving his hand unarmored.

"Sacrificing part of your armor to survive, huh? Even so, Red King can still attack!" Jonouchi swung his other fist to follow up.

"Then I'll counter again! I activate Buster Knuckle's effect! When your monster attacks, this card becomes the target, and its ATK increases by 600 for each Armor Monster I control!"

[Buster Knuckle ATK: 0 → 2400]

The relentless exchange left Mai trembling. "Armor with ATK equal to Lord of the Red... Jonouchi, Valon..."

The punches clashed once more, triggering a massive explosion that stripped both duelists of their armor, leaving only Valon's helmet intact.

"Finally, I activate Double Cloth Armor's effect! When an Armor Monster is destroyed by battle, it inflicts damage to your opponent equal to half its ATK!"

[Jonouchi LP: 600]

[Valon LP: 900]

With their armor gone, the duel came down to a classic headbutt—a pure contest of endurance.

Confident in his helmet's protection, Valon charged forward. Jonouchi, armorless, did the same.

"Ohhh! Take this! This is the power left behind by Hoshino!" Jonouchi grit his teeth, delivering a headbutt strengthened by Medea's magic. Valon's Psychic Helmet shattered upon impact.

"Trap Card—Barrel Behind the Door!" Jonouchi roared. "I redirect the effect damage back at you! This duel is mine, Valon!!"

(*****)

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