"You bastard, don't just stay silent! Aren't we supposed to be friends, Jo-no-chicken?!"
Jonouchi scratched his head awkwardly. "Ehehe... I'm an idiot, y'know? This situation's way too complicated—there's no way I can tell you two apart."
He had actually given up and straight-up admitted he was an idiot. That just showed how chaotic things looked from his perspective—so much so that even confessing to being a fool was preferable to making a judgment.
Seeing Hoshino's gaze shift to him, Honda immediately waved his hands. "Don't look at me! You guys might not know this, but Jonouchi and I are a certified idiot duo~"
No, everyone knows. You're being too modest.
Anzu suddenly had an idea and suggested, "I know what to do in a situation like this! Let's ask questions that only the real Hoshino would know the answers to!"
"Ooh! Let me ask, let me ask!" Jonouchi, who had just been trying to avoid responsibility, instantly perked up and proudly raised his hand. "What's Hoshino's favorite food?"
"..."
"Jonouchi, do you even know the answer to that?" Anzu gave him a withering look.
"Even if I don't, Yugi should, right? Hoshino eats with him all the time!"
Yugi shook his head. "Hoshino enjoys everything she eats, so I've never been able to figure out her favorite..."
Mokuba raised an eyebrow. "So what is Hoshino's favorite food? If the fake gives the wrong answer, we'll know immediately!"
Being asked about her favorite food out of the blue, Hoshino found herself momentarily stumped. There were just too many things she liked.
But White Hoshino confidently answered first: "Obviously, it's omurice! That sweet and tangy taste is just perfect! Especially when it's made by Emiya!"
Emiya's omurice, huh? Yeah, that was pretty good.
"That does sound like something Hoshino would like..." Jonouchi nodded, pretending to think deeply, as if he understood her tastes.
"But I also love ramen!" Not to be outdone, Hoshino quickly spoke up. There was no way the real one would let a fake steal the spotlight. "Especially Emiya's special ramen, with thick slices of chashu!"
She still vividly remembered the rich flavor of the ramen she had eaten at the Chaldea gathering.
"Emiya's fried chicken is amazing too!"
"Yeah, yeah! And his roasted beef!"
"Emiya's hot pot!"
"Emiya's hamburger steak!"
Looking at it this way, it seemed like Hoshino's favorite thing wasn't a specific dish but any meal made by Emiya.
"No, no, this isn't working at all!" Anzu sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead, probably regretting ever putting faith in Jonouchi's question.
"Let me try instead. Hoshino, what was your math score on the midterm?"
"Perfect!"
They answered in unison.
"P.E.?"
"Failed~"
"Who's at the bottom of the class rankings?"
"Jonouchi or Honda, depending on their moods."
"What's the correct way to use Okita?"
"Send her from the hand or deck to the graveyard!"
"Who do you like more—Dark Magician Girl or Illya?"
"I want them both!"
Anzu threw her head back in despair. "It's no use! I can't get anything! Their answers are perfectly identical down to the second—they really are the same person!"
Kaiba, watching with a cold expression, finally spoke. "This farce is meaningless. Such disputes should be settled by the individuals involved. If we interfere, we'll only make things worse."
Hoshino was actually curious about how Kaiba was interpreting all this. Two identical versions of a person appearing—this was clearly something science couldn't explain.
But judging by Kaiba's completely indifferent expression, he probably hadn't even bothered trying to figure it out.
"Woof!—Master! Why are you playing along with them?! Just crush these weaklings! Don't leave a single one alive!"
The tiny black pup, Anubis, was growing impatient, barking non-stop. Unfortunately, his threatening words were only understood by White Hoshino. To everyone else, it just sounded like regular dog yapping.
Placing a hand on the restless Anubis's head, White Hoshino shushed him. "Shhh! Anubis, quiet down. This is why you brainless villains are so outdated—you only think about killing. Times have changed!"
Seeing an opening, Hoshino tugged on Yugi's sleeve. "Yugi, look! That gal's working with Anubis! There's no way she's a good person!"
"Uh... now that you mention it, that does seem suspicious..."
In truth, Yugi had believed in this Hoshino from the start. But strangely, he didn't feel any particular hostility toward White Hoshino either.
Standing before him were two identical versions of someone he knew—yet both felt real.
"I got it! You must be my dark counterpart! In Yu-Gi-Oh! Worlds, having a dark alter ego is basically standard!"
"..."
White Hoshino was speechless. Watching Hoshino jump to such a wild conclusion, she could only shake her head.
"Come on, if anyone is dark here, it's you. And hey, food can be messed with, but words? Be careful what you say. Who's 'working with' Anubis? This guy just started licking my simping on his own~"
Looking down in disgust, she nudged Anubis, aside. Then, suddenly, her expression turned serious.
"But here's the real question—who decides what counts as 'good' or 'evil' in this world?
Tell me—when you talk about 'justice' and 'good people,' are you speaking of light or darkness?"
Suddenly being asked such a serious question, Hoshino was momentarily stunned before answering, "A good person should represent the light… right?"
Hoshino's answer aligned with the general understanding of most people. Light often symbolizes love, hope, and the future—positive energy. Compared to darkness, which encompasses despair, sorrow, and pain, people naturally tend to choose the light.
"That's a very standard answer. I think, except for those villains who have fallen into darkness and lost their minds, most people would make the same choice as you… including me. So…"
Lifting the crystal pyramid pendant on her chest, White Hoshino continued, "So, the crystal pyramid I hold represents the power of light. Meanwhile, the Millennium Items you all possess are nothing more than the embodiment of darkness, forged through blood and hatred."
Yugi, Bakura, and Pegasus all had subtle expressions. White Hoshino's words were sharp and to the point—no matter how much one tried to glorify the dark power of the Millennium Items, they couldn't erase the blood-soaked history behind them.
"But don't worry, I'm not here to debate whether light or darkness is right or wrong. After all, it's a question that has remained unanswered for millennia, and it certainly won't be resolved now. As for who is the real Hoshino Chiyuki, we'll settle that in a way that belongs to this world…"
With that, White Hoshino casually pulled out the deck from her pocket.
Deciding who is real and who is fake through a duel—it was so Yu-Gi-Oh! Truly a method fitting for this world.
"That deck of yours…" The moment Hoshino saw White Hoshino's deck, she sensed a contradiction.
"You talk so righteously about standing with the light, but your deck is overflowing with darkness—it's practically oozing out."
The oppressive dark energy radiating from her deck reminded Hoshino of the time she'd been manipulated by Bakura during Battle City, when the darkness had corrupted her Heroic Spirit deck and twisted it into an Alter version.
Yet the darkness she now felt from White Hoshino's deck was even deeper and more unfathomable than what she had experienced during her 2v1 duel against Yugi and Kaiba.
"To maintain the balance between light and dark, I have no other choice~"
Leaving behind that cryptic remark, White Hoshino turned her gaze to the silent Kaiba and smiled. "Kaiba, I forgot my Duel Disk. Mind lending me one?"
Kaiba scoffed and looked away. "Do I have any reason to lend it to you?"
White Hoshino smirked, tapping her chin with a finger as if in thought. "Hmm, a reason? If you lend it to me, I can do some free promotion for Kaiba Land~"
"Catch."
Effortlessly catching the Duel Disk Kaiba threw with force, White Hoshino strapped it on and made a playful face at him. "Hmph, stingy!"
Sliding her deck into the Duel Disk's slot, she activated it with a crisp mechanical click.
"Let's settle this with a duel. Only the victor has the right to continue existing!"
"Well, since you insist!" Hoshino wasn't about to back down, quickly activating her own Duel Disk. "The real Hoshino Chiyuki would never turn down a duel!"
Barely given time to celebrate her hard-won victory from the last battle, Hoshino now found herself thrown into another.
But this time, her Heroic Spirit deck was fully operational again—and now enhanced with the Magical Girl archetype. It was likely the strongest version of her deck yet, second only to when she had access to Synchro cards.
[Hoshino vs. White Hoshino]
"Duel Start!"
Seizing the initiative, Hoshino swiftly drew her card and summoned a long-missed Heroic Spirit.
"I'll take the first turn—Draw! Then, in Defense Position, I summon [Heroic Spirit – Mash Kyrielight]!"
[Heroic Spirit – Mash Kyrielight★★★★ (Level 4)][LIGHT][Warrior/Effect][ATK 1000/DEF 2000]
The adorable Kohai's long-missed form materialized through the Duel Disk's projection system, holding her massive shield as she appeared on Hoshino's field.
"Senpai! I'm so relieved to see you're okay!" Mash said, visibly overjoyed.
"Mash, which Senpai are you talking about? Are you worried about me?" Before Hoshino could respond, White Hoshino cut in. "Even though we just saw each other at Chaldea, my cute Kohai really is quite clingy~"
"Ah? S-Senpai?" Mash blinked in shock, glancing at White Hoshino before turning back to the tanned Hoshino behind her.
"Don't listen to that imposter! She definitely can't summon real Heroic Spirits!" Annoyed that White Hoshino had stolen her chance to tease her beloved Kohai, Hoshino frowned.
"N-no, Senpai… actually…" Mash hesitated, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. She lowered her head, hiding behind her massive shield.
"…Forget it, I don't know anymore. You two just fight it out…"
"What's wrong, Mash? Did you eat something weird?" Hoshino asked, confused by Mash's behavior. Still, she pulled a card from her hand and set it face-down.
"I set one card and end my turn!"
[Hoshino's: 4 Hand Cards | 1 Set Card]
"My turn! Draw!"
As White Hoshino drew, Anubis—still sulking after being shoved aside—barked energetically.
"Woof! My master, you must avenge me! Tear her apart!"
"If you don't shut up, I'll toss in the cliff."
A cold gleam flashed in her eyes as she glanced at Anubis, who immediately whimpered and sat down obediently.
"…Awoo…"
"Well then, since the battle's begun, let me offer my adorable Kohai a little gift~"
With a mischievous grin, White Hoshino pulled a card from her hand and slid it into her Duel Disk. In an instant, dark energy began to swirl beneath Mash's feet.
Mash looked down in panic. "S-Senpai, what are you doing?"
"Why, I'm just helping my cute Kohai fix her posture! Equip Spell—[Imaginary Number Magecraft]—Activate!"
From the dark vortex, several red ribbon-like strands emerged, slithering up Mash's legs and wrapping around her body, eventually reaching her delicate face. Caught off guard, Mash couldn't raise her shield in time.
"Ugh… Senpai, this feels so strange…"
"Mash is a good girl. You know what to do next, right~?"
[Imaginary Number Magecraft – Equip Spell Effect: Activate by targeting 1 monster your opponent controls. During the turn this card is activated, you cannot Normal or Special Summon monsters, except DARK monsters. If "All the Evils of This World" is not on the field during the End Phase, destroy this card.
● Take control of the equipped monster.
● While the equipped monster is in your Monster Zone, it becomes DARK-Attribute and is treated as an "Alter" monster.]
Corrupted by the Imaginary Number, Mash's once-bright purple eyes dimmed. Dragging her massive shield behind her, she sluggishly moved to White Hoshino's field.
"Mash... Damn it! So it is Alter's power!" Hoshino bit her lip in frustration. The sensation she'd felt earlier when White Hoshino revealed her deck had just been confirmed.
"Alter doesn't always mean evil—but this Imaginary Number that's completely taken over Mash is undeniably malicious!"
Now, Hoshino had to brace herself. White Hoshino's power was likely far greater than the incomplete Alter form she herself had once wielded.
"If something this small shakes you, you're doomed from the start~ But even if you weren't shaken, there's no way you could beat me anyway!"
Without summoning any other monsters, White Hoshino simply switched the now-controlled Mash to Attack Position and launched her assault.
[Mash – ATK 1000]
"Getting to duel yourself is such a rare treat—I plan to enjoy this to the fullest! Mash, direct attack!"
"Yes… Senpai…"
Bound by the crimson tendrils, Mash was forced to raise her massive shield—and slam it straight into Hoshino.
[Hoshino Chiyuki LP: 4000 → 3000]
A wave of dizziness washed over Hoshino.
What goes around comes around.
She'd used Mash to flatten countless opponents in the past—but never in her life did she imagine she'd be the one getting crushed by Mash's shield.
(*****)
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