"With the shackles of the Calydonian Pelt removed, Mash Alter can now unleash her true potential!"
After sending the Calydonian Pelt to the Graveyard, the Mash Alter on White Hoshino's field seemed as though she had broken free from a seal, her power surging to levels far beyond what she had while clad in that pelt.
"——A monster equipped with the Calydonian Pelt gains an effect that protects it from destruction once, but in exchange, its own effects are negated. So that last attack? I deliberately let you destroy the pelt."
With a smirk of triumph, White Hoshino revealed his last set card before Musashi's third slash could land.
"Trap Card, activate! [Poster Girl]! You should be well aware of this trap's effect, right? From my Deck, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Heroic Spirit monster in Defense Position to take the attack in place of the original target."
As the trap activated, a small blonde boy stepped forward in front of Mash, his face displaying a complicated expression as he intercepted Musashi's twin-blade strike in her place.
"I Special Summon in Defense Position—[Heroic Spirit – Gilgamesh (Young)]!"
[Heroic Spirit – Gilgamesh (Young) ★★★ (Level 3)] [LIGHT] [Warrior/Effect] [ATK 700/DEF 1000]
"Gil doesn't really feel like commenting on this right now... Master, just enjoy yourself~"
Seeing the young Gilgamesh appear on Hoshino's field, with his innocent smile, made Hoshino realize something odd.
"Wait… this is an actual Heroic Spirit card? Are you really Gil?"
Young Gilgamesh blinked his pure red eyes. "Of course, I'm the real deal. Though, I'm about to be sent straight to the Graveyard in just a moment~"
White Hoshino blinked back at him, mimicking his innocent expression. "As a Master of Chaldea, isn't it only natural that I can use Heroic Spirit cards? What's so strange about it?"
"Of course, it's strange!" If both Hoshino and White Hoshino's hands were filled with genuine Heroic Spirit cards, directly linked to the Servants waiting in Chaldea, then... wasn't this duel essentially an all-out civil war among Chaldea's own forces?!
Seeing Hoshino's hesitation, Young Gil simply shrugged nonchalantly.
"Don't overthink it, Master. Right now, just focus on fighting seriously. After all, accommodating our Master's occasional whims is part of our duty too~"
Raising an eyebrow at Young Gil's explanation, Hoshino remained skeptical, but the duel had to continue.
"Alright, Gil! Since you've volunteered to be the shield, take Musashi's strike!"
Young Gil: "Ah, I'm about to die~ (monotone)"
"Besides, don't think you can just throw out any old shield to block Musashi's attack! Her effect—when she destroys a monster by battle, she can either attack again or send one card on the opponent's field to the Graveyard!"
Musashi's twin blades sliced through Young Gil. Even though she had already executed three consecutive attacks this Battle Phase, she showed no signs of stopping.
"How naive. Did you really think I wasn't aware of Musashi's effect? If I let Young Gil get destroyed by Musashi, wouldn't that mean activating my Trap Card was just shooting myself in the foot?"
Instead of being destroyed, Young Gil's glowing golden energy merged into Mash Alter's armor.
Musashi, feeling the weight of her swords shift, muttered, "Master, that last strike… It looked like it hit, but Young Gil actually vanished on his own right before impact..."
"Vanished just before impact? But Young Gil doesn't have that kind of effect..."
"Of course he doesn't! This is Mash Alter's counterattack effect!"
With Young Gil's energy absorbed into her, Mash Alter's corrupted grin deepened.
"Watch closely, Senpai! This is—Chaotic Tainted Snowflake!!"
[During your opponent's Battle Phase, when an opponent's monster declares an attack: You can Tribute 1 monster you control; destroy the attacking monster.]
The reversed version of Mash's Snowflake was no longer a defensive skill meant to protect her allies. Instead, it converted the energy of her sacrificed comrades into a deadly counterattack.
Around Musashi, a barrier of corrupted snowflakes materialized, encircling her and sealing her movements within a surge of dark energy.
"Hahaha! Destroy! Destroy! That way, Senpai will belong to me!"
Mash Alter laughed maniacally, gripping her slender arms as if restraining herself. "Just imagining what kind of sexy pose Senpai will make in bed is driving me crazy~"
"Wake up, Mash!!"
Hoshino drew upon a card from his Graveyard—the last line of insurance he had for Musashi.
"If anyone's making poses in bed, it should be you!"
White Hoshino's ahoge curled into a question mark. "Eh? Wait, that's what you're focusing on??"
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Buddhism of Emptiness from my Graveyard! When Musashi would be destroyed by battle or effect, I can banish this card instead!"
"——Namu, Tenman Daijizai Tenjin! Hayagrīva!"
With an overwhelming aura of swordsmanship, Musashi materialized the towering form of a four-sword-wielding Nio behind her, shattering the corrupted snowflake barrier restraining her.
Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Void—the essence of the Five Rings erupted into a chaotic energy storm, scattering the shattered black barrier across the battlefield.
"Since Young Gil, who was meant to take the attack, was Tributed early, and Musashi was protected by Buddhism of Emptiness, her final slash of Crane Wing still continues!"
Mash Alter glared at Musashi, pouting. "Even after all that, you still won't let me have Senpai?! Don't tell me... Musashi, are you also lusting after Senpai's body?"
"Master's body, huh… I have to admit, it is pretty appealing. But right now, what matters more is..."
Tightening her grip on her sword, Musashi answered firmly, "As the first swordswoman to fight on Master's behalf, I absolutely refuse to lose in a direct clash!"
(Okita: "Nyaa? What? The first swordswoman fighting for Master was totally me, you know?!")
"Here I come, Mash! Ishana, Daitenshou!!"
Mash Alter, unwilling to back down, spun her crimson spear upward, the tip glowing with a menacing aura.
"Aaahh! I will never hand Senpai over to you!!!"
At the point of impact, Mash Alter's spear expanded into a barrier, filtering and diffusing most of Musashi's sword energy. Though Mash Alter's DEF couldn't fully withstand Musashi's ATK, the barrier minimized the damage taken.
[White Hoshino LP 3750 → 3625]
"What kind of clash even was that...?"
Jonouchi widened his eyes as he watched the clash between Musashi and Mash Alter on the battlefield. Even though it was just a single exchange during the Battle Phase, the intensity was so overwhelming it felt like an entire duel had played out before their eyes.
"Though I really hate to admit it, with Hoshino-girl's current strength, even I wouldn't stand a chance against her at all."
Having witnessed both the battle against Anubis and the extreme offense-defense exchange just now, Pegasus deeply realized the massive gap between himself and Hoshino.
The barrier shattered, forcing both Mash Alter and Musashi back to their respective sides of the field.
Clap clap clap~
White Hoshino clapped her hands with keen interest. "That was incredible! Even when facing Mash Alter's counter-shield, you still managed to push through with such aggression. As expected of 'me'!"
"Musashi's attack was higher, yet she didn't manage to destroy Mash Alter…?"
Hoshino gazed at Mash Alter, who still remained on White Hoshino's field, and had a rough idea of the hidden effect lurking beneath her armor and crimson spear.
[This card cannot be destroyed by battle or effects.]
Even with her Ideal of the Round Table reversed, she had not lost her absolute defensive power. The will imbued within Mash Alter's lance had ascended into what could only be called 'The Untouchable City of Dreams.'
"Now that both your proud Crane Wings and Musashi are sealed off, there's nothing more you can do~"
White Hoshino's bright eyes curved into crescent moons, her seemingly innocent gaze sending an unfamiliar chill down Hoshino's spine—an eerie sensation of being completely read.
"I'll set one card and end my turn! Also, at the end of the turn, Musashi's attack power, which was halved, returns to its original value."
[Miyamoto Musashi ATK 2125 → 4250]
Even though she couldn't break through Mash Alter's defense this turn, Musashi's overwhelming attack power still gave Hoshino reassurance.
[Hoshino's: 2 Hand Cards | 2 Set Cards]
"My turn, draw!" White Hoshino giggled. "Didn't think I'd mess around for a whole turn and only lose less than 500 LP… What a bargain~"
Drawing her next card, White Hoshino maintained her playful tone, completely devoid of any tension from the duel.
Meanwhile, Anubis, watching from the sidelines, was growing anxious.
"Woof! Master, end the duel immediately with a full-force attack! You must not let this drag on any longer!"
Having been defeated by Hoshino earlier, Anubis had developed a deep fear of White Hoshino's ability to stage comebacks even in the direst situations.
"Fine, fine. I guess I'll get a little serious~" Holding a card to her delicate eye, White Hoshino flashed a mysterious smile. "Say, have you ever seen a black sun?"
"A black sun?"
"A harbinger of despair and evil, one so scorching that even the land itself evaporates—a power beyond reason!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the black mud flowing from the void above began to boil and surge.
"Now, I activate the Field Spell All the Evils of This World! By discarding one card, I can banish Heroic Spirit monsters from my Deck whose total Levels exceed that of an 'Alter' monster, allowing me to Special Summon one of the strongest Alter monsters in my hand!"
Selecting one card to send to the Graveyard, White Hoshino's Deck was then forcibly ransacked by the black mud's energy, pulling out two monsters that were banished immediately.
"I banish Artoria Pendragon and Spartacus from my Deck—totaling 11 stars! Now, I Special Summon in Defense Position—Heroic Spirit – Karna Alter!"
From the churning black flames on White Hoshino's field emerged a bizarre sun, like a shattered black hole hanging ominously in the sky. Beneath it stood a figure wielding a long spear—one of the most formidable warriors among Heroic Spirits.
No… judging by his jet-black armor and the transformed shape of his Vasavi Shakti, this was undoubtedly Karna's Alter form.
[Heroic Spirit – Karna Alter ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)][DARK][Warrior/Effect][ATK 1500/DEF 3800]
"So even Karna has an Alter form… A blackened sun, huh?"
Silent and composed, Karna Alter merely stood there, his demeanor barely changed even in this corrupted form.
But what really caught Hoshino's attention was that White Hoshino had Summoned Karna Alter in Defense Position. Moreover, his DEF stat was considerably higher than his ATK.
"The blackened sun descends upon the earth, and its devastating power shall incinerate all before it! Karna Alter's effect activates!"
[During your Main Phase: Swap this card's ATK and DEF, change its Battle Position, then destroy one monster whose ATK is equal to or lower than this card's ATK.]
"—Let the expanding sun rain down its destructive light!"
Wielding his altered Vasavi Shakti, Karna Alter absorbed the ominous sun above into his body, condensing it into a miniature sun core burning fiercely at his chest.
[Karna Alter DEF 1500/ATK 3800] (Switching to Attack Position)
"Go, Karna! Use the power of the Black Sun to annihilate Musashi!"
Following White Hoshino's command, Karna Alter surged forward, his spear locked onto Musashi as his designated prey.
"You're overestimating yourself! Even if Karna Alter swaps his ATK and DEF, my Musashi still has the higher attack power!"
Without hesitation, Musashi raised her dual blades to counter Karna Alter's charge.
"Oh… I forgot to mention the effect~"
White Hoshino clapped her hands together playfully, clearly withholding information just to savor Hoshino's shift from hope to despair.
"The Field Spell All the World's Evil boosts all 'Alter' monsters' ATK by 300 per banished Heroic Spirit."
Currently, the banished Heroic Spirits were Mash, Artoria, and Spartacus.
[Karna Alter ATK 3800 → 4700]
"Sorry, Musashi~"
White Hoshino snapped her fingers, her expression brimming with mischievous delight. From the way she carried herself, it was obvious—she had intentionally kept the effect hidden, just to enjoy watching Hoshino's expression crumble.
"Karna Alter is victorious!"
(*****)
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