Touching the wound left by the slash across her cheek, Hoshino could distinctly feel the warmth of the liquid on her fingertips.
"You're seriously playing for keeps, huh? The Pyramid of Light doesn't just damage the soul—it affects the real body too?"
Staring in disbelief at the smooth, crimson blood on her fingers, Hoshino's expression grew complicated. In past Shadow Games, the damage had always been psychological, but this was the first time she had sustained an actual, physical injury.
[Hoshino Chiyuki LP: 100 → 0]
"Hahahahahahaha!"
A thunderous, arrogant laugh erupted from Anubis's massive frame. The moment he saw Hoshino's Life Points hit zero, his expression turned triumphant.
"How effortless! With this, I've eliminated the final obstacle standing before the Great One! From now on, the entire world will crumble under our dominion!"
"The hell are you laughing for? I haven't lost yet!"
Perhaps it was Anubis's grating laugh, or maybe the stinging pain from her wounded cheek—either way, Hoshino was clearly irritated.
Anubis gave her a pitying look, as if gazing at a madwoman.
"Still refusing to accept defeat? Has the shock of your loss shattered your mind? No matter. Soon, you—and those God Cards—will be offered as sacrifices for our lord's grand plan!"
"Why don't you be the sacrifice? You seem eager enough to buried anyway! I activate my set Trap Card—"
At the very instant her Life Points hit zero, Hoshino flipped over the card that had been lying in wait. It had been on the field ever since she took over the duel—the very card Kaiba had once faced during his battle with Yugi.
Now, after the duelists had completely swapped out, this set card was finally ready to reveal its true worth.
"—Trap Card: Relay Soul!"
[Relay Soul – Trap Card Effect: This card can only be activated when your Life Points become 0. Special Summon 1 monster from your hand. Your defeat condition changes to losing that monster.]
This was the very reversal card Yugi had used against Rafael—a card that could keep a duelist in the game even with zero Life Points. In every sense, it was a card brimming with protagonist energy.
"Thanks to Relay Soul, even with my Life Points reduced to zero, I won't lose! All I need to do is summon the monster that carries my soul!"
The smug grin on Anubis's face faltered. His triumphant laughter fell silent, replaced by a dismissive sneer.
"Hoshino Chiyuki, you just said, 'All I need to do is summon the monster that carries my soul,' but you don't even have a monster in your hand that fits the requirement!"
Anubis, having glimpsed Hoshino's hand through their earlier mental clash, was absolutely certain—she was out of cards.
Watching from the sidelines, Yugi—who had originally set Relay Soul—understood both its potential and its limitations better than anyone. And he understood the danger Hoshino now faced.
"Right now, Hoshino's already used up all her summonable Illya and Miyu cards. And with the other Heroic Spirits unable to be used... this Relay Soul can't even activate properly…"
"But there is a monster!" Hoshino declared. "A monster that can inherit the soul of this duel—and incidentally, even match my skin tone! Field Spell Oath Under the Snow, activate! When a Fusion Monster leaves the field, I draw one card from my deck!"
As the power of soul and fate intertwined, Hoshino made her final draw—carrying all her hopes. The monster that connected her to the wishes of the girls standing beside her descended onto the field.
"—Thanks to Relay Soul, I Special Summon Chloe von Einzbern from my hand!"
Hoshino slammed the card onto her Duel Disk. In response, a dark-skinned girl materialized onto the battlefield.
"Master, you really did notice me~! I'm glad I gave you half my Spirit Origin~"
The girl who appeared—Kuro—turned and playfully winked at Hoshino.
[Chloe von Einzbern ★★★★] [DARK] [Spellcaster / Effect] [ATK 1000 / DEF 1000]
Hoshino, Illya, and Chloe—three girls with identical facial features, now even sharing the same skin tone—stood side by side, looking just like sisters.
"Wait, Kuro was in my deck this whole time? I didn't sense her at all..." Illya stared blankly, completely stunned by the girl who had inherited Hoshino's soul and now stood beside her.
Chloe's appearance, along with her words upon summoning, confirmed Hoshino's suspicions.
"So you gave me half of your Spirit Origin? I had my theories, but now I'm certain. The Final Defense System of Chaldea—it's not just Illya and Miyu's magical girl powers... The true reason it's called the Final Defense System... is you, Chloe."
"Ding ding~! That's absolutely correct, Master~!" Chloe grinned. "So, as a reward, how about we roll around together in a place you like~?"
Illya's face turned beet red.
"R-Rolling around together?! That's way too inappropriate! As your older sister, I absolutely forbid it! But... I really should've noticed you were here all along, Kuro. I feel like I failed as an older sister..."
"It's not your fault, Illya." Chloe gently patted Illya's head. "Up until just now, I was always inside Master—feeling all warm and cozy as we became one~"
"Don't say things that can be so easily misinterpreted!"
Hoshino quickly shut Chloe down, worried that if she let her run her mouth any longer, this might end up getting censored.
"The truth is... If you hadn't shared your Spirit Origin with me, I probably wouldn't be standing here right now, would I?"
Thinking back on what the Evil God had said about her soul becoming "half as strong," what Anubis had referred to as her "other half," and now Chloe's own words, Hoshino quickly pieced it all together.
Her own existence—both soul and body—had been destabilized. But thanks to Chloe's power, she had just barely managed to remain whole. That protective force shielding the Chaldea Master from vanishing—that was the true nature of the Final Defense System.
And, as a result of Chloe merging with her, her skin tone had naturally changed as well.
"But why you, Kuro? Why did you give me your Spirit Origin?"
If she had to merge with someone, she'd have preferred someone with a bit more strength.
Chloe tapped her lips with a finger, tilting her head as if thinking.
"Hmm? If I had to say... it's probably because, out of all the Heroic Spirits, my compatibility with you is the best! That's the power of love!"
A slight twitch formed at the corner of Hoshino's eye.
The first thing that came to mind when she thought of Chloe was her overwhelming lustful energy... Surely, she didn't mean that kind of compatibility, right?
"Well, now's not the time to dwell on that!"
Wiping away the blood trickling from her cheek, Hoshino pointed straight at Anubis, her spirit blazing with renewed determination.
"Let's begin the final round, Anubis! You don't stand a chance against me anymore!"
[Chloe von Einzbern ATK 1000]
[This card is also treated as a "Heroic Spirit"]
"Because my monster, Medea Illya, left the field, I can return Phantasm Summon from my Graveyard to my hand!"
"You're saying I have no chance of winning?"
Anubis's forehead veins bulged again at Hoshino's taunt.
"You dare place your hopes of survival on such a fragile monster? How naive! Andro Sphinx—tear that black rabbit to shreds!"
[Andro Sphinx ATK 3400]
Chloe looked visibly irritated. "Who the hell are you calling a black rabbit? Now you've really pissed me off!"
Illya, meanwhile, glanced over with concern. "Kuro, since you shared your Spirit Origin with Master... aren't you unable to use your full strength right now?"
Projecting Kanshou and Bakuya into her hands, Chloe answered with confidence, "Even if it's just temporary power, it's more than enough! This is what they call 'a rabbit going all out against a lion'!"
Hoshino sighed. "You've got that saying backwards… and by saying that, aren't you admitting you're the rabbit?"
"Don't expect too much from an elementary schooler's proverb game! The attack's coming, Master!"
As the massive Andro Sphinx pounded the ground and charged forward, Chloe leapt into the air, spinning gracefully as she flung her twin blades in an elegant arc across the sky.
"Illya! Miyu! I'm counting on your support!"
"You can leave it to your big sister, Kuro!" Illya called back, swinging her Ruby Staff and firing a burst of pink magical energy at the oncoming Sphinx.
"Chloe von Einzbern's special effect activates! During damage calculation, this card gains 1000 ATK for each 'Illya' monster on the field!"
[Chloe ATK 1000 → 2000]
Yugi still looked tense. "It's not enough. Even with the 1000 boost, Andro Sphinx still overpowers her! And if Chloe is destroyed, Hoshino will lose instantly!"
"The duel's not over yet, Yugi! Watch closely!"
Hoshino flipped a set card beneath her feet. Chloe, still midair, was suddenly enveloped in radiant starlight.
"Quick-Play Spell—Wish Upon the Star, activate!"
[Wish Upon the Star – Quick-Play Spell: Target 1 "Heroic Spirit" monster you control; treat it as a "Magical Girl" monster.]
"One billion small lights... Their fleeting brilliance mustn't be forgotten. Wish Upon the Stars... I pray that your wish will be heard."
"Chloe von Einzbern is now treated as a 'Magical Girl'!"
As the light burst outward, Chloe's revealing red outfit transformed into an elegant magical girl dress. The contrast between the pristine white lace and her tanned skin made her shine even more adorably.
"Ta-da! A dazzling transformation! Magical Girl Chloe is here—!"
She struck a sparkling heart pose in front of her chest, beaming radiantly.
"Magical… Girl… Chloe…?" Anubis looked utterly bewildered. Hoshino honestly wanted to tell him that someone of his stature shouldn't be saying "Magical Girl" out loud.
Pointing to the now-transformed Chloe, Hoshino continued, "Now that Chloe's a 'Magical Girl,' she benefits from Oath Under the Snow! During damage calculation, she gains ATK equal to her Level times 200!"
[Magical Girl Chloe ATK 2000 → 2800]
Anubis scoffed. "Even so, my Sphinx still has the higher attack!"
Yugi suddenly understood. "Chloe still can't overpower the Sphinx directly… but now that she's a 'Magical Girl,' Hoshino can use the Field Spell to redirect the attack to another Heroic Spirit! That way, Chloe survives!"
"Nice observation, Yugi—but I'm not dodging this time! I've been saving a trump card for this very moment!"
With that, Hoshino reached into her Duel Disk's Graveyard slot and pulled out a card.
"I activate the effect of Medusa Miyu in my Graveyard! By banishing her, one 'Magical Girl' monster on my field gains 1500 ATK!"
It wasn't that she had been hiding this card—she just hadn't found the right moment to use it. Prisma Illya was immune to other effects, so it wouldn't have helped her before, and Medea Illya had been in Defense Position when destroyed.
"Now it's your turn, Miyu! Let's show him the power of our teamwork!"
"Leave it to me, Kuro!"
Chains of light shot out, binding the Sphinx in place. Chloe, now synced with Illya's support blast, flung her twin blades once more. With the previously thrown Kanshou and Bakuya still in motion, four black-and-white blades danced through the air.
[Magical Girl Chloe ATK 2800 → 4300]
"Let me show you—not just my strength, but our strength! This is our ultimate, deluxe, bonus-edition finishing move—!"
Conjuring two more blades into her hands, Chloe didn't throw them this time. Instead, she dove straight toward the bound Sphinx, closing in with deadly precision.
"Triple Crane Wings!!!"
The four airborne blades spun furiously, and the two in Chloe's hands gleamed with ferocity. All six blades struck in perfect unison, creating a brilliant explosion that engulfed the Sphinx and shattered the chains binding it.
[Andro Sphinx DESTROYED]
[Anubis LP 2400 → 1500]
"AAAAAARGH!! Damn it all!!!"
Anubis roared in agony. He had never expected such a fierce counterattack at the climax of the duel. His Sphinx was gone, and his Life Points were nearly halved.
"Listen up, Anubis! Want me to say it again?"
Hoshino pointed straight at him, her voice like a blade.
"You have no chance of winning!"
(*****)
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