"Altera, destroy Exodia the Forbidden One!"
"Yes!" Altera's curt response ca without unnecessary words. Already gripping the Sword of the War God, she readied herself. Her calm eyes locked onto her target.
At so point, the three-colored glow of her sword had shifted into a rainbow-like light, signifying that Altera had unleashed her Noble Phantasm.
"The prosperity of civilization ends here!" She stomped the ground and shot forward like a teor, the rotating tip of her sword radiating a spiral of rainbow light.
"The power of the War God is in my hands!"
Altera charged, her long hair cloaked in the rainbow glow. The way she thrust forward like a shooting star, illuminated by the brilliance, was breathtakingly beautiful.
It was a force ant to destroy everything on Earth, far removed from anything that could be called 'beautiful.'
But the radiance in Altera's hand, combined with the light against her dark skin, was so srizing that the onlookers were nearly entranced.
"Photon Ray!"
The piercing strike of the shooting star collided with the target, and Altera's final roar snapped Hoshino out of her thoughts.
With only 1000 attack points, Exodia the Forbidden One stood no chance. Against Altera's overwhelming 3350 attack points, it was easily pierced by the War God's sword and vanished from the battlefield like any other destroyed monster.
"Hmph, is it over?" Hoshino smiled contentedly, watching as the most crucial part of Exodia was destroyed by Altera.
"Hoshino, is that your final act of resistance?" Unlike Hoshino's expression, Gekko didn't seem to think her last attack had any significant impact.
To Gekko, Hoshino's counterattack, although impressive, didn't seem capable of changing the final outco.
"Hoshino, this isn't resistance, but a requiem for you..." Hoshino gestured with a forceful slash downward, as if she were cutting the ties of fate.
"This is Altera's power, the strike that shatters civilizations, that destroys everything!"
As Hoshino's finger sliced through the air, the rainbow light shone in the place where Exodia the Forbidden One had been destroyed, and as if it were contagious...
"What's going on?" A surprised Gekko looked down at his Duel Disk.
The graveyard section, the deck section, and the battlefield—all were glowing with the sa rainbow light.
Though the seven-colored light appeared beautiful, it carried an indescribable sense of pressure. More accurately, it invoked the primal fear a living creature feels in the face of a natural predator—the terror of impending destruction and extinction.
"This is the light that symbolizes Altera's power to destroy everything! I activate [Heroic Spirit– Altera]'s special effect!"
[Effect ①: When this card destroys an opponent's monster in battle, that monster is banished instead of being sent to the graveyard. Afterward, all cards with the sa na in your opponent's hand, graveyard, and deck are banished. ②: This card cannot attack directly, and the battle damage it deals becos 0.]
"I won't harm your Life Points, but I will destroy your civilization!"
Boom—! A soft explosion sound echoed as three cards were ejected from Gekko's Duel Disk, all glowing with the sa rainbow light.
"Gekko, you know what this effect ans, don't you?" Hoshino asked, looking at the cards scattered at Gekko's feet with a serious expression.
Destroy one and banish three, as Altera had declared, erasing the significance of those cards from the duel. In a true sense, Altera had destroyed those cards.
"Three cards of the sa na, banished..." The sudden turn of events was so shocking that Mokuba, standing nearby, muttered quietly, "In other words..."
"It's a chain destruction strategy." Lowering his head, Gekko sighed softly, the victorious smile he had worn earlier now completely gone. "Yes, I know..."
"I can no longer gather all five pieces of Exodia..."
"Gekko has no chance of winning anymore!"
In unison, Gekko and Mokuba both declared the outco of this duel.
"I knew it! Hoshino-nee! (/≧▽≦)/" Akasha, excited, raised her hands high. If the duel weren't still ongoing, she would have probably run over to hug Hoshino already.
Mokuba, resting his chin on his hand, began to ponder aloud, "If Hoshino used this effect against my brother's Blue-Eyes White Dragon, what would happen?"
Gekko's resigned laughter echoed through the silent hallway, "Hahaha, I have to hand it to you, Hoshino Chiyuki!"
"I can no longer assemble the five pieces of Exodia, so I truly have no way to defeat you! As you predicted, this is a duel I was bound to lose!"
"This is what makes you the perfect duelist—accepting defeat."
The sudden reversal of victory and defeat, going from heaven to hell in an instant, would be hard for most to accept. Yet, Gekko showed no excess emotional turmoil.
"Please don't keep calling the perfect duelist. I've already lost to you, Duel King!"
"And besides, that title doesn't exactly bring any joy..." Gekko muttered softly, a familiar lancholy flashing through his eyes once again.
Then, the gentlemanly smile returned to his face.
"So, are you going to surrender now, Gekko?"
Hoshino hadn't heard Gekko's final muttered words. Still, she held so fondness for this white-haired gentleman, who had maintained his gentlemanly deanor throughout the duel. If he surrendered and cleared the way, she wouldn't be forced to finish him off.
"No, please let duel until the end!"
Despite his earlier admission of defeat, Gekko's actions contradicted his words. His eyes now sparkled with an excitent he hadn't shown before. "It's been so long since I've felt this kind of fun from dueling. I want to fight to the very last mont!"
"This fun? You an you haven't dueled in a long ti?"
"Yes, it's been many years. I had forgotten this feeling, the thrill that makes my hands tremble. I just can't give it up—the battle between Duel Monsters cards and the clash of Duelists' souls!"
"Don't waste any more ti, Hoshino. Let's continue!" Gekko urged her, excitent brimming in his voice.
"Hmph, interesting. Gekko, you are a duelist worthy of respect!" Raising her duel disk arm once again, Hoshino drew a card from her hand and placed it into her duel disk.
"I accept your challenge—let's duel until the very end!"
"I set a card face-down, then summon [Heroic Spirit - Elizabeth Bathory] in Attack Position."
[Heroic Spirit - Elizabeth Bathory ★★★★ (4-star)] [FIRE] [Dragon/Effect] [ATK 1300/DEF 1000]
"La la la~ Everyone's favorite idol, Elizabeth-chan, is back on stage~"
"Please don't start singing just yet!" Hoshino hurriedly covered Elizabeth's card, desperately buying a mont of peace for everyone present.
"Ugh... I'll hold it in, ugh..."
"My turn ends!"
Although the attack power of Exodia Incarnate was reduced to 3000 due to the removal of its head piece in the graveyard, with Altera already having attacked, the 3000 ATK still posed a formidable barrier.
"My turn, draw!"
Without even looking at the card he drew, Gekko knew that no matter what part of Exodia he drew, it was now just a useless card.
"Exodia Incarnate, attack the Artoria Lily on Hoshino's field!" Without any hesitation, Gekko declared the attack.
The perfect duelist always makes the perfect choice, even at the end. With Saber Lily having the lowest attack on Hoshino's field apart from the defense-position dea Lily, her 1200 ATK was naturally overwheld by Exodia's 3000, dealing 1800 battle damage to Hoshino.
However, Hoshino's current Life Points were 1900, exactly the amount she had managed to scrape together through the effects triggered last turn with Artoria's mana boost.
100 Life Points were all that separated Gekko from defeat.
"Hahaha, Hoshino, maybe you're the true perfect duelist!" Gekko smiled, a final, satisfied smile as he pointed forward.
"Let this be the final attack! Obliterate!!!!"
The fire roaring from Exodia's hands surged toward the small fra of Saber Lily.
Gekko set down his card, watching the scene unfold. Even if it wasn't a complete victory, leaving Hoshino with only 100 Life Points wasn't too bad...
Swish!
Just as Gekko was waiting for the flas to consu the field, a sound like the wind from a sword slash swept through, rustling his white hair.
Amidst the raging flas, the knight holding a golden sword stood firm, her eyes filled with the determination of a king. She was just a trainee knight, yet...
The battle should've been over, but no one could've predicted that the golden light from her sword would actually slice through the raging flas.
A power that had never before been felt from the Holy Sword surged forth, as the imnse mana stored in Artoria Lily's dragon heart engulfed the field, forming a golden shield that completely neutralized the encroaching flas.
"Gekko, even though I wanted to let you have this final attack, since you're determined to fight to the end, it would be disrespectful of not to give my all!"
Hoshino flipped over the card she had just set in her Duel Disk.
"This is the will of the King of Knights, as she rallies everyone's hearts for a final counterattack!"
"Trap card: [Heroic Battle – United Assault]! According to the card's effect, all the attack power of the Heroic Spirits on my field will be transferred to Saber Lily!"
[Heroic Battle – United Assault Trap Card Effect: Select 1 face-up [Heroic Spirit] monster on your field. Until the end of the Battle Phase, that monster gains attack points equal to the combined attack points of all other Attack Position monsters you control, and those other monsters' attack points beco 0.]
"I'll transfer the attack power of Altera, Atalanta, and Elizabeth Bathory to [Heroic Spirit - Artoria Pendragon (Lily)]!"
"The glory of the War God is now in your hands," Altera declared as she looked upon Saber Lily.
"As the King of Knights, show us your purest smile, blessed by the Goddess," Atalanta encouraged.
"Take Elizabeth-chan's idol power! It's super strong, so use it well!" Elizabeth chid in, her voice filled with enthusiasm.
[Heroic Spirit - Artoria Pendragon (Lily) ATK 1200 → 7850]
With the infusion of mana from the other Heroic Spirits, the light from Saber Lily's Holy Sword grew more dazzling by the second.
"Thank you, everyone, for granting your strength and empowering Caliburn!" Artoria Lily cried out as she raised the golden sword high.
"Sword of Selection, grant your power! Cleave the wicked! Caliburn!"
The resounding shout of the King pierced through the roaring inferno, and the shining golden light shattered the Exodia Incarnate's flas, casting its gentle radiance across the corridor.
"I see, Duel King Hoshino Chiyuki," Gekko murmured, his voice soft yet filled with admiration.
Bathed in the golden light, Gekko showed no regret, only a look of satisfaction as he closed his eyes.
"...If it's you, I know you can save Yako in my place..."
[Tenma Gekko LP 4000 → 0]
(***)
"Gekko, you've already beco the perfect duelist!"
"Really? Mr. Pegasus?!"
Being acknowledged by Mr. Pegasus, the person Gekko respected most, was probably one of the happiest monts of his life. But there seed to be sothing hidden within Mr. Pegasus's gentle smile...
"Wow, Gekko, Mr. Pegasus is calling you the perfect duelist!"
"Gekko-sama really is amazing, isn't he?"
"I'm so jealous of big brother. I want to be recognized by Mr. Pegasus too!"
Unaware of the deeper aning behind Mr. Pegasus's smile, Gekko quickly beca imrsed in the flood of praise that ca with the title.
"Big brother, you're amazing! I totally can't beat you."
"No way, Yako, you've gotten way stronger..."
"Hehe, I feel like I almost beat you this ti, Gekko~"
"Yeah, that was really close..."
"Congratulations on another tournant victory, Gekko-sama."
But amidst all the celebrations, sothing began to change inside Gekko.
Why did dueling start to feel like such a burden?
It felt like everyone around him was getting stronger and stronger, but he...
He hadn't improved at all.
("Gekko, you've already beco the perfect duelist!")
Is that so, Mr. Pegasus...
As Gekko stared at his trembling hands, he finally understood the deeper aning behind Mr. Pegasus's words.
"I've reached my limit, haven't I," he realized.
Mr. Pegasus had the ability to see through everything, and he could tell at a glance that, as a duelist, Gekko had already reached his limit.
Mr. Pegasus had kindly called him the perfect duelist, perhaps to give him a beautiful ending, or maybe to hint at sothing deeper.
One day, Gekko would be surpassed by those around him—the other children raised by Mr. Pegasus, and even his beloved younger brother, Yako, would leave him far behind.
He started to fear that day's arrival. The deep sense of helplessness filled his entire being.
"Mr. Pegasus, Yako-sama! Gekko-sama—sothing's happened to him!!"
It hurt so much, yet sohow, amidst the pain, Gekko felt a sense of release.
(*****)
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