[Seto Kaiba VS Yugi Muto VS Chiyuki Hoshino VS Marik Ishtar]
[Duel Start!]
"I'll take the first move! Draw!" Kaiba declared as the duel began. Following clockwise order, Yugi was next, then Hoshino, with Marik going last.
"I summon [Kaiser Sea Horse] in Attack Position. Then, I set two cards face-down. Turn end."
[Kaiser Sea Horse★★★★ (Level 4)][LIGHT][Sea Serpent/Effect][ATK 1700/DEF 1650]
For Kaiba, this was a conservative opening—quite uncharacteristic given his usual preference for summoning powerful monsters like Blue-Eyes White Dragon right out of the gate.
"My turn! Draw!" Yugi declared. "I activate the Spell Card [Dark Magic Curtain] from my hand!"
[Dark Magic Curtain – Spell Card Effect: Pay half your LP; Special Summon 1 [Dark Magician] from your Deck. You cannot Summon other monsters the turn you activate this card.]
With a flash of black light, the iconic Dark Magician erged from the ominous curtain.
[Dark Magician★★★★★★★ (Level 7)][DARK][Spellcaster][ATK 2500/DEF 2100]
"I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn," Yugi announced.
Since this was a free-for-all duel, no player could enter their Battle Phase during their first turn.
"My turn! Draw!"
When Hoshino's turn arrived, she drew her card and carefully considered her strategy. If she wanted to ensure Marik would be her opponent in the semifinals, she had two options:
1. Defeat both Kaiba and Yugi, leaving Marik as the other survivor.
2. Reduce Marik's Life Points to zero, then allow herself to be eliminated.
The second option was far easier to execute. Simultaneously defeating both Kaiba and Yugi in this kind of duel was nearly impossible. Prioritizing Marik was the more viable approach.
"I summon [Fairy Tales of the Lilies] in Attack Position!"
[Fairy Tales of the Lilies★ (Level 1)][LIGHT][Spellcaster/Effect][ATK 100/DEF 400]
"Now, I activate its effect! I tribute Fairy Tales of the Lilies to Special Summon a Lily monster from my Deck!"
After searching through her deck, Hoshino placed a new card on her Duel Disk. "I Special Summon [Heroic Spirit - Nursery Rhy] in Defense Position and activate its special effect!"
[Heroic Spirit - Nursery Rhy★★★★ (Level 4)][DARK][Spellcaster/Effect][ATK 800/DEF 800]
Nursery Rhy spoke cheerfully: "Round and round the door never stops, right into the bubbling pot!"
[Effect: Once per turn, if this card is Special Summoned: You can add 1 [Heroic Spirit] or [Lily] Spell Card from your Deck to your hand.]
"I add the Spell Card [The Glorious Path to Santa Claus] to my hand! Lastly, I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
Marik smirked. "Finally, my turn! Draw!"
"Gahaha! I summon [Viser Des] in Defense Position!"
Jonouchi paled. "That card again!" he groaned, clutching his head as if reliving a nightmare.
Marik pointed at Yugi's Dark Magician and sneered. "Exactly! My favorite torture tool. I target Dark Magician—let the interrogation begin!"
[Viser Des Effect: If this card is Normal Summoned: Target 1 monster your opponent controls; during your third Standby Phase after this effect's activation, destroy that monster. This card cannot be destroyed by battle while the targeted monster is on the field.]
"Urgh!" Electric chains snaked around Dark Magician, but since this duel wasn't a Shadow Ga, the pain didn't transfer to Yugi as it had with Jonouchi.
"As long as Dark Magician stays on the field, my Viser Des cannot be destroyed by battle. I set four cards face-down and end my turn," Marik concluded, leaving only one card in his hand.
"My turn! Draw!" With the second round underway, Kaiba was ready to unleash his offensive.
"I tribute Kaiser Sea Horse! Its effect allows to treat it as two tributes when summoning a LIGHT monster!"
As expected, Kaiba summoned his signature monster.
"Co forth, my strongest monster—Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" A dazzling beam of light heralded the appearance of Kaiba's legendary dragon.
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][LIGHT][Dragon][ATK 3000/DEF 2500]
"Next, I activate the Spell Card [Dark Core] from my hand!"
[Dark Core – Spell Card Effect: Discard 1 card, then target 1 face-up monster on the field; banish that target.]
"I discard a card to target Dark Magician—banish it!" Kaiba declared, his sights set on Yugi's most powerful monster.
Hoshino frowned. "Kaiba's targeting Yugi?"
Initially, Kaiba had planned to target Marik. However, seeing Yugi reduce his own Life Points significantly in the first turn prompted a shift in his strategy. Eliminating Yugi and Hoshino first now seed the better approach.
"Trap Card, activate—[Black Illusion]!" Yugi countered.
[Black Illusion – Trap Card Effect: Until the end of this turn, all DARK Spellcaster-Type monsters with 2000 or more ATK you currently control cannot be destroyed by battle, their effects are negated, and they are unaffected by your opponent's card effects.]
The Dark Magician shimred, dodging the Dark Core and rendering it useless.
"Since Black Illusion is active, Dark Magician is unaffected by card effects this turn and cannot be destroyed by battle," Yugi explained.
"Then take this—Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack with Burst Stream of Destruction!" Kaiba commanded. A surge of white lightning slamd into Dark Magician, leaving it unhard but reducing Yugi's Life Points.
[Yugi LP: 2000 → 1500]
"I set one card face-down and end my turn," Kaiba concluded.
Yugi drew his next card. "My turn! Draw! I activate the Spell Card [Thousand Knives] from my hand!"
[Thousand Knives – Spell Card Effect: If you control [Dark Magician]: Target 1 monster your opponent controls; destroy that target.]
"My target is Viser Des! Go, Dark Magician!" The magical knives rained down, destroying Marik's monster along with its torturous grip on Dark Magician.
"Next, I activate the Equip Spell Card [Magic Formula] and equip it to Dark Magician! Dark Magician, attack Marik directly!"
[Magic Formula – Equip Spell Card Effect: Equip only to [Dark Magician] or [Dark Magician Girl]. It gains 700 ATK. If this card is sent from the field to the GY: Gain 1000 LP.]
[Dark Magician ATK: 2500 → 3200]
Matching Hoshino's plan, Yugi aid his full assault directly at Marik.
Dark Magician, attack directly!
A devastating spell of destruction, carrying a massive 3200 points of damage, hurtled toward Marik.
"Hahaha! I activate my face-down trap card…" Without hesitation, Marik flipped one of his set cards.
At that mont, Yugi's boldness ca into question. Marik still had four face-down cards in his back row. Was Yugi fearless, or simply reckless?
"[tal Reflect Sli]!"
Seeing the familiar card, Hoshino raised an eyebrow. "That's Odion's trap monster!"
"Indeed! tal Reflect Sli's effect allows to summon a token with 3000 DEF to my field!" Twisted liquid tal ford a nacing barrier before Marik.
[tal Reflect Sli DEF: 3000]
Yugi declared, "It's futile! Dark Magician's ATK is 3200—your sli can't withstand it!"
"Oh, I know that~" Marik sneered. "But what about this? I activate the trap card—[Magic Arm Shield]!"
[Magic Arm Shield - Trap Card Effect: When your opponent declares an attack, take control of one of their other face-up monsters and redirect the attack to it. The monster is returned at the end of the Battle Phase.]
"Hahaha! Thanks to tal Reflect Sli, I t the activation condition. And the shield I'll use… is Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
Kaiba's eyes widened. "What?!"
In a free-for-all duel, every opponent's monsters were fair ga. Like a claw machine, Marik grabbed Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon and placed it in the line of Dark Magician's attack. The majestic dragon could only roar helplessly before being destroyed.
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon] Destroyed
[Marik LP: 4000 → 3800]
Kaiba seethed. "How dare you use my Blue-Eyes as a shield?!"
Honestly, Kaiba, your Blue-Eyes usually can't act as a proper shield anyway.
"And now, my third trap—[Raigeki Break]!" Marik activated another face-down card, ensuring maximum chaos.
[Raigeki Break - Trap Card Effect: Discard 1 card; target 1 card on the field and destroy it.]
"I'll discard my last card to destroy Dark Magician!" Crimson lightning erupted, striking down Yugi's ace monster.
[Dark Magician] Destroyed
Mai gaped. "He just took out Yugi's and Kaiba's aces with traps alone?! I thought this guy only relied on his God cards, but he's actually good!"
Yugi calmly sent Dark Magician and its Equip Spell to the Graveyard. "Since Magic Formula was sent to the Graveyard, I regain 1000 Life Points."
[Yugi LP: 1500 → 2500]
"And now, I activate the trap—[Soul Rope]!"
[Soul Rope - Trap Card Effect: If a monster you control is destroyed, pay 1000 LP to Special Summon a Level 4 monster from your Deck.]
[Yugi LP: 2500 → 1500]
"I Special Summon [Magician's Valkyria] in Attack Position!"
[Magician's Valkyria ★★★★ (Level 4)][LIGHT][Spellcaster][ATK 1600/DEF 1800]
"Since this is a Special Summon during the Battle Phase, I can still attack! Magician's Valkyria, attack Kaiba directly!"
With Hoshino's monsters in Defense Position, Kaiba's empty field made him the perfect target.
"Heh!" The Valkyria's staff unleashed a brilliant light at Kaiba.
[Kaiba LP: 4000 → 2400]
"I set one card face-down and end my turn!"
Chaos erupted as Yugi, Marik, and Kaiba clashed fiercely. anwhile, Hoshino...
Well, she quietly observed, her Nursery Rhy tucked safely in Defense Position, practically invisible amidst the chaos.
"Master, I want to play too~!"
"No, Nursery Rhy. If you join in, you'll probably get vaporized…" Hoshino sighed, drawing her card. "Anyway, my turn—draw!"
Marik smirked. "Hoshino, now's your chance to eliminate Kaiba in one move. Don't waste it~"
"Eliminate Kaiba first? Marik, your suggestions are always self-serving!" Hoshino assessed the field. Kaiba's back row of three face-down cards was dangerous, and targeting him would leave her vulnerable to Marik and Yugi.
"Forget it. Dream on!" Hoshino locked eyes with Marik. "Don't think a 3000-DEF wall can stop from wrecking you this turn!"
With Marik's defenses intact and LP almost untouched, he seed the hardest to defeat. However, the others had exhausted significant resources. Now was Hoshino's mont.
"I activate the Ritual Spell Card—[The Glorious Path to Santa Claus]!"
Marik's sneer faltered. "A Ritual Spell?"
"To summon a Ritual Monster, I tribute monsters from my hand or field whose combined Levels equal the monster's Level. From my hand, I tribute [Heroic Spirit – Jack], totaling six stars, to Ritual Summon—[Heroic Spirit – Altera the San(ta)]!"
As Hoshino's Ritual Spell resolved, holy light and snowflakes enveloped the battlefield.
Akasha squinted. "Altera the Santa? Isn't that the sa Altera who fought Gekko and sliced off one of Exodia's arms? Why does her na have 'Santa' in it?"
Akasha's confusion grew as the Heroic Spirit descended. Instead of the cold, commanding Altera she expected, a new, ridiculous figure appeared.
Draped in a seductive red outfit masquerading as Santa's attire, this Altera wore a fake beard and rode a massive, fluffy sheep. With an exaggerated old man's laugh, she declared:
"Altera the San(ta) has arrived! Ho ho ho, my soft and fluffy Master and children, your long-awaited Santa Claus is here!"
(*****)
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