"What is that light?" Valon frowned, watching the radiance shoot into the sky from Hoshino's Duel Disk.
Though dawn had barely begun to break, the sheer brilliance of the spectacle made it clear—whatever monster Hoshino was summoning now was on an entirely different level from anything seen before.
"My turn! Draw! And then…"
At the start of her turn, Hoshino reached into the Graveyard slot of her Duel Disk and pulled out five cards at once.
"One of the cards destroyed by Harpie's Feather Duster earlier was Andersen, but the other was this—Spell Card [Divine Three-Legged Race]! While this card is in the Graveyard, during my Standby Phase, I can banish five cards, including this one!"
She revealed the five cards she had chosen. Upon seeing them, Mai's finely shaped eyebrows twitched twice in visible shock. Among the banished cards were Divine Three-Legged Race itself, the Spell Card Fusion, and the three Gorgon Sisters that had been destroyed last turn.
"Then, from my banished monsters, I return the Fusion Materials specified for a [Heroic Spirit] Fusion Monster back to the Graveyard—allowing to Fusion Summon!"
From Hoshino's Graveyard, three orbs of light—each a different color—shot into the sky, rging together beneath the morning glow.
By returning the three Gorgon Sisters to the Graveyard, she had seamlessly turned the effect of Harpie's Feather Duster against Mai, setting up a counterplay that left even the spectators speechless.
"I fuse dusa, Stheno, and Euryale—Fusion Summon!"
The three goddesses beca one, their combined Spirit Origin transforming into sothing monstrous—sothing straight out of legend. What erged now was no longer a re Heroic Spirit but a Beast Goddess, a figure both divine and terrifying.
"Descend—[Heroic Spirit – Gorgon]!"
[Heroic Spirit – Gorgon ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)][DARK][Fairy/Fusion/Effect][ATK 3300 / DEF 2000]
[Fusion Materials: Heroic Spirit - dusa Heroic Spirit - Stheno Heroic Spirit - Euryale]
Her overwhelming presence magnified her already alluring yet fearso aura, making it impossible to look away from her monstrous yet srizing form.
"I am Gorgon, the Avenger. Use well, and let's see who walks the path of destruction first!"
A heavy pressure filled the air, making it difficult for Mai to breathe. "You… You actually used Harpie's Feather Duster to summon a monster even stronger than Blue-Eyes White Dragon?! Hoshino, I can't keep up with your dueling skills…"
"This is just the beginning, Mai! When Gorgon is successfully Fusion Summoned, the effects of all face-up cards on your field are negated!"
At Hoshino's command, Gorgon's eyes glowed with an ominous radiance, unleashing a petrifying magic unlike anything seen before.
"Thousand Demon Eyes—Release! You can't escape!"
[Cyber Harpie Lady ATK 2100 → 1800]
[Harpie Lady 1 ATK 1600 → 1300]
[Harpie Lady Sisters ATK 2250 → 1950]
"All of your Harpies have reverted to their original stats! Attack, Gorgon!" At Hoshino's command, the enormous serpents entwined in Gorgon's hair stirred in unison.
"Entering the Battle Phase—targeting Harpie Lady Sisters! Gorgon, strike!"
Spreading her golden wings, Gorgon's massive form lunged toward Mai's field.
"Hoshino, I may admit your dueling skills surpass mine, but that doesn't an I'm going to lose!" Without hesitation, Mai flipped over her set card, and once again, the five Harpies on her field burst into flas.
"—I activate the Trap Card [Harpie Lady Sparrow Formation]!"
Following the Phoenix Formation, a new power took shape—Sparrow Formation. The Harpies transford once more, fusing into a blazing phoenix, its size and presence rivaling even Gorgon.
"This will decide the duel, Hoshino! My Sparrow Formation will crush your trump card!"
The flas blazed even brighter as the morning sun began to rise over the battlefield.
[Harpie Lady Sparrow Formation Trap Effect: Can be activated when 2 or more Harpie monsters are on the field. Send 1 Spell/Trap card you control to the Graveyard to destroy all monsters on the opponent's field.] (Ani Exclusive Card)(I'm not sure if this also a China-exclusive effect.)
Watching the horizon brighten, Valon muttered, "So the sunrise is finally here… I bet Raphael and Yugi's duel has already begun. But… there's no way I can focus on that now."
The duel before him—an intense clash between two top-tier duelists—had completely captured his attention. "What a match… Even though it's just a friendly duel, the intensity is unbelievable."
"I swear I won't lose anymore, Chiyuki! Not to anyone!" Mai declared, the fierce determination in her eyes unshaken as she commanded the blazing sparrow to strike.
The inferno engulfed Gorgon, seeking to incinerate her completely.
"Mai, I won't lose either!"
Countless beams of light shot forth, piercing through the flas. Hoshino's calm, unwavering gaze reflected the image of Gorgon breaking free from the firestorm, tearing the burning phoenix apart with sheer divine power.
"[Gorgon]'s effect—this card cannot be destroyed by effects!"
The once-mighty Sparrow Formation crumbled into embers, leaving only the scattered Harpies falling back onto the field. Gorgon's piercing gaze imdiately locked onto her original target.
"You're not a sacrifice. rely my prey—return it in full!"
Despite her massive size, Gorgon moved with unearthly speed, her serpents lashing out and devouring Harpie Lady Sisters in an instant.
[Harpie Lady Sisters – Destroyed]
[Mai's LP 3250 → 1900]
As the battle concluded, Hoshino lowered her Duel Disk with a composed smile. "Mai, both your Phoenix Formation and Sparrow Formation have been neutralized. Do you still want to continue?"
Mai's resources were exhausted—her hand was empty, and her two remaining Harpies stood powerless before Gorgon's overwhelming might.
"Set one card face-down. Turn end."
[Hoshino's: 2 Hand Cards | 1 Set Card]
Valon exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Just as expected. Mai has gotten stronger, but she still can't match Hoshino's level…"
"I will not lose, Chiyuki! Not anymore!" Mai suddenly raised her head, her eyes burning with defiance.
In that mont, a sinister mark appeared on her forehead, radiating an ominous energy.
"Field Spell—[The Seal of Orichalcos], activate!"
"Mai?" Hoshino's eyes narrowed with concern as she sensed a drastic shift in Mai's deanor.
"?! Mai, you actually used it!!" Unlike Hoshino, Valon was visibly shaken at the sight before him.
Although Hoshino had not encountered it firsthand, Valon understood all too well the terrifying power of this card. Once The Seal of Orichalcos was activated, the duel could not be stopped, and the soul of the losing duelist would be sealed within the Orichalcos—offered as a sacrifice to the god.
Mai had started her turn without drawing a card, aning the Seal of Orichalcos was likely the very card she had drawn. To have it appear at such a critical mont… it felt as if the dark power of the Seal had read her desires, offering overwhelming strength to tempt her deeper into the abyss.
A pale green light spread beneath them, etching a glowing insignia onto the ground. The Seal's eerie energy ford a barrier that isolated them from the outside world—separating Valon, who had been watching, from the duel entirely.
"This is bad. With the Seal activated at this mont, and with both Rafael and Alister absent... this is going to be a disaster."
As one of Doma's Three Swordsn, Valon had been granted a single opportunity to cancel the Seal of Orichalcos, but it had co at a steep price—and he had already used it in Mai's duel against Jonouchi.
Hoshino, standing firm inside the glowing barrier, frowned slightly as she felt the power radiating from beneath her feet. "This seal… It's just like Paradox's Malefic World… No, it might be even more sinister."
Unlike a standard Shadow Ga, where defeat didn't always an death, the stakes of this duel left no room for rcy—the loser would be erased entirely.
Gilgash had once advised her: Light and darkness are rely forces. As long as your will remains unshaken, you may wield either without hesitation.
Had he foreseen this mont?
Mai's current state mirrored Hoshino's own fall into darkness once before. The difference was that her unwavering desire for victory had beco her guiding principle—her light within the abyss.
"Mai, I have no right to condemn you for using such power." Hoshino exhaled, steadying herself. She and Gorgon assud a battle-ready stance inside the Seal. "But I won't allow you to wager lives on a duel like this."
"If you can stop , then go ahead and try!"
Bathed in the Seal's eerie glow, the sigil of Orichalcos burned into Mai's forehead, amplifying her already commanding presence.
"The effect of The Seal of Orichalcos—all my monsters gain 500 ATK!"
The mont she declared it, the sinister energy spread like a wildfire. The Harpie monsters on her field trembled with newfound power, their foreheads marked with the sa eerie insignia as their master.
[Cyber Harpie Lady ATK 1800 → 2300]
[Harpie Lady 1 ATK 1300 → 1800]
Hoshino remained unfazed. "Even with the ATK boost, your Harpies still can't overpower Gorgon. Plus, you don't have any cards in your hand."
"Oh? Is that what you think?"
Crossing her arms, Mai smirked with absolute confidence.
"Don't forget, Chiyuki. During my last turn, I activated Sparrow Formation—which required to send one Spell or Trap Card I controlled to the Graveyard. And the card I sent was [Hysteric Sign]!"
Hoshino's eyes widened slightly. That was the Spell Mai had placed on her field at the very beginning, which had searched for Elegant Egotist. And now…
"Since Hysteric Sign was sent to the Graveyard, I can add three different 'Harpie' cards from my Deck to my hand!"
With a single move, Mai's once-empty hand was replenished with three cards.
"First, I summon [Harpie Perfur]! When this card is Normal Summoned, I can add one Spell or Trap from my Deck that ntions Harpie Lady Sisters in its effect!"
[Harpie Perfur ★★★★ (Level 4)][WIND][Winged Beast/Effect][ATK 1400 → 1900 / DEF 1300]
"Next, I activate [Elegant Egotist]—allowing to Special Summon Harpie Lady Sisters from my Deck!"
[Harpie Lady Sisters ATK 1950 → 2450]
"And since I now control a Level 5 or higher Harpie monster, I can Special Summon [Harpie Oracle] from my hand!"
[Harpie Oracle ★★★★ (Level 4)][WIND][Winged Beast/Effect][ATK 1300 → 1800 / DEF 1400]
Unlike the usual striking elegance of the Harpies, Harpie Oracle exuded a playful charm—her expression both cunning and endearing.
Hoshino barely concealed a blush as she covered her mouth. Oh no… She's right in my strike zone… I didn't know Harpies could be this adorable…
"With the Seal of Orichalcos and my elegant Harpies at full power, it's ti to unleash my ultimate strength!"
Mai's voice rang with absolute authority as she revealed her final Set card.
"Trap Card activated—[Harpie Lady Elegance]!"
[Harpie Lady Elegance – Trap Card Effect: Shuffle 1 "Harpie Lady Sisters" from your Monster Zone into the Deck, then Special Summon 3 "Harpie" monsters with different original nas—1 each from your hand, Deck, and Graveyard.]
Hoshino furrowed her brows. "But Mai, even if you return Harpie Lady Sisters, you already have four monsters on your field. There's no space for three more. The Monster Zones are limited to five, aren't they?"
Mai's smirk deepened. "Chiyuki, that's the true power of the Seal of Orichalcos! While inside the Seal, my Spell and Trap Card Zones can also be used as Monster Zones! In other words… I can summon up to ten monsters!"
"Up to ten?!"
With an elegant wave of her hand, Mai placed three additional cards onto her Duel Disk.
"I return Harpie Lady Sisters to my Deck in order to Special Summon Harpie Lady Sisters from the Graveyard, Harpie Dancer from my hand, and Harpie's Pet Dragon from my Deck!"
[Harpie Lady Sisters ATK 1950 → 2450]
[Harpie Dancer ★★★★ (Level 4)][WIND][Winged Beast/Effect][ATK 1200 → 1700 / DEF 1000]
[Harpie's Pet Dragon ★★★★★★ (Level 7)][WIND][Dragon/Effect][ATK 2000 → 2500 / DEF 2500]
With a total of seven Harpie monsters now on the field, the battlefield transford into a storm of swirling feathers. Their srizing figures radiated a beauty both elegant and deadly—so much so that Hoshino had to force herself to stay focused.
"The effect of Harpie's Pet Dragon—this card gains 300 ATK for each 'Harpie Lady' monster on the field!"
[Harpie's Pet Dragon ATK 2500 → 4300]
The monstrous dragon let out a deafening roar, its wings unfurling as the Seal of Orichalcos amplified its power beyond natural limits.
(*****)
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