"Now then, Hoshino—round two begins!"
Hoshino crossed her arms and glanced at the newly bulked-up Diabound, chuckling.
"Round two? This one looks weaker than before."
Compared to the Diabound that had absorbed the power of Blue-Eyes White Dragon and reached 5000 ATK, this new version—still struggling to digest the divine power of Obelisk—only had 4000 ATK, the sa as Obelisk itself.
"Whether I can defeat you or not—we won't know until we fight! I offer my soul to revive you, Diabound!"
The Diabound that had been destroyed by Nero—the one fused with Blue-Eyes' power—revived once again.
But Nero's punch had clearly done lasting damage. The revived Diabound had lost all traces of Blue-Eyes' evolution, reverting to its original pure-white form.
"I activate Diabound's effect! It possesses the opponent's monster and lowers its ATK!"
The reverted Diabound twisted its serpentine body and lunged at Nero.
Realizing the danger, Yugi quickly shouted,
"Hoshino! He's trying to steal Nero's power!"
If Diabound succeeded, there'd be no way to match its strength.
Nero had absolute resistance—she shouldn't be affected by Diabound's possession effect. But Obelisk had proven otherwise: even with resistance to sub–Level 10 monster effects, Diabound had still managed to steal so of Obelisk's power.
Hoshino analyzed aloud,
"So, Diabound's power-stealing effect doesn't actually care about resistance. It's not affecting the opponent—it's just evolving itself."
"And now you realize it, Hoshino! I'll be taking Nero's strength without hesitation!"
Diabound lunged at Nero's body. It looked like things were about to take a very suggestive turn as its serpent form prepared to bind her.
"Think I'll let you just have it? Counter Trap Card—Activate!"
Sliding a card into her Duel Disk, Hoshino triggered her trap as Diabound closed in.
"Origin Bullet—Fire, Kiritsugu!"
[Origin Bullet - Counter Trap Effect: Can be activated when an opponent summons, Special Summons, or Flip Summons a monster. That monster cannot activate effects or declare attacks until the end of the third turn.]
Bang—!
"Back off, monster."
With a cigarette in his mouth, Kiritsugu fired the Origin Bullet from his gun. The shot pierced Diabound's serpent head and struck the magical core where its human and snake bodies connected.
"GRAAAHHH!!"
The energy inside was thrown into chaos, forcing Diabound to stop mid-possession and roll on the ground in agony.
Seizing the opening Kiritsugu created, Hoshino barked an order.
"The Origin Bullet's effect only lasts three turns—in real-ti that's not long! Nero, we have to end this quickly!"
With its plan to steal Nero's power disrupted, Bakura clicked his tongue in frustration and ordered his Obelisk-infused Diabound to counterattack.
"Tch. I thought I could score a quick win... guess I have no choice. Ti for our last resort, Diabound!"
The two monsters clashed—Diabound's massive fist against Nero's flaming gauntlets—sending out a shockwave that shattered the palace floor.
"The flooring here's not as sturdy as the Ryuudou Temple... Maybe it's ti for so renovation, Yugi."
But Yugi wasn't concerned with the damage—if Hoshino could defeat Bakura, the palace could collapse for all he cared.
"Ora ora ora ora ora—!!"
With a 1000 ATK advantage, Nero unleashed a barrage of blazing punches. The storm of fists hamred Diabound rcilessly, leaving it with no chance to fight back.
"You're not getting a second chance to play dead this ti, Bakura!"
"We'll see who dies, Hoshino! This is Diabound's final trump card after absorbing Obelisk—Soul Energy MAX!"
Bakura roared and poured his entire soul into Diabound, activating Obelisk's ultimate ability.
"Soul Energy MAX?!"
Sensing the surge of familiar divine power, Yugi exclaid,
"Diabound… it's not just copying ATK, it's inheriting the effects too?"
"By tributing two monsters to Diabound, the explosive soul surge gives it infinite attack power! Crush everything in your path, Diabound!!"
"Wait—but Bakura doesn't have two monsters to tribute?"
Hoshino frowned.
At most, he had the weakened, Origin Bullet-stunned Diabound from earlier.
Yet as Soul Energy MAX activated, Diabound's ATK skyrocketed—authentic and unstoppable.
"Heh heh heh... I offer myself as tribute—turning the malice in my soul into a monster!"
Bakura was fully deranged now, laughing wildly.
"I offer my entire soul as the second monster! That's my final card, Hoshino! If I'm going down, I'm taking you all with !"
[Diabound Kernel "Obelisk" ATK 4000 → ∞]
A suffocating aura of fear filled the air. Mana instinctively took a few steps back.
"He sacrificed himself as a tribute? Has he gone completely mad?"
"Wait, that works?!"
It was Hoshino's first ti experiencing this era's dueling—still bound by modern rules—so Bakura's completely improvised move shattered her understanding of what was possible. A whole new world had just opened up before her.
"He talked himself into becoming a monster… and then tributed himself?"
Even if it was ridiculous, Bakura's soul-staked desperation succeeded in raising Diabound's ATK to infinity. The God was now completely countering Nero.
That said, with Bakura's deranged aura and the deep malice emanating from him, calling him a monster wasn't just being dramatic—it was probably an understatent.
"This is the resolve one needs for victory, Hoshino! I won't let you keep ruining my plans! Even if this body is destroyed, I'll take you down with !"
"So that's what it ans to have resolve for victory… heh."
Hoshino laughed quietly. In that mont, Bakura's desperate, soul-fueled gamble had sohow ignited her own fighting spirit.
"Now I get it. Why every duel feels like a clash of souls. From 3,000 years ago until now… it's always been about staking your soul—and your pride!"
"Then let's see whose resolve burns brighter, Bakura! I activate the effect of Saber Regalia Nero Claudius!!"
[Effect: Can only be activated during either player's Battle Phase by tributing all other "Heroic Spirit" monsters you control (except this card). This card's ATK becos ∞ (infinite).]
Bakura's crazed laughter ca to an abrupt halt. His eyes widened in shock.
"Tribute all 'Heroic Spirit' monsters…? Wait, don't tell —!"
Hoshino only had Nero on her field. If she was going to activate that effect...
"When it cos to resolve for victory, I won't lose to anyone! If you can turn your malice into a monster, then I'll stake my entire soul—beco a Heroic Spirit myself!!"
The soul-energy gauge on Hoshino's Duel Disk plumted at a visible rate. The Heroic Spirit energy erupting from her body coiled tightly around Nero's fists.
"This… this is your soul, Master?"
Nero turned to look at Hoshino in disbelief, feeling the power flooding into her hands. Even among legends recorded in the Throne of Heroes, few had ever wielded soul-energy like this.
"Nero, to shoulder a nation… to carry an era—doesn't that an you're worthy of being a Heroic Spirit?"
"Mmm! Right now, Master, no one is more worthy than you! This overflowing power is proof enough!"
[Saber Regalia Nero Claudius ATK 5000 → ∞]
Her blazing fists, now fueled by burning soul-energy, unleashed an infinite-force strike straight toward Diabound.
"Then go, Nero—obliterate that monster! Use the energy of Ro—no, the glory of Heroic Spirit Energy MAX—and drive this thing out of our land!!"
If infinity had different levels, then in terms of this world's dueling rules, the infinite power born of Hoshino's overwhelming soul far surpassed the artificial "infinity" created by Bakura's corrupted remains.
Diabound was forced backward by Nero's overwhelming assault. The massive body crashed into Bakura behind it—and both of them were hurled straight out of the royal palace.
"Impossible! My Diabound—empowered by Blue-Eyes and the Gods—my perfect plan, ruined again… by you, Hoshino!!"
"No matter the era, no matter the land—be it Egypt or sopotamia—people fight to survive! And justice will never let you destroy this country, Bakura!!"
With no hesitation to stop the attack, the Fla behind Nero unfurled into flaming wings. Her next strike hit with even more force, launching Diabound—and Bakura along with it—through the palace gates.
The trail of fire tore through the entire city, until the two were blasted past the outer walls. Only then did Nero's attack explode skyward into a massive column of fla.
"Now dance—! This is my ultimate strike—Moonlight Judgent: Thunderous Applause of Ten Thousand!!"
(*****)
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