"A monster with 4700 ATK that can attack four tis in a row…" Alexis said uneasily.
Misawa frowned and recalculated carefully.
"No… it's not 4700 ATK. Because Diarmuid on the field was Tributed, the Rikka Queen's ATK will increase by another 200."
[Teardrop the Rikka Queen ATK 4700 → 4900]
"Inheriting the power of the king, the Rikka Queen, together with Proof of the Light King, will purify the filth of this world!"
With a light motion of her slender fingers, Queen Mardel gave the order. The fully buffed Rikka Queen launched a four-hit assault that swept across both earth and lake.
"Bloom, and cleanse this sacred land with purifying light—Teardrop's first attack!"
The imnse magical power gathering in the Rikka Queen's hands brought pressure even heavier than the Triple Burst Stream of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
"From here on, I'm leaving it to you, Cu Chulainn Alter!" Hoshino Alter declared in response.
"We've fought this far already—there's no reason to hold back now! Full release!! Let them experience what it ans to challenge despair!"
Pitch-black magical power mixed with all the evils of this world erupted forth. Opposing the pure white holy light of the Rikka Queen, Cu Chulainn Alter, in the fully skeletal state of the Devouring Death-Fang Beast, charged straight forward. Ignoring the difference in attack power, the two forces collided.
Queen Mardel's eyes widened slightly.
"To actually match the radiance of my Light-Realm King… what terrifying darkness."
"But wait—4500 ATK against 4900 ATK… shouldn't that put Senpai at a disadvantage?" Alexis asked in confusion.
Minazuki clenched his fist arrogantly.
"Muda da! That level of attack can't destroy Cu Chulainn!"
Hoshino Alter announced:
"The effect of Cu Chulainn Alter! If this card would be destroyed by battle or effect, I can detach one Xyz Material from it instead!"
She pulled out Lunalight Sabre Dancer, which had been stacked beneath Cu Chulainn Alter, and sent it to the Graveyard. Using this thod, Alter's power forcibly endured the brilliance gathered from the Elf Kingdom.
[Hoshino & Minazuki LP 8000 → 7600]
Misawa's eyes widened.
"Cu Chulainn Alter has three Xyz Materials total! That ans it can block three of the Rikka Queen's attacks as replacents!"
"And counting Cu Chulainn Alter itself," Alexis added excitedly,
"even if the opponent can attack four tis, they still can't deal direct damage to Senpai!"
"There's hope! As long as they survive this turn, it'll be the seniors' turn next!"
Hoshino muttered thoughtfully:
["Why would my other self choose this thod…?"]
Among everyone present, only Hoshino felt doubtful about Hoshino Alter's choice. After all, only Hoshino knew what the final card in Hoshino Alter's hand was.
"Aibo," Hoshino Alter said quietly,
"I told you before—the puzzle pieces for victory are already complete. But if we want to suppress the influence the Nine-Realm King has on the world, we must win using a Plant-type monster, right…?"
Hoshino raised an eyebrow.
["So you did rember that condition, huh?"]
With the battlefield filled with Beast-Warrior monsters, Hoshino had started to think the two of them had mistaken the required type for the Light-Realm King.
Looking at the last card in her hand, Hoshino Alter spoke seriously.
"That's why… I have to place my hope in this card.
Which ans, for now we must endure the attacks first!"
"Then let's see how many more strikes you can withstand from the light of the Rikka Queen!" Mardel declared. "Teardrop's second attack!"
Minazuki shouted:
"Muda! As destruction replacent, detach the second Xyz Material—Lunalight Sabre Dancer!"
[Hoshino & Minazuki LP 7600 → 7200]
Darkness beyond limits clashed against radiant light. Attack power surpassing Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon collided again and again, shaking the entire Spirit Kingdom.
Even the Purification Lake, once calm like a mirror within the sacred World Tree, began rippling violently from the shockwaves.
"Teardrop's third attack!"
Minazuki & Hoshino Alter shouted together:
"Muda!! As destruction replacent, detach the final Xyz Material—Mad King – Cu Chulainn Alter!"
[Hoshino & Minazuki LP 7200 → 6800]
The impact spread throughout the entire World Tree Yggdrasil, surging from its roots all the way into the sky. Even the students outside the Elf Kingdom could feel the violent tremors from the unleashed energy.
Outside the World Tree, the Valkyries who were maintaining the dinsional gate exchanged uneasy glances.
"That energy wave is… incredible. Is Master planning to tear down the Elf Kingdom itself?"
Akasha, who had been rejected from entering, could only fu helplessly outside.
On the other side—
Far out on the sea, aboard a passenger ship heading toward the academy, Sartorius gazed at the enormous World Tree, visible even from the distant ocean.
"The upright 'Tower' card, huh…"
From the pocket of his white coat, Sartorius drew the top Tarot card.
Among the Major Arcana, the Tower was the only card whose aning was ominous whether upright or reversed. It symbolized destruction itself.
"So I didn't make it in ti…? If the 'Reversed Fool' fails…"
"For the sake of this world—Even if Duel Academy must disappear from history, we'll have to activate the Laser Satellite and destroy both the academy and the World Tree together."
…
"This is the final attack," Queen Mardel declared.
"All darkness will vanish completely under this strike."
The fourth attack of the Rikka Queen was unleashed. It seed as if the energy from the previous three attacks had been condensed into this single blow.
The spirit's light overwheld even all the evils of this world, crashing toward Cu Chulainn Alter, who now had no Xyz Materials remaining.
"Mu—" Minazuki stopped mid-sentence and looked toward Hoshino.
"I'd like to say 'Muda,' but… it looks like we can't block it anymore, right, Headmistress?"
Hoshino shouted:
["Other ! This is the last chance!"]
"Of course I know!" Hoshino Alter grinned.
"A coback pulled off at the very last mont is the coolest, isn't it?!"
She raised the final card in her hand high above her head.
The radiance of the Holy Grail spread across the shattered, dark bone armor covering Cu Chulainn Alter.
"When the light of the Holy Grail intertwines with the evil (darkness) of the Holy Grail, it becos sothing known as the Chaos of the Grail!"
"From my hand, I activate the special effect of Heroic Spirit – Irisviel von Einzbern!"
[Discard this card from your hand, then target 1 "Heroic Spirit" monster on the field; activate this effect. Until the end of the turn, that monster gains 1000 ATK and becos unaffected by the effects of cards other than itself and this card. This effect can also be activated during your opponent's turn.]
"Please, Illya!"
"O pure white Holy Grail, sing your praise—!"
Clad in the magnificent Dress of Heaven, Irisviel appeared behind Cu Chulainn Alter and poured the sacred light of healing—along with magical power connected to the very source of the Holy Grail—into the Noble Phantasm Beast That Devours Shattered Death Fangs.
Gently patting Cu Chulainn on the shoulder, Irisviel smiled.
"You've been strengthened. Go!"
[Devouring Deathfang Beast – Cu Chulainn Alter ATK 4500 → 5500]
"So it's finally my turn to counterattack, huh? Just defending all the ti isn't really my style!"
Swinging his terrifying claws wrapped in the intertwined forces of darkness and radiance, Cu Chulainn instantly tore apart the brilliance gathered by the Rikka Queen before him.
—Forever solitary. Forever the strongest. Forever the one who claims victory.
"Oooooooooh! Be utterly destroyed!"
Mad Enhancent A, Cu Chulainn Alter's inherent skill, awakened the spirits slumbering within the earth, shattering the morale of enemy soldiers.
And this roar—like that of a war god—was enough to shake even the Queen of the Spirits.
"You actually held onto a card that could surpass my monster's attack power until the end… why?"
Queen Mardel could not understand.
If she had the power to counterkill, why had she stubbornly endured the previous three attacks?
Ignoring the queen's confusion, Hoshino Alter launched her counterattack.
"Radiance and darkness intertwine at this mont to form chaos, becoming a spiral that pierces through everything!
—Cu Chulainn Alter Super Finisher: Chaos Spiral!"
"Well, the naming sense is pretty awful," Cu Chulainn grinned, baring sharp beast-like fangs, "but breaking through everything? That part's right!"
A spear of energy condensed into a single point—the chaotic spiral piercing through light—as Cu Chulainn Alter's claw drove straight into the body of Teardrop the Rikka Queen.
"Sleep forever!"
[Queen Mardel LP 7600 → 7000]
Crack—!
Along with Cu Chulainn Alter's counterattack, the shattered Proof of the Light King popped out of Queen Mardel's Duel Disk and turned into nothingness together with the card itself.
"When one of your Plant monsters would be destroyed, you can banish Proof of the Light King face-down to negate that destruction."
Although she barely managed to preserve Rikka Queen, Queen Mardel's expression looked grim.
"Darkness… the power of chaos… actually shattered the purifying Proof of the Light King. It seems I underestimated you—underestimated the power of humans."
At the sa ti, the lake beneath Hoshino Alter and the others began to boil without warning.
Filth that should have remained settled at the bottom began rising to the surface.
"What the hell is going on?" Hoshino Alter demanded.
The foul stench stirred up by the filth floating on the lake's surface was far more unbearable in person than it had been through images.
Queen Mardel answered solemnly:
"For a thousand years, the Lake of Purification has accumulated dark impurities at its depths. The dark power you used has resonated with them. Now that the Proof of the Light King no longer suppresses them, they seek to seize control and devour the lake itself."
Hoshino scratched her head.
["I don't totally get it, but… this sounds really bad, doesn't it?"]
"Before the duel, I said I wished to give humanity one more chance. But this filthy darkness does not lie. Humanity… is beyond saving."
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Queen Mardel declared:
"As the ruler presiding over the Nine Realm Kings, I cannot acknowledge a duel fought using such dark power."
"Are you freaking serious—" Minazuki burst out with crude fury.
"You're not seriously planning to lose the duel and then refuse to admit it, are you?!"
"Hmph. What a troubleso king." Kaiba Man snorted coldly.
"So simply winning the duel isn't enough, huh? Did that idiot Hoshino even consider the rules that suppress the Nine Realm Kings?"
"Continue, Queen Mardel." Hoshino Alter pointed forward confidently.
"I'll make you acknowledge it—this duel!"
Queen Mardel lowered her Duel Disk and directly ended her turn.
"Let say this first. Even though the Proof of the Light King has been shattered, I will not lose this duel so easily."
Although she had already used up all the cards in her hand and all Set Cards, the Rikka monsters remaining on her field were still the real deal—far from sothing to underestimate.
Especially Rikka Queen, which still possessed the effect to detach an Xyz Material during the opponent's turn and force a monster to be Tributed.
Even if she couldn't tribute Cu Chulainn Alter, the other monsters Hoshino Alter summoned could be eliminated imdiately.
[Queen Mardel: 0 Hand Card | 0 Set Card]
Of course, that was only Queen Mardel's own assumption.
"There's no more chance left, Queen of the Spirits!"
Striking a stylish, arrogant pose, Hoshino Alter drew her card for the final ti—one draw to decide everything.
"Minazuki, let's finish this duel together!"
"Oh? Are you finally going to do it, Headmistress?! Are you finally doing that?!" Minazuki shouted excitedly.
"Of course! After all—"
Hoshino Alter & Minazuki:
"A true duelist—draws even their cards by destiny! Dorooo—!!"
"—Spell Card activated: [The Place We Will Eventually Reach]!"
[The Place We Will Eventually Reach – Spell Card Effect: Send 1 monster with "Heroic Spirit" in its na from your Deck to the Graveyard, then activate 1 of the following effects.
● Return 1 banished "Heroic Spirit" monster to the Graveyard.]
"I send Heroic Spirit – Okita from my Deck to the Graveyard. Then I choose Heroic Spirit – Cu Chulainn Alter in the banished zone and return it to the Graveyard!"
Two cards shot into the Graveyard—one from the Deck and one from the banished zone—allowing Hoshino Alter to fulfill the conditions for a special Fusion Summon this turn.
"Next, I activate the effect of Heroic Spirit – Irisviel von Einzbern in my Graveyard—!"
[If this card is in your Graveyard: You can banish 5 "Heroic Spirit" monsters from your Graveyard, including this card; Special Summon 1 "Heroic Spirit" monster from your Extra Deck. A monster Special Summoned by this effect returns to the Extra Deck at the end of the turn.]
"I banish Heroic Spirit – Irisviel, Heroic Spirit – Okita Soji, Heroic Spirit – Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, Heroic Spirit – Cu Chulainn Alter, and Mad King – Cu Chulainn Alter—five Heroic Spirit monsters in total from my Graveyard!"
The spiritual core energy of the five Heroic Spirits poured into the Holy Grail, transforming into a decisive card in Bai Xing's hand.
"Holy Grail Fusion Summon—Heroic Spirit – Praying Bow, Robin Hood!"
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