Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

"Dartz, your only line of defense—the Gigas—has been destroyed! And now, the Kyutora you've been hiding behind is completely exposed!"

After Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon's consecutive attacks, Kaiba had no monsters left to attack with. But this wasn't a typical one-on-one duel—this was a full-scale three-on-one battle.

Hoshino smirked, his Round Table Knight card ready on his Duel Disk. "I'm all set. Just say the word, Kaiba!"

The Battle Phase was still under Kaiba's control, meaning he dictated the pace and attack order.

"Hmph. Of course, we're going in with maximum firepower! Gawain, attack the back-row Kyutora and activate your effect!"

Kaiba's fighting spirit burned just as intensely as the flames roaring from Gawain's sword.

Hoshino understood Kaiba's intent. To avoid any unnecessary complications, they had to finish this in one decisive strike.

"If Kyutora is destroyed, it won't be able to absorb this battle damage! Go, Gawain! Strike directly at Dartz's remaining Life Points!"

[Dice roll result: 5]

[Gawain ATK 2000 → 6000]

Honda slammed his fist into his palm. "Yes! That's two successful effect triggers in a row! Dartz, you're so screwed!"

"—Excalibur Galatine!!"

Once again, blazing sunlight split the battlefield in half. Gawain's sweeping flame arc slashed toward Dartz's only remaining monster—the Kyutora.

"Trap card activated—[Orichalcos Division]! I can Special Summon one Kyutora Token with 0 ATK in Attack Position to my front row to take the attack instead." (OC Card)

[Kyutora Token ★] [Effect][ATK 0 → 500/DEF 0 → 500]

Like a grotesque form of mitosis, the monstrous sea-urchin-like creature strained as its massive eyeball bulged and split, forming a miniature, spiky copy of itself in front of it.

"The Kyutora Token takes double battle damage, but in return, I regain Life Points equal to the attacker's ATK!"

Taking double battle damage and recovering the same amount of Life Points—ordinarily, this would just cancel out. But with the original Kyutora still preventing Dartz from taking damage, it functioned as an impenetrable energy absorber.

[Dartz LP 2000 → 7500]

Kaiba's brows furrowed as Dartz grinned smugly. "I expected no less from you, Kaiba. You went straight for the strongest attack target to land the finishing blow. Thanks for the gift!"

Dartz's Life Points surged thanks to Gawain's 6000 ATK, and his confidence visibly returned.

But something was off.

The Kyutora, now bloated from absorbing over 10,000 points of damage, trembled unnaturally. Its massive eyeball bulged, veins pulsating as though it were on the verge of bursting.

"This thing doesn't look good…"

Orichalcos monsters were always grotesque, but the eerie, quivering state of the Kyutora unsettled Hoshino.

"Has anyone actually kept track of how much damage this thing has absorbed?"

Yugi, calculating instantly, answered, "Including the doubled battle damage just now, it's over 10,000 points."

He narrowed his eyes. "It's strange. That card specifically chose to take double damage. It's as if it's deliberately storing energy for something…"

Kaiba clenched his fists in frustration. "So what? Are we supposed to hesitate now, afraid to deal battle damage?!"

Gritting his teeth, he swung his arm forward. "We finally have an opportunity! No matter what, we must destroy that Eye Monster this turn—otherwise, we'll never reach the finish line called 'victory'!"

"Then I'll take care of it!"

With his silver arm glowing, Bedivere charged forward, his sword tip radiating magical energy as he plunged it straight into the center of the massive eyeball.

"WRYYYYYYY—!!"

The attack landed. The giant eyeball burst open, and the Kyutora let out an ear-piercing screech, sending shivers down the spines of everyone present.

[Orichalcos Kyutora destroyed]

"Finally took it down…"

Watching the monster disintegrate under Bedivere's blade, Hoshino exhaled in relief.

Yugi nodded. "Dartz's last monster is gone. That means from now on, all battle damage should go through!"

But Dartz sneered. "Kaiba, you've just triggered your own downfall! Now, you shall witness the true wrath of Orichalcos!"

As he sent the destroyed monster card to the Graveyard, Dartz's field erupted with three overlapping magic circles—one large, two small.

"—When Orichalcos Kyutora is destroyed, I can Special Summon one [Orichalcos Shunoros] from my Deck or hand!"

A massive energy gateway connected to Dartz's Deck. The stored power from the destroyed Kyutora coalesced into a gargantuan entity materializing on the battlefield.

[Orichalcos Shunoros ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)][Effect][ATK ?/DEF 0]

"So he had a backup plan…"

The sheer size of Shunoros dwarfed the battlefield, stretching toward the very ceiling of their battleground. The oppressive aura it emitted was leagues beyond any previous monster.

"Orichalcos Shunoros's ATK is equal to the total amount of battle damage absorbed by Kyutora!"

[Orichalcos Shunoros ATK 12,900]

Hoshino took a deep breath. "So it absorbed all that damage and transformed it into a monster with an ATK exceeding 10,000… This must be Dartz's ace card!"

But it wasn't over yet.

"When Shunoros is Special Summoned, I can also Special Summon [Orichalcos Aristeros] and [Orichalcos Dexia] from my Deck or hand!"

The two smaller summoning circles expanded, giving birth to floating left and right arms, completing the monstrous entity.

[Orichalcos Aristeros ★★★★ (Level 4)][Effect][ATK 0/DEF ?]

[Orichalcos Dexia ★★★★ (Level 4)][Effect][ATK ?/DEF 0]

Everyone tensed.

Hoshino exhaled slowly. "It absorbed all that damage and converted it into an attack power surpassing 10,000. This is it… the final showdown."

After all their struggles, the colossal Orichalcos Shunoros now stood before them—the true endgame of this battle.

"Dartz, you've finally revealed your ace!"

With Kyutora destroyed, Kaiba's battle phase was still ongoing.

Yugi warned, "Be careful, Kaiba. Forget that Shunoros has over 10,000 attack points—those two monsters have unknown ATK and DEF values. Attacking recklessly could be dangerous."

"I already told you—I won't let mere uncertainties stop me from pressing forward!"

Kaiba drew a card from his hand and swiftly inserted it into his Duel Disk. The Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon on his field split into its original forms.

"—Quick-Play Spell, [De-Fusion]! Return to your original forms, Blue-Eyes White Dragons!"

"ROAR!!!"

[Blue-Eyes White Dragon ATK 3000] ×2

With its fusion undone, the two Blue-Eyes White Dragons reappeared, standing on either side of Kaiba, glaring at the monstrous Shunoros.

"Rather than waiting for you to act, I'll strike first! Go, Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Attack Orichalcos Dexia!"

Dexia was in Attack Position, meaning its ATK remained unknown, while Aristeros was in Defense Position, keeping its DEF a mystery.

A beam of white energy shot forward, aimed directly at Dexia—

"Still too naive, Kaiba. Your aggressive dueling style may win you the upper hand now and then, but if you keep blindly attacking, you'll only end up suffering for it. That's exactly why you can never defeat Yugi~"

Suddenly, Aristeros moved, stepping in front of Dexia in a defensive stance, taking the full brunt of Blue-Eyes White Dragon's attack.

"[Orichalcos Aristeros]'s effect activates! While Orichalcos Shunoros is on the field, this card cannot be destroyed. If an opponent's monster declares an attack, the attack target is switched to this card, and during battle, its DEF becomes the attacking monster's ATK + 300!"

[Orichalcos Aristeros DEF 3300]

[Kaiba's LP 3600 → 3300]

"Its DEF rises by 300 more than the attacking monster's ATK? That's basically a stronger version of The Wicked Avatar!" Hoshino exclaimed in shock.

Unlike The Wicked Avatar, which always had 1 more ATK than the strongest monster on the field, Aristeros gained an extra 300 DEF, making it an even greater wall.

Dartz grinned. "Of course, infinitely growing power comes with a price~"

As the Shunoros's eerie green eyes gleamed, Dartz gestured toward his field.

"Orichalcos Aristeros's DEF boost is deducted from Orichalcos Shunoros's ATK!"

[Orichalcos Shunoros ATK 12,900 → 9,600]

"So, what will you do now, Kaiba? If you're willing to sacrifice more Life Points, you can keep chipping away at Shunoros's attack power~"

Kaiba scoffed. "That effect is just a cheap imitation of Hoshino's strategy. If I can't destroy the Arms, then I'll just destroy that grotesque body directly!"

Ending his battle phase, Kaiba inserted another card into his Duel Disk, launching his counterattack.

"I activate the Spell Card [Advance Draw]!"

[Advance Draw – Tribute 1 face-up Level 8 or higher monster you control; draw 2 cards.]

Sensing the spell's activation, one of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragons was engulfed in golden light and sent to the Graveyard.

As his Deck illuminated, Kaiba drew two cards, then pointed directly at Dartz.

"Dartz, don't underestimate a Duelist chosen by a Legendary Dragon—nor the power of my Fang of Critias!"

"The Fang of Critias?!" Yugi and Hoshino exclaimed simultaneously.

As one of the three keys to defeating the Orichalcos, no one had expected Kaiba to be the first among them to draw a Legendary Dragon.

"[Fang of Critias]'s effect activates! I fuse it with the Trap Card [Ring of Destruction]! Awaken, dragon sleeping within these cards—manifest your true power!"

The fusion of flames and explosive energy merged with the Fang of Critias, giving birth to the tyrannical form of the Legendary Dragon.

"Fusion Summon in Attack Position—[Destruction Dragon]!"

[Destruction Dragon ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)] [FIRE] [Dragon/Fusion/Effect] [ATK 2000/DEF 3000]

[Must be Special Summoned with "The Fang of Critias", using "Ring of Destruction".]

"Go, Destruction Dragon! Use your overwhelming force to shatter this millennium-old cycle of fate!"

Kaiba's newly summoned black dragon became engulfed in flames, locking onto its target as it charged toward Orichalcos Shunoros.

"[Destruction Dragon]'s effect activates! Once per turn, I can destroy one card on my opponent's field!"

A blinding light burst forth, crashing into the massive body of Shunoros, consuming it in an inferno.

"And if Destruction Dragon destroys a monster, it inflicts damage equal to that monster's ATK! That's 9,600 damage, Dartz—this is your end!"

Kaiba's final strike, carrying the hope of the Legendary Dragons, detonated within the Seal of Orichalcos.

"Well done, Kaiba! That was quite the counterattack. If not for the Seal's power, I would have already lost to you."

As the explosion subsided, the Shunoros, Destruction Dragon, and Dartz himself remained completely unharmed.

"Quick-Play Spell—[Demise of the Land]!"

[Demise of the Land – When your opponent Special Summons a monster(s): Activate 1 Field Spell Card directly from your Deck.]

Hoshino's eyes widened in shock. "Another Field Spell activation? But the Orichalcos is already—don't tell me—"

"The moment you Special Summoned Destruction Dragon, I activated [Demise of the Land] to play [Orichalcos Tritos]! I sent Orichalcos Deuteros to the Graveyard, inheriting all its effects while also making my monsters immune to your card effects!"

"So there really is a third one!"

As Hoshino had feared, the Seal of Orichalcos expanded once more, its triple-layered structure fully forming. The intricate magical patterns intertwined, creating the final form of the Orichalcos.

Watching Dartz use the Seal's power to nullify yet another attack, Yugi's expression darkened.

"Not only did he stop Destruction Dragon's effect, but he also activated Orichalcos Tritos… Even with the power of the Legendary Dragons, defeating the Orichalcos is still this difficult?!"

(*****)

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