Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

Ending the Battle Phase, Hoshino selected two cards from her hand and inserted them into the Duel Disk.

"I'll set two cards and end my turn."

[Hoshino's: 2 Hand Cards | 2 Set Cards]

"My turn, draw!" Jonouchi drew his card excitedly. "Then, during my Standby Phase, it's finally time for my Continuous Spell Card—Dangerous Machine Type-6—to activate!"

Jonouchi pointed to the mechanical roulette-like device that had materialized on his field.

"I almost forgot about that thing..."

Realizing the setup Jonouchi had laid in the previous turn, Hoshino gritted her teeth. "Damn lucky bastard, trying to regain the advantage with this kind of card again. I swear, you better land on the self-destruct result!"

As they entered the Standby Phase, the roulette machine activated, and the display began cycling randomly through numbers from 1 to 6.

Dice Roll Result: 5

"Alright!" Jonouchi pulled off a smug, exaggerated expression, making it obvious that he had rolled a beneficial result.

"When the result is 5, I can destroy 1 monster on my opponent's field!"

Mokuba pouted in frustration. "He totally abuses his insane luck by stacking his deck with these kinds of cards just to bully unlucky duelists like Hoshino!"

"Sorry for being unlucky..." Hoshino muttered bitterly.

"Now, using Dangerous Machine Type-6's effect, I choose to destroy your Heracles Illya!"

The machine spun rapidly before releasing an overloaded surge of electric energy, striking Berserker Illya on Hoshino's field.

"Ahhh~~!" A pained cry rang out as Illya was engulfed in the electric discharge.

Ruby, the sentient wand, quickly provided commentary. "There it is! This is exactly the kind of 'seductive' battle I was talking about earlier!"

[Magical Girl – Heracles Illya destroyed]

"Heracles Illya's effect activates! When this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can retrieve Phantasmal Summon Install from the Graveyard and add it to my hand!"

Hoshino retrieved the card she had previously used to summon Berserker Illya. As the electrical discharges faded from the field, Jonouchi's eyes widened in disbelief.

"No way!"

When the sparks finally cleared, Heracles Illya was still standing on Hoshino's field. However, deep, ghastly wounds had been etched into her skin—yet they were already healing at an astonishing speed, restoring her to perfect condition before their very eyes.

"Heracles Illya's special effect activates!"

Illya, now fully recovered, had an even stronger determination in her gaze than before.

[Effect: You can only use this effect once per Duel. If this card is sent to your Graveyard by an opponent's card effect: Special Summon it. This card becomes unaffected by the card type (Monster, Spell, or Trap) that activated that effect.]

God Hand—an ability that renders attacks ineffective after being experienced once. No matter how powerful a Noble Phantasm is, once it has been used to defeat Heracles, it will never work on him again.

"Thanks to your Dangerous Machine Type-6 and your ridiculous luck, Heracles Illya is now immune to Spell Cards!"

Jonouchi clutched his head in frustration. "Damn it! I didn't expect that! Now she's even harder to deal with!"

Honda encouraged, "Come on! If you lose to Hoshino when she's using a brand-new deck for the first time, you can kiss that 'Battle City Quarterfinalist' title goodbye!"

"Shut up! I'm still in this fight!" Snapping back into focus, Jonouchi revealed two cards from his hand to Hoshino.

"I activate the special effect of Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon! By tributing 1 'Red-Eyes' monster from my hand or field, I can Special Summon it!"

The two revealed cards were Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon and the tribute target—a "Red-Eyes" monster.

"I tribute Red-Eyes Wyvern and Special Summon [Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon]!!"

[Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon★★★★★★★ (Level 7)][DARK][Dragon/Effect][ATK 2400/DEF 2000]

[Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must first be Special Summoned (from your hand) by Tributing 1 "Red-Eyes" monster from your hand or field.]

"ROOOOAR!!"

A deafening roar echoed across the battlefield. Compared to the previous Red-Eyes Black Dragon, this alternative form radiated an even more menacing aura. Its body was engulfed in dark flames, and its wings were razor-sharp like blades.

Illya instinctively took a step back. "This one... looks even scarier than the last one..."

"I'm not done yet! I activate the effect of Black Metal Dragon from my hand!"

Jonouchi inserted another card into his Duel Disk's Spell & Trap zone, just like he had done earlier with Red-Eyes Baby Dragon.

[Effect: You can target 1 "Red-Eyes" monster you control; equip this monster from your hand or field to that target. It gains 600 ATK]

Black Metal Dragon transformed into sleek black armor that attached itself to Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon, enhancing its already fearsome presence.

[Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon ATK 2400 → 3000]

"Now my Black Dragon's attack power is stronger! Get ready, Hoshino!"

With a dramatic gesture, Jonouchi declared his attack phase.

"Target Heracles Illya—attack! Black Dragon Inferno Blast!!"

A massive fireball of pure black flames formed within Alternative Black Dragon's mouth before launching straight at Illya.

"Even if your Illya is immune to Spells, she still has to take battle damage head-on!"

[Magical Girl – Heracles Illya destroyed]

[Hoshino LP 4000 → 3800]

But as the smoke cleared, Hoshino smirked mischievously. "I'll take the battle damage this time… but just like before, it won't work again! Heracles Illya's effect activates!"

[Effect: If this card is destroyed by battle: You can Special Summon it. (Quick Effect): You can only use this effect once per Duel. This card Special Summoned by this effect cannot be destroyed by battle.]

As the smoldering flames dissipated, Heracles Illya still stood firm on the battlefield. The charred burns covering her fair skin began to heal rapidly, restoring her to pristine condition in seconds.

Honda stared in disbelief. "Oi, oi… is that thing immortal?! This is just straight-up bullying at this point…"

"That's not quite right, Honda!"

Unexpectedly, Jonouchi denied Honda, who had been speaking up for him.

"If Hoshino isn't fighting at full strength, then even if I win, it's meaningless. Since Illya, inheriting Heracles' effects, is immune to battle destruction…"

Despite Heracles Illya's immovable presence on the battlefield, Jonouchi didn't back down. Instead, he flipped over the only Set card from his previous turn. From the claws of Red-Eyes Black Dragon, a black, dragon-shaped chain shot out.

"In that case, I'll use the trump card I prepared last turn to settle this! Trap Card, activate—[Red-Eyes Fang with Chain]!"

[Effect: Target 1 "Red-Eyes" monster you control; equip this card to it. It can make up to 2 attacks on monsters during each Battle Phase.]

"With this Trap Card's effect, I equip it to Red-Eyes Black Dragon, allowing it to attack one more time!"

Changing his attack target—since he couldn't destroy Heracles Illya through battle—Jonouchi instead set his sights on the regular Illya.

"Go! Double Dragon Black Inferno Blast!!"

The pitch-black flames surged once more across Hoshino's field, ruthlessly incinerating the elementary school form of Illya.

[Magical Girl – Illyasviel destroyed]

[Hoshino LP 3800 → 1800]

Jonouchi clenched his fist excitedly. "Now I have more Life Points than you!"

"That's just chipping away at Life Points. As a Battle City Top 8 duelist, do you not understand the importance of reaching the lock-in threshold earlier, Jonouchi?"

Hoshino countered with mysterious game logic. At the same moment Illya was destroyed, she flipped over the Set Trap Card at her feet.

"—Trap Card, activate! [The Cute Girl Seated Behind Me]!!"

[Effect: If a [Heroic Spirit] monster you control is destroyed by battle or your opponent's card effect, you can activate this card. Banish Fusion Materials for a [Heroic Spirit] Fusion Monster that includes the destroyed monster from your hand, field, Deck, or Graveyard. Fusion Summon that monster from your Extra Deck. Then, take 400 damage per banished material.]

"I banish Heroic Spirit – Altera and Magical Girl – Illyasviel from my Deck as Fusion Materials to Special Summon [Heroic Spirit – Illyasviel von Einzbern]!"

A dazzling starlight pierced through the dark flames on Hoshino's field, slicing through the darkness and extinguishing the terrifying energy of Alternative Black Dragon's destruction.

[Heroic Spirit – Illyasviel von Einzbern ★★★★★★ (Level 6)][Light][Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect][ATK 1000/DEF 1000]

["Magical Girl – Illyasviel" + 1 Effect Monster]

[This card is also treated as a "Magical Girl."]

No longer clad in her usual elementary school attire, Illya now wore her transformed magical girl outfit, wielding her ruby staff as she gracefully emerged from the starlight.

Excitedly watching Illya's transformation, Anzu finally couldn't hold back, her eyes sparkling as she exclaimed, "This is it! This is what a magical girl transformation should be—it's so cute!"

Yugi gave Anzu a curious look. "I never expected you to enjoy these kinds of characters."

"Ah…" Realizing she had gotten too excited, Anzu quickly reined in her expression, awkwardly twirling a strand of her hair with her finger. "Magical girls are every girl's childhood dream. Even I used to admire them. Don't think I'm childish, Yugi."

Yugi smiled warmly. "Not at all. I think this side of you is refreshing and very cute."

Anzu's face turned even redder. "Yugi…"

"As a side effect of The Cute Girl Seated Behind Me, I take 400 damage for each banished Fusion Material. However, since Magical Girl – Illya was banished as a Fusion Material, she returns to the field due to her own effect."

[Hoshino LP 1800 → 1000]

[Magical Girl – Illya DEF 1000]

Mokuba looked stunned. "That means there are now three magical girl monsters on the field! By continuously Fusion Summoning magical girls and recovering Illya, she can keep expanding her advantage. This is Hoshino's new deck—it's completely different from before."

Bakura nodded in agreement. "And with Heracles Illya on the field, unable to be destroyed, can Jonouchi really withstand Hoshino's offensive next turn?"

Jonouchi responded confidently, "So what if I can't destroy it? I've already come up with a strategy! I'll use Red-Eyes Fang with Chain!"

Unfazed by Hoshino's chain of summons, Jonouchi pointed to the black dragon-shaped chain equipped to his Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

"If I send Red-Eyes Fang with Chain to the Graveyard, I can activate its effect to forcefully turn 1 monster on the field into an Equip Card and equip it to Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Roaring, Red-Eyes Black Dragon swung its pitch-black chains. The chain's blade, as if alive, wrapped tightly around Heracles Illya's body.

"Now, Hoshino, your monster is mine!"

"Ugh…" The black dragon's chains tightened, binding the berserker Illya. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn't break free.

Ruby, watching from the sidelines, commented mischievously, "This kind of bondage pose is quite exciting, isn't it? No matter how much you resist, it's useless, Illya~"

"Ruby, whose side are you even on?!" The two remaining Illyas on the field simultaneously shouted.

Ruby replied matter-of-factly, "I stand on the side of desire!"

In the end, with no way to resist, the bound Berserker Illya was forcibly turned into an Equip Card and imprisoned in Jonouchi's back row.

"When Heracles Illya becomes an Equip Card and is equipped to Red-Eyes Black Dragon, its ATK increases from 2400 to 2800, matching Illya's original ATK. Plus, with the effect of Black Metal Dragon…"

[Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon ATK 3400]

"I didn't expect you to come up with such a counterattack strategy, Jonouchi. You've really gotten stronger compared to before. But I have to say, from a purely emotional standpoint, this feels kind of frustrating."

Having her monster—immune to battle destruction—taken by Jonouchi and used to boost his own power left Hoshino with a subtle feeling… almost like she had been NTR'd.

(*****)

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