CCTnovel Chapter 735 - 735
Chapter 735 - 735
'Only by maintaining this form,' huh? You sure have a lot of troublesome conditions for someone who's just Merlin~"Merlin offered no reply.
Still wearing his usual narrowed-eyed smile, he remained crouched upon the sea's surface. Gentle ripples continued to spread across the water, while the Garden of Avalon, reflected beneath the waves, silently transmitted its magical energy.
"And now, for my Normal Summon this turn."
After Special Summoning Merlin from the Banished Zone, Yugi continued his turn by placing a Monster Card onto his Duel Disk horizontally.
"I Normal Summon Gamma The Electromagnet Warrior in Defense Position!"
[Gamma The Electromagnet Warrior ★★★ (Level 3)][EARTH][Rock/Effect][ATK 800/DEF 2000]
The sturdy, gigantic Electromagnet Warrior materialized on the field and assumed a defensive stance.
The moment the Electromagnet Warrior appeared, the Chains of Heaven covering King Utgarda's field vanished as well.
"Since both sides now control four monsters, the Chains of Heaven lose their effect," Akasha explained.
"Even though both players have four monsters now… the difference in combat power is enormous…" Eve said worriedly.
After all, even Enkidu — the strongest monster on Hoshino's field — had less ATK than the weakest Megalith monster on King Utgarda's side, let alone the Primal Being Token, whose ATK was approaching 20,000.
"Now then… let me think."
After pausing briefly to examine his field, Yugi declared:
"All right. I'll enter the Battle Phase!"
"You're entering the Battle Phase with this lineup of weak monsters?" Kaiba's eyes went wide in disbelief.
"Yugi… don't let down Hoshino and Atem, who put their trust in you!"
"You don't have to worry about that, Kaiba!"
Before Yugi could answer, Hoshino immediately spoke up in his defense.
At the same time Yugi entered the Battle Phase, she raised the specially modified black Duel Disk on her arm high into the air.
"This was the strategy Yugi and I worked out before the battle! This turn, Illya's ultimate Xyz Form will completely turn this Duel around!"
"Ultimate Xyz Form?"
"Watch closely! I activate the effect of Magical Girl – Illya Swimsuit Rank 5! This is the finishing transformation that can only be achieved during battle!"
[During either player's Battle Phase: Xyz Summon 1 "Magical Girl – Illya Swimsuit Rank 7" from your Extra Deck by using this card as material.]
The light of Triple Xyz Summoning intertwined.
After overlaying the Rank 5 atop the Rank 4, the final Rank 7 was overlaid above them both.
"Take this!"
"A Triple Xyz Summon costing a total of 360 Saint Quartz!"
"A total of 360 Saint Quartz…? What's that supposed to mean?" the Dwarf King asked in confusion.
"The power of money!"
Illya's swimsuit form transformed once more.
Although the petite girl's outfit changed into a bikini, she immediately covered it with an almost full-body wetsuit.
[Magical Girl – Illya Swimsuit ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ (Rank 7)][WATER][Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect][ATK 1000/DEF 1000]
"You finally changed into your decisive battle bikini, but because you're embarrassed, you put a wetsuit over it anyway. I really don't understand your fashion sense, Illya~" Ruby teased.
Ruby, having reached its own final evolution as well, transformed from a tiny water pistol in Jet Mode into a high-pressure sniper water gun capable of rapid-fire shooting.
"Shut up, Ruby! The wetsuit is my ultimate battle gear!" Illya insisted.
Holding the high-pressure sniper water gun, Illya peered through its scope and locked onto King Utgarda's enormous field.
"Here I go!"
"High-Pressure Splash!"
"Even after three stages of Xyz Evolution… she still only has 1000 ATK," Eve couldn't help commenting.
After placing Rank 7 Illya onto her Duel Disk, Hoshino explained:
"What we need to disrupt this field isn't simply overwhelming ATK! I activate the effect of Magical Girl – Illya Swimsuit Rank 7!"
[If this card is Xyz Summoned: Target up to a number of cards your opponent controls equal to the number of "Magical Girl" and "Lily" monsters you control; return those cards to their owners' hands.]
"I control two 'Magical Girl' monsters — Enkidu and Illya! I target your Heroic Spirit – Jack the Ripper and Megalith Phaleg! Return them to their owners' hands!"
The high-pressure water blast exploded across the sea, sending both monsters flying back.
Since Jack the Ripper was returned to her owner's hand, she naturally came back to Hoshino.
"Huh? Is it already over? Jack still wanted to play…"
Hoshino deliberately retrieved Jack for two reasons.
First, after "selling off" her daughter during the previous turn, her guilty conscience couldn't take it anymore.
Second, if Jack remained on the opponent's field, King Utgarda could use Jack's effect to Set monsters face-down, making the situation far more troublesome.
"Then why didn't you bounce the Primal Being Token back to the hand?" the Dwarf King asked. "Tokens can't exist in the hand, so returning one should effectively destroy it, shouldn't it?"
"Just watch quietly."
After remaining crouched on the sea for so long, Merlin slowly opened one eye and spoke softly.
"That is my contractor — one worthy of my pride."
"This is the battle upon which her honor rests."
The Battle Phase continued.
After bouncing the two monsters back to their owners' hands, Illya switched to rapid-fire mode and aimed her sniper water gun at Fossil Dragon Skullgios, which King Utgarda had Fusion Summoned through Fossil Fusion.
"Hey! Even though Megalith Phaleg's ATK-boosting effect is gone, that fossil tyrannosaur still has 3500 ATK!" Minazuki reminded them.
"I already said that disrupting this field requires more than simply surpassing it in ATK."
"But…"
"…that doesn't mean our ATK can't climb even higher."
"I activate another effect of Magical Girl – Illya Swimsuit Rank 7!"
[All other "Magical Girl" and "Lily" monsters you control gain 300 ATK for each of their own Levels or Ranks. This card gains 300 ATK for the combined total Levels and Ranks of all "Magical Girl" and "Lily" monsters you control.]
"Magical Girl Enkidu is Level 10!"
[Enkidu ATK 2900 → 5900]
"And the combined Levels and Ranks of Enkidu and Illya total 17!"
[Illya Swimsuit ATK 1000 → 6100]
"Against ATK like this…"
"…a dusty old fossil is nothing to worry about!"
"High-Pressure Water Gun — Rapid-Fire Snipe, Illya!"
As Hoshino declared the attack, she detached one of Illya's Xyz Materials and activated her effect.
"To keep it from being revived by King's Proof – All Things after being destroyed in battle, I'll simply send it back instead! I activate Magical Girl – Illya Swimsuit Rank 7's effect! When it battles a Fusion Monster, I detach 1 Xyz Material, and at the start of the Damage Step, return that monster to the hand!"
"This is the ultimate light shot with sevenfold spacetime density! Prepare yourself!"
"Maiden, Become the Rainbow!! (Prisma☆)!"
The rapid-fire barrage from the high-pressure water gun, compressed with an extraordinarily high spacetime density, pierced through the fossilized body of Fossil Dragon Skullgios, causing it to disappear from the field — not by destruction, but by being returned.
[Fossil Dragon Skullgios] returned to the Extra Deck.
"So that's it…" the Dwarf King gradually understood Merlin's earlier words. "By returning the opponent's monsters instead of destroying them, you've completely avoided triggering King's Proof – All Things' effect. No wonder you said it was something worthy of pride."
Merlin merely continued smiling with his eyes closed, neither confirming nor denying her conclusion.
However, even though the strategy of bouncing monsters back to the hand was working perfectly, the enormous Primal Being Token with its overwhelming ATK still dominated the battlefield, preventing Hoshino and Yugi from pressing their attack any further.
"I Set all of my remaining cards and end my turn!"
Yugi simply Set all three cards left in his hand without hesitation, ending his turn and entrusting their final chance of victory to Hoshino's next turn.
[King Utgarda LP 55000 → 64000]
During the End Phase, King's Proof – All Things restored Life Points.
Then, as the next turn's Standby Phase began, the Continuous Spell Wave-Motion Cannon completed one turn of charging, bringing its damage to 1000.
[Hoshino & Yugi LP 1100]
"Just Wave-Motion Cannon alone can deal 1000 points of direct damage this turn," Akasha calculated. "Which basically means… Hoshino-nee and Yugi are effectively hanging on by only 100 Life Points."
"So… are they basically surviving on a sliver of HP?" Minazuki asked, getting straight to the point.
"(｀・・´) Yep! They're practically a candle flickering in the wind!" Akasha nodded vigorously.
"Mamma mia! There's only one turn left! How can the two of you still be so relaxed?!" Crowler exclaimed, unable to understand.
"Professor Crowler… have you noticed?" Zane, who had silently observed the Duel all this time, suddenly spoke.
"Noticed what?"
"Dawn is almost here."
"E-Even my finest student Zane isn't nervous at all?! Are you all really going to be okay?!"
"I think I understand what Zane means," the Dwarf King nodded.
"After overcoming the darkest night… will the light of dawn become the light of hope for Hoshino and the others?"
At the moment, with the ATK boost from Illya Rank 7, even Enkidu — the monster with the lowest ATK among Hoshino's attackers — had 5900 ATK. It would be difficult for the opponent to field anything capable of surpassing that.
Continuous Trap — Megalith Emergence activated.
Yet even though King Utgarda couldn't field anything stronger — and despite the fact that simply waiting one more turn would allow Wave-Motion Cannon to finish the Duel —
Like an emotionless Dueling machine, King Utgarda still activated its summoning effect, seeking to increase the pressure on the field.
"Hm? There's no energy reaction?" everyone asked in confusion as nothing happened on the monitor.
"That's enough, King of the Rock. Bullying the little guy should have its limits, too~" Merlin said with a mysterious smile.
[If this card is Special Summoned: Until the end of the next turn, both players can only Special Summon Dragon or Spellcaster monsters.]
"I see…" the Dwarf King realized. "It restricted what Types can be Special Summoned. Since Illya's Rank-Up Summon earlier was a Spellcaster, she wasn't affected."
With its Rock monsters now restricted, King Utgarda abandoned the idea of Special Summoning altogether.
Instead, it entered the Battle Phase and ordered the nearly 20,000 ATK Primal Being Token to lash its gigantic tentacles toward Illya.
"I'll take care of this one~"
"It'll disappear just like a dream."
Merlin's greatest specialty was Flower Magecraft.
Projecting dreams into reality, his illusions — once elevated to the level of a Grand Caster — could deceive even the world itself.
[When your opponent declares an attack: You can discard 1 card; negate the attack of 1 opponent's monster.]
After Hoshino discarded a card from her hand as the activation cost, Merlin unfolded an illusion across the battlefield.
Replacing the now-inactive Chains of Heaven, the illusion shield intercepted the gigantic tentacle strike from the Primal Being Token.
[King Utgarda LP 64000 → 73000]
With its attack negated, King Utgarda wasted no time and immediately ended its turn.
Even if Hoshino could negate its attacks through illusion, Wave-Motion Cannon would finish charging on the following turn regardless.
"It's time."
After remaining seated upon the sea for so long, Merlin finally rose to his feet as the illusion faded away.
"Warriors of glory…"
"No… in this world, you are called proud Duelists."
"The road to victory that you have fought for… believed in… and struggled to reach…"
The instant Merlin stood up — despite remaining in his ordinary-sized body, having completely ignored Savior Mk. II's giant projection system —
Flowers suddenly burst into bloom across the ocean.
They spread endlessly over the sea, stretching all the way to the distant horizon where sky and water met.
"I, Merlin, the Magus of Flowers…"
"…shall guide you along the blooming path that leads to victory~"
"It's my turn!"
"Draw!"
The final turn of the Duel had begun.
Guided by the path of blooming flowers, Hoshino looked at the final card she had drawn.
"I knew I could count on you."
"When it comes down to deciding the Duel at a moment like this… you're the one I'll entrust it to!"
Without the slightest hesitation, she slammed the drawn card onto her Duel Disk, performing the Duel's final Normal Summon.
"Answer my call and illuminate the battlefield!"
"Heroic Spirit – Spartacus!"
A massive surge of materialization energy erupted.
The roaring Berserker reappeared, his overwhelming presence sending towering waves crashing across the sea.
[Heroic Spirit – Spartacus ★★★ (Level 3)][EARTH][Warrior/Effect][ATK 1500/DEF 1500]
Raising the greatsword in his hand, Spartacus roared:
"Bear witness to the ultimate liberation!"
"The absurd freedom that overturns impossible adversity!"
"The wings of freedom itself!"
Stacking her cards together, Hoshino began constructing the Overlay Network, once again awakening the radiant power of rebellion through an Xyz Summon.
"I overlay the Level 3 Spartacus on my field with the Level 3 Gamma The Electromagnet Warrior!"
"Shine forth, O Morning Star of Rebellion that overturns the very earth! — Xyz Summon! Heroic Spirit – Spartacus, Morning Star of Rebellion!"