Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!-Chapter 353 -

"—Continuous Trap Card Activate: [The Pyramid of Light]!"

The moment after Pegasus warned that this card should not be used, Kaiba activated the Pyramid of Light, which he had set face-down on the first turn.

Four points lit up on the floor of the duel arena, shooting out beams of white light that divided the battlefield and converged at a single point in the sky, forming a transparent, pyramid-shaped framework.

"Girl, I have a bad feeling about this..."

Behind Hoshino, the faintly visible little evil god sounded weaker than usual. Her pale, porcelain-like cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were hazy with an unusual, enchanting glow.

"What's wrong? Why do you look like you have a fever?" Hoshino asked softly, concerned.

The once-dominant evil god now clung lightly to Hoshino's clothes, her strength drained. In her current state, with her adorable appearance, she was practically begging to be protected.

"It feels like my power is being drained by this Pyramid... If this keeps up, the energy I've worked so hard to recover will be completely sucked away... Ugh!"

Without hesitation, driven by instinct and concern, Hoshino quickly stuck her finger into the evil god's mouth. If energy needed replenishing, it didn't matter how—it just had to be done. Even biting a finger would work.

"Gmph, wha' are y' doin'?" The evil god mumbled, her mouth full.

"You said your energy is being drained, right? Then take some emergency energy. I don't want you to disappear..."

Turning her gaze to Pegasus, Hoshino demanded, "What exactly is this Pyramid of Light, Pegasus? Answer me!"

Da Vinci had warned her about two things: Seto Kaiba and the Pyramid of Light. Now, everything was starting to connect.

Pegasus' expression darkened. "This is the ultimate light in the world, capable of destroying and sealing away the minions of the Dark King, as well as any gods or entities that rely on dark energy."

With his plan now realized, Kaiba burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! Yugi! Before the Pyramid of Light, there is no place for gods to exist!"

"Kaiba, don't forget—trap cards have no effect on the gods!"

Yugi countered with a classic declaration—something every duelist who wielded a god card loved to say: "Trap cards do not work on the gods!"

Hoshino also realized the contradiction. "Yeah, Pegasus! God cards are immune to trap cards, aren't they? So how can the Pyramid of Light, a trap card, effects e gods?"

Sweat dripped down Pegasus' forehead as he explained, "That's right—normally, god cards are immune to traps. But the Pyramid of Light doesn't target the gods..."

Kaiba smirked, pointing at Yugi's three god cards. "Pyramid of Light doesn't affect the gods—it removes them as a cost in order to activate!"

[The Pyramid of Light! – Continuous Trap Effect: This card can only be activated by banishing all Divine Attribute monsters on the field. As long as this card remains face-up, neither player can Summon, Flip Summon, or Special Summon Divine Attribute monsters.]

"It bypasses card effects that prevent targeting or immunity. Even gods will be destroyed!!"

Four beams of light formed a transparent pyramid, encasing only Kaiba and Yugi within its walls. The three god cards were forcibly ejected from the battlefield, left outside the pyramid—along with the audience.

The three god monsters roared in agony as their colossal bodies shattered, their divine energy absorbed into the Pyramid of Light.

But it wasn't just the three gods being erased. From the deck box at Hoshino's waist, two Evil God cards—Wicked Dreadroot and Wicked Eraser—began to tremble before being swallowed by dark energy and sealed within the pyramid.

Jonouchi's eyes widened in disbelief. "The gods were completely wiped out... by that Pyramid...!"

The little evil god, lightly sucking on Hoshino's fingertip for energy, let out a relieved sigh.

"Thanks, girl. If it weren't for you feeding me energy, I probably would've been sealed inside that pyramid too... But those two poor little cuties—what a pity. They didn't even do anything and still got caught up in this..."

Hoshino blinked. "Wait, those 'cuties… You mean Source of Dreadroot and Eraser?"

"Of course."

"Are you serious?"

"Mhm!"

"With how horrifying they look, they have nothing to do with 'cute' at all!"

Hoshino's worldview took a heavy hit. The appearances of Dreadroot and Eraser were the very definition of 'Evil God'—grotesque and terrifying.

The evil god, still nibbling on Hoshino's finger, stubbornly retorted, "From my perspective, those two are adorable!"

Her serious expression showed she wasn't joking.

"I've always felt a little insecure about looking so different from the other Evil Gods… Just a little, of course!"

"No, trust me. If you looked like those two, you'd already be sealed in there with them."

In Chaldea, a Master's priority was always card aesthetics. Hoshino simply couldn't imagine something like Dreadroot gnawing on her finger...

Anzu worriedly asked, "Now that the Pyramid has fully formed, we can't see what's happening inside. Is Yugi okay?"

Jonouchi tried to analyze, "With the three gods banished, Yugi's field is empty. But Kaiba doesn't have any super-strong monsters either... Ugh, I just can't tell what's gonna happen next! This is killing me!"

Hoshino turned back to Pegasus, her expression serious. "This Pyramid of Light—it's not just for sealing gods, is it? There must be something else going on."

If it were just an anti-god card, the creator of Duel Monsters wouldn't be this anxious.

Pegasus sighed. "A few days ago, Industrial Illusions excavated a relic similar to the Millennium Puzzle—a crystal pyramid ornament..."

Hoshino's eyes widened. "Wait, the crystal pyramid ornament? The one Bakura showed us in that news this morning?!"

Looking at the structure of the Pyramid of Light, she realized its shape matched the relic from the excavation report.

Pegasus continued, "Both that artifact and the Pyramid of Light belong to the King of Destruction. To awaken from his slumber, the King of Destruction entrusts the Pyramid of Light to a King of Light, setting the stage for a battle against the King of Darkness. And Seto Kaiba... has been chosen as the King of Light."

Hoshino clenched her fists. "So that explains Kaiba's strange behavior... He's actually being guided by the King of Destruction?"

Pegasus shook his head. "No, I believe Kaiba himself is completely unaware that he's become the King of Light and is being manipulated."

"Light isn't always good. Sometimes, in the presence of ultimate radiance, an even deeper darkness emerges. And right now, inside that pyramid, a ritual is taking place—one that rivals a Shadow Game. It's absorbing energy from the gods and duelists alike... to awaken the King of Destruction."

"So that's how it is…" After listening to Pegasus's explanation, Hoshino more or less understood what the Pyramid of Light was. However, there was still one thing she couldn't quite grasp—what connection did this world's King of Destruction have with Chaldea? Why was this the only information Da Vinci could provide in such a crisis?

Mokuba suddenly spoke up, "What about a way to stop it? If there's a Shadow Game going on inside the pyramid, both my brother and Yugi could be in danger! We have to find a way to stop it!"

Pegasus lamented in despair, "It's not just Kaiba-boy and Yugi-boy who are in danger. If the King of Destruction revives, countless innocent children will be displaced because of it!"

Hoshino angrily kicked Pegasus in the shin. "Don't act like some saint! This whole mess happened because of your carelessness in the first place—Kaiba got his hands on the Pyramid of Light because of you! What we need right now is a way to stop it, not empty words. We can't just sit back and watch those two become sacrifices for the King of Destruction's revival ritual."

"Hoshino-girl…" Looking somewhat guilty, Pegasus turned to her and said, "The only way to stop it is to find a way into the Pyramid of Light. If we use the power of the Millennium Items to enter, then—"

"The Millennium Items? I have one!" Hoshino shook the Millennium bracelet in her hand, but she wasn't entirely confident. "The problem is, this thing hasn't been working very well lately."

"I know your Millennium item is just a replica, Miss Hoshino. To enter the Pyramid of Light, we need an authentic Millennium Item to resonate with the Millennium Puzzle inside. And to make matters worse, my Millennium Eye was destroyed by you."

Hoshino cursed under her breath, "So in the end, this old man just wants me to take the blame? That Millennium Eye had it coming—it's not my fault Gramp destroyed it!"

In a moment of unexpected brilliance, Jonouchi's intelligence suddenly kicked in. "Wait a sec, Hoshino! Don't you have another Millennium Item? The one that can predict the future!"

Hoshino's eyes widened in realization. She reached into her jacket pocket. "That's right! The Millennium Necklace! I haven't used it in so long that I nearly forgot—I have this besides the Millennium bracelet!"

The Millennium Necklace, a gift from Ishizu, had helped Hoshino multiple times in moments to change the fate she had foreseen.

Luckily, she had only changed into a different skirt that morning but kept the same jacket—otherwise, the Millennium Necklace would have been left behind in her storage room.

"Oh my god! It's actually the Millennium Necklace! Hoshino-girl, you are truly incredible! With this, we might really have a way to stop the battle inside the Pyramid of Light!"

Having missed the Battle City Finals, Bakura was learning about the Millennium Necklace for the first time. His eyebrows furrowed slightly. "The Millennium Necklace… is actually in Hoshino's possession? This just made things a lot more complicated…"

In front of the Pyramid of Light, everyone gathered around Hoshino, who was about to enter.

"Hoshino-girl, allow me to emphasize the method for stopping the ritual one more time. First, you must take over the duel and defeat either Kaiba-boy or Yugi-boy to shift the balance in the light and dark duel. Second—and most importantly—you must destroy the Pyramid of Light during the duel to release the divine power sealed within."

Hoshino impatiently dug at her ear. "Yeah, yeah, I got it, Pegasus. You've said it at least ten times already like a broken record!"

Even the Evil God sounded concerned. "Girl, you should know that once inside the Pyramid of Light, summoning gods will be impossible. This will be your only duel—even I won't be able to help you."

Hoshino loaded her Magical Girl deck and responded confidently, "Don't worry, Evil God-san. I've got Chaldea's ultimate defense system on my side. You ready, Illya?"

However, Illya didn't seem as confident. Floating in the air, she hesitated timidly. "O-Oh! I'm ready… I think?"

Ruby interjected, "Come on, Illya, be a little more assertive! This is your chance to impress Master and steal the main wife position!"

Illya's face instantly turned bright red as she stammered, "M-Main wife?! I-I'm too young for that!"

[Somewhere in heaven, Mash sheds tears of both relief and despair.]

Clutching the Millennium Necklace, Hoshino looked at her companions one last time. "Alright, I'm going in. Leave Yugi and Kaiba to me—I promise I'll drag both of them out alive!"

"Every time there's something dangerous, it ends up on your shoulders, Hoshino… What kind of man—what kind of duelist—does that make me?"

Jonouchi's voice carried unmistakable frustration. "Hoshino, give me the Millennium Necklace! Let me be the one to stop Yugi and Kaiba's duel!"

Honda patted Jonouchi's shoulder, reminding him, "Idiot, did you even listen to Pegasus? Could you really guarantee a win against Yugi or Kaiba? What if neither of you makes it out?"

"That's not entirely fair, Honda!" Looking at Jonouchi's downcast expression, Hoshino couldn't help but reassure him. "You've come a long way, Jonouchi. I'm sure you'll become a world-renowned duelist one day—I can guarantee that. But for now, let me handle this one."

To be honest, if someone had asked Hoshino whether she was confident in defeating either Yugi or Kaiba, the answer would be a resounding no.

Those two were practically at the pinnacle of this world's Duel Monsters. All she could do was give it her all, trust in Chaldea's defense system, and believe in Illya.

The rest… was up to fate.

The Millennium Necklace radiated a brilliant golden glow. The dark energy it emitted connected with the Millennium Puzzle inside the Pyramid of Light, forming a bridge between souls.

"I'm counting on you, Millennium Necklace! Lend me your power to change the future once more and put an end to the war between the King of Light and the King of Darkness!"

A small fracture appeared on the Pyramid of Light's smooth white surface, just wide enough for Hoshino to slip through. However, peering in from the outside revealed nothing—it was impossible to tell how the duel was progressing without stepping inside.

Hoshino cautiously touched the crack, and in the next second, an invisible force yanked her forward, pulling her slender body into the depths of the pyramid.

Inside the Pyramid of Light

A pure white space surrounded Hoshino. Compared to the eerie, enclosed atmosphere of a Shadow Game, this overwhelming brightness was suffocating in its own way.

At the center of the space, the two duelists continued their battle.

"The calculations are flawless. This duel is mine, Yugi!"

Kaiba, who seemed to be in absolute control, commanded a monster Hoshino had never seen before—a new evolution of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

[Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)] [LIGHT] [Dragon/Effect] [ATK 3000→4500 / DEF 2500]

[Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) by Tributing 1 "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon". Gains 300 ATK for each Dragon monster in your GY.]

"In front of my Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, you have no chance of victory, Yugi! Go—Final Annihilation's Blazing Light!"

"Stop, Kaiba!"

Hoshino arrived just in time to witness this crucial moment, but her voice came one second too late.

A scorching beam of light engulfed Dark Magician Girl's petite frame, swallowing Yugi along with it.

[Dark Magician Girl—Destroyed]

"AAAAAHHH!"

[Yugi LP 2600 → 100]

Yugi's face twisted in agony, as if he were on the verge of passing out. The pain was far beyond what a normal duel should cause. Just as Pegasus had predicted, the duel inside the Pyramid of Light operated under the same rules as a Shadow Game.

"Hoshino?" Kaiba furrowed his brows upon noticing her presence. "I was going to ask—how did you get so much darker in just one day?"

"THAT is what you're focused on?!" Hoshino snapped, supporting Yugi, who was barely able to stand. "You've been dueling this whole time and didn't notice anything strange?!"

[Kaiba Seto LP 3000]

In a Shadow Game, the pain from losing Life Points felt as real as having your body torn apart. There was no way Kaiba hadn't noticed.

"Hmph…" Kaiba sneered. "Now even you, Hoshino, are spouting supernatural nonsense like Yugi? Is this some excuse for losing?"

"So, Yugi… you've already realized the nature of this duel, haven't you? And yet, you still insist on fighting Kaiba to the end?"

Kaiba pointed forward with unwavering resolve. "Hoshino, not even you can stop this duel! Do you know how long I've waited—how much I've endured—for this moment of victory and revenge?"

"I haven't lost yet, Hoshino."

Though he could barely keep his eyes open from the pain, Yugi forced a strained smile.

Looking at Yugi, who was barely holding on but still determined to fight, and Kaiba, who refused to give up even after countless defeats, Hoshino felt both amused and moved.

"You two… really are even bigger idiots than Jonouchi in some ways. But this isn't the time for you to keep dueling…"

Hoshino relayed everything Pegasus had told her about the Pyramid of Light. No matter who won, the true victor of this duel would be the one pulling the strings behind the scenes—the King of Destruction.

"I don't believe it!"

"Kaiba, you're seriously annoying! Do you believe it or not? Because if not, I'll knock it into your head myself!"

(*****)

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