NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 298: Chapter 298
"This is your strategy with Orichalcos, Mai…"
Hoshino struggled to keep up, her eyes darting between the Harpie Ladies soaring through the air and Harpie's Pet Dragon, whose attack power had now surpassed Gorgon's thanks to the relentless swarm of Harpies.
"It's a true swarm strategy that breaks all limitations—only possible within the Seal of Orichalcos."
Having played all her cards, Mai's smile took on a sinister edge under the eerie glow of the Seal.
"This is the end, Chiyuki. Don't blame me. In this world, only the strong survive, and the victors decide everything."
The Harpie Ladies launched their frenzied assault, descending like a raging storm. With the deafening roar of her dragon and the synchronized flight of her Harpies, their combined onslaught, infused with the dark power of Orichalcos, seemed unstoppable—capable of tearing everything apart.
"Attack, my beautiful Harpies! Within the Seal, monster effects cannot be negated!"
[Heroic Spirit – Gorgon destroyed]
Empowered by both Orichalcos and the Harpies, Harpie's Pet Dragon's attack had risen beyond Gorgon's. With its mighty wings stirring up a hurricane, the Harpies rode the gusts, executing a perfect joint assault. The overwhelming force of Orichalcos made it seem like nothing could withstand them.
"You've lost, Chiyuki. Against the combined strength of seven Harpie Ladies, no amount of life points can save you!"
"Being surrounded by six beautiful Harpies might sound painful… but oddly enjoyable. Still, I'm sorry, Mai. I'll have to decline."
Hesitating for only a second, Hoshino gritted her teeth and flipped over her sole set card.
A radiant barrier of light emerged, stopping the Harpies from toying with her any further.
"—I activate the Trap Card [Garden of Avalon]! While this card is active, all damage I take this turn becomes 0!"
From within the glowing barrier, Merlin's voice rang out playfully, "Master, a duel this intense—non-human beauties and a multi-play setup—might be a bit much for someone your age~"
Frustrated by the unexpected defense, Mai's expression darkened. "Still resisting, Chiyuki? I've already made up my mind! Can't you just accept defeat gracefully?!"
Hoshino smiled faintly. "If I were to lose so easily, Mai, what would you do if you regretted it later?"
"I won't regret it! I end my turn and activate [Harpie Oracle]'s effect—I can add one 'Harpie Lady Sister' Spell from my Graveyard to my hand!"
Retrieving a Spell from her Graveyard, Mai set it into her hand. "I've added [Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation] to my hand. With seven 'Harpie' monsters on my field, this will ensure my victory next turn!"
[Mai: 1 Hand Card | 0 Set Card]
Standing outside the barrier of the Seal, Valon observed the duel through the greenish glow. "To master the power of the Seal of Orichalcos so quickly… Mai, your talent as a duelist is second to none."
"My turn! Draw!"
With an empty field and no set cards, Hoshino stood alone inside the barrier, staring down the overwhelming swarm of Harpies filling the sky.
"Hoshino's chances of winning seem slim now. If her soul gets sealed… how am I supposed to explain this…" Valon muttered, feeling his anxiety grow. But all he could do was wait.
"Mai, if we can destroy the Seal, wouldn't that prevent the worst-case scenario?"
A thought sparked in Hoshino's mind as she looked at her drawn card.
Mai sneered. "Unfortunately, the Seal of Orichalcos cannot be destroyed by any effects. Breaking it isn't that simple."
"It doesn't need to be destroyed. Instead, I'll overpower it with a stronger Field Spell—completely dispelling its influence!"
Hoshino recalled her past encounters with Malefic World, where replacing the Field Spell had turned the tide of battle.
With renewed determination, she clutched the card tightly. "Let me put an end to this turn, Mai! I activate the Spell Card [Guardian of Humanity]!"
[Guardian of Humanity – Spell Card Effect: If you have 5 or more "Heroic Spirit" monsters in your Graveyard: Draw 2 cards. If you have no other cards on your field or in your hand when this card is activated, you can also add 1 Spell Card with "Heroic Spirit" in its name from your Deck to your hand.]
"Thanks to its effect, I draw two cards! And since my field is empty, I can also search for a Spell Card with 'Heroic Spirit' in its name from my Deck!"
Drawing two cards, Hoshino swiftly retrieved another from her Deck. "I'll add [Call of the Guardian Spirits II – FATE] to my hand!"
"A Ritual Card?!" Mai's finely arched brow twitched slightly. She remembered even Pegasus had been defeated by the mysterious Ritual Monster Hoshino had summoned before.
"Next, I activate the Spell Card [Purely Bloom]—Special Summoning [Heroic Spirit – Artoria Pendragon Lily] from my Deck!"
[Heroic Spirit - Artoria Pendragon (Lily)★★★★ (Level 4) [LIGHT] [Dragon/Effect][ATK 1200/DEF 800]
"Entrust everything to your Lily, and call forth the Conqueror King with the Holy Sword! [Artoria Lily's] effect activates!"
The pure maiden raised her sword, and in response, the soul of a king resonated.
"For the final victory, answer the call of the Holy Sword!"
"I add the Ritual Monster [Heroic Spirit – King of Conquerors Iskandar] from my Deck to my hand! Then, I Special Summon [Heroic Spirit – Nursery Rhyme] from my hand!"
[Heroic Spirit - Nursery Rhyme★★★★ (Level 4) [DARK] [Spellcaster/Effect][ATK 800/DEF 800]
[①: If you control a [Lily] monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.]
Toys and candies bloomed like flowers around Nursery Rhyme, creating a dreamlike battlefield fitting for Lily's theme.
"[Nursery Rhyme's] effect activates! When this card is Special Summoned, I can add one Spell Card with 'Heroic Spirit' or 'Lily' in its name from my Deck to my hand!"
Opening her storybook, Nursery Rhyme tilted her head, searching for a tale of courage.
"Mai, this is the key card that will shatter Orichalcos and turn this duel around! A battlefield where a king's charge will be forever etched into history!"
"I add the Field Spell [Ionioi Hetairoi] to my hand!"
"This completes the preparation for my victory!"
With Ionioi Hetairoi now in her hand, Hoshino wasted no time, slotting her ritual spell card into her Duel Disk.
"I activate the Ritual Spell—[Call of the Guardian Spirits II – FATE]!"
Within the oppressive darkness of the Seal of Orichalcos, a new light was born—a glimmer of hope strong enough to overturn fate itself.
[Call of the Guardian Spirits II – FATE Ritual Spell Effect: This card is used to Ritual Summon a "Heroic Spirit" Ritual Monster. You must also Tribute monsters from your hand or field whose combined Levels equal or exceed the Level of the Ritual Monster you are Ritual Summoning. Ritual Summon 1 "Heroic Spirit" Ritual Monster from your hand. This turn, that Ritual Summoned monster cannot be targeted or destroyed by your opponent's card effects.]
"I Tribute Saber Lily, Nursery Rhyme from the field, and Waver from my hand to fulfill the summoning requirements! Now—arise!"
Hoshino raised her card high, unleashing a deafening roar of conquest that rippled across the battlefield.
"To conquer without destruction, to rule without disgrace—the sound of Okeanos' surging tides calls to me! Ritual Summon! [Heroic Spirit – King of Conquerors, Iskandar]!"
"AALALALALALALAI!!"
With a resounding war cry, Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, thundered onto the field, his massive Gordius Wheel crashing down like a storm. His overwhelming presence stood as an unshakable bastion before the swarm of Harpies.
[Heroic Spirit – King Of Conquerors Iskandar★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)][Earth]
[Warrior/Ritual/Effect][ATK 3000/DEF 2000]
[Must be Ritual Summoned by a "Heroic Spirit" Ritual Spell Card. Cannot be Special Summoned by other means.]
"Oh-ho! Master, choosing to summon me, King of Conquerors Iskandar, was undoubtedly the right decision!"
Standing proudly atop his chariot, Iskandar lifted his sword, his voice brimming with confidence. "I will answer your call with all my might and carve the path forward for you."
Mai scoffed. "Chiyuki, even if you summon a Ritual Monster, its attack still doesn't surpass my Harpie's Pet Dragon! And as long as it's on the field, you can't target my other Harpies for attacks."
But Hoshino smirked, her expression playful yet dangerous under the eerie glow of Orichalcos.
"Your Pet Dragon is indeed formidable, Mai. But now—it's mine~!"
[Iskandar's Effect: If this card is Ritual Summoned: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; take control of that monster until the end of this turn.]
"Oooooh!!" Iskandar roared, pointing his sword skyward. "Dragon or Harpy, it matters not—all shall bow before the King!"
The sheer force of Iskandar's presence spread across the battlefield, overwhelming Mai's Harpie's Pet Dragon and bringing it under his command.
[Harpie's Pet Dragon ATK 2000]
Mai narrowed her eyes. "Tch… Taking my Pet Dragon… But without the Harpies and Orichalcos' boost, it's lost its power! And don't forget—because of the Seal of Orichalcos, you still can't attack my back-row Harpies until you break through the ones in front!"
Indeed, Mai had positioned her strongest Harpies at the frontline, each boasting over 2000 ATK, while her back row consisted of effect-based Harpies supporting her strategy. A solid formation, fully optimized for Orichalcos' power.
But unfortunately for Mai—her opponent was a master of breaking through the impossible.
"If you can't breach my defenses this turn, Chiyuki, next turn my Phoenix Formation will wipe out everything!"
Hoshino chuckled. "I already told you, Mai—this turn, I'm ending this duel! Now, let me show you what a true army looks like!"
She held up a long-prepared card and met Iskandar's gaze with unwavering resolve.
"Let's go, Iskandar!"
Standing atop his chariot, Iskandar folded his arms, his magical energy surging. "Though I march to the ends of the earth, you, Master, strive for the ends of time. Even among my retainers, none have displayed such ambition!"
Revealing a hidden slot on her Duel Disk, Hoshino laughed.
"Endless progress—that is the joy of life! Field Spell, activate—[Ionioi Hetairoi]!"
"Then let us charge, together! No matter the obstacles—the King's Army shall trample all in our path! Forward!!"
The Seal of Orichalcos, a symbol of dark power, cracked—then shattered. But it wasn't just destroyed. It was completely replaced by a stronger domain.
A Reality Marble, vast and boundless. The battlefield of a King.
Barren lands stretched beneath a blazing sun. The sounds of thundering hooves and the whistling wind echoed across rolling plains—a realm born from the very soul of Iskandar himself.
[Ionioi Hetairoi – Field Spell Effect: Upon activation, Special Summon [Heroic Spirit – King's Army Tokens] equal to the number of monsters on your opponent's field.]
"I Special Summon six [Heroic Spirit – King's Army Tokens]—one for each of your Harpies, Mai!"
Mai's eyes widened. "Six?! But your field…"
"Expanding monster zones isn't exclusive to Orichalcos! As long as Ionioi Hetairoi is active, my Spell & Trap Zones become additional Monster Zones!"
Staring at the endless army before him, Valon muttered in shock, "A field effect like Orichalcos… No, it's even stronger! Hoshino wasn't bluffing—she really found a way to overcome the Seal!"
"This is my answer to the Orichalcos, Mai! Even your Harpies can't stand against this Noble Phantasm!"
Standing at the head of the unstoppable legion alongside Iskandar, Hoshino radiated an aura befitting a commander leading an army.
[Heroic Spirit - King's Army Token★★★★ (Level 4)][Earth]
[Warrior/Token][ATK ???/DEF ???] X6
"With Pet Dragon and six King's Army Tokens, my field is overflowing with eight monsters!"
"Each King's Army Token gains 500 ATK for every monster on my field. With eight monsters, their final ATK becomes—4000!"
[Heroic Spirit - King's Army Token ATK 4000]
"Each token has 4000 ATK?!" Valon gasped. "This isn't just combat power—this is warfare!"
"Now—crush them all! Advance!"
With an earth-shaking charge, Iskandar led the unstoppable stampede, an army surging forward like a tidal wave.
"Raise the cry of victory—Ionioi Hetairoi!!"
"AALALALALALALAI!!!"
The battlefield was swallowed by the relentless onslaught.
[Mai's LP 1800 → 0]
[DUEL END]
[Winner: Hoshino Chiyuki!]
(*****)
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