"Take this! — Ultimate Infernal Hellfire!"
The ATK of Evil HERO Infernal Wing, enhanced by Prideful Roar, transformed into a pitch-black burning firebird and crashed into White Star's field.
"Hot, hot, hot! Damn it, I got a little careless!"
Engulfed in flames and roasted until she was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside — looking strangely delicious — X Alter disappeared from the Monster Zone.
[Heroic Spirit – Mysterious Heroine X Alter] destroyed.
[Hoshino LP 6000 → 5700]
"Next, the effect of Evil HERO Infernal Wing activates!"
Adding Infernal Wing's own effect to the chain, Supreme King Jaden pointed at Hoshino Alter.
"When Infernal Wing destroys an opponent's monster by battle, inflict damage equal to whichever is higher — that monster's original ATK or original DEF!"
"It's similar to Flame Wingman's effect, but enhanced," Bastion observed.
Akasha added:
"Hoshino-nee's Mysterious Heroine X Alter has 3000 original ATK and 2500 original DEF…"
"I inflict 3000 points of damage to you, Hoshino Chiyuki!" Supreme King Jaden declared mercilessly.
[Hoshino LP: 5700 → 2700]
The additional burn damage from Infernal Wing's flames further whittled down Hoshino Alter's remaining Life Points.
Unlike Supreme King Jaden, who still possessed more than ten thousand Life Points, taking a direct hit of 3000 points of damage was unquestionably a devastating blow for Hoshino Alter.
"— I activate my Set Continuous Trap Card, Deliverers of Wishes!"
The moment X Alter was destroyed, Hoshino Alter flipped over her face-down card. Another black virtual card ejected from her Deck.
"Effect of Deliverers of Wishes — once per turn, when a 'Heroic Spirit' monster is destroyed by battle, both players draw 1 card!"
Due to Deliverers of Wishes's effect, Supreme King Jaden also drew one card from his Deck.
"You're already on the brink of defeat, yet you still cling to hope?"
Glancing at the card he had just drawn, Supreme King Jaden muttered:
"Not bad. You've allowed me to draw a rather interesting card."
Hoshino Alter pointed out:
"Once damage calculation ends, the ATK increase granted to Infernal Wing by Prideful Roar disappears as well!"
"So what?"
"Even if the ATK boost from Prideful Roar vanishes, the increase granted by the Field Spell Supreme King's Castle remains until the end of the turn!"
The raging black flames burning across Infernal Wing's wings dissipated, leaving behind only the twin-bladed claws bestowed by Malicious Edge.
[Evil HERO Infernal Wing ATK: 6300 → 3500]
"And that 3500 ATK is still higher than your remaining Life Points."
"And don't forget — after banishing Hell Gainer, Infernal Wing can attack twice this turn!"
The Battle Phase continued as the flames of evil once again descended upon the battlefield.
"There are no extra monsters left on your field to redirect attacks away from Illya. This is over!"
"The bottomless darkness of an Evil Heart, coupled with absolute overwhelming power. As expected, my judgment was correct."
Nodding in satisfaction, Harr calculated silently to himself:
The Supreme King will make the perfect replacement for the other Kings who have already been defeated.
"Perish! — Twin Infernal Hellfire!"
Supreme King Jaden swung his arm and declared Evil HERO Infernal Wing's second attack of the turn.
With 3500 ATK, combined with Infernal Wing's burn effect, if the attack landed directly on Magical Girl – Illya Testament Form, it would undoubtedly wipe out all of Hoshino Alter's remaining Life Points in one blow.
"Who said I don't have a monster that can take the attack in Illya's place?"
Hoshino Alter raised her arm. A black beam erupted from her Graveyard through her AR Duel Disk, resonating with the summoning effect reflected in the blue halo around her right eye.
"— I activate the Quick-Play Spell in my Graveyard! Rank-Up-Magic – Glory of the Round Table!"
[Rank-Up-Magic – Glory of the Round Table] Quick-Play Spell Effect: ②: If this card is in your Graveyard, you can pay half your Life Points and banish this card. Then, Special Summon 1 monster from your hand and 1 monster from your Graveyard with the same Level, their effects negated, and use only those two monsters as materials to Xyz Summon 1 Xyz Monster. This effect cannot be activated unless a "Knight of the Round Table" monster exists in your Graveyard.]
Supreme King Jaden immediately objected:
"To activate Rank-Up-Magic – Glory of the Round Table from the Graveyard, the condition requires a Knight of the Round Table monster to be in your Graveyard!"
"Of course it does!"
"Aibo planned for this from the very beginning. She just never had the chance to use it. Now I'll have to carry it out in her place…"
Pulling a card from her Graveyard and holding it up, Hoshino Alter declared solemnly:
"On the very first turn of the Duel, Install had already sent Heroic Spirit – Knight of the Round Table Mordred to the Graveyard!"
The Duel Links system activated.
Guided by the Round Table emblem manifested from Mordred in the Monster Zone, Heroic Spirits from Hoshino Alter's hand and Graveyard were connected through a network of overlay light.
[Hoshino LP: 2700 → 1350]
Pulling out Heroic Spirit – Cú Chulainn Alter — which had been sent to the Graveyard by Illya's effect last turn and returned to her hand this turn — Hoshino Alter declared:
"I pay half my Life Points to activate the effect!"
"I overlay the DARK Level 9 Heroic Spirit – Cú Chulainn Alter from my hand and the DARK Level 9 Heroic Spirit – Mysterious Heroine X Alter from my Graveyard as Xyz Materials!"
The radiance of Xyz energy connected to infinity.
Six gemstones of different colors slowly descended onto White Star's field.
The six Soul Gems carried on X Alter's gauntlet represented —
Desire — Soul
Sugar — Power
Inventory — Space
Original Price — Reality
Production — Time
Demand — Mind
The six most fundamental forces of existence.
Their wielder would be granted limitless power.
With a single snap of their fingers, even half the universe could be transformed into a candy factory.
"Its name is — '∞ (Infinity) Black Bean Paste Trap.'"
"By the way, doesn't this setting feel kind of familiar? It feels like a parody of some purple sweet-potato guy…"
As she threw out the black virtual card for her Xyz Summon, Hoshino Alter couldn't help but poke fun at it herself.
"At a time like this, I really wish Aibo were here to get my joke. Dueling alone is so lonely… Ah, whatever. I overlay and Xyz Summon Heroic Spirit – Mysterious Heroine X Alter Infinity!"
[Heroic Spirit – Mysterious Heroine X Alter Infinity ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆][Rank 9][DARK][Warrior/Xyz/Effect][ATK 3000/DEF 2500]
[Materials: 2 Level 9 "Heroic Spirit" monsters with the same Attribute]
The six gemstones floating above the field embedded themselves into a gauntlet.
The Mysterious Heroine X Alter who had just been destroyed in battle returned to the field in an even more powerful Xyz form.
"— Um, Master, can I ask something? Aren't you being a little too casual about summoning me? What do you mean by 'whatever'?"
"Uh… well… 'whatever' means… Watch out! The attack is coming!"
Hoshino Alter pointed toward the incoming Evil HERO Infernal Wing.
"I activate the effect of Magical Girl – Illya Testament Form! When it becomes the target of an attack or effect, I can redirect it to another Alter monster on my field!"
Stepping forward and placing herself in front of Illya, Mysterious Heroine X Alter gathered all six Gems. Crimson lightning erupted from the fully charged gauntlet as she faced down Infernal Wing's flames.
"This time I won't lose to you! Sugar — Power Gem activated! Be reduced to ashes by the destructive force of Alter energy!"
"At the same time, when X Alter battles Infernal Wing, I activate the effect of Star Wars of the Servant Universe in my Graveyard!"
[Trap Effect: At the start of the Damage Calculation Step involving a "Mysterious Heroine" monster you control, you can banish this card from your Graveyard. The opposing monster loses 500 ATK for each Warrior monster in your opponent's Graveyard.]
"Warrior monsters in the Graveyard?" Syrus asked in confusion. "All the Evil HEROes are Fiends, and Neos was either banished or returned to the Deck through various effects, right?"
Due to the constant transformations, Contact Fusions, and Contact Unfusions throughout the Duel, the number of Warrior monsters in Jaden's Graveyard had been shifting constantly.
"Allow me to refresh your memory, Supreme King Jaden!"
Hoshino Alter pointed toward his Graveyard.
"Before this turn, the only Warrior monsters left in your Graveyard were Elemental HERO Shadow Mist and Masked HERO Divine Wind. Then this turn, Dark Fusion sent Avian and Burstinatrix to the Graveyard!"
A total of four Warrior monsters.
The effect of Star Wars of the Servant Universe activated, and a beam of lightsaber-like energy severed Infernal Wing's wings.
[Infernal Wing ATK: 3500 → 1500]
"My ATK has surpassed yours! Experience the explosion of ∞ Black Bean Paste Trap!"
"Heh. I activate the Trap Card I just drew from my hand!"
Using the Trap he had gained through Deliverers of Wishes and activated via Makyura's effect, Supreme King Jaden equipped Infernal Wing with a new weapon.
"— Trap Card Armory Call!"
[Effect: Add 1 Equip Spell from your Deck to your hand. Then, if possible, equip it to an appropriate monster you control.]
"The Equip Spell I add is Vicious Claw! The monster equipped with it gains 300 ATK!"
A pair of silver metallic claws appeared on Infernal Wing's arms, replacing the phantom blades left behind by Malicious Edge.
[Infernal Wing ATK: 1500 → 1800]
"A mere 300 ATK increase isn't going to change anything."
Ignoring Hoshino Alter's remark, Supreme King Jaden slotted the Equip Spell into his Duel Disk and commanded:
"Endure this attack, Infernal Wing!"
The metallic claws collided with the Infinity Gauntlet.
Whether judged by raw ATK or sheer visual spectacle, White Star held an overwhelming advantage.
Crack —!
As expected, a crisp metallic shattering sound rang out.
Even after being equipped with Vicious Claw, Infernal Wing was still overpowered by X Alter Infinity's counterattack and defeated.
[Supreme King Jaden LP 12600 → 11400]
However, after the claw shattered, Infernal Wing remained on the field rather than being destroyed.
Removing the Equip Card from his back row, Supreme King Jaden explained:
"The effect of Vicious Claw allows it to return to my hand instead of the equipped monster being destroyed by battle."
"So it has a destruction-substitution effect…"
"That's not all!"
After recovering Vicious Claw, Supreme King Jaden pointed at Illya.
"When Vicious Claw returns to the hand, I can destroy 1 opponent's monster that did not participate in the battle and inflict 600 damage to its controller!"
Since X Alter and Infernal Wing had been the battling monsters, the only monster that had not participated in the battle was Illya.
"It's useless! Whether it's an attack or an effect, I can redirect it away from Illya and onto X Alter!"
The shadow of the demonic claw abruptly changed course and lunged toward X Alter, who still held the Infinity Gauntlet aloft.
"Sorry about this, Ms. X. It feels like you're the one taking all the hits by yourself."
Illya scratched her head awkwardly.
Ruby shouted:
"Illya, that's the wrong line! If you're a corrupted magical girl, you should be saying, 'Offer your lives to me and become my shield, you filthy pieces of shit!'"
"I would never say something like that!"
"Defensive Gem! Space Gem activated!"
Unleashing the power of another gemstone within the Infinity Gauntlet, X Alter generated a cosmic barrier before her, perfectly blocking the destruction effect of Vicious Claw.
Hoshino Alter declared:
"As long as this card has a 'Mysterious Heroine' monster as Xyz Material, it is unaffected by other card effects!"
After nullifying the destruction effect, the Infinity Gauntlet shone even brighter.
Mysterious Heroine X Alter spoke calmly:
"Give up, enemy of my Master. Before my infinite stones, you have no chance of victory!"