Chapter 280

"Fusion Summon! Appear, [Heroic Spirit – Mysterious Heroine X]!"

The counterattack Hoshino had hinted at took the form of this heroic spirit from the future—a self-proclaimed strongest Saber-class servant. Wielding an anti-Saber weapon crafted for duels, she fought with pride, even stooping to ambush Saber-class opponents.

[Heroic Spirit – Mysterious Heroine X ★★★★★★★★★ (Level 9)][LIGHT][Dragon/Fusion/Effect][ATK 3000/DEF 2000]

[Fusion Material Requirements: 1 [Artoria] monster + 1 [Heroic Spirit] monster + 1 LIGHT monster.]

"Facing Saber, I cut Saber. Facing gods, I cut gods! Especially those gods who keep adding Sabers—off with their heads!" she declared boldly. Her outfit was lightweight and rough, far from a servant's traditional attire. The blue scarf around her neck symbolized her resolve, and her hat was meant to conceal her true identity and ahoge.

Unfortunately, her ahoge pierced through the hat, defiantly sticking out.

MHX slashed through the stardust light emitted by Malefic Paradox Dragon, her blade causing Paradox to scowl. "So you're stacking Fusion Summons on top of Fusion monsters? You're as relentless as ever. Some things truly never change."

"Don't act like we're close!" Hoshino snapped. "Past, present, or future, I won't stop fighting until the final moment!"

"Even so," Paradox replied with a smirk, "due to Malefic Paradox Dragon's effect, your newly summoned monster's attack power will also be reduced by 6500!"

Another roar echoed as the oppressive miasma exhaled by Malefic Paradox Dragon swept across Hoshino's field once more.

"Muda-da!" MHX's blade flashed, instantly dispersing the miasma as she confidently stood her ground.

[Heroic Spirit - Mysterious Heroine X ATK 3000]

"[Mysterious Heroine X] has a special effect. When this card is Fusion Summoned using three LIGHT monsters, it becomes unaffected by other card effects! That means her attack power won't decrease, no matter what!" Hoshino explained. "But that's not all..."

The sword light condensed into a crescent-shaped blue blade that slashed past Paradox's body at imperceptible speed.

[When this card is Fusion Summoned: You can negate the effects of all monsters your opponent controls until the end of this turn. Inflict 500 damage to your opponent for each monster whose effects were negated by this effect.]

"You have three monsters on your field, so I'll deal you 1500 damage!"

[Paradox LP 3500 → 2000]

"Tsk, troublesome resistance. But perfect immunity can be a double-edged sword." Paradox's frustration was evident.

However, his observation wasn't without merit. With such high resistance, Mysterious Heroine X couldn't gain attack power from any card effects. Her attack remained a flat 3000—enough to defeat Stardust Dragon, but not much more.

The Stardust Dragon, seemingly aware of its imminent fate, trembled nervously.

"Prepare yourself, Saber!!" MHX cried, leaping into the air. Her glowing blue sword (purchased online) tore through the majestic form of Stardust Dragon with a single, precise strike.

[Stardust Dragon destroyed]

"With my blade, yet another dull Saber falls!"

[Paradox LP 2000 → 1500]

"Magnificent counterattack, Chiyuki-chan!" Hoshino-Sensei cheered. Breaking through Malefic Paradox Dragon's oppressive effect and defeating Stardust Dragon in one move was no small feat.

Hoshino grinned. "Hehe, I can't keep dragging you down in this tag duel, so I had to step up!"

"You've exceeded all my expectations! Totally reliable—worthy of being called the world's most dependable duelist!" Hoshino-Sensei showered her younger self with praise.

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

[Hoshino: 3 Hand Cards | 4 Set Cards]

Paradox's expression darkened. "So, you're getting cocky after barely defeating Stardust Dragon? My turn! Draw!" Surprisingly, this time Paradox opted not to activate Malefic World's effect to replace his draw.

"Attack! Malefic Cyber End Dragon—Cyber End Spark!" Skipping any buildup, Paradox directly entered the Battle Phase. His massive Malefic Cyber End Dragon fired its triple beams directly at Mysterious Heroine X.

"Gotcha!" Hoshino exclaimed, flipping over one of her set cards with an excited grin. "I was waiting for this! Trap Card activate—[Heroic Spirits Showdown: Targeted Assault]!"

Bathed in intertwining light and darkness, MHX's hands materialized a matching black Holy Sword to complement her original blade.

"Although MHX's attack power can't increase due to her immunity, I can still reduce your monster's attack power! Activating [Heroic Spirits Showdown: Targeted Assault]!"

[Heroic Spirits Showdown: Targeted Assault – Trap Effect: Target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls and 1 "Heroic Spirit" monster you control. Until the end of this turn, the targeted monster your opponent controls loses ATK/DEF equal to the ATK of the targeted "Heroic Spirit" monster. If the targeted monster's ATK becomes 0, destroy that monster.]

"Oh Sword of Starlight. The red ones, black ones, and white ones must be destroyed!" Dual-wielding her holy swords, MHX dashed toward Malefic Cyber End Dragon, leaving trails of multi-colored light in her wake.

"Since MHX's attack is 3000, your Malefic Cyber End Dragon loses 3000 ATK!"

[Malefic Cyber End Dragon ATK 4000 → 1000]

"Incredible, Chiyuki-chan!" Hoshino-Sensei cheered, punching the air triumphantly. "This counterattack will wipe out Paradox's remaining Life Points!"

"Now, witness the fellowship of light and dark! Cataphract Shift! Keep this a secret, everyone!!"

With dazzling swordsmanship, MHX's holy swords unleashed a flurry of explosive strikes upon Malefic Cyber End Dragon's massive body.

Though her swords didn't fire beams, the strikes radiated energy bursts, accompanied by a satisfying hum with every swing.

"Excalibur!"

A cross-shaped final strike cleaved through Malefic Cyber End Dragon, marking its ultimate defeat.

[Malefic Cyber End Dragon destroyed]

The once-mighty Malefic Cyber End Dragon, feared for its raw power, met its demise for the second time in the duel—both times at the hands of holy swords.

Or, perhaps more fittingly: Malefic Cyber Ended Dragon.

"The counterattack was successful, which means Paradox's life points should..." Hoshino-Sensei's eyes were glued to the life point display, eagerly awaiting the number 0 to flash.

[Paradox LP 2500 → 500]

The ahoge on both Hoshinos' heads twisted into question marks. "Huh? How did he gain 1000 life points out of nowhere?"

Paradox, breathing heavily and visibly shaken, looked as though he had just crawled out of the River Styx. After all, under the effects of Malefic World, losing this duel meant erasure from existence itself.

"Quick-Play Spell Activate—[Emergency Provisions]!"

[Emergency Provisions – Quick-Play Spell Effect: Send any number of other Spells/Traps you control to the GY; gain 1000 LP for each card sent to the GY this way.]

"By activating Emergency Provisions, I sent one of my Set cards to the Graveyard during damage calculation, recovering 1000 life points!"

Instead of chaining his Set cards' effects, Paradox had opted to sacrifice one directly. Clearly, this was a desperate maneuver to survive Hoshino's attack, which had nearly ended the duel.

"Ah, so close!" Hoshino-Sensei clicked her tongue in frustration. "We were literally one step away. Still, if he's resorted to cannibalizing his own Set cards, we've disrupted his strategy!"

Paradox had sent Emergency Provisions and Mirror Force to the Graveyard. Though Mirror Force could have been a lifeline, its utility was meaningless against Mysterious Heroine X, who was immune to card effects.

"Even now, using such outdated combos to pressure Malefic World this effectively... Hoshino, no matter the time, you're always such a frustrating opponent to face! But! My field still has a monster!"

Paradox raised his hand dramatically as the massive Malefic Paradox Dragon roared, its overwhelming presence filling the battlefield.

"Burn everything in the darkness of time! Malefic Paradox Dragon, attack!" The dragon's ominous energy surged from its maw, targeting Mysterious Heroine X.

Though Malefic Paradox Dragon couldn't weaken its opponent's attack power due to its effect, its sheer strength of 4000 ATK was more than enough to destroy X.

Wiping sweat from her forehead, Hoshino muttered, "This is bad. I thought my counterattack would clinch the duel, but I didn't anticipate how tenacious this guy would be."

"You've done an amazing job, Chiyuki-chan!" Hoshino-Sensei clenched her fist, determination lighting up her eyes. "Not only did you destroy all of his monsters except Malefic Paradox Dragon, but you've set me up for this!"

Stepping into the flames of the battle, Hoshino-Sensei revealed the card her younger self had searched and set during the previous turn. "You've shown me how cool you can be—now let me handle it from here! Quick-Play Spell Activate—[Phantasmal Summoning (Install)]!"

[Phantasmal Summoning (Install) – Quick-Play Spell Effect: To Fusion Summon a "Magical Girl" Fusion Monster, you can banish 1 listed material from your field instead of using all required materials.]

"With its effect, I'll banish MHX from the field to Fusion Summon!" Enveloped in light, MHX, who was about to be destroyed by Malefic Paradox Dragon, vanished.

"From the starlit sky, let the light illuminate the path to victory! Fusion Summon—[Heroic Spirit – Illyasviel von Einzbern]!"

Donning her magical girl outfit, Illya descended gracefully, radiating with celestial starlight.

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

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

"Another form of Illya, huh~?" Hoshino remarked, watching the petite figure holding her ruby staff aloft. "Illya-chan, you've made so many appearances in this duel. Aren't you exhausted yet?"

"Ugh, I'm so tired!" Illya groaned, venting her frustrations.

Hoshino-Sensei's tone turned firm. "Illya, there's no time to complain! If we lose this duel, it's all over!"

Startled by the scolding, Illya tightened her grip on the ruby staff. Her frustration gave way to resolve. "You're right, Master. No matter how exhausted I am, this is a fight we can't afford to lose!"

Paradox sneered. "What good is resolve when your monster only has 1000 ATK? Are you surrendering already?"

Compared to the earlier MHX, Illya indeed appeared weaker, her petite figure hardly an imposing presence against Malefic Paradox Dragon's ferocity.

"They're underestimating us, Ruby!" Illya declared, raising her staff high. "Let's unleash our full magical energy!"

Ruby's voice chimed in with enthusiasm. "Leave it to me! Crank that power up to max!"

"[Illyasviel von Einzbern]'s special ability activates!"

[①: Once per turn, if this card is not equipped with an Equip Card: You can target 1 banished monster; equip it to this card. You can also activate this effect during your opponent's turn.]

"With this effect, I'll equip MHX, who was banished!"

Equipped: [Heroic Spirit – Mysterious Heroine X]

As Illya raised her ruby staff, the magical energy surged, gathering into her small hands. "The magical energy has gathered! Now, let's go all out!!"

[This card gains ATK and DEF equal to the ATK and DEF of the equipped monster.]

"Since MHX has 3000 ATK, Illya's attack power increases by 3000!"

[Illyasviel von Einzbern ATK 1000 → 4000]

Ruby cheered, "Perfect form achieved! Let's finish this with the flashiest final blow!"

"It's not a final blow!" Illya retorted instinctively, though her determination didn't waver. Wrapped in starlight, she soared directly toward Malefic Paradox Dragon, ready to strike.

Hoshino gasped. "Their attack powers are both 4000! Illya and the Malefic Paradox Dragon are equally matched!"

"Rooooar!!" The Malefic Paradox Dragon, seemingly provoked, unleashed a thunderous roar, preparing for a decisive clash.

Illya gripped her staff tightly. "This is my strongest attack! Let's end this—Ruby Flash!"

The celestial energy from Illya's staff collided head-on with the dark energy of the Malefic Paradox Dragon, the battlefield erupting in radiant light and chaos.

(*****)

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