Chapter 784 - 784

"Even if the price is defeating the supreme god that has fused the twelve dimensions, I don't care!"

"What did you say…"

Caught off guard by Hoshino's sudden determination, even the Supreme Fusion God's expression froze for a moment.

"I said, I am going to win!"

Waving her hand to continue the Battle Phase, Hoshino commanded:

"Resume the battle! The Wicked Avatar: Transcendence, take the Supreme Fusion God head-on and smash it down!"

"To actually order me to directly clash with the supreme god of the twelve dimensions. You really don't know the meaning of holding back, do you?"

Flapping her wings, the brilliantly colored dimensional tracks drifting around her petite body spread outward. A chilling smile that sent shivers down the spine flashed across the youthful and adorable face of Avatar: Transcendence.

"But as my master — no, at a time like this, I suppose I should call you 'Master.' You absolutely need to have this kind of spirit!"

The collision of dimensions shook the entire world.

The sky and earth, already torn apart by the Supreme Fusion God, were once again split and shattered by the power of Avatar: Transcendence.

Even the companions of Duel Academy, who were currently on the opposite side of the planet, could feel the clash between these two ultimate powers.

Yugi looked up at the gradually splitting sky, revealing the profound darkness hidden behind the world, and said incredulously:

"So Hoshino is dueling over at Supreme King's Castle? It can actually affect things all the way over here?"

"Good heavens! Isn't Supreme King's Castle in Europe?! Then doesn't that mean this disturbance has pierced through the entire — no, two Earths, meow!"

Holding both hands over his head, Crowler crouched on the ground in distress.

"Please! Don't casually start causing the apocalypse, Headmistress!"

As the sky split apart and seawater surged violently, the sight only deepened the despair of the already uneasy people following the fusion of the worlds.

"Big Brother."

Mokuba looked somewhat panicked as he glanced at Kaiba, who simply stared at the sky in silence.

"Hoshino should win, right? What do you think, Big Brother?"

"Yeah."

It was only a brief response.

But Mokuba knew better than anyone that, in this world, the only Duelist capable of making Kaiba nod at a moment like this was that one person.

...

On the main battlefield, the duel had already gone beyond Life Points and the comparison of ATK values, rising to the level of rules themselves.

The Wicked God and the Supreme Fusion God shattered the surrounding space simply through their clash.

The world, already extremely unstable after being forcibly fused together by Supreme King Jaden, was pushed even further toward the brink of collapse by a battle on this level.

Like glass, the surface concept of the "world" was being peeled away from the air itself.

At the same time, beneath the stable surface concept of the world, violent and chaotic currents surged outward like countless black threads twisting and tearing against one another.

"Looks like my prediction was wrong."

There was an ominous undertone in the Supreme Fusion God's voice.

"I thought that a clash ending in a draw would change nothing. But I underestimated the power of the two of us. If this continues, this dimension will completely collapse, and the survival of the other dimensions will be affected as well."

"What, are you scared?!"

Even after hearing that the dimension itself might collapse because of them, The Wicked Avatar: Transcendence showed no sign of retreating.

Instead, her expression became even more excited.

"I am a Wicked God representing the abyss and destruction! Stabilizing dimensions was never part of my jurisdiction in the first place! What I need to do now is shove that head of yours straight to the other side of the dimension!"

Her petite body weaved through the countless dimensional tracks entangled and colliding throughout the battlefield.

Avatar: Transcendence closed the distance until she was right in the Supreme Fusion God's face, raised her hand, and reached directly for its head with her slender white fingers.

["Even after obtaining dimensional power, she still insists on fighting in close quarters. That's definitely a very 'Evil God' way of fighting. She doesn't even care that the dimensions are collapsing! She's completely unreasonable!"]

Even though the Supreme Fusion God desperately tried to stop the Evil God's advance, it was clearly struggling.

After all, with their identical effects, Avatar: Transcendence's ATK was still overwhelmingly higher than its own.

"Isn't that exactly how it should be?! We are nothing more than simple villains. And the saviors who stop the destruction of the world have never been gods!"

She turned her head slightly.

"…I'm counting on you, human Master!"

The Evil God, who had completely suppressed the Supreme Fusion God, shouted toward Hoshino behind her.

"I've been waiting for this! The ultimate measure capable of withstanding an attack powerful enough to destroy the world. And that is — Anti-Purge Defense!"

Brilliant radiance of ideals began to shine.

On Hoshino's field, a melody gentle as an echo from a distant paradise began to play, sounding out the Star of Hope.

"Hoshino Chiyuki!"

The Supreme Fusion God finally lost its patience and roared:

"You! Just how many cards are you still hiding?!"

Hoshino was more godlike than the Evil God herself, constantly transcending her own limits.

Every time everyone believed she had already exhausted everything she had, she would somehow reveal yet another completely new trump card.

Even the predictions of the God of the Twelve Dimensions had been left far behind.

Twice in a row.

"Impossible! At this point, you absolutely have no usable cards left!"

The two cards remaining in Hoshino's hand — the Normal Spell Card and Irisviel — were both incapable of affecting the battle at this moment.

"There is one!"

After The Wicked Avatar: Transcendence's effect sent all the monsters to the Graveyard, Hoshino declared:

"After that effect sent all the monsters to the Graveyard, the card that has been sleeping there all this time can finally be used!"

Hoshino drew out a card from her Graveyard and revealed it.

The insignia of the Knights of the Round Table transformed in an instant into a glorious will that pierced through the apocalypse, projecting itself onto the field.

"— Quick-Play Spell Card, Rank-Up-Magic – Round Table Glory!"

During the first turn of this duel, Hoshino had used the Quick-Play Rank-Up-Magic – Round Table Glory to overlay Heroic Spirit – Okita Souji into Heroic Spirit – Oda Nobunaga: Tenka Fubu.

Since then, the card had remained in the Graveyard.

The activation condition for its other effect was that a "Knights of the Round Table" monster had to exist in the Graveyard.

"There is only one Knights of the Round Table monster in my Deck, and that's Heroic Spirit – Knights of the Round Table, Gawain!"

After the Evil God's effect sent every monster in the Deck to the Graveyard, Heroic Spirit – Knights of the Round Table, Gawain was sent there as well, satisfying the activation condition for Rank-Up-Magic – Round Table Glory!

"Even if the monsters sent to the Graveyard by the Evil God's effect can't activate their effects, there are many times when their very existence is itself meaningful!"

Hoshino, having seized even this final sliver of an opportunity, used that faint remaining "meaning" and the rotating sun sword in Gawain's hands to ignite a light that would guide hope.

Gawain:

"Now is the time! Ride forth upon the glory of the Round Table, Master — and our King!"

[Rank-Up-Magic – Round Table Glory — Quick-Play Spell Card Effect: If this card is in the Graveyard, you can activate this card by paying half your LP. Banish this card. After that, Special Summon 1 monster of the same Level from your hand and 1 monster of the same Level from your Graveyard, with their effects negated, and Xyz Summon 1 Xyz Monster using only those 2 monsters as material. This effect cannot be activated if you have no "Knights of the Round Table" monster in your Graveyard.]

"I choose the Level 7 Heroic Spirit – Irisviel von Einzbern in my hand and the Level 7 Heroic Spirit – Okita Souji in my Graveyard, and Special Summon both monsters to the field!"

Through the effect of Round Table Glory, Irisviel and Okita materialized side by side on the field at the same time, exchanging smiles.

"I never imagined we'd settle the final battle like this. I have to say, this is getting really exciting~"

"Okita agrees! What Master said really moved me! Even if we can't activate their effects, simply existing in the Graveyard is already meaningful!"

Flicking her fingertips, Hoshino swept across the two Level 7 cards on her Duel Disk.

The Xyz Overlay Network spread across the planet, instantly enveloping the fragmented sky overhead.

"The omen stardust that heralds dawn in a chaotic world, carve a path of hope toward paradise! Adorn this planet with your presence — Xyz Summon Heroic Spirit – Artoria: Star of Hope!"

Within the Star of Hope illuminated by the Xyz Network, Caster Artoria stepped onto the battlefield.

Holding down the beret on her head, Caster Artoria gathered the radiance surrounding her into the Holy Sword of Selection.

[Heroic Spirit – Artoria: Star of Hope ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ (Rank 7)][LIGHT][Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect][ATK 2500/DEF 2500]

[2 Level 7 "Heroic Spirit" monsters]

"This is wonderful! I'm finally making my entrance!" Artoria's delicate face flushed slightly, nervousness mixed with a hint of excitement.

"So this is what everyone calls a Duel? It's my first time doing something like this. I wonder if I'll be able to do it properly?"

The Supreme Fusion God provoked her:

"So this is your final trump card, Hoshino Chiyuki? How could such an inexperienced little girl possibly interfere in a battle between gods?!"

"Interfere in a battle? We wouldn't do something as boring and thankless as that."

Hoshino replied:

"Humans are very powerless, you know. In the storm of chaos, simply protecting the things we cherish already requires giving it everything we've got. And right now, all I want is to bring all of my precious students back home."

"Senpai!"

"Headmistress!"

"Hoshino-nee!"

As the battle entered its decisive stage, Hoshino's final card had been used for an Xyz Summon, placing all her hopes on the "newly initiated" girl, Artoria.

Not because this form of Artoria was particularly powerful, nor because she possessed some overwhelming effect capable of turning the tide of battle.

It was simply because Caster Artoria herself was the Servant who, in the face of the world's apocalypse, would seize the future through Anti-Purge Defense.

"Release your Noble Phantasm! Display the culmination of humanity's will and protect this shattered world!"

"Although my power is insignificant, I'll do everything I can, Master!"

Gripping the Holy Sword of Selection tightly, Artoria slowly stepped forward.

And with every step the girl took, flowers of paradise simultaneously bloomed beneath her feet.

Against the fragmented light and shadows of this shattered dimension, they looked completely out of place.

"That is the Star of the End glimpsed in the distant past—"

Artoria began chanting her Noble Phantasm.

"Countless words, the faintest glimmer of light. Even if no one calls your name, no matter how distant or polluted you may be, you will still adorn the planet!"

As Artoria released her immense magical energy, the dimension and world that had once been on the verge of collapse were visibly stitched back together by the light.

The profound darkness of the Inner World that had continuously poured into the surface world through countless shattered cracks seemed to recoil step by step, as though instinctively fearing the girl's pure chanting.

"The collapse of the dimension has actually stopped?"

The Supreme Fusion God stared in disbelief.

"No… it's more than that. Even the dimensional areas that had already begun collapsing are being restored in this instant. That human mage girl actually did this?"

"Be reborn, Star of Hope! Draw back the curtains—!"

Although Caster Artoria always emphasized how insignificant her strength was and how inexperienced she was, Hoshino knew very well that this girl, who even Merlin — a Caster possessing Grand-class qualifications — feared to some degree, simply had no understanding of just how immense the power she possessed truly was.

That power possessed an effect completely different from the Duel Monsters of Hoshino's original dimension.

That power would become the world's final guardian star, shining forever.

"— Let us move forward together with hope! Around Caliburn!!"

Anti-Purge Defense — the inner world of Artoria, released through the Holy Sword of Selection.

Protecting and strengthening the people who fought together for this dimension, accompanied by the bells of paradise resounding throughout the world.

[While this card remains face-up on the field, your opponent cannot win the Duel.]

"As long as this card remains on the field, their path to victory is completely cut off?"

Akasha and the other two exclaimed in unison:

"Then even if the Supreme Fusion God leaves the field, it can't immediately win the Duel anymore!"

"But my side hasn't been affected at all!"

Hoshino continued her attack.

After Artoria stopped the collapse of the dimension and sealed the Supreme Fusion God's path to victory through its rules, The Wicked Avatar: Transcendence finally gained complete dominance, tearing apart every dimensional track representing the concept of the dimensions.

"How ironic, Supreme Fusion God!"

The Evil God provoked it:

"You prided yourself on being the dimensional restraint humanity could never transcend, the shackles that sealed everything… yet in the end, the result is that humanity's own power has sealed away your possibilities!"

The Supreme Fusion God could no longer defend itself against the Evil God's attacks, unable to believe the change unfolding before its eyes.

"Humans… humans actually surpassed me, surpassed the God of Dimensions. You cast aside the fusion of all twelve dimensions and left it behind?!"

Reaching forward with her hand, Hoshino made her final declaration:

"If we don't leave you behind, then how are we supposed to seize a hopeful future different from the despair of the twelve dimensions?!"

"Final attack! The Evil God – Avatar: Transcendence!"

"Have you prepared yourself, Supreme Fusion God?!"

"Now, I can finally truly slam your head across to the other side of that distant dimension!"

"— Fear! Erasure! Deification!"

"This is the strike of the Three Evil Gods united as one — 『Abyssal Torrent』!"

With the roar of The Evil God – Avatar: Transcendence, a pitch-black torrent pierced through the body of the Supreme Fusion God, bringing the battle between gods that had shaken the dimensions to its conclusion.

[Supreme Fusion God] destroyed.

[If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, its controller wins the Duel.]

Duel End. Winner: Hoshino Chiyuki!