Chapter 788

In outer space, Alexis stayed beside Hoshino, feeling quite happy.

Perhaps because the duel against Supreme King had consumed too much of her energy, Hoshino had remained in a state of having her eyes closed, seemingly asleep but not quite asleep, ever since earlier.

Not daring to make a sound and disturb her, Alexis simply stayed silent, quietly watching Hoshino float cross-legged.

Yet this state of not having to do anything and simply staying beside Hoshino was surprisingly enjoyable for Alexis.

Being alone together with Hoshino amid this seemingly rather atmospheric starry universe, Alexis even wished that this period of time could be extended a little longer.

"Such simple happiness~"

Just as Alexis was quietly sighing to herself, Hoshino, who had been keeping her eyes closed all this time, suddenly opened them.

Alexis had not expected Hoshino to wake up so abruptly. She had been enjoying the chance to openly observe Hoshino's face, so the sudden moment when their eyes met caught her completely off guard.

"Se-Senpai? You're awake?"

Alexis twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, awkwardly changing the subject.

"They really started fighting!"

"They started fighting? What are you talking about, Senpai?"

Although they had been separated into two different parts of the space, Hoshino could sense the energy of a Servant summoning and was able to determine that Akasha was currently engaged in a duel.

"Just as I expected. Akasha and Minazuki should be dueling Supreme King right now."

Alexis panicked.

"Akasha and the others are dueling Supreme King? Isn't that dangerous?!"

Alexis had personally witnessed Supreme King's strength during his duel with Hoshino.

A power capable of standing against a god without losing was on an entirely different level from the students of Duel Academy.

"Yeah, it really is dangerous…"

Hoshino nodded.

"When a Duelist loses their goal and can no longer see the path they are supposed to take, there really isn't a more dangerous state than that."

"My turn! I draw!"

Even though he had already become one with Yubel's soul and gained the power of the Darkness of the Universe, powerful enough to rival a god, Supreme King still felt that this duel against Akasha and Minazuki was incredibly exhausting.

Ultimately, it was because the combination of Akasha and Minazuki's styles was simply too unfair.

Akasha's heavy Trap setup combined with the various kinds of Kuriboh cards in Minazuki's hand produced an absurdly troublesome synergy. Even after several turns of attacking with everything he had, Supreme King had not caused their Life Points to change in the slightest.

[Akasha & Minazuki LP 8000]

[Supreme King Jaden LP 8000]

"They talked so righteously when the duel started, but in the end you just keep cowering and taking hits! And you still intend to defeat me like this?!"

Supreme King Jaden gritted his teeth.

Minazuki shrugged.

"He really is getting impatient~"

Akasha agreed.

"That's exactly what we want. Only when Supreme King loses his composure will we have a chance to win."

"Lose my composure? Then you may be disappointed. My mind is clearer than it has ever been!"

After drawing his card and beginning his turn, Supreme King Jaden looked over Akasha and Minazuki's field.

There was a single Set monster and a whole collection of unknown Set cards in the back row. There wasn't even a single face-up card on the field, making it the ultimate defensive, shut-in style of play.

And judging by Minazuki's style, that monster in face-down Defense Position was most likely the kind with a Level of 1, 0 ATK, but an extremely high DEF.

In contrast, on his own field was a face-up Attack Position Evil HERO Sinister Necrom, along with Supreme King's Castle, which had been activated as a Field Spell.

"During my Standby Phase, I activate the effect of Evil HERO Infernal Gainer in my banished zone. During my second Standby Phase after this card was banished, this card returns to the field!"

[Evil HERO Infernal Gainer ATK 1600]

Infernal Gainer, which could banish itself and allow a Fiend monster to attack twice in the same Battle Phase, once again materialized onto Supreme King Jaden's field.

"Then comes my Normal Summon for this turn! I release Evil HERO Sinister Necrom on my field as a Tribute and Tribute Summon from my hand! — Granmarg the Rock Monarch!"

[Granmarg the Rock Monarch ★★★★★★ (Level 6)][EARTH][Rock/Effect][ATK 2400/DEF 1000]

A black light accompanied the Tribute Summon, and the massive Rock monster Granmarg the Rock Monarch descended onto the field before smashing its fists into the ground with all its might.

"When Granmarg the Rock Monarch is Tribute Summoned, I can select and destroy 1 Set card on the field."

Pointing toward one of the Set cards in Akasha's back row, Supreme King Jaden had deliberately Tribute Summoned this monster, which should originally have been used as Fusion Material, in order to weaken the influence of her heavy Trap setup as much as possible.

[Magic Cylinder] destroyed.

"Tch!"

Akasha glanced at her back row. Seeing Sakuretsu Armor beside the destroyed Magic Cylinder, she clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Failed to draw the fire."

"Then, the effect of Evil HERO Sinister Necrom, which was sent to the Graveyard as a Tribute—"

[You can banish this card from your Graveyard to activate. Special Summon 1 "Evil HERO" monster from your hand or Deck, except "Evil HERO Sinister Necrom".]

"Come forth! I Special Summon from my Deck — Evil HERO Malicious Edge!"

[Evil HERO Malicious Edge ★★★★★★★ (Level 7)][EARTH][Fiend/Effect][ATK 2600/DEF 1800]

Searching the card from his Duel Disk Deck, Supreme King Jaden placed Evil HERO Malicious Edge, the non-Fusion Evil HERO with the highest individual combat power, onto the field.

Minazuki glanced at his monster in Defense Position and secretly calculated.

"Evil HERO Malicious Edge… a troublesome monster with piercing damage… fortunately, we can stop it with Akasha's Sakuretsu Armor."

"I know exactly what you two are thinking, but it's all meaningless! — Spell Card, Dark Fusion!"

Supreme King Jaden threw the Fusion Spell exclusive to the Evil HERO archetype onto his Duel Disk.

Before him, beams of Dark Fusion energy gathered together, creating a brand-new HERO.

"I use Granmarg the Rock Monarch and Evil HERO Malicious Edge on my field as Fusion Materials for a Dark Fusion! — Appear, the dark hero who overturns all! Evil HERO Dark Gaia!"

[Evil HERO Dark Gaia ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][EARTH][Fiend/Fusion/Effect][ATK ?/DEF 0]

[1 Fiend monster + 1 Rock monster]

"Its ATK is '?'!"

Akasha exclaimed in surprise.

Slamming the card down into the Monster Zone of his Duel Disk, Supreme King Jaden explained:

"Evil HERO Dark Gaia's effect. This card's original ATK becomes the combined ATK of the monsters used as its Fusion Materials!"

Granmarg the Rock Monarch, with 2400 ATK, and Evil HERO Malicious Edge, with 2600 ATK, fused together into Evil HERO Dark Gaia, immediately surpassing the ATK that any Evil HERO had possessed before.

[Evil HERO Dark Gaia ATK: 5000]

Looking at the Rock-Type Evil HERO emerging from the shattered earth before him, Minazuki said:

"It casually reached 5000 ATK, and that's without even counting the boost from the Field Spell Supreme King's Castle. What's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon supposed to be now, a wannabe?"

"Then I activate Evil HERO Infernal Gainer's effect again! By banishing this card, Evil HERO Dark Gaia can attack twice this turn!"

Minazuki continued:

"5000 ATK with consecutive attacks, huh? So what's the real Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon supposed to be now?"

Ultimate Dragon was already tired. There was no need for you guys to keep hurting her feelings like this.

"But fortunately, there's still a monster in Defense Position on the field. Taking one hit head-on shouldn't matter."

"It's useless. I told you — everything you do right now is completely meaningless!"

Supreme King Jaden immediately entered the Battle Phase. The cracking, spreading earth extended directly beneath the face-down Defense Position monster on Minazuki's field.

"Activate Evil HERO Dark Gaia's effect—"

[When this card declares an attack: You can change all Defense Position monsters your opponent controls to face-up Attack Position. (Flip Effects are not activated at this time.)]

"Reveal the monster you've been hiding, Minazuki!"

[Bunilla DEF 2050 → ATK: 150]

Forced into Attack Position by Dark Gaia's effect, Bunilla, which had once boasted an impressive 2050 DEF despite being only Level 1, immediately exposed its weakness in terms of ATK and began trembling in fear.

Akasha commented:

"A Bunilla in Attack Position? How is that any different from just taking a direct attack…?"

"But it's okay! I can win through sheer numbers! When Bunilla is changed to face-up Attack Position, I immediately activate the Trap Card Same — The League of Uniform Nomenclature!"

[Target 1 face-up Level 2 or lower Normal Monster you control; Special Summon as many monsters with the same name as that target from your Deck as possible.]

"Gather, Bunilla Legion! According to the Trap Card's effect, I Special Summon the other two Bunilla from my Deck in Defense Position!"

[Bunilla DEF 2050] × 2

Minazuki placed two cards horizontally on his Duel Disk, and two more trembling Little White Rabbits appeared on his field.

"You didn't expect this, did you, Jaden? This is my escape route!"

"What a hopeless idiot…"

Akasha held her forehead in despair.

Supreme King Jaden said:

"Because of Evil HERO Dark Gaia's effect, those other two Little White Rabbits must also be changed to Attack Position."

[Bunilla ATK: 150] × 3

"Щ(ﾟДﾟщ) Whaaaat?!"

Minazuki's expression changed dramatically.

These three trembling, unbearably cute Bunilla were completely useless as walls.