Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

"I take my dueling very seriously, you know~," Marik casually countered Hoshino's words, lowering his Duel Disk and turning to Jonouchi. "See? I'm already close to winning!"

[Marik's Status: 3 cards in hand | 1 set card | LP: 1300]

"Turn end! Activating Lava Golem's effect—deal 1000 damage to the opponent!"

Trapped within Lava Golem's iron cage, Jonouchi's already weakened body was once again scalded by the golem's molten lava. The sound of sizzling heat rose from Jonouchi's shoulder, a harsh reminder of his dire situation.

[Jonouchi's LP: 2800 → 1800]

"In just two more turns, Jonouchi will lose to Lava Golem's effect!" Marik gloated, his twisted grin widening as he reveled in his strategy.

"If he even lasts that long," Marik sneered, observing Jonouchi, who had gone completely silent, unable to even cry out in pain.

"You're so despicable, Marik," Yami Yugi rebuked sternly.

Kaiba shook his head in disappointment. "As expected, a loser like him can't even push Marik to bring out The Winged Dragon of Ra. A completely worthless defeat."

"Onii-chan, don't lose!" Shizuka cried, her hands clasped together as she shut her eyes and prayed. Seeing Shizuka endure such a distressing duel for the first time made Hoshino's heart ache.

Taking a deep breath, Hoshino shouted at the field, "Don't give up, Jonouchi! Show Shizuka the unyielding spirit of a true duelist!"

"Hoshino..."

"Don't worry, Shizuka. Your big brother might seem unreliable at times, but when it really matters, he always comes through!"

Shizuka nodded firmly. "I know. Onii-chan has always been reliable—from the very beginning until now, he's always dependable!"

"What are you talking about, Hoshino... I am a true duelist!" From within the iron cage, Jonouchi slowly lifted his head, determination sparking in his eyes.

Honda clenched his fists excitedly. "That's the spirit, Jonouchi! I knew you wouldn't give up so easily! Don't let Shizuka down!"

Marik sneered. "Even if he gets back up, what's the point? With zero cards in his hand, he's guaranteed to lose next turn!"

Yami Yugi, seeing Jonouchi's unwavering determination, eased his furrowed brows. "Jonouchi, show them the bond between a duelist and their deck!"

"I still have promises to fulfill!" Jonouchi declared, his voice growing stronger. "I vowed to face Yugi and Hoshino again in the finals of Battle City. I won't let someone like you stop me!"

Mai frowned, arms crossed. "But with all three of Jonouchi's monsters restrained, can he really turn the tide with just one card?"

"This is the ultimate draw of my soul!" Bathed in a golden light, Jonouchi drew the decisive card from his Duel Disk.

Hoshino rubbed her eyes in disbelief. "No way—is this a Destiny Draw? How can Jonouchi, without a Millennium Item, pull that off? I must be seeing things."

"Watch closely, Marik! Here's my counterattack!" Jonouchi slammed the card onto his Duel Disk with all his might. The massive Lava Golem prison began to crumble as he declared, "I tribute my Rocket Warrior, Flame Swordsman, and Lava Golem—a total of three monsters—for a Tribute Summon!"

Kaiba's eyes widened slightly. "He sacrificed all three monsters restrained by Viser Des. How audacious."

"Come forth, my deck's strongest warrior—[Gilford the Lightning]!

Hoshino threw up a fist in celebration. "So he drew Gilford the Lightning! That kind of luck is so like you, Jonouchi!"

Freed from Lava Golem's cage, Jonouchi now had only one monster on his field—the radiant warrior clad in lightning, holding a thunderous blade aloft.

[Gilford the Lightning ★★★★★★★★ (Level 8)][LIGHT][Warrior/Effect][ATK 2800/DEF 1400]

"When Gilford the Lightning is Tribute Summoned using three monsters, it activates its special effect: destroy all monsters on the opponent's field!"

Raising his arm to the sky, Jonouchi roared, "Marik, this is the final blow to defeat you—Gilford the Lightning's effect: Thunderbolt Destruction!"

In a flash, thunder rained down upon Marik's field, instantly annihilating the three Viser Des restrained in Defense Position.

"This is the end! Direct attack, Gilford! Sky Thunder Electric Slash!"

"That's so cool, Jonouchi! Sky Thunder Electric Slash!" Honda and Anzu cheered enthusiastically for Jonouchi's dramatic attack name.

Wait—so even such cheesy move names are acceptable by your standards?

Marik clicked his tongue in frustration as the thunderous blade approached him. "To think a third-rate duelist like you could push me to this extent! Trap Card, activate—[Unified Front]!

[Unified Front - Trap Card Effect]

[Discard 1 monster, then target 1 face-up monster on the field; its ATK and DEF become the discarded monster's ATK and DEF until the end of this turn. Monsters you control cannot attack directly during the turn you activate this card.]

"The monster I discard is The Winged Dragon of Ra!"

Kaiba stiffened. "He was actually forced to discard his God Card? Jonouchi, this nobody, managed to accomplish that much?"

"The Winged Dragon of Ra's original ATK is 0, so Gilford the Lightning's ATK is also reduced to 0!"

[Gilford the Lightning ATK: 2800 → 0]

The decisive attack passed harmlessly through Marik, causing no damage.

"Tsk! So close!" Jonouchi stomped his foot in frustration.

"You've done well, Jonouchi!" Yami Yugi praised. "Not only did you destroy all his monsters, but you also forced Marik to discard The Winged Dragon of Ra!

"Heh heh, is that so?" Rubbing his nose proudly, Jonouchi grinned. "Then I'll end my turn here. You're dead next round!"

"Draw!" Marik drew his next card, his sinister smirk returning. "Did you really think I discarded The Winged Dragon of Ra out of desperation? Sending a God Card to the graveyard is merely to summon it more efficiently!"

"The fact that I even have to use a God Card against you is an utter disgrace! As compensation, be incinerated by the flames of the divine!" Marik declared with murderous intent.

Kaiba smirked slightly. "He's finally summoning Ra. The more of Ra's hidden abilities that are revealed, the worse it will be for him in future battles. For a fool to achieve this much, it's already quite commendable."

"I activate [Monster Reborn] to revive [The Winged Dragon of Ra] from the Graveyard to the field!"

Scorching flames engulfed the entire arena. From the grave, Ra rose, reborn in fire, roaring mightily. The entire Shadow Game's space was illuminated by crimson flames.

[The Winged Dragon of Ra ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)][DIVINE][Divine-Beast/Effect][ATK 0/DEF 0]

"This is the real Ra? The pressure is completely different from that fake one," Hoshino murmured, staring at the genuine Winged Dragon of Ra soaring in the sky.

Yugi sensed something amiss. "Even though Ra has been summoned, a Ra revived with Monster Reborn has no inherited attack points from tributes—it has no combat strength."

"No combat strength? Don't make me laugh. Let me show you Ra's ultimate form!" Marik declared, activating the God's effect and pointing at the roaring Ra in the sky.

"I pay 1000 Life Points to transform Ra into Immortal Phoenix!"

[Marik LP 1300 → 300]

The flames surrounding Ra's golden body gathered together. Draped in a fiery mantle, Ra transformed into an immortal phoenix engulfed in raging flames.

"So this is Ra's ultimate form?" Jonouchi stared in astonishment at the transformed Ra—Immortal Phoenix.

"Once Ra enters Immortal Phoenix, all monsters on your field are destroyed!"

Jonouchi scowled and retorted, "Huh? Just destroying my Gilford? Even so, your attack power is still zero! As long as I draw a monster on my next turn, your 300 Life Points won't stand a chance!"

"Heh heh, don't forget, this is a Shadow Game!" Marik tilted his head downward, hiding his expression. Only his eerie laughter could be heard. "Can you really withstand this? A strike from the divine?"

Ra's fiery explosion engulfed Jonouchi's Gilford and consumed him as well.

"Offer your life to the god!"

"Ahhhhhh!" A scream of agony, unlike anything heard before, erupted from Jonouchi as he was consumed by the divine flames.

"Onii-chan!"

"Jonouchi!"

Unable to bear it any longer, Hoshino turned to Kaiba. "Kaiba, this isn't a normal duel! Stop this, now!"

Kaiba, arms crossed, sternly replied, "A true duelist, once they step onto this battlefield, would consider calling a halt to be the ultimate insult."

"What's wrong with the people in this world?!" For the first time, Hoshino began to despise the absurd rules of this world. She could feel it clearly: the intense divine energy was far beyond what any human could endure.

This was different from the duel with Odion—this was the full force of the real Winged Dragon of Ra. If Marik continued to attack, Jonouchi could very well die.

"Girl, calm down..." sensing Hoshino's emotional turmoil, the evil god whispered, "Your friend hasn't given up yet. Now's not the time to lose your composure."

"Ahhhhhh!" Struggling with all his might within the flames, Jonouchi clenched his fists so tightly that blood seeped between his fingers, only to be instantly dried by the fire.

"Burn! Burn to ashes!" Marik's manic laughter echoed, his expression twisting further.

Finally, unable to withstand the searing heat, Gilford shattered and was destroyed.

[Gilford the Lightning – Destroyed]

As Gilford was destroyed, the flames surrounding Jonouchi's body slowly dissipated.

"It's over. An Immortal Phoenix's attack is not something a mere mortal can endure!" Marik smirked confidently, removing his Duel Disk as if victory were assured.

[Warning! Forcefully removing your Duel Disk during a duel will result in an automatic loss!]

"What?!" Marik froze for a moment and then looked across the field. "Could it be...?"

As the divine attack ended, the entire arena was shrouded in white smoke from the intense heat, including Jonouchi's charred body. Yet, despite everything—even with his body steaming from the heat and his spirit nearly shattered—Jonouchi remained standing.

"Surviving a God's attack?" Kaiba's eyes were filled with disbelief.

"Jonouchi, well done!" Honda and Anzu, nearly in tears, cheered loudly.

"What kind of willpower is this?" Hoshino trembled, seeing him still standing after such a devastating assault.

"Impossible! This can't be happening!" Marik, sweating profusely, showed signs of panic for the first time.

"Why?! Could his willpower really surpass the power of a God?"

"Hah... hah... hah..." Jonouchi, his body still smoking, mustered the last of his strength to let out a laugh. "I...Draw!"

"... And summon... [Gearfried the Iron Knight]..."

"Go for it, Jonouchi!"

"Show him the spirit of a true duelist!"

"Deliver the final blow to Marik!"

"Do your best, Onii-chan!"

Amid the crowd's fervent cheers, Kaiba finally realized, "This fool is actually about to defeat Marik... and defeat a God?"

"Gearfried... Final attack..." As Jonouchi gave the final attack command, he exhaled deeply.

".. I did it... I finally won... I can finally duel you two properly..."

As Gearfried's attack neared, Marik's expression twisted further. "Me? Lose to a nobody? Impossible! This can't be happening!"

"No, girl, it's no use! He's at his limit!" the evil god urgently reminded. "Your friend's willpower can't hold on any longer. If this continues, he'll die!"

At that moment, Jonouchi collapsed, and the card of Gearfried the Iron Knight slipped off his Duel Disk.

"Damn it! We were so close!" Hoshino clenched her fists in frustration. She had wanted to intervene and stop this duel long ago. But Jonouchi had shown her the true resolve of a duelist. Even as a so-called ordinary person, he had stood against the might of a god.

Swiftly brandishing the Millennium Bracelet, Hoshino traced a golden arc through the air. "Medea Lily, hurry!"

"Yes, Master!" The materialized Medea immediately sensed the dire state of Jonouchi's life force. Without waiting for further instructions, the petite blue figure cast her Noble Phantasm.

"Pain Breaker!"

A soothing light of restoration gently enveloped Jonouchi's fallen form. Pulled back from the very edge of death, he was saved by this tender radiance.

"Onii-chan!" Shizuka, crying, rushed to her brother, joined by the others who surrounded the unconscious Jonouchi.

"Urgh—!" On the other side of the field, Marik retched uncontrollably. The thought that he had almost lost to Jonouchi—an unbearable humiliation—was more than he could handle.

"Damn it! Just a nobody! Don't get too cocky!"

"Marik!" Hoshino, who had stayed back instead of rushing to Jonouchi, knew that after Medea's Noble Phantasm, his life was no longer in danger.

Smack!

A crisp, heavy slap landed on Marik's twisted face. Hoshino, standing in front of him, couldn't think of another way to vent the anger boiling inside her. This slap was the only way she could express it.

"I swear, I will never, ever forgive you!"

(*****)

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