Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

"Split the Ocean? Hoshino, are you joking?"

In a short amount of time, Yugi considered countless possibilities, but splitting the ocean was absolutely impossible—he wouldn't even entertain the thought.

Hoshino shrugged. "Of course, I'm not going to split it myself. That's way beyond my abilities. Have you heard the story of Moses parting the sea?"

"Uh… If it were the other me, maybe he'd know about it," Yugi replied, feeling a little embarrassed by Hoshino's sudden question. He probably spent all his time thinking about card games, so his knowledge of study and entertainment was rather lacking.

Yugi's rare moment of awkwardness was unexpectedly cute, and Hoshino couldn't help but smile. "No need to get so nervous. It's not like this is a test question; you won't lose points even if you don't know the answer."

"So, what does the story of Moses have to do with this situation?"

Hoshino cleared her throat and began explaining, "The legend says that Moses used a staff to borrow divine power, causing the waters of the Red Sea to recede, splitting the sea and revealing dry land. It looked as though the sea had been parted."

Hearing this story for the first time, Yugi seemed genuinely intrigued. "So borrowing divine power can part the sea? That's incredible."

"That's just one version of the legend. The truth might be even more impressive. There's a rumor that Moses split the sea with a single punch."

"A single punch… to part the sea?" Yugi, hearing this, seemed to have guessed what Hoshino was planning to do.

Ding!

The elevator arrived, and outside was the familiar Sky Duel Arena. Opening the fortress's exit would likely cause seawater to pour in instantly.

If the sea was to be split, the Sky Duel Arena—the highest point of the airship—would be the perfect stage.

"It's decided—I choose you, Boss!" Arriving at the arena, Hoshino raised the Millennium Bracelet high and called out.

"Seriously, don't summon me like I'm a Pokémon! A regular summoning will do just fine."

Manifesting in physical form, Martha's expression was more serious than ever. "Also, stop calling me Boss. What we're about to do requires unwavering faith, or it won't work."

Hoshino nodded firmly. "Even though you fight people, curse, and got the nickname Boss, I believe you're a great saint!"

Yugi's voice was filled with excitement. "A Duel monster spirit, huh? If that's the case, this might actually work!"

"Being around you, Master, makes it hard to feel nervous. But let me say upfront: even in my prime condition, I've never succeeded in something like this—splitting the sea with a punch."

As Martha cracked her knuckles, she continued, "Also, even if the bracelet's energy is abundant, there's no guarantee it'll be enough. Who knows how much mana splitting the sea will actually take?"

"If anyone can do it, Boss can! You don't have to split the sea entirely—just separate the water between here and the ocean surface long enough for the airship to escape. As for energy…"

Hoshino turned to Yugi. "I brought a giant power bank!"

Yugi tilted his head, puzzled. "A power bank? What's that?"

Hoshino extended her fair wrist. "Yugi, just grab my bracelet and pour in as much dark energy as you can."

"Got it!" Yugi nodded and gently held Hoshino's bracelet, being careful not to touch her directly.

The golden glow of the Millennium Puzzle resonated with the light of the Millennium Bracelet. A vast surge of dark energy poured into the bracelet like a spring, transferring to Martha.

"What an immense amount of dark power! The Millennium Puzzle really is extraordinary," Hoshino exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

"With this, it's definitely possible! Go for it, Boss! Strike before the energy is wasted!"

After all, maintaining the spirit's physical form also consumed energy. The sooner Martha acted, the better their chances.

"ORAA!" Stomping her foot, Martha's determined gaze sharpened as she channeled all her power into her right fist.

"Ready when you are, Master!"

"Alright, this is the critical moment!"

Hoshino shouted toward the airship cabin, "Kaiba, start the engines!"

Whooosh—!!!

In response, the airship's massive turbine roared to life. Through the control room monitors, everyone in the cabin understood Hoshino's plan.

"Can this really work?" Shaking her hands nervously, Anzu was full of doubt.

In contrast, Jonouchi and Honda were brimming with excitement. "Of course it'll work! With Boss Martha, I'd believe it even if they split the earth!"

"Noah, open the fortress exit!"

Once the exit above opened, seawater would surge in like a ravenous blue wildfire. If they failed, they'd all be fish food.

"What a reckless plan, Chiyuki," Noah remarked with exasperation… and barely concealed excitement. "But it's your only chance. Though our time together has been short, I wish you all the best of luck!"

"—Underwater Fortress Exit: OPEN!"

As expected, the moment the steel walls parted, a deluge of seawater crashed down like an unstoppable blue inferno.

"This is the moment of truth! Do it, Martha!" Hoshino roared with all her might.

"OOORRRRRAAAA!!! JACOB Ultimate Technique—" Channeling all the stored energy in the bracelet and the maximum output of the Millennium Puzzle, Martha unleashed a glowing punch.

"Iron Fist!!!"

With a single punch, she carved a path between life and death! The holy energy collided with the onrushing seawater, splitting the torrent in two with the ultimate Jacob technique.

"She did it! She actually split the water!" Jonouchi and Honda cheered wildly.

Kaiba commanded with a sweeping gesture, "Engines at full power! This is our only chance—charge through!"

The engines ignited at full blast, propelling the airship with explosive force. On the airship's top deck, Yugi tightly gripped Hoshino's wrist, ensuring she wouldn't be flung off by the inertia.

"Success! I knew we could do it!" exclaimed Hoshino, overwhelmed with excitement as the airship sailed through the parted walls of seawater.

The open blue pathway was a glimmer of hope created by everyone pouring all their strength into a moment of despair.

"Did we really succeed?" Yugi, gazing at the mesmerizing blue corridor, still found it hard to believe.

"Not good, Master! My strength isn't enough!" Martha, having unleashed her full power, realized that while her punch had split the seawater, it hadn't reached the very top of the surface.

Only a few meters from the surface, but unless the seawater was completely parted, crashing into it at this speed would be no different from slamming into an iron wall.

"It's all over!" Kaiba, sweat dripping from his forehead, clenched his teeth as he stared at those final few meters of seawater—a seemingly insurmountable barrier of divine wrath separating life from death.

Buzz...

A faint vibration from her pocket made Hoshino instinctively reach in.

"This is...!" Staring at the object in her hand, Hoshino's eyes reignited with hope.

"The Millennium Necklace!"

Yugi was shocked. "Why do you have the Millennium Necklace, Hoshino?"

"This isn't the time to dwell on that!" Mimicking Ishizu's movements, Hoshino quickly placed the Millennium Necklace around her neck.

"Destiny works in mysterious ways. If this is what Ishizu foresaw, then to prevent that future, this is the Millennium Necklace's way of fighting back!"

Defeating Ishizu, obtaining the Millennium Necklace, and then breaking through this desperate situation—it was as if, in countless futures of destruction, the Necklace had chosen Hoshino as the beacon of hope.

"Take it, Martha! This is all the energy I have left!" The golden eye on the Necklace gleamed, dyeing Hoshino's white hair with a radiant starlight glow.

"It may not be much, but it's enough, Master!" Martha, once again assuming her stance, unleashed her iron will upon the final seawater barrier ahead.

"If there's nowhere left to retreat, then... Iron Fist Judgment!"

Her fist collided, unleashing an explosive wave that shattered the seawater's surface. For a few fleeting seconds, the completely parted seawater allowed the airship, at full speed, to burst through.

Like a dragon emerging from the sea, soaring amidst the clouds, or an eagle breaking free of the waves—the miraculous sight etched itself into the hearts of everyone, transforming into their triumphant cry.

"Boss is amazing!!"

....

"We did it! We made it out!" Mokuba cheered joyfully, his face lighting up at the sight of the long-lost sky.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Hmph, she actually pulled it off... That gamble was one in a million."

"That was so awesome! I'm moved to tears! Waaaaah!" Jonouchi and Honda clung to each other, sobbing uncontrollably—a spectacle all the more embarrassing for two grown men.

"Boss was incredible, especially in that final moment when she punched through the surface! I, Jonouchi, vow to follow her for life!"

Anzu, casting a sideways glance at the two fools, sighed in exasperation. "What are you even talking about? She's just Hoshino's card spirit."

....

Aboard the Sky Duel Arena

"For a moment there, I really thought we were done for," Hoshino admitted, relief evident on her radiant face.

Yugi released her wrist and nodded in admiration. "You did great, Hoshino."

"What are you saying? This was a path we carved together."

Without the immense dark power of the Millennium Puzzle, they likely wouldn't have managed to part even half the seawater. It was no wonder Da Vinci claimed the Puzzle to be the most potent source of mysticism in the world.

As Yugi gazed at Hoshino, now wearing the Millennium Necklace, her snow-white hair shimmering under the spray of seawater and her smile as bright as the sunlight, he found himself momentarily captivated.

Struggling to avert his gaze, he turned toward the distant Duel Tower that loomed high into the clouds. "Finally, it's time for the finals. I'm looking forward to our duel, Hoshino. This time, I won't lose!"

Leaning against the railing, Hoshino focused her gaze on the towering ruins ahead. The faintly glowing Millennium Necklace seemed to point toward the land of destiny.

"I won't lose either. Not to you, and certainly not to Marik. I have my own reasons for winning."

.

..

....

After a brief flight, the airship landed safely on the ruined, weapon-littered island without further incident.

Stepping off the airship, Kaiba glared at the opulent tower rising incongruously from the decrepit ruins. "Gozaburo, I've completely surpassed your shadow. All that remains is to conquer this Duel Tower, built atop your rotten soul, and claim the title of the true Duel King."

Hoshino hopped off the airship and surveyed her surroundings. "I had a feeling from afar, but up close..."

"This really is just a pile of garbage, Hoshino-nee," Akasha remarked bluntly. Though Hoshino might let the comment slide, wasn't the little girl afraid of getting punched by Kaiba for being so direct?

"Well, well. I didn't expect you all to make it out alive," a loathsome voice echoed from the ruins.

"?!" Everyone froze, then flared with anger.

"Marik, so it really was you!" Hot-headed Jonouchi shouted, ready to charge at the figure emerging from the shadows.

Marik, however, feigned innocence. "What do you mean, 'it was me'? Don't accuse me without proof. I merely discovered that the underwater fortress was damaged and escaped first."

"You're the one who destroyed the fortress!"

Jonouchi, on the verge of rushing forward, was forcibly restrained by Honda. "Calm down. We don't have any evidence."

Though it was blatantly obvious Marik had sabotaged the fortress, no one had witnessed the act since they were all trapped in the virtual world at the time.

"Well, since we're all alive, the semi-finals of Battle City should proceed as planned, right?"

With a sinister smile, Marik turned his attention to Hoshino. "To be honest, I was quite worried that the God Cards might sink to the bottom of the sea. That would've been far more troublesome to retrieve than taking them from you."

Hoshino removed the Millennium Necklace and pocketed it, her tone unyielding. "Do you know what kind of future I saw through the Necklace?"

Marik froze slightly. "My sister's Millennium Necklace… and it's in your hands!?"

"I saw a future where you were filled with concrete and sunk to the bottom of the sea."

Akasha interjected with a smirk, "Hoshino-nee, are you a yakuza heiress or something?"

Kiddo, have you ever heard of the Chaldea Gang? Way scarier than any yakuza.

"The semi-finals will proceed as scheduled!" Kaiba declared coldly. "The four remaining contestants, enter the Duel Tower now!"

"Straight to the match without any further explanation—so like Kaiba," the group remarked as they followed his lead.

While the exterior of the Duel Tower resembled a junkyard, its interior was the complete opposite.

Filled with advanced machinery and cutting-edge aesthetics, the tower seemed like Kaiba's way of flaunting KaibaCorp's prosperity over the grave of Gozaburo.

On a vast, open platform, Kaiba unfolded his Duel Disk. "This tower has three dueling platforms, one on each level. We are now on the first and lowest level. Let's start the duel."

"Wait!" Hoshino, startled by Kaiba's sudden activation of his Duel Disk, protested. "What do you mean, 'let's start the duel'? Even if you're impatient, you can't just skip setting up the duel order!"

Kaiba gave a mysterious smile. "That's what we're determining now. This will be a four-way free-for-all. The first two duelists whose Life Points hit zero will face each other in the first semi-final match. The other two will compete in the second semi-final."

"I see!" Yugi smiled in understanding, activating his Duel Disk. "Using a free-for-all to decide the matchups while also warming up. Classic Kaiba!"

Marik activated his Duel Disk with a sneer. "What a pointless charade, but I'll play along. It doesn't matter who my opponent is—they'll lose anyway."

Hoshino activated her Duel Disk as well, calculating silently. "For those with strong control over the battlefield, this is a chance to choose their semi-final opponent. Kaiba must have some plan in mind."

Anzu, watching from the sidelines, grew nervous. "So, it's a duel where it doesn't really matter if you lose, right?"

Mai, observing the four duelists, replied seriously, "Not necessarily. Look at their eyes. They've probably already decided who they want to face in the semi-finals."

Kaiba: Even with the power of the Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, it's too reckless to directly challenge Hoshino and her evil god. The best strategy is to defeat Marik in the semi-finals and claim The Winged Dragon of Ra, the strongest of the Egyptian Gods. That's the only way to counter her ultimate evil god.

Yugi: Same.

Hoshino: If I can take down Marik first, that would be ideal!

The three locked fiery gazes onto Marik, who now stood awkwardly by himself.

Marik: Tch, why do I feel like I'm about to get ganged up on...?

(*****)

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