Alexis quietly reached into her pocket, her fingers brushing against the cards inside as she recalled what Atticus had whispered into her ear before.
"At the Duel Academy Night Festival, if you give your most treasured card to someone else, you'll receive the blessing of love from the Duel Spirits."
"Could it be… that this perfect opportunity has been granted to me?"
Because the spot they were in was fairly secluded, no one around them noticed. Even if she gave away a card here, no one else would see it.
"The so-called 'blessing of love' doesn't really matter. I just want to thank Senpai for saving me twice… and for saving my brother too. Yes… that's all."
After making up her mind, Alexis pulled out the card she had carefully selected after a long deliberation.
"Senpai… could you please accept this card?"
Hoshino set down the yakisoba in her hands, wiped them clean, and accepted the card Alexis offered.
"What's this about? You're suddenly giving me a card?"
So Senpai doesn't know about the Night Festival legend…
"You've helped me so many times, Senpai, but I've never been able to repay you properly… so please accept this card as a token of my gratitude!"
Hoshino joked, "If you don't know how to repay me, you could just offer yourself to me, you know? There's no need to be so polite and give me a card."
"O-Offer myself?! Really?! Is that okay?! For real?!"
Startled by Alexis's sudden excitement, Hoshino hurriedly explained, "I—I was just joking! Calm down!"
Realizing her own slip, Alexis's face flushed bright red as she turned her head away.
"I'm sorry, Senpai… please forget that. It's your fault for saying something so misleading… (muttering softly)."
"But since you're giving me a card, Alexis, I'll happily accept it!"
She glanced at the card in her hand. The artwork depicted a woman wearing a smiling mask, dancing beneath a spotlight.
[Doble Passe – Trap Card Effect:
When an opponent's monster declares an attack on a face-up Attack Position monster you control: Make your opponent's attack a direct attack instead and inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of the attack target you control. Also, that monster you control can attack your opponent directly during your next turn.]
"That's a pretty good effect. In a critical moment, it could even let me break through and pull off a reversal kill."
"I'm glad you like it. I chose it carefully to fit your deck—it's one of my favorite cards."
Hoshino placed the card Alexis had given her into her Deck. Cards imbued with bonds like this often awakened miracles at unexpected moments.
At least, that was what Hoshino believed.
Just like the card she had once given to Jaden.
(***)
Duel Academy – Rear Mountain
[Shadow Rider Twin Spirit LP 7200]
[Field – Monsters: Skilled White Magician (LV4, ATK 1700)]
VS
[Jonouchi & Jaden LP 4800]
[Field – Monsters: Elemental HERO Bubbleman (LV4, ATK 800), Red-Eyes Baby Dragon (ATK 1200)]
"These two are really strong…" Jaden muttered as he looked at their steadily suppressed Life Points. "So this is what Sensei has been dealing with all this time… even though she always looks so relaxed."
Only after truly experiencing it did Jaden realize just how harsh the duels Hoshino usually faced were—especially Shadow Games, where pain and fear intensified alongside the loss of Life Points, placing overwhelming pressure on the Duelist.
Compared to Jaden, who was encountering a Shadow Game for the first time, Jonouchi—having once endured Marik's high-level Shadow Games—remained much calmer.
"Stay calm, Jaden. If you panic because of the Shadow Game, things will only get worse."
"Yes, Mr. Jonouchi! As Sensei's student, there's no way I can embarrass her here!"
Encouraged by the pro duelist, Jaden drew for his turn.
"Then I activate the Spell Card Polymerization from my hand!"
He slammed his signature card onto the Duel Disk. Triple beams of fusion light connected across the field, awakening the hidden power of the Elemental Heroes.
"I fuse Elemental HERO Bubbleman on my field with Elemental HERO Avian and Elemental HERO Sparkman from my hand—come on! Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman!"
"We won't let you complete that Fusion so easily~"
The spirit twin—perfectly mimicking Hoshino's appearance—smiled gently as she flipped the card beneath her feet.
"—Continuous Trap Card activated: Non-Fusion Area!"
[Non-Fusion Area – Effect: Neither player can Fusion Summon.]
The severed elemental light transformed into a barrier that enveloped the field, forcibly interrupting Jaden's Fusion.
Spirit Twin Older: "The Elemental Heroes you use rely heavily on Fusion."
Spirit Twin Younger: "But once Fusion is sealed, their power can't be brought out at all. And since Fusion was activated, Skilled White Magician gains another Spell Counter~"
[Skilled White Magician Effect: Each time either player activates a Spell Card, place 1 Spell Counter on this card.]
[Spell Counters: 2 → 3]
"Damn it! They sealed Fusion completely?!" Jaden clenched his fist in frustration.
"Then I switch Bubbleman to Defense Position, Normal Summon Avian in Defense Position, set one card, and end my turn!"
[Bubbleman DEF 1200]
[Avian DEF 1000]
"So you've chosen to turtle up? That alone won't let you defeat us, Jaden. Looks like you really need some after-school special tutoring."
"You jerk!" Jaden shouted angrily. "Don't use Sensei's face and voice to say things like that, you big-chested impostor!"
Spirit Twin Younger: "Oh dear, my innocent Jaden has been corrupted by Jonouchi. Looks like I'll have to punish Jonouchi this turn."
With that, the younger twin—still copying Hoshino's movements—drew her card.
"Since Skilled White Magician has accumulated three Spell Counters, I can activate its effect—"
[Remove this card with 3 Spell Counters to Special Summon 1 'Buster Blader' from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.]
She sent Skilled White Magician to the Graveyard and smiled.
"Jonouchi, you're very good with Red-Eyes Black Dragon. But with Fusion sealed, it's hard for that dragon's potential to shine. And on top of that…"
She searched her Deck and placed the summoned monster onto the Duel Disk.
[Buster Blader ★★★★★★★ (Level 7)]
[EARTH] [Warrior/Effect]
[ATK 2600 / DEF 2300]
"This monster gains 500 ATK for each Dragon-Type monster your opponent controls or has in their Graveyard. Let's see… you have Red-Eyes Baby Dragon on the field, plus two Red-Eyes Wyvern in the Graveyard. That makes three~"
[Buster Blader ATK 2600 → 4100]
"Over 4000 ATK?!" Jaden exclaimed. "They shut down my Fusion and hard-countered Mr. Jonouchi's Dragon deck too?!"
The younger spirit continued her play, flinging a Monster Card onto the Duel Disk.
"I still haven't used my Normal Summon this turn. I Normal Summon Buster Whelp of the Destruction Swordsman in Attack Position!"
[Buster Whelp of the Destruction Swordsman ★ (Level 1)][LIGHT][Dragon/Effect][ATK 400 / DEF 300]
A small, adorable dragon-like monster with two pairs of wings materialized on the Spirit Twins' field.
The younger spirit smiled.
"Next, with Buster Whelp of the Destruction Swordsman, I can Tribute this card to Special Summon another Buster Blader from my hand. But since there aren't any left in my Deck… I'll leave it to you, big sis~"
"Leave it to me!" the elder spirit replied, placing a card from her hand onto the Duel Disk.
The sisters' combo activated—another Buster Blader, wielding a gleaming and terrifying greatsword, stepped onto the battlefield.
"Special Summon—Buster Blader, the Destruction Swordmaster!"
[Buster Blader, the Destruction Swordmaster ★★★★★★★ (Level 7)][EARTH][Warrior/Effect][ATK 2600 / DEF 2300]
Although the two Buster Bladers looked nearly identical, the one bearing the title Destruction Swordmaster did not gain ATK from Dragons on the field or in the Graveyard.
The elder spirit explained calmly,
"Buster Blader, the Destruction Swordmaster doesn't increase its ATK due to Dragons—but instead, it possesses a terrifying effect capable of wiping out an entire Type. Battle!"
The Battle Phase began.
At her command, Buster Blader, the Destruction Swordmaster swung its massive blade straight down at Jonouchi's Attack Position Red-Eyes Baby Dragon.
[Red-Eyes Baby Dragon → Destroyed]
[Jonouchi & Jaden LP 4800 → 3400]
"All right!" Jonouchi shouted. "At the moment my monster is destroyed by battle, Red-Eyes Baby Dragon's effect activates! When this card is destroyed, I can Special Summon a Level 7 or lower 'Red-Eyes' monster from my Deck!"
Jonouchi had deliberately placed Red-Eyes Baby Dragon in Attack Position to draw fire. Losing Life Points was a risk—but trading blood for cards was never something a Duelist feared, even in a Shadow Game.
The younger spirit laughed smugly.
"At the same time, Buster Blader, the Destruction Swordmaster's effect activates as well—"
[If an opponent's monster is destroyed by battle or card effect and sent to the Graveyard: target that monster; equip it to this card as an Equip Card.]
The massive blade absorbed the severed soul of the fallen Red-Eyes Baby Dragon, wrapping itself in draconic energy that sent chills down the spine.
"And as long as I release this equipped card," she continued sweetly,
"all monsters of the same Type as the equipped monster will be destroyed. So you'd better think carefully about what you summon next, Jonouchi-kun~"
Jaden quickly analyzed the situation.
"Red-Eyes Baby Dragon is a Dragon-Type… which means even if Mr. Jonouchi summons another Dragon-Type Red-Eyes monster, it'll be destroyed immediately!"
"Relax," Jonouchi said confidently. "I never planned on summoning a Dragon-Type in the first place!"
He slammed the card he searched with Red-Eyes Baby Dragon's effect onto the Duel Disk. Thunder roared across his field as lightning crackled through the air.
"Time for a change! I Special Summon in Defense Position—Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning!"
[Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning ★★★★★★ (Level 6)][DARK][Fiend/Gemini/Effect][ATK 2500 / DEF 1200]
(***)
Far away within the academy grounds, Hoshino—keenly sensing the activation of Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning's power—turned her gaze toward the rear mountain.
"Jonouchi… is he dueling right now?" she muttered.
"At this hour, dueling on the academy's back mountain… no matter how you think about it, that's not normal at all."