[Avenger of the Kid's Kingdom ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)] [DARK / Zombie / Fusion / Effect] [ATK 2500 / DEF 1000]
"Ultimate Fusion — Avenger of the Kid's Kingdom!"
Using Lobo as a mount, Nursery Rhyme, Jack, and Jeanne were placed one after another on its back, completing the Fusion in an extremely physical manner. It was practically on par with the casual way Dark Magician and Mana "fuse" by simply stepping from two Monster Zones into one.
"Don't shake so much, Lobo, I'm going to fall off!"
Jeanne Lily clung desperately to Lobo's hindquarters, her strained expression making it look as if this fragile Fusion formation could collapse at any moment.
Alexis and Jaden's mouths twitched. There were so many things wrong with this scene that they didn't even know where to start complaining. In the end, they simply pretended they hadn't seen anything.
"Behold, Alexis! This is the raging flame of vengeance burning within my heart!"
Alexis replied honestly, "Honestly… I didn't 'behold' anything at all… If anything, it just looks weirdly cute."
"Hehe, she called us cute! I'm so happy!" Jack cheered as she waved her daggers enthusiastically from atop the Headless Horseman's shoulders.
"Don't be fooled by her sweet talk, Jack!" Nursery Rhyme, sitting at the very front on the wolf's head with her legs spread for balance, warned, "She's a shameless woman trying to steal Akasha's love! Against a home-wrecker like her, you have to show no mercy!"
Where are you learning vocabulary like this, Nursery Rhyme…? So the books you read really are all rated 18+, aren't they?
"Since the two monsters on your field have now merged into one, Cyber Blader's 'double ATK' effect condition is no longer fulfilled."
Cyber Blader only doubles her ATK when the opponent controls exactly two monsters. Now that the number had dropped to one, her overwhelming ATK—once higher than two Nobunagas combined—was instantly cut in half.
[Cyber Blader ATK 7200 → 3600]
"But even so, my monster still has the higher ATK! Your Avenger with only 2500 ATK still can't withstand Cyber Blader's attack!"
Without retreating from battle, Cyber Blader resumed her assault, the radiant power of her Fusion Weapon streaking toward Akasha's Avenger.
"Avenger's effect activates! When this card is Fusion Summoned: return all 'Lily' monsters that are banished to the GY!"
Cards swiftly swapped between the banished zone and GY on both Duel Disks. Nursery Rhyme and Jeanne Lily, previously banished by Phantasm Summon, returned to the Graveyard.
"With that, there are now four 'Lily' monsters in my GY — Nursery Rhyme, Jeanne, Jack, and Medea. And Avenger of the Kid's Kingdom gains 300 ATK for each Lily in the GY!"
[Avenger of the Kid's Kingdom ATK 2500 → 3700]
Jaden's eyes went wide.
"It surpassed her by exactly 100 ATK!?"
"Raise the storm of vengeful counterattack! Minna-san, let's go!"
Nursery Rhyme & Jack & Jeanne:
"Ooooooh! This is the Kid's Kingdom's Combination Strike!"
Using the magical light unleashed by Nursery Rhyme and Jeanne Lily as a stepping stone, the roaring Lobo swung its claws while Jack slashed with her dual blades. Their combined strike tore through the Fusion Weapon's intense energy and struck Cyber Blader head-on.
[Alexis Rhodes LP 2000 → 1900]
Sparks flew from the clashing blades, but Cyber Blader was not destroyed as expected. She barely withstood the Avenger's united assault. However, as Alexis's Life Points fell, the temperature of the icy battlefield dropped even further.
"Cyber Blader's effect — when you control exactly one monster, she cannot be destroyed by battle!"
Alexis hadn't expected the Avenger's ATK to skyrocket, but Cyber Blader's immunity to battle destruction prevented any further loss.
"Both sides refusing to yield — what a Duel!"
Jaden was fired up. Even though he wasn't the one dueling, excitement alone kept him from feeling the freezing cold around him.
Hoshino, however, was shivering with cold hands and feet. Unable to endure it any longer, she slid her hands under Altera's arms to warm them with her body heat.
"This posture is a little strange, Master."
Altera's cheeks flushed red.
"As expected of someone with natural body temperature EX… even in this cold, you're this warm. Come closer."
Fortunately, Akasha and Alexis didn't see this scene. Otherwise, the love-triangle battlefield would have escalated into a catastrophe.
"But this frozen battlefield is way too extreme. To create something comparable to a Shadow Game's environment… don't tell me the opponent isn't human either?"
Altera asked, "Master, shouldn't you be worried right now about whether the children will win?"
"Well, choosing a side feels kind of unfair, you know?"
Hoshino tilted her head with a troubled expression.
Ah, the pain of being a woman everyone wants… She could barely suppress her smile.
"That said, looking at the current situation, the winner is practically decided. Alexis tried her best, but the difference is still huge…"
After dueling Alexis in the past, the System had rated her Duel Level as B+. Within Duel Academy, that alone placed her among the strongest.
But seven years ago, Akasha was already rated A-Rank. Although part of that was due to her using rare and forbidden cards, the title of "Strongest Rare Hunter" was not just for show.
"I end my turn."
Just as Hoshino predicted, even though Cyber Blader had survived, Alexis had used up her entire hand this turn and had no Set cards left to defend herself.
"So that was your final struggle? In that case, I'll finish this Duel."
Drawing her next card, Akasha placed it directly onto her Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card — Monster Reborn! I revive Nursery Rhyme from my GY!"
"Ah, I'm being revived?"
Still lying on the wolf's head, Nursery Rhyme perked up upon seeing Akasha's Spell activate. She patted the wolf's fur and hopped off the Avenger's back.
"I'll be cheering for you all from the side!"
[Heroic Spirit – Nursery Rhyme DEF: 800]
With this, Jeanne Lily finally shifted forward from her awkward "clinging to the wolf's rear" position, no longer looking like she could be flung off at any moment.
However, the number of Lily monsters in the GY decreased, causing the Avenger's ATK to drop.
[Avenger of the Kid's Kingdom ATK 3700 → 3400]
"Since Nursery Rhyme was Special Summoned, I can add one Spell that lists 'Heroic Spirit' in its text from my Deck to my hand. And with this card, I'll make up for that drop in ATK—"
The heavy pages of the fairytale book flipped rapidly in her hands as she searched for the key spell-themed nursery rhyme and handed it to Akasha.
"Quick-Play Spell — Heroic Creation!"
[Effect: Target 1 "Heroic Spirit" monster you control; until the end of your opponent's turn, it gains 1000 ATK/DEF, and any battle damage it deals to your opponent is doubled.]
[Avenger of the Kid's Kingdom ATK 3400 → 4400]
Jack: "Ahh! I can feel the power overflowing!"
Jeanne Lily: "Amazing! It feels like we could even beat a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon right now!"
Alexis tapped her clean fingertip against the Fusion Monster on her Duel Disk and countered, "You miscalculated, Akasha!"
"Using Nursery Rhyme to search a Quick-Play ATK-boosting Spell was clever… but don't forget—since your number of monsters increased, Cyber Blader's effect has been activated again."
● 2 monsters: This card's ATK becomes double its original ATK.
Cyber Blader ATK → 7200
Jaden scratched his head. "So Alexis's ATK is now way higher instead…? Akasha actually overlooked something that obvious?"
Akasha's lips curled up in confidence. "If I don't crush you head-on, how will you understand the difference between our devotion toward Hoshino-nee!? Go—Avenger!"
Responding to Akasha's attack declaration, Lobo burst into a full sprint, the two Lilies on its back as it kicked up a hunting gale and charged straight toward Cyber Blader.
Feeling the hurricane-like wind roaring past their ears, Jack squealed excitedly, "So fast, so fast! It feels like we're riding a race bike!"
Raising her holy lance high, Jeanne Lily shouted, "Let's go, Lobo, Jack! Show her our true speed!"
"—I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Proof of Quickest!"
At that same moment, inserting the decisive Quick-Play Spell into her Duel Disk, the Avenger on Akasha's field accelerated even further—turning into afterimages too fast for the naked eye to follow.
"That card is—!"
With both hands tucked under Altera's warm armpits, Hoshino raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That's the event reward Spell I had to grind like crazy for—when did that brat steal it from me?!"
[Effect: Activate when your "Heroic Spirit" monster declares an attack. Until the end of this Battle Phase, your opponent cannot activate Spell/Trap/Monster effects, and during damage calculation, your opponent's monster's ATK/DEF are treated as their original values.]
"Fastest—Break—Through!"
"This is my finishing blow, Alexis! Thanks to Proof of Quickest, Cyber Blader's ATK during damage calculation reverts to its original value!"
Unable to follow the Avenger's speed, Cyber Blader panicked—she couldn't even raise a proper guard in time.
[Cyber Blader ATK 7200 → 2100]
Jack, Jeanne, & Lobo:
"Awooooo! Finishing Move—Lily Vengeful Judgment Slash!"
The blinding afterimage slashed across Cyber Blader's elegant body—burning with the flames of vengeance—and cut through both her and the Fusion Weapon, delivering the decisive blow that determined the match.
"Ahhhhhhhh!"
[Alexis Rhodes LP 1900 → 0]
Because of Heroic Creation's double-damage effect, Akasha's attack actually inflicted 4600 battle damage.
At the same time, the severe drop in temperature within the icy Duel Arena far exceeded Hoshino's original assumption of "at worst we'll catch a cold," and the situation was beginning to turn dangerous.
"That girl… she really has no idea what 'holding back' means! I'm counting on you, Karna!"
She summoned Karna's card—his sun-like warmth burst forth, and the spreading flame-like mana stabilized the rapidly plummeting temperature of the icy field.
"Leave this to me, Master. A true hero warms the world with his gaze!"
But after causing such a huge commotion, Hoshino could no longer keep hiding and spying from the shadows—she had no choice but to step out openly.
"You two—what on earth were you doing!? A Duel this dangerous is completely unacceptable!"
At times like this, she had to show the dignity of a Headmaster—to give them a proper scolding so they would understand the dangers of what they had done.
"Sensei?"
"Hoshino-nee?"
"Senpai?"
Freed from that bone-chilling cold and feeling as if bathed in the warmth of the sun, Alexis's expression was now extremely complicated.
"Senpai, when did you get here?"
They had been so absorbed in the Duel that they hadn't noticed anything around them. If Hoshino had heard that emotional confession just now, Alexis might have knocked herself out from embarrassment by head-butting the ice.
"Oh, me? I only just got here."
Hoshino scratched her cheek and, to avoid that exact embarrassing scenario, told a small white lie and pretended to know nothing.
"Thank goodness…" Alexis pressed her hand to her chest and sighed in relief.
"It's not good at all!" Hoshino said sternly. "You knowingly engaged in a Shadow Game and still continued the Duel. Next week, both of you will submit a written apology to me!"
"A written apology… to Senpai?"
Wasn't writing apologies something teachers assigned to students? Alexis didn't really understand, but since Hoshino said so, she would obediently write it.
Akasha, still fuming, puffed her cheeks and refused, "I don't want to! I already won against Alexis in the Duel, so according to our agreement, Alexis—you're not allowed to go near Hoshino-nee anymore!"
"Sorry, Akasha, but it's impossible for Alexis to stop coming near me…"
Hoshino sighed with her hands on her hips.
"(〃＞皿＜) Hoshino-nee, have you really been bewitched by her chest!? As Headmistress, you can't do that kind of thing with a student!"
"That's not it, Akasha…"
Since Alexis hadn't explained yet, Hoshino was forced to personally explain everything regarding Camula, the cause of Asuka's condition, and the lingering aftereffects on her.
Jaden finally understood and let out a breath. "So it was just a method to treat Alexis's aftereffects? You scared me! I knew Sensei would never be that kind of person."
"Wait—Akasha, you just said…"
Alexis blinked her large eyes in confusion and asked, "What did you mean by 'Headmistress?'"