Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

"—By the name of the greatest High Priest, I command the seal to be lifted… Exodia!"

Staring in shock at Simon's suddenly imposing figure, Hoshino exclaimed:

"The greatest High Priest? Sugoroku—no, wait, Simon, you were the greatest High Priest?!"

Even though the priests' abilities hadn't seemed all that impressive to Hoshino before, just adding the word "greatest" in front of a title instantly made it sound infinitely more badass.

And Exodia—if she remembered correctly—was one of the most powerful monsters of all.

Shada, the current High Priest who succeeded Simon and holds the Millennium Key, spoke respectfully:

"High Priest Simon once reigned supreme over all past priests with unmatched strength. Even now, no priest can compare to his power."

Startled by such a serious statement, Hoshino raised an eyebrow and muttered:

"Who would've thought cheerful Simon, who seemed so harmless, was hiding that much power?"

Were you the type of overpowered protagonist who pretended to be weak in your youth?

Simon raised the Millennium Key high, golden light spreading across the land. Even the capital city began to tremble.

"What's going on now?!"

Hoshino Alter looked down at the shaking earth, where blazing beams formed a massive pentagram encompassing the entire capital.

"This is… National Alchemy Magic!?"

Shada added solemnly:

"Exodia, the Spirit Beast only High Priest Simon can command, wields power beyond even the Three Egyptian Gods. Long ago, when an enemy nation invaded the capital, Simon singlehandedly annihilated over half their army with Exodia alone."

Simon lowered the Millennium Key, taking a deep breath.

"Because Exodia's power was far too overwhelming, after that war, his body was split into five stone tablets and sealed at the five corners beneath the capital. But now, the time has come to release that seal!"

The flaming pentagram carved itself into the land. At each of its five points, a stone tablet rose—each sealing a different body part of Exodia. Five in total.

In a Duel Monsters game, this would be a victory condition.

—The Right Arm of the Forbidden One

—The Left Arm of the Forbidden One

—The Right Leg of the Forbidden One

—The Left Leg of the Forbidden One

—The Forbidden One, Exodia

"Behold! The awe-inspiring form that sets even the heavens and earth ablaze!"

The five stone tablets shattered completely. The chains binding each limb snapped as Exodia manifested into a colossal, physical form. Just from the sheer pressure of his presence, the capital's walls crumbled.

Even the Pharaoh himself, wide-eyed and speechless, had never seen Simon summon a Spirit Beast before.

"Incredible… Simon is actually this powerful? That force completely outclasses even the Three Gods!"

Exodia, towering as large as Zorc Necrophades, raised his flaming fist—a symbol of demonic might—toward the sky.

"This is Exodia's ultimate attack—Obliterate!!"

A crimson explosion erupted. The enormous Zorc, flying on black wings, was struck from the sky by the sheer force of the hellfire.

His massive body plummeted like a meteor, trailing flames as it smashed into the earth. The impact's shockwave annihilated countless Diabound.

"With just one attack… that much damage? He's way too strong!" Okita gawked, mouth wide enough to fit a whole egg.

"See that, Nobu? That's what you call a Demon God! Yours barely scratched Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and you still dare call yourself a Demon King?"

"Shut up, Okita!" Nobunaga roared, yanking at Okita's cheek. "You're even weaker than me by 500 points! Is this the mouth talking trash? Huh?!"

"You don't think it's over already, do you?"

Hoshino Alter watched Zorc's unmoving, still-burning form cautiously.

"If five Exodia pieces are an auto-win, why didn't we just do this earlier?"

Hoshino frowned.

"No… real fights don't follow duel rules. Honestly, I wish they did."

Despite being wreathed in flames, Zorc's massive form slowly began to rise. A deep, malicious laugh—reminiscent of Dark Bakura—echoed from his body.

"To think someone in this age could break through my defense… But that's all it was. Against an immortal, indestructible body of darkness, it means nothing."

Even Exodia's relentless hellfire was nothing to Zorc, who healed at a rate that negated all damage.

"Looks impressive, but ultimately worthless!"

Absorbing the crimson flames into his own darkness, Zorc finally revealed his true form.

Seeing Zorc up close, Hoshino's expression turned… uncomfortable.

"This Dark God Zorc… his design feels kinda… gross. Especially that thing hanging from his—"

The jet-black giant stood on two legs like a nightmare given flesh, radiating overwhelming boss energy. But like Diabound, Zorc bore two heads—one of them a snake emerging from between his legs.

Mana symbolically covered her eyes, whispering:

"Truly a dark god… Evil in every sense of the word."

"Now return your flames… back to you!"

Zorc gathered the absorbed fire in his palm and hurled a scorching tornado straight at Exodia.

"If you want to talk immortality—Exodia has that too!"

Exodia tore through the fiery vortex. His previously severed arm regenerated instantly, absorbing the sands of Egypt to restore his body.

Mana pumped her fists, eyes shining with awe.

"Grandpa Simon is amazing! Show that evil god who's boss!"

But Hoshino noticed Simon's breathing growing ragged.

"Even if Exodia is immortal, Simon's energy won't last much longer…"

And Zorc noticed it too.

"Old man, with your frail body, this next blow will finish you!"

Dark claws slashed the air, releasing deadly black energy blades—an attack that had once obliterated Atlantis's undead army in one strike.

"This is bad—that move's too dangerous!"

Hoshino could feel Simon's soul flickering like a dying flame. There was no way he could withstand it.

Yet Simon didn't retreat. He commanded Exodia to stand firm, protecting the kingdom and everyone behind him.

"If I can protect this country, and the future of the young—then my life is a small price to pay!"

"—Thou who possessest faith, thy fate is not yet sealed!"

A cloaked figure cast off his mantle, bursting into blue ghostly flames, and flashed in front of Exodia, intercepting Zorc's attack with a massive sword.

"Yon blessed man of faith shall strike his blows with thee!"

Clad in heavy blue flame armor, King Hassan may have been smaller than Exodia and Zorc, but his aura didn't yield an inch. After all—he could cross swords with Zorc even at this distance.

Saved from the brink of death, Simon looked at Hassan floating between Exodia and Zorc and smiled warmly.

"Heh… fighting side by side as fellow old men, huh? I like that idea."

"So you're the one I sensed back in the Valley of the Kings!"

Zorc had known Hoshino's side had powerful allies, but seeing King Hassan in person was enough to surprise even him.

Hassan, who had embraced death and traversed the valley, had become one with the very concept of death. Even Zorc, master of this world's underworld, could sense a familiar aura.

"Don't get cocky just because you blocked me from a distance. In close combat, I'm unbeatable!"

"Thou foul creature of death—gaze upon the Earth. Is thy corporeal form truly whole?"

King Hassan swung his sword. No one saw him move—just as an assassin should. Even Zorc looked down in shock.

Not just Zorc—everyone else realized it too, eyes twitching in disbelief.

"He… he actually cut off Zorc's snake head! From between his legs…"

The second serpent head fell, thrashed briefly, then dissolved into dark mist. Every man present instinctively crossed their legs in sympathy.

"You bastard… you dare mock me?! I'll crush you!"

Though Zorc could regenerate his limbs with dark energy, that strike had truly enraged him.

With seething fury, he hurled his massive claws, black with rage, toward the much smaller King Hassan.

"Don't forget about Exodia, Zorc!"

Exodia grabbed Zorc's arm, blocking the strike. Simon, once saved by Hassan, now returned the favor—shielding him from Zorc's blow.

"Wickedness that doth stand alone shall never quell the folk's resolve, if courage hold them fast."

Seizing the opening, Hassan slashed at Zorc's left side, leaving a massive gash.

"Now, Exodia!" Simon roared.

With overwhelming force, Exodia yanked on Zorc's arm, ripping off half his body in one brutal motion.

"AAAAAARGHHHHH!!"

Zorc howled in agony. Even immortality couldn't dull that pain.

Hoshino Alter shouted, "Those two old men are incredible! Nothing beats old-school power!"

With Exodia backing them, Hoshino felt confidence surge back into her veins.

Seizing the momentum, she looked toward Kaiba. "Kaiba, lend me that card—yeah, that one."

"Hmph. I knew you'd ask." With a smug grin, Kaiba drew a card from his deck and, with a flourish, sent it spinning straight into Hoshino's hand.

"Thanks, Kaiba!" Hoshino expertly slid the card onto her golden Duel Disk.

"Alright, Gramps—let's finish this! Equip Spell, activate—Megamorph!"

Due to the vast size difference, even Hassan's swordsmanship wasn't enough. But with Megamorph, she could even the odds.

"I thought Megamorph only doubled the equipped monster's attack power. So why is his size increasing this much?" Okita asked.

"No, the card only says it doubles attack power," Hoshino replied with a grin, delivering that classic protagonist logic:

"But how much it grows depends on the duelist's willpower! Let's go, Gramps!"

Boosted by Megamorph, King Hassan's flaming blue armor expanded as his body grew, towering like a giant. When his feet hit the earth, the ground quaked under his massive weight.

"I've made my choice—Dynamax: King Hassan!"

Now, matching the sheer size of the Great Evil God Zorc, three colossal beings—so massive they defied description—stood tall upon the sands of ancient Egypt, 3,000 years in the past. In King Hassan's hand, his massive sword looked capable of cleaving mountains and rivers in a single swing.

"Time to go, Simon! Even an immortal body has its limits once it's taken enough damage!"

"That's what I wanted to hear, Hoshino! Let the flames of the Exodia God transform into a sword aura that cleaves through the darkness!"

With a sweeping gesture, Exodia summoned divine flames that spun and wrapped around King Hassan's greatsword.

Their ultimate coordinated attack—an overwhelming slash imbued with godly fire—was unleashed. It represented a strike strong enough to shatter despair itself, rushing toward the Great Evil God Zorc, whose body had yet to fully regenerate.

"—Attend ye well! The bell doth toll, and thy name it nameth! Lo, the end is come, as was foreordained by Destiny!!"