After a brief respite, Illya and Shinji Matou reappeared before the audience.
Illya stared at the seaweed-haired boy across from her, genuinely surprised that an ordinary Magus without a Servant had made it this far. They weren't well acquainted; their only previous encounter had been when Rin Tohsaka had visited her sister.
"Even Medea lost to you? Impressive."
"Are you looking down on me?" Shinji Matou scoffed. "Anyone could beat her in that state. It's practically a free win." He dismissed Medea as a weakling, claiming his earlier victory had been entirely due to the overwhelming strength of his deck.
"I've already crushed two Heroes, and you're next! Little girl, prepare to cry!"
Shinji-kun truly excelled at getting under people's skin.
Sensing the tension had reached its peak, Hundred Faces addressed the crowd: "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience! The duelists are ready, and the final showdown is about to begin! Who will earn the right to challenge the organizers? Shinji Matou, who defied legends with his mortal strength? Or Illya, fighting alongside the legendary Minamoto no Raikou? No need for speculation—none of that matters! Let the Duel itself prove their worth!"
"Then... the Duel begins!"
Without further ado, Hundred Faces declared the final match underway.
Hundred Faces, clad in formal attire, flipped a gold coin. It spun across the ground, its crisp sound echoing through the air, before landing on Illya's side.
The Duel Space materialized.
"Since that's settled, I'll go first!"
Illya drew five cards.
Illya LP: 4000
Shinji Matou LP: 4000
Examining her hand, Illya knew she had to be cautious of Shinji Matou's Engraving Worms. Her first turn would focus on defense.
"First, I activate the Field Spell Card, 'Castle of Snow'!"
The snow-covered castle reappeared before everyone's eyes, and some spectators instinctively reached for their coats.
"'Castle of Snow's' effect! I retrieve one 'Illya' card from my Deck and add it to my hand!"
Illya added herself to her hand. "Then, due to my own effect, I can Special Summon myself while 'Castle of Snow' is on the field."
The first duelist stepped onto the battlefield.
Illya ATK: 1500
"Enough posturing! I tribute myself to Special Summon 'Minamoto no Raikou' from my Deck!"
Familiar purple lightning struck again as Minamoto no Raikou materialized.
Minamoto no Raikou ATK: 3000
"Illya, be careful! You need to defeat him in one fell swoop, or your servant might end up becoming his pawn. Your 'mother' doesn't want to have to strike you down herself."
Minamoto no Raikou glared at Shinji Matou, who was still interacting with his fans. She hated nothing more than having what was rightfully hers stolen. If Illya ended up on his side of the field, she might lose her mind.
"I understand," Illya nodded. Raikou's exclusive Trap Card, "Endless Martial Prowess," could negate the effects of the Engraving Worms, and Illya herself had plenty of cards to counter them.
"Next, I activate 'Mystery Killer.' I send a Servant to the Graveyard. I'll send 'Ibaraki-Doji' to the Graveyard and add 'Watanabe no Tsuna' to my hand. Since I sent an Oni to the Graveyard, I also add 'Doji-kiri' to my hand."
"Watanabe no Tsuna has a similar effect to Sakata Kintoki. When Minamoto no Raikou is on the field, he can be summoned without any sacrifices!"
Watanabe no Tsuna Saber, 6 Stars Attack Power: 2400
"Lady Raikou, I never imagined we'd meet again like this," a stern swordsman with a mushroom haircut emerged from the moonlit bridge and landed on the battlefield.
"Which Oni must I sever this time?"
"Oh my, oh my, even Tsuna's here! I'll be counting on you to guide me here too."
Minamoto no Raikou was delighted to see Watanabe no Tsuna, her most reliable subordinate.
"I'm entrusting Little Ilya's safety to you. Don't disappoint me."
Watanabe no Tsuna glanced at Illya, surprised to see such a delicate young girl as Raikou's Master. He immediately pledged, "I swear on my life, Lady Raikou, no harm will come to your Master as long as Watanabe no Tsuna draws breath."
"Hey, hey, what's with the bushido act here?" Shinji Matou scoffed. "This isn't some sparring match, it's a duel! Who can guarantee the main combatant won't bleed? I can't let that boast slide. You'll be the one doing the work later. I can't wait to see the look on your face when things get real!"
"While my expertise lies in slaying Oni," Watanabe no Tsuna replied calmly, unfazed by Shinji's taunt, "guarding one's lord is the duty of every warrior. I will devote myself completely to this task!"
Shinji Matou clicked his tongue in annoyance at Watanabe no Tsuna's reply. "You're such a bore with your rigid adherence to the rules. If I could, I'd definitely summon Minamoto no Raikou, but what's the point when she's useless right now? I wouldn't even give her the time of day!"
"Then I'll entrust this to you, Mr. Watanabe no Tsuna," Illya replied affirmatively, continuing her actions. "I equip the Dōjigiri Yasutsuna to Watanabe no Tsuna."
Watanabe no Tsuna's Attack Power: 2400 → 2900.
"Activating the Dōjigiri Yasutsuna effect! Send one Shuten Dōji from the Deck to the Graveyard and draw one card!"
Illya replenished her hand to four cards.
"Finally, I set three cards face-down in my back row and end my turn."
"What a terrifying board state," Shinji thought. He was certain at least one or two of those face-down cards could counter his Engraving Worms, but what did it matter? He was still summoning his monster.
"My turn! Draw!"
"Since you've activated a Field Spell, I can't be left behind. I activate Insect Magecraft Workshop!"
The sparse chirping of insects echoed through the dark underground chamber, a jarring contrast to the snow-covered castle looming above.
"Come forth, my monster! Activate the effect of [ Insect Magecraft Workshop ]! Special Summon an [ Engraving Worm ] from my Deck!"
[ Engraving Worm ]: Attack Power 500.
"You've already prepared a countermeasure, haven't you?" Shinji Matou observed, noticing Illya glance at her backrow. As expected, she had anticipated the [ Engraving Worm ] and prepared a defense.
"But seizing servants isn't the only trick I have!"
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card [ Record Keeper ]! Special Summon a [ Shinji Matou ] from my Deck, then set a card from my hand in my backrow."
[ Shinji Matou ]: Attack Power 200.
[ Engraving Worm ]: Attack Power 500 → 0.
"Did you all miss me?" Shinji continued playing to the audience, a sinister smile spreading across his face as he turned to Watanabe no Tsuna. "I always keep my promises! Thanks to my effect, I activate the card I just set, [ False Attendant's Writings ]! Come here and serve me!"
Shinji Matou's Life Points: 4000 → 2500.
"Kintarō has higher Attack Power, yet you summoned him," Shinji Matou said, his smile unwavering as he gazed at Illya. "Clearly, you have other plans. He must possess an effect that counters the Engraving Worm, right?"