A Noble Phantasm usually symbolized a Heroic Spirit's strongest weapon or ability.
Behind every Noble Phantasm lay a well-known legend of the Heroic Spirit. It wasn't just the name of a skill, but also the embodiment of the mysteries of its era, the incarnation of that Hero's legend and glory.
But no matter how varied the legends of Heroic Spirits and the skills they possessed, Caster had never once heard of a power that could seal an opponent's Noble Phantasm.
Even stranger… after his sea demon summoning had been sealed away by Auram's unknown method, Gilles de Rais had kept his full attention on him, carefully observing throughout the release of his Noble Phantasm. Yet not once did he sense Auram using any skill or spell.
As a Heroic Spirit in the Caster class, this much Gilles could vouch for this completely.
All Auram had done after his arrival was take two quick steps, hands in his pockets, in rhythm with Gilles's retreat.
Just ordinary steps forward. Absolutely no sign of mana release or skill activation.
As a Caster-class Servant, Gilles could guarantee that.
So the question was… why?
How did he do it?
Could it be that just by walking normally, he sealed his Noble Phantasm again? How absurd! Impossible!
'If this isn't big, what is it!!!'
"Hey, hey, don't glare at me like I cheated..."
Perhaps sensing Caster's inner outcry, Auram sighed innocently.
"Since you're Caster, maybe you'll understand this concept—Continuous Effects don't need activation."
"???"
His wide, bulging eyes looked utterly confused.
'The hell are you talking about?!'
"Is that so... if you don't get it, forget it."
By rights, this was the perfect chance for explanation. Regardless, Auram only shrugged indifferently.
Commentary was something boring villains did.
When had you ever seen the side of justice pause mid-battle to explain their powers to the enemy?
"Since that's the case, I won't waste any more time."
A dazzling light gathered on Auram's arm. When it faded, a broad longsword was in his hand.
One step, two steps.
The swordsman approached the Magus slowly, blade in hand.
His intention was clear.
No words needed.
A mere hint of killing intent was enough to terrify the foe.
"W-what are you doing?"
"Stay back, don't come any closer!!!!"
This wasn't really a fierce battle.
A Magus bewildered from the start, his abilities sealed, facing a battle-hardened swordsman—the outcome was obvious.
It wasn't even a fight. Just one-sided slaughter.
And yet Auram felt no burden in his heart.
Because the essence of a Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist's fight... is not letting the opponent play at all.
In high-level duels, even a single turn of survival could turn the tables. Today was Auram's first real fight in the Type-Moon world. Even if Gilles de Rais wasn't a strong opponent, he wanted to be cautious.
If he could end it in one turn, why give the other side any interaction?
So how does one end a fight in a single turn? There's a record of it in the world of Duel Monsters.
In the long history of the Spirit World, there was an old saying: "Disruption is worse than brute force, brute force is worse than lockout."
Sure, you could win by brute force. But the satisfaction of locking your opponent so completely they couldn't even move, watching them struggle and then finally surrender in humiliation—you understand that feeling, don't you?
Auram had taken the initiative this time. First, killing Ryuunosuke by surprise. Then, before the Servant could arrive, preparing traps precisely for him. All that remained was to wait for Gilles de Rais to show up.
'With such a setup, an uninterrupted first turn—if you survive to the next turn, I'll admit defeat.'
"Anyway, thank you, Caster. Thanks to you, I'm even more certain of something."
As Gilles de Rais's body dissolved into smoke and returned to the Throne of Heroes, Auram secretly retrieved the card he had prepared.
[Continuous Trap – World Legacy's Secret]
This was a powerful trap that, under special positioning conditions, could seal an opponent's abilities and effects.
Because Auram had anticipated the enemy's arrival, he had activated it before the fight began. And since Continuous Traps applied as lasting effects on the field, requiring no reactivation, it had driven Caster into confusion and self-doubt.
"...I wasn't sure before, but this battle proved it beyond doubt… our cards work here, too."
"Heh, things just got interesting."
...…
PS:
Since the protagonist has officially used cards in battle now, I want to explain the card system in this story.
Because this is a Type-Moon x Yu-Gi-Oh! crossover, the actual fights lean toward magical clashes and fantasy battles. The Yu-Gi-Oh! side draws mainly from the lore in the card artworks. It's not a traditional "card game duel" novel.
But since the protagonist is Yu-Gi-Oh!-based, even if he doesn't play duels outright, the story still needs "card" elements. That's why card application is important, especially in his battles.
All cards in this story have two types of effects: [Card Effect] and [Battle Effect].
Card Effect is just the regular gameplay effect. If you don't know a card's effect, you can look it up on YGO databases.
Here, I'll explain Battle Effects.
Battle Effects aren't randomly made up. They're designed based on two principles: [Conceptual Basis] and [Extension of Card Effect].
Conceptual Basis: for example, "World Legacy Succession." The card's name and art show Auram inheriting power from the Mekk-Knights. So its battle effect is the same in meaning.
Extension of Card Effect: for example, the "World Legacy's Secret" card from this chapter. Its battle effect was based on the original effect, but extended for a combat context where "rows/columns" don't exist, like they do on the table.
In truth, the real battle effect of "World Legacy's Secret" is: When this card (or another Mekk-Knight unit) lines up with an enemy unit in the same column (three points in a line), all of that enemy's abilities are nullified. And since you can move in real battle, as long as you're fast enough (like Auram shadowing Caster in these chapters), you can keep alignment and permanently lock them down.
Of course, as a Trap, it takes time to activate. Unless Auram got the first move like here, it might not be as effective as imagined.
That's the framework and design philosophy of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card system in this novel.
...
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