# Chapter 18: Hope Sword Slash
Watching the roaring three-headed giant serpent, Yūga Hōzumi said calmly, "Yao, if you're still awake, watch closely. Hope isn't something that shatters so easily."
"At this moment, I activate Rainbow Kuriboh's effect in the Graveyard! When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack while this card is in the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it. If this card was Special Summoned by this effect, it's banished when it leaves the field."
"Kuririri!" A small, purple, orb-like creature with a rainbow-colored tuft of hair on its head leaped out onto Yūga Hōzumi's field, blocking the way.
Rainbow Kuriboh DEF: 100
"This card..." Orphion gritted his teeth, looking at the cute creature blocking Ouroboros. "Is that the card from your hand that was sent to the Graveyard by Ouroboros's effect?"
"Then I'll let you survive this turn with that pathetic fodder." After Evilswarm Ouroboros destroyed Rainbow Kuriboh, Orphion said coldly, "You've used up your hope. With no cards on your field or in your hand, you won't get a second chance. I end my turn."
"Indeed. With nothing in my hand or on my field, all I can rely on is my next draw," Yūga Hōzumi said with a carefree smile.
"But since I haven't given up on hope, how could hope possibly abandon me?"
"My turn! Draw!" Yūga Hōzumi drew what might be the last card of this duel.
"Just as I thought, the light of hope is still shining," Yūga Hōzumi said with a smile, looking at the card he'd drawn.
"I summon Gogogo Golem in Attack Position!"
With a crackle, stones on the ground in front of Yūga Hōzumi assembled themselves into a giant golem, which rose to stand before him.
Gogogo Golem ATK: 1800
"Is this your hope? This monster is no match for Ouroboros!" Orphion sneered.
"Don't be so hasty. I activate the effect of Zubababa Dwarf - Gogogo Glove in the Graveyard!"
"While this card is in my Graveyard and I control a 'Gogogo' or 'Zubababa' monster other than this card, I can Special Summon this card."
"I overlay the Level 4 Gogogo Golem and Zubababa Dwarf - Gogogo Glove!"
Yūga Hōzumi pointed his right finger to the sky, summoning a brilliant galaxy. The red number 39 flashed with a dazzling light on the back of his right hand.
"Warrior of Hope! Descend now!"
"Xyz Summon! Number 39: Hope Emperor Hope Double!"
From the brilliant galaxy, the golden warrior of hope descended onto the field, accompanied by a light that could dispel all evil.
Number 39: Hope Emperor Hope Double DEF: 2500
"What is this?! Ahhh!!!" The moment the light from Hope touched the black mist surrounding Sugihara Yo's body, the mist dissolved as if it had encountered the deadliest poison. Orphion, controlling Sugihara Yo's body, couldn't help but let out a shrill scream.
"I activate Hope Emperor Hope Double's effect!"
"Once per turn, by detaching one material from this card, I can add one 'Double or Nothing!' from my Deck to my hand! Then, I can Special Summon one 'Hope Emperor Hope' Xyz Monster, other than 'Number 39: Hope Emperor Hope Double,' from my Extra Deck by using this card on my field as the material! This is treated as an Xyz Summon. The monster Special Summoned by this effect has its ATK doubled, and it cannot attack directly."
Hope Double's wings flashed, and a golden orb flowed into Yūga Hōzumi's Deck. A moment later, Yūga Hōzumi drew the card that ejected from his Duel Disk after its automatic search.
"Xyz Change! Appear, Number 39! Hope Emperor Hope!"
The Hope in front of Yūga Hōzumi grasped the second Luna Blade as it fell from the sky, shifting into an attack stance. The light it emitted grew even brighter.
Number 39: Hope Emperor Hope ATK: 2500→5000
"Battle! Hope Emperor Hope, attack Evilswarm Ouroboros!"
"An ATK of 5000 isn't enough to defeat me!" Orphion said through gritted teeth, struggling under Hope's light.
"I activate the effect of Hope Emperor Hope!"
"When a monster declares an attack, I can detach one material from this card to negate that attack!"
"At this moment, I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Double or Nothing!"
"When a monster's attack is negated, I can target that monster! During this Battle Phase, that monster can attack one more time. And when it attacks due to this effect, its ATK is doubled during the Damage Step!"
"What?!" Orphion was terrified. The black mist swirling around Sugihara Yo's body rapidly receded; he was trying to escape.
"Go, Hope! Hope Sword Slash!" Yūga Hōzumi roared.
The Luna Blades in Hope's hands now burst forth with a magnificent light. With a flap of its wings, it swung down at the three-headed serpent's head.
Number 39: Hope Emperor Hope ATK: 5000→10000
As the blade's light fell, the three-headed serpent disintegrated layer by layer. Orphion, behind it, had nowhere to hide. The evil black mist within Sugihara Yo's body was instantly purified by Hope's light.
Sugihara Yo LP: 4000→0
[Side Quest completed. Reward issued.]
[Side Quest completion: 100%. Extra reward: one UR Treasure Chest.]
As the sun set, Hope's figure slowly vanished. No longer supported, Sugihara Yo stumbled and was about to collapse.
"Boss!"
"Yao!"
Yūga Hōzumi and Second Boss Garros quickly supported the teetering Sugihara Yo.
The rune in Sugihara Yo's left eye had vanished. Although his breathing was faint, the destructive madness was gone from his eyes.
"Yūga Hōzumi... I'm sorry, I almost dragged you into this," Sugihara Yo said weakly.
"That hope you spoke of... I saw it." Sugihara Yo looked at the night sky, his eyes reflecting the stars as he spoke slowly.
"The future of this Dimension... I'm leaving it to you."
"Don't make it sound like a deathbed request. That thing is gone, you're not going to die," Yūga Hōzumi said, taking the Hope card from the pack on his waist and placing it on Sugihara Yo.
The Hope card slowly released a layer of golden light, sustaining Sugihara Yo's fading life force.
"Is this... the light of hope?" Sugihara Yo forced a pained smile, then fainted.
"We need to get back and take him to a doctor, fast. His inhuman recovery power before likely came from that thing inside him. Now that it's gone, we might be too late if we don't hurry," Yūga Hōzumi said, looking at the Second Boss.
"Right." The Second Boss nodded and quickly ran to start the car.
The two drove the dying Sugihara Yo toward the camp, not daring to delay for a moment. On the way, they encountered the panting Duelist army from the Orion District. The Second Boss just leaned out and shouted for them to go back.
With the Second Boss flooring the accelerator like his life depended on it, the car Yūga Hōzumi had rescued from the scrapheap finally completed its mission in front of the Orion District's military hospital. Ignoring the car, the two of them rushed Sugihara Yo inside and got him hooked up to a life support machine.
Outside the hospital's emergency room, Yūga Hōzumi finally had time to check the rewards from the system.
The three cards from the quest reward were already in his system inventory, and the UR Treasure Chest he was curious about also lay there quietly.
...
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(end of chapter)