"Dartz!"

Hearing that all-too-familiar name, both Yugi and Kaiba cried out in shock. Back then, it had taken every ounce of their strength to defeat Dartz and the Orichalcos—an ordeal filled with hardship and pain. That was an experience neither of them could ever forget.

And now, that same formidable foe had returned—at the exact moment Thief King Bakura was already wreaking havoc—invading their country. With internal and external threats piling up, the weight on Yugi's shoulders as the newly crowned king grew even heavier.

"Calm down, Yugi," said Hoshino firmly. "As Pharaoh, you can't be the first to lose your composure. We don't yet know why that old monster Dartz is interfering with this Shadow Game, but things might not be as dire as they seem."

Despite her chibi appearance, the way she waved her tiny hand and calmly analyzed the situation carried the air of a master tactician—if you could ignore the fact that she was barely knee-high.

"At the very least, we have an entire nation's army backing us this time. That's already far better than when it was just the three of us against Dartz. The most important issue now is how to deploy the soldiers effectively to counter the undead army and stabilize the northern front. As for the south and the Valley of the Kings... all we can do is hope Shada and Karim make it out alive."

The immediate threat had shifted—from Bakura, who was trying to steal the Millennium Items, to Dartz, who had summoned a massive army of the dead to invade Egypt. If, as Hoshino suspected, this singularity version of Egypt were to fall, it could drastically alter human history—and possibly even overturn the real world itself.

"But," Kaiba challenged, "with the weapons of this era, is it even possible to resist the Atlantean invasion on the battlefield?"

He wasn't wrong. From her godlike map view, Hoshino could clearly see the overwhelming difference in combat power. The Atlantean undead—monstrous in form—were slaughtering the poorly equipped and barely trained Egyptian soldiers in a one-sided massacre.

"That's exactly why we need to use our forces strategically," Hoshino replied. "There are many factors that determine victory in war. If the soldiers lack training and equipment, we'll have to make up for it in other areas... Hey, other me!"

Hoshino Alter, startled by the sudden call, straightened up nervously.

"Yes, sir!"

"The key advantage we have is that we can summon spirit monsters. Of course, Dartz can also summon using the power of the Orichalcos. That's why what we need most right now are Heroic Spirits—Servants capable of turning the tide of battle single-handedly!"

"Heroic Spirits…?" Hoshino Alter fidgeted with her fingers, looking overwhelmed.

"But summoning strong Heroic Spirits takes a lot of energy… and maintaining multiple at once would be really taxing. If aibo could help me—"

"No can do," Hoshino said, shaking her tiny, round head. "In this state, I only have one eye and a connection to communicate with you—that alone is already exploiting a loophole in the Shadow Game. There's no way I can summon Heroic Spirits right now."

Truthfully, the amount of soul energy her chibi form contained was less than one percent of her real self. With that pathetic reserve, she probably couldn't even summon Okita, whose whole selling point was her low energy cost.

"But! There is one method to summon and maintain multiple Heroic Spirits with minimal energy cost—the most widely used technique in Holy Grail Wars: the Servant Summoning!"

"Holy Grail Summoning?!"

Hoshino Alter was no stranger to the concept. Heroic Spirits summoned as Servants were assigned to one of seven classes based on their traits and origins.

"That's right," Hoshino continued. "By using the system's properties and properly distributing your soul energy, we should be able to summon all seven Servants at once."

When Uruk faced its great battle, even Gilgamesh summoned seven Servants—including Merlin—though it nearly drained him dry.

"Now, other me—make your choice. Within the limits of your energy, pick the seven Servants you believe can turn the tide of battle! These decisive seven will likely determine the fate of Egypt—and maybe even the course of this world's history."

Hoshino Alter closed her eyes tight in deep concentration. ""

Hoshino gave her a tiny thumbs-up. "This isn't cheating—it's your own magical energy. Only you know your limits~"

The kingdom couldn't go without a ruler for even a day. Once Yugi regained consciousness, he immediately returned to the capital. Following Hoshino's tip, he ordered the arrest of the treacherous priest Aknadin.

Although he resisted fiercely, Aknadin stood no chance against Hoshino Alter's overwhelming power. The guards dragged him into the palace dungeon, defeated and humiliated.

"I served the former Pharaoh! I bled for the people! I once bore the dark burden of forging the Millennium Items for the good of the nation—how can you treat me this way?!"

Watching Aknadin scream in hysteria, Seto murmured with a conflicted expression,

"Lord Aknadin… no, Father. You once bore the darkness for the sake of the kingdom. But now, that same darkness has consumed you—and you've become a threat to the Pharaoh and the country."

Now that Yugi had returned, Seto resolved to stay true to his heart. He would inherit the beliefs of his fallen friend Mahad and serve the Pharaoh loyally as a priest.

"Prince, I'm so glad you came back safe, QAQ! But why are there even more cute girls around you now? Mana's so heartbroken!"

As soon as she saw Yugi, Mana burst into tears and clung tightly to Hoshino Alter, wiping her snot onto Hoshino Alter's shoulder like a seasoned professional.

"I mean, if you're that emotional about seeing Yugi, then cry on him! Why are you wiping your nose on me? Are we even that close? If you weren't a cute girl, I'd have punched you by now."

What Hoshino Alter didn't realize, however, was that this adorable girl—who looked strikingly like the Dark Magician Girl—had already once shared a bed with Hoshino. Not that kind of bed, but a literal, innocent one.

"Seto? Seto? Seto? Seto?"

A confused Kisara glanced left at Kaiba, then right at Seto, her head full of question marks.

Meanwhile, on Kaiba and Seto's end, something had clearly been triggered. Since locking eyes, the two had stood frozen in a silent, tension-filled standoff. The air between them practically crackled with hostility.

Marlene leaned toward Hoshino Alter and whispered, "Are they... gonna fight or something? They look like they're staring down someone who owes them money."

"Maybe they were just born with that expression," Hoshino Alter shrugged. "Or maybe they just think it's fun to stare at someone who looks exactly like themselves—like a mirror."

Kaiba's stubbornness was already enough of a headache. Now, with Seto being practically his carbon copy, this was clearly a situation best left alone.

"Ahem! Now's not the time for fooling around!"

Yugi cleared his throat as he took his seat on the throne, breaking the awkward tension in the hall.

"According to frontline reports, the undead army has already broken through two towns on the northern edge of our kingdom in a very short time. At their current pace, they could reach the capital by tomorrow."

These so-called reports were actually intel Hoshino had gathered via the map—highly accurate and constantly updating.

Finally tearing his gaze from Kaiba, Seto asked in disbelief, "Your Majesty… you said an uncountable army of undead has invaded the country… can such a thing truly happen?"

If this had been a normal invading army, the border scouts would have reported their approach days ago, giving the soldiers ample time to prepare.

But this undead army had seemingly materialized out of nowhere, catching the defenders completely off guard. It was a supernatural phenomenon—absurd, unprecedented, and unlike anything Seto had ever heard of.

"It's true, Seto. At this very moment—likely this very second—warriors on the frontlines are falling to the cold blades of the undead."

As Yugi, he would never joke about something so grave. The solemn look on his face made even Seto tense up.

"Right now, only you and Isis remain among the palace priests. I want you to lead the capital's elite troops to reinforce the frontlines. We must not allow our people to be slaughtered any further."

Tasked with this mission, Seto knelt on one knee and replied with solemn resolve,

"Yes, Pharaoh! Thank you for granting me this chance to atone. I will stake my life on this battle and prove my loyalty!"

During Yugi's absence, Seto had been haunted by guilt, worried that Yugi would resent his hesitation—or even his consideration of Aknadin's proposal to seize the throne.

But now, with Yugi not only forgiving him but trusting him with command of the army, Seto's resolve solidified. He would stake everything on this fight.

"Heh, no need to be so tense, Seto. We have very reliable reinforcements for this battle."

As Yugi spoke, he glanced toward the tiny Hoshino now snuggled securely in Nitocris's arms, having stolen Mejed's spot.

"I've been meaning to ask, Prince!"

Mana, unable to contain her curiosity, reached out and poked Hoshino's chibi cheek.

"Is this some kind of Hoshino doll? It's so detailed and cute!"

"Pah!"

Hoshino slapped her finger away without hesitation and complained seriously,

"Stupid Mana! I'm real, okay?! I'm not a doll!"

.

..

...

Northern Egypt — Frontline, City of Ksois

"Don't fall back! Even when facing monsters like these, remember—you're protecting your family, your homeland, and your Pharaoh!"

A man in an officer's uniform stood atop the city wall, shouting himself hoarse in an attempt to reignite the troops' morale.

"War is always harsh and brutal. If just shouting could change the outcome, there wouldn't be so many soldiers being skewered by undead blades below."

"Huh?! Who's there?!"

Startled, the officer nearly slipped from the wall. A man in bizarre red robes had appeared beside him like a ghost—silent, sudden, and completely out of place. He now stood atop the command bastion, a position restricted to officers only.

The officer instinctively drew his sword, ready to strike at the unfamiliar intruder.

"I strongly advise you not to attack," the man said calmly. "First, you won't be able to harm me. Second, we're on the same side."

Something in the man's confident demeanor and heroic bearing gave the battle-hardened officer an inexplicable sense of reassurance, even as his instincts screamed caution.

"You say we're allies, but I've seen every officer in the army, and I've never seen anyone dressed like you. I'll ask one last time—who are you?"

"—Caster, Zhuge Liang!"

He flicked away a half-burned cigarette and gazed over the battlefield from his perch. His long black hair flowed in the blood-tinged wind.

"By the command of my Master and the Pharaoh, I have come to support the frontlines! In the name of a legendary tactician, I will turn this desperate battle around!"

With a flourish, a black-and-white feather fan appeared in his hand like a magic trick.

"First, we stabilize this lopsided battlefield—Command of the Strategist!"

With a wave of the fan, a surge of magical energy exploded across the entire battlefield. Though overwhelming, it was not destructive—it was a supportive skill, designed solely to awaken the soldiers' latent strength. And because it was unleashed in the name of the legendary strategist himself, its effectiveness reached the rank of A+.

[Command of the Strategist A+: At Rank A+, it has the power equivalent to instilling troops with the determination of soldiers who know they are going to die—driving them to fight unto their last breath.]

"OOOOHHHHH—!!"

In an instant, morale soared. Soldiers who had already reached their limits now fought with renewed, death-defying resolve.

"He changed the tide in a snap?! Who is this guy?!"

The officer's jaw dropped as he stared at the transformed battlefield, utterly speechless.

"Still not enough to close such a massive power gap, huh…"

Waver frowned. Even with the soldiers now fighting at their peak, the well-equipped undead were still formidable opponents one-on-one.

With a sigh, he called out toward the battlefield:

"I'm counting on you next—Rider!!"

"—Leave it to me, boy!!"

A bold roar thundered across the battlefield, accompanied by a deafening crack of divine lightning. Mounted on his divine chariot and commanding the thunder of Zeus, Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, descended like a storm.

"Rider—Iskandar, King of Conquerors! I shall now carve a path to victory! ALALALALALALALALA!"