"Rider—Iskandar, King of Conquerors, now charging the path to victory!!"

Harnessing his Noble Phantasm Gordius Wheel, he unleashed a crushing charge. With each thunderous stomp of the divine bulls, violet lightning erupted, and the chariot's wheels roared like thunder, each impact unleashing a storm of lightning that multiplied the attack's range many times over.

As though a war god had descended, the battlefield was instantly overturned by the thunderous onslaught. Of course, this wasn't solely the might of the King of Conquerors. The Egyptian soldiers now fought with burning resolve, bolstered by the combined effects of Command of the Strategist A+, Charisma A, and Military Tactics B—three powerful support skills.

Arriving belatedly with the elite reinforcements from the capital, Seto was completely stunned by the sight before him. It wasn't just the surreal clash of humans against undead—it was the sheer, death-defying strength in the soldiers' eyes, and the overwhelming dominance of Iskandar commanding the field like a true king.

"So… this is the 'reliable reinforcements' His Majesty spoke of…"

Reliable was an understatement—this wasn't just dependable; it was a one-man army.

What Seto didn't know was that, due to her limited soul reserves, Hoshino had ordered the summoned seven Servants to minimize use of their Noble Phantasms to conserve mana. Had they been free to unleash their full might—especially Ionioi Hetairoi—the casualties at Ksois would have been far fewer.

"Yo, the capital's priest finally shows up."

Having finished buffing Iskandar and letting him run wild, Waver stepped down from the command bastion to greet Seto.

"As you can see, the situation at Ksois is now under control. But the real problem lies elsewhere."

Egypt, built along the lifeline of the Nile, had cities spread across both its eastern and western banks. Ksois lay on the western side—the sector Waver and Iskandar had come to defend.

"The real issue is Port Said on the eastern side. Reports say the enemy has summoned Spirit Beasts there. If you're planning to provide support, you'd better get your men across the Nile immediately."

Port Said—one of Egypt's most important port cities—sat at the junction of Africa, Asia, the Mediterranean, and the Red Sea. As a vital economic and trade hub, it was both strategically and tactically fortified.

The enemy clearly understood its importance. Unlike other towns, Port Said could not be taken easily, so they weren't holding back—they had even unleashed Spirit Beasts.

"Not just undead, but Spirit Beasts as well…" Seto's expression tightened. If their only edge was the ability to summon Spirit Beasts, and the enemy now possessed the same power, that advantage was effectively gone.

With a crisp snap of his fingers, Waver lit a second cigarette and took a deep drag.

"Don't worry. Master has already dispatched the top three Servants to support Port Said. This is the decisive turning point of the campaign—what we strategists call the Battle of Tennozan. We seize the initiative here, and we can take back the occupied cities."

"Battle of Tennozan, huh…"

Though Seto didn't recognize the reference, the charisma in Waver's words stirred a strange trust in him.

"Understood! I will cross the Nile and reinforce Port Said at once!"

Waver exhaled a ribbon of smoke, gazing toward the smoke-darkened horizon.

"The undead of Atlantis, silent for millennia, have now crawled back to defile the land… What kind of storm will unfold on this stage of the dead?"

(***)

Shadow Game Space

"What a breeze. The Millennium Scales and Millennium Key are in my hands. Do you still think you have any chance of winning?"

Dark Bakura, now growing bolder—almost playful—spoke in a mocking tone, eager to see Hoshino's usually composed face twist in frustration.

"No need for you to yap about it. I can see it myself."

From her godlike vantage point via the sand table map, Hoshino had already noticed Shada and Karim's defeat. While it wasn't unexpected, what was surprising was that Thief King Bakura had not killed them. The fact that he spared their lives was… unusual.

Even though this was a singularity, death here was still absolute. If someone died in this world, then even after history was restored, fate would ensure that death occurred in reality—perhaps through illness or accident.

That was why Hoshino had been constantly monitoring the battlefields, tracking soldier casualties and calculating how many could be lost without collapsing Egypt's historical foundation. Enough people needed to survive to preserve this point in history.

"Please… my other self… at least until this Shadow Game ends, hold off the Orichalcos assault."

Noticing that Hoshino seemed to be ignoring him, Bakura grew irritated and raised his voice.

"Right now, I possess over half of the Millennium Items. Once I embed them into the stone tablet, you'll witness the ultimate secret of this world—the pinnacle of darkness!"

"The pinnacle of darkness?"

That phrase finally caught Hoshino's attention. She tore her gaze from the map to look at Bakura.

"Hmph. Summoning Zorc Necrophades, the Dark One! That is the true purpose of the Millennium Items and the stone tablet! Once all seven are embedded, the ultimate god of darkness will descend and bring this Game to its end!"

Zorc Necrophades?!

A name both familiar and ominous. Hoshino vividly remembered what Eresh had told her when she had returned battered and shaken from the underworld—about Zorc Necrophades.

The true ruler of the Underworld in this world—the embodiment of darkness that governs both life and death. According to Ereshkigal at the time, this Dark Evil God vanished 3,000 years ago, leaving behind a hollow, chaotic underworld.

"So that's it! The Dark Evil God from 3,000 years ago in Egypt… the seven Millennium Items… the stone tablet that holds them… This whole Game is actually a ritual to resurrect Zorc Necrophades!"

Hoshino suddenly understood. Why collecting all seven Millennium Items would open the path to Egypt 3,000 years ago—everything now made sense.

"If the Millennium Items hide such a secret… then Bakura—who has been chasing them all this time—what are you, really?"

She realized she had been overlooking a crucial point. While Thief King Bakura was the past life of Ryou Bakura, the Bakura standing before her—like Yami Yugi—was split into two distinct identities.

If the Thief King was the past self of "Light Bakura," then what exactly was "Dark Bakura"?

"Hehehe… talking to someone smart really is easy. I might even be starting to like you, Hoshino~"

Dark Bakura licked his lips in a disturbingly playful way, his eyes radiating both chilling darkness and twisted interest.

"—I am Zorc Necrophades, the Dark Evil God!"

The declaration sounded like the title of an over-the-top light novel, yet instead of fear or shock, Hoshino felt only an eerie calm—the kind born from finally solving a long-standing mystery.

Dark Bakura caught her contemplative look and smirked.

"Oh? You're not surprised to learn my true identity? As expected. Then how about this?"

Before the Millennium Tablet, Thief King Bakura inserted both the Millennium Scales and Millennium Key. More than half of the Items were now connected, unleashing a powerful surge of dark energy.

"Once four Millennium Items are embedded, Diabound receives nearly half of my dark power, along with a world-breaking ability—Infinite Division & Multiplication!"

Absorbing the tablet's power, Diabound split cleanly down the middle, transforming into four separate, fully independent entities.

"Tch. So what if there are two extra Diabounds? That's your 'world-breaking' power?"

But her words cut short as she saw on the sand table map—the four Diabounds had just turned into eight.

"With this ability, every Diabound will divide into a new copy every ten minutes. Surely, with your intellect, you can imagine what comes next, Hoshino?"

Her calm expression finally broke. If what Dark Bakura said was true, and Diabound doubled every ten minutes…

After 1 hour (60 minutes): 32 Diabounds.

After 2 hours (120 minutes): 4,096 Diabounds.

And a ride from the capital to the southern Valley of the Kings at top speed would take at least two hours.

…

After 5 hours (300 minutes), the number would surpass 100 million.

Beyond that, they'd multiply in the hundreds of millions. At such a scale, not even the gods could turn the tide.

Resting his chin on his palm, Dark Bakura looked playfully at Hoshino's furrowed brow.

"So tell me, Hoshino—do you still think the Pharaoh can stand against me? I could simply sit here and wait for the rest of the priests to die at my feet and bring me the remaining Millennium Items. Or I could let the Diabounds multiply until no army could possibly stop them—then launch my final assault on the capital. Either way, I've already won!"

"Oh? Already won, have you?" Hoshino's voice was thoughtful.

Judging by his tone, Dark Bakura didn't seem to know that Hoshino Alter, capable of summoning Heroic Spirits, was still in the Game. Nor was he aware of the northern battlefield, where the Orichalcos army was clashing with Egypt's defenses.

In war, information was as vital as soldiers or weapons—and sometimes even more decisive. Used correctly, this intel could still turn the tide.

The true deadline was three hours. If the number of Diabounds exceeded one million, their last hope of reversing the situation would be gone.

(***)

Northern Front — Port Said

Following Waver's advice, Seto led his reinforcements to the battlefield—and immediately spotted two blazing streaks: one red, one green.

"Okita, you're slowing down! Aren't you supposed to be the battlefield killer? I've already killed more than you~"

Oda Nobunaga, wielding a matchlock gun, fired bursts of gunpowder and smoke that bloomed like crimson lotus flowers amid the undead hordes.

"Ugh! Nobu, you're cheating! Just because you can fire lasers doesn't mean you get to act all high and mighty!"

Okita Soji, despite her low stats and mana cost, had been chosen by Hoshino Alter for her unmatched efficiency and surprising combat effectiveness. While Nobunaga thrived in chaotic slaughter, Okita's strength lay in swordsmanship—movements too swift for the eye to follow—tracing silver arcs through the battlefield.

"—Mumyō Sandan-Zuki!"

As the only Servant Hoshino Alter allowed to freely use her Noble Phantasm—mainly because it looked unimpressive and supposedly cost little—Okita spammed it without shame.

"Mumyō Sandan-Zuki! Mumyō Sandan-Zuki! Pffft!"

Okay, you're definitely just using your NP like it's a basic attack now.

"So these are two of the top three reinforcements the Strategist spoke of?"

Seto had only seen two of them, but their sheer presence, combined with Port Said's already formidable defenses, was quickly stabilizing the battle.

However, the true threat here wasn't the undead—it was the Spirit Beast Waver had warned about.

[Orichalcos Gigas ★★★★ (Level 4)] [??] [?/Effect] [ATK 400 / DEF 1500]

[When this card is destroyed, you can Special Summon it immediately.]

This self-resurrecting beast had already given Hoshino's group plenty of trouble. Okita decapitated it in a flash—but moments later, its massive body regenerated completely.

"Tch, I hate undead types like this," Okita growled, her breathing ragged after failing a third time to keep it down.

"Then, Okita—since this thing insists on coming back!"

Nobunaga leapt onto the monster's massive body, planting her boot squarely on its ugly head.

"—Let's keep smashing it until it can't come back! FUSION, NOW!!"