DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fate/Extra or Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS. Both are products of Nasu and Konami respectively. Any relation to characters, living or dead, are purely coincidental.
Previously, on Fate/VRAINS!
The second round of the preliminaries has begun, and once again Hakuno Kishinami encounters another individual from the Moon Cell! Elizabeth Bathory has appeared, and declares war against Aoi Zaizen, with the intent on taking her place as the Idol of LINK VRAINS!
Blue Angel puts up an impressive offensive, but Elizabeth gives her no quarter and forces her back. The duel begins to reach its climax as she brings out her Ace Monster: Fallen Angel Lucifer. Can Blue Angel turn this match around?!
Only one way to find out! INTO THE VRAINS! ! !
Fate/VRAINS
Aoi felt as if she was staring at the bottom of a deep, pitch-black chasm. A chasm that was dragging her in. She felt her chest tighten and her breath become strained. Her body was shaking. Something was pushing her down. The air was cold. Her skin became drenched. Her knees startled to buckle from the pressure. It felt as if something was trying to force her down to her knees.
What-what is this...? she thought, struggling to stay on her feet as she looked at the towering monster that stood before her, glaring down at her like she was some sort of insult to its existence. This-this isn't normal. This feels like my duel with that Julius guy who was after Haku-chan!
"Well, pretender?" Elizabeth smiled wickedly as she looked on with great satisfaction. Oh, how her heart fluttered when she saw the terrified and stricken look on the poor girl's face! She could feel her cheeks starting to flush. "What do you think? Isn't my partner just beautiful?"
"Y-you..." Aoi stuttered. "What are you?"
"Hmhmhm~ Sorry, but you won't live to find out." The way she said that so casually made her body freeze up. The gleam in her opponent's eyes was inhuman and monstrous. It no longer felt like she was facing a regular opponent. Now she felt like she was being made forced to kneel before the Yama. "Now, why don't we continue with this banquet of blood?"
Realizing that she had to act quickly, lest she fall to defeat once again, Aoi swiped her arm through the air. "I activate Trickstar Divardis' Effect! When my opponent Normal or Special Summons a Monster, I can deal 200 damage to you!" Though frightened like her duelist, the Duel Monster put on a brave face and released a deafening scream that struck Elizabeth dead on, shaving her Life Points down ever closer to zero. In spite of this fact, she just continued to smile like the devil.
Elizabeth Bathory - 600 ~ 400 LP
"I also activate Trickstar Sweet Devil's Effect! When you take damage from a Trickstar Monster's Effect, I can lower the ATK of your monsters by 200 for every card next to Sweet Devil's Link Arrow! Tempting Melody!"
Sweet Devil waved her wand, creating a thin film of black aura that swept over the field, lessening the power of Elizabeth's monsters. It did nothing to ease the atmosphere. If anything, it seemed to grow even worse.
[Fallen Angel Tezcatlipoca: ATK 2000 ~ 1600]
[Fallen Angel of Paradise Lost: ATK 800 ~ 400]
[Fallen Angel Lucifer: ATK 3000 ~ 2600]
"Holly Angel's Effect! When you take damage from a Trickstar's Effect, she gains ATK equal to the damage!"
[Trickstar Holly Angel: ATK 3200 ~ 3400]
Unperturbed, Elizabeth continued forward. "I activate Fallen Angel Lucifer's Effect! When he's successfully Tribute Summoned, I can Special Summon Fallen Angel Monsters from my hand and/or deck, equal to the number of Monsters you have on your field!" Aoi's face was consumed by horror as Lucifer spread its wings, raising a hand, creating a black orb in its grasp before crushing it. Black portals opened up beside it, allowing two monsters to come crawling out. One was a muscular blue-skinned demon clad in red, half as tall as the winged being beside it, but no less fearsome as it wielded a wicked blade. On the other side was a black-winged being who's face was hidden behind a steel mask, wings popping out from either side of its head. "Introducing Fallen Angels Zerato and Asmodeus!"
[Fallen Angel Zerato / DARK / Level 8 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 2300]
[Fallen Angel Asmodeus / DARK / Level 8 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 2500]
Aoi gritted her teeth. She's filled up her whole field! None of them can destroy Holly Angel, but the rest of my monster's...! She had to defend them as much as she could. At the very least, if her monsters were going to be destroyed, she needed Holly. "Divardis, Sweet Devil and Holly Angel's Effects activate again!"
Elizabeth Bathory - 400 ~ 200 LP
[Fallen Angel Tezcatlipoca: ATK 1600 ~ 1200]
[Fallen Angel of Paradise Lost: ATK 400 ~ 0]
[Fallen Angel Lucifer: ATK 2600 ~ 2200]
[Fallen Angel Zerato: ATK 2800 ~ 2400]
[Fallen Angel Asmodeus: ATK 3000 ~ 2600]
[Trickstar Holly Angel: ATK 3400 ~ 3600]
"Reduce their ATK and shave off my Life Points all you want, pretender, it won't change anything!" Elizabeth waved her hand. "I activate Lucifer's second Effect! Once per turn, I send cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard, equal to the number of Fallen Angels I have out on my Field! For each Fallen Angel card sent to the Graveyard, I gain 500 LP!"
Aoi's eyes widened as she watched Elizabeth leisurely take out five cards from the top of her deck, waving them at her as if mocking her before the cards broke down into red pixels. Lucifer created another dark orb in its grasp and crushed it, its remains flowing into Elizabeth and repairing the damage done to her physical frame. Her hands balled into fists, cursing the woman in the depths of her heart.
"With the exception of one card, I sent four Fallen Angel cards to the Graveyard! I gain 2000 LP!"
Elizabeth Bathory - 200 ~ 2200 LP
"And as for my next trick, I activate Fallen Angel Zerato's Effect! I send a DARK Element Monster in my Hand to the Graveyard! Afterwards, all monsters on your field are destroyed!"
No! Aoi's heart cried as the demon swordsman's blade began to turn blood red. It shot forward, intending to cut them all down. In defiance, Aoi roared. "I activate my face-down! The Trap, Trickstar Sparkle! If any of my monsters are going to be destroyed, either by battle or by an Effect, I can negate their destruction and any damage dealt! Afterwards, you take 200 damage!"
It came at the nick of time. The blade had been swung and been blocked by a wall made of brilliant sparkling lights. It resisted and repelled its attacker before shooting out golden darts at Elizabeth, who looked more amused than anything else as she took the blow.
Elizabeth Bathory - 2200 ~ 2000 LP
"You really should have saved that card, Blue Angel..." A menacing tone had crept into her voice, Elizabeth's pupils shrinking to the size of pinpricks. Murderous intent had made itself present. "...because now, there's nothing left for you to defend yourself with! Let me show you! I activate Fallen Angel Tezcatlipoca's Effect! I pay 1000 of my Life Points to shuffle a Fallen Angel card into my deck and apply its Effect! The card is Fallen Angel of Temptation!" Aoi's eyes widened in horror. Elizabeth's fanged grin grew wider. "In case you've forgotten, this lets me take control of one of your Monsters until the end of your Turn! I target Trickstar Holly Angel!"
A repeat of what happened earlier in the Duel, and it still hurt. Now more than ever. Aoi could only watch as her monster and friend was overtaken by that phantasmal image of a winged woman, joining the ranks of Elizabeth's monsters.
She had no defenses. None of her monsters could defend against Holly Angel.
Her heart hammered in her chest. It was becoming more difficult to breath.
What...what is...
Elizabeth Bathory - 2000 ~ 1000 LP
"Now, then. Let's begin the slaughter!" Elizabeth cackled. "Battle! I attack Trickstar Sweet Devil with Fallen Angel Asmodeus!" The black-winged warrior ascended to the skies and raised its hands into the air, creating a ball of flame betwixt its hands. With a roar, it sent the fireball flying. Sweet Devil attempted to defend herself with her own magic, a ball of darkness, but it was overwhelmed. In the next moment, Sweet Devil was consumed by flames and exploded. The force of the blast nearly knocked Aoi off her feet. Her clothes suffered some damage as well, the skirt becoming torn and the shirt developing some tears along the torso and shoulder.
Blue Angel - 4500 ~ 3900 LP
"Then I attack Trickstar Divardis with Fallen Angel Zerato!" The strike came quick and without flare. In a single move, the demon struck the emerald-green fairy down and separated her torso from her lower half, reducing her to golden fragments.
Blue Angel - 3900 ~ 3300 LP
"And next up is Trickstar Lycorissica! Fallen Angel Lucifer! Darkness Hell Crash! !" Power charged the air as Lucifer flapped its winged, slowly raising and glaring down at Lycorissica, who cowered beneath its gaze. It ran its hand across its blade, coating it in a black aura before raising it into the air. The aura grew, extending high into the air before it brought its sword down upon Aoi's monster. It could offer up no defense at all and was obliterated. The strike sent Aoi flying through the air, screaming in pain as her body harshly fell back down to earth. Somehow, the blow had demolished one of her wings and tore off half of the other. One of her pigtails was severed.
Blue Angel - 3300 ~ 2600 LP
Elizabeth looked at Aoi's beaten form and suddenly shivered. A pleasant chill ran down her spine like a jolt of electricity. Her cheeks flushed. Oh, that was it! That was the look she was dying to see since she started this duel! That useless faker, down on the ground and on her knees! Beaten and shown how worthless she was! She couldn't get enough of it! She needed to see more! She wanted to bring Aoi Zaizen to the depths of despair!
"We aren't finished yet, Blue Angel! The show isn't over! I attack you directly with Fallen Angel Tezcatlipoca and Paradise Lost!"
Aoi managed to bring herself up to her feet, gritting her teeth while her avatar was repairing the damage done to its frame. She braced herself for the next attack, raising her arms in front of her face. Both monsters had created black spheres, similar to what Sweet Devil had done, and sent them her way. They struck and knocked her down flat on her back. The pain wasn't as bad as when Lucifer destroyed Lycorissica, but it still hurt.
Blue Angel - 2600 ~ 1000 LP
She's hit me with all of her monsters. That just leaves...
As she pulled herself up, only able to stand on a single knee, Aoi looked at Holly Angel. Its face was blank, devoid of emotion. It just stood there like a doll, being moved only when ordered. Her friend had been reduced to this pitiful state, and she couldn't do anything. Elizabeth had her pushed up against the wall. She couldn't see any way out of this. Was she going to lose?
Was she...going to die?
"Now then, why don't end this in a dramatic fashion?" Elizabeth said, performing a little twirl before she aimed a finger at Aoi. "Holly Angel! Attack Blue Angel directly!"
With the same blank expression, Holly Angel stepped forward and began to twirl the morning star around, ready to defeat her duelist. The crowd looked on with a mixture of shock and horror, some shielding their eyes to prevent them from seeing what might very well be a brutal execution. In the commentator's booth, Akira had bit the inside of his cheek, forcing his body to remain where it was and not stop this twisted recreation of her duel against Julius Harway. Aoi herself stared back, not looking away for even a moment, even as the morning star came straight down upon her.
It struck and the ground shattered, creating a giant plume of smoke that obscured the area. The crowd screamed.
TURN-14: RESOLUTION
[W-what in the world just happened...?!] MC #2 cried out in terror, face pale. [I thought Elizabeth's username was just for show, but she really is like the infamous Bathory! I've never seen this kind of brutality before! What is this, an Underground Duel?!]
[She completely turned the tables!] MC #1 seemed less horrified by what happened, but no less disturbed. [But I can't tell what's happening down there! Did Blue Angel take the hit?! Is she out?!]
Out on the stands, Hakuno's body was shaking. Tears were starting to swell in her eyes. No... she thought in horror, unable to look at the stage. No, p-please. Not again.
[H-how could she...?] Saber whispered, shocked by what had just happened. [I-I knew that Lancer could be cruel, but this...? This is too much. Even for her.]
[I'm more concerned about Aoi!] Archer growled. [Is she alright?!]
Everyone around her was in a frenzy. No one knew if Aoi was seriously injured or dead, or something else. She didn't dare look up, too scared to see what she thought could be the digital corpse of Hakuno Zaizen's sister. It wasn't impossible to kill someone in LINK VRAINS. It took serious effort, and Elizabeth was doing everything in her power to break Aoi down. She didn't understand this at all. Why was she being so cruel? Because she thought Aoi had stolen her spotlight as an idol? Because she thought she wasn't good enough?
Minutes went by. Finally, the smoke started to clear. "E-Emiya!" Onizuka cried. "Look!"
Hakuno forced her head to move and pried her eyes open against her better judgement. When Aoi came into view, she sobbed.
Elizabeth was laughing. In spite of the terror that was rushing through the spectators, she was laughing like a madman. The rush in her body wasn't fading. It just continued to grow.
This felt so exhilarating! This was just like the Holy Grail War! Those sweet memories came rushing back to her. The faces of her opponents, all broken down into bloody heaps while their Servants were impaled on her spear. It all made her tremble with delight. The sight of Aoi Zaizen's beaten body had brought her cathartic pleasure. Ever since she discovered the woman who stole her spotlight from her, she felt furious. This girl was putting forth no effort. She was just prancing around, half-heartedly putting on a show. She was pretending to be something she wasn't. "Half-assed" didn't even begin to describe what Aoi was doing.
Elizabeth wanted to pound the fact that she was superior to her into her body, and she had succeeded. She had proven that she was far better suited to the role of idol. Surely, these stupid squirrels and pigs, and even that pig who had become a Dead Face, had to realize now that she was the victor, right? That she could finally obtain the glory she sought that was denied from her from back then?
In the midst of her rapturous feeling, however, something cut through it like a knife. Something was missing from her grand victory.
"...why hasn't the announcement been made?"
If that girl's stupid monster's attack had connected, her Life Points should have been reduced to zero. That would mean this was her victory, right? Ending her laughter, she narrowed her eyes and tried to look through the smoke, but found that it was too dense. She had to wait until it dissipated.
When it did, her eyes bulged out of her sockets. A great shock ran through her body, followed by indignation. This was impossible. This just wasn't possible!
"H-how?!" she demanded, suddenly finding herself to be utterly livid. "How the hell are you still alive?!"
Holly Angel's attack had been stopped. Vines had wrapped around her body, preventing her from attacking any further. Faintly, the dissipating remains of a monster could be seen, but it was impossible. All of Aoi's monsters had been destroyed. The girl herself was still sitting on one knee, fruitlessly trying to catch her breath. Elizabeth was furious to see that the girl was unharmed and checked her Duel Disk to confirm if she had survived. To her disbelief, Aoi had not suffered any damage at all. Her Life Points remained the same as when she was struck by her Fallen Angel Tezcatlipoca and Fallen Angel of Paradise Lost.
"How the hell did you survive?!" Elizabeth snapped. She was close to frothing at this point. "Did you cheat?! You must have! You couldn't have survived your own ace's attack!"
Aoi gave a weak smile as she stood up on shaky legs, raising her Duel Disk. "I used...Trickstar Sparkle's Effect from the Graveyard." she revealed, shocking Elizabeth. "During the Battle Phase, I can banish it to Special Summon a Trickstar Monster from my Deck. Just before Holly's attack could connect, I Special Summoned Trickstar Mandrake in Defense Position! Meaning Holly's attack was redirected!"
Elizabeth's jaw became unhinged. Then fury swallowed her whole and let out a deafening cry of outrage.
[I don't believe it! She's still in the game!] MC #2 cried tears of joy, hugging his fellow master of ceremony in relief. [Blue Angel's survived Elizabeth Bathory's brutal assault!]
This can't be happening! This shouldn't even be happening at all! Elizabeth's mind raged like a demon, thrashing about while she stomped her foot like a child throwing a tantrum. I had it all planned out! I studied her cards and her strategy! She shouldn't have been able to survive this! What the actual fuck?! I can't believe this! My perfect win! My dramatic victory! Damn you, you little bitch! Oh, I swear, I'll make you pay tenfold for this!
But she couldn't achieve that now. As it stood now, she had used up all of her resources. With reluctance, she decided to end things here. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. She couldn't get worked up. This fight was still in the bag. It was just delayed, that was all. She could still win this. She just needed to wait until her next Turn, that's all!
"I set one card face-down and end my Turn. As of now, Fallen Angel of Temptation's Effect ends and Trickstar Holly Angel returns to your Field. This also means all of our monsters' ATK returns to normal. Fallen Angel of Paradise Lost's Effect also activates, giving me 500 LP for every Fallen Angel Monster on my Field."
Elizabeth Bathory - 1000 ~ 3500 LP
[Fallen Angel Tezcatlipoca: ATK 1200 ~ 2800]
[Fallen Angel of Paradise Lost: ATK 0 ~ 1600]
[Fallen Angel Lucifer: ATK 2200 ~ 3000]
[Fallen Angel Asmodeus: ATK 2600 ~ 3000]
[Trickstar Holly Angel: ATK 3600 ~ 2000]
"Since I used Fallen Angel Zerato's Effect, he leaves the Field." The demon bowed its head, sinking into the dark void below and vanishing from sight.
With Elizabeth's assault finally over, many breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Hakuno, for her part, was crying profusely and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. "T-thank goodness..."
Onizuka mistook her tears as tears of relief and shared in them, reclining in his seat with a hand over his chest. "I thought I was gonna have a heart attack... Blue Angel must have the devil's luck. Talk about being saved by the skin of your teeth!"
[As grateful as I am for her survival, I have reservations about how she will be able to survive this.] Saber said, concerned. Hakuno had to agree. Things looked quite bleak for her sister. [The only monster she has is Holly Angel, and Lancer's field is full of Monsters. Each one is stronger than the last.]
[There's also her Ace to worry about as well.] Archer gave his two cents on the matter, frowning. [It's presence is eerily similar to a Servant. It isn't a Heroic Spirit, but its power is dangerous. If she is struck down by that monster...]
"Don't finish that sentence." Hakuno begged her Servant, not wishing to think about it any further. All she could do was pray and hope for the best. "Please, be safe, Aoi-nee...!"
Akira, likewise, shared Hakuno's thoughts. He released a giant sigh, but the tension in his body hadn't dissipated in the least. He released his grip on his own knuckles and glared daggers at Elizabeth Bathory. Both because of the severe harm and injury she could have caused, along with the possibility that she intended to kill his sister right then and there, and because he knew for a fact that the level of destruction could only be caused if she had bypassed security regulations. He looked at his Duel Disk and opened up the console, inputting a few commands. If this girl was doing what he thought she was doing, then she was going to be regretting her life choices.
This is pretty bad... Aoi thought as she looked at her Deck and at her field. She couldn't imagine a worse scenario. True, she had been in no small amount of situations like this where victory seemed so uncertain, but this had to be the worst. She didn't know if she could push through this.
Yet that wasn't what made Aoi think about how bad things were. Elizabeth Bathory...as much as she hated to admit it, that girl was right. She had been playing the role of idol. Just pretending to be something she wasn't. True, that was part of the charm of LINK VRAINS - be something else and live a different life in the virtual world, but her role wasn't what she wanted. She just chose to be an idol because she thought it was cool. She didn't make any real efforts to fulfill the role she created Blue Angel for. Even when Hakuno came back into her life, she didn't try to make Blue Angel live up to the role of idol.
It was just an escape. A means to blow off steam. To forget that her sister was unconscious, with the idea she would never wake up.
When Hakuno woke up and showed an interest in becoming a duelist, she just used her avatar as a mean to make up for lost time. To just be a "duelist." Nothing more and nothing less.
When Elizabeth had accused her of not taking her role seriously... It hurt. Because she knew she had a point. Maybe that was why Aoi hadn't been taking this duel seriously at all. She just treated it like it was any other duel. She just thought this girl was jealous, but now she knew otherwise. She honestly thought that Aoi wasn't cutting it.
Looking at the situation, Aoi thought that she wouldn't win this. Yet even so, there was something in her heart that was urging her forward. A tiny voice that was screaming at her to continue, regardless of whether or not she would win. A strong breeze swept through the stadium, blowing up against her. It felt gentle and cool, swathing her wounds. A strange calmness washed over her. Oddly, she could have sworn she smelled roses in the passing breeze.
Aoi looked at the crowd. They were all eager to see what she would do. Some looked as if they knew she would lose. Others looked on with hope. In the middle of it all was Hakuno, staring at her. When their eyes met, her sister mouthed something. Something that made her heart flutter and her lips spread into a smile. Nodding to herself, she raised her arm.
"My Turn..."
This is it... This is my Destiny-!
"DRAW!"
She tore the card from her deck, and looked at it. Instantly, her hopes soared. She couldn't help but laugh cheerily, earning a scowl from Elizabeth. "What the heck's so funny?! What?! Do you think you suddenly have some kind of chance at winning?!"
"Damn right I do!" Aoi grinned, causing her to splutter. "But I'm not going to win this as Blue Angel! I'm winning this...as a seriously pissed off duelist!" The crowd roared in excitement. Blue Angel's counterstrike and path to victory was here. And Aoi was going to make sure everyone got a good look. And most of all, she wanted Hakuno to see it. Her burning resolve! "The Field Spell, Forest of Serenity, activates so I add a card from the bottom of my deck to my hand! I also activate my Field Spell, Trickstar Live Stage's Effect! Since you have a card set in your Spell & Trap Zone, I can summon a Trickstar Token!"
On cue, a tiny little fairy girl emerged, giving the audience a small wave and a grin before blowing a raspberry at Elizabeth, much to her ire.
[Trickstar Token / LIGHT / Level 1 / Fairy / ATK 0 / DEF 0]
"I activate Fallen Angel Tezcatlipoca's Effect!" Elizabeth called before Aoi could progress any further. She was still infuriated by her denied claim to victory, and even more so now that the girl suddenly thought she had a chance at victory. She didn't know what kind of card Aoi had drew, but she was not about to let this girl win. "I pay 1000 LP to send Fallen Angels Falling From Grace to my deck and apply its Effect! With this, I can destroy a card on your Field! I destroy Trickstar Holly Angel!"
Elizabeth Bathory - 3500 ~ 2500 LP
Unlike other times when Holly had been in danger, the two merely shared a knowing look with each other and saw each other off with a farewell as Aoi's monster was destroyed by a descending pillar of light that vaporized her in a mere instant. Thanking her friend, she raised her arms high into the air. "Come out, the circuit of dreams and hope!" she called, releasing a spark that shot up into the air, summoning the circuit. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 2 or lower Trickstar Monster! I set Trickstar Token into the Link Marker! Circuit Combine!" The tiny fairy shot up, becoming a whirlwind of light that slammed into the cursor, lighting it up. Moments later, the circuit was engulfed in light, allowing a new monster to descend onto Aoi's field, yellow-clad and wielding a staff with a giant acorn attached to the top. "Appear! Link Summon! Link 1! Trickstar Bloom!"
[Trickstar Bloom / LIGHT / LA: Bottom / ATK 100 / LINK-1]
Seeing this monster, Elizabeth scoffed. "I remember that pesky little fly from earlier! When its Link Summoned, you can me draw a card, right?"
"Glad you remembered." Aoi said with a mocking smile. "But I'm not using her Effect. Instead, I activate Live Stage's second Effect! Since I control a Trickstar Link Monster, I can Special Summon another Trickstar Token!" A second small little fairy appeared, dancing next to Bloom before it settled atop her shoulder. "Then I Normal Summon Trickstar Candina to the Field!" A blue portal opened up at her feet, revealing another fairy clad in a bright yellow dress, wielding a megaphone with a bright grin on her face.
[Trickstar Candina / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 1800 / DEF 400]
"When Candina is Normal Summoned, I can add a Trickstar card from my deck to my hand!" Aoi said as blue pixels formed into a card, which she gladly took into her hand before playing it almost immediately on her field. "Then I activate the Field Spell, Trickstar Light Arena! I target a set card on your Field and lock it down! Until the End Phase, you can't activate that card! When the End Phase is over, you have to activate that card, or send it back to your hand! This effect lasts for as long as Light Arena is on the field!"
Elizabeth's eyes widened, mouth opening and closing rapidly. Strangled noises came out, followed by angry gibberish that the idol duelist promptly ignored, even if it did provide her great satisfaction to hear.
"Once more, appear! The circuit of dreams and hope!" Aoi called for the circuit again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is two or more Trickstar Monsters! I set Trickstar Token, Candina and Bloom into the Link Markers! Circuit Combine!" Together, the three Trickstars danced into the air, becoming spears of light that joined the circuit. Moments later, it exploded into light. A new Trickstar monster appeared, settling down next to Aoi with a wide grin on its face. It wore a blue suit with white pants and a large tophat atop its mess of blue hair, wielding a silver staff in hand. "Appear! Link Summon! Link 3! Trickstar Devilphinium!"
[Trickstar Devilphinium / LIGHT / LA: Bottom-Left, Top, Bottom-Right / ATK 2200 / LINK-3]
[Whoa, hey now! What's this?!] MC #2 suddenly leaned in. [Everybody, listen! That's a new Trickstar Monster!]
"What?!" Elizabeth screeched. "How?! When could you possibly have added that card to your deck?!"
"Since when I dueled my adorable little sis, that's when!" Aoi huffed. "And as of this moment, Bathory, it's showtime! Trickstar Light Arena's Effect! When I successfully Link Summon a Trickstar Monster, I can Special Summon one of that monster's Link Materials in Defense Position, with its Effects sealed! I Special Summon Trickstar Candina next to Devilphinium's Link Arrow!" Spotlights shined next to the monster. In a puff of smoke, appearing with a wide smile was Candina, who waved at her audience that was now brimming with excitement.
Everything was set. It was now, or never. What happened next was for Fate to decide!
"Battle!" Aoi roared. "I attack Fallen Angel of Paradise Lost with Trickstar Devilphinium! As of this moment, I activate Devilphinium's Effect! When I declare an attack while there's a Trickstar next to her Link Arrows, I can add any Trickstar cards I banished back to my hand, up to the number of Link Monsters you control! For every banished card I add to my hand, Devilphinium gains 1000 ATK! You only have one Link Monster, so I add one banished Trickstar card back to my Hand! Devilphinium's ATK is raised by 1000!"
A surge of power suddenly flowed through the arena. The Trickstar's smirk turned devilish as she spun her staff around, tipping her hat while gathering all the power that was steadily increasing in her body.
[Trickstar Devilphinium: ATK 2200 ~ 3200]
Elizabeth started to sweat nervously. She hadn't expected this girl to pull off a trick like this, but she wasn't about to lose heart. "E-even if you increase your little squirrel's ATK, it won't be enough to wipe out all of my Life Points!"
"You sure about that?" Elizabeth gasped at Aoi's confident remark. Her smile grew. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Trickstar Bouquet! By returning a Trickstar Monster on my Field to my Hand, another Trickstar gains ATK equal to that Monster! I return Trickstar Candina to my Hand, and in turn, raise Devilphinium's ATK by 1800!"
Elizabeth's heart - and chance of victory, plummeted to rock bottom. "WHAT?!"
[Trickstar Devilphinium: ATK 3200 ~ 5000]
All confidence and bravado was gone in an instant. Sweat poured down her face like waterfall and tears fell from her face. "W-wait! Stop! Hold it! Time out!" she begged. "Hold on a second! Uncle! Wait a minute!"
"I'm paying you back tenfold for that asskicking you gave me earlier! Now shut up and take it!" Aoi glared at her as she aimed a finger at her before sentencing her to defeat. "DIVINE PUNISHMENT! !"
With no means of defending herself, Elizabeth watched helplessly as Trickstar Devilphinium released the build-up of power, summoning a giant sphere of energy and sent it flying, straight at her weakest monster. It offered only a feeble resistance and was ultimately destroyed. Its destruction was followed by the other monsters, creating a giant powerful explosion that rocked the whole field. Elizabeth let out a high-pitched wail as her body suddenly went flying, straight into the sky. Higher and higher she went until she became a dot in the distance, disappearing altogether.
Elizabeth Bathory - 2500 ~ 0 LP
YOU WIN! ! !
The crowd exploded into unanimous cheers and applause. Fireworks went off in celebration for her victory, despite this only being the second round of the preliminaries. Aoi grinned herself something silly as she raised a fist in victory before she suddenly felt all the adrenaline in her body leave. She collapsed to her knees, short of brief and sweating.
I haven't felt this tired in a while... she thought as she looked up at the sky. When's the last time I dueled for myself...?
[AMAZING! What an incredible turnabout!] MC #1 cheered at the top of his lungs as he performed a happy dance inside the booth, much to the amusement of his colleagues. [Elizabeth Bathory was a vicious opponent and practically had Blue Angel on the ropes, but the Idol of LINK VRAINS has emerged victorious! She's defended her throne from this would-be usurper, and what a splendid victory! I dare say, it's gonna be hard to top this!]
[On that, we agree! Oh, what a moment...] MC #2 suddenly stopped when a holographic screen opened up on his terminal. Reading it, his eyes widened in disbelief. [What in the name of...?! Everybody, listen to this! We just received word! It turns out our challenger, Elizabeth Bathory, has been illegally tampering with the damage softener in the arena! This means she was dangerously close to actually killing Blue Angel through sheer physical trauma!] As one might expect from this sort of news, the crowd reacted negatively to this and began to boo. [As per the rules and guidelines, Elizabeth Bathory is hereby disqualified from the VRAINS International Tournament, and her account will be banned until further notice! While we're at it, somebody send in the Therapy Center!]
The Therapy Center was more or less the online version of paramedics. In the are event that a digital avatar had sustained serious damage to the point where it could be considered life-threatening for someone in the real world, these people were called in to take care of the victim and also care to them in real life as well, if the damage was very bad.
In a few minutes, the Therapy Center had arrived on the scene and settled Aoi on a stretcher. As she was pulled away, Hakuno let out a giant sigh of relief. [I'm glad she's okay...] Saber said, sharing in her master's joy. [And what a magnificent victory! Umu! I shall reward Aoi Zaizen properly when we meet face to face! Do you believe a kiss shall suffice?]
[Please don't.] Archer deadpanned. [The last thing we need is for her to be traumatized.]
[And what does that mean?! Explain yourself, bowman!]
She giggled silently to herself, listening to her two Servants bicker. Somehow, they always managed to help lighten the mood. Even still, she was worried about her sister. Onizuka seemed to understand her worry and let her go without a word, leaving her to rush after the Therapy Center.
Akira would have loved to do the same, but he could not due to being in the commentator's booth. His job was once again preventing him from being with his siblings, but that did not mean he couldn't express his concerns. He sent a message to Hakuno, asking her to look after Aoi for the time being until he managed to get an opportunity.
Elizabeth Bathory's tampering with the system had led to a temporary delay. Fortunately, it also called for a short break as well. Akira was able to slip out for a short amount of time, though he would have to return when it was time to continue the festivities. He had also asked for any developments on Elizabeth Bathory's case, as she would no doubt be brought in for questioning. After what happened today, he was going to make damn sure that woman payed for what she tried to do. No matter what reasons she might have had, she had gone too far.
For the time being, though, there was another matter he needed to look into. Since he had the opportunity, he opened up the terminal on his Duel Disk, making an important business call. He didn't have to wait very long, as the recipient answered after only two rings.
"Akira Zaizen." the blue-haired woman on his screen, dressed in a very skimpy bikini with a damp hoodie draped over her shoulders and sunglasses, greeted amicably. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I'm sorry for calling out of the blue like this, Queen." Akira answered with respect. After all, this was the president of SOL Technologies he was speaking to. Any wrong misstep, and he might find himself in a very deep hole. One he wouldn't be able to pull himself out of. "But there's been some developments I thought you should be made aware of."
"I assume this has to do with Hakuno Kishinami Zaizen and Shinji Matou?" Akira's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting her to already know about Matou. Seeing his expression, Queen gave a small smirk. "I like to keep an eye on my investments, Zaizen."
Her words had convinced him of his suspicions. Ever since he learned that Hakuno had been using the scrapped Moon Cell archtype, cards that were canned despite having been fully fleshed out and designed for release in just a few days, he wondered why SOL Technologies hadn't made any move to confiscate it. It was even stranger still when he learned that Hakuno had obtained said deck when Aoi had given her the prototype model for the current gen Duel Disk. He was not aware that the deck was inside that Duel Disk, especially since he had the terminal purely by chance from a coworker before they left the company. This had been when the current generation model had been released to the market.
He had a few ideas as to why Hakuno still had the Moon Cell cards. And Queen had confirmed them for him. "...I see." he closed his eyes, keeping his tone respectful and clipped. "Then the reason why our company hasn't made any attempts to take back the archtype..."
"Was because of me." Queen confirmed for him. "I admit, when I heard that there was someone using Professor Pierceman's magnum opus, I was surprised. But I allowed her to continue using it, if only to record her data."
"Was that all?"
This was very dangerous. He was practically overstepping his boundaries by making inquiries like this. And Queen was not known for her mercy. She fought and bled for SOL Technologies in order to get to where it was now, even going so far as to go to corporate warfare with the Kaiba Corporation. It was a reckless move, especially considering that Kaiba Corp was still as big a juggernaut as it always had been, even though the man who had brought it back from the brink of death, Seto Kaiba, had long since passed away. Perhaps it was by a stroke of luck or something else, but Queen had succeeded. Sharp, cunning and dangerous. That was the sort of woman she was.
Thankfully for him, Queen didn't seem bothered by his pressing for answers. Instead, she answered his question with another one. "Zaizen. What do you know about the Father of LINK VRAINS? Twice H. Pierceman?"
"He was brilliant." Akira answered almost immediately, if a little confused. Why would she be asking him about what he knew about the creator and designer of LINK VRAINS? "One of the most brilliant minds in the world. Professor Pierceman initially wanted to use LINK VRAINS for medical purposes, such as mental health welfare, as well as practical uses such as military training and whatnot."
"And like most, he died to illness. Of course, even today, his lectures and seminars are held in high standards." Queen continued. "But, there is one thing most people don't know about that man." She lowered her sunglasses, revealing her eyes. Cold, sharp and glaring back at him like the stare of the judge of Hell. "Twice H. Pierceman was dangerous because of his intellect. I could name several dozen people who feared his intellect, especially when they discovered what he intended to use LINK VRAINS for when it was decided it would be the newest battleground for Duel Monsters."
Akira frowned. "What he intended...?"
"Zaizen, what I am about to tell you is not to leave your mouth. If you breathe a word of this to anyone..." Akira nodded, fully aware of her threat. Seeing that he understood, the woman then explained in full. "Before he died, Twice H. Pierceman had created a blackbox within LINK VRAINS. The Secret Area that has been highly sought after by SOL Technologies and hackers alike. Inside that Secret Area is the "core" of LINK VRAINS itself. Even though we manage and maintain LINK VRAINS, we can't access all of its functions. It's also why our ability to update it is also very difficult. However, if we were to gain access to the Secret Area and the "core", we would have full control over the digital world. The problem inherent, however, comes from the fact that the Secret Area will only allow someone who has a specific set of coding in their avatar to access it. Coding that SOL has no means of replicating."
Akira's eyes widened. "What...?"
"When we learned that your youngest sister came into possession of the Moon Cell archtype, some of my colleagues feared that the late Professor Pierceman's experiment - that is to say, to give full control over LINK VRAINS to the millions of people who dive in and out of this digital world - was being continued. More than that, Hakuno Kishinami Zaizen's avatar, Emiya, somehow possesses the coding needed to access the Secret Area that Pierceman built. In other words, Zaizen, she is the key SOL needs to control LINK VRAINS."
Queen didn't see it, or perhaps she ignored it, but Akira's hand had balled into a fist. His shoulders had started to tremble. "...I see. So you let Hakuno roam free, under the idea that she would somehow be able to find the Secret Area for us?"
"That, and we gain valuable data from her duels. You aren't aware of this, but the data inside the Moon Cell archtype contains samples of the Cyberse data that we have been harvesting these last four years. It's a theory, but the "core" may have access to Cyberse data material. Enough for us to continue some of our more...important business ventures." Finished, Queen leveled a harsh glare at Akira. "I trust you now understand the importance of what I've just told you?"
"Yes."
"Good. One other thing. This...Elizabeth Bathory. When you've detained her, inform me immediately. I wish to speak with that one personally."
"Understood." The call ended there. Akira stood there for a full minute before his features twisted. In a burst of emotion, he slammed his fist into the wall. "Damn her!"
Near the outskirts of the ruined cityscape that was part of LINK VRAINS' many dueling fields, Elizabeth Bathory had come crashing down with an earth-shaking thud. By all rights, even with the damage softener programs cranked up to max, the impact should have killed her. Yet somehow, despite landing face-first, she was perfectly fine. Her clothes were all roughed up, but she was fine.
Well, mostly. She was half-buried in the ground, her legs flailing wildly.
"HHHHHHRRRRRRMMMMPH!"
With immense strength, Elizabeth tore herself out from the hole. She coughed haphazardly, feeling her throat burning from having swallowed some dirt when she hit the ground. Tears stung her eyes. "Owwwie..." she grimaced as she rubbed her face. "That hurt..." She took a look at her surroundings. "What the-where the heck is this?"
"We're on the outskirts of LINK VRAINS. Just close to the Ruined City field." With a frightened yelp, Elizabeth shot up to her feet and whipped out her lance to prepare for battle. To her disappointment, it was BB, who approached her from behind with a look of annoyance. "It looks like you lost. Not like I expected anything different."
"Eh?" It took Elizabeth's brain a hot minute to remember how this happened. She had been thrown straight out of the stadium thanks to that Aoi Zaizen woman's attack. When that registered in her mind, realization sunk in. "I...lost?" Tears once again began to spill down her face. "N-no...no no no! This wasn't how things were supposed to go!" Collapsing to her knees, the tears turned into thick rivers and her voice became a shrill screech. "Nooooo! I was supposed to win! I had everything in the palm of my hand! I learned everything I could about that stupid squirrel! Her techniques, mannerisms, her deck! EVERYTHING! So how could I have lost?!"
BB's face scrunched into disgust. "Will you shut up? Listening to you scream on and on is becoming annoying." she said harshly, folding her arms beneath her ample bosom. "And stop your whining. Sessyoin says it's time."
"W-what?" Elizabeth sniffled. "What's that mean?"
"It means that this world...no longer has a purpose for us."
Trickstar Sparkle / Trap / Normal / If a face-up "Trickstar" monster(s) you control would be destroyed by battle or card effect, negate the destruction of that monster(s), and if you do, inflict 200 damage to your opponent's LP. During the Battle-Phase: You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 "Trickstar" monster from your deck.
COMING UP!
Elizabeth Bathory is defeated! With this dangerous foe now out of the picture, it seems as if the VRAINS International Tournament will continue as planned! But at this moment, all hell breaks loose! Now, from here on, the stakes are higher than ever! Now Hakuno faces a greater challenge than even the likes of Twice H. Pierceman and his Servant! At long last, the fated battle draws closer!
? ? ?: TURN-15: PURGATORY. Hmph, so the festivities have finally started? Well then, do your best to entertain me. You might capture my interest, mongrel.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Special thanks go to Donjusticia for help in creating the duel, as well as beta-ing.
I am very sorry about the late chapter, everyone. As I explained in the author's note for the new chapter of "Parabellum Bullet" I got a pink slip from my job at work and wasn't having much luck in finding a new job. I was in a dark headspace for a while, but everything's better now. I got a job at a pharmacy thanks to a friend of mine. It doesn't pay much, but it does help me pay the rent for my apartment.
Anyway, with this chapter, we will officially be done with the tournament mini-arc and move on to the main story. The final arc for "Season 0."
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to CCC.
Also, before any of you ask about the preview...yes. "He" will be featured very soon. How soon, I can't say. But know this. You will kneel before him.
The King demands nothing less.
REVIEWS
Gilgamesh The King of Heroes: Rest assured, your majesty. You will get your time to shine. This mongrel just asks you be patient.
Boyzilla: Yeah, there is a lot to remember about these duels. It's also kind of what makes them so daunting to write. But I feel I am up to the challenge. And Caster will appear soon. She'll just...have some problems when we do get to her. If you recall CCC, you might know what kind of problems. And before you ask, said problems did not involve the Tamamo Nine.
ENDDRAGON369: Darklord Morningstar is the localized name. I prefer using the original names, unless there's wording in the cards' effects to consider.
Guest (Hi): Glad you loved the chapter!
BraveWolf13: Elizabeth technically broke the rules herself in Fate/Extra CCC, but to understand that story, you would either need to find someone who's been translating the game or know Japanese. Thankfully, there is a YouTuber doing god's work by translating CCC. I haven't gotten around to watching his playthroughs yet, though.
Guest (Student): More like Aoi changing up her duel style. This Duel is going to be a massive wake-up call for her, in that she needs to realize that her usual style of dueling isn't going to work anymore. Not when everyone knows her deck and how she uses it. By all rights, Aoi won this by the skin of her teeth.
Guest (SOLOMON): You won't have to wait much longer. We're nearing the endgame, my friend.
Guest (AllSummon): Yeah. I'll have to go back and edit Yusaku's duel, since its clear that other Summoning Methods do exist. To be honest, though, I was NOT expecting Yusaku to reintroduce Ritual Summoning. I haven't seen that in a long time. If there is going to be a new summoning method to be introduced to VRAINS, it will most likely be Pendulum Summoning. Unless even that's included.
goomyiscute777: No. She is strictly her own villain. The Knights of Hanoi do consider her an enemy, however.
bulk Locke the the grim head: I honestly like the Fate/EXTRA Portrayal of Shinji. Admittedly, he's still kind of a douche, but at least here he has a reason for acting that way. And he isn't a total scumbag. He's already gone through some of his own character development in his original world, hence why he's more likable with the rest of the cast.
Guest (Girlzilla): Yet Aoi still managed to pull over a win, if only barely. And this will be the start of some very early character development for her.
ThePLOThand: Could have worded the card effect better, to be honest. And this will hardly be the best duel you'll see. I have one duel in mind, and I dare say that, if Donjusticia helps me with it...it will be a duel to remember for the ages.