Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth

by DivadX

Yuhiro Furutani, one of 8 children kidnapped 10 years ago by an unknown group, now works as Raguel, an agent in LINK VRAINS' Black Market. One day, he fights the Knights of Hanoi and encounters Playmaker, who becomes his newest assignment. Follow Yuhiro as he now must decide who he wants to become: as both a duelist and as an individual.

40. Chapter 40: A New Start

Response to Reviews

Thank you to Damon, Pikachu99, E.T. 2000, HunterHQ, Noobmaster, Anonymous, Guest, Ambiguous, Unnamed, Unknown, ZarcEternal, Guest, Guest, Anonymous, Unnamed, Guest, Guest, Unknown, and Guest for reviewing Chapter 39 of Obscured Truth.

Hello again, everyone! As always, I hope you're safe and healthy wherever you are. Based on your positive reviews, I can tell that you enjoyed Azrael's official debut in the previous chapter, which makes me happy! I do hope you enjoy the chapter's that are to come!

There was one point I forgot to mention regarding the Cychaic archetype: The Cychaic monsters are composed of gladiator beasts from Rome, while the Extra Deck monsters are composed of legendary warriors from Rome, as well as Roman gods and goddesses.

Anyways, let's start with answering some reviews:

Damon: The Black Ignis, Wraith, appeared in Chapter 35.

Pikachu99: Cychaic Spartacus' design was not based off of Sportacus. His appearance was based off of him from Fate Apocrypha. As I mentioned in the previous chapter, the Cychaic archetype focuses on non-targeted destruction. This means it can bypass Cyberse Magician, Clock Dragon, and Quantum Dragon's effects that limit it. But yes, I do agree that Playmaker gets some benefit from the destruction of some Cyberse monsters. As for Yukage's name, it means "Seriousness, thought, intuition, intent, and wisdom".

E.T. 2000: You are correct. Cychaic Spartacus' appearance is based off of the one from Fate Apocrypha (not Sportacus. Honestly, why's everyone calling him that?). Glad you not only liked Lightning and Wraith's interaction, but that you liked the opening and ending as well. As for your other inquiries, I can confirm them right now: There will be two new bounty hunters, and I do intend on Windy's origin to officially appear in this season.

HunterHQ: While there will be tension between Quinton and Go, I don't intend on them dueling against one another. Quinton will have his chance to shine though, so don't worry. The Bits and Boots were programmed to prevent anyone from entering Lightning's palace, be it Ignis or human. I know for a fact they recognized Azrael and Wraith as human and Ignis, so don't worry. Cychaic Romulus and Remus' stats are shown in the Card Gallery in Chapter 39 if you're curious. Azrael's Genius Loci is basically a small stone statue, while Specter's Genius Loci is a seed that grows to the Sunavalon monsters. If there is a Cychaic monster based on Julius Caesar, I might have him sit on a throne. For Azrael to do what he did to free Ace and Athaliah, he underwent a lot of training. As for your last inquiry, I'm not going to answer it just yet.

Noobmaster: My best guess was that Lightning corrupted Windy following the second attack on the Cyberse World. In the three days prior to Ace and Athaliah's rescue, Azrael had to plan out where they were held, where they were getting transported to, and how to rescue them. Meanwhile, Roxy and Herald were doing Specter and Revolver's profiles (read Roxy's Reports 17 if you're confused). You'll find out who Monty's client is in Chapter 43. Chapter 44 will show the existence of the black market's Gamma branch, which means there's more than one branch in the black market. The katana Yukage uses in LINK VRAINS is the same one he uses in real life. To answer your other question, Azrael didn't let Lightning control Ace and Athaliah. He made a deal with him that basically went like this: "We may be on the same side, but you keep to your sphere of influence and I'll do the same". That was one of Azrael's conditions for helping Lightning. Any humans that he recruited were under his protection. Hydradrive Nagini is a rather special Hydradrive monster for Haru, who will get a few more special monsters, as well as a few other cards that will help him differentiate his dueling style compared to Bohman.

Anonymous: Ace and Athaliah were caught immediately following the events of the Tower of Hanoi. And yes. Yuhiro does have his work cut out for him.

Guest: Anything can happen in this season. That's all I'll tell you.

Ambiguous: Yukage's sword is a real thing, that I'll tell you. And you ship Ace and Athaliah together? Um... I don't know how to respond to that.

Unnamed: I think during the three months, Takeru met Flame, went through his 'reincarnation' phase, and is bonding with him as we speak. And this occurs before they go to Den City. As I indicated above, other than the Alpha branch, there's the Gamma branch, which raises the possibility of there being other branches in the black market. To answer your question, yes: Ace and Athaliah were arrested following the Tower of Hanoi event.

Unknown: Nice reference to the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie. If I can give you a tip, it's this: Big things come in small packages. Yukage destroyed the phone recording him and Wraith break Ace and Athaliah out, as well as the poor truck driver. Even if Ace and Athaliah interrogated Azrael, they wouldn't get a single piece of intel out of him. As for your other questions, I do plan on a scene for SengokuQueen and Rosetta. Just not for this chapter.

ZarcEternal: Beyond happy you enjoyed this chapter. The name of Azrael's archetype comes from the word "Archaic", which means "very old or old-fashioned". As for Spartacus, I needed a monster that could rival Hercules.

Guest: Athaliah's last name is Kuraishi. Also, Ace's program that gave Basilius life only applied in the network. Both Ace and Athaliah didn't have their Duel Disks with them, so you could say Wraith modified the virus to his specifications. As for your other thoughts, you'll just have to read on.

Guest: Azrael and Wraith will not fuse. That I will confirm right now. Besides, Azrael already has a transformation, which was shown in Chapter 39.

Anonymous: Baira's definitely going to feel more guilty upon learning that the Another virus is being used by the Ignis now. Also, if Lightning tried to do anything to Azrael, then he'd regret it big time.

Unnamed: Lightning is not the Crisis Watchman was talking about. Each enemy that appears is merely a stepping stone towards the grand event.

Guest: Are you suggesting a cooking competition, perhaps? Hmm...

Guest: Remember: The story's supposed to go past Season 2 and 3, so anything can happen in Season 2 of the story. I don't think Ai will have a Link 8 because he already made the Link 6 The Arrival Cyberse Ignister. No, Dancho hasn't mentioned his wife. As for what Tenyi Spirit – Sahasrara represents, you'll just have to read on and see.

Unknown: You have to understand. Whatever route I choose for Rosetta will help her in the end.

Guest: When Infearno broke into the vault containing World Gears, he ensured all the cameras were shut off. The branch that Yuhiro and Roxy worked for by extension will be revealed in a later chapter, as well as what branch Monty worked for. Hope that clarifies your question.

With review's answered, it's time to get to the chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 40: A New Start

(This is the opening. If you have suggestions, don't hesitate to send me a PM or input it in your review.)

The sky appears, full of clouds. Playmaker races through the clouds on his duel board, followed by Raguel, Soulburner, and then a male individual wearing a black outfit with green accents and a gold, bird-like mask over his eyes. The individual had dark green hair, which was spiked upwards before a medium sized portion of it went over the right side of his mask. Two swords then slice the clouds completely to reveal NEW LINK VRAINS. One of the swords, a katana with symbols inscribed on the blade, crosses downwards to the left. Crossing downwards to the right was a typical western sword, with a golden rain-guard and a blue grip. The sword also had symbols inscribed on the blade as well. The two swords made a shining X, causing the Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS! logo to appear, and underneath it, the words "OBSCURED TRUTH" ominously appear.

Yuhiro and Yusaku are walking down the street to school. Naoki runs past them, a large smile on his face. Aoi walks past them on the other side, smiling lightly and blushing at Yusaku. Then Takeru walks up behind them and wraps one arm around Yusaku. He then wraps the other arm around Yuhiro, surprising him for a few moments before being pulled to the side by Rachel, who's clearly happy to see him. Yuhiro smiles back at her.

Tsubaki and Hideki are shown boarding an airplane as they head to their destination. After sitting down next to each other in their respective seats, Tsubaki looks out in the window, which shows a reflection of Rosetta, while Hideki picks up the airplane guide and reads it. In the sky above them is Ace, a malicious sneer on his face.

Go Onizuka is shown wearing a hoodie as he leaves the waterfront for the last time. Outside of his home, he encounters Kenmochi and Yoroizaka, who are waiting for him. Smirking, the three of them raise their left arms into the air and enter NEW LINK VRAINS, with Go in his new avatar riding beside his new allies. Stregone crosses his arms as he looks down at them, a look of shock and disappointment on his face.

Kusanagi is then shown with Roxy at a nearby picnic table, both enjoying food and laughter while talking about technology. Flame and Ai are shown arguing in Café Nagi, while Herald ends up getting annoyed with their bickering. As a result, he snaps his fingers, causing Progleo to jump onto the desk and startle Ai and Flame.

At SOL Technologies, Akira Zaizen and Hayami are shown in Queen's office, with Queen handing them a signed order regarding Playmaker and Raguel. A look of hesitation appears on Akira's face, but he hides it just in time.

Azrael and Wraith are then shown with Ace and Athaliah standing behind them, shrouded in shadow along with their ace monsters Zerrziel, Ruler of the Evil Eyed and El Shaddoll Construct. Standing behind Azrael and Wraith though, is a black, bipedal dragon with red sclera, white irises, and black pupils obscured in shadow. The dragon roars before disappearing with Zerrziel and El Shaddoll Construct. Jumping above Azrael and Wraith is a short creature with deep purple skin, red sclera, white irises, and pointed tentacles sprouting above his head. The creature wore black baggy pants with a golden horned buckle. Sporting a demonic expression, the creature extends its right arm forward towards the screen, darkening it completely.

When the screen becomes clear, Playmaker and Raguel are shown riding their duel boards next to each other, with Cyberse Witch and Cyberse Magician in front of Playmaker, and Cyreath Hercules and Cyreath Medusa in front of Raguel. The two are chased by Blood Shepherd, who directs two copies of Battledrone Sergeant to fire at them. Although the two of them are hit by the explosions the missiles caused, they escape unharmed. Suddenly, a young man wearing an elaborate purplish coat with black inner lining and cuffs intricately decorated by red-coloured motifs, as well as grey shirt with crimson leather pants orders a red-eyed dragon with black skin to fire at them. In response, Playmaker and Raguel are shown swerving left and right to avoid the consecutive blasts. Joining the young man in the hunt is another man, with red hair spiked backwards and dark purple eyes, as well as wearing a stylish white coat with yellow lines and a black shirt underneath it. Draped around his lower body is a white waist cape with yellow lines as well. The man orders a male, humanoid monster wearing several components of futuristic armor pieces to attack Playmaker, but Raguel turns his duel board around and activates a card, causing Hercules to glow a bright light before transforming into a colossal, statue-like man with long, shaggy black hair and elbow protrusions. His eyes glowing red, Hercules charged forward with his axe sword and clashed with the male humanoid.

The screen then shifts to the male individual from the opening's beginning watching the duel between Playmaker and an obscured Bohman, while Raguel duels the spiked red-haired man with a white coat and a white waist cape. Noticing Haru, who's also watching the duel between Playmaker and an obscured Bohman, the individual takes a card and summons a white and black dragon covered in white, blue, and black armor, who roared at the boy. The dragon had neon green crystals attached to her body, which acted like wings that shone with bright light. Haru, in response, takes a card and summons Hydradrive Nagini, who hissed at the dragon in the process.

Blue Angel and Rosetta are shown in NEW LINK VRAINS at a picnic table, laughing and enjoying each other's company. The two of them then turn their heads towards the duels going on in the sky, a look of concern on each of their faces.

Watchman's group is then shown, with Percival standing slightly apart from them as he makes a fist with his left hand. Simorgh, Bird of Sovereignty and Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon appear before a massive, red-skinned demonic looking monster with golden elements, several eyeballs embedded on its body and four tentacles with bladed claws rises from behind them.

The Knights of Hanoi are shown summoning their monsters. Motor Worm Spread Queen, Helixx Necro Darwin, and Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps first appear before fading into the background. Next is Dark Magician, Berserker of the Tenyi, and Lucifer, Condemner of the Burning Abyss, with Sunavalon Dryanome behind them. Borreload Savage Dragon then rises from behind the four monsters and roars loudly.

Akira is shown at Green Park with Emma, Gekiryushi, and Aoi, giving them details on finding the Ignis. Emma proceeds to make a flirtatious gesture at Akira, making Gekiryushi facepalm and comment on how flirting can be useful at a time like this. The two women then begin to argue, with Akira and Aoi trying to break up the argument.

Yuhiro and Progleo are shown with Miyu at the Den City Hospital, trying to help her walk. Miyu, who's using the parallel bars, ends up slipping, only for Yuhiro to immediately catch her from behind and help her stand up. Roxy then runs out of nowhere and starts pummeling Yuhiro, causing Miyu to almost fall backwards again to their shock. Catching her this time though is Medusa, who appears behind her and smiles, much to everyone's relief. Miyu smiles back, grateful for Medusa's help. The screen then flips around before showing Yuhiro on his knees, clasping an unconscious Miyu's hand in sadness and rage.

Cyreaths Hercules, Medusa, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus are then shown in the air, with Turboblaze Dragon racing past them. The five of them prepare to attack alongside Turboblaze Dragon, who unleashes his Desolation Flare attack as well.

Raguel and Herald are then shown on top of a tower, facing off against Azrael and Wraith in a duel. Behind Raguel and Herald is Turboblaze Dragon, while behind Azrael and Wraith is the black, bipedal dragon from earlier in the opening. Both dragons roar at each other. Raguel reeves up his sword, while Azrael unsheathes his katana before the two of them and their dragons charge at each other.

Yuhiro, Roxy, Miyu, Kusanagi, Takeru, and Yusaku are all shown sitting outdoors at a picnic table near the Den City Hospital, all of them eating hot dogs, and Takeru, Kusanagi, and Roxy are laughing. Three duel disks are shown on the table, with Flame lecturing Ai while Herald plays a game on Yuhiro's tablet.

Yuhiro, Roxy, and Miyu are sitting down on a bench outside the Den City Hospital, with Medusa standing nearby them and Progleo on Roxy's lap. Miyu proceeds to rest her head on Yuhiro's shoulder, causing him to blush as she smiles. Yuhiro smiles back at her, while Roxy and Medusa both smile at them, happy they're able to find happiness with each other. The scene then switches to NEW LINK VRAINS, with Raguel, Playmaker, and Soulburner standing on a building and looking out into the radiant sky.

At the Den City Hospital...

"Easy there, Miyu. Slow steps. You're almost there."

This was said by Yuhiro, who was standing beside Miyu, as she used the parallel bars to help her walk. After the events revolving around the Tower of Hanoi, the school board decided to give the students in their respective schools a small break while people make sense of the chaos. Yuhiro appreciated it, as he had been exhausted and needed to rest following everything that happened.

But the best thing that came out of the Tower of Hanoi events was that Miyu finally woke up from her coma, which made both him and Roxy happier than they'd ever been. Unfortunately, since Miyu was in a coma for eight years, she needed to regain her ability to walk.

So Yuhiro and Roxy went to visit her during their free time as she went through the physiotherapy. On some days, Miyu was able to respond well to the physical exercises her doctors made her do. However, there were days where she would have difficulty, and today was unfortunately one of those days.

"This is easier said than done, Yuhiro!" Miyu snapped, turning her head and pouting at him. "Just when I thought I was making progress, my legs decide to fall asleep on me. Again!"

"But Miyu, you've only been doing the physiotherapy for a week now." Yuhiro sheepishly pointed out, much to her irritation. "Besides, it was either this or going home in a wheelchair, remember?"

"Do not remind me." Miyu replied. She looked downwards at her legs, which were trying to hold her up. "Come on legs, wake up. I want to get out of here so bad."

Yuhiro put a hand on Miyu's shoulder, getting her attention. "You can do this, Miyu," he encouraged her. "And don't forget: I'm not the only one who's cheering you on." As if on cue, Progleo barked at the end of the parallel bar course. The fact that Yuhiro got to visit Miyu often meant he could bring Progleo along as well. It got to the point where Progleo told Miyu that she was one of his favorite people in the world, which caused her to blush.

For her part, Miyu enjoyed spending time with Progleo, as having the chance to interact with a talking cub was something she thought would never happen to her. She told Yuhiro that she always wanted a pet growing up, and the fact that Progleo was now in her life meant her wish came true.

Seeing the cub ahead, Miyu used the parallel bars to propel herself forward, one foot at a time. It was hard for her, of course, as she spent eight years in a coma. That meant Miyu had to do the physiotherapy if she wanted regain mobility in her legs again. As such, she agreed to stay and do the physio because she wanted to walk and run again. While Roxy told her there was no shame in using a wheelchair, Miyu replied that this was something she had to do. Yuhiro couldn't help but admire her for making that decision, knowing it will take time and effort to complete.

Eventually, through hard effort, Miyu made it to the end of the parallel bars, where she wiped some sweat off her forehead using her left forearm. I did it, she thought, a triumphant smile on her face. I got through the exercise. Just remember what Yuhiro told you: One day at a time, and I'll be done before I know it.

Yuhiro put down the blank notebook he was carrying beside Progleo before picking up the cub and raising him to Miyu's level. Progleo then proceeded to happily lick Miyu's face, much to her joy.

"Thanks for the encouragement, Progleo." Miyu told the cub, who proceeded to lick her more of course. Yuhiro then put him down afterwards.

"Okay, Miyu." Yuhiro said, walking towards her. "You ready for the next exercise?"

In response, Miyu pouted. "Oh, come on. I've been practicing this boring exercise for forty-five minutes now. Can't I have a break?"

"Well, Miyu-." Yuhiro began, but the next thing he knew, Miyu slid over and grabbed onto his right arm with her left hand, causing her to nearly fall over. However, she grabbed onto Yuhiro's right arm with her right hand just in time, allowing her to hoist herself up beside him and wrap herself around his right arm. Although Miyu was a head shorter than him, she was tall enough to press her head onto the crook of Yuhiro's neck if she wanted.

"Take me outside," she said. "You promised, remember? Or did you forget already?"

Yuhiro sighed, knowing better than to incur Miyu's wrath. He already learned that lesson earlier in the week, and there was no way he was going to repeat it again. Besides, the walk outside would help her further. It also wouldn't hurt to get some fresh air every once in a while.

"Yeah, I remember." Yuhiro conceded. "Just let me get your notebook." He then bent over and picked it up off the floor. "Okay, then. Right this way, Miyu."

"I'll be in your care." Yuhiro couldn't help but notice as Miyu leaned her head on his right shoulder as he led her carefully outside, a smile on her face. Judging by the look on her face, she was clearly enjoying his company. Even Yuhiro had to admit he was enjoying his time with her.

Once they made it to the garden zone of the Den City Hospital, he took her to a nearby deck bench, where the two of them sat down. Progleo was not far behind them, as he too arrived at the deck bench where they were at.

"My notebook and pencil please." Miyu requested, which Yuhiro immediately handed over. She took the pencil to her chin and narrowed her eyes, as if in deep thought. "What should I draw today?"

"Pick me! Pick me!" Progleo happily exclaimed, as he went in front of Miyu and attempted to do a pose for her, causing her to giggle.

"You're a silly puppy, Progleo." Miyu said. "Just pick a pose, and I'll get you in my drawing." Progleo then went into a sitting pose, causing Miyu to ponder for a few moments as she looked at the area. "Aha. I got it!" She then started sketching in her notebook. As she began to sketch the area, Yuhiro couldn't help but notice how lively Miyu had got. He was so used to seeing her in a hospital bed that this was still new for him. After all, in the week since she woke up, Miyu had been able to interact with everyone she met in a cheerful manner.

It wasn't just that. Yuhiro didn't know how it was possible, but Miyu had grown prettier than he could have ever imagined in the span of one week. No, pretty wasn't the right word. Beautiful. Yup. That was the right word.

Hold on. Why was he thinking about this right now? That was not his and Miyu's relationship, damn it! While he did admit she was attractive, this was clearly not the time for him to sort out his feelings. Right now, his priority was helping Miyu recover from her coma. That, and he was sure Roxy would pummel him to no end if something were to happen between him and Miyu.

On another note, she also got along with Herald quite well. Herald found her interesting to talk to, as she understood his video game references. The two of them even played online versions of old board games together on Roxy's tablet.

Needing to change the subject in his head fast, Yuhiro attempted to take a look over what Miyu was drawing. Unfortunately, it resulted in her playfully pushing his head away from her.

"Come on." Yuhiro said. "Can't I have one peek?"

"No peeking, mister!" Miyu firmly told him. "You have to wait until it's done!"

"Sorry." Yuhiro apologized. "It's just... I didn't realize you were such a good drawer until now."

"Eh?" A small blush formed on Miyu's cheeks once she realized what he was talking about. Then a small smile formed on her face. "I appreciate the compliment, Yuhiro." She then looked at the Asagao flowers that were growing on the nearby trees.

"What is it, Miyu?" Yuhiro asked, now curious.

"These flowers are known as the Asagao, Yuhiro." Miyu answered, as she continued drawing. So far, it had Progleo on it, as well as tree branches. "They're my favorite of all the flowers I ever saw. When I was younger, my parents would take me to this garden, where we'd spend the entire day there, laughing and spending time with one another. We would go there every summer, whenever we had the opportunity. Me... and my parents..." Miyu's body then started to shake in sadness, as she started to recall a certain memory.

"Miyu?" Yuhiro soon noticed that something was not right with her.

"I remember what happened to them." Miyu replied, causing Yuhiro's eyes to widen in shock. Tears started to form from her eyes. "We were driving on a road, and the next thing we knew, there was a loud crash. My parents went outside to assess the situation, and moments after doing so, I heard several loud noises. Bang. Bang." The tears then started coming out of her eyes. "When I saw their dead corpses, I was in so much shock that I ended up falling into a coma." She hugged herself. "The worst thing is, I don't understand why someone would kill a girl's parents out of cold blood. They never did anything to hurt anyone, so why them? Why were they killed? Was it because of me? Was I... meant to be killed that night? Not knowing why just tears me up inside!"

The next thing Yuhiro knew, Miyu reached over and hugged him tightly, her head buried in his shoulder. He put his arms around her and held her close as she cried. Progleo, who noticed what was going on, attempted to go over and comfort Miyu as well. Yuhiro, in response, looked at him and shook his head, as if to tell Progleo that it wasn't the time right now.

"It wasn't your fault," Yuhiro said, comforting Miyu. "It's no ones fault but the person who killed your parents. Roxy and I will find the killer and bring them to justice for what they've done. I promise."

"...I know." Miyu responded, burying her face further in Yuhiro's shoulder. He was aware that Miyu was hugging him just as tight as he was. "But it still hurts. The fact that I'll never see my parents again."

"Then hold onto those memories." Yuhiro told her, causing Miyu to look up at him. "They'll give you strength when you least expect it. And people like me, Roxy, Herald, Progleo, and Aoi will also give you strength to get through each day as well. Don't ever forget that, okay?"

Miyu nodded. "T-Thank you," she said, before pulling herself away from Yuhiro and wiping her eyes with her right forearm. The two of them then heard a bark, as Progleo went over and jumped on the deck bench beside Miyu, who ended up petting him. "You wanted some attention too, right Progleo? Here, you can watch me finish this drawing, okay?" Progleo eagerly nodded his head and moved his head so he can peek at what Miyu was drawing.

Come on, Yuhiro thought, rolling his eyes. She's letting Progleo have a peek and not me? While Yuhiro would never admit it, right now, he was jealous of his own cub.

"And done." Miyu announced, a triumphant smile on her face. She then showed Yuhiro her drawing. It consisted of Progleo sitting in the middle of the Den City Hospital's garden. In the background were two Asagao trees. "What do you think, Yuhiro? Isn't it nice?"

"I think it look amazing." Yuhiro answered, clearly impressed with her artistic skills.

"Thank you very much." Miyu hugged the notebook to her chest before looking away from Yuhiro, a small blush on her face. "Um, Yuhiro?"

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Can you..." Miyu hesitated before she turned to Yuhiro and bravely asked, "Can you give me a piggyback ride back to my room?"

That question caused Yuhiro to fall off the bench in shock, having been caught off guard by Miyu's request.

"I'm sorry, what?" Yuhiro asked in confusion, rubbing the back of his head as he stood back up on his feet.

"You heard me." Miyu had a smirk on her face. "Give me a piggyback ride back to my room."

"Miyu, I'm not going to give you a piggyback ride back to your room." Yuhiro told her, as he sat down on the bench beside her. "I'll help you walk back, but there's no way I'm doing that for you."

"Oh, come on!" Miyu pouted in response. "Why not? I'll be here for three months, so can't I have some fun?"

"I took you outside." Yuhiro reminded her. "If I do what you've requested, your progress on your physio will be hindered, and I don't want that."

"But I'll be fine, I promise! Come on, Yuhiro. I want this request so bad!"

"And I told you! There's no way I'm giving you a piggyback ride!"

Elsewhere, in the Den City Hospital, at Miyu's room...

Herald looked at the tablet in his hands with concentration. Right now, he was playing the Fate/Grand Order game on Roxy's tablet. Ever since she introduced it to him, he had been quite addicted to it. If it weren't for the game, he wouldn't have been inspired to provide sentience to Medusa.

Time to summon for this guy, Herald thought, as he looked at the Servant he wanted to summon. Saber Prototype. That was another thing. When Herald first learned about the game, he was surprised to find out that the King Arthur in this game was a girl named Artoria Pendragon, which earned him a furious pummeling from Roxy for his rude comment. Recently, though, he found out that there was an Arthur Pendragon called Saber Prototype, which he wanted to summon for his team.

"And away we go!" Herald said, as he used thirty Quartz on the banner. He watched with nervousness as one craft essence appeared after the other. Then, on the ninth portal, the card spun before revealing the five-star Saber Prototype. "YES! I PULLED HIM!"

"What are you cheering about, Herald?" Roxy asked, as she entered the hospital room with two containers of chicken wraps in her hand.

"Roxy, I present to you, Arthur Pendragon!" Herald declared, handing her the tablet. Roxy looked at the tablet before pressing a few buttons and returning to the home section of the game.

"To be honest, I thought you summoned Artoria Pendragon..." Roxy replied, a look of frustration on her face.

"Hey, I got you a strong Saber-class servant, though." Herald pointed out.

"I know, and I'm glad you got him for me. But was it really necessary to spend my last thirty quartz on him?" Roxy questioned, causing Herald to shriek in terror.

"Wait. That was your last thirty quartz?" Herald realized. But before Roxy could say anything else, there was a knock on the door, getting her attention.

"Excuse me, Ms. Matsuo. May I speak to you?" a nurse asked Roxy.

"Of course. I'll be right there." Roxy told the nurse, standing up. "To be continued," she whispered to Herald, as she walked over to where the nurse was in the hallway.

Dodged a bullet for now, Herald thought, as he looked at Arthur Pendragon, the new Servant he pulled. Say. Maybe I can create a new Raguel avatar for Yuhiro based off of this guy! Herald's eyes went up, as though a grin formed on his face.

"So what did you want to tell me, nurse?" Roxy asked, her arms crossed.

"I just wanted to inform you about your niece's progress on the physio," the nurse replied.

"And?"

"Just as we anticipated, it's slow right now, as Miyu's legs still haven't moved in eight years," the nurse replied. She then smiled at Roxy. "However, they are responding to the tests given. As long as there aren't any delays, she'll still be able to go home in three months time."

"That is excellent news to hear." Roxy happily said. "Is there anything else that I need to know?"

"Well..." The nurse handed Roxy a few documents. "Here's some documents for you to sign as her guardian, as well as a list of recommended foods for your niece to eat."

"Fruits, whole grains, yogurts..." Roxy muttered, looking through the list. "I see. Are you trying to say my niece isn't healthy?!"

"No, no," the nurse answered. "It's just a list of foods that will help provide energy for Miyu's exercises! I don't mean any ill intent at-."

"Hi, Auntie!"

Roxy turned around at the sound of Miyu's voice. And upon realizing that Yuhiro was giving her a piggyback ride, her jaw dropped. Seizing the chance, the nurse quietly backed away before quickly leaving the scene.

"What the hell, Yuhiro?!" Roxy exclaimed, going over to where Yuhiro and Miyu were. Judging from Roxy's facial expression, she was clearly angry with what was happening. If it weren't for Yuhiro carrying Miyu, it was evident that Roxy would have pummeled him for trying to make a move on her niece. "You better not be up to any funny business with my niece, or else you're screwed!"

"I'm not, I swear!" Yuhiro protested. "I tried telling Miyu I wasn't going to give her a piggyback ride back to her room, but I lost two against one."

"Two against one? That, Yuhiro, is the stupidest excuse I've ever-." The next thing she knew, Progleo appeared from behind Yuhiro and Miyu before going over to Roxy, a cute puppy dog-like expression on his face.

"It's true, Auntie." Miyu added. "Progleo used his sad puppy dog face to help convince Yuhiro to give me a piggyback ride."

"Really?" Roxy asked Miyu, who nodded in response. She then kneeled down to Progleo's level. "Did you use those puppy dog eyes on Yuhiro?" Progleo nodded, causing Roxy to pick him up. "You've gotten better at doing that, haven't you? When we get back, I'm cooking you some mini cheeseburgers!"

"Hooray!" Progleo cheered, as Roxy carried him back to Miyu's hospital room.

"What?!" Yuhiro's jaw dropped. Progleo was getting rewarded for getting Yuhiro in trouble? That made no sense at all.

"If you just agreed to my request, then you wouldn't be in this mess." Miyu pointed out.

"I was in a lose-lose situation the moment you requested that piggyback ride." Yuhiro reluctantly replied, as he took her back to her room. He then put her down on her bed after arriving.

"Ah, Miyu." Herald said, getting her attention. "How were today's exercises?"

"They were good, Herald." Miyu replied, turning to the Ignis. Yuhiro went over and picked up his Duel Disk before handing it over to Miyu.

"I recently pulled a strong warrior for your Auntie in the Fate/Grand Order game on her tablet." Herald told her. "However, for some reason, she's mad that I used her remaining Quartz for the summoning."

"That's because I wanted to save that Quartz for summoning Artoria Pendragon, Herald!" Roxy pointed out, walking over to Herald and enunciating each word so he can understand it. "And because of you, I lost that chance!" Herald, for a second time today, shrieked in terror.

"I'm going to have to go with Auntie here, Herald." Miyu said. "You can't just use her things without permission."

"See. Miyu gets it." Roxy went over and hugged Miyu. "You can learn a thing or two from her, Herald. After all, there are some things humans have that Ignis fail to possess!"

"Auntie, don't embarrass me!"

Yuhiro couldn't help but chuckle at what was happening. This was truly a funny moment for him to be a part of. So this is what being part of a family looks like, he thought. However, the moment proved to be short-lived, as Yuhiro's phone vibrated. After seeing who was texting him, he frowned.

"What is it, Yuhiro?" Miyu asked him, getting his attention.

"I'm sorry, Miyu." Yuhiro said, as he walked over to the other side of the room and grabbed Progleo's leash before heading over to the cub. "I have to get going."

"Huh? Why? Can't you stay a bit longer?"

Yuhiro put the leash around Progleo's collar and headed to where Miyu was. "Because a friend's coming by Café Matsuo to talk some things over with me. She requested it last night."

"She?" Miyu repeated, a frown evident on her face. "So your friend's a girl? Is she your girlfriend or something?"

"Wait, what?" Yuhiro replied, surprised that Miyu would even ask that. If he had to be honest with himself, he didn't know what to think about Tsubaki Kinoshita. Being the daughter of a famous card designer at SOL Technologies, she not only lost her mother due to cancer, but eventually joined the black market as 'The Graceful Assassin'. Had it not been for Yuhiro's help, who knows what would have happened to Tsubaki. Furthermore, for her role in helping stop the Tower of Hanoi, SOL Technologies had granted her an official pardon from her crimes. That didn't mean everything was perfectly fine, as Tsubaki's job now was to find a way to atone for them. "No, Miyu. She isn't my girlfriend. Just an acquaintance. That's all."

"Okay." Miyu nodded in understanding. "Sorry for putting you on the spot like that." She handed back Yuhiro's Duel Disk to him.

"Don't worry about it." Yuhiro smiled at her. "If it makes you feel better, I'll stop by and visit tomorrow. I promise." He was about to leave when Miyu spoke up.

"You mentioned Aoi's name." Miyu said, apparently recognizing the name. "Do you know her as well?"

Yuhiro turned around. "Yeah. I do know her. She's my friend," he said. To Miyu's surprise, Yuhiro went towards her and pulled her in a tight embrace, surprising even her.

"Yuhiro?" Miyu said, still surprised by his gesture.

"Can you wait for me, Miyu?" Yuhiro asked her. "No matter what happens?" Miyu nodded in confirmation. "Good. Then I promise you. I'll never leave your side."

"As sweet as this moment is," Roxy interjected, breaking up the hug by pulling Yuhiro's right ear, "you have an appointment to keep, mister."

"R-R-Right." Yuhiro remembered, a small blush on his face. "Come on, Progleo. Let's go!"

"Bye, Miyu!" Progleo said.

"Bye, guys!" Miyu replied, a smile on her face as she waved her right hand goodbye. "Stay safe." After Yuhiro waved back to her, he proceeded to walk Progleo out of the hospital.

As they were walking back to Café Matsuo, Progleo had a huge smirk on his face, which Yuhiro obviously noticed from him.

"I can't believe you had to get me in trouble like that, Progleo." Yuhiro stated, recalling what the cub did to him.

"It would have led to an argument if it continued." Progleo responded, turning his head. "What's more, I can't believe my sad puppy dog eyes finally worked on you!" Yuhiro rolled his eyes. That was unfortunately another thing which recently occurred. After watching the Shrek movies, Progleo was fascinated with the character Puss in Boots, a sword-fighting cat that can be fierce at times. And during other times, he had the cutest begging face. As a result, Progleo wanted to emulate that face, and judging by Yuhiro eventually conceding to Miyu's request, he succeeded.

"I gotta work harder on resisting that face..." Yuhiro muttered. "Otherwise, who knows what will happen?"

"Don't worry about it, Yuhiro." Herald assured him. "I feel your pain. After all, in one way or another, we're both the subject of Roxy's wrath today. By the way, do you know what Tsubaki wants from you exactly?"

"She didn't specify in the text." Yuhiro answered. "I'm sure I'll find out once I get to Café Matsuo, though."

"Yuhiro."

Yuhiro stopped walking and turned around behind him, only to see Medusa materialize out of thin air. On the list of recent things that's happened over the past week, this was another one. Somehow, Medusa was able to materialize in the real world. When Yuhiro questioned Herald about it, he identified the situation as a side effect that occurred after giving a duel monster sentience. As such, duel monsters can materialize in the real world if needed to aid their respective duelists.

"Didn't I tell you not to do that in public?" Yuhiro reminded her. "If you do, people will get suspicious."

"I apologize." Medusa replied. "But there's something I need to say, and it's urgent."

"Alright. What's up?"

Medusa gathered her thoughts before speaking. "Well, I had the chance to talk with Miyu a few times over this past week," she began. "While we may have differences, we have a few things in common. We both have lost people that are precious to us, and are trying to heal from that pain. We also suffered at the hands of our transgressors as well."

"Oh," was all Yuhiro said. He didn't realize that Medusa once had people close to her.

"Based on the conversations I had with her, as well as the ones she had with you, Roxy, Herald, and Progleo, I was able to come to one conclusion." Medusa continued. "All of you were able to give Miyu hope and happiness once again after she spent a portion of her life in a coma."

Yuhiro raised an eyebrow. "What are you exactly trying to get here, Medusa?"

"Will you stay by Miyu's side, Yuhiro? No matter what may happen in the future?" Medusa openly asked, getting straight to the point.

That question led Yuhiro to think about what Medusa said. While he promised Miyu he'd never leave her side, he hadn't taken into account what may happen in the future. After all, if he tried, he'd just make ridiculous assumptions. Besides, no one had the power to perfectly predict the future.

Right now, though, he wanted to focus on the present. As for new developments, Yuhiro would deal with them if they ever came up.

Having finally decided on an answer, Yuhiro stated, "While I may not know what will happen in the future, I do know this: I'm not going to abandon Miyu, Medusa. I'm not that kind of person whatsoever. Does that answer your question?"

Medusa thought this over, then said, "Yes, it does. It seems my concerns were unnecessary. I too will do my best to help keep Miyu safe. After all, I see a bit of myself in her." She then turned into magenta-colored particles, which went into Yuhiro's Duel Disk.

"What was that all about?" Herald asked, as Yuhiro resumed walking with Progleo to Café Matsuo.

"Not sure, but I think Medusa wanted to see how loyal I was to Miyu, and whether or not it was true." Yuhiro answered.

"Yuhiro, your loyal and caring attitude makes you a genuine person in my books." Herald told him. "Traits like those are what sets you apart from other people."

"I appreciate the comment, Herald. Thanks." Yuhiro replied. With that, the conversation ended, for the rest of the walk back to Café Matsuo was in silence.

Once they got there, they noticed Tsubaki sitting at the picnic table nearby Café Matsuo, patiently waiting for them. Yuhiro noticed that she hadn't ordered anything yet, even though it was lunch time.

"You know you could have ordered something, right Tsubaki?" Yuhiro pointed out, as he went over to the picnic table where she was.

"I know, but I already had lunch." Tsubaki responded, as Yuhiro sat down in the seat across from her. "Although I wouldn't mind a steep, peppermint tea if this place sells any."

"Yeah, sure." Yuhiro went over to the steward bot and ordered a steep, peppermint tea for Tsubaki. Meanwhile, after looking at Tsubaki, Progleo took a few steps back, as though he was afraid of her.

"Don't worry, puppy. I'm not going to hurt you." Tsubaki told the cub, offering him her hand for him to sniff. Progleo slowly approached her and sniffed her hand, making sure she wasn't a threat. After doing so, he let her pet his head. "See. I'm not so scary once you get to know me." Soon after, Yuhiro came back with the steep, peppermint tea in his hand.

"One steep, peppermint tea as promised." Yuhiro said, handing it over to Tsubaki. "You doing alright these days?"

Tsubaki cleared her throat. "Yeah," she finally answered. "Truth be told, even though SOL Technologies pardoned me for my crimes, I still feel guilty about them."

"In what way?"

Tsubaki's expression became serious. "It's as though no matter what you do, they're still a part of you one way or another. To put it simply, while I took the first step by returning the Cyberse cards I stole to their owners, I got a long way to go if I'm to fully repent for what I've done."

"Well, at least you took the first step." Yuhiro said, helping her stay positive. "In time, you'll be able to put your past behind you and move on to better things. Was that what you wanted to meet about?"

"Partly." Tsubaki answered. "There's something else. I'm not sure of you've heard of this recently, but Akihiko Akutagawa, also known as Ace in LINK VRAINS, broke out of a prison transport last night. Athaliah Kuraishi also escaped with him as well."

Yuhiro narrowed his eyes as he contemplated over the information. He learned of the breakout just last night with Roxy when they were eating dinner. While they didn't know who in the world would help them escape, they both agreed they were dangerous people. After all, who knows what kind of chaos they could cause if they reappeared in LINK VRAINS. Therefore, the two of them created a program that would notify them if either individual did show up in the network.

"I'm assume that since I didn't run into Ace during the Tower of Hanoi events, you defeated him?"

"Barely." Tsubaki rubbed her arms, remembering how difficult that duel was. "After I won, I managed to get back Crusadia Equimax and Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme from him. However, Lord Kazuma told me that if I wanted to restore them back to normal, the Tower of Hanoi had to be shut down first. I tried to defeat him, but..."

"You lost against him shortly after." Yuhiro finished. Tsubaki admittedly nodded to that fact. "Don't worry. I kicked his ass not only for you, but for Rachel and SengokuQueen as well. But regarding your situation: What are you going to do now? Are you going to look for Ace?"

Tsubaki sighed. "That was my first instinct, but if I did that, I'd break my father's heart again. And after all that trouble leading up to our reunion, I don't want to go through that again. If I'm being honest, Yuhiro, I don't know what I should do."

Yuhiro thought this over for a moment, then stood up. "I may not have the answer, but I do know someone who can help you figure this dilemma out."

Ten minutes later, on the way to the Den City Shelter….

"Are you sure about this?" Tsubaki hesitantly asked Yuhiro. Right now, the two of them were walking towards the Den City Shelter, which was approximately a twenty minute walk from Café Matsuo. When Yuhiro suggested the idea to go to the Den City Shelter, Tsubaki was surprised with his suggestion. She was even more surprised upon learning that he grew up at said shelter.

"Yes. I'm sure." Yuhiro answered her. "The owner of the shelter helped me when I needed it. I'm sure if he heard you out, he'd help you too."

"I know, but still..." If Tsubaki was honest with herself, she was a bit nervous going there. After all, if the people there knew out what she did...

"Are you nervous about what the people will think of you?" Yuhiro asked, snapping Tsubaki out of her thoughts. "Kids live in the Shelter, and they love when new people arrive to visit. Trust me when I say they'll like meeting you."

"If you say so." Tsubaki conceded, sighing. Soon, the two of them reached the front entrance of the Den City Shelter. When he knocked on the door, it was immediately answered by one of the kids. The little girl who answered the door wore a white shirt with a red necktie, a red skirt and long black socks. Her brown hair was also done up in a two-side-up hairstyle.

"Big Bro Yuhiro!" the girl said, her aqua-colored eyes lighting up with joy as she ran to where Yuhiro was, hugging his legs. "Welcome back!"

"Hi, Marron." Yuhiro said, greeting the girl.

"Did you bring the puppy?" Marron asked. As if on cue, Progleo showed up from behind Yuhiro and went over towards Marron, who greeted him with love.

"Who's at the door, Marron?"

"Is that Big Bro Yuhiro?"

The next thing Tsubaki knew, a group of kids appeared from inside the shelter and ran to the front door, happy to see Yuhiro again. Yuhiro must have made an impact on these kids to be remembered and loved by them, she thought.

"What's all the commotion about, kids?" the voice of Miles asked, as he went to investigate what was going on at the front door. When he saw Yuhiro with company, he froze momentarily like a statue.

"Mind if I drop by to visit?" Yuhiro asked.

"Oh my gosh, welcome back man." Miles happily said, as he pulled Yuhiro in for a bro hug. "How are you these past few days? You look a lot happier than the last time I saw you." Noticing Tsubaki, a devilish grin appeared on his face as he pulled away from the bro hug. "Ah. I see. You've been dating the girl behind you, right? Well, good for you, man."

"What?! No, that's not what it looks like!" Yuhiro exclaimed, as Tsubaki laughed at that comment. The kids also followed suit after several moments. Great, he thought. Now Miles has to tease me too? What did he do to deserve this? "Miles, we're here to see Quinton actually. See, my friend Tsubaki is going through some stuff, and would like his advice."

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Come in." Miles gestured Yuhiro and Tsubaki to enter into the shelter, with the kids following soon after. He then took Yuhiro and Tsubaki to the other side of the shelter. "You came in at a good time actually, Yuhiro."

"What do you mean?" Yuhiro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, Quinton was thinking of organizing a duel between himself and a challenger." Miles answered. "I don't know who will accept his challenge, what with the Hanoi trying to use the Tower to wipe out the network, but I'm sure someone will step forward."

"I'm sure they will, Miles. After all, who can resist a challenge from Quinton?" Yuhiro assured him.

"Okay. Here we are." Miles opened the door in front of him, which led the trio to an office in the shelter. And inside it was Quinton, who was in the middle of a phone call.

"Yes, I hear about your concerns." Quinton spoke to the person on the other end of his mobile phone. "But I can assure you, we can accommodate your needs for the event. Just let me know what you require, and I'll ensure to have it ready. Alright, good call. You won't regret it." He then hung up and turned to the trio that just entered his office. "You see, that's how it's done, Yuhiro." Quinton turned away, only for his eyes to widen upon realizing who was in the room. "Yuhiro, welcome back! I missed you!" He immediately proceeded to pull Yuhiro in for one of his hugs.

"I missed you too, Quinton." Yuhiro said. "But you're hugging me too tight."

"Oh. Sorry about that." Quinton replied, releasing Yuhiro from the hug and letting him breathe. He then turned to Tsubaki. "Didn't realize you brought a guest. I'm Quinton Monell." Quinton extended out his right hand for Tsubaki to shake.

"Tsubaki Kinoshita. A pleasure to meet you." Tsubaki proceeded to shake his hand. "Yuhiro said you can help me out."

"Sure. I got a few minutes. What seems to be on your mind?" Quinton listened as Tsubaki told him everything that was on her mind. The events that led her to be Rosetta, the crimes she did, and the events thereafter. After finishing with the news about Ace and Athaliah's escape, as well as her dilemma, Quinton put a hand on his chin and walked around for a bit as he pondered the information.

"So you're Rosetta in the network." Quinton began, which Tsubaki nodded. "You joined the wrong crowd, committed some pretty heinous stuff, and eventually found your way with the Knights of Hanoi."

"Pretty much." Tsubaki confirmed.

"Damn," Miles whispered to Yuhiro. "Her story is probably as dark as mine."

"This isn't a contest." Yuhiro whispered back to him. "And shush."

Quinton then turned to face Tsubaki. "There's something I'm curious about. Why did you help us?"

"Well, as I said in the network, I wanted to atone for what I've done." Tsubaki answered. "As long as Ace is out there running about, I'll always be reminded of the crimes I've committed under his name. On one hand, if I go after him, I end up breaking my dad's heart, but if I don't, he'll spread chaos. So that's why I came to you for advice. If you have any."

Quinton thought this over. "I think I may have an idea on how to help you out. But for it to work..." He turned to Yuhiro. "I'll need your help."

"My help?" Yuhiro repeated. Quinton exited his office and gestured Yuhiro to follow him upstairs, which he did. After the two of them went upstairs in one of the bedrooms, he spoke up. "Okay, what do you have in mind?"

"Simple." Quinton answered. "Miles told you that I planned to do a duel challenge today, right?" Yuhiro nodded. "Well, my friend. You're going to help me by accepting my duel challenge."

Yuhiro's eyes widened upon processing the information. "Quinton, I'm flattered you chose me, and I'd duel you anytime you wanted, but couldn't you ask Go Onizuka? I'm sure he's-."

"Go Onizuka left the Charisma Duelists recently." Quinton said simply, surprising Yuhiro. "Told me he needed some time to himself. I can't blame him, considering everything that happened to him. Which is why I'm going to you for my request. And if you do accept my challenge, it benefits three people. You and me, where we can polish our dueling skills, and your girlfriend, where she can find her path."

"Girlfriend? She's not my-" Yuhiro firmly stated, now annoyed with Quinton teasing him. "Oh, it's so on now." He raised his Duel Disk. "Quinton Monell, I accept your challenge."

"Right answer." After sending Yuhiro a series of coordinates, both men said, "Deck Set! Into the VRAINS!"

Meanwhile, Miles and Tsubaki were in the living room playing with the children when Miles got a notification on his Duel Disk. "Hey, kids. It's time for the main event!" He went over and turned the TV on while the kids cheered.

What event, Tsubaki wondered, as the broadcast turned on. It showed an area in LINK VRAINS, and at the center of the area was Stregone.

"Folks, the Sorcerer of LINK VRAINS has appeared!" the MC announced over the broadcast. "It appears he has a message for everyone!"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Stregone said. "Following recent events, I can tell that everyone has been feeling down as we try to work our way back to normal. So to cheer you all up, I logged into the network and plan on issuing a public duel challenge to an individual of my choosing. And the individual I challenge is... Raguel!

"He's challenged Raguel to a duel!" the MC said. "Will he accept?"

"I accept your challenge, Sorcerer of LINK VRAINS!" the voice of Raguel answered, which came from the top of a nearby building. He leapt down from the building and landed on one knee, before standing up and facing Stregone.

"HE ACCEPTED!" the MC roared. "Raguel accepted his challenge!"

"I hope you're ready, Raguel." Quinton said, raising his Duel Disk. "Because I'll be disappointed if you hold back on me."

"Same here." Raguel responded, also doing the same. I can't believe he roped me into this, he thought to himself.

"Duel!" Raguel and Stregone said in unison.

Raguel: 4000 LP

Stregone: 4000 LP

"As you challenged me, I'll be taking the first move." Raguel said, looking at his hand. "I'll start by activating the Field Spell card, Cyreath Grand Hall. Now all 'Cyreath' monsters on my field gain 200 attack points. Next, I summon Cyreath Beastmaster from my hand." A short, armored creature wearing a horned helmet on its head and armor over its body jumped onto Raguel's field. It carried a short axe in its right hand. On its back, it carried a large horn.

Cyreath Beastmaster ATK: 0 DEF: 1500 LV: 4

Cyreath Beastmaster ATK: 0 + 200

"When Beastmaster is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cyreath' monster from my hand. Come, Cyreath Wandering Soul!" Beastmaster grabbed the horn on its back and blew into it, causing a loud sound. Soon, an illusion of a man appeared on Raguel's field, with mist running throughout his body.

Cyreath Wandering Soul ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1

Cyreath Wandering Soul ATK: 0 + 200 = 200

"Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" A Link Portal appeared above Raguel's head. "The summoning conditions are one 'Cyreath' monster. I'll set Cyreath Wandering Soul into the Link Markers!" Wandering Soul went into the bottom-left arrowhead, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyreath Skull Wing!" A small skull with wings in the right Extra Monster Zone on Raguel's field.

Cyreath Skull Wing ATK: 300 LINK-1 ↙️

Cyreath Skull Wing ATK: 300 + 200 = 500

"I activate the effect of Wandering Soul in my Graveyard." Raguel continued. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon one 'Cyreath Wanderer' token to my field." A small ball of mist in the form of a ghost appeared on Raguel's field.

Cyreath Wanderer Token ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1

Cyreath Wanderer Token ATK: 0 + 200 = 200

"Appear, for a second time! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" A second Link Portal appeared above Raguel's head. "The summoning conditions are two 'Cyreath' monsters. I'll set Cyreath Beastmaster and Cyreath Skull Wing, which is a Link 1 monster, into the Link Markers!" Beastmaster went into the top arrowhead, while Skull Wing went into the bottom arrowhead, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Ride into battle! Link 2! Cyreath Chariot Commander!" A ghostly skeletal figure whose entire body was made up of blue flames rode onto the field, in the right Extra Monster Zone. It wore a helmet with jagged, uneven horns, and had an outfit consisting of gauntlets, a pauldron over its left shoulder, a tattered gladiator's skirt, and broken-down metallic boots.

Cyreath Chariot Commander ATK: 2000 LINK-2 ⬆️⬇️

Cyreath Chariot Commander ATK: 2000 + 200 = 2200

"Skull Wing's effect!" Raguel added. "Since it was used to Link Summon, you take 300 points of damage!" A silhouette of Skull Wing appeared and went through Stregone, causing him to shiver.

Stregone: 4000 – 300 = 3700 LP

"And Raguel has drawn first blood!" the MC announced.

"From there, I activate the Spell card, Elixir of the Gods." Raguel said, ignoring the MC. "By tributing one 'Cyreath' monster on my field, I can draw two cards. However, I can't attack the turn I activate this effect. For this effect, I tribute the Cyreath Wanderer token." The Wanderer token vanished into yellow particles as Raguel drew the top two cards of his deck. "I Set two cards face-down and end my turn. You're up."

"Not a bad start, Raguel." Herald commented. "Since you can't attack on the first turn, you used Elixir of the Gods to tribute a monster and acquire more cards. You also managed to build a somewhat good defense and inflict damage as well."

"We're facing off against Stregone, so I don't want to use my best tricks right away." Raguel pointed out.

"My turn! I draw!" Stregone said, drawing the top card of his deck. "I'll start by activating the Field Spell card, Magical City of Endymion." A pink circle consisting of hieroglyphics surrounded both him and Raguel before dissipating. "Every time a Spell card is activated, I can place one Spell counter on this card. From there, I'll use the Scale 1 Purple Poison Magician and the Scale 8 Double Iris Magician to set the Pendulum Scale!"

Soon, two pillars of light appeared on both sides of Stregone's field. In the pillar of light on his right was a magician with red and black robes, as well as a circular plate on each of his shoulders that glowed blue. He wore a long red cape that flowed down his back, as well as a red magician's hat on top of his head. On his forearms were silver gauntlets with a blue jewel each. His red and blue eyes glowed as he swung his sword.

In the pillar of light on Stregone's left was a magician wearing dark-green robes that went down from his stomach to his lower half. At the top half of his body, he wore purple robes, along with plating that had small red and yellow orbs. He wore a magician's hat that not only had a purple visor, but also had a pair of yellow horns on the back of it. His red eyes glowed as he swung the horned whip in his hand.

Purple Poison Magician Scale: 1

Double Iris Magician Scale: 8

"The effect of Magical City of Endymion activates." Stregone reminded Raguel. "As I activated two Spell cards, it gains two Spell counters!" Three blue orbs went into the Field Spell, giving it a brief, blue glow before disappearing.

Magical City of Endymion SC: 0 + 1 + 1 = 2

"Swing far, pendulum! Carve the arc of victory!" Stregone chanted. "With the set Pendulum Scale, I can Special Summon monsters between Levels 2 and 7 at the same time! Emerge, Harmonizing Magician and Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic!" Within moments, a portal opened between the two pillars, where two lights emerged. The lights hit the field and then dissipated, revealing two monsters.

The first monster was a female magician with pink hair that went down to her shoulder blades. She wore white, cyan robes, along with a small cap with three blue orbs. In her hand, she carried a scepter that looked like a tuning fork.

The second monster was a tall magician with black robes that had golden outlines. Attached to his back was a massive, golden ring, and there were a total of 20 purple Spell counters visible on the magician. Endymion had long white horse-like hair and a golden mask with black horns on top. In his right hand was a golden staff, with a massive golden hook.

Harmonizing Magician ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 4 Scale: 8

Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic ATK: 2800 DEF: 1700 LV: 7 Scale: 8

"But why stop there, when I can use Harmonizing Magician's effect? Since I Pendulum Summoned her from my hand, I can Special Summon a 'Magician' Pendulum monster from my deck to my field in defense position. However, its effects are negated, and is banished once it leaves the field." A card popped out of Stregone's deck. "Come, Timebreaker Magician!" A brunette boy with green eyes appeared on Stregone's field. He wore dark brown robes that had golden elements on it, along with a golden crown on his forehead. In his hands, he wielded a two-handed sword with a long handle.

Timebreaker Magician ATK: 1400 DEF: 0 LV: 3 Scale: 2

Raguel frowned. I have to be careful, he thought. Because if I'm not, he'll pull the rug out from under me.

"I activate the Spell card, Pendulum Pot!" Stregone continued. "This card lets me draw cards from my deck equal to the number of cards in my Pendulum zones. Since I have two cards in my Pendulum zones, I can draw two cards!" After explaining, he drew the top two cards of his deck. "In addition, Magical City of Endymion's effect activates once again." A third blue orb went into the Field Spell, giving it a brief, blue glow before disappearing.

Magical City of Endymion SC: 2 + 1 = 3

"Appear, the circuit of sorcery!" A Link Portal soon appeared in the sky above Stregone. "The summoning conditions are two Spellcaster monsters! I'll set Harmonizing Magician and Timebreaker Magician into the Link Markers!" Harmonizing Magician went into the bottom-left arrowhead, while Timebreaker Magician went into the bottom-right arrowhead.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Rise! Link 2! Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior!" A white-robed magician, carrying a sword and shield and wearing a long red cape appeared on Stregone's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. Pieces of golden armor were attached to Daybreaker's robes, with Spell counters adorning it. Daybreaker swung his sword, ready for battle.

Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior ATK: 1600 LINK-2 ↙️↘️

"Since Timebreaker Magician left the field, he's now banished." Stregone explained. "Daybreaker's effect! When he's Link Summoned, I can place a Spell counter on this card. And for every Spell counter, he gains 300 attack points!"

Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior SC: 0 + 1 = 1

Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior ATK: 1600 + 300 = 1900

"Battle! Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic attacks Cyreath Chariot Commander! Magical Overload!" The Spell Counters on Endymion glowed as he raised his staff into the air and fired a blast of magical energy at Chariot Commander.

"Sorry, but I'm not going down that easily." Raguel said. "Trap card, activate! Cyreath Resolve! When a 'Cyreath' Link monster or 'Turboblaze Dragon' I control is targeted for an attack, I can banish one 'Cyreath' monster from my Graveyard, and all monsters I control cannot be destroyed this turn. In addition, any damage I take is halved. I banish Cyreath Beastmaster from my Graveyard to use this effect."

"What?" Stregone replied in surprise, as a brief veil surrounded Chariot Commander, protecting it from Endymion's attack.

Raguel: 4000 – (600 / 2) = 3700 LP

Didn't see that one coming, he thought. Then again, Raguel was anything but an easy opponent. If Stregone wanted to defeat him, he had to stay on top of his game fast. "I Set one card face-down and end my turn."

"My turn! I draw!" Raguel said, drawing the top card of his deck. "I activate the second effect of Grand Hall. Once per turn, I can target one 'Cyreath' Link monster I control and shuffle cards from my Graveyard into my deck up to its Link rating. I target Chariot Commander, which is a Link 2 monster. That means I can shuffle Cyreath Resolve and Elixir of the Gods back into my deck." He took two cards from his Graveyard and shuffled them into his deck.

"You never used Grand Hall's second effect before." Herald commented, turning to Raguel. "Why didn't you use it in our much harder duels?"

"Because at the time, I didn't draw the card, nor did the idea pop into my mind." Raguel answered back. He went back to the duel. "From there, I activate the Spell card, Cyreath Treasure. By discarding a 'Cyreath' monster from my hand, I can draw two cards from my deck." He took the card in his hand and discarded it before drawing two new cards from his deck. Raguel grinned upon looking at them.

"I hate to interrupt your turn, but by activating those Spell cards, you activated the effect of Magical City of Endymion twice." Stregone reminded him, as two more blue orbs went into the Field Spell.

Magical City of Endymion SC: 3 + 2 = 5

"I know, but that won't stop me." Raguel replied. "I activate Cyreath Doppelganger's second effect from my Graveyard. By banishing a 'Cyreath' monster from my Graveyard, I get to Special Summon this card to my field in attack position. I banish Cyreath Skull Wing to activate its effect and summon it to my field." A pale, shadowy man materialized itself on Raguel's field. More specifically, in the Main Monster Zone Chariot Commander was pointing to.

Cyreath Doppelganger ATK: 500 DEF: 500 LV: 4

"Chariot Commander's effect! Once per turn, when a monster is summoned to a zone this card points to, I can destroy one card you control! And I choose..." Raguel thought it over before deciding. "Your face-down card." Chariot Commander generated a ball of fire in its hands before throwing it at the face-down card, turning it into particles. To Raguel's surprise, though, Stregone laughed.

"You fell for a magician's classic trick," he said. "I activate the second effect of the Trap card, Pendulum Box from my Graveyard."

"Huh?" Raguel responded, as a silhouette of a card appeared on Stregone's field. The card showed two crystal boxes: one red and one blue, in the shape of pendulums. Chronograph Sorcerer was in the red box, which glowed red. Emerging from the blue box was Astrograph Sorcerer.

"If the face-down Pendulum Box is destroyed by a card effect, I can Special Summon one Pendulum monster straight from my deck to my field." Stregone explained, as he took a card from his deck. "Amaze the crowd, Dharma-Eye Magician!" A silver-haired man with a small yellow hat on top of his head appeared on Stregone's field, in the Main Monster Zone Daybreaker was pointing at. He wore a purple jumpsuit and black pants, with turquoise plating on his shoulders. Attached to his back was a thin turquoise cape. Draped around his lower waist were white armor plates on both sides. Orbiting around his back was a golden mantra with spikes. He carried a giant prayer wheel using two hands.

Dharma-Eye Magician ATK: 2000 DEF: 2500 LV: 7 PS: 2

"Daybreaker's effect!"

Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior SC: 1 + 1 = 2

Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior ATK: 1900 + 300 = 2200

"Great..." Raguel muttered. Not only did Stregone summon another monster to his field, he also managed to power up Daybreaker more. What's done is done, he thought. "Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" A Link Portal appeared above his head. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyreath' monsters with different names! I'll set Cyreath Chariot Commander, which is a Link 2 monster, and Cyreath Doppelganger into the Link Markers!" Chariot Commander split into two tornadoes of energy that went into the top and bottom arrowheads, while Doppelganger went into the left arrowhead.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Go wild and smash everything in your way! Link 3! Cyreath Erymanthian Boar!" A bulky, massively built suidae with short and relatively thin legs jumped onto Raguel's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. It had brown fur with light green elements all over its body, along with a mane of dark fur. It also had four tusks at the front of its head. While the two biggest ones were long and curved inward, the two small ones were hooked slightly forward.

Cyreath Erymanthian Boar ATK: 2500 LINK-3 ⬅️⬆️⬇️

Cyreath Erymanthian Boar ATK: 2500 + 200 = 2700

"I'll then activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Cyreath Providence. When this card is activated, immediately after this effect resolves, I can Link Summon one 'Cyreath' Link Monster by shuffling 'Cyreath' monsters from my Graveyard to my deck and/or Extra Deck!" He pointed to the sky. "Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" A second Link Portal appeared in the sky above him. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyreath' monsters. I'll shuffle Cyreath Doppelganger into my deck and Cyreath Chariot Commander, which is a Link 2 monster, into my Extra Deck to set them into the Link Markers!" The first blast of energy went out of Raguel's Graveyard and into the top arrowhead. Then two more blasts of energy went out of Raguel's Graveyard and into the left and right arrowheads, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Heed the captain's call! Link 3! Cyreath Galactic Squid!" A red-skinned octopus with a white underbelly and four tentacles was summoned to the Main Monster Zone Erymanthian Boar was pointing to. The squid had black eyes flashing yellow dots, and multiple rows of teeth within its maw.

Cyreath Galactic Squid ATK: 2300 LINK-3 ⬅️⬆️➡️

Cyreath Galactic Squid ATK: 2300 + 200 = 2500

"The effects of Galactic Squid and Erymanthian Boar both activate." Raguel continued. "First, since Galactic Squid was Link Summoned, I can target two Main Monster Zones on your side of the field, and you can't use them as long as this card is on the field! I choose your left and far-left Main Monster Zones!" Galactic Squid fired two blasts of ink at those zones, turning them black and preventing Stregone from using them.

"Damn it..." Stregone muttered under his breath. Now he couldn't Pendulum Summon as much as before.

"Second, Erymanthian Boar's effect!" Raguel added. "While its co-linked, both it and the monsters it's co-linked with gain 500 attack points. They also can't be targeted by card effects either!" Erymanthian Boar snorted as it and Galactic Squid powered up.

Cyreath Erymanthian Boar ATK: 2700 + 500 = 3200

Cyreath Galactic Squid ATK: 2500 + 500 = 3000

"You may have brought out two strong monsters, but the effect of Magical City of Endymion activates once again." Stregone reminded Raguel for a second time, as a sixth blue orb went into the Field Spell.

Magical City of Endymion SC: 5 + 1 = 6

"Battle!" Raguel declared, thrusting out his right hand. "Cyreath Erymanthian Boar attacks Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic!" Erymanthian Boar charged forward and pointed its tusks at Endymion, stabbing them in his body and turning him into particles. Stregone slightly winced as a result of the attack.

Stregone: 3700 – 400 = 3300 LP

"One monster down, another one to go!" Herald cheered. "Cut him off further, Raguel!"

"The battle still continues!" Raguel reminded Stregone. "Cyreath Galactic Squid attacks Daybreaker, the Shining Magical Warrior! Constricting Suction!" Galactic Squid raised its tentacles and wrapped them around Daybreaker, squeezing him so tight he turned into particles.

Stregone: 3300 – 800 = 2500 LP

"I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Raguel concluded.

"In this duel of epic proportions, Raguel has damaged Stregone further with two Link 3 monsters!" the MC stated. "Will Stregone make a comeback?"

"My turn! I draw!" Stregone said, drawing the top card of his deck and looking at it. "I gotta say, Raguel. You make a strong opponent so far."

"Same for you." Raguel responded. "If I'm being honest, I always wanted to duel you, to see whether my skills can match yours."

"Well, we won't find out until the duel's conclusion." Stregone promised. "I activate the effect of Pendulum Pot in my Graveyard. By banishing it, I can draw cards from my deck equal to the number of cards in my Pendulum zones. Since I have two cards in my Pendulum zones, I can draw two cards!" After explaining, he drew the top two cards of his deck.

"Then I'll activate the Spell card, Pre-Preparation of Rites. Not only does this card lets me add a Ritual Spell card from my deck to my hand, I can also add a Ritual monster from my deck or Graveyard whose name is listed on that Ritual Spell." Two cards popped out of Stregone's deck, which he added to his hand. "And because I activated two Spell cards, Magical City of Endymion's effect is activated two more times!"

Magical City of Endymion SC: 6 + 1 + 1 = 8

Raguel gritted his teeth. "It's coming..."

"I activate the Ritual Spell card, Incandescent Ordeal." Stregone announced. "This card lets me tribute monsters from my hand or field whose combined levels equal or exceed that of the stated Ritual monster, and then summon it from my hand. I tribute the Level 7 Dharma-Eye Magician from my field."

A fiery circle with seven orange orbs appeared on his field before Dharma-Eye Magician broke apart into particles of yellow energy that went into the orbs, lighting them up. Then a pillar of fire erupted from the circle,

"The contract has been made!" Stregone chanted. "The fiery magician shall inherit this soul to master the techniques of fire-bending itself! Ritual Summon! Emerge, Legendary Flame Lord!" A male magician wearing charred light-brown robes on his upper body and small shorts emerged from the portal and appeared on Stregone's field. He had a charred cape wrapped around his waist, as well as a charred cape attached to his back. On his head was a spiked wizard's cap. In his right hand, he carried a hooked scepter with a blazing orb at the top.

Legendary Flame Lord ATK: 2400 DEF: 2000 LV: 7

Magical City of Endymion SC: 8 + 1 = 9

"He actually Ritual Summoned..." Herald muttered in surprise. "Just one more summoning method, and he'll have mastered them all."

"Yeah..." Raguel agreed with Herald.

I owe Miles for teaching me how to Ritual Summon, Stregone thought, pleased to see that his first Ritual Summon was a success. "I activate Legendary Flame Lord's effect. I can remove three Spell counters from this card to destroy all monsters on the field. However, I also activate Magical City of Endymion's effect. Once per turn, if I would activate a card effect by removing Spell counters from a card I control, I can remove than many from this card instead."

"Oh, that's not good at all..." Herald panicked, as three blue orbs went out of the Field Spell and into Legendary Flame Lord's scepter, igniting it.

Magical City of Endymion SC: 9 – 3 = 6

"Go, Legendary Flame Lord! Blazing Wave!" Stregone declared, as Legendary Flame Lord slashed the air using his scepter, causing a wave of fiery energy to emerge and hit both Erymanthian Boar and Galactic Squid, causing a massive explosion. When the smoke cleared, only Erymanthian Boar was left on Raguel's field. "Exactly how did your Erymanthian Boar survive?"

"Simple. I activated the Quick-Play Spell card, Cyreath Salvation." Raguel answered. "If a 'Cyreath' monster I control would be destroyed by a card effect, it's not destroyed. As two monsters were being destroyed, I chose to protect Erymanthian Boar from Legendary Flame Lord's effect. However, because Erymanthian Boar is no longer co-linked to Galactic Squid, it not only loses its attack boost, but can now be targeted by card effects. Also, since Galactic Squid left the field, your Main Monster Zones I targeted earlier can now be used." As Erymanthian Boar's strength decreased, the black ink on Stregone's field disappeared, freeing him to use the targeted Main Monster Zones again.

Cyreath Erymanthian Boar ATK: 3200 – 500 = 2700

"Don't forget about Magical City of Endymion's effect." Stregone pointed out, as another blue orb went into the Field Spell.

Magical City of Endymion SC: 6 + 1 =7

"I activate the Spell card, Pendulum Halt. Since I have three or more face-up Pendulum monsters in my Extra Deck, I can draw two more cards. However, I can't add any more cards from my deck to my hand for the rest of this turn." He drew two more cards and smirked upon looking at them. Then another blue orb went into Magical City of Endymion afterwards.

Magical City of Endymion SC: 7 + 1 = 8

"I summon Black Fang Magician from my hand." A man wearing purple and dark-green clothing, along with black pants, appeared on Stregone's field. He had silver-armored plating on his legs and forearms with purple orbs on them. His upper chest was covered by grey-armored plating as well. An elegant cape attached to his back flowed behind him. On top of his head, he wore a purple magician's hat. In his left hand, he carried a unique staff with two spikes on it.

Black Fang Magician ATK: 1700 DEF: 800 LV: 4 Scale: 8

"Then I activate the Spell card, Monster Reborn." Stregone added. "This card lets me Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard. Return, Daybreaker!" At Stregone's command, Daybreaker reappeared on his field, only in the Main Monster Zone. And just like before, another blue orb went into his Field Spell.

Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior ATK: 1600 LINK-2 ↙️↘️

Magical City of Endymion SC: 8 + 1 = 9

"He got all his Spell counters back and an armada of monsters." Herald stated. "Whereas on our side, we only have Erymanthian Boar on our field, and one card in our hand."

"If we know Stregone, he's setting up something big." Raguel told him. As to what it was, he didn't know yet.

"Good eye, Raguel. Then you should know what will happen next." Stregone pointed his right hand towards the sky. "Appear, the circuit of sorcery!" A Link Portal appeared in the sky above him. "The summoning conditions are two or more monsters, including a Spellcaster monster. I'll set Daybreaker, the Shining Magical Warrior, which is a Link 2 monster, and Black Fang Magician into the Link Markers!" Daybreaker split into two tornadoes of energy that went into the bottom-left and bottom arrowheads, while Black Fang Magician went into the bottom-right arrowhead.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! The magician's queen shall grace the field with her radiance! Link 3! Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians!" A woman wearing a long white dress and golden pieces of jewelry on her upper arms appeared on Stregone's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. She had very long blond hair with a golden piece of jewelry on the left side of her head. On her back was a crescent disc with four Spell counters. Her emerald eyes sparkled as she strung her bow, ready for battle.

Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians ATK: 1850 LINK-3 ↙️⬇️↘️

"When Selene is Link Summoned, I can place Spell counters on her equal to the number of Spell cards on the field and in the Graveyards." Stregone explained, causing Raguel to widen his eyes in shock. "Time to count up, Raguel. Tell me how many Spell cards are on your field and in your Graveyard."

"On my field, I have Cyreath Grand Hall. In my Graveyard, I have Cyreath Treasure, Cyreath Providence, and Cyreath Salvation." Raguel answered.

"On my field, I have Double Iris Magician, Purple Poison Magician, and Magical City of Endymion. In my Graveyard, I have Pre-Preparation of Rites, Incandescent Ordeal, Pendulum Halt, and Monster Reborn." Stregone recapped. "As a result, Selene gains eleven Spell counters!" Soon, several yellow Spell counters attached themselves to the crescent disc on Selene's back.

Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians SC: 0 + 11 = 11

"Swing far, pendulum! Carve the arc of victory!" Stregone chanted. "With the set Pendulum Scale, I can Special Summon monsters between Levels 2 and 7 at the same time! Emerge, Harmonizing Magician and Black Fang Magician from my Extra Deck!" Within moments, a portal opened between the two pillars, where three lights emerged. The lights hit the field and then dissipated, revealing Black Fang Magician and Harmonizing Magician, which were Pendulum Summoned to the Main Monster Zones Selene pointed to.

Black Fang Magician ATK: 1700 DEF: 800 LV: 4 Scale: 8

Harmonizing Magician ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 4 Scale: 8

"I tune the Level 4 Harmonizing Magician with the Level 4 Black Fang Magician!" Stregone soon pointed his right hand to the sky. A bolt of green lightning struck him as the world greyed out and his two monsters disintegrated into particles. Two rings, cyan white and one black appeared before turning blue and merging. Eight blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "4 + 4" in front of them. The screen changed to "8" as light surged through the rings.

"Hero's blade that sets forth unyielding light!" Stregone chanted. "Here and now, awaken with a flash! Synchro Summon! Rise, Enlightenment Paladin!" A man with red eyes and brown hair emerged from the light and was summoned to one of the two free Main Monster Zones that Selene pointed to. He wore white, black, and golden armor on his robes. Two white and red capes extended from his shoulders and waist, and two curved blades rested in each of his hands. His mouth and nose were covered by a white mask, and atop his hair, he wore a black, white, and gold hat.

Enlightenment Paladin ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000 LV: 8

"He even has a new Synchro monster now!" Herald said in shock.

"I thought Arcanite Magician is your go-to Synchro monster." Raguel stated.

"He always will be." Stregone answered. "But after the events of the Tower of Hanoi, I felt I needed to upgrade my deck. Which is why I included both this new Synchro monster and Ritual and Xyz Summoning, thus allowing me to master all six summoning methods. However, it looks like I won't be debuting my Xyz monsters in our duel. For this turn will be the last." He thrusted out his right hand. "I activate Enlightenment Paladin's first effect. When he's Synchro Summoned using a 'Magician' Pendulum monster as material, I can add a Spell card from my Graveyard to my hand." A card popped out of his Graveyard, which he took and added to his hand.

"Last but not least, I activate Double Iris Magician's effect in the Pendulum Zone! By destroying this card, I can target one Dark Spellcaster monster on my field, and any battle damage it inflicts this turn is doubled. I target Enlightenment Paladin!" Double Iris Magician then exploded into red particles, which went into Enlightenment Paladin as he powered up.

"Battle!" Stregone declared. "Enlightenment Paladin attacks Cyreath Erymanthian Boar! At this point, I activate the effect of Purple Poison Magician in my Pendulum zone. When a Dark Spellcaster monster I control battles, I can destroy this card to give that monster 1200 additional attack points!" Purple Poison Magician laughed as he exploded into purple particles, which went into Enlightenment Paladin's curved blades, making them glow purple.

Enlightenment Paladin ATK: 2500 + 1200 = 3700

"His monster's got enough attack points to deal double battle damage!" Herald exclaimed. Raguel grit his teeth. He had to admit. Stregone really had upped his game, as shown so far in this duel.

"Go, Chronos Configuration!" Stregone said, as Enlightenment Paladin charged forward and slashed Erymanthian Boar using his curved swords. After doing so, he connected his two swords together, forming a single double-bladed curved saber that glowed with purple and yellow energy. He spun the double-saber in a circle before slicing through Erymanthian Boar one final time, causing it to cry out as it exploded into particles.

"And Stregone destroyed Raguel's remaining Link monster!" the MC announced. "Is this the end for Raguel? Wait, the smoke's clearing up!" After the smoke cleared up, it revealed Raguel, who was clearly panting from that attack. In front of him was a new monster summoned in defense position. One that had a clay-like body adorned with metallic, dented armor attached to it. Covering its one-eyed face was a bronze helmet, with space so it can see.

Cyreath Clay Giant ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 7

"A new monster, Raguel?" Stregone asked, surprised that he managed to survive the attack.

"Correct." Raguel confirmed. "When a 'Cyreath' monster on my field is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon Cyreath Clay Giant from my hand. Then any battle damage I would have taken is reduced to zero, and Clay Giant gains attack and defense points equal to the destroyed monster's original attack points."

"Erymanthian Boar originally had 2500 attack points. Which means Clay Giant gains 2500 attack points, along with the 200 attack point boost from Grand Hall." Herald explained, as Clay Giant roared and powered up.

Cyreath Clay Giant ATK: 0 + 2500 + 200 = 2700 DEF: 0 + 2500 = 2500

"I applaud you being able to survive the attack." Stregone praised Raguel. "But I forgot to mention Enlightenment Paladin's second effect."

"Second effect?" Raguel repeated.

"When Enlightenment Paladin destroys a monster by battle, you take damage equal to the attack points that monster had on your field." Stregone explained. "Since Erymanthian Boar had 2700 attack points, you take 2700 points of damage!"

"Oh crap..." Raguel and Herald muttered, as Enlightenment Paladin brought his uncombined blades in front of him and blasted them with green energy. The green energy took the form of Erymanthian Boar, which hit Raguel and sent him flying off the ground before he landed on his back.

Raguel: 3700 – 2700 = 1000 LP

"In a surprise twist, Stregone dealt a ton of damage!" the MC stated. "If Raguel doesn't pull it together on this turn, he's done for!"

"I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Stregone concluded. "Which means Double Iris Magician and Purple Poison Magician's effects end, and Enlightenment Paladin's attack points revert back to normal."

Enlightenment Paladin ATK: 3700 – 1200 = 2500

"Do you see, Raguel? Even after my setback against the Hanoi, I was able to keep going. I learned from my mistakes and adapted while staying true to my ethics. As a result, I achieved things I thought I wouldn't be able to obtain. When you're stuck at a fork down the road and you don't know what you do, I encourage you to make your own path down the middle. One that honors all the important people in your life and reflects what you truly want to do. And once you finish carving that path, you must commit yourself to it! For only by casting your uncertainties to the side will you be able to take a step forward with confidence!"

Raguel got up on his feet. "An impressive speech, Stregone," he applauded him. "One of the best ones I've ever heard. As much as I hope it helps our friend back in the real world, we got a duel to finish, don't we?"

"Indeed." Stregone agreed. "So show me what you got."

"My turn! I draw!" Raguel said, drawing the top card of his deck. After looking at it, he frowned. "Seriously? I didn't draw Pandora's Box? I needed that card to draw more cards."

"He did say to 'make your own path down the middle'." Herald pointed out. "Even though we're up in a difficult situation, we faced worse. We can turn this duel around."

Raguel nodded at Herald. "You're right, Herald. Let's give him our best, and only our best." He pointed his right hand to the sky. "Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" A Link Portal appeared in the sky above him. "The summoning conditions are one monster. I'll set Cyreath Clay Giant into the Link Markers!" Clay Giant went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyreath Hephaestus!" A deformed blacksmith carrying a heated rod and a walking stick appeared on Raguel's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He wore a short brown tunic around his waist.

Cyreath Hephaestus ATK: 500 LINK-1 ↘️

Cyreath Hephaestus ATK: 500 + 200 = 700

"I summon Cyreath Barbarian from my hand as well." A man with spiked cuffs, close-cropped blond hair and mustache joined Raguel's field.

Cyreath Barbarian ATK: 1500 DEF: 1000 LV: 4

Cyreath Barbarian ATK: 1500 + 200 = 1700

"Hephaestus' effect!" Raguel continued. "Once per turn, if I control a 'Cyreath' monster other than this card, I can target one Spell or Trap card in my Graveyard and add it to my hand." A card popped out of Raguel's Graveyard, which he added to his hand. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Cyreath Providence. When this card is activated, immediately after this effect resolves, I can Link Summon one 'Cyreath' Link Monster by shuffling 'Cyreath' monsters from my Graveyard to my deck and/or Extra Deck!" He pointed to the sky. "Appear, for a second time! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" A third Link Portal appeared in the sky above him. "The summoning conditions are exactly three 'Cyreath' monsters. I'll shuffle Cyreath Clay Giant into my deck, and Erymanthian Boar and Galactic Squid, which are both Link 3 monsters, into my Extra Deck to set them into the Link Markers!" Three blasts of energy went out of Raguel's Graveyard and into the left, right, and bottom arrowheads.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Bring down the rage of the ocean and ensure that nothing is left! Link 3! Cyreath Poseidon, Lord of the Sea!" A massive water elemental with rocky elements forming around his chest and glowing heart appeared on Raguel's field in the Main Monster Zone Hephaestus was pointing to. Several watery hippocampi protruded out of the rock formation below his waist, with two hippocampi appearing as makeshift arms. The water elemental had wet, braided hair, with a crown on the back of his head in the form of crab legs. He carried a trident, which was covered in electricity. Poseidon growled in rage upon looking at Stregone, who shivered in response.

Cyreath Poseidon, Lord of the Sea ATK: 3000 LINK-3 ⬅️⬇️➡️

Cyreath Poseidon, Lord of the Sea ATK: 3000 + 200 = 3200

"Have you forgot about Magical City of Endymion's effect?" Stregone reminded Raguel, as another blue orb went into the Field Spell.

Magical City of Endymion SC: 9 + 1 = 10

"No, I have not." Raguel replied. "Appear, for a third and final time! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" A third Link Portal appeared in the sky above Raguel. "The summoning conditions are two 'Cyreath' monsters. I'll set Cyreath Barbarian and Cyreath Hephaestus, which is a Link 1 monster, into the Link Markers!" Hephaestus went into the left arrowhead, while Barbarian went into the right arrowhead, turning both of them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Gallop into battle! Link 2! Cyreath Pegasus!" A majestic black horse with wings flew onto Raguel's field and was summoned to the Main Monster Zone Poseidon was pointing to, resulting in both monsters being co-linked with one another.

Cyreath Pegasus ATK: 1200 LINK-2 ⬅️➡️

Cyreath Pegasus ATK: 1200 + 200 = 1400

"When Barbarian is used as Link material, the Link Summoned monster gains 500 attack points." Pegasus soon glowed with energy.

Cyreath Pegasus ATK: 1400 + 500 = 1900

"Last but not least, I activate Pegasus' effect! Monsters it's pointing to can attack directly!" Raguel added, as Stregone's eyes widened in shock. "Battle! Cyreath Poseidon, Lord of the Sea attacks you directly, Stregone! Ocean's Judgment!" Poseidon pointed his trident at Stregone before he fired electricity from his weapon at him.

"If this attack hits, Stregone is finished!" the MC said in shock.

"If I'm going down, I'm doing it with a bang!" Stregone countered. "I activate the Trap card, Pendulum Mirror Force!"

"Pendulum Mirror Force?" Raguel and Herald repeated, both caught off guard. The card showed a swinging blue pendulum being enveloped by a massive barrier, causing several laser-like attacks to bounce off of the barrier.

"When your monster declares an attack while I have a Pendulum monster in my Extra Deck, all monsters you control that are in attack position are destroyed!" Stregone exclaimed, as fire erupted from Pendulum Mirror Force and consumed Poseidon and Pegasus, turning both of them into particles. "Then we both take damage equal to the combined original attack points of those monsters."

"So that means we're both losing?!" Herald exclaimed. As if in confirmation, a massive pendulum appeared out of Pendulum Mirror Force and swung towards the electricity Poseidon fired out of his trident, absorbing it before destroying both him and Pegasus. It then moved towards Raguel like a wrecking ball, hitting him off the ground before moving back to Stregone, hitting him off the ground as well. As a result, both duelist's life points dropped to zero.

Raguel: 1000 – 4200 = 0

Stregone: 2500 – 4200 = 0

"It's... it's a draw?!" the MC said in shock. But before he could say anymore, Stregone stood up.

"It doesn't matter whether you win or lose," he said, so everyone can hear. "What matters is whether you tried your hardest or not. As long as you did so, you can learn from your mistakes, and move forward." Stregone turned to Raguel and extended his right hand out to him. "I had fun today, Raguel. Did you?"

Raguel stood up. "Of course I did," he replied, walking forward and shaking Stregone's hand. "I look forward to our next match."

"There you have it, folks!" the MC said. "A nice way to end the duel. Thanks for watching, and see you next time!" With that, both duelists logged out of the network.

At the Den City Shelter...

After getting up in the real world, Quinton and Yuhiro walked downstairs to the living room, as a group of kids noticed and ran towards them, with Miles and Tsubaki following after them.

"Now that was awesome!" Miles said, who was clearly in awe from their duel.

"I'm glad you liked it, Miles." Yuhiro said, putting a hand on his shoulder. But before he could say more, Quinton got his attention.

"You got a minute to talk alone?" Quinton asked him.

"Yeah, sure." Yuhiro answered, following after Quinton to the Den City Shelter's backyard.

"Those two people have made a great impact on my life." Miles said, watching as Yuhiro and Quinton went out to the backyard. "If it weren't for them, who knows where I would have ended up."

"I can get what you mean." Tsubaki agreed. "If it weren't for Yuhiro, I probably would have sided with the Hanoi during the Tower of Hanoi event. I hold him in high regard because of his help."

Miles turned to Tsubaki and smirked. "So you're saying you have a crush on him?"

"Huh?" A small blush formed on Tsubaki's face, causing Miles to laugh. "N-No. I'm just really grateful for what he's done. And even if I did, I lost the race before it even began." Miles was still laughing, even after she made her point. "Could you please stop that?"

"Yeah, sure." Miles wiped his eye. "On a different topic, do you think the duel helped you out?"

Tsubaki thought about it, then said, "Yes. I can see what Quinton meant when he said 'to make your own path down the middle. One that honors all the important people in your life and reflects what you truly want to do.'"

'"And once you finish carving that path, you must commit yourself to it! For only by casting your uncertainties to the side will you be able to take a step forward with confidence!'" Miles finished. "I'll be honest. The beginning of my life may not have been great, but Quinton and Yuhiro taught me that I can forge my own path. I hope I can instill that lesson in other people when I become a Charisma Duelist."

"A Charisma Duelist?" Tsubaki repeated, mulling the idea over. "Is it possible for someone like me to become one that is a good example to others?"

"Hey, anything's possible." Miles answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Look at Charisma Duelists like Quinton, Go Onizuka, and Blue Angel. I'm sure with hard work and dedication, you'll make it."

"I see." Tsubaki then decided on what to do. "In that case, how do I become a Charisma Duelist?"

Meanwhile, Yuhiro was sitting in a lawn chair outside, with his Duel Disk on a small table beside him. Quinton brought a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses soon after.

"So Quinton, there's a couple of things I need to know." Yuhiro said, as Quinton sat down in the lawn chair beside him. "First: How do you know that I'm Raguel?"

"Roxy told me two years ago." Quinton answered, pouring some lemonade for the two of them. "At first, I was worried that you were going to get hurt. But as time passed by, I knew you were going to be okay. That you'll succeed no matter who or what gets put in your way."

"Well, I did succeed in my mission." Yuhiro replied, taking the nearby filled glass in his left hand. "I'm not sure if Roxy told you this, but Miyu woke up from her coma after the Tower of Hanoi collapsed."

"That's wonderful news. No wonder you've been so happy recently. " Quinton said, happy for Yuhiro. "How come she's not here today? I get that Tsubaki needed help, but if you brought Miyu, we would have welcomed her with open arms."

"Well..." Yuhiro began, but was soon interrupted by Herald, who emerged from his Duel Disk.

"She's currently going through physio," Herald said, giving Quinton a little scare. "If all goes well, you'll get the chance to meet her in three months tops."

"Hang on. You're his Ignis?" Stregone asked.

"That's right. And I have a name. It's Herald. Nice to meet you, Sorcerer of LINK VRAINS." Herald extended his right hand to Quinton, who shook it in response. "I just want to say thank you for inspiring me to create Pendulum cards for Yuhiro. If it weren't for you, we would have lost against Infearno."

Quinton was surprised at hearing this. "To think I'd inspire an Ignis. I can't believe it myself," he muttered to himself. "Say, what was the other thing you wanted to know, Yuhiro?"

"Oh, yeah." Yuhiro remembered the other question he wanted to ask. "How exactly do you know about the Lost Incident? I remember you mentioning it prior to your duel against Infearno."

"Let's just say I know someone who got me the information." Quinton responded, a smirk on his face. "Goes by the name 'Abysstainer' too. Ha."

The two of them sat in companiable silence before he spoke up once again. "I got to say, I'm proud of you. Even though you were up against insurmountable odds, you overcame them. Now, you can finally heal."

"It'll take a while, but yeah. I can see what you mean." Yuhiro agreed. He was glad that he can recuperate from everything that happened. For Watchman will need his help in the future, and Yuhiro will have to answer the call when needed.

"To you, Yuhiro." Quinton said, getting his attention as he raised his glass filled with lemonade at him.

"No. To all of us. And to a better future." Yuhiro returned the gesture.

"Now that I can toast to." The two of them smiled as they clinked their glasses together before taking a drink from them, enjoying a good laugh in the process.

(This is the ending. If you have suggestions, don't hesitate to send me a PM or input it in your review.)

A light shines and the letters spelling out VRAINS light up the screen before a network is formed and several cards are drawn in towards a pillar of light. Playmaker, Raguel, and Soulburner are shown with their respective Ignis and stats, along with real-life forms that across the backgrounds that match their Ignis' colors. The screen then shows each of them being shocked while wearing VR sets as kids, along with a kid with light-green hair that flowed backwards and curled at the back. The kid also had dark-green hair spikes on the sides of his head, with light-green spikes at the back of his head as well.

The screen gets swallowed with darkness at it reveals a young Yukage huddled up and crying, his shadow shrinking behind him before taking the form of Wraith and comforting him. Yukage looks up with a menacing and soul piercing glare before the darkness consumes him and he's replaced with an older version of himself. Azrael and Wraith are then shown in NEW LINK VRAINS, as they look out into the digital sky. The scene then shifts to Bohman standing tall above NEW LINK VRAINS and holding the earth in his hands with Haru by his side. The short creature with deep purple skin grins in the shadows behind them, his red eyes shining bright in the process.

A drop of light falls down, and as it explodes, it reveals Playmaker, Raguel, and Soulburner, standing on buildings watching over the network, alongside the male individual wearing a black outfit with green accents and a gold, bird-like mask over his eyes as well. Blood Shepherd is shown commanding a trio of Battledrone Sergeants before the screen shifts to a young man wearing an elaborate purplish coat with black inner lining and cuffs intricately decorated by red-coloured motifs, as well as a grey shirt with crimson leather pants commanding a red-eyed dragon. The screen then shifts a third time to another man, with red hair spiked backwards and dark purple eyes, as well as wearing a stylish white coat with yellow lines and a black shirt underneath it. Draped around his lower body is a white waist cape with yellow lines as well. Above the man was a male, humanoid monster wearing a black and white suit that had electricity crackling from his wrists and head, as well as several other monsters that resembled futuristic armor parts. The screen then shows Go Onizuka, Kenmochi, and Yoroizaka with Dinowrestler King T Wrextle, Gouki the Blade Ogre, and Gouki the Solid Ogre behind them ready for battle.

Blue Angel, Ghost Girl, Numera and SengokuQueen are then featured together riding their duel boards across the night sky with shooting stars flying across them. Trickstar Holly Angel was with Blue Angel, while Numera was with Geomathmech Final Sigma. Ghost Girl was with a large dark-blue, light-blue, and white Altergeist monster that had four clawed arms, two hind-legs, three raised tails behind her, and a mane of green hair on her head. In her right hand, she carried a staff. SengokuQueen was with a male shinobi wearing grey robes and armor pads with neon-yellow lines running over them. The man had a red scarf around his neck, along with a face-mask and face visor on his head. He also had spiked-brown hair and a ponytail as well. In his right hand, he carried a Sai, while the brass knuckle on his left hand emitted four translucent blades.

The screen then changes to Raguel, Playmaker, and Soulburner riding on their duel boards with Cyreath Medusa and Cyreath Hercules in his new form, Cyberse Magician, Cyberse Witch, and Salamangreat Heatleo behind them. Following the trio is the male individual from before, with a white and black dragon covered in white, blue, and black armor, as well as neon green crystals attached to her body, which acted like wings that shone with bright light. The four of them join together with a fist bump and smile in the real world as the wind blows, with Kusanagi, Roxy, and Greg watching them from Kusanagi's truck. Rachel then runs toward the quartet, and more specifically, Yuhiro, a look of joy clearly on her face. Unbeknownst to everyone, they're watched from the shadows by a cloaked person who glares at them, biding his time.

Card Gallery

Raguel:

Cyreath Clay Giant (LV: 7/Cyberse/Earth/ATK: 0/DEF: 0)

Effect: When a 'Cyreath' monster you control is destroyed by battle and you would take battle damage: You can Special Summon this card from your hand in Defense Position, and if you do, reduce that damage to zero, then have this card gain ATK and DEF equal to the destroyed monster's original ATK.

Stregone:

Pendulum Box (Normal Trap card)

Effect: You can send 1 Pendulum monster you control to your GY; Special Summon 1 Pendulum monster from your deck with a different name. If this face-down card is destroyed by your opponent's card effect: You can Special Summon 1 Pendulum monster from your deck.

Pendulum Mirror Force (Normal Trap card)

Effect: When your opponent's monster declares an attack while you have a Pendulum monster in your Extra Deck: Destroy all Attack Position monsters your opponent controls as possible, and if you do, take damage equal to the combined original ATK of those destroyed monsters, then inflict damage to your opponent equal to the damage you took.

QOTC

If you had to choose an archetype for an OC Charisma Duelist, which one would you choose and why?

Chapter Preview

Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 41: Ghost of the Past. Wishing to make amends with Roxy, Emma goes to the Den City Hospital in order to pay Miyu a surprise visit. However, when old wounds start to open, the two women decide to clear things up in a duel...

Author's Notes

To think I'd be able to release this chapter on my birthday is a wonderful treat indeed. That said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and are looking forward to what comes next. In the meanwhile, let's recap what happened.

The first thing that happened were a few scenes at the Den City Hospital, mostly between Yuhiro and Miyu. For this part, I really wanted to show their interactions between them, and how they're able to connect with one another. Here, Miyu reveals to Yuhiro that she remembers the night when her parents died, which leads him to comfort her in her time of need. Who do you think was responsible for killing Miyu's parents?

The second thing that happens in this chapter is Yuhiro helping Tsubaki out by taking her to the Den City Shelter. He does this because Quinton once helped him before, and believes he can do the same for her. This leads Tsubaki to meeting Miles and the kids, as well as deciding what she wants to do following the duel, which will be mentioned below. Now I ultimately decided for Tsubaki to start her journey on becoming a Charisma Duelist for a single and important reason. As she plays a smaller role this season, I wanted her to find her own direction by learning how to be a role model. In other words, what can I teach those who look up to me, so they don't repeat the same mistakes I did? For those of you who will be worried by this, she'll still appear in chapters when the good guys need her help. Like I said before, I do intend on taking Tsubaki's character in an interesting direction, and I don't want anything to defer from that.

On that point, there's something else I want to add. There will be no Tsubaki and Yuhiro ship in the story at all, as they'll just be friends. Period. After all, Tsubaki admitted in this chapter that she 'lost the race before it even began'. What does that mean? Well, recall in Chapter 27 where she learned about Miyu after Infearno revealed her name to Raguel during their duel. Tsubaki deduced that Miyu was a really important person in Yuhiro's life, as evident by his reactions to Infearno. Having realized this, she chooses to focus on atoning for her actions. I hope this makes sense for you. If it doesn't and you have a question, don't hesitate to put it in your review.

Last but not least, we have the duel between Raguel and Stregone. I originally intended for Raguel to defeat Stregone, but I ultimately decided for a draw. Why? For two reasons. One: To show that Raguel is not OP. Two: To show how much Stregone upgraded his deck, with a new Ritual monster (Legendary Flame Lord) and a Synchro monster (Enlightenment Paladin). Will we see Stregone Xyz Summon? The answer is yes, but until later on in the story.

Following the duel, Quinton tells Yuhiro about how he figured out his identity was Raguel, as well as how he got information on the Lost Incident. He got it from an individual named 'Abysstainer'. Who do you think this is?

Before I wrap things up for this chapter, I just want to make a brief announcement regarding the QOTC, as well as what will happen next. I already have names for the Charisma Duelists that will compose of the Top 10 alongside Blue Angel and Stregone, but I'm looking for archetype ideas. If you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to put it in your review.

Next up will be an update on Roxy's Reports, which will cover Rosetta and Ace's updated profiles. For this profile, there will be a brief cameo from a certain, comedic duo that observed all the events in the network. Once that's done, I'll work on Chapter 41, with the synopsis shown above. I'll do my best to release Chapter 41 mid-March at the latest.

Thank you to everyone for reading Chapter 40 of Obscured Truth. As always, please let me know your thoughts about the chapters below in your reviews. Also, constructive criticism is appreciated, as your tips and advice helps make the story better. In addition, don't forget to favorite and follow the story. That way, you will get a notification once the next chapter is released.

What did you enjoy the most from this chapter? Was it the Yuhiro and Miyu scenes? The duel between Raguel and Stregone? Or was it something else?

That's all for now. See you next time!