DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS. This series is owned by Konami. Any relations to persons living or dead are purely coincidental.
…it's raining.
That is the first thing I realize as I find myself stirring awake. The sky is cloudy and gray, water continuously pouring down on the earth. I'm leaning up against a wall next to the open street. Cars zoom by and no one seems to spare me a second glance.
My head's so fuzzy I can barely think. Everything's so blurry I can hardly make out the hand in front of me. Who's hand is that? Oh, wait, it's mine.
What am I doing in an alley? Why am I just sitting here in the rain? It's so cold and none of my clothes protect me. All I'm wearing is a thin t-shirt that's two sizes too big and nothing else.
"Hey, are you okay?"
I look up and see a boy looking down at me, eyes swimming with concern. He's wearing a school uniform, a bag in one hand in an umbrella in the other.
"You're going to catch a cold," the boy tells me as he angles his umbrella to protect me. "Especially dressed like that. Are you okay? Can you stand up?"
I stare at him blankly. I open my lips and speak, but it is not to him. I'm speaking to myself, as if I am but a stranger even to me.
"Who…am I?"
At the time, it seemed as though it were a simple meeting.
Truth is often stranger than fiction, however.
What transpires following this fated encounter sets the course of a story untold.
Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS:
Alternative
"…tomi-sensei? Oi, Satomi-sensei!
24-year-old Satomi Iwakagura groaned as she found herself pulled away from her dreams. She slowly cracked one eye open, finding a familiar green-eyed youth looking down sternly at her. Upon seeing that it was him, she closed her eye and drifted back to sleep.
"Five more minutes…"
"Oh no, no way, you are not going to slack off. What will our clients say if they walked in and saw you sleeping on the job?"
Satomi did not budge an inch. "What clients? We haven't gotten a single client in a month…"
Iwakagura Investigations, as its name implied, was a private detective agency. It was located in the Den Grand Mall in Den City, consisting of one large room and three smaller rooms. Satomi founded the detective agency, although the business was not as successful as she would have hoped. At the time, she believed she would receive clients asking her to tail their lovers and see if they were cheating on them, investigate cold cases and other stereotypical cases one would expect from a detective novel and whatnot. Unfortunately, she found that most people who came to her agency hired her to look for their missing cats or lost items. She did receive a few missing persons case, but they were far and few in-between.
This was what led to Satomi's current state. She began this business in the hopes of excitement (and the faint hope she might stumble across something relating to her past) to an otherwise meaningless and dull life of going through the motions. Instead, all she got was trouble. The only positive to running the agency was that some of her clients happened to be owners of restaurants and stalls in the mall and offered her a generous discount for her troubles. Other than that, there was the fact that she had hired help, though admittedly, she barely paid him anything.
Speaking of her assistant, Satomi realized he was still standing in front of her desk.
"Satomi-sensei, even if you dislike it, you still have an image to uphold. I'll make you some coffee to help you wake up."
"…ugh, fine. But I want that coffee first."
Reluctantly, Satomi lifted her body off her desk and stretched her back. Numerous cricks and pops sounded off, followed by a wave of relief. Her assistant, 16-year-old Yusaku Fujiki, walked over to the counter on the side of the room and began making her a cup of coffee. As he was busy doing that, Satomi took the newspaper lying on the side of her desk. The front page showed the familiar image of the SOL Technologies HQ with the headline sitting at the top of the page.
"As usual, SOL's the number-one company in electronics," Satomi muttered in disinterest as she read the article. "Of all the… They've made top-shelf computer hardware and bought out two of the biggest Duel Monsters corporations in the world, and their next big project is a household robot maid?"
"My classmates won't stop talking about it." Yusaku set the coffee mug down on the desk. Satomi took a drink, only to recoil her tongue burned in protest from contact. "The SOLtis is supposed to be a major breakthrough for the company. Cutting edge AI performance and enhancements, I think they said."
"I understand that, but really? Robot maids?! I could understand it if it's for white-collar workers and all that, god only knows the stress an office job does to you, but why would you have some bucket of scraps and bolts do something for you when you can do it your damn self?"
"Spoken like a true old-fashioned hardworker. I knew there was a reason I liked you, Iwa-chan!"
Satomi and Yusaku looked to the door. Standing in the doorframe was a man with dark skin and dreadlocks wearing the most god-awful Hawaiian shirt either of them had ever seen complete with gray sweat pants and sandals.
"Anderson," Satomi greeted amiably. "Still wearing ugly shirts I see…"
Anderson laughed, stepping inside the office and taking a seat on the sofa in the middle of the room. "You say ugly, I say a work of art. Something you would know if you took a vacation every once in a while instead of holing up in the mall, waiting to hook a big fish."
The foreigner was perhaps one of the most important people in Satomi's life, having been the one to go through numerous hoops to get her where she was now. If it were not for him, she would not have her name, the clothes on her back, the Duel Disk in her drawer or even the agency. He was also the one who brought Satomi some of her jobs, a few being the dreaded cat hunts that ended with her face marked in cat scratches.
Despite that, Satomi knew remarkably little about what Anderson did in his private life. It was not her place to pry, but she could not help but feel a little curious about the man who got her to where she was now.
"Speaking of big fishes, I got you a job!" Anderson smiled widely.
Satomi glared. "For the last time, Anderson, I am not going to-"
"Relax, Iwa-chan, relax! It's not a cat hunt." Satomi and Yusaku shared a look with each other before looking back at the man. Seeing the looks on their faces, the man smiled before calling out over his shoulder. "Come on in, kid!"
The door to the agency opened. Stepping inside was a girl in a school uniform, albeit not one Satomi recognized.
"Hello," the girl bowed her head. "Are you Iwakagura-san?"
CASE #1│Another Side
At Satomi's urging, Yusaku fixed their client a cup of tea. Both he and Satomi relocated to the sofa, sitting across from the client and Anderson. Satomi studied the girl's appearance in the hopes of figuring out something. She was young, the same age as Yusaku, had chin-length brown hair and eyes with a yellow raincoat over her person. Beneath the raincoat was her school uniform; a white button-up shirt under a black v-neck sweater with an emblem on the left breast pocket.
"Ami Okubo-chan, was it?" Satomi asked carefully. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you come across Iwakagura Investigations? I don't exactly advertise my agency."
"I recommended it to her," Anderson said. "She happened to run into me and said she was looking for a detective."
Yusaku raised an eyebrow. "She ran into you?"
"It's a long story," Ami said. "I'd like to make this quick, if you don't mind. I don't exactly have much free time after school."
"Let me guess, overbearing parents?" Satomi smiled wryly. "That's fine with me. I don't like beating around the bush myself, either. So, what kind of job do you have for us at Iwakagura Investigations?"
Ami nodded. "I'd like for you to look into my father." Satomi raised an eyebrow. "My father used to work at SOL Technologies, but ten years ago, he was laid off by the company. He managed to find a better job at Toho Manufacturing, but recently, he's been acting very weird."
"Weird?" Yusaku said. "Weird how?"
"I hear him mumble to himself from time to time, and when I ask what it's about, he yells at me. He also spends most of his day at home on the computer."
"That's hardly surprising," Satomi said. "Even manufacturer workers have to work from home sometimes."
"Except he isn't," Ami shook her head. "He's buying random things. The other day, he bought a top-shelf microwave at a ridiculous price. The microwave we have still works and isn't close to breaking down."
Satomi's curiosity rose. "What else has he bought?"
"Lamps, cameras, garbage bins…like I said, random things. And he always buys them at the highest price possible. Some of the stuff he buys is second-hand off-brand junk too."
Yusaku frowned. "It sounds to me like your dad is addicted to buying stuff online."
"That's what it sounded like at first, but I overheard him say something weird the other day. "It's not enough. I have to buy more!" I've never heard him act like that before."
Satomi hummed. If she was not curious before, she was certainly intrigued now. A father laid off by SOL gets a new job at a manufacturing company and suddenly starts exhibiting weird behavior? She could see that something was there, something gnawing at her brain.
"…alright, we'll take your case," Satomi said with finality. She took out a small piece of paper and set on the table. "Leave your contact information here, as well as your address, if you don't mind."
Ami smiled slightly. "Thank you, Iwakagura-san."
Ami left the agency shortly after filling out the form. No sooner had she left did Satomi get to work, typing away at her computer and inputting her new client's information into some files.
"By the way, Anderson-san, you never said how much this job is worth," Yusaku realized. "Are you sure she can afford this?"
Anderson chuckled. "Don't worry your pretty little head, Fujiki-chan! Don't worry, that girl can pay the fees no problem. Hell, she'd probably be able to pay it off three times over if she could."
"Oh? Sounds like she's rather wealthy for being the daughter of a blue-collar worker," Satomi noted. "What school does she go to? I didn't recognize the uniform."
"She goes to an all-girls school here in Den City. Fujiwara, I think it was called?"
"Oi oi, sensei…" Yusaku looked exasperated. "Are you doing a background check again?"
"It never hurts to plan for the worst, Yu-chan. Need I remind you what happened with that missing person case we were hired to do back in June?"
Yusaku's face soured significantly and turned his head. It was hard to forget that particular case. While he realized that Satomi was right to be cautious, he could not help but feel there were times when she was perhaps too paranoid. What sort of danger could Ami be involved in? She was a high school student just like him. It was hard for him to imagine that she would be involved in something dangerous.
"So, what do you think is going on?" Yusaku asked. "From the sounds of it, this behavior was pretty recent. There is a chance he could be addicted to excessive spending."
Satomi nodded. "That is one possibility. However, we should look at all the angles first and decide where to go from there. Okubo-san lives in an apartment complex in the Yasuida Ward. Yu-chan, why don't you go around asking the neighbors and see if they know anything about Okubo-san's behavior?"
Yusaku nodded. "Understood. What about you, Satomi-sensei?"
"I'll be grabbing myself a hot dog."
Her assistant stared.
It was a beautiful day, overall. The sky was blue, the clouds were absent, and there were plenty of people hungry and looking for a bite to eat. Such days were Shoichi Kusanagi's favorite as they were typically the days when he made bank. During the afternoons and evenings, the jumbo screens surrounding the plaza showed ongoing duels between the superstars of LINK VRAINS. Just like sport events, people were hungry and eager to chow down while cheering on their favorites. In this case, they were eager to bite into some fresh off-the-stove hot dogs.
Shoichi finished his latest batch and wiped the sweat from his forehead before moving on to the fry cooker. He dumped a fresh batch into the oil and let it sit. He turned back to the counter and wait for a new customer, only to find a familiar face approaching.
A woman in her early twenties, wearing a heavy black coat over a dark gray tank-top and faded jeans. Her hair was chin-length, dyed in black with white and ash-gray streaks along the left side of her bangs. Around her neck was a choker with a diamond-shaped pendant dangling from a thin chain. Ruby eyes glimmered with something akin to mischief.
"Looks like business is booming today for you," Satomi Iwakagura smiled demurely. "How much for an extra special hot dog with everything thrown in?"
Shoichi scoffed. "That's more than you can afford and you know it," he shot back playfully. His hands were already moving, creating the next meal. "Go on and take a seat. I'll be with you in a minute."
Satomi nodded and plopped down on one of the nearby benches next to the food truck. A few more customers arrived and were given their orders before Shoichi took a break and closed down Café Nagi. He sat down next to Satomi and handed her a special-made order.
"Your usual, a heresy to all hot dogs," Shoichi smiled. Satomi smiled and thanked him as she took the plate of food and began to munch on it happily. "So, what brings you here? Another case?"
Shoichi and Satomi had met on an online forum regarding discussions of hacking and the applications of using a computer virus on a person in the real world through their LINK VRAINS accounts. Satomi rarely perused such forums, but a previous case of hers involved a person whose account was hacked. The client at the time requested her help in retrieving his account, as well as discovering the identity of the person who hacked it in the first place. A discussion Shoichi started on the forum caught her attention, which led to her tracking him down and asking for his help.
A small, budding relationship soon developed. Whenever a particular case involving some form of hacking found its way to Iwakagura Investigations, Satomi came to Shoichi for information and advice. In return, he had another satisfied customer who paid for both the information and a hot dog.
"Yeah, a former SOL employee and got hired by Toho Manufacturing. He has been acting weird according to his daughter, buying random stuff at the highest price possible. Yu-chan thinks he has an addiction, but I think there's more to it."
"Ah, the infamous gut feeling that's led to many detectives solving crimes," Soichi smirked. "Well, yeah, it is possible it could just be a personal problem… But I can think of something else."
"Oh?"
"You said he used to work at SOL Technologies, right? Is his account still active?"
Satomi shrugged. "I don't know. I would have to look into that. Why?"
"Employee accounts are pretty much protected by some of the best anti-hacking firewalls on the market, officially and otherwise. That being said, that protection only works while said employee is still employed at the company."
"In other words, if his account is still active, it's pretty much a sitting duck?"
"Pretty much," Shoichi nodded. "If the account is active, and it's linked to LINK VRAINS or a similar cyberspace, it's possible that someone's infected his Conscious Data with a virus."
—Conscious Data was essentially a person's own brainwave patterns converted into digital form. The thoughts, feelings, personality, and mind of the person became data, allowing them to interact with other digital entities within virtual cyberspace hubs such as LINK VRAINS. While this exposed people to completely new sensations, it was not without new risks. As a person's mind became data, this meant it was susceptible to the same forces that plagued one's home computer. Only instead of damaging a piece of hardware, a hacker was inflicting damage to a person's own soul.
There were numerous laws and safeguards to prevent such things from happening, of course, but not all methods were foolproof.
It was plausible that Okubo's Conscious Data had been infected by some kind of virus. If this was indeed the case, then Satomi needed to figure out what sort of virus infected his Conscious Data, as well as figure out how she could remove said virus.
Satomi bit down the last of her hot dog, swallowing the chunk with relish. She threw the plate into the garbage bin next to her and stood up. "Thanks for the meal, boss. As always, your stuff is the best in town."
"Always happy to see a satisfied customer," Shoichi replied and took his payment. He then watched Satomi leave, no doubt to pursue her newest lead. Once she vanished from sight, the hacker returned to his food truck to continue his business. Just as he was about to resume his daily ritual, his cell phone rang.
It was a familiar tune.
He did not glance at the caller ID and answered the call by the second ring. "What's up?"
"I'm back, Yu-chan~"
Satomi sauntered into her agency with a cheery smile on her face. As she expected, her assistant was on his laptop. Upon hearing her arrive, he looked up. "And where have you been?" He looked at her with glaringly obvious disapproval. "Do you know how long I had to ask around?! That complex was far too huge!"
"I had the utmost faith you would succeed in your task," Satomi told him cheerily. "After all, you're the protagonist to my side character."
"That doesn't even make sense…" The teen sighed and shook his head. "Just please tell me you actually did some investigation on your part? Otherwise, I feel like my respect for you will become non-existent."
"I wouldn't say investigating, but I may have a few leads to look into. Have your hacking skills gotten rusty?" Yusaku raised an eyebrow at her question. "I need you to look and see if Okubo-san's SOL Technologies account is active, and if it is, if it's connected to LINK VRAINS."
Yusaku caught on to what she wanted and wasted no time in going about his task. His fingers danced across the keyboard, the tapping akin to playing a piano to Satomi. Strings of coding flashed by on the screen rapidly. Seconds later, Yusaku's computer screen filled out.
"It looks like its still active," he reported. "It's still being used as the primary account."
"Can you see if it's been tampered with in any way?"
"I can try, but it will take some time. Do you think someone infected him with a virus?"
"It is a possibility. What do you think?"
"Would explain what I heard. I asked the Okubo's neighbors about his behavior recently. Like Ami-san said, it started not long ago, and most of the tenants didn't know about it until around a month ago. When he's working at home he starts shouting things that don't make sense, half the time they think he's speaking gibberish. Other times they hear strange noises. When one of them tried asking him about what he had been up to, he snapped at them. Some said he looks as if he's barely slept at all."
Satomi rubbed her chin. "I see… And what of his behavior before now?"
"Pretty normal stuff from what I've heard. Stereotypical business man raising a daughter all by himself."
"Which makes the odds of this being a case of hacking all the more likely," she nodded to herself. "Yu-chan, you can go on home for today. Tomorrow, see if you can't find out if Okubo-san's account has been hacked. I'll talk to his co-workers and see if his abnormal behavior also applies to his workplace."
Yusaku nodded and closed his laptop and slid it inside his bag. "Try not to stay up too late, Satomi-sensei," he advised as he left.
Satomi rolled her eyes. She appreciated his concern, but really, how old did he think she was? She was not a child, even if she had a bad habit of allowing her curiosity to get the best of her at times.
Still, it was sweet of him to worry. It made her glad that she met him that day.
Satomi walked over to her desk, glancing at the photograph that showed her several months ago, standing in front of the entrance of the newly founded Iwakagura Investigations. She looked more disheveled then, trying to adjust to a life without prior memories. Next to her was Yusaku who looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but there. Which made sense, as she more or less shanghaied him into being her assistant when she started this job. Also present was Anderson, his arm draped over the reluctant teen and flashing the biggest grin possible.
She smiled fondly at the photograph, her greatest treasure, before turning to her monitor. She fired up her computer and opened up a window she closed earlier. Displayed on-screen was a class roster from a school in Den City. The school from which she acquired the roster from was none other than the all-girls Fujiwara Private Academy high school that "Ami Okubo" attended. On the roster was Satomi's client, who sported a forced smile.
A quick glance at the background and history from the school records told her that Ami Okubo was like any other girl in Den City. She was an otherwise ordinary, innocent and harmless high school girl who was simply concerned about her father.
…except for one glaring problem: The girl in the photograph Satomi stared at was not "Ami Okubo".
A smile formed across Satomi's face, eager to unravel the mystery she discovered. "Well, isn't this just interesting…?"
The next day arrived with little fanfare. Satomi woke up early in the morning and performed her daily ritual of physical exercise and skimming through the latest news articles on her computer. One article that caught her attention was from last night. During a championship duel between Go Onizuka and his latest challenger, the Knights of Hanoi went on the warpath and launched an assault on LINK VRAINS while it was undergoing a routine maintenance check, which of course prevented SOL Technologies from mounting a counter-offensive. Fortunately, a duelist by the name of Checkmate arrived to put a stop to the fighting.
"Speed Duels, hm?" Satomi felt as if she heard of this dueling style before, perhaps from her lost memories. She paid it no mind. "And a Monster Type no one's heard of before… I'll have to see if there are any records of these Cyberse Monsters and this Ignister archetype anywhere."
The door opened. Yusaku stepped inside, looking particularly excited. "Did you see the news from last night?"
"If you're referring to the debut of LINK VRAINS' latest duelist, I just read the article. Although I'm interested in them, why don't we focus on the job?"
Her assistant nodded. He wasted no time in getting to work, taking his laptop and investigating Okubo's account. Minutes ticked by while he investigated everything about him. His screen flashed rapidly as he combed through the data, looking for every instance of hacking. He was looking for something, anything that the hackers left behind when they infected Okubo with their virus. Satomi was silent as she watched him work, always fascinated by how fast his fingers moved and how absorbed in his work he was.
After ten minutes, Yusaku's fingers stopped. "I'm done," he announced. "Okubo-san's account was hacked and infected by a virus. I can't tell what kind of virus it actually is without looking at Okubo-san's Conscious Data for myself, though."
"Have any ideas about who our mysterious hackers are?"
"Whoever did this wasn't an amateur, but they're no professional. Signatures all point to the X Byz. They're a self-proclaimed "Hero Hacker Team" because they go after people they think are evil. Some of their targets were legitimate, but others were just ordinary civilians that did a bad thing once or twice, like stealing money from someone's account or shoplifting."
Satomi clicked her tongue. This was the first she heard of them and already she could tell they were going to be quite troublesome. "Any information on the members?"
"Some theories on forums, but nothing really concrete," her assistant shook his head. "Give me a few more minutes and I should be able to track whoever hacked Okubo-san."
"In that case, I'll get things set up on my end."
Satomi opened her drawer. Inside was a Duel Disk. Unlike the models released by SOL Technologies, following their acquisition of Kaiba Corp, Satomi's was custom-made. It resembled a bracer with metal bands connected by a single strip, wires and circuits stretching from one side to the other. Between the bands was some sort of keypad with a slid in the center. One of the bands had more wires and circuits, intertwined with each other to make three strands attached to two white bits of metal. Sitting next to the jury-rigged Duel Disk was a deck.
She grabbed the Duel Disk and attached it to her arm, sliding her thumb, index and middle fingers into the metal bits. She then slid the deck into the slit, causing the keypad to light up and glow dark blue. Satomi inputted a four number code into the keypad, an access code meant to verify it was her using the Duel Disk and not someone else.
The LED on the Duel Disk wrote the following in green letters: USER VERIFIED.
Satomi pulled on the small tip poking out from the bottom of the Duel Disk, revealing a USB cable and sliding it into the slot on her console. Her computer screen glitched out, swarmed in static before it settled and formed into what looked like a homebrewed menu with the logo of a butterfly in the center, its wings spread with coding marked on its wings.
"I've tracked them down," Yusaku said. "Forwarding you the coordinates."
The LED lit up again. Satomi typed in the coordinates on her keyboard. Upon entering it, the butterfly on her screen began to flap its wings. Soon the screen became encroached in coding.
"I'll keep an eye on things over here. Try not to screw this up, Satomi-sensei."
Satomi chuckled and smiled at Yusaku. "When have I ever?" she replied playfully before leaning back in her chair. "Time to close the case… Into The VRAINS."
Her world became consumed in light, and in the next moment, Satomi Iwakagura's consciousness fled from her mind.
Many described the sensation of one's own mind being broken down and reformatted as data as being an exhilarating, if terrifying process. It was like trying to swim in water in the dead of night while disoriented, unable to tell up from down or left from right. One's thoughts became jumbled, unable to think properly. Entire senses were overloaded, bombarded by new experiences they couldn't comprehend at first. The result of the mind being reformatted into data and reconstructed in a way where one could still feel senses in a virtual environment. Essentially, they were experiencing things a baby would for the first time.
Satomi despised that feeling with a passion, never quite able to get over the process. Her thoughts grew more coherent as her consciousness digitalized and loaded into the digital environment. Her eyes opened, finding herself within a dark blue space with floating cubes flying aimlessly around the area. She glanced down at herself to confirm she was in her avatar.
In contrast to her appearance as Satomi Iwakagura, the detective now sported more slimming and athletic physique. Replacing her former attire was a white shirt over a blue tank top with black shorts and neon-green tennis shoes. Over the shirt and tank top was a white jacket with a black high collar with yellow streaks running down the sides. Printed on the back of the jacket was an emblem. A stylized butterfly, wings segmented and in the form of shards.
Her black hair was now white and came down to her knees, dark purple and black streaks along the ends of her hair and across her bangs. Her ruby eyes were now colored amber gold, though for whatever reason her pupils were in the shape of diamonds.
Satomi's Avatar, Daemon, smiled as she looked over her appearance. "I'm in the network, Operator."
"Do I even want to know why you're calling me that?" Yusaku asked via the communication link in her Duel Disk.
"Well, I suppose I could call you out by name, but if I did that, everyone would know who my guardian angel is."
"…a fair point," he sighed. "Anyway, just go straight. And make sure you don't touch any of the blocks. Those are security measures the X Byz put in place to keep out unwanted guests. Touch any of them, and you're in for a world of hurt."
Navigating the digital space proved to be a cinch thanks to Yusaku's guidance. The traps were far and few in between, but each was obviously designed with the intent of causing pain and potentially destroying an avatar. T lengths the X Byz went for protection impressed Daemon, but nonetheless appalled by the extremity of the traps.
She eventually arrived at the central hub of the cyber domain. It was an empty space, save for a single platform made of glowing blue blocks. Surrounding the platform were more blocks, floating aimlessly in the air. A man wearing jeans, sneakers and a hoodie was standing in the middle of the platform, his back turned to her while playing around on his Duel Disk.
"That's our culprit," Yusaku told her. "Be careful, sensei."
Daemon smiled. "I will, don't you worry." It was sweet of him to worry about her, but she didn't think she needed it really. She knew better than to be overly confident. She approached the hacker from behind and raised her voice. "Good afternoon, gentleman!"
"Wha?!" The X Byz hacker whirled around, nearly tripping over his feet in the process. He wore a mask with a black X painted across the surface, a single eyehole on the left side of the mask. "W-who are you?! How'd you get in here?!"
"Why, you lead me here, of course," Daemon giggled. "As for who I am… You can think of me as a hacker of justice."
"Hacker of…justice? The hell kind of bullshit is that?!" The hacker was far from amused by her antics. "I got no idea who you are, lady, but you made a serious mistake! If I were you, I'd turn around and go back where it is you crawled out of!"
"If I did that, you'd just track me down in the real world," she retorted. "Any hacker worth his cred wouldn't allow a stranger to walk inside their cyberspace. Besides, I sincerely doubt you're the type to let little old me just walk out of here and expect me not to tell the police."
"…tch."
Daemon internally grinned as she slipped her hands into her coat pockets. "Since I'm here, mind if I ask what it was you were doing? You wouldn't happen to be doing something bad, right? Say something like tinkering with someone's Conscious Data?"
"How the hell do you…" The hacker shook his head. "You know what? It doesn't matter. This doesn't concern you! Besides, if you knew half the stuff Okubo was involved in, you wouldn't be so quick to intervene!"
What does he mean by that? Had there been an actual reason for the X Byz to target Okubo? Another thing to add to the pile of mysteries for this case, she supposed. Regardless of there was a reason, Daemon was not here to ask questions. She was here to solve the case and bring Okubo to his senses.
She raised her Duel Disk, and with a push of the button, launched a wire at the hacker. He yelped in surprise as the wire wrapped around his wrist and slipped into an open port on his Duel Disk.
"What the hell is this?!" He attempted to pry the wire out of his Duel Disk and off his arm in vain. "Is this a Duel Anchor?"
"That's right. It will only come off if you beat me in a Duel," Daemon grinned. "Like I said before, I'm a hacker of justice. And you, Mr. Hacker, are my prey."
The hacker glared at her. "If you want to get your ass beat, fine by me! Once I beat you, I'll do to you what I'm doing to that monster Okubo!"
No more words needed to be said, except for one:
"DUEL!"
Daemon: 4000 LP
X Byz Hacker: 4000 LP
The Field manifested between them in an instant. "Ladies first," Daemon said as she played her first card. "I'll start us off by summoning Malefic Warrior (LV4/ATK1400/DEF1000)."
Appearing before Daemon was a white mechanical warrior clad in black armor, a single red eye glowing beneath the visor of its helm and wielding a large battle-ax.
The hacker blinked. "Malefic?"
"When Malefic Warrior is summoned, I send a Dragon Monster in my deck to the Graveyard. Next, I Special Summon Malefic Executor (LV6/ATK2100/DEF1000)."
Another white machine in black armor appeared, this one much taller than the first and more heavily armored. It bore a red visor and wielded futuristic rifles in each arm.
"Malefic Executor can only be summoned when my opponent controls no monsters," Daemon explained. "I now Tune my Level 6 Malefic Executor with my Level 4 Malefic Warrior!"
The hacker's eye widened. "You mean it's a Tuner?!"
The two monsters broke apart, reforming into a series of rings. "The epitome of devastation! Bear your fangs and rend all before you! Synchro Summon!" The rings shattered as the monster was given form; a black dragon with cybernetics ingrained in its body. The left side of its abdomen, its right wing and the entire left half of its face was machinery. Its right eye was bloody red, glaring down at the hacker as it spread its blazing red wings outward and released a triumphant birth cry. "Come forth, Level 10! Malefic Laplace Dragon (LV10/ATK2300/DEF2000)!"
The hacker winced and stepped back as the dragon descended onto Daemon's field. "A Level 10 monster, right off the bat?"
"When Laplace Dragon is successfully Synchro Summoned, I activate a Malefic Spell or Trap Card in my deck. I activate the Continuous Magic Malefic Territory, and chain its effect to activate the Field Magic Malefic World!" A change occurred in the field. The surrounding area turned monochrome, with pillars of data rising up from the ground. "While Malefic World is in play, Malefic Territory prevents us from targeting Field Spells with card effects. I continue my turn and activate the Magic Card Monster Reborn and summon Malefic Warrior back from my Graveyard." A dark portal opened up near Daemon's feet from which her armored warrior emerged from, standing beside her dragon proudly. "With Malefic Warrior's effect, I send a Dragon Monster in my deck to the Graveyard. I'll end my turn and set one card face-down."
"My Turn, then! Draw!" The hacker pulled a card from his Duel Disk. He looked at his card and smirked. "Heh, talk about lucky! Unlucky for you, though! I activate the Magic Card Dual Summon! This lets me perform two Normal Summons instead of one! I summon Elemental HERO Blazeman (LV4/ATK1200/DEF1800) and Sparkman (LV4/ATK1600/DEF1400)!"
Daemon raised a brow as two monsters clad in spandex appeared, one wearing gold armor with sparks dancing over their body and the other sporting flaming hair. "A HERO deck? I wasn't expecting to see that, given your profession."
"Shut up! Appear, the circuit of true justice!" Sparks flew up the hacker's arm as he summoned the circuit. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is two "HERO" monsters! I set Elemental HERO Blazeman and Sparkman into the Link Markers! Circuit Combine!"
The two monsters leaped up, turning into bodies of light that entered the circuit. Moments later a monster emerged, wearing a light-blue robe with a stave.
"Link Summon! Link 2! Xtra HERO Wonder Driver (LINK-2/ATK1900)! I activate the Magic Card Dark HERO Rising! I banish the Magic Card Mask Change and a HERO Monster in my deck, then Special Summon a Masked HERO Monster from my Extra Deck! This summon's treated as a Transformation Summon! Come, Masked HERO Dark Law (LV6/ATK2400/DEF1800)!"
Appearing next to Wonder Driver was another spandex-wearing monster dark-gray animal-themed armor, spikes running up the legs and arms.
Yusaku cursed. "Dark Law?! That one's going to be trouble."
"If memory serves, Dark's Law effect has any cards of mine sent to the Graveyard be banished instead, right?"
"Yeah. Be careful, sensei. This one might be trouble."
"I activate the Magic Card HERO Rescue Mission! By banishing a random "HERO" card in my deck, I can send two banished cards to my Graveyard! In exchange for having my "HERO" card banished, I send Mask Change and Elemental HERO Shadow Mist to the Graveyard! Elemental HERO Shadow Mist's effect activates when sent to the Graveyard! I add a "HERO" monster from my deck to my hand! Next, I activate Xtra HERO Wonder Driver's effect! When a "HERO" monster is Normal or Special Summoned in a Main Monster Zone next to its Link Arrow, I can set a "Change" Quick-Play Magic in my Graveyard to my field!"
The hacker grinned. "Battle!"
"Malefic Laplace Dragon's effect," Daemon said. "During the Battle Phase, it gains 300 ATK for every face-up "Malefic" card on my field! Including Laplace Dragon, I control four! Laplace Dragon gains 1200 ATK (Malefic Laplace Dragon: ATK 2300→3500)!" The dragon's eye glowed as an aura of power began to envelop it.
The hacker paid no heed to it and focused on his target. "Masked HERO Dark Law! Destroy Malefic Warrior!" The black-clad warrior jumped into the air, leaping towards his target. The machine raised its blade in defense, only for it to be destroyed as Dark Law came down upon it with a spiraling ax-kick.
DAEMON LP: 4000→3000
The white-haired girl clicked her tongue at the destruction of her monster. "If it weren't for him having two monsters, Malefic Warrior could have negated the damage and I could have summoned one of my dragons…" she muttered.
"I set a card face-down and end my turn!" the hacker smiled with glee. "I hope this isn't all you've got, miss 'hacker of justice'!"
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," she warned. "My turn! I activate the Field Magic Malefic World's effect! Rather than draw a card, I choose three "Malefic" cards and have you choose one of them at random. The card picked will be added to my hand while the rest are shuffled into my deck."
Daemon took three cards from her deck and held them up. The hacker grimaced, clearly not liking the look on her face. Knowing that no matter which cards she picked one of them would be advantageous for her, he had no choice but to choose. The card on the left was picked. With a smile, Daemon added that card to her hand while the rest were sent back into her deck.
"If you want to end this quickly, you have to get rid of Dark Law as soon as possible," Yusaku urged her.
Daemon nodded and continued. "I activate the Magic Card Pot of Greed and draw 2 cards!"
"Not so fast!" the hacker called out. "I activate Dark Law's effect! Once per turn, when you add a card to your hand at any time except during the Damage Step and Draw Phase, I can destroy one random card in your hand!"
To Daemon's chagrin, the card she added through Malefic World was erased. "Well, that's annoying. I activate the Equip Magic Malefic Temporal Cannon!" Malefic Laplace Dragon roared as a large cannon affixed itself to its hip, its barrel as long as it was. "Battle (Malefic Laplace Dragon: ATK 2300→3500)! I attack Xtra HERO Wonder Driver with Malefic Laplace Dragon! Sin Destruction Cannon!"
The cannon on its hip whirred to life, gathering energy within its barrel before releasing it in a single destructive burst. The crimson blast connected and obliterated the stave-wielding monster completely, the explosion nearly knocking the X Byz hacker off his feet in the process.
X BYZ HACKER LP: 4000→2400
"When a "Malefic" monster equipped with Malefic Temporal Cannon destroys your monsters in battle, I can Special Summon a Dragon Monster from my deck or Graveyard with its effects negated." Daemon smiled, wondering what the hacker's reaction would to be to this particular monster. "Appear at once, the pride and soul of a truly powerful duelist! Blue-Eyes White Dragon (LV8/ATK3000/DEF2500)!"
"What?!" The hacker gasped as a beautiful dragon clad in bluish-white scales appeared before Daemon, spreading its wings and releasing a prideful birth cry before bearing its fangs at him. "H-how did you manage to get your hands on a legendary monster like that?!"
Daemon smiled implishly as she held a finger to her lips. "A secret makes a woman, woman~"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
"Oh, nothing important. I should also let you know that Malefic Laplace Dragon can attack twice in a row thanks to Malefic Temporal Cannon. Now, one more time! Sin-!"
"Oh no you don't!" the hacker interrupted. "When Xtra HERO Wonder Driver is destroyed by battle or by card effect and sent to the Graveyard, I Special Summon a "HERO" monster in my hand! I summon Elemental HERO Stratos (LV4/ATK1800/DEF300)!"
A rather beefy-looking monster wearing a jet-back shaped like wings with turbines and a visor appeared just as Daemon was about to deliver the finishing blow. Seeing Stratos' ATK, Daemon raised a brow. "I assume that's the monster you added thanks to Shadow Mist's effect, yes?"
"And you'd be correct! And unfortunately for you, when Elemental Stratos is summoned, I can destroy cards on your field equal to the number of "HERO" monsters on my field except for Stratos!" Daemon's eyes widened as the turbines on Stratos' jetpack began to spin, creating a gust of wind that blew against her monsters and cards. "I destroy Malefic Temporal Cannon!"
The cannon attached to Laplace Dragon's hip shattered into pieces, torn off by the powerful gales. Daemon cursed again thanks to a clever move by her opponent. Had he destroyed her monster and not the cannon, she would have been able to shuffle it into her deck instead of sending it to her Graveyard. Of course, this also meant less firepower for her dragon as well (Malefic Laplace Dragon: ATK 3500→3200).
"In that case, I'll continue my attack with Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
"I activate my Counter Trap HERO or Vigilante? from my Banished Zone!"
Daemon's eyes widened. "What?!" Yusaku cried in shock. "From the Banished Zone?!"
"HERO or Vigilante? can be activate from my Banished Zone if I have Masked HERO Dark Law on my field, but if it's activated this way, it can only be used once per duel!" the hacker revealed. "If my "HERO" monster would be destroyed by battle: I can negate your attack and send a monster on your field to the Graveyard! Say goodbye to your Malefic Laplace Dragon!"
A dark barrier formed between Dark Law and Blue-Eyes as the latter attempted to blast it to oblivion. Not only did the barrier deflect the blast, it reflected it back to Daemon's field and destroyed her cybernetic dragon.
"Thanks to Dark Law's effect, your dragon's heading to the Banished Zone instead of your Graveyard!" The hacker smirked after having gotten rid of what he considered his biggest obstacle. "Too bad~"
Daemon smirked, much to his surprise. "Indeed. That is, too bad for you. Malefic Laplace Dragon cannot be banished by card effects other than "Malefic" cards," she revealed, much to her opponent's ire. "When Malefic Laplace Dragon is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Malefic Paradigm Dragon from my deck with its effects negated and its ATK and DEF reduced to zero (LV10/ATK0/DEF0)."
At Daemon's call, a black dragon with glowing blue armor formed beside her, albeit slumping to the ground as if weighed down by something.
"I end my turn with this," Daemon announced.
The hacker scoffed. "It's my turn, then! Draw!" As he drew his card, he smirked wickedly. "I'm gonna take great pleasure in taking that dragon from you, woman! A no-good fake hero like you doesn't deserve to have such an awesome card!"
"Fake hero?" Daemon asked in mock hurt. "I take offense to that! I don't have red hair or a guilt complex. I'm not even a protagonist, and this most certainly isn't a harem story."
"Tch, whatever! You won't be able to keep up that cheery demeanor of yours for long!" the hacker growled. "I activate the Magic Card Cards of Sanctity! We both draw until we have six cards! Dark Law's effect banishes a random card in your hand! I also activate my face-down Quick-Play Magic Mask Change! With Mask Change, I can perform a Transformation Summon using a HERO monster on my field! I choose Elemental HERO Stratos!"
A gale of wind began to surround the aforementioned monster, crossing its arms while its visor began to glow even through the thick winds engulfing it. "Behold the almighty gales of justice! Transformation Summon! Level 8! Masked HERO Divine Wind (LV8/ATK2700/DEF1900)!"
A green-armored man with a white cape descended onto the field, vaccums of wind gathering in his palms.
"Next, I activate the Magic Card Fusion! I fuse Masked HERO Dark Law and Divine Wind!" Daemon watched warily as the two HERO monsters broke apart into motes of colored light, swirling together and forming into a new shape. "Darkness and light create the hero of ultimate justice! Let the true bastion of righteousness come forth! Fusion Summon! Level 9! Contrast HERO Chaos (LV9/ATK3000/DEF2600)!"
Appearing from the fusion was a white-and-black warrior clad in armor, horns coming out from its forehead and wielding a double-bladed kunai.
"I activate the Magic Cards HEROes United and The Warrior Returning Alive! HEROes United can only be activated if I control 1 "HERO" Fusion Monster and no other cards! I Special Summon up to 2 "Masked HERO" monsters in my Graveyard and ignore their Summoning Conditions! Return, Masked HERO Dark Law and Divine Wind!" The two monsters returned to the field, jumping out from the dark portal that opened up on the X Byz hacker's field. "The Warrior Returning Alive lets me add a Warrior Monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I now summon Elemental HERO Stratos back to my field!"
Daemon narrowed her eyes as the winged monster appeared. "Four HERO monsters… That means your next move is—"
"Bingo! I activate Elemental HERO Stratos' effect! Other than Stratos, there are three "HERO" monsters on my field, which means I can destroy three cards on your field! I destroy Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Malefic Territory and Malefic World!" Once more, a powerful gale of wind blew against her field, this time taking her Magic Cards and Blue-Eyes. Seeing her field barren and left with only a single monster, too weak to defend her, the hacker couldn't help but laugh. "This is what you get for talking big, you trash! There's only one true hacker of justice! And that is the X Byz! Now, Contrast HERO Chaos! Destroy her Malefic Paradigm Dragon and wipe out the rest of her Life Points!"
Chaos leaped into the air, rearing its fists back. Flames of different colors wrapped around its hands before it sent its fists flying, launching the flames at the dragon. They struck the field, kicking up smoke and dust in the process. A hazy cloud covered the field. The X Byz hacker laughed even harder, forced to hold his stomach lest he double over.
"That's what happens when you get in the way of true justice!" he proclaimed with glee. "No one can stop us! Not Okubo, not SOL, and especially not you! A fitting end for someone claiming to be something they're not!"
"…aren't you celebrating a little too early?" The hacker stopped laughing. His eyes widened as the smoke began to clear. Daemon stood there with a smile on her face. In front of her was a familiar white-scaled dragon, only something had changed. Its mighty wings now covered in black metal and a black helm shielded the upper half of its face. "Honestly, why does nobody bother to check their opponent's Life Points before they start gloating about how they won?"
"H-how?! That attack should have ended you!" The hacker couldn't believe his eyes. He knew he won, but she was standing there in defiance. Worst of all, she was still smiling. "And what's with Blue-Eyes White Dragon?!"
"I activate Malefic Conversion, the Counter Trap you banished when I activated Pot of Greed," Daemon answered. "Though to activate it this way, my opponent has to control three or more monsters with 2000 ATK or higher. I tribute a "Malefic" monster on my field, then target a Dragon Monster in my Banished Zone and Special Summon a "Malefic" Dragon Monster with the same name as that monster with its effects negated. I tributed Malefic Paradigm Dragon and summoned Malefic Blue-Eyes White Dragon." The white-haired detective grinned. "Thanks for banishing Blue-Eyes, that really made summoning this guy easier. Malefic Conversion also prevents the monster summoned by its effect from being destroyed by battle or by card effect."
The hacker gaped, opening and closing his mouth before gritting his teeth in anger. "I set two cards face-down end my turn…"
"My turn, then. Draw!"
Looking at the card she drew, Daemon smiled slyly. "That could be useful," Yusaku noted. "Just be careful about those face-downs, though."
"That's the plan, Operator," Daemon nodded as she began her counterattack. "I summon Malefic Parallel Gear (LV2/ATK0/DEF0)." A monster made entirely of cogs and gears manifested in front of Daemon, parts spinning and twirling. "Then I activate the Magic Card Dimension Retrieval. I can send three banished cards to the Graveyard. I choose Malefic World! Then I activate the Magic Card Malefic Collapse. I banish a "Malefic" Dragon Monster in my deck and add a "Malefic" Spell/Trap card in my Graveyard to my hand. I banish Malefic Stardust Dragon and add Malefic World, which I now activate."
Once more, a wave of monochrome washed over the field.
"I now tune my Level 8 Malefic Blue-Eyes White Dragon with my Malefic Parallel Gear!" The two monsters dispersed, reforming into a series of rings. "The code of contradictions and errors. Erase the irregularity called existence! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 10! Malefic Paradox Dragon (LV10/ATK4000/DEF4000)!"
A dragon made entirely of gray, black and white steel emerged from the congregation of data, soaring through the air and flying above her. It glared at the hacker in utmost contempt.
"When Malefic Paradox Dragon is Synchro Summoned, I Special Summon a Synchro Monster from the Graveyard. I summon Malefic Laplace Dragon!" Once more, the cybernetic dragon emerged and floated beside its fellow dragon. "I now banish Rainbow Dragon from my deck to summon Malefic Rainbow Dragon (LV10/ATK4000/DEF0) from my hand!"
A serpentine white dragon snaked through the air as it curled around Daemon, almost as if it were protecting her. A metallic black mask covered the left side of its face, and its wings wrapped in black armor. It was similar to the other dragon Daemon summoned before. It occurred to the X Byz hacker now that her monsters were essentially corrupt versions of certain monsters. If he wasn't convinced she was a lying villain before, he certainly was now. More than ever was he determined to defeat and unmask this so-called hacker of justice.
'Still, though,' the hacker thought in confusion. 'Why did she activate Malefic World again? The only use it seems to have is let her add cards from her deck, but…'
He paused as a thought occurred to him. She could have summoned her Synchro Monster earlier, but she did so only after she activated Malefic World. The only times she ever summoned her dragons was either when she had that card out or when she had their effects negated. Was it possible that she couldn't summon her monsters if Malefic World wasn't present?
'Only one way to find out!' the hacker thought as he put his plan into motion. "I activate the Trap Card HEROic Sacrifice! I tribute a "HERO" monster on my field and destroy a card on your field! I sacrifice Elemental HERO Stratos and destroy Malefic World!"
Daemon scowled. Shit, he figured it out! "I activate the Counter Trap, Curse of Royal! This negates the activation of a Trap or Magic Card whose effect involves the destruction of a Trap or Magic Card and destroys it!"
The hacker was not concerned about the destruction of his face-down. Rather, he seemed pleased and smirked. 'Heh, knew it! She can't keep powerful monsters like those things without her Field Magic! Now all I gotta do is get rid of it, and I'll be able to take out her Life Points no problem…'
"We have to finish this quickly, sensei," Yusaku urged. "If he's figured out how to get rid of your monsters…!"
Daemon nodded in agreement. She needed to end this as quickly as possible. "I know. Battle!"
"I activate Contrast HERO Chaos' effect! Once per turn, I negate the effects of a card on the field until the end of the turn!" the hacker declared. "I negate Malefic Laplace Dragon's effects! Also, Masked HERO Divine Wind's effect only lets you attack with one monster per Battle Phase!"
"Well, that's annoying," Daemon remarked before shrugging. "I attack Elemental HERO Stratos with Rainbow Malefic Dragon! Over the Rainbow!"
"I activate the Trap Card Rainbow Life! I send a card in my hand to the Graveyard, and until the end of the turn, any damage I take is converted into damage!"
"He actually has that?!" Yusaku exclaimed as Malefic Rainbow Dragon destroyed his monster with ease. Rather than damage the hacker, however, Daemon's opponent was protected by a shimmering aura that instead healed the wounds he received not long ago.
X BYZ HACKER LP: 2400→4600
"And here I thought you were the only one who used classic cards…"
Daemon shook her head. "Just because a card is old doesn't mean it's useless. In fact, using old cards can be a boon unto itself. No one would expect you to have a card nobody's used in years." She sighed. "At any rate, I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
"My turn! Draw!" the hacker roared. "One more time, appear! The circuit of true justice! The summoning condition is two or more "HERO" monsters! I set Contrast HERO Chaos, Masked HERO Dark Law and Divine Wind into the Link Markers! Link Summon!" From the circuit emerged a yellow-armored man, its descent unto the field cracking the ground upon landing. Boosters protruded from its calves while a red visor glared back at the dragons before it. "Link 3! Xtra HERO Rising Striker (LINK-3/ATK2500)!"
Daemon frowned. "I don't like the look of that one…"
"When a "Contrast HERO" is used as Link Material for its summoning, Rising Striker can Special Summon up to 2 Fusion Monsters from my Graveyard in Main Monster Zones next to its Link Markers! Return, Dark Law and Divine Wind!" Once again, the hacker's signature monsters reappeared and stood side-by-side with the yellow-armored monster. "Battle! I activate the Quick-Play Magic HEROes Justice! HEROes Justice! raises the ATK of all Warrior Monsters on my field by 1000 during the Damage Step! Rising Striker's effect increases the ATK of all "HERO" monsters its linked to by 500! Rising Striker's own ATK is increased by 300 for every face-up "HERO" monster on my field!"
A crimson flaming aura began to surround the three monsters. Veins literally began to pulsate through their armor as their muscles began to bulk up (Masked HERO Dark Law: ATK 2400→3900)(Masked HERO Divine Wind: ATK 2700→4200)(Xtra HERO Rising Striker: ATK 2500→4100).
Daemon gritted her teeth while Yusaku started to grow anxious. "This is bad… All of his monsters are stronger than yours now!"
"Malefic Laplace Dragon's effect! I control four face-up "Malefic" cards, so it gains 1200 ATK (Malefic Laplace Dragon: ATK 2300→3500)!"
The hacker sneered. "Like that'll do you much good!" He pointed a finger at his first target. "Now then, Rising Striker, destroy Malefic Rainbow Dragon! Impact Kick Demolition!" The yellow-colored warrior shot off like a bullet, bouncing across the field at high speed and making it impossible to track its movements. When Daemon saw it, it was too late. It slammed its foot into her dragon's chest and destroyed it.
DAEMON LP: 3000→2900
"That's one less evil dragon in the world!" the hacker snickered. "And that means your Malefic Laplace Dragon loses 300 ATK points (Malefic Laplace Dragon: ATK 3500→3200)! Let's keep this up, yeah?! Masked HERO Divine Wind, destroy Malefic Paradox Dragon!" The swirling mass of wind in the green-clad monster's hands was released in a violent torrent of gale, tearing apart the ground and ripping the dragon to shreds. Pieces of debris were also caught in the torrents, some cutting into the detective's avatar.
DAEMON LP: 2900→2700
"And that's another 300 ATK gone for your monster (Malefic Laplace Dragon: ATK 3200→2900)! Why don't we put it out of its misery, Dark Law?!" Dark energy gathered around the monster's feet as it took to the air once again before diving straight towards Malefic Laplace Dragon with a diving arrow kick. It struck the dragon's forehead, destroying it instantly.
DAEMON LP: 2700→1700
The hacker couldn't suppress his glee. He was sure of it this time. This time he was going to destroy this interloper. "And now, the grand finale! Like I always say, justice always wins! Rising Striker's effect! Once per Battle Phase, it can make a second attack if it destroys a monster in battle! Impact Kick Demolition!"
Once more, Rising Striker darted around the field in an attempt to confuse Daemon. The X Byz Hacker couldn't wait to see her face contorted with fear, unable to tell from where the attack would come.
To his dismay, however—!
"I think not!" Just as Rising Striker went in for the kill, Daemon countered. "I activate the Quick-Play Magic Malefic Singularity!" A three-headed metal dragon with black-armored plating on its wings and heads appeared before Rising Striker, its wings defending Daemon from its attack. "If my opponent attacks me directly and I have no monsters in my hand, I Special Summon a "Malefic" monster from my deck and ignore its summoning conditions! Since it was summoned by Malefic Singularity, Malefic Cyber End Dragon cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effect the turn its summoned!"
'Although this doesn't stop me from taking any damage…' Daemon noted with mirth.
DAEMON LP: 1700→1600
Rising Striker was forced back to its allies while Malefic Cyber End Dragon stood in front of its owner protectively, all three heads glaring and growling at the hacker who in turn glared back in anger.
"I end my turn…!" he glowered before suddenly smirking. "Hmph! It doesn't matter if you still have a monster! Come next turn, I'll crush you!"
Daemon rolled her eyes. Just how cliché could this guy get? "My turn," she began before activating Malefic World's effect. Three cards formed in her hand, forcing her opponent to choose one.
When the other two cards were shuffled into her deck and she saw the only one remaining, her smile reached from ear to ear.
"Operator," Daemon said loudly enough for the hacker to hear. "Please get some tea ready for me when I get back. I'll have this done and over with in just a bit."
Yusaku chuckled. "Roger that, sensei."
"W-what are you talking about?" the hacker questioned, suddenly nervous. Did she think she actually won this? "No way. You're bluffing!"
"See, here's the thing about me, hacker-kun. I never bluff," she retorted before raising her hand toward the sky. "Let's start the grand finale, shall we? Appear before me, my circuit of calamity!" At her call, the circuit appeared above her head. "Arrowheads confirmed. The summoning condition is one "Malefic" monster. I set Malefic Cyber End Dragon into the Link Marker. Circuit Combine!" The dragon roared as it became a body of light, integrating into the circuit and summoning a more powerful monster. "Link Summon!"
Appearing from the circuit was a black-and-white robed man, face hidden beneath a high-collar and eyes veiled beneath a red visor, silver-white hair flowing upwards. In hand was a staff with a set of gears and cogs at the top, forming into a circle.
"Link 1! Malefic Overture Wizard (LINK-1/ATK0)!" The magician landed on the field, resting its staff against its shoulder. "Overture Wizard's effect. When Link Summoned, I Special Summon a "Malefic" Dragon Monster in a Main Monster Zone next to its Link Arrow with its effects negated and its ATK and DEF reduced to zero. Return at once, Malefic Laplace Dragon!" The gears atop the mage's staff clicked and began to spin. Behind the mage formed a black-and-white rift from which Laplace Dragon appeared from. "He won't be staying for long, however, as I use Overture Wizard's effect to destroy it and banish a second Malefic Warrior from my deck."
"What?" The hacker was genuinely confused. "Why would you summon your dragon back if only so you could destroy it?!"
"Because in order to summon this nasty little beast, I have to destroy my monster either by battle or by card effect," Daemon replied with a grin. "I now pay half my Life Points and summon Malefic Truth Dragon (LV12/ATK5000/DEF5000)!"
DAEMON LP: 1600→800
The moment the dragon appeared, the hacker knew danger was rapidly approaching. It made its appearance known with a triumphant roar, causing the ground beneath him to shake. Unlike the other dragons, which were black and white in color, this one bore gold scales with a red mark on its stomach, its wings larger than the rest of its body.
He took a step back, sweat rolling down the back of his neck. "Wh-what the hell is that thing?"
"Battle!" Daemon announced to his shock. "Malefic Truth Dragon, attack Xtra HERO Rising Striker!" The dragon opened its maw, red energy swelling within. "Malignant End Burst!"
"S-so what if you destroy my monster?!" The hacker, scared as he was, attempted to put on a brave front. "I'll still have enough Life Points to—!"
"That won't matter," Daemon rebuked with a vicious grin. "When Malefic Truth Dragon destroys a monster by battle, its effect destroys all other monsters you control and deals 800 damage for each monster destroyed by its effect…not that it will matter, since Malefic Truth Dragon is next to Malefic Overture Wizard's Link Arrow."
Realization sunk in then. The hacker felt his heart sank as defeat loomed over in. "Y…you can't mean that…!"
"That's ri~ght~" she replied in a sing-song tone. She wasn't smiling anymore—she was bearing her teeth. "Overture Wizard's effect lets Malefic Truth Dragon attack twice per Battle Phase~!"
The collection of energy reached its apex. All at once, Malefic Truth Dragon released it in a violent burst of destructive energy. The ground was ripped apart, the cyberspace torn to shreds by the path of the beam. It was only by pure luck that the X Byz hacker evaded it since it just passed him. His monsters were consumed by the beam and subsequently destroyed in a massive explosion that sent him flying and screaming through the air before he landed face-first into the ground. Comically his legs hanged in the air for a few seconds before he fell flat on his back.
X BYZ HACKER LP: 4200→0
The moment the hacker's defeat was registered on her Duel Disk, the field dispersed, and with it, her monsters. The wire disengaged and reeled back to her, returning to its confines within the Duel Disk. Seeing the destruction caused by her dragon, Daemon wasn't sure if she went overboard or to take pride in her work. She ignored it in favor of approaching the defeated hacker, one hand in her jacket's pocket.
"It looks like it's my win, hacker-kun." The X Byz hacker groaned as he sat up. When he saw Daemon standing over him, he froze and began to back away from her as if afraid of she would strike him. "Why don't be a good little boy and undo whatever program your using to screw around with Okubo-san's mind? If you do, I promise you'll get off lightly~"
"L-like hell!" the hacker shouted. As terrified as he was of this woman, he was not about to give up his mission of exacting justice. "That bastard deserves to suffer for what he's done when he worked for SOL! If anything, I'm not punishing him enough!"
To refuse even after being beaten… Well, she would give him points for determination at least. He mentioned this before, now that she thought about it. Just what had Okubo done while he was with SOL to earn him such hate from this kid?
Daemon decided she wanted answers, especially if it was possible that the hacker's motivations tied into her case.
"Is that so…? Alright, then. I guess we'll do this the hard way then."
"What? Going to torture me?" The hacker scoffed. "Some hacker of justice you are. You're nothing but a violent thug!"
"So says the hyopocrite," Daemon smiled demurely. "But, no, I'm not going to torture you. Instead, I'm going to give you a chance." The hacker looked at her skeptically. "You tell me what I want to know, or…"
"Or what?"
"Or one of two things will happen to you. I'll either A) give all your personal information and hacking deeds over to Cyber Crimes or B) erase your account and post your personal information and past as a hacker all over the net!"
The hacker choked. "YOU CAN'T DO THAT! YOUR BLUFFIN'!"
The white-haired detective merely chuckled as she raised her Duel Disk and opened her terminal. "Let's see here… Here we go. Kozuki Michitsuki, 37-years-old, unemployed, currently lives with his aunt in Osaka, was previously put on probation for aggravated assault against a teacher over some bad grades back in high school… Oh my, what's this? You were brutally rejected by your crush when you tried to confess to her on graduation day?! Oh, you poor thing…"
The more of his dirty secrets she read off her terminal, the paler he became. "H-how? When?! When did you hack into my terminal?!"
"During the Duel, of course~" Though it wasn't actually her that did the hacking. That was all Yusaku. Her skills paled in comparison to hers, which made her wonder on a few occasions where a high school student learned such sophisticated hacking skills. Then again, as much as she wanted to know, she found the idea of a mysterious assistant more appealing. "So, what will it be? Will you tell me what I want to know? Or do you want me to turn you over to the police? Or maybe you want to bear total humiliation for the rest of your life?"
"Y-you—who the hell are you?!"
"Didn't I tell you?" Daemon grinned and winked at him, holding up the V for victory sign with her hand. "I'm Daemon, the Hacker of Justice!"
"Bullshit! You're more demon than hero! Hiiiiiiiiiiii!"
"…I've said it before, and I'll say it again, sensei. You are very terrifying when you want to be, do you know that?"
Satomi chuckled as she waved off Yusaku's praise, ignorant to the deadpan look he was giving her. "I'm only scary when someone doesn't want to cooperate, Yu-chan."
"No, you're scary even to someone who is willing to cooperate. I should know."
Anderson smirked. "Just be glad we're on her good side, kid. I'd hate to see her when she's angry at somebody. So, how'd the job go? Is Okubo-san back to normal?"
"Yeah, I checked on him not long after the hacker said he undid the effects of the program he used to alter his Consciousness Data. I also informed Cyber Crimes and the companies he bought from about the situation. While they can't return all the items Okubo-san bought since they've already been used, but they are willing refund them."
"Well, that's good at least. Good news all around then. What happened to that kid anyway?"
"I turned over his info to Cyber Crimes. Odds are he's already being arrested and processed as we speak," Satomi shrugged while sipping her tea. "By the way, Yu-chan, about the thing I asked you to do…"
Yusaku grimaced. "I did what you asked, but when I brought it up to him, he got defensive and asked how I knew about it. When I tried pushing the matter, he just got scared and told me to leave. It seems like whatever that incident was about definitely might have earned that target on his back after all." He paused, his expression growing more troubled. "One more thing… I ran into Ami-san when I told Okubo-san that his Conscious Data was hijacked. She—"
A sharp knock came from the door. "It's open!" Satomi called. The door opened, revealing Ami Okubo. Seeing her, Yusaku narrowed his eyes in suspicion. His boss, on the other hand, smiled. "Ah, Ami-san, I'm glad you came. Do you want some tea?"
She shook her head. "I'm fine. I got your message. Dad is okay now?"
"Mm-hm, the hacker has been apprehended and turned over to the police. He's also being refunded for all his purchases while under the effects of the X Byz's hacking."
Ami sighed in relief. "That's good to hear. Thank you so much, Iwakagura-sensei." She walked up to her desk and pulled out an envelop from her bag. "This is your payment. Feel free to check if it's all there."
Yusaku choked when he saw the money. Hundreds of ten-thousand yen bills were stuffed to the brim, filling the envelop to capacity. Anderson had not been joking when he said she could afford their services several times over. It also reinforced his suspicions of her since there was no way she could have gotten that much money unless she had been saving up her allowance for years.
Satomi flipped through the bills. Seeing that they were legit, she smiled at Ami. "You didn't have to pay this much, you know. But hey, I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially since we've been struggling for clients lately."
"I see…" Ami went quiet for a moment. "Out of curiosity, Iwakagura-sensei, do you know why the X Byz were hacking my father?"
"Apparently, when Okubo-san was still employed at SOL Technologies, he was part of a Counter Intelligence department; basically a section of the company that dealt with bad press and whatnot. Ten years ago, Okubo-san and Counter Intelligence were asked to cover up an incident involving the kidnapping of six children. Why they were ordered to cover it up, I have no idea."
A dark glare flickered across the girl's features. For a moment, Satomi saw her hands clench into fists. She got a handle on herself soon enough. "Thank you for telling me this," she said calmly. She turned around and made her way towards the door. "If I ever request your services again, I will let you know."
"Of course, but when you do, a small request if you don't mind?" Satomi smiled. "Please use your real name next time instead of your classmate's, Zaizen-chan."
Aoi Zaizen stopped for a brief moment, her hand half-wrapped around the doorknob. A second later she left the detective agency, closing the door shut behind her.
Cards appear in order of appearance
Malefic Warrior / DARK / Level 4 / Machine / Tuner / Effect / ATK 1400 / DEF 1000 / When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: Send 1 Dragon Monster in your Deck or Extra Deck to your GY. If this card is destroyed by battle or by card effect and your opponent controls exactly 1 face-up monster: Negate any damage you would have taken and Special Summon 1 "Malefic" Dragon from your deck, but during your End Phase, banish the monster summoned with this card's effect.
Malefic Executor / DARK / Level 6 / Warrior / Effect / ATK 2100 / DEF 1000 / Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must be Special Summoned by its own effect. Once per turn, if your opponent controls no monsters: Special Summon this card (from your hand). Cannot declare an attack on monsters with a Level(s) lower than this card. When this card is destroyed by battle: Destroy 1 face-up Spell/Trap card your opponent controls and send 1 Dragon Monster in your Deck or Extra Deck to your GY.
Malefic Laplace Dragon / DARK / Level 10 / Dragon / Synchro / Tuner / Effect / ATK 2300 / DEF 2000 / 1 "Malefic" Tuner + 1 non-Tuner Monster
When this card is Synchro Summoned: Activate 1 "Malefic" Spell/Trap Card from your deck. This card can only be banished by "Malefic" card effects. When this card is sent from the field to your GY: Special Summon 1 "Malefic Paradigm Dragon" from your deck with its effects negated and its ATK and DEF reduced to 0. During the Battle Phase: Gains 300 ATK for every face-up "Malefic" card you control. Once per turn, if this card is in your GY or banished zone: Target 1 face-up "Malefic" Dragon Monster; change that monster's Level to 0 and Synchro Summon 1 "Malefic Paradox Dragon" from your Extra Deck and ignore its summoning condition by using this card and the targeted monster as Synchro Materials. After this effect resolves, you cannot summon this card for the rest of the duel.
Dark HERO Rising / Spell / Normal / Banish 1 "Mask Change" and 1 HERO Monster in your Deck and Special Summon 1 Masked HERO Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck. This summon is treated as a Transformation Summon. You can only activate 1 "Dark HERO Rising" per turn.
HERO Rescue Mission / Spell / Normal / Activate only if you control a HERO Link Monster. Banish 1 random "HERO" card in your deck and send at least 2 banished cards to your GY. You can only activate 1 "HERO Rescue Mission" per turn.
Malefic Temporal Cannon / Spell / Equip / Equip only to "Malefic" monsters. Monsters equipped with this card can declare an additional attack per Battle Phase. If the equipped monster would be destroyed by battle or by card effect: Shuffle this card into your deck. If the equipped monster destroys a monster your opponent controls: Special Summon 1 Dragon Monster from your GY or Deck with its effects negated.
HERO or Vigilante? / Trap / Counter / If a "HERO" monster you control would be destroyed by battle: Negate that battle, and if you do, send a monster your opponent controls to the GY. You can activate this card from your Banished Zone if you control 1 "Masked HERO Dark Law", but if you do, you can only activate this card once per duel.
HEROes United / Spell / Normal / Activate only if you control 1 "HERO" Fusion Monster and control no other cards. Special Summon up to 2 "Masked HERO" Monsters in your GY and ignore their summoning conditions. You can only activate 1 "HEROes United" per turn.
Malefic Conversion / Trap / Counter / This card can be activated from the Banished Zone if your opponent controls 3 or more monsters with 2000 ATK or higher. Tribute 1 "Malefic" monster on you control and Target 1 Dragon Monster in your Banished Zone: Special Summon 1 "Malefic" Dragon Monster in your deck with the same name as that target with its effects negated. The monster Special Summoned by this card's effect cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effect.
Dimension Retrieval / Spell / Normal / Target up to 3 cards in your Banished Zone: Send those cards to your GY. You can only activate 1 "Dimension Retrieval" per turn.
Malefic Collapse / Spell / Normal / Banish 1 "Malefic" Dragon Monsters in your deck and add 1 "Malefic" Spell/Trap card from your GY to your hand.
HEROic Sacrifice / Trap / Normal / Tribute 1 "HERO" monster you control and destroy 1 face-up card your opponent controls.
Xtra HERO Rising Striker / LIGHT / LA: Bottom-Left, Bottom, Bottom-Right / Warrior / Link / Effect / ATK 2500 / LINK-3
2+ "HERO" Monsters
If Linked Summoned using a "Contrast HERO" Fusion Monster as Material: Special Summon up to 2 Fusion Monsters from your GY in Main Monster Zones this card points to. Gains 300 ATK for every face-up "HERO" monsters you control. Once per Battle Phase: All "HERO" monsters this card points to gain 500 ATK and cannot be destroyed by card effect until the end of this turn. (Quick Effect): Once per turn, if this card destroys your opponent's monster by battle: Tribute 1 Warrior Monster this card points to; this card can declare an additional attack. If this card is destroyed by battle or by card effect: Special Summon 1 "Contrast HERO" Fusion Monster from your GY.
HEROes Justice! / Spell / Quick-Play / Once per turn: All Warrior Monsters you control gain 1000 ATK at the start of the Damage Step.
Malefic Singularity / Spell / Quick-Play / If your opponent would attack you directly and you have no monsters in your hand: Special Summon 1 "Malefic" Monster from your deck and ignore its summoning conditions. The monster summoned by this card's effect cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effect the turn this card was activated.
Malefic Overture Wizard / DARK / LA: Bottom-Right / Spellcaster / Link / Effect / ATK 0 / LINK-1
1 "Malefic" Monster
Unaffected by card effects except "Malefic" cards. When this card is Link Summoned: Special Summon 1 "Malefic" Dragon Monster from your GY in a Main Monster Zone this card points to with its effects negated and its ATK/DEF reduced to zero. Once per turn: Destroy 1 face-up card on the field, and if you do, banish 1 "Malefic" monster in your deck or GY. Monsters linked to this card can perform an additional attack once per Battle Phase.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This duel was created by yours truly and given the Donjusticia stamp of approval.
This story is me recycling some old concepts, plot lines and ideas and what have you from my previous VRAINS OC protag fanfic The Light at the End, which I have since deleted. This fanfic is more faithful to the vision I have, at least storyline wise. Some elements of this story are inspired by Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, as you can plainly see.
So, let's get into it. First off, our protagonist who has amnesia. Satomi's amnesia is not a major plot point. In fact, she's of the opinion she doesn't need to get her memories back, though other characters may tell her otherwise. As for details regarding her past, I can say that she is not connected to any of the characters in any way, nor does her past have any real bearing on the plot. Then we have Yusaku, who is fairly normal and not the stoic hacker we know of in canon. The reason for this will be revealed soon enough. Same as to why Aoi is attending a different school and why she was "testing" Satomi.
The next few chapters will be stand-alone cases, some featuring duels and others focusing on certain events or characters. I sincerely hope you look forward to future chapters.
To end this chapter, I should say that I am not fully back on Fanfiction. I mostly wrote this in my spare time since I am in the middle of school stuff and work. Even when I'm finished with my semester, I'll still be busy with my job so I won't be coming back to writing for a while.
Hey, a woman's gotta eat.
How was the duel? Was it good? Bad? Please let me know.