Response to Reviews
Thank you to HunterHQ, Noobmaster, Unnamed, Guest, Anonymous, Guest, ZeroMK7, Guest, E.T. 2000, Unknown, Donjusticia, Kingdom Hearts Guy, Ambiguous, Guest, ZarcEternal, Guest, and Guest for reviewing Chapter 49 of Obscured Truth.
First off, hello to everyone reading this chapter! As always, I hope you're safe and healthy wherever you are. Looking at this chapter, we're halfway to one hundred chapters. Can you believe how far the story's got? And there's still tons of content that needs to be covered, such as the upcoming Turf War arc and the Mirror LINK VRAINS arc. That being said, I want to thank all of you for reading my story, even though it didn't have the best start. I hope you continue enjoying the story as it goes on, as well as telling people about it. The more people that are aware of it, the more noticeable it will become.
With that out of the way, it's time to answer some reviews:
HunterHQ: While Azrael used bonds to hurt Raguel, he does have a good side to it. I mean, look at how he treats Wraith and Haru. Yes, Azrael trained for ten years to become the duelist and person he is today. The Lost Incident definitely impacted Azrael, that's for sure. No, he and Wraith didn't witness Lightning turn Windy to the dark side. The Duel Monster that Windy sent to annoy Herald was one of the Stormrider monsters, although I won't specify who (it definitely wasn't the Extra Deck ones, that I can confirm). Like I said: Blue Girl will have her moment to shine, just like Blood Shepherd will. Please send me the Extra Link that Bohman can do in the future regarding Paradox Hydradrive Atlas and the other Hydradrive monsters. I may use it in the future. Tokens do count as cards, as they're on Haru's field, thus increasing the attack points the equipped monster gains from Bow of Apollo. Given the events of Chapter 49, it's obvious Haru has an inferiority complex. Who will use Punishment Arrows in the future? While I can confirm that Haru will use it in the future, you'll have to see whether the others will use it or not.
Noobmaster: It definitely won't be easy for Yuhiro to break it to Aoi and Emma, that's for sure. If Lightning gave up and created another AI, he'd treat Bohman as nothing more than cannon fodder, just like he did with Haru and the army of Bitboots. Bohman and Haru weren't erased in Windy's world because the duels didn't occur in Mirror LINK VRAINS, where losers are erased. Who knows what Lightning will do regarding Malf? Will he try to 'hack' Malf and turn him on Azrael and Wraith? Did Jericho witness the duels in Windy's world? You'll have to read on and find out. Thanks for the quotes as well.
Unknown: I can confirm that Haru will duel a maximum of two more times before his bout with Blue Maiden. I didn't write the final Playmaker and Revolver duel during Season 1 because it would have been too much to write. The powers Azrael used in the real world are the same as the ones in LINK VRAINS. What side effects does Brion have? That will be revealed in a later chapter. And you previously asked whether Athaliah succeeded in making the Construct. I told you, that won't be revealed until later on in the story.
Guest: The next chapter is literally focused on the Knights of Hanoi breaking Baira out. Good point you made there on timing; I fixed it up so that Chapter 50 occurs in the late afternoon/early evening. The profile chapter won't be up until after Chapter 51.
Anonymous: Watchman and his allies were busy with investigating the destruction of the Cyberse World as well, but they'll return, that's for sure. You already know the backstory for Percival and Watchman, while Demeter's will be revealed later on. As for your question regarding Brion and Jericho, that falls in spoiler territory. Remember: Raguel isn't the same as he once was in Season 1, so you might see a few things that differentiate him from who he once was in the previous season. As for the future of Link Spells, Link Traps, and monsters that can turn into Link Spells, let's see what happens in the future.
Guest: Azrael and Wraith don't know what's really going on for Windy yet. While Azrael reprimands others for their deceitful tactics, he has no qualms if he's the one that's doing them. How would Bohman fare against Malf once he stabilizes? That is something to explore, that's for sure.
ZeroMK7: Glad you like the chapter. And thanks for clarifying what you meant in your previous review.
Guest: That information unfortunately falls in spoiler territory.
E.T. 2000: I'll be honest; I thought Chapter 49 would take longer because of the content that needed to explored. It was my original intent to split it into two chapters, but after some advice, I finished it up in one chapter. Happy you enjoyed the chapter, and it was definitely obvious that Lightning wanted to control Azrael. After all, if you controlled a juggernaut like Azrael, the battle would definitely be tipped in your favor. Indeed, Haru shouldn't be underestimated, especially once he snaps. Evidence of this was him reducing Raguel to fifty life points. Glad you liked the Link Trap. I also hope you enjoyed Atalanta from Fate/Apocrypha appearing in this chapter; expect more Servants that are Greek-related from Fate/Stay Night to appear as well when needed. Thanks for the name suggestions on future Link Spells and/or Link Traps. Lastly, I appreciate the quotes from the Fast & Furious saga, so expect them to be used in future chapters.
Unknown: You already mentioned this earlier. If Bohman, Haru, or Lightning's army got their hands on SOLTIS, then the war would have resulted in the real world. And yes, had Go went further in his 'evolution' with the AI chip, he would have turned into Sergey Volkov from Arc-V.
Donjusticia: Glad you enjoyed the chapter, as well as how your card suggestions were used to improve Haru's dueling. His character development in the chapter was well-received, that's for sure, and expect more of your card suggestions to be used in the future (with credit given of course). Azrael's helping Haru for three reasons. One: He sees potential in Haru for him to grow as a duelist. Two: He wants him to create his own ideals. Three: I won't say this one, but I'm sure some of you will figure it out. Since Haru is a better AI than them and actually helped Lightning succeed in some goals, he sees him as useful in return.
Kingdom Hearts Guy: Glad you like the chapter. Miyu will use a Trickstar deck once she wakes up. I haven't come up with a LINK VRAINS username for her yet, but if you have suggestions, don't hesitate to PM me with suggestions.
Ambiguous: While Ace will appear during the Turf Wars arc, it is possible to see Athaliah and Speckles as well. As for what will happen between Lightning, Azrael, and Wraith, you'll have to read on and find out for yourself. Of course Herald will use tons of security layers to keep his private server safe. What happened to Earth and Windy in the three months, you may ask? Long story short: Lightning found Windy and corrupted him, while Earth was escaping in the network and taking refuge until he could find Aqua. Is Slipstream currently at a different school at the moment? That will be answered in this chapter.
Guest: That will be covered in the chapter showing Slipstream's backstory, rest assured. I'll address the other scientists as well. Lastly, while that question falls into spoiler territory, I will say that anything is possible, as Rook did appear in Season 1.
ZarcEternal: I'm sorry to hear you've been going through stuff. Please take care of your mental health, as it will help you in the long run. Happy you enjoyed the Link Trap and the duel. To answer your question on whether there will be more Link Spells/Link Traps in the future, all I'll say is that it's definitely a possibility. I'll admit, writing Windy's dub lines took persistence, but I succeeded. You have to admit: Windy definitely roasted Ai in the previous chapter.
Guest: Raguel asked Windy about Malf because he was wondering if he saw him prior to his encounter against the malicious AI. Watchman also asked about this because he wanted to know about recent events. Raguel doesn't know that Malf is alive, that I can confirm.
Guest: No, Slipstream won't find Raguel thanks to Frog and Pigeon. What will Azrael and Wraith do regarding the Black Market? That will be answered later on.
Now that reviews are answered, let's get to the chapter, shall we? Enjoy!
Chapter 50: The Fast and the Furious
The sky appears, full of clouds. Playmaker races through the clouds on his duel board, followed by Raguel, Soulburner, and Slipstream. 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 Malf, sporting a demonic expression on his face. He then extends his 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, Drachen orders Red-Eyes Black Dragon to fire at them. In response, Playmaker and Raguel are shown swerving left and right to avoid the consecutive fire blasts. Joining the young man in the hunt is Electrolyzer, who orders PSY-Framelord Omega 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 PSY-Framelord Omega.
The screen then shifts to Slipstream watching the duel between Playmaker and an obscured Bohman, while Raguel duels Electrolyzer. Noticing Haru, who's also watching the duel between Playmaker and an obscured Bohman, Slipstream takes a card and summons Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, who roars at the boy. Haru, in response, takes a card and summons Hydradrive Nagini, who hissed at Clear Wing 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 Café Matsuo, in the backroom...
An exhausted Yuhiro stepped out of the closed-off space as it opened, leaning against the side of the nearby wall.
"Are you okay, Yuhiro?" Herald asked him.
"Yeah. Just have a headache, that's all." Yuhiro exited the sealed room and headed over to the computers. Roxy wasn't there, but she'd left them on. Yuhiro reopened the connection to Café Nagi and was rewarded with a screen of Yusaku, Takeru, and Kusanagi.
"Hey, Yuhiro." Kusanagi said, smiling. "Yusaku was just filling me in on what happened. You want to jump in?"
"In a bit." Yuhiro replied, not sitting down. "Roxy went to the front; she should be here for this."
"Alright." Kusanagi frowned. "She did mention a ruckus in the store before she closed the video. See if she needs help."
Yuhiro nodded and exited out of the backroom, heading to the front of Café Matsuo. And blinked.
In Café Matsuo, there was a small group of people of different ages looking at a teenager with light-green hair that flowed backwards and curled at the back. The teenager also had dark-green hair spikes on the sides of his head, with light-green spikes at the back of his head as well. Roxy was watching this from a distance, her jaw having been dropped from what she saw.
"Wow, the kid knows what he's doing!" one spectator commented.
"He practically broke the high score!" another added, amazed at the teenager's progress.
"How far is he going to get in that game?" a third spectator asked his friend, who simply shrugged his shoulders.
Yuhiro peeked over to see what the heck was going on. From what he saw, the teenager was playing an arcade game called Broken Bonez. Yuhiro recognized that game, as it was one of the games that Herald played at the Den City Arcade months ago. It was a simple game, as one would use the joystick and two buttons to do stunts in the air while riding a dirt bike. Landing safely resulted in points for the amount of daring stunts they do throughout the course. If one lands on anywhere other than the wheels of the bike, one gets "Broken Bonez". If one gets five "Broken Bonez", the game is over. Herald enjoyed the game so much that he begged Roxy to get it for him. Roxy eventually relented, as she realized that she could potentially attract teenagers to the restaurant, which would bring in more money. Unfortunately, none of the players could beat Herald's high score of 1,300,000 points.
Until today.
"Come on, almost there!" the teenager said, sweat on his face as he navigated his character through the level. "Excellent, a ramp! Time to do some epic stunts!' The character flew off the ramp, where the teenager did some air tricks before trying to land it on the ground. Regrettably, the teenager pushed the joystick a bit too forward, causing the character to land on the ground and the screen to display '5 Broken Bonez', thus ending the teenager's run. The crowd groaned upon realizing the run was over, with the screen displaying "1,550,000" points.
"You did great, kid!" one of the spectators said, patting the teenager on the shoulder.
"How'd you do that?" another spectator asked, hungry for information.
"That was totally rad, dude!" a third spectator commented, to which the teenager turned to all the spectators.
"There's a simple answer, really," the teenager said. "It's all about understanding the game and feeling the flow!" The crowd was filled with mutters as they discussed this information with one another. Having had enough of what's happened, Roxy picked up her jaw and went over to the crowd.
"Okay, show's over people! Unless you're here to order a meal, disperse!" she ordered, causing the group of people to immediately leave Café Matsuo. However, she grabbed the teenager's shoulder, stopping him from leaving. "Not you! I have some words for you!"
"Uh, Roxy? What's going on?" Yuhiro asked flatly, startling Roxy as she turned around.
"Oh, Yuhiro." Roxy said sheepishly. "Uh... how much of that did you witness?"
"All of it." Yuhiro answered immediately. As the two began bickering, the teenager couldn't help but look at Yuhiro's duel disk. Hang on, he thought. That's the same duel disk Raguel has in the network. Can it be-? I should do some quick research first to confirm.
"Uh, pardon me, ma'am," the teenager interrupted, getting their attention, "but I think this is my cue to leave." The teenager began to run quickly as Roxy's anger began to rise.
"Get back here, you!" Roxy shouted, going after the teenager as he ran away from Café Matsuo, trying not to laugh. "And do not call me ma'am!" Yuhiro stared flatly at Roxy as she went back inside Café Matsuo, still sheepish from what happened. She proceeded to open her mouth, but Yuhiro raised his hand.
"Explain later," he said. "We have matters to discuss."
Roxy blinked and then frowned seriously. Nodding, she followed Yuhiro back to the backroom, just in time to catch Kusanagi's words.
"So let me get this straight. Bohman thought he was you?"
Roxy and Yuhiro sat down in their respective seats and noticed that Yusaku and Takeru had taken seats while Kusanagi was standing.
"Well, I believe someone manipulated his memories." Yusaku theorized.
"Who would want to be you with all your baggage?" Kusanagi folded his arms. "Uh, no offense." He then noticed the new arrival. "Ah, Roxy. Yuhiro. Welcome back. Did something happen at the front?"
"Yes, but we can talk about it later. What's this about Bohman thinking he was Fujiki?"
Yuhiro proceeded to explain what happened during his duel against Haru, while Yusaku filled in the gaps by retelling his explanation of the duel with Bohman, much to Roxy's shock.
"Seriously? A backup? Is that even possible?"
"That might be a possibility." Herald answered, thinking it over. "Or Fujiki's theory is the one that's correct, where Bohman's memories have been manipulated by the true mastermind behind all of this."
"Finding out who will be the key to saving your brother, Kusanagi." Yusaku finished.
"That's easier said than done, though." Takeru pointed out.
"Yeah. Takeru's right." Ai chipped in. "Bohman was our only lead, and he vanished along with Windy's world."
"On the topic regarding Windy, I sure hope he's alright." Herald said. "Although I am suspicious about something. Why didn't he show up during the duels? After all, Bohman calling on the data storm to use Storm Access would certainly get his attention."
"That is true." Yuhiro agreed with Herald. "Either Windy fled upon detecting it due to his 'cautious' side, or he was just witnessing the duels to see how things played out. Whatever the case may be, it just doesn't add up."
"Regardless, Bohman will never stop trying to hunt me down." Yusaku said. "We'll see him again."
"Then I guess all we can do is sit tight and be patient for the gate to reappear." Kusanagi frowned, knowing that was the only thing they could all do for now.
"What about the azure-overcoated man?" Roxy asked. "Did you ask Windy if he saw him?" She turned to Yuhiro, who shook his head in response. "Damn it!"
"Don't worry Roxy, we'll find him and get Miyu back." Yuhiro assured her.
"And Jin too." Kusanagi added, hoping to lift Roxy's spirits. "I'll be honest; I would have rather ended this asap, but sometimes it's slow-sap."
"Sorry, Kusanagi." Everyone turned to Yusaku, who was looking to the side and frowning. "I couldn't get a lead on Jin's consciousness data."
Kusanagi smiled and placed a hand on Yusaku's shoulder. "Come on, bud. If you got time to mope, you got time to check out what I was working on while you were vacationing in Windyland."
"Windyland?" Yuhiro repeated, causing everyone to chuckle. "It may not be the right time to make a joke, but it does lighten up the mood a bit."
"Kusanagi, what exactly were you working on?" Roxy inquired.
"I did a little bit of renovating and upgraded Café Nagi's systems." Kusanagi responded. "I just sent you a file Roxy if you want to implement those upgrades into Café Matsuo's systems. Oh, and I installed a closed-off space for Takeru in Café Nagi as well. That way, Soulburner and Playmaker will be able to log into LINK VRAINS simultaneously. I had to take out an ice cream dispenser, but it was worth it."
"Thank you." Takeru said, looking at the red closed-off space before turning to Kusanagi. "It's even in my color, Kusanagi."
"You know it." Kusanagi turned to the screen before sharing another screen with Yuhiro and Roxy. "Anyway, you might not have captured Bohman, but you did gather a lot of data. Maybe there's something buried here, which is why I'll need your help tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Takeru repeated, confused. "Yusaku and I can help you right now if you wanted." Yuhiro nodded, wanting to get started as soon as possible.
"Thanks, but after everything that's happened, you two deserve some r and r." Kusanagi told Takeru. "You as well, Yuhiro."
"I'll be able to pitch in and help." Roxy said. "With what you sent, I can go through it and get some of it done tonight to lessen the burden for you." She was about to sign off for the night when Yuhiro stopped her.
"There's another matter we need to discuss," he said, before turning to the screen. "It's regarding Slipstream."
"The guy who defeated Electrolyzer, right?" Yusaku guessed, frowning in thought.
"Do we know anything about him?" Takeru asked.
Roxy shook her head. "I did a quick search on him before I was called up front, but no; I wasn't able to find anything about a duelist named Slipstream."
"All we know is that he's a duelist I encountered in the Black Market's Gamma branch, where I saved him from a group of thugs." Yuhiro stated. "My best guess was that he arrived to repay that debt."
"But what I'm curious about is how Slipstream got passed the Restricted Area." Flame wondered.
"He may be a hacker or is working alongside one, or he may have obtained programs and technology that assisted him in completed the task." Yuhiro theorized.
"We should conduct more searches on Slipstream." Roxy suggested. "He may have helped Yuhiro, so I don't think he's an enemy, but I don't like unknowns." She seethed that last word out.
"Neither do I." Yusaku nodded in agreement. "We'll conduct our own searches, but analyzing the gate's information takes priority."
"You know, since Kusanagi said we should take some r and r, we can get started on analyzing the gate after a nice meal." Takeru pointed out to Yusaku, turning to Kusanagi if it was alright for him.
"I'll cook some hotdogs for the both of you. It's the least I can do for your help in finding Jin's consciousness data." Kusanagi conceded with a smile.
"We'll call you if we find any breakthroughs." Yuhiro said.
"Or Yuhiro can tell you at school tomorrow." Roxy stated, with the others nodding. She closed the connection, and by the time that was done, she noticed Yuhiro putting a hand on his head. "You doing alright, Yuhiro?"
"I got hit in the head during my duel against Haru." Yuhiro answered. "Damn head pain's coming back."
"If it weren't for me, Yuhiro's Link Trigger would have activated and Haru would have suffered a fate worse than death." Herald added.
Roxy stood up, wanting to check the matter for herself. "Follow me upstairs to the living room, Yuhiro." Yuhiro stood up and followed Roxy upstairs to the living room, where she had him sit down on the couch. From there, she went upstairs to the washroom to pick up medical supplies before returning to the living room.
"Hold still." Roxy turned a flashlight on and opened one of Yuhiro's eyes before shining it at the eyeball. Afterwards, she did it for the other eyeball. "Okay, your eyes aren't rolled back, which is a good thing. I'm going to do a series of tests to determine if you got a concussion or not, okay?"
Yuhiro confirmed with a nod, knowing the situation was serious. The next hour then comprised of him doing multiple tests. Some of them included Yuhiro walking in a straight line with his arms out to test his balance, reading a chart to test his vision, Roxy hitting his knees with a tiny rubber hammer to see how they reacted, her asking him to lift various things to determine his strength levels and coordination, as well as having Yuhiro listen to music on his phone to see if he can hear the lyrics.
"Hmm." Roxy thought over the results of all the tests before turning to Yuhiro. "Well, judging from your reactions to the tests, I can definitely conclude you don't have a concussion."
Yuhiro sighed in relief. "Well, that's really good to hear."
"However..." Roxy sat down beside him on the couch. "...you need to be careful not to hit your head, especially in the network. I'm no doctor, but if you sustain a head injury, you'll feel it in the real world. It could warrant a trip to the Den City as well if it gets too serious."
"Yuhiro's Link Trigger will also activate too." Herald chipped in. "And I'll feel bad for the poor soul who causes him to snap, that's for sure."
"Don't worry, I have it under control." Yuhiro assured the both of them. "Moving onto a different topic, what the hell happened out front?!"
"Oh that." Roxy grinned sheepishly. "You know the game Broken Bonez I installed a few months back, and how each customer gets a game token to try the game out?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, after a teenager came in and purchased a meal, he ended up playing for several hours." Roxy chuckled to herself. "He got so good, he attracted the attention of the other customers, who watched him beat a ton of levels. I too got curious, so I looked over and found out that he beat Herald's high score."
"WHAT?!" Herald shouted. "No one could beat my high score of 1,300,000 points! You're totally bluffing, Roxy!"
"Honestly, I was just as shocked as you are right now, Herald." Roxy replied defensively. "Anyway, by the time you arrived, he slipped up and finally lost, with an end score of 1,550,000 points."
"NOOOOOOO!" Herald lamented. "I worked a long time to reach that score, and it was surpassed by a teenager in one day?! What was the teenager's name, Roxy?! I swear, I'll track him down and kick his ass in whatever video game he's on the most, even if it's on Broken Bonez!"
Roxy thought it over. "Uh, I think it's Arashi Hada," she recalled.
"Whoever this Arashi is, we can't focus on him right now." Yuhiro interrupted, disappointing Herald. "Right now, we need to analyze this data and see if there's anything important buried in there."
"You won't be doing that. Herald and I will." Roxy told him. "I'll get started on the task, while you man the front for the rest of the afternoon."
"What? Roxy, are you-?"
"No excuses." Roxy put a hand on Yuhiro's shoulder. "After spending so much time in the network and getting hit in the head, you should do something different. Something that doesn't involve you staring at a screen or being in the network. Trust me when I say you'll feel better afterwards."
Yuhiro nodded, knowing there was no point in arguing with Roxy. "Fine. I'll follow your advice, but let me know if you find something." After taking his duel disk off and handing it to her, Yuhiro walked over to the front, where he was about to put the apron on when something popped in his mind. I should notify Watchman about recent events, he thought, taking out his phone and making a call.
"Yes?"
"I'm calling to inform you of recent events, Watchman." Yuhiro said, getting straight to the point.
"Events, you say? Do tell." Watchman replied. Yuhiro proceeded to tell Watchman of how he and Yusaku met Takeru Homura and Flame, the Fire Ignis, as well as about the Link Spell Judgment Arrows. He also told him of their adventure to meet Windy, the Wind ignis in his world, and how they found Bohman and Haru at the edge of it. Although the two of them escaped, Yuhiro assured him that they may find something in their whereabouts by looking over the data recently found. When he told him that the Black Ignis was alive and well, there was a moment of silence on the other end.
"You've gone silent, Watchman." Yuhiro stated. "Is everything alright? I thought finding out that another Ignis was alive was good."
"Y-Yes, it is." Watchman answered, pulling itself together. "Since the White and Black Ignis's were the only ones who heeded my warning, I thought they were lost in the network forever. But knowing that the White Ignis is with you, as well as the Black Ignis being alive in the network, fills me with relief. I'll personally look for the Black Ignis myself in the hopes of finding him."
"Good to hear." Yuhiro narrowed his eyes as he continued talking. "Any news on Miyu's progress?"
"No. Demeter hasn't found anything yet, but she's trying. I will relay the information you told me about Judgment Arrows to Percival, which will help in his search to find the one responsible for the Cyberse World's destruction."
"I hope you'll be able to complete your tasks soon." Yuhiro stated. "Because we could really use your help. Especially with the azure-overcoated man." He scowled upon finishing that sentence.
"In this situation, we can't rush. Or else we'll overlook something that could've been useful." Watchman calmly told him.
"Fine, I get it." Yuhiro replied. "But promise me that once you do find something, you'll let us know asap."
"That, I will do." Watchman complied. He then hung up afterwards, causing Yuhiro to sigh as he put his apron on. He didn't mean to snap at Watchman like that, but his assistance, along with Percival and Demeter's would have sped up the investigation by a long shot. Then again, Watchman did have a point in investigating what happened. After all, the more information obtained, the more likely they'll succeed in rescuing Miyu and Jin, as well as finding out the true mastermind. The one who sent Bohman and Haru to destroy the Cyberse World.
So for the rest of the afternoon, Yuhiro manned the counter at Café Matsuo, taking customers orders and serving them once the steward bot completed them. He noticed a few employees from SOL Technologies ordering meals at a few points during the afternoon, and theorized that Akira may come by to order a meal. If that was true, then Yuhiro could talk to him one-on-one on why Akira hired bounty hunters, as well as the consequences that resulted in doing this action. Deep down, he knew that blaming Akira wouldn't accomplish anything. From Yuhiro's past experience with Akira, he was a good person at SOL Technologies, and one of the most reputable there. After all, he did help in the case regarding Tsubaki. Ultimately, Yuhiro decided not to demand answers from Akira, as he likely had a lot on his plate regarding the bounty hunters. He also decided to not let out his frustrations on Aoi and Emma, as unlike the bounty hunters, Akira requested for them to find the Ignis likely for peaceful purposes.
With his thoughts about recent events pushed to the side, Yuhiro continued working at the front. Eventually, Roxy arrived from the backroom and provided a helping hand, serving customers until early in the evening, where they decided to break for dinner. However, as they were eating dinner, Yuhiro got a message on his phone and shared it with Roxy, surprising her.
Five minutes later...
Yusaku frowned. "This is from Slipstream?" he asked. After receiving the message, Yuhiro and Roxy immediately rushed to the backroom and called Kusanagi, informing him about Slipstream's message. Kusanagi, in turn, called Yusaku and Takeru in, informing them about the situation.
"That's what the message claims." Herald said. Yuhiro looked down at said message.
"Raguel, please come to LINK VRAINS at sixty thirty to seven pm." Takeru read. "I need to discuss a few matters with you. In exchange for your assistance, I'll join your group and help you in whatever your situation is. From, Slipstream. P.S., I designed the server to automatically shut down if you bring company." There were a set of coordinates at the bottom of the message.
"It could be a trap." Flame theorized.
"Of course it's a trap!" Ai exclaimed. "How did Slipstream find out about your email address?"
"This is Raguel's address, not Yuhiro's." Yuhiro explained. "I made them to differentiate between the two in the event someone who knew Raguel can reach out to him."
"Well, what about his address? Were you able to find it?"
"Nope." Herald answered. "And we can't message him back. Yuhiro tried messaging him, but we got an automatic response back within seconds. He must have set it up as a contingency in case we questioned the authenticity of his message."
"Do you think it's a trap?" Yusaku asked. "You wouldn't be showing us this if you didn't believe it was genuine."
Yuhiro sighed. "Honestly, I don't know," he admitted. "SOL Technologies hasn't been able to find my email at all, so I'm one hundred percent sure that Slipstream isn't working for them. A hacker such as Ghost Girl might be able to find it, though." Blood Shepherd might be able to find it as well, he thought. But he's the type who takes initiative in the hunt, not luring prey in through emails. Besides, he's focusing on Playmaker at the moment.
"Roxy, what are your thoughts on this?" Kusanagi asked her.
"Well, I ran some tests on the message, and it doesn't contain any surprises." Roxy replied. "I say it's genuine. Besides, if it's not, then Yuhiro's got four pairs of eyes and ears to help him get out of the trap."
Yusaku thought this over and frowned. "Genuine or not, I don't want to accept his offer. Furutani, I'm grateful he helped you, but this is a fight not just for Kusanagi's brother's consciousness, but to rescue Miyu as well. We shouldn't let an outsider get involved."
"What if I ask about his identity?" Yuhiro asked. "I'm sure he'll be willing to tell me his reasons and identity if I comply with the instructions. Besides, he did say he's willing to help us in exchange for something else."
"But we don't know what Slipstream wants in exchange." Flame pointed out.
"We'll only know the answer to that question once Yuhiro logs into the server at those coordinates." Takeru told Flame. "Besides, he handled Electrolyzer, right? And we could use more help."
"If anything, we should at least hear Slipstream out." Herald decided. "I'd like to know where he stands in this conflict; Bohman, SOL Technologies, the azure-overcoated man and his pet AI Malf... we can't afford to have another unknown."
The three humans looked among themselves before nodding. "Very well," Yusaku said. "Furutani, find out where he stands in his conflict, what he wants, and refuse his offer. Even if he isn't an unknown, Slipstream's an outsider. We can't involve him in this."
"We'll see what happens." Yuhiro replied. "And in the meanwhile, like Roxy said, the four of you will be my eyes and ears should something happen."
"Right!" The others nodded as Yuhiro got up from his seat and put his duel disk on. Once he arrived at the closed-off space, he inserted his deck into his duel disk.
"Deck Set! Into the VRAINS!"
In LINK VRAINS...
Raguel emerged in LINK VRAINS on a deserted island. The island in question was covered in grass and trees with a few mountains around them.
"These are the coordinates from the message." Herald told Raguel. "Which means we have to wait for Slipstream."
"I really hope this isn't a trap." Raguel added. "Because that's the last thing we need right now."
The next thing the both of them knew, they turned forward as a large, mechanical thing erupted from the bushes, surprising the newcomers. Herald screamed, while Yuhiro gasped. The creature was mechanical in nature, which sported metal plates resembling dorsal plates. The plates ran down from the back of its neck all the way down to the tip of its tail. Its forelimbs were considerably bulkier and slightly longer than a Kaiju, which consisted of four zygodactyl claws on its hands. Its feet were also similar to that of a Kaiju's. Lastly, the tail had a drill mounted to its tip.
"I spoke too soon." Raguel admitted, pulling out his double-barreled revolver.
"It's Mechagodzilla!" Herald screamed, now filled with terror.
Mechagodzilla opened its mouth and gathered energy in its maw, making the both of them tense up... until it was interrupted seconds later by someone's laughter. As the energy disappeared, Slipstream descended down on his duel board in front of Mechagodzilla's mouth.
"I can't believe I had you for a moment there!" he laughed. "Your reactions were totally worth the effort!" Slipstream continued laughing, much to Raguel's ire.
"Did you really had to do that?!" Raguel demanded. "You gave the both of us a scare, and if that's not enough proof, Herald's still shaking because of you somehow summoning Mechagodzilla of all things!"
"Don't worry, it's not the real deal." Slipstream assured him, landing his duel board on the ground and jumping off of it. He then pressed a few buttons on his duel disk, causing Mechagodzilla to break apart into a ton of little metallic shards. "What you saw was my nanobots joining together to create Mechagodzilla, which were created by none other than me."
Herald breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that Mechagodzilla was no longer there. "Whew. That was a close one."
"I'll be honest, I wasn't you wouldn't come after getting my message." Slipstream said. "Given the enemies after you, I thought you would ignore my message."
"You're Slipstream, right?" Herald asked, doing a once-over to see if he was who he said he was.
"Yup, I am Slipstream," he answered. He went over and shook Raguel's hand. "It's totally crash to officially meet you face to face, man!"
"Uh, you as well." Raguel hesitantly replied, caught off guard by Slipstream's sudden gesture. "You said in your message you wanted to help us. Why is that?"
"Because you saved my ass twice, dude." Slipstream told him. "Not just in the Black Market's Gamma branch, but from something else as well. So I thought I'd return the favour, considering you're facing off powerful opponents such as Bohman and... what's his name?" He put a hand on his chin. "Was it Harlin? No, it was Haru. Yup, it was Haru for sure!"
"Hang on a minute! How do you know about Bohman and Haru?" Herald questioned.
"Well, when Bohman appeared, I intended on watching Playmaker's Speed Duel against him, as I was curious." Slipstream admitted. Raguel was about to speak, but Slipstream stopped him. "That being said, I would have been able to watch it up and close, but then Haru interrupted and told me to get lost. You want to know what I said in response?" A moment passed before he continued. "I basically told that kid there was no way he would tell me what to do, and we ended up dueling, with a draw as the result."
"Excuse me? That kid nearly beat Raguel and I in a freakin' duel!" Herald shouted. "And said kid gave Raguel head pain!"
"Calm down, Herald." Raguel advised Herald before turning to Slipstream. "What is it you want from me in return?"
Slipstream pressed a few buttons on his duel disk, which showed two different types of data. One was in different colors and streamlined, while the other was fizzled and static in a single color. "I was hoping you would help me identify and compare these types of data. One was from the duel with Haru, and the other was data I obtained months ago. If you can help me decipher this information, I'll be able to complete my mission."
"And what is your mission?" Raguel raised an eyebrow, questioning Slipstream.
"Hate to say it, but that's personal information." Slipstream admitted, shaking his head. "But don't worry. In exchange for your help, I'll help you and your group too."
Raguel thought this over for a minute. Slipstream was right when he said Raguel saved him, but when was the second time he helped him out? How did Slipstream obtain the second piece of data? And what was he hiding? This lack of information, combined with the suspicion that Slipstream knew more than what he was letting on, affirmed his decision.
He finally turned to Slipstream and said, "Even though you managed to fend off one of the bounty hunters, you still haven't told me what your mission is. That, combined with the fact you know more than you already told us, makes me suspicious of your intentions. In addition, we're fighting to save a friend's brother's consciousness data, as well as rescue someone close to me. I hate to say this, but we cannot involve you in this."
"Aw, come on!" Slipstream complained. "Don't push me to the side like that! I can totally be of assistance! Did you know I come from a family of engineers and programmers? I can build you fancy gadgets and create cool programs for you at fast rates too!"
"Sorry Slipstream, but our decision is final." Herald told him. However, Slipstream wouldn't let up.
"What if I proved myself in a duel?" he asked. "My dueling skills were strong enough to defeat a bounty hunter who used a deck composing of Hand Traps, and trust me when I say, it was a pain in the ass. If I defeat you and prove my strength, will you accept my help?"
Raguel and Herald blinked at the same time. "You seriously think you can defeat Raguel?" Herald asked.
"Hey, anything can happen in a duel." Slipstream replied. "If I win, you'll let me join your group."
Raguel nodded. "Very well. However, if you lose, you need to tell me who you are."
Slipstream hesitated for a moment but then nodded back. "I accept the terms." Raguel was about to lift his duel disk, but then Slipstream stopped him. "Not here. I got a better idea of where we should duel." He then pressed a few buttons on his duel disk, causing the nanobots behind them to form into a massive bridge behind the island. "Follow me."
Raguel followed Slipstream to the other side of the island, where the bridge composed of nanobots was constantly formed. He couldn't help but wonder how Slipstream managed to acquire the material needed for a ton of nanobots. It must have taken time and effort, as well as precision to make even a single one. After one, if you made a tiny mistake, then the synchronization with the other nanobots would be out of whack. As they walked over to the other island, Herald widened his eyes upon looking at their destination.
"Whoa," he said. "You mean to say we're walking towards a duel stadium?"
"Yup." Slipstream confirmed. "Duel stadiums are common where I'm from. It took some time, but I recreated it piece by piece." The two of them eventually made it to the duel stadium, where Slipstream pressed a few buttons on his duel disk, causing the nanobots behind them to return to him.
When they entered the duel stadium, Raguel got the opportunity to look around. It was massively large, with a large green field in the middle. Surrounding it was a large race track, with several lanes in the middle that connected to it. At the middle was a large sphere of cards with an 'A' on each of them, as well as two displays, one showing a duelist.
"This is..." Raguel couldn't form words at what he saw.
"It's awesome, isn't it? Come on, I know you want to say it." Slipstream said. "While we do Speed Duels and Master Duels, we also do something called Turbo Duels." He motioned for Raguel to follow him, where they ended up in a garage. It contained various types of motorcycles, as well as a slot for Raguel to put his duel disk. "Now since you haven't heard of Turbo Duels, allow me to explain the rules!" Slipstream immediately proceeded to explain the various rules in a Turbo Duel, which, in Raguel's mind, was a sport similar to jousting. He also stated the function of the motorcycle called a duel runner, and what their role was in a Turbo Duel. From what Raguel learned, duel runners were used to dodge attacks, as it can result in physical harm if you didn't avoid the attack at the right time. However, if a duelist wanted to focus on dueling, there was an Auto-pilot function that can be turned on or off based on the turbo duelist's preferences.
"There's one last thing." Slipstream pointed to the large sphere of cards with an 'A' on each of them. "We used to have something called speed counters and speed spells, but because they fell in popularity, we ended up switching to something called Action cards. To ensure duelists can use the full power of their deck and not brick on useless cards, a rule was created where duelists use Action cards, but can only have one in their hand at a time."
"I see." Raguel thought this over. He never tried a Turbo Duel before, and in a way, it was almost like Mario Kart. That being said, it was a good idea to try it out to get some experience.
"I'll let you pick your duel runner. See you at the starting line!" After Slipstream put on his helmet and got on a green and white dragon-styled duel runner before riding it to the starting line. Meanwhile, Raguel looked over the various duel runners, wanting to see which one he liked. He eventually stumbled upon one that was silver, with red lines that were evenly spread out. It also resembled a dragon, as evident by the claws and the wispy mane streams. In a way, it looked like Turboblaze Dragon, but whether that was mere coincidence or not was unknown to Raguel. At the middle was a seat where Raguel could sit in, as well as a port for him to put his duel disk in.
"I think this one will do." Raguel said, getting on the duel runner and putting his helmet on. "What do you think, Herald?"
"You know, I like it." Herald answered. "If this goes well, I think it's something I'll put in my private server." Raguel snickered at that comment. "What? You don't like that idea?"
"I think it's a fine idea." Raguel replied. "It's just I can't imagine Cyberse creatures riding a duel runner, that's all."
"Killjoy." Herald then turned to Raguel. "Listen. Since I had experience with playing Mario Kart, I'll drive and you focus on the dueling."
"If that's what you want, I won't argue with you." Raguel allowed. Herald then reeved up the engines as Raguel sped forward to the starting line.
"About time." Slipstream commented, turning to Raguel. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to pick a duel runner."
"I wanted to pick one that resonated with me." Raguel told Slipstream. "That aside, let's see your strength as a duelist! Prove to me you're strong enough to work with us!"
"With pleasure!"
"Field Spell: Crossover Acceleration, activated," an automated voice said, as the large sphere containing Action cards were released onto the track. "Duel mode, on. Auto-pilot, standby." The countdown screen then appeared in front of Raguel and Slipstream. "Turbo Duel! Acceleration!" The countdown hit zero and both duelists shot forward.
(For your musical enjoyment, I recommend listening to Antinomy's theme – Extended from Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links)
"Duel!" Raguel and Slipstream shouted in unison.
Raguel: 4000 LP
Slipstream: 4000 LP
"Hey, Raguel. How about a challenge?" Slipstream said, getting his attention. "Whoever makes the first corner gets to decide whether to go first or second!"
"Challenge accepted!" Herald immediately replied before Raguel could say a word. The two duelists raced towards the corner, with Raguel getting the lead thanks to Herald, but Slipstream cut them off by drifting at the corner, allowing him to take the corner and pass Raguel successfully.
"I win, Raguel!" Slipstream told him with a grin. "Which means I choose to go first!"
"Drat!" Herald said, snapping his fingers. "I can't believe he got past me, the DK!"
"I thought DK stood for Donkey Kong." Raguel stated, only to get the irritation of Slipstream and Herald.
"DK stands for Drift King!" both of them shouted.
"It stands for Donkey Kong too..." Raguel retorted.
"Anyhow, let's just get to the duel. My turn!" Slipstream announced, looking at his hand. "I activate the Spell card, Speedraw! This card lets me discard one 'Speedroid' monster from my hand, and by doing so, I can draw two cards from my deck." After discarding a card from his hand and sending it to his Graveyard, he drew the top two cards of his deck. "Next, as I control no monsters, I can Special Summon Speedroid Terrortop from my hand." A chain of red tops with blades attached to them appeared on Slipstream's field.
Speedroid Terrortop ATK: 1200 DEF: 600 LV: 3
"From there, I Special Summon Speedroid Taketomborg!" A blue, red, and yellow humanoid monster with very thin arms and legs appeared on Slipstream's field as well.
Speedroid Taketomborg ATK: 600 DEF: 1200 LV: 3
"I can Special Summon this card if I control a Wind monster." Slipstream explained, before gesturing upwards. "It's time to kick my circuit into overdrive!" A Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two Wind monsters. I'll set Speedroid Terrortop and Speedroid Taketomborg into the Link Markers!" Terrortop went into the bottom-left arrowhead, while Taketomborg went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning both of them red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Hi-Speedroid Rubber Band Shooter!" A dark-blue rubber band gun whose body was composed of a rotating barrel with an engine at the back flew onto Slipstream's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. It had six fins at the front that glowed green at the top, as well as six fins around the back of the barrel. At the front was a cone with a shining blue light.
Hi-Speedroid Rubber Band Shooter ATK: 1000 LINK-2 ↙️↘️
"Rubber Band Shooter's effect!" Slipstream continued. "By banishing one Wind Synchro monster from my Extra Deck, I can reveal two 'Speedroid' monsters from my deck whose total levels equal the level of that banished monster. You choose one for me to add to my hand, while the other one goes straight to my Graveyard. I banish the Level 5 Hi-Speedroid Chanbara!" He took two cards from his deck before showing them to Raguel. "With that, I reveal to you the Level 4 Speedroid Double Yoyo and the Level 1 Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice."
The two selected cards then appeared on Slipstream's field for Raguel to choose. "Which one do you think, Herald?" he asked his partner.
"Well, Red-Eyed Dice is a Tuner monster, thus allowing Slipstream to Synchro Summon. Double Yoyo, on the other hand, has an effect that lets him Special Summon one Level 3 or lower 'Speedroid' monster from his Graveyard." Herald whispered back. "I say we give him Red-Eyed Dice."
Raguel nodded, then turned his attention back to the duel. "I choose for you to add Red-Eyed Dice to your hand."
"The choice has been made." Slipstream commented, as Red-Eyed Dice appeared in his hand, while Double Yoyo exploded into yellow particles. "I Set two cards face-down and end my turn."
"My turn! I draw!" Raguel said, drawing the top card of his deck. "I activate the Spell card, Cyreath Treasure from my hand. By discarding one 'Cyreath' monster from my hand, I can draw two cards from my deck." After discarding a card from his hand, he drew two cards from his deck. "I activate the effect of Cyreath Wandering Soul from my Graveyard. 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 as well.
Cyreath Wanderer Token ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1
"Everything's set!" Herald told Raguel. "You ready?"
"Yes!" Raguel answered. "I'll now use the Scale 1 Cyreath Sigma and the Scale 8 Cyreath Endymion to set the Pendulum Scale!" Soon, two pillars of light appeared on both sides of Raguel's field.
In the pillar on his right was a small, red and white-chromed robot with orange lines. It had orange eyes and a small mouth on its face, along with a ribbon on top of its head. It carried two small swords in its left and right hands.
In the pillar on his left was a man wearing bright-white and purple robes all over his body. The man had brown hair and a beard on his face. In his right hand, he carried a long scepter with a purple orb at the top.
Cyreath Sigma Scale: 1
Cyreath Endymion Scale: 8
"Pendulum cards..." Slipstream muttered, looking at them in awe. "They're rare, even where I come from."
"Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel said, as a Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are one 'Cyreath' monster! I'll set the Cyreath Wanderer token into the Link Markers!" The Wanderer token went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyreath Headhunter!" A female ninja wearing a purple and black robe appeared on Raguel's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. Her face was covered in darkness, except for the eyes, which were black with a yellow-orange sclera.
Cyreath Headhunter ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️
"Endymion's effect! Each time I Link Summon a 'Cyreath' Link monster, I can place one Moon counter on this card." A white orb went into Endymion's scepter.
Cyreath Endymion MC: 0 + 1 = 1
"Swing, Pendulum of the Gods, and show me the path to victory!" Raguel chanted. "With the set Pendulum Scale, I can Special Summon monsters between Levels 2 and 7 at the same time! Emerge, Cyreath Miner, Nymph, and Whelp!" Within moments, a portal opened between the two pillars, where three lights emerged. The lights hit the field and then dissipated, revealing three monsters.
The first monster was a small, male individual wearing mining gear and carrying mining equipment.
The second monster was a blue-skinned, four winged creature with two stubby legs and a small beak, as well as a spiked tail.
The third monster was a grey-armored warrior from head to toe, wisps of smoke emitting from his armor in the process.
Cyreath Miner ATK: 0 DEF: 2000 LV: 3
Cyreath Nymph ATK: 1500 DEF: 1500 LV: 4
Cyreath Shade ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LV: 4
"When Nymph is Normal or Special Summoned while I control a 'Cyreath' Link monster, I can target one Spell or Trap card on your field and destroy it!" Raguel pointed to the card on Slipstream's left. "I choose that one!" Nymph flapped its wings and created a windstorm that headed right for the designated card, destroying it and causing Slipstream to gasp.
"Miner's effect!" Raguel continued. "Once per turn, if he's face-up on the field, I can target one card in my Graveyard and shuffle it into my deck. By doing so, I can draw one card. I shuffle Cyreath Treasure back into my deck and draw one card." After Raguel took a card from his Graveyard and shuffled it into his deck, he then drew the top card of his deck.
"Wait a minute..." Slipstream said, looking at Raguel's field. "Are you planning to-?!"
"For a duelist like Slipstream, he can deduce the field at a quick rate." Herald admitted, turning to Raguel. "Let's confirm his theory, shall we?"
Raguel nodded and raised his duel disk high above him. "Appear, the network of divinity!" A bolt of white and orange energy shot out of it, which formed the Xyz cross. "Materials confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 4 'Cyreath' monsters. I overlay the Level 4 Cyreath Nymph and the Level 4 Cyreath Shade!" Both Nymph and Shade turned into streams of blue and grey energy before entering the portal, where a pillar of light soon erupted from its center.
"Xyz Summon! Watchdog of the Underworld, heed my call and tear my foes to bits! Rank 4! Cyreath Blazing Orthros!" A dark-red, two-headed hound with flames engulfing his body appeared on Raguel's field in the Main Monster Zone Headhunter pointed to. He had a large metal brace with a broken chain attached to his left paw, with similar-looking spiked collars around his necks. In addition, Orthros had a large bone structure protruding from his back, with funnel-like spouts that shot out flames, which ran along his spine.
Cyreath Blazing Orthros ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000 RNK: 4 OU: 2
"Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel continued, as a Link Portal formed above him. "The summoning conditions are two 'Cyreath' monsters with different names. I'll set Cyreath Headhunter, which is a Link 1 monster, and Cyreath Miner into the Link Markers!" Headhunter went into the bottom-left arrowhead, while Miner went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning both of them red.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyreath Paris!" A young boy wearing ornate white and black robes appeared on Raguel's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He had neck-long, moss-colored hair, as well as sheep horns on each side of his head. He also had long, elf-like shoes on his feet. Lastly, Paris had orange eyes, which twinkled for a brief moment before dimming down.
Cyreath Paris ATK: 1000 LINK-2 ↙️↘️
"The effects of Endymion, Paris, and Miner now activate. First, just like before, Endymion gets a Moon counter because I Link Summoned a 'Cyreath' Link monster." Raguel explained, as a second white orb went into Endymion's scepter.
Cyreath Endymion MC: 1 + 1 = 2
"Second, when Paris is Link Summoned using a 'Cyreath' Link monster as Link material, I can add one 'Cyreath' Ritual Spell card and one 'Cyreath' Ritual monster from my deck to my hand." Raguel took two cards from his deck and added them to his hand. "Third, since Miner was used to Link Summon, I can add any card from my Graveyard to my hand. However, since the card I'm adding is a Link monster, it goes to my Extra Deck instead." A card popped out of Raguel's Graveyard, which he took and added back to his Extra Deck.
"I now activate the Ritual Spell card, Cyreath Ceremony!" Raguel added, as the orange lines on his white tunics glowed a bright blue. "This card lets me tribute 'Cyreath' monsters on my field or hand whose total levels equal or exceed the Level of the 'Cyreath' Ritual monster I'm summoning from my hand. However, if I control a 'Cyreath' Link monster, I can also use 'Cyreath' monsters in my deck by sending them from my deck to my Graveyard!"
Behind his mask, Slipstream's eyes widened as he let out a whistle. "Okay, I'm in trouble..." he muttered.
"I send the Level 4 Cyreath Legionnaire and the Level 3 Cyreath Archer from my deck to my Graveyard." Raguel said, taking two cards from his deck and sending them to his Graveyard. Soon, a white and orange magical circle with seven flames appeared on Raguel's field, along with Legionnaire and Archer. Both monsters then disintegrated into light and entered into the center of the circle, which emitted a pillar of bright light.
"The contract has been made!" Raguel chanted. "With the blessing of Zeus, the twins shall accept this offering and go into battle! Ritual Summon! Appear, Cyreath Castor & Pollux!" A set of siblings, which were a brother and a sister, emerged from the portal and appeared on Raguel's field in the Main Monster Zone Paris pointed to. Both siblings wore white and black clothing along with sandals, as well as a wreath on their heads. However, there were a few differences. The brother named Castor had a long, two-pieced white cape, and his weapon was a discus. The sister named Pollux had a golden emblem on her upper chest, and also carried a sword in her right hand.
Cyreath Castor & Pollux ATK: 2200 DEF: 2200 LV: 7
"Paris's second effect activates! Once per turn, when a 'Cyreath' monster is Normal or Special Summoned to a Main Monster Zone he points to, that monster gains 500 attack and defense points, and is unaffected by your card effects until the End Phase!" Paris turned around and shined light from his hands onto Castor & Pollux, enveloping them in a golden aura and increasing their strength.
Cyreath Castor & Pollux ATK: 2200 + 500 = 2700 DEF: 2200 + 500 = 2700
"First Link, then Pendulum, then Xyz, and now Ritual Summoning..." Slipstream quietly said, looking at Raguel's field before turning his head to look ahead of him once again. I knew Raguel was strong, but I didn't expect him to be this skilled. His strength will definitely help in my mission, that's for sure, he thought.
"Yes, that's the spirit Raguel!" Herald cheered. "If we attack with all three monsters, we can perform a one-turn kill!"
"Battle!" Raguel declared. "Cyreath Castor & Pollux attacks Hi-Speedroid Rubber Band Shooter!" Castor & Pollux charged at Hi-Speedroid Rubber Band Shooter, intent on destroying the machine.
Slipstream, in response, reeved his engine and increased his speed. As he reached the corner, he noticed something right at the bottom of it. Performing a drift with his duel runner, Slipstream reached down and grabbed the Action Card.
"I activate the Action Card, Rejuvenation!" he announced. "When this card is activated, I can target a battling monster and increase its attack points by 800, as well as prevent it from being destroyed by battle this turn. I target Rubber Band Shooter!" Rubber Band Shooter was surrounded in a red aura as its strength increased.
Hi-Speedroid Rubber Band Shooter ATK: 1000 + 800 = 1800
"You may have saved your monster and reduced the damage, but you'll still take some of it!" Raguel pointed out. "Hymn of the Twin Gods!" Castor & Pollux sliced Rubber Band Shooter with the discus and sword respectively before finishing it off with a combined attack that caused a massive explosion, causing Slipstream to wince. And just as he stated, Rubber Band Shooter was still on his field.
Slipstream: 4000 – 900 = 3100 LP
"Since Castor & Pollux didn't destroy Rubber Band Shooter, we can't use their effect." Herald complained.
"We still have another attack to go." Raguel reminded his partner. "The battle continues! Cyreath Blazing Orthros attacks Rubber Band Shooter! Searing Flame Charge!" The fire engulfing Blazing Orthros turned him into a blazing inferno as he charged at Rubber Band Shooter, hitting it upon impact and making Slipstream wince for a second time. However, Rubber Band Shooter was still on his field, just like last time.
Slipstream: 3100 – 700 = 2400 LP
"I Set one card face-down and end my turn, which means the effects of Rejuvenation and Paris end." As if to prove Raguel's point, Rubber Band Shooter's attack points went down while Castor & Pollux's attack points did the same, along with their defense points.
Hi-Speedroid Rubber Band Shooter ATK: 1800 – 800 = 1000
Cyreath Castor & Pollux ATK: 2700 – 500 = 2200 DEF: 2700 – 500 = 2200
"Ah, so that's how Action Cards work." Herald deduced. "We can acquire and activate them during either of turns, as long as we only have one in our hands."
"That's why we should keep an eye out for them." Raguel added, looking around the track.
"But only if you can get to one first!" Slipstream challenged the duo. "My turn! I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck. "I activate the Spell card, Speedroid Summon Dice. This card lets me roll a six-sided dice and then Special Summon a 'Speedroid' monster from my deck whose level is exactly equal to the result of the dice roll."
Herald couldn't help but chuckle. "Really? You're relying on luck to help you out? Only a noob does that!"
"We'll see who the noob is after this!" Slipstream replied, as a green dice appeared in front of him. "Go, Dice Roll!" The dice then flung itself into the air and landed on the field. When it finished rolling, the dice landed on a one, causing him to gasp out of shock. "I landed on a one, which means I can Special Summon a Level 1 'Speedroid' monster from my deck." A card popped out of his deck, which he took before playing it. "Come on out, Speedroid Maliciousmagnet." A dark-blue magnet composed of two horseshoe magnets at the sides, two neodymium magnets at the sides, and one bar magnet at the end appeared on Slipstream's field.
Speedroid Maliciousmagnet ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1
"And that's why you don't rely on luck!" Herald boasted, laughing at Slipstream's misfortune. "Who's the noob? You are, not me!" Raguel, however, noticed that something was amiss.
"Herald, you shouldn't boast like that," he warned him. Sure enough, Slipstream surprisingly grinned, startling Herald.
"You're the noob here!" Slipstream stated, before gesturing to his field. "Maliciousmagnet's effect! When it's Normal or Special Summoned, I can target one non-tuner monster you control and Synchro Summon one Synchro monster using only this card and that target!"
"WHAT?!" Herald's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this. "You can just yoink our monster like that?!" Raguel gasped as well. This was definitely surprising to hear.
"Yup!" Slipstream confirmed. "If you don't believe me, just watch! I target Castor & Pollux!" Maliciousmagnet aimed its horseshoe magnets at Castor & Pollux, magnetically pulling the duo to Slipstream's side of the field. "It's time to rev it up! I tune the Level 1 Speedroid Maliciousmagnet with the Level 7 Cyreath Castor & Pollux!" A bolt of green lightning struck Slipstream as the world greyed out and his two monsters disappeared into particles. Two rings, one dark-blue and one white appeared before turning blue and merging. Eight blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "1 + 7" in front of them. The screen changed to "8" as light surged through the rings.
"Wings of radiance and light, spread in magnificence and strike down our foes!" Slipstream chanted. "Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 8! Hi-Speedroid Kitedrake!" A mechanical, serpentine dragon whose body was comprised of white disks connected by blue sections, and a blue and white head appeared on Slipstream's field in the Main Monster Zone Rubber-Band Shooter pointed to. On the dragon, there were also green panels on its back and tail, which formed wings.
Hi-Speedroid Kitedrake ATK: 3000 DEF: 2800 LV: 8
"Kitedrake's effect! When it's Synchro Summoned, I can activate one of two effects." Slipstream thought it over for a quick moment before deciding. "I choose to activate the second effect, which lets me negate the effects of all face-up cards you control!" Raguel's eyes widened. "Trichroic Mirror!" The panels on Kitedrake's back lit up with blue, red, and green light that spread out to Raguel's cards. Raguel watched in shock as both of his monsters, as well as his Pendulum cards, all cried out in pain.
"Oh, come on!" Herald complained. "A Synchro monster that negates all face-up cards just like that?! This is bad!"
"Tch..." Raguel grit his teeth. That wasn't a good sign at all.
"Battle!" Slipstream declared. "Hi-Speedroid Kitedrake attacks Cyreath Paris! Sonic Tornado!" Kitedrake's panels glowed with light as it roared and charged towards Paris, spinning in the process. Herald, in response, increased the speed on Raguel's duel runner, allowing him to look for Action Cards on the race track.
"There!" Raguel said, leaning to the side and grabbing the Action Card. "Action Card, activate! Miracle! When a monster on the field battles, I can target that monster and prevent its destruction. Also, any battle damage I take is halved."
"We're saved!" Herald cheered, as Kitedrake hit Paris, causing him to be pushed back. In response, Raguel moved to the side to avoid getting hit, with Paris rejoining him soon after.
Raguel: 4000 – (2000 / 2) = 3000 LP
"Not bad, Raguel." Slipstream praised him. "You're getting the hang of Action Cards, enabling you to save your monster and halve the battle damage. I Set one card face-down and end my turn."
"My turn! I draw!" Raguel said, drawing the top card from his deck. He negated the effects of Paris and Blazing Orthros, as well as Endymion and Sigma, he thought. If I'm to defeat Slipstream, I have to outsmart him. "I activate the effect of Cyreath Ceremony in my Graveyard. By banishing it and a 'Cyreath' Ritual monster, I can add one 'Cyreath' Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand. I banish Cyreath Ceremony and Cyreath Castor & Pollux." A card popped out of Raguel's deck, which he took and added to his hand. "I'll now activate the Spell card I just added: Cyreath Ascension. This card lets me target one Link monster on my field and Special Summon 'Cyreath' monsters from my Graveyard to Main Monster Zones that Link monster points to, in exchange for negating their effects. I target Paris, and Special Summon Cyreath Legionnaire and Cyreath Archer." Two monsters then appeared on Raguel's field at once.
The first was a muscular man in golden armor with shin pads, braces, and a helmet with red feathers. In his hands was a small sword and a massive shield.
The second was a female archer with pink hair and a light-green cloak.
Cyreath Legionnaire ATK: 1700 DEF: 1000 LV: 4
Cyreath Archer ATK: 1400 DEF: 1000 LV: 3
"Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" A Link Portal appeared above Raguel. "The summoning conditions are two 'Cyreath' monsters. I'll set Cyreath Legionnaire and Cyreath Archer into the Link Markers!" Legionnaire went into the left arrowhead, while Archer 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 in the Main Monster Zone Paris was pointing to.
Cyreath Pegasus ATK: 1200 LINK-2 ⬅️➡️
"You may have negated the effects of my other face-up cards, but I can still use Pegasus's effect!" Raguel continued. "All monsters it points to can attack directly!" Slipstream's eyes widened in surprise. "Battle! Cyreath Blazing Orthros attacks you directly! Searing Flame Charge!" The fire engulfing Blazing Orthros turned him into a blazing inferno as he ran forward at Slipstream, intent on finishing him off.
In response, Slipstream increased the speed on his duel runner, trying to find an Action Card. Gotcha, he thought, as he turned the corner and reached out to grab the card. Unbeknownst to him, Raguel did the same thing. "Excellent! With this Action Card, I'll be-!"
"Action Card, activate! Action Crush!" Raguel interrupted. "All Action Cards in your hand are destroyed!" Slipstream gasped as the card shattered.
He growled in annoyance. "Fine! I'll just find another and-!"
"According to Action Crush, if either of us adds an Action Card to our hands for the rest of the turn, that card is destroyed." Herald continued, before turning to Raguel. "Let's end this, Raguel!"
"Agreed." Raguel replied, gesturing to Blazing Orthros to finish Slipstream off.
"Tch..." Slipstream grit his teeth. "I can't believe I have to use this now of all times. But this is why contingency plans exist. I activate the effect of Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice in my Graveyard. By banishing it, I can negate the attack." A silhouette of a purple dice shaped like a three-shaped pyramid with a red eye appeared before spinning and forming a barrier, forcing Blazing Orthros to return to his master's side.
"Hang on. How was that card in Slipstream's Graveyard?" Herald asked Raguel, who narrowed his eyes.
"That's the card he discarded during the beginning of the duel." Raguel figured out.
"You're correct!" Slipstream confirmed, slowing down slightly to ride parallel to Raguel. "I didn't plan on using the second plan of Tri-Eyed Dice, but you forced me to do so."
"That may be true, but I still have one other monster who can attack." Raguel replied, gesturing to Pegasus. "The battle continues! Cyreath Pegasus attacks Hi-Speedroid Rubber Band Shooter!" Pegasus flew over to Rubber Band Shooter, hitting it in the head and causing Slipstream to wobble slightly on his duel runner.
Slipstream: 2400 – 200 = 2200 LP
"I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Raguel turned to Slipstream. "You're up."
"My turn! I draw!" Slipstream gleefully said, drawing the top card of his deck and gesturing to his field. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Speedroid Roulette. This card lets me discard a card to roll a six-sided dice and then Special Summon up to two 'Speedroid' monsters from my hand and/or my deck whose total levels equal the result, but I have to negate their effects. However, here's the catch. If I do not Special Summon this turn, I lose life points equal to the result times 500."
"Great. He's relying on luck once again." Herald sarcastically commented. "The last time that happened, it resulted in something bad for us and good for him. What are the chances of him getting a bad result?"
"Honestly, I don't know, Herald." Raguel admitted. "Regardless on the result, we have to adapt to it, even if it's not in our favour."
"I discard Speedroid Scarecrow." Slipstream announced, as a green dice appeared in front of him. "Go, Dice Roll!" The dice then flung itself into the air and landed on the field. When the dice finished rolling, it landed on a six. "Cha-Ching! The dice landed on a six, which means I can Special Summon up to two 'Speedroid' monsters whose total levels equal six. As such, I Special Summon Speedroid Magic Hound and Speedroid CarTurbo from my deck!" Slipstream took two cards from his deck and placed them on his field, causing two new monsters to appear on his field.
The first was a red dragon whose body was consisted of several criss-cross-connected plastic elements, which operated on the 'lazy tongs' pantograph principle. On one end of the dragon was its tail, with the mouth on the other end.
The second was a red and white card with a small engine that had a blue battery on top Underneath the card were small engine parts, as well as a thin, blue box.
Speedroid Magic Hound ATK: 800 DEF: 800 LV: 3
Speedroid CarTurbo ATK: 800 DEF: 1200 LV: 3
"It's time to rev it up! I tune the Level 3 Speedroid CarTurbo with the Level 3 Speedroid Magic Hound!" A bolt of green lightning struck Slipstream as the world greyed out and his two monsters disappeared into particles. Two rings, one red and one white appeared before turning blue and merging. Six blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "3 + 3" in front of them. The screen changed to "6" as light surged through the rings.
"Magical sword with the form of a cross! Use your power to rend all enemies!" Slipstream chanted. "Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 6! Hi-Speedroid Kendama!" A dark blue machine resembling a cross with a large sword attached to its center appeared on Slipstream's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.
Hi-Speedroid Kendama ATK: 2200 DEF: 1600 LV: 6
"Kendama's effect!" Slipstream continued. "Once per turn, I can banish a 'Speedroid' monster from my Graveyard to inflict 500 points of damage to you! I banish Taketomborg!" Kendama blasted Raguel with a bolt of blue energy, making him slightly wobble before he regained control of his duel runner.
Raguel: 3000 – 500 = 2500 LP
"I summon Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice from my hand!" A yellow dice with a single red eye and six red electrodes orbiting around it also appeared on Slipstream's field.
Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice ATK: 100 DEF: 100 LV: 1
"It's time to rev it up once again! I tune the Level 1 Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice with the Level 6 Hi-Speedroid Kendama!" Slipstream declared, as a bolt of green lightning struck him and the world greyed out before his two monsters disappeared into particles. Two rings, one yellow and one dark-blue appeared before turning blue and merging. Seven blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "6 + 1" in front of them. The screen changed to "7" as light surged through the rings.
"Spread those wondrous wings, and strike down your enemies at the speed of light!" Slipstream chanted. "Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 7! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!" A white and black dragon covered in white, blue, and black armor appeared on Slipstream's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. She had neon green crystals attached to her body, which acted like wings that shone with bright light.
Clear Wing Synchro Dragon ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000 LV: 7
"Last but not least, I activate the effect of CarTurbo in my Graveyard!" Slipstream smirked. "By banishing this card and one 'Speedroid' monster in my Graveyard, all Wind monsters I control gain 800 attack points until the end of the turn. I banish CarTurbo and Red-Eyed Dice!" Soon, Kitedrake and Clear Wing were each surrounded in a red aura, thus indicating that their strength increased.
Hi-Speedroid Kitedrake ATK: 3000 + 800 = 3800
Clear Wing Synchro Dragon ATK: 2500 + 800 = 3300
"Battle!" Slipstream declared. "Hi-Speedroid Kitedrake attacks Cyreath Paris! Sonic Tornado!" Kitedrake's panels glowed with light as it roared and charged towards Paris, spinning in the process.
"Trap card, activate! Link Showdown!" Raguel interjected. "When a Link monster I control battles a monster my opponent controls with higher attack points, my monster gains attack points equal to its Link rating times 500! Since Paris is a Link 2 monster, he gains 1000 attack points!" A bright aura surrounded Paris as he powered up.
Cyreath Paris ATK: 1000 + (500 X 2) = 2000
"Regardless, you'll still be taking massive damage." Slipstream pointed out, as Kitedrake hit Paris, the attack striking the runner and making it spin out of control until Raguel regained control of it. What Slipstream didn't notice was Raguel leaning to his left and grabbing the nearby Action Card.
Raguel: 2500 – 1800 = 700 LP
"That Raguel was a pro gamer move, with another one coming right up!" Slipstream gestured to his field. "Let's end this race! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon attacks Cyreath Pegasus! Spinstorm Sky Strike!" Clear Wing rose high into the sky before roaring and diving downwards, green winds whipping around her in the process.
"Action Card, activate!" Raguel announced, much to Slipstream's surprise. "Damage Banish! If I would take battle damage, I can reduce it to zero."
"Hang on a minute! When did you-?" It clicked in Slipstream's mind. "Ah, I get it. You let the first attack to acquire that Action Card." Clear Wing divebombed Pegasus, destroying it as Raguel drove around the explosion.
"Okay, that was too close." Herald commented, wiping his forehead.
"How did you know there was an Action Card behind us?" Raguel questioned.
"If I told you, I'd be giving away one of my secret gaming techniques." Herald replied.
"I end my turn, which means CarTurbo's effect ends." Slipstream concluded, as Clear Wing's strength returned to normal.
Clear Wing Synchro Dragon ATK: 3300 – 800 = 2500
"My turn! I draw!" Raguel said, drawing the top card of his deck.
"Continuous-Trap, activate!" Slipstream interjected. "Dragon's Bind! When this card is activated, I can target one Dragon monster on my field. By doing this, neither of us can Special Summon monsters with attack points lower than or equal to that monster's original attack points. I target Clear Wing!"
Raguel grit his teeth. With Dragon's Bind on the field, it locked away most of his Extra Deck, as a majority of his deck. He had to admit, that was a pain in the ass. "Okay, this guy's starting to annoy me," Raguel said.
"You notice it now?!" Herald stated, his eyes narrowing in frustration. "Raguel, make this turn the last one in this duel!"
Raguel rolled his eyes at Herald's comment, even though he did make a valid point. "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!"
"Okay, that is totally overpowered!" Slipstream complained.
"No, it's not!" Herald replied, pointing to the sky. "Do it, Raguel!"
"Appear! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel declared, as a Link Portal above him. "The summoning conditions are exactly three 'Cyreath' monsters. I'll shuffle Cyreath Legionnaire, Cyreath Archer, and Cyreath Paris, which is a Link 2 monster, into my deck and Extra Deck to set them into the Link Markers!" Three blasts of energy went out of Raguel's Graveyard and into the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrowheads.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! From the depths of Tartarus, emerge, and claim the souls of those who oppose you! Link 3! Cyreath Hades, Lord of the Underworld!" A grotesque, demonic large man wearing a blazing helm on his head and cloth around his waist, with chains wrapped around his body and spikes on his back appeared on Raguel's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He carried two clawed chain blades, with each blade emitting a purple glow.
Cyreath Hades, Lord of the Underworld ATK: 3000 LINK-3 ↙️⬇️↘️
"From there, I activate the Trap card, Godly Fellowship." Raguel continued. "This card lets me target one 'Cyreath' Link monster on my field and add 'Cyreath' monsters from my deck to my hand equal to its Link rating. I target Hades, whose Link rating is three. Therefore, I can add three 'Cyreath' monsters from my deck to my hand." Three cards popped out of Raguel's deck, which he took and added to his hand.
"Add all the monsters you want. Dragon's Bind will prevent you from Special Summoning any monsters whose attack points are lower than or equal to that monster's original attack points." Slipstream reminded Raguel.
"You're right, but only for now." Raguel replied. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Cyreath Dispel, which lets me target one Spell or Trap card on your field and destroy it! I target Dragon's Bind!" Slipstream grit his teeth as Cyreath Dispel fired a purple blast at Dragon's Bind before causing it to vanish into yellow particles.
"Yes!" Herald cheered. "We're in the clear now, Raguel!"
"Swing, Pendulum of the Gods, and show me the path to victory!" Raguel chanted. "With the set Pendulum Scale, I can Special Summon monsters between Levels 2 and 7 at the same time! Emerge, Cyreath Doppelganger and Cackling Juggler!" Within moments, a portal opened between the two pillars, where two lights emerged. The lights hit the field and then dissipated, revealing three monsters.
The first monster was a pale, shadowy man.
The second monster was a small skeleton juggling several bombs.
Cyreath Doppelganger ATK: 500 DEF: 500 LV: 4
Cyreath Cackling Juggler ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LV: 4
"When Cackling Juggler is summoned, I can place one 'Bomb' counter for each 'Cyreath' monster I control. Currently, I control a total of four 'Cyreath' monsters, which means Cackling Juggler gains four 'Bomb' counters." Immediately, the skeleton became antsy, as it was juggling a total of four bombs at once.
Cyreath Cackling Juggler BC 0 + 4 = 4
"Cackling Juggler's second effect!" Raguel continued. "By removing all 'Bomb' counters it has, you take 300 points of damage! Bomb Derby!" Cackling Juggler threw all four bombs at once, causing Slipstream to momentarily lose balance on his duel runner before regaining it.
Cyreath Cackling Juggler BC: 4 – 4 = 0
Slipstream: 2200 – (300 X 4) = 1000 LP
"Didn't see that coming..." Slipstream muttered, wiping his forehead.
"Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel declared, as a second Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two monsters, except tokens! I'll set Cyreath Doppelganger and Cyreath Cackling Juggler into the Link Markers!" Doppelganger went into the left arrowhead, while Cackling Juggler went into the right arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Progleo!" A white-furred cub with orange eyes emerged from the Link Portal and was summoned to the Main Monster Zone Hades was pointing to. The cub had a satellite dish around his neck, as well as an old video recorder on his back. He also had a small brace on each of its claws, and a small coil attached to his tail.
Progleo ATK: 1000 LINK-2 ⬅️➡️
"Go get him, Progleo!" Herald cheered.
"Don't worry! You can count on me!" Progleo happily replied with a bark.
"I activate Doppelganger's effect in my Graveyard!" Raguel said. "By banishing a 'Cyreath' monster from my Graveyard, I get to Special Summon this card to my field in attack position. I banish Cackling Juggler and summon Doppelganger back to my field!" Soon, Doppelganger reappeared in the Main Monster Zone Progleo pointed to on Raguel's field.
Cyreath Doppelganger ATK: 500 DEF: 500 LV: 4
"Progleo's effect! By banishing Progleo and one other monster he points to, I can target one Link monster in either of our Graveyards and Special Summon it to my field. However, its banished once it leaves the field."
"Eh? Either of our fields?" Slipstream asked out of surprise.
"Correct." Raguel answered. "I banish Progleo and Doppelganger to resurrect Pegasus!"
"Thank you, Progleo!" Herald said, waving to the cub. "You made us proud!"
"See you later!" Progleo replied, turning to Herald and Raguel before happily wagging his tail. He and Doppelganger then disintegrated into yellow particles that combined to form Pegasus, which reappeared on Raguel's field in the Main Monster Zone.
Cyreath Pegasus ATK: 1200 LINK-2 ⬅️➡️
"I activate Hades' first effect!" Raguel stated. "Once per turn, I can target one face-up monster you control and place that monster to a Main Monster Zone Hades points to and take control of it! However, it cannot attack the turn I activate this effect! Therefore, I target and take control of Clear Wing!"
"Like I'll let you!" Slipstream interjected. "I activate Clear Wing's effect! If a Level 5 or higher monster activates its effect on the field, or a monster effect is activated that targets a Level 5 or higher monster on the field, I can target that monster and negate its effects, as well as destroy it. By doing so, Clear Wing gains its attack points until the End Phase. I target Hades. Dichroic Mirror!" The neon green crystals attached to Clear Wing shined as she blasted the glow at Hades, preparing to destroy him.
"I activate the effect of Cyreath Eunomia from my hand!" Raguel suddenly responded. "By sending this card from my hand to my Graveyard, I can negate the activation of a card effect. A woman with silver hair, carrying a silver sword and a small court scale, briefly appeared on Raguel's field. The woman wore a black and white dress, with a diamond choker. Eunomia threw the silver sword at Clear Wing, negating her effects. "With that, I can take control of Clear Wing! Soul Removal!" Hades swung his clawed chain blades around and around, before lashing them out at Clear Wing, ripping her soul out of her body before vanishing from Slipstream's field and reappearing in the right Main Monster Zone Hades pointed to on Raguel's field.
"Pegasus's effect lets monsters it points to attack directly!" Raguel gestured to his field. "Battle! Cyreath Blazing Orthros attacks you directly! Searing Flame Charge!" The fire engulfing Blazing Orthros turned him into a blazing inferno as he ran forward at Slipstream, intent on finishing him off.
"This duel's in the bag!" Herald proudly exclaimed.
"I think not!" Slipstream told the duo. "I activate the effect of Speedroid Scarecrow in my Graveyard. By returning one 'Speedroid' monster on my field back to my hand, I can Special Summon this card to my field in defense position, and change the attack target to it instead! I return Kitedrake back to my hand, but since Kitedrake was originally from the Extra Deck, it goes there instead!" Kitedrake exploded into particles as it returned to Slipstream's deck. Then a scarecrow resembling that of a motorsport marshal appeared on Slipstream's field in defense position. In its right hand, it carried a green flag, while it carried a red flag in the left hand.
Speedroid Scarecrow ATK: 500 DEF: 500 LV: 2
"Blazing Orthros now attacks Speedroid Scarecrow!" Raguel said, as Blazing Orthros charged at Scarecrow, hitting it and causing an explosion that made Slipstream avoid it just in time. Luckily, he didn't take any battle damage because his monster was in defense position.
"The battle still continues! Cyreath Pegasus attacks you directly!" Pegasus flew towards Slipstream, intent on ending the duel.
Slipstream looked forward, and gasped upon seeing the Action Cards up ahead. "Hey, Raguel!"
The other duelist blinked and turned to where Slipstream was looking, and he saw it too: Two Action Cards.
"What do you say to one last gamble?"
Raguel smirked. "Bring it on!" Both duelists sped up and grabbed the Action Cards, with Slipstream grabbing the one on the right, while Raguel grabbed the one on the left.
Slipstream looked at the one he got and grinned. "YES! Action Card, activate! Big Escape! This card instantly-!"
"I activate the Action Card, No Action!" Raguel suddenly said. "This card negates the activation and effect of an Action Card, as well as destroys it!" Slipstream gasped as Big Escape turned to particles.
"Well, at least I was close..." Slipstream muttered, accepting his loss.
"Get him, Pegasus!" Raguel said, as Pegasus hit Slipstream's duel runner, causing it to be pushed back before stopping and releasing steam.
Slipstream: 1000 – 1200 = 0
"And the crowd goes wild!" Herald cheered. "AAAAAAHHHH!"
Raguel turned his duel runner around and went over to where Slipstream was. "You dueled honorably, but now it's time you honored our agreement and told me who you are."
"Alright. I am a man of my word after all." Slipstream conceded. "But would you mind if I told you tomorrow in the real world?"
"Huh? Why tomorrow?" Herald questioned. "We beat you fair and-!"
"You never know who's listening in the network." Slipstream explained. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, Raguel." With that, he logged out afterwards.
"And Slipstream has left the chat." Herald commented, causing Raguel to roll his eyes.
"Let's log out too." Raguel said, logging out of the network immediately.
At Café Matsuo, in the backroom...
Yuhiro stepped out of the closed-off space, having been exhausted from logging into the network for a second time. He proceeded to walk over to the backroom, where Roxy noticed him sitting down at his chair and putting his duel disk on the digital keyboard.
"Hey, you got back," she said. "I saw your duel against Slipstream. You did great."
"No wonder he was able to beat Electrolyzer." Takeru commented. "He was able to adapt to the situation quickly."
"But there was also the factor where both duelists used Action Cards." Yusaku pointed out, turning to Takeru. "Action Cards aren't used in LINK VRAINS during Speed Duels, so the way Slipstream was able to implement them into his server is a mystery."
"If I recall, Turbo Duels are most common in Tokyo." Kusanagi said, a hand on his chin. "But regardless of the Action Cards, I have to agree with Takeru on this one, Yusaku. Slipstream was able to hold his own against Yuhiro." He turned to the screen. "Were you able to find out Slipstream's identity?" Yusaku and Takeru also looked at the screen, giving Yuhiro their attention.
"Yes and no." Yuhiro replied sheepishly. "Although Slipstream plans to honor our deal, he said he'll reveal it in the real world at school tomorrow."
Roxy turned to Yuhiro in surprise. "Are you saying Slipstream's transferring to Den Academy tomorrow?" she asked.
"That is the most likely explanation." Herald answered. "Once tomorrow comes, we'll be able to solve this mystery once and for all."
The others nodded, knowing that they'll find out some answers tomorrow morning. "Like I said, we'll call you back if we find anything," Kusanagi said.
"Likewise." Roxy replied, as she hung up on her end. "Man, what a day."
"It sure was." Yuhiro agreed, sighing to himself.
"There's something on your mind, isn't there?" Roxy deduced, turning to Yuhiro. Knowing there was no point in hiding it, Yuhiro proceeded to tell Roxy about Blue Girl and Ghost Girl's appearance in Windy's World. How they were sent by Akira to find an Ignis likely for peaceful purposes, as well as Soulburner dueling Blue Girl so Yuhiro and Yusaku can go after Bohman and Haru. Once he was done, Roxy simply crossed her arms.
"Wow, that's some information." She narrowed her eyes. "If they continue to get in our way, it'll add to the problems we're having at the moment."
"The azure-overcoated man and Malf, Ace and Athaliah, SOL Technologies' bounty hunters, and likely the Knights of Hanoi..." Yuhiro listed, a hand to his chin. "If it's okay with you, I think we should share some intel with Aoi and Emma."
"You sure?" Roxy raised an eyebrow at Yuhiro after listening to his suggestion. "While your idea's a good one, I'm a little hesitant with it."
"We can't risk having Aoi and Emma become our enemies, though." Yuhiro told her. "Besides, they can help us if needed."
Roxy sighed. "Very well. But be careful in how much intel you give away." Yuhiro nodded in response, accepting her condition. "You know, I was thinking of doing the profiles for duelists we encountered recently. What do you think, Yuhiro?"
Yuhiro thought about it, then said, "That's a good idea. After all, if we analyze our enemies now, we'll be more prepared the next time we encounter them." The two of them stood up and headed upstairs to the living room, intent on getting started as soon as possible. Unbeknownst to them, Herald disappeared from Yuhiro's duel disk before heading into the network.
In LINK VRAINS, at a private server...
Herald floated down to the server's ground, which was covered with lush-green grass. The server had a dark-lit sky, with bright stars lighting it up. There were six areas in the server, which was divided evenly based on each Ignis's attribute. At the center was World Gears of Theurlogical Demiurgy, powering the entire server. Not only were data storms present throughout the server, Cyberse creatures of different types and sizes roamed the land.
After sending a message to Ai and Flame, Herald laid back on the grass and relaxed. With everything going on, it was nice to catch a break and relax. Pretty soon, Ai and Flame arrived, having received the coordinates.
"So what do you want to talk about, Herald?" Ai asked, landing to where Herald was, along with Flame.
"Yes. I too am curious as to why you-." Flame began, but as turned around to look at the server, a shocked look on his face. "Oh, byte! Did you actually-?"
"Flame, what are you-?" But before Ai could continue, he too was shocked at what he was looking at. "Is this... the Cyberse World in its glory days?"
"Over the past few months, I began creating a special replica of the Cyberse World." Herald explained, standing up and looking at Ai and Flame. "Thanks to World Gears, it is possible to recreate our home."
"World Gears?" Flame repeated, before Herald motioned him to look ahead. Flames eyes widened upon looking at World Gears. "I haven't seen the central core of the Cyberse World in such a long time..."
"I gotta give you credit, Herald." Ai said, looking around the entire server. "You thought of a lot of stuff. Like how you used the stars and data storms as layers as security."
"Windy did make a good point in using the wind as security..." Herald admitted. "That's why the stars and the data storms represent secure layers. In a way, I got the idea from Windy and you, Ai." The three Ignis then jumped up and floated around, looking at the surrounding area and the Cyberse creatures roamed the land.
"Honestly, this is amazing." Ai commented. "Seeing all these Cyberse creatures in this server makes me happy." He turned to Herald. "Next time, we should bring our own Cyberse creatures so they can enjoy the server as well. Oh, and we should invite Raguel, Playmaker, and Soulburner to visit. I bet they'll love it."
"That is actually a good idea, Ai." Flame agreed. "After everything that's happened, it's nice to take a break, as well as to remind ourselves what we're fighting for."
"Which is why we should enjoy these moments for as long as we can." Herald continued. "Because in life, there are no rewinds. Only flashbacks. Let's make sure that it's worth it in the end."
Ai and Flame nodded, aware that they need to enjoy every precious moment that comes. After all, no one knew when and how this battle was going to end.
Elsewhere, in LINK VRAINS...
Akira logged into the network and found that Go, Blood Shepherd, Drachen, and Electrolyzer were there, waiting in the designated spot they all agreed to meet at. Blood Shepherd was at the ledge, looking downwards.
"You wanted to see me, gentlemen?" Akira asked, approaching them. Most of the bounty hunters had looks of suspicion or even mild bitterness towards him. "Perhaps you're here to update me on the hunt?" He hoped to change the subject a little and ease tensions, only for it to be rejected within seconds.
"Never mind that." Electrolyzer snapped rather aggressively as he spoke on the group's behalf. "You have some explaining to do right now, such as why there was a portal in the restricted area!"
Akira thought this over for a moment before replying. "A portal, you say?" he repeated. "It must be related to the Ignis."
"Regardless, you and your company kept it hidden from us!" Electrolyzer pointed out.
"Zaizen, is this true? There's a portal that leads out of LINK VRAINS?" Go questioned, feeling just as betrayed as Electrolyzer. It was SOL Technologies' job to equip their employees for various tasks, and considering how they didn't tell the bounty hunters about the portal was something unusual for them to do.
"It'd be more accurate to say there was a portal, but yes." Akira confirmed.
"What's that got to do with finding Playmaker and Raguel?"
"Everything in fact." Akira remained calm as he continued talking. "That's where Playmaker, Raguel, and Soulburner were heading to. When you failed to capture them and their Ignis's." Go growled and grit his teeth, having been reminded of his loss against Soulburner.
SOL Technologies is holding this information on purpose, Drachen thought, paying attention to the ongoing conversation. Ryoken needs to know about the gate as soon as possible. Perhaps he'll be able to look into this and find the Ignis.
"But I believe you will be given a second opportunity to rectify this matter. As long as you remain patient." Akira reassured Go. "Our technicians predict that the portal wasn't a one-time event, and it will reopen. So the moment the portal reappears, that's where Playmaker, Raguel, and Soulburner will go. There, you will wait for them, which will give you the chance to defeat Playmaker once and for all."
"So instead of hunting for Playmaker, Raguel, and Soulburner, you expect me to wait for a grand opening that may never come?" Blood Shepherd questioned, knowing this was definitely not his style. As usual, the only one he could trust was him and himself. Then again, it could be karma for how Blood Shepherd used Akira and Emma as bait.
"What I expect is for you to behave as a professional and be patient." Akira emphasized.
"Why does it sound like you don't want me to find your targets, Zaizen?" Blood Shepherd inquired further. "It's as though you know something that you won't tell any of us."
"Considering how he didn't tell us about the portal, I'm with Blood Shepherd on this one." Electrolyzer agreed, walking over to Akira. "What information are you hiding, Zaizen? Do you happen to know any of them in the real world?" Drachen paid further interest on what Akira's answer will be. If Akira did know Raguel, Playmaker, or Soulburner in the real world, it's likely that SOL Technologies would issue bounties on them in the real world once they find out.
"I'm just an employee." Akira calmly countered. "If you question how I run my operations, you can speak to Queen or Pawn, who I currently report to at the moment."
Electrolyzer backed down, knowing he didn't want to pick a fight right now. "This isn't over," he warned with a glare.
I know their real identities, Drachen thought, but there's no way in Hell I'd tell Zaizen. Besides, Ryoken specifically said to keep tabs on them in the real world, and not to hassle them either.
"You can believe whatever you like, Electrolyzer." Akira continued before turning to Blood Shepherd. "Same for you, Blood Shepherd. However, my orders are my orders, and I order the both of you to stand down for now. Understand?"
"Oh, I understand, but I don't take orders." Blood Shepherd snarled with distrust, which furthered tensions between him and Akira. "And I don't stand down either." He then turned away as Akira reached out.
"Blood Shepherd, we're not done here!" Akira called out, worrying that Blood Shepherd would cross the line and do something dirty as usual, or worse if he actually discovered who their targets actually were in the real world. While it'd be good for SOL Technologies, it would be very bad for the world as a whole.
Blood Shepherd then stopped walking. "Yes we are. You hired me to hunt down Raguel, Playmaker, Soulburner, and their Ignis's. How I do it is my business, so stay out of my way." He leapt off the edge and logged out without a backwards glance.
The other hunters were silent for a whole minute, uneasy with what just happened.
"Way to keep your troops in check, Zaizen." Go said, crossing his arms. Although he was a bounty hunter, he at least retained his honour and pride as a duelist. Blood Shepherd, on the other hand, was not only a lone wolf but also a trigger happy loose cannon who'd use any means to get the job done.
"I don't think you'd do any better." Akira snapped, having had enough of this conversation.
"Request permission to hunt down the Black Market targets." Electrolyzer said, getting Akira's attention. Since they were on standby, they had to something to pass the time. Plus, it gave Electrolyzer the chance to hunt down Athaliah and end her once and for all.
"Granted." Akira complied. "Dismissed." Everyone logged out, leaving Drachen alone in LINK VRAINS.
I need to report all of this to Ryoken, he thought, logging out as well soon after.
Some time later, at Green Park...
After Akira logged out of LINK VRAINS, he immediately asked Aoi and Emma to meet him at Green Park to trade information with one another. That, and he was just plain tired of dealing with his bounty hunter task force. Although Drachen was someone Akira was able to get along with, he wasn't sure about the other hunters. First and obvious, there was Blood Shepherd, who he didn't work with due to his methods in getting the job done. Then there was Go, who only became a bounty hunter just to settle his score with Playmaker, even though he understood orders. Lastly, there was Electrolyzer, and how he was the last Prince of Central Japan. Although he was exiled from Central Japan, Electrolyzer was likely to have friends in high places who helped him over the years. If SOL Technologies did something that made him lose respect for the company, they would end up paying a terrible price.
His thoughts were interrupted when Aoi and Emma showed up. The two of them explained how they found the mysterious gate and the Wind World, as well as rescuing the missing research team before encountering Raguel, Playmaker, and Soulburner. They wanted to help, but were rejected and driven out by Soulburner.
"I see…..that's rather unfortunate….." Akira sighed as he looked up in the sky to see an airplane fly over them, a hint of regret on his heart. "SOL Technologies may have placed me in charge of the bounty hunters, but the very last thing I want is for them to succeed in capturing Raguel, Playmaker, or Soulburner." He was definitely stressed, given everything going on. His own bounty hunters didn't trust him because they wanted to fight their own battles and not be held back by orders.
"I can't say it'll look good on your performance review." Emma said.
"Be that as it may, I believe I've successfully stalled them so that we can try to find Playmaker or Soulburner before SOL Technologies does." Akira pointed out.
"Well, it's not like we turned out empty handed." Aoi spoke up, hoping to brighten up her brother's mood considering they did manage to save the research team that had been missing for some time. "Not only are they after stolen consciousness data, the three of us know Raguel's identity in the real world. Couldn't we ask him about Playmaker and Soulburner's real identities?"
"That may seem like a good idea, it's not I'm afraid." Emma answered Aoi before turning to Akira. "If there's anything I know about Playmaker, it's that he can't be found if he doesn't want to be found. This applies to Soulburner as well."
"Yes, but find them we must." Akira replied. "Playmaker and Soulburner, along with Raguel, are the key to finding the other Ignis."
"Well, if they're not showing up in LINK VRAINS, we'll just have to find them in the real world, and that's like searching for a needle in a haystack." Emma decided, with Aoi turning to her. "I know what you're about to say, Aoi, but I'll repeat: Approaching Yuhiro isn't a good idea. If he does know their real-life identities, it's unlikely he'll tell us. And last I checked, he kind of snapped the last time the both of us saw him. I think it was in SOL Technologies' mother computer, right? Man, I got my ass kicked by Watchman."
Aoi's face paled as she recalled that memory. Yuhiro unleashing an unknown power, attempting to end the duel between Akira and Playmaker himself before Watchman appeared and somehow wounded him enough to stop his rampage. If Yuhiro mastered his powers and snapped a second time, it would not end well for everyone. "We should at least try, though," she said. "After all, he's our most likely lead in finding the Ignis. Besides, Yuhiro's been uneasy lately, and if we agree to help him out with whatever he's dealing with, he might be willing to give us information in return." Aoi turned to Akira. "What do you think, Akira?"
Akira thought it over. "If you think this will work, then go ahead," he decided. "But don't push it. Otherwise, we may lose our best lead." Aoi nodded before Akira changed the topic. "As for Playmaker, we've narrowed down his signal to the borders of Den City, but we can further narrow down the search by what we know about his profile. We know he's a highly skilled duelist and a hacker. Remind you of anyone?"
As general and vague as it sounded, Emma shrugged her shoulders. "Other than Yuhiro and I? Not. At. All." She sighed, seeing how not even she could get a lead on him, even with her best efforts.
"There wouldn't be too many of those around." Aoi added.
"Yes, but a player's avatar often mimics their real-life personality." Akira responded. "Or as you know firsthand Aoi, you can change your personality in LINK VRAINS to ensure you're not identified so easily."
Aoi knew what her brother meant, given how she was before as Blue Angel. "I'll keep my eyes open. For all we know, Playmaker has been right in front of us, but we just never noticed him before."
"Alright. I'll leave it to the both of you then." Akira nodded with a trusting expression. "I'm counting on you." Aoi nodded while Emma smiled with a playful wink as the two of them left Green Park. Once they were gone, Akira's phone buzzed in his pocket, causing him to pick it up and answer it. "Yes?"
"I regret to inform you that there have been more deaths in the Black Market." Gekiryushi explained. "Based on the holes where their hearts should have been, it's clear that Malf's reappeared."
Akira's eyes widened in shock. Malf blew himself up after losing against Raguel, and he survived? That was impossible! "Gekiryushi, are you sure about this?"
"Sending pictures now." Akira's phone buzzed, indicating that the pictures were sent. When he looked at them, he gasped in horror upon putting two and two together. Malf was indeed back, and killing people by the minute. The number of cardiogenic shock patients at the Den City Hospital had increased. "Continue tracking Malf, Gekiryushi. If things get bad out there, I'll have to send Aoi and Emma to assist you." And I might have to contact Raguel myself, he thought. Otherwise, the coming Turf War will enable Malf to get stronger.
"Zaizen, you know that sending your little sister will mean endangering her, right?" Gekiryushi reminded him.
"I know, but she can handle herself, and is in good hands with you and Emma." Akira admitted. "I have to go, but keep me up to date." After Gekiryushi hung up, Akira sighed to himself in frustration. He didn't know what to do, and that further stressed him out. How would he resolve it all before it got out of control?
Elsewhere, in LINK VRAINS, at the Black Market...
Azrael stood on top of a building that overlooked all seven branches of the Black Market. Based on a report from Malf, the number of people he feasted on had increased, which increased his strength even more. Also, Ace informed Azrael that the tensions between the branches were a tipping point. All that was needed was a push, and then it would lead to an all out Turf War, thus enabling Malf to grow stronger.
"Azrael." Wraith said, emerging from Azrael's duel disk and getting his attention. "The Knights of Hanoi have returned to their stronghold. I knew installing that receiver back in the Tower of Hanoi's systems was a good idea."
"You were right to do so." Azrael agreed. "I knew they would return at some point, though the timing on when they'd return can't be a coincidence."
"Perhaps we can use Ace and Athaliah to deal with the Hanoi." Wraith suggested. "After all, they did work with them before. As for Speckles, he can be our eyes and ears in case something unplanned happens. Though I do have a question." He turned to face Azrael. "Why don't we just deal with the Hanoi now? By doing so, we eliminate a potential threat."
"If we attacked now, we'd be exposing ourselves." Azrael answered, looking over the seven branches. "To defeat an enemy, you must know them. Not simply their battle tactics, but their history, philosophy, art. I look at the battle in the long-term, where small steps are made, bit by bit. Sure, you may lose a battle or two, but learning from them will allow you to ultimately win the war in the end."
"That makes sense. No wonder I find board games so fascinating." Wraith put a hand on his chin. "So this means we should let them conduct their operations?"
"For now. But once we gather more information, all of our enemies will be destroyed." Azrael assured him. "And in doing so, our goals will be achieved."
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 Arashi.
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. Malf 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, along with Slipstream as well. Blood Shepherd is shown commanding a trio of Battledrone Sergeants before the screen shifts to Drachen, who is shown commanding Red-Eyes Black Dragon. The screen then shifts a third time to Electrolyzer, where above him was PSY-Frame Driver, with PSY-Framegears Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta. 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 Girl, 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 Altergeist Dragvirion, while 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 Slipstream and Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. 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
No new cards introduced in this chapter.
QOTC
If Slipstream had a different deck, what deck would you give him?
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 51: The Hanoi Strikes Back. For the past three months, the Knights of Hanoi have hid in the shadows, preparing their next move in the war against the Ignis. With the events that recently happened, they meet up and discuss them before going to the offshore maximum security prison, their mission being to free Baira from captivity...
Author's Notes
Okay, this was a chapter I looked forward to completing, and now it is ready! I hoped you enjoyed the content that was shown in this chapter.
Since this chapter focuses on a few events similar to that of the anime, I'll focus on some main points that occurred, one of which being the Turbo Duel between Raguel and Slipstream. That's right, you heard correctly. A Turbo Duel. I hope you enjoyed listening to the music recommendation for the duel, as inputting a Turbo Duel is a great throwback to one of my favorite Yu-Gi-Oh! series of all time: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. Some of you may be wondering why I included Action Cards. It's because honestly, there was no point in including Speed Spells and Speed Counters. That, and as Slipstream said, they were falling down in popularity. Speaking of Slipstream, the Action Cards represent him trust in luck and take a 'gamble' with his chances regarding the duel. You could say he follows the flow of a duel regardless of what it is rather than have a laid-out plan. I hope you understand why I chose to implement Action Cards over Speed Spells.
I'll be honest; Slipstream came close to defeating Raguel. Even if they dueled regularly, I'd still say Slipstream would have a fair shot. Why? Because his deck is practically designed for rapid Synchro Summoning, as well as lockdown strategies to ensure his opponent doesn't spam out Link monsters while Clear Wing Synchro Dragon (or another Dragon Synchro monster) is on his field. Therefore, the only way the opponent can bypass this restriction is to summon a monster from the Extra Deck or deck that bypasses the attack point restriction.
Another thing to point out is why Raguel used Hades' effect to steal Clear Wing instead of Kitedrake. He wanted to ensure that all of Slipstream's options were used up before going in for the winning blow. This is opposite to Slipstream, as while he goes wherever the duel goes, Raguel responds turn by turn to aid his chances of winning the duel.
As for the anime, some of the events actually happened in Chapter 60, so I wanted to briefly touch on them before moving on with the main event of the duel. I also did this to eventually build up to the Turf War arc, which starts on Chapter 52.
The last scene is mainly Azrael talking to Wraith and why he doesn't just immediately eliminate the Knights of Hanoi. I want to show you something else about Azrael's mindset. He sees a battle, or a war, as something that happens over a long period of time. In order to defeat an enemy, you must understand what makes them tick, as well as various factors that can shift the tide in your favor. Sometimes, you may even lose a battle or two, which will give you learning experience. By using all these factors, you'll ultimately win the war and triumph over your opponent. Fun fact: Did you know that Wraith likes board games?
With that, I want to talk about the Hanoi-based chapter coming up that's been hyped for according to past reviews. The last time a chapter was hyped, I completely botched it up, and I want to make amends with this one. As such, I look to you, my fellow reviewers, to give me tips and advice on how I can make this chapter an enjoyable one for you. What duels do you want to see? Since it's a breakout, what movie scenes do you want the Hanoi to be re-enacting (they have to be appropriate, or else I won't include them)? Are there any movie quotes you want any of them to say? Movie inspirations help, and all advice helps.
Thank you for reading Chapter 50 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 about this chapter? Herald being scared by Mechagodzilla? The Turbo Duel between Raguel and Slipstream? Or was it something else?
Lastly, for those of you who are worried about the story advancing, don't be. Chapter 51 will focus entirely on the Hanoi, and Chapter 52 will start the Turf War arc. That's all for now. See you next time, as the Knights of Hanoi strike back!
