Roxy's Reports 24: Bohman, Haru, Bitboot, Malf, Go Onizuka (Updated), Electrolyzer, Drachen, Soulburner, Slipstream, and Blue Girl
At Café Matsuo, in the living room during nighttime, following the events of Chapter 50 and 51...
"Okay, apple pie has finished baking." Yuhiro announced at the kitchen, taking it out of the oven. "Let's see. Two slices for myself, two for Progleo, two for Roxy, and two for Atalanta." He put all the slices on four respective plates, handing one to Atalanta, handing one to Progleo, and reserving the other two so he can bring them to the living room.
"Thank you very much." Atalanta said, eager to eat the apple pie. "The combination of apples and meat are such a delicacy indeed." She proceeded to eat the apple pie, succumbing to her hunger.
"R-Right..." Yuhiro sweat-dropped. Due to Herald giving Atalanta sentience, he now had to take care of another sentient Cyberse creature. He made a mental note to tell Herald not to give anymore of his deck sentience, lest Café Matsuo became a zoo. If that were to happen, Roxy would practically maul Herald. Yuhiro and Progleo then went over to the living room, and upon arrival, they were dazzled by the setup. "Roxy, what's all this? Weren't we going to do it in the backroom?"
"Originally. And is that apple pie? Sweet!" Roxy grabbed her serving from Yuhiro's hands before eating it. "It then occurred to me. What if I connected my laptop to the TV up here so we can watch the duel footage? What if we could utilize a combination of handless typing and discussion to quickly discuss with each other about enemies? It was here that Herald and I came up with this good idea." She pointed to three mics, one near Yuhiro's duel disk, one on the left side of the table facing the couch, and one facing the right side of the table facing another couch. "Whatever we talk about, the laptop will instantly type up in the profile's templates. And don't worry, my laptop is on Safe search. If Herald does something ridiculous like make an inappropriate Internet search, my laptop will block all those results."
"It's nerving that you and Yuhiro don't trust me to not utilize the Internet for inappropriate purposes." Herald stated, his hands on his hips.
"Until you earn our trust regarding the Internet, the Safe Search stays on." Roxy firmly told Herald, much to his displeasure.
Progleo took his plate over to the couch Yuhiro was sitting at before proceeding to eat the meal. Once Yuhiro sat down, he turned his attention to Roxy and said, "We might as well get started on these profiles. The sooner we get them done..." He yawned. "...the better we can go to sleep."
Roxy nodded, not wanting to yawn. Pressing a button at the TV, the screen then showed Bohman. "First up, we have Bohman, whose VRAINS ID is practically the same as his real-world name."
"He's also known as Jin's attacker because he came out of the TV and stole Jin's consciousness data before fleeing." Yuhiro continued. "As for his gender, he's obviously a male, who's very bulky and muscular. You could say he'd give Go Onizuka a run for his money." The screen shifted to Bohman's first duel against Playmaker.
"Credit goes to Ai for providing file footage from Bohman's first and second duel against Playmaker." Herald said. "In the first duel, Bohman's Skill was Marker's Portal, which lets him activate a Link Spell card from his deck, the first obviously called Judgment Arrows. Said card can't be negated nor destroyed by effects, thus making it formidable because the Skill protects it. It's necessary because if it leaves the field, all monsters it points to are destroyed, making it a double-edged sword."
"Roxy, can you replay that part?" Yuhiro asked. Roxy went back a few seconds, where Playmaker told Ai that Judgment Arrows had Link Markers as well. "Not only can Judgment Arrows double attack points, it enables Bohman to summon more Link monsters."
"Yes, but at the cost of them possibly being destroyed once Judgment Arrows leaves the field." Roxy pointed out. "Do we have anything else on him?"
"Well, there's the second duel between Bohman and Playmaker." Herald told her, causing Roxy to speed up the file footage to said duel. "Stop there." The file footage then played, which showed Bohman activated his new Skill, much to Roxy's shock.
"Hang on. Bohman has Storm Access?" Roxy's jaw dropped.
"And he can use it in a Master duel too." Yuhiro informed her. "As a result, he was able to acquire his new Ace monster in Trident Hydradrive Lord."
"According to Ai's file footage, Trident Hydradrive Lord is a Link 3 monster with 2300 attack points that requires three 'Hydradrive' Link monsters. Not only does he take on the attributes of those monsters, he can also negate the effects of monsters the opponent controls through a combination of cards that change attributes." Herald explained. "Based on these two duels, I was able to form a conclusion."
"And what would that be?" Yuhiro raised an eyebrow.
"Bohman's dueling strategy changed drastically." Herald said, turning to Yuhiro. "Originally, his 'Hydradrive' deck, which had Cyberse monsters by the way, enables his Link monsters to attack directly should the opponent have monsters with the same attribute. However, Bohman has added new cards that negate the effects of monsters with the same attribute, especially his new Ace monster, Trident Hydradrive Lord."
"Not only is Bohman evolving, but we don't know where in the freakin network he is!" Roxy stated out of frustration. "First, he steals Jin's consciousness data, then escapes with Haru, and does so again after you and Playmaker defeat the both of them!"
"That may be true, but compare the duels for a moment." Yuhiro gently advised her, causing Roxy to split the TV screen into two. "In the first duel, he was mentally unstable and confused, but in his rematch against Playmaker, he claimed to be the real Playmaker while the other was nothing more than a fake."
"Honestly, that's nothing more than a bunch of baloney." Roxy commented. "Bohman likely has false memories implanted in his mind. Someone out there could be controlling him, and once we find the real mastermind, perhaps we could convince Bohman to return Jin's consciousness data in exchange for a better life."
"Perhaps for Haru too." Herald added. Although they were enemies, they could be forced to serve the mastermind. If they saved the brothers, they might assist them in return. "Yuhiro. Roxy. What Duel Grade would work for Bohman?"
Yuhiro and Roxy thought about it for a minute before the former answered.
"Bohman deserves an A for Apocalyptic," he answered, with Roxy nodding in approval. "At first, Bohman's dueling was rather sloppy according to Ai but he did put up a strong fight against Playmaker. During their second duel, it was more refined, with Playmaker nearly losing in the end. Somehow I feel this may not stay like this in the future though."
"The more Bohman evolves, the bigger the threat he'll become." Roxy added. "That being said, let's look at our first-automated profile." When Yuhiro went over to look at Roxy's laptop, this is what it looked like:
Name: Bohman
VRAINS ID: Bohman (same as his real-world name, obviously).
Other aliases: Jin's Attacker (no kidding there, as he practically stole Jin's consciousness data before fleeing).
Gender: Male. Described as very bulky and muscular. May even give Go a run for his money.
Skill: Marker's Portal (A former skill that allows him to activate a Link Spell card from his deck, the first obviously called Judgment Arrows. Said card can't be negated nor destroyed by effects making it formidable, as the Skill grants protection to it. It's necessary because if it leaves the field, all monsters it points to are destroyed, making it a double-edged sword), Storm Access (Current Skill, which lets him obtain a Cyberse Link monster from the Data Storm when his life points are 1000 or less. The stronger and more violent the storm, the stronger the monster. The worst part is that he can use it during a Master duel, thus making the duel unpredictable at that point).
Age: Unknown (that's unfortunate. However, as he looks like a man, he could be in his late 20's to early 30's. He could even be in his late 30's to his early 40's. Honestly, we don't know at this point).
Job: Unknown…unless you count assailant.
Residence: Somewhere in the network unfortunately.
Deck: Hydradrive (A deck of Cyberse monsters which seems to revolve around Link monsters, The monsters can attack directly should the opponent have monsters with the same attribute. However, according to Ai, Bohman has added new cards that negate the effects of monsters with the same attribute, especially his new Ace monster, Trident Hydradrive Lord).
Ace Monster: Has both an Ace Card and an Ace Monster. Judgment Arrows (it doubles the attack points of the monster it points to. In addition, it has Link Markers, enabling Bohman to Link Summon monsters in the Main Monster Zone), Trident Hydradrive Lord (a Link 3 monster with 2300 attack points that requires three 'Hydradrive' Link monsters. Not only does he take on the attributes of those monsters, he can also negate the effects of monsters the opponent controls through a combination of cards that change attributes).
Link VRAINS History: First appeared when he stole Jin's consciousness data. Thanks to Haru, he was able to escape. Playmaker and Raguel encountered the both of them once again in Windy's world, where Playmaker dueled Bohman again, while Raguel dueled against Haru. During Bohman's first duel, he was mentally unstable and confused, but in his rematch against Playmaker, he claimed to be the real Playmaker while the other was nothing more than a fake. That's nothing more than a bunch of baloney, as we theorized that Bohman had false memories implanted in his mind. Someone out there could be controlling him, and once we find the real mastermind, perhaps we could convince Bohman to return Jin's consciousness data in exchange for a better life.
Duel Grade right now: A (Apocalyptic) (At first, Bohman's dueling was rather sloppy according to Ai but he did put up a strong fight against Yusaku. During their second duel, it was more refined, with Playmaker nearly losing in the end. Somehow I feel this may not stay like this).
Notes: Somehow, he entered the real world and stole Jin's consciousness data, like how the azure-overcoated man attacked Miyu and put her in another coma. This can't be a coincidence. When he was revealed, he seemed to be mentally unstable and confused, like he was being controlled by someone else. However, he regained control after saying that his memories were on the line. Right now he's an enigma, but by all means an enemy still.
Despite his defeat, he somehow was equipped with an anti-Ignis program inside him when Ai attempted to take Jin back, no doubt whoever he's affiliated with has knowledge of the Ignis and how they work.
He gives a different vibe from the Knights of Hanoi too. Ai suspects he has to do with the Cyberse World being destroyed as well, hope he recovers from the trauma too.
Escaped with Jin's consciousness data, and didn't adhere to the new LINK VRAINS rules. Therefore, we have to watch out for the first chance so we can defeat Bohman and recover Jin's consciousness data.
How are we going to break it to Percival? Kusanagi mentioned that he and Jin had a cousin named Katsuya, who helped them during difficult times. Is he and Percival related?
We'll need Watchman's help more than ever with everything that's just happened. Is this is the start of something even bigger than the Knights of Hanoi and events before? And why is Watchman taking so long to help us?
"I noticed you added some more details, Herald." Yuhiro said, getting Herald's attention.
"Just in case we missed anything. Nothing bad." Herald assured Yuhiro and Roxy. The two of them nodded, satisfied with the profile before closing it up.
"Next up is Haru, who's LINK VRAINS ID is also the same in the real-world." Roxy began, as Yuhiro returned to his spot on the opposite couch.
"He's also known as Bohman's little brother." Herald pitched in. "The question is: Are they really brothers, or something else? Must investigate further."
"Like Bohman, he's male, only he's described as a small boy when compared to Bohman." Yuhiro continued. "However, big things come in small packages. I learned that the hard way in my duel against him." He rubbed the back of his head, the bruise still there.
"And just like Bohman, his Skill is Marker's Portal." Roxy reminded them, as she fast-forwarded the file footage to Haru and Slipstream's duel. "Since we discussed it like a minute ago, there's no point in talking about it again."
"Alright, what about his job or residence?" Herald asked. "Because according to Ai, Haru is Bohman's cheerleader, but isn't that something the older brother does as well?"
"Herald, we need to dig into this further to get our answers." Yuhiro sighed. "And just like Bohman, we don't know where he's in the network."
"Which is why we should instead focus on what his deck is." Roxy suggested, fast-forwarding the file footage of Yuhiro's duel against Haru before playing it. "Based on this duel, Haru also uses the 'Hydradrive' deck just like Bohman. The only difference is that Haru focuses on reducing the attack points of monsters who share the same attribute to inflict more damage."
"Not only does Haru have two Ace cards, he also has two Ace monsters." Yuhiro said, as the file footage continued playing. "Obviously, he has Judgment Arrows, but he has a Link Trap called Punishment Arrows as well, which is the first one we've seen. When a monster it points to destroys a monster by battle and send it to the Graveyard, it's banished instead. However, if it leaves the field, the user takes damage equal to the monster's original attack points that it pointed to."
"As for the Ace monsters, Haru has two of them." Herald continued, motioning for Roxy to move the file footage where Haru summoned Hydradrive Nagini. "First is Hydradrive Nagini, a Link 2 monster with 2000 attack points. She's able to incorporate two attributes in addition to Earth, thus weakening monsters with the same attribute to inflict more damage. As such, a counter strategy against Nagini needs to be developed quickly."
"If you think that's bad, check this out." Roxy sped up the file footage, showing Haru summon Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun after he snapped. "Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun is a Link 3 monster that also requires three 'Hydradrive' Link monsters, as well as 2300 attack points. When she's Link Summoned, Haru can move it to a Main Monster Zone she points to. Also, once per turn, Haru can banish a 'Hydradrive' Link monster from the Graveyard to halve the attack points of all monsters on the opponent's field who share the same attribute as the banished monster. That's a deadly ability, I'll admit."
"The records show that he dueled twice. Once against Slipstream, which ended in a draw, and a loss against me." Yuhiro said. "Like Bohman, he does have the potential to get stronger with every duel. If Slipstream defeated Haru, we would have had a greater chance of getting Jin's consciousness data back."
"We can't change the past, but we can change the future." Herald told him. "That being said, what's the appropriate Duel Grade for Haru?"
"A B for Badass." Roxy immediately replied before Yuhiro could give his input. "Haru was able to upgrade his deck to incorporate his unique strategy of reducing the attack points of monsters who share the same attribute. He also incorporated a Link Trap into his deck, which was such a pain in the ass. If Haru continues to develop at this rate, his duel grade will shoot up like crazy, just like with Bohman." She turned to Yuhiro. "Got anything else to comment?"
Yuhiro shook his head.
"Then let's see the profile!" Yuhiro went over and looked at Roxy's laptop that showed Haru's profile, which looked like this:
Name: Haru
VRAINS ID: Haru (same as his real-world name, obviously).
Other aliases: Bohman's little brother (are they really brothers, or something else? Must investigate further).
Gender: Male. Described as a small boy when compared to Bohman (he could be in his 10's. However, there's a saying, where big things come in small packages. As evident by Raguel's duel against Haru, we shouldn't underestimate him).
Skill: Marker's Portal (A Skill that allows him to activate a Link Spell card from his deck, the first obviously called Judgment Arrows. Said card can't be negated nor destroyed by effects making it formidable, as the Skill grants protection to it. It's necessary because if it leaves the field, all monsters it points to are destroyed, making it a double-edged sword).
Age: Unknown (that's unfortunate. However, as he looks like a boy, we're obviously deducing that he's younger than Bohman).
Job: Bohman's cheerleader as per Ai's comments, but isn't that also something the older brother does as well?
Residence: Somewhere in the network unfortunately.
Deck: Hydradrive (A deck of Cyberse monsters which seems to revolve around Link monsters, The monsters can attack directly should the opponent have monsters with the same attribute. However, there's a difference between Bohman and Haru's decks. Bohman focuses on negating the effects of monsters with the same attribute, while Haru focuses on reducing the attack points of monsters who share the same attribute to inflict more damage).
Ace Monster: Two Ace cards and two Ace monsters. Judgment Arrows (it doubles the attack points of the monster it points to. In addition, it has Link Markers, enabling Haru to Link Summon monsters in the Main Monster Zone), Punishment Arrows (the first Link Trap we've ever seen. When a monster it points to destroys a monster by battle and send it to the Graveyard, it's banished instead), Hydradrive Nagini (a Link 2 monster with 2000 attack points. She's able to incorporate two attributes in addition to Earth, thus weakening monsters with the same attribute to inflict more damage. As such, a counter strategy against Nagini needs to be developed quickly), Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun (a Link 3 monster that also requires three 'Hydradrive' Link monsters, as well as 2300 attack points. When she's Link Summoned, Haru can move it to a Main Monster Zone she points to. Also, once per turn, Haru can banish a 'Hydradrive' Link monster from the Graveyard to halve the attack points of all monsters on the opponent's field who share the same attribute as the banished monster. That's a deadly ability, I'll admit).
Link VRAINS History: He was observing Playmaker's duel against Bohman until Slipstream intervened and challenged Haru to a duel. Unfortunately, the duel ended in a draw, and had he lost, we would have had a greater chance to rescue Jin.
Duel Grade right now: B (Badass) (Haru was able to upgrade his deck to incorporate his unique strategy of reducing the attack points of monsters who share the same attribute. He also incorporated a Link Trap into his deck, which was such a pain in the ass. If Haru continues to develop at this rate, his duel grade will shoot up like crazy, just like with Bohman).
Notes: Following Bohman's appearance, Haru was able to escape with him past the restricted zone. How, we don't know. We'll have to regroup and formulate a plan if we are to have any hope of getting Jin back.
Satisfied with the profile, they closed it up before going to the next one.
"Credit goes to Soulburner and Flame for providing information about this guy." Herald said, as the file footage rewinded to their duel. "These AI's are known as Bit and Boot. Also known as Bitboot because they can perform the Fusion dance."
Yuhiro looked at Herald, raising an eyebrow. "Did you watch Dragon Ball Z or something?
"No, I played Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle." Herald replied. "Roxy gave me a list of video games I should try out, and one of them was that mobile game." He went back to the recording. "Their Skill is obviously the same. But here's the catch: If Bit and Boot fuse, they can use that Skill twice."
"Thus making it cheating." Roxy narrowed her eyes. "Although they're only cannon fodder, they're far better than Kitamura's AI's, and their deck proves it. Known as the 'D-Scale' deck, this Cyberse deck focuses on quickly swarming the field with materials to Link Summon "D-Scale" Link monsters and apply various effects based on the movement of their "D-Scale" Link monsters around their own field." The file footage then sped forward, which showed one combo. "The first combo is called 'Voyage to Hell', where they inflict damage with D Scale Torpedo after moving their monster." She sped to another part of the duel. "The second involves using Full metal Dunkle to combat the weakness of Judgement Arrows."
"Thus leading to their Ace monsters." Yuhiro continued. "D-Scale Battle Coela is a Link 2 monster with 1800 attack points. Its effect lets Bit or Boot or their fusion Bitboot move it two times. Combined with D-Scale Torpedo, they can inflict 1600 points of damage per turn. As for D-Scale Full Metal Dunkle, it's a Link 3 monster with 2400 attack points. Once per turn, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects. When it's used, Bit, Boot, or Bitboot can move it to a Main Monster Zone it points to. After that, they can target a monster in its column and destroy it during the End Phase."
"Other than being Bohman and Haru's cronies, we don't know much about them." Herald interjected. "What's the Duel Grade for them?"
"A C+ for Crazy with a +." Yuhiro decided. "Their deck's strategy is far better than the AI's we encountered in SOL Technologies' mother computer, despite the fact they lack originality. If they learn and evolve, a profile update might be required."
"I doubt that, Yuhiro." Roxy rolled her eyes before noticing something. "Is it me, or does the same star symbol Bitboot have resemble the ones Bohman and Haru have?"
Herald narrowed his eyes. "Zoom in! Zoom in!" Roxy did just that. "Come to think of it, it's definitely familiar, but I can't put my finger on it."
"A note to keep into account, that's for sure." Yuhiro said. "Let's look at the complete profile, shall we?" Roxy turned her laptop so everyone could see it, which looked like this:
Name: Bit and Boot/Bitboot (credit to Soulburner and Flame for providing the upcoming information below. Thanks, guys).
VRAINS ID: Bit and Boot/Bitboot (same as the others).
Other aliases: Dastardly duo, conjoined twins (evident by them fusing).
Gender: Male (their voice and tone obviously indicates this).
Skill: Marker's Portal (A Skill that allows the both of them to activate a Link Spell card from his deck, the first obviously called Judgment Arrows. Said card can't be negated nor destroyed by effects making it formidable, as the Skill grants protection to it. It's necessary because if it leaves the field, all monsters it points to are destroyed, making it a double-edged sword. If that's not bad enough, they can use it twice as Bitboot, which is totally cheating).
Both Bohman and Haru have the same Skill, and Herald noticed they have the same star symbol as them too, no doubt that could be their group's symbol or something. He also said the star symbol's familiar, but can't put a finger on it.
Age: Unknown, but we're likely suspecting they're AI's, just like Malf, only they're cannon fodder.
Job: Bohman and Haru's allies (Haru sent them to defeat Playmaker, but Soulburner intervened and defeated them. To ensure information couldn't be leaked out, Haru practically 'fired' them, if you get the joke).
Residence: Somewhere in the network unfortunately.
Deck: D-Scale (a Cyberse deck that focuses on quickly swarming the field with materials to Link Summon "D-Scale" Link monsters and apply various effects based on the movement of their "D-Scale" Link monsters around their own field. Two combos were seen so far. The first is called 'Voyage to Hell', where they inflict damage with D Scale Torpedo after moving their monster. Another involves using Full metal Dunkle to combat the weakness of Judgement Arrows).
Ace Monster: D-Scale Battle Coela (a Link 2 monster with 1800 attack points. Its effect lets Bit or Boot or their fusion Bitboot move it two times. Combined with D-Scale Torpedo, they can inflict 1600 points of damage per turn), D-Scale Full Metal Dunkle (a Link 3 monster with 2400 attack points. Once per turn, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects. When it's used, Bit, Boot, or Bitboot can move it to a Main Monster Zone it points to. After that, they can target a monster in its column and destroy it during the End Phase).
Link VRAINS History: Appeared to aid Bohman and Haru's escape, but were intercepted by Soulburner and Flame before being defeated as Bitboot. Haru 'fired' them to ensure they couldn't leak sensitive information.
Duel Grade right now: C+ (Crazy with a Plus) (Their deck's strategy is far better than the AI's we encountered in SOL Technologies' mother computer. If they learn and evolve, I might update their profile).
Notes: They're able to combine together into Bitboot, which lacks originality, but shows they're not human. Due to this, they can use their Skill twice, thus making them a pain the ass. Even though they can work in unison, they bicker amongst themselves. If a duelist were to use that to their advantage, they'll obviously be able to have a greater chance against Bitboot.
With another profile done, Roxy closed it up before opening a blank one and rewinding the file footage. "Then there's the last of the AI's that appeared. He's called Malf, by the way. According to research, his name stands for Malicious Adapting Life Form. Makes sense, considering the fact he's been killing people in the network and sending them to the Den City Hospital due to cardiogenic shock."
"For some reason, he speaks in third person though." Herald had a hand on his chin. "Perhaps it's due to the fact he's an AI still in development."
"His job right now is being the azure-overcoated man's ally. He practically admitted that fact prior to our duel." Yuhiro said. "Unfortunately, when I defeated him, he blew up and tried to take Herald and I with him."
"If he's dead, then a threat's eliminated. But if he's still out there, we'll have our lead on the azure-overcoated man." Roxy deduced. "As such, the latter option would lead to his location being in an unknown location in the network."
"But remember, Roxy. If he's still alive, more people will be sent to the Den City Hospital." Yuhiro pointed out. "He practically ate Monty alive when he failed to deliver an Ignis to the Azure-Overcoated man as promised. Since then, Malf has been feasting on several people in the Black Market, getting stronger with each victim. After I barely won that duel, like I said a few seconds ago, he blew himself up."
"I got badly wounded as well in protecting Yuhiro." Herald added. "You could say that the azure-overcoated man added that function as a failsafe, just like the anti-Ignis program Bohman had."
"Makes sense there." Roxy forwarded the file footage to Yuhiro and Malf's duel. "According to your duel against Malf, he uses a Cyberse deck called 'Darkscourge'. It focuses on Link Summoning using 'Darkscourge' counters, ensuring that Malf always has monsters to use. He also has Hand Traps and regular Spell and Trap cards to solidify his defense just enough for him to use his Skill."
"His Skill is actually the first Duel Winner skill we've ever seen." Yuhiro said, forwarding the file footage to when Malf used his Skill. "Known as Delusional Heartbeat, Malf can activate it when his life points are 2000 or less. He can target one monster on the opponent's field and place a 'Malady' counter on it. If a 'Darkscourge' monster on Malf's field destroys that monster and sends it to the Graveyard, the opponent instantly loses no matter how many life points they have. This Skill continues throughout the duel as well. Luckily, there is a way to counter it, such as removing the monster during your turn."
"Which means there's a way around that pain in the ass Skill." Herald deduced, a smile on his face. "It's not the only thing we'll be facing, right? I mean, Malf does have an Ace monster..."
"I'm afraid so." Roxy confirmed, going to the part where Malf summoned Darkscourge Black Bull. "This is Darkscourge Black Bull, a Link 3 monster with 2800 attack points. All of its Link Markers point downwards, which enables Malf to Link Summon more 'Darkscourge' Link monsters. Once per turn, he can reduce the attack points of a 'Darkscourge' Link monster on his field to reduce the attack and defense points of the opponent's monster's to zero, leading to maximum damage. In addition, Malf can remove three 'Darkscourge' counters either from 'Darkscourge Star Core' or 'Darkscourge Generator' to return 'Darkscourge Black Bull' back to his Extra Deck, but only once."
"So we're facing off against a disease-like deck here." Yuhiro said, narrowing his eyes. "If he's alive, we'll be able to chase both him and the azure-overcoated man. Miyu's life is on the life here."
Herald and Roxy nodded in complete silence, aware of the situation.
"With that out of the way, I say we give Malf an S for Savage." Herald offered. "Malf's deck is unpredictable, as it incorporates a unique strategy that Link Summons using 'Darkscourge' counters, thus freeing up his other Main Monster Zones. Combined with his Skill and other cards, he's a deadly opponent to face off against, no matter if you're prepared or not."
"Works for me." Roxy shrugged her shoulders. "Let's see the completed profile." Yuhiro went over and looked at Roxy's laptop along with the others to look at Malf's profile, which looked like this:
Name: Malf
VRAINS ID: Malf (it's the only identity we have of him).
Other aliases: Carnage Incarnate (for a good reason. He's been practically killing people in the network and sending them to the Den City Hospital due to cardiogenic shock).
Gender: Male (obviously due to his voice and tone. Speaks in third person, though).
Skill: Delusional Heartbeat (the first Duel-Winner Skill we ever faced. When Malf has 2000 life points or less, he can target one monster on the opponent's field and place a 'Malady' counter on it. If a 'Darkscourge' monster on Malf's field destroys that monster and sends it to the Graveyard, the opponent instantly loses no matter how many life points they have. This Skill continues throughout the duel as well. Luckily, Raguel was able to counter it, so there's hope).
Age: Unknown (given his appearance, he's an AI still in development, but is deranged).
Job: Azure-Overcoated man's ally (Malf told Raguel that he worked for the Azure-Overcoated man. Raguel saw this as an opportunity, as defeating Malf meant obtaining information on how to save Miyu. Sadly, this wasn't the case, which will be explained in the Notes section).
Residence: Somewhere in the network unfortunately.
Deck: Darkscourge (a Cyberse deck that focuses on Link Summoning using 'Darkscourge' counters. Ensures Malf always has monsters to use. He also has Hand Traps and regular Spell and Trap cards to solidify his defense just enough for him to use his Skill).
Ace Monster: Darkscourge Black Bull (a Link 3 monster with 2800 attack points. All of its Link Markers point downwards, which enables Malf to Link Summon more 'Darkscourge' Link monsters. Once per turn, he can reduce the attack points of a 'Darkscourge' Link monster on his field to reduce the attack and defense points of the opponent's monster's to zero, leading to maximum damage. In addition, Malf can remove three 'Darkscourge' counters either from 'Darkscourge Star Core' or 'Darkscourge Generator' to return 'Darkscourge Black Bull' back to his Extra Deck, but only once).
Link VRAINS History: Malf first appeared in the Black Market, where he practically ate Monty alive when he failed to deliver an Ignis to the Azure-Overcoated man as promised. Since then, Malf has been feasting on several people in the Black Market, getting stronger with each victim. He then appeared and challenged Raguel to a duel, which Raguel barely won. Following that duel, Malf practically 'exploded' in the hopes of destroying Raguel and Herald. While the both of them survived, Herald was badly wounded, causing him to heal his wounds for the entire night.
Duel Grade right now: S (S for Savage) (Malf's deck is unpredictable, as it incorporates a unique strategy that Link Summons using 'Darkscourge' counters, thus freeing up his other Main Monster Zones. Combined with his Skill and other cards, he's a deadly opponent to face off against).
Notes: Malf was an AI created by the azure-overcoated man when he practically ate Monty alive. Since his appearance, he's been feasting on people and sending them to the Den City Hospital due to cardiogenic shock. The hospital will be overwhelmed by the increase in patients if this keeps up.
He admitted he worked for the azure-overcoated man, thus making him our only lead in finding the azure-overcoated man and saving Miyu. Unfortunately, we lost that lead when Malf practically blew up to try and kill Raguel and Herald following their duel. We asked Windy if he had any information on the azure-overcoated man he can give us, but Windy didn't.
Malf's self-destruction, from what I can deduce, was a warning to those who challenged the Azure-Overcoated man. We can't give up the chase though, as Miyu's life is on the line.
Satisfied with the profile, Roxy closed it up before opening a new blank template.
"Alright." Roxy smiled. "Now that the AI's are done, we can move on to the-."
"Uh, Yuhiro?"
Both Yuhiro and Roxy turned around, only to see Atalanta enter the living room.
"Can I have some more of that Apple Pie?" she asked. "It's very good."
"Perhaps another day, Atalanta." Yuhiro replied, much to her displeasure. "We're doing something important here." He motioned to Herald with a glare, with Herald understanding the situation.
"Sorry, Atalanta. Time for you to go back into the duel disk." Herald apologized, as he held out his right hand. Atalanta turned into particles that went back into Yuhiro's duel disk.
"Why did you do that?" Progleo pouted. "It was good to have another duel monster as a friend."
"So we can prevent this place from turning into a zoo, Progleo." Roxy answered, picking Progleo up and placing him on her lap. "Anyhow, let's get to the bounty hunters. First up, we have Go Onizuka." She sped up the file footage up to where Go pursued Raguel, Playmaker, and Soulburner. "Once, he was the #1 Charisma Duelist, but according to Quinton, he's now a bounty hunter of SOL Technologies."
"Thus making him a fallen hero, as well as a tool and SOL Technologies' lapdog according to Soulburner." Herald added. "By becoming a bounty hunter, he moved to a residence near the company in case they needed him."
"According to Soulburner, he dueled against Go and defeated him." Yuhiro continued, motioning for Roxy to go to the file footage that showed their duel. "Go practically threw his 'Gouki' deck to the side and now uses the 'Dinowrestler' deck."
"Is it me, or does the 'Dinowrestler' deck look like wrestlers?" Roxy questioned, with Yuhiro raising an eyebrow in confusion. "What? Am I the only one who sees the familiarity?"
"Anyway, the 'Dinowrestler' deck focuses on relies on using various effects to maintain control over the Battle Phase and controlling the outcome of the battles between monsters in favour of the player." Yuhiro continued. "Go now has a new ace monster as well, which is known as the Link 3 Dinowrestler King T Wrextle." He sped up the file footage to when Go summoned said monster and used his effect. "Not only does King T Wrextle have 3000 attack points, his Link Markers all point down, thus enabling Go to Link Summon more 'Dinowrestler' Link monsters if needed. When King T Wrextle attacks, the opponent cannot activate Spell and Trap cards during battle."
"Go must have been traumatized by Revolver's Mirror Force during his duel against him at the Tower of Hanoi." Roxy said. "King T Wrextle also has an effect that lets him target a monster on the field and force it to attack only him. Otherwise, it's destroyed."
"Which is exactly what Go did. Right there." Herald pointed out in the file footage. "He forced Salamangreat Jack Jaguar to attack and used Dinowrestler Martial Ankylo to prevent King T Wrextle's destruction. You could say he also incorporated Hand Traps, just like he did with his former 'Gouki' deck."
"During the duel, Go to aim for a guaranteed win instead of his trademark highlight, which ironically led to his defeat." Roxy stated, slightly speeding the file footage showing Soulburner Ritual Summoning Salamangreat Emerald Eagle and beating Go at his own game. "If Go retained his 'Gouki' deck and chosen his usual way of duelling, he would've actually beaten Soulburner then."
"Doesn't Go have a new Skill in his arsenal?" Herald asked, gesturing for Roxy to rewind the file footage. It showed Go activating a Field Spell from his deck. "Interesting. He traded a Skill that summons monsters for a Skill that brings out a Field Spell from the deck."
"Dinowrestle Revolution lets Go activate World Dino Wrestling from his deck." Yuhiro explained. "In the event Go doesn't have it in his hand, he'll be able to activate it from his deck and keep cards in his hand."
"Can't believe that one of LINK VRAINS' heroes would fall like that." Roxy commented. "I mean, he was Soulburner's favorite hero. If he goes down this path, he'll regret it. However, if he repents, Go will be able to save himself before he does something bad."
"That's something we hope will not happen, Roxy." Yuhiro told her. "All we can do is hope for the best. That being said, what duel grade should we give Go Onizuka now that he's..."
"Degraded to SOL Technologies' lapdog? A C+ for Crazy with a +." Herald finished. "Although Go uses a different deck and has developed countermeasures, I'm giving this grade because of the path he chose. According to Flame, he stated that Go can be redeemed if he apologizes and repents for his mistakes. I hope Go does this, as he can become a strong ally once again if he does this."
"With that out of the way, let's take a look at Go Onizuka's new profile." Roxy showed it to Yuhiro and Herald, which looked like this:
Name: Go Onizuka
Link VRAINS ID: Go Onizuka (just like before, he used his real-world name for his LINK VRAINS ID).
Other aliases: Former #1 Charisma Duelist (according to Quinton, he left to hunt down Playmaker and prove he's #1. Such a selfish thing to do, especially to the children who idolized him), Fallen Hero of LINK VRAINS (even though he aided in saving LINK VRAINS from destruction, it wasn't enough for him), A Tool and SOL Technologies' Lapdog (Soulburner labelled him as such. Makes sense, considering what's going on).
Gender: Male
Skill: Pain and Gain (former Skill. Once per duel, Go can Special Summon all 'Gouki' monsters that were destroyed in battle. By activating this Skill on his opponent's turn, Go can not only save himself from defeat, but also make a strong comeback), Dinowrestle Revolution (a new Skill that fits with his 'Dinowrestler' deck, thus replacing his 'Gouki' deck. It allows the user to activate World Dino Wrestling straight from their deck. While it's a simple Skill, it does set up plays, especially if the card's not in the player's hand).
Age: 19
Job: #1 Charisma Duelist (formerly. Left the Charisma Duelists to pursue Playmaker), SOL Technologies' Bounty Hunter (signed up to defeat Playmaker, reclaim the #1 duelist in LINK VRAINS, and move on in life).
Residence: Likely in an apartment near SOL Technologies (according to his former manager, Go left his warehouse after deciding to become a bounty hunter).
Deck: Gouki (former deck that focuses on summoning 'Gouki' monsters and Link Summoning before defeating the opponent in a glorious fashion. To prolong the show, he has ace monsters clash so the crowd can enjoy the duel), Dinowrestler (current deck full of dinosaur-themed wrestlers. Slightly reminiscent of the Gouki deck and his old days as an entertainer. Relies on using various effects to maintain control over the Battle Phase and controlling the outcome of the battles between monsters in favour of the player. Go also has World Dino Wrestling and various Hand Traps to ensure his ace monster not only stays alive, but limits the opponent's options as well).
Ace Monster: Dinowrestler King T Wrextle (a Link 3 monster with 3000 attack points. All of his Link Markers point down as well, enabling Go to Link Summon more 'Dinowrestler' Link monsters if needed. When he attacks, the opponent cannot activate Spell and Trap cards during battle. Go must have been traumatized by Revolver's Mirror Force during his duel against him at the Tower of Hanoi. King T Wrextle also has an effect that lets him target a monster on the field and force it to attack only him. Otherwise, it's destroyed).
Link VRAINS History: Following the Tower of Hanoi events, Go Onizuka left the Charisma Duelists to sign up as a bounty hunter at SOL Technologies. By doing this, it gave him an opportunity to defeat Playmaker and move on in his life. Attacked the team on their way to the gate, but Soulburner intervened and defeated Go. I doubt that's the last we'll see of him, though.
During the duel, he tried to aim for a guaranteed win instead of his trademark highlight. Ironically, it lead to his defeat. If he had chosen his usual way of duelling, he would've actually beaten Soulburner then.
Duel Grade right now: C+ (Crazy with a +) (Although Go uses a different deck and has developed countermeasures, I'm giving this grade because of the path he chose. Yuhiro, Quinton, Soulburner, and I are disgusted with the man he became. From the file footage, Flame believes Go can be redeemed if he apologizes and repents for his mistakes. I hope Go does this, as he can become a strong ally once again if he does).
Notes: According to Soulburner, he was one of his favourite heroes who stood up to the Hanoi. Thus, he finds it very selfish and self centred of him to turn his back on all that. Then again, having the spotlight stolen from him time and again from Playmaker, especially regarding the Tower of Hanoi, must have taken a toll on his ego and drove him to this. Striving for what he wanted but even if it means he'll lose what he had, he'll no doubt regret this later.
This desire for standing at the top and for a crown that won't last will no doubt be his undoing at some point. For him to turn his back on the orphanage who raised him and that he helped support is insane, that's for sure. Thankfully, Quinton is helping to support it now. This decision of his will no doubt lead to some conflicts without a doubt.
Roxy saved and closed it before opening up another blank template. After doing so, she sped up the file footage, which showed Playmaker facing off against a familiar bounty hunter. "Okay, we know a lot about this guy," she commented.
"Blood Shepherd..." Yuhiro muttered. "The Three-Count Gunslinger."
"Before you say anything Herald, this guy gave Fujiki a run for his money." Roxy said, turning to him. "In the real world, his name is Kengo Dojun, which is something I figured out after helping Emma do some research on him."
"We can't locate his apartment as well." Yuhiro added. "It's likely he's using a code that prevents targets from assassinating him in the real world."
"Okay. I did some research on this Blood Shepherd, and combined with the file footage, there's some nasty stuff about him." Herald commented, with Yuhiro and Roxy giving him stares as if to say 'No Kidding, Sherlock'. "Blood Shepherd's been active since his accident. He had such a bad experience that led to a deep hatred for AIs, not that anyone can blame him. Since then, he honed his skills to a degree where he can interrogate most rogue AI's on the force. If an Ignis were on the receiving end of his blaster, it would not end well, for he can shoot with rapid accuracy. Blood Shepherd once worked with Emma and Akira in the past as well, where he used them as human shields to destroy their target."
"Which led to Emma seeking me out for help in discovering his real identity." Roxy finished. "You're forgetting the fact that Yuhiro had to work with him a few years back."
"I got gut punched by that bastard." Yuhiro recalled. "And boy did he give me harsh advice."
"Let's not talk about past experiences." Roxy stated. "Instead, we should look at the duel." She played the file footage, where Playmaker struggled against Blood Shepherd's deck. While he was able to make a comeback, Blood Shepherd was able to respond as well. In the end, Playmaker surprised him by using Fusion Summoning, enabling him to escape the three-count and defeat Blood Shepherd. "So, from that duel, what did we learn just now?"
"Three things." Yuhiro answered. "One: Blood Shepherd studies his opponents so he can prepare against them."
"Two: Blood Shepherd runs a 'Drone' deck." Herald continued for Yuhiro. "The deck focuses on anti-Link Monster lockdown strategies and a combination of burn damage, direct attacks, and powering up his ace monster 'Battledrone General' to defeat enemies quickly. Taking Yuhiro's previous statement, he studies his opponents to incorporate cards specifically to counter them, either in their primary strategies or cards that specifically induce trauma to the user."
"Three: Blood Shepherd's ace monster 'Battledrone General'." Yuhiro took over for Herald. "A Link 3 monster with 2400 attack points, which is quite reasonable. However, as it leads Blood Shepherd's drones, its effects that are deadly. It can tribute a 'Drone' monster that attacks directly for extra damage but can resurrect most drones from the graveyard to enable them to attack directly again, thus creating a vicious cycle of pain."
"You guys did a good job." Roxy praised them both. "But you're forgetting something." She continued the file footage, which showed Blood Shepherd activating his Skill Drone Force. "Blood Shepherd's Skill is called Drone Force. It allows him to target one monster the opponent controls and make it lose 200 attack points for every 'Drone' monster in his Graveyard. Also, one 'Drone' monster gains that lost attack points, similar to that of Riryoku until the end of the turn."
"That's actually good to know about." Yuhiro admitted.
"I found some more information about Blood Shepherd from your research, Roxy. Something I should point out." Herald interrupted. "Kengo Dojun's apparently Emma's half brother. His dad had an affair with another woman after leaving him and his mother to pursue his career. That's very irresponsible of him, as when Kengo and his mom were involved in that car accident, he didn't give a damn about them. His daddy issues may be a factor in why he's so ruthless towards others."
"Family comes first, no matter what." Yuhiro added. "At least the Knights of Hanoi had that trait."
"With that out of the way, I think Blood Shepherd deserves an S for Savage." Roxy interjected. "Blood Shepherd's different from other bounty hunters. He's not to be messed with under any conditions. Blood Shepherd's ruthless nature as a bounty hunter allows him to have no moral code whatsoever, and will use any means necessary to draw you out and complete his mission."
"Makes sense there." Yuhiro agreed. The three of them then looked at Blood Shepherd's profile, which looked like this:
Name: Kengo Dojun
Link VRAINS ID: Blood Shepherd (there's a reason why he's called this in the network).
Other aliases: Three-Count Gunslinger (eliminates his opponent at the count of three to terrorize and hunt them down).
Gender: Male (no kidding).
Skill: Drone Force (this Skill allows him to target one monster the opponent controls and make it lose 200 attack points for every 'Drone' monster in his Graveyard. Also, one 'Drone' monster gains that lost attack points, similar to that of Riryoku until the end of the turn).
Age: Unknown, possibly older than Emma though.
Job: Bounty Hunter (is a pro among pros too).
Residence: Apartment in Den City (we can't locate it for some reason. Might have to do with how skilled Kengo is as a hacker).
Deck: Drone (a deck that uses anti-Link Monster lockdown strategies and a combination of burn damage, direct attacks, and powering up his ace monster 'Battledrone General' to defeat enemies quickly. He will study his opponents to incorporate cards specifically to counter them, either in their primary strategies or cards that specifically induce trauma to the user).
Ace Monster: Battledrone General (a Link 3 monster with 2400 attack points, which is quite reasonable. However, as it leads Blood Shepherd's drones, its effects that are deadly. It can tribute a 'Drone' monster that attacks directly for extra damage but can resurrect most drones from the graveyard to enable them to attack directly again, thus creating a vicious cycle of pain).
Link VRAINS History: Blood Shepherd's been active since his accident. He had such a bad experience that led to a deep hatred for AIs, not that anyone can blame him (imagine if he was Windy's Origin. That would not end well for Windy). Since then, he honed his skills to a fine edge where he can interrogate most rogue AI's on the force. Wouldn't want to have an Ignis on the receiving end of his blaster, which he can shoot with rapid accuracy. He once worked with Emma and Akira in the past, where Blood Shepherd used them as human shields to destroy their target. It led to Emma seeking Roxy for help in discovering his real identity.
Blood Shepherd really gave Yusaku a run for his money in their duel, given that he studies his targets deeply before going after them, which shows he prepares well. Thankfully, due to Cyberse Clock Dragon, Yusaku became the first to ever escape his count.
Duel Grade right now: S (S for Savage) (Blood Shepherd's strategies are not to be messed with under any conditions. His ruthless nature as a bounty hunter allows him to have no moral code whatsoever, and will his any means necessary to draw you out and complete his mission. If you see this man, contact either Raguel, Playmaker, or Soulburner for help. And make sure to last as long as possible).
Notes: A pro among pros according to Akira and Yuhiro's experience. Apparently the half brother of Emma, whose father had an affair with another woman after leaving him and his mother to pursue his career. That's very irresponsible of him, as he never came back to help them when Kengo and his mom were caught in a terrible accident, which rendered her disabled. Since then, he despises AIs, yet he isn't afraid to use them as tools. Somewhat reminiscent of Revolver and the Hanoi to an extent.
Won't hesitate to play dirty and resort to intimidation, such as making them let their guards down with his trademark count to 3 and then firing on count 2. Programmed his AI to lie and speak half truths so best bet is to trust own instincts and read card effects on the field our analyse the situation before acting.
Roxy saved the completed profile before closing it and opening up a blank one. "That's half of the bounty hunters. Now onto the half-known, half-unknown ones." She sped up the footage to Slipstream's duel against Electrolyzer. "First is Electrolyzer, who's also known as the last surviving prince of Central Japan. This is because his uncle Balius took over and forced him into self-exile."
"Ouch. That's gotta suck." Herald commented. "What surprises me is that, like Go Onizuka, he uses his real-life identity in the network. While I don't know the reason, he may want to get an unknown enemy's attention."
"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Yuhiro theorized. "His former and current job aside, Electrolyzer uses a 'PSY-Frame' deck, which according to Slipstream is the ultimate Hand Trap deck. The deck focuses on disrupting the opponents moves by summoning themselves along with 'PSY-Frame Driver' and, with the Field Spell PSY-Frame Circuit's effect, immediately perform Synchro Summons on the opponent's turn."
"As for the 'PSY-Framelord' Synchro monsters, they have effects that banish themselves along with the opponent's cards until the opponent's next turn. This opens up opportunities to negate more effects with other 'PSY-Frame' monsters and continue Synchro Summoning, thus leading to an endless cycle of annoyance."
Herald's eyes widened upon realizing something. "Roxy, rewind the footage a bit." She did so, causing Herald to point at the screen. "I knew it. There's a counter for the 'PSY-Frame' deck." Yuhiro and Roxy turned to him so he may continue. "If Electrolyzer runs out of Main Monster Zones, he can't use the 'PSY-Frame' Hand Traps, nor can he Synchro Summon. So the goal is to block Electrolyzer's field to prevent this from happening. Luckily, Yusaku can deal with this through Excode Talker. I'll send information to Ai and Flame so they can develop cards to counter this strategy as well."
"Good thinking, Herald." Yuhiro said. "Judging from the footage, Electrolyzer has two Ace monsters. The first is PSY-Framelord Zeta, a Level 7 Synchro monster with 2500 attack points and 1800 defense points. Once per turn, during either player's turn, Electrolyzer can target a Special Summoned monster on the opponent's field and banish it along with Zeta. Both monsters return on Electrolyzer's next turn. In addition, if he's in the Graveyard, Electrolyzer can return him to the Extra Deck by adding a 'PSY-Frame' monster to his hand."
"Then there's this guy." Roxy interrupted, speeding up the file footage to where Electrolyzer Synchro Summoned his other Ace monster. "PSY-Framelord Omega is a Level 8 Synchro monster with 2800 attack points and 22000 defense points. Once per turn, during either player's turn, Electrolyzer can target a random card in the opponent's hand and banish both that card and Omega until Electrolyzer's next turn. Also, if he's in the Graveyard, he can shuffle one card in his Graveyard back into his deck, enabling Electrolyzer to return Omega back to his Extra Deck."
"So judging from these descriptions, the 'PSY-Frame' deck doesn't just utilize Hand Traps, it also recycles resources as well." Herald deduced. The file footage then continued at the point where Electrolyzer used his Skill. "I mean, look at his Skill. PSY-Frame Suit Up basically lets Electrolyzer Special Summon one 'PSY-Frame' monster from his hand, deck, Graveyard, or banished zone, ignoring their summoning conditions. If he controls a Psychic Synchro monster, that monster gains ATK and DEF equal to the Special Summoned monster's ATK and DEF. Thus, it leads to more Synchro Summoning."
"If Electrolyzer is one thing, he's honorable." Raguel informed the others. "He actually apologized and was willing to help in exchange for Herald. However, he was also willing to engage me in a duel."
"But before that happened, Malf arrived and practically punched him in the face, forcing a logout." Herald added. "So, ladies and gentlemen, what duel grade does Electrolyzer deserve?"
Yuhiro and Roxy thought about it for a minute before the latter spoke up. "An A for Apocalyptic. According to Slipstream's comments and the file footage, Electrolyzer plays the ultimate Hand Trap deck, which is dubbed as a pain in the ass. By responding to the opponent's moves, it allows Electrolyzer to constantly Synchro Summon over and over again. Makes me wonder how he would fare in a Master duel."
"He'd probable fare better in a Master duel." Yuhiro hypothesized. "There's more Main Monster Zones that can be used, which allows Electrolyzer to further utilize his deck's strategies. But enough of that. Let's see the completed profile." The three of them looked at the profile, which looked like this:
Name: Brion Miyahara (the last surviving prince of Central Japan).
Link VRAINS ID: Electrolyzer (surprising uses his real-life identity in the network. Why, I don't know. However, we do know that he wants to be seen by an unknown enemy).
Other aliases: Prince of Central Japan (the eldest son of the Royal Family in Central Japan).
Gender: Male
Skill: PSY-Frame Suit Up (Once per duel, Electrolyzer can Special Summon one 'PSY-Frame' monster from his hand, deck, Graveyard, or banished zone, ignoring their summoning conditions. If he controls a Psychic Synchro monster, that monster gains ATK and DEF equal to the Special Summoned monster's ATK and DEF. For some reason, that reminds me of Iron Man 3).
Age: 23 (found this on his records).
Job: Prince of Central Japan (formerly, as he's been in exile), Bounty Hunter (so he can provide for himself).
Residence: Unknown
Deck: PSY-Frame (also known as the ultimate Hand Trap deck. This deck focuses on disrupting the opponents moves by summoning themselves along with 'PSY-Frame Driver' and, with the Field Spell PSY-Frame Circuit's effect, immediately perform Synchro Summons on the opponent's turn. The 'PSY-Framelord' Synchro monsters have effects that banish themselves along with the opponent's cards until the opponent's next turn. This opens up opportunities to negate more effects with other 'PSY-Frame' monsters and continue Synchro Summoning, thus leading to a cycle of annoyance. However, there is one weakness. If the duelist runs out of Main Monster Zones, they can't use the 'PSY-Frame' Hand Traps, nor can they Synchro Summon. So the goal is to block the duelist's field to prevent this from happening. Luckily, Yusaku can deal with this through Excode Talker).
Ace Monster: PSY-Framelord Zeta (a Level 7 Synchro monster with 2500 attack points and 1800 defense points. Once per turn, during either player's turn, Electrolyzer can target a Special Summoned monster on the opponent's field and banish it along with Zeta. Both monsters return on Electrolyzer's next turn. In addition, if he's in the Graveyard, Electrolyzer can return him to the Extra Deck by adding a 'PSY-Frame' monster to his hand), PSY-Framelord Omega (a Level 8 Synchro monster with 2800 attack points and 22000 defense points. Once per turn, during either player's turn, Electrolyzer can target a random card in the opponent's hand and banish both that card and Omega until Electrolyzer's next turn. Also, if he's in the Graveyard, he can shuffle one card in his Graveyard back into his deck, enabling Electrolyzer to return Omega back to his Extra Deck).
Link VRAINS History: Once upon a time, Brion was the eldest sibling and the successor of Central Japan. However, his uncle Balius took over, forcing him to exile himself to avoid being killed. He joined the bounty hunters, but we don't know why. Was it money to take back his home? Anyway, Electrolyzer first appeared when he tried to capture Herald from Raguel, but due to him and Drachen, their interference led to the azure-overcoated man from escaping. Compared to Drachen, he at least apologized for getting involved. Following that, Malf practically punched Electrolyzer in the face with a giant fist, forcing him to log out.
Duel Grade right now: A (A for Apocalyptic) (According to Slipstream's comments and the file footage, Electrolyzer plays the ultimate Hand Trap deck, which is dubbed as a pain in the ass. By responding to the opponent's moves, it allows Electrolyzer to constantly Synchro Summon over and over again. Makes me wonder how he would fare in a Master duel).
Notes: Wonder how Akira Zaizen found a guy like him to join the bounty hunters and why would someone of royalty stoop to the level of a money grubber who does dirty work for small change. We'll update more here as we learn new information about Electrolyzer.
Herald closed the profile up before opening up another blank template. He then sped up the file footage using the spare remote. "Here's a bounty hunter we don't know much about," he said. "For instance, his LINK VRAINS ID is Drachen, which is German for Dragon."
"We don't know why he became a bounty hunter, nor do we know where he lives." Roxy admitted. "But what we do know is his possible age, deck, Ace monster, and Skill. For his age, I think he's 16, just like you, Yusaku, and Takeru."
"Let's push that aside and get to the main stuff." Herald said. "First is his deck, which is the 'Red-Eyes' deck. I'll be honest when I say I never thought we would have to face another legendary monster again. Let's hope Drachen didn't steal it, unlike a certain someone."
"Just like with Dark Magician..." Yuhiro muttered, only to shake his head and focus on the discussion. "The 'Red-Eyes' archetype focuses on massive effect damage unlike the 'Trickstar' deck, which inflicts effect damage like little bee stings. The deck also focuses on dominating the field, and punishing the opponent for trying to regain control of it. Combined with Spell and Trap cards that support the deck makes it a tough deck to beat. Even if it's straightforward, it can catch you off guard if you're not prepared."
"That's obvious, especially if you look at this." Roxy motioned for Yuhiro to look at the coming file footage for his duel against Drachen. "He has two cards, Red-Eyes Fusion and Inferno Fire Blast. Red-Eyes Fusion lets him Fusion Summon one Fusion monster that lists a 'Red-Eyes' monster as a Fusion material by using monsters from the hand, field or deck. Then that monster's name becomes 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon'. Drachen can then play Inferno Fire Blast to deal even more damage than 2400 attack points. Thank goodness he didn't have that card when Meteor Black Comet Dragon hit the field. Otherwise, it would have been game over for you, Yuhiro."
"We'll share this information with the others." Yuhiro assured her. "Then there's Drachen's Skill, Red-Eyes Dominance. I'll admit, it can be used both offensively and defensively."
"According to the file footage, once per duel, during either player's turn, Red-Eyes Dominance lets Drachen target one Dark or Fire Dragon monster on his field and increase its attack points equal to the attack points of one other Dark or Fire Dragon monster on his field. This Skill can be used either for offense or defense depending on the situation." Herald explained.
"Last but not least is Drachen's ace monster, which is obviously Red-Eyes Black Dragon." Yuhiro stated, looking at the file footage as Drachen brought him back over and over again. "He's a 2400 attack and 2000 defense point monster with no effects whatsoever. He's also a legendary duel monster, just like Dark Magician. According to Drachen, he kept bringing it back because he was his partner through thick and thin. Perhaps there's a more personal reason he's doing this."
"We'll find out more in the future and update this profile." Roxy told Yuhiro and Herald. "What do you think Drachen's duel grade is?"
"A B for Badass". Yuhiro immediately answered before Herald could speak up. "With the right cards, you can get past the strategies of the deck. For instance, cards that either reflect effect damage or increase your life points can be a major detriment for Drachen. We also know so little about him, so until we get information, this is the duel grade he'll be getting for now."
"With that information done, this is the completed profile!" Herald announced, with Yuhiro and Roxy looking at the profile, which appeared liked this:
Name: Unknown
Link VRAINS ID: Drachen (did you know it's German for Dragon?)
Other aliases: Duelist shrouded in darkness (considering the deck he plays, that makes sense).
Gender: Male
Skill: Red-Eyes Dominance (once per duel, during either player's turn, Drachen can target one Dark or Fire Dragon monster on his field and increase its attack points equal to the attack points of one other Dark or Fire Dragon monster on his field. This Skill can be used either for offense or defense depending on the situation).
Age: 16 (we deduced he's Yuhiro, Yusaku, and Takeru's age).
Job: Bounty Hunter (we don't know why, unfortunately).
Residence: Unknown
Deck: Red-Eyes (a deck that focuses on massive effect damage unlike the 'Trickstar' deck, which inflicts effect damage like little bee stings. The deck also focuses on dominating the field, and punishing the opponent for trying to regain control of it. Combined with Spell and Trap cards that support the deck makes it a tough deck to beat. Even if it's straightforward, it can catch you off guard if you're not prepared).
Ace Monster: Red-Eyes Black Dragon (a 2400 attack and 2000 defense point monster with no effects whatsoever. He's also a legendary duel monster, just like Dark Magician. Hopefully, Drachen didn't steal the deck like Lord Kazuma did. According to him, he kept bringing it back because he was his partner through thick and thin. Perhaps there's a more personal reason he's doing this).
Link VRAINS History: Like Electrolyzer, Drachen joined the bounty hunters for unknown reasons. Due to his interference, the azure-overcoated man got away. He was eventually stabbed by Malf before being forced to log out. Drachen, however, was fine by the time he turned to LINK VRAINS. Following those events, he pursued Raguel through the restricted area and dueled him for Herald.
Duel Grade right now: B (B for Badass) (A deck that focuses on dealing massive effect damage is difficult to overcome. However, with the right cards, you can get past the strategies of the deck. There's one thing to watch out, though. Drachen has two cards, Red-Eyes Fusion and Inferno Fire Blast. Red-Eyes Fusion lets him Fusion Summon one Fusion monster that lists a 'Red-Eyes' monster as a Fusion material by using monsters from the hand, field or deck. Then that monster's name becomes 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon'. He can then play Inferno Fire Blast to deal even more damage than 2400 attack points. Thank goodness he didn't have that card when Meteor Black Comet Dragon hit the field. Otherwise, it would be game over for Yuhiro).
Notes: Although we know a bit more information on Electrolyzer, we don't know much about Drachen, aside from how he duels. Perhaps we'll find out more information in the future.
Roxy smirked as she saved and closed the template, glad that the bounty hunters were done and dealt with. "Okay, now onto our new allies," she said. "First up is the mighty Soulburner, which we have a lot of information about!"
"In the real world, his name is Takeru Homura, with his LINK VRAINS ID obviously being Soulburner." Yuhiro began explaining. "Like me, Yusaku, Jin, Miyu, and Specter, he was part of the Lost Incident."
"Soulburner's a duelist on our side ever since he logged into LINK VRAINS in the hopes of meeting and potentially working with Playmaker!" Herald continued with a smirk. "His efforts paid off when he introduced himself as a victim of the Lost Incident, as well as introducing his partner, the Fire Ignis Flame to us. We have another ally. Hooray!"
"Unfortunately, we don't know where he is. Perhaps he'll share that information one day." Roxy replied, before moving the file footage forward. "Now onto the good stuff! Soulburner's 'Salamangreat' deck is a Cyberse deck based around animals and fire. It focuses primarily on Reincarnation Link Summoning, where with the use of certain cards can enable one Link monster to link summon another copy of itself with added effects. A very unique effect of Link monsters and gives ideas for link potential to explore. In the event it doesn't work, Soulburner also incorporated Ritual Summoning and Fusion Summoning as backup to decimate the opponent."
"You could say it's the opposite of Malf's strategy of using counters to Link Summon his 'Darkscourge' monsters." Herald pointed out. "The additional effects would allow Soulburner to defeat Malf, especially through Salamangreat Heatleo's reincarnated effect."
"Speaking of reincarnated effect, could you go to Soulburner's duel against Bitboot?" Yuhiro asked Roxy, which she did by rewinding the footage. "Ah. So the reincarnated monster gains a new effect that's either detrimental to the enemy or beneficial for Soulburner."
"His Skill can also pull off miracles." Herald added. "Known as Burning Draw, once per duel, Soulburner can reduce his life points to 100, and for every 1000 life points paid, he gets to draw an additional card from his deck. It's a risky Skill, but he can tide of a duel can turn with a single card so perhaps when one has nothing to loose it pays off. The Skill, however, takes a toll on Soulburner after the duel. Through exercise and good nutrition, he might be able to overcome it. Flame loves this Skill, as it represents a fire reigniting during a duel."
"Now onto the Ace monsters." Roxy said, speeding up the file footage to when Soulburner dueled against Go Onizuka. "First is the Link 3 monster Salamangreat Heatleo, which has 2300 attack points. When he's Link Summoned, Soulburner can target one Spell or Trap card the opponent controls and shuffle it back into their deck. When he's Reincarnation Link Summoned though, Soulburner can target a monster the opponent controls and a 'Salamangreat' monster in his Graveyard to change the opponent's monster's attack points to match the second targeted monster's attack points. Very clever in my opinion."
"There's also his Ritual monster, Salamangreat Emerald Eagle." Yuhiro stated, watching the file footage where Soulburner Ritual summoned his new monster to his field. "Salamangreat Emerald Eagle is a Ritual monster with 2800 attack points and 2000 defense points. By tributing a 'Salamangreat' Link monster, Emerald Eagle can instantly destroy an opponent's monster no matter how strong that monster was, and then inflict damage equal to that monster's attack points. A very good effect, that's for sure."
"Flame also sent me information on Soulburner's recent duel against Blue Girl." Herald reminded Yuhiro and Roxy, speeding the file footage to their duel. "Known as Salamangreat Violet Chimera, this Fusion monster 2800 attack points and 2000 defense points, which can be Fusion Summoned by using a monster on the opponent's field through Fusion of Fire. When he's Fusion Summoned, Violet Chimera gains attack points equal to half the combined attack points of the Fusion materials. If that wasn't enough, when he battles a monster whose attack points are different than its original attack points, Violet Chimera can double his attack points during that battle. Oh, wait. There's one last effect. If Violet Chimera was Reincarnation Fusion Summoned and he battles an opponent's monster, that monster loses all of its attack points, which is practically overkill."
"Thus making Soulburner a strong duelist." Roxy finished. "Regarding his duel grade, what do you think it would be?"
"I know! I know!" Herald shouted, raising his hand. "Soulburner deserves an A+ for Apocalyptic with a +. Although Soulburner's only dueled three times, his deck is versatile to overcome obstacles. Plus, he won all three matches so far. Considering how he demonstrating Ritual and Fusion Summoning, as well as Reincarnation Link Summoning, Soulburner definitely has the ability to grow as a duelist."
"I agree with Herald as well." Yuhiro concurred. "Let's finish this profile." Roxy made some finishing touches to the profile before showing it to Yuhiro and Herald, which looked like this:
Name: Takeru Homura
Link VRAINS ID: Soulburner (a badass name in my opinion).
Other aliases: According to Frog and Pigeon, he's known as the Fire duelist and potential new hero in LINK VRAINS. Also known as the Hottest Topic (I mean, that makes sense, considering his fiery appearance).
Gender: Male
Skill: Burning Draw (once per duel, Soulburner can reduce his life points to 100, and for every 1000 life points paid, he gets to draw an additional card from his deck. It's a risky Skill, but he can tide of a duel can turn with a single card so perhaps when one has nothing to loose it pays off. The Skill, however, takes a toll on Soulburner after the duel. Through exercise and good nutrition, he might be able to overcome it. Flame loves this Skill, as it represents a fire reigniting during a duel).
Age: 16
Job: Duelist (since he found out about Playmaker, he logged into LINK VRAINS in the hopes of meeting and potentially working with him. His efforts paid off when he introduced himself as a victim of the Lost Incident, as well as introducing his partner, the Fire Ignis, Flame to them. We have another ally. Hooray).
Residence: Unknown (perhaps Takeru will share his story on how he met Flame in the future).
Deck: Salamangreat (a strong fiery Cyberse deck based around animals and fire. Fitting since he's allied with the Fire Ignis. And is it me, or do the creatures resemble animals from The Lion King? Anyway, back on topic. This deck focuses primarily on Reincarnation Link Summoning, where with the use of certain cards can enable one Link monster to link summon another copy of itself with added effects. A very unique effect of Link monsters and gives ideas for link potential to explore. In the event it doesn't work, Soulburner also incorporated Ritual Summoning and Fusion Summoning as backup to decimate the opponent).
Ace Monster: Salamangreat Heatleo (a Link 3 monster with 2300 attack points. When he's Link Summoned, Soulburner can target one Spell or Trap card the opponent controls and shuffle it back into their deck. When he's Reincarnation Link Summoned though, Soulburner can target a monster the opponent controls and a 'Salamangreat' monster in his Graveyard to change the opponent's monster's attack points to match the second targeted monster's attack points. Very clever ability), Salamangreat Emerald Eagle (a Ritual monster with 2800 attack points and 2000 defense points. By tributing a 'Salamangreat' Link monster, Emerald Eagle can instantly destroy an opponent's monster no matter how strong that monster was, and then inflict damage equal to that monster's attack points. A very good effect, that's for sure), Salamangreat Violet Chimera (a Fusion monster with 2800 attack points and 2000 defense points, which can be Fusion Summoned by using a monster on the opponent's field. The classic yeet, that's for sure. When he's Fusion Summoned, Violet Chimera gains attack points equal to half the combined attack points of the Fusion materials. If that wasn't enough, when he battles a monster whose attack points are different than its original attack points, Violet Chimera can double his attack points during that battle. Oh, wait. There's one last effect. If Violet Chimera was Reincarnation Fusion Summoned and he battles an opponent's monster, that monster loses all of its attack points).
Link VRAINS History: First appeared against Bitboot and defeated him in spectacular fashion. Since then, he's been our ally through thick and thin. Maybe we'll learn about his past later on. But regardless, I am beyond happy we have another ally, as the more allies we have, the more likely we'll be able to save both Jin and Miyu.
Duel Grade right now: A+ (Apocalyptic with a +) (Although Soulburner's only dueled three times, his deck is versatile to overcome obstacles. Plus, he won all three matches so far. Considering how he demonstrating Ritual and Fusion Summoning, as well as Reincarnation Link Summoning, Soulburner definitely has the ability to grow as a duelist).
Notes: Like Yuhiro, Yusaku, Jin, Miyu, and Specter, Takeru has been a victim of the Lost Incident. Ever since, he met with the Fire Ignis and moved to Den City to meet Playmaker, as well as work with him and Raguel. So far, we reunited with Ai, learned about the whereabouts of the Black Ignis, found the Fire Ignis and encountered the Wind Ignis. The more Ignis's we find and convince to join our side, the better we're likely to defeat Bohman and the azure-overcoated man.
"And there we go." Roxy announced, saving Soulburner's profile before opening the second to last blank templates. "Two more to go. Let's start talking about this guy who may or may not be our ally." The file footage then showed Slipstream engaging Haru in a Speed Duel. "This guy managed to tie in his duel against Haru, win against Electrolyzer, and obviously lost against you, Yuhiro."
"Other aliases for Slipstream include Speedster and a Mischievous Prankster, similar to a certain Ignis." Herald added. "I mean, Slipstream recreated Mechagodzilla and scared me."
"That part was funny." Yuhiro admitted, causing Herald to glare at him. "But moving along, he claimed to be a duelist who wanted to aide me. This is because he wanted to repay a debt. The first one we already figured out, but when was the second time?"
"Perhaps we'll know more answers when he arrives at Den Academy tomorrow, which means he could live." Roxy theorized. "Anyhow, Slipstream uses the 'Speedroid' deck, a Wind Machine deck that relies on luck and dice rolls. In my opinion, relying on luck to win is risky but he seems to live for the thrill of it without any worries or fear. Perhaps it's also having faith in the heart of the dice roll too, as well as cards. The deck also focuses on rapid Synchro Summoning, and once he brings out his ace monster, switches to a lockdown strategy to reduce the opponent's moves. All in all, not a bad deck."
"The deck also works in unison with his Skill, Speedy Drift." Herald pointed out. "Speed up the file footage to his duel against Haru." Roxy did this at the point where Slipstream activated his Skill to evade Hydradrive Nagini's attack. "Once per duel, Slipstream can negate an attack regarding a Wind Synchro monster during either player's turn and roll a dice, allowing that monster to gain 100 attack points times the result."
"So in other words, Slipstream can use it offensively or defensively." Herald figured out. "If that monster's in danger, he can use Speedy Drift to save it and increase their attack points."
"Then there's Slipstream's two Ace monsters." Yuhiro stated. "First, there's the Level 7 Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, who has 2500 attack points and 2000 defense points. She has an effect capable of countering most monsters, thus making her a very strong defensive monster who can shield herself or other monsters that are level 5 or above."
"There's also Hi-Speedroid Kitedrake." Herald noted, motioning for Roxy to speed up the file footage to Slipstream's duel against Electrolyzer. "It's a Level 8 Synchro monster with 3000 attack points and 2800 defense points. Upon being Synchro Summoned, Slipstream can choose one of two effects, and both can change the duel in his favor. What's more, if Kitedrake is sent to the Graveyard by an opponent's card, Slipstream can add a 'Speedroid' monster from his deck to his hand."
"Okay, so to recap, Yuhiro met Slipstream at the Gamma Branch where he saved his ass from goons." Roxy recalled. "He reappeared later to duel Haru for reasons unknown. What's more, he appeared again to assist Raguel for reasons unknown. He also arranged a meeting with Raguel to meet him and get a spot on the team. While you won the Turbo duel Yuhiro, Slipstream intends to honor the deal and reveal his identity tomorrow at school. Glad there's a duelist who had honor, even though he can crafty at times."
"Indeed." Yuhiro agreed. "I'll be honest, Slipstream deserves a B for Badass. For a cocky kid who gets into fights, he knows how to manage himself in them. So far, he tied in a duel, won one, and lost one. He's unpredictable, that's for sure."
"And it's inputted." Herald announced, showing Yuhiro and Roxy the completed profile:
Name: Unknown (we'll definitely get answers here tomorrow).
Link VRAINS ID: Slipstream (weird name, that's for sure).
Other aliases: Speedster (makes sense, considering his deck), Mischievous Prankster (again, makes sense. Able to recreate Mechagodzilla and scare poor Herald. Almost similar to how Windy scared Ai, Flame, and Herald).
Gender: Male
Skill: Speedy Drift (once per duel, he can negate an attack regarding a Wind Synchro monster during either player's turn and roll a dice, allowing that monster to gain 100 attack points times the result).
Age: 15 (likely estimate).
Job: Duelist (for some reason, he aided Raguel. Claims he wanted to repay a debt for Raguel saving him twice. The first one we already figured out, but when was the second time?).
Residence: Possibly in Den City.
Deck: Speedroid (a Wind Machine deck that relies on luck and dice rolls. In my opinion, relying on luck to win is risky but he seems to live for the thrill of it without any worries or fear. Unlike a certain Ignis. Perhaps it's also having faith in the heart of the dice roll too as well as cards. The deck also focuses on rapid Synchro Summoning, and once he brings out his ace monster, switches to a lockdown strategy to reduce the opponent's moves. All in all, not a bad deck).
Ace Monster: Clear Wing Synchro Dragon (a Level 7 Synchro monster with 2500 attack points and 2000 defense points. She has an effect capable of countering most monsters, thus making her a very strong defensive monster who can shield herself or other monsters that are level 5 or above), Hi-Speedroid Kitedrake (a Level 8 Synchro monster with 3000 attack points and 2800 defense points. Upon being Synchro Summoned, Slipstream can choose one of two effects, and both can change the duel in his favor. What's more, if Kitedrake is sent to the Graveyard by an opponent's card, Slipstream can add a 'Speedroid' monster from his deck to his hand).
Link VRAINS History: First met at the Gamma Branch of the Black Market for some reason and was rescued by Raguel. He reappeared later to duel Haru for reasons unknown. What's more, he appeared again to assist Raguel for reasons unknown. He also arranged a meeting with Raguel to meet him and get a spot on the team. While Raguel won, Slipstream intends to honor the deal and reveal his identity tomorrow at school. Glad there's a duelist who had honor, even though he can crafty at times (the Mechagodzilla incident is clearly an example).
Duel Grade right now: B (Badass) (For a cocky kid who gets into fights, he knows how to manage himself in them. So far, he tied in a duel, won one, and lost one. He's unpredictable, that's for sure).
Notes: Other than appearing to assist Raguel and our allies, as well as his appearance in the Black Market, we don't have much information about Slipstream. However, we're treating him as an ally until more information is revealed.
Satisfied, Yuhiro saved the template before closing it to open one more blank template. "Just one more to go, and it's based on a familiar face," he announced. "We have to thank Soulburner and Flame for this information." Yuhiro then fast forwarded the file footage to Soulburner's duel against Blue Girl.
"I believe that Aoi changed her LINK VRAINS ID to Blue Girl to show she's growing, and that is a great sign." Roxy stated with a smile on her face. The file footage then continued to the point where Blue Girl activated her new Skill. "Blue Girl now has a new Skill called Trickstar Gig, which lets her send cards from the top of her deck equal to the number of 'Trickstar' monsters on her field before adding 'Trickstar' cards from her Graveyard to her hand equal to the number of 'Trickstar' monsters sent to the Graveyard. A nice improvement, that's for sure."
"Judging from our conversation we had with her and Ghost Girl, they're working with Akira Zaizen to find an Ignis." Yuhiro said. "Honestly, I hope they're doing it for peaceful reasons. We already have enough enemies as it is."
Roxy noticed Yuhiro tensing up, recalling recent events. Although the two of them, as well as Herald, trusted Akira, him hiring the bounty hunters was one of the reasons they were hesitant around him. They knew they couldn't blame him, as he didn't know the connection regarding Miyu and Aoi. If Akira knew the truth, he'd likely feel guilty for his role in the situation. "Let's just focus on the other facts for now," she suggested.
"Good idea." Herald agreed. "While her 'Trickstar' deck hasn't changed that much, Blue Girl added a few extra cards to increase their attack points. She also incorporated a new summoning method to her arsenal as well."
"Which is Trickstar Band Sweet Guitar." Roxy continued, as the file footage showed Blue Girl summoning her new Ace monster. "She's a Fusion monster with 2200 attack points and 1200 defense points. While Trickstar Band Sweet Guitar is on the field, any effect damage a 'Trickstar' monster that's linked to this card inflicts is doubled. Should the opponent take damage by a 'Trickstar' monster's effect, Band Sweet Guitar gains attack points equal to the damage inflicted until the end of the turn. If she attacks, Blue Girl can add a 'Trickstar' monster from her Graveyard to her hand." She turned to Yuhiro. "Come on. Are you not going to provide commentary?"
Yuhiro snapped out of his trance. "Uh, yeah. Her duel grade is now A for Apocalyptic because it shows her growth as a duelist."
"Hey, I didn't get a chance to counter your suggestion." Herald protested. As if to prove that Progleo was on Yuhiro's side, the cub hopped off of Roxy's lap and went over to him. "Progleo, why are you going to his side?"
"Then it's settled. Putting in duel grade now." Roxy said, inputting the duel grade and ending the duel templates for the night. Once it was done, it looked like this:
Name: Aoi Zaizen
Link VRAINS ID: Blue Girl (a change from Blue Angel to show she's growing).
Other aliases: Ghost Girl's partner in crime, stealth mode of Blue Angel.
Gender: Female
Skill: Trickstar Gig (a replacement from Trickstar Fraud. Trickstar Gig lets Blue Girl send cards from the top of her deck equal to the number of 'Trickstar' monsters on her field before adding 'Trickstar' cards from her Graveyard to her hand equal to the number of 'Trickstar' monsters sent to the Graveyard. A nice improvement, that's for sure).
Age: 16 (the same age as Yusaku, Yuhiro, Takeru, and Miyu. For some weird reason, I ship Yusaku and Aoi together).
Job: Working with Akira Zaizen and Ghost Girl to find the Ignis (judging by Akira's good record, it's likely they're doing it for peaceful reasons. Still a good idea to stay alert. As much as Yuhiro and I trust Akira, him hiring the bounty hunters was one of the reasons why we're a bit tense on him. We don't blame him, it's just we're in a sticky situation regarding Miyu).
Residence: Penthouse Apartment in Den City with Akira Zaizen
Deck: Trickstar (the same as before, only she added Fusion Summoning to her arsenal and monsters to increase the attack points of her 'Trickstar' monsters. Just like before, the deck focuses on inflicting small amounts of effect damage over time, which are triggered by the opponent's actions. They also disrupt the opponent's plays by locking Set Spell or Trap cards before forcing the opponent to either use it or send it to the Graveyard.
The Trickstar deck also has three further strategies. The first one is Special Summoning themselves to the field through various effects. By doing this, Blue Angel can Link Climb efficiently. The second one is their immense searching and revival power. By searching and reviving, if not careful, you'll be overwhelmed within a couple of turns. The third one is all about chain reactions. If one Trickstar inflicts effect damage, Blue Angel can chain the effects of other cards to inflict further effect damage, making those harmless stings turn into wasp stings.
Ace Monster: Trickstar Band Sweet Guitar (a Fusion monster with 2200 attack points and 1200 defense points. While she's on the field, any effect damage a 'Trickstar' monster that's linked to this card inflicts is doubled. Should the opponent take damage by a 'Trickstar' monster's effect, Band Sweet Guitar gains attack points equal to the damage inflicted until the end of the turn. If she attacks, Blue Girl can add a 'Trickstar' monster from her Graveyard to her hand).
Link VRAINS History: Recently, she teamed up with Ghost Girl and Akira to find the Ignis. Why, I don't know, but it's likely for peaceful reasons.
Duel Grade right now: A (A for Apocalyptic) (Blue Girl's learning the weaknesses of her deck and countering them by incorporating new tactics and cards. I'm curious as to how she takes the 'Trickstar' deck further).
Notes: Like I said, Blue Girl is growing as both a duelist and as a person. We sadly had to reject her and Ghost Girl's help the other day, but I have a feeling we'll make up for it soon. Still, Yuhiro and I dread the day when we'll have to come clean about Miyu. Hopefully, Aoi forgives us for hiding the truth from her for so long.
With the profiles done, Roxy closed up her computer after saving the profile. She then yawned. "If you ask me, I could use a good rest."
"Me too." Yuhiro agreed, standing up the same time Roxy did.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Someone's here at this time of the night?" Roxy muttered, as she and Yuhiro bolted downstairs to Café Matsuo before opening the door. After answering it, they saw Kusanagi and Yusaku, the former having a serious look on his face. "What is it? Did something happen to Jin?"
Kusanagi shook his head, which relieved Roxy. However, she and Yuhiro knew something else just happened. "Then what happened?"
"Something very, very bad," was all Kusanagi responded with, as he went inside of Café Matsuo like a maniac before running upstairs.
"Kusanagi? What happened?" Yusaku asked, following his partner upstairs. Knowing the situation was grave, Roxy and Yuhiro did the same. They found Kusanagi upstairs in the living room, turning on the TV and changing it to the news.
"Check this out. You won't like it." Kusanagi said, as a news report came online, causing everyone present to widen their eyes:
Kyoko Taki freed along with several prisoners
"Baira escaped from prison?" Yuhiro gasped in alarm.
"That isn't good news." Yusaku said.
"Understatement of the century!" Ai cried out in panic, given the work they did to put her away.
"I hate to say it, but I'm with you on this one, Ai." Herald agreed.
Yuhiro and Roxy gritted their teeth, knowing full well there was only one group who could pull this off.
"The Knights of Hanoi did this!" Yusaku stated, remembering his last meeting with Revolver three months ago, how he vowed to fulfil his dead father's last wish and would return one day. Well, that day had finally arrived.
As for Yuhiro, he scowled upon remembering his duels against various Knights of Hanoi, with the most prevalent being Lord Kazuma and Infearno. Just great.
Roxy, on the other hand, facepalmed and sighed as she realized the amount of troubles that were stacking against them. "This is just what we need right now..." she muttered.
"We're already the target of three other enemies." Kusanagi told the others. "Bohman and Haru, SOL Technologies' bounty hunters, and the azure-overcoated man and his malicious AI Malf."
"There's also the Black Market as well." Yuhiro added, knowing they'll likely interfere in their mission. "More specifically, Ace, Athaliah, and Speckles."
"And now we're adding the Knights of Hanoi to the mix." Roxy finished for everyone else. "This fight is going to be tougher, that's for sure."
Yuhiro narrowed his eyes in agreement with the others. This mission was going to be tougher that's for sure. If anything, the Tower of Hanoi could be a prologue for what's to come.
Elsewhere, at the Light Ignis's palace...
Ace walked into the throne room, having been allowed entrance into the Light Ignis's palace. Normally, humans like him, Athaliah, and Speckles wouldn't be granted an audience with the Light Ignis, but Azrael 'persuaded' the Light Ignis to speak with the Overseer just this once. By doing this, the Light Ignis would get an update in the Black Market, and Ace can present his idea that might possibly aid the cause further.
Ace approached the throne, where he saw Jin Kusanagi sitting on the throne. It looks like the Light Ignis decided to abandon his shadow, he deduced. Sitting on Jin's duel disk was the Light Ignis himself.
"Normally, I don't allow humans to approach me, except for Azrael and Wraith," the Light Ignis firmly pointed out, his eyes narrowed. "Consider this a one-time opportunity to impress me."
"Yes, yes. Of course." Ace complied. The Light Ignis crossed his arms. He definitely did not have the time for this.
"Please provide me with an update regarding the Black Market."
"As Overseer, I was able to form an alliance with the Gamma Branch, and we also have the Alpha Branch's resources under our command." Ace began. "Second, we're in business with the Beta Branch, who have been providing us with female assassins and slaves, as well as creatures in exchange for information. Third, we forced the Omega Branch to serve us, with the threat of the entire branch being destroyed if they didn't comply. Lastly, negotiations are in place with the Zeta and Delta branches. While Epsilon is a minor threat right now, if they see how the branches are coming together, they'll willingly surrender."
"I see," was all the Light Ignis replied. "Azrael also said you have an idea to forcibly distract our enemies so Bohman has more time to regenerate, and ensure Athaliah's other project for me is completed. What is your idea?"
"Please give me Judgment Arrows." Ace requested. "If the Black Market branches sees how powerful the Overseer is, they'll be forced to unite as one. I can then order the branches to attack SOL Technologies, thus occupying them long enough for both Bohman's regeneration and the other project to be completed."
The Light Ignis's eyes narrowed in complete anger. "NO!"
"What? I don't understand."
"If you acquire Judgment Arrows, it's likely our enemies will find a connection between Azrael, Wraith, and Malf, the entire Black Market, and us overall! Your little plan will put everything in jeopardy!" the Light Ignis furiously explained. "But... your idea does have its merits."
"Merits?" Ace repeated.
"Given that SOL Technologies hired bounty hunters, they'll likely be a threat against us." The Light Ignis pondered for a few moments before making a decision. "I'll give you, Athaliah, and Speckles the opportunity to earn Judgment Arrows. Should you succeed, you will acquire the Link Spell."
"And... if we fail?"
"Then I'll leave it to Azrael to decide your punishment," the Light Ignis replied. "If I recall, he did leave a certain virus in the three of you."
"Do not remind me..." Ace stated.
"That is all. Now get out of my throne room!" Ace followed the Light Ignis's orders and stumbled out of the throne room.
While I trust Azrael, Wraith, and Malf to complete their missions, I'm not so sure about the other humans, the Light Ignis thought. I know for a fact I'll need Athaliah to complete the other project assigned to her, and the other two I can dispose of once their usefulness is up. For now, let's see how this plays out. The Light Ignis sighed to himself. Except for Azrael, humans were a pain in the ass, that's for sure.
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS Obscured Truth: Roxy's Reports 25: Kenmochi and Yoroizaka
Author's Notes
Hello, everyone! It's been a while since I made an update to Roxy's Reports! Since a lot of people are covered in this report, I'll be able to focus on the next three or four chapters without any obstacles. This means there won't be an update until those chapters are done. Unlike this profile update, the next two will be much shorter, that I can confirm with you. Anyways, see you next time!