Link VRAINS was bustling with energy. Everyone on the public servers was giddy with excitement. For today, a Duel was being publicized and hosted by SOL Technologies themselves. It was mainly to advertise some of the upcoming features. What got everyone excited were the two Duelists heading the main match. Sigrún and Sparrow, the 3rd and 6th highest-ranked Charisma Duelists on the platform. It was a perfect event to welcome Sparrow back.
In the crowd, Forecaster was busy trying to find a spot to view the match live. There were lots of players online. Everyone wanted to witness the Duel online. He was somewhat surprised. Even after Dueling Sparrow, nobody was treating him any differently. What that good? He was not sure. At least Forecaster felt at ease. No swarm was crowding around him. All people wanted was to watch the broadcast.
He looked around and managed to find a spot. One where people weren't shouldering to shoulder. It was nearby one of the bigger monitors. The countdown timer had reached zero. That means the show was about to begin.
"Everyone~! Thank you for waiting!" Sigrún waved to the crowd. "We just needed to finish some things up. I hope you weren't waiting like long!"
"Let us begin our battle! Hope you're all ready!" Sigrún and Sparrow activated their Duel Disks.
"Let's Duel!" Everyone shouted, initiating the Duel.
{Master Duel - START!}
Sigrún: 4000
Vs
Sparrow: 4000
"Lady's first! I begin by Summoning Crusadia Arboria to the field. Construct yourselves before me, circuits of evolution! The Summoning Conditions are 1 Crusadia monster. I Set Crusadia Arboria to the markers! Link Summon! Come forth! Link-1, Crusadia Magius!" An elven woman was replaced by a small wizard, pointing to a zone behind it.
Crusadia Magius: LINK-1 LIGHT Spellcaster/Link/Effect ATK: 100 [MARKER(S): Bottom]
"From my hand, I activate Crusadia Leonis' effect! I Special Summon him to the Crusadia Magius' zone in defense position. Then I activate Magius' effect - I add a Crusadia monster to my hand. Leonis then boosts my Link Monster's effect by its own!" The lion jumped onto the field, letting out a roar as Sigrún added a card to her hand.
Crusadia Leonis: Level 3 EARTH Beast/Effect ATK: 1200 DEF: 1600
Crusadia Magius: LINK-1 LIGHT Spellcaster/Link/Effect ATK: 100 + 1200 = 1300 [MARKER(S): Bottom]
"Construct yourself once more, circuits of evolution! The Summoning conditions are two effect monsters, including a Crusadia monster. I Set both Crusadia Magius and Crusadia Leonis to the markers. Link Summon! Come forth, my general of beasts! Link-2, Crusadia Regulex!" A large lion leaped out to the ground, main constructed of fire.
Crusadia Regulex: LINK-2 LIGHT Beast/Link/Effect ATK: 1000 [MARKER(S): Top and Bottom]
"Then, I activate the effect of Crusadia Maximus to Special Summon itself to Crusadia's zone in defense position. And while Maximus gives Regulex attack power, I can add a Crusadia Spell or Trap to my hand. I choose to activate the card I searched out - Crusadia Revival! This gives my Regulex 500 attack as well!" (3h)
Crusadia Maximus: Level 4 LIGHT Psychic/Effect ATK: 1600 DEF: 1000
Crusadia Regulex: LINK-2 LIGHT Beast/Link/Effect ATK: 1000 + 1600 + 500 = 3100 [MARKER(S): Top and Bottom]
"I set a card and end my turn. Now, I passed the turn to you. Give us a show Sparrow!" Sigrún held onto two cards.
Sparrow nodded, turning toward the crowd. "Alright, everyone! Let's see this action take flight! I draw! I begin by playing the Field Spell Fandora, the Flying Furtress before Summoning Beat, Bladesman Fur Hire!"
Beat, Bladesman Fur Hire: Level 3 EARTH Warrior/Effect ATK: 1200 DEF: 500
"I activate Beat's effect to Special Summon a monster from my hand. I Special Summon Helmer, Helmsman Fur Hire from my hand. Since I had Special Summoned a Fur Hire, I activate Beat's effect to add a Fur Hire to my hand. Then I activate Helmer's effect to Special Summon Sagitta, Maverick Fur Hire!" The Aqua-type monster was joined by a flying bird wielding a sniper rifle. "Sagitta's effect activates! When she's Special Summon, I inflict 500 damage for each Fur Hire I control other than Sagitta! Since I control Beat and Helmer, Sagitta inflicts 1000 damage to you directly. Then I use Helmer's effect to discard Recon, Scout Fur Hire and draw a card."
The Winged-Beast raised her rifle. Reticle aimed, the bird fired two shots at Sigrún. The female Duelist flinched twice, her avatar quickly visually showing the damage before repairing itself.
Sigrún: 4000 - 1000 = 3000
Vs
Sparrow: 4000
"Manifest before me! Circuits of evolution align! The Summoning Conditions are that I have three monsters with different typings. I Set Beat, Helmer, and Sagitta to the markers! Link Summon! Esteemed warrior wielding your blade, slay your enemies in the name of justice! LINK-3 Folgo, Justice Fur Hire!" A wolf wielding a longsword appeared, slicing through a storm of cherry blossom before howling into the air.
Folgo, Justice Fur Hire: LINK-3 DARK Beast/Link/Effect ATK: 2400 [MARKER(S): Top, Bottom-Left and Bottom-Right]
"Folgo's effect activates! I can Special Summon a 'Fur Hire' monster to my field that is a type different than the three monsters I used for his Link Summon. I choose to Special Summon Rafale, Champion Fur Hire!" A dragon appeared on the field, letting out a cry as it did.
Rafale, Champion Fur Hire: Level 8 LIGHT Dragon/Effect ATK: 2800 DEF: 2200
"Rafale's effect activates! When he is Special Summoned, I excavate cards from my Deck equal to the number of 'Fur Hire' monsters I control before adding 1 to my hand. Since I control Folgo, I get excavate one and add it to my hand!" Sparrow's top card was Seal. "I add Seal to my hand and shuffle my Deck."
"Then I activate the Continuous Spell Metsys, Guild Fur Hire! Now we fight! I attack Regulex with Folgo!" The Continuous Spell showed Sagitta, Dyna, Wiz, and Rafale in a building of sorts.
Metsys, Guild Fur Hire
Continuous Spell
You can only control 1 "Metsys, Guild Fur Hire" on your side of the field. During the Damage Step, when a Fur Hire monster you control declares an attack: that monster gains 1000 attack for each Fur Hire monster you control until the end of the Battle Phase.
"What are you doing!? Regulex has more attack that your monster!" Sigrún shouted.
"This! I activate Metsys' effect! When I control a Fur Hire monster, it gains 1000 ATK for every Fur Hire monster I control! Since I control both Folgo and Rafale, my Link Monster surpasses yours with the additional 2000 ATK!" His monster growled, about to strike through the other Beast-Link Monster. "Justice Slash!"
Folgo, Justice Fur Hire: LINK-3 DARK Beast/Link/Effect ATK: 2400 + 2000 = 4400 [MARKER(S): Top, Bottom-Left and Bottom-Right]
"I won't allow such an attack to destroy one of my mighty generals! I activate the effect of Crusadia Arboria to protect Regulex from destruction!"
"Yes, but you still take the damage!" The slash went through the lion, even as it remained standing.
Sigrún: 3000 - 1300 = 1700
Vs
Sparrow: 4000
"I will place two cards face down and end my turn. At this moment, Folgo's attack returns to normal." Sparrow glanced at the two monsters in his hand.
Folgo, Justice Fur Hire: LINK-3 DARK Beast/Link/Effect ATK: 4400 - 2000 = 2400 [MARKER(S): Top, Bottom-Left and Bottom-Right]
"Not bad Sparrow! Your combo game has really improved!" Sigrún complimented her opponent. "However, I won't all you such an easy victory!"
"I wasn't expecting anything less! Show me what you got Sigrún!"
"Of course, I draw!" Sigrún looked at the monster card she drew. "Exactly what I needed. Watch this! I Special Summon Crusadia Reclusia to a zone a Link Monster points too!"
Crusadia Reclusia: Level 3 FIRE Spellcaster/Effect ATK: 400 DEF: 2000
"Wait! But Regulex doesn't have any open zones… unless-!" Sparrow's eyes widen as the Spellcaster appeared at the zone above Folgo. The Beast-monster tilting its head in confusion.
"Crusadia monsters can Special Summon themselves a zone a Link Monster points to on my field. That means when you summoned your Link-3 Folgo, you opened up space! Then I activate Reclusia's effect! When it is Summoned to a zone a Link Monster points to, I can destroy 1 card you control and a Crusadia I control! I choose to destroy both Reclusia and your Link Folgo!" Her Spellcaster began to charge a spell, surrounding itself and the Link-3 monster.
"Not so fast! I activate Rafale's effect! By discarding a Fur Hire from my hand, your monster effect is negated! I discard Bravo to negate the effect! Champion's Ballet!" The dragon snarled, slicing the sword at Reclusia to negate the effect.
Sigrún noticed how her monster remained, even when the effect was negated. "I see… From my hand, I Summon another Crusadia Arboria from my hand. Open yourselves once more, circuits of the future! The Summoning Condition requires 2 Effect monsters, including a Crusadia monster. I set both Arboria and Reclusia to the Markers! Link Summon! Appear, LINK-2 Crusadia Spatha!"
Crusadia Spatha: LINK-2 LIGHT Warrior/Link/Effect ATK: 500 + 500 = 1000 [MARKER(S): Left and Bottom]
The winged warrior landed right in front of Folgo again, brandishing a sword.
"Lastly, I use Crusadia Draco's effect to Special Summon itself to the left zone Spatha points too! And at this moment, I activate Draco's effect to return a Crusadia from my Graveyard to my hand!" Sigrún's new Link Monster was joined by a dragon in defense mode, choosing to return Leonis to her hand. "And since you activate Rafale's effect earlier, you cannot negate any more of my effects. So that means Spatha's effect activates! Since Draco was Special Summoned to Spatha's zone, I can move a monster in the Main Monster Zone to another zone that the controller has. I move your Rafale to the zone where Regulex points to."
Crusadia Draco: Level 4 WIND Dragon/Effect ATK: 600 DEF: 2000
Crusadia Spatha: LINK-2 LIGHT Warrior/Link/Effect ATK: 1000 + 600 = 1600 [MARKER(S): Left and Bottom]
The warrior swung her sword, casting a gust of wind that past right by Folgo and moved Rafale to be right in front of Regulex.
"Regulex gains attack equal to the amount of those it points to. Since Rafale is now in a zone Regulex points to, it gains even more attack!" The lion once again roared, flames growing even brighter.
Crusadia Regulex: LINK-2 LIGHT Beast/Link/Effect ATK: 3100 + 2800 = 5900 [MARKER(S): Top and Bottom]
"Then I activate Maximus' effect to target Regulex! I do the same with my Field Spell! Now we fight! I attack Folgo with Regulex! Champion's Blaze!" The monster charged toward the other beast, the fire of its mane growing larger and larger.
Sigrún: 1700
Vs
Sparrow: 4000 - 3500 = 500
"Sadly, I cannot attack with any other monsters. Crusadia Revival's effect, however, allows my monster to attack all monsters you control! So your other Fur Hire is destroyed as well." Her monster charged toward the second one, destroying it instantly.
Sparrow was grateful that it was in defense position. Otherwise, he would have lost. But he did notice Regulex's attack going down. Made sense since his own monster was destroyed.
Crusadia Regulex: LINK-2 LIGHT Beast/Link/Effect ATK: 5900 - 2800 = 3100 [MARKER(S): Top and Bottom]
"I end my turn with this," Sigrún stated as her monster returned to its place.
"Not bad." Sparrow winced in slight pain. "I should have known your monsters pack quite a punch… but my monsters aren't weak either. I activate Fandora, the Flying Furtress effect. Instead of conducting a Normal Draw Phase, I add a Fur Hire monster from my Deck to my hand. I choose to add Philo, Messenger Fur Hire! Then I Summon Seal, Strategist Fur Hire from my hand!"
Seal, Strategist Fur Hire: Level 4 DARK Beast-Warrior/Effect ATK: 1600 DEF: 1000
"I activate Seal's effect to Special Summon a monster from my hand. I choose to Special Summon Philo, Messenger Fur Hire!" The small yellow chick flew onto the field. "And since I Special Summoned a monster, Seal's effect activates and I add Sagitta to my hand. Then I activate one of the face-down cards - Mayhem Fur Hire! I Special Summon a Fur Hire from my Graveyard! Return Beat!"
Philo, Messenger Fur Hire: Level 1 WIND Winged-Beast/Effect ATK: 0 DEF: 0
Beat, Bladesman Fur Hire: Level 3 EARTH Warrior/Effect ATK: 1200 DEF: 500
"So you summoned Philo to point to Regulex to avoid increasing his attack…" Sigrún noted.
"Philo's effect activates! When a Fur Hire is Special Summoned while she's on the field, I can Special Summon a Fur Hire from my Graveyard. Revive yourself Rafale!" The dragon let out a roar.
Rafale, Champion Fur Hire: Level 8 LIGHT Dragon/Effect ATK: 2800 DEF: 2200
"Rafale's effect activates! Upon being Special Summon, Rafale excavates cards from my Deck equal to the number of other Fur Hire monsters I control. With Philo, Beat, Seal on my field - I get to excavate three!" Sparrow saw the three cards: Donpa, Wiz and Beat. "I choose to add Wiz to my hand and shuffle the others back. Then I activate Beat's effect to Special Summon Wiz from my hand! And Wiz recovers my LP by 500 of every other Fur Hire I control. Philo, Beat, Seal and Rafale mean I gain 2000 LP in total!"
Wiz, Sage Fur Hire: Level 7 WATER Spellcaster/Effect ATK: 1600 DEF: 2800
Sigrún: 1700
Vs
Sparrow: 500 + 2000 = 2500
"This will end it! I attack your monster with Rafale!" The dragon charged forward with his sword. "And thanks to the Continuous Effect of Metsys, Guild Fur Hire, Rafale gains even more attack than your Regulex!"
Rafale, Champion Fur Hire: Level 8 LIGHT Dragon/Effect ATK: 2800 + 5000 = 7800 DEF: 2200
"This… is exactly what I've been waiting for! I activate my Quick-Play Spell Cosmic Cyclone. By paying 1000 LP, I can banish 1 Spell or Trap on the field. I banish your Continuous Spell."
"But if you do that-!"
"That means your Rafale's attack returns to normal and is destroyed!" Regulex snapped his jaws through the blade before unleashing a breath of fire, destroying the effect monster.
Sigrún: 1700 - 1000 = 700
Vs
Sparrow: 2500 - 300 = 2200
Sparrow winced a bit. Having to end his turn there, he stood up. "I'm still in this!"
"Sure you are. But without any cards in hand, your monsters cannot negate my effects!" Sigrún then drew a card from her hand, smiling at what she got. "Yes! I activate the Spell Crusadia Tactics! With this, I can target Regulex with Spatha and until the end of this turn, Regulex gains ATK equal to Spatha's ATK!" The artwork displayed Crusadia Magius and Spatha raising their weapons, powering Crusadia Regulex.
Crusadia Tactics
Normal Spell
Target 2 "Crusadia" Link monsters you control. For the rest of the turn, the first Crusadia monster you targets gains ATK equal to the second monster's ATK. You can only activate 1 "Crusadia Tactics" once per turn.
Crusadia Regulex: LINK-2 LIGHT Beast/Link/Effect ATK: 3100 + 1600 = 4700 [MARKER(S): Top and Bottom]
"Now I activate Maximus' effect and target Regulex. Now for the rest of the turn, he inflicts double battle damage! We now fight! Regulex, destroy Seal and end this! Champion's Blaze!" " Maximus's sword began to glow, signifying the effect as the lion crashed right through the monster. Snarling as it did, the explosion went off and Sparrow was knocked off his feet.
Sigrún: 700
Vs
Sparrow: 2200 - 3100 = 0
{Winner - Sigrún!}
Back to the crowd, everyone was cheering at Sigrún securing her victory. Forecaster was but one of many thrilled with the climatic win.
"Wasn't that amazing? Crusadia Regulex is one of the most amazing Link Monsters!"
"You bet! No wonder why Sigrún maintains her spot at Number 3! Her Crusadia Deck is pretty hard to beat."
"Totally! Besides, which SOL still working on Archetypes, it's no wonder how she's sponsored by them and gets that Deck. Wish SOL would release the cards soon."
Forecaster laughed, overhearing people gossiping and overall chatting. He was enjoying the moment very much. If only he had some others here with him. Like his new friend…
Something weird caught his attention. As did everyone else. Looking toward the sun, everything was getting darker. The moon was starting to block the sun!? All attention from the Duel was changed to the sky.
"An eclipse?" Somebody asked.
The darkened moon continued to move over, darkening the sky and blocking more of the light.
"An eclipse in Link VRAINS?" Somebody moved on.
"Is this an event?"
"No official event was announced."
"Is it a bug?"
The eclipse continued to go on as people watched it go on. Some were panicking. Areas around them began to glitch out. Forecaster wasn't the only one in the area. Many familiar avatars were there, witnessing the event unfold.
"What's going on?" Ghost Girl was perplexed. "Did the Knights of Hanoi do this? Or is it a new threat?"
[Ancient people were scared, thinking eclipses were signs of cataclysms.] In another area, Playmaker and AI were viewing the eclipse from afar. [But people today are still scared?]
"More than you think." Playmaker was blunt in his response. "Even if technology advances, people haven't really changed."
[Really?]
"The light is hidden by the darkness."
[Say what? You mean the Lost Incident?]
"Yeah. But I won't let the darkness bury that incident. I promise to bring the truth to light." Playmaker said, reaching out to the eclipse.
Lastly, the Compendium group were watching from afar. Rosey was leaning over the edge. She was near the others, leaning over a railing. Far enough to seem like she wasn't apart of the group. Her eyes were watching the eclipse past. Eyes narrowing at the program. Her back was toward the lasting remains of the group. Rass listening in as Cross Nine and Pastrybee were speaking to a frightened young girl. One that Rosey recognized instantly as apart of the Nest. She remained standing afar, having Rass being her ears to the discussion.
"...So, what you're saying is that the Knights of Hanoi found the Nest and destroyed it?" Cross Nine wanted to make sure everything was clarified.
The girl nodded, shaking in her seat. Eyes downcasted and fiddling with her fingers. "Y...Yes… He came… the one with the eyes… He came… He came and… Everyone was… They were… He took them away! Even Siren!"
Rosey's eyes widened, but she continued to listen in as Rass went to ask a question. "Even Siren? Are you saying… the Knight of Hanoi defeated Siren?"
The girl was shaking more and more. "She… I was the only one left. I was scared! Siren came to… to… and she's gone! He took her away!"
"He? You mean that Knight of Hanoi?" Cross Nine leaned closer.
"Yes. He called… He called … He called… He called himself Phantom. He has a… Deck of monsters… They were scary… He defeated Siren… Siren was gone… Siren... like it was nothing!"
"Phantom… and he wanted to get into contact with Rosebud. What for?" Rass pressed the question.
"I… I don't know! But he gave me this." She seemed to hand over something. "He said to get this to Rosebud and I could live… I don't want to die. But I… I also don't want the rest of my friends to stay dead! Could you… could Rosebud do something about this?!"
"I'm not entirely sure if she can… but we can get this to Rosebud as soon a possible." Pastrybee grinned from ear to ear. "We can hand this over and see what we can do. Rosebud will have to have the final say, however."
Rosey stood up, noticing the young girl logging out. The remaining three watched as she came over. Rass was holding a card. He quickly handed it over. It was a pre-recorded message disguised as a Harpie Girl. It was obvious due to the Normal Monster art being in an effect monster coloration. She shifted looks around them before pressing the card text.
"If you are watching this then it has safely got to your hands Rosebud. I am Phantom, a member of the Knights of Hanoi. I hope that darling little harpie had left this in your hands. Otherwise…" Phantom face of the card shifted to the side as if he was looking at something. "It would be a shame to see such a young girl die, would it not? Now, onto why I have this message. For you see, it would appear as if SOL had dropped a little… something in your very own Duel Disk. It is something of our property. Should you value the lives of those around you and yourself, then you would hand it over I will send you another message soon. Until then."
"Property? Is that the Ignis thingy Nero claimed you have?" Cross Nine raised an eyebrow. "Even if you nor Rass found anything?"
"...Yeah. But if they are going this far as to target associates, I can't hang back." Rosey stated as she glanced at her Duel Disk. "At the same time, I can't just simply present myself to the Knights of Hanoi."
"This smells like a trap! And I don't like it! I'd say you investigate more about whatever they want in your Duel Disk." Pastrybee said. "I can do my usual thing and see what I can get from the public.
"I have to agree. For right now, we need to remain cautious." Rass sated, the eclipse passing up above. "We can't afford to get on this Phantom's bad side. We should wait until another message is received."
"Agreed. I won't put any of you in danger if we don't know what to expect." Rosey nodded. "We will meet up another time."
"Yeah, but shouldn't you try and get some rest yourself?" Cross Nine looked over to their leader. "I know your avatar is good at hiding it, but you sound tired. Have you been getting enough sleep?"
"Would it matter with our current situation thrust upon me?" Rosey blindly snapped at him. "If you haven't noticed, being the target of sides which I had no say in clearly isn't doing well for my mental health. Do you really expect me to fine with all of this is going on because of me!?"
"What I'm saying is that you need to take of yourself before you burnout yourself! You're our leader and if I was trying to use you, having you in this current state is exactly what I'd do before finishing the job." He paused, almost looking reluctant at what he was about to say. "Please… I don't think any of us could afford to lose you."
Rosey shut her eyes. Cross really did have a point. Her body was already being pushed far beyond the regular limits. Probably taking the medicine more frequently was the only thing keeping her from outright collapsing. The position as Rosebud was heavy. Was she stilling being so…?
"...You… I… You're right." She conceded, wrapping her arms around herself. "This isn't why Compendium was started. But I can't just… Everyone, can I trust you and the others to take care of things? I need… an extended leave."
"Don't worry. We'll be here for you until the very end. Now go on and go to bed. We got things covered."
Just as he said it, a shockwave suddenly went through the server. Rosey nearly fell over if Cross Nine didn't grab her first. Rass fell to a knee as Pastrybee quickly used her wings to hover. The group looked up toward the eclipse, and for a moment swore they same something in the sky.
It soon revealed itself, a dragon's roar that Rosey instantly recognized. Her eyes widen as she looked up. Galaxy-Eyes Solarflare Dragon suddenly broke through the data of the eclipse, spreading its wings before blasting away toward a portion of the main audience from the prior Duel.
Screams were instantly heard. Compendium and many others were shocked by the attack. Though Galaxy-Eyes Solarflare Dragon wasn't the only dragon to suddenly tear into the server and start unleashing attacks. Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon appeared next from another angle, blasting away those up above and higher levels of buildings. The attacks caught everyone off guard, burning away players and causing massive havoc.
"What the-!? Why's Solarflare here?!" Pastrybee exclaimed.
"Does that matter? He's going to crash the server and hurt everyone here if he doesn't stop!" Cross Nine exclaimed.
Rosey got to her feet, getting herself out of the Invoked user's grasp. Then she pressed a few buttons and changed her avatar to Rosebud.
"Rosey - Rosebud!? What are you doing!?" Pastrybee shouted. "You can't just change like that! What if somebody else saw you change? You'll be compromised!"
"...He's after me." Rosebud simply replied.
"You!?" The trio gasped.
"He's most likely after me because of our Duel. That and this new Cyberse Dragon I acquired." She explained before summoning her D-Board. "I need you guys to get as many people out there. I'm going to try and lure him away."
"You do that Boss." Rass suddenly pulled up the server data, checking it for things. "We got about ten minutes to get him out before SOL pulls the plug. And it looks like Solarflare's hacking attempt changed this server to anarchy."
"Anarchy? Then that means…" Pastrybee pumped her fist in the air. "Yes! I love this ruleset!"
"You love an anarchy ruleset? Never thought I'd see you enjoy something like that." Cross Nine grinned before Pastrybee slapped his shoulder. "Ouch!"
"Enough! Now are we going or what?" Rosebud asked, activating her Duel Disk.
"Okay! Leave it to us and kick Solarflare's ass!"
Rosebud took off, flying into the sky as she recalled the rules of anarchy servers and how they affected Duels. Oh who was she kidding, she knew exactly how those played out. She lived one for a while and they were simply to remember: all rules and forbidden lists were nullified. The only way was to survive, adapt and make sure you got your hands on broken cards. And if he was able to summon Extra Deck Monsters, then she could do the same. After all, he did somehow make this his ruleset.
She sped on toward the eclipsed sun; if the Duelist of the same name would be anywhere, he would be there. And she would win against him against if she had to.
"Come forth! Aromaseraphy Belladonna! Ghost Garden Rose Dragon!" Both Link Monster appeared on the field, the Cyberse Dragon snarling as it broke free from a cocoon of petals and thorns.
The sudden surprise attack of two Galaxy-Eyes was alarming, to say the least. What was more concerning and startling were the attacks. It was literally scaring everyone around and running in fear. All around in different areas, reactions and actions were quite different.
Forecaster wheezed. He was in the area of the first attack, barely managing to survive the monster's attack. As he got up, he was greeted by the mass hysteria. That and the floor around him starting to glitch out. The Weather Painter Duelist got up as he saw the massive dragons flying overhead.
Wait, dragons!? His eyes did not deceive him. Multiple dragons were flying around, destroying the server and users alike. These attacks… they were just like the ones described Solarflare. Stunned, Forecaster felt the ground beneath him almost give. He was quick to move, summoning his D-Board and hopping on while others did the same or logged off entirely. As much as he wanted to log off, he couldn't. Something told him to help.
Forecaster flew around, scanning the floor below for anyone struggling to flee. He managed to save a few Duelists from the monsters' wrath. He was careful, being observant of his surroundings. As he finished assisting a few girls in escaping, Forecaster was about to go off again in search of more. Just as he was about to take off, a blast out of nowhere knocked him off his D-Board.
The long-haired male screamed, falling off and over the edge of the building. He started a rapid descent toward the ground. He shut his eyes, feeling the horror of crashing into the ground imminent. To his surprise, nothing came of that.
Before he crashed into the ground and into the blast zone of one of the attacks, Nero suddenly appeared on his very on D-Board, swooping down and catching the other male. The SOL employee was quick to move out of the way.
"Takumi, you can open your eyes now," Nero said, smiling slightly at the other Duelist.
Hearing his own name, Forecaster opened his eyes and gasped. A blush spreading across his face quickly. "Hey-Hey! What are you doing here Necroface?"
"Necroface?" Nero laughed a bit. "I could ask you the same, Wendy."
"Don't you dare start that." Forecaster glared.
"What? Can I not poke fun of my younger brother?" Nero's teasing did get to Forecaster sometimes.
"Not in here! Plus-! Nero!" Forecaster gasped, seeing one of the Photon Dragons unleash an attack headed directly toward them.
Nero glared, before calling out his monster. "Beatrice!"
The XYZ monster suddenly appeared, causing a blocking spell before unleashing an attack of her own. Forecaster's eyes widen as Nero smirked. "I got this covered. Now, why don't you log out so Sueko doesn't get a heart attack."
"What-!? But I- What about you!?"
"Just leave this to me. It's my job after all." Nero glared. "Got it?"
Ghost Girl was both astonished and intrigued by this sudden development. Solarflare must be a talented hacker to pull this attack off. Spawning multiple dragons and destroying servers meant that this was no ordinary code. It was both an impressive and fearsome sight to behold. Still, the damage and danger the dragons to overload and crash the server was a real danger. She was lucky to not get hit by the first blast.
Then again, the situation did something quite interesting.
"...You've got to be kidding." Rass clenched his teeth, with his Thunder Dragon Goliath beside him.
"Ah, hello once again Rass!" Ghost Girl waved at the man, on her D-Board. "What brings over here?"
"Doesn't matter now. Not with these dragons flying about." He looked around before a question came up. "Are planning to help out or watch the show?"
"It would depend. But it seems like you're not the only one with that idea." Ghost Girl referred to some of the other Duelists flying around, summoning monsters to fight the onslaught of dragons.
"I'm only here to make sure the server doesn't crash with everyone on it. I don't see you doing anything about it."
"Oh? And how do you plan on doing that?"
"Like I need to tell you anything. Just stay out of my way, got it?" Rass hissed before speeding off, the Thunder-Type Dragon flying off.
"Madolche Fresh Sistart!" Pastrybee called out, her monster attacking and sending another one of the Photon Dragons away.
The female was on her D-Board, managing to protect a crowd of users from an attack. Her wings were out on full display, closing slightly as she turned to the crowd of Duelists behind her.
"Everyone! You have to log out now! It isn't safe!" She declared, hoping to convince the users to not put themselves in harm's way.
"But we can help! What gives you the authority to order us around?" One of the users inquired.
"Yeah! You're not Playmaker!" Another one shouted.
Pastrybee sighed. She wasn't ready to deal with those type of people. In fact, she was about to retort. Explain why it would be pointless. However, that chance was stolen by another.
"If you stay, there is a good chance all of you can be harmed. I would politely ask you all to reconsider." Sparrow came down from above, nearly startling Pastrybee as the Charisma Duelist looked toward the crowd. "I would implore you all to leave, for your safety and the safety of others."
"Sparrow!?" The crowd gasped.
"Sparrow! Are you going to stay behind and fight this cyber attack?" Someone from the crowd asked the Duelist.
"Indeed. At the moment, SOL is working hard to stop this attack. It would be best for everyone to log off until the matter is dealt with." He explained.
The crowd didn't argue, logging off and leaving both Pastrybee and Sparrow left in that area. The female was a bit happy, knowing that the crowd was gone and out of the picture. Having to worry about additional heads beside her own would have been troublesome. To have a man, let alone a top Charisma Duelist step in did bother her a bit.
She knew that acting badly around him would do any good for right now. For now, she would hide her injured pride. They weren't enemies; at least just yet. "I… Thank you for your assistance."
"Not a problem; I couldn't allow more people to get harmed by this attack," Sparrow replied, turning toward her. "And that goes the same for you."
"Sorry, but I have no intention of logging out of here."
"And why's that? Somebody like you shouldn't be risking their lives when SOL can handle it."
Pastrybee laughed. "SOL? Handle it? Sparrow, I might know you personally, but let me tell you one thing. SOL can't handle things. They need people like us to step in and do their work."
She looked away, seeing a group of dragons heading toward them. "Great. More of those Photons showed up. Let's clean house, Madolche Fresh Sistart!"
Cross Nine jumped down to the ground level, looking around for any sort of clues. He might not have any of his monsters out, but his skills were only amplified with his Deck. At the moment, the Duelist needed a quick break and a way to check something out. Summoning a tome, he glanced around before opening it up. A map of sorts suddenly appeared. A 3D kind that displayed the server with blinking lights. Two were in the sky; Cross Nine didn't have to think long about who those would be.
He turned on his communication, muttering a few things so the tome reacted. "Hey, please tell me you got some good news?"
"I wish I could say." Pastrybee hissed on the other end. "These dragons won't let up."
"Yeah, not to mention we got some SOL personal and others helping combat the fight," Rass replied as a shout could be heard from the background. "I'd say we got a few minutes before we all have to log out."
"Has anyone heard from Rosebud?"
"Sorry. I haven't. Had the Solarflare move yet?" Rass asked, adding another question to the pile.
"No, but I do see Ghost Garden Rose Dragon and-! Huh!?" Pastrybee gasped.
"What is it Bee?!"
"I… I think you two need to check out the sky…"
In the sky, Ghost Garden Rose Dragon and Solarflare Dragon were engaged in combat. The Cyberse Dragon unleashing attacks back and forth. A blast of Ghost Rose Flare met the power of the Supernova Dragon. Both dragons were unyielding in power. Their blasts creating a flashing light in the sky, fighting for dominance.
Rosebud was not far behind, heading closer with Aromaseraphy Belladonna by her side. The Plant-Type monster was readied with the weapon in hand. Rosebud was certain Solarflare had to be nearby. She just needed to find the Duelist before it was too late. Before the server went down and more people could get hurt. The only thing she could do was confront him, and hopefully get him from causing anything more.
"Come on… where are you?" She asked, looking around for any sign of him.
Just as she was about to reach the Cyberse Dragons, both monsters stopped their attacks, letting out a roar before suddenly backing up. Rosebud slowed down before understanding what ended the assault. A Data Storm suddenly broke into the server, the winds picking up and nearly knocked her off her D-Board. Her Duel Monster was quick to act, grabbing the Duelist and pulling her back and away from the Data Storm.
The Data Storm didn't seem normal. It seemed different, for it startled both Cyberse Dragons. Narrowing her eyes, she thought she noticed somebody flying out from it. The person stopped beside the dragon, wearing a cloak. Only one Duelist would do that, however.
Rosebud narrowed her eyes before shouting at him. "Solarflare! You got some nerve doing this!"
The hooded figure turned around; she could tell it was him by the glistening visibly eye. He didn't reply to her. Instead, he made a weird bunch of clicking noises, barely audible to her ears. However, it did do one thing: finally gives her an answer of sorts. Galaxy-Eyes Supernova Dragon growled before slashing its claws into the Data Storm.
The reaction was instant. Rosebud saw the slash create a tear, but instead of sucking everything around it in, it was suddenly unleashing a bunch of monsters instead. The Aromage Duelist had to back up, but Ghost Garden Rose Dragon let out a roar before unleashing its next attack. Aromaseraphy Belladonna created a petal shield as Supernova Dragon also unleashed an attack to match the blast.
Rosebud could see some of the monsters escaping out and into the server. Feline-like monsters with robotic-like armor, a golden centaur-like warrior, and bug-like monsters among others. It looked like he had unleashed another wave of monsters, but this time it was a free-for-all.
"-Rosebud! We have to go now!" Cross' voice caught her attention over the communicator. "SOL doesn't like whatever had happened and is going to pull the plug any second!"
"But…" She glared at Solarflare but shook her head. "Fine! I'll be right out. Return, Ghost Garden and Belladonna!"
Both Link Monster returned to her Deck; Rosebud could tell the eyes watching her and the possible grin Solarflare had underneath his cloak. Just before she logged out, she heard one last thing. From Solarflare no less right as she touched the button.
"We're not done yet; mark my words. This is only the beginning."
The next day at school wasn't any better for Arisu. She caught herself nearly falling asleep in class. Three times. Cross Nine did have a point; maybe she should keep the extended leave. To rest up and not collapse at school. For once, she was glad Takumi was walking with her out of school. Apparently, something was going on. And she was hearing it from his perspective.
"So an Another is a person who went into Link VRAINS and hasn't return. Something like a creepy acoma." Takum explained to Arisu. "It's an explanation for why places like school are seeing less and less people. Rumor has it connected to a cursed Duel Disk!"
"A cursed Duel Disk? You're joking right?" That was one thing Arisu couldn't just believe.
"Nope! This is seriously like some Midnight Channel shit. Exactly at midnight, white hands come out a cursed Duel Disk, dragging their owners and some-to-be into Link VRAINS. It leaves their body an empty shell in the real world. A husk waiting for a life to fill in its shoes. Pretty much a living corpse. Or somebody who is brain-dead. Whatever term fits your fancy."
"I don't think brain-dead is the best word to describe them… but go on."
"They're taken to the hospital's ICU. Once you become an Another, there is a chance you never wake up again." Takumi sighed. "Though, it seems like victims are only those with a promising future. Or so they say."
"I see… that is troublesome." Arisu was nervous about her Duel Disk at home. Then to her sister, Morie. Morie couldn't be targeted, right?
"I've heard from my Duel Club that Naoki wishes that Playmaker - the duelist of justice - would come and put an end to it. But, Naoki says he's going to become a victim soon. Problem is, he's the crappiest Duelist I've ever met."
"Is he now?" Both teenagers laughed, stopping at the gates. "What do you think?"
"Honestly, I got a feeling Rosebud can put a stop to this! I mean, she's good at her job, right? I'd put more money on her if they were to Duel each other."
"Y-Yeah sounds fun…"
"Oh! Have you heard about what happened yesterday? A bunch of Cyberse monsters was suddenly unleashed and people are reporting having them in their Decks."
"Are they?" Rosebud tilted her head.
"Yeah! But that's not all. Somehow a new source got footage of Rosebud and apparently, she has a Cyberse Monster. News is picking up on it since they were thought to be a myth. Well, that was until Playmaker showed up… but with that recent incident and Rosebud having a Cyberse monster, people are wondering what other things are bound to happen. Personally, I didn't get one, but it would have been so cool to have one. I'm wondering how SOL is going to respond…"
That night in a back alley, Yusaku and Kusanagi was researching about the Another Incident. They were currently going through footage and information public about the incident. From there, Yusaku was able to deduce three important things. Firstly, all of the victims were exceptional Duelists. Secondly, they used old-time Duel Disks. Lastly, they were all hackers of a certain degree. From this, it didn't take him long to realize that it had to be somebody after either himself or the Ignis. That made the most logical sense.
However, these three facts weighed heavy on his mind. For one certain Duelist that was recently making the news. And for a certain student… that he may or may not suspect to be the same Duelist.
Arisu Chinen, she had to have been connected to Rosebud. Or at least they shared the same characteristics. That monologue after their Duel was interrupted certainly matched her outburst that one afternoon. And if she was really referring knowing about the Ignis, then she could be a possible target.
From the information gathered on Rosebud, he knew a few things. Firstly, Rosebud was an extremely talented Duelist. That Link Monster she had, Aromaseraphy Belladonna would prove a huge problem once it got set up with the combos of an Aromage/Plant Deck. Secondly, Rosebud did have an older-style Duel Disk much like his own. Hers was more worn-down than his own, but Rosebud shared a very similar model. Thirdly, and most telling, was Rosebud's reputation as a freelance hacker who also ran a group called the Compendium. If that wasn't telling before, that last fact certainly meant one thing. She could be the next target of the Another Incident.
[Hey, is someone on your mind?] The Ignis asked Yusaku. [You've been staring off into space.]
Yusaku was brought back to reality by the Ignis' question. After witnessing the Knights of Hanoi confirming that this was their doing and hunting down Playmaker, he suddenly understood something. If Arisu Chinen was truly Rosebud, and fit within the parameters of being a target, she would be next.
And that wouldn't be good. For either of them.
"Yusaku! We have a problem!" Yusaku heard Kusanagi over the speaker.
"What is it Kusanagi?" Yusaku didn't have to wait.
Suddenly, his Link Sense suddenly spiked up. His vision flickered back to Link VRAINS. However, what he saw shocked him. It was a Knight of Hanoi, yes. But his target… his eyes widen, seeing Arisu scream as she was flung back against a wall. Her real-life self was flickering back and forth between itself and an avatar. The vision soon faded, but Yusaku instantly had a single thought.
Was Arisu soon to become the next victim of the Another Incident?
~ Next Time on ~
~ VRAINS - COMPENDIUM ~
After the events of that scattered Cyberse throughout Link VRAINS again, things start to move into motion as the Another Incident becomes big news. Meanwhile, Arisu decides to take the time and take a step back, enjoying her own break from things. Little does she know of the danger lurking right around the corner.
Find out in Episode 14 - Another Day, Another Problem
Dun, dun dun! We're getting right into the Another Incident and it looks like Arisu has become a target! The Sigrún and Sparrow Duel have done nothing be to fuel a little distraction before we get to our next Episode! And we get to see another moment with Compendium when Solarflare unleashed that attack on Link VRAINS. That was added later on since I felt like it was a perfect moment to foreshadow something to come.
But that aside, I will give one thought on the recent spoilers for Season 3 of VRAINS: "The obvious, was in fact, obvious."
Now I would like to give a quick thank you to the latest person for the favorite. I don't wish to post your username since it might be personal. And to HunterHQ, I hope this chapter has answered your question.
So I'll see you all next time!
Fun Facts
This chapter was supposed to be a bland chapter after the Sigrún and Sparrow Duel. But I wanted something more to happen… thus Solarflare decided to crash the party. Gave me a good excuse to flex on the other members of Compendium. And who knows… maybe I might give backstories to Compendium and its members proper one day. Unless you all really want to get to know those members sooner.
Forecaster and Pastrybee were originally supposed to meet this chapter. That was scrapped mainly because it lacked any real payoff. So maybe I can reuse that in the near future.