I just want to put a disclaimer here that this chapter contains more sensitive material. But given how there wasn't any of it before, I guess that this chapter gives an excuse for the story to me rated T.
Gears of Water and Fire, Crash!
"You can take the first turn." My opponent told me.
I and Blaze Rose speed through the data, avoiding the buildings that were in our way. I glanced back at Blaze Rose, she wasn't trying to race me, in fact, she was very collected and patient, something that I'm sure wasn't usual for her to do. That wasn't important! I shook my head and turned to look down at my hand and thought about all the options that I had on my disposal at the moment. There weren't many, even less of those were anything good.
The only thing I knew about Blaze Rose came from the duels I have seen her participate in. Her deck had a strong Synchro monster and her skill could destroy all monsters on my field; I would need to be extra careful dealing with her.
"I will take the first turn then!" I declared and looked down at my cards.
『Turn 1 [Proxy] LP: 4000 Hand: 4』
"I will set a monster and end my turn!" I played a single card and ended it there; I couldn't utilize my Link Summoning to its full potential during my first turn, but the card I played would at least serve as a shield for my life points during her turn.
"Is that all you got?" Blaze Rose asked me mockingly. "I expected more from the performance you showed previously. How sad, this was such a letdown for me."
I bit my lip and tried to ignore her. She was just trying to mock me and hurt my pride to make me act irrationally and misplay. I wouldn't allow her mind plays to mess up with me, I had a clear purpose before myself and that was to save Blue Angel and Gloomy Ruby!
"You aren't going to respond? Perhaps you know that I'm right about you." My eyes widened as her D-Board moved right next to mine, catching up to my speed without a problem. "My turn then, draw!"
『Turn 2 [Blaze Rose] LP: 4000 Hand: 5』
"Let's see what that set card of yours is, shall we?" She asked me and slammed her D-Board against mine.
"Kyyyaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!" I yelled and fell on my knees, grabbing the edges of my D-Board trying to keep balance and not fall from the shock that went through my board. She tried to push me out of the line, she won't play nice, will she?
"I will start by setting a card first, then I will Normal Summon NitroGear Acid Lancer (Lv.4, ATK: 1700)." The green demonic humanoid appeared holding a spear whose spike was set on fire.
I gulped and looked at my face-down monster, it had an attack power of 1400, so it would get destroyed if it was in attack position. I mentioned that because I hadn't forgot about Acid Lancer's ability to change the battle position of monsters, a perfect counter to more defensive strategies like the one I was using at the moment.
"Now, I will attack your monster!" Blaze Rose's monster raised it the sky and swung its spear, sending a wave of fire toward my set card.
"Why would you do that?" I asked her while the attack made toward my card.
My set card flipped face up and turned into BrioGear Geratorned; a humanoid in light pink, aqua blue and purple clams appeared on its place. Its shoulders were wide and sharp, its face looked like an open clam with a wide mouth and a single eye inside of it. The creature's legs were made of clams as well, using only the tips of them as feet. Its arms were made of aqua green skin and had a shield attached to each of them. Those shields were mostly dark blue but with golden borders and a winged lion on them as coat of arms.
BrioGear Geratorned
Level: 4/Attribute: WATER/Type: Aqua/Effect
ATK: 1400/DEF: 1700
Effect: While this card is face-up on the field, your opponent can't target other WATER monsters you control for attack or with effects. If this card is discarded, you can add 1 Level 4 or lower WATER monster in your GY to you hand. If you control a Link Monster, you can also return 1 Spell Card from your GY to the top of your deck.
Its defense was 1800 so according to the rules, Blaze Rose would be the one to take all of the damage by her own attack! My monster swung its arms, returning the fire attack right back at Blaze Rose, burning through her shoulder. She winched and put a hand over the burned place, while I tried to remain calm and not show my joy that it was me who drew first blood in the duel.
『Blaze Rose LP: 4000 – 100 → 3900』
"I was expecting at least that much." Blaze Rose said. "I will end my turn here."
"My turn, draw!" I declared.
『Turn 3 [Proxy] LP: 4000 Hand: 4』
"I'm hoping that you will be able to entertain me this turn." Blaze Rose looked back at me. "Just be careful not to evaporate by accident, my flames burn hot. They aren't for water down third rate duelists like yourself."
"At least I'm not the one who forgot what my monster's effect does." I replied before making my play. "I summon BrioGear Wave Crusade (Lv.4, ATK: 1700)!"
The familiar warrior appeared before me, holding his sword. I had a monster to discard for its effect and increase its attack, but I believe there was something better to use the cards in my hand for.
"I will set a card first. Now, battle! BrioGear Wave Crusade attack NitroGear Acid Lancer!" A wave of water appeared around my monsters sword as it fired it against the stream of fire that came out from Blaze Rose's own monster.
"Hmm, the same attack, level and similarity in term of appearance. Those bastards have been trying to make the references pretty obvious weren't they?" Blaze Rose asked while our monsters collided with one another. "But as I said, they have the same attack values so all you will achieve is mutual destruction. You can't hope to ever defeat me with such pathetic moves."
"I wouldn't be so sure." I shook my head and took another card from my hand. "I discard BrioGear Pale Crawfish to activate its effect! Until the end of this turn all of my monsters will gain six hundred attack points!"
BrioGear Wave Crusade, ATK: 1700 + 600 → 2300
BrioGear Geratorned, ATK: 1400 + 600 → 2000
My monster overpowered Blaze Rose's blasting her monster and killing its flames, before removing it from it field as well.
『Blaze Rose LP: 3900 – 600 → 3300』
"Ah, now that was something else." Blaze Rose replied and raised her head, flames burning in her eyes. "I almost felt that one."
"You will definitely feel the next! BrioGear Geratorned will attack you directly!" I declared and my monster slammed its shield in the data we surfed on. A blast of water make from underneath Blaze Rose, sending her D-Board flying.
"Almost there!" I heard her shout with a card - whose art showed a creature coming out of a pit of fire - flowing over her head. "I activated my Trap, NitroGear Reignited! This can activates by paying eight hundred life points and it allows me to revive a Nitro monster that was destroyed during this turn. Come back NitroGear Acid Lancer (Lv.4, ATK: 1700)!"
NitroGear Reignited (Trap) Normal
Pay 800 LP: Target 1 monster that was destroyed by battle or card effect and sent to your GY this turn; Special Summon it, and if you do, it gains 800 ATK.
『Blaze Rose LP: 3300 – 800 → 2500』
A stream of fire appeared underneath Blaze Rose's D-Board and she landed on it, surfing back to the original route, she slammed into me, knocking me back once again while her monster came out of the flames and stood in front of mine.
"And don't think of attacking my newly revived Acid Lancer." Blaze Rose shook a finger. "When it's revived by the effect of my trap, its attack power is going to increase by eight hundred, so you will only end up hurting yourself, got it?"
NitroGear Acid Lancer, ATK: 1700 + 800 → 2500
Damn it! I was hoping to inflict some big damage to her during this turn, but she was prepared for that as well. During the End Phase the attack boost of my monsters will run out and she will be able to take down either one of them.
"Why are you working for the Knights of Hanoi?" I asked her. It made no reason, why would a Charisma Duelist, someone from the top three no less, turn against everything that they were trying to build until now? "What will you get out of all this? Even if you defeat me here and everyone else, no one is going to love you when they find out that you were working with a terrorist organization! Everyone will start to hate you and SOL might even try to arrest you for what you have done!"
"All of that is part of what makes a duelist." Blaze Rose replied. "Winning at the cost of everything else; that is the way that I learned to live and duel. You think that I became a Charisma Duelist for the popularity, for the money and spotlight? I'm not some attention whore like the rest, I have a purpose!"
"Meeting with the ones who gave you this deck, right?" Those 'Devil' and 'Angel' that she talked about. I had no idea whom they might be, but listening to her description of the other Charisma Duelist, these two probably aren't that popular. "Is your hatred toward them so strong that you would hurt innocent people just to duel against them once again? Will destroying everything really make them think that you are worthy of this deck?"
"Hatred?" Blaze Rose titled her head to the side and put a finger under her chin. "You must have gotten the wrong idea. I don't hate them, my admiration for what they have done still hasn't disappeared. I'm thankful to them for everything they did, but I want them to learn about the pain that I have gone through! I got nothing left in my life, so even if I do something horrible, there is nothing left for me to lose! What I want is not revenge, but to teach them, make them understand my pain, have them lose everything that mattered to their lives!"
"Y-you are insane!" Only someone who have lost their mind would destroy for a cause like this!
"You just don't know what I have gone through!" Blaze Rose exclaimed.
3rd POV
More than two years ago – In one of the poorest areas of Den City. Most of the houses had their pain taken down, showing the bricks underneath them, the windows of several were broken from the common attacks of small gangs and vandals who often came in those areas to disrupt the already bad lives of the residents. The streets themselves were in horrible condition as well with a lot of holes that made driving through those places a living nightmare. Probably one of the many reasons why police didn't bother to looked after those areas.
The front door of one house creaked loudly as it was pushed open and a girl was knocked out on the street with a whimper. She had short dark red hair with blue highlights on the back side of it which was unkempt and dirty. Her outfit was a grey short sleeved shirt with dirty spots on it and black shorts whose color has started to fade. Her feet were black from dirt due to her walking barefoot all the time with several wounds on her knees, most of which were left as they were to catch an infection.
The girl raised herself on her arms, the short sleeves revealing the large amount of blue spots over the skin, a small proof of the abuse that she has gone through every day. She turned back to look back at the house from which she was throw, her purple eyes filled with a strange mix of anger and fear with the sclera red from her crying and traces of tears dried up on her cheeks, which had the same blue spots as her arms and a fresh scar on her lower lip.
"That's what you get, you worthless bitch!" The old man yelled and walked outside, kicking the girl back on the ground. "You were up to no good again, weren't you? There isn't money for food and you spend the money you earned on some card?!"
The man kept yelling as he kicked the girl over and over. Screams and cries were coming from inside the house, a woman, just as beaten as the girl, came out and grabbed the man's arm to try and pull him back, only for him to push her on the ground and resume kicking the red-head. As curses and kicks came her way, the girl looked blankly at the ground. It was the same treatment as yesterday and the day before that, at this point she wasn't paying attention, the pain no longer matter, her stomach hurt so much from starvation that at this point it felt numb when the man kicked her there.
Proxy's POV
"Every single day of my life was nothing but endless suffering." Blaze Rose clenched her fist, a ball of fire forming around it. "Dueling was the only spark that kept me alive during those long years. But someone like you wouldn't understand how important dueling for something could be. Tell me the truth, for you all of this is just a simple card game, isn't it? You got no attachment to it, no cause!"
I narrowed my eyes. She was right, I had no real reason to be here, to risk my own live in a game with cards. Playmaker was doing it to get revenge, to obtain back the time that the Knights of Hanoi stole from him, I was doing it to protect my friends and avenge those who fell, but right at the moment I was completely alone. There was no Playmaker or Rocketeer behind me, if it wasn't my feeling of guilt, I wouldn't have any reason to be here. Protecting LINK VRAINS because it's like a home to me, destroying the Knights of Hanoi for what they did to everyone. Those weren't my causes, were they? I just took them as an excuse, a way to shield myself from the question: Why am I doing this?
"I take it that you won't attack my NitroGear Acid Lancer so your turn ends." Blaze Rose commented. I snapped back from my thoughts and nodded in response.
"During the End Phase of this turn the attack of my monsters return to normal." I explained as the attack of BrioGear Wave Crusade and BrioGear Geratorned returned to 1700 and 1400 respectively.
"My turn, draw!" Blaze Rose took her turn.
『Turn 4 [Blaze Rose] LP: 2500 Hand: 4』
"Wait!" I raised a hand to show her to wait. "During your Standby Phase I will activate my Continuous Trap, Eisbahn! While I control a water monster, if you summon a monster with a different attribute it will immediately be changed to Defense Position!"
"A card that changes battle positions? How sad, that's exactly what my deck relies on." Blaze Rose blurted. "Oh well, I will activate NitroGear Acid Lancer's effect to change BrioGear Wave Crusade to Defense Position."
A circle of fire burned around my monster, the extreme heat dropping it on its knees. Having only 100 defense it would be an easy target, but because of my trap card only the monster Blaze Rose currently has will be able to attack since all others would be changed to Defense Position.
"When a monster was changed to Defense Position, Acid Lancer's effect allows me to draw a card." She looked at her new card and nodded before taking another card from her hand. "While my opponent controls a Defense Position monster I can Special Summon NitroGear Veteranion (Lv.5, ATK: 2300)!"
"When a monster with an attribute other than WATER is Special or Normal Summoned, Eisbahn will change it to Defense Position!" My trap fired a stream of water at the humanoid insect, dropping it down on its knees.
"When a monsters battle position changes, the effect of NitroGear Veteranion will activate! I can Special Summon one level four or lower fire monster from my hand!" Blaze Rose called out and reached out for another card in her hand. "Come out, NitroGear Coarms Cicada!"
A huge black insect with two legs and two arms appeared on the field. Its skin was rocky with flames coming out of its back in the shape of wings. The creature had face that looked like a fusion between a man and an insect: a mouth filled with sharp teeth and two eyes, which were set wide apart like from one another.
NitroGear Coarms Cicada
Level: 3/Attribute: FIRE/Type: Insect/Effect
ATK: 100/DEF: 500
Effect: Once per turn, If this card's battle position is changed by a card effect: Inflict 500 damage to your opponent. If this card is used as material for the Summon of a "Nitro" Extra Deck monster: You can target 1 FIRE monster in your GY that was used as material for that Summon; Special Summon it in Defense Position. You can only use the 2nd effect of "NitroGear Coarms Cicada" once per Duel.
"At this moment the effect of your card will activate and change my monster to Defense Position, right?" A fireball appeared over her monster's head while Blaze Rose addressed my card's effect. "At this moment, since Coarms Cicada's battle position was changed by a card effect, you are going to take five hundred points of damage!"
『Proxy LP: 4000 – 500 → 3500』
I crossed my arms in front of myself and let the fireball hit them instead. My body felt the burning sensation on the skin, which had to regenerate after the damage, well, damaged it. Blaze Rose hadn't entered her Battle Phase but I already took some damage from her monsters.
"Finally, I'm going to activate my Continuous Spell, NitroGear Active Force!" The card showed a bunch of goblins panicking while NitroGear Warrior jumped high in the sky toward them.
NitroGear Active Force (Spell) Continuous
Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up monster on the field; change its battle position. During either player's turn (Quick Effect): If a "Nitro" monster(s) was destroyed by battle or effect and send to the GY, you can target 1 of these monsters: Banish this face-up card on the field and 1 "Nitro" Synchro Monster in your GY, and if you do, Special Summon the targeted monster.
"This spell allows me to freely change the battle position of a monster. I will use it to bring NitroGear Veteranion to attack position!" The humanoid insect stood up and roared at me with flames burning on its shoulders and fists. "I will set a card. Now, let's battle! NitroGear Acid Lancer will attack BrioGear Geratorned!" Blaze Rose's monster swung its burning spear, slashing through my last defense.
『Proxy LP: 3500 – 1100 → 2400』
"Kyyaaaaahhh!" I yelped the stream of fire hitting me in the chest after it destroyed my monster.
"I'm not done yet! NitroGear Veteranion will attack BrioGear Wave Crusade!"
The monster hit mine with strength enough to create a shockwave which pushed me back while my knight got thrown into a building and shattered.
"Because Wave Crusade was in Defense Position during the battle I take no damage!" I breathed in relief. At least I avoided taking huge amount of damage for this turn.
That didn't calm me much though. Blaze Rose was playing with me, she could have finished the duel during this turn if she wanted to. The only reason why I was able to get some damage on her Life Points was because she let me do so. Fortunately, she had no Tuner monsters on the field, but I wondered if it was because she didn't draw any of them yet, or she didn't want to risk having them destroyed.
"You are dueling differently from before." I told Blaze Rose while I thought of a strategy that I could use. With her three monsters, setting a card and passing wouldn't be enough to protect my life points.
"You are wrong." Scoffed Blaze Rose.
"I'm not talking about this duel only." I shook my head. She probably didn't understand what I meant. "I have seen you dueling before. From what I saw, you were always giving your best to win as fast as possible!"
"Ah, right. The first rule of professional duelists. Minimum effort for maximum output." Blaze Rose smiled a bit saying those words. Was she reminded of something?
3rd POV [2 years ago…]
The red haired girl was walking through the streets of Den City, the shadows of huge skyscrapers falling on her. The bypassers all looked at her ruined state, but none of them dared to say something. Everyone was trying to keep their distance, none of them wanting to come in contact with the red haired girl that was covered in dirt and bruises. As she moved, not knowing where to, she could hear the whispers coming behind her, some were pitying her, others were mocking her look, but she didn't care about any of that.
Was there anything that mattered to her life anymore? All the deprivations and abuse that she has seen during her short life already took away any expectations that the innocent little girl she once was might have had. There was nothing left, no carrying family to return to, no friends who could listen to her pain, even the cards she saved money to buy were all torn and burn by her father after he found out about them.
The girl suddenly stopped in her steps. There was no path ahead of her in this life, all of her education came from the books she scavenged while looking for food. That wouldn't be enough to enter college and find a good job, she didn't have connections either, and so what could she do with her life? Her father kicked her out, so there was no home for her to return to, her pockets were empty, she had no money for food either.
"Let's finish this!"
The red haired girl paused her thoughts for a moment and look up at the huge screens that were put all over the city and projected what was going on in LINK VRAINS. The screen she looked at was showing a place that looked like hell with bones and skulls covering the ground and rocks, lava running down the mountains and streams of fire shooting up into the pitch black sky. While the girl looked at the screen, her eyes meet with those of the avatar which was being shown. The man in black clothes that seemed to fit the field perfectly was standing with a malicious smirk written all over his face.
"Go! Advent Skull Archfiend and Darkest Diabolos!" A black hell spawn dragon and a demon made of bones flew up and fired their attacks at the opponent, which was shown for a brief moment before getting hit by the attacks.
As the girl keep looking at the avatar on the screen, she didn't notice it, but something in her has changed. Her lifeless eyes got back that spark and with that, a new path in life appeared in front of the girl who had fallen in despair.
Proxy's POV
"What are you talking about?" I asked her. Minimum effort for maximum output – what rule was that?
"It's the first and most important rule of a duelist." Blaze Rose replied. "At least that's how they taught me. Everyone can crawl like a worn and fight for their victory, but only a truly experience duelist knows how to utilize the maximal power of their deck with the smallest amount of effort! But for you, I don't need to use my absolute power in order to win. I have seen your skills, they are amateurs at best!"
"I know that." I wasn't a strong duelist like Playmaker or Blaze Rose, all my victories were a result of luck or my opponents underestimating me. "Even so… Dueling isn't supposed to be used as a fight! That's not what I believe in! I will never accept such an idea!"
"Too bad, because fight is exactly the meaning of dueling. A clash between two souls, every small amount of damage they deal to each other is a word unspoken." Blaze Rose boasted. "We aren't like the regular masses, fighting to have fun. We are here to fight for our believes!"
I bite my lip. What believes was she fighting for? Destroying LINK VRAINS, hurting real people, that was pure evil! Such behavior couldn't be right! I won't allow her to do as she please any longer. Not because of my believes, but because of Rocketeers; he believed that LINK VRAIN was a family and because of that it deserved to be protected as much as anything else in this world!
"Maybe that's why you are here, but don't put me in the same category!" I shouted. "I'm not here to fight for a cause or to defend someone's believes! I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do, fighting for those who can't fight for themselves! I'm sent here by Blue Angel, Gloomy Ruby and everyone else who you hurt for your cause!"
"Heh, then you were send here to lose." Blaze Rose mocked me.
"My turn, draw!" I exclaimed, drawing another card.
『Turn 5 [Proxy] LP: 2400 Hand: 2』
I looked at the cards in my hand, good, there is something that I could do with them! If Blaze Rose didn't have anything to counter my moves with I might enough I might even end the duel
"I Normal Summon BrioGear Freakiver (Lv.3, ATK: 1100)!" My zombie monster appeared on the field with a moan and held out its claws with gears rotating inside of them. "I activate Freakiver's effect! I roll a six-sided dice and reveal a number of cards from the top of my Deck equal to the number rolled! Then one of the cards I reveal will be added to my hand and another send to the Graveyard!"
BrioGear Freakiver hissed and held out the rotating gears, a blue dice with white spots appearing inside of them. The cube rolled inside for a bit before it slowed down and then, completely stopped.
"Four!" A screen appeared before me showing the top four cards of my deck. "I will add BrioGear Cryo Raptor to my hand and send BrioGear Madoor to my Graveyard!"
"Lucky draw." Blaze Rose mocked me, but I tried to ignore her words.
"I activate Cryo Raptor's effect, Special Summoning itself from my hand and one Level two or lower monster from my Graveyard! Come, BrioGear Cryo Raptor (Lv.1, DEF: 100) and BrioGear Pale Crawfish (Lv.2, DEF: 600)!"
Two small portals appeared at each side of me as Pale Crawfish appeared alongside Cryo Raptor. I had three level 3 or lower effect monsters, I could use them to call out my ace!
"First, the effect of Pale Crawfish activates, adding another copy of itself from my deck to the hand!" I showed Blaze Rose the card before adding it to my hand. "Now appear, circuit of life!"
"A Link Summoning at this time?" queried Blaze Rose. "Hmm, ok then. Show me if you could make a comeback!"
"Arrowheads confirmed!" Two waves of water surrounded my monsters while I controlled them with my hands. "Summoning requirements are two Level 3 or lower monsters! I set BrioGear Pale Crawfish and Freakiver in the Link Markers!" My monsters flew at the top middle and bottom middle arrows of the circuit. "Link Summon! The dancing spirit of storms! Grand Ranger Serene (ATK: 2100, LINK-2)!"
"If you combine it with the Pale Crawfish in your hand, you will be able to deal some damage." Blaze Rose pointed out, her monsters forming a wall between me and her. "But if that was what you aimed for, you wouldn't have used your stronger monsters as materials while leaving a tuner on your field."
"It doesn't matter if you figured it out! I activate the Spell, World Legacy Inheritor!" I stated as the arrows of Serene's card glowed and highlighted my unused Monster Zone. "This Spell allows me to revive any monster in my Graveyard by putting it next to a monster's link. Revive, BrioGear Wave Crusade (Lv.4, ATK: 1700)!"
A stream of water burst underneath the zone to which Serene was pointing and my knight appeared holding its sword.
"To the deeps of the ocean I call for the strength to protect this world!" I exclaimed my monsters flying in front of me. "Summoning conditions are a water tuner and one or more non-tuner monsters! I tune BrioGear Freakiver to BrioGear Effect Slime! Synchro Summon! Slash through the endless waves of evil! BrioGear Howling Guardian (Lv.5, ATK: 2400)!"
"Synchro Summoning?" Blaze Rose looked puzzled, then she laughed. "So that was your trump card? Very, very, INTERESTING!"
"Battle!" I declared and gestured toward my Synchro monster. "BrioGear Howling Guardian attacks NitroGear Acid Lancer! I discard BrioGear Pale Crawfish to activate its effect! Until the end of this turn all of my monsters will gain six hundred attack points!"
BrioGear Howling Guardian, ATK: 2400 + 600 → 3000
Grand Ranger Serene, ATK: 2100 + 600 → 2700
"Back Blast!" I shouted as my monster's cannons popped out and it blasted the opposing monster.
『Blaze Rose LP: 2500 – 500 → 2000』
"At this moment BrioGear Howling Guardian's other effect will activate!" I declared as rain fell over my body. "When a water monster I control inflicts damage I gain attack equal to that amount!"
『Proxy LP: 2400 + 500 → 2900』
"Grand Ranger Serene attack NitroGear Veteranion! Last Serenity!" My monster fired an arrow straight throw the humanoid insect and hit Blaze Rose in the shoulder.
『Blaze Rose LP: 2000 – 400 → 1600』
"BrioGear Howling Guardian's effect activates!" My monster fired a second arrow, but this time it burst into rain which fell on top of me, healing the damage I took during this duel.
『Proxy LP: 2900 + 400 → 3300』
"The effect of Grand Ranger Serene activates!" My monster aimed her bow at Blaze Rose. "When she inflicts damage to the opponent, I can send a monster she is linked to in the Graveyard and inflict its original attack to you as damage. I send BrioGear Howling Guardian to the Graveyard to inflict two thousand and four hundred points of damage to you!"
"Hm, so you keep your ace's attack last in order to get the most out of its effect?" Blaze Rose narrowed her eyes. "At least you were smart enough to do that. But too bad, I have something as well. Counter Trap activate! NitroGear Explosive Heart!" The card showed NitroGear Warrior with flames coming out of its chest and eyes. "When a monster's effect activates I can discard a card from my hand to negate it and return that monster to the bottom of your deck!"
NitroGear Explosive Heart (Trap) Counter
When a monster's effect activates that would inflict damage to a player: Discard 1 card from your hand; negate the activation and if you do, return that monster to the bottom of its owner's deck. If you would take damage: You can banish this card from your GY and halve your LP; negate the damage, then you take no damage for the rest of this turn.
A ball of flames formed around Serene and burned her body, turning it into flames that flew back inside the card. She knew every move that I would make before I thought about it, didn't she? All the damage that I was able to deal to her until now was meaningless since she wanted me to do it. I was being treated as her plaything during this duel, she think that there would be no reason to go all out and chose to play instead.
"Oh well, your turn is over it seems." She sighed and put two fingers on top of her deck. "My turn then. I draw."
『Turn 6 [Blaze Rose] LP: 1600 Hand: 2』
"Hehehe, look at what I got." Blaze Rose told me. "With all monsters on my field being Nitro monsters I will Normal Summon this card, NitroGear Mighty Slasher!"
A humanoid in heavy red armor appeared on the field. Its helmet was black and covered all in horns with no place for the eyes and only an opening for the mouth; it showed that the creature's skin was green. For wings were attached to its back, two on the top and two on the lower back with a rocket engine connecting them to one another. The monster held a huge black sword with a shield on the handle and a flamethrower connected to the blade itself.
NitroGear Mighty Slasher
Level: 5/Attribute: FIRE/Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 2000/DEF: 1000
Effect: If you control no monsters, or all monsters you control are "Nitro" monsters, you can Normal Summon this card without Tributing. Once per turn: If the battle position of a monster is changed, you can Special Summon 1 FIRE Tuner monster from your GY.
"When a monster other than a water monster is summoned, the effect of my continuous trap will change it to defense position." I reminded her, but the look in her eyes showed that it didn't matter that much to her.
"When the battle position of a monster is changed the effect of Mighty Slasher activates." A burning right appeared in the sky above Blaze Rose. "I get to Special Summon a Tuner monster from my Graveyard. And lucky me, the card I discarded to activate Explosive Heart was this one – Nitro Synchro (Lv: 2, DEF: 100)!"
"So you had this card in your hand during the last turn!" Damn it! She could have defeat me during her second turn with ease!
"Yep, but I didn't think you deserve to get finished out by my ace monster." Blaze Rose shrugged. "Oh well, you still aren't, but playing with you just isn't interesting to me anymore. No hard feelings, ok?"
"I won't fall here." I still had one last trump card lying in my Graveyard.
"Is that so? I can feel a soul burning for battle!" Blaze Rose shouted and threw her hand upward. "I tune my Level five NitroGear Mighty Slasher into my Level two Nitro Synchron!"
The pressure gauge on Nitro Synctron's head went to the red as it turned into two rings. The warrior flew through the rings and a beam of light blasted through the sky.
"Synchro Summon! Level 7, NitroGear Warrior (Lv. 7, ATK: 2800)!" Blaze Rose's ace stood up and roared at me. Its huge and muscular appearance was so intimidating, I felt the air around me starting to get chillier despite it being fire attributed.
"When you summon a monster, it gets changed to defense position because of the effect of Eisbahn." My trap dropped NitroGear Warrior to its knees.
"Pointless struggle. I use the effect of NitroGear Active Force to change NitroGear Warrior into attack position." Blaze Rose's ace stood back up and clenched its fist. "I also activate the Equip Spell, Synchro Boost! Equipping it to my monster, it gains five hundred attack and one level!"
NitroGear, ATK: 2800 + 500 → 3300, Level: 7 → 8
"Battle! Finish her off, NitroGear Warrior! Nitro One-Hit!" The warrior roared and clenched his fists, charging straight at me.
"I activate BrioGear Madoor's effect from my Graveyard!" A wall of ice appeared in front of me and took the attack instead, defending all of my Life Points.
The ice wall before me began to change shape and a humanoid came out of it. The monster had glowing blue skin made of ice and spiky white hair with a hokey mask covering its face. A black coat floated behind it, its arms were tied with bandages and a black belt with a gear emblem held its black pants. The monster looked at NitroGear Warrior and hissed at it.
BrioGear Madoor
Level: 6/Attribute: WATER/Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 1200/DEF: 3000
Effect: You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by Tributing 1 WATER monster, and if you do, it gains ATK equal to the Tributed monster's original ATK. When an opponent's monster declares an attack, while you have no cards in your hand and this card is in your Graveyard: You can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard, then end the Battle Phase. You can only use this effect of "BrioGear Madoor" once per Duel.
"A new BrioGear?" Blaze Rose raised an eyebrow.
"Indeed. When you declare a direct attack while I have no cards in my hand, I can activate BrioGear Madoor's effect to Special Summon itself and end the Battle Phase!"
"Very well then. I will defeat you next turn." Blaze Rose told me.
"You shouldn't have wasted your previous chances." I told her. "Don't you think that this duel is pointless! If the Legendary Duelists haven't show up after all other Charisma Duelists were strike down, why do you think that defeating me will make them show up? You are making no sense!"
"SILENCE!" Blaze Rose commanded, a red mist forming around her body, while her eyes began to glow red. "If they are too scared to come out and face me, I will track them down myself! Right now you should focus on saving your own live!"
My shoulders dropped a bit while I listened to her yelling. I wasn't paying much attention to her words though, most of my focus was on the crimson mist that appeared around her body when she turned angry. It reminded me of the one radiating from Gloomy Ruby when I dueled her, the desire to destroy everything, the anger. The conditions were almost the same, but Gloomy Ruby acted much fiercer in my duel with her.
"Hanoi has infected you…" Blaze Rose was a victim as well.
"Shut up! Hurry up and take you turn! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
There was no point in trying to talk with her in this state, the Hanoi's virus has infected her avatar and was controlling it. Many new questions formed in my head. Who was the true culprit if Blaze Rose is infected as well? How did they know about me and that I was trying to find a cure? How were they able to infect three Charisma Duelists without anyone noticing a thing? And so on, the questions wrote themselves inside my brain the more I thought about the answer. This could have been done only by someone who was close to Blaze Rose, Gloomy Ruby and Blue Angel, or at least knew them well enough to orchestrate it.
"My turn, draw!" I will think about it after I win this duel.
『Turn 7 [Proxy] LP: 3300 Hand: 1』
"I activate the Spell Card, Salvage!" The spell materialized next to me, while I explained it. "According to its effect I add add two water monsters with a thousand and five hundred or less attack from my graveyard to the hand. I return BrioGear Geratorned and BrioGear Cryo Raptor!"
Just a little more, I will save Blaze Rose from the agony that she was going through as a puppet of Hanoi.
"I activate Cryo Raptor's effect, Special Summoning itself from my hand and one Level two or lower monster from my Graveyard! Come, BrioGear Cryo Raptor (Lv.1, DEF: 100) and BrioGear Pale Crawfish (Lv.2, DEF: 600)!" The two monsters appeared on my field once again, ready to repeat what I did last time. "When BrioGear Pale Crawfish is summoned I can add another BrioGear Pale Crawfish to my hand."
If I summoned Serene, then used Pale Crawfish's effect and my own skill to discard Geratorned and raised her attack, Serene would have 4100 attack points. Blaze Rose had no set cards on her field, only two monsters so the damage would definitely land and reduce her life points to 300, after which Serene's effect will send Madoor to the Graveyard for 1200 more damage, reducing her life to 0. With that combo I would definitely win!
"Come forth, circuit of life!" I called out, summoning a circuit before me. "Arrowheads confirmed! Summoning requirements are two Level 3 or lower monsters! I set BrioGear Cryo Raptor and BrioGear Pale Crawfish in the Link Markers! Link Summon! The dancing spirit of storms! Grand Ranger Serene (ATK: 2100, Link-2)!"
My ace appeared on the field once again, clenching her fists, she stared at Blaze Rose's ace.
"Battle! Grand Ranger Serene attack NitroGear Warrior!" My monster activated her bow and aimed at her target. "I discard BrioGear Pale Crawfish to activate its effect! Until the end of this turn all of my monsters will gain six hundred attack points!"
Grand Ranger Serene, ATK: 2100 + 600 → 2700
"Also, I activate my skill! Miracle of Life!" I blue arrow made of light formed in my hand as I threw it at Serene who put it in her bow. "Once per duel, when a WATER monster I control battles, I can discard a WATER monster and transfer its attack power to the fighting monster! I discard BrioGear Geratorned to give Serene its power!"
Grand Ranger Serene, ATK: 2700 + 1400 → 4100
"Go! Last Serenity!" I threw my arm forward in time with my monster firing her bow. The blue arrow pierced through NitroGear Warrior and flew straight into Blaze Rose.
『Blaze Rose LP: 1600 – 1300 → 300』
"The effect of Grand Ranger Serene activates!" My monster aimed her bow at Blaze Rose. "When she inflicts damage to the opponent, I can send a monster she is linked to in the Graveyard and inflict its original attack to you as damage. I send BrioGear Madoor to the Graveyard to inflict one thousand and two hundred points of damage to you! Madoor Arrow!"
BrioGear Madoor glowed and transformed into a frozen arrow that Serene caught and put in her bow, firing it straight at Blaze Rose.
3rd POV [2 years ago…]
The red haired girl was sitting in an alley all by herself. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she pressed them against her body and mainly her stomach, hoping to make it hurt from having her knees pressed against it. That way the soaring pain in her belly from the three straight days of starvation would go numb. She exhaled and closer her eyes, happy thoughts, think about happy things and all the suffering would just go away.
"So now you are lurking through the alleys, bitch?" The girl's eyes widened and she turned toward the source of the voice, only to get kick in the face.
Her strength was almost non-existing, she barely had enough to whimper from the hit which knocked her on the ground. Blood ran from her nose, the only sight in front of her was the despicable face of her old father. It was red and there was a weird smell around him; it didn't take her long to realize that he was drunk.
"We are starving to death and she is here playing city girl, eh?" The old man said and kicked her in the stomach.
"W-why?" The girl managed to mutter between coughs.
The man paused for a moment then kneeled next to her, grabbing her hair, he pulled her head closer to him, the full smell of alcohol hitting her senses. She would have vomited then and there if her stomach wasn't empty.
"You were able to survive until now." He told her. "I heard there is a man who would be interested in having a young girl like you to… serve him in certain ways."
Of course, he would look for her only if it was about money. She slowly shook her head, he has already kicked her out of the house; she wasn't his daughter any more.
"No?" The man stood up and kicked her again, the girl's lips parting away for a soundless scream. "Your family is starving and you won't do that much for them? Is that so, you selfish bitch?!"
Kick after kick, her body was already numb, she couldn't feel the pain any more. Of course, he wasn't going to kill her, she knew that he needed to drag her back and sell her. The girl closed her eyes and wanted for everything to end.
"AAAAAARRRRGGHHHH!" Suddenly, the kicks stopped and the scream of her father replaced his previous insults toward her.
Slowly, the girl opened one of her eyes enough to look forward. She felt a strange satisfaction seeing the face of her old man getting slammed against a wall and stayed there. A second passed, two, on the third the old man's body collapsed on the ground and someone stepped toward the girl. Sunlight beam in the dark alley, making it impossible for her to see the face of her savior who was standing right in front of the blinding light.
All she could make out of his image was the black pants and the matching short sleeved shirt along with the ponytail on the back of his head. The man, no, the boy leaned forward and gave her a hand, a smile on his face. Cautiously, the girl accepted his help and stood up, only for her legs to give up and for her to tumble forward into his arms.
"Hey, hey, could you stay awake for a little longer." The boy asked, wrapping his arms around her. "I will get your something to eat while we wait for the police and the ambulance to come."
Feeling like something was missing, the girl turned to the ground and saw her only card, Nitro Synchro, lying in the dirt.
"Huh?" The boy leaned and took the card from the ground. "Is that your?"
Looking up at the boy who just saved her the red haired girl was only able to give a weak note before reaching to take the card back from him. Only for him to take her arm into his own and look her in the eyes. Now she could see his face clearly, the white and red hair, his lively crimson eyes and the beaming smile on his face.
"Do you want us to duel after you get patched up?" The boy asked her with a strange tone that was filled with happiness.
For the second time in her life, the girl's own eyes had a lively spark and beamed with a desire to keep on living. She couldn't find the strength to answer him, but she was able to nod.
"Great! And what is your name?"
The girl looked away, wondering if it was right to tell her name to a complete stranger. But he helped her and she couldn't see any bad desires in his eyes, so he wouldn't hurt her, would he?
"V-Vermilya…" She whispered. "Vermilya Hayashi."
The boy nodded and held her against his body, keeping her warm until the ambulance came to pick her up. A few months after that meeting, the girl would be the one to take on an online persona of a ruthless duelist known as Blaze Rose.
Proxy's POV
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" I put my hands over the ears to mute the agonizing sound of Blaze Rose's screams. Her hair began to float just like how Gloomy Ruby's did and the crimson mist that surrounded her body began larger the longer it went.
"I activate my skill! Burning Spirit!" Blaze Rose roared as flames burst all around her. "It revives the NitroGear Warrior that you just destroyed!"
"But that won't negate the damage!" I pointed out, her effect wasn't stopping mine from resolving.
"I banish Explosive Heart from my graveyard and pay half my life points to activate its effect!" A circle of fire appeared in front of Blaze Rose and melted the arrow.
『Blaze Rose LP: 300 / 2 → 150』
"All damage I take for the rest of this turn is negated." Blaze Rose stated.
"Since BrioGear Geratorned was discarded its effect allows me to add a level four or lower monster from my graveyard to the hand. I will return BrioGear Pale Crawfish."
"MY TURN!" Blaze Rose shouted, drawing a card.
『Turn 8 [Blaze Rose] LP: 150 Hand: 1』
"I activate the Field Spell, NitroGear Junkyard!" Blaze Rose's deck glowed when she played that card. "When it's activated, NitroGear Junkyard lets me add a Nitro card to my hand. Next, I change NitroGear Warrior to Attack Position!"
The gigantic warrior raised on its feet and roared with flames coming out of his fists.
"Next, I use NitroGear Active Force to change NitroGear Coarms Cicada to Attack Position!" The black insect raised on its feet and fired a wave of fire toward me and Serene, coughing both of us.
"When NitroGear Coarms Cicada has his battle position changed by an effect, you take five hundred points of damage!" Blaze Rose reminded me. "Further, when a monster's battle position changed because of an effect NitroGear Junkyard will destroy a card on the field. I destroy your ace monster!"
『Proxy LP: 3300 - 500 → 2800』
"Ahh!" I yelped as the flames shot through my body.
My field was empty, the cards I had couldn't do anything either. So in the end, I stood no chance to defeat Blaze Rose?
"Die!" Blaze Rose yelled at me and her NitroGear Warrior charged at me, hitting me in the guts with his burning fists.
"KKKYYYYAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" I scream in agony as the attack blasted me off my D-Board and in the sky.
Time seemed to slow down, I couldn't move my head and the only thing before me was the dark sky of LINK VRAINS. All I felt at those moments was fear… I was afraid what would happen to me after this…
『Proxy LP: 2800 → 0 Hand: 1』
『Winner: Blaze Rose』
My body finally crashed on a rooftop. Not a single pixel in my body wanted to move from the intensive pain that was clouding my senses. It was agonizing, but I still felt like myself, for the moment at least. Blaze Rose jumped off her D-Board and landed in front of me, staring down at my lying form with those burning eyes of hers. Looking her I felt both quilt for not stopping her and fear of what would happen now. I was absolutely defeat, she completely destroyed me in the duel; my luck wasn't strong enough for this.
"Heh, just look at yourself."
My eyes widened at the familiar voice. I wanted to turn and see him for myself, to make sure that my mind wasn't starting to play games on me.
"R-Rocketeer?" Indeed, he was standing not too far away, slowly stepping forward. "W-what are you doing here?"
A/N: So, two chapters in two days? I'm really getting insane writing this story, aren't I? Well, don't get used to such frequent updates. Due to exams coming up, I won't be able to write anything during the next week.
So this whole chapter was just a duel between Proxy and Blaze Rose. It was a last second decision to write the little flashbask about Blaze Rose's flashback, but I thought that since almost nothing is known about her and Rocketeer I could use these chapters as a way to further establish their characters, their motivations and etc. Also, poor Proxy, in the last three chapters she had to deal with almost everyone whom she knows in LINK VRAINS turning against her: Blaze Rose, Blue Angel and Gloomy Ruby all being victims of the Hanoi virus.
Thanks to D3lph0xL0v3r for reviewing EVERY chapter until now. I appreciate it and want to respond to some of the things that I found the need to explain.
First, no, this doesn't take place in any alternative Link Dimension or something. The Evan and Avice in this story are the same ones from my other story. I won't explain how they got in this world, nor will the story address it either. All I can say is that it will make sense eventually xD
Second, Elizabeth appeared in Chapter 1. She most likely won't appear in this story any more, unless it's a flashback.
That's it. I won't address other things because, well, they were either already addressed in the story or will be at a later point. Again, thanks for the reviews and I hope that everyone who reads this liked the chapter.
Diabolic Tracer out!