Chapter 8: BL4CK R053 VS B10-KN1GH7W1N9

Akiza's Duel Runner thundered down the track, Hack's Duel Board in hot pursuit. Akiza glanced back at her. Okay. I can do this. Hack's currently down700 pointsfrom me,andI haveBlackRose Dragonon my field. As long as I can withstand her next turn, I can win.

Akiza: 2600 LP 4 SPC

Hack deviously smirked at Akiza when she turned to look back at her. You think you've got this Duel made, but I can promise you, you can't even begin topredict what I have in store for you.

Hack: 1900 LP 4 SPC

"Well, Akiza, are you going to just sit there, or are we going to finish things?"

"You want it? You've got it! I set one card facedown, and end my turn!"

"My turn, then! I draw!"

Akiza: 2600 LP 4-5 SPC

Hack: 1900 LP 4-5 SPC

"I summon Hacker Component – Wireless Interface! And much like the Computer you so graciously destroyed last turn, I can use its ability to summon a Hack monster from my Deck! Let's give a warm welcome to Hack Bug \\ Cookie!" At Hack's command, a digital being emerged from the jogging router Hack just summoned. The being took form, becoming a digitized mass vaguely in the shape of a cookie. A blue hue surrounded it, signifying it was summoned in Defense mode. "Now, I activate the Spell card, Speed Spell – Zero Day Exploit! When you control exactly 1 monster, I can activate this spell at the cost of 3 Speed Counters! This turn, while you control that monster, I can attack directly with a Hack monster I control, however your monster cannot be affected by this effect again for the rest of the Duel!"

Hack: 5-2 SPC

"Good thing I have a little trick up my sleeve!"

"Huh?"

"I activate my Trap, Blooming of the DarkestRose! I can banish one Black Rose Dragon or Plant Synchro I control, then Special Summon any number of Rose Tokens to either of our fields, equal to the number of Field Spells on our fields or in our Graveyards!" Akiza exclaimed as her Dragon began to glow. "In a Turbo Duel, the chances of having additional Field Spells in our Graveyards are slim to none, but we both control a copy of Speed World 3! That means I can summon two Rose Tokens to my field in Defense Mode!"

Black Rose Dragon faded away, leaving behind two roses planted to the ground before her. "And now that I no longer control exactly 1 monster, your Zero Day Exploit has no effect!"

"You may think you're safe, but you're wrong! Getting rid of your precious Signer Dragon just confirmed it!" Hack extended her hand forward. "I may not be able to attack directly anymore, but Wireless Interface and Bio-Knightwing Dragon can still attack your Rose Tokens!"

That's right, Hack. Get cocky. Akiza glanced back at her as her monsters vaporized her Rose Tokens, sending a shockwave of damage over her. "Urgh!"

"I suppose I'll have to end my turn, which means that my Wireless Interface's effect destroys my Hack Bug \\ Cookie!"

She didn't even use that! What could she have possibly summoned it for? Is she preparing an alternate strategy? Akiza shook her head. "I've gotta end this! It's my turn, and Iiiiii Draw!"

Akiza: 2600 LP 5-6 SPC

Hack: 1900 LP 2-3 SPC

"I think I'll start by welcoming back an old friend! I activate the effect of Blooming of the Darkest Rose from my Graveyard!"

"Huh?"

"I can banish this card to target and Special Summon a banished Black Rose Dragon! Welcome back!" Black Rose Dragon erupted from the ground, returning to the fight. "And now, I'll activate Black Rose Dragon's effect! By banishing aPlant monster from my GY, I can change a monster you control to ATK position, then reduce that monster's ATK to 0! The monster I'll be banishing is my Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!

"Go! Black Binding Bloom!" A ghostly visage of Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis appeared before Black Rose Dragon, who opened its mouth and closed it on the plant monster, absorbing power from it. Black Rose roared, as thorny tentacles extended from her and grappled with Bio-Knightwing Dragon, reducing its ATK.

Bio-Knightwing Dragon: 2200-0 ATK

"Black Rose Dragon, attack! Black Rose Flare!" Akiza commanded, as her dragon reared its head to attack. If this lands, I win! I'm safe!

I'll admit, she puts up a good fight. Hack's mouth twisted into a smile. Too bad she won't win. "I activate the effect of Bio-Knightwing Dragon!"

"Huh?!"

"I can send one EARTH monster from my hand or field to the Graveyard to increase the ATK of my dragon by that monster's Defense!" Hack sneered as Wireless Interface began to glow, its energy passing into her dragon just in time to take the blast from BlackRose. "So by releasing my Wireless Interface, I can increase the ATK of Bio-Knightwing enough to avoid defeat! Aaaaaaagh!"

Hack: 1900-100 LP

"I thought I told you to show me what your psychic powers were made of?!"

"I have no intention of hurting you today! You may have saved yourself from my attack, but this game is all but over! You have no cards in your hand, and none on your field." Akiza confidently responded. "You may as well give up."

"Give up?" Hack laughed. "I'm going to win! Why would I do that?"

"Grr…" Akiza looked down at her hand. "I end my turn."

"It's my turn, then!" Hack drew a card. "Looks like my only move is to set this poor, poor facedown and end my turn."

Akiza: 2600 LP 6-7 SPC

Hack: 100 LP 3-4 SPC

"Then it's back to me! I draw!"

Akiza: 2600 LP 7-8 SPC

Hack: 100 LP 4-5 SPC

"From my hand, I summon White Rose Dragon! But that's not all, for now I activate the effect of the Glow-Up Bulb in my Graveyard!" Akiza pulled the top card of her deck and sent it to the GY. "By sending the top card of my Deck to my Graveyard, I can special summon it! And now, I'll tune my level 1 Glow-Up Bulb to my level 4 White Rose Dragon!

"From these two gorgeous beings will come forth a new creature, one who strives to defend those in her garden!" The single level star of Glow-Up Bulb shot out and encircled White Rose Dragon in a shimmering green Synchro ring, causing it to fade away, leaving only its 4 level stars in a straight line. A green beam of light pierced through them, then expanded to the innermost edge of the ring. "I Synchro Summon Garden Rose Maiden!"

Garden Rose Maiden is a level 5 DARKattribute Plant Synchro monster, with 1600 ATK pointsand 2400 DEFpoints.

"And since my White Rose Dragon was sent to the Graveyard as a Synchro Material, I can now send 1 level 4 or lower Plant from my Deck to the Graveyard, and I'm sending Lord Poison!" Akiza's card slid out from her deck, and she drew it and sent to the Graveyard. Perfect! Now, if her trap can stopBlack Rose Dragon's attack, I have a second option! Plus, withGarden Rose Maiden, I can re-summon my Black Rose Dragon if they'reboth sent to the Graveyard! And withLord Poisonin my Graveyard, I have another target forBlack Rose Dragon's effect! I've got this. "Black Rose Dragon, attack! Black Rose Flare!"

"I hope you had no plans on winning right now! I activate Hack Bots2.0!" Hack's card activated, as a creature appeared. "This trap becomes a level 4 Machine monster on my field, with 2000 ATK and 2400 DEF! And can you guess what mode I'm summoning it in? The best part is that because you've already entered your Battle Phase, it's too late for Black RoseDragon's effect to activate! Your Battle Phase is wasted!"

"Grr…" Akiza glared back at her hand. I'll just have to hope my defense is ready. I'll do as Yusei does. I'll believe in my cards. "I end my turn!"

"Then it's my turn!" Hack drew her card and looked at it. "And I think it's time this duel came to an end!"

Akiza: 2600 LP 8-9 SPC

Hack: 100 LP 5-6 SPC

"I activate the effect of Speed World 3! By paying 4 Speed Counters and revealing a Speed Spell in my hand, I can draw 1 card!" Hack revealed the card she drew to Akiza. "I reveal my Speed Spell – Mechanical Myth! Now I can draw again!"

Hack: 6-2 SPC

Hack drew a card from her deck, and smirked. "I summon Hacker Component – Ethernet Cable! And with it, I'll seal your doom!"

"Why are you doing all of this?" Akiza wondered aloud. "Why are you craving destruction? Why are you throwing your life away like this?"

"I don't have to answer to you, but it just so happens that we all have faced hardships at your hands!" Hack angrily declared. "All of us! Our lives were made worse by you Signers! So imagine the cruel twist of fate that we were the ones chosen to put you down!"

"What… What are you talking about?" Akiza was in shock. "We've spent the past 10 years trying to help people! Yusei perfected Ener-D! I became a doctor! Crow, Jack, and Leo have all spent their careers giving back to those in need!"

"And how about those you stepped on to get where you are?"

"Huh?"

"You, of all people should know!" Hack clenched her hand into a fist. "I saw your rap sheet, a mile long! The damage you caused with the Arcadia Movement! All that hurt… All of it swept under the rug, and for what? For saving the city?!

"And if that's just what you've done, what about the rest of you?!" Hack swung her hand out. "Think of all of the destruction you've all caused, that you've conveniently forgotten about! That's why I'm doing this! And that's why I'm winning on this turn! I activate Hacker Component – Ethernet Cable's effect! I can special summon a Hack monster from my hand or Graveyard with its ATK cut in half! I summon Hack Bug \\ Trojan!"

"That's the monster that you summoned to my field!"

"The one and the same! But before it can actually make it to your field, I'm activating Speed Spell – Mechanical Myth!" Hack pulled the card from her hand and activated it. "At the cost of all of my Speed Counters, and by tributing an EARTH monster whose original ATK is equal or higher to a Machine or Dragon monster in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon it! However, at the end of my turn, I take damage equal to half of the ATK the tributed monster had on the field!

"Hack Bug \\ Trojan has 2600 original ATK! So by tributing it, I can Special Summon Bio-Knightwing Dragon!" Hack's dragon roared back to the field, glaring at Black Rose Dragon. "I hope you've said your prayers recently, cause you're finished!"

"Not from the way I'm looking at it! I took that dragon down once, and I'll do it again!"

"Not this time!" Hack screamed. "I tribute Hack Bots 2.0 to activate its effect! I can target one non-Machine monster on the field, and transform it into a Machine! I choose… Black Rose Dragon!"

On her command, a wave of digitized circuitry spread across the track and travelled up Black Rose Dragon, transforming its rose scales into metal plates. "And now, I activate the effect of Bio-Knightwing Dragon! But this is hardly the effect you know!"

"What?!"

"By sending an EARTH monster from my hand or field to the GY, I can take control of one Machine monster on your field!"

"It can't be!"

"Oh, but it is!" Hack pointed at Black Rose as tendrils of energy emerged from Bio-Knightwing, forcibly entering Black Rose Dragon, yanking it over to Hack's side of the field. Akiza gasped. "And now, you're finished! Black Rose Dragon, attack GardenRose Maiden with Metal Rose Flare!"

"No!" Fearfully, Akiza watched as her dragon opened its mouth and fired a blast that vaporized Garden Rose Maiden. "Aaaaagh!"

"And now… Bio-Knightwing Dragon! Finish her off." Akiza's eyes widened. "Technoblast attack!"

For a moment, Mateo's mark ignited in pain, then stopped. He pulled his Duel Runner over and looked at it. "What was that?"

Akiza sat against her Duel Runner, a twisted smile on her face. She hadn't felt this way in… She glanced down at her arm. The typical red glow of her mark was gone. Replaced. Replaced with azure. Akiza started to laugh.