Chapter 1:
Awaited Return
In a dark place, somewhere in the virtual world of LINK VRAINS, a shadowy figure stood alone. The figure was tall, with what might have been a cape around the back. Shoulder pads stuck out from the shadow, indicating the presence of armor. And in the center of the figure, a shining symbol resembling a scorpion hung from around the shadow's neck.
It turned its head to face a large computer screen. On the screen was the outline of six vaguely humanoid shapes, one purple, one blue, one red, one yellow, one brown, and one green. The figure approached the screen and typed something into the keyboard below it. A pop-up appeared on the screen with something written in an indecipherable language.
"The time is now."
The shadow pressed a button, and the image disappeared, leaving the screen blank. The dark figure turned to look at its wrist and spoke into it.
"First Brother, inform the rest of the Enforcers that it's time we step up our efforts."
"Yes, master," a deep, gravelly voice said. A click sounded from the figure's wrist. The shadowy form smiled as it began to walk away into the darkness.
Darkness. That's what Ai remembered after he was destroyed from losing to Yusaku. But it had been what Ai wanted all along. And now…
"Huh?" he said confused, looking around him. It was still darkness. But now it was different. He was conscious of himself. He could feel things in this darkness. It felt like… data.
"Where… am I?" he wondered warily. He looked around some more."Is this… LINK VRAINS?"
Ai's surroundings were indeed that of VRAINS, albeit deep within its core. Lines of code sped by at incredible speeds. He was suspended in the sea of data, and it was incredibly hard to move.
"It sure… feels like it." The data waved and turned in every direction, all collating into a large sphere some distance away. The sphere was completely filled with blue code, and was collecting more by the second.
"Huh… never seen… this part of VRAINS… before," noted Ai. He was utterly fascinated by the code, which was complex for even him. Then he became aware of something, a glowing problem.
"Wait… how am I… back?" he thought aloud. "Was it… Yusaku, maybe?" It seemed likely, given how close the two had become. Ai thought it a stretch that Yusaku would revive him, but humans were complicated. Half the time, he had no idea what they might do.
"No, it doesn't matter. If I'm back, then it'll put Yusaku in danger. Hiding won't help, since SOL will probably pinpoint my location eventually, especially since I'm right at the core of VRAINS." Ai did not know if they were still looking for the Ignis in order to dissect and combine them into a "perfect Ignis", but he didn't want to take any chances.
'Then the only thing I can do… is be destroyed." This conclusion was not preferable for Ai, but knew that anything else would only cause calamity. So, he had to kill himself. "How will… I do that?" He thought briefly of Yusaku and Kusanagi at Cafe Nagi, Yusaku eating a hot dog and Kusanagi tirelessly cooking food. Sadness consumed the AI.
"No," he said defiantly, "I can't think about that. If I do, I'll never forgive myself for putting Yusaku through even more pain. But… he might be the only one… that can kill me." His code set on his goal, he started moving - slowly - through the data.
"This is… the only way," Ai reassured himself. "The only… way…"
Two weeks later...
"It's over, Playmaker!" his opponent proclaimed. He was dressed in a dark robe that reached his knees. On his shoulders were two dog heads, but their features were nothing short of hellish. He wore a mask with red slits for eyes, the rest being a deep black. "Infernoble Knight Emperor Charles attacks Firewall Dragon!" Said monster rushed forward, sword poised to cleave Firewall in two.
Playmaker LP: 500
Cerberus LP: 3000
Infernoble Knight Emperor Charles, Warrior, Level 9, ATK/3000 DEF/200
Firewall Dragon, Cyberse, ATK/2500, Link-4, ↑ ↓←→
Transcode Talker, Cyberse, ATK/2300, Link-3, ↑ ↓→
"Trap card open!" Playmaker declared. "Draining Shield! I negate your monster's attack and gain Life Points equal to it's ATK!" A spherical energy shield appeared around Firewall Dragon. When Emperor Charles swung it's sword down, the shield deflected it downward and enveloped Emperor Charles.
Playmaker LP: 500 → 3500
"Hmph. You survived this turn, but next turn I'll ground you into pulp!" shouted Cerberus.
"There won't be a next turn," Playmaker responded.
"What?"
"Trap card Cynet Reboot!" The card showed space with clusters of red hexagons, some being hit by blue energy beams. A wavy grid was shown at the top left and bottom right corners. "I can only activate this card if there are two or more Cyberse Link Monsters on the field. It's effect destroys all cards on the field, then Special Summons up to three Cyberse Link Monsters to my field from the Graveyard! However, if your Life Points do not drop to 0 by the End Phase of my turn, I take 4000 damage!" Firewall, Emperor Charles, and a set card on Cerberus' field all blew up.
"No… it can't be!" cried Cerberus.
"Rise from the grave, my monsters!" chanted Playmaker. Firewall, Decode Talker, and Transcode Talker all emerged from balls of light that came from Playmaker's Duel Disk.
Decode Talker, Cyberse, ATK/2300. Link-3, ↑ ↙↘
"No! I mustn't lose! They'll kill me! Please, have mercy!" Cerberus begged pitifully.
Playmaker did not react, only staring coldly at his opponent. "Firewall Dragon, Decode Talker, and Transcode Talker mount direct attacks!" The three monsters rushed at Cerberus, each readying their weapons. The force of their attack blasted Cerberus back almost off the island they were Dueling on.
Cerberus LP: 3000 - 0
Playmaker: WIN!
The monsters disappeared in a flash of light. The island upon which they were standing was mostly barren, with rock formations on either side. It drifted alone among the blue code of inner LINK VRAINS. Playmaker stomped over to Cerberus, grabbing him by his collar.
"Tell me- who are you working for?" he said forcefully. Cerberus continued to grovel.
"Who are you working for!?" Playmaker said again, shaking the whimpering man for emphasis.
"He- he is a- a-" started Cerberus.
"He's a what?" growled Playmaker, growing impatient.
"A-" The man's eye slits widened in terror. "Oh no. Please. No! Please! Don't kill me!"
"What!?" Playmaker exclaimed. "What are you talking about!?"
"No! Please! I promise I won't fail you again! Give me another chance! Please!" Cerberus' body was breaking up into black data.
"What the…!?" Playmaker was completely confused. "Are you doing this? Who's doing this to you!?"
"NOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!" screamed Cerberus. His body was shattered into data, which promptly dissolved into VRAINS. Playmaker was dumbfounded. Had this man just been killed? If so, by who? Or what?
The Duelist looked around him. Nothing had changed. The rocks remained the same. The island looked to be in the same place as when he had started, but he couldn't be sure. All was as it should be.
A quiet voice emitted from Playmaker's Disk. He glanced down at it. What was that?
Slowly, a circular shape formed on the top. It grew bigger until it filled the entire screen. It was mostly black, with purple lines intersecting at the center. It slowly opened to reveal a yellow circle and a smaller purple one in the center. Playmaker's eyes expanded with realization.
"A… Ai?" he asked hesitantly.
"Yusaku... Yusaku…" Ai whispered.
A wave of emotion hit Playmaker like a ton of bricks. He actually stepped back a couple feet. Was this really Ai talking to him? Or was it just some cruel trick on someone else's part? But who could do this?
"Ai... is it really… you?" Playmaker's voice cracked on the last part.
"Yusaku…" The AI struggled to speak. "I need... your help… I need… you."
"H- how do I know its… really you?" asked Playmaker.
"No… Yusaku… it is me…" Ai said desperately. "Please… you have to destroy me."
"W-Why? Why should I... why should I listen to you?" questioned the hacker. "Give me a reason. Give me a reason why I should trust you!" If someone was toying with him with this, Playmaker was going to absolutely murder them.
The Ignis paused for a moment, thinking. "Ai… that name… it means 'to love people…' Right, Yusaku?"
At last, Playmaker knew. It was him. "Ai," he said, voice filled with emotion. His eyes filled with tears. His legs could no longer hold him up, and he fell onto his knees. He clutched the Disk with all his might, refusing to let go.
"Ai… I'll never let you go again…" Playmaker vowed. "I promise."
"Yusaku…"
The blue sphere surrounding the body of Yusaku Fujiki dispersed as he exited VRAINS and stumbled out of his hidden compartment. He was in his house, which lay dark and mostly empty except for some furniture and possessions. His eyes immediately watered up, sweat pouring down his face. Ai… was actually back.
Seeing him once again, after three months and his heart-breaking death, had severely jarred Yusaku. He never suspected that he would see his friend again. And now, here he was. He seemed like he wanted to talk with Yusaku about something.
Ai's Ignis form rose up from Yusaku's Duel Disk, looking just like he had when the hacker first acquired all of his data and gave him back his body. But this time he seemed depressed, downtrodden.
"Yusaku," he stated, "you have to kill me. Right now."
"What?" Yusaku was shocked. Kill Ai, just after he had gotten him back? Had he gone nuts? No way was Yusaku doing that right now. "I will never kill you. Not ever again."
"You don't get it, Yusaku. You need to destroy me! It's the only way you'll truly be safe!" said Ai.
"Safe from what? You? You're no danger to me," Yusaku countered.
"Yes, I am a danger to you! If SOL found out I'm alive, they'll come after me AND you! If Revolver found out about me, he probably would do the same as SOL! And who knows what else is out there that might be after me! If I'm alive, I'm a danger to you, because it'll all trace back to you! That's why I must be destroyed!" Ai shouted.
Yusaku opened his mouth, but stopped and thought. What Ai had said was, though he hated to admit it, mostly true. "But only Revolver knows who I am. Even if you were discovered, the only thing they could really do is hunt Playmaker, not me."
"You don't know! SOL may not know, but others might! The ones who revived me might know who you are and involve you in their plans!" yelled Ai.
"The ones who revived you?" questioned Yusaku.
"Well… I really don't know who - or what - did revive me," the AI admitted. "But whatever the reason, it's probably not good!"
Yusaku was silent.
"Yusaku?"
"Ai," said Yusaku. "There are three reasons why I will not destroy you. One: You are my best friend. I would never willingly destroy my best friend. two: I just got you back, and I'm not letting you go. The times I had with you I cherish, because I felt truly happy. Three: I believe in a better future, for you, me, Kusanagi, Jin, Takeru, Zaizen, and everyone else, and I will continue to aspire to that future."
Ai grew visibly more upset. "Damn you, Yusaku! You somehow managed to pull at my corestrings!" He plopped down on the Disk, distraught. "At this rate, you and me both will be killed."
"No, we won't." Ai looked up at Yusaku, who had stood up straighter and with confidence. "Because I made a promise. And friends don't break promises to each other."
"Bwaaaaaaaahh!" cried Ai. "Yusaku, you're so mean! Why'd you have to guilt-trip me so hard?! Bwaaaaaaah!"
The teenager smiled affectionately. "You haven't changed a bit… partner."
"I said stop, you big meanie! You're making my cry out important cooooode!" Ai complained, data tears falling from his eyes.
"Come on," Yusaku said. "Let's go break the news to Kusanagi and Jin."
"Ah! That was fun, wasn't it, Kiku?" Takeru Homura asked his friend, Kiku Kamishirakawa. He was wearing a white jacket with yellow stripes on the arms, with similar pants. His hair was, of course, light gray on the top and red on the bottom and sides.
"Yeah. Better than the last five times!" she agreed. Kiku was wearing her usual uniform, with a white long sleeved shirt, long black skirt, and a dark pink scarf tied around her neck. Her hair was dark blue and ended in a braid.
"Heh heh. Oh well, what can I say? I love VRAINS!" said Takeru, smiling at Kiku.
"Well, I must be going now. My mother will be worrying by now where I am. See you tomorrow, Takeru!" she said cheerfully. She walked out of Takeru's room and to the front door. The young man heard the door open and close. His grandparents had gone out to run some errands, and also give him and Kiku some privacy. He smiled once more.
"Takeru…" a quiet voice called to him. "Takeru…"
"W-what the- !" Takeru stuttered. His gaze darted around the room. "Who said that!?"
"Takeru… Takeru…" the voice continued. "It's me… Takeru…"
"W-wait… Flame!?" he exclaimed. "Flame, is that you!?"
Over on Takeru's bed, the body of none other than the Fire Ignis, Flame, rose out of the screen of Takeru's Disk. He looked coolly at his partner before saying, "Long time no see."
"Flame." The fiery Duelist's eyes began filling up. "You're finally back."
"I am," Flame said simply.
"Flame!" cried Takeru. He rushed to his bed to pick up his partner in a giant hug, but tripped and fell onto the bed.
"Ah!" he said, rubbing his shin, which had hit the bed frame. "That hurt!"
"Oh, Takeru. You always were the more comical one," said Flame.
"I'm just… so happy that you're back… after all this time…" Takeru sobbed. He wiped away the tears that were running down his cheeks.
"Me too, partner. Me too," responded Flame. That made Takeru's heart melt. But just as he was about to break down and cry, he noticed something.
It was Flame. Something was different about Flame. His eyes were no longer a vibrant yellow. Now they were more of an orange. And his behaviour had not been what Takeru expected.
"Hey, are you... ok, Flame?" he asked.
"Huh? Yeah, never felt better. It's great to be back," the Ignis said enthusiastically.
Hmmm, thought Takeru. Maybe it's just my imagination.
"Say, Takeru," Flame continued. "We should tell the others about my return. Maybe the other Ignis are back as well?"
"Oh, yeah!" Takeru quickly grabbed his phone. On it, he began texting Yusaku. "Maybe we can meet up in Den City. Oooh, I wonder if Ai's back."
"Yes, yes, maybe Ai is back. That would be wonderful," Flame said wishfully. Absolutely wonderful.
"A-Ai is back?!" shouted Kusanagi. He, Yusaku, and Jin were sitting at a table in front of Cafe Nagi. Yusaku had all of a sudden appeared at the counter of the food truck and ordered a hot dog. It had taken a moment before Kusanagi realized that it was Yusaku. He had quickly gotten out to greet his friend after having no contact with him for three months. Yusaku also said hello to Jin, who, while not very familiar with the young hacker, had heard legendary tales of his exploits as Playmaker from Kusanagi, and was eager to see him in the flesh.
"Yes," Yusaku stated. "In fact, he's right here." He took out his Duel Disk from a backpack and placed it on the table.
"Ai," he said, "you can come out now."
"I can? Finally!" Ai rose out of the Disk just as before. "It was getting stuffy in there."
Kusanagi and Jin stared at him in shock. Ai turned around to look at the two brothers. "What? Did I say something?"
"Ai!" exclaimed Kusanagi. "You're really alive!" He darted his hands out to grab the Disk, bringing it closer.
"Woah!" Ai yelled, jostled by the sudden movement. "Easy there, Kusanagi! I almost fell off!"
"Ai…" Kusanagi said, as if he still couldn't believe that the AI was alive and well, sitting in front of him. Jin likewise was speechless.
"Nice to see you, too," said Ai. "How ya been? Is Jin doin' ok? Oh wait, he's right here. Hi Jin! How's it going with you? Are you still suffering from the Lost Incident?"
"Ai!" rebuked Yusaku, looking sternly at the Ignis.
"Oop! Sorry. That sounded wrong," Ai apologized.
"The Lost Incident? You mean what happened to Yusaku?" asked Jin.
"Uh, heh heh," Kusanagi laughed nervously. "Jin wasn't part of that, remember, Ai?"
"What? But one of the reasons Yusaku became Playmaker was to help-" That was all Ai got out before Yusaku covered the Ignis' face with his hand.
"Sorry," Yusaku apologized. "His memory must have been corrupted from his revival."
"It is?" Ai asked worriedly. Jin only looked confused at the event.
"So how did you find him?" asked Kusanagi.
"It was more like Ai found me," Yusaku admitted. "I was Dueling a man I had never seen before. After I won the Duel, he disintegrated. I don't know what, how, or why, but I will continue my investigation into this. Anyway, after the Duel, Ai suddenly popped out of my Disk and wanted me to kill him."
"Kill him?" Kusanagi was baffled. "Why?"
"Because he believed that no matter what happened that he was a danger to me. He ran tons of simulations of the future, and they all ended with me dying to protect him. That's why he took over SOL Technologies - to make sure that I survived," informed Yusaku.
"Wow," said Jin. "He really cares about you."
"Yes," replied the teen, gazing thoughtfully out at the city.
"Something wrong, Yusaku?" Kusanagi inquired.
"It's just… I can't help but think of the implications of Ai's revival. Are the other Ignis back? Are Lightning and Windy still hell-bent on enslaving humanity? How was Ai revived? For what purpose?" He turned to look directly at the brothers. "If what revived Ai is not on our side, then I shudder to think of what they want and what they're capable of."
"Hmmm. That is indeed worrisome," Kusanagi concurred. Before he could add on, a buzz rang out.
"It's Takeru," said Yusaku, looking at his phone. " It says… Flame is alive!"
"Flame!? Takeru's found Flame!?" Kusanagi cried.
"Flame?" echoed Jin.
"Huh? Soulburner found Flame?" asked Ai.
"He's coming here! To Den City!" said Yusaku.
"Really!? That's awesome! I get to see Flame again!" Ai celebrated. "It'll be just like old times! We can ride ferris wheels, get cotton candy, go on roller coasters-"
"Fujiki!" someone called. All four turned to find Aoi Zaizen, who was carrying a Duel Disk, followed by a girl they had never seen before.
"Zaizen?" said Yusaku. The girls stopped at the table, out of breath.
"Fujiki," she said again, "It's Aqua. She's alive!"
"Aqua too! It's a miracle!" shouted Ai.
"Ai's alive as well?" Aoi questioned.
"Yeah. He came to me while I was in VRAINS," revealed Yusaku.
"Flame's ok as well!" yelled Ai.
"Really? That's good!" Aoi said.
"And who are you?" said Kusanagi, facing the other girl.
"I'm Miyu Sugisaki. It's nice to meet you," the girl responded politely.
"She's my childhood friend. She's also Aqua's partner," said Aoi.
"Ah! It's nice to meet you as well," Kusanagi answered.
"Takeru says he's coming up here with Flame. He also wants to know what is going with the Ignis," Yusaku notified the group.
"That's good! We'll get a chance to meet up again while we're at it!" said Ai, who now looked overjoyed at the idea of seeing his old Ignis friends.
"When will they be here?" asked Kusanagi.
"Sometime tomorrow," said Yusaku.
"Fujiki, we need to discuss this with Homura. I suspect that whoever revived them isn't likely to be on our side," Aoi theorized.
"Yes, I was thinking the same thing," Yusaku agreed.
"Ah, man," complained Ai. "You two just had to go and dampen the mood."
Yusaku glared at Ai threateningly, making him shrink back in fear.
"We have to take this seriously, Ai," the hacker scolded. "There is a serious chance that you, the other Ignis, me, Kusanagi, Jin, Zaizen, Takeru, and Miyu are in danger. Think about Lightning and Windy. Will they attack again? What about the Knights of Hanoi? Is it possible that they will come after us? And of course the mysterious entity that is responsible for your return, whatever or whoever it is, must be considered as well. There's just too many potential threats."
"Alright, I'm sorry, geez, I didn't actually mean that," apologized Ai. He folded his arms across his chest and turned to a different direction. Yusaku sighed.
"Ok," began Kusanagi, trying to break the tension in the air, "Then we'll all meet up here tomorrow after Takeru has arrived, then?"
"Yeah," confirmed Aoi, "We'll do that." She was looking at Yusaku and Ai, not really paying attention to the rest of them. She knew Yusaku and Ai both were tough, but the interactions between the two seemed… a little strained. Aoi didn't know what it was. Maybe it was the fact that Ai had turned against humanity. But as far she could tell, that seemed to be at the back of their minds.
"Well, I guess we should be going," Aoi said. "We'll be sure to come by tomorrow. Come on, Miyu." She grabbed her friend's hand, pulling Miyu behind her.
"But wait, I didn't get to see Aqua…" Ai trailed off, watching them go. He hung his head in sadness. Yusaku also watched the girls, a suspicion forming in his mind.
Aoi and Miyu were already a block away when Miyu asked, "Aoi, why did we leave? You didn't even show them Aqua."
Aoi stopped, letting go of her hand. She twisted her head to Miyu. "I think Fujiki and Ai need some time to work things out."
"What things?"
She paused before answering. "I'm not sure. They just… need some space."
Miyu did not ask any further questions as they walked the rest of the way home.
"Ah, I don't know where Cafe Nagi is! It moves all around here. Flame, do you know where it is?" Takeru had recently arrived in Den City and was now looking for the food truck.
"It should be where it usually is, in the city square," answered Flame, who was in his eyeball form.
Takeru let out an exasperated sigh. "But that's so far away-" He stopped as he rounded a corner that led right into the city square. "Oh. We're here." I must not have committed the way to the City Square to my long-term memory, he thought.
A little distance away, he spied Cafe Nagi where it usually was, with Kusanagi in the truck making hot dogs, accompanied by someone who Takeru assumed was Jin, and Yusaku, Aoi, and another girl sitting in front of it. Yusaku glanced in Takeru's direction and waved at him to join them. As he got closer, he could hear Ai shouting something.
"-back! He's back! Flame's back! Oh, I can't wait to see my old buddy again!" yelled the Ignis. He would have jumped up and down if he could.
"Hush, Ai," a female voice quited him. "Don't be overbearing. Flame might be a little disoriented or tired from his revival."
"Ah, come on, Aqua," whined Ai. "It's been so long since I've seen him! He's my favorite of you guys!"
Unfazed by this comment, Aqua turned to Takeru. "Hello, Takeru Homura. It's nice to see you again."
"You too," replied Takeru. He had been told by Yusaku that Aqua had also returned. He looked down at Flame, who for some reason was still in his eyeball form. "Flame, we're here. Say hi to Ai and Aqua." No response. "Flame?"
His eyeball suddenly looked up at Takeru, as if he had been zoning out. "Ah, yes." He became his full body form once again. "Hello, Ai. Hello, Aqua."
"Flame!" cried Ai. "You're here! Yes! Finally! Woo hoo!" He continued making various exclamations of excitement while Aqua stared calmly at Flame.
"Greetings, Flame," she said evenly. "You seem rather laid-back. Is everything alright?"
"Yes, it is. Simply a little fatigued," responded Flame. Takeru tensed a little, remembering Flame's odd behaviour at their meeting. Maybe if Flame's not telling me something, Aqua can discern what it is. He remembered Yusaku once remarking that Aqua had the ability to sense truth from lies.
After a few moments of silence, nothing happened. Takeru let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Whew. That's good. Just fatigue.
"Well, come on, Takeru! Put Flame down so we can talk already!" Ai ordered, which was met with a rather disdainful look from Aqua… as disdainful as an AI can look. Takeru put Flame down near the two Ignis, who immediately began chatting again.
"Hello, Homura," Aoi greeted him, a smile on her face.
"Hey, Aoi! It's good to see you!" Takeru said. "You as well, Yusaku! Kusanagi!"
"Long time no see, Takeru," said Kusanagi, smirking as he came out of the vendor. He picked up a hot dog that was on the far side of the table the rest were sitting at. "Hot dog?"
"Oh, yes! I'm starving after that flight!" the teen responded. He grabbed the hot dog and began hungrily devouring it. He finished in ten seconds.
"Wow! That's a new record!" Kusanagi joked. Everyone at the table started laughing, except for Yusaku.
"Hello, Takeru," Jin said.
"Oh, hi! You're Jin, right?" Takeru asked.
"Yeah. I'm Shoichi's little brother," replied Jin.
"Psssst, Takeru," whispered Kusanagi. "Jin doesn't remember the Lost Incident at all, due to Lightning using part of his consciousness data, which luckily contained his bad memories of the Incident, to win his Duel against Revolver. So don't ask him about it."
"Gotcha," he replied. "No problem." Louder, he said to the girl beside Aoi, "What's your name?"
"I'm Miyu Sugisaki, Aoi's friend. Pleased to meet you," said Miyu.
"Pleasure's all mine," Takeru answered. "Are you…?"
"Yes, I am Aqua's base," Miyu confirmed.
"Ok. Good to know." He saw Yusaku had been staring at him the entire time. "Hey, Yusaku."
"Takeru," he started. "We have business to discuss."
"Right," said Takeru, slightly disappointed that Yusaku didn't bother to greet him. Then again, he never was the social type. The fiery duelist sat down next to Kusanagi.
"First, the most obvious thing," Yusaku stated. "Lightning, and potentially Windy."
"Do we have any info on them?" questioned Takeru.
"Unfortunately, no," said Kusanagi. "Neither Lightning nor Windy have made themselves known. We also have found no trace of Bohman, Haru, or any of Lightning and Windy's other AI. We don't know if they're even alive. We also have no information on Earth."
"I wouldn't expect Earth to have revealed himself now. He's always been neutral and non interactive, especially with humans," said Flame, who had stopped talking with Ai and Aqua and was now a part of their conversation. "He's never even met his partner."
"Spectre," breathed Aoi, who had been informed by Yusaku of the fact.
"Which leads us to the next potential problem," continued Yusaku. "The Knights of Hanoi." They all remembered their first enemies who had tried to destroy VRAINS.
"It's unlikely," commented Kusanagi. "They watch over VRAINS now. Even if the Ignis are back, I doubt they'll just up and attack us. They're smarter than that."
"Still, we shouldn't rule it out; they could easily become our enemies again," said Aoi.
"Agreed," acknowledged Takeru.
"The third potential threat: SOL Technologies," Yusaku said.
"My brother would never do something to the Ignis," Aoi immediately countered.
"That may be true, but we don't know about other higher-ups in SOL," argued Yusaku.
"Like Queen," added Ai. "I'm not sure what happened to her, but if she's still at SOL, then I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to get the Ignis again."
"Still, my brother's the CEO. If Queen did try something, then he would put a stop to it immediately," said Aoi, still standing by Akira.
"Only if he found out," Yusaku said. "I do not doubt that she would take the utmost pains to make sure Zaizen doesn't discover any plans of hers."
"Plus, there might be other higher-ups dissatisfied with Zaizen," said Kusanagi.
"So we should definitely keep an eye on them, then," Takeru concluded.
"Now for the last one: the one or ones who revived Ai, Flame and Aqua," said Yusaku.
"Well, Miyu and I have no idea what revived Aqua," divulged Aoi.
"Neither do I," said Takeru.
"Do you guys know?" Miyu asked Yusaku and Kusanagi.
Kusanagi looked at Yusaku. "You tell them."
Yusaku nodded, then turned to the rest of the group. "About a day ago, I had an encounter in VRAINS with a mysterious man calling himself Cerberus. He said he was after my consciousness data, and wouldn't allow me to leave. We Dueled, and I won. Afterwards, I tried to glean some information out of him, but he disintegrated into black data. I can only assume that something dire happened to him."
"That's weird," said Ai. "He just showed up out of nowhere and threatened to kill you?"
"Yes," he replied. "The point is, I think he might be working with or for whatever revived them." He gestured to the Ignis.
"He didn't leave any sort of clue behind as to his identity or something?" said Aoi, mulling Yusaku's theory over.
"Nothing," Yusaku confirmed.
They all sat in brief silence, thinking.
"So out of all four, which is the one we should concentrate on the most?" Aoi posed, breaking the silence.
"I think Lightning," voiced Takeru, remembering Bohman and Windy. "He was a deadly force while he was alive. If he's alive again, he might try to make another Bohman."
"I agree with Takeru," said Aoi.
"Me too," Miyu affirmed, who remembered all too well what Lightning had done to her.
"Us as well," said Flame. Ai and Aqua nodded in agreement.
Kusanagi turned to Yusaku. "I'm for Lightning. You?"
Yusaku didn't bother meeting his friend's gaze. "Lightning poses the biggest threat right now if he's out there."
"So, that's a yes?" asked Kusanagi.
"Yes," answered Yusaku.
"It's settled, then," Takeru finalized. "We watch the network for Lightning and Windy, keep an eye on SOL, be cautious of Hanoi, and try to dig up something on the people who revived them." He motioned to the Ignis.
"We're right here, you know," said Ai.
Aoi grabbed her Disk and Aqua, placing them on her arm. "Well, this was a good session. I'm glad we did it. We'll be sure to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity. Bye, guys!" she finished cheerfully.
"See you sometime," said Aqua, shrinking into her eyeball form.
"Goodbye, everyone. It was nice seeing you again!" Miyu said, smiling cheerfully.
"You as well!" responded Takeru.
Miyu continued smiling, glancing at Jin for a brief moment. Then she began following Aoi.
"Oh-ho-hoooo," said Kusanagi. "I think someone likes you, Jin."
"Sh-Shoichi," Jin mumbled. Takeru laughed.
"What do you think of her? She seems like a very nice young lady. There may be a good opportunity there," Kusanagi added slyly.
"C-cut it out, Shoichi!" exclaimed Jin, a nervous look on his face. Takeru laughed even harder. Yusaku couldn't help grinning.
As the six went back to the truck, Takeru laughing, Kusanagi making comments about Miyu, Jin looking exasperated, and Flame and Ai also chuckling, Yusaku thought about Cerberus, how dangerous he was in their Duel, and what other enemies were out there.
The next day, Yusaku, Takeru, Jin, and Kusanagi were once again at Cafe Nagi, Yusaku, Jin and Kusanagi because they worked there(Kusanagi had generously offered Yusaku his old job back), Takeru because he had nothing better to do. He had gone home with Yusaku and slept at his house. Yusaku had told Takeru he could stay there for as long as he needed, which Takeru had graciously accepted. Now he was mostly sitting around, chatting with them. An add for a SOL Technologies product - some sort of new Duel AI - was playing on the big screen in the City Square.
"We interrupt this program for breaking news." A reporter appeared on the screen in front of a blue background. Takeru turned around to look at it. Yusaku, Kusanagi, and Jin looked up as well.
"An unknown man is going around LINK VRAINS, destroying SOL Technologies' property and attacking LINK VRAINS users. Do not enter LINK VRAINS until the situation is under control. Thank you." The reporter disappeared, replaced by another ad. The people in City Square were talking rather loudly, worrying about this or that, what time will VRAINS be safe again, did everyone get out ok, the usual chatter.
Takeru looked at Yusaku. They both nodded. Yusaku threw off his apron and ran to the back of the truck where his VRAINS room was, grabbing his Disk. Takeru entered the truck and joined Yusaku in his own room. They held their Disks in front of them.
"Deck set! Into the VRAINS!" A blue aura surrounded them, transforming them into their respective avatars. They spawned in a destroyed area, filled with collapsed buildings and damaged roads.
"What the-!? How did one guy do all this!?" said Soulburner, shocked.
Playmaker gazed at the destruction, trying to find the one responsible. A shout was audible somewhere down the right.
"That way!" declared Playmaker, jumping onto his D-Board. Soulburner jumped onto his own Board to accompany his companion.
They zoomed down the deserted streets, following the sound of the scream. They finally came upon a black man standing in an alleyway, cornering a VRAINS user.
"No! Please! Don't do it!" the user begged. The black man responded by laughing maniacally.
"Don't fret. This is for your own good," he said creepily. Electricity shot out of his hands, arcing down the user's body.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" he screamed, before he shattered into pieces, leaving behind a ball of data. The black man reached out and took it.
Playmaker and Soulburner gasped. The black man turned to face them. His head, like his body, was almost completely black, save for a few vibrant grey lines that ran across his entire figure, and his eyes, which were a vast, empty white. His fingers and toes ended in claws, giving him a demonic look. A silver belt wrapped around his waist.
"Ah, Playmaker! Soulburner! And are those Ai and Flame?" the man announced. His tone sounded almost welcoming.
"Whaaaa-!? How does he know our names?!" shouted Ai. The heroes of VRAINS looked equally astounded.
"Why, of course I know your names! You're the Ignis! Creations of Dr. Kogami! Humanity's successors, right?" The man practically waltzed up to them. "How could I not know you?"
"What's up with this guy? He just killed someone and now he's acting like our friend?!" Soulburner said incredulously.
The man's expression suddenly changed to one of seriousness. "Playmaker... I challenge you to a Duel!"
"And now he wants to Duel you?! This guy's insane!" cried Ai.
"I am beginning to question his level of sanity myself," Flame disclosed.
"Me?" said the man, in mock surprise. "I'm perfectly sane. I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't Duel this guy, Playmaker! You saw what he did!" pleaded Soulburner.
"I accept!" Playmaker agreed.
"What!? I think you might be more insane!" yelled Ai.
The man smiled. "Good choice, Playmaker." A D-Board materialized next to him. He hopped on.
The two Duelists met at the top of a building where a stream of data from the Data Storm was. The man's D-Board was shaped like an arrow tip, mostly black except for a gray streak down the middle. Three small triangular points on each side splayed downward. He glanced at Playmaker.
"Just so you know, my name's Ravage," he said. Playmaker said nothing.
"Ravage? That's not a very encouraging name!" worried Ai.
"Speed Duel!" the both of them shouted, shooting off down the road.
Playmaker LP - 4000
Ravage LP - 4000
DUEL!
"I shall go first if you don't mind," said Ravage. "I'll start by Summoning Shadowarp Ghost!" A dark, transparent human with its limbs bent at odd angles and body looking like a robot's came out of a hole, laughing insanely.
Shadowarp Ghost, Cyberse, Level 4, ATK/1800 DEF/900
"I shall then Special Summon Shadowarp Raven!" The monster was a black bird with four wings and a bent metal beak filled with sharp teeth. Its claws were also metallic, and its eyes were blood red. "It can be Special Summoned when I control another 'Shadowarp' monster."
Shadowarp Raven, Cyberse, Level 3, ATK/1500 DEF/500
"Eeeeh? He has Cyberse cards?" said Soulburner, who was following the Duel.
"Hmm. I've never seen those before," Flame remarked.
Playmaker was dumbfounded. How does Ravage have Cyberse cards?
"And now he's using Cyberse monsters? This guy's full of surprises!" Ai shrieked.
"You like? They're a little gift I got from a dear friend of mine," sneered Ravage. "But anyway, I wouldn't want to bore you with my droning stories. That is why I shall now activate Raven's effect!"
"Oh no, here it comes…" dreaded Ai. He looked away to shield himself.
"Once per turn, since I control a Shadowarp monster other than it, I can add another Shadowarp from my deck to my hand and reveal it!" He grabbed a card from his deck.
"Oh. Well, that wasn't too bad," Ai said in relief.
"Don't be so sure," rebuked Ravage. "I reveal Shadowarp Lance!" The card showed a lance with protrusions at various places.
Shadowarp Lance, Cyberse, Level 4, ATK/1600 DEF/400
"And now it's effect activates! Since it was revealed, I can inflict 500 points of damage to you!" The lance rushed at Playmaker and Ai, stabbing the Duelist in the leg.
"Ack!" He clutched his leg where the lance had penetrated it.
Playmaker LP: 4000 - 3500
Ravage raised his hand above his head, and his expression returned to being serious.
"Appear, the circuit of mass destruction! Arrowheads confirmed! The Summoning Conditions are two 'Shadowarp' monsters. I set Ghost and Raven in the Link Markers!" The two monsters flew into the arrows. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Link-2! Shadowarp Hippogriff!" What came out of the Link hole was a beast that vaguely resembled a hippogriff, but it's neck had been stretched out, the left half of its head replaced with a robot head, it's hindquarters mangled to shreds, a cybernetic left leg, and half of its front right leg was missing.
Shadowarp Hippogriff, Cyberse, ATK/2100, Link-2 ↙↘
"Hippogriff's effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Shadowarp monster from my hand to one of its Link Markers! Come, Shadowarp Lance!" The weapon from before appeared. "Appear, the circuit of mass destruction! Arrowheads confirmed! The Summoning Conditions are two or more Shadowarp monsters. I set Hippogriff and Lance in the Link Markers! Circuit Combine! Annihilate your enemies, Link-3! Shadowarp Demolish Demon!" The monster that was Summoned could only be described as that - a monster. It had a smushed face, fangs extending down it's chin, formed in a wicked grin. It's eyes were completely empty except for blackness. Horns curled near it's temples, and long claws were attached to it's fingers. It wore a necklace of sharp teeth, and carried a staff made of bones and tipped with a skull. A tail rose from behind it, ending in an arrow-shape. Its entire body had a metallic sheen, and miasma emanated from it. It's appearance unnerved everyone.
Shadowarp Demolish Demon, Cyberse, ATK/2500, Link-3, ↖↓↗
"Aaaaaaaahhhh! That's a really scary monster!" screeched Ai. "Playmaker, don't let it hurt us!"
Ravage reverted to his insane face. "Oh, it's going to do more than just HURT you. Much, much more. I activate Shadowarp Ghost's effect! By banishing a Shadowarp card from my hand or Deck, I can Special Summon it from the GY, but it gets banished when it leaves the field!" The psychotic ghost emerged under Demolish Demon's bottom Link Marker as a card went from Ravage's Deck to his Banished Zone. "Now Demolish Demon's effect! Once per turn, I can destroy a monster that this card points to! Obviously I choose Ghost!" The Shadowarp vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "Ghost's second effect! When it is destroyed by card effect, it can revive a Level four or lower Shadowarp from the Graveyard! Reappear! Shadowarp Lance!"
"Man, this guy can do a lot in one turn," Soulburner observed.
"He is a serious threat," concurred Flame.
"I'm far from done," continued Ravage, much to Playmaker's concern. "I activate Lance's next effect! Once per turn, I can Equip it to a Cyberse monster I control! I select Demon!" The lance flew into Demolish Demon's hand, who looked at it with glee. "The Equipped monster gains 500 ATK, and every monster it battles has its ATK halved!" The black monster radiated darkness as its ATK rose.
Shadowarp Demolish Demon ATK/2500 - 3000
"I activate the Continuous Spell Shadowarp Menace!" The card showed Demolish Demon roaring ferociously at a group of goblins who were all cowering in fear. "As long as this card is face-up on the field, all your monsters lose 100 ATK and DEF times their Level!"
"This is unfair! Not only do our monsters lose ATK, their remaining ATK is halved by Shadowarp Lance!" Ai complained.
"Hey hey hey, you agreed to this Duel, so you gotta deal with the challenges presented!" Ravage reprimanded the AI.
"And now he's acting like my mom! Oh, what're gonna do, Playmaker?" fretted Ai.
"Simple: you are going to die," declared Ravage. Ai yelped again. "I set a card and end my turn."
"My turn! Draw!" said Playmaker. "Since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon Linkslayer!" The armored monster wearing a cape and wielding dual energy blades appeared.
Linkslayer, Cyberse, Level 5, ATK/2000 DEF/600
"Shadowarp Menace's effect activates!" countered Ravage. "Your monster's ATK and DEF go down!"
Linkslayer ATK/2000 - 1500 DEF/600 - 100
"Since I control a Cyberse monster, I can Special Summon this card! Come, Backup Secretary!" Playmaker went on. The female robotic monster emerged.
Backup Secretary, Cyberse, Level 3, ATK/1200, DEF/800
"Shadowarp Menace activates!"
Backup Secretary ATK/1200-900 DEF/500
"I activate Linkslayer's effect! I discard up to two cards, then target that many Spell or Traps on the field and destroy them! I destroy Shadowarp Menace and your set card!" stated Playmaker. Linkslayer rushed forward, bringing up his blades to strike said cards.
"Trap card open!" Ravage shouted as the card flipped face-up. "Shadowarp Shield!" The card showed Shadowarp Ghost and Raven inside a spherical ball being bombarded with lasers. "This turn, one Shadowarp card I control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect! I choose Menace!" Linkslayer's blades cut through Shadowarp Shield, but Menace was unharmed.
"Damn! We couldn't destroy it!" cursed Ai.
"What? You thought I would let you destroy it just like that? Idiotic," insulted Ravage.
"I activate the effect of Dotscaper in my Graveyard!" continued Playmaker, unfazed. "Since it was discarded, I can Special Summon it!" The blocky monster surfaced from the Graveyard.
Dotscaper, Cyberse, Level 1, ATK/0 DEF/2100
"Don't forget about Shadowarp Menace's effect!" Ravage reminded him.
Dotscaper DEF/2100-2000
"Hey, he didn't use Demolish Demon's effect to destroy Dotscaper," Ai noticed. "What's up with that?"
"Shut up and Duel!" Ravage yelled.
"Alright, jeez! You don't have to be so mean about it!" retorted Ai.
"Be quiet," Playmaker scolded the Ignis. "Appear, the circuit that leads to the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The Summoning Conditions are two or more Cyberse monsters. I set Linkslayer, Backup Secretary, and Dotscaper in the Link Markers! Appear, Link-3! Encode Talker!" The light blue Code Talker came out of the Link Hole, brandishing it's shield at Demolish Demon.
Encode Talker, Cyberse, ATK/2300, Link-3, ↑ ↓↘
"Hahaha! Since Link Monsters don't have Levels, Shadowarp Menace is useless!" Ai gloated.
"Shadowarp Lance's effect still activates," said Playmaker.
"Ah! I forgot about that! Oh, what are we going to do?" Ai was waving his arms frantically, trying and failing to calm himself down.
"I set a card facedown and end my turn," Playmaker finished. "It's your move, Ravage."
"I am aware of that," he spat. "I draw! By activating Pot of Greed, I am able to draw two cards!" Ravage forcefully drew them.
"Pot of Greed? I haven't seen that card in a while," commented Soulburner.
"If there will be no more interruptions," said Ravage, glaring at Soulburner, who looked nervous, "I will activate another Continuous Spell, Return Of The Shadows." The card showed the monster from Overdone Burial being sucked into a vortex and Shadowarp Ghost coming out of another vortex. "Once per turn, by banishing a DARK monster from my hand or Deck, I can add a banished DARK monster other than that card to my hand. Then, if the monster was a Shadowarp monster, I can Special Summon it! With Return Of The Shadows, I'll banish another monster from my deck and add Shadowarp Mage to my hand, then Summon it!" The monster that emerged from a black hole wore tattered dark gray robes with white lines around the sleeves and hood, and black electronic lines running down it. It also wore a black hat with similar lines. It's skin was completely black, save for its eyes which were a ghostly white. It's right arm was elongated to twice the size of the left and held a gray cybernetic staff, with it's left foot only a stump.
Shadowarp Mage, Cyberse, Level 4, ATK/1600 DEF/1300
"The effect of Shadowarp Mage! Once per turn, by paying 1000 Life Points, I can add a banished Shadowarp to my hand!" He took the card which materialized.
Ravage LP: 4000 - 3000
"Then I Normal Summon the monster that I just added, Shadowarp Shark!" The monster at first glance looked like a robotic shark, but its skin was black and its eyes were dark purple. It had four extra fins along its side, with crooked and mismatched teeth in its mouth, and its tail bent in a zig-zag pattern. Ravage placed it under Demolish Demon's bottom Link Marker.
Shadowarp Shark, Cyberse, Level 4, ATK/1700 DEF/1200
"Shark's effect! I'm able to target one monster on the field and have it lose 800 ATK for the rest of the turn, even if it leaves the field, in exchange for preventing Shark from attacking! I choose Encode Talker! Frenzy Feed!" Shark swam quickly at Encode Talker, ready to take a bite out of it.
"I activate my Trap! Cynet Conflict! When you activate a Spell, Trap, or monster effect while I control a Code Talker, I negate that and banish it, and you cannot use the effects of that card or cards with the same name until the end of the next turn! I negate and banish Shadowarp Shark!" Shadowarp Shark jumped for Encode Talker, chomping vigorously. The Code Talker held up its hand and blasted it, causing it to explode.
"Oh my gosh! It just tried to eat Encode Talker!" shrieked Ai. Playmaker grimaced.
"That's what happens in the real world, Playmaker! If you try to be a hero, you'll just be devoured by the sharks of the world! Burn that into your brain!" screamed Ravage.
"What's wrong with him?" Soulburner asked.
"I think I might know," divulged Flame. "The random mood changes, the manner in which he Duels… I think he is literally insane."
"Legitimately? He's actually, very seriously insane?" questioned Soulburner.
"I'm afraid so," said Flame.
"Insane!?" Ravage roared. "You think I'm insane!? Is that it!? You think I'm mentally insane!? That's completely-" he stopped talking abruptly. His face twisted in a smile.
"Insane? Maybe I am insane. Who knows? I sure don't," he resumed. He turned back to Playmaker.
"See?" Flame muttered.
"But anyway," Ravage interjected, "let's get on with the Duel, shall we? I will now activate Demolish Demon's effect to destroy Shadowarp Shark!" The monster burst into black shards.
"He keeps destroying his own cards," Ai noted.
"Oh don't worry," said Ravage, "it's all for a reason. And a good one at that. Shadowarp Shark's effect when it's destroyed! By banishing it and another Level 4 or lower Shadowarp from the Graveyard, I gain Life Points equal to half of one of their ATK! I banish Shark and Ghost, and regain half of Ghost's ATK!" A dark purple aura surrounded Ravage as he healed himself.
Ravage LP: 3000 - 3900
"I set a card," he declared. "Now, it's time to do battle! Demolish Demon, destroy Encode Talker! At this point, Shadowarp Lance's effect halves Encode Talker's ATK! Lancer Strike!" Demolish Demon threw Lance at Encode Talker, piercing its stomach.
Encode Talker ATK/2300 - 1150
"Now, Demolish Demon, attack Encode Talker! Demolition Night!" said Ravage. The demonic monster once again threw Lance at Encode, piercing its stomach. Demolish Demon then rushed at it, slicing it in two.
Playmaker LP: 3500 - 1650
"Gack!" cried Playmaker, putting his arms in front of him to deaden the blow.
"But I am not done yet, for Shadowarp Mage will attack you directly!"
Playmaker LP: 1650 - 50
"Hahahahaha! How does it feel, Playmaker? Did you relish the pain? Could you taste it?" asked Ravage, leering at the duo. Ai stared at him in horror. Playmaker's expression didn't change.
"What? Did I say something wrong? Oh, silly me!" their opponent giggled. "Sometimes I get carried away a little, and it scares everyone around me. It's a… defect that I seem to have acquired. But like I said before, I'm not going to bore you with my stories. Therefore, I shall end my turn!" He finished with a bow. "It is now your turn, my opponent."
"Playmaker, why didn't you activate Cynet Conflict against Demolish Demon? We wouldn't have taken any damage and Demolish Demon would be banished!" admonished Ai.
"Something… told me to use it on Shark," Playmaker explained. "I think it was… my Link Sense."
"Your Link Sense?" Ai repeated. "Why would it have told you that?
But Playmaker did not answer. "My turn! Draw!" The hacker drew. "Ai, it's time."
"Huh? Oh, yeah! Finally! I've been waiting to do this for a while!" exclaimed Ai. "Come, Data Storm!"
Upon Ai's call, a Data Storm whirled into view, headed for the Duelists. Playmaker sped up and entered the Data Storm. He held up his Duel Disk, which flashed a brilliant blue and cut a swathe through the data material. He reached out his hand to grab it.
"Oh? It's that time already? Well, guess I better get ready," Ravage thought aloud.
"I activate my Skill! Neo Storm Access!" called Playmaker. The data began forming in his hand, solidifying into a card. But it was interrupted by Ravage.
"I activate my Skill!" he returned. "Counter Skill! I negate your Skill, then gain 500 Life Points!"
Ravage LP: 3900 - 4400
"Hahaha! You fell into our trap!" Ai gloated. "If we don't add a monster with Neo Storm Access and we have one hundred or less Life Points, we can add a Cyberse to our Extra Deck and draw a card! So we ended up gaining more thanks to you!" Ai was laughing confidently, but Ravage kept on smiling. This troubled Playmaker, but he wouldn't let it distract him from Dueling. He drew another card.
"I activate the effect of Bitrate Processor in my Graveyard!" Playmaker went on. "On my next turn, after it is sent to the graveyard, by banishing another Cyberse monster from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon it! I banish Dotscaper to revive Bitrate Processor!" Another hole appeared in front of him, out of which rose a light metallic gray computer, with a megaphone-shaped object on one side that was sucking in data. On its front was a computer screen with lines of code being displayed. It had a single antenna sticking up on the other side. On its back, the edges stuck out more, and two short, stubby legs on the bottom. It sucked in Dotscaper, which it converted to code.
Bitrate Processor, Cyberse, Level 2, ATK/800 DEF/500
"Shadowarp Menace activates once more!" Ravage reminded him.
Bitrate Processor ATK/800 - 600 DEF/500 - 300
"Dotscaper's effect! When it is banished, I can Special Summon it!" The blocky monster popped out of Bitrate Processor's side.
Dotscaper DEF/2100 - 2000
"Bitrate Processor's other effect! If Special Summoned by its effect, I can add a Level 2 or lower Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand!" A card once again materialized, which Playmaker grabbed.
"Appear, the circuit that leads to the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The Summoning Conditions are two Effect Monsters! I set Bitrate Processor and Dotscaper in the Link Markers! Appear, Link-2! Link Scorpion!" A robot that, true to its name, looked like a scorpion came out of the Link Hole. Its body type was similar to Link Spider's, but it only had six legs with wheels on the bottom, the front two legs having been downsized and mostly hidden by two bulky pincers. A blocky tail ending in a sharp, rounded point curved up and forward. Thin joints mostly concealed by the thick appendages attached them to the body, which was oval-shaped with two red eyes on the front, red lines that went down the rest of it, and thick red lines across its tail. It took one look at Demolish Demon and hissed, tail poised to strike.
Link Scorpion, Cyberse, ATK/1500, Link-2, ↙↓
"Oh, awen't you an adowable widdle monsta," cooed Ravage. He waved at it, eliciting another hiss.
"Wha… why… what is wrong with him?! He has to be insane! He needs a mental hospital or something!" Ai raved.
"Stop, Ai," Playmaker chastised. He was beginning to worry about his friend. "Why are you so angry?"
"I… I… I don't know," imparted Ai. "Something about Ravage… just sets me off, I guess. Maybe something's wrong with my program or something"
"Heheheheheh hahahahahaha!" Ravage laughed. "Oh, it's no bug or glitch. In fact, you might say… it's a part of you." Playmaker and Ai were bewildered by this.
"Ooooooookay?" said Ai, not really sure how to respond. Playmaker decided to keep going with the Duel.
"I activate Link Scorpion's effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Effect Monster from my hand to one of its Link Markers by negating its effects! Come, Latency!" The pink humanoid monster with an hourglass appeared.
Latency, Cyberse, Level 3, ATK/0 DEF/0
"Appear, the circuit that leads to the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The Summoning Conditions are two or more Cyberse monsters. I set Link Scorpion and Latency in the Link Markers!" Said monsters transformed into energy and entered the Link Arrows. "Link Summon! Appear, Link-3! Incode Talker!"
Out of the Link Hole emerged a Code Talker, with the standard black-with-colored-lines body. The lines, as well as its armor, were bright yellow. Part of the armor went down its shoulder, and the shin plates had points that stuck out sideways. The forearms were rather bulky, and the back was loaded with tons of armor. The bottom half of its head had silver armor, while the top half was yellow and had triangular flaps that stuck up on the side of its head. It spun a shiny, thick spear above its head, bringing it to bear at Demolish Demon.
Incode Talker, Cyberse, ATK/2300, Link-4, ↙↓ ↑
"Ooh, a new Code Talker! I can't wait to see its effects!" said Ravage.
"Link Scorpion's effect when it is used for a Link Summon!" Playmaker declared. "I can add a monster that was used for its own Link Summon to my hand! I add Latency! Then, due to its effect, I can Special Summon it!" The monster reappeared.
"I activate Incode Talker's effect! When it is Link Summoned, it gains 500 ATK times the combined Link Rating of all other monsters! Since your monster is Link-3, it gains 1500 ATK!" Incode Talker glowed yellow.
Incode Talker ATK/2300 - 3800
"Interesting," remarked Ravage.
"I activate the effect of Link Infra-Flier in my hand!" said Playmaker. "I can Special Summon it to a Zone a Link Monster points to! I Summon it to Incode Talker's bottom Link Marker!" A humanoid robot with a hang glider materialized.
Link Infra-Flier, Cyberse, Level 2, ATK/0 DEF/1800 - 1600
"Next, I activate the Spell Cynet Optimization! When my 'Code Talker' monster battles, you cannot activate cards or effects until the end of the Damage Step!"
"There's no avoiding this one," Ai added smugly. "Get him, Incode-!"
"Appear, the circuit that leads to the future!" interrupted Playmaker. Ai face-faulted. "Arrowheads confirmed! The Summoning Conditions are two monsters. I set Link Infra-Flier and Latency in the Link Markers! Appear, Link-2! Security Dragon!" A mini red version of Firewall Dragon emerged, spreading its wings and roaring.
Security Dragon, Cyberse, ATK/1100, Link-2, ↑↓
"Latency's second effect! When it is used for a Link Summon after being Special Summoned by its own effect, I am allowed to draw a card!" Playmaker carried on. "Security Dragon's effect! When it is co-linked, it can return one monster you control to the hand! I choose Demolish Demon! And because it's a Link Monster, it instead goes to your Extra Deck!" Security Dragon let loose a blast of wind, blowing Demolish Demon back to the Extra Deck. Ravage, however, looked unaffected by this. In fact, he appeared to be smiling even more now.
"Trap card open! Shadowarp Switchout!" he said. The card showed Shadowarp Hippogriff backing up while Demolish Demon rushed forward. "When a 'Shadowarp' monster I control is returned to the hand, Deck, or Extra Deck, I can Special Summon a different Shadowarp with 2500 or less ATK from the same place the original card went to! I choose another copy of Shadowarp Demolish Demon!" Another demon came out of a black hole that appeared next to Ravage. "Additionally, that monster can attack this turn!"
"Ha! Why would you want to attack us? Without Shadowarp Lance, it'll just be destroyed!" stated Ai.
"Because of Demon's second effect," answered Ravage. "When it battles, Demolish Demon can lower the ATK of its attack target to 0!"
"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!" Ai screamed. "It can do that?!"
"But wait," said Soulburner. "If Demolish Demon can do that, why didn't Ravage use it earlier? He could've won the Duel easier!"
"Because I just love watching my opponents squirm, then think they can do something about it before crushing all hope!" Ravage shouted.
"Yusaku!" exclaimed Kusanagi and Jin, who had been watching the Duel from Cafe Nagi.
"Playmaker!" Soulburner cried out.
"NOOOOOO! WE'RE GONNA LOSE! DO SOMETHING, PLAYMAKER!" bellowed Ai.
The hacker did try to do something, but it was of no use. He had no facedowns, none of his monster's effects would help him, and the card in his hand, Cynet Reboot, couldn't be activated. There was nothing he could do. He had lost.
"Annihilate Incode Talker, Demolish Demon! Demolition Night!" yelled Ravage. Just when Demolish Demon's attack was about to hit, Ai's screams nearly blowing Playmaker's eardrums out, a rain of digital bullets appeared out of nowhere, peppering Demolish Demon, Incode Talker, and Security Dragon. They screamed in pain and shattered. Multiple people on D-Boards flew into view, aiming rifles at Playmaker, Ravage, and Soulburner.
"Halt, perpetrators," one of them commanded. "This is the LINK VRAINS Order and Stability Division! Cease all action now, or drastic measures will be taken!"
"Welp, guess that's my cue to leave," said Ravage, who proceeded to jump off his D-Board. He nose-dived straight down, but right as he was about to hit the ground, he disappeared.
"Showoff," muttered Ai.
"Playmaker, Soulburner, you are under arrest for crimes against the good people of VRAINS! Do not attempt to escape, or suffer the consequences!" ordered the first.
"What?! We were trying to stop Ravage from destroying VRAINS! Why are you arresting us?!" Soulburner protested.
"Do not resist! Failure to comply will result in a lifetime in prison!" the officer threatened.
"Let's get out of here!" Ai called. Playmaker agreed, turning his D-Board to the left. Soulburner followed suit.
"Stop!" the officer demanded. The men began shooting at them, making the Duelists swerve around. They didn't know what the bullets would do to them, but they weren't about to stick around and find out.
"Log out, log out!" cried Ai. Being careful to dodge the hail of bullets, Playmaker and Soulburner hit the logout button mentally.
In the real world, both boys slumped out of their respective rooms, exhausted as hell. Kusanagi dashed to catch Yusaku while Jin got Takeru. They propped them up in chairs.
"Yusaku? Are you ok?" Kusanagi asked tentatively. Yusaku didn't answer; he only stared wildly at the floor. "Yusaku?"
"I… I lost… I lost," whispered Yusaku, trembling. "I swore I wouldn't… Not ever again… Not after..." He didn't finish his sentence.
Everyone stared nervously at Yusaku, Ai most of all. The only thing he could say was his name.
"Yusaku…"
Custom Cards
Ravage
Shadowarp Demolish Demon
Attribute: DARK, Cyberse/Link/Effect, ATK/2500, Link-3 ↖↓↗
You can target one monster this card points to; destroy that target. If this card battles: You can make the opposing monster's ATK 0. You can only use each effect of "Shadowarp Demolish Demon" once per turn.
Shadowarp Hippogriff
Attribute: DARK, Cyberse/Link/Effect, ATK/2000, Link-2 ↙↘
2 "Shadowarp" monsters
First Effect: Once per turn, you can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower "Shadowarp" monster from your hand to a zone this card points to.
Second Effect: Unknown.
Shadowarp Ghost
Attribute: DARK, Cyberse/Effect, Level: 4, ATK/1800 DEF/900
If this card is in your GY: You can banish one "Shadowarp" monster from your Deck; Special Summon this card, but banish it when it leaves the field. If this card is destroyed by card effect (Quick Effect): You can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower "Shadowarp" monster from your GY. You can only use each effect of "Shadowarp Ghost" once per turn.
Shadowarp Raven
Attribute: DARK, Cyberse/Effect, Level: 3, ATK/1500 DEF/500
If you control a "Shadowarp" monster: You can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can only use this effect of "Shadowarp Raven" once per turn.
Shadowarp Lance
Attribute: DARK, Cyberse/Effect, Level: 4, ATK/1600 DEF/400
If this card is revealed: Inflict 500 damage to your opponent. If this card is on the field: You can Equip this card to one "Shadowarp" monster you control. The equipped monster gains 500 ATK, also any monster it battles loses half its ATK. You can only use each effect of "Shadowarp Lance" once per turn.
Shadowarp Mage
Attribute: DARK, Cyberse/Effect, Level: 4, ATK/1600 DEF/1300
First Effect: Once per turn, you can pay 1000 LP; add one banished "Shadowarp" card to your hand.
Second Effect: Unknown.
Shadowarp Shark
Attribute: DARK, Cyberse/Effect, Level: 4, ATK/1700 DEF/1200
You can target one monster your opponent controls; this turn, this card cannot attack, also the targeted monster loses 800 ATK. If this card is destroyed: You can banish this card and another Level 4 or lower "Shadowarp" monster; Gain LP equal to half of one of their ATK. You can only use each effect of "Shadowarp Shark" once per turn.
Shadowarp Menace
Continuous Spell
While this card is face-up on the field, your opponent's monster loses 100 ATK times their Level.
Shadowarp Shield
Counter Trap
This turn, one "Shadowarp" card you control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect, also you take no damage from battles involving that card.
Shadowarp Switchout
Normal Trap
When a "Shadowarp" monster you control is returned to the hand, Deck, or Extra Deck: Target that monster; Special Summon a different "Shadowarp" monster with 2500 or less ATK from the same place as the previous monster.
Playmaker
Incode Talker
Attribute: LIGHT, Cyberse/Link/Effect, ATK/2300, Link-3 ↙↓ ↑
2+ Cyberse monsters
First Effect: When this card is Link Summoned: it gains 500 ATK times the combined Link Rating of all other Link Monsters on the field.
Second Effect: Unknown.
Link Scorpion
Attribute: DARK, Cyberse/Link/Effect, ATK/2000, Link-2 ↙↓
2 Effect Monsters
You can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Effect Monster from your hand to a Zone this card points to, but its effects are negated. If this card is used for a Link Summon: You can add a monster that was used for this card's Link Summon to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Link Scorpion" once per turn.
Bitrate Processor
Attribute: WIND, Cyberse/Effect, Level 2, ATK/800 DEF/500
The turn after this card was sent to the GY, you can: Banish one Cyberse monster from the GY; Special Summon this card. If Special Summoned this way, you can add one Level 2 or lower Cyberse monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Bitrate Processor" once per turn.
Hey, guys! I'm back! Sorry for the initial release of this chapter, I uploaded the doc to the Doc Manager, but then completely forgot to do the custom card section, and I didn't have time to fix it until now. So, this should be better. Also, sorry for the VERY long delay, I had to rewrite parts of this chapter a couple of times. Also, personal matters don't help.
Anyway, this is chapter one of Hyper VRAINS! I hope you guys liked it. Did I do well? Does it feel rushed? I kinda feel that way, but I was never very good at writing mushy scenes. I'm not trying to make excuses if that's what it seems like. It probably does. Oh well.
Sorry for any and all PSCT errors, some cards (especially Shadowarp Switchout) I was unsure of the correct wording. Speaking of Shadowarps, how are they? They're my first custom archetype, so I hope I did well. Are they balanced? Do they work well with each other? Important things to know, so please, if you have any criticisms, tell me. They're very important to helping me improve, which makes me happy and keeps you guys reading. Also, let me know any thoughts or theories you guys have, they interest me a lot. I know it's early for theories, but if you have any, feel free to say them.
Also, I'm gonna be doing recommendations for stories every so often. So, to start out, I'd like to start this series with scififfan559's Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories and Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V: The Fifth Circuit. The Fifth Circuit I read first and loved, then decided to read Hidden Memories. Both are amazing, you need to check them out. The stories are intriguing, always keeping me on my toes. Will so-and-so beat so-and-so? Will the events change from the original canon? If so, how? These are questions I frequently ask myself while reading his stories, so definitely head on over to him.
Another thing I'll be doing every chapter, which I also see in a bunch of Yu-Gi-Oh stories, is a Question of the Chapter. So, the question of this chapter is:
Who do you think Ravage is? What are his intentions?
This is technically two questions, but whatever, it's the first chapter, I feel like doing something special. The reason I ask is because I actually asked myself these questions multiple times. Ravage's character underwent several changes, so it'll be interesting to see what you guys think.
So, I hope, again, that you liked it. If you did, consider following and favoriting, and especially reviewing, those help me out a ton. This is Black Force Demon signing out. Peace!
