Chapter 2: Duel in the Ring
LINK VRAINS: Unknown Location….
"So Playmaker escaped with the Ignis," Revolver muttered. "Specter." The moment Revolver called his name, Specter logged into the room.
"Master Revolver," Specter said. "We tried tracking Playmaker again, but we're still no closer than before to learning his real identity, even with our best hackers."
"On the contrary, Specter," Revolver said, "I believe that we're homing in on Playmaker. And there are three reasons why I'm certain it's only a matter of time. One: Only a select few duelists use Cyberse cards, so we can narrow our search. Two: We're improving our search algorithms daily, if not hourly. And three: If all else fails, Playmaker will come to me; to duel the leader of the Knights of Hanoi."
"Quite observant, sir," Specter said, bowing low.
"And I guarantee that our first meeting will be our last." Revolver smirked at himself, knowing that victory would soon be in his grasp.
In Den Academy…
Damn, Yuhiro thought. Who knew making a Duel Board and Skill for Speed Duels would be this hard? Right now, he was on his tablet in his Management Accounting class, stylizing his Duel Board and creating a Skill that would best fit his Cyreath Deck. He would be watching the video between Playmaker and the Knight of Hanoi from yesterday to better understand his upcoming opponent, but Roxy insisted that he prepare for Speed Duels should the need arise.
Besides, it was certainly better than running and hopping over rooftops all day in LINK VRAINS. After all, you would eventually just get tired.
"Furutani Yuhiro, could you please tell me the difference between calculating for machine hours and calculating for assembly hours?"
The voice of Yuhiro's teacher snapped him back to the real world. He looked at the teacher as he replied, "When calculating for machine hours, you must use the Overhead and Direct Machine Hours that relates to the Machining Department. However, if you're calculating for assembly hours, you need to use the Overhead and Direct Labour Hours for the Assembly Department."
The teacher nodded as an image on the screen showcased two different formulas: One for the Machining Department Overhead Rate, and one for the Assembly Department Overhead Rate. "Smart answer, Furutani. Just like your classmate said, the formulas in calculating Machine Hours and Assembly Hours may look the same, but they're different. The trick is…"
Yuhiro ignored the teacher and sighed as he went back on his tablet. Note to self: Beware of teachers, he thought, as he continued to work on his Duel Board. Within a few minutes, it was finished! Yuhiro looked at the completed Duel Board. It was a white board, with red stripes and cloud-shaped accents on the edges.
He was about to continue working on his Skill when Naoki, who was sitting beside him, shouted, "It's Hanoi!" This startled Yuhiro and made him turn to Naoki. What he didn't know was that every student, especially the teacher, were all staring at Naoki.
"You better have a good reason for interrupting class, Shima!" the teacher said, clearly annoyed that his lesson was interrupted.
"Hanoi!" Naoki said. "A Knight of Hanoi has been spotted in LINK VRAINS!"
"That is no good reason to interrupt an important lesson like this!" the teacher reprimanded Naoki. "And since everyone's attention is directed towards Shima and his LINK VRAINS announcement, I have an announcement of my own. Everyone will be given out an assignment to complete, which is due by tomorrow. Only notes taken can be used. And no technology can be used!"
"What, come on!"
"Why are we all getting punished?"
"We haven't even practiced the material yet!"
The classroom was filled with multiple groans, and furious mutters mostly directed towards Naoki, who sank back into his seat as he put his tablet away. Yuhiro himself was pissed off because now he couldn't go undercover, and watch Playmaker duel the Knight. Naoki Shima, I'm going to destroy you for this, he internally seethed.
Before putting his tablet away, Yuhiro sent out a quick text to Roxy informing her of the situation.
Roxy, I'm a little busy due to a surprise assignment. Please launch the E.M.S. program and have it record Playmaker's duel against the Knight of Hanoi in LINK VRAINS, he texted.
He hoped that, by the time he was finished completing his assignment, that he could watch the duel on his tablet. Because if Roxy isn't able to record the duel for him for any reason, not only would he lose valuable information, but it would make his job harder as well. And the chances of him ripping Naoki a new one would skyrocket big time.
A few hours later….
Yuhiro walked down the path from Den Academy, annoyed with the assignment, especially with Naoki. At least that's over with, he thought. He looked at his messages, with one of them being from Roxy.
Don't worry, the text read, I got your back. Attached was a video file of the duel between Playmaker and the Knight of Hanoi. Thank goodness! He pressed the play function on the video, which showed Playmaker about to confront the Knight. His excitement soon vanished when he tripped at the last set of stairs and fell, causing him to drop his tablet.
"Ow!" he said. "Guess I should've been looking ahead instead of at my tablet…"
"Are you okay?"
He looked up at the voice, seeing a girl with yellow eyes and a light-brown bob cut. Wait a minute. She looked familiar. Her name was… Zaizen! Aoi Zaizen!
"Yeah, I'm fine," Yuhiro said, standing up and rubbing the left side of his face. "Probably should've been looking ahead though."
"You dropped this, by the way," Aoi said, picking up his tablet. When she looked at it, her eyes widened with curiosity as she said, "This is…"
"I'm just watching one of Playmaker's duels," Yuhiro said, taking the tablet from Aoi. "They're interesting."
Aoi watched him put away his tablet in his backpack. "Your Duel Disk," she said, looking at his wrist, "It's a card-insert type, correct?" But that was as far as Aoi could go when Naoki suddenly showed up.
"Furutani! Zaizen!" Naoki said, panting. Both Aoi and Yuhiro turned to him.
"Who are you again? And why are you panting?" Yuhiro asked him.
"What? You forgot my name again? I told you yesterday, it's Shima! Naoki Shima!" But before Naoki could answer the second part to Yuhiro's question, a group of boys appeared.
"There he is! He's responsible for making my grade average go down!"
"Oh, boy! I gotta go!" Shima said, before running off while being chased by the group of boys.
"Well, that was weird," Aoi said, turning to Yuhiro.
"In a way," Yuhiro replied. "See you tomorrow?"
"Guess so," Aoi said, watching Yuhiro walk away from Den Academy.
At Café Matsuo…
After a half hour, Yuhiro reached Café Matsuo. He was going through what happened today in his head. More importantly, three things:
One: The duel between Playmaker and the Knight of Hanoi. Now he had a recording of it, he could watch it and continue learning Playmaker's duel strategies. And in doing so, he would continue to prepare for his duel against him for the AI Program.
Two: Although he had the recording, he missed the chance to watch Playmaker duel in LINK VRAINS due to Naoki's idiocy. There's a difference between watching a recording of something, and watching it live as it actually happens, he thought. By watching something that is actually going on, I can pick up certain details firsthand, whereas in a recording, I can only get a certain amount of information available.
Three: His chance meeting with Aoi Zaizen. He could tell that she was suspicious of him when she asked about his Duel Disk. Thanks to Naoki, she couldn't ask any further questions for today. But that didn't mean Yuhiro was off Aoi's radar just yet. I need to keep my guard up around her, he thought, if only for a while. Suddenly, he remembered something: Aoi was the little sister of Akira Zaizen, who is currently SOL's security chief. He used to go to Café Matsuo and buy a box of burgers for board meetings, as well as a blue-cheese burger for himself. If Aoi figured out that Yuhiro was Raguel and told Akira, then he would launch an investigation, which wouldn't be fun for anyone.
"Roxy, why are you closing up so early?" Yuhiro asked, noticing Roxy turn on the 'Closed' sign.
"Because of the duel that happened today," Roxy replied, turning to Yuhiro. Clearly, she was annoyed. "And since our rival, Café Nagi, is at Central Plaza, people decided to go buy hot dogs instead of hamburgers. Sheesh."
"Don't worry about it. It's only one day," Yuhiro said, walking with Roxy to the back room. "Tomorrow, I'm sure you'll get customers."
"Those are just words. And besides, actions speak louder than words!" Roxy opened the door to the backroom, motioning Yuhiro to enter first.
"All right," Yuhiro said, taking the seat next to Roxy's and turning on the computers. She preferred to sit closer to Café Matsuo so that, if they needed to go somewhere, she can get the van going. "By the way, I owe you one for recording the duel between Playmaker and that Knight."
"About that…" Roxy opened up a window on the monitor. When Yuhiro looked at her, she said, "I think it's best if we watch the duel before coming to conclusions." The two turned towards the monitor, which showed the recording starting up before playing.
It then showed Playmaker shooting out of a portal and landing in front of the Knight.
"You're in for a tenderizing," the Knight said to Playmaker. Ok, something was very different about this one. A usual Knight of Hanoi would taunt his enemies, but this one…
Playmaker didn't answer. Instead, someone else said, "Despite the getup, he sure doesn't sound like a Knight of Hanoi." Yuhiro recognized that voice as the same one that came from Playmaker's Duel Disk. In other words, the AI everyone wanted.
"Yeah. There's something off about him." Playmaker said to the AI.
The Knight laughed as his avatar peeled away to reveal a certain Charisma Duelist. Roxy's mouth dropped, while Yuhiro was watching intently. "Your hate for the Hanoi is legendary, so I knew you couldn't resist the temptation." Of course. It was Go Onizuka. "You're not dealing with the Hanoi; now you're dealing with someone that much more dangerous!"
"And that's why I wanted to show you the recording first," Roxy said, pausing it.
"Hang on. There has to be more than this," Yuhiro said. He narrowed his eyes. "Keep playing."
The recording kept playing, showing a giant cage appearing when Playmaker tried to leave. Now he had no choice but to duel Go.
"All right Playmaker," Yuhiro whispered to himself, "how are you going to get yourself out of this mess?"
The duel between Playmaker and Go immediately began, with Go summoning Gouki Suprex and Gouki Riscorpio. Playmaker countered by summoning two Cyberse monsters with high attack points, and then cutting Go's Life Points in half. Not too shabby, Playmaker, Yuhiro thought.
He was even more impressed with Go's turn, where he turned the situation around and Link Summoned Gouki the Great Ogre and set himself up to win with an OTK. Yet Playmaker survived thanks to a Trap Card that reduced Gouki the Great Ogre's attack points.
What happened next surprised Yuhiro even more. Someone opened a backdoor program that would help Playmaker escape, but he ignored it on purpose. He and Roxy smiled, realizing why Playmaker didn't escape. He had honor. Once he was in a duel, he would go through with it to the end. Go realized that as well, which made him smile.
The recording then showed Playmaker enter a Data Storm tornado and acquire a new Link Monster. From there, Playmaker performed four Link Summons in one turn, which was a huge feat. He then used three of his Link Monsters, as well as an Equip Spell card, to destroy Gouki the Great Ogre and inflict its attack to Go as damage. The recording timed out once the duel concluded.
"Wow," was all Yuhiro said. Turning to Roxy, he noticed that she was starstruck. "You enjoyed the duel just as much as I did."
"No I didn't!" Roxy suddenly said, turning to Yuhiro as she cleaned her glasses. "Okay. Yes, I did. I can't help it. These duels remind me of the ones my granddaddy used to take me to when I was little." Turning to the monitor and typing, she continued, "While I don't remember the duelist who was performing at the time, I do remember one of the cards that he used." A card image then popped up on the monitor, showing a magician wearing a white hat with white magician's clothing and a massive white cape. He also carried four golden rings as well.
"Performapal Sky Magician," Yuhiro read. While it wasn't as powerful as Roxy imagined, he had no doubt that it was certainly a useful card.
"Anyway," Roxy said, "I think that we should talk about Go Onizuka, as well as Blue Angel." She opened a window on their screens, showing two images. Yuhiro looked at them, confused.
"And why is this important?" he asked.
"Because I believe it would be a good idea to learn as much as possible about them so if they get in your way, you can kick their asses." Roxy smirked to herself upon saying those last few words.
"I say we start with Go Onizuka first. Since we watched his duel, it would be a good idea to take notes of his dueling style while it's still fresh in our heads."
"Ok." Roxy pulled up a few images of Go and his Duel Stats on the monitor. "As you know, this is Go Onizuka. Also known as the 'King of LINK VRAINS'. Unlike Blue Angel, Playmaker, or you for that matter, he uses his actual name and appearance. What does that tell you?"
"He aims to be a celebrity," Yuhiro said. "In other words, someone well-known."
"I believed that to be the case too," Roxy said, "but then I found this." Roxy opened up another window that showed the Den City Orphanage. "This is where he grew up. He volunteers there every now and then. The children there love him. In fact, a good majority of his winnings go towards supporting the orphanage. Go himself lives in a gym near the waterfront."
"You're saying it as though Go's giving back," Yuhiro said, a hand under his chin. "And it seems as though he fights for more than himself. Just like me." I guess you're a good person after all Go Onizuka, Yuhiro thought.
"He's also a duelist that uses an old-fashioned style of Dueling called Entertainment Style. He makes his enemies seem stronger, and then aggressively crushes them with overwhelming strength thanks to his Goukis. That's what I call a brutal beatdown!" Roxy couldn't help but smile after saying that.
"What about Blue Angel?"
"She's also an entertainer but prefers to use flashy moves and tricks. Her Trickstar deck focuses on inflicting small amounts of effect damage, and if you're not careful, BAM! You're screwed." While Yuhiro appreciated Roxy's carefree and positive attitude, this wasn't the best time to be so carefree. If these duelists were to one day be his opponents, then Yuhiro needed every ace in the hole he could get.
"Although her identity isn't known to the public, I was able to find this." Roxy opened another window, showing a girl with a light-brown bob-cut and yellow eyes. "Blue Angel is actually…"
"Aoi Zaizen!" Yuhiro said, even surprising Roxy. He hadn't seen it coming, but it all made sense now. If Aoi was looking for card-insert Duel Disk users, she'd no doubt be looking for Playmaker and challenge him to a duel.
"You know her?" Roxy said, still surprised, either that Yuhiro now knew Blue Angel's identity, or that he finally is friends with a girl. She immediately started laughing and rolling on the floor.
"She's in my Statistics class," Yuhiro answered her. "And could you stop laughing? It's not like that at all!"
"Okay, okay, fine," Roxy said, standing up and wiping a tear from her eye before sitting down on the chair.
"Say, Roxy," Yuhiro said, "Do you remember Akira Zaizen by any chance?"
Roxy smiled. "The guy in the blue suit who always bought a box of burgers for board meetings? I remember him. While I still don't see him as much, I still get pickup orders sometimes. If he does come, he usually orders two burgers: a blue-cheese and a 6 ounce. Why do you ask?"
"Zaizen is SOL's security chief now, right?" Yuhiro asked. When Roxy nodded, he turned to the screen. "If he oversees security, that means he was also responsible for the scan SOL performed to find the AI. He likely saw Playmaker's duel against the Hanoi. Meaning…"
"He's likely attempting to retrieve it for his bosses," Roxy finished for him. "Guess it's a three-way race between Hanoi, SOL, and the Black Market to find that AI."
Yuhiro then realized something: "What about the cage program and backdoor program? I need to know which SOL executive Go allied with, as well as who Playmaker's ally was."
"No info on those, I'm afraid," Roxy replied. "Why?" She then realized what Yuhiro was thinking.
"Roxy, can you send Go Onizuka a message? I want to duel him."
"I can, but why do you want me to do this?" Roxy asked.
"There are three reasons why I want to duel Go Onizuka." Yuhiro said. "One: I need to know who aided Go in his duel against Playmaker, as well as how he got that cage program. By learning who helped Go, I can determine if there are other people that want Playmaker's AI. Two: I want Playmaker to see me duel, to know I exist, and that he isn't the only one with Cyberse cards. Three," this time, he smiled, "I enjoyed seeing Go's duel, which is making me want to experience it first-hand."
"I can agree with the first reason," Roxy said. "After all, you're not the only one who doesn't want to cross paths with her again." She then smiled. "But to see you actually excited to duel someone, this is another surprise to me. I'll do this for you, if you come with me to the workshop. I got something to show you."
Café Matsuo's workshop…
Roxy brought Yuhiro to the workshop. It was a massive room, filled with tools and machinery. It also had a few cabinets, shelves, and several seats. At the middle was a table, which had a gauntlet on it. The gauntlet was colored black, green, and gold, with the palm having a repulsor in it.
"Roxy, what is this?" Yuhiro asked, as he picked up the gauntlet. It was big enough to literally fit in his right hand.
"That, my friend, is your newest weapon against the bad guys," Roxy said, walking beside him and carrying a laptop. "I figured that, since the battle against the Knight of Hanoi, you'll need all the help you can get. Which is why I had Monty send me the program the Knights use for their Cracking Dragons. With that program, I was able to convert their power into this gauntlet."
"And how do I operate it exactly? What does it even do?"
"I knew you'd ask, which is why I prepared a video demonstration." Roxy motioned Yuhiro to watch the video on her laptop. In it, Yuhiro watched as a figure equipped the gauntlet on their right hand. From there, the figure launched a short electrical burst on a training dummy by extending their entire right hand back to reveal the repulsor, causing Yuhiro to widen his eyes. The figure then flipped a switch on the gauntlet with his left hand, causing it to be loosened, which let them take it off. In other words, the key to operating the gauntlet was in hand movements.
"Wow. I didn't expect this. My only concern is if I'm in a duel. Would I accidentally electrocute myself if I draw cards from my deck?"
"Rest assured. There's padding on the fingers that will only slide up when you're electrocuting someone," Roxy answered. "And since it was based off of Cracking Dragon, I was thinking of calling it 'The Cracker'."
Yuhiro couldn't help but snicker. The Cracker? Really?
"It was either that, or the Zapper." Roxy said, shaking Yuhiro out of his thoughts. "I've already downloaded the gauntlet into your Duel Disk. You go get ready for you duel against Go Onizuka; I'll send the message." Yuhiro was about to run off when she said, "Oh, and the more powerful monsters you fight against, the more gauntlets I can make for you." Yuhiro nodded as he ran to the closed-off space. He entered the closed-off space, pulled out his deck from his jacket, and placed it into his Duel Disk. "Deck Set! Into the VRAINS!"
At the Waterfront…
After logging out, Go was practically surprised to see the children from the orphanage there. According to the owner, they wanted to cheer him up, and let him know that he was still their champion. He played with them for a while and promised that he would go see them tomorrow. Once the kids left, Go's manager approached him.
"I'm glad to see you're feeling better," he said. "But I'm afraid there's one more matter that needs to be taken off of the agenda for today." The manager handed a tablet to Go. Upon looking at it, he was surprised.
"Raguel wants to meet me?" Go said. He remembered Raguel. He defeated a Knight of Hanoi, stole his equipment and programs, and then shot him in the head. "What does he want with me?"
"I'm not sure," the manager replied. "But it might have something to do with your duel against Playmaker. What do you think?"
Go thought for a minute and then said, "Maybe. Still, I'm curious as to what Raguel wants. Tell him that the champion will meet him in LINK VRAINS!"
In LINK VRAINS…
Raguel looked at his right arm while waiting for Go on a rooftop. It was outfitted with the Cracker gauntlet that was in Roxy's workshop. This does fit like a glove, he thought. Just then, a portal opened, with Go Onizuka jumping out of it and landing on the same rooftop Raguel was on.
"So, what does a black-market agent want from me?" Go asked, getting straight to the point. It was clear that he was still harbouring some contempt for Raguel following their previous encounter.
"The SOL executive who gave you the Cage program," Raguel said, turning to him. "I want to know who helped you."
"What business is that of yours?"
"Definitely not yours," Raguel said, keeping a straight face.
Go growled. "The last time I saw you, you acted as judge, jury and executioner. I don't see why I should help someone who murders and steals for their own benefit."
"You want to know something Go? I don't do those things for my own benefit." When Go raised an eyebrow, he continued, "I fight for more than just myself. I fight for someone else too. Someone I hope I can finally meet one day." Go's eyes widened in surprise at that. "But perhaps there's another way I can drive my point home."
"A duel?" Go asked.
"Yes. I heard that duelists mainly communicate how they feel in a duel. Plus, your duel against Playmaker was entertaining. So here's what I was thinking: If I win, you tell me which SOL executive provided you with the cage program. However, if you win, I'll cease my black-market activities immediately."
Go's eyes widened in surprise for a second time. "You'd really do that?"
"Yes," Raguel replied. "Do you accept the challenge?"
Go smiled. "Of course. Bring it on!"
The two duelists rode the date stream, with Go riding up front in his board, and Raguel riding his on the back.
"Speed Duel!" the two of them shouted.
Go Onizuka: 4000 LP
Raguel: 4000 LP
"Since I'm in front, I'll take the first turn!" Go said, waving his hand in front of him to see his cards. "I Set one card, and summon Gouki Suprex!" A blue ogre with claws on his hands and a long blue tail appeared on his field.
Gouki Suprex ATK: 1800 DEF: 0 LVL: 4
"I activate Suprex's effect! Since it was Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one 'Gouki' monster from my hand! I summon Gouki Riscorpio!" A red ogre with scorpion claws and a scorpion tail also appeared on Go's field.
Gouki Riscorpio ATK: 2300 DEF: 0 LVL: 5
"Come forth! My circuit!" Go said. He shot a burst of energy from his hand, which formed a portal that he traveled through. Raguel watched this intently. Was Link Summoning during Speed Duels different?
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Gouki' monsters! I set Gouki Suprex and Riscorpio into the Link Markers!" The two Goukis traveled through the circuit he was facing and entered the left and bottom Link Markers.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Fly into battle! Link 2! Gouki Jet Ogre!" A purple ogre with red bushy hair joined Go's field. It wore metallic shin guards and had a massive jetpack on it's back. It also carried a musketeer's sword on its right hand.
Gouki Jet Ogre ATK: 2000 LINK-2 ⬅️⬇️
"I activate the effects of Gouki Suprex and Riscorpio in my Graveyard!" Go said. "Now I can add 'Gouki' cards besides themselves from my Deck to my hand." He added Gouki Re-Match and another copy of Gouki Suprex to his hand. "Next, I activate Gouki Re-Match. This card lets me summon two 'Gouki' monsters from my Graveyard in Defense Position, as long as they have different levels. Return, Gouki Suprex and Gouki Riscorpio!" The blue and red ogre reappeared on Go's field in Defense Position, with Jet Ogre pointing to Suprex.
Gouki Suprex ATK: 1800 DEF: 0 LVL: 4
Gouki Riscorpio ATK: 2300 DEF: 0 LVL: 5
"I end my turn," Go concluded. "Now show me what you got, Raguel!"
"Oh, what's this?" the MC said. "Go Onizuka has started another duel! This one with someone who identifies himself as Raguel!"
At a hotdog cart in the Den City Plaza, a boy with dark blue hair and light blue bangs with pink accents, looked up at the television screen. It showed Go and his opponent, a duelist with grey eyes wearing a long, dark blue coat with a black jumpsuit and what appears to be a white-ruby pendent. He also had what looked like a mechanical gauntlet on his right arm. The duelist's hair was of an aquamarine color, and it was stylized upwards as well.
"Who is Go dueling Kusanagi?" the boy, Yusaku Fujiki asked the man working at the hotdog cart. Kusanagi, an older man with purple hair, a small goatee, and grey eyes, answered him.
"Raguel," he said. "He's an agent on LINK VRAINS' black market."
"Then why is he dueling Go?" Yusaku asked.
At the duel….
"My turn!" Raguel said. "I draw! I Set two cards face-down and summon Cyreath Legionnaire from my hand!" The muscular man in golden armor, shin pads, braces, and helmet with red feathers appeared on his field. He carried a small sword and massive shield.
Cyreath Legionnaire ATK: 1700 DEF: 1000 LVL: 4
"Cyreath?" Go said, surprised. "That's a Cyberse monster, correct?"
"You bet it is," Raguel replied. Back at the hotdog stand, Yusaku, who was really Playmaker, narrowed his eyes.
"He's in possession of Cyberse monsters? I thought I was the only one…"
"Appear! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel fired a burst of energy into the sky, which created the Link Portal that he flew through. He hovered above it with Cyreath Legionnaire.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyreath' monster! I set Cyreath Legionnaire in the Link Marker!" Legionnaire went into the bottom marker, turning it red.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come on out! Link 1! Cyreath Scorpius!" A huge scorpion, with large pincers and a long tail, joined Raguel's field.
Cyreath Scorpius ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️
"I activate Scorpius' effect!" Raguel declared. "Once per turn, if I control no monsters, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower 'Cyreath' monster from my Graveyard to a zone this card points to. Return, Cyreath Legionnaire!" Scorpius lowered its tail into a portal, with Legionnaire grabbing onto it before jumping out of the portal and back onto the field.
Cyreath Legionnaire ATK: 1700 DEF: 1000 LVL: 4
"I activate my face-down Trap card, Gouki Challenge!" Go said. The card showed Gouki Suprex challenging Gouki the Great Ogre to a wrestling match. "The monsters you summoned this turn must attack 'Gouki' monsters I control. Otherwise, you take damage equal to the number of 'Gouki' monsters I control times 500!" Go smirked at Raguel.
"Is that so?" Raguel said, smiling back at Go. "Then I accept your challenge! Battle! Cyreath Scorpius attacks Gouki Suprex! And since Legionnaire was used to Link Summon Scorpius, you take piercing battle damage!" Scorpius charged at Suprex and slashed the blue ogre with its large pincers, before stabbing it with its long tail and turning it into particles.
Go Onizuka: 4000 – 1000 = 3000 LP
"Alright, Cyreath Legionnaire! Attack Gouki Riscorpio!" Legionnaire jumped towards Riscorpio and blocked the red ogre's attacks, before impaling it with it's sword and destroying it.
The explosion caused Go to wince a bit, before regaining his balance.
"I'm not finished! By sending Cyreath Pixie from my hand to the Graveyard, I can inflict 500 points of damage to you!" A small, female creature with red hair wearing a green dress and having green wings fired its wand at Go, causing him to fall to his knees on his Duel Board.
Go Onizuka: 3000 – 500 = 2500 LP
"And Go Onizuka is in a serious situation!" the MC commented. "His opponent destroyed his Gouki's and inflicted a total of 1500 points of damage to him! How will he recover?" Yusaku just watched, a bored expression on his face.
Raguel watched Go. He knew what he was doing, and he couldn't help but smile. The real show was about to begin.
"Go Onizuka is down for the count!" the MC said. "Let's give him a three count! One! Two!" Suddenly, Go stood up and laughed. "He got up! He's still in this!"
"The effects of both Suprex and Riscorpio activate!" Go declared. "As they were sent to the Graveyard, I can add 'Gouki' cards beside themselves from my deck to my hand. I'll add Gouki Twistcobra and Gouki Battle Halberd!"
Go raised his right hand as he said, "Power… I can feel power surging through my hand. I'VE. GOT. THE. POWER!" The gold outlines on his coat glowed as he said, "I activate my Skill! Fighting Spirt! All 'Gouki' monsters destroyed in battle are Special Summoned from my Graveyard!" Suprex and Riscorpio reappeared on his field.
Gouki Suprex ATK: 1800 DEF: 0 LVL: 4
Gouki Riscorpio ATK: 2300 DEF: 0 LVL: 5
"I'm not done my turn!" Raguel said. "I activate Cyreath Treasure from my hand, which lets me draw 2 cards. But in exchange, I must send 1 'Cyreath' monster from my hand to the Graveyard!" He drew the top two cards of his deck and sent Cyreath Wandering Soul to the Graveyard.
"I end my turn," Raguel concluded.
"Not too bad," Go said. "You've almost cut my Life Points in half in a single turn. Now it's time for me to respond in kind. I draw! I summon Gouki Twistcobra!" A green ogre with four limbs joined the other four ogre's on Go's Field. Two of the limbs ended with hands and the other two ended in sharp points, with two snake trails trailing from its head.
Gouki Twistcobra ATK: 1600 DEF: 0 LVL: 3
Three Gouki monsters, Raguel thought. He'll only need three of them, hell, maybe even two of them to summon his ace monster….
"Come forth! My circuit! Go said. Another blast of energy was shot from Go's hand, as he and his Gouki's flew through the portal that he created.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Gouki' monsters! I'll set Gouki Jet Ogre, which is a Link-2 monster, and Gouki Suprex, in the Link Markers!" Jet Ogre split in half, entering the bottom-left and bottom right arrowheads around the portal, while Suprex entered the bottom arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Show yourself! Link 3! Gouki the Great Ogre!" A massive warrior with horns atop of his head emerged from the portal. He wore black and purple armor with a dark brown fur cape draped from his shoulders. The Great Ogre carried a large battle axe as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone, pointing to Twistcobra and Riscorpio.
Gouki the Great Ogre ATK: 2600 LINK-3 ↙️⬇️↘️
"The effect of Gouki Jet Ogre activates! As it was sent to the Graveyard, all 'Gouki' monsters I control gain 500 attack points until the end of the turn!" The Great Ogre, Twistcobra, and Riscorpio were surrounded in a red aura as their strength increased.
Gouki the Great Ogre ATK: 2600 + 500 = 3100
Gouki Twistcobra ATK: 1600 + 500 = 2100
Gouki Riscorpio ATK: 2300 + 500 = 2800
"Next, I activate the Equip Spell card, Gouki Battle Halberd, and equip it onto Gouki the Great Ogre!" The card showed The Great Ogre wielding a massive weapon, compared to its battle axe. "This card boosts The Great Ogre's attack by it's Link Rating times 500!"
Uh-oh, Raguel thought, as he saw The Great Ogre pick up the Battle Halberd. I'm in trouble now.
Gouki the Great Ogre ATK: 3100 + (500 X 3) = 4600
"Now to sweeten the deal! I activate Gouki the Great Ogre's monster effect! All monsters on the field lose attack points equal to their defense points! Ogre Roar!" The Great Ogre roared at Raguel and his monsters; although Scorpius was safe, Legionnaire felt the shockwave and was pushed back.
Cyreath Legionnaire ATK: 1700 – 1000 = 700
"Battle!" Go declared. "Gouki the Great Ogre, you're up first! Attack Cyreath Legionnaire with Gouki Halberd Slash!" The Great Ogre charged forward and was about to slice Legionnaire in two, when…
"Quick-Play Spell, activate! Cyreath Rebound!" The card showed Cyreath Hercules protecting Cyreath Goblin, Cyreath Rushing Skeleton, and Cyreath Miner from an enemy. "This card negates the attack, and then inflicts damage to you equal to half of your attacking monster's attack points!" Legionnaire pushed back The Great Ogre using its shield, and then jumped out of the way as a blue laser blasted out of the card and hit Go, causing him to almost lose control of his Duel Board.
Go Onizuka: 2500 – 2300 = 200 LP
"Why, you-!" Go said. "Twistcobra's effect! By tributing a 'Gouki' monster I control, one 'Gouki' monster gains attack points equal to the tributed 'Gouki' monsters original attack points until the end of the turn! I'll tribute Twistcobra and increase Riscorpio's attack points!"
Gouki Riscorpio ATK: 2800 + 1600 = 4400
"Battle! Riscorpio attacks Cyreath Legionnaire!" Riscorpio charged at Legionnaire and grabbed its sword and shield using its massive pincers, before stabbing the warrior with its tail and destroying it. The result was an explosion that pushed Raguel back, causing him to steady his Duel Board.
Raguel: 4000 – 3700 = 300 LP
"Guess we're almost on even playing field now!" Go said. "I end my turn. Since my turn is over, the effects of Jet Ogre and Twistcobra end, lowering my 'Gouki's attack points to normal."
Gouki the Great Ogre ATK: 4600 – 500 = 4100
Gouki Riscorpio ATK: 4400 – 1600 – 500 = 2300
"And look at that!" the MC said. "Even though Go lost almost all his Life Points, he's managed to push Raguel to the danger zone! Now this is going to be a match for the history books, kids!"
"You know, that MC makes some crazy comments," Kusanagi said. "Yusaku, do you think Raguel has a change to win?"
"Yeah. I actually want to know myself," the AI in Yusaku's Duel Disk said.
"Although Raguel doesn't have many Life Points left, I believe he has a change to win. For three reasons: One," Yusaku held up a finger, "throughout this duel, Raguel's been using Cyberse cards. That alone tells me he's no ordinary duelist. Two," Yusaku held up a second finger, "we have yet to see him use his Skill in this Speed Duel. Once he uses his Skill, I believe the duel will turn in his favor. Three," Yusaku held up a third finger, "Raguel still has Life Points, a face-down card, and a monster on his field. Should he play his cards right this turn, he'll win."
"Oi, Yuhiro!" Roxy said through Raguel's earpiece. "Are you sure you can win this? After all, you're facing against tough odds."
"Of course I can win, Roxy," Raguel said. "There's too much at stake. If I lose, any chance of seeing Miyu awake one day will be gone through the wind."
"AND THAT'S WHY YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE AGREED TO CEASE YOUR ASSIGNMENTS IF YOU LOST, YOU BLOCKHEAD!" Roxy practically shouted in Raguel's earpiece.
"It was the only way to prove to Go that I was being serious. After all, at least I have more Life Points than Playmaker did." Roxy laughed at that. Although Yuhiro was losing, at least he was faring better than Playmaker did when he dueled Go.
"Hey!" Go interrupted Raguel's conversation. "Are you going to make your move or not?"
"Apologies, Go," Raguel said. "I was just finishing a conversation with a friend. But since you want me to take my turn, then I guess I shall! I draw! Scorpius' effect! Once per turn, if I control no monsters, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower 'Cyreath' monster from my Graveyard to a zone this card points to. You're up, Cyreath Legionnaire!" Scorpius lowered its tail into a portal once again, with Legionnaire grabbing onto it before jumping out of the portal and returning to the field.
Cyreath Legionnaire ATK: 1700 DEF: 1000 LVL: 4
"You haven't forgot about The Great Ogre's effect, right? Ogre Roar!" Go declared. Legionnaire was pushed back by a shockwave for a second time.
Cyreath Legionnaire ATK: 1700 – 1000 = 700
"I activate the effect of Cyreath Wandering Soul from my Graveyard! By banishing it from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon 1 'Cyreath Wanderer' token to my field." A small ball of mist in the form of a ghost appeared on Raguel's field.
Cyreath Wanderer Token ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LVL: 1
"There's no point in using The Great Ogre's effect, as this monster has no attack or defense points to begin with!" Go gritted his teeth.
"And now, I activate my Skill, Call of Olympus!" The red lining on Raguel's coat, as well as the x-shaped lines on his jumpsuit glowed. "I can Special Summon 1 random 'Cyreath' monster from my deck, and if I control a 'Cyreath' Link Monster, I can add 1 Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand!" A random card popped out of Raguel's deck. When Raguel looked at the card, he smiled. "Through my Skill, I call on Cyreath Rushing Skeleton!" A small skeleton carrying a bomb joined the field, looking very antsy.
Cyreath Rushing Skeleton: ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LVL: 4
"Also, since I control a 'Cyreath' Link Monster, I can add 1 Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand! I know, this one!" Raguel added Cyreath Empowerment to his hand.
"I hope you realize that The Great Ogre's effect will still kick in, no matter what monster you summon," Go said. Thrusting his left hand, he shouted, "Ogre Roar!" The Great Ogre roared for the third time, pushing Rushing Skeleton back.
Cyreath Rushing Skeleton: ATK: 1000 – 1000 = 0
"Appear," Raguel said, "the circuit showing the highest mountain!" Once again, Raguel created another portal by firing energy at the sky, in which he and his Cyreath monsters flew through.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyreath' monsters! I set the Cyreath Wanderer token and Cyreath Legionnaire in the Link Markers!" The Wanderer token entered the top Link Arrow around the portal, while Legionnaire entered the bottom Link Arrow.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Ride into battle! Link 2! Cyreath Chariot Commander!" A ghostly skeletal figure whose entire body was made up of blue flames rode onto the field. It wore a helmet with jagged, uneven horns, and had an outfit consisting of gauntlets, a pauldron over its left shoulder, a tattered gladiator's skirt, and broken-down metallic boots.
Cyreath Chariot Commander ATK: 2000 LINK-2 ⬆️⬇️
"Now I summon Cyreath Barbarian!" A man with spiked cuffs, close-cropped blond hair and mustache joined its Cyreath companions on the field. And sure enough, The Great Ogre roared, causing a shockwave to hit Barbarian.
Cyreath Barbarian: ATK: 1500 DEF: 1000 LVL: 4
Cyreath Barbarian: ATK: 1500 – 1000 = 500
"Appear, for a final time," Raguel said, "the circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel created one last portal by firing energy at the sky and entered it with his remaining Cyreath monsters.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyreath' monsters! I set Cyreath Barbarian, Cyreath Rushing Skeleton, and Cyreath Scorpius, which is a Link-1 monster, in the Link Markers!" Barbarian entered the top-left Link Marker, Scorpius entered the bottom Link Marker, and Rushing Skeleton entered the top-right Link Marker.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Cyreath Hercules!" A tall, muscular warrior wearing a brown tunic around his waist emerged from the portal and was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone Chariot Commander was pointing to. He wore shoulder guards resembling lion paws and a helmet resembling a lion's head with a plume forming a mane. He also carried a massive gauntlet with a lion face on each arm.
Cyreath Hercules ATK: 2500 LINK-3 ↖️⬇️↗️
"Wow," was all Go could say. He then smiled: A Clash of the Titans. How could anyone resist seeing that?
"Barbarian's effect!" Raguel said. "Since it was used to Link Summon, the Link Summoned Monster that used this card as material gains 500 attack points!"
Cyreath Hercules: ATK: 2500 + 500 = 3000
"Chariot Commander's effect! When a monster is summoned to a zone this card points to, I can destroy 1 card you control! And I'll choose Gouki Battle Halberd!" Chariot Commander threw a fireball at Gouki Battle Halberd, causing it to be alit in flames. This forced The Great Ogre to drop it, as both it and the card itself turned to particles soon after. Go was shocked upon seeing this.
Gouki The Great Ogre ATK: 4100 – 1500 = 2600
"Cyreath Hercules' effect! Monsters this card points to loses 500 attack points! Nemean Roar!"
The resulting shockwaves managed to hit both Chariot Commander and Gouki Riscorpio.
Cyreath Chariot Commander ATK: 2000 – 500 = 1500
Gouki Riscorpio ATK: 2300 – 500 = 1800
"I activate my Spell Card, Cyreath Empowerment!" The card showed Cyreath Hercules, Cyreath Barbarian, and Cyreath Archer being bathed in the warm sun. "By tributing 1 'Cyreath' monster, another 'Cyreath' monster has its attack and defense points doubled until the end of the turn! I'll tribute Chariot Commander, so I can double Hercules' strength!" Chariot Commander vanished into particles, which were absorbed by Hercules as he became stronger. Much stronger.
Cyreath Hercules ATK: 3000 + 3000 = 6000
"Battle! Cyreath Hercules! Attack Gouki the Great Ogre!" Both Hercules and The Great Ogre charged at each other, with The Great Ogre swinging its axe while Hercules threw a massive right punch, neither side giving in.
"I activate The Great Ogre's effect!" Go said. "If the Great Ogre were to be destroyed by battle, I can destroy one of the monsters it points to instead! I choose Riscorpio!"
"Continuous-Spell card, activate! Grapple-Snatch!" Raguel said. The card showed a male figure launching a wire at a creature and reeling it in. "This lets me target 1 monster you control and prevent it from attacking, as well as activating its effects as long as this card is on the field!" Suddenly, a thin metallic cord shot out of the card and snaked its way around The Great Ogre, slicing and dicing it until it had lots of wounds.
"That's not good!" Go said. "Wait. That means-!"
"The duel is finished, Go! End this Cyreath Hercules! Nemean Strike!" Hercules pushed The Great Ogre back so hard that its axe broke. He then charged forward and delivered an uppercut to the Great Ogre with enough force that it caused a massive explosion, throwing Go off his Duel Board and onto a nearby rooftop.
Go Onizuka: 200 – 3400 = 0
"And the match is finished!" the MC declared. "The winner is Raguel!"
"Well, guess you were right, Yusaku," Kusanagi said.
"I guess so," Yusaku said. "Still, I am curious. How did he get Cyberse monsters?"
"Does it really matter?" the AI in Yusaku's Duel Disk asked.
"Yes. Yes it does," Yusaku replied to the AI.
In LINK VRAINS...
"Go!" Raguel cried out, as he landed on the same rooftop Go was on. He ran over to Go and shook his body. "You okay?" Suddenly, Go started laughing, which confirmed he was okay.
"I lost," Go said. "But that duel, was just as fun as the one with Playmaker, if not better." He stood up right away, looking unharmed, even though he was flung off a Duel Board moments earlier due to an explosion.
"I have to say," Raguel said, "your dueling tactics were very impressive. I guess that's why you're #1 in LINK VRAINS."
"So were yours, Raguel," Go said. The two of them shared a laugh, after which Go continued, "While I may not approve of what you do, I do understand why you're doing it. I can tell, during that final clash between Hercules and the Great Ogre, that you really were fighting for someone else."
"Thank you," Raguel said. He then realized something: "Since I won, do you think you can tell me who gave you the cage program?"
Apparently, Go forgot that too, because he said, "I almost forgot! My mistake. Akira Zaizen, SOL's security chief, approached me to defeat Playmaker and acquire his AI program for him." That pretty much confirmed Raguel's suspicions. But at least he got a duel out of it.
"By the way," Go whispered to Raguel, "Is this person you're fighting for a girl? Is she someone special in your life?"
Raguel's face turned red in surprise as he said, "It's complicated." Go immediately laughed upon hearing him say that.
"Anyway, I need to get going." Raguel turned around and was about to log out when Go asked him a question.
"Hey Raguel, will we meet again?" Go asked, crossing his arms.
Raguel turned to face Go. "If I can be honest, I got a good feeling we will. See ya." He logged out shortly after, leaving Go alone on the rooftop.
Yuhiro existed the sealed room, a look of exhaustion on his face. He would have fallen over had Roxy not caught him.
"Easy, Yuhiro," Roxy said. "You look like you're exhausted."
"Well, obviously," Yuhiro replied with a smirk on his face. Roxy rolled her eyes as she helped Yuhiro to his chair. Once he looked comfortable, Roxy sat down on her chair.
"I overheard what Go said. It was Akira Zaizen, wasn't it?" Roxy asked.
"It was," Yuhiro replied, turning to Roxy. "But I needed to be absolutely sure of what we're up against if we're going to get that AI program before SOL or Hanoi does." He then looked down as he continued: "I'm sorry, Roxy." This caused Roxy to turn to Yuhiro. "I almost lost everything. Our jobs at the black-market, and the chance to see Miyu smile again." To his surprise, Roxy put a hand on his right shoulder, causing him to look up at her.
"I understand why you did it," Roxy said. "But still," she pinched Yuhiro's cheek, "it was a reckless act. Promise me you won't do something like that again without consulting with me first." The look Roxy gave Yuhiro showed him that she wasn't joking.
"Alright. I promise," Yuhiro said. There was no point arguing with her when she was like this, nor when she gave him 'the look'. "Just please let go." Roxy let go after Yuhiro said that.
"You had fun today in your duel, didn't you?" Roxy asked. "And what Go said to you before you logged out? It's true, isn't it?"
Yuhiro's face turned red for a second time as he said, "Roxanne Matsuo. Are you seriously teasing me? Stop…" Roxy was laughing when Yuhiro had an idea.
"Say, Roxy, do you still have that package of spare food and clothing?"
The next morning, at the waterfront….
Go returned to his home at the gym after completing a long jog around the waterfront. According to his manager, jogging can clear one's mind of the stresses they faced yesterday. Not only was it also a way to improve cardiovascular fitness, it can help improve one's mood as well.
"Ah Go," his manager said, opening the door seeing that Go returned, "how was your jog?"
"It was good," Go replied, heading inside and grabbing a towel. "Say, I'm starving. Is breakfast ready?"
"Yes. Eggs with fruit, sausage and toast, as you requested." Go's manager walked with Go upstairs to the kitchen as Go sat down and started eating. The manager was looking through the tablet containing Go's activities for the day.
"Pardon me for interrupting your meal," Go's manager said, "but while you were out, a delivery came for you."
"Really?" Go said. This made him curious enough to stop eating. "Where's the package?"
The manager led him to another room in the gym. "I didn't know where else to put the package, sir."
"Don't worry about it," Go said, picking up the package, "I'll take over from here. He brought the package to the main area and then opened it. Inside was a note, which read:
Go Onizuka. You're not the only one who helps others out.
From, Raguel.
When Go further opened the box, his eyes widened in shock. Inside the package was spare clothing and food!
"You're still planning on visiting the orphanage today, correct?" Go's manager asked.
"I am. Could you leave me alone for a quick minute?" After Go's manager left, he smiled as he looked inside the box.
You know Raguel, he thought, maybe I misjudged you at the beginning. I look forward to our next meeting!
Card Gallery
Cyreath Pixie (LV: 2/Cyberse/Light/ATK: 500/DEF: 500)
When a monster your opponent controls is destroyed by battle: You can send this card from your hand to the GY; inflict 500 damage to your opponent.
Cyreath Barbarian (LV: 4/Cyberse/Dark/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1000)
If this card is used to Link Summon a monster, the Link Summoned monster that uses this card as material gains 500 ATK.
Cyreath Rushing Skeleton (LV: 4/Cyberse/Dark/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000)
If this card attacks a monster with higher ATK: You can destroy this card, and if you do, destroy your opponent's monster without applying battle damage.
Cyreath Chariot Commander (LR: 2/Cyberse/Fire/ATK: 2000/⬆️⬇️)
2 'Cyreath' monsters. When a monster is summoned to a zone this card points to: You can destroy 1 card your opponent controls. If this card attacks a monster your opponent controls, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects until the end of the turn.
Cyreath Scorpius (LR: 1/Cyberse/Dark/ATK: 1000/⬇️)
1 'Cyreath' monster. Once per turn, if you control no 'Cyreath' monsters other than this card: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower 'Cyreath' monster from your GY to a zone this card points to.
Cyreath Empowerment (Normal Spell Card)
Tribute 1 'Cyreath' monster you control; until the End Phase, one 'Cyreath' monster you control has its ATK and DEF doubled.
Grapple-Snatch (Continuous-Spell Card)
Target 1 monster your opponent controls; it cannot attack, nor activate its effects while this card is on the field.
Gouki Battle Halberd (Equip-Spell Card)
A 'Gouki' Link monster equipped with this card gains ATK equal to its Link Rating X 500. If this card is in the GY: You can discard 1 card; add this card to your hand.
Gouki Challenge (Normal Trap Card)
Effect: If your opponent Normal or Special Summons a monster, they must attack 'Gouki' monsters you control with that monster. Otherwise, during the End Phase: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of 'Gouki' monsters you control X 500.
QOTC
Would you like to see Pendulum Summoning in this story?
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 3: The Dancho. Now knowing that SOL officially wants the AI Program, in order to complete their assignment, Roxy has Yuhiro polish his duel skills by having him do the one thing he doesn't want to do. Meanwhile, Revolver, concerned with how strong Raguel's becoming, calls upon an ally to deal with him sternly…
Responses to Reviews and Author's Notes
Thank you to ZarcEternal, animegamefanatic, savagemaster1999, Lightning, Guest, and SSJ shadow for reviewing the first chapter of Obscured Truth.
Based on the reviews from last chapter, there are concerns that this story is too much like Hidden Memories. I'm just going to put this out there: This story wasn't inspired by Hidden Memories, nor is it going to be a copy/paste of it. I wouldn't copy someone else's story, as not only is it plagiarism, it's completely unethical. I also have complete respect for scififan99. I have plans for this story to be unique and distinct from the others. This is due to different OC's I plan on introducing throughout the story, and I believe you'll like them. I'll also change a few duels around as well. So stay tuned. And if I've offended any of you, then I apologize.
I've started up QOTC's, which basically stands for Question of the Chapter. This is your chance to tell me what you personally want to see in the story, how you felt, etc. The QOTC will change with each chapter.
ZarcEternal: Thank you for your complete honesty. While it is a little similar to the start of the anime (where Yusaku interacts with Naoki) I have different plans for this story. If you stick with this story, then I can promise that it's originality will help make it unique, which will make it a more enjoyable story.
Animegamefanatic: Rest assured, Windy's partner and Miyu will have proper roles in this story.
Savagemasater1999: I'm glad you like Cyreath Hercules. I do hope you enjoyed seeing Scorpius and Chariot Commander in the story. And stay tuned, as these monsters aren't the only ones Raguel has at his disposal.
Lightning: I've also seen you comment on Hidden Memories. As mentioned above, this story isn't inspired by Hidden Memories. I plan for it to be different in unique ways. How, I can't tell you, but if you stick with the story, then I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it.
Guest: Thanks for your honesty as well. As mentioned above, this story will have originality in it (ex. I'm giving Miyu a proper role in the story. I'm also planning on throwing in a few surprises as well). I will do my best to make it more original with each chapter, so for that, I tip my hat to you.
SSJ Shadow: I don't see Yuhiro as Windy's partner. I however do appreciate you bringing up Windy's partner, as I originally didn't have plans to bring him in. How I will bring him in, I cannot say. So stay tuned.
Please continue posting reviews for each chapter, as I strive to improve with each chapter. If you have questions, don't hesitate to put them in your reviews as well.