Chapter 3: The Dancho
At the Den City Hospital...
"Good evening, I'm here to see Miyu Sugisaki. My... My name is Yuhiro Furutani." Yuhiro said to the female receptionist.
The female receptionist nodded and checked the computer for confirmation. Yuhiro felt himself becoming more nervous as she continued scrolling through the list of visitors. He was also anxious because he hadn't seen Miyu in a while; Roxy would usually be the one to visit her, but he insisted on going since she was tired for the day. On the way there, he also bought Miyu flowers.
"Ah, yes, here it is," the receptionist said, catching Yuhiro's attention. "I'll call a doctor to accompany you to Miyu."
Yuhiro nodded, and soon after, a doctor emerged from the hallway and led him to Miyu's room.
"Miss Sugisaki's state is a mystery," the doctor explained. While Yuhiro already knew what was going on with her, he nodded, pretending to be curious. "She was brought here after a traffic collision. Apparently, the trauma was so great that she fell into a coma by the time she made it to the hospital."
It wasn't just that accident, you son of a bitch, Yuhiro thought. The Lost Incident scarred her as well... Unbeknownst to Yuhiro, he was clutching the flowers tightly.
The doctor apparently noticed Yuhiro's tension, as he decided to drop the matter.
"Well son, here she is," the doctor said, opening the door to a room. In the room was a teenage girl on a bed with her eyes closed, sleeping. She had long hair, with it reaching up to her nape and having a side bang on each side of her head. She only wore the Den City Hospital Gown, ever since the day she first arrived.
"I'll leave you too alone," the doctor said. After the doctor left, Yuhiro sat down on the chair beside the bed and took Miyu's hand in his, squeezing it in sadness.
"Hey Miyu," he whispered. "It's me. It's Yuhiro."
Miyu didn't respond. She never responded to anyone. Despite this, the medical tests the doctors did on her showed that she was still alive, but barely.
"I brought you flowers," he said, placing them in the water glass by her bed. "Roxy says hi, you know. She... she misses you." Yuhiro struggled to get that last part out.
Miyu didn't answer or acknowledge him. Yuhiro was used to this, although it still made him sad that she wouldn't respond to him. The Lost Incident took away her chance at enjoying a simple life, Yuhiro thought.
"I've been given a new assignment," Yuhiro told her. "My boss assigned me to duel Playmaker and retrieve his AI program. I'm not sure how I'll draw him out. But I'm sure Roxy and I will figure something out." He caressed Miyu's cheek.
"I won't give up on you, Miyu," Yuhiro said, now starting to cry. "What Roxy and I are doing; we're going to bring the guys who did this to you to justice. I promise. And maybe, someday..." Yuhiro couldn't finish, as he was crying. After a few minutes, he wiped the tears, and pulled the covers over Miyu's chest. He placed her arm around her chest in order to secure the covers from moving.
Yuhiro stood up and walked away but stopped at the front door and turned to her one last time.
"You know what's weird," Yuhiro said. "Ever since Playmaker appeared, and ever since that dream, I have this feeling that nothing is going to be the same anymore. Whether it's for the best or for the worst, I promise you that I will continue fighting for you. To one day see you and Roxy together again, smiling and happy."
At the Hanoi Stronghold...
Revolver was both concerned and thrilled as he watched the duel between Raguel and Go Onizuka. To him, it was strange feeling both emotions at the same time, but that was what was going on with the Hanoi leader.
On one hand, he was thrilled seeing Raguel's impressive plays using his Cyreath cards. They were signs of him getting stronger, and Revolver himself wanted to duel him to see how strong he got.
On the other hand, Raguel's growing strength was a concern for him. If he were to join up with Playmaker and stand against the Knights of Hanoi, then they would have not one, but two problems to deal with, in addition to finding the Ignis. Luckily, Revolver had a way to kill two birds with one stone, and he knew the right guy to do the task.
Specter logged in, alongside a man who was slightly shorter than him and had thin grey hair on his scalp. The man wore a white coat with a green trim, a white suit, and white boots. On the left side of his face was a gray, yellow, green, and red mask.
"Master Revolver," Specter said, bowing low. "I have brought Dancho. As you requested."
"Thank you, Specter," Revolver said. "Check on the progress of our little project. Once you have, report back to me. Until then, leave us."
"Understood." Specter bowed low once again before logging out, leaving the two individuals alone in the Hanoi Stronghold.
"Thank you for coming, Dancho," Revolver said, turning to the individual and holding his hand out, intending to shake his.
"It is of no problem, old friend," Dancho said, walking forward and shaking Revolver's hand. "Anyway, I see there's a duelist that needs to be disciplined. What can I do to help?"
Revolver turned towards the monitor. "Dancho, when you look at this monitor, what do you see?" Revolver asked.
Dancho looked at the monitor, which showed Raguel dueling a Knight of Hanoi. "I see someone who's been able to defeat my students," he said. "Someone that is meddling with the Hanoi's affairs. I most certainly believe he needs to be disciplined."
"Can you do it?" Revolver asked, starting to show concern for the Dancho. "His strength is growing with each duel, and he might be-."
Dancho started laughing, to Revolver's surprise. "Of course I can." He placed a hand on Revolver's shoulder. "Just provide me with everything you know about this individual and I'll dispose of him."
Revolver smiled. "Very well. But the matter needs to be settled in LINK VRAINS. Since we don't know his real identity, we must take every precaution we can."
The next morning, at Café Matsuo...
"Good morning, Roxy," Yuhiro said, pouring himself and Roxy a cup of coffee. The two of them were in the kitchen, just above Café Matsuo, eating breakfast. Roxy's house had four levels: the bottom was Café Matsuo, the second was a combination of the living and dining room, and the third floor contained the kitchen and a guest bedroom. Yuhiro shared the fourth floor with Roxy.
"Morning to you too, Yuhiro," Roxy said, typing on her laptop. Yuhiro brought a cup of coffee to Roxy while she was typing and eating what looked like toast. When Yuhiro looked at the toast and raised an eyebrow, she replied, "I was lazy. What could I say?"
"Uh-huh," Yuhiro said, eating his breakfast, which was simple: a banana and yogurt with blueberry tarts. For him, it filled him up with energy for the day. At least until the lunch period.
"By the way," Roxy said, causing Yuhiro to turn and look at her, "I almost forgot to thank you for visiting Miyu last night. I would've done it last night, but..."
"You were tired," Yuhiro said. "And it's been a while since I last saw her. Besides, it's good for me to see her. Helps to remind me of why I'm doing this in the first place." He looked over at Roxy's computer. "Uh, Roxy, why are you looking up the Den Academy on one of the Google tabs?"
"Well, I've been thinking," Roxy said, as she turned to face Yuhiro, "that recently, you've been up against some tough duelists. And both times, you've almost lost."
"Okay, if you're talking about that Knight of Hanoi, that was an accident. As for Go Onizuka, he was an actual challenge." Yuhiro replied.
"I'm aware. But what if something happens and somehow your deck isn't able to save you?" Roxy countered, now getting Yuhiro's attention. "That's why I believe that, until we get another lead regarding our assignment, you should improve your duel skills at Den Academy's Duel Club!"
"Wait. What?!" Yuhiro said, nearly falling off from the chair. "Please don't make me do this," he groaned. He thought to himself, Is this punishment for almost destroying our careers in the black market?
"Trust me, Yuhiro. It's worth it. You'll learn duel strategies, and at the same time," Roxy said, putting a hand on Yuhiro's shoulder and looking at him, "you might make friends."
Yuhiro rolled his eyes. This again. "Look. I know why you're doing this. But I don't think it will work."
"It's because you haven't tried at all," Roxy said, going back to her laptop. "While you're there, I do have one favor for you."
"And what's that?" Yuhiro asked. When Roxy turned the laptop to him, he realized what she wanted him to do. "Are you nuts? There is no way I'm using the E.M.S. program to spy on Aoi Zaizen!" While Yuhiro knew the work he did wasn't the best, even he had limits.
"I know how you feel, Yuhiro," Roxy said, "but I assure you. You only need to do it for a tiny bit. At least until one of my Evasive Maneuverable Spies can get into SOL Technologies." She turned to face him. "All you gotta do is talk to her and become her friend. If even one of the files produced from the E.M.S. program gets in her bag, then it can hack her tablet and enter the network, which will give us access to SOL Technologies."
Yuhiro stood up. "And what are you going to do while I undertake this ridiculous task?"
"Simple." Roxy stood up, closed her laptop, and punched Yuhiro's shoulder. As much as Yuhiro didn't want to admit it, the woman had strength. "I'm doing my day job. And if I have time, I'll start working on your next gauntlet. I'm thinking of a 'Gouki' Gauntlet for you, don't you think?" She exited the kitchen with her laptop and walked downstairs.
I have a feeling that today is going to be horrible, he thought.
At Den Academy...
Yuhiro walked down the hallways that would lead to the Duel Club. Of all the ideas Roxy had to suggest, joining a Duel Club! He'd rather be on an assignment than doing this. At least I brought my decoy deck, he thought to himself. If he carried Cyberse cards, then people would mistake him for Playmaker, and he certainly didn't want the attention.
"It's Shima! Naoki Shima! We just spoke the other day!"
Apparently, a new voice managed to interrupt Yuhiro's thoughts. He looked around the corner to see Naoki talking to a tall thin freshman with fair skin, green eyes, and dark blue hair that spiked outwards in the back with light blue bangs that had pink accents.
"Oh," the freshman said. "I didn't realize this was the Duel Club!" That voice. Why did Yuhiro feel that he heard that voice before? Also, he could tell that the freshman was lying as well.
"Stop acting dumb!" Naoki said to the freshman. "This isn't a place for a loser who has no interest in LINK VRAINS!"
"Leave him alone, Shima." Yuhiro said, walking around the corner and standing with the freshman against Shima. Turning to the freshman, he asked, "Is he bothering you?"
"No. But thank you," the freshman said.
"Furutani! You got my name right!" Naoki said. Remembering what he was saying earlier, he said, "This guy knows what this club is, and he's acting dumb! He claims to have no interest in LINK VRAINS, but-."
That was as far as Naoki could go, as the door to the Duel Club opened.
"What's going on, Shima?" the boy in the doorway asked. The boy had glasses and black hair swept to the right. "We can all hear you."
"President, I'm so sorry," Naoki said, "It all started when-."
"There's no need to apologize," the President said. "After all, new applicants are always welcome." Uh-oh.
"See, Furutani, Fujiki," Naoki said. "You're in a friendly space now." Yuhiro couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"This way, please," the President said, gesturing for them to go inside the classroom. Roxanne Matsuo, this had better be worth it, Yuhiro thought, as he walked into the room with Fujiki and Naoki. While he couldn't recognize most of the people in the room, he was able to recognize that Aoi was in the club.
"I'm freshman Yuhiro Furutani," he said, bowing low. Now he definitely started to wonder whether Roxy was punishing him for his almost-fatal stunt during his duel with Go Onizuka.
After the freshman known as Yusaku Fujiki introduced himself, the rest of the club introduced themselves, starting with the President.
"I'm Club President Hosoda," the President said.
"I'm Tanaka, a second-year," a short boy with red hair pulled into a ponytail said.
"I'm Sato, another second-year," a boy that was even fatter than Naoki with slicked teal black hair and with spectacles said.
"I'm freshman Suzuki," a tall boy with brown hair in a bowl cut said.
"I'm freshman Zaizen," Aoi said, introducing herself. Yuhiro had to wonder whether they had to introduce themselves every time a new student joined the club.
"Would you like to see the new Duel Disk?" Sato asked Yuhiro.
"That's okay," Yuhiro said. "I'm already okay with the one I had."
"WHAT?" Shima said, getting into Yuhiro's face. "You've got to get one. If you like, Zaizen's big brother at SOL Technologies gave us several of the new Duel Disks. You can have one of you want."
This caused Aoi to glare at Naoki, who panicked and whistled to the right.
"But why would you use an old-generation Duel Disk?" Suzuki asked.
On cue, Yuhiro replied, "While I have my reasons for using this Duel Disk, one of them is that I don't like the AI support that's available. I prefer to trust in my own cards and abilities, and besides, I don't want an AI censoring my grammar whenever I curse. One time, when my friend was cooking burgers and fries, she accidentally burned the fries, and said 'Shit'".
"'Shit' is a forbidden word," the AI's said in Aoi's, Naoki's, and practically everyone in the Duel Club's Duel Disks said. All except for one.
"Furutani, do you mind if I look at your deck?" Aoi asked.
"That's rude, Zaizen," Hosoda said. "A Duelist's deck is their life, pride, and-!"
"It's alright," Yuhiro replied. "Here." He handed the cards over to Aoi, who fanned and looked over them. After doing so, she gave the cards back to Yuhiro.
"I have to say, your deck's not bad," Aoi said. Yuhiro internally smirked to himself. The World Chalice deck he brought was a great decoy deck to have, as it not only focused on Link Summoning, but also contained some other cards that can most certainly catch the opponent off guard.
Yesterday, Aoi asked about his Duel Disk, mentioning it was just like Playmaker's. Today, she wanted to check his deck to see if he really was Playmaker. While he wasn't Playmaker, if he was, he could hand the AI program over to Monty and complete his assignment.
The next thing he knew, Yuhiro heard Aoi say, "A card-insert type Duel Disk?" When he looked over, he noticed that Yusaku's Duel Disk was the exact brand as his, only, red, white and blue. It's the same as Playmaker's, he thought.
Sure enough, Aoi asked Yusaku if she could look at his deck, and Yusaku gave it to her. Yuhiro couldn't help but take a tiny peek. Huh? Neo the Magic Swordsman? Reinforcements?
Yuhiro's thoughts were interrupted when Naoki obnoxiously laughed at Yusaku's deck and called it garbage, with Hosoda berating him for it. Yuhiro glared at Naoki for doing that. You never mock a duelist's deck, even if it was poorly built. If he had to guess, the deck was built badly on purpose.
"Let's start the meeting," Hosoda said, after the incident with Naoki. Everyone sat at the desks, with Yuhiro sitting in the corner, near Yusaku. I've got to keep my eye on this kid, he thought. Something's up with him.
"Let's brush up on the rules regarding Speed Duels," Hosoda said. He pressed a button towards the projector, which showed a Duel Monsters board. "The main difference between Master and Speed Duels is that there are only three Main Monsters Zones and four Spell & Trap Zones. Furutani, could you please tell me the other differences?"
Yuhiro rolled his eyes. Might as well play along. "There are three other differences between Master Duels and Speed Duels," he said, keeping his voice calm. He held up a finger. "One: In Speed Duels, duelists will start with four cards in their hand." He held up another finger. "Two: During Speed Duels, at any point in the duel, duelists are allowed to use their Skill, but only once." He held up a third finger. "Three: There is no Main Phase 2. Therefore, before battling, it's wise to Set face-down cards so that you can activate them either during your opponent's turn or yours." Yusaku raised an eyebrow while Yuhiro answered the question.
"That's correct!" Hosoda said, slightly shocked. "You seem to know a great deal about this kind of stuff. Would you consider going into LINK VRAINS?"
"Not right now," Yuhiro said, slightly lying. "I wish to know what I want to do for the future before considering going into LINK VRAINS."
"Fair answer, Furutani." Hosoda replied. "After all, schoolwork can sometimes get in the way of things you want to do. Education aside..."
Yuhiro ignored Hosoda as he continued and would have slept if he hadn't heard a voice.
"Hey. Doesn't that Furutani guy have the same Duel Disk you do?" Ai asked Yusaku.
"Be quiet," Yusaku said to Ai.
"You okay Fujiki?" Yuhiro whispered to Yusaku. This caused Yusaku to turn to him. "Were you talking to someone just now?"
"No. I wasn't. You were probably just hearing things." Yusaku said.
"Okay then. Just checking," Yuhiro said, turning back to the screen. Note to self: Definitely keep an eye on Fujiki, Yuhiro thought.
Unbeknownst to Yuhiro, Yusaku was looking at his Duel Disk. Yuhiro Furutani, if you're wearing that Duel Disk, that can only mean one thing, Yusaku thought. You were there with Kusanagi's brother and I at that place. If you truly are one of us, and are indeed Raguel, stay away from the Hanoi. I'm fighting for everyone that was inflicted during that terrible time there. And I won't rest until I get justice for all of us!
15 minutes after the Duel Club Meeting...
Yuhiro walked into the Home Economics classroom and sat down on one of the chairs in the middle of the benches. Finally, he thought. It's over. He had one more class to get through, and then he could go back to Café Matsuo. There, he can go into LINK VRAINS, and complete an assignment or two.
"Good afternoon class!" the teacher said. Just pay attention to this teacher for 50 minutes, and you'll be done, Yuhiro thought. "Today, you'll have a chance to practice in partners for your assignment. A home cooking project." He looked through the list for his name and whom he'll be partnering with as the teacher explained the project: cooking grilled chicken breast. Yuhiro had experience working with a partner, and that was in LINK VRAINS. It did not go so well, which was why he didn't like it.
To his surprise, he was partnered with none other than Aoi Zaizen. Okay. This was most certainly fate playing a cruel joke on him.
"It's Yuhiro Furutani, right?"
He turned to the right at the sound of the voice. It was Aoi. Her face was expressionless as she said, "Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon to you too, Zaizen," Yuhiro replied. The two of them, with the rest of the students, headed to the kitchen with the recipe for grilled chicken breast in their hands. After putting on their aprons and starting the oven, Aoi got a measuring cup and poured the marinade at the right amount.
"Why did you want to join the Duel Club?" she asked Yuhiro, as the two of them started on their roles for cooking the chicken breast.
Yuhiro sighed. Might as well tell the truth. "I didn't want to," he admitted, as he smacked the different sized chickens with a rolling pin. "I promised a friend I would, though."
"Oh," was all Aoi said. "That... wasn't the answer I was expecting." She handed Yuhiro a bag, who put the chicken inside it.
"What were you expecting?" Something else?" Yuhiro said as he poured the marinade inside the bag containing the chicken.
After a moment or two, Aoi suddenly blurted out, "I expected you to bring up my brother!". This surprised Yuhiro for a quick moment, before he preheated the grill grates.
"And why would you want me to bring up your brother? What does he have to do with this conversation?" Suddenly, Yuhiro felt like an idiot. How couldn't he see it before?
"He's the reason everyone approaches me," Aoi replied, looking at the fire generated by the grill grates. "'Hey Aoi, can I have the new Duel Disk? Can I have a job at SOL Technologies after I graduate? Can I have this? Can I have that?'" She spat out the last word. "No one wants to be my friend. Everyone uses me to advance themselves. It hurts so much." She looked at Yuhiro, who put the marinated chicken on the oil grill. "Hey, weren't you listening to me?"
"I was," Yuhiro said in a bored voice, looking at Aoi. "You think I'm trying to use you in order to advance myself so I can acquire new technology or a job."
"Uh, y-yes," she replied. This was a new reaction. "Aren't you?"
Yuhiro sighed as he pulled out his Duel Disk from his bag and showed it to Aoi. "There's three reasons why your assumptions are flawed. One: when I joined the Duel Club earlier, I said that I preferred my own Duel Disk. I got this Duel Disk a long time ago, and if I replaced it, it would be dishonoring the memories I had with it."
"I didn't-."
"Two," Yuhiro said, now putting his Duel Disk away and flipping the chicken breasts over, "I already have a job. One I enjoy because I get to work with someone that I can call a friend. After everything she did for me, I owe it to her. And three," Yuhiro had an expression of despair on his face as he looked away from Aoi towards the chicken breasts, "I'm not sure what I want for my future. After the hell I've experienced, I honestly don't know what I want anymore."
Aoi was silent by the time Yuhiro was finished. At that point, the timer beeped, and she turned off the oven. "You really don't want anything from me?" she asked.
"No," Yuhiro said, looking her in the eyes. "As I said, I honestly don't know what I want anymore." Aoi was about to put the chicken breasts on the plate when Yuhiro stopped her. "I'll do it." Yuhiro put the grilled chicken breasts on the plate. As he was walking out of the kitchen, he felt a hand grip his arm, causing him to turn his head towards Aoi.
"Yuhiro," she said, using his first name. "I didn't know you suffered in the past. Is there anything I can-?"
"No, Zaizen," Yuhiro replied, gently pulling free of her before facing her fully. "The problems I'm dealing with are mine alone, not yours." Before he left, he said, "I'm sorry for causing you unnecessary trouble." He left, leaving her alone in the kitchen. I'm sorry too, was all Aoi thought.
Several minutes later...
Yuhiro was exiting class when Aoi suddenly caught up to him. Great. First, he had to be her partner, and now she was bothering him. What's next?
"Zaizen, I told you earlier, you can't help me with my problems."
"It's not that," Aoi said, which made Yuhiro stop walking and turn towards her. "I... just wanted to say thank you. For not being like everyone else. I also wanted to apologize for making that assumption."
"No problem, Zaizen. People misjudge me all the-." Just then, Yuhiro's phone began to ring.
"Sorry." He picked it up. It was Roxy. She would only call if there was an emergency. "What's the emergency?"
"Yuhiro, I got some bad news. Come to Café Matsuo quick!" was all Roxy said.
Apparently, Aoi noticed something was amiss, as when she touched his shoulder to ask if he was okay, he jumped.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
"I gotta go. My friend needs me." And he started running all the way out of the school. Or, he would have, had he not fallen down the stairs. Again.
"Ow!" Yuhiro screamed, rubbing the back of his head. Luckily, the contents of his backpack didn't spill.
"Here," Aoi said, offering a hand. Yuhiro quickly accepted it and stood up, annoyed as he brushed himself off. "Didn't you said you had an emergency to get to?"
"Oh yeah. I forgot." And once again, Yuhiro started running all the way to Café Matsuo. Well, if anything, an emergency equals action, Yuhiro thought.
At Café Matsuo...
By the time Yuhiro reached Café Matsuo, he was sweating and tired. This emergency better be worth it.
To his surprise, the steward bot was at the counter.
"Greetings, Master Yuhiro," the steward bot said. "Mistress Roxy wishes to see you in the backroom."
Yup. This emergency definitely had something to do with LINK VRAINS.
When Yuhiro entered the backroom, there was Roxy, sitting in her chair, with her legs and arms crossed.
"I got here as fast as I could," Yuhiro said, sitting in his chair. "What's going on?"
"I'll let Monty explain," Roxy said, opening up a window. Sure enough, it showed a live feed of none other than Monty himself.
"Monty," Yuhiro said. "Everything okay?"
"Everything's not alright!" Monty shouted through the video camera, which surprised both Yuhiro and Roxy. "A few minutes ago, someone decided to steal files from the black market. He's threatened to leak them to SOL Technologies, which will practically destroy the business, and everyone involved in it." Yuhiro's face paled. If that happened, he wouldn't be able to fulfil his promise to Miyu and Roxy.
"He left me a message for you, however," Monty said. He sent the video to Roxy, who opened it on a separate window on the monitor.
"Raguel," the message said. It only showed a silhouette of an old man. "I am known as Dancho. What I have is the files on LINK VRAINS' black market. If I were to release them to the web, then your career will be blown out like a candle in the wind. My actions could cause unforeseen consequences to those you care about as well."
The man known as Dancho continued: "However. I'm willing to give you a chance to duel for the right to these files. Once you receive this message, you'll have one hour to respond to my challenge. Otherwise, you might as well say goodbye to everything you've fought for." With that, the window closed.
"Monty," Yuhiro said, through gritted teeth. "Send me the coordinates where this message took place. I'll defeat this Dancho and get the files back."
"Splendid!" Monty said. "I knew I could count on the both of you!" After sending the coordinates, he said, "These are the coordinates. Good luck." He ended the call soon after that.
Before Yuhiro could head to the closed-off space, Roxy spoke.
"Yuhiro," Roxy said. "Whoever this guy is, you better be on your guard."
"Roxy. I know." Yuhiro said. "I promise. After all, I got you as the best tech support in the world."
Roxy couldn't help but laugh as Yuhiro entered the closed-off space to go into LINK VRAINS.
In LINK VRAINS...
Raguel blasted out of the portal and landed on his duel board, which was on the data stream.
"Roxy, where's this Dancho?" Raguel asked, as he navigated the Data Stream.
"45 degrees to your left," Roxy said. "On the rooftop."
"Got it." Raguel jumped from his duel board and landed on the rooftop, where his opponent was, meditating.
With his back facing towards him.
"Alright Dancho," Raguel said. "I'm here. Just as you wanted."
No response.
"You're just gonna ignore me?" Raguel threw his arms up in the air as he signed. "Look. I'll be fair. Hand me the files and I'll take you back to my boss in one entire piece. How's that sound? At least you'll be alive."
At that moment, Dancho turned to face him. It was at that moment where the Dancho turned to face him that Raguel immediately recognized the get-up.
"You're a fuckin Knight of Hanoi!" Raguel said, pulling out his double-barrelled gun with his left hand and shooting several bullets at him.
To his shock, Dancho dodged all the bullets at lightning-speed, and Raguel could do nothing but gasp as he fired a blast of energy from his fist, pushing him back to the edge of the rooftop.
"I do not like youngsters who disrespect me," Dancho said, as Raguel struggled to get up using his sword to support him. "You come here, making demands, and you think I'll accept them? Turns out you do need disciplining!"
"You son of a bitch," Raguel said, finally getting up and gripping his sword. If he continued this fight, it's clear who'll win.
"Still," Dancho said, turning away from Raguel, "I did make a challenge. And I haven't heard your answer yet. Do you accept?" This time, he turned his head towards him.
"If you want a Duel, you've got one." Raguel said, readying his Duel Disk.
"Not a Master Duel, grasshopper," Dancho said. "I was thinking of a Speed Duel."
"Fine. I'll accept your conditions. Let's just get this over with," Raguel said, clearly pissed off at this old man.
The two duelists rode the data stream, only this time, Raguel managed to get in front. Surprisingly, Dancho didn't seem to mind. If I'm going to beat this guy, Raguel thought, I'll need to take the first turn. By setting up a defense, I can prepare for whatever he's got.
"Speed Duel!" both of them declared.
Dancho: 4000 LP
Raguel: 4000 LP
"I'll be going first," Raguel shouted. "I'll Set two cards, and then summon Cyreath Archer from my hand!" A female archer, with pink hair and a light-green cloak, appeared on the field, and strung it's bow at the Dancho.
Cyreath Archer ATK: 1400 DEF: 1000 LVL: 3
"Appear! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel fired a blast of energy from his hand into the sky, which created a Link Portal that he and Cyreath Archer flew into. Both of them hovered above the portal.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyreath' monster! I set Cyreath Archer in the Link Marker!" Archer 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 ⬇️
"Next, I'll activate Scorpius' effect!" Raguel said. "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. Come back, Cyreath Archer!"
Scorpius lowered its tail into a portal, with Archer grabbing onto it before jumping out of the portal and back onto the field.
Cyreath Archer ATK: 1400 DEF: 1000 LVL: 3
"I end my turn," Raguel said. "Now show me what you can do, old man!"
"Don't you dare disrespect me!" Dancho said. "I'll have you known that I am the Hanoi's Grandmaster!" This shocked Raguel. "And I'll prove it! I draw! As I control no effect monsters, I can Special Summon Tenyi Spirit – Nahata from my hand! Rise forth my dragon!" A misty green serpentine dragon appeared on Dancho's field and roared at Raguel.
Tenyi Spirt – Nahata ATK: 800 DEF: 1000 LVL: 4
"Now, then. Appear! The circuit of mystical chi!" Dancho shouted, as he opened a Link Portal using the energy from his hands. Together with Nahata, he entered the Link Portal and hovered above it.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is 1 non-link 'Tenyi' monster! In this case, I'll set Nahata in the Link Marker!" Nahata entered the bottom arrowhead around the portal, turning it red.
"Circuit Combine! Link Summon! Join your master! Link 1! Monk of the Tenyi!" A young teenage male, wearing what looked like to be a brown Gi with a dragon symbol on it and a red belt, appeared on the field.
Monk of the Tenyi ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️
"I activate the effect of Tenyi Spirit – Mapura from my hand! As I control no effect monsters, I can Special Summon this card from my hand!" This time, a misty red serpentine dragon joined Dancho's field and roared at Raguel.
Tenyi Spirit – Mapura ATK: 600 DEF: 1500 LVL: 4
"Appear, once again! The circuit of mystical chi!" Dancho declared. Another link portal soon after appeared, with him, Mapura, and Monk of the Tenyi entering it.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are 2 Wyrm monsters! I'll set Mapura and Monk of the Tenyi, which is a Link-1 monster, in the Link Markers!" Mapura entered the bottom-left arrowhead, while Monk of the Tenyi entered the bottom-left arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Grace the field with your presence! Link 2! Shaman of the Tenyi!" A young woman, wearing magenta colored robes and high heels, appeared on the field. She had long-purple hair, and in each of her hands was a sharp fan.
Shaman of the Tenyi ATK: 1600 LINK-2 ↙️↘️
"I Set one card. Battle!" Dancho said. "Shaman of the Tenyi! Attack Cyreath Scorpius! Crescent Slash!" Shaman of the Tenyi jumped forward at Dancho's command to attack Scorpius, but...
"Continuous-Spell Card, activate! Grapple-Snatch!" Raguel suddenly shouted. "This card 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!" A thin metallic cord shot out of the card and snaked its way around Shaman of the Tenyi, slicing and dicing her until she couldn't stand.
Not bad, Dancho thought. But you're playing right in my hands. "I guess I'll end my turn." Dancho said.
"My turn!" Raguel declared! "I draw! I activate the face-down Trap card, Cyreath Power Shot!" The card showed Cyreath Chariot Commander firing a fireball at Zure, Knight of Dark World. "I can target 1 'Cyreath' monster I control and send it to the Graveyard. By doing this, you take damage equal to half of its attack points! I'll tribute Archer, so you'll take 700 points of damage!" Archer disappeared into particles, which went into the activated card. The card then fired a massive blast at Dancho, causing him to wobble a bit.
Dancho: 4000 – 700 = 3300 LP
"Next, I'll activate Cyreath Treasure, which lets me draw two cards in exchange of sending a 'Cyreath' monster from my hand to the GY!" He sent Cyreath Wandering Soul to the Graveyard after drawing the top two cards of his deck.
"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. Cyreath Archer, I need your help once more!"
Scorpius lowered its tail into a portal, with Archer grabbing onto it before jumping out of the portal and back onto the field.
Cyreath Archer ATK: 1400 DEF: 1000 LVL: 3
"I'll then banish Cyreath Wandering Soul from my Graveyard to use its effect! By banishing it, 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
"Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel said. He proceeded to open a portal by firing energy from his hand towards the sky. He and his Cyreath monsters flew through the portal after that.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyreath' monsters! I'll set Cyreath Archer and the Cyreath Wanderer Token in the Link Markers!" The Wanderer token entered the top Link Arrow, while Archer 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, in the zone Scorpius pointed to. 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 ⬆️⬇️
"I Set one card. Battle!" Raguel declared. "Cyreath Chariot Commander attacks Shaman of the Tenyi!" Chariot Commander lit up in blue flames and fired a burst of fire at Shaman of the Tenyi. If this works, Raguel thought, I'll be halfway to taking down this son of a bitch.
His thoughts, however, were interrupted when Dancho said, "I activate the effect of Tenyi Spirit – Nahata from my Graveyard! As an attack was declared involving my 'Tenyi' monster and your monster, I can banish this card from my hand or Graveyard, and have your monster loses 1500 attack points until the end of the turn!"
"What?" Raguel shouted. Damn it. He fell for the old geezer's trap.
"Take this!" Dancho said, as the misty green serpentine dragon returned and went straight through Chariot Commander's chest, creating a hole where its stomach should have been.
Cyreath Chariot Commander ATK: 2000 – 1500 = 500
"Now strike back, Shaman of the Tenyi," Dancho ordered. "Crescent Slash!" In the blink of an eye, Shaman of the Tenyi sliced Chariot Commander using both of her fans at once, making an X and pushing the monster back. To Dancho's surprise, Chariot Commander was still on the field.
Raguel: 4000 – 1100 = 2900 LP
"How is your monster still on the field?" Dancho asked, curious at this development.
"Because," Raguel said, "if Chariot Commander attacks a monster my opponent controls, once per turn, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects until the end of the turn."
"Oi! You all right, Yuhiro?" Roxy asked through Raguel's earpiece. "You look like you're in a bit of a jam? Want some help?"
"I'd actually appreciate it, Roxy." Raguel responded. "See what you can find out about the Tenyi archetype. Cause they're pains in the ass."
"Yeah, yeah. Just give me a few minutes. Until then, try to survive."
Going back to the duel, Raguel said to Dancho, "I end my turn."
Cyreath Chariot Commander ATK: 500 + 1500 = 2000
"About time!" Dancho said. "I draw! Due to your arrogance, I'll activate the effect of Tenyi Spirit – Shthana from my hand! Since I have no effect monsters, I can Special Summon this monster from my hand!" This time, a misty light-blue serpentine dragon joined Dancho's field and roared at Raguel.
Tenyi Spirit – Shthana ATK: 400 DEF: 2000 LVL: 4
"And now, appear! The circuit of mystical chi!" Using the energy from his hand, Dancho created a Link Portal. Immediately, he, alongside Shthana and Shaman of the Tenyi, entered inside.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more monsters, including a Link Monster! I'll set Shaman of the Tenyi, which is a Link 2 monster, and Tenyi Spirit – Shthana, in the Link Markers!" Shaman of the Tenyi split in two and entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrowheads, while Shthana entered the bottom arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Master the pure energy flowing through you my student! Link 3! Draco Master of the Tenyi!" The young teenage male from earlier returned, only he was surrounded by a golden aura. His right fist was filled with golden energy, and a small, misty golden dragon was surrounding him as well.
Draco Master of the Tenyi ATK: 2600 LINK-3 ↙️⬇️↘️
"Since Shaman of the Tenyi is no longer on the field," Raguel said, "Grapple-Snatch is destroyed." As he said it, the card turned to particles.
"Now I'll use my student's greatest effect!" Dancho said, a proud smile on his face as he faced Raguel. "Once per turn, should I control no other effect monsters, I can destroy effect monsters you control equal to the number of non-effect monsters I control or is in the Graveyard. Since I have one non-effect monster in my Graveyard, I can destroy one of your two monsters! Go, Overwhelming Aura!" Draco Master of the Tenyi fired a wave of golden energy from his fist, towards Chariot Commander. However...
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Cyreath Salvation!" Raguel suddenly said. "If a 'Cyreath' monster would be destroyed by a card effect, it's not destroyed!" A barrier appeared and protected Scorpius and Chariot Commander, which caused the wave to disintegrate upon impact.
"You're only delaying the inevitable!" Dancho said, now getting irritated. "In that case, let's get serious! I activate my Skill, Ultimate Technique! This turn, one monster I control can now attack all monsters you control once each!" Oh shit, Raguel thought.
"Battle! Draco Master of the Tenyi attacks Cyreath Scorpius first! Dragon Fist!" Draco Master of the Tenyi punched his right had forward, releasing the misty golden dragon, which led to it literally eating Scorpius and destroying it. The explosion pushed Raguel back behind Dancho.
Raguel: 2900 – 1600 = 1300 LP
"Now attack Cyreath Chariot Commander! Dragon Fist!" Once again, Draco Master of the Tenyi released the misty golden dragon from his fist, only this time, it overwhelmed Chariot Commander with its massive energy. Raguel was forced to raise his right hand in order to not get blinded by the attack.
Raguel: 1300 – 600 = 700 LP
"That's enough, my student." Dancho said. Draco Master of the Tenyi retreated back on his master's orders. "I'll end my turn." Turning away from Raguel, he said, "You have no cards on your field. No way to make a comeback. You might as well surrender now."
"Never," Raguel said through gritted teeth, which surprised Dancho. "Unlike you, who fights to torment others, I'm fighting for someone. I'm fighting to make sure she can smile again and be happy. That is why I do the dirty work that other's won't. THAT'S WHY I WON'T LOSE TO YOU!"
Dancho was, for a moment, shocked at Raguel said. He has someone to fight for, he thought. He then smiled. "Very well, then. Let's see whether this resolve will help you win."
"Alright, then." For Miyu. "I draw! First, I summon Cyreath Icarus!" An angelic warrior with a white tunic and brown sandals, carrying a modified bow joined the field.
Cyreath Icarus ATK: 1200 DEF: 1100 LVL: 3
Before he could he continue, he was interrupted by Roxy, as she said, "I did some research on the Tenyi archetype. Yuhiro, beware of their card effects when they're in the Graveyard. And, please don't lose."
"I won't," Raguel said. Focusing back to the duel, he continued, "Icarus' effect! When this card is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower 'Cyreath' monster from my Graveyard. Return, Cyreath Archer!" Archer returned to the field right beside Icarus.
Cyreath Archer ATK: 1400 DEF: 1000 LVL: 3
"Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel once again fired energy from his hand, creating a Link Portal. Together with Icarus and Archer, he entered the portal.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is 1 monster. I'll set Cyreath Archer in the Link Marker!" Archer went into the bottom-right arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyreath Hephaestus!" A deformed blacksmith carrying a heated rod and a walking stick. He wore a short brown tunic around his waist. Hephaestus, upon being summoned, joined its comrades on Raguel's field.
Cyreath Hephaestus ATK: 500 LINK-1 ↘️
"Hephaestus' effect! Once per turn, if I control a 'Cyreath' monster, I can target 1 Spell or Trap card in my Graveyard and add it to my hand!" Raguel added Grapple-Snatch to his hand and activated it.
"I do hope you remember what Grapple-Snatch does, right Dancho?" Raguel asked, smirking. The thin metallic cord shot out of the card and snaked its way around Draco Master of the Tenyi, slicing and dicing him until he couldn't stand.
"My student!" Dancho cried out. "How dare you!"
"I actually dare!" Raguel replied. "And now I activate my Skill, Call of Olympus! I can Special Summon 1 random 'Cyreath' monster straight 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 he looked at the card, he smiled. "Through my Skill, I summon Cyreath Cackling Juggler!" A small skeleton with small bombs in its knapsack soon joined the field.
Cyreath Cackling Juggler: ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LVL: 4
"Also, since I control a 'Cyreath' Link Monster at the time my Skill activated, I can add 1 Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand! I know, this one!" Raguel added Cyreath Launch to his hand. "And when Cyreath Cackling Juggler is summoned, for each 'Cyreath' monster I control, it gains 1 'Bomb' counter." Immediately, the skeleton became antsy, as it was juggling three bombs at once.
Cyreath Cackling Juggler BC 0 + 3 = 3
"And I'll remove all of them to activate it's other effect!" Raguel continued. "For each Bomb Counter removed, you take 300 points of damage! Bomb Derby!" Cackling Juggler threw all three bombs at Dancho at once, causing him to momentarily lose balance on his duel board.
Cyreath Cackling Juggler BC 3-3 = 0
Dancho: 3300 – 900 = 2400 LP
"You filthy snake!" Dancho accused Raguel. "You rely on effects to deal damage, not through true battle!"
"Sorry," Raguel said, "but I'm not done yet. Appear, one more time, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel created one last portal, in which he, Hephaestus, Cackling Juggler, and Icarus entered.
"Arrowheads confirmed. The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyreath' monsters! I'll set Cyreath Hephaestus, which is a Link 1 monster, Cyreath Icarus, and Cyreath Cackling Juggler, in the Link Markers!" Hephaestus entered the top-left arrow, Icarus entered the top-right arrow, and Cackling Juggler entered the bottom arrow.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! The strongest warrior chosen by the gods! Link 3! Cyreath Hercules!" A tall, muscular warrior wearing a brown tunic around his waist emerged from the portal 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 ↖️⬇️↗️
"And now I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Cyreath Launch!" The card showed Cyreath Hercules jumping to battle from a high ledge. "This card lets 1 'Cyreath' monster I control attack you directly, in exchange for other monsters I control not attacking this turn."
"WHAT?!" Dancho said.
"Kick his sorry ass into next week!" Roxy said through Raguel's earpiece.
"Don't worry, Roxy. This attack is for you and Miyu." Raguel replied. Turning back to Dancho, he said, "I choose Cyreath Hercules! Battle! Attach Dancho directly with Nemean Strike!"
Cyreath Hercules jumped over Draco Master of the Tenyi and pulled back its right arm, with the intention of finishing the old man off himself.
Elsewhere, in LINK VRAINS...
"It's Blue Angel!" This was said by a giant frog being carried by a pigeon with a camera on its head. "Quick, roll the footage!" The two of them were looking down the data stream, where Blue Angel was riding on a white and light green duel board. She noticed the two and smiled and waved at the camera.
"Hey True Blues!" Blue Angel said, as she jumped off her duel board and landed on a support beam. "I need all of your help! If any of you see Playmaker, tell him that Blue Angel is making a public challenge! One that I will win!"
"Blue Angel vs. Playmaker!
"OMG, this is awesome!"
"When and where?"
"You heard it here and now, folks!" the MC said. "Blue Angel just challenged Playmaker to a duel!"
This was said by several people in the Den City Plaza watching the television screens Blue Angel was on. Among them was Yusaku Fujiki, who was eating a hot dog.
"Come on out, Playmaker!" Blue Angel said on the screen. "I know you want to!"
"Yo, Yusaku." Yusaku turned to see Shochi Kusanagi talking to him. "Why is she so fired up?"
"Apparently," Ai said, "she wants to duel him." Moving its eye to Yusaku, which was its only feature, Ai asked, "You gonna duel her?"
"No, for three reasons," Yusaku replied. "One: If she is my one connection to SOL Technologies, I can't risk her getting harmed in a Speed Duel. Two: I will only fight the Knights of Hanoi. Three: It's important to keep a low profile."
"So people will say that you're a coward." Ai concluded.
"Excellent analysis as usual," Yusaku replied sarcastically, an expression of unconcern on his face.
"Don't be shy!" Blue Angel said. "Just come on out and duel me!" After looking around for a few seconds, she sighed. "I guess he's not gonna show up! But rest assured, True Blues, I'm not leaving without giving you an awesome duel! Therefore, I challenge-!"
"GRAAAAGGGHHH!" Blue Angel, Frog, and Pigeon turned towards the sound of the voice, which was followed by a massive explosion.
At the conclusion of Raguel's duel...
Cyreath Hercules punched Dancho with so much power that it caused an explosion, launching him towards a building and upwards to the roof.
Dancho: 2400 – 2500 = 0
As Dancho struggled to get up, Raguel jumped off his duel board and landed on the same rooftop.
"You wretched bastard," Dancho said, while struggling to get up. "I guess he was right. Your strength is growing with each duel."
"The files. Now!" Raguel said, pulling out his double-barreled gun and aiming it at Dancho.
"I am a man of my word," Dancho said, an expression of resignation on his face. After pressing a few buttons on his Duel Disk, he said, "As per our agreement, I have transferred the files to you." Raguel soon got a notification, which let him know that he got the files.
"And who is this person you're talking about?" Soon, Raguel charged forward and attempted to grab Dancho, but he dodged to the side and gutpunched him at the last second.
"Rest assured, boy," Dancho said, "you'll meet him soon. However, this impulsiveness of yours. If not tampered correctly, you could be a danger to us all!" Dancho pressed his fist further into Raguel's gut and then released energy from it, which pushed Raguel back. He would have fallen off the rooftop had he not grabbed the ledge at the last second.
"We will meet again. This I will tell you," Dancho said, facing him one last time before turning around and logging out.
"Get back, damn you!" But by the time Raguel climbed back up to the rooftop, Dancho had already logged out.
Oh well. At least he had the files.
Raguel immediately called Monty after getting his bearings. "Monty, I have the files. Sending them to you now."
"Splendid!" Monty said through Raguel's earpiece. "I always knew you would pull through. Here's your usual amount, as well as a little something special for this emergency task." When Raguel looked at what he got, he smirked. A cash bonus and new technology parts being sent to Café Matsuo? How awesome was that?
"Thanks, Monty. Raguel out," he said, ending the call. Time to log out and go home. I'm tired and hungry, he thought.
Suddenly, he experienced a splintering headache. What's with this pain? Something definitely doesn't feel right, Raguel thought.
"Oh, look who's here!"
Raguel turned towards the voice. It was Blue Angel, smiling at him. Frog and Pigeon were nearby, broadcasting the meeting.
"What's this?" the MC said. "Blue Angel has encountered Raguel! Why is he in LINK VRAINS?" Yusaku narrowed his eyes on seeing Raguel.
"I was hoping to duel Playmaker, but you're here instead. I believe that a duel between us will entertain the crowd, don't you think?" Blue Angel said.
She pointed her finger at Raguel. "Raguel, I hereby challenge you to a duel!"
Oh you gotta be shitting me, Raguel thought, as he glared at Blue Angel, while she smiled back at him in return.
Card Gallery
Tenyi Spirit - Nahata (LV: 4/Wyrm/Wind/ATK: 800/DEF: 1000)
If you control no Effect monsters: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. When an attack is declared involving you 'Tenyi' monster and an opponent's face-up monster: You can banish this card from you hand or GY; that monster loses 1500 ATK until the end of this turn. You can only use each effect of 'Tenyi Spirit - Nahata' once per turn.
Cyreath Archer (LV: 3/Cyberse/Light/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1000)
This card can attack your opponent directly, but any battle damage this card inflicts is halved.
Cyreath Icarus (LV: 3/Cyberse/Wind/ATK: 1200/DEF: 1100)
Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned: You can target 1 Level 4 or lower 'Cyreath' monster in your GY; Special Summon it.
Cyreath Cackling Juggler (LV: 4/Cyberse/Dark/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000)
When this card is Summoned: Place 1 'Bomb' counter on this card equal to the number of 'Cyreath' monsters you control. During either player's turn: You can remove all 'Bomb' counters from this card, and if you do, inflict 300 damage to your opponent for each counter removed.
Cyreath Hephaestus (LR: 1/Cyberse/Earth/ATK: 500/↘️)
1 monster. Once per turn, when you control a 'Cyreath' monster: You can target 1 Spell or Trap card in your GY; add it to you hand.
Cyreath Launch (Quick-Play Spell Card)
Target 1 'Cyreath' monster you control; it can attack your opponent directly, but other monsters you control cannot attack this turn.
Cyreath Power Shot (Normal Trap card)
Target 1 monster you control; send it to the GY, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to half of its ATK.
QOTC
What did you think of Dancho and his Tenyi Deck?
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 4: An Angel's Challenge. Just when Raguel defeated Dancho, Blue Angel, out of the blue, appears and challenges him to a duel! His response is...
Chapter 5: Burning Advent. Exhausted from the events in LINK VRAINS, Yuhiro attempts to puzzle together the Dancho's connection to the Hanoi and who else might be involved. However, when something abnormal happens to Blue Angel, Yuhiro logs into LINK VRAINS, only to be thrown into a situation involving Playmaker, Akira Zaizen, and the leader of the Knights of Hanoi himself: Revolver...
Responses to Reviews and Author's Notes
Thank you to giacomoX, 00raiserXL, HunterHQ, II, SSJ Shadow, Guest, and BlackJack123 for reviewing Chapter two of Obscured Truth.
Okay, that took a long time to write! I'm very sorry everyone for the long wait. I forgot to mention, in the last chapter, that I had midterms. The good news was that I only had four, and now that they're out of the way, I'm back on schedule. To make it up to you for the wait, I put down not one, but two-chapter previews to get you excited for what's coming up.
As for last chapter's QOTC, I looked at the responses, and decided that Pendulum Summoning will be included in the story!
In this chapter, we meet Dancho, an old friend of Revolver's. Dancho actually means Grandmaster in Japanese, which is why I decided to include him in the story. After all, how else were the Knight of Hanoi grunts taught how to duel? He uses the Tenyi deck, which focuses on using non-effect Wyrm Link monsters and Wyrm monsters to overwhelm the opponent through Graveyard effects. He also has a total of four Link monsters and an eventual Synchro monster. The fourth Link Monster won't be revealed until the Another Arc, so stay tuned. As for the Synchro Monster, that won't be revealed until Season 2.
We also have Yuhiro signing up for the Duel Club (which he didn't want to do), and him meeting with Yusaku Fujiki. He also talks with Aoi a bit in the chapter as well. This won't be an OCxAoi shipping story at all, just to confirm now. The fact that Yuhiro was willing to talk to Aoi in this chapter will be the first step to them becoming friends.
Furthermore, there's Yuhiro's decoy deck: The World Chalice deck! I chose that deck mainly because it involves Link Summoning, and Yuhiro can also throw in some cards to catch his opponents off-guard (who knows, maybe I might put in some old-school cards in the deck?). The deck will be shown at some point in the story. As for when, you'll have to wait and see.
Finally, there's Yuhiro going to see Miyu at the hospital and how she ended up there. For those of you that are thinking, 'This is too similar to how Windy's Partner ended up in the hospital', it will be expanded in the next chapter.
Anyways, it's time for the reviews.
giacomoX: Thank you very much. I hope you enjoyed this duel. As for a Link-4 monster, it won't be appearing until Episode 7.
00raiserXL: Thank you very much my friend. I truly do appreciate it. Raguel's potential future Link-4 ace monster, unfortunately, is not the serpent that Hercules slayed during his Twelve Labors. It's something else, and I think you'll be surprised.
HunterHQ: Thank you very much for giving this story a chance, as well as chatting with me for the past few days. It's been a lot of fun chatting with you, and I look forward to doing it more. I also want to thank you for your role in helping establish Windy's partner in Season 2. Stay tuned!
II: Miyu isn't an OC. She's an actual character that appears in the second half of Season 2 of Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS. Whether she becomes free of her problems, you'll have to wait and see.
SSJ Shadow: Thank you for saying that. I do my best for the interactions to be as human as possible. The three high gods of Olympus will all be Link Monsters, just to let you know. As for Raguel Reincarnation Link Summoning? Not right now. That is for the Soulburner and his Salamangreats only. But maybe in the future. As for Windy's Partner, you played a role in how he'll be established in Season 2. So stay tuned!
Guest: Thanks for respecting my decision to use a deck based on Greek Mythology for Raguel. I can't tell you without spoiling the story. But if you stick with it, you'll get your answer.
BlackJack123: A Link Monster based on Medea of Fate for Yuhiro? Hell yeah.
I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Please post your reviews for this chapter, as well as your questions. As a writer, I promise to continue improving for each chapter. See you next time!