Chapter 5: Burning Advent
At Café Matsuo...
"YOU LOSE! YOU LOSE! YOU LOSE!"
Yuhiro screamed as the shocks overcame him. It was at that moment he woke up. Dammit, he thought. I thought I wouldn't be having that specific dream anymore. Immediately, a sense of dread began to creep up his spine and to his brain. The last time he had that dream, something bad always happened the next day.
The next thing he knew, he heard a sound. When he put on his flip-flops and went downstairs to the second floor, he saw Roxy enter Café Matsuo. He hid behind the wall, and then followed her to the living room part of the second floor. Yuhiro saw Roxy grab a blanket and sit down. He soon overheard her crying. Guess the duel didn't work, he thought. All Yuhiro wanted to do was go over there and give her a shoulder to cry on, but he didn't know if he had the courage to do that.
No, he thought. Even though I had a nightmare about my past, it didn't mean the next day had to end badly. I always faced what was in front of me, and I survived. And I'm as sure as hell that I'll continue fighting. Until the day I can see Miyu and Roxy smiling once again. Deciding ultimately that it would be best to leave Roxy alone, he went back upstairs to bed, ready to face what tomorrow had to offer.
The next morning...
When Roxy woke up on the couch, she smelt something good. Really good. She got up, put on her glasses, and followed the smell all the way to the kitchen. Only to see none other than Yuhiro cooking.
"Oh! Good morning Roxy," Yuhiro said, turning around and waving to her. "You want some eggs? Bacon? Toast?"
"You cooked all of this?" Roxy asked, shocked at what she was seeing. Usually, she would make something for herself while Yuhiro got his usual breakfast. However, to see him do this, it was different indeed.
After Yuhiro sat down with Roxy in the kitchen, the two of them practically ate the newly cooked meal, with Roxy eating at a faster rate than him.
"Guess someone was hungry," Yuhiro said, chuckling upon seeing Roxy cutting the bacon in two and putting it in her mouth.
"You definitely made my morning Yuhiro! This stuff is freakin delicious!" Roxy replied.
After a few moments of eating, Yuhiro turned to Roxy and said, "I'm sorry that the duel didn't work, Roxy."
Roxy stopped eating upon eating. She sighed and turned to Yuhiro. "It was worth a shot, though," she said, putting a hand on Yuhiro's shoulder. "I know that Miyu is going to enjoy the duel once she wakes up, though."
"She will wake up." Yuhiro said firmly. "We have to continue believing that she'll get out of that coma. Otherwise, if we give up now..."
"But we WON'T!" Roxy said, startling Yuhiro. "I think this fine breakfast you made brought my spirits back up! Anyway, why don't you help me clean up the dishes? After all, you did make the meal, right?"
Yuhiro sighed in agreement, and the two of them went to work. It was almost time to go to Den Academy by the time they were both finished.
Before Yuhiro left Café Matsuo, Roxy said from the front door, "We'll talk about Dancho once you return. Until then, if you can get a head-start regarding him and the Hanoi that will be great."
"Will do, Roxy!" Yuhiro replied, giving Roxy a fist-bump before he started the walk that would take him to Den Academy.
It was a few minutes after Yuhiro left that Roxy realized something. I forgot to ask him about whether he succeeded with putting an E.M.S. in SOL Technologies, she realized. Oh well. Might as well ask him after school.
At Den Academy...
As he was walking to Den Academy, Yuhiro yawned, causing him to move a hand to the front of his mouth to cover it. The duels he had with Dancho and Blue Angel drained energy he didn't know he had. But he couldn't focus on that. Right now, he had to focus on Dancho. More importantly, three things:
During the duel, he mentioned that he was the Hanoi's Grandmaster. This was important for Yuhiro to know because, by knowing this information, he could learn who trained the many grunts that he faced. This also told him that he had a high rank within the Knights of Hanoi.
His Dueling style. It wasn't like a typical Knight of Hanoi to not only use a different archetype, but to also care for his Duel Monsters, that was something unexpected. When I used Grapple-Snatch on Draco Master of the Tenyi, he thought, he was very angry. The next time I duel him, I'll get more answers out of him.
The person that Dancho mentioned right before he logged out of LINK VRAINS. According to Dancho, that person was monitoring his strength, and it was growing with each duel Yuhiro won. Whoever this person is, Yuhiro thought, it must be the leader of the Knights of Hanoi. If I wasn't so impulsive, I probably would have got some more information.
His thoughts, however, were interrupted, when someone bumped into him, causing him to fall to the ground.
"Oi! What's the – Zaizen?" Yuhiro stopped speaking when he noticed Aoi Zaizen was looking at him, with fresh tears coming from her eyes.
"I'm so sorry!" Aoi said, and she immediately ran off to Den Academy.
Damn, Yuhiro thought, something must've happened to Zaizen. I do hope she's okay. Wait. Why am I concerned for her well-being all of a sudden?
"You alright?" Yuhiro turned to the owner of the voice. It was none other than Yusaku Fujiki, who was offering him a hand.
"Other than being a little sore, I'm alright Fujiki," Yuhiro said, accepting it and standing up. He soon started to walk to Den Academy, with Yusaku following him. Great, he thought. The last thing he wanted was for someone to follow him right now.
"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Yusaku asked, snapping Yuhiro out of his thoughts.
"Sure. I guess," Yuhiro replied.
"When we were in Duel Club yesterday, you mentioned three things. Why is that?" Yusaku asked.
He might be on to me, Yuhiro thought. Gotta play it cool. Turning to Yusaku, he said, "By listing things in groups of three, it helps me think. It also helps to not only order my thoughts, but to control my anxiety as well."
"I see. Interesting," Yusaku said.
"Now can I ask you a question?" Yuhiro asked, now resuming his walk to Den Academy.
"What do you have in mind?" Yusaku replied, now catching up to him and narrowing his eyes.
"Your Duel Disk. It's the same one I have." Yuhiro stated. He then stopped to face Yusaku. "Do you remember how you got yours?"
Yusaku shook his head. "No. Unfortunately, I don't remember how I got my Duel Disk."
Suddenly, Yuhiro's watch beeped several times. When Yuhiro looked at it, he realized he was going to be late for his Introduction to Design class.
"Sorry, gotta run!" Yuhiro said to Yusaku as he ran off, with Yusaku responding with a bored wave.
"Are you sure this kid is Raguel?" Ai asked, moving its eye to Yusaku.
"I'm 100% positive he is, Ai. And didn't I tell you to be quiet?" Yusaku said, berating Ai as he continued walking to Den Academy.
"Sheesh. Didn't mean to be a pain in your butt," Ai replied, now slightly annoyed.
A few hours later...
Yuhiro sighed as he listened to the teacher's lesson, which was about using the different aspects of PowerPoint to make a poster. Boring. Instead of paying attention to the teacher, Yuhiro immediately got out his tablet and started researching Duel Dojos, for Dancho had to come from one of them if he was indeed the Hanoi's Grandmaster.
Let's see, Yuhiro thought. No. No. And definitely no, he thought, as he swiped his finger across the screen, showing several different Duel Dojos. But none of them seemed to match.
Until he found one that might look interesting. The Shinpi-Tekina Duel Dojo, Yuhiro read. From what Yuhiro knew about the dojo, it was one of the top Duel Dojos around the world because of its balance between dueling, martial arts, and inner peace. According to an article, the dojo closed because of an incident that occurred involving the students and the people living nearby the dojo. Following the incident, the grandmaster in charge of the dojo went into exile, never to return.
The owner of the Dojo: Zandaka Ikiagi, Yuhiro read. This man right here might be the only lead he has to the Hanoi! If I find him, that is, Yuhiro thought, rolling his eyes.
"Excuse me." Aoi suddenly said to the teacher, drawing Yuhiro's attention. "May I please use the washroom?"
"Go ahead," the teacher said, letting Aoi leave the classroom. Upon receiving the teacher's answer, Aoi immediately left the classroom.
A few minutes later, Yuhiro received a text from Roxy.
Have u checked the live feed, the text read.
When Yuhiro looked on the live feed on his tablet, it showed that a duel between Blue Angel and Playmaker was about to start!
I definitely don't like this, Yuhiro thought. Raising his hand to get the teacher's attention, he asked, "Is it okay if I use the washroom?"
"It's fine with me," the teacher replied. "Just don't take too long."
After Yuhiro ran out of the classroom, he found a space just outside the classrooms. This way, once he was done in LINK VRAINS, he can blend in right away with the students.
Yuhiro took out his deck and inserted it into his Duel Disk. "Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"
In LINK VRAINS...
Raguel found himself on a rooftop overlooking the Data Stream. As he looked down, he saw Blue Angel and Playmaker race past him. Realizing that they would notice if he followed them on his Duel Board, Raguel pressed a button on his Duel Disk, releasing a small, black fly with a camera and orange eyes. "E.M.S. Keep an eye on Playmaker and Blue Angel. Also, please record their duel." The fly saluted him before flying away, following the stream of data.
Let's see what we got here, Raguel thought, pressing another button on his Duel Disk. It connected him to E.M.S., which let him see the duel.
The duel started similar to his: Blue Angel activated Trickstar Light Stage, and summoned three Trickstar monsters: Lilybell, Candina, and Lycoris. She then used the first two to Link Summon Trickstar Holly Angel and concluded her turn by setting two cards face-down.
Playmaker was up next: After receiving effect damage from Blue Angel's cards, he performed two consecutive Link Summons before bringing out Decode Talker. Unfortunately, it was all for naught, as Blue Angel used a combo consisting of Trickstar Reincarnation and Lycoris to not only decrease Playmaker's Life Points, but also increase Holly Angel's attack points and destroy Decode Talker as well.
Despite the setback, Playmaker was able to summon Salvagent Driver, which would be able to defend his Life Points if he was attacked.
When Blue Angel declared her turn and drew a card, Raguel experienced a splitting headache.
What's with this pain, Raguel thought. It was the same pain he felt yesterday prior to his duel with Blue Angel. No, he thought. Pushing a few buttons on his Duel Disk, he had E.M.S. take a scan on the card Blue Angel drew. After scanning it's code, Raguel widened his eyes in shock. It was a Hanoi card!
Looking back at the duel, Raguel couldn't help but watch in horror as Blue Angel suddenly turned serious and cold real fast. She then started screaming in anger and pain until tears started coming out of her eyes. Please win this duel Playmaker, Raguel thought.
Luckily, Playmaker won the duel by raising Encode Talker's attack points and lowering Holly Angel's, so that he can win with one blow.
As Encode Talker destroyed Holly Angel, Raguel zoomed in on the screen showing Blue Angel and noticed something. She was crying.
A few hours later, at Café Matsuo...
"Damn," was all Roxy said, after watching the duel between Blue Angel and Playmaker. "Poor Blue Angel. I do hope she's okay." She cleaned her glasses after saying that.
"The Hanoi did this to her," Yuhiro said, turning to face her. "Thanks to E.M.S., I was able to get a sample of that code. If only I noticed it earlier..." Yuhiro said, putting his hands through his hair and starting to get stressed out.
"Take it easy," Roxy said, putting a hand on Yuhiro's shoulder. "At the time, you wouldn't have known what was going on. Hanoi is the type of villain that's patient and persistent. And trust me, that's the worst type of villain you want to go up against."
"Still," Yuhiro said, now starting to type on the digital keyboard, "It doesn't make me any less guilty. You said yesterday that Aoi was, and still is, Miyu's childhood friend. I want there to be someone she recognizes alive and well once she wakes up."
"Then let me," Roxy said, putting her hand on Yuhiro's wrist and stopping him from typing. Yuhiro was about to protest when she added, "You're not the only one who wants to make sure others are alive and well. I'll take a look. In the meanwhile, you go get some rest."
"But-."
"No buts," Roxy said, now giving Yuhiro 'the look'. "You still need to recover from the duels you experienced yesterday. Go to bed. I insist on it."
Yuhiro wanted to object, but immediately yawned upon standing up. I guess some rest will do, he thought.
"Alright," Yuhiro said, agreeing with Roxy. "Should you find anything, please let me know."
The next day...
Yuhiro walked into Café Matsuo's backroom, having been refreshed by the hours of sleep he got. When he woke up this morning, Roxy was still working on going through Hanoi's code, so he ran the fast-food restaurant with the Steward Bot in her absence. It was in the afternoon of Blue Angel's duel with Playmaker when Roxy called him over.
"What is it?" Yuhiro asked, walking over and taking the seat that was close to the closed-space.
"Well, I finished paraphrasing the code. But I got some bad news," Roxy said, turning to face Yuhiro. Not only did she have bags under her eyes due to lack of sleep, but the task made her exhausted as well.
"Just speak." Yuhiro replied.
"You're not going to like this," Roxy said, typing on the digital keyboard. "After going through the code, I found this!"
When Yuhiro turned to face the monitor, his eyes widened in shock. "This is-."
"A virus," Roxy confirmed. "But this one is unlike anything I've seen before. Take a look at this." A screen on the monitor showed a pink substance entering a person through their fingertips and go all the way up to their brain. "Apparently, the virus was designed to invade a person's brain and damage them to the point of going into a coma. And the only way for that to happen is-."
"Through a card," Yuhiro finished for her. "The card Blue Angel played before she went berserk." Suddenly, he realized something. And so did Roxy too. "The Hanoi used her! To not only duel Playmaker, but in the event that he wins-!"
"To turn her into a hostage!" Roxy concluded. She then opened another window and hacked into the Den City Hospital's cameras. It showed a comatose Aoi, who was sleeping. "They must have the removal program, which they'll use to force Playmaker to duel them with the AI Program and removal program at stake."
"Exactly!" Yuhiro said. The next thing the two of them knew, the monitor beeped. Yuhiro immediately clicked on the notification icon, which opened up another window on the monitor. What Yuhiro and Roxy saw next would surprise them both.
"Playmaker! You'll pay for what you did to me!" Blue Angel said in LINK VRAINS. She was standing on top of a massive skyscraper. "If you're watching this, then come on out and duel me again!"
"Okay. I thought she was in the hospital." Yuhiro said.
"Well, duh. She is." Roxy switched the screen to the hospital camera, which still showed the comatose Aoi.
"Then this is most certainly a trap for Playmaker," Yuhiro concluded. "And an obvious one at that. What I don't know is whether this is Hanoi's or SOL's trap."
He got up from his chair. "I'm going into LINK VRAINS. Playmaker may be aware that it's a trap, but if he walks into it to help Blue Angel, he'll need backup." Yuhiro was about to run off to the closed-off space when Roxy got up and grabbed Yuhiro's wrist.
"Hold on a minute. If you insist on doing this," Roxy said, now dragging Yuhiro to the workshop, "then you'll need all the help you can get. I made a new gauntlet recently, and I think you should check it out."
At Café Matsuo's workshop...
"So what am I looking at? And how does it even work?" Yuhiro asked. The gauntlet on the table was colored grey, with black and purple armor surrounding it. From what Yuhiro was able to conclude, it literally looked like Gouki the Great Ogre's hand.
"Don't be so intimidated by it's size!" Roxy suddenly said, standing beside him. "The fist might be big, but you're still able to fit it in your right hand." When Yuhiro raised an eyebrow and turned to face her, she sighed. "Just watch the video." She motioned for him to watch the video on her laptop.
In the video, a figure equipped the new gauntlet on their hand. Next to them was a pile of huge boulders, which no average human could lift. However, by using the new gauntlet, the figure was able to grab the boulder and throw it at a group of dummies with one hand. Yuhiro couldn't help but laugh in amazement upon seeing the gauntlet in action.
"Roxanne Matsuo," Yuhiro said, turning to face her, "you've outdone yourself. This will certainly help if I'm in a scuffle." He then frowned. "But I can't use this if I'm in a duel, can I?"
"Of course not!" Roxy said, now turning around and leaving the workshop, with Yuhiro following her. "The hand's too big." She then smiled. "I'm thinking of calling it 'The Big Man'. Get the joke?" When Yuhiro raised an eyebrow, she sighed. "The gauntlet is downloaded into your Duel Disk. And be aware that you can only wear one gauntlet at a time."
"I hear you loud and clear," Yuhiro said, now heading to the closed-off space. He entered the closed-off space and put his deck in his Duel Disk. "Deck Set! Into the VRAINS!"
In LINK VRAINS...
Raguel landed on a rooftop some distance away from the one 'Blue Angel' was on. Once he landed, he noticed Playmaker enter LINK VRAINS, and of course, he landed on the same rooftop 'Blue Angel' was on. Using his Duel Anchor to latch onto the nearby building, Raguel jumped over to them, getting as close as he could without being noticed.
"So who are you?" Playmaker asked 'Blue Angel'. "That's a pretty good disguise, but not good enough to fool me." Raguel was impressed. Even though Playmaker knew it was a trap, he luckily had a game plan.
"Wow. What gave it away? And I thought I nailed these pigtails! It took forever!" the fake Blue Angel said. She immediately pulled a rose out of thin air. "Well, no matter. I didn't come to do impressions. Here's a little gift for showing up!"
She threw the rose at Playmaker. Once it landed at his feet, it glowed and created a circle around him. It exerted a gravitational pressure around him that forced him to his knees.
The next thing Raguel knew, the light spread from the building to the ones around it. Uh-oh. He quickly leaped onto another rooftop nearby, where he could watch what was going on safely. Within a few minutes, the outer buildings turned into spires of rock. The building that Playmaker was on lowered into a building that resembled a church.
"Roxy. Are you getting any of this?" Raguel asked. "Roxy? Roxy?!"
Meanwhile, back in Café Matsuo's backroom, Roxy was having the same trouble. "Son of a-!" she said, upon realizing that her connection to Yuhiro was severed. "Let's try the emergency cameras!" After a few quick keystrokes on the digital keyboard, Roxy was able to see Yuhiro. "Oi, Yuhiro, you there?"
"Roxy? Thank god!" Raguel replied. "Playmaker obviously fell for the trap. I'm going in to investigate. Make sure you watch my back."
"I hear you loud and clear, captain," Roxy said through Raguel's earpiece.
Using his Duel Anchor, Raguel latched onto one of the spires and jumped towards it, holding on in order to prevent himself from falling. He managed to get a good view of Playmaker, who was trapped in what looked liked a ghoul's hand, as well as the mess he was in.
"Don't take this personally," the fake Blue Angel said as she snapped her fingers, "but this is all part of the job." As she spoke, she used her own voice. Wait a minute. Raguel recognized that voice anywhere.
"So then you're working for someone," Playmaker said, putting two and two together.
"Ya. And I'm pretty good at what I do," the woman said, her Blue Angel avatar peeling away. Once it was done, her true appearance was shown. The woman had long grey hair and grey eyes with a black ninja mask covering the lower half of her face. She also wore a simple skin-tight black and blue jumpsuit that left her forearms and upper legs exposed, as well as black stockings and boots. "The name's Ghost Girl. I'd love to talk more, but you seem all tied up at the moment."
Shit, Raguel thought. Of all the people to trap Playmaker, it had to be you, Ghost Girl. No one else could write a program this complex in a short period of time!
"Who would hire you to catch me?" Playmaker demanded. As if to answer his question, a person that Raguel recognized as Akira Zaizen logged into LINK VRAINS.
I gotta get closer, Raguel thought. He jumped down to the ledges on the outside of the church. He shuffled to the side until he could find some ground, as well as a wall to hide behind.
Raguel looked at the situation that was unfolding in front of him. There was a bed where the altar should have been, with the real Blue Angel lying unconscious on it. And although he couldn't hear what they were saying, nearby it, Akira was confronting Playmaker.
Raguel's eyes widened in shock when he saw Akira torturing Playmaker for information by tightening the bindings on him, making him scream in pain. He soon decided: THIS COULD NOT CONTINUE!
Before Raguel could step around the wall and confront them, a burst of lightning broke through the roof. As it disappeared, it showed a figure kneeling where it had struck. It was a tanned man with yellow eyes behind a transparent mask and black hair with orange and red highlights. He also wore a white sleeveless coat with a white jumpsuit under it. As the man stood up, Raguel moved a little bit closer away from the wall, wanting to know what was going on.
"Revolver!" Ghost Girl said, realizing who the individual was.
"What is the leader of the Knights of Hanoi doing here?" Akira demanded.
"Let Playmaker go!" Revolver said as he faced away from Akira and Ghost Girl. "I'll be the one to face him."
"That will not happen!" Akira retorted.
Revolver turned to face Akira and Ghost Girl. "Then perhaps I need to give you a demonstration of my power." He raised his right hand to the sky, making everyone, including Raguel, look up. A data cyclone descended on top of him. He then had it spread outward, making it destroy one side of the church.
"What's with this power?" Raguel whispered. If this man was truly the leader of the Knights of Hanoi, he was definitely proving it.
"I could easily destroy LINK VRAINS if I wanted to," Revolver calmly said, "but I'm not here to do that." His face then turned deadly serious as he pointed his finger towards Akira. "I'm here to challenge Playmaker to a duel, and you will do nothing but stand there, like the useless statue you are."
Akira grit his teeth as Revolver continued. "If Playmaker wins, I'll give him the removal program to cure Blue Angel. But if I win, not only shall I take his Ignis, but Blue Angel will never wake up again!"
"That means, you were the ones who infected my sister," Akira said, now realizing that Playmaker was innocent.
"Correct," Revolver replied, completely calm. "And even if you didn't trust Playmaker to save Blue Angel's life, you never had a choice!"
"Wrong! There's always a choice!" Raguel said, now stepping out into the open. He was about to shoot out his Duel Anchor at Revolver when suddenly, what looked like a draconic fiend with wings and claws tackled Raguel and pushed him forward to the ground. The monster managed to pin Raguel in place as he struggled.
"Ah, what fresh meat," the draconic fiend said. "It's been a while since I enjoyed a fine meal."
"Get off me!" Raguel shouted, firing electricity from the Cracker gauntlet at the fiend, pushing him back. He then pulled out his sword and revved it up.
"Raguel?" both Ghost Girl and Akira said in shock. The next thing they knew, more demonic creatures appeared. One demon had red-skin with blue armor. It also wielded two swords, one blue and one red, and had a tail resembling a dragon's head. Another demon had grey blue skin, with broken blue horns, and was also muscular.
Raguel immediately fired more electrical blasts from his Cracker gauntlet, which the draconic fiend easily dodged. Meanwhile, Ghost Girl avoided the sword slashes from the blue-armored demon, while Akira narrowly rolled out of the way to avoid a punch from the muscular demon.
Before Raguel could charge at the draconic fiend, he was pinned down by another winged demon from behind, with his head facing the ground. Only this time, this demon had blue skin, with wings and claws, as well as braided hair.
"Damn it!" Raguel said, as he struggled to break free. "Get off me!" Suddenly, he heard screaming. Ghost Girl was constricted by the blue-armored demon's dragon tail, while Akira was being restrained by a bear hug from the muscular demon.
"Infearno." Revolver said, as a tall, pale-skinned, bald male adult with light brown eyes walked into the church a few meters away from Revolver. He wore a pure, white colored clergy shirt, with white pants and shoes, making him look like a minister. What distinguished him the most was his large burnt scar covering the entire left side of his head and barely creeping up to his face.
"Well? Doesn't it excite you?" Infearno asked Revolver. "That the two duelists you've always wanted to duel are now finally in your grasp?" He turned to look at Playmaker and smiled. "Isn't it magnificent? You finally have the chance to capture the Ignis, and as the cherry on top, Raguel is here as well." He then turned to Akira and frowned at him. "You should've obeyed Revolver when he stated his wishes to duel Playmaker. If you had, I wouldn't have had to send my demons to punish you, the woman, and Raguel."
"These demons are your pets?" Akira snarled. "Have them release us!" Upon saying that, the blue muscular demon tightened its bear hug on him, bringing Akira more and more pain.
"Restraint, Cir!" Infearno commanded. The demon complied, loosening its bear hug on Akira. When Infearno walked over to him, he slapped him across the face using both sides of his right hand. Revolver did nothing but watched the events as it transpired.
"There is something that you don't know," Infearno said, turning away from Akira. "Should I tell him, Revolver?" When Revolver nodded, he continued, looking into Akira's eyes. "Revolver only has half of the removal program. I have the other half, which can only be obtained if Raguel beats me in a duel. If either you or Raguel refuses my kind offer, I'll ensure that Blue Angel doesn't have a soul or avatar once my demons finish feasting on them." In saying that, Akira's eyes widened in shock, horror, and fear.
Infearno then knelt on one knee so he could face Raguel. "Your duel against Dancho was impressive. I want to see that strength myself. Do you accept my challenge?"
"Fine!" Raguel said, looking at Infearno. "I accept your damn challenge! Just have these demons release us!"
"Of course." Infearno replied. Raising his left hand, he said, "Cir. Malacoda. Graff. Libic. Return!" All four demons turned into energy, as they returned to Infearno's Duel Disk. At that moment, Ghost Girl, Raguel, and Akira were freed from the demons' grasp.
Akira, knowing that he had no choice but to rely on Raguel and Playmaker, unclenched his fist. "Do not make me regret this later," he warned Playmaker, as the purple glow disappeared from his fist. The program holding Playmaker also dispersed, causing him to fall and land on the ground.
"Let's never do that again, okay?" Ai commented. Revolver smirked at that.
"I'll be waiting, Playmaker," he said. Another data cyclone engulfed him and carried him out of the church.
"I will also be waiting for you, Raguel. If you have anything else to say to them, now's the time," Infearno said. Unlike Revolver, he walked outside of the church and waited.
Before Playmaker ran off to confront Revolver, Akira stopped him. "Playmaker," Akira said, "I... I don't know what to say. You're going to duel him to save my sister. Even after everything I've put you through and refusing to believe anything you've said, you'll still fight to help me even though you should hate me?"
"I forgive you," Playmaker answered Akira, making him widen his eyes in surprise. Turning to face Akira, he continued. "But I'll never forgive the Knights of Hanoi." He left, heading towards the data stream. Raguel sighed.
"You know, I was going to intervene when I saw you torturing Playmaker," he told Akira. "While pain is sometimes necessary, there are limits. Otherwise, we're no better than our enemies." Raguel was about to walk out when Akira stopped him too.
"Raguel, I don't understand. Why are you here?" Akira asked. "You didn't have to try and challenge Revolver, but you did anyway. Why?"
Raguel thought about it and then replied, "Before my duel with Blue Angel yesterday, I sensed something. At the time, had I been calmer and more focused, I would have been able to notice that something was amiss. I could've prevented the virus from affecting her." He turned to face Akira. "While I can't change the past, I can change her future by fighting for her now." Raguel turned around and left before Akira could reply. He released E.M.S. to record Playmaker and Revolver's duel so that he and Roxy can watch it later.
Akira was about to say something when Ghost Girl put a hand on his shoulder. "Let him go," she said. "I've crossed paths with him before. Once he sets his mind to something, he won't stop until the task is complete."
"I hope you're right, Ghost Girl," Akira lamented. Turning to Blue Angel, he took her hand in his and gave it a small squeeze. Just a little longer, Akira thought. Once Playmaker and Raguel win their duels, you'll wake up again. I promise.
Raguel called his duel board and rode on the data stream. Infearno came alongside him, riding a longer white board with a pair of small fins on both sides of the rear. The white surface was made of several vertical pitch-black layers and had silver metal accents on both sides of the front and its midsection. It also had a dark grey area running across the duel board's midsection, seemingly splitting it in half.
"Better listen now, Infearno," Raguel said. "Because once I defeat you, I'll obtain half of the removal program needed to cure Blue Angel. And I'll make sure people like you never threaten LINK VRAINS again!"
"You seem certain that you'll defeat me," Infearno replied. Turning to face Raguel, he said, "But you're not facing a typical opponent. No. You're facing someone who has a legion of demons at their command, which will be your downfall."
At that moment, the ground erupted. "What the hell?" Raguel said, glancing down with wide eyes. The streets beneath him broke apart, and lava spewed out from them. Looking around the city, he saw that all of LINK VRAINS had been covered by ash and fire. The sky was also covered in black clouds.
Infearno started laughing. "Now this is perfect!" he shouted, raising his arms into the sky. "Thank you, Revolver, for setting the stage for this grand duel." Turning to Raguel once again, he said, "Once you lose this duel, you'll be sent to Hell, where your memory shall be forgotten, never to be remembered again."
"We'll see about that!" Raguel boldly replied.
"Speed Duel!" both duelists shouted.
Infearno: 4000 LP
Raguel: 4000 LP
"I will allow you to take the first turn," Infearno said.
"You'll regret that choice!" Raguel shouted. "My turn! First, I activate Cyreath Treasure! This card allows me to draw 2 cards, in exchange for discarding 1 'Cyreath' monster from my hand!" Raguel discarded Cyreath Wandering Soul from his hand and drew two cards. If I summon a strong monster quickly, Raguel thought, I can hold the fort for a bit before coming up with a plan.
"I'll activate the effect of Cyreath Wandering Soul in my Graveyard!" Raguel said, thrusting out his right hand. "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
"Next, I'll Set one card, and summon Cyreath Barbarian!" A man with spiked cuffs, close-cropped blond hair and mustache joined the field.
Cyreath Barbarian ATK: 1500 DEF: 1000 LVL: 4
"Appear! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel declared, as he fired a burst of energy from his hand, creating the Link Portal. He, alongside Barbarian and the Wanderer token, entered the portal.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyreath' monsters! I'll set Cyreath Barbarian and the Cyreath Wanderer token in the Link Markers!" Barbarian entered the upper arrowhead, while the Wanderer token entered the bottom arrowhead.
"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 right Extra Monster Zone. 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 ⬆️⬇️
"And since Cyreath Barbarian was used to Link Summon, the Link Summoned Monster that used it as material gains 500 attack points!" Raguel added.
Cyreath Chariot Commander ATK: 2000 + 500 = 2500
"I activate the Field Spell, Cyreath Grand Hall! With this card, all 'Cyreath' monsters I control gain 200 attack points!"
Cyreath Chariot Commander ATK: 2500 + 200 = 2700
"I end my turn." Raguel concluded. "So, have you realized who you're up against yet?"
"It is you who should realize who you're up against!" Infearno declared. "My turn! I draw! I activate the Spell card, Pre-Preparation of Rites! Not only does this card let me add a Ritual Spell card from my deck to my hand, I can also add a Ritual Monster from my deck or Graveyard to my hand whose name is listed on that Ritual Spell!" Using Pre-Preparation of Rites, Infearno added Good and Evil in the Burning Abyss and Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss.
Ritual Summoning? Raguel thought. He hadn't seen a Ritual Monster in a long time. Luckily, should Infearno attack with his Ritual monster, his face down card will make him run like a chicken.
"I activate the Ritual Spell card, Good and Evil in the Burning Abyss! This card lets me tribute monsters from my hand or field whose combined levels equal or exceed that of the stated Ritual Monster, and then summon it from my hand." Infearno explained as he smiled. "I'll tribute the Level 3 Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and the Level 3 Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from my hand." A dark red magic circle with six flames appeared on his field, along with two demonic monsters. One was a draconic fiend with wings and claws, while the other was a muscular demon with grey blue skin and broken blue horns.
Both demons disintegrated into light and entered the center of the circle, which emitted a pillar of dark red light.
"The contract's been made!" Infearno chanted, his Duel Disk's screen and black sections glowing dark red. "Demonic leader residing in the eighth circle of Hell! Accept these two sacrifices and serve your master! Ritual Summon! Rise, Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss!" The red-skinned demon in blue armor soon emerged from the portal and onto Infearno's field. It wielded two swords, one blue and one red, and also had a tail resembling a dragon's head.
Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2700 DEF: 2000 LVL: 6
"I will dispose of anyone who dares oppose my master!" Malacoda snarled at Raguel.
"Patience, Malacoda," Infearno said to the demon. "You'll have your chance soon. At this point, the effects of your brethren, Graff and Cir, both activate! When Graff is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a 'Burning Abyss' monster from my deck! Serve me, Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss!" A winged demon with blue skin wings and claws, as well as braided hair, appeared on the field.
Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1300 DEF: 700 LVL: 3
"Cir's effect! As it was sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a 'Burning Abyss' monster from my Graveyard. Return, Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss!" The draconic fiend with wings and claws soon returned to the field and licked its lips at Raguel, making him shiver.
Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1000 DEF: 1500 LVL: 3
"Ah, Libic! Good to see you again, old friend," Graff said. "Isn't that the tasty human from before?"
"It sure is!" Libic replied, now eager to battle.
"Okay, why the hell are your Duel monsters talking?" Raguel asked, now curious. "Is it due to their program?"
"Something like that," Infearno replied. Continuing his turn, he thrust his right hand into the sky and said, "Appear! The circuit of blood and death!" He fired a red bolt of lightning into the sky, creating a Link Portal. He, Libic, Graff, and Malacoda went into it shortly after.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 3 monsters! I'll set Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss in the Link Markers!" Graff went to the bottom-left arrowhead, while Libic went to the bottom-right arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Arrive from Hell and assert your dominance! Link 2! Cherubini, Ebon Angel of the Burning Abyss!" A dark angel emerged from the Link Portal. It had the head of an ox, the head of a lion, the head of an eagle, and the head of a redheaded woman on its chest, as well as wings on its back and crossed over its chest. It wielded a red curving sword in its left hand, which lit on fire. Upon being summoned to the Extra Monster Zone, all four heads screeched really loud at Raguel, causing both him and Chariot Commander to cover their ears.
Cherubini, Ebon Angel of the Burning Abyss ATK: 500 LINK-2 ↙️↘️
Great, Raguel thought. A Link and a Ritual Monster. But if he falls for my face-down card, I can make a comeback!
"I activate Cherubini's effect!" Infearno declared. "Once per turn, I can send a Level 3 monster from my deck to the Graveyard, and if I do, one 'Burning Abyss' monster I control gains its attack and defense points until the End Phase! I'll send Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from my deck to the Graveyard, and have Cherubini gain its 1400 attack points!"
Cherubini, Ebon Angel of the Burning Abyss ATK: 500 + 1400 = 1900
"And since Calcab was sent to the Graveyard," Infearno continued, "one Set Spell or Trap card returns to its owner's hand! There is only one at the moment on your side of the field, Raguel. And I'll choose yours!" Raguel could do nothing but widen his eyes in shock as his Set card, Cyreath Rebound, vanished into particles and returned to his hand.
"That's not all!" Infearno said. "I'll also activate Malacoda's effect! By sending a 'Burning Abyss' monster from my hand to the Graveyard, one monster you control loses attack and defense points equal to the sent monsters until the End Phase! I'll send Draghig, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from my hand to the Graveyard, which means your Cyreath Chariot Commander loses 1100 attack points!"
Cyreath Chariot Commander ATK: 2700 – 1100 = 1600
"Draghig's effect! If it's sent to the Graveyard, I can choose a 'Burning Abyss' card from my deck and place it on top of my deck!" Using Draghig's effect, Infearno put The Traveler and the Burning Abyss to the top of his deck.
"I Set one card. Battle!" Infearno shouted. "First, Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss attacks Cyreath Chariot Commander! Abysmal Destruction!"
"As you command, master," Malacoda said, as the blue-armored demon's swords lit on fire. It then charged at Chariot Commander, destroying it with two, long slashes across its torso. An explosion soon followed, pushing Raguel back and making him wobble on his duel board.
Raguel: 4000 – 1100 = 2900 LP
"And now Cherubini, Ebon Angel of the Burning Abyss attacks you directly!" Infearno said. "Cursed Stinger!" Cherubini flew forward and stabbed Raguel in the left side of his stomach using its red curving sword. Upon making contact, the sword lit up on fire.
"How do you like the pain from Hell itself?" all four heads of Cherubini asked Raguel. Raguel's only response was to scream from the pain he was experiencing. How am I even experiencing this pain, he thought. If these demonic creatures were able to inflict real pain to someone's avatar, then something definitely wasn't right.
Raguel: 2900 – 1900 = 1000 LP
"Enough, Cherubini," Infearno commanded. The dark angel pulled out its sword out of Raguel's left side of his stomach, making him cough out blood. It then retreated to Infearno's field. "I'll end my turn from here, which means that both Cherubini's and Malacoda's effects end."
Cherubini, Ebon Angel of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1900 – 1400 = 500
"Do you see that you cannot defeat me?" Infearno asked Raguel, turning to face him. "You'd be better off surrendering now."
"Hell no!" Raguel replied. "I'm not surrendering. Because if I did, I'd dishonor the people I'm fighting for!" Raguel immediately drew the top card from his deck. "My turn! I draw!" Okay, as long as Cherubini and Malacoda are on his field, he can send his demon minions to the Graveyard to activate their effects, which can be anything, Raguel thought, slightly panicking. But I need to persevere through this duel. For the Zaizens, for Roxy, and for Miyu!
Taking a deep breath, he said, "I activate Link Reborn!" The card showed Auram the World Chalice Blademaster, Ib the World Chalice Priestess, and Imduk the World Chalice Dragon in a dark cave. Ib was pointing to a bright light, which signaled the exit of the cave. "This card lets me Special Summon 1 Link Monster from my Graveyard! However, it can't attack for the rest of this turn! Appear, once again! Cyreath Chariot Commander!" The ghostly skeletal figure whose entire body was made up of blue flames returned to the field, pointing to the right Extra Monster Zone.
Cyreath Chariot Commander ATK: 2000 LINK-2 ⬆️⬇️
"Cyreath Grand Hall's effect!"
Cyreath Chariot Commander ATK: 2000 + 200 = 2200
"Now 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
"Icarus' effect!" Raguel declared. "When this card is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower 'Cyreath' monster from my Graveyard. Return, Cyreath Barbarian!" The man with spiked cuffs, close-cropped blond hair and mustache joined its Cyreath companions on the field.
Cyreath Barbarian ATK: 1500 DEF: 1000 LVL: 4
"Cyreath Grand Hall boosts each of my new monsters by 200 attack points!" Raguel pointed out.
Cyreath Barbarian ATK: 1500 + 200 = 1700
Cyreath Icarus ATK: 1200 + 200 = 1400
"Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel soon created a Link Portal, and entered into it alongside Chariot Commander, Icarus, and Barbarian.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is 1 'Cyreath' monster! I'll set Cyreath Icarus in the Link Marker!" Icarus went into the bottom arrowhead, 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 in the right Extra Monster Zone. By doing this, both Scorpius and Chariot Commander were co-linked.
Cyreath Scorpius ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️
"Cyreath Grand Hall's effect activates once more!"
Cyreath Scorpius ATK: 1000 + 200 = 1200
"And now I activate the effect of Cyreath Chariot Commander! When a monster is summoned to a zone this card points to, I can destroy 1 card you control! And I'll choose Cherubini, Ebon Angel of the Burning Abyss!" Chariot Commander threw a fireball at Cherubini, drowning the dark angel in blue flames.
"That's surprising," Infearno commented. "Usually, people would go after the stronger monster, which in this case would be Malacoda. Yet why go after the weaker one?"
"I'm not an idiot," Raguel replied. "Your monsters have interesting abilities. Best to get rid of anything that might throw you off your course!" Raising his right hand to the sky, he said, "Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" Soon after, Raguel created a Link Portal and entered it with Scorpius and Chariot Commander.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyreath' monsters! I'll set Cyreath Scorpius, which is a Link 1 monster, and Cyreath Chariot Commander, which is a Link 2 monster, in the Link Markers!" Scorpius entered the bottom arrowhead, while Chariot Commander split in two and entered the top left and top right arrowheads.
"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 ↖️⬇️↗️
"So this is your ace monster," Infearno muttered. "My demons and I will take great pleasure in destroying it!"
"That's where you're wrong, Infearno!" Raguel said. "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 shrugged his shoulders. This will work, he thought. "Through my Skill, I summon Cyreath Sentry!" A gaunt, muscular warrior with a massive shield and small sword soon joined the field.
Cyreath Sentry ATK: 2000 DEF: 2000 LVL: 5
"And since I control a 'Cyreath' Link Monster, I can add 1 'Cyreath' Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand!" Raguel added Cyreath Guidance to his hand.
"Also, Cyreath Grand Hall will boost my monsters attack points by 200 each!"
Cyreath Hercules ATK: 2500 + 200 = 2700
Cyreath Sentry ATK: 2000 + 200 = 2200
"Hercules' effect! Monsters this card points to lose 500 attack points! Nemean Roar!" Hercules let out a massive roar, hitting Malacoda and slightly pushing the demon back.
Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2700 – 500 = 2200
"Sentry's effect!" Raguel continued. "Once, when this card is on the field, I can target 1 Link Monster I control and place 'Refraction' counters on that monster equal to its Link Rating! I choose Cyreath Hercules, meaning that it gains 3 Refraction counters!"
Cyreath Hercules RC: 0 + 3 = 3
"I then activate Cyreath Guidance!" The card showed Cyreath Valkyrie, Cyreath Icarus, and Cyreath Hercules praying for advice. "Once per turn, if I declare an attack with a 'Cyreath' Link Monster I control, I can declare 1 type of card and reveal the top card of my deck to you. If I guess correctly, all damage inflicted by that monster is doubled this turn! Otherwise, my battle phase ends."
"So you're gambling?" Infearno asked, now curious at what Raguel was planning. "I'll stop your efforts before they bear fruit! I activate Malacoda's effect! By sending a 'Burning Abyss' monster from my hand to the Graveyard, one monster you control loses attack and defense points equal to the sent monsters until the End Phase! I'll send Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from my hand to the Graveyard to lower Cyreath Hercules' attack points by 800!"
"Burn in hellfire!" Malacoda screeched as it released fire from its two swords towards Hercules. But...
"Sentry's other effect!" Raguel declared. "If a Link Monster I control would be targeted by battle or card effect, I can simply remove a 'Refraction' counter from that monster instead."
"What?" Infearno said, surprised, as he watched a transparent golden barrier protect Hercules from Malacoda's flames.
Cyreath Hercules RC: 3 – 1 = 2
"Now, where were we?" Raguel wondered. "Oh yeah. I'll use Cyreath Guidance's effect! I think the top card will be a Spell card!" Help me deck, Raguel thought. Give me the guidance I need to win this duel for everyone I care about! "I draw!" Raguel declared. After looking at the card, he smiled. "The card I drew was Grapple-Snatch, which is a Continuous-Spell card. You know what that means!"
Damn it, Infearno thought. This kid has turned the duel around using luck! He then smirked to himself upon seeing that they were just about to enter the Data Storm that was ahead. But I still have my secret weapon.
"Sorry to interrupt your moment," Roxy said through Raguel's earpiece, "but Yuhiro, you might want to look ahead."
Raguel looked ahead and saw that they just entered into an intense Data Storm! Damn it! How could he not see that coming?
I have to end this quick and get out of here, he thought. "Now battle!" Raguel declared. "Cyreath Hercules attacks Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss! Nemean Strike!" Hercules charged forward and smashed Malacoda in the face using his right gauntlet, making the demon scream in pain as it was destroyed.
Infearno: 4000 – 1000 = 3000 LP
"Hercules' effect! Since your monster's attack points was different than its original attack points, you'll take damage equal to half your monster's original attack! Nemean Rage!" Raguel shouted. Hercules jumped into the air, pulled back its right gauntlet, and slammed it downward at Infearno, making him struggle to balance on his duel board due to the impact of the punch.
Infearno: 3000 – 1350 = 1650 LP
"This is the end for you, Infearno! Cyreath Sentry attacks you directly! Shield Bash!" Sentry charged forward with its massive shield, however...
"I activate my Skill: Condemned Punishment!" Infearno suddenly said, as his large burnt scar glowed hot red. He soon screamed in pain, as he placed his left hand on the scar and thrust his right hand forward. "By sending 1 'Burning Abyss' monster from my deck to my Graveyard, you take damage equal to its attack points! I'll send Cagna, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from my deck to the Graveyard to inflict 1500 points of damage to you!"
A grey skinned demon with wings, claws, three spiked horns, and long black hair lunged forward from Infearno's deck and bit Raguel in the neck, making him scream in pain as it sunk its teeth into him. Meanwhile, Sentry bashed Infearno using its massive shield, almost making him lose his balance.
Infearno: 1650 – 2200 = 0
Raguel: 1000 – 1500 = 0
"You ended the Speed Duel in a tie?" Raguel asked, now wanting to know what Infearno's plans were.
"That's precisely correct," Infearno replied. "A Speed Duel isn't enough to settle our differences. We'll need to unleash our full strength at each other in order to decide a victor between us!" Soon, the Data Storm became even more violent, with both duelists struggling to control their balance on their duel boards.
Unfortunately, the Data Storm was too violent, as Raguel could no longer contain his balance and fell off his duel board. Meanwhile, Infearno let himself fall, laughing at what's to come.
And both duelists fell deep into the bottom of the Data Storm...
At Café Matsuo's backroom...
"Yuhiro? Can you hear me?" Roxy asked, seeing nothing but static on the monitor. "Yuhiro?" Now she started to get worried. "Answer me! YUHIRO!"
Card Gallery
Cyreath Sentry (LV: 5/Cyberse/Dark/ATK: 2000/DEF: 2000)
Once, while this card is on the field: You can target 1 Link Monster you control; place 'Refraction' counters on that monster equal to its Link Rating. If a Link Monster you control would be targeted by a card effect while this card is on the field, you can remove 1 'Refraction' counter from that monster instead.
Cyreath Rebound (Quick-Play Spell Card)
Activate only if your opponent declares an attack with a monster they control. Negate the attack, then inflict damage equal to half of that monsters ATK.
Cyreath Guidance (Continuous Spell Card)
Once per turn, when you declare an attack with a 'Cyreath' Link monster you control, you can declare 1 type of card (Monster, Spell, or Trap) from the top of your deck and reveal it. If the revealed card is the declared type, damage inflicted to your opponent this turn is doubled. If not, end your Battle Phase.
Link Reborn (Normal Spell Card)
Target 1 Link monster in your GY; Special Summon it, but it cannot attack for the rest of this turn.
QOTC
With Infearno making his character debut in this chapter, what are you looking forward to most regarding his character and role in the story?
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 6: Into the Abyss. Following his Speed Duel against Infearno, Raguel finds himself in an unknown part in the Data Storm. With a new ally, he soon faces off against Infearno in a Master Duel to obtain half of the removal program for Blue Angel. However, near the end of the duel, something abnormal happens to Raguel...
Responses to Reviews and Author's Notes
Thank you to HunterHQ, King, Fullcross, Savagemaster1999, and SSJ Shadow for reviewing Chapter Four of Obscured Truth.
And with that, Chapter 5 is finished! I hope you enjoy this chapter, as I promised in the previous chapter that things will start to heat up. We'll start by talking about the chapter, updates to the contest, and then reviews.
In this chapter, we meet another Knight of Hanoi that I was really looking forward to introducing to you: Infearno. Aside from Revolver, he's the strongest of the Knights of Hanoi (and yes, stronger than even Specter!), so it will be a challenge for Raguel and the good guys to defeat him. He will use the Burning Abyss deck, which focuses on sending Burning Abyss monsters to the Graveyard to activate their unique abilities. His appearance is based on Arkham from Devil May Cry 3, while his personality will be based on Lex Luthor from DC Comics.
I also decided to introduce something really cool: Sentient beings! Yes, the demons in Infearno's deck are sentient, meaning that they can talk, have their own personality, etc. These monsters won't be the only ones that will be sentient, so stay tuned if you're curious about this new development. Inspiration for this idea came from Digimon, The Golden Compass, and His Dark Materials (if you hadn't watched His Dark Materials yet, I personally recommend it. It's off to a great start!).
There was also the Speed Duel between Raguel and Infearno. If it was too short, then I apologize, but I wanted to give you a taste of what Infearno can do during a duel. Rest assured, though. He'll use even more of his power in the next episode.
Moving onto the contest, I wanted to let you know of two updates regarding the rules. One: Two winners will have their OC's in the story. Two: If you don't have a Fanfiction account, but you've reviewed any of the chapters in the story, then you're eligible to enter the contest. Rules are in Chapter 4, and the winner will be announced by Chapter 7. Any entries that are inappropriate will be disqualified and you'll be required to submit a new OC.
And now, onto the reviews:
HunterHQ: Do not worry. I will make sure that the other characters not only have a chance to shine in the spotlight but will also get their well-deserved character development. While I don't see Yuhiro using a Hydra, I do see him using a Link Monster similar to the Cerberus (look up Twinbellows from Kid Icarus: Uprising if you're curious). Also, once Miyu recovers fully, she'll be living with Yuhiro and Roxy.
Savagemaster1999: Thanks very much for your character submission.
SSJ Shadow: You could say that, in a way, Roxy is like Yuhiro's big sister. And yes, I think Roxy would attack anyone that threatens those she cares about.
Fullcross: Look, I appreciate your opinion. But you have to understand that anything said in my story goes. Also, if you don't like my story, then why are you reading it?
King: Miyu won't use the Marincess deck. I think she'll probably use Aoi's Trickstar deck once she's finally freed from her problems.
Please feel free to post your thoughts on this chapter, as well as any questions you may have. Thanks to your feedback, the story will improve with each chapter. See you next time!