Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth

by DivadX

Yuhiro Furutani, one of 8 children kidnapped 10 years ago by an unknown group, now works as Raguel, an agent in LINK VRAINS' Black Market. One day, he fights the Knights of Hanoi and encounters Playmaker, who becomes his newest assignment. Follow Yuhiro as he now must decide who he wants to become: as both a duelist and as an individual.

17. Chapter 17: Touched by Tragedy

Chapter 17: Touched by Tragedy

On the way to Den Academy...

Aoi had a lot on her mind as she walked down the street to school. While there was a Functions midterm today, she was mainly thinking about what happened yesterday. How she defeated Baira and managed to somehow succeed in convincing her to release the cure for the 'Another' victims. Other than that, there was one other thing on her mind.

The upcoming 'Crisis'.

This was said by the man she encountered at SOL Technologies' mother computer a few weeks ago; the one who Yuhiro called 'Watchman'. Whoever this Watchman is, Aoi thought, he was able to defeat Ghost Girl within a single turn. According to Watchman, he was pleased that she decided to start dueling for the sake of others. He added that this belief will help her once the 'Crisis' came.

That one word. Crisis. It worried Aoi the more she thought about it. From what she can recall, Watchman mentioned that she had a role in it, whether she liked it or not. However, if it was indeed coming, then Aoi couldn't stand by and risk the people she cared about from getting hurt. Whatever this coming 'Crisis' is, I'll fight so the people I hold dear are safe from harm, she promised herself, making a fist in the process.

"Zaizen!"

It was then that Aoi found herself at the steps to Den Academy. And at the front door was the last person she expected to talk to. Rachel Miyake waved her hand and smiled upon seeing her.

"Good morning, Miyake." Aoi said, opening the front door and entering Den Academy. Rachel followed and fell in step with Aoi.

"Have you seen Yuhiro lately?"

Aoi raised an eyebrow. Rachel mentioned Yuhiro by his first name. Did this mean they were acquainted with each other? "No, I haven't," she finally said. Rachel frowned upon hearing that answer.

"Oh, I see. I thought you would know, given that the two of you are friends."

"Friends?" Aoi repeated. "I don't think that-."

"Aren't you?" Rachel asked, confused by Aoi's response. "He talks and spends more time with you than anyone else at Den Academy. The only reason he talks to me is because I initiate the conversation."

"That's why he talks to me too." It was true, but mostly. In all their conversations, she had been the one who initiated them. There were two times when he started a conversation between them. One: During their duel. And two: During their time at the Den City Shelter.

"And yet, it's obvious the two of you have some sort of bond." Rachel said, her frown turning into a mischievous smirk. "That day when the two of you were talking in the library, his face looked different. Very different." She put her arms behind the back of her head. "Considering how the two of you are dating, I guess it would explain a lot, wouldn't you agree?"

Aoi's face ended up turning as red as a tomato in hearing that comment. "D-D-Dating? We'-We're classmates. And how dare you assume that!"

Rachel giggled to Aoi's response. "Ha! I knew it! I may be wrong about you two dating, but you have to admit, he's been on your mind lately. Right?"

Aoi didn't answer right away, as otherwise, Rachel would find a way to throw her words right back at her face for amusement. If she was being honest with herself, she didn't know what to really think about Yuhiro Furutani. He was distant, and didn't like interacting with people. Even with this trait, she was grateful to him for several reasons.

One: As Raguel, he not only accepted her challenge, but also helped her out in her time of need.

Two: Yuhiro saw her as an individual person, not just as Akira Zaizen's little sister. In addition, he was willing to share details with her on where he grew up, something which Aoi will be forever grateful for.

Despite these reasons, Aoi couldn't say that she saw Yuhiro as more than a friend. In fact, she wasn't sure if she could call him her friend at all.

After finally deciding on her answer, Aoi said to Rachel, "I don't like him in the way you're saying, but I'll admit. He's... different from everyone else."

"I can understand what you mean." Rachel agreed with her, as her face turned introspective. "Ever since I came to this school, no one didn't want to hang out with me. They resented me for being the youngest to ever enroll in Den Academy." Aoi wasn't sure if she was seeing things, but it looked like she saw Rachel scowl as she recalled that memory.

"But Yuhiro is the first person who decided to hang out with me." Rachel continued. "He doesn't look at me like a little kid; he sees me as an equal. I'm grateful he does that."

Aoi looked at Rachel through the corner of her eye. What was she talking about? Aoi knew nothing about Rachel's past other than that she came from Den City. She suspected that Rachel had a weird sense of humor, which all centered around people's reactions and getting amusement from them. What was her game plan?

"Well," Rachel said suddenly. "It's a few minutes until the Functions midterm. Why don't you and I hang out until Yuhiro shows up? I do want to know more than one person here."

"What?" Aoi said, caught off guard. She then narrowed her eyes at Rachel in suspicion. "Okay, let's get this over with. What do you want?"

Rachel blinked upon hearing Aoi's question. "What do I want? What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean! Almost everyone hear who approaches me wants something from me. So, tell me: What do you want? A new Duel Disk, perhaps?"

"You mean this thing," Rachel replied, as she showed Aoi her Duel Disk. "I already have one. This one's precious to me because my guardian gave it to me as a birthday gift. And I'd be dishonoring him if I were to replace it with the latest model."

Although Aoi was surprised by Rachel's answer, she didn't let up. There had to be something this girl wanted. "Alright. How about a job at SOL Technologies?"

That comment made Rachel upset as she stopped walking. "How old do you think I am?"

"Huh?" Aoi said, turning her body around to look at her. For some reason, she also stopped walking. "What do you mean?"

"Answer the question." Rachel demanded, crossing her arms. "How old do you think I am? I already gave you a hint earlier."

"11 years old."

"Smart answer." Rachel said, walking so she can be in front of Aoi. "Now think back on the question you asked me. Since I'm so young, do you really think I can get a job at SOL Technologies right now? Besides, I don't want to work for someone who fails to keep everyone in Den City safe." She started walking again.

"Hold on." Aoi said, catching up to Rachel. "You're referring to Kitamura?"

"Once again, you're correct." Rachel answered her. "And how am I aware of him, you may ask? Two words: The news."

"Oh," was all Aoi said in response. This girl didn't want anything at all from her? And at such a young age too? What's next, pigs can fly? "You don't want anything from me?"

"Considering how I already have everything I need, yeah." Rachel answered, reassuring her. "In all honesty, though. Why are you asking me these questions? Is it because people take advantage of you due to your connection with your brother?"

"Yes." Aoi replied, surprised for the second time today as she gathered her thoughts. First, Rachel was joking around. Then, she was serious, before going back to a typical jokester. What was with that? Is she able to manipulate her emotions on the spot whenever the situation demanded it? "He used to be the security chief before being demoted."

"I see. Thank you for telling me." Rachel said, processing what Aoi told her. "But how does Yuhiro fit into all of this?"

"It's simple. Furutani was the first person I met to not want what everybody else wanted." Aoi answered. "To me, meeting a person like that was different, and I hope to meet similar people in the future."

Rachel smiled. "Then you can count me as one of those people," she said, increasing her walking speed slightly so she can turn around and face the older girl in front of her, who stopped. Rachel then took Aoi's hands in her small ones. "Zaizen, when I look at you, I see an equal individual, someone that I want to be friends with. Do you think you can give it a chance? Please?"

Aoi sighed. Just...what was with Rachel Miyake? Well, there was only one way to find out. "Alright. If you want to be friends, then I'm willing to give it a chance."

Rachel's smile widened in complete happiness upon hearing the answer. "Thank you, Zaizen. I'm so grateful. I'm looking forward to getting to know you more as a person." The two of them then started walking again.

"Me too. I'll be honest, other than you coming from Den City, I don't know much about you."

"Well, I'll be happy to answer whatever questions I can," Rachel said, still happy about making another friend.

The next thing the both of them knew, they reached the classroom where the Functions midterm was going to be. And they saw someone they both recognized.

"Oh, Yuhiro!" Rachel called out, as she ran to where Yuhiro was. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you too, Rachel." Yuhiro responded in kind. He then noticed Aoi. "Good morning, Zaizen."

"Good morning, Furutani." Aoi replied, walking up to him. "I'm guessing you're ready for the Functions midterm?"

"I think I should be fine." Yuhiro answered. With the 'Another' threat gone and over with, Yuhiro had some time for himself. Unfortunately for him, there was a Functions midterm today, and Roxy made him study for three days straight in preparation. Even if the Hanoi was still out there, she still wanted him to do well in school. As a result, the days where he could have recovered his strength went away very fast.

Soon, the doors to the classroom opened, with everyone entering and heading to their seats immediately after that.

As Yuhiro headed for his seat and sat down, he noticed that Gekiryushi wasn't in the classroom. Strange, he thought. Didn't she tell me she wanted to become a teacher one day? Based on his knowledge, having a strong knowledge in math was essential in becoming a teacher. And unless she made other arrangements, her chances of achieving her dream would drop.

After everyone was seated, the teacher called the class to attention, and had several TA's hand out copies of the midterm to those present. Once that was done, the whole room was silent, as they started writing.

At the Den City Regis Hotel...

Gekiryushi opened the door to her hotel room and went in, exhausted from her jog to and from the Den City park. Normally, she'd be at Den Academy, doing the Functions midterm. However, she arranged to have it done a day early, due to an 'extracurricular activity'.

That, and she had been expecting an email from SOL Technologies containing more information about the Hanoi. According to Bishop, the information Gekiryushi would receive was top secret, and not many people were allowed access to it. In his words, it was a reward for aiding in the efforts to stop the 'Another' threat.

Knowing she was hungry due to the jog, Gekiryushi picked up the hotel's telephone and ordered room service. With that out of the way, she headed to the bathroom to take a shower, aware of the time it took to order food at the hotel.

After showering and putting on a fresh set of clothes, Gekiryushi noticed her phone vibrating on the nearby desk. Heading towards it, she picked it up, and rolled her eyes upon finding out the caller.

"Hello?"

"This is Kitamura, from-."

"You don't have to identify yourself, Kitamura." Gekiryushi interrupted him. "Why are you calling me?"

There was a few moments of silence before Kitamura answered. "On behalf of Bishop, I wanted to let you know that the email he promised has arrived. Go to your email account if you don't believe me." And with a 'hmph', Kitamura hung up.

"Looks like someone craves success badly," Gekiryushi muttered, as she sat down at the chair close to her desk and turned on her laptop. After it started up, she opened up her email, where it showed an email notification that read:

To: Gekiryushi Sanada

From: Bishop

Subject: Top Secret Documents

Ms. Sanada,

Attached to this email are documents containing information about the Hanoi. May this help you in eliminating them.

Regards,

Bishop.

Opening one of the documents, Gekiryushi let out a small gasp of surprise at what she was seeing.

On her computer right now was a document showing details about the Hanoi's chain of command.

Wasting no time, Gekiryushi got right to work, as she started to read and scroll through the document carefully. From what she noticed, some of the Hanoi lieutenant's real-life identities were on there; identities that can be tracked down if given the proper amount of time.

Let's see here, Gekiryushi thought as she read the names that were on there:

Name: Eizaburo Lee

VRAINS ID: Dr. Genome

Name: Kyoko Taki

VRAINS ID: Baira

Name: Aso Watanabe

VRAINS ID: Faust

However, when Gekiryushi got to the next name, her eyes widened in shock as she read what was there:

Name: Zandaka Ikiagi

VRAINS ID: Dancho

That's impossible, Gekiryushi thought, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. I assumed he was dead a long time ago. Immediately, she started typing on the computer the name of her former Duel Dojo: The Shinpi-Tekina Duel Dojo. Gekiryushi then clicked on the first search result, which took her to a news article describing what happened to the Duel Dojo.

From what she learned all those years ago, her classmates died as a result of the incident. The authorities couldn't find her sensei either, leading her to assume that he was dead as well.

However, reading her sensei's name on that list confirmed two things. One: He was alive. Two: He was with the Hanoi.

Tears started flowing from Gekiryushi's eyes as she processed this new information. Sensei Ikiagi, she thought. How could you do this to me? How could you betray everything you stood for?

Before Gekiryushi could do anything else, she soon heard a knock on her door.

"Yes?"

"Room service, Ms. Sanada," a female voice behind the door said. "I'm here with the food you ordered. And it's already been paid for."

"Oh." Gekiryushi wiped her eyes before heading to the door and opening it. "Thank you," she added, as she picked up the tray containing her food.

"Is everything okay, Ms. Sanada?" the female maid asked.

"Y-Yes, everything is fine. Thank you for your concern." Gekiryushi assured the female maid, before gently closing the door to her hotel room. After placing the tray on the desk beside her computer, she gritted her teeth as she made a fist with her right hand.

I will find you Sensei Ikiagi, Gekiryushi thought, anger now surging through her. Even if it means searching all of LINK VRAINS. And once I do, you will answer for everything you've done!

At Den Academy, in the middle of the afternoon…

"Yuhiro!" Rachel called out as she caught up to him. "I was wondering if you would be able to hang out for a bit before going home."

Yuhiro shook his head. "I can't," he answered. "I have work with Roxy."

Rachel pouted. "Aw come on. Can't you call her and ask for the day off? Considering how the two of you are roommates, I'm sure she would understand."

Yuhiro simply rolled his eyes at Rachel's comment. I know how that conversation would go, he thought. "This work I'm doing is important to Roxy and me. She can't do it without me." Roxy did know how to duel, and she had a killer deck of her own to prove it. However, she preferred to work behind the scenes as tech support, while he went into LINK VRAINS for missions.

"Could it wait?" Rachel seemed nervous as she asked the question. "I wanted to continue our conversation from the other day. About... what I said."

Yuhiro narrowed his eyes as he recalled what Rachel told him before leaving. You accept me for who I am. She was a human being, just like everyone else, so of course he would accept her as one. However, there probably was a deeper meaning behind what she said.

He had to admit, he was curious about what Rachel said, but he also needed to go into LINK VRAINS. Despite there being less Knights in the network, that didn't mean the Hanoi decided to take a vacation. They instead decided to continue attacking LINK VRAINS, even though their plan involving the 'Anothers' failed.

But before Yuhiro could say anything, he saw none other than Naoki sitting on a bench, looking at his tablet in excitement. Out of curiosity, Yuhiro walked up behind him and glanced over his shoulder.

"Yes! Yes!" Naoki said excitedly. "Crush those Knights, Stregone!" Yuhiro raised an eyebrow. The tablet showed Stregone on his duel board, dueling two Knights of Hanoi.

"Exploder Magician, attack Steelswarm Scout! Magical Salvo!" Stregone declared. Exploder Magician fired several bursts of magical energy from his hands, burning the small bug and sending the Knight of Hanoi off his duel board. "You too, Tempest Magician! Attack Slot Machine! Moonlight Slash!" Tempest Magician slashed Slot Machine in two using her scythe, destroying the monster and sending the second Knight of Hanoi flying off his duel board as well.

"That was awesome!" Naoki cheered. "Two Synchro monsters? This guy is certainly amazing!"

"Shiba, what is this?"

Naoki turned his head over his shoulder and saw Yuhiro. Upon doing so, he almost shrieked in surprise. "Oh, Furutani! I was- Wait a minute! I told you before! It's Shima, Naoki Shima!"

"Right." Yuhiro replied. "What are you watching?"

Naoki smiled. "Stregone! He showed up a while ago and is fighting the Hanoi with Go Onizuka!" He turned back to his tablet. "From what I'm seeing, it looks like Den City's duelists can kick major ass. Go, Stregone!"

Seeing that Naoki had forgotten about him, Yuhiro frowned as he thought over what Naoki told him. With Stregone in LINK VRAINS, it made fighting the Hanoi much easier, especially since he formed an alliance with him and the others in the first place. Besides, he deserved a break, and perhaps spending the afternoon with Rachel was a good idea after all.

I guess now's a good time to figure out what I really think of Rachel, Yuhiro thought, as he turned to the girl, who was watching him with a curious smile. "Okay. I'll send Roxy a text and let her know I'll be back late. Do you have somewhere in mind?"

Rachel's smile turned wide upon hearing Yuhiro's answer. "Yup. I found this place that I think you'll enjoy very much. Come on!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the school, much to Yuhiro's surprise.

"H-Hey! Hold on! I can walk on my own two feet, you know!"

At an apartment in Den City...

"Dear lord," Greg muttered as the blue sphere disappeared around him. He stood up from one of the two beds in the apartment and slowly got up to prevent himself from falling. After regaining his senses, he stood up and headed over to the desk in front of him. Once he sat down, he plugged in his Duel Disk into the computer and downloaded the data from his duels against the Knights of Hanoi.

He had to admit, there were far less Knights since the 'Another' threat ended, which made his job easier. However, they were still out there, which made them a threat to LINK VRAINS.

Immediately, he sent the data to the same email address that Watchman provided him and Rachel with before. And within moments, there was a short 'Thank You' as a reply, which included a cash payment along with a few programs.

Note to self, Greg thought. Find out who Watchman is. He then seethed upon reading the text that Rachel sent him, which read:

I'm spending time with Yuhiro today. Will be back before dinner.

Love you.

"No, no, no, Rachel." Greg muttered. After taking Rachel back home to the apartment the other night, he immediately told her about what he found online. About Project VIII and how Yuhiro was on that list. She was shocked upon learning the information, and it led her to theorize that he was Raguel. Regardless of what she thought, Greg made her promise not to tell anyone, not even Yuhiro of what she just learned. Not just for her safety, but for his as well.

He immediately hacked into the Den Academy's cameras, and just as the text confirmed, Rachel was hanging out with Yuhiro again. Although she told him that Yuhiro was a good and kind person, it wasn't his personality that worried Greg.

He recently tried hacking into Café Matsuo's systems, but was immediately blocked out, only this time, the screen showed a small, white figure saying, "Try harder next time" before timing out. There's no way a simple fast-food restaurant would have highly advanced security. Unless it was a front, Greg realized. But a front for what exactly?

Greg sighed. He never wanted Rachel involved in any of this. Not after she endured so much, especially six years ago. But her desire to prevent others from experiencing the same, if not similar pain she had eventually led to him agreeing for her help. With conditions, of course.

Rachel, Greg thought. I know that you can be stubborn. But let's just hope that what you're doing is right. Because if it isn't, I fear it will be the end of us.

Elsewhere in Den City...

Yuhiro blinked in surprise upon what was in front of him. "Hold on? You mean Uchida Industries? The Uchida Industries?" he asked Rachel, who nodded. The two of them were standing outside a tall skyscraper in the middle of Den City called Uchida Industries. Although Yuhiro heard of the company before, he never went inside of it. "You do realize we'll need passes to get in, right?"

"You mean these things?" Rachel asked, pulling out two silver cards, surprising Yuhiro.

"How did you-?"

"My guardian knows someone who works here." Rachel answered, as she started walking towards the entrance, with Yuhiro following. "He gave the passes to him, who gave the passes to me. Now come on, let's go inside and have some fun!"

The two of them entered the skyscraper. Yuhiro saw a lot of employees inside, which wasn't surprising, considering how the place was popular. In fact, it had the potential to rival the popularity of SOL Technologies. Once they reached the front desk, they presented their passes to the receptionist there, who registered and directed them to the nearby elevator afterwards.

On Rachel's insistence, they went up to the 6th floor, where Yuhiro found out that they sold different types of technology there.

"I didn't know you were interested in technology." Yuhiro said, as he walked around the exhibit with Rachel.

"I've always found technology interesting, especially as to it's many functions." Rachel explained, as they stopped at an exhibit showing a small data chip. "Like this data chip here. The S-66. It may be small on the outside, but the fact that it can hold six terabytes worth of additional data makes it a very powerful piece of technology. Sometimes, people underestimate someone or something just because of their outside appearance. They don't bother hearing or seeing their true potential."

"Interesting." Immediately, Yuhiro saw something that caught his eye, and as he started walking towards it, Rachel followed him. They were soon staring at what looked like a grey, moving metal in a glass cube. "No freakin way."

"What is that?" Rachel asked.

"That is the Dascium metal that Uchida Industries recently mined a couple months ago." Yuhiro answered, who was in awe at what he was seeing. "I just can't believe I'm seeing it with my own eyes right now. And it's somehow moving on it's own. I thought that wasn't possible until now."

"And what you're seeing my boy is proof that the impossible is the possible that is yet to be discovered."

Both Rachel and Yuhiro jumped and whirled around at the voice behind them. The tall man behind them wore a black business suit underneath his pale skin. He was bald, with light brown eyes. What distinguished him the most, however, was a large burnt scar covering the entire left side of his head and barely creeping up to his face.

"My apologies for startling you both," he said, smiling at them. "I-. Interesting. I never expected people as young as you to visit the company."

"We wanted to look at the technology being displayed." Rachel said. "It's actually very interesting."

"Thank you Miss...?"

"Rachel Miyake." Rachel answered, bowing slightly.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Miyake," the man said. "My name is Emon Uchida."

"Hold on. You're Emon Uchida?" Yuhiro asked. "The Emon Uchida that founded Uchida Industries?"

"That's correct my boy." Emon confirmed, turning to him. "And you are?"

"Yuhiro Furutani." Yuhiro answered, bowing slightly. "A pleasure to meet you, sir." When he looked up, he was surprised to see Emon offer him his hand, intending for him to shake it.

"And a pleasure to meet you as well, Furutani." Emon replied, waiting for him to shake it. Yuhiro immediately took Emon's hand and shook it, but as he did so, he noticed something on his face that disturbed him. Was that a-?

"Anyway." Emon said. "Is there a particular exhibit you want to see?"

"Well," Yuhiro answered. "I was wondering if there are any other dascium exhibits on this floor."

"Hold on." Rachel interrupted. "But there's this exhibit I want to go and see first." She walked to Emon, who leaned down so she can whisper something in his ear. After his eyes widened in surprise, he smirked.

"Ah, I didn't know you were into that," he said. "Not to worry. The exhibit you're looking for is luckily still on display. Since they're both on the same floor, why don't I take you two there?"

Emon soon led them to another part of the floor, which showed exhibits regarding the technology of tomorrow. It showed several different ways on how the dascium metal would revolutionize different aspects of human life, such as production, national defense, technology, everyday life, etc.

"And the exhibit you're looking for, is that way." Emon said to Rachel, as he pointed his left hand to another exhibit that was on a nearby section of the floor.

"Thank you." Rachel said to Emon. Turning to Yuhiro, Rachel added, "I'll be back in a bit. Have fun at the Dascium exhibit." And she hurried off in the direction Emon showed her.

There's something about that Furutani kid I can't exactly figure out, Emon thought, as he watched Yuhiro look around the dascium exhibits. It's like this itch on the back of my head that doesn't go away. Perhaps talking to him will confirm my suspicions.

"I must say, I'm surprised."

Yuhiro turned around as Emon approached him.

"Forgive me," the founder said. "It's just... most of the people that come here are either a few years older than you, after they've completed college, or stakeholders looking to invest in the company." He turned his head to look at one of the dascium exhibits. "In all my life so far, it's quite rare to meet a teenager as young as you, especially one who is interested in technology. If I may ask: What exactly piques your interest in technology?"

"Simple. I like how it evolves and brings change to human life." Yuhiro answered, as he turned his head to look at the dascium exhibit Emon was looking at. "Technology has the capability to bring amazing wonders to humanity. But, as humans, it is our responsibility to utilize it for the greater good."

"A good point you bring up." Emon said, raising an eyebrow. He turned his head to look at Yuhiro. "But what about the people who use it for evil? How do you solve that problem?"

This got Yuhiro's attention, as he turned his head to look at the older man. "Through the power of the media. If enough people become aware of what's really going on, pressure will be put on them to stop. And if they don't willingly stop, they'll be forced to."

Emon was impressed. He never encountered someone with a point of view like that. "You seem to have put a great deal of thought into this. Let me ask you this: In your opinion, how do you think the dascium metal we've mined will change the world?"

Yuhiro put a hand to his chin as he thought about it for a full minute. After thinking, he said, "I believe that dascium will be used for a variety of purposes, such as reinforcing buildings and creating new products. Considering how it's moving, if the company were to determine what it's composed of, they'll be able to revolutionize many areas of human life. The possibilities are endless."

Emon smiled. "I must say, I'm impressed. To think that someone as young as you would have an answer like that. Well done."

"Thank you, sir."

"Ah, there you are."

Yuhiro and Emon turned around, only to see Rachel carry what looked like a small bag.

"I take it you got something from the nearby souvenir shop?" Emon asked her, to which Rachel nodded. He then led the two back to the elevator, and the three of them went back down to the first floor.

"I do hope you enjoyed touring a part of Uchida Industries." Emon said to them, as they approached the front desk of the first floor.

"I sure did. Thank you very much." Rachel said, heading to the exit.

Yuhiro was about to follow her, but Emon put a hand on his shoulder, motioning him to stay in place.

"You got a minute?" Emon asked him, causing Yuhiro to turn around and face the older man.

"What's up?"

"I must say. You got a great mind when it comes to technology. Especially one that is focused on using it not just for good, but responsibly as well."

"Uh, thanks?"

"I wish there were more people like that. In fact." Emon pulled out a business card from his wallet and handed it to Yuhiro. "If you ever decide to work here one day, whether it's for an internship or a job, give me a call. We'll be more than happy to welcome you to the team."

"Thank you, sir. I will consider it." Yuhiro then headed towards the exit, where Rachel was waiting for him.

That boy definitely looks familiar, Emon thought. Best I get my theories in order once I get home.

"Never thought would I actually get to meet Emon Uchida. Roxy is going to be jealous." Yuhiro said. "What exactly is in that bag of yours?"

"The S-66 chip." Rachel answered him. "Turns out they had a few in shop, so I got one when I had the chance."

"I see. So, where to now?"

This question surprised Rachel. "You're letting me decide?"

"I am." Yuhiro replied.

Seeing that he was serious, Rachel thought for a moment, then said, "There's an amusement park that's about ten minutes away from here. That might be fun to visit."

Yuhiro thought about it then nodded. "Lead the way." The two set off down the road.

"I'm glad you had an enjoyable time at Uchida Industries." Rachel said, giggling as they walked a block. "Never thought would I meet someone who's just as interested in technology as me."

Yuhiro shrugged his shoulders. "Same here." He was going to continue talking, but then he saw something that made him stop walking.

"It's a good thing that we both agree, Yuhiro." Rachel said, as she kept walking. "Who knows, we might have-." She finally realized that Yuhiro wasn't walking and turned around. She walked back to him. "Yuhiro?" she asked, but he didn't seem to notice her as he stared across the street. Rachel turned to see what he was looking at.

It was a medium-sized house across the street. Unfortunately, the house was destroyed beyond repair. Yuhiro stared at that house as though his life depended on it.

"Yuhiro?" Rachel asked again. And once again, Yuhiro didn't hear her. All he could remember was that night before the Lost Incident. The screams he heard. The cackling of monsters, as they stormed the house, seeking their prey. And a voice telling him to...

"Yuhiro?" This time, Rachel grabbed his arm, yanking him back to reality. He gasped and turned to her. Rachel had a worried expression on her face. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah," he said, looking from her back to the destroyed house. "Just a bad memory. That's all." He turned to start walking again, but Rachel didn't let go of his arm.

"You're not getting off that easily, Yuhiro," she said, her expression stern. "What's wrong?"

"Like I said, it was just a bad memory, nothing more. It's not important to you."

"But it seems to really bother you." Rachel stated. "Will you please tell me what's on your mind?" And she gave him the saddest hangdog look she could, in an attempt to persuade Yuhiro to talk to her.

He sighed, knowing that he'd eventually cave in for the sad puppy dog eyes Rachel gave him. "Alright. Fine. But in exchange, you have to answer one of my questions. Deal?"

Rachel nodded. "Deal. So tell me what that house means to you."

Yuhiro frowned as his thoughts turned inward. "Do you remember when I told you I don't remember my parents?"

"Yes."

He closed his eyes and sighed as he turned to the side. "I meant that. I don't remember anything about my parents. And any memories I did have of them were completely destroyed that night all those years ago."

"What do you mean?"

Yuhiro frowned as he remembered the screams. "The trauma occurred during that night made me lose both the happy and sad times I had with my parents. Even if I were to remember anything of them, it would be how I watched as they were hunted down like pigs to the slaughter, with nothing but the destruction of the house around their bodies."

Rachel gasped as he turned to look at her. "I'm so sorry. I... I didn't realize."

"I answered your question." Yuhiro said, as his face turned back to his usual expression. "Now it's time to answer one of mine. You said something happened to your parents. What exactly was it?"

Rachel opened her mouth, but gave him a sad smile. "Asking that right off the bat, huh? Okay. Just give me a minute to collect my thoughts." She closed her eyes for a few seconds, then opened them again. "They abandoned me six years ago, at a family friend they thought they could trust." She hissed at the word 'trust'.

"Oh," was all Yuhiro could say. He didn't expect Rachel to say that. "Why would they do that?"

Rachel turned back to look at the house. "My parents owned a small business in Den City many years ago. Unfortunately, in a time where people mainly focused on the newest technology being offered on the market, they could not make enough money to keep the store running, and had to close."

"I didn't know."

"That was just the beginning." Rachel spat out. "Even after closing the store, we did not have enough to pay back the debtors, and as a result, we had to move from shelter to shelter to avoid being homeless. At one point, my parents left me at an old family friend that I thought I could trust. That was my biggest mistake."

"Your biggest mistake?"

"Yes! And as a result, I endured hell." Rachel said, turning away from Yuhiro. "The man I was with repeatedly exposed me to experiments in order to enhance my intellect, to see if he can make me the next 'super-genius' or whatever he told me. If I even failed, or the results were not to his liking, he would abuse me." She shuddered as she recalled the memories.

Yuhiro was shocked in hearing this. This poor girl was traumatized at a young age, just like him, and was not even a victim of the Lost Incident. He slowly approached her and tried to put his right hand on her shoulder. "Rachel, I-." But that was all he could say, as she turned around and slapped his hand away, a look of fury and sadness in her eyes.

"Day after day, night after night, the experiments and abuse continued!" Rachel cried out. "In that time, I wondered why life dealt me this cruel hand, and whether I would retain my sanity or-!"

Feeling nothing but sympathy and compassion for Rachel, Yuhiro took a step forward and pulled her in for a tight embrace, surprising even her.

"You are so young." Yuhiro said. "You don't deserve to be in pain. You deserve to be happy, Rachel."

"Why... do you hold me?" Rachel asked.

"When I was at the Den City Shelter, a good and kind man held me when I was young, just like you are." Yuhiro answered, kneeling to her level, and placing both of his hands on her shoulders. "When he did, I felt safe, and loved. So you too."

"Me... too?" Rachel muttered, fresh tears coming out of her eyes. She then stepped forward and hugged Yuhiro, letting all her sadness out, all while he hugged her back.

After Yuhiro managed to calm Rachel down, the two of them found a nearby bench and sat down, catching a breather as they looked out into the blue and fresh sky.

"A year after the hellish abuse began, the whole operation was shut down because of an FBI raid." Rachel stated, getting Yuhiro's attention. "My guardian, the man whom you met outside of Café Nagi, saved my life that day. He adopted me afterwards."

"Your guardian must have had a huge heart to do that." Yuhiro said, a small smile on his face. It reminded him of Roxy, and how much of a mother she could be at times.

"He always had a huge heart, and wanted to make sure I wouldn't suffer from harm again." Rachel said, agreeing with him. "But even with all the help he provided, he couldn't prevent the side effects from affecting my life."

"The side effects?" Yuhiro asked.

"When I went back to school, I found out that the experiments I went through greatly increased my intelligence." Rachel clarified. "To the point where I was much smarter than other kids my age. And as a result, no one wanted to hang out with me, especially someone who's mind was superior to others."

She turned her head to look at Yuhiro, a small smile on her face.. "But you... you are the only one who decided to hang out with me. You didn't care about whether I was smarter than other people. You chose to accept me as an equal, as a human being."

You accept me for who I am. Yuhiro remembered the words Rachel told him. This was what she meant all along!

"Thank you for telling me this, Rachel." Yuhiro said to the girl. "I promise you, you're secret is safe with me."

"As is yours." Rachel replied. But before she could continue talking, both her and Yuhiro's phones started ringing, startling them. When Yuhiro looked at his screen, he raised an eyebrow. Roxy wouldn't call unless it was an emergency.

"Excuse me." Yuhiro said to Rachel, as he walked a distance away so neither of them could hear the other's conversation on their phone.

"What's wrong, Roxy?" he whispered.

"I need you to head back home," Roxy said. "This is an emergency."

Yuhiro narrowed his eyes. This was serious. "Okay. I'll be back at Café Matsuo in 15 minutes." He hung up after that and headed to the bench where Rachel was. When he got there, he noticed her packing her things.

"You have to go home too?" he asked, getting Rachel's attention.

"I'm afraid so." Rachel answered. "Thank you for spending the afternoon with me."

"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow." He started to turn around and walk back to Café Matsuo, but Rachel stepped forward and grabbed his arm.

"There's something I need to ask you, before I go," she said.

Yuhiro turned around to face her. "Sure. What is it?"

Rachel was nervous for a minute, before gathering up the courage to ask, "Do you... think of me as a friend, Yuhiro?"

There were a few moments of silence between the two as Yuhiro gathered his thoughts together. He then patted Rachel's head, causing her to look up at him. "Yeah. We are friends. Don't ever forget about that."

Rachel's eyes widened in surprise, but then she smiled. "Thank you, Yuhiro. I'll see you tomorrow at school." She then turned around and started walking away from him, back to her apartment in Den City.

Stay safe, Rachel, Yuhiro thought, as he started running back to Café Matsuo. Whatever was going on, the Hanoi definitely had a part to play. He was sure of it.

Twenty minutes later...

Yuhiro ran into Café Matsuo, ignoring the greeting from the steward bot behind the counter. He immediately headed into the backroom, only to find Roxy looking at the monitors.

"What's going on, Roxy?" Yuhiro asked, getting her attention.

"Nothing but bad news, buddy." Roxy replied, motioning to the seat beside her. "Have a seat. There's something you need to see."

After Yuhiro sat down in his seat, Roxy then clicked on a video that was on the monitor. Once the video started playing, it showed what looked like a teen in massive, light blue armor with a 'B' in the middle of his chest, and wearing a helmet with a green visor and black strap dueling a Knight of Hanoi. What caught Yuhiro's attention was when said teen used Cyberse Wizard to defeat the Knight. Yusaku's Cyberse Wizard.

"From what Kusanagi told me, the guy in the video who somehow obtained Cyberse Wizard during his duel is this dumbass." Roxy explained, typing a few key words in the search bar. After doing so, Yuhiro couldn't help but facepalm upon seeing the grinning picture of Naoki Shima.

"Shima? Seriously?" Yuhiro asked in disbelief. "And how the hell did he get Fujiki's Cyberse Wizard?"

"Beats me," Roxy said, turning her chair to face Yuhiro. "But as long as he has that card, he'll be a target for the Hanoi."

"Do we seriously have to save him?" Yuhiro asked, as the video showed Shima, also known as Brave Max in LINK VRAINS, dabbing in celebration with other onlookers.

Roxy crossed her arms in response to his comment.

"Ugh. Fine. We'll save him." Yuhiro conceded.

"Trust me when I say this, Yuhiro." Herald said, emerging from his Duel Disk. "When Roxy has a point, do not fight it. You of all people should know that."

"Not helping, Herald." Yuhiro whispered.

Roxy then started typing on the digital keyboard. "I'll provide you with the coordinates within a few moments. In the meanwhile, head to the closed-off space and log into LINK VRAINS. If you find Playmaker, then the chances of finding Shima will double."

"Got it." Yuhiro headed to the closed-off space, but just when he was about to open the door, he turned around and faced Roxy. "Hey. Is it me, or have you and Kusanagi actually-?"

"GO!" Roxy shouted, pointing her finger at the closed-off space. Yuhiro, who was startled by her comment, went in, and closed the door.

He put his deck in his Duel Disk and said, "Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"

In LINK VRAINS...

As soon as Raguel landed on his duel board, he released a few E.M.S.'s to scour the area for any signs of Brave Max. While he was speeding on the data stream, looking for Brave Max, he found Playmaker ahead of him.

"Yo, Playmaker!"

Playmaker turned around and saw that Raguel was behind him.

"Raguel. I'm assuming you're here for the same reason?" Playmaker asked him, as he moved his duel board to be beside him.

"Unfortunately so." Raguel answered, rolling his eyes. "But even if we have to save the Neanderthal known as Shima, it does give us a chance to confront the other remaining Knights of Hanoi."

"Which could direct us to Revolver and Infearno." Herald concluded.

"Hello, Herald!" Ai said, waving his right arm.

"Hello to you too, Ai." Herald replied, returning the gesture. "Have you gotten into anymore escapades lately?"

"Well, now that you mention it, I turned this duel disk into a flying drone!" Ai said, bragging about his latest accomplishment.

"Wait. You can fly?"

"Yup. Ai can fly!"

"Which isn't important right now." Playmaker interrupted Ai, silencing him. He turned to face Raguel. "Kusanagi is trying to find Shima in the real world as we speak. Is Roxy-?"

"She's sending Shima's coordinates as we speak." Raguel answered. In that moment, a notification appeared on his Duel Disk. "Looks like she sent the coordinates on where Shima is. Follow me."

Playmaker nodded, and followed Raguel to save Brave Max. And hopefully for the only time.

In another area of LINK VRAINS...

Faust and Dancho were looking at Brave Max, the person who claimed to be Playmaker's 'best friend', on the top of a skyscraper. And based on Dancho's facial expression, he was not impressed.

"This is the 'guy'?" Dancho whispered to Faust.

"Unfortunately so." Faust whispered back.

"I don't know what the two of you are talking about." Brave Max said, getting their attention. "But zapping someone unconscious is a big no-no, you know."

"I've done much worse." Faust replied. Looking up towards the sky, he said, "I know you're watching, Playmaker and Raguel. My name is Faust, and beside me is Dancho. Come and face us. Or relieving your sidekick of his Cyberse Wizard will be the least of your worries."

"Fat chance!" Brave Max said. "Playmaker trusted me with that card, so you can't have it!"

"Then we'll duel for the card." Faust replied, readying himself for a duel.

"A duel?" Brave Max repeated, as he panicked and stepped backwards. Upon looking behind him, he noticed that he was at the edge of the skyscraper!

"I'll handle this." Dancho interjected, as energy was generated around his fist. Raising his right arm to aim, he then jerked his right arm back for a moment before extending it out again, firing the energy out and hitting Brave Max's stomach. As a result, he dropped to his knees as Dancho walked over to him.

"Now let's get back to the topic at hand, shall we?" Dancho said, as he grabbed Brave Max's finger between his own index finger and thumb, with the pinky held upright.

Brave Max gasped upon what he was seeing. "The Wuxi Finger Hold! Not the Wuxi Finger Hold!"

"Oh, so you know this hold?"

Brave Max nodded in response, causing Dancho to smile. "I thought that move only existed in the Kung Fu Panda movies."

"Oh, but it's real." Dancho replied. "Based on your knowledge, you already know what happens when I flex my pinky, correct?"

"No, no, no! Anything but that!" Brave Max pleaded.

"You know what the hardest part of this technique is?" Dancho said, chuckling. "The hardest part... is cleaning up afterwards. If you don't give us the Cyberse Wizard right now, you might as well kiss your sorry ass goodbye!" Brave Max widened his eyes in terror upon hearing that threat.

"No one's dying today! Got that, Dancho!" Raguel said, as he and Playmaker leapt onto the top of the skyscraper, getting Dancho and Faust's attention.

"Your duel is with me as well, Faust." Playmaker added, pointing his right index finger at Faust.

"Playmaker!" Brave Max shouted with joy, releasing his hand from Dancho's grasp and running to where he and Raguel were. "It's really you!"

"My card please." Playmaker said to Brave Max, who gave it to him immediately. He then turned to Faust and Dancho. "If your plan was to draw us out into the open, then congratulations. It worked. But the both of you have crossed the line. By stealing my card data from me, and then giving it to this amateur." Brave Max's jaw dropped in hearing that, while Herald laughed in response to Playmaker's comment.

"He just roasted you, Brave Max!" Herald said, laughing at him. Even Raguel couldn't help but smirk. After what Naoki did, it was only right that he be called out, and be roasted for his actions.

Dancho narrowed his eyes upon seeing Herald. "So what Infearno said is true. You do have an Ignis, Raguel."

"I do." Raguel confirmed, turning to face the older Hanoi member. "But know that, as long as I have breath, and a purpose to fight, I won't let you take him!"

Dancho smirked. "We shall see about that. After all, I have upgraded my Tenyi deck just for this duel. Not even you can withstand it's true power once unleashed!"

"So be it!" Raguel replied. "Bring it-!"

"SENSEI IKIAGI!"

Everyone looked up upon hearing the new voice. It was SengokuQueen, riding on her duel board and heading right towards them. She then jumped off and fired her light-green Duel Anchor at Dancho, which snaked its way around his wrist as she landed where they were.

"She knows who you are?" Faust asked Dancho, his eyes widening in surprise. Dancho's expression, however, did not change.

"She does." Dancho confirmed, staring at SengokuQueen. "Our long awaited meeting has come at last, Gekiryushi."

SengokuQueen took off her samurai helmet in response. "How could you do this, Sensei?" she asked, angry upon seeing him. "Siding with the Hanoi and causing chaos? It goes against everything you taught me all those years ago! And I thought you were dead too!"

Dancho smirked. "Really? You dare accuse me of betraying my own teachings? You are no better! I've seen what you've done. You've used what I taught you to be a bounty hunter! To complete menial tasks for the corrupt higher ups of SOL Technologies!"

"Drama bomb!" Brave Max interjected, causing everyone to glare at him, shutting him up in the process.

"You know him, SengokuQueen?" Raguel asked her, getting SengokuQueen's attention.

"Yes. A long time ago." she answered him. Turning to Dancho, SengokuQueen said, "When I saw your name on that list, I was, and still am, in complete denial. My master could never be as vile as you are right now!"

"Zandaka Ikiagi was weak. I destroyed him." Dancho countered, emphasizing those last words.

SengokuQueen's eyes widened for a brief moment before narrowing them at her former sensei. "Then I will avenge his death," she said, putting her samurai helmet on and readying her Duel Disk.

"Revenge is not the Shinpi-Tekina way." Dancho stated, readying his own Duel Disk.

"I'm no student of yours." SengokuQueen countered. The two of them then ran to the edge of the skyscraper, jumped off, and landed on their respective duel boards, speeding away in the process.

"I'm going after SengokuQueen and Dancho." Raguel said to Playmaker. "Good luck against Faust."

"Good luck as well." Playmaker said back, as Raguel headed to the edge of the skyscraper, jumped off, and landed on his duel board, speeding away from him, Faust, and Brave Max.

"Where are they, Herald?" Raguel asked.

"Up ahead." Herald replied. Within moments, Raguel found SengokuQueen and Dancho, who were about to engage in a duel.

"If you intend to continue with this course of action," Dancho said, "expect me to show no mercy. Especially to someone who was once my student."

"And as your former student," SengokuQueen snarled back, "know I won't hold anything back! Not against the man you've become!"

"Speed Duel!" the two of them shouted in unison.

SengokuQueen: 4000 LP

Dancho: 4000 LP

Dancho then threw a digital card into the air, which glowed blue. In mere moments, the winds in LINK VRAINS started picking up, momentarily unbalancing SengokuQueen before she could regain it.

"With the Data Gale in place, I shall go first!" Dancho declared, looking at his hand. "I activate my Field Spell, Flawless Perfection of the Tenyi! Now all non-effect monsters I control are unaffected by monster effects!" SengokuQueen grit her teeth. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Next, I activate the effect of Tenyi Spirit – Shthana from my hand! Since I control no effect monsters, I can Special Summon it from my hand!" A misty light-blue serpentine dragon joined Dancho's field and roared at SengokuQueen.

Tenyi Spirit – Shthana ATK: 400 DEF: 2000 LVL: 4

"Now appear! The circuit of mystical chi!" Dancho declared, as a Link Portal opened ahead of him. "The summoning conditions are one non-Link 'Tenyi' monster! I'll set Tenyi Spirit – Shthana into the Link Markers!" Shthana 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 in the right Extra Monster Zone.

Monk of the Tenyi ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️

SengokuQueen's eyes widened upon seeing Monk of the Tenyi. That Link Monster looks exactly like Dancho's son, she thought. From all those years ago.

"I Set one card. Then I activate the Spell card, Vessel for the Dragon Cycle! I can send a Wyrm monster from my deck to my Graveyard. In addition, should I control a face-up non-effect monster, I can add a 'Tenyi' monster from my deck to my hand, as long as it has a different name!" Using Vessel for the Dragon Cycle's effects, Dancho sent Tenyi Spirit – Nahata from his deck to the Graveyard, and then added Tenyi Spirit – Vishuda from his deck to his hand.

"I end my turn," he finally concluded. Turning to SengokuQueen, he added, "Let's see what you've got."

"My turn! I draw!" SengokuQueen declared, drawing the top card of her deck, and adding it to her hand. He's trying to bait me, she thought. I don't want to destroy a monster who represents something as meaningful as his son, but to defeat him, I can't hold anything back.

"First, I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Six Samurai United! Now every time a 'Six Samurai' monster is Normal or Special Summoned, I can place a 'Bushido' counter on this card, with the maximum being two at a time! Next, I activate Shien's Smoke Signal! This card lets me add a Level 3 or lower 'Six Samurai' monster from my deck to my hand!" Using Shien's Smoke Signal, SengokuQueen added Elder of the Six Samurai to her hand.

She's setting up her combo, Dancho thought, as he looked at her field. Little does she realize that even something as formidable as the Bushido combo can be destroyed easily!

"Since I control no monsters," SengokuQueen explained, "I can Special Summon Elder of the Six Samurai from my hand!" An old man wearing a white robe with a magenta turban and red glasses appeared on SengokuQueen's field. The old man was in a mechanical, walking throne, which had four legs and a crossbow on either side.

Elder of the Six Samurai ATK: 400 DEF: 0 LV: 3

"The effect of Six Samurai United activates, letting me put a Bushido counter on it!"

Six Samurai United BC: 0 + 1 = 1

"I activate Flawless Perfection of the Tenyi's effect!" Dancho suddenly said. "Once per turn, if you Special Summon an effect monster while I control a face-down or non-effect monster, I get to draw two cards from my deck!" Immediately, Dancho proceeded to draw the top two cards of his deck. Upon looking at them, he smirked. These cards will put her in her rightful place, he thought.

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Aestheticism of the Six Samurai!" SengokuQueen continued. "This card lets me target one 'Six Samurai' monster I control, and by doing so, I get to Special Summon a 'Six Samurai' monster from my deck with the exact attack points but a different name!" A card popped out of her deck. "Come forth, Kagemusha of the Six Samurai!" A samurai with dark brown armor and shin pads with yellow lines covering his entire body joined SengokuQueen's field. Unlike his brethren, this samurai's mask was a bit taller vertically, and its mask covered his face up to his eyes. Kagemusha cracked his whip, ready for battle.

Kagemusha of the Six Samurai ATK: 400 DEF: 1800 LVL: 2

"United's effect!"

Six Samurai United BC: 1 + 1 = 2

"I activate the second effect of Six Samurai United!" SengokuQueen quickly added. "Since the maximum counters it can have is two, I will send it to the Graveyard, and by doing so, I can draw one card for each Bushido counter that was on it. As there were two Bushido counters, I get to draw two cards!" She drew the top two cards of her deck. These will come in handy, she thought.

"Now I summon The Six Samurai – Yaichi from my hand!" A samurai wearing bronze armor with yellow glowing outlines appeared on SengokuQueen's field. The samurai had long, black hair, tied in a ponytail at the end. Unlike his comrades, his samurai helmet was tall, and had a scope on the right side. On his left side was a quiver, carrying arrows. He strung his bow and arrow at Dancho, ready for battle.

The Six Samurai – Yaichi ATK: 1300 DEF: 800 LV: 3

"Yaichi's effect!" SengokuQueen said. "Once per turn, if I control another 'Six Samurai' monster, I can target one Set Spell or Trap card on your field and destroy it! Say goodbye to your only facedown card!" Yaichi grabbed a glowing arrow from his quiver and fired it at the facedown card, turning it into particles.

Dancho's reaction upon seeing this was to simply smirk at SengokuQueen.

"Do you really think that would work against me?" Dancho asked, causing SengokuQueen to gasp. This wasn't the reaction she was hoping. "I upgraded my deck to duel Raguel and Playmaker, and now your action will result in seeing one of it's new tricks!"

"New tricks?" Raguel repeated. "What does he mean, Herald?"

"It means that whatever this guy has got planned, it can't be anything but good." Herald answered him.

"I activate the effect of Fists of the Unrivaled Tenyi from my Graveyard!" Dancho said. "If this Set card is destroyed by a card effect, I can Special Summon a non-effect monster from my Extra Deck!"

"What?" SengokuQueen and Raguel said at the same time, shocked by what they just heard. Soon, a Link Portal appeared in front of Dancho, as three tornadoes of energy erupted from his Graveyard and went into the top, upper-right, and bottom-right arrowheads, turning them red.

"Circuit combine!" Dancho declared. "Link Summon! The fallen student shall raze everything in his path to obtain the ultimate power! Link 3! Berserker of the Tenyi!" A muscular, shirtless, humanly looking ogre wearing pants with dragon symbols emerged from the Link Portal and appeared in the Main Monster Zone Monk of the Tenyi was pointing to. The ogre had granite like skin on his hands and shoulders, which gave him a corrupted appearance. He had long billy goat horns on his head, and long, bushy blue hair that went down to the back of his waist. Upon recognizing SengokuQueen, Berserker of the Tenyi roared at her.

Berserker of the Tenyi ATK: 3000 LINK-3 ⬆️↗️↘️

"A Link 3 monster with 3000 attack points?" Herald said, worried at what he was seeing.

"I've never seen anything like it before." Raguel said. So this is what Dancho meant when he said he upgraded his deck, he thought. He not only obtained more Link Monsters, but also found a way to summon them without any materials. And as an added bonus, he can do this on his opponent's turn as well if needed.

SengokuQueen, who was looking at Berserker of the Tenyi, widened her eyes in horror upon seeing him. That's Dancho's former student, she thought. The one who destroyed everything that was dear to me a long time ago.

Flashback: Eleven years ago...

"Run!" Gekiryushi told a group of villagers, pointing the way to the village gates. The villagers immediately headed there, wanting to escape the ever present danger. She, however, headed for the opposite direction.

Earlier, one of Zandaka Ikiagi's students, whom she knew as Arakan, attacked the village, hellbent on obtaining the power of Sahasrara for himself. She knew that he would be headed for the Shinpi-Tekina dojo to confront Zandaka and his son, Kataru, who were both in his way. That was why she couldn't let him harm the people that meant so much to her.

"Kataru! Sensei Ikiagi!" Gekiryushi called out to them, as she ran as fast as she could to the dojo.

"Gekiryushi? Is that you?" a voice asked. Gekiryushi turned around, and recognized the teenage male wearing a brown Gi with a dragon symbol on it and a red belt. She pulled him in for a quick embrace.

"Where's Sensei Ikiagi?" Gekiryushi asked Kataru.

CRASH!

Both Gekiryushi and Kataru turned upon hearing that sound, only to see Zandaka get thrown right into the dojo!

"We have to help him!" Kataru stated. Gekiryushi, nodding her head, followed him to the dojo.

Meanwhile, Zandaka was sent flying all the way into the dragon chamber, and rolled unceremoniously on the floor until he slowed down.

"And here you were weak, old man," the voice of Arakan said, as Zandaka looked up at what he had become. Arakan had granite like skin on his hands and shoulders, which gave him a corrupted appearance. He had long billy goat horns on his head, and long, bushy blue hair that went down to the back of his waist. "You must realize now that only I am worthy to obtain the power of Sahasrara."

"How could you do this?" Zandaka asked him, trying to get up, only to find out that he couldn't. "You have absorbed too much chi from Vishuda, allowing the darkness in your heart to take control. And as a result, you've brought suffering and destruction not just to this village, but to this dojo as well!"

"It is because you forced me to!" Arakan countered, making a fist. "You knew perfectly well I was worthy, and yet you chose your son instead of me! In order to prove my worthiness, I had to go into the forbidden cave and challenge the darkness head on!"

"And look what it did to you, Arakan. The chi you absorbed turned you into a creature based on the dark desires of your heart!" Zandaka said.

Gathering energy into his fist, Arakan said, "I think I've had enough of you, old man. Once I'm through with you, your students will be-!"

WHOOSH!

Arakan was hit in the back with a blast of dragon energy, causing him to turn around and see Gekiryushi and Kataru.

"Sensei Ikiagi!" Gekiryushi cried out.

"So the master's little students have returned," Arakan said, his face turned into a sadistic grin. Turning his head slightly to Zandaka, he added, "Perhaps I'll let you live a little longer. So you can see your beloved students get destroyed!" Immediately, the aura of a blood red dragon appeared above him, roaring at them.

"You bastard!" Kataru cried out, releasing a blast of draconic energy at Arakan and pushing him slowly back. Unfortunately for Kataru, Arakan was resisting the draconic energy being unleashed on him.

Knowing what must be done, Kataru turned to Gekiryushi. "Go get my father out of here. I'll hold him off."

"But what about you?"

Kataru smiled. "I'll be fine. Now go!" Immediately, green and light blue chi formed around his fists as he charged forward at Arakan and hit him in the gut, sending him flying through the dojo's walls. He then followed after him.

Gekiryushi, meanwhile, headed to where Zandaka was and put his arm around her shoulder to hoist him up.

"Sensei? Can you hear me?" Gekiryushi asked. She only got a murmur in response, which confirmed that he was alive.

By the time the two of them made it outside of the dragon chamber and to the main floor, a massive explosion behind them ended up sending her and Zandaka flying to the outskirts of the dojo.

"NO!" Gekiryushi cried out, upon looking at what she was seeing. The dojo was completely desecrated in flames!

When Zandaka opened his eyes, a look of shock was registered on his face upon seeing his home get licked by the developing fire. He slowly got up. "This can't be..." he muttered, still in denial at what he was seeing.

"Oh, but it is, old man."

Both Gekiryushi and Zandaka jerked their heads upward upon hearing Arakan's voice. Unfortunately, their eyes widened once they saw what he was carrying in his left hand.

"Your son put up an admirable fight, old man." Arakan said, as he threw Kataru's grievously dead body toward Gekiryushi and Zandaka, who were both shocked at seeing what he did to him. "If you're wondering, he's already dead. And with him out of the way, I am the one who's worthy!"

Gekiryushi got up, anger on her face. Arakan, someone she once called her friend, destroyed everything that was important to her. Her home, and someone she considered her younger brother.

Chi forming around her fists, she shouted, "You will pay for this!" and charged at Arakan, hellbent on ending him. Unluckily for her, Arakan blocked her punches and grabbed her by the throat.

"Your impulsiveness was always your undoing." Arakan said, tossing her behind him with superhuman strength as Zandaka looked with utter horror. As a result, Gekiryushi was sent hurling through the remains of the dojo and down the cliff to the cavern below.

When she regained her senses, she realized that her right hand was on fire! Screaming in pain, she crawled to the lake of chi with what little strength left and dunked her hand in the lake of chi to try and alleviate the pain. Seeing that it worked, Gekiryushi flipped on her back, tired from the ordeal she'd been through. I'm sorry Sensei, she thought, as she fell unconscious, but I failed you and Kataru.

Hours later...

When Gekiryushi opened her eyes, she found herself inside a house, laying on top of a bed. Looking to her right, she noticed that her right hand was wrapped in a bandage. "Where am I?"

"Why, you're in the village elder's home, my dear," an old woman said. Gekiryushi turned to the voice and recognized the town elder, who wore yellow robes, had white hair tied in a bun, and had wrinkles on her face. "Thank Sahasrara you're awake. Any longer and you would have died for sure." She then offered Gekiryushi a cup of tea, who eagerly accepted it.

"Thank you," Gekiryushi said to the elder, taking a sip of it. "Elder, I know of what happened to Kataru, but what happened to Sensei Ikiagi? Is he-?" She couldn't finish the sentence, lest she jinx the fate of her sensei.

The elder woman's face looked downcast. "Some men in the village searched through the wreckage of the dojo and beyond to try and find him. Until we find something, we can only assume that he's dead. I'm so sorry."

The news was so overwhelming that Gekiryushi would have broken down completely had the older woman not put her arms around her for comfort. She then began to cry; cry for everything she lost that night until she couldn't cry any longer.

Flashback End: Present Day...

"Why do you have a Link Monster that resembles Arakan?" SengokuQueen demanded, narrowing her eyes in pure rage at Berserker of the Tenyi. "You of all people should know that he was responsible for destroying everything important to the both of us!"

"I am aware, Gekiryushi." Dancho calmly replied. "My Tenyi deck has Link Monsters that resemble not just you, but my son and Arakan as well. I did this so that I won't lose them ever again."

"It makes sense now!" Raguel realized. Dancho's Link Monsters resemble people he cared about, he thought. Based on what he told SengokuQueen, at some point in his life, she and a few others were important parts of Dancho's life before it all fell apart.

"What does?" Herald asked.

"Dancho's deck." Raguel clarified. "When I last dueled him, he was extremely angry when I wounded his Link Monsters. I understand why he was so upset. It's because he cared for them deeply."

"I didn't know that, Raguel," was all Herald said back. He was surprised to hear that there was someone else who cared about their duel monsters, even if they were a member of the Hanoi. Could this mean-?

"Will you continue your turn, Gekiryushi?" Dancho asked her.

"Of course I am!" SengokuQueen replied. Gesturing to her field, she added, "Level 2 Kagemusha of the Six Samurai tunes Level 3 Elder of the Six Samurai!" A bolt of crimson lightning struck her as the world greyed out and her two monsters disappeared into particles. Two rings, one brown and one green, appeared before turning blue and merging. Five blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "2 + 3" in front of them. The screen changed to "5" as light surged through the rings.

"The legendary samurai brings fear and death to all his enemies!" SengokuQueen chanted. "Soon, your death shall strengthen his power! Synchro Summon! Emerge from the battlefield, Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En!" A samurai with light crimson armor and golden lines covering his entire body emerged from the light and onto the right Extra Monster Zone. This samurai had medium-sized wings with golden lines on his back. On each of his shoulders was a curved spike. His helmet had the Bushido symbol on the top, with the samurai mask having a golden outline. His eyes glowed red as he swung his katana, ready for battle.

Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En ATK: 2500 DEF: 1400 LVL: 5

"I activate the Spell Card, Advance! This card lets me Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Warrior-Type monster from my hand! Appear, Spirit of the Six Samurai!" A blue, humanoid spirit wearing a purple samurai helmet and samurai armor with orange outlines appeared on SengokuQueen's field.

Spirit of the Six Samurai ATK: 500 DEF: 500 LV: 3

"The effect of Spirit of the Six Samurai activates!" SengokuQueen continued. "I can target one face-up 'Six Samurai' monster and equip it with this card. By doing so, the targeted monster gains 500 attack and defense points! I target Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En!" Spirit of the Six Samurai soon disappeared, and it's aura then surrounded Shi En, powering the legendary samurai up.

Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En ATK: 2500 + 500 = 3000 DEF: 1400 + 500 = 1900

"Last, but not least, I activate Great Shogun Shien's effect from my hand! If I control two 'Six Samurai' monsters, I can Special Summon this card to my field!" A samurai with blood-red crimson armor with a long, magenta cape on his back joined SengokuQueen's field. His eyes glowed red, as he swung his katana, ready for battle.

Great Shogun Shien ATK: 2500 DEF: 2400 LV: 7

With Great Shogun Shien and Shi En on my field, SengokuQueen thought, I have blocked him from using Spell and Trap cards. Thrusting her right hand out, she shouted, "Battle! Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En attacks Berserker of the Tenyi! Crimson Slash of Death!" Shi En charged forward, ready to slash Berserker of the Tenyi in two. "I activate Shi En's second effect! If it would be destroyed, then I can destroy another 'Six Samurai' monster I control instead! For it's effect, I destroy Yaichi!" Yaichi turned into yellow particles at SengokuQueen's command. Shi En avoided Berserker of the Tenyi's punches and kicks before stabbing the human-ogre hybrid, destroying him.

"I activate Spirit of the Six Samurai's effect!" SengokuQueen quickly added. "Since the equipped monster destroyed a monster by battle, I can draw one card from the top of my deck!" Using Spirit of the Six Samurai's effect, she drew Shien's advisor from the top of her deck.

"I activate Tenyi Spirit – Shthana's effect!" Dancho said. "Since a non-effect monster was destroyed by battle or card effect, I can banish this card to Special Summon that monster back, and if I do, I can destroy one monster you control! Return, Berserker of the Tenyi!" At Dancho's command, Berserker of the Tenyi emerged from an icy field and returned to his field in the middle Main Monster Zone, roaring once again at SengokuQueen.

Berserker of the Tenyi ATK: 3000 LINK-3 ⬆️↗️↘️

"And now I destroy your Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En! Go, Icicle Crash!" Berserker of the Tenyi punched his right hand forward, releasing a misty light-blue serpentine dragon straight at Shi En!

"Spirit of the Six Samurai's second effect!" SengokuQueen interjected. "If I destroy this card, I can protect my monster from destruction!" The blue aura surrounding Shi En disappeared and retook it's original form, protecting it's master from destruction. "However, since this card is now in my Graveyard, it loses it's attack and defense boost."

Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En ATK: 3000 – 500 = 2500 DEF: 1900 – 500 = 1400

"The battle still continues!" she declared. "Great Shogun Shien attacks Monk of the Tenyi!" Great Shogun Shien charged forward and slashed Monk of the Tenyi, destroying him and causing an explosion, which temporarily unbalanced Dancho as his life points dropped.

Dancho: 4000 – 1500 = 2500 LP

"And here I thought you cared for Kataru." Dancho said. "Yet you were willing to strike him down to defeat me."

"Shut up!" SengokuQueen said back. "I did it because I had no choice."

"No choice?" Dancho repeated. "No choice?! You had the choice to end your turn and spare the monster that represented him, but you didn't. All because you were blinded by rage."

"What would you know about rage?" SengokuQueen shouted. "I thought you were dead, and when I learned you were with the Hanoi, I felt like I lost a father figure! Someone I could trust and lean on for strength!"

"Wow, those two have a lot to work out." Herald said, closely paying attention to their conversation.

"Yeah." Raguel agreed with Herald. SengokuQueen, he thought. No wonder you wanted to bring the criminally evil to justice. Whatever happened between the you and Dancho must have motivated you to take it out on anyone you deemed evil. In that moment, he actually felt sorry for her.

"I end my turn," SengokuQueen concluded. And with Shien's advisor, she thought, remembering the card she drew thanks to Spirit of the Six Samurai, I'll be able to lock him down completely. That is the true Bushido combo!

"My turn! I draw!" Dancho declared, drawing the top card of his deck. Gesturing to Berserker of the Tenyi, he roared, "Battle! Berserker of the Tenyi attacks Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En! At this point, I activate the effect of Tenyi Spirit – Nahata from my Graveyard! Since an attack is declared involving my 'Tenyi' monster and your monster, I can banish this card from my Graveyard, and if I do, your monster loses 1500 attack points!" Berserker of the Tenyi punched his right hand forward, only this time, he released a misty green serpentine dragon that went straight through Shi En's chest, creating a hole where his stomach should have been.

Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En ATK: 2500 – 1500 = 1000

"Darkness Mixer!" Berserker of the Tenyi teleported right in front of Shi En, surprising the weakened samurai before brutally punching and kicking the samurai to the point of death, causing an explosion that pushed SengokuQueen back.

SengokuQueen: 4000 – 2000 = 2000 LP

"I activate Shi En's effect!" SengokuQueen said. "If it would be destroyed, then I can destroy another 'Six Samurai' monster I control instead! For it's effect, I destroy Great Shogun Shien!" Great Shogun Shien shoved Shi En out of the way and took the remainder of Berserker of the Tenyi's attacks, vanishing into yellow particles.

"Foolish girl." Dancho said. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell card from my hand, Revenge Attack! Since my monster did not destroy yours in battle this turn, Berserker of the Tenyi not only gains 1000 attack points, it can also attack again!"

"I activate Shi En's effect!" SengokuQueen said in response. "Once per turn, during either of our turns, when you activate a Spell or Trap card, I can negate and-!"

"You won't be negating ANYTHING!" Dancho suddenly said, a malicious grin on his face. "I activate the effect of Ghost Ogre and Snow Rabbit from my hand! Since a monster on your field activated it's effect, I can send this card from my hand or field to the Graveyard to destroy it!"

"Oh no!" SengokuQueen cried out, realizing that her last attempt to outplay Dancho had failed.

"But without Shi En..." Herald began.

"SengokuQueen's done for." Raguel finished for him.

Soon, a little girl with long, blond hair briefly appeared on Dancho's field. The girl wore brown robes and had a small katana on her back. A ghostly rabbit was with her as well. Seeing Shi En, the girl took out her small katana, and, in the blink of an eye, slashed him, turning him into yellow particles.

With Shi En out of the way, a blood-red aura enveloped Berserker of the Tenyi, increasing his strength.

Berserker of the Tenyi ATK: 3000 + 1000 = 4000

"If I can teach you one last thing," Dancho said, "it's this: Life isn't as black and white as you believe. You can't just look down on others by refusing to see their perspective. Otherwise, you're no better than the people you judge as evil!"

Having made sure his message hit home, he added, "The battle continues! Berserker of the Tenyi attacks you directly! Darkness Mixer!" Berserker of the Tenyi teleported right in front of her, before brutally beating her with a series of punches and kicks, causing her remaining life points to hit zero.

SengokuQueen: 2000 – 4000 = 0

"SengokuQueen!" Raguel yelled.

Berserker of the Tenyi then charged blood-red chi into his fist before hitting her in the stomach, knocking her off her duel board. For a moment, as she was falling, Raguel could swore he saw her soul leave her body.

I'm sorry, Kataru, were SengokuQueen's last thoughts before darkness overtook her, but I failed to save him.

Card Gallery

No new cards in this chapter.

QOTC

What did you think of Rachel and Gekiryushi's backstories?

Chapter Preview

Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 18: Dancho's Darkness. Determined to save SengokuQueen, Raguel and Herald accept Dancho's challenge head on! However, having upgraded his deck since their last duel, he is able to push Raguel back more mercilessly than ever. Can Raguel find a way to fight back and appeal to what remaining good Dancho has left?

Responses to reviews and Author's Notes

Thank you to HunterHQ, Anonymous, Guest, Noobmaster, yuman28, Unnamed, Team Rocket, Zeromk7, Electriuser, E.T. 2000, Ambiguous, Unknown, Ambiguous, Portal, Guest, and Hyper5000 for reviewing Chapter 16 of Obscured Truth.

I'm alive, everyone! And sorry for a late update! I planned to release this chapter a week earlier, but an announced last minute final exam forced me to push this chapter back so I could prepare. Also, I hope that you're all safe from COVID-19. Anyhow, let's recap what happened in this chapter.

One of the main things that happened was Yuhiro and Rachel hanging out once again. The two of them first head to Uchida Industries, which, for this story, is the rival of SOL Technologies. There, they meet Emon Uchida, the founder of said company. We also learn something else about Yuhiro: While he can be impulsive at times, he does think long-term, especially when he talks to Emon about how the Dascium Metal can impact society.

From there, the two of them start heading to an amusement park, only for Yuhiro to look at an utterly destroyed house. It is there where Yuhiro and Rachel tell each other some deep information about each other that they wouldn't tell anyone else. In Yuhiro's case, it's about his parents. One night before the Lost Incident, his parents were brutally murdered. To get away, the murderers destroyed the house, scarring Yuhiro and preventing him from remembering anything good or bad about his parents.

As for Rachel, this is where her backstory comes in: Six years ago, when she was five years old, her parents owned a small business, but unfortunately, because they couldn't make enough money to keep it running, they had to close. As a result, they had to move from shelter to shelter to avoid being homeless. Eventually, her parents left Rachel at an old family friend she thought she could trust. Unfortunately for her, said family friend ended up subjecting her to experiments in order to create the next 'super-genius', as she claimed. And if she didn't perform well, then it would result in her getting abused (yes, I said abused). This kept up for an entire year, until Greg led an FBI raid to shut the operation down. Shortly afterwards, he adopted her.

I created this story for Rachel so she and Yuhiro can have something in common, which is going through pain at a young age. This shows another side of Yuhiro: He can be really caring.

The second part of the story occurs in LINK VRAINS, when Naoki Shima obtains Cyberse Wizard, resulting in him being corned by Faust and Dancho. Luckily for him, Playmaker and Raguel appear to rescue him. Just before Raguel duels Dancho, however, SengokuQueen appears out of nowhere and locks Dancho into dueling her, enraged that he is in league with the Hanoi. During their duel, Dancho Special Summons Berserker of the Tenyi, terrifying her. The reason why is because of her backstory. Eleven years ago, a student of Dancho's named Arakan (who absorbed too much chi of Tenyi Spirit – Vishuda), attacked the village, hellbent on acquiring the power of Sahasrara for himself. Gekiryushi and Dancho's son, Kataru, evacuated the village while Dancho, who went by Zandaka Ikiagi, confronted Arakan to stop him.

Sadly, this led to the Shinpi-Tekina dojo getting destroyed, as well as Kataru's death at Arakan's hands. Gekiryushi tried to avenge his death, but Arakan managed to knock her through the burned dojo and to the cliff behind it, resulting in her right hand acquiring a burn scar in the process.

For Gekiryushi's flashback, I took inspiration from the first Kung Fu Panda movie, where Tai Lung attempted to take the Dragon Scroll by force.

As revealed in this chapter, each of Dancho's Link Monsters resemble people, good and bad, that were important in his life. Let me know what your thoughts are on this.

Okay, with that chapter recap out of the way, I can answer some reviews:

HunterHQ: Yes, Infearno's wife would be horrified at what he had become. And great observation on what Baira said in the dub. Sadly, when Herald mentioned Yugi, it is an alternate version (otherwise, I would have had to explain how Watchman got his Cubic monsters). To answer your question: Kazuma survived because he had an escape program.

Anonymous: I hope you liked Rachel's backstory.

Guest: I can't tell you, but I can tell you that Yuhiro and Infearno's connection goes deeper than them simply fighting for people they love.

Noobmaster: Good tip. Will take that into account. And yes, Windy is not just a motor mouth, but he sounds like an auctioneer too!

Yuman28: No. Lord Kazuma is the Hanoi's Secretary, actually.

Unnamed: Thank you for your patience.

Team Rocket: First off, thank you very much. Second, thanks for pointing out the error. I will correct it immediately.

ZeroMK7: I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Electriuser: Do not worry. Lord Kazuma is alive and well. Rather, he used an escape program after his duel to return to the real world.

E.T. 2000: The fate of Infearno's wife will be revealed later. Also, Monty will come back. As for Playmaker and Raguel's duel, I'm not 100% sure yet.

Ambiguous: In the history of Yu-Gi-Oh, there has always been dirty tricks being used against the protagonists. Especially in VRAINS.

Unknown: While an alternate version of Yugi is shown in this story, as evidenced by Progleo, there are sentient creatures. If you want the answer to your question, then I highly encourage you to keep on reading.

Ambiguous: Yes. I do plan on a Team-Up duel.

Portal: I did not know that Kazuma is similar to Berlin from Money Heist. Will need to check it out.

Guest: I didn't know of this. Do tell me more.

Hyper5000: Glad you liked the chapter.

Let me know what you thought of this chapter, including your opinions, tips, theories, etc. If you know anyone who would like this story, then spread the word. Before I go, I have something to announce. While I'm working for the summer, I should be able to release chapters at a more frequent rate. This means that, unless an announcement is made, I will be able to release a new chapter every 1-2 weeks.

Also, I wanted to let you know that I gave a name for Dr. Genome in the real world, as well as a last name for Faust. Please let me know your thoughts on this.

What did you think of this chapter? Do you think there's an ulter motive behind the experiments Rachel went through? And who do you think Emon Uchida is?

All these will be answered in due time. Stay tuned, as next chapter, Raguel and Dancho will have their rematch!