Responses to Reviews
Thank you to HunterHQ, Guest, ZeroMK7, yuman28, Electriuser, E.T. 2000, Slimslam, Lind. L. Taylor, KingOtakuOverYou, Decode Talker, Portal, Noobmaster, Cyber Warrior, Pikachu99, Akechi, and Portalus for reviewing Chapter 21 of Obscured Truth.
Hello, everyone! I want to thank everyone for their positive and especially informative reviews. I'm happy that you all enjoyed the previous chapter, and that you enjoyed Ace's first appearance and duel. I forgot to mention in the previous chapter that Ace, along with the two other OC's that appeared briefly at the end will not be one-time characters. Rather, they'll be recurring characters that will have an impact on the story.
And for those of you who were curious about what Specter's name means in English, Youta means "Sun", while Itsuki means "Tree". I chose this name not just due to Specter's origin, but so that I can connect it to his deck as well.
It's now time to answer reviews!
HunterHQ: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, especially with the Justice League Dark references. To answer your question, from what I recall, the Hanoi ended up escaping right under everyone's noses following the Tower of Hanoi arc before reappearing again during Season 2. As for your second question regarding Ace, he likely got it from the black market.
Guest: If you recall from Chapter 7, Akira already told Aoi that Yusaku helped her when she was unconscious. She simply wished that Yusaku was just like Yuhiro, that's all. And if the Hanoi came across someone with a weapon, I'm pretty sure they'll be fine. As for your question regarding Ace, yes, he did cheat.
ZeroMK7: Thank you very much.
Yuman28: Revolver's goal during the Tower of Hanoi is to mainly fulfil his father's will in eliminating the Ignis. However, like Infearno regarding Raguel, he still has unfinished business with Playmaker. And the Knights of Hanoi do view Watchman as a threat (if I haven't clarified anything for you, then I apologize).
Electriuser: Raguel's final duel in Season 1 will be against Infearno. And why would Herald be against Raguel?
E.T. 2000: I'm happy you enjoyed the chapter, and I also hope that I clarified the meaning of Specter's name. Actually, you'll be happy to hear that I've used the appearance of Chiron from the Fate anime for Cyreath Chiron. Which means there's a good chance later on I could use the appearances of Perseus, Jason, Atlanta, and Medusa for OC cards. As for Zeus, I have an appearance planned already for him, but that doesn't mean I won't take your suggestion into account.
Slimslam: The Cyreath deck is based off of Greek Mythology. And Revolver is the mascot of the Knights of Hanoi. When exactly did Yuhiro say that Kazuma was the mascot? As for your other question, I don't know why you put it down, but I'm not going to answer it.
Lind. L. Taylor: Kazuma and Infearno's origins will be shown later on in the story, during the Tower of Hanoi arc.
KingOtakuOverYou: A lot you wrote down, so I'll do my best to unpack and answer what you said to the best of my ability. First, I won't tell you obviously the name of Infearno's wife, but I can give you a hint: The answer lies in the heart of the cards. Second, regarding Tsubaki, I have a feeling you'll enjoy her debut this chapter. Third, unlike Playmaker (who has a perfect duel record), Yuhiro actually lost a duel against Watchman, and was pretty close to losing against Kazuma and Dancho. I do plan for him to lose against people in order to further develop his character. You just have to be patient and wait to see. Four, Yuhiro may be nice because of the people in his life that helped him (ex. Roxy, Stregone, Herald, Progleo.), but he does have an emotional side. Five, I did not intend for the Cyreath deck to be OP. Six, since when did Yuhiro break his deal with Watchman? Yuhiro's planning on breaking his deal with Monty, his boss on the black market, not Watchman. Seven, Yuhiro overkilled Kazuma because, although he was in control of his powers, they still awoke inside of him, causing him to act on his emotions (this will be revealed later on, so stay tuned). I do hope that I've clarified what I could.
Decode Talker: I'm glad you respect my decision, and I'm sorry that you're disappointed about it. If you don't mind me asking: Do you want to see an opening for the Tower of Hanoi arc?
Portal: I'm glad you liked the poker part of the chapter. I hope you also liked the duel as well. For the Hanoi, I wanted to show in this chapter that they were more than just villains. Rather, they're family too. And do you really think Takuya is the least scrupulous? In Chapter 16, not only did he threaten to trap Yuhiro in LINK VRAINS forever, but he was willing to hurt him to win. As for your other comment, you just need to be patient...
Noobmaster: Technically, Ace cheated on his own during the duel between him and Specter. But yes, Takuya not only did it first, he did it better.
Cyber Warrior: I couldn't help but laugh after reading your comment.
Pikachu99: You do realize that Lightning won in the end, right? In a sense, he was inevitable.
Akechi: I think you were referring to Chapter 17. And I'm glad you liked it.
Portalus: While I can confirm that Rasterliger will appear, I won't tell you when.
Okay. With reviews out of the way, it's time for the chapter!
Chapter 22: The Graceful Assassin
At Café Matsuo, in the morning...
CLINK! CLINK! BANG! BANG!
"Ugh... What's that noise?" Yuhiro muttered, as he slowly got out of bed and scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah, I can hear the clinking and banging all the way from up here." Herald commented, who was in his eyeball form.
"I'll check it out." Yuhiro got up and stretched before heading for the door to his bedroom. When he went downstairs, he figured out that the sound came from the backroom. "Roxy?" He poked his head inside, but found out she wasn't there. Which meant one thing.
"Oi, Yuhiro! Is that you?" Roxy called back from the workshop. "Get your ass over here! I got a few things to show you!"
"Be right there." Yuhiro replied, as he went over to the workshop. When he went inside, on the table in the middle, he saw several gauntlets. He also saw Roxy currently working on another one. "What's with all these gauntlets?"
"These, my friend, are the gauntlets I made since this morning." Roxy answered, wiping her forehead using a towel. "After what we've been through, I thought it'd be a good time to update your arsenal, wouldn't you agree?"
"I can definitely see that," Yuhiro agreed, picking up a gauntlet that was colored red and white, with a power canister at the top. "Which gauntlet is this?"
"I call it the Blazing Booster!" Roxy said, opening up a video on her tablet. "Just take a look and see how it works." Yuhiro headed over to where Roxy was as she clicked play on the video.
In the video, a figure equipped the new gauntlet on their right hand. Next to them was an enormous concrete wall. The figure took the power canister from the gauntlet and put it into their double-barrelled gun before reloading it. They then aimed the gun at the concrete wall and fired at it, causing a massive explosion and leaving a huge hole in the middle of the wall.
The next clip showed the same thing, only the figure took the power canister and put it into their sword before revving it up. Holding the sword with two hands, the figure then made a fiery horizontal slice before making a vertical slice, cutting the wall in four perfect pieces.
"Okay, now that's amazing!" Yuhiro stated, a huge grin on his face. "So this gauntlet boosts my weapons, I take it?"
"Yes." Roxy confirmed, going over to where the other gauntlets were and picking one up. The one in her hand was colored black and gold, with several pink orbs on the hand part, as well as the palm. A golden ring decorated the gauntlet. "But with great power comes great responsibility. In this case, once you activate it, you gotta control it, or else you'll screw yourself over."
"Duly noted." Yuhiro then realized something. "The Blazing Booster was based off of Numera's Geomathmech Final Sigma, right? If so, which duel monster served as inspiration for the gauntlet you're carrying right now?"
"Quinton's Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic of course." Roxy answered with a smile, causing Yuhiro to smile as she walked over and gave the gauntlet to him. "What do you think?"
"The design's cool," Yuhiro replied, "but I'd like to know how it can help me in LINK VRAINS."
"Done and done." Roxy pulled up a video and pressed play, getting Yuhiro's attention.
In the video, a figure equipped the new gauntlet on their right hand. In front of them was a group of enemies. The enemies fired a round of bullets at the figure as they fired a blast in front of them, revealing a portal, to which the bullets went through. After pressing a few buttons, the portal reappeared, only behind the enemies, shredding them with bullets.
"Okay, now that is awesome!" Yuhiro commented.
"Keep watching!" Roxy told him.
The video continued playing, where the figure fired several small blasts of energy high enough around a group of enemies, surrounding them. After firing a small portal in front of him, the figure fired a load of bullets from his double-barrelled gun, which came out of the other portals and killed them.
"Alright, I'm so using this gauntlet!" Yuhiro said, after watching the video. "You know, I'm thinking of naming this baby 'The Surpriser'."
"Surpriser? Really?" Roxy turned to Yuhiro and knocked on his head several times. "That's not a real word, you doofus. I'd name it 'The Astonisher.'"
"But that's still not a word, Roxy." Yuhiro complained.
"Uh, actually, it is." Roxy pointed out. "And a fair warning: You can only fire either several small bursts or one big one at a time. So plan ahead."
"Ugh. Fine." Yuhiro conceded. "Anyway, what's the last one?"
"Well," Roxy said, walking with Yuhiro to where the third gauntlet was, "the third gauntlet was made by using Simorgh, Bird of Sovereignty as inspiration. In other words, one of its claws." Sure enough, the gauntlet look liked a bird's claw. There was only one difference, though. The gauntlet had a tapered gold spiral with a four-pronged claw hand at the tip.
"And I'm guessing you have a name already for it?" Yuhiro asked.
"Correct!" Roxy confirmed, showing Yuhiro the gauntlet. "I call it the 'Drill Prong'. Get it? Because it looks like a bird's claw?" She sighed when Yuhiro raised an eyebrow at her comment. "Just watch the video."
When the video started playing, it showed the figure putting on the Drill Prong gauntlet on their right arm. In front of them was a random Knight of Hanoi. When the Knight of Hanoi attempted to get away from them and jump onto their duel board, the figure grabbed them by the collar and threw them back to the ground.
"Okay. So this 'Drill Prong' has a very good vice grip." Yuhiro commented. "Where exactly is the 'Drill' part supposed to come in?"
As if to answer Yuhiro, the figure grabbed the Knight of Hanoi using their other arm, and within moments, the gauntlet turned into a drill, scaring the poor grunt.
"Never mind."
"Birds usually have a good grip when it comes to catching their prey." Roxy explained, turning off the tablet. "I made that gauntlet to provide you with an extra grip. The Drill part can also help in interrogation, break-in, and even fighting scenarios."
"Roxy, there's no way I'm drilling someone to death." Yuhiro pointed out, crossing his arms. "If anything, I'd rather use my sword and double-barrelled gun."
Suddenly, both Yuhiro's and Roxy's phones vibrated. When they looked at them, their eyes widened in surprise.
"We need to head to the backroom."
"Agreed." The two of them ran to the backroom and turned on the monitor. Once that was done, the screen showed a notification, indicating a new message.
"A new message this early in the morning?" Roxy said, rubbing her eyes. "I honestly can't believe it."
"Let's see what it is first." Yuhiro suggested. Moving the mouse over to the message, he clicked and opened it up. When they looked at who sent the message, their eyes narrowed.
To: Raguel
From: Watchman
Raguel,
Please meet me in LINK VRAINS at these coordinates below:
Oiug2p34uttpoiyetpiqweyt9qt90032y5088332k
We have much to discuss.
Watchman.
"Well, we did expect him to message us eventually." Yuhiro said.
"Best not to keep him waiting." Roxy advised, turning to face him. "Go grab a small breakfast along with your Duel Disk and get your ass back here."
After nodding his head, Yuhiro got up from his seat and ran upstairs to the kitchen, where he grabbed a MadeGood granola bar and chomped it down. He then went to his room and grabbed his Duel Disk. A curious Progleo ended up running after him.
"Hey, what's going on?" Herald asked. "I was in the middle of-."
"That can wait." Yuhiro told him. "We have to go into LINK VRAINS."
"Oh. I see." Herald replied, his eyes narrowing as though he understood what was going on.
Once Yuhiro made it to the backroom, he knelt down to Progleo's level, who went back into the Duel Disk.
"The three gauntlets I showed you have already been downloaded into your Duel Disk." Roxy told him, as he stood back up. "If I have to guess as to what Watchman wants to talk about, it probably has to do with the two Cyberse cards that appeared in LINK VRAINS."
"Yeah." Yuhiro agreed, as he walked over to the closed-off space. "You'll be the first to know if something goes amiss."
"Obviously." Roxy rolled her eyes. "After all, I am your tech support."
Yuhiro chuckled. "Ha Ha. Very funny." He then went into the closed-off space and closed the door.
He then put his deck into his Duel Disk and said, "Deck Set! Into the VRAINS!"
In LINK VRAINS...
Raguel blasted out of a portal and landed onto a rooftop in LINK VRAINS, overlooking the entire network.
"These are the coordinates, right Herald?" Raguel asked, as Herald emerged from his Duel Disk.
"From the looks of it, yes." Herald replied. "Though I don't see-."
"You're here too, Raguel? I suppose it was expected," a voice said, causing Raguel to look up. Sure enough, it was Numera, who was being carried down by Geomathmech Final Sigma. "Thanks for the trip, protector." And Final Sigma disappeared into Numera's Duel Disk.
"Numera," Raguel said, as the little girl walked up to him. "I didn't expect Watchman to send you a message as well. If that's the case, then today's meeting must be serious."
"Obviously. After all, I am at his service." Numera reminded him.
"You're both here. Good. Then we can get started." Raguel and Numera turned behind them. Only to see Watchman emerge from an orange gateway, which closed behind him. In one of his hands was the Spatial Cube.
"Glad you came on time." Raguel said to Watchman. "I'm guessing this has to do with the two Cyberse cards that recently appeared?"
"Correct." Watchman confirmed, as the Spatial Cube created two images of Crusadia Equimax and Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme. "Crusadia Equimax and Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme. Two Cyberse monsters that heeded my warning before the Hanoi attacked the Cyberse world."
"What are you talking about?" Numera asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Before the Hanoi attacked," Watchman explained, "I went to the Cyberse World to warn the residents there of the impeding attack. While a few listened, the others... Well, that's not important right now. What's important is that their appearances can draw unwanted attention."
"Like the Hanoi..." Raguel theorized.
"Yes." Watchman said. "It is therefore imperative that we retrieve them before they did."
"So you want us to steal?" Numera asked, crossing her arms.
"I'm afraid so." Watchman answered. "I've seen their duels myself, and although the duelists who use them are alright, they simply don't know what they're really handling."
Raguel put a hand on his chin. "But what if someone taught them how to properly use their Cyberse monsters? I mean, I saw how Reidrith used Crusadia Equimax in his duel against Go-."
"I don't like this decision anymore than you do." Watchman admitted. "But we must do this not only to protect them, but to protect innocent lives as well."
"Well, that works for me!" Numera said, turning around and walking away from them. "I'll go look over all of LINK VRAINS to find them."
"Hold on, Numera-." Raguel said, but Watchman interrupted them.
"There's one more thing I wanted to talk to you about." The Spatial Cube in his hand then created an image of a blue core with two rings, one above the other, orbiting around it. There were also two yellow ribbons beside the core in a zig-zag formation.
"What exactly is that?" Raguel asked. "It's massive."
"No way..." Herald said. "That's-!"
"World Gears of Theurological Demiurgy." Watchman clarified. "The very thing that powers the Cyberse World itself."
"I thought it was destroyed when the Hanoi attacked!" Herald exclaimed. "How in the blazes did it escape?"
Numera turned around at this information. She had to admit, she was curious.
"It took a lot of energy, but I transported it away from the chaos." Watchman told them. "From what my sources say, it's secure in a vault, guarded by SOL Technologies."
"While I don't want SOL's hands on that Cyberse monster, its better they have it than the Hanoi." Herald admitted.
"But they must be aware that a Cyberse monster like that exists Herald." Raguel told him. "And if they are, they'll waste no time in obtaining it."
"If I may," Numera said, interrupting them, "wouldn't it be a good idea to acquire a powerful Cyberse monster as this before the Hanoi does?" Raguel couldn't help but agree with her. After all, he already travelled to SOL Technologies' mother computer before, and if that was where it was, he would be willing to do it again.
"No. Not right now." Watchman firmly told her. "After I helped hid it, I went back and attempted to move it to a different, secure location. However, it refused, and forced me to retreat."
He then walked past Raguel and Numera and looked out across the entire network. "I'll investigate the matter regarding World Gears of Theurological Demiurgy. In the meantime..." He turned his head to look at them. "You two should seek out the Cyberse monsters and their owners."
"Wait. Watchman!" Raguel said, but Watchman turned into orange particles and disappeared.
"Well, that was interesting." Numera commented. "I'll look on the west end, see if I find anything. You look on the east end."
"All right." Numera jumped off of the building and onto her duel board, speeding off in the process.
After making sure no one was watching him, Raguel let out a sigh of frustration.
"You're not seriously planning on stealing those cards, are you Yuhiro?" Roxy asked through his earpiece.
"Obviously!" Raguel stated. "Everyone knows that if a duelist loses their best card, its like losing a part of themselves. Something about it doesn't feel right."
"What if you tested Reidrith and Jeanne Azaria?" Herald suggested. "You can duel them and see if they can really handle using Cyberse cards."
"It's not a bad idea..." Roxy added. "If I were you, I'd give it a try."
Raguel pondered that idea for a few moments. He had to admit. It wasn't a bad one. After all, he didn't want to take those cards from their owners, but as long as they had them, the Hanoi would certainly be after them.
"Alright," he finally decided. "I'll take your words into account, Herald." He then jumped off the building and onto his duel board before turning right.
"I'm glad you're being rational about this, Yuhiro." Roxy said. "I may have been a black-market agent once, but I know that taking a duelist's card is just plain-out wrong."
"You and me both, Roxy." Raguel agreed with her, as he pushed a few buttons on his Duel Disk. Three E.M.S. came out, reporting for duty.
"Okay, you little bugs." Herald said. "Find these targets." He then showed the E.M.S.' pictures of Crusadia Equimax and Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme. After scanning them, the flies saluted at Herald and Raguel before flying in different directions.
"You upgraded Roxy's tech a while back, didn't you?" Raguel asked Herald.
"Of course I did!" Herald confirmed. "It has to be top notch for your missions."
"WHAT?" Roxy suddenly screeched through Raguel's earpiece, causing him to put his right hand on it. "You upgraded my tech without ASKING?"
Raguel couldn't help but snicker. "Okay, Roxy. Calm down."
"No. I am not calming down! Once you get back here Herald, I'll-!"
"Whoops!" Herald said. "I just muted her."
"Thank you." Raguel said. He then narrowed his eyes as he focused on the task at hand. Where could you both be, he thought, as he sped off to the east end of LINK VRAINS.
At the Hanoi Stronghold...
"Master Revolver. We managed to identify the most likely location the Cyberse cards will show up," Specter said, looking at the monitor along with Revolver. "At some Charisma event or what-not."
"Good work, Specter." Revolver praised him. "We'll target them once the crowd is gone." He turned to the middle-aged woman he saw last night along with the woman whom Ace called 'The Graceful Assassin'. "Were you able to find anything on how we can acquire World Gears of Theurological Demiurgy, Athaliah?"
"This creature that you describe, it's nothing like I've ever seen." Athaliah said, a screen in front of her. "It's sentience is truly magnificent."
"I didn't ask about the Cyberse card, Athaliah!" Revolver firmly stated, narrowing his eyes. "I asked if there was a way to get it from SOL Technologies!" Although Ace told him that Athaliah was exceptional in breaking into databases, he did not want someone who was fascinated with the Cyberse on the Hanoi. To the point where they would betray them out of curiosity.
But desperate times called for desperate measures. Once the Tower rises, Revolver thought, we'll find out where her loyalties lie. If they were with anyone else but the Hanoi, then he would eliminate her without mercy.
Athaliah turned around and looked at Revolver. "Regarding your question, I'm afraid not. But I did, however, find a dataprint."
"A dataprint?" Specter repeated, turning to Athaliah. "Who's?"
"I'm running a cross-reference as we speak." Athaliah replied, another screen appearing beside her as a purple, gooey string formed into a small hand from her back and started completed the task. Both Revolver and Specter looked away in disgust upon seeing that. "If you excuse me, I should be getting back to work." And Athaliah walked away from them to complete her task.
"At least we have a lead." Specter said, putting a hand on his chin. "A human was responsible for putting World Gears of Theurological Demiurgy into that vault in SOL Technologies. Do you think Watchman was behind this?"
"Maybe." Revolver theorized, turning back to Specter. "But we won't know for certain until we collect all the information. In the meantime, we should focus on collecting the Cyberse cards."
He then turned behind him to see a young woman who looked like she was in the middle of her teenage years. Just like in the real world, she had fair skin, along with neck-length black hair with red tips. However, that was where the similarities stopped. Her face was covered by a white mask, with a red mark that ran through the mask's eyes. She wore a black long-sleeved dress with a high collar and red trim on her sleeves and dress, over which is a black waist clincher with red lacing up the front. She also wore a pair of thick black stockings and black combat boots with red laces, red trims around the top, and red soles.
Her outfit was topped with a red-hooded cloak fastened to her shoulders by cross-shaped pins. Around her hips on an angle was a wide silver black belt, with a rose emblem on it. Finally, at her waist was a red medium-sized converting frame.
Ace told Revolver that she was known in LINK VRAINS as 'The Graceful Assassin'. However, after some research, he found out her real LINK VRAINS ID: Rosetta.
"Rosetta." Revolver said to the young woman, motioning for her to come to where he and Specter were. "We have something to show you."
Rosetta walked over to where Revolver and Specter were. She then looked at the monitors that displayed Crusadia Equimax and Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme. Behind the mask, her eyes widened in pure rage.
"These duel monsters aren't like anything you've faced." Revolver continued. "They are-."
"Cyberse monsters..." Rosetta seethed through her mask. "Wretched creatures..."
"Oh, so you already know what they are?" Specter said, slightly impressed. "In that case, you must know your task then?"
"You can consider this your test." Revolver added, turning to Rosetta. "The Hanoi won't accept new recruits based on word of mouth. Rather, we want to see results." He turned his head back to the monitor. "All you need to do is simply acquire these two Cyberse cards and bring them back to us. If you succeed, you'll have earned your spot among us."
Rosetta nodded. She got the chance to defeat not one, but two Cyberse cards. This was her lucky day indeed.
"You leave this to me." Rosetta promised. "I'll bring those cards back, but I can't guarantee anything." And she logged out of the Hanoi Stronghold.
"Do you think she'll succeed, Master Revolver?" Specter asked him.
"Who knows?" Revolver simply replied. "After all, anything can happen..."
Meanwhile, in LINK VRAINS...
"Battle!" Jeanne declared. "Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme attacks you directly! Rainbow Fall!" On her command, Spectrum Supreme flew up high into the air, before firing several rainbow blasts of energy at the opponent, causing his life points to reach zero.
"Aw man! I lost," the boy said.
"I hope you enjoyed the dazzling performance, everyone!" Jeanne said to the crowd, who replied with cheers of her name.
"That... was amazing." Reidrith said, after witnessing Jeanne's spectacular finish. He had some time to kill after his community shift. So he logged into LINK VRAINS to watch Jeanne's performance, and hopefully get her autograph.
After a few minutes of shoving and weaving through the crowd, Reidrith managed to find Jeanne, who, as he guessed, was giving out autographs.
"Excuse me, Ms. Azaria?" Reidrith said, finally getting to where she was. He pulled out his tablet, which showed a picture of Spectrum Supreme. "I hope you can autograph this poster. It's for a charity event, and I want to put it in as a prize for an upcoming fundraiser."
"Of course I can." Jeanne said, pulling out a pen and signing it. After doing so, she looked at Reidrith and recognized him. "Hold on. You're the #7 Charisma Duelist, correct? The same one who dueled Go Onizuka?"
"Uh, yes." Reidrith answered, chuckling. "I hoped you didn't mind a Charisma Duelist attending your event."
"Not at all." Jeanne replied. "After all, more Charisma Duelists at an event means more good publicity, don't you think?"
For a second time, Reidrith chuckled. "I suppose you make a valid point." The next thing they knew, the crowd started to rush at them, as they immediately realized there were two Charisma Duelists at the event. "I expected a crowd, but I didn't expect it to grow in size this quickly!"
"Leave this to me." Jeanne said, holding up a card. "World Legacy Core!" Soon, a bright light filled the air, causing the crowd to cover their eyes.
When the light faded and they could see properly, they gasped aloud. Jeanne and Reidrith were gone!
"Huh?"
"Where did they go?"
"Was this part of the act?"
The crowd started talking to each other as to where Reidrith and Jeanne could have gone. But unbeknownst to them, Rosetta was on a nearby rooftop, looking down at them using her binoculars.
"Interesting..." Rosetta murmured, as she pressed a few buttons on her Duel Disk. "You Cyberse creatures can run, but you can't hide from 'The Graceful Assassin'." Within moments, her Duel Disk started beeping, indicating that she got the trail. After pulling the hood part of her cloak over her head, Rosetta leaped down to the ground and vanished among the crowd, intent on tracking her targets down.
In another area of LINK VRAINS...
"That was close." Reidrith said, wiping sweat off his face with his left forearm. "I'll admit, even though I'm a Charisma Duelist, I get stage fright."
"Trust me, you get used to it." Jeanne told him. "You know, I have some time to kill. If you want, we can help each other get stronger as Charisma Duelists."
"Seriously?" Reidrith said. His day just got better. "I'd be-."
"If you want to get stronger, then why don't you duel me!" a voice said, startling the two of them. When they turned around, they saw Rosetta behind them.
"Excuse me," Jeanne said, "but we were about to have our duel. So you can just wait until our duel is-."
But before Jeanne could finish, Rosetta pulled out two sharp rose petals from her belt and threw them at both Charisma Duelists. Jeanne and Reidrith raised their left arms instinctively, and the sharp rose petals hit their Duel Disks, turning them on.
"My Duel Petals will force you both to duel me, whether you like it or not." Rosetta explained. "And if you refuse, this happens." She snapped her fingers, causing an eerie black skull to appear on Jeanne and Reidrith's Duel Disks.
"What did you do?" Reidrith demanded.
"Until you accept the duel," Rosetta replied, "my program will infect your Duel Disk, rendering both it and your deck useless. My question is: Are you prepared to lose everything?"
"We both accept your challenge!" Jeanne answered. "But I'll tell you now: We won't be the ones losing everything!"
Reidrith nodded. Although he didn't get the chance to duel Jeanne, he at least could fight with her against this crazy chick who was out to get them.
"We won't be losing!" Reidrith stated.
"Let's see if your declarations either stand tall or fade away." Rosetta grinned behind her mask, as she readied her Duel Disk along with the others.
"Duel!" the three duelists shouted.
Rosetta: 4000 LP
Reidrith and Jeanne Azaria: 4000 LP
"I'll go first!" Rosetta immediately said. "I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Seed Cannon!" A massive thorned flower cannon appeared beside her. "Each time a Plant monster is summoned, I'm allowed to place one Plant counter on this card. Next, I activate another Continuous-Spell card, The World Tree!" A massive tree appeared behind her. "Each time a Plant monster is destroyed, I can place a Flower counter on this card. I now summon Baobaboon from my hand!" A hybrid of a tree and baboon was summoned to her field.
Baobaboon ATK: 1200 DEF: 1000 LV: 3
"Baobaboon's effect!" Rosetta added. "When it's Normal or Special Summoned, I can draw one card, then place one card from my hand to either the top or bottom of my deck." She drew the top card of her deck before selecting another card in her hand and placing it at the top of her deck.
"Seed Cannon's effect activates! Because I summoned a Plant monster, I can place one Plant counter on this card!" Seed Cannon glowed as a counter was placed on it.
Seed Cannon PC: 0 + 1 = 1
"I activate the Spell card, Fragrance Storm! I can target a Plant monster on my field and destroy it. By doing so, I get to draw a card, and if that card was a Plant monster, I get to draw a second card. I therefore target and destroy Baobaboon!" A tornado of roses suddenly appeared and destroyed Baobaboon, turning the creature into particles.
"I draw!" Rosetta declared, drawing the top card of her deck. Upon looking at it, she smirked and revealed what she drew. "The card I drew was Rose Fairy, which means I get to draw another card." Rosetta then drew another card from the top of her deck.
"At this point, I use Rose Fairy's effect! Since it was added to my hand by a card effect, I get to Special Summon it!" A small fairy with rosy red eyes, pink skin and wings flew onto her field. Her hands and feet were decorated with rosy gloves and shoes. She also had a rose petal as hair.
Rose Fairy ATK: 600 DEF: 1200 LV: 3
"The effects of both Seed Cannon and The World Tree activate!" Rosetta continued. "First, because I summoned a Plant monster, I can place one Plant counter on Seed Cannon. Second, because a Plant monster was destroyed, I can place one Flower counter on The World Tree." Both Seed Cannon and The World Tree glowed as they each gained counters.
Seed Cannon PC: 1 + 1 = 2
The World Tree FC: 0 + 1 = 1
"I activate Baobaboon's effect from my Graveyard! Since it was destroyed by battle or card effect, I can Special Summon as many copies of this card from my deck as possible!" Two cards popped out of her deck. "Now emerge and serve me!" Soon, two more Baobaboons were summoned to Rosetta's field in defence position. They were in the Main Monster Zones below the Extra Monster Zones.
Baobaboon ATK: 1200 DEF: 1000 LV: 3
Baobaboon ATK: 1200 DEF: 1000 LV: 3
"The effects of both my Baobaboons activate!" Rosetta said. "Since they were both summoned, each of them lets me draw a card from my deck. But in exchange, I must place one card from my hand to either the top or bottom of my deck." Rosetta then drew two cards from her deck. She chose to keep the one she drew and place a card in her hand to the bottom of her deck. As for the other card, Rosetta simply chose to send it to the bottom of her deck as well.
"Seed Cannon's effect!" Seed Cannon glowed for a third time as two more Plant counters were placed on it.
Seed Cannon PC: 2 + 1 + 1 = 4
"Do you think she's planning to Link Summon?" Reidrith asked Jeanne.
"Maybe." Jeanne replied. "Or she could be planning something else for us."
"Tell me something you two." Rosetta said, getting Reidrith and Jeanne's attention. "Do you want to scream?" Their eyes widened in horror in response to that question.
"Scream? What do you mean?" Jeanne demanded. "Answer me!"
"Why answer when I can show you instead!" Rosetta replied, thrusting out her left hand. "I activate Seed Cannon's second effect! By sending this card from my hand to the Graveyard, I can inflict 500 points of damage for each Plant counter on it!" The thorned flower cannon opened its petals. "Since there are four Plant counters, you take 2000 points of damage!"
"But that's half our life points!" Reidrith exclaimed. Jeanne was also in shock at that statement.
"I know." Rosetta coldly stated the obvious. "Fire!" At once, Seed Cannon fired a barrage of seeds at Reidrith and Jeanne, which hurt. A lot. The cannon then disappeared from Rosetta's field.
Reidrith and Jeanne Azaria: 4000 – 2000 = 2000 LP
"I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Rosetta concluded. "If you two truly call yourselves Charisma Duelists, then you'll respond the same way I did."
"My turn! I draw!" Reidrith said, drawing the top card of his deck. "First, I activate the Field Spell card, Crusadia Revival! Now all 'Crusadia' Link Monsters on the field gain 500 attack points! Next, I summon Crusadia Draco from my hand!" A green dragon wearing golden diamond-like armor, along with a small ornament on its horn appeared on their field.
Crusadia Draco ATK: 600 DEF: 2000 LV: 4
"Now I shall bring out my circuit of courage!" A Link Portal appeared above Reidrith and Jeanne. "The summoning conditions are one 'Crusadia' monster, except Crusadia Magius! I'll set Crusadia Draco into the Link Markers!" Draco went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 1! Crusadia Magius!" A small, red paladin with a purple cape appeared on Reidrith's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. His hat was adorned with a golden crown with blue jewels, and in each of his hands, he carried a sword.
Crusadia Magius ATK: 100 LINK-1 ⬇️
"Revival's effect now activates!"
Crusadia Magius ATK: 100 + 500 = 600
"I activate my Trap card, Rose Curse!" Rosetta suddenly said. "I can only activate this card when the attack points of your monster changes. You take damage equal to the difference between your monster's current and previous attack points!"
"Crap!" Reidrith said, as a whirlwind of roses hit both him and Jeanne, lowering their life points.
Reidrith and Jeanne Azaria: 2000 – 500 = 1500 LP
"She got us again? And this time on our turn?" Jeanne said. She turned to Reidrith. "We have to defeat her quickly."
"Noted." Reidrith agreed. "I activate the effect of Crusadia Leonis from my hand! I'm allowed to Special Summon this card from my hand in defense position to a zone a Link Monster points to!" Soon, a blue-skinned lion with a long, blond mane roared as it was summoned to their field in the Main Monster Zone Magius was pointing to. Like Magius, the lion also wore a golden crown as it took a defensive position.
Crusadia Leonis ATK: 1200 DEF: 1600 LV: 4
"Magius' effect! It gains attack points equal to the attack points of the monster it points to!" Magius was surrounded in a golden aura as he powered up.
Crusadia Magius ATK: 600 + 1200 = 1800
"In addition, I can now activate Magius' second effect!" Reidrith continued. "Since an effect monster was Special Summoned to the zone it points to, I can add a 'Crusadia' monster from my deck to my hand!" Thanks to Magius' effect, a card popped out of Reidrith's deck, letting him add Crusadia Reclusia to his hand.
"Once again, I shall bring out the circuit of courage!" A second Link Portal appeared above Reidrith and Jeanne. "The summoning conditions are two effect monsters, including a 'Crusadia' monster! I'll set Crusadia Magius, which is a Link 1 monster, and Crusadia Leonis into the Link Markers!" Magius went into the bottom arrowhead, while Leonis went into the top arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Crusadia Regulex!" A lion in titanium armor with a blazing mane and two braided ponytails emerged from the Link Portal and appeared in the right Extra Monster Zone on their field.
Crusadia Regulex ATK: 1000 LINK-2 ⬆️⬇️
Crusadia Regulex ATK: 1000 + 500 = 1500
"I activate the effect of Crusadia Arboria from my hand!" Reidrith added. "Just like with Leonis, I'm allowed to Special Summon this card from my hand in defense position to a zone a Link Monster points to!" A female elf with long, green hair was summoned to the Main Monster Zone Regulex was pointing to. She wore ancient, elven clothing, and carried a short sword in her right hand. There was also a small tiara on her head.
Crusadia Arboria ATK: 800 DEF: 1800 LV: 3
"Regulex's effects now activate! Just like with Magius, it gains attack points equal to the attack points it points to. Also, because an effect monster was Special Summoned to a zone it points to, I can now add a 'Crusadia' Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand!" As a golden aura surrounded Regulex, a card popped out of Reidrith's deck once again, letting him add Crusadia Vanguard to his hand.
Crusadia Regulex ATK: 1500 + 800 = 2300
"Now I'll create my circuit for a third time!" Reidrith declared, as a third Link Portal appeared above him and Jeanne. "The summoning conditions are two or more effect monsters, including a Link monster! I'll set Crusadia Regulex, which is a Link 2 monster, and Crusadia Arboria into the Link Markers!" Regulex went into the bottom-left and bottom-right arrowheads, while Arboria went into the top arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! The righteous champion shall rise, ready for what's to come! Link 3! Crusadia Equimax!" Soon, a centaur in golden armor with blue lines running through it galloped out of the Link Portal and appeared in the right Extra Monster Zone on their field. His helmet had four spikes that sprouted out of the back, along with a long, blue tail. Equimax brandished his long blade, ready for battle.
Crusadia Equimax ATK: 2000 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️
Crusadia Equimax ATK: 2000 + 500 = 2500
That's one of the Cyberse monsters I have to obtain, Rosetta thought, as she looked at Equimax.
"If you think I'm stopping here, you're wrong!" Reidrith said. "I activate Revival's second effect! I can target one 'Crusadia' Link monster I control, and by doing so, it can attack all monsters you control once each!" Rosetta's eyes widened in surprise, although her opponents couldn't see her reaction due to the mask on her face.
"Battle! Crusadia Equimax first attacks your Rose Fairy! Courageous Charge!" Equimax charged forward at Rose Fairy and slashed her, causing a massive explosion that resulted in Rosetta using her arm to shield herself from the blast.
Rosetta: 4000 – 1900 = 2100 LP
"The battle still continues!" Reidrith added. "Crusadia Equimax attacks both of your Baobaboons! Courageous Charge!" Equimax charged at each of the Baobaboons and slashed them as well, turning both of them into particles.
"I activate the effect of The World Tree!" Rosetta said. "Whenever a Plant monster is destroyed, I can place a Flower counter on it. Since three Plant monsters were destroyed, I can place three Flower counters on The World Tree!" The tree behind her glowed as it gained three more Flower counters.
The World Tree FC: 1 + 3 = 4
"In that case, I Set two cards face-down and end my turn." Reidrith concluded.
"My turn! I draw!" Rosetta said, drawing the top card of her deck. "I activate the Spell card, Card of Adversity. Since I control no monsters and you control a Special Summoned monster, I'm allowed to draw two cards from my deck!" She then proceeded to draw the top two cards of her deck.
"Next, I summon Lord Poison from my hand!" A fiendish, muddy creature with spikes all over its body, as well as claws, floated onto Rosetta's field.
Lord Poison ATK: 1500 DEF: 1000 LV: 4
"I also activate the Equip Spell card, Mark of the Rose!" Rosetta added. "By banishing a Plant monster from my Graveyard, I'm allowed to target a monster you control and equip it with this card. Afterwards, I can then take control of it! I banish Baobaboon to equip your Crusadia Equimax with Mark of the Rose!" A rose mark then emerged from the card and went onto Equimax. Upon doing so, a dark aura surrounded him, as he went over to Rosetta's side of the field.
"What did you do to my monster?" Reidrith demanded. This was not good at all.
"Simple. It's under my control now." Rosetta replied, grinning behind her mask. "Battle! Crusadia Equimax attacks you both directly!" Equimax charged at both Charisma Duelists, but...
"Counter-Trap, activate!" Reidrith suddenly said. "Negate Attack! This card negates your attack and ends the Battle Phase!" A whirling barrier appeared and protected the Charisma Duelists from Equimax's attack.
"I activate the Continuous-Trap, Crusadia Krawler as well. This card lets me Special Summon it as an effect monster to our field." A golden mechanical insect with blue lines and one eye appeared on Reidrith and Jeanne's field.
Crusadia Krawler ATK: 300 DEF: 2100 LV: 2
"So you survived..." Rosetta muttered. "I Set one card face-down and end my turn. As my turn is over, Mark of the Rose's effect is negated, and your monster is returned to your side of the field." Equimax disappeared from Rosetta's field and reappeared on Reidrith and Jeanne's field in the Main Monster Zone below the right Extra Monster Zone.
"My turn! I draw!" Jeanne said, drawing the top card of her deck.
"Jeanne." Reidrith said, getting her attention. "Use my cards too."
Jeanne nodded. She then used her Duel Disk to look at her field, and gritted her teeth. This girl placed Lord Poison in the Main Monster Zone below the left Extra Monster Zone, she thought. Her face-down card is also in the same column the right Extra Monster Zone is. In addition, Crusadia Equimax is in the Main Monster Zone the right Extra Monster Zone. Which meant that no matter which Extra Monster Zone Jeanne used to Link Summon Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme, it couldn't attack directly. However...
"I Set one card face-down." Jeanne said. "Next, I activate the effect of Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse from my hand! Since there are two or more cards in the same column, I can Special Summon this card to that same column!" Soon, a silver machine with a circle around its body and blue crystals embedded in its armor appeared in attack position on their field.
Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse ATK: 2400 DEF: 2400 LV: 8
"Indigo Eclipse's second effect! Once per turn, I can move one 'Mekk-Knight' monster I control to another Main Monster Zone. I therefore move Indigo Eclipse to the column on its left!" Indigo Eclipse then shifted to the Main Monster Zone on the left.
"I activate the effect of Mekk-Knight Blue Sky from my hand!" Jeanne continued. "Since there are two or more cards in the same column, I can Special Summon this card to that same column!" A mechanical warrior with gold and blue armor and a blue cape appeared on their field, carrying two curved swords.
Mekk-Knight Blue Sky ATK: 2000 DEF: 2500 LV: 5
"Appear! The circuit of colors!" Soon, a Link Portal appeared above Jeanne and Reidrith. "The summoning conditions are two monsters, including a 'Mekk-Knight' monster! I'll set Crusadia Krawler and Mekk-Knight Blue Sky into the Link Markers!" Krawler went into the bottom-arrowhead, while Blue Sky went into the bottom-right arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Mekk-Knight of the Morning Star!" A large, grey bipedal machine with blue lines running across its armor appeared on their field in the right Extra Monster Zone. Instead of hands, it had two electrodes, one of which created a blade of yellow fire.
Mekk-Knight of the Morning Star ATK: 2000 LINK-2 ↙️↘️
"Morning Star's effect activates!" Jeanne added. "When it is Link Summoned, by discarding a 'Mekk-Knight' monster or 'World Legacy' card, I get to add a 'World Legacy' card from my deck to my hand." She discarded Mekk-Knight World Legacy's Secret to add World Legacy Whispers to her hand.
"Appear, once again! The circuit of colors!" A second Link Portal appeared above Jeanne and Reidrith. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Mekk-Knight' monsters! I'll set Mekk-Knight of the Morning Star, which is a Link 2 monster, and Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse into the Link Markers!" Morning Star split into two and entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrowheads, while Indigo Eclipse went into the bottom arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Emerge and display the colors of the rainbow! Link 3! Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme!" A monster that was the combination of all the Mekk-Knight monsters emerged from the Link Portal and landed onto their field in the left Extra Monster Zone.
Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme ATK: 3000 LINK-3 ↙️⬇️↘️
"That's the second Cyberse monster..." Rosetta muttered behind her mask. She checked the card on the field using her Duel Disk. After reading its effects, she narrowed her eyes. It may appear invulnerable, but it won't be that way for long, she thought.
"Battle!" Jeanne declared. "Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme attacks Lord Poison! Rainbow Fall!" Spectrum Supreme flew up high into the air, before firing several rainbow blasts of energy at Lord Poison, destroying it completely and lowering Rosetta's life points.
Rosetta: 2100 – 1500 = 600 LP
"I activate Lord Poison's effect!" Rosetta said. "Since it was destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can target a Plant monster in my Graveyard except Lord Poison and Special Summon it to my field. Return, Rose Fairy!" The small fairy from before reappeared on Rosetta's field and took a kneeling position, indicating that it was Special Summoned in defense position.
Rose Fairy ATK: 600 DEF: 1200 LV: 3
"The battle still continues!" Jeanne stated. "Crusadia Equimax attacks your Rose Fairy!" Equimax charged forward and slashed Rose Fairy, destroying it.
"I activate the effect of The World Tree." Rosetta calmly said. "As Plant monsters were destroyed this turn, I can place Flower counters on it. Therefore, since two Plant monsters were destroyed, I can place two more Flower counters on it." The World Tree glowed once more as it gained more counters.
The World Tree FC: 4 + 2 = 6
"In that case, I'll Set one card face-down and end my turn." Jeanne concluded. "The only card you have on your field is The World Tree."
"Which means on our next turn, you're finished!" Reidrith added.
"Are you sure about that?" Rosetta coldly stated, causing both Charisma Duelists to flinch. "My turn! I draw!" She drew the top card of her deck and looked at it before looking back at them. "On this turn, you will know what real fear feels like."
"Real fear? What do you mean?" Reidrith inquired. "We have the advantage, not you!"
"I activate the Spell card, Card of Variation!" Rosetta said, ignoring Reidrith. "This card lets me draw two cards, but I must send one card from my hand to the Graveyard at the end of my turn. Otherwise, I take 3000 points of damage." She calmly drew the top two cards of her deck.
"Next, I activate The World Tree's effect! I can activate one of three effects by removing a specific number of counters. And I'll choose the third effect, which lets me remove three Flower counters to target a Plant monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it! Come back, Lord Poison!" The World Tree glowed as Lord Poison reappeared on her field.
The World Tree FC: 6 – 3 = 3
Lord Poison ATK: 1500 DEF: 1000 LV: 4
"The best part of The World Tree is that, as long as there's counters," Rosetta added, "I can use any of its effects again! So I'll remove three more Flower counters to target and Special Summon Rose Fairy to my field! Return!" For a second time, The World Tree glowed, allowing Rose Fairy to reappear on her field for a second time.
The World Tree FC: 3 – 3 = 0
Rose Fairy ATK: 600 DEF: 1200 LV: 3
"I summon Witch of the Black Rose from my hand!" A small, female witch with green eyes and long, bushy purple hair twirled her small vined wand as she appeared on Rosetta's field. She wore a black dress with purple roses in the middle, along with high-heeled black boots with little purple roses on the boots.
Witch of the Black Rose ATK: 1700 DEF: 1200 LV: 4
"I then activate the Spell card, Non-Equivalent Exchange!" Rosetta continued. "This card lets me target up to two monsters in your Graveyard and Special Summon them to your field! Return, Crusadia Magius and Mekk-Knight Blue Sky!" Immediately, Magius and Blue Sky reappeared on Reidrith and Jeanne's field.
Crusadia Magius ATK: 100 LINK-1 ⬇️
Crusadia Magius ATK: 100 + 500 = 600
Mekk-Knight Blue Sky ATK: 2000 DEF: 2500 LV: 5
"Why would you summon more monsters to our field?" Reidrith asked. Jeanne, after looking at the field through her Duel Disk, widened her eyes in realization. Spectrum Supreme was pointing to Magius! Which meant...
"She's figured out Spectrum Supreme's weakness." Jeanne said.
"Wait. What do you..." Reidrith was about to say, but when he looked at the field, he too widened his eyes. "Oh no."
"It's the beginning of the end for you two." Rosetta said, getting their attention. "As wielders of Cyberse monsters, you two should have known that this was coming." She pointed at them. "For using Cyberse cards, you two will be destroyed!"
"Destroyed? For using Cyberse cards?!" Jeanne exclaimed. "What do Cyberse cards have to do with this duel?"
"It's something you will never understand..." Rosetta muttered, quietly enough so that the two Charisma Duelists couldn't hear her. She then went back to the duel. "I tune the Level 4 Witch of the Black Rose with the Level 3 Rose Fairy!" A bolt of green lightning struck her as the world greyed out and her two monsters disappeared into particles. Two rings, one purple and one pink, appeared before turning blue and merging. Seven blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "3 + 4" in front of them. The screen changed to "7" as light surged through the rings.
"The cold flame engulfs the entire world!" Rosetta chanted. "Pitch-black flower, bloom! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 7! Black Rose Dragon!" A massive, black-skinned dragon, whose entire body was covered in roses, spread out her wings and let out a shriveling roar as she was summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone on Rosetta's field. She had a long, slender neck that was covered in roses at the back, and three mandibles that were made of roses on her head. She also had clawed draconic feet. In addition, the dragon had a long, thorned tail, along with thinner thorned tails. Black Rose Dragon's orange eyes glowed as she glared at the two Charisma Duelists.
Black Rose Dragon ATK: 2400 DEF: 1800 LV: 7
Elsewhere, in LINK VRAINS...
ROOOOOOOOAAAARRRRRR!
"What the hell was that?" Raguel said, having been taken by surprise along with Herald.
"Whatever that was, we need to hurry." Herald replied. "Because I don't think that's anything but good." As if on cue, one of the E.M.S. that Raguel and Herald sent out returned.
"You found the location?" Raguel asked the fly. E.M.S. nodded as it went back into Raguel's Duel Disk. Soon, it showed coordinates on the location of Crusadia Equimax and Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme. "So that's where they are."
"And from the looks of things, their users, Reidrith and Jeanne Azaria, are currently using them in a duel." Herald observed. He turned to Raguel. "The coordinates are nearby. We might be able to make it."
"Send a message to Playmaker and Ai." Raguel said. "If it's the Hanoi, then he'll want a crack at them as well."
"Got it." As Herald went to send a message to Ai and Playmaker, Raguel sped up on his duel board, hoping that he could make it in time.
Meanwhile, at Café Nagi...
"Thanks for coming, Yusaku." Kusanagi said, as Yusaku entered the back of Café Nagi. After receiving a message from Herald, Kusanagi immediately called Yusaku, who said that he was already on his way, as Ai got it too.
"Is it the Hanoi?" Yusaku asked, sitting down at his chair.
"I'm not 100% sure, buddy." Kusanagi replied. "All that Herald said was that he and Raguel found Reidrith and Jeanne Azaria."
"The ones that have those Cyberse cards." Ai added, emerging from Yusaku's Duel Disk. "Honestly, it still surprises me that several Cyberse monsters escaped from Cyberse World prior to the attack on Cyberse World."
"Kusanagi, were you-?" But before Yusaku could finish his question, Kusanagi already pulled up an image on the monitor.
"Able to find their location? Yup." Kusanagi answered. "And based on what Herald's saying, their owners are in a duel with someone." He then frowned. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find out who they were dueling, but I'm still working on it."
"I'll head to LINK VRAINS and find out." Yusaku said, standing up and picking up his Duel Disk before strapping it on.
"Hold on!" Ai snapped. "Are we just going to jump in without not knowing what were facing?"
"We are." Yusaku firmly stated. "If the Hanoi have decided to show up, then it's an opportunity to get answers." He then ran into the sealed room and took out his deck.
"Deck Set! Into the VRAINS!"
At the duel in LINK VRAINS...
"Black Rose Dragon's effect activates!" Rosetta said. "When it's Synchro Summoned, every card on the field is destroyed!"
"Every card?!" Reidrith repeated.
"That's right!" Rosetta confirmed. "And when a card effect that would destroy cards on the field is activated, I'm allowed to activate the Trap card, Doom Gazer! This card inflicts 300 points of damage for each card that would be destroyed and sent to the Graveyard!"
"Oh no!" Jeanne said. "We have seven cards on our field..."
"And I have four..." Rosetta finished. "That's eleven cards destroyed by Black Rose Dragon's effect! Go, Black Rose Gale!" Black Rose Dragon let out a roar as she flapped her wings in front of her, unleashing a tornado and destroying every card on the field. Both Reidrith and Jeanne had to raise their right arms to protect themselves from the wind.
The destruction of all the cards then went into Rosetta's converting frame, which glowed an eerie color. She then took out the converting frame and activated it, causing it to transform into a scythe that was colored rose red and had black trims. The blade was in the shape of a crescent.
"Scatter to OBLIVION!" Rosetta declared, as she quickly charged forward and slashed Reidrith with multiple strikes from her scythe, before suddenly appearing in front of Jeanne and doing the same thing to her. She then did a backward somersault before slashing both Charisma Duelists horizontally at the same time, knocking them to the ground.
Reidrith and Jeanne Azaria: 1500 – 2100 = 0
Rosetta then started laughing at her victory as she said, "Good riddance, Cyberse scum." She walked over to where Reidrith and Jeanne was and grabbed Crusadia Equimax and Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme, smirking behind her mask.
"Hey, stop!"
Rosetta then looked up, and saw Raguel jump off his duel board and land a few feet away from her.
"I don't know what you plan to do with those Cyberse cards," Raguel said, pulling out his sword and pointing it at her, "but whatever it is, I'm not letting you leave with them! So get ready! Because it's time to duel!"
Card Gallery
No new cards introduced in this chapter
QOTC
What were your thoughts on Rosetta's first duel?
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 23: A Damaged Rose. Having identified Rosetta as the one who defeated the Charisma Duelists and stole their Cyberse cards, Raguel challenges her to a duel! However, as the duel progresses, he notices something about her. Meanwhile, Playmaker logs into LINK VRAINS to rendezvous with Raguel. Unfortunately, someone intercepts him...
Author's Notes
Big thanks to HunterHQ for his help with this chapter.
Now this was an interesting chapter to write. I'll start off with the meeting between Watchman, Raguel, and Numera. Watchman assigns them the task of retrieving Crusadia Equimax and Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme from Reidrith and Jeanne Azaria. He also tells them about World Gears of Theurological Demiurgy, which, in this story, is the core that powers the Cyberse World. Although Raguel is hesitant in retrieving the cards, Numera immediately accepts the assignment. What are your thoughts on Raguel's feelings regarding the assignment?
We also had a brief scene with the Hanoi finding the location of the two Cyberse cards. And remember the two OC's that briefly appeared last chapter? Well, they're officially introduced here. The woman in the lab coat is named Athaliah. Her appearance is based off of Jena Anderson from the video game Astral Chain, and her personality is based off of Lusamine from Pokémon Sun and Moon. As for when Athaliah will duel, you'll have to wait and see.
The other girl is an OC by HunterHQ named Tsubaki, also known in LINK VRAINS as Rosetta and by Ace as 'The Graceful Assassin'. As demonstrated in this chapter, she uses a Plant deck that focuses on Synchro Summoning and effect damage. If you were disappointed by her debut duel, fear not! The next chapter will have her duel again, only against Raguel. Her appearance is based off of Ruby Rose from the show RWBY, while her personality is based off of Kallen Kozuki from Code Geass. For those of you who are worried that Tsubaki is 'another Akiza Izinski', please do not worry. Her backstory will be elaborated later on during the Cyberse Hunt arc. That I promise.
Finally, we had Rosetta vs. Reidrith and Jeanne Azaria. This was the first duel in the story that had more than two people. Let me know what your thoughts are on the duel.
Thank you very much for reading Chapter 22 of Obscured Truth. As always, let me know what you thought about this chapter in your reviews below. In addition, constructive criticism is always welcome, as it helps make the story even better. If you know of anyone who would be interested in reading the story, don't hesitate in showing them. Before I go, I wanted to share some good news with you. When the last Profile was updated, I promised to tell you what will come next after Chapter 22. I want to let you all know that up next, immediately, will be Chapter 23. So stay tuned!
How do you think World Gears of Theurological Demiurgy will affect the story? Are you excited for the duel between Raguel and Rosetta? Who will Playmaker be dueling against next chapter?
I hope you're all safe out there, and I will see you next time!