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.

38. Chapter 38: Salvation

Response to Reviews

Thank you to Kingdom Hearts Guy, Donjusticia, HunterHQ, Decode Talker, Anonymous, ZarcEternal, Noobmaster, Guest, ZeroMK7, Cosmic Cat, Pikachu99, Ambiguous, E.T. 2000, and Electriuser for reviewing Chapter 37 of Obscured Truth.

Welcome folks, to the Season 1 Finale of Obscured Truth. I want to thank every single one of you for reading the story so far, and I hope you're enjoying it so far as well. That said, I have a special QOTC, which will be covered both in the QOTC and Author's Notes sections of the chapter. There will also be an Arc-V announcement as well, so stay tuned for that.

Anyhow, let's answer some reviews:

Kingdom Hearts Guy: You'll have to read the chapter to find out the answer to your question.

Donjusticia: Thanks for pointing out that little error. You'll be happy to know that I corrected it. I didn't mean for Infearno's deck to be that powerful. He's just going all out from the start. Also, please tell Katashi that he's more than welcome to meet Herald if he wants to.

HunterHQ: Patience, my friend. All will be revealed in due time. Also, Infearno went to an actual occult to try and revive Beatrice. Unfortunately, that resulted in him getting his scar, as well as reaching the brink of possession from demons. The demons that tried to possess Infearno eventually became his 'Burning Abyss' deck, thanks to Dr. Kogami's assistance. As for the Lost Incident Facility, that will be covered later on.

Decode Talker: I had to reveal Infearno's backstory at some point, you know. At least Raguel attempted to try and get him to go straight to the duel.

Anonymous: Rosetta, believe it or not, was sent to the same hospital Miyu was in (the Den City Hospital). And yes, it would have been a very awkward reunion if Aoi found out Miyu was there. As for your other question regarding SOL, there will be an opportunity for that in my Author's Notes.

ZarcEternal: I didn't intend to make Infearno's backstory a typical stereotype of a fantasy villain. There will be one more detail that will be put in, which I hope will make it tragic, but I respect your opinion, nonetheless. I also wanted to thank you for pointing out that error. It's been corrected.

Noobmaster: Herald will probably not react well to Revolver having Topologic Gumblar Dragon to his deck. Infearno's real life body is in Revolver's boat. And as for your other question, Azrael did see Dr. Kogami.

Guest: If any of Rosetta's, Blue Angel's, or Go's monsters have any resemblance to the Greeks, then there's a good chance I'll put it. As for Infearno's Extra Link, I put that in to really push Raguel to his limits. But don't worry. Not only will this be the only time Infearno uses the Extra Link, he'll also use the other summoning methods as well.

ZeroMK7: Glad that you're cheering Raguel on.

Cosmic Cat: Thanks for the five stars. Also, Raguel has other 'Cyreath' Link monsters to use. As for your other question, the names are Cyreath Stymphalian Bird, Cyreath Poseidon, Lord of the Sea, and Cyreath Galactic Squid.

Pikachu99: Oh, god. That's a fate worse than death.

Ambiguous: Lord Kazuma's story on how he became a Knight of Hanoi was revealed in Chapter 32, although I can get what you mean by the other Knights of Hanoi. That's something I'll consider for the future if I have time.

E.T. 2000: Thank you very much. When I played Devil May Cry 5, I really liked the concept of the Cavaliere Angelo, which was why I included it in Infearno's deck as a Link 3 monster. Great observation there. As for your other question, all the children from the Lost Incident have Link Sense, but to differing degrees. After all, how else do you think Specter sensed the death of his Ignis? However, they still have unique abilities. If you're confused, you'll find out more information as you read the story.

Electriuser: Sigma and Endymion were created because they had references to both Greek Mythology and Greek culture. As long as there are cards from Rosetta and SengokuQueen's decks that have those references, then there's a chance I can make them in the future. Everyone from the Lost Incident has Link Sense, but to differing degrees. However, each Lost Incident child has a unique ability that sets them apart.

With reviews answered, it's time for the second part of the Season 1 finale. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 38: Salvation

Flashback: Eight Years Ago, at the Uchida Residence...

"Emon!"

As soon as Emon heard Beatrice's voice from the washroom, he ran there from the kitchen and opened the door. Standing inside was Beatrice, who had a look of shock, but also something else as well.

"What is it, Beatrice?" Emon asked, as he walked slowly closer to her, unsure of what to do. To his surprise, Beatrice fast-walked to where Emon was, holding an object in her right hand.

"Something wonderful has happened," she told him, as Beatrice handed the object to Emon.

"This is... a pregnancy test." Emon said, looking at the object with the plus sign on the screen. "Does this mean-?"

"Yes." Beatrice confirmed, a huge smile on her face. "I'm pregnant." Emon couldn't help but surprise her with a kiss on the mouth before pulling her into a joyful embrace.

"This is incredible news." Emon said, overjoyed with the surprise news. "We always talked about being parents, but to think that the day would come..."

"I'm just as excited as you are." Beatrice replied, as she and Emon walked out of the washroom and to the kitchen. "At the same time though, I feel nervous. There's so much to figure out. In fact, I don't know where to even-." Emon then grabbed her shoulders, causing Beatrice to turn to him.

"We'll figure it out together," he assured her. "One day at a time. You remember what Uchida Industries' slogan is, right?"

"You mean making the impossible possible?" Beatrice asked, a playful smile on her face as she turned away from him and began making herbal tea. "I'll have to admit, it surprised me many times." Emon then hugged her lovingly from behind.

"So you see? Whatever happens, we'll solve it together, no matter what." Convinced, Beatrice turned to Emon and gently kissed him on the lips.

Three months later, at the Den City Hospital...

Emon and Beatrice were in the doctor's office at the Den City Hospital, awaiting the results of the ultrasound test. While Emon sat down in a regular chair, Beatrice was sitting in the ultrasound chair.

"I can't believe its only been three months since we found out about this baby." Emon said, who was obviously excited on finding out the baby's gender.

"I know you're excited, honey, but do try to keep it to yourself. We're in a public place." Beatrice told him.

"Sorry," Emon apologized. But before he could continue, a doctor with auburn hair and glasses arrived in her office. She also had a name tag on her doctor's coat, which read "Jennifer Sterling".

"Emon. Beatrice." Dr. Sterling said, getting their attention. "Are you two ready to find out the gender of this baby?"

"Yes," Emon and Beatrice answered.

Dr. Sterling then headed over to the medical table and grabbed gel and a transducer before rubbing the gel on Beatrice's stomach. "Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?"

"To be honest, we don't have a preference." Beatrice replied. "As long as our child is healthy." Dr. Sterling's eyes widened in surprise after seeing the results on the sonogram.

"Well, it's a boy. Or should I say, boys. Congratulations to the both of you." Dr. Sterling said, as Emon and Beatrice's eyes widened in surprise at the fact they're going to be having twins.

Ten minutes later...

Emon and Beatrice were driving home from the Den City Hospital when Beatrice spoke up.

"Hey, Emon?"

"Yes, Beatrice?" Emon said, briefly turning to her. "What is it?"

"Have you ever thought up some ideas on baby names before?" Beatrice asked.

"No. I never have." Emon answered, but that only made Beatrice raise an eyebrow at him.

"Come on, Emon. Surely, you must have some ideas."

Emon thought about it for a second before responding. "Well, when I was younger, I had names for a boy and for a girl in my mind if I ever had children."

"Ooh, tell me." Beatrice said, interested in hearing Emon's ideas.

"Alright, fine. If the child was a boy, I would have wanted to name him Benjiro, and if it was a girl, I would have named her Mako." Hearing these names caused Beatrice to chuckle. "Come on, honey. They're good names, are they not?"

"Of course they are." Beatrice replied, trying to muffle her laughter. She then looked down at her stomach, the twin boys that were in her womb. "Although, I have a different idea in mind since we're expecting twins. What do you think of Dante and Virgil as baby names?"

Emon smiled at the suggestion. With Divine Comedy being the couple's favorite book, as well as the fact they were having twin baby boys, it made sense. Looks like there was a winner in terms of baby names.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Beatrice." Emon said, smiling at Beatrice. "I have a feeling that our children will help in creating a better world for humanity."

Beatrice smiled back at Emon. "They will, Emon. They will."

Flashback End: Present Day...

Infearno watched as Raguel collapsed in front of him. He then looked over the entire duel field.

Raguel: 100 LP

Infearno: 3500 LP

The only cards Raguel had on his field were his two Cyberse Pendulum cards: Cyreath Sigma and Cyreath Endymion. Infearno, on the other hand, had the Field Spell card Desecrated Land of the Burning Abyss, the Continuous-Spell card Rise of the Burning Abyss, the Continuous-Trap card Eternal Damnation in the Burning Abyss, a face-down Tactics of the Burning Abyss, and a Set card. Cavaliere Angelo of the Burning Abyss was in the right Extra Monster Zone while Phlegyas, Guardian of the Burning Abyss was in the left Extra Monster Zone. In the middle Main Monster Zone was Cerberus, Hound of the Burning Abyss, co-linked with both Phlegyas and Cavaliere Angelo, forming an Extra Link.

Cavaliere Angelo of the Burning Abyss ATK: 3000 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️

Cerberus, Hound of the Burning Abyss ATK: 3500 LINK-3 ↖️⬆️↗️

Phlegyas, Guardian of the Burning Abyss ATK: 3500 LINK-3 ↙️⬇️↘️

LINK VRAINS automatically logs a person out if they've been unconscious for five minutes, Infearno thought. As long as Raguel doesn't wake up, the duel is over. And even if he does get up, he's only got 100 life points.

Infearno closed his eyes. It's almost over. The Tower will soon be complete, and humanity will be saved. He then opened his eyes and sighed. Beatrice. You may hate me for what I've done, but know that everything I did was to create a better world for humanity. Even if I end up in Hell for my sins and you end up in Heaven, I hope you'll understand that my intentions were purely just. Nothing more, nothing less.

Meanwhile...

Although his eyes were closed, Yuhiro felt himself slowly falling in a dark abyss. He didn't know how much time had passed, but the only feeling he felt was him falling.

Damn, he thought. I can't believe I collapsed during one of the most important duels of my life. If I can't wake up, I won't be able to keep my promise to Miyu. Nor will I be able to-.

The next thing Yuhiro knew, he felt himself starting to fall faster than he expected, causing him to open his eyes out of concern.

"Wait." Yuhiro said, now starting to panic. "What's going- AAAHHH!"

Within moments, he suddenly landed on the ground, having stopped falling at the last second. When Yuhiro got up on his feet, he slowly looked at the area he ended up in. A swing set, a slide, a sidewalk, chalk on the ground, children...

Did I just end up in a playground, he thought, confirming his suspicions. Yup. Those were indeed children playing in the playground.

"Higher, mommy! Higher!" one of the children requested her mom on the swing set.

"Weeeee!" another of the children said, having slid down the slide.

"Daddy, look at what I drew on the ground!" a child said, beckoning his dad to come and look at their artwork.

Yuhiro couldn't help but smile. Being here was rather... peaceful. For some reason, he felt at peace when he was with kids. Progleo would love being with them right now, Yuhiro thought. Which made him realize something. Where were they? "Herald? Progleo?" No voice answered him back, causing him to frown. If they weren't here, that meant they were still alive.

If this is my afterlife, then it's not a bad one, Yuhiro thought, as he walked to one of the empty swings and sat down on it. He could at least keep an eye on the children in the afterlife.

As time passed and the kids left with their parents, the sky shifted from bright blue with clouds to an evening sunset. Well, at least I went down knowing I did everything I could, he thought, looking down at the ground.

"You're supposed to swing on a swing, not sit on one."

Yuhiro looked up at the voice. The girl in front of him was his age, with dark blue eyes. She also had long, red hair that reached up to her nape, which included a side bang on each side of her hair as well. In addition, the girl wore nothing more than a hospital gown.

Wait... hospital gown? Upon realizing who was speaking to him, Yuhiro fell backwards off the swing and onto the ground.

"M-Miyu?!" Yuhiro exclaimed in shock, as he stood up on his feet. "H-How are you-? Oh, no, no, no, no, no." He grabbed his hands with his head . "Please tell me you're not-."

Miyu giggled as she grabbed his hands with hers, calming him down. "I'm not dead, silly."

"Then how are you here?"

"Dunno." Miyu shrugged her shoulders. "But I do know three things. One: I've been in what doctors call a coma for a very long time. Two: I know you and Auntie Roxy have been doing everything you could to help me survive. Apparently, people in comas can hear sounds in the environment, like a voice. Three: I may not know how I ended up here, but based on whatever's going on, you need some help."

Yuhiro gasped. The way Miyu was able to figure those things out that quickly was nothing more than amazing. "You're right," he said, looking at Miyu. "I do need help."

"Then follow me!" Miyu said, taking Yuhiro's hand as she dragged him to the swings. "I'll show you how to properly use a swing." She sat down on one of the swings before Yuhiro did the same. "You have to pump your legs back and forth. Like this." Miyu pumped her legs back and forth, causing her body to move upwards before going downwards and back up again. "But if you pump too much, you'll go too high and fall straight to the ground." She laughed as she continued swinging.

How exactly is a swing supposed to help me, Yuhiro thought, as he looked at Miyu. He then shrugged his shoulders. Oh well. He had nothing else to do right now. So Yuhiro pumped his legs back and forth, gaining momentum. Within moments, he gained the same height as Miyu as he continued swinging. He even had some fun in the process.

Eventually, they stopped swinging, with Miyu getting off the swing first. "Come over here, Yuhiro!" she said, beckoning him to follow her. After Yuhiro caught up to her, he found her at a nearby sidewalk, with a pack of different colored chalk.

"You want me to... draw with chalk?" Yuhiro asked her.

"When I was a kid, I loved to draw." Miyu replied, as she began drawing with the chalk on her hand. Yuhiro attempted to look at what she was drawing, but Miyu caught him in the act. "Hey. Don't look at my drawings. It's not even close to finished yet. Do your drawings and then we'll share."

Yuhiro shrugged his shoulders before complying. After thinking for a few moments, he then began to draw. Although Yuhiro wasn't good at drawing, he was able to make a decent effort at it. "And finished. Can I look now?"

"Sure." Miyu said, allowing Yuhiro to look at her drawings. "What do you think of the pretty flowers I drew?"

"I think they look amazing." Yuhiro answered. "Um, what do you think of my drawings?" Miyu looked at the people Yuhiro drew on the sidewalk.

"I recognize Auntie Roxy, but who are the others?"

"This is Herald, Progleo, Quinton Monell, Rachel Miyake, Aoi Zaizen, Yusaku Fujiki, Tsubaki Kinoshita, and Go Onizuka." Yuhiro said, pointing to each one.

"They're pretty nice drawings." Miyu commented, before she turned to look behind her, getting an idea. She then got up and started running to the slide. "Follow me, you slowpoke!" Yuhiro then followed after her, curious as to what her plan was.

"I'll go first." Miyu then went down the slide, giggling in excitement as she did. "Your turn, Yuhiro."

"You seriously want me to slide down a slide?" Yuhiro asked, raising an eyebrow. Seriously. What was the point in doing all these playground activities? Unfortunately for him, this caused Miyu to pout at him.

"Aw come on, Yuhiro!" Miyu complained. "Just give it a try, will you?"

Not wanting to incur her wrath, Yuhiro decided to slide down the slide. When he got to the bottom, a part of him felt some joy, as though he didn't have fun in a while. "Okay. You're up." The two of them then continued to use the slide a bit longer until they decided to go for a walk.

"Hey Miyu." Yuhiro said, getting her attention. "I think I get why you wanted me to do those playground activities with you."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"I guess it was to remind me of who I was fighting for." When Miyu raised an eyebrow in confusion, he continued. "When I used the swing, it showed me that even though I was pushed in one direction, I can make a comeback in the opposite direction. The drawings helped me remember the people that had an impact on my life. And lastly, when I went on the slide, I learned that life only goes in one direction. It's the choices you make in the situation that make it count."

Miyu stopped walking, causing Yuhiro to do the same. "You see. I knew you'd feel better after some help."

"And in an unexpected way too." Yuhiro added, causing him and Miyu to laugh. Suddenly, a light shined down from the sky, causing them to look up. "What's happening?" Miyu said nothing but instead smiled at him.

"You need to wake up now," she told him. The next thing knew, Yuhiro saw Miyu's outfit change from her hospital gown to a long, white dress with short sleeves and a black sash. She also wore white sandals as well. Miyu then started hovering slightly away from Yuhiro.

"Can't you stay a bit longer?" Yuhiro asked, as he looked into Miyu's beautiful eyes. A small blush began to form on his face as he felt Miyu place her hands on his cheeks. They were warm... and soft.

Miyu shook her head. "I can't. It's not up to me. Besides, you have a job to finish." A small blush also began to form on her face as she caressed Yuhiro's cheeks slowly, the tips of her fingers being gently dragged across his skin. In response, Yuhiro reached one of his hands up to grab Miyu's hand. "Never forget. That's the truth. I'll always be with you, Yuhiro." With a loving smile, she turned into bright particles and faded away from Yuhiro.

"Miyu..." Yuhiro muttered her name. "Thank you. For giving me strength." He then looked at the sky. "It's time to end this."

At the duel...

Raguel opened his eyes and gasped as energy surrounded him, surprising everyone. Infearno couldn't help but widen his eyes as Raguel braced his hands against the ground and pushed himself up, his Link Trigger flowing through his body. Don't let it control you, Raguel thought. Push through the pain, and control it instead! As a result, when he fully stood up, the white aura surrounding him was no longer hazy. Instead, it was translucent and smooth. While his eyes glowed red, it wasn't burning bright as before.

"HOW?!" Infearno exclaimed, clearly shocked that Raguel was able to get back up on his feet. "The physical and mental toll of the duel caused you to collapse!"

"Huh?" Raguel said, looking at his body before looking at his hands. "I know my Link Trigger activated, but it's... not controlling me."

"You're alive!" Herald said with great joy, getting Raguel's attention. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Herald. More than fine, believe it or not." Raguel replied.

"You scared me!" Roxy shouted over the earpiece, scaring Raguel. "For a moment there, I thought you were dead! Never do that to me again!"

"I'm sorry to have scared you, Roxy." Raguel replied back. "I'm alive now, so don't worry."

"That's great to hear. Because you have less than half an hour to shut down the Tower of Hanoi."

Raguel gasped upon hearing that. He had to finish this duel quickly. But with 100 life points and Cyreath Providence in his hand, he needed a plan, and fast.

"Thanks for the reminder, Roxy." Raguel said. "Now if you excuse me, I got someone's ass to kick." He then turned his attention to Infearno. "You may think the duel's over, but it's not. As long as I have life points and cards, I still have a chance at kicking your ass for good!"

Infearno narrowed his eyes. "You think a delusional fool like yourself has a chance to defeat me? Especially someone who's fortified a strong offense and defense? I highly doubt you can."

"Oh yeah? Let's change that." Raguel stated, putting a hand on the top card of his deck. "My turn! I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck and looked at it. Upon doing so, his shoulders dropped. "Herald, what the hell is this card?"

"Just bring it out." Herald told him. "Although the little guy's mischievous, he can be of some assistance."

"I would have preferred Cyreath Destruction, but if you say this card will help, then I'll trust you." Raguel complied. He then redirected his attention to the duel. "I summon Cyreath Myrmekes from my hand." A giant, ant-like creature the size of a dog with light-brown skin tunneled its way onto Raguel's field.

Cyreath Myrmekes ATK: 500 DEF: 500 LV: 3

"An ant? Really?" Infearno questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I named it Ant-thony!" Herald replied, much to Raguel's confusion.

"When Myrmekes is Normal Summoned, I can target one card you control and banish it." Raguel explained, catching Infearno off guard. "I target and banish your Eternal Damnation of the Burning Abyss!" Myrmekes then made a beeline towards Eternal Damnation of the Burning Abyss, chomping the card up before turning it into particles and returning to Raguel's field.

"Way to go, Ant-thony!" Herald cheered Myrmekes, causing Infearno to scowl in anger. He turned to Raguel. "We can now use our Link monster's effects!"

"That's true, Herald, but we have to break Infearno's Extra Link before we can truly break through his defenses." Raguel pointed out. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Cyreath Providence! Like before, immediately after this effect resolves, I can Link Summon one 'Cyreath' Link Monster by shuffling 'Cyreath' monsters from my Graveyard to my deck and/or Extra Deck!" He pointed to the sky. "Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" A Link Portal appeared above Raguel's head. "The summoning conditions are exactly three 'Cyreath' monsters! I'll shuffle Cyreath Shade, Cyreath Nymph, and Cyreath Skull Wing, which is a Link 1 monster, into my deck and Extra Deck to set them into the Link Markers!" Three blasts of energy went out of Raguel's Graveyard and into the left, right, and bottom arrowheads.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Bring down the rage of the ocean and ensure that nothing is left! Link 3! Cyreath Poseidon, Lord of the Sea!" A massive water elemental with rocky elements forming around his chest and glowing heart appeared on Raguel's field in the Main Monster Zone Cavaliere Angelo was pointing to. Several watery hippocampi protruded out of the rock formation below his waist, with two hippocampi appearing as makeshift arms. The water elemental had wet, braided hair, with a crown on the back of his head in the form of crab legs. He carried a trident, which was covered in electricity. Poseidon growled in rage upon looking at Infearno.

Cyreath Poseidon, Lord of the Sea ATK: 3000 LINK-3 ⬅️⬇️➡️

"Since Skull Wing was used to Link Summon, you take 300 points of damage." Raguel added, as a silhouette of Skull Wing appeared and went through Infearno, making him shudder as his life points dropped.

Infearno: 3500 – 300 = 3200 LP

Infearno took an unconscious step back in surprise. "The monster that defeated Lord Kazuma," he muttered, his eyes wide. He quickly recomposed himself. "I-Impressive, Raguel. But before my monster's, he will fall."

"We'll see about that." Raguel replied. He pointed his right hand to the sky. "Appear, for a second time! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" A second Link Portal appeared in the sky above Raguel. "The summoning conditions are one 'Cyreath' monster. I'll set Cyreath Myrmekes into the Link Markers!" Myrmekes went into the bottom-left arrowhead, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyreath Ceryneian Hind!" For a second time, Ceryneian Hind appeared on Raguel's field, only in the Main Monster Zone Poseidon was pointing to.

Cyreath Ceryneian Hind ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ↙️

"When Myrmekes is used as Link Material for the Link Summon of a 'Cyreath' Link monster, I can Special Summon one 'Cyreath Myrmekes Critter' token to my field." A smaller version of Myrmekes appeared on Raguel's field.

Cyreath Myrmekes Critter ATK: 200 DEF: 200 LV: 2

"Also, when Ceryneian Hind is Link Summoned, I can draw one card from my deck." He drew the top card of his deck and widened his eyes. About time he drew that card. "I activate the Spell card, Cyreath Destruction. When this card is activated, I can destroy all Spell and Trap cards you control, and then draw one card for each Spell or Trap card destroyed by this effect. In addition, if you control a Link monster, you can't activate any Spell or Trap cards in response to this effect."

Infearno was befuddled upon hearing that. "A card like yours can't exist..."

"Your Spell and Trap cards are history." Herald said, as Cyreath Destruction fired a blast of fire at Rise of the Burning Abyss, Desecrated Land of the Burning Abyss, and Infearno's face-down card, reducing them to nothing but volcanic ash. "Since Rise of the Burning Abyss is gone, your monsters each lose 500 attack points." This earned Herald a scowl from Infearno, causing him to shriek in fear.

Cavaliere Angelo of the Burning Abyss ATK: 3000 – 500 = 2500

Cerberus, Hound of the Burning Abyss ATK: 3500 – 500 = 3000

Phlegyas, Guardian of the Burning Abyss ATK: 3500 – 500 = 3000

"As three cards were destroyed by this effect, I can draw three cards from my deck." Raguel told Infearno, as he drew the top three cards of his deck and looked at them. These should help. "Appear, for a third time! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" A third Link Portal appeared in the sky above Raguel. "The summoning conditions are two 'Cyreath' monsters. I'll set Cyreath Ceryneian Hind, which is a Link 1 monster, and the Cyreath Myrmekes Critter token into the Link Markers!" Ceryneian Hind went into the right arrowhead, while the Myrmekes Critter token went into the bottom arrowhead.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Emerge! Link 2! Cyreath Minotaur!" A creature with the head and tail of a bull, as well as the body of a man, appeared on Raguel's field in the Main Monster Zone Poseidon pointed to. He wore a fauld around his waist, and on each of his wrists was some armor. Minotaur swung his axe at Infearno, ready for battle.

Cyreath Minotaur ATK: 1800 LINK-2 ➡️⬇️

"I activate the Equip Spell card, Boots of Hermes, and equip it onto Minotaur." Raguel added. "A monster equipped with this card can attack directly, but all battle damage inflicted is halved. Also, while equipped, it can't be targeted by card effects once per turn." Immediately, a pair of boots with wings on them appeared, which Minotaur grabbed and put on. Unfortunately for him, he had to stretch them to put them on, thus making his big feet look uncomfortable.

"I activate Sigma's effect. Once per turn, if there's a 'Cyreath' monster in my other Pendulum Zone, I can target one 'Cyreath' Link monster on my field, and any battle damage inflicted by that monster is doubled! I target Minotaur!" Raguel then thrusted out his right hand. "Battle! With the Boots of Hermes, Cyreath Minotaur attacks you directly!" Using the Boots of Hermes to fly, which took more strength than usual, Minotaur flew over Infearno's field of monsters and slashed Infearno using his axe, causing him to take a few steps back as his life points dropped.

Infearno: 3200 – ((1800 / 2) X 2) = 1400 LP

"Since Minotaur inflicted battle damage, I get to draw a card from my deck." Raguel drew the top card of his deck before continuing. "The battle still continues! Cyreath Poseidon, Lord of the Sea attacks Cavaliere Angelo of the Burning Abyss! Ocean's Judgement!" Poseidon pointed his trident at Cavaliere Angelo, causing the makeshift arms to lunge forward and grab him. Poseidon then blasted Cavaliere Angelo with electricity from his trident, destroying and turning him into particles. Infearno grunted as his life points dropped.

Infearno: 1400 – 500 = 900 LP

"I Set two cards face-down and end my turn." Raguel concluded, as two cards appeared face-down on his field.

"Nice combo, Raguel." Herald praised him. "You turned the main weakness of the Boots of Hermes into an advantage thanks to Sigma."

"Thanks, Herald." Raguel replied. He then turned to Sigma. Thanks to you as well, Sigma, he thought. In a way, just like how Stregone was with him through Endymion, Numera was with him through Sigma.

"My turn! I draw!" Infearno said, getting Raguel's attention as he drew the top card of his deck. "I didn't expect you to break my Extra Link, Raguel, but know I still have plenty of tricks left, starting with this! I activate the Spell card, Card of Demise. This card lets me draw until I have five cards in my hand, but at the beginning of my fifth turn, any cards that are in my hand are sent to the Graveyard." He drew the top five cards of his deck before continuing. "I activate the second effect of Good and Evil in the Burning Abyss. By banishing this card and sending one 'Burning Abyss' card from my hand to the Graveyard, I can add one 'Burning Abyss' card from my deck to my hand." He took a card from his hand and sent it to his Graveyard before taking a card that popped out of his deck and added it to his hand. "Cir's effect! As I sent him to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one 'Burning Abyss' monster from my Graveyard! Return, Graff!" At Infearno's command, Graff reappeared on his field.

Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1000 DEF: 1500 LV: 3

"I summon Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from my hand." A winged demon with blue skin, wings and claws, as well as braided hair, appeared on Infearno's field.

Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1300 DEF: 700 LV: 3

"Since I control no Spell or Trap cards, I can also Special Summon Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from my hand." Infearno explained. "Come!" A pink-skinned demon with horns, wings, and a wooden staff appeared on Infearno's field.

Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 100 DEF: 2100 LV: 3

"In addition, I activate the Spell card, Level Tuning. This card reduces the levels of all face-up monsters on my field by one until the End Phase." Level Tuning then glowed, causing Graff, Libic, and Rubic to glow as well.

Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss LV: 3 – 1 = 2

Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss LV: 3 – 1 = 2

Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss LV: 3 – 1 = 2

"Why would Infearno reduce the levels of his monsters?" Herald asked. "He could have Synchro Summoned Virgil using only two of them."

"That's true." Raguel agreed with him. His eyes then widened. "Unless he's got something else planned with those three monsters!"

"It seems you're catching on, Raguel." Infearno said, getting his attention. "Just like how my Extra Link surprised you, I got another surprise just for you. I activate the Spell card, Harmonic Synchro Fusion! With this card, I'm allowed to use monsters I control to Fusion and Synchro Summon!"

"What?!" Raguel and Herald exclaimed at the same time, as Graff, Libic, and Rubic split into two copies each.

"No way." Roxy said, shocked at what she heard. "A card that lets the user Fusion and Synchro Summon at the same time?!"

"First, I tune the Level 2 Rubic with the Level 2 Graff and the Level 2 Libic!" Infearno declared, as a bolt of orange lightning struck him. The world then greyed out and his three monsters disintegrated into particles. Three rings, one purple, one black, and the other blue appeared before turning blue and merging. Six blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "2 + 2 + 2" in front of them. The screen changed to "6" as light surged through the rings.

"The poet's guide through Hell and Purgatory! Return to the earth once more and guide the traveler in his quest! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 6! Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss!" A man in a white tunic, brown vest, and large hat emerged from the light and onto Infearno's field in the Main Monster Zone Phlegyas was pointing to. He carried a large golden guitar with blue flames spouting from the ends in his hands. Looking at Raguel gracefully, Virgil strung a few chords on his guitar.

Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2500 DEF: 1000 LV: 6

"Next, I use Graff, Libic, and Rubic to Fusion Summon!" The three monsters disintegrated into red, blue, and green particles before swirling into a vortex. Three tornadoes of energy shot upwards and merged to form a white and yellow whirlwind.

"Through Hell and Purgatory, at last, enlightenment is reached!" Infearno chanted. "Embrace the power of Paradise and leave your enemies in eternal damnation! Fusion Summon! Appear, Level 9! Dante, Pilgrim of the Burning Abyss!" The blue-haired man returned to Infearno's field in the other Main Monster Zone Phlegyas pointed to, smiling at Raguel in the process. Only this time, he wore elaborate gold, white, and purple robes. In his right hand,he wielded an elaborate wooden staff topped with golden wings.

Dante, Pilgrim of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2800 DEF: 2500 LV: 9

"Okay, that's something you don't see every day." Raguel said, as he looked at the two monsters Infearno just brought out to his field. The good news was that Infearno had no more cards in his hand to make other moves. The bad news was that he had powerful monsters on his field, which outnumbered the two Raguel had.

"I never thought I'd get the chance to use Harmonic Synchro Fusion against you." Infearno stated. "So it's a good thing I can use it now." He narrowed his eyes immediately at Raguel. "At this point, only the effect of Graff activates because I have no monsters in my hand for Libic's effect. Since he was sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one 'Burning Abyss' monster from my deck. Rise to life, Familiar of the Burning Abyss!" A small, imp-like creature with fire all over its orange skin bounced onto Infearno's field.

Familiar of the Burning Abyss ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 3

"When Familiar of the Burning Abyss is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Set one 'Burning Abyss' Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of Infearno's deck, which he took and Set to his field. "Also, you can't target this card for attacks or effects while I control a 'Burning Abyss' monster with a different name."

Even though Infearno has the advantage right now in terms of life points and monsters, he's taking precautions, Raguel deduced. Which meant he had to figure out what Infearno was planning before it was too late.

"Battle!" Infearno declared. "Cerberus, Hound of the Burning Abyss attacks Cyreath Minotaur! Triple Finish!" Fire, Ice, and Thunder energies began to form in each of Cerberus' heads before they fired them all at once at Minotaur.

"Trap card, activate! Cyreath Counter Shuffle!" Raguel interrupted. "Since you declared an attack with a Link Monster, I can negate the attack, and then return that monster right back to your Extra Deck!" Minotaur jumped over the combined blast fired from Cerberus before leaping forward and slashing the three-headed hound using his axe, turning him into particles.

"Your three-headed dog is sent back to the kennel!" Herald said, happy that one of Infearno's best monsters left the field.

"Tch..." Infearno gritted his teeth in anger. "If that attack won't stop you, then this one will! Phlegyas, Guardian of the Burning Abyss attacks Cyreath Minotaur. Hellfire of Rage!" Phlegyas' hands glowed as he raised them high in the air, causing the ground underneath Minotaur to heat up.

"I activate my other Trap card, Cyreath Mirror Shield!" Raguel responded. "By sending a 'Cyreath' Link monster from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard, I can reduce damage by 500 times its Link rating. I'll send Cyreath Galactic Squid from my Extra Deck to my Graveyard, and reduce damage by 1500!" Soon, a three-layered golden shield with a reflective surface appeared beneath Minotaur, which temporarily stopped the inferno underneath the ground from emerging. Eventually, the inferno broke through the shield and engulfed Minotaur, causing him to scream as he turned into particles.

"Minotaur may be gone, but we're still in this duel!" Herald stated.

"That was a close one." Roxy said, breathing a sigh of relief as she looked at the screen. "How you holding up, Yuhiro?"

"Just fine." Raguel whispered back into the earpiece. "Although I wish I didn't lose Minotaur."

"I end my turn." Infearno concluded, annoyed that Raguel was able to survive this turn. "You're up, boy."

"My turn! I draw!" Raguel said, drawing the top card of his deck. "I Set one card face-down. Then I activate the Spell card, Pandora's Box. This card lets me draw until I have five cards in my hand. However, I must discard a 'Cyreath' monster from my hand at the end of my turn, or I'll take 2000 points of damage." He then drew the top five cards of his deck.

"With the set Pendulum Scale, I can Special Summon monsters from between Levels 2 and 7 at the same time! Emerge, Cyreath Doppelganger and Cyreath Archer!" Within moments, a portal opened between the two pillars, where two lights emerged. The lights hit the field and then dissipated, revealing two monsters.

The first monster was a pale, shadowy man.

The second monster was a female woman with pink hair and a light-green cloak.

Cyreath Doppelganger ATK: 500 DEF: 500 LV: 4

Cyreath Archer ATK: 1400 DEF: 1000 LV: 3

"Appear! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" A Link Portal appeared in the sky above Raguel. "The summoning conditions are two monsters, except tokens! I'll set Cyreath Doppelganger and Cyreath Archer into the Link Markers!" Doppelganger went into the left arrowhead, while Archer went into the right arrowhead.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Progleo!" A white-furred cub with orange eyes emerged from the Link Portal and was summoned to the Main Monster Zone Poseidon was pointing to, resulting in both of them being co-linked. The cub had a satellite dish around his neck, as well as an old video recorder on his back. He also had a small brace on each of its claws, and a small coil attached to his tail.

Progleo ATK: 1000 LINK-2 ⬅️➡️

"We're counting on you, Progleo!" Herald said to the cub.

"I won't disappoint!" Progleo promised. "I'll rip this Hanoi meanie a new one and get experience points."

"I activate Doppelganger's effect from my Graveyard!" Raguel continued, slightly disturbed by what Progleo said. "Once per duel, by banishing one 'Cyreath' monster from my Graveyard, I get to Special Summon this card to my field in attack position. I banish Cyreath Archer from my Graveyard to Special Summon Doppelganger back to my field!" Doppelganger, for a second time, materialized itself onto Raguel's field. More specifically, to the Main Monster Zone Progleo was currently pointing to.

Cyreath Doppelganger ATK: 500 DEF: 500 LV: 4

"From there, I'll activate Progleo's effect. By banishing Progleo and one other monster he points to, I can target one Link monster in either of our Graveyards and Special Summon it to my field. However, its banished once it leaves the field."

"Either of our Graveyards?" Infearno repeated, shocked at what he heard. To think that the little cub he first saw in the Data Storm would have that kind of power. He should have destroyed him when he had the chance.

"Correct." Raguel confirmed. "I banish Progleo and Doppelganger to resurrect Turboblaze Dragon!"

"Thank you, Progleo!" Herald said, waving to the cub. "You made us proud!"

"See you later!" Progleo replied, turning to Herald and Raguel before happily wagging his tail. He and Doppelganger then disintegrated into yellow particles that combined to form Turboblaze Dragon, which reappeared on Raguel's field, only in the Main Monster Zone.

Turboblaze Dragon ATK: 3000 LINK-4 ⬅️⬆️⬇️➡️

"Glad to be back!" Turboblaze Dragon said, roaring at Infearno.

"It sure is good to have you back." Raguel replied. He then directed his attention to Infearno. "With these next two attacks, this duel is over! Battle! Turboblaze Dragon attacks Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss! Desolation Flare!" The jet engine-like tail glowed with power before Turboblaze Dragon flew up into the air and charged up an orb of orange fire before firing it at Virgil.

Sadly, things were never that easy, which Infearno proved by gesturing to his face-down card. "I activate the Trap card, Hope in the Burning Abyss!" The card showed Dante prostrated on the ground before an angel from Heaven, who encouraged him to keep going on his quest. "When a 'Burning Abyss' monster I control is targeted for an attack, I can negate the attack and end the Battle Phase!" A bright light came from above, protecting Virgil and causing the orb of orange fire to fizzle out.

"If I had Nymph in my hand, I could have destroyed it..." Raguel muttered. Unfortunately, he had a different monster in his hand, which he had to discard for Pandora Box's effect. "I Set one more card face-down and end my turn. As my turn is over, I discard Cyreath Orne from my hand to avoid the 2000 penalty for activating Pandora's Box."

"My turn! I draw!" Infearno said, drawing the top card of his deck. "First, I activate the Spell card, Pot of Greed. This card lets me draw two cards from my deck." He drew the top two cards of his deck and inspected them before turning to Raguel. "For a victim of the Lost Incident, you truly were a powerful opponent, Raguel. As much as I want our duel to continue, time is ticking, and I must obtain that answer. Which is why I'll defeat you this turn!" He thrusted his right hand out into the sky. "Appear! The circuit of blood and death!" Instead of appearing in the sky, the Link Portal appeared behind Infearno. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Burning Abyss' monsters. I'll set Phlegyas, Guardian of the Burning Abyss, which is a Link 3 monster, and Familiar of the Burning Abyss into the Link Markers!" Phlegyas split into three tornadoes of energy that went behind Infearno and to the left, right, and bottom-left arrowheads, while Familiar of the Burning Abyss also went behind Infearno and went into the bottom-right arrowhead.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Ruler of Hell, the fulfilled time has come! Break free from your imprisonment and take over Heaven as its rightful ruler! Link 4! Lucifer, Condemner of the Burning Abyss!" A muscular, supernaturally tall and humanoid demon with dark grey skin and several glowing scars around his body appeared on Infearno's field in the left Extra Monster Zone. Along with glowing red, orange, and yellow eyes, Lucifer's face consisted of thin lava-like scars resembling streaks of tears running from his face. On his head were two large horns, while his shoulders and chest had small spikes on them. He wore a brass-colored armlet on each of his arms, which were in the shape of a serpent. His legs appeared goat-like, in the form of a satyr. As evident that he fell from Heaven, Lucifer's back had smoking stumps, which showed where his wings once were. In his right hand, he carried a large demonic sword. Lucifer chuckled as he looked at Raguel, intent on eliminating him the first chance he got.

Lucifer, Condemner of the Burning Abyss ATK: 3000 LINK-4 ↙️⬅️➡️↘️

Raguel grit his teeth. "A Link 4..." he muttered.

"Don't worry, Raguel." Herald assured him. "No matter how powerful he is, I know we can defeat Lucifer."

"You're sorely mistaken if you think you can defeat Lucifer." Infearno said with a furious scowl on his face. "For when Lucifer is Link Summoned, one card on your field is banished." He thought for a moment before deciding. "I choose to banish the face-down card on your right. Hell's Rupturing!"

"I hope you didn't need that card, child!" Lucifer cackled, as he pointed his sword at the card and fired a blast of demonic fire at it, turning it into ashes and causing Raguel to narrow his eyes. Just great. He needed Cyreath Petrification, and now it was gone.

"I activate the Spell card, Monster Reborn." Infearno continued. "This card lets me Special Summon one monster from either of our Graveyards to my field. Return, Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss!" At Infearno's command, Dante reappeared on his field.

Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1000 DEF: 2500 RNK: 3 OU: 0

"Normally, to Xyz Summon this monster, I need two Level 6 monsters. But I can also Xyz Summon this monster by using one 'Dante' monster I control as the Xyz Material. To do that though, I need to send one 'Burning Abyss' monster from my hand to the Graveyard." He took the only card in his hand and sent it to the Graveyard. "I send Retriever of the Burning Abyss from my hand to the Graveyard so I can use Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss to rebuild the Overlay Network!"

"He's Xyz Summoning using one monster?!" Herald exclaimed in shock. Raguel grit his teeth. If Lucifer was Infearno's strongest monster, what else could he be summoning?

Soon, Dante transformed into a red stream of energy and entered a galaxy portal that appeared above Infearno. Upon doing so, the portal exploded with energy.

"Pure woman of Heaven, shine your majestic light and help the traveler on his quest for redemption!" Infearno chanted. "Xyz Summon! Rank 6! Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal!" A woman in a pink dress covered by white and blue armor appeared on Infearno's field in the Main Monster Zone Lucifer pointed to. A white veil covered her face, and two angelic wings sprouted on her back. In addition, one light circled behind her, which represented an Overlay Unit.

Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal ATK: 2500 DEF: 2800 RNK: 6 OU: 1

"Beatrice..." Raguel muttered. All of a sudden, something clicked in his mind. Whenever Dante or Virgil was destroyed, Infearno cried out for them. If Beatrice was Infearno's wife, and Infearno cared for Dante and Virgil, that meant... Oh shit. How could he have not seen it before? "You're just like Dancho, aren't you?"

Infearno was stunned to hear this from Raguel's mouth. "What... did you say?"

"I just said you're similar to Dancho." Raguel reiterated, loud enough so Infearno can fully hear him. "Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal represents your deceased wife, and from what I'm seeing on your field, I'm guessing that Dante and Virgil represent your sons. Tell me something: Do you think they'd be proud with seeing the man you've-?"

"Do you really think a Lost Incident victim such as yourself has the right to question my actions?!" Infearno suddenly exclaimed, causing Raguel to stop talking. "I've stared into the abyss long enough to know that they're still just, despite them being distorted. But enough talk. Let's resume the duel. I activate the effect of Retriever of the Burning Abyss from the Graveyard. Since he was sent to the Graveyard, I can draw one card from my deck." He drew the top card of his deck, and upon looking at it, he frowned. "I'll also point something out, Raguel. The turn I use Dante to Xyz Summon Beatrice, I can't use her effect. So be grateful for that small reprieve."

He then thrusted out his right hand. "I activate Lucifer's second effect. Once per turn, I can target one face-up monster he points to, and all monsters you control lose attack points equal to that monsters attack points until the End Phase. I target Beatrice, which means Poseidon and Turboblaze Dragon both lose 2500 attack points. Hell's Agony!"

"All of you are nothing beneath me!" Lucifer declared, as he raised his demonic sword high into the air, releasing blazing waves of energy at Poseidon and Turboblaze Dragon, weakening them.

Cyreath Poseidon, Lord of the Sea ATK: 3000 – 2500 = 500

Turboblaze Dragon ATK: 3000 – 2500 = 500

"Battle!" Infearno declared. "Lucifer, Condemner of the Burning Abyss attacks Cyreath Poseidon, Lord of the Sea. Hell's Domination!"

"I will restore my eminence, and all shall burn in my glory!" Lucifer proclaimed, as he dashed forward with his demonic sword, intent on striking Poseidon down. He slashed Poseidon several times before breathing scorching fire over his entire body. Raguel could only glare in defiance as a massive explosion engulfed the duel field.

As he watched the smoke rise, Infearno breathed a sigh of relief. "This duel is finally over. Farewell, Raguel."

"It's a bit too early to be saying goodbye, don't you think Herald?"

"Yes. It most certainly is."

Infearno gasped upon hearing Raguel's voice. He was somehow still standing, although with only half of his life points remaining.

Raguel: 100 / 2 = 50 LP

"Explain yourself!" Infearno demanded. "How did you survive?!"

"When you attacked, I activated the effect of Cyreath Orne from my Graveyard." Raguel answered. "By banishing this card and halving my life points, any battle damage I took from that battle was reduced to zero."

Lucifer growled. "A flawed and broken creation like you dares to remain standing after my attack?!" He turned to Infearno. "I hope you intend on finishing this boy soon."

"Obviously." Infearno replied before turning to Raguel. "I still got three more attacks to make, Raguel, and one of them will end you. Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal attacks Turboblaze Dragon. Heaven's Force!" Beatrice spread out her arms as golden light danced across her skin. The golden light then transformed into arrows of lightning, which she fired at Turboblaze Dragon!

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Cyreath Decree!" The card showed Cyreath Hades and Poseidon with their brother Zeus using their combined power to withstand an attack from their father, Kronos. "If I control no 'Cyreath' monsters and you declare an attack, I can negate the attack and end the Battle Phase!" Soon, several waves of energy emerged from Cyreath Degree, hitting Beatrice and stopping her attack. The waves also hit Dante and Virgil, preventing them from attacking as well.

"I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Infearno concluded, clearly displeased with what happened. "Which means Turboblaze Dragon's attack points revert to normal." Turboblaze Dragon roared as his strength returned to him.

Turboblaze Dragon ATK: 500 + 2500 = 3000

Infearno growled. "Why won't you just fall already? As someone who was broken from the Lost Incident, you should clearly see how hopeless the situation is and despair from it. So tell me: Why do you continue this fruitless battle?"

Raguel sighed as he looked down at the ground. "You're right. Anything I remember from my childhood was damaged, and I spent six months being used as a guinea pig during the Lost Incident. I thought it was over for me after that. However, I met a lot of good people over time, and they helped me bear the pain." Images of Roxy, Stregone, Numera, Blue Angel, Go Onizuka, Rosetta, Watchman, Playmaker, and Miyu flashed through his mind as he said this.

He then looked at Infearno and glared at him. "What I learned from them, and from her, is this: My story may not have such a happy beginning, but it doesn't make me who I am. It's who I choose to be that matters in life!"

Infearno gasped at Raguel's words. This is cruel, he thought. It's like I'm looking into an old mirror. I can't believe I used to be just like him. He then furiously glared back at Raguel. "Pathetic. Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic. I can't even stand to look at you. Do you realize how stupid you sound? Do you?! One way or another, we're all defined by our past, molded by it. And you refuse to let it change you?!"

"That's right!" Raguel confirmed, making Infearno gasp for a second time. His glare intensified at the older man. "I alone decide the person I want to be. Not you, not my past, nor anyone else. Just me. And with everyone's support, I'll prove it here and now!" Raguel placed a hand on the top card on his deck. "My turn! I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck. "I activate the effect of Cyreath Chiron from my hand. By revealing this card, I can Special Summon it, as well as one 'Cyreath' monster from my Graveyard! In exchange, I can only attack with 'Cyreath' Link monsters this turn! And the monster I choose to bring back is Minotaur!" For a second time, Minotaur materialized himself onto Raguel's field.

Cyreath Minotaur ATK: 1800 LINK-2 ➡️⬇️

Then a creature with the upper body of a man and the lower body and legs of a horse joined the field. He had long brown hair tied into a ponytail at the end, along with green eyes. He also wore an archaic style of dress with leather armor being clad onto it. Chiron strung his bow at Infearno, ready for battle.

Cyreath Chiron ATK: 2100 DEF: 1600 LV: 6

"I summon Cyreath Valkyrie from my hand." A female warrior with dark red hair and dressed in a long leather loincloth with matching leather brassiere and knee-high boots appeared on Raguel's field.

Cyreath Valkyrie ATK: 1600 DEF: 1300 LV: 4

"Okay, everything is ready for this!" Herald said, going into the Duel Disk for a few moments before pulling out a card.

"What's this?" Raguel asked, looking at the card. From what he saw, it was a new 'Cyreath' Link monster.

"You remember that data storm we had to go through to reach Infearno's private server?" Herald said. "I got some data material from that storm, which allowed me to put the finishing touches on this card. Now's a good time to try it, don't you agree?"

"Well, considering the situation we're in, I couldn't agree more." Raguel responded, before pointing his right hand to the sky. "Appear! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" A Link Portal appeared in the sky above Raguel. "The summoning conditions are three or more 'Cyreath' monsters. I'll set Cyreath Chiron, Cyreath Valkyrie, and Cyreath Minotaur, which is a Link 2 monster, into the Link Markers!" Minotaur split into two tornadoes of energy and went into the left and right arrowheads, Valkyrie went into the bottom-left arrowhead, and Chiron went into the bottom-right arrowhead.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! King of the Gods, stand together with your brethren, and ensure that Olympus conquers this evil before you! Link 4! Cyreath Zeus, Lord of the Storm!" A muscular, white-haired man with pure white eyes leapt out of the Link Portal and appeared on Raguel's field in the Main Monster Zone Turboblaze Dragon was pointing to, resulting in the both of them being co-linked. His attire consisted of a white toga, with a golden side guard on each arm.

Cyreath Zeus, Lord of the Storm ATK: 3000 LINK-4 ↙️⬅️➡️↘️

Infearno stared at Zeus, his eyes widening in surprise and terror. "You brought out the King of the Gods to aid you..."

"Behold, Infearno!" Herald declared. "The 'Cyreath' god that will be your demise!"

"I wouldn't rush to conclusions just yet!" Infearno replied. "I activate Lucifer's effect! Once per turn-!"

"I activate Zeus's effect!" Raguel interrupted. "Once, if you activate a card effect, not only can I negate that effect, I can destroy that card as well. In addition, Zeus's attack points are doubled until the End Phase! Divine Absorption!" Two lightning bolts appeared in Zeus's hands, which he threw at different parts of Lucifer's body, making him scream as his abilities were drained and he turned into particles. After doing so, an aura surrounded Zeus, which increased his strength.

Cyreath Zeus, Lord of the Storm ATK: 3000 X 2 = 6000

"I'll also activate Minotaur's effect. When he's used as Link Material for the Link Summon of a 'Cyreath' Link monster, it can attack all monsters you control once each!"

A look of shock was registered on Infearno's face. If Raguel declared even one attack, it would be over.

"Battle! Cyreath Zeus, Lord of the Storm attacks Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal! Lightning of Olympus!" Zeus generated massive lightning in his hands, which he prepared to fire at Beatrice!

A look of pure horror soon replaced the shock on Infearno's face as he realized what Raguel planned to do. No matter what I do, I'll lose this duel, he thought. But if I don't activate it now, I'll lose Beatrice and my sons again. He narrowed his eyes, knowing what had to be done. "I activate my Trap card, Absolute End!"

"WHAT?!" Raguel, Herald, and Roxy exclaimed at the same time.

"All attacks this turn become direct attacks to my life points!" Infearno explained, getting Zeus' attention as he fired the massive lightning in his hands at him instead. As a result, Infearno screamed in a lot of pain, his life points dropping to zero in the process.

Infearno: 900 – 3000 = 0

"Ay, ay, ay." Herald muttered, looking away.

"Okay, now that has got to hurt." Raguel added, also turning his head slightly away from the scene.

"You still won the duel, though." Roxy pointed out over the earpiece. "And based on the text Kusanagi just sent me, Playmaker defeated Revolver. Which means it's finally over."

Infearno hovered slightly above the ground, a blast of dark energy erupting from his body and going upwards in the process. When his feet touched the ground, he grunted, and stumbled a few steps back before bending over.

"Infearno..." Raguel said, as he walked a few steps towards him while keeping his distance.

"What... a journey you and I have had so far..." Infearno replied, briefly looking at Raguel before he looked back to the ground.

"You know, it's strange." Raguel looked down to the ground briefly before looking back up at Infearno. "Even though we're enemies, I can't help but understand you in some way."

"Your strength is vaster than I could have ever imagined." Infearno admitted. "I knew I never stood a chance." He sighed before continuing. "Part of me wanted to defy my fate, but when the others fell, I found I did not care. And then, nothing else seemed to matter anymore."

"You're wrong on that." Raguel responded, getting Infearno's attention. "When you used Absolute End, you were protecting the monsters that represent your wife and children from harm. Based on that, I believe you saw the Hanoi as another family, which motivated you to fight so their goals would be fulfilled, wouldn't you agree?"

Infearno opened his mouth in surprise before closing it. He then smirked before pressing a few buttons on his Duel Disk, causing a large container holding World Gears of Theurlogical Demiurgy to appear from underneath the ground. The container then released all the data inside, causing it to transform into a card before floating towards Raguel and Herald.

"You can have this back." Infearno told them. "It's in your care now."

"World Gears!" Herald cried in joy, holding the card. But before he could continue, Infearno grunted in pain and took another step back.

"Infearno..." Raguel muttered, unsure of what else to say.

"What? It is time to move on, boy..." Infearno said, using his remaining strength to stand up straight. Soon, his entire body turned green and he began to disintegrate. "There is more to seek, so go forth and seek it..." Before Infearno logged out fully, he gave Raguel a praising smile, disappearing in the process.

"Yuhiro!" Roxy said over the earpiece, getting his attention. "The Tower stopped moving! Everyone's been freed!"

"That's awesome to hear, Roxy." Raguel replied. "I'm coming home now." He then logged out of Infearno's server, the battle over at last.

At the Den City Shelter...

"Ugh..." Quinton said, as he slowly opened his eyes. When he came to his senses, he saw Miles and the other kids around his bed.

"Welcome back, Quinton." Miles said, helping Quinton off the bed. Soon, the children surrounded Quinton, surprising him with cheers.

"Glad to be back, Miles." Quinton told him, a smile of gratitude on his face as he placed a hand on Miles' shoulder. "Glad to be back."

At an apartment in Den City...

"Mmm." Greg turned from his laptop as Rachel stirred.

"Greg? Is that you?" Rachel asked, causing Greg to rush over and hug her tightly. The older man breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's over now." Greg told her. "It's finally over."

At the Kinoshita Residence...

Tsubaki slowly got up from the couch, her eyes slowly opening in the process. She saw her dad looking at the TV.

"Dad?" Tsubaki said, getting his attention as he ran over to where she was.

"My little rose is back." Hideki said, holding her hand. "I'm so glad you're alive."

"Stop it, dad. You're embarrassing me." Tsubaki tried to stop him, but found she couldn't. So instead, she surprised him with a hug. They can finally spend some father and daughter time together.

At the Den City Regis Hotel...

Gekiryushi slowly got up from her bed, her eyes slowly opened in the process. When she realized she was in the real world, she smiled.

"Looks like I owe you one, Raguel," she muttered, a smile of gratitude on her face.

At Watchman's server...

To Demeter's surprise, orange cubic particles began to come together and form into a humanoid shape before exploding in a flash of light, revealing Watchman.

"Arshad! You're alive!" Demeter exclaimed with joy, as she ran to where he was.

"I am indeed." Watchman said, looking at his arms and body for a few moments. He then turned to Demeter. "Where's Percival?" At the mention of Percival, Demeter's face became downcast.

"He needed some time alone," she told him. "But he'll be happy to hear you're back."

"I'll talk to him later." Watchman promised Demeter. "But first I need to ask you a question."

"What is it?"

"Is that program finally ready to be used?"

Meanwhile, at the Hanoi Stronghold...

The Hanoi Stronghold's security was completely destroyed, as evident by the damaged laser cameras and security systems. And at the top of the Hanoi Stronghold was none other than Azrael and Wraith, who finished watching the duel between Raguel and Infearno. His Duel Disk then beeped, which he looked at for a few moments before smiling. While the Duel Disk was very similar to Raguel's, it had a black base and a grey top.

"It's done." Azrael told Wraith. "We have all the Hanoi's assets and information at our disposal."

"That is excellent news indeed." Wraith replied, as Azrael turned his back to the screen. "You'll be happy to know that I finished analyzing that data material."

"And?"

"It's an Ignis Algorithm." Wraith told Azrael. "Since SOL Technologies will be busy with repairing the damage to the network, we should use this opportunity to pay this Ignis a visit."

"On that, we agree." Azrael said, as Wraith moved the data material in front of him. Azrael then unsheathed his katana and sliced the data material in two, creating a portal large enough to travel through. He and Wraith then walked through the portal before it closed from behind him.

Elsewhere, at Café Matsuo's backroom...

Yuhiro walked out of the closed-off space, clearly exhausted with the events that occurred. When Roxy turned her head to look at him, she gasped in joy.

"You're okay!" Roxy said, getting off her chair and pulling Yuhiro in for a tight embrace.

"Of course I am, Roxy." Yuhiro replied, as he returned the hug. He truly was glad to be back in the real world again. "Although I'll probably need an ice pack for my head." Roxy laughed as she and Yuhiro walked out of the backroom and upstairs to the living room. While Yuhiro went and sat down on the couch, Roxy went to the kitchen to get an icepack.

"Yuhiro, I have to know. How exactly were you able to regain consciousness in your duel against Infearno?" Roxy asked as she acquired the icepack.

"That's my little secret." Yuhiro responded, as Roxy walked over to the living room and gave him the icepack. He then placed it on his head afterwards. "And even if I told you, I doubt you'd believe me."

"Come on!" Roxy complained, sitting down on the couch besides Yuhiro. "Details, man! You'll have to tell me eventually, so just tell me now."

Yuhiro crossed his arms and smiled. "Sorry, Roxy. My lips are sealed."

"I hate to interrupt this celebration," Herald said, emerging from Yuhiro's Duel Disk, "but don't you guys have to contact Monty and end your working relationship with him?" Yuhiro and Roxy's eyes widened in realization as they recalled that memory in their minds.

"Oh yeah. I'll get the laptop then." Yuhiro then started to get up, but Roxy stopped him.

"I'll get it. You stay on the couch." Roxy told him, getting up and walking to the backroom. Progleo then jumped from Yuhiro's Duel Disk and onto the couch. Or more specifically, Yuhiro's lap.

"You were awesome, Progleo." Yuhiro said, ruffling the cub's fur. "Sorry I couldn't let you attack Infearno."

"At least I had a role to play in defeating him." Progleo replied, looking at Yuhiro in happiness.

"Shame we couldn't have used Turboblaze Dragon a bit more during that duel." Herald stated, crossing his arms. "I really wanted to defeat Infearno with him."

"Chiron's effect restricted me in attacking with 'Cyreath' Link monsters." Yuhiro pointed out. "Despite that, we still won the duel with Zeus." He would have said more, but Roxy came back with the laptop.

"Got my laptop." Roxy said, sitting down beside Yuhiro on the couch. "You ready to do this?"

"Yes. Call him." Yuhiro answered. Roxy nodded and began typing while Yuhiro looked at Herald. "Stay quiet," he advised the Ignis before turning to Progleo. "You as well, Progleo. If Monty-."

"Don't worry. I know what to do." Herald said, retreating into the Duel Disk. Progleo nodded as well, understanding the situation. Monty answered after half a minute.

"Raguel! Roxy!" he said. "I'm assuming you're calling with good news?"

"Yes and no." Yuhiro replied. "First, I want to let you know that the Tower of Hanoi has been shut down. Based on this, I have a feeling the Knights of Hanoi will be sent into hiding for quite a while."

"That is excellent news to hear." Monty said, a huge grin on his face. "Here is the payment I promised from my client." A notification then popped up on Roxy's laptop, proving Monty's statement. "From what you said earlier, something else happened, didn't it?"

Yuhiro sighed before speaking. "When Playmaker dueled Revolver in a Speed Duel, his AI sacrificed itself to help him get a new card from the Data Storm. I tried to look for a trace afterwards, but couldn't find anything. I'm really sorry, Monty."

"...That is unfortunate." Monty finally said, sighing to himself. "I can't blame you for factors outside of your control, my boy. Just know that I'll have to inform my client of what you told me."

"Works for us." Roxy said, nodding her head. Yuhiro did the same thing.

"Splendid." Monty perked up after saying that. "After a few days of rest, I'll contact you with a new operation and-."

"Wait. There's something I need to say. " Yuhiro interrupted.

"What is it?"

"I decided to quit my job as a Black Market agent." Yuhiro said, getting straight to the point and surprising Monty.

"What? You're joking." Monty replied, trying to deny the reality of the situation.

"I'm not." Yuhiro said, shaking his head. "I... found out some information that I need to uncover. Personal information, you could say. I don't know how long it will take me, which is why I'm handing in my resignation as a Black Market agent."

Monty was silent for a few seconds. "So... your mind is made? You will not come back?"

"Sorry, Monty." Yuhiro confirmed, causing Monty to go silent for a second time as he struggled to accept reality. He eventually did, frowning in the process.

"I understand." He clapped his hands and made a thin smile. "Well then, Raguel. I accept your resignation, and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. If you ever need anything, you know who to call." Monty then hung up after that.

"You did the right thing, Yuhiro." Herald said, happy that his partner went through with his promise. "Watchman will be pleased to hear of this."

"Not only that, he'll be even more happy that World Gears was rescued." Yuhiro added.

"You know what, guys?" Roxy said, getting their attention. "This calls for a celebration. I say we-." But before Roxy could continue, her phone rang, causing her to retrieve it from her pocket. Upon seeing who was calling her, she raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me. I have to take this call." She then got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen.

Yuhiro's phone also vibrated, causing him to take it out of his pocket and look at it. "Fujiki just sent a text," he said.

"What does it say?" Herald asked.

"He said that Revolver departed from his home with the other Hanoi after his defeat." Yuhiro replied, reading the text. "That, and he set Ai free. You could say the bird has left the nest."

"Considering how only Ai knows the Cyberse World's location in the network, it makes sense." Herald deduced. "It will take time, but the Cyberse World will regain its former glory."

"What about you?" Yuhiro asked, getting Herald's attention. "You can follow Ai and go back to the Cyberse World if you want."

"A nice offer, but I think I'll pass." Herald answered. "Watchman will still need our help in finding other Cyberse cards, as well as for the coming Crisis."

"Oh yeah." Yuhiro had a bad feeling about this Crisis, whatever it was. "Perhaps we should ask Watchman what this Crisis-." Suddenly, he heard a scream from the kitchen. Yuhiro immediately put down the ice pack and got up from the couch, causing Progleo to jump off his lap in the process. He and Progleo then ran to the kitchen, where they saw Roxy barely able to keep in her excitement.

"Roxy, is everything-?" But before Yuhiro could finish his question, Roxy rushed forward and hugged him tightly.

"Miyu's awake!" Roxy said, barely able to keep in her joy. She then went over to Progleo and picked him up. "Miyu's awake!"

"She woke up from her coma?" Yuhiro asked, shock and happiness registered on his face upon hearing the good news.

"YES!" Roxy confirmed, putting Progleo down. "The nurse said we can visit her right now." She then ran to the entrance of Café Matsuo. "Come on and get in the van, you slowpoke!" Yuhiro smiled and went to pick up his Duel Disk before following her. As he did, a holographic image of Watchman appeared.

"Ah, Raguel." Watchman said. "Glad to see you're here. Do you have a few minutes to-?"

"Sorry, Watchman." Yuhiro immediately replied, running to the van. "I'm busy at the moment."

"Wait-." Before Watchman could say more, Yuhiro hung up and got in the van with Roxy, who immediately drove off to the Den City Hospital.

At the Den City Hospital...

Once Yuhiro and Roxy (along with an excited Progleo) arrived at the Den City Hospital, the nurse there accompanied them to Miyu's room.

"How Ms. Sugisaki woke up remains a mystery even to us," the nurse explained to Roxy. "When she woke up, she was a bit frightened at first, but eventually calmed down once she had some water."

"That's amazing to hear." Roxy replied. "Is there anything else we should know?"

"Unfortunately, because Ms. Sugisaki was in a coma for eight years, she lost feeling in her legs," the nurse said, shocking Yuhiro and Roxy. "However, with physiotherapy, she'll be able to walk again in time." Yuhiro and Roxy breathed a sigh of relief, the latter having a blood vein temporarily form on her forehead.

"Do not scare me like that again..." Roxy warned the nurse, scaring her.

"It wasn't my intention to," the nurse told Roxy. The next thing they knew, they were at Miyu's room. "Uh, I'll leave you alone now." The nurse then walked in the other direction, having realized she had to get something done.

When Roxy peeked into Miyu's room, there she was, sitting on her hospital bed as she looked at the night-lit sky. Knocking on the door a few times, Roxy got Miyu's attention, causing the girl to turn her head to her. When she did, a small gasp slipped from her mouth.

"M-Miyu?" Roxy said, her voice shaking, her eyes beginning to water.

"A-Auntie R-Roxy?" Miyu asked, her voice timid. "Is that-?" The next thing Miyu knew, Progleo squirmed past Yuhiro and Roxy and ran to Miyu's bed, jumping onto it and approaching her. "A puppy?" Progleo then started happily licking her, much to her joy. "Oh my goodness. You're so cute, puppy. What's your name?"

"I'm Progleo." Progleo said, introducing himself and making Yuhiro and Roxy drop their jaws for a moment. Miyu, however, smiled.

"This puppy is awesome!" Progleo then continued licking her while Miyu ruffled his fur, enjoying each other's company.

"Miyu!" Roxy said, going towards Miyu and hugging her, tears falling from both their eyes. As for Progleo, he was squished by the hug. "You're awake. After all this time, you're finally awake."

Yuhiro stood back, watching Roxy and Miyu speak to each other for the first time in eight years with a smile on his face.

"You did it, Yuhiro." Herald said, turning to face him. "You brought joy to their lives again. Although I can't help but wonder if she woke up on her own, or if she had some help."

"Perhaps we'll never know." Yuhiro replied.

"Maybe." Herald mused. A smirk then formed on his face. "Anyways, I'll let you get back to the reunion now."

"Wait, Herald!" Yuhiro said, but Herald retreated back into the Duel Disk.

Roxy then broke away from the hug and gestured to Yuhiro before saying, "Miyu, there's someone I brought with me for you to meet. This is Yuhiro."

"You must be Yuhiro." Miyu said. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Yuhiro could only stare at her in response with his mouth open. He couldn't shift his eyes away from her. While he didn't know what to think, what he did know was that there was something else, something more that made him continue to gaze at her. Before he knew it, a small blush formed on his face. Unbeknownst to him, Miyu felt the same way the moment Roxy officially introduced her to Yuhiro.

It was love at first sight.

Card Gallery

Cyreath Myrmekes (LV: 3/Cyberse/Earth/ATK: 500/DEF: 500)

Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned: You can target 1 card your opponent controls; banish it. If this card is used as Link Material for the Link Summon of a 'Cyreath' Link Monster: You can Special Summon 1 'Cyreath Myrmekes Critter' token to your field (LV: 2/Cyberse/Earth/ATK: 200/DEF: 200)

Cyreath Orne (LV: 6/Cyberse/Dark/ATK: 2100/DEF: 600)

Effect: If this card battles a monster your opponent controls, send that monster to your opponent's GY at the end of the damage step. If this card is in your GY and your opponent declares an attack with a monster they control: You can banish this card and pay half of your life points; any battle damage you take from that battle is reduced to 0.

Familiar of the Burning Abyss (LV: 3/Fiend/Dark/ATK: 0/DEF: 0)

Effect: When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, you can Set one 'Burning Abyss' Spell or Trap card from your deck to your field. While you control a 'Burning Abyss' monster with a different name, your opponent cannot target this card for attacks or effects.

Retriever of the Burning Abyss (LV: 3/Fiend/Dark/ATK: 300/DEF: 300)

Effect: When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent, they must discard 1 card from their hand. If this card is sent to the GY, you can draw one card from your deck.

Cyreath Decree (Quick-Play Spell card)

Effect: If you control no 'Cyreath' monsters and your opponent declares an attack with a monster they control: You can negate the attack, then end the Battle Phase.

Hope in the Burning Abyss (Normal Trap card)

Effect: When a 'Burning Abyss' monster you control is targeted for an attack, you can negate the attack, then end the Battle Phase.

Lucifer, Condemner of the Burning Abyss (LR: 4/Fiend/Dark/ATK: 3000/↙️⬅️➡️↘️)

Effect: 2 or more 'Burning Abyss' monsters. Cannot be destroyed by battle. When this card is Link Summoned: You can banish 1 card your opponent controls. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 1 monster this card points to; monsters your opponent controls lose ATK equal to the targeted monster's ATK until the End Phase.

Cyreath Zeus, Lord of the Storm (LR: 4/Cyberse/Light/ATK: 3000/↙️⬅️➡️↘️)

Effect: 3 or more 'Cyreath' monsters. Cannot be destroyed by card effects. Once, if your opponent activates a card effect (Quick Effect): You can negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card, and if you do that, double this cards ATK until the End Phase. If this card leaves the field: You can destroy all 'Cyreath' Link monsters you control; Special Summon this card from your GY. You can only use this effect of 'Cyreath Zeus, Lord of the Storm' once per duel.

QOTC

Now that Season 1 is over, would you mind answering the following questions either in your review or in a PM? By doing so, it helps me improve as a writer.

What was your favorite character in Season 1?

What was your favorite chapter in Season 1?

What was your favorite duel in Season 1?

What is something I should continue doing in the chapters?

What is something I should stop doing in the chapters?

What is something I should start doing in the chapters?

What is something you're looking forward to for Season 2?

Would you recommend this story to a friend?

Chapter Preview

Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 39: Threat in the Shadows. Azrael and Wraith. Two unknown anomalies that appeared during the events of the Tower of Hanoi. Having retrieved important resources from the Hanoi, the two of them investigate the Ignis Algorithm that caused the data storm to appear after Playmaker's duel against Specter. And what they'll find will set into motion the events to come...

Chapter 40: A New Start. A week has passed since the Tower of Hanoi has fallen. With Miyu awake, Yuhiro and Roxy couldn't be any happier. One day, Tsubaki requests to speak with Yuhiro, as she needs help finding a new purpose now that the Hanoi are gone...

Chapter 41: Ghost of the Past. Wishing to make amends with Roxy, Emma goes to the Den City Hospital in order to pay Miyu a surprise visit. However, when old wounds start to open, the two women decide to clear things up in a duel...

Chapter 42: The Cyberse Quest. One day, while scouring the Internet, Herald comes across a video game challenge with Cyberse cards as the prize. Seizing the opportunity, Roxy puts Yuhiro on the job while she spends the day with Miyu, much to his dismay. After Yuhiro and Herald complete the challenge, they soon receive an anonymous invitation into the network, leading them to ask Yusaku and Kusanagi for help...

Chapter 43: An Angel's Origin. A month has passed since the Tower of Hanoi, and life has returned to normal. Rachel, eager celebrating her birthday, decides to spend it with Yuhiro. Taking her to Café Nagi, Yuhiro visits Kusanagi and Yusaku and tells them how he started out as an agent on the black market, as well as how he found the Cyreath cards...

Chapter 44: Cage Match. Grateful for Yuhiro saving her life during the Tower of Hanoi event, Emma sends him and Roxy a lead that can get him information on Project: VIII. But in order to get it, the two of them have to head towards the Black Market's most dangerous section: Gamma Branch. Unfortunately, when negotiations go awry, Raguel ends up in a duel for both the information and his life...

Author's Notes

And with that, Season 1 is complete. That said, I hope everyone not only enjoyed the chapter, but the overall story so far as well. Regarding that, the thing we'll cover before the recap is the QOTC. As a writer, I strive to improve, and it would help if you answer the QOTC either in your review or in a PM to me. It contains eight questions, which shouldn't take too long for you to answer. While I won't take everyone's suggestions, I will listen to everyone's feedback before incorporating it in my writing. With that out of the way, let's get to the recap, shall we?

The first thing that happened in this chapter was a flashback to Emon's life before he joined the Knights of Hanoi. I decided to reveal that Emon and Beatrice were expecting twin baby boys, whom they decided to name Dante and Virgil. What's tragic about this was that the night Beatrice died, so did the baby boys. Let me know what your thoughts are on this.

The second thing that happened is when Yuhiro is unconscious. What happens here is that he not only ends up in a playground, but also encounters Miyu here as well. She then encourages him to continue fighting by doing the one thing no one else would think: Playground activities. I probably know what you're thinking: Why did she do this? Couldn't she have told Yuhiro directly? Well, if she told him directly, it wouldn't have had as much impact. By using the playground activities though, Miyu was able to remind little lessons that not only had a big impact on Yuhiro's mind, but reminded him of why he was fighting in the first place. Inspiration for this idea actually came from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, where Harry was in-between life and death. How do you think Miyu ended up where Yuhiro was? Do you think it has anything to do with her Link Sense? Share your thoughts in your review below.

The third thing that happened was the duel's conclusion between Raguel and Infearno. Here, I finally decided for Raguel to use Progleo's effect to bring back Turboblaze Dragon. I did promise that Raguel would use Progleo's effect after all. Although Infearno pulled out all the stops to defeat Raguel, even bringing out the Link 4 Lucifer, Condemner of the Burning Abyss to do so, Raguel was able to withstand Infearno's tactics and brought out his second Link 4 monster: Cyreath Zeus, Lord of the Storm.

Now onto the ending of the duel. I didn't want it to be a rehash of the protagonist defeating the antagonist in glory. Instead, I decided to have Infearno end the duel on his own terms with the Trap card, Absolute End. The reason why I did this was to show that after every wicked thing he said and did, he still cares for the people in his life. Even if he didn't, Infearno would have still lost due to Cyreath Minotaur's effect letting Cyreath Zeus attack Beatrice, Dante, and Virgil for 1100 points of damage, which was just enough to finish Infearno off.

In addition, after losing the duel, Infearno admitted he was prideful and stubborn. That he never could've overcome Raguel no matter what he did. In addition, he returned World Gears of Theurlogical Demiurgy to Raguel and Herald, and before he disappeared, he told them these words: "There is still more to seek, so go forth now and seek it." Why am I telling you all this? It's because of character development. I intend to take Infearno's character in an interesting direction following this duel, and him being a typical villain would detract from that. How do you think Infearno's character development will impact his relationships with characters such as Raguel in the story?

Lastly, there's the reunion between Miyu and Roxy, as well as Yuhiro and Miyu officially meeting in the real world, which was joyful to write. As for the scene with Azrael, all I'll say is that will be continued in Chapter 39.

Now, three things on Season 2: The first is OC cards. I intend to introduce two new archetypes, both which will be Cyberse. However, I am open to some OC archetypes as well. In the meanwhile, if you have any suggestions on cards for any of the characters in the story, you're welcome to send them to me at any time through a PM.

The second thing about Season 2: OC's. Okay, so I've done the calculations, and I'm able to accommodate more OC's from you guys. Yay! If anyone would like to suggest OC's or archetypes, you're welcome to, but please do so in a PM.

The third thing is on planning for the next few episodes, at least until Episode 45. As I haven't updated Roxy's Reports in quite some time, I'll be updating that first before I start the next chapter. From there, I'll do another update on Roxy's reports before the next chapter, and so forth.

Lastly, there's the Arc-V announcement. I hate to say this, but due to a busy school semester, I have to delay The First Pendulum for now. I love writing with all my heart, and two stories combined with the coming semester would stress me out. By delaying The First Pendulum, it gives me an opportunity to go over the details for the story, as well as ensure it flows. I'm not abandoning the story at all. Rather, I'm choosing to balance writing this story with my schoolwork. When things die down, I'll consider approaching the idea of writing two stories at once. Rest assured, though. I have already made my main OC and other OC's, the antagonists for the Original Dimension arc, and the storyline for that arc, as well as how they'll all impact the other arcs going forward. I do hope you're looking forward to The First Pendulum. For when it's released, I think you'll be surprised at what I came up with.

Thank you to everyone for reading Chapter 38 of Obscured Truth. As always, please let me know your thoughts about the chapters below in your reviews. Also, constructive criticism is appreciated, as your tips and advice helps make the story better. In addition, don't forget to favorite and follow the story. That way, you will get a notification once the next chapter is released.

As thanks to you all for reading the story so far, I included the Chapter Previews for the next six chapters. I hope you're looking forward for what's to come, as next chapter, Season 2 begins with a special opening!