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.

52. Chapter 52: Escalation

Update

Credit goes to HunterHQ, Noobmaster, and ZarcEternal for pointing out the errors made in Chapter 51. I tip my hat off to the three of you, so thank you very much.

Response to Reviews

Thank you to HunterHQ, Noobmaster, Guest, Anonymous, Ambiguous, Guest, ZarcEternal, ZeroMK7, E.T. 2000, Unnamed, Kingdom Hearts Guy, Unknown, Decode Talker, Electriuser, Cosmic Cat, Jumpei Sempai, Bibondnd, Yuman28, and SunsetScrewball for reviewing Chapter 51 of Obscured Truth.

Hi, everyone! Judging from your reviews, I'm glad you enjoyed how the Knights of Hanoi broke out Kyoko Taki from prison. I'll be honest when I say there were errors made in the previous chapter. The thing is, it happens to every writer. What happens is how we approach those errors. If we learn from them, we'll be able to improve our writing so the chances of them happening gets reduced. That's one of the secrets of being a writer.

Now just an announcement regarding the Turf War arc. The episodes will be spread out throughout Season 2. This way, the timeline will be maintained throughout the story. I'm sorry if I confused some of you before, and I hope you understand what's happening. The timeline of the story won't be changed. I'm just inserting an episode prior to events. For example, Chapter 52 and 53 will occur before Blood Shepherd traps Soulburner. Why, may you ask? It will be shown in the coming chapters.

With that covered, I'll be answering reviews:

HunterHQ: In a way, I can see the Knights of Hanoi as both anti-heroes and a family. You do realize that the Hanoi have to repent forever by looking over the network following Season 3, right? That means they can't forget about the Lost Incident at all. We'll see what happens to Drachen now that Azrael knows what's going on. For your questions on the Black Market, you'll have to read on and see. Of course Azrael suffered badly, one of the things he suffered from was the Lost Incident after all. Since the guards dueled so much and relied on sheer numbers, they didn't think twice about using guns or tasers unless absolutely necessary. I mean, they were used to round up a ton of prisoners following the breakout. Yes, don't worry. I gave you credit for pointing out errors. If Azrael blew up the Hanoi's boat, it'd just be boring. You could say he wants to defeat them at their own game, which is in the network.

Noobmaster: There are various ways the Data Gale can be used. If you pay attention, it may be used again. Regarding the identities of the three scientists for Project: VIII, one of the scientists destroyed the evidence so SOL Technologies wouldn't be able to recreate it. Unfortunately, Dr. Kogami was able to find traces and rebuild it from scratch using the leftovers. If Blood Shepherd learned of this information, he'd not only steal it, but also utilize it in his hunt for the Ignis. How did Athaliah find Dr. Kogami will be explained in later chapters. Yes, I credited you for pointing that error, so thank you very much. Azrael wanted the Knights of Hanoi to see the footage so they know what they're facing off against. He wanted them to know there was an enemy that was stronger than the group. Who killed Miyu's parents will be revealed later on. Regarding when Baira realizes someone else has the Another Virus, she'll definitely regret creating it, that's for sure. Don't worry; there will be a Malf vs Revolver duel, that I can confirm.

Guest: Revolver suspects that Slipstream is Windy's origin. He just needs to confirm it first. The Knights of Hanoi clean slated everything on them, enabling them to blend in the real world once again. They do have a back up though, in case they want to put it in the servers though. Will Kitamura appear again? You'll have to read on and find out. Of course the lines will be blurred, that's one of the themes of the story. How does Lord Kazuma fit into the Black Market? You'll have to read on and find out.

Anonymous: Just because Slipstream has access to tech and programs doesn't mean his ID is given away. Did Azrael master all the Summoning methods? That question will be revealed later on. Of course Lord Kazuma will play a role during the Turf War arc. Unfortunately, Gradius won't appear again, as the Knights of Hanoi will not use an AI until Pandor appears. That, and they lost the information to remake him.

Ambiguous: If I used guard duel bots, then I would have used the archetype that revolved around Googly-Eyes Drum Dragon. I fixed the minor error, so thanks very much.

Guest: The Knights of Hanoi connected the dots because they witnessed the file footage. No, the current people at SOL Technologies don't remember the three scientists that launched Project: VIII.

ZarcEternal: Do not worry. I gave you credit for pointing out those errors. I put the duels in so the Knights of Hanoi could have additional wins under their belts. Other than that, happy you enjoyed not just the chapter, but Azrael as a character as well.

ZeroMK7: Glad you enjoyed the chapter. I put that archetype in just to see if people could remember it. That, and to me, it was an archetype regular policemen would use.

E.T. 2000: No matter their personalities or what they face, the Knights of Hanoi are able to work together. Glad you enjoyed the duels. It's obvious Revolver will use the new cards revealed in Burst of Destiny. When, I will not say. I can definitely see Wraith and Lightning playing chess, which is something I can confirm will be happening in Season 2.

Unnamed: Like Blood Shepherd, the Knights of Hanoi are curious about Electrolyzer, that's for sure. Having the last Prince of Central Japan on your side enables you to access resources to other areas. As I mentioned above, the Turf War arc will be spread out throughout Season 2. This way, the timeline will be maintained throughout the story. Hope this helps clear your confusion. Lastly, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

Kingdom Hearts Guy: Can't answer that question due to spoilers. What I will say is that Revolver has a suspicion regarding Slipstream, that's for sure.

Unknown: I had to somehow explain how the Knights of Hanoi were forced to create a new virus that would scar Windy. Regarding Malf and Revolver's duel, I'll sort out what happens when it comes. Malf and Windy are examples of 'breaking' the game, as Malf is able to 'Insta-Kill' an opponent no matter their life points, but only if Malf has 2000 life points or less. It's similar to that of True Assassin of Fate/Stay Night, where he battles to observe the opponent before eating their heart with his Noble Phantasm. Windy, on the other hand, uses Storm Access to retrieve a Cyberse monster for the Extra Deck that will help him in a certain scenario. Of course Azrael and Wraith will have a dangerous advantage, as the both of them know how to play the long-term game. Regarding what Wraith did to Ai, pay close attention to the opening scene in Chapter 45.

Decode Talker: I haven't heard from you in a long time. Good to see you appear once again! Dancho and Lord Kazuma were definitely the humorous pair in Chapter 51. I doubt any of the Knights of Hanoi wanted to use the sewer option, that's for sure. Unfortunately, Gradius won't appear again, as the Knights of Hanoi will not use an AI until Pandor appears. That, and they lost the information to remake him.

Electriuser: Glad you enjoyed Chapter 51. The Knights of Hanoi did strike back in an explosive fashion. The spy suits used a unique technology that enabled the user to 'blend' in. It also came with a mask that also enabled the user to act like a different person. To be honest, I'm not sure how much it costed. All I will say is that Lord Kazuma managed to get all of them once he saved his money from the money he earned from his previous career as a duel assassin.

Cosmic Cat: Thanks for the five stars.

Jumpei Sempai: Of course the Knights of Hanoi have some comedy, even though they're serious.

Bibondnd: Roxy didn't merge the gauntlets together due to technological issues, such as them short circuiting. Once a gauntlet has been used up, Yuhiro can put a new one on, which easily fit his right arm.

Yuman28: First off, welcome back. Haven't heard from you in a while, so I hope you're doing well. Allow me to clarify how the Lost Incident and Project: Apotheosis are connected to Project: VIII. Project: VIII's purpose is reaching the Root of all Knowledge. To do this, two projects were launched so Project: VIII can reach completion. The Lost Incident was designed to create eight Ignis, while Project: Apotheosis was designed to prepare a human being in becoming the Construct, or someone who would unite the Ignis's and humanity together in reaching the Root. I hope that makes sense for you. If not, send me a PM, and I'll explain it in more detail. I'm not sure why you like Miyu being in a coma to be honest with you. Would you prefer that I ship Yuhiro with Tsubaki or Aoi? I didn't do it with either girl because it would have conflicted with the story and its characters. The reason why Rachel wants to help is for two reasons. One: Out of gratitude for Yuhiro saving her from the Tower of Hanoi. Two: So she can find Athaliah and ensure she's locked up once and for all. Due to Project: Apotheosis, Rachel's intelligence has increased at a faster rate than regular human beings, but at the cost of her being traumatized forever. There's also another reason as well. You do realize that Malf will play a role throughout Season 2, right? He won't die on the streets, that I can guarantee. Electrolyzer actually gave Slipstream a hard time using his 'PSY-Frame' deck, and would have won had Slipstream not used Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy his own Field Spell and Special Summon Hi-Speedroid Kitedrake from his Extra Deck. Drachen also knows how to utilize his deck, as he reduced Raguel to 100 life points thanks to Red Eyes Flare Metal Dragon and Meteor Black Comet Dragon. No, Drachen did not steal the Red-Eyes deck, that I can confirm with you. The purpose of the Tsubaki arc was to introduce how the Black Market would become an eventual threat, introduce an ally later on, and give the Knights of Hanoi a win for once. While there won't be a sub-arc for Electrolyzer, he does appear in the Turf War arc, that's for sure. I encourage you to read Chapters 49-51, as they're chapters I think you'll enjoy, especially with Chapter 51 focusing on how the Hanoi broke Baira out of prison.

SunsetScrewball: Really glad you're enjoying the story, as well as the different OC's. To answer your question, the quote "I can't let you take your unhappiness out on other people" was in Chapter 42, which was from Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge. Hope it helps.

With all chapters reviewed, it's time to get to the chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 52: Escalation

The sky appears, full of clouds. Playmaker races through the clouds on his duel board, followed by Raguel, Soulburner, and Slipstream. Two swords then slice the clouds completely to reveal NEW LINK VRAINS. One of the swords, a katana with symbols inscribed on the blade, crosses downwards to the left. Crossing downwards to the right was a typical western sword, with a golden rain-guard and a blue grip. The sword also had symbols inscribed on the blade as well. The two swords made a shining X, causing the Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS! logo to appear, and underneath it, the words "OBSCURED TRUTH" ominously appear.

Yuhiro and Yusaku are walking down the street to school. Naoki runs past them, a large smile on his face. Aoi walks past them on the other side, smiling lightly and blushing at Yusaku. Then Takeru walks up behind them and wraps one arm around Yusaku. He then wraps the other arm around Yuhiro, surprising him for a few moments before being pulled to the side by Rachel, who's clearly happy to see him. Yuhiro smiles back at her.

Tsubaki and Hideki are shown boarding an airplane as they head to their destination. After sitting down next to each other in their respective seats, Tsubaki looks out in the window, which shows a reflection of Rosetta, while Hideki picks up the airplane guide and reads it. In the sky above them is Ace, a malicious sneer on his face.

Go Onizuka is shown wearing a hoodie as he leaves the waterfront for the last time. Outside of his home, he encounters Kenmochi and Yoroizaka, who are waiting for him. Smirking, the three of them raise their left arms into the air and enter NEW LINK VRAINS, with Go in his new avatar riding beside his new allies. Stregone crosses his arms as he looks down at them, a look of shock and disappointment on his face.

Kusanagi is then shown with Roxy at a nearby picnic table, both enjoying food and laughter while talking about technology. Flame and Ai are shown arguing in Café Nagi, while Herald ends up getting annoyed with their bickering. As a result, he snaps his fingers, causing Progleo to jump onto the desk and startle Ai and Flame.

At SOL Technologies, Akira Zaizen and Hayami are shown in Queen's office, with Queen handing them a signed order regarding Playmaker and Raguel. A look of hesitation appears on Akira's face, but he hides it just in time.

Azrael and Wraith are then shown with Ace and Athaliah standing behind them, shrouded in shadow along with their ace monsters Zerrziel, Ruler of the Evil Eyed and El Shaddoll Construct. Standing behind Azrael and Wraith though, is a black, bipedal dragon with red sclera, white irises, and black pupils obscured in shadow. The dragon roars before disappearing with Zerrziel and El Shaddoll Construct. Jumping above Azrael and Wraith is Malf, sporting a demonic expression on his face. He then extends his right arm forward towards the screen, darkening it completely.

When the screen becomes clear, Playmaker and Raguel are shown riding their duel boards next to each other, with Cyberse Witch and Cyberse Magician in front of Playmaker, and Cyreath Hercules and Cyreath Medusa in front of Raguel. The two are chased by Blood Shepherd, who directs two copies of Battledrone Sergeant to fire at them. Although the two of them are hit by the explosions the missiles caused, they escape unharmed. Suddenly, Drachen orders Red-Eyes Black Dragon to fire at them. In response, Playmaker and Raguel are shown swerving left and right to avoid the consecutive fire blasts. Joining the young man in the hunt is Electrolyzer, who orders PSY-Framelord Omega to attack Playmaker, but Raguel turns his duel board around and activates a card, causing Hercules to glow a bright light before transforming into a colossal, statue-like man with long, shaggy black hair and elbow protrusions. His eyes glowing red, Hercules charged forward with his axe sword and clashed with PSY-Framelord Omega.

The screen then shifts to Slipstream watching the duel between Playmaker and an obscured Bohman, while Raguel duels Electrolyzer. Noticing Haru, who's also watching the duel between Playmaker and an obscured Bohman, Slipstream takes a card and summons Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, who roars at the boy. Haru, in response, takes a card and summons Hydradrive Nagini, who hissed at Clear Wing in the process.

Blue Angel and Rosetta are shown in NEW LINK VRAINS at a picnic table, laughing and enjoying each other's company. The two of them then turn their heads towards the duels going on in the sky, a look of concern on each of their faces.

Watchman's group is then shown, with Percival standing slightly apart from them as he makes a fist with his left hand. Simorgh, Bird of Sovereignty and Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon appear before a massive, red-skinned demonic looking monster with golden elements, several eyeballs embedded on its body and four tentacles with bladed claws rises from behind them.

The Knights of Hanoi are shown summoning their monsters. Motor Worm Spread Queen, Helixx Necro Darwin, and Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps first appear before fading into the background. Next is Dark Magician, Berserker of the Tenyi, and Lucifer, Condemner of the Burning Abyss, with Sunavalon Dryanome behind them. Borreload Savage Dragon then rises from behind the four monsters and roars loudly.

Akira is shown at Green Park with Emma, Gekiryushi, and Aoi, giving them details on finding the Ignis. Emma proceeds to make a flirtatious gesture at Akira, making Gekiryushi facepalm and comment on how flirting can be useful at a time like this. The two women then begin to argue, with Akira and Aoi trying to break up the argument.

Yuhiro and Progleo are shown with Miyu at the Den City Hospital, trying to help her walk. Miyu, who's using the parallel bars, ends up slipping, only for Yuhiro to immediately catch her from behind and help her stand up. Roxy then runs out of nowhere and starts pummeling Yuhiro, causing Miyu to almost fall backwards again to their shock. Catching her this time though is Medusa, who appears behind her and smiles, much to everyone's relief. Miyu smiles back, grateful for Medusa's help. The screen then flips around before showing Yuhiro on his knees, clasping an unconscious Miyu's hand in sadness and rage.

Cyreaths Hercules, Medusa, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus are then shown in the air, with Turboblaze Dragon racing past them. The five of them prepare to attack alongside Turboblaze Dragon, who unleashes his Desolation Flare attack as well.

Raguel and Herald are then shown on top of a tower, facing off against Azrael and Wraith in a duel. Behind Raguel and Herald is Turboblaze Dragon, while behind Azrael and Wraith is the black, bipedal dragon from earlier in the opening. Both dragons roar at each other. Raguel reeves up his sword, while Azrael unsheathes his katana before the two of them and their dragons charge at each other.

Yuhiro, Roxy, Miyu, Kusanagi, Takeru, and Yusaku are all shown sitting outdoors at a picnic table near the Den City Hospital, all of them eating hot dogs, and Takeru, Kusanagi, and Roxy are laughing. Three duel disks are shown on the table, with Flame lecturing Ai while Herald plays a game on Yuhiro's tablet.

Yuhiro, Roxy, and Miyu are sitting down on a bench outside the Den City Hospital, with Medusa standing nearby them and Progleo on Roxy's lap. Miyu proceeds to rest her head on Yuhiro's shoulder, causing him to blush as she smiles. Yuhiro smiles back at her, while Roxy and Medusa both smile at them, happy they're able to find happiness with each other. The scene then switches to NEW LINK VRAINS, with Raguel, Playmaker, and Soulburner standing on a building and looking out into the radiant sky.

At Café Matsuo, in the morning...

Yuhiro got up, having had enough rest from completed those profiles last night. Still, the news regarding the Knights of Hanoi's reappearance troubled him, as now there were more enemies they had to deal with. Yuhiro was curious on how the Knights of Hanoi would deal with the azure-overcoated man, for he interfered during the Tower of Hanoi events before slicing Akira and Rachel into confetti. The group would likely take serious precautions before engaging in a battle against the azure-overcoated man.

While SOL Technologies wouldn't be a problem for the Knights of Hanoi to deal with, there were other enemies in addition to Yuhiro and the others to contend with. First, there was the appearance of Bohman and Haru, two new enemies that appeared in the network. While the both of them had the Link Spell Judgment Arrows, Haru was the one who owned the Link Trap Punishment Arrows. Whoever they served must be powerful enough to create those cards. Second, there was a new AI known as Malf, who had been practically feasting on people in the network. While Yuhiro and the others believed that Malf was gone, there was still a suspicion that he could be somewhere in the network. Therefore, it would be wise for everyone to stand on guard.

Third, there was the re-emergence of Ace and Athaliah, as well Speckles allying with them. Since the Knights of Hanoi worked with Ace and Athaliah in the past, it was likely they would eliminate a lose end. This way, they can either acquire more resources or ensure the Black Market wouldn't bother them.

Yuhiro then went downstairs to the living room before heading to the kitchen, the thoughts still on his mind. It was likely he'd be talking it over with Yusaku and Takeru once they were at school. His eyes widened when he recalled that Slipstream would be attending Den Academy starting today. At least this loose end will be solved by the end of the day.

"Morning, Yuhiro." Roxy said, who was sitting down at the kitchen table, drinking coffee. Near her was a bowl of cereal and a blueberry muffin.

"Morning." Yuhiro replied, going over to the fridge and grabbing a yogurt before grabbing a piece of toast and putting it in the nearby toaster. By the time he set up at his usual spot at the kitchen table, the toast came out of the toaster, causing Yuhiro to take it out and put blueberry jam on it. From there, he brought it to the table and began eating it. "Did you sleep last night, Roxy?"

Roxy shook her head. "While I partially succeeded, the shock last night regarding the reappearance of the Knights of Hanoi shocked me. I got about five hours of sleep last night, which is slightly better than I anticipated. Honestly, I would have woken up in a better mood..." She turned her head to the living room. "...HAD SOMEONE NOT STARTED PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AT FIVE IN THE MORNING!"

Yuhiro sheepishly chuckled. He accidentally left his duel disk in the living room last night when he went to bed, while Roxy saw Kusanagi and Yusaku leave Café Matsuo before going to bed as well. With the recent events that happened, they needed a massive nap to recharge their energy. Sadly, this wasn't the case, as Herald woke up and began playing video games.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't go over there and unleash my fury on Herald." Roxy firmly challenged Yuhiro.

"You can do so once I'm done with him for the day." Yuhiro suggested. "I'm not the person to say this, but whatever you plan on doing, you'll regret it afterwards."

Roxy sighed, knowing that Yuhiro was right. "I guess you make a point there. I'm going to take a shower after breakfast. See yourself out for school." The next few minutes were filled with silence as the both of them ate their respective breakfasts. Once that was done, Roxy headed upstairs, while Yuhiro headed over to the living room. Herald was there, playing the first God of War video game. Really? It was wise to play God of War: Ascension first. This way, you learn about Kratos before diving deeper into the God of War story.

Going over to the PS4, Yuhiro turned off the game before Herald could complete the level, making him scream in agony. "You really shouldn't have played video games at five in the morning."

"But I wanted a head start on God of War so badly!" Herald complained. "Five more minutes. Please?"

"No. Roxy had a difficult time sleeping practically because of you." Yuhiro picked up his duel disk before going upstairs. After he changed to his Den Academy uniform and attaching his duel disk to his left wrist, he then went downstairs, where Progleo was waiting for him. Putting the collar around the cub before tying the leash, the two of them left Café Matsuo before going the usual route. By the time Yuhiro arrived at Den Academy, Progleo returned to the duel disk while he spotted Yusaku ahead of him.

"Fujiki." Yusaku turned to Yuhiro as he approached him.

"Morning, Furutani." Yusaku simply responded. "Did you do any work regarding the data last night?"

"With what recently happened, no." Yuhiro answered. "I'm sure we'll find something today, though." The two of them kept walking until a familiar voice got their attention.

"Yusaku! Yuhiro! Wait up!" Takeru ran over to them, stopping the duo in their tracks.

"You seem energetic today." Yuhiro remarked.

"When you get a good night's sleep, it definitely fires you up for the day!" Takeru told him, before the three of them noticed Aoi walking to Den Academy. He then walked up to Aoi, wanting to greet her. "Oh, hey. Nice to meet you, Zaizen. Or should I call you Aoi?"

"And you are?" Aoi questioned.

"Oops, I forgot. Me and you never met." Takeru sheepishly apologized. "I'm Takeru Homura."

"I'm late for class." Aoi simply replied, walking past the group before briefly turning her head to Yusaku. "And so are you, Yusaku."

"Oh, right." Yusaku remembered.

"I almost blew my cover just now, but pretty good save, huh?" Takeru admitted.

"I guess it wasn't the worse." Yusaku said.

"Well, that's good enough for me." Takeru replied. Yuhiro, hearing this banter, facepalmed himself. Takeru had almost broken the most important of the three ground rules. Rule Number One: You were supposed to keep your identity secret, unless you share it with selected people. For him, Miyu, Yusaku, Takeru, Aoi, Rachel, Tsubaki, Miles, Roxy and Quinton knew his identity as Raguel. If the enemy learned about his identity, they'd track him down and threaten to kill his loved ones unless he complied with their demands.

"Yo, Zaizen." Naoki said out of nowhere, getting her attention as she stopped walking. "Where have you been these days? You skipped four duel club meetings in a row."

"I had stuff to do." Aoi told him.

"What's more important than duel club?" Naoki pouted.

"There's a duel club?" Takeru asked, getting Naoki's attention. "Maybe I should go and sign up."

"Yeah, you totally should new guy!" Naoki encouraged Takeru. "It's the only new club in school where you can learn pro-level strategies from yours truly."

"Learn from you?" Takeru raised an eyebrow.

"What's with the skepticism? You know you're talking to Playmaker's sidekick, right!" Upon hearing Naoki's rant once again, Aoi stopped walking and turned back to the conversation. "Isn't that so, Yusaku?"

"So you claim." Yusaku calmly responded.

"It's an established fact that he couldn't defeat the Knights of Hanoi without my help!" Naoki firmly stated. "When we hung out the other day, he couldn't stop gushing about how awesome I was!"

"Oh, really?" Yuhiro interrupted before laughing. "I find your obsession with Playmaker disturbing."

"Hey, it's not disturbing!" Naoki rebutted, causing Yuhiro to laugh even more. Sighing, Aoi was about to walk towards the Den Academy entrance until she and the others heard another voice.

"Don't bother convincing them, Shimomo."

The trio, along with Naoki and Aoi, turned towards Akairo walking past them before Naoki stopped him from walking, getting his attention.

"It's Shima! Not Shika, not Shimomo, but Shima! Get it right!" Naoki told him. "That being said, having someone like you join the duel club can raise awareness, thus recruiting more members in the process. What do you say? Do you want to join?"

"No." Akairo calmly declined, causing Naoki's jaw to drop as he forced the boy to let go of him. "The reason why is because people only come to me so they can elevate their status or acquire a portion of the Gekido family's wealth. I'm not some rich boy that can be taken advantage of by others. Have a nice day." He then walked towards the Den Academy entrance, leaving Naoki in shock. Yuhiro had to admit. There was at least one student who had the balls to decline Naoki's offer like that, and in a fashion that shocked him as well.

"The three of us have class," Yuhiro told a stuttering Naoki as he, Yusaku, and Takeru went towards Den Academy and heading to the classroom. After they arrived, the trio sat in their respective seats, with the people they know also sitting in theirs. Once everyone filled up the remaining seats, Yuhiro looked around the classroom, noticing that Saburo Inoue was missing. Just like before, the seaweed-haired bastard is not at school, he thought. He's probably in the network with Ace and Athaliah to stay safe. Yuhiro made a mental note to track Saburo as soon as possible. This way, he and the others can eliminate at least one enemy off their backs.

"Good morning, class," the teacher said, getting everyone's attention. "We have a new exchange student who will be joining us starting today." The teacher turned to his left. "Please come in."

A male student then entered the classroom. He had light-green hair that flowed backwards and curled at the back. Dark-green hair spikes were also on the sides of his head, with light-green spikes at the back of his head as well. Yuhiro instantly recognized the teenager as the one who beat Herald's high score in Broken Bonez. "Hello, everyone," the teenager said. "My name is Arashi Hada. Please take care of me." The reactions were mixed amongst the students. Some of the students found him to be short for an average teenager, while the others simply welcomed him with open arms. A few other students were also curious as to how this new student will contribute to the school.

After the teenager listed some hobbies, the teacher assigned him to a sit in a seat that was one row below Yuhiro's seat, but in above the row where Akairo and Naoki were sitting at. Well, at least I can keep an eye on this new student closely, Yuhiro thought. With the introduction finished, the teacher began the class, causing the students to pay attention for the next hour.

An hour later, in the Engineering room...

Following the morning class, Yuhiro found himself in the Engineering room for today's lecture. Usually, he'd be taking notes from the nearby classroom, but the teacher wanted the students to do 'Hands-On' learning for today. He wanted the students to practice both mechanical engineering and software engineering for today so they could prepare for an upcoming test, which was both written and hands on. Yuhiro knew that Roxy learned these types of engineering when she was on the Black Market, so he had an advantage compared to the other students. As such, he could ask her questions in order to prepare for the test.

If Yuhiro was being honest with himself, the last thing on his mind was that test. There were other things that took priority, such as dealing with groups of enemies and finding the other Ignis. However, he couldn't ignore school, so he needed to balance it correctly to prevent burnout from occurring. Let's get to work, Yuhiro decided, continuing to place connect the circuits and wires so they would work. To everyone's surprise, they noticed that Arashi completed both the mechanical and the software assignments before them.

"Impressive," the teacher said, going over to the assignments and testing them to ensure they worked properly. "Well done, Hada. If I may ask, where do you come from?"

"I come from Tokyo, teacher." Arashi answered. "I come from a family of engineers and programmers, who taught me at a young age." Yuhiro paid attention to that line. That guy's Slipstream, he realized.

"Ah. So that's how you got your talent." The teacher genuinely smiled at Arashi. "Keep up the great work, and you'll one day get a scholarship towards Engineering." He then walked around the classroom, causing everyone else to continue their work.

Another hour later...

Yuhiro walked through the hallway as he went to his next class. While the Engineering class was interesting, realizing that Arashi and Slipstream were one and the same stood out to him. The question on his mind was how to reach out to Arashi. Yuhiro could send out a message through phone or text, but that would give away his identity too quickly. So he decided that he would meet Arashi privately before lunch period, where Yuhiro would meet up with Yusaku and Takeru in an unused classroom afterwards. If what Arashi said was true, Yuhiro would drag him to meet the others and hopefully acquire another ally.

His thoughts, however, were interrupted when he noticed three taller students with injuries leaving the nurse's office. The first student had a black eye, the second student was missing a tooth or two, and the third student had a swollen cheek.

"How the Hell did the three of you get injured?" Yuhiro asked.

"The nerd did it!" the first of the students answered. "We thought he was an easy picking during gym class, but he kicked our asses using different martial arts styles. Stay away from him, Furutani. He means business." The three students then walked away in pain, their pride having been dealt a blow for each of them.

Little did those bullies know that I'm friends with that nerd, Yuhiro thought with a smirk. Once they find out, they'll definitely stay away from us and my friends. He kept walking through the hallway to his next class, amused with how Takeru scared a trio of students through his knowledge of martial arts.

Until he realized that someone was following behind him.

This gave Yuhiro an idea as he looked around his surroundings quickly. Seeing a potential opportunity up ahead, he hid in an empty nearby classroom and behind the closed door.

"Isn't this copying Takeru's idea?" Herald whispered to Yuhiro.

"Perhaps, but do you have any other ideas?" Yuhiro replied. Counting down from three, he then reached forward and yeeted Arashi into the empty classroom before closing the door. Yuhiro also closed his mouth to ensure no one could hear them.

"Please don't hurt me!" Arashi begged. His eyes widened upon recognizing Yuhiro. "Hang on. You're Raguel, right? That's the same duel disk he had during our Turbo Duel."

"Yes. I am Raguel, and judging by your analysis, you're Slipstream in LINK VRAINS." Yuhiro confirmed.

"You and I need to have a talk, mister!" Herald said, emerging out of Yuhiro's duel disk. "You beat me in the game Broken Bonez, and I demand a rematch!"

"Later." Yuhiro snapped at Herald before directing his attention at Arashi. "When we met in LINK VRAINS, you said you wanted to help us. Why? This time, tell me the truth."

"Like I said before, you saved my ass twice dude." Arashi recalled. "I also know about Bohman and Haru when I saw the former duel with Playmaker, while I dueled the latter."

"And tied against him." Herald reminded him.

"With that out of the way, I need your help to decipher this piece of data that I obtained a while back." Arashi pressed a few buttons on his duel disk. Soon, a piece of data that was fizzled and static with a single color appeared. "Look, I'm not intending to do anything malicious with the data, that I promise. I tried deciphering it by myself, but it turned out to be harder than anticipated. That's why I came to you guys for help. Like I said before, this deal won't be one-sided, as I'll help you whenever I can."

Yuhiro narrowed his eyes. What Arashi said was definitely the truth. However, Yuhiro didn't know the real reason why Arashi was seeking their help. Perhaps he might learn about it later on. "Alright," Yuhiro finally decided. "Meet us in Room 286 this lunch period. We'll be having a discussion about recent events that occurred. While I'm willing to give you a chance, you'll have to earn Fujiki and Takeru's trust if you want any chance on the team."

Arashi grinned in joy as he extended his hand, which Yuhiro shook. "Thanks so much for the opportunity! Don't worry, I won't fail you!" Yuhiro sighed. This was going to be an interesting day, that's for sure.

An hour later, at lunch period, in Room 286...

Yusaku and Takeru were in Room 286 eating, waiting for Yuhiro to arrive. As the classroom was empty, the two of them were able to reserve it for themselves, thus enabling the opportunity to privately discuss the matter at hand.

"Honestly, when's Yuhiro and Herald going to arrive?" Ai asked. "Waiting for them is annoying."

"I thought you liked waiting." Flame stated.

"I only like waiting when it's for good news." Ai told Flame. Their conversation would have gone on had Yuhiro not arrived at the room.

"Sorry I'm late." Yuhiro said, entering the room and going over to where Yusaku and Takeru were. He took off his duel disk and put it beside Yusaku's and Takeru's, enabling Herald to converse with the other Ignis. "Takeru, I heard that you kicked the asses of three students earlier today. What happened?"

Takeru chuckled sheepishly. "Well, they decided to go after me once they judged me as a nerd. As such, I used my skills in different martial arts to put them in their respective places."

"I think you went a little overboard with them. Apparently, they all ended up in the nurse's office."

"Really? Well sometimes, I don't know my own strength."

"Let's focus on the matter at hand." Yusaku informed the others. "Furutani, were you able to find out Slipstream's true identity?"

"Yes, actually." Yuhiro answered. "He's... at the door believe it or not."

"Why did you bring him here? We can't have an outsider get involved in our battle." Yusaku reminded Yuhiro.

"I think we should give the guy a chance, Yusaku." Takeru said. "He was close to defeating Yuhiro yesterday, and was able to get past SOL Technologies' restricted zone. Slipstream was also able to defeat one of SOL Technologies bounty hunters as well."

"I'm with Takeru on this one." Flame added. "The more allies we have, the faster we can complete our mission."

"Yeah! Is it really that bad to judge someone before you give them a chance?" Ai questioned.

"Normally, yes." Yusaku answered, crossing his arms. "But given everything going on, we could risk getting him injured in the battle against our enemies."

"I'm sure he would be able to take care of himself, just as the three of you handled yourselves in various scenarios." Herald pointed out, emerging from Yuhiro's duel disk. "Let's bring the guy in so we can get this meeting started."

Yusaku sighed, knowing that arguing wasn't worth it at this time. "Very well. Furutani, bring him in." Yuhiro got off his chair and went over to the entrance, motioning for Arashi to come in. Within moments, Arashi arrived and went over to where Yusaku and Takeru was, along with Yuhiro before closing the door.

"First off, it's nice to meet you both!" Arashi said, introducing himself. "A fun fact: I managed to figure out both of your identities, as well as yours Yuhiro. Rest assured everyone. I won't be telling anyone, as that wouldn't be crash at all."

Yusaku and Takeru were both surprised at hearing this statement. Arashi was able to figure out all their identities and connect the dots? That made sense, for he said he came from a family of engineers and programmers. Still, there was something fishy about it. "So you're Slipstream?" Yusaku asked.

"Yup. That's me!" Arashi confirmed.

"Why do you want to help us?" Yusaku raised an eyebrow, waiting for Arashi to answer.

"Tell him what you told me." Yuhiro suggested. Arashi began by saying that he learned about Bohman and Haru in the network, and how he would have followed after the group had his stomach not rumbled. He also shown the others two pieces of data that he acquired. The first one was in different colors and streamlined, while the other was fizzled and static in a single color.

"I tried deciphering this information myself, but had no luck whatsoever," Arashi explained, finishing his story. "That's why I came to you guys for help. You decode this data for me, and I'll help you regarding your situation, no matter what. I can assist in creating fancy gadgets, decrypt unique coding situations, and help in creating new programs too!"

Yusaku thought about this for a minute. Arashi definitely showed good potential in aiding the group, and he acted sincere in helping them out. However, he suspected that something was up. A different guy shows out of nowhere and says he wants to help, with no relation to what was going on at the moment. Still, it didn't hurt to give Arashi a shot.

"Yusaku, I know you're suspicious about this guy, but I don't think he's the guy who would be our enemy." Takeru told him. "If he wanted, he would have given away our identities a long time ago."

"Which means another point for the good guys!" Ai cheered. Yusaku thought about it for a little longer before coming to a decision.

"If what you say is true, we'll give you a chance," he told Arashi. "However, you'll have to earn both mine and Takeru's trust over the next few days."

Arashi grinned, happy with the answer. "Great! Uh, how can I do that?"

"We're trying to pinpoint a gate , as well as the timing on when it'll likely appear." Takeru explained. "Meet us at Café Nagi, and we'll give you a shot!"

"I am quite curious as too how skilled you are compared to Yusaku and his ally, as well as Yuhiro and Takeru." Flame said.

"With that done, let's focus on what recently happened." Yuhiro stated. He turned to Arashi. "Whatever is said in this room doesn't leave this room, understand?" Arashi nodded in understanding. Yuhiro recapped the recent events that occurred to Yusaku and Takeru. How the Knights of Hanoi recently broke Kyoko Taki, also known as Baira, out of prison last night. He also summarized the other enemies they had to contend with. This included SOL Technologies' bounty hunters, Bohman and Haru, the Black Market, and the azure-overcoated man and his AI Malf. Although Arashi understood what was going on, he was confused as to how Bohman stole Jin's consciousness data.

"So let me get this straight." Arashi said. "Bohman was the one who yeeted your friend's brother's soul into the network, disappeared in said network somewhere with his brother, and you were close to defeating them for good had they not escaped for a second time?" Yusaku grimly nodded. "Damn... I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Yusaku replied. "That being said, can you show me the data you got from Haru again?" Arashi pulled it up on his duel disk. He narrowed his eyes as he analyzed it. "This will help us locate Bohman and rescue Jin's consciousness data."

"If we decipher the data, we'll be able to identify the gate and its likely location." Takeru informed Arashi. "The more hackers, the faster we'll find Bohman again."

"Makes sense there." Arashi pondered this for a moment before speaking. "You said earlier that you had other enemies to contend with. Don't you all have other allies?"

"We do, although some of their allegiances are questionable aright now." Herald answered.

"Two of them are wildcards, one has already decided to help us when we need her assistance, I'm not sure about the other one, and the last one is working on becoming a Charisma Duelist." Yuhiro listed. "Did I get them right?"

"Pretty much." Takeru confirmed.

"I just don't get why we can't ask Gore Gal or Blue Girl to help us out." Ai said, prompting Flame to punch him in the arm.

"Since they're working for SOL Technologies, they report to Akira Zaizen, even though he and the two girls have good intentions." Flame answered, crossing his arms. "On the other hand, the bounty hunters we ran into have worse intentions for us. And for the record, it's Ghost Girl!"

Ai giggled. "I think you were affected by her charm, weren't you?" Unfortunately for Ai, both Flame and Herald punched him at the same time, making the poor Ignis wallow in pain. "Why...?"

"Until we figure out the real reason why Akira wants to find the Ignis, it would be wise not to contact Blue Girl and Ghost Girl." Yusaku decided. "Just because Akira is the Security Chief doesn't mean he gets to make all the decisions in the company."

Yuhiro nodded. SOL Technologies was a company composed of many individuals and departments. The overall company was ran by multiple directors, as well as three stockholders who report to the company every now and then. Akira would likely report to one of the directors now that he got his old job as Security Chief back, which made his work difficult. This is because he had to balance out the welfare of his allies who helped him in the past, while obeying to the company's decisions at the same time.

"Aside from Bohman and Haru, SOL Technologies, and the Knights of Hanoi, there's two groups of enemies we haven't discussed in more detail." Yuhiro said. "The Black Market, the azure-overcoated man and his AI Malf."

"You said there were a total of seven branches, right?" Yusaku inquired, which Yuhiro nodded in confirmation. "It's likely they'll go after us, considering the public bounty on all of us."

"Not just that, but Ace is now the Overseer after the previous Overseer's death." Yuhiro added. "E.M.S. recorded the file footage before being destroyed." He pressed a few buttons on his duel disk, causing a screen to pop up. The file footage then showed Ace and Speckles confronting the Overseer before he was grabbed and dragged into the darkness. Everyone could hear sounds of hunger as something feasted on his flesh and bones, killing him in the process. A few moments later, Speckles noticed E.M.S. before launching three chained daggers attached to his wired stump, destroying it completely.

"Kusanagi did some research on Ace's ally, and his name in the real world is Saburo Inoue. He attends Den Academy, but hasn't been seen for a while." Yusaku continued. "If we were to find him in the real world, we can acquire Ace's location both in the Black Market and in the real world."

"But that's only if they become a thorn in our sides. Our main priority is to save Jin and Miyu, as well as finding the one who destroyed the Cyberse World." Takeru pointed out, with Flame nodding agreement. "If the Black Market grows as a threat, I fear we'll have to shift gears until they're dealt with."

"Monty was my boss when I worked in the Omega branch in the Black Market." Yuhiro stated. "He wanted Ai for his client. Not sure why, but I'm sure he wanted to give him either to his client or as tribute to the Overseer."

"If that happened, it would have put little old me in danger!" Ai exclaimed. "Thankfully, Yuhiro abandoned that mission and focused on a much better goal."

"Which ultimately was for the better." Herald added, turning to Yuhiro. "A sign of great maturity, that's for sure."

"With that out of the way, that leaves the Knights of Hanoi, the azure-overcoated man and his AI Malf." Yusaku said. "The Hanoi's reappearance is likely going to interfere with our mission."

"Not just that, but we'll have to deal with the other discussed enemies as well." Flame pointed out as well. "This fight just became harder than ever." Takeru frowned after hearing this news.

"The Knights of Hanoi are the same bad guys from three months ago, right?" Arashi checked, with the others nodding in confirmation. "Ah. That make's sense. My parents had to deal with some engineering issues as a result of their tower."

"So long as they continue with hunting the Ignis, they'll also be a thorn in our sides as well." Takeru told them grimly, not liking the odds right now.

"But since we've beaten them before, we'll do so again!" Ai said, trying to lighten the mood before turning to Yuhiro. "Say, were you able to contact Watchman on the situation? We could really use his help right now!"

"Yes, but he, along with Percival and Demeter are busy at the moment." Yuhiro answered, a little annoyed with how Watchman and the others weren't available lately.

"Could someone fill me in on who this Watchman is?" Takeru requested. Yuhiro immediately began explaining how Watchman was formerly a scientist during the Lost Incident, surprising Takeru. After learning that Watchman exiled himself into the network to make amends, that stunned him even more. "Honestly, I never would have expected a former scientist from the Lost Incident who wanted to make amends."

"That's not all of it." Yuhiro told him. He continued, saying there was a Crisis to come, and while Yuhiro didn't know all of it, he suspected that the Tower of Hanoi paled for what was about to happen. Yuhiro's theory was that if they studied Project: VIII, they'll be able to deduce what the Crisis was and how they could stop it from occurring.

"Watchman also knew our identities." Yusaku added, startling Takeru as the trio walked on the crosswalk to reach the other side. "However, I doubt he'll reveal them."

"Hang on a minute." Flame pondered for a moment. "Prior to the Knights of Hanoi attacking the Cyberse World, a brown figure arrived to warn us of what was about to happen. Was that-?"

"It was Watchman." Herald confirmed. "While the rest of you dismissed his warning, only the Black Ignis and I took it seriously. We were able to evacuate several Cyberse creatures before the Knights of Hanoi attacked, causing all of you to scatter."

Flame sighed. "Oh byte. I can't believe the rest of us dismissed his warning like that."

"Ha! So you admit it!" Ai boasted. "Unlike me, where I protected the Cyberse World by sealing its location within myself."

"Yes, but you dismissed his warning too." Flame pointed out.

"No I didn't!"

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't!"

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't!"

"Yes you did."

"As much as I get amusement from you two bickering, we can't risk fighting amongst ourselves right now." Herald reminded both Ignis's, with the humans narrowing their eyes towards them.

"Fine," Ai and Flame complied at the same time.

"Wait a minute. Let's roll back everything that was just discussed." Arashi said, an eyebrow raised. "You mean to tell me that a scientist is in the network trying to make amends with powers and all that jazz? Because if that's the case, you guys have a freakin' god on your side!"

Yuhiro rolled his eyes at Arashi's statement. "While Watchman does have powers, I seriously doubt he's a god," he commented. "If he were, he could have snapped his fingers and destroyed the Tower of Hanoi like this." Yuhiro snapped his fingers with his right hand, validating his point.

"On top of that, we don't know where his, Percival, and Demeter's allegiances truly lie." Yusaku added. "For now, they're our friends, as we share the same enemy."

"Until we figure out who they work for." Takeru finished.

"Okay, that makes sense." Arashi turned to Yuhiro. "What about the azure-overcoated man and his AI Malf? I bet they're up to no good, that's for sure." Yuhiro fell into melancholic silence as he remembered his failure to save Miyu. "Oh. Didn't realize that was a sensitive subject." He turned to the others. "I'm sure we'll find someway to deal with everything going on. Whether we face off the Knights of Hanoi, SOL Technologies, or anyone else, we'll kick their asses!"

"For someone who appeared in the network out of nowhere, Hada can be quite optimistic..." Takeru whispered to Yusaku.

"Perhaps, but there's something not right under that optimism." Yusaku whispered back. While he knew that was the case, he couldn't put two and two together for some reason.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the lunch period is close to being over." Herald informed the group, motioning for them to look at the clock. Sure enough, there was five minutes left before the lunch period was over.

"Let's meet up at Café Nagi after school today." Yusaku told the others.

"And where's that?" Arashi asked.

"The public viewing plaza." Ai answered. "As someone who lives in Den City, you should know that." Herald punched Ai for a second time due to that insensitive comment, making him cry in pain.

"We don't know where he lives." Herald told Ai. The three humans picked up their respective duel disks and attached them to their left wrists, while Arashi stood up along with them.

"Here's the address." Yuhiro said, sending it to Arashi through a text message. The four humans then walked out of the empty classroom. "See you all at the end of the day." With that, everyone went their separate directions, heading to their own afternoon classes.

A few hours later...

"There you are!"

Arashi caught up with Yuhiro in the hallway, walking side by side with him. "So you ready for the upcoming mission or what?"

Yuhiro stopped walking by the time he and Arashi exited Den Academy, turning to their right. "Okay, there are some ground rules regarding what we're doing."

"Ground rules?" Arashi repeated. "Fine. What are they?"

"Rule One: You do not reveal your identity to the public, nor do you disclose information that's discussed in private." Yuhiro said. "Rule Two: Do not talk about Rule One. Rule Three: Do not stand out, as otherwise, people will become suspicious of you. Do you understand?"

Arashi nodded in response, knowing this was serious. "Alright. I understand." At that moment, Yuhiro's phone began to ring.

"Sorry, I have to take this," he said, going over to the far right of the school. However, Arashi stopped him.

"Who's Miyu?" he asked quietly.

"I'll tell you the full story later, but let's just say she's someone who ended up in the Den City Hospital because I failed to save her." Yuhiro replied. "You go on ahead to Café Nagi. I'll catch up later."

"Got it." Arashi then began walking away from Den Academy and headed towards Café Nagi. Yuhiro looked around to make sure that no was nearby to hear the upcoming phone call. After doing so, he looked at the screen and frowned at who was calling him.

"What is it, Zaizen?" Yuhiro asked, answering Akira's call. "And how the Hell did you get my phone number?"

"Aoi gave it to me." Akira reluctantly answered. "There's something I need to discuss with you."

"Then make. It. Quick." Yuhiro told him, trying to hold his bitterness back.

"You need to see these pictures. Sending them now." Yuhiro's phone vibrated, indicating that he received the pictures. When he looked at them, his face widened in horror upon putting two and two together. "The number of cardiogenic shock patients has increased..." Yuhiro knew only one person who could do that.

"Malf is back, and he's feasting on people every moment he can." Akira told Yuhiro. "That's why I need your help to track this AI down."

"As much as I want to practically destroy Malf for interfering in my mission, I have another priority to deal with." Yuhiro seethed.

"Can you at least check things out in the Black Market?"

Yuhiro sighed. Akira wasn't the type of person who only acquired things for his own personal gain. He was someone who'd risk everything to save those important to him. Hell, he logged into the network to try and save Aoi, only to fall into Infearno's trap. This led him to sacrifice himself so Yusaku can defeat Specter. "Okay," he finally said. "If I have time, I'll help you out."

"Thank you. I appreciate it very much." Akira hung up afterwards, causing Yuhiro to grab his face with both of his hands. Holding back this bitterness is much harder than expected, he thought, as he walked away from Den Academy. Yuhiro sent a text to Yusaku, telling him he might be late, but for them to get started ahead of him. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't notice someone trying to get his attention.

"HEEEEEY! IS ANYBODY HOME, YUHIRO?! HEEEEEY!"

The next thing Yuhiro knew, Rachel appeared out of nowhere and hugged his left arm.

"Rachel?!" Yuhiro said, dumbfounded by what just happened. "Y-You surprised me! What are you doing here of a sudden? Shouldn't you be on your way home?"

"There's nothing sudden with me being here!" Rachel responded, her hands on her hips. "Since a few seconds ago, I've been calling to you all this time! You just didn't pay me any attention!"

"I-I'm sorry." Yuhiro told her. "I just have some thoughts on my mind recently." The next thing he knew, Rachel grabbed his hand and guided him to the nearby bench. "What are you doing?"

"We're going to sit on this bench and talk about what's going on in that head of yours!" Rachel immediately answered. "Once that's done, you'll feel better afterwards." The two of them sat down on the bench. "You're troubled by something, aren't you?"

Yuhiro noticed that the way she spoke was way more kinder and compassionate, compared to a few seconds ago. It was clear to him that Rachel was here to listen. "Like I said, I have a lot on my mind. About what recently happened, where the allegiance of our allies is at, the list of enemies we have to contend with, and how I'll tell Aoi the truth about what happened to Miyu."

"Then tell me bit by bit. I already know about what happened with Miyu, Bohman and Haru, and the Cyberse World. Skip those parts and focus on the others." Rachel advised him. Yuhiro began by telling her about how SOL Technologies hired bounty hunters to pursue him, Yusaku, and Takeru every chance they got. He also told him of how they met the Wind Ignis, as well as the encounter with Blue Girl and Ghost Girl. Due to the priority of their mission, the trio had to decline Blue Girl and Ghost Girl's help, which angered the former and forced Soulburner to duel her. Luckily, the duel forced Blue Girl to log out, with Ghost Girl logging out of her free will afterwards. Finally, Yuhiro informed her of how Bohman and Haru escaped a second time, along with the appearance of a new duelist named Slipstream, whom the trio deduced as Arashi Hada.

"Man, you have a lot of stuff on your plate." Rachel chuckled. "But if I know you, you won't give up. That's not who you are."

"Obviously." Yuhiro agreed. "You have any advice regarding Aoi and Emma?" Turning to him, Rachel spoke up.

"I think it's best for you to have as many allies as you can," she answered. "Based on what you told me, it makes the Tower of Hanoi a prologue for what's to come."

Yuhiro thought this over. Rachel did have a point, after all. With so many enemies to deal with, he and the others would need to work with others if they had a chance with completing their mission. "Thanks," Yuhiro said. "I appreciate it."

"No problem." Rachel genuinely smiled before noticing someone coming. "And speak of the devil, Aoi's here. Good luck!"

"Wait, Rachel!" Rachel leapt off the bench and proceeded to walk home, leaving Yuhiro sitting there alone. I really could have had her help in this coming conversation, he thought.

"Is this seat taken?"

Yuhiro turned and noticed Aoi speaking to him. Might as well get it over with now.

"No, it's not. You want to sit down beside me?" he asked. Aoi proceeded to sit down beside him on the bench.

"I noticed you've been tense lately, even in LINK VRAINS." Aoi began. "Did something happen?"

"Yes, something did happen." Yuhiro answered, turning to Aoi. He told her about how because of her brother hiring bounty hunters, the azure-overcoated man whom Yuhiro was following escaped. When Aoi asked who the azure-overcoated man was, Yuhiro replied that he observed the duels during the Tower of Hanoi events, as well as the one who sliced Akira and Rachel into bits before the Tower of Hanoi was destroyed. What's more, the azure-overcoated man had a vicious AI named Malf, who got stronger every time he feasted on someone. He also told her that what Playmaker said was true in Windy's world. The trio were indeed after a friend's brother's consciousness data. To rescue him, they were pursuing new enemies whose names were Bohman and Haru, who both used Cyberse cards.

"Playmaker, Soulburner, and I knew you wanted to help." Yuhiro continued. "However, the Wind Ignis, who's also known as Windy, doesn't trust humans. That's why he asked us to make you and Ghost Girl leave peacefully. In exchange, he provided us a way to find Bohman and Haru."

"And that ended badly for us." Aoi said, recalling how Soulburner defeated her in one blow using Salamangreat Violet Chimera. "I'm sorry for what happened at Windy's world. But please know that Akira means well, as that's why he sent Emma and I to find an Ignis."

"He did send bounty hunters though to capture us." Herald pointed out, emerging from Yuhiro's duel disk and surprising Aoi. "We're lucky to get away, but it's likely that your brother will send them again."

"He won't have a choice unfortunately." Aoi admitted, before turning to Yuhiro. "That being said, would you mind telling me Playmaker and Soulburner's true identities in the real world? If you did, we can convince you and the others that we only-."

"No." Yuhiro answered, in a tone that scared Aoi. "I can't share everything with you, Emma, or Akira. Because if I did, you'd likely tell your brother, who would then be forced to tell his higher ups. I can guarantee you that the situation would become ugly if that happened."

Aoi nodded hesitantly. She knew what will happen if SOL Technologies attacked Yuhiro, Playmaker, and Soulburner in the real world. They'd fight against the company with their every breath, and Yuhiro would likely force them to back off, lest they face his wrath. "Okay," she slowly said. "I understand. Thanks very much for the information." She stood up from the bench and was about to walk away only for Yuhiro to speak up.

"There is something you can tell your brother," he said. Aoi turned to Yuhiro, now curious. "I'm not sure if you heard recently, but the Knights of Hanoi broke Baira out from jail."

So what's why Akira seemed stressed this morning, Aoi realized, as she widened her eyes.

"I'm telling you this so you and Emma can stay on guard." Yuhiro narrowed his eyes before giving a rare smile, surprising Aoi. "Besides, we're friends, and I don't want you to suffer like last time."

Aoi smiled back. "Thanks Yuhiro. I appreciate the warning. I'll also inform Akira about this. If he knows, then SOL Technologies will want to put bounties on them, which will keep the bounty hunters away from you guys to an extent. See you later." She then walked away, only for Yuhiro to catch the last sentence Aoi muttered under her breath. "It looks like we'll have to follow Shima to go after Playmaker..."

What does Shima have to do with finding Playmaker, he thought. Upon putting two and two together, Yuhiro started to laugh quietly.

"What's so funny?" Herald asked, turning to Yuhiro.

"Apparently, Aoi and Emma are going after Shida to find Playmaker." Yuhiro answered quietly. "Since I know Shida is a big fan of Blue Angel, Aoi will likely do a meet and greet event in the network." A thought then came to his head as Yuhiro texted Arashi, an idea now forming in his mind. After doing so, he sat up and walked home.

Elsewhere, at Café Nagi...

Yusaku and Takeru arrived at Café Nagi, seeing that Kusanagi was serving a take out package of two hot dogs to a customer as they left.

"Enjoy!" Kusanagi called out, as the customer left. He then turned to Yusaku and Takeru before smiling, wiping his forehead. "Man, when you're working all day, it doesn't give you the chance to analyze that gate. Apparently, one couple I served hot dogs to called them hot dog sandwiches, and I'll admit it. I was slightly irritated."

"Well, at least you got through the afternoon shift." Takeru stated, trying to help Kusanagi look on the bright side as he closed up for the day.

"Kusanagi, I sent you a text earlier." Yusaku interrupted, as he and Takeru entered Café Nagi from the side.

"If you mean regarding our potential ally, yeah. I got it." Kusanagi responded. "I'm quite curious as to whether he has the skills to-."

"WAIT! FOR! ME!" Arashi suddenly said, running at Café Nagi and panting in the process. He looked around before going to the side and knocking on the door. "Hello? Anyone there?" Yusaku opened the door, allowing Arashi to enter.

"So you're the famous Slipstream." Kusanagi greeted him. "Yusaku said you came from a family of engineers and programmers, correct?" Arashi nodded before Kusanagi got serious. "While I am glad for more allies, you need to prove yourself if you want to join the team."

"I'm aware." Arashi replied. "But know that I'll do everything I can to prove my usefulness to you guys."

"Glad to hear it." Kusanagi motioned for Arashi to sit down beside him. "Right here is your test. On the screen is the data from the gate. However, there's a ton of data that needs to sorted and analyzed. But if we sort through all this data, we'll be able to pinpoint the time and location the gate will likely appear again. Oh, and for your test, you won't receive help from either of us."

"And if this gate appears, you'll find Bohman and Haru again?" Arashi asked, turning to the others.

"That's right." Yusaku answered. "We'll be able to find Bohman and Haru again, which will enable us to save Jin's consciousness data."

"And find out who is responsible for destroying the Cyberse World." Takeru added.

Arashi stretched his fingers before cracking his knuckles. "Stand back, everyone. Leave this to me." He then began running various programming tactics onto the digital keyboard that appeared on the screen, enabling him first identify the variables before creating a coding standard. As Arashi continued to type, he made a comment box on the side that allowed him to type small comments as reminders in case he forgot something. From there, Arashi created a loop using the variables that allowed the computer to continuously analyze them.

"He's on a roll here." Ai commented, turning to Yusaku. "At this rate, he'll surpass both you and Kusanagi."

"I highly doubt that, Ai." Kusanagi replied, slightly offended.

Using the information gathered, Arashi created a meaningful structure before putting in arrays to, as well as decisions to make sure the program flow was flexible. As there was lots of data, he added a manipulating text code so the data can be analyzed in small pieces. Arashi also created a code documenter to keep the data in case they ever needed it again. He then scaled the search so it was natural.

"Now to test the framework." Arashi announced, pressing the Enter button. The computer then ran the code he put in, enabling it to analyze the data at a fast rate. "All right. My code works. Now for the final piece." He turned to Yusaku and Takeru. "Can I borrow an algorithm from one of your buddies?"

"Oh, no!" Ai protested. "There's no way that I'll donate a single algorithm to you!"

"I don't want to lose any of my algorithms either." Flame agreed, emerging out of Takeru's duel disk. "But I am willing to let you borrow one of mine if it will help our mission."

"Here you go." Takeru took off his duel disk and handed it over to Arashi, who put the duel disk on the counter. Pressing a few buttons, the bottom of Takeru's duel disk glowed green as a single red algorithm appeared on the screen. "Running the code in three, two, one!" He pressed the enter button as the code ran itself on the computer, analyzing the data at a fast rate. Quickly, it split pieces of data into groups as it whittled down several layers of the data. Eventually, Arashi pressed pause on the program on pause before turning to the others.

"Alright. I think I see the problem here. Luckily, there's a fast and easy solution to your dilemma."

"Hang on a minute. A fast and easy solution?" Kusanagi repeated, scratching the back of his head. "What exactly do you mean?"

"I looked at your computer's framework, and saw that it analyzed things line by line, no matter how much data was there." Arashi explained, handing Takeru's duel disk back to him. "So what I did was expanded its analysis parameters, as well as added a manipulated text code to analyze the data in small pieces before grouping them. Lastly, I inputted a code documenter in case you ever needed the data again. And if that wasn't enough, I put in some comments so you can teach yourselves how to do it."

"Sorry, but could you clarify?" Takeru requested. "I don't understand coding terms as well as Yusaku, Kusanagi, and you."

Arashi sighed and gestured to the screen. "Can't you see it's the Radius Circle Theorem?" Kusanagi stepped forward and looked at the data thoroughly. After a minute or so, his jaw practically dropped.

"Holy cow. You're right!" Kusanagi exclaimed. "Yusaku! Takeru! Come check this out!" The both of them stepped forward and looked at the data as well. While Takeru was surprised, Yusaku narrowed his eyes, having understood what Arashi was talking about.

"If you use the Radius Circle Theorem, you'll be able to pinpoint the time and location the gate will likely appear next." Arashi finished. "So. How did I do?"

"Are you kidding? You passed with five stars!" Ai exclaimed, giving him two thumbs up.

"I concur with Ai." Flame agreed, nodding in approval. "You definitely have a unique gift for programming and coding."

"Not bad, Hada." Yusaku said, impressed that Arashi was able to solve their problem. "With your code, you've reduced the time it'll take to find the gate."

"And with four hackers on the job, we'll find it in no time." Takeru stated, sitting down on Kusanagi's right while Arashi moved down a spot so he can sit beside Yusaku on the right.

"Let the search continue!" Kusanagi declared, the four of them typing away.

Meanwhile, at Café Matsuo...

Yuhiro breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted Café Matsuo. Malf's reappearance in the network was obviously bad news, as that meant the azure-overcoated man was able to find a way to resurrect his ally. The good news was that he had a lead again in finding the azure-overcoated man and finding out how to save Miyu. When he made it to Café Matsuo, Roxy was there, serving a customer a take-out meal.

"Enjoy!" Roxy said, waving to the customer as Yuhiro approached the counter. "Ah, Yuhiro! Good to see ya! I trust you had a great day at school?"

"A bit of both actually." Yuhiro answered. "I'll tell you, but in the backroom." Seeing that he was serious, Roxy had the steward bot take over before letting Yuhiro in. The two of them went over to the backroom and took their respective seats.

"So? What do you want to tell me first? Good news or bad news?" Roxy raised an eyebrow, giving Yuhiro her full attention.

"Well, the good news is that we know Slipstream's identity in the real world." Yuhiro told her, typing on the digital computer before a profile came up. "In the real world, he's known as Arashi Hada. He approached me today and wanted to join us. While I knew Arashi was genuine, Yusaku and Takeru wanted to provide him with tests if he was to join the team's trust. Before you say anything, I also laid out the ground rules for him to understand."

"That's good news indeed." Roxy agreed. "Then what's the bad news?" Yuhiro then told her about how Akira called him after school, and said that Malf was back on the scene, sending more people to the Den City Hospital. While Roxy was shocked by this revelation, she was glad that they had their lead back. Yuhiro also informed her of Akira's request to prevent an all-out Turf War in the Branches, and his hesitation to help him out as he didn't know where their allies' allegiances lied at. Despite that, Yuhiro had a talk with Rachel that helped him with his eventual conversation with Aoi.

"I told her bits and pieces of what happened," he explained. "This way, she and the others are aware of what happened. However, I didn't disclose everything that happened, so don't worry."

"I'm not worried that you would disclose anything important." Roxy responded, thinking over the information to herself. "What I am worried about is how the coming Turf War will prevent us from completing our mission if it escalates further."

"So you actually agree with assisting Akira in dealing with the branches?" Yuhiro was surprised in hearing Roxy say that out of her mouth.

"Yes." Roxy turned to Yuhiro. "We can't completely focus on the mission at hand if we're distracted by thorns in our sides."

"Alright then." Yuhiro began typing a message to Kusanagi before sending it with Roxy's seal of approval. Within a minute, Kusanagi responded, saying that their idea makes sense. He also informed them of how Arashi found a solution that sped up their search as well. If it worked, he and the others might be able to find the gate today. At that moment, Yuhiro's phone buzzed.

"It appears you got a message on your phone." Herald said, as Yuhiro pulled out his phone.

"Job complete," Yuhiro read the text, which came from Arashi. "Miyu will like this, that's for sure."

"Like what exactly?" Roxy raised an eyebrow at Yuhiro. "You have some explaining to do, mister."

"Well, I was able to deduce that Aoi and Emma are going after Yusaku's 'sidekick' to track down Playmaker in the real world." Yuhiro made the bunny ears at the 'Sidekick' part, causing Roxy to laugh upon putting two and two together.

"Oh, they're gonna be disappointed on that. But still, how is Miyu involved in this?" Roxy gave Yuhiro a glare that spelt impending doom if he answered wrongly.

"Well, truth be told, I put in a letter of entry for a handshake event from Blue Angel herself." Yuhiro replied sheepishly. "The reason being was so Miyu would be able to participate in an event once she wakes up. You could say it was a gift from me."

"Aw, that's so sweet." Roxy pinched Yuhiro's cheek, happy that he did something for her niece. "You act all tough and focused on the outside, but deep down, you have a big and caring heart."

"Let's put that to the side." Yuhiro suggested, taking Roxy's hand off his cheek before turning to the screens. The two of them were easily able to find where the event was going to take place.

"Are you sure about this?" Herald questioned. "Don't get me wrong. Having a thorn in our side can definitely derail us off our mission. My concern is that Blue Girl and Ghost Girl will throw us to the wolves. In other words, SOL Technologies."

"I understand your concern Herald, but there's three reasons why we're doing this." Yuhiro answered. "One: When Blue Girl and Ghost Girl arrived in Windy's world, they claimed that Akira can help the Ignis. If I were to combine yesterday's events with the conversation I had with Aoi, there's a chance that they're genuine in what they said. Two: Of all of SOL Technologies' employees, Akira Zaizen was the only employee who cared enough to help those in need. He did it with Tsubaki and her dad, as well as Aoi. Three: If Ghost Girl intended on capturing an Ignis for cash, she would have joined SOL Technologies' bounty hunters. It's likely she didn't do this either out of gratitude or her loyalty to Akira."

"Those reasons make sense when you think about it." Roxy said, thinking thoroughly about Yuhiro's theories before pointing to the closed-off space. "With that settled, get your butt into the network." She turned her head to look at Yuhiro. "And remember..."

"Don't do anything rash." Yuhiro finished. He then ran to the closed-off space, where the door closed behind him. From there, Yuhiro took out his deck and inserted it into his duel disk.

"Deck Set! Into the VRAINS!"

In LINK VRAINS...

Raguel landed on the top of a nearby building as he observed the flash event. Sure enough, it gathered the attention of many people at a quick rate, one of which was Brave Max himself. "Herald, can you check if the camera app is recording this?" he requested.

"It's already doing so. I even updated it recently as well." Herald told him, a smirk on his face. The both of them couldn't help but imagine Roxy's reaction after watching how Ghost Girl would realize that her and Blue Girl's lead was just a waste of time.

Raguel watched as Ghost Girl approached Brave Max, wanting to see how skilled Brave Max was. As the duel began, Raguel noticed Blue Girl on a rooftop nearby observing the duel before immediately activating his invisibility program, not wanting to be seen.

Ghost Girl immediately summoned Altergeist Silquitous and Set two cards on her field, wanting to know if Playmaker's 'sidekick' can get past this. Brave Max, in response, cut his life points in half just to Link Summon Metal Baboon, Stalwarts of the Forest. He then attacked, not even paying attention to Ghost Girl's Set cards, which enabled her to stop his attack and bring out both Altergeist Multifaker and Marionetter. Irritated with what just happened, Ghost Girl used Silquitous' effect to return her to her hand and return Brave Max's Link monster back to his Extra Deck. Although she complied with Brave Max's request to attack with one monster, Ghost Girl brought out Altergeist Hexstia and used her effect to increase her monster's attack points, thus winning her the duel.

Long story short, Brave Max was a total dumb duelist who not only had no regard for the rules, but couldn't play his cards right as well. After all, there was a difference between simply playing a card and using it.

"I don't think your lead panned out." Ghost Girl said, approaching Blue Girl as they regrouped in LINK VRAINS' plaza.

"Yeah. If he really was Playmaker's sidekick, he would have dueled you a whole lot better than whatever that was." Blue Girl replied, embarrassed.

"That's an understatement." Ghost Girl chuckled. "He lost so bad he was almost in tears."

Blue Girl sighed, now hating what she had to do next. "Thanks for the guilt trip. It's all my fault in the first place because I put him on your tail," she pouted. "Well, guess I can't leave him broken. I better go do my part and cheer him up."

"And, scene!" a voice cried out of nowhere, causing Blue Girl and Ghost Girl to look around, now alert for any unexpected appearances. The next thing the two women knew, Raguel jumped off the rooftop and landed on the street, just slightly away from them.

"Oh my goodness, Raguel!" Brave Max said, wiping his tears and standing up before approaching him. "You're really here in the flesh! Can you-?"

"Be quiet." Raguel replied in a boring tone before slapping Brave Max away with the back of his hand and sending him flying away from them. "Is the recording done, Herald?"

"Yup. It's ready and good to go." Herald confirmed, as Raguel approached both Blue Girl and Ghost Girl, who were still shocked by his appearance.

"That. Was. Funny! Roxy's so going to enjoy this later!" A mischievous grin was on Raguel's face, amused with what just happened.

"Don't you dare send that recording!" Ghost Girl ordered, shaking Raguel by the shoulders.

"Wait a minute! You saw the whole fiasco?!" Blue Girl exclaimed, now more embarrassed than ever. "How did you-?!"

"It's called an invisibility program." Raguel explained. "If I recall, the both of you had a stealth program that let you get past SOL Technologies' restricted area. Did it ever occur to either of you to install a thermal program so you can detect heat signatures?"

Both Blue Girl and Ghost Girl's jaws dropped, the thought of creating and installing such a program having never crossed either of their minds. Ghost Girl facepalmed herself, while Blue Girl sulked for having not thought of that idea.

"Okay, now I'm embarrassed." Ghost Girl admitted. "Anyway, what are you doing here, Raguel? Shouldn't you be with Playmaker and the others?"

"One of our new allies is assisting them with finding the gate again." Raguel told her. "I'm guessing Blue Girl informed of you this, right?" Blue Girl nodded in confirmation. "For now, my priorities align with Akira's request, as ending the Turf War will help me find my target and lead me to the azure-overcoated man."

"Turf War?" Blue Girl repeated, only for Raguel to motion both girls to follow him out of the plaza. Eventually, they got out of the plaza and were some distance away from it. "I heard Akira say something about how SengokuQueen was sent to the Black Market, but are things really escalating there?"

"Yes." Raguel answered. "As you both know, I used to work for the Omega branch in the Black Market. You could say that the Omega branch, along with Epsilon, were the only branches with some code of honor. Unfortunately, there were branches in the Black Market who didn't have that honor, especially regarding its practices."

"A month and a half ago, Raguel and I went to the Gamma branch so we could obtain some information." Ghost Girl continued. "Raguel was thrown into a fight ring, and had to duel to escape. Luckily, the power went out, and SengokuQueen helped us get the info before we blew the place up."

"That's not all. Do you remember a person named Ace?" Raguel asked Blue Girl, who instantly recognized the name. "He killed the previous Overseer and usurped that position, making him the most powerful person in the Black Market. It's likely that the Alpha and Gamma branches have willingly sided with him. Not sure about the other branches though."

Blue Girl frowned upon hearing Raguel and Ghost Girl's information. Ace was the person responsible for what happened to Tsubaki. Had it not been for Raguel and herself, Tsubaki would have likely stayed as a pawn for both Ace and the Knights of Hanoi. "Then we have to help Akira out," she decided. "At least until something happens on Playmaker's side."

"Don't worry, I already have an idea on where we should go." Ghost Girl pressed a few buttons on her duel disk, which showed a screen regarding a place Raguel recognized. "I spoke to Akira recently, and he told me that SengokuQueen was sent to the Zeta branch. The reason why is pretty obvious, as destroying the Black Market's supplies will definitely set all the branches back quite a bit."

"The head of the Zeta branch is known as Wyatt Brisa." Raguel explained, an image of a tall and muscular man with a small well-kept beard and spiky, dishevelled orange hair appeared. Not only did the man wear a loosely a loosely buttoned shirt beneath a black suit, he also had sunglasses and fingerless gloves as well. "He's responsible for both the creation and shipping of weapons to the Overseer, who provides lots of money in exchange. Either the Zeta branch is already on Ace's side, or he's negotiating terms with them so they would work for him."

"That makes it more the reason to hit the Zeta Branch as fast as possible." Blue Girl deduced. "I'm guessing the both of you already have the route on your duel disks?"

"Hold on. I'm sending it to you now." Ghost Girl pressed a button on her duel disk, causing Blue Girl to look at hers upon receiving a notification. "With that out of the way, we might as well get going." The others nodded before everyone jumped on their duel boards, speeding away from the plaza and towards their destination.

A few minutes later, at the Zeta Branch...

This was not SengokuQueen's day at all. Last evening, Akira wanted her to track Malf down, as well as prevent the Black Market from escalating into a full-out Turf War. One of SengokuQueen's leads told her that Malf's last location was in the Zeta branch. However, the Zeta branch was one of the largest branches in the entire Black Market, other than Epsilon and Gamma. This was because there were various outposts that regulated factories, as well as made its workers complete their required quota. That meant she had to blend in with everyone else to find Malf, lest he disappear again.

It wasn't an easy task for SengokuQueen, that's for sure. Paths and streets were carved into the ground of the branch so that workers could travel by foot or vehicle. There were also regulated air lanes high above the ground so utilized drones can deliver packages to the other branches without interference. As SengokuQueen investigated the Zeta branch, she noticed several shops selling weapons, programs, you name it, to different people in the network. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Malf so far.

Eventually, SengokuQueen reached the main area in the Zeta branch, which was composed of a massive factory that had lava flowing down to the lake below in various holes. When she infiltrated inside as a worker, she noticed several people making different pieces for weapons using various metals. Some of them were forging the weapons in the desired shape, while others prepped small ammunitions and made larger ones. There were also several conveyer belts that moved any scrapped parts into a massive lava pit down below. One conveyer belt, however, was used to move weapons so some of the workers can package them for transport. Taking the chance to sneak away, SengokuQueen had the opportunity to look around the massive factory floors to reach the command center, which will let her see if Malf was in the Zeta branch.

But that was so one hour earlier, as she was now running from Wyatt Brisa and his many troopers. Although SengokuQueen managed to block many of the bullets with her sword and stall them using debris, it was clear they'd be able to find her eventually.

I can't believe the program my lead gave me timed out like that, she thought, hiding in an alleyway. While SengokuQueen's leads were trustworthy, it appeared that this one went behind her back and alerted Wyatt the moment she was able to find something. Looking on both sides, SengokuQueen noticed that troopers were patrolling both streets, asking people if they've seen her recently. Just great. Both sides were just crawling with troopers. If SengokuQueen were to find an opening though, she might be able to escape from the Zeta branch.

And lo and behold, an opening appeared just in time, as SengokuQueen noticed several trucks going driving on the road where the troopers were. One of them stopped the truck in front of the others, telling the driver that there's a dangerous fugitive loose in Zeta. A dangerous fugitive? Really? That's what they were calling someone who brings people to justice?

Whatever. Seizing the opportunity, SengokuQueen ran to her right and to the trucks, using them as cover. Just when she made it to the sixth and final truck, someone shouted her presence to the troopers, which resulted in them chasing after her.

SengokuQueen continued to run away from the troopers and did her best to avoid the stun shots fired from the trooper's guns. Eventually, she found a large piece of debris and hid behind there as the troopers closed in.

"SengokuQueen!" the leader of the troopers shouted. "You're under arrest for trespassing in the Zeta branch, as well as attempting to retrieve data. Surrender or die! Your choice!"

I'll make my stand before logging out immediately, SengokuQueen decided. She emerged from the debris and prepared to fight...

...Only for everyone to notice several portals to appear around the troopers.

"What is this?" the leader of the troopers demanded, signaling the others to stay alert. The next thing they knew, fiery bullets emerged from the portals, causing everyone to duck and find cover.

"Wahoo!" Raguel shouted out of nowhere, jumping off his duel board and landing on the ground. Before the troopers could even fathom what was going on, he equipped the Big Man gauntlet and grabbed one of the troopers by his legs, throwing him to his left side. After equipping the Cracker gauntlet and rolling behind one of the troopers, Raguel tased him with enough force to know him out. The lead trooper and the other attempted to fire at Raguel, only for him to equip the Drill Prong gauntlet and release a wire that gripped their guns, yeeting them both off their hands. Before the troopers could run away out of fear, he released a wire from the Drill Prong and the duel anchor from his duel disk to prevent them from escaping. "Done and done. They're all yours, SengokuQueen." He then reequipped his Cracker gauntlet after redownloading the Drill Prong into his duel disk.

"How did-?" SengokuQueen was still shocked as she emerged from the large piece of debris. "How did you know I was here?"

"You can thank me for that, SengokuQueen." Ghost Girl answered, as she and Blue Girl arrived where Raguel and SengokuQueen were before jumping off their duel boards.

"Are you okay, SengokuQueen?" Blue Girl asked, approaching her.

"I thought you two were trying to find Playmaker's real identity." SengokuQueen reminded them.

"They were, but it didn't end so well." Herald commented, emerging from Raguel's duel disk. "Here's the proof." He played the recording, which showed Ghost Girl beating Brave Max in a single attack. Apparently, Brave Max claimed to be Playmaker's 'sidekick', which was invalidated quickly once both Ghost Girl and Blue Girl realized what an idiot he was. After seeing the recording, SengokuQueen and Raguel couldn't help but laugh, embarrassing the others in the process.

"While I want to make fun of you for mistaking a useful lead Ghost Girl, that'd make me a hypocrite." SengokuQueen admitted. "After all, my lead ended up ratting me out to Wyatt Brisa."

"So your mission failed, huh?" Ghost Girl told her, causing SengokuQueen to become irritated. Before a confrontation could commence, Blue Girl stepped in between them.

"We're all on the same mission here, remember?" Blue Girl pointed out, making both women back off. Raguel couldn't help but be impressed by what Blue Girl just did. At that moment, she had some of Akira's boldness in her. "So until it's done, let's work together, alright?!"

"You heard the lady." Raguel said, approaching them. "Let's do this before things in the Black Market escalate further." He turned to SengokuQueen. "Judging from what happened, I'm guessing you were running from Wyatt's troops."

"Yes." SengokuQueen confirmed, pulling up a map showing the entire Zeta branch. "I was trying to look for Malf in the main area when I was eventually caught. But if we were able to get back in, we might be able to find Malf's last location." Raguel nodded in agreement. He was only doing this so he could find Malf and eventually the azure-overcoated man.

"I can help with that." Ghost Girl said, looking at the screen as an image of Wyatt popped out. "Apparently, he hired me to deliver some supplies for the Zeta branch, and offered a lot of money in exchange for my assistance." The others turned to Ghost Girl in shock. "Yes, I did odd jobs back then. However, when I realized what Wyatt intended to do with the supplies, I ended up blowing them up and tried to lie about what happened. Sadly, that didn't work, as he had his troops chase me before I was able to log out." She pointed to the ends of the branch. "The Zeta branch has anti-log out sections reaching to its end areas to ensure no one could escape. If this is going to work, we'll need to deal with the Zeta branch's main base of operations."

"Makes sense there." Blue Girl agreed, before turning to Ghost Girl. "But what exactly are you going to do?"

"Simple." Ghost Girl pressed a few buttons on her duel disk, releasing some of her fireflies before they turned red. "I'll attack some of Wyatt's outposts in order to draw him towards me. While that's happening, you three get to the main area and get the information needed. Once you blow the main factory up, the anti-log out sections will shut down as well."

"If this works, we regroup here before logging out. Got it?" Raguel asked, causing the others to nod. "Then let's go." He, Blue Girl, and SengokuQueen ran forward to the main factory, while Ghost Girl slipped in the shadows and ran through the alleyways. Eventually, the trio reached the main factory before hiding behind a large piece of debris.

"Okay, that's one big factory." Blue Girl commented. "With the outposts, it's no wonder the Zeta branch is able to mass produce weapons."

"The troopers will probably still be on high alert due to my appearance." SengokuQueen explained. "If we're to get in, we'll need disguises that won't fizzle out, unlike the one my lead gave me."

"You can leave that to me." Raguel said, sending both Blue Girl and SengokuQueen a program containing their disguises. "Don't worry. It's nothing inappropriate, unlike the one Roxy sent to me."

"You mean the one where you disguised yourself as a schoolgirl?" Herald asked, laughing upon remembering what happened. "Roxy totally got you that time!"

"Be quiet, and get in the duel disk too." Raguel told him. The three of them pressed a button on their duel disks, activating their disguises. Each disguise masked their faces, as well as covered their bodies with a black rain poncho to blend in. "Lead the way, SengokuQueen." The woman nodded as she led Blue Girl and Raguel covertly to the factory, where the troopers let them pass, assuming they were regular workers. Instead of going in through the front entrance, SengokuQueen led the others to the left, where they found a secret entrance into the factory.

Going inside, she led the others through the main floor to the upper levels, evading the troopers who kept an eye on the workers. As they travelled upstairs, the three of them continued to notice an increased trooper presence with each floor. This forced them to hide in between walls to not get noticed. Before approaching the fourth floor, the trio hid locked the door behind them and reached the front, only to notice a squadron of troopers patrolling it.

Raguel released several E.M.S. out of his duel disk to see exactly how many troopers were there. As the E.M.S. patrolled the area, he pressed a few buttons, enabling him to see what the E.M.S. were seeing. "Okay," he said, showing the two girls the screen. "We got a serious problem."

"Millimeter body scanners plus infrared cameras and a security check-in station." SengokuQueen stated, pointing at each of the three obstacles.

"I thought only airports used them." Blue Girl said, looking at the screen closely. "But considering how the Zeta branch is one of the Black Market's important branches, it makes sense." She turned to Raguel. "I'll be honest when I say I never did this secret agent gig before."

"Secret agent gig?" SengokuQueen raised an eyebrow.

"In this and the upcoming scenarios, I guess it makes sense." Raguel shrugged his shoulders before turning to Blue Girl. "Don't worry, Blue Girl. You'll learn from us along the way in both the real world and in LINK VRAINS. For now..." He put on the Surpriser gauntlet on his right arm. "...we have to take care of our problem." Raguel pressed a buttons on his duel disk, which caused each of the E.M.S. to attach themselves to the walls. From there, he fired a small portal in front of him before opening the door slightly and firing portals in the room. Once that was done, Raguel moved the portals into position by using his duel disk before putting on his Cracker gauntlet once again. "Floor cleared in three, two, one." He fired several electrical shots from his Cracker gauntlet, which went into the portal in front of him before reappearing from another portal and ricocheting off the E.M.S, causing confusion amongst the troopers before they were stunned. The electrical shots continued to ricochet around the entire floor until they hit the technological devices, disabling each one before shortening out.

"Okay, didn't see that coming." Blue Girl admitted, as the three of them opened the door and moved through the third floor.

"When you do missions in the Black Market, it gets you equipment and tactics that can be used creatively to get the job done." Raguel explained, moving up the staircase along with the others.

"Yes, but you originally used your tactics to serve the Black Market." SengokuQueen reminded him, pulling out sword and prying the door to the four floor open.

"I thought we got past that." Raguel replied. Before SengokuQueen could retort, Blue Girl ended pulling both of their ears.

"Enough arguing. Let's get this mission done." Blue Girl scolded them. Going through the door, the trio crouched down and carefully navigated the hallways to reach the command center. When they were close to their destination, the three of them had to hide behind a wall nearby upon noticing a trooper running upstairs to the command center.

"Sir!" the trooper said, getting Wyatt's attention, who was in the command center. "Our outposts are under attack!"

"Pull up the screens!" Wyatt ordered the troops that were in the command center, which showed Ghost Girl practically blowing them up using her fireflies. "Of course it had to be you, Ghost Girl! Get all troops available and have them follow me to the nearest outpost! It's time to send out a warning to those that betray the Zeta branch!" He and the troops ran out of the command center before going down a nearby staircase, which led to an exit.

"All clear." SengokuQueen whispered, motioning for Raguel and Blue Girl to follow her upstairs to the command center. Once they arrived, they went to the center of the room, which was a circular structure that displayed a holographic map of the entire Zeta branch. On the sides were computers.

"You'll need this." Raguel said, handing her a USB stick. Nodding, SengokuQueen began searching through the database for Malf's location, while Blue Girl and Raguel went over to the nearby computers. "Roxy, see if you can jam the Zeta branch's communications. Once SengokuQueen obtains what she needs, Blue Girl and I will initiate the self-destruction sequence."

"I got your back." Roxy replied, as she began typing on the digital keyboard. "Just try not to be-."

"Rash, I know." Raguel finished, beginning to type on the keyboard, with Blue Girl doing the same. "Something's on your mind, isn't there, Blue Girl?"

"You can tell, can't you? Well, truth be told, something is on my mind." Blue Girl admitted, not looking at Raguel. "I just wish there was a way we can work with you, Playmaker, and Soulburner so we can find the other Ignis and find ways to peacefully work with them."

"Is that what your brother told you? Or is it something you believe in?" Blue Girl raised an eyebrow in confusion, so Raguel continued. "There's a difference between someone simply telling you their opinions and you coming up with an answer on your own. When that happens, you have a choice. You can let someone else's opinions change your identity, or you can take that information and turn it into something that's true from your perspective."

"Thus leading to the creation of your own truth." Herald finished, emerging from Raguel's duel disk. "Sometimes, people may be wrong, so you must discover what's right and wrong before choosing what to believe in for yourself."

"That's... really insightful." Blue Girl commented, pondering over Raguel's explanation before turning to him. "Thank you for telling me this."

"Your welcome. I hope this information helps you in the future." Raguel replied.

"It will, so don't worry." Blue Girl assured him.

"Apologies for intruding on your conversation," SengokuQueen interrupted, "but I got all the information needed. We can blow this place up now."

"Good, because all the data's wiped from the servers." Blue Girl responded. "The self-destruction sequence has been set for five minutes, which should give the workers enough time to get out of this place."

"And us too." Raguel added. "Activating self-destruction sequence now!" After pressing the button, sirens went off throughout the whole factory, indicating that the sequence began.

"Damn it!" SengokuQueen cried out, the map of the Zeta branch fizzling on her duel disk. It did the same for both Raguel and Blue Girl. The next thing they knew, the doors leading to the exits locked up. "With the maps gone and the exits sealed, we'll be running in circles!"

"It must have been a contingency plan in case someone succeeded in trying to blow up the Zeta branch." Raguel deduced, before pressing the earpiece in his left ear. "Roxy, can you lead us the Hell out of here?"

"Don't lose your marbles, I got it under control." Roxy answered. "Go downstairs and turn right. Once you do so, run down the hallway before turning right." The three of them followed Roxy's instructions and began evacuating the main factory.

"Let's hope Ghost Girl is having better luck than us." Blue Girl stated.

"Never say that." Raguel advised her. "It jinxes the situation more than it already has."

Elsewhere, in the Zeta Branch...

After Ghost Girl destroyed the latest Zeta branch outpost, she proceeded to move onto the next one and cause more havoc with her self-destructing fireflies. Eventually, she patched in the comms channel and realized that her plan worked.

Wyatt Brisa would be coming to her.

Ghost Girl evaded cover before directing her fireflies to distract the troopers with a series of explosions that pushed them back. Once the smoke cleared, she ran forward and knocked them all out before heading to the entrance of the outpost. To ensure the nearby turrets wouldn't stun her, Ghost Girl pressed a button that caused some fireflies to short circuit them, enabling her to continue unharmed. But just as she reached the entrance, three ropes shot out of nowhere and wrapped around her arms and legs before planting themselves on the ground. When Ghost Girl looked up, she realized they came from a transport above her.

"Well done, boys." Wyatt praised his men, as the transport landed and the troopers went over to restrain her further. Getting off the transport, Wyatt approached Ghost Girl.

"To think I'd ever see you again, Wyatt..." Ghost Girl mockingly said, with Wyatt responding by punching her in the stomach.

"You set back my weapons production by five months!" Wyatt shouted, annoyingly recalling what happened. "Five months! Due to your defiant actions, I got in trouble with the previous Overseer and lost several of my men in the process!"

"So what? I may be a mercenary, but I do have morals." Ghost Girl pointed out, causing Wyatt to punch her again in the stomach while his troopers held her in place.

"Well, you should be lucky, Ghost Girl." Wyatt motioned to a trooper nearby, who prepared a recording, while another trooper activated a program on his duel disk. "Because you'll be an example of what happens when people double cross me." One of the troopers was about to blast Ghost Girl with their program when she suddenly spoke up.

"You know, if you had any balls, you'd get rid of me personally in a duel," she pointed out. "Or do you hide behind your own men? Surely, you don't want word to get out that you're weak." This worked, as Wyatt raised a hand, stopping the trooper from using their program.

"Unbind her..." Wyatt seethed to the other troopers, who immediately did so. "If you want me to personally teach people of what happens when they double cross me, I'll grant your wish." He activated his duel disk as he walked to one side of the outpost.

Wyatt totally fell for it, she thought, going over to the other side of the outpost and activating her duel disk. "In that case, I'm ready whenever you are."

"Duel!" Ghost Girl and Wyatt shouted in unison.

Ghost Girl: 4000 LP

Wyatt Brisa: 4000 LP

"As much as you hate me, you still have to let a lady go first." Ghost Girl told Wyatt, who grunted in response. "My turn! I'll start by summoning Altergeist Marionetter from my hand." A female humanoid monster with a round green apparatus attached to her waist appeared on Ghost Girl's field, giggling as she did so.

Altergeist Marionetter ATK: 1600 DEF: 1700 LV: 4

"When Marionetter is Normal Summoned, I'm allowed to Set one 'Altergeist' Trap card straight from my deck." Ghost Girl chose a card from her deck and immediately Set it on her field. "I'll then activate the Continuous-Trap card I just Set: Altergeist Haunted Rock!"

"That's illegal!" Wyatt exclaimed. "You can't activate a Trap card the turn it's Set!"

"In normal circumstances, you're correct, but not for Haunted Rock." Ghost Girl responded. "If it was Set by the effect of an 'Altergeist' monster, I'm allowed to activate it on that same turn. In addition, when Haunted Rock is activated, I can send one 'Altergeist' monster from my hand to the Graveyard." She took a card from her hand and sent it to her Graveyard. "Next, I activate Altergeist Multifaker's effect from my hand. Since I activated a Trap card, I can Special Summon this card from my hand." A pink and purple female humanoid monster with six bent golden legs appeared as well on Ghost Girl's field.

Altergeist Multifaker ATK: 1200 DEF: 800 LV: 3

"Multifaker's second effect! When she's Special Summoned, I can Special Summon an 'Altergeist' monster from my deck in defense position! Come, Altergeist Meluseek!" A dark-purple female mermaid monster also appeared on Ghost Girl's field, only in defense position.

Altergeist Meluseek ATK: 500 DEF: 300 LVL: 1

"Open before me! The circuit that connects to the unknown parallel universe!" Ghost Girl declared, as a Link Portal appeared in the sky above her. "The summoning conditions are two 'Altergeist' monsters. I set Altergeist Multifaker and Meluseek into the Link Markers!" Marionetter went into the right arrowhead, while Meluseek went into the bottom arrowhead.

"Link Summon! Come forth! Link 2! Altergeist Hexstia!" A dark brown and gold skinned female monster with six legs and a large tail appeared on Ghost Girl's field in the right Extra Monster Zone, which pointed at Marionetter.

Altergeist Hexstia ATK: 1500 LINK-2 ➡️⬇️

"The effect of Meluseek now activates." Ghost Girl continued. "Since she was sent to the Graveyard, I can add one 'Altergeist' monster from my deck to my hand." Ghost Girl continued, as a card popped out of her deck, which she took and added to her hand. "I now activate Marionetter's effect! Once per turn, I can send an 'Altergeist' card I control to my Graveyard to Special Summon one 'Altergeist' monster from my Graveyard. I send Haunted Rock to the Graveyard so I can Special Summon Altergeist Silquitous from my Graveyard to my field." As Haunted Rock exploded into particles, a light brown female monster with six wings appeared on Ghost Girl's field.

Altergeist Silquitous ATK: 800 DEF: 1500 LV: 2

"Hexstia's effect activates as well! She gains the original attack points equal to the 'Altergeist' monsters she points to! Since she's pointed to Marionetter, Hexstia gains 1600 attack points!" Hexstia was surrounded in a fiery aura as her attack points increased.

Altergeist Hexstia ATK: 1500 + 1600 = 3100

"I Set two cards face-down and end my turn." Ghost Girl concluded. This is a strong setup, she thought. With Hexstia, Silquitous, and Protocol on my field, I'll be able to activate the effects of my monsters with no concern whatsoever. And in case he attacks, I have Kunquery in my hand to negate his attack. In other words, I'm prepared for anything and everything.

"My turn! I draw!" Wyatt said, drawing the top card of his deck.

"Continuous-Trap, activate!" Ghost Girl interrupted. "Altergeist Protocol! Now the activation and effects of 'Altergeist' cards activated on my field cannot be negated! In addition, I activate my other Trap card, Altergeist Camouflage, and equip it onto Hexstia! While equipped, you can no longer target Hexstia with card effects or attacks, and any effects that target her are instantly negated!" Wyatt grit his teeth in response to the two activated Trap cards. This was going to be hard for him, that's for sure.

"In that case, try this! I activate the Spell card, Machina Redeployment! When this card is activated, I can activate one of two effects! By discarding a card, I can either add two 'Machina' monsters with different names from my deck to my hand, or discard a 'Machina' monster to add two 'Machina' cards from my deck to my hand, as long as one of them isn't 'Machina Redeployment! I choose to activate the first effect!" After discarding a card, two cards popped out of Wyatt's deck, which he took and added to his hand. "Now I summon Machina Soldier from my hand." A humanoid silver machine covered in green plates with a single eye and a blade for the right arm appeared on his field.

Machina Soldier ATK: 1600 DEF: 1500 LV: 4

So he's playing the Machina deck, Ghost Girl deduced. An old deck that focuses on raw power by tributing Machine monsters to Special Summon stronger Machine monsters. Considering how the Zeta branch focuses on making weapons, it makes sense for Wyatt to have this deck.

"Soldier's effect!" Wyatt continued. "When it's Normal Summoned while I control no other monsters, I can-!"

"Sorry, but I have to stop you there." Ghost Girl interrupted. "I activate Silquitous' effect! By returning an 'Altergeist' card to my hand, I can return one of your cards to your hand. I return Camouflage to my hand to return Soldier to yours!" Both Camouflage and Soldier burst into yellow particles, returning to their owner's hands.

"Why, you! If that's the way you want to play it, so be it!" Wyatt snarled. "I activate the Spell card, Monster Reborn. This card lets me Special Summon one monster from either player's Graveyards. Arise, Machina Metalcruncher!" A tall, humanoid machine coated in orange pieces of armor appeared on Wyatt's field. Its right arm was massive, with a large metal claw. Meanwhile, its left arm was smaller, only it had a smaller claw with a wire attached to said arm. Metalcruncher had a singular eye, which glowed green as it looked at Ghost Girl.

Machina Metalcruncher ATK: 2800 DEF: 0 LV: 9

"Metalcruncher's effect! When it's Normal or Special Summoned, I can reveal three Earth Machine monsters from my deck, and you must choose one at random. The selected card is added to my hand, while the other two are shuffled into my deck. I reveal to you three copies of Machina Fortress!" Three cards popped out of Wyatt's deck and appeared in front of him, revealing three copies of Machina Fortress to Ghost Girl, just as he said.

Ghost Girl grit her teeth in annoyance. Silquitous' effect only lets me return cards already on Wyatt's field to his hand, not cards in his Graveyard to his hand, she thought. Since he discarded Metalcruncher using Machina Redeployment, he had it as a backup plan in case his usual strategy failed. Ghost Girl hated it when her opponent was the one toying around with her. "Fine. I choose for you to add one of the copies of Machina Fortress to your hand."

"I was hoping you would choose that card." Wyatt responded, adding one copy of Fortress to his hand while shuffling the other two into his deck. "Next, I activate Machina Fortress's effect! By discarding Machine monsters whose total levels equal eight or more, I can Special Summon this card from my hand or Graveyard! I discard the Level 4 Machina Soldier and the Level 4 Machina Sniper from my hand to Special Summon Machina Fortress from my hand!" After discarding both cards from his hand, a large blue tank with three treads, blue arms, and a railgun attached to its left shoulder appeared on Wyatt's field.

Machina Fortress ATK: 2500 DEF: 1800 LV: 7

"I now activate the Spell card, Iron Draw. Since I control two Machine effect monsters and no other monsters, I'm allowed to draw two cards from my deck." Wyatt drew two cards, then said, "I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Mystical Space Typhoon. This card lets me target and destroy one Spell or Trap card on your field. I target and destroy your Altergeist Protocol." A typhoon emerged from the card and destroyed Protocol, much to Ghost Girl's chagrin. "In addition, I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Machina Armored Unit. If a Machine monster I control is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Machine monster from my deck, as long as it has the same attribute but fewer attack points."

"He's already prepped his defenses in order to prevent any surprises." Ghost Girl noted. According to my intel, Wyatt's main strategy is to use Commander Covington's effect to send Machina Soldier, Machina Sniper, and Machina Defender from his field to summon his strongest monster Machina Force from his hand or deck, she reminded herself. However, it seems the deck got some upgrades recently.

"Battle!" Wyatt declared. "Machina Metalcruncher attacks Altergeist Marionetter!" Metalcruncher charged forward and pulled its right arm back, intent on smashing Marionetter to the ground.

"I activate the effect of Altergeist Kunquery from my hand!" Ghost Girl interjected. "Since you declared an attack and I control an 'Altergeist' card, I can Special Summon this card from my hand and negate the attack!" A white female centaur-like monster soon appeared on Ghost Girl's field in defense position and slammed her head down to block the coming fist from Metalcruncher. She had a long red tail, with a golden spiked saddle, golden cuffs, a golden horn, and several wired strands with gold tips at the back of her head.

Altergeist Kunquery ATK: 0 DEF: 2400 LV: 5

"Then, after Kunquery is Special Summoned, I can target one face-up card you control and negate its effects while it and this monster is on the field. I choose Machina Armored Unit!" Kunquery fired a blast from her golden horn at Machina Armored Unit, draining the card of its effects.

Wyatt frowned at this development. He then checked the field on his duel disk to check each card's effects. My intent was to destroy Multifaker with Metalcruncher before attacking Hexstia with Fortress, he thought. I could attack Kunquery and restore Machina Armored Unit's effects, but that would mean Ghost Girl takes no damage at all this turn, which would damage my rep. If I attack Silquitous, she takes lots of damage, but gets a free Trap card from her hand to her Graveyard in exchange. The attack, however, lets me ensure that Silquitous' effect doesn't impede my way in winning the duel. Thinking quickly, Wyatt thrust out his hand. "The battle still continues! Machina Fortress attacks Altergeist Silquitous!" The railgun attached to Fortress charged up energy before firing it towards Silquitous, blowing her up and causing Ghost Girl to shield her eyes using her right elbow.

Ghost Girl: 4000 – 1700 = 2300 LP

"I activate Silquitous' effect!" Ghost Girl said. "When she's sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can target one 'Altergeist' Trap card in my Graveyard and add it to my hand." She took a card out of her Graveyard before adding it to her hand. "You better hope that move was worth it. Because you'll come to regret it later on."

"As a businessman, I know that small moves leads to big victories." Wyatt replied. "I Set one card face-down and end my turn."

"My turn! I draw!" Ghost Girl said, drawing the top card of her deck. I should be able to do something with these cards, she thought. "Open before me! The circuit that connects to the unknown parallel universe!" A Link Portal soon appeared in the sky above Ghost Girl. "The summoning conditions are one 'Altergeist' monster. I'll set Altergeist Marionetter into the Link Markers!" Marionetter went into the bottom-left arrowhead, turning it red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Altergeist Stuxnet!" A medium, female monster resembling Pixiel appeared on Ghost Girl's field in the Main Monster Zone Hexstia pointed to. She had a set of two small pink wings on each side of her body that glowed with a small light. Just like Pixiel, she had thin-wired arms, but these arms ended with a large-sized golden needle.

Altergeist Stuxnet ATK: 400 LINK-1 ↙️

"When Stuxnet is Link Summoned, I can add one 'Altergeist' card from my deck to my hand." Ghost Girl explained, taking a card from her deck and adding it to her hand.

"At what cost though?" Wyatt questioned. "You just weakened your Hexstia's attack points with that stupid move!" As if to prove his point, Hexstia groaned as her attack points decreased.

Altergeist Hexstia ATK: 3100 – 1200 = 1900

"There are no stupid moves when it comes to dueling." Ghost Girl replied. "I activate Pookuery's first effect from my hand. Once per turn, if I would use an 'Altergeist' monster on my field to Link Summon an 'Altergeist' monster, I can also use this monster in my hand as Link material!"

Wyatt's eyes widened in surprise. A Hand Trap that can be used as Link material! That's something you don't expect everyday, he admitted. Still, if Wyatt were to get a card similar to that of Pookuery, his deck would get stronger.

"Open before me for a second time! The circuit that connects to the unknown parallel universe!" A second Link Portal appeared in the sky above Ghost Girl. "The summoning conditions are two 'Altergeist' monsters. I'll set Altergeist Stuxnet, which is a Link 1 monster, and Altergeist Pookuery from my hand as Link materials!" Stuxnet went into the right arrowhead, while a silhouette of Pookuery went into the left arrowhead.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Altergeist Kidolga!" An eight-limbed dark-blue and gold skinned monster with a large headdress that emitted purple energy appeared on Ghost Girl's field in the Main Monster Zone Hexstia pointed to. The top six arms were human-sized, while the bottom arms were larger than the rest. In each of those arms, Kidolga carried a halberd.

Altergeist Kidolga ATK: 1000 LINK-2 ⬅️⬇️

"Pookuery's second effect! When an 'Altergeist' Link monster is Link Summoned while this card is in my Graveyard, I can add this card right back to my hand!" Ghost Girl continued, taking a card from her Graveyard and adding it to her hand. "Also, Hexstia's pointing to a different monster, which means she gains a few more attack points." Hexstia's attack points then increased, as if to prove Ghost Girl's point.

Altergeist Hexstia ATK: 1900 + 600 = 2500

"That may be true, but your Hexstia only has enough attack points to bring out mutually assured destruction against Fortress." Wyatt pointed out. "Once you do, you'll-!"

"Hey, I'm not finished yet, so shut up okay!" Ghost Girl shouted. First, she had to deal with a noob, now she had to deal with a boss that hardened a grudge against her? This was not Ghost Girl's day at all. "I activate the Equip Spell card, United We Stand, and equip it onto Hexstia. For every monster on my field, the equipped monster gains 800 attack and defense points! As I control three monsters, Hexstia gains 2400 attack points!" Hexstia let out a battle cry as her attack points increased even more than before.

Altergeist Hexstia ATK: 2500 + 2400 = 4900

"Oh crap!" Wyatt panicked.

"That expression on your face is obviously correct." Ghost Girl said, before thrusting out her right hand. "Battle! Altergeist Hexstia attacks Machina Metalcruncher! Sneaky Shot of Fire!" Hexstia fired a blast of golden energy at Metalcruncher, destroying it in a massive explosion, causing Wyatt to shield his eyes.

Wyatt Brisa: 4000 – 2100 = 1900 LP

"I activate Kidolga's effect! When an 'Altergeist' monster other than herself inflicts battle damage, I can target one monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it to a Main Monster Zone she points to. However, the Special Summoned monster can't attack except during the turn Kidolga attacks first. I target and Special Summon Metalcruncher from your Graveyard!" Metalcruncher then reappeared on Ghost Girl's field.

Machina Metalcruncher ATK: 2800 DEF: 0 LV: 9

"You'll regret stealing my monster!" Wyatt scowled, now getting annoyed with the duel.

"I doubt it." Ghost Girl smirked. "And since another monster's on my field, United We Stand gives Hexstia 800 more attack points."

Altergeist Hexstia ATK: 4900 + 800 = 5700

"I'll Set two cards face-down and end my turn." Ghost Girl concluded. "Let's see what you'll do now."

"My turn! I draw!" Wyatt said, drawing the top card of his deck and thoroughly looking at it before coming to a decision.

"Once again, I activate the Continuous-Trap card, Altergeist Protocol!" Ghost Girl interrupted. "Now the activation and effects of 'Altergeist' cards activated on my field cannot be negated! In addition, I activate my other Trap card, Altergeist Camouflage, and equip it onto Kidolga! While equipped, you can no longer target Kidolga with card effects or attacks, and any effects that target her are instantly negated!" Wyatt frowned at this development, as this was the same setup Ghost Girl used earlier in their duel, only this time, he couldn't target Kidolga with cards or effects.

I could use Stuxnet's effect and bring her back, but it's not worth it, Ghost Girl decided. If I did, it would only give a target for Wyatt to destroy and inflict more damage to me.

"Let's see how you handle this!" Wyatt grinned. "I activate the Trap card, Machina Overdrive! This card lets me-!"

"Hexstia's effect!" Ghost Girl said in response. "When a Spell or Trap card or effect is activated, I can tribute one 'Altergeist' monster she points to in order to negate the activation of that card and destroy it! I tribute Kidolga to negate Machina Overdrive's effect and destroy it!" After Kidolga dissipated into particles, they went towards Overdrive and surrounded it in a grey aura before it left the field, much to Wyatt's dismay. "Since Kidolga left the field, Hexstia loses 1000 attack points, plus 800 more as I control one less monster. Camouflage also leaves the field since the targeted monster is no longer on my field."

Altergeist Hexstia ATK: 5700 – 1000 – 800 = 3900

"Damn..." Wyatt muttered. This is going to be tricky, he admitted, but I can't lose now. Not if my rep's on the line. "I activate the Spell card, Dark World Dealings. Each of us draws a card before discarding a card in exchange." Both players drew a card before discarding a card from their Graveyard's. "I then activate the Continuous-Spell card, Iron Cage, which lets me target a monster on the field and destroy it. By doing so, I can Special Summon that monster back to its owner's field. I target and destroy Fortress!" A cage appeared on Fortress before destroying it.

Why would he destroy his own monster, Ghost Girl wondered, before widening her eyes in shock. Unless...

"It seems you figured out that something bad is going to happen. If that's the case, you're correct!" Wyatt said with a grin. "I activate the effect of Machina Ruinforce in my Graveyard! By banishing Machine monsters from my Graveyard whose total Levels equal twelve or more, I can Special Summon this card from my Graveyard! I banish the Level 7 Fortress and the Level 4 Soldier and Sniper to bring out the terminator that unleashes true terror! Machina Ruinforce!" An enormous black tank with three treads and a railgun attached to its back appeared on Wyatt's field. It had a black sniper in place of a right arm and a silver blade in place of a left arm. On its shoulders were two black multi cannons that were as long as arms. Its two eyes glowed red as it looked at Ghost Girl.

Machina Ruinforce ATK: 4600 DEF: 4100 LV: 10

"Battle!" Wyatt thrusted out his hand. "Machina Ruinforce attacks Machina Metalcruncher! Termination Sequence!" The weapons aimed at Metalcruncher before firing a barrage of blasts and missiles, destroying it and causing a massive explosion that pushed Ghost Girl back.

Ghost Girl: 2300 – 1800 = 500 LP

"Since there's one less monster on my field, Hexstia loses 800 attack points." Ghost Girl informed Wyatt as Hexstia's attack points dropped once again.

Altergeist Hexstia ATK: 3900 – 800 = 3100

"With that, I end my turn." Wyatt concluded. "Ruinforce is one my strongest monsters in my deck, and no one has been able to destroy it so far! On my next turn, you'll be amongst its exterminated targets!"

"We'll see if what you say is true!" Ghost Girl replied. "My turn! I draw!" She drew the top card of her deck and smirked. Time to end this fool, she thought. "Pookuery's first effect! Once per turn, if I would use an 'Altergeist' monster on my field to Link Summon an 'Altergeist' monster, I can also use this monster in my hand as Link material, just like before! Open before me for a second time! The circuit that connects to the unknown parallel universe!" A Link Portal appeared in the sky above Ghost Girl. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Altergeist' monsters. I set Altergeist Kunquery, Pookuery from my hand, and Hexstia, which is a Link 2 monster, into the Link Markers!" Kunquery went into the left arrowhead, a silhouette of Pookuery went into the right arrowhead, and Hexstia went into the bottom-left and bottom-right arrowheads respectively.

"Link Summon! The goddess of slaughter! Manifest from the edge of nightmares! Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Altergeist Memorygant!" A feminine humanoid appeared on Ghost Girl's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. She was primarily colored blue with spines shaped like wings attached to her back. In her hands was a scythe, which she swung upon being summoned.

Altergeist Memorygant ATK: 2800 LINK-4 ↙️⬅️➡️↘️

"With Hexstia gone, United We Stand is sent to my Graveyard." Ghost Girl informed Wyatt, as the card vanished from her Spell & Trap card zone.

"A Link 4 monster..." Wyatt stammered, looking at Memorygant. He then regained himself. "That monster won't be able to defeat Ruinforce, though."

"Not yet, which is why I'll do this." Ghost Girl responded. "Pookuery's second effect! Once per turn, when an 'Altergeist' Link monster is Link Summoned while this card is in my Graveyard, I can add it right back to my hand, just like before!" A card popped out of Ghost Girl's Graveyard, which she took and added to her hand. "I now summon Altergeist Pookuery from my hand." A feminine dark-purple and violet humanoid monster with six spears attached to her back appeared on Ghost Girl's field in one of the Main Monster Zones Memorygant pointed to.

Altergeist Pookuery ATK: 300 DEF: 100 LV: 1

"Since Kunquery left the field, Machina Armored Unit regains its effects." The grey aura surrounding Machina Armored Unit dissipated. "I activate the Spell card, Altergeist Reborn. This card lets me Special Summon one 'Altergeist' monster from my Graveyard to a Main Monster Zone an 'Altergeist' Link monster on my field points to. Return to the field, Multifaker!" Multifaker reappeared on Ghost Girl's field, in the other Main Monster Zone Memorygant pointed to.

Altergeist Multifaker ATK: 1200 DEF: 800 LV: 3

"Multifaker's effect!" Ghost Girl continued. "When she's Special Summoned, I can Special Summon an 'Altergeist' monster from my deck in defense position! Come, a second copy of Silquitous!" A second copy of Silquitous then appeared on Ghost Girl's field, much to Wyatt's concern.

Altergeist Silquitous ATK: 800 DEF: 1500 LV: 2

"Time to battle! Altergeist Memorygant attacks Machina Ruinforce! At this point, I activate-!"

"Not so fast!" Wyatt interrupted. "I activate Ruinforce's effect! Once per turn, when you activate a card or effect during the Battle Phase, I can-!"

"Hold your horses! I still got a trick up my sleeve!" Ghost Girl replied, before gesturing to one of her other monsters. "Silquitous' effect! By returning an 'Altergeist' card to my hand, I can return one of your cards to your hand. I return Pookuery to my hand to return Ruinforce to yours!" Both Pookuery and Ruinforce burst into yellow particles, returning to their owner's hands, horrifying Wyatt. "Since Ruinforce returned to your hand instead of being destroyed by battle, you can't activate Machina Armored Unit's effects."

"Oh no..." Wyatt panicked, knowing what was coming.

"And with that out of the way, I'm now free to use Memorygant's effect!" Ghost Girl added. "Once per turn, I can tribute a monster I control to increase Memorygant's attack points by the tributed monster's attack points until the End Phase! I tribute Multifaker to increase Memorygant's attack points!" Multifaker exploded into particles, which went into Memorygant's scythe and giving it an eerie glow.

Altergeist Memorygant ATK: 2800 + 1200 = 4000

"By the expression on your face, I can tell you're screwed." Ghost Girl pointed her right index finger to Wyatt. "Let's end this! Altergeist Memorygant attacks you directly! Eternal Nightmare!" Memorygant spun and swung her scythe, sending a cross of white, eerie energy that hit Wyatt and sent him flying off the ground before he landed on his back.

Wyatt Brisa: 1900 – 4000 = 0

"Kill her! Kill her!" Wyatt screamed, as the troopers observing the duel raised their guns.

"You guys are idiots..." Ghost Girl muttered, pressing a button before rolling over to her side and evading the bullets. Soon, four fireflies appeared and attached themselves on each trooper's neck before electrocuting them, which resulted in each one falling unconscious. Wyatt immediately proceeded to crawl away until Ghost Girl grabbed the soldier's gun and aimed before firing a rope that stopped him from escaping. "A job well done, if you ask me."

"Ghost Girl!"

Ghost Girl turned to her side, only to see Raguel, Blue Girl, and SengokuQueen approach her.

"Good to see you're okay." Blue Girl said, relieved that her friend was safe.

"Never thought I'd encounter you again, Wyatt." Raguel mockingly told him.

"I recognize you, traitor." Wyatt spat out. "You were one of the Black Market's best agents, and your betrayal is one of the reasons the Black Market's-!"

"Shut up and stand!" SengokuQueen ordered, forcing Wyatt to stand up. "We have some questions for you! Now move!" The quartet escorted Wyatt into the outpost and went upstairs to the command center before putting him on the chair. "Where's Ace? I know you've been negotiating with him since he became the Overseer, so start talking!"

"Why should I answer to you?!" Wyatt replied. "You don't have any leverage against me! Therefore, I won't-!"

KABOOM!

Everyone looked at the main factory, which exploded, leaving Wyatt completely speechless.

"It looks like now we have some leverage over you, which gives you two options." SengokuQueen said, taking her sword out and putting it to Wyatt's throat. "If you tell us where Ace is, we'll ensure that SOL Technologies detains you in a prison cell. Otherwise, I'll throw you to the wolves." Wyatt started shaking in response, afraid of both options. Raguel had to admit. While SengokuQueen maintained her code of ethics, it looks like her time in the Black Market had affected it quite a bit.

"Okay, fine! I'll tell you!" Wyatt complied. "To reach Ace, you need to eliminate the skyhooks that are on those-AAHHH!" A bolt of yellow energy pierced the air and broke the window before going through Wyatt's chest, erasing him in the process.

"It came from out there!" Blue Girl exclaimed, the four of them running outside of the outpost and looking around.

"Roxy, can you pinpoint where that shot came from?" Raguel asked.

"Give me a sec." Roxy replied, typing on the digital keyboard. "Found them. Turn to your one o clock."

"Got it." Raguel turned his attention to where Roxy told him to look. When he did so, his face paled with shock upon looking at the shooter.

"I caught the bounty." Blood Shepherd said, having successfully snipped his target. He then jumped onto his duel board, the task now completed.

"Get back here, Blood Shepherd!" Raguel snarled, summoning his duel board to chase after him.

"Blood Shepherd?" Ghost Girl and SengokuQueen repeated with dread, now concerned about his appearance.

"That's not good..." Blue Girl said, remembering what Raguel told her about Blood Shepherd.

"Of course it's not!" SengokuQueen exclaimed. "After him!" The three of them summoned their duel boards and followed Raguel, as if knowing he might need help.

"I never thought killing troublemakers in the Black Market would bring you here, Raguel." Blood Shepherd stated. "Considering how you once were a Black Market agent, it was only a matter of time until I found you, and I have the Turf War to thank for that."

"Wyatt was our lead in stopping the Turf War." Raguel told him. "What you did will only escalate tensions further."

"I don't care what happens to the branches." Blood Shepherd responded. "What matters now is that I've drawn you in, and now it's time for me to capture your Ignis."

"Blood Shepherd!"

Both Raguel and Blood Shepherd turned to see Blue Girl, Ghost Girl, and SengokuQueen approaching from behind them.

"Ghost Girl. So you got involved in this mess after all..." Blood Shepherd mused before turning to SengokuQueen. "And it appears you're here as well, SengokuQueen. You're a disgrace not only as a bounty hunter, but to the profession as well!"

"Disgrace?! You're the one who's disgraceful as a bounty hunter!" SengokuQueen retorted. "You are willing to cheat, lie, and use what ever means necessary to get the job done! What's more, whoever ends up on your hitlist ends up suffering before getting captured or killed! It's as though you have no code of ethics at all!"

"I won't be lectured by a third-rate bounty hunter." Blood Shepherd snarled. "So shut up and know your place!" He turned to the others. "Then again, I'm glad you're all here. By defeating Raguel and capturing his Ignis, I'll be able to set an example on what happens when people like you get in my way."

"If your intent is to capture me, know that I won't go down without a fight!" Herald told Blood Shepherd.

"We haven't come this far only to lose against someone like you!" Raguel added. "So the sooner we begin, the sooner I can get you off my path."

"I couldn't agree more." Blood Shepherd replied, both duelists activating their respective duelists.

Raguel, be careful, Blue Girl thought, now concerned. If what you said about Blood Shepherd is true, you'll need to be more careful than ever to beat someone like him.

"Speed Duel!" Raguel and Blood Shepherd shouted, ready to throw down.

A light shines and the letters spelling out VRAINS light up the screen before a network is formed and several cards are drawn in towards a pillar of light. Playmaker, Raguel, and Soulburner are shown with their respective Ignis and stats, along with real-life forms that across the backgrounds that match their Ignis' colors. The screen then shows each of them being shocked while wearing VR sets as kids, along with Arashi.

The screen gets swallowed with darkness at it reveals a young Yukage huddled up and crying, his shadow shrinking behind him before taking the form of Wraith and comforting him. Yukage looks up with a menacing and soul piercing glare before the darkness consumes him and he's replaced with an older version of himself. Azrael and Wraith are then shown in NEW LINK VRAINS, as they look out into the digital sky. The scene then shifts to Bohman standing tall above NEW LINK VRAINS and holding the earth in his hands with Haru by his side. Malf grins in the shadows behind them, his red eyes shining bright in the process.

A drop of light falls down, and as it explodes, it reveals Playmaker, Raguel, and Soulburner, standing on buildings watching over the network, along with Slipstream as well. Blood Shepherd is shown commanding a trio of Battledrone Sergeants before the screen shifts to Drachen, who is shown commanding Red-Eyes Black Dragon. The screen then shifts a third time to Electrolyzer, where above him was PSY-Frame Driver, with PSY-Framegears Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta. The screen then shows Go Onizuka, Kenmochi, and Yoroizaka with Dinowrestler King T Wrextle, Gouki the Blade Ogre, and Gouki the Solid Ogre behind them ready for battle.

Blue Girl, Ghost Girl, Numera and SengokuQueen are then featured together riding their duel boards across the night sky with shooting stars flying across them. Trickstar Holly Angel was with Blue Angel, while Numera was with Geomathmech Final Sigma. Ghost Girl was with Altergeist Dragvirion, while SengokuQueen was with a male shinobi wearing grey robes and armor pads with neon-yellow lines running over them. The man had a red scarf around his neck, along with a face-mask and face visor on his head. He also had spiked-brown hair and a ponytail as well. In his right hand, he carried a Sai, while the brass knuckle on his left hand emitted four translucent blades.

The screen then changes to Raguel, Playmaker, and Soulburner riding on their duel boards with Cyreath Medusa and Cyreath Hercules in his new form, Cyberse Magician, Cyberse Witch, and Salamangreat Heatleo behind them. Following the trio is Slipstream and Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. The four of them join together with a fist bump and smile in the real world as the wind blows, with Kusanagi, Roxy, and Greg watching them from Kusanagi's truck. Rachel then runs toward the quartet, and more specifically, Yuhiro, a look of joy clearly on her face. Unbeknownst to everyone, they're watched from the shadows by a cloaked person who glares at them, biding his time.

Card Gallery

No new cards introduced in this chapter.

QOTC

So far, you've seen the Omega, Alpha, Gamma, and Zeta branches. Which one do you want to see next?

Chapter Preview

Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 53: Explosive Entertainment. Infuriated with Blood Shepherd's interference, Raguel challenges him to a Speed Duel, with Blue Girl, Ghost Girl and SengokuQueen observing behind both duelists. Meanwhile, hoping to get information regarding recent events, Stregone takes Phoenix to a section of the Black Market, where Abysstainer resides at. However, not everything is as it seems...

Author's Notes

Well, this was a rather interesting chapter. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed it, and are looking forward for what's to come. Before I begin summing up the main points, I want to inform you that this and Chapter 53 takes place prior to Blood Shepherd capturing Soulburner in his trap. After all, it's until the evening that Yusaku and the others pinpoint where the gate appears next, so it's only natural to cover events that occur prior to the anime. That being said, let's go over the main points:

One of the things I wanted to emphasize was Arashi's skill in computer programming and hacking. Since he came from a family of engineers and programmers, he was able to get a head start on both of them at a young age. As a result, he was able to come up with a way for Yusaku and the others to find the gate at a much faster rate, thus passing the first test. Another thing to point out is Yusaku and Takeru's hesitation in letting Arashi join them. While Yuhiro trusts him, the others don't due to the lack of information aside from what he already told them. That type of information will be covered in the next chapters once it comes to light, as well as how everyone reacts to it.

We then have Yuhiro's conversations with Rachel and Aoi. This is something that I want to point out because Yuhiro is able to open up with people he can trust. For instance, he can talk to Rachel about what's going on because she met Miyu and was willing to help him out of gratitude for saving her. This benefits Rachel as well since she can work on tracking Athaliah once and for all. Then we move onto Aoi. Earlier in the chapter, Yuhiro described her and Emma as wildcards due to him questioning where their true allegiance lies. To ensure that Aoi is kept in the loop and not put his allies in danger at the same time, he gives snippets of information, but not all of it so that nothing ugly happens. This shows that Yuhiro is willing to give Aoi a chance and see where she stands in this conflict.

Next, there's the excursion in the Zeta branch, which will be split into two parts. First up was the mission, which was to retrieve the data on Malf's recent whereabouts and blow the main factory up, thus reducing the likelihood of a Turf War. A fact to know: Zeta is one of the largest branches in the Black Market, along with Epsilon and Gamma. Although SengokuQueen failed the first time, Raguel and the others, along with Roxy, were able to get the information and escape in time.

Secondly, there's the duel between Ghost Girl and Wyatt Brisa, the head of the Zeta branch. For his deck, I chose the Machina deck, as it represents what his branch stands for. This was rather an interesting duel, as it was brawn vs brains. Although Wyatt proved to be a pain in the butt for Ghost Girl, she won in the end using Altergeist Memorygant.

Lastly, there's Blood Shepherd, who kills Wyatt before Raguel and the others chase after him. As a result, it leads to the duel in the next chapter.

With everything summed up, I want to thank everyone for reading Chapter 52 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.

What did you enjoy the most about this chapter? The adventure in the Zeta branch? Arashi literally outclassing Kusanagi and the others in programming and hacking? Shima getting roasted by Akairo? The upcoming duels? Or something else?

That's all for now. Stay tuned, as next time, there will be not one but two epic duels next chapter. One duel is a firefight in the skies, while the other is a grand performance in the theatre!