Response to Reviews
Thank you to HunterHQ, Guest, Ambiguous, Zeromk7, Anonymous, Guest, ZarcEternal, Kingdom Hearts Guy, Unnamed, E.T. 2000 and Yuman28 for reviewing Chapter 54 of Obscured Truth.
Hi, everyone! As we enter September, I hope you're feeling safe and healthy wherever you are. Looking at your reviews, there's two things I want to say. First, I'm happy you enjoyed both duels, as it took some time to both write them and enjoy they flowed. Second, I'm happy with the suggestions you provided me regarding voice actors for the OC characters.
Third, I'd like to make an announcement. In addition to Duel Readers, I'm looking for Beta Readers as well. If interested, let me know in your review for this chapter.
Anyway, why don't we answer some reviews, shall we?
HunterHQ: Slipstream will use Speedroid Pendulum monsters in Season 2, and Clear Wing Fast Dragon won't appear until Season 3. In addition, Hi-Speedroid Clear Wing Rider and Crystal Clear Wing Synchro Dragon won't appear until Season 4, along with a very, very special monster representing the pinnacle of Slipstream's dueling (you'll be shocked once you find out). You'll find out how Akira will protect himself against Blood Shepherd in Chapter 56. Azrael has one precaution already in place in the event something goes wrong. The template you provided regarding the upcoming duel did help me out a bit, that's for sure. Regarding Blood Shepherd knowing Emma's identity, it's likely that Yuhiro and Roxy will help her get out of that jam, that's for sure. There are tons of ways companies can be taken over, such as what Kaiba did against his dad, a merging of different companies, etc. I can definitely picture Teravolt Dragon being voiced by Robert Tinkler, as he did a great job with Helios from Bakugan. Oh, and I love the suggestion for Malf's dub voice actor. Mark Hamill really does a great job at voicing demented characters. Fun fact: Yuri Lowenthal voiced Peter Parker/Spider Man in the Spider-Man PS4 game, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and the upcoming Spider-Man PS5 game.
Guest: You'll see Drachen use the Inferno Fire Blast + Red-Eyes Fusion combo eventually. Great idea regarding the Lord of the Red and Red Eyes Black Dragon Sword. Brings back Capsule Monsters memories, that's for sure. If Drachen were the monster himself... oh boy, that wouldn't end well for any opponent he's facing. Considering how Bohman was created to unify the Ignis into his perfect body, it is possible for him to become the Construct, that's for sure. It wouldn't work if Lightning absorbed the Ignis into himself, as the Project requires eight Ignis's for it to work.
Ambiguous: Blood Shepherd blasted some of Soulburner's memories because they 'got in the way' of his search on how to traumatize him. What's to stop Playmaker and his allies from falling into Blood Shepherd's trap again? Simple. They'd make precautions in case it happened again. After all, Slipstream has his Pac-Man army ready to be unleashed. It's likely that Kiku met Flame before Takeru left for Den City (can picture some funny scenes that happened there, especially with Takeru's fear of ghosts). Although the duels Yuhiro went through took a toll on him, he was able to survive each one because of the food Roxy prepared for him in between. Unless Azrael's the one doing the dirty action, he disapproves of other people doing them. And no, he wouldn't reveal the identities of the Lost Incident children. Only Ai at that time would've had that ability, as he obtained the power of the other Ignis's.
Zeromk7: Sorry that Drachen lost, but it had to be done. That being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Anonymous: Slipstream designed the Pac-Mans to get Soulburner out, even if it meant gobbling up the entire sphere. So even if Soulburner was logged out for twenty four hours, he'd be safe. Like I said before, the exchange between Akira and Blood Shepherd will occur in Chapter 56. By the way, perfect dub choice for Rachel/Numera. After all, Rachel's appearance is based off of Renne Bright from Trails in the Sky. Good choice for Slipstream's dub voice actor, as I pictured him being similar to both Sonic the Hedgehog and Bart Allen/Impulse.
ZarcEternal: I'm pleased that you liked the duels. Been a while since I made typo errors, so thanks for pointing them out. That's why I made the Beta Reader announcement above. I never expected you to provide both Kirei Kotomine's VA for Azrael and Gilgamesh's VA for Wraith. Honestly, Kirei and Gilgamesh are one of the best villain duos I've ever seen. It's quite obvious what you did for Speckles, as after all, seaweed for seaweed.
Kingdom Hearts Guy: Glad you liked the chapter. One of the reviewers was referring to Takeru's Phoenix Warrior deck, believe it or not.
Guest: Remember. Yuhiro's memories are broken into pieces, so things that he remembers may not be correct. However, there are things that he does remember successfully. As such, he'll have to piece together the memories to figure them out fully. So if Blood Shepherd uses the memory trap on him, he'll only get partial results, which'll infuriate him.
E.T. 2000: Happy you liked both duels. After everything Electrolyzer went through, the one thing he hadn't lost was his family's teachings regarding honor. Of course I plan for Yuhiro to have more Alpha Mode monsters in the future. Regarding your comment, keep in mind that the appearances for some OC characters were based off of other characters in anime. Ex. Inspiration for Saburo Inoue came from Shinji Matou from Fate/Stay Night, with his avatar Speckles based off of his Assassin transformation in Fate Kaleid: Vow in the Snow (I honestly hate him for what he did in Fate/Stay Night and Fate Kaleid: Vow in the Snow. He should have died in every route). For Raguel's second avatar, I combined the appearances of Arthur Pendragon in Fate/Prototype and Richard I in Fate/Strange Fake. For Mile's avatar, I found some inspiration from various anime characters who used fire. Gil Ariba's appearance was based off of Gil-Kun from Fate Kaleid. And so forth. When I did research on Artoria Pendragon Lily and compared her to Miyu, I realized they were the same in a way. You could say that something... clicked. While I'll be using her as a base, I do intend on putting in some touches of my own. Don't worry: I'll give you credit when that happens.
Yuman28: If Bohman used Punishment Arrows along with Trident Hydradrive Lord and Judgment Arrows, the chances of Playmaker being screwed would go up. Lightning gave Haru that card in order to test it out. By doing so, he can see whether it can be incorporated into Bohman's deck. Roxy chased out a teenage boy, not a teenage girl. If you think Cyreath Providence is broken, just wait until you catch up with the other chapters. Also, thanks for the congratulations on reaching Chapter 50.
With all reviews having been answered, it's time for the battle between sorcerers and dinosaurs to begin. I hope you all enjoy it!
Chapter 55: A Friend in Need
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 Cyreath Hercules/Alpha Mode. His eyes glowing red, Hercules/Alpha Mode 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 Girl 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/Alpha Mode, 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.
In LINK VRAINS...
Go Onizuka increased the speed on his duel board, having received a notification that the gate reappeared in the network. This was it. The chance to defeat Playmaker had come at last. If he defeated Playmaker, everything would go back to normal. Go would reclaim his title as the number one duelist and retire from bounty hunting, enabling him to move on at last.
"Go, I suppose you got the news about the gate's reappearance?" Akira asked over the comms, snapping Go out of his daydream.
"That's right, Zaizen." Go confirmed. "I'm heading to its location as we speak."
"If that's your intention, then I have bad news for you." Akira replied. "Playmaker and his allies defeated the other bounty hunters before logging out."
"What?!" Go exclaimed. "You're being ridiculous."
"Blood Shepherd set up a fake gate to attract Playmaker and his allies toward him." Akira explained firmly. "While Soulburner was trapped inside, the others defeated the remaining bounty hunters and freed their ally."
"Are you saying that I missed out on a second chance to defeat Playmaker?!" Go grit his teeth. This was not how his day was supposed to go.
"Sadly, yes." Akira answered. "But putting that aside, Queen wants you back at SOL Technologies for more important matters."
Go's eyes widened behind his visor in surprise. What could be more important than defeating Playmaker? The answer: Nothing. "More important matters," he muttered. "Tell Queen that I'm busy."
"When Queen requests someone's presence, she expects them to show up." Akira told Go. "So for both our sakes, I want you to-."
"TELL QUEEN THAT I DON'T CARE AT ALL ABOUT HER ORDERS!" Go shouted. "I'm going to the gate, and I will defeat Playmaker today. Not you, nor Queen, nor anyone else can stop me from making this decision. Once I'm done, then I'll go back to SOL Technologies."
"You're making a big mistake, Go." Akira warned him over the comms. Anyone who disobeyed Queen would ultimately pay a horrible price.
"Well, I couldn't-." But before Go can finish what he was saying, a digital green wall up ahead suddenly appeared before two more walls emerged on the sides like an open box, preventing him from going anywhere. "Tell Queen that I'm a bit occupied at the moment, but I'll come to SOL Technologies right away once this mess is dealt with. And before you say anything, no, it doesn't have anything to do with the gate or Playmaker." He signed off after saying that. "You should know better than to get involved in all this, Stregone." As if on cue, Stregone and Phoenix arrived to where Go was.
"This has to stop, Go." Stregone said. "The path you're on will only lead to your undoing."
"How do you know what'll happen?" Go snapped, turning to Stregone. "If I defeat Playmaker, everything will go back to normal before he existed."
"At what cost?" Phoenix asked. "Is it worth sacrificing everything just for a selfish goal?"
"You stay out of this, Phoenix!" Go shouted. "This doesn't involve you!"
"Don't you dare involve Phoenix in this mess!" Stregone shouted back, getting Go's attention. "He's just as concerned about you as I am."
"As much as I appreciate your concern, it's not needed." Go narrowed his eyes. "The whole reason I became a bounty hunter was to defeat Playmaker and move on!"
"There are other ways to move past the pain you're feeling. And you can do it without giving up who you once were." Stregone told him.
"The Go Onizuka you knew is gone." Go stated firmly. "He was weak and foolish, so I destroyed him."
"That's what SOL Technologies wants you to believe. But it's not true. The Go Onizuka I know is alive." Stregone responded, his voice filled with hope.
Go shook his head. "No. SOL Technologies is wise."
"SOL Technologies is using you for your power." Stregone pointed out. "When the company gets what they want, they'll throw you aside. You know it's true."
Go opened his mouth, but no words came out, as he didn't know how to respond to Stregone's comment. Did SOL Technologies really view him as a dog that attacks their enemies without a second thought? No. This couldn't be true. But was it?
Come on, Go, Phoenix thought. Realize that what Stregone's saying about SOL Technologies is true. If you do, you'll be able to quit as a bounty hunter before it's too late.
"You may be right about SOL Technologies Stregone, but if it means I can defeat Playmaker and reclaim my position as the number one duelist, then I'll accept the risk." Go said.
"Then you leave me no choice." Stregone narrowed his eyes. "Let's settle this not with words, but with our cards."
"A duel, huh? I accept your challenge." Go decided. "If I win, you and Phoenix will never get in my way again."
"And if I win, you'll cease your activities as a bounty hunter." Stregone replied, causing Go to gasp. "You'll leave SOL Technologies, and come home with us. Besides, we miss you."
Go thought this over, then nodded. There was no harm in accepting this duel, as it gave him the opportunity to test the new cards he put in his deck. If the cards worked, the chances of Go defeating Playmaker would skyrocket. "That's fine with me. But considering how we're boxed in like this, we'll have to do a Master duel."
"That's just what I was thinking." The three duelists landed on the ground, Go on one side while Stregone and Phoenix were on the other side.
"I'm on a tight schedule here Stregone, so the faster this duel's done, the sooner I can log out." Go informed Stregone.
"Then let's get started." Stregone replied, as both duelists activated their duel disks.
Good luck Stregone, Phoenix thought. Win this duel, and remind Go of who he really is! Not just as a duelist, but as a person as well!
"Duel!" Go and Stregone shouted in unison.
Go Onizuka: 4000 LP
Stregone: 4000 LP
"You challenged me, Stregone. So it's only fair that I go first." Go told him.
"It seems fair indeed, old friend." Stregone agreed, complying with Go's request.
"My turn!" Go said, looking at his cards. "I'll start by activating the Spell card, Fossil Dig, which lets me add one Level 6 or lower Dinosaur monster from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of Go's deck, which he added to his hand. "From there, I Set a monster in face-down defense position. I also Set two cards face-down and end my turn." Go narrowed his eyes behind his visor. "Time to see what you got, old friend."
"My turn! I draw!" Stregone said, drawing the top card of his deck.
"Quick-Play Spell card, activate! Hand Destruction!" Go interrupted, gesturing to his field. "Each of us must discard two cards from our hands before drawing two new cards from our decks!" Both duelists discarded two cards before drawing two cards from the top of their respective decks.
Go didn't play like this before, Phoenix thought, looking at Go's field. He always summons his monsters in attack position before using them to Link Summon his 'Gouki' Link monsters. Is this a new strategy he's using?
"I activate the Spell card, Magical Pendulum Box!" Stregone stated. "This card lets me draw two cards and reveal them. If they're Pendulum monsters, I can add them to my hand. Otherwise, I must send them to my Graveyard. I draw!" He drew the top two cards of his deck and smiled upon looking at them. "The cards I drew are Double Iris Magician and Purple Poison Magician, which are both Pendulum monsters. That means I can add them to my hand. Now I'll use the Scale 1 Purple Poison Magician and the Scale 8 Double Iris Magician to set the Pendulum Scale!"
Soon, two pillars of light appeared on both sides of Stregone's field. In the pillar of light on his right was a magician with red and black robes, as well as a circular plate on each of his shoulders that glowed blue. He wore a long red cape that flowed down his back, as well as a red magician's hat on top of his head. On his forearms were silver gauntlets with a blue jewel each. His red and blue eyes glowed as he swung his sword.
In the pillar of light on Stregone's left was a magician wearing dark-green robes that went down from his stomach to his lower half. At the top half of his body, he wore purple robes, along with plating that had small red and yellow orbs. He wore a magician's hat that not only had a purple visor, but also had a pair of yellow horns on the back of it. His red eyes glowed as he swung the horned whip in his hand.
Purple Poison Magician Scale: 1
Double Iris Magician Scale: 8
"Swing, far Pendulum! Carve the arc of victory! With the set Pendulum Scale, I can Special Summon monsters between Levels 2 and 7 at the same time! Emerge, Harmonizing Magician and Endymion, the Master of Magic!" Within moments, a portal opened between the two pillars, where two lights emerged. The lights hit the field and then dissipated, revealing two monsters.
The first monster was a female magician with pink hair that went down to her shoulder blades. She wore white, cyan robes, along with a small cap with three blue orbs. In her hand, she carried a scepter that looked like a tuning fork.
The second monster was a tall magician with black robes that had golden outlines. Attached to his back was a massive, golden ring, and there were a total of twenty purple Spell counters visible on the magician. Endymion had long white horse-like hair and a golden mask with black horns on top. In his right hand was a golden staff, with a massive golden hook.
Harmonizing Magician ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 4 Scale: 8
Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic ATK: 2800 DEF: 1700 LV: 7 Scale: 8
"Harmonizing Magician's effect!" Stregone continued. "Since I Pendulum Summoned her from my hand, I can Special Summon a 'Magician' Pendulum monster from my deck to my field in defense position. However, its effects are negated, and is banished once it leaves the field." A card popped out of Stregone's deck. "Come, Dragonpulse Magician!" An early-teenage male magician wearing white robes and black pants appeared on Stregone's field in defense position. He had short, orange hair with bangs at the front, as well as a long ponytail. In his right hand, he carried a long, razor whip. As for his left hand, he carried a double-edged dagger.
Dragonpulse Magician ATK: 1800 DEF: 900 LV: 4 Scale: 1
"I tune the Level 4 Harmonizing Magician with the Level 4 Dragonpulse Magician!" A bolt of green lightning struck him as the world greyed out and his two monsters disintegrated into particles. Two rings, one cyan white and one white appeared before turning blue and merging. Eight blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "4 + 4" in front of them. The screen changed to "8" as light surged through the rings.
"Hero's blade that sets forth unyielding light!" Stregone chanted. "Here and now, awaken with a flash! Synchro Summon! Rise, Enlightenment Paladin!" A man with red eyes and brown hair appeared on Stregone's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He wore white, black, and golden armor on his robes. Two white and red capes extended from his shoulders and waist, and two curved blades rested in each of his hands. His mouth and nose were covered by a white mask, and atop his hair, he wore a black, white, and gold hat.
Enlightenment Paladin ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000 LV: 8
"Since Dragonpulse Magician left the field, it's now banished." Stregone informed Go. "Regardless, I activate Enlightenment Paladin's first effect. When he's Synchro Summoned using a 'Magician' Pendulum monster as material, I can add a Spell card from my Graveyard to my hand." A card popped out of his Graveyard, which he took and added to his hand. "It's time to battle! Enlightenment Paladin attacks your Set monster! Chronos Configuration!" Enlightenment Paladin charged forward, intent on destroying the Set monster.
"The Set monster you're attacking is Dinowrestler Capaptera." Go explained, as the card flipped up to reveal a humanoid pterodactyl wearing orange robes.
Dinowrestler Capaptera ATK: 1600 DEF: 0
"And if you think both your monsters attacking will win you the duel, you're wrong! I activate the effect of Dinowrestler Martial Anga from my hand! When you attack my 'Dinowrestler' monster, I can send this card to prevent it from being destroyed by battle!" A barrier appeared around Capaptera as Enlightenment Paladin's blades struck it, forcing him to retreat back to Stregone's side of the field.
"Martial Anga's effect ends the Battle Phase as well." Go continued, causing Stregone to scowl in annoyance.
"I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Stregone concluded.
"At the end of your turn, Martial Anga's third effect activates!" Go added. "Since you control more monsters than I do, I can Special Summon him from my Graveyard to my field in attack position!" A humanoid dinosaur wearing a pink vest appeared on Go's field in attack position.
Dinowrestler Martial Anga ATK: 1600 DEF: 0 LV: 5
"Explain yourself, Go!" Stregone demanded. "Why did you abandon your 'Gouki' deck? Those monsters represent teamwork and overcoming impossible odds, which is something you wanted to teach the children in the orphanage and the shelter. Have you fallen to the point where you're unable to recognize who you once were? Or are you happy with the person you've become?
"You want to know why I abandoned the 'Gouki' deck? It's because I wanted to sever all ties with my former self!" Go shouted. "Ever since Playmaker appeared, everyone's attention turned to him. No matter what contributions the others and I made in stopping the Knights of Hanoi, everyone acknowledged Playmaker as the main hero. As a result, I felt that the whole world forgot about me, as though I didn't exist. It was at that moment when I decided to defeat Playmaker at any cost, and by doing so, the world will recognize me as the number one duelist, not him!"
"Go..." Stregone muttered. Although Stregone was disgusted with the path Go chose, he became even more disgusted with him upon hearing his reasons for becoming a bounty hunter. I need to stop Go quickly so he can get the help he needs, Stregone thought.
Phoenix, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes in fury. "Oh grow up, Go Onizuka," he reprimanded him, using his full name. "You're became a bounty hunter just because of a silly grudge? That's just pathetic if you ask me."
"SHUT UP!" Go roared, turning his attention to Phoenix. "You have no idea of what I went through!"
"You're right. I don't." Phoenix agreed, making Go gasp in surprise. "But it doesn't mean you should complain about every problem that's in your way. Take me for instance. I lost my mother because of escalations between the Sons of Ajax and the Nightlock Predators. Yes, it took me time to process what happened and forgive my dad, but I was able to move forward thanks to the efforts of wonderful people I know in my life. What I'm ultimately saying is this: There's still people in your life that haven't forgotten about you, us included. So let us help you move towards a better future. Before it's too late."
Go narrowed his eyes behind his visor, actually considering Phoenix's offer. Unfortunately, he grit his teeth, remembering why he became a bounty hunter in the first place. "It's too late," he lamented.
"No it's not." Stregone told him. "I'll help you realize the error of your ways, even if I must win this duel to do so."
"That's only if you defeat me." Go pointed out, getting his head back in the game. "My turn! I draw!" Go drew the top card of his deck. "I activate the Spell card, Dino Tag-Team!" The card showed Dinowrestler Iguanodraka and Dinowrestler Pankratops entering the inside of World Dino Wrestling as the crowd cheered for them, ready to throw down against M-Warrior 1 and 2. "This card lets me target two 'Dinowrestler' monsters in my Graveyard with different names and Special Summon them to my field in defense position. I target Dinowrestler Rambrachio and Dinowrestler Systegosaur from my Graveyard!" Two monsters then appeared on Go's field in defense position.
The first monster was a blue-skinned, big-bellied, and humanoid dinosaur with orange stripes on his legs, tail, and belly. He wore a dark-yellow vest, along with dark-yellow guards on his shins and forearms. Dinosaur bones were attached to his upper arms, with a long bone around his neck. Lastly, Rambrachio wore a dark-yellow mask with orange stripes and a small piece of pink fur at the back.
The second monster was a green humanoid dinosaur with spines on his back and a spiked tail. He also wore a black vest and green pants as well.
Dinowrestler Rambrachio ATK: 1600 DEF: 0 LV: 5
Dinowrestler Systegosaur ATK: 1900 DEF: 0 LV: 4
"Systegosaur's effect! When he's Special Summoned, I can add a 'Dinowrestler' monster or World Dino Wrestling from my deck to my hand. I think I'll add the latter to my hand." A card popped out of Go's deck, which he took and added to his hand. "And now I'll mash up my circuit." A Link Portal appeared above Go. "The summoning conditions are two 'Dinowrestler' monsters. I'll set Martial Anga and Rambrachio into the Link Markers!" Martial Anga went into the left arrowhead, while Rambrachio went into the top arrowhead, turning both of them red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio!" A grey-skinned dinosaur wearing red armor with blue and grey outlines on his chest, waist, shoulders, and head appeared on Go's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.
Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio ATK: 1000 LINK-2 ⬅️⬆️
Why would Go Link Summon a monster that gives Stregone a Main Monster Zone for him to Special Summon a monster from the Extra deck, Phoenix wondered, carefully analyzing the duel. So far, the 'Dinowrestler' deck is similar to that of the 'Gouki' deck in terms of swarming and hand traps. Perhaps there's more to it than meets the eye.
"I now activate the Field Spell card, World Dino Wrestling." Go continued. "While I control a 'Dinowrestler' monster, we can each attack with only one monster each turn. And when my 'Dinowrestler' monster battles, it gains 200 attack points during damage calculation only. Terra Parkourio's effect activates! As I activated 'World Dino Wrestling' while he's on my field, I can add a 'Dinowrestler' monster from my Graveyard to my hand." A card popped out of Go's Graveyard, which he took and added to his hand. "I'll now mash up my circuit for a second time!" A second Link Portal appeared on Go's field. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Dinowrestler' monsters. I'll set Terra Parkourio, which is a Link 2 monster, and Capaptera into the Link Markers!" Terra Parkourio went into the bottom-left and bottom-right arrowheads, while Capaptera went into the bottom arrowhead.
"Link Summon! Bow down before the King of the Ring! Link 3! Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle!" A maroon-skinned humanoid dinosaur wearing a red vest and blue paints appeared on Go's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He had a tyrannosaurus skull on his right arm, and the spine of the same dinosaur over his left arm. He also had red guards with spikes on his shins and forearms. Lastly, King T-Wrextle wore a maroon mask over his head, which had grey hair on the back sides of the mask.
Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle ATK: 3000 LINK-3 ↙️⬇️↘️
"So you replaced The Great Ogre with King T-Wrextle as your ace monster, haven't you?" Stregone deduced, disappointed with Go for doing such a thing.
"I did, and you'll see why in a minute or two." Go confirmed, a grin on his face. "The effects of Terra Parkourio and Capaptera now activate. First, since Terra Parkourio was used to Link Summon, I can Special Summon a 'Dinowrestler' monster in defense position from my Graveyard with its effects negated. Return, Rambrachio!" At Go's command, Rambrachio reappeared on Go's field in defense position.
Dinowrestler Rambrachio ATK: 1600 DEF: 0 LV: 5
"Second, since Capaptera was used to Link Summon, King T Wrextle gains 1000 attack points until the end of the turn!" King T Wrextle roared as his attack points increased.
Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle ATK: 3000 + 1000 = 4000
"Last but not least, I activate my Trap card, Survival of the Fittest!" Go added, gesturing to his face-down card. "I can target one Dinosaur monster I control and equip this card to it. By doing so, that monster gains 1000 attack points. If the targeted monster also destroys a monster by battle, that monster can make a second attack on a monster in a row. I target King T-Wrextle!" King T-Wrextle was surrounded in a fiery aura as his strength increased once again.
Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle ATK: 4000 + 1000 = 5000
"Battle! Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle attacks Enlightenment Paladin!" King T-Wrextle charged forward, intent on destroying Enlightenment Paladin.
"Sorry, I won't let that happen, Go!" Stregone said. "I activate-!"
"Useless!" Go interrupted. "When King T-Wrextle battles, you cannot activate Spell or Trap cards until the end of the damage step!" Both Stregone and Phoenix's eyes widened upon hearing this information. "In addition, World Dino Wrestling's effect activates! When my 'Dinowrestler' monster attacks, it gains 200 attack points during damage calculation." For a third time, King T-Wrextle's strength increased as he continued to charge forward.
Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle ATK: 5000 + 200 = 5200
"Jurassic Howl!" Suddenly, King T-Wrextle jumped and howled at Enlightenment Paladin, stunning him before King T-Wrextle fell forward, intent on elbow slamming Enlightenment Paladin.
"I may not be able to activate my face-down card, but it doesn't mean I can't activate monster effects!" Stregone pointed out. "I activate the effect of Magician's Guardian from my hand! By sending this card from my hand to my Graveyard, Spellcaster monsters I control cannot be destroyed by battle this turn, and any battle damage I would take is halved!"
"Yes!" Phoenix cheered. "Stregone will not only be able to survive this turn, he'll also prevent Survival of the Fittest's second effect from activating!"
"You'll still take battle damage, though." Go reminded Stregone, as a magician wearing brown robes and had several large shields orbiting around him appeared on Stregone's field. He sent the shields to Enlightenment Paladin, protecting him as King T-Wrextle's elbow slam hit them instead and forcing Stregone to shield his eyes from the attack. Afterwards, King T-Wrextle somersaulted back to Go's field, gritting his teeth in the process as if feeling Go's anger.
Stregone: 4000 – (2700 / 2) = 2650 LP
Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle ATK: 5200 – 200 = 5000
"I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Go concluded. "With that, Capaptera's effect ends as well."
Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle ATK: 5000 – 1000 = 4000
"My turn! I draw!" Stregone said, drawing the top card of his deck and looking at it briefly before turning his attention to Go. "It looks like someone here's been traumatized by Mirror Force, and I know for a fact I'm not. Am I correct, Go?" Go grit his teeth further in anger.
"If it weren't for that damn card, I would have beat Revolver!" Go growled. "Then everything would go back to normal, with the world recognizing me as the number one duelist while Playmaker can leave the network. But no. Playmaker was the one who defeated Revolver, and I lost everything because of him!"
"Only you didn't, man!" Phoenix told him. "Like I said before, there's still people in your life that not only didn't forget about you, but are concerned for your well-being as well."
"There's something I need to know." Stregone interrupted. "Why did you bring Kenmochi and Yoroizaka into this mess?" Go gasped in surprise. "I knew something was amiss when they stopped coming to help out at the shelter. Are you trying to make them delinquents again?"
"I didn't force them, Stregone. Both of them chose out of their own free will to become bounty hunters." Go looked down at the ground. "I don't know why they made that choice, but if I were to guess, it was to repay me for helping them get out of juvey and find a new purpose all those years ago. If it makes you feel any better, I tried stopping them from making that choice, for my quest to defeat Playmaker is mine to bear alone. But after they insisted, I knew I couldn't dissuade them any longer. To be honest, I'm glad they became bounty hunters at the same time I did. So they can keep me in check and prevent me from making mistakes." He looked up at Stregone. "But enough talk. Let's get back to the duel."
"If that's what you want." Stregone complied, before pulling up a screen that showed the duel field. Man, King T-Wrextle has a lot of effects, he thought. Not only can my monsters only target him for attacks, but Go can choose which monster gets to attack King T-Wrextle first. Furthermore, if that monster doesn't attack, it's destroyed at the end of my turn. Luckily, I can make a comeback with the cards in my hand and the cards on my field. "Trap card, activate! Pendulum Nullifier!" The card showed Stargazer and Timegazer Magician firing magical energy at an army of Goyo Defenders, with Goyo Emperor at the back. "This card lets me target cards on your field equal to the number of Pendulum monsters in my Pendulum Zones and negate their effects until the end of my next turn. I have Double Iris Magician and Purple Poison Magician, meaning I can negate the effects of two cards on your field."
"If that's the case, I activate the Trap card, Dino Camouflage!" Go countered, gesturing to his face-down card. The card showed a forest where Systegosaur blended in with the wildlife. More specifically, behind the bushes on four legs. As a result, the hunters moved past him successfully. "By returning one 'Dinowrestler' monster on my field to my hand, I can target one other 'Dinowrestler' monster on my field and prevent it from being targeted by your card effects until the end of your turn! I return Rambrachio back to my hand and target King T-Wrextle!" As Rambrachio turned into yellow particles, a translucent barrier surrounded King T-Wrextle.
"Very well. I target World Dino Wrestling and Survival of the Fittest!" Stregone decided, as Double Iris Magician and Purple Poison Magician fired blasts from their weapons at World Dino Wrestling and Survival of the Fittest, greying both out much to Go's dismay. King T-Wrextle then roared in pain as his attack points returned to normal.
Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle ATK: 4000 – 1000 = 3000
"I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Star Pendulumgraph. While this card is on my field, you can't target my Spellcaster monsters with Spell cards or effects." Stregone then gestured to Double Iris Magician. "I also activate Double Iris Magician's effect in the Pendulum Zone! By destroying this card, I can target one Dark Spellcaster monster on my field, and any battle damage it inflicts this turn is doubled. I target Enlightenment Paladin!" Double Iris Magician then exploded into red particles, which went into Enlightenment Paladin as he powered up.
Go narrowed his eyes. If he knew Stregone, he always had a reason for doing so. Pulling up a screen on his duel disk, he saw why. He intends to use Purple Poison Magician's effect to increase Enlightenment Paladin's attack points, and combined with Enlightenment Paladin and Double Iris Magician's effects, deal massive battle damage. It's a good thing I have a way to deal with that strategy.
"Star Pendulumgraph's second effect!" Stregone added. "As a face-up 'Magician' Pendulum monster left my field or Pendulum zone, I can add one 'Magician' Pendulum monster from my deck to my hand!" A card popped out of his deck. "And now I'll use the Scale 8 Black Fang Magician to set the Pendulum Scale!" A pillar of light appeared on Stregone's right side of the field. In that pillar of light was a man wearing purple and dark-green clothing, along with black pants. He had silver-armored plating on his legs and forearms with purple orbs on them. His upper chest was covered by grey-armored plating as well. An elegant cape attached to his back flowed behind him. On top of his head, he wore a purple magician's hat. In his left hand, he carried a unique staff with two spikes on it.
Black Fang Magician Scale: 8
"Battle!" Stregone declared. "Enlightenment Paladin attacks-!"
"Stop right there!" Go suddenly said. "I activate King T-Wrextle's second effect! At the start of your Battle Phase, I can target one monster in attack position that you control and make it attack first. Also, if it does not attack, it's destroyed at the end of your Battle Phase. In addition, King T-Wrextle's third effect prevents you from targeting other monsters I control for attacks, except for him. I target Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic!" An orange aura surrounded King T-Wrextle as he roared at Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic, forcing him into a battle stance. "So what will do you now, old friend?"
To Go's surprise, Stregone smirked. "The show must go on no matter what happens," he told him. "That's what makes it exciting! You of all people should know that!" Stregone pointed his right index finger at King T-Wrextle. "Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic attacks Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle! At this point, I activate the effect of Purple Poison Magician in my Pendulum zone. When a Dark Spellcaster monster I control battles, I can destroy this card to give that monster 1200 additional attack points!" Purple Poison Magician laughed as he exploded into purple particles, which went into his golden staff with a massive hook on it, making it glow purple.
Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic ATK: 2800 + 1200 = 4000
"Magical Overload!" The Spell Counters on Endymion glowed as he raised his staff into the air and fired a blast of magical energy at King T-Wrextle.
"And you of all people should know that I won't go down that easily!" Go reminded Stregone. "Once again, I activate Martial Anga's effect from my hand. When you attack my 'Dinowrestler' monster, I can send this card to prevent it from being destroyed by battle!" A second barrier appeared around King T-Wrextle as the magical blast of energy hit it, making Go stagger a bit. The barrier then dissipated, revealing an unharmed King T-Wrextle.
Go Onizuka: 4000 – 1000 = 3000 LP
"Martial Anga's effect ends the Battle Phase as well." Go added. Stregone frowned upon hearing that. He had hoped to use a combination of Double Iris Magician, Purple Poison Magician, and Enlightenment Paladin to bring the duel to a swift end. However, it looked like that wouldn't happen this turn, as Stregone only managed to inflict one thousand points of battle damage. Still, better to inflict some battle damage than none at all.
"I Set two cards face-down and end my turn." Stregone concluded, knowing there was nothing else he could do for now.
"My turn! I draw!" Go said, drawing the top card of his deck and grinning upon looking at it. "You should feel privileged, Stregone. You'll be the first one to witness how I evolved since my previous duel against Soulburner. First you will see, then you will lose!" Both Stregone and Phoenix widened their eyes at that statement, with the former narrowing his eyes.
"I'm not sure what you have planned, but I'll ensure you won't execute it!" Stregone replied. "Continuous-Trap card, activate! Time Pendulumgraph! While this card's on my field, you can't target Spellcaster monsters with Trap cards or effects!"
"I see. Then it's a good thing I got this! I activate the Spell card, Pre-Preparation of Rites! Not only does this card lets me add a Ritual Spell card from my deck to my hand, I can also add a Ritual monster from my deck or Graveyard whose name is listed on that Ritual Spell." Two cards popped out of Go's deck, which he added to his hand.
"So you learned Ritual Summoning, is that it?" Stregone figured out with ease.
"You never cease to disappoint, old friend." Go responded, a smirk on his face. "I activate the Ritual Spell card, Dino Champion's Ritual!" The card showed Systegosaur and Capoeiraptor roaring in respect in front of a statue of Dinowrestler King T Wrextle, which held a fiery champion's belt in his hands. Several people watching the event were also paying respect to the King T Wrextle statue as well. "This card lets me tribute 'Dinowrestler' monsters on my field or hand whose total levels equal or exceed the Level of the 'Dinowrestler' Ritual monster I'm about to Ritual Summon. However, if I control King T-Wrextle, I can shuffle 'Dinowrestler' monsters from my field or Graveyard into my deck instead!"
"A Ritual Spell card can do that?!" Phoenix exclaimed, now concerned for Stregone.
"I seen crazy cards in my duels, Phoenix." Stregone said, turning to him. "But this one takes the cake."
"It should, especially once you witness his appearance." Go told both of them. "I shuffle Capaptera and Martial Anga from my Graveyard into my deck!" A green circle with champion's belts covering it burned eight red flames, which materialized in front of Go. Capaptera and Martial Anga appeared as well before they disintegrated into light and entered into the center of the circle, which emitted a pillar of bright light.
"The contract has been made!" Go chanted. "A new challenger approaches, ready to throwdown against his enemies! Ritual Summon! Enter the ring, Dinowrestler Rising Taeklodocus!" A silver-gray humanoid dinosaur with a long neck and tail, as well as massive feet appeared on Go's field in one of the Main Monster Zones King T-Wrextle pointed to. He wore a white Taekwondo Gi with silver stripes, along with a black belt.
Dinowrestler Rising Taeklodocus ATK: 2800 DEF: 0 LV: 8
"Rising Taeklodocus's effect! Once per turn, I can tribute one 'Dinowrestler' monster on my field and increase Rising Taeklodocus's attack points by the tributed 'Dinowrestler' monster's attack points until the end of my turn! I tribute Systegosaur!" Systegosaur turned into yellow particles, which went into Rising Taeklodocus as his strength increased.
Dinowrestler Rising Taeklodocus ATK: 2800 + 1900 = 4700
"Stregone, be careful!" Phoenix told him, afraid for what will happen next.
"Battle!" Go declared. "Dinowrestler Rising Taeklodocus attacks Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic! Roundhouse Slam Kick!" Rising Taeklodocus jumped high in the air, ready to roundhouse kick Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic.
"Like that'll work." Stregone interjected. "I activate-!"
"You'll do no such thing!" Go retorted. "Once per turn, when Rising Taeklodocus battles and you activate a card effect while I control a 'Dinowrestler' Link monster, that effect is negated and destroyed!"
"What?!" Stregone exclaimed, having not seen that coming at all.
"I negate and destroy your face-down card. Drill Kick!" Rising Taeklodocus bound his legs together and spun like a drill that pierced the face-down card completely, revealing it to be Magic Fire Guard as he landed back on the ground, Magic Fire Guard turning into particles in the process. Rising Taeklodocus then surprised Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic with two roundhouse kicks to the face using each leg, destroying him and making Stregone cover his eyes.
Stregone: 2650 – 1900 = 750 LP
"The battle continues! Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle attacks Enlightenment Paladin! Jurassic Howl!" Go ordered, as King T-Wrextle charged forward before jumping into the air and howled at Enlightenment Paladin, stunning him before King T-Wrextle fell forward and elbow slammed Enlightenment Paladin, causing a massive explosion that sent Stregone flying off his feet before landing on the ground.
Stregone: 750 – 500 = 250 LP
"I activate Rambrachio's effect from my hand! Since a 'Dinowrestler' Link monster inflicted battle damage, I can Special Summon this card to my field in defense position!" For a third time, Rambrachio appeared on Go's field in defense position.
Dinowrestler Rambrachio ATK: 1600 DEF: 0 LV: 5
"I end my turn, which means Rising Taeklodocus's effect ends." Go concluded, as Rising Taeklodocus's attack points returned to normal.
Dinowrestler Rising Taeklodocus ATK: 4700 – 1900 = 2800
"You put up a good fight, Stregone. But even you must realize it's futile to defeat me. So you might as well surrender."
"Surrender?" Stregone got up on his feet. "I don't think so, Go. The show must go on, no matter how dire the situation. A Charisma Duelist must live a life more vivid than any other and be someone for all to admire! A Charisma Duelist is the one who collects the envy of their followers and stands as their guide! Therefore, a Charisma Duelist is never alone! For their will equals that of all their followers combined!"
"That's the Charisma Duelist's oath..." Phoenix muttered, recognizing those words.
"Back then, that oath meant more to me than mere words." Go admitted to Stregone. "Along with my goal of keeping the children safe, that oath was what kept me going against impossible odds. However, after what happened, I threw them away so I can reclaim what is rightfully mine!"
"I'll remind you of who you once were, Go." Stregone promised him. "And I'll show you by winning on this turn! My turn! I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck. I want to try something, just in case, he decided. "I activate the effect of Time Pendulumgraph. Once per turn, I can target one 'Magician' Pendulum monster that's either in my Monster Zone or Pendulum Zone and one card on your field. By doing so, I can destroy both of them! I target Black Fang Magician and King T-Wrextle!" Several portals appeared above Stregone, with translucent blades coming out of them.
"Rambrachio's effect prevents you from targeting other 'Dinowrestler' monsters on my field with card effects." Go explained. "That means you have to target Rambrachio for Time Pendulumgraph's effect."
"In that case, I target Black Fang Magician and Rambrachio." Stregone decided, as the translucent blades fired out of the portals before piercing Black Fang Magician and Rambrachio, destroying both of them. "Star Pendulumgraph's effect! As a face-up 'Magician' Pendulum monster left my field or Pendulum zone, I can add one 'Magician' Pendulum monster from my deck to my hand!" A card popped out of his deck. "I now activate the Spell card, Card of Adversity. Since I control no monsters and you control a Special Summoned monster, I can draw two cards." He drew the top two cards of his deck and smiled upon looking at them. "I activate the Spell card, Magical Stone Excavation. This card lets me discard two cards from my hand to add a Spell card back to my hand." After discarding two cards from his hand and sending them to his Graveyard, a card popped out of his Graveyard, which he took and added to his hand. "I now activate the Spell card, Magicalized Fusion! This card lets me Fusion Summon one Spellcaster Fusion monster from my Extra Deck, by banishing monsters from my field or Graveyard! I'll let you in on a little secret, Go. For this Fusion monster, I need to banish five Spellcaster monsters."
"Five?!" both Go and Phoenix exclaimed at the same time.
"From my Graveyard, I banish Enlightenment Paladin, Magician's Guardian, Timebreaker Magician, White Wing Magician, and Oafdragon Magician!" All five monsters materialized on Stregone's field. They broke apart into red, blue, green, orange, and yellow particles of energy and swirled into a vortex. Five twisters then shot upward and merged into a violet tornado.
"With the power of five magicians, the ultimate practitioner of magic shall heed my call!" Stregone chanted. "Fusion Summon! Emerge on the battlefield! Level 12! Quintet Magician!" A magician wearing extravagant dark-blue and purple robes broke free from the tornado and appeared on Stregone's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. His robes consisted of shiny, curved plates that had sharp edges and covered the shoulder areas. He had long orange hair, which flowed down from the sides of his face. In Quintet Magician's right hand was an ornate staff. There were also five dark magical circles surrounding him as well.
Quintet Magician ATK: 4500 DEF: 4500 LV: 12
"Impossible. Where did you get that many Fusion materials to-?!" It then hit Go.
"Seems you figured it out." Stregone stated. "Your Hand Destruction enabled me to send one Pendulum monster and a Spell card from my hand to my Graveyard. Those two cards were Timebreaker Magician and Magicalized Fusion. Magician's Guardian and Enlightenment Paladin were already in my Graveyard, and thanks to Magical Stone Excavation, I sent White Wing Magician and Oafdragon Magician to my Graveyard to add Magicalized Fusion back to my hand. You could say I planned this all along." Go grit his teeth, shocked that he was played like that. "But first, I activate Quintet Magician's effect! When he's Fusion Summoned using five Spellcaster monsters with different names, I can destroy all cards you control!"
"Such a monster has an effect like that?!" Go exclaimed in shock, knowing what was about to happen.
"You are correct." Stregone answered, before gesturing to Quintet Magician. "Magical Reckoning!" Quintet Magician spun the ornate staff in his hand before he pointed it at Infearno, causing the dark magical circles to spread themselves out and surround his field. Go could do nothing but brace himself as a barrage of arcane blasts shot out of the dark magical circles, destroying King T-Wrextle, Rising Taeklodocus, Survival of the Fittest, and World Dino Wrestling. When the barrage died down, he gasped upon looking at his field.
Stregone narrowed his eyes. "Quintet Magician wouldn't have got this effect if the five Spellcaster monsters I banished didn't lend him their power. Unlike your monsters, who focused on defending their king, my monsters worked together to bring out someone who cannot be stopped. That is the difference between you and me Go, and it's time I drive it home!" He thrusted his right arm out. "Battle! Quintet Magician attacks you directly! Mystical Pentagram!"
Quintet Magician spun the ornate staff in his hand before firing a pentagram-shaped magical blast at Go, causing a massive explosion that made him scream as he was sent flying off the ground, landing back on it moments later.
Go Onizuka: 3000 – 4500 = 0
The digital green walls enclosing all three duelists soon disappeared, the duel having been concluded. Stregone and Phoenix walked over to Go, who was still stunned from the explosion.
"Go." Stregone offered him a hand, and was surprised when he accepted it, allowing him to help his old friend get up on his feet. "Your days as a bounty hunter are forever done. It's time to come home with us. To a family that cares for your well-being."
"I can't go with you." Go told Stregone and Phoenix, turning away from them, both duelists shocked by his response. "Not until I defeat Playmaker. But know this: Once I'm done, then I'll come home and take you up on your offer." He logged out of LINK VRAINS soon after, leaving both Stregone and Phoenix speechless.
"Okay, that was totally dishonorable." Phoenix commented. "The Go Onizuka I know would always hold up on his end of the deal."
"There's still hope for him, Phoenix." Stregone assured him. "As long as we don't give up on Go, there will always be a chance to save him. That is something I believe in."
Phoenix nodded, agreeing with Stregone. "Then I'll assist however I can," he promised. "Go's my friend too, and I won't give up on him as well."
"Your father would be proud of the man you become, Phoenix." Stregone smiled at him, proud of how Phoenix grew up since arriving at the Den City Shelter all those years ago. "Let's go home for now." The two of them logged out of LINK VRAINS soon afterwards. But what they didn't notice was that Azrael was watching their duel on a screen somewhere else in the network.
With the duel now over, Azrael closed his screen, sighing in the process.
"Of the two duelists, which one piques your interest?" Wraith asked, turning to his partner.
"Go Onizuka, like you said, is nothing more than a dog who takes orders." Azrael began. "His own selfishness and pride will be his undoing."
"And Stregone?"
"He demonstrated the true qualities of a warrior." Azrael declared. "Stregone is someone I'll keep my eye on, that's for sure. For I want to see how he continues to evolve in the future. And who knows? Maybe he'll be worthy of dueling me when the time comes." He then jumped on his duel board and sped away to a distant part of the network, satisfied with today's events.
At Café Matsuo, in the real world...
Yuhiro, Roxy, and Herald were watching the video that showed Ghost Girl's duel against Brave Max, laughing at how she was fooled into believing he was Playmaker's sidekick. The three of them laughed even harder at the conversation Ghost Girl and Blue Girl had after the duel.
"It's not funny!" Emma and Aoi both protested at the same time, a screen popping up, which showed the both of them at Emma's hideout.
"Oh, but it is." Yuhiro told them. "That's why you don't believe everything that you hear."
"I can't believe you got fooled like that, Emma." Roxy added, chuckling to herself. "I thought you knew better."
"We thought Brave Max would be a valuable lead in finding Playmaker in the real world." Emma pointed out, embarrassed with the whole debacle.
"The search would go far quicker if you told us Playmaker and Soulburner's identities." Aoi told them, hoping they would accept her request.
"You know why I can't do that, Aoi." Yuhiro replied, a serious look on his face. "Because if I did, then Hell would go down, and I do not want that to happen."
"But that doesn't mean we won't keep you in the loop, though." Herald stated. "Just accept the fact you won't know everything until the time's right."
"And when that time comes, we'll answer whatever questions you have to the best of our abilities." Roxy finished.
"Promise?" both Aoi and Emma inquired.
"Promise." Yuhiro replied before changing the subject. "It's very likely that Blood Shepherd knows the three of you were sent by Akira, so be careful. He'll try to eliminate you guys the first chance he gets."
"Aw. Yuhiro cares about our well-being." Emma teased him, with Aoi chuckling at what Emma just said. "You act all tough and focused on the outside, but deep down, you have a big and caring heart." Roxy laughed at that comment, embarrassing Yuhiro.
"That's the same thing I told him." Roxy said.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Yuhiro and Roxy noticed that someone was at the door. But at this time of the day? Strange indeed.
"We have to go." Yuhiro immediately told Emma and Aoi. "In the meanwhile, be on your guard against Blood Shepherd. He'll show no mercy." He ended the call after that.
"It's strange that someone's at the door in the night." Herald stated, as Yuhiro and Roxy got up from their respective seats.
"We'll find out who and why soon enough." Yuhiro assured him, putting his duel disk back on his left hand. He and Roxy walked over to the front door, and when Roxy opened it, the two of them were surprised that Arashi was there, carrying two bags.
"Hey guys," was all Arashi said.
"What are you doing here late at night?" Roxy asked Arashi.
"I bet he wants to kick my ass in a video game again!" Herald exclaimed. "Bring it on, punk! You won't best me in-!"
"As much as I want to defeat you in a video game, that's not why I came here." Arashi stated.
"Then why did you come here?"
"Okay, here's the deal." Arashi began. "When I came here, I ended up crashing at a motel that was totally not the best place I stayed at."
"And your point being?" Roxy raised an eyebrow at him.
"Well, after coming here to Café Matsuo and realizing that the great Raguel and his partner live here, it got me thinking: What if I crash at Café Matsuo for a few weeks?" Arashi finished, much to the surprise of Yuhiro and Roxy.
"Hold on a moment." Roxy said, motioning to Yuhiro to follow her. Once they were far away from him, she spoke up. "Is he serious right now?"
"I think he is, Roxy." Yuhiro answered him. "As surprised as you are about this, I can see some great benefits in him staying here."
"Like what?"
"Well, having another hacker would be nice." Yuhiro began. "And I saw his engineering skills at Den Academy. He can totally fix our equipment and make it better."
"Those parts are totally true." Arashi spoke up, getting their attention. "Not only can I fix up any machinery you have, but I can totally improve your programs and create new ones, just like I did for Kusanagi."
"He does make a good point." Herald added. "Besides, I can finally beat him in video games and reclaim my spot as the number one gamer."
"You sound just like Go Onizuka." Yuhiro and Roxy both commented.
"Look, if you're that concerned, let's test him." Yuhiro suggested. "And I know where to start."
"Alright, fine." Roxy decided, the two of them going over to Arashi. "We decided to let you stay here for a few weeks, but only if you complete some tests."
"Aw, sweet." Arashi replied with excitement. "Wait. What are the tests?" As if on cue, Progleo jumped out of Yuhiro's duel disk and went over to him, sniffing his hand for a few moments. Once that was done, Progleo rolled on his side, allowing Arashi to pet his belly.
"I guess you passed the first test." Yuhiro said. "If Progleo likes you, then it's a good sign."
"The last test is rather simple." Roxy began to explain, motioning for Arashi to enter inside Café Matsuo. "In the backroom is a workshop. I need you to fix the rotating shelves and make them operate once again. You also need to make a gauntlet based on previous duelists we encountered. Do those things, and you'll be allowed to stay here."
"A workshop? AWESOME!" Arashi then ran towards the back room and into the workshop, beginning his work in the progress.
A half hour later...
Yuhiro was helping Roxy wash the dishes while Herald was playing God of War: Ascension. It was quiet and peaceful, which was something the three of them needed.
"DONE!"
Until a loud voice interrupted that peace.
"He's done already?!" Roxy exclaimed in surprise, as she ran downstairs to the workshop. Herald paused the game before Yuhiro put his duel disk on his left arm, following after Roxy in the process. When the two of them got to the workshop, their jaws dropped.
"Surprise!" Arashi said, going over to the rotating shelves. "The problem with the rotating shelves was that some old gunk was blocking most of the gears. Once I got it all out, I wiped each gear before putting in some new nuts and bolts to improve its efficiency. Oh, and I tested the rotating shelves with different loads to see how much it can hold. Apparently, it can hold about four toolboxes worth of tools."
"This is impressive." Roxy stated, going over to the rotating shelves. "I see that you made a system that makes the shelves go vertically rather than horizontally."
"With a press of this button, of course." Arashi pressed a button on the remote he was holding, causing the shelves to go upwards through an escalator-like style before stopping momentarily.
"That's nice and all, Arashi, but I'm wondering how the Hell you made this." Yuhiro stated, going over to the table in the room. On the table was a literal replica of Blood Shepherd's right arm.
"It's actually disturbing now that I think about it." Roxy added, going over to the table and looking at it. "I create gauntlets based on duel monsters, not based on other people's arms."
"I'm with Roxy on this one." Herald agreed, a little weirded out by the literal replica of Blood Shepherd's arm.
"Oh, that's simple." Arashi began, going over to the backroom, with Roxy and Yuhiro following after him. "I did an Internet search or two on Blood Shepherd to get a clear picture on Blood Shepherd's mechanical arm. I then printed the blueprints and scavenged the entire workshop to find the tools needed to build it." He gestured the two of them to follow him into the workshop. "Once I figured out the mechanics behind it, I was able to create a perfect replica within a short amount of time. One that you can use in the network, if I may add."
"It takes Roxy some time to make a gauntlet, and you were able to make one within the half hour?" Herald inquired, not believing Arashi's story.
"Along with the shelves, yup." Arashi confirmed. "When I work on engineering or programs, it's like I'm in a totally new world. One where I'm able to connect the dots and determine how things work with one another, as well as how I can improve them further. I can do this at such a fast rate that no one can outpace me."
"Okay, now I'm a bit scared." Roxy admitted, now worried that Arashi was some sort of superhuman.
"Regardless, you passed the tests, Arashi." Yuhiro told him. "So welcome to your new home for the time being."
"SWEET!" Arashi jumped with joy. "Where's the guest room?" He then made a mad dash to the stairs, intent on finding the guest room.
"There may be a guest room, but you're forbidden from going into Miyu's room, mister! Do you understand me?!" Roxy shouted, chasing after him.
"Looks like we're in for one Hell of a bumpy ride, Yuhiro." Herald said plainly.
"Yup. I already know that." Yuhiro agreed, dumbfounded with what just happened. Progleo then approached him, happily wagging his tail. "Alright, Progleo. Lead the way." Yuhiro then followed Progleo out of the backroom, who wanted some company for the night. No matter who we face off against tomorrow, we will succeed. For the sake of those we care about, he thought. Until Miyu and Jin are rescued, until Bohman and Haru are stopped, until we find out who destroyed the Cyberse World, and until we figure out what's really going on, I won't stop fighting. Not until everything goes back to normal. Yuhiro narrowed his eyes, intent on keeping that promise.
He snapped out of his thoughts, however, when Progleo happily barked at him.
"Okay, okay. I'm coming, Progleo." After Yuhiro took off his duel disk and put it on the counter, he went over to the couch Progleo was at and sat down beside him, allowing the cub to lie on his lap. Arashi was already there, picking up a video game as Herald emerged out of Yuhiro's duel disk, grabbing his game controller before the two of them played Super Smash Bros Ultimate. For now, this was peaceful. And Yuhiro intended to keep it that way.
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 Girl, 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/Alpha Mode, 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
Go Onizuka:
Dinowrestler Rising Taeklodocus (LV: 8/Dinosaur/Ritual/Earth/ATK: 2800/DEF: 0)
Effect: You can Ritual Summon this card using 'Dino Champion's Ritual'. You can tribute 1 'Dinowrestler' monster on you field with a different name, and if you do, this card gains ATK equal to the tributed monster's ATK until the end of your turn. If this card battles a monster your opponent controls and your opponent activates a card effect while you control a 'Dinowrestler' Link Monster (Quick Effect): You can negate that effect, and if you do, destroy it. You can only use each effect of 'Dinowrestler Rising Taeklodocus' once per turn.
Dino Champion's Ritual (Ritual Spell card)
Effect: This card can be used to Ritual Summon any 'Dinowrestler' Ritual Monster. You must also tribute 'Dinowrestler' monsters from your field or hand whose total Levels equal or exceed the Level of the Ritual Monster you Ritual Summon. If you control 'Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle': You can shuffle 'Dinowrestler' monsters from your field or GY into your deck instead.
Dino Tag-Team (Normal Spell card)
Effect: Target 2 'Dinowrestler' monsters in your GY with different names; Special Summon them to your field in Defense Position. You can only activate 1 'Dino Tag-Team' per turn.
Dino Camouflage (Normal Trap card)
Effect: When this card is activated: You can return 1 'Dinowrestler' monster on your field to your hand, then target 1 'Dinowrestler' monster on your field with a different name; that monster cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effects until the end of the turn. You can only use this effect of 'Dino Camouflage' once per turn.
Stregone:
Magician's Guardian (LV: 4/Spellcaster/Light/ATK: 1200/DEF: 1200)
Effect: If this card is in your hand and your opponent's monster battles a Spellcaster monster you control: You can send this card from your hand to your GY; Spellcaster monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle, also, any battle damage you take is halved this turn. You can only use this effect of 'Magician's Guardian' once per turn.
Pendulum Nullifier (Normal Trap card)
Effect: When this card is activated: You can target cards your opponent controls equal to the number of Pendulum monsters in your Pendulum Zones; negate their effects until the end of your next turn. This card can only be activated if you have a Pendulum monster in either Pendulum zone. You can only activate 1 'Pendulum Nullifier' per turn.
QOTC
If Go and Stregone's roles were reversed, how do you think the story would play out? What deck would you give Stregone if he became a bounty hunter?
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 56. Call of the Wind. Yuhiro and the others enjoy a normal day, having escaped SOL Technologies' clutches once again. While Yusaku stays behind at Den Academy per Naoki's request, Yuhiro, Takeru, and Arashi head over to Café Nagi and hang out. As Kusanagi, Takeru, and Yuhiro share their backstories on how they came to be where they are today, Arashi speaks up, wanting to share his backstory and how it affected him...
Author's Notes
So, this was rather a short chapter. That being said, I hoped you enjoyed a confrontation between old friends.
Speaking of old friends, the duel between Stregone and Go Onizuka was pretty much the main event of the story. Although Stregone was put in a tough spot thanks to Go's 'Dinowrestler' deck, he was able to pull through in the end thanks to Quintet Magician, one of the strongest Spellcaster monsters to date.
In the duel, we also saw how Go upgraded his deck following his duel against Soulburner by including Ritual Summoning, and he nearly defeated Stregone thanks to Dinowrestler Rising Taeklodocus. We already know that Go eventually learns Fusion Summoning (Dinowrestler Chimera T-Wrextle) and Synchro Summoning (Dinowrestler Giga Spinosavate) later on in the story, but do you think he'll learn Xyz Summoning? Let me know what you think.
Something to point out both prior to and during the duel. Before Go and Stregone began the duel, the latter tried to tell Go that what he was doing was wrong. How? Stregone reminded him that there were still people who didn't forget about his existence, and also pointed out that SOL Technologies was using him only for their power. Once SOL Technologies got what they wanted, the company would toss Go to the side.
While Stregone didn't succeed in convincing Go to stop being a bounty hunter and drop his grudge against Playmaker, he did drop a seed of doubt in Go's mind, making him question what SOL Technologies had for him. But sadly, as well all know, Go Onizuka goes down a dark path that gives him a wake-up call in the end. In other words, the A.I. chip that turns him into Sergey Volkov from Arc-V for a few episodes. Which brings me to this question: If Go with the A.I. chip dueled against Sergey Volkov, who uses the Earthbound Servant deck, who would win?
The second event in this chapter is Azrael and Wraith going over the duel and their thoughts on it. Although Azrael agrees with Wraith's statement that Go's nothing more than a dog that SOL Technologies sends out against their enemies, he speaks favorably about Stregone, and says that he'll keep an eye on him for the time being. There's an obvious reason why, as compared to Go, Stregone demonstrated the true qualities of a warrior.
There were two slice-of-life scenes that were included as well in this chapter. The first one involved Roxy and Yuhiro laughing at Emma and Aoi's embarrassment upon finding out that Naoki wasn't Playmaker's sidekick. Pretty self-explanatory there, especially with how Emma and Aoi reacted once they realized Yuhiro and Roxy watched the video.
The second scene is self-explanatory and a bit of a surprise, as Arashi is living at Café Matsuo for the time being. What are your thoughts on the two tests Yuhiro and Roxy gave him?
Anyhow, just a few announcements. The first is that I'm doing an update to Roxy's Reports before going onto the next chapter. The second is a reminder that my school year has begun, which means I'll have to balance my time between this story and schoolwork. That doesn't mean I'll abandon Obscured Truth. I'll still be writing, but chapters may sometimes take longer than expected. I hope you understand.
So without further ado, I want to thank you all for reading Chapter 55 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 duel between Go Onizuka and Stregone? Azrael's thoughts about them? The slice-of-life moments? Or something else?
That's all for now, folks. If all goes well, I should be able to release Chapter 56 either in late-September or early October. Until then, I wish you all the best!