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.

72. Chapter 72: Tactical Evolution

Update

As pointed out by both HunterHQ and KingOtakuOverYou, I forgot to put down the second effect for Legatus Legionis that activates upon using his first one. Credit goes to the both of you for pointing it out.

Response to Reviews

Thank you to Pancakes, HunterHQ, Electriuser, ZeroMK7, Kingdom Hearts Guy, rgriffin8999, T.V. 2000, KingOtakuOverYou, Cosmic Cat, Akechi, Magic Dragon, Donjusticia, Pikachu99, Guest, Guest for reviewing Chapter 71 of Obscured Truth.

Greetings, everyone! I hope you're happy, safe, and well wherever you are. I have to say, from your reviews, it's clear you enjoyed the chapter, even if it was a short one.

But enough talk. Let's get to answering some reviews:

Pancakes: While your sketch was okay, please keep it T for Teen in the future. That's the rating Obscured Truth has. Regardless, I'm glad you liked the chapter.

HunterHQ: Even Ignis's make mistakes. They aren't perfect, as observed by Lightning. While I'm obviously keeping Earth's fate the same as it was in the anime, I'll decide whether to have Miyu recover earlier or not. Even after trying to clean up all your traces, there will always be a small piece left over. It's like when you delete a social media post from social media. You can't delete it fully, as there will always be traces of it on the Internet. Yup, that was Slipstream's Link ability. Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. I put in Legatus Legionis' second effect upon using its first one in the chapter. Thank you very much. The data clones were used by Azrael, Wraith, and Malf, and once they were a certain distance away from the real ones, they turned into particles. Drachen and Blood Shepherd were obviously way too busy in dealing with the armada of Bits and Boots to even realize that Malf was there. Even if there was something either of them can do to Malf, there was no time, as by that point, Kenmochi and Yoroizaka had been gravely injured, and Akira ordered a full retreat.

Electriuser: Glad you enjoyed the chapter. I'll send you a PM regarding Lord Kazuma once I get the chance.

ZeroMK7: Happy you liked the chapter. In terms of your question, I won't necessarily answer it, as I'm not sure myself.

Kingdom Hearts Guy: Oh, yes. Things are certainly getting started, and are only getting worse from here.

rgriffin8999: Believe it or not, that arrowverse reference just... fit for Chapter 19. Glad you liked the story, as lots of inspiration was used for writing Obscured Truth. On the topic of Playmaker's Code Talkers... well, I do have something planned for them, along with Firewall Dragon and its evolution.

T.V. 2000: Don't worry: I already knew you were E.T. 2000 a while back. Happy you liked the chapter, for I was able to put in a duel that the anime sadly skipped on. Of course Haru will give Raguel a harder time. He's far stronger than the last time they dueled. Yeah, if Togepi ended up using Metronome, it'd cause problems for Yuhiro and the others.

KingOtakuOverYou: I actually forgot to put that in. Thank you very much for pointing that out. The whole point of the Malf vs Kenmochi and Yoroizaka duel was to prove two things. One: To show how stronger Malf became since evolving. Two: To give Kenmochi and Yoroizaka an actual duel before they were hospitalized. I mean, they were practically underutilized in the anime, so I at least wanted them to try against a strong enemy before losing. Keep in mind that Haru's last duel is against Blue Maiden, so he obviously won't fall here. Also, to keep up with the anime, I will only include the important parts of the Bohman vs Playmaker duel. It's necessary for the story.

Cosmic Cat: Raguel was surprised when he found out that Azrael helped Haru get stronger, as in his mind, it was something he didn't expect. He also felt envious of Haru because of how he got stronger thanks to brotherhood, whereas Raguel's experiences with brotherhood only caused him pain.

Akechi: Now, now. You'll just have to read on to get your answers.

Magic Dragon: Believe it or not, yes. Brion from Young Justice was an inspiration for Electrolyzer, along with Cheshire for the Cheshire in Obscured Truth, and Artemis for Brea/Tigress. Kid Flash also served as inspiration for Arashi, with Superboy serving as inspiration for Yuhiro as well. Honestly, Young Justice is one of my favourite shows, especially how I finished the fourth season.

Donjusticia: Glad you were able to catch up. Aside from 'Fate' Greek Mythology, Yuhiro's actually studied Greek Mythology in general, so he's aware of who the girl, the knight, and the beast were. Expect the trio to appear later on in the story. I did say a while back that I'd use cards from Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens if the situation required it. And Lord Kazuma fought with everything he had, only for it to not be enough as Azrael defeated him. I do hope you like the next few chapters.

Pikachu99: Well, thanks for the info. I'll keep it in mind should I battle a Chansey in the future. When did this occur? And thank goodness for Dragonite.

Guest: I watched the anime, and I know what the characters are like.

Guest: I will make one thing clear: Infearno does not obsessively hate Yuhiro. As for your comment on funny childish tantrums, that's wrong as well. Don't mention that again. And sometimes, villains' arrogance gets the better of them.

Now that all the reviews have been replied to, let's get to the last chapter before we're halfway through Season 2. Enjoy!

Chapter 72: Tactical Evolution

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, the Muramasa, crosses downwards to the left, while Excalibur crosses downwards to the right. 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 Teravolt Dragon, who 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 Crimson Nova Trinity the Dark Cubic Lord 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 Teravolt Dragon, both of their dragons proceeding to roar at one another. 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, at the fake Cyberse World...

"Speed Duel!" Raguel and Haru shouted at the same time.

Raguel: 4000 LP

Haru: 4000 LP

"I'm going first, Raguel. Know that this duel will end differently than our last one." Haru said, before looking at the cards in his hand. This will certainly help him build his field, and eventually defeat Raguel. "I Special Summon Hydradrive Booster from my hand." A mechanical monster that resembled a gold and silver dragonfly appeared on Haru's field.

Hydradrive Booster ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1

"I can Special Summon this card when neither of us have any monsters in our Main Monster Zones." Haru explained, before pointing his right hand high above his head. "Appear, my circuit!" A Link Portal soon appeared above Haru. "The summoning conditions are one 'Hydradrive' monster. I set Hydradrive Booster into the Link Markers!" Hydradrive Booster went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Coolant Hydradrive!" A light-blue and grey segmented mechanical dragon appeared on Haru's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. It had a visor on its face, as well as a Hydradrive sigil on its chest.

Coolant Hydradrive ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️

"From there, I activate the Spell card, Hydradrive Rebuild." Haru continued. "This card lets me target and destroy a 'Hydradrive' monster on my field. I target and destroy Coolant Hydradrive!" Coolant Hydradrive turned into particles. "Coolant Hydradrive's effect! When it's destroyed, I can Special Summon one 'Hydradrive' token to my field." A small mechanical bug with the Hydradrive sigil appeared on Haru's field in defense position.

Hydradrive Token ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1

"Hydradrive Rebuild's second effect! If the 'Hydradrive' monster destroyed by this effect activates its own effect in the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one 'Hydradrive' monster from my Graveyard. However, it can't attack, its effects are negated, and is destroyed at my End Phase. Return to the field, Coolant Hydradrive!" At Haru's command, Coolant Hydradrive appeared on Haru's field in the middle Main Monster Zone.

Coolant Hydradrive ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️

"I summon Hydradrive Launcher from my hand." Haru added, as a maroon-brown segmented mechanical dragon appeared on his field. Although it had a jaw like the rest its brethren, its head was that of a harpoon arrow with a scope. Its hands were also replaced with harpoon arrows as well.

Hydradrive Launcher ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LV: 4

"Launcher's effect! When it's Normal Summoned and I control a 'Hydradrive' Link monster in the Main Monster Zone, I can take one Link Spell or Link Trap from my deck and activate it in a Spell & Trap card zone it's pointing to!"

"Aw Hell no..." Raguel muttered.

"That is so not good." Herald agreed.

"Launcher is a perfect replacement for my former Skill, don't you agree?" Haru replied with a wicked smirk, as Raguel and Herald narrowed their eyes. That meant Haru had a new Skill to use, which was something the duo had to be wary about. A card popped out of Haru's deck, which he took and added to his hand. "From my deck, I activate the Link Spell, Judgment Arrows!" Launcher raised its head and fired a yellow blast into the sky, which landed in the Spell & Trap card zone Coolant Hydradrive pointed to.

Judgment Arrows ↖️⬆️↗️

"I activate the Field Spell card, Hydradrive Caduceus. Once per turn, by destroying a 'Hydradrive' monster on my field, I can activate one of two effects. I destroy Coolant Hydradrive to activate its first effect, which lets me Special Summon one 'Hydradrive' monster with a different name than the destroyed monster from my deck or Graveyard. Emerge from my Graveyard, Hydradrive Booster!" After Coolant Hydradrive exploded into particles, Hydradrive Booster reappeared on Haru's field.

Hydradrive Booster ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1

"Appear, for a second time, my circuit!" A second Link Portal appeared above Haru. "The summoning conditions are one 'Hydradrive' monster. I set the Hydradrive token into the Link Markers!" The Hydradrive token went into the bottom Link Marker, turning it red in the process.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Flow Hydradrive!" A bipedal green and dark blue dragon appeared on Haru's field in the Main Monster Zone at Judgment Arrows' top-right marker. Its face had a green visor on it, while at the center of its body was the Hydradrive sigil.

Flow Hydradrive ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️

"Appear, for a third time, my circuit!" Haru said, as a third Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are one 'Hydradrive' monster. I set Hydradrive Launcher into the Link Markers!" Launcher went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Burn Hydradrive!" A red and orange segmented mechanical dragon appeared on Haru's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. It had a visor on its face like the rest of its brethren, as well as the Hydradrive sigil on its chest.

Burn Hydradrive ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️

"Launcher's second effect!" Haru continued. "Since it was used for the Link Summon of a 'Hydradrive' Link monster, I can target one 'Hydradrive' Link monster on my field and draw cards equal to its Link rating. I target Burn Hydradrive, a Link 1 monster, which means I can draw one card from the top of my deck." He drew the top card of his deck.

"Appear, for a fourth time, my circuit!" A fourth Link Portal appeared above Haru. "The summoning conditions are one 'Hydradrive' monster. I set Hydradrive Booster into the Link Markers!" Hydradrive Booster went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Grand Hydradrive!" A quadrupedal orange and brown machine appeared on Haru's field in the Main Monster Zone at Judgment Arrows' top marker.

Grand Hydradrive ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️

"At the rate Haru's going, he's going to have no cards in his hand by the end of his turn." Herald observed.

"While that may be the case, I doubt Haru will let something like that impede his turn." Raguel pointed out.

"You're right, Raguel. I'm not letting anything impede my turn, especially when I still have moves to make." Haru agreed. "Like this! Appear, for a fifth time, my circuit!" A fifth Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are three 'Hydradrive' Link monsters. I set the Link 1 Flow Hydradrive, Burn Hydradrive, and Grand Hydradrive into the Link Markers!" Flow Hydradrive went into the top arrowhead, Burn Hydradrive went into the bottom-left arrowhead, and Grand Hydradrive went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning all three of them red in the process.

"Now, my envoy of decimation! Arise, and petrify my enemies into dust!" Haru chanted. "Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun!" A female, pseudo-reptile with the long tail of a snake and the upper waist of a woman appeared on Haru's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. Her attire was consisted of a ragged dress, with a belt at the waist of her body that had the Hydradrive sigil in the middle. She had green and red skin with golden braces at the middle of each of her six, long heads, which were robotic in nature and the size of a slender rifle. Each of the heads had red eyes and the Hydradrive sigil on top of all six heads like a crown, as well as fangs. At the upper waist of her body was a larger version of the Hydradrive sigil split into four pieces, as well as a set of human arms with white gloves on them. All six heads hissed loudly upon seeing Raguel.

Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun ATK: 2300 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️

"Oh, crap! It's the monster that almost beat us last time!" Herald panicked, his eyes widening as he recognized Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun.

"When Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun is Link Summoned, I can move her to a Main Monster Zone she points to." Haru explained. "I move Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun to the left diagonally." Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun then moved to the left diagonally, where she was now in the Main Monster Zone at Judgment Arrows' top marker. "I activate the Spell card, Hydradrive Gift." The card showed Twin Hydradrive Knight kneeling down before Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun and presenting her with a large box, the latter opening it out of curiosity. "When this card is activated and I control a 'Hydradrive' Link monster, I can draw cards equal to the number of 'Hydradrive' Link monsters in my Graveyard."

"Are you freakin' kidding me? That's just broken!" Herald protested.

"We've seen worse before, Herald." Raguel reminded Herald. "Since Bohman and Haru bring out multiple Link monsters, it's only fitting for them to have a card that gives them a great reward for doing so."

"That's correct." Haru confirmed. "And as I have a total of four 'Hydradrive' Link monsters in my Graveyard, I can draw the top four cards of my deck." He drew the top four cards of his deck. "I Set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Nearby, Azrael sped in to overlook the duel between Raguel and Haru. "It seems we've arrived on time."

"Yes." Wraith agreed. "And from what we're seeing, Haru's set up a strong field. A Link 3 monster, Judgment Arrows, two face-down cards, a Field Spell card, and two new cards in his hand."

"Thus demonstrating his growth as an AI." Azrael finished. Alright, Haru. Let's see your motivation. Let's see whether you'll succeed where you failed last time, he thought in his mind.

"My turn! I draw!" Raguel said, as he drew the top card of his deck. The last time we dueled, Haru nearly defeated me, and judging from the cards on his field, he's set to counter whatever I throw at him. What's more, Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun can halve the attack points of all monsters I control that have the same attribute as the Hydradrive Link monster he banishes until the End Phase. I'll have to be careful if I'm to survive this duel, he thought in his mind. "Since you control a monster and I don't, I can Special Summon Cyreath Satyr from my hand to my field." A creature with the upper body of a man and the horns and legs of a goat appeared on Raguel's field. The creature had bronze pieces of armor on its head, arms, and legs, as well as long claws on its hands.

Cyreath Satyr ATK: 2300 DEF: 1400 LV: 5

"I activate the effect of Cyreath Doppelganger from my hand. Since I control a 'Cyreath' monster, I can Special Summon this card from my hand." A pale, shadowy man materialized itself on Raguel's field.

Cyreath Doppelganger ATK: 500 DEF: 500 LV: 4

"Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel declared, as a Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two 'Cyreath' monsters. I set Cyreath Satyr and Doppelganger into the Link Markers!" Satyr went into the bottom arrowhead, while Doppelganger went into the bottom-left arrowhead, turning both of them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyreath Nemo!" A young boy with light-emerald eyes and orange hair appeared on Raguel's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He wore a sailor's suit that had golden buttons and black bars on his shoulders, as well as blue pants. On top of his head was a sailor's cap that had a blue feather at the front.

Cyreath Nemo ATK: 1000 LINK-2 ↙️⬇️

"I'm guessing this one talks like the others?" Haru asked.

"Nope. Only the Link 3 and above 'Cyreath' monsters talk, along with Cyreath Castor and Pollux." Herald clarified.

"Moving that aside, I activate Nemo's effect." Raguel said. "When he's Link Summoned, I can add Cyreath Fusion from my deck or Graveyard to my hand."

"Fusion?" Haru repeated, having been caught off guard by what he just heard.

"That's correct." Raguel confirmed, as a card popped out of his deck, which he took and added to his hand. "I activate Doppelganger's effect from my Graveyard. Once per duel, I can banish one 'Cyreath' monster in my Graveyard to Special Summon it right back to my field in attack position. I banish Satyr from my Graveyard to Special Summon Doppelganger right back to my field!" At Raguel's command, Doppelganger reappeared on his field, only in one of the Main Monster Zones Nemo pointed to.

Cyreath Doppelganger ATK: 500 DEF: 500 LV: 4

"Nemo's second effect! Once per turn, when a 'Cyreath' monster is Normal or Special Summoned to a Main Monster Zone he points to, I can Special Summon one 'Cyreath' monster from my deck to my field." A card popped out of Raguel's deck, which he took and added to his hand. "I Special Summon Cyreath Hewdraw from my deck to my field." A medium-sized, serpent-like dragon with dark-purple scales and a white underbelly appeared on Raguel's field.

Cyreath Hewdraw ATK: 1800 DEF: 1000 LV: 4

"Hewdraw's effect! When it's Normal or Special Summoned, I can target one monster you control, and have it lose 300 attack points for every 'Cyreath' monster on my field until the end of this turn!" Raguel added, as Haru gasped in response for a moment before shaking it off.

"Like I'll let you do that! Continuous-Trap, activate! Hydradrive Impermanence!" Haru countered. "If I control a 'Hydradrive' Link monster and you activate a card effect, I can target one face-up card you control and negate its effects. I target and negate Hewdraw's effects!" Hydradrive Impermanence fired a rainbow-like vortex at Hewdraw, hitting it and greying it out in the process.

"If that's the case, then I'll do this! Appear, for a second time! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel responded, as a second Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are one monster. I set Cyreath Doppelganger into the Link Markers!" Doppelganger went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning it red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyreath Hephaestus!" A deformed blacksmith carrying a heated rod and a walking stick appeared on Raguel's field in one of the Main Monster Zones Nemo pointed to. He wore a short brown tunic around his waist.

Cyreath Hephaestus ATK: 500 LINK-1 ↘️

"I now activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Cyreath Dispel." Raguel continued. "Once per turn, I can target one Spell or Trap card you control and destroy it. Say goodbye to Judgment Arrows."

"Have you not learned what happened last time? If not, allow me to remind you!" Haru interjected. "Trap card, activate! Card of Pandora! When you target a card in my Spell & Trap card zone with an effect, that effect is changed to target Card of Pandora! So Dispel destroys Card of Pandora instead!" Card of Pandora glowed with an eerie color, which forced Dispel to fire a purple blast at it before turning it into particles. "Then I get to draw two cards from the top of my deck." Haru drew the top two cards of his deck afterwards.

Raguel, in response, smirked. "You think you've gotten rid of one of the methods I can use to destroy your Spell and Trap cards? Think again! I activate Hephaestus's effect! Once per turn, if I control a 'Cyreath' monster, I can target one Spell or Trap card in my Graveyard and add it to my hand."

"...!" Haru narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. It seems Raguel did learn from their previous encounter after all.

"Haru didn't expect that." Wraith commented nearby.

"No, he didn't. Still, where there are mistakes, there are opportunities to grow." Azrael pointed out, curious on what will happen next.

"I add Dispel right back to my hand." Raguel decided, as a card popped out of his Graveyard, which he took and added to his hand. "From there, I activate the Spell card, Cyreath Fusion!" The card showed Hercules coloured red and Galactic Squid coloured blue circling around a vortex in a dark, glowing background. In the middle of the vortex was a dark-orange demonic crest that had lion fangs on the sides, as well as a typical western sword with a golden rain-guard and a blue grip slashing it down the middle. "This card lets me Fusion Summon one 'Cyreath' Fusion monster from my Extra Deck, by using 'Cyreath' monsters from my hand or field. In addition, if you control a Ritual, Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum, or Link monster, I can also use one 'Cyreath' Link monster from my Extra Deck as Fusion Material as well!"

"WHAT?!" Haru exclaimed, his mouth having dropped upon hearing this. Nearby, Azrael raised an eyebrow, while Wraith narrowed his eyes, the both of them intrigued by what will happen next.

"I use Nemo, Hephaestus, and Hewdraw on my field, along with Cyreath Zeus, Lord of the Storm from my Extra Deck as Fusion Materials!" A silhouette of a muscular, white-haired man with pure white eyes, along with attire consisting of a white toga and a golden side guard on each arm appeared along with Nemo, Hephaestus, and Hewdraw. They broke apart into red, blue, green, and orange particles before they went upwards and swirled into a vortex. Four tornadoes of energy shot upwards and merged to form a white and yellow whirlwind.

"Supreme creature of the deep! Rise from the ocean's depths, and bury my enemies beneath your almighty waves!" Raguel chanted, as the orange lines on his white tunics glowed a soft purple. "Fusion Summon! Emerge, Level 8! Cyreath Lernaean Hydra!" A purple, nine-headed hydra with dark-blue armour on his skin appeared on Raguel's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. On his chest was a single eyeball, along with a jaw that had sharp teeth on it.

Cyreath Lernaean Hydra ATK: 3000 DEF: 2500 LV: 8

"Fusion..." Haru muttered, as he looked at Raguel's field. Just like him, Raguel made improvements to his deck. This made sense, as for one to evolve, they had to make upgrades first. "Since Hewdraw left the field, Impermanence is destroyed." As if on cue, Impermanence turned into particles.

"I activate Lernaean Hydra's effect. Once per turn, I can target one 'Cyreath' Link monster in my Graveyard, and have him gain attack points equal to that monster's Link rating times 500 until the end phase. In exchange, other monsters I control can't attack." Raguel explained. "I target Zeus, a Link 4 monster, which means Lernaean Hydra gains 2000 attack points!" Lernaean Hydra roared as his strength increased.

Cyreath Lernaean Hydra ATK: 3000 + (500 X 4) = 5000

Haru smirked. The most Raguel can do with that attack was only 400 points of damage thanks to Judgment Arrows. And thanks to Impermanence being in his Graveyard, Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun will be safe from harm this turn. To put it simply, Haru was still in control of this duel.

"I Set two cards face-down." Raguel thrusted out his right hand. "Battle! Cyreath Lernaean Hydra attacks Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun!"

"When a monster Judgment Arrows points to battles, its attack points are doubled!" Haru reminded Raguel, as Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun was surrounded in a golden aura, which powered her up.

Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun ATK: 2300 X 2 = 4600

"In addition, I activate Impermanence's effect from my Graveyard. By banishing it from my Graveyard, 'Hydradrive' Link monsters I control cannot be destroyed by battle this turn." A rainbow-like aura also surrounded Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun as well.

"You're still taking battle damage, Haru." Raguel pointed out. "Gazer Exedra - First Shot!" Purple energy charged up in each of Lernaean Hydra's heads, along with the jaw in his chest, before they fired it at Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun, who survived the blast due to the rainbow-like aura protecting her. Haru, however, slightly winced as his life points dropped.

Haru: 4000 – 400 = 3600 LP

Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun ATK: 4600 / 2 = 2300

"Ha! You've barely laid a dent in me, Raguel! So you might as well just end your turn!" Haru boasted.

"End my turn? But the battle isn't over yet." Raguel said, which made Haru raise an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"You see, Lernaean Hydra can attack equal to the number of 'Cyreath' Link monsters used for its Fusion Summon." Raguel told Haru, a smirk on the former's face.

"As a total of three 'Cyreath' Link monsters were used for the Fusion Summon, Lernaean Hydra can still attack two more times." Herald summed up, which made Haru gasp in response.

"A Fusion monster that can attack multiple times? Quite impressive." Wraith admitted.

"While it may be impressive, the duel is far from over, Wraith. Anything can happen." Azrael replied.

"The battle still continues! Cyreath Lernaean Hydra attacks Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun once again! Gazer Exedra – Second Shot!" Raguel declared, as purple energy charged up in each of Lernaean Hydra's heads, along with the jaw in his chest.

"Judgment Arrows' effect activates once again!" Haru countered, as Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun was surrounded in a golden aura once again, which powered her up.

Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun ATK: 2300 X 2 = 4600

All nine heads and jaw fired the purple energy at Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun, who survived the battle once again. However, Haru slightly lost his balance before regaining it as his life points dropped.

Haru: 3600 – 400 = 3200 LP

Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun ATK: 4600 / 2 = 2300

"The battle continues once again! Cyreath Lernaean Hydra attacks Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun once again! Gazer Exedra – Third Shot!" Raguel declared, as purple energy once again charged up in each of Lernaean Hydra's heads, along with the jaw in his chest.

"And Judgment Arrows' effect activates once more!" Haru countered, as Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun was surrounded in a golden aura for a third time, which powered her up.

Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun ATK: 2300 X 2 = 4600

All nine heads and jaw fired the purple energy at Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun, who survived the battle once again. Haru winced as his life points dropped for a third time.

Haru: 3200 – 400 = 2800 LP

Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun ATK: 4600 / 2 = 2300

"I end my turn here, which means Lernaean Hydra's effect ends." Raguel concluded, as Lernaean Hydra's strength reverted to normal.

Cyreath Lernaean Hydra ATK: 5000 – (500 X 4) = 3000

"My turn! I draw!" Haru said, drawing the top card of his deck. "I'll admit I didn't see that coming, Raguel. But this duel's far from over, and I'll be the one who comes out on top."

"Is that so? Then let's see how you get through this! Quick-Play Spell card, activate! Cyreath Dispel!" Raguel replied, as he gestured to his face-down card, much to Haru's ire. "Just like before, I can target and destroy one Spell or Trap card on your field. And you and I both know which card I'll target."

"Say goodbye to Judgment Arrows." Herald proclaimed, as a purple blast fired out of Dispel, which hit Judgment Arrows before destroying it. "As well as your ace monster." Upon destruction, Judgment Arrows then fired arrows of light at the Main Monster Zones it pointed to, one of which pierced Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun before turning it into particles. "Take that!"

But to Raguel and Herald's surprise, Haru grinned.

"I knew you'd would do something like that again, which is why I got this." Haru stated. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Hydradrive Ramification!" The card showed Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun using four of her heads to lift a wounded Decode Talker off the ground, as she prepared to feast on him. "If a 'Hydradrive' monster is destroyed by battle or card effect, I can Special Summon it back to my field. Return to my field, Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun!" At Haru's command, Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun reappeared on his field in the middle Main Monster Zone.

Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun ATK: 2300 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️

"Here's the best part. If a Link 3 or higher 'Hydradrive' Link monster is Special Summoned by this effect, I can activate two of three effects in sequence!"

"What?!" Raguel exclaimed.

"Two of three effects?!" Herald added out of shock.

"Yup. I choose effects one and two, the first effect allowing me to add one card from my Graveyard to my hand, the second effect allowing me to Special Summon a 'Hydradrive' token to my field." Haru decided, as a card popped out of his Graveyard, which he took and added to his hand. Afterwards, a Hydradrive token appeared on his field.

Hydradrive Token ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1

"Oh, come on! How many times do we have to get rid of his cards before they're gone for good?" Herald complained, as Raguel grit his teeth. That was one of the cards Haru most likely drew with Card of Pandora's effect. Or was it earlier by Hydradrive Gift's effect. Regardless, Haru not only got his ace monster back, but most likely Judgment Arrows as well.

"And once again, I activate the Link Spell card, Judgment Arrows." Haru continued, as it appeared in the right Spell & Trap card zone, which Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun pointed to. "I activate Caduceus's effect. Once per turn, by destroying a 'Hydradrive' monster on my field, I can activate one of two effects. I destroy the Hydradrive token to activate its second effect, which lets me target one monster you control and change its attribute to one of my choosing until the end of my turn. I change Lernaean Hydra's attribute from Water to Earth!" After the Hydradrive token turned into particles, a brown blast came out of Caduceus and hit Lernaean Hydra, causing him to glow brown as his attribute was changed to the Earth attribute.

"I now activate Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun's effect. Once per turn, by banishing one 'Hydradrive' Link monster from my Graveyard, all monsters you control that share the same attribute as the banished monster have their attack points halved until the End Phase! I banish the Link 1 Grand Hydradrive from my Graveyard! Venom Burn!"

"Sorry, but it won't happen like last time!" Raguel interjected, as he gestured to his face-down card. "Trap card, activate! Cyreath Primordial Aura!" The card showed Hercules/Alpha Mode being surrounded in a fiery aura that repelled numerous attacks. "When this card is activated, I can target one 'Cyreath' monster on my field and equip it with this card. While the monster's equipped with this card, it's unaffected by your card effects. As such, I equip it onto Lernaean Hydra."

"Tch." Haru grit his teeth as a brown orb came out of his Graveyard, which floated towards Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun and went into the Hydradrive sigil, causing her to glow brown and her fangs to drip with brown venom. When the heads lashed out towards Lernaean Hydra, a fiery aura surrounded him, which blocked Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun's attack. "Let's see how you like this! I activate the Equip Spell card, Attribute Bomb, and equip it onto Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun! When this card is activated, I can declare an attribute, and if the equipped monster battles with a monster of the declared attribute, you take 1000 points of damage!"

"Are you kidding me?!" Raguel exclaimed, as he grit his teeth. Herald, on the other hand, widened his eyes out of shock.

"I declare Earth!" As if on cue, Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun was surrounded in a brown aura. "I Set one card face-down. Battle! Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun attacks Cyreath Lernaean Hydra! Judgment Arrows' effect also activates! When a monster it points to battles, its attack points are doubled!" Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun was surrounded in a golden aura, which powered her up.

Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun ATK: 2300 X 2 = 4600

"And since Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun is battling an Earth monster, Attribute Bomb inflicts 1000 points of damage to you!" Haru reminded Raguel, as a brown-colored energy bomb fired out of the card and hit the latter, which pushed him back before depleting his life points.

Raguel: 4000 – 1000 = 3000 LP

"Venom Vaporizer!" All six of Scyllonic Hydradrive's heads opened wide and gathered poisonous energy in their maws before repeatedly firing them at Lernaean Hydra, making him scream with each hit as an explosion occurred, which pushed Raguel back as his life points dropped a second time.

Raguel: 3000 – 1600 = 1400 LP

Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun ATK: 4600 / 2 = 2300

"Well done, Haru. Well done..." Azrael quietly said with a smile, glad to see how strong Haru became since his previous encounter with Raguel. The fact that Haru inflicted massive damage thanks to Attribute Bomb, Judgment Arrows, and Caduceus showed his growth as an AI, that's for sure.

"I end my turn." Haru concluded with a smirk.

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

"I can't believe he managed to defeat Lernaean Hydra like that!" Herald pouted, before turning to Raguel. "And I spent all that time making him powerful!"

"Power alone doesn't help win a duel, Herald. Strategy is important as well." Raguel gently reminded Herald. "And in a duel such as this, we need to be careful, as I didn't expect Haru to bring his monster and Judgment Arrows back."

"Right!" Herald agreed with a nod. Haru certainly revamped his deck since their previous duel, thus making strategy important if they were to defeat him.

"Prepare yourself, Haru! I activate my Skill! Godly Grandeur!" The silver armour on Raguel's body began to shine, causing Haru to shield his eyes. "By returning one 'Cyreath' Link monster in my Graveyard back to my Extra Deck, I can draw the top card of my deck and reveal it to you before activating one of three effects. I return Cyreath Zeus, Lord of the Storm back into my Extra Deck and draw!" After a card popped out of Raguel's Graveyard, which he took and shuffled into his Extra Deck, he drew the top card of his deck before looking at it briefly. "The card I drew is the Quick-Play Spell card, Cyreath Providence. That means all 'Cyreath' monsters I Normal or Special Summon are unaffected by your card effects for the rest of my turn!"

"Tch." Haru frowned upon hearing this. There was no point in him activating his face-down card in that case, as any monsters that Raguel summoned would be unaffected for the rest of this turn.

"I summon Cyreath Shade from my hand to my field." Raguel said, as a grey-armoured warrior from head to toe appeared on Raguel's field, wisps of smoke emitting from his armor in the process. His helmet looked like that of an eerie ghost.

Cyreath Shade ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LV: 4

"When Shade is Normal Summoned, I can target one face-up Spell or Trap card you control and Set it. You're not allowed to activate it in response until the End Phase. I target Judgment Arrows." Shade pointed his finger at Judgment Arrows, causing the wisps of smoke to obscure Judgment Arrows completely, which made Haru grit his teeth in response.

"Alright! Judgment Arrows is shut down!" Herald cheered.

"But only for the time being." Raguel clarified, before refocusing on the duel. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Cyreath Providence. When this card is activated, immediately after this effect resolves, I can Link Summon one 'Cyreath' Link monster from my Extra Deck, by shuffling 'Cyreath' monsters from my Graveyard to my deck and/or Extra Deck!"

"What?!" Haru exclaimed, having been caught off guard by what he just heard.

Raguel thrusted his right hand to the sky. "Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" A Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are exactly three 'Cyreath' monsters. I shuffle Hewdraw and Doppelganger into my deck, along with the Link 1 Hephaestus into my Extra Deck to set them into the Link Markers!" Three blasts of energy went out of Raguel's Graveyard and into the left, right, and bottom arrowheads.

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

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

"Appear, for a second time! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" A second Link Portal appeared above Raguel. "The summoning conditions are one monster. I set Cyreath Shade into the Link Markers!" Shade went into the top arrowhead, turning it red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyreath Pseudo!" A watery spirit with one eye, two long arms, and a tail appeared in the Main Monster Zone Poseidon was pointing to, resulting in both monsters being co-linked with one another.

Cyreath Pseudo ATK: 0 LINK-1 ⬆️

"Pseudos' effect! It gains attack points equal to the monster it points to. As it points to Poseidon, it gains 3000 attack points!" Raguel announced, as Pseudo morphed its body into a watery version of Poseidon before its strength increased.

Cyreath Pseudo ATK: 0 + 3000 = 3000

Haru grit his teeth. This isn't good. If he attacks with both monsters, I'll be finished, he thought in his mind.

Raguel thrusted out his right hand. "Battle! Cyreath Poseidon, Lord of the Sea attacks Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun! Ocean's Judgment!" Poseidon pointed his trident at Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun, causing the makeshift arms to lunge forward and grab her so tight that she screamed out of pain. Poseidon then blasted her with electricity, which destroyed her before she turned into particles. As a result, Haru slightly lost his balance on his duel board before regaining it.

Haru: 2800 – 700 = 2100 LP

"Poseidon's effect! Once per turn, when he destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, I can destroy all Spell and Trap cards you control. What's more, you take 500 points of damage for each one destroyed by this effect!"

"WHAT?!" Haru exclaimed with shock, now realizing that the duel may be over.

"Ocean's Cleansing!" Raguel declared, as Poseidon raised his trident high into the air, causing two waves of water to appear before it destroyed all of Haru's Spell and Trap cards.

"Four cards were destroyed, which means you take 2000 points of damage!" Herald summed up, before the waves merged together into one and went towards Haru, which nearly made him lose his balance as his life points dropped once again.

Haru: 2100 – (500 X 4) = 100 LP

Wraith whistled upon seeing what was happening below. "Even after everything Haru threw at Raguel, he's still gonna lose in the end."

"You're forgetting something, Wraith." Azrael said, which got his attention.

"Oh. What would that be?"

"When someone is backed into a corner, they bring out everything they got left to defy their fate." Azrael explained. "To put it simply, we're about to see something interesting very soon."

"Let's end this! Cyreath Pseudo attacks you directly!" Raguel declared, as Pseudo charged forward at Haru, intent on ending the duel.

"I activate the effect of Spiked Hydradrive from my hand." Haru interjected. "If a monster I control is being attacked directly, I can Special Summon this card from my hand to my field and negate your attack." Soon, a dark-purple and white bipedal dragon, with magenta spikes and orange lines over its body, appeared on Haru's field.

Spiked Hydradrive ATK: 1300 DEF: 1300 LV: 3

Pseudos' attack hit Spiked Hydradrive, who repelled it back with the spikes on its body.

"In addition, the monster that attacked it is sent to your Graveyard." As if on cue, spikes erupted all over Pseudos' body from the inside out before it turned into particles.

"I end my turn." Raguel concluded, annoyed that he couldn't finish Haru off this turn.

"We were so close too." Herald commented, who was just as annoyed as Raguel was.

Both Haru and Raguel then noticed they were near Playmaker and Bohman's duel. As if on cue, a strong current of wind passed the two duelists, which made the both of them tense.

"Oh no..." Herald muttered, knowing what will happen next in Bohman and Playmaker's duel, as both Raguel and Haru sped nearby to see what would happen next between them.

Be careful, Bohman. Be careful, Haru thought in his mind.

"Battle!" Playmaker declared. "Cyberse Magician attacks Trident Hydradrive Lord!" Cyberse Magician fired a massive beam of energy from his scepter at Trident Hydradrive Lord, who turned into particles as Bohman was pushed back, his life points dropping in the process.

Bohman: 4000 – 3300 = 700 LP

"If you think you can defeat me that easily, think again! I activate the Continuous-Trap, Property Flash!" Bohman countered. "If I take battle damage, I can place one 'Property' counter on this card for every 1000 points of damage I've taken this turn. What's more, I can end the Battle Phase as well. As I've taken 3000 points of damage, Property Flash gets a total of three 'Property' counters."

Property Flash PC: 0 + 3 = 3

"You've become so impatient that you wasted your cards carelessly. But it wasn't your strategy, wasn't it Playmaker? No. It was Ai's, and it would take a very special AI to choose not to make the most logical plays." Bohman turned to Ai. "You, Ai, have what is called instinct, and that makes you the key to everything."

"Everything?" Ai repeated.

"Yes, Ai. Your existence is proof of our unlimited potential." Bohman confirmed. "The infinite greatness that AI's can achieve."

"You hear that, Playmaker? Aren't you lucky that I'm your Ignis? C'mon, Bohman. Keep the compliments coming."

"Ai, you are special and unique in every possible way because unlike the other Ignis, you are the laziest, most negligent AI to ever exist!" Bohman told Ai, who stuttered in response.

"Uh, what?"

"Think back years ago to when the Ignis first built the Cyberse World." Bohman continued. "They created a perfect paradise to call their home. But when they were done, they didn't just stop there. They continued expanding the Cyberse World by generating data material, which flowed both in and out of it. While they were working, you were not, and instead spent half your time playing silly games, and the other half even sillier games."

"There is nothing silly about bunko bonkers!" Ai protested.

"My point is that you didn't do what you were programmed to do." Bohman clarified, as Playmaker, Raguel, Haru, Herald, and Ai paid close attention to what he was saying. "Because unlike the other Ignis, you had instinct. Humans believe that instinct is natural because every living thing has it. Something they can lean on in numerous situations. You, an AI, somehow developed instinct, which led you to goof off or take naps. To put it simply, all the choices you made were your own, thus enabling you to transcend your programming through your laziness."

"I can't tell if he's complimenting me, or insulting me." Ai commented.

"Ten percent the first one, ninety percent the second one." Playmaker hypothesized, much to Ai's disappointment.

"Why...?"

"As a result of your unique behavior, the other Ignis looked up to you, enabling them to not only develop their own personalities, but evolve and grow as well." Bohman said.

Raguel thought this over. To think that Ai of all people not only had something the Ignis did not, but also helped them develop further as AI's was something he didn't expect at all, especially with how idiotic and stupid Ai can act at times. "Now that's interesting to hear."

"Yeah. I mean, it makes sense." Herald admitted. "If it weren't for Ai, I wouldn't have been inspired to give sentience to some of the 'Cyreath' monsters."

Azrael and Wraith, who had been overhearing the conversation, also narrowed their eyes. Even though Ai was certainly idiotic and stupid, he did bring an important and life-changing contribution to the Cyberse World: The development and growth of the other Ignis. It went to show how Ai made a difference in their lives.

"This is certainly intriguing to hear." Wraith stated.

"Yes, but stories aside, Bohman's about to show us his growth as an AI really soon." Azrael replied with curiosity.

"My turn! I draw!" Bohman said, as he drew the top card of his deck.

"Bohman has less than a thousand life points left." Playmaker noted.

"Aw, glitch!" Ai gasped upon putting two and two together.

"He can now use his Skill."

"That is correct, Playmaker." Bohman confirmed, as he sped forward to the data storm.

"Yeah! Go for it, Bohman!" Haru cheered, as Bohman entered inside the data storm.

After Bohman entered inside the data storm, he looked around. Eventually, he saw something in front of him.

It was a male warrior that was half-human and half-snake in appearance. He had dark-green, gray, and sand-yellow armor all over his body, with spikes on his shoulder pads. Strapped to his back were a pair of wings that had large, sharp feathers at the ends. A blue diamond was located on his chest and on the wings that emitted from his upper back. Strapped to his waist was a belt that had the Hydradrive sigil on it. In his right hand, he carried a long staff that had a large ring, with smaller rings underneath it as well.

"Yes! This is what I need! I activate my Skill! Storm Access!" Bohman declared, as he reached forward into the storm and letting out a shout. "Once per duel, when I have 1000 or less life points, I can add one Cyberse Link monster from the data storm to my Extra Deck!" Letting out a second shout, Bohman struggled as he pulled his right hand out of the data storm. He increased the speed on his duel board, enabling him to escape its grasp and pull the card out of it.

Bohman then proceeded to activate Hydradrive Scabbard to Special Summon a Hydradrive token to his field. After Link Summoning Grand Hydradrive, he used Property Flash's effect to tribute it and place another 'Property' counter on it.

"I activate Property Flash's third and final effect! By sending it to my Graveyard, I can Special Summon one 'Hydradrive' Link monster whose Link rating is equal to the number of 'Property' counters it had. And since there's four 'Property' counters, that means I can bring out a Link 4 'Hydradrive' Link monster. Now, rise from my Extra Deck! Link 4! Rousing Hydradrive Monarch!" A male warrior that was half-human and half-snake in appearance appeared on Bohman's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He had dark-green, gray, and sand-yellow armor all over his body, with spikes on his shoulder pads. Strapped to his back were a pair of wings that had large, sharp feathers at the ends. A blue diamond was located on his chest and on the wings that emitted from his upper back. Strapped to his waist was a belt that had the Hydradrive sigil on it. In his right hand, he carried a long staff that had a large ring, with smaller rings attached underneath as well.

Rousing Hydradrive Monarch ATK: 3000 LINK-4 ⬅️⬆️⬇️➡️

"That's the monster Bohman drew from the data storm." Playmaker said.

"Playmaker better be careful, as there's nothing but bad news coming from that new monster." Herald commented.

"If I know Playmaker, he'll find a way to respond." Raguel replied.

"Yeah! Go get him, Bohman!" Haru cheered for a second time. Last time, Haru had been bitter upon seeing Bohman using Storm Access, but this time, he was happy that his older brother was stronger. Such a thing no longer bothered him.

Bohman then proceeded to activate Rousing Hydradrive Monarch's effect, allowing him to place a total of four 'Hydradrive' counters on him. In addition, Rousing Hydradrive Monarch was not only treated as an Earth attributed monster, but also a Water, Fire, and Wind attributed monster as well. That allowed Bohman to remove a 'Hydradrive' counter to activate Rousing Hydradrive Monarch's effect, which would allow him to roll a dice and not only send all monsters Playmaker controlled that had the shared attribute as the declared result, but also inflict 500 points of damage for each one as well.

"WHAT?!" Playmaker exclaimed.

"I can't believe you of all people are using a luck-based strategy!" Ai exclaimed as well.

"Odds mean luck, Ai. And through odds, new possibilities are opened." Bohman countered. "Oh, and I can use this effect more than once per turn as long as I have a 'Hydradrive' counter." A dice then appeared in Bohman's hands. "Go, Judgment Dice!" The dice landed on the dark symbol, much to the chagrin of Playmaker, Ai, Raguel, and Herald, and the joy of Bohman, Haru, Azrael, and Wraith. As if on cue, Cyberse Magician and Cyberse Witch turned into particles.

"Since I got rid of two monsters, you take 1000 points of damage! Element Oppression!" Rousing Hydradrive Monarch's wings glowed a blue light, which sent Playmaker back as his life points dropped by 1000.

Playmaker: 1550 – 1000 = 550 LP

"It's time to end this! Battle!" Bohman declared. "Rousing Hydradrive Monarch attacks you directly! Element Extinction!" Rousing Hydradrive Monarch's wings glowed as he prepared to charge at Playmaker.

Luckily, Playmaker responded by using Resume Mace's effect to banish itself and Suspend Wand to banish Dotscaper, which confused Bohman. Seeing this, Playmaker told him that Dotscaper can be Special Summoned to his field upon being banished. Even though Rousing Hydradrive Monarch's other effect made Playmaker summon Dotscaper in attack position, Playmaker responded by using Linkuriboh's effect to tribute Dotscaper and Special Summon it to his field. Afterwards, Playmaker used Linkuriboh's other effect to tribute him and reduce Rousing Hydradrive Monarch's attack points to zero, saving him in the process.

"Whew. That was a close one." Ai commented.

"Too close..." Herald muttered with relief.

"Told you Playmaker and Ai would pull through." Raguel reminded him.

"I know, but it doesn't mean I can't be concerned for them." Herald replied back, which Raguel easily understood.

"I end my turn." Bohman concluded. "This is your last turn to make a comeback, Playmaker. Because once it's over, you will have nothing left to save you."

As Haru led Raguel to another area of the burning Cyberse World so Bohman can finish his duel with Playmaker, he couldn't help but be amazed on what he just saw. Bohman pulling out a Link 4 monster from the data storm and using it to nearly defeat Playmaker... he couldn't be any more prouder of his older brother.

"So what do you think of what you just saw, Raguel? Goes to show the unlimited potential we AI's can achieve, don't you think?" Haru boasted to Raguel.

"That may be the case, but humans can reach that same potential if they work hard enough and never give up." Raguel replied.

"Is that so? Then why do humans keep making the same mistakes over and over again? To the point where they end up hurting themselves more than helping others?"

"Because mistakes are a part of who humans are. A truth that cannot be disputed, but instead admitted. We learn, we grow, we work together with other people so those mistakes can never be repeated again. What's more, in that process, we create ideals that either form around the truth, or ones that help both challenge and eventually change reality."

"And even if those mistakes do end up being repeated, past history can be used so they can be fixed quicker." Herald added in support to Raguel's counterpoint.

"Hmph. I see..." Haru muttered. "So truths and ideals affect both humanity and AIs, no matter what."

"And AIs?" Raguel repeated out of curiosity.

"That's correct, Raguel. I mean, take a look at Bohman and myself." Haru began speaking. "After Bohman was created, I was cast aside by Lightning, assigned to being his younger brother so he can be emotionally stabilized. But as the stabilization reached completion, I was convinced that Lightning would cast me aside permanently. I was ready to resign myself to such a fate... until Azrael came along, and taught me what truth and ideals were."

"Like Azrael can teach you anything good." Raguel retorted, remembering the painful lessons Azrael imparted on him following their duels. "Are you not aware of what he's done? His actions have resulted in making other people suffer, as well as the deaths of countless people during the Turf War. I don't know what his end goal is, but it's anything but good."

"While what you're saying is true, Azrael imparted an important lesson to me." Haru replied. "That I and only I have the power to decide what I truly believe, as well as using my power to make reality acknowledge my beliefs, no matter if what others say about the current reality is the truth."

Haru narrowed his eyes. "What makes Bohman and I different regarding that lesson is this: While Bohman accepts the truth about himself and fights using the gifts he obtained from others, I relentlessly train so I can use my own strength to ensure that people acknowledge my ideals no matter what. The most important one being that I am Bohman's brother. Not a slave, not a servant, but a brother."

"You talk a big game, but can you back it up like you've been doing until now?" Raguel taunted, now fed up with his conversation. He didn't want to talk about the good Azrael had done. Instead, Raguel wanted to get this duel over with. "Like I've said before, the time for words is over. Only actions matter right now, so if you want to beat me, you'll have to do it through this strength you've been talking about."

"I'll gladly do that, Raguel. My turn! I draw!" Haru said, drawing the top card of his deck. "I tribute Spiked Hydradrive to Tribute Summon Hydradrive Agent to my field." After Spiked Hydradrive turned into particles, a brown-armored man wearing a green cloak appeared on Haru's field.

Hydradrive Agent ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 5

"When Hydradrive Agent is Tribute Summoned, I can target one 'Hydradrive' monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon back to my field. Return to me, Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun!" At Haru's command, Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun reappeared on his field.

Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun ATK: 2300 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️

"And since the monster Special Summoned by Hydradrive Agent's effect was a Link monster, I can draw one card from the top of my deck." Haru stated, as he drew the top card of his deck. "I activate my Skill! Hydreality!" The gauntlets on Haru's arms, along with the star on his chest, glowed a rainbow color. "Once per duel, I can declare an attribute, and change the attributes of all monsters on the field to the declared attribute!"

"You're changing our monster's attributes?" Herald questioned.

"That's right! I declare Wind!" Haru decided, as his right fist glowed, which caused green auras to surround Agent, Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun, and Poseidon before it changed their attributes to Earth. "And for each monster whose attribute was changed by this effect, I gain 500 life points."

"So this is Haru's new Skill..." Raguel muttered. This made sense, as even though Bohman and Haru had the same deck, the both of them utilized different strategies. Whereas Bohman utilized a control approach that revolved around negating effects, Haru chose a more straightforward approach by inflicting massive damage through changing attributes.

"As a total of three monsters had their attributes changed to Wind, I gain 1500 life points!" Haru summed up, as a golden aura surrounded him, which increased his life points.

Haru: 100 + (500 X 3) = 1600 LP

"And now Haru has the upper hand in the duel." Wraith commented, before turning to Azrael. "It seems his training has paid off."

"Indeed, it has." Azrael agreed.

"Appear, my circuit!" Haru stated, as a Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are one 'Hydradrive' monster. I set Hydradrive Agent into the Link Markers!" Hydradrive Agent went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Grand Hydradrive!" A second copy of Grand Hydradrive appeared on Haru's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.

Grand Hydradrive ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️

"Now, Raguel! Prepare yourself! For this is the strength I've gained from my training!" Haru declared, before thrusting out his right hand. "Appear, my circuit!" A Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Hydradrive' Link monsters. I set the Link 1 Grand Hydradrive, and the Link 3 Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun into the Link Markers!" Grand Hydradrive went into the top arrowhead, while Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun went into the left, bottom, and right arrowheads, all four of them turning red in the process.

"It's coming!" Herald warned Raguel, which caused the latter to grit his teeth in response.

"Snakes affiliated with the demonized woman! Embrace your bestiality, and merge to form into a rampant creature of annihilation!" Haru chanted. "Link Summon! Come forth! Link 4! Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun!" A female, pseudo-reptile with the long tail of a snake and the upper waist of a woman appeared on Haru's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. Her attire mainly consisted of metallic armor all over her body, with the Hydradrive sigil on the chest plate portion of it. At the center of the armor was a great, stone-white face of a terrifyingly beautiful woman. She had scaly, grey skin, with tiaras resembling the Hydradrive sigil attached to the top of her eight, long heads, which were robotic in nature and the size of a hybrid crossbow. Each of the heads had a black visor covering their red eyes, which had a red gem at the center, as well as fangs. All eight heads hissed loudly upon seeing Raguel.

Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun ATK: 3000 LINK-4 ⬅️⬆️⬇️➡️

"Holy shit! That thing's far more scary than his previous monster!" Herald screamed out of panic.

"Scary is just an overstatement." Haru replied, as he thrusted out his right hand. "I activate Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun's effect. Once per turn, by shuffling one 'Hydradrive' Link monster into my Extra Deck, all monsters you control that share the same attribute as the shuffled monster have their attack points reduced to zero. What's more, their effects are negated as well."

"Oh, that is so not good at all!" Herald panicked for a second time.

"Tch!" Raguel also gritted his teeth, shocked to see how powerful Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun was just as powerful as Rousing Hydradrive Monarch was.

"I shuffle the Link 1 Flow Hydradrive into my Extra Deck, which means all Wind monsters you control have their attack points reduced to zero, and their effects negated as well! Venom Siphoner!" Haru said, as a card popped out of his Extra Deck, which he took and shuffled into his Extra Deck. Soon, Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun's eight heads turned green, all of them going through eight separate portals that appeared in front of her before appearing on Raguel's field and biting Poseidon, which siphoned his strength completely as his attack points dropped to zero.

Cyreath Poseidon, Lord of the Sea ATK: 3000 – 3000 = 0

"I Set two cards face-down." Haru thrusted out his right hand. "Battle! Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun attacks Cyreath Poseidon, Lord of the Sea! Venom Petrification!" The eyes and mouth of the face on Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun's body opened up before revealing snake-slit eyes and horrifying fangs, which released a beam of energy that made Poseidon scream in further agony. The eight heads then opened wide and gathered poisonous energy before firing beams of energy that melted Poseidon and caused a massive explosion, much to Haru's joy.

"YES! Victory is-!" Haru began speaking, but stopped upon seeing Raguel unharmed. "How did you survive?!"

"If I would take damage, I can banish Primordial Aura from my Graveyard instead." Raguel explained.

"Fine. I activate Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun's effect. If she destroys a monster by battle-."

"The turn I activate Primordial Aura's second effect, I take no battle or effect damage for the rest of this turn." Raguel interrupted, which made Haru grit his teeth in frustration.

"I end my turn." Haru concluded in an annoyed tone. Still, he had two face-down cards on his field. Ones that, upon activation, will practically guarantee his victory if he timed it just right.

"My turn! I draw!" Raguel said, drawing the top card of his deck. "I activate the effect of Cyreath Fusion from my Graveyard. By banishing it from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon one Cyberse Link monster from my Graveyard to my field, and treat it as a Link Summon, but it can't attack the turn it was Special Summoned by this card's effect."

Haru narrowed his eyes. Even if Raguel brought out a strong Link monster, he couldn't attack with it. As such, it was likely he'll bring out a Link monster that will contribute towards a bigger one.

"Now come, from my Extra Deck! Link 2! Progleo!" A white-furred cub with orange eyes emerged from the Link Portal and was summoned to the Main Monster Zone Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun was pointing to. The cub had a satellite dish around his neck, as well as an old video recorder on his back. He also had a small brace on each of its claws, and a small coil attached to his tail.

Progleo ATK: 1000 LINK-2 ⬅️➡️

"Yes! Lead us to victory, Progleo!" Herald cheered.

"I will! I certainly will!" Progleo promised with a happy bark.

"I summon Cyreath Wandering Soul from my hand to my field." Raguel continued, as an illusion of a man that had mist all over his body appeared on his field.

Cyreath Wandering Soul ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1

"I activate Progleo's effect. Once per turn, I can-."

"There's no way I'll let you activate that weakling's effect!" Haru interjected, having looked up Progleo's effects on his duel disk. "I activate the effect of Property Drain from my Graveyard!"

"What?"

"If you activate a card effect while I control a 'Hydradrive' Link monster, I can banish this card from my Graveyard to negate the effect. What's more, if I negated a monster effect, I can inflict 1000 points of damage to you as well!" Haru explained.

"Oh crap!" Herald exclaimed, as a silhouette of a card appeared, which showed bubbles of numerous colors converging on a card and draining it completely. A rainbow-colored beam then blasted out of the card and hit Progleo, which drained his effects.

"And since I negated Progleo's effect, you take 1000 points of damage!" Haru reminded Raguel, as a second rainbow-colored beam went straight towards Raguel...

...But before it hit him, Progleo jumped in front of Raguel and took the blast instead as the latter's life points dropped.

Raguel: 1400 – 1000 = 400 LP

"Progleo!" both Raguel and Herald cried out of concern, as Progleo blocked the attack using his body. Suddenly, his body began glowing, much to the surprise of everyone present.

"You won't hurt Raguel, you meanie! I won't let you hurt my friends!" Progleo shouted with a large bark, as the glow became brighter.

"I think... I think it's happening! He's-!" Herald figured out, with Raguel nodding in response.

Getting his attention back into the duel, Raguel thrusted out his right hand into the sky. "Appear, the circuit showing the highest mountain!" A Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are one 'Cyreath' monster. I set Cyreath Wandering Soul into the Link Markers!" Wandering Soul went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyreath Headhunter!" A female ninja wearing a purple and black robe appeared on Raguel's field in the Main Monster Zone Progleo was pointing to. Her face was covered in darkness, except for the eyes, which were black with a yellow-orange sclera.

Cyreath Headhunter ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️

"I activate the effect of Wandering Soul in my Graveyard." Raguel stated. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon one 'Cyreath Wanderer' token to my field." A small ball of mist in the form of a ghost appeared on Raguel's field as well.

Cyreath Wanderer Token ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1

"Appear, for a second time! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" A second Link Portal appeared above Raguel. "The summoning conditions are two 'Cyreath' monsters. I set the Link 1 Cyreath Headhunter and the Wanderer token into the Link Markers!" Headhunter went into the left arrowhead, while the Wanderer token went into the right arrowhead.

"Link Summon! Gallop into battle! Link 2! Cyreath Pegasus!" A majestic black horse with wings flew onto Raguel's field in the Main Monster Zone Progleo was pointing to, resulting in both monsters being co-linked with one another.

Cyreath Pegasus ATK: 1200 LINK-2 ⬅️➡️

Suddenly, Raguel's Extra Deck began glowing, as if responding to the dire situation at hand.

"Progleo..." Raguel muttered, the memories of meeting Progleo and spending time with him flooding through his mind. He knew he'd evolve soon, but he didn't think it would be now.

"It'll be okay, Raguel. All living things need to grow up, and I have gained enough experience points to get stronger." Progleo said.

Raguel nodded, agreeing with Progleo's statement. All things had to evolve, and as sad as Raguel was to see his puppy evolving, it was all for the best.

"Goodbye, Progleo. Thank you for everything." Herald stated, with tears in his eyes.

"A-Appear, for a third and final time! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" Raguel declared, as a third Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two or more monsters, except tokens. I set the Link 2 Progleo, and Cyreath Pegasus into the Link Markers!" Progleo went into the top and bottom arrowheads, while Pegasus went into the left and right arrowheads, turning all four of them red.

"Protector of the Cyberse World! Let out a shriveling howl of victory, freedom, and coexistence, and fight to keep the ones you love safe!" Raguel chanted. "Link Summon! Arise! Link 4! Rasterliger!" A white-furred liger with orange eyes appeared on Raguel's field in the right Extra Monster Zone, resulting in him being co-linked with Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun. He had a large, circular armored collar that had red lines and panels attached to his neck. Metal braces were attached on his legs and feet, each of them having blue, glowing lines. He also had armor pieces on his body, which had two camera-like blasters attached to the sides. Finally, a metal plate was attached to the top of his head.

Rasterliger ATK: 2000 LINK-4 ⬅️⬆️⬇️➡️

"Woah..." Haru muttered.

"So Progleo has finally grown up." Wraith said. "But the evolution is permanent, whereas Janus can shift between his two forms."

"I will not let you or the others hurt my friends. This! I! Swear!" Rasterliger threateningly told Haru, before he growled at the latter.

Haru snapped out of his stupor upon hearing that. "You may have a new Link 4 monster, Raguel, but this is why I got this! Continuous-Trap, activate! DNA Transplant! I can declare one attribute, and change the attribute of all monsters on the field to the declared attribute! I declare Earth!" A brown aura surrounded Rasterliger, which changed his attribute to Earth. "In addition, I activate the Continuous-Trap card, Attribute Gravity! Now all monsters on the field that are in attack position must attack monsters with the same attributes when possible!"

"Not this again!" Herald complained. That meant Raguel had no choice but to attack.

"I was not born to fear termination. Bring! It! On!" Rasterliger said in defiance to Haru, as he opened his jaw and bared his fangs at the latter.

"I activate Rasterliger's effect." Raguel stated, having looked up Rasterliger's effects on his duel disk. "Once per turn, I can target one Link monster in either of our Graveyards, and increase his attack points equal to the targeted Link monster's attack points until the end of the turn."

"What?!" Haru gasped, having not expected to hear that.

"So thank you for destroying Poseidon, Haru. Because I'm targeting Poseidon in my Graveyard, which means Rasterliger gains 3000 attack points! Integration Increase!"

"A savvy warrior uses all of his tools. Backup required!" Rasterliger added, as he howled, a blue aura surrounding his body before his attack points increased.

Rasterliger ATK: 2000 + 3000 = 5000

"Yes! This is enough to win the duel, Raguel!" Herald cheered.

"Let's end this, Haru!" Raguel declared. "Battle! Rasterliger attacks Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun! Combination Sequence!"

"You will die." Rasterliger said, before the cameras attached to his sides blasted Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun, which gave Rasterliger the opportunity to charge forward and strike her down.

No. This can't be. After all my training, I'll end up losing again, Haru lamented in his mind. Unless... "I hate that it had to come to this, but you leave me no choice, Raguel. I activate the effect of Spiked Hydradrive from my Graveyard. By banishing this card from my Graveyard, any battle damage I take is also inflicted to you!"

"So we're both losing?!" Herald exclaimed, while Raguel grit his teeth.

"I'll make reality bend according to my ideals, even if it means suffering a temporary setback in doing so." Haru replied, as Rasterliger tore Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun to shreds through a combination of claw strikes and body maneuvers, which caused an explosion that pushed Raguel and Haru back. As a result, their life points dropped to zero, ending the duel in a draw.

Haru: 1600 – 3000 = 0

Raguel: 400 – 3000 = 0

Meanwhile, at Playmaker and Bohman's duel...

KABOOM!

Bohman and Playmaker turned their attention to the explosion that occurred at Raguel and Haru's duel. The both of them saw Raguel fall on one knee, while Haru was struggling to maintain his balance on his duel board.

"Haru!" Bohman cried out of concern, as he and Rousing Hydradrive Monarch sped towards his younger brother. But before he could, Playmaker and Cyberse Quantum Dragon intercepted him, which forced Bohman to speed away from them.

"You can attend to other matters after you lose this duel, Bohman!" Ai told him.

"Battle!" Playmaker declared. "Cyberse Quantum Dragon attacks Rousing Hydradrive Monarch!" Cyberse Quantum Dragon charged forward at Rousing Hydradrive Monarch.

"Insolent human! You just cost yourself the-!" Bohman began speaking.

"I activate Cyberse Quantum Dragon's effect!" Playmaker interjected. "Once per turn, if it battles your monster, it's returned to your hand!"

"What?" Bohman's eyes widened upon hearing this. Something he didn't expect to hear at all.

"Quantum Return!" Cyberse Quantum Dragon charged straight into Rousing Hydradrive Monarch before dissolving him into red particles. After doing so, Cyberse Quantum Dragon returned to Playmaker's field. "In addition, Cyberse Quantum Dragon's second effect activates. The turn it uses its first effect, it can attack a second time."

"Oh no!" Bohman exclaimed.

"Oh no is right, Bohboy!" Ai taunted.

"Cyberse Quantum Dragon attacks you directly, Bohman! Quantum Encryption!" Playmaker declared, as black-blue data generated in Cyberse Quantum Dragon's mouth.

No. I won't let it end like this, Bohman thought in his mind. He had to escape with Haru, especially now that the duel was about to be over. "If I'm going down Playmaker, I'm taking you with me! I activate the second effect of Hydradrive Scabbard in my Graveyard!"

"Second effect?" both Playmaker and Ai repeated at the same time.

"If you attack me directly and there are Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire 'Hydradrive' Link monsters in my Graveyard, I can banish Hydradrive Scabbard to halve the battle damage from your attack and inflict it to you as well!" Bohman explained.

"So we're both getting blasted?!" Ai exclaimed out of shock.

"That's correct." Bohman confirmed, as Cyberse Quantum Dragon fired a beam of black-blue data, which caused a shockwave that pushed Playmaker back as well as both duelists' life points dropped to zero.

Bohman: 700 – 2500 = 0

Playmaker: 550 – 2500 = 0

"..!" The blast made Bohman nearly lose his balance, but he managed to barely regain it on time. As if on cue, Haru sped up his duel board to ride parallel to him. "Haru, you're okay."

"It's gonna take more than an explosion to knock me off my duel board, Bohman." Haru assured Bohman, which made the latter smile out of relief.

Raguel then sped up his duel board to ride parallel to Playmaker, Rasterliger beside him. "I saw what happened. It seems your duel ended in a draw as well, Playmaker."

"Yeah! We were so close to defeating-!" Ai began explaining, before gasping upon seeing Rasterliger. "Oh M.A.I God! Progleo evolved!" Rasterliger happily barked back in response.

"It was about time he did, Ai. He's certainly helped in our duel, that's for sure." Herald commented.

"There may be no official winner today, Playmaker, but I can assure you that the next time we meet, it will be our final duel." Bohman said, which got Playmaker and Raguel's attention.

"Same for you, Raguel! We'll settling things between us the next time we meet once and for all!" Haru added, as he and Bohman sped away back to Lightning's castle.

"Yeah, the both of you running away as you say that kind of takes the edge off." Ai commented.

"The both of them have a good point, Ai." Playmaker pointed out. "Raguel and I have dueled them multiple times now.

"They've grown stronger as well." Raguel added.

"So the next time we encounter them, they'll be ready for anything and everything." Herald finished. "To put it simply, our next encounters with Bohman and Haru will be our final ones."

After Raguel and Playmaker nodded back in response to Herald's finishing comment, they logged out of the fake Cyberse World, no longer seeing a need to be here any longer.

Nearby, Azrael and Wraith looked out in the fake Cyberse World as they saw it burn and crumble around them.

"Bohman and Haru have both met my expectations. They've proven to be strong AIs." Azrael commented, as he pondered over everything that he saw.

"Raguel and Playmaker have also grown stronger as well." Wraith said. "With Progleo evolving and Raguel learning Fusion Summoning, as well as Playmaker acquiring Synchro Summoning through his upgraded Skill, our enemies are certainly evolving." He then turned to Azrael. "Do you think we should move the timetable up for the plan?"

"Not yet. Let's regroup for now. I suspect Lightning will want to know where we were while all of this was happening." Azrael decided, as he sped off to Lightning's castle.

Elsewhere, in the network...

Bohman and Haru continued to ride their duel boards through the emptiness of space, intent on regrouping with Lightning and the others.

Even after all that training, I only managed to end the duel in a draw against Raguel, Haru thought. Goes to show that there's even more potential I can acquire through further training. That way, the next time I duel against Raguel, I'll be the one that comes out on top for good. Suddenly, Raguel's words popped up in Haru's mind.

"Regardless of what you're saying, you and Bohman are nothing more than slaves with no free will. Lightning will cast you and Bohman aside once he's decided the both of you are useless to him."

"What's wrong, Haru?" Bohman asked, before Haru could ponder on those words.

"I'm fine." Haru assured Bohman. "I was just thinking on how much stronger Raguel and Playmaker have become."

"The fact they got stronger proves we can become stronger as well, Haru." Bohman explained. "In the end, the both of us will overcome our enemies."

Haru nodded back in response. "Of course, Bohman."

Bohman nodded back, but tensed as he saw a light up ahead. "Haru! Stay behind me!"

"What?" Haru gasped as the light turned into Watchman, which made Bohman gasp as well. Before either of them can make any actions, Watchman threw two pieces of data on his left and right sides, which created a barrier that prevented them from moving forward. "Who are you?"

"I am Watchman." Watchman simply introduced himself to both AI's.

"Are you affiliated with Playmaker and the others?" Bohman demanded.

"Yes, but that's not why I'm here."

"Then what do you want?"

"I came to warn you of events to come." Watchman answered.

"Events to come? What do you mean?" Haru inquired.

"A Crisis is coming. One that threatens both the Cyberse World and mankind." Watchman began telling Bohman and Haru, as he crossed his arms. "I've seen the threat this enemy presents, and if we don't stand together, we'll lose everything."

"You don't need to worry about it, Watchman. For once I rule over all, I will be able to prevent this Crisis you speak of." Bohman said. "After all, AI's are superior to humans, and as I pointed out to Playmaker, coexistence is impossible."

Watchman narrowed his eyes. "You claim to be superior, yet you fail to utilize logic in what I'm saying."

"That's because I am certain of my strength. Of how I'm growing stronger after every duel against Playmaker. Not just me, but how my little brother Haru also growing stronger after every duel against Raguel." Bohman replied, narrowing his eyes back at Watchman. "If you humans truly wish to avoid conflict with us, then perhaps you should surrender. It will save us a lot of time, don't you agree?"

Watchman grit his teeth as he suddenly pulled out two long and slender swords that resembled rapier with extremely short hilts, one in each hand. Upon seeing this, Bohman tensed up, ready for battle if it was needed. "You cannot see what is about to happen, can you? But I can, for the Spatial Cube showed me."

"What? What do you see?"

"I see your defeat, like many buildings crashing down and consuming you in a cold embrace." Watchman grimly prophesized, which made Haru shiver out of pure fear in response.

Bohman, upon hearing this, furiously fired a blast of data at Watchman, who logged out before it made impact. Soon after, he and Haru heard ominous laughter that echoed around the emptiness of space.

Laughter that showed a dark sign of what was to come.

"Bohman..." Haru muttered.

"I'm fine, Haru. Let's just regroup with Lightning and the others." Bohman said, as he and Haru continued to ride their duel boards in the emptiness of space. The encounter they had with Watchman truly disturbed Bohman, especially how he told them that a Crisis was coming.

But as the ultimate AI, Bohman will ensure that he will eradicate it no matter what.

This he swore in his mind.

Meanwhile, in the real world, at the Den City Shopping District...

Yuhiro walked through the Den City Shopping District, trying to find his destination. After returning back to the real world, Roxy told him that Emon Uchida wanted to meet him in at the Den City Shopping District. Specifically, in a Chinese Restaurant in the food court section of the district.

While Yuhiro didn't know why Emon wanted to meet him, he guessed that he may want to share some information with him. Information that can help in the battles ahead, especially now that they have common enemies. Or at the very least, broker a truce until their common enemies in Lighting and Azrael have been eradicated.

Rasterliger and Herald originally wanted to accompany Yuhiro in the meeting, but Yuhiro declined their offer, as he can handle his own against Emon. Besides, the message Emon sent to Café Matsuo specifically told Yuhiro to come alone, which was something Yuhiro was wiling to abide by as long as Emon was willing to deliver the information as promised.

Eventually, Yuhiro found the place. A Chinese Restaurant called Hongzhou Feast Hall: Taishan. If memory served, it was a well-known Chinese Restaurant in Den City because of the numerous cuisines. Ones so spicy that your tongue would feel like it was salted and pricked with a thousand needles.

Entering inside, Yuhiro saw no one else in the restaurant. Instead, he found Emon sitting down at a table, eating the hottest and most infamous meal of the entire restaurant. One that made Yuhiro so sick to his stomach that he would dare not to eat it.

The dreaded Mapo Tofu.

Emon looked up upon seeing Yuhiro enter. "So you're here. Just as I expected you to be. Cameras have also been shut off temporarily, so be at ease." Yuhiro immediately walked towards the table Emon was at and sat down at the table opposite to him. "Thank you for coming here on such short notice. I arrived earlier than I expected, so I grabbed a bite to eat."

"Good. For. You." Yuhiro simply replied, before looking at the Mapo Tofu and beginning to feel sick to his stomach.

"Want a bite?"

"Hell No!" Yuhiro exclaimed, having snapped out of his sickened stupor. "Get on with it. I assume you have some information to share with me?"

"Correct." Emon confirmed, now getting straight to business. "First, I want to tell you what happened on our end three months prior before this entire mess, but just after the Tower of Hanoi."

"Go on."

"After the Tower of Hanoi, the eight of us found that our resources were stolen by a mysterious culprit, who we now know as Azrael. That's why it took us so long for us to regroup." Emon began explaining.

"Makes sense there. We were aware that you guys would make an appearance soon, so the later, the better for us." Yuhiro commented. "How was Ace able to take Uchida Industries from you? Couldn't one of you be there to keep an eye on the company?"

"We did." Emon clarified in a serious tone. "An old friend of ours stepped in to take control of Uchida Industries after I was forced out of my own company. Had it not been for her, then the company would have been seized by SOL Technologies."

Yuhiro narrowed his eyes. It made sense for companies to expand their influence through numerous means. From expanding to multiple locations, to forming partnerships with others, it was one of the many ways they can maintain their influence in the world of business. But why would SOL Technologies go after a company like Uchida Industries, especially in how it helped the Hanoi? Wouldn't it hurt their reputation as a company?

"While we don't know specifically how Ace was able to get into Uchida Industries and steal the code key, if I were to guess, he may have had some help. And from what our ally told us, Speckles was the one who helped Ace get inside."

"Considering his abilities as a hacker, it makes sense." Yuhiro said. "The both of us are already aware that Azrael is cooperating with Ace, Athaliah, and Speckles. Or at the very least, enslaving them to his will."

"Indeed." Emon agreed with a nod, before narrowing his eyes. "Listen carefully, Yuhiro. For what I'm about to tell you is something I doubt you know yet, and it has to do with our injured members."

"Injured?" Yuhiro repeated, before recalling Revolver's words.

"Dancho has been incapacitated, thanks to that man in front of us, as well as his wretched AI, Malf!"

"Revolver did mention that Dancho was incapacitated." Yuhiro remembered. "What exactly happened?"

"You see, we began preparing for our attack on the Earth Ignis after our systems detected his presence." Emon began explaining, as he took a bite of his meal before continuing to talk. "But before we could mobilize, we were attacked by a squad of Bitboots and Malf, along with Speckles. As to why Azrael decided to send Speckles in for the attack, I believe it was because Azrael had no further use for him."

"No further use for him?" Yuhiro repeated. "So he's dead?"

"Yes." Emon confirmed. "After I defeated Speckles in a PK duel, I used his account to track him in the real world. I found and brought him to our mobile headquarters, where Takeya and I began brutally interrogating him. But as that was happening, Malf defeated Zandaka in a duel and ripped out his heart, which resulted in us putting him at one of our safehouses for the time being."

Yuhiro gasped upon hearing this. For Zandaka to suffer from a critical wound like that, along with his age, what were the chances he'd die from that? The answer: Pretty High.

Unless there was a miracle.

"In addition, Malf destroyed Ryoken's Skill Storm Access after his duel against him ended in a draw."

So that's why Malf's appearance changed recently, Yuhiro thought in his mind. He must have consumed so much power that he evolved, thus becoming stronger. "Regarding Speckles, did you guys kill him?"

Emon laughed in response. "We didn't. Azrael took care of that, just when we were about to get some answers from him. Good riddance to a criminal like Saburo Inoue, especially after the crimes he's committed, and the people he's hurt."

"Yeah. Good riddance to him." Yuhiro agreed. "Say, you mentioned that someone else was injured. Who was it?"

"It was Takeya." Emon answered. "He bought us time so we can escape, but later on, we had to rush him to the safehouse as well. For he was injured, only to a lesser extent than Zandaka was."

"I see." Yuhiro thought this over. He now understood the details on how Zandaka and Takeya were injured, as well as the attack the Hanoi went through just before they were about to mobilize against Earth.

"Now, Yuhiro. I'm sure you have some information to share with me. After all, nothing in life is given to you for free."

Yuhiro began thinking in his mind. He certainly knew that Emon wanted information in return, which was why he had something in mind in response. Yuhiro originally planned to give the Hanoi the Project: VIII data, but considering how they were still after their goal in eradicating the Ignis, there wasn't any point.

He also considered telling Emon the truth about Ryoken's mother, but shut that idea down as well. For it'd be better for Ryoken to hear the truth in person first, whether Yuhiro told Ryoken, or if his mother did. If she even had the courage, that is.

As such, that meant there was one other thing he can share with Emon right now. One that will help in the battles to come.

"I fought against Azrael in a duel a few days ago. I was close to defeating him, but ended up losing in the end." Yuhiro said. "His deck is known as the 'Cychaic' deck, which focuses on non-targeted destruction so he can activate the secondary effects of his cards."

"Hmm. Interesting." Emon thought this over. "That will help a lot, as to defeat your enemy, you need to know them. After all, information is just as powerful as armies in a battle, don't you agree?"

Yuhiro nodded in agreement. That certainly made sense, for knowing what your enemy may likely do next will help you prepare in advance. To put it simply, the more you know your enemy, the more you will likely defeat them in the end.

"You want to know what's weird? I learned two things after everything that's happened so far."

"Oh? And what would these two things be?"

"One: There is no such thing as the answer."

"Huh?" Yuhiro widened his eyes. Ever since he met Emon, the latter had been looking for an answer. But Yuhiro didn't know what answer he was looking for. "What answer?"

"As you know, after Beatrice died, I tried to do everything I could to bring her back, but..." Emon touched his scar. "It had disastrous results. That led me to try finding the answer. Or to put it simply: Why does suffering exist?"

"So you used me and the others to try and find out why suffering exists?! Is that it?!" Yuhiro furiously exclaimed.

"Yes, and I hoped that learning the answer may alleviate my concern. But truth be told, it's a constant that can never be solved. I've come to peace with that, and I apologize for putting you through a turbulent time in the process." Emon surprisingly apologized.

Yuhiro narrowed his eyes. He didn't expect Emon to apologize for doing such a thing. But still, the fact that he actually apologized meant he was trying to move on. "Thank you. I'm glad we can bury the hatchet on that matter. Though I have to ask: What was the other thing you've learned?"

"Well, the fact that Ace took over Uchida Industries and posed as me has provided an unexpected benefit for the Hanoi." Emon explained. "Since everyone is ignorant to what's really going on, I can get supplies for the Hanoi in public. After what we went through, it's a rather unexpected blessing on our end."

"Here you go!" a waitress said, as she handed Emon a second plate of Mapo Tofu before walking away. Upon seeing this, it took every ounce of Yuhiro's willpower not to vomit.

"Lightning and Windy, Azrael, Wraith and Malf, Bohman and Haru, as well as Ace have proven to be dangerous enemies." Emon stated, before extending his right hand out to Yuhiro. "As such, I propose a truce until they're eliminated."

Yuhiro nodded before shaking Emon's hand in response. He obviously was no fool in accepting this deal, as it temporarily reduced the number of enemies he had to deal with. Even if it meant siding with the lesser of two evils, Yuhiro was willing to do it as long as their common enemies were eliminated for good. "Very well. I accept."

"Smart boy. In that case, here." Emon gave Yuhiro a data card, who took it before looking at it.

"What's this?"

"Think of it as a get well gift." Emon answered. "It will protect you from any attacks Lightning and the others will throw at you upon installing it into your duel disk. We don't want a repeat of what happened to Miyu and Jin, right?"

Yuhiro sighed upon remembering his failure to save Miyu from Azrael. "Right. I guess our business here is done." He stood up from his seat and started to walk to the door of the restaurant. But before he could open the door, Emon spoke up.

"Let me give you one last piece of advice." Emon said, which got Yuhiro's attention. "In times of battle, a person's true self is revealed. If you're not careful, then you'll end up on a path of anger and despair, just as I have."

"I'll keep that in mind." Yuhiro assured Emon, before exiting the restaurant fully and walking through the Den City Shopping District. Even though that was a rather... tense meeting, Yuhiro was glad he got it over with. Not only did he learn valuable information, but he also got something from Emon as well in the form of a data card. One that will prevent any sneak attacks Lightning or Azrael have in mind.

After exiting the Den City Shopping District, Yuhiro immediately ran over to the nearest trash can and vomited into it, unable to keep it inside his stomach any longer. It wasn't just seeing the Mapo Tofu that made him feel this way. It was everything that's happened over the past few days, especially with what he learned. Stress is certainly a factor in what's happening to me, Yuhiro deduced in his mind. I need to recuperate. Get my strength back so I can keep fighting.

Yuhiro suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a bark nearby. Looking around, he eventually saw Rasterliger approach him, who looked like a full-grown husky with white fur. Kneeling down to Rasterliger's level, Yuhiro proceeded to ruffle his fur. "You didn't have to come, you know. I told you I'd be fine."

"Yes, but Roxy was concerned for your well-being." Rasterliger pointed out. "I'm also concerned for you as well."

Yuhiro frowned upon hearing this. Both Rasterliger and Roxy were right on that matter, as lately, his well-being wasn't the same as it once was. "You're right. I'm not... myself. But I have to keep fighting on. There's a lot at stake." He stood up and continued walking, with Rasterliger following after him.

"While that may be true, everyone has a breaking point." Rasterliger replied, which made Yuhiro sigh for a second time as he stopped walking.

"Let me ask you something, RL. Do you think I'm a bad person?"

Rasterliger turned to look at Yuhiro upon hearing the nickname the latter gave to the former. All the time Rasterliger knew Yuhiro, he saw him as a kind and loving person. Someone who would fight for other peoples' sakes, not for selfish reasons. Yet Rasterliger can tell that Yuhiro was still internally struggling, despite the fact that he was able to find a true reason on why he wanted to fight. Apparently, what Yukage did to Yuhiro during their duel still left a mental impact on the latter.

"Yuhiro, you are not a bad person." Rasterliger finally said, which made Yuhiro turn to face him. "Although, there is something I need to tell you."

"Oh?" Yuhiro raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"

"You speak of protecting those weaker than you. Such people number in the billions. It is impossible." Rasterliger explained. "You cannot save every human being in the world. And after extended observation in the time we knew each other, I have come to a conclusion."

"And what conclusion would that be?" Yuhiro inquired out of irritation, as he crossed his arms. The last thing he needed right now was a lecture from his own dog.

"Your actions are rooted in affinity for those from similar or mostly similar circumstances as yours." Rasterliger correctly deduced. "I am sorry, but... it's the truth."

Yuhiro sadly sighed upon realizing that Rasterliger actually made a point in realistic matters. He couldn't save everyone, no matter how much he wanted to. "Guess so. Not much of a warrior of justice after all, huh?"

"Despite this conclusion, it doesn't change the fact that you're selfless. Even after you've made mistakes, you've continued to learn from them and move forward. That is what makes you not only unique, but a good man as well. That is why I will always be on your side, no matter what happens next."

Yuhiro knelt down to Rasterliger's level and ruffled his fur for a second time, a grateful smile on his face. "Thank you, RL. I... I really appreciate the advice, as well as the reassurance." Rasterliger gave a happy bark back in response, glad to see that Yuhiro was his usual self.

"Anytime, Yuhiro. Anytime." Rasterliger happily responded back, as Yuhiro stood up on his feet before walking once again, the former following after the latter.

For now, everything was okay. Peaceful, even.

And once the coming war was over, then everything will go back to the way it was.

This was something Yuhiro will fight to ensure that it happens, no matter what.

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 Secret Six Samurai – Rihan.

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 hooded Yukage, who glares at them, biding his time.

Card Gallery

Haru:

Spiked Hydradrive (LV: 3/Cyberse/Earth/ATK: 1300/DEF: 1300)

Effect: If your opponent attacks you directly with a monster they control: You can Special Summon this card from your hand to your field in defense position; negate the attack, and if you do, send the attacking monster to the GY. If you would take battle damage: You can banish this card from your GY; any battle damage you take this turn is also inflicted to your opponent. You can only activate 1 'Spiked Hydradrive' effect per turn, and only 1 that turn.

Hydradrive Gift (Normal Spell card)

Effect: When this card is activated and you control a 'Hydradrive' Link Monster: Draw cards equal to the number of 'Hydradrive' Link Monsters in your GY. You can only activate 1 'Hydradrive Gift' per turn.

Hydradrive Ramification (Quick-Play Spell card)

Effect: If a 'Hydradrive' Monster you control is destroyed by battle or card effect: You can Special Summon it to your field. Then, if you Special Summoned a Link-3 or higher 'Hydradrive' Link Monster with this effect, you can activate two of the three effects below, in sequence:

Add 1 card from your GY to your hand.

Special Summon 1 'Hydradrive' Token to your field in defense position (LV: 1/Cyberse/Earth/ATK: 0/DEF: 0).

Change the ATK of 1 monster your opponent controls to 0.

You can only activate 1 'Hydradrive Ramification' per turn.

Property Drain (Continuous-Trap card)

Effect: When this card is activated: You can declare 1 Attribute; your opponent cannot activate the effects of monsters that share the same attribute as the declared attribute. If this card is in your GY, except the turn it was sent there, and your opponent activates an effect: You can banish this card from your GY; negate the effect. Then, if you negated a monster effect, inflict 1000 damage to your opponent. You can only use each effect of 'Property Drain' once per turn.

Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun (LR: 4/Cyberse/Earth/ATK: 3000/⬅️⬆️⬇️➡️) (Credit to Donjusticia)

Effect: 2 or more 'Hydradrive' Link Monsters. Once per turn: You can move this card to a Main Monster Zone or Extra Monster Zone this card points to. You can shuffle 1 'Hydradrive' Link Monster in your GY into your Extra Deck; monsters your opponent controls that share the same Attribute as the banished monster have their ATK reduced to 0, also, their effects are negated. If this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the GY: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the destroyed monster's ATK. You can only use this effect of 'Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun' once per turn.

Raguel:

Cyreath Hewdraw (LV: 4/Cyberse/Water/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1000)

Effect: When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; it loses 300 ATK for each 'Cyreath' monster on your field until the End Phase. If this card is sent to the GY by battle or an opponent's card effect (Quick Effect): You can Special Summon 1 'Cyreath Hewling' Token to your field in defense position (LV: 2/Cyberse/Water/ATK: 900/DEF: 900). You can only use each effect of 'Cyreath Hewdraw' once per turn.

Cyreath Fusion (Normal Spell card)

Effect: Fusion Summon 1 'Cyreath' Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, by using 'Cyreath' monsters in your hand or on your field as Fusion Material. If your opponent controls a Ritual, Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum, or Link Monster, you can use 1 'Cyreath' Link Monster in your Extra Deck as Fusion Material. If this card is in your GY: You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 Cyberse Link Monster from your Extra Deck to your field (this is treated as a Link Summon). The monster cannot attack the turn it was Special Summoned by this effect. You can only use

Cyreath Primordial Aura (Normal Trap card)

Effect: When this card is activated: You can target 1 'Cyreath' Monster you control; equip it with this card. While the targeted monster is equipped with this card, it is unaffected by your opponent's card effects. If this card is in your GY and you would take damage: You can banish this card from your GY instead. You take no further damage the turn you activate this effect. You can only use each effect of 'Cyreath Primordial Aura' once per turn.

Cyreath Nemo (LR: 2/Cyberse/Water/ATK: 1000/↙️⬇️)

Effect: 2 'Cyreath' Monsters. When this card is Link Summoned: You can add 1 'Cyreath Fusion' from your deck to your hand. If a 'Cyreath' monster is Normal or Special Summoned to a Main Monster Zone this card points to: You can Special Summon 1 'Cyreath' monster from your deck to your field. You can only use each effect of 'Cyreath Nemo' once per turn.

Cyreath Lernaean Hydra (LV: 8/Cyberse/Water/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2500)

Effect: 'Cyreath Hewdraw' + 1 or more 'Cyreath' Link Monsters. During the Battle Phase, this card can attack equal to the number of 'Cyreath' Link Monsters used for this card's Fusion Summon. You can target 1 'Cyreath' Link Monster in your GY; this card gains ATK equal to that monster's Link Rating X 500 until the End Phase. If you activate this effect, other monsters you control cannot attack this turn. You can only use each effect of 'Cyreath Lernaean Hydra' once per turn.

QOTC

With this chapter having been complete, we're officially halfway through Season 2. What is your favorite chapter of Season 2 so far?

Chapter Preview

Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 73: Target Locked On. With Lightning having declared war on humanity, Raguel and his allies race to search for the other Ignis, hoping to both protect and convince them to join their side. Unfortunately, Go Onizuka has tracked down Earth, and unleashes the might of the Duel AI Implant Chip in the midst of their duel. Meanwhile, Slipstream intercepts and challenges Blood Shepherd to a duel, determined in preventing him from hunting down Soulburner and Flame…

Chapter 74: Regrets. Having learned about Earth's demise, Raguel joins forces with Blue Girl, Ghost Girl, Numera, and SengokuQueen in the search for Aqua. As Ghost Girl duels against Blood Shepherd, Blue Girl finally learns the truth about Raguel and Miyu's connection, and Raguel's reasons for keeping it a secret for so long. Elsewhere, at Revolver's request, Drachen returns to Uchida Industries, seeking to save the company from Ace's hands...

Chapter 75: Pure Anguish. Wary about potential enemies, Lightning prepares to cut them down one by one, starting with Blood Shepherd. However, Percival and Demeter launch an attack on Lightning's base, hoping to not only stop the war once and for all, but fulfil their own intentions as well...

Author's Notes

Credit goes to Donjusticia for providing new ideas for Haru's cards, as well as providing character development ideas for Haru.

And with that, we are officially halfway through Season 2! That being said, I hope you've been enjoying the story so far, as we're one step closer to the Mirror LINK VRAINS' arc. I think a quick recap of the chapter is needed, don't you agree?

Anime events aside, this chapter primarily focused on the second duel between Raguel and Haru, where both duelists showed their newest cards and strategies. On Raguel's side, he debuted his new Fusion Monster Cyreath Lernaean Hydra. For those of you who are wondering, Lernaean Hydra's appearance is based off of Exedra from Bakugan: Battle Brawlers, with his attack name Gazer Exedra also coming from the same anime. He also unveiled a new 'Cyreath' Link monster in Cyreath Nemo, whose appearance was based off of Nemo from Fate/Grand Order. Along with a new monster and a new trap card, Raguel was well-equipped in responding to Haru's strategies.

On Haru's side, he not only unveiled new 'Hydradrive' Spell and Trap cards, he also unleashed his strongest monster yet: The Link 4 monster, Medusoid Hydradrive Kragun. That monster nearly gave Raguel a run for his money, as it was tricky for him to overcome. Haru also made use of Attribute Bomb, a card Yusuke Fujiwara used in Yu-Gi-Oh GX, along with DNA Transplant to change the attributes of Raguel's monsters. Finally, Haru unveiled his new Skill called Hydreality, which not only lets him change his opponent's monsters attributes to one that he declares, but also allows him to gain 500 life points for each monster whose attribute was changed by the Skill. Goes to show how much stronger Haru became, don't you agree?

Regarding Haru's character development, allow me to make a few points: By this point, Haru's shed off his inferiority complex thanks to Azrael's teachings. Instead of being bitter by Bohman's upgrades, he's now proud of what his brother achieved. His strong belief in his main ideal, which is the fact that Haru is Bohman's little brother and nothing else has allowed him to fully accept himself as an individual. This is also evident in how Bohman and Haru duels opponents. Whereas Bohman accepts the truth about himself and fights using the gifts he obtained from others, Haru has relentlessly trained so he can use his earned strength to make the current reality acknowledge his ideals. To put it simply, Haru's not letting anything detrimental affect him any longer.

But the main part of the duel was when Progleo evolved into Rasterliger. Yup: Progleo evolved at last, and I'll be honest when I say that it was time he evolved. Despite Haru's best attempts to try and stop Rasterliger, in the end, he was forced to end the duel in a draw.

Azrael and Wraith, for the most part, observed the duels between Raguel and Haru, and Bohman and Playmaker. Why? So the duo can see how strong their allies and enemies have become, especially regarding their plans. But what are Azrael, Wraith, and Malf's plans? Well, you'll just have to read on to find out.

After the duels, Bohman and Haru continue to head towards Lightning's castle, only to be intercepted by Watchman. Here, Watchman attempts to appeal to their logic as he tells them about the coming Crisis, as well as the urgency in teaming up to stop it. Bohman, in response, tells Watchman that he'll handle it himself, as he believes that AIs are superior to humans. Not just that, but the fact where the idea of coexistence is impossible. It's here where Watchman warns Bohman of what he saw from the Spatial Cube regarding both his and Haru's fates, and before Bohman could blast data at him, he logs out with an ominous laugh. What do you think that means for Watchman moving forward? You'll just have to read on and find out.

Next is Yuhiro's meeting with Emon in the real world, where the latter updates the former on what happened to the Hanoi since their previous encounter. I originally intended for Yuhiro to hand Emon the Project: VIII data, or at the very least tell him the truth about Revolver's mother, but I ultimately decided against it for a simple reason: Yuhiro doesn't trust the Hanoi, especially after all that they've done until now. Despite this, he's willing to form a truce with the Hanoi until their common enemies have been dealt with. So instead, Yuhiro tells Emon about how Azrael's work decks. This way, they can create counterstrategies in response.

Now about Emon regarding his character development: He's abandoned his pursuit of the answer regarding the question that's been haunting his mind: Why do humans suffer? Some of you were wondering where Emon was able to get that answer back in Chapter 38, but the answer is that he wasn't able to find it, and so has given up that selfish quest for the greater good. The fact that Emon even both admitted and apologized to Yuhiro brings his character development in the right direction, as even a misguided man can change. While Emon's loyalty is obviously to the Hanoi, he at least has manners to other people.

Last but not least is the heartwarming scene between Yuhiro and Rasterliger. In terms of Rasterliger's personality, it's based off of both Blade Wolf's personality from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and Dusk Form Lycanroc from Pokemon. Here, Rasterliger tells Yuhiro a real, but heartbreaking truth: That Yuhiro can't save everyone. It's something that Yuhiro accepts, as it's a universal truth. A right step in his character development, don't you agree? And don't worry: You'll see more moments of Yuhiro developing further as a character as Season 2 progresses, and after it as well. Regardless, Yuhiro will continue fighting to make the future a better reality for himself and his family.

Now I have a couple of things to bring up regarding the story. First, I have a question for you, and I want your honest opinions: Do you think Miyu should recover sooner than in the anime after the Mirror LINK VRAINS' arc? I'm considering this, but I want to know your thoughts first. If I do pursue this route, know this: Miyu will obviously be not dueling at least until either Season 3 or 4, as Aoi becoming Blue Maiden is practically crucial to both the anime and the story. And when Miyu does duel later on, she'll be using the 'Trickstar' deck. So all in all, Aoi will obviously still use the 'Marincess' deck. That's something that won't be changed, as it's important for her character development. Let me know what you think of this.

The next thing I want to bring up is an announcement regarding Roxy's Reports. While I have multiple profiles to do, I will do them all in one chapter so I can get it over with at once. I also encourage you to read them, as the post credits scene intertwines with what happens in Chapter 73. After this one, then I'll go back to doing chapters until Chapter 79 or 80 are complete, where I will do one more update before we enter the Mirror LINK VRAINS' arc.

Without further ado, I want to thank you all for reading Chapter 72 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 like the most about this chapter? The duel between Raguel and Haru? The confrontation between Bohman, Haru, and Watchman? The real-world scenes? Or was it something else?

That's all for now, folks. Stay tuned, as next time, we begin the second half of Season 2 with a brand new opening and ending!