DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It is a property of Konami. This story is a work of fiction. Any relations to persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental.

ERROR. CANNOT ESTABLISH CONNECTION.
VERIFYING CAUSE…
CAUSE IDENTIFIED.
SYNC WITH USER HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED.
ATTEMPTING RE-SYNC…

Tomorrow was the day of the Maiami Championship. The day everyone, including me, was looking forward to. It was hardly the first major competition I experienced, much less participated in, but it was definitely one I eagerly looked forward to. Solid Vision and Action Fields weren't game changers, but they were enjoyable and brought a new level of challenge.

I could never say no to a challenge.

I still had no idea how I wound up in Maiami City, though. When I first came to this place, it felt like waking up from a long dream. Stranger still, the path for me was set long before I came here. You Show Duel School was to be my place of learning, and my fate tied to the people there.

Speaking of…

"Thought I might find you here."

Yuya Sakaki, creator and founder of Pendulum Summoning, was sitting atop a bridge railing with his goggles strapped over his face. The pendant swayed in his hands, back to and fro, just like the motion of a pendulum. Ahead of him stood the Maiami colosseum, where the tournament was to be held.

"Nervous about the big day?" I asked as I leaned against the railing, taking up a spot next to him. "After all, tomorrow will have us going up against LDS and everyone else. Students from all across the world. Hey, who knows? Maybe Reiji will be dueling us himself."

Yuya chuckled at that. "I doubt that, but if it does happen…" He shook his head. "I guess I am a little nervous." He pulled his goggles down to his neck, crimson eyes looking back at me in worry. "After all, this will be when I really put my skills with Pendulum to the test."

"I wouldn't worry too much," I said to him. "We got this in the bag." Grinning, I patted Yuya on the shoulder. "We'll have that winner's trophy in our hands by the end of the week."

Yuya smirked and nodded. "And even if we lose, we'll make sure to put on a show no one's going to forget anytime soon!"

I was worried at first. Ever since Yuya created Pendulum Summoning, he had been so worried about other people using it. He was being selfish, true, but he was just a kid. Younger than Jaiden and Yusei. It was okay to be selfish and wanting to be special. These days, though, he had grown more confident. His experiences, the duels up to this point, facing opponents who also used Pendulum, all of them helped him grow as a duelist.

No…as an Entertainment Duelist.

The idea of dueling to bring smiles wasn't new to me. I've met other duelists with similar ideologies. I understood, but did not think much of it. I dueled because I loved to duel. The rush of being pushed to the brink, of fighting strong duelists, where you risk everything…

…wait, hold on. Do I sound like a battle maniac?

"Oh yeah, before I forget!" Yuya dug into his pouch and pulled out a few cards, holding them out to me. "Here, this is for you."

I graciously took the cards from his hand and looked at them. It was like any other Duel Monsters card, albeit with an orange and bluish-green border. The illustrations showed a dragon with dichromatic eyes and white and black-clad magicians, the former wielding a stave.

"O-Oi, Yuya… Are these what I think they are?"

"I asked Akaba-san if he could make copies," Yuya smiled widely. "Of course, I had to help him with research on the Pendulum Cards in exchange. Small price to pay if you ask me." He jumped off the railing and onto the bridge, turning towards me fully. "You've been helping me out so much since you came to You Show. Figuring out Pendulum Summoning with me, that thing with Sawatari, and even helping my winning streak for the grand prix. I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough. You've saved my bacon more times than I can count."

He stares into my eyes. The shy, uncertain kid I met when I first came to You Show Duel School was nowhere to be found. In his place was a budding young man brimming with infinite potential.

"That's why, if you ever need help, don't be afraid to ask. It's the least I can do!"

I'm surprised, if only for a moment. I smile back and nod. "You bet," I promised.

"Heeeeeeey, Yuya! ######!" I hear Yuzu's voice calling out to us.

Yuya and I grin as we rush to meet our mutual pink-haired friend.

The fun is about to begin…

…RE-SYNC COMPLETE.
ESTABLISHING CONNECTION TO USER.

Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
TAG FORCE: LINK EVOLUTION —prologue—

It took a few days for me to properly integrate with LINK VRAINS social hub, on account of familiarizing myself with the surroundings. As a world constructed entirely within the network, it was absurdly expansive with a myriad of locales and "servers", each with their own unique appearance and function. Some places existed as trading centers, exchanging cryptocurrency for packages to be delivered IRL or Duel Monster cards. While DM cards could be bought physically in the real world, most are content to just download their cards onto their Duel Disks now that their deck can be digitized.

Other areas functioned like arenas, where duelists can duke it out to their hearts' content. The most popular "server" was the Colosseum, typically because of how many tournaments and championship events were regularly held there. Local competitions, for a given word of "local", were held in arcades where low-ranking or casual duelists could hang out. The Colosseum areas, in other words, are the battlegrounds of elite, competitive players.

Speaking of which, I did my research on all the big names here after my duel with Blue Angel. While considered a Pro Duelist, she wasn't part of the competitive scene at all, hence her epithet as a Idol Duelist. Recordings of the higher-ranking competitive duelists were free for all to watch at a recreative net café,

Going through Blue Angel's vids, I noticed her playstyle was mostly the same. She didn't shake up her methods, which was to be expected. Even the best duelists didn't change, partly because their strategies were hard to break through to begin with. Another reason is that change is scary. You have no idea if it will make you better or worse. I suspect the main reason, though, is that she wasn't totally invested in dueling in the first place. Why she was dueling, I had no idea nor did I care. Whatever reasons she had for dueling had nothing to do with me.

At any rate, among the pro duelists competing in LINK VRAINS that caught my eye was Go Onizuka, a Charisma Duelist. Like Entertainment Duelists, Charisma Duelists are performers who's foremost priority is keeping the crowd electrified. Despite being in the middling ranks, Go Onizuka is the Charisma Duelist. He had the charm, appearance, and ability to earn his spot, as well as adoration among his fanbase.

His Deck was interesting to read about as well. The Gouki archetype revolved around adding cards for every monster sent to the Graveyard. Between tribute summons and Link Summons, which I took the time to study and learn more about, he could keep his turn going and build a sizable army on his field so long as he got the right cards.

Of course, like most duels, luck was an important factor. As skilled as Onizuka was, it was his showmanship that kept him from really climbing the ranks. It wasn't a bad thing, of course. After meeting Yuya, I could appreciate someone who preferred keeping the crowd in a good mood over their profession.

…man, I really want to duel him.

Speaking of professional dueling, I entered the competitive scene not long ago. Unlike most of the duelists in the pro scene who had some form of backing, be it sponsors or backing from other duelists, I managed to strike out on my own. Competitive matches required advertisement and someone organizing said matches, and getting into the pro scene took a bit of doing. As far as LINK VRAINS was concerned, I'm pretty much a newcomer.

It took me ten days and finding the toughest duelists I could find to get some serious street cred.

Red Hat, the Dark Horse of LINK VRAINS. It was a stupid nickname, though I suppose it could've been worse.

"Haaa…"

I sighed and closed the digital menu. I received yet another informal message asking me about my private details. Once I managed to get a foot into the competitive scene, I got offers from people willing to sponsor me. On the one hand, having connections was a good thing. I could fight and earn more credit more than I would on my own. On the other hand, having a sponsor meant divulging my IRL details…and that was a problem, considering I had no idea what my situation IRL was like.

For reasons I could not understand or make sense of, the "LOG OUT" function would not work. Either this meant there was some sort of error, or I was a digital entity within LINK VRAINS. The latter possibility was the most likely, given how I'm…

DING.

"Hm?"

A notification popped into my peripheral vision. It was a message. I opened up the menu again to view it.

TO: Red Hat
FROM: Yujishiro Kamino

Greetings, Red Hat.

My name is Yujishiro Kamino, manager of Charisma Duelist Go Onizuka.

I am sending this message on behalf of Onizuka-sama, who is interesting in your growth these past few days. You made quite the name for yourself in such a short amount of time, and garnered the attention of many prominent pro duelists, including those in the Charisma scene.

Onizuka-sama wishes to duel you, though I must inform you that said duel will not be held with competitive circles. Rather, the duel will be part of a charity event to help raise funds for the Den City Orphanage. If you wish to accept and participate in this "Charity Duel", please reply. If not, feel free to delete this message.

Either way, myself and Onizuka-sama will eagerly watch your progress.

I stared at the message for several minutes before closing the menu.

Is this universe listening or something, I could not help but think as I stared at the virtual sky above. I felt so bored, having had no challenging duels in a while, and I was thinking about how awesome it could be to duel Go Onizuka, and now his manager contacts me saying Onizuka wants to duel me?

…what the heck am I doing, thinking about this too much? So what if it's coincidence or divine providence! Someone wanted to duel me, even if it was for a charity event.

Who was I to deny a challenger?

I scrolled through the decks registered on my Duel Disk. Since I was going to be up against a Charisma Duelist, it was only fair I fight him the same in kind. I found the deck I was looking for near the bottom, represented by a familiar red dragon with mismatched eyes.

"Alright, my friend," I smiled and thought of Yuya. "It's time to have some fun."

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon roared in jubilation.

Onizuka's manager, Kamino, responded to my message the next day. He was happy to hear my agreeing to the duel and provided the specifics. The duel would take place the next day in front of a recreation of Paris' Eifel Tower. LINK VRAINS loved its recreations of famous locales, it seems.

The day of the duel arrived with surprisingly little fanfare. I spent much of the time going over vids of Onizuka's duels, as well as briefly looking into Blue Angel's current state of affairs. The Idol Duelist stated she was on a temporary break to focus on IRL matters, though a surprisingly vocal portion of her fanbase blamed me for her hiatus, referring to my duel with her my first day here.

Strangely, it reminded me of my time back in Duel Academy when I partnered with Asuka. Over half the male population wanted to kill me, as well as the majority of the female students. Manjome especially wanted to kill me, even after his transfer to the Slifer dorms.

Figuring out how to navigate the virtual world took a bit of experimentation. As in, pressing random buttons and asking people as a last resort by playing the role of a newbie. Going from Point A to Point B was disorientating, not to mention chaotic. I nearly doubled over the first time, almost vomiting from the disorientation and queasy feeling alone. Now, I was accustomed to it and plagued only by a sense of lightheadedness.

Despite the grandeur of the Eifel Tower Plaza arena, I was more interested in the aesthetics. This place was just a layer of polygons and pixels, stacked on top of each other like layers. It invoked wondrous feelings, I had no doubt about that, but I believed the real location would bring greater joy.

I was not here for a critique and the architecture, though. No, I was here because of Go Onizuka.

The man stood proudly in the center of the plaza. Go Onizuka was one of the few people in LINK VRAINS who based their avatar off their actual appearance, though in his case, his avatar was his appearance IRL. Built from tanned muscle, the lines and grooves accentuated more than in real life thanks to virtual reality, the famed Charisma Duelist stood there watching with arms folded. He wore a green-ish gray jacket with an animal-shaped necklace, dark pants, and a belt with a belt buckle bearing a red stone.

"I was wondering if you'd show up," Onizuka greeted me with a grin. My eyes focused on his Duel Disk; a gold bracer affixed to his forearm with a purple spiked band wrapping around the wrist. I heard a variety of sounds from within, mostly bloodthirsty growls.

The corners of my lip twitched. "I'm not one to disappoint. Besides, a chance to duel the famous Go Onizuka? One of the best duelists in LINK VRAINS? Why would I pass that up?"

Onizuka narrowed his eyes, studying and searching me. After a minute, his posture relaxed. He smiled and laughed. "You're like the rumors say, huh? Most people would be gushing about dueling their idol, but you're just interested in dueling people in general, huh?"

"What can I say? I live for the rush."

"You and every other self-respecting duelist who plays the game." He walked over and offered a hand in greeting. "Formal introductions. I'm Go Onizuka."

I shook his hand. "Red Hat. Nice to meet you. So, exactly how is this supposed to? I get that it's a 'Charity Duel', but are we doing a normal duel or are there special rules?"

"Nothing fancy like that," Onizuka said. "We'll just be having three regular duels. No special rules or anything like that."

I tried to stop myself from smiling. I failed. "Three Duels?"

"Got a problem with that?"

My response was to raise my Duel Disk. "Don't threaten me with a good time."

Onizuka matched my smile tooth for tooth, responding by raising his own Duel Disk. Our systems registered. At this point, I noticed several rotary pods flying about, no doubt cameras televising the duel. I wasn't a huge fan of audiences, but since there was no one actually hear to comment or hurl words of abuse or interfere, this was fine.

"No use beating around the bush or making small talk, huh? Great!" Onizuka bellowed. "I find that dueling someone is a good way to test their character! Now, let's get this show started!"

"DUEL!"

RED HAT [LP 4000]
VS
GO ONIZUKA [LP 4000]

"I'll start us off," Onizuka declared. "I activate the Continuous Magic: Gouki Rumble! It can only be activated if I have no "Gouki" Monsters on the field! With this, I can Special Summon two Level 4 or lower "Gouki" Monsters from my hand! I summon Gouki Headbatt (LV2/ATK800/DEF0) and Gouki Twistcobra (LV3/ATK1600/DEF0)!"

Appearing in grand fashion with bulging muscles were two masked monsters, clad in wrestler-themed clothes with animal motifs; a bat and a cobra respectively.

"Next, I Normal Summon Gouki Suprex (LV4/ATK1800/DEF0)!"

Another wrestler appeared, albeit somewhat fiercer than the other two and sporting claws and a tail to match the dino-shaped headdress.

"When Gouki Suprex is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a "Gouki" Monster from my hand! I summon Gouki Octostretch (LV1/ATK0/DEF0)!"

A skinny warrior appeared last, headdress that of an octopus with its legs dangling over its shoulders.

I have to admit, this was impressive. He summoned four monsters with no trouble at all at the cost of his hand…at least, that's what an amateur would think. Onizuka's "Gouki" deck had quite the advantage when it came to being sent to the Graveyard.

"Appear, my circuit!" A familiar pulse echoed through the network. Two circuits appeared overhead. "The summoning condition is two "Gouki" Monsters each! I set Gouki Suprex, Octostretch, Twistcroba, and Headbatt into the Link Markers! Circuit Combine!" At once, the four monsters dove into the cursors, two for each circuit. A moment later, two monsters emerged from the depths of the network, one wearing a jetpack with a tanto in its fanged mouth and wielding a sword while the other bore flaming hair and wielded a double-sided spiked club. "Link Summon! Link 2! Gouki Jet Ogre (ATK2000/LINK-2)! Gouki Heel Ogre (ATK1000/LINK-2)!"

I whistled. "Two Link Monsters at once… As expected of a Charisma Duelist."

Onizuka smirked. "I ain't done yet, Red Hat. Since Suprex, Octostretch, Headbatt, and Twistcroba were sent to the Graveyard from the field, I add four "Gouki" cards from my deck to my hand. I activate the Magic Card Gouki Re-Match! Once per turn, I summon two "Gouki" Monsters with different Levels from my Graveyard in Defense Position! Return, Headbatt! Octostretch!"

A dark portal opened up in the ground. Emerging from it were the aforementioned monsters.

"Appear again, my circuit! The summoning condition is two or more Warrior-type Monsters! I set Gouki Jet Ogre, Headbatt, and Octostretch! Circuit Combine! Link Summon!" Jet Ogre split into two lights while the other monsters followed after it, absorbed into the circuit and ushering in a new one. It was bigger than all the others so far, clad in dark armor with red spikes, sharp blades over the back of its hands. "Link 4! Gouki The Powerload Ogre (ATK2800/LINK-4)!"

The Powerload Ogre took one look at me and grinned, revealing rows of sharp teeth. I smiled back in kind, my fingers twitching madly.

"Powerload Ogre's effect," Onizuka continued. "It gains 200 ATK equal to the combined Link Rating of every other Link Monster I have on the field. Gouki Heel Ogre is Link 2. Powerload Ogre gains 400 ATK (Gouki The Powerload Ogre ATK2800→3200)! I set one card face-down and end my turn!" The Charisma Duelist finished his first move, looking at me expectantly. "Alright, Red Hat! Let's see if you're as good as they say you are!"

I laughed. "Be careful what you wish for, Onizuka…because the fun has only just begun! My turn, draw! I'll kick things off by activating the Magic Card Entermate Roll Call!"

"Entermate…?"

"An archetype consisting of performers," I told him. "As far as they're concerned, they exist to give the greatest show in the world. A perfect deck to use against someone who prefers electrifying the crowd, don't you think?" Onizuka laughed, much to my joy. "Anyways, Entermate Roll Call has me excavate five cards from the top of my deck. If I excavate a Pendulum Monster, I reveal the one with the highest Scale and then shuffle all other cards back into my deck! Afterwards, I can Special Summon a non-Pendulum "Entermate" Monster from my hand so long as its Level is equal to the excavated Pendulum Monster's scale!" Five cards formed in my free hand. I looked at them and grinned, finding one card in particular and raising it for Onizuka to see. "Among the cards I excavated is Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! I summon Entermate Longphone Bull (LV4/ATK1600/DEF1200)!"

As if reflecting the dramatic flair I wished to bring to this duel, multi-colored sparks danced around the cartoonish bull as it appeared on the field.

"When Longphone Bull is Special Summoned, I can add a non-Pendulum "Entermate" Monster from my deck to my hand. Also, since Longphone Bull was Special Summoned, I can Special Summon Entermate Helpprincess (LV4/ATK1200/DEF1200) from my hand!" Appearing next to the cartoonish bull was a girl in a dark-purple princess dress wielding a staff with a gloved hand at the top. Upon arrival, she smiled and waved to the observing drones. "Next, I summon Entermate Hammer Mamo (LV6/ATK2600/DEF1800)!" A blue elephant with a hammer on its trunk appeared, letting out a joyous cry upon being summoned.

Onizuka narrowed his eyes. "Level 6?"

"When I control two or more "Entermate" cards, Hammer Mamo can be Normal Summoned without tributing," I explained. "I activate the Magic Card Pendulum Cartography! I discard one card in my hand, then place a Pendulum Monster in my deck to the Pendulum Zone. I send the Entermate Thunder Rhino I added to my hand with Longphone Bull's effect to the GY, then set the Scale 5 Entermate Silver Claw in the Pendulum Zone!"

Forming towards my left side was an ephemeral pillar of light. Within the pillar was a silver-clad wolf wearing a bowtie and chains.

"Sadly, I must inform our audience there will be no Pendulum Summons today," I sighed faux-dramatically with exaggerated movements. "In exchange, however, I'll give you a show worth remembering. Silver Claw's Pendulum Effect raises all Entermate Monsters' ATK by 300 (Entermate Hammer Mamo ATK 2600→2900, Entermate Helpprincess ATK1200→1500, Entermate Longphone Bull ATK1600→1900)."

Before I could continue, I heard a familiar warbled growl from my deck, accentuated by the faint sounds of cackling thunder. I couldn't help but smile wryly.

So, you want in on the action too, huh? Alright…!

"Let's get this party started!" I declared. "Using the Level 4 Entermate Helpprincess and Entermate Longphone Bull, I construct the Overlay Network!" Onizuka's eyes widened in shock as a nebula of stars opened up at my feet. As one, both monsters fell into the nebula. Power surged within, quickly building up and up before exploding in a flash of light. The monster within spread its wings as it unveiled itself in its full glory.

"Formed from pitch-black darkness, to fight those foolish enough to oppose it with its treacherous fangs! Now, descend! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon (R4/ATK2500/DEF2000!"

The dragon's roar made the air itself tremble. Its jet-black skin glistened amid the light of the lampposts and artificial night sky. Two dark purple orbs circled around its body.

Onizuka's eyes widened at the sight of the monster, looking on with a marriage of awe and surprise. "I heard you used the older summoning methods, but to see it for myself…" His lips spread open, growing into a toothy grin of anticipation. "You're just full of tricks, aren't you, Red Hat?!"

"Don't get too excited now, Onizuka!" I adjusted my cap and looked at his field. That face-down had me worried, but I could deal with it I think. After all, this duel wasn't some high-stake venture. "I activate Dark Rebellion's effect! Using one Overlay Unit, I reduce one fo your monster's ATK by half! Dark Rebellion then gains ATK equal to that loss! Treason Discharge (Dark Rebellion ATK2500→4100, Gouki The Powerload Ogre ATK3200→1600)!" Crushing one of the orbs with its maw, Dark Rebellion's pylons opened up and sent forth a surge of thunder, striking Gouki The Powerload Ogre and forcing it down to its knee. Onizuka's expression didn't falter. Instead, he braced himself for what was to come.

Alright, here we go—!

"Battle!" I declared. "Dark Rebellion, destroy Gouki The Powerload Ogre! Revolt Lightning Disobey! !"

Dark Rebellion roared once more as wild thunder exploded out from its body and dived towards Onizuka's field. The Powerload Ogre roared back in defiance and attempted to fight back, but its efforts were in vain. Dark Rebellion crashed atop it, reducing it to gold fragments that dissipated into the air.

GO ONIZUKA LP 4000→1500

"And now the encore! Entermate Hammer Mamo—"

Onizuka cut me off. "Not so fast, greenhorn! I activate my Counter Trap Gouki Grudge Match! When my opponent destroys a "Gouki" Link Monster in battle, I can Special Summon it back to my field, then raise its ATK equal to the monster with the highest ATK on your field until the Battle Phase ends! Our monsters will also battle again!" My eyes widened as The Powerload Ogre made a sudden return, sporting a particularly vicious grin as a red aura surrounded its body. I swore I saw veins bulging on its muscles. "Don't forget about Powerload Ogre's effect (Gouki The Powerload Ogre ATK2800→7300)!"

"Crap!"

As I said, there was going to be an encore. Unfortunately, it wasn't mine. Dark Rebellion responded to Powerload Ogre's taunts with a vicious snarl and dived after him. "I activate the Quick-Play Magic Back-Up Performance!" I called out hastily. "Once per turn during the Battle Phase, I return one "Entermate" monster on my field back to my hand, then raise the ATK of all monsters on my field by 500, equal to the "Entermate" Monster's Level! Entermate Hammer Mamo is Level 6 (Dark Rebellion ATK4100→7100)!"

Powerload Ogre threw its fist forward, clashing against Dark Rebellion's tusk as Hammer Mamo vanished and its essence transferred over to the dragon. It did little to help, however, as Powerload Ogre won the struggle and broke through the violent storm surrounding Dark Rebellion and destroyed it.

RED HAT LP 4000→3800

"Tch…" I clicked my tongue, hearing Dark Rebellion's whines. "Sorry, buddy." I glanced at the field and sighed. I felt a little frustrated about this turn of events, mostly about Dark Rebellion's debut being cut so short. Having said that… My chest was tight. I felt tension rising through my body.

I could feel it. The "edge".

Go Onizuka was not like Blue Angel. That fact alone made me ecstatic.

"I end my turn."

"Not bad for the first round of the match," Onizuka praised. "But, I'm not going down so easily. My Turn, Draw! I summon Gouki Suprex!" The dino-themed wrestler returned, flexing its muscles as if for good measure. "When Suprex is Normal Summoned, I Special Summon a "Gouki" Monster from my hand! I summon Gouki Iron Claw (LV2/ATK1000/DEF0)!"

A new monster emerged in a full-body suit. True its name, this wrestler had sharp claws on its gloves.

"Next, I activate the Magic Card Gouki Face Turn! Once per turn, I target one "Gouki" Monster on my field and one in my Graveyard! The "Gouki" Monster on my field is destroyed, and in exchange, the monster in my Graveyard makes its comeback! I destroy Gouki Suprex and revive Gouki Jet Ogre!" Suprex vanished into the dark portal forming underneath it. In its place stood the tanto-wielding monster from earlier. "Thanks to Suprex's effect, I add one "Gouki" Card from my deck to my hand." Onizuka raised his hand towards the sky, summoning the circuit once again. "Appear, my circuit! The summoning condition is two or more "Gouki" monsters! I set Gouki Heel Ogre and Iron Claw! Link Summon!"

I could not help but stare at the emerging Link Monster in awe. Whereas Onizuka's other monsters dressed like wrestlers, this one was a warrior down to its bones. Steel, battle-scarred armor decorated its form, matching the deadly sharp blade in its possession. Like Powerload Ogre, it looked at me with gauging eyes.

Its smile was full of teeth.

"Link 3! Gouki The Blade Ogre (ATK2400/LINK-3)! I add one "Gouki" card from my deck to my hand thanks to Iron Claw's effect."

"Blade Ogre…" I repeated the name. "An impressive monster, Onizuka."

Onizuka chuckled. "I'm glad you think so. Unfortunately, Blade Ogre won't be part of the main event. This will be your opponent!" His words caused me to frown. I was about to ask what he meant when I suddenly felt it; an oppressive, excited presence exploding out from his duel disk and into the network itself. The circuit appeared again. "The summoning condition is three "Gouki" Monsters! I set Gouki Jet Ogre, Powerload Ogre, and The Blade Ogre into the Link Markers! Circuit Combine!"

Jet Ogre split off into two separate lights, bringing the total to four. Four cursors lit up as the monsters became integrated with the circuit, releasing the "pulse" ushering in Onizuka's newest monster. Compared to the others thus far, this one bore a more menacing appearance, clad in dark robes with a porcelain hanya mask. Two tanto blades sat strapped to its back, while in its hands was a chigiriki. One hand held the blade while the chain and flail wrapped around the other hand's wrist, almost like a cuff.

"Link Summon!" Onizuka roared. "Link 4! Gouki The Reaper Ogre (ATK4000/LINK-4)!"

For a moment, all was still. Onizuka stood and watched my reaction with clear interest while his monster was crouched as if waiting to pounce and strike. Bloodlust and battle fever leaked through its very being.

"…you really aren't going to make this easy for me, are you?" I couldn't help but ask despite my smile, adjusting my hat. "This the boss monster?"

"You could say that," Onizuka shrugged. "More importantly, the gong's been rung, Red Hat. I activate the Field Magic Champion's Circle! This card can only be activated when I only have Warrior Monsters! While face-up, all monsters on the field gain 500 ATK and DEF (Gouki The Reaper Ogre ATK4000→4500)! Furthermore, all face-up monsters on my field can't be destroyed by card effect or by battle at least once! When a "Gouki" Link Monster is destroyed, however, Champion's Circle is banished. I end my turn."

I blinked. "…you're not going to attack?" I asked. "I'm pretty much open over here."

"Where's the fun in that?" Onizuka huffed. He actually sounded offended. "You said it yourself, didn't you? A Charisma Duelist isn't dueling for victory. We duel to make the crowd go wild. It'd be pointless to end the duel this early!" He paused for a moment, then smirked challengingly. "That…and I want to see you overcome this wall. I want you give it all you got! I wanna see whether your "Entertame" dueling can beat my Charisma!"

Yuya and Onizuka would get along in a heartbeat.

"In that case, I got no choice but to live up to your expectations, then, huh?" I looked to my deck. You read, partner?

An enthusiastic roar responded excitedly.

Alright... It's showtime!

Duels were often the best ways to judge a person's character. Their cards, their demeanor as their backs are pressed against the wall, and their overall playstyle were hints, but it was the duel itself that revealed one's truest character.

For all his works of charity, to give back to the orphanage that helped raise him, Go Onizuka truly felt at home in the ring. He suspected the same was true for his opponent. The mysterious Red Hat, a rising star climbing the ranks on the competitive boards, dueled like a madman based on the videos he saw. There were times when he faltered, when he was at the edge of defeat. He did not despair or grow desperate. Instead, he smiled, baring his teeth to his opponent.

Seeing such a smile, the joy and prospect of dueling in such a manner… Onizuka wondered if he found a kindred spirit of some sort. It was for that reason he requested his manager reach out to the dark horse duelist.

Going into this Charity Duel, the Charisma Duelist had a lot of expectations.

He was not disappointed.

"My Turn!" Red Hat began. "Draw! To set the stage of the finale, I'll activate the Magic Card Entermate Ad-Lib! I reveal one card in my hand, and if it's a Monster Card, I Special Summon an "Odd-Eyes" or "Entermate" Monster from my Graveyard or Extra Deck. I reveal Entermate Hammer Mamo, then summon the star of the show! Ladies and gents, introducing Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon (LV7/ATK2500→3000/DEF2000→2500)!"

Onizuka's lips curled upwards as a crimson red dragon with mismatched eyes appeared in front of Red Hat, declaring its arrival with a war cry that his Gouki Monsters could not help but respond to in kind.

"When Ad-Lib's effect resolves, I destroy set Pendulum Cards in my Pendulum Zones. I destroy Entermate Silver Claw and draw 1 card. I activate the Magic Card Pendulumgraph Astrolabe! I send a card in my hand, then banish a Pendulum Monster in my Extra Deck with a Scale of 4 or lower. Then I draw two cards. Since the only other card in my hand is Entermate Hammer Mamo, I'll send him off to the Graveyard and banish Entermate Silver Claw from my Extra Deck."

'A lucky draw,' Onizuka thought. 'Or maybe it's something else…'

"Finally, to help set the stage, I tribute Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon to summon Odd-Eyes Advanced Dragon (LV8/ATK3000→3500/DEF2500→3000)!" Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon vanished in a flourish of light, revealing another, more intimidating crimson-scaled monster with mismatched eyes. Compared to its counterpart, this one bore wings along its back. "Odd-Eyes Advanced Dragon can be Tribute Summoned using a Monster whose Level is 5 or higher."

The Charisma Duelist frowned. '3000 ATK… Not bad. That thing might cause me some trouble. Still, something's off here. Why did he call Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon the star if he was just going to get rid of it to summon a stronger monster?'

Then he did something Onizuka didn't expect. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

"Are you giving up, Red Hat?"

"Hardly!" Red Hat scoffed. "I already said it's time for the finale, didn't I? And besides…" He adjusted his hat as their eyes locked with each other in an intense stare-down. "This is way more fun, isn't it? Two monsters, ready to finish the fight, and one has two face-downs that might turn the tide… How about it, Go Onizuka? Feel like trying your luck?"

'This friggin' kid…!'

He could not help but laugh. So brazen! The audacity!

And yet—!

"MY TURN!" Onizuka roared. He looked at his card and grinned. "It's time to start the three-count! I activate the Magic Cards Gouki Tag-In and Gouki Death Match! Gouki Tag-In lets me Special Summon a "Gouki" Monster from my deck to a Main Monster Zone a "Gouki" Link Monster on my field points to. I summon Gouki Moonsault (LV6/ATK1900→2400/DEF0→500)!" At Onizuka's order, a muscular, toothy-smiled monster clad in rabbit-themed gear appeared beside Gouki The Reaper Ogre. "As for Death Match, I choose one "Gouki" Link Monster with 3000 ATK or higher on my field! It can battle twice, but if my opponent still has Life Points by the end of the turn, that Link Monster is destroyed and I take damage equal to its original Life Points!"

"It's all or nothing from here on out!" Onizuka said as he pointed a finger at Red Hat. "The bell's rung! This first duel will end with my victory! BATTLE!" A menacing dark aura formed around Reaper Ogre as it unfashioned the flail around its weaponless arm. With a wicked cackle, it prepared its blade. "Gouki The Reaper Ogre's effect! During the Battle Phase, I send a face-up "Gouki" monster its Link Marker points at to the Graveyard! Reaper Ogre then gains 300 ATK equal to that monster's Level or Link Rating (Gouki The Reaper Ogre ATK3500→5300!"

With a flick, Reaper Ogre sent the flail part of its weapon to ensnare Gouki Moonsault, capturing it and crushing it with almost ruthless ease. Its muscles began to bulge, threatening to pop out of its robes.

"Now, Gouki The Reaper Ogre! Destroy Odd-Eyes Advanced Dragon! Hell Shadow Scythe Decapitation!"

The Reaper Ogre let out a vicious battle cry as it leaped into the air, prepping its blade. Odd-Eyes Advanced Dragon retaliated by swinging its tail at the enemy, knocking the blade away before opening its maw and unleashing a spiral flame. It consumed Reaper Ogre, making it look as if it won. A moment later, however, a shadow slipped past it and slashed at its throat, destroying the dragon instantly. The shadow revealed itself to be none other than Reaper Ogre.

RED HAT LP 3800→2000

"Sorry, Red Hat! Looks like the show's over!" Onizuka declared. "Now, Gouki The Reaper Ogre! Attack Red Hat directly!"

For a moment, it seemed as if victory was assured.

Then Red Hat smiled. "Not quite, Go Onizuka!" His opponent's declaration left Onizuka momentarily stunned. "Did you forget about my face-downs?! I activate the Counter Traps Supreme King Dragon's Festival and Pendulum Resurgence! Supreme King Dragon's Festival activates only if a Dragon Monster I control is destroyed by battle or by card effect, and I have no other monsters on the field. I summon a Level 7 Dragon Monster from my Extra Deck in Attack Position and ignore its summoning conditions! Next turn, however, I can only summon Dragon Monsters! Welcome back, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

Before The Reaper Ogre could launch its second, and final attack, a red dragon with mismatched eyes returned to the battlefield, glaring at its enemy and growling as if challenging the monster to attack.

"I chain Supreme King Dragon's Festival's effect with Pendulum Resurgence," Red Hat continued. "It only activates when a face-up Monster on my field is destroyed by battle or by card effect. I choose one Pendulum Monster on my field, then double its ATK until the end of the turn (Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon ATK3000→6000)!" An ephemeral blue aura coalesced around Odd-Eyes Dragon as its eyes glowed. "And now… The finale!"

Onizuka watched as his monster, already in the process of attacking, leaped towards its foe. Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon opened its maw.

"Spiral Strike Burst!"

A spiral red flame spewed forth from Odd-Eyes' gaping mouth. Gouki The Reaper Ogre swung its blade, creating a crescent arc of flaming dark energy that clashed with the attack. It was consumed, but ultimately prevented the attack from following through. The explosion forced his monster onto its back, where cracks began forming.

GO ONIZUKA LP 1500→800

Onizuka stared dumbfounded, not sure what happened at first.

"Champion's Circle only prevents your monster from being destroyed once, either by battle or by card effect," Red Hat reminded him. "So Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon can't destroy Gouki The Reaper Ogre. But…" He chuckled, putting a hand on his hip. "It doesn't matter, given Gouki Death Match's effect, does it?"

A moment passed. The air was deathly still. It seemed like even those watching the broadcasted duel live were silent.

Go Onizuka stared long and hard at the field…then smiled, sighing as he tapped his Duel Disk. It flashed. His A.I. made the announcement for him. "Go Onizuka resigns from the Duel."

GO ONIZUKA FORFEITS

YOU LOSE

The Field vanished, leaving only the players. "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you to have a showman's spirit," Onizuka said. "Or to take such a crazy risk. Letting your monster be destroyed, even if only to take advantage of my own card effect being used against me… Not many would think to pull that off."

"Unfortunately, Entertainment Duelists aren't well-known for being sane."

"Entertainment Duelists?"

Red Hat chuckled. "A profession of duelists. A friend of mine aspired to be like his father, believing in the philosophy that duels are meant to bring smiles to everyone."

Onizuka felt his interest pique. It was the first he heard of such a profession, but he could safely say such an idealistic reason for dueling resonated deeply with him. Bringing smiles to everyone was no different than his own reason for dueling, to bring smiles to children who had no one. Kids like him, back when he was their age. His respect for the red-colored duelist rose significantly.

'This guy… He just might be the one I've been looking for.'

"I haven't had this much fun in a while!" Red Hat said, looking just as eager as Onizuka was earlier. "We're still doing two more duels, right?"

"Hah! You're a real dueling maniac, aren't ya?!"

Go Onizuka could safely say he liked Red Hat.

To Be Continued In:
Poltergeist Highway Chase

Card List (In Order of Appearance)

Gouki Rumble / Spell / Continuous / This card can only be activated if you control no "Gouki" Monsters on your field. Special Summon 2 Level 4 or lower "Gouki" monsters from your hand. While this card is face-up on your field: You can Tribute Summon 1 LV 7 or higher "Gouki" Monster using a single monster as tribute. You can only activate each effect of this card per turn.

Gouki Grudge Match / Trap / Counter / If your opponent destroys a "Gouki" Link Monster by battle: Special Summon the destroyed "Gouki" Link Monster from the GY to your field; until the end of the Battle Phase, that monster gains ATK equal to the monster with the highest ATK on your opponent's field. Your opponent must battle your monster with the monster that battled your monster previously.

Entermate Roll Call / Spell / Normal / Excavate five cards from the top of your deck. If you excavated a Pendulum Monster(s): Reveal the Pendulum Monster with the highest Scale to your opponent and shuffle all other cards excavated by this effect into your deck, and if you do, Special Summon 1 non-Pendulum "Entermate" Monster whose Level is equal to or lower than the Pendulum Monster whose Scale you revealed from your hand. You can only activate 1 "Entermate Roll Call" per turn.

Pendulum Cartography / Spell / Normal / Discard 1 card from your hand and place 1 Scale 5 or lower Pendulum Monster from deck to your Pendulum Zone.

Back-up Performance / Spell / Quick-Play / Activate only during your Battle Phase. Return 1 "Entermate" Monster you control to your hand and raise the ATK of all monsters you control equal to that monster's Level x 500. You can only activate 1 "Back-up Performance" per turn.

Gouki The Reaper Ogre / DARK/ LA: Top, Left, Right, Bottom / Warrior / Link / Effect / ATK 3000 / LINK-4
3 "Gouki" Monsters
Once per turn: Tribute all face-up Monsters this card points to and target face-up cards your opponent controls equal to the number of Monsters you tributed; send those cards to the GY until your next Standby Phase. During your Battle Phase: Send 1 face-up "Gouki" Monster this card points to the GY; this card gains ATK 300 equal to that card's LV or Link Rating.

Champion's Circle / Spell / Field / Activate only if you control only Warrior Monsters. While this card is face-up: All Monsters gain 500 ATK/DEF. All face-up monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effect once per turn. If a "Gouki" Link Monster(s) you control leaves the field, it is banished.

Entermate Ad-Lib / Spell / Normal / Reveal 1 card in your hand. If that card is a Monster Card, Special Summon 1 "Odd-Eyes" or "Entermate" monster from your GY or Extra Deck. After this effect resolves: Destroy 1 or 2 Pendulum Cards face-up on your field and draw 1 card for every Pendulum Card destroyed. You can only activate "Entermate Ad-Lib" once per turn.

Pendulumgraph Astrolabe / Spell / Normal / Discard 1 Card from your hand and banish 1 Scale 4 or lower Pendulum Monster from your Extra Deck, then draw 2 cards.

Gouki Tag-In / Spell / Normal / Special Summon 1 "Gouki" Monster from your deck to a Main Monster Zone your "Gouki" Link Monster points to.

Gouki Death Match / Spell / Normal / Target 1 "Gouki" Link Monster you control with 3000 ATK or more; that card can declare an additional attack. If your opponent still has Life Points by the end of the turn: Destory that Monster, and if you do, take damage equal to that monster's original ATK. You can only activate 1 "Gouki Battle Climax" per duel.

Supreme King Dragon's Festival / Trap / Counter / If a Dragon Monster you control is destroyed by battle or by card effect and you control no Monsters: Special Summon 1 Level 7 Dragon Monster from your Extra Deck face-up in Attack Position and ignore its summoning conditions. During your next Turn, you cannot Special Summon any monsters, except Dragon Monsters.

Pendulum Resurgence / Trap / Counter / Activate only if a face-up Monster you control was destroyed by battle or by card effect. Target 1 Pendulum Monster on your field. Until the end of this turn; double that card's ATK. You can only activate 1 "Pendulum Resurgence" per turn.

AUTHOR'S NOTE (Important Message Inside):
I apologize for the long wait, everyone. Between a lack of motivation and growing frustration at writing duels, continuing my Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfics has been a challenge as of late. Still, I promised I would finish this fanfic, and I am sticking to that promise.

…so much for my plans to update when the story is finished, though. That resolution went nowhere. *sigh*

At any rate, this is my last duel for the fanfic. The rest of the duels were penned by Donjusticia, who I never give enough credit. Seriously, at this point, I may as well PAY for his help with how often I ask for it. I have no idea how other authors manage to write these duels, much less make them so complex and incredible.

…in other news, I have two announcements to make. Three, actually.

First, I am making the painful decision to reboot Fate/VRAINS, my first fanfic and the only fanfic currently completed. Reasons for rebooting it include removing some cringeness and going for a more cohesive narrative. The duels won't be affected much, so thankfully there's no need to redo them, but I will be including a new arc that will tie into Laplace. The reboot will not affect Laplace, so there's no reason for me to go back and redo all the chapters out right now.

Secondly, around new years, I'll be posting several new chapters for Sovereign and Ashen Wolves. I say "new", but really, they're rewritten chapters from the ground up. I've been planning on redoing Sovereign for a while now, so I'm hoping people will like the revamped chapters. With Ashen Wolves, this is mostly just a touch-up.

Finally… I am considering leaving Fanfiction dot net behind. Let me explain why. The admins do little to nothing to help protect authors from harassment, the updates come agonizingly slow, the format is excrutiatingly restrictive compared to, say, Archives of Our Own or SpaceBattles, and then there's this new e-mail opt-in feature, which I find to be stupid and counterproductive.

I will continue to post and update here on this site for as long as possible, but if the admins don't get their shit together… Well, it's been a fun ride.

NOTE: The original versions of "Gouki The Reaper Ogre" and "Pendulum Resurgence" were stronger in the original draft, but I changed it so they would be less powerful. For example, The Reaper Ogre gained more ATK for every "Gouki" monster in the GY.