Hello, all! Here's the next chapter in this story. Before I get going, though, I'd like to thank the people who gave comments in the last chapter about how fast (or slow) they wanted the story to be paced. Shoutouts to D3lph0xl0v3r and Andrey528 for their words and suggestions!
Like some of the chapters before this one, there's going to be multiple point-of-view switches here. Just warning you. Speaking of warnings, let me give you the Japanese-to-English names you'll see here.
Divine = Sayer
Aki = Akiza
Godwin = Goodwin
Rua = Leo
Jim Himuro = Bolt Tanner
Alright, now for the DISCLAIMER: The author does not own the 'Yugioh' or 'Android: Netrunner' card games, or any elements from those games introduced into this story. The author does own their OC's, custom Decks, and custom devices.
Onward to the Chapter!
[DIVINE POV]
"Aki!" I try to keep my voice at a controlled level as I enter her quarters, flanked by two minor Movement members. I fear some repressed memory has come back, judging by how bad her mental scream was. If her mental state breaks down, I have to make sure she doesn't destroy the entire building in her rage.
We enter Aki's room to find her splayed on her back. Her mouth is slightly open, her eyes shut. Her hair spreads from her head, the hairpiece that controls her Psychic Dueling powers nearby. The device isn't damaged, but the mere fact that it came off further confirms that something bad has happened.
"Aki," I say as calmly as I can as I scoop her upper body off the ground and help her stand up, "you're safe now. Wake up and tell me what happened." The two members move past me as they look around the room; they'll get anything suspicious for me to examine. My focus right now is on Aki's sanity.
Thankfully, Aki's eyes flutter open after a few seconds. Then, they widen to an extreme degree as she slaps a hand to her left cheek, and another hand to her forehead. This must be a fear reaction to whatever made her black out—I don't see anything wrong with her face at all. It's probably an illusion that she still believes to be real.
"Relax, Aki," I tell the distraught girl. "You're safe. I'm here, I've got you. Don't worry about whatever that was, it can't harm you anymore."
"No…" Aki whispers as she lowers her hands. "Samuel…" I resist the urge to flinch at these words, but Aki looks at me before I can say anything. She then frowns as she says words I didn't want to hear: "You know where Samuel is. You kept him a secret from me."
I tap into Aki's mind with my own powers, and am met by a wall of complete certainty in her words. Somehow, she absolutely believes that I know where her old friend is. What's more, she thinks I've wrongfully kept this information from her. I can't let this thought stay in her brain, but she isn't entirely wrong in thinking this, either.
I do know where Samuel is, but I also know what he's become. I've manipulated him to serve me, and the Movement. Aki's also a part of the Movement, but Samuel is also an old flame come back to haunt her. He seems to been more influential than I first suspected.
"Tell me," Aki growls as she clutches my shirt in her hand. "Tell me where he is. I know he's here, and I don't want him here. Where is he?" I don't want to answer this right now, but I don't have many other options to calm Aki down quickly.
I let out a breath through my nose as I quickly plan what I want to say, and how I want to say it. A light tap on my shoulder signals the Movement members are done with their search of the room. I silently gesture them to the door, and they get the message; leave us alone. They quickly make their exit, and one of them gives me Aki's hairpiece on the way out.
"Aki," I say as I place a hand on her shoulder, "why are you accusing me of this? Are you sure you know what you're saying?"
"I know exactly what I'm saying," Aki replies with a firm tone of voice. "I was uncertain before, but not this time. Samuel is here, in the Movement, and you know why." Aki stares me down as she finishes her statement, but her glare doesn't break my cool. After all, I'm the person she trusts the most. To have her accuse me like this would mean she fears our trust has been broken.
"I know you've got a lot to deal with right now, Aki," I say as I lower my hand to my side. "I haven't seen you be this demanding very often, is all. You're making me worried you don't trust me anymore."
Aki's anger deflates slightly as she seems to fully realize what she's doing. But, the certainty is still in her head. She still wants an answer, and I can't keep delaying it. But, I'll have to make sure she believes what I want her to believe.
"Listen," I say with my usual smile, "I can only answer your question if you tell me exactly what you know. What is making you think that Samuel is here?"
"It's… a sense," Aki starts. "I can feel his energy, his power, in this building. It's a constant tickling at the back of my mind. I can dismiss it for a while, but I can't get rid of it."
"How long has this 'sense' been active, Aki? Again, please be as exact as possible."
Aki closes her eyes for a moment before she gives her answer: "It started after the Fortune Cup ended. I first felt it when I was recovering from the semi-final Duel against Yusei. It hasn't left since then, which means Samuel has been here this whole time."
My smile flickers for a moment. The time Aki mentions is around the same time I had brought Samuel's body into the Movement headquarters. If Aki's been affected by this sense for that long, then there must be something about him she isn't telling me. He's affecting her in some way by being here, which is probably why she wants him gone. There doesn't seem to be any good way around this issue.
"Alright," I finally say, "I understand you're concerned about this sense. The first thing you should have done was told me about it, before all this started. That way, we wouldn't be having this problem."
"I know," Aki replies as she turns her gaze to the floor. "It's just… this is a personal issue. I wanted to deal with it myself, if I could."
"I believe you have the strength to deal with your own problems," I say to Aki, as a compliment. "But, I don't want you to be bogged down by personal issues. You've dealt with enough of them in the past, you don't need another one."
Aki nods, and keeps her gaze down. I reattach the hairpiece, and give her hair a brief stroke. She looks up at me with dilated pupils. She's ready to hear what I have to say.
"Listen closely, Aki," I say as I keep her gaze on me. "Samuel, the real Samuel, is dead."
"But—" she starts.
"No, Aki," I interrupt. "He is dead. What you are sensing is nothing more than a clone, a copy of the real Samuel."
"A… clone?" Aki freezes up with a shocked expression. "How… how?!"
"Talk to Rex Godwin," I reply with purposeful anger. "He's the one who made the clone. He's probably the one who put it in the Fortune Cup, as well. I just took the clone from Godwin to give it a second chance at life, as well as see if it really had Psychic Dueling powers like we do."
"So… the real Samuel…"
"He is dead, Aki. Gone forever. I suspect Godwin acquired Samuel's body, somehow, and spliced his DNA to make the clone. I don't exactly know how the clone got Samuel's memories, though; memories aren't transferred through genetics."
Aki places a hand to her chest and takes several deep breaths. I sense her mental state switch back and forth between confused and terrified. Similar to how I felt when I first accessed Samuel's brain, actually. I was amazed at the intricacies of what I found, but also worried that I wouldn't be able to use them to my benefit.
Aki eventually calms down and eventually asks another question: "So, he doesn't remember me?"
"Epsilon doesn't remember you at all," I answer. "To its mind, you are just Aki Izayoi, one of the most powerful Psychic Duelists of the Arcadia Movement. Actually, it doesn't even know your name right now, because I've been very careful about keeping its identity a secret."
"It?" Aki flinches at my continued use of the word 'it'. "Don't you mean 'he'?"
"No, Aki," I firmly reply, "Epsilon is not a human, just a clone. An 'it'. You don't need to think of 'it' in any other way."
"Epsilon… that's Samuel's name, now?"
"That's the name I am calling it. From what I know about Godwin, he created Epsilon as the last in a series of five clones. The other four are still in his custody, and I couldn't retrieve any of them before I had to help you recover from your loss. Don't forget, I took a great amount of risk in order to get Epsilon from right under Godwin's nose."
"Why would you do all that for a clone? Why would you do that for Samuel, of all people?"
"I did this, Aki, because I sensed Epsilon had Psychic Dueling power when it first appeared in the Fortune Cup. The Duels it was in, against you and Professor Frank, further confirmed my suspicions. I don't want Godwin to keep a Psychic Duelist away from the Movement's aid, which is why I brought it here."
Aki doesn't seem very convinced by this. But, I have another reason that is certain to gain her sympathy.
"Epsilon's potential power is too strong to be ignored, Aki. From what I sensed in its Duels, it is more focused on telepathic and emotional effects. This is different from your own telekinetic abilities, and different abilities will help the Movement in aiding mankind when we choose to fully reveal ourselves. Trust me, Aki; I'm doing this for the Movement as a whole."
Aki opens her mouth, and then closes it as she sharply turns her head away from me. I give her a few moments to think things through, but I sense her mental wall is crumbling apart. My trust is stronger than her past fears. She'll believe me, because I've been her shield against the outside world for so long.
"I…" Aki sighs before she states what I want to hear: "I trust you, Divine. I can see why you've done all this. But," she continues with the same resistance, "that doesn't mean I like it. You could have told me about it, like I could have told you about my 'sense'."
"We aren't always in control of ourselves all the time, Aki," I say with a small step towards her. "Our emotions can run high, and we have to be aware when things get out of control. I don't want you to think Samuel is here; Epsilon may look like Samuel, but it isn't Samuel at all."
"But, what if Epsilon does remember me? I know you said otherwise, but what if he… it recognizes me? What if it remembers what happened in the Fortune Cup when it sees me?"
"If that happens," I slowly explain while being as calm as possible, "just tell Epsilon that you got carried away with your feelings. You've learnt your lesson since then, and you know how to better control yourself. If Epsilon demands to know more than that from you, leave him alone. Inform me if this happens, and I'll be sure to fix things. Epsilon shouldn't remember anything about you, though; I've been very careful with how its mind works."
"I understand." Aki's mental wall collapses as she nods to me. "Thank you for being clear with me."
"You're quite welcome," I reply. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go prepare for a special dinner later tonight. The former Professional Duelist, Jim Humuro, spoke to me about having the Arcadia Movement working alongside a group of 'Signers' against an oncoming threat. We'll be talking about that over dinner."
Aki's eyes widen as she hears this, but she quickly recovers with a calm, "Very well, Divine." I nod back to Aki, and leave her room. She seems content with what I've told her, which calms me down quite a bit. If all goes as planned with this dinner, then Aki can learn a bit more about how I expect the Movement to work.
"The dining room you requested has been set up as you wanted, sir," one of the two Movement members standing outside the door tells me as the three of us walk down the hallway. "Everything is in order for the dinner."
"Good work," I say as we reach an elevator in the middle of the hallway. "One of you keep an eye on Epsilon, and the other check the Deck Analyzer program in the basement. I don't want any problems tonight, understand?"
The two members answer, "Yes, sir," in unison. I smile as we enter the elevator, and I press for three different floors as the doors close.
[3rd-Person POV]
The probe continues to travel through the Neo Domino network. Its speed does not change, and the form inside it does not react to anything in cyberspace. The sights and sounds in the network are beyond human comprehension, crafted in the way that only a digitized space can create. Human presence here is fleeting at best; human log into the space, and then leave for the 'meatspace' beyond the sight of all mechanical lenses and sensors.
The probe doesn't care about 'meatspace', though. Its objective concerns a specific part of cyberspace, and it doesn't have the sentience to think outside its intended destination. The form inside it, though, will probably have to deal with denizens of 'meatspace' before its purpose is complete. Therefore, it is logical that the form arrives in optimal condition.
On that note, the probe reaches a thick layer of digital shielding around a larger server. The signal It intends to reach is beyond this barrier. The 'shield' takes the form of countless black wisps that fly around, across, and through each other. The probe approaches the wisps head-on, and the nearby wisps quickly note the oncoming foreign object. The wisps condense themselves into a tightly-packed layer of color, which the probe quickly slams into.
The wisps and the probe measure the other's power in nanoseconds, the wisps holding the probe back from its journey. The probe's tentacles spin harder and faster to try and break the wall, but the wisps spread over the probe's body like the relentless tide. The probe is completely covered in them, and they start to dig into its outer shell.
The form inside the probe fully awakens for the first time. It reaches out with the power of its creator, coating the probe with a red barrier of digital lightning. The wisps draw back as the barrier shocks anything it touches. They flutter around the probe, try to find a weak point, but come up empty.
The form pushes forward with its power, and a red beam of energy fires from the probe's front. The beam slices through the wisps, and reveals a hole to the inner server. The probe moves towards the hole even as the wisps try to repair the wound. They attack the barrier head-on, try to break through to the form inside. The probe's surface breaks apart, and the form within launches itself towards the hole that it made. The wisps are too focused on the probe to notice the form until it's too late to stop it.
The form falls into a network of red, black, and white wires that spark and light up with data. The wisps don't follow it into this dense cluster of data, leaving the form free to extend a 'hand' onto one wire and flip over to another one. Once it lands, it gives its other 'hand' a sharp end to jab into the wire.
Data instantly flows into the form, gives it power and growth. Enough data, and it will be able to complete its goals…
[EPSILON POV]
[1 HOUR LATER]
I have the two most powerful Monsters in my Deck that I've used in a Duel in front of me on my bed; the rest of my Deck is to the side. 'Koa'ki Meiru Rooklord' and 'Koa'ki Meiru Valafar' look back at me as I scrutinize over each of them. Both of these Monsters have their own strengths, and they each require a 'Koa'ki Meiru' tribute to Advance Summon them. They both match the theme that I've seen for the 'Koa'ki Meiru'—overwhelming offensive power mixed with controlling the opponent's field presence.
However, this power is hard to control. Is it like my emotions because of this, or is it a different feeling altogether? Also, what about that wave of fire, or energy, that I had seen at the end of my Duel with Seria? Was that a loss of control, as well?
No, no, don't lose focus. I wanted to study my Deck, I've been studying my Deck for the past hour, and I'm going to keep studying my Deck. No distractions. I now take the other Monsters and look them over for the second time. As I've seen in Duels, they all have high ATK values along with field-controlling abilities. The Deck values aggression from the start, not letting up even with the final attack. But, is this really what Divine wants me to use in Duels?
I look over the Spells and Traps next. These carry much more control than the Monsters do, as expected. However, the fact that many of them require one of my Deck's three copies of 'Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru' to even activate is a worry to me. I see some ways to get the Core to my hand if needed, but I may not have those options in a critical moment. I see some ways in which my Deck could be completely counter-played, and I don't want to Duel against them.
My mental notificaions pop in with some logical reasoning: [You do not have a choice as to what Deck you face in a Duel. Therefore, it is best to be able to adapt to a situation in a Duel, rather than stress about every possible outcome.]
That makes sense. I check over some combos that the Deck can do, and choose to stop for now. The longer I look over the Deck, the more I'll get worried about things I don't need to think about. I guess looking over my Deck wasn't the best idea, after all. I spend the next few minutes loading my Deck back into its holder, ready for the next Duel.
I see one other powerful Monster in the Deck, but its appearance makes me think evil thoughts of independence. So, I just shuffle it in with the rest. I'll worry about it when a Duel comes up.
The problem now is, what's next? What else can I do that's productive? What else will make me a better Duelist for the Movement? My metal eye gives an answer for me: [Wait until further notice, or instructions, come to you. Time should not be an issue to learning.]
Again, that makes sense. But, a small piece of my consciousness argues that lying around won't get things done. I should get up and try to find my own things to do, instead of just listen for instructions. My head pounds as I hear a distant thud, probably someone from another room. and I dismiss these thoughts of independence. That word isn't good for me to think about.
A beep comes from my Duel Disk as the room's lights flicker. Maybe this electrical problem will help pass the time away until my next instructions. I move over to my bed with an amused smile at my own thoughts, and see a red light blinking on the side of my Disk. Curious, I press a finger down it.
The Disk's center gem glows slightly, and then a circle of holographic images appear above it. One of them, a closed envelope, blinks the same red as the light. My fingers move on their own as I slide the images around until the envelope is in the front. My finger touches it, and the envelope opens before a large, gray screen replaces the images.
Nothing appears on the screen for several seconds, so I tap it again. The screen flickers to static for a moment as my ears pick up a high-pitched whine. The whine grows stronger and stronger, and then fades away before it starts actually hurting my ears. I blink quickly to dispel a light pounding in my head, just as the room's lights shut off for a second. They turn on when I look back up, so I look back to the screen again to see if anything's changed.
A horizontal red-and-gold eye without pupils stares back at me. Red vines stretch out across the screen as the eye holds my gaze. My shoulders slump, my mouth hangs open as I twitch my head to try and get free. Fear sets in as I realize I can't actually look away.
The vines spread farther from the eye, grow larger as they pulse with unknown energy. The eye widens as I remain caught in its hold. Red words flash in my metal eye, too fast for me to see. I feel something long and slimy wrap around my hands, lock them in place as tightly as my eyes.
[ERROR] my metal eye states amidst the chaotic text. [VIRUS DETECTED IN SYSTEMS] [THREAT TO SYSTEM INTEGRITY: 90%] [EXECUTING SYSTEM REBOOT].
The things around my hands squeeze tight. Too tight. So tight that I feel them dig into my flesh. My eyes widen as I feel something electric rush up my arms, and into my face. The words continue to flash before me, but one set of text pops into place. It bleeds red ooze, the letters warped and twisted. They are the last things I see before my eyes are covered in the same ooze…
I͞ ̷̕͏h̷͠à̡͘v̷e̵͟ ̨́a̶̶͠ŗ͝r͝iv͞é̢͘d̴.
T̕h̴̵͝í͜s̛̕ ̛͢s͟eŕ̸̢ve͠͡͏r͏ ̨̧͜w̸i̢͝l̨l̵ ̢̛b̕͜e̛͟ ̀a̡s̷s҉i͢m̢̢i̸l̶̢ą͝t̸̸e̷̛d͡.̵
[AKI POV]
I gasp as my ears fill with shrieking noise. I slam a hand against a wall of the Arena observation room as sweat runs down my back and the lights flicker several times in a few seconds. My eyes slam shut as the feeling of that tentacle piercing my forehead returns when I least want it to.
Not now, not now, not now! I won't be overwhelmed now, not when Divine is showing the newest potential members of the Movement the way things work!
A sharp breath draws my attention back to the present. I open my eyes and look over to the young girl beside me, sister to the boy Dueling against Divine. Divine had said that she has powerful Psychic Dueling potential, despite being so young. That's why he made sure she was here to see how the Movement will one day help the world. But, a part of me doesn't think Divine is prepared to deal with 'The Arrival'.
"Are you… okay?" the girl asks with a surprised look. I must look terrified to her eyes; that's not good for how Divine wants the Movement to be presented. I brush some hair out of my eyes and look to the girl. She's so young, so pure. So vulnerable, so weak.
Focus!
"This doesn't concern you." I have to force those words through trembling lips. "You should focus on the outcome of your brother's Duel. Divine isn't holding back. He wants to help your brother show his powers, if he has any at all."
"Rua…" the girl mutters as she turns back to face the Duel. I look to Divine and see him frown at his Duel Disk. It looks like the Duel can continue. I hope he's alright; I don't think he could have prepared for 'The Arrival'. I certainly didn't, and I've turned into a nervous wreck.
If Divine can handle this, then I'm sure I can to. I need to trust him, and hope that whatever's arrived here won't deal too much damage to the place I call home.
'He doesn't know what you've been through,' the darker side of my mind whispers to me as I look to Divine while he converses with Leo. 'He hasn't felt this thing, or seen what you've seen.'
No, that's not true. Divine has looked into my mind. He knows what's wrong with me, and he can fix it. He's fixed me before, he can do it again.
'The 'Arrival' isn't like those taunts from your youth. It's much, much worse. You know that it is. Everyone you care about will be affected, whether you like it or not.'
Everyone? Even the girl next to me? Even her brother, who the girl wants to keep safe? Even Divine, as powerful of a Psychic Duelist as he is? Even… Epsilon?
I flash back to what that 'Hivemind' showed me in the span of a few seconds. The strange faction called 'The Collective'. Their goal of fusing flesh with machinery. Their secretive placement of members across the city to observe, and report. Their watchful eyes over the people, only taking action when necessary. Their fear of a terrible apocalypse far worse than my own powers can ever conjure.
Their trust on an agent for Dueling: The Netrunner. Samuel. He was the Collective's first step into the public world. He was criticized like me, like the Movement. He had Psychic Dueling powers, like those in the Movement. He connected to his cards, like I do to mine.
Now, he's dead, and a clone with his face is inside the Movement. The 'Arrival' of that thing could be hurting him. Right. Now.
The Movement is in danger. But, I can't just leave Divine alone to face this, no matter how much of me wants to try and stop it. He's certainly strong… but he might not be strong enough without my help. And Epsilon… it, or he, can take care of themselves for now. I'm sure of it.
Just focus on being a good role model for the Movement. No one else needs to get hurt because of me.
[EPSILON'S POV]
My eyes open to a red haze, thick enough that it sticks to my hands when I try to wipe it away. I breathe in some of the haze as it clears to reveal pulsing and flashing wires of various sizes all around me. The same red haze blocks me from seeing anything too far away. I stand on one such wire, the only human being in this place. My Duel Disk is on my arm, but the center gem now glows a bright red. My Deck is in there, which gives me a very small bit of comfort.
The wire I stand on shakes as a red vine punches through its surface at an angle. Small numbers and letters fly out from the place of impact, and then vanish in seconds. Another vine repeats the process in the opposite angle, forming an 'X' shape. I whirl around just as two more vines make the same kind of shape behind me. There's a good bit of space on the wire between these two 'X's'.
I take a few steps towards the nearby 'X', and raise a hand to try and climb over where the two vines intersect. Pain in my hand and arm makes me stumble back with a cry. Several small holes along my arm come from several thorns and spikes along the vines. They retract back into the vine as I look at them, their message clear enough to me.
I turn to the space between these barriers, and am instantly grabbed around the neck by a human-shaped blob of dark red-and-orange flesh. Its eyeless and mouthless face looks me over for a second while sharp vines dig into my neck and cut off my air. I can barely breathe, and this being doesn't seem to care.
Then, it speaks in my head, in a voice similar to the Dueling computer, but much deeper in tone: "Primary target located. Beginning assimilation."
My eyes bug out as something cold and sharp lances into my throat. Then, a surge of heat and bright-red light accompanies a burning pain in my eyes. The creature flies back with a wild cry and loses its grip on me. I take deep breaths of air, stars dancing in my eyes as I regain my senses. Whatever that burst was, it just saved my life.
"Error," the creature states without a mouth from several feet in front of me. "Assimilation failed. Unknown influence detected on primary target. Energy at uncalculated levels. Resorting to secondary method of assimilation."
The creature stands on its 'feet' while it raises a long vine on its left side. The vine ripples, and then changes its shape before my eyes. It shapes into a carbon copy of my Duel Disk, gemstone and all. But, there's no Deck inside it. It fixes that by stabbing a vine on its other side into the wire beneath us. White energy, or liquid, flows up the vine and into the Duel Disk. It then shapes into cards in its Disk's Deck holster.
The creature releases its arm, and then looks to me without eyes as a mouth rips itself open to speak in a throaty voice: "Prepare to Duel, android."
"Wait, wait," I quickly say as I take a step back towards the 'X' behind me. "Why are we Dueling, at all? You pulled me into this place by force! I want out of here!"
"This place is the Arcadia Movement's server, a small piece of the Neo Domino City network," the creature speaks with its newly-formed mouth. "This server contains data that my creator wishes to assimilate into its superior consciousness. It has sent me, its Harbinger, to begin this process. Resistance to the process is ultimately futile."
"Uh… could you say that again?" I feel embarrassed about not understanding this, and also terrified as to what this creature, or its 'creator', wants. I raise my hands in front of me to try and protect myself if it tries to strike me again.
The creature just tilts its head at me, but answers in simpler words: "This server holds information that my creator wants to take for itself. It will do so through me, its Harbinger, regardless of whatever stands in its way."
"You… you think you can just walk in here and take what you want?!" My fists clench as anger bubbles in my chest. "That's not how things work! You need Divine's permission in the Movement, and he won't give you anything if you keep acting like this! You don't have any authority here!"
"The authority of this 'Divine' does not matter; his actions are outside the network. However," it then says while pointing a clawed finger at me, "you are a primary target to my creator because your organic body is augmented by cybernetic implants. It is through these implants that we are able to communicate in the network itself."
"I'm not going to let you look my implants over," I state as I remember the brutal testing methods of those three scientists in my recent nightmares. "And, I certainly won't let you destroy the place I call home!"
"Your dedication is understandable, android. My creator regards this dedication as a feeling it should further examine. Therefore, your mental consciousness will be assimilated separately from this server's data. Then, my creator shall take control of your organic side if the assimilation process doesn't kill you first."
My mouth drops in horror. This thing wants to use me as a puppet after it drains my mind away! Who knows what it can do if it succeeds? Well, I'll just have to make sure it doesn't get that chance. And, considering we both have Duel Disks with loaded Decks, I think I know just how I can protect everything I know and care about from being consumed.
I ready my Disk as I swallow a lump in my throat. The creature raises its own Disk as its mouth bends into a crooked grin. I dont know what kind of Deck this thing has, but I'll fight it with all the strength my 'Koaki Meiru' can give.
The haze around us grows thick enough to cloud the view of anything beyond where we stand, and the 'X' shapes on either side of us.
We both shout out the same word: "DUEL!"
Alright, that's all for now. We've got a digitized Duel with an unknown adversary. How will Epsilon/Samuel deal with this? We'll see in the next chapter!
As always, any reviews, comments, constructive criticism, and feedback are well appreciated. I am sorry if this chapter was too short (or fast) for you in terms of pacing; that seems to have become an issue with my writing that I hope to improve with time.
Draconos is taking off!