Greetings! Due to my free time, this chapter might have come out sooner than planned. I will keep releasing a new chapter every week, but I may be unable to do this due to real-life circumstances. Enjoy Chapter 7!
The next morning...
When Ena woke up, she smelt something good. She followed the smell to the kitchen. Her eyes widened when she saw Yuji cooking breakfast.
"Oh! Good morning Ena," Yuji said, waving to her. "You want some eggs? Bacon? Toast?"
"You cooked all of this?" Ena asked, shocked at what she was seeing. Usually, Kolter and Jin would make breakfast. But they couldn't have since Jin worked the night shift and Kolter left early to set up the food truck with Yusaku. Normally, she would make breakfast if the two brothers were out. However, to see Yuji do this was different indeed. Quite scary as well.
After Yuji sat down with Ena in the kitchen, they practically ate the newly cooked meal, with Ena eating faster than him.
"Guess someone was hungry," Yuji said, chuckling upon seeing Ena cutting the bacon in two and putting it in her mouth.
"You sure made my morning, Yuji! This stuff is freakin delicious!" Ena replied.
After a few moments of eating, Yuji turned to Ena and said, "I'm sorry that I made you and others worry about me so much."
Ena stopped eating upon eating. She sighed and turned to Yuji. "Don't worry about it, Yuji. It's ok," she said, putting a hand on Yuji's shoulder. "I'm sure the others and I would've felt the same way if we were in the same position."
"I guess you're right," Yuji said firmly. "So tell me. Did Shima enjoy you and everyone else visiting him in the hospital?"
"You bet," Ena replied. "He was so happy that he found it hard to believe we would ever visit him."
"That's understandable," Yuji stated. "Did he ever ask you why I wasn't there?"
"He did, and I told him you weren't feeling well," Ena answered. "Though he thought you were faking."
"Should've known. My last question is, did you guys have a duel tournament? Given that most of the members of Duel Club were there, he wanted to do a little duel tournament."
"We did. But sadly, I didn't participate because I didn't have my Deck on me."
Yuji blinked. "You didn't have your Deck on you?" He repeated. "That's insane. You always have your Deck on you.
"Well, this time, I didn't," Ena stated. "I checked the security cameras in my room and all over the apartment to see if I left it there, but no luck. I might have dropped it on the way from the plaza."
"No worries. Remember that Kolter put tracking devices on our Deck cases," Yuji mentioned. "So all we have to do is find the tracker's location and retrieve your Deck. We can do it after school today."
"Sounds like a plan," Ena said. "I just hope it didn't fall into the wrong hands."
"Amen to that. And speaking of school, we should meet up with everyone else during our lunch period and devise a plan on what to do to track down Umbra and Desperado. Otherwise, LINK VRAINS will..."
"THEY WON'T LAY A FINGER ON LINK VRAINS!" Ena yelled, startling Yuji. "I think this fine breakfast you made brought my spirits back up! Anyway, why don't you help me clean up the dishes? After all, you did make the meal, right?"
Yuji sighed in agreement, and the two cleaned the dishes. It was almost time for them to go to Den City High by the time they finished.
Before the duo left the apartment, Ena began to speak, "We'll talk about what happened during your duel with Umbra the other day. Until then, relax and focus on what you will say during the meeting, okay?"
"Will do, Ena!" Yuji replied.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Yuji and Ena noticed that someone was at the door. But at this time of the day? Strange indeed.
"Strangely, someone's at the door this early in the morning," Ena stated.
"We'll find out who and why soon enough," Yuji assured her. He and Ena walked over to the front door, and when Ena opened it, they saw a young girl with blonde hair tied back into a French braid and pear-grey eyes. She wore a white shirt, pants with purple and red outlines, and white shoes. She also wears a necklace with a gem and a feather on it.
Ena's eyes widened in surprise. "You're that girl I bumped into the other day!"
The girl smiled. "Yes, I'm well aware of that," she said as she held out something to Ena. Ena's eyes widened again on realizing it was her Deck. "You dropped this when we met. I had to look inside to see if your name or address was listed. Sorry."
"Oh, don't worry about that. And thank you for returning it," Ena assured her, taking her Deck back. She then reached out her other hand. "I'm Ena Yamashiro. Though I guess you already know that. And the boy beside me is my friend/roommate Yuji Sugimuto."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Yuji said as he held out his hand.
"Rhea Kobayashi," she said, smiling as she shook Yuji and Ena's hands. "A pleasure to meet you. Can't say I was expecting to crash into someone my first day in Den City."
"First day? Does that mean you recently just moved here?" Yuji asked.
"That's correct. My parents are in the military, so we move around a lot. I would have thought it was obvious since I was walking the streets all by my lonesome."
"That makes sense," Ena said. "Well, since you just moved here, does that mean you're also attending Den City High School?"
Rhea nodded. "Yep. Though my family still has some unpacking to do. So it'll be a while for us to settle before I attend school. I'm currently taking my classes online until then."
"Well, I speak for both of us when I say that Ena and I can't wait to see you at school," Yuji said with a smile. "We were just about to head out. Would you like to walk with us if it's no trouble?"
"That's kind of you to offer, but…." She glanced at her watch and frowned. "I promised my parents I would return the Deck I found and return home. One of my classes will start in twenty-five minutes."
"Well, that's a shame," Ena said with a frown. "I was hoping we could get to know you more."
Rhea thought something over, then smiled. "Well, I have no plans this weekend. I noticed this fun arcade near my new house if you want to get to know me. I could use some company when I check it out."
"That sounds like fun," Yuji said. "The two of us will have to check our schedule, but if we're free, we can make it without problems."
Rhea smiled at the two teens and bowed her head. "Oh my gosh! I do hope the two of you are free! If you are, let's meet at the arcade at seven. See you then, Yuji and Ena." She winked at the duo as she turned and left the apartment.
Ena turned to Yuji. "She seems like a nice person, doesn't she?"
Yuji nodded. "She sure is." He then looked at his watch and frowned. "Uh-oh. We better get a move on, or else we'll be late."
"Then let's get a move on!" Ena shouted before she and Yuji left the apartment and started the walk that would take him to Den City High School.
A few minutes later, on the way to Den City High School…
After walking for a few minutes, Yuji realized something. He forgot to tell Ena about his bad dream last night. However, he shrugged the thought off. She's already in a good mood. Better not ruin it for her. He'll tell her about it later tonight.
"Hello, Yuji, Ena." Skye smiled at the two as they met at the intersection. Also with her were Theodore and Lily. Ena smiled back while Yuji nodded.
"Hello, Skye," Ena said happily. "Did you have any trouble with the trigonometry homework?"
"A little. But my brother was able to help me finish it."
"I, however, had some trouble with it," Theodore said as he rubbed his head. "I ended up having to call Lily last night for help."
"It was no trouble. I'm glad to lend you my aid anytime you needed," Lily said with a smile. "What about you, Yuji?"
"I managed to finish it during lunch yesterday," he answered. "Speaking of which, I was hoping the five of us could get together and have a strategy meeting regarding our next step in finding Desperado and Umbra. You guys in?"
Skye nodded. "We sure are. We need to be on our toes."
Theodore nodded. "It's nice to have Playmaker, the Hanoi, Ghost Gal and The Shepherd on our side. But we must ensure we're extra prepared because we don't know when the enemy will strike."
"Not to mention we might have to go against innocent people," Lily added. "Shima was the first victim. So who knows which one of our friends we might face next."
"I doubt that will happen for a second time, Lily," Yuji said. "Umbra gave me the program necessary to wake Shima up even though I didn't win the duel since he forced it to end in a draw."
"So you're saying he did it out of honor?" Ena asked.
"Maybe. Maybe not," Yuji replied. "All I know is that he has principles. But even if he followed them, he still endangered the lives of one of my friends. And for that, I cannot forgive him."
Ena considered arguing against Yuji's thought but decided against it; he would probably have a counter for everything she would say. And if he didn't, she didn't want to put the others in an uncomfortable position. "I agree with you, Yuji," she said. "You mess with our friends, then you mess with the Top 10."
"Wow! That sounded good, Ena," Theodore said. "You should caption that. I believe it would catch on with fans of ours."
"I agree," Lily said.
"We can focus on that later," Skye abruptly stated. "So when were you thinking we should have this meeting, Yuji?"
"I was thinking around lunchtime," he replied. "I can ask Hosoda if we can use the Club Room. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. I hope he doesn't ask why."
"He's not the one to pry into someone's business," Ena stated. "I'm sure he won't ask."
"Then it's settled. We'll meet in the Club Room during lunch," Theodore said.
"Though if one of us can't make it, we should let the group know," Lily suggested. Sound good?"
The four teens nodded in response.
"Great!"
With their minds returning to Earth, Yuji realized they had reached Den Academy. The quintet went to their classes. Yuji and Ena went to their homeroom class, where they saw more than a few female classmates glaring at Taigen as they sat down in their chairs. Again. He was a very charming guy with a sweet personality, so he was expected to get so much attention from girls. However, Yuji still felt like he was hiding something. Ever since their duel yesterday, he feels Taigen's not who he says he is. But he couldn't explain why. Maybe Kolter was right. Maybe he was paranoid and overthinking things. He has had a lot on his mind lately, given that he had two difficult duels and probably will have to deal with even more after learning about this new evil group from Umbra known as the Syndicate.
"Good morning, class," the teacher said, getting everyone's attention. "We have a new exchange student joining us starting today." The teacher turned to his left. "Please come in."
A female student then entered the classroom. Yuji and Ena instantly recognized the teenager as the girl who returned Ena's Deck this morning.
"Hello, everyone," the teenager said. "My name is Rhea Kobayashi. Please take care of me." The reactions were mixed among the students. Some students thought she looked more like a college student than a teenager, while others welcomed her with open arms. A few other students were also curious about how this new student will contribute to the school.
After the girl listed some hobbies, the teacher assigned her to sit in a seat that was one row below Taigen's seat but above the row where Ena and Yuji were sitting.
"Hey, Yuji and Ena," Rhea whispered. "Looks like we got to meet in school after all."
"But how?" Ena asked. "I thought you said your classes were online."
"That's what I thought. But when I returned home, I got an email saying I can start attending school."
"Consider yourself lucky, then," Yuji said.
"Thanks," Rhea replied with a smile. "I was hoping the three of us could have lunch together. "What do you say?"
Ena frowned. "Normally, we would say yes, but Yuji and I have a thing during lunch, so I'm afraid we can't."
"We're sorry," Yuji added. "Maybe we can do it tomorrow?"
"Sure. Tomorrow sounds good," Rhea said. "And don't worry about me being upset. People have things to do. It's a part of life. I'll spend my lunchtime getting to know everybody and making new friends."
"Glad to hear it," Ena said.
"We can't wait," Yuji added.
After the conversation, the teacher began the class, causing the students to pay attention for the next hour.
An hour later, in the Engineering room...
Following the morning class, Yuji was in the Engineering room for today's lecture. Usually, he'd be taking notes from the nearby classroom, but the teacher wanted the students to do 'Hands-On' learning for today. He wanted the students to practice both mechanical engineering and software engineering for today, so they could prepare for an upcoming test, which was both written and hands-on. Yuji knew that Kolter learned software engineering while hunting down Hanoi when his brother was traumatized, so he had an advantage compared to the other students. As such, he could ask him questions to prepare for the test.
If Yuji was honest with himself, that test was the last thing on his mind. Other things took priority, such as dealing with a new enemy and keeping LINK VRAINS safe. However, he couldn't ignore school, so he needed to balance it correctly to prevent burnout from occurring. Let's get to work, Yuji decided, continuing to connect the circuits and wires so they would work. To everyone's surprise, they noticed that Taigen had completed both the mechanical and the software assignments before them.
"Impressive," the teacher said, reviewing the assignments and testing them to ensure they worked properly. "Well done, Taigen. If I may ask, where do you come from?"
"I come from Tokyo, teacher," Taigen answered. "I come from a family of engineers and programmers, who taught me at a young age." Yuji paid attention to that line. Does his family work at SOL Technologies? he wondered.
"Ah. So that's how you got your talent." The teacher genuinely smiled at Taigen. "Keep up the great work, and you'll one day get a scholarship towards Engineering." He walked around the classroom, causing everyone else to continue their work.
Another hour later...
Yuji walked through the hallway as he went to his next class. While the Engineering class was interesting, realizing that Taigen was skilled at it was what stood out to him. The question on his mind was how to learn more about Taigen. Yuji could send a message through phone or text, but that would give away his identity too quickly. So he decided to meet Taigen privately before lunch, where Yuji would meet up with the others in the Club Room to have their meeting. If what Taigen said was true, Yuji would try to convince the others to have Taigen help them fight against The Syndicate.
His thoughts, however, were interrupted when he noticed three taller students with injuries leaving the nurse's office. The first student had a black eye, the second had a broken nose, and the third had a swollen cheek.
"How the heck did you guys get injured so badly?" Yuji asked.
"The new kid did it!" the first of the students answered. "We thought he was an easy picking during gym class, but he kicked our butts using different martial arts styles. Stay away from him, Sugimuto. He means business." The three students fled in pain, their pride having been dealt a blow to each of them.
Little did those bullies know I was friends with that kid. Yuji smirked. Once they find out, they'll stay away from my friends and us. He kept walking through the hallway to his next class, amused with how Taigen scared a trio of students through his knowledge of martial arts.
He then realized that someone was following behind him.
Yuji around his surroundings quickly. Seeing a potential opportunity up ahead, he hid behind the closed door in an empty nearby classroom. Counting down from three, he reached forward and yanked the individual into the empty classroom before closing the door.
"Hey! What's the big idea?!"
Yuji turned to see the person he grabbed was none other than Taigen
"Oh. It's you, Taigen? Sorry about that. I thought you were one of those bullies you beat up earlier."
"You know about that?" He asked. "Man, I wish you were there. You should've seen their faces. They were all scared and crying like a bunch of babies. It was hysterical!"
"I bet it was," Yuji said. "But I'm glad I grabbed you because I wanted to ask you a question. During our Engineering Class, you said you come from a family of engineers and programmers. Does that mean your family works at SOL Technologies?"
"Well, yes and no," Taigen replied. "Promise not to tell anyone, but my mother is the sole founder of SOL Technologies."
Yuji's eyes widened. "Are you serious!? Your mom founded SOL Technologies!?"
"She sure did," Taigen confirmed.
"If that's true, why aren't there any articles or books about her or your family?" Yuji asked.
"That would be because the King overthrew her," Taigen replied. "Luckily, she had close friends who stuck by her side and are helping her with her next project."
"Next project? What would that be?
"Don't tell anyone this also, but after the incident in LINK VRAINS a few days back, she's developing a team of Duel Soldiers based on SOLTech's SOLtis and their AI Duelists to aid the Top 10."
Yuji narrowed his eyes. What Taigen said was very promising. However, Yuji didn't know whether Taigen's words were true. Even so, he knew he needed all the help he could get. He then looked at a nearby clock and saw what time it was. "Hate to end our conversation Taigen, but I have to be somewhere," Yuji said. "Next time we're alone, I want to know more about your mother's project."
Taigen grinned in joy as he extended his hand, which Yuji shook. "It's a deal! I promise I won't tell my mom I told you!" Yuji sighed. This was going to be an interesting day, that's for sure.
At lunch period, in the Duel Club meeting room...
Ena, Skye, Theodore and Lily sat patiently at a table in the Club Room, waiting for Yuji's arrival.
"What's taking Yuji so long?" Theodore wondered. "It's almost been ten minutes."
"You don't think something bad happened to him?" Lily asked in concern.
"I'm sure he's fine," Ena assured her. "Even if something bad happened, he would first notify us."
"Then again, you think he would be the first to show since it was his idea to have this meeting," Skye said with her arms crossed. Their conversation would have gone on had Yuji not arrived at the room.
"Sorry, I'm late," Yuji said, entering the room and going over to where everyone else was. He sat at the table.
"What took you so long?" Ena asked.
"I ran into Taigen and started talking," Yuji answered.
"Really? What did you two talk about?" Lily asked.
"Mostly about how he's enjoying Den City and school so far," Yuji replied. "He says he's having a blast so far."
"That's great to hear," Theodore said.
"It is. But let's focus on the matter at hand." Skye informed the others. "Can you guys think of where the Syndicate may be hiding?"
The four teens shook their heads.
Skye frowned. "Well, let's hope my brother finds something soon."
"While he does, we need to strengthen our forces," Yuji stated. "I was thinking of having Taigen fight alongside us."
"Why would you suggest that? We can't have an outsider get involved in our battle." Ena reminded Yuji.
"I think we should give the guy a chance, Ena," Theodore said. "He was close to defeating Yuji yesterday, and I overheard he's great at software engineering. He'd be a great asset for Kolter."
"I'm with Theodore on this one," Lily added. "The more allies we have, the faster we can stop the Syndicate. What do you think, Skye?"
"The old me would've shut Yuji's idea down, but it wouldn't hurt. Is it bad to judge someone before giving them a chance?" Skye questioned.
"Normally, yes," Ena answered, crossing her arms. "But given everything going on, we could risk getting him injured in the battle against our enemies."
"I'm sure he would be able to take care of himself, just as we all have handled ourselves in various scenarios." Yuji pointed out.
Ena sighed, knowing that arguing wasn't worth it at this time. "Very well. We'll personally invite him to LINK VRAINS as our avatars and offer him a spot. Whether he accepts or not, we keep moving forward."
Out of nowhere, Yuji's bag started vibrating. He opened it up and noticed it was coming from his tablet. Yuji got a message on his tablet and saw it was from an unknown person.
"I got a message from someone named Esper," he said. "Any of you guys know who that is?"
"Afraid not," Ena answered. The others shook their heads in response. Yuji looked down at the message and read it.
"Storm Rider, please come to LINK VRAINS around four pm." he read. "I would like to join your group and aid you against the people who attacked LINK VRAINS. If you like, you can bring other members of the Top 10 with you. From, Esper." There was a set of coordinates below the message.
"It could be a trap." Theodore theorized.
"I second that!" Lily exclaimed. "How did this person even find your email address?"
Ena looked at the message. "It was sent to Storm Rider's address, not Yuji's," she explained. "We had Kolter make them differentiate between the two in the event someone who knew Storm Rider can reach out to him."
"Well, what about their address? Are you able to find it?"
"Nope," Yuji answered. "And we can't message them back. I got a notice that the address didn't exist. So they must have deleted it right after sending the message."
"…Do you think it is a trap?" Ena asked. "You wouldn't be showing us this if you didn't believe it was genuine."
Yuji sighed. I do not know," he answered. "I ensured no one could find my new email address in three months. I'm about 70% certain this message is real. And if it is a trap, then I'm sure we can escape it."
Ena frowned. "Genuine or not, I do not want to accept their offer. I am grateful that they want to help us, but this is a serious fight for the safety of LINK VRAINS. An outsider shouldn't get involved."
Theodore frowned at her. "I don't know," he said hesitantly. "Given that they reached out to us, that must mean they're a skilled duelist, right? And we can always use more help."
"Without knowing who they are or why they want to help us in the first place?" Skye asked. "I agree with Ena; the Top 10 are enough to fight against the Syndicate. But honestly, I am curious about who this person is."
"As am I," Lily agreed.
"If anything, we should at least hear them out." Yuji decided. "I'd like to know where they stand in this conflict; Umbra, SOL Technologies, Desperado... we can't afford to have another unknown."
The four teens looked among themselves before nodding. "Alright, we'll meet Esper in LINK VRAINS," Ena said. "We'll find out where they stand in this conflict and then refuse their offer. Even if they aren't unknown, they're still an outsider. We can't involve them in this." Ena turned to the others. "Do you guys want to meet at Cafe Nom?"
"No, you and Yuji should go to Kolter's apartment," Theodore replied. "We'll head to our places after school and meet you in LINK VRAINS."
A few hours later…
After the school day ended, Yuji and Ena returned to the apartment, entered Kolter's bedroom, and headed inside the sealed rooms.
"Kolter said he'll, and Yusaku will be back here in about ten to fifteen minutes," Yuji said. "Until then, we're without support."
"That's not true. We'll have the others right by our side," Ena said. "Let's do this!"
"Yes!"
The two teens inserted their Decks into their Duel Disks. "It's time to link into the VRAINS!"
In LINK VRAINS…
Storm Rider and Sanctum emerged in LINK VRAINS before landing on an isolated island. Blue Maiden, Soulburner and Roselyn were already there waiting for the duo.
"These are the coordinates in the message," Sanctum told them.
"So now we just have to wait for the person to show," Soulburner said.
"I hope this isn't a trap," Roselyn said nervously.
"It isn't."
The quintet was startled as a young woman emerged onto the island. She had fair skin, neon green eyes, spiky white and black hair that flashed with electricity occasionally, and wore a futuristic, black leather suit with numerous silver and golden spikes emerging from its sides and covered by neon green highlights. Her eyes looked over Storm Rider, Sanctum, Soulburner, Blue Maiden and Roselyn before settling on the former.
"I admit, I wasn't sure you'd come," she said. "Given the enemies against you, I thought you might ignore my message."
"You're Esper, right?" Storm Rider asked, doing a once-over to see if she was who she said she was.
"Yes, I am Esper," she answered. "And as I said, I'd like to work with you against the Syndicate."
"How do you know about them?" Soulburner asked.
"I watched Storm Rider's duel with him," Esper replied. "And I heard Umbra mentioned it."
"Why?" Sanctum asked. "Why do you want to help us?"
"Because I want to," Esper said. "You see, during the day the Syndicate attacked LINK VRAINS, my best friend was one of the affected victims. Feeling helpless about how I couldn't do anything to save her, I decided to take it upon myself to confront the Syndicate."
"If that is your reason, then I'm afraid we have to say no." Blue Maiden said. Roselyn was looking at her in surprise. "While you have good intentions, and I can relate to you in wanting to avenge your friend, it's the Top 10's responsibility to keep LINK VRAINS safe. I'm sorry, but we cannot involve you in this."
Storm Rider frowned at that and opened his mouth, but Esper spoke up before he did. "Then what if I prove myself?" she asked. "If I defeat one of you in a duel and prove my strength, will you accept my help?"
They all blinked. "Let me get this straight," Soulburner said. "You think you can defeat one of us?" His finger alternated between the five duelists.
Esper smirked. "I sure can," she admitted. "I can defeat you." She pointed to Roselyn.
"Eh? Me?" she said while blinking. "Are you saying I'm the weakest of us?"
"Well, you were one of the first contestants eliminated during the SOL Grand Prix," Soulburner said bluntly.
"Not to mention that at the beginning, when the Top 10 was formed, you hesitated on helping us fight against the Arbiters," Blue Maiden pointed out.
"…I can't tell if you're trying to be reassuring," Roselyn admitted.
Sanctum frowned. "It isn't about your strength," she said. "An outsider shouldn't-."
"And what if I'm not an outsider?" Esper asked. "What if I am involved in the fight against the Syndicate?"
"Are you?" Storm Rider asked.
A small smile crossed her face. "I think you'll find out. So, do you accept?"
The quintet looked among themselves, and all nodded. "Alright," Roselyn said. "If you can defeat me in a duel, we'll accept your help."
"But if you lose," Sanctum said. "You'll tell us who you are."
She hesitated but then nodded. "Agreed."
Storm Rider lifted his Duel Disk. A bright light blinded the others for a few seconds. When they could see again, they realized a transparent dome had appeared around them.
"What did you do?" Soulburner asked.
"Why did you activate your Camouflage Dome?" Sanctum asked.
"To keep anyone from interfering," Storm Rider answered. Turning to the former, he said, "This program is designed to keep anyone from seeing what happens inside here. It also prevents anyone inside from logging out."
Esper frowned as she looked around but said nothing. Roselyn nodded as she activated her Duel Disk. "Alright, then; let's go!"
"Yeah!" Esper lifted and activated her Duel Disk. It was a custom, circular model with a green energy blade with yellow highlights. Storm Rider and the others had taken up positions behind Roselyn.
"Duel!" they shouted.
Esper: 4000 LP
Roselyn: 4000 LP
"I'll take the first turn," Esper said. "I activate the Spell Card: Terraforming! This card lets me add a Field Spell Card from my Deck to my hand." She took a card from her Deck, then played it. "I activate the Field Spell Card: PSY-Frame Circuit!"
Roselyn and Esper were surrounded by four golden contraptions, which produced an electrical field around them.
"I place one card face-down, then end my turn," Esper said. "Your move, Roselyn."
Roselyn raised an eyebrow. A Field Spell and a set card? No monsters? That was unusual for a duelist to do. But it did present an opportunity for Roselyn to go all out from the start. "My turn! I draw! I summon Twilight Rose Knight!"
A female knight with short blue hair, yellow eyes, a long white cape, and dark, rosy armor on the upper portion of her body appeared on Roselyn's field. On her head was a large, dark rosy tiara. In her left hand, she carried a sword.
Twilight Rose Knight ATK 1000 DEF 1000 LV: 3
"Not so fast!" Esper interrupted. "I activate the effect of PSY-Framegear Alpha from my hand. If I control no monsters and you Normal or Special Summon a monster, I can Special Summon this card and one copy of "PSY-Frame Driver" from my hand, Deck, or Graveyard."
"You're summoning monsters on my turn?!" Roselyn exclaimed.
"Correct," she confirmed. "Now, come! PSY-Framegear Alpha from my hand and PSY-Frame Driver from my Deck!"
Two monsters then immediately appeared on Esper's field. The first monster was a silver and black exoskeleton with arms with a helmet, green eyes, spikes on the sides, arms, and knuckles. Its chest portion was connected to the harness through wires, with a reactor core in the middle. At the back was a series of multi-layered belts shaped like a spine. The second monster was a male, humanoid monster wearing a black and white suit with electricity from his wrists and head.
PSY-Framegear Alpha ATK 500 DEF 0 LVL: 1
PSY-Frame Driver ATK 2500 DEF 0 LVL: 6
"Alpha's second effect also lets me add one "PSY-Frame" card from my Deck to my hand, except Alpha." Esper took a card from her Deck, then gestured to her field. "Now PSY-Frame Circuit's effect activates! If a "PSY-Frame" monster is Special Summoned, I can Synchro Summon 1 Synchro Monster using only "PSY-Frame" monsters I control!"
Soulburner gasped. "She's also Synchro Summoning on Roselyn's turn?"
"I tune the Level 1 PSY-Framegear Alpha with the Level 6 PSY-Frame Driver!"
A bolt of green lightning struck Esper as the world greyed out, and her two monsters disappeared into particles. Two rings, which were colored green, appeared before turning blue and merging. Seven blue rings stacked in a tower appeared as a screen displayed "6 + 1" in front of them. The screen then changed to "7" as light surged through the rings.
"The electric warrior shall don his armor and make the oppressors fall before his anarchic voltage!" Esper chanted. "I Synchro Summon! Arrive on the scene, Level 7! PSY-Framelord Zeta!"
A male, humanoid monster resembling Driver appeared on Esper's field in Attack Position. There were a few differences, however. Zeta had Alpha attached to his head, chest, and arms, while another PSY-Framegear monster was attached to his thighs and waist.
PSY-Framelord Zeta ATK 2500 DEF 1800 LVL: 7
Sanctum frowned as she looked over Esper's field. "It's surprising for her to have cards that let her summon monsters during her opponent's turn. Let alone a card that lets her Synchro Summon."
"Yeah," Storm Rider agreed. "And her archetype seems to function on countering her opponent's moves. This duel may end up being very troublesome for Roselyn."
"You think she can't win?" Soulburner asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Of course, Roselyn can win," Blue Maiden said. "Esper cards may be powerful, but Roselyn has us. She'll overcome any difference in strength with us by her side."
Roselyn gritted her teeth. For her opponent to use Hand Traps in their Deck was a pain in the butt, that's for sure. But still, there were things she could do in response to this situation.
"Twilight Rose Knight's effect activates! When she's Normal Summoned, I get to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Plant monster from my hand! Come, Botanical Girl!"
A teenage girl wearing plant-like clothing all over her body appeared on Roselyn's field. Her hair consisted of large rose petals at the front, while a large bulb was at the back.
Botanical Girl ATK 1300 DEF 1000 LV: 3
"I now tune the Level 3 Twilight Rose Knight with the Level 3 Botanical Girl!" Roselyn declared as a bolt of green lightning struck her. Soon, the world greyed out, causing both monsters to disappear. Two pink rings appeared before turning blue and merging. Six blue rings were stacked in a tower as a screen displayed "3 + 3" in front of them. The screen changed to a "6" as light surged through the rings.
"Queen of the hidden castle, let the forces of mother nature course through you!" Roselyn chanted. "I Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 6! Queen of Thorns!"
A woman in a green and red dress covered in leaves and vines emerged from the light in Attack Position.
Queen of Thorns ATK 2200 DEF 1800 LVL: 6
"As long as Queen of Thorns is on the field, we must pay 1000 Life Points to Normal or Special Summon a monster from our hands, except if it's a Plant monster," Roselyn explained, causing Esper to narrow her eyes. "In addition, I'll activate Botanical Girl's effect! Since she was sent to the Graveyard, I get to add a Plant monster with 1000 defense points or less from my Deck to my hand."
A card popped out of Roselyn's Deck, which she took and added to her hand.
"I activate the Equip Spell Card: Thorn of Malice, and equip it onto Queen of Thorns!"
The leaves and vines on Queen of Thorns' dress became sharper before a purple aura surrounded her.
"This card increases the attack points of either Black Rose Dragon or a Plant monster by 600."
Queen of Thorns ATK 2200→2800
"I was waiting for you to do that!" Esper suddenly said, getting Roselyn's attention. "I activate Zeta's effect! Once per turn, during either player's turn, I can target one Special Summoned monster you control that's in Attack Position and banish it along with Zeta until my next Standby Phase!"
"Oh, that's not a good sign at all..." Roselyn muttered, shocked that she would lose her Synchro Monster for the rest of his turn.
"I banish Queen of Thorns! Electric Overcharge!" Esper shouted as Zeta raced across the duel field with blinding speed and slashed Queen of Thorns several times, laughing as both monsters turned into yellow particles. "It's a good thing I watched your previous duels. Since your forte is Synchro Summoning like me, it only made sense to eliminate your Synchro Monster once you brought it out and your other monsters were in your Graveyard."
Roselyn ignored her opponent before continuing. "In that case, I activate the Spell Card: Seed of Deception! It lets me Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Plant monster from my hand. Come, Glow-Up Bulb!"
A small plant bulb with a flowering top and a single purple eye in its center appeared on the field.
Glow-Up Bulb ATK 100 DEF 100 LVL: 1
"I activate the Fallen Angel of Roses' effect from my hand!" Roselyn declared. "I return Glow-Up Bulb to my hand to Special Summon it. Come forth!"
Appearing to Roselyn's field in a flurry of black and purple rose petals was a tall, darkly beautiful angel creature with thorny wings made of black rose petals, long straight black hair, a tight leather vest that left her shoulders exposed, short white skirt, and leather boots, and a whip made of a thorny vine.
Fallen Angel of Roses ATK 2400 DEF 1300 LV: 7
"Battle! Fallen Angel of Roses attacks you directly! Thorn Lash!"
Fallen Angel cracked her whip once and lashed it forward, only for Esper to gesture to her field.
"I activate the Trap Card: Counter Gate!" she declared. "When you attack me directly, that attack is negated!" A stone gate appeared in front of Esper, blocking Angel of Rose's attack and forcing it to return to Roselyn's side of the field. "Then I get to draw a card, and if the card I draw is a Monster Card, I get to summon it."
Esper drew her card, looked at it and smirked.
"I drew the Level 3 Hushed Psychic Cleric, which means I can summon it to my field."
A dark-skinned man with long gray hair wearing white and purple robes with yellow lining appeared. He wielded a yellow and white staff in his left hand.
Hushed Psychic Cleric ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 3
"Hushed Psychic Cleric's effect! When he's Normal or Flip Summoned, I can automatically change him to Defense Position."
A blue glow surrounded his body as Hushed Psychic Cleric crossed his arms.
"I activate the Spell Card: Card of Variation!" Roselyn declared. "This card lets me draw two cards, but I must send one from my hand to the Graveyard at the end of my turn. Otherwise, I take 3000 points of damage." She proceeded to draw two cards. "I place two cards face-down and end my turn. As it's the End Phase, I'll discard Glow-Up Bulb from my hand to avoid taking 3000 points of damage from Card of Variation." She narrowed her eyes at Esper. "You sure aren't giving me any chance to counterattack. But that makes the duel even more exciting and motivates me harder to win."
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Esper declared. "My turn! I draw! Since it's now my Standby Phase, the effect of Zeta ends, which means both of our monsters return to our fields."
Following her words, Zeta and Queen of Thorns reappeared.
PSY-Framelord Zeta ATK 2500 DEF 1800 LVL: 7
Queen of Thorns ATK 2200 DEF 1800 LVL: 6
"Then, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Emergency Teleport! Now, I can Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower Psychic-type monster from my hand or Deck to my field. From my Deck, I Special Summon PSY-Framegear Gamma!"
Soon, a mechanical mask with sharp protrusions on its sides and a layered belt extending out of it appeared on Esper's field.
PSY-Framegear Gamma ATK 1000 DEF 0 LVL: 2
"Appear! The circuit of high voltage!" Esper fired a bolt of electricity from her hand, causing a Link Portal to appear. "Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are two monsters, except tokens. I'll set PSY-Framegear Gamma and Hushed Psychic Cleric in the Link Arrows!"
Gamma went into the bottom-left arrowhead, while Hushed Psychic Cleric went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning both red.
"Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! PSY-Framelord Lambda!"
A female, humanoid monster clad in a blue and white suit with gold and black armor that had spikes on it appeared on Esper's field in the Right Extra Monster Zone. Electricity emitted from her wrists and armor.
PSY-Framelord Lambda ATK 1700 LINK-2 ↙↘
"While Lambda is on my field, I'm allowed to activate the effects of "PSY-Frame" monsters from my hand even if I control a monster," Esper explained.
"In that case, I activate the Trap Card: Breakthrough Skill!" Roselyn responded. "This card lets me-."
"I activate the effect of PSY-Framegear Epsilon from my hand!" Esper interjected. "Since you activated a Trap card, I can Special Summon this card and one copy of "PSY-Frame Driver" from my hand, Deck, or Graveyard. By doing so, I can negate and destroy your Trap card. Normally, I wouldn't be able to do this because I control a monster, but thanks to Lambda's effect, I can."
"And she stopped me again..." Roselyn muttered to herself as Breakthrough Skill turned into yellow particles.
"Now, come! PSY-Framegear Epsilon from my hand and PSY-Frame Driver from my Graveyard!"
Two monsters then immediately appeared on Esper's field. The first monster was a golden, mechanical monster with a mask and sharp protrusions on its sides. Extending out from its small body were two long golden-curved rods. The first one was longer than the other and had one spike on each side. The second had two spikes on each side and ended in a silver bolt. The second was Driver.
PSY-Framegear Epsilon ATK 1500 DEF 0 LVL: 2
PSY-Frame Driver ATK 2500 DEF 0 LVL: 6
"But since you summoned a non-Plant monster from your hand, Queen of Thorns' effect activates!" Roselyn pointed out as a green light appeared around Esper, causing her to grimace.
Esper: 4000→3000 LP
"I won't let that stop me," Esper responded. "PSY-Frame Circuit's effect also activates!" she continued. "When a "PSY-Frame" monster is Special Summoned to my side of the field, I'm allowed to perform a Synchro Summon using only "PSY-Frame" monsters I control. As such, I tune the Level 2 PSY-Framegear Epsilon and the Level 6 PSY-Frame Driver!"
A bolt of green lightning struck Esper as the world greyed out and her two monsters disappeared into particles. Two rings, which were colored green, appeared before turning blue and merging. Eight blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "2 + 6" in front of them. The screen then changed to "8" as light surged through the rings.
"Demon born from black flames, emerge and destroy all my enemies!" Esper chanted. "I Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 8! Thought Ruler Archfiend!"
A massive, green-skinned demon with white bones on his chest and legs appeared on Esper's field in the Main Monster Zone Lambda pointed to. He had green wings with orange spines all over them and orange nails on his fingers and toes. Lastly, there were orange braces evenly spread out on his tail.
Thought Ruler Archfiend ATK 2700 DEF 2300 LVL: 8
"Not good. Roselyn has to deal with another Synchro Monster..." Blue Maiden muttered.
"Battle! PSY-Framelord Zeta attacks Queen of Thorns! Electro Pressure Hit!"
Zeta charged forward at Queen of Thorns, enveloping himself in electricity as he did so. After identifying his target's pressure points, Zeta damaged each one at lightning speed, destroying the Synchro Monster and causing Roselyn to wince.
Roselyn: 4000→3700 LP
"Next, Thought Ruler Archfiend attacks Fallen Angel of Roses!"
The massive demon swept its claws through the purple-haired woman and destroyed it, making Roselyn wince again.
Roselyn: 3700→3400 LP
"At this point, Thought Ruler Archfiend's effect activates! When it destroys your monster by battle, I gain Life Points equal to that monster's original attack points!"
Esper: 3000→5400 LP
"Go, Lambda!" Esper said, pointing her right index finger at Roselyn. "Attack Roselyn directly!"
Lambda fired electricity from her fingers that struck Roselyn as she screamed in pain.
Roselyn: 3400→1700 LP
"Roselyn's already lost more than half her Life Points," Souburner said.
"I have to say, Esper's Deck is very powerful," Storm Rider said.
"I don't think this is the time to be proud of it," Sanctum said.
"With that, I end my turn," Esper concluded. "I'll tell this to you now. Surrender. I hate for this duel to continue."
"Surrender?" Roselyn repeated. "That's... kind of lame if you ask me." Esper raised an eyebrow at Roselyn as she continued. "A duel isn't over until both duelists make every move they can. Besides, I made a promise to myself. And to ensure it, I will win this duel!"
Esper sighed to herself, then smirked. "If you insist on continuing this duel, I won't stop you, but know it'll end in my victory."
"We'll see about that!" Roselyn said. "My turn! I draw!" Roselyn looked at her card and smiled. "I activate the Spell Card: Emergency Recharge! Normally, it lets me draw two cards, but I can draw four when my hand is empty!"
She drew her cards. "I now activate the effects of two Rose Fairy's from my hand. Since they were both added to my hand by a card effect, I get to Special Summon them to my field!"
Soon, two pink-skinned four-winged pixies with a rosebud for hair appeared in Attack Position.
Rose Fairy ATK 600 DEF 1200 LVL: 3
Rose Fairy ATK 600 DEF 1200 LVL: 3
"Now I activate the effect of Glow-Up Bulb from my Graveyard!" Roselyn continued. "Once per duel, I can send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard, and Special Summon it back to the field!"
Following her words, the small plant bulb sprouted onto the field.
Glow-Up Bulb ATK 100 DEF 100 LVL: 1
Esper grit her teeth. "A Level 1 Tuner and two Level 3 non-Tuners."
Sanctum narrowed her eyes. "It's coming…."
"I activate the Spell Card: Synchro Treasure!" The card showed a briefcase that contained numerous Synchro Monster cards. "This lets me draw a card for each Synchro Monster on the field, but I cannot add cards from my Deck to my hand for the rest of the turn. There are three Synchro Monsters, so I draw three cards. Next, I tune Level 1 Glow-Up Bulb with the two Level 3 Rose Fairys!"
The world grayed out as green energy gathered around Roselyn before blasting upwards. Her monsters disintegrated into data that reformed into three rings. One purple and two red. The rings turned blue and merged before reforming into seven blue rings in a tower. "1 + 3 + 3" before shifting to "7". A beam of light shot through the rings.
"The cold flame engulfs the entire world!" Roselyn chanted. "Pitch-black flower, bloom! I Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 7! Black Rose Dragon!"
A massive, black-skinned dragon, whose entire body was covered in roses, spread out her wings and let out a shriveling roar as she was summoned in Attack Position. She had a long, slender neck covered in roses at the back and three mandibles made of roses on her head. She also had clawed draconic feet. In addition, the dragon had a long, thorned tail and thinner thorned tails. Black Rose Dragon's orange eyes glowed as she glared at Esper.
Black Rose Dragon ATK 2400 DEF 1800 LV: 7
"Black Rose Dragon's effect activates!" Roselyn said. "When it's Synchro Summoned, every card on the field is destroyed!"
"Not so fast!" Esper abruptly stated. "I activate Zeta's effect! Once per turn, during either player's turn, I can target one Special Summoned monster you control that's in Attack Position and banish it along with Zeta until my next Standby Phase. I banish Black Rose Dragon! Electro Overcharge!"
"That's pointless! I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Effect Shut! It negates the activation of PSY-Framelord Zeta's effect and destroys it!"
Esper gasped as Zeta was suddenly trapped inside a steel cage and vanished into a bright light. "This can't be!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, but it is! Go, Black Rose Gale!"
Black Rose Dragon flapped her wings in front of her and unleashed a tornado, destroying every card on the field, causing Esper to raise her arms to protect herself from the wind.
"I activate the effect of the Trap Card: Forceful Rebirth from my Graveyard!" Roselyn said. Soon, a silhouette of a card appeared, showing Crass Crown clawing its way out of the Graveyard as it transformed into Clown Zombie. "When a card effect destroys this card, I can Special Summon a monster straight from my Graveyard. Return, Black Rose Dragon!"
Black Rose Dragon reappeared on Roselyn's field.
Black Rose Dragon ATK 2400 DEF 1800 LV: 7
"I should've known that the dragon wouldn't be gone too long," Esper muttered.
"Moving on, I activate the Equip Spell Card: United We Stand and equip it onto Black Rose Dragon! The equipped monster gains 800 attack and defense points for every monster on my field! As I only control one monster, my dragon gains 800 attack and defense points!"
Black Rose Dragon let out a roar as its attack points increased.
Black Rose Dragon ATK 2400→3200 DEF 1800→2600
"Battle!" Roselyn declared. "Black Rose Dragon attacks you directly! Black Rose Flare!"
Black Rose Dragon gathered energy inside her maw before firing it at Esper, causing her to fly back and fall to the ground.
Esper: 5400→2200 LP
"Awesome! She inflicted more than 3000 points of damage!" Soulburner said.
"But Esper's Life Points are still higher," Blue Maiden noted.
"But Roselyn currently holds the advantage," Storm Rider pointed out. "As long as she does, this duel is as good as hers."
"I place two cards face-down and end my turn," Roselyn concluded. "You're up."
"My turn! I draw!" Esper looked at her cards momentarily before deciding what to do. "I activate the Spell Card: Pot of Grief!" The card showed a grey pot with a wide smile and one red eye with gold handlebars. "By sending the top five cards of my Deck to the Graveyard, I can draw two cards in exchange."
Esper proceeded to mill the top five cards of her Deck, then drew two afterward.
"In addition, I activate Cards of Compensation's effect! Since it was sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can draw two more cards! Next, I summon Psychic Commander!"
A man in a green uniform riding a floating tank appeared.
Psychic Commander ATK 1400 DEF 800 LVL: 3
"As I control a Level 3 monster, I can Special Summon Psychic Tracker!"
A small white and green machine with yoyos attached appeared in Defense Position.
Psychic Tracker ATK 1600 DEF 600 LVL: 3
"I now tune the Level 3 Psychic Commander with the Level 3 Psychic Tracker!" Esper declared as a bolt of green lightning struck her, the world greying out and his two monsters disappearing into particles. Two rings, one colored green and the other colored white, appeared before turning blue and merging. Six blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "3 + 3" in front of them. The screen then changed to "6" as light surged through the rings.
"Ferocious beast dwelling in darkness, come forth and bring fear to my enemies!" Esper chanted. "I Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 6! Psychic Nightmare!"
A winged, dark-blue fiend with a mane of green hair and horns emerged from the light onto Esper's field in Attack Position and howled.
Psychic Nightmare ATK 2400 DEF 1800 LVL: 6
"Since I used Psychic Tracker to Synchro Summon Psychic Nightmare, it gains 600 attack points!"
Psychic Nightmare ATK 2400→3000
"Moving on, I activate the Spell Card: Riryoku! This card lets me target two monsters on the field, halve the first monster's attack points, and add those attack points to the other monster, with these changes lasting until the end of my turn. I target Black Rose Dragon and Psychic Nightmare!"
Roselyn gasped as the said monsters glowed.
Black Rose Dragon ATK 3200→1600
Psychic Nightmare ATK 3000→4600
"Battle!" Esper declared. "Psychic Nightmare, attack Black Rose Dragon!"
The fiend lobbed a ball of blue lightning at the Synchro Monster, but Roselyn didn't seem worried.
"I activate my Trap Card: Ground Capture!" Roselyn declared. "Since your monster declared an attack, the battle damage is halved!"
Soon, a giant stone hand erupted from the ground, temporarily stopping Psychic Nightmare's attack. Unfortunately, it destroyed the stone hand and Black Rose Dragon, causing Roselyn to flinch from the shockwave.
Roselyn: 1700→200 LP
"Then, since I took 1000 or more points of damage from your attack, I can draw a card!"
"Once again, you've impressed me with your quick thinking," Esper said as she gestured to her field. "I activate Psychic Nightmare's effect! Once per turn, I can pick a card in your hand and guess what type of card it is. If I guess right, Psychic Nightmare gains 1000 attack points until your next End Phase!" Esper thought it over before deciding. "The remaining card in your hand is a Monster Card!" Roselyn showed the card in her hand, showing it was Rose Princess. "Ha ha! It's a monster, so Psychic Nightmare gains 1000 attack points!"
Psychic Nightmare ATK 4600→5600
"I place two cards face-down and end my turn. As it's now the End Phase, the effect of Riryoku ends."
Psychic Nightmare ATK 5600→4000
"My turn! I draw!" Roselyn announced as she drew her card.
"At the start of your turn, I activate the Trap Card: Psychic Overload!" Esper immediately interrupted. "This card lets me target three Psychic monsters in my Graveyard and shuffle them into my Deck. By doing so, I can draw two cards. I shuffle Driver, Psychic Tracker, and Psychic Commander from my Graveyard into my Deck!"
Esper took the cards from her Graveyard, shuffled them into her Deck and drew.
Roselyn ignored Esper's play as she looked at the card she drew before gesturing to her field. "I activate the Trap Card: Descending Lost Star! This card lets me Special Summon a Synchro Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position. However, its effects are negated, its Level is reduced by one, and its defense points become 0. Resurrect, Black Rose Dragon!"
On Roselyn's command, Black Rose Dragon reappeared on her field and roared at Esper, infuriated.
Black Rose Dragon ATK 2400 DEF 1800→0 LVL: 7→6
"You may have brought back your dragon, but I'm sad to say that it isn't going to help you win this turn like you said," Esper stated.
"Well, I hate to tell you that you're going to regret saying those words," Roselyn replied. "I activate the second effect of the Quick-Play Spell Card: Assault Mode Zero from my Graveyard! By banishing it, I'm allowed to set Assault Mode Activate directly from my Deck!"
A card ejected from Roselyn's Duel Disk as she set it onto her field.
"Assault Mode?" Sanctum repeated. She then smirked. "It looks like Roselyn's finally getting serious."
"I'm also allowed to activate it the same turn I set it," Roselyn continued. "I activate the Trap Card: Assault Mode Activate! By Tributing a Synchro Monster, I can Special Summon an "/Assault Mode" monster whose name includes the Tributed monster's name from my Deck in Attack Position. I Tribute Black Rose Dragon!"
Pink flames enveloped Roselyn's dragon as the two lightning bolts shot past it. Flames in the shape of petals peeled off the dragon before they dispersed, revealing the monster beneath.
"Come forth! My trusted partner! Black Rose Dragon/Assault Mode!"
The dragon was the same in that it had two legs, a head, and two wings, but there were differences. It had magenta-colored armor shaped like flower petals. Its pink rose-petal wings emerged from either side of its body, and its black legs were covered by pink armor. The top half of its black tail was covered by ridged pink armor, while thorns covered its bottom half. Its neck consisted of ridged black plates lined with pink, and four trails of crimson roses fell behind its head. Its yellow and red eyes gleamed as it roared in Attack Position.
Black Rose Dragon/Assault Mode ATK 2900 DEF 2300 LVL: 9
"How did Roselyn get that card in her Graveyard?" Soulburner wondered.
"It must've been the card she discarded when she used Glow-Up Bulb's effect," Storm Rider answered.
Roselyn smirked. "Behold my dragon's evolution. Its attack and defense points are higher, and its effects are more powerful. Black Rose Dragon/Assault Mode's effect activates! When Special Summoned, all other cards on the field are destroyed!"
"What!?" Esper gasped.
"Go! Extreme Rose Gale!"
A whirlwind of wind and rose petals stormed across the field.
"I won't allow that!" Esper declared. "I activate the Trap Card: Psychic Soul! By Tributing Psychic Nightmare, I gain Life Points equal to its Level times 300."
"Psychic Nightmare was Level 6," Blue Maiden noted. "That means…"
"Esper gains 1800 Life Points," Soulburner finished.
Psychic Nightmare turned into a white mist and surrounded Esper as her body glowed yellow.
Esper: 2200→4000 LP
"As if it would be that simple…." Roselyn sighed. "In that case, I'll have Black Rose Dragon/Assault Mode attack you directly! Assault Rose Flare!"
The dragon opened its mouth, and violet and pink flames gathered in its maw before blasting Esper with pink and violet flames, sending her tumbling back.
Esper: 4000→1100 LP
Storm Rider narrowed his eyes at the field. They seem to be evenly matched. Still, it can go either way.
Roselyn wiped her forehead using her right arm. "That was intense if you ask me. Regardless, I'm certain that victory will be mine."
"I wouldn't get cocky," Esper warned her. "My turn! I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Card of Adversity! Since I control no monsters on my field and you control a Special Summoned monster on yours, I can draw two cards."
Esper drew and smiled at her cards. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Teleport! Since you control monsters and I don't, I can pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon a Psychic monster from my hand! I Special Summon Storm Caller!"
A giant blue monster with a satellite dish attached to its shoulders appeared on Esper's field in Attack Position.
Esper: 1100→300 LP
Storm Caller ATK 2300 DEF 2000 LVL: 6
"Then, I summon the Tuner monster Psychic Wheeleder!"
A white robot enclosed in a wheel appeared.
Psychic Wheeleder ATK 600 DEF 0 LVL: 3
"I'm impressed you made it this far in our duel, Roselyn. However, what I'm about to summon, will bring it to an end." Esper stated. "I tune the Level 3 Psychic Wheeleder with the Level 6 Storm Caller!"
A bolt of green lightning struck Esper as the world greyed out and her two monsters disappeared into particles. Two rings, which were colored green, appeared before turning blue and merging. Nine blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "3 + 6" in front of them. The screen then changed to "9" as light surged through the rings.
"Let the future descend, and with it, psychic power beyond all imagination!" Esper chanted. "I Synchro Summon! Arise, Level 9! Hyper Psychic Blaster!"
A humanoid giant wearing white armor appeared on Esper's field in Attack Position. In his hands, he wielded dual-wielding back and white futuristic guns.
Hyper Psychic Blaster ATK 3000 DEF 2500 LVL: 9
"A new Synchro Monster," Storm Rider noted.
"Yeah, but it isn't strong enough to finish off Roselyn," Soulburner said. "So Esper won't be able to win this turn."
"Don't be so sure," Blue Maiden said.
"Psychic Wheeleder's effect activates!" Esper declared. "When it's used as Synchro Material, one monster on the field with fewer attack points than Hyper Psychic Blaster is destroyed!" Roselyn's eyes widened. "Say goodbye to your Black Rose Dragon/Assault Mode!"
Wheeleder reappeared on Esper's field before ramming into the dragon, destroying it in an explosion and making Roselyn grimace.
"At this moment, the destroyed Black Rose Dragon Assault Mode's effect activates!" Roselyn exclaimed. "I'm allowed to Special Summon Black Rose Dragon from my Graveyard!"
The smaller but still formidable dragon reappeared and roared in Defense Position.
Black Rose Dragon ATK 2400 DEF 1800 LVL: 7
"Esper destroyed Roselyn's Assault Mode monster, but she brought back her original monster," Sanctum noted.
Esper narrowed her eyes at Roselyn. "This duel is over now!" she declared. "When Hyper Psychic Blaster attacks your Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage!" Roselyn's eyes widened in surprise. "Battle! Hyper Psychic Blaster attacks Black Rose Dragon! Hyper Piercer!"
The giant's blasters charged with yellow energy. The blasters fired an energy beam at Roselyn's monster, creating an enormous explosion and smokescreen.
Esper smiled. "Yes! With this, victory is mine! And now I'm-!"
"Are you sure about that?"
However, her speech was interrupted upon seeing Roselyn unharmed and her Life Points intact. In addition, Esper also saw an activated Trap Card on Roselyn's field.
"B-But," Esper stuttered. "How?!"
Roselyn gestured to her face-down card. "I activated the Trap Card: Synchro Barrier!" she revealed. "By Tributing a Synchro Monster I control, all damage that I would take this turn is reduced to 0!"
Esper adopted a small smile. "I'm glad you survived. I wasn't ready for this duel to end." She gestured to her monster. "I activate Hyper Psychic Blaster's effect! When it attacks your Defense Position monster, I gain Life Points equal to the difference between its attack points and your monster's defense points! In this case, the difference is 1200!"
Esper: 300→1500
"Hey, Yuji, can you hear me?"
Storm Rider blinked. "Kolter? You finally made it back?"
"Yeah, there was a bit of traffic, but we managed to get here in time. Yusaku's with me too."
"Kolter and Yusaku have arrived at the apartment," Storm Rider said softly to Sanctum, who nodded in response. Storm Rider then started whispering, catching Kolter and Yusaku up on what was happening.
"I place one card face-down and end my turn." I've seen how you duel, Roselyn. You're going to Synchro Summon something big and attack. But if you do, you're just heading to your defeat. My set card, Dimension Wall, will inflict the damage I would take to you. My victory is as good as mine. Esper thought in her mind.
Esper narrowed her eyes at Roselyn. "From one duelist to another, know I have nothing against you or the Top 10. However, I need to win this duel to fulfill my promise."
"Is that so?" Roselyn questioned. "In a way, we're similar because we've made promises to ourselves that we must complete. However, what's different is not just the promises we made but what we'll do to complete them. Ultimately, whoever can come out on top in this duel will be able to fulfill their promise."
"On that, we can agree," Esper replied. "So make your final move."
"With pleasure. My turn! I draw!" Roselyn declared. She smiled on seeing her card. "First, since you control a monster and I don't, I can Special Summon Rose Princess!"
A pink-skinned woman in a red dress with rose petals for hair appeared in Attack Position.
Rose Princess ATK 1200 DEF 800 LVL: 3
"When Rose Princess is Special Summoned by her effect, she is treated as a Tuner monster! Next, I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn! With this, I'll Special Summon a monster from our Graveyards. Return to me, Black Rose Dragon!"
A portal appeared on Roselyn's field, with Black Rose emerging.
Black Rose Dragon ATK 2400 DEF 1800 LVL: 7
"A Level 3 Tuner and a Level 7 monster," Storm Rider muttered. "She's going to-!"
Roselyn gestured to her field. "Level 3 Rose Princess tunes Level 7 Black Rose Dragon!"
A bolt of green lightning struck behind Roselyn as the world grayed out. Her two monsters disintegrated into particles of green data that reformed into two circles, one being pink and composed of three concentric rings, while the other red and composed of seven concentric rings. The circles turned blue before merging, forming ten blue rings stacked in a tower, circled by blue-green rectangles. A screen displayed "3 + 7" appeared before changing to "10." A light surged through the rings as Roselyn raised her hand above her head.
"A divine flame envelops the world, and a dragon's roar resounds within its incandescent light! Touch the soul of the Crimson Dragon, and set it into bloom!"
The fleeting image of a serpentine dragon flew behind Roselyn, whose entire body burned with pure, sacred fire and radiated indisputable, cosmic might.
"I Synchro Summon! Appear now, Level 10! Ruddy Rose Dragon!"
The ground cracked, followed by myriad thorny vines bursting out of it and growing towards the sky, where they tangled together. A large, red rose with pink trims bloomed on its tip, then split into four directions, revealing a large dragon's body hidden within it. The dragon hit the ground with its vines, like cracking a whip and letting loose a resounding roar.
Ruddy Rose Dragon ATK 3200 DEF 2400 LVL: 10
Esper blinked as she looked at Ruddy Rose. "I didn't expect you to Synchro Summon a Level 10 Synchro Monster with just two cards," she admitted. "Nevertheless, if you attack Hyper Psychic Blaster, I'll still have Life Points left."
"Attack points aren't everything, you know," Roselyn told her. "Allow me to show you why! Ruddy Rose Dragon's effect activates! When it's Synchro Summoned, all cards in our Graveyards are banished!"
"What did you say!?" Esper cried out in shock.
Ruddy Rose stabbed the ground with her vines, and several others burst out, each impaled with a card on one of its thorns. The dragon then unleashed a tide of chilling flames, burning everything down to ashes.
"And since I used Black Rose Dragon as Synchro Material to summon Ruddy Rose Dragon, the second part of its effect resolves!" Roselyn continued. "All other cards on the field are destroyed! Ruddy Rose Turbulence!"
Ruddy Rose let out a second roar and spread its four wings, conjuring a large twister of rose petals and fire, which hit Hyper Psychic Blaster and Esper's face-down card, destroying them both.
"Battle! Ruddy Rose Dragon attacks you directly! Ruddy Rose Inferno!"
Ruddy Rose roared as a storm of petals surrounded it. It then released a stream of flames from its mouth at Esper. Upon impact, Esper cried out as she was flung backwards and landed painfully on her back.
Esper: 1500→0 LP
"Yes!" Soulburner cheered. "Roselyn won!"
The quintet walked over to the defeated girl, who pushed herself to her knees.
"That was a good duel," Roselyn said. "You sure did give me a run for my money."
"Even so, we can't let you face an enemy like the Syndicate or Astro and Glacia," Sanctum said. "I know you want to help but leave this to us."
"Now, as we agreed before the duel," Storm Rider said. "Who are you?"
"Alright. I do honor my word, after all." Esper conceded. "But would you mind if I told you tomorrow in the real world?"
"Huh? Why tomorrow?" Blue Maiden questioned. "Roselyn beat you fair and-!"
"You never know who's listening in the network," Esper explained. "I'll see you all at school tomorrow." With that, she logged out afterwards.
"And Esper has left the chat," Sanctum commented, causing Storm Rider to roll his eyes.
"Let's log out too," Storm Rider said as he and the others immediately logged out of the network.
At Kolter's apartment, in Kolter's bedroom...
Yuji and Ena stepped out of the closed-off space. Kolter and Yusaku noticed them before they sat in the chairs near them and placed their Duel Disks on the digital keyboard.
"Hey, glad to see you guys," Kolter said. "I saw Roselyn's duel against Esper. She did great."
"No wonder she was able to beat Esper," Yusaku commented. "She was able to adapt to the situation quickly. Did you manage to find out Esper's identity?"
"Yes and no," Yuji replied sheepishly. "Although Esper plans to honor our deal, she said she'll reveal her identity to us in the real world at school tomorrow."
Kolter turned to Yuji and Ena in surprise. "Are you saying Esper's transferring to Den Academy tomorrow?" he asked.
"That is the most likely explanation," Ena answered. "Or maybe she's already a student there. All I know is that we'll be able to solve this mystery once and for all when tomorrow comes."
The others nodded, knowing they'd find some answers tomorrow morning. "If it helps, Yusaku and I will try to find any information on her and notify you if we find anything," Kolter said.
"Thanks," Yuji replied. "Man, what a day."
"It sure was." Ena agreed, sighing to herself.
OC Card Memo:
Lily Gardener/Roselyn:
Black Rose Dragon/Assault Mode (Credit to Scififan599)
Attribute: FIRE Type: [Dragon/Effect] ATK 2900 DEF 2300 Level: 9
Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must be Special Summoned with "Assault Mode Activate". When this card is Special Summoned: You can destroy all other cards on the field. You can only use each of the following effects of "Black Rose Dragon/Assault Mode" once per turn.
-If this card attacks an opponent's monster: You can change that monster's battle position, and if you do, its ATK/DEF becomes 0 until the end of the turn. The turn this effect is activated, this card inflicts piercing battle damage to your opponent.
-When this card on the field is destroyed: You can target 1 "Black Rose Dragon" in your GY; Special Summon it.
Synchro Treasure (Credit to Scififan599)
Draw 1 card for each face-up Synchro Monster on the field. You cannot add cards from the Deck to your hand for the rest of this turn after this card resolves.
Forceful Rebirth (Normal Trap card) Credit to Divadx
Effect: Target 1 monster in your GY; Special Summon it to your field, but its effects are negated. If this face-down card is destroyed by a card effect: You can target 1 monster in your GY; Special Summon it to your field in attack position. You can only use 1 'Forceful Rebirth' effect per turn, and only once that turn.
Rhea Kobayashi/Esper:
Pot of Grief (Normal Spell card) Credit to Divadx
Effect: Send the top 5 cards of your deck to your GY; draw 2 cards. You can only activate 1 'Pot of Grief' per turn.
QOTC:
Did you guys enjoy Roselyn and Esper's duel? And how do you think Esper's sudden arrival will affect the story?
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Advent of New Beginnings. Chapter 7: A Helping Hand. Yuji and Ena meet with several Top 10 members to discuss their plan for dealing with the syndicate. However, out of nowhere, they receive a message from an unknown figure from LINK VRAINS saying they want to team up. Thinking it might be a trap, they log in to see what it is. Can Yuji and his friend this mysterious individual, or will they be deceived?
Well, that's it for now. Don't forget to favorite and follow this story. Leave a review. And please share and spread the word of this story to all of your friends. I really appreciate any and all support. Havea great rest of your day and happy New Year!