Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains: Advent of New Beginnings

by donkeyboy100

Sequel to Circuit of Smiles. Months have passed since Yuji, Ena, along with their counterparts, Yuya and Zuzu put a stop to Roget's plans and saved LINK VRAINS. However, a new mysterious group has come along that plans to eliminate LINK VRAINS Top 10 to take control of SOL Technologies. Can Storm Rider and his friends stop this new enemy without the aid of their counterparts?

16. Relentless Hunters

Donkeyboy100 is here with Chapter 16. First, these chapters won't be posted as fast as they normally are. Requests that were provided in Circuit in Smiles will be used in this fanfic.

In LINK VRAINS, at the Syndicate's Stronghold….

"I told you we should have taken the right turn in the passage back there! Now because of you, we had to waste our time dealing with these irritating pests and risk being swarmed by enemies! Seriously, I sometimes wonder what's rolling inside that head of yours because it sure isn't a brain!"

"Geez, calm down, sister. It was an honest mistake. You realize this is our first time at the Syndicate's base, no? You can't expect me to know the layout of every single area, especially ones we haven't visited yet. But hey, if you feel so confident, why don't you take charge, and I'll follow you while constantly grumbling?"

"Perhaps I should, seeing as it's the only way we'll get anything done today. Knowing you, you'll lead us straight to a pitfall next or something."

Ghost Gal and the Shepherd quarreled in the corridor of the Syndicate's hideout. At the same time, several Syndicate soldiers lay on the ground, barely conscious of their attempt to impede the two's progress.

"Fine then! Since I'm doing a horrible job as our guide, let's see whether you can do a better job than me. Might as well try to do something productive other than complaining all the time…."

"What was that?" Ghost Gal shot a nasty glare at Shepherd. "Did you say something, brother dear?"

"Nothing at all!" The Shepherd instantly capitulated, not the least willing to incur his sister's wrath. "I was just wondering why the Syndicate hasn't appeared to stop us. Just the thought of it gives me a weird feeling. And we can't communicate with the Top 10 or Zaizen to inform them of their base's location."

"I'm also concerned, but perhaps this will be for the best," Ghost Gal said as she rushed ahead, Shepherd following behind her. "Should we end up facing the Syndicate, we should record our duels to give to Zaizen. As such, it's a win-win situation for us."

"Let's hope you're right and things will go smoothly, although I won't be holding my breath," Shepherd replied. "I'm certain the Syndicate will have many nasty surprises for us to ensure we don't interfere with completing their precious plan. Whatever it is."

"I do hope you won't hesitate if we come across a foe who has a strong or broken Deck," Ghost Gal said. "We can't afford to pull any punches here, Shepherd. Should we lose, you and I will have will probably have our conscious data taken, just like Storm Rider. And I'll have you know I'm in no mood to become a sacrifice or be used as a pawn for the enemy."

"It will be alright, sister," Shepherd assured her. "I don't plan on holding back no matter who stands before us. To atone for the damages and mistakes I caused in the past to you and everyone else and prevent any more innocent lives from being harmed, I'll fight my hardest until the bitter end. We will stop the Syndicate and shut them down for good."

"First things first," Ghost Gal stated. "We must find their security control room and download its schematics. If we do, we can provide it to Varis and Zaizen, so they can cripple their security and reach the Syndicate's base without meeting too much resistance."

Following Ghost Gal's words, the duo soon approached a split path.

Ghost Gal frowned as she pulled up a map of the palace. "According to this map, this corridor splits into two shortly upward. I'll go left, and you go right. Once we reach our destination, we'll notify the other that we found and made it to the control room."

"Got it." Shepherd nodded. "But are you sure you will be alright on your own?"

"Please." Ghost Gal snorted. "I don't know what the Syndicate's what, but I don't intend to lose to them. My pride as a duelist and a bounty hunter won't allow that."

"In that case, good luck, and I'll see you soon."

The Shepherd shot Ghost Gal a thumbs-up and went down the corridor on the right, leaving Ghost Gal alone.

"Good luck to you, brother," Ghost Gal whispered. "Hope I'll see you soon as well."

After seeing that the coast was clear, Ghost Gal continued running down the hallway, hellbent on completing her goal of finding the security room. She made a right and continued running down the hallway before making a left. This led her to a room in the palace.

"This chamber…sure is extravagant. I never thought I'd find such an exquisite art room filled with many exhibits amid the enemy's base."

Ghost Gal looked around with her eyes wide as she surveyed the various works of art displayed around him. Paintings, sculptures, parts of ancient ruins, and many more such objects could be seen in the wide chamber. It made the young woman feel like she had stepped inside a prestigious museum like the ones she used to sneak into years ago. Even though she didn't consider herself a cultured individual, she couldn't help but marvel at the beauty around her.

"Either way, I have no business being here," Ghost Gal remarked. "I must hurry up and find the security room."

"Sorry, but you're not going anywhere."

Ghost Gal abruptly turned on her heels, coming face-to-face with an unfamiliar foe. It was a beautiful young woman with light blue hair with emerald eyes. She wore a blue and white knight's outfit with silver armor. It consisted of a white, blue-lining leotard, white armored gauntlets and boots, a white headpiece with a blue gem, and a white, blue-lining back skirt.

"Greetings," The woman bowed as she gracefully greeted Ghost Gal, much to her confusion.

"You're a member of the Syndicate, right?" Ghost Gal asked.

"Correct. The name's Lumine," she introduced himself. "And according to our data, you're Ghost Gal."

Ghost Gal narrowed her eyes. While she didn't expect to run into a member of the Syndicate in a room like this, she did know one thing. She was in her way, and if Ghost Gal had to use force to get Lumine out of her way, she'd be willing to do so. "While I'd love to chat and get to know you, I have to ask you to get out of my way politely. I have a mission to complete!"

"A mission, you say?" Lumine repeated. "Well, you'll have to put your mission on hold because you won't be going anywhere until you defeat me in a duel!"

Ghost Gal frowned. This was... an unexpected hurdle she was facing. While she had expected this, she couldn't let anything get in the way of completing her mission: finding the security room and getting a copy of its schematics so the Top 10 could get through their defenses. Taking a deep breath, she activated her Duel Disk. "Very well, Lumine. I accept your challenge!"

Lumine smirked. "Glad to hear it. I expect you to make me work for my victory." She then activated her Duel Disk.

"Let's duel!" Both duelists said in unison.

Lumine: 4000 LP

Ghost Gal: 4000 LP

"I'll take the first turn!" Lumine announced. "Oops, I nearly forgot this. Let's see…press this button first…and that should do it."

After Lumine had spoken, several semi-transparent barriers made out of Real Solid Vision appeared around the exhibits.

"This is…?"

"Just a small safety measure to prevent any collateral damages from occurring," Lumine responded to Ghost Gal's query. "If anything happened to this fine art gallery, I wouldn't hear the end of it from my boss. But this isn't the time to sweat the small stuff. Right now, I have a duel to win! First, I activate the Spell Card: Unexpected Dai! Since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from the Deck! Come, Mystery Shell Dragon!"

A dragon in dark black armor with crimson red eyes appeared in Attack Position.

Mystery Shell Dragon ATK 2000 DEF 0 LVL: 4

"I activate the Spell Card: Swordsoul Emergence! This card lets me add a "Swordsoul" monster from my Deck to my hand."

Ghost Gal narrowed her eyes. So that's her Deck's archetype, she mused. They focus on Synchro Summoning. And instead of having archetypal Tuner monsters, "Swordsoul" cards have effects that Special Summon a Level 4 "Swordsoul Token" Tuner monster, which greatly increases the Deck's consistency compared to other Synchro Decks as there is no longer a need to search for Tuners. Not to mention they have a secondary focus on banishing cards. Several "Swordsoul" cards have effects that require banishing Wyrm monsters or "Swordsoul" cards from the GY as a cost, while other "Swordsoul" monsters banish the opponent's cards as a part of their effects. Synergizing with the former, the "Swordsoul" Spell/Trap Cards have effects that activate when banished.

"I add Swordsoul of Taia to my hand, which I'll summon!"

A bipedal dragon clad from head to toe in white Chinese armor with spikes on its shoulders. A long, crimson mane flowed from the back of its horned helmet. It wielded a sword with a glowing white blade, almost as if it was made of ice.

Swordsoul of Taia ATK 1800 DEF 1500 LVL: 4

"I activate Taia's effect!" Lumine continued."By banishing a Wyrm monster or a "Swordsoul" monster from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Swordsoul Token. I banish Swordsoul Emergence!"

Following Lumine's words, a blue crystal-like monster with wings appeared on her field.

Swordsoul Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 4

"I tune the Level 4 Swordsoul of Taia with the Level 4 Swordsoul Token!"

Lumine declared as a bolt of green lightning struck her, as the world greyed out before her two monsters disappeared into particles. Two rings, one white and one blue, appeared before merging. Eight blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "4 + 4" in front of them. The screen changed to "8" as light surged through the rings.

"Sacred swords, cross your blades, and become the path for the champion of light to surface. With his unmatched skill, cut through the opposing evil and bring forth the path of righteousness! Synchro Summon! Now appear, Level 8! Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao!"

A bipedal dragon clad from head to toe in crimson and white Chinese armor with golden trims and a cape attached to its shoulders emerged from the light in Attack Position. It wielded a sword with a glowing orange blade, creating the illusion as if it was on fire.

Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 8

Ghost Gal frowned. "She summoned a Synchro Monster on her first turn," she muttered.

"Chixiao and Taia's effects now activate!" Lumine exclaimed. "Since Taia was used as Synchro Material, I can send a "Swordsoul" card or Wyrm monster from my Deck to the Graveyard." She took the card from her Deck before revealing it to Ghost Gal. The card showed The Abyss Dragon Swordsoul on the ground, engulfed in a dark aura as Ad Libitum of Despia stood over him. "I send the Trap Card: Swordsoul of Blazing Power to the Graveyard. Then, thanks to Chixiao's effect, I can add a "Swordsoul" card from my Deck to my hand since it was Synchro Summoned successfully. I add Swordsoul Blackout. Finally, I place one card face-down and end my turn. Now, show me what you're made of, Ghost Gal."

"With pleasure," Ghost Gal smirked. "It's my turn. I draw!" Ghost Gal drew, then looked up Chixiao's effects. Her eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed.

I see, she thought. This monster can negate the effects of one of my monsters by banishing a "Swordsoul" card or Wyrm monster from the Graveyard. That means she can negate my monsters' effects or my Spells and Traps.

That effect annoyed her, but she had to admit it was a good tactic. Against a duelist like herself, or one like her brother, such an effect would limit their options. Or it would make them work to adapt.

"Since I control no cards, I can activate the Trap Card: Infinite Impermanence from my hand!" Ghost Gal declared. "Thanks to its effect, I can negate Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao's effects until the end of the turn!"

A silhouette of the card appeared and glowed as Chixiao greyed out in the process, much to Lumine's dismay.

"You might've negated my monster's effects, but since Blazing Power was banished, its effect activates, letting me add it back to my hand."

"You might've gotten a card back, but with Chixiao's effects negated, I'm now free to use the effects of my monsters," Ghost Gal said. "I summon Altergeist Marionetter!"

A female humanoid monster with a round green apparatus attached to her waist appeared, giggling as she did so.

Altergeist Marionetter ATK 1600 DEF 1700 LVL: 4

"Marionetter's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Set an "Altergeist" Trap Card from my Deck. I Set Altergeist Haunted Rock." A Set card appeared. "Since Haunted Rock was Set by the effect of an "Altergeist" card, I can activate it! And when Haunted Rock is activated, I must send an "Altergeist" monster from my hand to the Graveyard."

Ghost Gal sent a copy of Altergeist Silquitous to the Graveyard, then gestured to her field. "I activate the effect of the Altergeist Multifaker in my hand! Since I activated a Trap Card, I can Special Summon Multifaker!"

A pink and purple female humanoid monster with six bent golden legs appeared in Attack Position. It giggled at Lumine.

Altergeist Multifaker ATK 1200 DEF 800 LVL: 3

"Multifaker's additional effect! When it is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a different "Altergeist" monster from my Deck in Defense Position. Come, Altergeist Meluseek!"

A dark purple female mermaid monster appeared.

Altergeist Meluseek ATK 500 DEF 300 LVL: 1

"Open before me! The circuit that connects to the unknown parallel universe!" Ghost Gal declared as a Link Portal appeared in the sky above her. "Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are two "Altergeist" monsters. I set Meluseek and Multifaker in the Link Arrows!"

Her monsters entered the bottom and right arrows.

"Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Altergeist Hexstia!"

A dark brown-and-gold-skinned monster with six legs and a large tail emerged from the portal, summoned to the Left Extra Monster Zone, which pointed at Marionetter.

Altergeist Hexstia ATK 1500 LINK-2 ↓→

"The effect of Meluseek now activates." Ghost Gal continued. "Since she was sent to the Graveyard, I can add one "Altergeist" monster from my Deck to my hand."

A card popped out of Ghost Gal's Deck, which she took and added to her hand.

"I now activate Marionetter's effect! Once per turn, I can send an "Altergeist" card I control to my Graveyard to Special Summon one "Altergeist" monster from my Graveyard. I send Haunted Rock to the Graveyard so I can Special Summon Altergeist Silquitous from my Graveyard to my field."

As Haunted Rock exploded into particles, a light brown female monster with six wings appeared on Ghost Gal's field in Defense Position.

Altergeist Silquitous ATK 800 DEF 1500 LVL: 2

"And due to Hexstia's effect, it gains the original attack points of the "Altergeist" monsters next to its Link Arrows. Since she's pointing to Marionetter, Hexstia gains 1600 attack points!"

Altergeist Hexstia ATK 1500→3100

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Solidarity!" Ghost Gal continued. "So long as I have one original Type of monster in my Graveyard, all my monsters with the same Type gain 800 attack points. The only monsters in my Graveyard are Spellcaster monsters, so all my Spellcaster monsters gain 800 attack points!"

Altergeist Hexstia ATK 3100→3900

Altergeist Marionetter ATK 1600→2400

Altergeist Silquitous ATK 800→1600

"Not a bad formation," Lumine praised her opponent. "But not good enough! I activate the Trap Card: Swordsoul Blackout! I can target and destroy two cards on your field by destroying a Wyrm monster on my field!"

"Hold it!" Ghost Gal interrupted her. "From my hand, I activate the Counter Trap Card: Altergeist Hack!" The card showed Altergeist Primebanshee using its snake-like heads to hack into a network. "I can activate this card from my hand if I control an "Altergeist" Link Monster," she explained. " And since you activated a Spell or Trap Card, Altergeist Hack instantly negates and banishes it!"

Lumine gasped as the card fired a green blast at Swordsoul Blackout, vaporizing it.

"Time to battle!" Ghost Gal declared. "Battle! Altergeist Hextia attacks Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao! Sneaky Shot of Fire!"

Hexstia fired a blast of golden energy at Chixiao, destroying it in a massive explosion, causing Lumine to shield her eyes.

Lumine: 4000→2900 LP

Ghost Gal narrowed her eyes. "Next, Marionetter attacks Mystery Shell Dragon!"

The monster formed a sphere of blue lightning and fired it at Shell Dragon, destroying it and making Lumine wince.

Lumine: 2900→2500 LP

"I place one card face-down and end my turn." Ghost Gal concluded. This is a strong setup, she thought. With Hexstia, Silquitous, and Protocol on my field, I'll be able to activate the effects of my monsters with no concern whatsoever. In other words, I'm prepared for anything and everything.

Meanwhile, in another area of the Syndicate's Stronghold…

Shepherd suddenly arrived in front of an imposing steel door with a control panel next to it.

"Jackpot," Shepherd said. "All I have to do now is disable the security lock and break in."

The Shepherd kneeled next to the control panel and pointed his Duel Disk at it. "Let's see, if I bypass this security protocol…and send a spike through that circuit… Excellent. Just a bit more to go."

After tinkering with the control panel a bit more, the massive door slowly opened, allowing him to step inside the spacious room, which was mostly bare except for the large computer situated at its far end.

"And now, to finish what Emma and I came here to do," The Shepherd said as he walked towards the supercomputer. "Once I disable this, we should—"

Suddenly, a semi-transparent, two-layered barrier descended from the rooftop, slamming on the ground and preventing The Shepherd from approaching the computer.

"Just great," The Shepherd said in annoyance. "Looks like I have to break through this barrier now."

"I'm afraid I cannot let you do that."

Shepherd flinched and turned around as he saw a man wearing fully silver/black armored-like clothing with a mask covering his face and showing pale blue, glowing eyes. He wore a long black cape and wielded a forearm shield-like Duel Disk. Six Syndicate soldiers accompanied him.

"It looks like my opponent has shown himself at last," The Shepherd said. "Honestly, you guys have the worst timing. However, know I will blow you away without mercy if you choose to stand in my way."

"A proud declaration filled with confidence, as befitting of a bounty hunter," The man stated. "The name's Galerius. It's only fair for you to know the name of the person who will defeat you."

"Funny. I was going to say the same thing to you," The Shepherd said. "FYI, your proud and arrogant attitude is getting on my nerves."

"Watch your tone, mongrel!" One of the Syndicate soldiers shouted. "Trash like you don't get to speak to Galerius like that!"

"Galerius, please let us handle him!" Another soldier suggested. "We'll make him pay for his insolent behavior towards you for sure!"

"And let you people mess this up after your multiple losses against the Top 10? No. I will handle this trash myself." Galerius countered back. "Just keep the exit covered and leave this to me." He narrowed his eyes at Shepherd. "I haven't had a duel in a long time, so I'm hoping you will entertain me."

"Same to you," Shepherd said as he activated his Duel Disk. "I will never acknowledge or understand why you want to take over LINK VRAINS and destroy the Top 10, and since you insist on standing in my way, there's only one path left."

"Indeed." Galerius also activated his Duel Disk. "Let the victor decide what justice is. Come at me, Shepherd. I'll perform your last rites with great pleasure."

"The only one getting eliminated here is you, Galerius!" Shepherd declared. "You people made the worst and last mistake of your lives by threatening the lives of innocent people. Now, prepare to repent for your sins!"

"Duel!"

Galerius: 4000 LP

The Shepherd: 4000 LP

The Duel Field appeared briefly before them and disappeared. "I'll go first," Shepherd said. "I summon Duplicate Drone."

A small brown orb with three ocular scopes around it appeared on Shepherd's field. It rested on a golden disc that had silver ridges on its sides.

Duplicate Drone ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1

"Then, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Mirror Coat Unit and equip it to Duplicate Drone!" Shepherd continued as Duplicate Drone became encased in a reflective coating. "Mirror Coat Unit can only be equipped to "Drone" monsters. If the equipped monster battles a Level 4 or lower monster, the equipped monster isn't destroyed, and you take the damage I would've taken instead. And by destroying Mirror Coat Unit instead, I can prevent Duplicate Drone's destruction and reduce the battle damage I would take to 0. Finally, I place two cards face-down and end my turn. Now, let's see how strong you fabled Syndicate truly are."

"As you wish, I'll give you a good taste of our power," Galerius stated. "My turn! I draw! I summon Edea the Heavenly Squire!"

An armored monster resembling a knight appeared on Galerius's field.

Edea the Heavenly Squire ATK 800 DEF 1000 LVL: 1

"Idea's effect activates!" Galerius announced. "When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a monster with 800 attack points and 1000 defense points from my Deck in Defense Position. Come to my side, Eidos the Underworld Squire!"

A monster clad in black armor appeared next to Edea.

Eidos the Underworld Squire ATK 800 DEF 1000 LVL: 2

"Since Eidos was Special Summoned, its effect activates, allowing me to Tribute Summon in addition to my Normal Summon this turn," Galerius stated. "I Tribute Edea and Eidos to Tribute Summon! Descend from the heavens and reign supreme over this land, Ehther the Heavenly Monarch!"

A monster clad in shining white and gold armor, sitting on a pristine white throne and holding a golden scepter in its left hand, appeared on Galerius's field.

Ether the Heavenly Monarch ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 8

"Monarchs..." Shepherd muttered. This duel would be more difficult then he thought

"Since it was Tribute Summoned, Ehther's effect activates, allowing me to send two "Monarch" Spell or Trap Cards from my Deck to my Graveyard to Special Summon a monster with 2400 or more attack points and 1000 defense points from my Deck. I will send Pantheism of the Monarchs and The Prime Monarch from my Deck to the Graveyard to Special Summon Thestalos the Mega Monarch!"

An imposing monster clad in crimson armor with flames surrounding its body appeared on Galerius's field. Thestalos had gold edges on his chest armor and hands and golden spikes on his knees. In addition, a blue cape was draped around his neck and waist. Finally, a bronze visor covered his eyes.

Thestalos the Mega Monarch ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 8

"Moreover, I activate the Spell Card: Transmutation of the Monarchs!" Galerius declared as the card showed Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch and Granmarg the Rock Monarch, side-by-side in the foreground, while Ehther the Heavenly Monarch rose from a pillar of light in the background. "Since I control two "Monarch" monsters with different attributes, I can Special Summon a "Monarch" Monster from my Deck. Come, Mobius the Mega Monarch!"

A monster clad in white armor with several icy spikes extending from it appeared next to Galerius's other two monsters. It had a ring on its back and a large spike in its helmet.

Mobius the Mega Monarch ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 8

"And now, I will drive you two into a corner from which there will be no escape." Galerius let out a malicious smirk. "I banish Pantheism of the Monarchs from my Graveyard to activate its effect, allowing me to reveal three "Monarch" Spell or Trap Cards from my Deck. Then, you choose which one I will add to my hand while the rest are shuffled back into the Deck. However, since the three cards I'm about to reveal are all the same, you have no choice. As such, I will add the Field Spell Card: Dominion of the True Monarchs in my hand and activate it!"

Following Galerius's words, an eerie black mist surrounded the area as statues depicting several Monarchs sitting on ornate thrones emerged from the ground and surrounded the two duelists.

"Due to the effect of my Field Spell, if I'm the only player who controls a Tribute Summoned monster, my opponent cannot Special Summon Monsters from the Extra Deck." Galerius let out a sly smile. "How's that? It's like you can't use your arms and legs now."

"This combo was probably designed to limit the options of the Top 10 severely…." The Shepherd remarked. "Still, I won't be taken down by that much!"

"Then, I'll let you taste the absolute power of my Monarch monsters!" Galerius exclaimed. "Battle! Thestalos the Mega Monarch, attack Duplicate Drone! Scorching Impact!"

"I activate Mirror Coat Unit's effect!" Shepherd exclaimed. "By destroying it, Duplicate Drone isn't destroyed, and I take no damage from this battle!"

Thestalos's fist was enveloped in flames as it tried to strike Duplicate Drone, only for its attack to be blocked by a semi-transparent barrier that shielded the small machine.

"Mirror Coat Unit's third and final effect activates!" Shepherd continued. "When it leaves the field, the equipped monster returns to my hand." Duplicate Drone disintegrated as it left the field and returned to Shepherd's hand. "Then, I can add a copy of the returned monster from my Deck to my hand."

A card popped out of Shepherd's Deck, which he took and added to his hand.

"That matters not," Galerius stated. "With no monsters, you're completely defenseless."

Shepherd gestured to his field. "I activate the Continuous Trap Card: Drone Barricade!" A screen of interlocking green hexagons appeared in front of him. "While this card is on the field, your monsters cannot attack me directly. And you cannot target my Spell or Trap Cards with effects except for Drone Barricade."

Galerius gritted his teeth. At this rate, there was nothing he could do right now. "I place one card face-down and end my turn. Thestalos will return to my hand at this moment due to Ehther's effect."

Following his words, Thestalos vanished from the field as it changed into a card and Galerius placed it in his hand.

"My turn!" Shepherd announced. "I draw! Since you decide to bring out three monsters in a single turn, it's only proper that I respond. By showing you three copies of a Machine monster in my hand, I can activate the Trap Card: 3D Bio Scanner! It lets me Special Summon a non-Machine monster from my Deck. Appear, Despair from the Dark!"

A demonic shadow creature with glowing yellow eyes and a yellow maw. It had curled horns and powerful purple arms with sharp claws. Its lower torso was made of flames that flickered against the darkness of its upper body.

Despair from the Dark ATK 2800 DEF 3000 LVL: 8

Galerius blinked. "Despair from the Dark? And Zombie-Type?" His eyes narrowed. "That card isn't like his others. So why would he have it in his Deck?"

"I summon Duplicate Drone!"

The small brown mechanical orb reappeared.

Duplicate Drone ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1

"I activate the effect of Duplicate Drone in my hand!" Shepherd continued. "Once per turn, if I control a copy of "Duplicate Drone" on my field, I can Special Summon it. And with two copies of it in my hand, I can Special Summon both!"

Two more copies of Duplicate Drone appeared on Shepherd's field.

Duplicate Drone ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1 x 2

"I activate Duplicate Drone's second effect! Once per turn, I can treat a non-Machine monster on my field as a Continuous Spell Card and place it in the Spell & Trap Zone. From there, Duplicate Drone's name, Type, Level, Attribute, and attack and defense points become the same as the targeted card. I select Despair from the Deck!"

The demonic creature burst into particles, only for its card to reappear on Shepherd's field in the Spell & Trap Zone. At the same time, the three Duplicate Drones transformed into clones of Despair from the Dark.

Duplicate Drone→Despair from the Dark ATK 0→2800 DEF 0→3000 LVL: 1→8 x 3

"From there, I activate the Spell Card: Emergency Recharge!" Shepherd declared. " It lets me draw four cards since my hand is empty! Next, I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Burden of the Mighty! With this, your monsters lose attack points equal to their Levels times 100!"

Galerius gasped as his monsters groaned.

Ehther the Heavenly Monarch ATK 2800→2000

Mobius the Mega Monarch ATK 2800→2000

"I place a card face-down and activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Double Cyclone! I can destroy one of my Spell or Trap cards in exchange for destroying one of yours! In this case, I'll destroy my set card to destroy Domain of the True Monarchs!"

Two cyclones emerged from the card, one yellow and one red. The red cyclone destroyed Varis's set card, while the yellow cyclone destroyed the Field Spell, causing the mist and statues surrounding them to vanish.

Galerius growled as Shepherd continued. "And since my destroyed card was Dummy Marker and a card effect destroyed it, I can draw one card, plus an additional one since a Spell destroyed it," he drew, then said, "Battle! Despair from the Dark, attack his Ehther the Heavenly Monarch!"

Galerius clicked his tongue. "I activate the Trap Card: Splendor of the Monarchs!" The card showed Kuraz the Light Monarch and Delg the Dark Monarch shielding several monsters from Masked Beast Des Gardius and Lava Golem. "Due to its effect, Tribute Summoned monsters cannot be destroyed by battle this turn!"

Following Galerius's words, tendrils of lightning fired from Despair's fingers, striking Ether and pushing Galerius back.

Galerius: 4000→3200 LP

"You may have protected Ehther with your Trap, but Mobius is a Special Summoned Monster, meaning Splendor of the Monarchs won't prevent its destruction." Shepherd pointed out. "As such, my second Despair will attack Mobius the Mega Monarch!"

The previous scene was repeated as Mobius was struck by lightning and exploded. Galerius winced in pain from the ensuing shockwave.

Galerius: 3200→2400 LP

"The third and final attack! My third Despair from the Dark attacks Ehther!"

Ehther was struck by lightning once again as it withstood the attack. However, Galerius wasn't so lucky as he was sent tumbling back from the backlash of the attack.

Galerius: 2400→1600 LP

"It looks like I hold the advantage now," Shepherd commentated. "I place one card face-down and end my turn."

"You'll pay for that, Shepherd!" Galerius spoke with a hate-filled tone. "It's enough playing around already. It's time for you to experience true despair!"

Meanwhile, at Lumine and Ghost Gal's duel...

"My turn! I draw!" Lumine said.

"I activate my face-down card!" Ghost Gal interrupted. "The Continuous Trap Card: Altergeist Protocol! The activation and effects of "Altergeist" cards on my field cannot be negated!"

"That may be a problem for me if it weren't for this! I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Mystical Space Typhoon!" Lumine responded. "This card lets me destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field. I destroy Altergeist Protocol!"

"Not happening!" Ghost Gal said. "I activate Hextia's effect! By Tributing an "Altergeist" monster that it points to, in this case, Marionetter, I can negate the activation of a Spell or Trap and destroy it!"

Marionetter vanished into particles and turned into a ball of green energy, which Hextia threw at Mystical Space Typhoon, thus destroying it.

"However, Hextia loses its attack boost."

Altergeist Hexstia ATK 3900→2300

"In that case, try this! I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Twin Twisters! By discarding one card from my hand, I can target up to two Spell and Trap Cards on the field and destroy them. I target and destroy both Solidarity and Protocol!"

As Lumine discarded a card from his hand, two twisters emerged from Twin Twisters, destroying both the designated cards, much to Ghost Gal's dismay.

"Since Solidarity left the field, both my monsters lose 800 attack points."

Altergeist Hexstia ATK 2300→1500

Altergeist Silquitous ATK 1600→800

"Since the card I discarded was Cards of Compensation, I now get to draw two extra cards. Then, I summon Swordsoul of Mo Ye!"

A female warrior with pitch-black skin covered by white and pink Chinese armor, having a dragon-themed helmet and tail, appeared on Lumine's field. She wielded a segmented sword in her hands, enveloped by a flow of clear water.

Swordsoul of Mo Ye ATK 1700 DEF 1800 LVL: 4

"I activate Mo Ye's effect! When it's summoned, I can reveal a "Swordsoul" card in my hand, like Blazing Power to Special Summon a Swordsoul Token!"

Swordsoul Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 4

"Appear, my circuit!" Lumine declared as a Link Portal appeared above her. "Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are two monsters, including a "Swordsoul" monster. I set Swordsoul of Mo Ye and Swordsoul Token in the Link Arrows!"

The two monsters entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Link-2! Swordsoul Aura Master- Huaiwen!"

A dragon-like woman, wearing a full body red, white colored Chinese armor with a long cape split in half and resembling dragon wings. It wielded twin small great blades with long chains attached to the end of the handles, able to throw them and swing them around like harpoons.

Swordsoul Aura Master- Huaiwen ATK 2000 LINK-2 ↙↘

Ghost Gal narrowed her eyes at Huaiwen's effects. It looks like she needed to act earlier than she anticipated.

"I activate Silquitous's effect!" she declared. "By returning an "Altergeist" card to my hand, I return one of your cards to your hand. I return Silquitous to my hand to return Huaiwen to your Extra Deck!"

"That's pointless! I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Effect Shut! It negates the activation of Sliquitous's effect and destroys it!"

Ghost Gal gasped as Sliquitous was suddenly trapped inside a steel cage and vanished into a bright light.

"Since Silquitous was sent from the field to the Graveyard, its effect activates, and I add an "Altergeist" Trap Card from my Graveyard to my hand." Ghost Gal added Haunted Rock to her hand.

"Now you have lost your preventive measures. Therefore, I can go all out." Lumine gestured to her monster. "Huaiwen's effect activates! When it's Link Summoned, I can target one card on your field and banish it. I banish Altergeist Hextia!"

Following Lumine's words, Huaiwen swung its sword, creating a wave of energy that struck Hextia, causing it to disappear from the field.

"Moving on, I activate the Spell Card: Pot of Greed!" Lumine drew two cards, then gestured to her field. "Battle! Huaiwen attacks you directly!"

The Swordsoul Link Monster charged forward and raised its sword, slashing Ghost Gal with it and sending her skidding backwards.

Ghost Gal: 4000→2000 LP

"I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"My turn!" Ghost Gal announced. "I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Foresight Draw. Through its effect, I send my hand to the Graveyard to guess what type the top card of my Deck is. If I guess correctly, I can draw five cards from my Deck; otherwise, I will have to send the five top cards of my Deck to the Graveyard and skip my next Draw Phase. I guess that my top card is a Trap Card. Now, draw!"

Ghost Gal checked her top card and revealed it with a smirk.

"It looks like I was correct, so I draw five cards. Then, I activate the Spell Card: Water of Life! This card lets Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position! Return, Marionetter!"

Altergeist Marionetter ATK 1600 DEF 1700 LVL: 4

"Open before me! The circuit that connects to the unknown parallel universe!" A Link Portal soon appeared in the sky above Ghost Gal. "The summoning condition is one "Altergeist" monster. I'll set Altergeist Marionetter in the Link Arrow!"

Marionetter went into the bottom-left arrowhead, turning it red.

"I Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Altergeist Stuxnet!"

A female monster with two tiny pink wings on each side of her body that glowed with a small light appeared in the Extra Monster Zone, she had thin-wired arms, but these arms ended with a large-sized golden needle.

Altergeist Stuxnet ATK 400 LINK-1 ↙

"When Stuxnet is Link Summoned, I can add one "Altergeist" card from my deck to my hand." Ghost Gal explained, taking a card from her Deck and adding it to her hand. "From there, I activate the Spell Card: Trap for Trap!"

Lumine's eyes widened. "What?"

The card showed one Trap Card crumpling and disintegrating while another shone brightly in the background. "This is an extraordinary Spell Card. If I banish a Trap Card from my Graveyard, I can activate a Normal Trap Card from my hand." Lumine gasped in surprise. "I banish Altergeist Protocol Graveyard to activate the Trap Card Altergeist Emulatelf! When Emulatelf is activated, it Special Summons itself as an Effect Monster!"

A yellow-skinned female humanoid monster with large arms connected to its thighs appeared in Attack Position.

Altergeist Emulatelf ATK 1400 DEF 1800 LVL: 4

"And if I would use an "Altergeist" monster to Link Summon an "Altergeist" monster, I can use Pookuery in my hand as material. Appear again, the circuit that connects to the unknown parallel universe! The summoning conditions are two or more "Altergeist" monsters. I set Pookuery and Emulatelf and Stuxnet in the Link Arrows!"

A feminine violet humanoid monster with six spears attached to its back appeared as it, Emulatelf and Stuxnet entered the bottom, bottom-right, and right arrows.

"I Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Altergeist Primebanshee!" A massive black and maroon serpentine monster appeared in the left Extra Monster Zone. Instead of hands, its four arms ended in mechanical mouths.

Altergeist Primebanshee ATK 2100 LINK-3 ↓↘→

"Pookuery's second effect! When an "Altergeist" Link Monster is Link Summoned while this card is in my Graveyard, I can add this card right back to my hand. Furthermore, I activate the Spell Card: Altergeist Reborn!" The card showed Altergeist Kunquery reconstituting herself, with Primebanshee in the background, giving her strength. "This card lets me Special Summon one "Altergeist" monster from my Graveyard to a Main Monster Zone an "Altergeist" Link Monster on my field points to. Return to the field, Multifaker!"

Multifaker reappeared on Ghost Gal's field at Primebanshee's bottom-right arrow.

Altergeist Multifaker ATK 1200 DEF 800 LVL: 3

"Multifaker's effect activates! When it is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon an "Altergeist" monster from my Deck in Defense Position. Emerge, Altergeist Fifinellag!"

A red and orange female monster with a horn and pointed legs appeared next to Primebanshee's bottom arrow.

Altergeist Fifinellag ATK 0 DEF 1000 LVL: 2

"I'll then use Primebanshee's effect." Ghost Gal added. "Once per turn, if I Tribute one other "Altergeist" monster on my field, I can Special Summon one "Altergeist" monster from my Deck to a Main Monster Zone this card points to. I'll Tribute Multifaker to Special Summon a second copy of Marionetter!"

After Multifaker exploded into particles, Another monster attached to a green wheel appeared at Primebanshee's bottom-right Link Arrow in Attack Position.

Altergeist Marionetter ATK 1600 DEF 1700 LVL: 4

Ghost Gal narrowed her eyes at Lumine and smirked. "Since you were nice enough to show me your Synchro Summon, let me return the favor." She held her index and middle finger up in front of her. "I tune the Level 2 Altergeist Fifinellag with the Level 4 Altergeist Marionetter!"

The world grayed out as she spread her arms, as two light blue flames appeared on either side of her. The flames joined together and enveloped her in a fire before striking the two monsters. Fifinellag and Marionetter disintegrated into blue data before reforming into two rings, one green and one purple, with tags labeled "2" and "4" attached to each ring, respectively. The rings turned blue and merged. A screen in front of the rings said "2 + 4" then changed to "6." A surge of purple light went through the rings.

"Legendary spirits awake! Rise from your eternal slumber to break the barrier! I Synchro Summon! Enter this existence, Altergeist Dragvirion!"

A large dark-blue, light-blue, and white Altergeist appeared on Ghost Gal's field at Primebanshee's bottom-right Link Arrow. She had four clawed arms, two hind legs, three raised tails behind her, and a mane of green hair on her head. In her right hand, Dragvirion carried a staff.

Altergeist Dragvirion ATK 2200 DEF 1200 LVL: 6

"A "Altergeist" Synchro monster..." Lumine muttered. This was anything but good.

She gestured to her field. "I activate the Trap Card: Swordsoul of Blazing Power! By targeting, Huaiwen, it gains 300 attack points for every banished card. Since there are four banished cards, Huaiwen gains 1200 attack points!"

Swordsoul Aura Master- Huaiwen ATK 2000→3200

"Good move," Ghost Gal praised her opponent. But I can do one better. I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Altergeist Enhancement!" The card showed Altergeist Pixiel downloading data from a database. "I target one "Altergeist" monster on my field and Tribute all other "Altergeist" monsters. By doing this, the targeted '"Altergeist" monster gains attack points equal to the combined attack points of the Tributed "Altergeist" monsters! I target Altergeist Primebanshee!"

Dragvirion turned into particles, which Primebanshee absorbed.

Altergesit Primebanshee ATK 2400→4600

"Dragivirion's effect activates!" Ghost Gal continued. "If it is Tributed and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it!" Her Synchro Monster reappeared in Attack Position.

Altergeist Dragvirion ATK 2200 DEF 1200 LVL: 6

"Time to battle!" Ghost Gal declared. "Altergeist Primebanshee attacks Huaiwen! Tentacle Lash!"

The four snake-like heads on Primebanshee locked onto the Swordsoul Link Monster and lashed forward, biting the warrior in multiple places before causing him to vanish in an explosion, making Lumine shield her eyes.

Lumine: 2500→1100 LP

"Time to end this. Dragiviron attacks you directly!"

Dragvirion's tails extended in length and lashed out at Lumine.

"I activate the Trap Card: Defense Draw!" she declared. "This card reduces the battle damage to 0!" A hazy barrier appeared around Lumine, blocking Dragiviron's attack and forcing it to return to Ghost Gal's side of the field. "Then I get to draw a card."

"In that case, I place one card face-down and end my turn," Ghost Gal concluded.

"Then it's my turn!" Lumine stated. "I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Card of Demise, whose effect allows me to draw five cards from my Deck. In exchange, I must discard my entire hand during the fifth Standby Phase following this card's activation. Then, I can Special Summon this monster from my hand by discarding the Wyrm-Type Giant Pairfish from my hand. Come forth, Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan!"

A bipedal dragon clad from head to toe in black and yellow Chinese armor appeared on Lumine's field in Attack Position. A brown-feathered cape was attached to its shoulders. It wielded a sword with a glowing yellow blade, surrounded by sacred energy of the same color.

Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan ATK 1200 DEF 2300 LVL: 6

"And when it's summoned successfully, I get to Special Summon a Swordsoul Token!"

Swordsoul Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 4

"Next, the Level 4 Swordsoul Token tunes the Level 4 Strategist Longyuan!" Lumine declared as her monsters disintegrated into green particles. Two green rings, one larger and a lighter shade than the other, appeared before turning blue and merging. Ten blue rings then appeared, and a screen displayed "4 + 6" before changing to "10" as light surged through the rings.

"Blades of pure souls, forge the path of true enlightenment that protects the light! Swing your blade bound by your comrades against despair! I Synchro Summon! Now appear, Level 10! Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying!"

A bipedal dragon clad from head to toe in indigo Chinese armor with crimson and golden trims appeared in Attack Position on Lumine's field. A long, white mane flowed from the back of its helmet and a beard of the same color from its front. It wielded a large claymore with a glowing, crimson blade.

Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying ATK 3000 DEF 3000 LVL: 10

"Level 10?" Ghost Gal said, surprised at such a powerful monster.

"Longyuan's effect activates!" Lumine exclaimed. "Since it was used as Synchro Material, you take 1200 points of damage!"

A specter of Longyuan appeared as it swung its sword, creating a wave of flames. The wave of flames struck Ghost Gal and created an explosion of smoke.

Ghost Gal: 2000→800 LP

"Next is Chengying's effect!" Lumine continued. "For every card banished, it gains 100 attack and defense points, while all monsters you control lose 100 attack and defense points."

Ghost Gal frowned. "There are four cards banished," she noted. "That means her monster gains 400 attack and defense points while my monsters lose them."

Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying ATK 3000→3400 DEF 3000→3400

Altergesit Primebanshee ATK 4600→4200

Altergeist Dragvirion ATK 2200→1800 DEF 1200→800

"From there, I activate the Spell Card: Soul Release! It lets me banish up to five cards from any Graveyard!" Ghost Gal's eyes widened. "I banish Altergeist Marionetter, Hextia, Multifaker, Meluseek, and Silquitous from your Graveyard!"

Ghost Gal grimaced as her cards were removed.

"If you think I'm done, I'm not," Lumine said, drawing Ghost Gal's attention. "Since five more cards were banished, Chengying gains 500 more attack and defense points, while your monsters lose an additional 500 attack and defense points."

Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying ATK 3400→3900 DEF 3400→3900

Altergesit Primebanshee ATK 4200→3700

Altergeist Dragvirion ATK 1800→1300 DEF 800→300

"Chengying's additional effect activates! I can banish a card from your field and Graveyard when a card is banished. I banish Altergeist Primebanshee from your field and Altergeist Protocol from your Graveyard!"

Chengying raised its sword, causing a portal to appear underneath Primebanshee, causing it to fall in.

"And with another card banished, Chengying gains 100 more attack and defense points, while Dragvirion loses 100 attack and defense points."

Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying ATK 3900→4000 DEF 3900→4000

Altergeist Dragvirion ATK 1300→1200 DEF 300→200

"Time to draw the curtain on this duel! Battle! Chengying, attack Altergeist Dragvirion!"

"I activate the Trap Card: Impenetrable Attack!" Ghost Gal declared. "This turn, I can either negate all battle damage or prevent a monster I control from being destroyed by battle! I choose to negate all battle damage!"

Chengying slashed the Altergeist in half with its sword, destroying it in an explosion, but Ghost Gal was protected from the damage.

"While I commend you for surviving the turn, I can only express my condolences that this duel will be over soon," Lumine stated. "I place two cards face-down and end my turn. Now, try to make your defeat an entertaining spectacle for me."

Back at Galerius and Shepherd's duel…

"My turn! I draw!" Galerius announced. "First, I activate the Spell Card: Roll of Fate! This card lets me roll a six-sided die and draw cards equal to the result. Afterward, I must banish cards from the top of my Deck equal to that same result. Go, Dice Roll!"

A dice flew out of Roll of Fate and landed on the ground. After it stopped rolling, it eventually stopped at a four.

"The result is four! That means I can draw four cards!"

Galerius drew four cards and then removed the top four cards of his Deck.

"I activate the Spell Card: Lightning Storm!" Galerius continued. "Since I control no face-up cards, I can choose to destroy all Attack Position monsters or Spell and Trap Cards you control." Shepherd's eyes widened. "I choose to destroy all your monsters!"

Black clouds appeared above the two duelists and started to rumble before bolts of lightning shot downward and slammed into Shepherd's monsters, destroying them.

"Moving on, I activate the Spell Card: Tenacity of the Monarchs! It allows me to add a "Monarch" Spell or Trap Card from my Deck by revealing a monster with 2400 or 2800 attack points and 1000 defense points in my hand. I choose to reveal Thestalos to add the Continuous Spell Card: March of the Monarchs from my Deck to my hand and activate it. My Tribute Summoned monsters cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects."

"It looks like he's carefully preparing his next assault by covering all his bases," Shepherd remarked.

"And since you have two face-down cards on your field, I can Special Summon Escher the Frost Vassal from my hand!"

A warrior with ice armor appeared, sitting cross-legged. It groaned as it suffered from the effects of Burden of the Mighty.

Escher the Frost Vassal ATK 800→400 DEF 1000 LVL: 4

"Now, I Tribute Escher to Tribute Summon Mobius, the Frost Monarch!"

Escher disappeared as a towering warrior with pure white armor took its place.

Mobius the Frost Monarch ATK 2400→1800 DEF 1000 LVL: 6

"Mobius' effect activates!" Galerius declared. "When this card is Tribute Summoned, I can destroy up to two Spell or Trap Cards on the field. I destroy Drone Barricade! Freeze Burst!"

"Drone Barricade's additional effect activates!" Shepherd countered. "If your card or effect targets it, I can banish it and then Set another Drone Barricade from my Deck. And then I can activate that card this turn."

The green barrier disappeared as the card disintegrated but reappeared as a new card appeared.

"Don't get complacent. I'm just getting started here. I activate the Spell Card: Tribute Carnival! If I Tribute Summoned this turn, this card allows me to Tribute Summon! I Tribute Mobius to bring forth Mobius, the Mega Monarch!"

Mobius the Mega Monarch ATK 2800→2000 DEF 1000 LVL: 8

"Normally, I would need two Tributes to summon Mobius, the Mega Monarch," Galerius explained. "However, I can Tribute Summon it by Tributing one other Tribute Summoned monster. And now Mobius the Mega Monarch's effect activates! When this card is successfully Tribute Summoned, I can target up to three Spell or Trap Cards on the field and destroy them. I target Drone Barricade, Burden of the Mighty and Despair From the Dark! Also, since Mobius the Mega Monarch was Tribute Summoned using a Water Attribute monster, it prevents the targeted cards from being activated or using their effects! Freeze and shatter, Blizzard Destruction!"

A raging snowstorm was suddenly conjured on the field, blowing away the designated cards.

Shepherd growled. "Since Despair from the Dark left the field, all three of my Duplicate Drone's stats return to normal."

Despair from the Dark→Duplicate Drone ATK 2800→0 DEF 3000→0 LVL: 8→1 x 3

"Time for battle! Mobius attacks Duplicate Drone! Imperial Charge!"

Several large ice spikes suddenly grew from Mobius' armor as it rushed forward, impaling the small, destroying it in an explosion and pushing Shepherd back.

The Shepherd: 4000→1200 LP

"Then, I place two cards face-down and end my turn," Galerius concluded.

"Then, it's my turn!" Shepherd announced. "I draw!"

"Before you make your move, I activate the Trap Card: Decree of the Monarchs!" Galerius declared as the card showed a village of goblins bowing before Caius the Shadow Monarch. "Thanks to its effect, Special Summoned monsters you control cannot attack for this turn since I control a Tribute Summoned monster."

"Think again. I activate the Counter Trap Card: Wiretap!" Shepherd countered. "When you activate a Trap Card, this card negates its activation and shuffles it back into your Deck!"

Galerius gasped as his Trap shattered.

"From there, I activate the Spell Card: Pot of Greed!" Shepherd drew his two cards. "I'll now forge my circuit!"

Following his words, a bright beam was fired from his right palm and shot into the sky, creating a Link Portal.

"Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are two "Drone" monsters! I set both of my Duplicate Drones in the Link Arrows!"

His two monsters turned into twisters of grey wind with green trims and launched into the portal, causing its arrows to light up.

"Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Deploy! Link 2! Battledrone Warrant!"

A gray military jet with a red and black nose emerged from the portal at the Extra Monster Zone.

Battledrone Warrant ATK 1200 LINK-2 ←↓

"And since I control a "Drone" monster, I Special Summon Scud Drone from my hand!"

Three missiles connected by a tripod appeared in Attack Position.

Scud Drone ATK 800 DEF 1100 LVL: 3

"But why stop there? Watch me as I forge my circuit again!"

A second Link Portal appeared above him.

"The summoning conditions are two or more "Drone" monsters. I'll set the Link-2 Battledrone Warrant and Scud Drone in the Link Arrows!"

The monsters went into the left, right, and bottom arrowheads, turning red.

"I Link Summon! Deploy! Link 3! Battledrone General!"

Zooming out of the portal was a jet-black-colored, futuristic aircraft with missiles attached to the underside of its wings. The lens on the drone glowed red as it levitated from the Extra Monster Zone.

Battledrone General ATK 2400 LINK-3 ←↓→

"So he decided to bring out his ace monster," Galerius noted.

"I activate Battledrone General's effect!" Shepherd continued. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon a "Drone" monster from my Graveyard to its Link Marker. Resurrect, Scud Drone!"

The tripod with missiles reappeared at Battledron General's bottom Link Arrow in Attack Position.

Scud Drone ATK 800 DEF 1100 LVL: 3

"Scud Drone's effect activates! When it is Special Summoned from the Graveyard by a "Drone" monster's effect, I draw one card. Next, I activate General's additional effect! Once per turn, I can target a Level 4 or lower "Drone" monster with 1000 or less attack points. During the Battle Phase, that monster can attack you directly. I target Scud Drone!"

"Sorry, but I won't let you execute your combos! I activate the Trap Card: Baton of the Hero! This card lets me choose the target of your attacks!"

"So you had a counter ready, huh…?" Shepherd muttered. "In that case, I activate the Spell Card: Gift of the Martyr! By sending one monster from my field to my Graveyard, I can target one monster I control and have it gain that monster's attack points until the End Phase. I target Battledrone General and send Scud Drone from my field to my Graveyard!"

Scud Drone disintegrated as Battledrone General glowed red from its increased power.

Battledrone General ATK 2400→3200

"As Scud Drone left the field, it's now banished," Shepherd explained. "But that won't matter." he gestured to his field. "Battle! General attacks Mobius the Mega Monarch!"

The black jet fired missiles at the armored warrior, destroying it and making Galerius wince.

Galerius: 1600→1200 LP

"I end my Battle Phase, but I still have moves to perform. I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Drone Unity! If you attack my Attack Position "Drone" monster, that monster's attack points become equal to the combined attack points of all "Drone" monsters I control."

A soldier blinked. "I don't understand; the only monster he has now is Battledrone General. So Drone Unity's effect won't work."

Another soldier's eyes widened. "Unless he has a way to Special Summon another monster!"

"I place one card face-down and end my turn. During my End Phase, Gift of the Martyr's effects ends. And since I control no monsters in my Main Monster Zone, I can Special Summon Battledrone Warrant from my Graveyard!

The plane with a red and black nose reappeared.

Battledrone Warrant ATK 1200 LINK-2 ←↓

Battledrone General ATK 3200→2400

"My turn!" Galerius exclaimed. "I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Passing of the Monarchs! The card showed Angmarl the Fiendish Monarch stepping back into a dark pit with his arms spread wide in mockery. "Thanks to its effect, I can send a "Monarch" monster from my hand to the Graveyard to draw two cards from my Deck. And since I control no monsters, I can draw an additional card. I'll discard Thestalos to draw three cards. Next, I activate Eidos's effect from my Graveyard, banishing it to target Edea in my Graveyard, and Special Summon it!"

Edea returned to the field once more after emerging from a pitch-black portal.

Edea the Heavenly Squire ATK 800 DEF 1000 LVL: 1

"And of course, Edea's effect activates once more since it was Special Summoned, allowing me to Special Summon a second copy of Eidos from my Deck!"

Following Galerius's words, the black armored knight appeared next to Edea.

Eidos the Underworld Squire ATK 800 DEF 1000 LVL: 2

"Next, I Tribute Edea and Eidos to Tribute Summon! Emerge from the shadows of the Underworld and unleash untold horrors itself, Erebus the Underworld Monarch!"

A massive, dark-skinned humanoid on a throne appeared on Galerius's field. He had spikes on his knees, and shoulder pads, with a massive, black-ruffled cape draped around his neck that flowed down to his back. Erebus had two horns on his head, which curved upwards. His red eyes turned to Shepherd as a shockwave briefly hit the field before dissipating.

Erebus the Underworld Monarch ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 8

"When Erebus is Tribute Summoned, I can send two "Monarch" Spell or Trap Cards from my hand or Deck to the Graveyard to shuffle one card from either your field, hand or Graveyard back to the Deck. I'll send The Monarchs Erupt and Unearthing of the Monarchs of my Deck to the Graveyard to get rid of your Battledrone General!"

Following his words, the black mist surrounding Erebus surged forward as the monster made a small gesture, enveloping General. Once it dispersed, Shepherd's monster was nowhere to be seen.

"My General…" Shepherd said with anger. "Such a wicked power…."

"I'm far from finished with you!" Galerius exclaimed. "Your downfall begins from here. Due to the previously summoned Eidos's effect, I can Tribute Summon once more on this turn. As such, I Tribute Erebus to bring out Caius the Mega Monarch!"

An imposing monster wearing black armor similar to Erebus's, which had a cape made out of pure darkness extending from its back and was surrounded by several vengeful spirits, appeared on Galerius's field, howling with such intensity that cracks appeared on the walls.

"Man, that thing is loud!" The soldier complained as they rubbed their ears.

"Just like Mobius, Caius can be Tribute Summoned by Tributing a Tribute Summoned monster," Galerius explained before gesturing to his field. "Caius's effect activates! Since that card was Tribute Summoned by using a Dark Attribute monster, I can target two cards on the field, banish them and inflict 1000 points of damage to their controllers! I will banish Battledrone Warrant and Unity! Do it, Caius! Malevolent Grudge!"

Caius raised its hands high and sent a torrent of spirits toward the designated cards, destroying them and sending Shepherd tumbling back, causing him to scream due to the intense pain caused by the spirits striking his body.

The Shepherd: 1200→200 LP

"Time to finish you off!" Galerius exclaimed. "Battle! Caius the Mega Monarch, attack Shepherd directly!"

Caius generated two large spheres of dark energy and launched them at Shepherd.

"I activate the Trap Card: Card Defense!" Shepherd declared. "Now, by sending one card in my hand to the Graveyard, your attack is negated!"

A wall of cards appeared around Shepherd, shielding him from the attack.

"Not only that, but I also get to draw another card to make up for the one I just got rid of!" He stated. "Plus, two more cards since I discarded Cards of Compensation through Card Defense's effect."

"It looks like I spoke too soon," Galerius remarked. "I place one card face-down and end my turn."

Meanwhile, at Lumine and Ghost Gal's duel…

Ghost Gal frowned as she looked at the field. 800 Life Points, and only a single card in my hand is useless. I can make a comeback if I draw the right card. The chances are low, but I won't back down here!

"Here goes nothing!" Ghost Gal exclaimed. "My turn! I draw!"

Ghost Gal checked her drawn card, with a small smile forming.

"Yes! I activate the Spell Card: Monster Recovery! This card shuffles all the cards on my field and in my hand back into my Deck to let me draw five new cards!"

Following Ghost Gal's words, all her cards were shuffled back into the Deck as she drew five cards. She looked at the cards she drew and smiled after seeing them.

''I summon Altergeist Marionetter!"

The feminine monster attached to a wheel reappeared.

Altergeist Marionetter ATK 1600→600 DEF 1700→700 LVL: 4

"Marionetter's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Set an "Altergeist" Trap Card from my Deck. I Set Altergeist Haunted Rock. And since Haunted Rock was Set by the effect of an "Altergeist" card, I can activate it!" Lumine grimaced as the Continuous Trap Card appeared. "When Haunted Rock is activated, I must send an "Altergeist" monster from my hand to the Graveyard. I send Altergeist Fijialert to the Graveyard. And since I activated a Trap Card, I can Special Summon Altergeist Multifaker!"

The monster with spindly legs reappeared in Attack Position.

Altergeist Multifaker ATK 1200→200 DEF 800→0 LVL: 3

"Multifaker's additional effect activates! When it is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon an "Altergeist" monster from my Deck in Defense Position. Come, Altergeist Silquitous!"

The monster with bladed wings reappeared at Kidolga's bottom Link Marker.

Altergeist Silquitous ATK 800→0 DEF 1500→500 LVL: 2

Lumine gritted her teeth. "She managed to fill her field with monsters again. These Altergeists spawn too quickly…."

"I activate the Spell Card: Link Reborn!" Ghost Gal continued. "This card lets me Special Summon a Link Monster from my Graveyard! However, it can't attack for the rest of this turn! Appear once again! Altergeist Hextia!"

Altergeist Hexstia ATK 1500→500 LINK-2 ↓→

"Open the circuit that connects to the unknown parallel universe once more! The summoning conditions are two or more "Altergeist" monsters. I set Multifaker, Silquitous, and Link-2 Hextia in the Link Arrows!"

Her monsters entered the left, bottom-left, bottom-right, and right arrows.

"Manifesting from the edge of nightmares! I Link Summon! Link-4! Altergeist Memorygant!"

A feminine humanoid emerged from the Link Portal at the Extra Monster Zone. She was colored primarily blue with spines shaped like wings attached to her back. She swung a scythe that she held in both hands.

Altergeist Memorygant ATK 2800→1800 LINK-4 ←↙↘→

Lumine grimaced. "A Link-4 monster…"

"Marionetter's effect activates! Once per turn, I can send an "Altergeist" card I control to the Graveyard, and Special Summon an "Altergeist" monster from my Graveyard. I send Haunted Rock to the Graveyard to Special Summon Primebanshee!"

The serpentine monster reappeared and laughed.

Altergeist Primebanshee ATK 2100→1100 LINK-3 ↓↘→

"I activate Primebanshee's effect! By Tributing an "Altergeist" monster, I can Special Summon another "Altergeist" monster from my Deck to Primebanshee's Link Arrow. I Tribute Marionetter to Special Summon Altergeist Meluseek!"

Marionetter disintegrated while a purple and blue mermaid appeared at Primebanshee's right Link Arrow in Attack Position.

Altergeist Meluseek ATK 500→0 DEF 300→0 LVL: 1

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Forbidden Chalice!" Ghost Gal continued. "I can target one face-up monster on the field and increase its attack points by 400 until the end of this turn. In exchange, until the End Phase, its effects are negated. I target Chengying!"

The Swordsoul Synchro Monster was surrounded by a white veil for a few moments, increasing his strength before changing color to red and draining his effects.

Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying ATK 4000→4400

Lumine frowned. "Since Chengying's effects have been negated, it and your monsters' attack points return to normal."

Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying ATK 4400→3400 DEF 4000→3000

Altergeist Memorygant ATK 1800→2800

Altergeist Primebanshee ATK 1100→2100

Altergeist Meluseek ATK 0→500 DEF 0→300

"Battle!" Ghost Gal declared. "Thanks to its effect, Meluseek can attack you directly!" Lumine's eyes widened. "Meluseek attacks you directly!"

Meluseek formed a ball of blue energy and threw it at Lumine. He winced as the blow struck.

Lumine: 1100→600 LP

"Meluseek's effect activates! When it inflicts battle damage, I can send one card you control to the Graveyard!" Lumine gasped. "I send Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying to the Graveyard!"

A black hole opened under the Synchro Monster, causing it to fall into it.

"In that case, I'll take it out for you!" Lumine said. "I activate the Trap Card: Synchro Barrier! Through its effect, I can Tribute a Synchro Monster on my field and reduce all damage I receive to 0 until the next turn's End Phase! I Tribute Chengying!"

"Huh. Guess you managed to survive this turn. In that case, I'll end my turn." Ghost Gal concluded. Everything is in place, Ghost Gal thought. If she attacks Meluseek, I can use Primebanshee or Memorygnat's effect to Tribute it. And thanks to Meluseek's effect, when it's sent to the Graveyard, I can add Altergeist Kunquery from my Deck to my hand, which can negate an attack and negate the effects of one of her monsters. In other words, victory will be in my hands once I survive this turn!

"In that case, the time has finally come to draw the curtain on this duel," Lumine stated. "You fought well, but all good things must end. It's my turn. I draw!"

Upon checking his drawn card, Lumine let out a confident smile that unnerved Ghost Gal.

"And now, it's time for a face-to-face meeting with one of my best monsters, Ghost Gal!" Lumine announced with a tone filled with intensity. "This monster in my hand can only be Special Summoned by banishing three monsters with different Attributes. I banish the Wind Attribute Taia, the Water Attribute Moye and the Fire Attribute Longyuan!"

As a pillar of light formed, spectral forms of Taia, Mo Ye and Longyuan appeared before combining.

"Appear, Archnemeses Protos!"

A long serpent Chinese-like dragon with pale green eyes, bright golden, pale golden scales, and deep blue scales across its stomach, forming lines on both sides. It had long white mane hair with a pair of muscular legs and claws, each limb having white manes too. Its tail had white manes at the tip's end and a large blue gem across its chest, glowing. Its chest also had four sharp-bladed chest-to-shoulder pads, each blade being a different color from top to bottom: Silver, teal blue, orange and brown. The same bladed pieces appear on each side of its bottom hips near its legs and tail. Electricity surges around its body.

Archnemeses Protos ATK 2500 DEF 3000 LVL: 11

"Whoa! That thing's far scary than your previous monsters!" Ghost Gal exclaimed.

"Scary is just an overstatement," Lumine replied as she gestured to her field. "I activate the Continuous Trap Card: DNA Transplant! This card changes the Attributes of all monsters on the field to what I declare! I declare Dark!"

What is she doing? Ghost Gal wondered.

"Time for you to meet your demise. I activate Archnemeses Protos's effect! Once per turn, I can declare one Attribute, and all monsters with that declared Attribute are destroyed. I declare Dark!"

Ghost Gal's eyes widened. "What!?" she gasped. "But your monster's Attribute is also Dark. So it will also be destroyed!"

"Afraid not," Lumine said. "Card effects can't destroy Protos. Meaning your monsters will be the only ones getting destroyed. Go, Element Extinction!"

"I activate Memorygant'seffect!" Ghost Gal countered. "If it would be destroyed by battle or a card effect, I can banish one Link monster from my Graveyard instead. I banish Stuxnet to protect Memorygant!"

Protos's mane glowed a golden light that vaporized Primebanshee and Meluseek. However, a silhouette of Stuxnet appeared and protected Memorygant from destruction.

"Since Meluseek was sent to the Graveyard, its effect activates! I add one "Altergeist" monster from my Deck to my hand." Ghost Gal added Altergeist Kunquery to her hand, then gestured to her field. "Furthermore, since Primebanshee was sent to the Graveyard, I can add an "Altergeist" card from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Meluseek back to my hand. Looks like I'll be surviving this turn after all."

Lumine smirked. "I believe it is time to prove my prior statement true. I activate the Spell Card: Misfortune! I select a monster you control and inflict damage to you equal to half that monster's original attack points!" Ghost Gal's eyes widened. "I select Memorygnat!"

Ghost Gal gasped as Memorygnat spun and swung her scythe, releasing a cross of white, eerie energy. The wave of energy struck Ghost Gal, sending her flying backwards as she screamed.

Ghost Gal: 800→0 LP

Lumine approached the fallen bounty hunter. "You fought well. But not good enough."

Lumine took a watch-shaped device out of her pocket and threw it at Ghost Gal, with the device locking around her wrist. Immediately afterward, Ghost Gal's body was enveloped with light and turned into particles.

"This is…?" Ghost Gal wondered. "What's happening to me?"

"This is a short-range, one-way teleportation device," Lumine explained. "It's been programmed to transport its target, in this case, you, into the Syndicate's dungeon."

Before Ghost Gal could respond in any manner, her body turned completely into particles and abruptly vanished, leaving Lumine alone. She pressed a button on her Duel Disk, and a soldier answered on the other end.

"Yes?"

"Have some soldiers guard Ghost Gal's cell. Do not let her escape at all costs."

"As you wish," the soldier complied.

Lumine smiled. She succeeded, just as she promised Queen Priscilla. And now… now the Syndicate will get valuable information.

Back at Galerius and Shepherd's duel...

"My turn! I draw!" Shepherd looked at his card, then chose a different one. "I activate the Equip Spell Card: D.D.R - Different Dimension Reincarnation! By discarding one card from my hand, I can target and Special Summon one of my banished monsters. However, the equipped monster is destroyed if this card leaves my field. I discard Drone Pawn to Special Summon Battledrone General and equip it with this card. Return to the field, Battledrone General!"

The large black jet reappeared at Blood Shepherd's center Main Monster Zone.

Battledrone General ATK 2400 LINK-3 ←↓→

"From there, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Drone Supercharge!" The card showed Battledrone General being overcharged with energy as its speed increased, creating a sonic boom. "When this card is activated, I can target one "Drone" Link Monster on my field and increase its attack points by 500 for every "Drone" card in my Graveyard."

"What?" Galerius gasped.

"There are five "Drone" cards in my Graveyard, so General gains 2500 attack points!"

Battledrone General ATK 2400→4900

"However, if this card is destroyed, the equipped monster is also destroyed, and I take damage equal to its original attack points," Shepherd explained. "But it won't come to that because I plan to end this duel now. Battle! General attacks Caius the Mega Monarch!"

The black jet fired missiles at the large humanoid, destroying it in a spectacular explosion that engulfed Galerius.

"Looks like I win," Shepherds said confidently.

"That was a decent attack, but as I said before, this much won't be enough to defeat me, you fool."

Much to Shepherd's astonishment, Galerius was still standing when the smoke cleared.

Galerius: 1200→100 LP

"But how?" Shepherd seemed perplexed. "Your Life Points should've been reduced to 0."

"Just before the attack of that insignificant performer struck Caius, I activated the effect of Splendor of the Monarchs in my Graveyard, banishing it to halve the battle damage," Galerius explained. "Your feeble attack failed to deplete my Life Points. In other words, there's nothing more you can do, you lowlife."

Shepherd growled and clenched his fist but then grunted and unclenched his fist. "You survived. But you won't survive for long. I place one card face-down and end my turn."

"Then, it's my turn!" Galerius announced. "I draw! Now then, this farce has gone on for long enough. It's time for you to exit the stage permanently. I activate the Spell Card: Graceful Charity, which allows me to draw three cards from my Deck and discard two from my hand. Next, I summon Phantom Skyblaster!"

A green demon with blue wings, shoulder armor and two small cannons on its back appeared in Attack Position.

Phantom Skyblaster ATK 1100 DEF 800 LVL: 4

"Skyblaster's effect activates!" Galerius declared. "When it's summoned, I can Special Summon a Skyblaster Token for every monster I control, and I currently have one!"

A small duplicate of the Phantom Skyblaster appeared next to the original in Attack Position.

Skyblaster Token ATK 500 DEF 500 LVL: 4

"Then, I activate Phantom Skyblaster's second effect. It can inflict 300 points of damage for every "Skyblaster" monster I have!" Galerius stated. "With two of them, you take 600 points of damage. And with only 200 Life Points left, it's game over for you!"

Both Skyblasters unleashed two black orbs from their cannons at Shepherd, who gestured to his field.

"I activate the Counter Trap Card: Link Restart! An effect that would inflict damage is negated!"

The black orbs dissipated before they hit Shepherd.

"Seems like you've run out of options," Shepherd said.

"That's what you think," Galerius rebutted, confusing Shepherd. "I activate my last face-down card, the Trap Card: Immortal Class! By Tributing two monsters, I can Special Summon a Level 7 or higher monster from my Graveyard, ignoring its summoning conditions."

"So you plan on bringing back one of your Monarchs?" Shepherd asked. "There's no point if it's not strong enough to destroy my Battledrone General."

"You're right," Galerius agreed. "Which is why I plan on summoning a different monster. I Tribute Phantom Skyblaster and Skyblaster Token!"

The two demons vanished into orbs of light.

"Descend now, the first of the Wicked Gods that govern darkness, The Wicked Dreadroot!"

A dark cloud formed above Galerius. First, a pair of skeletal wings sprung out, followed by gigantic arms and the main body of bone and green muscle. Finally, the head that popped up was a green face adorned with a helmet of a horned skull.

The Wicked Dreadroot ATK 4000 DEF 4000 LVL: 10

"How did that monster get in your Graveyard…?" Shepherd wondered. His eyes then widened in realization. "It must've been when he activated Graceful Charity…."

"Thanks to The Wicked Dreadroot's effect, as long as it remains face-up on the field, the attack and defense points of all monsters apart from it are halved."

Battledrone General ATK 4900→2450

Shepherd gasped. "Now it's stronger than my General!"

"It looks like you've guessed what's going to happen next." Galerius let out a malicious smirk. Battle! Wicked Dreadroot, attack Battledrone General and finish The Shepherd off for good! Fierce Knockdown!"

With two tightly clinched fists, the evil being smashed them down on the black jet, destroying it in a massive explosion that engulfed Shepherd and sent him to the ground.

The Shepherd: 200→0 LP

"You put up a good fight, but as I said, you're no match against the Syndicate or me," Galerius said as he approached the downed bounty hunter. He then turned to the six soldiers. "Restrain him and put him in the dungeon. The Queen intends to question him and Ghost Gal."

"Yes, sir!" all the soldiers complied.

The Syndicate soldiers rushed forward and placed Real Solid Vision handcuffs around Shepherd's wrists, dragging him out of the security room. Once the soldiers and Shepherd were gone, Galerius left the room.

Like Galerius told The Shepherd, it had been long since he dueled, and he had a bit of fun tearing the latter apart. When Roget first appeared, Galerius was the one who warned Queen Priscilla of what would happen should she give him the resources. However, he backed down after she explained the merits of doing so.

But due to Roget's failure, Queen Priscilla and the Syndicate were forced to take action in the end, just as Galerius hypothesized a long time ago. Being one of her strongest soldiers, he would ensure that her vision came true, no matter the cost.

OC Card Memo:

Lumine:

Swordsoul Aura Master- Huaiwen- LINK-2, ATK: 2000, ATT: FIRE, Type: Wyrm/Link/Effect, Arrows: Left, Bottom-Right

Effect: 2+ monsters, including a "Swordsoul" monster

This card cannot be destroyed by battle. If this card is Link Summoned: You can target 1 card your opponent controls and banish it. When a card is banished: You can return up to 3 cards that are banished to the bottom of the owner's Deck(s), and if you do: You can add 1 "Swordsoul" card from your Deck to your hand. When this card battles a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck: Its effects are negated and its original ATK is halved. You can only use each effect of "Swordsoul Aura Master - Huaiwen" once per turn.

Swordsoul of Blazing Power- Type: Normal Trap Card

Effect: Target 1 Wyrm or Spellcaster monster: It gains 300 ATK for each banished monster(s) during this Battle Phase, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects this turn. If this card is banished: You can add this card to your hand. You can only use each "Swordsoul of Blazing Power" effect once per turn. You can activate this card from your hand if you control a "Swordsoul" monster.

Emma Besshso/Ghost Gal:

Altergeist Stuxnet (LR: 1/Spellcaster/Dark/ATK: 400/↙️) (Credit to Divadx)

Effect: 1 'Altergeist' monster. When this card is Link Summoned: You can add 1 'Altergeist' card from your deck to your hand. If this card is in your GY and you activate a Trap Card (except during the Damage Step): You can Special Summon this card from your GY to your field. You can only use this effect of 'Altergeist Stuxnet' once per turn.

Altergeist Reborn (Normal Spell card) (Credit to Divadx)

Effect: If you control an 'Altergeist' Link Monster: You can target 1 'Altergeist' monster in your GY; Special Summon it to a Main Monster Zone your 'Altergeist' Link Monster points to. You can only use this effect of 'Altergeist Reborn' once per turn.

Altergeist Hack (Counter-Trap Card) (Credit to Divadx)

If your opponent activates a Spell or Trap card, negate the activation, and if you do, banish it.

Altergeist Enhancement (Continuous-Spell Card) (Credit to Divadx)

Target 1 'Altergeist' monster you control; tribute all other 'Altergeist' monsters you control, and if you do, while this card is on the field, the targeted monster gains ATK equal to the combined ATK of the tributed monsters.

Galerius:

Transmutation of the Monarchs

Normal Spell Card

If you control two "Monarch" Monsters with different attributes, you can Special Summon a "Monarch" Monster from your Deck. You cannot Special Summon Monsters from the Extra Deck on the turn you activated this effect.

Passing of the Monarchs

Normal Spell Card

Send a "Monarch" Monster from your hand to the Graveyard; draw two cards from your Deck. If you control no Monsters, you can draw an additional card from your Deck.

Splendor of the Monarchs

Normal Trap Card

You must control an Advanced Summoned Monster to activate this card. For this turn, Advance Summoned Monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle. If you receive battle damage from a battle involving an Advance Summoned Monster you control, you can banish this card from your Graveyard to halve the battle damage.

Decree of the Monarchs

Normal Trap Card

Your opponent's Special Summoned Monsters cannot declare an attack on this turn. You must control an Advance Summoned Monster to activate this card.

Kenneth Drayden/The Shepherd:

Drone Supercharge (Equip Spell card)

Effect: Equip this card to a 'Drone' Link Monster on your field; it gains 500 ATK for each 'Drone' card in your GY with a different name, except this card. If this card is destroyed, destroy the equipped monster and take damage equal to its original ATK.

Chapter Preview

Next time on Yu-Gi-OH! VRAINS: Advent of New Beginnings. Chapter 17 – Tag Team Takedown: Sanctum and Esper face Pandor and her clone in a Tag Duel, the two girls rely on teamwork and their raw power to face the AI's combos and strategies…

And that concludes Chapter 16. It was the Syndicate's turn to shine as Lumine and Galerius successfully took down their respective opponents. In the next few chapters, the Top 10 will hone their skills, and things will start getting heated up.

Well, that's all for now. As always, please read, review, favorite and follow.

See you all next time!