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?

24. Silent Ambush

Greetings, community. Donkeyboy100 is here with Chapter 24. So, without further ado, on with the story!

In Den City...

"WHAT?!" Yuji couldn't believe what he had heard. Pyrrha, a.k.a. Scarlett, had just told him that her dad, the head of SOL's Card Design department, was kidnapped. Who in their right mind would kidnap someone's father? The answer: Someone who was crazy.

"Is everything alright, Yuji?" Ena asked, going over to him along with the others.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Theodore added.

"I'm afraid I have terrible news, everyone. Scarlett's dad's been kidnapped," Yuji answered.

Everyone's eyes widened in shock. However, Rhea had a blank face.

"Who's Scarlett?" she asked.

Ena turned to Rhea. "That's right. You weren't there with us when we met her. Scarlett is a friend we met after seeing her face off against Shima in the finals of a local duel tournament."

"Wait a minute. Did you use the word Shima and finals in the same sentence?" Rhea asked with a surprised look on her face.

"I did. But that's beside the point," Ena stated. "As I was saying, it was then that Skye remembered that she met Scarlett when they were kids and that her father is a famous card designer."

"That's when I came up with the idea to challenge her to a duel in LINK VRAINS, where if I won, she and her father would have to create Pendulum Cards for the Top 10," Yuji added.

"And I'm guessing you won, correct?" Rhea deduced as Yuji nodded in response.

Ena turned to Yuji. "Did she say who kidnapped her father?"

"Afraid not. But after what Scarlett has done for us, it's only fair to return the favor by finding out who did this." He narrowed his eyes at Ena. "You mind tagging along with me?"

Ena smiled. "Of course. Someone needs to watch your back in the network."

"Do you want us to come as well?" Lily asked. "We'll be more than happy to."

Yuji shook his head. "No. Ena and I are more than enough for this rescue mission. But please assist us outside LINK VRAINS."

"Forget that," Rhea said, causing everyone to turn to her. "I've been stuck at home recovering while you guys were having fun by going on exciting missions. I'm tagging along with two, and I won't take no for an answer."

Ena sighed before turning to Yuji. "She's right, Yuji. Rhea has missed the last few missions we've been on. It would be wrong if we left her on another. Should we let her join us?"

Yuji pondered the idea for a minute before coming to a decision. "Very well. You can join us."

Rhea smiled. "Awesome! I promise I won't hold you guys back." She then turned to Theodore, Skye, and Lily. "Sorry, guys."

"That's okay. If that's what you want, we won't stop you," Skye said before narrowing her eyes at Yuji and Ena. "Good luck, you three. If you need our help, we're only a call away."

"Likewise." Yuji nodded before turning to Ena and Rhea. "Time for us to go."

The two girls nodded as they and Yuji left the park and entered a nearby ally. From there, the three raised their Duel Disks.

"Time to link into the VRAINS!"

In LINK VRAINS…

There were other areas or sectors outside of LINK VRAINS. The others were controlled by their servers, but there were some sectors that only some people or many went to. Some were privately owned with tight security that hid them from outside networks.

Storm Rider, Sanctum, and Esper landed on their D-Boards before heading to a sector called UN0KnO23, where a wide-open world of cyberspace existed. Floating crystals shined like stars in the night sky above the trio. They've never logged into an unknown server.

"You sure this is the right place?" Sanctum asked.

"The coordinates Scarlett sent me are correct. I'd know if there was something off." Storm Rider answered.

"Well, either the coordinates are wrong, or the place we ended up in is correct," Eper said.

"Probably that will answer your question," Sanctum said, pointing forward.

Storm Rider and Esper turned their eyes to see a massive gate-like wall with several buildings and a large tower inside.

"What is that?" Esper asked.

"Beats me," Sanctum answered.

"Probably whoever kidnapped Scarlett's created it to ensure we would have difficulty rescuing him."

Storm Rider's Duel Disk buzzed within a few moments, causing him to press a button.

"Hello?"

"Storm Rider, are you in the network?" Pyrrha asked him quietly.

"Yeah. Where are you?" Storm Rider replied. A digital map popped up on his Duel Disk as if on cue, making him raise an eyebrow.

"Just follow the direction, and you'll find Pyrrha," Theodore told him.

"We got you covered," Lily added.

"Thanks, guys. I appreciate it." Storm Rider and the others followed his map's directions, hopped off their D-Boards, and landed on the ground in front of an alley-like maze.

Esper frowned. "Seriously? A maze?" She sighed. "I hate mazes."

"Even so, we have to get through it if we're going to find Pyrrha and her father," Storm Rider said. "And thanks to this map, it should be no problem."

Following Storm Rider's words, the trio walked straight forward briefly before taking a left and a right. After taking several more turns and walking down several alleyways, Storm Ride noticed Pyrrha's location began moving. "That's not good." He and the others started running, knowing Pyrrha would likely be in danger. Upon arriving at Pyrrha's location, they found her ambushed by gang members.

"Nowhere to run, little girl," the lead gang member said.

"Once we capture you, then-!" the other gang member began, intent on saying more...

ZAP!

ZAP!

ZAP!

...Until one of the gang members fell to the ground before convulsing, causing the lead gang member to turn his head slowly.

"Who goes there?" the man demanded before charging at Esper, only for her to punch the man in the gut so quickly that he took a few steps back in pain.

"Leave her alone!" Esper told the man before electrocuting him. Afterward, she went over to Pyrrha. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Pyrrha said. "But who are you?"

"Relax, Pyrrha. She's with us," Storm Rider said as he and Sanctum approached the duo. "To answer your question, this is our new teammate Esper."

"Nice to meet you," Esper said, holding her hand.

"You too," Pyrrha shook Esper's hand in response. She narrowed her eyes at Storm Rider. "Sorry, Storm Rider." she apologized. "I thought this area would be bare, but when I noticed people patrolling the area..."

"You did the right thing alerting me of your location," Storm Rider stated, reassuringly putting a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder. "Speaking of location, I have never seen this area before."

"That's because it's hidden from the rest of LINK VRAINS," Pyrrha stated. "From what I've heard, this place is known as the Black Market."

"Black Market?" Sanctum repeated. "You mean a place where people do illegal activities?"

"The very one," Pyrrha explained as they left the alleyway. "My dad told me stories about this place, but I never thought it existed.

"Do you know who kidnapped your dad?" Storm Rider asked.

"No. But I have this." Pyrrha pressed a few buttons on her Duel Disk, causing a video to pop out. Storm Rider and the others looked at it, and the quartet stopped walking. Upon looking at the title, Storm Rider froze out of shock.

"Reports indicate that an unknown group stormed Tokyo Detention House, one of Japan's largest prisons," a male reporter began. "A total of one hundred criminals were freed. Some suspect it was the Syndicate's doing. A search warrant has been..." Pyrrha closed the video afterward.

"Oh, that's not good at all," Storm Rider muttered. The fact that the Syndicate freed some of the most criminals in Den City means they're desperate for reinforcements. "We need to track the Syndicate or some freed prisoners down. Perhaps they'll have information that can help us rescue your dad."

"Right!" The quartet continued walking through the alleyway before eventually reaching the end. Pyrrha snapped her fingers, causing ponchos to cover her and the others. "So long as we keep these on, we can blend in."

"Understood." The group exited the maze onto a street before walking to the general area. Looking around, Sanctum saw several workers doing various things. From selling supplies to improving their programs and even making deals with one another, it was clear that the Black Market was one of the largest areas in the network.

Storm Rider narrowed her eyes toward Pyrrha. "Hey, Pyrrha, can I ask you a question?" he said, getting his ally's attention. "Do you know why the Syndicate kidnapped your father?"

"No. I've been racking my brain on why but ended up with nothing." Pyrrha answered.

"Guys! Look over there!" Rhea suddenly stated, pointing her finger at a man with a ragged hood. Storm Rider, Sanctum, and Pyrrha looked closely at the hood's symbol, which had an 'S' with a cross down the middle. Bullseye!

Upon seeing them, the man began cutting through the crowd, intent on escaping the quarter.

"After him!" Pyrrha said as she and the others gave chase by also cutting through the crowd. If they can get to that man, they'll have some information to continue the case. There was one problem with going after a prime suspect in a crowd. It was like finding a needle in a haystack. Only in this case, the hand was moving.

Eventually, Pyrrha and the others could navigate successfully through the crowd and continue pursuing the man on foot. The four teens chased him down the street, where their target eventually turned left at the end of the road. Knowing they couldn't let their target escape, the quartet continued pursuing the man until he pressed a button on his Duel Disk, making him invisible.

"Seriously? An invisible cloaking device?" Pyrrha complained.

"Leave this to me," Storm Rider assured him, pressing a few buttons on his Duel Disk before it released an infrared wave of the area. "What? This program Kolter provided is supposed to help find invisible people."

"Let me try," Sanctum suggested, with Storm Rider giving her thumbs up. Sanctum pressed a button on her Duel Disk, releasing a second infrared wave of the area. The quartet reached the end of an alleyway.

"I'll take a right. While Storm Rider goes left, Sanctum goes north, and Esper goes south." Pyrrha immediately stated, knowing that the man they were after had to go in one of those directions. It was apparent, as the man was likely following a secret route to a hideout. Besides, if the man had climbing equipment, there was no way he could climb across the wall in front of them.

The others nodded before heading off in separate directions.

Storm Rider pressed a button on his Duel Disk. "Kolter, Kolter, why did my infrared scanner not work?"

"I'm not sure, man. Not sure at all." Kolter admitted. "Do you think this guy will help you find the Syndicate and Pyrrha's dad?"

"I'm not sure," Storm Rider replied before turning left at the end of another alleyway. "By that guy is our only lead at the moment, so the sooner we catch him, the sooner we'll learn where Pyrrha's da-." Suddenly, Storm Rider heard a scream. Crap.

"HANG ON, PYRRHA!" Storm Rider began running the other way, afraid more people had attacked his friend. He pressed two fingers on his earpiece before saying, "Need some directions here!"

"What's the magic word, Yuji?" Kolter inquired, which made Theodore and the others chuckle in amusement.

Storm Rider sighed. "I need some directions... please."

"Take a right at the end of the alleyway." Theodore began explaining as Storm Rider did that. "Keep running straight, and then take a left at the end of the alleyway." Storm Rider did that as well. Hang on, Pyrrha. I'm coming, Storm Rider thought.

"There you are, Storm Rider!" Pyrrha suddenly said, going over to him before stopping.

Storm Rider breathed a sigh of relief, happy that Pyrrha didn't get herself cornered. "I thought you let out a cry for help..."

"I thought that you were the." The duo heard a scream for help once again. Knowing what to do, they continued running straight before taking a turn or two. Eventually, after a full minute of running, they found their target...

...Who was entangled in a web-like trap. Or, in this case, a web created by electrical chains, with Esper looking at the man before her.

"Alright, punk. Where's Pyrrha's father at?" Esper demanded, a frown on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about, kid! Go away!" the man shouted, only for the chains binding him to tighten around his body.

"If you don't talk, my chains will squeeze you like a rag, making you suffer unimaginable pain," Esper warned the man. "Now tell me. Where's-?"

"Esper, that's enough!" Pyrrha shouted, getting the girl's attention.

"But why?" Esper asked. "Our goal was to find this piece of trash. And what better way to learn about your dad's whereabouts than to torture him." She snapped her fingers, causing the chains to tighten around the captured man. "Since we're also tracking down the Syndicate, we can also get-."

"We are not torturing him, Esper!" Sanctum said as she appeared from behind them in a voice that practically made Esper close her mouth. "This is Pyrrha's matter. So let her take care of the interrogation."

Esper sighed. "Fine." She walked over to the trio as Pyrrha approached the captured man, who was sweating in fear.

Storm Rider turned to Esper. "You're very aggressive. You know that?"

Esper frowned. "Some people would say that's one of my best qualities."

"Is that so?" Sanctum said. "Hopefully, I'll get to meet these people one day."

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes at the man. "We're trying to find a man named Jeff Burns. If you can tell us who kidnapped him, we can-."

"If you're thinking the Syndicate's responsible for his kidnapping, think again!" the man spat out, glaring at Pyrrha, who was surprised at that statement. In response, she went over and grabbed the man's collar. "What do you mean?"

"The press thinks the Syndicate is responsible for freeing all those prisoners, well they're dead wrong. It was three former employees of SOL Tech that were responsible for allowing those prisoners to escape and kidnapping your father," the man began.

"Former SOL employees?" Pyrrha questioned, narrowing her eyes to get the point across.

The man smirked upon seeing Pyrrha's confused look. "I can tell you're shocked by the news you just heard. Well, here's some more shocking news. The people responsible for the break-in were none other than your father's old colleagues, Hanz and Gunther!" the man continued. "Your father's talent quickly overshadowed them, that they resorted to...AAAAAGGGHH!" The man screamed as the chains wrapped around him became tighter.

"We got our information regarding who's responsible. Now it's time to get the rest." Esper stated, walking forward with a severe expression. "Tell us where these two individuals are hiding?"

"You see that tower behind me. That's where Hanz and Gunther... AAAAGGHH!" The man then screamed before being forced to log out due to the pain.

"Okay. We got our information thanks to Esper's interrogation methods," Sanctum said before turning to Pyrrha. "But why would your dad's former colleagues kidnap him? Why did he ever do to them?"

"I think I know the reason why." Pyrrha began explaining, motioning the others to follow behind her. "Before my dad got hired at SOL, Hanz, and Gunther were the chief card designers. They were known for making the best and most powerful cards in the game of Duel Monsters. However, his talent quickly overshadowed the duo once my father was hired. They were so jealous of him that they tried to have him framed, but sadly failed and were terminated for it. I haven't heard anything about them ever since. But I assume they recruited some former criminals who specialized in getting the best cards to form a strong team of duelists to handle anyone who gets in their way."

"I see...?" Storm Rider said as he and the others exited the alleyway and back onto the street. "You got everything from that conversation, Kolter?"

"Yes, I did," Kolter confirmed. "Found some new information on Hanz and Gunther. After they were let go, they decided to make their income by finding work in the black market. But not long after, SOL's security force learned they were creating counterfeit cards and had them arrested and serve a 10-year sentence."

"OMG, talk about being down on your luck," Esper commentated.

"According to their profiles, they were released late last year," Kolter stated. "However, they didn't return to the black market, and no new news regarding them has appeared ever since."

"They must've been laying low to plan their revenge on Pyrrha's father," Storm Rider deduced. "But no matter how many guys they've recruited, we'll be ready to knock them down and save Pyrrha's dad."

"You guys should get moving soon," Yusaku suggested over the comm. "Kolter, Theodore, and I found a troop patrol nearby."

"The last thing either of you needs right now is to get spotted by a troop patrol," Theodore added.

"Noted." Storm Rider turned to Pyrrha. "Alright, everyone. Let's get a move on."

"Right!" The others nodded in response as they continued onward.

A few minutes later...

The quartet hid behind a large piece of debris on higher ground, some distance from the large tower. It consisted of two levels, with the first consisting of a massive circular floor. The second level consisted of a medium octagon-sized floor. Various troops were patrolling around the tower. Orbiting around the headquarters were humanoid AIs of different colors.

"Hang on a minute. Storm Rider, aren't those AIs originally made by SOL?" Sanctum asked.

"I thought they were all exterminated by the Hanoi," Pyrrha muttered in surprise.

"Seems like Hanz and Gunther were able to salvage and reprogram them for their forces." Esper deduced, looking at them.

"How they obtained them remains the question," Storm Rider added. It seemed like the only option was to sneak around the tower and find a backdoor stealthily, as there was no way the quartet would head to the front door. After all, ground and aerial troops guarded the place. Storm Rider pressed a few buttons on his Duel Disk, releasing a swarm of small drones. The drones then flew above the tower before spreading out and heading to each of the AIs. As a result of entering inside each one, all of them fell to the ground, getting the attention of the patrolling guards. Pressing two fingers on his earpiece, Storm Rider said, "Kolter. See if you can disable the cameras and monitors. We're going in."

"Leave it to me, buddy!" Kolter said.

The quartet then walked down to the ground before, treading carefully, as now they were in the tower's territory. Luckily, the cameras were down, allowing them to slip by quietly.

"How great. Not only did SOL's AIs deactivate, but the security system's also on the fritz," one troop commented to his four buddies. Seeing this, Storm Rider and the others stopped moving. "Guess those two were lying about the strength of the AIs after all."

"Well, at least we have more troops," another troop stated. "Considering how we're on the chopping block here, we need all the muscle to keep us hidden from the po-po."

"Don't worry, guys," a troop said, running over to his buddies. "I contacted a maintenance squad. They'll be on their way to fix those AIs and the security system in no time."

"Nice going, dude!" a fourth troop praised his comrade with a high five.

"So, how are we going to get through these guys?" Pyrrha asked.

"Leave this to me," Esper told the others as her electrical chains appeared out of nowhere, which snaked towards the six troops before wrapping around their entire body.

"What the?" was all one of the troops said before having their mouths shut. Esper then used her chains to drag them to a nearby alleyway before knocking each troop unconscious. "Okay, we're good to go."

The quartet continued to move forward following Esper's words.

"Okay, something about that girl is unnatural," Pyrrha whispered to Storm Rider and Sanctum.

"We can discuss that later," Storm Rider said. "Right now, we need to figure out how to get inside. And I think I have an idea."

After arriving at one of the tower's walls, Storm Rider quickly tapped several bricks. Shortly afterward, sounds of gears turning could be heard as a hole big enough to fit up to five people side by side appeared in front of them. Storm Rider beckoned at the others to follow him as he activated his Duel Disk's searchlight to illuminate the dark passageway.

"That was amazing, Storm Rider!" Sanctum said. "How did you know there was a secret passage?"

"I didn't," he replied. "I just assume there would be one, given how shady this place is."

"You know, if this wasn't a mission and we were galavanting in the network, I'd find this very exciting," Esper remarked as she looked around the area. "An old castle filled with secret paths does bring out a sense of adventure after all."

"Unfortunately, the only thing I sense right now is tension," Pyrrha responded with a crooked smile. "I never thought that in my life I would enter a back door like a thief in the dark to rescue my father. Life sure has a weird sense of humor…."

Storm Rider abruptly stopped at that moment, examining the wall beside him. After a while, he removed a misaligned brick to reveal a small terminal behind it.

"Good, another gear that opens a secret passage," Storm Rider said as he hacked through the terminal, causing the wall in front of the four youths to open up.

"We better be careful here. According to the schematics of this tower, it has an ever-changing structure."

"Ever-changing structure?" Sanctum whispered back to Storm Rider as the group quietly ran through the hallway. "What's that mean?"

"It means the place will shift in different positions," Pyrrha answered quietly. "In other words, the rooms move."

"Move? That's ridiculous." Esper commented.

"Get down!" Storm Rider quietly told the group as they quickly hid on the wall in a separate hallway connected to the one they were already in. A troop member passed them, and to ensure their safety, he threw a small device that released a puff of gas, knocking him out. By coincidence, there was a janitor's closet nearby, which they dragged the knocked-out troop to before closing the door.

"Luckily for us, Kolter put the cameras on a temporary loop," Storm Rider mentioned. "Although he's unsure how long they'll be occupied for."

The quarter continued moving forward. However, after a few minutes of running, the structure started shaking again.

"Get out of that hallway!" Kolter said. "If you don't move, you'll be separated!"

As if on cue, the four youths ran down the hallway in the opposite direction, only for that part of the hallway to detach itself and trap them.

"We must separate, or we'll be squished in with no escape!" Storm Rider exclaimed as he and Sanctum headed forward. "Either find Hanz and Gunther or Pyrrha's father! Let's meet up back up once we do!"

Storm Rider and Sanctum jumped on the moving platform in front of them, while Pyrrha and Esper ran the other way and turned left before jumping on another moving platform that went sideways. After the structure finished changing and setting itself in a new position, Storm Rider and Esper turned right at the end of their hallway. They then went upstairs to the next floor before turning left. As they walked further through the hallway, they noticed no guards. Why was that? Did they luck out? Were the cameras still on a loop?

Storm Rider pressed a button on his Duel Disk. "Kolter. Are the cameras still on a loop?"

"Loop's surprisingly still on," Kolter answered. "Something's not-." Suddenly, the feed cut out, surprising both youths. Knowing something was up. They carefully trod down the hallway before making a left.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Sanctum muttered. "Something tells me we're walking into a trap.

"Me too," Storm Rider said before the lights in the hallway lit up as if to show a direction to another area. Storm Rider and Sanctum followed that direction, eventually leading to an elevator. Once they went inside, it immediately began bringing them to the top floor. Finally, the elevator stopped, allowing the duo to exit and enter a hallway that led to a spacious room. Suddenly, however, upon feeling a tingle running down his spine, Storm Rider came to a halt and started surveying the surroundings with a wary look.

"What's the matter?" Sanctum asked upon noticing that the latter had stopped moving. "Why did you stop here?"

"We're being watched," Storm Rider responded. "Don't ask me how I know."

"Very impressive, Storm Rider!" A nearby voice said. "I should have known you would have picked up our presence so easily!"

Storm Rider and Sanctum sharply turned on their heels at the sound of this voice, coming face-to-face with two young females. The speaker was a fair-skinned female with light lavender-colored hair and hazel eyes. She wore a white sleeveless dress embezzled with jewels along the hem. Her Duel Disk was a silver model with a regular lavender-colored base with several gems. She stood opposite Storm Rider alongside a fair-skinned female with long purple hair, orange tips, and emerald-green eyes. Her attire included a small silver jacket, white gloves, blue earrings, rouge jumpsuit with uneven-sized boots and leggings. Two dark blue butterfly wings attached to her back as well. Her Duel Disk was a black model shaped like a butterfly wing.

"So the enemy has already appeared before us," Sanctum said as she and Storm Rider assumed a battle stance. "Are you associates of Hanz and Gunther?"

"Not quite," the lavender-haired girl said. "We just use their names to keep our identities a secret."

"The name's Papillo. And the girl beside me is Glimmer. And we're the ones who kidnapped your friend's father," she revealed.

"Is that so?" Storm Rider said before pressing a button on his Duel Disk. "Pyrrha. Esper. Can you hear me?"

"If you're trying to contact your friends, it's useless," Glimmer said. "This room we're in prevents you from communicating with others.

"And the only way out is by beating us in a duel," Papillo added.

Glimmer snapped her fingers, causing the door behind Storm Rider and Sanctum to close immediately.

"And don't worry about your little friends. Our comrades will take care of them. And in the meanwhile..." Papillo readied her Duel Disk, while Glimmer walked behind Storm Rider and Sanctum and readied her Duel Disk, with the duo in the middle.

"You ready, Storm Rider?" Sanctum asked, opposing Papillo before both girls walked over to one side of the room, while Storm Rider opposed Glimmer and walked over to the other side.

"I am." Storm Rider replied. "Just be careful, alright?"

Sanctum nodded before all four duelists activated their Duel Disks.

"Duel!" Storm Rider and Glimmer shouted in unison.

Storm Rider: 4000 LP

Glimmer: 4000 LP

"I'll take the first turn!" Glimmer declared. "I summon Crystron Thystvern!"

A mechanical wyvern covered in amethyst purple crystals, spiked tail, and crystal wings appeared on the field as it led out a thunderous roar.

Crystron Thystvern ATK 1500 DEF 1500 LVL: 3

Storm Rider narrowed his eyes at the monster. "Crystron?" He didn't recognize this archetype.

"I activate Thystvern's effect! By destroying a face-up card I control, I can Special Summon a "Crystron" Tuner Monster from my Deck. I destroy Thystvern to Special Summon Crystron Citree!"

Thystvern exploded into bright amethyst crystals as a feminine humanoid made of black metal and yellow crystals appeared.

Crystron Citree ATK 500 DEF 500 LVL: 2

Storm Rider looked at the monster curiously. A Tuner monster. That means she can Synchro Summon.

"I'll place a card face-down and end my turn," Glimmer concluded. "Over to you."

Storm Rider narrowed his eyes. Just a single Tuner and passing? That was odd.

He placed his hand on his Deck. "My turn! I draw!" Storm Rider looked at his card and played it. "Since you control a monster and I don't, I'm allowed to Special Summon Cycode Recon from my hand!"

A human-sized robot appeared wielding a marksman rifle and wearing light military gear.

Cycode Recon ATK 1200 DEF 1000 LVL: 3

"Since Recon was Special Summoned by its effect, I can add one "Cycode" monster from my Deck to my hand," Storm Rider said. "I add Cycode Rescue Unit to my hand. Now I'll create my circuit!"

Storm Rider raised his hand as it glowed blue and shot a lightning bolt, creating a Link Portal.

"Link Arrow authorized! The summoning condition is one "Cycode" monster! I set Cycode Recon in the Link Arrow!"

Recon entered the bottom-left arrow, turning it red.

"Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cycode Kuriboh!"

A tiny light blue monster with antenna-like winged heads with white lining emerged from the portal at the Extra Monster Zone and started cooing.

Cycode Kuriboh ATK 300 LINK-1 ↙

"Since I used Recon as Link Material for the summoning of a "Cycode" Link Monster, I'm allowed to add a "Cycode" Spell or Trap Card to my hand."

A card ejected from his Deck as he grabbed it and placed it in his hand. "I add Cycode Half-Guard to my hand. Next, I summon Cycode Rescue Unit!"

Four human-sized robots with light military gear with red crosses on their chests appeared on Storm Rider's field.

Cycode Rescue Unit ATK 1600 DEF 1200 LVL: 4

"Rescue Unit's effect activates! "When it's Normal or Special Summoned, I can add a "Cycode" monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I choose Cycode Recon. "Now, I'll build my circuit again!"

The Link Portal appeared above Storm Rider.

"Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are two Cyberse Effect Monsters. I set Cycode Kuriboh and Rescue Unit in the Link Arrows!"

Both his monsters became whirlwinds of energy before entering the left and bottom arrows.

"Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Link-2! Cycode Buster!"

A male humanoid wearing a digital-like energy trench coat wielding a rifle-like energy blaster appeared at the Extra Monster Zone that Cycode Kuriboh had previously vacated.

Cycode Buster ATK 1800 LINK-2 ←↓

"Cycode Buster's effect activates! When Link Summoned, I can Special Summon a "Cycode" monster from my Graveyard to its Link Arrow. Resurrect, Cycode Kuriboh!"

The small blue creature reappeared on Storm Rider's field.

Cycode Kuriboh ATK 300 LINK-1 ↙

"The monster Special Summoned by Cycode Buster's effect has its effects negated," Storm Rider stated. "And since I control a "Cycode" monster, I'm allowed to Special Summon Cycode Navigator from my hand!"

A robotic monster in a pirate's outfit, wearing a black tricorne hat, appeared next to Kuriboh.

Cycode Navigator ATK 1300 DEF 1100 LVL: 3

"I build my circuit for the third time!" The Link Portal appeared above Storm Rider again as his hand glowed blue. "Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are two Cyberse monsters. I set Cycode Navigator and Kuribog in the Link Arrows!"

His monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the bottom and right arrows, turning red.

"Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Link-2! Cycode Leo!"

A large, white fur-like digital lion with a blue circuit pattern lining across its body with blue fangs and claws appeared next to Cycode Buster's bottom Link Arrow.

Cycode Leo ATK 2100 LINK-2 ↑↓

"He summoned three Link Monsters in one turn," Glimmer muttered.

"Battle!" Storm Rider declared. "Cycode Buster attacks Crystron Citree!"

Buster aimed its rifle before firing a blue energy blast at Citree.

Glimmer smirked as she gestured to her field. "I activate Crystron Citree's effect! During my opponent's Battle Phase, I can summon a non-tuner monster from my Graveyard, negating its effects. I bring back Crystron Thystvern!"

The gems on Citree's armor shined bright as Thystvern emerged from a dark portal onto Glimmer's field.

Crystron Thystvern ATK 1500 DEF 1500 LVL: 3

"Citree's effect also allows me to Synchro Summon using both monsters!"

Storm Rider's eyes widened."What? Synchro Summoning during my turn?"

"I tune Level 2 Citree to Level 3 Thystvern!"

A bolt of green lightning struck Glimmer as the world greyed out, and her two monsters disappeared into particles. Two rings, colored yellow and purple, appeared before turning blue and merging. Five blue rings stacked in a tower appeared on a screen displaying "2 + 3" in front of them. The screen then changed to "5" as light surged through the rings.

"Mechanical justice, be formed from the water born in the crystalline mountains and strike down our foes!" Glimmer chanted. "I Synchro Summon! Level 5! Ally of Justice Catastor!"

A strange white and golden robot appeared, almost like an insect scuttling across the ground on long, too-thin metal legs. There was a red gem in the middle of its body, glowing brightly, and it slowly steadied itself, though the sound of its legs scraping against the ground was still rather disturbing to the ears.

Ally of Justice Catastor ATK 2200 DEF 1200 LVL: 5

The monster was just… sitting in Attack Position. Storm Rider glanced at Glimmer, who looked calm despite her weaker monster.

"I will take the replay and have Buster attack your monster. And at this moment, Cycode Leo's effect activates! Since Cycode Buster is next to Leo's Link Arrow, it gains 1000 more attack points, but since the two are co-linked, they both gain 1000 attack points!"

Cycode Buster ATK 1800→2800

Cycode Leo ATK 2100→3100

Buster aimed its rifle and shot multiple energy bullets at Catastor, who surprisingly dodged them and fired a multicolored blast from its diamond, striking Cycode Buster and destroying it!

"What happened?" Storm Rider gasped.

"When Catastor battles a monster with an Attribute other than Dark, that monster is automatically destroyed before damage calculation," Glimmer revealed.

Storm Rider gritted his teeth. "Since Leo's Attribute is Light, there's no point in attacking again," he muttered. Since we've reached the end of the Battle Phase, Cycode Leo's effect wears off."

Cycode Leo ATK 3100→2100

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

"It's my turn!" Glimmer announced. "I draw! First, I activate the Trap Card: Crystron Impact! Through this card's effect, I can Special Summon a banished "Crystron" monster. I bring back Crystron Citree!"

The silver and yellow humanoid reappeared on Glimmer's field in Defense Position.

Crystron Citree ATK 500 DEF 500 LVL: 2

"Next, I activate Crystron Sulfefnir's effect from my hand!" Glimmer continued. "By discarding Crystron Quan from my hand, I can Special Summon it!"

A yellow beast with crystal wings surrounded by green crystals appeared, letting out a soft growl.

Crystron Sulfefnir ATK 2000 DEF 1500 LVL: 5

"I'm not done! I now tune my Level 5 Crystron Sulfefnir with my Level 2 Crystron Citree!"

Glimmer's monsters disintegrated into green data as seven blue rings formed and a screen appeared. The screen said "5 + 2" before changing to "7." A stream of light went through the rings.

"From the cores of crystals comes a monster with power beyond machinery! Crystals combine to form a powerful machine! I Synchro Summon! Level 7! Crystron Bastrix!"

The monster that emerged from the light was a red humanoid machine with tentacles instead of wings and claws attached to the back of its hands.

Crystron Bastrix ATK 2600 DEF 1600 LVL: 7

"Crystron Bastrix's effect activates! When this card is Synchro Summoned, all Special Summoned monsters my opponent controls have their attack points reduced to 0!"

"W-What?!" Storm Rider gasped as Bastix's tentacles wrapped around Leo, draining its power.

Cycode Leo ATK 2100→0

Glimmer gestured to her field. "Battle! Crystron Bastrix attacks Cycode Leo!"

Storm Rider gritted his teeth before gesturing to his field. "I activate the Trap: Cycode Half-Guard! By discarding Cycode Firefighter, all battle damage I take is halved!"

Bastrix charged straight at Leo before unleashing an electric blast from its body onto the Cycode Link Monster, destroying it. The electricity went straight to Strom Rider and shocked him, causing him to yell out in pain.

Storm Rider: 4000→2700 LP

"Next, Catastor attacks you directly!"

The insect-like Synchro Monster fired a red beam of energy at Storm Rider, striking him in the chest and pushing him back a few feet.

Storm Rider: 2700→1600 LP

"Since the Battle Phase is over, Half-Guard's additional effect activates!" Storm Rider declared. "I draw one card for each of your monsters that battled this turn. Two of your monsters battled. So I draw two cards!"

Storm Rider drew as Glimmer said, "As expected, you managed to survive. That's good. It would be a shame if you were defeated in a single turn. I place a card face-down and activate the Spell Card: Card Destruction. We now must discard our hands and draw cards from our Decks equal to the number previously in our hands. But you're the only one affected since my hand is empty."

Storm Rider frowned as he discarded his hand and drew a new one. He grimaced after seeing the cards in his hand.

Glimmer smirked. "Didn't get a good hand. Too bad for you. I end my turn."

"My turn! I draw!" Storm Rider looked at his card and smiled. Time for a comeback.

"First, I activate the Spell Card: Cyberse Call! It lets me add a Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand." He took a card from his Deck, then said, "Since you control monsters and I don't, I'm allowed to Special Summon Cycode Swordsman from my hand!"

A man in cybernetic blue armor carrying futuristic swords appeared.

Cycode Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3

"Since Swordsman was Special Summoned by its effect, I can add one "Cycode" monster from my Deck to my hand," Storm Rider said. "I add Cycode Masterframe to my hand." He did so, then gestured to his field. "Now, I'll create my circuit!"

Storm Rider raised his hand as it glowed blue and shot a lightning bolt, creating a Link Portal.

"Link Arrow authorized! The summoning condition is one Cyberse monster! I set Cycode Swordsman in the Link Arrow!"

Swordsman entered the bottom-left arrow, turning it red.

"Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cycode Sky Eagle!"

A light green cybernetic eagle with turbine wings appeared in the Right Extra Monster Zone.

Cycode Sky Eagle ATK 300 LINK-1 ↙

"I activate the Trap Card: Cynet Regression!" Storm Rider declared. "As I Special Summoned a Link Monster, one card on the field is destroyed! I destroy Ally of Justice Catastor!"

As if on cue, the Synchro monster burst into particles.

"Sky Eagle's effect activates!" Storm Rider continued. "When it's Link Summoned, I can add a "Cycode" monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I return Cycode Swordsman to my hand. Then, I summon Cycode Masterframe!"

A hacker-like human with dark brown hair appeared, wearing a dark orange hoodie outfit and a pair of dark orange goggles that glow with white circuit lining across the lens. He also had a heavy right gauntlet glove and hover boots.

Cycode Masterframe ATK 1600 DEF 400 LVL: 4

"Masterframe's effect activates!" Storm Rider continued. "When Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one "Cycode" monster from my hand. Appear, Cycode Acrobat!"

A female android holding a silver hoop in its right hand appeared.

Cycode Acrobat ATK 1700 DEF 1400 LVL: 5

"Acrobat's effect activates! When it is Special Summoned by a "Cycode" card's effect, I can add a "Cycode" card from my Deck to my hand." He took a card from his Deck and played it. "I activate the Spell Card: Cycode Emblem! By sending a "Cycode" monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, I can then Special Summon a "Cycode" monster from my Deck in Attack Position, so long as it has the same Level as the sent monster. I send the Level 4 Cycode Knight to the Graveyard and Special Summon Cycode Miner!"

A robotic humanoid in a prospector's uniform carrying a shovel appeared.

Cycode Miner ATK 1700 DEF 100 LVL: 4

"Now, I'll build my circuit a second time!"

The Link Portal appeared again above Storm Rider.

"The summoning conditions are two Cyberse monsters, except Tokens. I set Cycode Masterframe and Miner in the Link Arrows!"

His monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the left and right arrows, turning them red.

"I Link Summon! Link-2! Cycode Administrator!"

A large blue mechanical humanoid emerged from the portal, summoned to Cycode Sky Eagle's Link Arrow.

Cycode Administrator ATK 1200 LINK-2 →↙

"Cycode Administrator's effect! All "Cycode" Link Monsters I control gain 800 attack points!"

Cycode Kuriboh ATK 300→1100

Cycode Administrator ATK 1200→2000

Storm Rider raised his hand. "For the third time, I build my circuit! The summoning conditions are two "Cycode" monsters! I set Cycode Acrobat and Sky Eagle in the Link Arrows!"

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

"I Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cycode Bi-Blader!"

A white and blue humanoid monster with glowing yellow energy-like blades attached to its wrists appeared summoned to Administrator's right Link Arrow.

Cycode Bi-Blader ATK 1800→2600 LINK-2 ←→

"Since I used Cycode Sky Eagle to Link Summon Administrator, its effect activates!" Storm Rider stated. "All my monsters gain 400 attack points!"

Cycode Bi-Blader ATK 2600→3000

Cycode Administrator ATK 2000→2400

"Battle!" Storm Rider exclaimed. "Bi-Blader attacks Crystron Bastrix!"

Binary Blader charged the crystal humanoid.

"Cycode Bi-Blader's effect activates! Since it is co-linked, it can attack twice this turn, and the first time it attacks, your monster's attack points become 0!"

Crystron Bastrix ATK 2600→0

"I activate my Trap Card!" Glimmer declared. "Draining Shield! "Bi-Blader's attack is negated, and I gain Life Points equal to its attack points!"

The Link Monster's sword struck a barrier, canceling its attack as Glimmer smiled beatifically.

Glimmer: 4000→7000 LP

Crystron Bastrix ATK 0→2600

Storm Rider gritted his teeth. "You might've stopped the first attack, but you won't stop the next. Bi-Blader attacks Bastrix again!"

Bi-Blader charged the Crystron Synchro Monster once more and slashed it in half with its swords, destroying it in an explosion and making Glimmer wince in pain.

Glimmer: 7000→6600 LP

"Next, Cycode Administrator attacks you directly!"

Cycode Administrator lobbed a blue orb of energy at Glimmer, exploding on impact and sending her tumbling back.

Glimmer: 6600→4200 LP

"I place two cards face-down and end my turn," Storm Rider concluded.

Glimmer stood back up as she gestured to her field. At this moment, Bastrix's effect activates! Since it was destroyed this turn, I can Special Summon a "Crystron" monster from my hand or Graveyard. From my Graveyard, I Special Summon Sulfefnir!"

The yellow beast reappeared on Glimmer's field in Defense Position.

Crystron Sulfefnir ATK 2000 DEF 1500 LVL: 5

"Never have I dueled someone who could put up a fight. But don't think for a second this duel is yours. Remember that I still hold that advantage in Life Points."

"That may be true," Storm Rider agreed. "But as a wise duelist once said, "a duel isn't over until the last card is played." And last I checked, I still have some cards left. Meaning, I'm still in this duel!"

"We shall see," Glimmer replied.

At Sanctum and Papillo's duel...

"Duel!" Sanctum and Papillo said in unison.

Sanctum: 4000 LP

Papillo: 4000 LP

"I'll take the first turn!" Sanctum declared. I activate the Spell Card: Trade-In! This card lets me discard a Level 8 monster to draw two cards. I discard Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall."

Papillo narrowed her eyes as her opponent drew. Mekk-Knights? she thought. This duel may be more fun than I thought.

"I summon Mekk-Knight Avram!"

A young blonde man in gold armor wielding two curved swords appeared.

Mekk-Knight Avram ATK 2000 DEF 0 LVL: 4

"I place two cards face-down," Sanctum said. "I end my turn."

"My turn!" Papillo announced. "I draw! First, I activate the Field Spell Card: Butterspy Garden!" The card showed the silhouette of a woman dancing in the middle of a beautiful, flower-filled garden illuminated by the moon with the glowing silhouettes of a myriad of butterflies in the sky. "While this card is on the field, all monsters you control lose 200 attack and defense points for every monster on your field."

Sanctum gasped as her monster slumped over.

Mekk-Knight Avram ATK 2000→1800

"Next, I summon Adonis Butterspy!"

A human-sized butterfly with a woman's head and thorax and the wings of an adonis butterfly sprouting from her back, clad in blue and white armor, appeared. She wielded a double-sided dagger in each of her hands.

Adonis Butterspy ATK 1400 DEF 1100 LVL: 4

"So you are a user of Dark Warrior monsters, huh?" Sanctum smirked. "Considering that I mainly use Light monsters, I can't help but find the current situation quite ironic, don't you think?"

"Yes, it's quite ironic indeed." Papillo concurred with Sanctum's assessment. "The 'villain' uses the power of dark, while the 'hero' opposes her with the power of light. Now, let's continue. Adonis's effect activates! When she's Normal Summoned, I can add a "Butterspy" monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Fritillary Butterspy to my hand. And since I control a "Butterspy" monster, I can Special Summon her!"

Following Papillo's words, a human-sized butterfly with a woman's head and thorax and the wings of a fritillary butterfly sprouting from her back, clad in dark orange armor, appeared. She wielded a sword in each of her hands.

Fritillary Butterspy ATK 1000 DEF 800 LVL: 4

Papillo gestured to her field. "I overlay my Level 4 Adonis Butterspy and Fritillary Butterspy!"

A bolt of blue energy burst out of her Duel Disk and traveled upwards. It struck the sky and exploded into a ring of blue energy that traveled downwards, changing the environment to a midnight sky. Streams of blue data traveled downward.

"With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"

A large blue "X" with four red points appeared beneath her two monsters, who broke into blue data and entered two of the dots. The corners of the "X" fired beams upwards, creating a bright galaxy that exploded with power.

"Rise and flutter to freedom!" Papillo chanted as her Duel Disk glowed. "I Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Duke Butterspy!"

A monster resembling a duke butterfly, cladded in dark green and cyan armor and holding a staff, emerged from the portal onto Papillo's field in Attack Position. Two orbs of light circled it.

Duke Butterspy ATK 2000 DEF 2000 RNK: 4 OU: 2

"I activate Duke Butterspy's effect!" Papillo declared. "By detaching an Overlay Unit, I can target one monster on your field and change its battle position. I choose Mekk-Knight Avram!"

Duke absorbed one of its Overlay Units into staff before firing a lightning bolt at the Mekk-Knight monster, making it kneel.

Duke Butterspy OU: 2→1

"Last but not least, after this effect resolves, all "Butterspy" monsters I control gain 500 attack points!"

Duke Butterspy ATK 2000→2500

"Battle!" Papillo declared. "Duke Butterspy, attack Mekk-Knight Avram! Furthermore, whenever Duke attacks a Defense Position Monster, it can inflict piercing damage! Crescent Moon Slash!"

"Before that, I activate the Trap Card: Ground Capture!" Sanctum declared. "Through its effect, the battle damage I take from your monster's attack is halved!"

Following Sanctum's words, Duke Butterspry charged forward and bisected Avram with its staff, causing it to explode and pushing Sanctum back.

Sanctum: 4000→2750 LP

"And since I took more than 1000 points of damage, Ground Capture's second effect lets me draw a card," Sanctum added.

"Not bad, I suppose," Papillo said. "I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"My turn! I draw!" Sanctum announced. "First, I activate the Continuous Trap Card: World Legacy's Secret! This card lets me Special Summon a Level 5 or higher monster from my Graveyard!" Papillo narrowed his eyes, remembering her opponent's opening move. "Resurrect, Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall!"

A mechanical warrior carrying a spear and wearing a purple cape appeared in Attack Position.

Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall ATK 2500→2300 DEF 2000→1800 LVL: 8

"From there, I activate the Spell Card: Graceful Charity! It allows me to draw three cards by discarding two afterward."

She drew three cards, then discarded Cards of Compensation and Mekk-Knight Green Horizon.

"Card of Compensation's effect activates! I get to draw two cards as I sent it from my hand to the Graveyard." Sanctum drew her cards, then said, "I activate Mekk-Knight Red Moon's effect from my hand! Since one of your face-down cards is in the same column as World Legacy's Secret, I Special Summon Red Moon to that column!"

A red and silver machine carrying a large ax appeared in Attack Position in the same column Blue Sky had vacated.

Mekk-Knight Red Moon ATK 2300 DEF 2600 LVL: 7

"Don't forget that your monsters weaken due to Butterspy Garden's effect!" Papillo reminded her opponent.

Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall ATK 2300→2100 DEF 1800→1600

Mekk-Knight Red Moon ATK 2300→1900 DEF 2600→2200

Sanctum said as she gestured to her field. "I activate Red Moon's effect! By banishing a "Mekk-Knight" monster from my Graveyard, I can destroy a face-up monster in Red Moon's column! I banish Green Horizon from my Graveyard to destroy Duke Butterspy!"

Red Moon's ax glowed before it drove it into the ground, creating and releasing a blast of energy that destroyed Duke.

"Since an Xyz Monster on my field was destroyed, I can activate the Trap Card: Shadow Re-Construct!" Papillo declared as the card showed a damaged figure that resembled Gagaga Cowboy with a bright glowing figure behind it resembling Zubaba General. "Due to its effect, this card lets me Special Summon an Xyz Monster from the Extra Deck with the same Type and Rank as the destroyed monster but with a different name and treat it as an Xyz Summon!"

Sanctum's eyes widened. "Meaning you can summon another Xyz Monster?"

"Correct!" Papillo confirmed as she gestured to her field. "Graceful hunter dancing in the sky, appear with the roar of a beast! I Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Tiger Papilloperative!"

A woman clad from head to toe in a light yellow bodysuit decorated with a black, narrow set of stripes akin to a tiger, with the wings of a tiger swallowtail sprouting from her back. Black armor covered her head, shoulders, abdomen, and feet. Brown hair tied into a ponytail emerged from the back of her head, and silver claws were attached to each of her fingers.

Tiger Papilloperative ATK 2200 DEF 1400 RNK: 4

"And due to Re-Construct's second effect, I can attach two monsters from my Deck whose Levels equal the Rank of the summoned monster," Papillo revealed. "I attach the Level 4s Swallowtail Butterspy and Morpho Butterspy!"

"What?" Sanctum said as two red lights appeared orbiting Tiger Papilloperative.

Tiger Papilloperative OU: 0→2

Sanctum narrowed her eyes. "Just because your monster has Overlay Units now doesn't mean it will get the chance to use them. I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Cosmic Cyclone! By paying 1000 Life Points, I can target and banish one Spell or Trap Card on the field. I banish your Butterspy Garden Field Spell!"

A cyclone burst out of Cosmic Cyclone and shredded Papillo's Field Spell into particles. At the same time, a shockwave appeared and struck Sanctum, causing her to stumble.

Sanctum: 2750→1750 LP

"With your Field Spell gone, my monsters' attack and defense points return to normal."

Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall ATK 2100→2500 DEF 1600→2000

Mekk-Knight Red Moon ATK 1900→2300 DEF 2200→2600

"Battle!" Sanctum exclaimed. "Red Moon, attack Tiger Papilloperative! Berserker Charge!"

Red Moon rushed forward, smashing the Xyz Monster backward with its large ax and destroying it.

Papillo: 4000→3900 LP

"Now, Purple Nightfall, attack Papillo directly!"

As the mechanical charged forward, Papillo gestured to her field.

"I activate the Trap Card: Security Orb! It switches your attacking monster to Defense Position!"

Purple Nightfall turned around and retreated as it held up its lance defensively.

Sanctum frowned before gesturing to her field. "I activate Purple Nightfall's effect! Once per turn, during either of our turns, I can banish a "Mekk-Knight" monster until my next Standby Phase and add a new "Mekk-Knight" monster from my Deck to my hand. I banish Red Moon to add Mekk-Knight Emerald Jay to my hand."

Red Moon disintegrated as Sanctum took the card from her Deck.

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

"It's my turn!" Papillo announced. "I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Pot of Greed which lets me draw two cards. Then, I summon Painted Lady Butterspy!"

A female humanoid butterfly with multicolored wings, clad in light brown and white armor, wielding a bow, appeared in Attack Position.

Painted Lady Butterspy ATK 1500 DEF 1500 LVL: 4

"Painted Lady's effect activates!" Papillo continued. "When summoned, I can add a "Butterspy" card from my Deck to my hand. I add Butterspy Cham. In addition, Kagetokage's effect from my hand activates. When a Level 4 monster is Normal Summoned successfully, I can Special Summon it!"

Following her words, a lizard-shaped shadow with glowing red eyes appeared and crawled across the ground.

Kagetokage ATK 1100 DEF 1500 LVL: 4

"Now, I build the Overlay Network with my Level 4 Painted Lady Butterspy and Kagetokage!"

The bolt of blue energy burst out of Papillo's Duel Disk and created the blue "X." Her monsters disintegrated into blue data and entered the red dots. The ends of the "X" fired beams and created the exploding galaxy.

"I Xyz Summon! Appear now, Rank 4! Photon Papilloperative!"

A female humanoid monster in purple and black clothing emerged from the galaxy. She had large butterfly wings and wielded two blade-like weapons. Two yellow Overlay Units orbited her.

Photon Papilloperative ATK 2100 DEF 1800 RNK: 4 OU: 2

Sanctum's eyes widened at the sight of the monster. What…is this? she wondered as she stared at her trembling hand. I…am afraid? Is my body…recalling that feeling of when I dueled Astro back then…? She clenched her fist. Even though I lost then, I won't lose now.

"I activate Photon Papilloperative's effect!" Papillo shouted. "By detaching one Overlay Unit, I can target one Defense Position monster you control and switch it into Attack Position. Mystify Menace!"

One of the overlay units floating around Papilloperative flew into a crystal set in the middle of her head as a heavenly light coated her body. A downpour of stardust rained down from its wings as it engulfed Purple Nightfall. The mechanical warrior groaned as it moved to an offensive stance.

Photon Papilloperative OU: 2→1

"Furthermore, the monster affected by this effect loses 600 attack points!"

Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall ATK 2500→1900

"I activate the Spell Card: Xyz Treasure Ticket!" Papillo continued. "This card lets me draw cards equal to the Rank of a Rank 4 or lower Xyz Monster I control. Photon Papilloperative is Rank 4, so I can draw four cards!"

She drew, then said, "Following that, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Xyz Unit! The Xyz Monster equipped with this card gains 200 attack points multiplied by its Rank! Since Photon Papilloperative, it gains 800 attack points!"

Photon Papilloperative ATK 2100→2900

"Next, I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Butterspy Charm!" The card showed a dancing Photon Papilloperative whose scales glowed brightly, attracting a horde of monsters toward her. "Time to battle! Photon Papilloperative attacks Purple Nightfall! And during damage calculation, Butterspy Charm's effect activates, reducing the attack points of all your monsters by 500!"

Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall ATK 1900→1400

"Go, Vivid Swarm!"

Photon Papilloperative closed her eyes as a rainbow aura blanketed her skin, creating several clones of herself as they dive-bombed the Mekk-Knight monster, destroying it in an explosion and sending Sanctum tumbling back, with her gritting her teeth to prevent cries of pain from escaping her mouth.

Sanctum: 1750→250 LP

Sanctum stood back up and gestured to her field. "I activate the Trap Card: Telepathic Power! Since my Psychic monster was destroyed by battle, your monster is also destroyed!" Papillo winced as Photon Papilloperative disintegrated. "Then, I gain Life Points equal to your monster's attack points!"

Sanctum: 250→3150 LP

Papillo frowned. "Don't think you can get rid of my monster that easily," she said as she took a card from her hand. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Xyz Stand! If an Xyz Monster I control was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard this turn, I can Special Summon it back to the field!"

A black portal appeared on the ground before Papillo as Photon Papilloperative floated out of it.

Photon Papilloperative ATK 2100 DEF 1800 RNK: 4

"Luckily for you, the monster summoned through Xyz Stand can't attack and has its effects negated," Papillo added. "I place a card face-down and end my turn. And before I forget, so long as Butterspy Charm's on my field, all monsters you control must attack. Also, any monsters that don't attack are destroyed during the End Phase."

That means whether I want to or not, I have to attack no matter what, Sanctum thought. However, I've been in tougher situations, and this duel doesn't even come close to them.

"My turn! I draw!"

Back at Storm Rider and Glimmer's duel…

"My turn!" Glimmer announced. "I draw! 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 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 five.

"Oh yeah! A five! That means I can draw five cards!"

Glimmer drew five cards and then removed the top five cards of her Deck from play.

"From there, I summon Crystron Jadagon!"

A small mechanical baby dragon covered in jade green crystals while also having glowing yellow eyes, sharp fangs, small wings, and a spiky tail appeared.

Crystron Jadagon ATK 300 DEF 700 LVL: 1

"When Jadagon is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a "Crystron" monster from my hand. I Special Summon a second of Sulfefnir!"

Crystron Sulfefnir ATK 2000 DEF 1500 LVL: 5

"I now tune the Level 1 Crystron Jadagon with the Level 5 Crystron Sulfefnir!" Glimmer 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 yellow, appeared before turning blue and merging. Six blue rings stacked in a tower appeared as a screen displaying "1 + 5". The screen then changed to "6" as light surged through the rings.

"Crystals with the force of gravity! Together with heavy machinery arises a new force! I Synchro Summon! Level 6! Crystron Geltrix!"

The monster that appeared was a green humanoid machine with a gun-like arm and boosters on its back instead of wings.

Crystron Geltrix ATK 2400 DEF 2000 LVL: 6

"Crystron Geltrix's effect activates! When this card is Synchro Summoned, one monster on my opponent's field is banished, and then you take damage equal to the attack points of that monster!" Storm Rider's eyes widened. "I banish your Cycode Administrator!"

Geltrix loaded its gun and fired a dark sphere toward Administrator. The sphere hit the Cycode Link Monster and sucked into a black hole before a bolt of red electricity emerged and headed straight for Storm Rider.

"I activate the Trap Card: Cycode License!" The card showed Lancer in front of a desk, sweatdropping as a robotic worker shuffled papers. "Since I control a "Cycode" monster, I take no effect damage for the rest of the turn!"

"What?" Glimmer said, shocked as a barrier appeared around Storm Rider, shielding him from the damage.

"But since Cycode Administrator left the field," Storm Rider said. "Bi-Blader loses 800 attack points."

Cycode Bi-Blader ATK 3000→2200

"In that case, I'll take you out the old-fashioned way. I activate the Equip Spell Card: Premature Burial! By paying 800 Life Points, I can Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard! I return Crystron Bastrix to the field!"

Glimmer: 4200→3400 LP

Crystron Bastrix ATK 2600 DEF 1600 LVL: 7

"Battle!" Glimmer exclaimed. "Geltrix attacks Cycode Bi-Blader!"

"At this moment, Bi-Blader's effect activates!" Storm Rider exclaimed. "When it battles your monster, its attack points become 0!"

However, his Duel Disk popped up with an error message, prompting him to look at it in confusion.

"Eh? What's going on? Why isn't Blader's effect activating?"

"That's because of Geltrix's additional effect," Glimmer revealed. "Thanks to it, so long as it's face-up on the field, you can't activate monster effects during the Battle Phase!"

"That can't be!"

"Oh, but it is. Continue your attack, Geltrix!"

Following its master's command, Geltrix roared as it aimed its arm cannon at Bi-Blader before firing a blast of energy.

"In that case, I activate the Trap Card: Broken Cycode!" Storm Rider shouted. "When my "Cycode" monster battles your monster, Broken Cycode increases my Life Points by your monster's attack points!"

"What?!" Glimmer gasped.

"Geltrix Jester has 2400 attack points, so I gain 2400 Life Points!"

Storm Rider: 1600→4000 LP

"Even if you survive the turn, your monster won't!"

The energy blast connected and destroyed Bi-Blader, causing Storm Rider to wince due to the ensuing shockwave.

Storm Rider: 4000→3800 LP

"Next, Cryston Bastrix attacks you directly!"

"I activate the effect of the Cycode Battler in my hand!" Storm Rider declared, surprising Glimmer. "If you attack me directly, I can Special Summon this card in Attack Position!"

A muscular robot in boxer's clothes, with red boxing gloves, blue shorts, a white tank top, and red headgear, appeared on Storm Rider's field.

Cycode Battler ATK 1500 DEF 700 LVL: 4

Glimmer narrowed her eyes. "Very well then. Bastrix attacks Cycode Battler!"

The Synchro Monster slashed Battler with its swords, destroying it in an explosion. Storm Rider winced from the damage.

Storm Rider: 3800→2700 LP

"When Battler is destroyed by battle, I can add one "Cycode" monster from my Graveyard to my hand," Storm Rider said. "I return Cycode Swordsman to my hand. Furthermore, at the end of the Battle Phase, Broken Cycode's effect activates, letting me draw two cards since I control no monster!"

Storm Rider drew, looked at his cards, then added them to his hand. "Do you have anything else for me, Glimmer?"

"Seeing how all my monsters have attacked now, I can't do anything else," Glimmer shrugged. "I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"My turn! I draw! Since I control no monsters," Storm Rider said. "I can Special Summon Cycode Swordsman from my hand!"

The man with two swords reappeared.

Cycode Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3

"Since Swordsman was Special Summoned by its effect, I can add one "Cycode" monster from my Deck to my hand," Storm Rider continued as a card slid out from his Deck, which he then showed to his opponent. "I Special Summon Cycode Serpent!"

A white robotic snake appeared in Attack Position.

Cycode Serpent ATK 400 DEF 0 LVL: 1

"I can Special Summon Serpent if it's added to my hand outside my Draw Phase," Storm Rider explained. "Moving on, I summon Cycode Engineer!"

A monster in workman's clothing and a hardhat carrying a power drill in one hand and a calculator in the other appeared in Attack Position.

Cycode Engineer ATK 1600 DEF 400 LVL: 3

"I'll now create my circuit!"

The Link Portal appeared above Storm Rider once again.

"Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are two or more Cyberse monsters, including one "Cycode" monster. I set Cycode Swordsman, Serpent and Engineer in the Link Arrows!"

Storm Rider's monsters became whirlwinds of energy as they entered the left, bottom, and right arrows.

"Link the Circuit! I Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Cycode Gaia Charger!"

A monster that resembles Gaia the Fierce Knight, but his body is merged with a robotic horse with digital wings, appeared in the Extra Monster Zone. He wielded digital energy light brown lances.

Cycode Gaia Charger ATK 2600 LINK-3 ←↓→

"Engineer's effect activates!" Storm Rider continued. "When it is used to Link Summon a "Cycode" Link Monster, I can destroy one face-down in your Spell & Trap Zone!" Storm Rider pointed at one of Glimmer's face-down cards. "I'll destroy the card on the right!"

A ghost of Engineer appeared as he charged towards the face-down with his drill ready.

"Sorry. But I'm one step ahead of you!" Glimmer interjected. "I activate the Trap Card: Damage Diet! Through its effect, all damage I receive this turn is halved!"

Storm Rider frowned. "So you were prepared for me to target your face-downs?"

Glimmer nodded. "Indeed I was."

"You may have escaped Engineer's effect, but you won't escape Gaia," Storm Rider stated. "Gaia Charger's effect activates! "When it's successfully Link Summoned, all monsters my opponent controls have their attack points halved. Go, Jamming Javelin!"

Gaia Charger aimed its spear at Gelstrix and Bastrix as it released a wave of electricity at the two Crystron Synchro Monsters, draining their power.

Crystron Geltrix ATK 2400→1200

Crystron Bastrix ATK 2600→1300

"Battle! Gaia Charger attacks Crystron Geltrix! Linkage Spiral!"

The mechanical warrior charged forward, piercing Geltrix with its lance and destroying it in an explosion. The force of the attack pushed Glimmer back several feet.

Glimmer: 3400→2700 LP

"Don't think you're safe just yet. Thanks to Gaia's effect, it can attack twice!" Storm Rider revealed. "Attack Bastrix! Linkage Spiral!"

Gaia charged again toward Bastrix, piercing it with its lance and destroying it. Glimmer grunted in pain due to the backlash of the attack.

Glimmer: 2700→2050 LP

"I activate the Trap Card: Destruction Reward!" Glimmer declared as she revealed her remaining set card. "Since a Level 7 monster on the field was destroyed, I can draw two cards!"

"So she refilled her hand, huh…?" Storm Rider muttered. "I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"At this moment, Crystron Geltrix and Bastrix's effect activates!" Glimmer shouted. "Since they were destroyed this turn, I can Special Summon a "Crystron" monster from my hand or Graveyard. I Special Summon Crystron Quan and Sulfefnir from my Graveyard!"

Following her words, a small humanoid knight covered in blue crystals appeared in Defense Position alongside Sulfefnir.

Crystron Quab ATK 500 DEF 500 LVL: 1

Crystron Sulfefnir ATK 2000 DEF 1500 LVL: 5

"My turn!" Glimmer announced. "I draw! Now then, I believe playtime is over. From here on out, I'll use all my strength to eliminate you. I summon Crystron Prasiortle!"

A green mechanical turtle covered in crystals with sharp teeth appeared on Glimmer's field in Attack Position.

Crystron Prasiortle ATK 500 DEF 2000 LVL: 2

Glimmer gestured to her field. "I tune my Level 2 Prasiortle with my Level 5 Sulfefnir and Level 1 Quan!"

Glimmer's monsters disintegrated into green data as eight blue rings formed. Blue-green rectangles appeared, circling the tower of rings. The screen said "2 + 5 + 1" before changing to "8." A stream of light went through the rings.

"Mechanical being inhabiting the soul of a warrior. Inherit the power of purity as your foes gaze upon your magnificent white shine! I Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 8! Holy being of diamonds, Crystron Diamion!"

The monster that appeared was an armored, silver mechanical knight with yellow eyes, sky-blue streams around the armor, and crystals embedded on the shoulder pads and knees. Purple diamond crystals were sticking out of its head. It looked like the machine had long, purple spiky hair. It had diamond-encrusted knuckles with a silver alloy on the surface of them. On the boots of the design, each had a small jet on the bottom.

Crystron Diamion ATK 2500 DEF 3000 LVL: 8

Storm Rider watched in awe and shock at Glimmer's new monster. "Crystron Diamion…"

Glimmer gestured to her monster. "Crystron Diamion's effect activates! When it's Synchro Summoned, all other face-up cards on the field have their effects negated!"

Storm Rider's eyed widened as Diamion's body began flowing with electricity. Diamion then let electricity fly everywhere around the field, shocking Gaia and causing him to slump over.

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Heavy Storm. This card destroys every Spell and Trap Card on the field!"

A massive storm erupted on the field, destroying Storm Rider's Spell and Trap Cards.

However, instead of being upset, Storm Rider smiled. "Thanks for doing that. You see, one of the cards you destroyed was Dummy Marker, and since the effect of a Spell Card destroyed it, I get to draw two cards."

"That doesn't matter now. Battle!" Glimmer exclaimed. "Diamon attacks Cycode Gaia Charger! And at this moment, Diamon's second effect activates! Once per turn, when it battles an opponent's monster, that monster loses 500 attack points for every "Crystron" monster in my Graveyard!"

Storm Rider's eyes widened in shock as eight diamond crystals erupted from the ground, trapping Gaia Charger.

"There are currently eight "Crystron" monsters in my Graveyard," Glimmer revealed. "So your monster loses 4000 attack points!"

Cycode Gaia Charger ATK 2600→0

"I activate the effect of the Cycode Half-Guard in my Graveyard!" Storm Rider declared. "By banishing it and discarding the Cycode Armorer in my hand, all battle damage I take this turn is halved!"

"But you will still take damage!" Glimmer reminded him. "Go, Carbon Crystallization!"

Diamion gathered earth energy in its hands before forming a giant ball of light covered in diamonds sticking out like spikes. Diamion spun the energy around before tossing it straight toward Gaia Charger. The attack connected and then engulfed Gaia, destroying him. The light also engulfed Storm Rider's body, causing him to cry in pain as he fell to his knees.

Storm Rider: 2700→1450 LP

Storm Rider quickly recovered as he said, "At the end of the Battle Phase, Half-Guard's effect lets me draw a card since your monster battled."

"I place one card face-down and end my turn," Glimmer concluded.

"My turn!" Storm Rider announced. "I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Cycode Gift! I discard Cycode Coder and draw two cards. Then, I summon Cycode Sorceress!"

A mechanical female in a black dress wielding a black staff appeared.

Cycode Sorceress ATK 1400 DEF 400 LVL: 4

"Sorceress's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned, I Special Summon a Level 4 or lower "Cycode" monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position. Resurrect, Cycode Coder!"

An alien in a lab coat appeared on the field. It carried a laptop under one arm and had small pieces of armor on its shoulders and lower legs.

Cycode Coder ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1

"Coder's effect continues!" Storm Rider continued. "When this monster is Summoned, I can add one "Cycode" card from my Deck to my hand, but then I must send a card from my hand, Deck, or field to the Graveyard."

Storm Rider took two cards from his Deck. He added one to his hand and sent the other to the Graveyard.

"I activate the Ritual Spell Card: Cycode Ritual!" he continued. "With this card, I Tribute monsters from my hand and field whose total Levels equal or surpass the Level of a Cyberse Ritual Monster that I'm Ritual Summoning from my hand. I Tribute Level 4 Sorceress and Level 1 Coder from my field, along with Level 2 Cycode Stealth Shadow from my hand!"

A futuristic magic circle appeared on Storm Rider's field, as did a black, dark blue digital ninja wielding energy kunais. Seven pillars erupted around the circle as the two monsters disintegrated into data that entered the circle's center.

"The contract has been made!" Storm Rider chanted. "The dark sage who wields the power of space and time inherits these two souls! I Ritual Summon! Rise! Level 7! Cycode Warlock!"

A man with pale skin, yellow eyes and dark silver hair emerged from the portal. He wore a deep blue robe glowing light purple with blue lining resembling circuit boards across his outfit. He wielded a large, mechanical-like wand with a blue orb on the tip that leaked energy.

Cycode Warlock ATK 2500 DEF 2000 LVL: 7

Glimmer narrowed her eyes on seeing Storm Rider's Ritual Monster. "I activate the Equip Spell Card: Grid Rod and equip it to Cycode Warlock!"

Cycode Warlock's staff disappeared and was replaced by a long metal pole that ended with a sharp tip.

"Cycode Warlock gains 300 attack points and is unaffected by your card effects."

Cycode Warlock ATK 2500→2800

"Battle!" Storm Rider exclaimed. "Cycode Warlock attacks Crystron Diamion!"

Cycode Warlock swung his staff and charged Glimmer's monster.

"Cycode Warlock's effect activates! If it battles a Special Summoned monster, your monster's effects are negated, and its attack points are halved until the end of the Damage Step!"

Crystron Diamion ATK 2500→1250

"Not only that but all battle damage you take involving "Cycode" monsters is doubled," Storm Rider added.

"In that case, I activate the Trap Card: Defense Draw!" Glimmer shouted. "Thanks to its effect, all battle damage is reduced to 0, and I can draw one card from my Deck."

"Nice move," Storm Rider praised his opponent. "But mine's better." He gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Cycode Archer in the Graveyard! By banishing it, I can have one "Cycode" monster I control can make a second attack during the Battle Phase! I target Cycode Magician and have it attack again!"

Warlock raised its staff and fired a beam of blue and green energy at Glimmer.

"You seriously think this duel's over? That's lame if you ask me." Glimmer interrupted with a smirk. "I activate the Trap Card: Reject Reborn! When your monster declares a direct attack, not only can I negate the attack but also end the Battle Phase."

Following Glimmer's words, a shield surrounded her and protected her from Cycode Warlock's attack.

"The second effect of Reject Reborn now activates!" Glimmer continued. "It lets me Special Summon one Synchro Monster and one Tuner Monster from my Graveyard. Return, Ally of Justice Catastor and Crystron Quan!"

Two portals appeared on the ground, out of which Catastor and Quan emerged and returned to the field.

Ally of Justice Catastor ATK 2200 DEF 1200 LVL: 5

Crystron Quan ATK 500 DEF 500 LVL: 1

"Kuh, now she has the necessary resources to bring out a new Synchro Monster…." Storm Rider narrowed his eyes at this. "I end my turn with this."

Meanwhile, at Sanctum and Papillo's duel…

Sanctum looked at her card, then gestured to her field. "As it is my Standby Phase, the effect of Purple Nightfall activates, and I Special Summon Red Moon!"

The red mechanical warrior reappeared in Attack Position.

Mekk-Knight Red Moon ATK 2300 DEF 2600 LVL: 7

"I activate the effect of Mekk-Knight Emerald Jay from my hand!" Sanctum exclaimed. "Since I control a "Mekk-Knight" monster, I can Special Summon this card!"

A thin armored mechanical humanoid with bright emerald glowing lines and gem-like parts across its armor figure appeared in Attack Position. It had two winged heads, wielded thin dagger-like blades, and wore a split-half emerald-colored cape.

Mekk-Knight Emerald Jay ATK 800 DEF 600 LVL: 2

Storm Rider narrowed his eyes. "A Tuner…."

"I activate Emerald Jay's second effect!" Sanctum continued. "Through it, I can target a "Mekk-Knight" monster on my field and either increase or decrease its Level by 1. I target Red Moon and lower its Level by 1!"

Mekk-Knight Red Moon LVL: 7→6

"Level 2 Mekk-Knight Emerald Jay tunes Level 6 Mekk-Knight Red Moon!"

A bolt of green lightning struck Sanctum as the world grayed out and her monsters disintegrated into particles. Two rings appeared before turning blue and merging. Eight blue rings were stacked in a tower as a screen appeared and displayed "2 + 6" in front of them. The screen changed to "8" as light surged through the rings.

"Shine, knight of the bright star of life!" Sanctum chanted. "Let your righteous steel body destroy those who will disturb the peace across the cosmos with your blade of reflecting light! I Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 8! Mekk-Knight Prism Sun!"

The light and the rings faded to reveal a golden and silver armored mechanical humanoid with bright prism rainbow-colored glowing lines across its armor figure. It had a prismatic-shaped head with halo-like wings and wielded a rainbow-colored, golden battle ax with a gem in its center. It wore a white cape with a rainbow-colored aura as it appeared in Attack Position.

Mekk-Knight Prism Sun ATK 3000 DEF 3000 LVL: 8

"I activate Prism Sun's effect!" Sanctum exclaimed. "Once per turn, I can target a card on the field and negate its effects. But if the card I chose is in the same column as Prism Sun, I get to negate two cards." Papillo's eyes widened. "I choose Butterspy Charm! And since Photon Papilloperative is in the same column as Prism Sun, I get to also negate its effects! Prism Flash!"

Prism Sun held its ax as it released a prism light that struck Papillo's cards, causing them to lose color.

"Following that, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Junk Barrage and equip it to Prism Sun!"

The new Spell Card made the Mekk-Knight Synchro Monster glow.

"Now, when Prism Sun destroys a monster in battle," Sanctum explained. "Half that monster's attack points are dealt to you as damage!" Glimmer's eyes widened. "Now, let's battle! Mekk-Knight Prism Sun, attack Photon Papilloperative! Sun Blade Crash!"

"I activate the Trap Card: Wild Charger!" Papillo declared. "Through its effect, when you attack an Xyz Monster I control that has no Overlay Units, my monster gains attack points equal to your monster's attack points!"

"That won't happen." Sanctum grinned. "I activate the Counter Trap Card: Trap Jammer! Since you activated a Trap Card during the Battle Phase, I can negate that card's activation and destroy it!"

Following Sanctum's words, Papillo's Trap Card shattered.

"Without your Trap Card, Prism Sun's attack resumes!"

Prism Sun swung its ax, creating a massive wave of flames that engulfed Papilloperative and destroyed her, with Papillo being sent skidding back due to the ensuing shockwave.

Papillo: 3900→3000 LP

"And now the effect of my Junk Barrage activates!" Sanctum exclaimed. "So half of Photon Papilloperative's attack points are dealt to you as damage!"

Prism Sun's ax glowed as it swung, creating a shockwave that struck Papillo and sent her tumbling back.

Papillo: 3000→1950 LP

"I place one card face-down and end my turn," Sanctum concluded.

Back at Storm Rider and Glimmer's duel…

"Then, it's my turn!" Glimmer announced. "I draw! Since I control two Machine Effect Monsters and no other monsters, I can activate the Spell Card: Iron Draw, which lets me draw two cards." Glimmer drew, then said, "I activate the Spell Card: Blizzard! Due to its effect, since you have a face-up Spell Card on your field, I can negate that card's effects!"

Storm Rider grimaced as Grid Rod became encased in ice. "Since Grid Rod's effects have been negated, Cycode Warlock's attack points return to normal."

Cycode Warlock ATK 2800→2500

Glimmer smirked before taking another card. "I summon Crystron Rion!"

Crystron Rion ATK 500 DEF 500 LVL: 3

"Two Tuner Monsters…?" Storm Rider seemed confused. "What are you trying to do? Do you intend to perform two consecutive Synchro Summons?"

"No, I have my sights set on something much greater!" Glimmer replied. "Using the Level 5 Ally of Justice Catastor with the Level 1 Crystron Quan and the Level 3 Crystron Rion, I will perform a Double Tuning!"

"Double Tuning!?" Storm Rider cried out in shock.

A bolt of green lightning struck Glimmer as the world turned gray. A wave of energy swept across his field and disintegrated Catastor, Quan and Rion, turning them into blue particles. Those particles turned into three circles – one white and two blue, with the latter two composed of four concentric circles – stacked above each other. The circles turned blue and then merged. Numerous blue-green rectangles appeared and formed a circle, while nine blue rings formed in the middle and arranged themselves in a tower. A screen showed the numbers "5 + 1 + 3" before shifting to "9". A beam of light shot through the rings.

"Crystalline beasts, with your divine blessing, merge into the adamantine incarnation of resolve! I Synchro Summon! Appear, the exoskeleton of a truly powerful combatant! Level 9! Crystron Quariongandrax!"

Emerging from the pillar of light was a warrior wearing shining golden armor that appeared before Glimmer. Blue gems were glowing under the golden armor. Bright, gleaming yellow crystal wings burst out behind it. It gave off a strong aura.

Crystron Quariongandrax ATK 3000 DEF 3000 LVL: 9

"Quariongandrax's effect activates! Upon its Synchro Summon, I can target monsters on your field and Graveyard up to the number of monsters used for Quriongandrax's Syncho Summon and banish them!" Storm Rider's eyes widened. "My choice is to banish your Cycode Warlock from your field and your Cycode Firefighter and Stealth Shadow from your Graveyard! Crystal Excommunication!"

Following Glimmer's command, the Synchro Monster conjured a massive storm of crystals, engulfing Warlock and causing him to vanish. Storm Rider took the two remaining cards from his Graveyard and pocked them.

"This will finish you off, Storm Rider!" Glimmer declared. "Battle! Quriongandrax, attack Storm Rider directly!"

"I won't let you!" Storm Rider exclaimed. "I activate my Trap Card!"

"What?" Glimmer said, surprised. "But you have no cards on your field!"

"Who said I was activating it from my field?" Storm Rider rhetorically asked. "Since you declared an attack while I have a "Cycode" monster either on my field or in my Graveyard, I can banish Cycode Battle Barrier from my Graveyard to activate its effect!" he declared. "Cycode Battle Barrier reduces the damage from this battle to 0 and ends the Battle Phase!"

A blue barrier appeared around Storm Rider, shielding him from Quriongandrax's attack.

Glimmer raised an eyebrow. "When did that card get in the Graveyard?"

"Simple," Storm Rider said. "When you activated Heavy Storm."

Gilmmer's eyes widened. "That was during my last turn!"

Storm Rider smirked. "And thanks to Battle Barrier's second effect, I draw cards equal to the number of monsters you control since I don't control any. You have one, so I draw one card" He drew, then said, "Looks like you won't be defeating me this turn,"

"Don't get too cocky!" Glimmer growled. "I activate the Spell Card: Aurora Draw. Since it's the only card in my hand, I can draw two cards. Then, I activate the Spell Card: Level Thunder!"

Storm Ridrr blinked a few times as Quriongandrax's body started creating several sparks of electricity that began to build up.

"Now, you take 100 points of damage equal to the total combined Levels of all my face-up monsters!"

"What!?" Storm Rider gasped.

"And that's 900 points of damage!"

The electricity concentrated into a powerful bolt of energy that crashed into Storm Rider's body, making him convulse as he screamed in pain before falling to his knees.

Storm Rider: 1450→550 LP

"I place one card face-down and end my turn," Glimmer concluded. "It looks like you're on your last legs. When my turn comes next, I'll extinguish your remaining life. Are you regretting your decision to accept our challenge? If you hadn't, you wouldn't be in this situation where your back is against the wall while facing impossible odds."

"Impossible…you say?" Storm Rider chuckled as he got up. "How laughable. No matter how desperate things are, breaking through any situation and attaining victory is the mark of a true duelist. I'll prove this by taking you down right here!"

"What a bad joke," Glimmer said. "What could you possibly have to stand against my monster? I'll have you realize your conceit by utterly crushing you!"

"The only one getting crushed here is you!" Storm Rider shouted. "My turn! I draw! I summon Cycode Resonator!"

A legless dwarf alien appeared on Storm Rider's field. It wore tattered black robes with a dark blue centerpiece decorated with a silver eight-pointed star. A pair of metallic silver wings sprouted from its back, and its head was gray, with pink membranes spread outwards. A single red eye glowed in its right eye socket as it wielded a tuning fork and mallet.

Cycode Resonator ATK 1000 DEF 1000 LVL: 2

"Resonator's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned, I Special Summon a "Cycode" monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position with its effects negated and changing its Level to 1 and 4. I resurrect Cycode Swordsman as Level 4!"

The armored swordsman reappeared.

Cycode Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3→4

"I activate the effect of the Cycode Gift in my Graveyard!" Storm Rider continued. "By banishing it, I can change the Level of one "Cycode" monster to between 1 and 8. I change Resonator to Level 4!"

Cycode Resonator LVL: 2→4

Glimmer narrowed her eyes. "Two Level 4s? Are you planning to Xyz Summon?"

"Not exactly," Storm Rider replied. "Level 4 Cycode Resonator tunes Level 4 Cycode Swordsman!"

A bolt of green lightning struck the field, turning the two Cyberse monsters into data that formed rings before merging into eight blue rings in a tower. Light surged through the rings.

"Flash of lightning! The unknown power transforms into a soaring dragon!" He brought his hand down and gestured to his field. "I Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 8! Cycode Vortex Drake!"

A white digital dragonic avian with blue water-like energy rings surrounding its body emerged from the light. It had four metal energy wings with green lining and a long spiral-like tail.

Cycode Vortex Drake ATK 2800 DEF 2400 LVL: 8

"First Ritual, now Synchro," Glimmer said, gritting her teeth.

"Vortex Drake's effect activates!" Storm Rider shouted. "When this card is summoned successfully, I can reduce the attack point of all monsters my opponent controls to 0 until the end of this turn." Glimmer gasped at Storm Rider's words. "Go, Draining Vortex!"

Vortex Drake's wings generated a massive wave of blue wind, enveloping Quriongandrax and draining its strength.

Crystron Quriongandrax ATK 3000→0

"I won't lose to a Synchro Monster!" Glimmer shouted. "I activate the Trap Card: Synchro Baton! This card increases the attack points of a Synchro Monster I control by 600 for each Synchro Monster in my Graveyard! There are four Synchro Monsters in my Graveyard, so Crystron Quriongandrx gains 2400 attack points!"

Crystron Quriongandrax ATK 0→2400

"That matters not." Storm Rider said as he played the last card in his hand. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Forbidden Lance! I target one monster on my field, and until the End Phase, it loses 800 attack points. In exchange, it becomes unaffected by the effects of Spells and Traps. I target Quriongandrax, meaning its attack points drop to 0!"

Forbidden Lance glowed, causing Glimmer's Synchro Monster to groan.

Crystron Quriongandrax ATK 2400→0

"The time has come to settle this once and for all!" Storm Rider declared. "Battle! Vortex Drake attacks Crystron Quriongandrax! Turbine Takedown!"

The Synchro Monster's wings glowed with light as it roared. They spun around, creating a powerful whirlwind that drilled through the Crystron Synchro Monster, destroying it in an explosion before striking Glimmer and sending her flying.

Glimmer: 2050→0 LP

Storm Rider sighed as his opponent vanished, and he deactivated his Duel Disk. "That was troublesome. However, I got to use my Synchro Monster against hers. I wonder how Sanctum's doing?"

Meanwhile, at Sanctum and Papillo's duel…

"It's my turn!" Papillo announced. "I draw! I place a card face-down and activate the Spell Card: Emergency Recharge, which lets me draw four cards since my hand is empty. Then, I summon Goblindbergh!"

A goblin flying a small plane appeared on Glimmer's field.

Goblindbergh ATK 1400 DEF 0 LVL: 4

"Goblindbergh's effect activates, allowing me to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower monster from my hand and then change this card to Defense Position," Papillo explained. "I Special Summon Moonlit Papillon!"

A small blue butterfly with an eye in its center appeared on Glimmer's field next to Goblindbergh.

Moonlit Papillon ATK 1200 DEF 1600 LVL: 4

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Solid Overlay, whose effect allows it to be treated as an Xyz Material for the Xyz Summon of a Rank 4 Xyz Monster." Papillo continued. "Now, let's begin the dance of doom! I overlay the Level 4 Goblindbergh, Solid Overlay and Moonlit Papillon!"

Papillo placed her hands in front of her as her Duel Disk glowed. A bolt of purple energy broke out of her Duel Disk and traveled into the air behind her. The bolt created a massive portal behind her – a blue X with four red dots at the sides.

"With these three monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"

All three monsters broke apart into blue particles and entered the red dots on the side and top, making them glow and causing a violet circle around the portal. The four points of the X lit up and fired lasers, creating a swirling galaxy in front of Papillo. The galaxy exploded with energy as she chanted.

"Legendary creature of the myths. Revive into this beautiful body to tear down all our opposition! I Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Chimera Papilloperative!"

A woman clad from head to toe in a black bodysuit decorated with green and yellow highlights and having the wings of a chimera birdwing sprouting from her back. Black armor covered her head, shoulders, abdomen, and feet, and a tail with scales of the same color emerged from her lower back, covered in yellow veins and having two green blades at its tip. Three orbs of light circled her.

Chimera Papilloperative ATK 2800 DEF 2000 RNK: 4 OU: 3

"I activate the Trap Card: Titanocider!" Sanctum abruptly declared. "When you control a monster summoned from the Extra Deck, I can target it, reduce its attack points to 0 and negate its effects!"

The Trap Card fired a bright yellow-green arrow that struck the Xyz Monster in the chest, causing it to groan and slump in pain.

Chimera Papilloperative ATK 2800→0

However, instead of being upset, Papillo chuckled. "I expected you to do that. Now, I'll have you experience the true power of Chaos. I activate the Spell Card: Rank-Up-Magic Argent's Chaos Force!"

"What!?" Sanctum cried out in shock. "You also have a Rank-Up-Magic!?"

"It's all thanks to the Syndicate's study of Glacia and Astro's cards." Papillo grinned. "Through its effect, I can target an Xyz Monster on my field and Special Summon a "Chaos" Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck that's one Rank higher than the targeted monster. I use Chimera Papilloperative to reconstruct the Overlay Network!"

Papillo's Duel Disk released a bolt of crimson energy that burst, changing the environment to a midnight sky with streams of red data in the air. A large black cross with four red dots at its corners materialized beneath the field. Chimera broke apart into red data and entered the top dot, making a red and black circle appear around the portal. The points of the cross fired beams of red energy into the air, creating a swirling galaxy that exploded with energy.

"Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution! CXyz Umbral Papilloperative!"

A female on Papillo's field appeared cladded in navy blue armor with scythes on her wrists. Her veins pulsed with chaotic energy that ran along her torso, cheeks, legs, and wings. She had bright pink eyes and wore a helmet-shaped crown, and scythes replaced the blade on her arms. Four red diamond-shaped crystals appeared before Umbral, representing its Overlay Units.

CXyz Umbral Papilloperative ATK 2900 DEF 2400 RNK: 5 COU: 4

"I activate the Trap Card: Dimension Slice!" Papillo declared. "I can activate this card the turn I set it face-down if I Special Summoned an Xyz Monster. And since I did, I can banish a card on your field."

"What!?" Sanctum gasped.

"I banish none other than your Mekk-Knight Prism Sun!"

A portal to a different dimension opened up underneath the Mekk-Knight Synchro Monster, swallowing it into oblivion.

"Battle!" Papillo exclaimed. "Umbral Papilloperative attacks you directly! Chaos Flutter!"

Umbral flaps her wings, unleashing two crescent-shaped energy slashes of chaotic energy at Sanctum, striking her head-on and sending her tumbling back.

Sanctum: 3150→250 LP

"My, how quickly the tables have turned," Papillo smirked as he watched Sanctum struggling to get up. "I hope you have something left up your sleeve, or else this duel is as good as over. I end my turn."

"You love to play with fire, don't you?" Sanctum said. "However, you should know that those who play with fire get burned! My turn! I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Spider Web."

A white string came from the Spell and reached into Papillo's Graveyard.

"It allows me to take one of the cards you sent to your Graveyard last turn and place it directly into my hand," Sanctum explained as the string deposited the chosen card in her hand. "Because I chose Emergency Recharge, which I'll use to draw four cards since my hand's empty."

She looked at her cards and smiled. "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 from my banished zone. However, the equipped monster is destroyed if this card leaves my field. Return to the field, Mekk-Knight Green Horizon!"

At Sanctum's command, A green armored monster wielding a staff appeared on Sanctum's field in Attack Position.

Mekk-Knight Green Horizon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 6

"Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card World Legacy's Memory! This card lets me Special Summon a "Mekk-Knight" monster from my hand or Deck in Defense Position. From my Deck, I Special Summon Mekk-Knight Orange Sunset!"

A silver, black, and orange warrior with two shields appeared on Sanctum's field.

Mekk-Knight Orange Sunset ATK 800 DEF 3000 LVL: 6

Papillo chuckled. "Heh. Impressive lineup. But those monsters aren't strong enough to beat Umbral. Do you still believe you can win this turn?"

"Of course I do," Sanctum said, her smile unwavering. "After all, I have everything I need to bring me victory!"

"What?" Papillo said, looking surprised.

"I overlay Level 6 Mekk-Knight Green Horizon and Mekk-Knight Orange Sunset!"

Sanctum brought her Duel Disk in front of her face and raised it above her head as it released a burst of golden energy that struck the sky. From where the bolt struck, the field changed into outer space, streams of golden energy floating in the air.

"With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"

Green Horizon and Orange Sunset broke apart and entered the dots. The ends of the cross lit up and fired beams, creating a miniature galaxy. The galaxy exploded with energy as a new monster formed within.

"Darken knight of the shadowy star of darkness!" Sanctum chanted. "With pure stars of the same life and devouring them, transform into the vengeful knight that consumes all enemies into the blackness of its blade! I Xyz Summon! Rank 0! Mekk-Knight Eclipse Supreme!"

A monster resembling Mekk-Knight Prism Sun, except its body is feminine, swapping the bright golden armor and design with shiny black with bladed bat-like wings resembling a dim, dark-like rainbow aura.

Mekk-Knight Eclipse Supreme ATK 3000 DEF 2500 RNK: 0 OU: 2

"You can Xyz Summon?" Papillo said in surprise.

"I sure can. And this monster will be the key to my victory!" Sanctum exclaimed. "It's time to end this! I activate the Equip Spell Card: Megamorph!" Papillo's eyes widened. "And equip it to Eclipse Supreme! And since my Life Points are lower than yours, Eclipse Supreme's attack points are doubled!"

A golden aura materialized around the knight as it raised its sword.

Mekk-Knight Eclipse Supreme ATK 3000→6000

"Battle!" Sanctum exclaimed. "Mekk-Knight Eclipse Supreme attacks Marincess Beauty Shark!"

The knight leaped into the air and charged the Xyz as Papillo gestured to her field.

"I won't allow this duel to end in my loss!" Papillo bellowed. "I activate Umbral's effect! When it battles an Xyz Monster, it gains attack points equal to the battling monster's!"

"Not going to happen!" Sanctum stated. "I activate Eclipse Supreme's effect! I can detach one Overlay Unit to negate the effect of a card on the field! I negate Umbral's effects! Absolute Eclipse!"

One of the circling lights hit Eclipse Supreme's raised sword, manifesting a miniature eclipse over Papillo's Xyz Monster, causing it to grey out.

Mekk-Knight Eclipse Supreme OU: 2→1

"Continue, Eclipse Supreme! Eclipse Blade Break!"

The knight swung its sword, creating a blade of dark energy that struck Umbral, splitting it in half. The two halves exploded, sending Papillo flying as she screamed in agony.

Papillo: 1950→0 LP

"Good job there." Storm Rider congratulated Sanctum as he approached her. "You sure showed her. But I can see that duel took a real toll on you. Maybe we should take a break and rest for a bit."

"There's no time for that," Sanctum responded sternly. "We must hurry, regroup with the others, and locate Pyrrha's father."

"You're probably right." Storm Rider nodded. "And I think I know how we can find them more quickly."

Storm Rider connected a cable from his Duel Disk to Papillo's Duel Disk and let Kolter's custom-made program do its work as it analyzed the contents of the Duel Disk.

"The automatic data purge seems to have destroyed most of the files stored in here…" Storm Rider muttered but then narrowed his eyes at several somehow intact files. "It looks like some partial schematics of the tower escaped deletion, with the location of the Mr. Burns cell being included there. Talk about a stroke of good fortune…."

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Sanctum said. "Let's get a move on."

After saying so, Storm Rider and Sanctum hurriedly exited the spacious room, anxious to find their comrades.

OC Card Memo:

Glimmer:

Crystron Jadagon

(LV: 1, Machine, Tuner, WATER, ATK: 300, DEF: 700)

Monster Effect: If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Crystron" monster from your hand. If a card effect destroys this card: You can draw a card. You can only use each "Crystron Jadagon" effect once per turn.

Crystron Geltrix

(LV: 6, Machine, WATER, Synchro, ATK: 2400, DEF: 2000)

1 "Crystron" Tuner ~ 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters

Monster Effect: If this card is Synchro Summoned: Target 1 monster on the field; banish it, and if you do, inflict damage to its controller equal to the ATK of that monster. During the End Phase, if this Synchro Summoned card was destroyed this turn: You can Special Summon 1 "Crystron" monster from your Graveyard, except "Crystron Geltrix".

Crystron Bastrix

(LV: 7, Machine, WATER, Synchro, ATK: 2600, DEF: 1600)

1 Tuner ~ 1 or more non-Tuner "Crystron" Monsters

Monster Effect: If this card is Synchro Summoned: You can reduce the ATK of all Special Summoned monsters your opponent controls to 0. During the End Phase, if this Synchro Summoned card was destroyed this turn: You can Special Summon 1 "Crystron" monster from your hand or Graveyard, except "Crystron Bastrix".

(LV: 8, Machine, WATER, Synchro, ATK: 2500, DEF: 3000)

1 "Crystron" Tuner ~ 1 or more non-Tuner "Crystron" monsters

Monster Effect: If this card is Synchro Summoned: You can negate the effects of all other face-up cards on the field. Once per turn, if this card battles an opponent's monster: You can make that monster lose 500 ATK for every "Crystron" monster in your Graveyard until the end of the Damage Step. During the End Phase, if this Synchro Summoned card is destroyed by battle or card effect: You can Special Summon 1 "Crystron" monster in your Graveyard, except "Crystron Diamion".

Storm Rider:

Cycode Miner

Attribute: EARTH Type: [Cyberse/Normal] ATK 1700 DEF 100 Level: 4

This hard-working prospector works out his daily grind until the end of the day.

Cycode Bi-Blader- LINK-2, ATK: 1800, ATT: WATER, Type: Cyberse/Link/Effect, Arrows, Left, Right

Effect: 2 "Cycode" Monsters

When a "Cycode" Monster is Summoned in your Extra Monster Zone, while this card is in the GY, except the turn this card was sent to the GY: You can Special Summon this card to your zone that monster points to, but it cannot be used as Link Material, also banish it when it leaves the field. This card gains these effects based on the number of monsters co-linked to this card.

● 1+: This card can make a second attack during each Battle Phase this turn. Also, if this card battles an opponent's monster once per battle: That opponent's monster's ATK becomes 0.

● 2: After damage calculation, if this card battled an opponent's monster: You can banish that opponent's monster and if it was a Link Monster, inflict damage equal to half of that monster's original ATK.

Cycode Alchemist

Attribute: DARK Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1000 DEF 1000 Level: 3

You can Fusion Summon 1 "Cycode" Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, including this card, using monsters you control as Fusion Materials. You can banish this card from your GY; add "Cycode Fusion" from your Deck or GY to your hand. You can only activate 1 "Cycode Alchemist" effect per turn and only once per turn.

Cycode Stealth Shadow- Level 2, ATK: 1000, DEF: 0, ATT: DARK, Type: Cyberse/Effect

Effect: When your opponent activates a card that would destroy or target a ''Cycode'' monster you control; Special Summon this card from your hand, and if you do, negate that card's effect. This card can attack directly. If your opponent declares a direct attack while this card is in your GY, Special Summon this card from your GY and end the Battle Phase, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only activate each effect of ''Cycode Stealth Shadow'' once per turn.

Cycode Resonator

Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Tuner/Effect] ATK 1000 DEF 1000 Level: 2

When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Cycode" monster from your GY in Defense Position with its effects negated, then declare a Level from 1 to 4; that monster becomes that Level until the end of the turn. You can only activate this effect of "Cycode Resonator" once per turn.

Cycode Vortex Drake- Level 8, ATK: 2400, DEF: 2800, ATT: WIND, Type: Cyberse/Synchro/Effect

Effect: 1 Cyberse Tuner monster + 1 or more non-Tuner "Cycode" monsters

If this card is Synchro Summoned: The ATK of face-up monsters your opponent currently controls becomes 0. While this card is pointed to a Link Monster you control: Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects during the Battle Phase. If this card is destroyed by an opponent's card: Add 1 Trap card from your Deck to your hand.

Cycode License Normal Trap Card

If you control a face-up "Cyspirit" monster: You take no effect damage for the rest of the turn. If this card is in your GY during the End Phase and you control a face-up "Cyspirit" monster: You can shuffle 1 "Cycode" monster in your GY into your Deck; Set this card on your field. You can only activate this effect up to three times per Duel.

Papillo:

Fritillary Butterspy

lv 4 DARK

Warrior/Effect

If you control a "Butterspy" monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. You can only Special Summon "Fritillary Butterspy" once per turn this way. (Quick Effect): You can discard this card from your hand and target 1 monster your opponent controls; change the battle position of that monster, and if you do, halve that monster's ATK and DEF until the End Phase this turn. You can only use this effect of "Fritillary Butterspy" once per turn.

ATK/1000 DEF/800

Adonis Butterspy

lv 4 DARK

Warrior/Effect

If this card is Normal Summoned, add 1 "Butterspy" monster from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; change the targeted card's battle position.

ATK/1400 DEF/1100

Painted Lady Butterspy

Level 4 DARK [Warrior/Effect]

When this card is Summoned: You can add 1 "Butterspy" card from your Deck to your hand. When this card is destroyed and sent to the GY: You can add 1 "Butterspy" monster from your GY to your hand.

You can only use each "Painted Lady Butterspy" effect once per turn.

1500 ATK/1500 DEF

Duke Butterspy

Rank 4 DARK

Warrior/Xyz/Effect

2 Level 4 "Butterspy" monsters

Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card and target 1 monster your opponent controls; change the targeted monsters battle position, and if you do, all "Butterspy" monsters you control gain 500 ATK and DEF. If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage.

ATK/2000 DEF/2000

Tiger Papilloperative

Rank 4 DARK [Warrior/Xyz/Effect]

2 Level 4 monsters

Once per turn: You can detach 1 material from this card, then target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls whose ATK/DEF are different from its original ATK/DEF; destroy it, and if you do, draw 1 card. This effect becomes Quick Effect if this card has a "Butterspy" monster as material.

2200 ATK/1400 DEF

Chimaera Papilloperative

Rank 4 LIGHT [Warrior/Xyz/Effect]

3 Level 4 monsters

During either player's turn, when the battle position of an opponent's monster(s) is changed: You can destroy 1 card on the field. If this card has a "Butterspy" monster as material, when an opponent's monster declares an attack: You can detach all materials from this card; return all cards your opponent controls to the hand, and if you do, inflict 300 damage to your opponent for each card returned to the hand with this effect, also all battle damage your opponent takes is halved until your next End Phase. If this card would be destroyed by battle or card effect while it has no materials: Return it to the Extra Deck instead. You can only use each effect of "Chimaera Papilloperative" once per turn.

2800 ATK/2000 DEF

Chaos Xyz: Umbral Butterspy

DARK/Warrior/Xyz/Rank 5 - 2900/2400

4 Level 5 Monsters

When this card battles an Xyz Monster, this card gain ATK equal to that monster's ATK during the damage step only. If your opponent switches a monster they control to Defense Position, inflict damage to them equal to half that monster's ATK. If this card has a "Butterspy" or "Papilloperative" Xyz Monster attacked to it as an Xyz Material, it gains this effect:

Once per turn; this card's original ATK becomes equal to the number of Xyz Materials attached to Xyz Monsters on the field X 1000 until your opponents next End Phase. This effect cannot be negated.

Butterspy Garden

Field Spell

All monsters your opponent controls lose 200 ATK/DEF for each monster they control. When the battle position of an opponent's monster(s) is changed while the only monsters you control are face-up "Butterspy" or "Papilloperative" monsters: You can draw 2 cards. When this card is destroyed and sent to the GY by an opponent's card effect: You can Special Summon up to 2 "Butterspy" monsters with different names from your Deck in Defense Position, but they cannot attack. You can only use each effect of "Butterspy Garden" once per turn.

Butterspy Charm

Continuous Spell

If you control a face-up "Butterspy" or "Papilloperative" monster: All monsters your opponent controls must attack, if able, also they lose 500 ATK during damage calculation only. At the end of your opponent's Battle Phase: Destroy all face-up Attack Position monsters your opponent controls that did not declare an attack this turn.

Sanctum:

Mekk-Knight Eclipse Supreme- Rank 0, ATK: 3000, DEF: 2600, ATT: LIGHT, Type: Psychic/Xyz/Effect

Effect: 2 "Mekk-Knight" monsters with the same Level

You can only Special Summon "Mekk-Knight Eclipse Supreme" once per turn. You can also Xyz Summon this card by using 1 "Mekk-Knight" you control with 2 or more other cards in that card's column as material. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can detach 1 material from this card; negate the effects of 1 card on the field. If this Xyz Summoned card is destroyed: Special Summon 1 "Mekk-Knight" monster in your Extra Deck, except "Mekk-Knight Eclipse Supreme".

And that concludes Chapter 24. In case you were wondering, I'd purposefully changed the Cryston Synchro Monsters revival effects to only activate during the End Phase because it would make the duel more difficult than it already was to write. Storm Rider, Sanctum and Esper join Pyrrha to search for her father and duel two of the Syndicate's agents in the process. Pyrrha and Esper will duel in the next chapter, and one of them will lose. Feel free to leave it in the reviews if you would like to guess who. Also, thank you to SakushiRyu for reviewing the Butterspy cards and providing the designs.

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

See you all next time!