Chapter 9: The Knight of LINK VRAINS
Morningstar looked out over LINK VRAINS. It appeared to have recovered fully from Revolver's attack, and people were dueling all over. Most of them were amateurs, coming to LINK VRAINS for the first time or hoping to test their skills against people of similar skillsets to practice for becoming Charisma Duelists.
"I wasn't expecting to see you here." He turned and saw Ghost Girl walking up to him.
"Nor was I expecting to see you," he said, turning back to look at the duelists as she stood next to him. "Or are you here for me?" he wondered. "Kitamura hired a bounty hunter to take me out recently."
"I heard," Ghost Girl said, smiling under her mask. "Lilith, right? She has a reputation for being somewhat… unstable."
"You can say crazy," Morningstar said, then narrowed his eyes. "I'm pretty sure she isn't, though. Her moves were professional. I think she acts that way to throw her targets off their game."
"Possibly. I do know some professionals who use similar strategies."
He gave her an aside glance. "Seriously, though. Are you here for me? Did Kitamura hire you to take me out, too?"
Ghost Girl scoffed. "Like I'm stupid enough to take out a bounty on you," she said. "Your reputation is one of the fiercest in LINK VRAINS. No one other than Lilith is crazy enough to take a contract on you."
"So he did make you an offer."
"I did not say that," she said. After a moment of silence, she said, "What are you doing here? It's not like you to just come to LINK VRAINS and watch people duel."
"I'm waiting," Morningstar said. "The Knights of Hanoi will be making their move eventually, and LINK VRAINS will be their first target. I imagine Playmaker is having similar thoughts."
"…So you were serious?" she asked, somewhat quiet. "You're going to fight the Knights of Hanoi?"
"Is that concern in your voice, Ghost Girl?" he asked. "That's not like you."
"You are one of the few things in my line of work that I consider permanent," she said. "Our employers may be demoted, fired, or forced to retire, but you'll always remain. It's… a comforting thought."
He turned to face her fully. "You want something," he said bluntly. "What?"
She smiled under her mask again. "Must you be so suspicious?" she asked. "Can't I just say I like having you around and mean it?"
"After that fiasco at Mercury, you're lucky I haven't used my security net on you."
"…How long are you going to hold that over my head?" she asked, exasperated. "I said I was sorry. Repeatedly, in fact."
"Naturally, I'm going to hold it over you the rest of your life," he said. Before she could respond, the area suddenly grew dark.
"What the-?" Ghost Girl said, looking up at the sky. "Is that-?"
"An eclipse?" Morningstar said, just as surprised as her. "In LINK VRAINS? That's never happened before. Do you think it's an event?"
Ghost Girl glanced at some of the nearby buildings, which flickered. "I don't think so. It's probably a bug or virus." She looked back up at the eclipse. "Is this the Knights of Hanoi? Or is it a new threat?"
Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Whatever it is," he said. "I get the feeling Playmaker and I will be drawn into it."
Ghost Girl sighed. "So, what else is new?"
School was quickly becoming Yasutake's least favorite part of the day. Granted, it had never been his favorite, but it had been better before Masako Himura joined the class. Apparently, she thought he was "interesting" and kept asking him questions; about the school, the people around them, and himself. He did his best to answer the questions about school, redirect the questions about other people to those said people – who were usually happy enough to tell Masako themselves – and not answer the questions about himself. She also kept smiling at him and batting her eyelashes, though he didn't understand what about him made her happy and why she kept blinking. Did she have dry eyes or something?
To her credit though, Masako wasn't too pushy. If Yasutake said he didn't want to talk about something, she would stop prying, at least for a while. She also had the decency not to talk during classes, during which she was remarkably studious, only looking away from the teacher and her tablet occasionally to give Yasutake sidelong glances and knowing smirks. What she was knowing, he had no idea.
Her positive traits aside, it didn't help that she spent almost every second out of class by his side, annoying him to no end and convincing most of their class that there was something between them, which there wasn't. Yasutake was starting to feel like he was the center of attention, with most of his male classmates – and some of his female classmates – glaring at him when they saw him. For someone who enjoyed anonymity and avoiding attention, this was particularly frustrating. Thankfully however, none of his classmates had tried anything. He had no real desire to get into fights.
"I'm disappointed in you, Narahiko." He looked up from his tablet at Masako as she said that, a small frown on her face as she looked at her own tablet. The two of them were sitting in the library, studying for a calculus test.
"What specifically are you disappointed in?" he asked, not really caring, but knowing she wouldn't leave the subject alone.
"I've asked you a lot of questions about yourself," she said. "But you haven't asked me any questions about myself."
"That's because I don't care," he said bluntly. "I thought the lack of questions made it obvious."
Her frown turned into an amused smirk. "If you didn't care, you would have told me to leave you alone," she said in an amused tone. "You've told me not to ask certain questions and you've ignored me, but you haven't told me to go away."
"A friend insists that I be polite at school," he responded. "Telling you to go away would fall under impolite."
"So you do have friends," she said. "Good. Everyone should have someone they can trust unconditionally."
He looked up at her again. Her face had turned sad, but he wasn't sure whether it was real or an act.
"What do you mean by that? Is there someone you trust unconditionally?"
Her face rearranged itself into her typical expression of mild amusement. "Maybe. Though-."
"Narahiko."
The two of them turned to the sound of the voice. It was Aoi Zaizen, holding a book.
"Yes? What is it, Zaizen?"
"I need your help with something. A problem I don't understand."
Yasutake thought about saying no, but decided to help. He didn't like Aoi that much, but he liked her more than Masako.
"Excuse me," he said to Masako, who smiled at the two of them.
"Have fun, you two," she said as they walked over to a different table.
"What problem are you stuck on?"
"This one," Aoi said, pointing to question 42. "I'm not very good at understanding derivatives and limits."
He looked over the problem, then to his own notes. He hadn't reached 42 yet. This would be a good opportunity for him to work on it, though.
As he did, Aoi spoke up. "Is there something between you and Himura?"
He glanced at her and saw her face was blank. "No," he answered. "I know what people are thinking, but there's nothing between us. She just likes asking me questions."
"About what?"
"School, other people, myself."
"Do you answer them?"
"Some of them."
Aoi was quiet again, then said, "I am sorry, about… what I said on the sidewalk that day."
He glanced at her, then back at his tablet. "Don't be. I overreacted. I wasn't expecting you to know about the Incident."
"I just… I wanted you to know that I sympathized with you. That I'm sorry you had to go through that."
He sighed and put his tablet down. "You're not the first person to say that. Do me a favor, and do the one thing none of the others ever did."
"What's that?"
Stop it," he said, surprising her. "I've heard people offer me their sympathies for ten years. Therapists, teachers, cops, rescue workers. The one thing they all had in common?" His eyes narrowed. "They did not go through it."
He picked his tablet up. "I get the feeling you haven't had the easiest life, Zaizen, but do me a favor and don't pretend to understand what happened. You can't understand unless you went through it. So, please, drop it, and never speak of it again."
She watched him for a while, then nodded. "Alright." She turned back to her homework, and there was silence between them for a few minutes before Aoi broke it.
"There is something else I wanted to talk to you about," she said.
"What?"
"Be careful," she said. When he looked up, she said, "You've noticed that there are less people in class, lately?"
"…No," he lied. He was pretty sure he knew what she was getting at, but he felt it best to maintain the appearance of ignorance.
"Well there are," she continued. "There are rumors going around that they've been turned into Anothers."
"Anothers?"
She frowned at him. "Don't pretend to be stupid," she said in an annoyed tone. "I know you're smarter than that."
"Oh. Okay."
She sighed. "Supposedly, these people are dragged into LINK VRAINS and leave their bodies behind. They're called Anothers because they're in another world."
"I heard about that," Yasutake admitted. "Why are telling me about this?"
"Because I took a look at the victims," Aoi said. "For… personal reasons."
Yasutake's expression didn't change, but he felt a pang of sympathy. When he heard about the Another victims, his first thought was comparing their fates to Blue Angel's. Of course Aoi would develop an interest in them, having been the first to experience it.
"And there was one thing I noticed about the victims," she continued. "They all used the card-insert Duel Disk. Like you do."
His eyes softened in understanding. "You think I might become one of these Anothers."
"Yes. I wanted to warn you not to wear your Duel Disk."
Yasutake understood what Aoi was doing. She was concerned he might become an Another, so she was giving him a warning to try and protect him. As it was, he didn't need it. He'd first heard about the Anothers not long after it started. Cam had managed to find footage showing someone being forcefully logged into LINK VRAINS. They figured people's Duel Disks were being hacked from the outside. Yasutake was certain he didn't have to worry about it; his Duel Disk had far more security than others of its kind, meaning it would take a lot more effort to break into.
"I'm fairly certain that whoever's doing this," Aoi said, drawing Yasutake back to earth, "is looking for Morningstar and Playmaker. Both of them use the card-insert Duel Disk. I don't want you to become collateral damage in their search."
"I'll be careful," Yasutake said. "Do you know anything else about the Anothers?"
"No, but… could you do me a favor and warn Fujiki about them?"
"Fujiki?" Yasutake said, surprised at her request. "Couldn't you warn him yourself?"
Aoi was silent for a while, then said, "I don't think I have the right to talk to Fujiki about this. After what I said to him…"
Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"
Aoi sighed. "You remember when you and I first talked, and I asked why you joined Duel Club?"
Yasutake understood immediately what she was getting at. "You asked Fujiki the same thing."
"I did, and… I assumed he was like the rest, using me to get a job at SOL. And I dismissed him. Rather rudely, in fact. But… after I did, when I was in trouble, he helped me. He didn't have to, and after what I said to him, I wouldn't have blamed him for disliking me, but he still helped me. I owe him for that, but… I'm not sure if I can face him again, knowing that I was wrong about him."
I don't think Fujiki really cares about you owing him, Yasutake thought. Yusaku probably hadn't thought too much about bringing Aoi to the hospital, but it was clear Aoi was thankful to him for that. And… there was something else in her tone, something he couldn't figure out…
Out loud, he said, "I'll try and talk to him about it. But he probably already knows." That was likely the truth; Aoi was probably right in that whoever was behind the Anothers was looking for Morningstar and Playmaker. Yasutake had left his Duel Disk at home today, but he was certain Yusaku had ways to protect himself.
Before they could talk any more, someone came up to him. "Hey, school's over. The two of you should be heading home, shouldn't you?" Yasutake looked up and saw a tan-skinned senior with blonde hair.
Aoi spoke up before he did. "Who are you?" The guy blanched and fell over.
"Again?!" he shouted upon standing up, startling Aoi. "Do none of you freshmen pay attention to what happens in your school!? I'm Takeshi Akino, the Student Council President!"
"…Oh," Aoi said in a small voice.
Takeshi growled and stalked off. "Don't be upset," Yasutake said. "I didn't know who he was, either."
Yasutake walked into Café Junpei and headed straight into the back. The robot was at the counter, which meant Cam was in the back room.
"Hey, Yasu," Cam said. "I've been looking at the Another victims, and I managed to find out a few things."
"Like what?"
"Three things, to be exact," Cam said, smirking to himself. "One: they all have exceptional dueling skills. Two: they all use the card-insert Duel Disk. Three: they are all hackers."
Yasutake scowled at Cam. "You've been waiting to do that, haven't you?"
"You say it so many times, I figured I'd say it at least once," Cam said, amused. "Anyway, what does those three things tell you?"
"That whoever is responsible is looking for Playmaker. Or me."
"Yeah," Cam said. "You think Fujiki will be alright?"
"He'll be fine," Yasutake said. "He pretends to be an amateur duelist and no one except us knows he is a hacker. He won't become an Another victim."
"Unless they limit their parameters to just the old-style Duel Disks," Cam said. "Then he'll be in trouble."
"Even if they do, Fujiki is smart. He won't take his Duel Disk out with him too often. As for myself, my Duel Disk is specially modified with security enhancements."
"No kidding," Cam said. "I've hacked into banks less secure than your Duel Disk."
"When did you hack into a bank?"
"I have to do something in my off-time," Cam said as he smiled. Then he frowned when one of their monitors started flashing red. "Oh, not again."
"What is it?" Yasutake asked. When Cam opened a window, his eyes widened. "This is-."
"Yep," Cam said wearingly. "The Knights of Hanoi. They've been appearing everywhere since this morning. Attacking duelists on data streams, turning them into Anothers." He scowled in disgust. "These people are nothing more than thugs."
Yasutake sighed and headed into the sealed room. "So the Knights of Hanoi are responsible for the Anothers. Well, someone has to stop them," he said. "I'm sure Playmaker will, but until he shows up, I'll deal with them."
Morningstar landed in an alley and saw several people running away, with three Knights chasing after them. Before he could intercede-.
"Stop! Hold, in the name of justice!"
The Knights turned, as did Morningstar, though he stayed in the alley. The speaker was a tall young man in silver armor that covered him from neck to foot. His face was tan, with long curly blonde hair that fell past his shoulders. He wore a long green cape and his fierce grey eyes were aimed at the Knights.
"The three of you," he growled. "You dare to call yourself Knights? You are no Knights. Knights fight for honor and justice. You are nothing more than thugs and vagabonds!" He pointed dramatically at the three. "As a true Knight of justice, I will take all of you on, and defeat you!"
No one spoke for three seconds, then the Knight of Hanoi in a purple mask said, "Who are you?"
The guy fell over, then stood back up. "What do you mean, who am I!? Do none of you recognize me!?"
"No," the Knight in a yellow mask said.
"Nope," the one in an orange mask said.
Their opponent growled, then shouted, "I am Galahad! I am the #5 Charisma Duelist in all of LINK VRAINS! How could you not know who I am!?"
"I, uh…" Purple said sheepishly. "… don't watch Charisma Duelists."
"And I only watch Blue Angel and Go Onizuka," Yellow supplied.
Orange shrugged. "Maybe you're just not that popular?"
"Not that popular?" Galahad growled. "I'll show you just how popular I am! Like I said, I'll take all of you on!"
"Ha!" Purple laughed. "You wish to duel all three of us at once? You must be crazy if you think you can win!"
"I am not crazy," Galahad said. "As I said before, I am a knight of honor and justice. I will not stand by while you hooligans disparage the title of 'Knight!'" He activated his Duel Disk. "Prepare yourselves!"
A three-on-one duel? Morningstar thought. A part of him knew he should step in and make things a bit more even, but a larger part wanted to see just what this Galahad could do.
"Cam," he whispered. "Have you heard of Galahad?"
"Yeah, he's a Charisma Duelist," Cam answered. "He's a favorite among the older generations."
"What Deck does he use?"
"He uses at least two distinct archetypes, but his Deck mostly focuses on battle damage."
Galahad faced off against the three Knights of Hanoi. "For this duel," he said. "The three of you will share a field and 4000 Life Points, while I take every second turn."
"That's fine with us," Yellow said, smirking to himself. With the Decks we've built, this washed-up Charisma Duelist doesn't stand a chance.
"Duel!" the four duelists shouted.
Galahad: 4000 LP
Knights of Hanoi: 4000 LP
"I'll take the first turn," Purple said, waving his hand in front of him to see his cards. He grinned with sadistic delight. "Since I control no monsters, I Special Summon Steelswarm Cell!" A black beetle appeared with a symbol on its back.
Steelswarm Cell ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1
"Then, I summon Steelswarm Caller!" A humanoid black insect with orange wings appeared.
Steelswarm Caller ATK 1700 DEF 0 LVL: 4
"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Double Summon!" Purple declared. "This card allows me to perform a second Normal Summon this turn. I Tribute Caller and Cell to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Longhorn!" A massive black and grey humanoid beetle monster with large wings appeared and took Caller's and Cell's places on the field.
Steelswarm Longhorn ATK 3000 DEF 0 LVL: 9
"3000 attack points just like that," Morningstar muttered as he watched the duel. "This strategy is very similar to when I fought Hanoi."
"And now for the fun part," Purple said, grinning to himself. "Since I Tributed Steelswarm Caller to Tribute Summon Longhorn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Steelswarm' monster from my Deck! Come to me, Steelswarm Sentinel!" A humanoid beetle with a helmet and magnifying glass over its right eye appeared alongside Longhorn.
Steelswarm Sentinel ATK 1100 DEF 0 LVL: 3
"As long as Sentinel is in face-up Attack Position," Purple explained, "All Special Summoned Level 5 or higher monsters on the field cannot activate their effects. And since Longhorn was Tribute Summoned, I can pay 1000 Life Points to destroy one monster on the field each turn." He tapped the last card in his hand. "I Set one card. I end my turn. Now then," he smirked maliciously, "what are you going to do, Mr. Knight?"
Revolver looked out over the chaos as his Knights forced people into duels.
"Over a thousand people have joined the Knights of Hanoi, but they're mostly hoodlums," he said with disgust. "They're only infatuated with Hanoi for opposing LINK VRAINS. They're only in it for self-promotion." If only they knew what Hanoi's endgame was…
"They tarnish the Knights of Hanoi's reputation." Revolver turned and saw two people – a man with dark blue and light blue hair wearing a white lab coat with black lines and a silver-yellow eyepiece over his left eye, and a woman with red and orange hair wearing a sleeveless white lab coat with pink lines and a silver-yellow eyepiece over her left eye – materialize in front of him. Their names were Faust and Baira, and they were two of Revolver's lieutenants.
"You came," Revolver said as he walked over to them.
"Now is the time to carry out Dr. Kogami's wishes," Faust said.
"Our mission is to kill the Ignis," Baira added.
"Dr. Genome is already making his move," Faust said.
"We gave him the Data Gale," Baira said.
"And what about Terminus?" Revolver asked. "Where is he?"
"He said there was something he wanted to see," Faust answered. "I'm afraid I don't know what he meant."
At the top of a building, a man in a white lab coat with red lines appeared. He had black hair tied back in a ponytail and silver highlights in his bangs. His left eye was colored red because of the yellow and silver mask he wore over it. Terminus looked down from the building and scowled. He didn't think much of the new members of Hanoi. They were nothing more than thugs, looking for glory. They were barely worth the time he, Baira, Dr. Genome, and Faust had put in training them.
And now, three of them had gotten into a fight with someone calling himself "a Knight of justice." Terminus hadn't paid too much attention to the Charisma Duelists aside from the two most famous, but if this Galahad was confident enough in his abilities to take on three Knights of Hanoi at once, he suspected this duel would prove interesting.
Back at the duel, Galahad laughed. "Typical of villains. Especially of their servants," he said, smirking at the Knights. "You think raw power is all you need to win. Against amateur duelists and the innocent, such monsters serve your purpose. But against a superior duelist like myself, your tactics are as easy to break as a twig."
"What?" Purple growled, offended.
"My turn! Draw!" Galahad looked at his card and smiled. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Spiral Spear Strike!" He declared, playing his card.
"A Continuous Spell?" Purple asked, surprised at Galahad's opening move.
"This Spell Card is the centerpiece of my offensive," Galahad said. "And this next card is my first attack: the Spell Card: Block Attack! This card allows me to switch one monster on the field to Defense Position!"
"What?" Purple said, shocked at Galahad's card.
"I change your Longhorn to Defense Position!" Longhorn took a knee and placed its arms in front of itself.
"Damn it!" Purple said, enraged. "Longhorn's defense points are 0!"
"Like I said, your tactics are easy to break," Galahad said. "Next, I Set three cards. And now, I summon Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight!" A green warrior in blue armor carrying two red lances riding a purple horse appeared on Galahad's field.
Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300 DEF 2100 LVL: 7
"Y-You can't summon that!" Orange protested. "That's a Level 7 monster! You have to Tribute at least two monsters to summon it!"
"Do I?" Galahad asked, making the Knights nervous. "When Swift Gaia is the only card in my hand, I can Normal Summon it without Tributing!"
Purple growled, but Yellow said, "Don't panic. He can destroy Longhorn, but it is in Defense Position. We won't take damage. The most damage he can inflict is from attacking Sentinel, and that will only be 1200."
"I'm afraid not," Galahad said. "You seem to have forgotten my Continuous Spell. You see, my Spiral Spear Strike is a very special card. If my Swift Gaia attacks a Defense Position monster, Spiral Spear Strike inflicts piercing battle damage!"
"What?" the three Knights said in unison, shocked at such an effect.
"Battle! Go, Swift Gaia, attack Steelswarm Longhorn! Spiral Shaver!" Swift Gaia charged at Longhorn and struck it with one of its lances. Longhorn cried out as it exploded, as did Purple when he was thrown back from the force of Swift Gaia's attack.
Knights of Hanoi: 4000→1700 LP
"I have drawn first blood in this battle," Galahad said. "I shall now end my turn. So, tell me, false Knights, are you ready to surrender? For your kind, surrender is the only recourse."
Morningstar was impressed. Galahad had cleverly manipulated his opponent's monster into a position in which it could be destroyed and inflict maximum damage. Still, that strategy wouldn't work against Link Monsters; they couldn't exist in Defense Position.
Terminus was likewise impressed. While this Galahad was loud, he was also highly skilled at manipulating both his monsters and his opponent's. He could be a dangerous foe if left unchecked.
"Surrender?" Purple growled. "We are members of the Knights of Hanoi! We do not surrender!" He turned to Yellow and shouted, "What are you waiting for? Take your turn and end this fool!"
"Right! My turn! Draw!" Yellow looked at his cards, then gestured to his field. "I activate the Trap Card Infestation Ripples! By paying 500 Life Points, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Steelswarm' monster from my Graveyard! Return, Steelswarm Caller!" Caller reappeared as Yellow received a slight electrical shock.
Knights of Hanoi: 1700→1200 LP
Steelswarm Caller ATK 1700 DEF 0 LVL: 4
"Now, I Tribute Caller to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Girastag!" Caller disappeared and was replaced by a giant black and orange monster that had a cannon for an arm and one at the end of its tail.
Steelswarm Girastag ATK 2600 DEF 0 LVL: 7
"I know what you're thinking," Yellow sneered. "How did I summon a Level 7 monster by Tributing only one monster? It's because Girastag's effect lets me Tribute Summon it by Tributing one 'Steelswarm' monster. And since I used Caller to Tribute Summon Girastag, it's effect activates, and I Special Summon Steelswarm Gatekeeper from my Deck!" A four-legged monster in black armor appeared alongside Girastag and Sentinel.
Steelswarm Gatekeeper ATK 1500 DEF 1900 LVL: 4
"And now it's Girastag's turn!" Yellow proclaimed. "If Girastag is Tribute Summoned using a 'Steelswarm' monster, I can target one card you control, send it to the Graveyard, and gain 1000 Life Points. Say good-bye to your Swift Gaia!" Gaia disintegrated as Galahad scowled.
Knights of Hanoi: 1200→2200 LP
"I activate the Spell Card: Double Summon!" Yellow said. "And use it to Tribute Sentinel to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Moth!" Sentinel was replaced by a large black and green monster with moth-like wings and a long tail.
Steelswarm Moth ATK 2400 DEF 0 LVL: 6
"Since I Tribute Summoned a 'Steelswarm' monster while my Gatekeeper was face-up," Yellow said. "I can perform another Normal Summon this turn. Sadly, I don't have any monsters to play. But I can still activate Steelswarm Moth's effect. If Moth is Tribute Summoned using a 'Steelswarm' monster, I can pay 1000 Life Points to target two cards you control and return them to your hand." He pointed to Galahad's Continuous Spell Card. "I target your Spiral Spear Strike and one of your face-down cards!" He winced from the electric shock as Galahad took the two cards back.
Knights of Hanoi: 2200→1200 LP
Yellow smirked. "If you think I'm letting you keep those cards," he said. "You have another thing coming. I activate the Spell Card: Hand Destruction! This forces both of us to discard two cards, then draw two cards! So say goodbye to your Spiral Spear Strike!"
Galahad discarded Spiral Spear Strike, alongside the Mirror Force Trap Card he had Set earlier. Yellow in turn discarded his Quick-Play Spell Card First Step Towards Infestation and his Steelswarm Genome. As the two drew, both smiled at seeing their cards.
"Now that that irksome card is gone, it's time to get rid of you!" Yellow shouted. "Girastag, attack Galahad directly!" Girastag charged the blaster that was its right hand and fired at Galahad. Before it hit-.
"Trap activate!" Galahad declared. "Draining Shield! This card negates your attack and increases my Life Points by Girastag's attack points!" Yellow growled as a barrier appeared and blocked Girastag's attack.
Galahad: 4000→6600 LP
Yellow growled. "You think that changes anything?" he shouted. "Moth, attack Galahad directly!" Moth charged and struck Galahad, making him wince.
Galahad: 6600→4200 LP
"And now it's Gatekeeper's turn. Gatekeeper, attack Galahad directly!" Gatekeeper charged and swiped Galahad with one paw.
Galahad: 4200→2700 LP
"Now, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Mystik Wok!" Yellow said. "By Tributing a monster, I gain Life Points equal to that monster's attack points! I Tribute Girastag to gain 2600 Life Points!" Girastag disintegrated into light.
Knights of Hanoi: 1200→3800 LP
"What are you doing?" Orange asked Yellow. "That was our strongest monster!"
"You think that matters to him?" Yellow answered. "His last attack changed our monster to Defense Position. We need as many Life Points as possible in case he does it again!"
He turned back to Galahad and said, "I activate the Spell Card: Pot of Avarice! This lets me shuffle five monsters in my Graveyard back into the Deck and draw two cards. I target Steelswarm Caller, Cell, Genome, Girastag, and Sentinel in my Graveyard and shuffle them back into mine and my partner's Decks." Yellow and Purple took their cards from the Graveyard, then Yellow drew. "I Set two cards and end my turn."
"My turn! Draw!" Galahad looked at his card and smiled. "You may have bested one of my greatest knights, but this turn, I will call forth one of my champions!"
"Champions?" Yellow repeated.
"Trap activate!" Galahad declared. "Beginning of Heaven and Earth! This card allows me to reveal three monsters from my Deck and have you randomly pick one of them."
"What?" Yellow said, surprised. "What is the point of that card?"
"The point is that if you pick a 'Black Luster Soldier' monster or a 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster, that monster is added to my hand, and the other cards are sent to the Graveyard," Galahad explained. "If, however, the card you choose is not a 'Black Luster Soldier' monster or a 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster, then all three cards are sent to the Graveyard."
He took three cards from his Deck and showed them to Yellow. "These cards are Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight, Curse of Dragonfire, and Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight. Now, choose!" The cards on his field disappeared as the three cards he chose appeared on his field, face-down.
Yellow grit his teeth. Among the cards Galahad had chosen, only one was not a "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster. That meant he had a 1-in-3 chance of sending those cards to the Graveyard. "I choose the left one!" he declared, pointing to that card.
It lifted up and revealed… Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight. Yellow grit his teeth again. Damn it!
"As you chose Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight, it is added to my hand," Galahad said, taking said card and adding it to his hand. "And now, Charging Gaia and Curse of Dragonfire are sent to the Graveyard."
"…Even so," Yellow said slowly. "You might have a new monster, but it isn't strong enough to defeat my Steelswarm Moth!"
"You are correct," Galahad said. "Lord Gaia is not strong enough. Not yet."
"What?" Yellow said again.
"When I control no monsters and my opponent does, I can Special Summon Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight!" Gaia reappeared, only with bigger lances, and instead of a horse, he was riding a yellow dragon with headgear.
Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300 DEF 2100 LVL: 7
"And now I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn!" Galahad declared. "And with it, I shall Special Summon my Curse of Dragonfire from the Graveyard!" A red dragon made of bones appeared in a burst of flames on Galahad's field and shrieked a high-pitched screech.
Curse of Dragonfire ATK 2000 DEF 1500 LVL: 5
"Neither of those monsters is strong enough to destroy my Moth," Yellow objected. "Or… are you Link Summoning?"
"No," Galahad said, confusing the Knights. "People these days… they get so obsessed over the newest toys and the latest technology, that they forget all about what came before. In so doing, they weaken themselves and make it easier to surprise them."
Morningstar raised an eyebrow. What was Galahad talking about? Terminus was likewise confused. Their mutual confusion was cleared up by Galahad's next words as he gestured to Curse of Dragonfire.
"Curse of Dragonfire's monster effect! Once per turn, I can use monsters I control, including itself, to perform a Fusion Summon!"
"What?" Yellow shouted, shocked out of his mind. "A Fusion Summon!?"
"Appear, the vortex of champions!" Galahad spread his arms as his left hand glowed red and his right hand glowed blue. A portal appeared behind him, made of red and blue energy that swirled into the center.
"Materials confirmed!" Galahad chanted. "The summoning conditions are one 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster and one Dragon monster! I fuse together Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight and Curse of Dragonfire!" His monsters turned into energy that entered the vortex behind Galahad, swirling their energy and creating a bright light at the center. Galahad clasped his hands together in front of him.
"Fusion Summon! Rise! Level 7! Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion!"
A new monster emerged from the vortex behind Galahad. It flew up into the air, then flew back down and took its place in the Extra Monster Zone. It looked like Gaia the Fierce Knight, except instead of riding a horse, he was now riding Curse of Dragonfire.
Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion ATK 2600 DEF 2100 LVL: 7
"A Fusion Monster?" Purple said with shock.
"I thought people didn't use Fusion Monsters anymore," Orange muttered. Morningstar had to agree with the Knight's sentiment on that. In all his time as a bounty hunter, he'd only seen Fusion Monsters on the black market, and in those cases, people usually just traded them for Link Monsters. Ever since Link Monsters were released and the Master Rules changed, Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Monsters had all fallen out of favor. And Ritual Monsters had fallen mostly out of use even before then.
Suddenly, Yellow broke the tension by laughing loudly. "Are you kidding me?" he asked Galahad. "This is your big play? An outdated summoning technique? What good will that do you?"
Galahad scoffed. "Typical of evil, looking down on something just because its old. Well, there's a lesson you need to learn." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "The oldest things in the world are often the most dangerous."
He gestured to his new monster. "Sky Galloping Gaia's monster effect! When this card is Special Summoned, I can add one 'Spiral Spear Strike' from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand! I add the Spiral Spear Strike in my Graveyard to my hand, and then, I activate it!"
"What good does that do you?" Yellow sneered. "That card only works with three specific monsters. Even then, it only works if our monsters are in Defense Position."
"You are right on the second point," Galahad conceded. "But you are wrong on the first. You see, Sky Galloping Gaia's effect treats its name as 'Gaia the Dragon Champion' while it is on the field, and Gaia the Dragon Champion just so happens to be one of the monsters Spiral Spear Strike affects."
"It still doesn't matter," Yellow said, his sneer turned into a scowl. "Your card still only works if our monster is in Defense Position!"
"Let's test that theory," Galahad said. "Battle! Sky Galloping Gaia, attack Steelswarm Gatekeeper!" Sky Galloping Gaia charged Gatekeeper, but Yellow was ready.
"You fool! Trap activate! Staunch Defender!" He sneered at Galahad as he explained, "This card forces all monsters you control to attack the monster I choose! And I decide that your Sky Galloping Gaia will attack Moth!"
He then gestured to his other face-down. "But wait, there's more! I activate the Trap Card Infestation Tool! With this card, I send the Steelswarm Scout from my Deck to the Graveyard and increase the attack points of one 'Steelswarm' monster I control by 800 until the End Phase! And I choose my Steelswarm Moth!"
Steelswarm Moth ATK 2400→3200
"Now," Yellow sneered, "Your Fusion Monster will fall against my Moth! Experience your defeat!"
Galahad only smirked. "I think I'll have to wait on that."
"What?"
"Sky Galloping Gaia's monster effect!" Galahad declared. "When Sky Galloping Gaia attacks an opponent's monster, I can change that monster's battle position!"
"What!?" Yellow screamed again.
"I change your Moth to Defense Position!" Moth placed both of its arms in front of itself as it switched to Defense Position.
"And because Sky Galloping Gaia is treated as Gaia the Dragon Champion, it can inflict piercing battle damage due to Spiral Spear Strike!" Galahad shouted. "And since your Moth has 0 defense points, that means…"
"2-2600 points of damage," Yellow whispered, sweat pouring down his face.
"That's right. Go, Sky Galloping Gaia! Double Dragon Lance!" His monster flew into the air, then divebombed Moth. It was surrounded by red flames as it pierced Moth, destroying it in an explosion and sending Yellow flying backwards, screaming his head off.
Knights of Hanoi: 3800→1200 LP
"Perhaps now you will think twice about insulting 'outdated' summoning methods," Galahad said as Orange and Purple helped Yellow stand up. "Spiral Spear Strike has one more effect. If Gaia the Dragon Champion inflicts battle damage via its effect, I can then draw two cards, but I must discard one of them."
He drew and looked at them. He narrowed his eyes. This one… it went against his instincts to discard it, but if the Knights destroyed the other card, then… Yes, this could work.
He discarded one, then said, "I Set one card. I end my turn."
Terminus couldn't help but admire Galahad. He clearly had a love of the older summoning methods. As a man who ran a bookstore in an increasingly technological world, it warmed his heart to see the old ways respected.
"This is a man who enjoys the classics," he murmured and smiled. "People like that… are disappointingly rare."
"How dare you," Yellow growled as he glared at Galahad. "You!" he turned to Orange. "Defeat him! He cannot get away with mocking Hanoi like this! Damaging us with a useless summoning method… it is unforgivable!"
"Right!" Orange said, nodding in agreement. "My turn! Draw!" He looked at his card, then gestured to the field. "At the start of my Main Phase 1, I can activate the effect of the Steelswarm Scout in my Graveyard! As I control no Spell or Trap Cards, I can Special Summon this monster in Attack Position!" A little monster with goggles and a helmet appeared, alone on the Knights' field.
Steelswarm Scout ATK 200 DEF 0 LVL: 1
"As a consequence of this, I cannot Special Summon this turn," Orange said. "I summon Steelswarm Genome!" A ghoul-like monster covered in black scales appeared alongside Scout.
Steelswarm Genome ATK 1000 DEF 0 LVL: 2
"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Double Summon!" Orange declared. "And now, I activate Genome's effect! It can be treated as two Tributes for the Tribute Summon of a 'Steelswarm' monster. And this particular monster can only be Tribute Summoned by Tributing three 'Steelswarm' monsters. I Tribute my Genome and Scout to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Hercules!" A massive black and golden monster appeared as Genome and Scout disappeared. It reminded Morningstar of a beetle.
Steelswarm Hercules ATK 3200 DEF 0 LVL: 10
"Yes!" Yellow cheered. "A Level 10 monster! This duel is ours!"
"Before I attack, I think I'll even the score," Orange said. "And activate the Equip Spell Card: Cursed Bill! I equip this card to your Sky Galloping Gaia!" Sky Galloping Gaia gained a purple aura as Galahad glared at Orange.
"What have you done to my monster? Explain yourself!"
"You'll see soon," Orange sneered. He then gestured to Hercules. "Steelswarm Hercules's monster effect! Once per turn, I can pay half my Life Points to destroy all other cards on the field!" Galahad's and Morningstar's eyes widened on hearing that.
"Go, Hercules! Destroy everything!" Hercules let loose a sonic wave that made every card on the field – Cursed Bill, Sky Galloping Gaia, Spiral Spear Strike, Steelswarm Gatekeeper, and Galahad's face-down card – disintegrate. Orange winced somewhat as his Life Points were halved, but he maintained his sneer of disdain.
Knights of Hanoi: 1200→600 LP
"Now it's time for payback," Orange said. "When the monster equipped with Cursed Bill is destroyed and Cursed Bill is sent to the Graveyard, that monster's controller takes damage equal to that monster's defense points!"
"What?" Galahad said, his eyes widening again.
"Sky Galloping Gaia had 2100 defense points," Orange reminded him. "So you take 2100 points of damage!" Cursed Bill reappeared and blasted Galahad with dark energy, making him yell with pain as he fell to his knees.
Galahad: 2700→600 LP
"Now their Life Points are equal," Morningstar commented. "And Galahad has no cards in his hand." He decided now. This was the time to intervene.
"Battle!" Orange declared. "Hercules-." He gasped as someone walked out of the alley.
"That is enough," Morningstar said, glaring at the Knights.
"M-Morningstar," Yellow said, staring at the bounty hunter with fear.
"Morningstar," Galahad muttered, looking at the youth with surprise. Had he been watching this duel the entire time?
"Morningstar," Terminus muttered, resting his hand in his chin. This was unexpected. But this could prove advantageous to him.
"What are you doing here?" Purple asked Morningstar.
"As I said, that is enough," Morningstar said. He turned to Galahad. "You've done well, Galahad. But the fight against Hanoi is not yours. Cancel this duel and leave it to me."
"Don't be absurd!" Orange shouted. "You think we'll cancel this duel just because you said so!"
Morningstar turned to the Knights and made all three flinch with his glare. "Yes, I do."
"No."
Morningstar turned to Galahad in response to his words, surprised at them. "But Galahad-."
"I said no," Galahad said, standing up. "I am not letting you fulfill your narcissistic tendencies."
Narcissistic?" Morningstar repeated. "What do you mean by that?"
Galahad scoffed. "You and Playmaker… You think you alone have the right to face Hanoi. How egotistical. The Knights of Hanoi are more than just an affront to the title of Knight. They threaten all of LINK VRAINS."
He glared at Morningstar with undisguised fierceness. "I don't know why you or Playmaker fight Hanoi, but know this: this is not just your fight. This is the fight of everyone who wishes to protect LINK VRAINS. And I will not stand by and let Hanoi do what they want. I will fight, as hard as I can, to my last breath if need be, to do the right thing."
He turned from Morningstar to the Knights. "Do you hear me, Hanoi? I will not lose! I will protect LINK VRAINS from you hoodlums!"
"You'll lose," Morningstar said in a quiet voice. "And then what will happen to you?"
"I'll probably become an Another," Galahad shrugged. "I don't much care what happens to me." He looked Morningstar in the eyes. "I suspect that's something we have in common." Morningstar looked back until he turned away and sighed.
"Can you win this duel?"
Galahad smiled. "Without a doubt," he said.
"Then do it." Morningstar stepped to the side and leaned against the nearest building.
Orange burst out laughing. "You think you can win this? You're facing down a 3200 attack point monster with only 600 Life Points and no cards on your field! What part of that says, 'I can win?'"
Galahad smirked. "Attack me and find out."
"Fine then! Steelswarm Hercules, attack Galahad directly!" Steelswarm Hercules gathered dark energy in its hands and fired it at Galahad. Before it hit-.
"I activate the effect of the Sphere Kuriboh in my hand!" Galahad declared. "If an opponent's monster declares an attack, I can send this card from my hand to the Graveyard and change your monster to Defense Position!"
"What?" Orange said, surprised as Hercules switched to Defense Position and its energy attack dissipated.
"It looks like you won't be defeating me this turn," Galahad said. He turned to Morningstar. "I told you I would not lose."
"And you were right," Morningstar said, keeping a blank face. "Now prove you can win."
"This isn't over!" Orange growled. "I Set two cards. I end my turn."
"My turn!" Galahad said. "Draw!" He drew, looked at his card, and widened his eyes in surprise.
"Continuous Trap activate!" Orange declared. "Final Attack Orders! This card changes all face-up monsters to Attack Position and prevents their battle positions from being changed!" Hercules stood up as it switched to Attack Position.
Orange smirked at Galahad. "With this Trap Card, you can't switch Hercules to Defense Position with your card effects. Meaning you can't defeat it as easily as you did with our previous monsters."
And if you manage to summon a stronger monster and attack, Orange thought, my Hate Buster Trap Card will destroy both our monsters and deal you damage equal to your monster's attack points. It doesn't matter what you play this turn. You'll lose!
"This situation looks bad," Morningstar commented. "You sure you can win?"
Galahad smiled at him. "Now that I have this, I am." He gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of the Trap Card Super Soldier Rebirth in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can return one 'Black Luster Soldier' monster in my Graveyard and return it to my hand!"
"What?" Orange said, surprised. "You don't have any 'Black Luster Soldier' monsters in your Graveyard!"
"Yes, I do," Galahad said. "Remember when I used Spiral Spear Strike?"
Orange gasped. Galahad had discarded a card when he drew by Spiral Spear Strike's effect.
"Y-You mean-?"
"Yes," Galahad confirmed. "The card I discarded then was Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier, which I now return to my hand!" He took the card from his Graveyard, then played a card in his hand.
"I activate the Ritual Spell Card: Super Soldier Synthesis!" Galahad declared, shocking everyone present.
"What?" Yellow said. "First Fusion, now Ritual?"
"Appear, the altar of champions!" Galahad shouted as his left hand glowed light blue and his right hand glowed dark blue. The area around them changed so that it looked like they were in outer space. In front of Galahad, a glowing figure appeared.
"What-what is this?" Purple asked.
"Materials confirmed!" Galahad chanted. "The summoning conditions are one Light and one Dark monster, with one coming from my hand and one from my Deck, whose total Levels exactly equal 8! I send the Level 4 Beginning Knight in my hand and the Level 4 Evening Twilight Knight in my Deck to the Graveyard!"
A small warrior wearing blue and gold armor carrying a curved blade and a shield appeared on one side of the glowing figure. On the other side appeared a small warrior in white and light blue armor, carrying a similar sword and shield. The two monsters became dark blue and light blue energy respectively that entered the glowing figure in the center, which glowed with bright light as a result.
"Ritual Summon! Come forth! Level 8! Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier!"
The light burst, and a new monster appeared. It was a warrior in vibrant red and gold armor, carrying a small red shield with a ruby in the center and a large sword shaped like dragon's teeth.
Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier ATK 3000 DEF 2500 LVL: 8
"Fusion Summoning, and now Ritual Summoning," Terminus mused. "You are full of surprises, Galahad."
"B-Black Luster Soldier?" Purple said, shivering with fear. "T-That monster… that's one of the legendary monsters, isn't it?"
"This particular monster, no it isn't," Galahad answered. "But it is even more dangerous. Especially since I used Beginning Knight to Ritual Summon it."
"What?" Orange said, getting over his shock. "What do you mean?"
"A 'Black Luster Soldier' monster that is Ritual Summoned using Beginning Knight gains certain effects," Galahad explained. "Including the ability to banish one monster my opponent controls once per turn."
"WHAT!?" the Knights shouted in unison, shocked at such a powerful effect.
"Go, Black Luster Soldier!" Galahad declared. "Banish Steelswarm Hercules!" Super Soldier pointed its sword at Hercules and zapped it with red energy. Hercules shouted with pain as it disappeared from the field and left the Knights defenseless.
"Oh no!" Orange said, panicking. His Hate Buster Trap Card only worked when a Fiend monster battled. It wouldn't work against a direct attack!
"Battle!" Galahad declared. "Super Soldier, attack these false Knights directly! Superior Chaos Blade!" Super Soldier charged the Knights, who turned to run in fear of the fearsome knight. It slashed them, making all three scream and blowing them away with the force of its attack.
Knights of Hanoi: 600→0 LP
"The three of you don't even deserve to call yourselves duelists!" Galahad shouted. "And tell the rest of your kind to leave LINK VRAINS alone!"
Morningstar approached the Knights and stepped on Purple's chest.
"Revolver," he said. "Tell me where he is."
"Why would I tell you that?" Purple growled. Morningstar increased the pressure, making him gasp.
"I can push much harder," Morningstar said. "Now tell me."
"R-Revolver-."
Terminus sighed and opened a screen. He swiped right. "Erase."
Purple screamed as his body turned into black data and disappeared. Morningstar gasped and removed his foot as it happened and glanced at the other two Knights, both of whom vanished just as Purple did. On the building above, Terminus turned and teleported back to Hanoi's corner of the network.
"What the hell was that?" Galahad asked, joining Morningstar.
"They were purged," Morningstar answered, narrowing his eyes. "Someone didn't want them talking."
"Who?"
"Revolver. Or perhaps one of his lieutenants," Morningstar said, remembering Spectre. "Whoever it was, I'll find them."
"Hmm," Galahad said. "Morningstar." Morningstar turned to Galahad as he said that. "I don't know why you fight Hanoi," he said. "But respect that I will do so as well. You and Playmaker cannot handle this yourselves. And I imagine I won't be the only one fighting against Hanoi."
Morningstar thought about Blue Angel, Akira, and Ghost Girl, all of whom knew what the Knights of Hanoi were tied to. He couldn't imagine Ghost Girl fighting Hanoi without expecting a reward, but the others… "I doubt you will be."
Galahad smiled. "I'll see you later, Morningstar." He logged out.
"Well, that was interesting," Cam said into Morningstar's earpiece. "It's been a while since I've seen Fusion Summoning. Even longer since I've seen Ritual Summoning."
"Galahad's Deck revolves around multiple methods of summoning," Morningstar noted. "That makes him an unpredictable opponent."
"Maybe," Cam said.
"…Do you think he's right, Cam?" Morningstar asked. "Are Playmaker and I being egotistical taking on Hanoi ourselves? Not letting others help us?"
"…That's not how I see it," Cam said. "I see it as keeping others from getting hurt. That's how Playmaker sees it, I think."
"Maybe," Morningstar conceded. "Still… Galahad wasn't wrong. It is egotistical of us to assume the responsibility of protecting LINK VRAINS ourselves. And if Hanoi is increasing in numbers, then we'll need to increase our own numbers as well."
"Are you saying we recruit people? How do we do that? Put an advertisement on the web? 'Duelists wanted. Must be willing to risk life and limb to protect LINK VRAINS from psychotic child snatchers and stupid thugs. Must also be capable of working with anti-social belligerent co-workers.'"
Morningstar scoffed. "I don't think I'd call myself 'belligerent.'"
Before Cam could respond, an alarm went off. "What the-?" He looked at the screens, then said panicking into the earpiece. "Yasu, you need to log out. Now!"
"Why? What's-?" He got his answer almost immediately. The winds around him picked up. He looked up and gasped. The area he was in was surrounded by a transparent dome. He saw thin purple tornados emerge from holes in the dome and connect to the ground, generating high-speed wings.
"What?" Morningstar said, his eyes wide. "What is this?"
In a small house near the port of Den City, a blue sphere fades away. The young man inside it opens his eyes and blinks repeatedly. He stands up and stretches, wincing as he does so.
"Damn it," he said, holding his side. "For amateurs, those Knights of Hanoi aren't bad. Maybe I should have challenged them one at a time instead of all at once." He walked out of the living room and was about to head upstairs when he saw his laptop was flashing. He walked over to it and sat at the island in the kitchen. He opened it and saw he had a missed call from…
His face fell. He hated missing calls from that person. He quickly called them back, hoping they would pick up. Thankfully, they did on the third ring.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Eiji," the young man said, smiling to himself. "It's me. It's your big brother."
"Takeshi?" Eiji said on the other end excitedly. "I was worried when you didn't answer. Where were you?"
"I was busy with something," Takeshi answered. His brother didn't know about him being Galahad. He didn't want Eiji to worry about him. "How are you? Did the doctors say anything new?"
"No, they didn't," Eiji said, his tone falling. "They said you should come by sometime to talk to them."
"Oh," Takeshi said, his own voice falling. Eiji had been sick for quite some time. Takeshi had become a Charisma Duelist to pay for his brother's hospital bills. "Hey, let's not worry about that right now. I'll come by later. I'll bring dinner. I'm sure you're sick of hospital food."
"It's not too bad," Eiji said. "The pork is overcooked, but the rice is… decent."
Takeshi laughed. "I'll bring you some fresh tempura from that place you love. Over by the public viewing plaza. Maybe I'll catch a duel with Go Onizuka or Blue Angel to tell you about."
"Would you?" Eiji said excitedly. "Maybe you could catch one of Galahad? I haven't seen him duel in a while."
Takeshi's smile widened. "Maybe. I'll see what's there. I'll be there soon, Eiji. Goodbye. I love you."
"I love you too, big brother."
Takeshi ended the call and slumped in the chair. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up. Yes, a Charisma Duelist made lots of money, but hospital bills were expensive. Especially for a 12-year-old kid. It didn't help that their father had abandoned them before Eiji had been born and their mother had left a couple years ago, leaving Eiji and Takeshi to fend for themselves. It had taken everything Takeshi had to get them this little house and make sure Eiji was taken care of. But now Eiji was sick, and Takeshi didn't know how long he could keep up the payments.
No. Takeshi set his gaze and hardened his heart. It didn't how matter how tough things got, or what he had to pay. He would not let his brother die. He would not lose the only family he had left.
Galahad vs. 3 Knights of Hanoi
This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel. The KoHs share a field and 4000 Life Points, while Galahad takes every second turn.
Turn 1: KoH 1
Since KoH 1 controls no monsters, he Special Summons Steelswarm Cell (0/0/1). He then Normal Summons Steelswarm Caller (1700/0/4). He activates the Spell Card Double Summon, letting him perform a 2nd Normal Summon this turn. He Tributes Caller and Cell to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Longhorn (3000/0/9). Since a "Steelswarm" monster was Tribute Summoned by Tributing Steelswarm Caller, KoH 1 can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Steelswarm" monster from his Deck. He Special Summons Steelswarm Sentinel (1100/0/3) in Attack Position. So long as Sentinel is in Attack Position, Special Summoned Level 5 or higher monsters on the field cannot activate their effects. He Sets 1 card (Infestation Ripples). He ends his turn.
Turn 2: Galahad
Galahad draws. He activates the Continuous Spell Card Spiral Spear Strike. He then activates the Spell Card Block Attack, switching Steelswarm Longhorn to Defense Position. He Sets 3 cards. Since it is the only card in his hand, Galahad can Normal Summon Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight (2300/2100/7) from his hand without Tributing. Swift Gaia attacks and destroys Steelswarm Longhorn, with the effect of Spiral Spear Strike inflicting piercing battle damage (KoHs: 4000→1700 LP). Galahad ends his turn.
Turn 3: KoH 2
KoH 2 draws. He activates his face-down Trap Card Infestation Ripples. He pays 500 LP (KoHs: 1700→1200 LP) to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Steelswarm" monster from his GY. He Special Summons Steelswarm Caller (1700/0/4). He Tributes Caller to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Girastag (2600/0/7) by its effect. As Caller was used to Tribute Summon a "Steelswarm" monster, KoH 2 can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Steelswarm" monster from his Deck. He Special Summons Steelswarm Gatekeeper (1500/1900/4) in Attack Position. As Girastag was Tribute Summoned by Tributing a "Steelswarm" monster, KoH 2 can target 1 card his opponent controls, send it to the GY, and gain 1000 LP. He targets and sends Swift Gaia to the GY (KoHs: 1200→2200 LP). KoH 2 activates the Spell Card Double Summon, letting him perform a 2nd Normal Summon this turn. He Tributes Sentinel to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Moth (2400/0/6). As Moth was Tribute Summoned using a "Steelswarm" monster, KoH 2 pays 1000 LP (KoHs: 2200→1200 LP), targets up to 2 cards Galahad controls, and returns them to Galahad's hand. He targets Spiral Spear Strike and 1 of Galahad's face-down cards, returning them to Galahad's hand.
KoH 2 activates the Spell Card Hand Destruction, making both players send 2 cards from their hand to the GY and draw 2 cards. KoH sends First Step Towards Infestation and Steelswarm Genome to the GY and draws 2 cards. Galahad discards Spiral Spear Strike and Mirror Force from his hand to the GY and draws 2 cards. KoH 2 attacks directly with Girastag, but Galahad activates his face-down Trap Card Draining Shield, negating the attack and gaining LP equal to Girastag's ATK (Galahad: 4000→6600 LP). KoH 2 attacks directly with Moth (Galahad: 6600→4200 LP). KoH 2 attacks directly with Gatekeeper (Galahad: 4200→2700 LP). KoH 2 activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Mystik Wok, Tributing Girastag and gaining LP equal to its ATK (KoHs: 1200→3800 LP). He activates the Spell Card Pot of Avarice, targeting Steelswarm Caller, Cell, Genome, Girastag, and Sentinel in his GY. He shuffles them back into his and KoH 1's Decks and draws 2 cards. KoH 2 Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn.
Turn 4: Galahad
Galahad draws. He activates his face-down Trap Card Beginning of Heaven and Earth, which lets him reveal 3 monsters from his Deck and have his opponent randomly pick 1. If they pick a "Black Luster Soldier" monster or "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster, that monster is added to Galahad's hand and the rest are sent to the GY. If they do not, then all cards are sent to the GY. Galahad reveals Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight, Curse of Dragonfire, and Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight. KoH 2 picks the middle one, revealing Lord Gaia and adding that card to Galahad's hand while Charging Gaia and Dragonfire are sent to his GY. Since KoH 2 controls a monster and he does not, Galahad Special Summons Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight (2300/2100/7) in Attack Position. He activates the Spell Card Monster Reborn, Special Summoning Curse of Dragonfire (2000/1500/5) from his GY in Attack Position. He activates the effect of Dragonfire, letting him perform a Fusion Summon using monsters he controls as Fusion Materials. Galahad fuses Dragonfire and Lord Gaia on his field to Fusion Summon Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion (2600/2100/7) in Attack Position to the Extra Monster Zone. As Sky Galloping Gaia was Special Summoned, Galahad activates its effect to add Spiral Spear Strike from his GY to his hand. He activates the Continuous Spell Card Spiral Spear Strike.
Sky Galloping Gaia attacks Gatekeeper, but KoH 2 activates his face-down Trap Card Staunch Defender, selecting Moth for its effect and forcing Sky Galloping Gaia to attack it. He then activates his face-down Trap Card Infestation Tool, sending Steelswarm Scout from his Deck to the GY to increase Moth's ATK by 800 (Moth: 2400→3200). Galahad activates the effect of Sky Galloping Gaia, changing the Moth it is attacking to Defense Position. Moth is destroyed. Because of Spiral Spear Strike's effect, Sky Galloping Gaia inflicts piercing battle damage, as Sky Galloping Gaia's effect treats its name as "Gaia the Dragon Champion" (KoHs: 3800→1200 LP). As "Gaia the Dragon Champion" inflicted battle damage via the effect of Spiral Spear Strike, Galahad draws 2 cards, then discards Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier. Galahad Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.
Turn 5: KoH 3
KoH 3 draws. At the start of his Main Phase 1, he activates the effect of Steelswarm Scout in the GY, Special Summoning it in Attack Position as he controls no Spell/Trap Cards (200/0/1). He Normal Summons Steelswarm Genome (1000/0/2). He activates the Spell Card Double Summon, letting him Normal Summon a 2nd time this turn. He Tributes Genome and Scout, with the effect of Genome treating it as 2 Tributes, to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Hercules (3200/0/10). He then activates the Equip Spell Cursed Bill, equipping it to Sky Galloping Gaia. KoH 3 activates the effect of Hercules, paying half his LP (KoHs: 1200→600 LP) to destroy all other cards on the field. Cursed Bill, Sky Galloping Gaia, Spiral Spear Strike, Steelswarm Gatekeeper, and Galahad's face-down Super Soldier Rebirth are destroyed. Since the monster equipped with Cursed Bill was destroyed and Cursed Bill was sent to the GY, Galahad takes damage equal to Sky Galloping Gaia's DEF (Galahad: 2700→600 LP). Hercules attacks Galahad directly, but Galahad activates the effect of the Sphere Kuriboh in his hand, sending it the GY to change Hercules to Defense Position. KoH 3 Sets 2 cards (Final Attack Orders and Hate Buster). He ends his turn.
Turn 6: Galahad
Galahad draws. KoH 3 activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card Final Attack Orders, changing all face-up monsters to Attack Position and preventing their battle positions from being changed. Galahad activates the effect of the Trap Card Super Soldier Rebirth in his GY, banishing it to add Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier from his GY to his hand. Galahad activates the Ritual Spell Card Super Soldier Synthesis, which lets him Ritual Summon any "Black Luster Soldier" Ritual Monster from his hand or GY by sending 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK monster from his hand and Deck to the GY, so long as their total Levels equal 8. He sends the Beginning Knight in his hand and the Evening Twilight Knight in his Deck to the GY to Ritual Summon Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier (3000/2500/8) from his hand in Attack Position.
Galahad activates the effect of Super Soldier that it gained from Beginning Knight, targeting Hercules and banishing it. Galahad attacks directly with Super Soldier (KoHs: 600→0 LP). Galahad wins.
Beginning of Heaven and Earth Normal Trap Card
Reveal 3 monsters from your Deck, including at least 1 "Black Luster Soldier" monster or "Gaia The Fierce Knight" monster, and have your opponent randomly pick 1. If they picked a "Black Luster Soldier" monster or Gaia The Fierce Knight" monster, add it to your hand and send the rest to the GY. Otherwise, send them all to the GY. You can only activate 1 "Beginning of Heaven and Earth" per turn.
Note: In the OCG and TCG, this card specifies revealing Warrior monsters. I'm sad to say I didn't realize this until I started writing, so I decided to give it an anime effect where the monsters you reveal can be of any type. It's a lot easier than inventing a new card.
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Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 10 - The War Begins
Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes
Thank you to HunterHQ, ClearwingYuta, Ethan Kironus, D3lph0xL0v3r, and Ninjacya321 for reviewing the last chapter.
In response to ClearwingYuta's question about giving Morningstar new Link Monsters, I have an idea about that, but I need to wait for the anime before I can implement it. I do know of at least two Link Monsters Morningstar has yet to show off yet, so look out for them.
In response to Ethan Kironus's question about Ghost Girl and Cam, I will not answer that. Spoilers.
Oh, and thank you D3lph0xL0v3r. I had no idea what a Dragon Lady was, and now that I do, I can see why it fits Lilith. I'll try to tone her down a bit.
And in response to Ninjacya321's review, thank you. What you said means a lot, especially as I continue to improve my work. I do like the idea of showing some focus on Yusaku, which was why I had the scene with Aoi where she is worried about Yusaku. Also, I'm a YusakuxAoi shipper, and they don't have enough scenes in the anime.
Also, I want to give a HUGE thank you to Frost190. I ran my duel and my new Fusion chant past her, and she liked both of them. I highly recommend reading her Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V fanfic Presage of Malevolence if you are not already reading it, as her character work and humor are amazing, as are her original card designs.
This chapter introduced us to Galahad, the #5 Charisma Duelist in LINK VRAINS. We already met his real-life self, Takeshi Akino, in the last chapter, but it was here that we learned he was Galahad. Galahad uses a combination of the Gaia the Fierce Knight and Black Luster Soldier archetypes. The reason for this is because aside from Burning Abyss, the Gaia archetype is the only one capable of all the Extra Deck summoning methods, and adding the Black Luster Soldier archetype adds Ritual Summoning to the mix. I might have considered using the Burning Abyss archetype, but OPFan37 already ran a duel with Burning Abyss in Yu-Gi-Oh! Cross-VRAINS, and I wanted to differentiate mine from his. Not to mention that the Gaia and Black Luster Soldier archetypes go back to the original series, and writing them gave me feelings of nostalgia.
We also learned that Takeshi has a younger brother in the hospital dying from an illness. I added Eiji to add more depth to Takeshi, and to draw parallels to characters in the past who also had sick siblings, like Joey and Kite. Personal drama aside, I feel confident enough to say that Takeshi and Galahad will both have a running gag where people don't know who he is. I couldn't resist continuing that.
Another thing I was excited to write for this chapter was the new summoning chant for Fusion Summoning. I wrote it to draw parallels with the Link Summoning chants, which I repeated with Galahad's Ritual chant. I will do the same for his Synchro and Xyz Summoning when they appear. I also have some ideas for additional OCs, but I need to wait for the anime to make sure of where to put them.
This chapter takes place during Episode 22 of the anime, when Go first confronts Doctor Genome, which we see at the very end. Because the anime has a certain pace, and I've been going pretty fast with this fanfic, I'm going to try to slow down so the anime can get ahead of me. This will mean more chapters as well as more opportunities to expand on characters like Galahad, Lilith, and Terminus. At the same time, it likely also means the chapters will be shorter, which I'm not complaining about.
Thank you for reading Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories - Chapter 9. Please tell me what you think of Galahad and my new summoning chants. As always, please post a review, and I hope you enjoyed reading Chapter 9!