Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories

by scififan599

10 years ago, 8 children were kidnapped. One of them was Yasutake Narahiko, who today works as Morningstar, a bounty hunter in LINK VRAINS hunting criminals and hackers for companies like SOL Technologies. One day, he fights the Knights of Hanoi and encounters Playmaker, who was involved in the same incident. Follow him as he must decide whether to be Playmaker's ally, or his enemy

13. Chapter 13: A Brother's Promise

Chapter 13: A Brother's Promise

A child sat on a bench, crying to themselves. They usually liked school, but today was a bad day. There had been kids from another school there today on a field trip, and a few had said harsh things about the child's parents. And when they tried to defend their parents, the other kids had started a fight. The child was lucky to get away with only a few bruises.

"Hey."

The child looked up and saw their older brother. He was standing in front of them, a concerned expression on his face.

"What's up, kid?" he asked his sibling, worried for them. "Did something happen at school?"

The child hung their head. "There was a new group of kids at school today," they said. "They insulted mommy and daddy; said everyone was better off without them."

"Hey, don't let people like that get to you," their brother said, sitting on the bench with them. "I know you miss mom and dad. I do too. But that doesn't matter anymore." He narrowed his eyes. "Is that… a bruise on your cheek?"

The kid sniffled and rubbed their nose. "I tried to defend our parents, but they started a fight. The teachers broke it up, but not before… this." They gestured to their face.

The brother balled his fists, then unclenched them. "I get why you're upset," he said calmly. "Believe me, I have half a mind to find those kids and beat them up. But violence doesn't solve anything. All it does is make things worse."

The younger sibling sighed. "I know, big brother. You've said that before."

"And I'll say it again. And again. As many times as I have to." He looked at his sibling and smiled. "Life isn't going to be easy, you know. There are going to be people who try to knock you down. Who try to make you feel bad to make themselves feel better. You can't beat those people with violence. You defeat them by not letting them influence your life. You win by keeping control of yourself."

He reached down and took the child's hand in his. "And if you ever falter, don't worry. I'll be there to pick you back up. I'll be there to protect you when you need me. If you're in trouble, all you have to do is ask, and I'll be there."

The child looked their brother in the eye. "Promise?"

He smiled and nodded. "Promise."

---

Faust, Baira, and Terminus teleported into Hanoi's stronghold, with the latter two standing behind the former.

"Well done, Baira, Terminus," Faust said. "Now SOL Technologies will remain quiet for a while."

Baira looked down then back at Faust. "Are you fine with this?" she asked, uncertainty in her voice. Faust and Terminus both looked at her.

"If Dr. Kogami's plan is implemented, it'll be the biggest cybercrime in history," she said. "That means Revolver, as the leader of the Knights of Hanoi, will commit a historical crime." She stepped forward. "You're fine with that? Because you think of Revolver as your younger brother. As the mastermind behind the Anothers, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel guilt. But he'll be feeling guilt that's hundreds of times greater!"

Faust turned fully around. "To stop Dr. Kogami's plan before it's executed, we must defeat Playmaker, acquire the Ignis and find the Cyberse World first. That's why we needed Anothers as a way to capture Playmaker. Don't blame yourself too much."

"Faust is right," Terminus said. "What we are doing… is heinous. But for the greater good, it is necessary. And if we defeat Playmaker, then Dr. Kogami's plan will never come to be."

Baira smiled. "Okay. Thank you, Faust, Terminus."

"If Playmaker is searching for the removal program, he may eventually come to you," Faust said.

"That would be convenient," Baira said. "I'll finish him. I will acquire the Ignis!"

"The Ignis is important," Terminus said. "But we cannot forget our other foes. Go Onizuka and Morningstar will still oppose us if Playmaker falls. And Morningstar is just as dangerous, if not more so, than Playmaker."

Faust turned to Terminus. "You say that like you have a plan to remove Morningstar from the equation."

Terminus gave a sad smile. "I do. Just give me time." With that, he teleported away to a separate part of Hanoi's stronghold.

---

Yasutake stood up and headed for the back room.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Cam asked him, standing up straight, the tablet still on the counter.

"What does it look like? I'm going back into LINK VRAINS."

"You're kidding right? You know how late it is."

"Kitamura's AI Duelists all lost," Yasutake said. "Hanoi will be feeling bold. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll find one of the people responsible for defeating them."

Before Cam could respond, a scream suddenly pierced the night. A scream from upstairs.

Cam and Yasutake both paled. "Sachi," they said at the same time. The two of them turned to the staircase and ran up the stairs to the third floor and Sachi's room. Yasutake was the first to the door and pulled it open.

Sachi was lying on the bed on her side, facing the door. Her blue eyes were wide as tears poured from them, but they were as empty as they always were. The girl herself was shaking wildly and breathing heavily. Cam and Yasutake took up positions, Cam sitting on her bed and holding her steady from behind while Yasutake kneeled next to the bed, holding both of her hands.

"Easy, Sachi," he said in the calmest voice possible. "It's just a nightmare. It will pass. Hold on. Calm down."

Cam rubbed Sachi's back as he whispered similar things to her. Unlike Yasutake, however, his voice was cracking. He hated seeing his sister like this. She was the most important person in the world to him; seeing her like this and helping her through the night like this was torture. And he had next to no idea what to do about it.

As Yasutake talked, he thought back to what Yusaku had said about Kusanagi's brother. He imagined that kid was in the same position as Sachi right now. The same as… wait.

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. Yusaku had been told the same thing he had been told during the Incident. Was it possible…?

He had never tried this with Sachi, but he saw no harm. "Three," he said, drawing Cam's attention. "Three, Sachi. Think of three things. Three things to live. Three things to go home. Three things to defeat the enemy. By thinking, you can still live."

He paused to think. "One: your brother Cam is here. He has been by your side the last ten years. He has been looking after you. He will not let you get hurt again."

He noticed that Sachi's breathing had become slower, more even. Was it working? "Two: what you are experiencing is a nightmare. It is not real. The Incident is over. What pain you are feeling now is only in your mind. And it will pass."

Her breath was becoming even slower. As Yasutake looked into her eyes, he swore she was looking back. Was it possible? Could she see him through the nightmares? "Three: I'm here. I don't know if you know who I am, but I am your friend. A friend of your brother's. And just like him, I won't let you get hurt again."

Sachi's breath had steadied completely. Her hands were gripping Yasutake's with surprising strength. Her eyes were locked with Yasutake's. For a moment, he saw light in her eyes.

Then that light died, and she closed her eyes. She curled herself into a ball and let go of Yasutake's hands. But she had stopped shaking.

Cam, who had stopped rubbing Sachi's back and whispering to her, stared at his sister, then at Yasutake. He motioned towards the door, and he and Yasutake stood up and left the room. They left the door open so that if Sachi cried out they would hear her.

"What did you just do, Yasu?" Cam asked Yasutake, his eyes wide and his voice filled with wonder. "I've never seen her calm down that fast."

Yasutake shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. But I remembered that Fujiki was told the same thing I was, so I wondered if Sachi had been told it too. And apparently, she was."

"…Well," Cam said. "I don't know if that was an improvement or not, but I'll do that the next time she has a nightmare." He frowned. "You're not going to bed, are you?"

Yasutake shook his head. "No."

Cam sighed. "Fine. But I can't help you from the operations room. Not with Sachi like this." He headed over to the kitchen and opened one of the bottom cabinets. He pulled out a laptop and opened it up.

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "When did you get that?"

"A long time ago. You've just never seen me use it," Cam said, typing on the laptop. "I can't do as much with this as I can downstairs, but I can still keep an eye on you, and Sachi, from here." He looked up at Yasutake. "Be careful, Yasu."

Yasutake nodded. "Right." He turned and headed back downstairs.

---

Morningstar emerged from the portal and landed on a nearby rooftop.

"It shouldn't take me too long to find an opponent," he said into his earpiece. "I-." He frowned at hearing a familiar sound. "Email? At this time?"

"Looks like it," Cam said. He was leaning against the island in the kitchen, his laptop open in front of him. They had left Sachi's door open so if she cried out, they would hear it. Cam frowned as he opened the email. "It's from Go Onizuka," he said. "He wants to meet you. He sent a set of coordinates."

Morningstar looked at his Duel Disk as it showed an X on a map of LINK VRAINS. "Do you think Onizuka found more than one opponent?" he asked Cam. To make their resistance against Hanoi more efficient, Morningstar had given his email address to Go and Playmaker. Go wouldn't be able to use it to find out who Morningstar was, and Playmaker already knew his identity.

"Maybe. Could be he just wants to talk to you. Either way, nothing to lose checking it out."

Morningstar nodded. "Right." He pressed a button on his Duel Disk and walked forward. The button teleported him to the coordinates Go provided.

"Morningstar!" Go said, smiling at the hunter. "I'm glad you got my message."

"What's this about, Onizuka?" Morningstar asked, cutting right to the chase. "Did you find a few Knights?"

Go looked guilty. "Not exactly."

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. "What do you-?"

"Hello, Morningstar."

Morningstar turned around and saw Galahad was standing behind him. His silver armor gleamed from the green light in the sky and his green cape billowed outward behind him. He had a serious expression on his face.

"Galahad?" Morningstar said, surprised. "Why are you here?"

"Because there is something I must do," Galahad said. He pointed at Morningstar. "Morningstar, I challenge you to a duel!"

For three seconds, there was silence. Then Morningstar turned to Go and said, "This is what you called me here for?"

Go nodded. "Galahad is an old friend. He asked me if I had a way to contact you and wanted me to set up a meeting."

Morningstar thought for a moment, then turned back to Galahad. "Why do you want to duel me?" he asked. "I saw you duel against the Knights of Hanoi; we're on the same side."

"That is true," Galahad said. "But this is not about Hanoi. This is something I have decided to do." He narrowed his eyes. "I have seen you duel against Hanoi. I suspect you are a good person. But I still have doubts about your intentions."

"My intentions?"

"You are a bounty hunter. You hunt and capture people for money. Your kind is not to be trusted. But here you are, fighting Hanoi without concern for payment. I find this… vexing. A duel will reveal your intentions to me. If we duel, then I will know whether or not I can trust you."

Morningstar looked at Galahad for a few seconds, then said, "And if I refuse?"

"Then you will prove to me that you are a coward," Galahad said simply. "And that your reputation is falsely earned."

Morningstar scowled. While he didn't like accepting challenges just to satisfy his opponent's ego, he could see Galahad was serious about this. There was a fire in his eyes that Morningstar hadn't seen in Blue Angel's or Go's eyes when they challenged him. This clearly meant a lot to him. But that wasn't the only factor.

Morningstar remembered Galahad had used a Fusion, and then a Ritual monster against Hanoi. In all his time as a hunter, Morningstar had never faced Fusion or Ritual monsters; they were considered outdated and pointless in comparison to Link Monsters. A part of him wanted to duel Galahad just to experience a duel with a Fusion monster.

Morningstar nodded. "I accept your challenge."

Galahad grinned. "Good. In that case, you don't mind if I change?" Before Go or Morningstar could ask what he meant, he raised his left arm and his Duel Disk glowed. Go and Morningstar covered their eyes. When the glow faded, they lowered their arms and gasped.

Galahad's avatar had changed. He had the same long blonde hair and grey eyes, but his armor had become simpler and his cape had disappeared. He now wore a silver breastplate and shoulder pads, with a dark green jumpsuit underneath. A silver belt was at his waist, and he wore knee-high silver boots. His forearms were covered in silver gauntlets, with his hands covered by green gloves.

"That armor is a little heavy for Speed Duels," Galahad explained. "This avatar is better suited."

Go turned to Morningstar. "Are you sure about this? Galahad is one of the best duelists I know."

Morningstar nodded, his gaze not leaving Galahad. "Of course I'm sure." To Galahad, he said, "Let's get this started, Galahad."

---

As the Data Storm spun its way around the city, Morningstar raced down it on his D-Board. Behind him, Galahad rode the stream on a green D-Board with silver wings.

"Well, well!" the MC said in the public viewing plaza. "Looks like we have a special treat for you tonight folks! A duel between Morningstar, the Devil of LINK VRAINS, and the Knight of Justice, Galahad!"

"Who?" Naoki, who was in the square, asked. "Who's Galahad?"

He wasn't the only one who asked that. About half the audience in the square wondered aloud who Galahad was.

"Don't you people pay attention?" the other half essentially said. "Galahad is the #5 Charisma Duelist! He's well-known for his amazing battles!"

In Café Nagi, Yusaku frowned at the news screen. When Kitamura had released his AI Duelist Squad, he and Kusanagi had retreated here so they could find information on the person behind the Anothers. But he hadn't expected this.

"Kusanagi, who's Galahad?" he asked Kusanagi, who turned his head to look at the news.

"I heard he's a Charisma Duelist, but not more than that," Kusanagi answered.

"Why is Morningstar dueling a Charisma Duelist while we're busy with Hanoi?" Yusaku wondered aloud. "Unless…" His eyes widened as he stood up.

Kusanagi turned from the screens to Yusaku. "What are you doing?"

"Morningstar doesn't do anything without reason, and the timing of this is too perfect," Yusaku said. "I'm sure this has something to do with Hanoi, but I can't see it from here." He headed into the sealed room.

Go looked up as Playmaker emerged from a portal and landed next to him. "Playmaker?" he said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Why is Morningstar dueling Galahad?" he asked Go.

Go shrugged. "I'm not sure. Galahad asked me to set up a meeting between them. When Morningstar arrived, he challenged him, and Morningstar accepted. I don't know the reasons behind either of their actions."

Playmaker narrowed his eyes. This didn't make sense. So Go was responsible for the duel, but the timing of this… Playmaker was sure something else was going on, but he couldn't see what.

"You know Galahad?" he asked Go, who nodded.

"Yeah. I met him in LINK VRAINS a few years ago when he asked me for advice on becoming a Charisma Duelist. After I taught him a few tricks, we became fast friends. He's a good person. Whatever his reason for challenging Morningstar is, I'm sure it's important."

Back in Café Nagi, Kusanagi frowned. He had heard what Go had said, and it confused him as much as Playmaker. As he thought about it, he started typing. If Galahad had a secret reason to duel Morningstar, maybe he could find it if he dug deep enough.

At her home, Aoi stared at the television. It showed Galahad and Morningstar riding the data stream and broadcasted the MC's words.

What are you doing, Morningstar? she wondered. Aside from her and Go, Morningstar had never dueled a Charisma Duelist, at least as far as she knew. She had never met Galahad, but she had heard about him. Why were the two of them dueling now?

She sat down on the couch and pulled out her tablet. She had promised Akira she wouldn't log into LINK VRAINS, but she had other means of looking in. She summoned her butterfly avatar and set it to follow Galahad and Morningstar. At this distance, she should be able to hear them.

"You ready, Morningstar?" Galahad asked the duelist in front of him.

"Yes," Morningstar said.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

Morningstar: 4000 LP

Galahad: 4000 LP

"I'll allow you to take the first turn, Morningstar," Galahad said.

"Right," Morningstar said, looking at his cards then taking one. "I summon Cyspirit Lancer!" The skeleton in white armor carrying a lance and shield appeared on Morningstar's field.

Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4

"So long as Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100

"I Set one card," Morningstar said. "I end my turn."

"That wasn't much of an opener," Go said.

"He's testing Galahad," Playmaker responded. "Trying to get a feel for his strategy. What Deck does Galahad use?"

"You're about to see."

Back in his house, Cam frowned as he typed on his laptop. Like Kusanagi, he was curious about why Galahad was doing this, so he was hacking into his account to try and find out more about him. Hopefully this wouldn't take too long.

"My turn! Draw!" Galahad looked at his cards. With these cards, I can gain the advantage, he thought. And I'll need it to win. Eiji… He thought back to what happened less than an hour ago…

---

"My name is Terminus," the voice on the other end said. "And I have a proposition for you. Check the balance in your bank account."

Takeshi raised an eyebrow, but he went on his laptop and checked his account. His eyes widened in surprise. "This-."

"Is half of what you need, both to pay off your hospital bill and the treatment for your brother," Terminus finished. "Do as I say, and I will send you the other half."

"And what is it you want me to do?"

"Challenge Morningstar to a duel. And defeat him. Once you do that, I will transfer the rest."

Takeshi thought about it and scowled. "And why," he said. "Should I trust the Knights of Hanoi?"

There was silence on the other end. "I'm not an idiot," Takeshi said. "I know Morningstar's fighting Hanoi right now, and they're the ones most likely to want him gone. So either you're part of Hanoi, or you're just a go-between they hired."

"…What does it matter?" Terminus finally asked. "So long as your brother is saved, does it matter where the money comes from?"

"Of course it matters!" Takeshi shouted. "I have principles! I swore I… would be better than my father! That I would set a good example! That I wouldn't abandon my family!"

"So you will fulfill that promise by letting your brother die?"

Those words shut Takeshi up.

"Principles are admirable. And people who stick to them are among the best in this world. But sometimes we must do things we don't like to reach an outcome that is desirable to us."

"That's an excuse," Takeshi said, his voice small. "An excuse people who do terrible things say to themselves to justify their actions. But it's always a lie."

"Maybe. Maybe not. But be honest with yourself. Aside from me, what choice do you have?"

Now it was Takeshi's turn to be silent. The money Terminus had sent would help, but it wasn't enough to save his brother. And he couldn't raise enough money fast enough to cover the difference. Terminus was right; Takeshi didn't have a choice.

Takeshi sighed and lowed his head. "I'll do it," he said, his voice small again. "I'll defeat Morningstar. But…" His voice sharpened. "Do not think this means I'm your ally. Once this is over, I intend to fight Hanoi with everything I've got."

"I expect nothing less from you, Galahad," Terminus responded, his amusement breaking through the scrambler. "I look forward to your duel." He then hung up.

Takeshi sat in the dark for several minutes. He wasn't steeling himself or thinking. He just sat there, tired of everything that had happened.

Eventually he sighed. "No time like the present," he said to himself. He stood up and pressed a few buttons on his Duel Disk. The person he was calling picked up quickly.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Go," Takeshi said. "It's Galahad."

"Who?"

Takeshi fell over. Go's laugh reverberated over the Duel Disk. "Sorry, old friend," he said. "I couldn't resist."

"T-That wasn't funny!" Takeshi whined as he stood up. He sighed and turned serious. "I need a favor. Do you know how to contact Morningstar?"

"Morningstar?" Go repeated, surprised. "Yeah. He gave me an email address. Why?"

"I want to meet him," Takeshi said. "It's important."

"…Alright," Go finally said. "I'll send him a message. But… what is this really about, Galahad?"

Takeshi gave a sad smile. "That's my business, Go," he said. "I'll wait to hear from you." He hung up and sank back into the chair. He closed his eyes.

Eiji, he thought. I hope you don't find out about this. And if you do… I hope you can forgive your older brother.

---

In the present, Galahad thought, Morningstar. From what I've seen, you appear to be a good person. If I told you the real reason I challenged you, I'm certain you would try to help me. But… He narrowed his eyes. If you knew the truth, you might let me win out of pity. My duelist's pride won't allow that. If I am to make a deal with the devil, then I will give everything I have. And I will not accept an easy victory from you!

"Since you control a monster and I don't," Galahad said aloud. "I can Special Summon this monster. Appear, Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight!" The warrior riding a dragon appeared on his field.

Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300 DEF 2100 LVL: 7

"Gaia the Fierce Knight?" Ai said, rising from Playmaker's Duel Disk. "What's that archetype about?"

"It focuses mostly on battle damage," Playmaker answered. He had leaped over to a different building from Go.

"Since Lord Gaia was Special Summoned, I can still Normal Summon," Galahad said. "I summon Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun!" Another warrior, this one in white armor riding a black horse and carrying one lance, appeared alongside Lord Gaia.

Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun ATK 1600 DEF 1200 LVL: 4

"And next, I activate the Spell Card: Gaia's Will!" The card showed Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun, kneeling in front of a shadowed throne. "Since I control a 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster, I can excavate the top card of my Deck. And if the card is a Level 3 or lower monster, I can Special Summon it and draw cards equal to its Level. If it isn't, then it is placed on the bottom of my Deck."

He drew, then revealed it to Morningstar. "The card I drew was Torapart! It is a Level 2 monster, so it is Special Summoned and I draw two cards!" A black and purple jester attached to a disk with another version of itself attached to the other side appeared on his field as Galahad drew two cards.

Torapart ATK 600 DEF 600 LVL: 2

"Eh?" Ai said. "That monster isn't a 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster!"

"That archetype is one of the smallest in Duel Monsters," Playmaker said. "He must use other monsters to supplement his strategies."

Morningstar was thinking the same thing. "Three monsters," he muttered. "He must be planning to Link Summon."

"I don't think so," Cam said over the earpiece. "That Torapart isn't your regular monster."

"What do you mean?"

Galahad pointed ahead of himself. "Appear! The rings of the champion!" As his hand glowed green, Torapart charged ahead of Morningstar and out of sight. In a flash of light, two green rings raced back and stopped in front of Galahad.

Morningstar's eyes widened. "That's-."

"Materials confirmed!" Galahad chanted. "The summoning conditions are one Tuner and one or more non-Tuner monsters! I tune the Level 2 Torapart to the Level 4 Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun!" Said monster galloped into the rings. The Mid-Knight Sun lost color, turning into an orange-colored outline of itself with four stars inside said outline. The outline then disappeared as a surge of light passed through the rings.

"Synchro Summon!" Galahad continued. "Charge forth! Level 6! Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth!"

Out of the light, a new monster emerged. It resembled Gaia the Fierce Knight, but its armor was more advanced and had a mechanical appearance. The warrior on top of the horse had no legs and was instead attached to the horse. The horse whinnied as it and its rider were summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth ATK 2600 DEF 800 LVL: 6

"Amazing!" the MC commented as the crowd roared. "Galahad just performed a Synchro Summon!"

"S-Synchro Summon!?" Naoki said, his eyes wide. "I've never even seen one before! Amazing!"

"So he can do more than Fusion Summoning," Morningstar muttered, narrowing his eyes. After watching Galahad's duel against the Knights of Hanoi, he had noted that Galahad using multiple summoning methods made him unpredictable. Certainly, he had not been expecting this.

"A Synchro Monster?" Ai said. "What's that?"

"It's a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, like Link Monsters," Playmaker answered, his eyes narrowed. "But this monster has defense points and a Level instead of a Link Rating."

"I Set two cards," Galahad said. "Battle! Gaia Knight, attack Cyspirit Lancer!" Gaia Knight charged at Lancer, but Morningstar was ready.

"Trap activate!" he declared. But the card refused to reveal itself. "What?" he said in shock. "Why isn't my card activating?"

"That's because I used Torapart to Synchro Summon!" Galahad revealed. "When the monster that used Torapart as Synchro Material attacks, you cannot activate Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step!" Morningstar's eyes widened in surprise.

"Continue your attack, Gaia Knight! Spiral Force!" Gaia Knight struck Lancer with one of its lances, destroying it and making Morningstar wince from the backlash.

Morningstar: 4000→3500 LP

"Gaia Knight itself has no effects to speak of," Galahad revealed. "That is why I Synchro Summoned it using Torapart!"

"I see," Morningstar said, narrowed his eyes. "Your monster has no effects, so you granted it one."

"My Battle Phase isn't over!" Galahad continued. "Lord Gaia, attack Morningstar directly!" Lord Gaia charged Morningstar, its lances out in front.

"Trap activate!" Morningstar declared again. This time, his Trap Card revealed itself. "Cyspirit Battle Barrier! This card reduces the damage from this battle to 0 and ends the Battle Phase since there is a 'Cyspirit' monster in my Graveyard!" A barrier appeared around Morningstar, which Lord Gaia's lance hit and bounced off.

Galahad grit his teeth. "I end my turn," he said reluctantly.

---

Tagoma opened the door to their apartment and ushered Masako in. The two of them were silent as she went to one of the chairs and sat down. The two glared at each other as Masako crossed her arms.

Tagoma sighed. "Why didn't you tell me you were on a date?"

"It wasn't a date," Masako said. "I just asked him to hang out with me."

Tagoma narrowed his eyes. "That's basically the definition of 'date,' Masako." He sighed again. "I thought we agreed not to make friends in this city. It's dangerous here."

"We didn't agree to that. You said we shouldn't," Masako said. "I'm sixteen, Tagoma, not eight anymore. I'd like to make friends at school, and Yasutake is the only interesting boy there."

Tagoma raised an eyebrow. "Yasutake?" he asked. "You're on first-name basis already? I really hope you aren't planning a repeat of what happened in Kyoto."

Masako winced from that low blow. "That wasn't my fault," she said defensively. "I didn't know that boy had a girlfriend. And in hindsight, I probably did her a favor."

Before Tagoma could reply, his Duel Disk beeped. He looked at it and frowned. "Well, this is interesting," he said. Masako recognized that tone; it meant back to business. "Morningstar's dueling again. And he's dueling a Charisma Duelist named Galahad."

Masako frowned. "A Charisma Duelist? Why would he challenge one of them while he's fighting Hanoi?"

"That doesn't matter to us," Tagoma said. He looked up from his Duel Disk at Masako. "We'll finish this conversation later. It's your turn to earn our paycheck, little girl."

Masako scowled. "Sometimes, I hate it when you call me that."

---

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew, looked at the card, then played it. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyberse Call! This adds a Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Swordsman. And since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon my Swordsman!" The skeleton with blue swords appeared, summoned in Attack Position.

Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3

"Because Swordsman was Special Summoned via its effect, I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar continued. "I add Cyspirit Prisoner!" He took the card from his Deck, added it to his hand, then gestured in front of him. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!"

As his hand glowed blue, the Link portal appeared in front of Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster! I set Cyspirit Swordsman in the Link Marker!" Swordsman entered the portal, turning the bottom arrow red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" The skeleton in a business suit carrying a cellphone and radio appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1 ↓

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker. Come forth, Cyspirit Dancer!" The skeleton in a pink leotard appeared, summoned to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker.

Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2

"The monster Special Summoned by Cacophonic Caller's effect cannot declare an attack, and it is destroyed during the End Phase," Morningstar said. "And since there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I can Special Summon this monster. Come forth, Cyspirit Prisoner!" The skeleton in a prisoner's uniform appeared alongside Dancer.

Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5

Morningstar gestured in front of himself again. "Appear once more, the circuit between light and darkness!" His hand glowed and the Link portal appeared. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller, Cyspirit Dancer, and Cyspirit Prisoner in the Link Markers!" His three monsters entered the portal, turning the bottom-left, top, and right arrows red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Pied Pikeman!" The skeleton in a tattered guard's uniform carrying a long spear appeared in the Extra Monster Zone.

Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400 LINK-3 ↙↑→

"Because I used Dancer to Link Summon Pied Pikeman, it gains 600 attack points."

Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400→3000

"And since I used Prisoner to Link Summon Pied Pikeman, I can add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Cyspirit Sanctuary to my hand."

After Morningstar took the card from his Deck, Galahad suddenly spoke up. "You should have summoned a different monster than Pied Pikeman, Morningstar! Since you Special Summoned a monster stronger than Lord Gaia, Lord Gaia gains 700 attack points until the end of the turn!"

Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300→3000

Morningstar narrowed his eyes, but he continued his turn. "I activate the Field Spell: Cyspirit Sanctuary! This card increases the attack and defense points of all 'Cyspirit' monsters I control by 300."

Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 3000→3300

"Next, I activate the effect of the Cyberse Call in my Graveyard," Morningstar said. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. I Special Summon Cyspirit Lancer in Defense Position!" Lancer reappeared, summoned to Pied Pikeman's bottom-left Link Marker in Defense Position.

Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100 DEF 0→300 LVL: 4

Galahad grit his teeth. He'd seen several of Morningstar's duels, so he knew exactly why Lancer was in Defense Position. Sure enough, Morningstar then said, "Pied Pikeman's monster effect! Once per turn, if it points to at least one monster, I can change the battle position of one monster it points to and destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field. I change my Cyspirit Lancer to Attack Position to destroy one of your face-down cards!"

As Lancer stood up, one of Galahad's face-downs shattered. Morningstar looked at the card and narrowed his eyes. Draining Shield, he thought. That card would have negated my attack and increased his Life Points. Good thing I destroyed it.

"Cyspirit Lancer's monster effect! Since it is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→2400

Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 3300→3600

"3600 attack points," Galahad muttered.

"I Set one card," Morningstar said. "Battle! Pied Pikeman, attack Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth! Spiritual Halberd!" Pied Pikeman charged Gaia Knight, its spear alight with white energy, but Galahad was prepared.

"It won't be that easy!" he declared. "Trap activate! Shield of the Fierce Knight!" The card showed a blue shield with symbols in the center. "This card halves all battle damage I would take from battles involving Warrior monsters. Not only that, it also prevents Warrior monsters from being destroyed by battle this turn!"

"What?" Morningstar said, surprised at Galahad's Trap Card. Pied Pikeman's spear struck Gaia Knight, but the monster withstood the attack. Galahad winced from the damage, but it was less than it would have been.

Galahad: 4000→3500 LP

"Their Life Points are equal now," Playmaker commented.

"This Galahad guy is actually pretty good," Ai said.

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. Lancer wasn't strong enough to attack either of Galahad's monsters, so he had no choice but to end his Battle Phase. And Galahad knew that.

"Shield of the Fierce Knight's second effect," Galahad's AI said. "At the end of the Battle Phase, you must send the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard."

Galahad sent the card to the Graveyard, smirking at what he saw. Morningstar then said, "I end my turn."

"Yes. And with your turn ending, the effect of Lord Gaia ends, and its attack points return to normal."

Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 3000→2300

"This guy's tougher than I thought he would be," Morningstar whispered into his earpiece. "Found anything yet, Cam?"

"Be patient. My laptop doesn't have as good a setup as the observation room does."

"My turn! Draw!" Galahad drew, looked at the card, then closed his eyes. Eiji, he thought. I promised to do whatever it takes to save your life. One day, I hope I can forgive myself for this.

He opened his eyes and said, "I activate the Equip Spell Card: Link Unit and equip it to Lord Gaia! Now, if Lord Gaia is used to Link Summon, it counts as two materials!"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "So he's finally Link Summoning," he muttered.

Galahad did have one move to make before that, however. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Charge of the Fierce Knight!" The card showed the original Gaia the Fierce Knight charging through a tunnel of light. "With this card active, I draw two cards the first time I Special Summon a monster from the Extra Deck using at least one 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster as material." Galahad smirked. "And now, it's time for the main event!"

He gestured to the sky as his hand glowed blue. "Come forth! The circuit of the champion!" The Link portal appeared in the sky above them. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more monsters! I set Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth and the Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight treated as two materials in the Link Markers!" His two monsters turned into blue whirlwinds of energy, with one whirlwind splitting in half, and entered the left, bottom, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow!"

A new monster charged out of the Link portal. It was mechanical like Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth, but much simpler in design. The horse was dark blue with light blue lines running over it and a white metal mane, while its rider wore primarily white armor and wielded silver lances.

Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow ATK 2600 LINK-3 ←↓→

"So that's his Link Monster," Playmaker said, narrowing his eyes.

"It doesn't look like much," Ai said. "It's attack points are equal to Gaia Knight's."

"Since I Link Summoned using Lord Gaia, the effect of Charge of the Fierce Knight activates, and I draw two cards!" Galahad drew, and narrowed his eyes at his cards. He then played one of his new cards. "I activate the Spell Card: Return Link!" The card showed SPYRAL Double Helix falling into the Link portal, which was shining with energy. "Since I Link Summoned a Link Monster using only Warrior monsters this turn, I can Special Summon those monsters from the Graveyard!"

Morningstar's eyes widened. "Return to me, Gaia Knight and Lord Gaia!" The two monsters appeared, with Gaia Knight summoned to Gaia Saber's bottom Link Marker.

Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth ATK 2600 DEF 800 LVL: 6

Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300 DEF 2100 LVL: 7

"The monsters Special Summoned by Return Link cannot declare an attack," Galahad said. "In addition, their effects are negated and they are destroyed during the End Phase. But that's only a trivial matter!" He then gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Shield of the Fierce Knight in my Graveyard! By banishing this card, I can target one Warrior monster on my field and change its Level to between 1 and 8. I change the Level of Gaia Knight to 7!"

Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth LVL: 6→7

"Eh?" Ai said. "Why would he change his monster's Level?"

"It can't be…" Playmaker said, his eyes wide with surprise. Morningstar was likewise surprised. While it was possible Galahad was summoning a Link Monster that required two Level 7 or higher monsters, there was a far greater possibility.

Galahad pointed to the sky. "Appear, the network of champions!" His hand glowed yellow as a portal appeared in the sky. But this portal wasn't like the Link portal. This one was shaped like a swirling galaxy and was colored black and yellow.

"Materials confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 7 monsters! I overlay the Level 7 Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth and Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight!" The two monsters he named turned into orange energy that traveled into the portal. A pillar of light erupted from the portal as Galahad kept chanting.

"Xyz Summon! Take flight! Rank 7! Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger!"

A new monster emerged from the pillar. It resembled Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion, but was mechanical in nature, with the dragon being mostly red in color with blue wings, while its rider wore red armor and carried green lances. The dragon roared as it was summoned to Gaia Saber's bottom Link Marker, with two green lights circling it.

Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger ATK 2600 DEF 2100 RNK: 7 OU: 2

"U-Unbelievable!" the MC shouted. "First Synchro, then Link, and now Xyz! Galahad is making use of multiple summoning methods to push Morningstar into a corner!"

"That's an Xyz Monster?" Naoki said excitedly. "It's even more amazing than Galahad's Synchro Monster!"

"So he can use all the summoning methods," Morningstar muttered. He had to admit, he was enjoying this. He'd never faced a Synchro or Xyz Monster before.

"I activate the Spell Card: Link Treasure!" Galahad said. "With this card, I draw one card for each face-up Link Monster on the field, and since there are two, I draw two cards." He drew, then grinned. With these cards, he could win.

"I activate the Spell Card: Xyz Energy!" Galahad declared. "Now by detaching an Overlay Unit from an Xyz Monster I control, I can target and destroy one face-up monster you control!" Morningstar's eyes widened.

"Overlay Unit?" Ai asked. "What's that? And what does he mean, 'detach?'"

"Overlay Units are those lights orbiting Gaia Dragon," Playmaker explained. "When a monster is Xyz Summoned, the materials are placed underneath the card as Xyz Materials or Overlay Units. Xyz Monsters mostly activate their effects by sending one or more of those Overlay Units to the Graveyard."

One of the green lights circling Gaia Dragon burst into light as Galahad said, "I detach one Overlay Unit from Gaia Dragon to destroy your Pied Pikeman!" A bolt of lightning came down from the sky and struck Pied Pikeman, shattering it. Morningstar grit his teeth.

Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger OU: 2→1

"Next, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Lance of the Fierce Knight and equip it to Gaia Dragon!" The card showed Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight lifting its right lance into the air as lightning struck it and spread outwards. Both of Gaia Dragon's lances then glowed.

Galahad didn't explain what Lance of the Fierce Knight's effects were. Instead, he said, "I Set one card. And now I activate the effect of the A/D Changer in my Graveyard!" Morningstar's eyes widened as a small blue monster in a large coat carrying two flags appeared on Galahad's field.

That must be the card he sent to the Graveyard with Shield of the Fierce Knight's effect, Morningstar thought.

"By banishing A/D Changer, I can change the battle position of one monster on the field," Galahad continued. "I change your Cyspirit Lancer to Defense Position!"

As Lancer took a knee, Morningstar kept his face emotionless as he said, "Since Lancer is no longer in Attack Position, its effect ends."

Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2400→2100

"Battle!" Galahad declared. "Gaia Dragon, attack Cyspirit Lancer!" Gaia Dragon charged at Lancer, its lances surrounded by wind.

Morningstar gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of-."

"You can't!" Galahad interrupted. "When the monster equipped with Lance of the Fierce Knight attacks, you cannot activate any Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step!" Morningstar's eyes widened in surprise. "Go, Gaia Dragon! Continue your attack! Double Lance Strike!" Gaia's Dragon attack struck Lancer, then Galahad said, "Gaia Dragon's monster effect! If it attacks a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage!"

"What?" Morningstar said in surprise.

"That's not good," Playmaker said, narrowing his eyes. "Lancer only has 300 defense points."

"And Gaia Dragon has 2600 attack points," Ai said. Lancer shattered, and Morningstar braced himself against the blowback of the attack as it pushed him behind Galahad on the data stream.

Morningstar: 3500→1200 LP

"This Duel isn't over," Morningstar said once the force of the attack dissipated. "I activate my Skill! Cyberse Revolution! Since a Cyberse monster I controlled was destroyed by battle or card effect, I can Special Summon a Cyberse monster from my Deck with a lower Level than the destroyed monster. Lancer was Level 4, so I Special Summon the Level 2 Cyspirit Saver in Defense Position!" The dwarf skeleton in white armor carrying a shield appeared in Defense Position.

Cyspirit Saver ATK 0→300 DEF 1300→1600 LVL: 2

"That will not save you!" Galahad declared. "I activate the effect of Charge of the Fierce Knight! By sending it to the Graveyard, I can change the battle position of one monster you control!" Morningstar's eyes widened. "I'll change your Saver to Attack Position!" Galahad's Continuous Spell Card shattered as Saver straightened. "Your turn, Gaia Saber. Attack Cyspirit Saver with Linkage Spiral!" Gaia Saber charged Saver. Its lance struck Saver, destroying it and filling the field with smoke.

In her apartment, Aoi narrowed her eyes at her tablet. "Morningstar," she muttered.

When the smoke cleared, Morningstar was revealed unharmed. "By banishing the Cyspirit Battle Barrier in my Graveyard, the battle damage is reduced to 0 and the Battle Phase ends. In addition, since I now control no monsters, Battle Barrier's second effect activates and I draw cards equal to the number of monster you control." Galahad controlled two monsters, so Morningstar drew two cards. His eyes widened on seeing what they were.

Galahad smirked. "Did you think that trick would work a second time?" he asked Morningstar, surprising him. "This battle is far from over! I activate my Skill! Second Charge!" The edges of Galahad's armor glowed silver as he continued speaking. "At the end of the Battle Phase, by banishing three Warrior monsters from my Graveyard, I can conduct a second Battle Phase!"

Morningstar's eyes widened. "What?"

"I banish Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun, Torapart, and Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth!" Galahad said, the three cards he named appearing in front of him before fading away. "This will be the end of you! Gaia Dragon, attack Morningstar directly!"

Gaia Dragon charged. Morningstar glanced at his face-down card. He would activate it, but because of Gaia Dragon's Equip Spell, he couldn't. But thanks to his new cards, he did have one option.

"I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Battler in my hand!" Morningstar declared, surprising Galahad. "If you attack me directly, I can Special Summon this card in Attack Position!" Cyspirit Battler was a white skeleton in boxer's clothes, with red boxing gloves, blue shorts, a white tank top, and red headgear protecting a metal skull and a blue eye.

Cyspirit Battler ATK 1500→1800 DEF 700→1000 LVL: 4

Galahad grit his teeth. "Very well then. Gaia Dragon, attack Cyspirit Battler! Double Dragon Lance!" Gaia Dragon's lances struck Battler, destroying it in an explosion. Morningstar winced from the damage.

Morningstar: 1200→400 LP

"When Battler is destroyed by battle, I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard to my hand," Morningstar said. "I return Cyspirit Swordsman to my hand."

After he took the card from his Graveyard, Galahad said, "I have to say, I'm not surprised you countered that. You truly are a one of a kind duelist, Morningstar. But I will not lose! Battle! Gaia Saber, attack Morningstar directly!"

Gaia Saber charged Morningstar, but before it could reach him, Morningstar gestured to his face-down card. "Continuous Trap activate! Cyspirit Lineage! This card targets and Special Summons a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position. Return to me, Cyspirit Lancer!" Lancer reappeared alone on Morningstar's field.

Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100 DEF 0→300 LVL: 4

"And since Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→2400

Galahad narrowed his eyes. "Continue your attack Gaia Saber! Destroy Cyspirit Lancer! Linkage Spiral!" Gaia Saber charged and struck Lancer with its lance, destroying it and making Morningstar wince again.

Morningstar: 400→200 LP

"Since the monster Special Summoned by Lineage's effect was destroyed," Morningstar said. "Lineage is destroyed, and I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Teleporter to my hand."

He did so, then Galahad said, "I end my turn."

Go smiled. "Morningstar pulled that same move against me," he said. "If not for his Lancer's attack boosting effect combined with his Field Spell's effect, he would have lost."

"Amazing!" the MC commented over the roar of the crowd. "Such a back and forth of blows! Just when it looks like Galahad has won, Morningstar pulls through by the skin of his teeth! Neither duelist is backing down, and each is giving everything they've got!"

That was too close, Morningstar thought. Galahad really is an amazing duelist. Go, Blue Angel, Lilith, Spectre; none of them could push me like he has. The only other person to push me this far was Playmaker. But… He narrowed his eyes with determination. I will emerge victorious in the end!

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew, then whispered into his earpiece. "Cam, have you found any information about Galahad?" When Cam didn't answer, he frowned and said, "Cam? Are you still there?"

---

Cam sat in the dark, his laptop on his lap. He stared at the screen, which showed an audio recording. The words he had just heard went through his head again.

My name is Terminus. And I have a proposition for you.

Cam had finally broken through Galahad's firewall to get his real-life identity. He was Takeshi Akino, a senior at Den Academy and the Student Council President. He also had a little brother named Eiji who was in the hospital dying of a rare illness, and the treatment with the best chances of saving his life was outside of Takeshi's price range. And earlier this night, he had been contacted by Terminus, a Knight of Hanoi, offering to save Eiji's life if he defeated Morningstar.

Everything was clear to Cam now. Galahad had challenged Morningstar to save his little brother's life.

I can't tell Yasu about this, Cam thought despairingly. If he knows about Galahad's brother… his guilt will be enormous. He might let himself lose.

Cam sighed and rubbed his temples with one hand. Galahad is risking everything to save someone he loves, he thought. He's doing the same thing I would do for Sachi. The same thing I wish I could have done ten years ago.

He looked towards Sachi's room, which still had the door open. I promised I would protect her, Cam thought. That I would be there when she needs me. But I failed, in the greatest way possible. He remembered the day he made that promise, the day she was crying on the bench. I've done my best to make up for that failure, but it will never be enough. With her like she is now, I can never make up for it.

"Cam? Are you still there?"

Cam jumped. He'd muted his side so the recording wouldn't disrupt Morningstar's dueling, but he'd been so deep in thought, he hadn't heard Morningstar the first time.

"Yes, I'm here, Yasu," Cam said.

"Is something wrong?"

"N-No. Nothing's wrong," Cam lied. He couldn't tell Morningstar what he'd just learned. He needed to win this to keep fighting against Hanoi, and if he knew the truth, he might throw the duel.

Suddenly, Cam had an idea. "Hey, Yasu, could you use… that monster?"

"That monster?" Morningstar repeated. His eyes widened in understanding. "You mean-?"

"Yes. The card that reminds you of me. And the one that reminds you of Sachi. Can you use them?"

Morningstar looked at the cards in his hand. He'd been planning to summon Datastorm Dragon. With its effects, he could deal serious damage to Galahad, but… he could see how using the monsters Cam suggested would win the duel.

"Are you sure, Cam?" Morningstar asked. "You know why I don't like using those monsters."

"I know, but… do it for me. And Sachi."

Morningstar sighed. "I hate it when you do that," he said. "But fine."

Cam smiled. He had a feeling that in order to defeat Galahad, Morningstar would need more than his own power. He would need Cam's and Sachi's strength too. What little they could give him.

"Since I control no monsters," Morningstar said. "I can Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman!"

Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200→1500 DEF 900→1200 LVL: 3

"Since Swordsman was Special Summoned by its effect, I can add Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar continued. "And since you control a Link Monster while I don't, I can Special Summon Tunnel Tyke!" A dwarf skeleton wearing a prospector's uniform and carrying a crank drill appeared in Attack Position.

Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke ATK 200→500 DEF 500→800 LVL: 2

"I summon Cyspirit Teleporter!" The skeleton in grey armor holding a baton appeared alongside Swordsman and Tunnel Tyke.

Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500→800 DEF 1500→1800 LVL: 3

"He has three monsters now," Ai said. "Is he going to summon Rapid Revolutionary?" Playmaker didn't respond.

"Since I control two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters and no 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters, I can activate this card. The Spell Card: Cyspirit Equivalency!" Morningstar said. The card showed Cyspirit Swordsman, with several afterimages of itself growing larger behind it. "This card increases the Levels of all 'Cyspirit' monsters I control by the total number of 'Cyspirit' monsters I control."

"Eh? What does that mean?" Ai asked.

"It means that since he has three 'Cyspirit' monsters," Playmaker answered. "All three monsters gain three Levels."

Cyspirit Swordsman LVL: 3→6

Cyspirit Teleporter LVL: 3→6

Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke LVL: 2→5

"Why would he increase their Levels?" Galahad wondered to himself. "Could he be Xyz Summoning a Rank 6 monster?"

Morningstar pointed to the sky above him. "Appear, the circuit between light and darkness!" Once again, his hand glowed blue as the Link portal materialized. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three Level 5 or higher 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Swordsman, Teleporter, and Tunnel Tyke in the Link Markers!" The three monsters entered the portal, turning the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Winning Wrestler!"

A giant skeleton, larger than Pied Pikeman but smaller than Datastorm Dragon, appeared on Morningstar's field. It was almost immediately surrounded by white light, and when it dissipated, the skeleton was wrapped in a tattered black cape, which it then flung backwards. The skeleton was wearing long black pants edged with dulled silver spikes that ended in giant black boots. Across its chest were two championship belts embellished with gold but burned with a black X. A similar belt was at its waist. Two black and dull gold bracers covered its arms. Giant silver metal wings grew out of its back and spread wide. It raised its metal skull, which was covered by a black mask with several tears in it that left its jaw and blue and red eyes exposed. It roared a challenge as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 2500→2800 LINK-3 ↙↓↘

Galahad's eyes widened in surprise. "That monster looks like-!"

"What the hell!?" Go shouted, his surprise even greater than Galahad's. "Why does Morningstar have a monster that looks like me and my Gouki monsters?"

"Morningstar has revealed a new Link Monster!" the MC commentated as the crowd roared. "Can this Winning Wrestler pull him out of this pinch?"

"That monster looks a lot like Go Onizuka's monsters," Ai said. "Doesn't it?" When Playmaker didn't answer, he looked up. "Oi. Playmaker!"

Playmaker ignored him as he stared at Winning Wrestler. This feeling… it was similar to the feelings he'd sensed from Idealistic Idol and Neo Nova. There was rage and sadness, but there was another feeling. A protectiveness. A desire to keep something safe. But what?

Morningstar continued his turn. "I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Teleporter in my Graveyard. By banishing it, I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. Return, Cyspirit Swordsman!" The skeleton carrying blue swords appeared, summoned to Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker.

Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200→1500 DEF 900→1200 LVL: 3

"And since I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Navigator!" The skeleton in a pirate's outfit materialized next to Winning Wrestler's bottom-left Link Marker.

Cyspirit Navigator ATK 1300→1600 DEF 1100→1400 LVL: 3

"Appear for a final time! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar's hand glowed blue again as the Link portal appeared in the sky above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monsters!" Aoi and Playmaker both gasped in realization on hearing that. "I set Cyspirit Navigator and Swordsman in the Link Markers!" His two monsters entered the Link portal, turning the left and top arrows red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Idealistic Idol!"

A white skeleton appeared and was soon engulfed in light. When the light faded, it was wearing a sleeveless indigo dress, a white knee-length skirt, black tights, indigo high heels, and silver bangles on its arms. Its black hair fell behind it in a ponytail and the silver metal wings on its back spread as it was summoned to Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker.

Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500→1800 LINK-2 ←↑

"What the-?" Galahad said, his eyes widening in surprise again. "Blue Angel?"

"Another new Link Monster," Go said, narrowing his eyes. "And this one looks like Blue Angel. Where did he get that?"

Aoi looked down at her screen as it showed Winning Wrestler and Idealistic Idol. From the positions they were in, it almost looked like Winning Wrestler was protecting Idealistic Idol. Playmaker narrowed his eyes. That feeling of loss and sadness he'd sensed the first time he'd seen this monster was back. But it seemed even stronger now, like something was making it greater.

Morningstar grit his teeth. Playmaker wasn't the only one who could feel the emotions behind the cards. He could too, and while he didn't know how, each monster's presence seemed to amplify the emotions coming off the other, making it harder for him to concentrate. This was why, summoning difficulties aside, he didn't like summoning either monster unless he had to.

"Since I control two 'Cyspirit' monsters, I can activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Reinforcements!" Morningstar said. "This card lets me Special Summon a Level 6 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position. Return once more, Cyspirit Lancer!" Lancer reappeared, summoned to Winning Wrestler's bottom-left Link Marker and Idealistic Idol's left Link Marker.

Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100 DEF 0→300 LVL: 4

"And as you know, since Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1800→2100

Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→2400

Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 2800→3100

"Idealistic Idol's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Since it points to two monsters, I can target one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, except itself, and that monster can make up to three attacks on my opponent's monsters this turn. In exchange, other monsters I control cannot declare an attack." He pointed to Winning Wrestler. "I target Winning Wrestler for Idealistic Idol's effect!" Idealistic Idol spread her arms as they shone with white light. Winning Wrestler roared as he glowed white in response. "Furthermore, when Winning Wrestler destroys a monster by battle, you take 300 points of damage!"

Galahad grit his teeth. Winning Wrestler had 3100 attack points and both his monsters had 2600. Combined with Idealistic Idol's effect, he would take 1600 points of damage. Or at least, he would if not for his face-down card…

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Winning Wrestler, attack Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow!" Winning Wrestler charged Gaia Saber.

Galahad smirked. "This duel is over, Morningstar!" he said. "Trap activate! Mirror Force!"

"Oh no!" Ai shrieked.

"Since you declared an attack, this card destroys all your Attack Position monsters!" Galahad said. "Say goodbye to all your monsters!" A blast of powerful energy shot from the card, right at Idealistic Idol. But before it hit the monster, Winning Wrestler jumped in front of the blast.

The blast hit Winning Wrestler's hands, pushing it back. But to almost everyone's surprise, Winning Wrestler started pushing back as it roared in defiance. "What?" Galahad said in surprise. "What's happening?"

"Winning Wrestler's monster effect," Morningstar revealed. "So long as it points to at least one monster, 'Cyspirit' monsters I control cannot be destroyed by my opponent's card effects."

"What?" Galahad said again, his eyes widening. Winning Wrestler pushed its hands closer together, gathering the energy from Mirror Force into a ball. As it closed its hands, the energy burst harmlessly.

"No way," Galahad muttered in shock.

"Winning Wrestler will never allow harm to come to Idealistic Idol!" Morningstar declared. Cam smiled. Even if he failed to protect Sachi 10 years ago, Winning Wrestler would protect Idealistic Idol now. It was like he had thought; in order to defeat someone fighting for their sibling, Morningstar needed the strength of siblings on his side too.

If I had summoned Datastorm Dragon instead, it would have been destroyed and I would be helpless, Morningstar thought. Out loud, he said, "Winning Wrestler's attack continues!" Winning Wrestler resumed its charge. "And with it, Winning Wrestler's second effect activates! If it points to at least two monsters when it attacks a Special Summoned monster, I can lower that monster's attack points by half the attack points of a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster Winning Wrestler points to!" Galahad's eyes widened again. "I lower Gaia Saber's attack points by half of Idealistic Idol's attack points! Overpower Aura!" Winning Wrestler's wings glowed white and emitted a light that struck Gaia Saber, lowering its attack points.

Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow ATK 2600→1550

"Go, Winning Wrestler! Raw Power Rampage!" Winning Wrestler's fists glowed with white energy as it charged Gaia Saber. The enemy monster lashed out with one of its lances, but Winning Wrestler caught it onehanded. Crushing the lance in said hand, it ripped the lance out of Gaia Saber's grasp. It then used its other hand to punch Gaia Saber in the rider's chest, causing an explosion and shockwave that made Galahad cry out.

Galahad: 3500→1950 LP

"And since Winning Wrestler destroyed a monster by battle, Idealistic Idol's effect activates!" Morningstar said. "And she inflicts 300 points of damage! Ideal Light!" Idealistic Idol rose up from behind Winning Wrestler and spread its wings. They lit up with white energy that streamed downward and hit Galahad, making him wince.

Galahad: 1950→1650 LP

"Huh."

Ai looked up at Playmaker after he said that.

"'Huh?' What's that mean? Did you not expect this turnaround?"

"He called Idealistic Idol 'she'," Playmaker said. He told me Idealistic Idol symbolizes what his friend could have been if not for the incident. Kusanagi told me about his meeting with that girl's brother. Does that mean… Winning Wrestler symbolizes the brother?

Morningstar closed his eyes, then opened them with determination. "You gave me a good challenge, Galahad. Only one person has ever pushed me like you have. But this is the end." He pointed to Gaia Dragon. "Go, Winning Wrestler! Attack Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger!" Winning Wrestler charged Gaia Dragon as Morningstar kept speaking. "And once again, Winning Wrestler's effect activates and Gaia Dragon loses attack points equal to half of Idealistic Idol's attack points. Overpower Aura!"

Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger ATK 2600→1550

"Continue your attack, Winning Wrestler! Raw Power Rampage!" Gaia Dragon charged Winning Wrestler with one of its lances, which Winning Wrestler managed to catch with both hands. As it gripped the lance, it started spinning until Gaia Dragon released its grip on its lance and was sent flying into the sky. Winning Wrestler spun the lance around and roared as it threw its new weapon at Gaia Dragon. The lance struck Gaia Dragon in the belly, causing the dragon to screech in pain as it exploded. Galahad winced from the backlash of the attack.

Galahad: 1650→100 LP

"And once again, Idealistic Idol's effect activates! End this now, Idealistic Idol! Ideal Light!" Idealistic Idol's wings lit up again as she blasted Galahad with white light. Before it hit, Galahad closed his eyes. I'm sorry, Eiji.

The blast hit, causing an explosion. Galahad screamed as was sent flying from his D-Board onto the rooftop of a nearby building.

Galahad: 100→0 LP

"Galahad!" Go shouted. He started running across the rooftops to reach his friend.

"The duel is over!" the MC shouted over the crowd cheering. "In a stunning come from behind victory, the Devil of LINK VRAINS defeated the Knight of Justice!"

Morningstar jumped off his D-Board and landed next to Galahad, who was lying on his back. "You alright?" he asked.

"I'll live," Galahad answered as pushed himself into a sitting position. "You really are amazing. I thought I'd won at least three times."

"If I hadn't drawn Battler with Battle Barrier's effect, you would have won," Morningstar said.

"Galahad!" The two looked up as Go jumped onto their rooftop. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Galahad stood up fully, brushing dust off his shoulder pads.

"So, did my dueling reveal my intentions to you?" Morningstar asked Galahad, who narrowed his eyes.

"It did," he answered. "It told me you have a duelist's pride, as you should. And that new monster of yours…" He glanced at Go, who's face was expressionless, before turning back to Morningstar. "It told me you have a protective instinct in you. That there's something you fight for. Something important to you."

Morningstar didn't respond to that. Galahad's eyes narrowed at what he said next. "That's noble of you. Not enough people fight for the right reasons." He then turned and logged out.

"So, Morningstar," Go said. "About that wrestler of yours-." That was as far as he got before Morningstar logged out.

Yusaku stepped out of the sealed room and walked over to Kusanagi, who was staring at the monitors with a grim expression on his face.

"I wasn't able to learn anything on my end," Yusaku said. "Did you learn anything about Galahad?"

"…I did," Kusanagi said after a few seconds. "You're not going to like this, Yusaku." Yusaku sat down and watched as Kusanagi started an audio file.

"This is Galahad, the Knight of Justice. Who is this?"

"I know who you are, Galahad." Yusaku's eyes widened. The first voice was Galahad's but the second was scrambled. What was this?

---

Yasutake walked up the stairs, leaning heavily against the railing. When he reached the third floor, he stopped to catch his breath and stifle a yawn.

"That was exhausting," he muttered. "I should think about changing my email address. Again."

"Hey."

Yasutake looked up and saw Cam was sitting at the island in the kitchen, his laptop open in front of him.

"Hey," Yasutake said, walking up to the island. "Did you find anything on Galahad?"

"I did, but… Yasu, I need you to promise me something."

Yasutake blinked. "Promise you what?"

"Promise me you'll understand why I kept this from you." Cam opened a window then pressed a button. The audio recording began to play.

---

The blue sphere faded from around Takeshi as he opened his eyes. He sighed and hung his head.

"I'm sorry, Eiji," he said. "I failed. I even accepted the enemy's help, and I couldn't save you."

He sat alone in despair for a few minutes before his Duel Disk started beeping. He answered it without looking, knowing who it was.

"An impressive display, Galahad," Terminus said. "You have earned your place among the Charisma Duelists."

"Spare me the false flattery," Takeshi said in a flat tone. "I didn't keep up my end of the bargain."

"That is true," Terminus said. "Still, effort like yours should be rewarded. Check your accounts again." He hung up, leaving Takeshi confused.

Takeshi stood up from the chair, slightly limping as he walked over to the counter and his laptop. Once he reached it, he opened it and checked his balance. His eyes widened in surprise.

---

"What?" Yasutake whispered in horror. "Galahad was-."

"Yeah," Cam said. "His brother is sick and Hanoi offered to pay for the operation if Galahad defeated you."

"…And you didn't tell me because you thought I might throw the duel," Yasutake said, understanding Cam's words from a few minutes ago.

"That, or your guilt about it might keep you from defeating him," Cam said. "I didn't want to put you in that position." He glanced solemnly at his laptop. "I know Hanoi is the bigger threat, and them using Takeshi Akino's brother shows how despicable they are."

"Akino," Yasutake muttered, his gaze thoughtful.

Cam looked at Yasutake. "You know him?"

"We've only talked once," Yasutake said. He didn't mention what they'd talked about. "He seemed friendly but tightly wound. Now that I know about his brother, I can see why…"

The two friends sat in silence, but before either could say anything, the laptop beeped. Cam looked down at it and frowned.

"What is it?" Yasutake asked.

"I set it to alert me if something changed in Akino's accounts," Cam said. "Terminus did send him some money, so I thought perhaps he might try to take it back." He typed and opened up Akino's accounts. His eyes widened in surprise. "No way," Cam whispered.

"What is it?" Yasutake asked again. When Cam told him, Yasutake couldn't believe his ears.

---

Terminus closed the windows in front of him and sighed.

"Why did you do that?"

He turned around and saw Faust behind him. He and Baira had joined Terminus in observing Galahad's and Morningstar's duel, but after it ended, they had left. Or so Terminus had thought. Evidently Faust had decided to stay.

"You gave the boy the money you promised him, even though he failed to defeat Morningstar," Faust continued. "Why?"

Terminus smiled. "Like I said, he gave a good show. I felt he deserved something."

Faust narrowed his eyes. "Don't lie to me, Terminus."

Terminus kept smiling as he closed his eyes. "Baira was right. If Dr. Kogami's plan is implemented, it will be the greatest cybercrime in history. The entire world will feel the aftershocks. There will be chaos, death, disorder of the highest levels. I know it is preferable to the Ignis winning, but…"

He turned around, away from Faust. "I still carry the guilt of the Hanoi Project, Faust. I know you and Baira do as well, but I have something neither of you do." He opened another screen, revealing a small laughing boy with blue eyes and silver hair. He had inherited his mother's coloring. "I have a son now. And when I have nightmares about the Project, I don't see those children we experimented on. I see Hitomu. That's why I left before."

He closed the picture and turned to face Faust again. "We tortured and twisted those children into nightmares. Look at Playmaker, or Morningstar, or Spectre. We robbed them of their normal lives. If I can save one child, give that child a chance at a better life… then perhaps in a small way, I can truly atone for what I did."

Faust was silent and thoughtful for a long time. Eventually, he said, "The money. Where did you get it? Hirai Shoten wouldn't have provided it."

At that, Terminus's smile turned into a smirk. "I hacked into the SOL security chief's account and transferred it through several dummy accounts," he explained. "Kitamura has been docking his employees' pay the last few weeks to earn more money for himself. I have to say, for the security chief, his account's defenses are pathetic."

Faust smiled at that, but what Terminus said next surprised him. "And speaking of Kitamura…" Terminus opened another screen, which showed something Faust hadn't expected.

"That's-."

"Yes. I managed to retrieve a sizable portion of code from SOL Technologies' AI Squad when we destroyed it. Enough to create our own AI duelists, I reckon."

"AI duelists for Hanoi?" Faust said, surprised at such a prospect. "I don't think Revolver-."

"I already spoke with him about this," Terminus interrupted. "He's willing to let me and Baira attempt it, so long as we are prepared for the consequences. We should have a working prototype ready by tomorrow afternoon." He turned to Faust, as serious as could be. "Faust, as things stand, we're losing this war. Yes, we have numbers, but our Knights are limited, both in versatility and skill. Baira and I believe we can evolve Kitamura's design into a very dangerous weapon."

"And if it turns against us?"

"Then Revolver will destroy it," Terminus said simply. "We need a new advantage against Playmaker and his allies. Kitamura may have accidentally given us several. AI duelists cannot be interrogated, and they are far easier to replace than actual humans. They will provide much better foot soldiers than the thugs we've brought in."

Faust frowned. "I don't like it… AI duelists go against everything Hanoi stands for."

"We have all made compromises in the name of our goal," Terminus reminded him. "And what was it Revolver said? It's fun to fight poison with poison?"

Faust sighed. "I wish I never told you about his duel with Playmaker." He was silent for a moment, then said, "Very well. If you and Baira think you can handle it and it will benefit us, go ahead. But when your plan fails, you had better have a new one."

Terminus smiled again. "I have many plans to accomplish our goal, Faust," he said. "The AI duelist may pan out first, but there is another plan in motion. One that should prove very interesting." He looked to the right at another screen that popped up. It was a message from Lilith, probably containing a recording of Morningstar's duel with Galahad.

Lilith, Terminus thought. You're about to have a very important role to play in this war.

---

Yasutake walked into Sachi's room. She was lying on her bed, facing the door with her eyes open. They were as dull as ever, but she wasn't shaking, sweating, or breathing hard. Likely, she was just having trouble falling asleep. Yasutake didn't know whether he was about to make that problem easier or harder.

"Hey Sachi," he said quietly. After seeing that Terminus had given Galahad the money anyway, Cam had headed to bed upstairs, feeling much better about the events of the duel. Yasutake had to admit he felt better too, but also confused. Why would someone from Hanoi help Galahad's brother even though Galahad hadn't kept up his end of the bargain? Compassion? Or was there a more pragmatic reason?

"I thought I'd see how you were doing before I went to bed. You calmed down earlier, but I was afraid you'd have another nightmare. But you haven't, have you?"

He paused, not entirely sure what he wanted to say to Sachi. She never acknowledged his presence or responded to him in any way, but he wanted his words to mean something. To him, at the least.

"I meant what I said earlier," Yasutake settled on. "I am your friend. Yasutake Narahiko. Even if you don't know who I am, I'm your friend, Sachi. You and your brother's friend. And just like your brother, I made a promise to protect you. And I'll keep that promise. For as long as I can."

There was silence after that. Yasutake was satisfied with what he said, so he turned around to leave. But before he could…

"Yasu."

Yasutake stopped dead in his tracks. Who… who had said that? Cam was the only one who called him Yasu, but that hadn't been Cam's voice. It had been a girl's voice, low and throaty, as if it had trouble speaking from lack of use. But… there was only one girl in this house.

Yasutake slowly turned around and stared at Sachi. She hadn't moved at all and her eyes were as dead as ever. But there was no mistaking her mouth moving with what she said next.

"Yasu is… my friend."

With those words, Sachi closed her eyes. After a few moments, her breathing bore the rhythmic pattern of sleep.

---

Morningstar vs. Galahad

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

Turn 1: Morningstar

Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800/0/4). As Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 1800→2100). Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

Turn 2: Galahad

Galahad draws. Since Morningstar controls a monster and he does not, Galahad Special Summons Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight from his hand (2300/2100/7) in Attack Position. He then Normal Summons Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun (1600/1200/4). Galahad activates the Spell Card Gaia's Will. Since he controls a "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster, he can excavate the top card of his Deck, and if it is a Level 3 or lower monster, he can Special Summon it and draw cards equal to its Level. He draws Torapart, Special Summons it (600/600/2), and draws 2 cards. Galahad tunes the Level 2 Torapart to the Level 4 Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun to Synchro Summon Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth (2600/800/6) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Galahad Sets 2 cards. Gaia Knight attacks Cyspirit Lancer. Morningstar attempts to activate his face-down card, but since Gaia Knight was Synchro Summoned using Torapart, Morningstar cannot activate Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. Gaia Knight destroys Lancer (Morningstar: 4000→3500 LP). Lord Gaia attacks Morningstar directly, but Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Battle Barrier, reducing the battle damage to 0 and ending the Battle Phase since he has a "Cyspirit" monster in his GY. Galahad ends his turn.

Turn 3: Morningstar

Morningstar draws. He activates the Spell Card Cyberse Call, which adds 1 Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Swordsman. Since he controls no monsters, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) in Attack Position. As Swordsman was Special Summoned via its effect, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Prisoner. Morningstar uses Cyspirit Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates the effect of Cacophonic Caller to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to the zone Cacophonic Caller points to. He Special Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2) in Attack Position, but it cannot declare an attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600/2100/5) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller, Dancer, and Prisoner to Link Summon Cyspirit Pied Pikeman (2400/3/↙↑→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Dancer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, that monster gains 600 ATK (Pied Pikeman: 2400→3000). Since Prisoner was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Sanctuary to his hand. Because a monster with higher ATK than Lord Gaia was Special Summoned to the opponent's field, Lord Gaia's effect activates, increasing its ATK by 700 until the end of the turn (Lord Gaia: 2300→3000).

Morningstar activates the Field Spell Card Cyspirit Sanctuary, which increases the ATK/DEF of all "Cyspirit" monsters he controls by 300 (Pied Pikeman: 3000→3300). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyberse Call in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Lancer from his GY to Pied Pikeman's bottom-left Link Marker in Defense Position (1800→2100/0→300/4). Morningstar activates the effect of Pied Pikeman, changing the Cyspirit Lancer it points at to Attack Position to destroy one of Galahad's face-down cards. He destroys Draining Shield. Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 2100→2400) (Pied Pikeman: 3300→3600). Morningstar Sets 1 card.

Pied Pikeman attacks Gaia Knight, but Galahad activates his face-down Trap Card Shield of the Fierce Knight, which halves all battle damage from battles involving Warrior monsters and prevents Warrior monsters from being destroyed by battle this turn (Galahad: 4000→3500 LP). At the end of the Battle Phase, Galahad must send the top card of his Deck to the GY. He sends A/D Changer to the GY. Morningstar ends his turn, and the effect of Lord Gaia ends (Lord Gaia: 3000→2300).

Turn 4: Galahad

Galahad draws. He activates the Equip Spell Card Link Unit, equipping it to Lord Gaia. If Lord Gaia is used to Link Summon, it counts as 2 Link Materials. Galahad activates the Continuous Spell Card Charge of the Fierce Knight. The first time he Special Summons a Fusion, Link, Synchro, or Xyz Monster from the Extra Deck using at least 1 "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster as Material, he can draw 2 cards. Galahad uses Gaia Knight and the Lord Gaia treated as 2 materials to Link Summon Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow (2600/3/←↓→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since he Link Summoned using Lord Gaia, he draws 2 cards. Galahad activates the Spell Card Return Link. Since he Link Summoned using only Warrior monsters, he can Special Summon the Link Materials to his field in Attack Position, but their effects are negated, they cannot declare an attack, and they are destroyed during the End Phase. Galahad Special Summons Gaia Knight (2600/800/6) and Lord Gaia (2300/2100/7). Galahad activates the effect of Shield of the Fierce Knight in the GY, banishing it and targeting Gaia Knight for its effect. Galahad can declare a Level between 1 and 8, and change Gaia Knight's Level to the declared Level until the end of the turn. He declares Level 7 (Gaia Knight: 6→7). Galahad overlays the Level 7 Gaia Knight and Lord Gaia to Xyz Summon Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger (2600/2100/7) in Attack Position to Gaia Saber's bottom Link Marker.

Galahad activates the Spell Card Link Treasure, drawing 1 card for each face-up Link Monster on the field. He draws 2 cards. Galahad activates the Spell Card Xyz Energy, detaching 1 Overlay Unit from Gaia Dragon (Gaia Dragon: 2 OU→1 OU) and targeting Pied Pikeman. Pied Pikeman is destroyed. Galahad activates the Equip Spell Card Lance of the Fierce Knight, and equips it to Gaia Dragon. He Sets 1 card. Galahad activates the effect of the A/D Changer in his GY, banishing it and targeting Cyspirit Lancer for its effect. Lancer is changed to Defense Position. Since Lancer is no longer in Attack Position, its effect ends (Lancer: 2400→2100).

Gaia Dragon attacks Lancer. Morningstar attempts to activate the effect of the Cyspirit Battle Barrier in his GY, but the effect of the equipped Lance of the Fierce Knight prevents Morningstar from activating Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. Gaia Dragon destroys Lancer, and since it attacked a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage (Morningstar: 3500→1200 LP). Since a Cyberse monster was destroyed by battle, Morningstar activates his Skill, Cyberse Revolution, to Special Summon a Cyberse monster from his Deck with a lower Level than the destroyed monster. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Saver (0→300/1300→1600/2) in Defense Position. Galahad activates the effect of Charge of the Fierce Knight, sending it to the GY and targeting Cyspirit Saver. Saver is switched from Defense Position to Attack Position. Gaia Saber attacks and destroys Saver, but Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Battle Barrier in his GY, banishing it to reduce the battle damage to 0 and end the Battle Phase as he has a "Cyspirit" monster in his GY. Since he now controls no monsters, the second effect of Battle Barrier activates and Morningstar draws cards equal to the number of monsters Galahad controls. Galahad controls 2, so he draws 2 cards.

Galahad activates his Skill, Second Charge. At the end of the Battle Phase, he can banish 3 Warrior monsters from his GY to conduct a second Battle Phase. He banishes Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun, Torapart, and Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth. Gaia Dragon attacks Morningstar directly, but Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Battler in his hand, Special Summoning it in Attack Position as his opponent is attacking him directly (1500→1800/700→1000/4). A replay occurs and Gaia Dragon attacks and destroys Battler (Morningstar: 1200→400 LP). Since Battler was destroyed by battle, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his GY to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Swordsman. Gaia Saber attacks Morningstar directly, but Morningstar activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card Cyspirit Lineage, targeting the Cyspirit Lancer in his GY and Special Summoning it in Attack Position (1800→2100/0→300/4). Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 2100→2400). A replay occurs and Gaia Saber attacks and destroys Lancer (Morningstar: 400→200 LP). Since the monster Special Summoned by Cyspirit Lineage's effect was destroyed, Lineage is destroyed, and Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Teleporter. Galahad ends his turn.

Turn 5: Morningstar

Morningstar draws. Since he controls no monsters, he Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200→1500/900→1200/3) in Attack Position via its effect. He activates its effect to add Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke from his Deck to his hand. Since his opponent controls a Link Monster and he does not, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke (200→500/500→800/2) in Attack Position. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Teleporter (500→800/1500→1800/3). Since he controls 2 or more "Cyspirit" monsters, Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Equivalency, which increases the Levels of all "Cyspirit" monsters he controls by the total number of "Cyspirit" monsters he controls. He controls 3 "Cyspirit" monsters, so the Levels of all "Cyspirit" monsters he controls increase by 3 (Swordsman: 3→6) (Teleporter: 3→6) (Tunnel Tyke: 2→5). Morningstar uses Swordsman, Teleporter, and Tunnel Tyke to Link Summon Cyspirit Winning Wrestler (2500→2800/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman (1200→1500/900→1200/3) to Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position. Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Navigator (1300→1600/1100→1400/3) in Attack Position to Winning Wrestler's bottom-left Link Marker. Morningstar uses Navigator and Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Idealistic Idol (1500→1800/2/←↑) to Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker. As he controls 2 or more face-up "Cyspirit" monsters, Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Reinforcements, letting him target 1 Level 6 or lower "Cyspirit" monster in his GY and Special Summoning that monster in Attack Position. He Special Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800→2100/0→300/4) to Winning Wrestler's bottom-left Link Marker and Idealistic Idol's left Link Marker. Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Idealistic Idol: 1800→2100) (Lancer: 2100→2400) (Winning Wrestler: 2800→3100). Since it points to 2 monsters, Morningstar activates the effect of Idealistic Idol, targeting Winning Wrestler. Winning Wrestler can make up to 3 attacks on monsters during the Battle Phase, but Morningstar's other monsters cannot declare an attack.

Winning Wrestler attacks Gaia Saber. Galahad activates his face-down Trap Card Mirror Force, which would destroy all of Morningstar's Attack Position monsters. But because Winning Wrestler points to at least 1 monster, "Cyspirit" monsters Morningstar controls cannot be destroyed by Galahad's card effects. The attack continues, and Morningstar activates Winning Wrestler's second effect. Since it points to at least 2 monsters and is attacking a Special Summoned monster, Morningstar can target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster Winning Wrestler points to and lower the ATK of the attacked monster by half of the targeted monster's ATK. Morningstar targets Idealistic Idol (Gaia Saber: 2600→1550). Winning Wrestler destroys Gaia Saber (Galahad: 3500→1950 LP). Since Winning Wrestler destroyed a monster by battle, the effect of Idealistic Idol deals 300 damage to Galahad (Galahad: 1950→1650 LP). Winning Wrestler attacks Gaia Dragon, and Morningstar activates its second effect, targeting Idealistic Idol (Gaia Dragon: 2600→1550). Winning Wrestler destroys Gaia Dragon (Galahad: 1650→100 LP). The effect of Idealistic Idol activates (Galahad: 100→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

---

Cyspirit Battler
Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1500 DEF 700 Level: 4
When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can Special Summon this card in Attack Position (from your hand). If this card is destroyed by battle: you can target 1 "Cyspirit" monster in your GY, except "Cyspirit Battler"; add it to your hand. You can only activate each effect of "Cyspirit Battler" once per turn.

Cyspirit Winning Wrestler
Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 2500 LINK-3
3 Level 5 or higher "Cyspirit" monsters
This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.
-1 or more: "Cyspirit" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects.
-2 or more: If this card attacks an opponent's Special Summoned monster, you can target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster this card points to; lower the ATK of the attacked monster by half of the targeted monster's ATK. The turn you activate this effect: your opponent takes no battle damage, except from battles involving this card.
-3: Once per turn, during your Main Phase 1: You can Tribute 1 monster this card points to; inflict damage to your opponent equal to the Tributed monster's ATK. The turn you activate this effect: your opponent takes no battle damage.

Gaia's Will Normal Spell Card
If you control a face-up "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster: excavate the top card of your Deck; if the excavated card is a Level 3 or lower monster, Special Summon it and draw cards equal to its Level. If not, place it on the bottom of your Deck. You can only activate "Gaia's Will" once per turn.

Shield of the Fierce Knight Normal Trap Card
Halve all battle damage from battles involving Warrior monsters you control until the end of the turn. The turn you activate this effect, Warrior monsters cannot be destroyed by battle. At the end of the Battle Phase: send the top card of your Deck to the GY. You can banish this card from your GY and target 1 Warrior monster on your field: declare a Level between 1 and 8; the targeted monster's Level becomes the declared Level until the end of the turn.

Charge of the Fierce Knight Continuous Spell Card
The first time you Special Summon a Fusion, Link, Synchro, or Xyz Monster from the Extra Deck using at least 1 "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster as Material: draw 2 cards. During your Battle Phase, you can target 1 monster your opponent controls: send this card to the GY; change that monster's battle position. You can only control 1 "Charge of the Fierce Knight" at a time.

Return Link Normal Spell Card
If you Link Summoned a Link Monster using only Warrior monster(s) as the Link Material this turn: Target the Link Material(s) in your GY; Special Summon it to your field in Attack Position with its effects negated. The monster(s) Special Summoned by this effect cannot declare an attack and is destroyed during your End Phase. You can only activate "Return Link" once per turn.

Lance of the Fierce Knight Equip Spell Card
Equip only to a monster with 2300 ATK or 2600 ATK. If the equipped monster attacks, your opponent cannot activate Spell/Trap Cards or their effects until the end of the Damage Step. You can only control 1 "Lance of the Fierce Knight" at a time.

Cyspirit Equivalency Normal Spell Card
If you control 2 or more "Cyspirit" monsters: Increase the Levels of all "Cyspirit" monsters you control by the total number of "Cyspirit" monsters you control. You cannot activate this card if you control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster. You can only activate "Cyspirit Equivalency" once per turn.

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Chapter Preview

Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 14 – Angels and Archfiends

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Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes

Thank you to HunterHQ, ClearwingYuta, sanedimentio, Unknowedz, mekyaku, Ethan Kironus, Frost190, D3lph0xL0v3r, and Guest for reviewing Chapter 12 of Hidden Memories. Also, thank you to ThePLOThand for reviewing Chapters 7 and 8, and Guest for reviewing Chapter 1. Now in response to some of the reviews…

To answer ClearwingYuta, no, Masako is not one of the six children. Given that they introduced Spectre and they might introduce the rest, I'm not introducing any more of them until the anime does. As for raising the number of children, I have considered that, but I want to wait for the anime to introduce more of them before I make a decision. If I do decide to increase the number of children, I'll have to do a fair number of updates to previous chapters.

In response to Unknowedz: One: In this fanfic, Yusaku and Yasutake are not gay. If Yusaku turns out to be gay in the anime, that will be awesome, but either way, Yasutake is not Johan Anderson. Two: You're right, that was careless of Yusaku. I do have an idea about someone learning Yasutake's secret, but I'm divided on whether or not to implement it. Three: Fun as it would be to write a 4-on-1 duel, I don't want to try that. At least not yet. And of course he kicked their butts. Four: I'm not sure you and I have the same understanding of what Masako means by 'real'. She'll be explaining what she means by that either in the next chapter, or Chapter 15. I haven't decided yet.

To answer mekyaku, Masako is being unclear on either reason. I have no plans for Morningstar to use a summoning method besides Link Summon at the moment, but that might change in the far future. No promises though. As for the Knights of Hanoi using them, I won't, sadly. One of the things I tried to say in Chapter 9 was that Fusion, Ritual, Synchro, and Xyz are considered outdated and useless. A wrong assessment, I know, but the Knights follow that logic. Meaning that characters who use a technique other than Link Summoning are sadly uncommon. At least at this stage of Hidden Memories. As for what I think of the Sunavalon Deck, it seems like the most powerful Stall Deck I've ever seen. But the weakness Playmaker exploited is a clever one, since it destroyed all of Spectre's cards.

To answer Frost190's question about another chapter between Yasutake and Masako, they will interact in the next few chapters, but I'm not entirely clear on the details yet.

And finally, to answer Guest's question about Morningstar sending Hanoi a message, I haven't considered that, and I'm not sure if I can do that. As for Revolver getting more involved, that won't happen soon. At this stage, Terminus is the largest enemy to Morningstar, so he gets center stage right now.

I want to thank sanedimentio and OPFan37 for helping me with Winning Wrestler. I came up with the effects myself, but sanedimentio aided in the card's appearance, and both its attack and effects names were suggested by OPFan37.

This chapter was primarily about the duel between Galahad and Morningstar. I wanted to show just how awesome Galahad is, despite no one knowing who he is, so like Morningstar said, he pushed him almost as far as Playmaker did. Of course Morningstar had to win, but I also included Terminus helping Galahad anyway to show that despite being a bad guy, Terminus does have a good side, and to help make things less tragic. As dark as the anime and this story are going to get, I wanted to show that good things do happen a lot. Even better, it gave me another chance to make things harder for Kitamura. He so deserves everything that happens to him.

This was also the debut of Winning Wrestler, Morningstar's Cyspirit Link Monster that represents Cam. I originally had planned on it being Link-2, like Idealistic Idol, but I changed it to Link-3 because I felt it would work better. I also decided to show it alongside Idealistic Idol to showcase the sibling bond that Cam and Sachi have, as its somewhat difficult to show it in the current day. That was also the reason I included the intro scene, which is set a few months before Sachi is kidnapped.

One thing I wanted to show with this chapter was the parallels between Takeshi's relationship with Eiji and Cam's relationship with Sachi. Both are older siblings who are very protective of their younger siblings. That's why I wrote the opening sequence to be ambiguous, so people couldn't initially be sure who the two kids were. I did want to bring Akira into this in some way, but I couldn't think of a way to do that, so we just had Aoi watching the duel.

Another development here is Terminus working on his own AI duelist. I know that Hanoi is anti-AI, but I wanted to introduce a new element to their story, and like Revolver said, "It's fun to fight poison with poison." Dueling-wise, it's also a good way to get away from the Hanoi grunts and give AI duelists another chance, since both ones Morningstar dueled lost very easily.

And finally, we get development for Sachi. Considering her state, she's the most difficult to write character development for; is it too much, too little? Is it too sudden? Considering how much the "three things" phrase means to Yasutake and Yusaku, I thought it would a good way to help bring Sachi out of her nightmare. And writing that last scene just made me very happy.

For the last few chapters, I've been updating every two weeks, both to allow the anime to get ahead, and to set myself a schedule. I originally planned on posting this on February 14th and having it be a Valentine's Day present, but I'm about to start my final semester of college and I'll be working on a big project, so I wanted to get this done first. I can't say when the next chapter will come out, but it should take me around two weeks or more. I have some new ideas about where to take Masako's and Tagoma's characters that I want to try, and I want to work out the details first.

Thank you for reading Chapter 13 of Hidden Memories. Please post your favorite moments of the chapter in a review. What would you like to see next? What should the next indignity Kitamura undergoes be? What do you think of the idea of a Hanoi AI? And finally, which of Galahad's Extra Deck monsters is your favorite? Sky Galloping Gaia, Gaia Knight, Gaia Dragon, or Gaia Saber?