Update
I've gone back to Chapter 6 and made a change to the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary. Now, instead of being able to Special Summon any "Cyspirit" monster from the Graveyard, it can only Special Summon Level 4 or below "Cyspirit" monsters. The reason why will become clear in Chapter 16.
Another Update
I've also gone back to Chapters 12 and 13 to make changes to the effects of Cyspirit Necrocoding and Cyspirit Winning Wrestler. The reason why will become clear in Chapter 18.
Chapter 15: The Buried Musket
Yasutake stifled a yawn as he walked to school. Yesterday had been exhausting; first school, then Masako, and then Blue Angel's duel with Baira. He was thankful tomorrow was the weekend. He just had to get through school today, and he could have a nice long nap.
He frowned to himself as his thoughts turned to Sachi. She hadn't had any nightmares yesterday, but he wasn't sure if that was an improvement or not; she had the nightmares more frequently than he did, but they still varied in frequency. Still, he'd checked on her before heading to school, and from what he could tell, she seemed calmer. Or at least she was sleeping peacefully.
Of course, he had other concerns at the moment. Yasutake narrowed his eyes as he thought about Hanoi. The Knight he defeated had told him Revolver had three more lieutenants, and three Knights had defeated the AI Duelist squad. Since Baira had been one of them, he was certain the other two Knights were the last lieutenants. And one of them was Terminus.
What's your game, Terminus? Yasutake thought. Hanoi's goal is the Ignis in Playmaker's possession but sending Galahad against me wouldn't have given it to you. Are you merely attempting to remove an obstacle, or is there another reason you're targeting me?
Emerging from his thoughts, Yasutake noticed an intersection up ahead. And waiting for the crossing sign to change was-.
"Good morning, Narahiko," Aoi said, turning to look at him as he approached from the side. Her face was as expressionless as usual.
Yasutake nodded in greeting. "Good morning, Zaizen," he said. No one else was around, but he lowered his voice as he asked, "When did you figure out who I was?"
Aoi gave a small smile as the light changed and they crossed. "In the databank. When Playmaker and my brother were talking, you were shaking and staring at the ground." She spoke as quietly as he did. "It reminded me of your VR duel."
Yasutake scowled. He figured that duel had something to do with it. "That's not proof."
"Maybe, maybe not," Aoi said. "But somehow, I just knew it was you. It was funny though; when Playmaker spoke of three things, I thought he was you, since you said something similar to me."
Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "You thought I was Playmaker?"
"Until my brother talked about the incident, yes. And… your reaction to when I spoke of it confirmed my guess." She glanced at him. "Don't worry. I haven't told anyone who you are. And I don't plan to."
Yasutake nodded. "Alright."
They walked in silence for a while before Yasutake broke it. "Why did you challenge Baira? I thought you left LINK VRAINS for good."
Aoi frowned. "…Ghost Girl gave me a push," she said. "Or I guess Ms. Bessho did."
Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "She approached you in real life? That's… unlike her."
Aoi looked at Yasutake. "She said that for me to stop dueling would be better than losing because I'm not fully committed. Those words reminded me of what you told me."
Yasutake glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "What are you trying to ask, Zaizen? Just say it."
Aoi sighed. "Fine. How do you know Ghost Girl? You told me she sold you out, but you didn't say what that meant. And even if you deny it, I can tell the two of you have a history."
Yasutake scowled. "Why do you want to know about that?" he asked. "What does my past with Emma have to do with you?"
"Nothing," Aoi said. "But she encouraged me when I needed it, just like you did. And I'd like to know more about the people I owe."
Yasutake was quiet for some time before he sighed. "Fine," he grumbled. "What exactly do you want to know?"
Aoi thought for a bit, then said, "When did you first meet her? Was it in real life or in LINK VRAINS?"
"The latter," Yasutake said. "At first. Early in my career, I received a contract to catch a thief. They had stolen confidential information from a company for one of their competitors. The contract was to retrieve that information."
"Which company?"
"Doesn't matter; they went out of business a year ago. Anyway, I found them and pursued them into LINK VRAINS. It turned out that Ghost Girl was the thief. She tried to escape me, but I tagged her with my Data Anchor and forced a duel."
"What happened?"
"I won, but I found out she had already transmitted the stolen information to her employers." Yasutake smirked to himself. "Since the contract was technically only for the information, and because I was impressed she outwitted me, I let her go. She was the first person to do that." And the only person before Playmaker, he thought.
"We met a few more times in LINK VRAINS after that. We also did several jobs together, usually for SOL. They won't admit it, but the higher-ups tend to hire more than one person for a job but not tell those people. To make sure there was less competition between us, Ghost Girl and I agreed to tell each other of any retrieval jobs offered so we could get the job done faster."
"When did you stop working together?"
Yasutake scowled. "A few months ago. I was contracted by Mercury Industries; they're a cybersecurity company SOL contracts from time to time. They hired me to retrieve some schematics from a rival company."
Aoi frowned. "You were hired to steal?"
Yasutake shrugged. "Corporate politics isn't my business. They offered a job, I accepted. Only I found out later that they had also contracted Ghost Girl for the same job."
"…And she didn't tell you about it?"
Yasutake shook his head. "No, she did. But she told me after she was caught by that company's security bots and told them there would likely be another attempt. Because of her, security was three times higher than I thought it would be."
Aoi gave a small smile. "Knowing Morningstar, I assume that only slowed you down."
Yasutake allowed himself a self-confident smirk. "Oh, I got through the defenses and reached the core. Only to find out that Ghost Girl had escaped her captors and stolen the schematics herself before fleeing. She was nice enough to leave me a note explaining what she'd done, but it was too late. I had to fight through even more defenses than usual on the way out. If I didn't have outside help of my own, I would have been captured myself. And when I contacted the Mercury bosses, they told me Ghost Girl claimed full credit for the job."
Aoi frowned. "That… was rather devious of her. But weren't you planning to do the same thing to Playmaker in the SOL databank?"
"And who do you think I learned that trick from?" Yasutake sighed. "I know it wasn't anything personal; when we first started working together, Emma made it clear the money came first. I suppose I just assumed a sense of honor that wasn't there."
"…Maybe it wasn't there then," Aoi said. "But I think you've changed her. Would the Ghost Girl you claim to know have helped me?"
Yasutake thought about it and shook his head. "No, she wouldn't have. But her selling me out isn't the only issue I have with her."
"What do you mean?"
Yasutake opened his mouth, then shut it. "I'll tell you later," he said. "Not at school." Aoi blinked and looked up. She hadn't realized it, but they had arrived at Den Academy.
"Alright," she said, nodding. The two teenagers headed into the main building, not noticing Yusaku Fujiki watching them, a frown on his face.
"Something wrong, Yusaku?" Ai asked, emerging from Yusaku's backpack.
"Be quiet," Yusaku said.
"Fine," Ai huffed, returning to the backpack.
As Yusaku walked to the main building, his frown deepened.
He was in the same place I was, Yusaku thought. He experienced the same pain I did. But… he is able to interact with society on a level I can't. Why? He narrowed his eyes. Wait, why is that bothering me? There's no point in making friends. If Hanoi discovers my identity, friends will only become targets.
Yusaku nodded. Yes. As long as he was fighting Hanoi, he didn't need warmth from other people. It was better for everyone that way. But he couldn't stop that voice in his head that whispered, What if?
As Yasutake walked into the classroom, he noticed Masako was already in her seat, looking at her tablet. He sat down in his seat and said, "Good morning."
She started, turned to him and smiled. "Oh. Good morning, Yasutake."
"Did I disturb you?"
She shook her head. "Just looking over my homework."
"Ah." Yasutake pulled out his own tablet and looked over the previous assignment. "Sorry," he said. "For leaving without saying anything yesterday."
Masako smiled again. "Don't worry about it, Yasutake. I was going to ask you to head home anyway."
"You were?" Yasutake said, surprised.
"Yes. That call was from Tagoma and he needed me to head home right away. I was a little miffed you left without saying anything, but I'm over it now."
"Oh," Yasutake said, his face expressionless. "Okay."
"Though, that reminds me of something." Yasutake turned to look at Masako as she glanced at him. "In case you're worried I'll ask you to go out with me again today, you don't have to. Tagoma needs me at home after school as soon as possible. And this isn't something I can ignore."
"…Alright," Yasutake said, feeling relieved inside. With Masako busy today, he could spend the rest of the day fighting Hanoi. But if he was honest, it was mostly cleanup at this point.
After Baira had released the removal program, a website with the program had been created so it could be applied to the Anothers quickly. Any people who became Another victims could be cured almost instantly. This gave the fight with Hanoi a more relaxed air than earlier.
Still, Yasutake had to be on his toes. There were still two Another masterminds left, and Baira had said Terminus was far stronger than her.
Go and Blue Angel defeated the first two, he thought. I suspect Playmaker and I will have to handle Terminus and his friend. Yasutake narrowed his eyes. You used Galahad's brother against him, Terminus. You will answer for it!
"Oi, Narahiko!"
Yasutake turned around as Naoki approached him. Masako raised an eyebrow, but she decided to ignore Naoki for the moment.
"What is it, Shimo?"
"I-hey!" Naoki said, annoyed. "It's Shima! Naoki Shima! Are you getting my name wrong on purpose?"
"He is," Masako interrupted, deciding to interject. "He finds people's angry expressions amusing."
"What?" Naoki said, shocked. Yasutake glared at Masako, who smiled back.
"What? Don't tell me you don't enjoy people getting flustered? Why else would you keep forgetting the Student Council President's name?"
Yasutake made a confused face. "Who?"
"My name is Takeshi Akino!" Takeshi shouted. "Remember it already!"
"Uh… President?"
Takeshi blinked. He was standing in the Student Council's room and they were in the middle of a meeting.
"Oh, sorry," Takeshi said, sitting back down in his chair. "Could've sworn I heard something."
"Anyway," Yasutake said. "Is there something you need, Shima?"
"Y-Yes," Naoki said, looking uncomfortable. "W-Will you join me in LINK VRAINS?"
Yasutake blinked. "What?"
"I just… I'm sick of standing on the sidelines!" he practically shouted, surprising Masako and Yasutake. "Blue Angel, Morningstar, and Playmaker are fighting the Knights of Hanoi. Isn't it our duties as duelists to fight evil?"
"Why?" Yasutake asked. "Because we can?"
"Because it's the right thing to do!" Naoki exclaimed.
Masako shook her head at him. "You'll lose," she said simply.
"Eh?" Naoki said, turning to her. "What makes you think I'll lose?"
"Because you asked Yasutake for help," she said simply. "That suggests you lack confidence in your abilities. If you don't trust your own skills, you'll never win." She left after saying that, leaving Naoki to stare after her.
Yasutake sighed. "Shima," he said, drawing Naoki's attention back to him. "Your idea is brave. But it's also foolish. Rushing headfirst into trouble without a plan rarely works." He packed his bag up as he continued talking. "A duelist must always be aware of how skilled they are. It doesn't matter how enthusiastic you are if your Deck or your skills are not equal to or greater than your opponent's. And we're not skilled enough." He finished packing up and headed for the door. "Just leave it to the professionals."
Naoki stared after Yasutake and grit his teeth. "I didn't want to ask him," he grumbled. "But I suppose Fujiki is better than no one."
As Yasutake walked home, he noticed Aoi approach him. "Do you want something?" he asked. As he kept walking, she fell in step besides him.
"I wanted to continue our conversation," she said. "About your issues with Ms. Bessho."
Yasutake sighed. "Just call her Emma or Ghost Girl. 'Ms. Bessho' sounds strange. And you already know why I don't trust her."
"You said her double-crossing you wasn't the only issue you had with her," Aoi reminded him. "I want to know what your other ones are."
Yasutake looked at her with a half-lidded stare. "Do you really have nothing better to do than listen to why I don't like a woman?"
"No," Aoi said, shaking her head. Yasutake sighed again.
"Fine," he said. "I have a friend who helps me in LINK VRAINS from the real world. He doesn't go in himself. He provides tech support and occasionally gives me advice. And he dislikes Emma even more than me."
Aoi frowned. "Did something happen between them?"
"They dated," Yasutake answered bluntly, surprising Aoi. "For a few months at least. Neither of them knew they both knew me. Hell, I didn't even know Emma was Ghost Girl until I hacked her Duel Disk."
"Why did you hack her Duel Disk?"
Yasutake shrugged. "I was bored. Anyway, they were together a few months, then she and I found out the truth about each other." He smirked. "She won't admit it, but she discovered my identity by accident. She pulled Cam into the room we work in LINK VRAINS from while I was in there."
Aoi frowned again. "Why did she pull him in there?"
That was what I asked them, Yasutake thought. He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. She saw my Duel Disk and the files on our computers and put two and two together. If I didn't reveal that I knew she was Ghost Girl, I suspect she would have auctioned my identity to the highest bidder. In any event, the three of us hung out a lot. Eventually, however, things fell apart."
"Why?"
Yasutake frowned. This wasn't easy to talk about, but he trusted Aoi. "Emma was concerned for my friend's safety. Or at least that's what she said. She asked him to stop helping my work as Morningstar, saying that if my identity was revealed, he would become a target. He refused each time. Eventually, she outright asked him to choose between her and me. He chose me."
"…That was nice of him."
"But stupid," Yasutake said, surprising Aoi. "I can handle myself in LINK VRAINS most of the time. My friend makes things easier, but a lot of his help is just him reassuring himself I'm alright. I told him as much, and he went to her to apologize and ask if they could start over… and found she had already moved on."
Aoi blinked. "How… how quickly was this?"
"This all happened in the same day," Yasutake said. "After he got back home, I told him about what happened at Mercury. It made him think she was just using him all along. If he had agreed to stop aiding me, I might have been captured. And since she moved on so quickly, it appeared to him that Emma was using him to get rid of her competition."
"…And was she?" Aoi asked, her voice low. She wasn't sure what to think of Ghost Girl right now.
Yasutake shrugged. "I really don't know. I met her in LINK VRAINS not long after Mercury. She insisted that her selling me out was her thinking on her feet to achieve her goal and that the two incidents were unrelated, but I was angry with her and didn't believe her. In hindsight, she was likely telling the truth. As for the new guy, she said that was a defense mechanism or something. She ditched that guy shortly after my friend found out."
He looked straight ahead as he said, "I know one thing about Ghost Girl is certain: she doesn't take any action unless it benefits her or the people she has a soft spot for. She's selfish, greedy, and intelligent; but she also encouraged you and helped you repay Playmaker."
"…She's complicated, isn't she?" Aoi asked after a long silence.
Yasutake nodded. "Yeah. She is."
Of course, Yasutake didn't tell Aoi the whole truth. He couldn't. He had deliberately withheld Cam's name so Aoi couldn't connect the two. She might be able to if she went to Café Junpei, but Yasutake considered that possibility to be low. And he couldn't tell Aoi the real reason Cam disliked Emma so much.
Cam had been mad when he found Emma with her new boyfriend, but he had been understanding to an extent. Emma had visited a few days later, trying to explain her actions. Cam had listened, been receptive, and had even invited her upstairs. But…
While Cam was in the bathroom, Emma's curiosity got the better of her and she poked around Cam's house. And she found Sachi. Yasutake had been at school at the time, so he only had Cam's word for what happened, at least until he spoke to Emma in LINK VRAINS. Evidently, on realizing what was wrong with Sachi, Emma had suggested she be sent to a psychiatric hospital. It wasn't an unreasonable suggestion, but Cam had exploded. He had always been overprotective of Sachi, even before their parents' deaths, and the Incident had only made it worse. He had been so angry he immediately asked Emma to leave the house. As far as Yasutake knew, they hadn't spoken since.
Yasutake didn't blame Emma for her suggestion; it had been a valid one, and if he didn't live with Cam and know him as well as he did, he might have suggested it himself. But he also knew Cam blamed himself for what happened to Sachi. If she was taken away from him again, locked away in a place he couldn't reach again, he might lose himself. Yasutake didn't want to know what Cam would turn into if that happened.
As Masako entered the apartment, she noticed Tagoma sitting at the table, typing at his laptop and scowling.
"Did you find anything on Terminus?" Masako asked him. After the latest job, both of them decided to try and find out who Terminus really was. That was why Masako didn't want to go out with Yasutake today.
"I think so," Tagoma said. "But I can't say for certain. I'm tracing the money Terminus paid us to its source. I've already gone through several fake accounts. Eventually, I'll find something."
"Right," Masako said, sitting down at the same table and turning on her tablet. "Send me those fake accounts. Maybe he used them to send money to more people than us. If we can find those people, we might find something on him."
"Good idea, little girl," Tagoma said, impressed. The girl was as sharp as ever. After he sent her the information, the two sat in silence for a while, looking through information before Tagoma said, "To be honest, I'm surprised you came home. I thought you'd want to spend time with that Narahiko boy."
Masako frowned to herself. "I did," she said. "But there will be time for that later. And… I think it might be a good idea to go slow with Yasutake. I get the feeling he doesn't have much experience with girls. Or people, for that matter."
Tagoma glanced at her. "So you're serious about him."
Masako's frown deepened. "I… don't know. I do like him, but I find myself wondering whether it's because of how he makes me feel or because of who he is."
Tagoma sighed. "I am not the best person to talk to about relationships," he said. "I know that. But do you know how he feels about you?"
Masako shook her head. "I want to think he likes me, but I can't say for certain. Maybe he's just being friendly and humoring me. If he does feel something, I can't tell."
"Hmm," Tagoma said. "If you do become serious, are you planning to tell him your real name?"
Masako scowled at him. "Masako is my real name."
"You know what I mean, Himura," Tagoma said. Before Masako could reply, she noticed something on her tablet.
She narrowed her eyes at the screen. "This… is weird. I think I found something."
"What?" Tagoma asked. Conversations between them were always like this; they would discuss one thing then put it off till later when work came up.
"I'm looking at one of the dummy accounts you gave me," she explained. "It logged two other transfers, both to the same account: the name on that account is... Takeshi Akino." Her voice lowered to a whisper due to her surprise at the last two words.
Tagoma raised an eyebrow. "You know him?"
"He's the Student Council President at Den Academy," Masako said. "A good guy, but loud and easily angered. Why would Terminus be sending money to him?"
Tagoma frowned. "See if you can access Akino's systems. They might be easier to hack into than Terminus's."
"Right," Masako said, nodding. After ten minutes, she had hacked into Takeshi's bank accounts, his email records, and his Duel Disk. And then she hit pay dirt.
"There's a recorded conversation in Akino's Duel Disk," Masako said. She pressed play and was surprised that Takeshi answered it as Galahad.
"Galahad?" Tagoma repeated, surprised. "The Student Council President is that Charisma Duelist who almost defeated Morningstar?"
"Shush," Masako said, trying to listen to the rest of the message.
"My name is Terminus. And I have a proposition for you." This voice was scrambled, just like when Terminus had called them. Masako listened as Terminus offered Takeshi money for his brother's treatment, but it was Takeshi's response that floored her.
"And why should I trust the Knights of Hanoi?"
Masako gasped and looked at Tagoma. His eyes were as wide as hers.
"I'm not an idiot," the recording continued. "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 responded. Masako paused the recording after hearing that Terminus didn't deny Takeshi's accusation.
"The guy who hired us to track Morningstar is a Knight of Hanoi," she muttered, scowling to herself. "Damn it."
"Does it matter?" Masako looked in surprise at Tagoma as he asked that and shrugged. "Look, I know Hanoi is full of assholes, but this guy has played straight with us when it comes to payment. It's good money."
"Good money?" Masako repeated. "Tagoma, I've been working for a cyberterrorist. Hunting people and hacking into companies is one thing, but this…"
Tagoma smirked at her. "Brings back memories, doesn't it? When we worked with that crazy guy in Osaka?"
Masako scowled back at him. "I thought we agreed never to talk about him again," she said, then sighed. "What should we do, Tagoma?"
Tagoma shrugged again. "Keep doing what we were hired to do? Doesn't matter to me if Terminus is Hanoi or not; it doesn't change the money he pays us."
Masako scowled again. "Well, it matters to me. After the incident in Osaka, I promised myself I would not get involved with people like this again." She turned back to her tablet. "And it's not just his identity that's bothering me. If he's Hanoi, why did he pay me to fight against his own people?"
Tagoma smirked as he said, "He probably wants you to get close to Morningstar and his friends. He used those Knights as disposable pawns. It's what I would do."
"You're a horrible person, Tagoma."
"You've known that for a long time," Tagoma countered before frowning. "So, are you going to do something?"
Masako looked him in the eye. "You won't try to stop me?"
"It's your life. Your choice," Tagoma said. "If you want to stop working for Terminus, I'll understand. We're actually doing rather well now. We could lay low for a few more weeks until all this dies down, then leave."
Masako frowned. "We could do that, but… I've caused enough trouble for Morningstar. I want to make things easier for him." She reached into her bag, pulled her Duel Disk out, and placed it on her wrist.
Tagoma sighed. "Just be careful, little girl," he said, standing up and stretching. "Getting involved with these crazy hackers and terrorists… makes one late for dinner."
"Aaahhh!" the Knight screamed as he fell to the ground. Morningstar scowled as the Knight disintegrated.
"Cam, please tell me that anti-purge program is complete," he whispered into his earpiece as he jumped down to a nearby skyscraper. "I'm really getting sick of this."
"Almost," Cam responded. "You can't rush genius. Though with how quiet it's gotten, I'm not sure you'll get a chance to test it."
Morningstar frowned in thought. Ever since Blue Angel's duel with Baira and the release of the removal program, LINK VRAINS had started calming down. It was getting much harder for Morningstar to find opponents to fight.
"If Hanoi is losing manpower, hopefully that means Terminus and his friend will have to intervene personally," Morningstar said. "I'm tried of playing his games."
"Morningstar!"
He turned to the left and his eyes widened. Lilith was jumping across the rooftops, heading towards him.
"We need to talk," she said.
"About what?" he asked.
To his surprise, Lilith looked uncomfortable. "Well… after we dueled, I was approached by another client. They offered a lot of money for me to follow you and record your duels."
Morningstar blinked, then narrowed his eyes. "Who did?"
"I did."
Lilith and Morningstar turned to look behind him. Standing above them on a nearby rooftop was a man in a white lab coat. His black and silver hair was tied back in a ponytail and his left eye was covered a yellow and silver mask. Morningstar narrowed his eyes.
"Your avatar is very similar to Dr. Genome's and Baira's," he noted. "Are you Terminus?"
"I am," Terminus acknowledged as he leapt down to their building. "I must say, I'm disappointed Lilith. I thought you had client confidentiality."
Lilith scowled at him. "That's only when my clients aren't cyberterrorists."
Morningstar glanced at her. "So you work for Hanoi now?"
"No!" Lilith protested.
"She doesn't," Terminus interjected, drawing their attention back to him. "I only told her my name when I hired her, and given what she just told you, I imagine our contract is no longer valid. I admit I'm curious how you managed to find out the truth, Lilith, but it doesn't really matter." He turned from Lilith to Morningstar and smiled. "I must say, it has been interesting watching you work. I've gained a great deal of information about your Deck and strategies and adapted my own Deck to respond accordingly." He took a step forward. "Faust is dealing with Playmaker right now, so I'll end your annoyance here. Duel me, Morningstar!"
Morningstar narrowed his eyes. Why did this guy look familiar? Setting that aside for now, he said, "I was hoping you-." That was as far as he got before a gunshot rang out. He and Terminus turned with wide eyes to Lilith, who had one of her pistols in her right hand, aimed at Terminus. Morningstar glanced at Terminus and saw a golden field surround Terminus.
"This is a security field," Lilith said, scowling at Terminus. "It prevents either of us from logging out and keeps you from dueling anyone except me."
"What?" Morningstar said, shocked. "Lilith, why are you doing this?"
Lilith turned to him. "Because long ago, I worked with a cyberterrorist and I didn't realize what they were planning until it was too late. When that happened, I swore I would never again work with one." She turned back to Terminus. "I may have broken that promise inadvertently, but I still worked with Hanoi. This is my repentance."
Terminus scowled at her. "First you spill the beans and now you stand between Morningstar and me. Fine. I'll turn you into an Another then deal with Morningstar."
"This is a bad idea," Morningstar told Lilith. Her response was to smirk at him.
"You think I can't handle one Knight of Hanoi? Just watch and learn."
Lilith and Terminus rode the data stream, with Terminus in front riding an elongated white board with an orange semicircle attached to the back.
He turned to look at Lilith. "Faust was right about you," he said. "He believed my plans for you wouldn't work. Now I suppose I must clean up my mess." He pulled a digital card from his coat pocket. "I'll make this Speed Duel more exciting for everyone. Data Gale!" He threw the card into the air, where it glowed with blue light.
Lilith covered her eyes and screamed when her D-Board dropped. But she stopped and uncovered her eyes when she saw she was now flying with Terminus in front of her. She grit her teeth. That had been embarrassing.
Looking behind her, she noticed Morningstar trailing the two of them on his own D-Board, carefully observing them.
I'll defeat this opponent, Lilith thought. But… even if I don't, it will give Morningstar a chance to observe Terminus's tactics. And that will leave him better prepared for him.
"Masako, what are you doing?" Lilith scowled at the voice in her ear. "Telling Morningstar the truth is one thing, but this-."
"Save it, Tagoma," she said, cutting him off. "This duel is happening whether you like it or not." She looked ahead at Terminus, who looked back at her.
"Speed Duel!" they shouted.
Terminus: 4000 LP
Lilith: 4000 LP
"I'll take the first turn!" Terminus declared. Looking at his hand, he selected one of his cards. "I activate the Field Spell Card: The Hidden City!" Lilith's and Morningstar's eyes widened on seeing his first card was a Field Spell. "When this card is activated, I can add one 'Subterror' monster from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Subterror Behemoth Umastryx to my hand!"
While Terminus was doing that, Morningstar whispered to Cam. "Cam, have you heard of this 'Subterror' archetype?"
"I haven't," Cam said, his voice grave. "Lilith should be careful. And you should pay close attention."
"Morningstar!"
Morningstar looked behind him and his eyes widened in surprise. "Galahad?" he said in shock. The duelist in question was riding his D-Board right behind Morningstar. "What are you doing here?"
"I was already here fighting the Knights of Hanoi when this dome appeared," Galahad explained. "This is the same thing that Hanoi duelist Blue Angel defeated used, right?"
"A Data Gale, yes," Morningstar said.
Galahad looked ahead and narrowed his eyes at Lilith's opponent. "Who's that?"
"Terminus." On seeing Galahad's eyes widen, Morningstar said, "Yes. The same Terminus who used your brother."
"My- You know!?" Galahad said, looking at Morningstar with surprise.
"I didn't until after our duel," Morningstar said, looking ahead. "But I've heard Terminus's name before. Hopefully Lilith can defeat him."
Terminus continued his turn. "I summon Subterror Fiendess!" A blue-skinned demon with purple hair wearing a white and black costume with green lines running over it appeared on his field.
Subterror Fiendess ATK 800 DEF 500 LVL: 1
"A Level 1 monster?" Lilith said in surprise.
"Fiendess's monster effect!" Terminus declared. "Once per turn, I can change one face-up monster to face-down Defense Position, then Special Summon one 'Subterror' monster from my hand or Graveyard in face-up or face-down Defense Position. I change Fiendess itself to face-down Defense Position, and Special Summon Subterror Behemoth Umastryx in face-down Defense Position!"
Fiendess became a face-down card on Terminus's field, while another face-down card appeared next to it.
"I Set one card," Terminus said. "I end my turn."
Lilith narrowed her eyes. Two monsters in face-down Defense Position? What is he planning?
"My turn! Draw!" Lilith looked at her cards, then said, "I summon Magical Musketeer Kidbrave!" A young cowboy carrying a pistol appeared on her field.
Magical Musketeer Kidbrave ATK 1600 DEF 200 LVL: 3
"So long as Kidbrave is on my field, I can activate 'Magical Musket' Spell and Trap Cards from my hand during either of our turns!" Lilith said.
Every Magical Musket monster has that effect, Morningstar thought. It made them difficult to fight against.
"I activate the Continuous Trap Card: Magical Musket – Fiendish Deal!" Lilith continued. "Now 'Magical Musket' monsters I control cannot be destroyed by card effects." She gestured to Kidbrave. "Kidbrave's monster effect! Since I activated a Spell or Trap Card in Kidbrave's column, I can discard one 'Magical Musket' card and then draw two cards."
She discarded her card, drew, then said, "I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn! With this card, I'll Special Summon the monster I just discarded. Come forth, Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel!" The blue-skinned demon in a suit and trench coat appeared alongside Kidbrave, hefting its massive pistols.
Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel ATK 2500 DEF 2500 LVL: 8
"Lilith's ace monster," Morningstar muttered.
"Battle!" Lilith declared. "Kidbrave, attack the face-down monster on the right, otherwise known as Subterror Fiendess! Fourth Bullet!" Kidbrave aimed and fired at Fiendess's face-down card, but Terminus only smirked.
"Pointless," he said, surprising Lilith. "I activate the effect of The Hidden City! Once per turn, when your monster declares an attack, I can change a face-down Defense Position 'Subterror' monster I control to face-up Attack or Defense Position and negate your attack."
"What?" Lilith said, surprised at that effect.
"I think I'll change the position of my other monster to face-up Defense Position," Terminus said, gesturing to his second face-down monster. "I Flip Summon Subterror Behemoth Umastryx!"
His face-down card flipped face-up and glowed. To Morningstar's surprise, the ground started shaking. "What's happening?" Galahad asked.
"No idea," Morningstar answered.
Cracks appeared in the ground as a blue light emerged. Suddenly, a massive body emerged from beneath the ground. Lilith, Morningstar, and Galahad all swerved to avoid the falling rubble, but Terminus didn't move at all. Lilith looked at what emerged from the ground and gasped.
It was a giant four-legged reptilian monster with black skin and blue lines running over it. For a nose, it had a drill. It was one of the largest monsters Lilith had ever seen.
Subterror Behemoth Umastryx ATK 2000 DEF 2700 LVL: 7
"What is that thing?" Galahad said, looking at the monster in shock.
"No idea," Morningstar said, looking at Umastryx with wide eyes.
Terminus smirked at everyone's reactions. "Because Umastryx was flipped face-up, its effect now activates!" he declared, surprising Lilith. "Now, I can target and banish one of your monsters!"
"What?" Lilith said, her eyes widening in horror. Her Fiendish Deal prevented her monsters' destruction, but it couldn't stop them from being banished.
"Say goodbye to Zakiel!" Umastryx plunged its nose towards Zakiel, but Lilith wasn't defenseless.
"I activate the Trap Card Magical Musket – Shifting Aim from my hand!" she declared. The card showed Kidbrave aiming at a target, while Starfire held his arm. "Since you targeted a 'Magical Musket' monster for a card effect, this card lets me choose another target! I change your target to Kidbrave!"
Kidbrave leapt in front of Umastryx's drill and cried out with pain as he disappeared.
"Not bad," Terminus said, smiling to himself.
"This battle isn't over!" Lilith said. "Zakiel, attack Terminus's face-down monster! Seventh Bullet!" Zakiel lifted both of its guns and fired at its target. Subterror Fiendess briefly appeared as she was destroyed.
"And now the Battle Phase is over," Lilith said. "But my turn isn't! I activate the effect of Shifting Aim in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon one 'Magical Musket' monster from my Deck and return one Spell or Trap Card on my field to my hand. I'll return Fiendish Deal to my hand and Special Summon Magical Musketeer Starfire in Defense Position!" The woman in a black and blue dress appeared, carrying a Derringer.
Magical Musketeer – Starfire ATK 1300 DEF 1700 LVL: 4
"I end my turn," Lilith said, gritting her teeth. She hadn't been able to damage Terminus this turn, but she would have another chance.
"So that's what a 'Subterror' Deck is capable of," Morningstar noted.
Galahad scowled. "A Flip Effect Deck," he muttered. "That's the worst kind of Deck to go against."
"My turn! Draw!" Terminus drew, but before he could make a move, Lilith spoke up.
"I activate the Continuous Trap Card Magical Musket – Fiendish Deal from my hand!" she declared. "Starfire's effect lets me do so during your turn. And because I activated a Spell or Trap Card in the same column as Starfire, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Magical Musket' monster from my Deck in Defense Position. Come to me, Magical Musketeer Caspar!" A young man with blonde hair wearing red clothes carrying a handgun appeared on Lilith's field with Starfire and Zakiel.
Magical Musketeer Caspar ATK 1200 DEF 2000 LVL: 3
"Interesting," Terminus mused. "So not only have you protected your monsters from destruction effects, you also gained a new monster. Rather clever of you." He smirked. "Of course, it won't change the outcome." He gestured to the large reptile on his field. "Umastryx's monster effect! Once per turn, I can change Umastryx to face-down Defense Position!"
"What?" Lilith said in surprise as the massive monster disappeared and the face-down card reappeared on Terminus's field. "Why would you do that?"
"So I can do this," Terminus said, selecting a card from his hand. "Because a monster was flipped face-down and I control no face-up monsters, I can Special Summon this monster in face-up Defense Position. Emerge, Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist!"
Instead of the ground cracking, a massive pillar of fire appeared on Terminus's field. And from that pillar, another giant monster appeared. This one was demonic in appearance and blue and yellow in color. It roared, breaking the windows of several nearby buildings.
Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000 DEF 1400 LVL: 11
Galahad, Lilith, and Morningstar all braced themselves against the wind. "These monsters of his are insane!" Galahad commented. Morningstar could only agree in silence with Galahad.
"Speleogeist's monster effect!" Terminus continued. "Once per turn, I can change Speleogeist to face-down Defense Position!" The fiend disappeared as a face-down card appeared. "And now I activate The Hidden City's effect! Once per turn, I can change one face-down Defense Position 'Subterror' monster on my field to face-up Attack or Defense Position. I change my face-down Speleogeist to face-up Attack Position!" The giant fiend reemerged as Lilith grit her teeth. He'd flipped Speleogeist face-down so he could activate its Flip Effect, didn't he?
"Speleogeist's Flip Effect!" Terminus declared, confirming Lilith's suspicion. "Since it was flipped face-up, I can target one monster on the field. That monster's attack points become 0, and if it is in Defense Position, it is changed to Attack Position." Lilith gasped. "Your Zakiel is already in Attack Position, but it can still lose its attack points! Go, Speleogeist! Terrifying Drain!" Speleogeist shot blue flames at Zakiel, who cried out in pain as its attack points decreased.
Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel ATK 2500→0
"Zakiel!" Lilith shouted, distraught at seeing her best monster drained like this.
"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Subterror Cave Clash!" Terminus declared. "With this card, all 'Subterror' monsters I control gain 500 attack and defense points for each Set monster on the field. As there is one Set monster, Speleogeist gains 500 attack and defense points!"
Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000→3500 DEF 1400→1900
"This is bad," Galahad said, narrowing his eyes. "If he attacks with Speleogeist, Lilith will lose most of her Life Points."
"Battle!" Terminus said. "Speleogeist, attack Zakiel! Terror Domination!" Speleogeist gathered blue flames in its hands which it lobbed at Zakiel, but Lilith only smirked.
"If you think that's going to work, you don't know me!" she shouted. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Magical Musket – Cross-Domination! Since I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, one monster on the field has its effects negated and its attack and defense points changed to 0 until the end of the turn. And of course, I choose Speleogeist!"
Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3500→0 DEF 1900→0
"Since their attack points are equal now, that means they'll both be destroyed!" Galahad said.
"No," Morningstar said, drawing Galahad's attention. "Lilith's going to win this turn." He remembered Caspar's effect from his duel with Lilith. And he remembered another card she'd used to try and defeat him.
"Caspar's monster effect!" Lilith declared. "Since I activated a Spell or Trap Card in Caspar's column, I can add one 'Magical Musket' card with a different name from my Deck to my hand!" If I add Steady Hands to my hand, its effect will make Zakiel's attack points 5000, she thought. And since Speleogeist's attack points are 0, I'll win!
The selection screen appeared in front of her, but before she could choose, Tagoma shouted in her ear. "Masako! Look out!" Looking up, Lilith gasped and sharply veered right. She'd been about to smash into a building. Unfortunately, when she did so, she waved her arm and selected a card she didn't intend to.
Looking at the card she'd selected, Lilith grit her teeth. Timed Reload? Damn it.
Terminus smirked as he turned the corner and his Speleogeist's attack continued. "Do you think that little card will change anything?" he asked Lilith, surprising her. "Trap activate! Subterror Final Battle!"
"A Trap Card?" Morningstar said, surprised.
"Final Battle's effect lets me choose one of four effects!" Terminus explained. "And I think I'll choose the third effect. Now, until the end of the turn, the attack and defense points of one 'Subterror' monster becomes equal to its combined original attack and defense points until the end of the turn!"
"What?" Lilith said.
Terminus gestured to Speleogeist. "Speleogeist's attack and defense points now become equal to its combined attack and defense points! Or 4400!"
Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 0→4400 DEF 0→4400
"The best part of this is that instead of being sent to the Graveyard, Final Battle Sets itself on my field," Terminus said, annoying Lilith. "Continue your attack, Speleogeist! Terror Domination!" The blue flames reached Zakiel, but Lilith had one more trick up her sleeve.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Magical Musket – Timed Reload!" The card showed Wild, its guns smoking as Caspar fed a new line of bullets into one of them. "This card targets a 'Magical Musket' monster on my field. That monster cannot be destroyed by battle this turn, and any battle damage I take this turn is halved!"
"But you'll still take damage!" Terminus reminded her. The blue flames reached around Zakiel and struck Lilith, causing her to cry out.
Lilith: 4000→1800 LP
"Masako! Ahead of you!" Lilith looked up, but she wasn't quick enough to avoid smashing into the building this time.
"Lilith!" Galahad cried out. Morningstar only narrowed his eyes.
Looking up, Lilith saw that she smashed through not only the wall, but also the floor. Making an annoyed sound, she got up and broke through a nearby window, where her D-Board caught her.
"Well done," Terminus said, surprising her. "If not for that card, you would have lost."
And if I had added Steady Hands instead of Timed Reload, you would have taken damage instead of me, Lilith thought. Why did that have to happen?
"Since a 'Subterror' monster I control inflicted battle damage," Terminus continued. "Cave Clash's second effect activates, and I can add one 'Subterror' card from my Graveyard to my hand. I'll return my Fiendess to my hand."
After doing so, he said, "I end my turn. And since it is the End Phase, the effects of your Cross-Domination and my Final Battle end, and Speleogeist's attack and defense points return to normal."
Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 4400→3500 DEF 4400→1900
"Zakiel's monster effect!" Lilith suddenly declared. "During your End Phase, I draw cards equal to the number of 'Magical Musket' Spell or Trap Cards I activated this turn. I activated three, so I draw three cards!"
As she drew, Morningstar said into his earpiece, "This isn't good, Cam."
"No, it isn't," Cam agreed. "She's losing. More than that, Terminus's moves have made it very difficult for her to inflict any damage."
Cam was right. Since Umastryx was face-down, Terminus could use the effect of The Hidden City to negate Lilith's first attack. And once Umastryx was flipped face-up, it would banish one of Lilith's monsters. And if that wasn't bad enough, Speleogeist's effect hadn't ended, meaning her Zakiel still had 0 attack points.
"My turn! Draw!" Lilith looked at the cards in her hand and narrowed her eyes. She couldn't defeat Terminus with these cards, but she could damage him and disrupt his moves.
"This monster can be Tribute Summoned by Tributing one 'Magical Musket' monster!" Lilith said. "I Tribute Starfire to Tribute Summon another Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel!" Starfire disappeared as a second Zakiel appeared on her field.
Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel ATK 2500 DEF 2500 LVL: 8
"Now she has two of them," Galahad noted.
"From my hand, I activate the Trap Card: Magical Musket – Desperado!" Lilith continued. "Since I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, I can destroy one face-up card on the field. I'll destroy your Field Spell!" Her Trap Card released a blast of energy at Terminus's card, but he only smirked.
"I activate the effect of the Subterror Fiendess in my hand!" he declared. "Since you activated a card or effect, I can send this card to the Graveyard and target one 'Subterror' monster I control. Your card's activation is negated, and the targeted monster is changed to face-down Defense Position!"
"What?" Lilith said.
"I target Speleogeist," Terminus said. "So now Speleogeist is flipped face-down and your Desperado is negated!" Speleogeist disappeared as its face-down card appeared while the blast from Desperado shattered.
Lilith grit her teeth. She'd been counting on Desperado, but she still had some moves left.
"I activate the Trap Card: Magical Musket – Dancing Needle from my hand!" she declared. "Since I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, I can target up to three cards in our Graveyards and banish them. But I think I'll only target one: your Subterror Fiendess!"
Banishing Fiendess does not help her this turn, Terminus thought. Why would she-? His eyes widened in realization. Wait!
"Caspar's monster effect! Since I activated a Spell or Trap Card in the same column as Caspar, I can add one 'Magical Musket' card with a different name from my Deck to my hand," Lilith said. "I add the Spell Card: Magical Musket – About Face, which I will now activate!" The card showed Caspar, Kidbrave, and Wild all standing together, each of them pointing their guns in a different direction. "This card lets me target and Tribute up to two 'Magical Musket' monsters on my field. I target and Tribute Caspar and the Zakiel with 0 attack points!"
Both monsters disappeared, then Lilith said, "Now, About Face's real effect begins! I can Special Summon an equal number of Level 4 or lower 'Magical Musket' monsters from my Deck in Attack Position! Come to me, Magical Musketeer Doc and Magical Musketeer Wild!" Doc was a man in a lab coat with a red cloak, carrying a sniper rifle. He stood next to the bare-chested man with dreadlocks carrying a multitude of weapons that was Wild.
Magical Musketeer Doc ATK 1400 DEF 1200 LVL: 3
Magical Musketeer Wild ATK 1700 DEF 900 LVL: 4
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Magical Musket – Steady Hands!" Lilith continued. "This card makes the attack and defense points of one 'Magical Musket' monster equal to double their original attack and defense points until the end of the turn. I'll target Doc for its effect!"
Magical Musketeer Doc ATK 1400→2800 DEF 1200→2400
"2800 attack points?" Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes.
"Doc's monster effect! Since I activated a Spell or Trap Card in its column, I can add one 'Magical Musket' card from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Cross-Domination to my hand!"
Lilith did so, then said, "Battle! Zakiel, attack his face-down Speleogeist! Seventh Bullet!" Zakiel fired its guns at Speleogeist, but Terminus only scoffed.
"You fool," he said. "I activate the effect of The Hidden City! By flipping Speleogeist face-up, I negate your attack!" Speleogeist reappeared and Zakiel's attack faded.
Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000 DEF 1400 LVL: 11
"And because there is a Set monster on the field, Cave Clash increases Speleogeist's attack and defense points by 500!"
Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000→3500 DEF 1400→1900
"Speleogeist's Flip Effect!" Terminus declared. "Since it was flipped face-up, one monster on the field loses all of its attack points. I'll target your Doc! Terrifying Drain!"
Magical Musketeer Doc ATK 2800→0
"She knew that was going to happen," Galahad said. "So why did she do it?"
"Because it was her only option," Morningstar answered.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Magical Musket – Cross-Domination!" Lilith declared. "And target your Speleogeist! Now Speleogeist loses all its attack and defense points and its effects are negated!"
Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3500→0 DEF 1900→0
"Wild's monster effect!" Lilith continued. "Because a Spell or Trap Card was activated in its column, I can shuffle three 'Magical Musket' cards in my Graveyard back into my Deck and draw one card. I return Caspar, Starfire, and Timed Reload to my Deck." She drew, and on seeing what her card was, smirked. Terminus wasn't going to expect this.
"Battle!" Lilith declared. "Wild, attack Speleogeist! Sixth Bullet!"
"What's she doing?" Galahad asked, surprised. "She knows what his face-down card is!"
"Trap activate!" Terminus declared. "Subterror Final Battle! I choose to activate its third effect and make Speleogeist's attack and defense points equal to its combined attack and defense points."
"That means Lilith will take 2700 points of damage," Morningstar noted.
Lilith smirked. "Don't be so sure," she said, surprising Terminus and the other two. "From my hand, I activate the Counter Trap Card: Magical Musket – Last Stand! Since you activated a Spell or Trap Card while I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, that card's activation is negated and it is destroyed!"
Terminus gasped in surprise as his Final Battle shattered. Without that…
"Keep going, Wild!" Lilith shouted. "Destroy Speleogeist! Sixth Bullet!" Wild roared as it unloaded on Speleogeist, which cried out as it was destroyed. Terminus flinched from the damage.
Terminus 4000→2300 LP
"She damaged him!" Galahad said excitedly.
"But it cost her quite a bit," Morningstar noted, seeing that Lilith had only managed to destroy one of Terminus's monsters.
Terminus smirked. "Not bad, Lilith," he said. "But I'm afraid that won't be enough." He gestured to his field. "I activate my Skill! Whispering Terror!"
"What?" Lilith said with surprise. "You're activating your Skill now?"
"It can only be activated now," Terminus said. "Since a Flip Monster was destroyed by battle, I can Set one 'Subterror' monster directly from my Deck."
"What? Any 'Subterror' monster?"
"That's right. And I'll Set Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus!"
Seeing another face-down monster, Lilith grit her teeth, but then she smirked. "You're not the only one with a Skill, you know," she said. "I activate my Skill! Magic Shot! Since you damage from an attack by a 'Magical Musket' monster, I can halve your Life Points!"
"What?" Galahad said, surprised. "She can do that?" Morningstar and Terminus only narrowed their eyes.
Lilith pulled out one of her pistols and pointed it at Terminus. Please don't be the one with blanks, she internally pleaded. She fired, and sure enough, Terminus doubled over like he'd been punched in the stomach.
Terminus: 2300→1150 LP
"Her Life Points are higher than his now," Galahad said. He turned to Morningstar. "Do you think she can win?"
Morningstar didn't answer. He just continued to watch.
As Terminus straightened himself, Lilith said, "I end my turn, and since I activated About Face before, all my Spell and Trap Cards are destroyed, which means Fiendish Deal is gone."
As the card shattered, Lilith looked at the only card in her hand. Another copy of Steady Hands. With this, it didn't matter what monsters Terminus summoned; she would be ready.
"My turn! Draw!" Terminus looked at his card and sighed. "I'm sorry, Lilith. I admit this fight was interesting, but you never stood a chance against me."
"What?" Lilith said, surprised. "You have fewer Life Points! And even if you banish one of my monsters with Umastryx, I'll still have two left!"
"Umastryx isn't the monster you need to worry about," Terminus revealed, startling Lilith. "The monster you allowed me to summon is." He gestured to his second face-down monster. "I Flip Summon Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus!"
Lilith, Galahad, and Morningstar all looked down as the ground started to shake again. The ground cracked as lava erupted from the streets.
"What the hell!?" Galahad said as he swerved to avoid the fire. "What's happening?"
Morningstar didn't respond as he stared at the monster that emerged from the ground. It had four legs and a very long neck. It seemed to be made of rock and lava. It roared as it finally took its place on Terminus's field.
Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus ATK 3000 DEF 1800 LVL: 12
"Because there is a Set monster on the field, Ultramafus gains 500 attack and defense points!"
Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus ATK 3000→3500 DEF 1800→2300
"And now your end begins, Lilith!" Terminus declared. "Ultramafus's Flip Effect! When this card is flipped face-up, all other face-up monsters on the field are changed to face-down Defense Position!"
Lilith gasped. "What?"
"Go! Terrifying Roar!" Ultramafus roared, causing Doc, Wild, and Zakiel to all disappear and face-down monsters to appear on Lilith's field.
Terminus smirked. "Because there are three more Set monsters, Ultramafus gains 1500 more attack and defense points."
Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus ATK 3500→5000 DEF 2300→3800
"This… this is bad," Morningstar said, his eyes wide. Since all her monsters were face-down, Lilith couldn't use any of their effects. Meaning she couldn't activate any Spell or Trap Cards from her hand.
"It isn't over," Galahad said. "She still has three monsters on the field, and since they're all in Defense Position, she won't take any damage when they're destroyed."
That won't stop Terminus, Morningstar thought.
"Next, I Flip Summon Subterror Behemoth Umastryx!" The giant lizard with a drill nose reappeared on Terminus's field.
Subterror Behemoth Umastryx ATK 2000 DEF 2700 LVL: 7
"Umastryx gains attack and defense points due to the effect of Cave Clash," Terminus said. "But because there is one less Set monster, Ultramafus loses 500 attack and defense points."
Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus ATK 5000→4500 DEF 3800→3300
Subterror Behemoth Umastryx ATK 2000→3500 DEF 2700→4200
"And since Umastryx was flipped face-up, its effect activates, and one of your monsters is banished!" Terminus declared. "I'll banish the face-down Zakiel!" Lilith grit her teeth as one of her face-down cards disappeared.
"And of course, since another Set monster left the field, my monsters lose 500 attack and defense points."
Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus ATK 4500→4000 DEF 3300→2800
Subterror Behemoth Umastryx ATK 3500→3000 DEF 4200→3700
Terminus smirked. "Morningstar!" he called out behind him to the bounty hunter. "You wished to see my true power? Then I'll show you and Lilith my true ace monster!" He gestured ahead of him. "Appear, our future circuit!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared high above them.
"He's Link Summoning!" Galahad shouted, stating the obvious.
"Arrowheads confirmed!" Terminus chanted. "The summoning conditions are two Flip monsters! I set Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus and Subterror Behemoth Umastryx in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became streams of yellow and blue wind respectively. They entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red. The portal glowed with energy as Terminus continued his chant.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Subterror Behemoth Fiendess!"
The monster that appeared was just as large as the last two. It was a large purple dragon with black and pink wings. It wore armor on its chest and waist similar to Subterror Fiendess's, and a long mane of purple hair fell down its neck. It roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.
Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000 LINK-2 ↙↘
Morningstar, Lilith, and Galahad all braced themselves as Behemoth Fiendess's roar released powerful blasts of wind. Lilith looked at the summoned monster in shock while Morningstar glared at it.
"So this is his Link Monster," he muttered to himself.
"Due to Cave Clash, Behemoth Fiendess gains 1000 attack points!"
Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000→3000
"My monster is not done powering up," Terminus said. "When Behemoth Fiendess is Link Summoned, it gains attack points equal to the combined original Levels of the 'Subterror' monsters used for its Link Summon times 100!"
Lilith's eyes widened. Ultramafus had been Level 12 while Umastryx had been Level 7. That meant Behemoth Fiendess gained 1900 attack points.
Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 3000→4900
"Behemoth Fiendess's monster effect!" Terminus continued. "Once per turn, during my Main Phase, I can send one Flip monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send Subterror Behemoth Dragossuary to the Graveyard." He did so, then said, "Doing so lets me Special Summon one monster from my hand in face-down Defense Position to Behemoth Fiendess's Link Marker. I Special Summon Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken!" A face-down card appeared next to Behemoth Fiendess's bottom-left Link Marker. "And since there is another Set monster, Cave Clash increases Behemoth Fiendess's attack points by 500!"
Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 4900→5400
Terminus smirked. "I activate the effect of The Hidden City! Once per turn, I can change one face-down Defense Position monster to face-up Attack or Defense Position. I change my face-down Stygokraken to face-up Attack Position!" This monster appeared in a rush of water. It resembled an ancient fish with four horns on its head and a mane of yellow hair.
Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken ATK 1400 DEF 2600 LVL: 5
"And of course, Cave Clash makes Stygokraken more powerful, while it lowers Behemoth Fiendess's attack points."
Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 5400→4900
Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken ATK 1400→2400 DEF 2600→3600
"Stygokraken's Flip Effect!" Terminus declared. "If this monster is flipped face-up, I can target Set cards on the field, equal to the number of 'Subterror Behemoth' monsters I control and destroy them!" Lilith's eyes widened in shock. "I control two 'Subterror Behemoths,' so I'll destroy both of your face-down monsters!" Stygokraken let loose a blast of water, destroying both of Lilith's cards.
"Of course, since both of your Set monsters are gone, both of my monsters lose 1000 attack points. But at this point, it doesn't really matter."
Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 4900→3900
Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken ATK 2400→1400 DEF 3600→2600
"Masako!" Tagoma shouted into her earpiece. "Get out of there! Now!"
"I can't," Lilith said, gritting her teeth. "My security field keeps me here, too."
"Since a monster next to its Link Marker was Flip Summoned, Behemoth Fiendess lets me add one Flip monster from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand," Terminus said. "I'll return Ultramafus from my Graveyard to my hand." He did so, then frowned. "For the record, I am sorry it came to this, Lilith. You were a valuable resource. But you overstepped your bounds. And now you'll answer for it."
He gestured to his Link Monster. "Battle! Behemoth Fiendess, attack Lilith directly! Final Extinction!"
Behemoth Fiendess gathered blue flames in its mouth, which it fired at Lilith. Lilith watched the energy as it approached her and-.
She screamed as it struck. It felt like every nerve of her body was on fire. The blast was so powerful, her D-Board disintegrated underneath her as she fell.
Lilith: 1800→0 LP
"Lilith!" Morningstar yelled.
"Masako!" Tagoma yelled as he stood up. He stared at his laptop, his eyes wide and watering.
Lilith vs. Terminus
This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.
Turn 1: Terminus
Terminus activates the Field Spell The Hidden City. Since it was activated, he can add 1 "Subterror" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Subterror Behemoth Umastryx to his hand. He Normal Summons Subterror Fiendess (800/500/1). He activates the effect of Fiendess, which lets him target 1 face-up monster and change it to face-down Defense Position, then Special Summon 1 "Subterror" monster from his hand or GY in face-up or face-down Defense Position. He targets Fiendess itself for its effect, flipping it into face-down Defense Position and Special Summoning Subterror Behemoth Umastryx in face-down Defense Position. He Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.
Turn 2: Lilith
Lilith draws. She Normal Summons Magical Musketeer Kidbrave (1600/200/3). Kidbrave's effect lets Lilith activate "Magical Musket" Spell/Trap Cards from her hand. She activates the Continuous Trap Card Magical Musket – Fiendish Deal. While Fiendish Deal is active, "Magical Musket" monsters she controls cannot be destroyed by card effects. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in Kidbrave's column, its effect activates, and Lilith discards Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel to draw 2 cards. She activates the Spell Card Monster Reborn, Special Summoning Zakiel to her field (2500/2500/8) in Attack Position.
Kidbrave attacks the face-down Subterror Fiendess, but Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City, changing his face-down Umastryx to face-up Defense Position (2000/2700/7) and negating the attack. Since Umastryx was Flip Summoned, its effect activates, letting Terminus target and banish 1 monster Lilith controls. He targets and attempts to banish Zakiel, but Lilith activates the Trap Card Magical Musket – Shifting Aim from her hand, letting her switch the target to a different monster she controls. She switches it to Kidbrave, which is banished. Zakiel attacks and destroys the Set Subterror Fiendess. At the end of the Battle Phase, Lilith activates the effect of Shifting Aim in her GY, banishing it to Special Summon 1 "Magical Musket" monster from her Deck and return 1 Spell/Trap Card on her field to her hand. She Special Summons Magical Musketeer Starfire (1300/1700/4) in Defense Position and returns Fiendish Deal to her hand. She ends her turn.
Turn 3: Terminus
Terminus draws. Lilith activates the Continuous Trap Card Magical Musket – Fiendish Deal. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in Starfire's column, its effect activates, and Lilith can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Magical Musket" monster from her Deck in Defense Position. She Special Summons Magical Musketeer Caspar (1200/2000/3) in Defense Position. Terminus activates the effect of Umastryx to change it to face-down Defense Position. Since a monster was flipped face-down while he controls no face-up monsters, Terminus activates the effect of the Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist in his hand, Special Summoning it in Defense Position (3000/1400/11). Terminus activates the effect of Speleogeist to change it to face-down Defense Position. Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City to change Speleogeist to face-up Attack Position (3000/1400/11). Since Speleogeist was Flip Summoned, Terminus can target 1 monster on the field, change it to Attack Position if it is in Defense Position, and change its ATK to 0. He targets Zakiel (Zakiel: 2500→0). Terminus activates the Continuous Spell Card Subterror Cave Clash, which increases the ATK/DEF of all "Subterror" monsters he controls by 500 for each Set monster on the field (Speleogeist: 3000→3500/1400→1900).
Speleogeist attacks Zakiel, but Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Magical Musket – Cross-Domination from her hand, changing Speleogeist's ATK/DEF to 0 and negating its effects until the end of the turn (Speleogeist: 3500→0/1900→0). Since Lilith activated a Spell/Trap Card in the same column, Caspar's effect activates, letting Lilith add 1 "Magical Musket" card with a different name from her Deck to her hand. She adds Magical Musket – Timed Reload. Terminus activates his face-down Trap Card Subterror Final Battle, choosing to activate its 3rd effect. Speleogeist's ATK/DEF becomes equal to its combined original ATK/DEF until the end of the turn (Speleogeist: 0→4400/0→4400). Subterror Final Battle is Set instead of being sent to the GY. Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Magical Musket – Timed Reload from her hand, targeting Zakiel for its effect. Zakiel isn't destroyed by this battle and all battle damage Lilith takes is halved (Lilith: 4000→1800 LP). Since a "Subterror" monster he controls inflicted battle damage, the effect of Cave Clash lets Terminus add 1 "Subterror" card from his GY to his hand. He adds Subterror Fiendess to his hand. He ends his turn, and the effects of Cross-Domination and Final Battle end (Speleogeist: 4400→3500/4400→1900). The effect of Zakiel activates, and Lilith draws cards equal to the number of "Magical Musket" Spell/Trap Cards she activated this turn. She draws 3 cards.
Turn 4: Lilith
Lilith draws. She Tributes Starfire on her field to Tribute Summon a second Zakiel (2500/2500/8). Lilith activates the Trap Card Magical Musket – Desperado from her hand, targeting The Hidden City for its effect. Terminus activates the effect of the Subterror Fiendess in his hand, sending it to the GY and targeting Speleogeist. Desperado's effect is negated, and Speleogeist is changed to face-down Defense Position. Lilith activates the Trap Card Magical Musket – Dancing Needle, targeting Fiendess in the GY and banishing it. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in the same column as Caspar, Lilith can add 1 "Magical Musket" card from her Deck to her hand. She adds Magical Musket – About Face to her hand. Lilith activates the Spell Card Magical Musket – About Face, targeting Caspar and the first Zakiel on her field. They are Tributed, and Lilith can Special Summon 2 Level 4 or lower "Magical Musket" monsters from her Deck to her field in Attack Position. She Special Summons Magical Musketeer Doc (1400/1200/3) and Magical Musketeer Wild (1700/900/4). Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Magical Musket – Steady Hands, targeting Doc for its effect and making its ATK/DEF double its original ATK/DEF until the end of the turn (Doc: 1400→2800/1200→2400). Since she activated a Spell/Trap Card in the same column as Doc, its effect lets Lilith add 1 "Magical Musket" card from her GY to her hand. She adds Cross-Domination.
Zakiel attacks the face-down Speleogeist, but Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City, Flip Summoning Speleogeist (3000→3500/1400→1900/11) in Attack Position and negating Zakiel's attack. Since Speleogeist was Flip Summoned, Terminus activates its effect, targeting Doc and changing its ATK to 0 (Doc: 2800→0). Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cross-Domination, targeting Speleogeist for its effect, negating its effects and reducing its ATK/DEF to 0 (Speleogeist: 3500→0/1900→0). Since she activated Cross-Domination in the same column as Wild, Wild's effect lets her target Caspar, Starfire, and Timed Reload in her GY, shuffle all 3 cards back into her Deck, then draw 1 card. Wild attacks Speleogeist, but Terminus activates his face-down Trap Card Subterror Final Battle, attempting to activate the 3rd effect and make Speleogeist's ATK/DEF equal to its combined ATK/DEF. Lilith activates the Counter Trap Card Magical Musket – Last Stand from her hand, negating the activation of Final Battle and destroying it. The attack continues, and Speleogeist is destroyed (Terminus: 4000→2300 LP). Since a Flip Monster was destroyed by battle, Terminus activates his Skill, Whispering Terror, to Set 1 "Subterror" monster directly from his Deck. He Sets Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus. At the end of the Battle Phase, Lilith activates her Skill, Magic Shot. Since Terminus took damage from at least 1 attack by a "Magical Musket" monster, his LP are halved (Terminus: 2300→1150 LP). Lilith ends her turn, and the effect of About Face destroys the Fiendish Deal on Lilith's field.
Turn 5: Terminus
Terminus draws. He Flip Summons Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus (3000→3500/1800→2300/12). Since Ultramafus was Flip Summoned, all other face-up monsters on the field are changed to face-down Defense Position. Doc, Wild, and Zakiel are changed to face-down Defense Position (Ultramafus: 3500→5000/2300→3800). Terminus Flip Summons Subterror Behemoth Umastryx (2000→3500/2700→4200/7) (Ultramafus: 5000→4500/3800→3300). Since Umastryx was Flip Summoned, Terminus can target and banish 1 monster Lilith controls. He banishes the face-down Zakiel (Ultramafus: 4500→4000/3300→2800) (Umastryx: 3500→3000/4200→3700). Terminus uses Ultramafus and Umastryx to Link Summon Subterror Behemoth Fiendess (2000→3000/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Behemoth Fiendess gains ATK equal to the combined original Levels of the "Subterror" monsters used to Link Summon it x 100 (Behemoth Fiendess: 3000→4900). Terminus activates the effect of Behemoth Fiendess, sending the Subterror Behemoth Dragossuary in his Deck to the GY to Special Summon 1 monster from his hand in face-down Defense Position to Behemoth Fiendess's bottom-left Link Marker. He Special Summons Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken in face-down Defense Position (Behemoth Fiendess: 4900→5400).
Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City to change Stygokraken to face-up Attack Position (1400→2400/2600→3600/5) (Behemoth Fiendess: 5400→4900). Since Stygokraken was Flip Summoned, its effect activates, and Terminus can target Set cards on the field, equal to the number of "Subterror Behemoth" monsters he controls and destroy them. He controls two, so he targets and destroys the face-down Doc and Wild (Behemoth Fiendess: 4900→3900) (Stygokraken: 2400→1400/3600→2600). Since a monster it pointed to was Flip Summoned, the effect of Behemoth Fiendess lets Terminus add 1 Flip monster from his Deck or GY to his hand. He adds Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus from his GY to his hand. Behemoth Fiendess attacks Lilith directly (Lilith: 1800→0 LP). Terminus wins.
Magical Musket – Shifting Aim Normal Trap Card
Activate only when exactly 1 "Magical Musket" monster you control is targeted by a Spell, Trap, or Effect Monster's effect. Target another monster you control that would be an appropriate target; that effect/Spell/Trap now targets the new target. At the end of the Battle Phase: You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 "Magical Musket" monster from your Deck and return 1 Spell/Trap Card on your field to your hand. You can only activate each effect of "Magical Musket – Shifting Aim" once per turn.
Magical Musket – Timed Reload Quick-Play Spell Card
If you control a "Magical Musket" monster: Target 1 face-up "Magical Musket" monster on the field; until the end of this turn, it cannot be destroyed by battle and all battle damage you take is halved. You can only activate 1 "Magical Musket – Timed Reload" per turn.
Magical Musket – About Face Normal Spell Card
Target up to 2 "Magical Musket" monsters you control; Tribute them, then Special Summon an equal number of Level 4 or lower "Magical Musket" monsters from your Deck to your field in Attack Position. During the End Phase, destroy all Spell/Trap Cards you control. You can only activate 1 "Magical Musket – About Face" per turn.
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 16 – The Fourth Commander
Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes
Thank you to D3lph0xL0v3r, HunterHQ, Ryujomaru15, ClearwingYuta, Guest, Guest, SakushiRyu, mekyaku, giacomoX, sanedimentio, and Linda Fullmoon for reviewing Chapter 14. Also thank you to Guest for reviewing Chapter 11 and ThePLOThand for reviewing Chapter 13.
HunterHQ: Yasutake was trolling Takeshi. He doesn't show it often, but he does have a sense of humor. Also, thank you for mentioning the episode summary.
ClearwingYuta: I won't answer either question. Spoilers. Sorry. But thanks for asking. Questions like those help give me ideas on how to improve Hidden Memories.
Once again, I request that all Guests please provide a name or alias when writing a review, as it makes responding to them easier. I might decide not to answer reviews if you do not. But in response to the first Guest review, I'm sorry you feel that way. Writing female characters is difficult for me, and I've evolved Masako's character in my head quite a bit. This makes her somewhat tricky to write for. And to the second Guest review, yes, there will be enough people. Just read and wait.
Linda Fullmoon: Sorry. Spoilers.
This chapter started out with Aoi and Yasutake. I wanted to show how comfortable the two have gotten with each other, which is why Yasutake told Aoi about his and Cam's problems with Ghost Girl. The reason I told it like this is because despite being on the good guys' side, Ghost Girl is a mercenary, and she did sell out Akira before to his bosses, so I wanted to show that she has fewer moral scruples than other characters do. At the same time, it also helps show her character development, because Yasutake notes she has changed, at least a bit. As for Sachi being a part of it, I thought that essential; Sachi is Cam's and Yasutake's largest berserk button, so I thought the only way Cam could truly dislike a person is if Sachi was involved.
The rest of the chapter was Masako figuring out the truth about Terminus and then dueling him. To be honest, I don't feel like this is my best written chapter, but I am moderately proud of the duel. As for the result…
One of the issues I had with Dr. Genome, Baira, and Faust was how they were essentially high-grade cannon fodder. Baira and Faust got to show off to the AI Duelist squad, but we didn't get to see them actually duel. To establish Terminus as a threat, I wanted him to win a duel before facing Morningstar. I know this comes at Lilith's expense, just like with Ghost Girl and Revolver, but I considered a powerful enemy more important.
And on that note, Terminus uses the Subterror Deck, a Deck based around Flip Summoning. I feel this archetype is one of the more powerful of the recently released archetypes, and it is definitely difficult to fight against. Morningstar will have his work cut out for him, no?
Now, I'm not sure if all my readers pay attention to anime dubbing, but previews of the VRAINS dub have been released, and I want to know what people think of them. Personally, I like the voice actors' performances, especially Revolver's, or Varis, or whatever his name is. Before anyone gets worried about name changes, I will only change card names to reflect the TCG. Every character will still use their Japanese names. So Revolver is staying Revolver and Kusanagi is not getting called Kolter.
Thank you for reading Chapter 15 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me your opinions of the VRAINS dub previews in the reviews, as well as your favorite moment of the chapter. Was it Takeshi's scene? Aoi and Yasutake? Or that Terminus finally got to duel?