Chapter 24: Knightfall
1 year ago…
"I told you last time, my name is Takeshi Akino!" the junior yelled at the senior, frightening them. "I'm the Vice-President of the Student Council! How is it so hard to remember that!?"
"Eh…eh…" his senior stuttered. "I, uh, don't know. Maybe you just have a forgettable face?"
Takeshi scowled at the teenager and sighed. "That aside, you collected the forms from your club?"
"Y-Yes. Here they are." The senior handed the stack of papers to Takeshi and quickly left the Student Council room.
"You should loosen up more, Akino." The junior turned and looked at the Student Council President, who was currently on her laptop, smirking at his annoyance. "You make a good face when you're happy. If you spent more time smiling than yelling, maybe more people would remember you."
"Thanks for the advice, President," Takeshi said, sighing again and sitting down in his chair. "Are we expecting any more club representatives?"
"Just a few, and I can handle them myself," the President said. "Why don't you take a break? You're going to pop a blood vessel at this rate."
"Har har har," Takeshi replied. "But alright. I have a friend on the soccer team. I think I'll go watch his practice." Takeshi stood up and headed to the door. "Give me a call if you need me, President."
"Will do."
As he walked through the hallways, Takeshi frowned to himself. While he got along with most of his classmates, it was highly irritating how most of them couldn't remember his name. Or at least some of them couldn't. He was sure at least a few of them were doing it on purpose. He knew Takeshi was a common name but come on. How many Takeshi's were blonde?
When he reached the soccer field, he sat down on a nearby bench to watch his friends play. He wasn't in any sports teams himself, but he kept himself in shape. And watching his friends enjoy themselves was worth it.
"Excuse me."
Takeshi turned to look behind him at the voice and his jaw dropped. The girl behind him was as tall as he was with sharp amethyst eyes. Long silver hair flowed behind her tied back in a ponytail.
Realizing his mouth was open, Takeshi closed it as he stood up and then said, "H-Hello. Can I help you with something?"
"Yes," she said, her face expressionless. "I'm Katsumi Kurosaki. I don't know if you know me."
Oh, I know you, Takeshi thought. He'd heard about Katsumi not long after arriving at Den Academy. She was a senior despite being only sixteen, and a prodigy in nearly every subject, except home economics (Takeshi still didn't know why a school focusing on computers taught a class about cooking). She was incredibly popular with both guys and girls and it sometimes seemed like every student had a crush on her.
"Y-Yes, I know you," Takeshi said, certain he was blushing like an idiot. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is-."
"Takeshi Akino, right?" Katsumi asked, surprising him.
"You… you know my name?"
"Yes. You're the Vice-President of the Student Council, aren't you?"
Takeshi didn't know how to respond. Instead of speaking, his eyes started watering.
"Eh?" Katsumi said, surprised. "Are you… crying?"
"S-Sorry." Takeshi started wiping his face, embarrassed at his behavior. "It's just… It's been a while since someone got my name right."
"Uh… huh?"
"N-Never mind." Takeshi cleared his throat and attempted a smile. "You said you needed help with something, Kurosaki?"
"Yes." Katsumi reached into her schoolbag and pulled out a few forms. "I was going to the Student Council room to hand these forms in, but I noticed you were out here, so I thought I could give them to you directly."
"Oh. That makes sense." Takeshi took the forms from her and raised an eyebrow at the headlines. "These are from the Chess Club and Duel Club? Did one of these clubs give you their forms, too?"
Katsumi shook her head. "No. I'm the President of the Chess Club and a senior member of the Duel Club. I thought it would kill two birds with one stone for me to take both clubs' forms to the Student Council."
She's part of the Chess Club AND the Duel Club? Takeshi thought, astounded. Most people only joined one club. They didn't have the time or energy for two. Another sign of how different this girl was.
"Well, that's impressive," Takeshi said, smiling at her. "I'll take these to the President. Thank you for bringing them, Kurosaki."
Katsumi seemed to hesitate, but then she gave a small smile back. "No. Thank you for accepting them here. You've saved me some hassle. But…" She frowned, feeling uncharacteristically nervous. "…Would it be alright if I stopped by the Student Council room later?"
"Huh?" Takeshi said, surprised. "Uh, sure. There's nothing stopping you. But why?"
"There are a few things I wish to discuss that weren't on the forms," she answered. "And I'd like to do so with the President and Vice-President. Is that alright?"
"Like I said, it is." Takeshi smiled again. "I'll look forward to your visit, Kurosaki."
Present day…
"So, Terminus. Do you still think you can win?"
Morningstar looked over the duel field as Galahad spoke.
Galahad: 1250 LP
Terminus: 2400 LP
The Charisma Duelist had four monsters on the field – Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow in the Extra Monster Zone, Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth at its bottom Link Marker, and Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning and Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier in the zones next to it. All four monsters were in Attack Position.
Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning ATK 3000 DEF 2500 LVL: 8
Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier ATK 3000 DEF 2500 LVL: 8
Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth ATK 3200 DEF 800 LVL: 6
Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow ATK 2600 LINK-3 ←↓→
Aside from his monsters, Galahad had the Field Spell Gateway to Chaos active with six Spell Counters on it, and the Continuous Trap Card Light of Intervention in his Spell & Trap Zone.
Gateway to Chaos: 6 SC
His opponent Terminus, in contrast, had only one monster on the field: Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric in Defense Position. He also had a Set card in his Spell & Trap Zone.
Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric ATK 1900 DEF 3000 LVL: 9
"This is perfect!" Cam said over the commlink in Morningstar's ear. "With Light of Intervention, Galahad's got this. Terminus can't Set any monsters now, nor can he flip his monsters face-down."
"That card does weaken Terminus," Morningstar agreed as he narrowed his eyes. "But…"
"But?"
"Terminus's Set card is Subterror Final Battle," Morningstar explained. "If he switches Voltelluric to Attack Position and activates Final Battle, it will have 4900 attack points. Attacking any of Galahad's monsters will defeat him."
"Oh…" Cam said, his voice small. "That's… disappointing."
The thing is, Galahad knows that, Morningstar thought, glancing at the Knight. And yet he's completely confident. He doesn't have any Set cards to block an attack. So how is he going to deflect the damage?
Terminus glared at Galahad and then smirked. "Very clever," he said. "You're right; a card like Light of Intervention would cripple a Flip Deck. Especially if its user was a lesser duelist. But…" His eyes narrowed. "I am not a lesser duelist."
Terminus played the card he drew at the beginning of his turn. "I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn! With this, I Special Summon Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist from the Graveyard!" The massive blue and yellow demon reappeared on Terminus's field in Attack Position.
Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000 DEF 1400 LVL: 11
"If only you had activated that card earlier in the duel," Terminus said. "But it matters little at this point. I switch Voltelluric to Attack Position." Terminus gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Subterror Final Battle! I'll target Voltelluric and activate its third effect!"
Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric ATK 1900→4900 DEF 3000→4900
Terminus narrowed his eyes again. All I have to do is attack one of his monsters, he thought. And I'll win. But Galahad knows that. So why is he so confident?
"As before, Final Battle is reset," Terminus said. "Battle! Voltelluric, attack Envoy of the Beginning!" The blue serpent-like monster released a blast of blue lightning at Envoy of the Beginning. Galahad only smirked as the attack connected and created a massive explosion.
"Hmm," Terminus said. "How anticlimactic."
"Are you sure about that?"
Terminus gasped as the smoke dissipated. Envoy of the Beginning was gone, but Galahad was still standing, his Life Points intact.
"…You used the card in your hand, didn't you?" Terminus asked him.
"Of course." Galahad swept his arm, revealing the card he discarded. It showed the armor of Gaia the Fierce Knight on an altar. "I activated the effect of the Fierce Knight's Soul in my hand. It reduced the battle damage to 0 and ended the Battle Phase." He smirked again. "Too bad. You failed to destroy me."
"Don't get cocky," Terminus said, narrowing his eyes as he gestured to his field. "Appear, our future circuit!" The Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Flip monsters! I set Speleogeist and Voltelluric in the Link Markers!" His two behemoths became whirlwinds of energy and entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Subterror Behemoth Fiendess!" A large purple dragon in black and white armor appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.
Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000 LINK-2 ↙↘
"Another one?" Cam said. "He has more than one of those things?"
"It would be stupid of him not to," Morningstar commented, narrowing his eyes.
"Because Behemoth Fiendess was Link Summoned, it gains attack points equal to Speleogeist's and Voltelluric's combined Levels times 100," Terminus reminded Galahad. "Their combined Levels equal 20, so Behemoth Fiendess gains 2000 attack points!"
Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000→4000
I cannot Set any monsters with his Light of Intervention Trap Card in play, Terminus thought. And he has many cards that inflict piercing damage. It is better to play it safe with Link Monsters for now. That said…
"I summon Subterror Nemesis Defender in Defense Position," Terminus said, doing so. His new monster was a orange-skinned man in black armor, carrying a massive shield on his back and a large hammer in his left hand.
Subterror Nemesis Defender ATK 100 DEF 2000 LVL: 2
"I Set one card," Terminus continued. "I end my turn."
"My turn! Draw!" Galahad drew and smirked. "I activate the Spell Card: Spell Rewind!" The card showed a blank green card falling into a vortex. "By banishing one Normal Spell Card from my Graveyard, I can add a different Normal Spell Card from my Graveyard to my hand. I banish Return Link, and add Spellbound Blessing to my hand, which I'll now activate! I remove all Spell Counters from Gateway to Chaos, and then for every three counters, I draw one card and gain 500 Life Points!" Galahad drew two new cards.
Galahad: 1250→2250 LP
Galahad gestured to the sky. "Appear! The circuit of champions!" The Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more monsters! I set Gaia Knight and Gaia Saber in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with Gaia Saber splitting into three. The whirlwinds entered the top-left, bottom-left, top-right, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.
Terminus's eyes widened. "Link-4?"
"Circuit combine!" Galahad chanted. "Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Gaia Saber, the Storm Paladin!"
The monster that emerged from the portal was similar in appearance to the Lightning Shadow, but its blue armor had changed to azure and its white armor had become silver. Large metallic wings sprouted from the back of the knight, and its lances doubled in length. The rider's horse neighed as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.
Gaia Saber, the Storm Paladin ATK 3200 LINK-4 ↖↙↗↘
"3200 attack points," Morningstar muttered. "That's strong, but not enough."
"Monsters were sent from the field to the Graveyard again," Galahad reminded Terminus. "That means Gateway to Chaos gains Spell Counters."
Gateway to Chaos: 0 SC→2 SC
Galahad smirked. "I think you're going to enjoy this next part, Terminus," he said. "I activate the Spell Card: Parallel Knight Fusion!"
Terminus's eyes widened in surprise. "Fusion?"
Galahad's card appeared. It showed two moons, one yellow and the other white, in the background. In front of it were two stretched-out monsters forming a circle. One was purple and resembled Gaia the Fierce Knight. The other was green and resembled Curse of Dragon.
"Parallel Knight Fusion allows me to shuffle banished monsters back into my Deck," Galahad explained. "And then I can Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster! Appear! The vortex of champions!"
The Fusion portal appeared in the air above Galahad. "Materials confirmed! The summoning conditions are one 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster and one Dragon monster! I fuse together the banished Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight and Curse of Dragonfire!" The two monsters appeared on his field, then disintegrated into energy that went into the portal, which glowed with power.
"Fusion Summon! Rise! Level 7! Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion!" The knight riding a red bone dragon appeared on Galahad's field in Attack Position, summoned to Storm Paladin's bottom-right Link Marker.
Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion ATK 2600 DEF 2100 LVL: 7
Terminus grit his teeth. "Ritual, Link, and Fusion on the field at the same time," he muttered. "You really are one of a kind, Galahad."
"Parallel Knight Fusion has another effect," Galahad continued, still smirking. "Since one of the Fusion Materials was a 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field!" Terminus gasped in surprise. "I'll destroy your left Set card!" The said card shattered, making Terminus narrow his eyes.
"Why that card?" Cam asked Morningstar. "The other card is Subterror Final Battle. If he got rid of that, he could attack Nemesis Defender with Sky Galloping Gaia and win."
"Its because he knows what Terminus's Set card is that he didn't destroy it," Morningstar responded. "He knows what effects Subterror Final Battle has, but he didn't know what Terminus's other Set card was. So he's playing it safe by destroying the other card."
"When Sky Galloping Gaia is Special Summoned, I can add Spiral Spear Strike from my Deck to my hand," Galahad said, interrupting Morningstar's and Cam's conversation. "But I don't think I'll need that." The Knight gestured to his field. "Battle! Sky Galloping Gaia, attack Nemesis Defender!"
The dragon-riding knight charged the monster with the hammer. "Sky Galloping Gaia's effect activates! When it attacks your monster, I can change its battle position!" Nemesis Defender lifted its hammer high and roared as it was switched to Attack Position.
Terminus growled and gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Subterror Final Battle! I make Nemesis Defender's attack and defense points equal to its combined attack and defense points!"
Subterror Nemesis Defender ATK 100→2100 DEF 2000→2100
"That isn't enough!" Galahad declared. "Go, Sky Galloping Gaia! Double Dragon Lance!" Sky Galloping Gaia was enveloped in flames and pierced Nemesis Defender, destroying it in an explosion. Terminus winced from the damage while Gateway to Chaos glowed.
Terminus: 2400→1900 LP
Gateway to Chaos: 2 SC→3 SC
Galahad gestured to a different monster on his field. "Storm Paladin's monster effect! Once per turn, I can target two monsters it points to, halve the attack points of one monster, then add that amount to the other monster until the end of this turn! I halve Sky Galloping Gaia's attack points and give them to Super Soldier!" All three monsters glowed with energy at Galahad's words.
Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion ATK 2600→1300
Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier ATK 3000→4300
"It's strong enough to destroy Behemoth Fiendess now," Morningstar noted.
"Battle! Super Soldier, destroy Behemoth Fiendess! Superior Chaos Blade!" Super Soldier charged Terminus's dragon, its blade alight with purple fire. Behemoth Fiendess blasted Super Soldier with blue fire, but its shield protected it. With a yell, Super Soldier cut through Behemoth Fiendess, destroying it in an explosion that made Terminus wince again and Gateway to Chaos to glow again.
Terminus: 1900→1600 LP
Gateway to Chaos: 3 SC→4 SC
"This ends now, Terminus," Galahad said, narrowing his eyes. "Super Soldier's monster effect! Since it sent Behemoth Fiendess to the Graveyard, you take damage equal to its original attack points! Double Destruction Slash!" Super Soldier slashed the air twice. The blades of energy struck Terminus, causing another explosion.
"Did he win?" Cam asked Morningstar, who remained silent.
When the smoke cleared, Terminus remained on his feet, an annoyed expression on his face. "Too bad," he said. "But by banishing Subterror Barrier from my Graveyard, I negated the damage." Terminus's banished card appeared briefly on his field. It showed Nemesis Archer, Nemesis Defender, and Nemesis Warrior standing in a magic circle. "And after the damage is negated, I draw one card, and if it was activated in the Battle Phase, then the Battle Phase ends."
Galahad grit his teeth and looked at the card's information on his Duel Disk. He then smirked. "It looks like I was right to destroy that card," he said to Terminus. "If you had activated it when I attacked Nemesis Defender, you would have taken no battle damage and ended the Battle Phase right there."
"True," Terminus replied, drawing his card and frowning at it.
"I Set one card," Galahad said. "I end my turn, which means the effect of Storm Paladin ends."
Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier ATK 4300→3000
Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion ATK 1300→2600
"My turn! Draw!" Terminus looked at his card and scowled again. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Cave of Absolute Darkness." The card showing Nemesis Warrior holding a torch in a massive cavern devoid of light. "So long as this card is in play, Special Summoned monsters cannot attack or change their battle positions. But if I Special Summon a monster, this card is destroyed. I Set one card and end my turn."
Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "That's a tricky card to get around," he said. "All of Galahad's monsters were Special Summoned."
"Still, this duel is pretty even," Cam commented. "When one of them seems to have the upper hand, the other snatches it back. Unlike Go's duel with Revolver…"
Morningstar frowned. "What's happening, Cam? I haven't heard anything since Revolver used Mirror Force."
"Go has the advantage, but knowing Revolver, it won't last long. I know you want a shot at Terminus, but let's hope Galahad defeats him. He deserves it after Terminus used him."
Galahad scowled at Terminus. "Hiding behind a Spell Card?" he asked. "That's disappointing. I admittedly didn't think Light of Intervention would slow you down too much, but I expected better than this."
Terminus didn't reply. Sighing, Galahad said, "My turn! Draw!" Galahad looked at his card and his eyes widened. This…
I'll give you some help, too. You and I are the only duelists I know who can use it. Galahad closed his eyes. Defeat Terminus and come back. You made a promise to Eiji, after all.
Yes. I did make a promise to Eiji, Galahad thought. I promised to be there when his surgery was done. And I promised Katsumi that I would return from LINK VRAINS. He opened his eyes. And I'll keep that promise right now!
"Trap activate!" Galahad declared. "Link Tribute!" The card showed Gouki Thunder Ogre disappearing into a hole. "I Tribute a Link Monster on my field to Special Summon a monster from my Extra Deck whose attack points are less than or equal to the Tributed monster with its effects negated. I Tribute Storm Paladin to Special Summon Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger!" Storm Paladin disintegrated, and a new monster arose in its place. It was a knight carrying two green lances riding a mechanical dragon. Both the knight and dragon wore mostly red armor. The dragon roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.
Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger ATK 2600 DEF 2100 RNK: 7
Gateway to Chaos: 4 SC→5 SC
"Link Tribute has one more effect," Galahad continued. "If the monster I Tribute is Link-3 or higher, then I can also Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard whose attack points are less than or equal to the Tributed monster's attack points with its effects negated. Return, Gaia Knight!" The mechanical knight and horse reappeared on Galahad's field.
Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth ATK 2600 DEF 800 LVL: 6
From Eiji's hospital room, Katsumi gasped and smiled. The conditions are met, she thought. Go ahead, Takeshi. With this setup, you'll win.
"An impressive lineup," Terminus commented, looking at Gaia Dragon, Gaia Knight, Sky Galloping Gaia, and Super Soldier. "But since they are all Special Summoned, none of them can attack."
"That's true," Galahad said, closing his eyes and giving a small smile. "It's funny. I could win this if I drew Swift Gaia. Since it would be the only card in my hand, I could Normal Summon it. Instead, I drew a different monster. One that I have no right to use."
"What? What do you mean?"
"…I told you I have personal reasons for being here," Galahad answered, his smile morphing into a frown. "I want revenge for you using my brother against me, and I want to stop the Tower from being completed, but I have another reason. A selfish reason. I wish… to surpass someone."
"Oh? And who would that be?"
"Number 3," the Knight responded. "Persephone. The Traveler of LINK VRAINS. Though that's just her official nickname. Others call her 'The Queen.' She and I entered the Charisma Duelists at the same time, and every time we competed together, she would win."
He closed his eyes. "I don't resent her for it; she is genuinely talented and that is nothing to hate. To me, she is a goal. A goal to aspire to and one day surpass." Galahad opened his eyes. "Go told me that he realized we all duel alone, and he wants to duel for selfish reasons. To sake the thirst for victory that's in his heart. I'm not so different from him. I also want to duel for selfish reasons. But…"
Galahad smiled to himself. "I also want to duel for unselfish reasons. I want to duel to push myself beyond my limits and surpass everyone I come across. And I want to duel to excite the people watching me and make my younger brother proud of me. That's why…"
He pointed at Terminus dramatically. "That's why I'll defeat you! To sate my desire to evolve and protect the people who matter to me!"
Terminus thought about Galahad's words and smiled to himself. "You've given this a great deal of thought, Galahad," he said. "But let's see if you can back those words up."
Galahad closed his eyes. "So to surpass myself, I'll summon a monster that was given to me by the person I'm closest to. The symbol of ultimate bonds." He opened his eyes and gestured to his field. "This monster can only be Special Summoned by banishing a Ritual Monster, a Fusion Monster, a Synchro Monster, and an Xyz Monster from anywhere on the field!"
Morningstar's and Terminus's eyes widened with surprise. "Did he just say what I think he did?" Morningstar whispered.
"I banish Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier, Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion, Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth, and Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger!" Galahad continued. His monsters became pillars of blue, purple, green, and yellow energy respectively. Morningstar watched as a magic circle appeared on Galahad's field, encompassing all four columns.
"The queen of all reality, descend to this world and sweep all opponents aside with your infinite power!" Galahad chanted. "Come to this battle, Sophia, Goddess of Rebirth!"
The circle turned yellow and the light became blinding. Morningstar and Terminus braced themselves against the powerful gusts of winds the summon created. Unfortunately, Morningstar's drone wasn't so lucky. It was sent flying until it hit the sand, burying it.
Katsumi gasped as the screen showing Galahad's duel turned to static. No! That couldn't happen now!
It's fine, she thought. Takeshi just summoned the card I gave him. And with its effects, there's no way he'll lose. She turned and stared at Takeshi's limp body beside her. Fulfill your promise, Takeshi. Come back to me.
A monster finally emerged from the portal. It was a massive white monster in gold armor and red pants, with large white wings emerging from its back. Gold hair fell around its head, with another pair of wings attached to its head along with two horns. Sophia roared as it was summoned in Attack Position.
Sophia, Goddess of Rebirth ATK 3600 DEF 3400 LVL: 11
Gateway to Chaos: 5 SC→6 SC
"…Unbelievable," Terminus muttered, his eyes wide with shock. "He can call on this monster?"
"Yasu, the feed's down," Cam said. "Can you send me your Duel Disk's feedback?" Morningstar did so. While Cam couldn't see the physical duel, he would be able to see the moves made.
Galahad blinked then gestured to his field. "Sophia's monster effect! When it is Special Summoned, all other cards in our hands, fields, and Graveyards are banished! Divine Translocation!"
Sophia gave a shrieking cry, creating a powerful shockwave. Terminus braced himself as his two Set cards and Cave of Absolute Darkness disintegrated. Galahad didn't budge as Light of Intervention and Gateway to Chaos disappeared from his fields.
When the shockwave died down, Terminus looked at his Graveyard and grit his teeth.
"They're gone," Galahad said. "Every card we've played in this duel so far. Every single one of them has been banished."
"That… that means…" Morningstar muttered.
"Yes!" Cam cheered. "Galahad's won! He only needs to attack, and he wins!"
Galahad glared at his opponent. "Terminus. You used me to do your dirty work. You held my brother against me. And with that Tower, you'll hurt countless innocents. That cannot go unpunished." He gestured to his field. "Battle! Sophia, attack Terminus directly! Blazing Star!"
Sophia gathered purple and yellow energy in both of its claws and blasted Terminus with the energy. Terminus remained standing, facing the attack head-on as it crashed into him. The impact created a massive explosion that created winds just as powerful as Sophia's summoning.
As smoke engulfed the field, Galahad sighed. "I've done it," he said. "I've won, everyone."
"Not yet."
Galahad gasped as the smoke cleared, revealing Terminus still standing. His clothes were singed, and he had a few more bruises, but his Life Points hadn't hit 0.
Terminus: 1600→200 LP
Galahad grit his teeth. "How the hell did you survive that!?"
"With this." A Trap Card appeared on Terminus's field. It showed Behemoth Fiendess with black fluid seeping across its skin. "The Trap Card: Corruption Link. If this card is banished and you declare an attack, I can shuffle it back into my Deck. The damage is then reduced by the attack points of one my banished Link Monsters plus its Link Rating x 100. I chose one of my Behemoth Fiendesses, which has 2000 attack points and is a Link-2 monster. That means the damage was reduced by 2200."
"To only 1400," Galahad muttered.
"That is not Corruption Link's only effect," Terminus continued. "After the damage is dealt, I can Special Summon the banished Behemoth Fiendess with its effects negated. Return to me my monster!" The purple armored dragon reappeared on Terminus's field and roared at Sophia.
Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000 LINK-2 ↙↘
Galahad grit his teeth and said, "I end my turn."
Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Neither of them has cards in their hands," he muttered. "There's a difference of more than 2000 in their Life Points, and Galahad's monster is far stronger."
"But it's Terminus's turn," Cam said, muttering alongside Morningstar as he frowned at the screen. "This turn will decide the duel."
"My turn! Draw!" Terminus looked at his card and his eyes widened. "How about that…" he muttered. He turned to look at Galahad. "I didn't think you would be the person to make me use this," he told the Knight. "I thought Morningstar would be the first person to face its power. But you've given me no choice now. I summon Subterror Nemesis Archer!" A blonde woman in white and green clothes carrying a massive bow appeared on his field.
Subterror Nemesis Archer ATK 1600 DEF 1400 LVL: 4
"You might be dueling for others and yourself, but I'm not," Terminus said. "Like Revolver, I don't believe in the idea of fighting for others. Or for myself. We just duel to carry out our mission. That's all!" He gestured to the air above his field. "Appear, our future circuit!"
The Link portal appeared above Terminus's field. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Subterror' monsters! I set Nemesis Archer and the Link-2 Behemoth Fiendess in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with Behemoth Fiendess splitting into two, and entered the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Subterror Behemoth Guru!"
The monster that emerged from the portal was a dragon like Behemoth Fiendess and was similar in appearance, but there were differences. It skin was a shade of dark blue instead of purple, and purple lines ran across its skin instead of green ones. It did have hair, but it was colored white, and its wings were purple with black membranes. Instead of wearing armor, it wore blue and white robes, with two red cords attached to its chest. Behemoth Guru roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.
Subterror Behemoth Guru ATK 2500 LINK-3 ↙↓↘
Morningstar's eyes widened. "A new Subterror Link Monster!"
"I can't believe you forced me to play Behemoth Guru," Terminus said. "But with this monster, this duel is over."
"Your monster is certainly impressive, but it's too weak," Galahad responded. "Sophia has 3600 attack points. Your Link Monster only has 2500."
"For now, it does," Terminus said, surprising Galahad. "Behemoth Guru's monster effect! When it is Link Summoned using exactly one 'Subterror Behemoth' monster as Material, it gains attack points equal to that monster's original attack points!"
"What!?"
"Go, Terror Integration!" Behemoth Guru roared as it gained Behemoth Fiendess's attack points.
Subterror Behemoth Guru ATK 2500→4500
"4500 attack points," Morningstar muttered, narrowing his eyes and frowning. Galahad only grit his teeth.
"Sophia is one of the most powerful monsters in the game. But every monster has a flaw or weakness to exploit. And no monster is invincible." Terminus gestured to his monster. "Battle! Behemoth Guru, attack Sophia, Goddess of Rebirth! Terminal Extinction!"
Behemoth Guru gathered green flames in its mouth, which it blasted at Sophia. Sophia, in response, called purple and yellow energy into its hands, which it fired back at Behemoth Guru. The two forces met, creating powerful shockwaves. Eventually, however, the green flames overpowered the purple and yellow energy and struck down Sophia, which cried out as it exploded. Galahad likewise cried out from the damage.
Galahad: 2250→1350 LP
"My monster may be gone, but I still have Life Points!" Galahad challenged.
"No. This is the real end," Terminus countered. "When Behemoth Guru destroys a monster in battle, I can send a Flip monster from my Deck to the Graveyard to inflict its attack points to you as damage."
Galahad gasped as Terminus took a card from his Deck and showed it to Galahad. "I send Subterror Behemoth Dragossuary to the Graveyard. You now take its 2400 attack points as damage." Terminus's eyes narrowed. "This is the end! Go, Behemoth Guru! Flames of the Underworld!"
Once again, Behemoth Guru gathered green flames in its mouth, but this time it shot them at Galahad. The Knight cried out in pain as the blast knocked him off his feet and onto his back.
Galahad: 1350→0 LP
"Galahad!" Morningstar shouted as he ran down the dune towards the fallen Charisma Duelist. The hunter reached him as he pushed himself up.
Galahad laughed lightly. "Honestly. After all that? How anticlimactic." He turned and smiled at Morningstar as his body turned red. "Sorry, Morningstar. I did my best, but it wasn't enough."
"Don't worry, Galahad," Morningstar assured the Knight. "Thanks to you, I was able to learn more of Terminus's strategies." He then narrowed his eyes. "And you're not going anywhere."
As Galahad's body disintegrated and he shot Morningstar a confused look, Morningstar pressed a button on his Duel Disk. A green light emerged from it and entered Galahad's body. The Charisma Duelist gasped as his body changed from red to blue.
"This…"
That was all Galahad said before he disappeared.
"What did you do, Morningstar?" Terminus asked the hunter as he approached him. Morningstar faced away from Terminus as he answered him.
Katsumi gasped as Takeshi stirred next to her. He opened his slowly and stared at her. "…Katsumi?" he whispered.
Katsumi gasped and hugged him. "I knew it!" she said, crying. "I knew it! I knew you'd win!"
"…I didn't," Takeshi said, prying Katsumi off of him. He looked around the hospital room, as if not seeing it. "I lost. Terminus defeated me. Then… Morningstar…" He gasped. "He must have kept me from becoming part of the Tower."
Katsumi stared at him and then smiled widely. "Then I owe Morningstar a great debt," she said. "But…" She looked back at the television screen, which showed only static. Takeshi looked with her and frowned in understanding.
"Go lost too, didn't he?" he asked. "And he wasn't lucky like I was."
"The feed cut out before their duel finished, just like yours did," Katsumi answered. "But… I think you're right." Her frown widened. "It's all up to Playmaker and Morningstar now."
Takeshi soaked in her words and smiled confidently. "Then there's nothing to worry about," he said. "They'll win. They'll save LINK VRAINS. Go, Blue Angel, Lilith… those two will save everyone."
"An anti-purge program adapted to keep someone from being absorbed by the Tower?" Terminus repeated, an eyebrow raised. "Well, that is creative. And judging by what happened, it seemed to have worked."
"It was a one-time thing, though," Morningstar said, standing up straight and still facing away from Terminus. "I wasn't planning to use it on Galahad initially."
"Oh? Were you planning on using it on yourself?"
"I was planning to use it on you," the hunter responded. "To force you to tell me everything about the Hanoi Project. So you wouldn't let losing keep you from giving me answers."
Terminus smirked and looked towards the ridge. "It appears Revolver has finished his duel with Go Onizuka," he said. "And now you, me, Revolver, and Playmaker are the only duelists left in this world. That means it's time to bring this to an end."
Morningstar finally turned around as the winds whipped around him and Terminus. "Yes. Finally."
Galahad vs. Terminus
Galahad has 1250 LP, 1 card in his hand, the Field Spell Card Gateway to Chaos in his Field Zone with 6 SC on it, the Continuous Trap Card Light of Intervention face-up in his Spell & Trap Zone, Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow (2600/3/←↓→) in the Extra Monster Zone, Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth (3200/800/6) at Gaia Saber's bottom Link Marker, Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning (3000/2500/8), and Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier (3000/2500/8), all in Attack Position. Terminus has 2400 LP, 3 cards in his hand, the Set Subterror Final Battle in his Spell & Trap Zone, and Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric (1900/3000/9) in face-up Defense Position.
Turn 4: Terminus
Terminus activates the Spell Card Monster Reborn, Special Summoning Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist (3000/1400/11) in Attack Position from his GY. He switches Voltelluric to Attack Position. Terminus activates his Set card, Subterror Final Battle, targeting Voltelluric and choosing the 3rd effect. Voltelluric's ATK/DEF becomes equal to its combined ATK/DEF until the end of the turn (Voltelluric: 1900→4900/3000→4900). Final Battle is reset instead of going to the GY.
Voltelluric attacks and destroys Envoy of the Beginning, but Galahad activates the effect of the Fierce Knight's Soul in his hand, discarding it to take no damage from that battle and end the Battle Phase. Terminus uses Speleogeist and Voltelluric to Link Summon Subterror Behemoth Fiendess (2000/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Behemoth Fiendess gains ATK equal to the combined Levels of the "Subterror" monsters used to Link Summon it x 100 (Behemoth Fiendess: 2000→4000). Terminus summons Subterror Nemesis Defender (100/2000/2) in Defense Position. He Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.
Turn 5: Galahad
Galahad draws. During his Standby Phase, Squire of Gaia's effect ends (Gaia Knight: 3200→2600). Galahad activates the Spell Card Spell Rewind, which lets him banish 1 Normal Spell Card from his GY to add 1 Normal Spell Card from his GY to his hand. He banishes Return Link from his GY and adds Spellbound Blessing to his hand, which he then activates. He targets Gateway to Chaos for its effect, removes all Spell Counters from it (Gateway to Chaos: 6 SC→0 SC), and then draws 1 card and gains 500 LP for every 3 Spell Counters removed. Galahad draws 2 cards (Galahad: 1250→2250 LP). Galahad uses Gaia Knight and Gaia Saber to Link Summon Gaia Saber, the Storm Paladin (3200/4/↖↙↗↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Because monsters were sent from the field/hand to the GY, Gateway to Chaos gains Spell Counters (Gateway to Chaos: 0 SC→2 SC). Galahad then activates the Spell Card Parallel Knight Fusion, which lets him shuffle the banished Fusion Materials back into his Deck to perform a Fusion Summon. Galahad shuffles Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight and Curse of Dragonfire back into his Deck to Fusion Summon Sky Galloping Gaia (2600/2100/7) in Attack Position to Storm Paladin's bottom-right Link Marker. Since 1 of the shuffled Fusion Materials was a "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster, the effect of Parallel Knight Fusion lets Galahad destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field. Galahad targets and destroys 1 of Terminus's Set cards.
Sky Galloping Gaia attacks Subterror Nemesis Defender. Galahad activates the effect of Sky Galloping Gaia to change Nemesis Defender to Attack Position. Terminus activates his face-down Subterror Final Battle, selecting the 3rd effect. Nemesis Defender's ATK/DEF becomes equal to its combined original ATK/DEF (Nemesis Defender: 100→2100/2000→100). Subterror Final Battle is Set instead of going to the GY. The attack continues, and Nemesis Defender is destroyed (Terminus: 2400→1900 LP) (Gateway to Chaos: 2 SC→3 SC). Galahad activates the effect of Storm Paladin, which targets 2 monsters it points to, halves the ATK of 1, and then adds that lost attack to the other until the end of the turn. Galahad targets Sky Galloping Gaia and Super Soldier (Sky Galloping Gaia: 2600→1300) (Super Soldier: 3000→4300). Super Soldier attacks and destroys Behemoth Fiendess (Terminus: 1900→1600 LP) (Gateway to Chaos: 3 SC→4 SC). Because Super Soldier destroyed a monster and sent it to the GY, it inflicts damage equal to that monster's original ATK. Terminus activates the effect of Subterror Barrier in his GY, banishing it to negate 1 instance of effect damage then draw 1 card and end the Battle Phase. Galahad Sets 1 card. He ends his turn, and the effect of Storm Paladin ends (Sky Galloping Gaia: 1300→2600) (Super Soldier: 4300→3000).
Turn 6: Terminus
Terminus draws. He activates the Continuous Spell Card Cave of Absolute Darkness. As long as Cave of Absolute Darkness is in play, Special Summoned monsters cannot declare an attack or change their battle positions. If Terminus Special Summons a monster, Cave of Absolute Darkness is destroyed. Terminus Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.
Turn 7: Galahad
Galahad draws. He activates his face-down Trap Card Link Tribute. By Tributing a Link Monster, he can Special Summon 1 monster from his Extra Deck whose ATK is less than or equal to that monster's in Attack Position with its effects negated. And if the monster he Tributes is Link-3 or higher, he can Special Summon 1 monster from his GY whose ATK is less than or equal to that monster's in Attack Position with its effects negated. Galahad Tributes the Link-4 Storm Paladin (Gateway to Chaos: 4 SC→5 SC), and Special Summons Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger (2600/2100/7) to the Extra Monster Zone from his Extra Deck and Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth (2600/800/6) from his GY. Galahad Tributes Super Soldier, Sky Galloping Gaia, Gaia Knight, and Gaia Dragon to Special Summon Sophia, Goddess of Rebirth (3600/3400/11) in Attack Position (Gateway to Chaos: 5 SC→6 SC). Since Sophia was Special Summoned, Galahad activates its effect, banishing all other cards in both players' hands, fields, and Graveyards. Every card except Sophia is banished.
Sophia attacks Terminus directly, but he activates the effect of the banished Corruption Link. By shuffling the banished Corruption Link back into his Deck, he can target 1 banished Link Monster, and reduce the battle damage by that Link Monster's ATK plus its Link Rating x 100. He targets the Link-2 Subterror Behemoth Fiendess (Terminus: 1600→200 LP). The second effect of Corruption Link activates, Special Summoning Behemoth Fiendess (2000/2/↙↘) with its effects negated. Galahad ends his turn.
Turn 8: Terminus
Terminus draws. He Normal Summons Subterror Nemesis Archer (1600/1400/3). Terminus uses the Link-2 Behemoth Fiendess and Nemesis Archer to Link Summon Subterror Behemoth Guru (2500/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Behemoth Guru was Link Summoned using exactly 1 "Subterror Behemoth" monster, it gains ATK equal to that monster's original ATK (Behemoth Guru: 2500→4500).
Behemoth Guru attacks and destroys Sophia (Galahad: 2250→1350 LP). Since Behemoth Guru destroyed an opponent's monster by battle, Terminus activates its effect, letting him send 1 Flip monster from his Deck to the GY and inflict damage to Galahad equal to that monster's ATK. Terminus sends Subterror Behemoth Dragossuary from his Deck to the GY (Galahad: 1350→0 LP). Terminus wins.
Fierce Knight's Soul
Attribute: EARTH Type: [Warrior/Effect] ATK 0 DEF 0 Level: 1
During your opponent's turn, at damage calculation: You can discard this card (Quick Effect); you take no battle damage from that battle and end the Battle Phase.
Gaia Saber, the Storm Paladin
Attribute: EARTH Type: [Warrior/Link/Effect] ATK 3200 LINK-4 ↖↙↗↘
2+ monsters
Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 2 face-up monsters this card points to; until the end of this turn, halve the ATK of 1 monster, and if you do, add that lost ATK to the other monster. This card cannot be destroyed by card effects.
Subterror Behemoth Guru
Attribute: EARTH Type: [Dragon/Link/Effect] ATK 2500 LINK-3 ↙↓↘
2+ "Subterror" monsters
If this card is Link Summoned using exactly 1 "Subterror Behemoth" monster: This card gains ATK equal to that monster's original ATK. This Link Summoned card cannot attack your opponent directly. If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the GY: You can send 1 Flip monster from your Deck to the GY, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's ATK. You can only activate this effect of "Subterror Behemoth Guru" once per turn. Once per turn, if a monster this card points to is flipped face-up: You can Special Summon 1 Flip monster from your GY to your field in face-down Defense Position.
Spell Rewind Normal Spell Card
Banish 1 Normal Spell Card from your GY; add 1 Normal Spell Card from your GY to your hand. You can only activate "Spell Rewind" once per turn.
Parallel Knight Fusion Normal Spell Card
Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, by shuffling your banished Fusion Materials listed on it into your Deck. If one of the listed Fusion Materials is 1 "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster: you can destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field. You cannot Special Summon monsters during the turn you activate this card, except from the Extra Deck.
Subterror Barrier Normal Trap Card
If you would take battle damage from a battle involving a "Subterror" monster: Reduce the battle damage to 0, then end the Battle Phase. If you would take damage from a card effect, you can banish this card from your GY; negate its activation and effect, and if a "Subterror" monster you controlled was destroyed by battle this turn, draw 1 card. If this effect is activated during the Battle Phase: End the Battle Phase.
Cave of Absolute Darkness Continuous Spell Card
Destroy this card if a monster is Special Summoned to your field. While this card is face-up on the field, Special Summoned monsters cannot attack or change their battle positions. While this card is on your field or in your GY, "Cave of Absolute Darkness" cannot be activated.
Link Tribute Normal Trap Card
Tribute 1 Link Monster you control; Special Summon 1 Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Monster from the Extra Deck whose original ATK is less than or equal to the ATK of the Tributed monster. If the Tributed monster is Link-3 or higher, you can also Special Summon 1 Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Monster from your GY whose original ATK is less than or equal to the ATK of the Tributed monster. Monster(s) Special Summoned by this card's effect have their effect(s) negated. The turn you activate this effect, you cannot Normal Summon/Set.
Corruption Link Normal Trap Card
If your opponent's monster declares an attack, you can activate this card, then banish it and 1 Link Monster in your GY: reduce the battle damage by the banished Link Monster's ATK plus its Link Rating x 100. If your opponent's monster declares a direct attack, you can shuffle this banished card back into your Deck and target 1 of your banished Link Monsters; reduce the battle damage by the targeted monster's ATK plus its Link Rating x 100, then Special Summon that Link Monster to your field with its effects negated. You can only activate 1 effect of "Corruption Link" per turn, and only once per turn.
Chapter Preview
Note: These are the previews for the last chapters of season 1. I'm very confident these are the chapters and titles I'll go with.
Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 25 – Beginning of the End. Morningstar engages Terminus in a Speed Duel, determined to defeat him and stop the Tower. The two exchange blows, neither backing down. And in the end, they reach an unexpected conclusion…
Chapter 26 – Truth of the Incident. Forced out of LINK VRAINS, Morningstar and Playmaker confront Revolver and Terminus in real-life. After listening to their tale, the hacker and hunter face the Knights of Hanoi in an epic showdown…
Chapter 27 – Awakening. His resolve reaffirmed, Morningstar continues his clash with Terminus. Holding nothing back, the hunter places everything he is on the line in the hopes of creating a miracle…
Chapter 28 – Aftermath. The Tower of Hanoi has fallen, and Yasutake and Cam deal with the aftereffects of Hanoi's attack. But a hunter's code must be followed, so Morningstar confronts Playmaker for one last duel…
Chapter 29 – The Devil of LINK VRAINS. Morningstar's and Playmaker's clash continues. They give everything they have, pour their very souls into their duel. And when the dust settles, only one can emerge victorious…
Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes
Thank you to HunterHQ, sanedimentio, Ryujomaru15, D3lph0xL0v3r, Ethan Kironus, Lindia Fullmoon, Guest, Vrains Fan, and Yasutake Fan for reviewing Chapter 23. Credit to Ezilo for the creation of Gaia Saber, the Storm Paladin. I made a few changes to its effects, but the basic thrust is still there.
Yasutake Fan: Thank you for the suggested Cyspirit cards. I may use some of them in the next few chapters. That said, I don't think I'll use your suggestion of Cyspirit Chaosic(Chaotic?) Chimera, if only because Soulburner has a Chimera monster, and the Soul Fusion pack released a Cyberse Fusion Monster called Diplexer Chimera, so I think I might have to change the name if I use it. As for answering your last review, please read below.
Okay, this chapter was the conclusion of the Galahad/Terminus duel. I'll admit it's not as good as I wanted it to be, but I wanted to get this chapter out as soon as possible because I'm going to be busy the next few days. The main thing I wanted from this chapter was for Galahad to use Sophia and for Terminus to unveil a new Subterror Link Monster.
Quick shout out to Frost190. I only know about Sophia because of her ARC-V fanfic, Bonds of Pendulum, so thank you for helping me find an awesome card, Frost190.
Aside from the monsters, there were two other things I wanted to show. The first was the beginning of the relationship between Katsumi and Takeshi. Katsumi is the person who is better at everything than you (except cooking) and Takeshi sees her as a goal to reach. I'm sad to say she won't duel before season 1 is finished, but Katsumi/Persephone will duel very early in season 2, and like Galahad, she can use Fusion, Link, Ritual, Synchro, and Xyz Summoning.
The second thing I wanted to show was Galahad's motivation to duel. Like D3lph0xL0v3r pointed out, Go caring only about winning is selfish, but I'm not entirely sure that is a bad thing. To me, all duelists in this anime have understandable motivations, even if you disagree with them to an extent. Go decides to duel for himself, Blue Angel/Girl decides to duel for everyone, Playmaker duels for revenge, Lilith duels for money and revenge, and Morningstar duels only for Cam and Sachi. Galahad, meanwhile, decides that he duels for both himself and others. I honestly think that's somewhat healthier for him than dueling only for one or the other.
Okay, to answer Yasutake Fan's question about season 2, yes, I am planning on doing that. I'm going to follow SakushiRyu's example and not do season 2 of Hidden Memories until season 2 of VRAINS is finished, as this will give me far more room and time to work on it. Until season 2 is done, I'll work on my new ARC-V fanfic. And speaking of that…
I know I said I wouldn't release Fifth Dimension until after this chapter, but I'm having a few problems with character and monster designs, so I've decided that I'll finish season 1 of Hidden Memories before I release Fifth Dimension. I can't say when that will be, but it should be before season 2 of VRAINS finishes, I hope. After that, I will attempt to alternate between Fifth Dimension and Hidden Memories, though as I said when I announced it, Hidden Memories will always take priority.
On a side note, I've decided that I want to create an intro and outro for season 2 of Hidden Memories in the same vein as OPFan37's intros, which means no lyrics. I know that's sad, but it's easier for me to work with.
Thank you for reading Chapter 24 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me which of the previews you are most excited about. And if you have any suggestions for the opening and ending of season 2, please provide them. I always welcome reader suggestions.