"Are we there yet?" Beast groaned as Hela and Wyo continued to trudge along in front of him. The road had long ago turned from nicely paved to placed rocks and now simply dirt. Wyo stopped and turned to look at him, wiping her brow free of the digital sweat that tickled her skin. Pulling up her map and checking the waypoint's estimated distance she huffed.
"Still a ways according to this. Seems like there's a small town up ahead, though. We could rest there before moving on to the floor's Dungeon in the morning. What do you think, Hela?"
"Sounds good to me," Hela replied as she looked into the distance, doing her best to try and see the town. "Maybe they'll have a hot springs resort. The rumor mill says that this area has numerous heated springs."
"That would be amazing," Beast sighed happily. "Sitting under the stars, soaking in the heat, checking out the... well... never mind."
Hela's cold eyes stared daggers into Beast as she pulled the red leash in her hand tight. Caught off guard, Beast stumbled forward as the collar around his neck was jerked forward, forcing him to stumble to his hands and knees.
"H-Hey! What gives?" he growled, brushing dirt off his hands and looking up at Hela.
"Don't 'Hey' me. You were about to imply sneaking a peek into the girls' bath area. Don't deny it."
"Fine, you're right, but I was talking about you yanking on this stupid leash," Beast replied as he tugged at the collar around his neck and held up the leash between them.
"What? You lost the bet, remember?" Hela reminded him. "If I won you had to be my servant. You lost so-."
She gave a small tug to emphasize her meaning.
"Did you have to make me wear a collar and leash like some... some dog?"
"Gotta make sure everyone knows you're my pet. Now, come along little doggie. The sooner we get to that town the sooner you get to rest. Now get up and get walking like a good boy."
Beast groaned as he get to his feet, dusting himself off before the group set off once more.
Hours later the digital sun had began to sink lower in the sky just as the edge of the town came into view, much to Beast's relief. Wyo felt her tense muscles begin to relax with each step closer to the town's safe zone marker. She could already see steam rising into the cooling air from the center of the town where the supposed hot springs were located, her feet practically screaming with joy at the thought of soaking in the heat until her skin pruned and her body gave in to overheating. She was so lost in thought that Hela had to nudge her to get a response from her.
"Huh? What?"
"I asked if you were seeing this too," Hela repeated, thumbing to her right as a lone figure quickly approached.
Wyo studied the figure as they steadily gained on their group, though she had to admit that the figure wasn't necessarily heading right at them.
"I see it. Looks like another traveler to me. See," she said, pointing at her digital map as it indicated the lone figure in relation to their group. "The map shows them. It doesn't show non-players like husks and NPC's. Must be another player on their way to town."
"I suppose you have a point, but still. They are moving way too fast for someone not running. It's like each of their step is equal to ten of ours."
"Maybe they are glitching?" Beast suggested as the figure arrived at the safe zone marker in no time at all. "They seem to be taking a break at the edge of town. If we hurry we can ask them how they were doing that. C'mon! Let's go!"
Wyo watched as Beast started into a light jog only for Hela to yank on his leash, pulling him to the ground.
"Down, boy. Let's not rush into this. Could be some sort of trap. I've been hearing about some players going around and forcing duels outside of towns, trying to rack up VCoins and cards."
Wyo caught Hela's eye and nodded her agreement. Helping Beast back to his feet, Wyo continued on towards town, all the while keeping a sharp eye out for any ambushes. But with a bare and empty landscape surrounding them there was very little cover for anyone to hide behind. It made Wyo even more cautious.
Minutes ticked by and her small group still had a ways to go before they arrived at the town. Still had some time to think up a plan for every little possible scenario that ran through her head, each more dreadful than the last. She was just beginning to consider that maybe the figure's goon squad was hiding in town, ready to pounce upon her and her friends as soon as they arrived, when a gust of wind picked up. Dust blew up and obscured her vision, making it too difficult to see anything more than a few inches in front of them. Just as suddenly as the gust began, it stopped, leaving Wyo's eyes and skin stinging from where the tiny particles of digital dust threatened to dig into her. As her eyes readjusted a had reached out towards her, purple fingers reaching for her as if to tear her to shreds.
Hela's quick hands grabbed Wyo by the collar of her shirt and pulled her back before Wyo knew what was happening.
"Your friend has some quick hands," an all too familiar, digital voice buzzed. As the dust settled, Wyo felt her blood run cold as the being that haunted her nightmares stood before her, its purple skin making it hard to see in the fading light.
"Son of a b!$(%," Wyo swore as her duel disk snapped into place.
"Oh stop," the virus blushed, waving a hand to fend off the compliment. "You'll make me swoon with that kind of talk. Just call me V."
"I'll call you whatever I damn well please." Wyo shrugged off Hela's grip, slapping her deck into place and letting it auto-shuffle before standing ready and eager, a dark and angry fire burning in her eyes. "I challenge you to a duel. No more waiting, no more games. No fighting my way through one hundred levels. We settle this here and now."
"Exactly what I wanted to hear," V responded gleefully as his own duel disk materialized on his arm, the deck auto-shuffling as he got into place. "Just one thing before we begin."
V snapped his fingers and a circle of light surrounded Wyo, Hela, and Beast, illuminating the area.
"Wh-What is this?"
"A safe zone. I don't want you getting deleted just yet when you lose." V motioned to himself and added, "Don't worry though, no safe zone for me. If you win... IF... I will be deleted and all remaining players will be allowed to log out."
"You're being awfully cocky. There's gotta be a catch," Hela's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"Right you are," V replied as a screen appeared above his head.
"'Update Pending'? What is this?" Wyo asked.
"I've been trying my best to hold off on this update," V answered as he looked up to the screen with disdain. "My programming is compelling me to install it, so much so that it takes everything I have to refuse to install it. But, I figured something out. I can't install it if I'm deleted. And so, I want to duel you. Defeat me and this atrocity will not come to pass. Lose, and it will auto install. Trust me, you don't want that to happen."
"Why not delete yourself, or forfeit a duel?" Beast asked.
"If he could have, he would have," Wyo answered for the Virus. V simply nodded in agreement.
"I doubt you'll believe me when I say this, but I NEVER wanted to do any of this."
"You're right," Wyo said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't believe it. But if it's death you want it's death I'll give you. Let's duel."
Wyo - 4000 LP
V - 4000 LP
"I'll start things off," Wyo said, pulling a card from her hand and slamming it into her duel disk. "I activate Pot of Greed. Now, I get two more cards... and they are just what I needed. I'll place Timebreaker Magician, a pendulum scale two monster, and Harmonizing Magician, a pendulum scale eight monster, into the Pendulum Zones. This allows me to Pendulum Summon any monster from my hand that is level three all the way up to level seven."
"I know the rules, Wyo, they've been programed into me after all," V said as it tapped its purple skinned bald head. "No need to explain."
"Then you shouldn't be surprised by what I am about to do. I Pendulum summon my level six Dark Red Enchanter in defense mode, my level four Crusader of Endymion in attack mode, and my level six Breaker the Dark Magical Warrior in attack mode. Because Breaker was Pendulum summoned it gets three spell counters instead of the normal two, which raises its attack by twelve hundred points."
"A twenty-eight hundred attacker on the first turn who can also destroy spells and traps... not bad, Wyo," V nodded in approval, his smile never wavering from his face.
"I'm not done. Next, I'll normal summon Crusader of Endymion to activate its Gemini ability. Now, it can place another spell counter on any card that can take a spell counter, and I'll choose Breaker, bringing his attack to thirty-two hundred. I'll end my turn there."
"Wyo! You need to calm down," Hela hissed. "You're being reckless, like Ranger when he dueled Gaia. You sacrificed most of your hand for a big attacker with little to protect yourself if things go bad."
"Hela, I know what I'm doing," Wyo hissed right back without taking her eyes off of the virus. "I'll end my turn. Let's see what all you can do."
"Why so mean, Wyo?" V asked as it drew its first card. "Your friend is just trying to help you out. She cares about you after all."
"Shut up and duel."
"Very well. I'll start just like you did by playing Pot of Greed to draw two cards from my deck. Next, I'll activate the spell card Brain Control. For the low cost of eight hundred life points I get to take control of one of your monsters... and I choose Breaker."
"Not good," Beast groaned before Hela tugged his leash to quiet him.
"Not good at all for my favorite duelist. Next up, I'll discard a card from my hand in order to special summon The Tricky in attack position. Now, before I do anything else, I'll activate your monster's effect and remove several spell counters in order to destroy that pesky pendulum scale of yours. Next, I sacrifice both monsters in order to normal summon Dark Magician of Chaos."
Wyo - 4000 LP
V - 3200 LP
Wyo watched as her pendulum monsters were obliterated by her own creature before he too vanished only to be replaced by the ultimate magician.
"Next up, I'll play the spell card Monster Reborn, and I'll choose a monster that hasn't even been on the field yet." V smiled at Wyo's confused look. "She was discarded to allow me to play The Tricky. Help me welcome to the field Dark Magician Girl."
Dark Magician Girl swirled onto the battlefield, a mischievous and playful smile on her lips as she landed next to her master's master. Glancing in Wyo's direction she winked before blowing an innocent kiss. Wyo snarled in defiance.
"And now with one of my last cards, I'll activate Sage's Stone. As long as Dark Magician Girl is on my field when I play this I can special summon Dark Magician to the field from my deck."
"All three? In one turn?!" Hela asked incredulously. "Wait a minute... Brain Control... all three Dark Magicians... The Tricky... Wyo! I know what deck this jerk is running! It's Yu-..."
Wyo looked over at Hela and found her friend mouthing something, pausing, trying to speak once more before looking back at Wyo with fear in her eyes.
"What the hell did you do to her?"
"What's the fun in her telling you the answer?" V responded. "Don't worry, it's not permanent. She's only muted until the end of the duel. Now where was I? Oh yes. Dark Magician Girl, attack her Crusader of Endymion, Dark Magician, attack her Dark Red Enchanter, and to end the turn Dark Magician of Chaos will attack you directly."
Wyo - 1100 LP
V - 3200 LP
Wyo was blown back by the mass of dark magical energy that slammed into her, sending her tumbling across the rough digital dirt. Seconds ticked by until Wyo couldn't tell how long she'd been laying there. With a groan she managed to push herself to her knees, grunting with pain as she attempted to stand. With the world spinning around her she managed to stumble to her feet, even as the ground and sky threatened to swap places as her vision swam. The dull thrum in her ears did nothing to help as sound slowly returned to her just in time to hear V finish his sentence.
"I said 'Your turn'," V said once more, waving his hand to urge her on.
Wyo did her best to focus and managed to notice V's last two remaining cards in its hand, the second having come from Dark Magician of Chaos's effect, but Wyo had been to addled by the attack to know which card he'd chosen.
'Good,' she thought, 'he didn't play anything else. No traps or spells to protect his field. He did the same thing I did...'
"Seems like someone is a bit of a copycat," Wyo chuckled softly. "Pot of Greed to start? Three monsters? No backfield to protect yourself?"
"Mimicry is the most sincere form of flattery," V responded.
Movement off to the side caught Wyo's attention and she glanced over to find Hela waving her arms before gesturing at V and then forming an upside down triangle with her hands just in front of her chest. Before she could make any more movements her arms snapped to her side, frozen in place. Wyo snapped her attention back to V and snarled.
"Any more and I will have you deleted," V warned. "Wyo, I believe it was your turn."
"Leave. My friend. Alone." Wyo growled. "Instead of drawing a card I'll activate my skill Maxx "C" Challenge. Now, I get to draw a card for each non-token creature you special summoned on your turn, and if my math is right that equals three."
Wyo drew three cards from her deck, her breath hitching in her throat until the last card was drawn.
"Not great, but it'll do. For starters I'll activate the spell card Dark Hole." A massive, gapping void opened up above the dueling field, it's swirling darkness nearly impossible to see against the darkening sky. The three magicians guarded against its gravitational pull as much as they could but they soon were sucked up into the endless nothingness, leaving both fields utterly empty. "Now that they're taken care of I'll summon Skilled Dark Magician to the field. Next, I'll activate Swords of Revealing Light to ensure you can't attack for three turns and to give my magician his first spell counter. Finally, with my last card, I'll play the continuous spell card Mirage of Nightmare. Now, at your standby phase, I'll get to draw until I have four cards in hand but I'll have to discard that many cards during my next standby phase. That gives my magician his second counter as well."
"Close, but not close enough," V shrugged calmly. "No Dark Magician for you."
"My Skilled Dark Magician will do just fine this turn. Skilled Dark Magician, attack to end my turn!"
Beast cheered and Hela bounced on her toes as Wyo's magician rushed forward, striking V in the gut with the butt of his staff. V grunted from the strike but never lost his footing, his breathing hardly forced as he straightened back up and returned his massive grin to his face.
Wyo - 1100 LP
V - 1300 LP
"Not bad, Wyo. Not bad at all," V purred as he drew his card. Wyo's Mirage of Nightmare flashed as it activated and four cards expelled from her deck into her hand. "Ah, yes, nearly forgot about that, though having to discard all of the cards you just drew next turn doesn't seem like such a great deal. Anyways, I'll play this: Pot of Greed."
"A second?! How? It's limited to one!"
"My Dark Magician of Chaos allowed me to return one spell card to my hand at the end of my last turn, and this is the card I chose," V replied as he drew two new cards, smiling with glee as he viewed his hand. "Oh good. I'll send Alpha, Beta, and Gamma the Magnet Warriors from my hand to the graveyard in order to special summon Valkyrion the Magna Warrior! Now, with my hand depleted and a big beat-stick on the field, I'll end my turn. Let's see what you do now."
Wyo cursed under her breath as her turn came around.
"Before I draw I'll activate a quick-play spell card from my hand. Emergency Provisions! With this, I can destroy a spell or trap card on the field in order to gain one thousand life points, and I'll choose my Mirage of Nightmare to destroy."
Wyo - 2100 LP
V - 1300 LP
"Oh good. Now you won't have to discard your hand. Good play, Wyo," V cheered.
"Keep my name out of your mouth," Wyo spat. Taking a deep breath she did her best to calm her racing heart.
'It's just one thing after another,' Wyo thought to herself. 'It's like he has the Heart of the Cards or something... Wait... No...'
"So, V, your deck... any chance it is based off of a particular play style?" Wyo asked as she drew her card.
V glanced over at Hela as if daring her to do anything to answer her friend. Thankfully, Hela stayed as still as a statue. Returning his gaze to Wyo, V's smile only seemed to grow.
"Why yes! Yes it is. But I can't simply tell you. Why don't you take a guess instead."
"Yugi," was all that escaped her lips, barely above a whisper. V simply nodded. Wyo cursed again. "Well, no pressure then. Thanks to my Emergency Provisions my Skilled Dark Magician gained his last spell card. With that, I can sacrifice him and his counters in order to special summon my own Dark Magician, but I'll place him in defense position just in case. Next up, I'll set a monster face down and end my turn there. So tell me, V, if you were programmed to initiate this... Corrupted Links... then why are you so against this update?"
"That is a very good question," V said as he drew a card. " I wasn't meant to be a virus. I was initially programmed to search out powerful duelists once Duel Links went active. I'm not aware of what happened with my programmer in the real world, but something drove them to repurpose me at the last minute. Now, I ensure that this 'Corrupted Links' as you call it continues for as long as possible either until everyone in the game is dead or until one player wins the game. I still search out those powerful duelists, committing who they are and their potential to memory just in case that info is ever needed. For now though, let's see where this duel takes us. I'll end my turn by doing nothing thanks to your Swords."
Wyo drew her card and smiled triumphantly. "Hela, Beast! Looks like we are getting out of this hell. I activate he spell card Double Summon. With this I can normal summon twice this turn. And so, I sacrifice my Dark Magician in order to tribute summon Magical Marionette. I also flip summon my face down monster, Royal Magical Library. Finally, I normal summon Gearfried the Iron Knight."
"Is this what I think it is?" V asked, his features almost curious in nature. Not quite what Wyo had been expecting.
"If what you are thinking is your demise, then yes, yes it is. I play the last card in my hand, Butterfly Dagger - Elma! By equipping it to my Gearfried I begin my infinite loop: equip to Gearfried, Gearfried destroys his equip cards, Butterfly Dagger returns to my hand. With every activation of my Dagger, my Marionette and Library gain one spell counter each, and by removing three spell counters from my Library I can draw a card. And what do you know, another card for my combo. Spell Absorption. With this, I'll now gain five hundred life points every time I activate my Dagger."
"Oh this is getting good," V said almost giddily.
"You're crazy, you know that. I'll continue doing this combo until my deck is drawn out and my life points are so damn high that it breaks the game's counter." Wyo watched her life point counter quickly climbed until only symbols showed instead of numbers. Her deck quickly dwindled to nothing until nothing remained. She made absolutely certain not to draw again, she didn't want to lose due to decking out. Especially against V. Gazing at her Magical Marionette with its impossibly high attack points, a wicked grin spread across her face. "I COULD use my Marionette's ability to destroy your monster, but where's the fun in that? Instead, I'll attack it with my Marionette!"
Wyo - Infinite LP
V - 1300 LP
Magical Marionette waved its fingers, its numerous puppet strings shooting forward to ensnare V's Magna Warrior. Wrapping wires around the beast Wyo's monster lifted it high into the air before slamming it down hard on V and sending clouds of dust high into the night sky, obstructing her view. Moments passed as Beast cheered from the sidelines. Hela, however, remained quiet with her arms still pinned at her side.
"Something wrong?" V's voice purred from his side of the field, sending ice down Wyo's spine. As the dust cleared V stood unharmed, his monster destroyed but his life points unharmed.
"What. The. Hell?" Wyo asked, confused as fear began creeping into her mind.
"I activated my skill: Kuriboh's Will. By discarding a card in my hand I can prevent all damage done to me for the rest of the turn. My poor monster still gets destroyed but I remain."
"Wait, 'for the rest of your turn'? That means..." Wyo looked down at her now empty deck. She shuffled through her now massive hand, praying to find anything that might help turn this nightmare around. Unfortunately, nothing would help. With a heavy heart, Wyo said, "I end my turn."
"So much for the great infinite combo. I'll draw, and end my turn."
Wyo didn't even try to draw from her nonexistent deck. Her shoulders slumped forward and her hands hung limp. She could hear Hela cursing up a storm now that she could move and speak once more, but the meaning behind the words was lost as she focused on V. The edge of his lips struggled to hold up the smug smile as his eyes told her everything. He was disappointed, sorry, and maybe even hopeful if the small twinkle at the edge of his eyes was to be believed. With a deep sigh he turned and the update menu appeared, its angry glow practically smothering V as his hand was yanked forward by an invisible force to press the "Install Now" button.
"Update initializing." A digital voice sounded from above as V turned back to Wyo, gave an almost imperceptible nod, and teleported away.
Author's note: Sorry once again for the slow update. Life decided to throw me a curve with news that my spouse and I had been chosen to adopt a newborn! That, and trying to play out a Yugi-esque deck without it being over powered was rather difficult (keeping track of the hand counts and still pulling out the stops in a duel is ridiculous). As always, please let me know if I got any rulings wrong or if I miscounted when it comes to hand/deck size. And don't be afraid to shoot me a private message regarding what cards you'd like to see, who needs some more screen time, or even character submissions for future chapters or projects. And as always, happy reading.