RESPONSES TO REVIEW:
Thank you to tsukikami02, Hell Kaiser Younes, T.V. 2000, Ulrich362, HunterHQ for reading and reviewing the previous chapter.
Happy 7th Anniversary for Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS! Time sure flies fast, it's already the seventh year ever since VRAINS was first aired. How I miss those times I excitedly wait for new episodes every week. It makes me want to rewatch the anime again from start to finish. But then, I decided to use the free times I managed to get to write new chapters. Thought it's a few days late from the exact date of the anniversary, I present you the 4th chapter of Divine Record to celebrate VRAINS' 7th Anniversary!
Ulrich362: Don't worry, I'll make sure the girls would get their moments to shine eventually. And you'll learn more about Kento's best-friend (who was also Kazue's boyfriend) soon.
I hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter.
CHAPTER 4
Taking the First Step
最初の一歩を踏み出す
Saisho no Ippo o Fumidasu
LINK VRAINS - Network
"Me? Dueling you?" Playmaker repeated questioningly.
"Yes. Like I said, I wish to ascertain something from you. Both as a Duelist and as someone who shared the same suffering as I am." Holysaber replied calmly.
Watching the Duel between Ryuki and Soulburner a while ago has shown him loud and clear that Soulburner's determination to see through the path he had chosen and his desire to help him was undoubtedly sincere. He is a kind and strong-willed person. It wasn't just a talk either. He has proven he has what it takes to overcome the obstacles that would come in his way. It made Holysaber start to think that if it's with them, perhaps he can do it.
However, he still doesn't know anything about Playmaker. What he knew about Playmaker was only from second-hand information he got from the media. Maybe he knew a bit about him as a Duelist from watching his Duels, but he knew nothing about Playmaker as a person. Playmaker was able to stand up and fight against Knights of Hanoi despite the wound in his heart. He wants to know how he's able to do it. He wants to know what drove him to get revenge instead of finding another way to move on.
"And I'm sure it's better for you to know my skill as a Duelist if you want us to fight together and do I have the strength to fight whatever is coming against us." Holysaber added. Just as he knew nothing about Playmaker, Playmaker, and Soulburner, also knew nothing about him. All they knew was he was also a victim of like them and that's it.
Playmaker didn't say anything in response, but he understood what Holysaber was trying to say. When he was battling against Knights of Hanoi, Playmaker never reached out to his fellow victims and asked them to fight together with him because he knew it wasn't an easy thing to confront their past trauma. The battle against Knights of Hanoi was a battle to the death, and he wouldn't want to subject them to another hardship that could potentially endanger their lives. He accepted Kusanagi's help only because he was as determined as he himself was while knowing the limit of working alone, and now Soulburner because he could tell Soulburner had set his mind to it.
It wasn't the same with Holysaber. The DIVINE-Attribute user is still uncertain what path he should take. It would be pointless if Holysaber himself doesn't have the resolve to confront his trauma. Even as a fellow victim, neither he nor Soulburner can, nor do they have the right to force Holysaber into helping them. Worsening Holysaber's condition is the last thing that Playmaker ever wants to happen. Even if Holysaber has the desire to move on and has the skill as a Duelist but is too weak-willed to see through his own choice, it's better not to involve him in this dangerous battle.
"I understand. I accept your challenge." Playmaker raised his Duel Disk, taking up Soulburner's spot while Holysaber did the same with Ryuki.
"Duel!"
Holysaber LP: 4000
Playmaker LP: 4000
"I'm taking the first turn. From my hand, I activate Field Spell: Mount Olympus." Holysaber set up his field. As he activated the Field Spell, their surroundings changed to that of a grassy field filled with clouds and white pillars in the shape of 12 Olympian Gods in Greek mythology.
"When this card is activated, I can add 1 Olympios Stratos Monster from my deck to my hand." Holysaber added a card to his hand. He then picked one of the cards he was holding in his hand.
"When I don't have any card on my Spell and Trap Zone, I can Special Summon Olympios Stratos – Archon from my hand." Holysaber Special Summoned Archon in Attack Position to the Main Monster Zone.
Olympios Stratos – Archon (CYBERSE/DIVINE/ATK: 200/DEF: 1000/LV: 2)
"From my hand, I summon Olympios Stratos – Kalimavkion." Holysaber summoned Kalimavkion normally in Attack Position to the zone next to Archon.
Olympios Stratos – Kalimavkion (CYBERSE/DIVINE/EFFECT/ATK: 500/DEF: 100/LV: 3)
"Come forth, the circuit that lights up the future!" Holysaber summoned the Link Portal on his field in front of him. He set Archon on the Bottom-Center Link Marker.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 1, Olympios Stratos – Anthopolis!" Holysaber summoned a female humanoid monster with a short, violet hair with two long bangs framing her face and violet eyes. Her outfits consist mainly of shamrock green and pine green attire, that has silver and pink accents on her stomach and skirt respectively.
Olympios Stratos – Anthopolis (CYBERSE/DIVINE/ATK: 500/LNK: 1/LM: Bottom-Center)
"I activate Mount Olympus' second effect. Once per Turn, I can discard 1 card from my hand to Special Summon 1 Level 5 or lower Olympios Stratos monster from my Deck in Defense Position." Holysaber sent one card to the Graveyard and Special Summoned Diakonos in Defense Position to the zone pointed by Anthopolis right next to Kalimavkion.
Olympios Stratos – Diakonos (CYBERSE/DIVINE/EFFECT/ATK: 900/DEF: 1000/LV: 3)
"Once more, the circuit that lights up the future!" Holysaber opened the Link Portal for the second time.
"Arrowhead confirmed! The summoning condition is 2 effect monsters. I set Kalimavkion treated as two materials and Diakonos in the Link Markers! Circuit Combined!" Kalimavkion and Diakonos turned into hurricanes that went to the Bottom-Left marker, Top marker, and Right marker, respectively.
"Sacred sword that embodies hope. Descend from the heavenly sky and guide the tormented souls away from evil oppressors! Link Summon! Appear, Link 3, Olympios Stratos – Elpizo Harpe!" Holysaber summoned his ace monster to the zone pointed by Anthopolis.
Olympios Stratos – Elpizo Harpe (CYBERSE/DIVINE/LINK/ATK: 2300/LNK: 3/LM: Bottom-Left, Top-Center, Right)
"I end my Turn." Holysaber concluded.
"This feels nostalgic. It's been years since I last saw that monster." Flame mused. Five years passed since he had last seen Divine Ignis and several of his monsters. Now, seeing his friend's ace monster after what felt like forever, it brought up a pleasant familiar feeling that reminded him of his old days with the Divine Ignis.
"He brought out his ace monster right off the bat!" Ai exclaimed. Not that it surprised him that much. He had a feeling that monster would appear sooner or later.
"Any data on the deck he is using? What's his playstyle?" Playmaker asked his A.I. partner.
A Duelist's playstyle depends on the deck they are using. Furthermore, the deck that Holysaber is using consists of DIVINE Attribute cards, an attribute that nobody in the world has but Holysaber and Divine Ignis alone. According to the story before, it was only four days ago that Holysaber gained that deck. Despite that, Ai said that Holysaber showed quick adaptability of using the deck, even defeating Blood Shepherd who is an infamous bounty hunter in LINK VRAINS, meaning he is a skilled Duelist. A skilled Duelist using never-before-seen-Attribute deck would make a difficult opponent. Knowing even a little about the deck would help to form a countermeasure.
"As far as I remembered, during our days in the Cyberse World, Divine Ignis never stick to a single playstyle. He liked to try out various kinds of strategy." Ai recalled how Divine Ignis once told him that Duelists shouldn't be bogged down by one possibility alone. Duelists should continue striving to improve themselves by trying out other possibilities. And those experiences would help them grow. The Dark Ignis also remembered clearly how his best friend looked happy whenever he had his 'Dueling eureka' moments.
"And I've only seen Holysaber Dueled once. There's nothing much I can say about him other than from that one Duel." The only thing that Ai was sure of was that Holysaber is good at Dueling. No amateur could use Divine Ignis' deck so efficiently on the first try. After they parted ways, it's possible that Holysaber had studied the deck enough to form his own playstyle different from what he knew from Divine Ignis.
"One thing that was consistent though, was that whenever their LP is low, they would take advantage of it to reinforce their field to overpower their opponent. That's especially true for Elpizo Harpe. It has the effect of gaining an ATK equal to the difference between the ATK of the monster pointed by its Link Arrow and the player's current LP. Worse, after it inflicts battle damage, it can inflict damage to the opponent equal to the ATK of a monster pointed by its Link Arrow." Ai explained. Elpizo Harpe has always been Divine Ignis' ace monster and his main arsenal for as far as Ai remembered. The guy never stopped being proud of one of his most favorite monsters. And he was justified to be proud of it, because Elpizo Harpe had proven itself to be a formidable monster for whoever fighting against it. No matter how different Divine Ignis and Holysaber were, their usage of Elpizo Harpe would still be the same.
"Then we must watch out for that Link Monster and deplete his LP in one go." Playmaker carefully observed Holysaber's field.
A Link 3 Link Monster with an effect that can increase ATK depending on the difference between the player's LP and monster pointed by its Link Arrow. A Link 1 Monster with unknown effect with its Link Arrow co-linked with Elpizo Harpe's. And lastly, only one card in Holysaber's hand. Taking Elpizo Harpe's effect into consideration, the difference between Holysaber's current LP and Anthopolis' ATK, Elpizo Harpe will gain 3500 ATK, making its ATK 5800 when its effect is activated. He has three options in this situation so far: destroy Anthopolis to prevent Elpizo Harpe from increasing its ATK, overpowering Elpizo Harpe's ATK when its effect is activated, or negating Elpizo Harpe's effect. But Anthopolis may have an effect that he doesn't know.
"I'll have to do that then." Playmaker made his decision before starting his Draw Phase.
"My turn. As I control no monsters, I can Special Summon Linkslayer to my field." Playmaker summoned Linkslayer in Attack Position to the Main Monster Zone.
Linkslayer (CYBERSE/EARTH/EFFECT/ATK: 2000/DEF: 600/LV: 5)
"As I control a Cyberse Monster, I can Special Summon Backup Secretary from my hand." Playmaker Special Summoned Backup Secretary next to Linkslayer in Attack Position.
Backup Secretary (CYBERSE/LIGHT/EFFECT/ATK: 1200/DEF: 800/LV: 3)
"And then from my hand, I summon Stack Reviver." Playmaker summoned Stack Reviver normally from his hand to the zone next to Backup Secretary, also in Attack Position.
Stack Reviver (CYBERSE/DARK/EFFECT/ATK: 100/ DEF: 600/LV: 2)
"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker summoned the Link Portal to his field.
"Arrowheads confirmed. The summoning condition is at least 2 Cyberse monsters. I set Linkslayer, Stack Reviver, and Backup Secretary on the Link Markers! Circuit combined!" Playmaker set Linkslayer to the top-center arrow, Stack Reviver to the bottom-center arrow, and Backup Secretary to the bottom-right arrow.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 3, Encode Talker!" Playmaker summoned Encode Talker to the Extra Monster Zone.
Encode Talker (CYBERSE/LINK/LIGHT/LNK: 3/ATK: 2300/LM: Top-Center, Bottom-Center, Bottom-Right)
"I activate Stack Reviver's effect from my Graveyard! When this card is used to Link Summon, I can Special Summon Level 4 or lower Cyberse Monster from the Graveyad!" Playmaker resurrected Backup Secretary in Attack Position.
"Battle! I attack Elpizo Harpe with Backup Secretary!" Playmaker declared his Battle Phase, surprising everyone.
"Why is Playmaker attacking with Backup Secretary that has lower ATK than Elpizo Harpe?" Soulburner exclaimed in confusion.
"It's already strange that he chose Elpizo Harpe instead of Anthopolis as his target." Flame was also as confused as his partner, "Not to mention, Elpizo Harpe has quite a dangerous effect."
"I activate Elpizo Harpe's effect! When this card points to a monster, it gains ATK equals to the difference between my LP and that monster's ATK!" Holysaber activated his ace's effect. His current LP is still at 4000 while Anthopolis has 500 ATK, so there's a 3500-point difference between them. That point is added to Elpizo Harpe.
Elpizo Harpe ATK: 2300 = 5700
5700 against 1200. If this attack hits, Backup Secretary will be destroyed, and Playmaker will receive 4500, which would end with his loss. However, Holysaber didn't buy that. He doubted Playmaker chose Backup Secretary without a plan. And he was right.
"I activate Encode Talker's effect! Once per turn, if the monster Encode Talker points to battles an opponent's monster with higher ATK, I can make that monster unable to be destroyed by Battle and I take no Battle Damage from that battle!" Playmaker declared.
Backup Secretary used her cloak to defend from Elpizo Harpe's sword before retreating to Playmaker's field.
"Also, after the damage calculation, Encode Talker or 1 monster it points to gains ATK equal to the current ATK of that opponent's monster until the end of this turn!" Playmaker revealed. Naturally, he chose Encode Talker, increasing its ATK equals to Elpizo Harpe's current ATK, which is 5700.
"What?!" Holysaber gasped as he watched Encode Talker power up.
Encode Talker ATK: 2300 = 8000
"Next, I attack Anthopolis with Encode Talker!" Playmaker declared his second attack.
Holysaber and everyone else understood now. Playmaker was aiming to increase Encode Talker's ATK all along to finish him in one attack using the Code Talker monster. With such a high ATK, Holysaber wouldn't be able to survive the attack.
At least, he wouldn't be able to if not for Anthopolis effect.
"I activate Anthopolis' effect! When this card points to a monster, my opponent can only target that monster for an attack!" Holysaber declared. Anthopolis' Link Arrow points to Elpizo Harpe, forcing Encode Talker to switch its target to Elpizo Harpe instead.
"Also, when Anthopolis is co-linked with another DIVINE-Attribute Link Monster, Anthopolis and that monster cannot be destroyed by Battle and the damage is halved!" Holysaber added. Elpizo Harpe blocks Encode Talker's shield with the back of its sword, deflecting the opposing Link Monster back.
Holysaber LP: 4000 = 2850
"He managed to avoid OTK without losing his monsters and minimize the damage. He's better than I imagined." Flame mused. Though he had heard about Holysaber from Ai, the Dark Ignis sometimes has the tendency to exaggerate his story, so Flame only half-believed his story. Now, Flame must admit that Ai most likely was right about Holysaber.
"I activate Magic Card: Cyberse Cache. If I control a Cyberse Monster whose current ATK is different from its original ATK, I draw 2 cards." As his Battle Phase ended, Playmaker could activate his Magic Card. With Elpizo Harpe's ATK being changed from its original ATK, Playmaker was allowed to draw 2 cards from his deck.
"I set a card and end my turn." Playmaker concluded. As his turn ended, Encode Talker's ATK also returned to normal.
Encode Talker ATK: 8000 = 2300
"My turn. Draw." Holysaber began his Draw Phase. Looking at the card, he immediately activated it.
"From my hand, I activate Magic Card: Horn of Summoning Kuriboh. I can take 1 Kuriboh Monster from my deck, and either add it to my hand or Special Summon it." Holysaber decided to Special Summon Saint Kuriboh from his deck to the zone pointed by Elpizo Harpe's right-arrow in Attack Position.
Saint Kuriboh (CYBERSE/DIVINE/EFFECT/ATK: 300/DEF: 200/LV: 1)
"Appear, the circuit that lights up the future!" Holysaber opened the Link Portal for the third time, setting Anthopolis on the Bottom-Right Arrow of the Link Markers.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 1, Olympios Stratos – Gondolieris!" Holysaber summoned a female humanoid monster with a pair of green eyes. Her white hair is cut short at the back with two long ponytails on the sides of her head held together by blue clasps. She was wearing a white and blue narrow profile dress that is split up the calf with black and silver edges, black and white lace trimmings and exposed shoulders. Her hat is of a round shape and sits on the back of her head decorated with a blue ribbon. She was riding on top of a white gondola while holding a white swing.
Olympios Stratos – Gondolieris (CYBERSE/DIVINE/LINK/ATK: 600/LM: Bottom-Right/LNK: 1)
"At this moment, Saint Kuriboh's effect activates. As long as this card is pointed by an Olympios Stratos Link Monster, I'll recover 200 LP each time both players perform Link Summon." Because Saint Kuriboh is pointed by Elpizo Harpe's Right-Arrow and Gondolieris' Bottom-Right Arrow, Holysaber recovered 200 LP.
Holysaber LP: 2850 = 3050
"It's not much but he still recovered his LP. And from now on, as long as Saint Kuriboh is on the Field while pointed by an Olympios Stratos Link Monster, Holysaber's LP will continue to increase each time both him and Playmaker performed Link Summon." Soulburner commented. Though 200 points is not a big number, doing it repeatedly would gradually grow that number, especially if the deck is dependent on Link Summoning.
"Based on the Duels that we managed to watch, Playmaker's main strategy involves using methodically calculated moves to overwhelm his opponent with Link Monsters. If he's still using the same strategy, then he'll continuously summon Link Monsters to set up a bigger combo." Ryuki remembered all Playmaker's Duels that she and Holysaber watched on TV. Learning from those Duels, Holysaber came up with this move as a counter against Playmaker's Link Summoning.
"Never thought I'm going against you, Saint Kuriboh." Ai said with a mixed emotions as he saw the said monster on the other side of the field.
"You never Dueled Divine Ignis?" Playmaker asked.
"Only once in a while. Us, Ignis, have shown some of our cards to each other, but the thought of Dueling against one another never crossed our minds that much because we were too busy with our duties to take care of our home. But who knows, maybe the other Ignis have Dueled against each other without me knowing." Ai denied. They have only ever discussed various kinds of cards and strategies to be used in their Duel without ever applying it directly themselves in a real Duel.
"Busy my butt, you always slacked off and made us do all the work. I always felt sorry for Water Ignis and Divine Ignis who never stopped trying to get you to work." Flame retorted.
"S-shut up! I still remember certain things about Divine Ignis' deck and strategies! That's all that matters now!" Ai retorted back with a huff.
"Even so, was it really worth it for him to remove Anthopolis that can prevent destruction and halve the damage just to summon a new monster?" Playmaker completely ignored the exchange between Ai and Flame, focusing on the new Link Monster that Holysaber summoned that replaced Anthopolis.
"Divine Ignis wouldn't make a wasteful move. He is not the Divine Ignis, but I have this strong feeling that he is not doing this without consideration." Ai warned Playmaker. He wondered about this himself. This person in front of him is not his best friend that he knew. For some reason, however, something inside him said that this person could use the deck to its fullest capabilities like Divine Ignis. Is it because Holysaber is Divine Ignis' Origin? Or is it because of Saint Kuriboh's confidence in choosing it as its master?
"Battle! I attack with Gondolieris!" Holysaber declared his Battle Phase using his newly summoned Link Monster.
"Huh? Now it's Holysaber's turn to attack Playmaker's higher ATK monster with lower ATK monster." Soulburner blinked in surprise.
"Gondolieris can only attack monster with the highest ATK on the field." Holysaber further revealed, confusing them even more.
"A low ATK monster attacking a monster with the highest ATK?! What kind of suicidal effect is that?!" Ai yelled in disbelief. Why did Divine Ignis include such a monster on his deck?
"At this moment, I activate Gondolieris' effect! When this card is Link Summoned using a Link Monster as its material, once per turn, it cannot be destroyed by Battle and any damage is inflicted to my opponent instead!" Holysaber declared.
"Say what?!" Ai looked dumbstruck at Gondolieris.
Gondolieris twirling her swing in circular motion as clear watery substances are formed at the tip of the swing. Gondolieris then raises her swing above, turning all the watery substances into the shape of a whale. She swings it down, directing the whale towards Encode Talker. The Code Talker monster blocks the whale's tackle, but it opens its mouth and unleashes a sound wave that causes Playmaker to skid back.
Playmaker LP: 4000 = 2300
"I activate Trap Card: Reflect Destruction! When my monster couldn't destroy my opponent's monster by Battle, I can destroy another monster my opponent controls and decrease the ATK of the monster that wasn't destroyed equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster!" Holysaber opened his Trap. As Encode Talker was not destroyed, Gondolieris uses her swing to strike down Backup Secretary, destroying the monster, and Encode Talker's ATK is weakened equal to Backup Secretary's ATK.
Encode Talker ATK: 2300 = 1100
"Next, I attack Encode Talker with Elpizo Harpe!" Holysaber declared his second attack. He also activated Elpizo Harpe's effect, increasing his ATK equal to the difference between Holysaber's own LP and ATK of a monster pointed by Elpizo Harpe's Link Arrow. Holysaber's current LP is at 3050 while Saint Kuriboh's ATK is at 300, so Elpizo Harpe received 2750 points power up.
Olympios Stratos – Elpizo Harpe ATK: 2300 = 5050
Elpizo Harpe jumps forward with his sword raised, ready to swing it down at the weakened Encode Talker. If the attack connects, Playmaker won't survive, and he has no intention to let that attack hit his Link Monster.
"Trap Card: Overload Anchor!" Playmaker countered by opening his own Trap Card.
"When my opponent's monster declares an attack while I control 1 Link Monster and no other monster, I can make the monster I control unable to be destroyed by Battle and halve any Battle Damage I take from that Battle, and then end the Battle Phase!" Playmaker declared.
Encode Talker once again blocks the attack coming with its shield, it keeps standing on its spot even when Elpizo Harpe tries to push through his sword until Encode Talker finally pushes the Olympios Stratos Link Monster back to his field.
Playmaker LP: 2300 = 325
"Also, the ATK of all Link Monsters my opponent controls become half of their current ATK until my opponent's next Standby Phase." Playmaker added, halving the ATKs of both of Holysaber's Link Monsters.
Olympios Stratos – Elpizo Harpe ATK: 2300 = 1150
Olympios Stratos – Gondolieris ATK: 600 = 300
"I activate Elpizo Harpe's additional effect! After this card inflicts Battle Damage, I can inflict damage to my opponent equal to the ATK of a monster pointed by this card's Link Arrow!" Holysaber countered, choosing Gondolieris who is pointed by his top-center Link Arrow.
"I activate Overload Anchor's additional effect! When I control exactly 1 monster on the field and my opponent inflicts damage to me, I can banish this card from the Graveyard, and recover my LP equal to the damage I'm supposed to take!
Elpizo Harpe swings his sword, creating a slash of energy that hits Playmaker with 300 damage, but the slash instead dispersed, covering Playmaker and converted into LP for him.
Playmaker LP: 325 = 625
"Phew! That was close!" Ai sighed in relief.
"Playmaker, let me ask you this: why did you decide to confront your life by fighting against Knights of Hanoi despite knowing the danger?" Holysaber asked. He could've ended up worse than how they were ten years ago, yet he still chose the path of vengeance. How did he gain the courage to take that path to begin with? Why did he decide to regain what he lost instead of starting anew?
Playmaker paused. This situation reminded him of when he infiltrated SOL Technologies' data bank and was confronted by Akira. The difference this time was Akira was an outsider who, despite having good intentions in asking him to stop his revenge, ultimately knew nothing about his feelings. Holysaber, on the other hand, is someone who fully understood his pain and won't judge him for the path he had taken. Holysaber is still at loss, and he is hoping that Playmaker can help him find the answer he is seeking, hence, the question.
"After that incident, my life was torn apart. Just like you and Soulburner did. I have no future to talk about with my friends or irreplaceable moments." Playmaker never thought he would repeat the story he told Akira, Ghost Girl, and Blue Angel like this. Before, telling this story brought up unpleasant bitterness. Now, there was only clarity.
"To heal the wounds in my heart, I received treatment for years. I also tried hard to forget that incident. But no matter how much time passed, I couldn't forget. Those horrible memories were burned into my eyes, feasting on my heart. It became my flash and blood that I couldn't dig out." Playmaker can tell from Holysaber's pained expression, the way his gaze is looking at him like he is seeing his own reflection in a mirror, that Holysaber knows what he is talking about. It was something Holysaber also experienced and still does to this day after all.
"When I realized that, I decided to face my own destiny. I believe that fighting against Knights of Hanoi was something I was destined to do to move forward." Playmaker still remembers that day when he finally made up his mind.
The culprit of the incident was never captured, and the thought of the culprit still out there walking freely made his stomach curl. Then, he heard some bits related to the incident here and there, which intensified the memories of those days, including about a certain person who continued to encourage him during his captivity. It incited his curiosity about what happened to that person. The things he heard coupled with his nightmares, Playmaker came to conclusion that fate was leading him to them. He could never cut his ties to that incident by turning his back on it. There was only one solution to it. And that was his destiny.
"Destiny, you say..." Holysaber murmured. He doesn't know how to make that out. It never crossed his mind about his own destiny. Does meeting the masked Duelist that led him to his current situation with Playmaker is also part of his destiny? Is it also his destiny to fight, to confront his past for him to let it go completely?
"Is there really no other way than fighting for you to move on?" Holysaber asked again.
"For me, there is no other path. Of course, it doesn't mean that the others are the same. Maybe among the victims out there, there is one who can move on without having to fight like I did." After his encounter against Specter, Playmaker had learned not to assume that the other victims would think exactly the same way as he is. He, Soulburner, Holysaber, and Kusanagi's younger brother experienced the same pain and trauma, but that doesn't mean the path they take to let go of the past must also be the same. It's possible that the remaining two victims other than them have recovered and are now living peacefully.
From Playmaker's observation, Holysaber is faring better than he did before and Kusanagi's younger brother. His assumption is it was thanks to Ryuki's dedicated company. Dueling him right now, Holysaber doesn't show any hint of discomfort in his Dueling, which gives Playmaker the impression that he can Duel but not enjoying it like him or he had rediscovered his love for Dueling like Soulburner does. At least, that's how it looks on the outside. However, Ryuki's words convinced him there is still something they haven't told them yet. And that is what prevented Holysaber from taking a step to move on.
"I activate Reflect Destruction's second effect! At the end of the Battle Phase, by banishing this card from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Level 5 or lower monster from my Deck but that monster will be destroyed at the end of my next End Phase." Holysaber banished his Trap Card and then picked Olympia Stratos – Polydefki to be summoned to his field.
Olympios Stratos – Polydefki (CYBERSE/DIVINE/PENDULUM/EFFECT/ATK: 1500/DEF: 2000/ LV: 5/PS: 7)
"I end my turn." Holysaber concluded.
"My turn. From my hand, I summon Draconnet." Playmaker summoned Draconnet in Attack Position.
Draconnet (CYBERSE/DARK/EFFECT/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1200/LV: 3)
"When Draconnet is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower Normal Monster from my Deck in Defense Position." Playmaker summoned Bitron in Defense Position next to Draconnet.
Bitron (CYBERSE/NORMAL/EARTH/ATK: 200/DEF: 200/LV: 2)
"I activate Magic Card: Link Back. I target 1 Link Monster in my Extra Monster Zone to move it to the Main Monster Zone it points to, then I send cards from the top of my deck to the Graveyard equal to the targeted monster's Link Rating." Playmaker chose Encode Talker, moving it to the zone pointed by its bottom-right arrow and then sending 3 cards from his deck to his Graveyard.
"Appear, the circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker set Bitron to the bottom-center arrow of the Link Marker.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 1, Link Spider!" He summoned Link Spider to the Extra Monster Zone.
Link Spider (CYBERSE/LINK/EARTH/ATK: 1000/LNK: 1/LM: Bottom-Center)
As Playmaker performed Link Summon, Saint Kuriboh's effect is activated, increasing Holysaber's LP by 200.
Holysaber LP: 3050 = 3250
"I activate Link Spider's effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower monster from my hand to the zone this card points to!" Playmaker summoned Clock Wyvern in Attack Position to the Main Monster Zone pointed by Link Spider's bottom-center Link Arrow.
Clock Wyvern (CYBERSE/EFECT/WIND/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1000/LV: 4)
"When Clock Wyvern is Normal or Special Summoned, I can halve its ATK and Special Summon Clock Token." Playmaker halved Clock Wyvern's ATK.
Clock Wyvern ATK: 1800 = 900
Following the effect, Playmaker then also summoned a single Clock Token in Attack Position to the Main Monster Zone next to Clock Wyvern.
Clock Token (CYBERSE/WIND/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 1)
"Appear once more! The circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker opened the Link Portal again.
"Arrowheads confirmed. The summoning condition is at least 2 Monsters. I set Link 3 Encode Talker and Link 1 Link Spider in the Link Markers. Circuit combined!" Playmaker set Encode Talker to the left, top-center, and right Link Arrows, while he set Link Spider to the bottom-center Link Arrow.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 4, Firewall Dragon!" Playmaker summoned his ace monster to the Extra Monster Zone.
Firewall Dragon (CYBERSE/LINK/LIGHT/ATK: 2500/LNK: 4/LM: Left, Top-Center, Right, Bottom-Center)
As Playmaker performed Link Summon again, Saint Kuriboh's effect increases Holysaber's LP by 200.
Holysaber LP: 3250= 3450
"No, I'm not done yet! Once more, the circuit that guides the future!" Playmaker opened the Link Portal for the third time.
"Arrowhead confirmed. The summoning condition is 2 or more Effect monsters! I set Draconnet, Clock Wyvern, and Clock Token on the Link Markers! Circuit combined!" Playmaker set Draconnet to the bottom-left arrow, Clock Wyvern to the top-center arrow, and Clock Token to the bottom-right arrow of the Link Marker.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 3, Decode Talker!" Playmaker summoned his first ace monster to the zone pointed by Firewall Dragon's bottom-center Link Arrow.
Decode Talker (CYBERSE/LINK/DARK/ATK: 2300/LNK: 3/LM: Bottom-Left, Top-Center, Bottom-Right)
"He brought out his two ace monsters in one turn?!" Holysaber exclaimed.
Due to Saint Kuriboh's effect, Holysaber's LP once again increased by 200.
Holysaber LP: 3450 = 3650
"I activate Firewall Dragon's effect! Once, while face-up on the field, I can target monsters on the field or Graveyard up to the number of monsters co-linked with this card and return them to the hand!" As Firewall Dragon is co-linked with Decode Talker, Playmaker chooses to return Elpizo Harpe.
Firewall Dragon unleashed a stream of blue digital energy that strikes the DIVINE-Attribute Link Monster. Elpizo Harpe's body disintegrated, diseappearing from the Field. Since Elpizo Harpe is an Extra Deck monster, it returns to Extra Deck instead of hand.
"Since it's not destruction, Saint Kuriboh's effect won't work." Holysaber clicked his tongue.
"Battle! I attack Olympios Stratos – Gondolieris with Firewall Dragon!" Playmaker declared his Battle Phase.
The blue lines on Firewall Dragon's body turns red in color. Its wings divide into six, forming five electrical circular energies that charge up the dragon's power into one point.
"When Saint Kuriboh is on the Field, all DIVINE Attribute monsters cannot be destroyed by Battle or Card effect!" Holysaber declared. Saint Kuriboh's halo shines, forming up barriers around Gondolieris and Polydefki.
"But you still take damage!" Playmaker stated.
Firewall Dragon shoots a stream of red energy that strikes Gondolieris, but the DIVINE-Attribute monster is protected by Saint Kuriboh's barrier, preventing her from being destroyed.
Holysaber LP: 3650 = 1750
"Next, I attack Saint Kuriboh with Decode Talker!" Playmaker continues the attack, now choosing Saint Kuriboh as his target.
"At this moment, I activate Decode Talker's effect! This card gains 500 ATK for each monster pointed by its Link Arrow! Power Integration!" Playmaker declared. Decode Talker's top-center Link Arrow is pointed to Firewall Dragon, giving it a 500-point power up.
Decode Talker ATK: 2300 = 2800
"I activate Polydefki's Monster Effect! While this card is in the Monster Zone, and another monster I control in the Monster Zone is targeted for an attack, I can change the target to this card instead!" Holysaber countered.
Polydefki quickly placed himself in front of Saint Kuriboh, protecting the little monster from Decode Talker's sword slash. And thanks to Saint Kuriboh's effect, he was protected by its barrier in turn, preventing his destruction.
Holysaber LP: 1750 = 450
"After Polydefki's activates this effect, it's placed in my Spell & Trap Zone as Pendulum Scale and monster who was originally targeted for the attack cannot be targeted until my opponent's next End Phase." Holysaber quickly placed Polydefki to the right side of the Spell and Trap Zone, forming a Pendulum Scale of 7.
"A Pendulum Monster?" Playmaker blinked. This was the first time he ever encountered someone who is using Pendulum Monster.
"It's not common to use Pendulum Monsters because Pendulum Monsters gives restriction to the number of Spell & Trap Zone, especially in Speed Duel. But Divine Ignis never cared about that and believed with the right strategy, Pendulum Monsters can make a great ally in Duel." Ai explained. During one of his trips to the outside world years ago, Divine Ignis told him that he didn't see many people using Pendulum Summoning and Pendulum Monsters. He felt it was a waste not to try utilizing them. It didn't take a second thought for Divine Ignis to learn Pendulum mechanics right then.
"True. Pendulum Monsters can still be useful in some ways." Playmaker never thought of using Pendulum cards before because he is already confident and comfortable enough with his current deck. But it won't hurt to learn more about Pendulum cards.
"I end my turn." Playmaker carefully observes Holysaber now that he has ended his turn.
Just as he is wondering what his opponent is going to do, however, Playmaker notices something is amiss. Holysaber is frozen stiff. He's not moving, not starting his turn. He's not even showing the slightest bit of movement to start his Draw Phase. He keeps his arms slump on his sides. And what bothers him the most, Holysaber looks unmistakably pale.
"Hey, something looks wrong with Holysaber." Soulburner said with concern for the Olympios Stratos user.
"He looks sick." Flame also grows concerned as Holysaber's face becomes paler.
"Again...! Holysaber!" Ryuki rushes to her childhood friend. She holds his arm, holding a firm grip to snap him out from his mental onslaught.
"Kuri!" Saint Kuriboh also rushes to its master, holding his other arm.
"What? Did something happen to him?" Soulburner starts worrying now. For Ryuki went as far as rushing to Holysaber like that, this is not a trivial problem. Ryuki also said that this happened 'again', meaning this is not the first time.
"Looks like this is something serious." Playmaker couldn't be careless about the Duel now and ready to call it off if necessary as it appears Holysaber is not in the condition to fight.
"It's the same as back then." Ai said.
"What do you mean?" Playmaker asked his partner before he could call off the Duel.
"It was like this too. When Holysaber Dueled that masked guy, he suddenly became like this. It was only until Ryuki called him out that he snapped back from it." Ai recalled that moment when Holysaber was in this condition during the Duel against the unknown masked Duelist. His condition during that Duel was even worse as he even fell on his knees while holding his own trembling body.
Playmaker gasps softly as he remembers what Ryuki said in her Duel against Soulburner. She said she wanted to make sure if they had what it takes to support Holysaber, that Holysaber's life was on the line. Also, the look of horror in Holysaber's face is the look that is all too familiar for Playmaker. He used to have that look on his face too, after all.
"Ryuki, is this what you meant by supporting Holysaber?" Playmaker addressed the Dragon-Type user who is still holding Holysaber.
Ryuki opens her mouth to say something, but Holysaber holds her shoulder, stopping her.
"I'm sorry that you must see me like this." Holysaber steadied himself, his body no longer frozen, but his face is still pale. Now that it comes to this, he can't hide it anymore, "Playmaker, Soulburner, you know how every time we lost in a Duel when were trapped inside that room meant being electrocuted and not being given any food."
Playmaker and Soulburner stiffened at the reminder. There's no way they could forget those days. How many times they've lost and suffered from electrocution that forced them to Duel again with the aim to win while enduring the pain and hunger.
"Even now, those memories won't go away." Holysaber smiles sadly when he said so, "Every time I am cornered, thinking that I'm going to lose, my mind automatically remembers those days whenever I lost and got electrocuted. When that happened, I can't think straight. My mind and body are filled with nothing but fear. Just like now."
Holysaber looks at his own hands and finds them still trembling, as if he is already being electrocuted.
"My mind understands that even if I lose against you here, you won't hurt me. I won't be electrocuted like I did back then. But those memories keep coming. It won't let me go." Just as Playmaker said, that incident had become a part of him that it almost like it was his own flesh.
"I somehow managed this far thanks to Ryuki and Saint Kuriboh. But I'm aware that I can't keep being like this. There's no guarantee that the next time they can snap me out of it." It wasn't like this was the first time he attempted to detach himself from his past. He had tried several times to overcome it alone, but in the end, his family or friends always came to his rescue before he could try to kill himself.
"It's shameful for me to admit, I'm always doubting myself that I can move on. I'm not sure I can be as strong as you and Soulburner to face my destiny." Holysaber is always ashamed of himself for always troubling his family and friends because of his incompetence, because of his inability to let go of his past. If only he is strong enough, he won't need to bother them with his problem.
"It's not because I believed I was strong that I could fight against Knights of Hanoi. Rather, I believed fighting was the only choice that I have for me to move forward." Playmaker replied. This surprised Holysaber and the others, but they didn't say anything and let Playmaker continue to speak.
"I managed to defeat the Hanoi, fulfilled my revenge, and finally gained closure to my past. However, I realized along the way, that was only possible because I wasn't alone." Playmaker looks at Holysaber straight in the eyes, reflecting his sincerity and honesty.
The moment he decided to pick up his deck and face his destiny, Playmaker distanced himself from his family, moving out to live alone in Den City. The more he investigated the Lost Incident, the more he learned how dangerous the path he's taking. Because of this danger, he believed that he must not involve anyone else. His vengeance is his alone to bear. He must see through this alone without dragging anybody to his battle to the death.
However, he then met Kusanagi, whose brother was also the victim of the incident. Knowing there was someone other than him investigating that incident gave him a sense of kinship. Kusanagi made him realize that there was a limit to what he could do alone, and to an extent he could share what he felt to him that he couldn't to anyone because they were involved in the Lost Incident. Kusanagi served as his shield since they first formed their partnership.
Then, after Kusanagi, he met Ai, the A.I. based on him, born from the Lost Incident. Though initially they were only using each other, Playmaker acknowledged that Ai had helped him more than he imagined. His Skill, Storm Access, was a Skill that he gained from Ai. During his Duels against Revolver, Ai saved him, giving him the encouragement that he needed to continue fighting even when the odds were against him, helping him realize what he must do. Now, again, Ai is helping him to fight new opponents.
Not just the two of them. Blue Angel, Go Onizuka, Akira, and Ghost Girl also helped him in his battle. If it weren't for them, he would never learn about the incident let alone stopping Knights of Hanoi's plan. He wouldn't be standing here right now if not for their help.
"Depending on others is not always a bad thing. You don't need to feel ashamed relying on your friends to help you when you are at your lowest. Knowing that we have people who support us, that we are not alone, we gradually can see the path towards the future, walking alongside them." Playmaker was able to see new possibilities that he couldn't see before when he was alone thanks to the new connections he had formed.
"Holysaber, I'm not telling you that you should join us. Our battle ahead would be dangerous and will come with risks. However, if you do decide to join us, then I am willing to support you until you can finally break free from that nightmare. If I can do it, then I am sure that you can do the same." Forming connection, depending on someone doesn't mean dragging them down together. Troubles are inevitable when one interacts with other people, be they related by blood or not, but even so, we want to stand side by side and support each other. That's what Playmaker had learned.
Holysaber stares hard at Playmaker's sincere smile.
That smile, those words, they are such a nostalgic feeling.
At that moment, Playmaker's form overlapped with that of his best friend.
"No worries. I'll always be there to support you until you can finally break free from that nightmare."
That's right.
Didn't he always make himself remember his best friend and Kazue to calm himself every time his suicidal urges encroached upon him? That time too, against the masked Duelist, he was only able to stand up again because he wanted to protect Kazue. He had thought that if he wanted to eliminate that nightmare from him for good, he mustn't rely on Kazue or anyone else because it was his own problem, and for fear he'd grow to be overly dependent on them and drag them down with him.
But that was the wrong way of thinking. That was not different from isolating himself. He wouldn't be standing here right now if not for Kazue stopping his attempts for all these years. He wouldn't be alive long enough to meet his best friend had he died back then. His family and friends cared for him. It must have hurt them to see him suffering. He shouldn't be thinking of overcoming his trauma by pushing away his loved ones, it is precisely because he is hurting that he should open to them, finding a way to solve it together, so they can be happy together.
"I'm not alone."
Holysaber clutched his chest briefly before letting go, once again standing up straight.
"I'm not just fighting for my own survival like back then."
He smiles softly at Ryuki and Saint Kuriboh, silently telling them that he is fine now.
"I'm fighting for the people who are precious to me."
Seeing the resolution in Holysaber's eyes, Ryuki and Saint Kuriboh let go of him, returning to their own positions, knowing that now the Duel will continue.
"I'm fighting so I can live together with them."
Instead of letting those memories fuel his urge to die, he should use those memories to remind himself of his loved ones who are waiting for him, making it a motivation that he mustn't die because he must return to their side. Facing his life in order to move on is not only for his own sake, but also for the sake of his loved ones who are waiting for him.
"That's why, I mustn't give up."
"My turn!" Holysaber finally started his Draw Phase.
"With Scale 2 Olympios Stratos – Kastora, I set the Pendulum Scale!" Holysaber set Kastora to the Spell & Trap Zone, making the Pendulum Scale from 2 to 7, which would allow Holysaber to summon Level 3 to 6 monster. But that's not why he set Kastora as Pendulum Scale.
"I activate Polydefki's Pendulum Effect! Once per turn, I can lower the ATK of my opponent's monster equal to the ATK of a monster I control!" Holysaber declared, decreasing both of Playmaker's ace monsters' ATKs by Saint Kuriboh's ATK, which is 300.
Firewall Dragon ATK: 2500 = 2200
Decode Talker ATK: 2300 = 2000
"I activate Kastora's Pendulum Effect! Once per turn, I can add 1 Spell or Trap Card from my Deck to my hand. However, if I activate the card that I added to my hand through this effect, I can't activate other Spell or Trap until the end of this turn." Holysaber added a Spell Card from his Deck and then immediately revealed the card.
"I activate Magic Card: Link Pendulum! I can use Pendulum Monsters that I set as Pendulum Scales to perform Link Summon!" Holysaber activated the card he just added.
"What?!" Playmaker and Ai exclaimed together in disbelief.
"A Link Summon using Pendulum Scales?! That's possible?!" Soulburner is also shocked, having a hard time believing what he is seeing.
"Appear, the circuit that lights up the future!" Holysaber called forth the Link Circuit, setting Gondolieris, Polydefki, and Kastora to the Link Markers.
"Sacred sword that embodies hope. Descend from the heavenly sky and guide the tormented souls away from evil oppressors! Link Summon! Appear, Link 3, Olympios Stratos – Elpizo Harpe!" Holysaber summoned his ace monster for the second time.
"He brought back Elpizo Harpe!" Ryuki cheered at the comeback.
"I activate Elpizo Harpe's effect! When this card points to a monster, the ATK increases equal to the difference between that monster's ATK and my current LP!" Holysaber increased Elpizo Harpe's ATK by 150, following the differences between his LP and Saint Kuriboh's ATK.
Elpizo Harpe ATK: 2300 = 2450
"Battle! I attack Firewall Dragon with Elpizo Harpe! Khataros Slash!" Holysaber declared his Battle Phase.
Elpizo Harpe slashes his sword down at the dragon, who tries to block the sword with its hand. However, Elpizo Harpe is stronger, deflecting the dragon's hand before proceeding with his attack with an upward slash, destroying the dragon.
Playmaker LP: 625 = 375
"I activate Elpizo Harpe's effect! After this card battles, I can inflict damage equal to the ATK of the monster pointed by this card's Link Arrow! Katharsi Stream!" Holysaber continues.
Elpizo Harpe points its sword at Playmaker, shooting a stream of silver light energy that pushes him back.
Playmaker LP: 375 = 75
"The tide has turned to Holysaber's favor now." Flame commented with a tone of amazement at Holysaber.
"Playmaker has no card in his hand, and he only has Decode Talker whose ATK was decreased by Polydefki's effect in the previous turn. No matter how you look at it, he is in a huge pinch." Soulburner is both nervous and excited to see the outcome of this Duel.
Ai knows that they have nothing to lose in this Duel even if they lost. However, Ai refuses to just give up. His partner had already proven many times how he managed to go beyond expectations. Even when it seemed hopeless, Playmaker always found a way to open the path towards victory. This situation shouldn't be so different.
Holysaber has Elpizo Harpe and Saint Kuriboh on his field. If they could just attack Saint Kuriboh, they could've won with only Decode Talker. However, because of Polydefki's effect, Saint Kuriboh cannot be targeted for attack until the end of their turn. It also doesn't help that Decode Talker's ATK decreased. A monster strong enough to beat Elpizo Harpe even if the monster's effect is activated and can be summoned with their current situation is...
One certain monster comes into Ai's mind.
"That's right! Playmaker! Let's call that monster!" Ai suggested to his partner.
"That monster?" Playmaker looked at Ai confusedly.
"You know! The one we got from the labyrinth!" Ai reminded.
"!" Playmaker did include that monster into his deck this time because he thought it has something to do with Divine Ignis since they found it in that labyrinth, and it might lead them to the said Ignis. Indeed, with that monster, they can win against him in an instant with their current situation. But for that to happen, they need at least one Effect Monster. If he fails to draw the monster...
"It's not over yet!" Ai yelled determinedly at his partner, startling him. It was like Ai just read his mind.
"You've done everything you can to battle him with your deck. You said before that your deck would respond, right?!" Ai reminded Playmaker's own words during his first Master Duel against Revolver.
Remembering that Duel, Playmaker was also in a similar situation like this moment. He bet everything on that one draw to win. Now, like that time, as if hearing his wish, the pulse of the Cyberse Monster intensified, asking to be called.
Playmaker looks at Holysaber. Despite his fear, the Olympios Stratos user still decided to continue the Duel. He tried his best to push away his fear, trying to continue to do his best to fight against him. Holysaber is giving his all in this Duel, responding to every of his moves with strong determination. It would be disrespectful if Playmaker just gave up without trying now. He wants to help Holysaber, and so he will fight to the end.
"You're right. I'm going to trust this one draw." Playmaker placed his fingers on the card at the top of his deck.
"My turn!" Playmaker did his Draw Phase.
Looking at the card he drew, Playmaker thanks his Cyberse Monster for answering his determination.
"When all monsters I control are Cyberse Monsters, I can Special Summon Cyberse Converter from my hand!" Playmaker Special Summoned Cyberse Converter in Attack Position to the Main Monster Zone next to Decode Talker.
Cyberse Converter (CYBERSE/EFFECT/LIGHT/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000/LV: 2)
"Holysaber, I'm going to end this Duel with this monster! Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker pointed his arm up, summoning the Link Circuit.
"Arrowheards confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two Effect Monsters! I set Link 3 Decode Talker and Cyberse Converter to the Link Markers! Circuits combined!" Playmaker set Link 3 Decode Talker to the Left, Top-Center, and Right Arrow of the Link Markers, and Cyberse Converter to the Bottom-Center Link Marker.
"Seize the wind that connects the unseen world! Link Summon! Appear, Link 4 Accesscode Talker!" Playmaker summoned a new Code Talker to the Extra Monster Zone.
Accesscode Talker (CYBERSE/LINK/DARK/ATK: 2300/LNK: 3/LM: Left, Top-Center, Right, Bottom-Center)
"Accesscode Talker?!" Holysaber stared wide-eyed at the Code Talker monster.
"That was the card I gave to Unnamed when we cleared the labyrinth! Why did Playmaker have it?!" Holysaber stared questioningly at the monster. However, this question was pushed aside as he immediately realized that he has more important situation to face.
"I activate Accesscode Talker's effect! When a Link Monster is used to summon it, it gains 1000 ATK for each of its Link Markers!" Playmaker used Decode Talker as material, and as Decode Talker has 3 Link Markers, Accesscode Talker's ATK is increased by 3000.
"ATK of 5300?!" Holysaber exclaimed in shock. He didn't expect Playmaker to still have more cards under his sleeve.
He only has Elpizo Harpe and Saint Kuriboh in his field. None of them can stand a chance against Accesscode Talker. He has no card in his hand and no card in his Graveyard that has the effect that can help him against Accesscode Talker. There really is nothing he can do to get out of this. This time, he is truly going to lose...
"I will end this, Holysaber. It's fine, right?" Playmaker asked.
Holysaber was surprised that Playmaker suddenly asked him now when victory is just within his rich. He thought that he already showed how he had steeled his resolve for this Duel. But that he hasn't done enough. Part of him was still unnerved by the thought of losing. Playmaker saw through this and that's why he asked. Playmaker was considerate of his feelings. He is truly a kind-hearted person. Holysaber appreciated that kindness. When Holysaber realized it, his chest didn't feel heavy anymore.
Holysaber smiled and nodded at Playmaker silently. Words were not necessary anymore.
"Battle! I attack Elpizo Harpe with AccescodeTalker!" Playmaker declared his Battle Phase.
Accesscode Talker moves its right arm to the back, eyes set on Elpizo Harpe who has readied his sword. Accesscode Talker then thrusts its lance forward at full speed and power. Elpizo Harpe raises his sword to block the lance, but alas, the lance breaks through the sword, piercing Elpizo Harpe right on his abdomen, destroying the Olympios Stratos Link Monster.
Elpizo Harpe explodes, sending Holysaber falling backwards from the backlash as his LP is depleted to nothing.
Holysaber LP: 450 = 0
"Holysaber!" Ryuki immediately goes to Holysaber's side once more, helping him sit up and check if he's hurt anywhere or having a sign of breakdown. To her relief and bewilderment, Holysaber looks...pleased.
"Are you okay?" Playmaker asked concernedly.
"Yes. I feel better in fact." Holysaber assured. His chest feels lighter than ever. The fear and anxiety are still there, but for the first time, he feels they are slowly being lifted. He has finally succeeded in taking the first step. It's not impossible after all. He can do this. Little by little, until eventually he can completely let go of that burden.
"Say, do you have your answer yet? Will you join us?" Ai asked.
"Are you okay with me joining you? You don't think I'll be in the way?" Holysaber asked back. He wants to fight, but he's still worried that his condition would only hinder Playmaker and Soulburner.
"You're stronger than you believe you are, Holysaber. There are three things that proves you are a strong Duelist." Playmaker already expected that Holysaber might say that. Because of his condition, it's understandable that he has a confidence issue. Having Dueled him, Playmaker knows better that Holysaber has more strength and determination than the said person himself believed. He must let him know that he is strong and shouldn't think so little of himself.
"...?!" Holysaber paused, listening intently to Playmaker.
"First, it hasn't been that long since you received Olympios Stratos deck, but you're capable of using the deck so efficiently in such a short time. This proves that you're a fast learner." Based on Ai's story and his own observation after Dueling Holysaber, Playmaker is sure of Holysaber's capabilities. He is sharp, meticulous, able to quickly grasp the situation. The more he Duel, the quicker he'll grow.
"Second, throughout our Duel, you never let our guard down. You carefully assessed my cards and quickly formed a counter to my strategy, trying to speculate my next move even when it seemed I was at disadvantage." People with big ego usually underestimate their opponents when they make a move that seems like a mistake, causing them to be filled with sense of victory and let their guard down. Holysaber is fortunately not one of those people. He didn't fail to analyze even the low-level monster he had. He came up with using Saint Kuriboh's effect to take advantage his Link Summoning, meaning that he had done some studying about his Dueling style.
"Third, despite being stricken by your trauma, you managed to stand up and continued the Duel until the end without breaking down. It might've been because you're not alone, but if you don't have indomitable will of your own, you couldn't have stood up even if we were there." Playmaker had learned that no matter how much someone tries, if they don't have the will to endure the hardship coming at them, then even if they have people willing to support him, it's meaningless and they'll getting nowhere. The fact that Holysaber still continued the Duel despite the odds proved that Holysaber has the will to see through his choice.
Holysaber blinks steadily as he carefully processes what Playmaker has told him.
"Three things... That speech pattern..." A certain memory comes to Holysaber as he recalls the familiar speech.
There was only one person that he knew saying things in the exact same speech pattern. He only heard it once, but it felt rather unique and that moment when he heard it was a positive one that it stuck in his mind. It also happened only recently. The person who spoke that way to him was...
"Fujiki-kun...?" Holysaber uttered the name without thinking while pointing at Playmaker. His mouth moved on its own before he even realized it.
The moment the name left his mouth, everybody is now staring wide-eyed at Holysaber. No one said anything from the shock of hearing that name until Ai broke the silence with his own way of being surprised.
"EH?! How did you find out?!" Ai yelled out in panic.
"Ai!" Playmaker chastised his AI partner.
"Wait, then, you really are, Fujiki-kun...?" Ryuki also couldn't help but ask. If this is true, then all this time, Playmaker has been going to the same school as her and Holysaber without them knowing.
"Ah! Errm, I mean, uh...!" Ai couldn't come up with a convincing denial now.
Flame sighed as he saw Ai just practically giving away his own partner's identity. Judging from Holysaber's tone, he himself wasn't sure of Playmaker's real identity. But thanks to Ai, there is no way out for them now. The cat is out of the bag.
"You know me in the real world? We've spoken directly?" Playmaker asked. There's no point in trying to deny it now. And he believes that Holysaber and Ryuki won't tell anyone about his real identity.
"Tomorrow." Holysaber replied, "Let's meet up tomorrow at Café Nagi. You work part-time there, right? I'll bring something that'll prove my identity."
Holysaber has made up his mind. He will trust Playmaker. That's why, now that he knows his identity, he will also reveal his. Holysaber is done running away. He'll fight and confront his past, together with Playmaker and Soulburner. He can't expect them to trust him if he doesn't put any effort into it first.
Playmaker was surprised when Holysaber offered to meet up in real life as themselves, without hiding behind their online alteregos. Holysaber didn't need to, but he willingly offers to reveal his own identity to them. That means...
"He trusts me..." Playmaker is pleasantly relieved. His sincerity has reached Holysaber.
"Okay. I'll be waiting there." Playmaker agreed.
Holysaber nodded in affirmation. He briefly looks at Ryuki, who understands his choice and accepts it. With everything settled, they have no reason to stay any longer. Just as the two of them are logging out, Holysaber turns to Playmaker one last time.
"See you tomorrow, Fujiki-kun."
Cafe Nagi – Central Plaza – Den City – Next Day
Yusaku is sitting on one of the empty tables in front of Cafe Nagi while Kusanagi is cooking some sausages as usual in preparation for customers coming to buy his hotdog. Following their appointment, Yusaku went straight to Cafe Nagi once the school hour ended. Takeru got held up by an extra class, so he'll come later once he finished.
Unlike some people who usually would get nervous and fidgeting while waiting to meet the person they've been longing to meet, Yusaku is completely calm like he usually does. Rather than him, it is Ai who is nervous and spent minutes staring at every person near Cafe Nagi, either people who just passed by or customers who bought hotdog from Kusanagi. Though Ai had made himself hidden and not be seen, people could feel his stare and it made them uncomfortable, something that Yusaku noticed.
"Ai, stop staring at people too much." Yusaku finally told his AI partner.
"Come on! I'm looking out for Holysaber! He said he'll meet up with us here today! When will he come?!" Ai looks at every direction where people are coming impatiently. He couldn't get a good night sleep (not that he needs sleep) because he was too busy wondering what kind of person Holysaber offline.
"He said he'll bring with him recognizable proof when we meet. Stay quiet and wait patiently." Yusaku replied calmly while sipping his coffee, not understanding why his partner is overreacting so much.
"Aren't you curious? You don't have any idea who he is?" Ai is honestly surprised that Yusaku could sit here waiting like nothing happened.
"By process of elimination, I concluded that he is a student from my school." Yusaku told him as he finished his coffee.
"Wait, what?! How did you narrow it down to that?!" Ai lost his footing upon hearing that, demanding an answer from Yusaku.
"First, he is a victim of the Lost Incident, meaning he is the same age as me and Takeru. He is undoubtedly a high-school student." While he doesn't know their exact age, Yusaku is positive from his information gathering that all the seven Lost Incident victims are around the same age. Even if there's an age difference, it would be only around one- or two-years difference between their age.
"Second, LINK VRAINS is only accessible in Den City. He must be living in Den City." You need to be in Den City or the locations within the city's parameters to log into LINK VRAINS.
"Third, Holysaber recognized me by my speech pattern. I don't talk much with anyone except for a few people. Except Kusanagi-san and a few times at school, I never have a conversation with people. For Holysaber to recognize me by my habit, he must be either one of the few students at school whom I had spoken to or overheard me talking that way." There are lots of schools other than Den Academy at Den City, but Yusaku never visited or even went near the other schools, so that only leaves Den Academy to be the only school where Holysaber could meet him.
"I see...that makes sense! Why I never thought about it?!" Ai fist-palmed after hearing the logic provided by Yusaku. Thinking more about what they knew about Holysaber, of course he must be a student at Den Academy. Too bad he only knew that now. If he had known earlier, he would've accessed Den Academy's student's database and narrow down the students to find out who is Holysaber.
"Kuri!"
Yusaku and Ai looked down when they heard the familiar voice. For a second, they thought it was Linkuriboh, but the monster didn't come out from Yusaku's Duel Disk. Then, they saw a small, white-colored round-shaped robot jumping next to Yusaku's legs, trying to get their attention. Yusaku extends his hands, allowing the small robot to jump onto his palms.
"Kurikuri!"
"Saint Kuriboh!" Ai happily hugged the Duel Monster the second he recognized it. But he soon became bewildered by the form it is taking. "What's this?! You became a robot now?!"
"Saint Kuriboh."
A voice called out the Duel Monster that is occupying the small robot. Saint Kuriboh quickly jumps down from Yusaku's hands, going to the person who called it. Playmaker and Ai's gaze follows Saint Kuriboh until it lands on someone's palm the same way it rested on Yusaku's. Yusaku then looks up from Saint Kuriboh to the face of the person who is holding the Duel Monster. His eyes gradually widen as he recognizes the person standing in front of him.
Kento Hijiri.
The transfer student who came to his school just a few days ago.
It dawns on him then. Hijiri transferred to his school a day before Ai returned to his school. He also visited Cafe Nagi on that same day when he returned to LINK VRAINS. That was when he told Hijiri about his three good points. He fits all the criteria. That explains everything.
Hijiri chuckled at his reaction before flashing a gentle smile.
"Hello, Playmaker."
SOL Technologies - Den City
SOL Technologies is in a tense state. After the appearance of the DIVINE Attribute cards possessed by the mysterious Duelist named Holysaber, phone calls and mails have been coming non-stop, and each of them is questioning if SOL Technologies has released DIVINE Attribute cards without the public knowing because one of the rumors that said that the founder of SOL Technologies was the only person to ever created DIVINE Attribute cards.
Among the busy staff, a young man is carefully assessing their situation. He is a fair skinned young man with blue and teal hair and pink eyes. He wears a suit which consists of a blue coat with a darker one underneath, a white shirt, and a black tie. He also wears blue sports trousers and black shoes.
His name is Akira Zaizen. The security chief of SOL Technologies.
Today is truly another hectic day, for three reasons. First, Playmaker and Dark Ignis returned to LINK VRAINS. Second, a Duelist using DIVINE Attribute Cyberse deck appeared. Third, another Duelist named Soulburner possessing the Fire Ignis appeared. The Cyberse World was destroyed, and now all these Duelists using Cyberse-Type and two of the six Ignis made an appearance at the exact same time. It couldn't be a coincidence. The fact that Holysaber and Soulburner helped Playmaker also meant the three of them are allies.
"What's happening for them to appear now? Does it have something to do with the Duelist Playmaker was chasing after?" Akira already made an order to investigate the mysterious Duelist that Playmaker had dueled against.
"Now that the Ignis have made their appearance, Queen will have us move faster to capture them. That DIVINE Attribute deck added another reason to move the bounty hunters." Akira honestly doesn't like the situation he was put into. He owes Playmaker for saving him, his sister, and the whole network. He feels guilty to be in a position that demands him to give orders for his savior's capture. But quitting his job in the company is out of the question when he must make a living for himself and his sister.
If only there's something he can do for Playmaker without rising suspicion from SOL Technologies...
"You seem to be in a pensive mood, Zaizen."
Akira softly gasped when he heard the voice calling him from the door.
A man with icy blue eyes and short grey hair comes in. He carries himself with poise and a gracious countenance, showing his position of authority without needing to be spoken. He wears a suit which consists of a blue coat with a darker one underneath, a white shirt, and a black tie. He also wears blue sports trousers and black shoes.
Next to him is a young man with messy lime-green hair. He wears a long-sleeved white shirt with a black cord tie around his neck and a black waistcoat paired with black pants.
"Knight." Akira politely referred to the young man. Despite the man's young appearance, Knight is already 28 years old, two years older than him. It's unusual for Knight to come to the office in person. He wasn't even notified of the man's visit.
"Zaizen, I will personally join the bounty hunters in capturing the Ignis and Holysaber." Knight told the security chief with a gentlemanly smile.
"You?!" Akira exclaimed in shock before he coughed, excusing himself for raising his voice. "Pardon me for saying this, but sending you out seems too excessive."
"This is Queen's direct order. She wishes for the Ignis and DIVINE Attribute deck to be brought in as soon as possible." Knight dismissed Akira's concern.
"I already gave Queen my word and got her approval. Should we find Playmaker, Soulburner, and Holysaber again, I'll lead the bounty hunters to apprehend them. I expect you to give us your full support, Zaizen." Knight is no fool. He knew that the security chief holds Playmaker in high regard and is reluctant to capture the person whom he owed his life to. While he understands the dilemma Akira is having, that is of no importance compared to the goal that must be achieved.
Knight narrows his eyes at the security chief. Being a sharp man he is, Akira sees through the underlying threat should he goes against his order. Knight smiles in satisfaction when Akira bowed as his sign of obedience. He turns to the huge digital screen showing Playmaker, Soulburner, and Holysaber.
His gaze locks on Holysaber, the Duelist who uses the never-before-seen DIVINE Attribute deck.
"And I must say, I am curious to test out Holysaber's skill."
NEXT CHAPTER:
Chapter 5 – A Fragment of Memory: Yusaku starts to remember things about his past that he had forgotten. Meanwhile, Kento experienced more dreams about Divine Ignis and consult with with Ai and Flame about the meaning behind his dreams.
ORIGINAL CARDS
Holysaber
Olympios Stratos – Anthopolis (CYBERSE/DIVINE/ATK: 500/LNK: 1/LM: Bottom-Center) – When this card points to a monster, your opponent can only target that monster for an attack.
Olympios Stratos – Gondolieris (CYBERSE/DIVINE/LINK/ATK: 600/LM: Bottom-Right/LNK: 1) –This card can only attack monsters with the highest ATK on the field. When this card is Link Summoned using a Link Monster as its material, once per turn, it cannot be destroyed by Battle and any damage is inflicted to your opponent instead.
Olympios Stratos – Polydefki (CYBERSE/DIVINE/PENDULUM/EFFECT/ATK: 1500/DEF: 2000/ LV: 5/PS: 7) – Monster Effect: When this card is Link Summoned using a Link Monster as its material, once per turn, it cannot be destroyed by Battle and any damage is inflicted to my opponent instead. After Polydefki's activates this effect, it's placed in my Spell & Trap Zone as Pendulum Scale and monster who was originally targeted for the attack cannot be targeted until my opponent's next End Phase. Pendulum Effect: Once per turn, you can lower the ATK of your opponent's monster equal to the ATK of a monster I control.
Olympios Stratos – Kastora (CYBERSE/DIVINE/PENDULUM/EFFECT/ATK: 1500/DEF: 2000/LV: 5/PS: 2) - Monster Effect: Once per turn, you can add 1 Spell or Trap Card from your Deck to your hand. However, if you activate the card that you added to your hand through this effect, you can't activate other Spell or Trap until the end of this turn. More effect to be added later.
Reflect Destruction (Trap) – When your monster couldn't destroy my opponent's monster by Battle, you can destroy another monster your opponent controls and decrease the ATK of the monster that wasn't destroyed equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster. At the end of the Battle Phase, by banishing this card from your Graveyard, you can Special Summon a Level 5 or lower monster from your Deck, but that monster will be destroyed at the end of your next End Phase.
Link Pendulum (Magic) – You can use Pendulum Monsters that I set as Pendulum Scales to perform Link Summon
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Again, I hope I did well in writing this chapter, especially the Duel. There's the OCG/TCG monster's effect that I changed for convenience. Maybe you won't agree with the changes I made for the OCG/TCG effects, but I assure you that this won't be a frequent occurrence. I already said this in the oneshot prologue, but I'll say it again, I decided to include Accesscode Talker because I think it was a waste that Accesscode Talker was only used in the last episode of the anime and as far as I remembered, there was no explanation how and when they gained Accesscode Talker, so I decided to make it has some sort of connection with Divine Ignis. Again, in case you haven't, read the prologue chapter about the labyrinth that Ai mentioned.
This chapter also introduced one of SOL Technologies' upper ranks, Knight, that in the anime only appeared during early episodes of Season 1 and never appeared again since then. SOL Technologies won't be neglected and will play more roles in this story. Although, it'll take a long time because Season 2 will focus more on the Ignis.
TRIVIA
-Translation of the Olympios Stratos monsters' names:
1. Anthopolis: Florist
2. Gondolieris: Gondolier (I'm sure it's obvious for everyone lol)