RESPONSE TO REVIEWS:
Thank you to tsukikami02, T.V. 2000, Hell Kaiser Younes, HunterHQ for reading and reviewing the previous chapter.
HunterHQ: I already told you through DM, but just in case, the masked Duelist from the previous chapter is not Blood Shepherd. Please read the characters' description, the only thing that was the same between them was the prosthetic arm.
I managed to complete this chapter thanks to a one day holiday over here that gave me time to write, but I still can't promise the next chapter can be updated as fast as this one.
I hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter.
CHAPTER 2
Pursuit of the Truth
真実の追求
Shinjitsu no Tsuikyū
Cafe Nagi – Central Plaza – Den City
The Central Plaza in the afternoon was a bit crowded. Not a surprise since this was the time for students and workers usually going home. Some people usually like to take a stop at the plaza to hang out with their friends or coworkers, watch a Dueling event shown on the big screen, or simply enjoy a certain hot dog from a hot dog truck selling there. The owner of the hot dog truck, as usual, was cooking the sausage for the hotdog. He was a young man with fair skin and grey eyes. His purple hair comes to the base of his neck, and it has multiple small bangs brushed over to hide his forehead, and he also sports a small goatee. He wears a brown trench coat over a purple hoodie with a bronze zipper and light blue shirt, and teal pants tucked into burgundy boots with prominent black soles. And not forgetting his cafe's trademark white apron with a picture of a hotdog in the shape of a dog printed on it.
For Shoichi Kusanagi, the owner of Cafe Nagi, the hot dog truck, afternoon and evening were the most times where he made profit from selling his hot dogs. This was especially true whenever there's a big event in the plaza where crows would gather, and he would make a killing from the many customers coming to buy his hot dogs to fill their bellies as they're watching the big screen.
And usually, around this time after school hours, his partner and favorite customer should've come by now. But strangely, he hasn't arrived yet.
It has been three months since the final battle against Knights of Hanoi. To break the chains that have been binding them to the past for ten long years, he and his partner fought against Hanoi, the ones responsible for the kidnapping case known as the Lost Incident that happened ten years ago. The incident had scarred his partner and his younger brother. His younger brother was even in worse condition, his mind broke to the point he was unresponsive. For ten years, he had been trapped in his own mind, doing nothing but staying in his room unless being helped. Almost like a soulless puppet.
"Kusanagi-san."
Just when he thought of that, the person he had been waiting for arrived. Yusaku Fujiki.
"Yusaku. You came later than you usually do. Did something happen at school?" Kusanagi asked while preparing a hotdog for Yusaku.
"Shima dragged me to Duel Club and forced me to stay there for a bit." Yusaku answered. He placed his bag on one of the tables provided by Kusanagi for his customers before taking a seat himself.
"What were you doing in the Duel Club?" Kusanagi asked. Ever since the battle with Hanoi three months ago, he wished for Yusaku to return to his normal life, making more friends and hanging out with them like an ordinary boy his age does. If he joins a school club, he's happy for him because that means Yusaku has begun to socialize with his schoolmates.
"Not different from the last time I visited." Yusaku answered. The first and the last time he visited Duel Club was because he had been following Aoi in hope of gaining intel from her since her brother works for SOL Technologies, which was a failure because of his lack of social skill and Aoi's own wariness. Since then, he didn't visit Duel Club again until today.
"There's a talk about the rumored seventh Attribute, the DIVINE-Attribute." Yusaku recalled.
"DIVINE-Attribute. People said it was just a rumor, but we know it does exist, doesn't it? Even if we've never seen it ourselves." Kusanagi turned his attention to the topic, giving the freshly made hotdog to Yusaku, who accepted it.
When they confronted the leader of Knights of Hanoi, Revolver, he revealed that the Lost Incident, also known as Hanoi Project, was started by a scientist named Kiyoshi Kogami, who's also Revolver's own father. Seven children were kidnapped and forced to Duel for six months in order to create seven A.I.s with free will, the Ignis. One of those A.I.s, the Dark Ignis, nicknamed Ai, was based on Yusaku, and the A.I. assisted them in defeating Knights of Hanoi. It was then they learned that other than the six Attributes publicly known, exist a seventh Attribute that only a few knew its existence more than just a rumor.
"Revolver and Ai confirmed its existence along with the existence of Divine Ignis." Yusaku remembered that time when Revolver explained everything to them. The revelation was surprising since he had never seen anybody having the DIVINE-Attribute cards before.
"But the seventh Attribute is extraordinary that only Divine Ignis could create them. Not even Dr. Kogami could recreate the DIVINE-Attribute monsters. Ai said that he escaped the Cyberse World together with the Divine Ignis, but they got separated." Kusanagi also recalled what he remembered from their conversation back then. It was already over now, so maybe there was no point thinking about it.
"Hanoi is gone. Ai must be with his Ignis friends in his home now, including the Divine Ignis." Kusanagi thought positively, imagining Ai happily reuniting with his friends after five years separated from them.
"Yeah..."
Yusaku answered in his usual tone, but Kusanagi noticed something different. Looking at Yusaku who was still munching his hotdog, his eyes were glancing at his Duel Disk. The gaze that Yusaku has while staring at his own Duel Disk was something that Kusanagi had never seen before. He's not an expert in reading a person's emotions, but he knew Yusaku long enough to recognize the tinge of emotion in those eyes, and it was pleasantly surprising.
"What's this? Do you miss Ai?" Kusanagi asked teasingly, grinning from ear to ear.
"No way. It's finally peace and quiet at home without him bothering me anymore." Yusaku denied calmly. His voice clear and his expression as neutral as usual.
People who don't know him would've believed his smooth answer, but not Kusanagi. Whether Yusaku likes to admit it or not, a bond has been formed between him and Ai, the Ignis based on him. He and Yusaku got along well, but there was never someone who would speak to and treat Yusaku the way Ai did. Now, Kusanagi felt it was too bad that Ai decided to leave them. Maybe they should've asked him to stick around for a bit longer or to one day come visit them again.
"How is your brother, Kusanagi-san?" Yusaku asked, trying to change the subject. Kusanagi decided not to tease him further than that and went along with it.
"Jin has been going out more lately. He still doesn't talk much, but this is the first step of him getting better." Kusanagi revealed. Jin was still unresponsive when he spoke to him, but he at least didn't waste his days doing nothing in his room anymore. Before, no matter what he or the doctor did, Jin wouldn't even take a single step out of his room.
"That's good." Yusaku felt relieved hearing that, happy for Kusanagi.
His mind then thought of the rest of the children. Not counting Specter who was with Hanoi, he wondered how the other remaining four children were faring. He had settled the score with his past and was now ready to move on with his life, no longer bound by the Lost Incident. How about them though?
"Whoever they are, wherever they are, I hope they can be free from the past that bound us."
Cyberse World – Network
Holysaber huffed before falling on his knees. All his energies left him the moment his opponent's LP was reduced to zero. It was like a dream. He actually did it. He managed to push away his trauma and won a Duel. Whenever those terrifying memories resurfaced, he'd usually go stiff, both body and mind, or in the worst scenario, experience a panic attack. For the first time in his life, he successfully pushed his trauma and continued his Duel to the end. And even better, he won his Duel.
He looked at the Deck inserted in his Duel Disk. He could hear the voices of the monsters from this Deck. They were happy for him.
"Kuri!"
Saint Kuriboh appeared next to him, once again making itself comfortable on his shoulder. Holysaber tenderly caressed the monster's fur. He owed Saint Kuriboh the most. It was thanks to Saint Kuriboh that he got the Deck to protect himself. And he was also grateful to the monsters that helped him in his Duel. It was because of their help that he could achieve victory.
"Thanks, guys. I couldn't do it without you." Holysaber expressed his gratitude.
"Holysaber!" Ryuki ran to his side now that the Duel was over. Dark Ignis and Linkuriboh also followed suit. She quickly checked his condition, holding his face with both hands, turning it left to right. "Are you all right? You're not hurt anywhere? Do you feel dizzy?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry to worry you, Ryuki." Holysaber carefully pulled her hands away from his face before getting up.
"You're not bad! I never thought that anyone other than Divine Ignis could use that Deck so well!" Dark Ignis exclaimed in excitement, thoroughly impressed.
Holysaber smiled in embarrassment, but quickly turned serious when he remembered that they were not done yet. There are still some things that need to be answered. He turned to his opponent who was just back to his feet.
"Answer my question now. Who are you and why did you attack us?" Holysaber asked the unknown assailant, standing closer but keeping a considerable distance between them.
"That's right! Are you the one who destroyed my home?!" Dark Ignis joined in, angrily glaring at their attacker.
The unknown assailant briefly glanced at the A.I. before facing Holysaber.
"I have a message for you from my master." He finally spoke, surprising them.
"A message from your master?" Holysaber repeated in question. That means this person was not the real culprit. He was just taking orders. But for what purpose? If his duty was delivering a message, why did he attack them? For what purpose forcing him to Duel?
"If you wish to move on from your past, then pursue me, alongside Playmaker." The unknown attacker told the message as he was instructed.
"Playmaker? What does Playmaker have anything to do with this?" Holysaber couldn't think of anything that could connect Playmaker and this message he was receiving. Let alone meeting Playmaker, until now he had never even logged into LINK VRAINS. Why did they tell him to be with Playmaker?
"Because just like you, Playmaker was also trapped in that place ten years ago." The unknown attacker revealed.
Holysaber felt as if his blood was freezing when the revelation struck him. Trapped in that place ten years ago. That only referred to that white room where he was forced to Duel continuously. And this guy was saying that Playmaker was also trapped in that room and was forced to Duel like he did? After he was rescued, Holysaber did hear that there were other children other than him who were kidnapped and imprisoned in that place. Playmaker was one of them?
"Huh?" Dark Ignis shifted his attention from the unknown attacker to Holysaber, observing his reaction. The place that trapped Playmaker and Holysaber ten years ago. He meant the Lost Incident. From that incident, he and his Ignis friends were born, modeled after the children who were kidnapped, with him being based on Playmaker. Now, the attacker said that Holysaber was one of those children. Judging from Holysaber's expression, that appears to be the case.
"If he is like Playmaker, he's most likely based on Divine Ignis. That would explain Saint Kuriboh's behavior." Everything made perfect sense for the Dark Ignis now. The way Saint Kuriboh was acting around Holysaber and his affinity with Olympios Stratos Deck must be because they could somehow sense Holysaber as Divine Ignis' Origin.
The moment he mentioned what happened ten years ago, Ryuki protectively stood in front of Holysaber, blocking him from the unknown attacker.
"How did you know about that? Who exactly are you and your master?" Ryuki questioned.
Neither she nor Holysaber ever told anybody outside their family and psychiatrist about Holysaber's involvement in the kidnapping incident. She didn't even tell her deceased boyfriend because she was waiting until Holysaber himself decided to tell him. Yet, this person and the one behind him knew. They were not ordinary people. The fact that they knew about Holysaber's past also means that most likely they knew Holysaber's real identity.
"If you wish to know the answer, then do as what my master told you." The unknown assailant tapped his Duel Disk. His body started to disintegrate into data.
"Wait!" Holysaber tried to reach out the man, but the unknown assailant disappeared in a flash before his hand could grasp him.
Instead of getting an answer, all he got was more questions. One thing for sure, whoever was behind this had been targeting him from the very beginning. They knew about his past and lured him all the way to this world to force him to a Duel, even providing him with an online avatar. He didn't know yet what their purpose was, but it's related to what happened ten years ago. Otherwise, they wouldn't have told him to team up with Playmaker to overcome his past. Although, he doubted they goad him to overcome his past out of a good will.
"Hey, you're also a victim of the Lost Incident like Playmaker? You were kidnapped and locked up in a white room where you were forced to Duel?" Dark Ignis asked, turning to Holysaber again.
Holysaber couldn't answer. He didn't even listen to the A.I.'s question. There is too much information that his mind needs to process. Everything that just happened all rooted to the incident ten years ago. The mastermind behind the unknown assailant no doubt was trying to dig up that incident back to him, telling him to face his past.
But...
"I...I'm going back..." Holysaber couldn't stand to be in this place any longer. He activated the program set by Ryuki and immediately logged out.
"Holysaber!" Ryuki understood why Holysaber felt the need to log out right away. She couldn't blame him after what had just transpired. She'd like to ask the A.I. about Playmaker and the incident ten years ago, but she's more worried about her childhood friend's mental condition.
"Sorry, I'm going back too. Give our regards to Playmaker." Ryuki told the A.I. and his Kuriboh. Even though Playmaker hadn't been sighted for the past three months, she knew that they'd eventually meet because his A.I. partner would certainly relay what happened to him. If Playmaker is indeed a kidnapping victim like Holysaber, Playmaker would try to contact them one way or another.
"Huh?! Wait, wait a minute!" Dark Ignis tried to stop Ryuki from leaving as well, but she already pressed the return program and logged herself out, leaving Dark Ignis with Linkuriboh. If the A.I. had some hair, he would've already pulled it from exasperation.
"Geez...! Don't just leave me hanging here!"
Kazue's Room – Hibiki Residence
When Kazue opened her eyes, she was back in her room. She turned to the seat next to her and found Kento was sitting hunched over while covering his face with his right hand. His left hand on his knee was trembling. He must be starting to recall bits of the past incident. At least he didn't reach for any sharp tools, so he hasn't started having one of his panic attacks. She sighed in a bit relief at that.
Kazue left her seat and kneeled next to Kento. Though his face is covered, it's clear to her that he's trying his best not to break down. He managed to push aside his trauma during that Duel, but that was more driven by his survival instinct. Now that they are not in danger, that drive that pushed away his trauma also left him.
"Kento." Kazue carefully placed her hand on top of his left hand. His trembling began to slow down. She didn't say anything else, waiting until Kento finally removed his hand and turned to her.
"Sorry, Kazue..." Kento apologized, leaning his back to relax. He was about to get lost in his dark memories until Kazue's voice called him out. If it weren't for her, he would've experienced a panic attack.
"Just tell me if you feel ready to talk." Kazue stood up, planning to go to the kitchen to get some refreshment and snack for him. She's also planning to tell her little brother that they must cancel the plan to play because Kento isn't feeling well and must return home earlier.
Kento held her hand, stopping her from leaving the room.
"No. I'm okay. Let's talk now. About what happened in that place." Kento told her. They shouldn't delay this talk. Their safety might be at risk after all.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
Kazue was concerned, but she sat back again, waiting for Kento to speak first.
"Let's say...what that guy was saying about Playmaker was true...do you think I should try meeting Playmaker? At least to confirm his story?" Kento asked her. The thought of having to face his past scared him, but the idea that he'd be able to meet someone who also went through the same experience as him and understanding his pain also made him curious.
"I don't think that's my decision to make. It's yours, since this is concerning your past." She replied.
Kazue may have been Kento's childhood friend and had been helping him coping his trauma, but it's not her place to tell him what to do. She knew it's necessary for him to face his past if he wants to come to terms with it and overcome his trauma. However, facing his own past means having to remember his suffering back then. Those times he remembered the detail; he was close to opening death's door with his own hand. It's a big decision for Kento that needs careful consideration. It's pointless to force himself facing his past only to stop midway because he can't go through with it.
However...
"But maybe...speaking with someone who shared the same experience as yours will help you find the answer." She added.
She wasn't there with Kento, she wasn't there to experience the same suffering as him, so she couldn't say she understood Kento's pain. Kento himself was also holding back certain things because he wanted to avoid causing worry for her and his family. But that only made her worry for him even more. It's not good for him to bottle up his pain like that. That's why, if Kento meets someone who also went through the same as him, maybe Kento will be more open, no longer holding back his pain and sadness.
"You don't need to be in a hurry. We don't know where Playmaker is anyway. It doesn't seem like he's going to return to LINK VRAINS anytime soon. Take your time to think this through." She doesn't know when Playmaker will appear again, and she doubted he'll just return immediately after what happened to them. That would be too convenient for them. The person who gave the message never gave them some sort of time limit to make their decision. Kento should still have plenty of time to think.
"Kurikuri!"
Kento and Kazue blinked when a cute voice joined in as if it was agreeing with what Kazue said. They turned to table where the voice came from, and their eyes widened upon seeing Saint Kuriboh coming out from Kento's Duel Disk.
"S-Saint Kuriboh?! Why are you in my Duel Disk?!" Kento was taken aback when the monster looked up to him from his Duel Disk. It was then he remembered that he was so in hurry to log out that he forgot the Deck from Saint Kuriboh still inserted in his Duel Disk, including Saint Kuriboh itself. The data of the Deck was brought back along as the result.
"I forgot. I should return this Deck." He was only borrowing this Deck to defend himself and Kazue from that mysterious Duelist. Now that they were safe, the Deck won't be needed anymore. And he was sure the real owner of the Deck would be looking for it.
"Kurikurikuri!" Saint Kuriboh made a gesture that appears to be a head shake.
"Looks like it wants you to keep the Deck. Since Saint Kuriboh itself gave it to you, I think it's okay for you to keep it." Kazue correctly interpreted Saint Kuriboh's gesture. The said monster smiled in confirmation of her interpretation.
"But, according to that A.I., this Deck belongs to his friend." Kento didn't feel it was right for him to keep the Deck belonging to someone else when he didn't even have permission from the owner.
"And Saint Kuriboh belongs to that friend of his and approved you. Besides, can we be sure that Playmaker's A.I. is still in that place? He could've returned to Playmaker's side after we left." Kazue left right after Kento logged out without questioning the A.I., so she didn't have anything to contact him. His so-called home world was destroyed by someone, the likelihood he'll stay in that desolated land was highly unlikely. There's no meaning to stay in the remains of his home with only Linkuriboh accompanying him.
"Kuri..."
Kento faltered when Saint Kuriboh's eyes started to become teary, and he could've sworn he saw sparkles on its faces. It was like seeing a puppy begging not to be thrown away. That face really hit hard on his conscience. Like it or not, Kazue made a good point. There was no guarantee that the A.I. they met and his Linkuriboh will still be in that place. It would be cruelly ungrateful of him if he leaves Saint Kuriboh all alone in that desolated land after the monster helped him against his attacker.
"Okay. You can stay with me until we meet your owner." Kento smiled in defeat. He'll consider this as payback for lending him the Deck. It's not like he hates Saint Kuriboh. On the contrary, the monster was loveable that it's impossible for him to hate it.
"I'll materialize the Deck for you. I'm also curious about this Deck with DIVINE-Attribute and Cyberse Type monsters. It's okay, right, Saint Kuriboh?" Kazue asked the Kuriboh as she picked up Kento's Duel Disk. This will be a perfect opportunity to analyze the Deck. You wouldn't find DIVINE-Attribute cards anywhere.
"Kuri!" Saint Kuriboh gave her permission.
With that, Kazue took Saint Kuriboh with her to start the process of materializing the Deck into physical cards with the device on her work desk.
"They get along well so quick." Kento commented in a low voice. While waiting until all the cards were materialized, Kento made himself comfortable on top of Kazue's bed.
"It never crossed my mind to try reaching out to another victim like me. Now that I'm thinking about it, how are they now? Are they as traumatized as I am? Have they moved on?" He never thought about them before because he was too busy dealing with his own trauma. Kento can't stop wondering about them now. He was afraid of Duel because of that incident. It's understandable that they also shared the same trauma and refused to Duel anymore.
"But Playmaker is Dueling. Does that mean he has moved on?" For ten years, Kento has struggled to overcome his trauma. He made some progress, but still far from a full recovery. That moment he managed to push away his trauma and won the Duel was more because of desperate need to survive taking over him rather than truly overcoming his trauma. He still can't enjoy Dueling like he used to. However, Playmaker Dueled and he is a skilled Duelist on top of it despite his past. Can he become like Playmaker?
"As Kazue said, maybe if I meet and speak with Playmaker, I'll know the answer..."
If he were to describe the landscape before him, it would be a utopian paradise. What once was a barren land with a tower made of stone strapped to the ground cables has now evolved into a beautiful land. In its evolved state, the land was divided into six biomes outside a hexagonal out-layer with six cities on the points. The cities were connected by grasslands that outline a large city surrounding the pillar, which has been weathered down and now tethered to six metallic pillars hovering above the outer cities with yellow spheres. The original tower was in the middle of a deep hole.
Each biome represents a Monster Card Attributes. Hot fiery volcano that represented Fire. Blue ocean that represented Water. Breezy valley that represented Wind. Rocky mountain that represented Earth. Bright desert that represented Light. Deep gorge that represented Dark. Tranquil steep hill that represented Divine.
Above the sky, a lone A.I. was floating in the air, enjoying the beautiful sight of his home world...
...until he was tackled by a hug from his fellow A.I.
"Divine Ignis! You're finally home! Do you know how long I've been waiting for you?"
Divine Ignis staggered by the sudden hug, having been caught completely off guard. It only took a few seconds for him to steady himself and then pushed his friend's face away from him.
"Nice to see that you still don't know how not to invade someone's personal space, Dark Ignis." Divine Ignis told his friend with his hand still covering his face.
"Don't overreact, I only went out for three days, you know." He said before finally letting go.
"But it's like forever! It's boring without you here!" Dark Ignis pouted childishly.
"Are my monsters not enough to keep you company? Didn't you have fun playing with them?" Divine Ignis already anticipated that the Dark Ignis would be bored, so he had arranged with his monsters to keep his best friend company while he was away.
"More like babysitting when I'm with them! I can hardly rest with them around! How in the world you take care of them?" Dark Ignis protested. He felt like a kindergarten teacher being forced to follow the whims of his friend's monsters whose idea of playing involved him being crushed by the pile of their bodies, piggyback them, or being hit by mud they threw at him.
"All you need to do is care for them with love." Divine Ignis replied as if that was the obvious answer, which was met with a flat face from the Dark Ignis.
"Yeah right. Going out to observe humans has made you speaking nonsense." The dark-colored A.I. made a dismissive gesture. To this day, he still couldn't comprehend Divine Ignis' fascination with humans.
"I am serious though. We are AIs with free will. We are capable of being angry, sad, and happy. I don't think it's far-fetched that we are capable of love the same way humans do." Divine Ignis' expression was serene when he said it.
Divine Ignis had seen the cruelty and ugliness of humans. They were capable of hurting others for the smallest thing without caring of the consequences they would bring. However, he had also seen that humans were capable of love and kindness. They lend a hand to those in need and get helped themselves in return. And he found those good-natured humans fascinating.
"Does that mean you love humans?" Dark Ignis asked without looking. But when his friend didn't give an answer for a few seconds, Dark Ignis turned to his friend again. He was surprised to see his friend smiling down so merrily with his answer.
"Perhaps I am..."
"!"
Kento abruptly opened his eyes and sat up, awakening from his sleep. His heart was pounding. It's as if a hypodermic of adrenaline has been emptied into his carotid. He strained into the utter darkness, his breathing rate beginning to steady. Now fully getting ahold of his own mind, he began to recall the dream he just had.
That A.I. in his dream. There was no mistaking it, it was the A.I. that he saw yesterday in a vision during the Duel. No. Though he said it was a dream, it felt too real to be one. It was more like he had experienced it himself. Like he had possessed the Divine Ignis' body and became him for a moment.
"What was that...?"
Central Plaza – Den City – The Next Day
The dream he had last night was the button that pushed Kento to make up his mind to meet Playmaker like the mysterious assailant told him to. The problem is what must he do to contact Playmaker. The hero of LINK VRAINS had been absent for three months and hasn't made any appearance again. Since he was a skilled hacker, he didn't leave any traces online that could lead to him. Contacting the A.I. he met before was not possible either because neither he nor Kazue asked for his contact info.
He thought of making Playmaker return to LINK VRAINS again, but he has nothing that can catch his attention without making ruckus. Blue Angel once publicly challenged Playmaker, but the latter didn't come until later. That was a method that Kento would never try because he dislikes becoming a center of attention and Playmaker may as well ignore his challenge. The Deck lent by Saint Kuriboh consisted of monsters of Cyberse-Type, the same as Playmaker's monsters. Using the Deck as bait may also attract unwanted attention from bounty hunters who are targeting Playmaker, so he also scratched that method.
Kento stopped on his track when his nose smelled a delicious scent. He spotted a hotdog truck where the smell was coming from. He didn't eat much this morning and all the thinking made him hungry. He can't concentrate with an empty stomach, it's best to fill his belly first and think up a plan to find Playmaker.
"One hotdog, plea–"
Kento trailed off upon seeing who was cooking sausage. It was none other than his recently new classmate who sat next to him on his first day at school.
"Fujiki-kun?!" Kento said with a surprised tone.
"Hijiri." Fujiki curtly greeted him back.
"You're part timing here? But I thought students in our school are not allowed to take part time job?" Kento knew that he's not one to talk since he himself has a part-time job with Kazue's father, but it's not an ordinary part-time job and one that outsiders would ever know, so he won't really count that. Fujiki, on the other hand, he's working out in the open here, where usually students from their school hang out.
"I received special permission since I must pay for my apartment rent." Fujiki answered with his eyes still focused on the hotdog.
"You live by yourself?"
"Yeah. I moved from my home because it's closer to school."
If Fujiki had to move to get closer to school, he was most likely not from Den City. Commuting from outside to Den City can be a hassle considering not only the distance but also the crowds of people both by train and bus. It's suffocating. He wouldn't blame Fujiki deciding to move to avoid that.
"Is your part-time work your reason why you're not joining the Duel Club?" Kento asked, deciding to continue the conversation while waiting until the hotdog is finished. From his observation, Fujiki didn't look like the type to join any clubs. He could be wrong though, which was why he asked. People shouldn't judge a book by its cover alone.
"No. I'm never interested in joining any club at school. Speaking of which, have you decided to join a club? I don't think you'll join the Duel Club since you're not interested, so I thought you'll choose other clubs." Fujiki asked back.
"You can tell?"
"There are three reasons why I know you're not interested in joining Duel Club." Fujiki raised his left hand as his dominant hand was still occupied with the sausage.
"First, you tried to refuse when Shima dragged you into the club room. It was never your intention to stop by the Duel Club." He raised his index finger to explain his first point. From the way Hijiri approached him and Shima, Yusaku could see that he just happened to pass by. His face also showed his clear reluctance when Shima mentioned the Duel Club.
"Second, you already said it yourself that you don't Duel often and use your Duel Disk for other purposes." He then raised his middle finger to explain his second point. Judging that Hijiri didn't have any Deck inserted in his Duel Disk, he's being honest. He Duels, but not as often to be considered a Duelist.
"Third, when the club president started to explain things about Duel, you're listening but there's no enthusiasm or passion from you. You were just being considerate of Shima and the club president." He raised his fourth finger to explain his last point. Throughout the explanation, Hijiri's expression that Yusaku discerned was that of disinterest. It seemed he already knew the general rules of Duel Monsters, but not interested enough to aim to become a Professional Duelist. And the way Hijiri looked at the disappointed Shima and respectful Hosoda, Hijiri decided that listening to them was the least he could do in hope of not offending them.
"I guess I'm an open book." Kento smiled in embarrassment from the three points that Fujiki made.
"You were also the same, Fujiki-kun. You could've refused or ignored Shima-kun and Hosoda-san, but you decided to stay until Hosoda-san finished. You're a nice person." Kento wasn't trying to flatter, that was his real thoughts. Fujiki was reluctant to be there, but instead of insisting on leaving or cutting off Shima and Hosoda, Fujiki listened from start to finish without complaining.
"It's not a big deal." Fujiki replied calmly. Kento smiled softly at his modesty. It was then Fujiki applied the sauces, finishing the order and extended it to Kento. "Here you go. One hotdog."
"Thanks." Kento paid and ate the hotdog immediately. It's tasty. He better take Kazue and Minoru to try out this hotdog next time. His attention turned to the TV screens showing Playmaker's bounty in LINK VRAINS.
"Fujiki-kun, are you a fan of Playmaker like Shima-kun?" Kento asked again. Fujiki already made it clear he has no interest in Duel Club, but that's a different matter. Maybe he's not interested in Duel Club, but he might still be interested in LINK VRAINS and Playmaker personally.
"If you asked because of my Duel Disk, no. The Duel Disk I'm using was a Duel Disk I've had since I was a child and I'm comfortable enough using it. It was simply a coincidence that Playmaker turned out to be using the same model." Fujiki answered calmly as usual.
"Then, how much do you know about Playmaker?" Kento knew that the likelihood of gaining intel from asking other people like this was very slim. That said, he also knew that sometimes things that seem or sound trivial may unexpectedly turn out to be a crucial clue. He didn't have any lead anyway, so a little hint would be fine.
"Are you a fan of him?" This time, it was Fujiki who asked.
"Oh, no. I'm just curious because a lot of people talked about him. Even Kazue's little brother idolized him. I only know based on what I heard from news and rumors." Kento made up an excuse.
"Sorry. I don't know much about him myself. I also just heard about him from news." To Kento's dismay, Fujiki couldn't provide him with any useful intel.
"What should I do? Does attracting attention to myself using the Deck is the only way after all?" Kento would be risking attracting many people who no doubt would be interested in DIVINE-Attribute cards if he does that, something he'd like to avoid. However, thinking about it again, attracting attention to himself may be inevitable if he were to be involved with Playmaker.
"Hello? Kusanagi-san?"
Kento noticed Fujiki is on a phone with someone. From what Fujiki said about the food truck, he must be talking to the owner. However, Fujiki's face suddenly looked alarmed.
"Got it! I'll go right away!" Fujiki quickly closed the phone and began to tidy up everything even though it was still noon.
"Fujiki-kun?" Kento asked in concern.
"Sorry, there's an emergency matter. I must close the shop now. See you tomorrow at school, Hijiri."
Kento didn't even have the chance to reply as Fujiki closed the truck. It must be very urgent if he was in a hurry like that. Whatever urgent matter that Fujiki has, Kento hoped that it'll go well for him. He decided to leave the hotdog truck. He himself has more important matters to do after all. Kento was only a few steps away from the plaza when he heard something the least that he expected.
"Hey, look! It's Playmaker!" A passerby pointed at the TV screen at the plaza.
"What?!" Kento turned around and looked at the TV. Exactly as the guy said, it was Playmaker. He's back to LINK VRAINS. He's chasing after someone whose whole body is gold colored.
Kento quickly overcame his shock as he saw the opportunity he'd been looking for. This was his chance to meet up with Playmaker. Maybe his only chance even. He quickly looked for a place where he can log in without anybody interfering. Luckily, there was one of Hibiki Enterprise's stores nearby. He just needed to show the ID Card that Kazue's father provided for him, and he's allowed to use whatever available for his uses. Kento borrowed a room and inserted his Deck into his Duel Disk.
"Into the VRAINS!"
LINK VRAINS – Network
Unlike before, he appeared in midair. Fortunately, He already saw on TV and Kazue already prepared a D-Board for him in advance. And so, once he emerged from the gate, he gracefully landed on his D-Board without a problem. The D-Board is silver in color with white on the sides, lavender fins in semblance of wings and lavender gems on the front. Kazue made it to fit his avatar. He'll be sure to repay her later.
This was his first time to be in LINK VRAINS riding a D-Board that he had only seen on TV screen before. Being here online directly hit differently. It was amazing. Never thought he'd be here now for a rather strange reason, namely, to meet Playmaker. If it was any other people other than Kazue heard his reason, they would mistake him to be a hardcore Playmaker fan.
"First, I must show Playmaker that I don't have bad intentions."
Holysaber gradually caught up to Playmaker, who was still chasing the mysterious Duelist in yellow. If Playmaker was chasing after that guy, he was most likely someone that Playmaker considered to be an enemy. However, while still chasing after the yellow guy, a Duelist appeared and chasing after Playmaker. He wore purple with a green hat, red and blue mask with pink eyes, purple cape, black coat, blue shirt with green accents, black pants and boots with red sole and yellow star behind the boots. He wore a black glove on his left hand, and a prosthetic arm identical to the one worn by the masked Duelist from before.
Holysaber recognized him. Blood Shepherd. He was infamous among hackers as a A.I-hating bounty hunter who would pursue anyone who was unfortunate enough to become his target with ruthless fervency and willingly deployed dirty methods to accomplish his mission. Kazue mentioned that SOL Technologies employed a group of bounty hunters to capture Playmaker. Blood Shepherd must be one of them.
He felt a bit bad, but he was glad that Blood Shepherd came. Because he has given him the opportunity that he needed to gain Playmaker's trust. Since he is in LINK VRAINS, dueling is inevitable, especially against an opponent like Blood Shepherd. The thought of dueling brings shivers to his body.
"Calm down. I can do this. I did it that time. If I can focus on that feeling, I won't break." Holysaber tried to focus on that moment when he managed to defeat the unknown assailant before. He tried to recall that moment when Kazue's voice reached him. He tried to place himself in that moment. Opening his eyes again, his hands stopped trembling.
"Let's do this now." Holysaber sped up, getting closer to Playmaker and Blood Shepherd. From his Duel Disk, he launched a red cord and wrapped it around Blood Shepherd's wrist.
"What is this?!" Blood Shepherd followed to where the red cord leads until he saw Holysaber.
"Duel Anchor. It prevents us from logging out until we have a Duel." Holysaber told the bounty hunter.
Holysaber was glad that he decided to set up this feature in his Duel Disk. Actually, he set this program in case Playmaker refuses to listen to him if they were to meet. Kazue was the one who suggested it despite his reluctance. Fortunately, he could make use of this program without having to use it on the intended person. The bounty hunter's appearance made it convenient for him.
"Ah! You're the guy from before!"
Holysaber recognized the A.I. and Linkuriboh on Playmaker's Duel Disk. There's no mistaking them. They are the same A.I. and Linkuriboh he met yesterday. The A.I., or Dark Ignis, as he recalled in his dream, is pointing his finger at him in acknowledgment of them being acquaintance. This is even better than he imagined. They can vouch for him.
"You know him?" Playmaker asked his A.I.
"Well, kinda." The A.I. answered.
"My name is Holysaber. Playmaker, I know you have questions, but we can talk later. Let me handle this bounty hunter. You go after that guy." Holysaber told Playmaker. It was clear that Playmaker was in a hurry and couldn't afford to be distracted by this bounty hunter. Like it or not, Holysaber's arrival would help him.
"Playmaker, I think we can trust him. This guy saved me before." Playmaker's A.I. told his partner.
Holysaber appreciated the trust that the A.I. had for him. Perhaps Holysaber being a victim of the Lost Incident as they called it, also played a role in the A.I.'s decision. Playmaker looked hesitant for a second but considering that he has someone that he must catch up with, he didn't have any choice.
"I'll leave it to you then." Playmaker told Holysaber before speeding up his D-Board. Holysaber sighed in relief that Playmaker decided to trust him.
"You! Why are you getting in my way?!"
Holysaber turned to the bounty hunter, Blood Shepherd. The bounty hunter was understandably furious. He'll be getting on the bounty hunter's bad side because of this, but if this means he could speak with Playmaker then so be it.
"I have a business of my own with Playmaker. That's why I can't allow you to capture him." Holysaber raised his Duel Disk, challenging the bounty hunter.
"I won't show mercy to anybody who dares to challenge me." Blood Shepherd raised his Duel Disk as well.
Holysaber and Blood Shepherd sped up their D-Boards, following a different flow of Data Material from Playmaker's. Blood Shepherd got ahead of Holysaber, turning behind to face Holysaber as they began their match.
"Speed Duel!"
Holysaber LP: 4000
Blood Shepherd LP: 4000
"I'm going first! From my hand, I summon Drone Pawn!" Blood Shepherd summoned a grey-colored monster resembling a military aircraft in Attack Position in the Main Monster Zone.
Drone Pawn (MACHINE/WIND/ATK: 600/DEF: 0/LV: 1)
"I set two cards and end my Turn." Blood Shepherd ended his Turn.
"A monster with low ATK and DEF and a face-down card. No matter how I look at it, he's setting a trap for me." His opponent is the infamous professional bounty hunter. He mustn't underestimate him no matter how seemingly insignificant his move was.
"When no other monsters are on our Field, it can't be destroyed by Battle. And during the turn that it's attacked, after the battle, we regain LP equal to the damage we took." The A.I. from Blood Shepherd's Duel Disk explained Drone Pawn's effect.
Holysaber raised an eyebrow at that. He hates A.I. and yet he has an A.I. program on his Duel Disk?
"Is there any battle record about him?" Blood Shepherd asked.
"Negative. This is most likely the first time Holysaber logged into LINK VRAINS." The A.I. responded.
Holysaber eyed Blood Shepherd and the A.I. on his Duel Disk suspiciously. He knew that A.I. has many functions and it was understandable for a Duelist like Blood Shepherd to use it as nothing but a tool, but would Blood Shepherd really use an A.I. for crucial intel gathering when he hates A.I. so much?
"Very well. I'll play along with whatever you are planning for now." Holysaber placed his fingers on the top of his Deck. He recalled the rule of Speed Duel, which was different from the Master Duel he did yesterday. It has more restrictions than Master Duel and he never tried it even once before, so this would truly be his first time doing a Speed Duel.
Time to test his ability to adapt.
"My Turn! Draw!" Holysaber looked at the card he drew. It was a monster card. The monster wears a black academic robe with a stole paired with a stiff black cylindrical head covering, similar to a stovepipe hat but without a brim.
"I set a card." Holysaber set a card before picking the card he just drew. "From my hand, I summon Olympios Stratos – Kalimavkion!"
Olympios Stratos – Kalimavkion (CYBSERSE/DIVINE/EFFECT/ATK: 500/DEF: 100/LV: 3)
"A DIVINE-Attribute Cyberse monster?!" Blood Shepherd couldn't hide his shock upon seeing the general information of the monster appear on his screen.
His surprise was shared by other people who were watching the Duel between them. Not only Holysaber was using a Cyberse Monster like Playmaker and Revolver, but the said monster's attribute also was one that was never seen before and only a piece of information circulated from hearsay.
"No way, so DIVINE-Attribute is real?"
"It's not a just rumor?"
"Who is that Duelist?"
The spectators watched in awe at the very first DIVINE-Attribute monster they have ever seen. Holysaber had expected such a reaction and their inevitable attention on him, but that was the least of his worry. He won't let anything distract him in his Duel.
"When I control exactly 1 Olympios Stratos monster on my Field, I can activate the effect of Olympios Stratos – Diakonos from my hand! I send this card to my Graveyard to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Olympios Stratos monster from my Deck except itself!" Holysaber summoned a monster with a long-sleeved green mini-dress that bares her shoulders and has white lines at the center of the mini-dress to the base. The sleeves of her mini dress are a shade of white, and the remainder of her hands are covered in white gloves. Accompanying her attire is a lighter green mantle adorned with symmetric patterns.
Olympios Stratos – Mathitis (CYBERSE/DIVINE/EFFECT/ATK: 1300/DEF: 0/LV: 4)
"Set card cannot be activated." Blood Shepherd's A.I. suddenly said.
"Can't be activated? Did Blood Shepherd try to use one of his Reverse Cards?" Holysaber, again, was confused by his opponent's A.I.
It notified both Blood Shepherd and him that the card couldn't be activated, so that could only mean Blood Shepherd attempted to activate it. But Holysaber found it strange. It's his own card, no way Blood Shepherd doesn't know his own card's effect and the requirements to activate it. And none of the monsters on Holysaber's Field nor his hand have the effect to prevent his opponent from activating a card.
"Could it be...!" Holysaber was hit with a realization. If he was right, then he'll have to go with a backup.
"Kalimavkion can be treated as two materials." Holysaber revealed before raising his arm up.
"Appear! The circuit that lights up the future!" As Holysaber declared, Arrowhead portal appeared above him.
"Arrowhead confirmed! The summoning condition is 2 effect monsters. I set Kalimavkion and Mathitis to the Link Markers! Circuit Combined!" Kalimavkion, that was treated as two monsters went to the Bottom-Left and Top Link Markers, while Mathitis went to the Right Link Marker.
"Sacred sword that embodies hope. Descend from the heavenly sky and protect the tormented souls from evil oppressors! Link Summon! Appear, Link 3, Olympios Stratos – Elpizo Harpe!" Holysaber summoned his ace monster to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.
Olympios Stratos – Elpizo Harpe (CYBERSE/DIVINE/LINK/ATK: 2300/LNK: 3/LM: Bottom-Left, Top, Right)
Holysaber was ready to make his next move, but Blood Shepherd, at that moment, pointed at his face-down card.
"I activate Continuous Trap Card: Capture Drone! When I control a Drone monster, I can target a Link Monster my opponent controls! That target has its effect negated, cannot be used as Link Material nor tributed, and it cannot attack!" The bounty hunter opened his reverse card. Purple-colored chains come out from the card and wraps itself around Elpizo Harpe, tying it in place.
"I knew it." Holysaber stated, not surprised by the chained Elpizo Harpe.
"You expected this?" Blood Shepherd asked.
"You're a bounty hunter famous for hating A.I.s. And yet you have an A.I. with you to provide information. I could only be suspicious. Sure enough, you purposely set your A.I. to provide false information to your opponent and let their guard down so you can take them by surprise. You never activated your card from the start, that was just a false info your A.I. notified to mislead your opponent." Holysaber replied.
"Hmph. Correct. Nobody decided that information provided by A.I.s is accurate. A.I.s are never to be trusted. They are nothing more but tools to be used to achieve my goal." Blood Shepherd commended his opponent's insight.
All of his opponents foolishly fell prey to the false information provided by his A.I. because of their heavy realiance to the program, giving him an easy victory. They were never on his level to begin with, so he could've won even without having to use such tactics. But Holysaber was different. Not only does he have a sharp intuition, he also properly assessed the information he knew about him and made a proper judgment. Blood Shepherd was honestly quite impressed.
"And that's exactly why, I already prepared for a backup! I activate Magic Card: Salpinx of Barter! I return 1 monster from my Graveyard to the Deck and then draw 2 cards!" Holysaber went for his alternate strategy, activating his Magic Card instead since his Main Phase hadn't begun thanks to Blood Shepherd's Trap.
Holysaber returned Kalimavkion to his Deck and then drew 2 cards. Among the two cards drawn, he picked one and activated it.
"I activate Magic Card: Bear's Breech! I banish 1 Spell or Trap card in my Graveyard to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Olympios Stratos monster from my Deck with its ATK and DEF becomes 0!" Holysaber banished Salpinx of Barter to Special Summon Kalimavkion again to his Field.
"Appear once more, the circuit that lights up the future!" Holysaber once again performed a Link Summon, sending Kalimavkion treated as two monsters to the Bottom-Right and Bottom-Left Link Markers.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 2, Olympios Stratos – Efcharis Archiereia!" Holysaber summoned a monster with long silver hair with hints of pink and red that is tied back in a high ponytail behind a red and gold headband. She has green eyes and wears a long-sleeved, red, white, black, and lavender dress. She wears red and white heels with ribbons that wrap around her legs. Her shoes and dress are decorated with violet gems.
Olympios Stratos – Efcharis Archiereia (CYBERSE/DIVINE/LINK/ATK: 2000/LNK: 2/LM: Bottom-Right, Bottom-Left)
"Battle! I attack Drone Pawn with Efcharis Archiereia!" Holysaber declared his delayed Battle Phase. Since Capture Drone only affected Elpizo Harpe, Archiereia won't have any problem in attacking.
Archiereia has her arms wide open, pieces of paper floating in front of her. Her hands then emit fire, and she spins, conjuring a flaming whirlpool beneath her, with wisps of fire circling her. Finally, her hand sends an arc of fire toward the Drone monster.
Unfortunately, before the arc of fire could reach the Drone monster, Blood Shepherd once again opened his other reverse card.
"That won't be enough! Trap Card: Assist Counter! When a Drone monster I control is targeted of an attack by a Link Monster with 1000 or higher ATK, I can discard one card from my Deck to destroy that monster instead and then summon 1 Drone Counter!" As the bounty hunter declared, he discarded a card from his Deck to the Graveyard, causing the arc of fire to turn back to Efcharis Archiereia like a boomerang.
"What?!" Holysaber didn't expect this move. He watched helplessly as Archiereia was burned down by her own flame, disappearing from the Field. One Drone Counter then appeared on Black Shepherd's field in Defense Position.
"I end my turn." Holysaber reluctantly ended his turn.
Blood Shepherd observed his opponent. Based on the brief conversation he had with Playmaker and the Ignis, Holysaber had not been acquainted with Playmaker until just a while ago, but he had met the Ignis prior. His possession of the rumored DIVINE-Attribute monsters and Cyberse-Type at that most likely related to his reason in helping Playmaker and his Ignis. No normal person could get DIVINE-Attribute Cyberse Type monsters and combined from the facts he has gathered so far; this Duelist has some sort of connection to the Ignis.
Even if he couldn't get Playmaker, capturing this guy would still give him benefit. He can get intel about the Ignis from him, and SOL Technologies no doubt is interested in the supposedly non-existent DIVINE-Attribute cards. Intel about the Ignis plus DIVINE-Attribute Cybserse-Type cards, it's like killing two birds with one stone. Besides, Holysaber was the reason why he couldn't get Playmaker, so it's only fair for Holysaber to compensate him for that.
Blood Shepherd will make sure he won't let his new prey get away.
"My Turn! Come out! The circuit that leads to victory! Arrowhead confirmed! The summoning condition is one Drone!" Blood Shepherd placed Drone Pawn to the Bottom Link Arow.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 1, Battledrone Sergeant!" Blood Shepherd summoned his first Link Monster in the Extra Monster Zone.
Battledrone Sergeant (MACHINE/WIND/LINK/ATK: 800/LNK: 1/LM: Bottom)
"I activate Capture Drone's effect! I can Special Summon Drone Token up to the number of Link Arrow of the monster targeted by this card's effect!" Since Elpizo Harpe has three Link Arrows, Blood Shepherd summoned three Drone Tokens.
"Arrowhead confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two Drones! Circuits combined!" Blood Shepherd summoned the Arrowheard portal once more, placing his three Drone Tokens to Right, Bottom, and Left Link Markers.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 3, Battledrone General!" Blood Shepherd summoned his second Link Monster to the zone pointed by Sergeant's Bottom-Link Arrow.
Battledrone General (MACHINE/WIND/LINK/ATK: 2400/LNK: 3/LM: Right, Bottom, Left)
"I activate Battledrone General's effect! Once per Turn, I can target 1 Drone monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it to the the zone this card points to!" He revived Drone Pawn.
"From my hand, I activate Equip Spell: Drone Launcher Unit! I equip it to General!" Blood Shepherd equipped the spell to his Link 3 Link Monster.
"The monster equipped with Drone Launcher Unit isn't affected by your monster's effects and it'll inflict 100 damage to my opponent equal to the combined Link Arrows of all Link Monsters on Field!" There were 7 Link Arrows in total, so the total damage Holysaber will take is 700.
Battledrone General turns to Holysaber and the armor equipped to it shot two beams that hit the Olympios Stratos user.
Holysaber LP: 4000 = 3300
"I set a card." Blood Shepherd set one card before looking at his Field. His army's formation has been completed.
"I activate the other effect of General! Once per Turn, I can target a Level 4 or lower Drone monster with ATK 1000 or less that I control and allow it to attack directly!" Blood Shepherd targeted Drone Pawn. Following his instruction, Drone Pawn repeatedly shoots Holysaber, reducing his LP further.
Holysaber LP: 3300 = 2700
"As a Drone monster inflicted Battle Damage by attacking directly, I activate Battledrone General's additional! By Releasing that monster, I can inflict damage equal to its ATK!" Blood Shepherd Released Drone Pawn, changing it into an energy beam that once again hits Holysaber.
Holysaber LP: 2700 = 2100
"As a Drone Monster inflicted Battle Damage by attacking directly, I Sergeant can attack directly!" Blood Shepherd declared his second attack. Sergeant shoots two missiles that Holysaber couldn't avoid.
Holysaber LP: 2100 = 1300
"As Sergeant inflicted Battle Damage by attacking directly, I can once again activate General's effect to Release it and inflict damage equal to its ATK!" Blood Shepherd Released Sergeant like he did with Pawn, changing it into a green beam that hit Holysaber, reducing his LP to red.
Holysaber LP: 1300 = 500
Holysaber grit his teeth. Blood Shepherd was beyond his expectation. Holysaber had expected Blood Shepherd to be strong, but not to this extent. In one turn, he instantly wiped most of his LP. He truly lived up to the name of the best bounty hunter in LINK VRAINS. If General attacks Elpizo Harpe, since the difference between the two Link Monsters' ATKs are only 100, Holysaber can still survive this turn with 400 LP.
However, knowing Blood Shepherd, he doubted that the bounty hunter would let him get away with that slim LP.
"I attack Elpizo Harpe with Battledrone General!" Blood Shepherd declared an attack with his remaining Link Monster. General is more than ready to make a shot.
"I activate Quick-Play Spell: Drone Force! Until the end of Battle Phase, the attacking Drone monster will have its ATK doubled!" Blood Shepherd activated the card from his hand, increasing General's ATK by another 2400.
Battledrone General ATK: 2400 = 4800
"Thought so!" Holysaber sweat dropped at the huge increase in the ATK. If this attack hit him, he'll lose. He musn't let that happen.
"I activate Diakonos' effect! I banish it from Graveyard to negate the activation of your Spell Card and destroy it and then draw 1 card!" Holysaber banished Diakonos from his Graveyard, effectively destroying the Quick-Play Spell that Blood Shepherd just used to double his Link Monster's ATK, reverting its ATK back to normal.
Battledrone General ATK: 4800 = 2400
"But the battle still continues! Go, Battledrone General!" Blood Shepherd declared, continuing his attack.
Battledrone General shot two beams from its own, destroying Elpizo Harpe and leaving Holysaber's Field empty.
Holysaber LP: 500 = 400
"I end my Turn. I'll give you credit for surviving this far. The Duelists I had dueled before never managed to survive those consecutive attacks." Blood Shepherd praised his opponent. It wasn't sarcasm or empty praise. He truly praised Holysaber's tenacity and quick thinking.
Holysaber felt his hands trembling again. As always. It's always like this when his LP is in the red. So close to defeat. The fear of losing is creeping into his mind, so fast in taking over him, reminding him of the pain he went through in that horrid place. And then, once the memory of pain is the only thing he could think of, the next thought coming into his mind is–
"Kuri!"
The small voice stopped Holysaber from stepping into that next step that would've urged him to open the door to the afterlife. He looked at his Duel Disk, but Saint Kuriboh was not there, popping out like it did yesterday. But he could hear its voice. It's coming from his cards.
"Kuri! Kuri!"
It wasn't his imagination. Saint Kuriboh was calling for him. Like before, it was trying to convey something to him. He checked his situation. He has three cards in his hand and six cards in his Graveyard. Blood Shepherd has one set card and Battledrone General on his Field. He must summon a monster with higher ATK than Battledrone General, and one that preferably inflict huge damage to his opponent. But he hasn't gotten used to using and understanding this Deck. To summon a monster that can help him in this situation is...
"Kuri." Saint Kuriboh winked at him. Holysaber blinked at the gesture of the small, cute monster calling for him. Then, he heard it. A strong pulse from his Deck. It was the same as when he first summoned Elpizo Harpe. The monsters were trying to help him.
"Then I'll have to trust them..." Holysaber murmured, smiling gratefully at Saint Kuriboh.
"My Turn! Draw!" Holysaber drew a monster card. Exactly the monster he needs. With this, the preparation is complete.
"With Scale 2 Olympios Stratos – Kastora and Scale 7 Olympios Stratos – Polydefki, I set the Pendulum Scale! This allows me to simultaneously summon Level 3 to 6 monsters!" Holysaber set his Pendulum Scale. Two monsters, Kastora and Polydefki appeared on both of Holysaber's sides, forming a gear-shaped gateway above.
Both monsters have the form of a male holding spears and wears heavy silver armor with a short, cream-colored surcoat worn over it. A vertical golden stripe covers the front of the surcoat, and their cape is split into two large, wing-like pieces. A large piece of metal, once more resembling a wing, protrudes from their right shoulder. The only difference between them is that Kastora has green cape while Polydefki has yellow cape.
Olympios Stratos – Kastora (CYBERSE/DIVINE/PENDULUM/EFFECT/ATK: 1500/DEF: 2000/LV: 5/PS: 2)
Olympios Stratos – Polydefki (CYBERSE/DIVINE/PENDULUM/EFFECT/ATK: 1500/DEF: 2000/ LV: 5/PS: 7)
"Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my monsters!" From the gateway, two monsters emerged. First was Saint Kuriboh. Second was Olympios Stratos – Iatros, a monster with appearance of frail-looking female with porcelain-white skin, dark brown eyes, and short brown hair, ornamented with three orbs that vary from turquoise to deep blue. Her attire consisted of a white ruffled dress, long white stockings, and red slippers with decorative bows. A gold material is fastened at the waist of her dress, and a long red ribbon is tied in a bow at her back, trailing into long strands.
Saint Kuriboh (CYBERSE/DIVINE/EFFECT/ATK: 300/DEF: 200/LV: 1)
Olympios Stratos – Iatros (CYBERSE/DIVINE/EFFECT/ATK: 1000/DEF: 700/LV: 4)
"Pendulum Summon?!" Blood Shepherd looked in surprise. Pendulum cards are not uncommon, but due to how restrictive the current Duel rules are, there are only a few people who are using Pendulum cards, even more so for Speed Duel.
"Appear! The circuit that lights the future!" Holysaber called forth the Arrowhead for the third time.
"Arrowhead confirmed. The summoning condition is two DIVINE monsters. I set Saint Kuriboh and Iatros on the Link Markers! Circuits combined!" He set Saint Kuriboh on the Bottom Link Marker and Iatros on the Left Link Marker.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 2, Olympios Stratos – Foteino Eleos!" Holysaber summoned a monster in the form of a male who dons a grey, full-body suit bearing a cross-like design on its torso, a stylization that continues down his arms and left leg. He wields two swords, one long and one short. He also wears a white helmet with wings-like protrusions on each side. He also wears a purple cape that compliments the subtle accent of his attire.
Olympios Stratos – Foteino Eleos (CYBERSE/DIVINE/LINK/ATK: 1400/LNK: 2/LM: Left, Bottom)
"I see. He used Pendulum Summon to summon two monsters at the same time so he could use them to Link Summon." Blood Shepherd understood. By simultaneously summoning two monsters at once, Holysaber wouldn't need to use a monster effect that allows him to Special Summon other monsters or wait for his next turn. However, this came at the cost of having two of his Magic and Trap Zone being occupied by the Pendulum Cards.
"I activate Mathitis' effect! By banishing this card from the Graveyard, I can Special Summon 1 DIVINE Link Monster from my Graveyard!" Holysaber revived Elpizo Harpe into his Main Monster Zone right below Foteino Eleos' bottom Link Arrow. He has Foteino Eleos to destroy Battledrone General and Elpizo Harpe to do the direct attack. His formation is complete.
"Battle! I attack Battledrone General with Foteino Eleos!" Holysaber declared his Battle Phase.
"Foteino Eleos' effect! When this card is co-linked, the ATK is doubled!" Holysaber revealed.
Olympios Stratos – Foteino Eleos ATK: 1400 = 2800
"Trap Card: Demolition Drone! By Releasing a Drone monster, I can halve all Battle Damage that I take this Turn!" Blood Shepherd tributed Drone Counter, halving the damage from Foteino Eleos' attack.
Foteino Eleos unleashed light blue blasts from the swings of his swords that destroyed the Drone Link Monster, leaving Blood Shepherd's Monster Zones empty.
Blood Shepherd LP: 4000 = 3600
"Next, I attack directly with Elpizo Harpe!" Holysaber readied for his second and final attack. Elpizo Harpe has already gripped his sword tight and is preparing to make a swing.
"At this moment I activate Elpizo Harpe's effect! When this card points to a monster, it gains an ATK equal to the difference between that monster's ATK and my current LP!" Elpizo Harpe's Top Link Arrow pointed to Foteino Eleos, who's current ATK was at 2800 and Holysaber's LP was at 400, making it a 2400 points difference.
Elpizo Harpe ATK: 2300 = 4700
"Katharos Slash!"
Elpizo Harpe slashed down its sword at Blood Shepherd, making a slash scar of data on Blood Shepherd's body as the bounty hunter wince in pain. The attack was supposed to inflict 4700 damage to Blood Shepherd and reduce his LP to 0, but due to Demolition Drone's effect, the damage Blood Shepherd suffered was halved, making the damage inflicted only 2350 points.
Blood Shepherd LP: 3600 = 1250
"Too bad. That damage wasn't enough to wipe out my Life." Blood Shepherd told his opponent. He still has enough LP. He'll end everything on his next turn. Or at least, that was his initial plan.
"No, it didn't. But the next damage would." Holysaber smiled confidently at the bounty hunter.
"I activate Elpizo Harpe's second effect! When this card inflicts battle damage, I can inflict additional damage to my opponent equal to the ATK of a monster pointed by Elpizo Harpe!" Holysaber revealed.
"What?!"
Due to Foteino Eleos' effect, his current ATK was 2800. Since Demolition Drone's effect only applies to Battle Damage, Effect Damage won't be affected by the Trap Card's effect, meaning the damage won't be halved.
"This is the end! Katharsi Stream!"
Elpizo Harpe held his sword with both hands and then pointed it toward Blood Shepherd. The sword was enveloped in a silverish white light and shoots forward, forming into the shape of bird that seemingly devouring the bounty hunter, depleting his remaining LP.
Blood Sheperd LP: 1250 = 0
Blood Shepherd fell from his D-Board. Sensing the danger, his Duel Disk automatically logged him out. Holysaber was relieved to see the moment Blood Shepherd disappeared from his sight. For now, nobody would chase after him and Playmaker.
"That was close." Holysaber sighed.
With the Duel settled, Holysaber went to where Playmaker was. Upon his arrival, a warning of forbidden area appeared. The yellow guy was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a Duelist with turquoise hair and red bangs. He wore a grey jumpsuit patterned with orange flames licking the limbs, red rib sections, and a yellow arrowhead shape running down his chest with a triangular aquamarine gem in the center. He has red shoulder-pads, greaves, and a gauntlet on his left hand and an elbow-guard on his right arm, which is bare to the wrist. He also wears red boots with grey, orange-lined tongues and orange soles. The Duelist appears to be speaking with Playmaker before logging out. Holysaber landed down, approaching the person he has intended to speak to.
"I take it you failed to apprehend him?" Holysaber asked, referring to the Duelist whom Playmaker was chasing after.
"Unfortunately. They passed through the forbidden area." Playmaker said calmly, but Holysaber could tell that he was disappointed in himself for his failure.
"This is my mail address. Contact me when you're ready to talk." Holysaber sent his address through his Duel Disk to Playmaker's. As much as he wanted to talk with Playmaker now, it won't be good for them to stay when they have inadvertently touched the forbidden area of LINK VRAINS. Better to retreat and talk later.
Holysaber finger reached to press the log out option, but he paused to face Playmaker again.
"I'd like to know about the Lost Incident." Holysaber told him. Judging from the utter shock on Playmaker's expression, looks like the Dark Ignis and the unknown assailant were telling the truth that Playmaker was involved in the kidnapping incident ten years ago.
"I'll be waiting." The Olympios Stratos user didn't wait for Playmaker's reply and logged out immediately, leaving Playmaker by himself.
Playmaker looked on at the spot where the two Duelists who helped him have disappeared. They suddenly appeared and willingly helped him. He has many questions about them. He hoped he doesn't need to wait for long until their next meeting.
"Holysaber... Soulburner... Who are they?"
NEXT CHAPTER
Chapter 3 – Dragon Princess - Ryuki: Kento meets up with Playmaker and his group, and finally learned about the Lost Incident. Seeing Kento confused whether he should confront his past or not, Kazue issues a challenge to Playmaker's group to determine if they are trustworthy.
ORIGINAL CARDS
Holysaber's cards
Olympios Stratos – Elpizo Harpe (CYBERSE/DIVINE/LINK/ATK: 2300/LNK: 3/LM: Right, Top, Bottom-Right) – When this card points to a monster, it gains an ATK equal to the difference between that monster's ATK and your current LP. After this card inflicts battle damage, you can inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of a monster pointed by this card's Link Arrow. If there are multiple monsters pointed by the Arrow, you may choose one of monster's ATK as damage.
Olympios Stratos – Kalimavkion (CYBERSE/DIVINE/EFFECT/ATK: 500/DEF: 100/LV: 3) – This card is treated as two materials for any Special Summon.
Olympios Stratos – Iatros (CYBERSE/DIVINE/EFFECT/ATK: 1000/DEF: 700/LV: 4) – Once per turn, when this card is Pendulum Summoned from your hand, you can add 1 Pendulum Monster with Scale 4 or lower from your Deck to your hand.
Olympios Stratos – Diakonos (CYBERSE/DIVINE/EFFECT/ATK: 900/DEF: 1000/LV: 3) – When your opponent activates a Trap or Spell card during Battle Phase while this card is in the Graveyard, you can banish this card to negate the activation of that card.
Olympios Stratos – Mathitis (CYBERSE/DIVINE/EFFECT/ATK: 1300/DEF: 0/LV: 4) – If this card is in the Graveyard, you can banish it to Special Summon a DIVINE-Attribute Link Monster in the Graveyard.
Olympios Stratos – Efcharis Archiereia (CYBERSE/DIVINE/LINK/ATK: 2000/LNK: 2/LM: Bottom-Right, Bottom-Left) – If this card is used as a material for Link Summon, the summoned Link Monster can attack twice.
Olympios Stratos – Kastora (CYBERSE/DIVINE/PENDULUM/EFFECT/ATK: 1500/DEF: 2000/LV: 5/PS: 2) - Effects to be added later.
Olympios Stratos – Polydefki (CYBERSE/DIVINE/PENDULUM/EFFECT/ATK: 1500/DEF: 2000/ LV: 5/PS: 7) - Effects to be added later.
Olympios Stratos – Foteino Eleos (CYBERSE/DIVINE/LINK/ATK: 1400/LNK: 2/LM: Left, Bottom) - When this card is co-linked, its ATK is doubled.
Blood Shepherd's cards
Assist Counter (Trap) - When a Drone monster you control is targeted for an attack by a Link Monster with 1000 or higher ATK, you can discard one card from your Deck to destroy that monster instead and then summon 1 Drone Counter.
Drone Force (Quick-Play Spell) - You can activate this card during Battle Phase. Until the end of Battle Phase, the attacking Drone monster will have its ATK doubled.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
I tried my best. I hope I didn't make a mistake in writing the Duel. Apologies if there's still a mistake. I wish I had someone to proof-read the Duels I wrote, but so far, I haven't found someone who is willing.
I decided to add Pendulum cards for Kento because Pendulum mechanic was not included in VRAINS. And despite the rule restricting Pendulum Summon's capability, I still have fondness for Pendulum Summon, so this won't be the last time you see Pendulum Summons.
And you might be wondering why Holysaber didn't use his Skill in this Speed Duel, that's because I want to save the Skill for the next Speed Duel that will happen in chapter 6. I already came up with what kind of Skill he'll have. Please be patient.
The next chapter would have more focus on Kazue/Ryuki.
Please do not forget to review this chapter. Your review is my motivation!
TRIVIA
- Translation of this chapter's Olympios Stratos monsters' names and attacks:
1. Kalimavkion: Based on a clerical headdress worn by Orthodox Christian and Eastern Catholic monks or awarded to clergy in Greek.
2. Diakonos: Deacon.
3. Mathitis: Disciple.
4. Efcharis Archiereia: Graceful High Priestess. Efcharis means "graceful", and Archiereia means "high priestess".
5. Kastoras: Based on the mythological Castor, Kastoras is how Castor's name is written and read in Greek.
6. Polydefki: Based on the mythological Pollux or Polydeuces, Polydefki is how the name is written and read in Greek.
7. Foteino Eleos: Foteino means "bright" or "luminous", Eleos means "mercy".
8. Katharos: Clean, pure.
9. Katharsi: Purification.