Roxy's Reports 9: Lord Kazuma, Baira, and Blue Angel (Updated)
At Café Matsuo, in the evening, before Chapter 17...
"Testing, testing..." Roxy muttered into her phone. "This is Roxanne Matsuo, and tonight, as Yuhiro is getting some rest, I'm joined by a special guest: Herald. Thank you for agreeing to help me out tonight, Herald."
"It's no problem." Herald replied. "After all, I don't have anything else to do right now, and I have some strength left. However, that duel today was exhausting."
"Could you tell me more about it?" Roxy asked Herald. "Yuhiro told me that you guys nearly lost against the Hanoi's pet secretary, Kazuma. If it weren't for Watchman, he would have killed you as well!"
Herald thought about it before responding. "Alright. But let me tell you: That duel was, if not, one of the trickiest duels Yuhiro and I fought in."
"But this is why you should recall as many details from that duel as possible." Roxy pointed out. "This way, we'll be prepared in case we face off him again."
"Noted." Herald then recalled the duel in his mind. "Okay. Kazuma uses the 'Dark Magician' deck, which focuses on controlling the field to the owner's advantage by bringing out his ace monster, Dark Magician. Once he's on the field, he can access Spell and Trap cards that let him do a variety of things, such as resurrecting him back over and over again, banish cards on the field, etc. Kazuma also has access to monster support, such as Apprentice Illusion Magician, which can add Dark Magician to his hand and boost his attack and defense points by 2000 during battle. In addition, Magician's Rod can add a Spell or Trap card listing Dark Magician upon Normal Summon."
"Okay, that's a lot of information." Roxy commented, typing up what Herald said onto her computer. "So his whole deck revolves around Dark Magician and keeping him out on the field?"
"Precisely." Herald replied. "Kazuma also has a deadly Field Spell card called Secret Village of the Spellcasters, which prevents the opponent from activating Spell cards as long as the user has a Spellcaster monster on his field. Otherwise, they can't activate Spell cards."
"A double-edged sword, huh?" Roxy muttered, typing what Herald just added as well. "Is there anything else this guy can do?"
"I'm afraid so." Herald answered. "During the duel, he performed a Fusion Summon using a Quick-Play Spell card called Secrets of Dark Magic. He also mentioned that it had two effects, so it makes me worried as to what else this guy can do."
"But we'll be more prepared next time." Roxy said, as she continued typing. "A duelist always improves their strategies and evolves. Otherwise, they won't be able to defeat strong opponents."
"I see," was all Herald said. He thought about all the duelists he and Yuhiro faced, how even though they were up against tough opponents, they still prevailed in the end. Perhaps I should make some improvements for the Cyreath deck, he thought.
"What grade would you give Kazuma?" Roxy asked Herald, interrupting his thoughts.
Herald put some thought into it before answering. "Honestly, I'd give him an A for Apocalyptic. Our duel proved that he's no pushover. And unfortunately, there may be more to his deck than meets the eye."
Once Roxy put down the information for Lord Kazuma, the finished profile looked like this:
Name: Unknown (come on. Another unknown Hanoi member. For once, I'd appreciate it if we got a lucky break.)
VRAINS ID: Lord Kazuma (really? He thinks he's a lord? We'll just call him Kazuma.)
Other Aliases: Master of Magicians (he claims himself to be one, but that's BS.), Mad Man (he's nuts. After all, he tried to straight-up murder Yuhiro and Herald as soon as the duel concluded.)
Gender: Male
Age: 18 (rough estimate, as Yuhiro believes he's in his late-teens. Pretty young for a Hanoi member if you ask me.)
Residence: Somewhere in Den City (probably with the other Hanoi.)
Job: Hanoi's Secretary (honestly, why would the Hanoi need one?)
Deck: Dark Magician
Ace Monster(s): Dark Magician (isn't it obvious?)
Skill: Unknown (we've only seen him in a Master Duel.)
LINK VRAINS' History: Unknown, but he probably appeared at the same time the rest of the Hanoi did (will update once we get more information.)
Duel Grade right now: A (Apocalyptic) (Our duel proved that he's no pushover. And unfortunately, there may be more to his deck than meets the eye.)
Notes: Kazuma's Dark Magician deck focuses on controlling the field to the owner's advantage by bringing out his ace monster, Dark Magician. Once he's on the field, he can access Spell and Trap cards that let him do a variety of things, such as resurrecting him back over and over again, banish cards on the field, etc.
Kazuma also has access to monster support, such as Apprentice Illusion Magician, which can add Dark Magician to his hand and boost his attack and defense points by 2000 during battle. In addition, Magician's Rod can add a Spell or Trap card listing Dark Magician upon Normal Summon.
As evidenced during the duel, Kazuma has access to Fusion Summon as well, making him a powerful opponent to face.
There's so many questions about this guy, such as:
One: HOW DID HE GET THE DARK MAGICIAN DECK IN THE FIRST PLACE? DID HE ROB IT FROM THE DEN CITY MUSEUM?!
Two: Why would someone as young as him join the Hanoi?
Three: How strong is this guy really if he got serious?
"That's deep," Herald commented, looking over Lord Kazuma's profile. "And those questions are ones we should really look into ASAP."
"Obviously." Roxy replied, putting the finishing touches on Lord Kazuma's profile before starting up a new one. "Time to move on to Baira's profile." She opened the video recording showing the duel between Blue Angel and Baira. "We at least have lots of information on Baira."
"Which makes our work that much easier." Herald agreed with Roxy. "For instance, Baira's real name is Kyoko Taki, and in the real world, she was a doctor before working with the Hanoi."
He then turned his head to see Roxy grit her teeth. "What's wrong?"
"I just remembered that this woman was responsible for infecting Blue Angel with the prototype of the 'Another' virus." Roxy spat out, as she furiously typed the information down. "And the next thing we know, Baira had a change of heart and released the cure for all the 'Another' victims. Help me out here, Herald. Should I hate someone who wants to repent?"
Herald pondered over that question before answering Roxy's question. "The truth is, Roxy, it takes time before you're willing to forgive someone who dealt you pain, whether it's intentional or not. I do believe in the goodness of humanity, and that wounds can be healed with the power of forgiveness. It not only frees you from unnecessary pain, it also provides you with a sense of peace as well."
Roxy processed what Herald said before turning her head and saying, "That's wise coming from you. Never thought an Ignis would give me advice before."
"Hey, anything can happen." Herald said. "Should we get back to the profiles, or do you want to get some rest?"
"Let's get back to work." Roxy replied. "I think we can get both these profiles done before calling it a night." She and Herald looked at the video recording of Blue Angel and Baira's duel. "Baira's deck, while it looks gross, is interesting to see."
"Her deck focuses on restricting the opponent's monsters through effect negation and reducing their attack points to zero." Herald said, looking at the video. "To use her Virus Trap cards, her 'Dark Mummy' monsters are all Dark Attribute in order to fulfil the Tribute cost. In addition, Baira has a rare card that was last seen in Battle City, called Temple of the Kings. As long as that card is on the field, she can activate Trap cards the turn they were Set."
"And once again, it proves that old cards can be useful." Roxy added, continuing to look at the duel. "Based on this recording, Baira's Ace Monster is Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps, a Link 3 monster that gains 600 attack points for each monster it points to. Whenever she draws a Trap card, she can reveal it to inflict 500 damage. Also, if a monster is summoned to a zone an opponent's Link Monster points to, it's instantly destroyed."
"That's a lot of effects for a Link 3 monster." Herald commented. "Hey. It looks like she's about to use her Skill." The two of them watched as Baira activated her Skill, Malevolent Malpractice, letting her banish two Level 2 or lower monsters from her Graveyard with the same name to Special Summon two new monsters with the same name from her deck, as long as their levels were equal to the banished monster's.
"Now that's one Skill." Roxy observed. "And a good one in terms of Recovery."
"So what Duel Grade would you give her then?" Herald asked Roxy.
"B for Badass, just like Dr. Genome." Roxy immediately answered. "A really big weakness of Baira's deck is that she relies on either Setting her Virus Trap cards or activating them. If her opponent were to say, destroy them with Spell/Trap card removal, it would set Baira back a turn or two." She typed this information in, and once it was done, Baira's profile looked like this:
Name: Kyoko Taki (I'm surprised we know Baira's identity.)
VRAINS ID: Baira
Other Aliases: Doctor of Doom (her deck makes that obvious), Maker of the 'Another' Virus (she admitted responsibility for it.)
Gender: Female
Age: 30
Residence: An apartment in Den City (Kusanagi told me her location was found recently by him and Yusaku Fujiki.)
Job: Doctor (formerly), Hanoi lieutenant (Current)
Deck: Dark Mummy/Virus (zombies with medical equipment? A bit gross if you ask me. And the Virus cards in the deck also make sense, as she did create the 'Another' virus.)
Ace Monster(s): Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps (a Link 3 monster that gains 600 attack points for each monster it points to. Whenever she draws a Trap card, she can reveal it to inflict 500 damage. Also, if a monster is summoned to a zone an opponent's Link Monster points to, it's instantly destroyed. That's a lot of effects.)
Skill: Malevolent Malpractice (Upon activation, Baira can banish two Level 2 or lower monsters from her Graveyard with the same name to Special Summon two new monsters with the same name from her deck, as long as their levels were equal to the banished monster's.)
LINK VRAINS' History: She was responsible for creating the 'Another' virus, with Blue Angel having been the guinea pig for the prototype. Thankfully, Baira changed her ways and released the cure with Blue Angel's encouragement. Kusanagi told me that he and Yusaku Fujiki found their location.
Duel Grade right now: B (Badass) (A really big weakness of Baira's deck is that she relies on either Setting her Virus Trap cards or activating them. If her opponent were to say, destroy them with Spell/Trap card removal, it would set Baira back a turn or two.
Notes: Baira's Dark Mummy/Virus deck focuses on restricting the opponent's monsters through effect negation and reducing their attack points to zero. To use her Virus Trap cards, her 'Dark Mummy' monsters are all Dark Attribute in order to fulfil the Tribute cost. In addition, Baira has a rare card that was last seen in Battle City, called Temple of the Kings. As long as that card is on the field, she can activate Trap cards the turn they were Set.
Her deck reflects her medical background, as well as her status as the mastermind behind the 'Another' virus.
She's also the only known Hanoi member whose identity we found out so far. Apparently, Baira's also an old friend of Watchman's. Perhaps we should ask him for more info once we get the chance.
"And that's that." Herald concluded, stretching his arms. "It's time we call it a-."
"Wrong!" Roxy told Herald, scaring him. "We have to update Blue Angel's profile first."
"Alright, fine. After all, we have the footage from the duel." Herald conceded.
The two of them then continued watching the duel, which showed Blue Angel's new moves. One in particular showed Blue Angel bringing out her own Link 4 monster: Trickstar Bella Madonna. From there, she used Mandrake's effect to destroy Infuser and let Surgical Forceps be affected by Root Ransom Virus. Roxy couldn't help but smirk when Blue Angel told Baira that Bella Madonna was unaffected by Root Ransom Virus's effect, as long as she didn't point to any other monsters.
"Nice going, girl..." Roxy muttered, as Blue Angel used Bella Madonna to inflict effect damage before attacking Surgical Forceps for the win.
"It was indeed a comeback." Herald also commented. "Especially using her Link 4 monster, Trickstar Bella Madonna for the first time. A very strong monster indeed."
"Of course it's strong!" Roxy said, scaring Herald for a second time. "Bella Madonna has immunity to card effects as long as she doesn't point to any monsters. Once per turn, she can also inflict 200 points of damage for every Trickstar monster with a different name in the Graveyard. If Blue Angel were to chain other cards with Bella Madonna, then she can inflict a huge amount of effect damage in a single turn!"
"Okay, I get it. You're enthusiastic about Aoi Zaizen winning," Herald said. "But I should point out something."
"What?"
"You know how Bella Madonna's first effect requires for her to point to no monsters?"
"Yeah?"
"What if it symbolizes something?" Herald theorized. "What if it symbolizes Aoi finally growing up from her old mindset? After all, she did tell Watchman she wanted to fight for the safety of others."
"She said that?" Roxy asked, as Herald nodded in confirmation. I'm so happy for you, Aoi, Roxy thought, as she typed that information down. "Do you think she is worthy of an A for Apocalyptic?"
Herald gave her a thumbs-up, as Roxy updated Blue Angel's profile. This was what it now looked like:
Name: Aoi Zaizen
VRAINS ID: Blue Angel
Other Aliases: The Idol of LINK VRAINS, Akira Zaizen's little sister (that's what everyone calls her these days. I'm happy that Yuhiro is treating her as an individual, though.)
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Residence: Penthouse Apartment (Her brother worked hard for the place.)
Job: Charisma Duelist (and #2 at that. Well done!)
Deck: Trickstar (This deck was a pain in the ass for Yuhiro.)
Ace Monster(s): Trickstar Holly Angel (even though it's a Link 2 monster, she managed to utilize her efficiently during the duel between Yuhiro and Blue Angel.), Trickstar Bella Madonna (a Link 4 monster. What an amazing upgrade!)
Skill: Trickstar Fraud (By discarding a card, the opponent has to draw until they have three cards in their hand. Also, at the End Phase, the opponent must banish a card from their hand for each Trickstar monster in Blue Angel's Graveyard.)
LINK VRAINS' History: First appeared among the Charisma Duelists and quickly rose to #2. She's held the record for a long time, but Yuhiro and Playmaker defeated her (Playmaker had to defeat her. Otherwise, Baira's virus would have permanently damaged Blue Angel.)
Duel Grade right now: A (Apocalyptic) (Blue Angel is a very strong duelist, and based on the duel with Baira, she's starting to grow up from her old mindset. From what I heard over the com, Blue Angel told Watchman that she now wants to fight for others and keep them safe. Now that's a sign that a true duelist is blooming.)
Notes: Blue Angel's Trickstar deck focuses on inflicting small amounts of effect damage over time, which are triggered by the opponent's actions. They also disrupt the opponent's plays by locking Set Spell or Trap cards before forcing the opponent to either use it or send it to the Graveyard.
The Trickstar deck also has three further strategies. The first one is Special Summoning themselves to the field through various effects. By doing this, Blue Angel can Link Climb efficiently. The second one is their immense searching and revival power. By searching and reviving, if not careful, you'll be overwhelmed within a couple of turns. The third one is all about chain reactions. If one Trickstar inflicts effect damage, Blue Angel can chain the effects of other cards to inflict further effect damage, making those harmless stings turn into wasp stings.
As I've head and noticed, Aoi hates being referred to as 'Akira Zaizen's little sister'. She hates how everyone uses her to advance themselves (Do not worry, Aoi. Once Miyu wakes up, I guarantee you'll find happiness once again.)
Fun fact: Miyu was, and still is, Aoi's childhood friend growing up (Yuhiro only learned this from me a while back.)
Update: Overall, I'm happy for Blue Angel. She's really starting to grow up and become aware of the world around her. As long as she keeps her beliefs close to her heart, I know she won't falter in her promise to fight for others.
"Well said, Roxy." Herald said, looking over Blue Angel's updated profile. "Now with that out of the way, I think I'll be getting some sleep. Good night." Herald went into Yuhiro's Duel Disk for a nice, long nap.
"Good night, Herald." Roxy said, picking up Yuhiro's Duel Disk and carrying it upstairs along with her laptop. She slowly opened the door to Yuhiro's room and put his Duel Disk on his desk. As she looked at the sleeping youth, she thought, Thank you for helping Aoi, Yuhiro. You may be one of the reasons she is able to trust others again.
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Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS Obscured Truth: Roxy's Reports 10: SengokuQueen and Dancho (Updated)
Author's Notes:
Hello everyone, good news! I am close to the profiles for Chapter 20! Once I complete Roxy's Reports 10, then I'll get started on Chapter 20. I'm doing this so I can prevent spoilers. Other than that, see you next time.