Roxy's Reports 31: Enzo, Athaliah, Gil, and Greg
At Café Matsuo, in the living room at the afternoon, one day and a half after Roxy's Reports 30...
"Herald, hide in the snow!"
"I'm trying, Yuhiro! That Alpha Garchomp has its eyes on me!"
This exchange of words was said by Yuhiro and Herald. Right now, Herald was in the Alabaster Icelands in Pokémon Legends Arceus, and hoping to grab a stronger Pokémon for later on in the game, decided to get a Garchomp of all Pokémon. A Garchomp! While Yuhiro agreed with Herald's logic that Garchomp was a Dragon Pokémon well known for its speed and strength, as well as its stats and resistances. What Yuhiro didn't understand was this: Why didn't Herald catch a Gible and evolve it? It would have been far easier to do that than go after an Alpha version of one of the strongest Pokémon in existence.
Sadly, Herald didn't listen, as he wanted that Alpha Garchomp now.
"Okay, let's try this smoke bomb!" Herald said, throwing several smoke bomb at an area nearby and having the player character Rei roll there, enabling him to evade Garchomp's wrath. Noticing it was docile, Herald had Rei move slowly behind Garchomp and threw a Gigaton Ball at it. Within a few moments, the ball released a small firework, confirming the capture. "YES! Another Alpha Pokémon caught! One that will certainly help me in the long run!"
"I hope it was worth it, Herald. Now you have to craft some more Gigaton Balls, and you used up all of the smoke bombs too." Yuhiro pointed out.
"It was worth it, as now I have a fast Dragon type Pokémon on my team!" Herald crossed his arms in triumph, happy with his accomplishment.
"Okay, the batch is done." Arashi said from the kitchen, having finished baking a set of brownies. After Roxy taught him the recipe, he made sure to learn it thoroughly before trying it on his own. Why? Because Roxy told him that Brea was a sucker for sweets, so if Arashi mastered the art of baking, he was sure to hopefully charm her in due time. Letting it cool for a bit, he went over to the living room, where he found Herald playing Pokémon Legends Arceus. "So what did I miss?"
"Herald used your smoke bombs to catch an Alpha Garchomp." Yuhiro immediately answered.
Arashi sighed in response. "Herald, you know I needed those smoke bombs man."
"But it was for a worthy cause, as now our squad is even stronger!" Herald pointed out in triumph.
"Right..."
Turning off the Nintendo Switch, Yuhiro opened up Roxy's computer and turned it on before creating a total of four blank templates. "Since Roxy is currently dealing with the Lunch Rush, we might as well get these profiles started, as otherwise, she'll pummel us for procrastinating." Grabbing the nearby TV remote, he pressed a button on it, which showed a picture of Enzo himself.
"He seems like a decent guy. Unlike the other scumbags in the Black Market." Arashi commented.
"This is Enzo, Arashi. Ace's former right hand man in Alpha. And yes, he's known as an honorary gentleman." Yuhiro began, as words were typed into the 'Name', 'VRAINS ID', 'Other aliases', 'Gender', and 'Age' sections of Enzo's profile.
"According to my research, his family once ruled over Alpha until the Akutagawa family took it over. Once that happened, Enzo's family served under the Akutagawa family, and it was pretty nice. Until Ace took over the branch and turned it upside down." Herald continued, as words were typed into the 'LINK VRAINS' history' section of Enzo's profile.
"Well, that sucks. If that didn't happen, we would have had another ally in dealing with the Turf War." Arashi said.
"Yeah, we would have indeed." Yuhiro agreed. "Nevertheless, he had honor, as following his duel against Blue Girl, he surrendered himself to the authorities and has agreed to provide testimony on Ace. He also cleared our bounties as well, and is currently awaiting trial in Den Jail." Words were now typed into the 'Residence' section of Enzo's profile.
"And on the topic of his duel against Blue Girl, he originally wanted to duel against you, Yuhiro, only for you to push her out of the trap." Herald reminded Yuhiro, as words were now typed into the 'Notes' section of Enzo's section.
"Okay, I really want to see Enzo's deck. If he's Ace's right hand man, he must be strong." Arashi correctly deduced, as Yuhiro pressed a button on the TV remote, which showed footage of Enzo's duel against Blue Girl. Upon looking at the monsters on Enzo's field, he gasped. "Hang on a minute. That's the Face Musketeers, a group of monsters owned by Yugi Muto, the King of Games! Were those cards stolen or something?"
"According to the footage, Enzo didn't steal the cards. He merely bought a copy of the deck online." Herald explained, much to Arashi's relief. "The Face Musketeer archetype focuses on swarming the field by using King's Knight's effect. Enzo can then use the other Face Musketeer cards for Fusion and Link Summoning, and also has recovery options to get his monsters back as well."
"Makes sense there." Arashi replied, as Yuhiro pressed a button on the TV remote, which showed a picture of Arcana Triumph Joker. "From the footage, Arcana Triumph Joker is Enzo's ace monster, which has... hang on a minute. Am I reading it correctly? Does it have unknown attack points and 2500 defense points?"
"As evident by the question mark, you're correct, Arashi." Yuhiro confirmed. "Being a Level 10 monster, Arcana Triumph Joker normally requires two tributes. However, Enzo can Special Summon this card from his hand or Graveyard simply by sending a copy of 'King's Knight', 'Queen's Knight', and 'Jack's Knight' from his hand and/or field to his Graveyard. Arcana Triumph Joker not only gains 500 attack points for every card in both duelists hands, she can also destroy all cards of a declared type, and all Enzo has to do is discard a card from his hand of the declared type."
"So in other words, pure destruction." Herald finished, as words were typed into the 'Ace monster' section of Enzo's profile.
"Considering the new support the Face Musketeer archetype got, I think Enzo used it far better than Yugi Muto did. Color me impressed." Arashi admitted, before turning to Yuhiro. "What duel grade should we give this guy, Yuhiro?"
"A+, or an Apocalyptic with a +." Yuhiro answered, with Herald and Arashi nodding in response. "Guys, look how Enzo was able to give a charisma duelist like Blue Girl a hard time. The fact that he managed to build his strategies on the go makes Enzo a powerful and honorable duelist. On the topic of honor, he not only cleared our bounties, but also turned himself to the authorities to testify against Ace. Quite a gentleman indeed." Words were typed into the 'Notes' section of Enzo's profile. "And with that, here's Enzo's completed profile!" After Yuhiro saved the profile, he showed it to Herald and Arashi, which looked like this:
Name: Enzo
VRAINS ID: Enzo
Other aliases: Honorary Gentleman (definitely one of the honorable people in the Black Market).
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown (we estimate he's in his early 40's).
Residence: Den Jail (after losing to Blue Girl, he willingly surrendered himself to the authorities, and has agreed to provide testimony on Ace. Currently awaiting trial in Den Jail).
Job: Right hand man of Ace (formerly) (as stated above, Enzo surrendered himself to the authorities willingly).
Skill: Unknown (we've only seen him in a Master Duel).
Deck: Face Musketeer (an archetype that was used by the King of Games, Yugi Muto himself. This archetype focuses on swarming the field by using King's Knight's effect. Enzo can then use the other Face Musketeer cards for Fusion and Link Summoning, and also has recovery options to get his monsters back as well).
Ace monster: Arcana Triumph Joker (a Level 10 monster with ? attack points and 2500 defense points. Enzo can Special Summon this card from his hand or Graveyard simply by sending a copy of 'King's Knight', 'Queen's Knight', and 'Jack's Knight' from his hand and/or field to his Graveyard. Arcana Triumph Joker not only gains 500 attack points for every card in both duelists hands, she can also destroy all cards of a declared type, and all Enzo has to do is discard a card from his hand of the declared type).
LINK VRAINS' history: Enzo's family once ruled over Alpha, only for Ace's family to take over Alpha. Enzo's family served them for years until Ace took over Alpha and completely ruined it.
Duel Grade right now: A+ (Apocalyptic with a +) (Enzo has mastered his deck, to the point where he was able to give a duelist like Blue Girl a rough time. His sportsmanship has also earned him this rank, and if all goes well, he may be an ally for us in the future).
Notes: Enzo originally intended to duel Raguel, but ended up dueling against Blue Girl instead. After losing against her, he not only cleared their bounties, but also turned himself to the authorities to testify against Ace. Quite a gentleman indeed. It was all for naught, as the Black Market is now destroyed.
With the first profile done, Yuhiro closed it up before opening up Athaliah's profile, intent on updating it. Unfortunately, the screen on Roxy's computer fizzled out before shutting down.
"Are you kidding me right now?" Yuhiro complained. Roxy's computer had to shut down now of all times? Perhaps it was time for her to get a new one. Or... there was another option, but Yuhiro was sure Roxy would kill her if he tried to mess with her computer. "Herald, we'll need to connect you to Roxy's computer to investigate and purge whatever's going on in there. But do it discreetly."
"Leave it to me, Yuhiro!" Herald complied with a salute. "Although we'll need a USB cable to begin the process."
Yuhiro and Arashi nodded before heading downstairs to the backroom, intent on finding the USB cable so they can fix Roxy's computer. The faster they did it, the faster they can get these profiles done.
Meanwhile...
Roxy sighed to herself, having completed another order for a pair of customers. She obviously knew that it was the lunch hour, and people had to get a nice meal before returning to work. But this... this was a lot of customers.
Yuhiro and Arashi tried to volunteer to help, but Roxy specifically ordered them to get the next set of profiles done. After all, the steward bot would help her out.
Luckily, there were only one customer left. Finally. After this order, I can catch a break, she thought. But to her surprise, the person approaching the counter was a kid.
"I honestly didn't expect a kid to appear and order during the lunch hour." Roxy admitted, looking at Gil.
"I'm just hungry, and needed to order a meal asap." Gil responded, shrugging his shoulders.
Seeing that he was getting straight to the point, Roxy pulled out a pen and paper, ready to take Gil's order. "Okay, kid. What can I get you today?"
Gil looked up at the menu and pondered for a moment before selecting his meal. "I'll have two blue cheeseburgers, please. With two sides of fries and fruit juice."
Roxy's jaw dropped. Usually, people ordered a simple combo, which consisted of a burger with fries and a drink. But this... was rather unusual. "Alright, sure. I'll put down your meal order. How are you going to pay today? Cash? Debit-?"
"Listen, lady. I know Yuhiro and Raguel are one and the same." Gil immediately began whispering in a deadly tone. "I also know he lives here."
Roxy's jaw dropped for a second time. "W-What? I don't know what you're-."
"Do I look like I'm playing games here?" Gil quietly questioned, glaring to get his points across. He took out a calling card and put it on the counter. "As the Abysstainer himself, I'm willing to give confidential information to him in exchange for free food. Information I actually owe him for his help back in Omega."
"Kid, I..." Roxy was massively shocked. To think that this kid would know Yuhiro's identity? "You're bluffing?"
Gil sighed. "Alright. Have it your way." He cleared his throat before speaking. "This offer is going once. Going twice. And it's-."
"Okay, okay. Fine!" Roxy replied. "I'll make your meal free. Just hand the info over."
"I rather talk to the big man himself." Gil responded.
Roxy thought about this for ten whole seconds. She then turned her head to the stairs and shouted, "Yuhiro! Things are getting weird here!"
Five minutes later...
Yuhiro was honestly shocked to see Gil Ariba, the Abysstainer himself, sitting on the couch across him eating the meal he ordered. Herald was also shocked, as this was the last thing he expected today.
As for Arashi, he simply raised an eyebrow. For him to hear about a kid that can wield chains and summon a demon to his side... well, that was surprising. Then again, stranger things occurred so far.
"So you came in person to give us this info? Why couldn't you just do it over the network?" Yuhiro asked Gil.
"You never know who's watching in the network, and considering how I wanted to meet you in person, it is only logical." Gil explained. "That being said. I like the little setup you guys have. Are you by any chance documenting your enemies and allies?"
"It's a way for us to be on top should we encounter them." Roxy answered. "Now spill the beans. What info do you have for us?"
Gil smirked before responding. "Some information on Athaliah's recent projects. Information I think can help you in your fights. I can give it to you, but whatever you guys currently are doing right now, I want in."
"We were going to make a profile on Gil eventually, Yuhiro." Arashi pointed out. "We might as well adhere to his request."
Yuhiro sighed. "Fine. We'll do a profile on you after we update Athaliah's profile." He grabbed the TV remote and pressed a button on it, which showed footage of Athaliah. "To recap, Athaliah Kuraishi was responsible for Project: Apotheosis. We already discussed her name being similar to her network one, her other aliases, gender, age, and all that."
"Along with how she and Ace were broken out." Herald added. "We honestly don't need to discuss her history in LINK VRAINS. In terms of Notes, since her escape, Athaliah was currently under protection in Alpha, trying to replicate the Project: Apotheosis results. I think she's on the run since the Turf War."
Gil narrowed his eyes. "That isn't true. Rachel and Greg defeated her in a duel, and prior to that, Athaliah defeated Brion in a duel." As if on cue, words were typed into the 'Notes' section.
"Hang on a minute. So the guy who has the Hand Trap deck lost against that witch?" Arashi inquired, causing Gil to nod in response.
"Athaliah's grown stronger since her duel against Rachel. After all, you evolve overtime." Roxy told Arashi. "In terms of Athaliah's deck, she uses the 'Shaddoll' deck. An archetype that focuses on Flip Summoning and locking down the opponent through Fusion Summoning. If they're sent to the Graveyard, they gain effects that can benefit the user in various ways, such as drawing cards, hampering the opponent's efforts, etc. She also has cards that search her Fusion Spell card (Shaddoll Fusion), as well a Field Spell card called Curse of the Shadow Prison, which lets her Fusion Summon using one monster on the opponent's field. All in all, if you're not careful, then Athaliah will end up acquiring the advantage before you know it."
"Oh yeah, and there's total proof of that. Here. You'll need this if you want to view the footage of Rachel and Greg's duel against Athaliah." Gil said, handing Yuhiro a USB stick. After Roxy nodded in approval, he put the USB stick in the USB slot, which went into the computer before going towards the TV. The screen then changed to show Rachel and Greg's duel, where Athaliah summoned her strongest monster yet: El Shaddoll Hamalachai. "Lady and gentlemen, that monster is El Shaddoll Hamalachai, a Level 12 monster with 3400 attack and defense points that can only be Fusion Summoned by using two 'Shaddoll' Fusion monsters. When it's Fusion Summoned, Athaliah can place one 'Spellstone' counter for each 'Shaddoll' Fusion monster in her Graveyard. Once per turn, during either player's turn, she can remove one 'Spellstone' counter and banish a 'Shaddoll' Fusion monster from her Graveyard to activate one of six effects depending on the banished monster's attribute. And if Hamalachai's sent to the Graveyard by battle or card effect, Athaliah can Special Summon one 'Shaddoll' monster that's in her Graveyard or is banished." Words were then typed into the 'Ace monster' section of Athaliah's profile.
"Okay, that's just... terrifying!" Herald exclaimed. "Then again, I'll repeat what I said many times: We've overcome far worse that that giant abomination thing!"
"What about this?" Gil smiled. "Athaliah's dead."
Everyone gasped upon hearing Gil's comment. They way he said it was just... not normal at all. It was like someone was reading the news.
"Did you... kill Athaliah?!" Roxy exclaimed, shocked that a kid would do such a thing.
"Of course not. After Rachel and Greg defeated Athaliah, I arrived onto the scene, intent on torturing her for a very long time." Gil admitted. "We had a bit of a scuffle, but before any decision can be made... well, you'd have to fast forward the footage to find that out for yourself."
Curious, Yuhiro pressed a button on the TV remote, fast forwarding it to the part where Athaliah experienced her horrific death. Much to the shock and horror of everyone, except for Gil, Athaliah began seizing violently before blood burst out of her body. She then fell to the ground as a purple-like gooey substance cracked Athaliah's bones and ripped out her flesh, fully appearing into the network. Greg tried to stop it, but the substance merely escaped.
"The Hell?!" Arashi exclaimed. "What in the world was that?"
"According to my info, Athaliah was killed by the Another Virus." Gil told the others, as words were typed into the 'Notes' section. "And that purple-like gooey substance, does it ring any bells with you?"
"It looks like... Malf!" Herald realized. "That means the azure-overcoated... sorry, the azure assailant was responsible for breaking Athaliah and Ace out of the prison transport!"
"So that man's behind all of this..." Yuhiro muttered. That confirmed it. Whoever broke Ace and Athaliah out must have made them swear their allegiance to him before putting the Another Virus and a portion of Malf in their bodies. As if it was a warning of what would happen if they tried to escape. "But how in the world did the Another Virus appear again? I thought it was exterminated."
"Honestly, I don't care." Gil said. "Good riddance to a bastard like her."
Herald sighed out of exasperation. "Pardon me for saying this, Gil, but are you this messed up?"
"Well, it's fifty-fifty." Gil acknowledged. "Then again, we might as well do my profile, right?"
Yuhiro nodded, knowing that Gil wanted to get straight to his profile. "Don't worry. We'll get there. As for Athaliah's duel grade, it's an A+ for Apocalyptic with a +. Athaliah managed to defeat Electrolyzer, a bounty hunter, in a duel. Her deck, which uses Flip Summons, was one of the things that led to Electrolyzer's defeat. Her use of Fusion Summoning to lock down the opponent's Special Summons can restrict their moves further, enabling Athaliah to slowly finish them off until their life points drop to zero. This, combined with her ability to reacquire resources, makes her a strong duelist." He put the finishing touches on Athaliah's profile, which looked like this:
Name: Athaliah Kuraishi (she's responsible for Project: Apotheosis).
VRAINS ID: Athaliah Kuraishi
Other Aliases: Numera's Oppressor (made sense, considering what she did to her), Instigator of Project: Apotheosis (who knows how many people Athaliah operated on? She truly is despicable).
Gender: Female
Age: Early-40's (we're just estimating here. We don't know what her actual age is).
Residence: Deceased (according to the file footage, Athaliah was killed by a combination of the Another Virus and a piece of Malf that was implanted in her system. A horrific way to die, but honestly, she deserved it for her inhumane crimes).
Job: Scientist (formerly because Project: Apotheosis got shut down), Ally of the Hanoi (formerly because she and Ace planned to betray them), Assistant to Ace (formerly. She's dead as of now).
Deck: Shaddoll (a deck that focuses on Flip Summoning and locking down the opponent through Fusion Summoning. If they're sent to the Graveyard, they gain effects that can benefit the user in various ways, such as drawing cards, hampering the opponent's efforts, etc. She also has cards that search her Fusion Spell card (Shaddoll Fusion), as well a Field Spell card called Curse of the Shadow Prison, which lets her Fusion Summon using one monster on the opponent's field. All in all, if you're not careful, then Athaliah will end up acquiring the advantage before you know it).
Ace Monster(s): El Shaddoll Winda (a Level 5 Fusion monster with average stats, but a nasty effect. While she's on the field, both players can only Special Summon once, which can be a pain in the ass for players that consecutively Link Summon (ex. Playmaker, Blue Angel, Go Onizuka). If she is sent to the Graveyard, Athaliah can add one 'Shaddoll' Spell or Trap in her Graveyard to her hand), El Shaddoll Construct (a Level 8 Fusion monster with strong attack and defense points. When she's Special Summoned, Athaliah can send a 'Shaddoll' card from her deck to the Graveyard. If Construct battles a Special Summoned monster, its instantly destroyed. Just like that. Lastly, just like Winda, if Construct is sent to the Graveyard, Athaliah can add one 'Shaddoll' Spell or Trap card from her Graveyard to her hand), El Shaddoll Hamalachai (a Level 12 Fusion monster with 3400 attack and defense points that can only be Fusion Summoned by using two 'Shaddoll' Fusion monsters. When it's Fusion Summoned, Athaliah can place one 'Spellstone' counter for each 'Shaddoll' Fusion monster in her Graveyard. Once per turn, during either player's turn, she can remove one 'Spellstone' counter and banish a 'Shaddoll' Fusion monster from her Graveyard to activate one of six effects depending on the banished monster's attribute. And if Hamalachai's sent to the Graveyard by battle or card effect, Athaliah can Special Summon one 'Shaddoll' monster that's in her Graveyard or is banished).
Skill: Unknown (we've only seen her Master Duel. With her dead, she won't do a Speed Duel as of now).
LINK VRAINS' History: Athaliah first appeared alongside Ace, who joined the Knights of Hanoi after brokering a deal between them. The two of them helped with the construction of the Tower of Hanoi prior to its launch. After it appeared in the network, she aided in defending it, but secretly worked with Ace in betraying them at the right moment. Luckily, Numera defeated her, which led to her arrest (and eventual breakout during prison transport).
Duel Grade right now: A+ (Apocalyptic with a +) (Athaliah managed to defeat Electrolyzer, a bounty hunter, in a duel. Her deck, which uses Flip Summons, was one of the things that led to Electrolyzer's defeat. Her use of Fusion Summoning to lock down the opponent's Special Summons can restrict their moves further, enabling Athaliah to slowly finish them off until their life points drop to zero. This, combined with her ability to reacquire resources, makes her a strong duelist).
Notes: Athaliah's Shaddoll deck focuses on Flip Summoning and locking down the opponent through Fusion Summoning. If they're sent to the Graveyard, they gain effects that can benefit the user in various ways, such as drawing cards, hampering the opponent's efforts, etc. She also has cards that search her Fusion Spell card (Shaddoll Fusion), as well a Field Spell card called Curse of the Shadow Prison, which lets her Fusion Summon using one monster on the opponent's field.
As the instigator of Project: Apotheosis, she was in charge of creating the Construct, a being that would unite the Ignis and humans together into finding the Root of all Knowledge (whatever that is). Sadistic and inhumane beyond belief, she tortured people of various age sizes to find what she was looking for. You could say that it made some of the Knights of Hanoi look like nice people (sorry Specter and Lord Kazuma. You both are insane).
Due to Athaliah's project, Rachel was traumatized and scarred both physically and mentally. It would have gone further had Greg not shut down the project and rescued everyone. She was arrested, but later escaped and joined Ace in the Alpha Branch of the Black Market. Following the Tower of Hanoi incident, she was arrested along with Ace, and would have been imprisoned had she not broken out.
Since then, she's been under protection in Alpha, trying to replicate the Project: Apotheosis results. However, Rachel and Greg defeated her once and for all, and would have captured her had she not died at the hands of the Another Virus and Malf. With her dead, a dark chapter has been closed... or is it the prologue to something worse?
With Athaliah done once and for all, Yuhiro closed her profile up before opening a blank one up. "Okay, let's see here." Using the USB drive along with the TV remote, Yuhiro was able to change the screen to show Gil's duel against Creknurt. "I obviously know your name, Gil, and your VRAINS ID being the Abysstainer."
"As for other aliases, I can see you being a director of doom and a two-face." Arashi stated, as words were typed into the 'Name', 'VRAINS ID', and 'Other aliases' sections of Gil's profile.
"I wouldn't say I'm a two-face. That I can blame on Project: Apotheosis." Gil commented.
"How old are you, Gil?" Yuhiro asked.
"Thirteen." Gil immediately answered, as words were typed into the 'Age' section. "Next?"
"Residence?"
"An apartment."
"Job?"
"I'm an information broker, Yuhiro. Or was, considering how the Turf War put me out of business." Gil scowled after answering that question, as words were typed into the 'Age', 'Residence' and 'Job' sections.
"Okay, Gil. I have a question, and it's in lieu with Heralds question. WHY THE HELL ARE YOU MESSED UP?!" Roxy exclaimed out of shock and confusion. To think that a kid whose personality went from innocent to demented was something she'd never encounter before.
Gil thought about it for a moment, then said, "Well, I guess it started when my douchebag of a father, the previous Abysstainer and an information broker, sold me to Athaliah for info."
Everyone else gasped upon hearing that comment. For someone to sell their kid just to get info... they'd had to be insane to do that.
"After Greg freed me and the other victims of Project: Apotheosis, I was adopted by a woman who worked at Delta. Only she died during a mission. So in response, I tracked my traitorous father down and sold him out to the authorities before taking over his business as an information broker." Gil innocently smiled. "Isn't that great?"
"Great? That's horrible, Gil!" Roxy exclaimed. "You don't just-!"
"Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. That's how the world works, ma'am." Gil emphasized in a cruel tone. Roxy was so stunned by what Gil said that she couldn't process the fact that he called her ma'am. "Where was I? Oh, yes. Stregone and Phoenix came to my doorstep for assistance, and after I lost, I pointed them in the right direction to stop Go Onizuka before he did something rash. And from there, I met with you and Phoenix in taking Omega down. I forgave my father..." Gil put up the bunny ears at the 'forgave' part. "And sentenced him to eternal loneliness and guilt forever."
"That's not what forgiveness is, Gil!" Roxy angrily exclaimed for a second time. Yuhiro and Arashi, along with Herald, never seen Roxy this upset before. "Forgiveness is all about letting go resentment and thoughts about revenge, and setting yourself free from-!"
"You're one to talk!" Gil interjected furiously, standing up on his feet. "How dare you preach forgiveness to me when you're dealing with such a situation yourself! I mean, look at you guys." He pointed at Arashi. "You're trying to find the one who put your cousin the hospital. And you..." Gil pointed his finger at Yuhiro. "You spent three years fighting for Miyu Sugisaki's sake. 'I'm doing this for Miyu', 'I'm doing that for Miyu'... what a load of bullshit, if you ask me."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Yuhiro shouted, going over to Gil and grabbing him by the lapels, much to the surprise of Arashi, Roxy, and Herald. Thinking quickly, Arashi and Roxy, grabbed him and tried to pull him back. "You have no idea what she's been through, the pain she went through since she was a child, the fact that she's-!"
"In a hospital for a second time? I'm aware of that." Gil casually replied, as if he was telling the news. "But you see that tone you have right now? That's what you should use more often! After all, I know about your little rampage at the Den City Hospital, and I'm proud of you for scaring Alpha shitless!" Upon hearing those words, Yuhiro let go of Gil's lapels, surprised by what he heard.
"How... How do you know that?"
"You may have fooled the populace, but you can't fool everyone." Gil told Yuhiro. "How you worked with your duel monsters in defending the wounded is very noble of you, as well as how you try to redeem others. But I wonder what happens when all of this is over? Will you retain your noble self? Or will you become no better than your enemies?" The entire exchange of words was inputted into the 'LINK VRAINS' history' section.
Yuhiro sat down on the couch, trying to process the information. Roxy went over and put a hand on his shoulder in comfort, also in shock by that exchange of words.
"Okay, everyone. Enough!" Herald shouted loudly. "Are we here to fight, or are we here to document our enemies, as well as get whatever info Gil has?"
"The latter, obviously." Yuhiro answered. This... was the last thing he wanted today. For him to snap like that. But what Gil said... was it true? Would he become a monster at the end of all this? No. That was not true, and Yuhiro would make sure that would never happen!
"So, Gil. What deck do you use?" Arashi asked him.
"Oh yeah. I forgot about that." Gil sat down on the couch. "I'm really sorry for what I said, everyone. I don't have any justification for my words."
Yuhiro sighed. There was no point in fighting right now. Not when Gil had a goldmine worth of information. Especially considering that they needed allies during the coming fights. "I forgive you, Gil," he said. "And I'm sorry too. For my reaction."
"It's cool, Yuhiro. I accept your apology." Gil responded. "Anywhere, where was I? Oh, yes. My pride and joy, the 'Abyss Actor' archetype. It's a deck of Pendulum monsters that focuses on Pendulum Summoning with a wide variety of effects, such as returning Pendulum monsters to his hand to switch up his scales, increase attack points, add cards, etc. It's supported by the Abyss Scripts, which have a wide variety of effects, ranging from crippling the Extra Deck, to Setting more scripts to destroying cards and more." Words were typed into the 'Deck' section. "As for ace monster, it's Abyss Actor – Evil Heel. It's a Level 8 Pendulum monster with 3000 attack points and 2000 defense points. Its Pendulum effect lets me tribute one 'Abyss Actor' monster on his field to target another one on his opponents field and have it lose attack points equal to the one he tributed until the End Phase. As for its monster effect, upon being Normal or Special Summoned, I can target one monster his opponent controls and have it lose 1000 attack points for every 'Abyss Actor' he controls until the End Phase. And if it's destroyed, I can Set one 'Abyss Script' from his Graveyard to his Spell & Trap card zone." Words were now typed onto the 'Ace monster' section of Gil's profile. "Now what's my duel grade?"
"If it pleases you, we'll give you an A for Apocalyptic." Arashi answered. "Considering how Pendulum cards are rare these days, they can mess anyone up. That's why I'm getting my own set of Pendulum cards. So I can mess people up and avoid being dog food." Words were now typed into the 'Duel Grade right now' section. He turned to Yuhiro, Herald, and Roxy before asking, "Anything else you guys want to add?" The others shook their heads. "In that case, here's the completed profile!" Arashi showed everyone the finished profile, which looked like this:
Name: Gil Ariba
VRAINS ID: Abysstainer (considering his unexpected personality and his deck, it makes sense).
Other aliases: Director of Doom (he wields something called the Chains of Tragedy, which binds his opponents the more traumatized they are, and also has this giant demon called Abyss King that does his biding), Two-Face (one moment, he acts innocent, the next, he's serious and demented).
Gender: Male
Age: 13 (Gil's a year older than Rachel, yet looks like a kid).
Residence: An apartment somewhere in Den City.
Job: Information Broker on the Black Market (formerly. With the Black Market out of commission, Gil's looking for work. Maybe we can convince him to join us?).
Skill: Unknown (he's only dueled in Master Duels twice so far).
Deck: Abyss Actor (a Pendulum archetype that focuses on Pendulum Summoning with a wide variety of effects, such as returning Pendulum monsters to his hand to switch up his scales, increase attack points, add cards, etc. It's supported by the Abyss Scripts, which have a wide variety of effects, ranging from crippling the Extra Deck, to Setting more scripts to destroying cards and more).
Ace monster: Abyss Actor Evil Heel (a Level 8 Pendulum monster with 3000 attack points and 2000 defense points. Its Pendulum effect lets Gil tribute one 'Abyss Actor' monster on his field to target another one on his opponents field and have it lose attack points equal to the one he tributed until the End Phase. As for its monster effect, upon being Normal or Special Summoned, Gil can target one monster his opponent controls and have it lose 1000 attack points for every 'Abyss Actor' he controls until the End Phase. And if it's destroyed, Gil can Set one 'Abyss Script' from his Graveyard to his Spell & Trap card zone).
LINK VRAINS' history: Long ago, Gil's father sold him to Athaliah to gain valuable intel. A lot of bad families and complicated family matters out there but this is among the worst.
As a result, Gil gained the ability to use the Chains of Tragedy and his giant shadow of a demon. It's almost similar in how Rachel can communicate with her Cyberse monsters and how Brion can equip his PSY-Framegears to his body like Iron Man.
Following the tragedy, Gil was adopted by a woman who worked under Delta. After she died, he took over his father's business by setting him up for arrest.
Gil aided Stregone and Phoenix once, then helped out in Omega Branch. He also left his father in prison again and sentenced him to eternal loneliness before leaving him forever. With the Black Market destroyed he's pretty much looking for new work, and something tells me he'll get some new job real soon.
Duel Grade right now: A (Apocalyptic) (Since Pendulum decks are quite rare these days, opponents won't expect them, giving Gil the advantage. And with the mischievous and surprising way the 'Abyss Actor' deck works, Gil can catch his opponents off guard before defeating them).
Notes: As Stregone says, Gil is a sucker for sweets. Maybe we can give him a cake in a jar in exchange for information.
Almost reminds me of how Brea is a sucker for sweets.
With the third profile done, Arashi closed it up before opening up the last blank one. "Okay. One more to go."
After Arashi handed the TV remote over to Yuhiro, the latter pressed a button on it, which showed footage of the duel between Rachel and Greg vs Athaliah.
"According to our notes, Greg Ebihara is the FBI's commissioner, as well as Rachel's caretaker. In terms of age, I estimate him to be somewhere in his forties."
"And as all of us know already, Greg rescued everyone from Project: Apotheosis." Gil continued, as words were typed into the 'Name', 'VRAINS ID', 'Other aliases', 'Gender', 'Residence', 'Age', 'Job', and 'Skill' sections of Greg's profile.
He may have likely got the first bit of Project: VIII data from her there, Yuhiro thought, adding some words to the 'LINK VRAINS' 'history' section. "From the footage shown, Greg's been taking care of Rachel not only since Project: Apotheosis, but since her parents died due to a rampant virus."
Gil whispered. "Well... that's unexpected."
"It's life, Gil. Unexpected things, happen." Herald told him. "As for Greg, he's practically overprotective, which makes sense. After all, big things come in small packages, especially since Rachel has command over a bunch of giant robots." Words were typed into the 'LINK VRAINS' history' and 'Notes' sections of Greg's profile.
"Blah, blah, blah. Let's get to Greg's deck. It's actually interesting." Gil replied. Sure enough, the footage played, which showed Greg's deck in action. "According to the footage, Greg plays the 'S-Force' archetype. It focuses on controlling the opponents options through banishing and Special Summoning. There's a few Cyberse monsters in the deck too. It seems Greg rescued a few of them before the Hanoi started wiping them out." Words were typed into the 'Deck' section of Greg's profile.
"A few Cyberse monsters, you say?" Yuhiro repeated, his curiosity having been piqued by what he just heard. How in the world did Greg get Cyberse monsters? Did he have connections to get them? Or did he stumble upon them by coincidence? He narrowed his eyes as Greg summoned his ace monster, which of course was a Cyberse monster. "Greg's ace monster is a Cyberse monster as well."
"Interesting..." was all Roxy stated, crossing her arms. She made a mental note to ask Greg how in the world he got those Cyberse cards.
"That's S-Force Justify, a Link 3 monster with 2600 attack points whose arrows all point upwards." Gil began. "While that may be a detriment to others, it isn't for Greg, as he can target a monster his opponent controls and negate their effects before moving that monster to a Main Monster Zone Justify points to. What's more, when Justify battles, Greg can banish all monsters Justify points to. An effective way of attacking directly, that's for sure." Words then appeared on Greg's profile in the 'Ace monster' section.
"Based on what we know about this guy, as well as his contributions, we should give him a high duel grade, right?" Herald inquired.
"Greg gets an S+ for Savage with a +." Arashi immediately decided. "For all the good Greg's done, as well as how his deck 'arrests' his opponent in a control-like style, he deserves this grade. As a duel veteran, he knows how to put his opponents in place." After typing in this information into the 'Duel Grade right now' section of Greg's profile, he saved the changes before showing the completed profile to the others:
Name: Greg Ebihara
VRAINS ID: Greg Ebihara (he uses his name in the network. He should really come up with a network ID, like Enforcer, or Agent G).
Other aliases: Rachel's Caretaker (after Project: Apotheosis, he adopted her and took care of her since then).
Gender: Male
Age: Somewhere in his late 40's.
Residence: Apartment 425
Job: Commissioner of the FBI (he may get a promotion after the Turf War events).
Skill: Unknown (we've only seen him duel in a Master Duel. Then again, the whole Turf War consisted of Master Duels).
Deck: S-Force (this archetype focuses on controlling the opponents options through banishing and Special Summoning. There's a few Cyberse monsters in the deck too. It seems Greg rescued a few of them before the Hanoi started wiping them out).
Ace monster: S-Force Justify (a Link 3 monster with 2600 attack points whose arrows all point upwards. While that may be a detriment to others, it isn't for Greg, as he can target a monster his opponent controls and negate their effects before moving that monster to a Main Monster Zone Justify points to. What's more, when Justify battles, Greg can banish all monsters Justify points to. An effective way of attacking directly, that's for sure).
LINK VRAINS' history: Greg saved Rachel and the other Apotheosis victims from Athaliah long ago, and likely got the first bit of VIII from her there, likely entrusted to her by Kogami.
Since then, he adopted Rachel following her parents' deaths from a rampant virus.
Greg's been a big help during the Turf War especially against Delta and helping to keep the damage in the real world to a minimum.
He and Rachel saved Brion from Athaliah's grasp, and worked together to stop her once and for all.
Duel Grade right now: S+ (Savage with a +) (For all the good Greg's done, as well as how his deck 'arrests' his opponent in a control-like style, he deserves this grade. As a duel veteran, he knows how to put his opponents in place).
Notes: Greg's overprotective of Rachel, which makes sense, as she looks like a little girl. Though looks can be deceiving, that's for sure. If you don't believe me, look at the giant robots under Rachel's command. Small, but deadly.
With the fourth and final profile done, Arashi closed it up, and was about to turn Roxy's computer when Yuhiro stopped him.
"Okay, Gil. Show us what info you got from Athaliah." Yuhiro said.
"It's in the USB drive I gave you earlier." Gil pointed out. Curiosity now getting the better of him, Yuhiro opened it up before various files popped up. One file that said 'AI Construct' appeared, and upon reading it, Yuhiro clicked on the file. Soon, the TV screen showed a blueprint of Bohman himself beside an orb, which contained portions of different-coloured data. Clicking through the blueprints like a slideshow, Yuhiro and the others were shocked upon what they found.
Athaliah planned to give Bohman the necessary upgrades so he can absorb the Ignis into his body.
"What the Hell?!" Herald exclaimed.
"So Bohman and Haru are working with Ace and Speckles." Yuhiro immediately deduced. "That means..."
"They're most certainly in league with the azure assailant and Malf!" Roxy finished, gritting her teeth.
"My, my, the plot thickens..." Gil stated. "When I found out, I was just surprised as you guys are right now. Since my quests of revenge against Athaliah and my douchebag dad are done, I figured it would be a good idea to move on to a different quest. And considering the events that unfolded, something big is about to go down, especially with this information."
"It makes sense now!" Arashi realized. "The data I got from Haru, who's an AI like Bohman, was the same one I obtained following my duel against him!"
"I really hope neither the azure assailant nor Malf has Judgment Arrows. Otherwise, the fight will be even tougher than before." Herald said.
"We need to tell Fujiki and the others about these findings asap!" Yuhiro told Roxy, Herald, and Arashi, who all nodded in agreement.
"You know guys, I feel like this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Gil said. "Maybe I can give you guys more information in exchange for free meals. A sweet deal, if you ask-."
"Free meals? FREE MEALS?!" Roxy exclaimed in fury, going over to Gil with a furious expression. "Do you want me to clobber you for that ridiculous statement and your behavior towards us?!"
"I take it back, I take it back!" Gil panicked, afraid of Roxy's fury.
"Maybe we can reach a compromise." Yuhiro interrupted. "In exchange for the information, you can have some free desserts or something like that."
Gil's eyes widened upon looking at the brownies in the kitchen. The next thing everyone knew, Gil raced forward and gobbled up the brownies. "Oh, yeah. These are delicious. Deal!"
"No deal! I needed those brownies to impress Brea!" Arashi lamented out of shock.
"Oh? You were making these for a girl?" Gil grinned. "Whoops."
"Aw, man! Now I have to make another batch!" Arashi lamented for a second time. For Gil to do that to Arashi, even if it was unintentionally... just why?
Heading back to the living room, Gil offered his right hand to Yuhiro, who shook it in response. "Very well. In exchange for desserts, I'll give you the information. See you guys around!" Gil headed to the stairs when Yuhiro spoke up.
"Do you have any information on the azure assailant?" Yuhiro asked him. "He's responsible for putting Miyu in the hospital for the second time, and the more info, the more likely we can stop him."
Gil turned towards Yuhiro, a serious look on his face. "I'll see what I can do," he replied. "But I heard rumors about this guy. Some call him God's wrath incarnate, the Executioner, and the Life Ripper amongst other things." He was about to head downstairs when a thought popped up in his head. "Oh, and this information will cost you a lot, Yuhiro. As I'm covering both my tracks and your tracks in the process. I hope you understand what you're doing, Yuhiro. For like I said before, if you're not careful, you'll become no better than the monsters you're currently fighting." Gil headed downstairs and proceeded to exit Café Matsuo after that.
"Well, on the plus side, we not only got an ally, but also this goldmine worth of information." Herald stated. "This must be Bohman's endgame! He kidnapped Jin in the hopes of drawing us out to obtain myself, Flame, and Ai before moving onto the other Ignis'. That means..." His eyes widened. "The other Ignis are in danger, and they don't even know it yet!"
"Which makes finding the other Ignis a major priority." Roxy said, the others agreeing through head nods.
"Hey, guys. I'm going to take a nap. What happened just now... I really need a break." Yuhiro told the others, heading upstairs to his room.
"Man. The stuff Gil told Yuhiro really hit him hard." Arashi said.
"Yeah. It certainly did." Roxy agreed. "Yuhiro fights for other people, Arashi. In his fight, he managed to not only stay a good man, but also ensure that he didn't lose his ethical code as well."
"After Yuhiro is rested, we should talk to him. Make sure that he's okay."
"Good idea, Herald. Good idea." Roxy replied. "In the meanwhile, we should go through this information. Who knows? We may find something else here!" Disconnecting her laptop, she picked it up and Yuhiro's duel disk before heading downstairs. Arashi, however, stayed in the living room, pondering over what just happened.
Windy. For what you did, you deserve to die, Arashi thought, narrowing his eyes. While I won't let you get absorbed by Bohman, you'll answer for your crimes. This I swear.
Elsewhere, at an apartment near SOL Technologies...
Go was sitting on the couch, watching the news coverage that covered the Turf War events.
"Various prisoners that worked on the Black Market are in the process of being moved to different prisons across Japan," a female reporter began. "Squads of police and FBI officers have been assigned to watch over Den Penitentiary, their task of preventing the prisoners from escaping. Prisoners like the Guzik family and Enzo are currently residing in Den Jail, awaiting trial in exchange for providing testimony against Akihiko Akutagawa, also known as Ace in the network. Jeff Shilton, having saved everyone in Omega from Creknurt, is being released within five months from now for his good deeds during the Turf War events."
"That's an excellent summary there," the male reporter replied. "In other news, a hashtag has been promoting around social media. The hashtag reads 'We are all Playmaker'. This is a weird one that's been popping up on social media. Are people supporting a wanted-."
"Do not go there!" the female reporter exclaimed, as footage of Playmaker and his allies popped up, which showed them bringing refugees to safety. "Playmaker and his team have helped end the Turf War, and have even helped refugees escape from the network following Ace's final attack against the Black Market. An attack that turned the Black Market into a hellish-."
Go turned off the TV, narrowing his eyes in the process. Just great. SOL Technologies wasn't mentioned as one of the heroes that helped stop the Turf War. More importantly, he wasn't given a mention as one of the heroes who helped stop the Turf War. Go stopped Gardai, thus helping shut down Delta for good. And yet he didn't get mentioned by the media? He didn't get praised as a hero during the war? How dare they not acknowledge my role, he thought. Go then thought back on his meeting with Queen and Pawn, which occurred following his duel against Quinton.
Flashback: A week or two earlier...
Go entered into an office inside SOL Technologies, having just come back from his duel against Quinton. He was close to beating him, and ended up losing against one of his old friends. Akira had warned Go of what would happen if he disobeyed orders, and based on what happened, Go anticipated one thing.
That he was going to get fired as a bounty hunter.
And forever lose his chance of hunting down and defeating Playmaker in a duel.
The office then turned into a resort, which showed Queen relaxing on a deckchair, just like before. In addition, Pawn was sitting on a deckchair or two away from her.
"Queen. Pawn. The both of you wanted to see me?" Go inquired, obviously knowing the answer.
"Yes, Go." Queen answered, turning her head to look at him, a glare evident on her face. "I have to say, I'm disappointed it took you so long for you to come to this meeting, especially an important meeting like this one."
"Now, now, Queen. Go was held up with something else, and he had to get it over with before coming here." Pawn commented.
Go breathed a sigh of relief. At least there was one higherup at SOL Technologies that understood what happened. Delays happen, and sometimes, they have to be dealt with. "So what was it you wanted me here for? I'm guessing something important," he asked, crossing his arms.
"Getting straight to the point, huh? We might as well, considering how all of us are on a schedule right now." Queen said, getting up from the deckchair she was on before walking over to Go. Even though she was shorter than Go, the former Charisma Duelist knew not to run his mouth. Otherwise... well, the consequences would not be good at all for him. "SOL Technologies is developing a new piece of technology. One that will help in your hunt for the Ignis."
"A piece of technology, you say?" Go repeated, now curious as to what Queen and Pawn were about to tell him next.
"It would be better for us to show you than to explain it. I doubt your mind would comprehend the information if we told you directly."
Go grit his teeth, trying not to snap back. It was tempting, but he knew his place.
"Give the man a break, Queen. He lost his chance to duel Playmaker, and had to deal with something else. The sooner we get this meeting done, the sooner we can get back to our other jobs." Pawn suggested, which worked, as Queen went back to her deckchair and sat on it. This was one of those times Queen was able to tolerate Pawn, as he too saw the importance of this meeting.
Pawn grabbed the remote nearby and pressed a button on it, which caused a screen to appear on the wall. He then turned the screen on, which showed a blueprint of a chip that had three wires. The first wire on top was connected to a small, slim orange card. While the second wire was small, the third wire was long, and had two ends. Going over to the screen, Pawn put his finger on it and pointed to the blueprint. "Go Onizuka, allow me to introduce you to the Duel A.I. Implant Chip."
"After your multiple failures, it was only logical for us to lend a helping hand in your hunt for the Ignis." Queen stated. "You should feel grateful."
Go narrowed his eyes, using every fiber of his being not to snap back. This was not the time to do that at all! "I appreciate the gesture, Queen." He then turned to Pawn. "What exactly does this little chip do?"
"Simple. It enhances a duelist's abilities to duel better." Pawn answered. "For that to happen, we have to insert this little gizmo into your brain."
"What?" Go slightly opened his mouth upon hearing Pawn's answer. That... was something he didn't expect.
"Don't be so surprised, Go. Such an operation already exists." Queen commented with a frown.
"Yeah, but that's only for people who are sick and need help." Go countered. "What you guys are talking about now with this science experiment... it's crazy."
"It isn't crazy, Go." Pawn stated, getting the attention of both Queen and Go. "It is the next stage in human evolution. Just think about it." He pressed his right index finger to his right temple. "The average duelist can only think and respond to a certain degree. But with this chip, it will allow a duelist to make decisions at a much faster rate. Decisions that mean the difference between victory and defeat." After thinking for a moment, Pawn laughed.
"What's so funny, bub?" Go snapped, trying to hold back his anger even more.
"I was just thinking about how you, the number one Charisma Duelist, were defeated by Playmaker. A duelist who came out of nowhere and dethroned you, making you yesterdays news. And what did you do? You came to SOL Technologies and became a bounty hunter, hoping to get your revenge. With a complete makeover of course." Pawn widely smirked. "You know I can give you a real makeover."
"Let me guess. Into one of your A.I. hybrid freaks?"
"Exactly."
Go grit his teeth widely, no longer able to contain his anger. "Well, forget it!" he exclaimed, throwing his right arm to the side. "I don't need that chip to defeat Playmaker! I'll defeat him with my own strength. The strength of a king that serves no one but himself!"
Queen sighed. "Then I guess the meeting's adjourned. Adieu, gentlemen." She then vanished, done with the conversation.
"Suit yourself, but I think you'll change your mind soon, Go. Want to know why?" Pawn responded with a grin, as he began to depart. "It's because the world isn't one that waits for people to get stronger. You need to adapt fast, or just like before, you'll become yesterdays news." He laughed before fully vanishing, the room returning to normal. Damn him, Go thought in his mind.
Flashback End: Present Day...
"Hey, Go! Pizza's here! Come join us!" Yoroizaka called out from the dining room.
"Yeah, Go! It'll be a celebration!" Kenmochi added.
"You guys go on ahead. I'll join you in a bit." Go replied, before standing up on his feet and thinking back to Pawn's words.
"It's because the world isn't one that waits for people to get stronger. You need to adapt fast, or just like before, you'll become yesterdays news."
Go frowned to himself. "You're right, Pawn. The world won't wait for me to make stronger. That's why..." He narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth. "That's why I'll take the chip. I'll do whatever it takes to defeat Playmaker, even if it means destroying my former self once and for all!"
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth: Roxy's Reports 32: Earth, Azrael, Windy, Bohman (Updated), and Haru (Updated)
Author's Notes
Hello, everyone! The last set of the Black Market profiles is finally done. For the next while, there won't be any updates to Roxy's Reports. Why? Because the next few chapters will occur in a continuous stream of events, which means I'll be focusing on them first before typing up the reports after. I hope you're looking forward to what's coming. Therefore, Chapters 65 – 72 will be done first before the next update. See you at Chapter 65, as there will be a fun surprise at the beginning of the chapter!