Update: A lot of you have requested me to check Tenyi Spirit – Nahata's effect for Chapter 3. Looking at it, I decided for the sake of the duel to give it an anime effect. By the time this chapter is posted, there will be a minor update in Chapter 3 as well.
And with that, onto the chapter!
Chapter 16: The Magician's Trap
In the Hanoi Stronghold...
"Everything is almost ready," Lord Kazuma said to himself, as he pressed a few buttons on his tablet. Immediately, several bright dots came together to form two rings, one inside the other. Soon, the rings began to not only grow, but also gain a black shade in the middle to connect them. Hieroglyphic symbols were then drawn in the black shade.
"Exactly what are you doing?" Infearno asked, not bothering to look at what Lord Kazuma was doing. Instead, he was looking at the video footage Faust sent him, where one of the Knights threw Baira under the bus. It was evident that Infearno was concerned for Baira, as both Raguel and Playmaker, along with their allies, will be hunting for her.
"Just preparing everything I need for my duel against Raguel." Lord Kazuma replied, satisfied with what he got. Pressing a few buttons on his Duel Disk, the ring dissolved into bright dots once again. They then entered his Duel Disk.
"Your duel?" Infearno asked, curious.
"That's correct." Lord Kazuma confirmed, as he reached to the nearby table to pick up his coffee. He then proceeded to drink it for a few seconds before putting it down again. "I thought it would be a good idea to see how strong Raguel really is."
"And you didn't bother telling Revolver nor Dr. Kogami about this..." Infearno muttered, as Lord Kazuma walked up to his right side.
"By dueling against Raguel, it will help me learn just what kind of duelist he really is. After all, he along with Playmaker have been a pain in the Hanoi's ass lately." Lord Kazuma said.
"They and their Ignis's have both been pains indeed." Infearno agreed. He turned his head to look at Lord Kazuma. "Regardless of what your goals are, I intend on dueling Raguel myself. Understand?"
Lord Kazuma's response to this was to simply laugh. "You? Duel Raguel? Again?" This comment got his attention as Lord Kazuma continued. "May I remind you of what happened the last time you dueled him? You lost! Even with all that power you have, you still hesitated! I wonder what your wife would think of-."
The next thing Lord Kazuma knew, Infearno slapped him with the back of his right hand, causing him to fall onto the floor.
"Don't you ever mention my wife again, Kazuma!" Infearno roared at him as his scar glowed hot red. "Do you understand? Because if you don't, I'll unleash my wrath on you in a duel here and now!"
Lord Kazuma snickered as he got up and wiped the blood stain on his lip. "Oh, don't worry, I do understand." He turned to face him. "And for the record, it's Lord Kazuma." He then dematerialized out of the stronghold.
Infearno took a deep breath before turning back to the monitor. Lord Kazuma might be a powerful duelist, he thought, but that attitude will one day cost him. Unexpectedly, Malacoda appeared beside him.
"Troubled, master?" Malacoda asked him. "You were..."
"I am fine, Malacoda." Infearno affirmed. Turning off the monitor, Infearno pulled out a card from his deck, and Cherubini soon appeared in front of him.
"What is thy bidding, my master?" the fallen angel asked, kneeling in front of Infearno.
"Scour LINK VRAINS for Raguel and Playmaker." Infearno commanded. "My comrade Baira will now be targeted by them, so keep an eye on her. If something or someone threatens her, eliminate them."
"Understood." Cherubini soon vanished into flames, with Malacoda doing the same, leaving Infearno alone. After making sure no one was looking, he pulled out a locket that was underneath his white colored clergy shirt. Opening it, it showed him with a woman that had silver, blond hair.
My love, what would you think of me if you saw what I've become, Infearno thought, as he stared at the locket.
In LINK VRAINS...
"Hey boss! Where in the world of LINK VRAINS are you hiding out?" Pigeon called out, using his wing to narrow his vision as he looked for Frog from side to side.
"Psst! Down here!" a voice replied, causing Pigeon to turn behind him. Sure enough, it was Frog, hiding on a nearby rooftop. "And keep it quiet, you dodo bird!" Pigeon then flew down to where Frog was.
"The Knights of Hanoi could be lurking anywhere." Frog explained to Pigeon. "Over there, way up there high in the sky, they're a stealthy bunch."
"Then we should be anywhere but here. Now that everyone else has left." Pigeon concluded, but Frog wouldn't have it.
"No. You see, as journalists, it's our duty to report from the frontlines, no matter how dangerous it may be." Frog emphasized, hoping to inspire Pigeon. "We print the story when no one else will."
"And nothing to do with the fact that we need a big scoop to refill our bank accounts, right? After you wasted all our money, huh?"
"KEEP IT DOWN!" Frog ordered Pigeon, scaring him. "Before the Hanoi finds us!"
"Okay, fine!" Pigeon said, turning away from Frog. "Guess I'm giving you the silent treatment." Suddenly, Pigeon noticed something. "Hey, what's that over there?" he asked, pointing to the ripples in front of them.
"Don't know." Frog replied. Unfortunately for them, Baira stepped out of the ripples, causing them to panic and hug each other for dear life. "She's... one of the Hanoi."
"Not just anyone, but she's one of the three individuals who took out SOL Technologies' army." Pigeon added.
"Just the pair I was looking for," Baira said. "Do you know where I can find Playmaker?"
"We don't, we don't, we don't!" Frog answered.
"But that's not what the deep web says." Baira replied, as she approached the duo. "How are you always the first on the scene for every duel involving Playmaker?"
"It's luck, just sheer dumb luck!" Frog answered, now pleading for his life along with Pigeon.
"Listen to him; we're not that great at our job!" Pigeon begged.
"Really? So you don't know where he is?" Baira asked once more, causing Frog and Pigeon to nod their heads. "Oh. Perhaps he'll show up here. If I go ahead and turn you both into Anothers, that is."
"I don't think so!" a new voice said, causing everyone to turn their heads to a nearby tower, which Blue Angel hopped down from to face Baira.
"Blue Angel..." Baira muttered as she stared down at her.
"Uh-huh. And you're Baira, right? The one who created the stupid virus that's turning everyone into Anothers?" Baira simply narrowed her eyes at Blue Angel. "A little ghost told me you tested the original on me."
"Please don't tell me you're still upset about that little incident." Baira replied, a look of boredom on her face.
Blue Angel's mouth opened slightly before replying. "Uh, yeah. It's not just something you get over and forget."
"I don't believe I ever said you should forget about what happened to you and move on with your life." Baira calmly stated. "Without the data I gathered from you, none of this would've ever happened. In other words, you should feel proud for being a medical pioneer."
"What are you talking about?" Blue Angel inquired, now clearly upset. "I don't feel proud or anything. I mean, being a pioneer does sound cool, but I'm not in the hurt business. Not when it's hurting everyone!"
Baira closed her eyes. "So young, idealistic, and naive." She reopened them. "You may disagree with my methods, but what I'm doing is actually for the greater good. Outside of LINK VRAINS, in the real world, I'm a doctor."
"Then they should revoke your license. Permanently."
"I've learned that you must sacrifice a little to save a lot." Baira said. "And since you're so young, I don't think its something you'll ever understand."
"So you're just turning everyone into Anothers because if you don't, something worse will happen?" Blue Angel tried to conclude. "Right. I don't need to go to medical school to know that that logic is bogus." She pointed her index finger at Baira. "Not one more duelist will become an Another. Not on my watch!"
"Very well." Baira concluded. "It's clear we can't settle this verbally."
"Obviously. But our cards can." Blue Angel agreed with her.
"Gaah!" Frog pulled away from Pigeon. "They're gonna duel. You know what this means?"
"That we have the exclusive scoop on this match?" Pigeon asked.
"That we have the exclusive scoop on this match!" Frog repeated. "Start recording! I want this duel to be broadcast worldwide!"
"Yes, sir! Because you want to serve the public!" Pigeon enthusiastically said. "And not to pay the broadcast fees, right?"
"One more word and I'll serve you up Teriyaki style!" Frog threatened Pigeon.
"Recording right away! And sorry," Pigeon quickly added.
At Café Matsuo's backroom...
"Yuhiro! Get your ass down here!" Roxy shouted, causing Yuhiro to run down the stairs and right into the backroom. When he arrived, he saw Roxy looking at a screen, which showed Blue Angel facing whom he perceived to be Baira.
"Can't believe my plan worked," was all Yuhiro said, as he saw the beginning of the duel.
"Obviously." Roxy turned her chair so she could look at him. "But I'm still pissed that-."
Suddenly, the monitors started beeping, causing her to turn back to them. "Shit!" She slammed her fists on the table. "The monitors picked up several Knights of Hanoi logging in as we speak!"
"That's certainly not good." Herald commented. Yuhiro couldn't help but nod.
"I'll keep her safe," Yuhiro said, as he headed to the closed-off space. While he believed the others would fight off the Knights if needed, this felt personal to him. After all, he didn't want Blue Angel to be used as a hostage again.
"Just be careful out there." Roxy told him.
"I promise." Yuhiro replied, as the door closed. He put his deck in his Duel Disk and said, "Deck Set! Into the VRAINS!"
In LINK VRAINS...
As soon as Raguel landed on his duel board, he released an E.M.S. from his Duel Disk to follow Blue Angel and Baira. By doing this, he can keep an eye on their duel until he caught up with them. From what E.M.S. was showing him, he arrived at the second turn of the duel, where Baira summoned Dark Mummy Probes to destroy Trickstar Light Stage. This woman was clever, he had to admit.
"Herald," Raguel said. "How far until we reach Blue Angel and Baira?"
"In about two minutes." Herald estimated. "And according to the duel," he continued, looking at the screen, "the woman known as Baira just Link Summoned Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps."
"Seriously?" Raguel asked, as he saw the monster attack Trickstar Holly Angel. Luckily, Blue Angel managed to save her, although the force of attack caused her to fall off her duel board. She then quickly summoned her energy whip and pulled it right back to her.
"Hold it right there, Raguel!"
He turned around and saw two Knights of Hanoi, along with a Sergeant, chasing him. "You've taken out a lot of our comrades," the Sergeant said. "It's time for us to-!"
But before the Sergeant could continue, a slash of fire caused the Knights and Sergeant to drift to the left and right, almost pushing them off course.
"You.. shall not.. pass!"
Everyone looked at the speaker and gasped. Ahead of them was Numera, who was being carried by Final Sigma in its left hand. She fired a small yellow triangle at the Knights and Sergeant from her Duel Disk, which electrocuted them for a brief moment.
"Numera?" Raguel asked, as she headed towards him so they could be parallel with one another. "What are you doing here?"
"Just giving you a helping hand," Numera answered. "You go after Blue Angel. She'll need your help."
Raguel narrowed his eyes. "You sure?"
Numera smirked in response. "Of course. Taking these guys down will be a piece of cake."
"Don't get so cocky, little girl!" the Sergeant warned her. "If you insist on taking all three of us at once, we'll gladly oblige!"
"Good." Numera simply replied. "Because my Duel Factorial triangles prevent you from dueling anyone else."
Seeing that he couldn't change Numera's mind, Raguel nodded. "Alright. Just be careful." And he sped off.
"Oh don't worry," Numera said, as she turned to the Knights and Sergeant and gave an unsettling smile. "I'll be extra careful."
As Raguel continued to head to where Blue Angel and Baira were, three more Knights of Hanoi emerged from the shadows and chased him.
"There he is!" one of the Knights called out, causing Raguel to turn around and sigh. Great. More pains in the ass.
"You guys suck! You know that!" Raguel said as he launched his Duel Anchor at one of them, snaking its way around his wrist. Grabbing onto the anchor, Raguel pulled the Knight off his duel board and swung him around and around, causing the other knights to drift to the side to avoid getting hit. He then released the Duel Anchor, which led the Knight to hit a building face-first before falling to the ground, resulting in a forced log-out.
The other two Knights attempted to sandwich Raguel, but Raguel slowed his duel board down just in time for the Knights to accidentally hit each other instead.
"See you suckers later!" Raguel said, before firing an electrical blast from his Cracker gauntlet, electrocuting and logging them out. "With that out of the way-."
"Found him!" Unfortunately for him, there were several more Knights behind his tail.
"Aw come on!" Herald said, who was clearly annoyed. Raguel couldn't help but nod in agreement. "We're in the middle of something here!"
"Then why don't you ask for help next time?"
The Knights and Raguel turned around and gasped. Stregone emerged behind them, smirking.
"Stregone?" one of them asked. "Even if you're here, you're no match for all of us!"
"Is that so?" Stregone replied, as he pointed to the Knights. "Then you all clearly underestimate me!" He then fired several green, mystical blasts of energy at each of the Knights, which took the form of Duel Anchors.
"What are you doing, Stregone?" Raguel asked, as each of the Duel Anchors wrapped themselves around the Knights' wrists.
"Clearing you a path," Stregone replied. "Don't worry. I got this." As Raguel sped off once more, he turned his attention to the Knights. "Now you'll all be forced to duel me alone. My only question is: Are you ready for the show to begin?"
Eventually, Raguel was some distance away from Blue Angel and Baira's duel. He was far enough away so they and the cameras couldn't see him. Due to the Knights' insisted interference, he missed Blue Angel's turn. He turned on the feed E.M.S. sent him once again, which showed that Blue Angel didn't do much with her turn, as her field was the same.
"Well that's not good," Herald said, as he watched Blue Angel on the screen get sent flying through a building by Surgical Forceps's effect. Thankfully, she managed to run on her duel board. "Uh-oh."
"What is it?" Raguel asked, as he looked at the screen. Upon looking at it, his eyes widened as he saw Baira activate her Skill to summon two new monsters, which not only protected Surgical Forceps from Trap cards, but increased its strength as well.
What are you up to, Baira? Raguel thought. He got his answer immediately when Baira used the effect of Temple of the Kings to activate her face-down card Root Ransom Virus, which lowered Holly Angel's attack points to 0 and negated her effects. It should have affected Surgical Forceps, but thanks to Baira's Dark Mummy Infuser, Surgical Forceps was unaffected.
"Crap!" Raguel realized what Baira was planning. "We have to hurry to them before it's too late!"
"Yes," Herald replied, looking at the screen, "I can see what you meeeeeeaaaaannnnn!" Herald soon held onto the Duel Disk he was in for dear life because Raguel increased the speed of his duel board.
Although Blue Angel sent Trickstar Perennial to the graveyard to protect Holly Angel, one of Surgical Forceps's attacks still went through and hit her duel board. This caused her to fall off of it, screaming in the process.
Before she could hit the ground, however, someone grabbed her arm. Looking up, she gasped in surprise. "R-Raguel?"
Raguel narrowed his eyes at Blue Angel. "Please stop falling off your duel board," he said. "That way, I don't have to save you." He lifted her up and threw her back onto her duel board.
"Raguel?" Baira said, looking at him in surprise, then she smirked. "We planned for you to eventually show up. After all, just like how you aided Go in his duel against Dr. Genome, you show up now to help your dear friend Blue Angel. The question is: Do you plan on taking Blue Angel's-?"
Suddenly, there was a screech, one so loud that everyone had to cover their ears. Out of nowhere, Cherubini flew out of the sky, with it's red curving sword on fire. The fallen angel dove down towards Raguel, hellbent on eradicating him. It would have succeeded had Raguel not dodged out of the way at the last second.
"What... what in the world is that thing?" Blue Angel asked, her voice filled with terror.
"You're Cherubini, Infearno's Link Monster, aren't you?" Baira asked, as the fallen angel headed towards her side.
"My apologies for interrupting this duel," Cherubini said to Baira, "but Infearno has ordered me to eliminate anyone who would threaten you." The fallen angel then raised its right hand, demonic energy being charged up in its palm.
"Don't-!" Baira was about to say, but Cherubini fired the demonic energy blast anyway at Blue Angel. Seeing that her life was in danger, Raguel immediately headed towards her and took the impact of the blast instead. He expected to fall off his duel board, but he surprisingly didn't due to the force field Herald created in front of them.
"You're... welcome." Herald said. But that was all he could say, as the fallen angel quickly charged towards them. In response, Raguel reached for his sword and blocked Cherubini's sword strike, slowing him down in the process and away from Blue Angel and Baira.
"My master is very angry with you," Cherubini told him as they struggled in their sword clash. "He sees you as an actual threat now, to the point where you need to be dealt with personally!"
"Well you can tell Infearno to suck it!" Raguel replied. "Now, Herald!"
"Right!" Herald proceeded to raise his arms in front of him, creating a second force field to push Cherubini back just long enough for Raguel to break free, rev up his sword, and stab the fallen angel in the stomach.
"Consider us even, bitch." Raguel whispered to Cherubini, before revving up his sword once again, causing the fallen angel to scream in pain before disintegrating away.
"That was close." Herald commented. "It was something I didn't expect, that's for sure."
Raguel increased the speed on his duel board. "Mean neither. It means that Infearno believes we're actually-." Suddenly, hieroglyphic symbols sped past Raguel out of nowhere, surprising him. "What in the-?" As if the hieroglyphic symbols heard him, they turned around and headed towards him, causing Raguel to dodge left and right to avoid getting hit. "Okay, what is this?"
"I'm analyzing it right now, partner." Herald responded, as Raguel continued dodging left and right. "They're a part of some program."
"But where exactly is the program?" Raguel asked. Apparently, he got his answer, as the data stream started increasing under his feet. "Not this time!" He attempted to fire his Duel Anchor at a nearby rooftop, but soon found that it stopped working. "Why isn't my Duel Anchor working?"
"Raguel! Data Wave incoming!" Herald said, getting Raguel's attention. And just like Herald said, a data wave was suddenly in front of them! Seeing this, Raguel turned around to avoid getting swallowed by it. But that would not be the end of his troubles.
"Seems we found the program that's messing the data stream up!" Raguel found out, as he looked at what it appeared to be two giant circles, with a black shade in the middle to connect them. The hieroglyphic symbols from before were drawn in the black shade.
"The data wave's catching up!" Herald said, panicking as he turned his head and looked at it.
"We have to go in that circle!" Raguel concluded, getting Herald's attention. "It's the only way to get out of this jam!"
"But what if the Hanoi's responsible for this?" Herald asked.
"If the Hanoi wants my attention so bad, they'll get it!" Raguel replied, as he sped up to reach the circle. "Hold on, Herald!"
In an unknown location in LINK VRAINS...
The circle that Raguel and Herald entered unceremoniously spat them out, causing them to fall to the ground.
Where are we, Raguel thought, as he got up and looked around in the dark area he was in. When he looked forward, he was caught off guard by a black, humanoid droid. The droid was covered in black robes, and its head resembled a helmet with a smooth glass dome. Similar to Kitamura's AI duelists, the droid had human-like five fingered hands
"The hell?" Raguel muttered, as he approached the droid, Herald emerging from his Duel Disk in the process.
"It's some robot, that's for sure." Herald confirmed. "But as for the model, I've never seen something like-."
"Identifying unknown presence!" the droid suddenly said, its glass head scanning Raguel's body. "Presence clarified. Duelist known as Raguel identified. Duel threat: 5 stars. Ace monster: Cyreath Hercules." Immediately, the droid started glowing, taking the literal form of Cyreath Hercules. This action led to Raguel taking a step back in shock.
The droid then started laughing as it crossed its arms. "I've been waiting for you. You've been a thorn in the Hanoi's ass for a long time. So prepare to lose your Ignis and your loved ones forever!" Raguel grit his teeth in anger in response. "Your duels have intrigued me for quite a while," the droid continued, pointing its right index finer at him. "If you're able to survive against the likes of Infearno and Dancho, then you're worthy of facing off against the master of magicians!"
"Enough of these tricks!" Raguel said, pulling out his sword and pointing it at the droid. "I know there's someone out there, pulling the strings. So show yourself! Now!"
Immediately, the droid dematerialized to its original form. Its glass head then started to glow, revealing the face of a male with red hair and blue eyes, as well as a silver-yellow eye piece over his left eye.
"Welcome, Raguel. I am the Hanoi's Secretary known as Lord Kazuma, and soon, I will finish what Infearno could not!" Lord Kazuma declared through the droid.
"So Infearno really is sore about our last duel, huh?" Raguel asked. "How come he isn't here himself to do the job?"
"Infearno has other things to take care of for the Hanoi," Lord Kazuma answered through the droid. "Right now, though, you have to contend with me."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then you'll be stuck here forever!" Lord Kazuma laughed. "We may be in LINK VRAINS still, but you've lost connection with any outside help you may have."
Damn it, Raguel thought, as he grit his teeth. I'm stuck here with a mad man.
"But I'm willing to duel for your freedom," Lord Kazuma continued via the droid. "If you win, you'll be given the code to escape this place. But if you lose, your Ignis will belong to the Hanoi!"
"I accept your challenge." Raguel immediately answered, shocking Herald.
"What?" Herald said. "You accepted his challenge? With me on the line?"
"Herald," Raguel said, turning to him, "we don't have a choice. We've lost connection with Roxy, and we don't know how to escape this place."
"But just give me time, and I'll-."
"No." Raguel replied. "Think about it. Right here in front of us is an opportunity. If we duel and defeat the Hanoi's personal secretary, he could lead us to where the others are."
"I suppose you make a point." Herald conceded. "Just kick his butt quickly so we can catch up with Blue Angel." Raguel nodded in agreement.
"I'm quite pleased you accepted my challenge," Lord Kazuma said, the droid placing its hand on its hip. "But this room's a little cramped, don't you think? Fortunately, I know of a special duel ring close by. My messenger droid will take you there. See you soon." The droid's head then stopped glowing, and gestured Raguel to follow it to a nearby elevator. Knowing there was nothing else to do, Raguel sheathed his sword and followed the droid to the nearby elevator.
When Raguel got onto the elevator along with the droid, the elevator doors closed. The elevator then went down two floors before stopping and opening the doors again. The droid then gestured for Raguel to exit, which he did.
Raguel then looked around the duel ring, which resembled a theatre stage. In the middle was a massive duel ring, while around it were theatre decorations. Behind him were theatre drapes.
"I hope you like the arena," a voice said, as its owner emerged from an elevator on the other side of the room. The figure that emerged from the elevator was the real Lord Kazuma in the flesh and bone. From what Raguel saw, he was a male of medium height, with red hair and blue eyes. He also wore a white lab coat with orange lines, as well as a silver-yellow eyepiece over his left eye. If Raguel had to guess, this guy was in his late teens. "It's the perfect setting for a private performance with so much on the line."
"Is that so?" Raguel asked. "It's a shame really, Kazuma. It would have been interesting for the world to see me kick your ass."
Lord Kazuma nearly stumbled over upon hearing that comment. "It's Lord Kazuma," he clarified. "Anyway, it's almost time to raise the curtain and start the show. Oh, and one last thing." Lord Kazuma snapped his fingers, and within moments, hieroglyphic symbols appeared all around them, forming digital walls.
"What did you do?" Raguel asked, his eyes widened in disbelief as he looked around at what Lord Kazuma done.
"An extra security measure." Lord Kazuma explained. "I observed you using your Duel Anchor many times, and I decided to make one, only in the form of a field. Now neither of us can escape until our duel has concluded." Raguel narrowed his eyes at Lord Kazuma, now frustrated at what the secretary had done.
"There's more!" Lord Kazuma continued. "I also used some of Baira's program in making this Duel Field. Which means that whoever loses will be put into a coma forever!" Raguel's eyes widened upon hearing that.
"Winning this duel just became more important than ever, Raguel," Herald said, looking at Lord Kazuma's duel field. "For one, I do not want to be captured by the Hanoi. Most certainly not by this mad man!"
"And I don't want to be put into a coma either," Raguel added. "Which means that we must go all-out if we don't want to lose." Turning to Lord Kazuma and activating his Duel Disk, he said, "It's time to begin our duel!"
"Indeed!" Lord Kazuma replied. "It's show time!"
"Duel!" both duelists shouted.
Raguel: 4000 LP
Lord Kazuma: 4000 LP
"I shall set the stage for our duel," Lord Kazuma said, swiping his right hand in front of him to see his hand. Excellent, he thought. This perfect hand will seal Raguel's moves. "I'll start by Normal Summoning Magician's Rod from my hand to the field." A spectral version of a spellcaster with shiny, curved plates that had sharp edges and covered the torso and shoulder areas appeared on Lord Kazuma's field. It carried a long rod in it's hands.
Magician's Rod ATK: 1600 DEF: 100 LV: 3
"When this card is Normal Summoned, I get to add a Spell or Trap card that specifically lists the card 'Dark Magician' in its text." With the effect of Magician's Rod, the card known as Dark Magical Circle popped out of Lord Kazuma's deck, who added it to his hand.
"Dark Magician?" Herald pondered for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "That's the deck the King of Games had all those years back!"
"Which means we're facing off against one of the most powerful decks ever created." Raguel realized. It wasn't the fact that he was facing off against the Dark Magician deck that ticked him off. It was that Lord Kazuma dared to disrespect the King of Games by using a copy of the Dark Magician deck. Especially one that contained the King of Games' beloved ace monster: Dark Magician!
"I'm not finished yet." Lord Kazuma said. "Now I activate the Field Spell card, Secret Village of the Spellcasters!"
"What?" Raguel said in shock as the duel ring briefly changed to the appearance of Secret Village of the Spellcasters before returning back to where they were.
"Now as long as I control a Spellcaster monster," Lord Kazuma explained, "you cannot activate any Spell cards. But if I control no Spellcaster monsters, I cannot activate any Spell cards."
"You're risking an awful lot just to defeat me." Raguel commented.
"Of course I am." Lord Kazuma agreed with Raguel. "After all, I observed your many duels. In doing so, I learned that to defeat you, I must limit your moves before you can get started. Now where was I? Oh yes. I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Dark Magical Circle! Now I can look at the top three cards of my deck for a 'Dark Magician' or a Spell or Trap card listing 'Dark Magician' specifically in its text. Then by revealing it to you, I get to add it to my hand." Lord Kazuma looked at the top three cards of his deck before choosing one. "I reveal to you my ace monster, Dark Magician!" Seeing Dark Magician revealed in front of Raguel's eyes made him furious.
"Dark Magical Circle has a second effect. I can place the remaining two cards on top of my deck in any order. Let's see here. This should work." Using the second effect of Dark Magical Circle, he put Apprentice Illusion Magician on top of Pot of Duality.
"I Set two cards face-down and end my turn." Lord Kazuma concluded. "I'd say good luck, but we all know that's a curse in theatre."
"You disgrace the Dark Magician." Raguel seethed. "And when this duel is over, you'll regret ever using it."
"Oh, so scary. In that case, why don't you back up that bravado with your dueling?"
"My turn! I draw!" Raguel said, drawing the top card of his deck. "Since you control a monster and I don't, I can Special Summon Cyreath Satyr from my hand!" A creature with the upper body of a man and the horns and legs of a goat appeared on Raguel's field. The creature had bronze pieces of armor on its head, arms, and legs, as well as long claws on its hands.
Cyreath Satyr ATK: 2300 DEF: 1400 LV: 5
"Next, since I control a 'Cyreath' monster, I can Normal Summon this card without tributing. Come, Cyreath Cyclops!" A brute with one eye, carrying a club and wearing a belt with cloth, also appeared on Raguel's field.
Cyreath Cyclops ATK: 1900 DEF: 2000 LV: 5
"Finally, if I control a 'Cyreath' monster, I can Special Summon Cyreath Doppelganger from my hand!" A pale, shadowy man materialized itself on Raguel's field.
Cyreath Doppelganger ATK: 500 DEF: 500 LV: 4
"Appear! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" Soon, a Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyreath' monsters. I'll set Cyreath Satyr, Cyreath Cyclops, and the Cyreath Doppelganger token in the Link Markers!" Satyr went into the bottom arrowhead, the Doppelganger token went into the top-right arrowhead, and Cyclops went into the top-right arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! The strongest warrior chosen by the gods! Link 3! Cyreath Hercules!" A tall, muscular warrior wearing a brown tunic around his waist emerged from the portal. He wore shoulder guards resembling lion paws and a helmet resembling a lion's head with a plume forming a mane. He also carried a massive gauntlet with a lion face on each arm.
Cyreath Hercules ATK: 2500 LINK-3 ↖️⬇️↗️
"Hercules' effect!" Raguel added. "Monsters this card points to lose 500 attack points! Nemean Roar!" Hercules let out a massive roar, which hit Magician's Rod.
Magician's Rod ATK: 1600 – 500 = 1100
"Raguel," Herald said, "if I were you, I'd-."
"Battle!" Raguel declared, ignoring Herald. "Cyreath Hercules attacks Magician's Rod! Nemean Strike!" Hercules charged forward to smash Magician's Rod with his right gauntlet. However...
"Continuous-Trap card, activate!" Lord Kazuma said. "Spellbinding Circle! This card lets me target one monster you control and prevent it from attacking! Hahahaha!" A green circle with four small, orange circles orbiting on it came out of the card and went around Hercules' waist, stopping his attack and preventing him from moving. "It also prevents your monster from changing its battle position as well!"
"Damn it!" Raguel muttered. "I can't believe I fell for that."
"I tried to warn you, Raguel." Herald said. "But you went in without thinking!"
"You make a valid point there." Raguel admitted. Knowing there was nothing else he could do, he said, "I Set two cards face-down and end my turn."
"My turn!" Lord Kazuma said, drawing the top card of his deck and adding it to his hand. "By discarding one card from my hand, I can Special Summon Apprentice Illusion Magician from my hand!" As Lord Kazuma discarded Dark Magician from his hand and sent it to the Graveyard, a woman in purple robes and hat, along with high heel boots, appeared on his field. She had spiky, white hair that went to the back of her neck. In her hand was her own scepter.
Apprentice Illusion Magician ATK: 2000 DEF: 1700 LV: 6
"Apprentice Illusion Magician's effect! When she's Normal or Special Summoned, I can add one 'Dark Magician' from my deck to my hand!" As Lord Kazuma said this, a copy of Dark Magician popped out of his deck and into his hand.
"Now I activate my Continuous-Trap card, Eternal Soul!" Lord Kazuma continued. "Now every 'Dark Magician' in my monster zone is unaffected by your card effects! However, should it leave the field, all monsters I control are destroyed!"
"Once again, you're taking a huge risk." Raguel stated. "Is taking risks a part of your strategy, Kazuma?"
"I told you already, it's Lord Kazuma!" Lord Kazuma emphasized, now slightly irritated. "And yes, my strategies are all or nothing. Allow me to show you! I activate the third effect of Eternal Soul. It lets me choose one of two other effects once per turn. And I think I'll choose the first one, which lets me Special Summon my Dark Magician from my hand or Graveyard! Come forth, my ace monster!" On Lord Kazuma's command, a spellcaster in dark blue armor with shiny, curved plates that had sharp edges and covered the torso and shoulder areas appeared on his field. On the edges of the plates were curved trimmings of contrasting shade. He had blue-colored skin and white hair, and in his right hand was a dark blue rod.
Dark Magician ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000 LV: 7
While he would never admit it, if Raguel weren't dueling for his life and freedom, he'd be awestruck at seeing Dark Magician in a duel.
"Dark Magical Circle's effect! Whenever Dark Magician is Normal or Special Summoned, I can target one card you control and banish it!" Lord Kazuma snickered as he pondered over his options. "I could banish your monster, but I need to make sure you can't make any comebacks. I know!" Looking at Raguel's face-down cards, he moved his finger back and forth to them as he said, "Eeny, Miney, Minie, Mo. Catch the tiger by the toe. If he hollers, let them go. Eeny, Miney, Minie, Mo!" And Lord Kazuma ended up pointing at Raguel's face-down card on the right. "I choose to banish the face-down card on the right!"
"Crap!" Raguel said, as Dark Magical Circle fired a blast at his face-down card, turning it into particles. Torrential Buster would have helped me a lot this turn, he thought.
"Now it's time to battle!" Lord Kazuma declared. "Dark Magician attacks Cyreath Hercules! At this point, I activate the second effect of Apprentice Illusion Magician! By sending her from my field or hand to the Graveyard, my attacking monster gains 2000 attack and defense points during damage calculation only!" Apprentice Illusion Magician released a magical spell from her scepter aimed towards Dark Magician, powering him up as she disappeared from the field to the Graveyard.
Dark Magician ATK: 2500 + 2000 = 4500 DEF: 2000 + 2000 = 4000
"Go, Dark Magician! Dark Magic Attack!" Dark Magician fired a magical blast from his dark blue rod at Cyreath Hercules. But...
"I activate my Trap card, Link Showdown!" Raguel suddenly said. The card showed Decode Talker clashing with Gouki the Great Ogre in an arena. "When a Link Monster I control battles a monster my opponent controls with higher attack points, my monster gains attack points equal to its Link Rating times 500! Since Hercules' Link Rating is 3, it gains 1500 attack points!" Hercules roared as his strength increased.
Cyreath Hercules ATK: 2500 + (500 X 3) = 4000
"Nice maneuver." Lord Kazuma praised Raguel. "But you're not getting away from all the damage!" The magical blast hit Hercules, destroying him along with the Spellbinding Circle and turning both of them into particles.
Raguel: 4000 – 500 = 3500 LP
"And since Cyreath Hercules is gone, Magician's Rod gains its strength back!"
Magician's Rod ATK: 1100 + 500 = 1600
"The battle resumes!" Lord Kazuma said. "Magician's Rod attacks you directly!" On his command, the long rod being carried by a spectral spellcaster fired a magical blast at Raguel, pushing him back several feet, to the point where he slightly touched the wall, giving him a shock in the process.
Raguel: 3500 – 1600 = 1900 LP
"Ow, ow, ow!" Raguel said, patting the area where he got zapped. "What the hell's wrong with you?"
"Nothing." Lord Kazuma responded with a snicker. "Seeing you suffer brought some enjoyment to this duel."
"What are you saying?"
"It's simple. I like to have fun, even if it's at the expense of my opponent suffering the process!" Lord Kazuma clarified with a smile. Looking at his hand and field, he added, "I Set one card face-down and end my turn. Therefore, Dark Magician's attack and defense points go back to normal."
Dark Magician ATK: 4500 – 2000 = 2500 DEF: 4000 – 2000 = 2000
"My turn! I draw!" Raguel said, drawing the top card of his deck and adding it to his hand.
"Hold on, Raguel!" Herald warned him, as he turned around to look at him. "Before you make your move, I do hope you learned something from your previous turn."
"Is it setting a safety measure in place in case Plan A doesn't work out?" Raguel asked.
"Something on those lines." Herald nodded in agreement. "That said, while this Lord Kazuma's strategy is interesting, it does have its weaknesses."
"I can see that, Herald." Raguel narrowed his eyes. If Eternal Soul is destroyed, he thought, all his monsters are destroyed and neither of us can activate Spell cards. But by destroying Secret Village of the Spellcasters, I can activate Spell cards again.
Looking at the card in his hand, Raguel made his decision. "I summon Cyreath Nymph!" A blue-skinned, four winged creature with two stubby legs and a small beak, along with a spiked tail, appeared on Raguel's field.
Cyreath Nymph ATK: 1500 DEF: 1500 LVL: 4
"Now, appear! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" A Link Portal immediately appeared above Raguel. "The summoning conditions are one 'Cyreath' monster! I'll set Cyreath Nymph into the Link Marker!" Nymph turned into a tornado of energy and entered into the bottom arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come on out! Link 1! Cyreath Scorpius!" A huge scorpion, with large pincers and a long tail, joined Raguel's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.
Cyreath Scorpius ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️
"Scorpius' effect!" Raguel continued. "Once per turn, if I control no monsters in my Main Monster Zones, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower 'Cyreath' monster from my Graveyard to a zone this card points to. Return, Cyreath Nymph!" The four winged creature from earlier reappeared on Raguel's field, only in the Main Monster Zone Scorpius was pointing to.
Cyreath Nymph ATK: 1500 DEF: 1500 LVL: 4
"If Nymph is Normal or Special Summoned while I control a 'Cyreath' Link Monster," Raguel explained, "I can destroy one Spell or Trap card on your field. And I choose Eternal Soul!"
"Oh no!" Lord Kazuma panicked as Nymph flapped its wings, generating a small windstorm that blew Eternal Soul off the field, turning it into particles in the process.
"Without Eternal Soul on the field, your Dark Magician and Magician's Rod are destroyed!" Raguel said. At that moment, Dark Magician and Magician's Rod turned into particles as they were destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.
"Appear, for a second time! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" A second Link Portal appeared above Raguel's head. "The summoning conditions are two monsters, except tokens! I'll set Cyreath Scorpius, which is a Link 1 monster, and Cyreath Nymph into the Link Markers!" Scorpius went into the left arrowhead, while Nymph went into the right arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Progleo!" A white-furred cub with orange eyes emerged from the Link Portal and was summoned to the right Main Monster Zone on Raguel's field. The cub had a satellite dish around its neck, as well as an old video recorder on his back. He also had a small brace on each of its claws, and a small coil attached to his tail. Upon being summoned, Progleo barred his fangs at his opponent.
Progleo ATK: 1000 LINK-2 ⬅️➡️
"Let's go, Progleo, let's go!" Herald cheered.
"I'll tear this Hanoi meanie to shreds!" Progleo promised, growling at Lord Kazuma.
"Don't worry, Progleo. You'll get your wish!" Raguel said, thrusting out his hand. "Battle! Progleo attacks you directly! Playful Pounce!" Progleo charged forward and lunged at Lord Kazuma, causing him to stumble back a few steps.
Lord Kazuma: 4000 – 1000 = 3000 LP
"Not too bad, Raguel." Lord Kazuma said. "But obviously not enough to defeat me."
"I'm well aware," Raguel replied. "I Set one card face-down and end my turn."
"My turn! I draw!" Lord Kazuma said, drawing the top card of his deck. "I may not be able to activate Spell cards at the moment, but such an inconvenience won't stop me! Not when I activate my face-down Trap card, Magician's Navigation! This card lets me Special Summon one 'Dark Magician' from my hand to the field!" Immediately, a second copy of Lord Kazuma's ace monster arrived on his field.
Dark Magician ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000 LV: 7
"The second effect now activates!" Lord Kazuma continued. "Which lets me Special Summon one Level 7 or lower DARK Spellcaster monster from my deck. Come, Dark Magician Girl!" A teenage girl in blue robes with a pink skirt and small pink cape winked at Raguel as she appeared beside Dark Magician. She had long, blond spiky hair that extended to the middle of her back. On top of her head was a blue wizard's hat with pink rings encircling it. She also wore high-heeled blue boots with pink rings as well. In her hands, she carried a scepter.
Dark Magician Girl ATK: 2000 DEF: 1700 LV: 6
"If you think I'm stopping here, you're wrong! I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Secrets of Dark Magic! This card lets me activate one of two effects. And I'll choose the first effect, which lets me perform a Fusion Summon using monsters in my hand or field, including a 'Dark Magician' or 'Dark Magician Girl' as Fusion Material!"
"I don't like this, Raguel." Herald said, worried.
"Me neither." Raguel agreed with Herald.
"Using Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl as Fusion Materials, I perform a Fusion Summon!" Lord Kazuma said, as Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl disintegrated into blue and red particles of energy, which went into a Dark Magical Circle above them.
"The ultimate wizard and his apprentice shall unite to unlock their true strength together!" Lord Kazuma chanted. "Fusion Summon! Come forth! Level 8! The Dark Magicians!" Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl returned from the whirlwind and reappeared in the right Extra Monster Zone on his field. Only this time, their robes were both more ornate than before.
The Dark Magicians ATK: 2800 DEF: 2300 LV: 8
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Dark Magic Expanded! This card's effects are applied in sequence according to the number of 'Dark Magician' and/or 'Dark Magician Girl' monsters on my field and in my Graveyard! Since there are two 'Dark Magicians' and one 'Dark Magician Girl' in my Graveyard, I can activate all three effects at once!"
"That's not good! That's not good!" Herald panicked. Raguel gritted his teeth as well in hearing the bad news.
"Effect Number 1!" Lord Kazuma said, lifting one finger. "A DARK Spellcaster monster on my field gains 1000 attack points until the End Phase! I choose The Dark Magicians!" A Dark Magical Circle appeared underneath The Dark Magicians, enveloping them in a golden light.
The Dark Magicians ATK: 2800 + 1000 = 3800
"Effect Number 2!" Lord Kazuma continued, lifting a second finger. "Not only can my Spell or Trap cards not be destroyed by card effects until the End Phase, you can't activate cards or effects in response to them!"
"Are you serious?" Raguel asked, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Obviously." Lord Kazuma confirmed. Lifting a third finger, he said, "Effect Number 3! Until the end of this turn, all DARK Spellcaster monsters are unaffected by card effects!"
Not only did this guy turn his Fusion Monster into a juggernaut, Raguel thought, but he also protected his Spell and Trap cards until the end of the turn. He did not like what he was facing at all.
"Let's battle!" Lord Kazuma declared, thrusting out his right hand. "The Dark Magicians attacks your precious Progleo! Dark Burning Impact!" The powered up Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl joined forces as they fired a blast of magical energy from their respective weapons at Progleo. However...
"You're not hurting my Progleo!" Raguel interjected. "I activate my Trap card, Link Barrier!" The card showed Linkuriboh, Link Disciple, and Link Devotee surrounded by a translucent barrier, which protected them from a blast of energy being fired by Borreload Dragon. "When this card is activated, my Link Monster cannot be destroyed by battle this turn. Also, I can reduce the damage I'm taking equal to its Link Rating times 500. Since Progleo is Link 2, I can reduce the damage by 1000!"
"Regardless, you'll barely survive!" Lord Kazuma replied with a snicker, as a translucent barrier appeared around Progleo, protecting the cub from the attack and weakening the magical blast. Unfortunately, it bounced off the barrier and hit Raguel, sending him flying all the way to the electrocuted wall. As a result, he was electrocuted before falling to the floor.
Raguel: 1900 – 1800 = 100 LP
"Raguel!" Progleo cried out in panic as he headed to where Raguel was. "Please tell me you're alive!"
"I'm... okay, buddy." Raguel said, as he slowly got up. "But that hurt. That really hurt!" He soon heard Lord Kazuma laughing, clapping his hands as he did so.
"Here you are, taking all this punishment, and you still get up? That is quite impressive. Well done!"
"Are you going to keep talking, or are you going to end your turn?" Raguel snarled, in a deeper, echoing voice.
Apparently, that stopped Lord Kazuma from talking for a moment, before he said, "Well then. In that case, I Set one card face-down and end my turn, which means The Dark Magicians' attack points go back to normal." And with this face-down card, he thought, Raguel's fate shall be sealed.
The Dark Magicians ATK: 3800 – 1000 = 2800
"Listen to me, Raguel!" Herald said, getting his attention. "You're letting it happen again!"
"Letting what happen again?" Raguel snarled.
"You're letting the power from before consume you again!" Herald clarified, turning to face Raguel. "You must control it! And I know you can! Think of three things!"
Raguel gasped as the memory came back to him.
"Three. That's all you need. Just three simple reasons can help you get through anything."
He shook his head as Herald continued talking. "You can do this, my friend. I believe in you."
"Alright." Raguel said, as he thought of three things. One: Aoi. I have to win this duel to return back to LINK VRAINS and help her against Baira. Two: My allies. I promised I would fight alongside them against the Knights of Hanoi. And for every Knight taken down, the closer we are to our goal. Three: Miyu. I must win this duel. So I can be another step closer to seeing her wake up one day from her coma.
His breathing finally steadied as he calmed down. "Thank you, Herald. With you believing in me, I can control this power."
"Aw, how sweet." Lord Kazuma interrupted. "Now get on with your turn already!"
"If you insist." Raguel replied, a translucent shadow of an angel appearing behind him. Only this time, he spoke in his own voice, and his eyes were grey, their normal color. "Let's go kick this guy's ass, shall we Progleo?"
Progleo barked in agreement as he and Raguel headed back to the duel ring.
"My turn! I draw!" Raguel said. "I activate the effect of Cyreath Chiron from my hand! By revealing this card, I can Special Summon it, as well as one 'Cyreath' monster from my Graveyard! In exchange, I can only attack with 'Cyreath' Link monsters this turn! And the monster I choose to bring back is Cyreath Hercules!" Hercules jumped back to Raguel's field, only in the middle Main Monster Zone.
Cyreath Hercules ATK: 2500 LINK-3 ↖️⬇️↗️
Then a creature with the upper body of a man and the lower body and legs of a horse joined his Cyreath comrades. He had long brown hair tied into a ponytail at the end, along with green eyes. He also wore an archaic style of dress with leather armor being clad onto it. He strung his bow at Lord Kazuma.
Cyreath Chiron ATK: 2100 DEF: 1600 LVL: 6
"Hercules' effect! Monsters this card points to lose 500 attack points! Nemean Roar!" Hercules let out a massive roar, which hit The Dark Magicians.
The Dark Magicians ATK: 2800 – 500 = 2300
"It's time!" Raguel shouted, as he thrusted his right hand to the ceiling. "Appear! The circuit showing the highest mountain!" A Link Portal appeared above his head. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyreath' monsters! I'll set Cyreath Chiron and Cyreath Hercules, which is a Link 3 monster, into the Link Markers!" Hercules split into two tornadoes of energy and entered the left and right arrowheads, while Chiron entered the bottom-left arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Take to the skies and bring terror from above! Link 3! Cyreath Stymphalian Bird!" A massive bronze bird the size of a crane with long blue hair at the back of its head emerged from the Link Portal and was summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone on Raguel's field. The bird had a beak of bronze, sharp metallic feathers on its wings, and razor sharp claws. Its orange eyes looked down at Lord Kazuma as it screeched at him.
Cyreath Stymphalian Bird ATK: 2000 LINK-3 ⬅️➡️↙️
"What a fool you are!" Lord Kazuma said. "Trap card, activate! Magical Drain!" The card showed Dark Magician firing dark magic at Blue Eyes White Dragon. "Now since I control a Spellcaster monster, I can target one monster you control and halve its attack points until the end of the turn! I choose your bird!" Immediately, a dark, magical blast came out of Magical Drain and right towards Stymphalian Bird, draining the bird of half it's strength.
Cyreath Stymphalian Bird ATK: 2000 / 2 = 1000
"That won't stop me, Kazuma!" Raguel immediately said with a smirk. "I activate Stymphalian Bird's first effect! When it's Link Summoned, I can destroy one Spell or Trap card you control. And I choose your Secret Village of the Spellcasters!" Stymphalian Bird shot out several metallic feathers from its wings in response, destroying the card.
"You dare?" Lord Kazuma said, gritting his teeth. "And for the third time, it's-!"
"Stymphalian Bird's second effect!" Raguel continued over his outburst. "By banishing a monster from my Graveyard, it can attack you directly this turn! Furthermore, if the banished monster was a Link Monster, it can attack you directly equal to its Link Rating!"
"WHAT?" Lord Kazuma said, now realizing that he was going to lose the duel.
"I banish Hercules using Stymphalian Bird's effect!" As Raguel said this, the bronze colored bird glowed in blue flames. "And since Hercules' Link Rating was three, that means it can attack you directly three times!"
"This cannot be!" Lord Kazuma panicked. "I'm supposed to win this duel!"
"Well, you thought wrong." Herald replied. "Let's put this guy in his place, right Raguel?"
"Right!" Raguel responded. "Battle! Cyreath Stymphalian Bird attacks you directly three times, Lord Kazuma! At this point, I activate the effect of Link Showdown from my Graveyard! By banishing it, a Link Monster I control gains 1000 attack points until the End Phase!" At that moment, Stymphalian Bird was enveloped in a red aura, powering it up.
Cyreath Stymphalian Bird ATK: 1000 + 1000 = 2000
"Triple Blazing Drill Bomb!" On Raguel's command, Stymphalian Bird flew high into the air and divebombed Lord Kazuma three times: once in front of him, and once from behind. On the third time, Stymphalian Bird divebombed him with enough force that he was sent flying to the electrocuted wall behind him, shocking him in the process.
Lord Kazuma: 3000 – 2000 – 2000 - 2000 = 0
"We won! Hooray!" Progleo cheered.
"It's over, Kazuma." Raguel said, the translucent shadow of an angel disappearing behind him as he and Progleo walked over to where he was. Grabbing him by the collar, he said, "Now give me the code to get out of here before you fall into a coma."
What Raguel didn't expect was Lord Kazuma laughing at him. "What code? I don't know what you're talking about."
"You promised our freedom if we won!" Herald reminded him.
"Again, I don't know what you're talking about." Lord Kazuma reiterated, as he started logging out. "I have a special log-out program in case things don't go my way. I doubt we'll be seeing each other again. Unless you find a way out of here, that is." He finished logging out after that, causing Raguel's eyes to widen in surprise.
"Damn it!" Raguel seethed as he looked around the room. Unfortunately for them, the walls started moving closer. "This isn't good!"
Elsewhere, in LINK VRAINS...
"Excellent job, protector." Numera said to Final Sigma, as the Knights in front of her disintegrated. Well, that was boring. She hoped that these Knights would provide some form of challenge, but they ultimately disappointed her in the end. Still, kicking ass was something she enjoyed.
"There you are, Numera."
Numera turned to the sound of the voice. A man with dark skin emerged from an orange gateway behind him. The man wore blue armor, with shades of gold on his shoulder armor, black gloves, and boots. He also wore blue pants, with a belt that had a cubic symbol on it. He even had a long red cape that was attached to his shoulder pads. While the man was bald, he had several strands of braided black hair on his scalp, with three in the middle and two on each side of his head, as well as a black beard with no mustache and stubble in the middle of the lower section of his face.
"So you're Watchman," Numera guessed, as Final Sigma hovered to the rooftop Watchman was on. Final Sigma then lowered it's hands, making a makeshift bridge for Numera to cross to go onto the rooftop.
"Correct." Watchman confirmed. "I'm here to rendezvous with Raguel. Have you seen him?"
"Last I saw him, he went to help Blue Angel in her duel."
Watchman pondered this for a moment before responding. "Go assist Blue Angel if needed. I will find him."
"Right." Numera jumped to the data stream and onto her duel board, speeding off in the process.
"Where could you be, Raguel?" Watchman muttered to himself, as his eyes turned orange.
In an unknown location in LINK VRAINS...
"Are you sure you tried everything, Herald?" Raguel asked him, the walls closer to squishing them.
"I have! And none of the programs Roxy installed work!" Herald replied, panicking in the process.
"I don't want to die!" Progleo whimpered, scared of what's to come.
"It will be alright." Raguel said, kneeling down to the cub's level. "At least if I go down, I go down with friends."
"You consider me as your friend?" Herald asked.
"Of course, buddy. You've helped me out a lot, recently. And I'm grateful for that."
"Thank you so much, Raguel."
Suddenly, an orange square resembling a gateway appeared, much to everyone's shock.
"Oh my God, it's Watchman!" Raguel said. Never did he think that he would be saved by him of all people.
"Go in quickly!" Herald said, snapping Raguel back into reality.
"Both of you. Hold on tight!" Raguel grabbed Progleo, and along with Herald, dived headfirst into the gateway, escaping the trap.
In LINK VRAINS...
When the gateway opened up again, it spat out Raguel, causing him to fall to the ground.
"Ah, there you are." When he looked up, he was startled to see Watchman looking at him, offering him a hand.
"If it weren't for you," Raguel said, as he accepted Watchman's hand and stood up, "I would have been turned into a shish kabob."
"No problem. After all, we are allies." Watchman replied. "I have been tracking down the one responsible for the 'Another' virus. Here is her coordinates as we speak." There was a small 'ping' on Raguel's disk, which indicated that he got them.
"Okay. And thank you." Raguel said before running off and jumping onto his duel board, speeding off to where Baira and Blue Angel were.
"Alright, old friend," Watchman said as an orange gateway appeared, "it's time we spoke once again."
At Baira and Blue Angel's duel...
"Yuhiro? You there? Come on, please answer!" a voice said through Raguel's earpiece.
"I'm here and alive, Roxy." Raguel replied, putting a hand on his right ear.
"Oh thank God you're alive!" Roxy said, sighing in relief. "I've spent an entire hour trying to re-establish the connection between us. Just what happened?"
"I'll fill you in once I get back." Raguel promised. He would have continued, but then Herald got his attention.
"There they are!" Herald said, getting both Baira and Blue Angel's attention. "And is that-?
"Oh, hi Raguel!" Numera said, happy to see him. "Those Knights were easy peasy, lemon squeezy."
"Raguel!" Blue Angel said, also happy to see him. "I thought that dark angel monster got you."
"So Lord Kazuma's plan failed." Baira concluded, upon seeing him. "I guess I'll have to take matters into my own hands once I defeat Blue Angel."
"I'm afraid that you won't get that chance." Raguel countered back. "For one simple reason: Blue Angel will defeat you." Turning to Blue Angel, he added, "I've seen your skills in action in our duel. Now show her your true strength!"
Blue Angel nodded. "All right."
The duel then continued, with Blue Angel using her Skill Trickstar Fraud to discard Baira's hand and make her draw three new cards. However, should Baira draw a single Trap card, the duel would be over.
Luckily for Blue Angel, Baira didn't draw any Trap cards. And Blue Angel Special Summoned Trickstar Mandrake from the Graveyard. This is it, Raguel thought. Show the world your strength, Blue Angel.
Blue Angel drew and summoned Trickstar Narkissus. While it's effects were negated due to Current Corruption Virus, Raguel knew that it wouldn't bother her, as she immediately proceeded to Link Summon Trickstar Bella Madonna.
"A Link 4 monster. Nice." Raguel commented, as Blue Angel immediately used Mandrake's effect to destroy Infuser and let Surgical Forceps be affected by Root Ransom Virus. He smirked when she told Baira that Bella Madonna's effect protected her from Root Ransom Virus's effect, as long as she didn't point to any monsters.
Right after that, Blue Angel then further used Bella Madonna to inflict effect damage before attacking Surgical Forceps for the win. Just before the attack hit, Raguel wasn't sure if he was imagining things, but it looked like Baira pressed some buttons prior to her defeat.
A few minutes later...
"Done and done." Stregone said, as his last opponent logged out. "Now where are you, Raguel?" he muttered as he sped off. Looking around, he eventually saw Blue Angel and the Knight she was dueling standing on a nearby rooftop. Raguel and Numera were also there, but they were standing in the background, leaning against a wall.
"You may have avoided being turned into an 'Another' today," Baira said. "But I can't speak for the future."
"I'll worry about that tomorrow," was all Blue Angel replied with. "Listen, I mean what I said prior to our duel. Can you please heal everyone that's been turned into 'Anothers'?"
"No can do." Baira took off her eyepiece and looked at the sky. "Look."
As Blue Angel, Raguel, and Numera looked up into the sky, seeing yellow lights fall around them, Baira added, "I can't do what I've already done."
"Yuhiro!" Roxy said into Raguel's earpiece.
"What is it?" Raguel whispered.
"The 'Anothers'! They're all waking up!" Raguel turned to Baira. Why?
Blue Angel looked at all the screens Baira pulled up. They all showed Another victims waking up. "Why are you healing all of them?" she asked.
"You had a little something to do with it, Blue Angel." Baira replied. "Do no harm. That's the first lesson you learn when you become a doctor."
"And that's one lesson I'm happy you remembered, Kyoko," a voice said, as it's owner stepped out of an orange gateway. While everyone except Raguel and Numera were shocked to see Watchman again, Baira was the one who was shocked the most.
"Arshad," Baira began, as she took a step forward to him. "Is that really you? I thought you were-."
"Dead?" Watchman finished for her. "I'm alive, but not in the way you think." Turning his head to Raguel and Numera, he said, "You two can come on out now." Raguel and Numera stepped away from the wall and headed to where the others were.
"You're the guy from inside the mother computer." Blue Angel said, recognizing Watchman.
"That's correct, Blue Angel." Watchman confirmed. "And I'm quite pleased you found a reason to duel again. Dueling for the sake of others is a strong belief, one I think will help you when the 'Crisis' comes."
"'Crisis'?" Blue Angel repeated. She would have said more, but Baira interrupted.
"The others won't stop in their quest to destroy the Ignis." Baira said to Watchman. "I do regret what I've done, but I still believe in that goal." While Watchman frowned, he nodded his head, understanding her choice.
She then turned to Raguel. "I'm impressed you defeated Lord Kazuma. However, your troubles are far from over, Raguel. Infearno is looking for you. He's more determined to defeat you than ever before."
"Which will make him a dangerous foe." Raguel concluded.
"Don't you worry, ma'am." Herald said. "We'll kick his ass again!"
Baira smiled at that. "For your sake, I hope you do." She turned to Watchman as she started turning into gold bits of data. "Farewell, old friend." She then disappeared completely after that.
"Farewell, Kyoko." Watchman muttered, as he sighed.
"Well, that was fun."
Everyone turned around to see Numera talking to them, her arms on the back of her head. "At least this 'Another' situation is dealt with."
"Yeah." Blue Angel agreed with her. She turned to Raguel and Watchman. "Fighting for others... I think it's something good to fight for. And if this 'Crisis' that's coming is going to threaten the people I hold dear, then I want to fight. So I can protect them from what's to come!"
Watchman smiled in response to that. "As long as you keep that close to your heart, you will not falter."
"Welcome to the team, Blue Angel." Raguel also said, extending his right hand. What caught him off guard, however, was Blue Angel smiling, as she grabbed his hand and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "I'm glad to be a part of the team, Yuhiro." She then winked at him as she logged out.
"Oooooh, somebody likes you Raguel!" Numera commented, a big grin on her face.
"Really, Numera? Really?" Raguel asked, irritated at what Numera did.
"You both succeeded in the task assigned today." Watchman said, getting their attention. "But as Baira said: There will be others."
"There you guys are!"
Everyone turned to see Stregone floating above the rooftop they were on. As he landed, he added, "Looks like the 'Another' situation is over."
"Not necessarily." Raguel responded. "As Watchman said, there will be others, waiting to finish what Baira started."
"It will be a while until the Hanoi strike again." Watchman told them. "Take this time to regain your strength. Until next time." He then turned into orange particles as he disappeared.
"Okay, someone tell me who that guy was. Because I clearly have no clue." Stregone requested.
Raguel was about to answer him, but Numera beat him to the punch. "He's our client, who hates the Hanoi just as much as we do."
Stregone nodded, but then said, "Okay. But who hires a little girl to do someone else's work?"
For some reason, this irritated Numera. "I may be younger than you," she stated, "but that doesn't mean I have less skill than you, Mr. Charisma duelist!"
"You challenging the 'Sorcerer' of LINK VRAINS to a duel?" Stregone asked. "Because I'll be more than happy to oblige."
It soon led to an argument as to who had more skill in a duel. Raguel, who didn't want to get involved in the argument, immediately logged out.
At Café Matsuo's backroom...
The door to the backroom opened, revealing a very tired Yuhiro. He would have fallen to the ground had Roxy not rushed over and caught him.
"Looks like someone's tired," Roxy commented, as she helped Yuhiro to his chair.
"Yeah. No kidding, sherlock." Yuhiro replied, as Roxy sat back down on her chair. He then took off his Duel Disk and placed it on the long desk containing the digital keyboard.
"Apart from our duel against the Hanoi's pet secretary," Herald stated, "we almost got minced."
"Minced?" Roxy repeated, turning to face Yuhiro. "Okay, Yuhiro. You got a lot of explaining to do, as I lost contact with you for an entire hour."
"I know. Just give me a minute to think." And then Yuhiro told Roxy about his encounter with Lord Kazuma, how even though they nearly lost, they still won in the end. He also told her that, if it wasn't for Watchman, they would have died.
"Wow." Roxy said, after hearing all that. She put her arms behind her head as she turned to face the monitors. "You've been through a lot today, man. If anything, everyone that's been turned into 'Anothers' are now finally cured."
"And I kicked ass!" Progleo said, as he came out of the Duel Disk and hopped onto Yuhiro's lap. "Thanks to my assistance, another Hanoi meanie has been defeated!"
"You did great out there, buddy." Yuhiro agreed, as he ruffled Progleo's fur, which he liked very much.
"There's just one thing that irks me." Roxy turned to face Yuhiro. "Kazuma's deck. How the hell did he even get it? There's only one in the world."
"Beats me." Yuhiro did a search on the monitor and found something. "According to this article, the 'Dark Magician' deck is stored at the Den City Museum. So people can learn about the King of Games, Yugi Muto."
"It doesn't matter what deck Kazuma has." Herald interjected. "Yuhiro, the fact that he almost beat us means he could be on the same level as Dancho."
"And maybe Infearno if he ups his game." Roxy added. "While we have another lead, we have to be more careful from now on. Please promise me this, Yuhiro."
Yuhiro turned to face Roxy so she could look into her eyes. "I promise, Roxy. You have my word."
Roxy smiled in response. "Good. Now get some rest. You need it."
At the Hanoi Stronghold...
Faust, Dancho, and Infearno were looking at the coffin Baira was laying in. Meanwhile, Revolver was conversing with Lord Kazuma regarding the latter's duel.
"So he's growing stronger then?" Revolver asked, his arms crossed.
"Afraid so." Lord Kazuma replied, taking a sip from his coffee cup. "I must say, even though I sealed a third of his deck, Raguel managed to fight back magnificently." His eyes widened as if he realized something. "Oh, crap."
"What is it?"
"I forgot to offer him a coffee." Lord Kazuma realized as he facepalmed.
"Is there anything else you forgot until now?" Revolver asked, getting a little irritated. While he was grateful for having Lord Kazuma in his life, there were times when the secretary annoyed him.
"Nothing else." Lord Kazuma answered. "Considering how you've other matters, I guess I'll see you back in the real world." And Lord Kazuma dematerialized out of the Hanoi Stronghold.
"Was this necessary?" Infearno asked Faust and Dancho, as Revolver walked to where they were. "I understand she released the 'Anothers', but-."
"It was." Revolver firmly stated. He turned to Infearno. "And don't think I'm not aware of what you did in LINK VRAINS."
Infearno's face widened in surprise. "You know?"
"Revolver always has eyes on LINK VRAINS. Especially during Baira's duel." Faust answered for Revolver, getting Infearno's attention. "Had you succeeded with using Cherubini to assassinate Raguel, his Ignis would have probably run off."
Infearno narrowed his eyes back at Faust. "You know as well as I do that I would have taken care of the Ignis as well, Faust."
"But it doesn't justify what you done." Dancho countered. "By defeating Raguel and Playmaker in a duel, we'll be able to capture their Ignis's without running the risk of them running away."
"Dancho's right." Revolver said, getting everyone's attention. He looked at Infearno. "Infearno. You've put me in a difficult position. I won't purge you, but I have to keep order. Otherwise, my integrity as the leader of the Knights of Hanoi will be put into question."
He thought about it for a few moments before continuing. "As punishment for what you did, I'll be pulling you away from the front lines for a while."
Infearno's face turned into a mixture of confusion, shock and anger in response. "Revolver, you of all people know that-."
"I had planned for you to be a part of the second assault, along with Faust and Dancho." Revolver explained. "But your impulsive action suggests otherwise. Perhaps some time back in the real world will change your perspective."
"But Revolver-."
"Do I make myself clear?"
Infearno was silent for a full minute, as though he were deep in thought. Finally his face turned into one of resignation as he bowed and said, "Yes, Revolver."
"I'm glad you understand." Revolver replied.
Seeing that Infearno was agitated, Faust attempted to calm him down by walking towards him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Do not be so angry," he said. "Think of it like this: If Dancho and I fall, you, along with Specter, Lord Kazuma, and Revolver will avenge us." Infearno's response was smack his hand away from his shoulder.
"With that out of the way, I have new orders." Revolver said, getting everyone's attention. "Faust, Dancho. You will take what remaining Knights and Sergeants we have and cause more carnage in LINK VRAINS. Ensure that you get Raguel and Playmaker's attention. And if you see an opportunity, take it. But do not kill anyone. What goes on in LINK VRAINS stays in LINK VRAINS."
Both Faust and Dancho said, "Understood, Revolver," as they bowed to their leader. The two of them then logged out of the Hanoi Stronghold.
"Infearno." Revolver also said, getting his attention once again. "I understand that you don't like my decision. But I did what I had to do to keep order. My hope is that you learn from your mistake. Remember: Assassination is not our way."
"I understand, Revolver." Infearno replied.
Revolver gave him a rare smile. "I'm glad you do. Once you rejoin the fight, I can promise you this: You'll have gained a new perspective. Trust me on this." And Revolver logged out, leaving Infearno alone in the Hanoi Stronghold.
After making sure there was no one else in the Hanoi Stronghold, he pulled out a locket that was underneath his white colored clergy shirt.
I may be out of this fight for now, Raguel, Infearno thought. But when I return, I promise you this: I won't be the same duelist you defeated.
Card Gallery
Cyreath Satyr (LV: 5/Cyberse/Earth/ATK: 2300/DEF: 1700)
Effect: If your opponent controls a monster and you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.
Cyreath Doppelganger (LV: 4/Cyberse/Dark/ATK: 500/DEF: 500)
Effect: If you control a 'Cyreath' monster: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. Once per duel: You can banish 1 'Cyreath' monster from your GY; Special Summon this card to your field in attack position.
Magical Drain (Normal Trap card)
Effect: If you control a Spellcaster monster: Target 1 monster your opponent controls; its ATK is halved until the End Phase.
Link Showdown (Normal Trap card)
Effect: When a Link Monster battles a monster your opponent controls with higher ATK, it gains ATK equal to its Link Rating x 500 until the End Phase. If a Link Monster you control attacks a monster your opponent controls: You can banish this card from your GY; it gains 1000 ATK until the end of the turn.
Link Barrier (Normal Trap card)
Effect: When a Link Monster battles a monster your opponent controls, it cannot be destroyed by battle this turn; also, reduce any damage you would have taken equal to its Link Rating x 500.
QOTC
If Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG Structures was made into an anime (with the same art style as it's predecessors), would you watch it?
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 17: Touched by Tragedy. With the 'Another' situation taken care of, Yuhiro finally gets a few days off, and during one of those days, something piques his interest. Meanwhile, with SOL Technologies' assistance, Gekiryushi looks into the Hanoi's upper chain of command. However, what she ends up finding will even surprise her...
Responses to Reviews and Author's Notes
Thank you to ZarcEternal, HunterHQ, Guest, Anonymous, Zeromk7, Noobmaster, Team Rocket, Unnamed, SurvivorTierEXO, E.T 2000, Unnamed, and Bloodfiend123 for reviewing Chapter 15 of Obscured Truth.
Holy cow, how long has it been since the last update? 2-3 weeks? My sincerest apologies for making all of you wait. In a few moments, I'll let you know what took so long, recap the events of the chapter, talk further about the Profile Page, and then go to reviews.
So what happened? What took this chapter so long? Well, two things. One: Due to COVID-19, there was a transition from face-to-face learning to online learning. Which meant I had to ensure I was caught up with school material before it began. I hope that, wherever you are, that you are safe and healthy. Second, as this chapter was to introduce the second OC winner, I wanted to give him a chance to really shine in his debut duel. Onto the chapter recap!
The main event of this chapter was Lord Kazuma's duel against Raguel. Lord Kazuma is an OC created and submitted by Electriuser, and the second of the OC winners from the contest in Chapter 4. He uses the Dark Magician deck, which creates a balance between Spells, Traps, and of course, Dark Magician monsters to stand firm and eventually push the opponent back. If you're reading this Electriuser, I hope you enjoyed seeing your character in action in his debut duel, as this was just a taste of his power.
For those who are curious, the name Lord Kazuma comes from Kazuma, which is from Konosuba. His first name, Takuya comes from Digimon 4, while his last name, Naegi, comes from Danganrompa. Writing this chapter, I really enjoyed utilizing Lord Kazuma's arrogant and trollish personality in his interactions with the other Hanoi members and Raguel. What I'll confirm is this: He'll be surviving the Another Arc.
Speaking of the Another Arc, we're near it's end, as there are about 2-3 duels left before the Tower of Hanoi arc. How will that go down? You will have to read on to find out.
Okay, so after reading your comments regarding the Profile Pages, I thought I'd let you in on some details. First, there's some concern that it will be like Hidden Memories. I'm letting you know here and now that the format won't be like Hidden Memories. I don't want to plagiarize Scififan89's story, as I have deep respect for him. Rather, the format will be in the form of small recap chapters, with the profiles of each duelist. The recap episodes, although they will be in a separate story, will occur in between chapters, which will contain the profiles of each duelist.
Alright, with that out of the way, let's get to the reviews:
ZarcEternal: My apologies if there were too much dub words in the chapter. My goal was to bring in dub watchers to read the story along with sub watchers. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
HunterHQ: Glad you liked the chapter. What I'll tell you about Project VIII is this: It's something that will really impact the characters in this story. And to answer your question as to how Yuhiro and Roxy got Baira's next entry point, they had help from Herald.
Guest: Lord Kazuma's real name is Takuya Naegi. As for other names for Dr. Genome, Infearno, and Specter, you'll have to read on and see. Also, Infearno and Raguel have something else in common, although that won't be revealed until much, much later.
Anonymous: I didn't intend for Miyu's deck choice to be a spoiler. I was merely stating a fact. But you do make a great point in what you said. As for why Rachel acted aggressively in the previous chapter, I believe you'll get your answer in the next chapter.
Zeromk7: The Satellite Cannon archetype? I haven't heard of that one in a long time. I'll do some research on it and see if it's interesting to put in the story.
Noobmaster: I created Pandora's Box so that Yuhiro had some draw power for his deck. As for Link Reanimation, I created it so Playmaker can use rapid Link Summoning and make an epic comeback.
Team Rocket: Glad you liked the chapter.
Unnamed: I really hope you liked this chapter, as inspiration came from Arcana's duel against Yugi.
SurvivorTierEXO: Welcome to the story. I'm glad you liked Stregone's duel against the Sergeant of Hanoi. To answer your question, if two duelists yell 'Speed Duel', it's a Speed Duel. If they yell 'Duel', then it's a Master Duel.
E.T. 2000: Rachel's backstory will be explored next chapter. Also, what you said regarding Project VIII gave me Weapon X vibes. Finally, I want to thank you for the names you gave for the big three gods of Olympus. I will most certainly use them (although their attack points might be different).
Unnamed: Raguel's cards are physical. And it will be explained how he got his Cyreath deck after the Tower of Hanoi arc.
Bloodfiend123: Thanks for letting me know. I will look into the error and make edits.
Please let me know what you thought of this chapter in your reviews. If you know anyone who might enjoy this story, let them know. Your opinions, questions, thoughts, and recommendations will help make this story better and better. Oh, and before I forget: I based Yuhiro's schoolgirl disguise from My Hero Academia's Ochako Uraraka!
With that out of the way, I will see you all next time!
