Responses to Reviews
Thank you to HunterHQ, Guest, Majun, ZeroMK7, Yuman28, Guest, Anonymous, Ambiguous, Ambiguous, E.T. 2000, Guest, and Helios Darkus for reviewing Chapter 19 of Obscured Truth.
Hello everyone! Before I get to reviews, I got to say. I didn't expect Chapter 19 to receive mixed reviews. I first want to thank everyone for reviewing, as your constructive criticism will help make this story not only better, but more efficient as well. As a writer, I strive to write a strong story that respects Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS, and I aim to always do better. It is due to your reviews that I'll be making some small announcements:
One: Dark Rebellion and Dark Requiem will be having their OCG effects in the story. This way, they'll stand a better chance against Link Monsters.
Two: I'll do a better job of looking over the duels for any errors before posting the chapter (and I may ask some of you for help and/or advice if needed).
Three: For the future, please do not be quick to judge the story in the direction it is going. I want to assure you all that I have a plan in place, and I'm following it so that the good and bad guys have a chance to shine. Also, for those who were worried about the bad guys having a disadvantage during the Tower of Hanoi arc, I want to assure you that it won't be the case. How, I can't say.
Two things before I get to reviews: I want to let everyone know that a good majority of the profiles are up, and I encourage you to look at them if you need a laugh. Called Roxy's Reports, they focus on the duels Yuhiro either witnessed or took a part in, and they're in between chapters. Let me know what you think of them!
Last thing: The winner of the contest will be announced at the end of this chapter in Author's Notes.
Anyhow, with everything out of the way, let's get to the reviews, shall we?
HunterHQ: When Yuhiro is saying the Highest Mountain, he's referring to Mount Olympus. I'm really glad you enjoyed the Bakugan throwbacks in the chapter. As for the other two scientists, their fates will be revealed later on. Finally, while Watchman's allies won't appear in the Tower of Hanoi arc, they will appear again in Season 2.
Guest: You'll find out why Infearno joined the Hanoi later on. As for the technology and funding for the Hanoi, Emon Uchida (also known as Infearno) was responsible for that. However, he wasn't responsible for setting up the rooms and equipment.
Majun: As a YusakuxAoi shipper, I can confirm that Yuhiro and Aoi are not dating. Rather, people just enjoy teasing poor Yuhiro, such as Rachel, Miles, Roxy, and Quinton.
ZeroMK7: Glad you liked the chapter. And I'm proud of how you handled yourself against the Tenyi duelist.
Yuman28: Thank you very much for the constructive criticism. I'll admit, I could have done much better for Playmaker's duel. What I can assure you is that, with the feedback, I'll be able to write better duels for Percival and Demeter (now that Dark Rebellion and Dark Requiem will be having their OCG effects). I want to assure you that the Tower of Hanoi arc will not be 11 vs 4 (and I wasn't planning it in the first place, so don't worry). I hope I've eased your concerns.
Guest: Ai can definitely be a clueless AI at times, especially in Chapter 19. But I do agree with you: He can also act as well. As for your concern regarding Percival's Phantom Knights' deck, I promise you that when Percival duels, he'll use better combos. After all, as stated above, Dark Rebellion and Dark Requiem will have their OCG effects. As for Percival's history with the Kusanagi brothers, you'll have to read on and see.
Anonymous: I'm glad you found the Wuxi Finger Hold reference funny. As for your suggestion, I might implement it (after all, I'm a sucker for the MCU).
Ambiguous: The duels Dancho had with SengokuQueen and Yuhiro will change him, but he won't be leaving the Hanoi in Season 2. However, anything can be possible in the future...
Ambiguous: Yes. Another MCU reference indeed.
E.T. 2000: First, I'm glad you liked some parts of Chapter 19. Second, I want to let you know that Dark Rebellion and Dark Requiem will have their OCG effects in the story. This way, they can combat Link Monsters. As for Windy's origin, do you seriously expect me to use the Yosenju deck for him? I choose different decks because of how symbolic they are for the user (if you're curious about what I mean, don't hesitate to ask me in your review. Or send me a PM).
Guest: I'm glad you like the story.
Helios Darkus: I'm glad you like the story.
With the reviews answered, it's time to begin the Cyberse Hunt arc. Enjoy the chapter below!
Chapter 20: Duel Charisma Festival
At Den Academy, in the afternoon...
"Ah, peace." Yuhiro muttered, as the teacher finished the Functions lesson early to give the students time to get started on the homework for the week. It had been a week since the 'Another' threat and the trials Watchman gave to him and Yusaku.
When he and Roxy, along with Progleo, ate pizza that night after Watchman's trial, the two of them agreed that they would cease their working relationship with Monty and never work for the black market again once the Hanoi were defeated. After all, Yuhiro thought, as he recalled the words Roxy told him, as soon as Miyu wakes up, we'll both be helping her as she readjusts back into society. And trust me when I say, it's no easy task. A small blush appeared on Yuhiro's face as he recalled the conversation. Damn it, he thought. This is not the time to think about Miyu!
"Yuhiro."
Thankfully for Yuhiro, he was able to snap out from his thoughts upon hearing his name being called out. When he turned his head, he saw Rachel take the empty seat beside him.
"Good afternoon, Rachel." Yuhiro said. "What's up?"
"I noticed that there was something on your mind," she said, a mischievous smirk on her face. "Was it Aoi Zaizen by any chance?"
Yuhiro rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Rachel. To answer your question, no. If anything, we're just acquaintances. I was thinking about... something else."
Unfortunately for Yuhiro, Rachel's smirk widened.
"I wonder what Yuhiro could be thinking about," she theorized. "Could it be a new love interest? A deep secret? Or something else?" She giggled to herself as she succeeded in annoying Yuhiro.
"Must you do that?" Yuhiro asked, face-palming his head for a few seconds as he realized he fell for Rachel's trap.
"It's my way of having fun." Rachel replied, a smile on her face. "I'm guessing that other people you know do this to you too?"
"Yes." Yuhiro grumbled. "I know of two people other than you and Roxy that like to tease me." Wanting to change the subject, he asked, "Was there something you wanted? Or did you come here to tease me?"
Rachel, seeing that Yuhiro was serious, frowned. "Hold on." She pulled out her tablet from her bag and turned it on before finding an article. "Aha! I found it!"
"Found what?"
Rachel showed Yuhiro the article she found on her tablet. "An announcement from SOL Technologies?"
"Yup!" Rachel confirmed with glee. "It says that SOL Technologies is organizing not one, but two separate Charisma duels between four of the Top 10 Charisma Duelists to celebrate the end of the 'Another' threat." She looked from the tablet to Yuhiro with a pout on her face. "But it doesn't say who will be participating."
"I'm sure they'll announce it later on in the day." Yuhiro assured her. He had to admit, he was curious with this announcement. There were still Hanoi remnants to take care of, and SOL Technologies was announcing two special duels? Either the company was completely arrogant in their abilities, or very stupid in pursuing this action.
"Who do you think will participate, Yuhiro?" Rachel asked, getting Yuhiro's attention.
"Not sure." Yuhiro replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm hoping that Stregone does. He always puts on a good show."
"Stregone?" Rachel repeated. "You mean 'The Sorcerer of LINK VRAINS'?" Yuhiro nodded. "I'm hoping that Blue Angel gets to duel."
"How come?"
"Because of this." Rachel answered, as she opened up a video showcasing the recent duel between Baira and Blue Angel. "Even though Blue Angel got lucky, I noticed through her plays that she was fighting for something different, wouldn't you agree?"
Fighting for something different, Yuhiro thought, as he watched Blue Angel Link Summon Trickstar Bella Madonna and use her to finish the duel in style. Wait. How was Rachel able to discern that just from watching the duel? Either she was very perceptive, or...
But before Yuhiro could ask her his question, the two of them heard a phone vibrate.
"Sorry, Yuhiro." Rachel said, taking her phone out of her pocket. When she found out who was calling her, she rolled her eyes. "I need to take this call. It was good talking to you." And Rachel walked out of the classroom to take the call.
Okay, Yuhiro thought. Perhaps Herald was right about her after all. However, I should talk with Roxy about our suspicions first. He then looked around the room, and suddenly remembered that Gekiryushi wasn't at school today. It would make sense, he thought. After the brutal defeat she suffered against Dancho, as well as being cured from the 'Another' virus, she definitely needs rest. And some time to think on her beliefs.
A few hours later, after school...
Yuhiro walked down the steps of Den Academy, the school day over at last. He was about to head on home when he saw Yusaku outside, sitting on a bench. Considering how they were temporarily allies, Yuhiro decided to join him.
"Hello, Fujiki."
Yusaku looked up as Yuhiro approached. "Hello," he said. "Do you need something?"
Yuhiro sat down beside Yusaku, who was wearing his Duel Disk just like him. "How'd it go against one of Watchman's allies?"
Yusaku narrowed his eyes. "It was a challenging duel. And unfortunately, I had to make do with the hand I got," he admitted, remembering the duel. "The person I dueled in that server was called Percival. Who did you duel?"
"A woman named Demeter." Yuhiro immediately answered. "She dueled me to help with the inner conflict in my heart."
"Inner conflict?" Yusaku asked, confused. "What do you mean?"
Yuhiro then proceeded to explain why he took jobs on the black-market in the first place: To repay Roxy for all the kindness she showed him, and to also support Miyu as well.
"Miyu..." Yusaku muttered. "She's another of the children in the Lost Incident, isn't she?" Yuhiro nodded in response. "I didn't know your reasons on dueling until now. I guess we're a bit similar."
"Maybe." Yuhiro agreed with Yusaku. "Did this 'Percival' also help you in some way?"
Yusaku recalled the duel, especially what Percival told him. It is as I thought. Ever since those dreadful days during the Lost Incident, you have been chained to the past. He then narrowed his eyes in anger.
"Did I make you angry or something?"
"Percival was a research intern during the Lost Incident," Yusaku said, surprising Yuhiro. "He told me he wasn't aware that children were being tortured until it was too late." He calmed down as he turned his head to Yuhiro. "But what surprised me was that he knew one of the kidnapped children, and couldn't do anything to save them."
The news definitely caught Yuhiro off-guard. If he found out this information himself, he would have every right to be angry. But still, Percival was shrouded in mysteries of grey. What was his real objective in helping Watchman? And why?
"Maybe Percival is like us." Yuhiro theorized. "Although he still has a bit to repent for, he wants to defeat the Hanoi, just like us. After all, if we get suspicious, we got hackers on our side who can find information about him if needed."
"I'll keep that in mind, Furutani." Yusaku said, standing up. As if on cue, both Yusaku and Yuhiro's phones vibrated, indicating they both got texts.
"Hmm. Interesting," Yusaku said, reading over his text. He looked at Yuhiro. "Kusanagi's inviting you and Roxy-."
"Over to hang out at Café Nagi after school?" Yuhiro finished, surprising Yusaku as he stood up. "Yup. I know. It's due to the Dual Charisma Festival today, correct?"
Yusaku nodded. The fact that the four of them were meeting at Café Nagi meant the two of them could walk there instead of going their separate ways. That, and they can continue their conversation with their Ignis's.
Knowing where they needed to go, the two of them left Den Academy and started walking for Café Nagi in silence.
A few minutes later...
"Do you think Demeter was also once part of the Hanoi?" Yusaku asked Yuhiro, as the two of them were walking to the public viewing plaza.
"Not sure." Yuhiro admitted. "She clearly didn't say in our duel."
"Which makes this a mystery!" Ai said, emerging from Yusaku's Duel Disk and placing his fist in the palm of his other hand. "One that we gotta solve ASAP!"
"Yes and no, Ai." Herald replied, emerging from Yuhiro's Duel Disk. "While the identities of Percival and Demeter are a mystery, I think it's one we can't solve for right now."
"WHAT? How come?" Ai asked. "We defeat the rest of the Hanoi lieutenants, and lo and behold, Watchman yanks the both of us to his server and forces Yusaku and I in a Speed Duel! I mean, seriously. Weren't you shocked that he could generate Data Material just like Revolver?"
"First of all, I would quiet down, Ai." Herald advised. "And to answer your question, yes, I was a little shocked. But I was more focused on getting through the trial along with Yuhiro, which I'm glad worked out for him in the end."
"I can agree with you on that one, Herald." Yuhiro agreed with Herald. He turned to Yusaku. "Did Percival say anything else to you during the duel?"
"No." Yusaku answered. "But Watchman told me some interesting information before I was logged out of his server."
"Like what?"
"Project VIII."
Yuhiro raised an eyebrow. "What the hell's Project VIII?"
"He didn't tell me." Yusaku replied. "All he said was that I'm to find that out for myself." He then placed a hand on his chin as he thought back to his conversation with Kusanagi regarding Project VIII. "But we might have a few leads, though."
"Who?"
"Who do you think, genius!" Ai said to Yuhiro. "The Hanoi, obviously! As they were responsible for the Hanoi Project, it's only logical that they're responsible for-!"
"You're jumping to conclusions, Ai." Yusaku firmly stated to Ai. "And we don't even know anything about Project VIII in the first place."
"Then who's the other lead you were talking about?" Yuhiro asked.
"The FBI." Yusaku answered. "They told reporters that it was a top-secret project. Other than that, they couldn't disclose anymore information."
The FBI, Yuhiro thought, as he remembered the conversation he had with Rachel before heading off to LINK VRAINS to save Naoki Shima. Since Rachel's guardian led an FBI raid and saved her life, it was only logical that he had a high rank in the FBI to do so. Perhaps he might have access to Project VIII as well. But the question was: How would he get the information?
"Furutani." Yuhiro snapped out of his thoughts for the second time today upon hearing Yusaku call out his name. "You got quiet there. Is there something on your mind?"
"Sorry." Yuhiro replied. "It's just what you said got me thinking for a moment there."
"On what?"
"Something I have to investigate in relation to your theory." Yuhiro answered. "If what you're saying is true, then we could be one step closer in finding out what exactly Project VIII is."
"I see." When Yusaku looked ahead, he noticed that they were approaching the public viewing plaza. "Looks like we're already at the public viewing plaza."
"And Café Nagi too." Yuhiro added, finding the food truck where Roxy was at. From what Yuhiro could tell, she was showing Kusanagi something on her tablet at the counter.
"So these are some gauntlet designs I'm planning on making Yuhiro once I get back," Roxy said, swiping her hand to show Kusanagi the designs. What the two of them didn't know was that Yuhiro and Yusaku were walking over to Café Nagi.
"And you make these gauntlets based on monsters Yuhiro encountered in his duels?" Kusanagi asked, looking at a gauntlet that was colored red and white, with a power cannister at the top. "That one looks weird, but based on what I'm reading, it's got a lot of juice, correct?"
"I call it the Blazing Booster." Roxy clarified. "And while it does power Yuhiro's sword or gun, the tricky part is controlling the damn thing once activated. Still trying to work out the kinks, if you ask me." She sheepishly scratched the back of her head and smiled, making Kusanagi chuckle in the process.
"Yo, Roxy. Kusanagi." Yuhiro said, getting both Roxy and Kusanagi's attention and giving the former a heart attack in the process. Yuhiro and Yusaku walked over to Café Nagi, mainly the counter.
"Yuhiro!" Roxy said, turning to face him. "You gave me a heart attack, man!"
"Didn't mean to, Roxy. Sorry about that." Yuhiro sheepishly stated, chuckling in the process. "How are you, Kusanagi?"
"Doing great actually, Yuhiro." Kusanagi answered. "Roxy here was just showing me some projects she planned to get started on after the duels today."
"You're Roxy?" Yusaku asked, getting Roxy's attention. "Furutani's ally?"
"The one and only." Roxy replied, offering him a hand, to which Yusaku shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Fujiki."
"You as well." Yusaku said back. "I wanted to thank you for the program you gave to Kusanagi. If you weren't for that program, I would have been seriously injured during my duel in Watchman's server."
"Happy to help." Roxy replied, letting go of Yusaku's hand and turning to Kusanagi. "Since Yuhiro is here, I think I'm ready to order."
"Roxy. You do know I can order for myself, right?" Yuhiro said, approaching the counter beside her. "I'll have a hotdog, potato wedges, and a Nestea please."
"Sure thing." Kusanagi said, writing the order down. "And for you, Roxy?'
"A cheese hotdog with a small side of fries and a Coke, please." Roxy answered.
"Coming right up." Kusanagi said. He turned his head to Yusaku. "You want your usual, buddy?"
"Sure." Yusaku replied. As soon as Yuhiro and Roxy paid for their meals, the two of them and Yusaku went to find a table to sit at. After sitting down, Yuhiro and Yusaku removed their Duel Disks from their wrists and placed it on the table.
Within moments, Progleo jumped out of Yuhiro's Duel Disk and onto the ground. Upon seeing Yusaku, the cub approached him, letting him pet his head.
"Hello, Progleo." Yusaku said, giving him one of his rare smiles.
"Hello, Fujiki!" Progleo said back, as he appreciated the attention.
"If Progleo warms up to you like that," Herald said, emerging from Yuhiro's Duel Disk, "it's a sign that he likes you."
"Yeah! Just like me!" Ai agreed with Herald, emerging from Yusaku's Duel Disk. "Hey, Progleo! It's me, Ai!"
Progleo, who noticed Ai, went over to where he was, happy to see him. He then licked Ai's face as he stretched over to hug him.
"Hi, Ai!" Progleo said, happy to see Ai once again. "What have you been up to?"
"I'm glad you asked!" Ai said. "For starters, Ai can fly!" In hearing this, Progleo looked at Ai in amazement.
"Really?"
Ai was about to answer Progleo's question when Herald cut him off.
"Not like in the Cyberse World, Progleo. Rather, he did it by modifying Fujiki's Duel Disk into a drone."
"Oh." Progleo replied.
"Hey!" Ai said, now slightly upset with Herald. "Did you have to ruin the fun like that?"
"I'm just saying the truth, that's all." Herald stated, shrugging his shoulders. "After all, you either overexaggerate the truth, or you try to weasel your way out of a scenario." The two Ignis's then started arguing over Ai's antics.
"Say, Furutani." Yusaku said, getting Yuhiro's attention as Progleo headed to where he was. "How exactly did you get a Cyberse creature like Progleo? It can't be from Storm Access, can it?"
"I found Progleo at the bottom of a data storm." Yuhiro answered over Herald and Ai arguing. "He teamed up with me in my Master Duel against Infearno, and helped me defeat him. And don't worry, Fujiki. I don't plan on copying your Skill. After all, it came from your Ignis."
"QUIET YOU TWO!" Roxy suddenly said, slamming her fist down on the table at the two Ignis's, clearly annoyed with their argument. She unintentionally startled Yuhiro, and caused Yusaku to widen his eyes in surprise. "I don't care how you learned to fly, Ai, but the fact that you're both arguing over something silly is completely ridiculous!"
"Sorry, miss." Ai said, now clearly scared with Roxy.
"Trust me when I say, Ai, you do not want to anger Roxy." Herald whispered to Ai, who nodded in agreement.
"Hey. What's all the commotion over there?" Kusanagi asked, as he brought a massive tray consisting of four meals to the table the others were at.
"Let me ask you a question," Roxy said, as Kusanagi sat down with them, "have the two of you found Ai to be annoying?"
"Yup." Yusaku and Kusanagi immediately said at the same time.
"Thank you!" Roxy said, glad to see that someone agreed with her as he got her meal. "For this meal, and for agreeing with me." She turned to Ai. "Ai, you should learn from Herald. He at least has manners."
"Hold on!" Ai said. "I may be a bit annoying, but that doesn't mean I'm not smart. Huh? Huh?" He turned to Yusaku and Kusanagi. "Surely you can agree with me, right Yusaku? Kusanagi?"
"You may be annoying, Ai." Yusaku replied, taking a bite of his hotdog. "But through your own, weird way, you helped us against the Knights of Hanoi so far."
Ai didn't know what to say, so Herald whispered to him, "He's the first person in a while to give you a compliment, Ai. I'd take it and run."
"Thank you, Yusaku. For the compliment." Ai said, still surprised that Yusaku was complimenting him.
Yusaku then noticed Progleo, who was in Yuhiro's lap, was shaking. "Why's Progleo shaking?"
"The poor cub gets scared when Roxy gets angry." Yuhiro answered, stroking Progleo's fur. "There, there," he whispered to Progleo, calming the cub down in the process.
"Anyway, with that out of the way." Roxy said. "I got this great idea going on right now. And I was wondering if the two of you-."
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Are you fired up?" the MC suddenly said, stopping Roxy from talking and infuriating her in the process. "I hope you are, because there is a very special show for you all this afternoon in LINK VRAINS! To celebrate the end of the 'Another' threat, SOL Technologies is hosting not one, but two separate Charisma duels between four of the Top 10 Charisma Duelists!"
"Two duels at the same time!"
"Amazing!"
"I can't wait!"
"Who will be dueling?"
Roxy, who was angry with the MC for interrupting her brilliant idea, stood up. "When I get my hands on that MC, I'll rip him a new one!" She would have proceeded to do just that, had Yuhiro and Kusanagi not stood up and restrained her.
"Hey Roxy, it's not worth it!" Kusanagi stated. "You can share your idea with Yusaku and I after the duels."
"Ugh. Fine." Roxy replied, going back with them and sitting down. "If my brilliant idea disappears by the end of these duels, I'll still rip that MC a new one..."
"Both duels will begin shortly at the same time," the MC said, causing the four people and two AI to look at the screen once again. "For the first duel, we have our defender. He doesn't need an introduction, as all of Den City not only recognizes him as the King of LINK VRAINS, but also as #1 of the Top 10 Charisma Duelists. Give it up for Go Onizuka!" The screen then showed the central LINK VRAINS hub, where a smiling Go Onizuka stood on top of a skyscraper, with his hands in the air as he received everyone's cheers.
"And now for the challenger! He has overcome quest after quest to make it to the #7 rank. He is a champion of good, a righteous warrior! He is the Paladin of LINK VRAINS! I give you, Reidrith!"
A young man of average height and weight wearing a purple crown with five blue gems appeared opposite of Go. He had short and spiky chestnut-brown hair and orange eyes. His outfit consisted of a gold-trimmed green mantle, white shirt, pants, and leather boots. On his back was a sword with a long blade that had blue lines on it.
Reidrith's orange eyes glowed for a moment as he raised an arm. "Citizens of LINK VRAINS! Today, I'm proud, and humbled, to be facing the #1 Charisma Duelist, Go Onizuka!" He turned his gaze to Go. "In order for me to overcome my latest quest, I must defeat you, Go Onizuka. You ready for what's to come?"
Go smirked in response. "Of course I'm ready! The champion never backs down from a challenge!"
"This just in!" the MC suddenly said. "It seems that we're ready to announce the next two duelists for the second duel! First up is our defender. The Sorcerer of LINK VRAINS has surprised us time and time again with his mystical strategies to defeat his opponents. And those strategies helped him reach the #3 spot of the Top 10 Charisma Duelists! Give it up for Stregone!"
One of the screens then showed another area of the central LINK VRAINS hub, where Stregone was floating in the air using his magic, waving to the cameras as the audience cheered.
"I knew it!" Yuhiro stated, raising a fist in the air. "I knew Stregone was dueling today!"
"Are you a fan of Stregone, Yuhiro?" Kusanagi asked him.
"Stregone means a lot to Yuhiro, you know." Roxy answered for Yuhiro, as she took a drink from her Coke. "He's the one who taught him how to play Duel Monsters."
"Interesting..." Yusaku muttered, as he looked at the screen. Stregone must be that good to be one of the Top 3 Charisma Duelists, he thought. Let's see how good of a duelist he is.
"It's now time to announce our challenger!" the MC continued. "Having climbed to the #6 rank, her fortitude is something not to be messed with! Known as the Dancing Blade, she will trip you up with her skills! I present you all with Jeanne Azaria!"
A woman with long sandstone brown color hair and a blossom bud on the right side of her head, as well as violet color eyes, stood on top of a building, with her arms crossed, facing Stregone. She wore armored plating with rainbow colored lines underneath her short blue and turquoise dress, as well as on her legs and arms. The woman also had a thin jewel-line necklace around her neck.
"She's just like Go." Yusaku said, getting everyone's attention. "She used her first and last name."
"Just to get attention." Yuhiro repeated, crossing his arms. But the question on his mind was: Why?
"A question for you, Sorcerer." Jeanne said to Stregone. "Will your strategies be enough to go head-to-head with the Dancing Blade's fortitude?"
"Only through our duel will we both find the answer, my dear." Stregone replied.
Yuhiro rolled his eyes as a smile appeared on his face. Stregone always was a great actor in and out of LINK VRAINS. What he didn't notice was that Roxy was looking at him, a smirk on her face.
"Duelists in LINK VRAINS!" the MC said. "Are all of you ready?"
Go and Reidrith raised their Duel Disks in the air for confirmation, releasing a beam of energy from them, while Stregone and Jeanne did the same.
"The Data Stream is inbound! I wish you the best of luck in your duels!" the MC said, as Go and Reidrith ran to the edge of the skyscraper, jumped off, and landed on their respective duel boards. Reidrith's duel board had a primary gold and green colored scheme, with purple curved shapes down the middle and white edges on the front and back. The board also had a recess running down its middle that almost split it in half.
Meanwhile, Stregone flew over to the data stream and landed on his duel board, while Jeanne raced to the edge of the building and jumped off, also landing on her duel board in the process. Jeanne's duel board had the colors of the rainbow all over it, as well as two rims around its midsection and an inward turned curve at the front. The duel board also had rainbow highlights running along the center, with two glowing circular pads on the surface.
"Speed Duel!" Go and Reidrith shouted, who were both ready to throwdown.
Go Onizuka: 4000 LP
Reidrith: 4000 LP
"As the challenger," Reidrith said, "I would like to go first. Is that fine with you, Go Onizuka?"
"It's fine with me, kid." Go replied. "Show me what you got!"
"With pleasure." Reidrith promised. "My turn! I Set one card face-down. Then I activate the Field Spell card, Crusadia Revival! Now all 'Crusadia' Link Monsters on the field gain 500 attack points! Next, I summon Crusadia Reclusia from my hand!" A small, impish mage wearing brown wizard robes along with a tall wizard hat appeared on Reidrith's field. He also wore a large, yellow scarf with a golden ring on each side. In his hand, he carried a large scepter.
Crusadia Reclusia ATK: 400 DEF: 2000 LV: 3
"And now, it's time to bring out the circuit of courage!" A Link Portal soon appeared ahead of Reidrith. "The summoning conditions are one 'Crusadia' monster, except Crusadia Magius! I'll set Crusadia Reclusia into the Link Markers!" Reclusia went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 1! Crusadia Magius!" A small, red paladin with a purple cape appeared on Reidrith's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. His hat was adorned with a golden crown with blue jewels, and in each of his hands, he carried a sword.
Crusadia Magius ATK: 100 LINK-1 ⬇️
"Revival's effect now activates!"
Crusadia Magius ATK: 100 + 500 = 600
"I activate the effect of Crusadia Leonis from my hand!" Reidrith continued. "I'm allowed to Special Summon this card from my hand in defense position to a zone a Link Monster points to!" Soon, a blue-skinned lion with a long, blond mane roared as it was summoned to Reidrith's field in the Main Monster Zone Magius was pointing to. Like Magius, the lion also wore a golden crown as it took a defensive position.
Crusadia Leonis ATK: 1200 DEF: 1600 LV: 4
"Magius' effect! It gains attack points equal to the attack points of the monster it points to!" Magius was surrounded in a golden aura as he powered up.
Crusadia Magius ATK: 600 + 1200 = 1800
"In addition, I can now activate Magius' second effect!" Reidrith continued. "Since an effect monster was Special Summoned to the zone it points to, I can add a 'Crusadia' monster from my deck to my hand!" Using Magius' effect, a card popped out of Reidrith's deck, letting him add Crusadia Draco to his hand.
"Once again, I shall bring out the circuit of courage!" A second Link Portal appeared ahead of Reidrith. "The summoning conditions are two effect monsters, including a 'Crusadia' monster! I'll set Crusadia Magius, which is a Link 1 monster, and Crusadia Leonis into the Link Markers!" Magius went into the top arrowhead, while Leonis went into the bottom arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Crusadia Regulex!" A lion in titanium armor with a blazing mane and two braided ponytails emerged from the Link Portal and appeared in the right Extra Monster Zone on Reidrith's field. Blue lines were on the lion's armor, as well as orange spikes on it's head.
Crusadia Regulex ATK: 1000 LINK-2 ⬆️⬇️
"Revival's effect!"
Crusadia Regulex ATK: 1000 + 500 = 1500
"I activate the effect of Crusadia Draco from my hand! Just like with Leonis, I can Special Summon this card from my hand in defense position to a zone a Link Monster points to!" Soon, a green dragon wearing golden diamond-like armor, along with a small ornament on its horn appeared on Reidrith's field in the Main Monster Zone Regulex was pointing to. The dragon let out a growl as it took a defensive position.
Crusadia Draco ATK: 600 DEF: 2000 LV: 4
"So I'm guessing your Link Monster will not only gain more attack points, but you can now use its ability, correct?" Go asked.
"Correct!" Reidrith confirmed. "My Regulex will gain attack points equal to the attack points of the monster it points to! Also, since an effect monster was Special Summoned to a zone it points to, I can now add a 'Crusadia' Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand!" As a golden aura surrounded Regulex, a card popped out of Reidrith's deck once again, letting him add Crusadia Vanguard to his hand.
Crusadia Regulex ATK: 1500 + 600 = 2100
"I activate Draco's effect! Since it was Special Summoned to a zone a Link Monster points to, I can target one 'Crusadia' card in my Graveyard and add it back to my hand!" Using Draco's effect, Reidrith added Crusadia Reclusia right back to his hand.
"And with that, I end my turn." Reidrith concluded.
"That Crusadia Draco," Yuhiro said, as he saw the green-skinned dragon wearing golden diamond-like armor on Reidrith's field. "Why does it look exactly like my Imduk, the World Chalice Dragon, only with armor?"
"You're right." Roxy said, narrowing her eyes on the screen. "That monster looks just like your Link Monster, Yuhiro!"
"Just because it looks like your monster Furutani doesn't mean it's the same one." Yusaku pointed out.
"That may be true," Herald said, pondering this information, "but you cannot deny the connection both monsters have." The four humans nodded their heads in agreement. This is quite interesting, Herald thought. Let's see how both these duels play out.
"My turn! I draw!" Go said on the screen, as he drew the top card of his deck. Perfect, he thought. "First I summon Gouki Suprex from my hand!" A blue ogre with claws on his hands and a long blue tail appeared on his field.
Gouki Suprex ATK: 1800 DEF: 0 LVL: 4
"Suprex's effect activates! As it was Normal Summoned, I get to Special Summon a 'Gouki' monster from my hand! Come on out, Gouki Riscorpio!" A red ogre with scorpion claws and a scorpion tail also appeared on Go's field.
Gouki Riscorpio ATK: 2300 DEF: 0 LVL: 5
"And now it's time to mash up my circuit!" Go shot out a burst of energy from his hand, which created a Link Portal ahead of him. "The summoning conditions are two 'Gouki' monsters! I'll set Gouki Suprex and Riscorpio into the Link Markers!" Suprex went into the left arrowhead and Riscorpio went into the bottom arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Fly into battle! Link 2! Gouki Jet Ogre!" A purple ogre with red bushy hair joined Go's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He wore metallic shin guards and had a massive jetpack on it's back. He also carried a musketeer's sword on its right hand.
Gouki Jet Ogre ATK: 2000 LINK-2 ⬅️⬇️
"The effects of Suprex and Riscorpio both activate from my Graveyard, letting me add 'Gouki' cards besides themselves from my deck to my hand!" Go added, as he used Suprex and Riscorpio's effects to add Gouki Bearhug and a second Gouki Suprex to his hand.
"I activate the Spell card, Gouki Re-Match from my hand! This card lets me Special Summon two 'Gouki' monsters from my Graveyard in defense position, as long as they have different levels. Return, Gouki Suprex and Riscorpio!" The blue and red ogres reappeared on Go's field in defense position, with Jet Ogre pointing to Riscorpio.
Gouki Suprex ATK: 1800 DEF: 0 LVL: 4
Gouki Riscorpio ATK: 2300 DEF: 0 LVL: 5
"Get ready, Reidrith!" Go said. "Because I'm mashing my circuit for a second time!" A second Link Portal soon appeared ahead of Go. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Gouki' monsters! I'll set Gouki Jet Ogre, which is a Link 2 monster, Suprex, and Riscorpio into the Link Markers!" Jet Ogre split into two tornados of energy that went into the left and right arrowheads, while Riscorpio and Suprex went into the bottom-left and bottom-right arrowheads respectively.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Show yourself on the battlefield! Link 4! Gouki Destroy Ogre!" A large blue and grey ogre with shields on his wrists and a white cape appeared on Go's field in the right Extra Monster Zone and roared. He had spikes on his shoulders, thighs, and knees, and wore a red and white mask over his face.
Gouki Destroy Ogre ATK: 2800 LINK-4 ↙️⬅️➡️↘️
"That is one big 'Gouki' monster..." Reidrith muttered, surprised that Go had a second Link 4 monster. He clearly saw Go's duel against the Hanoi lieutenant called Dr. Genome, and had been expecting Gouki the Master Ogre. But to see this instead was indeed unexpected.
"The effect of Jet Ogre activates," Go continued. "As it was sent to the Graveyard, all 'Gouki' monsters I control gain 500 attack points until the end of the turn!" Destroy Ogre was surrounded in a red aura as he powered up.
Gouki Destroy Ogre ATK: 2800 + 500 = 3300
"Yo, Destroy Ogre. You want another power up?" Go asked his monster, who nodded in response. "Then I got you covered. I activate the Equip Spell card, Gouki Battle Halberd, and equip it onto Destroy Ogre! With this Equip Spell card, my Destroy Ogre now gains attack points equal to its Link Rating times 500!"
"Say what?" Reidrith said, as Destroy Ogre picked up Gouki Battle Halberd. Didn't see this coming, he thought.
Gouki Destroy Ogre ATK: 3300 + (500 X 4) = 5300
"I Set one card face-down. Battle! Gouki Destroy Ogre attacks Crusadia Regulex! Gouki Halberd Smackdown!" Destroy Ogre leaped into the air, intending on destroying Regulex. However...
"Trap card, activate!" Reidrith suddenly said. "Link Barrier! When this card is activated, I can prevent my Link Monster from being destroyed in battle this turn. Also, I can reduce the damage I take equal to its Link Rating times 500. As Regulex is a Link 2 monster, I can reduce the damage by 1000!"
"But you're still taking battle damage porkchop." Go reminded him, as a translucent barrier appeared around Regulex, protecting the armored lion from the attack and weakening Destroy Ogre's attack. However, the attack still caused an explosion, slightly unbalancing Reidrith a bit in the process.
Reidrith: 4000 – (3200 – 1000) = 1800
"And Go Onizuka has drawn first blood!" the MC declared. "Within a single turn, Reidrith's life points have been halved in one attack. Can he make a comeback folks?"
"That ends my turn, pal." Go concluded. "Which means Jet Ogre's effect ends, and Destroy Ogre loses 500 attack points."
Gouki Destroy Ogre ATK: 5300 – 500 = 4800
"The second duel is just beginning folks!" the MC quickly said. "Let's see what will happen in the duel between Stregone and Jeanne Azaria!"
At Stregone's duel...
"Speed Duel!" both duelists shouted in unison.
Stregone: 4000 LP
Jeanne Azaria: 4000 LP
"Since you're the challenger," Stregone pointed out, "you have the option of going first or second."
"And I do appreciate the offer." Jeanne replied. "Which is why for our duel, I would like to go second."
"Then I shall set the stage for our duel!" Stregone said. "My turn! I activate the Spell card, Terraforming, which lets me add a Field Spell card from my deck to my hand!" Using Terraforming, Stregone added Magical City of Endymion from his deck to his hand. "Next, I activate the Field Spell card, Magical City of Endymion!" As Stregone said this, a pink circle consisting of hieroglyphics surrounded both him and Jeanne before disappearing.
"It's now time for something amazing! With the Scale 1 Dragonpulse Magician and the Scale 8 Dragonpit Magician, I shall set the Pendulum Scale!" On either side of Stregone's field, two pillars of light appeared. In the pillar on his left was a magician with blue eyes and orange hair braided in a long ponytail at the back of his head. He wore a small white crown on his head, along with white magician robes all throughout his body. In his left hand, he carried a small, dual blade.
In the pillar on his right was another magician with short, blond spiky hair and grey eyes. On top of his head was a crown. He wore black and white magician robes all throughout his body, with a coat of fur and some spiked feathers at the back, as well as some armored plating on his chest. In his right hand, he carried a scepter with a tall ring on it.
Dragonpulse Magician Scale: 1
Dragonpit Magician Scale: 8
"So the rumors are true..." Jeanne said, as she looked at Stregone's field. "You do incorporate Pendulum Summoning in your deck."
"Indeed." Stregone replied. "A magician always uses the unexpected, you know." Going back to the duel, he said, "I activate the Spell card, Pendulum Pot! This card lets me draw cards from my deck equal to the number of cards in my Pendulum zones. Since I have two cards in my Pendulum zones, I can draw two cards!" After explaining, he drew the top two cards of his deck.
"The effect of Magical City of Endymion now activates! Every time a Spell card is activated, I can place a Spell counter on this card when it resolves!" A blue orb went into the Field Spell, giving it a brief, blue glow before disappearing.
Magical City of Endymion SC: 0 + 1 = 1
"Swing far, pendulum! Carve the arc of victory!" Stregone chanted. "With the set Pendulum Scale, I can Special Summon monsters between Levels 2 and 7 at the same time! Emerge, Magister of Endymion and Servant of Endymion!" Within moments, a portal opened between the two pillars, where two lights emerged. The lights hit the field and then dissipated, revealing two monsters.
The first light showed a male magician in dark green robes, carrying a medium-sized, hooked scepter. Attached to his robes were orange spell counters, as well as on the magician's gauntlets and robed strands on the back. He wore a small green cap that covered his eyes and short, silver hair.
The second light showed a female magician with long, blond hair, wearing black magician robes with green turquoise highlights. She wore a golden mask on her face, and had green spell counters all throughout her robes. She carried a small, hooked scepter with a large green spell counter powering it up in each hand.
Magister of Endymion ATK: 1500 DEF: 900 LV: 3 Scale: 8
Servant of Endymion ATK: 900 DEF: 1500 LV: 3 Scale: 2
"Appear, the circuit of sorcery!" A Link Portal soon appeared ahead of Stregone. "The summoning conditions are two Spellcaster monsters! I'll set Magister of Endymion and Servant of Endymion into the Link Markers!" Magister of Endymion went into the bottom-left arrowhead, while Servant of Endymion went into the bottom-left arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Rise! Link 2! Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior!" A white-robed magician, carrying a sword and shield and wearing a long red cape appeared on Stregone's field in the Extra Monster Zone. Pieces of golden armor were attached to Daybreaker's armor, with Spell counters adorning it. Daybreaker swung his sword, ready for battle.
Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior ATK: 1600 LINK-2 ↙️↘️
"When Daybreaker is Link Summoned," Stregone explained, "I can place a Spell counter on this card. And for every Spell counter, it gains 300 attack points!"
Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior SC: 0 + 1 = 1
Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior ATK: 1600 + 300 = 1900
"And with that, I end my turn." Stregone concluded. "You're up, my dear."
"It's my turn! I draw!" Jeanne said, drawing the top card of her deck. She smirked upon looking at it. Excellent, she thought. It's time for the Dancing Blade to make the first blow. "I activate the Spell card, Unexpected Dai. This card lets me Special Summon a Level 4 or lower normal monster from my deck if I control no monsters on my field!" A card popped out of Jeanne's deck. "Appear, Mekk-Knight Avram!" A young blonde man in gold armor carrying two curved swords emerged on her field.
Mekk-Knight Avram ATK: 2000 DEF: 0 LV: 4
"You activated the effect of Magical City of Endymion." Stregone reminded her. "Since you activated a Spell card, it now gains an additional Spell counter."
Magical City of Endymion SC: 1 + 1 = 2
"I see." Jeanne said. "In that case, I activate the Continuous-Spell card, World Legacy Key! When this card is activated, I can target one of my banished 'Mekk-Knight' or 'World Legacy' cards and add it to my hand."
"But you don't have any." Stregone said. "What's the point in activating that card if you can't even use its effects? Regardless of your plan, you just activated Magical City of Endymion's effect once again!"
Magical City of Endymion SC: 2 + 1 = 3
"A sorcerer like you should know that every card has multiple uses." Jeanne reminded him. "But allow me to demonstrate. I activate the effect of Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse from my hand! Since there are two or more cards in the same column, I can Special Summon this card to that same column!" Soon, a silver machine with a circle around its body and blue crystals embedded in its armor appeared in attack position.
Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse ATK: 2400 DEF: 2400 LV: 8
"So that's your strategy..." Stregone muttered, as he looked at the field using his Duel Disk, which showed World Legacy Key and Daybreaker in the same column. That was how she was able to Special Summon her monster! But now that he knew her strategy, he can whip up something quick on his next turn to counterattack.
"Indigo Eclipse's second effect!" Jeanne continued. "Once per turn, I can move one 'Mekk-Knight' monster I control to another Main Monster Zone. I therefore move Indigo Eclipse to the column on its right!" Indigo Eclipse then shifted to the Main Monster Zone on its right, causing Stregone to scowl in annoyance.
"I activate the effect of Mekk-Knight Blue Sky from my hand! Since there are two or more cards in the same column, I can Special Summon this card to that same column!" And just like before, another mechanical warrior appeared on her field in attack position. Only this time, this monster had gold and blue armor, wore a blue cape, and wielded two curved swords.
Mekk-Knight Blue Sky ATK: 2000 DEF: 2500 LV: 5
"I activate Blue Sky's second effect!" Jeanne added. "Since it was summoned from the hand, I can add 'Mekk-Knight' monsters with different names from my deck to my hand equal to the number of cards you have in its column. As you only have one card, I can add a new 'Mekk-Knight' monster from my deck to my hand!" Using Blue Sky's effect, a card popped out of Jeanne's deck, letting her add Mekk-Knight Yellow Star to her hand.
With the Hanoi gone and the 'Another' threat over at last, Jeanne thought, I can finally bring out a special monster that's as beautiful as the rainbow. "Appear! The circuit of colors!" A second Link Portal appeared ahead of her. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Mekk-Knight monsters! I'll set Mekk-Knight Avram, Mekk-Knight Blue Sky, and Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse into the Link Markers!" Avram went into the bottom-left arrowhead, Blue Sky went into the bottom arrowhead, and Indigo Eclipse went into the bottom-right arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Emerge and display the colors of the rainbow! Link 3! Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme!" A monster that was the combination of all the Mekk-Knight monsters emerged from the Link Portal and landed onto Jeanne's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.
Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme ATK: 3000 LINK-3 ↙️⬇️↘️
Upon seeing Spectrum Supreme on the screen, both Yuhiro and Yusaku experienced a strange feeling. Just... what was that? It sounded like a heartbeat.
"Yo, Yuhiro! Everything okay?" Roxy asked, shaking Yuhiro's shoulder to get him back to reality. Progleo gave him a lick on the face as well.
"Yusaku. Is something wrong?" Kusanagi asked, concerned for his friend.
"I felt something." Yuhiro said, having gotten right back to reality. "Like a... heartbeat."
"I felt it too." Yusaku added, placing a hand on his head. "For some reason, I know that heartbeat. It felt like..."
"A Cyberse monster's." both Yuhiro and Yusaku said at the same time. Which meant one thing: Jeanne had a Cyberse monster in her deck.
"A Cyberse monster?" Herald and Ai both said at the same time, surprised.
"That doesn't make sense." Ai said. "I put the Cyberse World on lock and key before I became an eyeball by the Hanoi. How is there a Cyberse monster in this duel right now?"
"There's only one explanation." Herald theorized, putting a hand underneath his chin. "Perhaps Spectrum Supreme is one of the monsters that escaped with the other Ignis and I before the Hanoi attacked."
"That monster..." Stregone said, as he looked at its stats using his Duel Disk. "It's impressive, but I am curious about something. How did you get your hands on a Cyberse monster?"
"I don't spill all my secrets, you know." Jeanne answered him. "But do know that you will get to experience its beauty firsthand." Going back to the duel, she said, "I activate the effect of Mekk-Knight Yellow Star from my hand! Since there are two or more cards in the same column, I can Special Summon this card to that same column!" A machine with silver and yellow mechanical wings appeared on her field.
Mekk-Knight Yellow Star ATK: 2200 DEF: 2800 LV: 7
"I Set one card face-down. Battle! Spectrum Supreme attacks you directly!" Spectrum Supreme then flew over Daybreaker, surprising Stregone.
"How is your monster able to attack me directly?" Stregone demanded, as Spectrum Supreme charged energy in its body.
"If Spectrum Supreme is the only card in its column," Jeanne explained, "then it can attack you directly. In addition, if this card in the Extra Monster Zone points to no monsters, you can't target or destroy it with card effects as well! Go, Rainbow Fall!"
"This is gonna sting." Stregone cursed under his breath, as Spectrum Supreme fired several rainbow blasts of energy at him, causing him to protect his body with his hands.
Stregone: 4000 – 3000 = 1000 LP
"That will end my turn." Jeanne concluded. "Sorcerer of LINK VRAINS, how will you respond against my majestic Cyberse monster's attack?"
"And just like that, Jeanne wiped out three quarters of Stregone's life points!" the MC said. "With a Cyberse monster, too!"
"My turn! I draw!" Stregone said, drawing the top card of his deck. Gonna need more cards if I'm to survive this turn, he thought. "I activate the effect of Pendulum Pot from my Graveyard! By banishing this card, I can draw cards from my deck equal to the number of cards in my Pendulum zones. Since I have two cards in my Pendulum zones, I can draw two cards!" After explaining, he drew the top two cards of his deck. "And just like before, the effect of Magical City of Endymion activates!"
Magical City of Endymion SC: 3 + 1 = 4
"I activate the Spell card, Cup of Ace! I flip a coin, and depending on the result, one of us gets to draw two cards!" A golden chalice soon appeared on the field, along with a golden coin.
"So whoever wins the coin flip gets an advantage?" Jeanne asked.
"That's correct!" Stregone answered. "A spectacular element to the show, don't you agree?" Thrusting his hand out, he declared, "I flip the coin!" The golden coin flipped in the air, and it landed on heads. Upon seeing the result, Stregone smiled. "Since the coin landed on heads, I get to draw two cards from the top of my deck!" He drew the top two cards of his deck and looked at them.
"Magical City of Endymion's effect!"
Magical City of Endymion SC: 4 + 1 = 5
"Swing far, pendulum! Carve the arc of victory!" Stregone chanted. "With the set Pendulum Scale, I can Special Summon monsters between Levels 2 and 7 at the same time! Emerge, Harmonizing Magician and Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic!" Within moments, a portal opened between the two pillars, where two lights emerged. The lights hit the field and then dissipated, revealing two monsters.
The first monster was a female magician with pink hair that went down to her shoulder blades. She wore white, cyan robes, along with a small cap with three blue orbs. In her hand, she carried a scepter that looked like a tuning fork.
The second monster was a tall magician with black robes that had golden outlines. Attached to his back was a massive, golden ring, and there were a total of 20 purple Spell counters visible on the magician. Endymion had long white horse-like hair and a golden mask with black horns on top. In his right hand was a golden staff, with a massive golden hook.
Harmonizing Magician ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 4 Scale: 8
Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic ATK: 2800 DEF: 1700 LV: 7 Scale: 8
Damn it, Jeanne thought, as she looked at the field using her Duel Disk. Since Stregone Pendulum Summoned Endymion to the column Spectrum Supreme was in, that meant it can no longer attack directly!
"I activate the effect of Harmonizing Magician! Since I Pendulum Summoned this monster from my hand, I can Special Summon a 'Magician' Pendulum monster from my deck to my field in defense position. However, its effects are negated, and is banished once it leaves the field." A card popped out of Stregone's deck. "Come, Timegazer Magician!" A magician with brown hair and dark robes appeared on Stregone's field in the Main Monster Zone Daybreaker was pointing to. There were gold-like elements on each of his upper arms, with chrome plating on the lower section of his arms. On his right arm was a disk that fired out a gold, clock-like blade. Timegazer also wore a black magician's cap with a gold-like element on it, as well as metallic plating on his left leg.
Timegazer Magician ATK: 1200 DEF: 600 LV: 3 Scale: 8
"Daybreaker's effect!" Stregone continued. "Once per turn, when a Spellcaster monster is Special Summoned to a zone it points to, I can place another Spell counter on it. And you know what that means, Jeanne!"
Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior SC: 1 + 1 = 2
Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior ATK: 1900 + 300 = 2200
"Level 4 Harmonizing Magician tunes Level 3 Timegazer Magician!" Stregone declared, as he pointed his right hand to the sky. A bolt of green lightning struck him as the world greyed out and his two monsters disintegrated into particles. Two rings, one cyan white and one black appeared before turning blue and merging. Seven blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "3 + 4" in front of them. The screen changed to "7" as light surged through the rings.
"The master of magicians awakens!" Stregone chanted. "Show yourself, magician of light and magic! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Arcanite Magician!" A magician wearing white robes with purple lines emerged from the light and was summoned to the middle Main Monster Zone Daybreaker was pointing to. The magician wore a massive white cap with purple lines and pointed spikes on the sides. His orange eyes glowed for a brief moment as he twirled his staff, ready for battle.
Arcanite Magician ATK: 400 DEF: 1800 LV: 7
"I activate Arcanite Magician's first effect! When it's Synchro Summoned, I can place two Spell counters on this card! For every Spell counter on Arcanite Magician, it gains 1000 attack points!" Two blue orbs orbited around Arcanite Magician's staff as he powered up.
Arcanite Magician SC: 0 + 2 = 2
Arcanite Magician ATK: 400 + 2000 = 2400
"As Timegazer Magician left the field," Stregone added, "it's now banished." He then played another card. "I activate the Equip Spell card, Bound Wand, and equip it onto Arcanite Magician! With this Equip Spell card, Arcanite Magician now gains attack points equal to its level times 100! Since Arcanite Magician's level is seven, it gains 700 attack points!" Arcanite Magician grabbed a wand with a skull and a red crystal with his right hand, which increased his strength.
Arcanite Magician ATK: 2400 + (100 X 7) = 3100
"Magical City of Endymion's effect!"
Magical City of Endymion SC: 5 + 1 = 6
"I activate Arcanite Magician's second effect! By removing a Spell counter from anywhere on my field, I can target one card you control and destroy it! I remove a Spell counter from Magical City of Endymion to destroy your face-down card!" Jeanne grit her teeth as a blue orb from Magical City of Endymion went into Arcanite Magician's staff, powering it up before being used by Arcanite Magician to fire a blast of magical energy at her face-down card, turning it into particles.
Magical City of Endymion SC: 6 - 1 = 5
"In addition, I can use this effect more than once per turn!" Stregone added, causing Jeanne's eyes to widen in surprise. "As such, I'll remove another Spell counter from Magical City of Endymion to destroy Mekk-Knight Yellow Star!" Another blue orb from Magical City of Endymion went into Arcanite Magician's staff, powering it up before being used by Arcanite Magician to fire another blast of magical energy at Yellow Star, turning it into particles.
Magical City of Endymion SC: 5 – 1 = 4
"I'll use Arcanite Magician's effect for a third time! By removing another Spell counter from Magical City of Endymion, I'll target and destroy World Legacy Key!" A third blue orb from Magical City of Endymion went into Arcanite Magician's staff, powering it up before being used by Arcanite Magician to fire another blast of magical energy at World Legacy Key, turning it into particles.
Magical City of Endymion SC: 4 – 1 = 3
"I Set one card face-down. Battle!" Stregone declared, thrusting out his right hand. "Arcanite Magician attacks Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme! Arcane Bound Magic Attack!" Arcanite Magician fired a combined magical blast from both his staff and Bound Wand at Spectrum Supreme, causing an explosion. However, Stregone was surprised to see it still on Jeanne's field.
Jeanne Azaria: 4000 – 100 = 3900 LP
"How's your monster still on the field?" Stregone asked, curious as to what happened.
"Because I activated my Skill," Jeanne answered. "It's called Reinforced Fortification. This Skill prevents my monster from being destroyed by battle or card effects once per duel, and I can then add one 'Mekk-Knight' monster from my Graveyard to my hand!" A card then popped out of Jeanne's Graveyard, letting her add Mekk-Knight Yellow Star to her hand.
"So close too." Stregone cursed. "I'll get that monster at my next turn. That I promise. I end my turn."
At Go's duel...
"It's my turn! I draw!" Reidrith said, drawing the top card of his deck. It's time to show Go my true ace monster, he thought. "Appear, my circuit of courage!" A Link Portal soon appeared ahead of Reidrith. "The summoning conditions are two or more effect monsters, including a Link monster! I'll set Crusadia Regulex, which is a Link 2 monster, and Crusadia Draco into the Link Markers!" Regulex split into two tornadoes of energy and entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrowheads, while Draco went into the top arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! The righteous champion shall rise, ready for what's to come! Link 3! Crusadia Equimax!" Soon, a centaur in golden armor with blue lines running through it galloped out of the Link Portal and appeared in the right Extra Monster Zone on Reidrith's field. His helmet had four spikes that sprouted out of the back, along with a long, blue tail. Equimax brandished his long blade, ready for battle.
Crusadia Equimax ATK: 2000 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️
Crusadia Equimax ATK: 2000 + 500 = 2500
For a second time, Yuhiro and Yusaku experienced the same feeling as before. Which meant one thing...
"The opponent Go's facing also has a Cyberse monster..." Yusaku muttered, while putting a hand on his head.
"You sure, buddy?" Kusanagi asked, to which Yusaku nodded his head in confirmation.
"That's the second Cyberse monster we've seen today!" Ai said. "What's next? Everyone gets Cyberse monsters?"
"I find that theory highly unlikely, Ai." Herald stated. "What do you think of this, Yuhiro?"
"Only one thing comes to mind," Yuhiro answered, as he put his hands on his head. Roxy, who was concerned, put a hand on his shoulder to help him steady his balance. "The Hanoi will target them once they learn of this."
Go, who looked at Equimax using his Duel Disk, was shocked. "You have a Cyberse monster? I thought-."
"That Raguel and Playmaker were the only ones with Cyberse monsters?" Reidrith finished for Go. "Well, your theory has been disproved. For Equimax is proof of one."
"How did you get your hands on one?" Go asked, now curious.
"It's simple." Reidrith answered. "I won it in a fundraiser raffle. In fact, that monster, along with a goal, was the reason I got into dueling in the first place."
Flashback: Two years ago...
"You see, Go Onizuka, I come from a family that strives to give back. Even at a young age, I wanted to follow in their footsteps. If it weren't for them, I'd probably be a different person."
Kiko Tanaka was serving soup at the Den City Soup Kitchen to a group of elders along with his family. With high school coming up, Kiko thought it would be a good idea to get started on his volunteer hours and make an impact on the local community. So with the help of his parents, he was able to sign up and help out serving soup to folks suffering from hunger.
"One day, however, I was drawn by something. I don't know what it was, but it felt like something was calling to me."
After Kiko finished serving soup to an elderly lady, he noticed an old man looking at a poster as he ate his meal.
"Could you take over for me, Howard?" Kiko asked the male next to him. "I'm going to go see what that guy's looking at."
"Sure!" Howard replied. "Just don't forget to tell me what you found out."
"Yeah, yeah. I know." Kiko then left his post and went over to see what the old man was looking at.
"Hello, sir." Kiko said, getting the old man's attention. "What are you looking at?"
"Oh!" the old man said. "Didn't expect someone to approach me. Please, have a seat." He gestured to the empty seat beside him on the table, to which Kiko sat in. "I'm just glad someone's here to give me company."
"It's no problem." Kiko responded. "That poster. What exactly is it?"
"It's of a paladin," the old man answered. "Do you know what a paladin is?"
Kiko shook his head.
"A paladin is someone who is a champion for a cause. They embody important virtues, such as courage, righteousness, etc. Anyone can be one."
"Really? How so?"
"To become a paladin means you must be willing to serve others," the old man replied. "Like you and the other people serving soup here. You all have the courage to help those in need when no one else will. For that, I thank you."
Kiko was touched. "Thank you, sir."
The old man smiled in gratitude. "I believe the best is to come for you. Keep following the path of the paladin, and it will lead you to places you won't expect." Putting a hand on his shoulder for a brief moment, the old man got up and carried his tray over to be cleaned.
"A day after I talked with that old man, I saw an announcement for a fundraiser raffle for another charity, and that the winner would get a rare card. When I saw the card on the screen, it looked almost similar to the one on the poster, and it was there that I found my calling. I thought to myself: With that card, I can become a Charisma Duelist to lead others down a path of good, just like my parents did for me. Within days after making my donation, against all odds, I won that card."
Flashback End: Present Day...
"I see," was all Go said. He then smiled. "You're someone who wants to make a difference, whether it's big or small. I can therefore only offer you respect, Reidrith, for fighting as you do. Now show me the full might of your courage!"
A smile appeared on Reidrith's face. "You got it, Go Onizuka! I won't disappoint! I activate the effect of Crusadia Maximus from my hand! Just like with Draco and Leonis, I can Special Summon this card in defense position to a zone a Link Monster points to!" A young man with blond hair and wearing golden armor with blue lines, along with a tattered red cape, appeared on Reidrith's field in defense position. He wore a crown on his forehead, which briefly shined as he took a protective stance.
Crusadia Maximus ATK: 1600 DEF: 1000 LV: 4
"Equimax's effect! It gains attack points equal to the combined original attack points of all monsters it points to! Go, Power Surge!" Equimax held up his sword as he was bathed in a golden aura, powering him up.
Crusadia Equimax ATK: 2500 + 1600 = 4100
"I activate Equimax's second effect!" Reidrith continued. "By tributing a 'Crusadia' or 'World Legacy' monster it points to, I can target one card you control and negate its effects until the end of the turn! I tribute Maximus to negate Gouki Battle Halberd!" Soon, Maximus turned into yellow particles, which were absorbed into Equimax's sword as he fired a beam of light at Gouki Battle Halberd, negating its effects.
Crusadia Equimax ATK: 4100 – 1600 = 2500
Gouki Destroy Ogre: 4800 – 2000 = 2800
"I hope you were aware that using your monster's effect made it weaker." Go stated. But to his surprise, Reidrith smirked.
"Don't worry, I have a way around it." He thrusted out his right hand. "Like this! I activate my Skill, Courageous Crusade! This card lets me Special Summon one 'Crusadia' monster from my hand, deck or Graveyard to a zone a Link Monster points to!" A card popped out. "Return, Crusadia Maximus!" Maximus reappeared on Reidrith's field, in the Main Monster Zone Equimax was pointing to.
Crusadia Maximus ATK: 1600 DEF: 1000 LV: 4
"Equimax's effect!"
Crusadia Equimax ATK: 2500 + 1600 = 4100
"I activate Maximus' effect!" Reidrith added. "I can target one 'Crusadia' Link monster I control, and any battle damage it inflicts is doubled! In exchange, I can't attack with any other monsters."
"That's not good..." Go muttered.
"I Set one card face-down. Battle!" Reidrith declared. "Crusadia Equimax attacks you directly! And thanks to Maximus, all battle damage is doubled this turn! Courageous Charge!" Equimax charged forward with blinding light and slashed Destroy Ogre, causing a massive explosion that forced Go onto one knee.
Go Onizuka: 4000 – (1300 X 2) = 1400
"Amazing!" the MC said. "And with a Cyberse monster, Reidrith struck back hard! Is it the end of Go Onizuka folks?"
"IT'S NOT OVER YET!" Go suddenly shouted, as he stood back up, laughing. "I have got to say, Reidrith. Your dueling is getting me pumped up. So allow me to respond back in kind. I activate my Skill, Pain and Gain! All 'Gouki' monsters that were destroyed in battle this turn return to my field from the Graveyard!" Immediately, Destroy Ogre returned to Go's field in the middle Main Monster Zone.
Gouki Destroy Ogre ATK: 2800 LINK-4 ↙️⬅️➡️↘️
"In that case, I end my turn." Reidrith concluded. Forgot that Go had his Skill available, he thought. But with my face-down card, everything should be okay.
"My turn! I draw!" Go said, drawing the top card of his deck. It's time for the finale, Go thought. But before he could play a card, Reidrith suddenly spoke up.
"Continuous-Trap card, activate! Crusadia Vanguard! This card has two effects. The first effect lets me tribute a 'Crusadia' or 'World Legacy' monster on my field to Special Summon a different 'Crusadia' or 'World Legacy' monster from my deck or Graveyard. I tribute Maximus to Special Summon World Legacy – World Crown from my deck!" For a second time, Maximus turned into yellow particles. Then a massive purple crown, with six blue jewels took his place, and was Special Summoned to the Main Monster Zone Equimax was pointing to.
World Legacy – World Crown ATK: 2000 DEF: 2000 LV: 6
Crusadia Equimax ATK: (4100 – 1600) + 2000 = 4500
"Oh, and just so that you were aware," Reidrith added, "while I control a 'Crusadia' Link monster, you can only target Link monsters for attacks." But to Reidrith's surprise, Go smirked. "Huh? Why are you smirking?"
"You'll find out." Go replied. He then gestured to his field. "Destroy Ogre's effect! You get to Special Summon one or two monsters from your Graveyard, and then I can Special Summon that same amount of non-Link 'Gouki' monsters to Main Monster Zones he points to!"
I could use World Crown's effect, Reidrith thought, puzzled by Destroy Ogre's effect, but I want to see what he does first. "Very well, Go Onizuka. I'll play along. With the effect of Destroy Ogre, I'll Special Summon Crusadia Draco and Leonis in defense position to my field!" At Reidrith's command, the green dragon wearing golden diamond-like armor and with a small ornament on its horn, as well as the blue-skinned lion with a long, blond mane returned to his field in defense position.
Crusadia Draco ATK: 600 DEF: 2000 LV: 4
Crusadia Leonis ATK: 1200 DEF: 1600 LV: 4
"As you Special Summoned two monsters, I can Special Summon two non-Link 'Gouki' monsters from my Graveyard! Return, Gouki Suprex and Riscorpio!" The blue and red ogres reappeared on Go's field in defense position, with Destroy Ogre pointing to Riscorpio and Suprex. Unfortunately, Equimax was also pointing to Suprex.
Gouki Suprex ATK: 1800 DEF: 0 LVL: 4
Gouki Riscorpio ATK: 2300 DEF: 0 LVL: 5
"Have you forgotten about Equimax's effect?" Reidrith said. "It gains attack points equal to the combined original attack points of all monsters it points to! Go, Power Surge!" Equimax held up his sword as he was bathed in a golden aura, powering him up.
Crusadia Equimax ATK: 4500 + 1800 = 6300
"Is Go Onizuka nuts?" Roxy asked, shocked at what he just did.
"No." Yusaku answered her. "He's planning for something big."
Yuhiro couldn't help but agree with him as he looked at the screen.
"There's a saying, Reidrith. 'No guts, no glory'. And I'm about to show you what I mean right now!" Go declared. "I mash up my circuit!" A Link Portal appeared ahead of Go. "The summoning conditions are two 'Gouki' monsters! I'll set Gouki Suprex and Riscorpio into the Link Markers!" Suprex went into the left arrowhead and Riscorpio went into the bottom arrowhead.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Fly into battle! Link 2! Gouki Jet Ogre!" A purple ogre with red bushy hair joined Go's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He wore metallic shin guards and had a massive jetpack on it's back. He also carried a musketeer's sword on its right hand.
Gouki Jet Ogre ATK: 2000 LINK-2 ⬅️⬇️
"And since I Link Summoned Jet Ogre to Extra Monster Zone, Equimax doesn't get its attack boost." Reidrith gritted his teeth as Equimax's strength went down.
Crusadia Equimax ATK: 6300 – 1800 = 4500
"The effects of Suprex and Riscorpio both activate from my Graveyard, letting me add 'Gouki' cards besides themselves from my deck to my hand!" Go added, as he used Suprex and Riscorpio's effects to add Gouki Grit and Gouki Rematch to his hand.
"I summon Gouki Suprex from my hand!" A second blue ogre with claws on his hands and a long blue tail appeared on Go's field, in the Main Monster Zone Equimax was pointing to.
Gouki Suprex ATK: 1800 DEF: 0 LVL: 4
Crusadia Equimax ATK: 4500 + 1800 = 6300
"Suprex's effect activates! As it was Normal Summoned, I get to Special Summon a 'Gouki' monster from my hand! Come on out, Gouki Bearhug!" A brown ogre wearing bear skin all over his body appeared on Go's field. The ogre also had bear claws on his hands as well.
Gouki Bearhug ATK: 2400 DEF: 0 LVL: 6
"Bearhug's effect!" Go continued. "As it was Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Gouki' card, or Normal Summoned, I can target one monster you control and make its attack points become half its original attack points! I choose Equimax!" Bearhug leapt forward and slashed Equimax, cutting his strength in half.
Crusadia Equimax ATK: (2000 / 2) + 500 + 2000 + 1800 = 5300
"Now I have everything I need to mash up my circuit for a second and final time!" A Link Portal soon appeared ahead of Go. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Gouki' monsters! I'll set Gouki Jet Ogre, which is a Link 2 monster, Suprex, and Bearhug into the Link Markers!" Jet Ogre split into two tornadoes of energy that went into the top and bottom arrowheads. Suprex and Bearhug, on the other hand, went into the bottom-left and bottom-right arrowheads respectively.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Demonstrate your might in this duel! Link 4! Gouki the Master Ogre!" An ogre with mostly blue armor, along with golden shoulder pads, gauntlets, and leg guards, appeared on Go's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He spread his blue cape, swung his massive axe, and roared at Reidrith.
Gouki the Master Ogre ATK: 2800 LINK-4 ↙️⬆️⬇️↘️
Crusadia Equimax ATK: 5300 – 1800 = 3500
"You brought out your other Link 4 monster?" Reidrith realized, as he looked at Destroy Ogre and The Master Ogre on Go's field. He quickly regained his composure. "But still, thanks to Vanguard, you can only target Link Monsters for attacks."
"Is that so?" Go asked, smirking. "Bearhug's effect! I now get to add a 'Gouki' card with a different name from my deck to my hand!" Using Bearhug's effect, Go added Gouki Finishing Hold to his hand.
"Jet Ogre's effect! As it was sent to the Graveyard, all 'Gouki' monsters I control gain 500 attack points until the end of the turn!" The Master Ogre was surrounded in a red aura as he powered up.
Gouki the Master Ogre ATK: 2800 + 500 = 3300
"I activate The Master Ogre's effect!" Go continued. "I can return all 'Gouki' monsters to my hand that The Master Ogre points to, and for each 'Gouki' monster returned to my hand by this effect, I can target and negate the effects of that many cards until the end of the turn! I return Destroy Ogre to target and negate Crusadia Equimax's effect!" Destroy Ogre turned into yellow particles, which went into The Master Ogre's axe. The Master Ogre then swung a blade of energy from his axe at Equimax, but...
"Not so fast!" Reidrith suddenly said. "World Crown's effect! Since a monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck activated its effect, I can tribute this card to negate the activation and destroy it!" World Crown fired six blasts of energy at The Master Ogre, destroying it as the crown self-destructed in the process. "And with that, your strongest monsters are finished!"
But all Go did in response was smirk.
"Did you really think that would stop me?" Go asked, causing Reidrith to widen his eyes in surprise. "I activate the Equip Spell card, Gouki Grit. This card lets me target a 'Gouki' monster that was destroyed this turn, and then Special Summon it back from my Graveyard by equipping it with this card. Return, The Master Ogre!" At Go's command, The Master Ogre reappeared on his field in the middle Main Monster Zone.
Gouki the Master Ogre ATK: 2800 LINK-4 ↙️⬆️⬇️↘️
"And since Equimax is no longer pointing to World Legacy – World Crown, that means it loses its attack boost!" Go added.
"Oh no!" Reidrith said, shocked as he saw Equimax's strength drop back down to 1500.
Crusadia Equimax ATK: 3500 – 2000 = 1500
"Time for the final card!" Go said, a big smile on his face. "I activate the Spell card, Gouki Finishing Hold! This card increases the attack of a 'Gouki' Link Monster I control by 1000 times its Link Rating until the end of the turn! In addition, it can also inflict piercing battle damage! However, I can only attack with 'Gouki' monsters for the rest of this turn! I target The Master Ogre!" The Master Ogre was enveloped in a golden aura as he powered up.
Gouki the Master Ogre ATK: 2800 + (1000 X 4) = 6800
"That's enough attack points to end the duel!" Reidrith realized, now learning that there was nothing he could do to survive.
"The Master Ogre's effect!" Go said. "When it battles, it must attack the monster with the highest attack points first. But in exchange, he can attack every monster you control once each!" Reidrith's eyes widened in shock as Go continued talking. "Rest assured, this duel will end in a single strike."
He then thrusted out his right hand. "Battle! The Master Ogre attacks Crusadia Equimax! Gouki Master Beatdown!" The Master Ogre charged at Equimax and kicked him further in the head. The Master Ogre leaped further into the air, then used his cloak to form a funnel that struck Equimax, destroying him. Reidrith was sent flying off his duel board as his monster was destroyed.
Reidrith: 1800 – 5300 = 0
"The first duel has concluded!" The MC shouted to the crowd. "The winner is Go Onizuka, the King of LINK VRAINS!"
Go raised his hands in the air as the crowd cheered for him on screen.
"So Go really has upgraded his 'Gouki' deck." Yuhiro said, looking at the replay of The Master Ogre's final attack.
"Upgrade? He gave his deck a sports drink for all I care!" Ai said, causing Yuhiro to roll his eyes.
"While I expected Go to win," Yusaku said, "I wonder about Stregone. How will he make a comeback against someone who can attack directly?"
"We're about to find out." Kusanagi said, as the humans and AI's turned their heads to continue watching the second duel.
At Stregone's duel...
"My turn! I draw!" Jeanne said, drawing the top card of her deck. Upon looking at it, she realized she drew the card she needed. "I activate the Equip Spell card, World Legacy Core from my hand!" The card showed a power core being attached to Mekk-Knight Blue Sky, as it was powered up in a laboratory by Green Horizon. "By equipping this card to a 'Mekk-Knight' monster I control, the equipped monster gains 1000 attack points!" A power core soon appeared on the field and attached itself to Spectrum Supreme's head, powering it up.
Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme ATK: 3000 + 1000 = 4000
I may not be able to attack directly, Jeanne thought, but I can still end this duel here and now! She thrusted out her hand. "Battle! Spectrum Supreme attacks Daybreaker, the Shining Magical Warrior! Rainbow Fall!" Spectrum Supreme flew high into the air and fired a barrage of rainbow lasers at Daybreaker. However...
"Trap card, activate!" Stregone suddenly said. "Shift! When you target exactly one monster I control for an attack, or for a Spell or Trap card effect, I can target a monster I control and change the target to it instead!" Jeanne's eyes widen in surprise upon hearing that. "Therefore, I change the attack target to Arcanite Magician!" Shift fired a beam at Spectrum Supreme that caused it to fire instead at Arcanite Magician, turning him into yellow particles as Stregone shielded himself from the blast.
"That was too close..." Stregone muttered, as his life points dropped to 100.
Stregone: 1000 – 900 = 100 LP
"I activate the effect of Bound Wand! Since the equipped monster was destroyed by battle or card effect and it was sent to the Graveyard as a result, I can Special Summon that monster right back to my field! Come back, Arcanite Magician!" At Stregone's command, Arcanite Magician reappeared on his field.
Arcanite Magician ATK: 400 DEF: 1800 LV: 7
"I end my turn," Jeanne concluded. Had I summoned Yellow Star, she thought, I could have won there and then. But, just like always, I was too focused on being perfect. She smiled as she remembered something her parents used to tell her, many years ago.
Flashback: Seven years ago...
"Ow!" Jeanne said, as she fell on the basement floor. She was practicing for a dance recital that was in two weeks. It had to be perfect. Otherwise...
"Honey?" her mother called from upstairs. "Can we speak to you for a minute?"
"Ugh. Fine!" Jeanne replied, as she picked up her towel and headed upstairs. This really wasn't the right time for her parents to interrupt her. They knew that the dance recital was important to her, and promised that they wouldn't interrupt unless it was an emergency.
But when Jeanne came upstairs, she was surprised to see her father, waiting for her at the kitchen table.
"There you are, pumpkin," he said, adjusting his slim glasses. "Please. Follow me." He grabbed a small bag that was beside him as he stood up.
"This better be important, dad." Jeanne muttered, as she followed him to the backyard. When she got there, she realized her parents set up a small campfire with food. "What's all this?"
"Please have a seat, dear," her mother motioned her to the couch, to which Jeanne complied. Her mother then handed her a smore. "And have a treat! You've been working on this recital all day. If you don't have take a break, you'll burn out." But Jeanne didn't accept the treat.
"You don't get it, mom." Jeanne muttered, before raising her voice. "My friends and boyfriend are attending this recital. If I screw up even one bit, then people will see me as a failure, and hate me for it."
"Is that what you honestly believe?" her dad asked, sitting down beside her. "Your boyfriend and your friends love you, flaws and all." Seeing that it didn't work, he tried another trick. "Take a look at the rainbow in the sky."
Jeanne did just that, but was confused. "What about it?"
"You know what rainbows represent? Even as they display their beauty, they're also displaying peace and serenity," her father answered, a smile on his face. "They often bring good fortune."
"How is a rainbow going to bring me good fortune?" Jeanne asked, now clearly annoyed.
"What your father meant," Jeanne's mother said, as she took a bite of her smore, "is that if you're at peace with yourself, you'll be able to shine a light that you never shone before. It may be frightening at first, but overtime, you'll become more confident in yourself and your abilities."
"I know that your birthday is a few days away," her father said, pulling out a gift from the bag, "but I think it will help you."
"Jonathan, are you sure?" Jeanne's mother asked him. But Jonathan simply smiled.
"Of course, Brenda." Jonathan replied, giving the gift to Jeanne. "Here, sweetie. Happy early 24th."
Jeanne opened the gift with excitement, and when she looked at it, it was a Duel Monsters card!
"What card is this?" Jeanne asked.
"Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme." Jonathan answered. "While it represents a bunch of weapons combined, the monster is at peace with itself, and can shine a beautiful light, even in a duel, wouldn't you agree?"
Jeanne nodded. "Thank you, dad." She wrapped her arms around Jonathan, causing him to chuckle.
"Anytime, sweetie. Anytime."
Flashback End: Present day...
With your advice, father, mother, Jeanne thought, I was able to become confident with my failures, and use them to push me in practicing for that recital. And by the time it arrived, I performed way better than I would have if I focused on being perfect. That lesson you taught me also inspired me to become a Charisma Duelist so I can spread your teaching to others and help them as you helped me.
"What exactly are you smiling about, o' dancing blade?" Stregone asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"A lesson that I came to my mind a long time ago, in terms of this duel." Jeanne answered. "I was too focused on making the final blow perfect. As a result, I became too overconfident, and I wasn't at peace with myself." She turned to Stregone. "Now then, Sorcerer. Let's see how your turn will determine the climax of this duel!"
"With pleasure!" Stregone replied. "My turn! I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Miracle Synchro Fusion! This card lets me perform a Fusion Summon by banishing monsters from my field or Graveyard that are listed on a Fusion Monster in my Extra Deck!"
"What?" Jeanne said, her eyes widening in surprise.
"I banish Arcanite Magician on my field, and Servant of Endymion in my Graveyard to Fusion Summon!" Stregone said, as Arcanite Magician disintegrated into red particles of energy, while Servant of Endymion emerged from Stregone's Graveyard as blue particles of energy. The blue and red particles of energy then swirled into a vortex. Two tornadoes of energy shot upwards and merged to form a magenta whirlwind.
"The master of magicians shall unlock the restraints of his power, and emerge as something entirely new!" Stregone chanted. "Fusion Summon! Come forth, Level 10! Supreme Arcanite Magician!" A magician wearing purple and brown robes along with a white cape emerged from the portal and landed onto Stregone's field in the Main Monster Zone Daybreaker was pointing to. Unlike Arcanite Magician and Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode, Supreme Arcanite Magician's robes also had armored plating on them, along with large, green Spell counters as well. He spun his staff around in front of him, ready for battle.
Supreme Arcanite Magician ATK: 1400 DEF: 2800 LV: 10
"I activate Supreme Arcanite Magician's effect! When it's Fusion Summoned, I can place two Spell counters on this card! For every Spell counter on Supreme Arcanite Magician, it gains 1000 attack points!" Two blue orbs orbited around Supreme Arcanite Magician as he powered up.
Supreme Arcanite Magician SC: 0 + 2 = 2
Supreme Arcanite Magician ATK: 1400 + 2000 = 3400
"Magical City of Endymion's effect!"
Magical City of Endymion SC: 3 + 1 = 4
"I activate Daybreaker's effect!" Stregone continued. ""Once per turn, when a Spellcaster monster is Special Summoned to a zone it points to, I can place another Spell counter on it!"
Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior SC: 2 + 1 = 3
Daybreaker the Shining Magical Warrior ATK: 2200 + 300 = 2500
"It's time for Supreme Arcanite Magician's second effect! Once per turn, I can remove a Spell counter from anywhere on my field to either target and destroy a card on your field, or draw a card. I choose the first effect, where I'll I remove a Spell counter from Magical City of Endymion to target and destroy World Legacy Core!" Jeanne widened her eyes in surprise as a blue orb from Magical City of Endymion went into Supreme Arcanite Magician's staff, powering him up before being used by Supreme Arcanite Magician to fire a blast of magical energy at Mekk-Knight Power, turning it into particles and draining it of its newfound power.
Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme ATK: 4000 – 1000 = 3000
Magical City of Endymion SC: 4 – 1 = 3
"Battle!" Stregone declared. "Supreme Arcanite Magician attacks Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme! Arcane Scepter Blast!" Supreme Arcanite Magician spun his staff in front of him before firing a blast of purple, magical energy at Spectrum Supreme, destroying it and slightly unbalancing Jeanne.
Jeanne Azaria: 3900 – 400 = 3500 LP
"Your turn, Daybreaker! Attack Jeanne directly!" Daybreaker leapt forward and slashed Jeanne, lowering her life points further.
Jeanne Azaria: 3500 – 2500 = 1000 LP
"This duel is over! Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic attacks you directly! Magical Overload!" The Spell counters on Endymion glowed as he raised his staff into the air and fired a blast of magical energy at Jeanne, causing her to fall off her duel board and land on a nearby skyscraper.
Jeanne Azaria: 1000 – 2800 = 0
"And the second duel is over!" The MC shouted at the top of his lungs. "The winner is Stregone! With a spectacular comeback too, I might add!"
"Well done, Quinton." Yuhiro muttered, as he smiled to himself.
"What do you think, Yusaku?" Kusanagi asked him.
"He definitely lives up to his title as 'Sorcerer of LINK VRAINS'." Yusaku answered. "The fact he's able to wield four types of summoning methods makes him a formidable opponent indeed."
"And worthy of a profile update, that's for sure." Roxy added, as she stood up and stretched. Yusaku and Kusanagi turned to her at the mention of 'profile update'.
"Profile update?" Yusaku asked.
"It's a list of-." Yuhiro was about to explain, but Roxy pulled him by the ear to shut him up.
"It's a documented list of duelists Yuhiro dueled." Roxy continued for him, ignoring his pleas for her to stop pulling on his ear. "We take notes of the duelists Yuhiro dueled and their dueling strategies, so that if we face them again, we'll be more prepared."
"So it's like a documentary of reports?" Kusanagi asked, to which Roxy nodded. "Interesting. Maybe I'll start one like that. Only I'll call them Kusanagi's Khronicles. Yusaku and I would love to contribute to your list."
"Uh, Kusanagi, a word?" Yusaku asked him, a look of concern on his face. As though he understood what was on Yusaku's mind, he stood up along with Yusaku, and the two of them went elsewhere to talk.
Meanwhile, Roxy finally let go of Yuhiro's ear, letting him breathe in relief.
"What was that for?" Yuhiro asked, as he held his ear with his right hand.
"That was so only I can share my ingenious plan to Yusaku and Kusanagi, as well as for giving me a heart attack earlier!" Roxy replied, sitting down again.
"Do you always do that?" Ai asked her.
"She does it all the time, Ai." Yuhiro replied for her.
"It could be worse, Yuhiro." Progleo interjected, causing Roxy to laugh.
"That is true, Progleo," she said. "I could tease him about his future girlfriend one day!" That statement caused Yuhiro to blush red as she laughed.
"Future girlfriend?" Ai asked, looking at Yuhiro. "For Furutani? Ha! Like that will happen! NEVER EVER EVER!"
What have I done to deserve this, Yuhiro wondered, as Roxy and Ai continued to laugh at Yuhiro's misery.
Meanwhile, Herald was deep in thought, as he watched the replay of the duel between Stregone and Jeanne. Stregone has access to many summoning methods, including the forgotten method called Pendulum Summoning. Perhaps that summoning method is the specific advantage we need against the Knights of Hanoi. However, he turned to a laughing Ai, I probably won't be able to make them alone.
"We're back!" Kusanagi announced, as he and Yusaku walked to the table where the other humans and two AI's were.
"Roxy," Yusaku said, getting her attention as he sat down in his seat, along with Kusanagi in his respective seat. "Kusanagi and I talked about it, and although we have concerns with this idea of yours, we decided to collaborate with you and Furutani in sharing our information. However, we have three conditions."
"Name them," Roxy replied, crossing her arms.
"One: You will share any information you have on the Knights of Hanoi with us, as well as information regarding any other areas of interest we may have." Roxy's face paled for a moment, as well as Yuhiro's, but then she nodded.
"Alright. What's your next condition?"
"Two: As a hacker yourself, you must know that keeping information secure is important. Once you've interviewed us regarding opponents I faced and their dueling strategies, you must delete the interview asap and ensure that the information obtained is secure."
"Don't worry about it," Roxy told him. "No one has been able to break into my systems since I set them up. You have my word."
Yusaku nodded. However, he turned to Yuhiro before continuing. "Three: I want Furutani's word that he'll stop his assignment for Ai. If he gives his word, and you abide by our other conditions, we'll be willing to take part in your reports."
Yuhiro turned to face Yusaku. "Fujiki. A week ago, Roxy and I agreed to end our working relationship with Monty once the Hanoi is defeated. I give you my word that I don't intend to hand over Ai to him, nor anyone else. After all, he's your Ignis. You can decide what to do with him once this is all over."
"So you're no longer going to capture me for your boss?" Ai asked Yuhiro, to which he nodded. "Whew! I thought I was a goner."
"A smart decision, Yuhiro." Herald said, turning to face him. "You're doing the right thing."
"Well, I'm glad both parties worked things out." Kusanagi said, standing up and stretching.
"Yup!" Roxy agreed, as she and Yuhiro stood up. While Yuhiro put Progleo down on the ground and went over to pick up his Duel Disk from the table, Roxy continued talking. "Let's do this again some time."
"Only next time, let's do it at Café Matsuo," Kusanagi added, smiling at the two. "After all, Yuhiro here promised you'd make some free burgers."
Roxy smiled back. "It'd be my pleasure." She turned to Yusaku. "I'm looking forward to your interview, Fujiki. And don't worry. I will keep my end of the bargain, and so will Yuhiro here."
"Alright, then." Yusaku nodded. He turned to Yuhiro. "See you tomorrow at school, Furutani."
"Same here, Fujiki." Yuhiro replied, as he and Roxy, along with Progleo, turned around and walked away from Café Nagi.
"Those were some amazing duels," Progleo commented.
"Yeah." Yuhiro agreed with the cub. "I didn't expect Stregone to perform a Fusion Summon. Did you, Roxy?"
"Nope." Roxy replied, taking a drink from her coke. "It really did force Stregone to think outside of the box, don't you think Yuhiro?"
"There is something that bothers me." Herald said, putting a hand on his chin. "It's regarding Reidrith and Jeanne Azaria."
"You mean their Cyberse monsters?" Yuhiro assumed.
"Yes," Herald confirmed. "Those idiots must know that the Hanoi's watching as well as the public, right?" Yuhiro and Roxy nodded. "Therefore, it would be a good idea to keep tabs on them, in case something were to happen to them. I've already advised Ai on the situation, and he'll hopefully tell Fujiki and Kusanagi."
"Why do you say 'hopefully'?" Roxy asked.
"Because Ai sometimes forgets to do tasks." Herald answered her. "And sometimes, he just decides to be lazy instead of doing them. One time, Ai got in trouble, and the Water Ignis pummeled him and Linkuriboh to the ground for being lazy and not doing his job."
"You know what? That makes a lot of sense, Herald." Yuhiro commented. And the three of them laughed as they pictured a scared Ai getting disciplined by the Water Ignis. Yuhiro, however, stopped laughing. If the Hanoi's watching, he thought, Watchman must be too. And pretty soon, he'll have another assignment regarding the appearance of the new Cyberse monsters.
At the Hanoi Stronghold...
"So it appears Stregone has gotten much stronger," Lord Kazuma commented, as the monitor showed Stregone Fusion Summoning Supreme Arcanite Magician. "I wonder how this 'pretender' will do against a master of magicians like myself."
"You're interested in dueling him?" Specter asked, turning his head to look at Lord Kazuma.
"He's intriguing, I have to admit." Lord Kazuma confirmed. "While he utilizes multiple summoning methods, he won't be able to defeat me. Not after the 'special' time I spent upgrading my deck."
"Are you referring to your 'discovery'?" Specter inquired. But all Specter got in response was a hush.
"A master of magicians always has a secret trick." Lord Kazuma told him. "Now more than ever, we'll need every advantage we can get against Raguel and Playmaker."
"Lord Kazuma makes a strong and valid point." Revolver stated, materializing into the stronghold and getting both Lord Kazuma and Specter's attention. "If our enemies are getting stronger, we need to respond by getting stronger too."
"Master Revolver," Specter said, bowing before the Hanoi leader. "I didn't expect you to finish gathering energy for the Tower this quickly."
"When you have a bunch of pawns to get rid of," Revolver said, smirking as he walked to where the others were, "you find that the task is much easier than you expected. Anyhow, there's something else I need to discuss with the both of you." After pressing a few buttons on his Duel Disk, two more monitors appeared, showing Crusadia Equimax and Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme.
"Ah, yes." Specter said, looking at both monsters. "The emergence of two new Cyberse monsters. They somehow slipped under our noses when we launched our attack on the Cyberse World."
"It probably has to do something with Arshad Saito." Revolver theorized. "He must have warned the Ignis beforehand. However, most of them didn't listen to him, while a few evacuated prior to the attack. That must be how Raguel got his Ignis." He narrowed his eyes in annoyance. He hated it when they missed a crucial detail.
"Shall we go eliminate them and their duelists?" Lord Kazuma asked, turning to Revolver. "We not only know their identities both in real life and in the network, but we'll handle it quietly too."
"No, Lord Kazuma." Revolver immediately answered, causing Lord Kazuma to gasp in shock. "If we do, we'll only expose ourselves. We must remain hidden until the Tower is complete. There's also something else I wanted to discuss." He pressed a few buttons on his Duel Disk once again, causing a monitor to appear, showing a blue core with two rings, one above the other, orbiting around it. There were also two yellow ribbons beside the core in a zig-zag formation.
"The readings on the monitor show that it's a Cyberse monster..." Specter mused, looking at the monster.
"The monitor reads it as World Gears of Theurological Demiurgy. And you're correct, Specter. It's a Cyberse monster." Revolver added. "In fact, it's the most powerful one to date."
"If we were to obtain it..." Lord Kazuma began.
"Then we can launch the Tower ahead of schedule." Revolver finished for him.
"My apologies for interrupting, gentlemen." Infearno said, as he materialized into the stronghold.
"It's no problem, Infearno." Revolver replied, turning to Infearno as the man approached them. "I assume you bring good news?"
"Indeed." Infearno answered. "I've made contact with a client who's willing to help us. However, he wants to meet us in the real world."
"And where exactly in the real world are we meeting?" Specter inquired, walking to where Revolver was. "After all, what if this client we're meeting has other plans for us?"
"That is why we're meeting at a neutral location." Infearno replied, as he pressed a few buttons on his Duel Disk. Four holographic tickets then briefly appeared above his Duel Disk. "Gentlemen. How would you like to go to the Den City Casino tomorrow night?"
Card Gallery
World Legacy Core (Equip-Spell card)
Effect: Target 1 'Mekk-Knight' monster you control; equip it with this card. It gains 1000 attack points. If this card is in your GY: You can discard 1 'Mekk-Knight' or 'World-Legacy' card from your hand to the GY, and if you do, add this card back to your hand.
QOTC
Which of the new Charisma Duelists that appeared in this chapter would have a likely chance of holding their own against Raguel or Playmaker?
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 21: Casino Royale. Needing allies, the remaining Hanoi members head to the Den City Casino to meet Infearno's client. However, curious about their strength, the client makes a proposal...
Author's Notes
Hi, everyone! I hoped that you enjoyed both of the Speed Duels in this chapter. I'll recap what happened in this chapter before announcing the winners and when the next chapter will come out. Credit goes to HunterHQ for helping me out on the Speed Duel with Go.
The main thing that happened in this chapter were Go Onizuka's and Stregone's Speed Duels. Both Speed Duels had them face opponents who had a special Cyberse monster, in this case, Crusadia Equimax and Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme.
The name of Go's opponent is Reidrith, also known as Kiko Tanaka, while Stregone's opponent is Jeanne Azaria. To bring them to life in this chapter, as well as the story, I provided them with an origin each as to why they duel and how they got their Cyberse cards. Oh, and if you're wondering if they'll appear again, I'm letting you all know that they will appear in this mini arc.
Kiko Tanaka, at a young age, came from a family that strived to give back. One day, when he worked at a soup kitchen, he met and spoke with an old man, who told him about what a paladin was and what they do. A day after Kiko spoke to the old man, he saw an announcement for a fundraiser raffle for another charity, and that the winner would get a rare card. Within days after making his donation, against all odds, he won Crusadia Equimax. It was there he accepted his calling as a Charisma Duelist.
Jeanne Azaria, on the other hand, is a professional dancer and Charisma Duelist, who struggles with self-worth. What drove her to becoming a Charisma Duelist is the advice her parents told her fifteen years ago. They taught her that by being at peace, she'll be able to gain confidence in herself and her abilities. To help her with this, her father showed her a rainbow, which symbolized peace and serenity. He also gave her Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme, which is what helped her for her dance recital, as well as give her the motivation to become a Charisma Duelist.
Meanwhile, the Hanoi, who have been watching the duels, regroup and discuss what happened regarding the appearances of the two new Cyberse monsters. The end of the chapter then has Infearno informing them that he's made contact with a potential client. Who do you think this client is? You'll find out next chapter.
Now onto announcements. Okay, I just want to give you a friendly reminder regarding when I release chapters. Due to my work schedule, and depending on how long a chapter is and what will be covered, I usually am able to release a chapter within 1-2 weeks. A profile on Roxy's reports usually takes me about 1-3 days max. I'm letting you know this so that you will all understand that I'm not slacking off. Before I release Chapter 21, I want to release the profiles for Demeter, Reidrith, and Jeanne Azaria, as well as updated ones for Go and Stregone. The profiles for Playmaker, Revolver, Faust, and Percival will come after Chapter 21.
All right, it's time to announce the winners. Please note: The numbers were chosen at random using a random number decider. And the winners are... Numbers 222 and 250! If these are your numbers, then congratulations! You won the contest! I'll be using your card submissions at some point in the story. As for other participants, there may be a chance for your submissions to appear in the story. If that's the case, I'll send you a PM asking for your permission.
Thank you for reading Chapter 20 of Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. What did you think of the duels? Are you excited for the Hanoi to have the main spotlight next chapter? What is Herald exactly planning?
The answers to your burning questions will be answered, as the story must go on. Stay tuned, and see you next time!
