Responses to Reviews

Thank you to HunterHQ, Guest, Cosmic Cat, Kingdom Hearts Guy, Pikachu99, Donjusticia, E.T. 2000, Yuman28, Guest, Unnamed, Electriuser, Guest, Portal, ZeroMK7, Romadrox8975, Revolver, and Naruto1999 for reviewing Chapter 28 of Obscured Truth.

Hello, everyone! Before I begin, I hope you're safe and healthy wherever you are. I want to thank everyone not only for the positive reviews, but for the positive reaction towards how Lord Kazuma was used in the previous chapter. I would also like to say a personal thank-you to Electriuser for providing the character in the character contest back in Chapter 4. Honestly, this is a character that should have appeared in the anime. If he did, then he would most certainly be a fan-favorite. So thank you, Electriuser. I do hope you enjoy what's to come for Lord Kazuma during the Tower of Hanoi arc!

Oh, and before I answer reviews, I got an announcement. Today is the one-year anniversary of Obscured Truth. I want to thank everyone for following and reviewing the story so far. You guys are awesome!

Anyhow, it's time to answer reviews!

HunterHQ: When making the appearance and personality of Rook, I thought of what a rook typically does during a chess game. I wanted to show that in Rook's first appearance, as well as what his interests are and how he differs from Queen and Bishop. You could say that his interests, if you pay close attention, are tied to the deck he'll use in Season 3. For the data giant, I get what you mean when you say that its appearance didn't look like how it's supposed to appear. What happened was Lord Kazuma enslaved Zombie Prosaber and then buried it in loads of corrupted data to control it.

Guest: Right now, Herald is in the 'mobile game' phase of his interest in video games. So while he'll retain his interest in mobile games, expect him to develop an interest in actual console games as well.

Cosmic Cat: The time has come indeed, for the members of the Hanoi to show why they're the villains they are. With Infearno developing plans for Yuhiro, and Lord Kazuma ready to step up his game, you'll be surprised as to what these two do next for the protagonists.

Kingdom Hearts Guy: It's going to get serious from now on.

Pikachu99: Thank you very much. Lord Kazuma's not done showing off his new tricks, that's for sure. And to answer your question, Raguel at first went after the Hanoi due to his ties with the black market (and of course, to help Miyu). However, after meeting Herald and Progleo, learning about the Lost Incident, and forming alliances with Watchman and Playmaker, it led him to fight the Hanoi and keep those he cares about safe. Also, Herald trusts Yuhiro.

Donjusticia: Just like in the anime, Go and Blue Angel will duel their respective opponents. This way, it saves me time for writing. And I'm glad to see you liked what I did for the data monster. Oh, I'm sorry: How Zombie Prosaber was rescued and joined Playmaker's deck!

E.T. 2000: Glad you enjoyed Rook's first and official appearance in this chapter. Also, the chess pieces will most likely duel starting in Season 3. As to your final question, I can't answer it because of spoilers, but what I can tell you is that anything can happen. I do hope that you've enjoyed seeing Cyreath Caster and Rider so far in the story (with their appearances being from Fate/Stay Night).

Yuman28: Happy that you enjoyed Lord Kazuma's appearance in Chapter 28. You could say that Yuhiro is slowly continuing to hate him, just as much as he is with Infearno (especially now that Infearno knows about Miyu). With there being more heroes than villains, it was only logical to, as Lightning said, "chop the unnecessary weeds." You know, I'm surprised you didn't notice the other movie references in Chapter 28 (one was from a Marvel movie, did you know that?).

Guest: As I've used Piercing, there is a good chance I'll use more Rush-Duel related cards in the future.

Unnamed: You'll have to read on to find out your answer.

Electriuser: I'm happy you enjoyed Lord Kazuma's appearance in the previous chapter. Stay tuned, as he'll have more awesome moments to come!

Guest: Thanks very much for your comment.

Portal: The way Lord Kazuma hunted and enslaved a Cyberse to his will is similar as to how someone would hunt a member of an endangered species. He took his time, found his prey, and eventually subjugated the creature to his will.

ZeroMK7: You never know what Lord Kazuma will unleash next. Still, it's always good to bring out your best weapons against him.

Romadrox8975: Thanks very much.

Revolver: Lord Kazuma's backstory will be revealed in the chapters to come, so stay tuned!

Naruto1999: Yugi would compare Lord Kazuma to Arkana in a heartbeat, that's for sure.

And now it's time for the chapter to cometh!

Chapter 29: The Tower Cometh

At Café Matsuo, in the backroom...

"What have the Hanoi done?!"

Yuhiro just looked at the monitors, shock overcoming every other emotion.

At the center of LINK VRAINS, a massive purple tower had appeared and connected to the sky. Its base was made of several purple tendrils, and a massive grey ring was forming around a purple sphere. The ring was absorbing the nearby buildings, turning them into data.

Roxy narrowed her eyes, clearly upset with what's going on. "Everything... everything in LINK VRAINS is being turned into data. For... for that thing." Suddenly, she was startled as the monitors started ringing. Upon seeing who was calling, she pressed the green phone button on the screen. "You're seeing this too, right Kusanagi?"

"Yup." Kusanagi answered, as a screen popped up, showing his face. "And it's anything but good."

"We're looking into the data Ghost Girl gave us." Yusaku added, typing on the keyboard at Café Nagi. "Just before..." He paused, unsure of how to continue.

"Just before what exactly?" Yuhiro asked.

"Fujiki. What happened to Ghost Girl?" Roxy further inquired, now worried. Yusaku, seeing that they wanted to know, explained what happened from his perspective in the sewer. How he, following his encounter with the data monster, went down to the reprocessing plant to investigate the anomaly. By the time he made it to the center, there was nothing he could do, as Ghost Girl was already in a duel with Revolver.

"And not only did Revolver defeat Ghost Girl," Ai added, "but he used a new Cyberse monster to do so!"

"Emma..." Roxy muttered, before slamming her fists on the keyboard. "Damn it! The Hanoi's going to pay for this!"

"They will." Yuhiro reassured her. "Just as Lord Kazuma will pay for defeating SengokuQueen, we'll avenge Emma as well."

"Can't believe the Hanoi managed to beat two strong duelists in a single day..." Kusanagi said. "Their sacrifices won't go to waste, we'll make sure of it." Yusaku nodded at Kusanagi's declaration.

"Ai, were you able to retrieve the Cyberse monster from the sewers?" Herald asked, emerging from Yuhiro's Duel Disk. "And what was the Cyberse monster Revolver retrieved from the Data Storm?"

"You mean this card?" Ai responded, retrieving Zombie Prosaber from Yusaku's deck and showing it off. "And as to your other question, he... managed to acquire a second 'Topologic' monster called Topologic Trisbaena."

"Oh you got to be kidding me!" Herald exclaimed. "This is just one mess after another."

"Stay focused on this mess, Herald." Yuhiro told Herald. He then directed his attention at the people in Café Nagi. "Could you send the information that Ghost Girl gave you? If four people and two Ignis's work together, we can figure out just what that thing in LINK VRAINS is, as well as how to stop it." Immediately after Yuhiro's request, the monitor pinged, indicating that an email was received. "Thank you very much!"

"Okay, then." Roxy said, stretching her hands. "Let's help analyze this thing from our end, shall we?"

"Right!" Yuhiro replied, nodding his head. He and Roxy, along with Herald, immediately began aiding Yusaku and Kusanagi in analyzing the structure.

At the Den City Shelter...

Quinton was with a group of children watching TV as they saw the tower rise from who-knows-where. Whatever that thing is, he thought, it has to be the Hanoi's doing. Who else would be capable of unleashing a thing like this?

"You're seeing this, right Quinton?" Miles asked, as he came out of the kitchen with a huge tray of milk and cookies for the kids. He then set them down at the nearby table. "Hey guys, I got cookies and milk! Remember your manners!" And upon seeing the milk and cookies, the children raced like a swarm of flies towards them, as they grabbed a cookie and cup each. Miles immediately sat down beside Quinton as they watched the television screen. "This is the Hanoi's last resort, isn't it?"

"For now, I'm afraid so." Quinton confirmed, narrowing his eyes. "But we should be fortunate, Miles. I know several duelists that will log into the network and make a stand with me."

"Wait. You plan on going?" Miles was about to ask, but then a scream from the television interrupted their conversation. The two of them watched as an avatar tried to log out, only for him to fail before turning red and breaking apart. "That's just dark."

"What happened to that man?" one of the children asked, now scared at what was going to happen. "Is he... Is he-?"

Quinton, seeing that they were afraid, went over to calm them down. "It's going to be okay. We'll hopefully get answers in due time." He turned to Miles. "Uh, a little help?"

"Oh, of course!" Miles got up from where he was sitting and also went over to the children in an attempt to calm them down.

At the Kinoshita residence...

"No way..." Tsubaki muttered, shocked at what she was seeing on the TV with her own eyes. Right now, she was in the living room, watching the news when a 'Breaking News' announcement immediately showed the emergence of the tower in LINK VRAINS. "The Hanoi actually did it..."

"Did what, honey?" Hideki asked, bringing a cup of tea to the living room and giving it to her. As soon as he sat down beside her, he knew something was wrong. "Honey?" Tsubaki snapped out of her stupor upon hearing her dad calling out her name. "What's wrong?"

"That's the weapon the Hanoi were working on when I was with them..." Tsubaki answered. The two of them then saw live footage of people trying to run away from the tower. Unfortunately, just like the environment, they turned red and were converted into data.

Hideki grit his teeth. "Those bastards..." He turned to Tsubaki. "To think they'd hurt innocents like this..."

Tsubaki nodded in agreement. She couldn't speak. The fact that she helped a group who would eventually launch a weapon like this shocked her indeed.

"Here." Tsubaki turned her head, only to see Hideki give her a cup of tea. "This should help calm you down."

"Thanks." Tsubaki accepted the cup and took a sip of it, letting the warm water go down her mouth. Yuhiro's Ignis helped clear my record, she thought. But that's not enough. I... I need to make things right, but why do I feel afraid?

At an apartment in Den City...

"We just received a press report from SOL Technologies," a male host said in the newsroom. "As of this moment, LINK VRAINS has been shutdown. However, people are still able to access it. What are your thoughts, Susan?"

"I believe SOL Technologies is hiding something Jeffrey," the blond-curly haired woman named Susan answered her co-host. "If people are able to log in even though SOL Technologies shut down the network, it means they aren't telling us the full truth." She turned to face the screen. "And don't we, the people, deserve the truth?"

"I'm sure Kitamura, the current security manager, is doing his best to remedy the situation." Jeffrey tried to reassure her, but this did not help.

"Honest to God! Akira Zaizen would have actually done something by now if he were in charge! Instead, Kitamura relies on his stupid toys to get the job done. The person who had that brilliant idea to hire Kitamura must have been really stupid!"

"Oh come on, Susan!" The two hosts then started arguing, causing the screen to change to another host temporarily until the issue was resolved.

Rachel, who had been watching the news, scowled. She and Greg watched as that... thing started tearing LINK VRAINS apart. To complicate matters further, all the cameras in LINK VRAINS were destroyed, leaving only the news.

"For once, I'm glad I'm smarter than those idiots." Rachel said, getting up from the bed. "They have no idea what's really going on."

"But that doesn't mean we don't know what's going on either, honey." Greg pointed out. "Remember what I told you about judging others?"

"I know." Rachel remembered, crossing her arms. "Don't be so quick to judge." She looked at the screen. "But still, the Hanoi are responsible for whatever's happening, correct?"

"Obviously." Greg answered, opening his laptop. "No one else but them could make it." But there were still several questions on their minds: What was it? What were the Hanoi's plans? And how could they stop them in time before they were enacted?

At Café Matsuo, in the backroom...

"Hey guys! Look what we found!" Roxy said, opening up what looked like online blueprints for the structure.

"Nice find, Roxy!" Kusanagi said on the screen, praising her skill. He and Yusaku looked through the blueprints for several minutes to see if there were any weaknesses. "No weaknesses, unfortunately."

"But it's just a tower." Ai pointed out to Kusanagi. "Isn't there some sort of weakness?"

"Hold on a minute, Ai." Herald said. "Did you just say 'tower'?"

"Uh, yes."

"Hmm... Tower and Hanoi..." Herald pondered both those words for a few moments until he realized something. "Oh my god!"

"What is it, Herald?" Yuhiro asked, turning to Herald.

"Guys! Look up the Tower of Hanoi! NOW!" Herald responded. "If it's what I think it is, then the Knights of Hanoi are clearly insane! And for once Ai, you may be on to something!" The two groups then did a search of the Tower of Hanoi, which according to Google, was a mathematical puzzle that involved moving an entire stack of rings onto a pole. But it was what they found next what shocked them.

"According to this Web Page," Kusanagi said, reading it, "the Tower of Hanoi was based off a myth involving an Indian temple in Kashi Vishwanath, which had three time-worn posts and 64 disks. The Brahmin priests have been moving these disks in accordance with an ancient prophecy."

"And when all the discs are on the last pole, it's game over." Herald finished for Kusanagi. "I can't believe Revolver would try to do something like that just to kill two Ignis's."

"Normally, I try to look at the positive side of things, but this time, I don't think it can get any worse." Roxy commented, crossing her arms. Yuhiro nodded in agreement with her.

"If it really is the Tower of Hanoi, then would those rings substitute for discs?" Yusaku asked, pointing it out. "Maybe that's how it's absorbing data."

"I can confirm your theory, Fujiki." Yuhiro said, typing on the keyboard. "Those rings absorb data by the hour, and they aren't stopping."

"From what I'm seeing, there seems to be six rings connected to the Tower." Roxy added. "If I take your adventures in the underground reprocessing plant into account Fujiki, the central pillar appears to originate from there and go all the way to the LINK VRAINS network."

"Thanks." Yusaku replied. He turned to Kusanagi. "Is there somewhere in the Tower the data is accumulating at?"

"Right now, at the bottom ring." Kusanagi answered, a hand on his chin. "But if we take what Roxy and Furutani said, then the Tower will be complete within six hours."

"And what happens if all the rings are complete?" Ai asked Kusanagi, who frowned before replying.

"Nothing good, Ai. The data in the Tower will be released in a massive surge that would fry all the computers connected to it. Maybe even the power grid if it's that powerful. In other words, anything that's connected to the grid will shut down forever." A look of shock was on everyone's faces, even Yusaku's, upon hearing that answer.

"But Herald and I aren't connected to the Internet." Ai stated. "We're in the safety of our Duel Disks."

"I hate to admit it, but Ai's right on this one." Herald said. "While the network will be shut down, the both of us will be safe."

"You do realize that Revolver will do anything and everything, even this, to erase you both, right Herald?" Yusaku reminded him.

"Fair point."

"Uh, guys?" Roxy said, getting everyone's attention. "I just did a further analysis on the Tower, and what I found isn't pretty at all."

"What are you saying?" Yuhiro inquired, now worried at what Roxy will say next.

"I'm saying that the Tower is basically a massive EMP weapon. Whatever data's released will be multiplied and spread out to other electronic devices, also shutting them down." She grit her teeth. "To think that the Hanoi would make humanity go back to the stone age with a weapon like this... pisses me off!"

"So that means Ai and I will lose our last life?!" Herald exclaimed, now clearly scared as he hugged himself. "But I don't want to lose my life..."

"Neither you nor Ai will lose your lives." Yuhiro assured him. "Fujiki and I will prevent the Hanoi from doing so, as well as stopping them from harming any more people!"

Unfortunately, that moment was interrupted, as the monitor received a notification, which indicated that Yuhiro and Roxy were getting a call.

"What the-?" Once Yuhiro read who exactly was calling them, he realized that it was Monty trying to contact them! "Shit! Fujiki, Kusanagi. We'll have to call you back! Apparently, we got another caller!"

"Call us back once you're finished." Yusaku said, hanging up once Yuhiro gave a thumbs up in confirmation.

"You hide here, Herald." Roxy told the Ignis, grabbing Yuhiro's Duel Disk and putting it underneath the table. "And stay quiet!" Herald, who understood the situation, immediately nodded, and went into the Duel Disk.

Once Roxy pressed the green phone button, the screen then showed Monty, who was not only bruised up, but also had a black eye, as evident by him putting an icepack on his right eye. In addition, there were a few short but precise cuts on his face.

"Good lord, Monty!" Yuhiro exclaimed, surprised at what he and Roxy were seeing. "What the hell happened to you? We haven't heard from you in a while, and now you call at the worse possible time!"

"I'm quite... aware of that, Raguel." Monty responded, groaning as he applied pressure on his black eye. "Following the gala in Osaka, I unfortunately got involved in a black market scuffle with the other leaders on the black market. Lots of people died, and I was lucky to get out of there alive."

"You can say that again." Roxy said, looking at the screen. "You sure you're going to be okay, Monty?"

"I believe so." Monty answered, sighing. "But enough about me. Let's get down to business. I'm assuming that you already know what's going down in LINK VRAINS?"

"If you mean the Tower of Hanoi, then yes." Yuhiro replied.

"Are you also aware that if the Tower of Hanoi isn't shut down in six hours, the whole network will collapse?"

"I am."

Monty sighed for a second time before continuing. "You remember the last time we spoke?"

"Yes. Three times, actually." Yuhiro recalled. "One: You called to give me the Retrieval Assignment regarding Playmaker's Ai. Two: You wanted me to retrieve the files from Dancho a few days later. Three: Before you attended the gala, you made sure to send an email regarding a Cyberse user and their Cyberse cards."

"I'm giving you a new assignment," Monty said. "Operation: Decimation. Shut down the Tower, and destroy it completely if needed. Defeat the remaining Knights of Hanoi as well. I will pay you four times your usual amount."

Yuhiro nodded his head. "Don't worry, Monty. I'll get the job done. But I need to know: Is there a catch to this job?"

"Not for this one, no." Monty shook his head. "But there is one for the Retrieval assignment on Playmaker's AI."

"And what exactly would that be?" Roxy interrupted. "Because lately, we've been very busy, what with the Another incident and Ace being buddy-buddy with the Hanoi-! "

"Did you say Ace is with the Hanoi?!" Monty immediately asked, causing Roxy to nod her head in confirmation. "Hold on." He then sent a file to Yuhiro and Roxy. "To think that a black market boss would join with the Hanoi... GODDAMN IT! Raguel, be very careful around this guy. He's been a thorn in my side for several years. If you encounter him, beware. He gives me the heebie-jeebies, and not in a good way at all!"

"This helps a lot. And thanks, Monty." Yuhiro said, looking briefly at the files contents. "If I may ask, what exactly is the catch for Playmaker's AI?"

Upon hearing the question, Monty immediately steadied his breath before speaking. "A couple of weeks after the Osaka incident, my client, who seeks Playmaker's AI for who-knows-why, tracked me down and cornered me in an alleyway." He pointed at the precise cuts on his face. "After I told him I didn't have it with me, he unsheathed his katana and slashed me several times in the face as punishment. He said that if I didn't bring him Playmaker's AI soon, he'd have both my head and yours!"

"Okay, that's not good at all..." Yuhiro said, now concerned with what he just heard. From what Monty told them just now, the person who spoke to Monty about Playmaker's AI punished him for the delay. What's worse, they threatened him directly and Yuhiro indirectly with death if they failed again. But who would want an Ignis? Yuhiro's first suspect was SOL Technologies, but if that were the case, they would have sent an agent to do their dirty work. He ultimately decided to put the issue aside for now, as there were more pressing matters.

"I'm sorry to have scared you," Monty apologized, "but I wanted to give you a heads-up because of how urgent the matter is now. My client is merciful, however, and is willing to pay you extra if you capture the AI and send it to me, where I can then bring to him."

"And how much is this client talking?" Yuhiro raised an eyebrow, now curious.

"Eight times the usual amount."

While Roxy's mouth dropped at the announcement, Yuhiro whistled, having been caught off guard. He thought it over for a brief moment before responding. "Like I said, Monty. You won't have to worry. I'll destroy the Tower of Hanoi, finish the Knights of Hanoi off, and retrieve that AI. After all, I have a good feeling that Playmaker will show up with it, as he intends to face the Hanoi."

"Splendid. I knew I could count on you." Monty said, wiping the sweat off his face. "Let me know how it goes once it's done." He then hung up after that.

"I hate it when I have to lie." Yuhiro said, turning to Roxy. "It doesn't sound right at all, nor is good."

"Ditto." Roxy said back, as she went underneath the table and grabbing Yuhiro's Duel Disk before giving it to him. "And just so we're clear, after this..."

"Don't worry, I already know what you're going to say." Yuhiro immediately stated. "We'll end our working relationship with Monty and the black market once the Tower is toppled."

"It's safe to come out now, right?" Herald asked, interrupting them.

"Of course it is, Herald." Yuhiro responded, giving the Ignis the okay before he emerged out of the Duel Disk. Once that was done, Yuhiro then pressed the FaceTime icon on the monitor before calling back Kusanagi and Yusaku, who immediately accepted the call.

"You guys didn't take so long at all." Kusanagi stated, as he and Yusaku came on-screen.

"Did we miss any new information while we were away?" Yuhiro asked, curious.

"While you were away, Kitamura logged into LINK VRAINS and spoke with Revolver, where things eventually went downhill for him." Yusaku answered.

"WHAT?!" Roxy exclaimed, shocked at what she just heard. "I missed Kitamura getting his ass handed to him?! Please send me the recording! I must see it with my own eyes!" Yuhiro, meanwhile, looked at her with a look of concern and worry.

"Do what she says, Yusaku!" Ai begged him. "That lady scares me!"

"I heard that, Ai!" Roxy immediately replied, scaring the poor Ignis even more. Soon, a notification appeared on the monitor, indicating that Yusaku sent the recording. "Now to watch the fireworks happen..." Roxy pressed the 'Play' button on the recording, a mischievous smile on her face.

Once the recording loaded, it showed Kitamura entering into LINK VRAINS, demanding to speak with Revolver. As soon as Revolver arrived and demanded an explanation from him (under threat of erasure of course), Kitamura immediately got to the point, where he proposed to preside over LINK VRAINS together. He even laid out some good points – stating that he, as security chief, can tell the staff not to work and let the Hanoi win in the end.

"I see." Revolver finally said, smiling. "Your proposal is good, but we'll need to see a demonstration of your abilities first." He walked away from Kitamura and into a portal. "Let's see how you can handle him."

"Wait? Where are you going?" Kitamura asked in panic.

"Hello there," a new voice said, as its owner appeared behind Kitamura from a portal, revealing himself to be Specter.

"Uh, who are you?" Kitamura said, turning to face Specter.

"I am Specter." Specter introduced himself. "And I'll be testing your abilities in a Master Duel."

"A... A Master Duel?" Kitamura repeated. Unfortunately, the recording started fizzling around that part.

"Oh come on!" Roxy complained. "I wanted to see Kitamura getting his ass handed to him!"

"Um, I think the recording is picking up again." Yuhiro pointed out, much to Roxy's relief. The recording then showed Specter engaged in a duel with Kitamura, with the former having Sunvine Thrasher on his field, while the latter had nothing at all.

"Battle!" Specter declared. "Sunvine Thrasher attacks you directly!" Thrasher charged forward and sliced upward at Kitamura, causing his life points to drop to zero.

Yuhiro narrowed his eyes. Kitamura lost that quickly? Something told him that Specter shouldn't be underestimated, especially if he was one of the remaining Knights of Hanoi.

Specter then walked forward to Kitamura, stating that he failed the test. Soon after, he snapped his fingers, causing the security chief of SOL Technologies to turn red before breaking apart into data.

"Damn," Roxy muttered. "I know he deserved that, but damn." She then focused her attention on the screen. "Thank you, Fujiki. For sending the recording. Here's something for the both of you in return." She typed on the keyboard for a minute before sending the information on Ace to them.

"When did you get this?" Kusanagi asked, looking over the information with Yusaku, who narrowed his eyes as he read it.

"Just recently." Yuhiro answered him. "Our boss Monty called us and sent it over after we told him about Ace's involvement with the Hanoi."

"You're still not going to hunt me down, are you?" Ai begged. Herald then turned to Yuhiro, a look of curiosity on his face.

"Ai, I told Fujiki a while ago that I'd cease my assignment on you, remember?" Yuhiro reminded Ai, causing the Ignis to breath in relief. "I'm not that kind of person anymore."

"The fact that you have honor, a goal, and ethics makes me proud to have you as both an Origin and a Partner." Herald stated, pleased with Yuhiro.

"Uh, thanks."

"Hey, guys." Roxy interrupted. "The recording picked up something else. I'm decoding it now!" After she spent a minute typing on the keyboard, the recording resumed playing.

"This is a message not just to Playmaker and Raguel, but to everyone." Specter said on the recording. "The Knights of Hanoi have control over LINK VRAINS now. If you log into the network, you'll suffer the same fate as Kitamura, the security chief who failed you. No Entry." The recording then closed out.

Yuhiro scowled at the screen.

"He's challenging us, Fujiki." Yuhiro realized.

"Not just us, but anyone bold enough to log into the network." Yusaku clarified. He turned to Kusanagi. "Kusanagi, is my duel board ready?"

"Uh, I don't think you'll have a chance to use it buddy." Kusanagi responded. "Most of the data will be around the Tower, so the both of you will have to make it on foot."

Yusaku nodded at Kusanagi before turning at the screen at Café Nagi. "Furutani, I'll meet you in the network." He then hung up afterwards.

Yuhiro, after a moment, stood up and put his Duel Disk on his left arm.

"You're logging into LINK VRAINS, aren't you?" Roxy deduced, her eyes wide.

"Yes." Yuhiro answered. "For three reasons." He held up a finger. "One: I can't let people like the Knights of Hanoi hurt innocent people. It goes against my nature not only as a duelist, but as a person that aims to protect those they care about." He held up a second finger. "Two: Over my interactions with Herald and Progleo, learning about the Lost Incident, and forming alliances with Watchman and Playmaker, I've realized there's more at stake than I realize. I'm not only just fighting for this world, I'm fighting for another one as well." He held up a third finger. "Three: I made a promise to Miyu that I would fight until she and Roxy are reunited, and are able to be with each other once again."

"That was... beautiful, man. Bravo!" Herald said, clapping his hands.

Roxy couldn't help but smile in gratitude upon hearing Yuhiro's declarations. This boy in front of her was willing to risk it all to fight for what was right, and she couldn't be any prouder of him.

At the Den City Shelter...

"I'm glad to hear you're logging in, Go." Quinton said on the phone. He was currently in the kitchen, while Miles looked after the kids.

"The people of Den City need to know that I won't let anything hurt them." Go stated on the other end.

"There's more to it, isn't there Go?" Quinton asked. "You want the winning glory again, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Go admitted, although a bit louder than intended. "Sorry. I... I've been dealing with a lot lately. I am glad, though, that I have a friend who's going in with me."

"Vice versa." Quinton replied, a smile on his face. "We'll talk about it more once we log in, okay?"

"Alright." Go then hung up on his end. Afterwards, Quinton then walked out of the kitchen and into the room where Miles and the kids were.

"Miles, you got a sec?" Quinton asked, causing Miles to turn his attention to him at the mention of his name.

"Yeah sure." Miles stood up. "I'll be right back everyone. Behave yourselves." He then followed Quinton into the kitchen and closed the door behind him. "Everything alright?"

"Miles, there's something I need to tell you, and you'll probably freak out." Quinton began, a grim look on his face. "I'm logging into LINK VRAINS and aiding Go in defeating the Knights of Hanoi."

A look of shock was on Miles' face before it turned to determination. "Then let me come with you! I have a deck, and I've practiced for weeks now!"

"No." Quinton decided, putting a hand on Miles' shoulder. "These Knights of Hanoi are far different from the grunts and sergeants. They're more skilled, and if something happened to you, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on the kids while I'm away. You're the only one with my skills to take care of them, and at a young age to. Can I count on you?"

Miles nodded his head, having understood what was going to happen. "Alright. I'll do my best."

"Thanks." Quinton was about to leave the kitchen when Miles spoke up.

"Quinton," he said. "Good luck out there."

Quinton smiled back at Miles, before opening the kitchen door and going upstairs.

At the Kinoshita residence...

Tsubaki stood up from the couch, having made her decision. Although a part of her was afraid of what's to come, she couldn't make things right if she did nothing.

"What is it, honey?" Hideki asked her.

"I'm going into LINK VRAINS dad." Tsubaki stated.

"You do know what will happen if you lose while in LINK VRAINS, right?" Hideki tried to remind her as he stood up.

"And are you aware of what will happen if I do nothing?" Tsubaki countered back. "The entire network will be destroyed, and thousands of people could potentially die! I can't just sit back and let the professionals do this!" She then pointed to her head. "I worked with the Knights of Hanoi, and I have information that I can provide in toppling the Tower for good! So please dad. Let me do this."

To Tsubaki's surprise, Hideki smiled. "Your persistent and strong-willed attitude reminds me of your mother, you know that?"

"Uh...?"

"Follow me upstairs." Hideki then told Tsubaki, who immediately followed him to his room. "I had initially planned on giving these to you in Iceland once I finished them all, but given the circumstances, I guess now's a better time than any." He went over to a desk with several drawers in it and pulled the top one out, revealing several cards before scooping them out and giving them to Tsubaki. "These cards will not only reinforce your current strategy, but also let you experiment with new ones as well. Oh, and one more thing." He went further into the drawer and pulled out a small box that could hold a card. "Since everyone has a Link Monster these days, I thought I'd make one for you in the hopes it could aid you in your duels."

Tsubaki looked over all the cards her dad gave her, her attention fixated on the Link Monster she got. Crossrose Dragon, she thought, looking over the card's effects. "These cards are perfect, dad. I promise to use them and kick the Hanoi's ass!"

"That's my girl." Hideki said, pulling his daughter in for a hug.

At an apartment in Den City...

Rachel walked over to the desk and picked up her Duel Disk from the table.

Greg, upon seeing this, turned to her with wide eyes. "What are you doing? You're not actually planning on going into LINK VRAINS?"

"Yes I am." Rachel answered, her mind made up. "And from past experience, I don't think you can stop me."

"That we can agree on."

"Also, even if I don't go, Watchman will want me to aid in whatever way I can." Rachel added, looking at Greg in the eyes. "Besides. If that device succeeds in whatever it's doing, both adults and children will suffer the consequences!" As Greg looked back at Rachel, he recognized the look she gave him. It was almost like the one she gave him six years ago, when she wanted to help him with his job. For one purpose: To prevent others like her from experiencing the same pain she did under that wretched woman.

He then sighed in defeat, knowing it was pointless to continue arguing. "Alright. I'll let you go, but before you do, I want to give something." He grabbed his own Duel Disk from the table and pushed some buttons. Rachel looked at her Duel Disk and her eyes widened.

"What's this?" Rachel asked.

"Some extra cards to help you," Greg explained. "I had a feeling the Hanoi looked at your duels during the Another incident and figured out your strategies, especially with Final Sigma being your trump card. That's why I'm providing you with some additional cards for support. Hope it helps."

Rachel smiled. "Thanks, Greg. I promise you: I will come back!"

At Café Matsuo, in the backroom...

Yuhiro walked to the closed-off space, ready to enter it. But before he did, Roxy got his attention.

"Bring everyone back, Yuhiro!" Roxy told him. "And by everyone, I mean everyone!"

Yuhiro turned his head and smiled. "Don't worry. I will. And once Emma returns to the land of the living, you can yell at her in person for losing against Revolver."

Roxy laughed at that. "Kick Infearno's ass for me as well. Make sure you do it so hard he thinks twice before threatening Miyu's life!"

"Don't worry, Roxy. I will." Yuhiro then went into the closed-off space and closed the door behind him. He then took out his deck and inserted it into his Duel Disk. "Deck Set!"

Quinton, Rachel, Tsubaki, and Yuhiro all shouted, "Into the VRAINS!"

In LINK VRAINS...

"The Tower's up ahead..." Playmaker muttered, as he looked at it from where he was. Given the fact that he had six hours to shut it down, it was his priority to get there before it was too late. But before he could make a move on, he noticed Raguel land a few inches away from him.

"Hey there, Playmaker!" Raguel said, greeting him.

"Glad to see you came." Playmaker replied, turning to face him.

"Playmaker!" The two of them turned to the left.

"Go Onizuka!" Playmaker said, recognizing Go's voice.

"And Stregone!" Raguel added, as the two men ran to where the others were.

"Um, guys? Over here!" Ai said, pointing to the right. They turned as Blue Angel walked to where they were.

"So the four of you came too," Blue Angel deduced.

"Not just them, Blue Angel."

The four turned as Rosetta came, walking up from behind Playmaker.

"You're not forgetting about me, are you?" Numera said, as Final Sigma landed on the ground where they were, carrying her. Except for Raguel and Playmaker, everyone was surprised by Final Sigma's appearance as Numera hopped to the ground, the massive robot turning into particles in the process.

"N-Not that again..." Go muttered, facepalming himself in annoyance while Stregone laughed at his misery.

"Why are you here?" Playmaker asked them.

"That's what I was going to say," Go said. "Last time I checked Blue Angel, you didn't join our alliance during the 'Another' incident. Instead, you simply turned around and left."

"That's enough, Go." Stregone warned him.

"It's okay, Stregone." Blue Angel told him, before turning to Go. "When the mastermind behind the 'Another' incident appeared, at first, I logged into LINK VRAINS for revenge. But following that duel, I learned my reason for dueling. It's for the sake of others; to keep them safe from what's to come. So be assured, Go. I'll fight to protect everyone from now on!"

"Glad to hear that, Blue Angel." Go said, pleased with the statement. "Believe it or not, I'm here for the same thing. After all, its my duty as the hero of LINK VRAINS to keep people safe!"

"Always full of energy." Ai commented.

Go looked at Ai. "So you're the Ignis everyone wants these days."

"And this Ignis has a name, you know! Ai! Call me Master Ai from now on! Actually, Emperor Ai! Or Sensei Ai! Or-!"

"How about Aiball?" Herald interrupted, emerging from Raguel's Duel Disk before punching Ai in the shoulder to shut him up.

"You have an Ignis too, Raguel?" Go asked, shocked at what he was seeing.

"You're all here. Good," the voice of Watchman suddenly interrupted, as its owner emerged from a gateway in front of them. "There might be hope yet."

"So you're here, Watchman." Raguel said, looking at him.

"Yes. I have come to aid in putting an end to the Knights of Hanoi." Watchman explained.

"Playmaker, what about you?" Blue Angel asked, getting his attention. "Why are you here?"

"For three reasons." Playmaker answered. "One: I'm here to stop the Tower of Hanoi from destroying the network. Two: I must end things with the person responsible for the Lost Incident. Three: I must rescue Ghost Girl, as she gave me the information on the Tower of Hanoi."

Blue Angel's eyes widened. "Did something happen to her?"

"Yes. Revolver defeated her in a duel, which resulted in her being turned into data for the Tower to absorb."

"Not just her, but Lord Kazuma defeated SengokuQueen in a duel as well." Raguel added, getting Rosetta's attention.

"No way." Blue Angel said in shock, while Rosetta looked down at the ground, unable to reply.

"What info did Ghost Girl give to you, Playmaker?" Go asked him.

"Perhaps I could clarify for you, Go Onizuka." Watchman answered, as the Spatial Cube emerged from his Duel Disk. It then molded into an exact replica of the Tower of Hanoi. "Revolver and Infearno, along with the remaining Knights of Hanoi plan to use this Tower to destroy the entire network."

"Say what now?!" Go exclaimed.

"That's impossible." Blue Angel stated, trying to deny it.

"No. It's not." Rosetta rebutted, causing everyone to turn to her. "When I worked with the Knights of Hanoi, I aided in providing material for it. Not only did I acquire Cyberse cards for it, I also brought supplies to a man named Infearno, who's responsible for the Tower's overall construction."

"Then why are you helping us now?" Go growled at her. "For all we know, you could be a double-agent!"

"I logged in of my own free will to make up for all that I done." Rosetta answered, facing Go. "In the network, I was known as 'The Graceful Assassin', a ruthless killer. But all that changed when Raguel and his Ignis helped me move on from that life. I'm here to make amends, starting now!"

"What Rosetta speaks of is only truth, Go Onizuka." Watchman told him, calming him down. "As Rosetta said, it's not impossible. Once the Tower of Hanoi is complete, all information in the network will be destroyed."

"But if that happens," Blue Angel said, "won't the consciousness data of Ghost Girl be erased as well?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Playmaker answered her. "That's why I must stop it before it activates."

"And I don't want to be erased either," Ai pointed out, earning him another punch on the shoulder from Herald. "Oh, come on!"

"No one wants to be erased, Ai." Herald stated. "So put those big boy pants of yours on and get ready for the battles to come!"

"Is there a way to stop it, sir?" Go asked Watchman.

"We can stop it by defeating Revolver and Infearno." Watchman replied. "But beware. You'll only have six hours to stop them, or the Tower will be completed."

"Six hours!" Blue Angel, Stregone, Numera, Rosetta, and Go all said at the same time.

Playmaker looked at the Tower. "Revolver is undoubtedly at the top. I'll go there and finish things with him before the clock runs out."

"Not just him," Raguel said. "Infearno is also there, and I have some unfinished business with him!" Stregone looked at Raguel with a look of worry upon hearing that.

Go raised a fist. "Then I'm going!"

"Me too!" Blue Angel said.

"The Sorcerer of LINK VRAINS isn't running from this fight!" Stregone said.

"I'll help in anyway I can!" Rosetta said.

"Don't forget me!" Numera said.

"I'm sorry everyone, but no." Playmaker answered, much to everyone's disappointment, except for Raguel's. "It's too dangerous."

"How disappointing, Playmaker." Numera rebuked him, as she walked up to where he was. "Why don't you want our help? Is it because you're too confident in your abilities? Could it be that you care about the safety of others behind that cold expression on your face? Or could it be... something else?"

"You don't understand, Numera." Playmaker said. "And there's no time to explain it to a child like you." The next thing Playmaker knew, Numera punched him in the gut, surprising everyone as he took a knee.

"I may not understand what you went through," Numera said, "but I went through a different hell than you did. Yet I'm still here. Want to know why?" She grabbed Playmaker's hair, forcing him to look at her in the eyes. "It's because I don't want something similar or worse to happen to others!"

"Numera, stand down!" Watchman ordered, causing Numera to step away from Playmaker as he stood up again. "Playmaker, even though everyone's reasons for logging in are different, they do have one thing in common: To end the Knights of Hanoi." The Spatial Cube then transformed into a map of LINK VRAINS. "Gather around, everyone." Soon, everyone went around the map generated by the Spatial Cube.

"This is what I suggest. We split up and scour LINK VRAINS for Revolver and Infearno. From there, we defeat them and the remaining Knights of Hanoi in duels."

"Watchman makes a valid point." Raguel stated. "With the eight of us, we'll be able to find Revolver and Infearno!"

"Seven, actually." Watchman clarified, turning to Raguel. "While all of you find Revolver and Infearno, I will find the head of the serpent and stop him before it's too late."

"Head of the serpent?" Stregone repeated. "So you're saying Revolver's some sort of figurehead?"

"Something like that." Watchman answered, as a portal appeared behind him. "Good luck. All of you." He then stepped into it as it closed behind him.

Playmaker sighed before breaking the silence and turning to face the others. "Do what you want," he finally said. "But be careful. Just before Ghost Girl turned into data, she warned me of a powerful card Revolver has. One that, if not paid attention to, can turn the tide of the duel around."

"Watch out for Infearno as well." Raguel added. "The last time I faced him, he got stronger, even after using nearly everything I had. So make sure you stay on your guard."

Everyone nodded in response.

"Good luck, everyone." Go said.

"See ya!" Ai said.

Blue Angel, Go, Playmaker, Raguel, Numera, Rosetta, and Stregone all turned and headed down different roads. While Stregone followed Go, who followed Raguel and Playmaker, Numera went and turned left. Meanwhile, Blue Angel and Rosetta turned right.

Elsewhere, on top of a building overseeing everything going on was a mysterious young man wearing an azure overcoat over a jet-black suit. Black X's with blue lines running in them were at the sleeves of the man's overcoat, as well as below the knee portion of the jet-black suit. Covering his eyes was an azure-colored mask, with a bladed curve underneath the left eye. The young man felt the wind touch his attire and his white, swept back hair as he maintained a fierce, yet stoic expression on his face.

"So, the game of destiny has begun," the azure-overcoated man said. "Even though the outcome is already decided, everyone is still wasting their efforts. Regardless, these coming battles will interesting to watch, as it will help us gauge who's our enemy and who's our ally." He then leapt from the building onto another, and continued doing so for a few seconds before stopping at a building, where he saw Blue Angel and Rosetta reach a crossroad.

"We should split up here." Blue Angel said. "I'll keep going straight, while you turn left."

"Right." Rosetta agreed. Blue Angel was about to keep running when Rosetta spoke up. "Uh, Blue Angel?"

"Yeah?" Blue Angel turned around to face her.

"I wanted to thank you. For helping me."

"What do you mean?"

"My dad told me of what you did." Rosetta explained. "He said that you knew Raguel in real life, which led to the chain of events that ultimately helped me instead of hurting me further." She scratched the back of her head. "What I'm trying to say is, thank you. For the part you played in bringing my dad and I back together."

Blue Angel didn't know what to say for several seconds. Eventually, she said with a smile, "After what I went through, being used as the Hanoi's guinea pig, I didn't want anyone else to be used by the Hanoi. I'm just glad that I was able to make a difference." The two girls then chuckled.

"Say, Blue Angel? When this is over, do you want to be friends?" Rosetta asked.

"Of course! I'd love to be friends with you!" Blue Angel replied. She then turned her head to the Tower. "Guess I'll see you on the other side."

"You as well." Blue Angel then ran straight, while Rosetta turned left and continued to keep running.

Reidrith, Jeanne Azaria, Rosetta thought. I will get your Cyberse cards back from the Tower. And I promise. I'll make amends for what I've done. Unbeknownst to her, the azure-overcoated man followed her by leaping from building to building.

"Come on legs, run faster..." Rosetta muttered to herself. Suddenly, a gust of wind burst from behind her, giving her a scare as she stopped running. The azure-overcoated man following her also stopped at a nearby building, overlooking the scenario that was about to happen.

"Whoever's out there, show yourself!"

"Making demands now?" a familiar voice said. "My, my. Now that's a first."

Rosetta gasped as a cloaked person rounded a corner and came into view. She immediately widened her eyes upon looking at his face. "Ace? Is that you?"

As though in confirmation, Ace grabbed the edge of his cloak and threw it off him, letting the wind carry it away. "It is, Rosetta! And let me tell you! I'm happy to see you of all people!" He then started laughing.

"How?" Rosetta demanded, her eyes wide. "I saw you fall several feet from the Hanoi Stronghold!"

"And I would have died if it weren't for the program I had." Ace pointed out. "But back to the main point. I'm glad you're alive. Come with me while there's still time. I got more than enough for us to survive and rebuild once the network gets destroyed."

"NO!" Rosetta answered, surprising Ace for a brief moment. "I'm not going with you! In fact, I'm never working, obeying, or staying with you ever again!"

"You must be in shock, and I understand that." Ace said, trying to placate Rosetta. "After being in a hospital room for a while does that to you. May I remind you that you were abandoned by your family, who was supposed to be there for you following your mother's death from cancer. You had no one to turn to, and when you were ready to give it all up, I saved you. Me, Ace! Now let's go before-!"

"I SAID NO!" Rosetta answered once again, much to the shock of Ace. "If it weren't for the attack on the Hanoi Stronghold, I never would have been able to reconcile with my father. I never would have been able to realize my family still loved me, and I most certainly would have never been able to find peace in myself once again. All that you gave me was a sham. Just an imitation for your own gain!"

"YOU DARE DEFY ME?!" Ace exclaimed, before suddenly laughing. "Ah. I realize now. It was Raguel. He seized the opportunity and changed your way of thinking, didn't he?" Rosetta's eyes widened. "As I told you before, you don't have to be a genius to figure it out. Maybe I should pay him a visit..." But before he could move a muscle, Rosetta activated her Duel Disk, getting his attention.

"Sorry, Ace." Rosetta said. "But I'm not letting you get to him. Besides. I intend to finish things with you. Our working relationship is over!"

Ace smirked as he activated his own Duel Disk. "If that's your decision, then how could I say no to a feisty girl like you?" Rosetta gritted her teeth in anger.

"I'll have you know I made some upgrades since we last dueled." Rosetta warned him.

"Then let's see how much you grown..." Ace taunted.

So this girl Rosetta is about to duel Ace, a black market boss, the azure-overcoated man thought to himself, watching their confrontation on top of a nearby building. While I only saw his Speed Duel against Playmaker, I am curious as to how he'll do in a Master Duel. Whatever the case, the first battle has begun.

"Duel!" they shouted at the same time.

Rosetta: 4000 LP

Ace: 4000 LP

"If you don't mind, I'll go first." Rosetta said.

"That's fine by me." Ace complied. "After all, I am a gentleman."

Rosetta gritted her teeth again, only in annoyance as she looked at her hand. Upon doing so, her eyes widened. Yes, she thought. She drew the card that can cripple Ace's entire deck on the very first turn! With this and her new cards, she can defeat him quickly. "I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Prohibition! I can declare one card name, and while this card is on the field, any card that has that name and its effects cannot be used! I declare Evil Eye of Selene!"

"What?!" Ace exclaimed, having been caught off guard by her opening move. "Damn you..."

"I summon Twilight Rose Knight from my hand!" Rosetta continued. A female knight with short blue hair and yellow eyes, a long white cape, and wearing dark, rosy armor on the upper portion of her body appeared on Rosetta's field. On her head was a large, dark rosy tiara. In her left hand, she carried a sword.

Twilight Rose Knight ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LV: 3

"Twilight Rose Knight's effect! When she's Normal Summoned, I get to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Plant monster from my hand! Come, Botanical Girl!" A teenage girl wearing plant-like clothing all over her body appeared on Rosetta's field. Her hair consisted of large rose petals at the front, while at the back, there was a large bulb.

Botanical Girl ATK: 1300 DEF: 1000 LV: 3

"I now tune the Level 3 Twilight Rose Knight with the Level 3 Botanical Girl!" A bolt of green lightning struck Rosetta as the world greyed out, causing her two monsters to disappear. Two rings, one black and one pink, appeared before turning blue and merging. Six blue rings stacked in a tower then appeared, a screen displaying "3 + 3" in front of them. The screen changed to a "6" as light surged through the rings.

"Queen of the hidden castle, let the forces of mother nature course through you!" Rosetta chanted. "Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 6! Queen of Thorns!" A woman in a green and red dress covered in leaves and vines appeared on Rosetta's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.

Queen of Thorns ATK: 2200 DEF: 1800 LV: 6

"As long as Queen of Thorns is on the field, we must pay 1000 life points to Normal or Special Summon a monster from our hands, except if it's a Plant monster." Rosetta explained. "In addition, I'll activate Botanical Girl's effect! Since she was sent to the Graveyard, I get to add a Plant monster with 1000 or less defense points from my deck to my hand." A card then popped out of Rosetta's deck, which she took and added to her hand.

Rosetta took two cards from her hand and Set them face-down on her field. "I Set two cards face-down and end my turn. Now let's see how you'll get through this."

"My turn! I draw!" Ace said, drawing the top card of his deck before looking at what he drew. Rosetta's been in my company for so long that she knows the ins and outs of my deck, he thought. I didn't anticipate her trying to lock me down on the first turn, but oh well. It'll make it more fun for me once I break her! "I activate the Spell card, Evil Eye Reemergence! This card lets me Special Summon one 'Familiar of the Evil Eye' token to my field. Now emerge!" A yellow eyeball in a lens floated onto Ace's field.

Familiar of the Evil Eye Token ATK: 400 DEF: 400 LV: 1

"Appear! The circuit of the all-consuming Evil Eye!" A Link Portal soon appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are one 'Evil Eye' monster! I'll set the Familiar of the Evil Eye token into the Link Markers!" The Familiar of the Evil Eye token turned into a red tornado of energy that went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Beltran, Familiar of the Evil Eye!" A violet-colored raven flew onto Ace's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. On Beltran's head was a small, red eye.

Beltran, Familiar of the Evil Eye ATK: 100 LINK-1 ⬇️

"When Beltran is successfully Link Summoned, I'm allowed to add an 'Evil Eye' card from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of Ace's deck, which he added to his hand. "I now activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Glare of the Evil Eye!" The card showed a red eyeball with a yellow pupil glaring intensely at Serziel, as he bravely approached it, holding the Evil Eye of Selene in his right hand. "This card lets me target one card you control and negate its effects until the End Phase. I target Queen of Thorns!" A red blast of light fired out of the card and hit Queen of Thorns, temporarily draining her of her strength.

"Queen of Thorns!" Rosetta exclaimed. He could have used Glare of the Evil Eye to negate Prohibition, she thought. But if I know him, he only did it to prolong the duel for his enjoyment.

"Since your Synchro monster's effects are negated, I'm now free to summon my monsters!" Ace stated. "Like this one! I summon Medusa, Watcher of the Evil Eye from my hand!" A purple-haired girl wearing black and green clothing appeared on Ace's field. Her left eye was red, while her right eye was milky-pearl.

Medusa, Watcher of the Evil Eye ATK: 1400 DEF: 1600 LV: 4

"Medusa's effect! When it's Normal Summoned, I get to add an 'Evil Eye' card from my Graveyard to my hand. I return Glare of the Evil Eye from my hand!" A card briefly popped out of Ace's Graveyard before he added it to his hand. "Next, I activate the effect of Basilius, Familiar of the Evil Eye! As I control an 'Evil Eye' monster, I'm allowed to Special Summon this card from my hand to my field!" A blue and black serpent with a big red eye on its head also appeared on Ace's field and hissed at Playmaker.

Basilius, Familiar of the Evil Eye ATK: 400 DEF: 2000 LV: 3

"Basilius's effect!" Ace continued. "Once per turn, I'm allowed to send an 'Evil Eye' Spell or Trap card from my deck to my Graveyard. I think I'll send Evil Eye of Gorgoneio from my deck to my Graveyard." A second card popped out of Ace's deck, only he sent it to the Graveyard.

"Appear, once again! The circuit of the all-consuming Evil Eye!" A second Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two monsters, one of which must be an 'Evil Eye' monster! I'll set Medusa, Watcher of the Evil Eye, and Beltran, Familiar of the Evil Eye, which is a Link 1 monster, into the Link Markers!" Beltran went into the top arrowhead, while Medusa went into the bottom arrowhead.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Gorgon, Empress of the Evil Eyed!" A white-haired woman wearing a black and purple dress covered by white and red armor emerged from the Link Portal and landed on Ace's field in the right Extra Monster zone. Covering her left eye was a white mechanical device with a red lens.

Gorgon, Empress of the Evil Eyed ATK: 1900 LINK-2 ⬆️⬇️

"I'm sure you're familiar with Gorgon's effect, yes?" Ace asked Rosetta.

"Gorgon gains 100 attack points for every 'Evil Eye' card in the Graveyard with a different name." Rosetta recalled.

"It's good to see you remember my monster's abilities." Ace replied. "And since there's four 'Evil Eye' cards with different names, Gorgon gains 400 attack points." A red aura enveloped Gorgon as she powered up.

Gorgon, Empress of the Evil Eyed ATK: 1900 + 400 = 2300

"Appear, for a third time! The circuit of the all-consuming Evil Eye!" A third Link Portal appeared above Ace. "The summoning conditions are one 'Evil Eye' monster! I'll set Basilius, Familiar of the Evil Eye into the Link Markers!" Basilius went into the top arrowhead, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Huan, Familiar of the Evil Eye!" A black fox with three tails ran out of the Link Portal and onto Ace's field in the Main Monster Zone Gorgon was pointing to, resulting in them being co-linked. The small creature had pieces of purple armor on its body and legs, as well as on its head. The creature also had two sets of ears: Two big ones at the top, and two little ones on its sides. Upon looking at Rosetta, Huan narrowed its red eye and growled at her.

Huan, Familiar of the Evil Eye ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬆️

"As there's one more 'Evil Eye' card in the Graveyard with a different name, Gorgon gains 100 more attack points." Ace added.

Gorgon, Empress of the Evil Eyed ATK: 2300 + 100 = 2400

"Battle! Huan, Familiar of the Evil Eye attacks you directly!" To Rosetta's surprise, Huan charged forward at Rosetta, intent on sinking its teeth into her.

"Wait, what? How did you-?" Rosetta was about to say, but then took it back. If I know him, he can be quite unpredictable, she recalled. I luckily have my cards to aid me. "I activate the Trap card, Offensive Guard! Since your monster declared a direct attack, not only can I halve its attack points until the End Phase, I get to draw a card as well!" Offensive Guard fired a blast that hit Huan, temporarily siphoning the fox of its strength.

Huan, Familiar of the Evil Eye ATK: 1000 / 2 = 500

Before Huan could lunge at Rosetta, she was able to raise her left arm to act as a shield, causing the fox to bite it instead before being shaken off.

Rosetta: 4000 – 500 = 3500 LP

As Rosetta drew a card from her deck, she asked, "I'm guessing your monster is able to attack me directly due to its effect, right Ace?"

"That's correct!" Ace confirmed. "As long as Huan is pointing to an 'Evil Eye' monster, it gets to attack you directly. Putting that aside, it's time for Gorgon to attack Queen of Thorns!" Gorgon's two lenses lit up before firing a beam of red energy at Queen of Thorns, blasting a hole inside her before turning into particles. As a result, Rosetta's body slightly winced.

Rosetta: 3500 – 200 = 3300 LP

"I Set two cards face-down and end my turn." Ace concluded. "Which means Huan's attack points revert to normal."

Huan, Familiar of the Evil Eye ATK: 500 X 2 = 1000

"I must say, Rosetta. Even with those surprises of yours, I still was able to get around them."

"Perhaps." Rosetta agreed. "But this duel has only begun. My turn! I draw!" She drew the top card of her deck. "I activate the Trap card, Synchro Spirits! I can select a Synchro monster in my Graveyard and banish it. By doing so, if the monsters used for that monster's Synchro Summon are in the Graveyard, I get to Special Summon them back! Return, Twilight Rose Knight and Botanical Girl!" At her command, Twilight Rose Knight and Botanical Girl reappeared on her field.

Twilight Rose Knight ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LV: 3

Botanical Girl ATK: 1300 DEF: 1000 LV: 3

"I get what you're doing..." Ace realized. "You intend on Synchro Summoning your Black Rose Dragon to wipe the field out, just like you've always done. But I won't let you!" He gestured to one of his face-down cards. "Continuous-Trap card, activate! Evil Eye Mesmerism! Since you Special Summoned a monster, this card lets me target one of your monsters that has less attack points than an 'Evil Eye' monster on my field and take control of it!"

"What?" Rosetta said in shock.

"I choose your Twilight Rose Knight!" A purple aura surrounded Evil Eye Mesmerism before firing itself onto Twilight Rose Knight, causing the female warrior to jump onto Ace's field. "Now you're tuner-less!"

To Ace's surprise, however, the shocked reaction on Rosetta's face changed into one of confidence. "Why are you so confident of a sudden?"

"Because I'm flexible." Rosetta answered. "But why tell you when I can show you? I'll start by summoning Nettles from my hand." A small grass monster with eyes and a large mouth sprouted onto Rosetta's field.

Nettles ATK: 1200 DEF: 400 LV: 2

"I now tune the Level 2 Nettles with the Level 3 Botanical Girl!" A bolt of green lightning struck Rosetta as the world greyed out, causing her two monsters to disappear. Two rings, one green and one pink, appeared before turning blue and merging. Five blue rings stacked in a tower then appeared, a screen displaying "2 + 3" in front of them. The screen changed to a "5" as light surged through the rings.

"Maiden in the garden! Grace the field of battle with your beautiful presence!" Rosetta chanted. "Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 5! Garden Rose Maiden!" A beautiful woman with long, blond hair appeared on Rosetta's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. She wore a long, white dress with rose patterns on it. She also had long, white gloves on her arms.

Garden Rose Maiden ATK: 1600 DEF: 2400 LV: 5

"Garden Rose Maiden's effect! Since she was Special Summoned, I can-."

"Stop right there!" Ace interrupted. "I activate Gorgon's effect! Once per turn, I can target one effect monster you control and negate its effects until the end of the turn. I target your Garden Rose Maiden!" Gorgon fired a mesmeric blast of energy from her hands at Garden Rose Maiden, temporarily stripping her of her abilities.

"Great..." Rosetta muttered. I can't add Black Garden now, she thought. But I can at least use Botanical Girl's effect. "You may have negated one effect, but I can still use Botanical Girl's effect. As she was sent to the Graveyard, I get to add a Plant monster with 1000 or less defense points from my deck to my hand." One card popped out of Rosetta's deck, which she added to her hand.

If I don't attack, then Ace will use his monsters to deal me massive damage, she thought to herself. But if I do attack, then I'll end up opening a strategy for him. This was a difficult choice for her indeed. Should she attack now and deal some damage while risking a chance for Ace to make a comeback on his next turn? Or should Rosetta play it safe and risk nearly losing all her life points?

One way or the other, Ace would be able to respond with a stronger move on his next turn, which made it essential to deplete his life points as soon as possible. "Battle! Garden Rose Maiden attacks Twilight Rose Knight!" Garden Rose Maiden sung a swan song at Twilight Rose Knight, destroying her and turning her into particles.

Ace: 4000 – 600 = 3400 LP

"Since Twilight Rose Knight left the field, Evil Eye Mesmerism is now destroyed." Ace explained, as the card turned into yellow particles. "Furthermore, since there's another 'Evil Eye' card in the Graveyard with a different name, Gorgon gains 100 more attack points."

Gorgon, Empress of the Evil Eyed ATK: 2400 + 100 = 2500

"I now Set two cards face-down and end my turn." Rosetta concluded.

"For someone who claims they're done with me, I find that the opposite." Ace theorized. "After all, you couldn't help but attack me with your monster, even though you knew it wouldn't really help."

"That isn't true!" Rosetta countered. "I'm done being your little pawn. Thanks to Raguel, my eyes are open to the truth."

"Oh? And what truth would that be? That your father loved you in the end?" Ace tauntingly asked her.

"Not just that, I was able to finally obtain peace for myself." Rosetta replied. "Unlike you, who only kept 'helping' me by always keeping me in a negative state."

"I only did what I did because I saw potential in you." Ace told her. "Besides, you're going to eventually attach yourself to Raguel, your so-called savior. Just like you did with me six years ago."

Flashback: Six years ago, in a black market duel field...

Ace was in a duel against a girl that one of his cohorts told him about. From what he learned, her name was Rosetta, and she dueled without mercy against anyone who got in her way. Why, he didn't know. But what Ace did know was this: Someone who didn't have a proper handle on their emotions can be molded into a weapon. One if used correctly, can reap great benefits for the wielder.

"Battle!" Rosetta declared. "Sorciere De Fleur attacks Catopleas, Familiar of the Evil Eye!" At her command, Sorciere De Fleur fired a violet blast of energy from her scepter at Basilius, destroying the serpent and turning it into particles.

"Not bad," Ace commented, as his life points dropped by that attack. "But if you really want to master your abilities, then stop running from the memories of the past. Your family abandoned you, and no one wanted to help you because they were afraid of your reaction towards them. But you came to the right place. Forget the past, and let us teach you how to mold that pain of yours into a weapon. One that will help you get the revenge you seek."

"But... I'm afraid." Rosetta's shoulder's went down, as she looked at the duel floor. Sensing Rosetta's reaction, Sorciere De Fleur fired a blast of energy at Ace, hitting him with energy. Despite this, he started walking forward to Rosetta.

"I'm glad you're afraid," Ace said to Rosetta. "It means you're making the right decision. I'll always be here for you. I promise. The Black Market can be your new family, where you can be free from the pain that's been tormenting you. All you got to do is enslave it to your will."

"I don't know..." Rosetta responded, taking a step back. To her surprise though, Ace kept walking and embraced her.

"And you never will know until you take action." Ace pointed out. "We will be there for you every step of the way. I promise this as head of the Black Market's Alpha Branch."

Flashback End: Present day...

What did Ace mean when he said I'll attach myself to Raguel, Rosetta thought. She shook her head, as this was clearly not the time to think about it. If anything, he was probably playing mind-games with her. "I don't get why you're telling me this, Ace."

"For a simple reason." Ace replied, lifting a finger. "Ever since your oh-so-precious mother died from her battle with cancer, you sought validation from others. To the point where you'll constantly try to make them stay with you for continuous love and care. I'll have to admit, using this information to make you my weapon for six years was quite amusing, especially when I intended on eventually seizing your father's fortune through you." He then started laughing as Rosetta processed this information in shock and anger.

"Your... weapon?!" Rosetta repeated. "All this time you've treated me like a weapon? One that-."

"You've answered it yourself." Ace stated. "Once someone's usefulness wears out, they get tossed aside, never to be remembered again."

And that would have eventually happened to me had Raguel not aided me when I needed it, Rosetta realized. She narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "Make your last move, Ace. Because once it's over, I'm going to ensure nothing of you remains!"

"With pleasure." Ace complied. "My turn! I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Glare of the Evil Eye! Just like before, this card lets me target one card you control and negate its effects until the End Phase. I target Prohibition!" A red blast of light fired out of the card and hit Prohibition, greying it out temporarily.

He can now activate Evil Eye of Selene, Rosetta thought to herself. If even one copy is on Ace's field, he'll be able to reap the benefits even if Prohibition activates itself again.

"Gorgon's effect!"

Gorgon, Empress of the Evil Eyed ATK: 2500 + 100 = 2600

"Appear! The circuit of the all-consuming Evil Eye!" A Link Portal appeared above Ace. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Evil Eye' monsters. I'll set Huan, Familiar of the Evil Eye, which is a Link 1 monster, and Gorgon, Empress of the Evil Eyed, which is a Link 2 monster into the Link Markers!" Gorgon split into two tornadoes of energy that went into the bottom-left and bottom-right arrowheads, while Huan went into the top arrowhead.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! With the power the Evil Eye has given you, unleash your hatred and destruction onto this world in a gleeful manner! Link 3! Zerrziel, Ruler of the Evil Eyed!" A red-and-gray armored man with large wings emerged from the portal and onto the right Extra Monster Zone on Ace's field. Giant yellow eyes opened at his knees, right arm, left shoulder, and chest. A red lens covered his right eye as well.

Zerrziel, Ruler of the Evil Eyed ATK: 2600 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️

"Ace brought out his signature monster..." Rosetta muttered to herself, upon seeing Zerrziel on the field. This was the very thing she wanted to prevent by using Prohibition and Queen of Thorns. Yet Ace was able to snake his way around them anyway. "Can't believe I sought comfort from that son of a bitch..."

Let's make things interesting, Ace thought, as a card slipped from his sleeve and went into his right hand. "I activate Zerrziel's first effect! Since he was Link Summoned using a monster whose attack points were 2600 or higher, it can attack an additional time during each Battle Phase!"

Oh come on, Rosetta thought to herself. With that ability, Zerrziel could literally shred his way through her life points. But I got two facedown cards to help me.

"I activate the Equip Spell card, Evil Eye of Selene and equip it onto Zerrziel." Ace said, as a red and silver mechanical device appeared, which Zerrziel grabbed and put on his left eye. "Zerrziel's second effect now activates! Once per turn, when he's equipped with Evil Eye of Selene, I can target one card you control and destroy it. Say goodbye to your Prohibition!" Zerrziel fired an optic blast from both red lens at Prohibition, but...

"Continuous-Trap, activate!" Rosetta suddenly said. "Fiendish-!"

"Counter-Trap, activate! Evil Eye Retribution!" Ace responded, much to Rosetta's surprise. If you activate a Spell or Trap card while I control an 'Evil Eye' monster, I can negate the activation and then destroy it. In addition, if 'Evil Eye of Selene' is in my Spell & Trap card zone, this card's activation and effect cannot be negated!"

"What?"

"Take this!" Evil Eye Retribution fired a blast of energy at Fiendish Chain, destroying the card. "Go ahead, Zerrziel. Nothing can interrupt you now!" Zerrziel fired his optic blast at Prohibition, turning it into particles. "Evil Eye of Selene's effect now activates! Whenever the equipped monster activates its effect, or I activate the effect of another 'Evil Eye' Spell or Trap card, it gains 500 attack points and I lose 500 life points." As Zerrziel powered up, Ace clutched his heart in pain. A smirk was evident on his face as the process finished.

Zerrziel, Ruler of the Evil Eyed ATK: 2600 + 500 = 3100

Ace: 3400 – 500 = 2900 LP

"It's been fun Rosetta, but all good times must come to an end!" Ace declared, pointing his finger at her. "Battle! Zerrziel, Ruler of the Evil Eyed attacks Garden Rose Maiden! Disdainful Vision!" The giant, yellow eyes on Zerrziel glowed as he charged energy at the center. He then fired a beam of energy from the eye at the center of his body, which hit Garden Rose Maiden and destroyed her! As a result, Rosetta had to raise her right arm in front of her eyes to protect herself.

Rosetta: 3300 – 1500 = 1800 LP

"Finish her, Zerrziel!" Zerrziel once again charged energy at the center of his body before firing it at Rosetta. However….

"Trap card activate!" Rosetta said. "Pinpoint Guard! When a monster you control declares an attack, I'm allowed to target a Level 4 or lower monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it in defense position! Aid me, Nettles!" The small grass monster from before resprouted itself onto Rosetta's field, taking a kneeling position.

Nettles ATK: 1200 DEF: 400 LV: 2

A barrier then formed around Nettles, protecting it from Zerrziel's attack.

"I was denied victory... by a piece of grass?!" Ace exclaimed in shock and anger as he gritted his teeth. If he had waited, he could have used Evil Eye Retribution to negate Pinpoint Guard instead! Learning of this revelation made him laugh at himself. "How foolish of me. To think that victory was secured in my hand that easily. The fact you survived proves to me that you've grown as a duelist by my guiding hand. Now this is just... perfect. Come back, Zerrziel." Zerrziel retreated to his master's side.

"You only taught me to duel because you saw potential in me." Rosetta recalled, thinking about their first meeting. "But you only made me into one of your weapons in the process!"

"A strong one, though." Ace pointed out, much to Rosetta's disgust. "What's with that look? You can't blame me for the circumstances that led you to my doorstep." For several seconds, Rosetta couldn't respond as she thought this over. "While you think about what I just told you, I think I'll end my turn, which means Prohibition reactivates itself." Within moments, Prohibition stopped greying out.

"You're right. I can't put all the blame on you." Rosetta eventually admitted, getting his attention. "My actions are my own, and if anything, I'm disgusted with myself for the monster I've become. But that doesn't mean I can't change as a person." She placed her fingers on the top card of her deck. "My turn! I draw!" She drew the top card of her deck. "I summon Rose Practitioner from my hand!" A teenage man wearing red medieval-like clothing with a rose symbol on it and a scepter in his right hand jumped onto Rosetta's field.

Rose Practitioner ATK: 1100 DEF: 500 LV: 3

"If Rose Practitioner is Normal Summoned while I have a Plant monster on my field," she explained, "I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Plant monster from my deck. Come, Lord Poison!" Practitioner raised his scepter, causing a portal to appear on Rosetta's field for a brief moment before a fiendish, muddy creature with spikes all over its body and claws emerged on her field.

Lord Poison ATK: 1500 DEF: 1000 LV: 4

"Appear! The circuit of roses!" A Link Portal appeared above Rosetta. "The summoning conditions are two monsters with different types! I'll set Nettles and Rose Practitioner into the Link Markers!" Practitioner went into the left arrowhead, while Nettles went into the bottom arrowhead.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Crossrose Dragon!" A medium-sized purple dragon covered in different colored roses flew onto Rosetta's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. Her wings consisted of folded-up red roses, along with vine elements on the edges. She also had a long tail, with its end holding several small roses. Crossrose Dragon let out a growl upon seeing Ace.

Crossrose Dragon ATK: 800 LINK-2 ⬅️⬇️

"A Link monster?" Ace said in surprise. "I didn't expect you to join everyone in using the trending summoning method, Rosetta. In all honesty, I thought you were going to bring out Black Rose Dragon."

"Oh don't worry." Rosetta promised. "You'll see her soon enough. Crossrose Dragon's effect! By tributing her and a Plant monster, I get to Special Summon one 'Rose' Synchro monster or a Plant Synchro monster from my Extra Deck, and treat it as a Synchro Summon!"

"What did you just say?" Ace demanded, now worried at what was about to come.

"Watch and see." Rosetta told him, as Crossrose Dragon and Lord Poison disintegrated into yellow particles and combined to form a new dragon. One with black skin, a body covered in roses, a long slender neck, three mandibles made of roses on her head, and clawed draconic feet. "Rise, Black Rose Dragon!" The Synchro monster roared as she was summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone on Rosetta's field.

Black Rose Dragon ATK: 2400 DEF: 1800 LV: 7

"Since Black Rose Dragon is Synchro Summoned, every card on your field is destroyed! Go, Black Rose Gale!"

"This can't be!" Ace exclaimed.

"But it is, Ace!" Rosetta replied, as Black Rose Dragon flapped out her wings in front of her and unleashed a tornado at Zerrziel and Evil Eye of Selene, destroying them before she turned into particles. "At this point, the second effect of Crossrose Dragon now activates! Since a monster I control was destroyed by a card effect, I can banish this card to Special Summon a 'Rose Dragon' monster from my Graveyard. Rebloom, Black Rose Dragon!" Black Rose Dragon reappeared on her field, roaring in the process. Only this time, she was Special Summoned to one of the Main Monster Zones.

Black Rose Dragon ATK: 2400 DEF: 1800 LV: 7

"Battle! Black Rose Dragon attacks you directly! Black Rose Flare!" Black Rose Dragon gathered energy inside her maw before firing it at Ace, which sent him flying backwards and all the way to the ground.

Ace: 2900 – 2400 = 500 LP

"I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Rosetta concluded.

"You... How dare you!" Ace snarled, getting up from where he was, pure rage now evident in his eyes. "I give you a home, make you my most reliable weapon, and show you the right path. Yet this is how you repay me? By defying me and joining with the enemy?!" He took a breath before continuing. "For what you've done, you'll get to see the true extent of my abilities!"

"The true extent..." Rosetta repeated under her breath. I thought Zerrziel was his main monster, she thought. But it then occurred to her. If she had improved her game, then there was a great chance Ace would have as well.

"My turn! I draw!" Ace said, drawing the top card of his deck. "I activate the Spell card, Evil Eye Awakening! This card lets me Special Summon an 'Evil Eye' monster from my hand or Graveyard, but if Evil Eye of Selene is in my Spell & Trap card zone, I can Special Summon from my deck as well! Come back from the Graveyard, Zerrziel!" Zerrziel reappeared on Ace's field, only in the Main Monster Zone.

Zerrziel, Ruler of the Evil Eyed ATK: 2600 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️

"I summon Even, Alchemist of the Evil Eye from my hand!" A man with long blond hair to his shoulder-blades and pale skin appeared on Ace's field. He wore pieces of tattered black robes all over his body, which were covered by veins coming from the eyes attached to his clothing.

Even, Alchemist of the Evil Eye ATK: 1500 DEF: 700 LV: 4

"When Even is Normal or Special Summoned, the both of us are allowed to excavate the top three cards of our decks, add one of them to our hands, and send the rest to our Graveyards!" Ace explained, as he took the top three cards of his deck and looked at them. "Consider this your last gift from me, Rosetta. Because no matter what you choose, it won't help you."

Rosetta ignored Ace as she took the top three cards of her deck and looked at them. Fallen Angel of Roses, Rose Lover, and... Her eyes widened at the last card. Rosaria, the Stately Fallen Angel! I never had this card in my deck! It then dawned on her. This was another of the cards Hideki made for her. Even though he wasn't here right now, he was still helping her get through this duel! Without a second thought, Rosetta knew what to do. "I chose my card, Ace. Have you?"

"I have." Ace confirmed. "And now it's time for you to witness my ultimate weapon!" He pointed his right hand to the sky before making a fist. "Appear! The circuit of the all-consuming Evil Eye!" A Link Portal soon appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Evil Eye' monsters, including an 'Evil Eye' Link monster! I'll set Even, Alchemist of the Evil Eye, and Zerrziel, Ruler of the Evil Eyed, which is a Link 3 monster, into the Link Markers!" Zerrziel split into three tornadoes and went into the left, right, and bottom-left arrowheads, while Even went into the bottom-right arrowhead.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Malevolent spirit sealed within the Evil Eye! Break free of your shackles, and engulf this world, no this universe into darkness! Link Summon! Link 4! Dharkon, Entity of the Evil Eye!" A massive swarm of spiked black and red tentacles breached its way through the Link Portal and flew onto Ace's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. At the center of the tentacles was a black eyeball, with its conjunctiva being blue, while the pupil was a slitted yellow color.

Dharkon, Entity of the Evil Eye ATK: 2800 LINK-4 ↙️⬅️➡️↘️

"When Dharkon is Link Summoned, I'm allowed to target as many copies of Evil Eye of Selene in my Graveyard and equip them to this card." Ace explained. "Since there's three copies in my Graveyard, I'll equip all three onto my monster!"

"What?" Rosetta said, shocked at what she just heard. Soon, three red and silver mechanical lenses floated from Ace's Graveyard and orbited around Dharkon's eye.

"Battle!" Ace declared. "Dharkon, Entity of the Evil Eye attacks Black Rose Dragon! Shadow Impalement!" The tentacles surrounding Dharkon's eye morphed into spiked, shadowy spears before they went straight towards Black Rose Dragon and impaled her!

"Black Rose Dragon!" Rosetta screamed, as her monster screamed in pain before turning into yellow particles.

Rosetta: 1500 – 400 = 1100 LP

"I've been waiting a long time to do that, my dear." Ace commented. "And there's a lot more to come. Like this! I activate Dharkon's second effect! Once per turn, when it destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, I can destroy cards you control up to the number of Evil Eye of Selene in my Spell & Trap card zone, and inflict 500 damage for each card destroyed by this effect. Since you only have one card, it's best to destroy your last hope of winning this duel! Thorn Spray!" The tentacles surrounding Dharkon's eye then morphed into a spiked cluster, which fired energy bullets at Rosetta's face-down card, destroying it and turning it into particles. The bullets then bounced off the destroyed card and at Rosetta, shredding pieces of her clothing in the process.

Rosetta: 1100 – 500 = 600 LP

"The effects of my three copies of Evil Eye of Selene now activates! Since the equipped monster's effect was activated, it gains 500 attack points while I lose 500 life points!"

"But you don't have enough life points to pay for Evil Eye of Selene's cost!" Rosetta pointed out. "Which means you lost by your own hand!"

"Not necessarily." Ace replied, surprising her. "I activate the monster effect of Serziel's Aide from my hand! By discarding this card from my hand to the Graveyard, I gain life points equal to the life points I would have lost due to the effect of Evil Eye of Selene!" As Ace discarded a card from his hand, a golden aura protected him from the self-inflicted cost of the three Evil Eye of Selenes on the field, while Dharkon powered up.

Dharkon, Entity of the Evil Eye ATK: 2800 + (500 X 3) = 4300

Ace: 500 + (500 X 3) = 2000 LP

Not good, Rosetta thought. Ace managed to find a way to circumvent the cost of Evil Eye of Selene and boost his life points at the same time. If I'm to finish him off on my next turn, I must negate the effects of all three copies of Evil Eye of Selene on the field. And to do that, I must draw the card I need!

"You can't beat me now that Dharkon is on my field." Ace pointed out. "And why bother? After all, you have no cards on your field and only 600 life points left. But feel free to try! I end my turn." He started laughing loudly.

"My turn! I draw!" Rosetta drew the top card of her deck and looked at it. "You're wrong, Ace." Realizing he couldn't hear her, she spoke up and said, "I SAID YOU'RE WRONG, ACE!"

"Did you just say I was wrong?" Ace demanded. "A broken girl like you dares to say that I'm wrong?!"

"Yeah. I do dare." Rosetta answered, much to his shock. "You want to know why? Because even though I'm broken, there's a difference between the way I was back then and the way I am now. This time, I have real people who will help me pick myself back up. My father, Raguel, and Blue Angel. They'll help me in stopping you for good!"

"You think you can defeat me?! The leader of the Black Market's Alpha Branch?!" Ace exclaimed. "You have no cards on your field and only 600 life points left. What chance do you have of stopping me?!"

To his surprise though, Rosetta smirked. "Just the chance I need," she replied. "I activate the effect of Rosaria, the Stately Fallen Angel from my hand! By banishing a Level 7 or higher Plant monster from my hand and a Level 7 or higher Plant monster from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon this card from my hand! I banish Queen Angel of Roses from my hand and Fallen Angel of Roses from my Graveyard! Now come forth, Rosaria!" A white-skinned male with a white cloth around his waist appeared on Rosetta's field. Silver pieces of armor were on his arms and legs, along with a white crown with wings on his forehead. He also had angelic, rosy wings, which were red on the left and black on the right.

Rosaria, the Stately Fallen Angel ATK: 2900 DEF: 2400 LV: 8

"Rosaria's second effect! Once per turn, I can negate the effects of all face-up cards on the field until the End Phase. Go, Rose Nullification!" Rosaria's wings glowed as he unleashed a blast of energy from them at Dharkon and the three copies of Evil Eye of Selene, draining them of their energy.

"You little..." Ace snarled, enraged at what she did as Dharkon's strength returned to normal.

Dharkon, Entity of the Evil Eye ATK: 4300 – 1500 = 2800

"I activate Garden Rose Maiden's effect!" Rosetta continued. "By banishing her from my Graveyard, I get to Special Summon a 'Rose Dragon' monster or Dragon Synchro monster from my Graveyard! Return, Black Rose Dragon!" At her command, Black Rose Dragon reappeared on her field in the Main Monster Zone. Upon looking at Ace, she let out a roar in rage, furious with what he did to her in the previous turn.

Black Rose Dragon ATK: 2400 DEF: 1800 LV: 7

"Battle! Rosaria, the Stately Fallen Angel attacks Dharkon, Entity of the Evil Eye! Valhalla Harvest!" Rosaria gathered energy in his hands and fired it at Dharkon, crippling the monster and burning it alive.

Ace: 2000 – 100 = 1900 LP

"This last attack will end it! Black Rose Dragon attacks you directly, Ace! Black Rose Flare!" Black Rose Dragon gathered energy inside her maw before firing it at Ace, who stood tall and screamed as he took the full attack.

Ace: 1900 – 2400 = 0

Ace, who was miraculously standing on his two feet, started coughing up blood.

"It's over now, Ace..." Rosetta proclaimed, as she started walking forward, facing the ground. However, by the time she reached Ace, he started talking, getting her attention.

"So this is it. This is your true power." Ace murmured, his hair covering his eyes. He then turned to Rosetta and reached his right hand out towards her, touching her cheek. "You are truly a wicked woman. You defied me, right up until the very end. But I forgive you." His body started turning red. "The things you ultimately cannot possess are the most beautiful of all."

Ace's right hand then dropped from Rosetta's face as his body disintegrated. "Farewell, my greatest weapon. You know, if there's one thing I can say for certain, it sure has been a whole lot of fun." After saying that, he broke apart completely, leaving Rosetta alone.

This Ace is an interesting fellow, the azure-overcoated man thought to himself, having witnessed the conclusion to the duel. The connections he has with the black market will make him a valuable ally once the Tower of Hanoi is destroyed. He then walked away from the scene and started leaping from building to building once again.

"Hang on a minute..." Rosetta muttered, as she looked at the two cards Ace left behind when he became part of the Tower. Immediately recognizing them, she picked them up. "Crusadia Maximus and Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme. Once this is over, I will return you to your proper owners." But upon closer inspection, she realized that the cards were greyed out completely! "What?! Why are the cards greyed out?"

"It's simple Rosetta," the voice of Lord Kazuma answered, as he stepped out of a portal to face her. "Those two cards became part of the Tower a long time ago." He then chuckled to himself. "But considering how you were once our ally, I had expected you to know that."

"So all you sought this time was their destruction?" Rosetta realized. Suddenly, she felt intense guilt for how her problems aided in the coming eradication of an innocent race of creatures.

"Yup." Lord Kazuma confirmed. "After all, the whole point of this Tower is to eradicate the Ignis, and the Cyberse as well!" He then noticed the serious look she was giving him. "Why so serious? Are you pissed off about your role in all this? Besides, for the Tower to work, we needed World Gears, the data signature of a Cyberse creature, and a whole lot of data material."

"I'll tell you why I'm serious." Rosetta said, getting his attention as she activated her Duel Disk once again. "It's because I'm angry with myself for the role I played in all this. And you want to know what I'll do? I'll kick your ass and help Raguel and the others in destroying the monstrosity I helped unleash!"

"Oh, such bravado!" Lord Kazuma clapped mockingly before activating his own Duel Disk. "But enough talk. It's time for the show to begin!"

"Duel!" Lord Kazuma and Rosetta shouted, ready to face each other in the duel that was yet to come. Behind Rosetta were the silhouettes of Rosaria and Black Rose Dragon, while behind Lord Kazuma were the silhouettes of Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, and an unknown monster.

Card Gallery

Rose Practitioner (LV: 3/Spellcaster/Earth/ATK: 1100/DEF: 500)

Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned while you control a Plant monster on your field: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Plant monster from your deck. If this card is in your GY, except the turn it was sent there: You can banish this card; Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Plant monster from your hand.

Serziel's Aide (LV: 3/Fiend/Dark/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000)

Effect: If you would lose life points by the effect of one or more copies of 'Evil Eye of Selene': You can send this card from your hand to the GY; you gain LP equal to the LP you would have lost by that effect. You can only activate 1 'Serziel's Aide' effect per turn.

Even, Alchemist of the Evil Eye (LV: 4/Fiend/Dark/ATK: 1500/DEF: 700)

Effect: When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, both players must excavate the top three cards of their decks, add 1 of them to their respective hands, and send the rest to their respective GY's. If this card is in your GY: You can discard 1 'Evil Eye' card from your hand; add this card to your hand. You can only activate 1 'Even, Alchemist of the Evil Eye' effect per turn, and only one that turn.

Glare of the Evil Eye (Quick-Play Spell card)

Effect: When this card is activated while you control an 'Evil Eye' monster: You can target 1 card your opponent controls; negate its effects until the End Phase.

Beltran, Familiar of the Evil Eye (LR: 1/Fiend/Dark/ATK: 100/⬇️️)

Effect: When this card is Link Summoned: You can add 1 'Evil Eye' card from your deck to your hand. Once per turn: You can destroy a card this card points to, and if you do, you can target 1 card your opponent controls; destroy it.

Huan, Familiar of the Evil Eye (LR: 1/Fiend/Dark/ATK: 1000/️⬆️)

Effect: If this card points to an 'Evil Eye' monster, it can attack your opponent directly. Once, if this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the GY: You can tribute 1 'Evil Eye' monster on your field; Special Summon this card from your GY.

Dharkon, Entity of the Evil Eye (LR: 4/Fiend/Dark/ATK: 2800/↙️️⬅️➡️↘️)

Effect: 2 or more 'Evil Eye' monsters, including an 'Evil Eye' Link monster. When this card is Link Summoned: You can target as many copies of 'Evil Eye of Selene' in your GY; equip them to this card. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the GY: You can destroy cards your opponent controls up to the number of 'Evil Eye of Selene' in your Spell & Trap card zone. If this card would leave the field: You can banish 1 'Evil Eye of Selene' in your Spell & Trap card zone instead.

QOTC

Who do you think the azure-overcoated man is?

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Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 30: Sneer of the Magician. Immediately after her duel with Ace, Rosetta duels against Lord Kazuma, intent on atoning for her part in the Tower of Hanoi's creation. Using the cards her father gave her, she manages to surprisingly push back against Lord Kazuma's tactics. However, as the duel goes on, he unleashes something that was once hidden...

Author's Notes

Hi everyone! This chapter immediately picks up from Chapter 28 and kicks off the Tower of Hanoi arc in style. With a lot going on in this chapter, I'll only be covering the main points.

The main thing that happens in this chapter is the duel between Rosetta vs Ace. Being the first round of the Tower of Hanoi arc, I wanted to open the arc in style, which is why I had both Ace and Rosetta use some new moves. For Ace, I gave him some new Link monsters, including his boss monster, Dharkon, Entity of the Evil Eyed (his design, did you know, is based off of Dharkon from Super Smash Bros Ultimate.).

For Rosetta, not only did she play a card that crippled Ace's strategy for a few turns, she also utilized new cards such as two new Synchro monsters, a Link monster, and another new ace monster: Rosaria, the Stately Fallen Angel. By including these cards, I want to show how Rosetta's grown and how flexible she's willing to be now that she's at peace with herself.

There was also a small backstory on how Ace and Rosetta met. Basically, one of Ace's flunkies witnessed Rosetta in person and reported back to him, who had the flunky bring her to the Black Market's Alpha Branch Duel ground. There, he dueled Rosetta in person, and upon learning of her skill, took her in.

Unbeknownst to Ace and Rosetta, though, is that someone was watching their duel. I intend for him to make a couple more appearances during the Tower of Hanoi arc, where he'll be watching the duels that occur. If you're curious as to his design, search up Azure Siegfried from Trails of Cold Steel.

The last thing that happens is a brief confrontation between Rosetta and Lord Kazuma before their duel begins, which is what the next chapter will be. By doing this, I can immediately start the chapter with the duel and hopefully take less time to release it.

Thank you to everyone for reading Chapter 29 of Obscured Truth. Please let me know what you thought about this chapter in your reviews below. In addition, constructive criticism is always welcome, as it helps make the story even better. If you know of anyone who would be interested in reading the story, don't hesitate in showing them.

Before I go, I just want to say one more thing for now:

HAPPY ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSERY, OBSCURED TRUTH!

Stay tuned for next chapter, as the second duel of the Tower of Hanoi arc gets 'magical'!