Response to Reviews
Thank you to Iris Luster, HunterHQ, KingOtakuOverYou, Portal, Cosmic Cat, Donkeyboy100, Anonymous, Ambiguous, Kingdom Hearts Guy, Stregone'llbeRe, Guest, Guest, E.T. 2000, Noobmaster, Akechi, RED, True Longinus, Gaoru, and I Move Weight for reviewing Chapter 68 of Obscured Truth.
Hello, everyone! I hope you're doing well wherever you are in the world. Based on your reviews, I can tell all of you enjoyed the chapter, which makes me happy one hundred percent.
But enough talk. It's time to answer some reviews:
Iris Luster: Yup. I know how to surprise a reader, especially with everything Yuhiro found out recently, which will affect him forever. Interesting. I didn't know you played music when you read the chapter. I encourage you to do that when you continue reading the story, as it will make things epic later on, and thanks for the review.
HunterHQ: Malf's second form was of lesser concern, which is why Herald didn't address it. Yeah, Yuhiro has certainly been suffering from nightmares, and with the appearances of the girl, the knight, and the monster, they will certainly be playing a role later on in the story, as all of them are Greek-mythology related. Wow. I didn't realize that Yuhiro's story with Yukage on how they're siblings 'takes the cake'. Or in other words, on the same level as the sibling matters from Overdrive and Hidden Memories. Yes, Jason volunteered for Project: VIII. The process for the first Lost Incident was similar to that of Apotheosis and the second Lost Incident, only more methods would be used for the testing. Like I said before: No matter how much you try to erase, there's always that one piece that's always there. You're correct for both of Yukage's deaths. No, Azrael can't speak the language of the Ignis. Glad I surprised you in regards to Yua Kogami being Demeter. Azrael was able to come out of the TV thanks to the Light Ignis's assistance. Yeah, I too see Fanfiction as a multiverse. While some things are similar between universes, there's also differences.
KingOtakuOverYou: Happy you liked the chapter. Yup, it was Yuhiro's worst day. Not only did he lose to Azrael both physically and mentally, he also discovered the truth about himself. It was just pure coincidence, that's all. Expect Yuhiro to lose a bit more often moving forward.
Portal: Ah. So that's who Evan Greyson is. What a disgusting guy, in my opinion. Just... disgusting. Moving on from that, I'm glad you liked the chapter, and thank you for saying that my creative freedom has no limits. All the best.
Cosmic Cat: Grateful for the five stars. I guess the term for Raguel and Azrael, as you said, would be modified humans. Keep in mind that the goal for Project: Cross Breed was to create a miracle through any means necessary.
Donkeyboy100: Thanks very much. All the best to you on your story.
Anonymous: There's no footage for the deaths of Myojin and Lyla Furutani. Unfortunately, Greg is still looking into the killer for Miyu's parents, as well as Yuhiro's parents because there were no witnesses, and the killer succeeded in covering their tracks up. Thanks to Watchman, Yua was able to escape from Dr. Kogami. If she and Percival went to help Watchman, it probably would have changed things. However, Watchman wanted to try and settle things peacefully, which is why they didn't intervene.
Ambiguous: Roxy succeeded in putting fear into Herald, so there would be no point in him trying any shenanigans. Herald could go into Grand Theft Auto, but right now, his focus is on Fate/Grand Order and Pokémon Legends: Arceus. No. Demeter wasn't taken hostage, and she was not neuralyzed by the neuralyzer.
Kingdom Hearts Guy: Yuhiro's obviously been through a lot. Not only did he lose to Azrael, he also suffered from information overload as well, especially in how he's part of a family that started this whole mess. My thoughts on the Danger! deck: It's more of a guessing archetype, where you're basically revealing the cards in your hand. It, in my opinion, is more of a luck-based deck than a regular deck.
Stregone'llbeRe: Okay, while I know you like Stregone as a character, I have a feeling you're worshipping him too much. So I'm going to ask you to stop for your own sake of mind.
Guest: Aw, thank you so much. You made my day. That's what character development is for, as Yuhiro now needs to find his self-motivation. In other words, why does he want to continue fighting? I will do my best to make sure that Yuhiro's character development becomes the greatest amongst all the VRAINS OC characters. Once again, thank you so much for your review. Yeah. Yukage really did some damage not just to Yuhiro, but to Miyu as well, don't you agree?
Guest: Glad you liked the chapter. Believe it or not, Vergil was one of the character inspirations used for creating Azrael, as Devil May Cry was one of the inspirations used for creating Obscured Truth.
Pikachu99: While I'm glad you liked the names for the other eight Lost Incident children, what you put down was just... very ridiculous and purely disgusting. Even though I welcome your opinions and thoughts, I'm practically angry with what you put down. Right now, Yuhiro's going through a tough time. Not only did Yukage destroy him physically and mentally, he found out the truth about himself in a way that further made him upset. And excuse me. Yuhiro actually spent time with Miyu in the chapters between Season 1 and 2. Do not put something like that again, as you made me quite upset.
E.T. 2000: Well, I'm glad you liked the chapter. The reasons I called the story Obscured Truth is because it follows on how you perceive numerous situations in life and uncover the information behind them. From there, you'll accept whether that information is true, and allow it to affect you, or to move forward with your ideals. Hence, truth vs ideals. Your opinion's don't sound silly at all. As for your question, Yuhiro knows Yukage is Azrael deep down in his heart. He doesn't know how, but he knows. The unholy trinity will only have one Link monster. The other two monsters are monsters that go into the deck, one of which is a part of the summoning methods. Glad you agree with my theory on the fact that Fanfiction can be a multiverse. Believe it or not, my first Pokemon game was Pokemon Diamond as well. Personally, if you're looking for a fresh and different experience, I'd recommend Pokemon: Legends Arceus. It's basically Pokemon meets Breath of the Wild, and you'll have a blast playing it. Plus, Herald's currently playing the game. And if you have questions, create an account on Fanfiction and send me a PM.
Noobmaster: Lightning's virus is so well-hidden within Miyu that Demeter was unable to find it so far. But now that they have the algorithm, they can make the vaccine, but Demeter must make sure that it works first before using. I mean, you don't want to use a vaccine that causes an unexpected side effect. Yeah, I get what you mean. Some things are better worth forgotten, as it would only cause you pain. I'll figure something out for Yusaku's backstory, as everyone else got a backstory.
Akechi: You aren't misreading the chapter. There is a link between all the projects. Turning humans into Ignis's isn't his goal, that I can confirm. Nor is the final villain's goal to let the world burn in a glorious spectacle, so you can put your concerns at ease.
RED: Why are you asking me? Look it up on the Internet.
True Longinus: I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that.
Gaoru: Why are you asking me? Look it up on the Internet.
I Move Weight: Dude, I'm doing my best as a writer. If you don't like the story, then just don't read it. Easy as that.
Now that all the reviews are answered, let's get to the chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 69: Noble Calling
The sky appears, full of clouds. Playmaker races through the clouds on his duel board, followed by Raguel, Soulburner, and Slipstream. Two swords then slice the clouds completely to reveal NEW LINK VRAINS. One of the swords, the Muramasa, crosses downwards to the left. Crossing downwards to the right was a typical western sword, with a golden rain-guard and a blue grip. The sword also had symbols inscribed on the blade as well. The two swords made a shining X, causing the Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS! logo to appear, and underneath it, the words "OBSCURED TRUTH" ominously appear.
Yuhiro and Yusaku are walking down the street to school. Naoki runs past them, a large smile on his face. Aoi walks past them on the other side, smiling lightly and blushing at Yusaku. Then Takeru walks up behind them and wraps one arm around Yusaku. He then wraps the other arm around Yuhiro, surprising him for a few moments before being pulled to the side by Rachel, who's clearly happy to see him. Yuhiro smiles back at her.
Tsubaki and Hideki are shown boarding an airplane as they head to their destination. After sitting down next to each other in their respective seats, Tsubaki looks out in the window, which shows a reflection of Rosetta, while Hideki picks up the airplane guide and reads it. In the sky above them is Ace, a malicious sneer on his face.
Go Onizuka is shown wearing a hoodie as he leaves the waterfront for the last time. Outside of his home, he encounters Kenmochi and Yoroizaka, who are waiting for him. Smirking, the three of them raise their left arms into the air and enter NEW LINK VRAINS, with Go in his new avatar riding beside his new allies. Stregone crosses his arms as he looks down at them, a look of shock and disappointment on his face.
Kusanagi is then shown with Roxy at a nearby picnic table, both enjoying food and laughter while talking about technology. Flame and Ai are shown arguing in Café Nagi, while Herald ends up getting annoyed with their bickering. As a result, he snaps his fingers, causing Progleo to jump onto the desk and startle Ai and Flame.
At SOL Technologies, Akira Zaizen and Hayami are shown in Queen's office, with Queen handing them a signed order regarding Playmaker and Raguel. A look of hesitation appears on Akira's face, but he hides it just in time.
Azrael and Wraith are then shown with Ace and Athaliah standing behind them, shrouded in shadow along with their ace monsters Zerrziel, Ruler of the Evil Eyed and El Shaddoll Construct. Standing behind Azrael and Wraith though, is Teravolt Dragon, who roars before disappearing with Zerrziel and El Shaddoll Construct. Jumping above Azrael and Wraith is Malf, sporting a demonic expression on his face. He then extends his right arm forward towards the screen, darkening it completely.
When the screen becomes clear, Playmaker and Raguel are shown riding their duel boards next to each other, with Cyberse Witch and Cyberse Magician in front of Playmaker, and Cyreath Hercules and Cyreath Medusa in front of Raguel. The two are chased by Blood Shepherd, who directs two copies of Battledrone Sergeant to fire at them. Although the two of them are hit by the explosions the missiles caused, they escape unharmed. Suddenly, Drachen orders Red-Eyes Black Dragon to fire at them. In response, Playmaker and Raguel are shown swerving left and right to avoid the consecutive fire blasts. Joining the young man in the hunt is Electrolyzer, who orders PSY-Framelord Omega to attack Playmaker, but Raguel turns his duel board around and activates a card, causing Hercules to glow a bright light before transforming into Cyreath Hercules/Alpha Mode. His eyes glowing red, Hercules/Alpha Mode charged forward with his axe sword and clashed with PSY-Framelord Omega.
The screen then shifts to slipstream watching the duel between Playmaker and an obscured Bohman, while Raguel duels Electrolyzer. Noticing Haru, who's also watching the duel between Playmaker and an obscured Bohman, Slipstream takes a card and summons Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, who roars at the boy. Haru, in response, takes a card and summons Hydradrive Nagini, who hissed at Clear Wing in the process.
Blue Girl and Rosetta are shown in NEW LINK VRAINS at a picnic table, laughing and enjoying each other's company. The two of them then turn their heads towards the duels going on in the sky, a look of concern on each of their faces.
Watchman's group is then shown, with Percival standing slightly apart from them as he makes a fist with his left hand. Simorgh, Bird of Sovereignty and Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon appear before a massive, red-skinned demonic looking monster with golden elements, several eyeballs embedded on its body and four tentacles with bladed claws rises from behind them.
The Knights of Hanoi are shown summoning their monsters. Motor Worm Spread Queen, Helixx Necro Darwin, and Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps first appear before fading into the background. Next is Dark Magician, Berserker of the Tenyi, and Lucifer, Condemner of the Burning Abyss, with Sunavalon Dryanome behind them. Borreload Savage Dragon then rises from behind the four monsters and roars loudly.
Akira is shown at Green Park with Emma, Gekiryushi, and Aoi, giving them details on finding the Ignis. Emma proceeds to make a flirtatious gesture at Akira, making Gekiryushi facepalm and comment on how flirting can be useful at a time like this. The two women then begin to argue, with Akira and Aoi trying to break up the argument.
Yuhiro and Progleo are shown with Miyu at the Den City Hospital, trying to help her walk. Miyu, who's using the parallel bars, ends up slipping, only for Yuhiro to immediately catch her from behind and help her stand up. Roxy then runs out of nowhere and starts pummeling Yuhiro, causing Miyu to almost fall backwards again to their shock. Catching her this time though is Medusa, who appears behind her and smiles, much to everyone's relief. Miyu smiles back, grateful for Medusa's help. The screen then flips around before showing Yuhiro on his knees, clasping an unconscious Miyu's hand in sadness and rage.
Cyreaths Hercules/Alpha Mode, Medusa, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus are then shown in the air, with Turboblaze Dragon racing past them. The five of them prepare to attack alongside Turboblaze Dragon, who unleashes his Desolation Flare attack as well.
Raguel and Herald are then shown on top of a tower, facing off against Azrael and Wraith in a duel. Behind Raguel and Herald is Turboblaze Dragon, while behind Azrael and Wraith is Teravolt Dragon, both of their dragons proceeding to roar at one another. Raguel reeves up his sword, while Azrael unsheathes his katana before the two of them and their dragons charge at each other.
Yuhiro, Roxy, Miyu, Kusanagi, Takeru, and Yusaku are all shown sitting outdoors at a picnic table near the Den City Hospital, all of them eating hot dogs, and Takeru, Kusanagi, and Roxy are laughing. Three duel disks are shown on the table, with Flame lecturing Ai while Herald plays a game on Yuhiro's tablet.
Yuhiro, Roxy, and Miyu are sitting down on a bench outside the Den City Hospital, with Medusa standing nearby them and Progleo on Roxy's lap. Miyu proceeds to rest her head on Yuhiro's shoulder, causing him to blush as she smiles. Yuhiro smiles back at her, while Roxy and Medusa both smile at them, happy they're able to find happiness with each other. The scene then switches to NEW LINK VRAINS, with Raguel, Playmaker, and Soulburner standing on a building and looking out into the radiant sky.
At Den Academy, in the gym….
WHAM!
Takeru threw Yuhiro down to the ground once again, much to the latter's dismay. Today's gym class didn't focus on the usual sports such as basketball, baseball, or soccer. Rather, it focused on two things. The first was Judo, which was a martial art that focused on unarmed combat. Primarily, using holds and leverage to unbalance the opponent before throwing them to the ground.
The second was Kendo, which was a martial art that used bamboo swords and protective armor. Simply put, the goal was to not only develop the physical capability for fighting but also the moral and spiritual aspects that may be applied in coping with real life.
When Takeru heard the teacher's announcement regarding today's class, he was overjoyed, whereas some of the other students were... less than enthusiastic to partake in the sport, especially the three students that he beat up the other day.
"Point 1 for Homura!" the teacher decreed, as Yuhiro slowly got up on his feet.
"Okay, I didn't see that coming." Yuhiro admitted, as he did a quick stretch to lighten up his muscles.
"It's only your first time, Yuhiro. You'll get better at it with practice." Takeru assured him, the both of them now getting into position.
"Are the both of you ready?" the teacher asked, both students nodding in confirmation. "Round 2! Fight!" Takeru and Yuhiro then charged forward at one another before grappling each other for several moments. While Yuhiro tried to move around before using force to throw Takeru down, the latter sensed it and switched grips before sweeping Yuhiro's right leg, which caused him to fall down before being pinned by Takeru.
"Point 2 for Homura! Homura wins!" After the teacher said this, Takeru helped Yuhiro up on his feet.
"Physical force won't help you in a fight. You need to analyze your opponent and try to catch them off guard, no matter what situation you're in." Takeru instructed.
"I'll keep that in mind for the next round." Yuhiro replied, now walking off the mat and heading to sit down at the bleachers as another student came forward to challenge Takeru.
"So what is it now? Five wins on Takeru's side, and zero for you?" Arashi asked, much to Yuhiro's dismay as he and Yusaku lightly chuckled.
"Come on, Arashi. As Takeru said, it's only my first time actually practicing Judo." Yuhiro pouted.
"No one succeeds in perfecting something the first time they do it, Yuhiro." Yusaku said. "It takes practice. Lots of practice."
"Yusaku's right, you know. I mean, look at me." Arashi put his thumb to his chest. "It took a long time for me to become an expert at programming and engineering. But with help, guidance, and practice, I was able to master it over a long period of time."
"Alright. I hear you guys." Yuhiro stated, now pulling out a bottle of water and taking a sip from it. In a sense, he was glad that today's gym class focused on Judo and Kendo. While Yuhiro was able to hold his own against Azrael, the latter managed to overwhelm the former before settling things in a duel. So acquiring some practice, as well as learning more moves will certainly help the next time Yuhiro battles against Azrael, whether it was in physical or mental combat.
"Okay. I'm up now." Arashi did a little stretch before heading over to the mat, where Takeru was ready for his next opponent. Apparently, Yuhiro wasn't the only one grateful for the chance to practice Judo and Kendo, as Arashi also wanted to try them out. The reason? He wanted to learn how to fight so he can balance out brains and brawn. Or to put it in simple words, impress Brea with his fighting skills.
Honestly, I don't know what Arashi sees in Brea, or why he has a crush on her, Yuhiro thought in his mind. He made a mental note to ask him later, assuming that he'd be willing to answer such a question.
WHAM!
Takeru threw Arashi down to the ground a minute later, the match having already been decided.
"Point 2 for Homura! Homura wins!" the teacher decreed, as Takeru helped Arashi up on his feet.
"Yeah. Just like Yuhiro, I'm going to need more lessons in how to efficiently fight." Arashi commented.
"Well, I'll make sure the both of you are in perfect fighting form." Takeru replied, with Arashi nodding back in the process. After doing so, he left the mat and headed over to the bleachers.
"Okay, class! Judo's over! We're now focusing on the Kendo martial art for the rest of the class," the teacher told the students, before gesturing to the armor nearby. "Grab a set of armor and head to the change room. Once that's done, grab a shinai from the rack nearby. You have five minutes." Immediately, all the students raced over to grab a set of armor before changing into it. Once that was done, everyone went over to grab a shinai from the other rack and immediately headed over to the bleachers. "Alright, who's up first?"
"I'll go." Yuhiro volunteered, who headed over to the mat. The good news was that he looked up the rules beforehand, so he had an advantage on what to do. Plus, Yuhiro had sword training for his black market missions, which were practically integrated in his body. Still, Yuhiro couldn't go all out, lest people begin to suspect him as someone else.
After a minute of no one volunteering to be Yuhiro's opponent, the teacher decided to pick one at random. A student walked up to the mat and faced Yuhiro, the both of them getting ready for combat. At the teacher's signal, both students charged towards one another, their shinais locked in combat. Breaking the lock, Yuhiro proceeded to jab his opponent several times with his shinai, which made him fall down to the ground. And before he can get up, Yuhiro pointed his shinai at him, indicating that the match was over.
"Furutani wins!" the teacher decreed, as Yuhiro's opponent got up before leaving the mat. Soon after, another student walked forward, ready to battle Yuhiro. At the teacher's signal, Yuhiro immediately attacked his opponent, who managed to immediately block it. The student then responded by trying to attack Yuhiro's left and right sides, only for him to easily block each strike. Seizing the opportunity, Yuhiro jabbed his shinai into his opponents chest numerous times before hitting him in the chest, which made him fall to the ground. Once again, Yuhiro immediately dashed forward and pointed his shinai at his opponent, which indicated that the match was over.
"Wow, Yuhiro's actually good at sword fighting." Takeru commented with a chuckle, as another student then went forward to challenge Yuhiro. "Kind of makes me hesitant to go challenge him."
"I'm sure you'll be fine if you do battle against Yuhiro in a shinai duel, Takeru." Arashi pointed out. "I mean, your grandparents did teach you in Judo. So if you apply it in kendo, I'm sure you can beat Yuhiro easily."
"But keep in mind that Yuhiro's received training from Roxy in all areas for his former job after he got his deck. That, combined with the missions he was sent out, makes him a strong swordsman." Yusaku quietly countered.
"Fujiki! You're up!" the teacher told him, which made Yusaku put his helmet on.
"Wish me luck..." Yusaku stated to Takeru and Arashi, before walking over to face Yuhiro, the both of them getting ready for combat. At the teacher's signal, Yuhiro immediately charged at Yusaku, much to the latter's surprise as he somehow managed to block each of Yuhiro's attacks. What is this, Yusaku wondered, as he continued to block each of Yuhiro's strikes. Am I doing that, or is there something else I'm not aware of? Seizing the opportunity, Yusaku immediately attempted to strike back by aiming at Yuhiro's right side. While Yuhiro managed to block the first strike, Yusaku immediately aimed at Yuhiro's left side and hit it so fast that he didn't notice.
Both opponents staring down at one another, Yuhiro charged forward and attempted to strike Yusaku, the latter somehow managing to block all the attacks before countering back with a strike that pushed Yuhiro back. The next thing Yusaku knew, Yuhiro managed to somehow evade his guard and strike him in the chest with a right swing of his shinai, which resulted in Yusaku falling down on his back.
"Furutani wins yet again!" the teacher decreed, as Yusaku got up on his feet and walked over to the bleachers.
Something isn't right with Yuhiro. Since his duel against Azrael, as well as him finding out the truth about himself, he's been uneasy. Yet he doesn't show it, Yusaku thought in his mind.
"Wow, Furutani," the teacher began speaking, going over and putting a hand on Yuhiro's shoulder. "I have to say, you're showing some awesome skills here. Maybe you should take a break. I mean, some rest will help you-."
"Who's next?" Yuhiro immediately inquired, which made the teacher gasp out of surprise as he took a step back. The other students also gasped out of surprise, now everyone paying attention to Yuhiro, who suddenly became feral. As if he had snapped.
"Have you guys ever seen this happen to Yuhiro?" Arashi quietly whispered to Takeru and Yusaku.
"No, we haven't." Takeru immediately answered.
"But I have, even if it was a glimpse of it." Yusaku said, much to the surprise of Takeru and Arashi. "I'll tell you later."
"I will go." Gekiryushi volunteered, as she stepped to the mat to face Yuhiro. That look in his eyes. I know that look, as I had it myself a long time ago, she thought in her mind.
"Uh, are the both of you ready?" the teacher nervously asked both Yuhiro and Gekiryushi, who nodded in confirmation. "Uh... begin!" Without warning, Yuhiro immediately charged forward at Gekiryushi, hoping to get a strike in before she could do anything. Gekiryushi, in response, managed to block every single one of this feral attacks.
"Wow, Gekiryushi knows what she's doing," one male student commented.
"If she can beat Furutani, she'll be one of the strongest students in the school," another male student stated.
"And she'll be a lovely lady to go out with," a third male student added, which caused the female students to facepalm themselves out of annoyance. The fact that Gekiryushi was older than the male students meant there was going to be a lot of heartbreaks, that's for sure.
Gekiryushi immediately moved to the side and swung her shinai at Yuhiro, which not only hit him in the stomach, but also sent him sliding back.
The next thing Yuhiro knew, Gekiryushi charged forward, intent on striking him down with her shinai. While Yuhiro was able to block them, he didn't see Gekiryushi in front of him.
He saw the image of Azrael, who attacked him relentlessly with the Muramasa.
Before Yuhiro could do anything else, Gekiryushi jabbed him numerous times in his stomach with her shinai, which resulted in Yuhiro falling down on one knee. She then pointed her shinai at Yuhiro, who had a feral look on his face.
The teacher, having noticed this, said, "Sanada-."
"This isn't over yet!" Yuhiro snapped, immediately standing up and attempting to strike Gekiryushi with his shinai, only for her to block it as she was pushed back a few feet. He then charged forward, hoping to strike her numerous times with his shinai, who managed to block each strike.
After blocking all the strikes, Gekiryushi slid backwards while Yuhiro continued to try and strike her one more time. However, seeing that one action made Yuhiro freeze part way, as it reminded him of the attack Azrael unleashed on him, which managed to somehow cut through Herald's shields.
Seeing Yuhiro's shocked expression, Gekiryushi jabbed Yuhiro in the stomach with her shinai, which made him slide back. She then charged forward and hit Yuhiro multiple times in the body using her shinai so fast that he couldn't block them.
And even if he was able to, Yuhiro felt that he couldn't. It was if his body was frozen, having been traumatized by the duels against Azrael. This made sense, as in Yuhiro's mind, the strikes didn't come from Gekiryushi's shinai. They came from Azrael's katana, the Muramasa, each attack reminding him of the wounds he suffered.
The next thing Yuhiro knew, Gekiryushi hit him one last time in the stomach with her shinai, the impact making him fall to the floor. As Yuhiro looked up to her, he still saw Azrael in his mind, with a disappointed expression clearly on his face. Suddenly, Yuhiro's eyes widened, Azrael's words having begun to pop up in his mind.
"You fight like a naïve child, Yuhiro! As if you'll win because you want to so badly? You cannot defeat me with raw emotion alone!"
"Foolishness, Yuhiro. Foolishness. Might controls everything. And without strength, you cannot protect anything. Let alone yourself."
Damn you, Yukage, Yuhiro thought in his mind, aware that whether he called Yukage by his name, or by his avatar name Azrael, they were still one and the same.
Seeing that the match was over, Gekiryushi walked off the mat, much to the frozen expressions of every student in the bleachers, save for Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi.
Yuhiro's watch then started beeping, which made him snap out of his frozen daze. Checking the time, Yuhiro slowly got up and approached the teacher, who had a terrified expression on his face.
"Uh, Furutani. Is everything okay with you?" the teacher asked in a concerned tone.
"Sorry," was all Yuhiro responded with. Not just to the teacher, but to every other student in attendance. He then turned back to the teacher and handed him a slip of paper. Reading it quickly, the teacher nodded in confirmation and handed it back to him.
"Well, I hope you get better over the next few days," the teacher stated, as Yuhiro took off his armor and left the gym. The students suddenly started talking amongst themselves, some of them having been awestruck by the battle, while others were struck in fear regarding what recently happened.
"Seems that Yuhiro's been more affected by recent events than he is aware of." Takeru said, as he took off his armor.
"Yeah. Even with Yuhiro taking a few days off to recover, he's still not himself." Arashi added with a sigh. "I wish there was a way we could help him."
"So do I, Arashi. So do I." Yusaku agreed. What happened today was pure evidence that Yuhiro was not himself. Even after recovering from recent events, the after effects on Yuhiro were still there.
In Yusaku's mind, if this kept up over the next while, then it may result in something much worse down the road. Not just for Yuhiro, but for everyone else as well.
A half hour later, at Leshawna's house...
Yuhiro continued walking down the sidewalk, a grim expression on his face. In his mind, he couldn't believe what happened a half hour earlier. He let the thrill of battle, as well as his impulsive emotions, get the better of him. And combined with the physical and mental injuries Azrael inflicted on Yuhiro, it didn't make the situation any better. Perhaps Azrael was right. Maybe Yuhiro was nothing more than a naïve child that relied on emotion to win battles.
No. I can't think that right now, Yuhiro thought, as he shook his head to get the thoughts out of his mind. Eventually, he reached his destination: 2749 Little Acres Lane. That was where Leshawna lived at. While she normally did her practice as a therapist at an office, Roxy requested Leshawna to let Yuhiro come visit her at her place, especially how urgent the recent matter was.
Walking up the steps to the door, Yuhiro then rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer it. After a minute or so, Leshawna answered the door.
"Ah, Yuhiro. Good to see you." Leshawna said, gesturing for Yuhiro to come inside the house.
"Good to see you as well, Leshawna." Yuhiro replied, as the both of them headed towards the living room, which consisted of a couch and a couch chair, along with a TV nearby. Behind the couch was a large window, and the piano was just nearby in the living room. "I trust that the kids are doing well?"
"Oh, they're good. If it weren't for them having school today, they'd love your company." Leshawna answered, now heading over to the counter to grab a pen and paper. While she sat down on the couch chair nearby, Yuhiro sat down at the couch facing the couch chair. "Alright, as an old client and friend, you know how this works, right?"
Yuhiro nodded in response. He went to see Leshawna multiple times, especially following his adoption with Roxy. At the time, Yuhiro was hesitant in opening up, as he was afraid that people wouldn't understand what he was telling them. They'd think he was crazy or something. But Leshawna was a therapist who listened with compassion. Someone who paid close attention to what her clients were saying before responding to them. She didn't judge, and focused all her efforts on making sure her clients were secure, as well as help them find self-coping methods they can use to further help their mental health in a positive manner.
"So, how are you doing these days?"
"I'm fine. Things have been stressful. Lots of stuff going on, but I'm getting through it day by day."
Leshawna raised an eyebrow after hearing that comment. "Yuhiro, Roxy told me that you recently went through something really bad. Maybe you can tell me about it, and I can help you get through it piece by piece."
"I..." Yuhiro shook his head. While Leshawna was someone who wouldn't judge, a part of him was afraid of how she would react if he told the truth about himself. "No. I can't tell you. It's best that you don't-."
"Whatever happened must have made you really upset. I mean, Roxy told me you had to take a day or two off to recover." Leshawna said, which made Yuhiro roll his eyes.
"It was necessary." Yuhiro replied with a chuckle. "I mean, anyone with stress-."
"Come on, Yuhiro. You don't have to beat around the bush. Unresolved issues, if not addressed, can-."
"But I'm fine, Leshawna! The days off have managed to-."
"Yuhiro, it's alright. You're safe. Tell me everything. I won't judge you." Leshawna gently assured him.
Yuhiro, in hearing this, sighed. "Alright. Fine. I'll tell you. But it's a lot." He then proceeded to tell Leshawna everything that happened. How he got physically and mentally defeated by Azrael, who ended up putting Miyu in the hospital for a second time. How later that night, he ended up looking into the Project: VIII data to find the truth about himself, which led Yuhiro to run away, having acted on information overload at his worst moment. After recapping the events, Yuhiro then talked about what he learned from the data. How Yukage, who was Azrael, was his hybrid brother, not his childhood friend. How he was born damaged to a family who didn't want him, how he became adopted by the Furutani family, who was responsible for starting Project: VIII. Last but not least, the guilt that was on Yuhiro's mind simply for being part of that family, who ended up causing other people so much pain.
"It sucks, Leshawna. I thought I was born to a regular family, a set of parents who loved me. But that's just a lie. A lie, I tell you!" Yuhiro exclaimed through sad frustration. While he didn't cry, it was clear that he was sad. "I never asked to be damaged upon birth. I never asked to be affiliated with the family who ended up making others suffer, all for the sake of science!" He seethed that last word out. "It disgusts me that my own family would do such a thing. If they did it, what are the chances of me making other people suffer later down the road? I don't know what to do now, Leshawna, and that scares me above everything else!" Yuhiro sighed after getting that last part out. "I don't know what to do now..."
Leshawna, who was taking notes on her paper while paying close attention to what Yuhiro said, put her notes down on the table between the couch and the couch chair before looking at him. "You're right, Yuhiro. What you told me was a lot to take in."
"It definitely was." Yuhiro agreed. "Still, opening up not just to you, but to Roxy and the others was a first step. A much needed one at that."
After hearing Yuhiro's response, Leshawna narrowed her eyes at Yuhiro so she can get his attention on what she was about to say next. "I'll let you in on a family secret, Yuhiro. My husband, Jamal, and I have been married for a long time. This family also went through some tough situations as well. And I attributed all this success to one rule."
"No lies?" Yuhiro correctly guessed.
"That's the one." Leshawna confirmed with a nod. "Good and honest conversations are the first step in solving a problem, especially the one you're facing right now."
"So... what do I do?" Yuhiro asked.
"You need to honestly decide what person you want to become, as both a duelist, and an individual." Leshawna explained firmly. "To put it simply, you need to ask yourself this question: How will I live with this information and move forward? That's something you need to find out for yourself."
"I see." Yuhiro then stood up from the couch. "Well, thanks Leshawna. I really appreciate this session. Seems I got some thinking I have to do myself, if you know what I mean."
"I know exactly what you mean, buddy." Leshawna agreed, also standing up from the couch chair before offering her right hand to Yuhiro, the latter shaking it in response. "You give me a call if you need anything, okay?"
"I'll keep that in mind." Yuhiro assured her, before walking to the front door and exiting Leshawna's house. The session proved to be helpful to Yuhiro, as he was able to not only get some heavy stuff off his chest, but obtain guidance from a professional as well. Guidance he'll have to address really soon, especially with the question Leshawna gave him at the end of the session.
"How will I live with this information and move forward? That's something you need to find out for yourself."
In Yuhiro's mind, that question had a lot of weight, as he needed to decide how he can acknowledge what he learned and continue persevering in life, no matter what comes up next. And unfortunately, as Leshawna mentioned, only Yuhiro can come up with that answer.
But before Yuhiro can ponder the conversation further, he suddenly found himself back at Café Matsuo. Apparently, he was so deep in thought that he didn't realize he had reached his destination. As Yuhiro approached Café Matsuo, he saw Roxy giving a customer their fully cooked and ready to eat order.
"Enjoy the meal!" Roxy said, giving the customer a wave of her hand as they left Café Matsuo. Seeing Yuhiro approach the counter, she smiled. "Ah, Yuhiro! How was the session with Leshawna?"
"It was nice, as I needed mental health advice, and I'm glad Leshawna was able to give it to me." Yuhiro answered. "Oh, and she says hi by the way."
"That's great to hear." Roxy stated, as Yuhiro opened the door to enter into Café Matsuo.
"Say, where's Herald?"
"He's playing video games upstairs. Apparently, Herald's facing a difficult situation after his game character got kicked out by the commander in Pokemon: Legends Arceus."
Yuhiro rolled his eyes. Of course Herald was still playing that game, and considering how his Internet ban was lifted by Roxy a day ago, was now balancing his time playing Fate/Grand Order. Maybe Blood Shepherd's AI was right. Maybe Herald should get a new hobby. One that didn't involve rotting the brain.
Walking up the stairs, Yuhiro headed over to the living room, where he found Herald holding his head in his hands, a look of frustration on his face.
"What's going on, Herald?" Yuhiro asked, going over to one of the couches and sitting down on one of them.
"I am facing decision paralysis at the moment, Yuhiro." Herald simply explained, now turning to face him. "I thought that the Diamond and Peral clan leaders, the Ginkgo Guild's more well-known member, and myself would team up to get the pixies' assistance in creating the Red Chain. Then we'd go kick the commander's ass for being an idiot in thinking he can take on the Pokemon emerging from the space-time rift, which I know is obviously a Legendary Pokemon. But unfortunately..."
"You can only choose one of the two clans to help you out." Yuhiro finished.
"That's right." Herald confirmed. "Now I'm stuck between the bold and adventurous Diamond Clan leader, or the calculative and cautious Pearl Clan leader. I've grown fond of both of them, especially how they helped in taking down the frenzied Noble Pokemon. While I know who I'll choose, my concern is what happens if I don't pick the other person."
"I'm sure nothing bad will happen whoever you'll choose. I mean, your choice is pretty obvious." Yuhiro amusedly assured Herald, which made him blush out of embarrassment.
"As much as I appreciate the advice, you didn't have to go there." Herald pouted, as Yuhiro gently patted him on the head before going over to the kitchen to grab a juice box. He enjoyed teasing Herald about his video game crushes, which was simple revenge for him making fun of Yuhiro having a crush on Miyu. Never change, Herald. Never change, Yuhiro thought in his mind, a smile appearing on his face as he grabbed a juice box from the fridge.
Suddenly, Yuhiro's phone vibrated, which caused him to take it out of his right pocket before looking at the Caller ID. Upon looking at it, Yuhiro answered the phone.
"Yes?"
"We need to talk, Yuhiro. Now. " the voice of Watchman responded, which made Yuhiro widen his eyes in surprise. This was going to be interesting, that's for sure.
Five minutes later, in the backroom...
Yuhiro, Roxy, and Herald looked thoroughly at the picture of the location Watchman sent them. It was a massive tower, with towers of different sizes orbiting around it. Attached to the tower were numerous staircases, which connected the inside of the tower to the outside. The tower was obviously old, as evident by the damage it suffered, along with the numerous pieces that were missing from it.
"So let me get this straight. You think this tower is where I can acquire a weapon that can match Azrael's strength?" Yuhiro immediately asked to ensure that the information he heard was valid.
"Yes, that's right." Watchman simply confirmed, who was on the screen. After Watchman told Yuhiro that they had to talk, he immediately went to get Roxy and Herald, the former having to had the steward bot take over temporarily, while the latter had to pause his video games. They then proceeded to call Watchman, who explained about the place he had found. One that he believed will help Yuhiro get stronger.
While Yuhiro immediately believed that going there will help him get the weapon needed to become stronger than before, Roxy was a bit skeptical. After all, it wasn't everyday where a powerful weapon would be available for someone to use, especially in an old place like a tower. To put it simply, what were the chances that it was nothing more than a prank? What if the weapon wasn't there after all? If that happened, then everyone would be pissed off at having been given a dead lead.
"That being said, I need to look more into the place. Make sure that-."
"You're taking me there right away." Yuhiro interrupted firmly.
"What?" both Watchman and Roxy said at the same time. They didn't expect to hear that from Yuhiro.
"Uh, Yuhiro. Maybe it'd be a good idea for Watchman to investigate the place." Roxy stated.
"Yes, and after what Azrael put you through, you need to recover your strength." Watchman added in support of Roxy's point.
"If what you said earlier is true, then we have to go there as soon as possible. Every second we delay going increases the chance of someone else going there and taking this weapon. And after me delaying my search on vital information that could have been of helpful use by three months, that's something I am not risking again." Yuhiro snarled back.
"Yuhiro..." Herald muttered. From what he can tell, Yuhiro was still haunted by his cowardice for not looking into the Project: VIII data earlier. Not just that, but by what he had found out about himself a few days ago.
Watchman sighed, knowing there was no point in countering Yuhiro's rebuttal. After Demeter told Watchman about how Yuhiro looked into the Project: VIII information, as well as his visit at the Den City Hospital, it was only a matter of time that something like this happened. To put it simply, there was no point in hiding the truth from Yuhiro any longer, as while Watchman had good intentions, this conversation would have eventually arrived. The one where Yuhiro would finally learn... everything. A few moments later, a series of coordinates popped up on the monitors, which showed the following:
Dpwn34mdien2l10293jkjapekldn3
"Follow these coordinates to my location, and we'll go to the tower together." Watchman instructed, before hanging up. Once that was done, Yuhiro put his duel disk on the counter before typing in a series of code, which put the coordinates into his duel disk. From there, he stood up, picked his duel disk up, and strapped it onto his left arm.
"Yuhiro, are you sure you want to do this?" Roxy questioned, concern evident in her voice.
"I am." Yuhiro replied, now turning to face her. "If it means getting the edge needed to match my hybrid brother, then I'll do whatever it takes to acquire it." Roxy was about to make a retort when Herald suddenly spoke up.
"I'll keep an eye on Yuhiro," he assured her. "If something comes up, then I'll bring him back to the real world, just like last time."
Roxy sighed after hearing this. "Okay. If that's the case, then I trust you, Herald. As for you, Yuhiro..."
"Don't do anything rash." Yuhiro finished. "Trust me, Roxy. I'll be okay, and will update you with what I've learned when I get back." After Roxy nodded back in response, Yuhiro ran towards the closed-off space, where the door closed behind him. He then took out his deck and inserted it into his duel disk.
"Deck Set! Into The VRAINS!"
In LINK VRAINS...
Raguel landed on his duel board and sped forward, following the coordinates in the process. As he continued doing so, he looked around the area, and saw the main area slowly disappearing. Seems this tower Watchman mentioned must not be a part of the general network, he deduced in his mind.
"Hey, Raguel."
Raguel turned to Herald, the latter having got his attention. "Yeah?"
"What do you think we'll find at this tower?" Herald asked. "I know a weapon's located there, but I'm just curious as to what it will be."
"What I'm curious about is the trials that I'll have to go through to obtain it. After all, there are no easy paths." Raguel said.
"True, true." Herald agreed.
Before Raguel could say anything else, several, glowing cracks appeared ahead of him. The next thing he and Herald knew, a wormhole then appeared from the cracks, which began sucking them in with great force!
"AAAAH! Why does this have to happen now of all times?!" Herald panicked, as Raguel turned his duel board around, hoping not to get sucked into it. He looked at his duel disk, noticing that the coordinates were glowing.
"The coordinates are saying we need to go into that wormhole." Raguel stated, which made Herald's eyes widen in response.
"And get sucked in?"
"To sum it up, yes." Raguel answered, much to Herald's dismay as he turned around and went into the wormhole. Since he wasn't resisting its pull, he was able to smoothly enter inside, with the wormhole closing up behind him in response.
As Raguel went through the tunnel of the wormhole, he and Herald looked around the area, which resembled a totally different version of outer space. While there were obviously stars around the area, there were also crystalline meteoroids and little, cloud-like creatures with gaseous bodies that resembled nebulas. Okay, this is awesome, Raguel thought in his mind. While he had been to Watchman's server twice, which resembled outer space, that paled in comparison to what Raguel was seeing with his own eyes. "It seems there may be life in places other than Earth..."
"As evident by those little creatures in the area, you may be right." Herald agreed. As if on cue, Raguel's duel disk beeped once again, which made Raguel turn his duel board right.
"The coordinates are glowing once again, and it seems we have to go to that portal ahead of us." Raguel stated, the wormhole now opening up as he entered inside. As much as he enjoyed the trip through the wormhole, he had a mission to complete.
Upon entering into the area, Raguel looked around, which consisted of a cloudy sky and broken pieces of architecture on the land. There were a few trees in the area, along with a lake underneath a bridge that connected the area to the tower's entrance. Seeing Watchman, Raguel landed his duel board on the ground before walking over to him.
"I trust you enjoyed the trip?" Watchman asked him.
"As much as I enjoyed it, I'm here for something else, remember?" Raguel reminded Watchman, who nodded back in response. The two of them walked through the desolate area towards the bridge, where the tower was.
"It's interesting how this place is kept separate from the main network." Herald said, before turning to Watchman. "Is this your server by any chance, Watchman?"
"No, it is not." Watchman replied. "Rather, this server belonged to Myojin Furutani himself."
Yuhiro narrowed his eyes after hearing the last part of Watchman's answer. "I'm already aware of the fact that you know my father from Project: VIII."
"Yes. Demeter told me that you looked into the Project: VIII information a few days ago, as well as your visit to the Den City Hospital. We'll talk about that later. For now..." Watchman gestured to the tower's entrance. "...You have a tower to climb. And if you were thinking of flying up to the top, that can't be done. The data material in this world can be rather... unstable at times."
"Well, that sucks. But at least we can see what's inside the tower. I mean, maybe we can find murals on the walls." Herald stated, trying to look on the bright side of the situation. It obviously didn't work at all.
Raguel then walked towards the bridge and started crossing it, but just as he reached the entrance, he turned his head back to Watchman.
"This is your trial, Raguel. I will stay guard in case something unexpected comes up." Watchman told him. Nodding back, Raguel then entered inside the tower, where there was practically no signs of life. As he kept walking, Raguel noticed some murals that were on the walls. One of the murals showed a total of four men surrounding a table taking notes and looking at papers. The second mural showed a man and a woman helping two babies get through a procedure that was carried out by a team of doctors. Nearby was another man, who was also overseeing the procedure. Seeing both of these murals made Raguel sick to his stomach, as it reminded him of everything he learned a few days back.
The next mural that Raguel saw showed three of the men battling. One of the men was near what looked like a portal device, a massive creature behind him. While one of the men carried several long and slender swords resembling rapiers that had extremely short hilts in his hands, the other man had what looked like a grey and blue bipedal dragon with tendril-like appendages, which were covered with spikes of ice that had icicles at the ends. As Raguel kept walking, the mural played like a slideshow, with the man battling against the other man and his ally. The battle resulted in an explosion that tore the area apart.
"What the-?" Raguel began speaking, now looking at the fourth mural.
"You recognize that mural, Raguel?" Herald asked.
"Yeah, I recognize it." Raguel answered, his mouth slightly open out of horror. The mural showed a burning house, with monsters of various sizes attacking it. Two boys managed to escape, while the woman was impaled by the scythe the humanoid monster carried in its hands. As for the man, he was pierced in numerous spots before dying by other monsters. "Dear God..."
"Raguel, you there?"
Raguel didn't hear Herald. His mind began racing back to that horrific night before the Lost Incident, where those monsters attacked his adopted family in the middle of the night. He and Yukage managed to somehow escape, but at the cost of Myojin and Lyla Furutani's lives. Who would send creatures to murder them?
"RAGUEL!"
Upon hearing Herald's words, Raguel shook his head, having been snapped out of his daze.
"Are you okay? And what exactly was that mural?"
"It showed the death of my adopted parents, as well as how Yukage and I escaped when we were children." Raguel explained, his face showing no emotion. Instead, he had a cold expression on his face. "From what I recall, this happened just hours before the Lost Incident."
"What?" Herald's eyes widened in surprise. To think that Raguel experienced a tragedy before the Lost Incident... no wonder he looked so pale. Seeing that mural must have brought up a memory in Raguel. One that he'd prefer to obviously forget. Herald's thoughts were interrupted, however, when Raguel continued walking up the stairs. "You should slow down, Raguel. Take a-."
"Break? No thanks." Raguel denied, a determined expression on his face. "I'll be at the top of this tower soon, and that's likely where the guardian will be." And that's where I'll get the weapon needed to match Azrael in strength, he thought in the back of his mind.
Eventually, Raguel reached the end of the upward staircase, where he found a door in front of him. Opening it up, he stepped onto the top of the tower. Looking around the area, he saw weapon racks on his left and right, which contained blades of numerous sizes. From spears to short swords to regular swords to lances and knives, the racks had them all.
And just ahead of Raguel was a tall man meditating on his knees. He was covered from head to foot in armor, with chain mail underneath it. He also long silver hair in two braids, which went down to his left and right front sides. Covering his face was a silver mask, which showed his red, glowing eyes. The man also wore red pants that had iron rings at the bottom, as well as a pair of boots. His head was covered with a black hood that stopped just near his face. Last but not least, the man missed his left arm, as evident by the torn pieces of chain mail near his left shoulder.
"I wondered when you would come," the man said, looking up at Raguel.
"You must be the guardian of this tower." Raguel figured out.
"Yes, I am. I assume you're here to undertake my trial, just like those who came before you?" the guardian asked, getting straight to business.
Raguel narrowed his eyes. "I am."
In response, the man stood up. "And what is it you hope to glean?"
"Knowledge and power." Raguel immediately answered.
"Is that so?" The guardian raised his right arm forward, a typical western sword appearing in front of him before he gripped it with his right hand. The sword had a golden rain-guard and a blue grip, as well as also symbols that were inscribed on the blade.
The next thing Raguel knew, the guardian dashed forward towards him, with Herald making a shield at the last minute to block the strike.
"You are not allowed to assist the boy," the guardian admonished Herald, as data suddenly appeared before connecting to his left shoulder, which formed into a phantom left arm. Before either of them could react to this new development, the guardian proceeded to grab Herald with his phantom left arm and pull him out of Raguel's duel disk, much to their surprise as he threw him aside. A small tower suddenly appeared before chains suddenly launched out of it, binding Herald to it in the process. Once that was done, the phantom left arm turned into particles.
"This is great. Just great," Herald sarcastically said in response, knowing that his abilities would not help in getting himself out of this situation.
Raguel immediately rolled away from the guardian's sword strike, slowly backing away from him and being aware from his surroundings. He grabbed a sword from the rack behind him before blocking the guardian's second sword strike. Pushing it back, Raguel attempted to strike the guardian with his own sword, only for the guardian to easily block it before striking back. In response, Raguel ducked the attack and quickly circled the guardian, who warped a short distance away from him. The guardian threw his right arm to his side, purple portals appearing behind him as numerous weapons appeared briefly, which sticked out of them.
"Raguel, look out!" Herald shouted, as the guardian pointed his right hand at Raguel, the weapons exiting from their portals and launching themselves like bullets at him. Seeing this, Raguel managed to block a few of them, only for him to roll out of the way to avoid the others.
"Oh shit..." Raguel muttered, now realizing who he was facing upon looking at those portals. This... was not good at all. "You're Gilgamesh, aren't you?"
"That is correct." Gilgamesh confirmed. "Now that you know who I am, I have to ask you: How long will you persevere against an opponent such as myself?" The portals having disappeared, Gilgamesh warped in front of Raguel before swinging his sword at him, who managed to barely block it in time. Raguel responded with a swing of his sword at Gilgamesh, the latter parrying it and striking back with such force that he was pushed back a few feet.
Moving forward quickly, Raguel once again attempted to strike Gilgamesh with his sword. However, like before, Gilgamesh parried his strike and attempted to respond with a strike of his own, which caused Raguel to block it. As a result, a blade lock occurred.
"Is this the limit of your knowledge, Raguel? The limit of your power?"
"I'm not afraid of you." Raguel replied with a determined expression on his face.
"On the contrary, I believe you are afraid." Breaking the sword lock, Gilgamesh pushed Raguel away as a portal appeared behind him, which launched a sword at the latter that managed to pierce his right side.
"RAGUEL!" Herald cried out of worry. Grunting in pain, Raguel pulled the sword out of his right side and gripped the hilt with his left hand.
"Brute force does little to impress." Gilgamesh scolded Raguel, who pointed his sword at him. "Only he who possesses both muscle and mettle of equal caliber will not only pass the trial, but achieve the prize this tower contains as well."
"This trial isn't over yet." Raguel told Gilgamesh, the latter warping away to the other end of the tower as numerous portals appeared behind him.
"We shall see, Raguel. We shall see." Gilgamesh responded, as Raguel prepared to defend himself against the weapons that will be launched from the portals.
Meanwhile...
Watchman looked upwards, having heard the sounds of battle from the top of the tower. In his mind, Raguel had to go through such a trial eventually, as the inheritance from his father can't be kept from him forever. If Raguel managed to pass the trial and get his weapon, the odds would be tipped in their favor. Otherwise, the guardian would kill him, just like he did with the others who dared to enter the tower.
He also promised to tell Raguel everything that he knew, as according to Demeter, Raguel looked into the Project: VIII information before confronting her. Watchman, in response, assured her that he'll be okay, and ordered her to continue finding the cause of what put Miyu in a coma. To help with the task, he sent her the Light Ignis's algorithm. Whether that brings up a lead or not is something Watchman and the others will find out later on, as well as what to do next.
"So this is why you came here? To have a person gain immense power?"
Watchman turned around to look behind him, only to see a man with long, white hair. He had tan skin and dark eyes, with his right eye always being covered by his bangs. His attire consisted of a wool orange hat, a teal scarf, a roughed-up gray jacket with a sweater underneath, a pair of jeans and makeshift boots. The man also wore a key around his neck, with a red gem engraved on the center, as well as black fingerless gloves, a large backpack and a metal knee cap on his left leg.
"It's you, isn't it? Dairoku Saionji." Watchman said, having recognized the man walking towards him. A long time ago, people knew him as the first CEO of SOL Technologies before the existence of the current higher ups. The Dragon King. The one who funded Project: VIII. The one who was fired for supporting such a project, even though he didn't cause the catastrophic incident. But to Watchman, the Dragon King was his friend.
"Yes it is, old friend. While that is still my name, people refer to me as Zero these days in the general network." Zero responded. "As for my question, did you come here just to give someone immense power? You don't know what they'll do with it."
"I have faith that Raguel will use it for the common good. His good nature, along with his morals, will ensure that he doesn't abuse it." Watchman told Zero.
"Is that so? Considering how his brother is running amok in the network, it only makes sense for the other to follow his path, don't you agree?"
Watchman gasped upon hearing this. Could it be true? Was Yukage truly running amok in LINK VRAINS under a network ID? No, it couldn't be. He went missing after the Lost Incident, even after a year of searching, where the authorities gave it up and assumed he dead. Something worse then crossed his mind: Was Yukage the one who seriously wounded Raguel?
"How do you know this information, Dairoku?" Watchman demanded, still in disbelief from what he just heard.
"When you're in the network as long as I have, Arshad, you learn a few things. If you conduct the right searches and put the right pieces of information together, you eventually get your much needed answers." Zero explained. "Then again, I'm grateful for the asylum given by them, especially after I was forced to exile myself in the network to escape my pursuers, just like you have. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about, right?"
So that's why I wasn't able to find you in the real world. You had assistance from other people to transfer you into the network itself, Watchman thought in his mind. And in the process, you shed your mortal coil. "I... I didn't know."
"In the network, I had dark visions of the future. Of them all, I saw someone who would not only destroy the entire network, but also tear the entire world apart as well." Zero cryptically warned Watchman, a dark and grim expression on his face. "To put it simply, if you continue to fight, everything we've fought for will be destroyed. While I don't know who will fall into despair, I do know that they'll become the harbinger of destruction and despair if they continue to live."
"What are you talking about?" Watchman questioned, having narrowed his eyes in response. What Zero was telling him just now was not good at all.
"Both Yuhiro and Yukage have an inner darkness. It pulls at each of them. It calls to each of them. If they're not stopped soon, they'll be consumed by it." Before Zero could head towards the tower, Watchman stood in his way and activated his duel disk. "Stand aside, Arshad. If we are to stop the Crisis, then Yuhiro must be eliminated before he embraces the darkness. And once that's done, I'll go after Yukage and eliminate him as well to ensure mankind's survival."
"I won't let that happen!" Watchman declared.
Zero, upon hearing Watchman's answer, sighed. "Very well. If you won't step aside, then I'll have to make you do it by force." He activated his duel disk, which was a green orb that had golden outlines on it. The blade that emitted from it was colored light-brown, with golden outlines on it.
"Let's duel!" Watchman and Zero shouted in unison.
Watchman: 4000 LP
Zero: 4000 LP
"I will go first, old friend. My turn!" Zero said. "I activate the Field Spell card, Garden of Providence!" The card showed multiple plant monsters of different sizes, each one having a different number of leaves on their heads in a garden. All of them were playing together in the garden, with a statue of a plant-like dragon that had a very long tail composed of vines in the middle of the garden. "When this card is activated, I can Special Summon one Light Cyberse monster from my deck or Graveyard to my field. In addition, all Light Cyberse monsters I control gain 300 attack and defense points."
"Cyberse monster?" Watchman repeated out of surprise. He didn't expect Zero to have Cyberse monsters at all.
"That's right." Zero confirmed, as a card popped out of his deck, which he took. "Now come from my deck, Femtron!" A green-colored thin plant with a branch as its tail, along with a pair of bladed wings appeared on Zero's field. Its eyes were integrated together as a visor, which dimly glowed. On its head were four green spikes that jutted backwards, each one having a green gem at the end of them. A green gem was also on top of its head as well.
Femtron ATK: 1400 DEF: 100 LV: 4
Femtron ATK: 1400 + 300 = 1700 DEF: 100 + 300 = 400
"I summon Attron from my hand to my field." A green-colored plant with a green blade as its tail, along with a pair of bladed wings appeared on Zero's field. Its eyes were integrated together as a visor, which dimly glowed. Growing from the back of its head were a set of three leaves, each one having an orange gem on them. An orange gem was also on top of its head as well.
Attron ATK: 1000 DEF: 100 LV: 3
Attron ATK: 1000 + 300 = 1300 DEF: 100 + 300 = 400
"Appear, the circuit of providence!" Zero declared, as a Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two Light Cyberse monsters. I set Femtron and Attron into the Link Markers!" Femtron went into the bottom-left arrowhead, while Attron went into the bottom-right arrowhead, the both of them turning red in the process.
"Link Summon! Rise! Link 2! Yggdrago C!" A plant-like dragon with a very long tail composed of vines, as well as no claws or wings, appeared on Zero's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. It had a red gem embedded on its head, along with a mane of orange hair.
Yggdrago C ATK: 2000 LINK-2 ↙️↘️
Yggdrago C ATK: 2000 + 300 = 2300
"The effects of Femtron, Attron, Yggdrago C, and Garden of Providence now activate. First, as Femtron was used to Link Summon a Light Cyberse Link monster, I can shuffle it into my deck to add one card from my deck to my hand." Zero began speaking. "I shuffle Femtron into my deck, and add Absurd Discharge from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of Zero's Graveyard, which he took and shuffled into his deck. A card then popped out of Zero's deck, which he took and added to his hand.
"Second, as Attron was used to Link Summon a Light Cyberse Link monster, I can shuffle this card into my deck and draw one card from the top of my deck." A card popped out of Zero's Graveyard, which he took and shuffled into his deck. Afterwards, he drew the top card of his deck.
This isn't good, Watchman thought in his mind. Zero's building something big, and unless I stop it fast, he'll be set to defeat me on his next turn.
"Third, since Yggdrago C was Link Summoned, I can Special Summon one Light Cyberse monster from my deck to my field." Zero continued, as a card popped out of his deck. "Now come from my deck, Zeptron! A green-colored plant with a branch as its tail, along with two leaves sprouting from its head appeared on Zero's field. It had two orange gems, one on its body, and one on the stem connecting its head to the leaves.
Zeptron ATK: 500 DEF: 100 LV: 2
Zeptron ATK: 500 + 300 = 800 DEF: 100 + 300 = 400
"Fourth, as I Link Summoned a Light Cyberse monster, I can Special Summon a Light Cyberse monster from my deck or Graveyard to my field, and gain life points equal to that monster's attack points."
"What?" Watchman said, as a card popped out of Zero's deck, which he took and played.
"Now come from my deck, Floettetron!" Zero declared, as a small fairy with a white-upper body and a blue lower body appeared on his field. Its eyes were black with a blue, leaf-like extension over each other similar to eyelashes. It had long, notched ears with a blue ring around the base of each. Its tail was spade-shaped, and it had thin arms with mitten-like hands. It also had two thin black lines on its head as well. In Floettetron's hands was a flower with six petals, three of which were big, while the other three were small. The stem of the flower was red and leafless, while its stigma was black and conical. Last but not least, the flower's underside was black and the top of the three big petals are patterned red and black.
Floettetron ATK: 1000 DEF: 200 LV: 3
Floettetron ATK: 1000 + 300 = 1300
Zero: 4000 + 1000 = 5000 LP
"When Floettetron is Normal or Special Summoned, I can take one card in my deck and place it on top of my deck." After looking at the cards in his deck, Zero took one and placed it on top of his deck.
"Floettetron... that's your most treasured duel monster..." Watchman recalled.
"It is indeed my most treasured duel monster. One that stood by my side all these years in my exile. Still, it would have been better if you located me in the network." Zero replied.
"I didn't know you were in the network at the time. I had assumed you were dead." Watchman rebutted.
"The world believes I'm dead. Considering how smart you are, you of all people should have been aware of the truth. But enough of that. Let's focus on the duel." Zero thrusted out his right hand. "Appear, for a second time! The circuit of providence!" A second Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are one Light Cyberse monster. I set Zeptron into the Link Markers!" Zeptron went into the top-right arrowhead, turning it red.
"Link Summon! Rise! Link 1! Yggdrago L!" A plant-like dragon with a very long tail composed of vines, as well as no claws or wings, appeared on Zero's field in one of the two Main Monster Zones Yggdrago C pointed to, resulting in both of them being co-linked with one another. It had a blue gem embedded on its head, along with a mane of orange hair.
Yggdrago L ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ↗️
Yggdrago L ATK: 1000 + 300 = 1300
"Zeptron's effect now activates. As it was used to Link Summon a Light Cyberse Link monster, I can shuffle this card into my deck to draw the top two cards of my deck. In exchange, I must shuffle two cards in my hand back into my deck." Zero explained, as a card popped out of his Graveyard, which he took and shuffled into his deck. After drawing the top two cards of his deck, he took two cards from his hand and shuffled them right back into his deck. "The effects of Yggdrago C and L also activate. First, while Yggdrago C is co-linked, Light Cyberse Link monsters I control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects once per turn. Second, while Yggdrago L is co-linked, Light Cyberse Link monsters I control gain 500 attack points when they battle during damage calculation only."
Watchman narrowed his eyes. Unfortunately, he didn't have any hand traps in his hand to stop what Zero was up to. Rather, he only had cards that he can use during his turn. Ones that can help him turn the tide of the duel. While one of the cards was a monster card Watchman promised himself he wouldn't use, times were changing, and if he was to survive, he had to take any risk necessary for the sake of the greater good.
"Appear, for a third time! The circuit of providence!" A third Link Portal appeared above Zero. "The summoning conditions are one Light Cyberse Link monster. I set Floettetron into the Link Markers!" Floettetron went into the top-left arrowhead, turning it red.
"Link Summon! Rise! Link 1! Yggdrago R!" A plant-like dragon with a very long tail composed of vines, as well as no claws or wings, appeared on Zero's field in the other Main Monster Zone Yggdrago C pointed to, resulting in both of them being co-linked with one another. It had a green gem embedded on its head, along with a mane of orange hair.
Yggdrago R ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ↖️
Yggdrago R ATK: 1000 + 300 = 1300
"When Floettetron is used to Link Summon a Light Cyberse Link monster, I can add it back to my hand and gain 500 life points." Zero added, as a card popped out of his Graveyard, which he took and added to his hand. Then a yellow veil surrounded Zero, which increased his life points.
Zero: 5000 + 500 = 5500 LP
"In addition, while Yggdrago R is co-linked, Light Cyberse Link monsters I control can inflict piercing battle damage." Zero grinned. "Now, Arshad! Prepare yourself! For this is the power I gained during my exile! The one you will need to stop the coming Crisis itself! Appear, the circuit of providence!" He fired a blast of lighting from his right hand, which formed into a massive Link Portal. One that had orange and dark-green colors before growing larger. "The summoning conditions are one copy each of 'Yggdrago C', 'Yggdrago L', and 'Yggdrago R'. I set the Link 2 Yggdrago C, the Link 1 Yggdrago L, and the Link 1 Yggdrago R into the Link Markers!" Yggdrago C went into the left and right arrowheads, Yggdrago L went into the bottom-left arrowhead, and Yggdrago R went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning each of them gold in the process instead of red.
"Heaven, earth, light, darkness, creation, despair, eternity, demise, destiny... This is the new myth which will permeate throughout the world... Using your three sets of insight, now is the time to bestow reason upon all of creation!" Zero chanted. "Maximum Link Summon! Descend upon this realm! Link 4! Yggdrago the Sky Emperor!" A massive, three-headed plant-like dragon with a very long tail composed of vines appeared on Zero's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. The left head had a blue jewel embedded in it, the right head had a green jewel embedded in it, and the middle head had a red jewel embedded in it. While the dragon had large, shining wings composed of glowing feathers, it didn't have claws or feet.
Yggdrago the Sky Emperor ATK: 4000 LINK-4 ↙️⬅️➡️↘️
Yggdrago the Sky Emperor ATK: 4000 + 300 = 4300
"Such a thing exists?!" Watchman exclaimed, awestruck by what he's seeing in front of him. A Maximum Link monster... that will certainly help in defending the world from the Crisis to come.
"Yes, and it will be the tool used to defeat you." Zero simply confirmed with a grin. "I Set two cards face-down and end my turn. Now, old friend. Let's see what you got after all these years."
"My turn! I draw!" Watchman said, drawing the top card of his deck. I have to defeat Zero so Raguel can complete his trial and acquire his inheritance, he thought in his mind. To do this, he'll have to risk the chance of losing himself, and considering how his power returned to normal, he may have to summon that just to win the duel. "I activate the Spell card, Graceful Charity. This card lets me draw three cards from the top of my deck, but in exchange, I must discard two cards from my hand." After Watchman drew the top three cards of his deck, he took two cards from his hand and discarded them.
"I activate the effect of Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord from my hand." As if on cue, one of the cards in Watchman's hand glowed a dark-purple light. "By revealing three 'Cubic' cards with different names in my hand, I can Special Summon Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord from my hand! I reveal Cubic Ascension, Cubic Wave, and Cubic Dharma from my hand!"
Soon, the three designated cards glowed before floating in front of Watchman and spinning around to form a dark-purple portal. Emerging from the portal was a massive swarm of sickly gray and orange cubic particles before they formed into a new purple-colored monster. This monster's core consisted of a purple sphere with a red oval and golden lash marks surrounding it, which was inside a translucent purple-cube. It had two muscular arms, with two eyes each. One at the shoulder, and one at the back of its hand. Its right hand consisted of two un-even pincer blades that formed a claw, while the left hand consisted of a pendulum blade. Flowing underneath the creature's core was a trail of solidified purple cubes, which formed a tail.
Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord ATK: 3000 DEF: 0 LV: 10
Upon being Special Summoned, Watchman screamed as he held his head in his hands, much to Zero's surprise.
"Arshad, you fool! Are you not aware of the consequences of using such a monster?" Zero questioned with concern. What had Watchman done to himself since the last time they interacted?
"Yes, I am. But if it means achieving the greater good, then so be it." Watchman answered. "I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Cubic Dharma. While this card is on my field, I take no battle damage from attacks involving my 'Cubic' monsters. From there, I activate the Equip Spell card, Laminate Armor, and equip it onto Crimson Nova. Not only does it gain 1000 defense points, if it were to be destroyed by battle, I can send this card to my Graveyard, as well as reduce battle damage to zero." Soon, black-armored pieces appeared around Crimson Nova before being absorbed into its body.
Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord DEF: 0 + 1000 = 1000
In Watchman's mind, he had to play this carefully. It was likely that one of Zero's face-down cards can negate the effects of his cards, so as much as he wanted to attack, he had to be patient for now. Besides, with Laminate Armor, Cubic Dharma, Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord's effect, and the cards in his hand, he can defeat Zero on his next turn. "I Set two cards face-down and end my turn, which means Crimson Nova's final effect activates. It deals the both of us 3000 points of damage!"
"What?!" Zero gasped, as Crimson Nova's eyes charged up before firing cubic purple beams at both him and Watchman, causing both individuals to scream as their life points dropped.
Watchman: 4000 – 3000 = 1000 LP
Zero: 5500 – 3000 = 2500 LP
"So that's your strategy, huh? Mutually Assured Destruction? I expected more, especially from someone like you." Zero stated with disappointment. "I don't know why you're..." It then dawned upon him. Watchman would usually build his monsters up and overwhelm the opponent as the duel to progress. But for Watchman to use this tactic meant one thing.
He was stalling for time.
So Raguel can acquire his inheritance.
I can't let Raguel get his inheritance. He has no idea of what will happen if he obtains it, Zero thought in his mind. That's why I'll have to defeat Watchman this turn! "My turn! I draw! I activate Yggdrago's effect! Once per turn, during either player's turn, I can make it unaffected by your card effects until the end of the turn, and you can't activate cards or effect in response to its activation. Aura of Providence!" At that moment, a golden aura surrounded Yggdrago that protected it against anything Watchman would throw at it. "From there, I activate the Spell card, Particle Acceleration!" The card showed a green, blue-eyed serpentine creature with a large fruit at the center of its body going through a pair of three rings, causing its wings to glow with purple light as it increased its speed. Along with wings, the creature had a wooden, beak-like helmet covering its face, along with four rings of different sizes encircling its body. "As I control a Light Cyberse monster, I can simply destroy one card on your field, and this doesn't target. Say goodbye to Cubic Dharma." At Zero's command, Cubic Dharma turned into particles, much to Watchman's dismay.
"Last but not least, I activate Yggdrago's other effect. It can attack up to three times during my Battle Phase, but in exchange, other monsters I control can't attack for the rest of the turn."
"What?!" Watchman exclaimed, having been caught off guard by what he just heard. Since Yggdrago was the only monster on Zero's field, it made sense, as Zero also wanted to finish Watchman off.
"You heard me." Zero said. "Rage of Providence!" At that moment, Yggdrago was surrounded in a fiery aura as all three of its heads roared, having been invigorated by the energy dwelling within it. "Time to end this! Battle! Yggdrago the Sky Emperor attacks Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord!" All three of Yggdrago's heads charged up fire in each of its maws, preparing to fire at its masters command.
"Trap card, activate! Cubic Ascension!" Watchman said, gesturing to one of his face-down cards. "When this card is activated, I can-."
"Counter-Trap, activate! Provident Reversal!" Zero interjected, as he gestured to his face-down card. The card showed Femtron, Attron, and Zeptron glowing with energy, each of them trying to reverse the damage done to the wildlife around them. "When you activate a card effect, I can not only negate the effect, but also banish it as well. In addition, all copies of that same card are banished from your hand, deck, and Graveyard. What's more, for the rest of this turn, Light Cyberse monsters I control are unaffected by your card effects."
"...!" Watchman's eyes widened as Cubic Ascension turned into particles. Two cards then popped out of Watchman's deck, which also turned into particles. "In that case, I activate Laminate Armor's effect. By sending it to my Graveyard, I can prevent it from being destroyed, and reduce battle damage to zero." Black armor pieces then formed around Crimson Nova as Yggdrago fired streams of fire at it, which not only prevented it from being destroyed, but also protected Watchman's life points as well.
Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord DEF: 1000 – 1000 = 0
"The battle continues. Yggdrago the Sky Emperor attacks Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord once again!" Zero thrusted out his right hand as Yggdrago fired streams of fire at Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord once again, intent on destroying it.
"I activate my other Trap card, Draining Shield." Watchman suddenly said, which made Zero gasp out of surprise. "Not only does this card negate your attack, I can also gain life points equal to your monsters attack points."
"...!" Zero narrowed his eyes as a translucent green barrier surrounded Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord, protecting it from Yggdrago's attack. Then a translucent aura briefly surrounded Watchman as his life points increased.
Watchman: 1000 + 4300 = 5300 LP
"Regardless of what happened, you're still open for a third and final attack. Yggdrago the Sky Emperor attacks Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord! And this time, ensure that nothing remains! Ragnarök Tri-Burst Streak!" All three of Yggdrago's heads charged up fire in each of its maws before firing it at Crimson Nova, which incinerated it completely as Watchman was pushed back several feet.
Watchman: 5300 – 4300 = 1000 LP
"With that, I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Zero concluded. "I'll admit, I didn't expect you to have Draining Shield Set in your Spell & Trap card zone. Seems like I'd be in a sticky situation regardless of the card I chose to negate and banish. Still, your ace monster is in your Graveyard, and from my knowledge, you need 'Vijam the Cubic Seed' to build your monsters. In other words, if you don't draw it, you're out of options."
"Who said Crimson Nova was my ace monster?" Watchman replied, much to Zero's surprise. "I wasn't able to use this monster until my power was restored, but considering how I'm back to normal, as well as how I'm pressured for time, I might as well use it. My turn. I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck.
"I activate Yggdrago's effect once again." Zero said. "Once per turn, during either player's turn, I can make it unaffected by your card effects until the end of the turn, and you can't activate cards or effects in response to its activation. Aura of Providence!" At that moment, a golden aura surrounded Yggdrago, protecting it from whatever Watchman was able to use for the turn. "In addition, I activate the Trap card, Provident Food Chain." The card showed a human about to be devoured by one of Yggdrago's three heads, having been ensnared in a vine trap that he couldn't get out of. "When this card is activated, I can equip it to one Light Cyberse monster on my field and have it gain 500 attack points." Yggdrago roared as it powered up once more.
Yggdrago the Sky Emperor ATK: 4300 + 500 = 4800
"There. Now my monster is stronger than whatever strong monster you intend to bring out." Zero narrowed his eyes. Yggdrago's unaffected by Watchman's card effects, and Provident Food Chain will allow me to Special Summon a Light Cyberse monster from my deck or Graveyard when it leaves the field. As for my other face-down card, well, that's only a last resort, and should Watchman get past that, Yggdrago's other effect will finish him off, he thought in his mind.
"I activate the effect of Trap Re-Arm from my Graveyard." Watchman continued. "By banishing this card, I'm allowed to Set one Trap card from my deck to my field. What's more, I can activate the Set card this turn." A card popped out of Watchman's deck, which he took and Set to his field.
"Trap Re-Arm..." Zero muttered, before it hit him. "That's one of the cards you sent to the Graveyard with Graceful Charity."
"That's right, and it will be one of many cards that will lead to your defeat." Watchman confirmed. "I also activate the effect of Cubic Dharma from my Graveyard. By banishing it, I can add one 'Cubic' monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord from my Graveyard to my hand." A card popped out of Watchman's deck, which he took and added to his hand.
"From there, I activate the Spell card, Rallying Cry!" The card showed Marauding Captain giving a speech to multiple soldiers, who let out a united shout, having been encouraged by him. "When this card is activated, I can add up to two monsters with the same name from my deck to my hand. I'll add two copies of Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord from my deck to my hand." Two cards popped out of Watchman's deck, which he took and added to his hand. "I now activate the Trap card, Unification of the Cubic Lords. This card lets me Fusion Summon one 'Cubic' Fusion monster from my Extra Deck, by using monsters from my hand or field as Fusion Material. I use the three Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lords in my hand as Fusion Materials." The three cards in Watchman's hand glowed, which caused three silhouettes of Crimson Nova to appear before turning into black blobs of energy, each one having a single eyeball. All three blobs then went upward before swirling into a vortex, which resulted in them shooting upwards and merging to form an orange whirlwind.
"Collection of wicked consciousness! Blacken out all remaining hope, and lead this world into a despair without light!" Watchman chanted, his eyes now glowing red. "Fusion Summon! Descend now from the pitch black darkness, Level 10! Crimson Nova Trinity the Dark Cubic Lord!" A massive, red-skinned demonic looking monster with golden elements, several eyeballs embedded on its body and four tentacles with bladed claws appeared on Watchman's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.
Crimson Nova Trinity the Dark Cubic Lord ATK: 4500 DEF: 3000 LV: 10
"This is me at my full power, Zero." Watchman warned him with a grin.
"You lost your mind..." was all Zero replied with. To his surprise, Watchman grit his teeth and held his head in his hands.
"I... I activate the Spell card, Cubic Wave!" Watchman continued, panting as he tried to suppress his dark power. "By targeting one monster I control and one monster you control, the attack of my monster doubles while yours gets halved. I target Crimson Nova Trinity the Dark Cubic Lord, and your Yggdrago the Sky Emperor!"
"Yggdrago's unaffected by your card effects thanks to its effect." Zero reminded Watchman.
"That's fine with me." Watchman replied, as Crimson Nova Trinity let out a loud screech before its strength went up.
Crimson Nova Trinity the Dark Cubic Lord ATK: 4500 X 2 = 9000
"Battle!" Watchman thrusted out his right hand. "Crimson Nova Trinity the Dark Cubic Lord attacks Yggdrago the Sky Emperor! At this point, Crimson Nova Trinity's effect activates! Since it declared an attack, your life points are halved! Cubic Devastation!"
"WHAT?!" Zero gasped, as all of Crimson Nova Trinity's eyes glowed before firing dark, cubic beams of energy that hit the ground before going upwards, which pushed Zero back several feet.
Zero: 2500 / 2 = 1250 LP
Elsewhere...
Raguel continued dueling against Gilgamesh, neither side faltering against the other. As Raguel swung his sword against Gilgamesh, hoping to at least wound him, the latter ended up blocking it, resulting in their swords ending up in a blade lock.
"You may have survived until now, but you're only delaying the inevitable, O' Unworthy One." Gilgamesh stated. "Look how you tremble!"
"I am not afraid of you." Raguel defiantly replied for a second time, a tired expression on his face. Breaking the blade lock, Gilgamesh hit Raguel in the face with the back of his blade, which made him take several steps back. A total of four portals then appeared behind Gilgamesh before four bladed weapons popped out of it.
"With every passing second, the fear in your heart grows greater still." Gilgamesh warned Raguel before he pointed his sword at his opponent, which caused the portals to launch the weapons like bullets straight towards him!
While Raguel was able to knock away two of the launched weapons, he was forced to roll to his left side and avoid them. Before he can get up, Gilgamesh warped in front of him and swung his blade downwards, forcing Raguel to block it with his sword.
"So what do I do? Just roll over and die?"
"Yes. Why else would you have come here if not to join the other lost souls who died here?"
Raguel pushed Gilgamesh's sword upwards before somersaulting backwards, evading the sword strike just in time. He then immediately got up on his feet afterwards and gripped the hilt of his sword.
"Because I've got what it takes, and I'm going to prove to you that I'm worthy!" Raguel declared, as he charged forward at Gilgamesh, intent on striking him with his sword. Both combatants parried each other's attacks, neither side giving up.
Raguel's up against one of the most powerful sword wielders in existence. Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk, Herald thought in his mind, as he watched the duel. At least it's not the Gilgamesh from Fate/Grand Order. Otherwise, he would have spammed the Gate of Babylon and tore Raguel to bits, no matter if it was his Archer version or Caster version.
Raguel evaded Gilgamesh's sword strike and moved to the left side, hoping to land a hit on him. However, Gilgamesh proceeded to block the strike and attempt to thrust his sword at Raguel. While Raguel was able to dodge it, the attack managed to leave a small cut on his shoulder. As a result, he was forced to take two steps back.
"You are strong. Yet so long as fear binds your heart.." Gilgamesh began speaking, as several portals appeared behind him, each one containing a different weapon that stuck out of them. "...the power you possess is wasted on you." The weapons were then launched out of the portals like bullets that flew towards Raguel, which forced him to roll to his left to try and avoid them. While he manage to avoid a few of them, some of the weapons proceeded to slash Raguel as they flew past him like bullets, making him scream in pain in the process.
Staggering on his feet, Raguel still held his sword, ready for whatever Gilgamesh had next. Before Raguel can even make a move, Gilgamesh suddenly warped in front of him and proceeded to swing his blade down at his opponent. Luckily, Raguel managed to barely block the strike in time.
"You know what I see from you? I see that you're afraid." Gilgamesh figured out, pushing forward with his sword in an attempt to make Raguel fully lose his balance.
"For the third and final time, I'm not-!" Raguel began speaking.
"If you weren't afraid, then you would have not only accepted the truth about yourself, but of reality as well. Yet you cannot do either of those things." Gilgamesh calmly interrupted, which made Raguel gasp before his opponent kicked him in the stomach, the attack forcing him to take several steps back. Before Raguel could even respond to the attack, Gilgamesh slashed him upward, which made him scream as he put his left hand on the wound he received.
"RAGUEL!" Herald cried out of concern, blood dripping from the wound Raguel received.
Raguel panted multiple times and fell on one knee, his strength slowly being drained from him by the second. If it weren't for his Link Trigger trying to heal the wounds he got, he would have passed out by now. Still, it would take a while for all of them to be fully healed. Gilgamesh charged forward at Raguel, intent on executing the final blow. While Raguel was able to delay the strike with his sword, it took all of his strength to prevent it from happening, a blade lock occurring as a result.
"You cannot fight against reality forever, as your inability to acknowledge this will be your undoing." Gilgamesh proclaimed.
How? How am I supposed to defeat this guy, Raguel thought in his mind. I spent so much time fighting him, and I wasn't able to land a single blow at all. Maybe Gilgamesh is right. Maybe I'm still afraid, even after being reassured and accepted by my friends and family. Suddenly, Takeru's words popped up in his mind.
"Physical force won't help you in a fight. You need to analyze your opponent and try to catch them off guard, no matter what situation you're in."
Raguel narrowed his eyes, looking for a weak point in Gilgamesh's footing. There! Breaking the sword lock, Raguel immediately stood up forward and slammed his left elbow with as much force as possible at Gilgamesh's left shoulder, which made him take a step or two back out of agony. Seizing the opportunity, Raguel then slashed the stunned Gilgamesh multiple times before the latter tried to swing his sword back at him. Evading the attack, Raguel attempted to strike Gilgamesh again, only for the latter to warp away from him.
"You have spirit. Good. Let's see how you'll last against this attack." Gilgamesh stated, as he took a stance and raised his right arm behind him, yellow energy now merging with his sword. As a result, it formed into a giant beam of light.
"Raguel, look out!" Herald shouted, which got Raguel's attention. In both of their minds, there was only one attack that would do such a thing. Only one sword that can unleash such an attack. One sword that had to have its name invoked for the user to unleash its full power.
"Take this! Excalibur!" Gilgamesh then swung the blade down right towards Raguel, who tried to block the attack. Unfortunately, the amount of power from that attack sent Raguel flying off the ground and into the air. Before he fell to the ground below, Raguel slammed his sword into the towers wall in front of him, which saved his life. Using his sword, Raguel proceeded to climb back up to the top, which didn't take too long, as he was able to stop his fall before he feel down too far below. Otherwise, Raguel would have had to climb up the tower all over again.
Climbing back up to the top, Raguel stood up and took a few steps forward, where he saw Gilgamesh panting from having unleashed such a powerful attack.
"Of all the people who went against that attack, you are the only one who survived." Gilgamesh praised Raguel. "Still, I have just enough energy to defeat you with one final attack."
As Gilgamesh began warping towards Raguel, the latter closed his eyes, remembering Takeru's words on how physical force wasn't the only way to win a fight. Gripping the hilt of his sword with both of his hands, he felt the air flow around him, trying to determine when it will warp. Whatever happened next, the next second would determine the victor of the duel.
WHOOSH!
Sensing Gilgamesh's energy, Raguel slammed the butt of his sword at Gilgamesh's stomach with such force that he was forced to take several steps back out of surprise. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Raguel then charged forward and slashed Gilgamesh with all the strength his body could muster. As a result, Gilgamesh fell on one knee, the duel having concluded at last.
The small tower and chains then disappeared, allowing Herald to fly over to Raguel and enter his duel disk once again.
"You did it, Raguel! You defeated Gilgamesh himself!" Herald cried out of joy, as Raguel grit his teeth, the wounds over his body having resulted in his strength being depleted. Despite this, he was able to stand on his two feet. "You okay?"
Raguel nodded to Herald in confirmation before looking at Gilgamesh, who was drained out of strength completely.
"You're right. I am afraid. Afraid of accepting the fact that I come from a family who made others suffer. Afraid that I won't be strong enough to keep on going, particularly after what I've recently learned." Raguel began acknowledging to Gilgamesh. "I realized something else as well today. I can't change the past, no matter how much I want to. However, I can fight to make the future a better reality for myself and my family. That's why I want to fight, and nothing will stand in my way of achieving that goal." He tossed the sword to the ground before turning around and heading for the door nearby.
"Spoken like a true warrior." Gilgamesh said, as he stood up on his feet, which made Raguel turn around and face him. "Fear and doubt beget death alone. He who averts his gaze from his own faults cannot call himself a warrior, but you, having made peace with your inner self, have proven you are worthy. The family you have now should be so fortunate as to have a man like yourself in their lives."
"You mean...?" Raguel began speaking, taking a step forward, curiosity evident on his face. Soon, a scabbard that was made of gold and decorated with blue enamel appeared in front of Gilgamesh, who proceeded to put Excalibur inside it before giving the both of them to Raguel.
"And with this sword, you have earned your inheritance." Gilgamesh decreed, handing over the sheathed Excalibur to Raguel, who held it in his hands.
"Woah..." Herald stated, looking thoroughly at the sword. "You have King Arthur's sword itself, along with the scabbard Avalon. You're now like Arthur Pendragon from Fate/Grand Order!"
"Thank you. Not just for the inheritance, but for the life-learning lessons as well." Raguel said to Gilgamesh out of gratitude. He then looked at Gilgamesh's left shoulder, curiosity once again evident on his face.
"While you faced me here at the Tower of Light, your brother, Yukage, faced me at the Cave of Darkness. Even though he introduced himself as Azrael, I knew his real-life identity." Gilgamesh began explaining. "In our duel, Azrael managed to disarm me before he sliced my left arm off. His strength of will enabled him to win our duel, as well as his inheritance, the Muramasa."
"So that's the name of the sword Azrael used against me..." Raguel realized, recalling his duel against Azrael and how he was able to slice through Herald's shields like they were nothing.
"Yes. Whereas Muramasa is designed to separate anything and everything, Excalibur is designed to unite anything and everything." Gilgamesh explained. "You will need training if you are to use Excalibur, but I have faith that you will be able to wield the blade in due time."
Raguel nodded in agreement. While he was skilled in using a sword, Excalibur was something else entirely, and so training will be required if he was to wield it fully. Thinking back, Raguel knew of a few people that can help him train.
Gekiryushi Sanada.
Takeru Homura.
And Yeshurun, the boss of Epsilon itself.
"Now, hasten forth with mind unclouded by doubt and will unmoved by fear. For as long as you stand tall with your head held high, you will be able to overcome the greatest of challenges."
"Thanks again." Raguel said, before heading over to the door.
KABOOM!
The ground shook, as if a small tremor had occurred.
"What was that?"
"It seems a duel is occurring below us." Gilgamesh answered, now walking over to where Raguel was before looking down at the ground below them. With a snap of his fingers, data material appeared, which formed into a current. "This will help you get down to the ground below."
Raguel then summoned his duel board and jumped onto it, but before he moved, he suddenly turned to Gilgamesh, something having entered his mind. "Will I see you again?"
"Only time will tell. But know that there are no accidents." Gilgamesh replied. After hearing this, Raguel then sped forward onto the current, intent on finding out what was causing the ruckus down below. After landing his duel board on the ground, he ran over to the area where the explosion occurred, where he saw Watchman and Zero dueling.
"Cubic Catastrophe!" Watchman shouted, as Crimson Nova Trinity fired a blast of dark, cubic energy from the cube attached to its body, which headed towards Zero!
"Sorry, but I won't be the only one losing this duel. Trap card, activate! Absurd Discharge!" Zero countered, as he gestured to his face-down card. The card showed Floettetron, Yggdrago the Sky Emperor, and multiple plant monsters of different sizes, each one having a different number of leaves on their heads, releasing energy all over the Garden of Providence, intent on cleansing it of chemicals. "When a monster you control battles a monster I control, not only are my monsters not destroyed by battle this turn, any battle damage I take this turn is also inflicted to you!"
"WHAT?!" Watchman gasped, as Yggdrago fired a stream of fire from its heads to meet the attack from Crimson Nova Trinity, which caused an explosion upon impact. As a result, both Watchman and Zero were sent flying off the ground before they landed on their backs, the duel having been concluded.
Watchman: 1000 – 4200 = 0
Zero: 1250 – 4200 = 0
"Are you okay, Watchman?" Raguel asked, running over and helping him stand up.
"I'm… fine. Just tired." Watchman answered. Raguel then turned his head to Zero and narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you?"
"That is the Dragon King. Dairoku Saionji, otherwise known as Zero in the network." Watchman immediately explained, which made Raguel widen his eyes.
"You're Zero? The one Seamus talked about?"
Zero slowly got up on his feet, having heard his name being called. Having received a notification on his duel disk, he looked at it briefly and widened his eyes, knowing who was communicating with him. Zero then looked at Watchman and Raguel before narrowing his eyes. "I hope you're right about Yuhiro, Arshad. Because if you're wrong, we won't be able to stop the Crisis, and all of us will end up paying a terrible price as a result." Before Raguel can make a retort, Zero pressed a button on his duel disk, which caused a portal to appear behind him as he walked backwards into it. The portal then closed up afterwards.
"What was Zero doing here, Watchman?" Raguel inquired, as he turned to Watchman.
"Yeah! We need answers, especially how this guy appeared out of nowhere and tried to interfere with the trial, as evident by your duel against him just now." Herald added, having crossed his arms.
"Zero is of no convenience right now. Something we'll address-." Watchman began speaking.
"Isn't it time you told us the truth? While I read the file, I need to hear it from someone who's been there all those years ago." Raguel interrupted.
"May I recall how you're bound to help me deal with the Crisis, as per our agreement from the duel we had a long time ago?" Watchman reminded Raguel and Herald.
"I remember that…" Herald muttered.
"And we will. But only a fool goes into a mission blind, and I'm not one to start a mission without getting as much information as possible." Raguel pointed out with a glare. "So spill, or we're done."
Watchman sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with Raguel, especially after what he recently learned. "Very well. I'll tell you what I know. But not here. At my server." After pressing a series of buttons on their duel disks, they dematerialized out of the server.
At Watchman's server…
Raguel and Watchman materialized in the latter's server.
"Follow me." Watchman instructed Raguel, the latter now walking with the former. A control panel then rose up, where Watchman pressed a series of buttons before pressing the glowing orange button at the middle. Upon doing so, a massive fortress rose up from the ground, resembling that of a spaceship. One that had lots of boosters at the bottom of it. Watchman then gestured Raguel to follow him to the ship, which he did. Once they got there, a staircase formed, allowing the two of them to climb up and enter the ship.
"Didn't know you had a spaceship locked away in your server." Raguel said, looking around it.
"It is filled with plates that have data material imbedded in them. As long as there's data material in an area, it becomes undetectable to sensors. Or to put it simply, it becomes invisible." Watchman explained, the two of them now walking through the hallway. Pressing a button on a panel nearby, orange cubes appeared before turning into a translucent image. One that showed Myojin in a large room, where there were lots of files in cupboards. At his desk was a large computer, along with a scanner, a printer, and a digital keyboard. In Myojin's hands, he carried a file that contained multiple documents in it, which he looked at.
"Dad..." Yuhiro muttered, looking at the image.
"Yes." Watchman replied. "Before your father initiated Project: VIII along with the others, he worked as a clerk at SOL Technologies in the Hall of Records. As he learned more about the world's past, as well as where it was currently headed, he grew increasingly concerned about its welfare. Specifically, the problems that plagued it, such as war, inequality, poverty, pollution, and crime. Myojin became inspired by the words and ideas of a businessman. One who had become well-known not just in Japan, but around the world as well."
The cubes then changed to show a different image. One of Ukyos at a press conference, answering several questions from reporters.
"Ukyos Albinor strived to fix these tragedies not only by funding current businesses that already tackled these problems, but also launched the establishment of new businesses to help people who suffered under those problems." The cubes then created another picture alongside the current one on screen, which showed numerous companies being built under Ukyos' name.
"As a result of this promise, Ukyos became revolutionary, having rapidly gathered a loyal following, his teenage son, Jason Albinor as his right hand man." Watchman continued, the cubes now forming into another screen, which showed Ukyos at another conference, Jason at his right side. Numerous people in the crowd cheered for Ukyos as he made his promises to them. Ones that aimed towards their betterment, as well as ensuring that the world's problems would be eliminated forever. Once that was done, the cubes the formed into a different screen, which showed Myojin and Ukyos in a business room, collaborating with one another.
"Myojin began corresponding with Ukyos, who came to be something of a mentor to him. With their combined knowledge, and the resources available, they were able to help both SOL Technologies and everyone prosper positively." After the screens turned back into cubes, Watchman beckoned Raguel to follow him down the hallway, which he did.
"Ukyos Albinor... wasn't that the guy who died due to a catastrophic incident?" Herald quietly asked Raguel.
"Yeah, but I have a feeling there's more to the story than the both of us are aware of." Raguel quietly commented back, he and Watchman having now entered into another room, which resembled a meeting room. The cubes then formed into a different screen. One that showed Watchman meeting Myojin and Ukyos for the first time in person.
"I had the opportunity to not only meet Myojin and Ukyos, but also work with them as well. When I began working at SOL Technologies, I had a dream, which aligned with the dreams Myojin and Ukyos had. The three of us all wanted to make the world a better place. Simple as that." Watchman recollected, a sad smile on his face.
Seems that Watchman, my dad, and Ukyos were like brothers. United by a common goal to make the world a better place, Raguel thought in his mind. He was now getting curious on what would happen next, particularly on what brought forth the idea on Project: VIII, as well as Zero's role in this story.
Soon, the cubes then formed into a picture, which showed a picture of a glowing, giant light-blue root in a galaxy.
"One day, the three of us had the same dream. One where we saw a single blue swirl in a white and empty background. The dream then showed all of us the picture you see right now." Watchman said, the cubes now forming to show a screen of himself, Myojin, and Ukyos at an architect's office. "The three of us immediately went to one of the architect companies Ukyos funded, and the person there pointed us to the answer from our dream. The Root of All Knowledge."
"I'm sorry, what is this Root of All Knowledge?" Herald asked.
"The Root of All Knowledge is a mythical object that exists outside of time and space. One that contains the information of all possibilities and events, whether they come from the past, present or future. To put it simply, The Root of All Knowledge contains the power of God itself." Watchman explained, much to the surprise of Raguel and Herald.
"Is that what Project: VIII was about? To obtain godhood?!" Raguel demanded, having narrowed his eyes after hearing what Watchman said about The Root of All Knowledge.
"No!" Watchman snapped, turning to face Raguel with a firm expression. "Project: VIII was all about reaching the Root of All Knowledge not for the sake of becoming gods, but to ensure humanity's survival forever." He gestured for Raguel to follow him to another room nearby, which he did. Upon entering into the room, Raguel looked around, and saw that it resembled a large workshop. As if on cue, the cubes appeared and transformed to show an image of Watchman, Myojin, and Ukyos speaking with Zero, who was the Dragon King at the time.
"That's Zero. He's the Dragon King, isn't he? If I recall, he was kicked out of SOL Technologies after the incident." Yuhiro figured out, with Watchman nodding in confirmation.
"With our findings and research, we presented them to Dairoku Saionji, who ruled SOL Technologies as its first CEO, the Dragon King. Or as you know him, Zero." Watchman began explaining. "He was so intrigued with our findings that he had SOL Technologies fund Project: VIII. As you know already, mankind couldn't do it alone, which is why it was split into two sub-projects. Since you're already aware about Project: Apotheosis, allow me to shed some light on what inspired us to create the Ignis." The cubes then formed into a screen that showed eight humanoid lifeforms. While Herald recognized all eight of them, Raguel was only able to recognize four of them.
"For the project regarding the Ignis, we decided to focus on the attributes of the planet Earth itself. Light, Darkness, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, Time, and Space."
"Time and space?" Herald repeated. "What do you mean by those two?" His eyes then widened upon putting two and two together. "Wait. Are you saying-?"
"Yes. You, Herald, are the Ignis of Time, just as the Black Ignis is the Ignis of Space." Watchman confirmed. "Time and Space both play a role in mother nature. Living things grow as time progresses, while space gives all things the area needed for them to grow. Together, the both of them create an energy that surrounds and penetrates all things to create balance in the universe."
"Well, at least that answers the question on what type of Ignis you are, Herald." Raguel said, before turning to Watchman. "So what happened next?"
Watchman sighed. "Just look and see." The cubes then formed into a screen, which showed footage of a confrontation between Ukyos, Myojin, and Watchman inside a large room.
In the footage, Ukyos held a diamond-like container in his right hand, while he carried a glowing orb of data in his left hand. Moving inside the container was a creature that tried to get out. Beside Ukyos were eight individuals. Ones that Raguel recognized as the previous eight people who volunteered for the first Lost Incident.
Confronting Ukyos and the eight individuals was Myojin and Arshad, a grey and blue bipedal dragon with tendril-like appendages, which were covered with spikes of ice that had icicles at the ends behind the former.
"Myojin. Arshad. Don't you see? The network contains vast resources and opportunities. Ones we can exploit to make our world better than it ever has before." Ukyos told them. "If we take this chance, we can solve the problems that plague it once and for all!"
"At what cost?! The exploitation of other living species in the network?!" Myojin exclaimed, as his dragon let out a roar. Arshad, on the other hand, brandished the glowing swords resembling rapiers in his hands.
"So what? Is that a problem? I mean, with the creature inside this container, I've already started doing that." Ukyos confessed, much to the horror of both Myojin and Arshad.
"You traveled into the network?!" Arshad demanded.
"In testing the technology, yes, but only briefly. Just enough time for me to capture the creature inside this box. And it's not just me. The individuals beside me also had the chance to experience that new world." Ukyos gleefully admitted.
"Don't do this, Ukyos! If you continue tampering with forces beyond your control, you'll end up paying a terrible price!" Arshad warned Ukyos, who chuckled in response. As much as Arshad and Myojin wanted to just charge forward at Ukyos and stop him, there were two things that stopped them from doing so.
One, even with Myojin's dragon, they were outnumbered.
Two, there was a chance that the creature in the container would be damaged in their battle. They didn't want to hurt it, as after Ukyos brought it back from his visit in the network, the three of them wanted to study it further. After all, it was evidence that there was life in other places.
"I appreciate the warning, Arshad, but know that it's too late to convince me to stop." Ukyos lifted up the container with his right arm before shaking it a bit. "I will open the portal once again, subjugate whatever beings are there to my will, find the Root with their resources, and eradicate mankind's problems once and for all!" He then turned to the individuals beside him as he activated the device. "But seeing how you won't understand, I'll just have to kill you both to prevent potential disturbances. Kill them."
Two of the individuals, a male and a female, charged forward, the former carrying a scythe, while the latter carried a long scepter. Summoning his sword, which consisted of a hilt with a massive blade that had an anchor-like curve at the tip, Myojin and Arshad managed to successfully block the attacks and push them back. Myojin pointed his right sword at Ukyos, his dragon firing a beam of icy energy at his opponent. However, to their shock, a barrier formed around him.
"Fools. Along with this piece of data right here, I have accumulated power from the network itself." Ukyos cackled, before turning to the male on his right side. "Do me a favour and show them some mercy, Jason."
"Leave this to me, father." Jason complied, as he unsheathed his black-coloured short sword before forming a purple energy blade of similar length. He immediately fired a blast of energy using the swords at the duo, the both of them managing to block it. A spectral demon briefly appeared behind Jason for a moment before disappearing, where he proceeded to charge forward, intent on confronting the duo. Arshad intervened and blocked the strike before turning to Myojin.
"Myojin, stop that device!" Arshad told him, who nodded as he charged forward. Unfortunately, two of the individuals, who were both male, intercepted his attack and restrained him from moving with their weapons. One who carried a hammer, and the other carried a double-edged sword.
Myojin's dragon growled and fired blasts of energy from its appendages at the barrier, which succeeded in putting a crack in it that opened to form a small hole.
"No! YOU WILL NOT RUIN THIS MOMENT!" Ukyos shouted anxiously, as he smashed the orb of data in his left hand into the container, which unleashed a shockwave that led to several, glowing cracks appearing behind him and the other individuals. As a result, a wormhole began to form. Before the dragon can act in response, the remaining three individuals summoned their weapons and released waves of energy at it, each one pushing it back.
Quickly thinking, Arshad broke the blade lock against Jericho and proceeded to kick him twice with enough force to send him flying back. Finding the small hole, Arshad threw one of his rapiers at the hole so fast that Ukyos didn't have time to react. The rapier hit the container, which began short-circuiting, much to the horror of everyone there.
"You fool! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Ukyos exclaimed out of pure fury before suddenly dropping the container, having realized that it became hot.
KABOOM!
The wormhole emitted such energy that it began causing massive shockwaves, with everyone trying to hold onto the ground for dear life. As each of the eight individuals that supported Ukyos immediately got sucked inside to their horror, Ukyos grit his teeth, trying to claw forward with his hands to the container. Unfortunately for him, it broke, which released the creature inside before it quickly escaped.
"This was our dream! Our dream for a better world, and the both of you ruined everything!" Ukyos exclaimed in a heartbroken and betrayed tone, as he tried to stand up on his feet. Unfortunately, he was pulled back by the wormhole's suction. "May this sin curse you both for the rest of your days!" Myojin stood up and immediately tried to help Ukyos escape from the wormhole, but sadly, it pulled Ukyos in and exploded, sending both Myojin and Arshad flying back. As a result, the screen turned into particles.
"After the incident, I helped Myojin destroy the evidence, and also swore to keep it secret." Watchman finished, a grim expression on his face. "Before your father left with your mother, you, and your brother, he had me promise to keep an eye on the both of you should something happen to them."
"And what happened after that?" Raguel questioned, having crossed his arms and turned to him.
"I moved a reasonable distance away from Den City. Far enough not only to keep an eye on you and the others, but also stay away as SOL Technologies tried to fix things." Watchman answered, now walking away from the room and heading to the hallway before turning right, with Raguel followed after him. "When I heard that Dairoku was exiled, I called upon every resource I had to try and find him. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find him, and gave up."
"Until you saw him today." Herald finished.
"Yes. It turned out that, like me, he shed his mortal coil and entered the network to escape his pursuers."
Raguel thought all the information that he just recently learned. Myojin meeting Ukyos and Arshad and working with them, the three of them having a dream that led to Project: VIII's launch, and the eventual fallout that led to the deaths of both Ukyos, and the eight volunteers. "While I understand what happened, I want to know what caused this fallout."
"It was due to differing views in how we wanted to use the Root." Watchman began explaining. "While Myojin and myself believed in using the Root to help humanity solve its critical problems through collaboration, Ukyos had a different view. He felt the world was too full of selfish and sinful humans, which was the reason for why the worlds problems existed in the first place. He realized that if the world was to change, he had to wipe it clean with the Root before using it to start the world all over again. The only difference was that he'd be the one under control of mankind."
"..." Raguel narrowed his eyes and contemplated what Watchman just told him. To think that a man who only wanted to do good for a world sunk to a dark level just so he can rid it of sin once and for all. At the cost of many lives too. Raguel and Watchman then entered into one final room, where the cubes formed into a screen. One that showed Watchman and Myojin in the network, trying to close a newly formed wormhole and prevent Ukyos from escaping.
"As the years went by, Myojin and I set up technological devices that would detect if a wormhole would pop up. For you never knew if Ukyos and his followers would try to escape." Watchman frowned. "One day, the scanners beeped, and Myojin and I logged into the network at a set of coordinates where the wormhole was. It was just as we feared: Ukyos was trying to escape. During this time, we referred to him as Urizen, a name that his followers called him. While Ukyos created a pseudonym as a layer of security, Myojin and I always called him by his real name."
"But you two stopped this guy from crossing over. So everything's fine." Herald said.
"We did, but at a great cost." Watchman admitted, before turning to Raguel. "Do you remember how I once said I wasn't at full power when we first met?"
"I do." Raguel confirmed.
"The battle shown here siphoned a good majority of my powers. As a result, I couldn't enter the frontlines for quite a while, and instead had to operate from behind the scenes with my skills in programming. Despite this, we indeed stopped Ukyos from crossing forward. If you were wondering how we stopped Ukyos, Myojin used the Muramasa to open the portal wide enough to force him back to the dark side of the network. Once that was done, he quickly used Excalibur to unite the wormhole's energies into one and close it up."
"But you were able to get your powers back."
"Over a long period of time, yes." Watchman sighed as he turned away from Raguel. "I don't want to be a god, Raguel. The thought of being one scares me to the core, especially with the powers I can wield at my leisure. I always cared for humanity, and wanted to see them prosper through collaboration and coexistence. If I intervened, then people would see me and worship me as one, as well as rely only on divine intervention to solve problems."
"Is that why you operated behind the scenes this entire time?" Raguel questioned firmly.
"As much as I hate to admit it, that's my reason." Watchman admitted. "And there you have it. The entire explanation. Just as you wanted."
"I appreciate you telling me all this, Watchman. I really do." Raguel stated. "I just have one question."
"Oh?"
"How did you meet Dr. Kogami?"
Watchman, upon hearing this, chuckled. As if on cue, the cubes then formed to show a screen of him collaborating with Dr. Kogami. "I met Dr. Kogami at SOL Technologies, where the two of us collaborated on many projects together. Ones that focused on empowering third world countries through resource acquisition, treatment of diseases, promoting equality, and others."
"Was that what led to the Lost Incident existing in the first place?" Raguel inquired, trying to hold back his anger. Did Watchman allow the Lost Incident to take place? Or was it something else?
"Raguel…" Herald muttered, concern evident in his voice.
"During his research, Dr. Kogami stumbled upon a portion of the Project: VIII information, much to my surprise of course. I learned later that nothing can be destroyed, no matter how much of it was eradicated." Watchman began speaking. "As Dr. Kogami expressed his desire in creating a world where humanity can survive its harshest trials through collaboration and coexistence, it was here where I realized something. For the first time in many years, I found another human who cared for humanity, just as Myojin, Ukyos, and myself had. As a result, I helped to decipher the information found before the project was launched."
He let out a sad sigh as the screen changed to show Dr. Kogami and Watchman arguing. "But as we continued preparing the project, I found out what Dr. Kogami's true colors were. He believed that humanity would eventually become extinct since human life always ended in death or due to phenomenons. That's what led him to use the information to create humanity's successor."
"The Ignis…" Raguel muttered, though something confused him. If Dr. Kogami wanted to create the Ignis to succeed humanity, what role would the Construct play?
"I tried reminding Dr. Kogami of the good humanity still had, as well as how it can survive through collaboration and coexistence, but he wouldn't hear any of it. He spitefully threatened to leak the information found to the higherups if I didn't cooperate or try to blow the whistle on him. So I stayed silent, out of fear that Myojin and his family would greatly suffer if word got out of what we did."
"Wow… I don't know what to say…" Raguel admitted. Just like him and Demeter, they impulsively acted out of fear. But Watchman didn't act at all because he was afraid that his actions could hurt Myojin and his family, Yuhiro included.
"If I had known what Dr. Kogami's true colors were, as well as the lengths he'd go just to obtain results, I would have stopped him much earlier." Watchman said, regret evident in his voice. "I am sorry I couldn't do more for you, Raguel. I may have failed your brother, but I won't fail you or the others."
"Failed my brother? What do you mean by that?" Raguel inquired, now curious on what Watchman will say next.
"As you know, the authorities managed to rescue the children from the Lost Incident due to a whistleblower. Your brother, Yukage, was found in a near death state when they found him, so they put him in an ambulance for him to be transferred to the hospital. But when they were about to leave after ensuring that everything was in order, he wasn't there." Watchman answered. "As a result, Yukage was declared a missing person, and the authorities launched a search to find him. To this day, they weren't able to find him."
Until I saw him in the network, Raguel thought in his mind. Somewhere, Yukage must have a secret base set up. Not only that, but he was able to somehow cover his tracks following the Lost Incident for ten years. Did he get help in doing this? Or did he do it all by himself? "Thank you for telling me all this, Watchman. And I forgive you. In the situation you were in, there wasn't anything you could do, as you'd unintentionally hurt those you cared about if you took action. I can't just hate someone for being human."
Watchman opened his mouth for a minute, unsure of what to say, as he didn't expect Raguel to say that. After gathering his thoughts for a minute, he spoke. "Thank you, Raguel. That means... a lot to me." Once the screen turned into particles, the two of them walked down the hallway and headed to the ship's exit. "So what will you do now?"
"Simple. I'm telling the others what I learned just now once I return to the real world. They need to know." Raguel decided.
"Then go do that, for we'll all be prepared once the Crisis comes." Watchman then noticed Raguel press some buttons on his duel disk, which caused a device that looked like a combination of a flashlight and a cigar to appear. Once that was done, Raguel then handed it over to Watchman. "What's this?"
"A neuralyzer. It should help with whatever you have in mind to keep Soulburner safe." Raguel explained.
"This will help a lot. Thank you. I'll also pass on the algorithm I found to Demeter, as it may help in creating a cure for Miyu's condition."
Raguel then offered his right hand to Watchman, who shook it back in response. "Let me know if you have the cure ready to be used, as well as any other information you find."
"I will do that, so long as you do the same." After Raguel nodded back at Watchman's words, he then logged out of the server. As Watchman walked down the stairs and exited the ship, he looked upwards at the starry sky.
I will continue fighting for our dream, Myojin. Not just that, but so your boys can lead happy and good lives, Watchman vowed in his mind.
At Café Matsuo, in the backroom….
The closed-off space opened, allowing Yuhiro to step out of it. While he was exhausted, it wasn't to the point where he couldn't move. Yuhiro headed over to the backroom, where he saw Roxy doing some work on the monitors.
Upon hearing Yuhiro's footsteps, Roxy turned to face him. "Hey, buddy. How'd it go?"
"It was… heavy. But I got through it, just as I got through everything else." Yuhiro admitted. "I passed the Trial of Gilgamesh, got my inheritance, and Watchman told me the truth about Project: VII."
"Your inheritance? And you dueled against Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes?" Roxy questioned.
"If Yuhiro battled against Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, he'd get mauled within seconds by spamming the Gate of Babylon." Herald immediately pointed out.
"No, I wouldn't. My Link Trigger would have helped me out." Yuhiro countered.
"Oh, really? There's only so much your Link Trigger can do, Yuhiro. It wouldn't be wise to abuse that ability."
"Enough of this talk about which Gilgamesh you dueled. I'm curious about your inheritance, Yuhiro, as well as what Watchman told you." Roxy stated, gesturing for Yuhiro to sit in the chair beside her, which he did. Before Yuhiro could speak, a screen popped up on the monitors, which showed Kusanagi, Takeru, Yusaku, and Arashi.
"Hey, guys. Just wanted to check in. Heard Yuhiro had a rough day today." Kusanagi said.
"It was alright. Thanks for checking in, though." Yuhiro replied. "What are you doing at Café Nagi, Arashi?"
"Kusanagi wanted me to upload some new programs for the monitors." Arashi explained. "From speed and security boosts, to expanded storage, and even syncing, we'll be able to respond to the next threat within seconds."
"What happened on your end, Yuhiro? Roxy said that Watchman needed your assistance with something." Yusaku stated.
"Okay, you guys are not going to believe what I'm going to tell you." Yuhiro began. Standing up from his chair, he took a step or two back and raised his right arm forward. Opening his right hand, a ball of light suddenly morphed before Excalibur appeared, which Yuhiro grabbed by the hilt. Upon seeing this, everyone gasped.
"Holy cow! You actually have Excalibur itself!" Roxy exclaimed out of surprise.
"Wow. Nice sword, Yuhiro." Takeru commented.
"I must say it's impressive, Yuhiro. Though I do wonder how you got such a weapon." Flame added.
"Watchman sent me some coordinates for me to follow, which I did. I ended up climbing a tower and dueled Gilgamesh, the guardian of the tower, for it. I have to say, it was... enlightening, as I learned a few things." Yuhiro explained, now heading back and sitting down on his seat. "I can't change what happened, as that's in the past. However, I can fight to make the future a better one not just for myself, but for you guys as well. That's why I want to fight, and no one is going to tear that belief out of me."
"That's... so touching, Yuhiro. I think I'm about to cry." Herald commented.
"Then you should watch soap operas, Herald. They'll make you feel emotions." Ai stated.
"Ai, for the last time, video games are-!"
"Not important." Yusaku interrupted, shutting down the argument before it started. "What else happened, Yuhiro?"
Yuhiro put his right hand on his chin and thought it over before responding. "During my trial, Watchman was dueling against Dairoku Saionji, who's not only known as Zero, but as the first CEO of SOL Technologies as well. The Dragon King."
"But why would he show up and attack Watchman? Didn't you say that he, along with your dad, Ukyos, and Watchman worked together on Project: VIII?" Takeru wondered.
In response, Yuhiro shrugged his shoulders. "I honestly don't know, Takeru. It's an unknown that we'll figure out another day. Now here's the cherry on the top, as I found out what led not only to Project: VIII's creation, but the Lost Incident as well."
"That's something I want to hear." Roxy said.
"Yeah." Kusanagi agreed, the others nodding as well. "I want to know why so many children had to suffer in the first place."
"In that case, pay close attention to what I'm about to say next." Yuhiro told the others. He then told everyone about how Myojin met and collaborated with Ukyos and Watchman in helping everyone prosper. How, due to a dream of finding the Root of All Knowledge, they were motivated in launching Project: VIII so humanity can not only survive forever, but also make the world a better place for humans to live in. How a fallout occurred due to a difference in the usage of the Root of All Knowledge, which resulted not only in Ukyos' death, but also the deaths of the eight teenage volunteers as well. How, years later, Watchman met and collaborated with Dr. Kogami on multiple projects before the latter stumbled onto the Project: VIII information by chance and told the former about it. How Watchman was later on forced to work with Dr. Kogami under the threat of retribution not just to the former, but to Myojin and the others as well.
Kusanagi, after hearing this, whistled. "Wow. That's... really a lot of information to digest."
"I can't believe that the good intentions of three men spiraled out of control, to the point where it caused suffering instead of betterment for other people." Yusaku commented.
"What irks me is that Watchman should have checked multiple times over the years to make sure that Myojin truly destroyed the evidence. If he did, then maybe Dr. Kogami wouldn't have been able to find it." Takeru said with a frown on his face.
"There's only so much one can do in a situation, Takeru." Arashi stated, which got everyone's attention. "I mean, we can't predict anything and everything that can happen. Humans aren't like that. Yuhiro's dad and Watchman did the best they could in that situation. Neither of them could have known that another human would try to replicate Project: VIII."
"And in a world where everything is stored online these days, there will always be a small piece of something in the network, no matter how much you try to eradicate it completely." Roxy told Takeru, who sighed in response.
"I know." Takeru conceded. "It's just..."
"We can't change what happened, but we can fight to make a better tomorrow. That's something I had to acknowledge for myself." Yuhiro said.
"Perhaps the Crisis may be connected with Bohman and Haru, as Ukyos may be their master." Yusaku hypothesized.
"That's a theory we'll solve another day. For now, I think we should ensure everything's in order so we can be prepared for our next mission." Kusanagi suggested, the others agreeing with him. "Get well soon, Yuhiro." He closed the connection afterwards, the conversation having come to a close.
Once that was done, Roxy turned to Yuhiro. "You doing okay, Yuhiro?"
"I'm okay, but at the same time, I'm not okay. I'm just... in the middle for the time being." Yuhiro admitted, before turning to Roxy. "Is that normal?"
"Considering what you've been through, it's normal." Roxy answered, before gently ruffling Yuhiro's hair. "I can tell you've mentally grown from this trial."
"Yeah, I have." Yuhiro agreed.
"No matter what happened recently, you're still the good and awesome guy I met a long time ago, Yuhiro. That's something that will never change." Herald said, which made Yuhiro smile.
"Thanks, Herald. I appreciate the compliment." Yuhiro replied, a frown appearing on his face. "We have a lot of enemies, don't we?"
"We do. Bohman and Haru, Azrael and Malf, SOL Technologies' bounty hunters, the Knights of Hanoi... they're our main concerns for the time being."
Everyone was silent for a few moments, pondering over the information they learned just now, as well as the information they already know about. The silence, however, was broken when Roxy spoke up.
"If there's one thing you should know, Yuhiro, it's that you're not alone in this fight. We're with you all the way."
After hearing this, Yuhiro smiled back at Roxy. "Yes. You're right, Roxy. I'm not alone in this fight. With everyone working together, we'll be able to overcome our enemies, as well as future ones." Suddenly, Progleo jumped out of Yuhiro's duel disk and landed on his lap, much to everyone's surprise as the cub nuzzled his head on Yuhiro's chest.
Stroking Progleo's fur, a determined, yet calm expression appeared on Yuhiro's face. You want me to show you my motivation, Yukage? The next time we duel, I'll do more than just that. I'll show you the full force of my values and defeat you with them, he swore in his mind.
Elsewhere, in the network...
Zero let out a sigh as he stepped out of the portal, having reached a server that resembled a mix between a tropical forest and a tropical lake. This server had been gifted to him by the people who saved his life when he was on the run. In return, Zero promised to help them deal with their enemies, one of which he knew from when he worked at SOL Technologies. To prepare for this, the leader of those people helped upgrade his dueling skills by teaching him Maximum Link Summoning.
But despite Zero's vow, he began to have visions over time. Visions that showed him despair and destruction by the hands of someone, who he suspected as the children of Myojin Furutani. When he brought it up with the leader, she told him to stay calm, for visions rarely came true. She also requested for him not to do anything reckless, which he did… for a while. Unfortunately, the visions motivated Zero to check into the two places where Myojin put Excalibur and Muramasa following Ukyos' defeat.
The Tower of Light.
And The Cave of Darkness.
Upon seeing that the Muramasa was already taken in the Cave of Darkness, it only stoked Zero's concerns about the visions he had been experiencing. While the leader forgave him for his reckless actions, she warned him not to do something like that again. As such, Zero helped complete missions for the leader, hoping it can get his fears out of his mind.
But when he noticed Excalibur's data signal increasing its range from his duel disk, Zero raced over to The Tower of Light, hoping to stop Raguel from making a fatal mistake. The worst part was that he had to duel his old friend, Arshad, just to try to accomplish his goal. And by the time it ended in a draw, Raguel ended up getting Excalibur. Watchman's words were replayed in Zero's mind as he recalled everything that happened.
"I have faith that Raguel will use it for the common good. His good nature, along with his morals, will ensure that he doesn't abuse it."
Maybe Watchman was right about Raguel, and by extension, Azrael. Maybe Raguel and Azrael wouldn't fall into despair. Maybe they'd fight to protect the world they loved, just as their father did a long time ago. Maybe it would be someone else that would try to tear both the network and the real world apart.
Exasperated from all these thoughts, Zero sat down on a log and sighed. Regardless, it hadn't been a total loss, as he was able to see Watchman again after so long.
BEEP.
BEEP.
Zero blinked and looked at his duel disk. Anticipating who was calling, he pressed a button. "Hello?"
"What were you thinking?!" a young, female voice shouted from the other end, which surprised Zero. "Didn't I tell you not to pull a stunt like that, Dairoku?!"
"You did, and I messed up, Kairi. I really am sorry. Fear clouded my mind, and I acted recklessly as a result." Zero confessed, addressing the caller by her name.
Kairi sighed on the other end. "Look. I know you're afraid of the future, Dairoku, but that doesn't mean you can act recklessly. May I remind you that we're fighting a war here. I can't afford any distractions that may cost us later on, even if you're one of my strongest allies."
"Alright. I hear you fully. And once again, I'm sorry."
"It's fine. Just don't make that mistake again. For all our sakes." Kairi warned him. "That being said, were you able to find anything of interest in your expedition?"
"Just like Yukage, Yuhiro obtained his inheritance. Now both sons of Myojin Furutani have their inherited weapons." Zero began explaining. "I also saw Arshad again at the Tower of Light."
"Arshad Saito, you say?"
"Yes."
Kairi was silent on the other end for a full minute, trying to think of what to say next. That… was a name she hadn't heard of in a long time. A very long time, to be exact. "I see." She couldn't say anything else because she was surprised.
"From what I saw, it's likely that Arshad took Yuhiro to the Tower of Light so he can be prepared for the Crisis." Zero hypothesized.
"Perhaps." Kairi allowed. "Or maybe something else happened, and Arshad had to take Yuhiro there for him to find himself again. Regardless, Yuhiro is now aware of your existence, Dairoku. He'll likely try to track you down and demand answers as to what's really going on."
"He won't be able to track me down, Kairi. After all, your teachings helped make me into the person I am today." Zero assured her. "That aside, there's some critical information I wish to share with you that I found out."
"Oh?"
"The people known as Bohman and Haru. From what I saw, they weren't ordinary humans, as evident by the Link Spell they had. Judgment Arrows." Zero began explaining, which made Kairi gasp on the other end. "And you and I both know that our enemy has Link cards of their own."
"…." Kairi thought about this for a moment before responding. "Do you think he is helping this duo with whatever goals they have in mind?"
"I took down an AI named Bitboot with ease, and obtained Judgment Arrows from them. After eliminating all traces of my appearance, I analyzed the card, and destroyed it upon seeing no evidence of his algorithm." Zero answered. "I don't now what Bohman and Haru plan to do, but if I can guess, it likely may have to do with the Ignis."
"The Ignis?" Kairi repeated, unable to speak for a moment or two before recomposing herself on the other end. "Are you saying that-?"
"Yes. It happened, Kairi. Eight Ignis were made by Dr. Kogami, and from what I saw, Raguel, Playmaker, and Soulburner have their Ignis's already."
….
"Are you one hundred percent sure about this?"
"I am." Zero confirmed.
"…To think that the first sub-project of Project: VIII would actually succeed in creating eight Ignis, especially how it was relaunched by someone else after getting shut down a long time ago." Kairi quietly mused in a hushed tone. "But in doing so, eight other people were used in the process. And if that happened, did the second sub-project succeed in making a Construct?"
"Is everything alright, Kairi?" Zero asked.
"Yes, yes. Everything's fine." Kairi confirmed, having snapped out of her thoughts. "Very well. Considering what you've told me, I have a task for you, Dairoku. I need you to return to the network and gather more information on this matter. Report everything you find to me the moment you find it."
"Of course."
"All I ask is that you don't take action unless it's absolutely necessary. From what you've told me, there may be something bigger going on behind the scenes, and I want to know what it is before we discuss next steps."
"Leave it to me, Kairi. I won't fail you." Zero promised her, before ending the call. As if on cue, Floettetron popped out of his duel disk and jumped onto his arm. He picked it up with his hands, grateful for its presence. "Seems like we're taking another trip, Floettetron. You ready?" After Floettetron nodded back with a determined expression, Zero logged out of his server, ready to begin his next mission.
A light shines and the letters spelling out VRAINS light up the screen before a network is formed and several cards are drawn in towards a pillar of light. Playmaker, Raguel, and Soulburner are shown with their respective Ignis and stats, along with real-life forms that across the backgrounds that match their Ignis' colors. The screen then shows each of them being shocked while wearing VR sets as kids, along with Arashi.
The screen gets swallowed with darkness at It reveals a young Yukage huddled up and crying, his shadow shrinking behind him before taking the form of Wraith and comforting him. Yukage looks up with a menacing and soul piercing glare before the darkness consumes him and he's replaced with an older version of himself. Azrael and Wraith are then shown in NEW LINK VRAINS, as they look out into the digital sky. The scene then shifts to Bohman standing tall above NEW LINK VRAINS and holding the earth in his hands with Haru by his side. Malf grins in the shadows behind them, his red eyes shining bright in the process.
A drop of light falls down, and as it explodes, it reveals Playmaker, Raguel, and Soulburner, standing on buildings watching over the network, along with Slipstream as well. Blood Shepherd is shown commanding a trio of Battledrone Sergeants before the screen shifts to Drachen, who is shown commanding Red-Eyes Black Dragon. The screen then shifts a third time to Electrolyzer, where above him was PSY-Frame Driver, with PSY-Framegears Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta. The screen then shows Go Onizuka, Kenmochi, and Yoroizaka with Dinowrestler King T Wrextle, Gouki the Blade Ogre, and Gouki the Solid Ogre behind them ready for battle.
Blue Girl, Ghost Girl, Numera and SengokuQueen are then featured together riding their duel boards across the night sky with shooting stars flying across them. Trickstar Holly Angel was with Blue Girl, while Numera was with Geomathmech Final Sigma. Ghost Girl was with Altergeist Dragvirion, while SengokuQueen was with Secret Six Samurai – Rihan.
The screen then changes to Raguel, Playmaker, and Soulburner riding on their duel boards with Cyreath Medusa and Cyreath Hercules/Alpha Mode, Cyberse Magician, Cyberse Witch, and Salamangreat Heatleo behind them. Following the trio is Slipstream and Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. The four of them join together with a fist bump and smile in the real world as the wind blows, with Kusanagi, Roxy, and Greg watching them from Kusanagi's truck. Rachel then runs toward the quartet, and more specifically, Yuhiro, a look of joy clearly on her face. Unbeknownst to everyone, they're watched from the shadows by a hooded Yukage, who glares at them, biding his time.
Card Gallery
Zero:
Femtron (LV: 4/Cyberse/Light/ATK: 1400/DEF: 100)
Effect: Once per turn, if this card is used for the Link Summon of a LIGHT Cyberse Link monster: You can shuffle this card into your deck; add 1 card from your deck to your hand.
Attron (LV: 3/Cyberse/Light/ATK: 1000/DEF: 100)
Effect: Once per turn, if this card is used for the Link Summon of a LIGHT Cyberse Link monster: You can shuffle this card into your deck, and if you do, draw 1 card.
Zeptron (LV: 2/Cyberse/Light/ATK: 500/DEF: 100)
Effect: Once per turn, if this card is used for the Link Summon of a LIGHT Cyberse Link monster: You can shuffle this card into your deck; draw 2 cards, then shuffle 2 cards in your hand into your deck.
Floettetron (LV: 3/Cyberse/Light/ATK: 1000/DEF: 200)
Effect: When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can target 1 card in your deck; place it on top of your deck. If this card is used for the Link Summon of a LIGHT Cyberse Link monster: You can add this card from your GY to your hand, and if you do, gain 500 LP. You can only use each effect of 'Floettetron' once per turn.
Garden of Providence (Field Spell card)
Effect: When this card is activated: You can Special Summon 1 LIGHT Cyberse monster from your deck or GY to your field. While this card is on your field, LIGHT Cyberse monsters you control gain 300 ATK and DEF. If you Link Summon a LIGHT Cyberse Link monster: You can Special Summon 1 LIGHT Cyberse monster from your deck or GY, and if you do, gain LP equal to that monster's ATK: You can only use this effect of 'Garden of Providence' once per turn.
Particle Acceleration (Normal Spell card)
Effect: If you control a LIGHT Cyberse monster: Destroy 1 card your opponent controls.
Provident Food Chain (Normal Trap card)
Effect: Target 1 LIGHT Cyberse monster you control; equip it to this card. It gains 500 ATK. If the equipped monster leaves the field: You can target 1 LIGHT Cyberse monster in your deck or GY; except a Link monster; Special Summon it to your field in defense position.
Absurd Discharge (Normal Trap card)
Effect: If your opponent's monster battles a LIGHT Cyberse monster you control: Monsters on your field cannot be destroyed for the rest of this turn; also, any battle damage you take this turn is also inflicted to your opponent.
Provident Reversal (Counter-Trap card)
Effect: When your opponent activates a card effect: You can negate that effect, and if you do, banish it, along with all other copies of the banished card from your opponent's deck, hand, and/or GY. For the rest of this turn after this card's activation, LIGHT Cyberse monsters you control are unaffected by your opponent's card effects. You can only activate 1 'Provident Reversal' per turn.
Yggdrago C (LR: 2/Cyberse/Light/ATK: 2000/↙️↘️)
Effect: 2 LIGHT Cyberse monsters. If this card is Link Summoned: You can target 1 LIGHT Cyberse monster in your deck or GY; Special Summon it to your field. Once per turn: You can tribute 1 LIGHT Cyberse monster your control, except Link monsters; inflict damage to your opponent equal to its ATK. While this card is co-linked, LIGHT Cyberse Link monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects once per turn.
Yggdrago L (LR: 1/Cyberse/Light/ATK: 1000/↗️)
Effect: 1 LIGHT Cyberse monster. If this card is Link Summoned: You can target cards your opponent controls up to the number of co-linked monsters you control; negate their effects. Once per turn: You can target 1 LIGHT Cyberse monster in your GY, except Link monsters; shuffle it into your deck, and if you do, shuffle 1 card your opponent controls into their deck. While this card is co-linked, LIGHT Cyberse Link monsters you control gain 500 ATK when they battle during damage calculation only.
Yggdrago R (LR: 1/Cyberse/Light/ATK: 1000/↖️)
Effect: 1 LIGHT Cyberse monster. One LIGHT Cyberse monster. If this card is Link Summoned: You can target one monster your opponent controls; reduce its ATK by 1000 equal to the number of co-linked monsters you control. Once per turn: You can send 1 LIGHT Cyberse monster from your hand or deck to your GY, and if you do, you can banish 1 card on your opponent's field. While this card is co-linked, LIGHT Cyberse Link monsters you control can inflict piercing battle damage.
Yggdrago the Sky Emperor (LR: 4/Cyberse/Light/ATK: 4000/↙️⬅️➡️↘️)
Effect: Yggdrago C + Yggdrago L + Yggdrago R. Once per turn, during either player's turn (Quick Effect): You can make this card be unaffected by your opponent's card effects until the End Phase. Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this card's activation. This card can attack up to 3 times during your Battle Phase. If you activate this effect, other monsters you control can't attack for the rest of this turn. Once, if this card leaves the field: You can banish 1 "Yggdrago C", 1 "Yggdrago L", and 1 "Yggdrago R" from your GY; Special Summon this card from your GY, and if you do, banish all cards your opponent controls.
Watchman:
Rallying Cry (Normal Spell card)
Effect: When this card is activated: You can add up to 2 copies of 1 monster from your deck or GY to your hand. You can only activate 1 'Rallying Cry' per turn.
QOTC
Now that you've seen Zero in this chapter, what do you expect to see from him moving forward in the story?
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 70: The Point Of No Return. Ai has gone missing, and the others follow his trail in the hopes of finding where he went. Upon finding him, it sets into motion a series of events that would soon change the course of history for both humanity and the Ignis...
Author's Notes
And with that, another chapter is complete. A heavy one, just like the previous chapter. That being said, I hope you enjoyed reading it. Let's do a recap, shall we?
The first few scenes occurred at Den Academy, where judo and kendo was being taught to the students. After what Yuhiro went through, it only made sense for him to train and pick up some tactics so he can be better prepared. And who better to help him in practicing Judo than Takeru, don't you agree? Things get to a head later on when the students practice Kendo, where Yuhiro ends up defeating a lot of them. Only for Gekiryushi to end up defeating him in response. Now allow me to explain something here: Yuhiro's been traumatized by what Yukage did, and is… not himself. So when he ends up dueling Gekiryushi and begins losing, he gets reminded of how Yukage blocked his attacks and managed to wound him several times.
Next is Yuhiro's visit to Leshawna's house for a therapy appointment. Now just a reminder for you all: Just like Aithne, Eloise, and Brea, Leshawna's part of the Rickety Raiders. My intentions for putting this scene in was to highlight this point: Yuhiro's been through a lot lately, and needed to talk to a professional who can help him move forward. The good thing here is that Yuhiro actually visited Leshawna for therapy sessions before, so he knows he can confide in her with everything that's happened and get professional advice. What are your thoughts on this scene? Let me know what you think.
From there, we head on over to the scenes in the network, where Raguel meets up with Watchman so he can take on a trial to get his inheritance. While I won't say anything on the murals Raguel saw as he climbed up the tower, I do invite you to share with me your theories on what they mean moving forward. For the trial, Raguel ends up sword fighting against the tower's guardian, Gilgamesh. For those of you who were wondering, Gilgamesh's appearance is based off of him from Final Fantasy XV, not the earlier Final Fantasy games. I was tempted to use Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, but let's be honest here: If Raguel fought Gilgamesh in a battle, the former would end up losing by the latter spamming the Gate of Babylon.
I'll be honest in saying something else: Unlike the Raguel vs Azrael sword duel, it was a little tricky to write the one between Raguel and Gilgamesh, as my goal was for Gilgamesh to basically make Raguel confront himself during the duel. In other words, help him grow by discovering a few things about himself. Ultimately, a sword duel was therefore necessary, as the physical and mental toll would help Raguel push forward, compared to a duel with cards where a pep talk was integrated with it.
But in the end, Raguel ends up defeating Gilgamesh, and in the process, he discovers two things about himself. First, he realizes that he's afraid of two things. One: Afraid of accepting the fact that he came from a family who made other people suffer. After all, if your family only hurt others, what were the chances you'd end up doing the same? Two: Afraid that he wouldn't be able to keep going due to the revelations he found out from the Project: VIII files. After admitting his fears, Raguel finally acknowledges that he can't change the past, no matter how much he wants to. Instead, Raguel chooses to fight to make tomorrow's reality a better one for himself and those he cares for. It's here where we finally learn why he wants to fight. Originally, it was for the sake of justice, but now, he wants to fight for a better future. One where he and the people he cares for can live in it together. Just to make something clear: Raguel is no Mary Sue, if that's your concern. He's a flawed human being, just like everyone else, so expect him to make mistakes and grow as the story continues.
It is here that Gilgamesh recognizes him as a true warrior, and gives him his inheritance as a reward, which is the sword Excalibur itself, along with the sheath, Avalon. Now for those of you who were wondering, the difference between the Muramasa and Excalibur is this: Whereas the Muramasa is designed to separate anything and everything, Excalibur is designed to unite anything and everything. We also learn how Gilgamesh lost his left arm, as when Azrael took the trial in the Cave of Darkness, compared to Raguel taking it at the Tower of Light, Azrael sliced Gilgamesh's arm off and took the Muramasa, winning in the process.
While that's happening, Watchman ends up seeing Zero again, the Dragon King. His real name is revealed in this chapter, which is Dairoku Saionji. For those of you who were wondering why I chose this name, it's actually because of the deck Zero uses. That's right. Zero uses the Tron archetype, or to put it simply, the archetype with Yggdrago in it, just like how Nail used it in Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens. Zero also introduces a new method of Link Summoning, which is called Maximum Link Summoning. Allow me to explain how it works: Similar to Maximum Summoning, where you summon three specific Maximum monsters in attack position from your hand at the same time, Maximum Link Summoning requires you to use specific Link monsters to Link Summon a Maximum Link monster. For Zero's deck, I had to make a few upgrades so it can adapt to the decks used in Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS, compared to Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens. I even made a few upgrades for Yggdrago as well. But don't worry, the main core of drawing and searching cards is still there.
As for the duel, I ultimately decided to end it on a draw because I didn't want Watchman to lose another duel, nor did I want Zero to lose in his debut duel. Allow me to explain why Zero ended up coming to the Tower of Light in the first place: It was because of the visions he had. Visions where someone would destroy the network and tear the world apart. This made Zero go after Yuhiro, as he was afraid that if Watchman gave him that power, he'd end up misusing it.
Now it's time to move onto the main part of the chapter, which is Watchman telling Yuhiro how he met and worked with Myojin and Ukyos, as well as the fallout that led to the incident occurring in the first place. When Myojin worked as a clerk for SOL Technologies, he became inspired by the ideas and words of Ukyos, and began collaborating with him under a common dream they had, which was to make the world a better place by solving its problems. Watchman also began working with them as well, who shared the same dream like the others.
One day, the three men had a dream revolving around the Root of All Knowledge. For those of you who are curious, it's a mythical object that exists outside of time and space. One that contains the information of all possibilities and events, whether they come from the past, present or future. To put it simply, The Root of All Knowledge contains the power of God itself.
Upon finding more about this object, the three men then began creating Project: VIII so they can help ensure that humanity survived forever. It is here where Watchman tells Herald some critical information: Just as he is the Ignis of Time, Wraith is the Ignis of Space. Yup. We finally learn what Herald and Wraith represent in terms of attribute. Both Time and Space exist in nature, so it was only natural to pick something that resonated with nature itself, aside from Life and Death, of course.
Going back to the story, eventually, a fallout occurred between all three men because of what Ukyos' true plans were. He wanted to exploit the network so he can find the Root and reset the world, thus eradicating its problems in the process. In a sense, Ukyos is similar to that of Lysandre from Pokemon: XY, who wanted to destroy the world upon seeing how disillusioned humanity had become. The crazy thing here is that the eight volunteers actually sided with Ukyos in the process. Despite being outnumbered, Myojin and Watchman were able to seal him away into the dark side of the network. And while he attempted to try to break out, Myojin and Watchman were able to prevent his escape, but at the cost of most of Watchman's power. For those of you who are wondering what weapons Myojin and Watchman used, the former used Ig-Alima, which is wielded by the war god Zababa, one of the gods worshipped in ancient Mesopotamia. He also used Excalibur and Muramasa during the second encounter against Ukyos. As for Watchman, he used the Black Keys in both encounters, which are the weapons used by the executors in Fate/Stay Night.
We also learn how Watchman and Dr. Kogami met, as well as what led to the development of the Lost Incident. Basically, Dr. Kogami found a trace of Project: VIII in the servers, and wanted to relaunch Project: VIII so humanity can survive its harshest trials through collaboration and coexistence. However, Watchman soon found out his true colors, where Dr. Kogami wanted to create humanity's successor, having realized that humanity would become extinct. To ensure that Watchman wouldn't blow the whistle on Dr. Kogami, as well as cooperate, the latter threatened to leak the information to his higherups. This would result in Myojin and the others suffering should word get out of what they did years prior, so Watchman stayed silent in response as per Dr. Kogami's wishes.
Last but not least, Watchman tells Raguel of what happened to Yukage. When the Lost Incident ended, the authorities found Yukage in a near death state, so they put him in an ambulance to transfer him to the Den City Hospital. But when they returned, they saw that Yukage was no longer there, and thus declared him a missing person. To put it simply, this was the second time Yukage 'died', where the first time was when he was stillborn. Yet in each of those instances, he ended up surviving through sheer force of will, as well as some assistance the second time it happened.
You want to know what's nice in the end? It's that Raguel ends up forgiving Watchman for what happened, as in his words, there was nothing Watchman could do in response to Dr. Kogami's threat. Otherwise, he'd end up hurting Myojin and the others unintentionally for their role in it, thus making their lives much harder than they already are. It shows Raguel's good and kind nature, as he isn't the type of person who holds grudges. Well, a good majority of the time, anyway. Before Raguel leaves, he gives Watchman the neuralyzer so he can guarantee Soulburner's safety, with Watchman promising to give the Light Ignis's algorithm to Demeter so a cure can hopefully be made.
Once that was done, we get some nice scenes in Café Matsuo involving the good guys, as well as a rather ominous scene of Zero interacting with someone named Kairi. Who do you think that is? You'll just have to read on and find out for yourself.
Now that everything's been successfully recapped, I want to thank you all for reading Chapter 69 of Obscured Truth. As always, please let me know your thoughts about the chapters below in your reviews. Also, constructive criticism is appreciated, as your tips and advice helps make the story better. In addition, don't forget to favorite and follow the story. That way, you will get a notification once the next chapter is released.
What did you enjoy the most of this chapter? The slice of life scenes? The duel between Watchman and Zero, where the 'Tron' archetype got massive upgrades? The battle between Raguel and Gilgamesh? The story of Myojin, Ukyos, Arshad, and Dairoku? Or was it something else?
That's all for now, folks. Stay tuned, as next chapter, we move past the point of no return, as the war between the Ignis and humanity will begin, with a special duel to commemorate it!
