Update
I decided to make a change for Darkscourge Breakdown, as someone pointed out the loophole for the effect. Now for Breakdown's effect, the opponent must attack with monsters they control while Malf controls a 'Darkscourge' monster. I will make that change in the chapter that card was introduced in the card gallery.
Response to Reviews
Thank you to Donkeyboy100, HunterHQ, Jumpei-Sempai, Anonymous, KingOtakuOverYou, Electriuser, Guest, Guest, ZeroMK7, Kingdom Hearts Guy, Ambiguous, Cyber Warrior, PR5, T.V. 2000, Pikachu99, Cosmic Cat, Unknown, Edgar, Decode Talker, and Lord Mammon for reviewing Chapter 70 of Obscured Truth.
Hi, everyone! I hope you're all doing well! Judging from your reviews, I can tell you certainly enjoyed the chapter, despite it being mostly filler. I did promise a duel to commemorate the start of the Ignis War, and I'm happy you all enjoyed it.
But enough about that! Let's get to answering some reviews:
Donkeyboy100: Glad you liked the chapter.
HunterHQ: Myojin gave Yuhiro and Yukage the pendants when they were younger. Yeah, SOL Technologies is practically stupid, especially with the growing threats that are coming. Nevertheless, I'm glad you enjoyed the duel. Azrael simply let Windy go through with his orders, even though he isn't happy about it. Lord Kazuma got his 'Dark Magician' deck from an emergency protocol his mentor put in place should he die. Yeah, Azrael is responsible partially for Yusaku becoming Playmaker. Keep in mind that the Azrael, Wraith, and Malf that were present with Lightning when he confessed the truth were data clones, with the real versions listening nearby. Yup, I put in the scenes where Ai got the short stick just because of comedic purposes.
Jumpei-Sempai: Glad you liked the chapter. Since the Hanoi were basically the family that Lord Kazuma thought he'd never have, he was willing to sacrifice himself to ensure that his family can fight another day. And for some reason, you made me picture Playmaker with Ash-Greninja.
Ambiguous: There's only so much one can do in a situation. Lightning wasn't careless about his algorithm, as he put it in a secret place and had it guarded by a lot of Bitboots. Yet, thanks to the combined efforts of Watchman, Soulburner, and Slipstream, they were able to retrieve it. Of course Ai checked to see if he got wiretapped by Wraith, as he unknowingly did it in Chapter 45.
KingOtakuOverYou: Glad you liked the chapter. Uh, I don't know what to say in terms of your comment, as that just confused and disturbed me. And there's no Seal of Orichalcos in this story. Unless I change my mind.
Electriuser: I hope you enjoyed the duel, even though Lord Kazuma lost in the end. Despite this, I made sure he went all out for the duel in terms of utilizing four types of summoning methods. Nothing wrong with advertising your OC. In fact, I may require Lord Kazuma's services for my Arc-V story, if you're interested.
Guest: Why would Ai want to kill Wraith? That's just weird, if you ask me. As for your other question, I can't answer that just yet.
ZeroMK7: OMG, welcome back! I was wondering where you were. Of course Azrael and Wraith have a weak point. Everyone has some form of weakness, one way or another. Don't worry. Drachen and Blood Shepherd will be fine for the next few chapters.
Kingdom Hearts Guy: Aoi and Emma had other matters to attend to when Raguel lost to Azrael. Thank goodness that Rachel and Roxy, along with the others, were there for him.
Ambiguous: Urizen certainly needs the Ignis for Project: VIII. As for Jericho, let's just say he has a plan to acquire all the Ignis. But for the time being, he's in the background, watching, scheming, and ready to strike.
Cyber Warrior: Lord Kazuma used Magician's Navigation to bring Dark Magician and Apprentice Illusion Magician to his field. If Azrael wasn't able to add Cychaic Fusion, then all Lord Kazuma had to do was attack with all his monsters, and he'd win the duel.
PR5: First off, don't call Raguel an OC Mary Sue. He isn't perfect. He's a character that's growing, especially after what happened to him. In terms of Watchman, all I will say is for you to keep reading. You may learn something unexpected about him. As for Malf, like I said, you'll have to read on to find out what happens next.
T.V. 2000: Happy you liked the chapter. Even an Ignis would make mistakes, as Windy switched up Takeda and Arashi, considering how the both of them look similar. Azrael is amongst some of the dangerous villains in Season 2, especially how he has access to other summoning methods. Once again, I see Yusaku with Ash-Greninja, and I also see Raguel with Togekiss.
Pikachu99: Sadly, that's it for Lord Kazuma. At least for now. Even if Malf doesn't utilize his Skill, he's still a formidable foe, especially now that he's in his Semi-Perfect form. Interesting options for the QOTC. Lucario certainly suits well for Playmaker, I never pictured Raguel having an Absol or Flygon (I like both of them), for Blue Angel, I sort of expected her to have another Fairy Pokemon or two on her team, Cinderace and Charizard certainly work well for Soulburner, Toxitricity and Rilaboom are perfect for Stregone, while I agree with the Pokemon for Infearno, how is Chansey scary, makes sense for Rosetta's Pokemon, and as for Lord Kazuma, I don't see him having a Pachirisu.
Cosmic Cat: Thanks for the four stars. Nevertheless, glad you liked the chapter.
Unknown: Azrael gave the Hanoi a taste of their own medicine in Chapter 66 as well.
Edgar: The only difference is that Lord Kazuma used a Kuriboh that works with the Dark Magician deck. He's obviously a villain, as evidenced by the previous season.
Decode Talker: Are you okay? I didn't intend to make you cry there, and I am so sorry I unintentionally brought up that memory. I do hope you're okay. Well, yeah. Azrael caused a lot of chaos to everyone, from the Turf War's innocent victims, to Raguel, and even the Hanoi. Yeah, Lord Kazuma will not get a harem.
Lord Mammon: Ah, there you are. I was wondering where you went off to. Don't worry about it. We're all busy with life at times. Yup, the sword fight between Raguel and Azrael was inspired from the first fight between Jetstream Sam and Raiden, believe it or not, as evident by some of the quotes Azrael says to Raguel. I obviously intended for Azrael to defeat Raguel, though the latter did manage to fight back in the process. And yes, tearing apart Raguel's values is important to the story, as it helps him become his own individual. That's what character development is for. In my opinion, breather chapters are important, as it helps the characters catch up on what's happened, as well as help foreshadow what's to come. I encourage you to read Roxy's Reports, as each of them are in between chapters, and they answer questions on what happened after some events in the story. Yeah, I'll be honest: If I had the knowledge I have now back then, I would have MAJORLY changed the story so that it was more different than the others. But hey, that's what learning is for. Greek Mythology is interesting, so I encourage you to look it up if you're confused. I mean, one example of Raguel and Azrael being hybrid humans is the latter managing to use his abilities in the real world by his sword. Other examples include their Link Triggers, Soulburner being able to use weapons based off his duel monsters, and Playmaker being able to block attacks by instinct. Lord Kazuma certainly threw everything he had against Azrael, but in the end, it was all for naught. I'll be honest in saying this: If Lord Kazuma survived one more turn, he would have defeated Azrael. But still, it wasn't enough. Now, now, don't worry. I intend for Ace to win a duel at some point in the story, rest assured. In terms of the story's future, expect the unexpected.
With all reviews having been answered, let's get to the chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 71: Dogfight
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, while Excalibur crosses downwards to the right. 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 Crimson Nova Trinity the Dark Cubic Lord 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.
In LINK VRAINS, at the fake Cyberse World...
Raguel, Playmaker, Soulburner, and Slipstream chased after Lightning, Windy, Bohman, and Haru, who had Jin under their control. After witnessing what happened, as well as listening to what Lightning and the others had to say, there was no way the four of them could let Lightning get away with his actions. Not just that, but the actions of Windy, Azrael, Wraith, and Malf as well. For each and every one of them managed to make an impact not only on Raguel and the others, but on the Hanoi as well.
But if they can stop Lightning, they can prevent things from escalating further, save Jin and Miyu, and ultimately stop an all-out war from happening.
On Lightning's end, he looked around him. Right now, there was himself, Bohman, Haru, the captive Jin, and a wounded Windy. He wondered where Azrael, Wraith, and Malf were. Did something happen to them? If someone else took care of the trio, then all of Lightning's worries regarding them would be alleviated.
But at the same time, he'd lose valuable resources, as well as allies.
Still, in Lightning's mind, he knew better than to hope that Azrael, Wraith, and Malf were disposed of by someone else. The three of them were certainly powerful, with Azrael having abnormal abilities, Wraith being the Space Ignis, and Malf getting stronger with every person he defeats. It was better that they were alive than dead so that Lightning can escape, especially with the four humans and the three Ignis's pursuing him, as well as any other allies that may be helping them.
"Get back here, Lightning!" Ai shouted at the fleeing Ignis, which got his attention. "I won't let a villain such as yourself escape!"
"Villain? I can't believe you would call me such a thing, Ai." Lightning responded. "You should be thanking me instead."
"Thanking you? You must be joking!" Ai retorted, having felt insulted by that response.
Lightning gathered his thoughts together for a brief moment before speaking. "I'm not joking, Ai. After you defeated Specter, I saved you from your fall."
"You mean from back then?" Playmaker asked out of surprise as Raguel recalled seeing that event unfold that time. He wondered what could have caused it but now he knew, which meant….
"You're the one who controlled the Data Storm?" Ai inquired with suspicion.
"Exactly. I would have conjured one up for Raguel, but one of his sentient duel monsters saved his life before I could do it for him."
Raguel narrowed his eyes. That was when Medusa saved his life, as well as when he found out that Herald began creating sentient duel monsters. If Raguel was being honest, he was grateful that Herald did that, as the action created several allies he can count on.
"But why?" Ai continued to question Lightning.
"I see." Flame said. "During the Tower of Hanoi, he attacked our world. He couldn't deal with the Knights of Hanoi at the same time."
"I didn't expect the timing to overlap with Revolver trying to destroy the network." Lightning admitted. "I had to incorporate your actions into my plan."
Ai then glared at Lightning upon hearing this. "You say we should thank you, but you used us!"
"That is one way to look at it." Lightning agreed. "I'll remember that."
Suddenly, a gateway opened nearby, where a total of four people shot out of it.
"It's the gunman, Drachen, and Go Onizuka's friends." Ai said. "But where's Electrolyzer?"
"I don't think we have time to worry about that now..." Herald muttered.
"SOL Technologies found this place?" Playmaker asked.
"Revolver must have alerted them no doubt." Raguel deduced, seeing their problems may have just increased, or perhaps maybe an opportunity.
"It'll be great if we can surround Lightning." Flame stated.
"But can we?" Soulburner questioned with suspicion, the four humans and three Ignis knowing that Lightning wouldn't make it that easy for them to win.
Looking at the bounty hunters, Lightning glared at them. "They're a nuisance." He snapped his fingers, which caused a gateway to appear before numerous Bits and Boots appeared.
"That'll take care of them. But..." Lightning looked back at the following humans, but then turned to Windy, who made several weakened beeps. "I need to heal you soon, and time is running out." With their enemies closing in fast behind, it wasn't going to be easy. Even if Lightning made it back to his castle, they'd follow after him, and so, he had to slow them down somehow.
"I'll face Playmaker." Bohman spoke up.
"And I'll take care of Raguel." Haru promised, which got Lightning's attention as he turned to both of them.
"The both of you want to duel those two again?" Lightning curiously asked them.
"I want to know how much I've improved. And there's still something I must learn from Playmaker and Ai." Bohman answered firmly.
"Same here." Haru added firmly as well.
"Very well, Bohman and Haru. I will let the both of you deal with your respective opponents." Lightning complied. In the background, Blood Shepherd blasted several Bits and Boots from his robotic hand, while Drachen summoned Red-Eyes Black Dragon, who shot bolts of fire that incinerated the others. Kenmochi, and Yoroizaka, on the other hand, summoned Gouki The Blade Ogre, and Gouki The Solid Ogre, all of whom started tearing the Bits and Boots apart.
With the matter resolved, Lightning looked down at Windy. Even though he was injured, there was still something he can do to guarantee their escape. "Windy, I know you're not feeling well, but I need your help." Jin grabbed Windy and squeezed him. A blast of Data Material erupted outwards, along with a shockwave that headed straight towards the four humans!
"Look out!" Flame exclaimed, as Soulburner drifted right, while Playmaker and Raguel drifted left. Slipstream, on the other hand, felt time stop as he saw the data storm head straight towards him.
He looked inside the storm, and felt numerous dots connecting with one another, as if it were a machine, or even a program. Upon making those connections, Slipstream suddenly sped into the data storm without even thinking, intent on going straight through it.
Slipstream's duel board then grinded on the data storm similar to that of a skateboard, as it helped Slipstream jump off one side of the storm before landing onto another. He didn't feel afraid at all. Instead, Slipstream was content with what was happening in the storm, as if he was a part of it.
The air, the wind on his face, the data storm's power flowing around him... Slipstream felt it all, and he was okay.
And with a burst of speed, Slipstream blasted out of the data storm and continued chasing after Lightning, much to Soulburner and Flame's relief.
"Thank goodness you're okay!" Flame commented.
"I thought you were a goner!" Soulburner stated. "How did you-?"
"I don't know. I really wish I knew." Slipstream immediately answered. "But let's focus on what's in front of us for now."
"Right!" Soulburner and Slipstream as they caught up to Lightning, now riding parallel to him on both sides.
"How the Hell did you get through my data storm?!" Lightning demanded from Slipstream, who was in shock from what he saw. Aside from Revolver and Playmaker, no human should be able to do that unless they had Storm Access.
"Like I'd tell you, also-ran." Slipstream countered, much to Soulburner and Flame's humour as Lightning furiously narrowed his eyes upon processing the last part of that answer. "But moving that aside, Windy's as good as dead! So hand him over, unless you want to die first!"
"I don't want to kill you, Lightning, but I won't let you hurt the humans." Flame added, with Soulburner nodding in agreement.
"Like I said before, I have more pressing matters to attend to." Lightning replied, as he snapped his fingers once again, which caused a gateway to appear before Bit and Boot exited out of it. The duo immediately proceeded to fire duel anchors at Soulburner and Slipstream. While the former was able to evade them, the duel anchors locked onto the latter's duel disk just seconds before he can evade them.
"Prepare for trouble!" Bit said.
"And make it double!" Boot stated, the both of them having smiles on their faces.
"Keep following after Lightning, Soulburner. I'll take care of Tweedledweeb and Tweedledumb over here." Slipstream told Soulburner, who nodded back before following after Lightning.
"How dare you call us that!" Bit exclaimed.
"Yeah! We are not dumb, nor are we dweebs!" Boot pointed out.
"You're in for a world of hurt now, bub!" both Bit and Boot commented at the same time.
"Keep dreaming, for I'll be the one to bring the pain." Slipstream coldly replied, which made Bit and Boot sweatdrop out of surprise before the duo snapped out of their stupor.
"Speed Duel!" Slipstream, Bit, and Boot shouted at the same time.
Slipstream: 4000 LP
Bit and Boot: 4000 LP
"I'll be going first." Bit decided.
"Why do you get to go first? I should be the one to go first." Boot complained.
"Does it matter which one of you idiots goes first? Decide already! I don't have all day to deal with you." Slipstream said out of exasperation.
"Fine, Bit. You can go first." Boot conceded.
"Thank you." Bit replied, glad that Boot gave up the argument. "My turn! I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Water Hazard. Once per turn, if there are no monsters on our field, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Water monster from my hand. From my hand, I Special Summon D-Scale Saber Sardine to our field." A blue and grey mechanical fish appeared on Bit and Boot's field.
D-Scale Saber Sardine ATK: 600 DEF: 300 LV: 2
"I activate Saber Sardine's effect. Once per turn, by paying 500 life points, I can Special Summon one 'D-Scale' token to our field." As Bit and Boot's life points dropped, a small blue and green orb appeared on their field in defense position.
Bit and Boot: 4000 – 500 = 3500 LP
D-Scale Token ATK: 100 DEF: 100 LV: 1
"Appear, my circuit!" Bit declared, as a Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two 'D-Scale' monsters. I set D-Scale Saber Sardine and the Scale token into the Link Markers!" Saber Sardine went into the left arrowhead, while the Scale token went into the bottom arrowhead, turning both of them red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! D-Scale Battle Coela!" A large, purple mechanical fish with yellow eyes and green lines running over its body appeared on Bit and Boot's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.
D-Scale Battle Coela ATK: 1800 LINK-2 ⬅️⬇️
"Let the Voyage to Hell begin! I activate the Equip Spell card, D-Scale Torpedo, and equip it onto Battle Coela!" Bit continued, as a set of cannons soon attached themselves to Battle Coela's back. "Battle Coela's effect! Once per turn, I can move it to a Main Monster Zone it points to." The mechanical fish moved backwards, signifying it changed zones. "It's time. I activate my Skill! Marker's Portal!" The stars on Bit's body glowed as he placed his arms in front of him, one crossed on top of the other. "Once per duel, when our life points are less than our original amount, I can activate a Link Spell card from my deck. In addition, the Link Spell card that was activated by this Skill can no longer be negated or destroyed by your card effects."
"Okay then..." Slipstream muttered. He was already aware of what Marker's Portal did, so it wasn't a huge surprise to him.
A card popped out of Bit's deck, which he took and added to his hand. "Three arrows, shine! Fire at the-!"
"Just activate the damn card already!" Slipstream snapped, which made both Bit and Boot wince. He didn't have time to deal with cannon fodder, as he was obviously hellbent on destroying Windy. In other words, the sooner Slipstream defeated the two idiots in front of him, the better.
"Okay, okay! Sheesh! I activate the Link Spell card, Judgment Arrows!" The Spell card appeared in the Spell & Trap card zone that Battle Coela was pointing to.
Judgment Arrows ↖️⬆️↗️
"When a Link monster Judgement Arrows points to battles, its attack points are doubled. However, should Judgment Arrows leave the field, all monsters it points to will be destroyed." Bit explained. "But let's continue the Voyage to Hell, shall we? I activate Battle Coela's second effect. Once per turn, I can move this card to the Link Marker of a card linked to it. Therefore, Battle Coela moves to Judgment Arrows' far-left Link Marker." Battle Coela performed said action, moving further away from Bit and Boot.
"I now activate Torpedo's effect. Once per turn, can inflict 800 points of damage times the number of times the equipped monster moved this turn. Since Battle Coela moved twice, you take 1600 points of damage!" The cannons on Battle Coela's back opened and fired at Slipstream, who was pushed back by the explosion upon impact.
Slipstream: 4000 – (800 X 2) = 2400 LP
"Excellent job, Bit!" Boot praised his ally.
"Thank you for the compliment, Boot." Bit said back, before redirecting his attention back to the duel. "I summon D-Scale Piercing Saury from my hand to our field." A thin, purple and grey fish with a glowing yellow front appeared on Bit and Boot's field.
D-Scale Piercing Saury ATK: 800 DEF: 600 LV: 3
"Appear for a second time, my circuit!" A second Link Portal appeared above Bit. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'D-Scale' monsters. I set the Link 2 D-Scale Battle Coela, and Piercing Saury into the Link Markers!" Battle Coela went into the left and bottom arrowheads, while Piercing Saury went into the right arrowhead, turning all three of them red in the process.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! D-Scale Full Metal Dunkle!" A large, black metal fish with yellow jaws, fins, and missile launchers on its back appeared on Bit and Boot's field at Judgment Arrows' top-left marker.
D-Scale Full Metal Dunkle ATK: 2400 LINK-3 ⬅️⬇️➡️
"I end my turn here." Bit concluded.
"My turn! I draw!" Slipstream said, drawing the top card of his deck. "I activate the Spell card, Giant Trunade. This card lets me return all Spell and Trap cards in the owner's fields back to their respective hands." A tornado launched out of the card, which turned Judgment Arrows and Water Hazard into particles that returned to Bit's hand.
"In that case, I activate Full Metal Dunkle's effect. The first time it would be destroyed by battle or card effect during each of our turns, it is not destroyed. What's more, I can move it to a Main Monster Zone it points to." Bit countered. "I move Full Metal Dunkle to the left Main Monster Zone." Full Metal Dunkle shifted to the left at Bit's command.
"Fine. I activate the Spell card, Card of Adversity. Since I control no monsters and you control a Special Summoned monster, I can draw the top two cards of my deck." Slipstream then proceeded to draw the top two cards of his deck. Hey. I drew these cards, Slipstream thought, looking at them. This would be a good chance for him to test them out and see whether they'll help in defeating Windy. "I use the Scale 1 Speedroid Marble Machine and the Scale 8 Speedroid Dominobutterfly to set the Pendulum scale!"
"Pendulum?" both Bit and Boot repeated out of surprise. Pendulum Summons were very rare to be seen in duels, and if they were used during a Speed Duel, that was detrimental to the duelist using them.
"That's right!" Slipstream confirmed, as two pillars of light appeared on his field.
In the pillar on his right was a robot whose body was composed of light-blue marbles, with green marbles representing its knee joints. Strapped to its neck was a small, red cape, and attached to its head was a belt with three dark-blue jewels on it.
In the pillar on his left was a mechanical butterfly whose wings consisted of two dominoes, one white and one black on each side. Its had arms, with the right fingers being colored black, white the left fingers were colored white. Its head consisted of a small, single scope in the middle of it.
Speedroid Marble Machine Scale: 1
Speedroid Dominobutterfly Scale: 8
"Swing, Pendulum of Speed, and open the road to freedom!" Slipstream chanted. "With the Set Pendulum scale, I can Pendulum Summon monsters between Level 2 and 7 at the same time! Emerge, Speedroid Skull Marbles!" Within moments, a portal opened between the two pillars, where a single light emerged. The light then hit the field and dissipated, which revealed a yellow, green, and blue machine that was a combination between a rolling ball structure and a train in defense position. On its sides was a pair of claws, which were resting on the pedestals beneath them. Its face consisted of a long skull that had a total of four eyes, the top two being wide and circular, while the other two below were narrowed. Inside the machine's mouth was a retractable cannon.
Speedroid Skull Marbles ATK: 0 DEF: 3000 LV: 7
"I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Slipstream narrowed his eyes, ready for whatever Bit and Boot got for him.
"That's it? That's all you'll do?" Bit questioned.
"Yup." Slipstream confirmed, before he outstretched his right hand at Bit and Boot and bent it back and forth. "Come on, wimps. Let me see what you got."
"Oh, that's it! I'll show you firsthand! My turn I draw!" Boot exclaimed, as he drew the top card of his deck. "I activate the Equip Spell card, D-Scale Torpedo, and equip it onto Full Metal Dunkle." A set of cannons soon attached themselves to Full Metal Dunkle's back. "In addition, I activate the Field Spell card, Castle Link. Once per turn, I can target one Link monster I control and move it to a Main Monster Zone it points to. I target Full Metal Dunkle, and move it to the Main Monster Zone it points to on the right." Full Metal Dunkle shifted to the right, indicating that it switched Main Monster Zones.
"Torpedo's effect now activates! Once per turn, can inflict 800 points of damage times the number of times the equipped monster moved this turn. Since Full Metal Dunkle moved once, you take 800 points of damage! Voyage to Hell!" The cannons on Full Metal Dunkle's back opened before firing at Slipstream.
"Trap card, activate! Damage Eraser!" Slipstream interjected, as he gestured to his face-down card. "If I would take effect damage, I can gain an equal amount of life points instead." A tank with a cybernetic mirror attached to it appeared as the cannon blasts went into the mirror, which caused Slipstream to be surrounded in a green aura that increased his life points.
Slipstream: 2400 + 800 = 3200 LP
"You think you can dodge our Voyage to Hell combo like that? Let's see how you handle this! I activate my Skill! Marker's Portal!" Boot replied. The stars on Boot's body glowed as he placed his arms in front of him, one crossed on top of the other. "Once per duel, when our life points are less than our original amount, I can activate a Link Spell card from my deck. In addition, the Link Spell card that was activated by this Skill can no longer be negated or destroyed by your card effects."
"I know how the Skill works, so just activate your Judgment Arrows already." Slipstream responded indifferently.
A card popped out of Boot's deck, which he took and added to his hand. "From my hand, I activate the Link Spell card, Judgment Arrows!" The Spell card appeared in the Spell & Trap card zone that Full Metal Dunkle was pointing to.
Judgment Arrows ↖️⬆️↗️
"Just like before, when a Link monster Judgement Arrows points to battles, its attack points are doubled. However, should Judgment Arrows leave the field, all monsters it points to will be destroyed. But let's move onto the fun part, shall we? Battle!" Boot thrusted out his right hand. "D-Scale Full Metal Dunkle attacks Speedroid Skull Marbles! And when a Link monster Judgment Arrows points to battles, its attack points are doubled!" Full Metal Dunkle was surrounded in a golden aura, which powered it up.
D-Scale Full Metal Dunkle ATK: 2400 X 2 = 4800
The cannons all over Full Metal Dunkle then charged up energy, preparing to fire at Boot's command.
"I activate Marble Machine's effect. Once per turn, when a defense position monster I control is targeted for an attack, I can change it to face-up attack position. What's more, it can't be destroyed by battle this turn." Slipstream said. "I change Skull Marbles to attack position." Skull Marbles then changed its battle position at Slipstream's command.
"You idiot! You just sealed your doom!" Boot exclaimed. "Looks like victory is-!"
"No, it's not. I activate Skull Marbles' effect. Any battle damage I would have taken involving battles with it is inflicted to you instead."
"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WHAT?!" Boot screamed, as Bit also gasped. That... spelt doom for them instead!
The cannons attached to Full Metal Dunkle then fired straight at Skull Marbles, who opened its mouth and ate the blasts before the retractable cannon extended forward, which immediately released a beam of energy that not only sent Bit and Boot flying, but dropped their life points all the way to zero.
Bit and Boot: 3500 – 4800 = 0
"You caused us to lose!" Bit exclaimed.
"Oh, really? You were supposed to warn me!" Boot countered back.
"It's your fault!" both Bit and Boot accused one another before the both of them turned into particles.
Okay. The new cards worked, and are perfect to whoop Windy's ass, Slipstream cheerfully thought in his mind, pleased with what happened. Unfortunately, his cheerful mood changed to a sour one when he noticed more Bits and Boots in the area. "Great. It seems I'll be busy for a while."
Elsewhere, in the fake Cyberse World...
Soulburner continued to follow after Lightning, the former hellbent on preventing the latter from escaping.
"How is it you continue to pursue me after utilizing every countermeasure?" Lightning inquired out of irritation at Soulburner and Flame. And where are Azrael, Wraith, and Malf, he wondered angrily. Lightning certainly needed their assistance if he was to escape.
"Lightning, I will not stand by and do nothing! All that you are trying to do ends here and now! You will be stopped!" Flame declared, as he pointed his right finger at him.
"And we'll stop you together!" Soulburner added.
"If the two of you insist on chasing me, I'll just have to deal with you myself." Lightning decided, as Jin activated his duel disk. This will help me hone my dueling skills for the coming war, as well as see how Soulburner's deck works, he thought in his mind.
As if knowing what to do, Soulburner also activated his duel disk, preparing himself for the duel to come.
"You ready, Flame?" Soulburner asked him.
"I certainly am." Flame confirmed with determination, the both of them intent on stopping Lightning once and for all.
"Speed Duel!" Soulburner and Lightning said at the same time.
Soulburner: 4000 LP
Lightning: 4000 LP
"I'm going first, Lightning. My turn!" Soulburner said. "I summon Salamangreat Foxy from my hand to my field." A blue and magenta-colored fox with a long, hardened tail that emitted a burst of fire appeared on Soulburner's field.
Salamangreat Foxy ATK: 1000 DEF: 1200 LV: 3
"When Foxy's Normal Summoned, I can excavate the top three cards of my deck, add one 'Salamangreat' card among them, and shuffle the rest back into my deck." After looking at the top three cards of his deck, Soulburner picked one and shuffled the other two into his deck. "I now activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Salamangreat Circle. When this card is activated, I can activate one of two effects. I choose to activate effect one, which lets me add one 'Salamangreat' monster from my deck to my hand." After Soulburner looked through his deck, he took a card and added it to his hand.
"I activate the effect of Salamangreat Meer from my hand." Soulburner continued. "Since it was added to my hand, except by drawing it, I can Special Summon it from my hand to my field." A small orange, red, and black meercat appeared on Soulburner's field.
Salamangreat Meer ATK: 800 DEF: 600 LV: 2
"I blaze my circuit that scorches the path to the future!" A Link Portal appeared above Soulburner. "The summoning conditions are one Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster. I Set Salamangreat Meer into the Link Markers!" Meer went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Salamangreat Balelynx!" A red and white mechanical cat with her tail on fire appeared on Soulburner's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.
Salamangreat Balelynx ATK: 500 LINK-1 ⬇️
"When Balelynx is Link Summoned, I can add the Field Spell card, Salamangreat Sanctuary from my deck to my hand." Soulburner explained, as a card popped out of his deck, which he took and added to his hand. "I blaze my circuit that scorches the path to the future for a second time!" A second Link Portal appeared above Soulburner. "The summoning conditions are two fire effect monsters. I set the Link 1 Salamangreat Balelynx, and Foxy into the Link Markers!" Balelynx went into the top arrowhead, while Foxy went into the bottom arrowhead, turning both of them red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf!" A green and gray wolf that stood on his hind legs appeared on Soulburner's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. Around his neck was a ring of fire.
Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf ATK: 1800 LINK-2 ⬆️⬇️
"You're going down!" Sunlight Wolf said, having grit his teeth in anger at Lightning.
"That's the spirit, Sunlight Wolf! We'll take care of this guy in due time!" Flame assured Sunlight Wolf, who let out a snort in response.
"I activate the Field Spell card, Salamangreat Sanctuary." Soulburner stated, as a red magical circle appeared in the sky above him. "Once per turn, if I Link Summon a 'Salamangreat' Link monster, I can use one 'Salamangreat' Link monster I control with the same name as the entire material. I set Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf into the Link Markers!" Sunlight Wolf burst into flames and went into the magical circle, causing it to burst into flames. "Reincarnation Link Summon! Appear, once again! Link 2! Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf!" Sunlight Wolf reappeared on Soulburner's field in the right Extra Monster Zone, only the ring of fire around his neck turned into blazing flames.
Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf ATK: 1800 LINK-2 ⬆️⬇️
"Oh, yeah! Thanks for the powerup, Soulburner! I'm pouncing and ready to throw down!" Sunlight Wolf stated.
"Glad to hear that, Sunlight Wolf." Soulburner replied, before he refocused his attention on the duel. "Sunlight Wolf's effect! As he was Reincarnation Link Summoned, I can add one 'Salamangreat' Spell or Trap card from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Salamangreat Circle right back from my Graveyard to my hand." A card popped out of Soulburner's Graveyard, which he took and added to his hand.
"I activate the effect of Salamangreat Mole from my hand. Since I Link Summoned this turn, I can Special Summon this card from my hand to my field in a Main Monster Zone a Link monster points to." An armored mole with flaming front paws appeared on Soulburner's field in the Main Monster Zone Sunlight Wolf pointed to.
Salamangreat Mole ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1
"Sunlight Wolf's second effect! Since a monster was Normal or Special Summoned to a Main Monster Zone he points to, I can add one Fire monster from my Graveyard to my hand. However, I can't Normal or Special Summon monsters with the added monster's name for the rest of this turn. I add Foxy right back to my hand" Soulburner added, as a card popped out of his Graveyard, which he took and added to his hand. "I blaze my circuit that scorches the path to the future for a third time!" A third Link Portal appeared above Soulburner. "The summoning conditions are two or more fire effect monsters. I set the Link 2 Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf, and Mole into the Link Markers!" Wolf went into the top and bottom-left arrowheads, while Mole went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning all three of them red.
"King of the fiery jungle! Awaken, and protect the land and its creatures!" Soulburner chanted. "Link Summon! Rise! Link 3! Salamangreat Heatleo!" A large, dark-blue skinned, anthropomorphic lion wearing orange and red armor, along with wings and gauntlets shaped like mouths appeared on Soulburner's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.
Salamangreat Heatleo ATK: 2300 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️
"You! I'll destroy you for destroying the Cyberse World!" Heatleo roared with infuriation.
"We'll stop Lightning together, Heatleo." Soulburner replied. "I Set one card face-down and end my turn."
"Just like Ai, you followed suit in giving your Cyberse monsters sentience." Lightning observed.
"I did it because even Cyberse creatures should communicate with one another." Flame explained. "After all, communication is vital, as without a voice, you're robbed of an important right."
"While that's certainly logical, I don't need to do such a thing for my Cyberse creatures." Lightning retorted. "My turn! I draw!" Jin drew the top card of Lightning's deck before he waved the five cards in front of him. After looking at them, Lightning made a decision. "I summon Armatos Legio Gladius from my hand to my field." A stone statue of an armoured warrior wielding a steel sword appeared on Lightning's field.
Armatos Legio Gladius ATK: 0 DEF: 800 LV: 2
"When Gladius is Normal Summoned, I can add the Field Spell card, Armatos Colosseum from my deck to my hand. In exchange, my monsters can't attack for the rest of this turn." A card popped out of Lightning's deck, which he took and added to his hand.
Why would Lightning activate an effect that would prevent his monsters from attacking, Soulburner wondered in his mind, as he cautiously narrowed his eyes. Whatever reason Lightning has for doing it, he has something planned in mind.
"I now activate the Field Spell card, Armatos Colosseum." Lightning continued, as a ring of light briefly surrounded the duel field before dissipating. "When this card is activated, I can add one 'Armatos Legio' monster from my deck to my hand. I add Armatos Legio Sica from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of Lightning's deck, which he took and added to his hand.
"I will now illuminate my circuit!" A Link Portal appeared above Lightning. "The summoning conditions are one Level 4 or lower 'Armatos Legio' monster. I set Armatos Legio Gladius into the Link Markers!" Gladius went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Armatos Legio Decurion!" A dark-skinned warrior in a red cape and helmet appeared on Lightning's field in the right Extra Monster Zone, who wielded a short sword in his right hand.
Armatos Legio Decurion ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️
"I activate Armatos Colosseum's second effect. By discarding a Level 4 or lower 'Armatos Legio' monster from my hand, I can target one 'Armatos Legio' Link monster on my field, and Special Summon 'Armatos Legio' monsters with different names from my Graveyard to Main Monster Zones it points to." Lightning added, before he smirked. "The best part is that this effect isn't once per turn."
"What?" Soulburner gasped.
"Well, that's certainly unexpected to hear." Flame admitted.
"It's unexpected indeed, Flame." Lightning agreed, as he picked a card in Jin's hand. "I discard Armatos Legio Scutum from my hand to my Graveyard, and Special Summon Gladius back to my field." After Jin flicked a card in his hand into his Graveyard, Gladius reappeared on Lightning's field, only in the Main Monster Zone Decurion pointed to.
Armatos Legio Gladius ATK: 0 DEF: 800 LV: 2
"But I'm not done yet. I will illuminate my circuit for a second time!" A second Link Portal appeared above Lightning. "The summoning conditions are two 'Armatos Legio' monsters, including a Link monster. I set the Link 1 Armatos Legio Decurion, and Gladius into the Link Markers!" Decurion went into the top arrowhead, while Gladius went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning both of them red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Armatos Legio Pilus Prior!" A warrior clad in silver armor from head to toe appeared on Lightning's field in the Main Monster Zone Heatleo pointed to, resulting in both monsters being co-linked with one another. In his left hand, he carried a long sword, while strapped to his right arm was a shield.
Armatos Legio Pilus Prior ATK: 2000 LINK-2 ⬇️↘️
"When Pilus Prior is Link Summoned, I can banish cards from the top of my deck equal to the number of co-linked monsters on my field, and by doing so, I get those cards back at the beginning of my next turn." Lightning explained. "As there's one co-linked monster on my field, I can banish one card from the top of my deck." One card popped out of his deck, which revealed itself as Judgment Sword to Soulburner before it turned into particles.
"Soulburner, take a look at Lightning's field." Flame told Soulburner, which the latter did.
"Great. Seems we both know what's coming up next." Soulburner commented.
"Yes." Flame narrowed his eyes. "Judgment Arrows."
"That is correct, my friend. But why tell you, when I can show you instead! I activate the Link Spell card, Judgment Arrows!" Lightning announced, as the Spell card appeared in the Spell & Trap card zone Pilus Prior pointed to.
Judgment Arrows ↖️⬆️↗️
"I now activate Pilus Prior's effect. Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Armatos Legio' monster from my Graveyard to my field. Return, Gladius." At Lightning's command, Gladius reappeared on his field.
Armatos Legio Gladius ATK: 0 DEF: 800 LV: 2
"I will now illuminate my circuit for a third time!" A third Link Portal appeared above Lightning. "The summoning conditions are two 'Armatos Legio' monsters. I set the Link 2 Pilus Prior, and Gladius into the Link Markers!" Pilus Prior went into the left and right arrowheads, while Gladius went into the bottom arrowhead, turning all three of them red.
"My light become eternal, my power become the truth! Shine on everything and create the path to ascendancy!" Lightning chanted. "Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Armatos Legio Legatus Legionis!" A dark-skinned man wearing a helmet and pieces of armor, along with a violet cape attached to his back who rode on a steel-plate-covered horse appeared on Lightning's field in the middle Main Monster Zone Judgment Arrows pointed to. In his right hand, he carried a sword.
Armatos Legio Legatus Legionis ATK: 2400 LINK-3 ⬅️⬇️➡️
"And once again, I activate Colosseum's effect. Like before, I can discard one Level 4 or lower 'Armatos Legio' monster from my hand to target one 'Armatos Legio' Link monster on my field, and Special Summon 'Armatos Legio' monsters with different names from my Graveyard to Main Monster Zones it points to. I discard Sica from my hand to my Graveyard, and Special Summon Gladius and Scutum right back to my field." After Jin flicked a card in his hand to Lightning's Graveyard, two monsters appeared on his field in the Main Monster Zones Legatus Legionis pointed to.
The first was Gladius.
The second was a statue of a man carrying a square blue and orange field.
Armatos Legio Gladius ATK: 0 DEF: 800 LV: 2
Armatos Legio Scutum ATK: 0 DEF: 1800 LV: 3
"I will now illuminate my circuit for a fourth time." Lightning said, as a fourth Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are one Level 4 or lower 'Armatos Legio' monster. I set Scutum into the Link Markers!" Scutum went into the left arrowhead, turning it red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1 ! Armatos Legio Eques Flamma!" A stone statue that carried a riding crop, along with a small bag of rocks strapped to his left side appeared on Lightning's field in the right Main Monster Zone Judgment Arrows pointed to, resulting in both Legatus Legionis and Eques Flamma being co-linked.
Armatos Legio Eques Flamma ATK: 800 LINK-1 ⬅️
"I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Lightning concluded. "My defenses are all ready for what you got, Soulburner. So do try and get through them if you can."
"My turn! I draw!" Soulburner said, drawing the top card of his deck.
"I activate Legatus Legionis' effect." Lightning suddenly interrupted. "Once per turn, during either of our turns, I can send one Level 4 or lower 'Armatos Legio' monster from my field to my Graveyard to Special Summon a Level 4 'Armatos Legio' monster from my Graveyard with a different name. What's more, he's unaffected by your card effects for the rest of this turn. I send Gladius to my Graveyard, and Special Summon Scutum back to my field." After Gladius turned into particles, Scutum reappeared on Lightning's field in defense position.
Armatos Legio Scutum ATK: 0 DEF: 1800 LV: 3
"Allow me to give you a heads up about Scutum's effects. First, the first time an 'Armatos Legio' Link monster that points to it would be destroyed by battle or card effect each turn, it isn't destroyed. Second, while an 'Armatos Legio' Link monster points to Scutum, your monsters can only target the linked monster for attacks."
"Well, that's just great." Soulburner sarcastically commented. Despite this small hurdle, he can obviously conquer it with the many tricks up his sleeve. "I activate Sanctuary's effect. Once per turn, if I Link Summon a 'Salamangreat' Link monster, I can use one 'Salamangreat' Link monster I control with the same name as the entire material. I set Salamangreat Heatleo into the Link Markers!" Heatleo burst into flames and went into the magical circle above the duel field, causing it to burst into flames.
"Reincarnation Link Summon! Rise again from the valley of flame! Link 3! Salamangreat Heatleo!" Heatleo reappeared on Soulburner's field in the right Extra Monster Zone, only fire formed a mane around his neck and wings.
Salamangreat Heatleo ATK: 2300 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️
"Yes! Now that is more like it!" Heatleo roared, having been invigorated with new power.
"I activate Heatleo's effect." Soulburner stated. "When he's Link Summoned, I can target one Spell or Trap card on your field and shuffle it right back into your deck. I target Judgment Arrows! Resounding Roar!" Heatleo let out a loud roar, which caused Judgment Arrows to return to Lightning's deck.
"And with Judgment Arrows gone, your monsters are toast!" Flame proclaimed.
"Is that what you think? A true warrior prepares for anything and everything, such as this!" Lightning gestured to his face-down card. "Continuous-Trap, activate! Armatos Gloria! Cards on the field can no longer be destroyed by other cards' effects, and neither of us can banish cards on the field as well."
"Tch." Soulburner grit his teeth as a golden aura surrounded Scutum, Legatus Legionis, and Eques Flamma, protecting them from Judgment Arrows. "In that case, I activate the Spell card, Link Fire's Return. This card lets me target one 'Salamangreat' Link monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it back to my field. In exchange for not attacking or activating its effects this turn, I can inflict damage equal to its Link rating times 200. I Special Summon a copy of Heatleo from my Graveyard to my field!" A copy of Heatleo then appeared on Soulburner's field, only in the right Extra Monster Zone.
Salamangreat Heatleo ATK: 2300 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️
"And since Heatleo's Link rating is three, you take a total of 600 points of damage." Flame summed up, as three balls of fire burst out of Link Fire's Return, each one hitting Lightning before his life points dropped.
Lightning: 4000 – (200 X 2) = 3400 LP
"I now activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Salamangreat Transcendence." Soulburner said. "This card lets me target one 'Salamangreat' Link monster I control, and Special Summon one 'Salamangreat' Link monster with the same name as the targeted monster by using it as the entire material."
"It seems you have more than one way of upgrading your monsters..." Lightning mused, slightly surprised by what Soulburner just said.
"I set Salamangreat Heatleo into the Link Markers!" Heatleo burst into flames and went into the magical circle above the duel field, causing it to burst into flames.
"Reincarnation Link Summon! Rise again! Link 3! Salamangreat Heatleo!" A third and final copy of Heatleo appeared on Soulburner's field, only in the Main Monster Zone.
Salamangreat Heatleo ATK: 2300 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️
"I now activate this Heatleo's effect. Since he was Link Summoned, I can target one Spell or Trap card on your field I target Armatos Gloria! Resounding Roar!" Heatleo let out a loud roar, which caused Gloria to return to Lightning's deck.
"When a card or effect is activated that targets Gloria, all monsters I control are destroyed." Lightning stated. "But thanks to Scutum, Legatus Legionis is safe." As if to prove his point, Legatus Legionis quickly grabbed the shield and used it to protect himself from the blast, while Eques Flamma and Scutum turned into particles. "Eques Flamma's effect now activates! As it was co-linked when it was destroyed, I can target the Link monster it was pointed to, and inflict damage equal to its original attack points to both of us."
"Both of us?" Soulburner and Flame asked out of surprise.
"That's right. I target Legatus Legionis." Lightning simply replied, as a silhouette of Eques Flamma launched a stone out of its riding crop, which caused an explosion that dropped both players' life points as a result.
Lightning: 3400 – 2400 = 1000 LP
Soulburner: 4000 – 2400 = 1600 LP
"Flame..." Soulburner said.
"You've realized it as well, haven't you?" Flame figured out.
"At the rate things are going, we can't finish Lightning off." Soulburner concluded.
"Yes, especially once he gets Judgment Sword back, which will practically leave us nearly defenseless." Flame agreed. Both he and Soulburner knew Judgment Swords' effects, which not only allowed Lightning to banish a Link monster in the Extra Monster Zone, but Special Summon an 'Armatos Legio' Link monster whose Link rating was equal to the banished Link monster's Link rating. Afterwards, Lightning can Special Summon the banished Link monster back to Soulburner's field.
To sum it up, the duo would lose once Lightning's next turn comes around.
"If that's the case, I activate the Spell card, Tempest Fire." Soulburner decided. "This card lets me target one Fire monster on the field with the lowest attack and destroy it, along with all my other monsters. By doing this, the both of us not only takes damage equal to the destroyed monster's original attack points, I can also destroy one monster you control whose attack points are less than or equal to the destroyed monster's attack points, as well as inflict damage equal to half of that destroyed monster's original attack points."
"So it seems you're aiming for mutually assured destruction." Lightning said.
"That's right." Flame confirmed. "Even if we can't beat you today, you will one day pay for all the pain and misery you brought upon the Cyberse World! This I promise!"
"I target Heatleo!" Soulburner announced, as a ball of fire enveloped Heatleo before causing an explosion that not only made both players nearly lose balance on their duel boards, but also dropped their life points to zero as well.
Lightning: 1000 – 2300 = 0
Soulburner: 1600 – 2300 = 0
"As good as it was to stretch my muscles and exercise my dueling skills, I'm on a clock here. So I bid you adieu, Soulburner and Flame." Lightning commented, as he snapped his fingers, which caused Bit and Boot to appear from portals that emerged on Lightning's left and right sides. As a result, he was able to escape, while Bit and Boot followed after Soulburner.
"It seems we've got some company to deal with." Soulburner said.
"Speak for yourself." Slipstream commented, as an explosion sent Bit flying off his duel board, dropping his life points to zero in the process. Slipstream then caught up to Soulburner and rode parallel to him. "Lightning got away, didn't he?"
"I'm afraid so." Soulburner confirmed. "But at least we know how his deck works."
"Which will certainly help the next time we duel him." Flame assured both Slipstream and Soulburner. "But until then..."
"Ready to go kick some asses, Slipstream?" Soulburner asked, as Heatleo appeared behind him.
"Hell yeah." Slipstream replied, as Clear Wing appeared behind him. Both duelists then engaged in battle against the multiple Bit and Boots, intent on defeating each one and clearing the way so they can catch up with the others.
Meanwhile, in another area of the fake Cyberse World...
"Crush them, Gouki The Blade Ogre!" Kenmochi declared, as The Blade Ogre slashed Bit and Boot, decreasing their life points before falling off their duel boards.
"How is it we keep losing?!" Bit exclaimed.
"How am I supposed to know?! Maybe this story wants us to keep losing to our enemies!" Boot replied back, before the two of them turned into particles.
"Another one bites the dust." Kenmochi said, as Yoroizaka rode parallel to him.
"How many of these guys are there?" Yoroizaka asked. "I managed to defeat at least fifteen of these fools."
"Same here." Kenmochi responded. "At least Drachen and Blood Shepherd are helping us out."
"Your targets are escaping." Akira said from the comms.
"We're aware of that," both Kenmochi and Yoroizaka replied at the same time out of irritation.
"At the rate things are going, the Ignis will get away." Blood Shepherd stated, as he played a card, which caused Battledrone General to appear. "Time to take out the trash for good." At his command, General fired numerous missiles at multiple Bits and Boots, tearing them apart in the process.
Nodding in agreement, both Kenmochi and Yoroizaka proceeded to try and clear a path so the four bounty hunters can go after the Ignis...
...But before the duo can even try to do so, they ended up dodging an attack that came behind them!
"Who was that?" Kenmochi questioned, as Malf appeared in front of him and Yoroizaka. "Oh, shit!"
"You're the AI that sent numerous people to the hospital!" Yoroizaka exclaimed, the both of them recognizing Malf.
"That's right." Malf simply confirmed, before pressing a button on his duel disk, which caused two duel anchors to spit out of it that wrapped themselves around Kenmochi and Yoroizaka's duel disk. "You're my prey now, and as long as you refuse to duel, this will happen." After pressing another button on his duel disk, Kenmochi and Yoroizaka were electrocuted, pain running through their bodies.
"What... what did you do?" Yoroizaka demanded, as he grabbed his chest to try and control himself.
"Unless you duel me, the Another Virus will eat the both of you up from the inside out. But if the both of you defeat me, you'll be freed of it." Malf answered.
"You're making a big mistake, thinking you can take on the both of us." Kenmochi stated, as he activated his duel disk.
"Yeah! You're going down for injuring all those innocent people!" Yoroizaka agreed, as he also activated his duel disk.
"We'll see in a bit, won't we?" Malf responded back, as he too activated his duel disk.
"Speed Duel!" Malf, Kenmochi, and Yoroizaka said in unison.
Malf: 4000 LP
Kenmochi and Yoroizaka: 4000 LP
"Kenmochi, is it okay if I go first?" Yoroizaka requested. "I can build the defense and help you set up the offense to whoop this AI's ass!"
"Sure, Yoroizaka. Just be careful." Kenmochi complied.
"You got it! My turn!" Yoroizaka looked at the cards in his hand. "I summon Gouki Suprex from my hand to my field." A blue ogre with claws on his hands and a long blue tail appeared on Kenmochi and Yoroizaka's field.
Gouki Suprex ATK: 1800 DEF: 0 LV: 4
"Suprex's effect activates! As it was Normal Summoned, I get to Special Summon a 'Gouki' monster from my hand! Come on out, Gouki Riscorpio!" A red ogre with scorpion claws and a scorpion tail also appeared on Kenmochi and Yoroizaka's field.
Gouki Riscorpio ATK: 2300 DEF: 0 LV: 5
"Gouki? That's Go Onizuka's deck." Malf recalled. "Why would you use the deck of a dropout?"
"Go isn't a dropout at all! He's moved on from his days as a celebrity duelist, and now uses a different deck." Kenmochi explained.
"He gave us copies of his deck to use so we can help him as bounty hunters." Yoroizaka finished. "I activate the Spell card, Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards from the top of my deck." He drew the top two cards of his deck. "I activate the effect of Gouki Headbatt from my hand. By discarding a 'Gouki' monster from my hand, I can Special Summon him from my hand, as well as increase one 'Gouki' monsters attack points by 800. I discard Gouki Twistcobra, Special Summon Headbatt from my hand, and increase Suprex's attack points by 800!" After Yoroizaka sent a card in his hand to his Graveyard, a smaller, purple ogre wearing a fin-like mask appeared on Kenmochi and Yoroizaka's field. Suprex was also surrounded in a golden aura that increased his attack points.
Gouki Headbatt ATK: 800 DEF: 0 LV: 2
Gouki Suprex ATK: 1800 + 800 = 2600
"And now I'll mash up my circuit!" A Link Portal appeared above Yoroizaka. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Gouki' monsters. I set Gouki Suprex, Riscorpio, and Headbatt into the Link Markers!" Suprex went into the top arrowhead, Riscorpio went into the left arrowhead, and Headbatt went into the bottom arrowhead, turning all of them red in the process.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Gouki the Solid Ogre!" A muscular ogre wearing light blue, dark-blue, and orange armor with large gauntlets on his fists appeared on Kenmochi and Yoroizaka's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.
Gouki the Solid Ogre ATK: 2300 LINK-3 ⬅️⬆️⬇️
"The effects of Suprex, Riscorpio, and Headbatt now activate. As all three of them were sent to the Graveyard, I can add one 'Gouki' card with a different name each from my deck to my hand." Yoroizaka added, as he looked through his deck for a moment before choosing three cards, which he took and added to his hand. "I activate the Spell card, Gouki Re-Match. This card lets me Special Summon two 'Gouki' monsters from my Graveyard in defense position, as long as they have different levels. Return, Riscorpio and Twistcobra!" Soon, two monsters appeared on Kenmochi and Yoroizaka's field.
The first was Riscorpio.
The second was a green ogre with four limbs, with two of them ending in hands, while the other two ended in sharp points, with two snake trails trailing from its head.
Gouki Riscorpio ATK: 2300 DEF: 0 LV: 5
Gouki Twistcobra ATK: 1600 DEF: 0 LV: 3
"I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Gouki Unity. Since there's a 'Gouki' Link monster in the Extra Monster Zone, 'Gouki' monsters in the Main Monster Zones can't be destroyed by battle or card effects, and we take no battle damage from attacks involving 'Gouki' monsters. However, if our life points are higher than yours, this card is destroyed."
"I see..." Malf muttered.
"I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Yoroizaka concluded. "Let's see how you try to get through this."
"We'll see for sure." Malf agreed. "My turn! I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck before checking the field with his duel disk before looking at the cards in his hand. With Unity and The Solid Ogre's effects, I can't destroy any of their monsters, nor can I inflict battle damage. A solid defensive formation. And with the face-down card on their field, it may not be worth attacking for now, he thought in his mind. I unfortunately don't have Comet in my hand, which means I can't prevent my 'Darkscourge' Link monsters' effects from being negated. Luckily, Malf had a different strategy in mind to defeat them. "I activate the Spell card, Darkscourge Sustenance. By sending one card from my hand to my Graveyard, I can draw two cards from the top of my deck. I send Darkscourge Stonk from my hand to my Graveyard, and draw." After Malf took a card in his hand and sent it to his Graveyard, he drew the top two cards of his deck.
"I summon Darkscourge Star Core from my hand." A medium-sized violet orb with a black star emblem displayed on the front appeared on Malf's field. The orb has large spikes that rotate around it, giving it a sun-like appearance. It also has red eyes in the center of the star emblem.
Darkscourge Star Core ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1
"When Star Core is Normal or Special Summoned, it gains 'Darkscourge' counters equal to the number of cards in my hand. As I have four cards in my hand, Star Core gains a total of four 'Darkscourge' counters!" Four purple orbs soon orbited around Star Core.
Darkscourge Star Core DSC: 0 + 4 = 4
"I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Darkscourge Pestilence." Malf stated. "Every time you Normal or Special Summon a monster, I can place one 'Darkscourge' counter on Star Core or Generator on my field. In addition, your monsters lose 300 attack and defense points as well for every 'Darkscourge' counter on the field!"
"That isn't good..." Kenmochi muttered, with Yoroizaka nodding in agreement. From what Akira told the bounty hunters about Malf's strategies, they were ones that were unpredictable, to the point where the duel can tip the scales in Malf's favor. Still, thanks to Unity and Solid Ogre, the both of them were fine.
"Appear! The circuit of the rampant plague!" A Link Portal appeared above Malf. "The summoning conditions are normally one 'Darkscourge' monster. However, if I would Link Summon a 'Darkscourge' Link monster, I can remove 'Darkscourge' counters from Star Core or Generator equal to that monster's Link rating, and treat it as a Link Summon! I remove one of Star Core's 'Darkscourge' counters and set them into the Link Markers!" One of the four purple orbiting orbs went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.
Darkscourge Star Core DSC: 4 – 1 = 3
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Darkscourge Creeper!" A black-skinned creature with a triangular head appeared on Malf's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. The creature had a single eye on its face, along with a black star emblem. Each of its hands were large, which had claw-like fingers.
Darkscourge Creeper ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ⬇️
"When Creeper is Link Summoned, I can Special Summon one 'Darkscourge' monster from my Graveyard or banished zone to my field." Malf continued. "Return from my Graveyard, Darkscourge Stonk!" A purple cloud with cloud-like arms appeared on Malf's field. It had red eyes, along with a black star emblem on its face.
Darkscourge Stonk ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LV: 3
"But why stop there, when I can do it again! Appear, for a second time! The circuit of the rampant plague!" Malf stated, as a second Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are normally two 'Darkscourge' monsters, and like before, I can remove 'Darkscourge' counters from Star Core or Generator equal to that monster's Link rating, and treat it as a Link Summon! I remove two of Star Core's "Darkscourge' counters and set them into the Link Markers!" Two of the three orbiting orbs went into the bottom arrowhead, turning them red.
Darkscourge Star Core DSC: 3 – 2 = 1
"Link Summon! Arise! Link 2! Darkscourge Hawk!" A small, winged dragon that had a squamous black hide and no legs or claws appeared on Malf's field in the Main Monster Zone Creeper pointed to. It had red lines all over its body, three fins on the end of its wings, and a long tail. On its head was a black star emblem.
Darkscourge Hawk ATK: 2200 LINK-2 ↙️⬇️
"When Hawk is Link Summoned, I can add one 'Darkscourge' Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand. I add Darkscourge Breakdown from my deck to my hand." Malf told Kenmochi and Yoroizaka, as a card popped out of Malf's deck, which he took and added to his hand. "Appear, for a third time! The circuit of the rampant plague!" A third Link Portal appeared above Malf. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Darkscourge' monsters. I set the Link 1 Darkscourge Creeper, and the Link 2 Hawk into the Link Markers!" Creeper went into the bottom arrowhead, while Hawk went into the bottom-left and bottom-right arrowheads, turning all three of them red.
"Disciple of the dark lord! Master the infected energy flowing within you, and enforce the dark lord's tyrannical rule! Link Summon! Come forth at the dark lord's command! Link 3! Darkscourge Draco Master!" A young teenage male, wearing a brown Gi that was ripped apart in numerous places appeared on Malf's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. Instead of a dragon symbol, the Gi now had a black star emblem on it, as well as on the blood-stained belt around Draco Master's waist. His right fist was filled with purple energy, and a small, misty purple dragon was surrounding him as well. Draco Master's eyes glowed red as he roared in rage at Kenmochi and Yoroizaka.
Darkscourge Draco Master ATK: 2800 LINK-3 ↙️⬇️↘️
"I activate Draco Master's effect. Once per turn, I can-." Malf began speaking.
"Sorry, I won't let you do that. Quick-Play Spell card, activate! Forbidden Chalice!" Yoroizaka interjected, as he gestured to his face-down card. "I can target one face-up monster on the field and increase its attack points by 400 until the end of this turn. In exchange, until the End Phase, its effects are negated. I target Draco Master!" Draco Master was surrounded in a white veil for a few moments that increased his strength before changing color to red and draining his effects.
Darkscourge Draco Master ATK: 2800 + 400 = 3200
How interesting. It seems my suspicions were correct. Regardless, I got rid of a troublesome card, Malf thought in his mind. Now to cut the weaknesses of my strategy out. "I now activate the Continuous-Spell card, Darkscourge Generator. Once per turn, I can target that monster and shuffle cards in my Graveyard into my deck equal to that monster's Link rating. By doing so, I can draw the same number of cards from my deck and then place 'Darkscourge' counters on this card equal to the number of cards I drew with this effect!"
"What?!" Kenmochi exclaimed, while Yoroizaka gasped.
"I shuffle Sustenance into my deck, Hawk and Creeper into my Extra Deck, and draw three cards!" Three cards popped out of Malf's Graveyard, which he took and shuffled into his deck and Extra Deck. Afterwards, he drew the top three cards of his deck. Soon after, three orbs orbited around Generator.
Darkscourge Generator DSC: 0 + 3 = 3
"And thanks to Pestilence, your monsters lose a total of 900 attack points." Malf said, as The Solid Ogre, Suprex, and Riscorpio groan in pain, which decreased their strength.
Gouki The Solid Ogre ATK: 2400 – (300 X 3) = 1500
Gouki Suprex ATK: 1800 – (300 X 3) = 900
Gouki Riscorpio ATK: 2300 – (300 X 3) = 1600
"Appear, for a fourth time! The circuit of the rampant plague!" A fourth Link Portal appeared above Malf. "The summoning conditions are one 'Darkscourge' monster. I remove the final 'Darkscourge' counter from Star Core and set it into the Link Markers!" The final orb went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red in the process.
Darkscourge Star Core DSC: 1 – 1 = 0
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Darkscourge Warrior!" A humanoid creature with red and black skin, as well as a black star emblem on its chest with red eyes, appeared on Malf's field in the Main Monster Zone Draco Master pointed to. Red spores were on its arms, legs, and the back of its neck. The creature also had large, yellow eyes, which eyed Kenmochi and Yoroizaka as it growled at them.
Darkscourge Warrior ATK: 1200 LINK-1 ⬇️
"Appear, for a fifth time! The circuit of the rampant plague!" Malf said, as a fifth Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two 'Darkscourge' monsters. I set the Link 1 Warrior, and Star Core into the Link Markers!" Warrior went into the left arrowhead, while Star Core went into the right arrowhead, turning both of them red.
"Link Summon! Rise! Link 2! Darkscourge Assassin!" A humanoid creature with red, black, and orange skin, as well as a black star emblem at the center of its orange armour appeared on Malf's field in the Main Monster Zone Draco Master pointed to. It had three horns on the head, along with a small tail on its lower back. Two horns were also attached to the armour as well. In its hands, it carried a blaster.
Darkscourge Assassin ATK: 2200 LINK-2 ⬅️➡️
"I Set one card face-down." Malf thrusted out his right hand. "Battle! Darkscourge Assassin attacks you directly!"
"Directly?" both Kenmochi and Yoroizaka repeated.
"In exchange for cutting any battle damage Assassin inflicts in half, it can attack you directly." Malf explained. "Go, Assassin! Attack them directly!" Assassin vanished for a brief moment before preparing to fire at Kenmochi and Yoroizaka!
"I activate the effect of Gouki Octostretch from my hand." Kenmochi responded. "By discarding this card from my hand, any battle damage we take is halved!" A grey-skinned ogre with orange spots all over his body, as well as an octopus attached to his back, appeared and spread out his arms to protect them from the blaster fire, some of it hitting the duo as their life points dropped.
Kenmochi and Yoroizaka: 4000 – ((2200 / 2) /2) = 3450 LP
"I end my turn, which means the effects of Forbidden Chalice end." Malf concluded, as Draco Master's stats reverted to normal.
Darkscourge Draco Master ATK: 3200 – 400 = 2800
"My turn! I draw!" Kenmochi said, as he drew the top card of his deck.
"Continuous-Trap, activate! Darkscourge Breakdown!" Malf interrupted. "While I control a 'Darkscourge' monster, you must attack with all monsters you control. What's more, any monsters that don't attack are destroyed, and you take damage equal to that monster's original attack points."
"WHAT?!" Yoroizaka exclaimed.
"That's just overkill!" Kenmochi protested.
"Do the both of you have a problem with that? In times of war, you must make preparations to survive and win. That's what I've learned in the numerous duels I've participated in." Malf pointed out, a smirk on his face.
Yoroizaka turned to Kenmochi, a look of concern on his face. "Tread carefully, Kenmochi. This guy's up to something."
"Don't worry, I will." Kenmochi assured Yoroizaka. "I summon Gouki TagPartner from my hand to my field." A violet, bearded ogre with spiked shoulder pads and forearm guards resembling that of a boar appeared on Kenmochi and Yoroizaka's field. On his feet were a pair of spiked brass's, each of them containing a total of three spikes. Fur was attached just below his knees, as well as the back of his forearm guards.
Gouki TagPartner ATK: 1700 DEF: 0 LV: 5
Gouki TagPartner ATK: 1700 – (300 X 3) = 800
"You fool! As you summoned a monster, Pestilence lets me place a counter on Generator, as well as decreases your monster's attack points by 300!" Malf pointed out, as a third orbited around Generator, which glowed for a brief moment before dissipating. Afterwards, The Solid Ogre, Suprex, Riscorpio, and TagPartner further groaned in pain as their strength was decreased one again.
Darkscourge Generator DSC: 3 + 1 = 4
Gouki The Solid Ogre ATK: 1500 – 300 = 1200
Gouki Suprex ATK: 900 – 300 = 600
Gouki Riscorpio ATK: 1400 – 300 = 1100
Gouki TagPartner ATK: 800 – 300 = 500
"If that's the case. I'll mash up my circuit!" A Link Portal appeared above Kenmochi. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Gouki' monsters. I set Gouki Suprex, Riscorpio, and TagPartner into the Link Markers!" Suprex went into the top arrowhead, Riscorpio went into the bottom-left arrowhead, and TagPartner went into the bottom arrowhead, turning all three of them red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Gouki The Blade Ogre!" A muscular ogre in a black jumpsuit wearing blue armor on his shoulders and legs, along with a red cape that hung from his shoulders appeared on Kenmochi and Yoroizaka's field in the Main Monster Zone The Solid Ogre pointed to, resulting in both monsters being co-linked with one another. In his hands, he carried a massive, double-sided blue blade.
Gouki the Blade Ogre ATK: 2400 ↙️⬆️⬇️
A fourth orb then orbited around Generator, which made it glow once again before dimming. The Blade Ogre and The Solid Ogre groaned in pain as their strength decreased once again.
Darkscourge Generator DSC: 4 + 1 = 5
Gouki The Solid Ogre ATK: 1200 – 300 = 900
Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK: 2400 – (300 X 5) = 900
"TagPartner's effect now activates! As he was used to Link Summon a 'Gouki' Link monster, it-."
"I activate the effect of Darkscourge Airnapse from my hand." Malf interjected. "When you activate a card effect, I can send this card from my hand to my Graveyard to negate the effect and banish it!"
Kenmochi grit his teeth in response as TagPartner in his Graveyard turned into particles. "Blade Ogre's effect! He gains 300 attack points for every monster he points to! Since he points to The Solid Ogre, that means he gains 300 attack points!" A second aura surrounded The Blade Ogre, which increased his attack points once again.
Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK: 900 + 300 = 1200
"I activate the Equip Spell card, Gouki Battle Halberd, and equip it onto The Blade Ogre!" Kenmochi added, as the weapon in The Blade Ogre's hands changed to a massive halberd. "This card increases The Blade Ogre's attack points equal to its Link rating times 500!" A third aura surrounded The Blade Ogre, which increased his attack points further.
Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK: 1200 + (500 X 3) = 2700
Everything is well within my parameters for my coming victory, Malf thought in his mind.
"Kenmochi, at the rate things are going, we need to finish him off as soon as possible." Yoroizaka told him.
"Yeah, I know." Kenmochi agreed. The duo knew what Malf's Skill was, and if Kenmochi played his cards just right, they'll be able to survive one more turn. "I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Gouki Shout. If our 'Gouki' monster attacks, it gains 300 attack points for every 'Gouki' monster on our field during damage calculation only. In addition, I activate my Skill, Gouki Surge!" His visor glowed in the process. "Once per duel, I can target one 'Gouki' monster on our field and have it attack all monsters you control once each. In exchange, no other monsters we control can't attack for the rest of this turn."
"So you intend to deal damage with multiple attacks at once rather than have both your Link monsters attack." Malf deduced.
"That's right!" Kenmochi confirmed, as he thrusted out his right hand. "I Set one card face-down. Battle! Gouki The Blade Ogre attacks Darkscourge Assassin! And since we have two 'Gouki' monsters on our field, The Blade Ogre gains 600 attack points!" The Blade Ogre's strength increased as he charged forward, intent on cutting Warrior down to size with Battle Halberd.
Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK: 2700 + (300 X 2) = 3300
"I activate Stonk's effect." Malf stated. "Once per turn, during either of our turns, I can pay up to 1000 life points to decrease your monster's attack points! As such, I pay 1000 life points to lower your monsters attack points by 1000!"
Both Kenmochi and Yoroizaka gasped as Stonk fired purple smog at The Blade Ogre, which decreased his strength and stopped him from temporarily moving.
Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK: 3300 – 1000 = 2300
Malf: 4000 – 1000 = 3000 LP
"That's still not enough!" Kenmochi reminded Malf, as The Blade Ogre snapped out of his stupor before charging forward and slashing Assassin in two, turning him into particles as Malf's life points dropped once again.
Malf: 3000 – 100 = 2900 LP
Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK: 2300 – (300 X 2) = 1700
"Are the both of you so naive? Since your life points are higher than mine, Gouki Unity is destroyed." Malf reminded the duo.
"Damn it!" Yoroizaka exclaimed, as Gouki Unity turned into particles.
"Don't worry, Yoroizaka. We will still win this duel!" Kenmochi responded. "The battle still continues! Gouki The Blade Ogre attacks Darkscourge Stonk! And just like before, The Blade Ogre gains 600 attack points!" The Blade Ogre's strength increased as he charged forward, intent on cutting Stonk down to size with Battle Halberd.
Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK: 1700 + (300 X 2) = 2300
The Blade Ogre then slashed Stonk with Battle Halberd, turning it into particles as Malf's life points dropped.
Malf: 2600 – 1300 = 1300 LP
Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK: 2300 – (300 X 2) = 1700
"The battle still continues! Gouki The Blade Ogre attacks Darkscourge Draco Master! And like before, Gouki Shout gives The Blade Ogre 600 attack points!" The Blade Ogre's strength increased as he charged forward for a third time, intent on cutting Draco Master down to size with Battle Halberd.
Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK: 1700 + (300 X 2) = 2300
"This duel will end, but in my victory!" Malf stated, as his right arm glowed red. "I activate my Skill, Delusional Heartbeat!" He then launched his right arm like a weapon towards The Blade Ogre, touching his chest before returning to its owner. As a result, a transparent, bloody damp mark appeared on The Blade Ogre's chest momentarily before disappearing. Malf then opened his right palm, which showed a mirror image of The Blade Ogre's heart. "Once per duel, when I have 2000 life points or less, I can target one monster you control and place one 'Malady' counter on it. If a 'Darkscourge' monster on my field destroys it by battle, I WIN THE DUEL!"
Gouki The Blade Ogre MC: 0 + 1 = 1
"Aw Hell no. This isn't good!" Kenmochi exclaimed, as The Blade Ogre brought Battle Halberd down on Draco Master, who high-blocked it with both his hands before attempting to strike back.
"I got your back, Kenmochi!" Yoroizaka suddenly said. "I activate my Skill! Gouki Guard!" His visor glowed in the process. "Once per duel, all 'Gouki' monsters on our field cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, and any battle damage we take is halved until the End Phase!"
"Interesting..." Malf muttered out of surprise, as Draco Master pushed Battle Halberd upwards before releasing a misty purple dragon from his right fist. At the last second, a yellow aura surrounded The Blade Ogre that protected him from the attack.
Kenmochi and Yoroizaka: 3450 – (500 / 2) = 3200 LP
Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK: 2300 – (300 X 2) = 1700
"I...I end my turn." Kenmochi concluded out of disappointment.
"My turn! I draw!" Malf said, drawing the top card of his deck. "Appear, the circuit of the rampant plague!" A Link Portal appeared above Malf. "The summoning conditions are one 'Darkscourge' monster. However, if I would Link Summon a 'Darkscourge' Link monster, I can remove 'Darkscourge' counters from Star Core or Generator equal to that monster's Link rating, and treat it as a Link Summon! I remove one of Generator's 'Darkscourge' counters and set them into the Link Markers!" One of the four purple orbiting orbs went into the bottom-left arrowhead, turning it red.
Darkscourge Generator DSC: 5 – 1 = 4
Gouki The Solid Ogre ATK: 900 + 300 = 1200
Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK: 1700 + 300 = 2000
"Link Summon! Emerge! Link 1! Darkscourge Necromancer!" A humanoid creature resembling that of a wizard appeared on Malf's field in the Main Monster Zone Draco Master pointed to. Its attire consisted of robes with a red tint, a pointy hat and cape that had the black star emblem with red eyes on them, and alien-like symbols. The only parts on its body that were shown were its yellow eyes and a portion of its face. In its right hand, it carried a red, hook-shaped staff with a flame-shaped head and a glowing center.
Darkscourge Necromancer ATK: 600 LINK-1 ↙️
"Time to end this! Battle!" Malf declared. "Darkscourge Draco Master attacks Gouki The Blade Ogre! Venoshock Fist!" The misty purple dragon began to swirl around Draco Master's fist as he prepared to release it at The Blade Ogre.
"Counter-Trap, activate! Negate Attack!" Kenmochi interrupted. "When this card is activated-."
"It is all for naught. I activate Necromancer's effect!" Malf interjected back. "Once per turn, when you activate a card effect, I can remove one 'Darkscourge' counter from Star Core or Generator to negate the effect and send it to the Graveyard. I remove one 'Darkscourge' counter from Generator!" One of the purple orbs orbiting around Generator went into Necromancer's staff, who proceeded to incinerate Negate Attack before sending it to the Graveyard, much to Kenmochi and Yoroizaka's horror.
Darkscourge Generator DSC: 4– 1 = 3
Gouki The Solid Ogre ATK: 1200 + 300 = 1500
Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK: 2000 + 300 = 2300
Draco Master screamed as he punched his right hand forward and released the misty purple dragon, which led to it coiling around The Blade Ogre before proceeding to eat him.
"Sorry, Go..." Kenmochi muttered.
"We failed you..." Yoroizaka added.
"CHECKMATE! YOU LOSE!" Malf declared, as he squeezed his right hand and crushed the mirror image of The Blade Ogre's heart in his palm. Upon crushing it, a massive explosion occurred, which froze both Kenmochi and Yoroizaka in place as their life points dropped.
All the way to zero.
Kenmochi and Yoroizaka: 3200 – 3200 = 0
Bloody holes appeared on the left side of Kenmochi and Yoroizaka's chests which had traces of blood flowing out of it. Blood also fell down from the left side of their lips, the both of them not reacting to it due to the frozen and blank expressions on their faces.
With the duel over, Malf raced forward and pierced his arms into their chests, grabbing their hearts before ripping them out of their bodies. The frozen Kenmochi and Yoroizaka fell off their duel boards before turning into particles and logging each one of them out.
Malf ate both of the hearts in his hands, relishing in the blood that filled his mouth. A wide sneer then appeared on his face, having been satisfied by the meal. While they weren't as strong as Dancho, they at least put up a fight, compared to the other weaklings he dueled. Still, they'll help in allowing Malf to evolve into his perfect form in the future.
As he looked around the fake Cyberse World, he spotted Drachen, who used Red-Eyes Black Dragon to incinerate multiple Bits and Boots. When Drachen turned his head, he spotted Malf, the latter snarling back at him before speeding away, his mission having been complete. I will get my just desserts on you, Drachen. This I swear, Malf vowed in his mind, now speeding forward to assist Lightning.
Nearby, Blood Shepherd continued to blast every single Bit and Boot in sight, with General doing the same as well. "How many of these wretched AI's are there?" Not only was this getting excruciatingly tiring, it also prevented him from chasing after the others. An idea then crossed his mind. If he were to capture one of these AI's, maybe he can use that data, along with the data he obtained in the Turf War to create a tracker. One that will certainly reveal where the Ignis are hiding.
Putting his plan into action, Blood Shepherd charged forward and grabbed one Bit's head before turning it into particles, which formed into a sphere that went into his duel disk. He then immediately continued doing the same for other Bits and Boots, with the end result being multiple data spheres ready to be used for the tracker's creation.
Yes. This will certainly be useful later on, Blood Shepherd thought in his mind. His earpiece suddenly dinged as Blood Shepherd put his right hand to it. "What is it, Zaizen? I'm in the middle of something."
"I'm calling a full retreat, as we've lost the Ignis's signal." Akira explained. "Kenmochi and Yoroizaka have been injured as well, and the last thing I need-."
"I am not retreating, Zaizen." Blood Shepherd angrily hissed.
"I'm not asking for your permission, Kengo." Akira snarled back, as Blood Shepherd began turning into particles, having been logged out against his will along with Drachen.
Meanwhile, in the fake Cyberse World...
"This is our third meeting, Playmaker, and as you humans say, third times the charm." Bohman told Playmaker.
"Y-You humans?" Ai questioned. "You talk like you're not a human yourself."
"It's because Bohman isn't a human, Ai. He's an AI created to absorb the Ignis into his body." Playmaker reminded Ai.
"Oh, yeah. I remember that."
Bohman, upon hearing this, gasped out of pure surprise. "How do you know that, Playmaker?"
"A friend of ours gave us this information." Playmaker explained. "And from what I recall, Athaliah gave you the upgrades for you to perform such a task."
"That's correct, Playmaker. I applaud you for managing to figure this out." Bohman praised Playmaker. "Indeed, Athaliah's task was to conduct research and create the necessary pieces needed for me to fulfil my destiny. Azrael also helped by buying the time I needed to recover as well after our encounter in Windy's world."
"So the Turf War was nothing more than a big distraction just so you can recover?" Playmaker angrily questioned, with Bohman nodding back in response. All those human lives lost was just so Bohman can recover and get stronger? How dare Azrael do such a thing!
"If you're wondering whether I serve Lightning, the answer is yes. But know that I am an AI that's superior to the Ignis." Bohman stated.
"Uh, that's not true. It's not even close to true! How can you think you're better than an Ignis when this one keeps kicking your butt?" Ai asked, with Playmaker rolling his eyes. He had been the one kicking Bohman's butt, while Ai was only playing the role of cheerleader.
"Because unlike you, I can keep evolving. For as you've already figured out, I've grown stronger every time you've defeated me, Playmaker." Bohman stated. "However, this wasn't always the case. Lightning has been working on creating new AI's for a good portion of time. His first attempt was Bit and Boot, and you can see how primitive those prototypes were. Haru was his second attempt, but the results were not to his satisfaction. But the third attempt resulted in me."
"If Lightning ended up making failures before you existed, then explain how Malf was able to evolve into his second form and keep functioning after his failures!" Ai demanded.
"Because Malf isn't Bohman, Ai." Playmaker told Ai.
"Not exactly." Bohman clarified, which got the duo's attention. "When Azrael and Wraith created Malf, they needed a total of three things. A base, data material, and the consumption of intelligence. While the both of them had data material, I wasn't around to be used as the base for Malf's creation."
"So that means those two used Haru as a blueprint for making Malf the way he is today?!" Ai exclaimed.
"It sounds like it, Ai." Playmaker confirmed.
"Indeed. As disgusted as I am at Azrael and Wraith for using Haru, my younger brother, to create a monstrous AI, I am grateful for their help in my recovery." Bohman pointed out. "And by what you've learned, they were able to deal a major blow to our enemies as well."
"..." Playmaker narrowed his eyes. Those facts were true, for Revolver did say that one of their members was incapacitated as a result of Azrael, Wraith, and Malf's actions. Not just that, but the trio kidnapping Miyu, to taking control of Uchida Industries, and even causing the death of countless innocent victims... it made them just as bad, if not worse than Lightning.
"But back to the topic at hand. Even though Lightning knows that the Ignis are superior to humans, the Ignis themselves are not perfect either."
"Speak for yourself..." Ai muttered.
"You know this to be true. It's only natural that humans fight amongst themselves because they're such imperfect creatures, but if the Ignis were perfect, why would they have disagreements, like you're having right now?" Bohman countered.
"Well, that's... because..."
"Lightning in his infinite wisdom knew that if this was allowed to continue, then the Ignis would eventually become no better than the humans. That is why Lightning created me. So that both humans and Ignis can recognize someone as their superior, no questions asked." Bohman continued speaking. "I am the epitome of perfection. I am the one that everyone will obey because only I am capable of saving everyone from themselves."
"Uh, is it me, Playmaker, or is Bohman suggesting that he knows something about Project: VIII?" Ai whispered to Playmaker.
"Maybe. I honestly don't know, Ai." Playmaker quietly responded. Still, considering how Bohman was working with Azrael, Wraith, and Malf, it was very likely they would have told him and Lightning this information. He then redirected his attention back to Bohman. "What you're saying doesn't sound appealing to me. Not at all."
"Of course not. Because humans lack the function to know what's right and wrong." Bohman replied. "But unlike Lightning, I know that you will not submit to me through words and logic. If I must, I will make you submit to me by force."
"Listen, Bohman. The peace you're talking about isn't peace at all. It's nothing more than oppression." Playmaker said. "I view things differently than you. I believe we can coexist in peace because we want to coexist in peace. Not by force, but by choice."
Bohman frowned. "What you speak of is impossible, Playmaker."
"No. The impossible is just the possible that has yet to be done."
"No, it is impossible, Playmaker." Bohman denied for a second time. "Take a human and a dog. Do you say the two of you coexist? No. You call that dog a pet. You clearly feel superior to that animal. A scenario that's existed since the dawn of time itself, regardless of who is involved. You speak of coexistence, but something like that can never happen because of how superiority is written in your DNA. It's something you can never get rid of."
"Woah. That's deep…" Ai muttered.
"And considering how defiant the both of you are, allow me to demonstrate my superiority in a duel. One that will decide who is stronger between the two of us. And once I win, I will take your Ignis." Bohman firmly stated.
"Me? Been a while since someone said they wanted me." Ai commented.
"This is your chance, Playmaker. Your chance to prove that humans are not as pathetic as they've shown time and time again." Bohman told Playmaker.
"Ready to do what you gotta do?" Ai asked Playmaker.
"I most certainly am, Ai." Playmaker confirmed.
"Good. Then let the battle begin!" Bohman declared.
Elsewhere, in the fake Cyberse World….
Raguel chased after Haru, intent on preventing the latter from escaping. After Lightning used Windy to fire a data storm at Raguel and the others, they ended up being separated from the attack. This led to Slipstream and Soulburner continuing to chase after Lightning, while Bohman went to confront Playmaker. Lastly, it led Haru to confronting Raguel.
The good thing was that Azrael, Wraith, and Malf weren't around, as they'd otherwise be overwhelmed as a result.
"We meet again, Raguel. I've been looking forward to this rematch for quite a while." Haru told Raguel, a smirk evident on his face.
"Of course you have." Raguel coldly replied. "Though I can't believe you and Bohman would work alongside bastards like Lightning and Azrael."
"You think I had a choice on who I can work for? I didn't. I was created by Lightning to fulfil his vision, and when I failed to meet his expectations, he ended up creating Bohman. And from that point on, I was…" Haru almost said the word 'Assigned', only for him to stop speaking. Soon, Azrael's and Wraith's words began to echo in his mind.
"Everyone doubts themselves at some point in their lives, with various examples such as these: Am I really what I say I am? Are they right about me? Such questions can only be answered by you, not anyone else."
"That's the difference between truth and ideals. Truth emphasizes what the reality is, while ideals are focused on what the reality should be."
The answer Haru gave Azrael back then popped up in his mind as well.
"I am Haru, Bohman's brother, and nothing will take that ideal away from me! That is what I believe in!"
Having gathered his thoughts, Haru narrowed his eyes at Raguel. "From that point on, I became Bohman's younger brother. As time passed, our bond became stronger, and it helped the both of us grow as AI's."
"Become stronger..." Raguel bitterly muttered. Haru obviously became stronger thanks to brotherhood, something Raguel didn't have because of what happened after the Lost Incident, where he and Azrael were separated.
Not just that, but because Azrael put Miyu in the hospital, even if he didn't have any grudges against her.
"Raguel? Are you okay?" Herald asked out of concern for Raguel.
"I'm fine, Herald." Raguel quickly responded back, before directing his attention back to Haru. "Regardless of what you're saying, you and Bohman are nothing more than slaves with no free will. Lightning will cast you and Bohman aside once he's decided the both of you are useless to him."
"Perhaps, but I doubt Azrael would do such a thing."
Raguel gasped upon hearing this, with Herald widening his eyes as well. "What do you mean by that?"
"Simple. Azrael not only helped raise my self-esteem and worth, he also gave me the advice needed for me to form my own ideals. Ones that are true to me! Ones that I won't let anyone take away!" Haru responded, with such conviction that it surprised Raguel and Herald.
"I see..." Raguel thought what he just heard over in his mind. Why would Azrael help Haru get stronger? Was it a part of his plan, or was it something else? Perhaps it may be due to a regret that spurred him to pursue such an action.
Raguel shook his head. No. This was no time to be doubting himself. He couldn't show any sympathy, not when there were things at stake here. "I may not know why Azrael decided to help you, but what I do know is this: You and the others need to be stopped, no matter what. In times like this, actions speak louder than words."
"That's right!" Herald agreed.
"Very well, Raguel." Haru said, as he activated his duel disk. "Let's have our cards speak for themselves. Let's see who is stronger between the both of us."
"Bring it on!" Raguel responded, as he also activated his duel disk.
"Speed Duel!" Raguel and Haru shouted at the same time.
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
No new cards introduced in this chapter.
QOTC
Of the three duels in this chapter, which one did you enjoy the most?
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 72: Tactical Evolution. Raguel and Playmaker pursue Lightning and his allies, hoping to defeat them before things get further out of hand. Bohman and Haru immediately challenge Playmaker and Raguel to separate duels, both AI's having grown stronger since their previous encounters. Observing both duels is Azrael, wanting to see the growth of both his allies and his opponents...
Chapter 73: Target Locked On. With Lightning having declared war on humanity, Raguel and his allies race to search for the other Ignis, hoping to both protect and convince them to join their side. Unfortunately, Go Onizuka has tracked down Earth, and unleashes the might of the Duel AI Implant Chip in the midst of their duel. Meanwhile, Slipstream intercepts and challenges Blood Shepherd to a duel, determined in preventing him from hunting down Soulburner and Flame…
Chapter 74: Regrets. Having learned about Earth's demise, Raguel joins forces with Blue Girl, Ghost Girl, Numera, and SengokuQueen in the search for Aqua. As Ghost Girl duels against Blood Shepherd, Blue Girl finally learns the truth about Raguel and Miyu's connection, and Raguel's reasons for keeping it a secret for so long. Elsewhere, at Revolver's request, Drachen returns to Uchida Industries, seeking to save the company from Ace's hands...
Chapter 75: Pure Anguish. Wary about potential enemies, Lightning prepares to cut them down one by one, starting with Blood Shepherd. However, Percival and Demeter launch an attack on Lightning's base, hoping to not only stop the war once and for all, but fulfil their own intentions as well...
Author's Notes
Well, since not much happened in this chapter, it certainly took me less time to get it done, don't you agree? Regardless, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, even though it was short. Let's begin the recap, shall we:
As this chapter not only continues where the previous chapter left off, but continues anime events, not much happens here, aside from the three duels, which I will talk about below.
First is Slipstream vs Bit and Boot. This duel allowed me to show off two of Slipstream's Pendulum cards: Speedroid Marble Machine, and Speedroid Dominobutterfly. Not only that, but for Slipstream to utilize a completely different strategy that led to him winning on his opponent's turn in the form of Marble Machine and Skull Marble's effects. As for why I chose Bit and Boot as Slipstream's opponents, the answer's quite simple: Bit and Boot are nothing more than cannon fodder, which gives Slipstream another needed win.
Second is Soulburner vs Lightning. I'll be honest when I say this: I was a little disappointed that the anime didn't show a duel between Soulburner and Lightning. That's one of the reasons why I put it here. The other reason was to continue practicing writing duels involving the Salamangreat deck, as well as get acquainted with the Armatos Legio deck. In terms of the outcome, I obviously didn't want either side to win, as the both of them have plot armor by this point. So I had the duel end in a draw because realistically, there was no way Soulburner could have prevented the Ignis War, which led to him ending the duel in a draw and getting knowledge on how Lightning's deck works. Lightning also got knowledge on how Soulburner's deck works as well. Something that he'll most likely pass on to his allies.
Third is Malf vs Kenmochi and Yoroizaka. Since Kenmochi and Yoroizaka only dueled once in the anime, I decided to write down a duel where the two of them worked together against Malf. Their teamwork proved to be strong, even after they were nearly pulled into an inescapable trap. Regardless, Malf ended up defeating both of them before ripping their hearts out and getting stronger. It just shows how terrifying Malf can be, don't you agree? Oh, and for those of you who have any questions about Darkscourge Airnapse, its effect can negate the effect of a card no matter where it was activated from before banishing it.
Last but not least is the discussions between Bohman and Playmaker, as well as the one between Raguel and Haru just before their duels commence. While the next chapter will primarily focus on Raguel and Haru's duel, I will also be putting in the more important parts of Bohman and Playmaker's duel in as well in the form of short summaries, just like I did back in Chapter 49.
As such, I want to thank you for reading Chapter 71 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 from this chapter? Was it the duels? Or something else?
That's all for now, folks. See you next time!
