Response to Reviews

Thank you to Donkeyboy100, Donjusticia, HunterHQ, Unnamed, Unknown, Guest, Guest, Guest, Kingdom Hearts Guy, TheBlazingButterfly777, Ambiguous, Anonymous, Guest, KingOtakuOverYou, and T.V. 2000 for reviewing Chapter 87 of Obscured Truth.

Hi, everyone! I hope you not only enjoyed the first chapter of 2023, but are safe and sound wherever you are in the world. I also hope you're enjoying the Mirror LINK VRAINS arc so far, for I plan to throw some surprises in your way as it progresses. I got an awesome finale planned as well, so I hope you enjoy it!

But moving forward, let's get to answering those reviews:

Donkeyboy100: Glad you liked the chapter, and all the best to the sequel to your Arc-VRAINS story.

Donjusticia: Happy you're back. What Venom reference are you talking about in the movie? Of course it's important for there to breather chapters, as character build-up and development is necessary in a story. Happy you liked the Marincess monsters talking amongst one another. For the Bitboots, enhancing them with Malf's DNA helped them to be more of a challenge compared to the anime, where they only had one duel. All in all, glad you liked the chapters, and am happy you finally caught up.

HunterHQ: Honestly, I forgot that Frog and Pigeon's memories weren't tampered with. I'll make a mental note to rectify that error in the coming chapter. In terms of Windy and his comments about Arashi's nickname, he didn't have any time to deal with that. He wanted to duel and defeat Revolver, so he practically scolded Frog and Pigeon for calling Arashi that nickname. To put it simply, Windy wanted to keep things rolling, and prove that he didn't lose his resolve. Honestly, Arashi's choice in sparing Windy's life was important in the end, or else he would have been trapped in the cycle of revenge Watchman and Raguel are in. Expect commentary from Kusanagi, Roxy, and the Hanoi members in the real world in this chapter. No matter how many times you destroy something, a part of it always comes back. Well, Yukage technically knew how to take care of himself back then, so he was fine. In terms of Ai backing himself up, what you suggest isn't a bad idea. And like I said before, Dr. Colmer killing Miyu's parents was inspired by how Bucky did it in Captain America: Civil War. You seriously want to see a duel between Specter and Watchman? My personal thoughts on the duel between Lightning and Specter is that I enjoyed the duel, and how it went back and forth.

Unnamed: Yeah, what Watchman did is really going to bite him in the ass for what happened. For Yukage, he isn't apathetic necessarily towards humanity. He has his honor as an individual, and doesn't like it when innocents die. However, Yukage acknowledges that people in the crossfire will suffer one way or another. And of course Yukage and Wraith are similar to one another, to the point where they understand each other.

Unknown: The snares that Jericho has can't be rid of that easily, even after Bohman sealed the opening caused by the Tower of Hanoi. Again, the people in the history of Yu-Gi-Oh! settle their differences in duels, so don't go questioning it.

Guest: If anything, Azrael is just as bad, if not worse than Lightning. Especially how he attacked those that were involved with Yuhiro, wronged him, or made it personal. There were two reasons why Azrael didn't go after Gil. One: Gil was with Greg, Rachel, and Brion, the quartet heading to Central Japan to stop Balius. Because of this, along with Bohman's synchronization with Mirror LINK VRAINS, it'd be a waste of time to go after Gil. Two: Azrael respects Gil for giving Yuhiro a harsh lesson by defeating him. Plus, Gil is one of the victims of Project: Apotheosis.

Guest: Glad you liked Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon's debut. About time Slipstream unveiled another ace in the hole, don't you agree? Do note that Slipstream's understanding of programming, coding, and engineering is on par with the Knights of Hanoi and Blood Shepherd. If not, greater than them combined. Thanks to Herald's program, Windy was kept in stasis, or 'paused' to an extent. That means Windy can't act until either Slipstream or Herald release him from the program. As for the program Revolver gave the others a while back, it was to protect them in the real world, not in the network.

Guest: I will obviously confirm that Slipstream will continue using the Speedroid deck, for it represents him. He isn't going to use the Stormrider deck, as that represents Windy. I will, however, say that Windy's cards may serve as inspiration for any new cards Slipstream may have on hand. Hehehe...

Kingdom Hearts Guy: Well, Windy was obviously created through Slipstream's suffering during the Lost Incident, so that answers your question.

TheBlazingButterfly777: Glad you're looking forward for what's to come. As for the Bohman vs Soulburner duel, that will stay the same... with one major twist.

Ambiguous: Honestly, everything Watchman did was so he can seize the Root and use its power to get revenge on Urizen. He also wanted everyone to fulfil their respective roles in opening the gate to the Root of All Knowledge. When Watchman got married, he was free to cut ties with them, and were willing to leave him alone as long as he helped them every now and then. The Kings, along with the higherups, drove out Zero following the incident between Urizen, Myojin, and Watchman. What you're asking regarding the timeline is like if someone were to ask me to write the entire timeline for the freaking Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Anonymous: Yes, Windy did watch Rick and Morty, and I will confirm that it's one of his favorite shows. He obviously likes cartoons that appeal to his sense of humor. Every Ignis has a hobby that they like. Herald likes video games, Ai likes soap operas, Flame likes haikus, Lightning likes books, Wraith likes board games, Earth likes sculpting, and Aqua loves gardening and nature. Azrael didn't capture Stregone's consciousness data. Yes, I can confirm that Herald and Wraith have the highest compatibility according to Revolver's calculations. Glad you liked the chapter.

Guest: Infearno still has his demons, and Azrael is someone who can give even demons nightmares. And Watchman actually gave Azrael a hard time despite the former using an ancient deck.

KingOtakuOverYou: I'm so glad you're back. I hope you're doing well. Well, the bad guys obviously doubted Windy's abilities due to him failing to kill Slipstream. Specifically, they doubted his resolve. Ultimately, glad you liked the chapter.

T.V. 2000: Yeah, Slipstream got the victory in the end because he studied Windy's deck, and utilized cards necessary to counter against the latter's strategies. Honestly, the decision Slipstream made in the end was the right one, for he saw how revenge affected the others. He didn't want to end up like them. Yeah, and something tells me Infearno is going to be in a real tough situation for this chapter.

With all the reviews having been answered, let's get to the next chapter, shall we? Enjoy!

Chapter 88: The Meaning Of Suffering

In a desolate landscape under a bloody sky, two pendants, one white-ruby and one white-sapphire, fall to the ground before transforming into Excalibur and Muramasa. Their owners, Raguel and Azrael, grab their swords before charging at one another, the blade lock resulting in a flash of light flooding the screen. When the light fades, LINK VRAINS is shown before being replaced my Mirror LINK VRAINS. The Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS logo then appears, with the words "OBSCURED TRUTH" to ominously appear underneath it in rainbow colours. Two symbols also appear underneath those words, with the first one consisting of a dark-orange demonic crest that had lion fangs on the sides, as well as Excalibur slashing it down the middle. The other symbol consisted of a dark-blue demonic crest that had two mirage blades making an X, as well as Muramasa slashing it down the middle.

Yuhiro, Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi are sitting around a table at Café Nagi, looking at duel footage as they discuss strategies they can use to counter their enemies. At a nearby table, Roxy, Kusanagi, and Greg are chatting, a hamburger in Roxy's hand, and a hotdog in Kusanagi's hand. Rachel is shown nearby playing with Rasterliger, Salamangreat Balelynx, and Linkuriboh, until the four of them turn their heads to see Herald, Ai, and Flame chatting on the best type of entertainment in the world. All four of them go towards the three chatting Ignis and scare them with a large shout. This causes Yuhiro, Yusaku, Takeru, Arashi, Roxy, Kusanagi, and Greg to laugh at the three Ignis, who are still flustered by the prank.

Kengo Dojun looks down at the hospital bed his mother is on, gritting his teeth before making a fist with his right hand. At another hospital room, Yuhiro, Roxy, and Aoi are shown, where they look down on Miyu resting on her hospital bed. Yuhiro puts his hands on the sides of his head, a panicked and stressed look on his face as Roxy and Aoi try to calm him down, his anxiety settling in. Red, glowing cracks start to spread over his body before dimming on and off. Behind him, shadows form, one of which is Cyreath Pandora twirling around before he eyes glow red, where she raises her right arm in front of her and places her left hand on her chest, as if she were singing. After she disappears, Cyreath Alastor appears in her place, his multicolored shapes resembling eyes glowing as the knight pulls out all three blades and slashes the screen completely.

Raguel and Playmaker appear, riding parallel to one another on their duel boards, with Cyreath Hercules/Alpha Mode and Firewall Dragon following after them. Next is Soulburner and Slipstream, with Salamangreat Heatleo and Clear Wing Synchro Dragon following after the second duo. Last but not least, Blue Maiden and Numera appear, with Marincess Marbled Rock and Geomathmech Final Sigma following after the third duo.

At SOL Technologies, Akira, Hayami, Queen, and Pawn are looking at a monitor that showed Go Onizuka in the training dome, having won a duel against a virtual Playmaker. While the first two individuals frowned with concern, the second two had satisfied smiles on their faces.

In a dark abandoned room, Yukage narrows his eyes as looks at a happy memory of him and Yuhiro playing together as children by using the memory scanner. Blue, glowing cracks start to appear on his right hand, causing Yukage to take deep breaths to calm himself down. After looking at his pendant for a few moments, Yukage puts on his duel disk before he and Wraith raise their right hands to the sky and log into the network. Haru is then shown training under Azrael's tutelage in a room of a palace, having faced off against multiple upgraded Bitboots with Hydradrive Nagini, Scyllonic Hydradrive Kragun, and Medusoid Hydradrive Gorgun behind him. Nearby, Azrael and Wraith watch the match, wanting to see how much stronger Haru has become.

The screen then shifts to another room of the palace, where Bohman is sitting cross-legged, his eyes closed as he begins to meditate. His eyes open before they glow a rainbow color, the glow also spreading to his chest as the room briefly lights up before dimming down. But in the shadows, Malf's eyes glow red as he proceeds to lick his mouth, hunger on his mind.

Silhouettes of Yua Kogami and Katsuya pop up before they morph into their VRAINS personas Demeter and Percival, where the screen goes back to one room of the palace. Windy, who is wearing a cape and eyepatch, commands Stormridership Bahamut Bomber to attack Demeter, who responds by having Simorgh, Bird of Sovereignty intercept the attack. In another room, Jin Kusanagi stands with Lightning as the latter snaps his fingers, causing a small squad of Armatos Legio Decurions and Centurions to appear behind him. Armatos Legio Magnus Dux, along with Tribunus Laticlavius and Legatus Legionis also appeared behind Lightning. Percival growls as Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon rises from behind him, and two copies of Phantom Knights' Spear appear in his hands.

A silhouette of Ace is shown above Uchida Industries, his right hand outstretched over the company. Drachen faces off against a squad of Bitboots with Red-Eyes Black Dragon behind him, hellbent on getting it back from Ace. The screen then flips over to show Electrolyzer trying to escape his restraints using PSY-Framegears Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta, with Jericho ominously laughing in the background.

Smoke appears in various areas of the central station in LINK VRAINS, which has been attacked by multiple Bitboots. Phoenix and Gil stand back to back, with Nephthys, the Scared Flame and Abyss Actor – Evil Heel beside the duelists as they confront one Bitboot each. SengokuQueen and Ghost Girl do the same, with Secret Six Samurai – Rihan and Altergeist Memorygant beside the duelists as they too confront one Bitboot each. Stregone is shown arriving to assist both groups, Quintet Magician and Enlightenment Paladin behind him. Nearby, Rosetta confronts Ace, Black Rose Moonlight Dragon rising from behind her before roaring at Ace, who has Dystopia the Despondent rise behind him in response.

Watching these events using the Spatial Cube is Watchman, who is in his server. A disappointed look appears on his face before he pulls out a total of six Black Keys, three in each of his hands. Watchman's eyes glow purple before three copies of Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord appear behind him, which proceed to fuse into Crimson Nova Trinity the Dark Cubic Lord as the screen is covered with purple cubes.

Raguel and Azrael are then shown facing off against one another in a matrix-like battlefield. Turboblaze Dragon, along with Cyreaths Blazing Orthros, Aetos Dios, and Lernaean Hydra, appear behind Raguel before combining to form a tall, white-colored bipedal dragon with red irises and black pupils, as well as a long and slender neck. He had a long, voluminous wispy mane streaming out from the upper side of his snout and outwards from his head, with the two protrusions on his head having merged to form into a long, bright and blazing one. His four arms were slender and arm-like with a wing-like appearance and four fingers on his glowing, fiery claws. On his head was a golden piece of armor, with fiery-golden armor pieces on his feathered chest and body. Each of his feet had large grey claws, three at the front and one positioned at the back to resemble high heels. The jet-like engine tail's bands expanded outwards, with the feathers in it spiking upwards before a massive blast of fire erupts from it.

Teravolt Dragon, along with Cychaics Pluto, God of the Underworld, Jupiter, God of the Storm, and Neptune, God of the Sea, appear behind Azrael before combining to form a tall, purple-colored bipedal dragon with blue sclera and white pupils, as well as a small horn-like protrusion on the tip of his snout. His head sported a thundercloud-like crest tipped with yellow coloration, along with pieces of golden armor as well. At the base of his neck, his shoulders, knees, and wings was a black, stud-like feature resembling that of armor, with spikes appearing on the shoulders. His large wings consisted of a fanned shape that expanded outwards to show three spikes tipped with electricity. Strapped to his back was a halo with three spikes on it. Attached to his arms were baseball-mitt-like formations, with three-clawed hands on the undersides that glowed with electricity. His three-clawed feet also glowed with electricity as well. His tail now consisted of two electric generators with a spike at the end, which hummed before releasing electricity from it.

In a garden of Asagao flowers, Miyu sees Yuhiro on one knee, having grabbed the hilt of Excalibur to try and stand up on his feet, the sword having been planted on the ground. She run over and helps Yuhiro stand up on his feet, the both of them having grateful smiles on their faces. The both of them look upwards as the screen jumps to the bright sky and the glowing sun.

In the real world, at Café Nagi...

Kusanagi grit his teeth in anger. "Watchman... How could you?!" The moment Kusanagi learned the truth about Watchman, and how he brought everyone, including Jin, to Dr. Kogami, he was infuriated. While Revolver's allies were the ones who were supervising the experiment, it seemed that Watchman and Dr. Kogami were the true ringleaders of organizing the Lost Incident this entire time. If it weren't for Revolver, then things would have been far worse both for Jin and the other children there.

And to top it off, Katsuya Minamoto, Kusanagi and Jin's cousin, was working with Watchman this entire time! Why didn't he tell Kusanagi the truth? Was Katsuya afraid of endangering both Kusanagi and Jin any more than they already have been over the past few years? Was it due to a deal Katsuya formed with Watchman in exchange for his help? Or did Watchman coerce Katsuya into helping the former with whatever plan he had for the Root of All Knowledge?

The worst part was that Kusanagi felt betrayed by all of this. While he and Yusaku had suspicions about Watchman, the both of them were willing to accept him as an ally after Watchman assisted the group in several situations. From keeping Takeru's identity a secret to the world, to preventing Speckles from hacking into Yuhiro's database, to going through the trouble in acquiring Lightning's algorithm, those were the ways Watchman assisted behind the sidelines. Then again, as shown prior to the duel between Watchman and Azrael, the former was stronger than everyone expected him to be. This was upon learning that Watchman sealed his own power away not just out of respect for Raguel and Azrael's parents, but to give humanity another chance as well.

To sum it up, this was not good at all. The betrayal and revelations crushed Kusanagi to the core. When Kusanagi told Katsuya that Jin was awake three months earlier, he wasn't sure what the silence on Katsuya's end was at the time. But now... now Kusanagi knew the truth. Katsuya was Percival in the network, and for some reason, couldn't assist Yusaku and the others in the front lines.

Kusanagi sighed to himself, having made a mental note to speak with Katsuya once the war was over, as well as talk with the others on what to do with Watchman now that he betrayed them. Right now, Kusanagi couldn't break down. Right now, he had to focus on the program he was making along with Roxy. This way, the duo, along with the other Hanoi members, can assist Yusaku and the others successfully.

And until the program was done, that meant Yusaku and the others were sitting ducks. Right now, Watchman and Specter were defeated by Azrael and Lightning, but Slipstream defeated Windy in response. This meant Yusaku, Yuhiro, Arashi, Aoi, Revolver, and Infearno were left against Lightning, Azrael, Wraith, Malf, and Bohman. Something told Kusanagi that at the rate things were going, it wasn't going to get easier anytime soon.

"Yusaku... Everyone... Be careful..." Kusanagi muttered.

Elsewhere, at Café Matsuo...

Roxy narrowed her eyes after processing what she just learned. "So you treated us as your little pawns this entire time, is that it, Watchman?!" Once Roxy learned the truth on the role Watchman played in the Lost Incident, she was infuriated beyond measure, and assumed that Kusanagi would feel the same way. She thought that Watchman wanted to make amends for what happened during the Lost Incident, only for her to learn that the latter had no regret for his actions.

The worst part was how Watchman, who was a family friend to Myojin and Lyla Furutani, chose to betray them by kidnapping Yuhiro and Yukage before putting them through the Lost Incident. It was all there in the memories Azrael shown during his duel against Watchman. And the fact that Watchman made the Lost Incident victims suffer all in the name of mankind's survival disgusted her even more. Watchman was no ally. He was nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing, and given his parting words on how the plan was already in motion before being erased, had something in mind regarding the Root of All Knowledge. If Roxy had to guess, it was most likely that Watchman would have captured Bohman and use him to find the Root and seize its power for himself. All in the name of getting revenge against Urizen, destroy sin, and save humanity, no matter what it took.

Moving past that, Roxy was surprised that Revolver's mother, Yua Kogami, was roped into Watchman's crusade. She thought that Yua was either arrested by the authorities or fled for her life, for according to reports, the latter divorced Dr. Kogami. It was most likely that Watchman provided Yua asylum from the authorities in exchange for her cooperation to fight against the Crisis to come. While Roxy was wary about the Crisis and what it contained, she was still angry that Watchman's other goals were nothing more than shams.

"No. You can't get angry right now, Roxy. You have to focus for Yuhiro's sake..." Roxy muttered, having slapped her cheeks to focus on what was going on at the current moment. After Yuhiro and the others were trapped by Lightning's program, Roxy and Kusanagi immediately started working on a program to free their friends from it. For the sooner they succeeded, the sooner Yuhiro and the others can end this war for good.

Roxy put a hand on her chin as she thought over other events that occurred. While Watchman and Specter lost against Azrael and Lightning, Arashi was able to defeat Windy in their duel. What's more, Roxy was happy with Arashi's ultimate decision in sparing Windy's life by capturing him using Herald's program. As a result, Arashi was able to free himself from his quest for revenge.

But regardless, the war wasn't over yet, and it won't end until Lightning and Azrael were defeated. So Roxy resumed working on the program she and Kusanagi started up, hellbent on freeing Yuhiro and the others. "Don't worry, Yuhiro. We'll get you guys out of that trap. And until then, please be careful. I don't want to lose you."

Meanwhile, at Ryoken's yacht...

Eizaburo, Kyoko, and Aso frowned. What the trio heard during Arshad and Azrael's duel greatly upset them. For Arshad hid secrets not just from them, but from the other Hanoi members as well. Not just that, it seemed that Arshad was the one responsible for kidnapping the eight children used during the Lost Incident. They thought Dr. Kogami we the one who did it, but the fact he allowed Arshad to do such a thing disgusted them.

"This is…." Eizaburo began speaking.

"A betrayal of our trust." Aso commented angrily. "Not just from Arshad, but from Dr. Kogami as well."

"While I know Dr. Kogami wanted to save humanity, I never thought he'd allow someone else to kidnap children and overlook it." Kyoko said, heartbroken by what she and the others heard. Just like Eizaburo and Aso, she was betrayed by someone she and the others knew.

"What concerns me is Raguel and Azrael's ties to the Root of All Knowledge, and how it will impact all of us in the long run." Eizaburo stated.

"We'll tackle that later, Eizaburo." Aso told Eizaburo. "With Youta having been defeated by Lightning, we have to free Ryoken and Emon from his trap."

"And on the topic of Ryoken, it pisses me off that Arshad roped Yua into this entire mess!" Kyoko angrily exclaimed, which got both Eizaburo and Aso's attention. "How could we not see this coming?! All this time, I thought Yua disappeared after the Lost Incident. Why didn't she-?"

"We couldn't have known what was going on with Yua after the Lost Incident, Kyoko." Aso replied, having put a hand on her shoulder.

"But-."

"Kyoko, there was nothing we could have done at the time." Eizaburo gently told Kyoko. "Yua divorced Dr. Kogami a long time ago, and she most likely cleaned up her traces afterwards to escape capture by the authorities."

After hearing Eizaburo's points, Kyoko sighed. "I know. I just wish we could have known the truth sooner."

"We will make Arshad suffer for what he's done to us." Aso promised. "For now, we need to focus. By helping Ryoken and Emon get out of Lightning's trap, we can get one step closer to ending this war, as well as get our revenge on Azrael for everything he's done to us."

After Kyoko and Eizaburo nodded in agreement, the three of them resumed typing on their computers, hellbent on contributing towards ending the war in their victory. That way, mankind will be free not just from the Ignis, but from any other unknown threats that may lie in the network.

Elsewhere, in LINK VRAINS….

"Well, this is... unexpected." Ghost Girl commented, a frown on her face while Akira narrowed his eyes at the screen the duo were looking at. The two of them were on top of the buildings in the central area of the network, overseeing it to ensure that there were no unexpected interferences, especially after LINK VRAINS and Mirror LINK VRAINS merged with one another. Before Blue Maiden left with Playmaker and the others, she gave Ghost Girl a special program courtesy of Akira that would let her and him see what was going on from her end, which was how they could see the duels going on in Mirror LINK VRAINS.

"It certainly is." Akira agreed, having grit his teeth as he processed the information that he heard earlier. Apparently, Raguel and Azrael were brothers this whole time, with their father being the one who started up Project: VIII along with Urizen and Watchman. What's more, Watchman was the one who kidnapped the children who would become the victims of the Lost Incident. Akira assumed that Dr. Kogami was the one who did this, but for him to delegate the task to someone else while looking the other way disgusted the former to the core. So this, along with everything else going on, is why you've been unstable, Raguel, Akira realized in his mind. If he had known Raguel was going through sibling issues, then he could have helped him get through it. Yet Raguel didn't tell anyone, except for Playmaker and the others. Why? Was Raguel afraid that Akira and the others would see him as an abomination?

"But moving past that, there's some concerns I have. Like this Ukyos person Watchman mentioned." Ghost Girl commented, having turned to face Akira. "Even if the Ignis War ends in our victory, we're going to have another enemy worse than Lightning and Azrael if we're not careful."

"We will prepare for that once we get more information on who Ukyos is." Akira assured Ghost Girl, who rolled her eyes. "For now, we have to keep the people safe from whatever Lightning and Azrael plan to do with Mirror LINK VRAINS."

Ghost Girl nodded in agreement before she and Akira turned back to look at the screen. "Makes sense there." In Ghost Girl's mind, Akira made a good point. They didn't know much about Ukyos, which meant they couldn't make the necessary preparations against him. Until more information on Ukyos was found, the only thing she and Akira can do is keep an eye on the network.

This way, the duo can keep the people in the network safe, as well as prevent anyone else from being caught in the crossfire due to the conflict between the Ignis and humans.

Meanwhile, at Lightning's castle, in Mirror LINK VRAINS...

Lightning let out a small sigh, disappointment evident in it. "It seems that Windy lost after all, despite your faith in him, Azrael and Wraith."

"Even I make mistakes, Lightning." Azrael acknowledged. "Given Haru and Windy's defeats at the hands of our enemies, the battle against them are tied at the moment."

"One that we'll break soon enough." Lightning said back, having turned towards Azrael and Wraith. "Given your miscalculations, I expect either you two or Malf to rectify them."

"You need not worry. For I already decided on my opponent." Azrael replied, as he gestured towards Infearno's image on one of the several spheres in Lightning's throne room. "Since you took on a Knight of Hanoi, it's only fair for me to do the same too."

"Don't worry, we won't touch the Ignis holders or Revolver. After all, we need Ai and the others alive if Bohman is to reach perfection." Wraith added, which made Lightning nod in agreement.

"And I will leave Raguel and Herald to the both of you, as per our agreement." Lightning stated, having recalled the deal he and Azrael made a while back.

"Good. Then enjoy the fireworks." Azrael unsheathed the Muramasa before using it to slice the air in two, which created a portal to travel through. Azrael and Wraith then quickly went into the portal before it closed up.

Elsewhere, at another area in Mirror LINK VRAINS...

Infearno walked through the grassland he was on as a breeze of air went through the area. While he was grateful that Slipstream defeated Windy, he was disappointed that Slipstream chose to capture his Ignis rather than letting him die. Still, it didn't bother Infearno, for he and the other Knights of Hanoi will eventually fight against Raguel and the others once the war was over. However, something bothered Infearno as he continued walking. It was the words that Watchman spoke during his duel with Azrael, and how he kidnapped the children that would become the victims of the Lost Incident. There was also the part where Watchman said that the plan was already in motion.

What plan did Watchman mean before being erased by Mirror LINK VRAINS? Did Watchman managed to somehow foresee the end of this war and made plans to ensure his victory in the end? Even though this troubled Infearno, he couldn't dwell on it right now. For he had to focus on what was going on at the moment. To end the Ignis war and defeat Lightning and Azrael for good. Once that was done, Infearno and the others would focus on what to do not only with Watchman, but make preparations for any other threats that can come from the network as well. While Infearno wasn't certain, he had a feeling that this war was only the true beginning of their troubles.

Eventually, Infearno turned his head, where he narrowed his eyes upon seeing the large structure near him. It was a large mausoleum, which was the only building intact compared to the several pillars and small structures that were destroyed. After Infearno climbed over some of the large pieces in the area, he noticed that the mausoleum could only be approached by crossing a bridge over a lake. This is most likely a trap. But given the circumstances, I don't have much of a choice, he thought, as he crossed the bridge. In a sense, it resembled that of Dis, City of the Burning Abyss, only small-scaled.

After crossing the bridge, Infearno entered into the mausoleum, which consisted of a massive, large room that had no crypt in it. On the walls were mosaic designs of different things, as if all of them contributed towards telling a story. At each of the corners were pillars that had a small flame on the top of them. There was also another mosaic design on the ceiling, which showed eight children suffering in a facility, with ghostly flames on the outer lines trying to reach them. It was obvious to Infearno that the mosaic ceiling design showed the suffering of the children from the Lost Incident.

And at the other end of the room was….

Infearno narrowed his eyes. "I knew we'd duel eventually, Azrael."

In response, Azrael crossed his arms. "Of course we'd duel soon. For it would have happened one way or another."

In a corner of the large room, Frog and Pigeon materialized in a panic.

"W-W-What? Where are we now?" Frog asked.

"Look, boss! It's Azrael! And he's dueling against one of the Knights of Hanoi!" Pigeon announced.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Start rolling!" Frog ordered.

Raguel looked up as the sphere reappeared, which indicated that the broadcast restarted. "That's-!"

"Infearno." Revolver finished. As much as he wanted to make Azrael suffer for what he did to the Hanoi, it seemed Infearno got the chance to do so first. Revolver obviously had complete faith in Infearno's skills as a duelist, for he was one of the strongest members of the Knights of Hanoi due to how his deck worked. And should Infearno lose in the end, then Revolver would avenge his defeat. "Make Azrael suffer for hurting us."

"Looks like Azrael's up again." Herald stated. "It seems Lightning's pissed about Windy's loss, and wants Azrael to do it instead of doing it himself."

"A cowardly act on Lightning's part." Raguel commented.

"If memory serves, Infearno was one of Raguel's strongest opponents." Ai recalled. "Which means Azrael's going to have a rough time against him."

"Yes, but Azrael was able to defeat Watchman, and I have a feeling he'll show more of his strength in this coming duel." Playmaker pointed out.

Slipstream frowned as he crossed his arms. He no longer wore his mask, for he didn't see any point in wearing it after his duel against Windy. "I'm not one to root for a Knight of Hanoi, but it's better that Infearno defeats Azrael than the other way around."

"Now this is interesting. Two of the strongest duelists Raguel has ever dueled are going up against one another." Flame said.

"But only one of them will walk out of this duel alive, while the other will get erased." Soulburner responded.

Blue Maiden pondered for a few moments before speaking. "Honestly, I thought either Lightning or Malf would go next, but why send Azrael? I mean, he's already dueled."

"It's most likely that Azrael's still following Lightning's plan." Aqua deduced. "But I can't help but feel there's something personal between both Azrael and Infearno."

Soon, Jericho teleported in the same mausoleum Azrael and Infearno were in, having leaned on one of the walls nearby. Since no one can detect his presence, there was no problem in getting up and close to the action. "I have a feeling that things are about to be revealed here, don't you agree, ladies and gentlemen?"

"I'm glad you could be here, Infearno. For I have a lot of things to tell you." Azrael told Infearno.

"Oh? And what would that be?" Infearno asked back.

"Simple. The only reason I kept you and the other Hanoi alive was because I allowed it." Azrael grinned while Infearno gasped. "You could say that what I put you and the others through was nothing more than trials meant to make you suffer."

"Trials?" Infearno repeated. "You and Malf were the ones who made us suffer more than we already have right now!"

"That is correct." Azrael confirmed. "For the Hanoi's suffering led to Malf's evolution, especially after he put Dancho in the hospital."

"Dancho's an old guy, Infearno. I wouldn't be surprised if he was dead by now." Wraith taunted Infearno, who didn't respond back. "Oh, and as for your little spy Drachen, you could say that he was as good as dead the moment you guys enlisted him to join your cause."

"To put it simply, your mission has jeopardized someone's life. Someone who means a lot to Revolver. I wonder how much it will impact you and the others once this war is over." Azrael wondered out loud.

"What?" Herald gasped.

"Drachen was with the Hanoi this entire time..." Raguel realized, who was also surprised with what he heard.

"So it seems Drachen was the spy Revolver told us about a while back..." Playmaker muttered, having recalled his meeting with Revolver in the real world after Go captured Earth and brought him to SOL Technologies.

"And judging by how the conversation's going, it seems that Drachen must have willingly made the choice to assist the Hanoi." Slipstream commented.

Revolver grit his teeth. Drachen, I will destroy Azrael and Malf, and make them suffer for what they did to you, he swore in his mind.

"On the topic of letting you guys live, about the alarm thing a while back when you guys went to free Baira? Yeah, that was us." Azrael said.

"Ah, that makes sense." Infearno acknowledged, knowing that things were never easy in life. "Considering your vendetta against the Hanoi, I can assume that you hate us for what we've done to you? Because if you do, then get in line. For the Hanoi already have a few other people to contend with who are less mad than the both of you."

Azrael chuckled back at that comment. "Less mad, you say? No, I'm certainly not mad at all, nor am I insane."

"Everything Azrael and I have done was so you guys can suffer the same way we have." Wraith told Infearno. "Like one of the scientists from the Lost Incident. Azrael and I murdered him simply because of his involvement with everything going on. You could say it was karma that bit him in the ass."

"You... murdered one of the scientists from back then?!" Infearno exclaimed out of shock.

"Azrael... you bastard..." Revolver angrily muttered, having had enough with how Azrael tortured him and the other Hanoi members for several months on end.

"Huh. So that's why I couldn't find the other Lost Incident scientist..." Jericho said, having put a hand to his chin as he paid attention to the conversation.

"Based on what Azrael's saying, he's been operating way longer before the Hanoi and Lightning can begin their operations." Aqua observed, having narrowed her eyes.

"You said it, Aqua." Blue Maiden agreed with a frown. "Of all our enemies, Azrael and Wraith are the most dangerous ones."

"Regardless, thanks to you Hanoi scum, you managed to complete the two essential parts of Project: VIII. The Ignis, and the Construct." Azrael listed out each one. "And because of that, I was able to get the data on Project: VIII. This gratitude was one of the reasons why I kept you alive."

"And what would the other reasons be?" Infearno inquired back.

"Aside from torturing the Hanoi and Project: VIII, the other reason why I kept you all alive was so I can settle the personal score between us." Azrael answered, which made Infearno raise an eyebrow.

"Personal?" Infearno repeated confusedly.

"Correct." Azrael's voice lowered. "Starting from a long time ago, things between you and I have been personal. While I'm glad you gave my little brother a harsh reality check or two so he can get stronger, you still hurt him. That is why I will get revenge for what you did with Raguel, just like how I made Lord Kazuma scream in pain for doing the same thing during our duel."

While I understand Azrael wanting to get revenge, what did he mean when he said the personal score between us began a long time ago, Infearno wondered in his mind. Have I encountered him a long time ago without knowing? "Whether this personal score between us only has to with Raguel or something more, it will end here and now."

"I can't wait for what we're about to tell Infearno down the road." Wraith whispered.

"So do I." Azrael quietly agreed back, as he activated his duel disk and turned back to Infearno. "Ready to get started?"

"Of course." Infearno confirmed, having activated his duel disk. "In the name of the Hanoi, I will defeat you!"

"Show me your motivation." Azrael replied back, ready to throw down against Infearno.

"It's time to duel!" Azrael and Infearno shouted at the same time.

Azrael: 4000 LP

Infearno: 4000 LP

"I'll be going first. My turn." Infearno said, as he looked at his hand. In his previous duels, Azrael went first. I'm not sure if going first will help me, but better for me to prepare than risk getting overwhelmed before I can even begin utilizing my deck's strategies, he thought in his mind. "I activate the Spell card, Card Destruction. This card makes the both of us send the cards currently in our hand before drawing the same amount."

"Oh?" Azrael boringly raised an eyebrow as both duelists took the cards in their hands and sent them to their respective Graveyards. Whereas Azrael drew five new cards, Infearno drew the top four cards of his deck.

"That's smart. All of Infearno's 'Burning Abyss' monsters have effects that activate when they're sent to the Graveyard, no matter how they end up there." Herald noted.

"Not just that, but Azrael lost some cards as well. A strong move on Infearno's part." Raguel added.

"The effects of Graff, Cir, and Scarm activate in sequence. First, when Graff is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one 'Burning Abyss' monster from my deck with a different name to my field. Come, Retriever of the Burning Abyss!" Infearno said, as a demon who wore black robes and had a helm that covered its eyes appeared on Infearno's field.

Retriever of the Burning Abyss ATK: 300 DEF: 300 LV: 3

"Second, when Cir is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one 'Burning Abyss' monster from my Graveyard to my field. Now arise, Graff!" A draconic fiend with wings and claws appeared on Infearno's field.

Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1000 DEF: 1500 LV: 3

"Third, when Scarm is sent to the Graveyard, I can add one Level 3 Dark Fiend monster from my deck to my hand with a different name at the end of the turn." Infearno thrusted out his right hand upwards. "Appear, the circuit of blood and death!" A Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are one Fiend monster. I set Retriever of the Burning Abyss into the Link Markers!" Retriever went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Charon, Ferryman of the Burning Abyss!" A skeleton wearing a long red cloak over his body and riding on top of a long boat appeared on Infearno's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.

Charon, Ferryman of the Burning Abyss ATK: 0 LINK-1 ⬇️

"The effects of Charon and Retriever now activate." Infearno said. "First, when Charon is Link Summoned, I can Special Summon one 'Burning Abyss' monster from my Graveyard to a Main Monster Zone he points to. Return, Cir!" A muscular demon resembling a bull with grey blue skin and broken blue horns appeared on Infearno's field.

Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1600 DEF: 1200 LV: 3

"Second, when Retriever is sent to the Graveyard, I can draw the top card of my deck." Infearno proceeded to draw the top card of his deck. "Appear, for a second time! The circuit of blood and death!" A second Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Burning Abyss' monsters. I set the Link 1 Charon, Ferryman of the Burning Abyss, Graff, and Cir into the Link Markers!" Charon went into the top arrowhead, Graff went into the bottom-left arrowhead, and Cir went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning all three of them red.

"Fallen knight, take up your sword from Hell, and resume your crusade upon my enemies!" Infearno chanted. "Link Summon! Emerge! Link 3! Cavaliere Angelo of the Burning Abyss!" A tall, winged humanoid demon with two ridged horns and purple glowing eyes appeared on Infearno's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. His entire body was covered with dark grey, metallic armor. He also had two large wings circling his shoulders. In his right hand was an enormous sword consisting of four distinct blades with thorn-like serrations, as well as a hollow center that glowed purple. Purple lightning danced around the blade as Cavaliere Angelo swung it, ready for battle.

Cavaliere Angelo of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2500 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️

"When Cavaliere Angelo is Link Summoned using a 'Burning Abyss' Link monster as Link Material, I can add one 'Burning Abyss' Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand. I add Rise of the Burning Abyss from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of Infearno's deck, which he took and added to his hand. "I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Rise of the Burning Abyss. While this card is on my field, all 'Burning Abyss' monsters I control gain 500 attack points." Cavaliere Angelo was surrounded in fiery energy as his strength increased.

Cavaliere Angelo of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2500 + 500 = 3000

"That is very efficient. Not only did Infearno managed to bring out a Link 3 monster and a Continuous-Spell card to strengthen his monsters, he did so primarily through the effects of his monsters in his Graveyard." Flame acknowledged.

"Thus allowing him to use the cards in his hand for different strategies." Soulburner commented, understanding what Flame was saying. The more cards you had, the more chances you had to not only make a comeback, but prepare for what's to come as well.

"Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Apocrypha of the Burning Abyss. This card lets me Special Summon one 'Burning Abyss' monster from my deck to my field, ignoring its summoning conditions." Infearno continued, as a card popped out of his deck, which he took. "I Special Summon Familiar of the Burning Abyss from my deck to my field." A small, imp-like creature with fire all over its orange skin bounced onto Infearno's field.

Familiar of the Burning Abyss ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 3

Familiar of the Burning Abyss ATK: 0 + 500 = 500

"When Familiar of the Burning Abyss is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Set one 'Burning Abyss' Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand. I Set Haunted Statue of the Burning Abyss from my deck to my field." A card popped out of Infearno's deck, which he took and Set to his field. "Do note that while I control a 'Burning Abyss' monster with a different name, you can't target Familiar of the Burning Abyss with attacks or effects."

"Is that so? Well, then. Continue your turn, for I suspect you're not done yet." Azrael boringly said back.

"Of course." Infearno complied. "I activate the Spell card, Pre-Preparation of Rites. Not only does this card let me add a Ritual Spell card from my deck to my hand, I can also add a Ritual monster from my deck or Graveyard to my hand whose name is listed on that Ritual Spell!" Two cards popped out of Infearno's deck, which he added to his hand.

"I activate the Ritual Spell card, Good and Evil in the Burning Abyss. This card lets me tribute monsters from my hand or field whose combined levels equal or exceed that of the stated Ritual monster, and then summon it from my hand. I tribute the Level 3 Familiar on my field, and Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from my hand."

A dark red magic circle with six flames appeared on his field, along with Familiar and a horned, bearded old man who wielded a spiked ball on a chain. Both monsters disintegrated into light and entered the center of the circle, which emitted a pillar of dark red light.

"The contract's been made!" Infearno chanted, his duel disk's screen and black sections glowing dark red. "Demonic leader residing in the eighth circle of Hell! Accept these two sacrifices and serve your master! Ritual Summon! Rise, Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss!" A red-skinned demon in blue armor appeared on Infearno's field. He wielded two swords, one blue and one red, and also had a tail resembling that of a dragon's head.

Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2700 DEF: 2000 LV: 6

Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2700 + 500 = 3200

"Excellent, Infearno." Revolver said, a smirk on his face upon seeing Infearno Ritual Summon one of his strongest monsters. Not only did Infearno bring out another powerful monster, he can continue to use the effects of the monsters used for the Ritual Summon from his graveyard to further advance his strategies.

"Prepare to die, human!" Malacoda exclaimed to Azrael, as he brandished his swords.

"In due time, you'll get your chance." Infearno assured Malacoda. "Barbar's effect! Since he was sent to the Graveyard, I can banish up to three 'Burning Abyss' cards from my Graveyard to inflict 300 points of damage for each one banished by this effect. I banish Retriever, Charon, and Graff, which means you take 900 points of damage."

"Oh?" Azrael quietly mused, as three fireballs appeared out of Infearno's Graveyard and orbited around his hand, which he fired at the latter. While Azrael grit his teeth, he wasn't pushed back as his life points dropped.

Azrael: 4000 – (300 X 3) = 3100 LP

"Alright! Infearno managed to inflict damage on the first turn of the duel!" Ai cheered.

"But the duel's only just begun, Ai." Playmaker pointed out. "If anything, Azrael is not going to let such a thing slide."

"You make a good point there..." Ai replied, having placed a hand to his chest, as if he were in slight pain.

"I Set one card face-down and end my turn. At this point, Scarm's effect activates, letting me add one Dark Fiend Level 3 monster from my deck to my hand with a different name. I add Recruiter of the Burning Abyss from my deck to my field." Infearno concluded, as a card popped out of his deck, which he took and added to his hand. With Apocrypha in my Graveyard, I can simply banish it to end the Battle Phase should I have no monsters on my field, as well as bring out another 'Burning Abyss' monster from my deck to my field. In addition, should my face-down card be destroyed by Azrael's cards, I can bring out a token to protect myself. And should Rise of the Burning Abyss be destroyed by a card effect, I get to draw up to five cards for each 'Burning Abyss' monster I control. Along with Malacoda and Cavaliere Angelo, as well as my other face-down card, I'm all set up, he thought in his mind.

"Not only did Infearno bring out two powerful monsters, he also managed to solidify his field with two Set cards as well." Aqua stated.

"Given the strength Azrael unleashed against Watchman, Infearno will have to pull out all the stops if he's to defeat him." Blue Maiden told Aqua.

"All in all, not a bad turn." Slipstream said.

"Your 'Burning Abyss' deck focuses on triggering the Graveyard effects of your monsters." Azrael recalled. "Along with bringing out your stronger monsters, it's a rather strong archetype, that I will admit from seeing your duels against various opponents. But we'll see how it does against me. My turn! I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck. "I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Cychaic Terrain!" The card showed Cychaic Panther with a small group of soldiers treading carefully in an area as they tried to detect anything suspicious during the night. "While this card is on my field, you can't activate cards or effects in response to the activation of 'Cychaic' cards when they are destroyed by battle or card effect in my hand or on my field. In addition, the effects of 'Cychaic' monsters I control cannot be negated."

"What?!" Infearno exclaimed. That did not sound good at all, for now Infearno can't negate the effects of Azrael's monsters. What's more, he couldn't activate or effects in response to the activation of Azrael's cards once they were destroyed by battle or card effect either in his hand or on his field.

"That doesn't sound good. Thanks to Terrain, Infearno can't negate the effects of Azrael's cards." Soulburner commented.

"Thus allowing Azrael to pull off his strategies with no worries about Infearno's cards." Flame said.

"As I control no monsters in the Main Monster Zones, I can Special Summon Cychaic Slave from my hand to my field." Azrael continued, as a man who wore tattered clothing on his body appeared on Azrael's field. Strapped to his back was a large wine jar, which he struggled to carry.

Cychaic Slave ATK: 400 DEF: 400 LV: 1

"Next, I activate the Spell card, Cychaic Tribute. By destroying one 'Cychaic' card on my field or in my hand, I can draw the top two cards of my deck. I destroy Elephantaur in my hand." A card in Azrael's hand then turned into particles, where he drew two cards from his deck afterwards. "In addition, because Elephantaur was destroyed by a card effect, I can shuffle one card on your field into your deck. I shuffle your face-down card back to your deck." Azrael decided, as Infearno's face-down card turned into particles before returning to his deck, much to the latter's dismay.

"I summon Cychaic Duo Vulture from my hand to my field." Azrael added, as a large, two-headed bird with brown and black skin, along with two tails, appeared on Azrael's field. Sprouting from its conjoined neck was a pair of small, sharp feathers that resembled spikes. Each of its heads had a large beak and blue eyes.

Cychaic Duo Vulture ATK: 1200 DEF: 1400 LV: 4

"If Duo Vulture would be used to Link Summon a Link monster, it can be treated as two materials once per duel."

"Tch." Infearno gritted his teeth, obviously not liking what was coming next.

"If it weren't for Terrain, then Infearno could have slowed Azrael down a bit with one of his face-down cards." Slipstream observed. The only question is which monster Azrael will bring out next. If he brings out Constantine, then Infearno will have even more trouble on his hands, he thought in his mind.

"With this setup, you're pretty much good to tear this guy apart." Wraith stated.

"Indeed." Azrael agreed, before turning his attention back to the duel. "Appear, the circuit of absolute power!" A Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cychaic' monsters. I set Cychaic Slave, and Duo Vulture, which is treated as two Link materials, into the Link Markers!" Slave went into the top arrowhead, while Duo Vulture went into the left and bottom arrowheads, turning all three of them red in the process.

"Crusader of the Roman Empire! Rally your armies, and eliminate your enemies until resistance is rendered moot! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cychaic Mehmed!" A young man with white hair and tanned skin appeared on Azrael's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. His attire consisted of traditional red robes with gold lining, a band around his white hair, and a large belt around his waist. He also had golden gauntlets on his hands, along with a sword strapped to his left side.

Cychaic Mehmed ATK: 2600 LINK-3 ⬅️⬆️⬇️

"A new 'Cychaic' Link monster..." Revolver muttered.

"Mehmed? He was the guy who waged war against Constantine." Herald stated. "Why would Azrael bring out an enemy of the Roman Empire?"

"Because after Mehmed defeated Constantine, he took over the Roman Empire while maintaining its customs." Raguel told Herald. "So in a sense, Mehmed was the next Caesar by force."

"Ah. Now I understand." Herald replied.

"Slave's effect activates! As he was used to Link Summon a 'Cychaic' Link monster, I can Special Summon him right back to my field." Azrael explained, as Mehmed threw a chain into the Graveyard portal before dragging Slave right back to Azrael's field in defense position, who groaned in pain in response.

Cychaic Slave ATK: 400 DEF: 400 LV: 1

"From there, I activate Mehmed's effect. Once per turn, I can destroy one 'Cychaic' card in my hand or on my field to not only negate the effects of a card you control, but also halve the attack points of a monster you control until the end of your next turn!"

"You have got to be kidding me…" Infearno cursed under his breath.

"I destroy Slave on my field, negate Rise of the Burning Abyss's effects, and halve Malacoda's attack points." Azrael decided, as Slave turned into particles, which went into Mehmed's clawed gauntlets. "Merciless Crusade!" Mehmed charged forward and slashed both Malacoda and Rise of the Burning Abyss, which caused both of them to grey out as their strength was depleted.

Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss ATK: (3200 / 2) – 500 = 1100

Cavaliere Angelo of the Burning Abyss ATK: 3000 – 500 = 2500

"In addition, because Slave was destroyed by a card effect, one 'Cychaic' monster I control gains 400 attack and defense points until the end of this turn. I choose Mehmed!" Mehmed was surrounded in a red aura that increased his strength.

Cychaic Mehmed ATK: 2600 + 400 = 3000

"Aw, glitch! Not only did Azrael halve Malacoda's attack points, he also negated Rise of the Burning Abyss's effects, which ended up weakening Infearno's field even more!" Ai exclaimed.

"And these changes last until the end of Azrael's next turn, which means Infearno won't be able to fully utilize Malacoda's strength, nor can he call upon Rise of the Burning Abyss's other effects." Playmaker observed.

"Battle!" Azrael declared. "Cychaic Mehmed attacks Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss! Dardanelles Blast!" Mehmed unsheathed his sword before it turned into a large cannon, which fired a beam of energy at Malacoda as he was shredded into particles. The explosion that occurred seconds later made Infearno wince before his life points dropped.

Infearno: 4000 – 1900 = 2100 LP

"You may have destroyed my monster, but when Malacoda's sent to the Graveyard-." Infearno began speaking.

"Sorry, but when Mehmed destroys a monster by battle, it's banished instead of being sent to the Graveyard." Azrael interjected, much to Infearno's dismay and the former's satisfaction upon seeing it. "That means you can't use Malacoda's effect."

"Damn you…." Infearno muttered. Despite this minor hurdle, he still had plenty of strategies to utilize in his duel against Azrael.

"If Malacoda had been sent to the Graveyard from the field, then Infearno could have used his effect to get rid of one of Azrael's cards." Revolver said. "But thanks to Mehmed, he can't use that effect."

"I Set two cards face-down and end my turn, which means Slave's effect ends, and Mehmed's attack points revert to normal." Azrael concluded, as a red aura surrounded Mehmed, which decreased his attack points to his original amount.

Cychaic Mehmed ATK: 3000 – 400 = 2600

"My turn! I draw!" Infearno said, as he drew the top card of his deck. "I activate the Field Spell card, Dis, City of the Burning Abyss. While this card is on my field, 'Burning Abyss' monsters I control cannot be destroyed by their own card effects, nor can they be targeted by other card effects. In addition, I activate the second effect of Dis, City of the Burning Abyss. Once, if I control a 'Burning Abyss' monster while this card is on the field, I'm allowed to add up to two 'Burning Abyss' cards with different names from my deck to my hand. I add Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Tactics of the Burning Abyss from my deck to my hand!" Two cards popped out of Infearno's deck, which he took and added to his hand.

"Tactics of the Burning Abyss was a pain in the ass to deal with not only due to its optional effects to choose from, but also how it Set itself back face-down after being activated." Raguel recalled.

"Unless Azrael destroys it immediately, it's going to be in a pain in the ass for him too." Herald agreed. "Plus, Infearno added Farfa to his hand, which lets him banish a monster on Azrael's field after being sent to the Graveyard. If he plays this right, Infearno will be able to deal massive damage to Azrael on his turn."

"I summon Recruiter of the Burning Abyss from my hand to my field." Infearno said, as a dark-skinned fiend with a human-like face and fangs appeared on Infearno's field. It had two wings attached to its back, along with a long tail.

Recruiter of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1000 DEF: 600 LV: 3

"When Recruiter is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one 'Burning Abyss' monster from my hand or deck to my field." A card popped out of his deck. "I Special Summon Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from my deck to my field." A pink-skinned demon with horns, wings, and a wooden staff appeared on Infearno's field.

Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 100 DEF: 2100 LV: 3

"I tune the Level 3 Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss with Recruiter of the Burning Abyss!" Infearno declared, as a bolt of orange lightning struck Infearno before the world greyed out and his two monsters disappeared into particles. Two rings, one black, and the other dark blue, appeared before turning blue and merging. Six blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "3 + 3" in front of them. The screen changed to "6" as light surged through the rings.

"The poet's guide through Hell and Purgatory! Return to the earth once more and guide the traveler in his quest! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 6! Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss!" A man in a white tunic, brown vest, and large hat appeared on Infearno's field in the Main Monster Zone Cavaliere Angelo pointed to. He carried a large golden guitar with blue flames spouting from the ends in his hands. Looking at Raguel gracefully, Virgil strung a few chords on his guitar.

Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2500 DEF: 1000 LV: 6

"Nice. Infearno brought out a Synchro monster in response to Azrael's moves." Slipstream commented. According to what Raguel told him, Virgil's effect allowed Infearno to target a card on the opponent's field before shuffling it into their deck in exchange for discarding a 'Burning Abyss' monster from his hand. Not only could Infearno get rid of a card temporarily, but also activate the effect of the 'Burning Abyss' monster sent to the Graveyard as well!

"Next, I activate Virgil's effect. Once per turn, I can discard a 'Burning Abyss' card to target a card on your field in your hand and shuffle it into your deck. I discard Farfa in my hand, and shuffle the face-down card on your right." Infearno decided.

"If this works…" Soulburner began speaking.

"Then Infearno will be able to get rid of two cards on Azrael's field!" Raguel said excitedly.

"And you plan on using Farfa's effect to banish Mehmed, correct?" Azrael guessed correctly, which made Infearno gasp. "Like I said before, I've seen your duels, and have made preparations to hinder your strategies as a result!"

"What?!" Infearno exclaimed.

Azrael gestured to his field. "Continuous-Trap, activate! Cychaic Quinquatria!" The card showed numerous roman citizens attending a large festival, with some of them watching Venator unveil circus performances done by Elephantaur, Rhino, Cinnamon Bird and Strix. Nearby, several women were talking with Milonia, while Constantine was overseeing the festivities. "While this card is on my field, any card sent to your Graveyard is banished instead!"

"What?!" Infearno grit his teeth as a card in his hand turned to particles. That meant he couldn't use Farfa's effect to banish Azrael's monster! But at least he would acquire a partial advantage in getting rid of an unknown threat. "Regardless, you're still losing your face-down card." Virgil strummed several chords on his guitar, which released blue fire that turned the face-down card on Azrael's right into particles before it returned to his deck.

"This is detrimental for Infearno's strategies, especially with how they're reliant on the Graveyard." Revolver stated with a frown.

"Infearno's 'Burning Abyss' monsters can only activate their effects once they're sent to the Graveyard. But if they're sent somewhere other than the Graveyard.." Aqua began speaking.

"Then they don't activate at all." Blue Maiden finished, having narrowed her eyes at the duel she was seeing.

"Infearno still has the cards currently residing in his Graveyard, though." Ai mentioned to Playmaker, trying to look at the bright side of things. He put a hand to his chest for a second time, as if he were trying to pull something out of his chest.

"That may be true, Ai, but only if Infearno puts them back to his deck." Playmaker pointed out. "And once Infearno uses them again, they'll end up banished unless Infearno finds a way to either get rid of Quinquatria, or use a card that returns banished cards to his Graveyard."

"Impressive." Lightning commented. "Azrael managed to lock down the main strength of Infearno's deck. Though whether Infearno will be able to make a comeback or not will be shown soon."

"What will you do now, Infearno?" Azrael curiously inquired.

"Keep going, that's what!" Infearno answered. "I activate the Spell card, Pot of Avarice. This card lets me target five monsters in my Graveyard and shuffle them into my deck. By doing so, I can draw the top two cards of my deck. I shuffle Recruiter, Barbar, Rubic, Scarm and Familiar into my deck, and draw!" Five cards popped out of Infearno's deck, which he took and shuffled into his deck. After Infearno drew the top two cards from the top of his deck, he smiled, satisfied with what he got.

"I'm not sure what you're up to, but it'd be rude of me to let you continue your turn without further interruptions." Azrael replied. "I activate Quinquatria's second effect. Once per turn, I can destroy a 'Cychaic' card on my hand or in my field to Set a 'Cychaic' Spell or Trap card from my deck to my field. What's more, I can activate it this turn. I destroy Terrain, and Set Cychaic Clipeus from my deck to my field!" After Terrain turned into particles, a card popped out of Azrael's deck, which he took and Set to his field.

"Terrain's effect! As it was destroyed by a card effect, I can declare Monster, Spell, or Trap card, and until the end of my turn, you can't activate that type of card. I declare Trap cards!"

"Damn you!" Infearno exclaimed, as a red aura surrounded the duel field before dissipating. That meant he couldn't activate Haunted Statue of the Burning Abyss, nor could he use Tactics of the Burning Abyss!

"Not only did Azrael further solidify his field, he basically prevented Infearno from activating Trap cards until the end of his next turn." Flame said, having narrowed his eyes at the duel being shown.

"That means even if Infearno Sets Tactics of the Burning Abyss, he can't use it at all." Soulburner added, annoyance in his tone. A card like Terrain can basically hinder any duelist's strategies no matter what deck they had, and if the duelist only relied on one particular strategy through a type of card, then they'd be pretty much screwed for the rest of the duel.

"In that case, I activate the Spell card, Engravings in the Burning Abyss!" Infearno stated. The card showed Dante and Virgil in a cave, the duo holding lit torches as they inspected what looked like symbols and direction engraved onto a very large cave wall. "This card lets me shuffle a 'Burning Abyss' card in my hand into my deck and add a 'Burning Abyss' card of a different type from my deck to my hand. I shuffle Tactics of the Burning Abyss from my hand into my deck, and add Blaze of the Burning Abyss from my deck to my hand!" After Infearno took a card from his hand and shuffled it into his deck, a card popped out of his deck, which he took and added to his hand.

"Battle!" Infearno thrusted out his hand. "Cavaliere Angelo of the Burning Abyss attacks Cychaic Mehmed!"

"I'm assuming your plan isn't to self-destruct?" Wraith guessed.

"That's correct." Infearno confirmed. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Blaze of the Burning Abyss!" The card showed Cavaliere Angelo raising his sword high into the air as it released electrical fire all around it, which caused Draghig and Scarm to fly off the rocks as they were destroyed. "When a 'Burning Abyss' monster battles, it gains attack points equal to the attack points of one other 'Burning Abyss' monster until the end of the damage step. I choose Vergil, who has 2500 attack points. That means Cavaliere Angelo gains 2500 attack points!" An electrical, fiery aura surrounded Cavaliere Angelo as his strength increased.

Cavaliere Angelo of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2500 X 2 = 5000

"With Cavaliere Angelo's attack points now at 5000, Infearno's monster is strong enough to destroy Mehmed." Blue Maiden said.

"But do note that the effects of Azrael's 'Cychaic' Link monsters can activate once they're destroyed by battle or card effect." Aqua gently reminded Blue Maiden. "As long as Infearno is prepared to deal with Mehmed's effect, he'll be able to retain control of the duel."

"Voltic Execution!" At Infearno's command, Cavaliere Angelo charged forward and swung the enormous sword in his hand at Mehmed, intent on striking him down.

"I activate the Trap card, Cychaic Clipeus, and equip it onto Mehmed." Azrael interjected, as a circular, silver shield with pieces of iron on it and the face of a man with a beard at the center appeared before orbiting around Mehmed. "When this card is activated, I can equip it to a 'Cychaic' monster I control, and it can't be destroyed by battle or your card effects while it's equipped. What's more, any battle damage I would have taken is reduced to zero."

Just before the enormous sword hit Mehmed, it impacted Clipeus instead, which pushed Cavaliere Angelo back. In addition, Cavaliere Angelo's attack points returned to normal, as the damage step was over.

Cavaliere Angelo of the Burning Abyss ATK: 5000 – 2500 = 2500

To Azrael's curiosity, Infearno smirked. "What's so funny?"

"It seems I forgot to tell you about Blaze of the Burning Abyss's second effect." Infearno told Azrael. "You see, after a 'Burning Abyss' monster battles, I can reveal the top card of my deck before shuffling it back in, and if it's a 'Burning Abyss' monster, you take damage equal to its attack points."

"Relying on luck is not your style." Azrael commented.

"It's not luck I'm relying on, it's my confidence and skill as a duelist that I'm believing in!" Infearno countered back. "I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck before revealing it. "The card I drew is Calcab, who has 1400 attack points. That means you take 1400 points of damage!" Infearno took the declared card and shuffled it back into his deck.

"Crap..." Azrael muttered, as a silhouette of a demonic centaur with wings appeared before charging towards the former and hitting him. This made Azrael wince as his life points dropped.

Azrael: 3100 – 1400 = 1700 LP

"Nice! Even though Azrael dodged the battle damage, he couldn't dodge the effect damage afterwards!" Raguel commented.

"One way or another, Infearno was able to reduce Azrael's life points and take the lead of this duel." Herald added.

"Nice job, Infearno." Revolver said, a smirk evident on his face. Even with the setbacks, Infearno was still able to persevere and deal damage. What's more, he still had two strong monsters and two face-down cards at his beck and call.

"I Set one card face-down and end my turn, which means Mehmed's effect ends, and Rise of the Burning Abyss regains its effects." Infearno concluded, as Cavaliere Angelo and Virgil were surrounded in fiery auras, which increased their strength.

Cavaliere Angelo of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2500 + 500 = 3000

Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2500 + 500 = 3000

"My turn! I draw!" Azrael said, as he drew the top card of his deck. "I'll be honest. I didn't think you'd be able to deal me damage, especially after I shut down the main function of your deck. Still, this duel is far from over. I activate the effect of Cychaic Exchange in my Graveyard. By banishing this card, I can destroy one 'Cychaic' card in my hand or on my field to add a 'Cychaic' card from my deck or Graveyard to my hand. I destroy Clipeus on my field, and add Venator from my deck to my hand!" After Clipeus turned into particles, a card popped out of Azrael's deck, which he took and added to his hand.

"Clipeus' effect! As it was destroyed by a card effect and I control a 'Cychaic' Link monster, I can shuffle it into my deck!" A card popped out of Azrael's Graveyard, which he took and shuffled into his deck.

"Great. Azrael managed to not only get another of his cards from his deck to his hand, but also reshuffle Clipeus back into his deck as well." Soulburner angrily commented.

"And it's not just any card, it's Venator." Flame emphasized. "Not only does Venator let Azrael Special Summon a 'Cychaic' monster from his deck or Graveyard upon being summoned, it lets him take control of a monster on the opponent's field once it's destroyed by a card effect."

"I don't know what you're planning, Azrael, but it's better to be prepared than not risk anything." Infearno stated, as he gestured to his field. "Quick-Play Spell card, activate! Mystik Wok! By tributing a monster on my field, I gain life points equal to its attack or defense points. I tribute Cavaliere Angelo!" At Infearno's command, Cavaliere Angelo turned to particles, which went into Infearno as his life points increased.

Infearno: 2100 + 3000 = 5100 LP

"While Infearno tributed a monster to increase his life points, he waited until Rise of the Burning Abyss's effects were no longer negated to do so." Aqua said.

"Thus allowing Infearno to gain a few more life points so he can stay in the duel." Blue Maiden agreed.

"Infearno also has Apocrypha in his Graveyard, which lets him instantly end the Battle Phase should he control no monsters. In addition, he can bring out a 'Burning Abyss' monster from his deck." Raguel stated.

"You're right, Infearno. It is indeed better to be prepared than not risk anything, especially in a duel such as this." Azrael said. "But then again, it will add up to nothing in the end. I summon Cychaic Venator from my hand to my field." A roman soldier with dark skin who wore silver armour, shin pads, and vambraces appeared on Azrael's field in defense position. While the silver armour had a lion emblem on the left portion of the chest, wolf emblems were on the vambraces, and eagle emblems were on the shin pads. Covering the top of his head was a red hood that had the lion emblem stitched to it. Strapped to his left side was a sword, while a bow and a quiver of arrows was strapped to his back.

Cychaic Venator ATK: 1800 DEF: 900 LV: 4

"When Venator is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon one 'Cychaic' monster from my deck or Graveyard. Be reborn from my Graveyard, Cychaic Crocodile!" A dark-green skinned crocodile with yellow eyes appeared on Azrael's field.

Cychaic Crocodile ATK: 800 DEF: 800 LV: 3

"When Crocodile is Normal or Special Summoned, I can add one 'Cychaic' card from my deck to my hand. I add Cychaic Amphitheatre from my deck to my hand." Azrael decided, as a card popped out of his deck, which he took and added to his hand. "I now activate the Field Spell card, Cychaic Amphitheatre. While this card is on my field, my 'Cychaic' monsters gain 500 attack and defense points. What's more, they're unaffected by your monster effects." Golden auras surrounded Mehmed, Venator, and Crocodile as their strength increased.

Cychaic Mehmed ATK: 2600 + 500 = 3100

Cychaic Venator ATK: 1800 + 500 = 2300 DEF: 900 + 500 = 1400

Cychaic Crocodile ATK: 800 + 500 = 1300 DEF: 800 + 500 = 1300

"I activate Amphitheatre's effect. Once per turn, I can destroy one 'Cychaic' card in my hand or on my field to Special Summon one 'Cychaic Dancer' token to my field. I destroy Venator on my field." After Venator turned into particles, a woman with blond hair and wearing a revealing red and white dress with long poofy sleeves, a transparent front and a leotard appeared on Azrael's field.

Cychaic Dancer ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LV: 4

Cychaic Dancer ATK: 1000 + 500 = 1500 DEF: 1000 + 500 = 1500

"Venator's effect! As he was destroyed by a card effect, I can take control of one monster on your field and treat it as a 'Cychaic' monster until the end of my next turn!" Azrael revealed, much to Infearno's horror. "I take control of Virgil!" Virgil was surrounded in a red aura before turning into particles, which reformed onto Azrael's field.

Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2500 + 500 = 3000 DEF: 1000 + 500 = 1500

"How dare you do this!" Infearno exclaimed.

"Just like with how Malf turned the monster resembling Dancho's son into a corrupted version of him." Revolver recalled, disgusted with what Azrael did just now.

"With Virgil having left Infearno's field, that means he has no monsters left to defend himself!" Ai panicked.

"And with Infearno not able to activate his Trap cards, his options are running thin." Playmaker added.

"Using someone else's monster as their own pawn... such an unforgiveable act." Slipstream angrily seethed.

Jericho laughed after seeing Azrael take control of Virgil using Venator's effect. "Wow! Such an underhanded tactic. Then again, there's no such thing as fairness when it comes to war, right folks?"

"Hmm." Lightning thought over what he just saw on the broadcast. "Azrael's deck is more versatile than I expected. At the rate things are going, even Bohman will have a challenge against him."

"Psychological warfare is a very useful weapon when it comes to war, but don't worry. I'll end your pain soon." Azrael mockingly assured Infearno, which made Wraith laugh. Loudly. "I activate Quinquartia's second effect. Just like before, once per turn, I can destroy a 'Cychaic' card on my hand or in my field to Set a 'Cychaic' Spell or Trap card from my deck to my field. What's more, I can activate it this turn. I destroy Crocodile, and Set Cychaic Record from my deck to my field!" After Crocodile turned into particles, a card popped out of Azrael's deck, which he took and Set to his field.

"Crocodile's effect! As it was destroyed by a card effect, I can choose one card from my deck and place it on top of my deck. I choose Cychaic Reinforcements." A card popped out of Azrael's deck, which he put on top of it.

"Well, that's not good. Azrael now has another Set card to use at his discretion." Blue Maiden observed.

"It's most likely a Trap card." Aqua hypothesized. "And thanks to Quinquatria's effect, that means Azrael can immediately activate it without waiting if he wanted to."

"It's time to end this duel, and relieve you of your suffering. Battle!" Azrael declared, as he thrusted out his right hand. "Cychaic Mehmed attacks you directly! Dardanelles Cannon!" Mehmed unsheathed his sword before it turned into a large cannon, which fired a beam of energy that headed straight towards Infearno!

"You think this duel's over, Azrael? Think again!" Infearno replied. "I activate the effect of Apocrypha of the Burning Abyss in my Graveyard. When I have no monsters, I can banish this card to end the Battle Phase!" A fiery book appeared, which protected Infearno from the blast of energy that headed towards him. "Then I'm allowed to Special Summon one 'Burning Abyss' monster from my deck to my hand. Come back to me, Barbar!" At Infearno's command, a horned, bearded old man appeared on Infearno's field, wielding a spiked ball on a chain.

Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1700 DEF: 1000 LV: 3

Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1700 + 500 = 2200

"Thanks to Apocrypha, Infearno survived this turn." Raguel said.

"But unless Infearno gets the card he needs on his next turn, it'll be lights out for him." Herald told Raguel.

"I end my turn, which means Terrain's effect ends, and you can activate Trap cards again." Azrael concluded, a part of him glad that Infearno survived. For it wouldn't be entertaining if Infearno lost. "From what I saw so far in this duel, you have great tenacity. Still, it won't be enough against someone like me."

"But considering how Azrael will end up winning on his next turn, we might as well share some important information with you." Wraith said.

"What do you mean by that?" Infearno questioned.

"If memory serves, your life was thrown into a state of chaos the moment your wife was killed, right?" Azrael callously recalled. "And the moment that happened, you tried to bring her back through the use of a cult, only to nearly get consumed by demons."

"H-H-How? How do you know that?"

Azrael smirked. "Isn't it obvious? I'm the one who was sent to kill you all those years ago, only for your wife to take the blow instead!"

"What?" Infearno breathed, his eyes having widened. "What did you just say?"

"Azrael just said that he was sent to kill you a long time ago, human." Wraith clarified. "As for Beatrice and your unborn twins, they were acceptable casualties."

"...WHAT?!"

"HE WHAT?!" Herald screamed, his eyes having widened as well. Raguel's expression was just the same as Herald's expression. Pure shock and agony.

"Azrael tried to kill Infearno, only to end up killing Beatrice instead?!" Revolver gasped.

All the others watching had similar expressions. In the real world, the Knights of Hanoi all gasped at their screens, Roxy gritted her teeth, and Kusanagi narrowed his eyes in pure fury.

Jericho, on the other hand, laughed once again. "How amusing for these humans to kill one another for petty reasons. Though I have a good feeling more info will be revealed in due time."

"Oh? Azrael was responsible for ruining Infearno's life." Lightning tilted his head in curiosity. Just who would send Azrael to execute Infearno, and what were the reasons behind it? Was it SOL Technologies? The Inquisitorius that piqued Lightning's curiosity? Or was there a different party that he didn't know about? While all of these unknowns irritated Lightning, he had a feeling that they'll be resolved in due time.

"I can see your look of confusion. Which is why I will show you the cold hard truth." Azrael proclaimed, having pressed a few buttons on his duel disk. Within a few seconds, the world changed. No longer were they in the mausoleum. Instead, they were in the bedroom of a house. One that Infearno instantly recognized.

"Familiar, is it not? This night was the last peaceful rest you had with Beatrice before everything went to Hell." Wraith explained. "If it's any consolation, there was nothing personal to the attack."

Infearno kept shaking as he looked at the bedroom. Memories came flooding in his mind. The moment where he and Beatrice found out they were having children. The two of them buying this house and settling in. All of them began to flood his mind.

His breath caught as a young male teenager attempted to kill Emon in his sleep, only for Beatrice to scream loud enough for him to wake up and push the assailant off.

"Run, Beatrice!" Emon exclaimed, as he and Beatrice ran out of the bedroom and down the stairs, their assailant pursuing after the duo. He put Beatrice behind her as he blocked the assailant's attacks before pushing him back. This gave the couple time to run to the kitchen, where they ended up in the kitchen to arm themselves.

"Emon, who is he?" Beatrice asked.

"I don't know, but he isn't friendly." Emon responded, before pulling out a large knife from one of the cupboards. "Go through the back door, and call for help." After Beatrice nodded back in understanding, she headed for the back door as two Black Keys were hurled towards Emon, who managed to barely dodge them.

The assailant quickly charged forward and attempted to strike Emon, only for him to quickly evade the attacks before striking back. In response, the assailant blocked Emon's strikes before punching him back with such force that he was sent flying off his feet, his back tearing through the wall in the process. As a result, Emon's back hit the wall near the back door.

"Emon, get up!" Beatrice pleaded, only for the assailant to throw another Black Key at Emon, which caused her to narrowly dodge the attack.

Having seen Beatrice nearly get killed, this gave Emon the strength needed to stand up and dodge the next attack the assailant threw at him. While Emon tried to fight back against the assailant, Beatrice went over to the phone and immediately dialed for the authorities.

"Hello? Someone's attacking us!" Beatrice began speaking on the phone. "I need the police immedia-AAAAH!" She screamed upon seeing the assailant grab Emon and throw him off the ground, his back having hit the couch as it fell over.

The assailant quickly threw a Black Key at Beatrice, which caused her to fall to the ground as Emon struggled to get up on his feet.

"W-Why? Why are you-?" Emon began asking.

"You, and everyone else are marked for death," the assailant responded, as another Black Key appeared in his hands while Emon prepared himself for what's to come.

"EMON!" Beatrice cried out, before she got up on her feet and ran to where he was as the assailant lunged forward, the Black Key in his hands. She pushed Emon out of the way before the Black Key pierced through her chest, which caused her to fall to the ground.

"Beatrice! BEATRICE!" Emon shouted, having ran over to where she was, blood coming out of her wound.

The assailant walked over to where Emon was, ready to strike him down. However, he suddenly heard loud sirens nearby, which forced him to leave the scene lest he be caught.

"NO!" Infearno screamed, as the house melted away, which returned him and Azrael to the mausoleum.

"So... do you believe us now, Emon?" Wraith taunted Infearno.

"Oh my God! Azrael just confessed to killing someone!" Pigeon exclaimed.

"It's not just that! Infearno and Emon are one and the same!" Frog added. "Once this is all over, we can post this information on our show and share it to the world!"

"...Why?" Infearno breathed. "Why did you do it?" He was shaking, but the panic was turning into anger.

"Because I was ordered to do so as part of my initiation." Azrael calmly answered.

"Who ordered you to do such a thing?"

Azrael crossed his arms. "I suppose there's no harm in telling you all I know, especially in how the duel's reaching its end soon. I was ordered by the Inquisitorius, an organization established by the church that focused on eliminating heresy and other things that opposed the word of God. From greedy politicians to corrupt businesses to criminals, the church wanted to eradicate them all."

"Inquisitorius..." Infearno breathed. "Judging by what you're saying, you and Watchman are members, right?"

"I was a member, though I'm not sure if Watchman still is or not." Azrael clarified. "But moving forward, the Inquisitorius began as a small group of zealots who strove to fulfil the word of God by eradicating sin at any means necessary. Whether it meant destroying a village filled with innocent people to root the target out, assassinating targeted individuals, taking hostages, or acquiring their attention through different kinds of means, they managed to complete their tasks without hesitation. As the Inquisitorius grew, the members saw that sin continued to flourish despite their attempts to suppress it, which was when they looked into different kinds of methods to stop it from spreading. They also looked up to individuals who strove to eradicate sin as well at all costs, such as a man named Aigami, or Diva as the zealots called him back then. The first user of Dimension Summoning."

After Azrael pressed a few buttons on his duel disk, an image of a man who had tanned skin, golden eyes and dark teal hair that spiked outwards in the back while two of them pointed upwards similar to horns was displayed to everyone present. He also had four ponytails, two short ones framing his face and two long ones in the back bound with golden rings. His attire consisted of a sleeveless green trench coat that had a high collar and a black border outlined in orange, black triangles that also had orange outlines, a lavender long-sleeved shirt with a light green sash around his waist, tan pants, and simple brown boots tied at the cuff with tan laces. He also wore a large golden ankh-shaped adornment that was clipped onto the golden rings of his right bang, twin golden bracelets with curved designs engraved on them, and a pendant that resembles a miniature version of the Millennium Puzzle.

"Aigami? Isn't he the guy who dueled against Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba during a tournament or what not?" Ai questioned.

"Yes, Ai." Playmaker confirmed. "But based on what we're hearing, it seems Aigami inspired the Inquisitorius into getting stronger for their mission."

"Eventually, the Inquisitorius found an artifact that would be used in building their primary weapons called the Quantum Cube." Azrael added, before the image showing Aigami changed to an orange cube with a millennium eye on it.

"That cube's the same as the one Watchman had!" Aqua exclaimed.

"It certainly is, Aqua." Blue Maiden agreed, before she narrowed her eyes at the broadcast. If that's the Quantum Cube, then is it the same one Watchman gave to Revolver for the Tower of Hanoi, or is it some sort of variant, she wondered in her mind. Blue Maiden was also curious whether Watchman was related to Aigami in some way, which could explain how Watchman ended up with the Spatial Cube.

"This is all kinds of weird..." Slipstream muttered.

"With the Quantum Cube's power, the Inquisitorius was able to build their primary weapons called the Black Keys, which helped in destroying sinners and any people that infected them." Azrael continued, as a Black Key appeared in his hands. "These weapons are used not only for assassination, but to identify sinners as well. What's more, they contained sacraments that can be used to eradicate sin from an individual."

"But why me? Why was I chosen out of everyone else to be marked with death?!" Infearno demanded.

"Because you were, and that was that. Actually, I originally intended to kill Dr. Kogami, but given his absence, I ended up with the next best choice." Azrael finally answered. "For my initiation, the Inquisitorius wanted me to assassinate a sinner whose actions were hidden from the world. I chose you specifically because of the role you played during the Lost Incident, where you provided the rooms that each child was put in. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to succeed due to a flaw I made."

"Oh? And what flaw was that? Was it your morals that prevented you from succeeding?"

"No, actually. The Inquisitorius operated in the shadows, and should the public end up investigating it too closely, the church's integrity would be questioned to the point where it'd be shut down for good. As a result of my failure, I was marked for death by my superiors, and they would have got me had it not been for two things. First, my Link Trigger not kicking in. Second, the Muramasa."

"Link Trigger..." Infearno thought back to his duels against Raguel, where he snapped and gave in to the power that dwelled within him. "You have that ability too?"

"Each Lost Incident child has a special ability that amplifies them as a human being in different and unique ways." Wraith explained. "One example being Azrael and Raguel's Link Triggers."

"Do you think that explains why I have weapons based off my duel monsters, Flame?" Soulburner inquired.

"It's a very likely possibility, Soulburner. A very likely one." Flame hypothesized.

"Using the Muramasa and my Link Trigger, I massacred the Inquisitorius one by one before destroying their operations for good. I'd be surprised if there were any survivors left." Azrael acknowledged.

"So in the end, Azrael's worse than Lightning. A monster the Hanoi unintentionally created by the Lost Incident." Revolver said with a frown.

"If anything good came out of joining with the Inquisitorius, it was two things." Azrael held up one finger. "One: I made more than enough money over the years so I can buy out Uchida Industries and give it to Ace for him to use at his pleasure. Thanks to this money, I was able to eventually use Ace as my puppet to not only make you Hanoi scum suffer, but also bring down the Black Market singlehandedly as well." He held up a second finger. "Two: I was able to figure out the answer to suffering."

"The answer to suffering?" Infearno laughed, anger and sadness still evident in his tone. "Such an answer does not exist in this world."

"Oh, but it does, especially in how Azrael and I overheard your desire to obtain it during your duel with Raguel three months prior." Wraith said, which made Infearno gasp. "Yes, we were not only watching your duel, but Revolver's duel against Playmaker as well. And during those duels, we were able to put a bomb in the Tower of Hanoi should things go south."

"We also obtained the Hanoi's data as well." Azrael reminded Infearno. "To put it simply, we know where you are in the real world, and if we wanted, we could have blown your precious boat up a long time ago."

"WHAT?!" Infearno exclaimed, which caused everyone else to gasp as well.

Lightning narrowed his eyes in anger at that particular comment. "Azrael, you could have eliminated the Hanoi a long time ago. Yet you didn't?!" He made a mental note to speak with Azrael and Wraith after this duel.

"Azrael had the Hanoi in the palm of his hand the entire time!" Ai exclaimed, before he grabbed his chest and ripped a dark-blue dot something out of it, much to Playmaker's shock. "Finally!"

"Ai, what is that?" Playmaker asked out of concern.

"I'll tell you, but only if you listen carefully." Ai replied, which caused Playmaker to nod in confirmation. "After I arrived at the Cyberse World and saw it destroyed, I thought everyone died. Then I came across Linky, and the two of us began looking for survivors. That's when we found Wraith, where the two of us agreed to keep in touch. To do so, he put in a way for us to communicate with one another. I knew something was suspicious, so I began trying to destroy it for a long time."

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Playmaker questioned firmly.

"I was going to. I really was. But after I was infected by Bohman's virus, I had to rest and heal, where I scanned myself in case something fishy was inside me." Ai replied. "Once I was done, I saw that something was not right with the piece of data Wraith left with me. And after inspecting it further, I realized that only my own algorithm could remove it. The worse part was that there were pieces of Malf inside it, and I didn't want to take any risks or endanger you any-."

To Ai's surprise, Playmaker gently patted him on the back, much to the former's surprise.

"Even if you told us, there was nothing we could have done to get rid of it, especially since only your algorithm can get rid of what Wraith put in your body." Playmaker said. "Plus, we were occupied with other matters at the time. So don't beat yourself up, Ai. I forgive you."

"Thanks, Playmaker." Ai cried out of joy and relief, glad that Playmaker understood what was going on with him.

"Wow, I never thought you'd surprise me more than you've already have, Azrael." Jericho admitted with a laugh. "Your actions, and how you've made people suffer either directly or indirectly makes you a truly fascinating human being to learn from! And the fact that you've dragged it on for so long too makes it all the better!"

"As for the question that's been haunting you for the longest time, I will give you the answer to it. Or at the very least, how I see it anyway." Azrael stated, which got everyone's attention as they looked at the broadcast. Even Lightning was curious on what Azrael would say next, especially in how such a question piqued and/or plagued an individual. "The world is fragile. Easy to break and destroy, no matter how many good-natured humans are out there. As a result, it's hard, and maybe non-existent for someone to make reparations for scenarios."

Infearno didn't know how to respond to this. While he knew there were other bad people out there, he refused to believe that no one in this world was irredeemable. For if Infearno began believing that fact, then it'd be basically him admitting that no one was good in this world, no matter what the reasons were.

"Suffering exists for many reasons. To balance the good and bad times, to enlighten us to different things the hard way, and to remind everyone that equality is an illusion. Something that cannot be achieved in the unequal world we live in today." Azrael sighed. "While suffering helps either punish wrongdoers or humble people so that we learn from others, it's unfortunately a consequence that infects others, no matter if they had any personal relation to a problem or not. A side effect of our free will."

"But without free will, we wouldn't be able to think for ourselves." Infearno retorted. "Are you saying that free will is the true reason why suffering exists?"

"Not necessarily. Suffering can be a prime motivator in making our ultimate choices, and whether they make others suffer or not." Azrael replied, having took off his mask, which showed his dark-blue colored eyes. Infearno couldn't help, but gasp upon seeing the resemblance to Raguel. "The suffering that was brought upon me the moment I was born was one of the keystones that led me to becoming who I am today. The Lost Incident is another factor, for it contributed to my mindset of survival of the fittest. As a result of my suffering, I became the very thorn that tormented not just you, but the Hanoi as well for a very long time now."

"Thanks to the Lost Incident, you guys unwittingly created an honourable monster in Azrael. One that brought you, Revolver, and the others to the depths of despair." Wraith taunted.

"Honourable, you say? How ridiculous." Infearno scoffed back.

"To sum it up, suffering exists not just so that life has true meaning, but due to how humans feed the cycle. One that cannot be broken." Azrael finished, having crossed his arms. "That is how I see it anyway, and whether you accept this answer or not is your own choice in the end."

"What Azrael's saying about suffering… that's just deep." Herald commented.

"While what Azrael's saying may be true, it helps people appreciate the good in life more, and how you shouldn't take it for granted." Raguel pointed out in response.

"Very true." Herald agreed.

"If I didn't go through the Lost Incident, then I wouldn't have met the people I know today. People I needed to move forward." Slipstream acknowledged, having recalled how he was bitter once upon a time.

Revolver frowned. "You may make some good points on the topic of suffering, Azrael, but the way you used your beliefs to make both us and those caught in the crossfire suffer is going too far."

Jericho pondered those words in his head as he thought them over. "That's a truly philosophical thing to say about suffering, Azrael. But honestly, I'm tired of the chit chat, and I'm sure those watching this duel are tired too. So bring this duel to the end already!"

"You..." Infearno gritted his teeth. "The way you resemble Raguel behind that mask of yours, I'm to assume you're his older brother?"

"That's right." Azrael simply confirmed. "Raguel is my little hybrid brother, while our father was the true instigator behind Project: VIII. To put it simply, he was responsible for Project: Apotheosis and the Lost Incident as well."

"What?!" Infearno exclaimed, while Revolver narrowed his eyes in pure fury. Everyone else also gasped as well.

"So Raguel and Azrael's dad was the ultimate instigator behind Project: VIII, Project: Apotheosis, and the Lost Incidents?!" Ai questioned.

"It appears to be the case, Ai." Playmaker acknowledged, who was just as surprised as well.

"Soulburner, I know this is shocking to hear, but you need to know that Raguel was only a child at the time. There was nothing he could have done to stop it back then." Flame attempted to placate Soulburner's anger, which managed to work.

"I hear you, Flame. I hear you." Soulburner said, having got himself together.

"I didn't expect to hear this, Aqua." Blue Maiden admitted.

"Neither did I." Aqua agreed.

"Raguel, I didn't know there was way more on your shoulders than I expected." Slipstream muttered. While he wasn't sure about Revolver and Infearno, he did know that it was unlikely for Playmaker, Soulburner, Blue Maiden, Ai, Flame, and Aqua to begin hating Raguel for the actions that his dad committed back then. Such a thing was not fair to put on Raguel's shoulders, especially with everything else that was already on them.

"Azrael-!" Lightning seethed, having made a fist. He did not expect to hear that Raguel and Azrael were related, nor did he expect to learn that their father was the one who instigated the events that led to what was currently going on. What else was Azrael hiding from Lightning?

"Wow, boss. This is a lot of information to take in." Pigeon admitted.

"I know, but it's important we keep recording. For once this war is over, we can show the truth to the world!" Frog reminded Pigeon.

"Of course." Pigeon agreed.

"Azrael, you bastard..." Raguel muttered, true fear shown on his face.

"Raguel, it'll be okay. It will be okay." Herald tried to assure Raguel, but it didn't work. The fearful and sad expressions that Raguel had on his face after finding the truth about himself was back.

"You..." Infearno growled to Azrael. "I will make you regret what you did not just to me, but to the Hanoi and everyone else as well! YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

"Make Azrael bleed, Infearno." Revolver stated, his anger evident on his face.

"This will be your final chance to show me your motivation, Infearno. For this turn will determine whether or not you have the strength to fight back." Azrael pointed out. "But please, put up more of a fight than your wife did."

"Then I'll make sure not to disappoint you! My turn! I draw!" Infearno furiously replied, as he drew the top card of his deck. Azrael's right. This is my final chance to try and defeat him, especially now that he has Cychaic Record in his Spell & Trap card zone. It can not only negate the activation of a card, it also can let Azrael destroy a card on his field and my field as well, he thought carefully in his mind. But if I play my cards carefully, I can defeat him. "Appear, the circuit of blood and death!" A Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are one 'Burning Abyss' monster. I set Barbar into the Link Markers!" Barbar went into the bottom arrowhead, turning it red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Inferi of the Burning Abyss!" A skeletal being with pieces of stranded hair and uneven teeth appeared on Infearno's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.

Inferi of the Burning Abyss ATK: 0 LINK-1 ⬇️

Inferi of the Burning Abyss ATK: 0 + 500 = 500

"While Inferi's on my field, you cannot activate cards or effects in response to the activation of the effects of 'Burning Abyss' cards." Infearno revealed, much to Azrael's surprise. "I activate the Spell card, Aurora Draw. When I have no other cards in my hand, I can draw the top two cards of my deck." He drew the top two cards of his deck, and smirked after looking at them.

"Get ready for this! I summon Lucifer's Acolyte of the Burning Abyss from my hand!" A charred black skeleton with silver pitiless eyes, a sliced mouth, and a black robe apparated onto Infearno's field.

Lucifer's Acolyte of the Burning Abyss ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1

"I activate Lucifer's Acolyte's effect! Once, I can pay 1000 life points to send one card from my deck to my Graveyard and replace this effect with the sent card's effects. However, I can't activate anymore copies of that card for the rest of this duel. The card I send to my deck is... Return from the Different Dimension!" Infearno immediately decided.

"What?" Azrael's stance shifted out of shock as Infearno's life points dropped.

Infearno: 5100 – 1000 = 4100 LP

A card popped out of Infearno's deck, which he took and sent to his Graveyard, only for it to be banished seconds later.

"I activate Lucifer's Acolyte's new effect, courtesy of Return from the Different Dimension. By paying half of my life points, I can Special Summon as many banished monsters as possible!" Infearno grit his teeth as his life points were halved.

Infearno: 4100 / 2 = 2050 LP

"Return to me, Malacoda, Barbar, Cir, and Graff!" At Infearno's command, four new monsters emerged.

The first was Malacoda.

The second was Barbar.

The third was Cir.

The fourth was Graff.

Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2700 DEF: 2000 LV: 6

Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1700 DEF: 1000 LV: 3

Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1600 DEF: 1200 LV: 3

Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1000 DEF: 1500 LV: 3

Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2700 + 500 = 3200

Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1700 + 500 = 2200

Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1600 + 500 = 2100

Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1600 + 500 = 2100

"Yes! We are back!" Graff cheered.

"Of course we're back! Nothing can stop us!" Cir agreed.

"We're demons after all! We always return one way or another!" Barbar added.

"It's time to make that bastard in front of us suffer for what he's done to us and our master!" Malacoda exclaimed, the other demons shouting in agreement.

"Infearno now has a field full of monsters." Ai pointed out the obvious.

"While his options are now open, any monster that leaves Infearno's field will be banished thanks to Quinquatria." Playmaker reminded Ai.

"So you now have six monsters on your field." Azrael observed, having looked at Infearno's field. "Apart from Malacoda, none of them are strong enough for a series of attacks against me. What are you planning, Infearno?"

"I'm planning to win!" Infearno countered back. "With this! I activate the Spell card, Invasion of the Burning Abyss!" The card showed Lucifer leading numerous Burning Abyss monsters as they arose out of Hell and charged towards the heavens, hellbent on destroying it all. "When this card is activated, I can negate the effects of cards you control up to the number of 'Burning Abyss' monsters on my field until the end of my next turn. And thanks to Inferi, there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Are you kidding me?!" Azrael exclaimed, he and Wraith fully caught off guard by what they just heard.

"I have six 'Burning Abyss' monsters on my field, which means I can negate up to six cards. I negate Amphitheatre, Mehmed, Quinquatria, and your face-down card. Take this!" A fiery wave of energy erupted out of Invasion of the Burning Abyss, which hit the declared cards as they greyed out.

Cychaic Mehmed ATK: 3100 – 500 = 2600

Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss ATK: 3000 – 500 = 2500

Cychaic Dancer ATK: 1500 – 500 = 1000 DEF: 1500 – 500 = 1000

"All of Azrael's cards have been shutdown." Aqua said.

"Which means Infearno can utilize the effects of his monsters once they're sent to his Graveyard." Blue Maiden added.

"Well done, Infearno. Bring that bastard down to the same despair we went through." Revolver commented.

"Now we're talking." Jericho quietly said, glad to see the action on the duel field.

"I'm not one to usually say this, but this is not good." Wraith acknowledged, surprise evident in his tone.

"It isn't good for either of you. For you've paid a steep price for not only hurting the Hanoi, but for enslaving the monster resembling my son to your will as well!" Infearno said, before he thrusted out his right hand. "I activate Inferi's effect. By sending a 'Burning Abyss' monster I control to my Graveyard, I can take control of one monster on your field. I send Lucifer's Acolyte from my field to my Graveyard, and take Virgil back from your hands!" After Lucifer's Acolyte turned to particles, Inferi raised its right hand at Azrael's field, which caused Virgil to snap out of his trance before jumping back onto Infearno's field.

Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2500 + 500 = 3000

"Appear, for a second time! The circuit of blood and death!" A Link Portal appeared above Infearno. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Burning Abyss' monsters. I set the Link 1 Inferi of the Burning Abyss, Graff, Cir, and Barbar into the Link Markers!" Inferi went into the left arrowhead, Graff went into the right arrowhead, Cir went into the bottom-left arrowhead, and Barbar went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning all four of them red.

"Ruler of Hell, the fulfilled time has come! Break free from your imprisonment and take over Heaven as its rightful ruler!" Infearno chanted. "Link Summon! Emerge! Link 4! Lucifer, Condemner of the Burning Abyss!" A muscular, supernaturally tall and humanoid demon with dark grey skin and several glowing scars around his body appeared on Infearno's field in the left Extra Monster Zone. Along with glowing red, orange, and yellow eyes, Lucifer's face consisted of thin lava-like scars resembling streaks of tears running from his face. On his head were two large horns, while his shoulders and chest had small spikes on them. He wore a brass-colored armlet on each of his arms, which were in the shape of a serpent. His legs appeared goat-like, in the form of a satyr. As evident that he fell from Heaven, Lucifer's back had smoking stumps, which showed where his wings once were. In his right hand, he carried a large demonic sword. Lucifer chuckled as he looked at Azrael and Wraith, intent on eliminating the duo the first chance he got.

Lucifer, Condemner of the Burning Abyss ATK: 3000 LINK-4 ↙️⬅️➡️↘️

Lucifer, Condemner of the Burning Abyss ATK: 3000 + 500 = 3500

"I look forward to torturing the both of you for your crimes, boys!" Lucifer told both Azrael and Wraith.

"Death can have me when it earns me." Azrael scoffed back at Lucifer, which offended him. "Assuming you can defeat me, that is."

"The effects of Lucifer, Graff, Cir, and Barbar now activate." Infearno said. "First, when Lucifer is Link Summoned, I can banish a card on your field. I banish Quinquatria. Hell's Rupturing!"

"I hope you didn't need that card, children!" Lucifer cackled for a second time, as he pointed his sword at the card and fired a blast of demonic fire at it, turning it into ashes.

"With Quinquatria gone for good, Infearno's finally freed of its effects." Soulburner said.

"Plus, the effects of Azrael's cards only activate when they're destroyed. Because their effects have been negated, Azrael can't activate them." Flame added.

"Second, when Graff is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one 'Burning Abyss' monster from my deck to my field." Infearno continued. "Come once again from my deck, Familiar!" At Infearno's command, Familiar reappeared on his field in defense position.

Familiar of the Burning Abyss ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 3

Familiar of the Burning Abyss ATK: 0 + 500 = 500

"Third, when Cir's sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one 'Burning Abyss' monster from my Graveyard to my field. Return to me, Graff!" At Infearno's command, Graff reappeared on his field.

Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1000 DEF: 1500 LV: 3

Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK: 1600 + 500 = 2100

"Fourth, when Barbar is sent to the Graveyard, I can banish up to three 'Burning Abyss' cards from my Graveyard to inflict 300 points of damage for each one banished by this effect. I banish Lucifer's Acolyte, Inferi, and Cir from my Graveyard, which means you take 900 points of damage!" Infearno added. "Take this!" Three fireballs orbited themselves around Infearno before he fired all three at Azrael, who winced as his life points dropped.

Azrael: 1700 – (300 X 3) = 800 LP

"Fifth, when Familiar is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Set one 'Burning Abyss' Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand. I Set Eternal Damnation of the Burning Abyss from my deck to my field." A card popped out of Infearno's deck, which he took and Set to his field. "I activate Lucifer's effect. Once per turn, I can target one face-up monster he points to, and all face-up monsters you control lose attack points equal to that monsters attack points until the End Phase. I target Malacoda, which means all of your monsters lose 3200 attack points!"

"All of you are nothing beneath me!" Lucifer declared, as he raised his demonic sword high into the air, releasing blazing waves of energy at Mehmed and the Dancer token before weakening the both of them.

Cychaic Mehmed ATK: 2600 – 3200 = 0

Cychaic Dancer ATK: 1000 – 3200 = 0

"I overlay the Level 3 Familiar of the Burning Abyss with the Level 3 Graff!" Infearno said, as his hand glowed red and a galaxy portal appeared in the sky above the duelists. "With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" Both demons turned into streams of orange and black energy before entering the portal, where a pillar of light soon erupted from its center.

"Sibling of the heavenly woman, heed the traveler's call, and fight by his side once more! Xyz Summon! Appear, Rank 3! Francesco, Warrior of the Burning Abyss!" A man with dark hair and a beard appeared on Infearno's field in the Main Monster Zone Lucifer pointed to. His attire consisted of chainmail, which had a red cross at the center, along with a belt strapped to his left side. He also had pieces of armor strapped to his arms and legs, along with two swords strapped to his back. In addition, he carried a large shield that had a red cross painted on it.

Francesco, Warrior of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2500 DEF: 1000 RNK: 3 OU: 2

Francesco, Warrior of the Burning Abyss ATK: 2500 + 500 = 3000

"If memory serves, Francesco was Beatrice's brother." Herald recalled, having played the Dante's Inferno video game a while back. Even though it wasn't one of his favorite video games, he did have fun killing the demons in the circles of Hell.

"You're correct, Herald. Based on what we're seeing, I'm sure Francesco will have a good effect that will help Infearno win." Raguel said.

"I activate Francesco's effect. By detaching an Overlay Unit, I can shuffle one card from my field or in my Graveyard to banish a card you control." Infearno announced. "I shuffle Virgil on my field, and banish the remaining face-down card on your field! Shining Enlightenment!" Virgil turned to particles as one of the overlay units went into Francesco's shield, which caused a blast of light to fire from it as Azrael's face-down card on his field turned into particles.

Francesco, Warrior of the Burning Abyss OU: 2 – 1 = 1

"Protecting your sons now, I see? Considering how you couldn't protect your family, is this repentance by any chance?" Azrael tauntingly asked.

"I am not letting you touch my family anymore than you already have, murderer!" Infearno seethed back. "Battle! Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss attacks the Cychaic Dancer token! Abysmal Destruction!"

"I'm going to enjoy this!" Malacoda exclaimed, as he charged forward and slashed the Dancer token in two, which turned it into particles.

"With the monsters that Infearno has on his field, the attacks will go through at this rate." Revolver cheered.

"Finish him, Emon." Faust growled.

"Make him pay." Kyoko agreed.

"For Beatrice, Akairo, Zandaka, Takeya, and everyone else Azrael hurt." Eizaburo added.

"And with that, your judgment is here! The battle continues! Lucifer, Condemner of the Burning Abyss attacks Cychaic Mehmed! Hell's Domination!" Infearno said.

"I will restore my eminence, and all shall burn in my glory!" Lucifer proclaimed, as he dashed forward with his demonic sword, intent on striking Mehmed down. He slashed Mehmed several times before breathing scorching fire over his entire body, which caused a massive explosion.

"Heh. I did it. Beatrice, Dante, Virgil…. I did it. I avenged your deaths…." Infearno muttered, as the smoke cleared from the explosion. However, he ended up gasping out of horror upon seeing an unharmed Azrael and Mehmed. In addition, a jaguar with pan yellow tan coloured fur and several rosette spots on its body was now on Azrael's field. It had silver armor strapped to its body and legs, which had orange rims surrounding each of the pieces.

Cychaic Jaguar ATK: 1800 DEF: 1500 LV: 4

"How? How are you still alive?!" Infearno exclaimed.

"If a 'Cychaic' monster battles and I would take damage, I can destroy one 'Cychaic' card on my field to Special Summon Jaguar from my hand or Graveyard to my field instead. And by doing so, I can only negate the attack, but end the Battle Phase as well." Azrael explained. "In addition, I take no further damage for the rest of this turn. As such, I destroyed Amphitheatre."

Infearno narrowed his eyes in pure fury and disappointment. He was so close to winning, yet Azrael snatched his victory away from him with a card in the latter's Graveyard! "I'm assuming Jaguar was one of the cards you discarded by Card Destruction at the beginning of this duel?"

"That's correct." Azrael simply confirmed, which made Infearno frown in response.

"I end my turn, which means Lucifer's effect ends, and Mehmed regains his attack points." Infearno concluded in disappointment, as Mehmed's attack points returned to normal.

Cychaic Mehmed ATK: 0 + 2600 = 2600

Azrael only has Mehmed and Jaguar on his field, and there's only so much he can do with them. Even if he brought out a Link 4 'Cychaic' monster, the moment it hits the field, I'll shut down its effects and prevent it from attacking with Eternal Damnation of the Burning Abyss, Infearno thought in his mind. With my field set up, I'll win this duel on my next turn!

"My turn! I draw!" Azrael said, as he drew the top card of his deck. "While you've shown me some strong motivation in this duel, it's time to bring it to a close with your defeat. I activate the Spell card, Cychaic Reinforcements. If I control a 'Cychaic' monster, I can Special Summon two 'Cychaic' monsters with different names from my deck. However, I can't Special Summon any monsters from my deck for the rest of this turn, except 'Cychaic' monsters." Two cards popped out of his deck, which he took and added to his hand. "Be born, Cychaic Cinnamon Bird and ." Soon, two monsters appeared on Azrael's field.

The first was a large bird with brownish-orange skin that had a large beak and a long tail that had orange spices at its tips.

The second was a large owl with torn, brown skin all over its body. It had sharp claws and beak, along with sharp feathers.

Cychaic Cinnamon Bird ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LV: 3

Cychaic Strix ATK: 1200 DEF: 1200 LV: 4

"Not so fast! Continuous-Trap, activate! Eternal Damnation of the Burning Abyss!" Infearno interrupted, as a reversed pentacle engraved itself on the duel field before the air became chilly. Soon, the duel field changed to a frozen, dark landscape. Behind Infearno was a giant statue of Lucifer. "While this card is on the field, when you Special Summon a monster from the Extra Deck, I can negate that monster's effects until the end of your turn. In addition, it can't attack the turn it was summoned."

"Tch." Azrael grit his teeth before composing himself.

"That's brilliant!" Herald exclaimed.

"Eternal Damnation is a very powerful card against monsters in the Extra Deck." Raguel said, as he remembered how troublesome of a card it was during his duel against Infearno. "The moment Azrael brings out a new monster from his Extra Deck using his other monsters, it won't be able to do anything."

"But if Azrael brought out those new monsters, he's planning to use them for something other than Special Summoning from the Extra Deck." Slipstream observed, knowing better than to make assumptions based on the current status of the duel.

"I activate Jaguar's effect. Once per turn, by destroying a 'Cychaic' card on my field or in my hand, I can inflict 500 points of damage for every monster you control. I destroy Strix, and because you have three monsters on your field, you take 1500 points of damage!" Azrael announced, as Strix turned into particles, which led Jaguar to charge forward and slashed Infearno before his life points dropped.

Infearno: 2050 – (500 X 3) = 550 LP

"Strix's effect! As it was destroyed by a card effect, I can send a card on your field to your Graveyard."

Infearno grit his teeth, knowing which card Azrael will choose for Strix's effect. "You have got to be kidding me..."

"I send Eternal Damnation to your Graveyard!" Azrael decided, as a silhouette of Strix appeared before it charged towards Eternal Damnation and pierced through it, which turned the card into particles.

"With Eternal Damnation gone, Azrael can bring out his monsters from his Extra Deck with no concerns at all." Revolver noted.

"Obviously, you hate me for the pain I caused not just to you, but to the other Hanoi as well." Azrael told Infearno. "But you want to know the truth? While that moment was one of the many things that defined your life, it was another day for me. And the fact that I got to bring retribution was an added bonus as well."

"Let's end this guy, Azrael." Wraith said.

"Leave this to me, Wraith." Azrael thrusted his right hand upwards. "Appear, the circuit of absolute power!" A Link Portal appeared him. "The summoning conditions are two or more effect monsters. I set the Link 3 Cychaic Mehmed, and Cinnamon Bird into the Link Markers!" Mehmed went into the top-left, top-right, and bottom-left arrowheads, while Cinnamon Bird went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning all four of them red.

"The Embodiment of Ideals is given to mankind!" Azrael chanted. "Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Teravolt Dragon!" A black, bipedal dragon with red sclera, white irises, and black pupils, as well as a small horn-like protrusion on the tip of his snout appeared on Azrael's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. His head sported a thundercloud-like crest tipped with light-blue coloration, which went backwards. At the base of his neck, his shoulders, knees, and wings was a black, stud-like feature, which resembled armor padding. His wings consisted of a fanned, shape that had a spike on each of the top edges. Attached to Teravolt Dragon's arms were baseball-mitt-like formations, with three-clawed hands on the undersides. On his feet were three claws, along with a small spike at the back. He also had an electric generator-like tail, which had a black inner portion and bands on the tip of the outside portion.

Teravolt Dragon ATK: 3000 LINK-4 ↙️↖️↗️↘️

"Heh heh heh. I've been waiting to destroy a human like you." Teravolt Dragon said to Infearno.

"The effects of Teravolt Dragon and Cinnamon Bird now activate." Azrael began speaking. "First, when Teravolt Dragon is Link Summoned, the effects of all Spell and Trap cards on your field are negated!"

"OH NO!" Infearno exclaimed, shocked at what he just heard. That meant he couldn't use Haunted Statue of the Burning Abyss's effect to protect himself!

"Electric Veil!" Teravolt Dragon's electric generator-like tail began to charge up before unleashed waves of electrical energy at the Spell and Trap cards on Infearno's field, which all greyed out seconds later. As a result, Francesco and Malacoda groaned in pain as their strength returned to normal.

Lucifer, Condemner of the Burning Abyss ATK: 3500 – 500 = 3000

Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss ATK: 3200 – 500 = 2700

Francesco, Warrior of the Burning Abyss ATK: 3000 – 500 = 2500

"Second, when Cinnamon Bird was used for a Link Summon, the Link Summoned monster gains 1000 attack points." Azrael continued, as Teravolt Dragon let out a roar before his strength increased.

Teravolt Dragon ATK: 3000 + 1000 = 4000

"With your field having been crippled, there's nothing you can do to prevent your defeat. Is there anything you would like to say in the end to your allies? I shall at least hear your will." Azrael offered.

"Even if I lose this duel, someone else will defeat you in my stead!" Infearno stated. "And I trust in my allies to do so!"

"Let. Them. Come." Azrael callously replied back, unbothered by Infearno's response as he and Wraith thrusted their right hands out. "Battle! Teravolt Dragon attacks Lucifer, Condemner of the Burning Abyss! Devastation Bolt!"

"Your end is here!" Teravolt Dragon exclaimed, before he surrounded himself in blue electricity that formed a sphere as he charged forward towards Lucifer with such force that it caused a massive explosion. As a result, Infearno was sent flying off the ground before he landed on his back, which concluded the duel.

Infearno: 550 – 1000 = 0

"EMON!" Revolver yelled.

"Oh! M.A.I! God!" Ai exclaimed, shocked by what happened just now.

"Even after managing to catch Azrael off guard several times, Infearno still lost in the end." Playmaker said, having clenched his fists.

Slipstream grit his teeth. "Damn..."

"Despite everything we learned about Azrael, he still manages to surprise us in the end." Flame lamented.

"Just how strong is Azrael then?" Soulburner inquired.

"Blue Maiden..." Aqua muttered, having turned to face Blue Maiden.

"I know, Aqua. I know." Blue Maiden stated, aware of the surprise and shock on Aqua's face. This was not good for them, as with Infearno's defeat, Lightning and Azrael once again had the advantage.

"B-B-Boss. That was..." Pigeon began speaking.

"Very scary." Frog finished. "Azrael won once again."

Jericho let out a loud laugh as he checked something on his duel disk, a smirk on his face. "My, oh my, you do not disappoint, Azrael. Judging by these readings you're showing, you'd be a good candidate for my little experiment." After throwing a purple orb at one of the statues nearby, he teleported out of the area.

Azrael walked over to Infearno, who struggled to get up. "While you fought well, I'm not impressed. Still, I will reward you for your efforts."

"Efforts? What do you mean by that?" Infearno questioned, as he struggled to get up on his feet.

"I'll relieve you from your suffering. And on that topic, I do hope you managed to find the answer you've wanted to find for so long." Azrael turned to Wraith. "You may proceed."

"Excellent. It's about time I got to use my Ceaseless Edge technique." Wraith said, before he traced his finger across the air several times, which caused streaks of dark-blue light to appear in front of him. After Wraith swung back his arm, they broke into a series of slashes that tore through Infearno, who fell back as he screamed in pain.

"What?" Infearno looked at his arms as he felt fiery energy emit through his body. "What did you do?"

"Like I said, I'd relieve you from your suffering." Azrael repeated, before he turned to Wraith. "You recognize that smell?"

"Fear." Wraith confirmed, as several demons began emerging from Infearno before proceeding to tear him to shreds, much to his horror. They continued to attack Infearno, who screamed before he eventually fully disintegrated and his data became a part of Mirror LINK VRAINS, much to everyone's horror.

Blue Maiden covered her mouth in shock, unable to comprehend what she just saw. Revolver gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, pure anger on his face. Playmaker and Soulburner shared the same reaction as well, the both of them having also glared at the screen. Slipstream had a look of disgust on his face after seeing what happened to Infearno.

"I knew we were going to be enemies again, but I cannot condone this." Raguel stated.

"Neither can I." Herald agreed. Compared to what Herald saw in his nightmare and what would happen to Raguel next, this was a blessing in disguise.

Soon, several blue-mirage blades appeared at Azrael's sides, which were fired at Frog and Pigeon. Even though the duo were able to dodge a few of them, one of the blades nicked the duo in the process. This led Azrael to grab Frog and Pigeon once again before throwing them to the ground.

"Only those I deem worthy can learn the information shown from this duel, not the entire world." Azrael told Frog and Pigeon, who gasped as he pressed a button on his duel disk. Soon, a flash of light hit the duo, which put them in a daze as their memories of the duel were deleted from their minds. Wraith also deleted the footage that was recorded by Frog and Pigeon to ensure that no one else could see it.

Once that was done, Wraith looked at the camera, as if he wanted to speak to those still watching. "Oh, and thank you Ai for letting me listen in on both you and the ones you love all this time! You've been a great help to us!"

After Wraith gave his final message, Azrael unsheathed the Muramasa before using it to slice the air in two, which creased a portal to travel through. He and Wraith then quickly went into the portal before it closed up. As for Frog and Pigeon, the terror-stricken duo were teleported back to Lightning's castle.

Lightning narrowed his eyes in pure fury after having processed everything that happened in the duel, and after doing so, only one conclusion came to his mind. He had been played by Azrael and Wraith this entire time. "Damn you both! How dare you play me for a fool!"

"Flame, what did Wraith mean by his last comment?" Soulburner asked.

"I'm not sure, Soulburner. I'm not sure." Flame replied. "It may be likely that Wraith ambushed Ai and put in some sort of tracker that would let him and Azrael listen in on us. One that couldn't be removed with outside help."

"Or if Wraith disabled it himself." Soulburner finished.

"Damn. Azrael and Wraith had the drop on us this entire time, and we didn't know about it until now..." Slipstream muttered, surprise evident in his tone.

"If you ask me, Aqua, Ai isn't someone who would be a double agent." Blue Maiden stated.

"Of course, not. Ai may be a little silly at times, but he isn't that stupid, nor would he betray his allies. That's not who Ai is as an individual." Aqua agreed. "Something may have happened to him after we last spoke to each other in the Cyberse World."

"I didn't expect to hear that Wraith had done something to Ai." Herald commented.

"Even if Ai knew and tried to get our help, Wraith would have made precautions so that his and Azrael's plans wouldn't be jeopardized." Raguel said. Azrael. Wraith. Malf. Compared to Lightning and Bohman, the three of you are the most dangerous of our enemies, he thought in his mind. I won't let you hurt my family and this world. Not on my watch!

No matter what happened next, Raguel would ensure that the enemies he and the others were facing off against no longer hurt the people he cared about. For too many people were hurt due to their actions, and Raguel was hellbent on making sure that it stopped for good.

Green, wispy pieces of data are shown floating through the network as a bright light briefly covers the screen, multiple cards popping up one by one.

Yusaku is first shown walking to school before he morphs into his VRAINS Persona Playmaker. Takeru is also shown doing the same thing before he morphs into his VRAINS Persona Soulburner. Last but not least, Yuhiro and Arashi are shown doing the same thing before they morph into the VRAINS Personas Raguel and Slipstream. Ai, Flame, Aqua, and Herald pop up on the screen one by one afterwards.

A split screen then pops up, showing Aoi walking down the street on one side, while Emma scratches the back of her head on the other side, as if she were stressed out. The both of them then morph into their VRAINS Personas Blue Maiden and Ghost Girl. A second split screen pops up afterwards, showing Rachel on her tablet on one side, while Gekiryushi practices her swordsmanship on the other side with concentration. The both of them then morph into their VRAINS Personas Numera and SengokuQueen.

Soon after, a third split screen appears, showing a skinny Go Onizuka clutching his head in pain with his left hand, while Kengo Dojun puts a hand on his chin, as if thinking something over. The screen then cracks, showing a virtual network where Go closes his eyes and spreads out his hands with a smile, while Blood Shepherd aims his right hand at the screen. A fourth split screen appears, showing Akairo completing some schoolwork, while Brion is in his apartment, looking at a picture in his locket with narrowed eyes, which showed his family. The screen then cracks, showing Drachen with Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword in his hand, while Electrolyzer has PSY-Framegears Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta attached to his body.

The main tower LINK VRAINS is shown before the screen cracks in two, which reveals the main tower in Mirror LINK VRAINS. Lightning's faction is shown in the light, but then the screen is enveloped in darkness before depicting Azrael flaring out the Muramasa with Malf and Wraith on his sides.

Revolver, Specter, and Infearno are then shown on the screen, with Revolver on the left, Infearno in the center, and Specter on the right.

The screen changes to show multiple people at Green Park. First is Kusanagi and Roxy beside one another, with Akira speaking to Emma and Gekiryushi nearby. Next is Arashi crossing his arms, with Takeru is looking out at another area while Yusaku simply looks ahead of him, Aoi sitting down on the stairs nearby. Yuhiro is seen looking ahead of him with a stressed expression on his face, a silhouette of Miyu trying to comfort him. Rachel runs up to where Yuhiro is before standing next to him, with Naoki trying to wave his hand to the humans nearby. Herald is shown with Ai, Flame, and Aqua nearby the humans. Last but not least, Ryoken, Youta, and Emon are shown conversing in another area of Green Park.

The screen then shows a grey landscape, where duel monsters appear in pairs. First is Firewall Dragon and Firewall eXceed Dragon, second is Salamangreat Heatleo and Violet Chimera, third is Cyreath Hercules/Alpha Mode and Turboblaze Dragon, fourth is Clear Wing Synchro Dragon and Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon, and fifth is Borreload Savage Dragon and Borreload Dragon before all of them disappear one by one. Last but not least, a network background appears, with a strand of rainbow data flowing around it before Raguel, Playmaker, Soulburner, and Slipstream appear, along with Ai, Flame, and Herald. All four humans draw a card from the top of their decks before a bright light covers the screen.

Card Gallery

Azrael:

Cychaic Jaguar (LV: 4/Cyberse/Wind/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1500)

Effect: Once per turn: You can destroy 1 'Cychaic' card on your field or in your hand; inflict 500 damage to your opponent for each monster they control. Once, if this card is in your hand or in your GY and you would take damage from a battle involving a 'Cychaic' monster: You can destroy 1 'Cychaic' card on your field or in your hand; Special Summon this card to your field, and if you do, negate the attack, then end the Battle Phase, also, you take no further damage for the rest of this turn.

Cychaic Terrain (Continuous-Spell card)

Effect: While this card is on your field, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to the activation of 'Cychaic' cards when they are destroyed by battle or card effect in your hand or on your field, also, the effects of 'Cychaic' monsters cannot be negated. Once per turn: You can destroy 1 'Cychaic' card in your hand or on your field; Special Summon 1 'Cychaic' monster from your hand, deck, or GY. If this card is destroyed by a card effect: You can declare 1 type of card (Monster, Spell, or Trap); your opponent cannot activate cards of the declared type until the end of your turn.

Cychaic Quinquatria (Continuous-Trap card)

Effect: While this card is on your field, any card sent to your opponent's GY is banished instead. Once per turn: You can destroy 1 'Cychaic' card in your hand or on your field; Set 1 'Cychaic' Spell or Trap card from your deck to your field. It can be activated the turn it is Set. If this card is destroyed by a card effect: Your opponent cannot conduct their Battle Phase until the end of their next turn.

Cychaic Mehmed (LR: 3/Cyberse/Dark/ATK: 2600/⬅️⬆️⬇️)

Effect: 2 or more 'Cychaic' monsters. You can destroy 1 'Cychaic' card in your hand or on your field; negate the effects of 1 card your opponent controls, and if you do, halve the ATK of 1 monster your opponent controls. These changes last until the end of your next turn. If this card is destroyed by battle or card effect: Your opponent takes damage equal to the monster with the highest original ATK on their field (your choice, if tied). You can only use each effect of 'Cychaic Mehmed' once per turn.

Infearno:

Recruiter of the Burning Abyss (LV: 3/Fiend/Dark/ATK: 1000/DEF: 600)

Effect: When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 'Burning Abyss' monster from your deck to your field. If this card is in your GY, except the turn it was sent there: You can shuffle this card into your deck; send 1 'Burning Abyss' monster you control to your GY, and if you do, add 1 'Burning Abyss' monster with a different name from your deck or GY to your hand. You can only use each effect of 'Recruiter of the Burning Abyss' once per turn.

Engravings in the Burning Abyss (Normal Spell card)

Effect: You can shuffle 1 'Burning Abyss' card (Monster, Spell, or Trap) from your hand into your deck; add 1 'Burning Abyss' card with a different type from your deck to your hand. If this card is in your GY, except the turn it was sent there: You can banish this card from your GY; draw 2 cards from the top of your deck. You can only activate 1 'Engravings in the Burning Abyss' effect per turn, and only 1 that turn.

Invasion of the Burning Abyss (Normal Spell card)

Effect: When this card is activated: You can negate the effects of all cards your opponent controls up to the number of 'Burning Abyss' monsters you control until the end of your next turn. If this card is in your GY, except the turn it was sent there: You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon up to 5 'Burning Abyss' monsters from your GY to your field. You can only use this effect of 'Invasion of the Burning Abyss' once per duel.

Blaze of the Burning Abyss (Quick-Play Spell card)

Effect: If a 'Burning Abyss' monster battles, it gains ATK equal to the ATK of 1 other 'Burning Abyss' monster you control until the end of the damage step. At the end of the damage step: You can reveal the top card of your deck to your opponent; shuffle it into your deck, and if it was a 'Burning Abyss' monster, your opponent takes damage equal to its ATK. You can only activate 1 'Blaze of the Burning Abyss' per turn.

Francesco, Warrior of the Burning Abyss (RNK: 3/Fiend/Xyz/Light/ATK: 2500/DEF: 1000)

Effect: 2 Level 3 monsters. During either player's turn (Quick Effect): You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; shuffle 1 card you control into your deck, and if you do, banish 1 card your opponent controls. If this card leaves the field: You can shuffle 'Burning Abyss' cards in your GY to your deck up to the number of cards you control, and if you do, gain 300 LP for each card shuffled into your deck by this effect. You can only use each effect of 'Francesco, Warrior of the Burning Abyss' once per turn.

Inferi of the Burning Abyss (LR: 1/Dark/Fiend/ATK: 0/⬇️)

Effect: 1 'Burning Abyss' monster. While you control this card, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to the activation of 'Burning Abyss' cards. You can send 1 'Burning Abyss' monster you control to your GY; take control of 1 monster on your opponent's field. You can only use this effect of 'Inferi of the Burning Abyss' once per turn.

QOTC

Of the characters who went through suffering so far in Obscured Truth, which one do you relate to the most?

Chapter Preview

Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 89: Fire And Venom. Infearno's brutal defeat has enraged the heroes, with Azrael's victory bringing him and Lightning one step closer to victory. Sensing an opportunity to further drive Raguel and the others into despair, Malf approaches Soulburner, hellbent on unleashing the strength he gained upon reaching perfection...

Author's Notes

In all honesty, I didn't expect for this chapter to take so long, though there were a few reasons for it. First, this was one of those chapters where quality took precedence. I wanted to make sure that everything I wanted to achieve in this chapter was taken into account not just with dialogue, but with the duel as well. It was one of the toughest duels I ever wrote too! Second, a lot of stuff happened on my end that I had to take care of. That being said, I hope you all understand, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter as well. As such, a quick recap is needed here for a chapter such as this:

The first thing that happens is how people such as Kusanagi, Roxy, Akira, Ghost Girl, and the Hanoi are reacting to the duels in Mirror LINK VRAINS. First up is Kusanagi, who's angry at Watchman and Katsuya for different reasons. The former for capturing Jin and the others to be used for the Lost Incident, and the latter for working with Watchman, as well as not telling Kusanagi the truth. Do expect a nice talk between Kusanagi and Katsuya following Mirror LINK VRAINS.

Next up is Roxy, who's also angry with Watchman did, and it's not just for how he kidnapped the children meant to be used for the Lost Incident. It's also because of how Watchman, who was a close friend of Myojin and Lyla, betrayed them by kidnapping Yuhiro and Yukage. She sees it as a true betrayal of trust that has a minimal to no chance of being reconciled. Roxy was also surprised by how Yua was roped into Watchman's plans. In Roxy's mind, she guessed that Yua made a deal with Watchman, where she'd assist him in exchange for being granted asylum from the authorities. Last but not least, Roxy was happy with Slipstream's ultimate decision in choosing to spare Windy's life, and ultimately free himself from his desire for revenge.

From there is how the Hanoi perceived the situation, where Kyoko, Aso, and Eizaburo are infuriated after learning that Dr. Kogami not only gave Watchman the go ahead in kidnapping the children, but looked the other way as well. They're also angry on how Watchman roped Yua into this entire mess, as well as concerned about the Root of All Knowledge and its long-term impact. As such, the three Hanoi members decide to put that aside before focusing their efforts on freeing Revolver and the others from Lightning's trap, but not before making a mental note to deal with Watchman after all of this is over. You could say that Watchman's selfish motives for revenge made him lose a lot of allies, don't you think?

Last but not least is Akira and Ghost Girl's reactions to the duels. It wasn't addressed on how Akira and Ghost Girl were able to watch the duels in the first place, so I thought I'd provide some background to it: Before Blue Maiden left for Mirror LINK VRAINS with Playmaker and the others, she provided Ghost Girl with a program courtesy of Akira so they can know what is happening on her end. Whereas Ghost Girl is concerned about what is going on and how it will affect events moving forward, Akira is infuriated with what Watchman had done, just like the others. He also understands why Raguel was so unstable lately, especially with what was on the latter's shoulders for the past while.

Moving from the reaction scenes, we now go back to Mirror LINK VRAINS, with the main highlight of the chapter being Azrael vs Infearno duel. For Infearno, he caught Azrael off guard multiple times, and even dealt some damage throughout the duel as well. Azrael, in response, not only locked down the main function of Infearno's deck, but also put the pressure on him as well. But in the end, despite all of Infearno's strategies, he lost against Azrael.

However, the true highlight of the chapter is the history between Azrael vs Infearno, which began after the Lost Incident. Years ago, Azrael was sent by the Inquisitorius to assassinate a sinner whose actions were hidden from the world. A wolf in sheep's clothing, if you will. Azrael originally planned to kill Dr. Kogami, but couldn't as a result of the Lost Incident being reported by Revolver. So he went after the next best thing by going after Infearno, and the assassination attempt would have succeeded had Beatrice not sacrificed herself to save Infearno. As such, Beatrice ended up being a casualty due to Azrael's actions, and Azrael had no choice but to flee due to the commotion that got the attention of neighbors. It is due to this failure that Azrael was marked for death by the Inquisitors, where they sent members to kill him. That was when Azrael's Link Trigger kicked in for the first time, which not only helped him kill his attackers, but also massacre them one by one before destroying their operations.

Now onto the Inquisitorius itself: They began many years ago as a small group of zealots who strove to fulfil the word of God by eradicating sin at any means necessary. Whether it meant destroying a village filled with innocent people to root the target out, assassinating targeted individuals, taking hostages, or acquiring their attention through different kinds of means, they managed to complete their tasks without hesitation. As the Inquisitorius grew, the members saw that sin continued to flourish despite their attempts to suppress it, which was when they looked into different kinds of methods to stop it from spreading. They also looked up to individuals who strove to eradicate sin as well at all costs, such as Aigami. Yup, you heard me. Aigami was one of the people the Inquisitorius looked up to in their pursuit of eradicating sin. Eventually, after a period of time, they were able to find the Quantum Cube, which was used in creating the Black Keys.

I know some of you may be confused about the Quantum Cube and its relation with the Spatial Cube, so let me make it clear: The Spatial Cube is a variant of the Quantum Cube that was created to store some of its energy in case it was needed. How did it end up in Watchman's hands, may you ask? Do you think he's related to Aigami? Those questions will be answered later on in the story, but not now.

I know some of you may also have this question following this chapter: Will the Inquisitorius be the overall villains of Obscured Truth? The answer is obviously no due to Azrael destroying their operations. Period. Whether there will be survivors or not will be for the future to decide, and that is final.

After Azrael talks about the Inquisitorius' origins, he ends up providing the answer to suffering, or how he interprets it at least. It is here where we learn more about Azrael's mindset on survival of the fittest, for he views the world as fragile. Easy to break and destroy, and hard to repair and fix. He also sees suffering as a tool used to motivate people into action. For Azrael's case, because he suffered due to the Lost Incident, he became the very monster that tormented the Hanoi for a long period of time. To top it off, suffering exists not just so that life has true meaning, but due to how humans feed the cycle. That's how Azrael sees it anyway.

After the duel, just before Infearno becomes a part of Mirror LINK VRAINS, Azrael rewards Infearno's efforts by relieving him of his suffering. He does this by having Wraith destroy the program that ensured the demons inside Infearno wouldn't kill him. As a result, Infearno is torn apart alive before fully disintegrating into data, much to everyone's horror. What do you think of this? How do you think it will affect Infearno moving forward in the story?

Last but not least, after Azrael deletes Frog and Pigeon's memories of the duel and Wraith removes the recorded footage from their camera, Wraith ends up 'thanking' Ai for letting him and Azrael listen in on his conversations with Raguel and the others. If you're confused, recall in Chapter 45 when Wraith put his tracker on Ai's palm. The reason why it took Ai so long to remove it was for two reasons. One: Due to Bohman's virus, Ai was forced to rest, having not anticipated it coming. Two: Wraith put a contingency should anyone else try to help Ai remove the tracker, the contingency being pieces of Malf. Since there wasn't a cure at the time, Ai didn't want to risk hurting the people he cared about, and so decided to deal with it himself. It just goes to show how vile Azrael, Wraith, and Malf are as villains. You could say that they've made a far bigger impact on our heroes than Lightning and Bohman ever did.

Now that everything's been recapped, I want to thank you all for reading Chapter 88 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 favourite and follow the story. That way, you will get a notification once the next chapter is released.

What did you enjoy the most about this chapter? The duel? The history of the Inquisitorius and how Aigami served as inspiration for them to get stronger? Or was it something else?

That's all for now, folks. See you next time!